Three-piece Grade 2 are bringing their classic punk with a modern twist to New Cross

Isle of Wight punk three-piece Grade 2 is guaranteeing a good time at their gig at the New Cross Inn next month.

“We always put on the best show we possibly can,” said guitarist and vocalist Jack Chatfield.

“We just want to let people forget about all the s*** that’s going on in their lives right now for a solid hour.”

The band, consisting of Mr Chatfield, Sid Ryan on vocals and bass and Jacob Hull on drums, have been playing together for almost nine years.

United by a love of old-school punk, ska and oi, the childhood friends formed the band in their early teens, honing their craft playing Clash and Jam covers before refining their own sound.

Mr Chatfield said: “It’s a classic punk sound but we try to keep it modern with more melody.

“We take a lot of influence from classic sounds, which is Sid’s influence, from the Clash, the Sex Pistols, all the classics

“I got into punk when I was a bit older. I take a lot of influence from modern oi bands from Europe such as Lion’s Law and Rude Pride.”

Grade 2 gained recognition while they were still in school, but are still going from strength to strength.

While touring in Europe supporting Stomper 98, the band met Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen, who introduced them to Tim Armstrong.

They signed to Rancid cohort Tim Armstrong’s Hellcat Records in 2018.

Following two albums on subculture label Contra Records, Mainstream View and Break the Routine, the trio headed to Armstrong’s Shipwreck Studios in Los Angeles to record their first album for Hellcat.

The result of this, Graveyard Island, seamlessly flits between three-chord punk-pop and visceral, multi-layered anthems all tightly mixed by The Interrupters’ Kevin Bivona.

Mr Chatfield said: “It’s a 12-track really quick, hard-hitting album.

“We tried to aim for it to be as quick and to the point as possible, which I think we achieved. We’re really proud of it.”

An American tour of the album was cut short by the pandemic after just one show, but the trio have been busy despite the circumstances.

Mr Chatfield said the band have been working on a number of new songs for an album they hope to put out at the end of the year, adding: “It’s all very much in the works.

“We’re really really excited about these new songs and we think we’re sitting on the best songs we’ve potentially ever written in our careers.

“It’s going to be another step up from the previous album, definitely.”

Grade 2 is playing at the New Cross Inn on February 11.

Pictured: Grade2. Photo by Ash D_2

Tickets can be found here: https://newcrosslive.com/events/grade-2