Get To Know... Pyncher • Neu • DIY Magazine

Hello and welcome back to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.

This week, we’re joined by Pyncher - the indie-rock risers who’ll be topping the bill at Fifth Floor Fest, the secret Manchester event taking place on Friday 8th May. It comes hot on the heels of the sold-out Fifth Floor x DIY Heavy Lungs show in Bristol back in Jan, and early bird tickets for this Northern edition are flying just as fast; and, judging, by the lineup, it’s no wonder (if we do say so ourselves).

Blending jagged guitars with bursts of noise, melody and raw intensity, Pyncher’s sound pivots between angular riffs and anthemic hooks, delivered with a magnetic live energy that’s quickly marking them out as one of Manc’s most exciting bands to watch.

Elsewhere across the bill, there’ll also be performances from some of the city’s brightest new talents: Holly Head, whose groove-driven art-punk has seen them support Westside Cowboy on a recent UK tour; DeafDeafDeaf, who fuse shimmering shoegaze textures with driving indie rhythms and post-punk urgency; Getner, whose sonic calling cards are krautrock-influenced propulsive guitars and driving basslines; and festival openers Hauspoints, who’ll kick it all off with pulsing grooves, wiry guitars and wonderfully off-kilter energy.

And if that’s not enough, Manchester promoters Akoustik Anarkhy will also take over the decks throughout the night, before local legend Tim Burgess closes out proceedings with an exclusive Manchester DJ set guaranteed to fill the floor.

The twist? You’ll have nab a ticket to find out where in Manchester Fifth Floor Fest 2026 is going to go down… but rest assured, it’s one of the city’s most iconic and intimate venues. Secure your spot via Skiddle now, and get to know our headliners Pyncher a little better below…

You originally met at uni in Manchester, before deciding to start a band. What prompted you to make that initial leap and start writing your own songs? Were there any particular artists or scenes which inspired you when you were first starting out (and why)?
Any time we tried to do cover songs, they didn’t sound very good, so we would just play together in a practice room and see what came out of it. Our first set consisted of the only seven songs we could play together.

Manchester is a very easy place to start a band - maybe the best place - and a very encouraging one too. There was such a strong student music scene at the time and so many great independent venues that we could just say yes to as many gigs as we could, and after a few months we sort of had an idea of what we were trying to do.

From where we’re standing, it seems as if Manchester is having a real purple patch at the moment when it comes to a thriving local scene - what’s it like being part of that? Are there any particular venues / initiatives that are leading the charge when it comes to supporting Manchester artists?
Yeah, it definitely seems like Manchester is particularly strong at the minute, with so many amazing bands and artists making all kinds of music. It’s a privilege to be a part of. When you’re surrounded by so much great stuff, it’s very easy to be inspired to try and do the same.

There are so many incredible independent venues. FUEL in Withington was a big one for us when we started as a student band; we must have played there in the double digits before we had any idea what we were doing. [There are] some other great venues too, like Gullivers, YES and The Castle Hotel - almost any night of the week, you’re guaranteed to find a good gig somewhere. There’s also a commitment from music fans in Manchester to just go to random gigs, to try and find new bands and support the local scene, which keeps it really strong. A special shoutout also goes to the organisation No Band Is An Island - it’s an artist-led group putting on gigs for a great cause, and has created a really strong sense of community in the local scene.

Over the last year or so, there seems to have been a lot more industry attention on Manchester than there ever has been whilst we’ve been a band, which has been a long time coming. Hopefully, it just snowballs to get more and more attention. The concentration of the industry being in London makes it tough for bands from the North, so the more people want to look at Manchester and the rest of North for great music, the better.

You’re currently gearing up for your next project, a follow up to last year’s ‘Every Town Needs A Stranger’ EP - how do you feel you’ve developed, as artists and as people, since that last release? Have you found yourself in a different headspace heading into this next chapter?
We didn’t really set out to make our new music a particular thing; we’ve always just made songs we like to play. The new stuff maybe has a more joyful feel to it… at least it does from our side. We’re excited for people to hear it because we like it, haha.

You’re due to head out on tour around the UK and Germany this Spring with The Sophs. In your experience so far, what have been the most challenging / funniest / surprising things about playing live / touring?
Most challenging - a handle fell off a guitar case at Crewe train station on the way down to a gig in London. We then had to spend the next 24 hours walking round London and getting on the tube carrying a guitar like a baby.
Funniest - Harvey fell down a hole at the side of the stage once, but no one noticed because Sam was barking at the crowd.

Check out the official lineup poster for Fifth Floor Fest - as designed by Simon Tripcony - below.