Queer London Hardcore
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Origin: Bromley, London, UK
Genres: Melodic Hardcore, Post-Hardcore, Hardcore Punk, Queercore, Metalcore, Screamo, Emo, Pop-Punk (early)
Years Active: 2020 - present
Members: Lila Samuel, Justin Yeung, Saga Mak, Max Kiley
Past Members: Jae Taylor, Dillon Beardon, Koda Boyce, Jordan Hibbert, Lucian Thomas-Roemer, Alex Meyer, Emmie Owczarek, Jordan Green, Michael Gough, Cameron Moore, Laurence Bishop, Dimitris Bezanis
Intro
Neversaid are a trans-fronted hardcore band from London, UK. The band’s style combines the harsh and aggressive elements of modern hardcore, with infectious and catchy hooks remnant of 3rd wave emo. Since their inception, the band has toured relentlessly around the UK, having been seen on lineups with the likes of Hawthorne Heights and Dream State, as well as having sold out multiple headline shows in London at iconic venues such as The Hope & Anchor, and the Camden Eye. Along with their energetic live shows, Neversaid are known for their leftist politics, being loudly anti-fascist, and advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights. Despite a rotating lineup of members, the band formed a solid core of members in 2025, featuring founding member Lila Samuel on vocals, guitarists Justin Yeung and Saga Mak, and bassist Max Kiley.
History
Formation & Debut single (2020 - 2021)
Neversaid was formed in London, in early 2020 when, a previous project by the name of East 12th Street featuring vocalist Lila Samuel and guitarist Michael Gough joined forces with an unnamed project of guitarist Cameron Moore and bassist Dimitris Bezanis. 'Braindead' and 'Off The Ground' were the first songs to be written collaboratively, with 'Single File' being an old East 12th Street song. Later joined by Lawrence Bishop (formerly of Short Stay) on drums, the band spent the Summer and Autumn months of 2020 writing and rehearsing together, by the end of the year, having over 20 demos overall, including 'Fall Short', and a very rough demo of 'BRAVE'.
In December of 2020, the band entered the studio with John Gkamilis, vocalist of Playground Circus, a band that Lila had previously played drums in, to record their debut single 'Braindead'. At this time, Cameron Moore announced to the band that he'd be leaving London to pursue higher education in Manchester, and that his future within the band was uncertain. Due to the unclear nature of Moore's permanent place in the band, they agreed that he would still write and record with Neversaid, but would not be an official member.
2021 saw the band launch themselves publicly on social media, with the lineup of Lila Samuel, Michael Gough, Demitris Bezanis and Lawrence Bishop. Within a month of the band's launch, they signed a management contract with Lauren Bell of Passion For Talent, who they worked with until 2023, when she retired from artist management to focus on touring full-time. 'Braindead' was released in March of 2021, alongside a lyric video on YouTube. The single recieved a widespread positive reaction from followers, with comparisons being drawn to early 2000s pop-punk bands including Blink-182, Bowling For Soup and New Found Glory.
'Getting Better' EP (2021)
The band re-entered the studio with John Gkamilis in April 2021, to record their debut EP 'Getting Better'.
July saw the release of singles 'Off The Ground' and 'Stick It Out', both of which were recieved positively by listeners, with comparisons being drawn to contemporary acts such as Neck Deep and The Story So Far. These tracks would later appear on the 'Getting Better' EP, released August 27th 2021. Neversaid played their first shows over that summer, appearing at The Black Heart in Camden for an all-day event, and at The Engine Rooms in Bow, to open for London pop punk band Basement League. Following these shows, Moore, Bezanis and Bishop parted ways with the band over creative differences.
'BRAVE' & first UK tour (2021 - 2022)
In October of that year, Lila would enroll at BIMM university in London, where she met bassist Emmie Owczarek and guitarist Alex Meyer, who would officially join the band in December 2021. They were later joined by Jordan Green on drums in February 2022. This lineup saw the band embark on their first UK tour in March/April of 2022, co-headlining with Peterborough alt-rockers Call To The Faithful and London pop punk counterparts Keep Summer Safe. Prior to the tour kicking off, Michael Gough announced to the band that he would be leaving after the tour finished, to focus on his solo music. Gough has appeared on stage with the band multiple band since his departure, as both a fill-in guitarist, and a guest vocalist.
Neversaid entered the studio in March 2022 to record their follow-up single, 'BRAVE', with producers Ben Sansom (formerly of Lower Than Atlantis) and Charlie Coe. This song was a departure from the pop punk sound they were known for, leaning more into post-hardcore and screamo influences. The song was mastered by George Lever (Sleep Token, Loathe, Thornhill), and released in May 2022, along with a music video, shot by Dani Willgress. To promote this release, the band played their debut headline shows at the Carved Dive in Bromley (South East London) and The Pipeline in Brighton, both of which sold out.
Green and Owczarek left the band that summer to persue other endeavours. For the rest of 2022, Lila and Alex played shows as a two piece, with drums and bass on backing tracks, with the exception of a few shows, where they had fill-in musicians. During this time, Neversaid appeared on lineups with the likes of Bleak Soul (ex-As It Is), BEX and Blue Eyed Giants, as well as multiple northern weekenders with Blackpool easycore band Octopus Montage. It was on these weekenders that Neversaid entered conversations with their vocalist/guitarist Dec Naylor, about recording the bands sophomore EP with him.
'Bond Over Blood' EP & DIY Touring (2023 - 2024)
Neversaid booked in a week of recording up in Blackpool with Dec Naylor at the Tone Death Media recording studios in March of 2023. Despite suggestions from management to postpone the recording sessions until there was a full band behind the project, Lila decided to go ahead with the recording sessions as planned, and recorded vocals, guitars, bass and drums on the EP, with additional guitars recorded by engineer Tyler Larkin.
This EP contained four tracks: 'Fall Short', an old Neversaid demo, with guitars that had been re-written by Lila. 'BITCHIFT' was a diss track towards former guitarist Cameron Moore, referencing his transphobia and the conflicts that it caused within the band. The contained the lyric "you're always gonna be a step below me", which was a reference to Moore's studio hardcore project, Step Below. The other two tracks 'Ghost' and 'No Father' had been written in late 2022.
Shortly after the EP recording sessions had wrapped up, Neversaid performed at Lume Festival in London, alongside scene heavyweights Dream State, Graphic Nature, Lake Malice and more. This was followed by a show at the iconic New Cross Inn, opening for US emo legends Hawthorne Heights. 2023 saw the formation of a brand new lineup of musicians, featuring Lucian Thomas-Roemer on drums, Koda Boyce on bass and Jordan Hibbert on guitar, with the addition of Asa Thallon acting as a live guitarist. This lineup of the band played it's first show on the main stage of Burned Out Festival in London, with a stacked lineup including Black Foxxes, Superlove and more.
In September of 2023, Neversaid shot it's second ever music video for upcoming single 'Ghost' with videographer El Fragotsis. The video was part performance and part narrative, starring actor Sarah Kidney. 'Ghost' was released in October 2023, which was followed by a DIY UK tour, self booked by Lila's promotion company Nosegrind Events. For the majority of these dates, they were joined by Plymouth goth-punk act Mad By Mourning. The 'Ghost' tour included the band's biggest headline show yet, at the Hope & Anchor in London, which sold out. Shortly after the tour, drummer Lucian Thomas-Roemer was removed from the band.
In January 2024, Neversaid released the single 'No Father', alongside a music video by El Fragotsis, also starring Sarah Kidney and Nick Davey. The song was extremely well recieved, with fans and critics welcoming the heavier direction the band was going in. The single release was also accompanied by the EP announcement, which was set to be released 27th March 2025. One more single dropped before the EP, in the form of 'Fall Short', featuring a music video from Robyn E.B. When the 'Bond Over Blood' EP was released, it recieved widespread positive reviews.
Neversaid announced their EP release show for early April at The Camden Eye, London, with support from Lucky Hit, DoubleA and Flower Factory. The show sold out within 4 days of announcement, which lead to the band booking a second date, this time featuring opener Wolfs. The second show would also sell out in advance. Following a run of shows in the spring and summer of 2024, guitarists Jordan Hibbert and Asa Thallon departed the group. Following their departure but took a break to reform the full band lineup. Dillon Beardon joined behind the drum kit over the summer, with guitarists Justin Yeung and Saga Mak completeling the lineup.
'The Sound Of Skin Breaking' & 'Apathy Of A Spokesman' (2025 - Present)
2025 was a busy year for the the band, hitting the stage around the UK on multiple DIY weekenders and mini-tours. Boyce and Beardon parted ways with Neversaid in the summer of 2025, and were replaced with Max Kiley on bass, and Jae Taylor on drums. However, Taylor was removed from the group in the spring of 2026.
In April of that year, vocalist Lila Samuel officially came out as a trans woman, cementing Neversaid's place within the London queercore scene. Neversaid's next single 'The Sound Of Skin Breaking' explores lyrical themes of gender dysphoria and the effects it had on Lila's mental health. The track dropped in November 2025, being met with overwhelmingly positive reception. This single was the first to feature guitarists Yeung and Mak, which brought the band a level of technical prowess that wasn't present in their previous releases, with complex melodic leads and panic chords.
Neversaid wrapped up the year with a headlining tour to celebrate the release of 'The Sound Of Skin Breaking', hittting the stage in Sheffield and Birmingham, ending on their biggest headliner to date at London's New Cross Inn. The tour featured support bands Tethered, [BRICK], Pew Pew Lazer Force, Hearing Tests, Sudokara, Kill The Snitch, Pain.Program and Shrive, appearing on select dates.
The band's follow up single 'Apathy Of A Spokesman' was released in March 2026, mixed and mastered by Pawel Olma. This song was the band's most political track to date, with scathing lyrics, taking shots at so called "progressive" liberals who spend more time criticising leftist action than they do condemning far-right and fascist movements. This release was celebrated that same month at London's 'Smash The Fash' festival at Calamity Tank.
Neversaid was also featured on the lineup for 2026's 'Phoenix Fext' in High Wycombe, alongside other upcoming hardcore and metal acts such as Negative Frame, Defences, INDEATH, Break Fifty and Beyond Extinction.
Musical Style & Influences
Over the years, Neversaid's music has been described as Melodic Hardcore, Queercore, Post Hardcore, Hardcore Punk, Metalcore and Emo, with their early work having a more Pop Punk sound. Influence from other genres has also been noted, including Beatdown Hardcore Slam, Midwest Emo, Rap, Punk Rock, Skate Punk, Shoegaze, Black Metal, Alternative Rock, Sludge Metal and Pop.
Early influences includes artists such as: A Day To Remember, Blink-182, Boston Manor, Four Year Strong, Green Day, Knuckle Puck, Mayday Parade, Neck Deep, New Found Glory, NOFX, Paramore, Real Friends, Roam, State Champs, The Story So Far, Waterparks, WSTR and Yungblud.
With the release of 'BRAVE', Neversaid brought in more influence from post-hardcore and melodic hardcore, including acts such as: Being As An Ocean, Casey, Counterparts, Defeater, La Dispute, Touché Amoré and Vanna
'Bond Over Blood' leaned into influence from a lot of 3rd wave emo and modern hardcore, with acts including: AFI, As It Is, Avion Roe, Beartooth, Boysetsfire, Chiodos, Comeback Kid, Creeper, Enter Shikari, Escape The Fate, Funeral For A Friend, Hawthorne Heights, Knocked Loose, Madina Lake, My Chemical Romance, Obey The Brave, Pierce The Veil, Save Face, Senses Fail, Set Your Goals, SHVPES, Silverstein, Stick To Your Guns, Suicide Silence, The Blackout, The One Hundred, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, The Used, The Wonder Years, Trash Boat and Your Demise.
With new music coming soon, Neversaid is leaning into more hardcore, post-hardcore and punk influence. Some influences are: Against Me!, Alesana, A Lot Like Birds, Asking Alexandria, Basement, Bayway NJ, Blood Youth, Bob Vylan, Bring Me The Horizon, Cauldron, Citizen, Deafheaven, Deez Nuts, Dying Wish, Employed To Serve, Every Time I Die, Fever 333, Fleshwater, Gideon, Glassjaw, Gridiron, Guilt Trip, Hatebreed, Have Heart, Ho99o9, Hot Mulligan, Incendiary, Kaonashi, Koyo, Letlive., Lionheart, Love Letter, Movements, Novelists, N.W.A., One Step Closer, PeelingFlesh, Poison The Well, Rage Against The Machine, Rise Against, Saosin, Scowl, SeeYouSpaceCowboy..., Speed, Static Dress, Stray From The Path, Sunami, Terror, The Acacia Strain, The Callous Daoboys, The Get Up Kids, Thrice, Thursday, Tiny Moving Parts, To Kill Achilles, Trapped Under Ice, Trophy Eyes, Turnstile, Underoath, UnityTX, Verse, Vulvodynia, and XweaponX.
Lyrical Themes
Neversaid's lyrical themes range from personal introspection and mental health, to harsh political commentary. All lyrics are writen by vocalist Lila Samuel.
Early tracks such as 'Braindead', 'Single File' and 'Fall Short' talk about frustration of life's monotony, and fears of not amounting to one's ambitions. The opening track of Neversaid sophomore EP features a the lyric "don't fucking tell me that it's gonna get better / because you lied when you said we were in this together". This line was a callback to the postitve mental health themes of 'Getting Better', playing on the lyric "we can conquer anything if we just stick together / I never thought I'd say this but I think I'm getting better".
'Getting Better' and 'Stick It Out' explored themes of recovery and coming out from a dark mental place, which contrasted with later lyrical themes of mental health struggles. 'BRAVE' was an early example of the raw emotion conveyed in the band's lyrics, discussing Lila Samuel's social anxiety and confronting past trauma. Themes of mental health were also addressed in 'The Sound Of Skin Breaking', where Samuel dives into the devastating effects that gender dysphoria had on her mental state. The song's climax of "I can't live without you but I can't live with myself anymore" speak to her fear of losing people who are close to her because of her gender transition, but addressing how she felt like she couldn't continue to live without transitioning to be her self.
Another reoccurring theme in Neversaid's lyrics is the breakdown of friendships and relationships. 'Off The Ground', 'Ghost' and 'BITCHFIT' are some examples of this, the last of which was written as a direct diss of the band's former guitarist Cameron Moore.
Their latest single 'Apathy Of A Spokesman' is the most explicitly political track to date, calling out the apathy and hypocrisy of wealthy liberals and centrists who stand in the way of anti-fascist action more than they do the violent and hateful actions of the far right.
Live Performances
Neversaid have performed all over the UK, and has been actively touring since 2022. Many of their shows are self-booked through Lila's promotion business 'Nosegrind Events'. They have sold out headline shows at venues such as The Camden Eye, The Hope & Anchor and Carved Dive in London, as well as The Pipeline in Brighton.
Neversaid has appeared on lineups with many notable acts including:
Autumn Fires, Blight Town, Bambie Thug, Be N!ce, Beyond Extinction, Black Orchid Empire, Bleak Soul, Blue Eyed Giants, BEX, Danny Wright, Defences, Delaire The Liar, Dream State, El Moono, Graphic Nature, Hawthorne Heights, INDEATH, Lake Malice, Lizzy Farrall, Moskito, Negative Frame, Novustory, Octopus Monatge, Royals, Snake Eyes, Traidora, Weatherstate, Your Misery
Politics
Neversaid are a leftist band. They are very openly anti-capitalist, anti-cop and anti-fascist. The band has participated in funraisers including Palestine benefits, shows for trans mutual-aid, and an Anti-Fascist fundraiser in 2026. Neversaid are feminist, anti-racist, pro-LGBTQIA+, pro-immigrant and pro-accessibility. They call for the freedom for all oppressed people.
Black lives matter. End violence against women. Trans rights are human rights. No war but class war.
Free Palestine. Free Sudan. Free the Congo. Free Cuba. Free Iran.
Related Projects
Lila Samuel - East 12th Street, All That Was Said , Playground Circus, Sharp Eyes
Michael Gough - Mick Gough, East 12th Street, Kontrol Freaks, The Slow Cooked Bears
Cameron Moore - Step Below
Dimitris Bezanis - Step Below, FPSIXTYSIX
Lawrence Bishop - Short Stay, Riot Weekend
Alex Meyer - Glacial Park
Jordan Hibbert - Sage, Dark Saint
Dillon Beardon - DJ Micropulse
Jack Taylor - In Her Eyes, Sunday Best, Minerva Wave
Band Members
Current:
Lila Samuel - vocals (2020 - present)
Justin Yeung - guitar (2025 - present)
Saga Mak - guitar (2025 - present)
Max Kiley - bass (2025 - present)
Former:
Michael Gough - guitar, backing vocals (2020 - 2022)
Cameron Moore - guitar (2020 - 2021)
Dimitris Bezanis - bass, backing vocals (2020 - 2021)
Lawrence Bishop - drums (2020 - 2021)
Emmie Owczarek - bass, backing vocals (2021 - 2022)
Alex Meyer - guitar, backing vocals (2021 - 2023)
Jordan Green - drums (2022)
Lucian Thomas-Roemer - drums (2023)
Jordan Hibbert - guitar, backing vocals (2023 - 2024)
Koda Boyce - bass (2023 - 2025)
Dillon Beardon - drums (2024 - 2025)
Jae Taylor - drums (2025 - 2026)
Former touring:
Asa Thallon - guitar (2023 - 2024)
Discography
'Braindead' (single, 2021)
'Getting Better' (EP, 2021)
'BRAVE' (single, 2022)
'Bond Over Blood' (EP, 2024)
'The Sound Of Skin Breaking' (single, 2025)
'Apathy Of A Spokesman' (single, 2026)
Tours & Festivals
Keep Summer Safe / Neversaid / Call To The Faithful co-headline UK tour (March/April 2022)
Yaxely Festival, Peterborough (May 2022)
'BRAVE' single release weekender (June 2022)
Autumn Weekenders with Octopus Montage (September/October 2022)
'Lume Fest', London with Dream State, Graphic Nature, Lake Maclice & more (April 2023)
'Burned Out Fest', London with Black Foxxes, Superlove, Buds. & More (August 2023)
The 'Ghost' Tour with Mad By Mourning (October/November 2023)
Spring Weekender with Mad By Mourning (March 2025)
The Dysphoric Wasteland Tour with Mad By Mourning, Making Friends & Parallax (July 2025)
Dying In The Autumn UK Tour with Windowhead (October/November 2025)
The Sound Of Skin Breaking UK Tour (November/December 2025)
'Smash The Fash Fest', London with Louse, Floralis, Higher Walls & More (March 2026)
'Phoenix Fest', High Wycombe with Negative Frame, Defences, INDEATH & more (May 2026)