Heavenly are an indie pop band who released four critically acclaimed albums between 1991-1996, becoming key figures in the independent music scenes of both the UK and US through their associations with seminal labels Sarah Records and K Records. Highly influential on what has become known as ‘twee pop’, they inspired generations of musicians with their perfect blend of punk energy and pop sensibility.
Originally forming in Oxford in 1989 from the ashes of legendary punk pop combo Talulah Gosh, Heavenly features Amelia Fletcher (vocals/guitar), Peter Momtchiloff (guitar), Robert Pursey (bass), Cathy Rogers (keyboards/vocals) and Ian Button (drums).
Members of the indiepop scene in the UK and the burgeoning Riot Grrrl scene in the US, Heavenly created a unique blend of infectious melody and sharp-edged lyrics. The band’s original catalogue ran from jangly debut Heavenly vs. Satan (1991), through the harmony-rich Le Jardin de Heavenly(1992) and riot grrrl-influenced The Decline and Fall of Heavenly (1994), to the Britpop-era Operation Heavenly (1996).
Heavenly reformed in 2023, after a 27 year hiatus. Amelia and Rob had been angrily approached by their daughters, wanting to know why their parents’ old songs were all over their TikTok timelines. Having established that this was not an algorithmic blip, and that there was genuine interest in their old songs, the band decided to play a few shows. Reunion shows in London, Paris, Madrid and New York sold out quickly, with both original Heavenly fans and a much younger audience clamouring to see the group live.
Newly rejuvenated, the band started writing songs again. A new 7” single, Portland Town, was released in July 2025 and their fifth album comes out in February 2026.
For their spring 2026 dates, the band will play songs from their past career alongside tracks from the new album. This combination is important to the group. ‘If you’re just doing your old songs and nothing else, you’re almost like one of those cover bands – but of yourself. That would have felt pretty weird pretty quickly,’ says Amelia Fletcher.
Their spring 2026 tour also marks three decades since the release of Operation Heavenly. The band had expected their fourth album to be their most successful but they never promoted it properly due to the death of original drummer Mathew Fletcher just before its release. Drummer Ian Button now completes the Heavenly line-up.
Alongside Heavenly these days, Amelia, Rob and Ian currently also play in Brian Bilston and The Catenary Wires and Swansea Sound; and Peter plays in The Would-Be-Goods and Tufthunter.
Special guests are Tulpa. Tulpa are very new: nothing has been released up until now, not even a digital single. Despite this, they attracted the attention of Marc Riley & Gideon Coe, who invited the band to record a live BBC 6 Music session this summer. Around the same time, Skep Wax Records were sent the finished album, Monster Of The Week, and knew they had to release it. Meanwhile, in the creative hotbeds of the UK’s DIY festivals and indie venues Tulpa are quickly gathering a loyal following. They have recently supported Throwing Muses, Pale Blue Eyes and Bug Club and will be playing a series of headline gigs in October and November 2025.
Price: £20 adv
Info/tickets: https://www.heymanchester.com/heavenly#info