we’re proper made up to be able to bring you this review of HWY‘s new single “Marionette“! 🤘
we had them perform back in July at The Grafton Arms as part of our Toasted night and they proper smashed it. with quality tunes, professional and striking stage presence, and the ability to keep the audience in the palm of their hand, it was an unreal event alongside Stray Weather and BARDS. amazing to see!
they’ve only continued on this with the new single “Marionette” – opening the track with a huge, jolty guitar riff that precedes a massive, in-your-face intro, showing off the individual talents within the band. as the vocal comes in, it commands the track and especially with that drop on the first line from the instrumentation, which then comes back with such ferocity and power. the pre-chorus creates such a contrast to the rest of the track that comes before it, with heavenly synth sounds, matched with a gorgeous vocal that sounds so delicate and intimate, only to open up to a massive chorus that is packed with so much passion, every instrument playing its part in unison and showing the talent and creativity that the band has to offer.
these two singles so far from HWY have been incredible, and have set a real standard for them – definitely one of the ones to watch here in the North West. check out their music over on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/2vwjiY3CQUtVvwLaXewiB0 – well worth a listen! they’re also performing for us at Zombie Shack on the 27th for our Zombie Prom event with Thunder and the Giants and more! 🍞
our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single from IsaacNeilson “Tear This Down”!
we’re huge fans of Isaac’s music, having caught him live plenty of times now – performing for us as our feature artist at Foundry Project Manchester last week, and putting out a plethora of incredible tunes in the past.
we’ve been looking forward to the release of this song for ages now, one of our favourites to hear from him and it doesn’t disappoint! opening up with a lovely groove, the first verse slides through so well with a great build, til it explodes into the chorus – a real catchy hook as well! you can hear the time taken putting this song together also, expertly produced and with a great capture of Isaac’s energy that he puts in when he performs. the bridge is incredible as well – the tension and unease conveyed really gives the track room to breathe!
it’s well worth a listen – you can find it over on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ocRRTaorsLc6UUwDBj5xQ and on all streaming platforms, pop on over and check out his full list of releases as well, brilliant stuff.
find all of our features, reviews, music and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk
we’ve got our September edition of The Wrap for you all! ✨ there’s been so many incredible tunes coming out over the past month – it’s fantastic to see such an incredible constant stream of talented artists doing their thing. we’ve got a few reviews for you below, check it out! ⬇️
Liverpool-based Dune Boy has just put out his debut album “We Can Go There If You Want?” – a beautiful collection of indie-folk songs that are delicately put together yet are so expertly crafted, with a real intimate between him and the listener. With gorgeous guitar licks throughout, stern rhythm sections that hold it all together and his soft vocal that glides effortlessly over each track, it’s a gorgeous debut from the songwriter. Reminiscent of artists like Nick Drake, The Mountain Goats and Phoebe Bridgers, this is definitely one to put on during those rainy Northern days. (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE / BANDCAMP)
Manchester’s Daniel Darley has just released his debut single “Faking“! We had him perform for us earlier in the year and he astounded us with his stellar songwriting, lovely chord progressions and chemistry with his lead guitarist on accompaniment. This track only proves his talent – his vocal sounds sublime as it comes into the verse, and his storytelling throughout the track is superb. You can really feel the emotion that he’s pouring into this track, and the production with the violinwork and instrumentation in the background compliments him so well. We can’t wait to hear more! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC)
Indie-pop sensation Scott Magnus has returned with his brand new single “Wanting You Back“! We’re huge fans of his previous releases, his album “COMEBACK STRONGER” was absolutely brilliant and this new tune only cements his talent. With an upbeat yet eerie beat, centred around a lovely guitar riff, his vocal commands the attention of the listener with his powerful and dynamic range – really getting you to hear the story that he’s telling, a ballad of romance, loss and regret. It’s a real honest depiction, lyrically – something we love to see, an outburst of pure emotion and having the strength to be able to put it into words. (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)
Manchester’s very own The Distance have brought out their single “Falling“! We’ve caught these performing a bunch of times now, both at gigs across Manchester and we’ve also had them play for us loads now. This tune sounds fantastic, a real indie-rock anthem that defines their sound so well – feeling like 90’s nostalgia yet also with a modern twist that they can call their own. Jack and Sam’s vocals compliment each other so well on this track, a real great balance between the two of them and it really shows off the chemistry within the band. The breakdown sounds superb too, a lovely contrast to the the upbeat feel of the rest of the track and exploding into the final chorus fantastically. Well worth a listen, we can’t wait to hear their other tunes once they’re out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC)
Manchester’s indie punks pyncher have just put out their latest single “The Saddest Man Around“! we were huge fans of their last release and this one is mega. laden with gorgeous ambience surrounding the track, they utilise a lovely and mellow guitar riff to really encapsulate their grungey feel – the build throughout the track is real lush, incorporating so much energy to the song and using the dynamic of the instruments to their full potential. makes us feel like we should be in a basement, hearing them blast out these tunes at full volume! well worth a listen. (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE / BANDCAMP)
London’s Tiffany Twisted have teamed up with SUMMER ALONE for their latest single “333” – an infectious, punky and grungey anthem that sounds absolutely huge. the guitar riffs throughout are dreamy and atmospheric yet so eerie, and the drum work throughout is absolutely spectacular. it’s got such a huge groove to the track, the build-up to the chorus is gorgeous, and it explodes in a wave of lead guitar riffs and feedback that just sings in itself. the bridge sounds proper beautiful too, a chaotic contrast to the rest of the track but really adds so much of a haunting atmosphere to it all. well worth a listen, there’s absolutely so much throughout this tune! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)
Newcastle-based indie outfit Firesites put out their new single “HomeAgain” with Ada Grace Francis! A gorgeous, melodic ballad that opens up with such a soft, relaxed atmosphere, suddenly shifts gear into a jazzy, feel good vibe to it. The vocals throughout are so warm, complimenting one another so well – the track flows so well, you can imagine just drifting along on a cloud with the warmth emanating from this. The lyricism is spot on too, so lovely and raw – plus, we absolutely love the guitar solo, beautiful stuff. They should be reyt proud of this track, absolutely beautiful stuff! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE / BANDCAMP)
Hollows here in Manchester have just dropped this huge single “Ghosts“! we loved their previous releases, fantastic alternative rock tunes that have made a proper impact in the city. this new tune only continues with that, with driving basslines, tight drums that gel it all so well together and gorgeous lead melodies that match Sean’s lead vocal so well – his passion is put superbly into this track, absolutely belting it out at times and sounding so wonderful. the guitar solo is blooming gorgeous too, this one’s definitely a testament to the talent of the band. go have a listen! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE / BANDCAMP)
what a month for music! these releases have been so class to listen to and write up about, really showing the amazing talent on the scene and continuing the fantastic tunes that keep on coming out. we hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as we have – big love to everyone who’s checked this out. ❤️
Make sure you head on down to open mics, gigs, support local music and arts and keep your scenes going! 😊 all music, videos and images remain copyright of their respective owners. 🍞
we’re proper made up to be able to bring you this review of Sleeping Together‘s brand new single “Money & Nicotine” out today! ⚡️
back in August we covered their debut single “Summer Girl“, an infectious summery indie-pop anthem that has set them as ones to watch in the North West, getting coverage all over the place and really setting the bar for their releases. we proper loved it, a fantastic first tune from the lads, with gorgeous guitar melodies, catchy choruses and a massive sound to it.
they’ve returned with another belter, matching the energy and power of the first single and really setting them as a force to be reckoned with. touching on a heavier sound, especially in the second chorus, they’ve shown that they’re a versatile band who are able to utilise dynamics so well, but still having that jangly and upbeat element to their tunes.
the synth lines throughout the track compliment the bands’ guitar licks and Alex’s main vocal so well, giving a lovely balance of melodies that fuse together to keep the track flowing so well – the massive sound of the chorus as well, it’s an incredible testament to their talents. we’re huge fans of the songwriting here also, feeling like the track flowed flawlessly as it was being written, almost effortless lyricism but tells the story of the tune superbly. fantastic stuff!
you can find the track on all streaming sites, go and drop it a stream and add it to your pre-night out playlists – another feel-good anthem from these lads. we can’t wait to see how far they go with tunes like these! 🍞
our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single “The Best Kept Secret” from one of our favourite americana-songwriters on the scene, Lisa T featuring Elaine Lennon Music
we’ve covered Lisa’s music in the past and we’re huge fans of her music, blending a lovely country-americana sound with brilliant visual storytelling, really putting her full emotions into each song and delivering so well with every single release she’s put out so far
the track is laden with gorgeous piano runs, giving such a breathe of fresh air to the track – complimenting the lyrics so well, a real lovely outlook on life, giving a real positive feeling towards it all. as it progresses after the first chorus, the track expands out with so much instrumentation that only adds to the feel of the song. the violins, guitars and huge beat behind the track give a real apt backing to Lisa’s vocal here, so well produced! we love the guitar solo too, almost a call and response feel with the violin melodies, brilliantly done.
you can find the track in full over on Spotify over at https://open.spotify.com/album/7mJteCGjtlVv3dN6htvyQA – available on all streaming sites as well. another fantastic release from Lisa! we can’t wait to see how far she goes with tunes like this.
find all of our features, reviews, music and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk
our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new album from Pizza Crunch “That Serene Age“!
we’re massive fans of these guys, having covered their music plenty of times in the past and with each release they smash out a huge banger, always quality stuff. they’ve made waves across Scotland with their sound and this album only continues with that trend!
the album contains some of their previous singles, which we’ve had on repeat over the past few months including “Young Excitement” “Romanticised Past” and “Wilting Youth” but this full release really gels the tracks together, with the addition of some brilliant tunes that really compliment the singles, giving a real continuous identity to the release and expanding on their sound even more.
with luscious soundscaping and dreamy guitar riffs, they’ve managed to create a beautiful sounding tracklist that flows so well into each of the tunes, the atmospheric feel of “Insignificant” really flows so well into the contrast of the next track and this is a huge constant within the album. well worth a listen in full!
head on over to Spotify to find the album in full – it’s available on all streaming sites and there’s also some music videos on their YouTube! get on it
find all of our features, reviews, music and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk
in case you missed it, our interview with Days Are Done for last week’s Knead To Know was fantastic
their new single “I’ve Tried” sounds sublime, with huge harmonies, uplifting production and their usual lovely songwriting that we’ve come to see with every single one of their releases. it was super lush to chat to them and get insights into their recording process, their influences and more!
our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single from The Battery Farm “Wooden Spoon Number“!
another in a fantastic line of tunes from them – they’ve had so many unreal releases, we loved their album last year “Dirty Den’s March of Suffering“, full of huge riffs and anthemic tunes.
this new tune continues in their recognisable signature sound, opening with a huge rhythm section and a unique and familiar vocal from Benjamin – with his songwriting style shining through with the lyrics, a real great writer here and with a proper down to earth style from him. the synth line really brings the track together as well, really gels it all together superbly. the breakdown is massive as well, we can imagine that this would sound absolutely gigantic live!
you can find it on all streaming platforms – or catch the full music video over on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB9yaa38RxA well worth a listen! another incredible release for them, we can’t wait to hear more.
here’s our next Knead To Know interview, with the amazing Days Are Done! 🤘
over the past year or so, they’ve been doing loads across Manchester, performing at various venues across the city and releasing tunes – we love their 80s-inspired feel with so many vocal harmonies lacing the soundscape and so much passion put into their music. ⚡️ their newest single “I’ve Tried” sounds absolutely gorgeous and we thought we’d get em for an interview! Find it in full below! 😎
Hey guys, thanks so much for doing the interview with us here. Tell us a bit more about yourselves!
Heya, we’re Emmy Kay – I’m a songwriter, singer, composer and actor originally from Manchester and Adam Lewis- singer, songwriter and BAFTA-winning composer originally from Wales.
The new single sounds superb, can you tell us a bit more about it?
Adam – It’s called “I’ve Tried” and it came out a couple of weeks ago. It’s a stream of consciousness really, thoughts about relationships and love. It’s half of a person’s conversation. Some things are hard to say but easier to say in a song. The last single ‘Say You Might’ was the other side of the conversation! It’s stuff one of us has really said for the most part. Musically it’s Pop- Classic Soul but with our own flavour. Influenced by a lot of our favourite artists like George Michael and Luther Vandross but it’s very much us. We’re creating our own sound and pushing it further every track we release.
What inspired you guys to start making music together?
Emmy – It sort of happened by accident. We knew each other through mutual friends and we just sat down with a “let’s see what happens” attitude which pretty much sums us up as a band. Adam was already in a band at that point and as that folded we just ran with this.
How do you go about creating your music? Do you home record, or use a studio?
We record everything at home – we have a very tiny home studio so we really are self-contained. We tend to slip into our own little world. But yeah everything’s done by us. We occasionally will get drums or a few other bits recorded remotely if we feel the track needs it but “I’ve Tried” is all us.
We’ve seen you take a little break from gigging – what have you been up to in the meantime?
We have! We’ve been writing, recording and much like everyone else, having the odd extentensial crisis. You know how it goes! We try and lean into remembering why we’re doing this now and again. So we don’t get caught on the music industry treadmill. Also living life, so we’ve got stuff to write about obviously.
Your previous singles sound absolutely brilliant, we love the harmonies and orchestral-sounding production on them. Who produces the music and what do you look for when producing?
Thankyou. We do is the short answer. It’s the both of us and it’s taken a long time to find a sound we were happy with and work out the journey we want to go on with the music. We started off doing acoustic stuff and we’re proud of those early singles but as our sounds developed and our writing has matured we wanted to move on. Embrace all our influences. For us it’s all about finding the right sounds so we do spend a decent amount of time on that. We love harmonies, like you said. Stacked vocals and making just the two of us sound like an entire choir is our jam. We’re lucky in that we have an amazing mix engineer – Steve Power ( Robbie Williams, Womack and Womack) and he really gets what we’re trying to do. We’ll send him the finished track and he’ll add this amazing shine to it. He really fills out the tracks and understands us.
What are your main inspirations for your songs?
Lyrically – life . We have the joke that all our songs are based on a true story but it’s really true. Whatever happens, whatever we experience or we see other people experience we write about. A lot of it is “ I’ve felt like this, have you?”. We try not to censor or edit in the sense that we try to be as honest as possible. Musically – a mash of a lot of our favourite artists. We both love D’Angelo and 90s r and b but we also love Hall and Oates, George Michael, Crosby, Stills and Nash. In terms of modern artists – we love H.E.R, Leon Bridges, Snoh Allegra, Marina Diamandis. We’re Pop, Classic Soul but in our own way. You can still hear our Americana influences if you listen carefully too. But we also take influences from other stuff – fashion, movies, architecture. We try an absorb vibes from as much stuff as possible.
How do you write? Do you write together, or do you bring lyrics and melodies to the table separately?
Emmy – Musically we always write together. Adam will come up with some chords or I’ll hum a melody. Then we’ll see where it goes. We usually decide fairly quickly if it’s going in the bin or not. Lyrically – it’s me. I’ll run lyric ideas by Adam now and again but I write them.
Over the past few years, how have you been spending your time musically? (recording, writing etc)
Lockdown had the biggest influence on us. We really went into a ‘burn it down and start again’ moment with the band. Adam lost his Dad during that period and just being inside, everything was very emotionally overwhelming. It made us stop and take stock. Why are we doing this? What do we want out of it? We wrote a crazy amount of songs while everything was shut and our sound started to evolve.
When you’re performing live, what do you each find best about it?
Emmy – We both love being on stage. In fact that’s where you really find the songs cause you can feel them evolving. It’s funny cause the old more acoustic version of the band we were gigging sometimes 5 times a week but with this version we’re still tryna navigate our way through how to best convey these songs as best we can to an audience cause at the moment there’s still just the two of us.
What music do you listen to? Which artists inspire you to make music?
Adam – that’s a complicated question because we both have different tastes but overlap in the middle somewhere. I love Leon Bridges, disco (I’m a big Donna Summer fan), but I’m also a huge Guns and Roses fan, I love Metallica. But also Crosby Stills and Nash, 90s r and b…
Emmy – I also love Guns and Roses! I maybe have a bit more of a pop lean than Adam- I’m a long term Marina Diamandis fan, I love Ariana Grande, I listen to a lot of Jorja Smith but we’re named after a Nick Drake song (Day Is Done) cause we both love him, I’m a huge Joni Mitchell fan. I love Kate Bush. I love 90s r& b too. TLC is my jam and I think Babyface is one of our greatest living songwriters. It’s definitely complicated!
Have you got anything else planned for the rest of the year?
Writing and writing. We’re not sure if we’re gonna release anything else this year yet. But certainly, there’ll be new music soon and gigs. We may do a launch gig in Manchester next year for some new music. Stay tuned.
we love doing these interviews, it’s so great to have an insight into each act’s writing processes, their inspirations and the such – fantastic to see what makes each act unique! we also really enjoy the fact that they do the production themselves, being able to have that creative control is something we often enjoy here at the label so it’s nice to see artists taking a more personal approach! it’s well worth checking out their new tune as well, another incredible release under their belt! a big thank you to them for partaking in this interview, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! 🍞
we love the guitar solo too, almost a call and response feel with the violin melodies, brilliantly done.
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