A Macclesfield shop owner and his band have released their latest single this week.

Field Manual is a five-piece Americana band all from the local area.

Their latest single Home features a sing-a-long chorus, sax solo and euphoric sound.

The track already has over 7,000 streams on Spotify alone.

Field Manual is fronted by Chris Insley, who founded and runs Macclesfield business AMP Guitars of 1A Chester Road.

Field Manual comprises Phil Styles on drums and backing vocals, Mark Borlase on bass, Andrew Young on sax, Robbie Roberts on Guitar and backing vocals, as well as Chris on lead vocals and guitar.

"It's been a favourite of ours in our live set for sometime now", said Chris.

"When it's in among the other songs it can be seen differently to hearing it as a single track I think. It's great to play for us as a band.

"It has been likened to Tom Petty which is rather humbling. 

"I really like the timing [of the track], which gives it an off kilter feel. According to our drummer Phil, it's mainly 6/4 but can go 4/4 in places.

"I have the tendency to write in odd timings, not on purpose, it's just how they tend to happen.

"[The meaning of the word] 'home' to me is about being grounded, not particularly about a house, it could be where you live, what you do or where you are in life.

"It was written a few years ago before the woes of lockdown. I think I write songs like stories where there may be no particular subject but it naturally unfolds as I write the words.

"I'm very impatient with lyrics so I have to write them quickly and then they change as we rehearse but generally they all have a subconscious meaning involved.

"I remember seeing a sticker on a car saying 'It's a great day, watch someone spoil it' or words to that effect. And that was in my mind like, things are good they can last or they change for better or worse. It's all quite positive though. You have to have down to go back up."

Field Manual are regulars at Mash Guru on 5 Back Wallgate.

They'll no doubt play the Macclesfield music venue again in due course.

They're also stars of Leek's Blues & Americana Festival.

Chris' Macc business AMP Guitars, which is frequented by rockstars from all over the country, will celebrate their ninth anniversary next spring.

"I moved to Macclesfield in 2012 and opened my Guitar shop AMP Guitars in 2013," he added.

"Phil, our drummer, was from Macclesfield when he joined the band prior to Field Manual ten years ago and we had a rehearsal space here which was more logistic to staying rehearsing in Manchester.

"So here I stayed and it is easy to say as an import to the town but it has a feel, very accepting and supportive in doing things like business, music, art and writing which the town has in abundance.

"Though my family lives in Leek now, which has the same creative air, our children are still educated here in Macclesfield and both Helen (Walford) and I work here. It's a real community spirit.

"Between Field Manual and AMP Guitars, I'm extremely lucky and grateful to do what I do. It's hard work, which I love. Owning a business can be like spinning plates, it's challenging, rewarding with very little time off.

"Once the shop closes I'm usually off to collect other guitars so the days can be long. I get to choose what guitars I take in, which is our market, vintage grade to vintage reissue models.

"I get to own and handle some very rare guitars and meet and become friends with a lot of famous musicians that I've grown up listening to."

Along with their contemporaries Fine Lines, the Cheshire band featuring BBC Radio 6 Music's Mark Radcliffe, Field Manual are part of a burgeoning Americana scene in our area.

"Americana is very much an ongoing culture the same as Rock and metal," Chris explained.

"Americana is a very misunderstood genre and most think it's all hay bales and yeehaa.

"To me it's The Troubadour, Wilco, Dylan, Band of Horses, CSNY, Kurt Vile and so on." 

Their debut album Someday Streets released in 2017, with Souvenirs following last year.

The future for the band is also looking bright, with a third album on the horizon for 2022.

"This is the first album that features our newest member Robbie Roberts on guitar and slide," Chris teased.

"He's really allowed the songs to go to the next level and given us really what we needed sonically.

"Plus he's a great personality to have in the band. We're very excited to start recording in the next few weeks and songwriting hasn't ever been as enjoyable as this.

"Our next Macclesfield gig is February 11 at the Wharf on Brook Street.

"We have a few more dates planned in the early part of 2022 including Party in the Pews at Christchurch on May 1st."

You can listen to Field Manual on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

The band can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Macclesfield: What do you think of the tune? Have you played it at the top of the article?

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