Sink or Swim Present – Heavenly – Album Launch – Would-Be-Goods – Coventry – Live Review

Sink or Swim Present – Heavenly – Album Launch – Would-Be-Goods – Just Dropped In Records – Coventry – February 25th 2026 – Live Review

This is serious stuff, you can see by the amount of people that have travelled, some over six hours, to get to a little record shop just outside the ring road in Coventry to see true jangle-indie royalty. Because as far as indie goes there are a few names that ring bells in people’s minds and one of those is Heavenly, about to release their first new album for decades and play live across the country.

I meet the photographer in the Brewery next door and we do the usual insulting each other and putting the world to rights. Last week when I asked, there were two tickets left, and they were tied to buying a record or CD, these have now gone and if you are wondering I went for the record. The shop is full, I manage to get to the side of the stage where I usually stand and the Would-Be-Goods come onstage.

They too have a new album out and judging from the tracks played tonight, it’s ace. They start by saying that it’s their very first show in Coventry and they’re very excited. The drums start, hard and clear. The vocals are well spoken, pronounced perfectly and very easy to understand. It’s poppy and indie, therefore it’s indie pop. The photographer labels it fey, but I’m not so sure. The drums are leading the way as the rest of the band look either aloof or nervous, I’m not sure which. It’s a straightforward sound, very precise, they play an old song from the first album which has a real Beatles sixties groove with the vocal, the clear and very just so vocal which as the set progresses is what makes the Would-Be-Goods what they are. I can’t think of another vocalist that sounds like this and that is a compliment. Underneath is proper old fashioned rock’n’roll, that’s what I mean by them being more than fey indie, the vocal makes you think that but scratch the surface and there’s a wealth of sound with an emotional edge.

A slow blues groove takes over, it’s bass led and very cool. Smooth, disconcerting and weird. They tell us that this is also the first time the band have ever played in a record shop too. They go into a sixties feeling classy sound, the songs are great. The guitars are clear and the vocal goes fuzzy, the song is slow, low and cool. It’s a very British sound and you can hear the history and influences in the songwriting, slices of life like Ray Davies the effortlessness of Dusty Springfield then for a couple of seconds the music sounds lost and off track but a beat later it’s all there together again. Plus the guitar is wonderfully twangy. After every song there’s a large amount of applause and then the crowd are very quiet waiting for what’s next. Then, I’ll tell you what’s next, more proper rock’n’roll drums and an indie sparkle on top, I do really like this lot.

Then there’s slow, mournful guitar and sad clear vocal that goes into a loose groove that gets steadily stronger as it goes on. Then an almost psyched out chorus with a great restrained groove, this is far too luscious to be described as just indie pop. But whatever music avenue the band travel down there’s a clearness and calm around the singing that makes this band special. They turn sensual and sexy with an almost Spanish sounding song and then Too Old is a perfect ode to lost youth. This is a brilliant set from a band that I will be seeking out again.

Heavenly are straight away into a great big Indie-Pop (with a capitol I and P) groove, the harmonies are wonderful and the fast song jolts you into the sound, they’ve got the same drummer as the Would-Be-Goods, I wonder who is borrowing him or he is just the sticksman for the both of them. The photographer comments that he won’t need to worry about more photos of him. The record shop is full and the audience are crowded against the front of the stage. I told you this was kind of a big deal. Celebrating the record launch, but as Amelia points out, it’s only in Coventry, it’s actually released tomorrow everywhere else. They launch into more infectious indie pop and Amelia’s vocal rings through the shop. Wonderful stuff. The drums turn to a basic rock’n’roll beat, it’s funny how everything leads back to the guys and girls who did it first and how their legacy bleeds through into so much of the music I love. The band play and the enthusiasm they have playing and singing is transferred over to the audience who are loving the set. They are so very good at the sound they make and they obviously love doing it. It’s indie-pop a gogo, fast and cool.

They carry on doing what they do best, playing to the captive and very partisan audience with wonderful pop music and harmonised vocals, Heavenly are just great, they slow some down, then pile in faster and they advertise the twee merch over in the corner being guarded by the cat, they show us the Heavenly Bike Bell which they say is the twee-est piece of merch ever. Then they play again, the groove is poppy and fresh, they are ace. The audience isn’t just old indie heads either, there are plenty of kids here too, I think that’s due to bands like my twelve year old daughter’s favourites The Cords who play this sort of thing but are very young, a new generation are discovering Indie and it’s wonderful. This is all about the light in the music. I am sat at the back next to the cat who is sitting on a Fuck You No Way Tea Towel. Which we all sing along with when they play it next. They stop, leave the stage briefly and then are back, as if by magic, finishing the night with some more joyous indie pop.