Peterborough tattooist is a secret synthwave sensation - with millions streaming his band's music

It’s not your average tattoo artist who can boast a global music following and millions of streams of his songs.

But for Deepings man Shaun Phillips, a UK tour with his band now beckons after their music was streamed more than 6.5 million times in just 12 months.

Shaun, 44, is vocalist and one half of the synthwave rock duo Lebrock with fellow Peterborian Michael Meadows. Their music offers a combination of retro rock riffs, synthwave melodies and a heartfelt vocals - all with a sprinkling of ‘80s movie nostalgia.

Indeed, the band’s catchy tunes and neon aesthetics have seen them garner legions of fans around the world since forming in 2015 – with around 40 million streams since their first music release.

And now Lebrock are set to embark on their ninth tour – with ten dates starting in Manchester on September 4. If their 2020 sell-out UK tour is anything to go by, the 2024 shows are set to be a success. The duo also completed a full-length European tour in 2019 alongside synth rockers Dance with the Dead, taking on 21 shows in 21 days across 11 countries.

"The European tour was a huge success and helped broaden our fanbase even further,” said Shaun. “This year’s tour will be our biggest event as headliners. For the first time, we will be performing with a live band - instead of just as a duo.”

Speaking about Lebrock’s latest successes, Shaun said: “Our EP Gone came out this year and hit the ground running with more sociopolitical songs created with our signature style. We are currently working on a whole batch of new tracks for our ever-growing, ever-faithful fan base.”

The retro rockers’ first EP, Action and Romance, is a synth-heavy fan favourite that has earned millions of Spotify streams to date. Their posts on Youtube also regularly exceed 200k views each from their loyal following. The stylish music video for Hangin’ On is one of these – encapsulating the duo’s retro movie style and even offering a dramatic rain effect over Shaun and Michael as they perform.

Their music is a throwback to 1980s’ electro music, fist-pumping rock ballads and the neon aesthetics of the era. And Lebrock is certainly riding the crest of the new synthwave revival – with the music sub-genre made popular again thanks to modern TV shows like Stranger Things, videogames like Cyberpunk and films like Drive all featuring synthwave soundtracks.

Although never quite hitting the mainstream, synthwave has grown from a retro throwback to a modern music phenomenon in more recent years.

“I think it’s always been around,” says Shaun, “but we are hoping with other bands like Gunship, Dance With The Dead and The Midnight that synthwave’s going to be a household genre soon.”

And with their growing global fan base, Lebrock is certainly helping to fly the synthwave flag. From the US and Brazil, to France and Sweden, fans from across the globe have been following their work and asking the duo to tour their countries.

One fan posted on their Youtube channel to say: “Lebrock please never stop making music. You're retro synth is truly fantastic. I was a 90's kid and just hearing your songs allows me to time travel” Another, commenting on the single One Night writes: “When I listen to Lebrock I feel like I’m that underdog nerd from ‘80s movies who ends up getting the girl in the end.” Another simply adds: “This band is criminally-underrated.”

Speaking about the fans, Shaun said: “It really is the ultimate compliment to have loyal followers. We are now an independent band after leaving our label and management - so it's even more important we have a fanbase. We are happy at the moment to go it alone, as with many bands nowadays, labels don't have the power that they once did.”

And when the dad-of-one, from Deeping St James, isn’t tattooing at his studio with his wife Yam, or working on music, he puts his artistic skills to good use by creating much of the band’s cover art. He also has his own musical side project called House of Serpents, where he produces, edits and stars in the accompanying music videos.

• To listen to more of Lebrock’s music, or for more details about their upcoming tour, visit their Facebook page or check out their Youtube channel.