The Cupcakes

Brit-pop and pop-rock with stomp-clap energy. Live drums, electric guitars, bass, piano, brass stabs. Influenced by Blur Country House cheekiness, Oasis pop-rock anthemic hooks, ABBA melodic hook construction, Mika theatrical pop showmanship, AJR playful arrangement-as-storytelling, McFly pop-rock fun. Avoid kazoo, glockenspiel, ukulele, twee folk instruments. Keep: hand claps on beats 2 and 4 in every chorus, group hey shouts, big singalong final choruses. Every song is an unironic love letter to a baked good or sweet. Sensory vocabulary: warm, golden, buttery, flaky, glaze, crumb, frosting, syrup, oven-light, bite, kitchen-window sunlight. Critical lock 1: lyrics are sincere and in-world; never reference being a band, being cupcakes, or singing about food. The cupcakes do not know they are cupcakes. Critical lock 2: hand claps on beats 2 and 4 in every chorus. Tempo 115-128 BPM. Male-led; backing vocals support, never share the lead.