Manchester has a reputation for producing bands that don’t just play music, but capture a mood. The Marras are currently doing exactly that. Fresh off the back of a landmark headline show at Academy 3, the four-piece are proving that experience and chemistry are a potent mix.
The pedigree within the band is undeniable. With Nathan Wrigley (formerly of Callow Youth) leading the charge on vocals and rhythm, backed by the rhythmic powerhouse of Kyle McCombe (former frontman of The Notion) on bass and Sam Short (former drummer of The Notion) on drums, the foundation is rock solid. Add the soaring leads of Josh Lawrence (Ryan Jarvis) into the mix, and you have a line-up that knows exactly how to command a stage.
At SoundMate, we’ve been keeping a close eye on their trajectory. Their latest output isn’t just a collection of songs; it’s a statement of intent. We caught up with the lads to talk about their recent live success and the momentum behind their latest work.The Interview
The Interview
Nathan, your latest single ‘Night of the Vulture’ has quickly become our favourite song of yours so far. For us, it really sets the tone for what The Marras represent – as the lyricist, was there a specific vision you had for this track?
Nathan: It actually started from something pretty random. The idea came from one of my son’s books called Night Of The Vulture. The title just stuck in my head, and from there I started building the lyrics, pulling a bit of inspiration from the Jumanji films. That kind of chaotic, adventurous feel.
The track itself always had this choppy energy to it, which gave me space to take the vocals somewhere a bit bigger. There’s a bit of a Rocky style intensity in there, especially as it builds. I’m massively into Led Zeppelin, so I’ve always wanted to write something where I can leave space to really open up and go for a more Robert Plant type vocal.
But at the same time, it still had to sound like us, keeping that indie feel at the core while bringing in those bigger influences.
You’re recently hot off the heels of your big Manchester headline gig at Academy 3. Josh, your lead work really shines in the live environment – how was the atmosphere from your perspective on that stage?
Josh: Unbelievable. One of the the most upbeat crowds I’ve played too. Seeing people sing back lyrics on our second gig was mint.
Between the four of you, there’s a huge amount of experience from projects like Callow Youth, The Notion, and Ryan Jarvis’s band. Kyle and Sam, having transitioned into this rhythm section together, how does the songwriting dynamic in The Marras differ from what you’ve done in the past?
Kyle: It’s definitely more collaborative and we now come with a lot more experience in the songwriting area. I used to write songs solely, so it was a new experience for me personally. But now, Nathan can come up with an idea and then send over to me, I’ll start a demo and do my own interpretation of what I can hear from his voice notes and go from there. We just bounce ideas off each other until we’re happy with the final product. It’s great in a way as I could be writing a song and then Nathan will put something in that would never have come for me and vice versa. I feel like in this first year, we have a set of really solid songs that we are looking forward to releasing.
The Manchester scene is incredibly healthy right now but also very crowded. How do you feel the four of you are carving out a unique space amongst the current crop of Northern guitar bands?
Kyle: I think from being in the studio and being together we don’t really want to fit into one genre and with some of our upcoming releases. We’ve pushed the boat out to try and make something unique and not just be your typical indie band. In last few months in the run up to the Academy gig, we’ve focused heavily on the production side of our live set to make it a show rather than just plugging in and playing. I think you can really see that from our first gig at the eagle back in October last year to our headline at Academy 3 just gone.
You’ve set a high bar with the recent singles. Is the plan to keep dropping these individual tracks, or is there a larger body of work – perhaps an EP or debut album – starting to take shape?
Kyle: We’ve got a lot of songs that we’ve recently recorded which were are putting the final touches on and then we’re planning a few singles over the summer building up to our debut EP later on this year.
What’s the plan going forward for the rest of the year for The Marras? Are there any “holy grail” goals or festival slots on the horizon?
Kyle: It’s been a year of laying the foundations for us really. We’re still coming down from that unbelievable night at Academy 3. We’re gonna be releasing plenty of new music over the summer and building on from the momentum and trying to grow in the run up to the release of the EP. We’re also in the planning stages of a few gigs after festival season and another Manchester headline to see the year out.
The SoundMate Verdict
There is an undeniable confidence in the way The Marras are operating. They aren’t rushing to fill space; they are carefully crafting a reputation built on high-quality releases and a live show that justifies the hype.
If ‘Night of the Vulture‘ is the benchmark for what’s to come, the rest of 2026 is going to be very busy indeed for Nathan, Kyle, Sam, and Josh.
Keep up with The Marras: