Macclesfield Musical Expats: Five performers from our town currently working elsewhere
By Alex Greensmith
16th Feb 2022 | Local News
With our town creatively punching above its weight, Macclesfield musicians can be a success inside or outside or town.
For every Stephen Morris or Phil Cunningham, there are also Macclesfield musicians who no longer live in our great town they grew up in, but are still producing great music.
Macclesfield Nub News loves to champion local musicians, even ones who aren't currently living in our town.
Here is our list of Macclesfield musical expatriates. Ones born, or raised in our town, who now live elsewhere.
Please let us know if we missed any, and who your favourite is on social media.
New Hope Club
Released two years ago this week, New Hope Club had UK No.5 album with their self-titled debut. Today, they have 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Frontman Blake Richardson is from Macclesfield, and a former pupil of King's School. His mum Soulla Costanda has taught at the Macclesfield educational institute since 2009.
Their first ever world tour had to be a virtual one, which helped them accumulate 2.21 million subscribers on YouTube
Blake hinted on Twitter that new music is on the way this year. The other two members are from Greater Manchester.
Jim Moray
He may only have 3,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, but multi-talented Maxonian Jim Moray is a big name in the live folk music scene. The award-winning folk revivalist has performed in our town, including an acclaimed gig at Mottram St Andrew in 2017. Jim was born in Macc in 1981, and later raised in Staffordshire. His sister Jackie Oates was born in Congleton, and also loves folk music. The fiddle player regularly performs with her brother. You can listen to Jim's tunes here. Hatty KeaneEx-All Hallows student Hatty Keane is a disco queen.
A Dua Lipa-soundalike with eye-catching 1960s and 1970s fashion style, Hatty has crafted her own little niche in the music industry.
Her 2021 single Let's Fly soared with over 111,000 streams on Spotify.
Speaking to Macclesfield Nub News last year, she said "Macclesfield is a great town with such great history and so many creatives, I can only hope to inspire more people to go for their dreams just as I've been inspired by those around me."
John Mayall
The most famous name on this list, veteran blues rock guitarist John Mayall was born in Macclesfield. The 88-year-old guitar hero grew up in Macclesfield during World War II. The legendary performer announced his retirement last year. He released his final album The Sun is Shining Down in January, and will perform his last ever live show in March. Mayall was awarded an OBE in 2005. He has shared the stage with Eric Clapton and members of Fleetwood Mac. The Bluesbreakers frontman has lived in California since the 1960s. John has had 14 albums to reach the UK Top 75, including five to hit the UK Top 10. 1968's album Bare Wires was just two slots away from being a UK No. 1 album. Despite his long career and world fame, the Maxonian has never scored a UK Top 100 single. His only Top 100 track was a US No. 81 in 1969, with his song Don't Waste My Time. Macclesfield: You can listen to a mix of John's greatest hits here. CONRADRaised near Macclesfield Forest, CONRAD stands at the precipice of stardom, since he moved down to London.
His music compliments piano-led singer-songwriters like Dermot Kennedy or Callum Scott.
CONRAD has just bagged 63,000 YouTube streams on his latest Hollow, which was released last month and can be listened to here.
A TikTok featuring the single also got almost a quarter of a million views.
CONRAD is regular supporter of Macclesfield's East Cheshire Hospice, the charity based on Millbank Drive.
The pop performer's tunes can be listened to here.
And that was our list of five Macclesfield musicians who currently live elsewhere!
Which musician do you most enjoy on this list? Please click the red links throughout this article to listen to their music.
See also: Every Macclesfield musician to have made the Official Charts.
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