Sundress @ Yellow Arch Studios

Riding the wave of their successful appearance at Tramlines 2025 and their subsequent recent single Summertime, Sundress electrified the stage at their first headline show in Sheffield on January 30, 2026, accompanied with fellow South Yorkshire-based and shoegaze-centred supporting guests. The Mic’s Josh Holmes reports.

Even before the announcement of their first ever headlining show, I was already well acquainted with Sheffield indie pop outfit Sundress. An excellent set at Tramlines 2025, as well as a lush gig for the Keeping Music Live tour shortly after, had already got me hooked on the band’s sound. When also considering their two currently released singles, "Meet Me in Montauk" and "Summertime" – both of which blend warm, dreamy guitar sounds with fabulous pop songwriting (with hints of melancholia) – checking out this gig was a no brainer.

As soon as I got to the venue, it was pretty clear that the band’s time running the festival circuit and playing in local venues all around Sheffield had already started to pay off, as a crowd slowly but surely started to fill the main stage room. This was made up of a mix of everything – from people who had stumbled across the band at those festivals, to friends and family who had been there since their formation a year and a half ago.

First up on the stage was The Tivolis, an indie rock group originally hailing from Rotherham. A band comprised of siblings & friends who met in school, their shared self-described love of Northern youth culture was on full display. Cuts ranged from the indie-rock and Britpop-influenced, such as the confident “If You Say So”, to the more indie-pop inspired “One on One”, showing a musical variety that complemented the band’s strong chemistry nicely.

Following The Tivolis came London shoegaze solo artist Hongza, mostly dropping the melodic pop elements in favour of a rawer, more on-edge sound that commonly drew cues from post-punk and emo. Backed by a drummer and second guitarist, the result was a sea of noisy, reverb-centric moments, such as the appropriately titled “The Noise”, cutting through with a wall of fuzz towards its outro. There’s a sense of honesty brought out when Hongza reveals track four, “Saviour Complex”, is about losing his job. By the end of the set, it’s no wonder he’s already attracted a dedicated following of his own, particularly amidst the growing shoegaze revival movement.

After both supports helped build the anticipation in the crowd, Sundress took to the stage just before 9:40PM, to a sea of cheers from the audience. The start of the set is dominated by a pair of as-yet unreleased cuts, “Don’t Wear Us Out” and “Beach House”, both continuing to demonstrate the band’s intimate knowledge of blissful, lush guitar pop. These are then followed up by a brighter take on bedroom pop band Men I Trust’s “Billie Toppy”, before the set takes a more emotional turn with older tracks, such as “(Say You) Wish We Never Met” or ex-show opener “Pavement”.

The original four-piece lineup (who I interviewed for the Mic in November of last year) is joined by a new face tonight. Keys and extra guitar duties are handled by new member, Dan, joining the band for their first show. According to lead guitarist Brad after the show, Dan “gives something more on stage”, something that’s pretty apparent by the end of the show.

“Summertime” rolls around, and as the band’s second released single it shows as one of their more perfected and strongly rehearsed moments, a melancholic tale of relationships disintegrating and memories of lost love permeating in the mind. Brad’s glassy guitar sound drifts atop the song wonderfully, and lead singer Chelsea (despite announcing on-stage that she’s ill) manages to nail the track’s vocals without breaking a sweat. It’s about this time that the bar staff deliver a pint of Guinness to the front, followed by bassist Elliott successfully splitting the G live on stage, to cheers from the audience.

The band then launch into their second cover, “Too Shy” by The 1975, which gets an enthusiastic crowd reaction, before rolling around to the shoegaze switch up that is “Non-Existent”. My personal favourite moment of the set, this track is where Dan’s additions to the band start to pay off in dividends, adding another layer of gorgeous distortion atop Brad’s playing. This track is one I’ve seen the band play on every occasion since their Tramlines set, and I’m eager to see it release, as it might be the most punchy and hard-hitting moment of their shows.

Just before the band’s final song, though, an emotional Chelsea asks for quiet in the audience, before dedicating a moving speech to friend of the band Dave, who sadly passed before he could see their first headlining set. A wave of applause comes from the audience, and it’s hard to keep dry eyes as the band finish things up by flawlessly running through their most popular single, “Meet Me in Montauk”.

Sundress’ first headlining gig felt like a celebration of everything the band had achieved until now. Between old fan-favourite cuts being resurrected, excellent performances of their most popular material and touching tributes to the friends lost along the way, this special gig was an absolute triumph from all involved.

Where Sundress go from here is a story yet to be told. What’s certain, though, is that this gig will serve as a highlight in that story.

Josh Holmes

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Edited by Isabelle Tu

Photos courtesy of Josh Holmes