review – Page 29 – Bread Records

The Wrap: October 2022 ✨

15th Nov 202215th Nov 2022artist, bread, local scene, new music, review, The Wrap, video1 Comment

we’re back with our next The Wrap feature for you all, covering some of our favourite releases of October! It’s been an incredible year of music so far and we’ve written about so many incredible tunes – this one’s no different, check it all out below! ⬇️

One of our favourites on the Manchester scene, FEAR OF MARKO has just released his third single “Blood For Tears“! With an ever-changing, fresh and experimental sound, every release has been super exciting. We’re huge fans of the hyper-pop/industrial sound that is present throughout each release, and Marcus’ vocal sounds fantastic as always. Starting off real calm, the progression throughout the song becomes more and more intense as it starts to build, with the vocal flow becoming even more technical to add to the complexity of the instrumentation. Another fantastic hook on this, a real singalong tune – and that outro goes absolutely hard. Great to see, well worth checking out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

Another one that we’ve been keeping our eyes on over the course of the year, Novustory have put out their new single “Give Me Fire“! They’ve made absolute waves over the past couple of months, gaining traction throughout the whole of the UK, playing sold out shows and it’s truly down to their work ethic, the amount of effort they put in constantly and their combined talents. We love this new tune – the calmness of the intro is a perfect parallel to the explosivity of the chorus. These guys sure know how to write a hook, shown so well with this track. They utilise the dynamic of the song so well here, with builds, tension and lovely use of atmosphere to really show off how fantastic this tune is. Ones to watch! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

Another band we’ve had on the radar for a while – we were huge fans of their previous releases and this new tune from Velvet, “Self Help” is a proper indication that these guys are gonna go far. They’ve got a fantastic unique sound, which only expands out with every single release – utilising tones, guitar riffs, huge drums, massive basslines to really create something they can call their own. This new tune goes right in from the get-go, with such a fantastic groove to it, showing how much chemistry the band has with each other – we’d love to see how this one goes down in a lil basement club, it’d be mental! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC)

VENUS GRRRLS have been absolutely smashing it all across the UK lately, with constant radio plays, reviews and the such – when you hear this new tune “Aries” you’ll understand exactly why. We were massive fans of their last single “Violet State of Mind” and they’ve followed up with another proper banger. The chorus in this song is undeniably one of the best we’ve heard all year – catchy, easy to understand, a perfect explosivity of energy contrasting to the former verse. The guitar riffs throughout, driving bassline, and steady drums backing the track give so much energy to the track – all balancing the main vocal so well and just showing off the talent superbly. This is definitely one for our end of year list, we think! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

One of the best bands we’ve seen live this yeaar, Sugarstone have put out their debut EP “SUCKER“! The balance of genres here, ranging from metal to indie to electronica.. they’ve got something super special here behind them. We were huge fans of the second track “That’s Intense” which came out a few months ago, but the rest of the tracks compliment it so well – the opener “Author Is Now Dead” is a huge track incorporating so many elements throughout from synth lines, metal breakdowns, to the lyricism – a bleak yet intensive piece of social commentary. It’s chock-full of energetic, thought-provoking tunes that have harmonies throughout and sound just bloody incredible. Whack this on at a party and you’ll get everyone going mental! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

One of our favourite songwriters and general people on the Manchester scene, we absolutely LOVED Mathew Kerry’s 2019 release “Okie Dokie?”. He’s come back with another one, “If You’re Not Going Home With Me, That’s Okay“, which only expands on the quality of his last one. Full to the brim with beautiful melodies, Mat’s gorgeous vocal over the top of it all, it sounds absolutely lovely. Throughout, his songwriting shines through – his lyricism is second to none, one of the most talented chaps we know. The instrumentation throughout really commpliments him too – big shout to Sloe Flower Studios, always fantastic work from them. A must listen to any singer-songwriter fans! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

Another familiar face for us on the scene, Dr Fabola has just put out his brand new single “All Behind“! His first release this year, he’s kept true to his beautiful fingerpicking style, soft vocals, and lovely image-inducing lyrics. We love his style, it’s such a raw outburst of passion – the atmosphere of this track compliments him so well. The backing vocals in the chorus are a lovely balance to his main vocal – it’s such a well produced song, perfect for Dr Fabola’s sound. We can’t wait to hear more from him, the calm feel of this song is so lush and yet another fantastic release from him. (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

We’ve covered Leeds’ Cliche Cult so many times in the past now, every release from them has been super sublime – this new tune “Slippy” only proves that they can improve on an already incredible discography. Straight from the get-go, the track is huge. The guitar riff that comes in is so dirty, laying the foundation for the track so well, and throughout the verses there’s an exceptional chemistry between the band that is parallel to none. We love this tune, the vocals are on point, the lyricism is tongue in cheek and compliments itself by the use of rhythm between verses, and that chorus is bloomin massive. They never disappoint us, this is 100% well worth a listen! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

it’s been an incredible month for music, with so many fantastic releases – these here are just a select few from the scene, there’s been so many more that have come out but we can’t cover them all or we’d be here all day writing essays ahaha. big shout to all the artists here, well worth checking 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. 🍞

Just The Crust 14/11/22: Craig Lee and The Humblebees – Built On Bones ☀️

14th Nov 202214th Nov 2022artist, bread, just the crust, local scene, new music, review, videoLeave a Comment

our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the new single from Craig Lee and the Humblebees “Built On Bones“!

we’ve covered Craig’s music in the past and we’re huge fans of his tunes – upbeat, catchy and nostalgic for old school rock and roll feels, he’s got a real unique sound that you can tell he’s put time and effort into crafting.

this new single “Built On Bones” only furthers his talent, with a real feel-good vibe from the get-go, opening up real mellow and calm as it opens up to a lovely chorus that feels super full with steady drums, driving bass and a real catchy hook that’ll have audiences singing along in no time. the track flows along so well, with a proper groove behind it, Craig’s vocal gliding over the instrumentation super well. it’s amassed nearly 7k streams so far, incredible to see and very well deserved!

you can find it over on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/4TW1kuyPJO7mJhOtxgc8pK… – well worth checking out his full discography too, a load of bangers in there!

find all of our features, reviews and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk

Knead To Know – Gramms 🥖

10th Nov 202211th Nov 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 incredible Gramms! ⚡️

formed by our good friend Sam Jenkins and Paul Bowe, they’ve just put out their debut single “Shut Up A Second“, a riotous, infectious tune filled to the brim with attitude and gorgeous guitar riffs. an absolutely explosive debut release – we’re huge fans of this tune and knew we had to get them on for an interview. check it out in full below! ⬇️

Hey guys, thanks for sorting out this interview! Give us a bit more information about yourselves.

GRAMMS is Sam Jenkins and Paul Bowe and we’re based in Stockport. Started throwing demos across to each other during lockdown and released our first single earlier this year.

We love the new tune “Shut Up A Second” – tell us some more about the tune!

It was the first thing we worked on after the last lockdown and I don’t know if it was because of all that pent-up creativity, but we put it together in a matter of hours.

It’s essentially about our need to express an opinion no matter how baseless or unhelpful that may be.

What started you guys off as a band?

We’ve both been on the scene for a good while in separate projects and have been wanting to sort out some kind of collaboration for years. End of last year we finally both found ourselves with a bit of time on our hands.

Whose the main songwriter in the band, or do you do it all together?

Yea, it’s completely collaborative and the process depends on the song.

What are the processes involved in creating your music? Do you home record, or use a studio?

All the songs have been written and arranged at Paul’s rehearsal studios (Stockport Studios). We then demo them on logic and use that as a guide in the recording studio.

Both ‘Shut Up a Second’ and our upcoming single were recorded in Levenshulme by the musical wizard that is John Simm; formally of Cleft and currently working with Blossoms on their tour.

Where do you get the inspiration for your tracks?

It really varies. The lyrics for Shut Up were inspired by Paul’s riff. Made me think of a circus lion strutting around his cage thinking of ways to escape and the rest fell into place from there.

Over the time you’ve been together as a band, how have you been spending your time musically? (recording, writing etc)

It’s all been about writing and recording at the moment, but we’re planning to put on some shows in the new year.

What kinds of responses have you had from your releases?

Overwhelmingly positive! We’ve had record of the day, week and month from various publications. That leaves, year, decade, century, millennium and all time, so plenty to aim for.

Have you been performing live?

Not yet. Stay tuned!

When you’re performing live, what do you enjoy the most about it?

In previous projects it’s been seeing the impact your music can have on a room of people. Stunning a crowd into silence or inciting them to riot is a very cool power to wield!

We’re really looking forward to the next release, can you tell us any more about that?

It’s called ‘All’s Fair’ and it’s big! That’s kind of the through line for all GRAMMS tracks; it sounds massive. It’s got a slightly more mature sound than the last one but it still has the signature GRAMMS monstrousness to it.

What else is in the works?

We’re looking to release the next single before the end of the year along with another equally bonkers video and we’ll be back in the studio recording the third single in the next couple of months.

we love putting these interviews together, it’s so good to be able to interact with bands and artists on a more personal level – fantastic to see that Gramms have some more stuff in the works and find out the inspirations and backstory to them! we hope that you enjoyed this as much as we have, big love to Gramms for doing this for us! 🍞

Just The Crust 07/11/22: Jacob Reddy – Who You Are ⚡️

7th Nov 20227th Nov 2022artist, bread, just the crust, local scene, new music, review, videoLeave a Comment

our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single from Jacob Reddy Music “Who You Are“!

another incredible release from the young lad, we’ve covered his music plenty of times now and he always excels with each tune he puts out – a real up-and-coming talent here in the North West.

this new single continues in his usual trend of heavy guitars, anthemic choruses and feel-good lyricism that inspires and uplifts. we’re huge fans of this new tune, it’s a lovely tune celebrating individuality and it sounds huge! the lyricism is on point as always, with gorgeous guitar melodies and riffs throughout, the choruses open up to a massive soundscape, and the breakdown before the final chorus is a lush contrast to the rest of the tune.

you can go listen to it over on Spotify and all streaming sites over at https://open.spotify.com/artist/0zQSLe1qdEkcdqf2mIlcud – alternatively, you can check out the music video in full at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUpVcGt-Xqc

check out our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk for more reviews, features, music and more!

Just The Crust 31/10/22: Drian – Dreaming ⚡️

31st Oct 202231st Oct 2022artist, bread, just the crust, local scene, new music, review, videoLeave a Comment

our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new tune from DRIAN “Dreaming“!

their second single so far, they’ve been establishing themselves around Manchester performing and wowing audiences especially with their headline gig over at the Eagle Inn the other week! we were a big fan of their debut single and this new one only further emphasises their talent

with a huge groove to the track, with crunchy distortion lining the rhythm of the drums and the bass, it’s got a lovely soundscape to the track – plus, Jordan’s vocal ability is in full scope here as he belts out, especially in the chorus, an anthemic hook that would be sung back at them at any gig. a gorgeous guitar solo too, culminating in a fantastic breakdown that gives a proper depth to the track.

head on over to Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5mNOU9o4RNuLdDEK066W90 to find the track in full – well worth a listen!

find all of our reviews, features and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk

ICYMI, our Knead To Know feature with Hayden J Barlow! ☀️

28th Oct 2022artist, bread, knead to know, local scene, new music, reviewLeave a Comment

in case you missed it, our last Knead to Know feature with Hayden J Barlow last week was beltin

it was great to chat with him about his new release “Stockholm Syndrome“, plus about his inspirations, creative processes and more! the new tune sounds incredible as well, another in a long list of bangers from the hyper-soul songwriter.

you can find the feature in full over on our website at https://breadrecords.co.uk/…/knead-to-know-hayden-j…/ – give it a read and let us know what you think!

Knead to Know: Hayden J Barlow 🎸

Just The Crust 24/10/22: Kingfast – Feel The Love ☀️

24th Oct 202224th Oct 2022artist, bread, just the crust, local scene, new music, review, videoLeave a Comment

our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single from KingFast “Feel The Love“, out this Friday the 28th of October!

residing over in Liverpool, the soulful songwriter has been performing and making his mark across the city, with a slurry of fantastic singles under his belt and this new tune only goes to solidify his talent and capacity as an emerging artist in the North West.

the song starts out with a lovely, calm and controlled guitar riff that sets the basis for the entire song: a mellow, heartfelt ballad to a loved one. Kingfast’s vocal talent is on display here, showing his prowess and abilities in full. as it goes into the chorus, the groove of the talent shifts into top gear, balancing his vocal melodies above a lovely pop-infused beat that really makes the track feel like an upbeat, summery tune. the harmonies in the bridge are gorgeous too, a real lovely breakdown that contrasts the rest of the track so well and compliments it entirely.

the full track will be released on all streaming platforms come Friday, but in the meantime you can find it over on YouTube alongside a music video at https://youtu.be/Z821vvKW2es

find all of our features, reviews, music and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk

Knead to Know: Hayden J Barlow 🎸

20th Oct 202220th Oct 2022artist, bread, knead to know, local scene, new music, review1 Comment

we’ve got our next Knead To Know interview for you all, with the supremely talented singer-songwriter Hayden J Barlow! 🥖

Hayden’s been making waves on the scene over the past year or so, putting out a slew of releases and singles like there’s no tomorrow, performing across the North and we’ve even had him play a bunch for us – his live performances are so well-honed and intricate, it’s a joy to catch him play. we’ve been massive fans of his music for a while now and his new single “Stockholm Syndrome” is yet another in a long line of incredible tunes from him!

find the full interview below! ⬇️

Hey mate, nice one for doing this interview here with us! Tell us a bit more about yourself.

Hey bud! You’re absolutely welcome. I’m Hayden! I make video game boss music and then sing on it.

We’re massive fans of the new single “Stockholm Syndrome” – give us a bit more of a lowdown on the track!

‘Stockholm Syndrome’ is a tune I wrote a while ago about how much I both love and resent having a career in music. It takes a huge toll on me at times despite how much I love doing what I do. This song is an expression of that.

How did you start doing music?

I started singing and writing my own songs at about 10. It’s just something that has always existed simultaneously alongside my life. It’s only around 16 that I actually considered it to be a possible career. At about 22, I actually started actively chasing that. It’s had its ups and downs but it’s been pretty sick so far.

What are the processes involved in creating your music? Do you home record, or use a studio?

Everything I record is done all at home with a minimal home studio. It’s how I get that ‘D.I.Y’, glitchy sound that I’m starting to become known for.

We already know you produce your music yourself – what led you into self-production?

Honestly? Stubbornness. I am mad difficult to work with (trust me, I do it all the time) because of how unbelievably stubborn I can be when it comes to the sound of my music.

What are your main inspirations for your songs? What artists influence your sound?

It’s an eclectic bunch. James Blake is a big one production wise. In terms of writing, Kings of Leon are a big one as I grew up on them.

When you’re writing, do you focus on a melody first or is it lyrics, or some other way?

I don’t have a set approach, I tend to just go with my gut.

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

I’ve been heavily focused on recording these last few years. It’s become one of my biggest passions. Production is a whole other beast and I’ve learned a whole lot by using very little. I’ve had a lot of absolute beginners who have no idea what they’re talking about critique my recording methods. I’ve been honing it for years and these dudes with one set of cheap HS-5s and an ego think they can comment on it. One of my biggest motivations has been sticking it to them by proving you can make high quality, successful records with minimal equipment.

We’ve seen that you’ve been covered on radio a bunch of times now, how are you finding your music is being received?

It’s very validating. We’re slowly but surely getting there.

How are your gigs going? What kinda set up do you take to them nowadays?

To be honest, it’s not my biggest focus these days! I get the most dopamine from recording and making records. If I’m gigging, I want it to be a spectacle or a celebratory, wholesome event. Quality over quantity.

When you’re performing live, what do you enjoy the most about it?

I love translating my songs to a live setting. Whether that be to track, showing off my production skills or reinventing and rearranging my tracks for guitar.

Have you got anything else planned for the rest of the year?

I’ve a whole EP dropping in November! Then it’s onto planning the next batch of releases. Next year is going to be big.

it’s real lovely to put these interviews together and get a more personal and down-to-earth conversation with each artist, find out their motivations, inspirations and what their aims for the future are – seeing Hayden’s approach to music here is super uplifting, taking a much more DIY approach and focusing on the quality of his music is something that we can relate to here at the label. it’s well worth checking out his new tune, it sounds fantastic and if you enjoy it, his back catalogue is full of a bunch of gems as well! big love to him for participating in this and we hope you liked it as much as we did! 🍞

REVIEW: HWY – Marionette ⚡️

18th Oct 202218th Oct 2022artist, bread, local scene, new music, reviewLeave a Comment

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!

their debut single “Come Up” was incredible too, back in January we described it as “they’ve really started out on a high! blending elements of punk, grunge, and alternative rock, they’ve really created a gorgeous and unique sound for themselves.” we really enjoyed their first release, it paved the way for them to be seen as one of Manchester’s most exciting up-and-coming bands – blending genres to create a real lovely concoction of their own unique sound. 😎

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! 🍞

Just The Crust 17/10/22: Isaac Neilson – Tear This Down ⚡️

17th Oct 202217th Oct 2022artist, bread, just the crust, local scene, new music, review, videoLeave a Comment

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