Broken Hands

Broken Hands are a Canterbury, UK band who play a blend of half-time, groove-led rock’n’roll and more atmospheric, experimental material. The group forms around brothers Dale Norton, who sings lead vocals, and Callum Norton, who plays drums and sings backing vocals, alongside Jamie Darby on lead guitar, Thomas Ford on bass and David Hardstone on rhythm guitar and keys.

Debut album and early profile

The band’s first full-length album, Turbulence, appears in 2015 and is produced by Tom Dalgety, whose credits include Royal Blood, Pixies and Ghost. The record helps establish Broken Hands as a band that combines arena-sized ambition with a more adventurous alternative edge. It also brings them attention from NME, The Independent, BBC Music Introducing and other outlets.

Live activity and wider recognition

Broken Hands build a reputation for energetic live performances and play alongside The Kills, Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Cult and Deaf Havana. They also appear at Reading and Leeds festivals. At one point they secure a deal with Atlantic Records in the United States.

Later recordings and sound

Before work on their next material, Dale Norton undergoes intensive ear surgery and is unable to sing or play for nearly two months. For the follow-up recording, the band works with producer Julian Emery, while Tom Dalgety moves to the mixing role. Their later songs draw on American influences including Nine Inch Nails, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and My Morning Jacket, and they use a slower, heavier “half-time” rhythm as a central part of the sound.

Selected songs

The 2018 single “Split In Two” is built around heavy distortion and a prominent riff before moving into Dale Norton’s vocal hook. “Friends House” uses sparse percussion and a darker mood, and it reflects a threatening incident on the band’s first US tour, when Dale Norton is held at gunpoint outside a bar.

Style and themes

The band’s songs often focus on contrast and division, both musically and lyrically, moving between heavy and calmer passages. Their material presents that tension as a central part of their identity.