“Genre-defying Gustaffson return with their infectious new single “Dance To The Algorithm” – a pulsating blend of rhythm, emotion, and sharp social commentary on our tech-driven world”

– Revamp Magazine 2025

Gustaffson are a five piece Manchester outfit on a journey to redefine what it takes to make ‘real music’ as a band in 2026. This Northern act encourages their fans to pick up the lyric book, unite as a collective and disconnect from the numbing comfort of the algorithm. Gustaffson are quickly becoming renowned for their curation of venue-specific, standalone shows that become calendar shaping events for their audience.

The band seamlessly blend the lines between film and music, fighting against the expectation for short, throwaway, swipe-right social media clips, and instead creating poignantly cinematic music videos.

Recent press have likened them to The Teskey Brothers, Richard Hawley, St Paul & the Broken Bones and Bruce Springsteen, emphasising the ‘soul of Gustaffson’ in their reviews.

So, whose bright idea was it to start a band in their 30’s…

“It was 2020, in the heart of Covid when myself and Webbo attempted a writing session on Zoom (not to be advised). We spoke of disillusioned listeners that were tired of modern music culture. We ended the call determined to form a band – a collective – to create timeless music built on the foundations of storytelling.”

Gustaffson were formed by lifelong friends Andrew Gower (lyricist & vocals) and James Webster (guitar). With the addition of David Gleave (bass), Liam Morson (keys) and Graham Bennett (drums), Manchester has become Gustaffson’s spiritual home. It’s where the band write, rehearse and record and has seen them play sold out shows at some of the city’s iconic indie venues including the Deaf Institute and Night & Day. They recorded their debut album ‘Black & White Movie’ at Blueprint Studios in Manchester with elbow’s Craig Potter at the helm (where elbow recorded their Mercury Prize-winning ‘Seldom Seen Kid’), a collaboration that began serendipitously on a film set.

“When writing our first record, each and every story kept linking back to my 15 years as an actor. I revisited all the collaborators; the inspiring writers, directors and actors…even my chance meeting with our producer Craig Potter was on a film set. I was continuously being inspired to make something cinematic and that would ultimately compel people to look away from their mobile phones.”

On its release in March 2025, ‘Black & White Movie’ achieved critical and commercial success, reaching #14 in the Official Record Store Chart as well as being featured in Rolling Stones’ “7 Albums You Need To Hear This Week”. It earned high praise from Jo Whiley, Chris Hawkins, Guy Garvey, and Gaby Roslin. The band celebrated with a spectacular sold-out show at London’s Bush Hall.

“The kind of record that reminds you why people fell in love with music in the first place.”

– Hunger Magazine 2025

In October 2025, the band returned to Blueprint studio’s with Potter and released the stand alone single ‘Dance To The Algorithm’. An uptempo retro-funk anthem that questions how we consume music in the 21st Century, provocatively asking: “Do you dance to the algorithm?

“We wanted to the follow up the album with something different. A new dimension. The best artists have all proven you can write about profound subjects yet still entertain your audience. A protest you can dance to.”

The single was included in Rolling Stone’s ‘Hot New Songs’ and was ‘Track of Dawn’ on Chris Hawkins’s BBC Radio 6 Music show. Gustaffson were featured alongside Richard Ashcroft and The Charlatans in the Best Five Artists of October 2025 by The Manc & Audio North and received stellar reviews from The Standard and Collider magazine. The band finished the year under the spotlight of ITV Granada introducing who highlighted their impressive music videos starring the likes of Sue Johnston OBE, Sir Ben Kingsley and Daniel Ings (The Gentleman) amongst many.

And Gustaffson show no sign of slowing their story down…

In 2026, Gustaffson will return to Blueprint Studios with Craig Potter to record their second album. There’s talk of delving even further into the soulful sound of the band, shifting away from the grandeur of cinema and focusing on the purity of music, although they wouldn’t be Gustaffson if they didn’t keep people second-guessing what genre-defying soundscape they might fall into next.

“Expect big – and loud – things from a new album they’re recording in the New Year. Nice to see someone bringing a bit of soul back to music. How did we ever lose it?”

– The Standard 2025