DOCUMENT

DAMIAN ROBINSON CHATS WITH THE MANCHESTER POST-PUNKS ABOUT THEIR SPIKY SOUND AND FORTHCOMING NEWCASTLE SHOW

There’s something interesting about hyped bands, and in particular about debut singles by hyped bands. For one thing, debut singles move the balance of power from the record label/band to the listener. Once a listener has music to hear, then all that matters is the answer to the question of “Does this band, who I already know look and act the part, actually make decent music or are they crunchy on the outside but hollow on the inside?”

Step forward Manchester’s newest hyped band, Document. Street smart in their attire and sporting custom suits and the ‘right’ haircuts, this collection certainly tick the crunchy on the outside box with their Strokes meets the Jam stylings. But what of the insides? Well, if post-punk, alternative sounds with menacing vocals is your thing then there’s nothing missing from Document’s core. Check out their debut EP, 2020’s, A Camera Wanders All Night, and you’ll see it’s worth the hype: peaking with the spikiness of lead single The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and waving loudly with the paranoia of second single Pity, both releases sound as dark and as glorious as their titles would suggest.

“I think we just got lucky in a way,” comments lead guitarist Charlie Marriott, “we wanted to start a project for a long time and so really we were sitting on a number of ideas when it came to the EP. It’s nice to hear people saying they like the EP though, that’s always appreciated.”

Original Document plans, like with most bands trying to build momentum, had them out touring the EP, but that was scuppered last year. Instead the band regrouped and began working on their second EP, something that Charlie is happy to update us on: “The new pieces have a new sound for us, which is more percussive and acoustic and maybe even mature in places. People tell us that the first EP is very post-punk, and I’d say that this new one has a vast array of sounds. I think what we’re trying to do is to produce short bodies of work which move us towards an album with a cohesive sound, but let’s see what happens with the work after this EP.”

THE NEW PIECES HAVE A NEW SOUND FOR US, WHICH IS MORE PERCUSSIVE AND ACOUSTIC AND MAYBE EVEN MATURE IN PLACES

An August UK tour sees a gig at Newcastle’s Little Buildings on Tuesday 10th August, which will be promoted by new outfit Cow House (led by Newcastle alt. rockers Pave The Jungle). “It was great when Newcastle was added as I love the City and we’re playing with a similar band to us, Separated, so it’ll be a really great night of music,” enthuses Charlie. But with a new EP, and an even newer EP doing the round, is this tour a delayed launch party for their first record, or an early tour to promote their second? “It’s a bit of both to be honest,” laughs Charlie, “more than anything this is us touring the Camera EP, which we never got the chance to play live, so we see this as our first proper UK tour supporting our debut EP, but with even newer material to play as well.”

It may often be cooler to not believe the hype, but when you see bands like Document coming, sometimes it’s totally justified.

Document play Little Buildings, Newcastle on Tuesday 10th August www.documenttheband.bandcamp.com