BOLTON band Jordan Allen have announced their first headline tour in December and they’re coming back to the south.

Frontman Jordan, lead guitarist Danny Quin, bassist Kieran Loughran and drummer Nathan Howard have a sizeable following here after several support slots in Southampton and Portsmouth.

Now the Isle of Wight Festival stars, who won this summer’s Virgin Radio Freshfest competition, are heading out on their own across the country.

Speaking to The Echo after supporting The Sherlocks at the huge Manchester Academy on Friday, Jordan said that coming back to The Joiners on Wednesday 13 December was never in doubt.

“We’ve always had a great reaction in Southampton so it was one of the first dates to go in. We feel like we’re really onto something now. We can go almost anywhere in the country and people know our songs and are getting involved.

“We’ve six new tunes that could end up on the tour. Tonight we played one called Without Any Clothes, which has a funky vibe, and a rockier number called Wasted Generation. Our songs will always be guitar driven, but we’re happy to try different sounds.

The new tunes join the belting Rosie, Helter Skelter, Too Much Too Soon and Imperial Leather Drama that together with Jordan’s engaging nature are quickly winning fans over at gigs, including some famous faces.

“I chatted to footballer turned DJ Peter Crouch at Isle of Wight and he said that Helter Skelter was one of his favourite songs” said Jordan.

There’s also their outstanding bittersweet but optimistic single 110 Ways to Make Things Better, a tribute to Jordan’s father and greatest supporter Kevin who passed away after a brain tumour related terminal illness.

Jordan said “The message behind that song is the most powerful thing for me and having my Dad’s voicemail at the start of the song is something money can’t buy, a lasting memory and tribute.”

By Richard Derbyshire