Single – Calling Out
Release Date: 12th December 2025
Review by Linda McDermott
District 13 aren’t just another London heavy alt-rock band; they’re a group who’ve fought their way onto stages and into lineups that most rising acts would kill to be part of. With a sound that fuses metal bite with punk grit, they’ve carved out a reputation built on ambition, graft, and genuinely big milestones.
Jon Wild (vocals/guitar)
Alessio Barba (bass)
Asen Milushev (drums)
Featuring Jermaine Hurley (vocals)
Their festival history alone speaks volumes. They’ve hit Hills of Rock twice, sharing the bill with absolute titans like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Sabaton, and Mercyful Fate; that’s the kind of company that instantly raises eyebrows in all the right ways. Add Wychwood Festival and a run all the way to the Glastonbury Pilton Stage finals, and you can see just how fast their trajectory has been climbing. Then came a real career landmark: opening for Judas Priest at Sofia Arena in July 2024. That’s not luck; that’s a band proving they belong on major stages.
Their debut album, Soma, only strengthened that rise. Released in 2019 to glowing reviews, it earned a spot in Powerplay’s Top 50 Albums of the Year, while singles like “Wild Flowers”, “Soma”, “First Impressions”, and “Shadows” picked up serious momentum across their fanbase. They even crossed into film, with their track “Is This The Way” featured in Andrey Andonov’s movie Yatagan, another standout moment for a band still pushing forward.
And just when you think you’ve got District 13 figured out, they throw a proper curveball with this new single. The band says, “We originally wrote the song as an experiment. Jon first rapped on the verse, and it wasn’t intended for the band. Later, he had the idea of collaborating with a rapper, and our manager connected us with Jermaine.”
It opens with a slow, almost brooding guitar line before the drums and bass settle in. Then the vocals enter, courtesy of rapper Jermaine Hurley, immediately shifting the energy and grabbing your attention. It’s unexpected and fresh, and it works brilliantly as it blends rock and hip-hop.
explains The chorus, “I’m calling out, so bring it back to me. All I really wanted was a life that’s free.” It sees Joe taking over the vocals, and the harmonies add that heavy edge the band does so well. District 13 explain that the heart of the track is “the desire to have the freedom to live life without people putting up barriers and trying to tell you who you should be. The verses have more of a protest vibe, standing up for what you
believe in.” By the time the track reaches the final stretch, it eases into a gritty, bluesy guitar section that ties everything together perfectly.
territory. With a couple of albums already behind them, this single feels like a confident dip into new territory; it’s a track that reaches across genres and shows the band aren’t afraid to experiment with their sound.
told they’ve So, what’s in store for District 13 over the next few months? I’m told they’ve got a full album’s worth of material, which they’ll be releasing one single at a time. The first of the tracks, River Runs Dry, came out in June and was mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated American producer Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour,) so go give that and the albums a listen.
If you want to catch them live, and I would recommend you try, you can catch them on the following dates.
Saturday 13th December – The Cart and Horses – Headline Show
Saturday 17th January – Giants of Rock in Minehead
Friday 20th March—The Strongroom in London—Headline Show
Socials
Facebook: https://facebook.com/district13band
Instagram: https://instagram.com/district_13_band
YouTube: https://youtube.com/district13band
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4eD7Ri…
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