The Pedals

Halfway - New single out now!

Story by Liam Hughes

11/05/2026

Rising Hertfordshire indie rock 4 piece The Pedals return with their explosive new single, “Halfway,” an energetic and emotionally charged release that continues to cement their reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting emerging guitar bands.

The song is recorded and produced at Air Raid Studios in Croydon by Casey Newman. Casey has worked with Pedals on all their recordings so far. I spoke to Casey and Olly (guitarist in Pedals) about the process of writing and recording the song. Halfway has a drop out in its mid section back to just a basic pulsing drums, quieter guitar and a distant backing vocal before building and crashing back with full force for the ending. “We quite like the big dropouts - we've seen Catfish and the Bottlemen live - and they are like the entrepreneurs of that - but Casey actually suggested just dropping out to a guitar and a kick - but then he brought in this like bass chord that Izzy (pedals Bassist) plays sort of halfway through that dropout. So that was definitely the involvement he had there. We sort of have a dropout in most of our songs, really, just to really bring it back in for the end.” - Olly “I like to make various room sounds for the drums, which gives them depth and vibe, which gets blended within different sections of the song to add to the dynamics. Guitars were tracked through a Kemper and Olly’s Pedalboard” - Casey Built on driving rhythms, punchy riffs, and a raw, unfiltered edge, “Halfway” captures the band’s signature high-energy sound while tapping into a universal sense of uncertainty. It’s a track that feels immediate and instinctive, mirroring the very sentiment it explores: being caught in the middle of something and unsure where it’s heading next. James Norman's vocals on the track are full of dynamics - adding layers and real depth. “Vocals we always have fun with, we get stuck in with harmonies and layering to building the song throughout, this one has an awesome ‘Ahs and ooo’s’ section in the last chorus along with the counter melody vocal as well. Jimmy (James - Pedals frontman) has his trademark ‘bridge vocal section’” - Casey The Pedals have quickly built momentum since they formed in 2022 through relentless live performances and grassroots support. With over 200,000 Spotify streams, packed-out shows at venues like Camden Assembly and O2 Academy Islington, and backing from tastemakers including EARMILK, Backseat Mafia, and 1883 Magazine, the band’s rise has been driven by authenticity and word of mouth. Endorsements from acts like The K’s and The Sherlocks, alongside support slots for Toploader and Pentire, have further solidified their growing presence on the UK indie circuit. “We've had various drummers and bassists but me and James we're sort of the core of it, I guess. We've got Izzy on bass. Joe joined recently, he's only played a few gigs with us, he's our drummer. I saw her (Izzy) on Band Mix from like a 3 or 4 year old account that had definitely been deactivated but I saw she was local to us and she played bass. I found her social media and then just pinged her a message and she was up for it.” - Olly Asking Olly about plans for the band in the near future:- “I think we're just focussing on playing, you know, great gigs exploring new cities and whatnot. We're looking at it as much more of a fun hobby than, you know, let's tick all these boxes as soon as we can.” With “Halfway,” The Pedals continue to refine their sound while staying true to the immediacy and emotional weight that defines them. It’s a bold, energetic step forward, one that suggests they’re far from stuck in the middle, and instead firmly on the rise.