MEET THE TEAM

RACHEL BROWN

Owner and Founder

Northern Exposure was founded by me, Rachel Brown, in 2015. With a passion for music and a dedication to supporting emerging artists, I created the platform to provide a platform to showcase the incredible talent emerging in the region. In the years since Northern Exposure has grown into a respected and influential brand in the music industry. The Northern Exposure team consists of a group of dedicated individuals who work tirelessly to promote and support new music. Our team consists of passionate musicians, photographers, writers, and volunteers who share a common vision of showcasing the best talent from across the UK and beyond. One of the notable achievements of Northern Exposure has been our ability to raise money for worthy charities. In 2018, we collaborated with Help Musicians, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting musicians in times of need. Through this we were invited to parliament. In addition to our fundraising efforts, the Northern Exposure team has also achieved notable achievements in the music industry. We have released an album, featuring original songs by talented artists from the region. The album received positive reviews and gained traction among music enthusiasts.

Furthermore, we have promoted shows and festivals all over the country. We have actively campaigned to raise awareness about mental health issues and have raised funds for Sheffield Children’s Hospital, a leading provider of healthcare services for children. In addition to supporting local artists, Northern Exposure has also been actively involved in sending bands abroad to hold various competitions and festivals. We have organised showcases and concerts in countries such as France and Croatia, giving emerging artists the chance to showcase their talents to an international audience.

I’m also a photographer and had my work featured in the Guardian, Clash and Nikon Magazine and more. I am currently a third-year psychology student at Sheffield University, however, my passion for music persists, and I believe that blogs, webzines, magazines, and radio shows are essential in bridging the gap between emerging artists and a wider audience. Our team will continue to dedicate our time and efforts to supporting and promoting the music community.

Join us on our journey as we explore new sounds, capture stunning moments, and contribute to the growth and evolution of the music. Together, we can create a platform for talented musicians to thrive and share their incredible music with the world.

SOPHIE LIDYARD

Partner and editor.

Hey guys, I’m Sophie and I’ve been working at Northern Exposure for about three years now. I started writing for NE during lockdown when I was bored of my office job and realised I wanted to pursue my passions of writing and discovering new music. What started out as a bit of work experience has lead to me helping to run the day to day of the magazine, interviewing some of my favourite artists and attending some of the UK’s best gigs festivals, all flying the flag for NE and new music. Because of NE and the experience I have gained, last year I bagged a job writing for a magazine in Manchester – basically a dream come true! But not to fear music will always be my first love and I think the rest of the team share the same passion; NE is a labour of love but we love what we do. I am a proud Manc and think the music scene here is one of the best in the UK. From iconic venues like The Band on the Wall, to newer additions like YES and 33 Oldham Street, Manchester really does gigs differently. Its a place where there’s always new bands waiting to be discovered and pints waiting to be drunk, any night of the week!

Partner, admin manager and editor.

I joined the team back in May when a friend forwarded me a post they shared looking for contributors. I got in touch and before I knew it I was interviewing some of the best upcoming bands in the country for the Lakefest AMPED competition.

I’ve always loved music and been a keen writer but lost my way after having my kids quite young.

I have a BA in Media Communications and my day job is managing a small community library which I love. I rediscovered my passion for music a couple of years ago and what started as a trip down nostalgia lane has developed into a fiery passion and hopefully career path one day.

I’m always looking for my new favourite band and despite crossing over to the critics’ side, I am first and foremost a fan and that will always come first. I’m always at my happiest in the middle of a sweaty cramped venue with loud music. It’s my fuel and I always feel privileged to be given the opportunities that I have.

I live in Central Scotland so naturally I pick up anything this side of the border which I have turned into ‘Scottish Exposure’. Scotland has such an incredible new music scene that there is no shortage of artists worth covering – way more than I can ever do justice for but I will try!

I feel Rachel, Sophie, Holly and myself make a great working team. We all do this voluntarily through sheer passion for the music and share similar ambition for Northern Exposure.

Partner and Photogragher

Hiya! My names Holly, more commonly called Hol, and I’m a proudly Mancunian music photographer and journalist (born and bred I promise)!

Live music has always been a massive part of my life, and I feel enormously privileged to be able to combine my love for music with my other passions for the visual arts. I love the way I see things, how silhouettes and lights and different colours all appear to my eyes – its an individual experience completely based around perception that I think is so special and unique, nobody really ever thinks about that. Photography for me is all about sharing the way I view the world (in this case live music) with other people – maybe I’ll shine a new light or a new perspective on that event for them, even though we saw the same thing. From a young age, I was interested in the small bands of Manchester, the unsigned unsung heroes of the grass-roots – its what my city’s music scene is built on. For me now, photography is a way to support the grass-roots and also give back to those artists that opened so many doors for me. The relationship between industry workers, artists and fans is all mutual – each couldn’t survive without the other!

I’m very lucky to work with the artists I do, however I’m even more privileged to run Northern Exposure with three other incredible women – not everyone is as lucky to call their passion their job.