Verse-Chorus is back! Ready for another chilled afternoon of original acoustic music performed by students from the Royal Northern College of Music and spoken word performed by two independent spoken word artist’s. Check out our awesome performers below: 

Alesha Harris

Bio – Alesha Harris was born in San Francisco to British parents and started writing music when she was 11. She performs with her guitar in a singer-songwriter style that is influenced by artists such as Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and Fenne Lily. She moved to the UK in 2017 and began her study at the RNCM. Since then she has continued to write songs about topic close to her heart including one about her home town, of San Francisco.

Niamh Evans 

Niamh is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter born in Sri Lanka. After living overseas in Sri Lanka and Kenya for 19 years, she moved to her father’s hometown of Manchester to further her musical career and is currently studying Popular Music at the Royal Northern College of Music. Niamh started to write her own music when she was 17 and has been writing ever since. Her original music is honest, raw and passionate as she writes exclusively from her personal experiences. Her folk/pop style has been compared to the like of Missy Higgins and Joni Mitchell and she draws her inspirations from The Lumineers, John Mayer, Maggie Rogers & Gabrielle Aplin. She is currently working on her first EP.

Blackberry Fold

The Blackberry Fold are an intimate throwback to the music of the 50’s and 60’s, blending heartfelt storytelling and dry northern humour with country and folk songwriting traditions. Currently signed to NQR, this up and coming pair are a sure hit for fans of Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan and Pokey LaFarge.

Blackberry Fold are releasing an EP on the 23^rd of November.

Ollie West 

Cinematic, orchestral pop is a phrase not used frequently by bands to describe their sound, yet for The Ollie West Band this fits perfectly. Formed in 2014 by singer, songwriter and pianist Ollie West, this Manchester based ensemble are creating unique music that transcends genre and the generic ideas of the pop band. With influences as far spread as Elbow and Billy Joel to the Cinematic Orchestra to Claude Debussy, the band’s instantly recognisable sound has been praised by the likes of Neil McCormick and Dean Friedman.

Ollie will be performing a solo set for Verse and Chorus on Sunday and can’t wait!

Big Bill 

Big Bill is a small human with a big heart, telling stories and truths through rhythms and words, just trying to make the world a nicer place. She’s been performing at festivals and venues for nearly two years, up and down the country, including El Dorado Festival, The Poetry Society, and Manchester’s Jimmy’s and Zombie Shack.

Here’s a short excerpt from Do You Have Any Change?

“I understand if you don’t have any change; who carries coins anymore now that banks and shops run in a contactless age. And I understand if with these people, you do not want to engage, especially if you yourself are struggling on minimum wage. Because it’s not your fault that they don’t have a job or a home, and that it’s the streets they have to roam like wild pigeons that can speak, or rats with hands that smoke – and it is not your fault that over one third of homeless people have been deliberately hit or kicked or pissed on as a joke. Who decided that these poor people weren’t humans anymore?”

Ava Macpherson 

Ava is a writer and spoken word artist, having headlined different spoken word evenings throughout Manchester, her writing focuses on the modern female gaze. She graduated from Manchester Writing School in 2017 in English Literature and Creative writing and has currently got an internship at Buxton International Festival as a Literature Events Intern. Her other hobbies include, drinking overpriced Belgian beer and dreaming about winning the lottery.

“She would make something new to spice things up. To put the spice back into the relationship. Tonight was corgetti spaghetti” from ‘Rose Water’

“I want you to crush me. Kill me with your tiny green soft skins” from ‘Dropping’

“There he left you. In a Tesco’s plastic bag along with the postcards from Portugal” From A Loaf of Bread