Finally, summer is here, the sun is actually shining fairly consistently, the pints, gigs and festivals are flowing like the Irwell and, as always, Manchester music is looking great on all fronts.
If this is your first time jumping on this monthly series, first of all, welcome and secondly, the premise is pretty simple: we spotlight all the best Manchester artists coming out of 0161, be they a new up-and-coming star, an unsung creative, or someone who is finally breaking through into more people’s playlists.
Better still, we cover things from all across the local scene and you’re in for a treat this time as we’ve got lots of genres in the mix because we’re nothing if not eclectic.
So, let’s not waste any more time chatting on – here are the five Manchester-based music artists we’ve been listening to throughout July.
The best new music coming out of Greater Manchester this month
1. manta
First up on our list this month is lesser-known solo artist and producer Manta but, trust us, his status as a well-kept secret won’t last much longer; this guy is blowing all over social media and TikTok, especially. Born in Japan, raised in Skipton and now based in 0161, he’s leading the rise of ‘bedroom pop’.
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The independent alt-pop singer-songwriter will strike a chord with anyone who enjoys the likes of Dominic Fike, Dijon, Easy Life, Kenny Beats, Matt Champion and Mk.Gee, also stunning viewers with the behind-the-scenes of his creative low-budget videos and his mix of indie, hip-hop, neo-soul and more.
Manta doesn’t have a song as catchy as ‘wishful thinking’ (see below), but his first song ‘Dream World’ from back in 2021 is still his most streamed song, and understandably so, but we also love ‘Clementine’ – plus, with just two EPs to get through, you can catch up on his discography before he blows up.
Next up is a name we’ve shown a lot of love for some time now and after seeing him live twice, we can confirm Seb Lowe and co. gives us the exact kind of energy you expect from any young artist/band looking to set themselves apart from the ever-saturated Manc music crowd.
Specialising not only in a unique blend of alt and punk-infused indie rock, the Oldham-born musician has all the poetic sociopolitical swagger of a modern Billy Bragg, only with more shades of John Cooper Clarke if he was on fast-forward, and all the aggression of ‘insert modern post-punk act here’.
As much as there are a lot of layers sonically – perhaps most notably the violin from Kate Couriel – he often shines most when it’s just him, his acoustic guitar and some emphatic world play front and centre. ‘Terms and Conditions’ is essential listening, ‘Kill him (he’s a Socialist)’ sums up his flare perfectly, and new single ‘5168 Days’ feels like a snapshot of the zeitgeist that you simply have to hear.
On to a much smoother sound on the ears, the R’n’B duo made up of twin sisters Hope and Millie Katana may have been born in Kenya but they were brought up right here in Manchester and have helped bring that culture right through to their music, earning the first-ever Mayor’s Artist of the Month last year.
From the East African influences laced throughout their drumbeats, the irresistible soul in their voices that saw them chosen by the one and only Janelle Monáe for her three-night residency at Aviva Studios, to the sheer style they exert in their fashion and stage presence, they’re the complete package.
Their 2021 sophomore album Resurgence may very be one of the chillest things you’ll ever listen to and we could genuinely recommend every track off it but, for the sake of variety, we’ll go with ‘Summer Never Dies’, ‘Can’t Stop It’ and ‘Smile’ – all incredible songs and equally good entry points.
There are some obvious comparisons to draw with the likes of Little Simz in the rapping, only with much more Northern familiarity, but there are flavours of fellow Brits R.A.E. and LayFullStop, American contemporaries like Lexa Gates in moments and even Misha B in certain singing sections.
With that distinct UK style of delivery, 24-year-old Manchester MC Meduulla regularly switches up the flow no matter how vibey and effortlessly laid-back the melody itself is, making for probably one of our favourites not just in the homegrown hip-hop space but among the female artists coming out of the city full stop.
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Her song with Sakara entitled ‘Silly’ sounds like SZA meets PinkPantheress with a touch of modern afrobeats, the version of ‘Night Trip’ with angelic harmonies from Manc vocalist Prima always hits our ear right, but you simply have to start with ‘Mish Muulla’. We also can’t get enough of her whole visual aesthetic – exhibit A:
Btw there will be a free drinks tab so don’t be late n bring a date x https://t.co/8GzM5IGWYM
And in one of those moments we always love, our fifth and final pick for rising Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month, we stumbled across local hip-hop collective and production crew The Mouse Outfit simply through hearing their tune with Meduulla, ‘Limbo’ – one of their many collaborators.
One of her best-loved tracks to date, it’s just the top of the iceberg when it comes to this lot, who have been rather quietly putting out some of the best, most nostalgic and varied beats on the scene since 2011. We put these guys in the category of once you hear them you can’t help but deep dive.
You could literally chime with any one of their musical multitudes that might tickle your brain just right. We won’t pretend to be complete experts as relatively new fans, but we’d kick off with ‘Step Steadier’, then the jazz-heavy ‘Know My Face’ before trying ‘Feeling High’, featuring two more Manchester-based artists in king of the underground, KinKai, and Lisbon-born rising star IAMDDB.
They can give you garage flavours like this one minute and then something completely different the next – and that’s why we love them.
We hope you get these into your rotation soon and feel free to thank us later, as always.
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Of course, we urge you to go back through previous editions if you’re looking to spice up your go-to artists even more and we’ll even last month’s down below for sake of ease.
The best Northern music artists of the month | June 2026
Danny Jones
It’s that time again: we’re back with more fantastic musical artists from across the country’s incredibly creative and talented Northern reaches.
Yes, in case you missed the switch-up in our last edition, with our Audio North team’s work only ramping up by the minute, we’re no longer just sticking to Manchester acts.
After last month’s edition, which saw us gather five different recommendations from all over the North, we’ve got five more bands and artists for you.
Whether it’s an up-and-coming act or one you’ve just forgotten about – maybe they’ve got some notable new material for the first time in a fair while – so long as they’re from up this direction, we’re trying to give props wherever we can. Let’s get stuck in, shall we?
Names from the North we’ve been listening to lately
1. Aaron Dinning
First up, of course, we most certainly will be starting with our official Audio North Artist of the Month for June: Aaron Dinning – a wonderful singer-songwriter who straddles roots in the North East, Yorkshire and now Greater Manchester.
A fast-growing LGBTQIA+ figure, this Durham-born solo artist reflects plenty on what it was like growing up gay on Wearside, as well as how he’s begun to carve a career path of his own thus far, studying and finding his feet in Leeds before moving to 0161.
There’s simply so much both we and, more importantly, HE has to say about his work: which is why you can read our full write-up about this talented young artist right HERE.
In at number two is a name who’s been steadily growing in popularity and who also has her foot in more than one camp; the Glasgow-born adopted scouser that is Brooke Combe is someone we think is only one or two big moments away from blowing up, so enjoy her as ‘your new thing’ while you can.
From seeing her live at the since-closed Canvas (now Ambers) in Manchester city centre as part of Neighbourhood Festival years ago, to catching her playing one of the bigger slots at 2026’s Weekender version in Warrington, the momentum is building.
So much so, we even saw her opening up for showbiz star Jeff Goldblum earlier this year – she even got him to drink IRN BRU. ‘Are You With Me? is the first song we ever heard, and we’ve been hooked ever since, be it ‘How Can I Tell You? (To Love Me More)’ or her new single ‘Tears Won’t Lie’.
Just by chance, a few years ago, we came across a unique gig series by INNSide North UK and Meliá Hotels, where budding artists were being invited to play intimate stripped-back sets from a bedroom: it was here that we first stumbled upon the Geordie charmer, Andrew Cushin.
We think this lad has the voice, lyricism, style and kind of soon-to-bloom following to go to the next level, especially with the right support shows and festival stages; having his song feature on the BBC’s World Cup 2026 coverage certainly hasn’t hurt.
Recommendation-wise, ‘Where’s My Family Gone’ never gets old and we enjoy the upbeat, summery rock energy of his latest track, ‘Goodbye’, and we love the passion locals show for the cult favourite ‘Wor Flags’ in honour of beloved Newcastle United and the dedicated supporters group of the same name.
4. Keyside
Another Liverpudlian entry, rising quartet Keyside have a fervent and super-engaged fan base that’s developing much faster than most recently formed four-pieces you’ll find within this already oversaturated genre; having only been around since 2022, they’re already doing bits.
Whether it be the somewhat high-pitched and perfect level of nasally vocals, the often folky-sounding style of guitar, or at least three out of four haircuts reminding us of The Kooks, there’s something very attractive about their particular jangly brand of indie revival.
I promise that my own personal passion for anything citrus-related isn’t the only reason I enjoy ‘Lemon And Lime’, and as for other standouts, we’d recommend trying out ‘Angeline’ and ‘Runaway’ from their upcoming self-titled debut album in just a few weeks’ time.
See us live on our UK Instore tour
06 Aug – Bury – 5pm sold out – 9pm show just added ‼️ 07 Aug – Leeds – low tickets ‼️ 08 Aug – Liverpool – selling fast ‼️ 09 Aug – London 10 Aug – Nottingham 13 Aug – Glasgow 14 Aug – Edinburgh – low tickets ‼️
Last but not least, we want to heap some long overdue praise on West Yorkshire‘s very own Embrace, a.k.a. the eternal underdogs of domestic alternative rock but one for which our soft spot will never go away. Call it post-Britpop, ‘dad rock’ – call it whatever you want, all we know is we still love these lot.
Perhaps a slight victim of breaking through right after one of the golden eras of guitar-driven music this country has ever seen, it feels like five-piece has never quite been given the plaudits they deserve for consistently putting out beyond solid studio material for the best part of three decades.
We’ve found that they sometimes fall into the category of band where you know their tracks even if you don’t know it’s the – think ‘Gravity’ and ‘Ashes’ – but we’re still eagerly awaiting the day we get to hear the likes of ‘Road to Nowhere’ and our new obsessession, ‘Funny’, in the, at times, genuinely anthemic stadium rock setting they deserve. Just watch them celebrate another top 10 album this month.
There’s something very charming and old-school about this music video.
Sadly, that’s all she wrote – at least until next month anyway.
As always, we sincerely hope you enjoy our picks, and please do drop in any suggestions of what we should listen to next ahead of July’s round-up.
We’re already totting up a few names, and truth be told, we’re still listening to plenty from May’s list, too.
Andy Burnham has revealed his 13 favourite albums and some Manc classics are included
Emily Sergeant
Music lovers, gather round… fancy finding out what the could-be Prime Minister’s favourite albums of all time are?
Well, we’ve uncovered a list of 13 of them, and there’s some proper Manc classics included.
Right, in case you need bringing up to speed, let’s just get the politics bit out of the way first. After it was announced last month that Andy Burnham had clinched the victory in the crucial Makerfield by-election, winning 24,927 votes (54.8% vote share) and a majority of 9,231, he then went onto announce his intention to run for Labour Party leader, and therefore Prime Minister, after Keir Starmer confirmed he would be stepping down.
This week, Burnham delivered his first speech as part of his ongoing campaign, addressing how he plans to take the country in a ‘new direction’.
He declared that he wants to bring the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to Westminster… but who knew that meant his music taste too?
Uncovered from a couple of years ago now on Quietus – an independent music and cultural criticism online publication – Andy Burnham revealed his 13 favourite albums as part of their ‘Baker’s Dozen’ series, and alongside some famous critically-acclaimed records, there are also a few unexpected gems in the mix, and (of course) some Manchester classics too.
Picking 13 albums for this was apparently ‘really hard’, Burnham said, and not because it’s a lot to choose but because ‘it’s just so few’.
“A disclaimer” he went on to add, “these are not necessarily my favourite 13 albums, but instead these are the ones that had an impact on my life or were significant moments in my life. I tried to use that as my guide.”
On the list you’ll find, in no particular order, selections from some iconic bands like The Beatles’ popular compilation album 1962-1966 – also known as ‘The Red Album’ – Radiohead’s 1997 project OK Computer, often considered to be their magnum opus, and The Strokes’ debut album Is This It?
You’ll also find some of the most revered albums by Manchester bands on there, including The Stone Roses’ self-titled album, The Smiths’ Hatful of Hollow, and New Order’s Power, Corruption and Lies.
Andy Burnham’s 13 Favourite Albums
The Beatles – 1962-1966 (The Red Album)
The Smiths – Hatful of Hollow
The Pogues – Rum, Sodomy And The Lash
The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
The Wedding Present – George Best
The La’s – The La’s
Billy Bragg – William Bloke
Radiohead – OK Computer
Doves – The Last Broadcast
The Strokes – Is This It?
Big Thief – Capacity
New Order – Power, Corruption and Lies
Courteeners – Falcon
Andy Burnham has revealed his 13 favourite albums of all time / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
It’s not just the so-called legendary Greater Manchester bands that have been given a shoutout on Burnham’s lineup, as there’s also the inclusion of Courteeners’ Falcon and Doves’ The Last Broadcast.
As well as the more-expected picks, there’s even a couple underrated choices on his list too like The Wedding Present’s George Best, and Big Thief’s Capacity – the latter of which also happens to be one of my personal favourite albums of all time too, and has one of my favourite songs on there as well, so I have to say, I was very (pleasantly) surprised to see it included.
For each of his thirteen picks, Burnham has explained why he’s chosen the albums, where he was in life when he discovered them, and what they all mean to him.
One particularly interesting anecdote he told in relation to Courteeners’ Falcon, Burnham wrote: “There’s a song on there called ‘Take Over The World. Early on in my failed Labour leadership campaign in 2015, I went to see them with my mate Steve Rotherham, now mayor of Liverpool City Region but then my campaign manager.
“We went to see them at Heaton Park, we were in the early days of this campaign where I thought we might win, and we were arm in arm belting out ‘Take Over the World’ together.
Danny Jones -
30th July 2024 
