New Music: Matt Gwilt – The City in Me

The City in Me is Matt Gwilt’s unsentimental indie-electro love song for his hometown of Manchester and, like that city, is an addictive mix of grit and glamour.

Gwilt is fondly remembered for his role as drummer in the cult Leeds band The Sunshine Underground, but he has developed his own musical identity, and his role as main vocalist, as you can hear on The City in Me.

You can hear some references to Manchester’s musical heritage in the passing nods to M People and The Stone Roses in the melody, but the track defines itself: a wistful, upfront, and upbeat meditation on the music, people, and sights that make Manchester a special but occasionally rough and tough place to live.

“[The City in Me] is one of my personal favorites from the album and is my love letter to Manchester,” states Gwilt. “I think people can relate to a feeling a sense of belonging wherever they live but with that can come feelings of loneliness in a big space… the key is to being ok with that…”

The City in Me features on A Front for Something, the new album from Matt Gwilt, which can be heard on Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music. Head to Instagram for album news from Gwilt and much more. If you’re familiar with Manchester, you’ll recognise some sights in the accompanying video. I know I do!