The Manchester four-piece on their musical evolution, captured on new EP ‘I Really Mean It This Time’.

Pyncher have just released their new EP ‘I Really Mean It This Time’, and the title feels like a promise that the bands musical U-turn is one worth embracing. “It’s a big change from what we’ve done before,” says Britt Dewhurst (bass and vocals) and she isn’t exaggerating. The four of them, Britt alongside Sam Blakeley (lead vocals and guitar), Harvey O’Toole (lead guitar and vocals) and Jack Rainbow (drums), have begun to welcome the impulses of a form of summery indie into their sound. The result is a record that arrives perfectly in sync with warmer months, feeling optimistic and unashamedly contemporary.

“We started off doing much darker stuff,” Sam explains. “Deep down we wanted to do more, we always had it in us, we needed to grow out of the moody phase.” Britt puts it more bluntly: “When you start a band you want to be as loud as possible, then after a few years you move towards what feels more like us as people.” For Harvey, it comes down to something simpler still: “It’s now more joyful and balanced.” He laughs about the years it took to get there, “to make music you don’t feel like you’re breaking a stage rule by smiling while playing it”.

The EP itself is four tracks of euphoria, whether it’s the distorted guitar tones or Sam’s twangy vocals. They pair perfectly, and often join in playing the melody, with shouted lyrics thrown around in the background. Their use of spoken vocals adds a freedom of expression that distinguishes them from many of the bands surrounding them, setting them as a collective instead of just one singer. Lyrically, a mix of self-deprecation and brutal honesty in songs like ‘Oh Boy’ and ‘Home’ brilliantly captures the anxiety of early adulthood. It’s no surprise this is their chosen topic, as all members navigate life after university while following creative pursuits, confessing the difficulty of balancing it all.

The second half of the EP has no shortage of groovy, bass-led syncopations, adding another dimension to its evident musicality. Brass accompaniment adds to the layers upon layers of musicality, yet none of the tracks ever feel congested. The lyrics take on a kind of confidence in this latter half, promising ‘I really mean it this time’ in their final track. All the same, the playful tone adds an endearing cheek to this statement, as if Pyncher know more progression is coming, and are excited at the prospect.

Live, the band’s joy is addictive. Sam’s vocals are uplifting and distinct, and every track on the EP is somehow danceable. ‘Louisa’ takes the listener somewhere shimmery and far from home, bright synth piano running under a surf rock flow. ‘Oh Boy’ demanded the room’s attention at Low Four, more of a tribute to their earlier style, accompanied by anthemic guitar and bass melodies of Harvey and Britt. There’s a slight dissonance in the vocal line, a weirdness embraced rather than smoothed. It serves as another indication of the music industry’s sway towards unique voices with personality, replacing overly produced tracks and perfect vocals.

The EP itself was produced with Alex Greaves (Gurriers, Antony Szmierek) at Nave in Leeds, and the band are quick to credit him for its ultimate sound. “You have producers who are just there to hit record, but he contributed,” they say. “He can be honest when he needs to be,” Sam adds, suggesting the challenge was welcome.

Releasing music after knowing it this well, this long, comes with its own strange flatness. “It always feels like an anticlimax releasing, as we’ve known the tracks so long,” Sam admits. But the room at Low Four suggested otherwise. “Everyone’s into it,” says Harvey. “People still come and watch us, even despite the new direction.” The old way of doing things, road-testing songs for years before ever getting near a studio, has clearly been left behind too. “You write songs, then gig them for a few years around the country until you have the money to record them,” Sam says. “Whereas our new tracks feel fresh.” This time, live and recording process ran in tandem, the songs growing up together rather than one waiting on the other.

They’re back in the studio in July, already working towards the next EP. It will be interesting to see if their future material sources inspiration from a deeper place in the bands’ lives or maintains the EP’s carefree style. But one thing is for sure: for a band still catching up to how quickly they’ve changed, it doesn’t sound like Pyncher are planning on slowing down to explain themselves.