News
6 November 2026 – Do Nothing Return With Friend World and Give Nottingham's Alternative-Rock Scene Another Reason to Celebrate
By Editorial Team - November 6, 2026
Summary
Nottingham quartet Do Nothing release sophomore record Friend World on Submarine Cat, expanding their anxious conversational post-punk into expansive melodies.
Key Facts
- Nottingham alternative rockers Do Nothing release sophomore LP Friend World via Submarine Cat Records.
- Follow-up to 2023 debut Snake Sideways explores ambition and social anxiety with broader melodic arrangements.
- Highlights single 'Stars' amid Nottingham's flourishing indie scene alongside Divorce and Kagoule.
- Entities: Do Nothing, Chris Bailey, Submarine Cat Records, Divorce, Kagoule, Nottingham
- Tags: do-nothing, friend-world, chris-bailey, submarine-cat-records, post-punk, alternative-rock, nottingham, british-rock
Nottingham alternative-rock quartet Do Nothing have released their second studio album Friend World through Submarine Cat Records. Arriving three years after their debut Snake Sideways, the new collection introduces a broader and more confident approach to songwriting while retaining the group's distinctive combination of anxious vocals, angular guitars and unpredictable arrangements.
Do Nothing first attracted attention through music that combined post-punk influences with an unusually conversational lyrical style. Their latest material expands beyond that foundation, allowing songs to develop with greater freedom and emotional range. Earlier single "Stars" explores ambition, celebrity and the realisation that conventional measures of success do not necessarily provide lasting satisfaction. Vocalist Chris Bailey has suggested that the song also concerns discovering a relationship meaningful enough to change somebody's priorities.
That balance between personal uncertainty and social observation provides an interesting foundation for the wider album. Friend World also arrives during a particularly productive period for Nottingham's independent-music community, with groups such as Divorce and Kagoule contributing to the city's continuing alternative-rock identity. The release suggests that Do Nothing are becoming increasingly comfortable moving beyond the musical expectations established by their early recordings.
Rather than treating their debut as a formula requiring endless repetition, the band have used their second album to explore a more adventurous musical environment. Apparently the most effective way to escape the difficulties of modern ambition is to stop worrying about everybody else's definition of success. Writing a particularly good guitar album also appears to help. Explore British alternative rock in our indie rock section and view more stories in our news archive.