Liverpool's The Cranebuilders have been ploughing their own furrow of miserabilist pop since 2000. Catch them in Preston on November 4.
Having emerged at the same time as other Merseyside bands like The Coral and The Zutons, The Cranebuilders were keen to distance themselves from the bourgeoning Liverpool music scene.
In the end, they found themselves more aligned to Manchester, with Elbow singer Guy Garvey calling them "the most important unsigned band in Britain", signing them to his Skinny Dog label and adding backing vocals to the band's debut album Sometimes You Hear Through Someone Else.
Continuing the Manchester connections, singer Tom Roberts has written with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and the band have also toured with cult acoustic trio I Am Kloot.
After the Preston gig, The Cranebuilders will be supporting Elbow in Leeds and playing a headline show in Wigan.
The Cranebuilders play the Adelphi in Preston on Friday, November 4. Tickets are £3.
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