Drez Camino
Drez Camino is a rising talent who’s emerging as one of London’s next potential
breakout acts of 2026. Having already headlined the O2 Academy Islington
prior to the release of his debut single “For a Little While”, it’s fair to say that
word is beginning to spread about this young singer-songwriter.
His sound is one for lovers of Tom Misch and Steve Lacy with its foundation
being his tasteful guitar work and reflective albeit impassioned lyrics. The combination of these two manages to be something which feels intimate
while still bold enough to move a crowd.
Describing his style as “indie soul”, Drez pulls from a number of influences, stating in a recent interview that his dream collaboration would be to one day
work with either Anderson Paak or Yussuf Dayes. Further showing that while lyrics are essential, the rhythmic side of his work is core to him as an artist. With the versatility of his sound, it would come as little surprise to see future cross-genre collaborations, particularly as his style could easily adapt to more lowkey hip-hop or RnB as we’ve seen from the likes of Tom Misch over the years.
With UK soul enjoying a current renaissance, as well as him building his name
in the city which gave such prominent figures in the genre as Jungle, Sampha
and Olivia Dean, it’s with no doubt that Drez Camino is one to watch over the
coming years.
Standout Track: For A Little While
PVA
2026 marks the long-awaited return of one of the UK’s most enigmatic alternative groups in PVA. The London-based electronic trio made waves with their debut “Blush” in 2022 and have deliberately left fans in suspense, finally releasing their sophomore album “No More Like This” in January of this year.
Their sound, at its most fundamental, can be described as indie-electronic which is driven by both the trio’s creative production, and the captivating lyrical delivery from frontwoman Ella Harris.
While their sound is highly innovative, PVA are no strangers to sharing the love and paying respect to their influences. In a recent conversation with 10 Magazine, Ella acknowledged queer artists such as SOPHIE and Arca, stating “They showed us how queerness and radical ideas can sit alongside electronic music and create sonic utopias – something to look forward to.”
The aforementioned queerness alongside radical ideas are frequent themes across both PVA records. With their debut showing Ella’s reserved but captivating vocal style and ability to weave in and out of the band’s throbbing electronic production. Now their long-awaited follow up ventures into new sounds and sonic pathways for the group, with some tracks flirting with triphop, spoken word while keeping true to their percussion heavy electronic sound.
Standout tracks “Enough” and “Mate” both show the bands 4-year break in releasing music was not wasted as they evoke the same attitude which made their debut such a standout but indicate the band’s push towards a more refined, mature sound.
With PVA clearly feeling revitalised and free to continue exploring new terrain after the aforementioned hiatus, the future is certainly looking bright for the London trio.
Standout Tracks: Enough, Mate
Liam Mera Kai
Liam Mera Kai has been developing a strong body of work since 2022 which blends smooth, jazz-infused hiphop with catchy vocals that play on his ability to both rap and sing. Off the back of his debut EP, “It’s Fine Once You’re In”, Liam aims to make 2026 a year of continuing his current momentum as an artist, gigging as often as possible and building a following close to his Southwest London roots.
When discussing his influences, Liam describes the work of Mk.gee, Dijon and Paolo Nutini as being examples of artists who he looks up to for their authenticity and ability to connect with audiences. Regarding his live shows, he emphasises the need to reflect what’s great about alternative UK hiphop, remaining genuine and not too over the top. His live persona walks a thin line between self-assured confidence and heartfelt sincerity where most artists lean into one or the other, leading the crowd wherever he and his band want to take them.
The well-defined aesthetic of Liam’s sound and visual style is perfectly encapsulated by his EP cover art. The sharp, black and white image of him standing knee deep in ocean water, adjusting his suit, making the title “It’s Fine Once You’re In” all the more fitting. In a recent conversation with Sleeve, he referred to that feeling of being uncertain whether to release music as being comparable to standing at the edge of the ocean, not sure whether to stay on land or run in and swim.
As Liam’s ambitions as an artist continue to shift to bigger crowds across the UK, his hype will only continue to grow. However, with a strong body of work behind him and a seamless knack for delivering catchy and memorable jazz-infused hiphop, it’s clear that Liam Mera Kai has his place among the UK’s rising lyrical prospects.
Standout Tracks: The View, Dime
Kelly Lee Owens
The rise of Kelly Lee Owens from talented Welsh DJ to acclaimed producer and vocalist is a lesson in the power of allowing artistic ambition to grow over time. With the release of last year’s EP “KELLY” and her sophomore album “Dreamstate” the year prior, she has quickly become one of the UK’s most revered DJs in the techno/pop space.
KLO is yet another prominent figure in a genre currently being spearheaded by female producers such as Ela Minus and Sofia Kourtesis, but her sound remains distinctly her own, characterised by her own ambitious songcraft. With a style that gets increasingly harder to categorise with each release, KLO denies being pigeonholed by traditional dance music conventions or experimental pop tropes.
With this defiant approach and proven inability to stagnate as an artist, her efforts are getting increasingly recognised by both her peers and influences. The most recent example of which being electro-pop legends Depeche Mode inviting her to open for them on their recent US tour. Songwriter and guitarist Martin Gore of the band stating in a recent interview with NME “What she does is very atmospheric, and it never seems like there’s only one person playing – she really puts her soul into it.”
Recent internet virality has also brought a new group of listeners to KLO’s unique sound, with a clip from her now infamous Boiler Room Manchester performance. In the midst of a set spanning hard house to groove heavy electronica she seamlessly transitioned into a pulsing dance remix of Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place” thus introducing a whole new wave of fans to her work via millions of views on TikTok.
The pace does not seem to be slowing as KLO gears up to headline the BBC 6Music festival in Manchester where she’ll no doubt continue the momentum that she’s build up thus far into what’s been an already illustrious career.
Standout Tracks: ASCEND, Love You Got
Townhouses
There are 2 reasons for Townhouses inclusion on Sleeve Showcase, the first of which being that they’re one of the most fun, chaotic and engaging indie bands to have emerged within the last year. Armed with the jagged guitars, punk sensibility and catchiness that the UK sound has come to be known for, it’s no surprise that between their gigs in London and Bristol, the band have come to expect larger and larger crowds.
With their recent single “Scene Monkeys” showing the band’s self-referential wit and dry sense of humour, it’s clear that Townhouses are more than proficient at writing fun indie rock bangers.
However, the second reason to know about Townhouses is down to their innovative and forward-thinking approach to live performance in 2026. Having teamed up with tech companies CoStar and Megaverse, Townhouses live show is a massive step forward in combining future tech with authentic and raw performance.
Reactive visuals are created during their set, responding to what the band are playing live onstage, leading to a show where their creativity can be reflected in every aspect of the performance and streamed to a wider audience online. A future where musicians don’t just feel the music, but the power of the entire visual effects rig in the palm of their hands as they perform, is a future worth exploring.
What’s even better is that they chose to host one of these upcoming shows in Bristol’s beloved grassroots venue Strange Brew and offered fans “pay what you can” tickets to experience this groundbreaking live performance.
This is no case of style over substance, however. Townhouses have found themselves in the unique position of possessing what we love about the past but having a forward thinking and headstrong attitude which embraces the future and as a result, they should be on your radar.
Standout Tracks: Scene Monkeys, Gimme a Reason
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