GET TO KNOW: Graphic Nature (Ahead of RADAR Festival)
- Amy Smyth
- Jul 28
- 3 min read
RADAR Festival is just around the corner, bringing an absolutely stacked lineup with it. GRAPHIC NATURE are among that list, one of our favourites in the metal scene right now, and they should be yours too! The band are playing on the Friday of the festival on the 31st of July, so here's some history behind the band and why you should definitely put them on your list.
GRAPHIC NATURE are a nu-metal and metalcore fusion band hailing from Kent. Their music spans horizons in its exploration through the world of metal as they create their own distinct, unique sound within the ever-expanding world of metal. The band uses a range of electronic samples and computer-based beats merged with their own acoustics, creating tracks your body cannot resist.
The band were formed in 2018, with their name influenced by a DEFTONES song of the same name. In their early career, the band shifted between genres and leaned more towards grind before landing on nu-metal, a genre the members all enjoyed and felt was right. Eventually, the band released their first single, Grit, landing themselves a range of opening slots for bigger bands very early on.
Lead Vocalist Harvey Freeman described their music as “a mix of nu-metal and hardcore with some garage and drum and bass influences". The key to their sound is intense screaming vocals with a unique melancholic tone provided by Freeman. The distorted guitars and bass collide with a plethora of electronic samples and synths, creating ungodly noise - in the best way.
To its core, GRAPHIC NATURE are a band that heavily advocate for mental health, not just in their lyrics that discuss their own struggles but also through speeches and statements during their live sets. It doesn't matter who you are, what's on your mind or how you identify; a GRAPHIC NATURE set is a way to escape it all. Their sets frequently gain a lot of attention and movement from the crowd with moshpits, stage divers and two steppers throughout.
As everyone felt the shock of the pandemic, the band channelled this into new music, releasing it in 2022 in the form of their debut EP New Skin. Then, in 2023, the band released their first album A Mind Waiting To Die, which landed on both Kerrang! and Rocksound's best albums of 2023 as well as receiving the award for Best Breakthrough Album from the HMA’s.
Rolling out records so close together is no easy feat; however, the band found themselves so railed up after returning post-pandemic they just had to keep writing. They've described their creative process by starting with the guitarist Pete Woolven writing riffs over a rough drum track, then merging them with previously written vocal demos from Freeman. The process is spontaneous and unscheduled, which they believe is their key to keeping their music realistic and raw.
Since these releases, the band have had huge opportunities coming their way, having played shows with CANCER BATS, VEXED, THROWN and even opening for STRAY FROM THE PATH on their final tour in Europe.
Bringing it up to the present day in 2026, the band released their new single Faceless as well as an announcement that they've signed with Century Media Records. It seems to be the start of a new chapter for the band and hopefully will come along with lots of new bangers.
If you're looking for tracks to add to your RADAR Festival playlist, their latest track Faceless is a must-have, as well as their biggest tracks Killing Floor and Something I’m Not. Some deeper dive tracks that are in their regular setlist rotation are Locked In and Sour, tracks that also bring immense devastation live.
Taking place in Manchester, RADAR Festival will be a hectic weekend, but GRAPHIC NATURE’s set is bound to be one of the best of the weekend; whether you’re a fan of the music or someone who just wants to move, it’s the place to be.
Words: Amy Smyth
Photo: Kieran Atkinson
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