Interview: In conversation with Leif, Manchester's new kids on the block

Leif are a four-piece band of friends who met during university in Manchester. They are made up of first-year Finlay Smithies (lead vocals and guitar), second year Osian Owain (backup vocals and lead guitar), and third-years George Hargreaves (bass) and Noé Findji (drums).

Credit: Miza Fatahillah @ The Mancunion

Their first ever gig was at Klang in Fallowfield, for Manchester University Music Society's (MUMS) Gig Night. At the time, Leif had been practicing as a full band for over one month. Every single song on their set was an original, a contrast to other bands and singers who had been performing covers. They had a remarkably diverse setlist, jumping from genre to genre with each song. Yet the song that stood out most was 'Reform', an angry hardcore anthem about the band's hate for political party Reform UK.

Other songs such as 'Unstuck', 'Willow Tree' and 'Everything Changed' were also a joy to listen to. Leif are sonically evocative of bands such as Midrift, Title Fight and Basement, and their music is a wonderful blend of this distinctive sound. Lyrically, their songs are poignant and emotional reminders of youth, love and loss. Take 'Everything Changed', which is heavy and emotional: "going down with a thud, now I need to get up, crawling out of the mud to find my way to you". Or romantic ballad 'Willow Tree': "my love falls down like the autumn leaves, and sweeps you up like a winter breeze, you spring off your feet right into me, we warm each other up like summer heat".

Credit: Tai Tobolayefa @ The Mancunion

What stood out most about Leif was the chemistry the band has with each other. Smithies is an amazing vocalist and lyricist who plays in tandem with incredibly talented lead guitarist Owain. Hargreaves is also a wonderful bassist, and his skill stands out most in 'George's song', a bass-heavy instrumental within the setlist. Findji is an extremely gifted drummer, and helps to beautifully tie together Leif's sound.

Their second gig at Grand Central had two new additions to the setlist: Superheaven's 'Youngest Daughter' and Deftones' 'Be Quiet and Drive', the former seeing Owain taking over lead vocal duties. As usual, Leif gave a wonderfully electrifying performance.

Credit: Tai Tobolayefa @ The Mancunion

Leif originally formed as a suggestion by a friend of Smithies and Hargreave's from their home, although said friend never learnt how to play the guitar. Smithies and Hargreaves continued without him as a "boy whines on acoustic guitar" duo, as Hargreaves put it. As time went on they found more members through mutual friends from AniSoc, who put them in contact with Owain and Findji. As soon as Findji started playing to their songs in a preliminary practice, they knew they had found their sound.

The name Leif comes from Smithies' middle name. The name was originally suggested by Smithies as Leaf, after the Title Fight song which both him and Owain love. The sound of Leif is a blend of each member's unique taste in music that combines to create genre-transcending music. Smithies describes the sound as loud and energetic, yet thoughtfully assembled with members writing their own parts. Their sound ranges from crushing hardcore punk songs, to dreamy shoegaze interludes, to classic post-hardcore, with more variety on the way. The band's sound is a representation of its constituent parts with jazz inspired bass lines, complex progressive drum beats, angsty lyrics, and energetic guitar riffs. Together they merge to form a wall of sound, mixing each member's influence.

Leif's high energy performances is not an act; they love performing and it shows in their stage presence. They all share the same sentiment of having no greater joy than when they are playing music. This reflects in the crowds at their shows, with mosh-pits being formed during their first gig in Klang during their song 'Reform'. They share this same passion for writing music, with Smithies asserting that without it he would go insane. Their songwriting process is all about writing what they want to hear and trying to enjoy every second of it, which only adds to their live performances.

Despite this, Leif don't just make music for the sake of it. Their music is a representation of their view of the world. According to the band, they hate the division that has been imposed on our country and hope for better days with less hatred and inequality. Their song 'Reform' encapsulates this sentiment describing how much they dislike their unwelcome presence.

As of now there are two more planned Leif gigs, with the second being September 15th. There will be more to come, and they also encourage anyone with the desire to make music to just start playing. Manchester is the place to be for music, and there are plenty of like-minded people to be found, as exemplified by the story behind their formation.