HatBox Field
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Music
Press
Get Method
We are proud to announce that GM's January Band of the Month is....(drum roll) HatBox Field!!!! Well done guys...and well done to all of the bands who entered our Band of the Month competition. Next month's nominations will open at the beginning of February, so keep a look out for the post...there are no terms, so if you entered once you can enter again :)
- Get Method
Hatbox Field
A band from our shores now. Hatbox Field consists of 3 guys from the Manchester area. They are regularly found gigging in and around Manchester so be sure to check them out. These guys are putting out post grunge/alternative rock sounds so get onto their Facebook page boys and girls and show this band some love. Enough said here’s what I thought of the stuff I heard!
Stay was the first track I came across on their page. A dark bass line accompanied by a harsh, fist pumping drum beat gets proceedings underway and sets the tone for the track. The vocals enter the frame, staying in with the tone and theme of the track. The vocals make me think of Audioslave with an added twist. The guitar riffs have a sense of purpose and are meaningful. Despite having that cold, grunge type feel to them, they are fairly catchy and you can easily find yourself nodding your head away to them. The drum beat, riffs and so forth are almost regimented, they work together to produce a sound that works well. The variations in tempo work well, the pace is never relentless however the subtle changes do enough to keep you on your toes and show that the guys can mix it up a bit.
Blend was the second track on the list and after the first track I was excited to see what the guys were going to bring to the table this time. The tempo is noticeably quicker at the start of this track. A short distorted guitar solo begins the rollercoaster, there’s a punchier feel to the song in comparison to ‘Stay’ but still keeping the dark bass line throughout. The vocals are crisp and sound more unique in this track, squashing the Audioslave link like a bug. I liked this track a lot; there are a lot of different layers that have been built up to contribute towards this. It’s the simple but effective riffs on show, solid drum beats and of course the unique vocals on show, not to forget the awesome guitar solo at the end that fades out to finish the track, which was a nice touch.
The last track I managed to get my mischievous little hands on was the guys B Side. I thought I had gone back a few years and was listening to an Incubus track. A gentle acoustic guitar solo eases us into this. There’s a real mellow feel to this one and once again it shows the variation that the band are capable of. The vocals are strong and almost heartfelt, something not usually accustomed to grunge music. The track is fairly short, which is probably my only flaw with it, but that’s only because I wanted to hear more!
Really enjoyed listening to these guys. There’s a lot of variation going on here which I like. The riffs are strong, the vocals are solid and all in all a damn good listen. Like I said before, go to the bands Facebook page and show them some love.
To find out more about Hatbox Field, check out their Facebook page HERE.
- Loud-Stuff
Discography
The band is currently working on an EP, there are demos available to be heard on the bands Facebook page including live performance videos.
http://listn.to/HatBoxField
Here is the address for our band page wall where you can find the demos.
Photos
Bio
HatBox Field is a three piece post grunge/alternative rock band, they write and
compose their own material and are currently gigging in Manchester, receiving great
feedback from listeners. The band seem to be delivering something heavier than the current wave of indie bands but still its easier on the ears and more rhythmic than the current metal scene.
The main influences for the band are artists such as Alice in Chains, Nirvana and Pearl Jam. There are funk influences coming through in drum lines which greatly compliment the songs.
Tom began writing whilst in the later stages of his Army career, amongst his other writing ideas he began to write about his experiences in the Army which became a main focus. By the time he was leaving he had the foundations to develop a band with a collection of songs.
Keen to share these ideas Tom called old drummer pal Rob for a jam, to play some of the riff ideas. After some successful jam sessions, Tom met Duncan where they studied together and invited him to a rehearsal in a barn, the band have since written a number of tracks, recorded demos and are gigging in and around Manchester.
HatBox Field.
Links
