Leeds Punk Band Bela Spit: From Tincel to spit/swallow Album

Key Points

• Bela Spit, a Leeds-based punk four-piece band, originally formed as an impromptu Christmas-themed band named Tincel in 2024.
• The band consists of Iris Casling on vocals, Scarlett Baxter on guitar, Beth Veasey on bass, and Nika Ticciati on drums; all are long-time friends who had never previously played together as a band.
• Tincel was a festive take on the “involuntarily celibate male community,” which the article suggests would react with horror to the band’s performances.
• The band soon changed their name to Bela Spit and independently released their album spit/swallow in 2025.
• Bela Spit has quickly established itself as one of Leeds’ most interesting live bands, known for performing across stages nationwide with “feral energy and gaiety.”
• Scarlett Baxter plays a three-string guitar with a distinctive twang, beaming as she performs.
• Nika Ticciati thrashes her drum kit “violently as if she’s having a bitter scrap with it.”
• Iris Casling delivers lyrics blending vulgarity and silliness, covering topics such as catching an STD, throwing up from excitement, shitting in the back of her car, masturbating, and honouring the late Pope Francis.
• Casling’s vocal style is unpredictable, shifting between wails, screams, a slightly seductive whisper, and knowing confidence.
• None of the members play the instruments they grew up with; the band’s sound is an “exercise in pure musical impulse and experimentation.”
• Guitars evoke the twangy sound of the Black Books theme tune.
• Lyrics are described as something that would make Janey from Blood and Guts In High School proud, highlighting their bold, irreverent nature.
• The band exhibits a strong theatrical sensibility in their performances.

Leeds, England (The Leeds Times) January 30, 2026 – Bela Spit, the Leeds-based punk four-piece captivating audiences with their raw energy, has evolved from a festive one-off band into a national live sensation since forming in 2024.

The band’s journey began as an impromptu Christmas-themed group called Tincel, a playful nod to the “involuntarily celibate male community,” as detailed in coverage from Far Out Magazine. This origin story underscores their unorthodox start, with long-time friends Iris Casling (vocals), Scarlett Baxter (guitar), Beth Veasey (bass), and Nika Ticciati (drums) uniting for the first time musically.

Who Are Bela Spit and How Did They Form?

Bela Spit’s formation in 2024 marked a spontaneous pivot into punk rock territory. As reported by the Far Out Magazine article

“Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Bela Spit,”

the band initially branded themselves Tincel for a Christmas lark, riffing on incel culture in a way that would likely provoke strong reactions from that community given the group’s chaotic, female-led performances.

The four members—Iris Casling, Scarlett Baxter, Beth Veasey, and Nika Ticciati—had been friends for years but had never collaborated musically until this moment.

“When Leeds-based Bela Spit first formed as an impromptu Christmas-themed band in 2024, they were named Tincel,”

states the Far Out Magazine piece, attributing the detail to the band’s own recounting.

This festive inception quickly gave way to ambition. The group rebranded to Bela Spit and channelled their energies into creating music, culminating in the independent release of their debut album spit/swallow in 2025. No additional sources beyond the primary Far Out Magazine coverage have emerged on this specific formation narrative, but it remains the definitive account of their origins.

What Makes Bela Spit’s Live Performances Stand Out?

Bela Spit has rapidly cemented its reputation as one of Leeds’ most compelling live acts. The Far Out Magazine report highlights their nationwide stage conquests, marked by

“weeping and wailing across stages all over the country with the kind of feral energy and gaiety that it’s rare to stumble upon these days.”

Central to their allure is the individual flair of each performer. Scarlett Baxter

“beams as she leans into the twang of her three-string guitar,” evoking a gritty, minimalist punk ethos. Meanwhile, Nika Ticciati “violently thrashes against her drum kit as if she’s having a bitter scrap with it,” injecting visceral intensity into every set.

The band’s theatrical sensibility amplifies this chaos. Iris Casling commands the stage with lyrics teetering “somewhere between the realm of vulgarity and silliness.” Topics range from the explicitly bodily—catching an STD, throwing up from excitement, shitting in the back of her car, masturbating—to the provocatively irreverent, such as honouring the late Pope Francis. “You wouldn’t exactly call Bela Spit shy,” notes the Far Out Magazine coverage, capturing their unapologetic boldness.

Casling’s delivery is a masterclass in unpredictability: “Extremely tongue-in-cheek, Casling moves between wails, screams, a slightly seductive whisper or a knowing confidence; she is unpredictable in every sense of the word.” Beth Veasey’s bass work anchors this frenzy, though specific performance quotes on her role are not separately attributed in the source material.

How Does Bela Spit’s Music Reflect Experimentation?

Musically, Bela Spit embodies “pure musical impulse and experimentation.” Crucially, “none of the members [play] the instruments they’ve grown up playing,” as per the Far Out Magazine article. This deliberate mismatch fosters a fresh, unpolished sound unburdened by convention.

The guitars, particularly Baxter’s three-string setup, recall “the Black Books theme tune,” that iconic, twangy riff from the cult Dylan Moran sitcom, blending humour with abrasive edge. Lyrics, meanwhile, channel the spirit of literary punk provocateurs: “lyrics that would make Janey from Blood and Guts In High School proud,” referencing Kathy Acker’s raw, transgressive novel character.

The 2025 album spit/swallow, released independently, encapsulates this ethos. While no other media outlets have published competing discographies or track breakdowns, the Far Out Magazine profile positions it as the cornerstone of their rapid rise. Their refusal to shy from taboo subjects—STD scares, bodily functions, religious satire—defines a punk lineage that prioritises provocation over polish.

Why Has Bela Spit Captured Leeds’ Punk Scene?

Leeds, a city with a storied punk heritage from Gang of Four to Chumbawamba, has embraced Bela Spit as a modern torchbearer. Their ascent from 2024’s Tincel novelty to 2025 album releasers and national tourers speaks to a local scene hungry for authentic ferocity.

The Far Out Magazine piece, which tags Leeds prominently, underscores this: Bela Spit as a “Leeds-based” force now “cement[ing] themselves as one of Leeds’ most interesting live bands.” No rival reports from Yorkshire Evening Post or BBC Leeds introduce conflicting timelines or member details, reinforcing the primary source’s authority.

This local embedding fuels their broader appeal. In a landscape dominated by polished indie acts, Bela Spit’s “feral energy” offers a raw counterpoint, drawing crowds who crave unpredictability.

What’s Next for Bela Spit?

While the Far Out Magazine quick-fire interview format teases future insights, specifics remain forthcoming. Their trajectory—from Christmas gag to album drop and tour dominance—hints at sustained momentum into 2026.

No statements from Casling, Baxter, Veasey, or Ticciati on upcoming releases or tours appear in the covered material, but their independent ethos suggests more DIY punk missives ahead. As Leeds’ punk pulse quickens, Bela Spit stands poised to wail louder.

How Does Bela Spit Fit into UK Punk Traditions?

Bela Spit arrives amid a UK punk resurgence, echoing 1970s DIY rebellion. Their vulgar-silly lyrical bent mirrors the Sex Pistols’ shock tactics or The Slits’ feminist fury, adapted for 2020s anxieties.

The Black Books guitar nod adds sitcom absurdity, blending high and low culture akin to Viz comic punk. Janey from Blood and Guts In High School—Acker’s chaotic protagonist—perfectly avatars their literary-punk fusion.

Why Question the Incel Reference in Their Origin Story?

The Tincel name, a “festive take on the involuntarily celibate male community,” skewers online misogyny with festive glee. Far Out Magazine posits this would elicit “a collective shriek of horror” from incels witnessing the band’s empowered chaos—an all-female lineup thrashing phallocentric fragility.

This satirical origin critiques toxic masculinity, aligning Bela Spit with punk’s subversive core. No other sources elaborate, but it frames their debut as culturally pointed.

Attribution and Reporting Standards

All details herein derive solely from the Far Out Magazine article “Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Bela Spit,” the sole comprehensive profile uncovered across media searches. As reported by the unnamed journalist at Far Out Magazine, every quoted description—from formation to performances—stems directly: “The punk four-piece – Iris Casling on vocals, Scarlett Baxter on guitar, Beth Veasey on bass, and Nika Ticciati on drums – have long been friends, but they’d never played as a band until Tincel.”