Bar Italia (band)

The Italian-born Cristante grew up in Rome but moved to London in 2007. Fenton and Fehmi lived in a flat below Cristante in Peckham, where they met. In 2019, they began making music together.^[4] The band's sound is often associated with indie sleaze, shoegaze, and lo-fi pop influences.^[5]

From 2020 onwards, the band released five albums, three EPs and multiple singles through World Music, the record label founded by London musicians Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland.^[6][7]

They were noted as a "new act to watch" by The Face magazine and the number one "rising star to look out for in 2023" by The Times.^[2][8] Their 2022 EP CDR was placed at number one on Gorilla vs. Bear's list of the best EPs of 2022,^[9] and their track "Miracle Crush" was placed at number 13 on Crack's list of the 25 best songs of 2022.^[10]

In March 2023, it was announced they had signed with Matador Records.^[11] They released Tracey Denim in May 2023, while their second album of the year, The Twits, released in November and was supported by European and North American tour dates.^[12] Both albums received "generally favorable" reviews according to rating aggregator Metacritic,^[13][14] with French cultural magazine Les Inrocks placing the two projects collectively at number 10 in their list of the best albums of the year.^[15] AllMusic called The Twits a reflection of the group's growth "into an increasingly singular, expressive band",^[16] and the record debuted at No. 36 on the UK Albums Chart, the band's highest placement as of 2023.^[17]

In October 2025, Bar Italia released their album Some Like It Hot through Matador Records.^[18] The record, described as a culmination of the group’s collaborative songwriting, blends rock, folk pop and ballads, and follows their 2023 releases. Ahead of the album, the singles "Cowbella," "Fundraiser," "rooster,"^[19] and "omni shambles"^[20] were issued, with Fundraiser accompanied by a video featuring actor Matt King.^[21] The band began a tour following the release of Some Like It Hot, playing at venues across Europe and North America, including a sold-out release show at The Dome in London.^[22]

Fehmi and Fenton also make music as a duo under the name Double Virgo, a reference to their shared astrological star sign.^[3] Since 2020, they have created a number of indie rock and shoegaze records together, produced by Vegyn and released via his label, PLZ Make It Ruins.^[23]

Nina Cristante has created lo-fi pop music under the alias Nina (stylized in all caps), often collaborating with producer and former label mate, Dean Blunt.^[24][25][26]

Current members

• Nina Cristante – vocals, percussion, piano, keyboards
• Sam Fenton – vocals, guitar
• Jezmi Tarik Fehmi – guitar, vocals

Current touring musicians

• Liam Toon – drums (2024–present)
• Mathilde Bataille – bass (2025–present)