Meet Untitled, the teenage LA grunge revivalists whose guitar riff went viral on TikTok
Having only started playing school events and backyard shows in 2025, Untitled never imagined they would become one of the most talked about new bands in the alternative rock and grunge scenes.
READ MORE: Yard Act’s Sam Shipstone on clichés, concision and how guitars returned to their core: “Great bands really find their style, and that’s the thing they sit on”
Rather than setting out with a goal in mind, having fun was always most important for the four teenagers that make up the Los Angeles-based group. “We just wanted to get together and play,” begins vocalist/guitarist Danny, whose first guitar was a cheap Fender Stratocaster that he’s since modified.
Such a DIY ethos relates to the type of music that he, guitarist James, bassist Juan, and drummer Lorenzo started creating in their garage. “We just make whatever we want and don’t follow any trend,” Danny continues. James, who is self-taught and started out trying to make his own riffs on a bass before buying a $80 black Strat, adds that they prefer to not stick to a specific genre. “We bounce around and whatever we’re feeling in the moment is what we do.”
This freedom to create without restrictions stems from the band’s vast range of influences. Having respectively learned by ear and from tabs, for Danny it’s Alex G and early punk bands like The Germs, while guitarist James is a big fan of Foo Fighters and Nirvana as well as Green Day, Blink-182 and Weezer. Untitled’s bassist, Juan, has more of a mellow taste and is into Radiohead, while the drummer, Lorenzo, prefers Led Zeppelin.
Image: Press
Natural Instincts
Following their own instinct has worked well: in November 2025, a video of the band jamming went viral on Instagram and TikTok. “We posted a little guitar intro and it blew up,” Danny recalls. James ponders that, because people “liked the vibe”, they made edits using the song on their photos and videos.
And, with the band having used specific hashtags on their own posts – namely #Nirvana and #Radiohead – such correlations undoubtedly helped introduce a new generation to the music of their heroes. “We wanted fans of those bands to maybe gravitate towards it,” Danny considers, adding that reviving the grunge scene was also in the back of their mind.
Image: Press
Amid the hype, however, the band had one problem: the aforementioned riff wasn’t actually part of a song — yet. Though a somewhat unorthodox approach, the band began writing a song based around what people were commenting about how the guitar riff made them feel. “Normally when you write a song, you build and write a story in the form of a song, whereas we wrote a part, and people wrote the story,” Danny considers.
While crafting it was a challenge, they had no choice because Untitled had a show coming up. “I wrote random lyrics, but also lyrics that people can relate to,” Danny recalls, before James nods his head in approval. “I think he did a good job at capturing the vibe of the song.”
Feeling that they “had to release it before people lost interest”, Untitled decided to share Restless with the world. “We had nothing to lose,” James says, adding that he and the band were a little nervous to put their first offering out. They had no reason to be: Restless became the fastest-streaming rock song in the world in the weeks after its release.
Go It Alone
What made this achievement even more impressive was the fact that the band self-released that debut single with no team or promo at the time. Unsurprisingly, an old-fashioned A&R scrap ensued, with majors and independents hoping to strike while the iron was hot. “It almost took on a life of its own,” Danny says of Restless. “We didn’t understand the gravity of what was happening,” James reflects.
“At first, it was mind-blowing,” he recalls of the band being hit up by five labels a day. The group ended up choosing Good Talk Records / Create Music Group, who usually release hip-hop records. “The CEO, Jonny Shipes, was the only one from all the record labels who actually seemed like he enjoyed us,” Danny considers.
“After taking meetings with different labels constantly for several days, you can work out who actually cares and who is just going down a list of bands,” James ponders. He adds that the band were keen to pick a smaller label, and someone that “genuinely cared, because we want what we put out to be the best it can be”.
Being flown out to meet Shipes in New York was proof of their whirlwind success, and further surreal moments followed. Alongside receiving backing from Jakob Nowell (frontman of Californian ska-punk band Sublime) – “he wanted to work with us which is really crazy,” Danny says – they got an Instagram follow from the band Cage The Elephant. Ben Goldstein, who manages Julian Casablancas of iconic rock band The Strokes, also helped Untitled out until they found official management. “He was another cool person who reached out to us,” Danny says.
Image: Press
Stick To Your Guns
Considering their rapid ascendence, Untitled would be forgiven for compromising on their sound, but that hasn’t happened at all. Crucially, the band are still making music for pure enjoyment, just like they always have. Following up a viral hit that has since clocked up 46 million Spotify streams and counting wasn’t an easy task, however. “It was a lot of pressure,” Danny admits. “Having such a big song, all eyes are on you. We felt that, for whatever was next, there was going to be a lot of judgment, so we wanted the next song to be at least kind of good,” he laughs.
Again, they delivered: their second single, Say It Again, is equally as impactful, as is its follow-up, Nothing Good. Now, the band is working on a debut album. “We want to showcase ourselves as much as possible,” James teases, adding that alongside tracks that share a “similar vibe”, there will be some softer ones too. “People will be able to tell where we have experimented with stuff, but it will all still feel cohesive,” Danny hints.
Long before that record gets released, though, they’re gearing up to play their first shows outside of America, including a debut UK tour that will culminate with a show at London’s iconic 100 Club in Camden. “It’s crazy to think about, but we’re really excited,” Danny says of their increasingly busy schedule.
Considering that getting to this point was not something they envisioned, their advice for anyone starting a band is simple. “Don’t care what people think,” Danny affirms; “just make whatever you want, have fun with friends and express yourself”. James has the final word, suggesting that aspiring musicians shouldn’t doubt themselves so much. “A lot of people question whether they should put the music out or not, but you just have to because you never know what’s going to happen.”
Image: Press
Untitled’s Six Guitar Heroes
James
“Billie Joe Armstrong because Green Day’s songs were the first ones I learned on guitar. They’re nostalgic to me and they teach you a lot of different skills that you’ll need as you progress.
“Mark Knopfler, the guitarist from Dire Straits, too: whenever I listen to those songs, he just makes the guitar sing in a different way. It’s mesmerizing.”
Juan
“I love Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead, especially the fast bits of In Rainbows.”
Lorenzo
“Paul McCartney, because of how versatile his bass lines are.”
Danny
“Alex G because of the beautiful chords, and Kurt Cobain because of how simple it is.”
The post Meet Untitled, the teenage LA grunge revivalists whose guitar riff went viral on TikTok appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
