London indie upstarts The Gulps have announced their long-awaited return with a brand new single, ‘Got Ya’, released today (29 April) via Downtown Records. The track marks a pivotal moment for the band, arriving after a turbulent period that forced them out of the spotlight just as their momentum was building.
The release also sets the stage for a headline London showcase at The Water Rats, Kings Cross on May 5th, a venue synonymous with breaking emerging talent. It is a fitting reintroduction for a band whose trajectory has been anything but conventional.
Formed in 2019, The Gulps quickly became one of the capital’s most talked-about live acts. Fronted by Javier Sola alongside Juan Carlos Ruiz and Italian guitarist Francesco Antonio Buffone, the group’s early rise drew the attention of influential figures including agent Steve Strange and Alan McGee, the founder of Creation Records, who signed them in 2021. McGee’s pedigree, having worked with Oasis, Primal Scream and The Jesus and Mary Chain, only amplified expectations around the trio.
Those expectations were abruptly halted in 2024 when Buffone was diagnosed with cancer, forcing the band into an indefinite hiatus and cancelling a planned US tour. Now, with Buffone back and the band reunited, ‘Got Ya’ feels less like a comeback single and more like a statement of survival.
Produced by Martin “Youth” Glover, whose credits span Pink Floyd, The Verve and Killing Joke, the track captures The Gulps at their most visceral. It fuses jagged punk energy with melodic hooks and a subtle 60s undertone, building toward a euphoric guitar crescendo.
Speaking about the single, the band explains: “Got Ya captures that strange, vulnerable and almost surreal moment of a couple lying in bed after a wild night out. Under the influence of drugs, unable to sleep or to connect physically, they find themselves trapped in an intimate limbo where all they can do is share chaotic thoughts, twisted truths and a kind of confused tenderness.
The track blends emotional tension with dark humour as it explores that feeling of being lost yet somehow still holding on to each other. Produced by Youth (Martin Glover), the song preserves the raw, twisted energy that defines The Gulps, combining attitude, vulnerability and a melody that lingers even when everything else seems to fall apart.”
Even during their time away, The Gulps’ reputation on the live circuit remained intact. Prior to and following their hiatus, they shared stages with acts including Public Image Ltd, Happy Mondays and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, reinforcing their standing as a formidable live proposition.
Now, the band are preparing for an extensive run of dates, touring the UK in early 2027 alongside The Fratellis. These tours signal a renewed chapter, one that builds on their early promise while acknowledging the challenges they have overcome.
Listen below:
