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Red Sky Dawn would like to feature other local bands, musicians and venues - and give details of their upcoming gigs - in this newsletter, which has a growing subscription list and links automatically to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. If you would like to be featured, contact ian@redskydawn.net

In this week’s newsletter, RSD’s Jessie talks a little about the solo album she’s making, while bandmate Josie lets us in on the best bassline she’s ever heard.

RSD Make Pre-Xmas Manchester Debut

Macclesfield’s foremost original band Red Sky Dawn will make its first appearance in Manchester at the weekend.

The group has been given a 25-minute support slot - enough time to play six of their songs - at the Zombie Shack this Friday (December 9).

RSD will arrive at the venue for 6pm for sound check and are scheduled be on stage at 8pm.

The Zombie Shack is at 50, New Wakefield Street, Manchester, M1 5NP, as on the map below.

It’s the first time the fledgling band has ventured into its home city to perform.

It will support a band called Purestan.

Work on the band’s forthcoming EP - ‘The Man Who Stole The Sun’ - is ongoing.

Well-known local harp player - Pat the Hat - has added harmonica to RSD’s track, ‘Mr Jones’. Mandolin has also been added to this song. Meanwhile, one track has been sent out to a folk violinist, while a talented, young cello player is also due in mid-December to add to one of the EP tracks.

It’s hoped the recordings will be available by New Year, just ahead of RSD’s appearance on Saturday January 7 at The Kings Arms Hotel in Wilmslow.

Thank you so much to Mark Chatterton for capturing all of the images and videos of the bands used in this newsletter.

If you’d like him to photograph your band, gig or rehearsal, let us know. He might just do it. We do want to feature other Macclesfield bands and musicians in this newsletter.

If you have any suggestions, festival contacts, gig opportunities etc please send an email to ian@redskydawn.net

Watch the full ‘Chain-like’ climax to our song ‘Can Someone Turn On The Sun Again?’ - showcasing some extraordinary talent across the band - by clicking below.

Beatles fanatic Josie playing her beloved Fender Precision bass guitar.

‘Penny’s from bassline heaven’ says RSD’s Josie

When faced with the question, ‘What is your favourite bassline?’, I find it very difficult to come up with just one answer.

To me, what makes a good bassline is simply a rhythm that complements the instruments around it. But a great bassline tells a story.

This is why I see the Beatles’ Penny Lane as one of my favourite basslines.

Yes, an underrated bassline that many people aren’t even aware they are hearing, however, take away its bassline and Penny Lane is no more than a selection of instruments making nice sounds.

Now don’t get me wrong. These other instruments are fundamental to creating that classic Penny Lane tone but you can only decorate something when it has solid foundations.

To me, basslines can come in many different forms, my favourite of which is melodic basslines.

In Penny Lane, Paul McCartney creates a very interesting walking bassline in the verses, which could make you feel as though you’re walking down Penny Lane yourself.

Then the satisfying contrast in the chorus creates a more ‘laid back’ sound that seems to just trigger the happy, nostalgic memories of childhood. Magic!

I am also in love with the tone of the bass in this song. You may notice that the bass starts in the highest range, which gives it an iconic mellow sound – the only way I can truly describe the sound of these first few bass notes is “welcoming” (not very technical but it makes sense to me).

When the bass has ‘walked’ down into the lower octaves, it is doubled by the piano, which simply sounds awesome because piano and bass just work so well together!

I always say when I started playing bass, it completely changed the way I listen to music because I started naturally learning to listen out for basslines. Penny Lane is my evidence for this. I was in love with this song long before I picked up a bass. But when I started playing bass in 2020, I realised the reason I love that song so much is because of the bassline.

As well as working with Red Sky Dawn, Jessie, above, is also composing her own solo album called ‘Butterflies’.

No such thing as a year out for Jessie

Jessie says: ‘Since the age of 14, I’ve been writing songs, hoping one day to record my very own album, when I was 16.

‘I’d chosen 12 of my songs to go onto my first album, titled ‘Blue and Purple’.

‘But, as time went by, I decided that I didn’t want to release the songs on the album as my style had changed, and wanted to start again from scratch.

‘So I wrote new songs with a similar theme of the ocean and summer, all to go onto a new 13 song album.

‘This is the album I’m currently working on, and have started the recordings for.

‘I’ve taken a year out and will go to university next year to study popular music and songwriting, and this year I’m aiming to record the album and release it.

‘So far, one song has been fully recorded and will soon be released as a single, to give people a taste of my music and the style of song that will be on my album.

‘My music is influenced by a range of different musicians from Mcfly, Bruce Springsteen, Joshua Bassett and Harry Styles to Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra.

‘The album has a mix of piano ballads and acoustic songs, with each song having a different atmosphere and meaning.

‘I am aiming for the album to be done by Easter/Summer time, so I can release it before I head off to uni, where I will hopefully be making much more music!’

Red Sky Dawn would like to feature other local bands - and give details of their upcoming gigs - in this newsletter, which has a growing subscription list and links automatically to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. If you would like to be featured, contact ian@redskydawn.net