INTERVIEW: Luca Fogale

INTERVIEW:

Luca Fogale

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IT has been interesting discovering…

more about Luca Fogale and what makes him tick. The Canadian songwriter has been telling me about his latest track, What I Came Here For, and what it is all about. He talks about the music scene in British Columbia and whether any tour dates are confirmed – including a trip to the U.K.

Fogale explains his favourite albums and musical tastes; what advice he would give to new artists; if there is a musician out there we need to keep our eyes open for; when music came into his life – the songwriter ends the interview with an awesome song choice.

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Hi, Luca. How are you? How has your week been?

Everything has been great lately, thanks! I hope the same for you.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Luca Fogale. I’m a singer-songwriter from Burnaby, British Columbia (Canada).         

What I Came Here For is your latest song. I believe it was inspired by your grandmother. Can you tell me about that?

I wrote the song after hearing a story from my grandmother about surviving an air raid in her hometown in Italy during World War II. She told me that one of her family members was killed in the first few moments of the attack and so she and the rest of her family and friends (that she was with at the time) realized that there wasn’t anything that they could do to stay safe - so they just held onto each other and hoped that they would make it through alive.

I found a parallel to my own life inside of that story; that at certain moments in time it can feel as though the only thing one can do is stay close to the people that mean the most and stay patient and positive until things get better.         

Is it a song that a lot of people react to and connect with?

It is! Playing the song at shows for the past few years, it always seems to be one that people in the audience resonate with.

I’ve spoken with people who have been through similarly traumatic experiences as my grandmother had; people who listen to it to help them fall asleep at night or wake up in the morning; people who decided to reconnect with a past partner after listening to it - and seemingly endless other reasons. It’s such a wonderful feeling to know that, if nothing else, I’ve written something that makes sense to someone.

Might we see more material coming down the line? What are you working on right now?

Absolutely. I’m currently in Montreal working on my second full-length album.

You are based in British Columbia, Canada. Is there a vibrant music scene there at the moment?

I think the British Columbia music scene has been getting better and better in the past few years, especially with an emergence of house concerts and multi-use-venue shows that have been becoming more and more popular because of a push-back against the more popular massive shows that happen when international touring artists come to town. When I was starting to enter the Vancouver scene six or seven years ago, it could be difficult to get people to shows unless they had already heard of your music and there still isn’t much of a culture around venues having a built-in audience. But, I think we’re moving in the right direction!

When did music come into your life? Was there an artist or album that lit the fuse?

Music has always been in my life since I started piano lessons when I was seven, but it never really held an important space for me until I found Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell’s music and realized how much power songwriting can hold. Once that happened, music became the thing that fills most of my time and thoughts, and it has been that way ever since.

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

Yes! We’re currently working on a tour for the fall and I can’t wait to get back on the road. The next gig I’ll be playing is at an incredible small festival in B.C. called Tiny Lights (Festival).

Might we see you in the U.K. at any point?

Hopefully, very soon! Touring the U.K. and Europe has been at the top of my list for a very long time…

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

I’m really excited to finish the album that I’m working on right now. I’ve been feeling more connected to music than ever and think that that sentiment is carrying through into these recordings.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

A lot of my favourite memories have come from touring Canada and getting to meet an endless amount of amazing people across this country that I love so much. If I had to pick a notable memory it would be of a conversation I had with a girl in New Brunswick who bought a guitar after hearing my album, Safety, and she had started writing songs in response to mine. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan

Hejira - Joni Mitchell

In Rainbows - Radiohead

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Tour and tour and tour…and when you’re not on the road, write music as honestly as possible. Both of those things are essential to connecting with someone who needs the specific music that you’re able to create and perform.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Not necessarily new but very new to me! - Perfume Genius. He’s got a new record called No Shape that I can’t stop listening to.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Haha. Music plays a lot of different roles for me, so I’m usually just playing or writing - but one other thing that I love to do very much is to cook.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Right on!

Sam Weber - The Heat

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Follow Luca Fogale

PHOTO CREDIT: Nishi Shinjuku 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/lucafogalemusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lucafogale

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lucafogale/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/luca-fogale

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3GKdEPHUSBp3iNT4SG2Med

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-3vRjhcMf8_BoYwwbHrR2A

INTERVIEW: Dossey

INTERVIEW:

Dossey

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MOVING us gracefully and seductively…

through the middle of this week is the incredible Dossey. She has been telling me about her latest cut, Heartbeats, and what more we might expect later in the year – she tells me why the music of the 1980s is so important and influential to her.

Dossey reveals albums that mean a lot to her and how her solo work differs to that she creates with Indian & the Jones; whether she’ll come to the U.K. this year and perform; musical memories that stand out in the mind – the Austin-based songwriter recommends some local new artists to check out.

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Hi, Dossey. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi! Thanks for having me!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Sarah Dossey. I play Electro-Pop music in Austin under the name ‘Dossey’. I’ve played in a few different Folk/Americana/Bluegrass bands, but this is my first Pop project - and I’m having so much fun. I’ve always loved Electronic music and also am crazy about creating catchy hooks and ear-wormy songs…so Dossey has been a super-fun experiment for me!

Heartbeats is your new song. What is the story behind the track?

I co-wrote the song back in Nashville in January 2017 with a couple songwriter buddies of mine, Adam Palmer and Lainey Wright. Conceptually, we wanted to write a song about a real love - something that can withstand the test of time or trials and just feels natural and normal. It’s hard to find that!

Since then, the song has taken many forms. I began working on it in June with a producer friend in Austin, Taylor Webb. He and I worked on the song for several months - seeing several renditions, arrangements etc and finally landed on something that is this surprisingly nice (in my opinion, at least!) blend of '80s Pop and current E.D.M.

Is there going to be more material coming later in the year?

Yes! I’ve got another single coming out in August/September and, most likely, one or two more before the year ends!

Did you always know music was where your heart is?! I get a sense the music of the 1980s is important to you…

I think I’ve wrestled with it a lot. I grew up in a family where music was definitely important, but not exactly portrayed as a viable career option unless it was as a Classical musician. The first musical production that I know of was when I played a goat in a farm musical in first-grade - which I had always thought was my first taste of music but, according to my family, I’ve been making up songs about pretty much anything and everything for as long as they remember….

As far as the '80s is concerned; I think it’s honestly less of an obsession with the music of the decade than it is the cultural feeling (of the decade). People experimented so much with art in the '80s! It was, like, anything goes - in fashion, everything was loud and fun. Very extreme prints were always lined up next to one another. Music was so dramatic. Pop music, especially, had such fun melodies and concepts.

Austin, Texas is where you are based. What is the music scene like there at the moment?

Austin is, and has always been, a guitar town! As you might imagine, Country/Americana music will always be king here, so there’s a ton of that happening. The Rock/Psych scene is super-prevalent as well. Not much Pop going on here, admittedly, which can be a challenge but it only makes me hustle harder. The music community here is actually really tightly-knit - we all support one another at shows, we write together; we’re in each other’s music videos.

I’m actually working on several different projects with people from different bands right now…

How do you think your solo material differs to the work you do/did with Indian & the Jones?

It literally differs in every way, except in the songs. As I mentioned before, I’m a huge song nerd. I don’t naturally sit in a room and start making sounds first and add the lyrics and melody on top: I prefer to hash out every detail of the song itself before it gets to the computer (smiles). That’s definitely how Folk music has always been made.

With I&TJ, we do have several instrumentals but the other songwriter in that band, Jesse Schaefer, is also super-nerdy about writing meaningful, well-crafted songs…so we work well and hard together. I’ve loved being in both projects in tandem - it feels like I get to use both sides of my brain; I feel it stretches me and makes me more creative.

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

At the moment, I’m focusing mostly on local or Texas-based shows, but I do have some one-offs to some key American cities in my sights as well. I try to play in Austin about once every three-four weeks. I’ve got a release show for the Heartbeats music video (!) at a place called Swan Dive here in Austin on 6/30 with some really awesome artists (Jane Ellen Bryant, ALKI and Loud Bird) joining.

Will you come and play the U.K. this year?

I’m actually trying to! According to Spotify, you Londoners are listening! T.B.H., most of my influences are from your part of the world (ABBA, The Knife; Massive Attack and Fickle Friends), so I can see how that can funnel into the sound. Know anybody that can help me get over there?!

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

At the moment, I’m just trying to work as hard as humanly possible. I don’t want to ever say ‘no’ creatively. I’m experimenting a lot with different sounds, working with a lot of new people; trying out any and every format of my band/solo live set I can think of and just hustling in general.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Honestly, the most amazing memories from making music have been when I have been given the amazing opportunity to help others through it. For example, I’ve traveled to China with a local organization called Austin Sound Exchange, where we spent over a week playing shows for a ton of college students every night and working with those in music and English classes during the day. It was, and continues to be, incredibly rewarding.

The other favorite moment was when myself and my buddy Tanner Evans (from Indian and the Jones) had the chance to play music for evacuees from Hurricane Harvey in September of last year. The city of Austin invited us to walk in to a shelter and play soft music during breakfast one day and it seemed to be so peace-giving to the people there who had, quite literally, lost everything the week before.

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

EASY - but I have to say four:

Rumours (Fleetwood Mac); The Immaculate Collection (Madonna); Wildflowers (Tom Petty) and Graceland (Paul Simon).

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Hustle Hardest! At a certain point, who ‘makes it’ or who ‘doesn’t’ has little to do with talent, but mostly to do with some strange, secret blend of Working the Hardest and Luck.  At least, I think that’s it?! Haha.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yes! I’m all about Austin bands, of course - especially ones with ladies at the forefront. Check out Shy Beast, Jane Ellen Bryant; Sweet Spirit, Go Fever; Signy, The Wild Now; FINLAY and Jaimee Harris.

All these ladies are KILLING IT right now (and based here in Austin).

IN THIS PHOTO: Jane Ellen Bryant

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I swim! (We have a natural spring, Edwards Aquifer,  that comes up from underground and makes for some really amazing spots to swim around town (The Greenbelt). I also do Bikram Yoga almost every day, and lately, I’ve been taking some evening spins around my neighborhood on my bike. Otherwise, a delicious meal with a glass of Zinfandel can calm me down almost immediately.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Oh, fun! Lately, I’ve been listening to How Will I Know by Whitney Houston on the daily.

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Follow Dossey

Official:

http://dosseymusic.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/dosseytx

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/dosseytx

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/dosseytx/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/dosseytx

INTERVIEW: Scarlet Sails

INTERVIEW:

Scarlet Sails

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THE fantastic Olya and Brian…

from Scarlet Sails have been talking about the video for their track, Hideaway, and how they met one another. I was eager to know whether the American group has plans for more material and whether Olya and Brian have any precious and special memories from their time in music.

Brian talks about life away from The Dresden Dolls (he is one half of the famous duo) and what Scarlet Sails hope to achieve before the end of the year; if there are plans to come to the U.K. at any point – Olya recommends some new artists worth watching out for.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Olya: Heeey! This week’s been crazy! The Hideaway video came out and we’ve been receiving an amazing response on it so far. also just spent last two days on set waking up at 4 A.M. and celebrating my eighth New York Anniversary in Brooklyn shooting our new music video for our next single, Upside Down.

Brian: I am a veritable flower of elation. This week has been an insane confluence of things in the works for many months and they all bore themselves nearly at once. We had the premiere of the new Scarlet Sails video for Hideaway; we signed with United Talent Agency booking - which gives a huge step forward touring the U.K. and Europe. The Dresden Dolls' shows at Troxy for Halloween were announced and the pre-sale sold out in fifteen minutes and we’re preparing the next Scarlet Sails video shoot. Bonanza.

The video for Hideaway is new. What was it like filming it? Was it a lot of fun?

Fun and slightly harrowing, as the original person we hired to film it bailed two days before the shoot and Olya’s very good friend and director/videographer, Karina Kandel, swept in and saved the day like a hero at the eleventh hour - with about seven of our friends who helped out with everything from production to costume design. Video shoots always, without fail, leave me feeling lucky to have the awesome people around us that we do...

Olya: Yes. Something that could have been a disaster turned into a miracle thanks to the wonderful, magical people around us. We pulled it together at the last minute and I consider myself extremely lucky to collaborate with such incredibly talented, resourceful and hard-working people like Karina and Brian - and the rest of the crew who showed up on a short notice and made it all happen.

Is there going to be more material from the band later this year?

Brian: Absolutely. Olya’s been on a writing streak over the last few months and we’ve been amassing demos here…so you can count on it plenty of new songs, especially at our live shows.

Olya: Yes. Like I mentioned earlier, we just finished shooting a video for our next single, Upside Down, which will be A LOT of fun. There are many new songs in the making and we like this new material so much that it is hard to pick which one has to come out next. It is a blessing and a curse of an independent artist: you make all of the decisions on your own. (More of a blessing, of course). No, total blessing, but a pain in the arse sometimes. Haha.

Can you reveal how Scarlet Sails got together? How did you find one another?

Brian: I had all but given up on the idea of finding someone until one night I found myself at a Black Flag tribute show on the Lower East Side at a club called Bowery Electric and, after the show, I was not just ‘shot’, but maimed by Cupid’s arrow, upon seeing Olya and talking with her. A friendship led to courtship and soon we began playing music together, working on her songs.

Since she told me it was her dream to pursue music for her life, and the amazing foundation we’d developed together, we knew that we could share our dream together and found the right person in each other - rather than feel at odds with a partner who couldn’t relate to our passion to play music.

Best fu*king thing that’s ever happened to me.

Olya: BOOM! I think Brian’s answer sums it up perfectly. Haha. I feel the same way. ALL THE WAY…

Brian. You are half of The Dresden Dolls. Was it easy transitioning to life in a band like Scarlet Sails?

It was absolutely second nature by this point. There are so many parallels in terms of the passion, commitment; the focus and the creative process involved, especially when one feels a stake in a band’s mission as a founding member and not just a sideman to help achieve an end, that it spoke as an absolute extension of my life, rather than switching gears.

Ironically, it was Violent Femmes that I left to pursue Scarlet Sails (not The Dolls) and the Femmes were, in many ways, the same situation as a new band because they hadn’t released an album for nearly fifteen years…so there was a lot of work to do, interpersonally and logistically, when I joined them...just like a new band starting out.

The most crucial thing for me is feeling like I’m working to my capacity with other people who equally invested in creating music we love. It’s very rare, so I appreciate the fact I can share that experience with Olya, Mark and Kevin in Scarlet Sails.

Brooklyn is where you are based. What is the music scene like there? Is it the best area of New York to discover hot new artists?

We’re actually based in Manhattan and the music scene across all N.Y.C. is diverse and fragmented; always in flux with bands, venues and neighborhoods hailed as the next cool thing that people flock to. I lived in Williamsburg, BK in 2007 and have lived at this crazy, huge old rent-controlled brownstone since 2008 and I absolutely love it here as a home base - though I’ve always looked internationally when it comes to music. 

I get out to support the bands here I do love here and, otherwise, keep my sites on the big picture for making the best music we can building a connected scene with bands across continents…

Olya: You can discover a hot new artist anywhere. I don’t think it’s fair to say Brooklyn is the destination for it. There’s Lower East Side, there’s Harlem; there are some random clubs in Queens and all over five boroughs where you can hear someone or some band incredible playing. We’re lucky in New York: we just have to provide eyes and ears. Everything else is already here in abundance.

Where are you heading on tour? Where can we catch you?

Brian: We have a run of headline dates and festivals in the Northeast U.S. in June and July which people can find right HERE - including playing with The Posies in Boston on their thirtieth-anniversary tour, which we’re stoked about.

Might you come to the U.K. before the end of the year?

Yes! As we switched agents just recently, we’re booking a short U.K. tour in the first ten days of November to follow the Dresden Dolls shows. Updates soon. Can’t wait!

Olya: We just got a confirmation from our booking agent that we will be there sometime in November! I love British music and British culture and it’s gonna be my first time in the U.K., so I’m extremely excited for this run.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

Brian: Worrying less about controlling the outcome of things and having more trust in everything working out and presenting situations I couldn’t have imagined.

Olya: I hope for us to continue doing what we love and to get to travel more playing shows across the globe.

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Brian: SO MANY! The camaraderie and friendships that stemmed from the 2007 tour with Cyndi Lauper; the surrealistic experience of recording with Nine Inch Nails on a junk-pile drum-kit I made; stumbling around the majestic setting in the rainforest at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.

This might seem a silly one, but one of the best things I ever heard was driving back from New Hampshire after Scarlet Sails first gig there and Olya had her feet up on the dash of the van. Judas Priest cranked on the stereo, munching snacks, and she says with a smile: “This is the life…”. I get emotional thinking of it…

Olya: My new fave is this video shoot we finished yesterday - the time we recorded our new single for Upside Down. Almost every new music memory is my favorite. Haha. I loved touring with Nina Diaz and covering Under Pressure with her...

Loved singing Delilah with Dresden Dolls. Love every show we get to play with Scarlet Sails; headlining Gramercy Theatre was amazing at the end of 2017. Really looking forward to playing with The Posies in Boston and headlining the Not Your Mother’s Music Festival with Drake Bell.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Brian: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, with an endless supply of noise-makers and Silly String on the rider, for contrast.

Olya: The Killers put one of my fav live shows so they would be great to tour with. Nick Cave is great, too. For the rider, I just need plenty of water, cucumber; strawberries and a massage therapist.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Brian: Don’t spread yourself too thin: pick something you’re passionate about and commit to it and give it all you’ve got; never do it half-assed. Ask around for help and use your resources creatively for everything else. Get people involved around you that care.

Olya: Believe in yourself. Don’t let anyone put doubts in your head. You pick the road, you stick to it. It’s your life and nobody can’t take it away from you…

IN THIS PHOTO: Vista Kicks/PHOTO CREDIT: Anna Maria Lopez

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Olya: I like Woodhead (New York band, really good friends), Vista Kicks (based in L.A.); Kelli Schaefer (Portland, OR), Uni (New York); Starbenders (Atlanta), Fiona Silver (New York) and Luke Buck (New York).

IN THIS IMAGE: Kelli Schaefer

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Brian: I have pet dogs. I do some gardening, or go to the beach and get in the ocean (or a combination of one and three...).

Olya: Walking, biking; reading, seeing friends; watching movies and traveling for fun.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Brian: Here’s a song more people should sing to relieve stress: 

Fuck 'Em - Shell Silverstein

Olya: Something that was stuck in my head while I was answering the question for this interview: Childish Gambino - Redbone

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Follow Scarlet Sails

Official:

http://scarletsailsband.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/scarletsailsband/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/_scarletsails

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ScarletSailsBand/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/scarlet-sails-band

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo79HgXPheODvdEj-kmfO1Q

INTERVIEW: Individual Recordings

INTERVIEW:

Individual Recordings

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THERE is that blend of enigma and raw honesty…

when listening to the music of Individual Recordings. I have been talking to Paul, the man behind the music, and how the concept got started; how he came to work alongside Bethany Compson-Bradford and whether there is a chance he will take his work on the road.

I learn how all the fascinating sounds come together and what we can expect from the forthcoming album; when music arrived in Pau’s life and what advice he would give to fresh artists coming through – the talented musician recommends a new act worth some time and affection.

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Hi, Paul. How are you? How has your week been?

Fine. Thank you for asking. I'd say that the week's been an average week…

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I promote my own music under the banner ‘Individual Recordings’.

I have chosen to describe the music as a kind of dramatic, contemporary orchestral Electronica...that's fairly downtempo.

What is ‘Individual Recordings’ and how did the concept come together?

To be honest, Individual Recordings was born out of dissatisfaction with the commonplace plugging of a particular type of music that appeared happily de-differentiated from the standard - and was certainly not creatively divergent from it.

I thought that I needed to have a go at creating some sort of sound that didn't conform to ‘production house rules’ and that was not particularly concerned with popular expectations regarding song construction, whilst not completely divorcing any work from the mainstream.

Perhaps, a little strangely, I was inspired by the curiosity that is The Langley Schools Music Project and some rather bare and naive recordings made back in the mid-1970s by a Canadian music teacher and an orchestra of students from various elementary schools of the Langley School District in British Columbia. The recordings were very lo-fi but easily found an audience by offering arrangements of a bold selection of classic songs that were interestingly re-contextualised by the simplicity and honesty to be found in the orchestra's recorded performance.

People found that they could relate to the work; an expression of emotion communicated through music that had an unrefined nature and that revealed essentially flawed mechanics. It was music divested of any pretence to be anything other than a sonic capture of the moment; honest and real.

Yep…that's what I wanted to create.

There is a cinematic aspect to the work. How do those sounds come together and form?

Sound can be manipulated in any way these days.

I start with a theme or motif and, then, experimenting with instrumentation, work it in ‘off-centre’ directions  hoping that the result will provide some sort of emotional impact. Generally, I find I end up with some sort of an orchestral core bathed in a constructed ambience...or something like that, anyway.

How did you come to meet Bethany Compson-Bradford? Did her talent and voice add something special to your work, would you say?

Simply, Bethany kindly responded to a ‘shout-out’ for a singer.

She had London West-End stage experience which I thought impressive, and she immediately demonstrated a capacity to alter her vocal style/intensity in precise keeping with my intentions for a song. If the songs that have been recorded meet with a positive response, then it is without doubt largely due to Bethany's vocals: interesting, emotional, beguiling.

I believe an album is out later in the year. What sort of themes and ideas can we expect to find?

Well. It's probably fair enough to say that it will not be hailed as a jolly sing-along experience. They'll be ghost motifs of fragility, underscores expressing unspoken emotion and a tidal rush of orchestral sound. Ultimately, of course, the songs featuring on the album will be whatever people find them to be. I can only hope that a listener finds them engaging, different and deserving of re-play.

When did music come into your life? Were you always drawn more to sounds and composition than conventional choruses?

Probably began to pay attention to music in the mid-teens…

My taste is music has changed over the years. Once, I was easily seduced by guitar-dominant works and found immediate appeal in hook-laden verse/chorus/verse etc. compositions. Whilst I do still enjoy moments of higher-octane/higher-energy music and songs/styles that venture into the anthemic, I have found that, nowadays, I am given to spending more time investigating the way music can convey feeling through generously-detailed and texturally ornate waveforms. I find that, often, the only way to introduce those elements of detail and texture is to visit an idea in an orchestral setting.

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

No touring is planned. I'll wait for the demand! (I won't be holding my breath).

How does an Individual Records performance sound? Is it easy translating the songs onto the stage?

The Individual Recordings sound was designed without any consideration being made of later live performance. Recordings were split between venues/studios and the resulting recording stems combined at leisure elsewhere.

Actually, on reflection, this might turn out to be a good thing as it would mean that, ‘on stage’; with parts re-worked with new instruments, the songs would take on a fresh character.

That sounds exciting!

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

Some recognition that the music exists…

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Politely telling someone playing the euphonium to be quiet.

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

Almost impossible to answer: I could give the title of three albums but, if you asked again in another year or two, I wouldn't give the same answer.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Always think about what you could change regarding what you’re producing to better bring originality and individuality to the mix.

IMAGE CREDIT: Half Formed Things

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I would like to recommend Half Formed Things from Edinburgh.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

If ‘chilling’ is getting excited by sports events, then, yes, by doing that. Unwinding is probably best achieved by spending time doing stuff in the garden (obviously, not when it's raining)

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

I'd like to just mix it up a bit and select a piece of music from Gattaca: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1997). Is that okay? The track is The Departure.

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Follow Individual Recordings

Official:

http://www.individualrecordings.co.uk/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/kindofcinematic

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/individualrecordings

INTERVIEW: Jordan Mackampa

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Sequoia Ziff 

Jordan Mackampa

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HIS latest single is an awesome and powerful…

burst of Soul that gets into the mind and lifts the spirit. Jordan Mackampa talks to me about One in the Same and the story behind it. The talented musician discusses his Congolese roots and when music came into his life; whether more material will come along the line – he recommends new musicians we should follow.

Mackampa talks about growing up in the Midlands and what sort of gigs are coming up; what it was like working with Benjamin Francis Leftwich; how he spends his time away from music; three albums that mean a lot to him – he offers some good advice for songwriters coming through.

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Hi, Jordan. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello. I’m well, thanks. Feeling a little bit under weather, but I’ll bounce back soon.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I would describe myself as a singer-songwriter who blends just the right amount of modern Folk and classic Soul and Blues.

One in the Same is your new track. Can you talk about its origins and backstory?

The song originally started with me messing around with some open tunings on my guitar, until I landed in a key that felt comfortable in. Skip past the hours of meaningless fondling and I had some sections down which could be interpreted as press, choruses; breakdowns etc., but I knew I definitely had the first verse cemented, which I then sent over in a voice note via email to Matt and Ben before our session the following day.

The song is basically about modern day communication and how we take for granted how easily we can text, FaceTime or even call a friend/loved one, which I believe has affected the way we talk to one another - there is a lot to be misunderstood through a phone call and there’s even more than can be misinterpreted through a lack of human interaction. We are all connected electronically, yet distant from each other somewhat physically and emotionally.

What was it like working alongside Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Matt Ingram writing this song?

I’ve known and worked with Matt quite extensively over the past three or so years: he played the drums on my first E.P., Physics; co-wrote Teardrops in a Hurricane on my second E.P., Tales from the Broken, which he also produced and we’ve just maintained a great working relationship and friendship since. Getting to write with B.F.L. was a dream. I’ve been a fan of his work since the early days and first met him at Barn on the Farm last year. We did that typical music industry of saying ‘let’s work together, let’s write something etc. etc.’ - but this time actually followed through with it and produced something I’m incredibly proud of.

Then, all we needed was Cam Blackwood to add his magic touches to it and we were good to go…

Is there more material coming later in the year?

Absolutely. The music I’ll be releasing now reflects the direction I want to take within my career: not just writing music for the sake of it, but giving the music some substance...about daily things we all good through, whether they are good or bad.

Give me a sense of the artists you grew up listening to. When did music come into your life?

Music has been in my life from a very young age: my mum has always said I was singing before I could talk! She told me a story once of how we were at my uncle’s house back in D.R. Congo. He used to hand-make guitars from the trees in his back garden and sold them to customers in his stall. One evening, we were sat in his living room. I must have been very young at the time, nine, maybe ten months, but I crawled over to one of his guitars and plucked a string with such a force and just turned around to my mum with a look of amazement on my face like I’d discovered the secret to life. My uncle said to her: “He’s found his calling” - and I think it was at that point my mum knew I was going to end up doing something with music sooner or later.

Because of my Congolese roots, I grew up listening to traditional music from my country a lot. It was constantly played in the house, especially on Sundays when we had to clean. As I got older, particularly during my teen years, I developed my own taste of what I liked, which is how I stumbled across Folk music and these extraordinary writers like Bob Dylan, Neil Young; Joni Mitchell - writers of whom didn’t need much more than a guitar and an audience to tell a story that could capture hearts and minds within a few words.

How important was your mother and her love of Soul to your roots and development?

My mother’s taste in music definitely influenced my sense of rhythm and melody. If it wasn’t for her and her love of divas and groove - from artists such as Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan; Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson; Bill Withers, James Brown; Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin and so forth - I wouldn’t understand how pitch, tone and key all play such a part in music - in addition to how they play on the listener’s emotions during a song.

You were raised in the Midlands but have Congolese roots. Do you feel you mix these disparate and diverse worlds into your sound?

I guess you could say so. It is not something I pay that much attention to if I’m honest: I just try to write what I know, taking influences from sounds that I like that I feel could work for that particular song…

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

I’ve just announced my biggest headline tour to date across the U.K. and E.U. in October as well as a few summer festivals.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

I hope to have recorded my first album.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

One that sticks to mind was my first solo show in Brussels, Belgium. It was one of those shows where I expected no one to come and we ended up filling the room - with lots more people eager to come and waiting on the stairs! I ended up playing for an extra hour than I was supposed to because I was having so much fun - and staying behind just chatting with people saying ‘thank you’.

It made me realise how far music can reach someone and the effect it has on them too.

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

This Is always the hardest question to answer! I can never decide because I don’t have three favourite albums: I have about three-hundred!

An album that definitely means a lot to me, however, would be Every Kingdom by Ben Howard. It really influenced the finger style of picking/plucking that I do now, for sure. Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay because it was the first grown-up show that I had saved up for to see and it has one of my favourite songs on the planet on that album, Us Against the World.

I think my final choice is A Different Kind of Fix by Bombay Bicycle Club. Every song, every word; back to front, I know it all. Listen to it and tell me I’m lying…

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Trust your gut. Always. It’s never going to steer you wrong, ever. No matter what your label says, managers say; friends say, fans say…trust your gut. You’re the only person in control of your career and your music.

Trust your gut. Always.

IN THIS PHOTO: Fenne Lily/PHOTO CREDIT: Hollie Fernando Photography

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Fenne Lily, George Ogilvie; Million Miles, Mali Hayes; Oliver Pinder, Luna Delirious and Angelboy + the Halos.

IN THIS PHOTO: Million Miles

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Face masks, cooking good soul food and listening to lo-fi Jazz music. Keeping it simple is the key to chilling out.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Bill Withers - Use Me Up

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Follow Jordan Mackampa

Official:

https://www.jordanmackampa.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/JordanMackampaMusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jordanmackampa/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JordanMackampa

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/jordanmackampa

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/24WPEGLYPvEsmk4GSDFyST

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl6F7LtY4TfByEISmpr25pw

INTERVIEW: JOYYA

INTERVIEW:

JOYYA

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THE awesome duo of JOYYA…

moved from Newcastle to London four years ago and, since then, have been making a name for themselves! In a revealing and open interview; Ben Dancer and David Pullen talk about their musical progression and how their new track, Horizon, came to be.

The guys reveal whether more material is coming up and when they started making music together; what life is like in London right now; if there are upcoming artists we need to seek out; what tour dates are around the corner; what sort of music they are influenced by – the boys each select a song to end the interview with.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello! We are great, thanks. Although, we are both still recovering from running the Hackney Half Marathon on Sunday, 20th May, which we did to help raise awareness and support for the charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We are called JOYYA, a duo consisting of Ben Dancer and David Pullen, and we love writing Electronic-Pop music that genuinely gives us a buzz to play and, hopefully, a buzz to anyone who listens to it.

 

Horizon is your new track. It seems to be a double-edged love letter. What sparked the moment the song was written?

In 2014, we both moved down to London from Newcastle and our latest song, Horizon, encapsulates the rollercoaster of emotions we both felt during the move. It was a huge jump for us both and the song definitely draws upon our anxiety, excitement and determination.

What is it like being in the city right now? As musicians; are there more advantages than disadvantages?

On balance, London is amazing - there really isn’t a city quite like it. It’s only when you get here that you really start to appreciate the sheer size of it and how much amazing music is being made here.

How did JOYYA get together? When did you start making music with each other?

We’ve actually been making music together for over ten years now, although this has been through a couple of different projects. When we both moved to London, we started meeting up just to keep playing more than anything and very quickly found ourselves writing new songs that felt incredibly exciting to play.

Therefore, we quickly decided to get our new material recorded and out there…

Is there more material coming from you guys in the coming months?

There certainly is! We’ve written so many new songs now, about half of which we’ve recorded and started mixing. We’re just keen to get them finished and out there for people to hear!

Who would you each count as influences? Did you grow up around a lot of different sounds?

As it happens, both of our dads play in Classic-Rock and Punk cover bands so, from a very early age, we’ve both been immersed in the classic sounds of The Clash through to The Who. I wouldn’t say these influences come through in our music too much, but it does mean we both seem to like very similar musical styles and sounds - which work really well when we write new music together.

Where are you heading on tour? Where can we catch you?

Our very next live show will be in Newcastle on 9th June at Evolution Emerging and we are very excited to be opening up the BBC Introducing stage. After that, we have a couple of London shows pencilled in but we are waiting to get these all confirmed up before we announce them, so keep an eye out as we have much more to follow.

If we come and see you play; what can we expect in terms of the material played and set-up?

Between the two of us, we try and play every instrument and every part between us. It makes for a more challenging performance but keeps it as live and as energetic as possible. We also always try and squeeze in as many songs as possible whenever we play, as we love playing our songs and trying to cut songs out of a set always feels like trying to pick your favourite child...if we had children that is...

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

We have lots of exciting things planned for the rest of 2018 but, overall, the main aim is to keep building our momentum through releasing more songs and playing as many more shows as possible.

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

This is a tough one...

Ben’s is when we had the opportunity to perform on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury in 2011 and our first real taste of what it could be like if we kept working hard towards our dream.

David’s is when we recently supported Fickle Friends at the Riverside in Newcastle, as we are big fans of their music and have supported and watched them over the last couple of years - so it was amazing to get to play with them.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I think this would have to be HONNE - one of our favourite bands at the moment. The rider wouldn’t be too exotic...just some beers and maybe some scran, too, would be a bonus. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

The main thing would be to believe in yourself and believe in the music you’re making. If you love what you’re doing, the chances are somebody else out there will love it too. 

IN THIS PHOTO: Cape Cub

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

We could give you a list longer than our arm...

But, if we had to pick one, we’d definitely say Cape Cub. Such beautiful music - and also incredibly nice lads, too.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

For both of us, music is our main way of unwinding from our everyday lives as we both also have pretty intense London jobs during the week. However, when we take a break from music as well, this typically involves going away with our girlfriends to somewhere quiet, away from the city.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Ben: HONNE – Sometimes

David: Reno & Rome - Our Love

Thank you so much for the interview!

Speak soon,

David & Ben

(JOYYA)

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Follow JOYYA

Official:

http://thisisjoyya.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thisisjoyya

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thisisjoyya/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/thisisjoyya

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/thisisjoyya

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3tbNz9tZJWyHm8221xs3I5

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNCY-7wWS_fq_W87aOanqQ

INTERVIEW: Between Giants

INTERVIEW:

Between Giants

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I am ending my interviewing weekend…

with a look at the new music of Between Giants. It is the moniker of Tyler John and I was eager to speak with the Florida-based musician about the new single, Nevemind – he explains how Between Giants came to be and what the project represents.

Between Giants explains hooking up with Kalimur and how music came into his life; whether there are tour dates coming up; if there are any things to tick off a list before the end of this year; some new artists that we need to be aware of – the songwriter ends the interview by selecting a rather nice song.

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Hi, Tyler. How are you? How has your week been?

Yo! I am terrible - and this has been the worst week of my entire life. I wonder if anyone has actually said that on here. I’m messing. I am fantastic! Every day I am here is a good one.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Absolutely. My name is Tyler John and I am ‘Between Giants’. The sound behind the project utilises many different genres and instruments and brings them together into a coalescence of gritty Electro-Indie-Pop. Keeping fee good vibes with a bite that forces you to really listen…

How did ‘Between Giants’ start life? How did you come up with that name?

Inspiration for the name hit when I was downtown in my city of Orlando and saw a painting of a man lost in the forest. The project began when I felt the need to write and sing my own songs.

Nevermind is the last single from your upcoming album. Is there a story behind the song?

Absolutely. I often have difficulty articulating my emotions for fear of being vulnerable to people. It is a serious problem! Nevermind is essentially my ode to that, pushing people away because it is easier than opening myself up but still yearning to express myself. A walking contradiction, really. The chorus refrain summarizes it well: “By the way, I more than love you – nevermind”.

The band, Kalimur, feature on the track. How did you come to meet them? What was that experience like?

Kalimur was actually a band that I created with my best friend Brett. We started it up years ago and saw great success – eventually, it was time to go our own ways creatively and it was amazing to be able to collaborate with him again through a collective vision.

He adds so much to any creative setting and made the process beyond-amazing. An extreme talent in all aspects of music and an even better human being.

Talk to me about the album and what we will expect in terms of themes and stories.

Thematically, really it all boils down to love, all aspects of it, good and bad; the beauty, the pain and the madness.

How did music come into your life? Did you grow up in a musical household?

Yes! My mother is an artist and always had me involved in some sort of creative field (since I was very young). My father is a world-renowned shower singer as well - so take that for what it’s worth.

Are there any tour dates coming up?

Lining it up as we speak! Check back in a bit for sure and make sure to come out! I love meeting new people and hearing your stories.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

There is this new taco place I really want to try…as for the project; I want people to dig the album and also to go on another East Coast tour!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Returning to the town I went to college and high-school in on tour and playing the venue I used to go to see shows at. That was a major nostalgia trip, let me tell you. I felt so out of place playing there but, hopefully, I didn’t suck too bad.

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

The Cars, Badlands and A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Never stop, create genuinely and explore.

IMAGE CREDIT: @efekurnaz 

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Definitely check out Kalimur (featured on the track). They just released a new single and have some amazing music. Brandyn Burnette is another artist that is killing the game. The Merks also have a unique sound.

IN THIS PHOTO: Brandyn Burnette

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Almost none. Between full-time school, work and volunteering, almost all my free time is spent writing, producing or playing shows. Music is my escape, though, so it’s okay that the grind never really slows. As long as I am surrounded by good people, I am always at peace.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Bump that new Kalimur song! (I Will Follow). Thanks for having me.

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Follow Between Giants

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/BetweenGiantsFL/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/betweengiantsfl

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/betweengiantsofficial

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7BBAmjlRZDHAN8GOhRTQ6K?si=BzbqLo53S9CPQsqQ_stegw

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/betweengiantsofficial/

INTERVIEW: Blackjack Love

INTERVIEW:

Blackjack Love

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AZZA is the man behind 'Blackjack Love'…

and I was eager, before I talked about his new music, to learn whether there is a story behind the moniker. The songwriter tells me about his new track, Carryin’ On (Rockin’ and Rollin’), and what it was like working with Jon Astley on his amazing album, Bullets & Blues.

I discover the musicians that influence Blackjack Love and when music came into his life; what he hopes to accomplish before this year is through; his favourite memories from his time in music – he provides some pithy and useful advice for upcoming artists.

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Hi, Azza. How are you? How has your week been?

Yea. Alright, thanks. You? It's been ok. The weather was a bit moody but now the sun is shining, on the righteous, right?

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I'm Azza; a songwriter/producer/guitarist from Woking.

How did the idea of ‘Blackjack Love’ come to be? What inspired the name?

The idea came from a little E.P. I'd recorded along with (playing some) open mic nights around L.A. and Joshua Tree. The name, on the other hand, came from a racehorse. Haha.

Carryin’ On (Rockin’ and Rollin’) is your new single. How did the song come together? Is there a story behind it?

Well. The whole album is loosely a concept album, set in old times; a Wild West kinda thing. So, the song is a piece of that puzzle. We'd recorded the song and I always had it planned that there would be some piano in it, leading the track. So, we called in an amazing player called Olly Wedgewood to lay several parts down and we cut it up into what it is now.

Bullets & Blues, your debut album, has Jon Astley mastering. What was it like writing and recording the record? What was it like working with Astley?

Writing the record took some time, but only because I had started to record one song, then started mixing it; then I thought that I'd write an album! So, once that was the case, the rest was written in a few months. The song was done in 2015, then I probably ummed and ahhd for a while. Haha. We recorded most of it in a pool room! Some of the reverbs are actually from the room itself! The vocals for Won't You Give It? were recorded at Studio City Sound in L.A., which was cool.

Jon Astley is one of the coolest, nicest guys I've ever met and he did a top, top job on this album.

How did you come to meet your manager – The Jam’s former drummer, Rick Buckler?

I honestly can't remember! I think someone got him to see my old band at a gig, then he put on a gig for another artist he was managing and my old band played. (Or it might have Guilfest; I'm not too sure). So, that's how he became our old manager. That band split a while ago but we remained friends, which is cool.

When did music come into your life? Were there particular artists that influenced you?

I think music has always been in my life - before I could even play an instrument! My uncle had a wide musical taste and would always have music on in his car, or would buy me C.D.s. Yeah. Noel Gallagher, Josh Homme; Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye and HDH. There are loads.

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

As of yet, no tour; just starting to sort gigs out so nothing concrete yet - but when there is, all the info will be on Facebook etc.

If we came and saw you play; what would the live show consist in terms of material and feel?

Material from the album: some new, some old. Maybe, I’ll throw in a surprise cover somewhere. Straight-up Rock 'n' Roll, baby.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

Decent fans, decent album sales and decent shows. Oh, and world domination, of course. Haha.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Playing the Indigo at The 02 and supporting Stiff Little Fingers was cool. The best, probably, was recording in Manchester once and going on the sauce with Frank Harper. Haha!

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

Oasis – (What's The Story) Morning Glory?

My all-time favourite.

Marvin Gaye – What's Going On?

So cool. He's saying a message. It was his kinda growth from a sex symbol to a man with a voice/message.

Nirvana – Nevermind

It made me wanna play the guitar.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

If it sounds sh*t, it probably is sh*t…so start again. Do what you wanna do and don't lose sight.

IN THIS PHOTO: Déjà Vega

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Déjà Vega, Birdsworth and Coco La Funk.

IN THIS PHOTO: Birdsworth

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Yeah and no. I get time away from the studio, but the music never stops. I don't know how to unwin. Haha.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) – Marvin Gaye

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Follow Blackjack Love

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/BlackJacklove/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BJLMusic

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/blackjacklove

INTERVIEW: Paige Bea

INTERVIEW:

Paige Bea

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SITUATED in the suburbs of South London…

Paige Bea has been talking to me about the scene where she is and what inspired her latest single, Your Echo. The promising songwriter tells me what it was like being recognised by BBC Radio 1Xtra and where she heads in terms of gigs and material.

I ask her which albums have influenced her most and whether there are new artists we need to keep an eye out for; what advice she would give to artists coming through – Paige Bea reveals a special memory from her time in music.

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Hi, Paige. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey! I’m not too bad. It’s been very busy, thanks!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Of course. I’m Paige - Paige Bea, if we’re being formal - and I’m a singer-songwriter from the 'burbs of South London. 

Your Echo is your latest cut. Can you tell me what the tale behind the song is?

Most of my songs are an amalgamation of myriad experiences, as opposed to one specific experience. I think I had the refrain in my head for a long time after getting fed up with someone for not caring enough about our relationship - and the verses just kind of spilled out in the studio. Songs about epic love are in the past: our generation is all about people flaking or ghosting, or thinking people and emotions are disposable. 

Tell me about working in The Premises Studios and working with people like Jonjo Keefe, Teresa Origone and KINDER. How important were they regards your sound on Your Echo?

Oh, it was so great. I’d already worked with Leo (KINDER) kind of since the start of the whole Paige Bea project but I think with Jonjo’s slightly more edgy production style and Teresa’s incredible Jazz keys and synth skills, it just went to the next level. The whole thing was pretty spontaneous and felt natural.

We didn’t really go to the studio that day thinking we’d even make anything start to finish…and we managed to write the next two singles. So, yeah, it was a pretty good day. 

How do you think it builds on Pick Up Your Heart? Are you looking ahead and planning other songs?

It’s an important step for me. I love Pick Up Your Heart; it was one of the first songs I wrote and thought, ok, that’s actually pretty good which is massive for me because, like, ninety-nine percent of creatives, I am my own worst critic. But, Your Echo is closer to where I think I want to be stylistically; I think it pushes towards a more unique sound. 

You have gained support from, among other sources, BBC Radio 1Xtra. How important and encouraging is it getting that backing?

It’s hugely important because, as much as I will always sing and write music for myself no matter what, that kind of support keeps you believing that it’s not unrealistic to think you could pursue it as a full-time career one day, even though the whole thing is definitely baby steps. 

What is the vibe like in South London right now? Is it a great place to make music in?

Yeah. I mean, there’s a crazy-cool Jazz scene going on in South East London, but I’m stuck out in the 'burbs of South West. I think the mundanity of suburbia is interesting in its own right: the routine, the uniformity; the ‘community’ that’s often just façade and I think it’s important for me as an artist to not pretend I’m from a more edgy, urban place because that’s not my background. I think people respond best to art when they can sense it’s completely authentic. 

Have you always had a passion for music? Was there a moment that compelled you to write your own stuff and get into the industry?

Oh, definitely. I used to (just) sing questions at my mum instead of talking when I was a baby and, back when I lived in Camberwell when I was about four years old, I invited our entire neighbourhood to my flamenco show at our house. Luckily for my mum, no-one turned up.

But, I’ve always been very keen to perform for people, that’s for sure. I think, as soon as I graduated, I had that switch flick of being like, ok, I either write songs and pour myself into this one-hundred-and-ten percent or I go do something else.

That was about two years ago…

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

I don’t think I’ll be touring yet: I’m still very much in a creative hole just finishing up the E.P. but I want to put on my first headline show at the end of August/start of September. I’ve got a couple of fun support slots coming up. Come along!

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

I’d like to get to a point where I can see this being a viable full-time career but it’s extremely hard to get that kind of certainty in this kind of industry. So, I think I’d like to play a sold-out headline show, release my E.P. and (just) get more of a catalogue of work on the go. I want to be at the point where I say ‘look at what I’ve done’, not just look at where I’m going to go. 

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

It’s strange. Every new opportunity or good news about my songs I get ends up superseding the last. But, really, for me, my absolute favourite part of the whole process is when I go to the studio with nothing and get into a complete state of creative flow - and just end up writing melodies and lyrics in such a focused and almost subconscious way. You get to the end of the day having created something that didn’t exist before and that other people might enjoy and relate to. That’s, hands down, the best part. 

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

Oh, god; I’m going to say the wrong thing for sure, but here goes…

Joni Mitchell – Blue

For the lyricism, for teaching me that songwriting doesn’t have to follow rules; for the heartbreak and the timelessness. 

Jeff Buckley – Grace

It’s a little clichéd but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get that C.D. and literally run it into the ground when I was fourteen. I remember sitting so close to my stereo I was almost hugging it - and I’d hang off his every note. 

James Blake – Overgrown

This was the only album I had in my stereo during my second year of uni. I went through a really rough break-up and it became my catharsis. Our Love Comes Back still makes me teary every time. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

If you keep telling people you’re an ‘aspiring artist’ or that you’d ‘like to be an artist’, it’s never going to happen. You have to tell people you are an artist; you just haven’t refined your art or got the break you need yet. You have to be certain that you are an artist to your core and you have to work at it all the time. This industry is not for the fainthearted: it’s a war of attrition. 

IN THIS PHOTO: Bad Honey

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Oh, sooooo many. Check out Bad Honey’s new E.P. It’s soothing and infectious at the same time. Also, look at Sabiyha’s Hollow Bones E.P. – her voice could move mountains.

I’ve also just been listening to this guy called Bakar who has released a mixtape called Badkid – it’s the first music in a while that I’m really struggling to categorise. 

IN THIS PHOTO: Sabiyha

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Not really! When I’m not in the studio or rehearsing, I’m probably at work or trying to find more work. London life is pretty unforgiving like that. I love to read, though. I’ve just finished reading Donna Tartt’s The Secret History – and I’ve just started Han Kang’s The White Book, which is really moving.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Oh, wow! That’s a tough choice. I’m an incredible indecisive person. I’d make a crap D.J. Let’s go for the song I’m currently blasting out: it’s Night on Earth by Jerkcurb. His stuff is well worth checking out. 

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Follow Paige Bea

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/paigebeamusic

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/paigebeamusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/paigebeamusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/13OFf8e9FsAgMtdhivPhTA

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEnz1byAQai7dem7oWub14A

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/paigebeamusic

INTERVIEW: Scott Michael Cavagan

INTERVIEW:

ALL PHOTOS: Brian Nicholson 

Scott Michael Cavagan

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I have enjoyed speaking with Scott Michael Cavagan…

as he tells me about his upcoming album, 21st Century Love. I have been asking about its themes and why he decided to raise funds through a Kickstarter campaign. Cavagan chats about music in the North East of England and the albums/artists that inspire him – he reveals how music came into his life as a youngster.

Cavagan looks ahead to gigs and tells me what he hopes to achieve in 2018; if there are new artists we need to check out; if he gets time to chill outside of his busy music life – he ends the interview by selecting an awesome song.

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Hi, Scott. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello. It’s been a great week, thank you. The sun has been shining, so no complaints...

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Yes. My name is Scott Cavagan. I am a singer/songwriter from the North East of England and I’ve been in various bands over the years, but I am releasing my debut solo album later this year. My music is a mixture of everything that has influenced me: everything from '80s Pop/Rock to Manic Street Preachers.

Your album, 21st Century Love, is available for pre-order. Can you describe the themes and ideas that inspired the songs?

It’s a collection of songs that I am really proud of; in many ways, it’s a diary of events that have happened over the last few years. There are a number of songs about fame - people’s obsession with it and how people define it. There are a few songs about heartache and loss but it’s an uplifting album no matter what the subject matter was. It was important to me to make a positive album and I think I achieved that.

I believe it was funded through Kickstarter. How does it feel knowing so many people got behind it and wanted to see it happen?

Yeah. I actually had finished recording the album but it took a long time; I worked with people like Baz Warne, John Waugh; Fiona Brice and Jeff Dunn which meant working around the touring schedules of The Stranglers, The 1975; Placebo and Venom Inc. To avoid further delay in putting the record out, I thought the quickest way would be to do a Kickstarter campaign to help mix it. The reaction has been absolutely brilliant I have to say. I was a little dubious about launching it via Kickstarter because you just never know how these things work, but I am really pleased I did.

The best thing about it is I’ve had a lot of nice messages of support and people say they are really looking forward to its release. It’s nice to know there is actually a demand for my music.

Do you have a favourite song from the album that seems to define it?

To be honest, it changes from day to day. I’m fond of all of the songs in different ways. At the moment, I’m really enjoying a song called Hurts, which is the first song on the album, and it’s really up-tempo. It starts off almost like E.D.M. but turns into a brass-led '80s Pop song.

How do you think you have progressed since the 2015 E.P., Neon Lights? Can you see changes coming into your music?

I would love to think my songwriting has progressed and is always progressing. The songs on that E.P. are actually on the album with a number of changes. Writing those songs gave me the confidence to start this solo project some time ago, so I felt it was important to include them on the album and that they deserved a proper release.

When did music come into your life? Do you remember the artists you grew up around?

Well. My mam and dad used to play music all the time was I was younger. I fell in love with The Beatles because my mam would play them a lot; my dad used to play things like The Stranglers and Fleetwood Mac. All of those bands have so many amazing songs - it would have been impossible not to have been influenced by them in some way.

County Durham is where you were raised. Is there an active and growing music scene there, would you say?

There have always been brilliant bands from up here and there are some bands making a lot of noise within the industry at the moment. Whether there is a growing ‘scene’ or not, I’m not really sure. I certainly don’t feel part of a scene if there is one. I’m just enjoying making music.

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

I kept my diary free this year to focus on finishing the album but I do have a gig supporting Detroit Social Club in September which should be a great night. My first-ever live gig was supporting David Burn’s (D.S.C. singer) first band and it’ll be pretty much twenty years ago to the day - so I see that night as a bit of a celebration. I’d like to think I’ll play a lot more shows later in the year.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

I always wanted to release an album with my previous bands but it never happened for one reason or another, so releasing 21st Century Love will be my proudest musical moment for sure. In terms of the rest of the year, I don’t know. There is still so much I want to achieve musically: in my head, I am still that seventeen-year-old lad who longs to support his favourite band.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Ah...there have been loads. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredible musicians and play some great shows. Obviously, the solo stuff I’ve done is that extra bit special to me. I think seeing Phillip Schofield sat on a sofa with Holly Willoughby introducing a song of mine on This Morning was one of strangest, yet joyous, moments of my life. 

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

The Beatles – Help!

Just because it reminds me of being young and discovering music. It’s full of great songs; really fantastic melodies and harmonies.

Manic Street Preachers – Gold Against the Soul

This isn’t even my favourite Manic’s album, but this album is important to me because it really turned me onto the band. A fantastic album. Not held in as high regard compared to the rest of their albums but a very good Rock album.

Manic Street Preachers – Lifeblood

This is just a beautiful album. Again, it’s not an album that gets talked about much but it’s glorious. Beautiful vocals from James; brilliant melodies and soundscapes.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I’m not sure I am in any position to give anyone else advice, but I would say just try not to take everything too seriously and enjoy it.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

There is a band called Sick Joy who are from the North East but based in Brighton. They have been around for some time in various forms but they really should huge. Also, I know you have spoken to her before, but RIDER is making some beautiful music at the moment. I can’t wait to hear more from her.

IN THIS PHOTO: RIDER

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I do. Music is something I do as and when I can, but I love nothing more than spending time with my baby son and my wife.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Future Islands – A Song for Our Grandfathers

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Follow Scott Michael Cavagan

Official:

https://www.musicglue.com/scott-michael-cavagan/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/scottmichaelcavagan

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/cav81

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/scottcavagan/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jZ4WHxtUGXS5fnGus4V4H

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/generationterrorist1

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/visionsofmadness

INTERVIEW: Midnight Shine

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Sean Sisk

Midnight Shine

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ADRIAN Sutherland of Midnight Shine…

has been talking with me about the band’s new album, High Road. I ask what it was like working with John-Angus MacDonald and Tim Vesely on the record and why the band decided to cover Neil Young’s classic track, Heart of Gold.

Sutherland tells me about gigs and whether the group will come to the U.K.; whether the Canadian band has any plans for the rest of the year; whether Sutherland has time to relax away from music – he recommends a new artist that is worth some time and attention.

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For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

I’m Adrian Sutherland; frontman of the Roots/Rock band, Midnight Shine.

 

Tell me more about High Road. What sort of themes inspired the music?

Our third album, High Road, was inspired by a number of different themes, mostly the experiences of growing up in the remote community of Attawapiskat in Canada’s North. Some of the experiences were not so good, while others were positive. But, the main theme is resilience: standing up and persevering through hardships and coming out the other end fairly unscathed.

What was it like working with John-Angus MacDonald and Tim Vesely?

It was such an honour to work with producers like John-Angus MacDonald and Tim Vesely. John-Angus was very calm down-to-earth and easy-going and was full of ideas. He’s the kind of person that I would like to learn from and aspire to be like someday. Tim was similar but approached the songs differently. He also has lots of experience producing and was able to capture the feel and magic of the songs he produced.

It was a real pleasure learning from and working with both producers.

The record brings in new musical tastes and elements. Did all these new elements come together naturally? Was it important to push your sound on?

You can say the third album, High Road, is building more on our first album, Midnight Shine, and trying to develop a more mature Roots/Rock sound versus a commercial Pop sound.

For me, it was important to create a sound and lyrical context and themes similar to what I did on the first album for a number of reasons such as wanting to inspire people, finding a place for my emotions and re-directing that energy into something more positive. Overall, it really felt like a healing journey for me. 

 

One of the standouts is a cover of Neil Young’s Heart of Gold. What was the reason for tackling that sound?

We decided to cover Heart of Gold as a sort of a last-minute decision. Neil Young was someone who inspired me many years back to write music of my own. When we were recording Heart of Gold, it didn’t really feel like we were doing anything special at the time. But, we did want to make it unique in a way that set us apart from any other version out there.

After the mixing process was done, it was clear that we had done something pretty cool with this classic song. Neil Young’s publisher gave us permission to make the changes that we did and we are pretty proud of how the final song turned out.  

What sort of artists did you grow up around and are influenced by?

Some of the artists I grew up listening to were Neil Young, Tom Petty; Creedence Clearwater Revival, Nazareth and a few others.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sean Sisk

It seems like you have some great gigs in Canada coming up. Which dates are you looking forward to most?

I would have to say the gig I am most looking forward to is Skookum Festival in Vancouver’s Stanley Park on September 8.

Might you head to the U.K. at some point?

I’m sure someday we will be making the trip over the big pond to do shows. 

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

In 2018, we hope to make a lot of racket and win over as many people as we can out there - because we believe we are a band with an important purpose.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sean Sisk

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

One of my favourite memories in music was getting to share the stage with Tom Petty at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest in July 2017; definitely one of the biggest highlights of my music career so far. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

The advice I would give to any newcomers would be to build a solid team to help you elevate your music and take it to the next level. This industry is a big machine with lots of moving parts, so any help you can get will go a long way...

IN THIS PHOTO: The Static Shift/PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Miles

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

One of the new bands that I really like are called The Static Shift. You should check them out. 

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I do get time away from music, which is usually time spent with family at home (I have four kids and three grandkids) or out on the land. I spend as much time as I can hunting and fishing - and carrying on our Cree traditions.  

Finally, choose any song you’d like to hear, and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

I’d like to hear Saint Cecilia by the Foo Fighters 

_____________

Follow Midnight Shine

Official:

http://midnightshineonline.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/midnightshineonline

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/midnightshineon

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/midnightshineonline/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7pj79EKmLJAAagoOvrgalQ

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNvvtsnwSKQvI5nNWAwEd2w

Bandcamp:

https://midnightshine.bandcamp.com/

INTERVIEW: Darren Campbell

INTERVIEW:

Darren Campbell

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AMONG the busy world of the singer-songwriter…

there are those who stand out and remain in the memory. Darren Campbell is one of those artists with the range and talent to endure and compel. He tells me about his latest track, Wherever You Are, and how it feels having it out there; how he has progressed as a musician – he tells me when music came into his life.

I ask him about gigs and influences; whether there is more material coming later this year; how it feels picking up impressive acclaim and support; if there are any new acts worth following – Campbell ends the song with an awesome song choice!

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Hi, Darren. How are you? How has your week been? 

Hey, Sam. I am doing great, thanks. This week has been pretty hectic as I am in full swing of promoting my new single! I am also planning a trip to the States for my brother’s wedding - so that’s fun!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Of course. My name is Darren Campbell and I am a twenty-four-year-old singer-songwriter from Scotland. I am now based in London and spend my time playing in venues around the city to promote my music and meet like-minded musicians.

Wherever You Are is your new single. Can you tell me what its story is and what inspired you to write it? 

Wherever You Are is inspired by the need to travel and see what’s out there in the world. I have older brothers in the States, great friends living in different countries and my parents back home in Scotland. With this song, I captured the feelings I had regarding the need to get out of your comfort zone and experiencing life whilst still feeling close and connected with the ones you love, even if they may be half the world away!

I see it has picked up a lot of acclaim – including a spot on a prominent Spotify playlist! How does it make you feel knowing the song is connecting with people around the world?!

This is honestly the best feeling a musician can have. When you take into account the fact the song has gone from only me playing it in my room to being produced and put on the Internet, and now being heard by people across the world…

It’s quite an amazing feeling.

Will there be more material coming later in the year? What are you working on later this year? 

Yes. I am working on a music video this summer, so watch this space!

Dundee is your hometown. Is there quite an active scene there at the moment? Do you think the mainstream media overlooks Scotland when it comes to musical talent? 

I’m honestly not too sure about the state of the Dundee music scene at the moment. I reckon London has more opportunities going for musicians: I guess that is the reason I moved here in the first place. I don’t really think Scotland is overlooked either. For example; there is The Edinburgh Fringe festival in August!

Do you recall when music came into your life? What might we find if we searched your record collection? 

I don’t recall a specific date. But, the first album I ever bought was by a band called Ghosts; it was called The World Is Outside. I loved that album and played it constantly! Nowadays, I listen to lots of style/genres. My top-three (artists) at the moment are Gregory Alan Isakov, Harbour and The Wonder Years

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along? 

My next gig is at Roadtrip & The Workshop on 2nd June in London! I am supporting a band called Mercy Mode (from L.A.).

It seems, to me, the stage is somewhere you love to be. Is performing live your favourite part of releasing music would you say? 

I love most aspects of being a singer-songwriter: performing on stage is an incredible feeling and I always walk off feeling great. I also love the idea of people listening to my music in their homes and on their phones!

What do you hope to achieve in 2018? 

This year, I will be working endlessly to get people’s attention on to my music. I am confident now that I have Wherever You Are recorded. I’m so happy with the finished product.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind? 

One night, I brought my speaker down to Leicester Square in London and performed live on the street. I drew a large crowd and everyone began dancing to the songs. It was a brilliant night that I will always remember - and something different to what I am used to.

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

Only by the Night by Kings of Leon; This Empty Northern Hemisphere by Gregory Alan Isakov and War Paint by The Dangerous Summer.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through? 

Well. I’m not sure how qualified I am to give advice as I am only twenty-four! But, the principles I am living by at the moment is work, work, work! You have to want to succeed more than you want to relax - and more than you want to go out and get smashed on the weekends. Also; money you earn should be invested back into your music - not on extortionate meals, extortionate alcohol and extortionate fancy clothes, cars and jewellery etc.

Sounds extreme, but that’s what drives me - and I’m pretty passionate about these viewpoints!

IN THIS PHOTO: Gregory Alan Isakov/PHOTO CREDIT: Blue Gabor Caleel

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out? 

I’d definitely recommend Gregory Alan Isakov if you are into your Folk music - and also Misterwives (my brother’s band).

IN THIS PHOTO: Misterwives

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind? 

I set one evening of the week aside from music (usually Saturday evening) to chill, destress and spend time with my friends.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here.

Let’s say this one from Harbour...

_____________

Follow Darren Campbell

Official:

http://www.darrencampbell.co.uk/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/darrencampbellsmusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/1darrencampbell

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/darrencampbellmusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/54xz4bJLjkjKssOdLkZebS

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/darrencampbellmusic

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRHr5UpQ8GkTc_JeJ-ekapg

INTERVIEW: Run Maggie Run

INTERVIEW:

Run Maggie Run

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FROM a Chicago force of nature…

I head to the shores of a band with equal force and fortitude. The Hamilton-based band Run Maggie Run has been talking about their new single, Endlessly, and whether more material will come – the Canadian band discuss their formation and the sort of artists who have inspired them.

The chaps recall fond memories and tell me where they are touring; if international gigs are a possibility; all the new artists we need to get our ears around; whether they have any more plans for the remainder of 2018 – they end the interview by selecting some cool tunes!

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Peter: We’re great! This week has definitely been a busy one, with the release of the new single and all. But, super-rewarding as well - it really is an amazing feeling to see people vibe and resonate with something that we’ve worked so hard on.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Certainly! We’re Run Maggie Run; a group of five Canadian fellas who love making music. We’ve been described as ‘Vaguely haunting Indie Folk-Pop’ before and, to date, we still haven’t come up with a better description of our sound!

Can you talk about the new single, Endlessly? What is the story behind the track?

Gavin: We’re right in the middle of putting together our first album. We had a line-up switch: our first drummer left the group and we sorta floundered in limbo for a month or two before adding Jared, our current keyboardist. It was during this time that we started messing around with some more electronic elements as well - and with all this change there was a lot of uncertainty as to how the band was going to move forward.

Endlessly was the first track we wrote with Jared in the group, and for us, I think it was exactly what we needed. The success of putting this tune together is what gave us the confidence to keep moving forward with this new line-up/approach.

Dylan: This tune began as one of those ‘Let’s-all-make-noise!’ sort of jams, if I recall correctly, and, as mentioned previously, was the first track written with our current roster. This was really a sort of spur-of-the-moment connection between the five of us and I feel it really built a solid foundation and was a great ice-breaker for the tracks that have followed. It has really felt like a rebirth in a sense; a band change that was accompanied by a shift in focus and sound that couldn’t have been more refreshing and inspiring!

Jared: The verse’s structure came together as a collaboration between Peter and Gavin. I’ll be honest; at first, the three-chord nature with F major opening and closing the sequence was not something I bought in on originally - though I’m all in on it now! I was messing around with a bunch of chord progressions and one eventually led to the chorus. Darren and I also developed the outro, over which Dylan put this killer guitar line with great amounts of delay. All was left to add some Gavin-esque vocals and lyrics - and we had a new song!

Darren: This song had something for everyone in the band: it was a bit of an amalgamation of what we all wanted to write. It is one of the only songs we wrote from scratch as a spur-of-the-moment jam and I think that added so much to the emotion it has. Ultimately, I think it makes people feel the way we wanted them to feel and that was the main goal.

What was it like putting the video together? Was it fun to shoot?

Peter: The shoot itself was definitely a lot of fun - we shot it with our good friend Rohann Agalawatte (of R.O.Creative) in a bowling alley basement after the alley had closed; so the actual shooting was all done around 1-3 A.M. The set and overall look turned out way better than we had ever hoped – however, there was a price to pay and that came in the form of carrying seven massive CRT T.V.s up and down a full set of stairs. Unfortunately, we’re musicians and not powerlifters so that was definitely a bit of a physical struggle!

That being said, the end product was definitely worth it in our opinion and we have to give a lot of that credit to Rohann for being a wizard with the visuals.

Is there more material coming from you guys? What are you working on?

There most certainly is! We won’t give away specifics for now, but more music is definitely coming - if any folks are interested, maybe keep an eye out around August. Our social media’s will be giving you all the right hints and details at the appropriate times.

Jared: The best previews are given at our shows. We’re continuously writing new material and, presently, this is the only place (apart from the rare Insta-live broadcast) to hear our new repertoire…

Run Maggie Run formed in 2016. How did you guys find one another? Is there a story behind the name?

Peter: Of the original line-up, all of us were students at Sherwood Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario and had all been friends throughout our time there. Gavin and Darren were in a group called Citizen Kid in high-school while myself, Dylan and our original drummer, Devin, played on our own. After high-school, Citizen Kid ended up disbanding and, after a few months of Gavin using the moniker as a solo act, he brought the rest of us in.

Around the time that Devin left, I went to an Engineering Society Coffeehouse (I was and still am an Eng student at the University of Waterloo) and found out that Jared, who I had known previously, was an absolute wizard on the keys. I asked him to join once we had the vacancy and he accepted!

Jared: Peter heard me play (and sing - though that was a more of a detractor I think!) at said coffee house. It wasn’t until about two months later that a message on Facebook came through asking if I knew any drummers or keyboardists. I jokingly replied: “Is that an offer (to join your band)?” Turns out I had very similar tastes in music. After a few trial rehearsals in January of 2017, I started playing live with the group in the following month.

 Gavin: As for the name, there’s an old Folk song by a band called The Journeyman, and one of the refrains in it is “Run, Maggie, run/Chase the rising sun”. I used to listen to this song all the time with my dad, so it’s kind of kept a special place in my heart and just seemed super-appropriate as a moniker.

Do you think the material you are making now is the truest sense of who you are and what the band is all about?

Dylan: In this current stage of our musical careers, I’d like to think we are only just graduating into something deeply atmospheric and emotionally-driven. We are really giving our all and going over everything with a fine-toothed comb when it comes to songwriting and planning for future events.

So; I would say our current material is the truest sense of who we are now but would like to add that there can only be progress made from here. We can only really learn to express ourselves deeper and more accurately as time goes on. I guess what I mean is ‘yes’, but this is only the tip of the iceberg…

Where are you heading on tour? Where can we catch you?

Peter: We’ve got a small four-day tour coming up at the beginning of June around Ontario with some buddies of ours from a band called Swim Team - we’re hitting up St. Catharines @ The Green Room on 2nd and Toronto @ The Painted Lady on 3rd.

If anyone reading is around and interested, stop by and give us a shout!

Might you come and play the U.K. this year? Do you get a chance to gig over here?

As much as we would absolutely love to, international gigging is really tough for us - all of us work full-time to support both ourselves and what we do with the band and even getting the time off is difficult, not to mention the money, permits etc. It’s 100% on the to-do list and we have a few touring grants in our sights to help us make it a reality but, unfortunately, it’s just not practical for us at the moment!

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

Essentially, we’re just looking to do what we’ve been doing for the past year: writing tunes and sharing/playing them wherever we can, whenever we can and to whomever we can!

Dylan: I think, for us, 2018 is going to be a very slow and thought-out year of fine-tuning our sound and capabilities as musicians, with the general focus on releases we have planned as well as learning to achieve a more viable work-life balance with all of this. As stated previously, we are all working full-time in order to keep the R.M.R. train going and it is a blast - but some finer organization can only mean for cleaner work!

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Peter: For me, that’s probably going to have to be music class in grade 12. I had music then a spare as my final two classes of the day in the final term of grade 12, which was absolutely awesome in the first place.

What made it even better, though, was that me and Gavin were actually the only two percussionists in the class; since most of the stuff we did in class was based around scales, we were sorta just allowed to head to the auditorium adjacent to the music room under the pretence of practicing rudiments and just noodle on all the random instruments in there.

So, yeah; I got to spend half of my final high-school term literally just goofing around on piano, drums; timpani, vibraphone and guitar. Definitely, the best semester I’ve ever had.

Jared: I spent two semesters working at Harvard Medical School in Boston and was fortunate enough to have seats to see the Handel and Haydn Society’s production of the St Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach. Bach’s my number-two composer of ‘Classical’ (or should I say ‘Baroque’?) music. I have no words to describe that performance…

Darren: I think my favourite moment playing music was being on stage in front of over 200 people for our first album-release show. That show was the most eye-opening moment of my music career because of the sheer fact that the people that were there were there for us. It is a feeling like no other.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Dylan: To be honest, I think you’ve got me personally on the ropes here. There are just too many brilliant artists that inspire and entertain me over and over again, ranging from local artists we already gig with to long-gone '50s Swing groups and straight-up Deathcore metal bands. Being able to get on stage and support any act using any gear is already a true treasure to me that I think I’d rather wait and see what could happen.

Jared: I hear The National puts on a pretty good party. Lots of keys in there that I could jump on pretty quickly. Also, anything Jonny Greenwood.

Gavin: Definitely J. Tillman, also known as Father John Misty. For starters, his music is awesome. But, even outside of that, I feel like hanging out with him would just be an experience-and-a-half as he always seems to have something interesting to say. That and the fact that any man with a beard like that knows how to party.

Darren: I would have to say John Mayer. John Mayer is one of the most talented guitarists of our lifetime and one of the most versatile musicians around. I would love to just be there with him to learn more than anything.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Gaynor

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Peter: I suppose my advice would be to do what you want to do. If you want to make Billboard top-40-style hits because that’s the music you love, go for it. If you love ambient Polka and that’s what you wanna make, go for it. The farther you go into the music industry, the more you realize it is an industry and, as such, there’s a good argument to be made for creating music with a stronger popular appeal…but I think that, at the end of the day, if you don’t love the music that you’re creating it will show...

Dylan: …and knowing your audience, your sound and how to make your sound fit in well with other bands/acts of the same or similar genre. This is really important towards gaining a decent network fast. In our early stages, we found a small handful of bands that really sounded great next to our music and I think it really helped coax listeners in and definitely helped spread our name as well as the bands we have played with. Knowing your sound and who it caters to and being able to fit into that spot.

Jared: I believe it was Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes who says that the coolest thing about being a musician is that you get to pick your fans. I think everyone can appreciate that any particular piece of music will have universal appeal. So, don’t worry about that! If you build it, they will come!

IN THIS PHOTO: Long Range Hustle

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Peter: There’s a lot of great talent in the Ontario region. I’d recommend High Waters from Ottawa for a more Radiohead-meets-Hey-Rosetta vibe; James Blonde from Niagara for a more Pop-Rock-oriented Muse sound; The Kents from Lindsey for a great Indie-Rock sound; Ellevator from Hamilton for a Synth-Rock/Pop vibe; Long Range Hustle for a more Folk-ier Indie-Rock sound - and Boniface from Winnipeg for some great Indie-Rock tunes. I could go on for hours, but I’ll leave it at that for now!

IN THIS PHOTO: Ellevator

Dylan: Hobo Johnson; Open Mike Eagle, Lewis Del Mar; Maps & Atlases

Jared: I’ll double-down on Long Range Hustle. I’ll also add Family of Things!

Gavin: I’d give a shout to Rival Consoles or Foreign Fields! They've been around for a while, but I've just recently started listening to them. Nick Hakim and Bill Ryder-Jones as well!

Darren: I would recommend a listen to one of the first groups we’ve ever played with: Birds of Bellwoods.

IN THIS PHOTO: Birds of Bellwoods

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Dylan: Aside from my day-job, my life is surrounded by music. Constantly listening and adventuring deeper down the streaming rabbit hole. I really like to just unwind with good food, good music and good company.

Jared: We all are sporting jobs or at school, so hanging out together is usually centred around music. We’re still all greatly interested in what each other has to say about everything sound; so this isn’t a problem for us! As for on my own: I golf.

Gavin: To be honest, I’m pretty much doing something related to music every day. If I'm not playing music with one of the two bands I'm a part of, I'm recording or writing music. If I'm not recording or writing music, I'm probably playing some WoW or Rainbow Six Siege.

Darren: I would say that the best way to unwind for me is to sit out in my backyard and play the guitar for myself with a cold brew. Honestly; music is my way of relaxing. It’s why I love it so much.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Peter: Mercy - Plants and Animals

Dylan: Honeybody - Kishi Bashi

Jared: Bollywood - Patrick Watson

Gavin: Doomed - Moses Sumney

Darren: Bon Iver - 715 - CR∑∑KS

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Follow Run Maggie Run

Official:

https://www.rmrband.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RunMaggieRunband/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RunMaggieRunOFF

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/runmaggierun/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4opc5QdmR2Fh3jg42z4pyA?si=TB7Z38gNS8WWVCsTObTalg

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/run-maggie-run

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuVFUMK4uQiKcOyBFzDgkJA

INTERVIEW: Birds of Chicago

INTERVIEW:

 Birds of Chicago

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IT has been a pleasure speaking with Birds of Chicago…

PHOTO CREDIT: Yve Assad Photography

as they tell me about the new album, Love in Wartime. I learn about the album’s themes and where they head next; how they got together and the importance of Chicago to their music and passion – they reveal whether music, in these tough times, is a catharsis.

I ask whether certain decades and periods have inspired their music; what tour dates are approaching; if there is a new artist we should look out for; whether they get the time to breathe away from music – Birds of Chicago talk about playing in the U.K.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

This week has been nuttier than some, from a travel perspective. We finished a five-week run in Europe with a concert in Shetland, Scotland…then back to London and then on to D.C. One day off (today) to catch up on emails and laundry and then headfirst into North American fest. season with Del Fest and Nowhere Else festival.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We’re Birds of Chicago. We’re a collective of about seven musicians. We ebb and flow as far as who’s on the road - but the constants are Alli Russell and JT Nero… 

Love in Wartime is your new album. Can you talk about the themes and inspirations that go into it, thematically?

For me, the mandate for music, and art in general, is to allow you to wrestle with the bleakest, most terrifying or otherwise completely shit*y aspects of being alive on this planet in a way that somehow feels joyful. That’s all Rock and Roll has ever been to me, but that’s everything…

Obviously, Chicago plays a big role in your name – ‘Birds of Chicago’ – but was it vital when it came to the tones and subjects of the album? How compelling was it as a backdrop?

When we chose the name in 2013, I felt it was important to represent Chicago in that fundamental way, because Chicago’s energy - its swirling mass of energies, I should say - has always informed our sound and our poetry in a massive way.

Allison and JT. How did you meet one another? Was there an instant musical connection when you met?  

We met through mutual musical pals. The musical connection was instant and powerful; so powerful that we spent an absurd year or so trying to pretend that there wasn’t anything else between us. We were both scared of messing up the musical bond that was there.

I hear elements of the 1970s and other decades; there is a mix of sounds and sensations. Who do you rank as the most important musicians in terms of your own sounds?

There is no doubt we were channelling some '60s and '70s concept album energy with this record but, at the same time, I can’t think of an album that was a specific touchstone…more a fondness for the ambition to create something with some real peaks and valleys in its scope - and a confidence to bring a wide sonic palette to bear and still imprint our identity upon it. That is something I associate with so many iconic records of that time frame; whether it was The Band, Marvin Gaye, Paul Simon; Joni Mitchell and Sly Stone…

In terms of, politically, what is happening in the U.S. and the state of the world in general; is music both a catharsis and a way of translating frustrations into something productive? Is music a way of rationalising what we are all going through? 

It has and has always been. However rough we think it is now, it’s been a lot rougher - and music has always been that forum that allows one the miracle chance to hold up the bleakest aspects of human existence, right alongside the most fantastic joys and treat them both with something bordering on ecstasy. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Yve Assad Photography 

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along? 

It will be hard to avoid us! We’ll be touring all-year-long. All over North America and Europe.

I do believe you are stopping off in the U.K. Have you played here before? What do you think of the music here?

Birds of Chicago have played the U.K. several times. We like it very much. The U.K. Americana scene is particularly strong right now. At last year’s Americana conference, the U.K. artists really showed out. Yola Carter, for instance, came in and shut the whole thing down every time she opened her mouth. Exciting times.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018? 

I would like to diversify my portfolio, financially. I am considering moving three or four-hundred dollars from my checking to something financial advisers call a ‘savings account’. I’d like to play a ton of shows in many ports of call and write a bunch of songs. We keep it simple around here

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

We sang Paradise with John Prine for the finale of the Ann Arbor Folk Fest this year. Nothing tops that.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

 If you are considering getting a gold front tooth now that you have a little money coming in, probably don’t do that. If you are writing a song that has a little bit of an Island groove; avoid consciously or sub-consciously singing in a fake patois. 

If you feature harmony singing in your sound, try to avoid using the adjective ‘stunning’ in your bio when you describe your harmonies. That’s about all I’ve got…

IN THIS PHOTO: Raina Rose

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Raina Rose. A formidable poet, witch and truth singer. Full disclosure: I am producing her next record!

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind? 

We aren’t ever away from music but, when we are away from touring, I have been doing some production work with my partner, Steve Dawson. Alli has been training in mixed martial arts. She has always been interested in ancient forms of fighting, but she’s specifically focused now on developing the most efficient, brutal combination of many of the old disciplines.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).  

Stella seed - Sean Hayes (from the album Run Wolves Run)

Anaïs Mitchell - Dyin Day (from Young Man in America)

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Follow Birds of Chicago

PHOTO CREDIT: Yve Assad Photography 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/BirdsofChicago.Official/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jtandalli

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/birdsofchicago/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2nyv8yYjMSkvUr9OwEQhVf

Bandcamp:

https://birdsofchicago.bandcamp.com/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/birdsofchicago

INTERVIEW: Virgin Suicide

INTERVIEW:

Virgin Suicide

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BEFORE I slope into the weekend…

I have been catching up with Virgin Suicide and asking about their new single, Madonna. The Danish band talk about playing The Great Escape festival and what their next moves will be; how they got together – I ask how the music of the 1980s found its way into their own sounds.

Virgin Suicide talk about a favoured musical memory and whether there are any tour plans; what the scene is like in Denmark right now; what advice they would give to new artists coming through – they recommend a new artist that is worth seeking out.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Good! It’s been good. But, we’re maybe a little depressed after haven such a wonderful at The Great Escape festival in the weekend - and before that, the similar SPOT festival in Denmark.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We’re Virgin Suicide; a band based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Five people making Indie-Pop/Rock.

What can you tell me about your new single, Madonna? What inspired it and how did it come together?

It’s inspired by a sort everyday social anxiety: the feeling of being misplaced in your ‘favourite environment’. That can be a tough one. Your friends hear to sing, Madonna for instance, but inside you’re blue.

You released your second album recently. Can you see yourself releasing any more material this year?

Yes! We are hoping to let another single go within the year.

How did Virgin Suicide get together? Have you all known one another for a while?

We’re becoming pretty old friends. A couple of us grew up together and we have already played together for five-six years. Within those years we have spent A LOT of time together, so we’re very close.

It seems like you have a love of the 1980s - but cast your net quite wide. Do you all have quite eclectic tastes and favourites?

Yes, definitely. We all like very different sorts of music.

Denmark is where you are based. What is the music scene like where you are? Might you have time to come to the U.K. this year?

The scene in Denmark is great. Lots of good artists. But, yes, we’re also looking towards playing shows in U.K.

Where are you heading on tour? Where can we catch you?

We already finished our tour for the album, so now it’s about making the next single. Sorry! But, hopefully, we’ll be back on the road soon. It’s just a single (smiles).

Is it true you played The Great Escape this year? How did that go?

Yes; it went very well! Such an awesome experience to be and play in Brighton. Had a good show and hung around on the pier playing air hockey for a whole afternoon after the festival. Definitely coming back to play the area as much as possible...

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

We hope to do a tour in Asia - and release another catchy new single.

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Playing Roskilde Festival for 6000-8000 people must be it. There’s a special vibe about that festival. So very happy that we got the chance to feel it!

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Kendrick Lamar.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Don’t be stressed out about the whole SoMe part - and you don’t have to sing Madonna at parties if you don’t feel like it (smiles).

IN THIS PHOTO: DIET/PHOTO CREDIT: Rasmus Laurvig

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Check out the Danish band DIET. They just released an E.P.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

We hang out at the beach in Brighton or play quiz games at home. Also, we like to do lunches in nature with beer and snaps.

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Follow Virgin Suicide

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/virginsuicde/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/virginsuicideofficial/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQvu28fNCx0wR-xXSQr5TPw

INTERVIEW: Magenta

INTERVIEW:

Magenta

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A lot of female songwriters exist out there…

but one gets something fresh and enticing when it comes to Magenta. I have been speaking with her (Hannah) about the amazing new single, Circles, and whether more material is arriving later – she recommends a few artists worth a closer look.

Magenta talks to me about playing with her band and what exciting plans she has coming up; three albums that mean a lot to her; the advice she would offer new songwriters of the moment – she ends the song by choosing a current track for our delectation.

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Hi, Hannah. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi Sam! I’m well, thanks. Right now, I’m walking in the Yorkshire Dales and having a little R’n’R time. I have my single launch next week which is exciting - and a lot to sort out ahead of that!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Hello. I’m Magenta. I’m an emerging singing songwriter from London. My debut single, Circles, is out on 8th June!

How did the persona of ‘Magenta’ come to be? What does it represent to you?

It’s my middle name, straight up.

Circles is your debut single. Is there a story behind the track?

The lyrics are very personal: about an ex-boyfriend of mine. Sometimes, when writing songs, the lyric and the melody just come together but, in this instance, I’d been writing with an Irish chap Rob Shiels on another song and we had about fifteen minutes before he had to leave for the airport...

I had these lyrics/thoughts on a computer, in no particular order, and he started strumming the guitar, and then I started singing and the song just came out in almost one go…we had a few tweaks when we listened back, but it was pretty fully-formed. Rob came up with the “I try walking in straight lines” lyric, which I think is the clever lyric in the song.

Will there be more material coming later in the year?

Most definitely, the next single will be Look Good in Blue, out in September. I’m also crowd-funding to release an E.P.

I have a song Japan,  co-written with the wonderful Michael Garvin (twenty-three number-ones, including George Benson's Never Give Up on a Good Thing and Jennifer Lopez’s Waiting for Tonight) - out on Michael’s album later this year.

I believe you have been involved in music a while. What enforced the decision to move into music and record your own material?

Actually, I have been writing for fun for the last few years and a friend started training to be a life-coach and, through conversations with her, it emerged that this was something worth exploring. So, here we are!

It took a few weeks for the idea to sink in and them to start visualising what might happen.

Which artists inspire you most in terms of your own sound?

Joni Mitchell, The Bird and the Bee; The Cardigans, Sigrid and early-Madonna. I really want to listen to more Leonard Cohen.

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

I’m having a launch party for my single, Circles, on 7th June in Shoreditch.  After that event, I’m sure I will want to do it all again! To find out when the next gig will be, follow my Facebook or my join my mailing list.

If we came and saw you play; what would the live show consist of in terms of material and feel?

I’m told I have an “emotive British sound”. Expect well-written songs and a heartfelt performance: think Dusty Springfield, Adele and Barbra Streisand. My band is brilliant - they are predominantly Jazz musicians, so you get these lovely grooves and ornamentation creep into the playing. I’ll name-drop them quickly, too, so you can check out Matt Carter (Piano), Seth Tackaberry (Bass) and Bubu (Drums); Luca Harb (Guitar) and Gillian Mott (Violin).

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

Keep on honing my craft and writing songs. Keep my head above water (smiles).

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

I have so many.

When I was younger, I sang in a youth choir and that bedded in so many amazing memories - working with inspiring conductors who showed us how to appreciate music and exposed us to so many great styles of music; making a beautiful and brilliant sound.

For me, it’s always about collaboration.

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

Air - Moon Safari

Every instrumental line in that album is totally sing-able.

Kate Bush - Ariel

The production is just amazing - an album I wish I had made. You can hear the craft coming out of it.

It’s so hard to choose only three; I’d have to say either Joni Mitchell – Blue

It’s so lyrically-dense and wonderful - some early-Madonna which is just full of hooks, or Michael Jackson, for the same reasons.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Listen and write as much as you can. Find your tribe of fellow songwriters. Love music!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jacob Collier/PHOTO CREDIT: Betsy Newman Photography

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

He’s not so new anymore, but some people may not have heard of the amazing Jacob Collier. 

Also, a couple of songwriters are working super-hard - Beth Keeping and Emily Faye. Really nice watching them grow and establish themselves (smiles).

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Not really! I listen to music to unwind: Jazz and Classical. I try to get out into nature and go on long walks when I can, too.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

At the moment, I’m listening to Charlie Puth’s new album - I really rate him and I love straight-up Pop.

_____________

Follow Magenta

Official:

http://iammagenta.co.uk/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/iamMagentaUK/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/iammagentauk

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iammagentauk/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/iammagentauk

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHDSLxH9ytUnHKUfdtyU0jw

INTERVIEW: lightcraft

INTERVIEW:

lightcraft

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THIS is the first time…

I have featured a band from Indonesia on my blog! It is great to speak with lightcraft about their awesome track, Walk on Fire, and what its origin is. The chaps talk about their musical tastes and share favourite memories from their time in music – they recommend some new artists to look out for.

I ask whether lightcraft will come to the U.K. and they tell me what the music scene is like in Jakarta (Indonesia); what they want to accomplish before the end of this year; if they get time to chill outside of music – they each pick a song to end the interview on.

___________

Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Imam: Hullo, Sam, how are you? We’re good, thanks! It’s been an okay week for us; rather uneventful, though, but it’s been all right. Had a few meetings with potential stakeholders, did an interview and a short set for a local online radio station and we’re playing a semi-acoustic set tomorrow for an opening of an art gallery. Live music tends to take a backseat during Ramadan down here, so it’s good that we’ve still got things to do!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Well; we’re lightcraft and we’re from Jakarta, Indonesia. We describe our sound as anthemic Indie-Rock – very wide, very big and straight to the heart; songs to soundtrack anybody’s life at any given moment, basically.

Safarilhaj (Fari): It all began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2005, when we were still at uni. By 2006, we decided to try and give it a go at becoming a real band with original songs. We released an E.P. that year called The Modern Seasons and we haven’t looked back since.

Enrico: We’re a band of brothers, essentially; more a family than a musical unit.

Walk on Fire is a big and anthemic song. How did it come together? What is the story behind the track?

Imam: I actually wrote the song about more than a year ago. At the time, a very close family relative of mine had just passed away. Compounded by the fact that there were also a couple of deaths in the family prior to that, and someone very dear to me had been struck down by a serious illness the year before, it triggered this realisation that life is short and we have to make the most of it.

It’s a message that I would like to convey to the listeners; to actually live one’s life to the fullest, always do good and be kind to others and to always look forward rather than dwell on the past.

What comes next for you? Will there be more material before the end of the year?

Yes. Walk on Fire was just the beginning of something that might just be a milestone in our journey thus far - as we will be releasing our new album in August.

Yopi: The last time we came up with a full-length album was 2014, so we’re very excited about it…

Imam: We will be slowly releasing a few more singles on digital platforms prior to the launch of the new album as well.

How did lightcraft get together? When did you find one another?

It was in 2005, while studying at university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when our old drummer and I decided to form a band. We played in a band whilst in high-school and fate brought us to the same uni; so we thought we should give it another go. Coincidentally, one of our housemates was Fari (Safarilhaj), who we knew could play the guitar…

Fari: Yeah. So, they asked me to join up and then I roped in a friend of mine to play bass. Another housemate of ours had a mate who could play the piano, which turned out to be Enrico. He permanently joined the cause about a few months later…

Enrico: Then we went and played a battle-of-the-bands festival. We didn’t win the thing, unfortunately, but we discovered that we had the same passion and we were able to create something together. Fast forward a few years later – after many chops and changes in our line-up and a lot of maturing on our side – and Yopi came into the fray…

Yopi: They had just returned to Jakarta and were looking for a drummer. As I was playing in this music project with Fari and another one of our previous bassists, they asked me to give it a go - and I’m still here!

You are based in Jakarta, Indonesia. What is the music scene like there? Is there a blend of Eastern and Western music?

Imam: Very creative, very dynamic and, also, quite saturated as there are so many bands and musicians here due to the number of our population. The rapid advancement in technology has given the opportunity for Indonesian musicians to shine as there are a lot of platforms for them to showcase their music and, yes, there is a blend of Eastern and Western music, although not as ethnically-sounding as you might think. The two biggest genres here are Dangdut and Indo-Pop.

In terms of childhood tastes; did you guys all grow up on the same sort of music?

Fari: Nope, not at all! We grew up listening to very different music. I was a huge Rock fan – Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses et al.

Yopi: I have always been a Grunge-head. My adolescent years were filled with Nirvana.

Enrico: I used to listen to everything, really.

Imam: …and then I came along and got them to listen to my music collection! Then we found a middle-ground and just clicked. I was listening to my mum’s Jazz records and ‘80s Pop when I was a kid. It progressed to Britpop and the ‘Cool Britannia’ era, which then continued to the emergence of the likes of Travis, Coldplay; Starsailor and the likes.

Where are you heading on tour? Where can we catch you?

Yopi: Most Indonesian Indie bands don’t really go on tour – we go on weekend tours! Musicians down here tend to have day jobs, like us, so it’s quite rare for us to embark on a long tour. Our next gig abroad will be at Playtime Festival 2018 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia which is happening from July 6th-8th.

Enrico: I would’ve never imagined that we would be playing an international music festival in Mongolia, of all places! We’re very grateful.

Might you come and play the U.K. this year? Do you get a chance to gig over here?

Imam: We were all set to play Liverpool Sound City again this year – we first played there in 2016 – but our visas were issued after the festival had ended due to a technical mishap, so we had no choice but to pull out. Hopefully, we could come back next year and do a proper tour. Our love for the U.K. and its music knows no bounds.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

Fari: We’re hoping that our upcoming album will become a huge success and propel us towards bigger things. We’re quite confident that it will be able to leave a mark on people.

Imam: We also have a few more domestic and overseas music festival appearances in the pipeline, which we hope could help us create the impact that we need as we introduce our new songs and new concept.

Enrico: Basically, we want every year to be better than the previous year and 2018 is no exception - especially with all the plans that we have in store.

Yopi: Fingers crossed!

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Performing in front of my parents when I was still in high-school.

Enrico: The first time someone actually approached us and asked for our autographs.

Imam: Probably the first time we played a show abroad.

Fari: In Russia, after we played our set, a girl came over and told me that we made her day. That really melted my heart.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Enrico: It would be Muse and, for my rider, I’d like a NORD Stage 3 and a good cup of coffee.

Yopi: Radiohead. As for my rider, as many pints of cider as possible!

Fari: I’d go for Foals and I want my favourite coffee brand, Coffeemix, which is only available in Indonesia.

Imam: Coldplay or Snow Patrol. Rider-wise, a supply of cough syrup; a hot cuppa and a bag of crisps.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Enrico: Never give up on your dreams!

Yopi: Always be patient and maintain your creativity.

Imam: Stay humble but be confident.

Fari: Being overly-technical doesn’t guarantee good music.

IN THIS PHOTO: WYLAND

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Fari: Singaporean indie-electronic-pop band M1ldl1fe.

Yopi: The Melodrama, a Folk-Pop act who hails from my hometown, Tasikmalaya, in Indonesia.

Imam: WYLAND, a New Jersey-based Indie-Rock quartet.

Enrico: JokoinBerlin, an Indonesian Indie band.

IN THIS PHOTO: JokoinBerlin

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Imam: Not really. It always haunts each and every moment of my waking hours! I’d unwind by playing a spot of FIFA on the PS4 and play football or futsal. Yes, I am footy mad!

Fari: No. Well, I like to find somewhere quiet to just sit down alone with my thoughts - and I like to play FIFA too.

Yopi: Nope! Even when I do unwind, I would still listen to music. Mainly, I’d spend my free time with my wife and son.

Enrico: Nah. My life now revolves around music. Away from it, I’d find good food and get a lot of sleep!

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Enrico: GoGo Penguin – Hopopono

Yopi: Big Scary – The Opposite of Us

Fari: Everything Everything – A Fever Dream

Imam: The Horrors – Something to Remember Me By

_____________

Follow lightcraft

Official:

http://www.lightcraftmusic.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/lightcraftmusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lightcraftmusic

Instagram:

https://deskgram.org/lightcraftmusic

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/444HDWJ9nggNbvuxbCikY3

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/lightcraft

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/lightcraftvideos

Bandcamp:

https://lightcraft.bandcamp.com/

INTERVIEW: Bouts

INTERVIEW:

Bouts

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KEEPING this week kicking…

is the music of Bouts – in the form of the sensational cut, Face Up. Barry from the band tells me about their current song and what we can expect going forward; how the chaps got together in the first place – whether they have moved forward and evolved as a unit since their earliest days.

I learn about some cool new acts; if there is a treasured memory for the group; where we can catch the guys play; what Bouts want to achieve before the end of the year – Barry choose a song to end the interview on.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Barry: Our week has been full of intrigue - as we try to agree our upcoming record’s tracklisting and celebrate receiving the finished masters (even though the record won’t see the light of day just yet). So…a mixed bag.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Energetic, enthusiastic; melodic, guitar-centric tension and release. It’s like Emo without the melodrama; like Grunge without the moshing; like shoe-gazing without the shoes.

What is the story behind your new single, Face Up? Was it a track that naturally came together?

Yes. it came together very quickly in a remote house in the west of Ireland at the start of 2017. It was almost fully-formed at inception and has barely changed since (we even have the cellphone footage to prove it). We knew it was an exciting track with an immediate hook and, hopefully, by now we have a radar for that sort of thing.

It definitely wasn’t going to allow us to let it slip away like many ideas often do.

The song has already been gathering love and support. Does it give you energy and purpose knowing your songs connect so freely?

That’s a very kind, leading question! We certainly hope our songs connect. It’s more and more of a challenge to grab people’s attention these days. Spotify is such a plentiful environment that our attention spans have reduced as the access to music has multiplied exponentially. Although, having said that, a good song will always stand out.

A cliché but a damn accurate one.

Is there more material coming later in the year?

A second single from the album will be released over the summer, with possibly a third to follow in the autumn - and the album most likely early-2019.

How do you think you have progressed as a band in the past few years?

We’re more relaxed. Ironically, we’ve grown together as individuals even as our geographical dispersion has become more pronounced (we live in Ireland, the U.K. and the Netherlands). I guess there is a growing maturity. Our slightly frenetic, in-your-face sound of the earlier stuff has dissipated into a more-rounded and concentrated type of approach both stylistically and in songwriting terms.

How did Bouts get together? Did you all bond over shared tastes?

We all shared very similar and complementary tastes. We liked our Pavement, Pixes; Thermals, Grandaddy and Nada Surf etc. That made things easy at the start for sure. We would often go to the same gigs and a couple of us had overlapped in different projects before we got together. I think, more recently, we listen to stuff like Speedy Ortiz, Francis and the Lights or Blood Orange, but have a soft spot for our old-skool Indie-shmindie.

Is Dublin a great place to make music? What is the vibe like there right now?

Well. Only two of the four of us live there now so we can’t fully vouch for the current vibe. As a place to make music generally, though, Dublin has always been comfortable and supportive. This comfort can be both its strength and weakness. There is an undoubted tight-knit community around each scene and people doing great work as both artists and producers.

It definitely punches above its weight. Everyone knows everyone and frequent cross-collaborations are common. But, its size can be claustrophobic and maybe a little stifling. It’s also hard to find a critical mass audience when playing locally as the audience for independent music is just much smaller. However; bands do break out – Girl Band being just one recent example of that…

Where are you heading on tour? Where can we catch you?

We’re lining up a few shows in Ireland and the U.K. between now and the end of the year - but expect much more from the beginning of 2019.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

To re-enter people’s consciousness as a group (we’ve been dormant for most of the last four years) and let everybody know that good Indie-guitar music – or whatever label you want to put on it – are far from dead and buried and, indeed, something to embrace as essential again.

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

I probably speak for all the guys when I say that playing after the great Bobby Womack and before Emeli Sandé at a concert in Dublin (in 2013) was probably our weirdest collective memory moment. Also, the Brooklyn apartment we stayed at during CMJ in New York - back in 2012 - had an old Victorian free-standing bath in the kitchen. It was the only way of washing ourselves and certainly made breakfast…interesting.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

We partially fulfilled that when we supported Cloud Nothings in Dublin a few years back. We are all huge fans of Dylan Baldi…perhaps Stephen Malkmus, though. He’s just such a legend.

A rider consisting of some nonsense, hipster craft-brew beers, hummus; carrots, crisps; salty chocolate and a non-fussy assortment of triangular sandwiches would also do very nicely, thank you very much.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Write, write, write. You may knock out a couple of decent tunes initially through sheer energy, excitement and talent but, to keep doing so consistently, you need to recycle idea after idea, learn to recognise good from bad; develop an internal quality control radar, broaden your influences as much as possible and then realise, after all that, that maybe you can now actually write semi-decent tunes. It takes literally hundreds of attempts (and many bands) to get there though.

IN THIS PHOTO: Snail Mail

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Now, Now, Snail Mail; Krystal Klear, Forth Wanderers; Soccer Mommy and (Sandy) Alex G.

IN THIS PHOTO: Soccer Mommy

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

We’re all pretty consistent and heavy travel-addicts – also, badminton. But, maybe I’m speaking for myself there….

Finally, and for being good sports; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Pavement – Grounded

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Follow Bouts

Official:

http://gimmebouts.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/gimmebouts/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/gimmebouts

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/gimmebouts/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/63bllPXziUeY9WYSQ5QZay

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/boutsmusic/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/boutsmusic/videos

INTERVIEW: Jade Helliwell

INTERVIEW:

Jade Helliwell

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THE superb Jade Helliwell is one of the most stirring…

and exceptional voices in British music right now. I ask her about her love of music and the artists who motivate her. She tells me about her E.P., Infatuation, and what themes inspired the work; what gigs she has coming up; whether Nashville is somewhere, given her love of Country, she would love to perform – Helliwell suggests a new artist for us to watch.

I ask whether there are plans for the remainder of the year and what it feels like delivering music on stage; if she has a favourite memory from her career in music; what advice she would give to upcoming artists – Helliwell tells me how she relaxes away from music.

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Hi, Jade. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello. I’m great, thanks. I’m having a lovely week filled with live sessions and writing.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Yeah, sure. I’m Jade Helliwell; I live in West Yorkshire. I have been performing for most of my life. I taught myself how to play the guitar when I was nineteen and began writing my own songs and I haven’t looked back.

What can you reveal about your new E.P., Infatuation? What sort of ideas and stories inspired the songs?

The new E.P. is a collection of songs that all link in some way to the feeling of being infatuated by somebody. Some of the songs are fun and upbeat and tell stories of yearning for someone to notice you; others are more sombre and tell the story of heartbreak.

Repeat is the lead single and the idea behind that song was that when you find someone you’re happy with, you no longer search for the perfect love song to describe your relationship as that person becomes your perfect love song.

Your Forget the Night E.P. resonated and proved popular. Were you encouraged and motivated by the success and attention it garnered?!

Yes. it definitely motivated me to record and release another E.P. The fans took to my music so kindly and asked for more - so it was great to know there were people out there ready and wanting to hear more.

Is the single, Repeat, your favourite song of recent times? Do you find yourself liking certain songs (you have written) depending on mood and situation?

Yes. Repeat is one of my favourites. It’s really fun and catchy so, hopefully, audiences will be able to take to it and join in at live shows. Yeah; I change my mind a lot - it does depend on what mood I’m in and also what kind of event I’m performing at. Sometimes, I love the upbeat songs and other times I enjoy the slower ballads more.

It seems like you draw from a large range of musical sources. Is your record collection pretty eclectic would you say?!

Yes. My record collection is very eclectic. I have music from old Country artists like Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash as well as new Country artists like Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. I have C.D.s from the ‘divas’ such as Judy Garland, Whitney Houston and Celine Dion; lots of Pop music (Ariane Grande, Ed Sheeran; Little Mix, Dua Lipa and Anne-Marie); singer-songwriters (Ed Sheeran, George Ezra; James Bay and Hozier). I love Motown music and musical soundtracks and lots more. There are even a few Rap and Classical albums in my collection!

If I like a song, I like it - doesn’t matter which genre it is. To me, I think that’s great and I can use that love of different genres in my own writing.

Your mind, inevitably, draws towards Country. Have you been to Nashville – is it a place you can see yourself spending a lot of time in?

I have been three times - but each time on holiday. I was lucky enough to perform at a female writer’s night on my first trip and the open mic night at The Bluebird Café. I’m really eager to get back over and book some shows and writing sessions. I would love to become a frequent visitor to Nashville.

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

Hopefully, at some point! I have lots of exciting shows. Throughout the summer, you can catch me at Buckle and Boots, Nashville Meets London and FSA.

How do you feel when you get on stage and perform to crowds? Is it easy to put that feeling into words?

It is hard to describe how it feels to perform: it’s a mix of excitement, joy and nerves. It’s hard to describe how it feels to put yourself on stage to perform to people and see them singing along, smiling and enjoying themselves. It’s an incredible feeling.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

I would like to achieve some success on radio and also to perform for audiences up and down the country.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

My favourite memory is one from not so long ago. I performed at Buckle and Boots’ ‘In the Round’ at the festival alongside Sonia Leigh and Jenn Bostic. That Friday, I had quit my job as a teaching assistant to pursue music full-time... 

I have been feeling worried that I had made the wrong decision and things wouldn’t work out. When I played the round, the reaction was unbelievable. I felt at home on the stage talking about my music and felt blessed to be in such great company. I remember feeling slightly overwhelmed and I knew right then that leaving my job was the best decision I could have made.

That gig will always stick in my mind as the moment I realised that maybe I could make a real career out of music.

Which three albums mean the most to you, would you say?

All of my releases mean a lot to me for different reasons. Secrets was my first full-length release. It will always be special to me as it was my first introduction to people.

Forget the Night was my first step into the Country scene. It’s also the E.P. that caught most people’s attention due to the aftermath of the viral video I was in.

Infatuation is something I’m incredibly proud of - and I believe it is exactly the kind of music I’ve been longing to make.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

My advice would be to be present. Get to as many shows as possible. Meet people; be willing to travel and play for very little to make connections and build friendships within the industry.

IN THIS PHOTO: Becky Lawrence

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I would recommend Becky Lawrence. She’s got an amazing voice and has a great E.P. out!

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I do occasionally. I am one extreme to the other. Sometimes, my way of relaxing on a day off is to go out eating and have a few drinks and a night out. Other times, I just want a bubble bath, a dressing gown and a Netflix-marathon in bed!

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Ah, thanks so much. I would love to hear Ashley McBryde – The Jacket. I’ve had it on-repeat all month!

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Follow Jade Helliwell

Official:

http://jadehelliwell.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/JadeHelliwellMusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jadehelliwell2

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jadehelliwellofficial/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2pGohcwFzoVMo86mOIhaCv

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/jade-helliwell