Gently Tender

Born in south London in the late 2010s, Gently Tender took shape around Sam Fryer, Pete Mayhew and Will Doyle after the end of Palma Violets, later expanding into a sextet with Francesca Brierley, Adam Brown and Evie Hilyer-Ziegler. The band operates in a supple, melodic indie rock vein, with a marked taste for vocal harmonies, pastoral textures and songwriting that allows elements of folk, punk and soul to seep in without hardening the edges. Where Palma Violets moved with a more frontal energy, Gently Tender develops a more open, spacious and often contemplative sound, rooted in the London independent scene but nourished by rural imagery and a distinctly British sensibility. After several early singles released from 2018, the group issued the album Take Hold of Your Promise! in 2022, produced by Matthew E. White. Since then Gently Tender has continued to pursue a balance of bright guitars, choral melodies and discreet rock tension within a collective format where songwriting and voices remain central.