Punk is back – and a Salford English teacher is at the heart of it.
With the likes of Idles and Fontaines DC selling multitudes of albums worldwide and having unforgettable sets at Glastonbury 2019, Salford’s George Unitt is hoping to follow in their wake.
He fronts Tinfoils, a young and exciting group looking to burst onto the scene with vibrancy, energy and originality in their sound.
Their lyrics, mostly provided by guitarist and front man Unitt, are youthful yet satirical and critical of the state of things.
Unitt is a high school English teacher here in Salford, so spends much of his time in the area. The other members of the three-piece are Alex on drums and Will on bass.
The band formed by chance in a bar and since then have gone on to release four singles and play gigs up and down the country.
Their latest release, Spitting, is an energetic and bouncy anthem sure to put everyone in the room on their feet and marching about the dance floor.
The Mancunian trio had also scheduled a tour to promote the release of Spitting, starting in Salford at the Eagle Inn this May.
However, sadly due to lockdown restrictions this has had to be postponed. But the lads are looking forward to hopefully playing there once the tour gets going again.
They have fond memories of going to Salford gigs in their teens.
Unitt said: “I’ve been to some great gigs at the White Hotel, I’d love to play there one day.”
And Alex said: “One gig that sticks out for me was when I saw Springfield Elementary, Omens and Hamer all on the same lineup and it was just amazing”.
A wide array of influences can be heard within Tinfoils’ sound, such as Fat White Family, Led Zeppelin and Shame which is where the real grittiness and energy in their sound comes from.
His writing has many ’70s and ’80s influences like The Fall and the Buzzcocks.
“I love a lot of ’60s rock ‘n’ roll stuff like Little Richard too,” he said.
Their real originality is the blend of old and new, of punky beats and fast bass lines, with an almost jazz-like jumpiness and true rock ‘n’ roll energy and riffs.
Naturally the interview ended with the question every Salfordian wants to know: who’s your favourite member of Happy Mondays and why? It was “Rowetta” from Unitt ; “Bez” from Alex, and “Shaun Ryder because I think he’s a cool guy” from Will.
Listen to the full interview below, and check out the band’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and YouTube channel for more “Mardy, Northern garage punk”, musical social commentary and vivacious new releases.