Introducing: Georgian

With her spellbinding new single ‘Learning to Forget’, Manchester’s Georgian returns in full cinematic bloom. Melancholic yet commanding, the track continues her signature genre-blurring journey — a swirl of Southern Gothic, jazz-tinged psychedelia, and dark folk that builds from delicate introspection to distorted catharsis. Fronted by Georgia McKiernan and backed by a band that moves like one mind, Georgian is quietly becoming one of the UK’s most fascinating new voices. We caught up with Georgia to talk about heartbreak, memory, and why the unexpected is exactly where she feels most at home.

1. “Learning to Forget” builds from quiet reflection to a powerful, distorted crescendo. Can you talk us through the emotional arc of the track and how that structure reflects the experience of heartbreak?

Georgia - well, the verses see the speaker coming to the slow realisation that maybe this relationship isn’t working; problems are arising and things are being questioned, so we wanted to keep the instrumentation somewhat stripped back with keys, guitar, drums and bass. The chorus is where we see a notes being held longer and a kind of space between lines do reflect coming to terms with everything. The verses and chorus’ repetitiveness represent the cycle in which you’re in when trying to get over a relationship, you go through phases of being okay and you go through phases of not being okay, but that’s part of the process.The big distorted ending is greeted by a build through a double chorus, to really build tension and frustration, as it is so annoying when you don’t feel in control of your own emotions, and you just want to feel like yourself again. And that’s what the distorted end reflects; a release.I’m entering a new feeling of letting go, which is also met by a new vocal range and a more euphoric sound, as I’m finally able to let go and move on. 

James Polglase - I think the calm at the beginning of the songs really represents the shock and denial that you might feel immediately after something like a breakup. I like to think that the crescendo at the end of the song and video symbolises letting go.

2. Your sound blends everything from 60s psychedelia and jazz to Southern Gothic and folk horror. What draws you to such a wide palette, and how do you keep it feeling cohesive in a track like this?

Georgia - I don’t want us to sound like those annoying people that say “Oh I just listen to everything really”, but we really do haha. With there being five of us, we all come from different and eclectic musical backgrounds. I think it’s good to try and fuse different genres and sounds together to come up with something new and exciting. I think we keep a lot of tension throughout the song too, to indicate that a change is coming, keeping the song feeling cohesive. I guess the idea is to not go too overboard when trying to merge genres and different sounds. When it already has a certain vibe, somewhat stick with it, and just introduce small elements of other genres, like a little guitar lick, drum shuffle or a harmony. 

Harry - We’re a very musically diverse band, we all have such a wide array of genres and influences that we enjoy. We all have similar interests and aren’t afraid to go beyond our comfort zone, which keeps the songwriting process refreshing.

3. The video, shot in Manchester, feels raw and emotionally direct. What was the process like translating such a personal subject into a visual narrative — especially in your hometown?

Georgia - Understanding what the song is truly about is the start of visual process. For us, this song was about accepting your feelings and then trying to move on with life after a person has left. Director and videographer, Harry Right’s idea of transitioning between frames worked perfectly with this, as it’s literally showing the “moving on” subject.

Thinking cinematically for the “processing” part of the song, Manchester seemed to be the perfect fit as it’s a very busy, happening city and sometimes you can feel alienated from that. Especially when you’re going through a big change in your life, like losing a partner. Your head is so busy with processing your feelings and grieving, but life is still carrying on around you; this is where the party idea came in, as usually thats the time you should be having the most fun and the most conversation, but instead you’re feeling isolated and distant.The ending of the song and the video, when the situated guitars come in and the cymbals are crashing, sees the exploration of attempting to let go; I’m walking forward, I’m joining in with party antics and I’m trying to put it to the back of my mind. But this is a process, forgetting and moving on takes time, which is why my face suddenly changes mid-dance and I walk off for the end shot. 

Being in a familiar environment, like Manchester’s Yes Bar, was important to this too, as this is a raw and sensitive subject I wanted to make sure I understood my surroundings and had a good supportive group of friends as extras around me too. 

James Poole - “ Additionally with the song being 3 years old we had a good grasp of what we wanted to film and how to do it”

4. There’s a real cinematic quality to your music. Are there particular films, directors, or visual styles that influence how you write or imagine your songs taking shape?

Georgia  - Embarrassingly, I think it’s mostly from my super dramatic personality haha. I feel everything so strongly and deeply, so love for that to reflect through my music too with big distorted moments and then also isolated quiet guitars.

As a band though, we love all things old. Old western movies, vintage clothing, film cameras, as it all feels so timeless and cool, which I think can definitely affect the way we visualise our music. Writing stories within our lyrics seems to also be a common theme for us; people getting stuck within a deserted landscape or finding the perfect jeans haha, hopefully you’ll hear these tales soon .

Harry - I definitely think there’s a Coen Brothers feeling to our music. It’s odd, out-there, and sometimes so hard to understand. But its message, and honesty, are unwavering. It is its own style, and I think that’s the beauty of it.

5. Live, you’ve built a reputation for veering from sensitive folk into something swampy and intense. How important is that dynamic contrast in your performances, and how do you and the band bring that to life on stage?

Georgia - Important. Haha. The best songs for me are ones that grow, change and have a progression that comes unexpectedly to keep things exciting and fresh. A popular structure for us is a slow-fast-slow order, which is so fun to play as a band as it allows to get experimental on stage. We have a great collection of pedals that help us execute that sound live, and we love to use our bodies and facial expressions to reflect this progression too; slow sways with moody looks to start (maybe thats where the Mazzy Star comparison comes from? Haha) to throwing our heads back and fourth, dancing and squinting our faces, then back to swaying. We want to have to take our audience on a journey and back again. 

Connor - The 5 of us all come from different backgrounds musically, I think the combination of all the differences we have to each other actually work really well in putting our music together on stage

James Polglase - The contrast is a big part of how we hit the audience with emotion. Use the space and build up tension and then really try and hit home at the peak.