Ryde, Isle of Wight-based punk band Grade 2 stay true to the roots of punk, aligning with Oi! in style and approach. The band, consisting of Jack Chatfield (guitar/vocals), Sid Ryan (bass/vocals), and Jacob Hull (drums) formed in 2013 when they were 15, originally playing covers of the Stranglers and the Jam in local pubs. They eventually graduated to writing original material and signed to Contra Records. It took them a while to write and record their debut album, Mainstream View, which appeared in 2016, but they quickly followed their initial release with 2017's Break the Routine. After two albums, they toured steadily, meeting and befriending Lars Fredriksen (Rancid) along the way. He appreciated their sound enough to put them in touch with bandmate Tim Armstrong, who signed them to Hellcat Records and produced their third album, 2019's Graveyard Island.
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