just a lil reminder today to show you guys all the merch we’ve got 
there’s a very limited amount of the Bread T-shirts left, plus CDs and t’s from michael webster and our last cassette from The Cosmonaut Cassettes! 
you can find them all over on Bandcamp at www.breadrecords.bandcamp.com/merch and we’ve had a productive admin day so expect more stuff on the way very soon! 
it’s been almost three weeks since our latest release with michael webster – his EP “a northern perspective“! 
it’s been super lovely getting so much positive feedback on it, plus our launch night was unreal and plus we even have CDs for sale for it as well over on our Bandcamp! 
a big thank you to everyone who’s checked it out in it’s 30 minute entirety 
if you’ve not heard it yet, you can find it on all the streaming sites, on Bandcamp at www.michaelwebster.bandcamp.com or even check out the music video for “waterlines” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DWjDPo3jIg
: Max Macmillan at the Grafton Arms 17/12/22
we just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who has listened to our releases this year. we’ve had a fantastic reception to each one and it’s so heartwarming to see 
plus, Olivia Browse just hit 20k streams on Spotify for her latest single and it’s only been out for a month. madness and we’re super close to 21k now too! 
and finally our very own michael webster has his EP out a week today, you can find it over at www.breadrecords.bandcamp.com – give it a pre-order to get it as soon as it’s released! 
Olivia Browse | Narwhals | Alien Clouds
we’re super stoked to be able to announce our next release of 2022, the brand new EP “a northern perspective” from our very own michael webster! ☀️
featuring SEVEN (?!?!) new songs, there’s a whole bunch of tunes you may recognise from his live performances – plus, some new ones we’ve been working on over the past few years. it’s gonna be a great one! 🤘 this will be michael’s tenth release – following his run of double singles and debut EP “paper dreams” back in 2019. described as the “Lancastrian Bob Dylan”, this EP merges a bunch of michael’s influences and brings together a bunch of genres to create a release that truly defines his modern sound. 🏭
you can pre-save it over at https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/michaelwebster/a-northern-perspective to get it on the day of release on your preferred streaming sites, or you can even pre-order it on iTunes now over at https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-northern-perspective/1656540830 and support our artists 🍞
we’ve put out a fantastic bunch of releases so far this year, including music from Olivia Browse Narwhals and Alien Clouds
over the past few years we’ve been smashing it out, with music from all of our artists – so proud to have so many amazing tunes out on the label plus more on the way!
you can find them all on our Bandcamp at www.breadrecords.bandcamp.com or on streaming sites! have a gander
yesterday also marked the two year anniversary of the EP “Obliterate/Ugly” we put out with Alien Clouds! 
it was a super lovely honour to work on this, with our michael webster producing it and these are such a lovely collection of songs from AC – beautiful songwriting and melodies that really run so smoothly throughout the EP. we can’t believe it’s been an entire two years! 
you can find it on Spotify and all the streaming sites, or on Bandcamp at https://alienclouds.bandcamp.com/album/obliterate-ugly where you can purchase a digital copy!
we’re back with our next Knead To Know interview today, with the amazing Scott Magnus! 🤘
it’s fantastic to be able to speak with Scott here, he’s a super talented artist based here in Manchester and over the past year or two he’s been releasing banger after banger, getting some amazing recognition for his work and doing super well. we love his unique blend of genres, mixing together rapping, indie rock and even elements of metal in his music to create something truly his own style! 👊
he’s just released his debut EP “COMEBACK STRONGER” which sounds absolutely brilliant, a fantastic collection of songs that really give you a true insight into his life and experiences – we really loved the singles prior to the release of the album and this only exceeds our expectations! find our full interview with him below! 👇
Hey Scott, we’re delighted to be able to have a chat with you about your music here. You’ve released a few singles in the past – tell us a little bit about them and what they mean to you!
A lot of my singles have been about personal development whether that be embracing being an introvert but recognising the need to stay connected on ‘Lone Wolf’ or trying to learn and come back stronger back from failure and a fall from grace with ‘The Phoenix’. These two singles were written quite a while ago and were singer-songwriter pop with elements of trap and electro.
My latest single ‘Don’t Take Away My Purpose’ was the least introspective, it was assertive and fierce as it explored challenging a naysayer trying to make me stop doing what I love and be someone i’m not. This was my most eclectic song yet it built and built starting with indie/ neo soul/ chill rap then going into electro pop, hiphop then into grunge/ pop rock.
Your new EP is out now! How was it releasing a full-length EP?
It was really satisfying to tell a story through music in a way that my previously singles haven’t allowed me to. The story is one that is very personal to me and tackles the challenges I face as someone with learning difficulties. This is a topic which is rarely looked at and a voice that we rarely hear from so it was great to have the chance to express this point of view so candidly and authentically. I wanted people to see how challenging life with learning difficulties can be and despite that you can prevail if you focus on what you can do, learn from your mistakes and work hard. I hope this can inspire and comfort those struggling with the challenges I face or any of the challenges they face in their lives.
The response from people who listen to the whole EP was great. Many reported feeling inspired and uplifted which is exactly what I had hoped.
Where did you record the album? What was involved in the creation of it?
I recorded the album/ EP at Tngey’s studios in Blackpool. The process of creating it involved me composing a demo at home. Sometimes I would write the song solo on guitar first and sometimes I would write the song initially on a logic project. I’d make use of the instrument packs like Omnisphere and also the sample database Splice. I’d then take the demo to the studio, record guitars, vocals and then my good freind Tngey would take things to another level with his mind blowing production!
What inspires you to write songs? Have you got a creative process when you’re writing / creating?
I’m often inspired to write song when something poignant, dramatic and interesting happens to me and I have something I really want to say! My process will frequently involve me coming up with an instrumental or beat on logic then improvising to it, I will keep the best melodies and then make sense/ refine my lyrics in a notepad.
Who produces your music? (If yourself, just talk about the production elements and inspirations)
Tngey produced my Ep. He is incredibly skilled, talented but also really receptive and adaptable to the directions I would like to take things sonically. The imprint of where I want to take things will be in the demo I make at home but he can bring something really fresh to the table!
Tell us a bit about your musical journey – where did you start and what has made you evolve to where you are now?
I started playing guitar at 11 and I started writing songs at 15. I had a hiatus for a few years while pursuing acting blinkeredly but I decided to pursue music more seriously two years ago. To get back into it I started by learning covers and making songs on logic. I was on Contact theatres online music course which really challenged me to push my music skills in different directions such as writing a score to a short film. I have been working on my guitar, singing and production skills trying to learn more challenging covers each time. I have been searching for better and more interesting musical influences and trying to bring them together in a powerful and unique way – I’m trying to innovate!
How did the lockdowns impact you as a musician? What did you do throughout them? Did it get in the way of any projects?
The lockdowns were a positive impact on me as a musician. I was a key worker for a lot of it but for the first few months I was able to have more time to work on my music than before. I wrote songs did covers and also started making sketch comedy which has become a key part of the content that I make.
When you’re performing live, do you have any rituals to get into the mindset of it all? What do you enjoy most about it all?
I like to do yoga and exercise the day of a performance if I can. This keeps me alert and energised. I love the freedom on stage to express myself and to entertain the audience!
We’ve seen a great deal of interest in your singles – what kinds of responses have you had from fans or press?
The response has been really positive. People seem to respond really well to the fact I merge many genres and my songs have positive motivational messages! I have been lucky enough to receive press from publications such as Earmilk and Rolling Stone India.
Have you got anything coming up in 2022 we should know about?
My biggest single ‘Smirked’ will be coming out later this year and with a badass music video for it. It is a real culmination of the sound I have been trying to hone, a sound which combines, rock, melodic rap and trap and pop!
it’s been super lovely to chat with Scott here and see his perspective and journey – it’s so inspiring to hear about everyone’s different challenges and how they overcame hurdles to get to where they want to be. ☀️ brilliant to see, and he’s very deserving of the success he’s got, the EP sounds brilliant and well worth checking out!
a big thank you to Scott for answering these questions for us – you can find his new EP “COMEBACK STRONGER” at https://open.spotify.com/album/7lb7KQ2fluWidY7mNZaiGM 🌛 we hope that you enjoyed this feature as much as we did – let us know what you think! 🥪
We’ve got our next Knead To Know interview for you today, this time with the amazing Katie O’Malley! 👊
we’ve known Katie for a long time now, she’s been performing on the North West scene for ages and her unique and gritty sound has always stood her out as one to watch, with some incredible songs, top performances and a lovely personality it’s always great to catch her play and hear her music! 😎 she’s now performing with a band for her solo music and we absolutely love these new tunes, so much energy and power to her sets now which is fantastic to see.
She’s just released her brand new EP “Dirt On My Knees” so we decided it’d be lovely to get an interview with her about it – read it all below! 🤘
Hey Katie, it’s fantastic to be able to get you on this and have a little chat about your music! You’ve just released your brand new EP “Dirt On My Knees” – tell us a little bit about it.
So most of the songs are familiar sounding as they’re my latest singles I’ve released over the past year: Taste the Dirt, Devil’s Got a Hold and Traveller with one extra song Feeling It. I wanted to make a record where people could physically own the songs and a place where I could own them too. I’m proud of these songs and felt they deserved to be on a record.
How long have you been doing music, and what drove you to start?
I’ve been singing since I was 14 which is probably later than most. I wasn’t one of these that have been singing since they could talk. I was brought up with a lot of music around me but never believed I could do it. My dad is a massive music fan and gave me my love for soul & blues music but he listens to anything and everything and so do I. But to answer your question I’ve been writing songs for about 10 years now. I loved hearing Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Elkie Brooks and my fave film is The Commitments people singing with guts and soul and that’s what I wanted to do but I have so many inspirations and my writing style was inspired more from folk music, Bob Dylan and Laura Marling just to name a few!
When we first met you, you were an acoustic country/Americana solo artist – how has your music evolved since then?
The sound is definitely heavier than how I first started out on my own but I love that. I feel I’ve been able to encompass so many of my inspirations into one sound and take people on a journey of high energy and also the more mellow folkier sound I started out with. People change and grow and so it makes sense the music will too.
You’ve now got a band, who we must say sound fantastic – how did this come about and what do you enjoy most about playing with a band?
The lads are great aren’t they. The band have evolved the sound so much. I loved writing these melodic quite airy folky songs but my voice just wanted to belt it out and I struggled with the balance of that for a while but when I got the band behind me it opened up the way I could write and also what they bring to it. We’ve had quite a few line up changes along the way but all the players I’ve had have been great. They’re not just people that play their instruments well they know how to serve the song and bring out it’s best it’s what I look for and it’s so important. I love playing live with them too. I can honestly say it’s the best feeling!
When it comes to your music, what would you say are your main inspirations for creating and writing?
I don’t tend to sit down knowing what I’m going to write about most of the time. I kind of write subconsciously and after a few lyrics I analyse what it means and what I’m trying to tell someone or even myself. We’re constantly affected by what’s going on around us even if we don’t realise it at the time. It’s quite a cathartic experience and sometimes a little scary. It’s like my own personal therapy session sometimes haha.
When you’re writing songs, do you have any processes or ways of getting into the right mindset for it?
Sometimes I’ll just put some music on and listen for a few hours and then later on in the day a song starts to form, if I do straight after listening I’ll probably just end up rewriting a song I was listening to haha, but if I give some space in between it comes quite naturally. I know I need a clearer mind space to do it which can be hard because I know naturally I’m quite an erratic person.
How did the lockdowns impact you as a musician? What did you do throughout them? Did it get in the way of any project?
I felt I was still able to achieve some things. I was lucky I had just recorded Wild West before lockdown happened and I wasn’t letting lockdown get in the way of the music video but I was just like go with it you have these restrictions but instead of thinking of them like that think of them more as guidelines. So my sister was in the video as she was staying with me, we filmed outside and that worked out. Looking back I wish I had wrote more than what I did but I released some live vids which I might not have done if it wasn’t for lockdown.
We’ve seen you perform a whole bunch now, but what do you enjoy most about it?
I just love singing my heart out. Especially when you’re singing songs you’ve wrote and the band are playing their souls out too. I’m such a nostalgic person and I feel we could be on stage in the 70s somewhere haha it’s a nice image.
How has your EP and singles been going lately – what response have you got from audiences and fans?
Both Taste the Dirt and Devil’s Got a Hold have been quite popular. They’re definitely crowd pleasers live and I think this has transcended to the online streams too. It’s so nice to hear when people say ‘oh I had your song stuck in my head today’ love that!
Where do you record your songs?
I record with Adam at Pinhole Sound I always go back to him as I feel he really captures my voice and the sound of the band. We also recorded some live sessions at Green Velvet Studios with Johnny which was a great experience! I always feel we’re at our best live and wanted to capture this.
Have you got anything coming up in 2022 we should know about?
Yes, I’ve steadily been releasing our live sessions from Green Velvet we have more to come and we’re releasing a record of them too. We also have some great gig dates in the diary we’re headlining at Deaf Institute 30th June which I’m so excited for and for anyone wanting tickets they’re available from my website www.katieomalley.co.uk – We’ve also got some great festivals coming up throughout Summer too including Buckle and Boots and The British Country Festival where Tom Oddell is playing so can’t wait to see him play too!
It’s great to be able to chat with Katie here about her music, and her journey and experiences – it’s super inspiring to see such great progress and just getting on with putting out and playing music that you enjoy with people! ☀️ you can really tell Katie’s passion for her music and we absolutely love the EP – a really strong collection of songs that are a must listen here in the North West. seeing her grow as a musician over the past few years has been fantastic and we really love her new sound – it’s definitely worth catching her at any gigs she’s playing at! 😎
a big thank you to Katie for answering these questions for us – you can find her new EP “Dirt On My Knees” at https://open.spotify.com/album/6jybbKOOevbA26uaeAwzBm and her headline gig sounds fantastic (tickets!) 🌛 we hope that you enjoyed this feature as much as we did – let us know what you think! 🥪
our very own michael webster‘s debut EP “paper dreams” turns three years old today 
it feels like an absolute lifetime since we put this out – a year before the pandemic and so so much has happened since then! 
15 releases and countless gigs and so many more artists. the start of an era, eh? 
this is a collection of some of michael’s earlier work, seven songs with tunes like “firewall” and “oceania rendevous” which we reckon you’ll recognise from any gigs!
it’s available to listen to on all streaming platforms, or you can head over to Bandcamp at https://michaelwebster.bandcamp.com/album/paper-dreams to find it in full – very limited amount of CDs left too if anyone fancies one! 
just a lil love and appreciation post for all of our artists here on the label 
a massive shout out to Olivia Browse Narwhals Alien Clouds Anyone’s Ghost and michael webster – we’ve had TWENTY-FIVE releases out now in the space of six years. it’s been a long old grind and a very crazy journey but we are super blessed to be able to work with all of these amazingly talented artists. they keep us motivated to do what we do
you can find all of their music on streaming platforms or if you want to go one further, head on over to our Bandcamp at www.breadrecords.bandcamp.com/releases where you’re able to buy them and support us and our fantastic friends here on the label. big love to everyone who has made time for us!
Bread Records 