Open Up return with Drugs In Space
– A 90s Indie comeback that hits all the right notes
Music Review | 2nd April, 2026
If you were knocking around London’s indie circuit in the ’90s, chances are you caught Open Up at some point. The three-piece carved out their place in the scene with a sound that sat somewhere between indie rock grit and bright, melodic pop, all driven by classic, no-nonsense guitar energy. They were a proper live band too - the kind that built their reputation the old-fashioned way - while also putting in studio time over at Escapade Studios in Greenwich.
And then...nothing dramatic. No explosive breakup, no headline-making fallout. They just drifted. Life happened, as it does.
Fast forward to 2023, and Open Up quietly flicked the switch back on. What started as a reunion to revisit old songs quickly turned into something more. New material began to flow, gigs started popping up again, and before long it felt like no time had passed at all. Some bands try to recapture their old magic, Open Up just slipped straight back into it.
Now they’re officially back with Drugs In Space, their first release since the ’90s. The track leans hard into everything that made them tick in the first place: chiming jangle guitars, a chorus built for shouting back at the stage, and those effortlessly catchy melodic hooks. It’s upbeat, it’s punchy, and it wears its love of classic songwriting proudly. There’s a tightness to it too, a locked-in rhythm section pushing everything forward while the guitars shimmer on top.
What really seals the deal? The production. Drugs In Space
comes with the touch of Stuart Epps, a name that carries serious weight thanks to his work with some absolute heavyweights of rock and pop. And you can hear that pedigree in the polish—everything sounds crisp, confident, and built to last.
For a band that never officially said goodbye, this feels less like a comeback and more like picking up a conversation mid-sentence. Open Up aren’t reinventing themselves, they’re reminding you why they mattered in the first place. And honestly? It sounds like they’re just getting started again.
The single, Drugs In Space, is available through all streaming platforms.
Photo Credit: Open Up
