Music News: Ones to watch - five more alternative acts who could have a breakthrough year

Last week saw Geese, Mac DeMarco, the return of Death Grips and more mentioned as 2026 starts to take shape in the music scene. 

Music News Blitz writer Freddie Thomas-Neher gives his final five in a two-part ‘ones to watch’ series for the year. 

Model/Actriz 

Boston-based noise rock/dance punk blend, Model/Actriz seem poised to make a giant leap forward this year. 

The release of Pirouette in May last year saw the band widely acclaimed, incorporating electronic dance elements into their original drums-first sound. 

Pirouette marked this shift in tone with a sense of maturity and has seen the band, headed by Cole Haden, receive invitations for high-profile slots throughout this summer, including a Coachella set on the horizon. 

Mid-April will also see the outfit on the bill for several dates supporting indie legends Interpol across Sacramento, Albuquerque and Phoenix, alongside their announcement for a set at major festival Primavera Barcelona. 

The next time the band will be in the UK will be early September’s Manchester and Edinburgh’s Psych Fests, but with summer on the way the four-piece could see those sets more well-attended than originally anticipated. 

Wednesday 

Much has been said surrounding the breakdown of lead singer Karly Hartzmann and guitarist, but also budding solo artist, MJ Lenderman. 

The two remain in the band, remain in support of each other, and remain on the rise, yet Lenderman’s hesitation to tour with Wednesday could spell a major reshuffle for the alt-country/shoegaze outfit after the release of their sixth album, September’s Bleeds. 

The roaring success of Lenderman’s fourth solo album Manning Fireworks has seen him established as a major touring act in North America and an independent act, but his intermittent performances with the band (notably on Colbert’s Late Show after the release of lead single Elderberry Wine) leaves the lineup in something of a grey area. 

Hartzmann has said, after announcing that Lenderman would be replaced for the tour by guitarist Jake Pugh, that she ‘senses change’, and with the demand for Lenderman’s shows with his band The Wind, it could be a while before we see the two alt-country staples perform together again. 

The band will play the Roadhouse in London this weekend alongside a set in Leeds on the 24th February, amidst their world tour supporting the Bleeds album. 

Further notable slots include a Coachella set and a support slot under legends Iggy Pop, Pavement and Bikini Kill at Mosswood Meltdown in July, with a very real possibility that Wednesday will crack the upper ceiling of cult-bands this year. 

The Garden 

Ever mysterious, January saw the experimental rock duo, who are also twin brothers, seemingly tease a new project. ‘Something on the doorstep’ accompanying a photo of the pair inconspicuously standing outside what appears to be a stage door leaves a clear indication of the full-length album Garden fans have waited for since 2022's Horseshit on Route 66. 

Riding high on the release of Six Desperate Ballads in late 2024, the unexplainable Shears twins found themselves touring the world amidst ‘Turnstile Summer’, a phrase coined in mid-2025 for the success of hardcore band Turnstile’s album Never Enough and their famed live shows. 

Acting as the primary support for Turnstile, who notably played Glasgow, Manchester and London late last year, the band have undoubtedly set themselves up for a massive resurgence in 2026 and, if a full-length release is indeed on the way, the Shears twins could see themselves back in major UK venues as headliners. 

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YHWH Nailgun 

The Philadelphia experimental rock band has had one of the more unusual ways to the top. 

Oddly enough, guitar player Saguiv Rosenstock originally joined the band after producing their first EP and, without any major label backing (they are under AP 93, a London-based boutique outfit), even has synth player Jack Tobias on board as their graphic designer to an alarming degree of success (Tobias is also the designer for Cameron Winter’s solo shows). 

Last year marked the release of their first full length album with 45 Pounds, a stomping, genre-blending amalgamation of years of development for the four, and gained them a spot on Rough Trade’s Essentials list. 

Their unique blend of punk, funk, rock, electronica and noise is an enthralling mix, with the use of volume modulation and roto toms adding to their high-energy feel at live shows. 

This DIY approach to what could turn into a major act gives them a truly alternative perspective on the music scene, one that, with major shows across the US all summer and late-August UK festival appearances, could see them stand in high stead at the culmination of the year. 

Fakemink 

“Get the hell out of here and go see him”

The above phrase was declared by Geese frontman Cameron Winter at November’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, where a clash between Fakemink and Geese had left attendees torn. 

Winter then proceeded to raise his phone and project the London-based alt-rapper’s song Kill Everything through his microphone. 

While an undeniably baffling situation to voice an endorsement, Winter joins a list including Drake and Frank Ocean that have hailed Fakemink as an alternative act to get on the bandwagon early for, with him arguably leading the charge for the UK’s underground alternative rap scene. 

Fakemink, real name Vincenzo Camille, marked his 21st birthday with the release of the 2026 EP The Boy Who Cried Terrified as promotion for his 2026 album Terrified, slated to be his first full-length release since 2023’s London’s Saviour. 

The period in between has seen a baffling level of activity; over 50 non-album singles were released in 2024 alone, with the artist consistently acting as his own producer, sometimes from his bedroom. 

A full-length project will undoubtedly push the alt/experimental-rap act towards more recognition, as 2026 shapes up to be the year that things line up for the DIY artist.

READ NEXT: Music news: Ones to Watch – Five alternative acts who could have a breakthrough year