Raised in Salford but with a swagger to
rival any band on the other side of the River Irwell, The Nankeens
are one of the more diverse bands gracing the stages across Greater
Manchester. Similar to Puppet Rebellion in that they aren't afraid to
crank their amps up or dial down and showing their softer side, The
Nankeens have been gathering both fans and momentum over the course
of the last eighteen months or so, with their most recent shows
“leaving the crowd screaming for more”. Furthermore, local label
Scruff of the Neck have also caught wind of the buzz surrounding the
band, suggesting that 2014 might very well be the year everything
comes up Nankeen.
With label interest behind, the band
show no signs of slowing down. Having just come out of the studio
after recording their second EP, The Nankeens look set to build on an
already solid catalogue of tracks. The most recent of which,
'Scenester' featuring an Arctic Monkey's-inspired drawl draped lazily
across a chunky bassline and frenetic guitars. A far cry from softer,
more candid tracks such as 'I'm Not Playing', a track from their
first EP, Autonomy, a fitting
name for a record which set them apart from many of their
contemporaries, and featured the stripped down and simply titled
'Ukelele Song'. Whilst it could easily have given itself over in to
somewhat of a parody, it maintains a complete degree of sincerity and
as such is a stand out track in the band's catalogue, despite it's
potential flippancy. Another track worth mentioning is 'Reaper' a
track which brings to mind Aha Shake Heartbreak-era
Kings of Leon before veering into some almost-shoegaze style guitars.
While the overall sound of The Nankeens
isn't ground-breaking, both the energy and conviction, and at times
the emotional candour, that the band possess makes them stand head
and shoulders above some of the very bands they share stages with.
It's music for the every-man, there are no added pretensions, no
unwarranted ego. Sure their SoundCloud page might well purport that
they already deserve the attention they get, but to put it bluntly,
they're right. And whilst Manchester already has it's fair share of
indie bands, very few stand out the way The Nankeens do, and though
they might already have predicted it themselves, they certainly have
a bright future ahead them.
U&I:
Hi guys, thanks for taking the time out to have a chat with us. U&I:
First of all, what's the story behind your name? A quick Google
search tells me nankeens are in fact a type of trousers, care to
elaborate?
Adam
Darby: Well nankeen is a type of Cotton, we did a little research on
the mill the we have our rehearsal room in and that is one of the
things it used to make back in the day.
U&I:
Being from Salford, do you find that people expect your sound to be
more in fitting with a certain other band, and are they surprised
when they find out how different you are from said band?
AD:
I wouldn't say people expect it but I do think they're surprised when
they hear us. We don't tow the typical Salford/Manchester line when
it comes to our music but I think there is just enough in there.
U&I:
You've been in the studio recently recording a new EP, what can we
expect from those sessions?
AD:
Yeah we've just finished recording a six track EP in The Motor Museum
studio. It went really well and is by far our best work to date. It's
got two tracks that we don't play live so it's something new for the
regulars that come to our gigs, too.
U&I:
I've seen talk online surrounding you and local label Scruff of the
Neck, include the hashtag #newproject. What's happening there then?
AD:
Well at present we haven't got any plans in place with Scruff of the
Neck. We've finished recording the EP and once it's been mastered
we're going to be looking to see if we can get someone to release it
for us. So if there's anyone out there interested reading this, give
us a shout!
AD:
Yeah we had a really good night, we were out all day with a gang of
mates and just carried it on straight to the gig. The crowd were ace
and it was good to feed off their energy. The gig was being
filmed/documented too, so hopefully that will come across on the
video.
As
for the noise complaint, I think everyone in Manchester thinks the
same - why move into somewhere above a music venue and then complain
about the noise? It's ridiculous and hopefully will get laughed out
of court, if it gets that far.
U&I:
Local band The Ninth Watch were also on the bill that night, and have
previously been featured in this very column, but what other local
bands are on the up at the moment? Anyone you feel our listeners
should be hearing and that you want to big up?
AD:
Well I think everyone should check out our mates Skinny Roller who
are just starting to make a name for themselves. We have got a
headline show at Gorilla in Manchester on the 17th May and we have
got them in supporting us along with The High Nines.
We
also recently got The Fallows on with us at our first gig of the year
who were really good, were hoping to do some more gig's with them
this year so keep your eyes out for that. Also
we have done a few gig's with Jordan Allen recently who is definitely
on the up at the moment, you will be hearing more and more of him
soon.
U&I:
Obviously you've played your fair share of gigs over the last couple
of years, but what's your favourite venue to play at? Is it different
than your preferred venue to watch a gig at?
AD:
Well we don't have a particular favourite, as they have have there
own individual feel. A few of our faves recently have been The Castle
Hotel and The Eagle Inn for smaller venues, and The Deaf Institute
and Night and Day have the best vibe for the middle size venues.
U&I:
Your gigs have been fantastically well received of late (and even
before that). What have you got lined up over the next couple of
months in terms of live stuff? Any festivals planned?
AD:
We are hoping to get on to some of the smaller festivals and we're
playing a few events at media city again this year once summer
arrives. Like I mentioned before, we have our biggest headline show
to date on the 17th at Gorilla which will be one you don't want to
miss.
U&I:
(Whilst you're from Salford and I'm bending the rules a little bit
this month, I still think this question is pertinent) Manchester is
obviously a city full of up-coming talent across a multitude of
genres, but what do you think it is about the city that makes it such
a fertile place for a young band to find their roots in?
AD:
I think it's just down to the sheer amount of live music venues,
there is such a massive unsigned scene in Manchester I mean you could
gig 7 nights a week if you really wanted to and the talent is better
than most of the signed bands out there. Also
the endless list of massive bands that have come out of Manchester
and Salford play a big part in inspiring and influencing people to
have a go them self, that's how i got started anyway
U&I:
Finally any news or exclusives we haven't covered that you'd like to
leave our readers with?
AD:
Well our newly recorded EP is going to be called Blisters, and we're
hoping to have a limited release on vinyl so keep your ears and eyes
open.
U&I:
Thanks guys, it's been a pleasure.
Photos: Trust A Fox Photography
