Interviews

Alternative Indie duo Nichole Hope Smith and Richard McNamara are paving the way for new dream pop, indie rock style songs. The single “Say It’s Just Us” brings influence of Robyn and The 1975 but completely comes into its own with its melodic guitar riffs and soft melodic tone to singer Nichole’s voice. Her tonal range and ability to come …

Manchester’s favourite alternative venue just off Oxford Road, The Deaf Institute, housed the rude and rebellious BlackJack supporting The Nightmares on their Manchester leg of their UK tour. I was attending this gig solo, and because of this decided to arrive nice and early. I was greeted by the friendly face of BlackJack, Joey Rubbish. Contradicting her commanding stage presence, …

They’ve been compared to bands like Ramones, The Strokes, The Black Keys, and some of the finest garage punk bands out there. I know, it’s a bold claim to bundle together America’s top-tier garage-rock legends with a British quartet who’ve been bubbling up under the radar for the last few years, but their 2020 pummeling punk-rock self-titled debut album and …

I have a distinct memory from earlier this year of a walk home, slightly inebriated following a night of drinking and laughing and ironically going to clubs meant for university freshers (I’m 24) with some of my best friends. It was April, about 3 am and wet – Manchester’s iconic drizzling rain pestering the few remaining night owls out and …

Tucked away below the railway bridge along Oxford Road, the tiny (and aptly chosen) Zombie Shack underwent a spooky transformation as nu punk’s BEX prepared Manchester for her Halloween tour date. Courtney and I walked up the stairwell concealed in the pub below to a visage of headless Barbies, disfigured baby dolls spiderwebs hanging from the ceiling, accompanied by a …

With their melodies weaving tales of emotion and their sound painting vivid indie rock pictures, Girl Scout are the new indie rock darlings everyone talks about. After meeting up and forming the band during the height of the pandemic, they hauled in a manager through social media, signed with MADE Records, and released their first single last year. The rest …