Winyah is ‘Right Here, Right Now’ in Glasgow

By Chloe Hofer

Winyah’s rise to fame has been a rocket ship through the indie rock stratosphere. The band – Thomas Rowland (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Stephen Russell (bass), Luke Gordon (lead guitar), Robert Buffington Jr. (keys and synth), and Jake Riley (drums) – released their first album in 2025, Lot to Learn, and  have since gained a dedicated following within the indie rock scene, collaborating with flipturn and Evan Honer as well as touring with Dogpark. I discovered them not long after this album was released, drawn to their energetic surf-rock sound that is reminiscent of a number of my favorite bands, however Winyah is set apart by its incredible production. So, when the South Carolinian band announced the “Right Here, Right Now" tour was coming to the UK, I had to jump at the opportunity. It remains true that these Southern indie bands will go on a “world tour” and ignore half of the United States, so seemingly my only opportunity to see them was in Glasgow of all places, at the quaint King Tuts Wah Wah Hut. 

As I entered the “Best UK Live Venue,” as demarcated under their sign, King Tuts Wah Wah Hut truly surprised me. On the stairs up to the stage, it became clear that I had stepped into a huge piece of music history. The venue has hosted numerous huge names back when they were just getting started, championing the up-and-coming. As they self-describe, this venue is a cornerstone of Scotland’s music scene, thus Winyah’s first stint on their UK leg of the tour becomes all the more significant. 

In reality, it is a very intimate stage with a small standing area. When I arrived at 19:30, promptly as the doors opened, there were only a handful of people at the barricade and in the venue as a whole, an even mix of young men and women no older than 21 years old. As the night wore on it adequately filled up with a much wider demographic range, with middle-aged punks to people in their 20s and 30s, Winyah drew in a truly diverse crowd of people, many of them American. 

The night opened with a local band from Glasgow, Evyn. With only two songs released on Spotify and prior to the show a mere sixty monthly listeners, this was a huge opportunity to find their audience. They had an incredibly similar sound to Winyah, making the show feel very cohesive in genre and energy. However, it was clear that they were a new band and have not had many gigs yet, despite their fervor in playing and genuine excitement. The crowd was particularly focused on the bassist’s fly being down for over half of the opening set, distracting from the music but  creating a sense of unity among the early arrivals. Their newest release, ‘Gone,’ was a particular stand-out live, with the lead singer having a penchant for a raspy belt that enveloped the entire venue and my mind thereafter. The 4-man band played a number of unreleased songs from their upcoming EP, forward // forever, releasing on November 20th. Despite their small beginnings, Evyn got the crowd moving, prepped and primed for Winyah, and left me excited to see what they will do next. 

Winyah soon emerged through a veil of blue light and fog. Revving up the audience with ‘Ignition,’ the first song on their brand new album, Right Here, Right Now, released only a month before this gig. And despite some small technical issues, they invited the crowd into a vision of their dynamic musical prowess. They began with ‘Feel it All Again,’ one of their biggest songs, and what became clear to me was the unified energy of each of the bandmates. As they peered over to each other, genuinely smiling and engaging, you could tell that they really liked each other, a witness to a friendship that has created incredible music. Although the venue was not sold out, Winyah was elated by the crowd, a reminder that some 3,800 miles from home, their music had found a devoted audience. “All the way from South motherfucking Carolina! Thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful city, for the first stop on the UK/Ireland tour. But, everybody knows Scotland is the best”.

 As the concert unfolded, it was hard to keep your eyes off of Thomas, with his gestures and distinctive voice that pulled you in and kept you hostage, a joyous Stockholm syndrome. The passion and electricity of their performance of their new songs was addictive. ‘Before You Wake’ with its heavy drums and moody guitar, meshed beautifully with an almost whiny vocal performance that left me with chills. I was always drawn to the incredible lyricism of Winyah, but the live performance, particularly of this song, amplified the experience x1000. These sparks caught aflame during their performance of ‘Rat Race,’ as the audience finally began to dance, moving away from a soft groove to actual movement. Their stage presence was evocative and impassioned with joy, leaving you infinitely happier than when you came in. And as I looked around, the audience was just as in awe of them as I was, smiles spread across their faces as they looked at the future of indie rock. 

Winyah has this new band glow, a sense of their honeymoon phase as they travel across the world, having fun and growing. Arguably the best time for any artist, as they explore themselves, their music, and the world, Winyah is taking advantage of the rocket fuel in their songs, launching themselves towards stardom. And there is no better place to do it than in Glasgow, expanding their audience and what they thought possible for themselves in their almost 3 years of making music.