When I joined the band Swim Deep 13 years ago, my dreams were like those of any young musician: to play Glastonbury, tour America, and hear our music on the radio—all of which we’ve managed to achieve. But what I hadn’t counted on was finding a fanbase in China. Despite never having knowingly released our music there, Swim Deep recently returned triumphant from our fourth run of shows in China in barely 10 years, and we’re not the only British indie band benefiting from this unexpected opportunity.
China has had an enthusiasm for British and Irish pop acts for years, long before its ¥500 billion (£531 billion) music industry overtook France to become the world’s fifth largest in 2023. Jessie J became a phenomenon after winning the country’s premier singing competition in 2018, while Westlife have spent decades playing to thousands in Chinese arenas and stadiums. But less heralded is a growing interest in grassroots UK indie bands, for whom the unexpected demand—and promise of excellent pre-gig catering—presents a financial and spiritual lifeline as returns increasingly diminish at home.
The Underground Youth, formed in Blackpool in 2008, have spent more than 15 years “slogging night after night through small clubs in the UK and Europe,” says frontman Craig Dyer. Twelve albums in, Dyer says that touring at home is no longer financially viable, with accommodation and catering costs often outstripping performance fees.
In China, the experience is quite different. Tours are often pitched to artists as all-inclusive offers, with promoters taking on a financial risk by booking large venues and covering internal travel, hotels, and hot meals on top of a multi-show fee—a risk they’re happy to take because of the passion for British artists among Chinese fans. “It’s some of the best treatment we’ve had,” says Dyer, citing the 14 gigs they’ve played there since 2019. “We’re in nice hotels, being taken out for meals, and having small cares taken care of without thinking. And the professional level of the venues goes above and beyond what we’re used to.”
For Kat Day of Manchester-based darkwave duo the KVB, the second point is particularly encouraging: “We’re an audiovisual band, and the venues in China are often equipped with beautiful LED screens. I wish we had the funding to make our venues this good.” It’s not just the technical capabilities that are impressive, either. “Venues are often in shopping centres, which is quite genius,” she continues. In the UK, she says, “all of our venues are getting shut down—Moth Club [in Hackney] is fighting tooth and nail to stay open. But who’s going to complain about noise in a shopping centre?”
Swim Deep’s first gig in China, in 2014, was bizarre: we arrived in Hong Kong to discover that the venue was an Italian restaurant with all the tables and chairs pushed to the side. But on the mainland, we’ve mostly encountered ultra-modern spaces like those Dyer and Day enthuse about. And like them, we find our audience numbers in China often far surpass what we’d expect at home. In September 2019, our biggest UK festival show took place at 110 Above in Leicestershire, in front of a crowd of 500. A few months later, we played to 10,000 people at sunset on the main stage at Strawberry Music Festival in Guangzhou; we were the only UK act on the bill.
Sea Power, who formed as British Sea Power in Reading in the mid-90s, have had similar success. Their first visit to Beijing was a “catastrophe,” says frontman Jan Scott Wilkinson—the band had arrived to find the festival they had been booked for was mysteriously canceled.Unable to perform their scheduled show, the band instead played an acoustic set at the Great Wall for some very confused local families. However, by May 2025, their popularity had surged; four planned headline shows expanded to six after tickets sold out in hours. “We were playing venues with up to 3,000 capacity,” says Wilkinson. “It felt like playing in London every night.” The band has two trips planned for 2026—a festival in May and about a dozen more shows later. “We’re old. We’re not desperately trying to break through or grow anymore,” Wilkinson says. “So it’s a nice surprise to do something like this and be treated like royalty.”
Their popularity has a clear explanation: in 2019, Sea Power composed the score for the video game Disco Elysium, which, as Wilkinson notes, “deals with communism, capitalism, and various philosophies and political thoughts.” The game became an unexpected hit in China. For other bands, the source of their Chinese fanbase is less obvious, especially since Western platforms like Spotify and Instagram are blocked there. “We were told fans liked us because we looked like a couple from a Chinese soap opera,” says Day of the KVB. Meanwhile, Galway’s NewDad went viral on the Chinese social media platform Rednote in 2024, with countless makeup tutorials recreating the porcelain doll look from their Madra album cover.
Levek Lee has traveled thousands of miles from her home in Guangdong to major cities to see British bands like Wolf Alice and Ride. Her experience offers insight into how Chinese fans engage with Western music. She discovered artists like Jake Bugg and Swim Deep in the 2010s through the algorithm of the now-defunct Chinese streaming platform Xiami Music, and began importing records from UK stores such as Banquet Records, often waiting a month or more for deliveries. Studying for her postgraduate degree in Sheffield deepened her connection to the “spirit of rebellion” she finds in British music and fashion.
“I enjoyed Chinese music, but it tended to be more mainstream and pop-oriented,” she says. “British indie music felt like a truer expression of my authentic self. I think Chinese music fans are also constantly searching for that kind of distinctiveness.” She adds, “I think the success also has something to do with the British music industry: there are so many bands out there that there’s something for everyone.”
Traveling across China on ultra-efficient bullet trains is an eye-opening experience for UK artists. Highlights they share include jam sessions in Wuhan with mohawk-wearing Chinese punks, meeting Chinese indie legends Carsick Cars, spotting pandas in Chengdu, and visiting subterranean Shanghai clubs that feel “like The Matrix.” Post-show encounters with queues of excited fans bearing armfuls of merchandise and handmade gifts are equally cherished. However, not every aspect of touring in China feels liberating.
“In Nanjing, our tour manager came backstage with two police officers who wanted to review the setlist and our understanding of the law,” says Dyer. “I had to sign documents stating that I wouldn’t swear, get naked, endanger anyone in the crowd, or say anything negative about the regime.” All lyrics must be submitted for approval before an artist arrives in China to ensure compliance with local censorship laws. This process can sometimes lead to well-known songs being denied without explanation. “All well and good,” says Dyer, “but it’s a bit of a mood killer 15 minutes before you go on stage.”
Aside from the bureaucracy, UK artists are broadly enthusiastic about touring China.Independent promoters like So Ready Presents, Mentha Project, Haze Sounds, and Blank Joy have been working tirelessly to create these unique experiences. With British acts such as Shame, Matt Maltese, and Caroline all performing in China this year, the stream of bookings shows no sign of slowing down. The recent introduction of visa-free travel for UK citizens may soon mean even more artists find companions on their flights abroad.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to visit these places and meet such passionate and kind people,” says Day. “It’s a special experience. There’s a lot of negativity directed toward China, but I believe people need to go and see it for themselves.”
Swim Deep’s fifth album, Hum, will be released on June 19 through Submarine Cat Records.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs The Popularity of MidLevel British Indie Bands in China
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What does midlevel British indie band even mean
This refers to bands from the UK that are wellknown and successful but arent global superstars like The Beatles or Coldplay They often have a dedicated fanbase release music on independent or smaller labels and are known for a specific indie guitardriven sound
2 Why is the phrase treated like royalty used to describe their reception in China
When these bands tour in China they often play to massive soldout arenas filled with extremely passionate and knowledgeable fans This level of adoration and scale of success can be far greater than what they experience at home making them feel like superstars or royalty
3 Can you give me some examples of these bands
Popular examples include The 1975 Arctic Monkeys The Kooks Two Door Cinema Club and Mumford Sons Bands like Radiohead and Oasis also have a massive legacy following though they are arguably more than midlevel
4 Whats the main appeal for Chinese fans
The appeal is a mix of factors a sense of discovering authentic cool music outside the mainstream pop charts the lyrical themes of youth and rebellion a distinctive British cultural aesthetic and the highenergy guitarbased sound that differs from much domestic pop
5 Is this just a recent trend
No its been building for over a decade accelerated by the rise of streaming platforms and social media which allowed fans to easily discover share and form communities around this music
Advanced Practical Questions
6 How does their popularity in China compare to their status in the UK or the US
Its often inversely proportional A band might play theaters or large clubs in the UK but sell out 10000 seat arenas in Shanghai or Beijing China represents one of their most lucrative and enthusiastic markets globally
7 What role do music streaming platforms play in this phenomenon
Platforms like NetEase Cloud Music are crucial They not only provide access but also feature curated playlists fan forums and comment sections where users dissect lyrics
