Canned Pineapple to headline Picky New’s third birthday anniversary show

Husband and wife duo Nancy and Howard Jones founded Picky New in 2023 out of a passion for discovering emerging indie acts and the desire to bring live music to the town.

Three years on, they’ve hosted countless gigs, showcasing some of the best up and coming musicians from across the UK alongside some of Northampton’s best emerging talent.

Looking back on the three years, Nancy said: “It’s been equal parts exhilarating and exhausting.

“We're incredibly proud of the quality of music we've brought to Northampton, but it takes a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes - especially when we're both juggling full-time jobs outside the music industry.

“We started the promotions company on a whim, with no real plan for how long we'd keep it going, whether we'd be any good at it, or even whether Northampton would be receptive to what we were trying to do.

“We've been pleasantly surprised by the response from the community and we're often told that what we're doing is making a difference.

“Those comments mean a lot, because there are definitely times when you doubt yourself.

“You can put on an incredible band and still end up with only 10 people in the room.

“But I'd like to think that those 10 people are having a great time - maybe discovering a band they would never have seen otherwise.”

The Lab is hosting this weekend’s third birthday celebrations with Canned Pineapple returning for the ninth time to the town.

The band play Picky New’s first ever show in July 2023 and have become good friends of the promoters.

“We're incredibly proud of how far they've come,” explains Nancy,

“Their growth has been extraordinary, and the quality of their music has absolutely skyrocketed over the past few years.

“Whenever we're putting together a special occasion show, they're always our first choice—and thankfully, they're always up for it.”

Joining Canned Pineapple will be P Shivers, Chimp, Robo and Jack Dawson.

The former features Northampton legend Jonny Mattock - a former member of both Spaceman 3 and Spiritualized.

Chimp and Robo will be coming from Bristol and York respectively while Northants musician Jack Dawson released his debut single Blasé last month.

Asked to pick her proudest moment of the last three years, Nancy explains that bringing her favourite band, Hull shoegazers bdrmm, to Northampton last year remains a highlight.

However, a close second has been working with Northampton alt-punk trio thistle.

She said: “They're not only incredibly talented musicians but also some of the nicest people. “Their new EP Backflip is absolutely phenomenal—I've been listening on repeat ever since it came out. “It's been a real privilege to watch them skyrocket.”

Nancy explains when establishing Picky New there wasn’t much of a plan – other than it seeming a fun way of getting involved in the town’s music scene.

Adding, they never imagined they’d become such a part of the community, make so many friends or discover so many new bands along the way.

Their plan remains to keep putting on gigs in Northampton for as long as possible.

However, the pair also have aspirations to set up a recording studio in France with ‘the dream’ being splitting their time between there and Northampton.

She said: “I think Howard is especially excited about that future project.

“He's the more technical-minded of the two of us and is really looking forward to getting stuck into the recording and production side of the music world.

“Hopefully we'll be able to bring together all the connections and experience we've built through promoting and use them to help artists in a different way too.”

The Picky New team originally made The Garibaldi their home for gigs, but following the sad loss of landlord Tom Neal, they have shifted to The Lab and also Abington Groove Records.

While the former will be reopening under new management, Nancy said for now they will be concentrating on their new venues for gigs.

She added: “It's such an emotional issue. Tom was a huge supporter of ours and someone who really believed in what we were doing.

“The importance of The Garibaldi to Northampton's music scene can't be overstated, and that was largely down to Tom's vision and drive. For us, Tom was The Garibaldi. It's hard to separate the two.

“We'd also like to give a shout-out to Abington Groove Records, where we've recently started a monthly live music night called Groove Session.

“The space has a fantastic vibe, and we're excited about the potential to bring some really special ` there.

“Steve at Abington Groove has been incredibly supportive of what we're trying to do.

“He approached us about putting on gigs at the shop and it's been great to be involved from the start in building something new.

“It feels like the beginning of an exciting new chapter for live music in Northampton, and we're looking forward to seeing where it goes.”

Picky New’s third anniversary show is at The Lab in Charles Street on Saturday, July 11.

Tickets cost £10 in advance before fees via https://pickynew.com/events/11-jul-2026