
Twisted Wheel are a Manchester institution. Beloved of Liam Gallagher and having gone through a series of ups and downs, playing huge venues and falling apart due to drug problems before recovering to their current touring status, the four-piece have a devoted following away from the radio play world of 21st-century indie.
I spoke to frontman Jonny Brown about the band’s redemption, and the journey so far.
First of all, you took a bit of a break a while back. Have things been any different since you returned?
Massively. The dynamics to the music industry is totally different to how it was ten years ago, and I believe social media has a lot to do with that. We are living in a new age generation where sounding and looking great isn’t the only factor to success as a band, your social media has to look the part too; which in some cases I don’t mind, as I can be more intimate with fans at a click of a button.
You seem pretty confident about the contents of the next album – what constitutes success for you guys at this point?
As an unsigned band, I’m pretty proud of the achievements we have made all on our own and any success big or small we achieve at this point whilst we are unsigned, let’s us know we are heading in the right direction. To name a few big successes: one is getting a number one in the physical charts for our last EP, ‘Jonny Guitar’ and being personally asked to support Liam Gallagher at both Manchester and Finsbury Park, based solely on the fact he enjoys our music. I was also pretty chuffed to hear my all-time hero Shaun Ryder said we were one of his favourite bands to come out of Manchester.
It’s been quite a long time since you last put out a record. Obviously lives change, perspectives change. Did you take a different approach this time around?
Definitely. I’ve grown up a lot. Learnt a hell of a lot through my mistakes. Developed a better way of living and adapted my creativity to the music industry we have today.