A BIRCHWOOD band have been given a shot at taking on the music industry after being invited to play at a showcase for a Manchester record label.

Sweet Release are hoping to be signed onto Scruff of the Neck’s roster when the talent scouts are out for a gig at Night and Day Cafe in the city on Saturday.

The four-piece attracted the interest of the label after performing at the Star and Garter in Manchester a few months ago.

Scruff of the Neck could open a lot of doors for the band because as well as being a record company, they are national promoters and have contacts with all of the UK’s festivals.

They currently work with the likes of Orielles and The Slow Readers Club.

Bassist Kevin Hather, 31, said: “Scruff of the Neck viewed our track, Shine A Light, on YouTube and asked us to play at the famous, Star and Garter, earlier this year.

“It was a brilliant feeling which came out of the blue and now they have asked us back.

“We want to bring the British rock and roll back to the forefront of music again.”

Frontman Josh Jefferson, bassist Kevin, lead guitarist Nathan Bleasdale and drummer Shaun Clutt all went to Birchwood High School.

But it was not until the summer of 2015 that they formed Sweet Release, named after a line in an unreleased demo by Oasis called See The Sun.

Josh, 28, added: “Shaun and I were having a beer and listening to all the old tunes and we realised there was nothing around today that got us going quite like the old rock n roll tunes. We decided to do it for ourselves.”

A chance meeting with Nathan and a call to his mate Kevin completed the line-up.

Just two days later they got together for their first rehearsal and vowed to only perform original songs.

Inspired by The Doors, The Stone Roses, Kinks, Troggs, Rolling Stones and the Beatles, the band are also heading to the studio in mid December.

They will be at Prism Recording Studios in Stoke On Trent with Sony Award-winner Shaun Lowe to record their first EP which is set to be released in February.

Their aim for 2017 is to play at the UK’s best festivals.

Shaun, 25, said: “Awards and hit albums would be great but the ambition of the band is simple.

“We want to produce music that is up there with the best and provokes emotion in the listener.”

n Sweet Release perform at Night and Day Cafe in Oldham Street, Manchester on Saturday

DAVID MORGAN