We recently sat down with Wunderhorse lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Jacob Slater to discuss the alternative rock band’s rise and the release of what we’re naming the frontrunner for album of the year.
Nope, not exaggerating – it really is that good.
As one of the most exciting lyricists and all-round talents, not to mention the frontman for arguably one of the best new bands around right now, Jacob Slater is amassing a fiercely passionate following of loyal fans who are lapping every second, from the quietly released solo project to cult favourite live clips.
He also happens to have helped co-write and create one of the biggest middle fingers to so-called ‘sophomore syndrome’ there’s been in years, as Wunderhorse’s second record Midas has genuinely been on repeat in the office non-stop since release – safe to say we had a lot to say in this interview.
Interview | Jacob Slater on Wunderhorse gaining serious traction
So what’s it been like watching this thing become as big as it has of late?
We’ve all been in various projects over the last decade or so that have, kind of, maybe gone somewhere, but not kind of like properly taken off to the point where we were satisfied with, and I think this is the first time we’ve all been in something that’s really starting to work.
So, yeah, it’s been sort of 10 years plus in the making and so, yeah, it feels good.
We first saw you supporting Sam Fender at Castlefield Bowl and the crowd was already there – do you have any standout memories from that gig?
Manchester’s always just been very good to us. It usually sells out; it’s one of the first ones on the tours to kind of sell out and people always seem really up for it.
I think from that Sam show it was just that it was a big step up for us. I think that was the day after we did those two gigs with Fontaines [D.C.] at Ivy Gardens, but prior to that weekend, you know, we hadn’t done anything quite like that.
We’d been playing, you know, 200-250 cap venues max, so to go from that to thousands of people was, you know, it’s quite a shock but it weirdly felt right. It was like, ‘Yeah, this is what we want to be doing’, you know?
For sure, and you’ve just mentioned Fontaines there, who also have new music out and you’ve spoken before about them bringing guitar-driven music back to the forefront. How does it feel to be helping spearhead that revival?
It feels good, man. We’ve been lucky enough to play with them a few times and they’re definitely very good at what they do, and it’s nice to see so many people connecting with that kind of music again. And, yeah, if we’re included in that, then all the better.
Now onto Midas itself, we have our own favourites already but do you guys have a particular standout that you’re most excited for people to hear live?
It’s interesting really – I think the one that wasn’t actually going to be a single.
You know, these days you think you’re going to do three singles and you end up doing 10, because you know the general population has the attention span of a goldfish, but it’s like you have to kind of try and keep people engaged or whatever. I don’t know why. If it was up to me, we’d release a lot less.
But yeah, one that wasn’t supposed to be released as a single was ‘Rain’, but actually I realised it’s one of my favourite moments on the record. I probably would have still saved it for the album, but now it’s out, yeah, I like that one.
Yeah, that’s a really addictive song. I’d say it has a lot of the qualities people love about you guys in that it’s very straight to the point – maybe a bit more aggressive. It’s almost like the attitude comes first and the melody comes second this time, is that how you see it?
I think it’s just more of an accurate representation of who we are. The Cub [debut album] stuff, those songs some of them were written when I was a teenager and I was still finding my way in and trying to find my feet in terms of how I felt comfortable writing.
I think Midas is arriving at that point with a band around us and going okay, this is who we are and I’m confident in that, you know.
Did it come out of more of experimentation, that you sort of like got back to that? Like, was there a sound you were going for or just whatever came out in the studio?
No, I mean we came into the studio with all these ideas, most of which just fell by the wayside, like we didn’t actually work them out, which is quite scary.
We were over in America, the label spent a load of money and we didn’t know what we were going to do, but once we got ‘Midas’ the actual title track together, everything sort of fell into place and we ended up just writing most of the record out there in the studio.
It was that old cliche about capturing lightning in a bottle; there was something in the air that allowed us to create this world very, very quickly, so yeah, yeah, it’s just a product of that really.
I think it’s everyone’s input as well, i.e. you’re hearing songs as they’re coming into being rather than after they’ve been learned and played live and kind of levelled out.
You’re still hearing them, with all their errors in, and I think that’s a really magic place for songs to live and they’re only there very briefly, so I feel very lucky that we managed to capture them at that point, because most of the time you don’t.
Love that. There’s also plenty of breadth to the sound as well, from grunge to shoegaze and then more indie roots. I know you’ve mentioned a lot of your influences in the past but what sort of stuff were you listening to when making Midas?
I mean, I’ve always listened to grunge – that was always a big thing, especially for me and Harry [Fowler, lead guitarist] growing up. I met Harry when I was like 14 or something and that’s what we bonded over, you know, that 90s sound, so it’s always been there.
And you know I’ve always loved sort of the older, heavier sort of stuff from the early punk days in the US like The Stooges, they’re one of my favourite bands of all time, so it’s always kind of been there it’s just that on Cub I wasn’t really exploring that.
I wanted to, I just couldn’t get the sound right for it, but this time it’s like, okay, this is more like bringing that into the picture and I feel like it was missing before and now it’s well represented in Wunderhorse.
For sure, I mean you’re very much considered part of this modern post-punk movement – do you feel assigned to that at all or is it just you play whatever you like?
Yeah, we just make whatever music we feel like at the time. Yeah, the whole post-punk thing: I always get confused with the labels. You know, there’s people who sort of can fit everything into all these little tiny little pigeon holes and I get lost with all the posts and pres. I just like what I like really.
The best way to be. What about the contemporary then, who are you listening to at the minute?
There’s an artist called Wu-Lu from south London headed up by a guy called Miles, I’m always interested to see what they’re going to do next.
There’s a band called Sorry as well who are heading out on tour with Fontaines and, yeah, I like bands that you know sort of unpredictable and I just don’t know what they’re going to do next but honestly, I’m a bit of a hermit in that a lot of my music taste is kind like I’m a bit of an old man.
I sort of like live under a rock a bit; It’s great when people show me new stuff, I’m just not that active and kind of going out and and looking for it. If I come across it then great but you know, it usually takes somebody who’s a bit more in the know to give me a nudge and say, oh, have you heard this?
That’s fair haha. Well, going back to old stuff, with the news that one of your favourites, the Sex Pistols, going back out on tour with Frank Carter, if you could front for one band’s reunion who would it be?
Oh I dunno, I don’t think I’d do it with any. I think if it was a band I really liked I’d be sort of quaking in my boots trying to. There’s plenty of bands I’d want to bring back, though.
I’d love to have, you know, seen The Clash around 1979. That would’ve been great as London Calling was kind of coming together, and The Stooges back in the day, around ’69-70, would have been off the chart as well.
Absolutely, and speaking gigs, how excited are you to head out on tour and how do you think the live experience is going to differ from previous shows now, if at all?
I think it’s just that the songs are really, really simple and they all just go pretty hard for the most part. There are a couple of slow ones on the record, but they’re just a great vehicle for just thrashing sh*t out.
I think that’s really what we wanted to do with this album as well: make something super simple, just really simple, good songs, and I think that we’ve done that. It makes it very easy to just take it out, play it live, just have some fun and not be too precious about them.
These songs don’t want you to be precious, they don’t want to be handled with care, so that’s good.
That works for us and yeah, I mean you’re known for a fair few antics and being pretty raw on stage, from sticking your fingers down your throat to jumping in the crowd and pretending you’re in the front row. Where does that energy come from, or is it whatever feels right in the moment?
Yeah, I never plan anything I do. I feel like sometimes you can catch yourself and find you’re almost about to do something because it worked last time. You have to stop that immediately because then it becomes a performance, it becomes this like a rehearsed thing.
You’re just kidding yourself and you’re kidding the audience, it’s not a good way to be, I don’t think – well for us anyway. I think a lot of that stuff just comes from being cooped up in a tour bus all day, you know.
You’re naturally someone who’s got quite a few things going on in your head, then you’re offered this stage and loads of people you’re, so it’s a good place to sort of bring those things into like tangible reality however you want.
Honestly, it sounds like a sort of cliched kind of thing to say but, actually, the stage is that time where I can really be myself and do all the things that I want to do the rest of the day – but you usually can’t, because then, you know, you wouldn’t get invited around for Christmas anymore [he grins].
There are so many things that I think a lot of people feel and want to do and you can’t, but on the stage for that hour, what we say goes and what a rare opportunity to actually just do whatever you want, so yeah yeah, like you say, it’s not contrived if it’s your domain and it feels right in the moment.
And lastly, it would be daft not to ask you about any Northern bands you’ve admired coming up?
Stone Roses, they were a massive influence. I think you just hit a period in your mid-teens where suddenly The Stone Roses just make so much sense. I mean, those Manchester bands are so well documented, I’m sure I’d just be saying the same as everyone else, but obviously, The Smiths and Joy Division, Happy Mondays.
For the most part, I mainly listen to American artists – I always find myself going back to American or Canadian songwriters, you know, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, but bands and people definitely seem to be quite drawn to that area of the country.
It’s also exciting getting an interview with an up-and-coming band but to get time with an artists like Jacob Slater and an outfit growing as fast as Wunderhorse, who might genuinely have just put out album of the year is a privilege – and if you haven’t started listening to them yet, we advise you fix that now.
Featured Images — Polocho (supplied)/Banquet Records
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Some of best Oasis-themed offers, deals and specials happening in Manchester right now
Danny Jones
Now, just in case you weren’t getting enough Oasis stuffed down your throat this month, their homecoming reunion gigs have seen a flurry of Britpop-themed deals, offers, event day specials and promotions spring up all over Greater Manchester.
You can move for ‘Champagne Supernova’ puns, lookalikes, lasagne and all the rest of it.
However, while there are simply too many for us to keep track of, let alone list in full, there are some pretty good ones here in the city centre that have caught our attention.
Let’s get cracking then, shall we? Here are just 10 of the best Oasis-related deals and offers we’ve seen in central Manchester so far.
10 top Oasis-related deals in Manchester city centre
Once again, this is by no means a comprehensive list, but let’s get stuck in:
1. The Liquor Store is hosting Oasis parties, plus travel to Heaton Park
First off, we can’t start anywhere else than the music-loving bar that’s hosting some of the biggest pre- and post-Oasis parties in Manchester, not to mention offering coach travel to the concerts themselves: The Liqour Store.
Having popped our heads in on opening day to see what it was like, we can confirm the tunes were turned up to 11, the rays were beaming down on the Manc gig-goers, and let’s just say that their atmosphere is a woman, ‘She’s Electric.’
2. Diecast are also hosting big Britpop pre-drinks
They are, of course, not even close to being the only ones hosting special pre-drinks and after parties for the Heaton Park homecoming, and another one that caught our eye was the even bigger suntrap and beer hall over at Diecast.
Not only are they doing a ‘Champagne Supernova’ bottomless brunch for just £35 per person, which includes bottomless pizza with endless Prosecco, frozen daiquiris and lager for up to 90 mins, but the Britpop tunes will be pumping non-stop.
A simple but satisfying one next; how does a pretty mint Mexican meal deal sound? Liam Gallagher might not speak Spanish, but we know a little and all we have to say is this: ‘Si, por favor’.
It might sound daft compared to just a few short years ago, but barring a basic meal deal, it can sometimes be genuinely hard to find a really good, filling, properly tasty and affordable lunch offering in the city these days, but with a jam-packed burritos and pack of tortillas, Zambrero’s isn’t bad.
Don’t mind if we do.Hat not included. Gutting, we know.Credit: The Manc Group/Zambrero (press shot)
4. An Oasis x Deliveroo fork helps ‘keep things fresh’
Now, this is undoubtedly the most random and ridiculous, not to mention the funniest on the list. Deliveroo are celebrating quite possibly one of the most hilarious things that both Noel and, more importantly, Liam have ever said. Yes, EVER.
In order to get your hands on a limited-edition and strictly decorative fork, all you have to do is order a pint of milk using Deliveroo HOP, and you could be in with a chance of getting your hands on a very humorous collectors’ item. If you know, you know – but if you don’t, well…
Still cracks us up every time…
5. 15% off Hello Oriental for Oasis fans
We’re at the halfway point now and getting peckish once again, so it’s a good job that Hello Oriental don’t just lend the first part of their name to the Live ’25 reunion tour setlist opener but are also offering a pretty decent discount on food for Oasis fans.
For those gig-goers heading to Heaton Park for one of the three remaining Manc dates this month, you can get 15% off your bill when presenting your concert ticket. That’s your pre-show scran sorted then.
There are multiple kitchens inside the subterranean food hallSpice bagCredit: The Manc Eats
6. Complimentary bucket hats with your meal at Tampopo
From one Asian food favourite to another, if you head to Albert Square instead of Circle, you’ll be happy to know that Manchester-founded Tampopo know how big a deal it is to the Burnage boys home.
With that in mind, anyone who spends more than £20 at any of their Greater MCR locations will receive a free Tampopo x Oasis bucket hat. Say no more.
🎸🍜 What do Tampopo & Oasis have in common? We both kicked off in 90s Manchester! To celebrate Oasis coming home, spend £20+ at Tampopo & get a FREE bucket hat!
As we come to the business now, we do realise that plenty of us are still without tickets, and while we completely understand your pain, we can’t help you with spares or anything like that.
However, what we can do is point you in the direction of Printworks, who are hosting a free Oasis karaoke event for all those of you still hoping to cry your hearts to, well, ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’ and all the other bangers. Find out more down below.
Since it’s absolutely sizzling at the moment, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the pre-Oasis BBQ Britpop brunch (say that three times fast) that’s taking place at cult favourite Fairfield Social Club.
Not only will there big set of classic indie tracks from local legends Clint Boon and Dave Haslam, but if you pre-book, you can even get your hands on their ‘Champagne Super Saver’ deal – see, told you there was loads of them – which will score you BBQ meats and beer for a tenner.
Our penultimate pick is a bit of a different one and not one we expected, we’ll admit, but it may just get you zipping over to Heaton Park faster than you can name the most overplayed Oasis song of all time.
Yes, for anyone with a ticket for one of the Heaton Park shows, you can secure 20% off a trip to Zip World Manchester, which you’ll find in the very same place as the sea of Manc gig-goers this summer.
10. A special buy one get one free at Malmaison Deansgate
Last but not least, if the sun and the festival season vibes have you thinking ‘give me gin and tonic’, you’ll be glad to hear that a city centre hotel and bar is currently offering buy one, get one free on the classic summery drink to celebrate the Oasis fans flooding into Manchester.
We’ve seen them handing out the vouchers on the front doorstep all day, and with plenty of people staying over for the shows – not to mention making use of the main restaurant and stylish rooftop spot, Sora – enough footfall almost guarantees them keeping it up for every single date.
Malmaison has one of the most simple but effective Oasis deals in Manchester, for our money.BOGOFCredit:The Manc
Have you seen others? Let us and the good people of Greater Manchester know down in the comments.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press shots (supplied)
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Billie Eilish at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Billie Eilish is ready to take over Co-op Live for four nights of tear-jerking, heart-wrenching, belly-aching hits right here in Manchester.
Ms. ‘Ocean Eyes’ herself is coming to Manchester this month, and we’re on hand with all the info you need so you don’t have to ‘Guess’ anything on the day of your show.
Billie Eilish has cemented her position in the music industry as one of the leading hitmakers, and at only 23 years old, this artist has won nine Grammy Awards and racked up three UK number-one singles.
The American star has been grafting since her early teens, dropping her first ever EP, don’t smile at me, in 2017 at only 16 years old and has reached height after height ever since.
Billie Eilish gig guide
Billie Eilish is playing at Co-op Live in Manchester on 19, 20, 22 and 23 July.Credit: Press shot (supplied)
Her latest album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’, which is also the name of the tour, is Eilish’s third studio album and it’s stacked with bangers like ‘Birds of a Feather’, ‘Lunch’ and ‘Wildflower’, just to name a few.
Are there tickets left for Billie Eilish tickets in Manchester?
Anyone after tickets to any of the upcoming Billie Eilish gigs in Manchester might be in for a ‘not-so-lovely’ surprise, as you can expect, as most general tickets are sold out.
However, anyone who’s missed out on tickets for Billie’s FOUR-gig run in Manchester can still take a look at a variety of premium ticket packages.
You can grab your ‘Birds of a Feather’ and a ticket or two for the Saturday, 19 July show HERE.
Pack your ‘Lunch’ and put on your best outfit because there are exclusive tickets for the Sunday, 20 July gig HERE.
Your friends will be calling you ‘The Greatest’ when you let them know about the premium tickets still left for Tuesday, 22 July right HERE.
Finally, grab ‘L’amour De Ma Vie’ and sing your heart out with a range of hospitality tickets to choose from on Wednesday, 23 July HERE. And breathe…
Billie Eilish setlist
Chihiro
Lunch
NDA
Therefore I Am
Wildflower
when the party’s over
The Diner
ilomilo
bad guy
The Greatest
Your Power
Skinny
TV
bury a friend
Oxytocin
Guess
everything i wanted
lovely / Blue / ocean eyes (Medley)
L’amour De Ma Vie
What Was I Made For?
Happier Than Ever
Birds of a Feather
What are the stage times for Billie Eilish in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can be safe knowing ‘when the party’s over’ it won’t be well into the early hours.
Doors for ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ tour are scheduled for 6pm with support acts Syd and Magdalena Bay on hand to soundtrack your evening and leave you feeling ‘Happier Than Ever’ before Billie at 8pm.
The first act, Syd, is known for co-founding influential R’n’B band, The Internet (big fans, by the way), and has just dropped a new solo single ‘Die For This’ ahead of her Billie Eilish tour stint.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
The ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour’ will mark Billie Eilish’s first ever Co-op Live appearance.Credit: William Drumm (supplied)
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue,e but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will vary, obviously:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes via the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.