Oh, how the months roll over; we can’t believe it’s the end of May and we’re on to yet another list of amazing Manchester artistsfor you to get stuck into.
We’re sure you’re already on to most of them, you cultured lot, and even if not, that’s what we’re here for.
If you’ve not found yourself on this monthly series before, the concept is pretty simple: every few weeks we spotlight the most exciting Manchester bands and artists we’ve had on our radar recently.
Revolutionary, we know. But seriously, it’s as important as ever that we big up the names coming out of our region, so let’s not waste any more time, shall we?
It’s always good to see Manc bands drawing big crowds on the festival circuit and they certainly did that. These guys have been making a big name for themselves for a few years now and are even set to headline the Neighbourhood all-dayer in the city centre later this year, so it’s no surprise really.
We’ve been lucky enough to catch them live a few times now but if you’ve never heard their mix of pop-punk, alt-rock and often twinkly 80s-influenced indie before, we’d say start with ‘Television Romance’, work your way to ‘There’s a Honey’ and then ‘Jealousy’. That should give you a good broad-strokes idea.
Next up is another fast-rising homegrown talent in Corella, who finally dropped their debut album, Once Upon a Weekend, at the start of this month and we’ve been rinsing it ever since.
Infectious modern indie typified, we’ve been listening to these lads ever since ‘Barcelona Girl’ and they just keep getting better – as typified by them selling out the O2 Ritz on… oh, would you look at that? It’s tonight.
If you didn’t get a ticket for their landmark hometown show, you can also catch them at NBHD 2024 and as for what tracks you should listen to in preparation, the single from 2017 that we’ve already mentioned is where we started, ‘Drifting’ is in our rotation and simply nothing beats ‘Bloom’. A great running track.
Still riding high on the wave from KOKO 🌊 This tour so far has been the best yet and London was something we’ve only ever dreamt of, but you guys made it possible.
A big genre change now and we’re going modern jazz. Make that spiritual jazz, to be specific, and it’s certainly how we feel when we listen to this bloke: in tune with our spirit.
The Manc trumpeter, composer and producer has a real knack for making music that you want to relax, create and cook to, as well as a whole host of other moods. We often find him playing whilst staring out the window with a brew or with our heads back on the sofa as we close our eyes and simply drift away.
As for your jumping-off points, ‘Calder Shapes’ crops up in our playlists most often but ‘Cherry Blossom’ is a lovely lo-fi option on a chilled Sunday afternoon, and his tune ‘Into Forever’ with his record label’s Gondwana Orchestra is another gentle but transportive favourite of ours. We could go on forever.
He’s not been at Manchester Jazz Festival this year but he’s one of our best in that genre.
4. Rosellas
In at number four, we’ve got Rosellas, who’ve steadily worked their way up through various club sets across the UK and North in particular, even playing City Square over at the Etihad Stadium, and are now starting to gain even more traction.
They can turn their hand to most stuff really, be it the all-important catchy hook, a decent indie bouncer or the equally communal feeling soft, acoustic-driven ballad, but there’s something very 90s/early 2000s and quintessentially Manc about their music.
We’ll admit that we can’t quite place what it is beyond perhaps the guitar riffs themselves, but maybe you’ll have better luck than we have so far. Our trio of picks are ‘Slowdance’, ‘Switch Off’ and ‘Damaged’.
Great track.
5. MALCOLM
Last but not least, we’ve got a band so new to the Manchester music scene that they’ve only got two songs out for you to get stuck into but we’re going to be watching them closely indeed.
Don’t be fooled by the name, they’re a four-piece with hints of everything from Inhaler to Catfish and the Bottlemen, as well as pretty much every current indie band that’s doing anything good in modern indie rock, hence why we think they’re going to pick up momentum quickly.
The best part is, you can get on the bandwagon early by listening to ‘Subconscious’ and ‘C’est La Vie’. Plus, if there’s one thing we know about bands from around here it’s that they graft and we’re going to guess that you can expect another new tune soon enough.
A rising Manc musician is supporting a global popstar on tour in America
Danny Jones
Up-and-coming Greater Manchester musician Elliot James Reay, from just down the road in Bury, has just joined fellow rising solo artist and already established US superstar Benson Boone on his upcoming American tour.
Yes, a lad from Bury is opening for the bloke who belts out that ‘Beautiful Things’ tune that’s been stuck near the top of the charts for what feels like the last year.
Fittingly joining Boone for the US leg of his American Heart tour supporting his sophomore album of the same name, 23-year-old Elliot James Reay has already played a trio of shows warming up the crowds ahead of the headliner and is quickly gaining new fans across the pond.
Especially since his music harkens back to some of their most famous music icons of all time.
The youngster is still having to pinch himself at the mere notion of being on the road with such a big name so early in his career, posting on social media this week, “How do I explain this one to my friends back in Bury?
“A dream come true to be opening for Benson Boone in St Paul last night, I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity to sing to you all and thank you for all the love you gave me!”
Roy Orbison-obsessed Raey – who also takes plenty of look and feel from the likes of Elvis and Billy Fury, among other old school, soulful American singers – has gone from releasing covers on YouTube to dropping his first-ever EP back in June and now playing full Stateside stadiums.
What a whirlwind journey it’s been for the local lad already.
The Manc songwriter and guitarist featured as one of our artists of the month last December, and we’re glad to see he’s only gone from strength to strength.
It’s fair to say that he’s matured a lot in the time since then, let alone the last 12 months or so, and booking a slot as a support act for as big as Benson Boone is right now is nothing short of huge.
We said late last year, and we’ll say it again: we see a bright future ahead for this talented young Macunian, and we wish him all the best for the dozen or so remaining US tour dates.
If you haven’t listened to his stuff before, you can get a little taste with his latest single HERE.
Or, if you want to take our advice, why not watch a great music video filmed around some very familiar city centre sites down below?
He’s certainly got his own style, even if it his heavily inspired by some of the greats.
Last night marked K-pop group ENHYPEN’s first-ever visit to Manchester, the UK and Europe as a whole, so it was no surprise the crowd was ready to get ‘Loose’ as they took to AO Arena.
The lights dimmed, the fans screamed, and it had finally dawned on Manchester that it was officially ‘En-O’Clock.‘
It’s a bouncy bassline, synth-stinted number also known as ‘Brought The Heat Back’ that kicks the show off, and on a day when our city was surprisingly warm, this three-minute performance was very fitting.
ENHYPEN performing ‘Loose’ for 21,000 fans at AO Arena in Manchester (Credit: BELIFT LAB)
‘Future Perfect (Pass the MIC)’ had the crowd quite literally jumping for joy, ‘Given-Taken’ saw a similar response, while a personal highlight was ‘Bite Me’.
With lyrics like “Come here and get some” and “Just come over and bite me”, this song follows a perfect pure-pop formula that works every time; it’s hard to ignore.
‘Your Eyes Only’, which makes reference to the previous hit “You can bite me / You can play me”. Did we like this song? “Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya” we did.
Disco belter ‘Sweet Venom’ had the crowd captivated for just under three minutes with its “Swe-hee-hee-t” earworm lyrics in every chorus.
K-pop boyband ENHYPEN played ‘Tamed-Dashed’ during their ‘Walk The Line’ tour at AO Arena in Manchester (Credit: BELIFT LAB)
An extended electronic synth introduction plays out as the staggered-vocal single, ‘XO (Only If You Say Yes)’ begins, and it’s easy to see why this is a fan favourite.
Whether it’s the fact that it has an easy-to-follow but incredibly addictive chorus or due to it featuring on the soundtrack for the Netflix rom-com and To All The Boys I Loved Before spin-off, XO, Kitty.
Following this was the 2010s-reminiscent ‘Bad Desire (With or Without You)’, which felt like a callback to ex-boyband star Justin Timberlake and his return with magnum opus ‘Mirrors’.
This song warranted such a roar of cheers and applause that the band decided to give it a second play later in the set, although this time they opted for the English version, which was equally appreciated.
All seven members of ENHYPEN interacting with fans during their Manchester show (Credit: BELIFT LAB)
During interactions with fans between songs, ENHYPEN discuss what they recognise Manchester for, stating, “This city is really famous for its football”.
Instead of declaring their support for the reds or blues, the band opted for a smart and conscious, “We’ll leave it there” – well played, boys.
‘Paranormal’ signalled that this night of incredible dance-packaged music was coming to an end, but ENHYPEN’s version of an encore is much different to any other musical act.
These seven singing sensations decided to play not just one or two songs before saying goodbye to the Manchester crowd, they opted for five plus – phenomenal.
Danny Jones -
31st May 2024 
