Get to Know... False Advertising

There'll be a jubilant atmosphere at Manchester's Deaf Institute on 25 Sep, as smart local rockers False Advertising will be celebrating the release of their debut album.

Self-titled, self-recorded and self-produced, False Advertising is a gritty and ambitious first outing – this is a band who who understand that contrast is key as they tilt neatly between guitar scuzz and sweet vocal melodies.

Ahead of the show – where False Advertising will be playing alongside Leeds' urgent, guttural Weirds and fellow Manchester fuzz-poppers Fruit Bomb, plus Menace Beach – we posed the band's co-founder Jen Hingley ten quick questions. 

The Skinny: Hello Jen! When and how (and why!) did False Advertising begin?

Jen Hingley: As these things go, about two years ago Chris and I had just seen the tumultuous breakup of a band that we’d founded a few months earlier. One night we met up, went drinking and had a bit of a ‘post mortem’ where somehow we came to the realisation that we should start a new band where we both do everything. Including both playing the drums, guitar and singing – then additionally producing our own music (Chris’s remit) and doing our own artwork and videos (which would be on me).

So it all began out of the thought: "We’ve got all the tools we need to make something happen. So why don’t we just go for it?"

We only really deviated from this plan when we decided to ask Josh to play bass for us a few months down the line – undoubtedly the right decision as he's brought a lot to the songs that we’d written and is also a total joy to have around.

How would you describe your sound in one sentence? (Trick question: sentence can be as long or short as you like...)

Twisted power-grunge.

What are some records/live experiences that have been really influential on you as a band?

Each of us are different but we find a lot of common ground with albums like Speedy Ortiz’s Major Arcana, Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins and Reuben’s Racecar Is Racecar Backwards.

Live-wise, seeing Biffy Clyro play loads as a teenager helped shape me; there’s something about the energy that they had back when they were a three-piece playing tiny venues which was so infectious. It’s stayed with me.

Tell us something people would be surprised to learn about you.

We’re getting touted as ‘Manc-grunge' a lot at the moment, but I’m actually from Oxfordshire and moved here for uni a few years ago, so not so Manc really.

You're about to release your debut album, which has been entirely DIY – self-recorded, self-released etc. What has this experience been like?

We’ve always wanted to do it this way, so it felt like the natural route – but it was by no means easy. In hindsight, having quite a clear vision of what we wanted the album to sound like early on made the process run far smoother overall. Once you start getting close to whatever that is, all the other stuff you need to do (artwork, photography, videos etc.) is far easier, as you fully understand what you’re dealing with.

What's the main piece of wisdom this experience has given you?

If you’ve always wanted to do something, then why aren’t you doing it already?

What does Manchester mean to you?

It’s long been a source of inspiration for me. My uncle was in a Manchester band that did pretty well in the 90s. I grew up looking to Manchester as a place where someone like me could find a way into music, and by working hard build something important.

We're really looking forward to seeing you play on 25 Sep, and to have four of the most energetic bands in the North right now all on one bill! Which of the other acts are you most looking forward to seeing?

The bill is so strong, we’re thrilled to be playing within a lineup where everyone compliments each other so well. However, I’ve been a big fan of Menace Beach for a while now, so I’m very very excited to see them.

What does the rest of the year have in store for False Advertising?

The rest of the year is all about spreading it as far across the country (and beyond) as we can possibly manage. So look out for us announcing some new gigs super soon. We’re also returning to The Deaf Institute with our friends The Hyena Kill in November too.

And finally: What do you like to do outside of the band? Any projects we should know about?

My day job at a design agency gets me doing a lot of digital design for music. So alongside False Advertising, I’ve actually designed for a fair few other bands you might have heard of.

Chris spends his spare time outside of the band working as a freelance producer, recently working with The Orielles on their new stuff. Josh has a lot of music things going on too – so we’re all pretty busy, all things considered. It’s a wonder we ever managed to get anything done really!

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Catch False Advertising alongside Weirds, Fruit Bomb and special guests to be announced at The Deaf Institute, Manchester on 25 Sep. Tickets are just £3 in advance via dice.fm.