Florentines are getting things done quickly. The Bolton quartet is back with "Think Twice," the second single from their upcoming EP. It's their most powerful song yet, and they're still fresh out of high school and already at the front of the UK's new guitar renaissance. Their first album, "The News," showed promise, but this one shows intention: it's a louder, sharper, and more emotionally layered version of the band that is quickly making a name for itself in Britain's next wave of contenders.
“Think Twice” digs into the end of a relationship from two angles, one bitter and one hopeful, and the tension between them shapes the track’s entire identity. The band has always been adept at capturing restless energy, but this time they give it a purpose. The guitars cut through the air with precision, the bassline coils with attitude, and the drums hit with that unmistakable northern dryness. William Train Smith's voice is the most important part of everything. It goes from being cynical to being free, turning heartbreak into something that needs to be done right away instead of feeling sorry for yourself. You can hear it right away; it's a big step forward in both sound and feeling.
A lot of that change is thanks to producer Dave Eringa, whose work with Manic Street Preachers has become part of British alt-rock's DNA. With his help, Florentenes sound bigger, tighter, and more confident, like a band that has just realized how good they are. The chorus hits with the confidence of a song made for crowded rooms, and the whole song channels the best parts of the early 2000s guitar revival without sounding stuck in the past. Think of the story-driven sound of early Arctic Monkeys, the messy charm of The Libertines, and a clean, modern finish that makes it sound like it's from 2025.
The band's rise to fame isn't happening in a vacuum. Their recent PUNCHBAG UNI university tour, which had 15 dates to bring new life to the student live circuit, has helped them build a quickly growing grassroots fan base. The venues have been full, fan groups are forming right now, and the band's streaming numbers keep going up. Because they are real, ambitious, and don't play it safe, they have become one of those rare acts that both music fans and industry gatekeepers like.
The four members are William Smith on vocals and guitar, Luke Holding on guitar, Harry Stubbs on bass, and Liam Fiddy on drums. They make an unusually close group, drawing on the long history of sharp-witted, guitar-driven storytelling in the north of England. You can tell who they are influenced by: The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, and The Who. But the way they do it feels like their own, shaped by Bolton streets, teenage urgency, and the momentum of a band suddenly speeding into its next chapter.
Florentenes are getting ready for a big year in 2026, with an EP coming out soon and a debut album already in the works. Everything points to them being ready to step up. "Think Twice" sounds like the song that will open the next door: it is emotional, confident, made for the stage, and clearly belongs to them. Florentines are entering their first real era with support slots with The Wombats, Red Rum Club, The Rolling People, and Justin Hawkins and Chris Hawkins' Amazing Friends Night in early 2026. They are not slowing down.
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