In the week that COVID-19 restrictions have lifted and Manchester’s clubs and venues are beginning to buzz again, a flood of new music has arrived just in time!
With everything from indie-pop to jazz and soul, we’ve got a varied selection of tracks to share with you during the first edition of our brand-new weekly top 5 releases list.
So, in no particular order, find The Manc Audio’s pick of the bunch below – with a preview of our New Manchester Music playlist at the bottom.
Ceeow – Fadeaway
In this crazy world, hip-hop artist Ceeow manages to maintain a calm and collected mantra, producing music that encourages mindfulness and positive energy.
His latest track ‘FADEAWAY’ is an indication of how his mind works.
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It’s uplifting, melting together hip-hop, jazz and chillwave under soft spoken lyrics that instantly put you in a better mood.
And we could all do with a bit of that right now, right?
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LayFullstop – Receipts
LayFullstop is back with her first release of the year.
LayFullstop released her first track of 2021 this week, too.
‘Receipts’ layers her signature soulful vocals over jazz-style beats that are so easy to connect with and that’s what we love about Lay’s music. This one’s taken from her upcoming 12-track mixtape ‘STiR’ so there’s plenty more to come soon.
It follows the success of her Cherries EP and stunning Colors show of 2019. And fresh off the back of her Manchester International Festival performance, she’s ready to show us what she’s been working on.
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Green Wire – Looking Back
Indie-rock pop fusion newcomers Green Wire have dropped their debut single ‘Looking Back’ this week.
The track is intended to capture the pain and disappointment that creatives and the music industry have faced this past year-and-a-half and we’re pretty sure they’ve nailed it.
After first meeting at the Manchester BIMM institute, the lads decided to pool their musical skills and influences to form something new. And in early 2021, Green Wire was their new direction. They’re only just getting started, but could be ones to watch this year.
Foxglove – Birthday
Quirky band Foxglove have dropped another single this week.
Euphoric indie-pop four-piece Foxglove are back with new stuff.
‘Birthday’ is another example of how the band like to play around with ambient guitars and experiment with a spacey sound. The track is super lively and tells a story about growing up and learning life’s many lessons.
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Fronted by lead vocalist Abi White, the band are fun and full of energy – the perfect tonic to life right now.
Catch them at Open Beat’s showcase at Off The Square on 30 October alongside Kosomauts and Kestrel Palace. Tickets available here.
The Mouse Outfit – Limelight
‘Limelight’ is the new one from OneDa, Superlative and the rest of The Mouse Outfit crew.
The collective are known for their eclectic approach to making music, by teaming up with countless producers and musicians over the years to create something completely fresh each time.
This latest one sees a collab with five rappers from across the UK, including Liverpool rapper Koj whose accent comes through strong amidst his effortless flow.
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Have a listen to all the releases on our New Manchester Music Spotify playlist below.
Featured image: Ceeow – credit @sseannewtonn/IG
Music
Olivia Rodrigo’s two Manchester shows at Co-op Live have been postponed
Daisy Jackson
Olivia Rodrigo’s shows at Co-op Live in Manchester have been postponed after a night of drama for the new arena.
The star was meant to bring her GUTS Tour to the city on Friday and Saturday night.
But the huge 23,500-capacity arena has now confirmed that both of these gigs will be postponed.
New dates will be announced as soon as they’re confirmed.
Co-op Live said in a statement: “Due to an on-going venue-related technical issue, the scheduled performances of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour on 3rd and 4th May are being postponed.
“Ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund from their point of purchase.
“We deeply apologise for the significant inconvenience this will cause for many.”
The massive arena was supposed to open for the first time to the public tonight with a performance by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.
Credit: Nick WalkerCredit: Larissa HofmannOlivia Rodrigo’s gigs in Manchester at Co-op Live have been postponed.
But it was called off at the eleventh hour, with fans turned away from the doors just minutes before they were meant to open.
Co-op Live has now confirmed that the reason for the cancellation was that a piece of the HVAC (air conditioning) system had ‘separated from the ductwork’.
Rigorous testing on the rest of the system now needs to take place before fans can safely be welcomed inside.
Olivia Rodrigo has yet to issue a statement about her Manchester shows on 3 and 4 May being postponed.
Richard Ashcroft says Robin Park gigs could help make Wigan ‘a focal point in music’
Danny Jones
Manc music veteran Richard Ashcroft has big hopes for the upcoming season of live music at Wigan’s Robin Park, insisting that gigs like his self-titled double bill could help his hometown become “a focal point music for the first time in years”.
The former Verve frontman turned successful solo artist was speaking to host Anna Jameson on BBC Radio Manchester earlier this week when he explained just how big a deal this series of Wigan concerts could be for the area.
Beyond the likes of himself, his former band, The Lathums and Railway Children, to name just a few, there aren’t too many notable music names to have come out from the WN postcode – but that isn’t to say there isn’t plenty of talent and potential to do so.
Bigging up the borough as an “amazing place” that’s perhaps sometimes overlooked, he’s keeping his fingers crossed that Mancs and people from all over the region, including the local council, can “get right behind” the upcoming calendar of Wigan concerts to shine the spotlight on it once again.
As he goes on to tell Jameson, he envisions this going on to become a platform for new, up-and-coming artists not only from Wigan but across Greater Manchester, insisting that “there’ll be this week where young bands play venues, bigger bands come” and so on, giving grassroots something “to build to”.
Noting that the foundations have already been lain with this first lot of gigs, with the likes of fellow natives The Stanleys and Maxwell Varey named as two of Richard Ashcroft‘s warm-up acts this summer, alongside more well-known outfits like Cast and The Zutons.
In the middle of the pack, you also have rising Scouse stars Red Rum Club and The Royston Club from Wrexham, who are also making plenty of waves, so it looks like the groundwork is very much there.
There are a variety of other gigs at Robin Park as the area looks to emulate the early success seen from similar bookings over in Wythenshawe like Noel Gallagher’s headliner in 2023 and in Wigan later this year, as well as Blossoms’ mini-festival.
The 52-year-old believes his shows among the others at Robin Park this summer could leave a “legacy” and give something for people to look back on and remember it as a moment in which, “for the first time in years, Wigan became a focal point for music” in the North and across the country.
Speaking to ITV earlier this week also, the Britpop legend admitted that despite coming up in the same era as the likes of The Stone Roses and Oasis, not to mention in such close proximity, those figures always seemed “larger than life” but that it’s an honour to go back home on such a big scale.
It’s been over two and a half decades since he and The Verve played their iconic Haigh Hall gig to more than 33,000 locals and the two Robin Park gigs on 20-21 July are set to be on an equally massive scale.
You can still try and grab tickets and listen to the rest of his interview on BBC Sounds HERE.
Hannah Starkie -
23rd July 2021 
