Sunflower Thieves Share Their Favourite Leeds Artists

Fresh off the back of a sold-out headline tour and the release of their shimmering new single ‘Overdose’, Leeds indie-folk duo Sunflower Thieves are stepping into 2025 with purpose, poetry, and plenty of heart. Out now via Mahogany Songs, Overdose captures that bittersweet shift in the parent-child dynamic once you’ve flown the nest — all wrapped in the duo’s signature harmonies and gently swelling alt-pop textures.

As they prepare to hit the road with Hannah Grace and Samantha Crain, we caught up with childhood friends Amy Illingworth and Lily Sturt-Bolshaw to talk all things Leeds – the venues, the artists, and the community that helped shape their sound. From dreamy newcomers to gritty genre-benders, here’s who Sunflower Thieves think you should have on your radar.

Green Gardens

Green Gardens are releasing new music at the moment and it’s our favourite sound from them so far. Chris and Jacob have both played in Sunflower Thieves at various points. We love the storytelling in their songs. Love love love their newest one, ‘Ghost of A Tree’ - go listen. 

Zoe Cure

Lily is currently co-producing her next releases with our friend, Laura Kindelan, and we’re super excited for the result. She is absolutely mesmerising live - solo and with her band.

Harry Jay Robinson

Harry Jay Robinson has recently announced he’s writing his debut album and we can’t wait to hear it. He writes beautiful dream rap music and there’s plenty to get stuck into while we wait for the album. We’d recommend the Live at Mill Hill Chapel series for a nice nice time. 

Rail Replacement Bus Service

Rail Replacement Service is another project that Lily is involved in, alongside brilliant friends and songwriters, Tom Hammond and George Harris. They’re releasing a song a month for the foreseeable, with their first full volume coming out later this month.

Luca

The Luca is a new project led by Sam Perry, who has co-written some of our favourite Sunflower Thieves songs with us, including Sirens and Already Taken. There are a couple of songs on the ‘Way Out Of January’ EP that we had the honour of singing backing vocals on.