Off the Record – Manchester’s multi-venue live music festival and conference that focuses on discovering and nurturing innovative new music has today announced the full line up for its 2019 event, with a strong focus on emerging Manchester and North West based talent.
Described as ‘The Manchester acoustic scene’s most exciting young graduate’ by the Manchester Evening News, Lindsay Munroe will captivate audiences with her swelling synths and swaggering guitars whilst Cardiff vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Esther will team up with a full band to bring her contemporary jazz fusion project to life.
Named as one of Clash Magazine’s ‘Artists Set to Rise’ in 2018, Manchester vocalist Mali Hayes will bring a jazzy-Nu-R&B type Neo Soul sound to the festival, whilst Cardiff band Rosehip Teahouse will bring heart-breaking vocal harmonies and twinkly guitars and synths to the bill.
Elsewhere on the line up is HAiG. The Bastard son of Billy Bibby and New York Tourists will bring their explosive rock n roll sound to the Northern Quarter. With their recent single described by Clint Boon as ‘Another master class on how to write great edgy guitar pop’ expect an impressive set from former Catfish & the Bottleman member.
Featured as The Sunday Times’ ‘Breaking Act’, North Wales band Kidsmoke are another welcome addition to the festival.
Following stints supporting Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats and The Struts, Liverpool band Scarlet is also announced today. Expect shimmering indie-rock from the band who recently secured a slot at DIY’s ‘breaking out’ night at Liverpool music week festival.
Also topping the bill is British rock band, The Baskervilles, Liverpool band The Post Romantics and Nadia Sheikh, with a debut EP and an array of singles receiving airplay by BBC Introducing, BBCR2 and Radio X, Nadia fuses strong indie tracks with timeless pop tunes and heartfelt acoustic songs.
Fresh from major festival slot at Kendal Calling 2019 Manchester band, Blanketman will bring restless-legged post-punk sounds to the festival following an extensive few months gigging in Manchester whilst other local talent Big Society also join the list.
Following a successful festival season which included performances at The Great Escape and Isle of Wight, Jack Perrett will bring an indie rock and roll sound to the festival. Supported heavily by BBC Radio Wales and many community stations, Jack has recently been chosen to be part of the 2019 Horizons project to develop new, independent music in Wales.
Other additions to the music line up include Springfield Elementary, Flex the Foreigner, The Sandemans, Voodoo Black, HANA2K, Dramalove, Hot Soles, HUDSUN, Denuo, presenter at BBC Radio Leeds, Emily Pilbeam and Bandaoke Manchester.
Off The Record has also today announced some exciting talent to join the panels for its impressive conference schedule.
Warehouse Project Founder and Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, Sacha Lord joins the Trailblazers panel. Sacha will sit alongside BBC Introducing’s Natalie-Eve Williams and Tokyo Industries Aaron Mellor who will collectively discuss their amazing stories and pass on their innovative mind-set to the next generation.
How to Start and Run a Venue will see owners of venues new and old come together to look back on how the business has changed, these include Laura McCann (Band on the Wall), Jay Taylor (Night & Day), Mark Davyd (Music Venue Trust), Louise Elliot (Manchester Academies) and Michael Kill (NTIA – Moderator).
Also announced is the panel for Women in Music: Producing which will explore the opportunities for women within production and engineering, the problems they face to break into a male-dominated industry and what can be done to educate more young women on the opportunities out there. Speakers include: Delphine Seddon (September Management), Jake Gosling (Producer – Ed Sheeran), Hannah Joseph (Decibelle Ltd), Dee Adams (Producer) and Hannah Overton (Secretly Group).
Lisa Durrant of Just The Type will host the workshop Have A Word: A Musician’s Guide to Writing a Brilliant Biography which will explore the importance of writing great copy and how to approach writing your own press information.
Also announced are the panellists for the discussion: UK Official Charts Present: How To Chart. This will include Official Charts moderator Chris Austin, The Orchard’s Gabbie Witham and Townsend Records Bruce McKenzie. Producer and indie label owners, Joe Cross and Kali Bradford will join Rich Orchard from CD Baby for The new creative process: Inception to production to release panel.
Other panellists announced today include Kelly Wood (Musicians’ Union), Samantha Parker (Parker Consulting), Amy Oldham (DICE), Mark Fletcher (CEO Manchester Pride) and
Matt Woolliscroft (SJM Concerts) who will discuss How to Navigate Relationships Within the Live Sector whilst Nina Condron (Horus Music), Josh Mateer (Warner) Adam Al-Hilali (Liberty Music) and Harley Cassidy (Sony Music) who will discuss A&R in the digital age.
The festival will also host industry drop-in sessions with representatives from across the UK’s music industry. Promoters, labels, managers, festival advisors and funding advisors including conference partners YM&U Business Management, Musicians’ Union and Spinnup and Help Musicians will be available for advice on a first come, first served basis.
Ben Robinson, Festival Director, said: “We’re delighted with the talent we have secured for this year’s Off The Record, and we are looking forward to showcasing a brilliant variety of local and national talent. This year is set to be bigger and better than ever and we can’t wait to build on the success of previous years.”
After three sold-out years, Off the Record, launched by three of the UK’s premier independent music festivals; bluedot, Kendal Calling and Sound City will take place on November 15 across a number of live venues across Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Names announced today join the already impressive line up including Rebecca Boulton, Rob Da Bank, Sundara Karma, Abbie Ozard, Bethlehem Casuals, Dirty Laces, Grimm Twins, Nile Marr and Nina Cobham.
Off The Record is proud to work with many leading and innovative partners including the Arts Council England, supporting new artistic and industry talent; the official showcase curators Horus Music, Kycker.net and Horizons – a music scheme delivered by BBC Cymru Wales in partnership with Arts Council Wales and our conference drinks partner Drynks Unlimited. Off The Record is also supported by PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund for Organisations.
For tickets and more details please visit: otrmcr.co.uk. Off The Record is proud to work with The Ticketline Network Ltd as their primary ticket agent and Fanticks as a second ticket agent.