The Grove has hosted a steady run of single, EP and album launches over the past year and a half, and this time it was Connexion Man stepping up to mark the release of their debut record A Forest and a Town...
Built on long-standing friendships, shared history and a renewed appreciation for their home music scene, Connexion Man have spent recent years reconnecting with the community that first shaped them. Their return was sparked after being spotted jamming at JT Soar by local musician and promoter Alex Hale, and that sense of organic, community-rooted growth feels central to who they are.
A fellow musician who moved to London and later returned to Nottingham is Andrew Tucker Leavis, who you may know as this magazine’s former literature editor, as well as the founder of the New Nottingham Journal, or for his involvement in City of Literature or the Young Creative Awards. We could go on. It is a wonder he has time to be a talented musician too, but somehow he manages it.
As expected from his literary background, his music is pensive and thoughtfully written, drawing inspiration from historical references such as the Maginot Line (a, vast, sophisticated 280-mile system of concrete fortifications, tunnels and artillery built by France in the 1930s along its borders with Germany and Italy to deter invasion, for those unfamiliar) and from British painter J.M.W. Turner’s phrase “I never lose an accident.”
Next up was flöat, a name that has become increasingly familiar in Nottingham over the last year following the release of Slug Party towards the end of 2025, despite the project originating as far back as 2016. Opening with two solo songs, frontwoman Heather Blore then brought in the full band for a selection of tracks from the album, including Catacomb, Clowns and Get The Round In, Sweetheart.
Blore is a woman of few words and when she does speak, there is a softness to her voice even through the microphone. She introduced songs simply by title for most of the set, without expanding on their meaning, until Vampire, which she explained serves as a metaphor for depression. There was something endearing about her presence. Rather than the confident, brash frontwoman many bands lean towards, she brought a quieter, more understated energy. She ended the set by enlisting harmonies from Connexion Man’s George.
It was not long before the headline act took to the stage. There to launch A Forest and a Town, they opted, somewhat ironically, to open with songs that do not appear on the album. Rather than older material, this is because the band have already begun working on new songs. Copper and Water, inspired by the Victoria Centre’s Emmett Clock, and Reading and Writing - which is about exactly what it says on the tin - suggested they are already moving forward with confidence.
The main takeaway from both the record and the performance is that Connexion Man have found a winning formula. Their music is easy to listen to in the best sense, warm, melodic and consistently pleasant, while being full of character. It feels natural and unforced, the kind of sound that draws you in without demanding attention.
With George, Matt and Seb, they have three musicians able to move seamlessly between instruments and vocal roles, with no sense of transition or adjustment needed. It is also worth noting Tom, who takes a quieter role on stage but is described by the band as the more serious presence, keeping their creative ideas grounded.
Equipped with a bell to ring when performing songs from the album, this came into play for tracks such as Where Your Heart Beats Best, If I Were You and November Leaves, the latter their most popular song to date, with over 20,000 streams on Spotify (despite them laughing that this has only earned them roughly £1 in revenue).
Another album track, Blueberries, earned a shout out to the opinionated Thompson Brothers greengrocers, where George works on Saturday mornings. “Blueberries are a bargain - get them for 83p,” he slips into sales mode, nodding to where the twins stand in the crowd below The Grove’s staircase.
Letting Seb close out the night with The Plough and Twitch Upon the Thread, the latter began with harmonies sung without microphones before building into an explosive instrumental ending that drew an enthusiastic response from the crowd.
The night didn’t end there, though. On leaving the venue, there was a table of baked goods from Tied Up In Notts, including pretzels and focaccia - the Bloody Mary flavour going down particularly well. The second takeaway from the evening: More gigs should include baked goods, we think.
Connexion Man performed at The Grove on 21st March 2026, with support from flöat and Andrew Tucker Leavis . A Forest and a Town is out now.
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