The Manatees to play at Heartbreakers, Southampton, ahead of a trip to South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

NEW Forest band The Manatees will play an intimate gig at Heartbreakers, Southampton, ahead of a trip to the US to appear at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

The trio, who are raising funds to help finance their US trip, will play the intimate gig for 100 fans, with tickets available from £11.50.

Drawing inspiration from The Vaccines, Jamie T and Circa Waves, the indie popsters have built a loyal following for their relatable lyrics, driving rhythms and infectious melodies.

The band comprises James Miller and Jay Harris, who hail from Pennington, and Tyler Bloor from New Milton. The trio, who have been playing together for seven years, have featured on Radio X’s main evening playlist, Steve Lamacq’s BBC6 Recommends show and Spotify’s Hot New Bands.

James said: “We're incredibly excited to celebrate with our fans before we fly across the pond for our first ever performance in America! We'll be selling exclusive SXSW Manatees merch too.”

Last year was a busy one for the Manatees with their debut EP Dream in Colour chosen by Radio 1 DJ Jack Saunders as a new wave pick, leading to a Radio 1 interview and airplay. They also appeared at Milford Music Festival and on the BBC Introducing stage at the Ageas Bowl.

In June they played the Isle of Wight Festival, as James recalled: “We were asked to play the Isle of Wight Festival years ago – but I couldn’t do it because I was doing my GCSEs, so that was a really amazing experience to final go and perform.”

Their EP Different State of Mind is out on 23rd February. SXSW is on from 8th to 16th March.

For tickets to the gig on Thursday 15th February, visit www.heartbreakers.uk/event-item/the-manatees-4-24