Get to Know: Ethan & The Reformation

Taking a trip into the gnarliest recesses of hard-riffing psychedelia, Manchester's Ethan & The Reformation draw on the heavier blues tinges of 70s classic rock, drenched in the influence of transportive yet familiar Eastern sounds. They're an immersive good time and a helluva loud noise: the best kind of rock'n'roll, essentially. What's more, they'll join some of the most exciting acts in the North right now for Stay Fresh Fest, a new festival at Manchester's Deaf Institute on 24 September.  

Catch them alongside Leeds' premier DIY crew Cowtown, Chester's ace pop trio Peaness, Liverpool's formidable Pink Kink, Glasgow's pop-happy Catholic Action and a clutch of other great Manchester artists (Shaking Chains, Francis Lung and Kyotoya); but before that, get to know 'em below. 

The Skinny: When and how (and why!) did Ethan & The Reformation begin?

Ethan: I had a few tunes that I'd been working on and already had a vision of how they'd sound played by a band, so I thought it would be a little underwhelming to just go out and gig with them acoustically. I got on the phone to Mick, our resident guitar wizard and said let's make something happen; it was at that point we came up with the name, before there was a band – that was obviously the next step, bringing together a set of musicians to bring the songs to life, and without blowing our own collective trumpet I think we've really done that. It's a great line-up and the songs benefit from that, they shimmer and sparkle.

How would you describe your sound in one sentence?

I don't know, for me it's up to those listening to describe our sound. I suppose to sum it up in one word you could say it's "ethereal".

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

Any Beatles album from Rubber Soul onwards, as controversial as it may be. I can take or leave a lot of their earlier stuff, but from '65 onwards they created rich musical tapestries that are hard not to be inspired by. As for live experiences, I was lucky enough to see Clapton at the Arena in 2009 and that confirmed for me that I wanted to make music for the rest of my life.

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

I'm full of surprises.

One of your songs is entitled Free From Everything. If, by some bizarre quirk of fate, you found yourself completely untethered from all possessions, relationships and responsibilities, what would be the first thing you’d do and why?

Good question. I don't think relationships are necessarily something I'd want to be free from, they're one of the important aspects to life; the material things in life we can cope without, but love, whether between friends, family or partners is one of those things that define us.

After our short time here is done, they won't write our obituaries based on the things we owned, they'll write them based on the impact we've made on other people, the lives we've touched and those relationships we've built. If I were, however, to be untethered by possessions and responsibilities, I'd probably go for a very long, very naked walk in the countryside. I like being in the open air.

What does Manchester mean to you?

It means everything, it's home; the city that gave birth to my ideals, my outlook on life. It really is like no other place; it's colourful, vibrant, diverse but the same can be said for many cities all over the world, what sets Manchester apart for me is its spirit. Over the years the people of Manchester haven't had it easy but they've stuck together and you feel that, that sense of togetherness when you walk around town. It's a lot friendlier than other big cities.

We're really looking forward to seeing you play on 24 Sep, and to have several of the most exciting bands in the North right now all on one bill! Which of the other acts are you most looking forward to watching?

Honestly, I'm looking forward to seeing all of them, I wouldn't like to do the others a disservice by picking one act, so yeah, I'll be there to see them all.

What does the rest of the year have in store for you?

Who knows? Obviously we have our goals and we're always working hard to achieve them but there's never any guarantees in this game. Hopefully some really exciting things though, we're looking at putting on a very special show towards the end of the year so keep your ears to the ground for that one!

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

I like to live my life, I don't let things weigh me down really. I just take each day as it comes and enjoy spending time with the people I love.

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Ethan & The Reformation play Stay Fresh Fest with Cowtown, Catholic Action, Pink Kink, Kyotoya, Francis Lung, Peaness and Shaking Chains, The Deaf Institute, Manchester, 24 Sep, 4pm, £6