2025 has been a belting year for music so far, be it legendary bands getting back together, veterans getting back in the studio, or rising new stars in the making, making waves – and Manchester has been right at the centre of all of it.
In case you’ve not found yourself on this site at this particular time of the month before, let’s give you a quick rundown: every few weeks, just before turning over another page on the calendar, we round up some of the best music we’ve heard from artists in and around Manchester.
Very much a Ronseal deal, we know.
Get your ‘add to playlist’ thumb at the ready and prepare to dive into yet more marvellous local music, both new and old.
New Manchester music we’ve been listening to – August 2025
Let’s start things off with one of the most heartwarming, albeit frustrating, stories of an independent musician just trying to make it in an industry that is already challenging enough without having your tour van full of gear nicked. Sigh…
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We’re talking about Michael Gallagher, who not too long ago upped sticks from Hartlepool in the North East and made his way to Manchester city centre, bringing a nice brand of upbeat, radio-friendly indie music with him. He’s actually been at it since 2018, but more people are taking more notice of late.
If you enjoy artists like Circa Waves, early Declan McKenna and Vistas; Pigeon Detectives or pretty much most mainstream indie bands of the past decade or so, you’ll love this lad – we certainly do. Our top picks include ‘Hannah’, ‘Rum & Raisin’, and since ‘Pour Me Another’ is dedicated to our shared love of the black stuff, we couldn’t not include that one.
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2. Foxglove
The budding Manchester group have more music coming in 2025. (Credit: Foxglove via Facebook)
Fancy some euphoric indie and alt pop with vocals that would suit pretty much any genre, if you ask? We’d recommend giving Foxglove a go. With Abi White’s infectious vocals, brothers Ryan and Liam Croney hit all the familiar and classic Manc-coded notes on guitar and drums, plus Joe Myers’ trusty bass-playing, we’re tipping them for a big year.
We also love how the city has played as the backdrop to all of their artwork thus far – it really does ground those tuneful guitars and the twinkly overtones of their sound into a romantic, rose-tinted Mancunian lens.
They’re kicking on 2025 too and following the release of ‘Busy Beach’ (which we’ve had on repeat for most of the month), we’re enjoying seeing how the style can shift from the likes of the UKG-reminiscent, ‘Tell Me A Story’; we don’t mind admitting we’re pretty keen on their latest single, ‘Lost’, too.
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3. Doves
Now, they should* need no introduction, but we sometimes find that Doves still go under the radar as one of those bands that plenty of people have been exposed to without quite realising that their music belongs to them. Quite often the way with bands who got going in that era, we’ve found.
Sharing some similarities to The 1975 in having met at school in Wilmslow, the Manchester band were spawned after Jez and Andy Williams met bassist Jimi Goodwin; fast forward the best of three decades later and the alternative rock veterans still have such an enchanting and enigmatic style about them.
We’ve always gone in for their moodier numbers like ‘Snowden’, so it’s no surprise we’re a little obsessed with their newest atmospheric number, ‘Lean Into The Wind’, but as one of those artists people often realise they’ve heard countless times without realising who it is, you can’t go wrong with their biggest hit:
The long-standing Manchester band are heading on their first tour in 15 years with new music to boot.
4. Better Joy
Penultimately, we’re sticking Manchester-based alt pop project, Better Joy, in at number four. If, like us, you like immersing yourself in quiet, introspective nights spent tethered to headphones, you’re going to love this one.
Led by singer Bria Keely, you can expect nods to everything from The Cure and the Cocteau Twins to Pale Waves and plenty from the 80s in general. From ‘plugged in’ to ‘quiet thing’, you get slightly different flavours each time. We also like her cover of ‘You Get What You Give‘ by one-hit wonders, New Radicals; she even recreated the album cover. Her new EP, at dusk, drops on Halloween, too, so we’re keeping our eyes peeled for what’s next.
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She’s also one of several artists playing an up-and-coming new music showcase over in Stockport; in fact, she’s headlining local music mag and promoter, The Rodeo‘s stage at the stunning St Mary’s Church as the magical venue continues to attract more live gigs. Her new EP, at dusk, drops on Halloween, too, so keep your eyes peeled.
Is she technically a Manc, no? Do we care? No. She moved here as a teenager to pursue her dream of becoming a musician – just like Michael – and besides sharing Irish roots (and no, stop right there: he shares no connection to Oasis), she’s also an example of how hard work pays off eventually.
The ‘Duboyne Diana’ has gone from arriving here from County Meath as part of a two-piece band and becoming a bit of a cult hero around these parts, so much so that she’s just sold out two whole nights headlining O2 Victoria Warehouse after stunning at Glasto 2025. An icon in the making.
We’re going to start you off with some of her biggest hits: current favourite, ‘Take A Sexy Picture of Me’, the ever wonderful ‘I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!’, and sorry, but if you thought we were going to overlook the fact that she’s got a track called ‘The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station’, you’d be dead wrong.
As always, we’re more than happy to be directed to more new music coming out of Greater Manchester, and with less than half the year remaining, let’s make our 2025 listening as memorable as possible.
Beyond The Music reveals first wave of lineup ahead of inaugural Salford edition
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester arts festival and conference Beyond The Music is back for 2026, but this time it will be heading to MediaCity for a Salford debut.
The long weekender is still a relative newcomer when it comes to the Manc events calendar, but it’s quickly gathered plenty of repute not just in the North West but within the industry as a whole.
Holding just its third edition later this year, Beyond The Music ’26 is set to be the most ambitious yet, spread across the three days and promising an impressive lineup both in terms of live performers, but also speakers, industry experts and wider activities.
With MediaCity and dock10 hosting their inaugural Beyond The Music, it’s another big win for the second city, with Sports Personality of the Year sticking over Salford way for the foreseeable future, along with other events like the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards moving to the Quayside.
Much of the BBC’s World Cup coverage is also being hosted at their Salfordian studios and main Northern base this summer, too.
Given that so many big annual dates have now made the switch to central Manchester – the BRITs and the MOBOs, just to name two recent examples – you could say it only makes sense to spread things out across the surrounding boroughs and their equally rich heritage.
Not that you should need reminding, but Salford isn’t just part of the region: it’s a city all of its own right that boasts an immense amount of pride over what is nothing short of a sterling musical history.
As for the 2026 Beyond The Music programme, besides both the local artists and more international creatives than ever, there’ll be keynote conversations, industry showcases, and wider networking opportunities for anyone looking to immerse themselves deeper in this world.
Having now dropped the initial wave of this year’s lineup, we know the first 22 artists set to play BTM ’26, including Kofi Stone, our very own Loose Articles, fellow Manchester-based singer-songwriter Ewan Sim and plenty more to get excited about.
Sarah Pearson, Co-founder of Beyond The Music, said in an official statement: “Beyond The Music’s mission is to seize this moment, to come together and drive meaningful and lasting change in the music and content industry.
“It’s undeniable that the impact and importance of music and content are stronger than ever, but this is not reflected in their perceived value.
“The ethical and economic infrastructure of the music and content industries demands urgent attention and bold reform… It is our responsibility to protect creativity in order to ensure it doesn’t just survive but thrives. Things may feel difficult, but they are still possible.”
Mayor Burnham added: “Greater Manchester has always been at the forefront of cultural innovation, and Beyond The Music is a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing music and content creation…
“With its move to MediaCity and a bigger-than-ever programme, Beyond The Music is helping to cement our city region’s place at the centre of the creative economy.” Taking place between 7-9 October 2026, you can register for early bird tickets right HERE.
Mayor Andy Burnham and friends help launch Beyond the Music at MediaCityUK (Credit: Mark Waugh)
Audio North’s Artist of the Month: Sharan | April 2026
Thomas Melia
Why have one northern city when you can have two? Sharan, our latest Artist of the Month, was born in Leeds and is now based in Liverpool.
Giving herself the titles of DJ, workshop facilitator and community advocate while also balancing life as a cardiac physiologist – is there anything Sharan can’t do?
This multi-talented music maker has played sets for Crop Radio, supported Sammy Virji, Barry Can’t Swim, SBTRKT and even soundtracked Liverpool FC’s official store ahead of a new kit launch.
Her sets cover all different music genres, meaning she can fit and curate any vibe, including UK funk, Amapiano, house and more.
An interview with Sharan – Audio North’s Artist of the Month
Now, the Leeds-born DJ takes a break from the decks, community programmes and medical assistance to chat about being Audio North‘s latest Artist of the Month.
Sharan is passionate about music and community (Credit: Press shots)
What music did you grow up listening to?
I’ve always been around music. My Dad brought me up on Queen and then when I got to school my best friend listened to Bassline, UK Funky and I downloaded all these songs onto my Blackberry.
Annie Mac and Hannah Wants were real inspirations for me growing up and seeing female DJs in the media is great.
Tell us about the work you do in the DJ community?
I’m originally from Leeds but moved to Liverpool for work four years ago and I’ve become quite heavily involved in the DJ community. I do workshops through ‘Decks in the City‘; I’m a DJ Programmer for Dishoom and I play gigs across the North too.
Why do you want to give back to the DJ scene?
I joined a charity called Getaway Girls, who I still am with today, and I joined a music group through them and I remember decks being in the corner of the room and being intrigued. Then, at 14 I started going to their music workshops.
They’re the reason I got into music and inspired me to want to make the music industry a fairer place for women as well as advocating for women in music.
I love teaching women how to get into music or giving them the opportunity they wouldn’t necessarily have.
What do you hope to achieve through your DJ workshops?
I believe everyone should have the chance to try out being a DJ, or more broadly just have a go at learning a new skill in relation to music.
I want to give everyone a fair and equal chance to learn how to DJ and that’s why the courses I do are accessible and affordable.
DJ Sharan is involved in a range of projects, including Programmer for Dishoom (Credit: Supplied)
As a South Asian DJ who’s also a woman, I want to encourage women and anyone from underrepresented communities to get involved.
In the long run, I’d love to improve festival line-ups and make the distribution of live music opportunities fairer.
What have been some of your favourite experiences as a DJ so far?
Alongside my community work, I’ve played at Leeds Festival for JD Sports and supported some big acts including Barry Can’t Swim, Virji, SBTRKT and Girls Don’t Sync.
What’s one fun fact about you?
I’m not just a DJ, I’m also a cardiac physiologist. It’s a really big part of my life aside from being a DJ. I balance the two together, I’m passionate about both.
She’s supported Sammy Virji, Barry Can’t Swim, Girls Don’t Sync and many more (Credit: Audio North)
How does your heritage influence your work?
I’m South Asian and I remember the Bend It Like Beckham soundtrack so vividly growing up. It fused British pop with Bhangra and Bollywood, it was revolutionary.
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Even the storyline of the film itself resonates with me, watching the girl pursuing football against her parents wishes, something I’m doing by going against ‘the norm’ through following my dream of being a DJ.
I love this film and soundtrack so much that I wrote an article about this which explores the soundtrack and its impact on British Asian Youth.
Danny Jones -
31st August 2025 
