After years spent making waves on the other side of the Atlantic, London-born rock duo BONES UK are coming home. Their new single, ‘Hits Like Home’, is a love letter to the city that made them, celebrating the streets, sounds and spirit of London through the band’s unmistakable blend of swaggering riffs, gritty electronics and infectious rock ‘n’ roll energy. Steam HERE and watch the accompanying music video HERE.
“This song is about coming home.” declares Rosie. “It’s a love letter to London, scraped into a traffic cone, worn on a police man’s head, raving all night in the back of a van.
“It’s about when you need to reset and go back to the city that you came from to re-root and regroup. When the adventures that were sun kissed, turn dark and you just need a hug from your mum.”
For vocalist and guitarist Rosie Oddie and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg, London is more than just a hometown. It’s where their musical partnership began, where they developed their sound and where they first cut their teeth in the clubs and venues of Camden Town.
That journey would eventually take them to Los Angeles, where they built an international following, earned a GRAMMY nomination, attracted hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners and shared stages with some of rock’s biggest names, including Korn, The Smashing Pumpkins, Queens of the Stone Age, Alice In Chains and Tom Morello.
But no matter how far their music has taken them, London has never been far from their hearts.
‘Hits Like Home’ captures that connection, channelling the attitude, character and restless energy of the city into a song that feels both like a celebration of their past and a statement of intent for the future. It’s a reminder that while the band may have travelled the world, there’s still nowhere quite like home.
The accompanying music video brings that sentiment to life in suitably unconventional fashion. Filmed on the streets of London by videographer and directors of photography Jason Denton & Tobias Ross Southall, the clip sees Rosie and Carmen deliver a full-throttle performance from the back of a 7.5-tonne truck. The result is a playful, high-energy celebration of the city, capturing both its iconic imagery and the irreverent spirit that has always been part of BONES UK’s DNA.
“The video is a little play on seeing the ‘guardians of our fair city” cutting loose.” says Rosie. “Letting their hair down and feeling that “London vibe”. Royal guards and police men and women raving in the back of a van. To show even the law gets down and dirty to that “London feeling”. Infectious.”
Having established themselves internationally, BONES UK are now turning their attention back towards the UK and Europe. “Hits Like Home” marks the beginning of that next chapter, bringing the band back to where it all started, armed with years of experience, a formidable live reputation and a renewed sense of purpose.
“Hits Like Home” is out now via Sumerian Records: https://sumerian.lnk.to/hitslikehome
About BONES UK
Formed in Camden, London, by vocalist and guitarist Rosie Oddie and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg, BONES UK channel every raised eyebrow and assumption about their place in rock into a determination to play harder. Snarling riffs, gritty electronics and fierce individuality fuel a partnership with a two-against-the-world spirit at its heart.
Onstage, that bond is electric. Carmen’s playing moves from soulful blues to powerhouse riffs, combining extraordinary precision with instinct and swagger. It has earned her guitar magazine covers and her own signature Blackstar amplifier. Alongside her, Rosie pours herself into every performance, delivering each lyric with a raw conviction that makes even the biggest room feel personal.
“Her guitar is a lead vocal, too,” Rosie explains. “We’re always at the front together.”
Blending punk attitude, blues swagger and industrial beats, the duo call their sound “future rock”. Their 2019 self-titled debut introduced that vision with ‘Beautiful Is Boring’ and ‘Pretty Waste’, the latter earning a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock Performance at the 2020 awards. Appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Howard Stern Show brought them to wider audiences, while touring partners have included Korn, The Smashing Pumpkins, Palaye Royale, Bush, Badflower, Queens of the Stone Age, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and Tom Morello. Then, just as things were taking off, the pandemic brought that momentum to a sudden halt. Tours were scrapped and the road ahead disappeared. Undeterred, BONES UK found another way to make noise.
Their EARTHWALKERS series reimagined live performance for a world in lockdown, taking music into unexpected settings, from a football pitch to fans’ gardens and socially distanced drive-in shows. Working creatively around restrictions, they stretched the possibilities of live music to keep the connection with their fans alive.
“You have to think outside the box which WE LOVE,” Rosie said.
Their second album, SOFT, carried that restless creativity forward. Written and recorded across London, Los Angeles, Chicago and Texas, it combined massive hooks with influences ranging from Stax and Motown to classic rock ’n’ roll and ’90s electronica.
Now, BONES UK are looking ahead and coming home. After pursuing success in the US, the duo are returning to their roots, a homecoming celebrated in new single ‘Hits Like Home’. It reconnects them with the place that shaped them, bringing everything they have learned and lived through into their next chapter.
Two women backing each other, trusting their instincts and turning resistance into fuel. BONES UK make music for anyone who has ever been underestimated, boxed in or told to turn it down.
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