B-Side Guys

Tom Drury calls it “cringy,” but that self-deprecation reveals exactly why Balter’s third single cuts so deep. “used to be” doesn’t shy away from the melodrama of teenage romance—it weaponizes it, transforming those outsized emotions into something genuinely affecting rather than dismissive.

The Northampton quartet, fresh from their GCSEs, has crafted jangle-pop that feels both nostalgic and immediate. Producer Jonathan Hucks captures their sound with crystalline clarity: guitars that chime and shimmer without overwhelming, rhythm section that propels without pushing. There’s space in this production, room for each element to breathe while maintaining the track’s urgent momentum.

Drury’s vocal delivery carries the weight of someone who’s lived through heartbreak despite being barely old enough to vote. His phrasing suggests he understands the “naivety” he describes—the way young love feels seismic when you’re inside it, trivial only in hindsight. That tension between experience and inexperience drives the song’s emotional core.

The band’s cited influences—Mac DeMarco’s haziness, Boy Pablo’s bedroom pop sensibilities—surface in their approach to dynamics. “used to be” builds and recedes like memory itself, moments of clarity punctuated by dreamy interludes. The Aztec Camera comparison feels apt; both bands share that ability to make sophistication sound effortless, to embed complex emotions in deceptively simple arrangements.

What’s remarkable is how Balter avoids the trap of either romanticizing or ridiculing young love. Instead, they occupy that complicated middle space where embarrassment and sincerity coexist. The track acknowledges its own dramatic tendencies while refusing to apologize for them—a mature approach to immaturity that suggests these teenagers might be onto something lasting.

With festival slots at Isle of Wight and SXSW London already secured, Balter appears poised for broader recognition. “used to be” offers compelling evidence that their early buzz isn’t misplaced—this is songcraft that honors its influences while establishing its own emotional territory.