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Introducing… Villanelle, Gene Gallagher’s band that wants to escape the shadow of Oasis once and for all

Editor Music

8 de July de 2026

Yes, their lead singer is Liam Gallagher’s son. But after listening to Villanelle, it’s clear that their goal isn’t to carry on Oasis’s legacy, but to forge their own. Grunge, shoegaze, punk, and alternative rock blend together in one of the most promising British bands of 2026.

Having the last name Gallagher can open a lot of doors.

It can also become a burden that is impossible to bear.

For years, Gene Gallagher, the son of Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton, has lived with a question that seemed inevitable:

“Is it going to sound like Oasis?”

The answer comes in the form of distorted guitars, noise, dark melodies, and a sound much closer to Nirvana, Deftones, or Dinosaur Jr. than to ’90s Britpop.

Her band is called Villanelle, and it has become one of the biggest breakthroughs in the new British rock scene

Long before their first single came out, they were already making a name for themselves

The interesting thing about Villanelle is that they started generating buzz even before they released a single song.

In 2024, Liam Gallagher surprised everyone by announcing that his son’s band would be the opening act for the concerts on the *Definitely Maybe* 30th-anniversary tour.

The decision drew criticism from those who accused him of nepotism, but Liam himself responded in his usual style:

“I’ve helped a lot of young bands over the years. Now it’s Villanelle’s turn.”

That tour served as a real baptism by fire.

From playing in small clubs, they went straight to performing in front of tens of thousands of people.

An experience that Gene would later admit nearly overwhelmed him.

“I didn’t even know how a tour worked. I couldn’t sleep the night before the first concert.”

“Hinge” and a debut that defies any comparison to Oasis

When their first single was finally released, many were expecting to hear a rejuvenated version of Oasis.

It didn’t happen.

“Hinge” is an energetic track built on abrasive guitars, a dry sound, and an intensity that draws much more from ’90s American alternative rock than from Manchester.

The song is about the paranoia caused by insomnia.

“I was probably hungover when I wrote it,“ Gene joked during his performance.

The criticism was virtually unanimous.

They weren’t trying to copy anyone.

And for a Gallagher, that was already a small victory.

Grunge, shoegaze, and punk—that’s the sound of Villanelle

To describe Villanelle as “Liam Gallagher’s son’s band” is incredibly unfair.

Their sound spans a range of very different styles:

Nirvana’s grunge;
the atmosphere of *My Bloody Valentine*;
the raw power of Deftones;
the energy of British punk;
and the alternative rock of bands like Arctic Monkeys and Dinosaur Jr.

Bassist Jack Schiavo himself recently explained that the band works precisely because each member comes from a different background.

“Where we see eye to eye is on that blend of grunge, shoegaze, punk, and alternative rock.”

More Than Just a Last Name

One of the most interesting aspects of the project is that Gene has never tried to hide who he is.

But he doesn’t want that to define his career either.

Before devoting herself fully to music, she worked as a model for brands such as Burberry, Bvlgari, Adidas, and Blauer, becoming a familiar face in the British fashion scene.

However, he has always insisted that music was the real goal.

And those who have seen Villanelle perform live agree that the stage is where he really feels at home.

An EP that marks the true beginning

Following the success of “Hinge,” the band released their first EP, *Measly Means*, an album that cemented their identity and confirmed that there was much more to the project than just a well-known last name.

Songs like “Placebo” expanded that world of heavy guitars, dark melodies, and a sound that deliberately shuns commercialism.

The release was accompanied by a tour of the United Kingdom and an increasing presence at festivals such as The Great Escape, Mad Cool, Boardmasters, Neighbourhood Weekender, Governor’s Ball, and Bonnaroo, cementing Villanelle’s status as one of the most promising up-and-coming bands on the international circuit.

The new Oasis? Better not.

The comparison is inevitable.

But that’s probably the worst way to approach Villanelle.

While Oasis was crafting stadium anthems inspired by the Beatles and Britpop, Gene Gallagher seems to feel much more at home in small clubs filled with amplifiers cranked to the max and overdriven guitars.

Even Liam summed it up quite accurately years ago.

“Gene leans more toward the Arctic Monkeys.”

Today, we could add many other examples to that list.

But Oasis wouldn’t be one of them.