music journalism – Bread Records

Knead To Know: The Distance ⚡️

12th Aug 202212th Aug 2022artist, bread, knead to know, local scene, new music, review1 Comment

we’re back with our next Knead To Know interview, this time with the fantastic Manchester-based band The Distance! 🤘

we’ve known these lads for a while now, they’ve been making waves on the music scene, performing and coming down to gigs each week – real lovely chaps with a proper determination to get involved and play their tunes. they’ve got some proper bangers under their belt as well, we can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store and this interview has been lovely way to find out more about their plans! 😊

you can find the full interview below! ⬇️

You’ve been all over the Manchester music scene for the past year or so – how have you found it? What have you been up to?

Everything started from playing Manchester open mics. We’ve seen so many great musicians and bands who’ve pushed and inspired us to write more music for our band. Many of these open mics have given us further gig opportunities, allowing us to play at venues such as Lions Den, Aatma, and The Empire in Rochdale, as well as multiple independent festivals.

We’ve seen you go from predominantly a two-piece to a full band, how different is it performing with a band and what’s the best thing about it?

The Distance originally existed as a three piece, before Sam joined as the lead guitarist. It was then when we started playing local open mics to help promote our band’s music. Having a lead guitarist in the band gave us more options to include guitar parts, melodies and guitar solos in our songs. We prefer playing as a full band whenever possible, because the energy a full band creates can never fully be replicated as an acoustic duo.

What are your main inspirations for your songs?

We’ve all got different personal influences as musicians, but when these influences are combined as a band, we feel it helps to create a unique sound for our songs. If we were to give one band that has influenced us the most it would be The Stereophonics – who have really helped to shape our sound as a band.

How do you write? Do you take a group approach to it, or is it mostly one person who writes the songs?

We have tried multiple different methods of song writing, which we feel helps to really keep us inspired creatively. Most recently, Jack and Sam have found a song idea, recorded a demo, and brought it into a band rehearsal for Rhys and Aaron to help complete the song.

Over the past few years, how have you been spending your time musically? (recording, writing etc)

The band originally started when Jack met Rhys at college. When they moved to University in Manchester, Jack asked Rhys to dep for a gig and Rhys joined The Distance full time shortly after. Jack and Sam then met at an open mic night in Manchester, and Sam completed the line-up in 2021. Regarding music outside of the band, Rhys releases his own music under the name ‘Serene’ and Sam released an album during Lockdown followed by a number of singles. As a full band we have been writing new songs together, as well as working on new covers to add to our setlist. We have recently recorded a new single which will be released in the near future.

We’ve seen you popping up on bills all across Manchester and beyond now – whereabouts have you been gigging?

We have played many venues in Manchester over the past 6 months, and have started to venture outside of the city to venues in places such as Leeds and North Wales. More recently, we have been talking to promoters in London and Liverpool in order to expand our fanbase around the UK.

When you’re performing live, what do you each find best about it?

Sam – The thing I like the most about performing live is the adrenaline rush you get from seeing the audience’s reaction.

Jack – The thing I like most about performing on stage is being able to bring to life songs that both I and the band have written. We thrive off the positive feedback but also the constructive criticism helps to push us further.

Aaron – I get to play my drums.

Rhys – The best thing about performing live is getting to play gigs at new venues and getting out with the rest of the band in new places. (Also having a drummer deafen me every weekend before we’ve even started playing).

Where do you record? Have you got a home studio?

We record demos at each others houses and sometimes send files or record our parts remotely. We just recorded our upcoming single at Through The Roof Recording Studio.

You guys have got some real bangers, we’ve heard your tunes so many times now and they never get old. What kinds of music inspire you?

The thing about writing your own music is that it’s difficult to imagine people actually wanting to hear your band’s songs again and again (no pun intended). It’s hard to believe that so many people like yourself back our music and what we do as a band – and we appreciate everyone who comes down to our gigs (we never forget a face or a name). We’ve worked so hard to constantly be present in the music scene so it’s no surprise why people have heard our songs so many times. As far as influences go, we all have our own different inspirations such as Punk, Indie and Rock, which as mentioned before, we aim to merge these to create our own unique sound as a band.

Have you got any plans for new music at any point soon?

We have just finished recording our new single ‘Falling’, which we are in the final process of announcing. Our plans after this are to release another single, which will hopefully be followed by an EP.

Have you got anything else planned for 2022?

We have several gigs already booked for the rest of 2022, including The Royal George in Todmorden (20th August), Gulliver’s (27th August), Off The Square (8th October) and of course at Lion’s Den with Bread Records on the 12th of November. Any new gig dates will be announced on our Facebook or Instagram, along with the release of our new single ‘Falling’.

it’s fantastic to be able to chat with these guys here, learn more about their influences and what they’ve got planned – we can’t wait to see what’s in store for them! it’s been fantastic to see them grow over the past year, performing at bigger and more places across the country. well worth catching them live! a big thank you to Jack, Sam, Rhys and Aaron for this interview – let us know what you think! 🍞

All of our features! 👊

27th Jul 2022artist, bread, fresh batch, grain radio, just the crust, knead to know, local loaf, local scene, new music, playlist, review, The WrapLeave a Comment

just a quick reminder that you can find all of our features, reviews, music and more over on our website!

there’s a whole bunch of features, including our weekly Just The Crust reviews and our end-of-month The Wrap – plus plenty more! lots to sink your teeth into.

find it all on our website here at www.breadrecords.co.uk to find it all, we’ve got over 2 years’ worth of music covered now which is insane to think!

The Wrap: June 2022 ✨

8th Jul 20228th Jul 2022artist, bread, local scene, new music, review, The Wrap, video1 Comment

we’ve got our June edition of The Wrap for you all! ✨ it’s been yet another incredible month of releases in the North, there have been so many artists putting out absolute tunes, performing across the region, and it’s just been absolutely boss to see. we’ve put together a lil taster of it all here (hardly even breaking the surface!) – you can check out all of our lil reviews below, have a gander ☀️

Right from the get-go, Rivver‘s new track “Fever” sounds massive. The drums explode into the track with a serious commanding spirit, and as the verse comes in, the lads really control the attention of the listener. With a huge chorus, catchy as anything (as we’re used to with them by now!) – it sounds incredible. A real testament to their sound, showing that they’re here to stay.. a real force to be reckoned with on the North West scene. We love the guitar solo too, so simple but yet so effective and then the vocal comes in and is just belting it out, insane stuff. 🤘 the pre-final chorus section is a work of great production too, breaking it down so well only to erupt right into that final chorus. Fantastic stuff from the boys! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

London’s own Devansh has just put out his brand new single “In Your Nature“! Combining elements of soul, indie and psychedelia – it’s a beautiful concoction of different influences and elements coming together to create something truly wonderful. ☀️ the sounds used here are just simply gorgeous, so many fantastic synth lines throughout that only compliment Devansh’s vocal melody which is so soothing throughout the entire track. It’s a real summery and mellow tune that we’re sure to have on repeat during these heatwaves! We can’t wait to hear more. (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE / BANDCAMP)

Liverpool-based indie-pop outfit TRAITS have just released their debut single “Holding On“! Really amazing sound here on this track, almost surf-pop in areas, the guitar tones are just sublime – and the use of synthesised melodies behind it all creates a real beautiful soundscape to the track. ⚡️ the vocal floats perfectly above the dreamy ambience of the tune, and really flows so well with all the instrumentation throughout… it’s a real banger and really shows everyone what they’re capable of here! We absolutely can’t wait to hear more from these guys. A real tune to blast out on the waterfront during the summer months! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

A proper contrast to the former tracks so far on the feature, The Perps return with their brand new single “Megalomaniac” 🤘 that drum fill at the start really sets the scene for the rest of the tune – punchy, shouty punk music – all the goodness we need as of late in this political climate. The guitar riff is bloody lovely too, really commands the attention of the listener, along with the direct lyricism throughout it’s a proper lovely connection between the two to form this top tune. Personally, we love the lyrics, especially on the rhyming schemes – getting words to rhyme that shouldn’t really fit (it’s definitely a Northern thing.) It’s a proper huge track, listening to this live in a basement gig would simply go OFF. (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

Hailing from the Peak District, PEAK LOW has returned here with his brand new EP “The Golden Hour I“! Right from the start, we’re entranced by his gorgeous vocal – not only does he sound lovely, but he knows exactly what to do to make it unique and personal to himself. 🙌 the instrumentation behind only solidifies his musical talent, a perfect backdrop to his songs – sad, honest and so personal… it’s a beautiful insight into his life. You can really tell these songs have been crafted with care, putting thought into every melody line, and every rhythmic element. It’s a gorgeous EP and well worth checking out – we can’t wait to see if there’s gonna be a part II! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

Glasgow’s own Velvet have just put out their latest release, “Spine“! We’ve covered these chaps in the past and we’re well-acquainted with their talent. Mixing post-punk with grunge, heavy rock riffs and huge changeups, this is proper our cuppa tea. 💥 the verse of the track is so lush, flowing so well, calm, mellow and restrained; and abruptly explodes into a huge riff that paves the way for the huge chorus. You can really tell these lads perform so well together, they sound so tight as a band – mixing synthesised sounds in there too.. it’s a real tune. Well worth checking out, gotta catch these live soon! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP)

Manchester’s very own The Deep Blue have just released their brand new single “Yellow and Gold“! Entrenched in vocal harmonies, gorgeous melodies throughout and fantastic songwriting, it’s a real belter. We absolutely love the chorus, it’s a great contrast to the verses and really keeps you listening intently for what’s happening next. 😊 the harmonies and arrangement in the second chorus are beautifully crafted, you can really see the time taken to create this but also feel the fun they’ve had in the process! It’s well worth a listen, and they’ve just played a show over at The Deaf Insititute so we’re sure they’re not going anywhere! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP)

One of our favourites on the Manchester scene, Hayden J Barlow has returned with another single (that’s like 5 this year!? what a machine!) “persona non grata“! ☀️ taking a different direction to his previous EP “rudimentary”, he’s gone for the full on acoustic atmosphere, however with some expertly done production to maintain his usual sound. It’s a proper belter, a real direct song written straight from the heart. You can really hear the passion he’s put in this song, lyricism is on point as always with this fella. The production is so poignant, really keeps you interested as always with Hayden’s music – well worth listening to! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP)

it’s been another absolutely fantastic month for music up North! there’s always so many different and diverse artists all equally fantastic in their own right – it’s class to see so many brilliant musicians doing their thing, this is what makes the scene so incredible. big shout to everyone here! 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. 🍞

So much stuff here on the website now! 🤘

22nd Jun 2022artist, bread, fresh batch, grain radio, just the crust, knead to know, local loaf, local scene, new music, review, The WrapLeave a Comment

Grain Radio

just a lil post today to remind you all about all of the features and reviews over on our website – it’s not all just gigs (even though looking through our calendar it looks like it!)

we’ve got so many lovely regular features, we’re planning to update a few of them over the new few weeks and make them even cooler. there’s over TWO YEARS of posts on our website now, today marks our 784th day of posting in a row.. madness but so much so have a gander at.

you can find it all over on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk – there’s a whole bunch of stuff to sink your teeth into. so many incredible releases from up North, we love writing about them all!

NEW: Tay Temple – Time That Mattered (Review) ✨

17th Jun 202217th Jun 2022artist, local scene, new music, reviewLeave a Comment

our incredible pal Tay Temple has just put out her brand new single “Time That Mattered“! ☀️ Tay’s one of the most hardworking people we know and her music is a beautiful expression of her creativity and individuality, really putting everything she can into her music to convey her thoughts and feelings. her previous releases are insane, her debut EP “Painfully Aware” is a sublime collection of songs that not only sound amazing, but really put you into the world of Tay and her thought processes and experiences. it’s a lovely journey from start to finish! 🛤

this new single “Time That Mattered” is the first single since her EP came out last year, she’s been working super hard in the studio with her band on this and you can really hear the connection that each of these guys have with each other. each of the instruments blend perfectly together, giving each other room and space whilst simultaneously coming together to really create something that sounds so incredible. 🤘

right from the get-go, it immediately starts on an upbeat vibe with a strong and steady drumbeat, grooving bassline and Tay’s vocal right there in your face – all whilst Jordi’s guitar melodies are flowing across the sonic space giving the track a real pace to it. as it nears the chorus, the track builds so well with cymbals splashing, and drum fills that almost hesitate the flow of the track until it explodes into the chorus where Tay starts belting it out and really giving it her all. the vocal melody of the chorus is superb, and it’s definitely one that we can see being a singalong one at live gigs. ☀️

after the second chorus comes to a close, Jordi pulls out a HUGE guitar solo, really showing off his capabilities as a competent guitarist – not only does it sound absolutely massive, it’s perfectly balanced to the flow of the track and it really sits so well for the song and only compliments how fantastic this song sounds. Tay’s vocal comes back in for the bridge, and at this point she’s proper going for it, putting every emotion she felt writing the song into her voice and just showing off how far she’s come since the release of her first single. not only this, but the guitar solo is shredding it out underneath and really just creating such a brilliant space – this is one of our favourite bridges that we’ve heard for a long time, it’s the whole band performing together so well, in perfect sync, and really just putting everything they can into it to show off their talents. 🙌

you can really hear the emotion put into the lyricism, it’s a tale of pain and love – so relatable to us all, a really pure and honest outburst of feelings. this is what we love about Tay’s lyrics, there’s no holds barred, it’s always just the complete truth of how she’s felt and she turns it into a fantastic tune not only lyrically, but musically, with vocal melodies that are just on point, every time. 💥

we are ABSOLUTELY blown away by this tune. we’ve known Tay for a real long time now and this is a real testament to how much work she puts in every single day to her music – how much talent she has, and all of her band (Jordi, Jasmine and Red) syncing up perfectly well and showing off their musical capabilities. we can not wait to hear what else she has up her sleeve – it’s definitely proven that Tay’s one to watch for this year, and is on her way to big things.

you can find the full tune on all streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music and more – give her a follow on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date on her live gigs and info! 🍞

The Wrap: August 2021 🌮

8th Sep 20218th Sep 2021artist, bread, gigs, live, local scene, new music, The WrapLeave a Comment

we’ve got our August edition of The Wrap for you! 🤘 there’s been some absolutely fantastic tunes out over the past month and we’re stoked to be able to bring you some of our favourites! it’s so great to see everyone making moves – gigs, music and so much going on! check out our lil in-depth reviews below ☀️

Manchester-based alt-rockers We The North are back with their brand new single “Where is your God?” 🤘 Hard hitting riffs, huge drums, and an attitude to match, this is definitely one to blast out before a night out. Class stuff! [SPOTIFY]

Yorkshire rockers Blue Orchid Reaction are back with another banger – we’ve featured them before and love the energy within their music. “Sunset Claims” is another top single from them – with 70’s influence, lush guitar tones and some lovely songwriting, definitely worth checking out! [SPOTIFY]

New to the Manchester scene, Green Wire are definitely a band to keep your eyes on! With a first release like this, they’re sure to go places. Really lush vocals and band sounding proper tight, this is one for all the indie rock lovers out there. [SPOTIFY]

We know we’ve featured Szou before with this track, but this music video is bloody CLASS. A real homage to Manchester, and an absolutely fantastic tune. One to blast out before you go out – pop goodness, and the tune is produced so well. What a talent! Big shout to

on the video here, one of the best. We LOVE it! [SPOTIFY / YOUTUBE]

Singer-songwriter Holly Jenkinson is back with another absolutely lovely tune, “I Told You So”! With such warm guitar tones here, brilliant lyricism, and a fantastic vocal, absolutely unreal stuff. Definitely one to keep an eye on! Ps.. that drop into the band is absolutely beautiful. [SPOTIFY]

Absolutely beautiful chorusy guitar here from Ophelia for their debut single “Man on Mountain”. A real lush soundscape throughout the track, an absolutely top chorus – this tune ticks all the boxes for us. That distorted guitar riff too! Wow. Definitely ones to watch here! [SPOTIFY]

Manchester-based punks The Battery Farm are back with yet another massive tune “Roy Keane Isn’t Real”! Proper heavy and driving stuff from these guys, real punk ambassadors of the scene. Well class and so noisy! The video is proper great too, tongue in cheek laughs throughout, well worth a watch! [SPOTIFY / YOUTUBE]

Manchester indie rockers Not Ned are back with their new EP “Good Times”! Well worth a listen, you can tell these guys are jamming and having a laugh – that riff is proper lush and the band sounds proper tight. Lovely alt rock vibe to this – just great vibes all around here! [SPOTIFY / YOUTUBE]

Oh it’s so boss to be seeing all this great music coming out lately! ✨ so many gigs going on as well, we’re making moves with our releases and gigs.. it’s all coming up! Can’t wait to see what the future holds. Keep yourselves safe, get down to gigs and open mics, stream local artists and keep the scene alive! ☀️ all music, videos and images remain copyright of their respective owners!

One year posting streak!?! 🍞

30th Apr 202130th Apr 2021artist, bread, local scene, new musicLeave a Comment

we’re on a ONE YEAR posting streak!?! 🥳

blooming heck it’s been a busy year. we’ve done so much lately in regards to all of our features and gigs and that – we’re currently working on actual in person gigs and incorporating that into our features, and then we’ve got even more releases planned out for you guys. gonna be insane! ✊ a shout out to all the artists we’ve featured and had playing for us for the past year – couldn’t do it without you guys!! 😊

we’ve got everything on our website, where you can find all of what we’ve done, plenty and plenty of local music for you guys to check out! ☀️ we’re super hyped for what’s to come! 🍞

All of our features, gigs and more! 🍞

6th Feb 2021artist, bread, cream of the crop, fresh batch, gigs, grain radio, just the crust, live, livestream, local loaf, local scene, merch, new musicLeave a Comment

just a little reminder that you can find all of our features, music and gig listings here on our website!

we’ve featured so much new music now, and put on so many livestreams over all these endless lockdowns that we seem to be experiencing – there’s more plans in the works, but we gotta wait until we can see each other safely again your support means the world!