Sun in Splendour // Yorkist Sigils, Manchester Ghosts & the Red Zone
Sun in Splendour are a Manchester band who named themselves after a War of the Roses sigil, which is about as far from a Joy Division tribute as it gets. Harry, Bailey, Zak, Cait and Joseph talk post-punk red herrings, their first headline show, playing in the red zone and a debut EP that's already in the can.
There's something quite interesting about the name Sun in Splendour, because it sounds almost euphoric while the phrase post-punk immediately suggests something darker and more abrasive. Was that contrast intentional, and does the name actually represent the band you think people hear when they listen to you?
HarryI think the 'post-punk' title could be a bit of a red herring, but there's definitely a contrast, for the most part, between how the name may appear and our sound. The story behind the name is best told by Bailey, as it was his idea.
BaileySome of the band, myself included, are quite into our history. One of my favourite historical figures is King Edward IV. During the War of the Roses, he changed his house sigil to an image of the sun with the Yorkist rose after he saw an optical illusion in the sky on the eve of a battle. That sigil was called 'Sun in Splendour', and we all thought it sounded quite nice.
You're a Manchester band, and that's a city with an almost ridiculous musical history hanging over anyone trying to make it here. Do you feel inspired by that history, or can it sometimes feel like you're constantly being compared to the bands that came before you?
HarryObviously Manchester's reputation is inescapable, and its legacy and the ethos of the figures of the past mean we can reap the benefits of a vibrant music scene and community that's still going strong. But I wouldn't say we feel any pressure to live up to those who came before us. Those who've seen us live know that we pay tribute to them, though...
ZakWe've been really lucky to see some great Manchester bands in the last year, and it's definitely inspiring to see them perform and grow. We want to learn from them and continue to be involved in what is a very exciting music scene.
BaileyIt's a really fun scene to be a part of, and like Zak said, it pushes you on seeing bands around you like Westside Cowboy really gain some traction. And there are loads of great events being put on by the likes of Venture, Akoustik Anarky, Scratch and Dusty Pop.
You've spent a lot of this summer playing shows and building yourselves up, culminating in your first headline show at Off The Square in August. What did you learn about Sun in Splendour from suddenly having a room full of people there specifically to see you, rather than playing as part of someone else's bill?
HarryWeirdly, I think it was the best our songs have been to play, for me. Compared to other gigs, it felt as though we didn't have to 'impress' the crowd in front of us. They were there FOR us. They wanted us to succeed.
ZakWe've been lucky to have good support across all our gigs, but it was pretty special to have people from all over come and support us for that show. If anything, playing to a room of people there for us was easier than any other show.
There's obviously a difference between writing a song in a bedroom or rehearsal room and hearing it played back in front of a crowd. Have you found yourselves changing songs after playing them live, perhaps discovering that a particular part hits completely differently when you're standing in front of an audience?
HarryWe definitely pick up on moments that get the crowd on our side, but I'd still say the songs stay pretty true to how we play as a unit in rehearsal. That's really where the experimentation happens, I think. As people grow more confident in their roles throughout a song, we all start throwing new ideas out as we go to keep it fresh and exciting.
CaitI'd agree with that, and I'd also add that we're still at such an early, experimental stage that we not only get to mess around with the sounds we create, but we're still figuring out what feels good to play in front of people.
JosephI don't think I've ever actually played a song the same way live as I have in a rehearsal room. Feeling the kit mic'd up definitely changes how I approach my arrangements, but getting to feed off the energy of the venue is why I love playing live so much. It really pushes me past the comfort zone of my ability into that 'red zone', which comes with mistakes, but that's what makes live performance so human and connecting.
The current Manchester scene seems to have a really interesting mix of indie, post-punk, alternative and guitar bands emerging. Do you feel there's a genuine community between the newer bands in the city, or is everyone still fighting for the same tiny piece of the pie?
ZakWe've met some great people across the past few gigs who've offered a lot of advice and support, and there's a really strong community between the people attending and performing. There's always going to be that feeling of competition and wanting to be the best, but that's more down to our want to improve.
BaileyIn a music scene, you're always going to compare yourself to who you're rubbing shoulders with, and I think it's a good thing to have that competitive edge. You've got to love what you make and really believe that it's good. But we always make a huge effort to stick around and watch the bands we support, or jump into the crowd for the ones before us! There are some really good bands out there that get overlooked!
You've got another Off The Square appearance coming up with Scratch, alongside Sugar For The Bee, Eva Kiss and Dear Lichen. When you look at a bill like that, do you actively seek out bands you've never heard before, and are there any Manchester artists at the moment you think people seriously need to be paying attention to?
CaitI think it would be a disservice to the city's culture not to seek out bands you've never heard of. I'm a bit more of an outsider to Manchester's grassroots music scene as I live in Leeds, but there's such a wealth of talent being nurtured in the city. We recently saw thistle (originally from Northampton, but now Manchester-based) playing for No Band Is An Island, and I thought they were an absolutely incredible live band. Same goes for Dead Wells, who we played with in July. Their new single has been on repeat for me!
BaileyYes, there's no greater joy than finding a new band to sink your teeth into, and I feel like seeing them live is always better than discovering them on a streaming service. We've really enjoyed the likes of Dead Wells, Kiosk, Vehicle and The Bureaus, and we're really excited to catch Sugar For The Bee and Eva Kiss at our next gig.
One thing that interests me about newer bands is how much of their identity now exists outside the music itself: artwork, Instagram, videos, fashion, the way you present yourselves on stage. How much thought goes into the world around Sun in Splendour, and do you see that as part of the creative process or something that comes afterwards?
BaileyLuckily, we share the load pretty well with social media, and we're all quite artistic people, not just in a music sense. So making posters for our gigs or coming up with the artwork for our new single was something we did ourselves. If someone stumbles across us, we want to look and feel like a well-established band already.
There's a danger when a band starts getting a bit of momentum that you end up chasing whatever seems to be working: a particular sound, a particular type of show, a particular audience. How important is it to you to keep experimenting, rather than figuring out one formula and sticking to it?
HarryI'd say it's vital, and thankfully I don't think there's any danger of that slowing down. We've got multiple songwriters in the band, all coming from different points of view influence-wise. Since our last gig in August, we've taken the opportunity to keep writing, and the new batch of songs, despite still sounding like Sun in Splendour, are breaking into sounds we love but hadn't thought to touch yet.
BaileyLike Harry said, we have a huge overlap in music taste in the band, but also lots of influences outside of it, which helps keep things fresh when we're coming up with ideas. We also aren't afraid to ask for help, or to hand a half-baked idea to another member of the band to work on. I think we have very few songs now where the music, lyrics or sound were solely one person's idea.
Imagine someone has never heard Sun in Splendour before. What's the one song you'd put on first to make them understand exactly what this band is about, and why?
HarryWell, obviously our debut single, 'She's Just Not You' (out now).
ZakOur next single (TBA).
BaileyI'd have to say our next single, coming from the EP.
You're at that really exciting stage where the story is still being written. If everything goes exactly how you want it to over the next 12 months, what does Sun in Splendour look like this time next year?
HarryWell, we're looking to release our next single before the year's out, and we've just finished recording a six-song EP, which I think perfectly captures our first 12 months as a moment in time. That's likely to be with you in early 2027. Beyond that... perhaps this lot will have a better idea than me!
ZakI just want to keep growing and enjoying it, release some more music and still be playing shows.
BaileyHopefully by this time next year we'll be writing another EP. Now we've had the experience of recording, I'd really love to do it again. And hopefully we can worm our way onto a few small festivals next summer!
Five songwriting brains, one medieval sigil and zero interest in a formula. Go and see them before the EP lands, then go and see whoever's on before them too.
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