What Happened To Harry Styles' Old Band?

Some Harry Styles fans might be surprised to know that One Direction isn't the only band the British singer has been part of. Before rocketing toward international stardom after appearing on The X Factor, Harry Styles was a member of a band called White Eskimo. What is even more surprising, though, is that White Eskimo is still a thing long after Styles' departure from the group. And now, the band wants to become an even bigger thing than it already is.

According to a profile of the band by Manchester Evening News, White Eskimo wants to blaze a new trail of pop-punk sound — without their former bandmate. Will Sweeny, the band's frontman, told the newspaper that Styles was the band's lead singer before The X Factor changed his life. Sadly, they lost touch after 2012. Sweeny said, "I know that if just three or four times he said ‘listen to my old band’ it would give us exposure to millions of people. We have asked him. I last spoke to him a year ago. He doesn’t see me anymore."

But despite losing contact with the Styles, Sweeny said that some Directioners are paying attention to them because they know Styles used to be in the band. Since taking sabbatical after Styles left, the band has taken steps to find their own fame. In fact, White Eskimo is set to release their debut EP, titled 100X, on March 23 of this year, according to the band's official website.

The band, which has been described as a punk-pop sound with a shared influence of Foo Fighters, early Green Day, and Blink 182, will reportedly release four tracks on their new EP about meeting girls, making mistakes, and living life to the fullest. In the midst of recording and playing at various gigs, they debuted one of their new songs "100x" on BBC Introducing back in February, though the song is currently unavailable on the show's site. The band also has a decent size following on social media, especially on their Twitter page, which they update fairly regularly with Vines, photos, and shout outs to their fans. It looks like fans will have to wait until March 23 to get a full taste of the band's new sound, though.

If you're interested in checking out what the band was like back when Styles was a member, there is plenty of footage of that. Check out their performance in a video below of them covering "Summer of 69" with Styles himself right up front.

But will White Eskimo follow Styles' path to stardom à la X Factor? It doesn't look like it. Sweeny told the Manchester Evening News, "We want to go down the route of making music ourselves and making it big because we are good. It is ruining music where everything you hear on the radio is a pay cheque [sic]."

Whether they make it big or not, it might be worth checking out the EP when it comes out. Who knows? Maybe they'll give Styles a run for his money!