The keen reader will gladly remember British songstress MANNERS. We wrote about her back in 2022 (time flies!), celebrating ‘DISTANCE’ as carrying “icy, haunting vocals paired seamlessly with glitchy, raw sound design”. Since then, the project has grown a lot, with MANNERS having unveiled a series of collaborative releases and having evolved her sound into a positive artistic direction, one that feels more honest and grounded, but also hard-hitting and unapologetic. ‘Not My First, Not My Last’ is the perfect evidence of that.
Produced by frequent collaborator GIGSY, the EP represents a welcome milestone for MANNERS. Released on Valentine’s Day, ‘Not My First, Not My Last’ takes a grounded approach towards love and relationships, shedding the romantic layer in favour of real-life conversation and gritty emotional states. In a way, it rebels against society’s fable-like perspective on relationships, exposing how connecting with a fellow human being is often hard work, requiring availability and understanding.
Delving deeper into the meaningful ethos behind ‘Not My First, Not My Last’, MANNERS explains: “I’ve stopped pretending. I’m not a robot anymore. This project is about making the music I want to make now – reflecting my thoughts and feelings, not what I think is expected of me, or what fits within the mould. It’s messy, it’s real, it’s me taking control.” Such a bold statement perfectly fits the EP’s haunting and brooding character. Authenticity at its peak.
Recommended! Discover ‘Not My First, Not My Last’ now: