Start Listening To: SILVERWINGKILLER

Merging punk chaos with electronic precision, Manchester duo SILVERWINGKILLER fuse Chinese mythology, multilingual vocals, and pure adrenaline into a sound that feels both dangerous and alive.

SILVERWINGKILLER make music that hits like a live wire. Formed by Yushang and James, the Manchester duo channel the harshness of their surroundings into explosive electronic punk that feels as abrasive as it is alive. Their debut EP, TRIAD FUNDED, nods to Chinese mythology and underground grit, stitched together through harsh beats, distortion, and multilingual vocals that cut straight through the noise. Offstage, they’re as unfiltered as their sound, talking mythology, identity, and what it means to make something new in a city that never waits for permission.

What inspired the title and concept behind your debut EP, TRIAD FUNDED?

The EP as a whole plays homage to Guan Yu, the Chinese deity of Loyalty, of whom is a symbol for Triad gangs. We never had any money and had to make ends meet in the past, whatever way. It’s very abrasive music and definitely suits Chinese gang culture.

We love your recent single ‘HOLD UP (ALL FIREARMS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM)’ can you tell us more about how it was produced?

Originally the track was saved on my laptop as ‘swk stomp’, sonically was supposed to have driving gabber stomps but then transcended into acid punk or something. We wanted the first track we release to be explosive and had the idea of the firearms theme whilst at a shooting range in Poland one time.

Can you share your songwriting process?

Usually, we lay down a temporary 808 beat in a demo, jam various parts with certain sounds until it’s hits something hard and build from there. A lot of the time with the right sound the parts can almost write itself and can be quite straight forward, sometimes the opposite. Yushang will try some vocal ideas with lyrics she’s noted prior, sometimes lyrics can come to mind in the way a melody would flow too.

What role do visuals play in your music?

We’ve played a few gigs with visuals we’ve made, quite fun and does fit the music, ends up stupid shit though like video game footage and Colonel Gaddafi memes. Our music videos are very DIY, visuals are not really our forte but it has it’s own charm. Sometimes we practice while watching ‘Metal Gear Solid 2’play throughs and that works as a visual queue to get in the zone.

Your live performances are described as intense and chaotic. How do you prepare for that energy before a show?

We never get nervous or anything because we channel everything into pure adrenaline. We get so hyped to be on stage. It’s almost like fight night or a football match, you’ve got to bring it you know, alcohol helps. Yushang describes this almost like clicking a switch inside, along with deep internal motivation to give it all we have.

What has been the most memorable reaction from an audience during one of your live shows?

One time we played the Windmill for Independent Venue week and this girl jumped on stage and started dancing all mad on the floor, that shit was wild.

How does your background in Manchester influence your music and the messages you wish to communicate?

It’s bleak up north, not gonna lie but also charming. Gives an annihilistic tone to a lot of the music that comes out of here, including us. Such rich musical history here, you always ask yourself whether Tony Wilson would approve of your music, although Manchester teaches you not to wait for permission to create something new and bizarre.

Can you tell us about the significance of multilingual vocals in your tracks?

It’s makes sense as Yushang’s mother tongue is Chinese. Language is both a bridge and a wall, switching between English and Chinese creates distance and connection at the same time. We like the idea of communicating with a wider audience.

What themes or emotions do you explore in your lyrics?

Disconnection, violence, technology, identity control – all the things that define life right now. There’s a lot of anger and feelings of frustration behind our Lyrics, always been put down in the past but on our own path. Times when not deep it’s hard bravado.

What do you love right now?

We love video games, recently been playing the new Silent Hill game. New series of the anime series ‘Spy X Family’ has been great too.

What do you hate right now?

There’s enough hate in the world right now, probably best to avoid this question.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

James: Justice’s debut album ‘Cross’, it’s electronic but delivered like a prog rock band. When I first listened as a teenager I didn’t have much experience in creating electronic music and that album always inspired me to be able to learn that skill. Generally, I’ve always loved the French.

Yushang: An album called ‘Show You Colour’ by Chinese rock musician Cui Jian. It’s rock music really but delivered in an avant garde way that is quite groundbreaking in the Chinese scene. It definitely blurs the line between a classic guitar band and something more.

When someone hears your music for the first time, what do you hope sticks with them?

Just the general intensity and rawness of the band. We have a lot of different sounds within our set, songs never drag on and there’s a lot of it. We always like to think there’s something in SILVERWINGKILLER for everyone.