Mardy
Grit-pop from Wigan. Rough around the edges. Exactly as intended.
MEET MARDY
Mardy started with two people looking for something they weren’t getting anywhere else.
Lily Sophia wanted to move beyond performing covers and start putting her own ideas into the world. Connor Taylor wanted a new project built around genuine collaboration — somewhere to explore ideas without the baggage of what had come before.
They found each other online.
What followed was Mardy: a Wigan two-piece making gritty, melodic alternative pop with something real underneath it.
IDK Official Music Video
BUILT IN PUBLIC
Mardy’s first proper gig came with a set of freshly written, near-unfinished originals and, by their own admission, probably not enough rehearsal.
What happened next exceeded anything either Lily or Connor had experienced in their previous projects.
People sang their hooks back, clapped along, interacted and genuinely became part of the set.
That response — particularly the support they’ve received from complete strangers — has become a huge part of what’s driving Mardy forward. More gigs. New places. New audiences.
And the chance to see just how far they can take it.
THE SOUND
Gritty. Energetic. Melodic.
Mardy sits somewhere between alternative rock’s distortion and attitude and indie-pop’s instinct for a hook — with distinctly Northern British vocals cutting through the middle.
There are flashes of Lily Allen’s conversational directness alongside the heavier guitars and bass of the modern alternative scene.
The aim isn’t to fit neatly into either camp.
It’s to make songs you can shout back at a gig — then realise later that the lyrics hit a little closer to home than you expected.
Connor Taylor
Multi-Instrumentalist, Producer, Composer
Lily Sophia
Lead Vocals
TWO SIDES OF MARDY
Connor Taylor
Connor is Mardy's multi-instrumentalist, covering lead and rhythm guitar, bass, drums and percussion.
Away from the band, he’s a self-employed digital marketing professional who loves the footie and loves a pint. Musically, he brings the heavier side of Mardy's sound - distorted guitars, bass and the attitude-led rock influences that helped shape the bad.
Lily Sophia
Lily is Mardy’s lead vocalist and, alongside the band, still performs with Pinked Floyd, dabbles in modelling and is seriously career-driven.
She brings her own musical background and influences into Mardy, with a love for direct, conversational British vocals and songwriting that isn’t afraid to get personal.
Together, they’re a pretty perfect match — pushing and motivating each other in completely different areas, while somehow managing to make the whole thing hilarious.
🐦 THE MASCOT
Mardy’s mascot is a smoking pigeon. Because normal pigeons apparently weren’t Mardy enough.
🚬 FIVE MINUTES
But Reggie isn’t completely random. It represents individuality, rough edges and those moments when life requires five minutes away from everything.
🎬 MARDY: THE MOVIE
If Mardy were a film? Kevin & Perry Go Large. Obviously.
🤬 KEEPING IT CLEAN
One unexpected challenge of a Mardy live show? Staying PG.
📝 NAME PENDING...
There’s currently a Mardy song that still doesn’t have a title because neither Lily nor Connor can come up with a pun funny enough. The argument continues.
🏙️ THE DREAM
One day: Mardy on a giant LED screen in Manchester city centre advertising their own UK tour.
🎸 THE ONE THEY WISH THEY WROTE
Keo — “Thorn”.
🚌 TOUR RULE #1
No depressing music in the van. “It’s a tour. Be happy.”
The Serious Bit (briefly)
Mardy don’t agree with everything I say.
Ask them about “progress over perfection” and they’ll tell you that progress shouldn’t mean putting in half the effort.
Fair enough.
Because the thing that actually connects Mardy and Above Average runs deeper than a tagline.
It’s about giving emerging music somewhere to grow. Supporting people making things because they genuinely care about them. Building communities around artists rather than waiting for somebody else to decide they’re big enough to matter.
And, perhaps most importantly, being unapologetically yourself.
There's a serious side to that too. Mardy care about men's mental health, while supporting young people's mental health has been part of Above Average from the beginning. Different focuses, but a shared belief that music and the communities around it can be a pretty good place to start a conversatrion.
Mardy are two musicians from Wigan at the beginning of something.
I think that’s exactly when independent music deserves support.
Not once everybody knows the name.
Now.
Congrats - you've made it this far
That means you should probably wear the merch.
Or listen to the music.
Preferably both.
Subscribe to our emails
Be the first to know about new collections and special offers.