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Somewhere on the edge of Manchester’s ever-changing cityscape, Shaking Hand craft their own sonic landscapes. The trio draws from early post-rock and 90s US alternative to shape a sound that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking, assembling something intimate yet expansive.
Out on January 16, their debut album is built on tension and release — stretched-out quiet moments give way to overwhelming bursts of sound, while repetition turns hypnotic and slightly unstable. With shifting time signatures, alternate tunings and polyrhythms, the band constantly pushes their songs to the edge, as if they might fall apart at any moment.
Influenced by Slint, Sonic Youth, Pavement or Ulrika Spacek, they blend experimental guitar textures with the melodic sensitivity of Big Thief and the dynamic intimacy of Yo La Tengo. Recorded with producer David Pye (Wild Beasts, Teenage Fanclub) in a converted church in Leeds, the album captures both the raw energy of their live performances and a meticulous attention to texture, space and atmosphere. Rooted in abstraction and observation, their songwriting reflects a world in constant transformation — much like the city that surrounds them.