A band that has made a big impression on MIMR in a very short space of time are Punk-rock 5 piece Patty Hearst and they took a break from their busy schedule to share some of their thoughts with the blog.
With live shows galore and the release of their debut EP earlier in the year, it’s certainly been a white-knuckle ride for the Manchester band.
Ahead of their show at ACP Festival in a few weeks they tell us about their favourite places in Manchester to chill and what other bands to check out at the festival.
MIMR: How did the band come to be and was it clear what musical direction you wanted to take it in?
Patty Hearst: Ed, Scott and Mike H were previously in a band called With That Knife, and after a couple of years of not playing together decided to start working on some music again. Just around the same time, Holly, who we knew from her previous band New Hips had mentioned she was looking to get more musically active and Mike C’s band Well Wisher were more or less winding up for good. Basically, the timing was just right for each of us and we were knew each other and knew what people might bring to a new band and figured it might just work.
In terms of a musical direction, it’s mainly been dictated by the constraints of what’s really practical for us to do – what kind of venues are we likely going to be able to play, how can we keep it portable and set up and play our songs as quickly and simply as possible? We all like a lot of different kinds of music, but in the five of us coming together to write and play together, all those influences are very much filtered into a context of being able to play our songs live, without necessarily getting a chance to soundcheck or even be playing in a space intended for live music. So, over time, as PH as well as our previous bands, you get an idea of what works in that context – we kind come from a punk background, but also really love good song writing, some more experimental stuff but also I think we understand that bands like ours are most engaging when there’s an element of fun running through all of it. Not that we ever really discussed it these terms; all these things have been pretty natural in putting a set together.
MIMR: How has 2016 been for the band so far and what can we expect for the rest of the year?
Patty Hearst: 2016 started slowly, having a cancel a few gigs, but we did put out our debut EP with Super Smash Hit Records in March. It was only meant to be a demo, but the reception to it has been pretty positive. We’ve recently been playing a lot more shows around Manchester, which has been great meeting new people and playing for them. We’re going to try and play more outside Manchester before the end of the year, finish some more songs and think about another release.
MIMR: So your playing this year’s ACP Festival next month, what’s the thing your looking forward to the most about the festival?
Patty Hearst: Obviously, playing is a real pleasure, but there are some great bands on the bill that we’re looking forward to aswell – Cowtown, Crows An Wra, USA Nails, No Ditching and also our friends Claw The Thin Ice, Grotbags and Thomas Ragsdale.
MIMR: What’s your favourite place in Manchester to hang out? whether it be a gig or a bite to eat
Patty Hearst: Because there are so many places to go in Manchester, there’s nowhere that’s our go-to haunt, but for gigs and club nights Soup Kitchen and Islington Mill are great for seeing people before they play anywhere else, Albert Hall, Gorilla and Deaf Institute for slightly bigger shows. For food Rudy’s pizzeria in Ancoats is incredible and The Great Kathmandu in West Didsbury is the best for South Asian food. China Town has some great spots and Ezra and Gil in the Northern Quarter is also good new addition. For drinks we often go to Port Street Beer House, Sandbar, Common, The Castle or a bunch of other places.
MIMR: Thanks for chatting on the blog, look forward to you playing the festival next month, where can people go to listen to your music?
Patty Hearst: You can get our EP from https://pattyhearst.bandcamp.com
