Manchester-based quartet Pyncher – fronted by Sam Blakely (lead vocals) and flanked by Harvey O’Toole (guitar), Britt Dewhurst (bass), and Jack Rainbow (drums) – are rising stars of the Manc indie scene, known for their unvarnished sound and intense live shows. Ahead of the release of their new single Get Along, Ella Alton caught up with the band to talk beginnings, Bob Dylan and the Manchestaaaah…
Congrats on the new single, Get Along! For anybody reading that hasn’t heard it, how would you describe your music?
Harvey: We’re trying to hone our answer to that, because we’ve always been quite bad at it.
It’s a hard question.
Britt: It is a hard question.
Harvey: We’re going with ‘theatrical alternative music’ at the moment.
In a related, but maybe less difficult question – are there any particular artists you take your inspiration from?
Harvey: I don’t think there’s anyone we try to emulate directly, but we’re fans of a lot of really good stuff, like Sonic Youth, Pixies, White Stripes, and Harry Nilsson – all that kind of thing.
Is there anybody you’re listening to at the moment, or any good acts you’ve seen recently? Who’s on your radar?
Britt: I’ve been listening to a lot of West Side Cowboy.
Harvey: We went to see the Bob Dylan film last week, so there’s that.
Review?
Harvey: It’s a lot of Bob Dylan music. So, it’s really good if you like Bob Dylan. If you don’t like Bob Dylan, it’s probably not worth a watch.
Good to know. The band is based in Manchester. Did you all meet at university?
Sam: Jack (our drummer) and I are from Stenning, which is near Brighton. We both came up here when we were 18 and then stayed after university.
Britt: I met Jack separately. Sam and Jack have been friends since they were babies. And then Sam met Harvey, and they all met up, and I joined the band afterwards.
Was it tricky going into a pre-existing group, Britt, or did it feel natural from the off?
Britt: All of the guys were really nice to me. I’ve never had any proper lessons in playing bass, I’ve always just had a fondness for it, and enjoyed music. Because of that, I was very nervous; I didn’t really say anything the first time we all played! Harvey was really nice – I remember him showing me the root notes. The boys were great teachers. I think I probably learned a lot more with them than I have actually doing anything else.
Do you feel like Manchester is the right kind of place for you as a band?
Harvey: Yeah, I think it is.
Britt: Different places have different scenes. We played in Nottingham, and it seemed to have a stronger hardcore scene. Manchester is obviously guitar-music based, but there’s a lot of variety, and I think we fit in.
So you feel like crowds in Manchester tend to be more receptive to you?
Sam: Yeah, I think people want to go and see new stuff rather than repetitive stuff. Scenes often produce bands with a similar sound. But in Manchester we’ve played on a lot of lineups where every band is completely different and it just works because everyone is good.
Harvey: It’s also the right size for us. London, for example, has so much going on, but in our experience, it can be less welcoming. Not that London can’t be welcoming, but in Manchester, you can almost guarantee the crowd will pay attention, listen, and be supportive.
Britt: No heat.
Harvey: And it’s a good size because whilst there’s lots going on, there’s also this group of bands in the scene that support each other.
You’ve got upcoming shows in Manchester, London, and Brighton Psych Fest. What can anyone that’s going to those shows expect?
Britt: To have a good time.
Harvey: Yeah, just hopefully to have fun and have a good time. We want to entertain people more than anything. That’s always the aim. If we have to put our reputations of being serious and cool on the line, we’ll do it. Indie music has always been quite serious and politically charged. There’s always a space for that, but for us, it’s more about personal experience and trying to escape from all that serious stuff and have a bit of fun for half an hour.
Pyncher’s new single Get Along was released on Thursday, February 13, 2025. You can listen on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, and Tidal. The band is marking the single release. with a headline show at the iconic Manchester venue Gullivers (February 25th). Shows after that include London (Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes, March 13th) and Brighton Psych Fest. Tickets and more available here.
