Adjustments play noisy pop with vulnerable lyrics, syrupy hooks and gravelly guitars that will make your heart sing and ears ring in equal measure. The trio, made up of Tara Engelhardt (vocals and drums), Lewis Johnson-Kellett (guitar), and Finn Cohen-Ennis (guitar) are based in Manchester but hail from Caerdydd and Bradford. They originally met through the Corduroy Appreciation Society on 11/11, where they bonded over Wales and wales and strong cups of decaf.
Tara, Lewis, and Finn are already fixtures in the Manchester scene having played with Julia Bardo, Dee Rae, and Splint, but they founded Adjustments in 2023 to build something for themselves. They now practice and record in Islington Mill, a rehearsal space and studio shared with local artists W. H. Lung and The Orielles. Their eclectic songs reflect diverse influences: ringing guitars nod to Sonic Youth and Television, weird-sweet melodies bring English Teacher and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci to mind, the interplay between distortion and clarity is like what you’d hear from Pixies and Horsegirl, and their lyrics are steeped in nostalgia, inspired by poets like Rupert Brooke and Frank O’Hara.
Their debut AA single ‘Bendy A /Who You Want‘, came out last September. They say “both songs are honest and confrontational – they reflect the heat and hurt of the arguments we have with ourselves and the people we care about.”
‘Bendy A’ opens up like a flower, it simmers on nagging riffs and artful rhythmic percussion that slithers decoratively across the track with the hypnotic and multi-faceted vocals of Tara Gabriella Engelhardt. While the slow burning ‘Who You Want’ shifts time signatures and moods, their work reminds me of early Cate Le Bon or even elements of Slint or Horse Party. Very promising and magnetic. It’s a track that shows a prodigious depth of songwriting. We caught up with them to find out more.
Hi, How did you meet? Where?
Finn and Tara met when they were 12 and 13 in Cardiff, where they’re both from. They went to adjacent schools and met through mutual friends at Cardiff’s one and only Hollywood Bowl. Then they met Lew 10 years later in Manchester, again through mutual friends, but this time through the music community. We all became fast friends, Tara and Lew lived together for a few years and they were session players for Julia Bardo
Where does your band name come from?
Tara: A few years ago when the Julia Bardo stuff came to an end, me and the boys started jamming together. Shortly after that, I had a dream that we were playing a festival and were about to go on stage but we didn’t have a name. We were panicking. I turned to the boys and said “when the Julia stuff ended, we had to make ‘adjustments….'” and honestly woke up seriously wondering… is that a shit name? or is it a great name? I told the boys about it, more as a placeholder really, but they liked it and we went with it!
What was the first thing you released?
We were lucky enough to catch the eye of Jason from Before I Die records at a show we played at Gullivers in Manchester. He approached us after and this resulted in a double A-side single of “Bendy A/Who You Want” we also pressed a limited edition run of 7” vinyl which was very exciting!
What’s the music scene like in Manchester right now?
You can go out on any night of the week in Manchester and you might see experimental cello (lili holland-fricke), post-punk (shaking hand) and indie folk songwriters (dee rae), potentially on the same bill. We are very lucky to be based in our studio in islington mill which has 20years of history as an arts community and is a very nurturing and inspiring space.
How would you describe your music in five words?
Noisy, confessional, gravelly, hooky, naïve (in a cute way).
Which artists do you admire?
Television, Sonic Youth, Pixies, B 52s, Mazzy Star, Big Thief, Cate Le Bon, Ex Void.
Which albums do you share a love of?
Marqee Moon – Television, Light Up Gold – Parquet Courts, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain – Pavement
What would be your dream collaboration?
Cate Le Bon to produce us. That would be the dream.
Can you tell us about your next release?
We’re releasing a couple of songs digitally before the two shows we have in Wales at the end of June. Then we have a double A side vinyl coming out in October-ish with an independent label called Heaven’s Lathe, which we are very excited about.
What’s the best band you have played with so far?
We really loved playing with this band who are based in London called Strange Devotion. We played a couple of months ago in Manchester with them and a band called Fatberg who were also really great.
What’s on your rider?
One can dream…
What do you do to fill the time on tour when you aren’t playing?
We haven’t yet been on tour as Adjustments. We hope to do that whenever the opportunity presents itself!
What’s on your playlist?
All the Time – Acetone, Juno – Life without buildings, Embarrassing – The Tubs, Dirty Back Road – B 52s, Magdalena – Pixies, I Bleed – Pixies, Incinerate – Sonic Youth, 1880 or so – Television, Perfume -V – Pavement, California Stars – Wilco, Godsend – Beat Happening.
Are you playing any shows/festivals this summer?
We are returning to the homeland for 2 shows at Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff and CWRW, Carmarthen on the 20th and 21st of June. Also Manchester at the Peer Hat on the 12th of July.
More info here: https://linktr.ee/adjustmentsmusic.mcr
Together with SLUSH we are bringing Manchester’s Adjustments to Carmarthen for a headline date at CWRW bar! On the 21st of June, they will be supported by new Cardiff band Why Horses? And West Wales’ Tap-Out.
