The general belief is that you’re never more than six feet away from a rat, while those in the know (and who are paid to study such matters) say the more likely maximum distance would be around 50 metres. Now assuming one was stood in Manchester, chances are that distance would be significantly reduced, though six feet still seems a stretch. What’s almost certainly true when standing in Manchester however, is that you’re never more than six feet away from a member of an indie band.
Sometimes even two.
What this means for Manchester (aside from easy jokes for music journalists), is that there’s an ever-burgeoning scene in the city. It’s something that both helps and hinders bands; an ideal support network that becomes difficult to elevate yourself above, and distinguish yourself from.
One band who have done just that, are Oldham five-piece Dirty Laces, a garage-driven indie outfit for whom Manchester runs through the core of, and who are looking increasingly likely to outgrow the city they love. Especially if their latest single is anything to go by.
Three and a half minutes of driving guitars, optimistic synths and impassioned vocal delivery, “These Days” is the band’s first release since signing to Golden Robot Records, and while lesser acts might well have balked at the daunting prospect of their first label-backed offering, Dirty Laces have taken it in their stride and instead released what’s arguably their strongest single to date.
While many of their Manchester contemporaries are still writing about nights out and 2-4-1 vodka Red Bulls, Dirty Laces have used this year to look inwards, and indeed outwards, to focus on the bigger things in life. “These Days” is the first example of such. A rousing anthem that takes aim at the UK’s inherent class war, while imploring listeners to stay strong in the face of adversity.
???? Credit – Trust a Fox Photography