Nepotism has already squashed some of our 2026 excitement for talented, new bands. It’s time to talk about Villanelle, the grunge world’s latest nepo babies.
Villanelle has been making music since 2023. As they have begun to gain traction following the release of their first three singles, we need to take a closer look at their background and inspiration. Villanelle is comprised of Ben Taylor, Jack Schiavo and (last but definitely not least) Gene Gallagher, the son of Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher. Despite their limited discography, the band has gained a solid following, taking gigs around England and even supporting larger acts, like Oasis. However, after the Oasis reunion tour of 2025, I have a hunch that Villanelle’s small following is about to expand throughout the new year, especially with their album dropping this November.
Let’s take a step back: when I found out that the son of Liam Gallagher was making music, I was excited. However, I soon realized that I had set myself up for disappointment. When I listened to Villanelle’s first single, “Hinge,” I was utterly shocked. The intro is sonically identical to Nirvana’s “Breed:” with the same chord progression, sludgy basslines, and drum rolls, it was practically a note-for-note rip-off. Upon further research, this was by no means a coincidence; Villanelle is openly heavily influenced by nineties greats like Nirvana. However I’d argue their work goes a bit beyond just influence. Gallagher has even critiqued other bands for being scared to reuse old sounds, for being too focused on creating something “new.”
What he fails to understand is that other bands do not have the freedom, connections and endless resources that he does. If any other smaller grunge band were to release a song like “Hinge,” it would get torn to shreds by music critics for ripping off Nirvana. However, Gene Gallagher’s pre-existing fame and swagger—also known as nepotism—leads critics to praise him for being part of “bring back grunge” movement. Smaller grunge and nu-grunge bands like Torus, Fatima, and Flatwounds have been making music for just as long as Villanelle––or longer than Villanelle––yet barely half of the same attention. Once again in the music industry, we arrive at the issue of nepo babies taking credit and taking away opportunities for up-and-coming bands.
While at times the Villanelle songs are catchy and capable of getting stuck in your head, I can’t help but think: why aren’t they making original music? I understand their nostalgia for grunge and the desire to revive the movement, but there must be a more tactful way to emulate this sound than ripping off the nineties greats. The second Villanelle decided to recreate the Nirvana sound, they signed themselves up for failure. They will forever be compared to one of the greatest rock bands of all time—an almost guaranteed death sentence. The truth is no one can do what Nirvana does better than, well, Nirvana.
Nepo babies should take their resources and previous fame to make something new, interesting, and risky. Take Lennon Gallagher, Gene’s older brother, for example. His band Automotion has created a unique sound for themselves; their single “Mind and Motion” mixes ever-shifting dynamics with powerful, driving guitars and a backdrop of softly spoken lyrics. Because failure is not the end of the world for nepo babies, why not take advantage of the opportunities handed to them and push the boundaries of music rather than poorly recreate the greats?
Since positivity is in for 2026, I will say that there is a more optimistic way to examine Villanelle. For starters, the last half of their February single “Placebo” shows some promising sonic development. At about the halfway mark of the song, the band briefly exchanges its grunge sound for a breakdown eerily reminiscent of early Oasis. It will be interesting to see how they mix their Oasis heritage with grunge as they move forward and garner more popularity. I suppose that in some ways, if the band does rise to mainstream fame, they could have a chance to revive the grunge genre and open the doors for a wave of smaller grunge bands. Their fame could introduce a whole new generation of people to grunge and the greats of the its prime era.
With an album on the way for November 2026, all I can say for Villanelle is that I hope they explore a uniquely-them sound in more depth. As long as they adhere to blatant Nirvana mimicry, their musical evolution will be stunted. I guess the true grunge revival will have to wait another day.
