The 8th Form

The 8th Form play Barnaby's Lounge on Sunday 8 November, their music starting at 4:30pm. They're an emerging local Hastings band, and the set balances rhythmic drive with melodic songwriting.

It's a two-piece: Hayley Adjei on vocals, guitar and songwriting, and Hana Bolton on drums, vocals and songwriting. Both write original material, and both sing, so the set draws on their own songs as much as it does on familiar ones. They rework those well-known tracks too, bringing their own ideas to jazz, funk and indie rock rather than playing them straight.

That cross-genre approach is a good way to describe what they do. They blend funk, soul, jazz and indie influences, and the set moves between them without sticking to one side of the fence. It's a sound that sits somewhere between the rhythmic side of funk and the melodic side of indie songwriting, and they pull from both throughout the afternoon.

Barnaby's Lounge is on Robertson Street in central Hastings, between the station and the seafront. It's a Victorian building over two floors, with local artists' work on display throughout. Jazz is a focus of its live music programme, which runs alongside workshops, classes and quizzes. Advance table booking is recommended. The music starts at 4:30pm, but food is served from 12 noon, so you can make an afternoon of it. Tickets are £6+ per person.