Secret Rivals are an Oxford based 4 piece, formed in late 2008 through a shared obsession of records such as Idlewild's 'Captain' and bands such as You Say Party We Say Die and The Cribs. Secret Rivals self released their early recordings on 'What Fists Are For' in late 2009, catching the attention of BBC radio and XFM. Although unasahmedly low-fi, the record received praise from local and national music journalists, who described it as 'a frantic frenzy of energy and melodies' (Glitzine) and 'a cult classic' (The Mag).