Bipolar Sunshine interview: Manchester will always be home

Image: Bipolar Sunshine 

It has always been in Adio Marchant aka Bipolar Sunshine's nature to remain progressive and forward-thinking in his approach to music. His latest escapades will see him perform for one last time in Manchester before seeking new pastures in America, a far cry from growing up on a Moss Side estate. 

Adio grew up amongst the siren of gurgling acid house from bedroom windows and eventually the reign of Oasis, masterminded not too far from where he grew up.

In similar spirit, he opted to forge a own musical journey from his bedroom within the boundaries of the M60, but by no means replicating the sounds blaring from the city in his youth. It was the seeping of rap and garage music onto South Manchester estates that led Adio to put pen to paper. Eventually setting out on his career path with Kid British, Marchant's creative desires led him to go-solo, bringing two EPs to the fore.

To attribute his music to a single genre would be a disservice to his craft. Adio labels it as GREY, a sound now channeled by others, including Jazz Purple and Gaika, that contrastingly beams in vibrancy, spirit and elasticity. Most of it all, it provides creatives a platform to express themselves, which is ultimately more important to the singer than fame or fortune. 

Of late Bipolar Sunshine embossed his vocal on a DJ Snake track and a debut album lies not too far in the distance. But before he says farewell to Manchester at Gorilla on Saturday 19th November with a DJ set and live vocals, Ben Smith took time out to snapshot his musical upbringing in the city that he will always call home.  

Find Bipolar Sunshine tickets

We hear this is your last show in Manchester before moving to the US, what’s influenced the move?

I find that i'm at my best when I throw myself in the deep end and figure out how to swim to discover something new about myself. That fuels my creative ideas. It's like when The Beatles went to India [laughs]. 

If you were to paint a picture of Manchester to someone over there, how would you pin the city down, both in the sense of its mentality and physical appeal?

The mentality of the people has always been uplifting and hardworking, but they know how to have a good time. It's grey most of the time but after a while you see the beauty in the colour. There's a certain warmth from the city that you won't find anywhere in the world. Manchester will always be home. 

Could you explain your musical affinity with the city when you were growing up?

When I was growing up alot of the kids I knew listened to acid house so I had that early Manchester upbringing regarding that sound. In terms of Manchester music Oasis were my first local love then I graduated to The Stone Roses and The Smiths.

I was pleasantly surprised that heros like Simply Red where from here. That definitely gave me a a sense of hope for the artist I wanted to be. I have been influenced by so much good music it would be hard to just say it was mainly Manchester music. It was more rap stuff like Nas and Busta Rhymes that gave me the sauce. 

Is there a particular gig experience that sticks out and perhaps paved your way into music?

I played Glastonbury a few years back, ten mins before we went on the park stage, there was nobody there! I was like, shit! I thought nobody had come out to see us as it was raining on a Friday. Lo and behold the sun came, obviously, and thousands of people made there way to our stage. I was made up for the year. Much love to those people who came that day, I will always remember that. 

Find Bipolar Sunshine tickets

How does the city compare now to the one you grew up in, is it as organic for emerging artists?

I think that slowly but surely the city is moving forward with what the new sounds that so many great artists are making. I'm excited that my entire Grey outfit are really taking a hold on the city. It wont be long before we have our own festival. 

We seen you were part of the Levi’s Music Project, which involves Skepta and his Tottenham roots, do you think inner-city upstarts are too often overlooked by major organisations/record labels?

Most definitely. They need to understand that the best talent comes from the inner city - the people who have nothing always figure how to make something that speaks to them and the majors wanna piece. I think more things like this need to happen in Manchester. 

Could you expand on your self-established musical community ‘GREY’, it certainly feels Mancunian, but not as colourful as the fluidity of genres in your music and the musicians involved?

GREY is a collective of creatives that all share similar ideas on all things creative. We didn't wanna fall under the wing of grime, hip hop or indie for that matter. We make our music, we create our visuals that feels GREY. It's our own cultural identity that we all emulate. 

What’s next for Bipolar Sunshine? I seen you tease “The journey is just beginning” on your Facebook page? 

Next is touring America, releasing more music, and taking the GREY flag and spreading good music to new places that are open to change. 

Bipolar Sunshine plays Gorilla on Saturday 18th November - tickets via the box below.

Like this? Read our interview with Boxed In: A prolific stage of my creative career