Breadstock 2023

Bread Records presents:

Breadstock 2023!

Featuring music from: Olivia Browse / ByWednesday / Narwhals / Anyone's Ghost / Harrison Rimmer / michael webster

Doors 6pm // £5 ADV + OTD // 26/05/2023

We're stoked to be able to bring you our next iteration of our yearly festival Breadstock! After how great last year's was, we're back with a fantastic lineup!

Popstar in waiting Olivia Browse is the queen of sad bops.

With a sound best described as “Bubblegum Britpop”, Olivia Browse is fast taking over the Manchester music scene and beyond as the country’s pre-eminent pop fusion figurehead.

Her discography of ‘sad bops’ is characterised by its catchy, cheeky lyrics and diverse, earworm production. Her sound has an incredibly broad appeal, speaking to the influence of the bands she moved to Manchester to emulate: Lily Allen, Charli XCX & Pulp, to name a few.

Her deadpan, down-to-earth vocal style was cemented in her earlier singles. She writes about her experiences moving up from Essex, sex, relationships, and the merits of a £5 four-pack of beers. Working alongside her producer and partner Shtum, Olivia’s material is recorded in her home studio, jumping between hyperpop to acoustic folk. Her music is always diverse, exciting and memorable.

By Wednesday are a group of mates who started playing music together at the start of 2022 and have spent 2023 firmly solidifying their place in Manchester’s live music scene. Never afraid to mix up styles, each song has a different flavour from the band’s wide range of influences across alternative music with a distinct By Wednesday sound shining through each song. Their debut EP will be released on May 3rd and can be heard at their energetic live shows across Manchester.

Having been likened to The National and Joy Division for frontman Jacob Patrick’s baritone vocals and Frightened Rabbit for his honest songwriting and the band’s pop sensibilities, Narwhals are also influenced by the expansive post-rock stylings of Mogwai and Sigur Ros, the sonic weirdness of Bon Iver, the fuzz-laden grunge of the 90s and the driving beats of 80s post-punk.

Hailing from South Manchester, school friends Jacob Patrick and Michael Ward first started making music together as teenagers in the early 2000s. After a few years doing separate things (Michael enjoyed success as guitarist in Manchester quartet Fear Of Music) they reunited in 2010 when Jacob invited Michael into his band at the time. They became Narwhals a year later and while other band members have come and gone the pair have formed an enduring partnership with Jacob’s raw, often confessional songwriting and Michael’s ear for melody and arrangements. The addition of Michael’s older brother Phill (formerly of Birmingham based trio Sylvia) in 2018, initially as producer/mixer/masterer for their debut album (Two Dark Windows – released 2018) then as bass player, has allowed the band to further hone their craft with Phill’s attention to detail and unbridled creativity adding focus to their sound.

Anyone’s Ghost is a dark-folk artist with a shudderingly atmospheric sound.

The solo project of songwriter Wanda Roslyn, Anyone’s Ghost first emerged from Manchester in 2019, immediately making an impact with delicate, solemn songs that touch on themes of romance, mystery and murder.

Borne from a love of moody folk and gothic literature, the music of Anyone’s Ghost is a blend of poetic lyricism, patient guitar playing and rich, oceanic soundscapes, akin in tone to the likes of The National, Phoebe Bridgers & PJ Harvey.

Usually wielding little more than an acoustic guitar and a multitude of effects pedals, Wanda is able to capture your attention from the get-go with her haunting vocals, which spin a tale that is heartfelt, raw, and captivating.

Throughout the course of 2021 and 2022, Anyone’s Ghost has evolved into a larger project with the addition of two additional members of the band - bringing the expanded production of the EP to real life. 

Harrison Rimmer’s sound is a cross of Bruce Springsteen with a bit of Nirvana, similar to Frank Turner. He’s been touring for 10 years, playing all over the UK, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands & Australia playing in random roadhouses, pubs, clubs just any venue that would take me. He’s supported the likes of Boston Manor, Peatbog Faeries, Tankus The Henge, Rick Witter (from Shed Seven), Tom Hingley (from Inspiral Carpets), Tony Wright (from TerrorVision), Red Ken (from Ferocious Dog), Ben Ottewell (from Gomez), Gaz Brookfield and many more.

Over the course of the past few years, Manchester-based singer-songwriter michael webster has been establishing himself on the North West scene, hosting events across the city through his label Bread Records, and putting out a bunch of self-produced releases and collaborating with other artists in the North West.

With a previous trio of double singles, released throughout the pandemic and well-received by fans and local media outlets alike, he’s returned with his much-anticipated second EP “a northern perspective”. This EP is a collection of michael’s songs from the past six years of his musical career - featuring some favourites including “waterlines”, a hard-hitting nineties’ kids anthem about indecision; “future sight”, a relaxed and calm outlook on moving into the big city; and “consolation prize”, a romantic country-esque ballad entwined with the angst and sarcasm of his generation.

A familiar face for many on the Manchester scene, michael’s songs are instantly recognisable by many across the region. Michael’s unique guitar-playing style, introspective lyricism, and his distinctly Northern-accented storytelling has gained him praise from his fans and peers, being compared to songwriters such as Courtney Barnett, Neil Young, Nirvana, and he has even been referred to as the “Lancastrian Bob Dylan” in the past. His unfaltering approach to writing is unapologetic, raw and personal. His individuality and identity make him a unique and essential part of the Manchester scene.