Less than two years since the duo met in State College, Pennsylvania, alternative rising artists Joey Valence & Brae have taken their genre-breaking and era-bending sound to venues, festivals, and homes around the world. Unveiling their latest single, “GUMDROP,” and debut album, PUNK TACTICS, they packed their bags and crossed the ocean for their second UK tour — which included a sold-out London show, their second appearance at the Reading & Leeds festival, a set at Boomtown Festival, and an opening slot for Limp Bizkit at Gunnersbury Park.

Carefree, colourful, and completely compelling, their upcoming project draws on everything from the riotous rap of Beastie Boys and hardcore (Rage Against The Machine) to UK DnB and punk-rave (The Prodigy). “We started playing “GUMDROP” at our shows and on Discord, and the feedback was immediate (especially from our female and LGBTQ+ fans, who would thank us for ‘a girly pop’ moment). So we included it, for them and also for those, like the song, that maybe don’t feel like a perfect fit, but that doesn’t mean they don’t belong,” they share.

Here, they take us backstage on tour shenanigans during their time in the UK. Keep scrolling to check it out: