Cora Manchester has spent the past two years making a name for herself in Glasgow’s music scene, bringing something unique as a female writing rock music, with a side of classical piano and a flair for almost theatrical storytelling through her work. Find out what she’s been up to, what’s in the works and get to know her better in the interview below.
You describe your music as indie-pop meeting musical theater, and it’s such an interesting combination. So who or what influenced that crossover?
Well, I feel like it’s just ended up that way. But I’ve started to try and find people that I think it’s similar to, and I think Florence and the Machine is quite a big one, maybe Muse, because they’re quite theatrical. Sam Fender in terms of the indie side of it. But… I just can’t help but be dramatic. *chuckles* I’m not sure if it comes from like – I always say classical piano, and I feel like classical music is quite dramatic. I also grew up listening to loads of film soundtracks and stuff.
Did you ever dabble much in theater performances?
Well, I wasn’t doing theater. I was just doing classical piano training. So I was just doing my grades, but I played a lot of classical music, and I find that that is quite dramatic.
If you could pick a musical to rewrite the soundtrack for, what one would it be?
I would love to do Jesus Christ Superstar, because I think it’s great already, but it’s kind of rock vibes, and I would love to just have a go at doing that. I would love to write, like, a rock-opera type thing. I think I’d be quite good at that, because some of them are too good, they need to stay like they are, like Phantom of the Opera and The Greatest Showman, I think are some of my faves.
And you’ve done quite a few shows in other places, like Darlington and Newcastle and Ayr. Is there anything which keeps you based in Glasgow? Or are there any differences between those, as in is there anything in Glasgow which makes you want to stay here?
Well, the music scene in Glasgow is so, so full, there’s so many people who are part of it. I think that that makes it hard in some ways, because it’s a lot, and it’s very competitive, especially because I don’t necessarily know as many people up in Glasgow. It sometimes makes it harder to go with that competitive thing, but then I think it also makes me want to be part of it even more. So it’s like a bit of both, like, I think it’s trickier, and then sometimes it’s just a good challenge. And I think the fact that Glasgow’s got such a variety of music happening all of the time. It just makes me feel like it’s just fun to be a part of that. I also think the fact that Glasgow is quite known for rock and indie music makes it seem quite appealing to me, because in some cities that I was in before, it wasn’t necessarily as much of a thing.
You’re releasing the new track nature and I soon. Do you want to talk a little bit about what themes and sounds you’re exploring in that?
So I wrote it for a songwriting competition where you just had to collaborate with and celebrate nature. So you had to use… like, nature sounds and come up with a song that is about what nature means to you. So it was not my typical approach to writing, but then ended up being something that I’m really, really proud of. I think in terms of its sound – it’s in my normal style, which is kind of like orchestral and dramatic, but I think the start-half of it sounds a little bit like U2. I’m not sure if that’s what other people would hear, but to me, that’s what I thought I was going off of a little bit… U2 and a little bit like Alabama Shakes and then… the same influences as before, like film and theater music, and people like Florence and the Machine and those sorts of theatrical people, because the end-half of it is quite theatrical, dramatic.
Would you say you’ve done anything differently while writing this track? Or would you say you’ve learned anything new about making music or learned anything new about yourself while creating this?
Yeah, definitely! I definitely think so. I think I was writing it in two halves, and it kind of does a 180 in the middle, *chuckles* which is quite common for me when I’m writing, but when I was writing the second half of this one, it felt different to what I normally do. And then I went with it, and I’ve ended up really liking how it’s ended up.I was kind of sat there, mulling it over and thinking “I don’t really know where to go with this”. And then I was messing around and then it ended up being something that I really like, even though it’s not necessarily the way I would normally write.
It was also really fun to write about something you’re told to write about. That was quite a good experience, because normally, I just write about whatever I want to write about, but being given a set thing to focus on was really fun. And I ended up quite liking… my lyrics, for example. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to come up with anything that elaborate to say about nature. But then I ended up properly thinking about it, and it ended up tying into me and being quite… genuine, I guess. But I definitely learned something by having to do that. It was just a different writing process, so, yeah, it was good.
Correct me if I’m wrong here – your first single was released in 2023 it’s called Silence.
Yeah, I had that, but also in 2023 it was Monster Under the Bed, but it was very basic – I think I just did it myself.
What are the biggest differences you can see between writing that and what you do now, or performing back then and performing now?
Oh, that’s a good question. I think my style’s changed a bit. I’ve definitely become more… a lot more orchestral and I write a lot for a lot more instruments now. And I also used to write about very external things only: what was happening in the world, or with other people. I never used to write about myself. And I think sometimes my lyrics weren’t as good, because they were trying to disguise what I was talking about, because I didn’t want to be as honest, whereas now I’m just completely open in what I say in my songs, even if it’s about me, and even if it’s… vulnerable, because I just think that that’s better. But I was reluctant to do that for a while, so I think that’s the main difference.
I also know my influence is a bit better now, because I used to just hear a song and be like, “Oh, I could write one like that. Oh, I could write one like that”.
I mean, I’m still a bit all over the place but, less so than I was. And then in terms of performing, I’ve definitely changed a lot since I started, because I’d never sung in front of anyone until 2023 so that was a massive learning curve, and I really had to force myself to feel comfortable doing it. I never considered myself a singer. I just did it out of convenience for the fact that I wrote songs. So I started going to open mics and stuff in 2023 to try and build my confidence with it. But my voice has definitely got a lot more confident, and I think I’m better at trying to connect with my audience more when I’m performing now.
I still try and play with a full band where I can, because I think for the genre, it helps.
What or who prompted you to explore playing and writing rock music, having started out with classical piano? What made it click for you that you also want to be part of that side of the industry?
I always listened to rock music growing up – my family were very into Fleetwood Mac, and Bowie, and 70s rock and things like that. And actually, my family just has a really varied taste in music. So my dad would listen to Mika and Aqua, and then he listened to a lot of theater soundtracks, like he loved Les Mis, whereas my mum liked more 70s rock.
My uncle would listen to literally anything and everything. So I got a bit of everything thrown in there from a young age. And then my Nana played piano. And from the age of six, I started just playing piano with my Nana, and it was like Christmas songs at first, but then I started getting lessons. And I think quite commonly, the way that you just then continue with lessons is to do classical music. So then I just went down that route because that was kind of the done thing. I don’t actually know that I loved classical music that much to begin with. I definitely found people that I liked as I went.
But rock music’s always been on the radar. I’ve always listened to rock and indie music. I sort of found my own when I was like, a teenager, and me and my friends would like to find random indie bands to go and see at gigs and stuff, when I was old enough to start doing that. So, yeah, real mixture of things!
You’re also a very strong advocate for females in the music industrials, more specifically in the progressive rock and indie pop side of it. Would you say you felt, for the most part, supported and welcomed?
Yeah, to be fair, I have. I find it hard sometimes to know… exactly who my audience is going to be from that. I think there’s less people to look up to or like to say, you know, “This female act inspires me”. I think Wolf Alice and Florence are really good ones for that, but that’s the only part I find particularly difficult – just having somebody who’s a good inspiration is less common than it is with guys in indie music. But I definitely felt welcomed. You know, especially, I think the cities that I’ve played in have been good for that, because I was in Newcastle before, and everyone’s great, and Glasgow, everyone’s been great.
Last one… What are you most looking forward to this year? Music wise?
I’ve got quite a few releases planned, and that’s really exciting, because I write so much music that it’s sometimes hard for me to then sit down and… make them into something. And, you know, because writing is the part that I really, really enjoy the most. So, sort of having the self discipline to actually record them and edit them and stuff is… sometimes I lag behind on that side of it, but I’ve prepped to have a few releases out this year. So that’s exciting, because one, it means that people get to hear them, and two, it means that, what I’m releasing is more up to date.
That just feels better, because for the past few years, I’ve been releasing stuff that’s already a good few years old, like three years old, and it just felt good, because I’m still proud of the stuff, but it doesn’t necessarily feel representative of my sound.
Whereas I think Nature and I feels really current, because I only wrote that a year ago. And same with the other releases that I’m putting out, they’re not that old, and I’ve been playing them live like now. So that’s quite exciting.
Listen to Nature and I here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5u1zaKaNCXuXQOp3T1ALJJ?autoplay=true
Keep up with Cora on social media here: https://www.instagram.com/coramanchestermusic/