Sing & Tell :: Shader

Macclesfield-based rock 'n' rollers Shader describe their sound as "a glorious noise of huge guitar riffs colliding with a Northern groove encapsulated with addictive arena-sized choruses'. They released debut single 'Broken Minds' in January this year. Second single 'Streets Tell Stories' was released on April 27.


Who are you? 

I'm Stu Whiston, vocalist and guitarist with Shader. The rest of us are Mike Lo Bosco on lead guitar, Darren Edwards, bass, and Isaac Salisbury, drums.

Tell us something about yourself and how you came to be where you are today?

Mike, Darren and myself have been mates for years. We started out together playing in a covers band, then went our separate ways in different bands. Last couple of years I was doing some solo stuff and asked Mike and Darren if they wanted to get involved and they did. Isaac was recommended by a friend of a friend and we clicked straight away. We currently rehearse in Macclesfield as it’s central to where we all live.

Give us an idea of your musical style and influences.

We’re an indie-rock & roll band, with big choruses and big guitar riffs. Influences include the Northern groove, the rawness of early Oasis, Johnny Marr, 'Achtung Baby' by U2, The Beatles, Echo & the Bunnymen, Joy Division and loads more.

Explain the production and writing process behind your songs.

I generally demo songs and give them to the band to work out the parts. Once we get in the room together we’ll work on the structure of the song and turn it into the Shader sound.

Tell us a little about your new single.

It’s our second single and called ‘Streets Tell Stories’. It’s a gritty groover that was recorded at Faktory Studios by Si Jones from the Verve. We used quite a bit of his vintage gear that was used on the likes of 'Urban Hymns' to get the ferociousness on the guitars and the fatness on the bass. It was quite surreal but a nice bit of history going into our sound on the record.



Can we catch up with you at any forthcoming live shows?

21 JULY - VERVE BAR, LEEDS
27 JULY - KENDAL CALLING
28 SEP - SONDER FESTIVAL, MANCHESTER

How's the rest of the year looking, plans-wise?

Looking to release an EP later in the year, and lots more gigs to come.

Where can we hear more of your music?

Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon, Soundcloud, YouTube.

What social media platforms can we find you on? 

Facebook // Twitter // Instagram