The Avenues wrestle with the weight of the wired world on new single 'Insomniac'

Hull’s indie quintet The Avenues return with a restless anthem for the over-informed and under-rested. 'Insomniac' captures the twitchy, sleepless pulse of modern life; where staying alert, staying woke, and staying connected have become their own kind of insomnia.

Produced by Mickey Dale (of Embrace) at The Cellar of Dreams, 'Insomniac' crackles with the urgency of a midnight monologue. Taut guitars surge forward with post-punk confidence, while frontman Tom Foston balances clarity and conviction in his delivery. There’s a nervy tension running through the track, not unlike The Walkmen at their most agitated or early Interpol finding their footing in chaos.

But it’s not all sharp edges and scuffed boots. At its heart, 'Insomniac' is a deeply human song, concerned less with the digital noise itself, and more with what it steals from us. It’s that inner tug-of-war that gives the track its weight. You want to care, stay informed, and engage, but you also want to shut the screen, breathe, and live a life not measured in headlines and hot takes for a moment.

The chorus lands like a shot of adrenaline, designed to lift crowds and shake off the static. There’s a catharsis in the way the band lets loose, especially knowing they cut their teeth on live stages across Yorkshire, feeding off audiences who clearly recognise themselves in the lyrics.

With roots in everything from The Strokes’ slacker sharpness to the grit of late ‘70s punk, The Avenues are building a sound that’s both grounded and ambitious. You can hear the camaraderie between players as long-time friends and flatmates fuse their influences into something cohesive and catchy.

'Insomniac' feels like the kind of song that could close a set with a roar or kick off a long night with purpose. With The Avenues themselves giving voice to the burnout generation and finding rhythm in the overload. Stay up for this one.