Manchester Orchestra is a very colorful musical group. It appeared in 2004 in the American city of Atlanta (Georgia). Despite the young age of the participants (they were no more than 19 years old at the time of the group's creation), the quintet created an album that sounded more "mature" than the compositions of adult musicians.
Manchester Orchestra group concept
The debut album of the band led by Andy Hall was called I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child. It was a collection of compositions on a cinematic scale.
This is a series of emotional singles, the meaning of which is masterfully revealed in an elegantly intricate musical "arc" that includes the dark rhythms of southern mysticism and the idyllic pomp of the Northwest.
In the same way that the spellbinding films of Sir Georges Pierre or the intriguing films of Lynch draw attention to the smallest details, the Manchester Orchestra has also found inspiration in intimate feelings. This confirms the statement of the soloist, guitarist and founder of the band Andy Hall: "We sing about the deepest feelings of a person."
Beginnings of Manchester Orchestra history
The Manchester Orchestra began in one of the picturesque suburbs of Atlanta (Georgia), where future celebrities lived and studied. Already in the 1st grade of high school, Hall impressed the music teacher with his talent as a composer, guitarist and vocalist.
It was he who advised the young man to switch to home schooling in order to focus on writing his debut album. Inspired by positive words and parting words, the young man took the advice and spent his senior year of high school in a recording studio.
Freed from the bustle of exams and the noise of the prom, the young man plunged into the creation of the concept and story of the characters that were to become the basis of the debut album. But as new people joined the group, the tone of Hall's compositions began to change.
Enlisting the support of longtime friend and bandmate Jonathan Corley, who is responsible for bass guitar, and replenishing the band with drummer Jeremy Edmond, Andy changed the sound of the compositions.
The lineup made a successful debut in 2006 with You Brainstorm, I Brainstorm, But Brilliance Needs a Good Editor. Then frontman Andy Hall decided to start the "promotion" of his own label. To do this, the team focused on touring in the southeastern part of America.
Development, creation of new albums, further concert activity
Having decided on the main musical direction, the young people started writing new compositions for their further performance on large venues. The new songs, including I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child, were stylish, powerful. Having “lingered” a little in one direction, they suddenly changed it dramatically. This filled the composition with a special charm, made it daring and memorable.
Despite the fact that the new creations of the Manchester Orchestra were not suitable for creating a concept album, Andy Hall decided that his lyrical voice timbre was more suitable for expressing emotions and thoughts through the characters of the song, rather than his personal experience.
He confirmed this in an interview, saying:
“I believe that music, for the most part, should be like a quality movie. Whether or not the songs are the point of view of the characters, these characters are the characters that live in my head.
They are part of my personality, talking about my feelings and thoughts. We have always taken our team seriously, both when we were 17 and now. Our songs are a reflection of how our band sounds and an expression of what we want to say."
New record as the truth of the soul
After several months of endless rehearsals, creating new compositions, touring, the team decided that the new disc should become the personification of the energy that accompanies the creative process. Hall said:
“Recording new albums was a kind of loss, because I could not control anything. And that is great! After all, each song is a personal story about each of us.
In all the many losses, there is hope that we strive to find and convey to our listeners! I think we have something to tell so that people can learn from our stories. I want the songs to sound like a sermon. In each of them we fight with internal demons. So yes, our songs have a hidden religious meaning.”
This struggle became especially heard after the release of Wolves at Night, Now That You're Home and The Neighborhood Is Bleeding. They tell about a patient trying to escape from the walls of the hospital. Of course, they sound a little pathetic, but after listening to The Neighborhood Is Bleeding, the hope that Andy speaks of becomes more obvious.
The Manchester Orchestra today
Today, the American team has three records on its account. The second album Mean Everything to Nothing allowed the group to get into numerous music ratings. And the song I've Got Friends managed to take the 8th position in the US chart.
The third disc Simple Math (2011) attracted the attention of European listeners. It peaked at number 107 on the UK Singles Chart. And earlier the musicians sang about personal feelings, but now notes of social protests sounded in the compositions.
Today, the team remains true to itself. He creates songs filled with personal thoughts and feelings, which they talk about on numerous tours in different parts of the world.
