Nicole Brice
Mar 21, 2023
A Nod to the 90's
When one thinks of the music of Manchester, many bands come to mind, such as The Stone Roses, Oasis, and The Smiths, or, if you like more of the punk vibe, then the Buzzcocks will come to mind. If there is one thing that is certain, though, no two bands from Manchester sound alike, and this next band definitely continues this tradition.
Hailing from Manchester, UK is What Will Be. These guys came onto the music scene in 2019 and wrote and self-released their self-titled EP, which debuted in September 2022.
Their new single “Something More” was released earlier this month and is currently available on all streaming platforms. The newest single is an enjoyable mix of melodic rock with an outstanding mix of larger-than-life guitars, sing-along melodies, and atmospheric synth chords and is a truly solid offering from this five-piece Alternative Rock band.
What Will Be is Bram (guitar/vocals), Jonny (guitar), James (bass/vocals), JK (drums/vocals), and Chris (keyboard/piano). Upon discovering their music, because we dig it so much, we had a few questions for them, so let us share with you a little more on this pretty bad-ass band from the UK with an uncommonly catchy sound.
MaM: With a strong nod to 90’s alternative, who would you cite as your influences to make music?
What Will Be: In terms of bands from the 90s, we’d say Incubus and Deftones would be two of our main influences. However, we’re also inspired by newer bands, such as Alter Bridge and City and Colour/Alexisonfire.
MaM: Vocals – your vocals are very different, and I can hear a tinge of David Byron from Uriah Heep within them. Who are your vocal inspirations, and why?
What Will Be: Vocal-wise, our main influences would be Brandon Boyd of Incubus and Miles Kennedy of Alter Bridge. In terms of why it would come down to the bands you listen to most would be the inspiration, I think in terms of vocally, their range is like what I can do with my voice. While these bands might be heavier musically, their vocal stylings are what inspire us with the music we create, even if it’s not as ‘heavy.’
MaM: What type of guitars are the band’s preferred ones to play and why?
What Will Be: Bram uses Chapman and PRS guitars. Jonny uses Fender and Gibson guitars. Dual humbucker coil tapped, on occasion … hollow body and solid body guitars.
We like guitars with a thicker, higher output sound.
MaM: What pedals / gear was used in the recording of the newest material? The guitar sound is incendiary and distinctive.
What Will Be: Live we use Moore Shimmer Pro, Marshall modulation pedal, Maxon OD 808 and a boss delay. Recording we use the above but Marshall/Blackstar plugins. These give us our unique guitar tone, which seems to separate us from other bands in sound.
MaM: You have an interesting band name. Where did the inspiration behind the band name come from?
What Will Be: We’re a little bit older in terms of life experience than most ‘new’ bands. Lots of different names were in consideration; however, as its probably our last stab at ‘trying to make it,’ the name reflects a certain type of fate. We just uttered the famous line, ‘What will be, will be,’ and that’s how it came about.
MaM: What led to the formation of the band? Give us a little more history on the beginnings.
What Will Be: We’ve been in bands together for years from the ages of 16 onwards, then over the years bands come and go, but we all remained friends. A few years ago in James’s back garden, we jammed a few acoustic ideas Bram had, and things snowballed from there until 2019 when we added a different dynamic with Chris our keyboardist. Since then, we became an alternative unique five-piece band.
Experiencing What Will Be is a must for any music lover and appreciator. Be sure to visit their links below and explore all you can about these guys. Then, hit ‘em up with some love and support, no matter where in the world you are, Carmen Sandiego. Rock on.
What Will Be (@whatwillbe.band) • Instagram photos and videos
What Will Be | Manchester (facebook.com)
What Will Be - Single by What Will Be | Spotify
Questions or comments? Reach out to the_nicolebrice@mixedaltmag.com.