Manchester band Heavy Salad announce new single and hometown gigs

Manchester band Heavy Salad has released a new single and announced a string of hometown live dates.

And when it comes to songwriting the psych-pop act says it is currently getting straight to the point.

The group came together in 2018 and new single Psilocyberman gives fans their first taste of second full-length album Long Wave, which is currently being finished and is expected to be out later in 2022.

The band is also getting back on stage with a number of Manchester and Salford gigs.

Who are Heavy Salad?

Heavy Salad were formed by its core trio of bassist and lead vocalist Lee Mann, guitarist Rob Glennie and drummer Allan Hutchison in late 2018.

The musicians had been playing as part of a backing group for a solo artist and after realising they had strong musical chemistry decided they should come together and create their own material.

The line-up has now begun to expand with a three-strong group of backing vocalists known as The Priestesses and vocalist, guitarist and synth player Oscar Remers.

The Priestesses are made up of Lucy Hope, who previously played with Lee in a duo called House of Grass, Rob’s partner Esther Maylor and Ally McBoo.

The group is from around Greater Manchester and has members in the city centre, Salford, Mossley and Stockport.

Lee said: “Playing somebody else’s music wasn’t really working out so a few weeks after that we got back in touch and said maybe we should get together. We did and it has grown from there.”

The group says its main influences are bands such as The Beatles, Flaming Lips, Super Furry Animals and Blur, who are not afraid to incorporate a number of different styles of music across their discographies.

Lee says the group also love American underground acts such as Sonic Youth and Pavement, psychedelic acts such as Pink Floyd and Grateful Dead.

What is the new single?

Heavy Salad’s new single Psilocyberman takes its name from a play on words involving the active ingredient commonly known as magic mushrooms and a robot.

However, Lee says it is not just cybermen who he thinks should take a leaf out of the main character’s book.

He said: “It’s about a robot who is awakened from his electronic guidance and sees the world and connects with nature.

“There’s a double meaning about people and technology, trying to embrace something other than the day-to-day electronic overload and reconnecting with the universe.

“It’s about connecting with your surroundings and yourself, realising you have a part to play in this story.”

The band worked with producer Stephen Street, whose credits include Blur, on the single and said teaming up was a dream come true as they are huge fans of his previous work.

Psilocyberman might have a lot of complex ideas wrapped up in its lyrics and theme but it is distinctly pop in its musical approach, clocking in at under three minutes with its blend of robotic beats and experimental psychedelic guitar touches.

The artwork is by acclaimed illustrator Stan Chow, who has previously drawn Manchester luminaries including the city-region’s elected mayor Andy Burnham and actor Maxine Peake.

Is Heavy Salad working on more new music?

Psilocyberman is the first taste fans will get of the band’s upcoming second full-length release Long Wave, which Lee says has an impressive 18 tracks recorded for it.

The album will see the band stretching out and incorporating even more styles such as dub and highlife from West Africa.

Long Wave will also see Heavy Salad’s trio of female backing vocalists stepping forward into the limelight and taking on lead singing roles.

The group has also reined in some of its more expansive songwriting tendencies this time around, saying this is again taking cues from their musical heroes.

Lee said: “We’ve got a lot of talent in the band so it seems daft not to explore it.

“We wanted to pull the songwriting back a bit and be more disciplined. We’re aiming for three-minute pop songs and there’s nothing over four minutes.

“We’re really big fans of The White Album by The Beatles because on that you get a rock song next to a musique concrete song. You also get to the end of a Beatles song and there have been a lot of ideas but it’s only about two minutes and 42 seconds long.”

Can I see Heavy Salad live?

Heavy Salad is also planning a UK jaunt around the release of Psilocyberman, which hits the shelves on 11 February.

There are plenty of opportunities for Manchester fans to see them play hometown gigs, with no fewer than three upcoming local dates planned.

There is a launch-night gig at The Eagle Inn in Salford on 11 February, a show at the Night and Day Cafe on 25 March and an appearance at Psych Fest on 3 September.