"Sunny, sophisticated and suffused with nostalgia" - Manchester Evening News
Formed late in 2014, Mayflower wasted no time in establishing themselves on Manchester’s local scene securing a loyal following with gigs at the iconic Night & Day Café, a sold out show at The Castle Hotel along with a string of shows around the Northwest.
The early part of 2015 saw the band recording their first demos and they quickly gained the attention of Michelle Hussey and Natalie-Eve Williams at BBC Introducing in Manchester with their second offering, The Dice Man. The track received extensive support from the pair, who were effusive in their praise of the band’s songwriting ability, as well as the maturity of their sound. Mayflower subsequently performed their third demo, Many Clouds, live on the BBC Introducing show, which again received extensive airplay, whilst Steve Lamacq at BBC Radio 6 Music expressed his interest in featuring the track.
Described as "dynamic driven guitars... delicious backing vocals and harmonies that lift the listener up and allow them to lose themselves in the music" (Even The Stars) and a band with a "deeply mature sound, [that] present something that’s seemingly straying a little from current trends" (Gigslutz); one key characteristic of the band is their level of craft and the attention to detail in their music, which has seen them compared to esteemed groups such as Arcade Fire, The Coral and The La’s, whilst maintaining a discernible sense of individuality in their sound.
Recent releases, Sienna, a swooning and emotive 4-minute journey, carefully constructed around subtle layers of melody and atmosphere, and I'm Not There "with its darkly infectious haze smouldering around some evocative songwriting" (Clash Music) have introduced the band to a wider audience. Both tracks were played on Manchester’s BBC Introducing show before being taken up by regional stations, culminating in national airplay when played by Chris Hawkins on BBC Radio 6 Music, who described Mayflower as "a band to watch out for".