This is the beginning.
People Laughing are a brand new rock band from Derbyshire, but this didn’t start with a band name or a plan. It started with songs. Songs written without expectation, without an audience in mind. Just instinct, tension, and the feeling that something real was taking shape.
Those songs came from Matt Grocott. Emotionally direct, hook-led, and unafraid of sitting in uncomfortable spaces, they didn’t ask to be polished or dressed up. They asked to be played loud. They asked for weight. They asked for a band.
That’s where Luke Hallam and Ollie Carnell come in. Not as additions, but as anchors. A rhythm section built on feel, restraint, and impact. The kind that understands when to push and when to leave space. What followed wasn’t a slow build or a trial run. It locked quickly. The sound made sense. The direction felt obvious.
People Laughing exists in that space between urgency and control. Hard-hitting drums. Melodic basslines. Ratty guitars. Distorted vocals that don’t hide the cracks. Everything serves the same purpose: connection. Not background music. Not distraction. Something you feel in your chest when it lands.
Although this is a new band, nothing here is accidental. Years of playing live have shaped how this world moves. How songs translate in a room, how moments are built, how energy shifts when the lights go down. There’s a clear understanding of what works on stage, and just as importantly, what doesn’t. No filler. No soft launches. No pretending.
This isn’t about chasing moments online or forcing momentum. It’s about letting the songs do their job, night after night, and building something that feels real to the people standing in front of it. Packed rooms. Loud choruses. Shared moments that only exist once.
People Laughing is a project built for the long run. For growth that feels earned. For a community that forms naturally around the music. For the feeling that if you’re here early, you’re part of the foundation.
This is the opening chapter.
Everything else comes next.