After Run Toto Run, next in my run of interviews with Manchester bands are Pocketknife, another 3-piece band with female vocals but that is where the similarities between the two end. Pocketknife mix chunky distortion with scratchy chords, with vocals influenced by Pj Harvey and Brodie Dalle.
Their stop-start clipped style cuts through the full sound to create a semblance of a band who aren’t bothered by making listening to them difficult. But it’s certainly worth it. I spoke with lead-singer and guitarist Sian Hayward:
A N Other Manc: So how would you sum up your sound in a sentence?
Sian: Jaggedy stoppy startiness.
ANOM: How did you start out?
S: How does any band start out? By listening to other bands and thinking they can do better!
ANOM: What are you influences?
S: Mike Patton, Oceansize, Josh Homme.
ANOM: What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
S:Nothing……
'Gambler' the bassist
ANOM: Whats it like being a Manchester band in 2010?
S: The same as it was in 2009.
ANOM: Do you think the scene is pretty good at the moment do you think the environment is good for new bands? How would you categorise it?
S: You can’t…and its not my job. The scene gets harder every year.
ANOM: Do you owe anything to ‘Madchester’ or would you rather it wasn’t so glorified by the music press and Hooky’s new wheeze Fac251?
S: Madchester sucks arse. I owe absolutely nothing to it and all it does is make it harder for decent bands to make it.
ANOM: Who would your ideal gig consist of?
S: Mike Patton, Kelis, Nine Inch Nails, Neurosis…and more.
ANOM: Are you planning on playing any Summer festivals?
S: Nope.
ANOM: Love and Disaster just released their Manchester sampler which saw Dutch Uncles and Delphic being showcased, do you think being signed to a local label is the best way forward? And have you found it hard to get any London label people to come and look at bands outside of In The City?
S: People from London prefer to stay in London just like people in Manchester prefer to stay in Manchester. Being in a band is hardly about staying in the same place.
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