The Ransoms

Five young men standing in a row against a colourful graffiti wall. Three of them are wearing football (soccer) shirts - two in black and white striped Newcastle United jerseys with "Sela" visible on one, and one in the middle wearing a red jersey with "BTCellnet" on it. The men on the far left and right are dressed differently - the leftmost in a light jacket, and the rightmost in a dark jacket with glasses.

Darlington’s indie alt. rockers The Ransoms have quietly built a steady following in the last couple of years cemented by the five-piece’s debut EP, Room 094, released late last year. Already with supports under their belts with CVC and Mascara’s Lies plus shows at venues throughout the North East, the Stockton Calling nod this year was a no brainer. Blending bluesy guitars with melodic social discourse in their lyrics, on tracks such as This Is The News (What Do We Do?) and Devil’s Temptation, The Ransoms are another must see on the day. (Steve Spithray)