Feature: Indie Music Week
“It’s kinda hard for bands like us to break through, we’re just sad sons of bitches playing rock ‘n’ roll” opines Andy Bianculli in his Texan drawl towards the end of his Americana-influenced set at the launch party for Indie Music Week.
Sad sons of bitches or not, it would be hard to deny his point—getting signed is, and has been for some time, a challenge for up-and-coming bands. The rise of Spotify and the like has not helped; while it may be easy to dismiss the effects on more opinionated superstars such as Taylor Swift as near-negligible, record labels are becoming increasingly nervous about the risk of signing new acts.
To land a record deal in these difficult times therefore takes not only great musical skills, honed through gigging, but also a good insider knowledge and business acumen. But where does a band more focused on catchy choruses and riffs pick up these skills? Enter Indie Music Week.
Indie Music Week started in Toronto in 2003 and combined a series of gigs for bands to showcase their talent with music panels and master classes to help them out business-wise. Having operated a similar outfit in Dublin for several years, the first Manchester edition took place in 2015. In addition to crucial gigging and business experience, the event offered one winning band to play in Toronto and sign a record deal, with the honour going to Sweden’s very own Victoria & Jean. It’s no surprise that the return to Manchester in 2016 would warrant a launch party, featuring a range of local and international artists.
The launch party is at Live Manchester, a well-hidden underground venue at the end of Grosvenor Street. Once inside, LED screens above and behind the band display patterns in blue and purple as well as regular displays of Indie Week, setting the relaxed scene. The evening kicks off with a trio of Texan musicians –the singer-songwriters Andy Bianculli and Elijah Ford— who play folksy and electric American blues with a decidedly laid-back approach (one couple decide to waltz to Bianculli’s set), who then form a trio with singer Jai Malano. Although her powerful, soulful voice rightly gets a great reception, Bianculli lays a solid foundation of suitably bluesy chords and solos, all kept in place by Ford’s solid bass playing. This first section earns rapturous applause from an audience who stomp, clap, and dance along in true Deep South style.
However the next act, The Elder Fawn, provide as much of a contrast as possible. Heavy rockers, featuring a shirtless guitarist and plenty of melodic screaming, yet allowing for math-rock and prog sensibilities, the Manchester band draw a large and involved crowd and earn a well-deserved reception. Similarly, the following US-UK act Killing Floor provide simpler heavy riffs with anthemic choruses, somewhat akin to early 2000s Foo Fighters or AC/DC, and crowd-pleasing interaction galore. Although the evening has taken a heavier turn by this point, the bands still feel sufficiently different that the event comes across as a showcase for the different genres to be represented across the week.
The launch party wraps up with a slimmer crowd and a set from Psyblings, who despite their long hair and tie-die attire prove themselves perfectly capable of setting down heavy, frenetic riffs with plenty of crowd interaction once again. In a way it’s almost a shame that they were picked to headline the venue on a Wednesday as their set would have gone down a storm with a larger crowd. Still, they manage to deliver a rapturous performance in a half-empty venue with several obviously dedicated fans at the front.
Overall, the launch party was a showcase of not merely great but also diverse talents – ranging from the low-key Texan blues early in the evening to the frenetic psychedelia offered by Psyblings. Although the lineup seemed heavy on American acts (which admittedly makes sense for a festival originating from Canada), a cursory glance at the rest of the bands set to perform in familiar venues such as Joshua Brooks, O’Shea’s Bar, and Factory, shows that the organisers have gone above and beyond in promoting UK and, particularly, Mancunian acts. If they can meet the high standard set at the launch party, then the business knowledge these bands will hopefully pick up from the panels and master classes offered as part of the festival can only be a good thing.