Hailing from Leeds, with their fiercely unique, self produced, DIY ethos Artio are a band perfectly suited to be playing Rough Trade for the intimate opening show of their tour. Fresh off the back of the release of their new album Soul Rot, an ode to creative burnout, identity, and the emotional toll of simply having to exist, especially to a baying algorithm, the band brought out many a new and dedicated fan alike, setting off the evening with an even more intimate meet and greet before taking to the stage...
Artio had proclaimed ‘Long live the local band’, and they stood by this by inviting a band from each city on their tour to open up the set. Nottingham residents Airport Dad took to the stage early on, bringing their alt shoegaze vibes to the scene. They are a band that is also a perfectly quintessential DIY outfit, still finding their feet as a support band but entertaining the crowd at their best. Vocalist Jessie Hodges leads with a charmingly unpolished charisma, while Isaac, George, and Jack lock in around her with understated confidence. It’s the kind of set that makes you feel like you’ve uncovered a hidden gem. Sunflowers, Evergreen, and the politically charged finale How to Swim hit especially hard.
Hertfordshire’s very own alt rock trio High Regard are the recurring tour supports for the Soul Rot tour and they didn’t disappoint. The band, fronted by vocalist Georgia Casey, bring the type of energy you would expect to see from a headliner: high levels of crowd interaction, movements that felt slightly stifled by the size of the stage, and songs that the fans were singing every lyric to. From the set opener Life Sentence to closer Dead to Me, High Regard showed no sign of slowing down, having graced the support slots for bands such as State Champs, Seven Blood and Lastelle already in the last 18 months.
Artio opened their set with an amended version of Soul Rotting, the second track on their new album, which features the band and fans repeating the line "Please call me back my soul is rotting".
When this band chooses a theme, a vibe, a piece of lore, they run with it and keep it up all the way through the show. The set list was an expertly curated journey through Soul Rot, with most of the tracks on the album being performed (with a special mention going to Let It Be A Void, Soda, Full On Fight For Fun and emotional fan fave Room Tone.
Artio didn’t forget the tracks that came before, however, with Head in the Sand, Finger on the Trigger, Babyface, Product of My Own Design and Pyrokid also making an appearance.
Continuing with the theme of Soul Rot, Rae took time out of the set to address the influx of AI art in the scene; with a reminder that art comes from the soul, which is something AI will never be able to simulate, no matter how hard it tries.
The band closed the set with Seven Suns with the crowd erupting for the final time that night, singing along, using every last piece of energy to connect with the sound of real life words and experiences echoing from the microphones into their ears.
Artio are a band that will continue climbing up and out of the darkness, and bring with them an articulately self produced special kind of sound that is rare to hear elsewhere. Their fans clearly will follow them wherever they go, as the compassion and familiarity the band brings to the stage is not only felt in the crowd, but lovingly reciprocated.
Artio performed at Rough Trade on 11th March 2026.
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
