Porij

U.K. combo Porij create a glowing intersection of electronic dance music and fluidly played indie pop. The Manchester band built significant buzz and a fan base with early EPs like 2020′s Breakfast and 2021′s Baby Face. After a lineup shift in 2022, their momentum only grew with standout singles like the drum’n’bass-fueled “Lose Our Minds” and collaborations with Metronomy and Antony Szmierek. A high-profile support slot opening for Coldplay preceded their signing with PIAS, and in April 2024, Porij delivered their debut full-length, Teething. Porij initially consisted of Scout Moore (vocals, keyboards), Tommy Villiers (vocals, guitar), James Middleton (bass, keyboards), and Tom Donaldson (drums), all of whom were music students at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music. Released in late 2020, the group’s debut EP, Breakfast, established their mixture of smooth electronic pop and house music with live instrumentation and co-lead vocals from Moore and Villiers. Porij earned a streaming hit with their 2021 single “Nobody Scared,” which appeared on their second EP, Baby Face, in September of that year. By early 2022, Villiers had left Porij to focus on Piri & Tommy, his duo with fellow Mancunian singer Piri. Donaldson also left, opening the door for new members Jacob Maguire (guitar) and Nathan Carroll (drums). With Moore now the primary vocalist, Porij released a string of singles including the standout “Lose Our Minds,” a smooth pop gem with a drum’n’bass rhythm. The song anchored their 2022 EP Outlines, which again was released on the band’s own Oat Gang Records. In November of that year, they released “Life and Death,” a collaboration with Metronomy, followed in early 2023 by “Don’t Hurt Me” with Interplanetary Criminal. They also appeared with Chvrches as the opening acts for Coldplay’s Manchester tour dates. After remixing Antony Szmierek’s track “The Words to Auld Lang Syne,” Porij announced their signing to PIAS Records and released “You Should Know Me,” the first single from their forthcoming album. Working with Welsh producer David Wrench (FKA Twigs, Frank Ocean), they recorded their full-length debut, Teething, which arrived in April 2024. ~ Timothy Monger