WITH major endorsement from a British indie icon, Bel Esprit are one Hampshire band set to make a major impression in 2015.

They have quickly made waves since forming and last year the Southampton quartet signed to 25 Hour Convenience – the record label run by Libertines drummer Gary Powell.

Tonight they support fellow Hampshire band Wild Smiles, along with fellow talented Southampton bands Kid Ackley and Fever, at The Joiners in St Mary Street, Southampton.

Bel Esprit – named after a fund poet Ezra Pound set up for fellow writer TS Eliot to get him writing poetry full-time – are a regular fixture in the city’s music scene and have supported the likes of Childhood, The Struts, To Kill a King, and Nothing But Thieves.

And with nearly 100,000 plays on online streaming site Soundcloud, the quartet are ready to make a name for themselves with the release of their debut EP in the coming months.

Guitarist Fahad Siddiqui told the Daily Echo: “The scene is the best it’s been for years.

“The Joiners and Club Psychedelia put on some incredible nights and Independent Venue Week is going to be a mad one!

“There are a lot of great bands coming out of Southampton and it’s a great environment to be in because it keeps everyone progressing together. The announcement of Common People Festival is also big news and the city deserves it.”

Since signing with Powell’s label the band have performed shows in London, Sheffield and Oxford, and are looking forward to tonight’s show.

Fahad added: “We took a little while figuring out what sort of sound we wanted and then tried to staple that down on our debut single Lose My Mind, which opened a lot of doors for us.

“Gig opportunities have been fantastic since then, although a massive shout out to The Joiners and Club Psychedelia, who really helped us start out and put us on great bills.

“In five years’ time we hope to have released an album full of songs that people learn all the words to, that’d be pretty great.”

To listen to Bel Esprit, click here.

ARE you a Hampshire band or artist that would like to be featured in the Daily Echo? Contact Rory McKeown on 023 8042 4996 or e-mail rory.mckeown@dailyecho.co.uk.