MLEKO – Gub Rock
Manchester seven-piece MLEKO sign to Heist Or Hit with their debut single “Gub Rock.” The band includes Ed Whirledge on vocals and guitar, Rory Baker on guitar, Tom Houston on sax, Charlotte Nuta on trumpet, Myron Endean on bass, Ioan Saul on drums, and Bruno Evans handling guitar and synth.
They call their sound “Gub Rock” because nobody can agree on a genre. People have thrown out post-punk, art rock, post-rock, alt rock, and prog rock. The band gave up trying to pin it down. Brass and guitars collide with quiet-loud dynamics that pull you in different directions.
“Gub Rock” opens with a murky bass line that feels uneasy from the start. Whirledge sings “As I tie myself to rocks and fill my pockets full of gravel” with calm precision before the track explodes. Brass blasts cut through, while vocals shift from measured delivery to throat-shredding intensity. The arrangement moves between beauty and violence without choosing sides.
The production keeps things raw. Horns hit hard, guitars layer over each other, and the rhythm section drives it forward with tension. The song builds slowly but commits when it needs to. Nothing polished for the sake of it.
MLEKO sold out The Castle Hotel in Manchester for their debut single show. They’re positioned alongside bands like Westside Cowboy in the Manchester indie scene.
