Thanks to the Piece Hall, Halifax is becoming a giant of the Northern music scene, yet the town isn’t all about visiting big names.
By Graeme Smith
We were at the prestigious venue to see Squeeze in the summer, and plenty of other stars have taken to its stage including Noel Gallagher, PJ Harvey, and Roger Daltrey.
We can’t overlook the town’s local scene, though, and Alastair Bentley is a proponent of it. Born and raised in Halifax, he’s a singer-songwriter who has come to our attention for the first time through his latest single, Box Office.
The track is his first release since EP, Echoes of Reflection, which landed in the summer, June 2025, and sees him embracing a bolder sound. Given the track’s title, it’s suitably cinematic, while also having a down-to-earth feel about it.
A cantering indie pop groove sets the early tone. When Bentley’s vocals come in, they are tinged with a sense of wisdom and regret, playing gently with words and expressions during a laidback first verse.
The chorus punches things up, giving us a taste of the track’s total emotional range. It was the wordplay that I kept coming back to, though, and it was the lyrics that initially drew me to the song too. The phrases stick with you. They’re bright yet melancholic, perfectly capturing our Northern spirit.
A bass-ridden bridge proves a late highlight. A chant of “meet me at the Box Office; I’ll be there” feels poignant in a cryptic way. It’s the final piece of a beautifully constructed pop rock track.
Here in York, we know plenty about being in the shadow of bigger cities. Halifax is the same. They’re making it work over there. What both places share is a vibrant music scene full of talent that’s trying to get noticed. I’ve sampled the delights here in York many times. Now, thanks to Alastair Bentley, I feel like I know Halifax a touch more.
I started this article by mentioning the Piece Hall, and that was with good reason. Bentley is part of the Piece Hall Academy, a collection of schemes, projects, and courses to “help train, educate, support and develop the next generation of creatives,” according to their website.
It sounds like a fantastic initiative and is clearly producing results in the case of Alastair Bentley. I look forward to getting better acquainted with his music in future.
Produced by Yaroslav Pononmaryov, Box Office is out now. You can listen to it below.
Supported by Musosoup #SustainableCurator