NICE TO MEET YOU

In a Manchester scene that never really slows down and has a long lineage of legendary bands, Shaking Hand are carving out their own lane. The trio—brothers George Hunter (guitar, vocals) and Freddie Hunter (drums), alongside bassist Ellis Hodgkiss—make guitar music that lands somewhere between indie rock, math-rock, and Midwest emo. Their songs move between hypnotic grooves and jagged riffs, nodding to the spirit of ’90s Dischord while still sounding like themselves.

The band’s story actually goes back much further than their recent debut. George and Freddie started playing together as teenagers, writing songs and uploading rough recordings to MySpace long before Shaking Hand existed as a real project. That DIY instinct—recording constantly, trying things out, following whatever feels right—still runs through what they do today.

Earlier this year the band released their self-titled debut album, Shaking Hand, a record built from years of ideas that slowly evolved from bedroom demos to cramped rehearsal spaces and eventually into the studio. Tracks like “Sundance,” “Night Owl,” and “Cable Ties” show a band more interested in atmosphere and movement than obvious hooks—letting guitars stretch out, rhythms shift, and tension slowly build before things hit harder.

For this installment of Nice To Meet You, our series highlighting artists pushing things forward, we caught up with Shaking Hand to talk about the music that first pulled them in, the records they keep coming back to, and what it feels like putting a debut album out into the world.

Thanks for doing this. To start, what first pulled you into writing music?

Me (Fred) grew up playing drums with my brother (George) playing guitar, so we started writing stuff when we were 13/14, recording it awfully and whacking it up on MySpace. We started off learning covers but were drawn to writing our own stuff to be creative, I guess! I can’t speak for Ellis though.

Do you remember the first time you shared your music publicly? What did that moment feel like?

For me (Fred), I guess the first proper moment was releasing an EP when I was 16 with the band me and George were in. It was so exciting seeing and playing the physical CD that we’d put a lot of work into making. Seeing friends get excited about it at gigs was such a good feeling at that age as well.

Was there a specific artist, song, or moment that made music feel like something you had to pursue?

When I (Fred) was 16/17, I was listening to a LOT of Foals. Them — and their drummer especially — were a big inspiration at that age, but the song that stood out was “Two Steps Twice.” We’ve actually just been asked by Andy at the label to play a Foals Antidotes set for his 40th birthday. A dream come true for me haha.

Fred — Wouldn’t say I’m obsessed, but with our two headlines we did recently, we sampled an old ’60s American documentary about architecture which we threw in between songs. The positivity the documentary has toward city life is quite ironic, as nowadays I’m sure most people are fed up with it — especially in Manchester anyway.

We’re starting to value ourselves as artists more as well, which doesn’t always come naturally. Maybe that’s because of the way the arts are perceived in this country

What’s an album or song that still reminds you why you do this?

Probably for us, Ulrika Spacek’s Suggestive Listening EP. Everything about it — from the songs and production to the artwork — we found inspiring in some way and keep coming back to it. Such an underrated band. They’ve just released their new LP, which we’re all going to dive into.

Is there a sound, sample, or texture you’re obsessed with right now?

What shapes the way you write—lyrics, mood, environment, or instinct?

George — All three play a part for sure, but I think the environment has had a big impact. Some tracks originated from lockdown noodlings which, fortunately for myself, was a relaxed and creative time. I spent a lot of time in my bedroom listening to music and playing guitar, and I think the atmosphere I stirred up at the time crept into early forms of songs like “Night Owl” and “Sundance.” Then the griminess of our first practice room in a now-defunct Brunswick Mill is evident in the first tracks we made collaboratively together like “Cable Ties” and “Mantras.”

We really like jamming as well, and I think instinct plays a part here, especially during the early stages. It can help with working out whether an idea is worth exploring or where to take it, as well as what chord or note to go to next. Me and Fred are brothers as well, so that certainly helps — we’re pretty much telepathic now.

What’s something you’re proud of at this stage of the band’s career, or in your own personal journey?

We recently put on two sold-out shows at Seesaw Manchester which were a sort of celebration for the album. It was a proper DIY setup, promoted by ourselves — we sourced the PA and sound engineer and had an exhibition featuring various bits and bobs about the album (including a jigsaw of the album). We're keen on playing places that aren’t traditional gig spaces, and I think this makes it a more memorable experience for everyone.

What’s something you’ve seen, read, or heard recently that’s stayed with you?

Recently I watched the film “Sing Sing,” a great film about using theatre in prison as an outlet for inmates. It was really powerful stuff about men getting in touch with emotions that they don’t often explore, and it shows that prisoners are more than what they’re perceived as.

What’s the biggest challenge you’re navigating right now—and what’s helping you push through it?

George — Neither of us have been in the position of releasing an album before, so we’re anticipating a lot of new challenges. The most obvious one was the admin/email onslaught in the weeks after releasing, with gig offers etc., but we’ve got Dylan at our label Melodic managing us now to help with that. There’s also the balancing of jobs with potential future tour commitments as well. Luckily we’re in work that can accommodate that, and we’re trying to get better at planning well in advance.

We’re starting to value ourselves as artists more as well, which doesn’t always come naturally. Maybe that’s because of the way the arts are perceived in this country, maybe it’s because it’s taken a while to get to this position and we didn’t really think releasing an album would happen. Still working this one out.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to artists just starting out?

Record everything! Recording jams at practice, even just with a phone, has been so helpful for us when writing songs. Having a good organisational tool to store the jams helps as well.

What’s the best song to start with if someone’s discovering you right now—and why?

I’d probably say “Sundance.” It’s not too long and packs all the aspects of the Shaking Hand sound into one track — the melodic basslines, meandering guitars, and the hard-hitting heaviness toward the end.

Photo by Sam Lindley | Live Photo by @piranastonphotography

Check out Shaking Hand on Instagram at @shaking__hand