Wrexham indie-pop band Baby Brave will celebrate a landmark moment in their journey next month when they launch their debut album, Sugar to the Tongue, with a special hometown show featuring four Wrexham bands.
Taking place at The Rockin’ Chair on Friday 9 October, the album launch party will see Baby Brave joined by Wrexham bands Groom The Giant, Fleece and Roadside Assistance for a night celebrating the strength, diversity and DIY spirit of Wrexham’s grassroots music scene.
Three years in the making, Sugar to the Tongue marks a major milestone for Baby Brave, whose distinctive sound combines soaring pop melodies and disco rhythms with gut-wrenching guitars, new wave, post-punk and psychedelia.
The album has also been pressed on vinyl, with copies available to buy at the launch party. Fans can also purchase the record through Baby Brave’s Bandcamp page or pick up a copy locally from Revibed Records in Wrexham.
The band have already attracted significant national attention. Lead single Cherry Tomato secured a place on the BBC Radio Wales A-List, featured on Rough Trade’s Counter Culture playlist and was selected as a Radio X X-Posure “Hot One”, alongside multiple plays on BBC Radio 6 Music.
BBC Radio Wales presenter Adam Walton has described the Wrexham band as “brilliantly co-opting sounds of disco, new wave and no-wave New York City”, while Radio X’s John Kennedy hailed them as “brilliant”.
For Baby Brave, however, launching their first album at home – surrounded by other musicians from the local scene – was particularly important.
Emmi Manteau, lead singer and guitarist with Baby Brave, said: “Releasing our debut album feels like a huge moment for us. Sugar to the Tongue has been three years in the making, so we wanted to celebrate it in Wrexham with the people and music community who have supported us along the way.
“We also really wanted this to feel like more than just an album launch. There are so many brilliant bands making completely different music in Wrexham right now, and bringing four of them together for one DIY night at The Rockin’ Chair feels like the perfect way to celebrate that. We can’t wait to finally play the album in full and have a massive hometown party.”
Joining Baby Brave are wizard-grunge outfit Groom The Giant, who combine thunderous grunge and stoner riffs with psychedelia, electronics and themes inspired by Welsh folklore and the Mabinogion. The band recently performed on Bloodstock Festival’s New Blood Stage after winning North Wales Metal 2 The Masses.
Fellow Wrexham band Fleece bring a different flavour to the bill. Led by songwriter Jamie Hamlington, the band move between summery, pop-infused melodies and adventurous, fuzz-driven instrumental explorations.
Completing the line-up are Roadside Assistance, an emerging young four-piece alternative rock band from Wrexham, adding another generation of local musicians to an eclectic bill.
The launch takes place at a significant time for Wrexham’s wider music scene, with local artists, independent venues, festivals and promoters continuing to build the city’s reputation as a place for original live music.
Morgan Thomas, Culture Bid Coordinator for Wrecsam2029, said: “What’s particularly exciting about this night is that it represents what is happening organically within Wrexham’s music scene. Four local bands with their own identities are coming together and creating something themselves in a grassroots venue at the heart of the city.
“Baby Brave releasing their debut album is a fantastic achievement in its own right, but celebrating it in this way also shines a light on the depth of talent we have here. A thriving cultural city needs artists who create, collaborate and take risks, alongside venues where that work can be experienced. Nights like this demonstrate the energy, ambition and community that already exists within Wrexham.”
Baby Brave’s Sugar to the Tongue Album Launch Party takes place at The Rockin’ Chair, Wrexham, on Friday 9 October 2026.
Doors open at 7pm, with the first band at 7.30pm. Tickets are £7.50 plus booking fee and the event is 14+.
Tickets are available on the Skiddle website.
