Photo Credits: Emily Nicholson
Manchester-based band Sixth Day sat down with us to discuss the evolution of their sound, the meaning behind their name, and how platforms like TikTok are shaping their connection with fans.
Time to introduce yourself – if you could overhear someone talking about your band in a pub, what would they be saying?
Alex Nuttall: I’d like to think they’d be talking about our tunes and who we sound like that. I often put little lines from other songs, whether it’s Oasis, Pixies, Billie Eilish, could be anything in the instrumental parts of songs, I’d love to know if people picked up on that.
If someone’s never heard your music – which song would you play them? And why do you feel like that’s the pick that represents you the most?
Alex: Probably our new song With You, I think it’s a really good blend of pop and rock. The second verse is probably one of the best verses I’ve ever written. It takes influence from all of our favourite bands, love it!
What’s one song that you’ll never take off the setlist?
Alex: Songs have come and gone in the set. I think a song that has always more or less been there though is Say Hello. I think it’s our best song and I’d love to re-record it one day.
Why the name “Sixth Day”? What does it mean to you?
Alex: We took it from a mural in Manchester that says “On the sixth day god created Manchester”. We’re not all from Manchester and none of us are religious so I don’t know how reflective it is of us as people but we took it and it’s working for us.
How can we imagine a Sixth Day song being created – do you write with live audiences in mind? Did your process change since you started the band?
Alex: The process is different with every song. Sometimes I’ll write the bones of something and bring to a rehearsal. Sometimes Hugh (guitar) will write a chord progression or a riff and we’ll work up something around that. Other times, like very recently a song will just come out of thin air when we’re jamming about in rehearsal. It’s a real mix!
You do a lot of your marketing through Social Media. Talk to us about that – how do you navigate this side of your music career you didn’t sign up for?
Alex: Exactly that, didn’t sign up for. It’s a mix of good and bad. Good because it feels like we’re in a real moment where there’s never been a better opportunity to easily go and market and promote yourself to as many people as possible but at the same time I didn’t dream of being a promoter when I was younger. I wanted to be in a band, write music, play live, so I do find it difficult but there’s worse problems to have.
We’ve seen many people praise your live performances, highlighting your confidence and energy. What does it actually feel like to be up there, in the noise and the lights? Can you describe that moment when the nerves disappear – or don’t?
Alex: I can’t speak for the rest of the band but I usually don’t get nervous for gigs until the very last minute. The moment before I step on stage I get a little nervous but once the first song starts, the anxiety disappears and the music takes over. I try to stay as present and in the moment with the music as much as I can.
If you had to give one piece of advice to someone about to play their first gig, what would it be?
Alex: My advice to anybody starting out would be to be yourself and express yourself as much as you would if nobody was watching. Believe it or not, that’s the stuff people want to see.
Manchester has birthed some of the most iconic rock bands in history. How does the weight of all that legacy shape or challenge your creative ideas? And how do you carve out your own identity in a city that already echoes with so much noise?
Alex: We don’t try and sound like any bands that have come before. Sometimes we can’t help it being from Manchester but ultimately so many good bands have come from this city and still do that it’s hard not to be influenced by it. All bands have their influences. Some of our influences come from Manchester but we’re also influenced by a lot of American bands such as Pixies, Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins.
And finally, what’s next for Sixth Day?
Alex: We’re currently in the middle of our debut EP release. Our next single With You comes out Friday 14th November, alongside our first music video. The rest of the EP will be out late this year/early next year. We’re next playing live at Gorilla in a brilliant line up of Manchester bands and we’ll be playing our next Manchester headliner early next year.
M. Müller & M. Ernst, 2025