FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Autumn-Ready Playlist (Vol. V)

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Francine Belle 

An All-Female, Autumn-Ready Playlist (Vol. V)

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I guess we are seeing the final remnants…

 IN THIS PHOTO: ZAND

of summer come to us and provide some warmth and sunshine! It is nice to see a bit of hot weather linger but I know the clement conditions will end soon. Whilst they are hanging around; I have been looking around music from last year and combining it with fresh cuts to provide an autumn-ready playlist that is female-led and ready to get us in the mood for the weekend!

Have a flick through and you might discover something new. Everything from Pop and Indie to Soul and Folk is covered and there is a nice range of artists. As the nights draw in and we are all thinking of those autumnal days; I think we need music to accompany that and ensure we are in the right mood. This rundown of songs is surely going to…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Four of Diamonds

ACHIEVE that.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Stella Scott

Phoebe Coco – Silver Lines

Men I Trust – Seven

Francine Belle – Beautiful Heights

Night Flowers – Let Her In

PHOTO CREDIT: Rachel McCord

Rose Droll – Hush

ZAND – LUCI

The Japanese House – Lilo 

Yaeji – One More

Diving Station – Drown

Tenille Townes – Somebody’s Daughter

Eves Karydas – Damn Loyal

 

WILDWOOD – Hourglass

Æ MAK – Too Sad to Sing

Larkin Poe – Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues

PHOTO CREDIT: Josue Orozco Brockmann

 L’FREAQ – New Skin

Nikki Hayes – Move

Holly Abraham – Shore

PHOTO CREDIT: Rich Gilligan

Saint Sister – Steady

Pistol Annies – Best Years of My Life

Rita Wilson – Blindsided

PHOTO CREDIT: Danny McShane

Georgia Mae - Fools

Kaylee Bell – One More Shot

CLOVES – California Numb

Iyamah – Silver Over Gold 

Four of Diamonds (ft. Saweetie) – Stupid Things

PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Blackham

Hannah Lou Clark – We’re Rich

Holly Macve – All of Its Glory

INTERVIEW: Nigel Thomas

INTERVIEW:

Nigel Thomas

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MY final interview of the week…

is with Nigel Thomas as he tells me about his new song, Alchemy Rose. I ask the songwriter how his solo work differs to that he performed with The Foxes; what we can expect from his sophomore album; what sort of music he is inspired by - Thomas selects a few albums that have made an impact on him.

I ask whether we will see any tour dates and who, given the chance, he would support on tour; which rising artists we need to get involved with; if Thomas gets time to unwind away from music – he ends the interview by selecting a top song.

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

I’m great, thanks – BUSY! I’m filming a music video in Soho this week for the new album and have another shoot in Scotland next week.

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

Hello. I’m Nigel…and your name is?

What is the story behind your latest single, Alchemy Rose?

It’s a song about people who take things at face value and don’t do anything to check whether or not something they say, or share online, is actually true. It only takes seconds to check a fact…I’ve helped on one; there is no real Jack and Rose on Titanic. You’re welcome.

Your sophomore album is out next year. Are there particular themes and stories that influenced the music?

A lot of it is influenced by world events and the crazy times we’re living in: on the other hand, I want the album to also show that we’ve never had it so good. It’s easy to be gloomy - bad news sells. There’s a track on the album called Settle Down and I mean just that. Everyone needs to calm down and think a bit more. A lot more.

How does life as a solo artist differ to your work with The Foxes? Do you take a lot of what you learnt from that time into your current work?

Absolutely. I had a wonderful time with The Foxes. We toured the world and made some music I’m very proud of – being a solo artist gives you more control but it’s also a lonelier way or working. I’m very lucky that I get to work with a number of great musicians which has really opened up the sound of my music.

In terms of musicians; what sort of stuff are you into? Who were you raised on?

I’m into everything and I think the years of D.J.ing and running Death Disco with Alan McGee really broadened my musical horizons. I was brought up on the best - The Beatles, Steely Dan and Squeeze and I love Elliott Smith, Paul McCartney; Blur, R.A.T.M., Radiohead…

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Well. The album is finished and ready to go. I’m hoping, by the end of the year, I’ll know how I’m going to release it and have the tour dates coming together. I’m so excited to get the new music out there!

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

Hmm; so many! Probably back in The Foxes when we quit our day jobs and the next day we were in a Jacuzzi outside a lovely house where we were in North Carolina sipping cold beers before our first gig of the tour thinking: ‘Yes, I could do this for the rest of my life’. I was still thinking that when we slept on floors for other gigs, so I knew I was on the right path.

For a purely musical side, I’d say the Alchemy Rose launch party. It was the first time 90% of the songs had ever been played live and hearing the reaction from the packed out crowd was quite incredible.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Which mean the most to each of me? Interesting. I’m liking the mysterious approach!  For my pure side, I’d say Rubber Soul by The Beatles. Revolver and Sgt. Pepper get all the fame and glory but, for me, Rubber Soul is the most perfect, complete album; full of haunting lyrics, sweet melodies and smoky feelings.

For my rebellious side, I’d say Mosley Shoals by Ocean Colour Scene – rebellious, as it’s not a very ‘cool’ album to like but I really couldn’t care. It’s great; every track perfectly formed and always a reminder of being a teenager.

For my dancey side, I’ll go with Fuchsia Riot by the Bobby Hughes Experience. I first heard it in a dank cellar pub in Brighton and it took my breath away with its complex rhythms and mix of melodies. A lovely, lovely album.

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

Well. Obviously, Paul McCartney as I could not only meet him but sing for him while he mimes (sorry, Paul!). I’d love to support Blur or Graham Coxon. Such great musicians.

Can we see you tour soon? Where are you playing?

There’ll be a big tour next year for the album and there may be one or two surprise gigs coming up soon so keep your eyes on my website/Facebook page.

You have enjoyed some packed and celebrated gigs. It seems like the stage is somewhere you love being. Would that be fair?

That would be more than fair, yes. I’ve always loved performing; whether it’s acting or music. There’s nothing like being on the stage and giving your all. It’s truly a magical thing.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Practise. Practise. Practise. That time you might want to spend making yourself appear cool? Stop it and practice.

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Trend/PHOTO CREDIT: Arpad Hovarth

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I really enjoyed The Trend and Calico Jack when I played with them at the single launch party. Check them out.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Calico Jack/PHOTO CREDIT: Danté K Photography

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

I’m a big reader, so I do a lot of that. I’ve just finished Stephen King’s book about writing, On Writing, as I’m planning my own novel. Would you like to be a character? I’m also a titanic geek.

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).

That’s very kind! I choose Is It Like Today by World Party. I love the idea of chatting to God in a song. How did it come to this? Well, quite

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Follow Nigel Thomas

Official:

https://www.nigelsongs.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/nigelsongs

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/nigelsongs

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/nigelsongs

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/29ZPtJmhCidIEacOzSzWf8

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU_-7SP5yfH-1EcUaYrqzGg

INTERVIEW: LaKyoto

INTERVIEW:

LaKyoto

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IT has been great speaking with LaKyoto…

about the new track, Something About You, and whether there is a story behind it. I ask the Edinburgh band how they all got together and what it feels like being featured on Made in Chelsea - they highlight some local artists that are worth getting behind.

I was excited to know if they are touring and what happens next in terms of material; if they ever get time to unwind away from music; which albums are important to them – the guys each select a song to end the interview with.

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

Hi team! We’re great, thanks. It’s been a busy week so far with rehearsals, demoing and gig promotion - and it’s only Tuesday!

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

We are LaKyoto, a four-piece Synth Pop/Alternative band from Edinburgh, Scotland. We pride ourselves on writing huge Pop songs with stomping drums, pounding sub-bass and soaring melodies.

Something About You is new. Is there an inspiration/story behind the song?

Something About You is a twisted love song about how love can blind us to the worst issues and cause us to fall into the same traps time and again just to feel wanted. So many of us stay with the wrong people simply because it’s easier, without thinking about what best for ourselves. This isn’t what love should be about and the lyrics of the song demonstrate this conflict and how we so often settle for less.

Will there be more material coming later down the line?

We have spent the last year working on new music and we have plenty of new material written, recorded and ready to go. We will definitely be releasing some new tracks very soon; maybe even sooner than you think...

Can you remember when you got together and started making music?

We first started making music together whilst studying music at college a couple of years ago. We had all been in various bands over the years, but this was the first moment where everything really clicked musically. We spent a lot of time in our first year writing music and practicing it together so that, when we eventually went live, everything was already in place.

What is it like having your music backed by the likes of The Line of Best Fit and Made in Chelsea?!

The support we’ve had from The Line of Best Fit and Made in Chelsea has been incredible. It’s very surreal hearing your music being played on one of the biggest shows on television - especially as an unsigned band - but we see it as a massive compliment. We really felt the benefit of featuring, with a number of new fans saying that they looked us up because of the show. We’d love to feature again and hopefully now that they’ve used our music once, they might use us again.

Do you have shared music tastes? What was the sort of music you were raised on?

Luckily, the four of us all have the exact same taste in music and all love the same bands as each other. We love music with bright, punchy synths and catchy, singalong melodies - and some of our favourite artists include Everything Everything, Nothing But Thieves; The Naked and Famous, Sigrid and The Killers. Our music tastes aren’t restricted to specific genres either, which is extremely important for the songwriting process: it allows us to draw influences from absolutely anywhere and we feel that if it’s a good song, it’s a good song. We even referenced Kylie Minogue recently to help us write a song. It was definitely strange. But definitely worth it.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Our brand new single, Something About You, will be released on 28th September and we’ll be celebrating this at our Edinburgh headline show on 5th October at The Mash House. We have a few more special treats for our fans to come before the end of the year as well and, come January, we’ll be ready to start all over again with some brand-new material and more releases coming very soon.

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

Playing at Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival this summer was probably the big stand out for us in our time as a band. It was amazing to play at a festival we’ve all attended over the years; made even more special by a much bigger crowd than we could have expected. Special mention for featuring on Made in Chelsea as well - a year later and we’re still trying to process it!

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

Everything Everything are our shared favourite band and their most recent release, A Fever Dream, has helped shape the band into what it is today. Every single song on the album is beautifully-crafted and the ingenuity and attention that has been paid to every last detail has greatly influenced our own sound and mindset. We have drawn a number of influences and ideas from listening to this album and we still listen to it every single day.

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

If we could support any one act today, it would be Everything Everything. They are one of the main reasons this band exists and it would be an absolute pleasure to share a stage with them.

We’re not picky with riders: as long as there’s an unhealthy amount of Irn Bru and Haribo, you’ll get no complaints from us.

Might we see some tour dates coming up? Where might we be able to catch you play?

We’re playing our biggest hometown headline show to date on 5th October at The Mash House, Edinburgh. We have a couple more shows in the planning stages before the end of the year; then we can start fresh next year. Touring would be a very important moment in the development of the band and it’s definitely something we’re looking at.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

The best advice we can give to new artists would be to just enjoy it. Write the music you want to listen to and don’t write it for anyone else. If you believe in your music and you have a passion for what you’re doing then other people will too. Being in a band is a much more difficult job than anyone outside of the circle can understand, but the second you’re not enjoying it, take a step back and start again.

And make mistakes! It’s the only way new bands can really learn, and once you’ve gone through that process, you’ll really start to see the benefits. That’s when you know you’re on to something. You have to make big sacrifices - and you’ll forget what sleep is - but watching your band grow is worth it in the end.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Retro Video Club/PHOTO CREDIT: Rory Barnes

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

There’s a lot of incredible talent here in Scotland - and the national scene is only getting stronger. We’re really into Retro Video Club and Vistas at the moment - both from Edinburgh - and we can’t wait to share the stage with Lost in Vancouver, who will be supporting us at our next show.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Vistas

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

Not really! But, it’s definitely something we’re getting better at. At this stage of a band’s existence, you almost have to commit your entire life to the cause; to start climbing up the ladder and expanding your fan base. No one else is going to do the work for us, but we’re extremely driven and have such a genuine passion for making music. Most importantly, we enjoy what we d so it’s never a chore to us anyway. Netflix breaks definitely help.

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).

Everything Everything – Desire

Bleachers - Don’t Take the Money

Fatherson - Making Waves

Nothing But Thieves - Forever & Ever More

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Follow LaKyoto

Official:

http://www.lakyoto.uk/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lakyoto

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LaKyoto/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/Lakyoto_UK/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/lakyotouk

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7MaLwJim7ypQqbUy0TTLC4 

INTERVIEW: Run Coyote

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Michelle Balderston

Run Coyote

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AMANDA and Sam of Run Coyote…

have been discussing their new track, Night Rider, and what its background is. I was keen to learn how the band found one another and whether they have favourite memories from their career so far; which albums are important to them and whether they have advice for upcoming musicians.

Sam and Amanda discuss the upcoming Run Coyote album and tell me how they spend time away from music; which rising artists we need to get behind – given their band’s latest single; I ask which David Hasselhoff moment stands out to them.

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Interview with Run Coyote’s Sam Allen and Amanda Grant.

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

Sam: Great! We’ve just started playing some fall shows and I’ve been wearing my new trench coat.

Amanda: Fall is just starting so I’m pretty into making soup at the moment. That makes for a good week.

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

Sam: My name is Sam and I play guitar and sing; my brother Jake plays lead guitar; Amanda plays the bass and Jeremy holds us together on drums. We’re a Western-Noir band from Toronto, Canada.

Night Rider is your new single. Can you reveal the story behind it?

Sam: Night Rider was inspired by late-night drives on deserted highways. When you play in a band, you spend a lot of time on the road and I wanted to work that experience into a song. It ended up being a story about a guy drifting between work, his family and adventure.

Given the title of your latest single; do you each have a favourite work from the thespian David Hasselhoff?

Sam: The Simpsons episode where “David Hasselhoff” is one of Lisa’s first words.

Amanda: I’m partial to his cameo in the Baywatch remake…

I understand an album is coming next year. What can we expect in terms of themes and stories on the record?

Amanda: Sam’s been really into film noir and hardboiled fiction so that was a big influence on this record. He brought a bunch of songs to the band that play on the idea of a femme fatale character and a detective. But, we also love old westerns and the music from those movies so there is definitely some of that too.

Sam: I’m a very visual songwriter. I imagine scenes in my head and try to express them through the music. For most of these songs, I was picturing a crossroad between film noir and spaghetti westerns - trying to mix moody Rock ‘n’ Roll with twangy guitar; Roy Orbison with Ennio Morricone.  

PHOTO CREDIT: Rima Sater

Can you remember how Run Coyote got together and started making music?

Sam: It grew out of a solo project I had. When I started writing the first Run Coyote record, I knew I wanted the songs to be performed with a full band, and the more we played together, it became obvious this wasn’t just my thing anymore. We all bring a lot to it.

Do you have shared music tastes? What was the sort of music you were raised on?

Amanda: We have grown to have a shared taste in music. If you spend enough time together you inevitably start to like the same things. We all love the Canadian band Timber Timbre. That was a unifying thing off the top. But, I was raised on a lot of singer-songwriter stuff - Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Cat Stevens - while Sam and Jake grew up with Frank Zappa…so we’re nostalgic for different things and that brings different influences to our music.

Sam: Yeah. Bluegrass is also something I was raised on. My aunt, uncles and cousins play in a family Bluegrass band. I grew up with that and Country-Gospel at our family farm in Southwestern Ontario.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Sam: A sold-out stadium tour. (Laughs).

 PHOTO CREDIT: Rima Sater

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

Sam: One time in Quebec City, we were playing a house show in an attic apartment. Before the show could start, the downstairs neighbours complained so we had to find a new spot to play, quick! We couldn’t speak French, so we weren’t sure what the plan was but ended up doing the show at one of the original host’s friend’s place around the block.

So, everyone who had come out for the concert helped us move our gear, with a parade of people marching up the street on a fall night carrying cymbal stands, amps; drums and guitars. It still is one of my favourite shows we’ve ever played.

Amanda: Ooo; mine is in Quebec too, but in Montreal. It was the first time an audience of people we didn’t know started singing along with one of our songs. That’s a good feeling.

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

Amanda: Probably Talking Heads - Fear of Music

All because of the song Life During Wartime. I have distinct memories of jumping around singing that song at the top of my lungs with my dad. He loves music but doesn’t think he’s any good at singing; so I love when he just lets loose.

Sam: The Beatles - ‘The White Album’ (The Beatles)

It sounds silly but, when I was thirteen or something, I didn’t know you could make music like that until I heard that album.

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

Sam: I’d want to play with Nick Cave. I wouldn’t need a rider if I got to do that every night.

Amanda: Paul McCartney, for sure. I’d get to hang out with Paul and get in on his post-show vegetarian feasts. I would share my rider of tea and every kind of candy with him and we’d become the greatest of friends!  

 PHOTO CREDIT: Rima Sater

Might we see some tour dates coming up? Where might we be able to catch you play?

Sam: We’re touring across Ontario and Quebec in Canada this fall:

Sept 22 – Toronto, ON – Burdock

Oct 5 – London, ON – Rum Runners

Nov 2 – London, ON – London Bicycle Café *

Nov 3 – Kitchener-Waterloo, ON – T.B.A. *

Nov 4 – Hamilton, ON – Collective Arts Brewing *

Nov 7 – Peterborough, ON – House Show *

Nov 8 – Belleville, ON – Capers Concert Stage Room *

Nov 9 – Kingston, ON – Musiikki Café *

Nov 10 – Kincardine, ON – House Show *

Nov 14 – Toronto, ON – The Dakota Tavern

Nov 17 – Ottawa, ON – Pressed

Nov 18 – Montreal, QC – Casa del Popolo

 * solo Run Coyote shows with Dave Allen

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Amanda: Don’t do it for the money.

Sam: I would say it’s important to play a lot of shows in order to discover what type of musician you are and your relationship with an audience. Something I’m still trying to work on is to always find ways to make and keep it fun…

Amanda: …And always thank your sound person. You’d be lost without them.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Alex Mason

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Sam: Listen to our friends Alex Mason and LUKA - they’re great!

Amanda: Julie Arsenault has the most beautiful voice. The Lifers are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Check them both out!

 IN THIS IMAGE: Julie Arsenault/IMAGE CREDIT: Jack Phelps

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

Sam: I unwind listening to Chet Baker.

Amanda: …and eating candy.

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).

Sam: Tom Waits - Shore Leave (from Swordfishtrombones)

 

Amanda: The Weather Station – Shy Women (from Loyalty)  

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Follow Run Coyote

 PHOTO CREDIT: Michelle Balderston  

Official:

http://runcoyotemusic.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/runcoyotemusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RunCoyoteMusic/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/runcoyotemusic/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/runcoyotemusic

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG6kjuu7ypaWKSbvW1MZuSQ

INTERVIEW: Johnny Kills

INTERVIEW:

Johnny Kills

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THE chaps of Johnny Kills…

have been telling me about their new single, Seems, and what the story behind it is. I ask how the band got together and whether there are plans for future material/gigs – they recommend some rising artists that are worth spending some time around.

I was keen to know what sort of music drives them and albums that are important; whether they have any advice for musicians emerging and, considering their name, which Johnny they’d hire if they need a good, professional kill.

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

Hi! We’re good, thanks; hope you are too. It’s been really good actually. We had a gig at The Finsbury on Saturday and we hadn’t had one in a while so that was fun. We were trying a couple new things which was cool too – two new tracks in the set plus adding in some keys for the first time. It’s always fun when you get the opportunity to change it up a little!

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

So. We’re Johnny Kills and we play slightly punky, slightly poppy; quite guitar-y and a little keyboard-y Surf-Rock stuff. People have said we sound a little bit like Weezer, Wavves and FIDLAR which makes us happy because they are definitely influences.

Seems is your new track. Is there a story behind the song at all?

Seems is about a moment where you hear something really great at the same time as something really sad. Going from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows really quickly and ending up feeling confused about it and trying to process both at the same time.

Might we expect more material in the coming months?

We’re heading into the studio soon to record a few songs which we’re really excited about; so, hopefullyyyy before the end of the year but if not then definitely early-2019.

How did Johnny Kills get together? When did you find one another?

We’d been in few bands kicking around the Cambridge scene for a few years, a couple of which we were in together, and then we decided to start a new one just as Cameron and I headed off to university at opposite ends of the country - which made it a little hard for ourselves. Aha. But, we’ve know each other for years: Lewis and I are actually brothers so I guess we found each other at home and then we met Cameron about sixteen years later.

In terms of musical inspiration; what sort of music were you raised on?

Mine and Lewis’ dad has always played us a lot of stuff. He introduced us to Pavement, Arcade Fire and still introduces to a load of cool new things that we haven’t heard yet. Then, we veered off a bit and got really into Radiohead. Then, when we were friends with Cameron, we all stumbled upon fuzzy stuff such as Yuck and FIDLAR together and that definitely made an impression. But, we love all sorts of different stuff: I’m really getting into St. Vincent’s most-recent album at the moment for example.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Umm; well, it’s pretty close to the end of 2018 now so I’ll be pretty conservative with a small ‘c’ here and say to have a few cool new recorded tracks in the bank and maybe a few more fun live shows. We’ve got a gig on 4th October for Riff Raff at Paper Dress Vintage in Hackney which we’re looking forward to so, hopefully, that goes well too. And then, I guess, Wembley.

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

Tim: I always love recording . We go up to The Nave to work in Leeds with the excellent Alex Greaves and get to play with a load of crazy gear that we’d never get the opportunity to use otherwise, like super-cool and temperamental retro pedals. Getting to do that whilst also actually being productive and seeing the song come together in stages is really fun.

Lewis: There used to be new band nights at The Junction in Cambridge we played when we were all in an old band together. They were generally pretty well attended; however, one time, the stars aligned in terms of line-up/timing or whatever and it was a complete sell-out. Playing to nearly one-thousand really receptive people (“Wave your arms!”; 'Sing this back!”; “Jump around!”) was pretty surreal, and kinda mind-blowing.

Cameron: It’s a weird one. I’d probably say our first gig in a ‘man-that-was-lucky-we-just-about-pulled-that-one-off’ kind of way; just for the fact that it even happened. Basically, we’d had our debut show booked in for a while - it was in Brighton at The Hope and Ruin. And then like the muppet I am, I accidentally booked a holiday to Corfu that got back on the same day and meant we couldn’t rehearse for the two weeks up to it - after the last practice beforehand hadn’t gone amazingly. I had to take a guitar on holiday with me to practice and then go straight from the airport to a rehearsal with the other guys.

By the time of the show, I think I’d been up for around forty hours and was pretty much delirious but it was surprisingly disaster-free in the end. This is more a fun memory in hindsight: it was super-stressful at the time. But, we’d been excited to gig for ages (almost a year) and the drama added to a release of tension that made us realise why we’d missed doing it so much. It was back to being a real band again rather than online pen pals.

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

Lewis: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain - Pavement

It got me into Pavement who are one of my favourite bands and showed me that being a bit ramshackle can actually add to the music…and that it’s all about the songs.

Tim: OK Computer – Radiohead

It’s a cliché choice but that’s just because it is an amazing album. I’m usually into slightly more distorted and fuzzy stuff but Karma Police, Let Down and No Surprises would all stake a claim at being my favourite-ever song. We got to see them at Glastonbury last year and it was one of the best moments ever.

Cameron: Yuck – Yuck

Bring the fuzz!

Give your name; which Johnny, if you were hiring a sure-fire assassin, would you hire to get the job done?

Johnny Bravo.

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

Probably Pavement or Radiohead as they are our all-time heroes. I have no idea on the rider. I think playing with them would be enough. Maybe, we’d do the classic thing and say only blue/no blue M&Ms? Or an excellent board game.

Might we see some tour dates coming up? Where might we be able to catch you play?

We’ve got that show on 4th at Paper Dress Vintage in London for Riff Raff and I’m sure there’ll be a few more before the year is out.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

You don’t have to say ‘yes’ to everything  - but also just try be as nice as possible to people. There might be times when there are problems with the sound at a show or whatever, but it’s not always someone’s fault and it never pays to be a dick about it. Everyone’s trying their best and probably just as stressed as you are when things go wrong. Also…write some really good tunes.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Pizzagirl

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Pizzagirl – catchy-as-hell 1980s-esque Synth-Pop from a man who calls his bedroom a ‘beatzzeria’. What’s not to love?!

Sports Team – really good tunes to go along with a really fun online presence. Got to see them at a local cricket club’s bar and they were really good live.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sports Team/PHOTO CREDIT: Louise Mason

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

Well. Lewis and Tim’s are involved in music for work, so not as much time away as you’d think. But, we love it so great. We also like ourselves a bit of football and are huge Liverpool fans, apart from Cameron. Cameron is actually the manager at a trampoline park so that’s how he spends most of his days - trying to learn to do backflips for the one-thousandth time and filling out health and safety forms. 

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).

Tim: Pizzagirl – Coffee Shop

Lewis: WOOZE - Hello Can You Go

Cameron: Childhood – Don’t Have Me Back

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Follow Johnny Kills

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/johnnykillsband

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/johnnykillskillskills/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/johnnykillskillskills/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/johnnykillskillskills

INTERVIEW: Holly Abraham

INTERVIEW:

Holly Abraham

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HER debut single, Shore, is out today…

so I have been talking with Holly Abraham about it and whether she has more material in the pipeline. The Bristol-based songwriter tells me about her musical upbringing and what sort of sounds have inspired her – I ask whether there will be any tour dates.

Abraham discusses her favourite memory from her career so far and what music means to her; whether she has any advice for songwriters coming through; which rising musicians we need to check out – she ends the interview with a great song choice.

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

Hey, Sam. It’s been great, thanks! I’ve been doing loads of prep for my single (to come out) and it’s finally been released so I am on a crazy buzz right now!  Apparently, dreams really do come true!

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

I’m a chocoholic from Wales who creates mellow Indie/Folk music! I’m a singer-songwriter who has been in love with the guitar for about twenty years and I’ve just recently moved to the wonderful, vibrant city of Bristol to start pursuing my music seriously.

Shore is your debut single. Can you reveal the origins behind it?

Shore is the first real and authentic song that I wrote. It was created a few years ago during a darker period of my life and originally it wasn’t even meant to be heard by any ears apart from my own! It’s an honest expression of the sinking feeling I was experiencing at the time, whilst still holding onto the hope that things wouldn’t stay this way forever. Shore is a pretty vulnerable track, so it’s fitting that it’s my debut single as that’s exactly how I want to introduce my music to the world – raw and honest with no pretence.

Will there be more material coming? What are you working on at the moment?

Absolutely! Shore is just the beginning of many plans we have coming over the next year! I’m hoping to drop another single around February, which will then make way for my debut E.P. to be released soon after. I’ve learned very quickly you have to be ten steps ahead at all times in the music industry! You can be sitting on tracks for months or even years before they are available for the world to hear!

Do you recall when you got into music? Which artists did you grow up around?

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a pretty musical household, so it’s been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. My dad was a singer-songwriter and my absolute hero. He started teaching me how to play guitar when I was five-years-old and I was convinced when I was younger we were going to be a famous daughter-dad duo! Honestly, I have no idea what music was popular in the ’90s because I was being brought up on The Beatles and James Taylor!

As a teenager, I loved Newton Faulkner and Jack Johnson so they largely inspired my love for acoustic guitar. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve fallen madly in love with atmospheric Indie things and still enjoy a little bit of Rock.  

Is music the best way you express yourself? How important is it to you?

I’m pretty sure music runs through my veins - I absolutely live and breathe it! When I’m not writing, performing or recording; I’m making playlists, going to see live music or sharing new artists with friends. I can’t even do the washing-up without having some tunes on! I’m quite an external person so songwriting definitely helps me process. I love the way music can provoke, inspire; entertain and move people: it’s such a privilege to have an opportunity to bring that to the world!

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

A lot of work this year has gone into producing and releasing Shore as well as getting my artist profile off the ground so I’m looking forward to seeing the response from that in the next few weeks or so. It’s already being featured in an autumn playlist so it will be awesome if it gets a bit of love from some other places too! I’m focusing a lot on live performance at the moment and we’re also starting work on the next single and E.P. for 2019. Busy, busy, busy!

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

During my time in Australia this year, I lived in a little place called Toowoomba in Queensland and I took part in the Toowoomba Busking Festival which was really fun! I formed a little collective called Going Zucchini with two friends from the U.S. and Germany and we got to spend the day playing sets in different locations around the city (shout-out to Luke and Luca!).

The atmosphere was absolutely magical - it was really sunny and there were so many people relaxing and enjoying themselves! It felt like the whole city had come out just for that day; all united together by the love of music. We had such a good time, so it was just an added bonus when we received a People’s Choice Award!

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

1 - The Beatles

When I was growing up, I had this huge yellow book of the music of ALL the Beatles’ songs and so most of my first songs ever learned on guitar were featured on this album. The Beatles still bring back so many memories of hanging out with my dad and sneaking out of bed to watch music documentaries with him until 2 A.M.!

Sunny Side Up - Paolo Nutini

I think this is one of the first C.D.s I ever owned! It kept me company all through high-school and Paolo and I sang many a duet whilst I tidied my room during the early-2000s! Last Request was one of the first terrible YouTube covers I ever did and a meaningful song I shared with my first boyfriend. Who doesn’t still get cheered up by a bit of New Shoes?!

Dome - Firewoodisland

This E.P. came out in a time in a time of my life where a lot of things were changing for the better and it was then that I first realised I could actually pursue my dream of making music. I was around for a lot of the production of the E.P. and that’s where my eyes were first really opened to how the music industry works - it was so exciting to see all the things that happen behind the scenes that most people don’t even know about! The title-track, Dome, is extremely moving and will always be really special to me.

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

Supporting Of Monsters and Men would be an absolute dream! I met them after a gig in Bristol on their world tour around two years ago and they were so lovely even though they were exhausted!

The rider would definitely involve some hot chocolate, some excellent pizza from Bosco on Whiteladies Road and a mandatory deep conversation about our experiences and inspirations!

Might we see some tour dates coming up? Where might we be able to catch you play?

I’m playing a lot of local gigs at the moment - mainly Bristol, Cardiff and Bath. Supporting some great artists soon and I’m hoping to do a U.K. release tour when my E.P. comes out next year, so stay tuned!

How important is it being on stage and performing? Is it the place you feel most comfortable?

I really love performing and have done live stuff in the past; just never my own songs until now. It’s been a funny transition this year going from writing and practicing to the wall in my bedroom; to actually playing what I’ve written on stages in front of people!

I get the most out of music when I see it’s moving other people in some way and I think live performance achieves that in a more tangible way than recorded music does in some respects. I still equally love spending time in the studio and in production though - making my songs come to life behind the scenes is really exciting too!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

1.      Be prepared to put in A LOT of hard groundwork in the beginning for little reward. Every successful musician once did those toilet gigs!

2.      Don’t allow how many ‘likes’ you have on Facebook or plays on Spotify determine your worth as a person or as an artist - focus on why you started making music in the first place and the rest of the world will catch up later.

3.      Be ridiculously lovely to everyone you meet and remember to have some flipping fun along the way!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Novo Amor/PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Alexander Harris

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Novo Amor is one of my biggest inspirations; Ali Lacey and Ed Tullett provide a little bit of ear-heaven for me on almost a daily basis. If you haven’t heard of Novo Amor please go and fall in love with him too so we can sway our phone lights back and forth together and hug each other at the next gig!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ed Tullett

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

Music is one of the biggest joys in my life, so I never want to fully get away from it; even in my downtime, I’m usually getting inspiration or hanging out with other creative/musical friends! I’ve just started customising my polka dot Fender Strat which is an exciting project I’ve never done before! Otherwise, if friends are busy then being snuggled up in bed with a mellow playlist, candles and Pinterest is always a dreamy alternative!

I’ve also really got into cacti and home décor recently, so an embarrassing amount of time is usually spent dreaming about my imaginary, unrealistic future home. There will be plants…

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 mentioned Dome by Firewoodisland earlier and I’d like to play another one of their beautiful songs called Knot. I listened to it on repeat during the hard times in Cambodia this year and it’s never let me down since! Gorgeous stuff!

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Follow Holly Abraham

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/hollyabrahamm

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/hollyabrahammusic/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/hollyabrahammusic/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/hollyabrahammusic

PHOTOS:

Forest Child Music

ARTWORK:

Abi Eleri

INTERVIEW: Rhian Sheehan

INTERVIEW:

Rhian Sheehan

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THIS day starts with me talking…

with the New Zealand-based artist Rhian Sheehan. He talks to me about his new single, The Absence of You, and what its story is. I ask what we can expect from the album, A Quiet Divide (out 5th October), and what plans he has going forward.

Sheehan tells me about the albums and artists that mean the most to him; whether there are tour dates coming up; how he got started in music; how important orchestral music is to him – he ends the interview by selecting a great track.

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

It’s been busy. We’re gearing up for a tour around New Zealand next week, so we’re full swing into rehearsals. It’s also the most technically challenging show we’ve put together, with multiple screens and projections - so we’re in full preparation right now.

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

Well. I’ve been releasing music since the early-2000s but, over that time, I became a full-time screen composer for film, T.V. and video games etc. So, I have worked in many different genres over the years. It’s a little tricky trying to pigeonhole my own releases into one genre as my own style has evolved over the years.

My earlier releases were predominantly electronic in nature but I would say that my last three albums (Standing in Silence, Stories from Elsewhere and A Quiet Divide) have all delved more and more into an orchestral and atmospheric sound, mixed with moments of Post-Rock and synth soundscapes. Someone recently described my music as “atmospheric Chamber music”, which I think describes the latest release well.

The Absence of You is just out. Is there a story behind the track? 

Originally, the track was in a very different form as a slower piano piece. When I began working on the new record, I rediscovered the original idea and completely reworked it into something very different. The finished piece (for piano moog and chamber strings) is far more passionate and focused than my original slow sketch. I’m always jotting down ideas; sketching on the piano or guitar, and many of these ideas never see the light of day again so it’s nice when some old idea helps spark off a new one.

It’s from the album, A Quiet Divide. In terms of themes and ideas; what can we expect from the album?

I think my scoring work shines through on A Quiet Divide more than any other release. Listening now, in retrospect, the album feels like it could be a film score in places. My intention was to write and produce an album that was reflective, emotive and delicate but that also had interesting sonic colours and textures. It’s by far the most heavily piano and chamber strings-focused album I’ve released.

I often find myself daydreaming when sketching out an idea, getting nostalgic about the past and pondering the future. I’m a parent and, being a parent, it quickly becomes apparent that all of the beautiful little moments we experience in life are fleeting. They fade into a past memory in an instant. There’s a little sadness wrapped up in all this. Our time is limited. That’s where the title for the album came from.

Is there more material coming later down the line? What are you working on?

I'm very busy working on Magic Leap and film soundtracks so, at this stage, my future output is focused on the more commercial side of my work.

Can you talk about the video for Soma Dreams? What was it like working with Matt Pitt?

Matt, A.K.A. redkidOne, is an old friend of mine and an extremely talented animator. He’s produced some beautiful music videos for me over the years - and they all connect to each other in subtle ways. The idea for Soma Dreams video came about from the Japanese girl’s dialogue at the beginning of the track. She’s talking about a dream she had about a whale in the sky. Matt took inspiration from that and ran with it, with gorgeous results.

Give me a sense of the music you grew up around. Was it quite varied?

I was around music from a young age. My mother was in a tour band when I young, so we spent some time on the road. But, I didn’t really take music seriously until I was about seventeen. I played in many bands as a pretty average guitar player but then went on to study composition and began recording my own music in my home studio from around the age of eighteen. My tastes are wide and varied, but I’ve become more and more influenced by orchestral and Classical music as well as Ambient music over the years.

It is clear strings and Classical elements are important to you and who you are. Do you think genres like Classical get overlooked by many people and warrants greater attention?

I think Classical, or more specifically orchestral music, has had a huge resurgence in recent years and that’s in some part because of the success of artists such as Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds; Nils Frahm, the late and great Jóhann Jóhannsson and many others; all of whom have taken the idea of Classical music and turned it on its head; experimenting with orchestral sounds in a far less traditional way. It’s an exciting time for modern-Classical music.

My own experience is that writing for orchestra can be somewhat addictive. Every recording session you do is like watching magic unfold in front of you. You are literally listening as notes written on paper spring into life via the hands of very talent performers. That’s an exciting moment.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

It’s been a busy year from me. As well as finishing the new album, I’ve just wrapped up writing a score for Magic Leap’s mixed-reality game, Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders, which is coming soon. I’m also excited to tour the new album around New Zealand over the coming months. We have a fantastic band and I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with some incredibly talented visual artists on these shows too.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Yes. To celebrate my new album I'm playing with a nine-piece band and orchestras across N.Z. in Dunedin, Nelson; Wellington and Auckland - with a visual backdrop created by Weta Workshop and collaborations from a host of visual specialists from N.Z., U.S.A. and U.K. I'm super-excited to unveil this show.

SAT, 29 SEPT: Dunedin Town Hall

FRI, 12 OCT: Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington

SAT, 20 and SUN 21 OCT: Nelson Theatre Royal

FRI, 26 and SAT Oct 27: Q Theatre, Auckland

All info at http://loop.co.nz/shows; Video trailer for shows.

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

One of favourite recent musical moments was seeing Max Richter’s Vivaldi Recomposed live in Auckland. It was such a stunning show.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Cliff Martinez - Solaris (Original Motion Picture Score)

A live, changing album for me. One of the most powerful and affecting orchestral scores ever written in my opinion.

Max Richter - Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons

A stirring record. Beautifully rearranged, reinterpreted and recorded. A brave album to make given the purists that exist within the Classical and orchestral genre. Probably one of the most listened to albums of the last few years for me.

Micronism - Inside a Quiet Mind

Without a doubt, one of the best Electronic records ever made. Timeless.

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

I’d support Nashville band Hammock because they’re been a huge influence on me over the years. Unfortunately, they don’t play live often, if ever.

My rider would entail a raw veggie smoothly, a tank of pure oxygen and a pedicure. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Perseverance. Keep writing good music and opportunities will come your way eventually.

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

I’m a big reader. Nothing beats curling up in the sun and reading a good book.

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

I still think Cliff Martinez’s score for the film Solaris is one of the best scores ever written.

___________

Follow Rhian Sheehan

Official:

http://www.rhiansheehan.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/rhiansheehan

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/rhiansheehanmusic

Bandcamp:

https://rhiansheehan.bandcamp.com/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0H1edn1doFZiHiu2INB2CT

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/rsheehan

INTERVIEW: ANTIBOY

INTERVIEW:

ANTIBOY

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I am ending the day…

by speaking with songwriter/model Harry Hains about his musical alter ego, ANTIBOY. The exciting artist speaks with me about the debut single, Devil, and what we can expect from the forthcoming album, A Glitch in Paradise – I ask what the future holds and which three albums mean the most.

ANTIBOY talks about personal heroes in music and how new songs comes together; the importance of Los Angeles in terms of inspiration and its vibe; what gigs are coming up (you can see ANTIBOY at El Cid, Los Angeles on Sunday 30th at 3 P.M.); how the Australian spends time outside of music – ANTIBOY recommends an artist we should all be aware of.

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

Hi! I’m pretty good!  My week’s been a little crazy. I was shooting a role on a T.V. series for Amazon; then another role for a feature film over the last few days, with a couple of big meetings coming up! It's a very exciting time right now for my career, however. I’m also in the process of looking for a new place to move in the next week which is always a little stressful.

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

My name is ANTIBOY; a gender-fluid android from the future stuck inside a virtual simulation glitch.

How did ‘ANTIBOY’ come to be? What does that name symbolise and represent?

ANTIBOY was originally meant to be a rebellion against social constructs of modern-day society; particularly of what someone who’s male-born is meant to sing about, wear and represent in Pop culture. ANTIBOY is from a future where race, gender and sexuality (minus physiological desire) are no longer terms that are used.

So, if ANTIBOY was in the present, it would be confusing and disturbing to hear how much segregation and hatred has been made based on purely on the minor differences in physiology within the entire HUMAN race. There becomes only two ‘races’ on Earth - robot and human - and eventually they fuse together.

Who do you rank as music idols and inspirations? Did you grow up around a lot of music?

I think of my music as a blend between Lana Del Rey, Nirvana and the 1975 with its own unique flair; a genre I like to call ‘Glitch-Rock’ - a futuristic electronic element. I’m also very much inspired by FKA twigs, Twenty One Pilots; Years & Years, Lorde; Banks, Tove Lo and the fashion stylings and image of David Bowie and Lady Gaga at certain points in their careers. I did grow up around music.  My dad has a huge record collection and was constantly learning new instruments. 

My brother's taste in music showed me new genres of artists and music like ‘Future-Garage’ and more unknown artists like James Blake that I hadn’t heard of yet. He would introduce me to artists like that before they blew up.

Devil is your new single. Is there a story behind the track?

Yes. Devil is about someone bringing the worst out of you. Literally, “you shine the devil into me”; loving that person so much, but loving them is so harmful and is that obsession that destroys you and brings you to your worst self. It explores love as an addiction.

I believe an album, A Glitch in Paradise, is coming. What sort of themes and stories inspired the music?

A Glitch in Paradise is about a future where after we have merged with A.I. We reach a point in time where we can upload our consciousness to the ‘Cloud’. ANTIBOY, who is so addicted to a past relationship, is stuck in a loop of heartbreak as implanted memories continually get replayed over and over. In a world where we can create the perfect reality, our human minds will always bring us back to the pain and suffering of the love we never quite got over.

Are there particular moments when you sit down and write? How do songs usually come to you?

It’s always at a complete random point in time. It could be at 4 A.M. as I am lying in bed and I suddenly gasp and black-out - and then write an entire song that I don’t really remember writing. When the inspiration hits me, maybe it’s something someone says or something I read or hear or see or smell. I can write the lyrics to a whole song very quickly, as I’m very in touch with my emotional side and very good at spilling my emotions; expelling everything so it is removed from me.

How does living in Los Angeles suit you? Is it a great place to work and create?

L.A. is the kind of city that is what you make of it. If you work hard at what you love - and are passionate and driven - you can make anything into a reality. I didn’t grow up singing. I wasn’t even a decent singer until I wanted to find a way to turn my poems into something people would want to hear which is when I started writing songs. I then spent a lot of time taking voice lessons and finding my voice as I worked on two other music projects including a musical I wrote.

Though, particularly throughout the process of this album - with help from my producers, A Jones and Zeus -, I found my own unique style. I wouldn’t have been able to bring this into fruition if it wasn’t for the team of people including them that believed in my vision and concepts and was able to help guide me in the right direction by turning my wild visual ideas into sonic ones.

This is the city of opportunities and, if you can’t get one, you can certainly find a way to make them. I booked my first lead role in a feature film the first month I arrived here. It’s a city where people care about who you are in this moment, not necessarily who you were in the past - and so you can reinvent yourself in Los Angeles until you’ve found what works for you.

Does your experience as a model and actor impact how you write about gender roles do you feel?

Getting to play around with a lot of different sides of myself, in different roles (or ‘characters’); I’ve managed to feel out differing points of view and experience them through the material. I’ve played the dumb, chauvinistic asshole and I’ve played the sweet, sensitive guy who treasures their partner to a fault. Through not only getting these opportunities, but also through my own life experiences, I’ve come to look at gender as something very different to sex; something to be explored, as femininity and masculinity are just too different forms of energy. 

They shouldn’t be use to represent your sex or your gender. I fluctuate comfortably between these energies. I don’t feel the need to define myself in any particular way. Gender is a social construct.  Gender roles need to hurry up and be a thing of the past. Our gender can be defined by us and we can choose how to play it.  No one else gets to decide that.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I hope to have released more of my album and to have successfully pitched the pilot of the T.V. show, A Glitch in Paradise, where each episode is based on a track from the album in a sci-fi musical about ANTIBOY.  The series outline is in development so I won’t reveal too much, however, that is my focus: to make this show a reality. 

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

That’s a tough question as there are so many great memories. Releasing my debut single around two weeks ago and it already being over 300k+ views on YouTube is a big one, as it shows all the hard work I’ve put into this and all the time invested. People are actually into it. However, my favourite memory was more a subtle one: when something clicked inside me after we were a couple tracks in on the album with my producers and we decided to go in a more organic, Rock direction and, somehow, I found my voice. 

We re-recorded the tracks prior to that. I found this new sense of comfort and confidence and we all got really excited; having a very strong feeling about how well this album could do; sensing that rock is making a comeback.

Which three albums mean the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

In no particular order, here are some of my top rated albums:

I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it - The 1975

It has this incredible atmosphere, being super-cinematic with very powerful lyrics and melodies. Bringing back Rock music in a new and interestingly emotive way (LOVE the songs Paris, Somebody Else and Change of Heart).

Born to Die - Lana Del Rey

Her soft, beautiful vocals and old-school, dark Hollywood glamour made this album incredible; something very elegant and timeless about her music with such a deep and honest sadness (Off to the Races, Summertime Sadness and Dark Paradise).

M3LL155X - FKA twigs

This E.P. is experimental, slightly bizarre and extremely original with an incredibly strong visual component. All the songs connect together in one extended music video that is mind-blowing. It feels more like an art film than a music video. She is so talented and conceptual. There is no way to even compare her to another artist as she truly does her own thing that no one else does. (Glass & Patron is my favourite song and video from it - amazing).

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

You probably saw it coming but it would be Lana Del Rey…which would include getting to perform one of my songs or one that I write with; or for her as a duet which is what opens up into her main show.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Work hard, think outside the box. Don’t make music that is so inspired by a current artist’s work that it just sounds like a version of them - that’s a year too old - but rather be inspired by multiple people and create your own sound or, in my case, genre, and think about yourself as a brand or concept. Play around with unique ideas and really go for it. Music is an art, so don’t try and be someone else; use what you have and make your personal side come into place. The most interesting musicians are the ones who are most authentic.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

We have yet to organize my first tour as my first single only just came out, but a tour is definitely something that’s on our minds. I just came back from N.Y.C. where I had a couple of shows but will be ready soon for a proper tour. I have a show this coming Sunday, 30th Sept at El Cid (Wild Riot presenting Sundaze 12 P.M. til 5 P.M.).

 IN THIS PHOTO: H.E.R.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I’m a huge fan of H.E.R. Her album last year was so fantastic and after touring for a long time now, she has started to blow up which I knew was coming!

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

Well. When I’m not working or writing, I love to binge-watch T.V. shows. I just did that with the first two seasons of The Good Place which I really loved and currently I’m watching the new season of BoJack Horseman. Otherwise, hanging around with friends; meeting new people and connecting.

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).

Thanks for the interview! I’d suggest literally anything by H.E.R. This one has a special place in my heart, though:

H.E.R. - Pigment 

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Follow ANTIBOY

Official:

http://antiboy.org/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/antib0y

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/theantiboy/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/theantiboy/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLeW5isReJiGeax0Q7tHMog

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6rbE8bRrhhaGnAkw3i6xOI

PHOTOS:

Zac Stone

STYLIST:

Todorov

FEATURE: The Roots Beneath the Stream: Is Spotify’s D.N.A.-Related Playlist a Step Too Far?

FEATURE:

 

 

The Roots Beneath the Stream

IMAGE CREDIT: Nick Veasey/Getty Images

Is Spotify’s D.N.A.-Related Playlist a Step Too Far?

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A few things have been happening…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@dotgrid

that relate to Spotify and its quest to be the biggest player in the market. With SoundCloud and other music-sharing sites available; it is always a challenge keeping ahead and ensuring others do not nip at your heels! Audius is the latest name on the market that hopes to redress what they see as Spotify’s (and SoundCloud) unfair compensation/payment to musicians. Many see these sites as a bit lax when it comes to paying artists and ensuring they get adequate remunireations. This article looks at the new venture and how it differs from Spotify:

“It’s the latter that’s primarily in its eyeline at first, with the project’s website arguing that “Audius is building an audio distribution, attribution, and monetization platform that puts power back into the hands of audio content creators”. It initially secured venture capital backing to the tune of just under $6m, and now it’s confirmed to CoinDesk that it’s pressing on with the next part of its plan.

It’s introduced a white paper, that in turn has revealed the two cryptocurrency tokens that Audius is looking to launch. The one that most people are likely to engage in is the Loud token, that’s going to be used for transactions on the Audius service. Loud tokens are core to the idea, in that through them, the service aims to properly reward those who create material on the platform”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@jbrinkhorst  

“The Audius token itself is the second, and that’s described thus far as a token of governance.

Its white paper explains the difference, saying that “[Audius will be] used by service providers to participate in staking protocols and earn proceeds from the minting of loud tokens … This separates the mechanism for price-stable value transfer (loud) from the mechanism for value capture and accrual (audius), better serving the needs of users of each token”.

Details of the two tokens are also provided at the Audius website, here. The white paper is here .

The first beta release of the Audius streaming platform is scheduled for early next year, with the aim being for a full public launch before 2019 is out”.

I love Spotify and the fact we can get any album (pretty much) and, if you pay a subscription fee, you can have what you want and unfiltered access to a world of music. I have always been a bit conflicted when it comes to the site. It seems reserved, in the most part, for bigger artists – they are most likely to profit – but I wonder how much they actually make when their big hits receive millions of streams. The issue is more pronounced for minor musicians who put their new songs online. Do they ever make much money and are they being paid what they should!? It is hard to say for sure but there is that feeling sites like Spotify and SoundCloud are not spending enough money when it comes to the songs/artists on their sites.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@rachitank

It is tough to keep the site popular and showing a unique edge and, in a bid to move it ahead of its rivals; Spotify is giving the options for artists to upload their material onto the site without having to go through record labels and the usual mechanics. Independent musicians can upload directly without paying a fee and suffering by not being signed by a label. The Verge covered the story:

“Spotify has announced a new beta feature that will allow independent artists to upload their music directly to the platform instead of through a label or digital aggregator. Normally, artists who aren’t signed to a major label (which can directly upload music to Spotify) have to pay a fee to a third-party service like Tunecore to upload their music to Spotify. The upload feature will be contained within the service’s existing Spotify for Artists platform, which, among other things, allows artists to view data about their listeners and directly submit their songs for editorial playlist consideration.

The new upload feature won’t work like SoundCloud, where songs can be instantly available. Instead, Spotify views it as a way for artists to have control over their own music in advance of its release date. Those who are part of the program will be shown an interface where they can upload their music and accompanying artwork, pick a release day, input additional information (like if it’s a single or an album), and then preview how it will look once published. Direct upload is being offered as a free service”.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify/Getty Images

This is the least alarming recent initiative from Spotify but there are good and bad aspects to this scheme. It is good artists do not have to pay to put their music onto the site and it means those who, before, could not afford to pay to have their music on Spotify now have an open route. It means independent artists can have the same freedom and access as those big-label acts and it seems parity is coming in. There is a problem regarding quality control and the fact, now, the floodgates are open. Already, we have all the big releases and usual collection of songs and the choice seems bewildering. Now, with this extra and free option; I worry there is going to be a flood and it will be hard to decipher the genuinely worthy – too much choice and music coming to us and an attempt for Spotify to keep its reputation and name strong in the wake of rivals/other ventures emerging. I still worry, even though independents have a free option and way of getting their music out there; will they be paid anything and is this a misguided measure from Spotify? I understand why they decided to allow this option but I think it will exacerbate the issue of artists/payment; not adequately profiting musicians who do get their music streamed and get a lot of traffic for Spotify. Any measure that allows unsigned artists greater exposure is good but that lack of quality control and ongoing issue regarding royalties/payment is going to be a big problem. The Verge’s article helped to explain that conundrum:

“Regarding payments for the artists who upload directly to Spotify, Kene Anoliefo, senior product lead for Spotify’s creator marketplace, tells The Verge that the company will offer artists 50 percent of Spotify’s net revenue and 100 percent of royalties for the songs they upload. “We created a pretty simple and fair deal for uploading music where artists receive 50 percent of Spotify’s net revenue, and Spotify also accounts to publishers and collection societies for additional royalties related to the musical composition,” Anoliefo said. “Artists will receive automatic monthly royalty checks. They will be able to view all of that information and check all their data within Spotify for Artists”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@kalvisuals

Whilst Spotify have been finding ways of benefiting independent artists/keeping a lot of press; they seem to be keen to mess with our heads and D.N.A. The self-upload news will be welcome to some and it is debatable whether it is a genuine attempt to benefit independent artists or something more cynical. A couple of recent news stories tied to Spotify have worried me. It is not news to say Spotify has been increasing its data analytical capabilities and keen to see what mood we are in. They target us with adverts depending what songs we choose/how we feel; bespoke playlists make us feel loved and like Spotify knows what makes us tick; collating all this data (personal and third-party) to target us with music and advertising. The Guardian recently ran a piece that covered this and how we are being targeted depending on the songs we listen to. I would rather be left alone when it comes to my moods and what adverts I am sent and, if anything, I do not want a service like Spotify giving me adverts at all. I pay a subscription so I do not get bombarded with stuff but I feel the mood-based marketing is a way of lining their pockets and a bit intrusive!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@vheath

One of the biggest flaws of Spotify – I maintain how much I love and use them but there are flaws – is the lack of music-based advertising. By that, they are not using the data we put out and what we listen to in order to open our minds and introduce us to great music. I would be happy for them to monitor what I listen to if they can get their boffins to look through music’s catalogues and uncover gems I am not aware of. I feel music is a very personal thing and, if I listen to a sad song to lift my mood or help me get through; is it rather unsettling this Spotify machine is gauging that and preparing to send tailored adverts me way?! They are, as The Guardian observed, not the only service that does this:

“You see, Spotify is far from the only platform helping brands target people according to their emotions; real-time mood-based marketing is a growing trend and one we all ought to be cognisant of. In 2016, eBay launched a mood marketing tool, for example. And last year, Facebook told advertisers that it could identify when teenagers felt “insecure” and “worthless” or needed “a confidence boost”. This was just a few years after Facebook faced a backlash for running experiments to see if it could manipulate the mood of its users”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@trovatten

Whilst the giants are keen to tie our moods to perceived consumer desire and take the soul away from music; they are now using D.N.A. in order to recommend music to us. Spotify members can input results from the AncestryDNA website; the streaming site will then generate selections based on the results and, as they see it, it’s a chance for people to connect, musically, with their family tree and history. I have my own thoughts regarding this venture but I read an article written by Sarah Zhang that highlighted some flaws:

“Genetic-ancestry tests are having a moment. Look no further than Spotify: On Thursday, the music-streaming service—as in, the service used to fill tedious workdays and DJ parties—launched a collaboration with AncestryDNA. The partnership creates custom playlists for users based on DNA results they input: Oumou Sangaré for Mali, for example, and Ed Sheeran for England.

If this were simply about wearing kilts or liking Ed Sheeran, these ads could be dismissed as, well, ads. They’re just trying to sell stuff, shrug. But marketing campaigns for genetic-ancestry tests also tap into the idea that DNA is deterministic, that genetic differences are meaningful. They trade in the prestige of genomic science, making DNA out to be far more important in our cultural identities than it is, in order to sell more stuff”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@mariusmasalar

The problem with the new scheme is it fails to recognise people’s musical tastes are personal and subjective. So far as I know, my family is English and we do not go much further than Ireland. I do not think there is anything exotic in my family tree and, as such, the music that will be recommended to me will be, what they see as, quintessentially British. There will be a lot of Ed Sheeran and The Kinks; songs that celebrate Britishness and do not, as music always should, encourage me to look at the wider world and uncover musical D.N.A. that is foreign to me. I appreciate genealogy and your heritage is important and it should be a personal and un-musical pursuit. Finding out where you come from and who your ancestors are is a precious and emotional thing. It is a process of discovery and shock; learning where your very roots and marrow descends from – having a streaming service use this semi-sacred inquisition as a means of targeting you with music seems, to me, rather shallow and pointless. Unless the music they are suggesting is from a member of your family – not many of us can say that – then it seems like a rather pointless thing. The same article raised a very good point regarding genetics and how this initiative can emphasise differences:

“The most charged criticism against genetic-ancestry tests is that they emphasize people’s genetic differences, ultimately reifying race as a meaningful category when it is in fact a social construct. A 2014 study found that when people read a newspaper article about genetic-ancestry tests, their beliefs in racial differences increased. And white nationalists have taken to DNA ancestry tests to prove their European heritage”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@leio

I have put ‘my’ playlist below. All I typed in was my nationality and it came up with the results. I did not put in my name and details and it seems, if this is the way it is done, it is quite a vague and generic selection. There is nothing I have not already heard and it does not define me as a person. I feel the playlists are like astrology. Nearly every prediction for star signs can apply to pretty much anyone. There is no science and facts in any of it and people get sucked in something stupid and facile. Among the selections, there was music I have heard and will never listen to again – including Ed Sheeran and The 1975 – and I am not sure they are more British than The Beatles or Nick Drake (music that is more personal to me). It seems the selections are based on popularity and a vague sense of national excellence rather than any actual science and soul-searching. This article, written by Ashley Reese, saw her crunch the data/D.N.A. and discover something unsettling: just how naff the British music selections were!

“When I first received my results in early 2017, my top ethnic region was Senegal. But thanks to Ancestry updating and enhancing their reference samples, I started off my playlist adventure with the realization that Senegal actually represents a mere blip of my ethnic roots. I was admittedly bummed out—Senegal seems cool—but I moved on. As of right now, my top ethnic region is “Cameroon, Congo, and Southern Bantu Peoples” at 26 percent, followed by Mali at 20 percent, Benin/Togo at 18 percent, England/Wales/Northern Europe at 13 percent, and Ireland/Scotland at 11 percent”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@skmuse_  

“…My problem with this entire affair rests in the British Isles portion of the playlist.

Admittedly, I’m an Anglophile who could spend an inordinate amount of time talking about British alt rock of the ’80s, Brit pop of the ’90s, and the British indie/garage rock revival of the ’00s. I am also an expert on the Spice Girls. It’s obnoxious, but I know my shit! I can say, with confidence, that despite bringing a grim, nonconsensual scourge upon my DNA, the English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish do a pretty good job with that whole music thing”.

I would be behind Spotify if they offered something that broadened our musical minds and helped get us away from the overly-commercial and much-hyped. If they genuinely wanted us to connect with the world in a more profound and illustrative way – in a divided and broken time – then it would be a beneficial and impressive move. I feel our D.N.A. and where we are born is not the sum of our personalities and it does not take into consideration measures for musical love: personality and emotional demands; what our parents listened to and other concerns. It is a very limited and overly-simplistic search that, in my view, is more commercial and advertising-based than it is a chance to make the subscribers feel heard and enriched.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I think it is important services like Spotify keep moving and find new ways to get people invested and stimulated. It can be soulless and boring scrolling through endless playlists or having to listen to the mainstream artists Spotify promote. What they should be doing is fixing issues surrounding artist payment and help subscribers get involved with rich and unexpected musical sources. Spotify is obsessed with the new and trending; the big artists that are all about now – there is so much in their archive that many people are not aware of because they are not being led that way. I feel Spotify are spending too much time manipulating our moods and trends to suit advertisers and make us feel too watched and more like a number. I am interested to see where I come from but I feel Spotify cannot adequately provide a playlist that shows the complexity of a nation and its D.N.A. There is that problem with racial division and the fact most of us do not discover music based on our nationality – it is rather limiting and problematic. I know how hard it is to wrestle and tussle with newcomers in a competitive market but Spotify could do so much more if they just concentrated on music itself and less on advertising/monitoring us. Maybe it is a sad inevitability of the times we live in but I feel, in an attempt to get ahead of the competition, Spotify has taken a step that is unnecessary…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@devindtx

AND far too flawed.  

 

INTERVIEW: Iyamah

INTERVIEW:

Iyamah

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THE terrific Iyamah…

has been telling me about Silver Over Gold and shooting its video. I ask how important her hometown of Brighton is and what sort of music she was exposed to as a child – she recommends some great rising artists worth some time.

I ask what comes next for her in terms of gigs and material and whether there are a few albums that are especially important to her; how she spends any time away from music – Iyamah provides some handy advice for musicians coming through.

__________

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

Hey! I’m great, thank you. Just busy. I’ve been at home finishing off some songs and getting ready to go on tour next week! 

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

Sure. I’m a Soul singer; lover of Hip-Hop and Jazz. I try to combine all my musical influences into my own genre, which also includes Reggae and live sounds. Really, I’m a hippy kid from the sunny seaside town of Brighton. 

Silver Over Gold is your new track. Is there a story behind the track?

Definitely. The song means a few things to me really. It’s mainly about what influenced me growing up and my surroundings; being by the sea and diverse cultures and representing sounds from around the world.

But, it’s also about the value of things and how we carry memories with us in different ways like jewellery - but it doesn’t always have to be the most expensive or valuable that mean the most. It can be a place, or a person; those things come for free.

What was it like filming the video in Brighton?

It was honestly the best day I’ve had in a long time. Everything was perfect. The sun was shining and my whole crew and team were happy to be there! I was proud to call it my hometown and we managed to get exactly what we hoped for the video. It’s something about the energy and the vibe in Brighton during the summer.

How important is your hometown of Brighton? Did you grow up around a lot of music and local sounds?

100%! I think it’s the reason I love music so much. My mum was always playing music at home, but it was also all the parades and festivals; the festival attitude of life that you end up taking on and the travelling mind-set people have there too. I was encouraged to travel the world and explore sounds from around the world.

Will there be more material coming next year do you reckon?

Next year! Sooner; sooner than you think.

In terms of music; who do you count as idols and influences? 

Oh, I have many. I’ve always naturally been inspired by empowering women. Maybe it’s because I was raised by my mum but there’s something about female singers that gave me strength. I have my queens that definitely had an influence on my sound; maybe because they’re ‘woke’. They speak the truth.

I’d say they’re Erykah Badu, Jill Scott; Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill; Sade and, of course, Amy Winehouse. I’m sure a lot of singers of my generation would say those people! But, I also love the ones who influenced us all: Etta James, Whitney and Aretha. 

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

If I’m able to keep up the momentum, I’ll be happy. People have responded so positively to my music and that’s all I hoped for. I’m grateful for all the support I’ve had so far.

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

I loved shooting the video for Silver Over Gold. That’s probably the most proud I’ve felt of any of my work so far because I had a vision and Dalia captured it so well. It was the best feeling when we were able to share it!

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)? 

Oooohh; probably the albums that take me back!

Kanye West - Late Registration; Sona Jobarteh – Fasiya and Bob Marley – Exodus.

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

Erykah Badu! And my rider would have halloumi and sweet potato fries…some hummus and pitta bread AND some Mount Gay Rum. 

Might we see some tour dates coming up? Where might we be able to catch you play?

Yes! So excited to be supporting Masego next week for his Europe tour. You can catch me at the London, Manchester; Paris and Amsterdam shows. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Just be honest and real with yourself - that’s all you can do. But, make sure you always follow your gut! It’s always right. You got to take every lesson as it comes and only allow it to make you stronger and more powerful. 

IN THIS PHOTO: Isaac Waddington

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yes. There’s a couple people coming through at the moment you might not have heard of who definitely deserve more recognition. Isaac Waddington. If you can see him live he’s probably got the best male vocals I’ve heard in a long time. Sam Wills is incredibly talented. Also…Raveena. Her music’s super-sweet and very chilled.

IN THIS PHOTO: Raveena/PHOTO CREDIT: @raveena_aurora

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

I try to, even when there’s so much I have to do. I make sure I give my mind a break for at least ten-fifteen minutes a day to meditate! It helps me to focus and set the day right. I also make sure I eat good food - that helps break up the day. Some days I don’t do music at all because if I feel uninspired and I can’t force myself to be creative. I’ll go off and do something else, then come back to it. That way I know I’ll do a better job. Whether it’s going for a walk or seeing a friend.

But, those days don’t come often: I’m always doing something to do with music even if it’s writing notes, making plans for the week or recording ideas on my VoiceNotes. I like to be organised; it’s kind of addictive.

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).

Oooh…Sampa The Great - Rhymes To The East (edit). She’s amazing.

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Follow Iyamah

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/iyamah_artist

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iyamah_artist/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/iyamahartist/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMSvMfxngE6nPdqw5McHVfg

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/iyamah_artist

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3kf01riKEcjHq6eiATvWT1

INTERVIEW: Morley

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Ebet Roberts  

Morley

___________

I have been spending time with Morley…

PHOTO: Sandrine Lee

as she tells me about her forthcoming album, Thousand Miles (out on 5th October). She discusses the influence of New York’s Queens on her writing; how she came to music and what sort of sounds inspire her – Morley recommends some rising artists to follow.

I ask whether a U.K. tour is possible and which albums have impacted her most; if she gets time to unwind outside of music; whether music can bring people together and resolve disputes – she chooses a brilliant track to end the interview with.

__________

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

Greetings! I am well, thank you. My week has been wonderful; packed with music and gatherings (a real need in these times).

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

I’m a singer, composer and poet. I write on the guitar, piano and percussion. I’ve made six studio albums of original material independently as well with major labels. My music is conscious; political, love and justice-driven…it addresses lust, love; loneliness, loss and the willingness to begin again. I am deeply influenced by global rhythms; Folk, Soul and Jazz. You can hear this in my music. I am very VERY lucky to be surrounded by genius and innovative musicians to collaborate with - this you hear in my music as well (smiles).

Thousand Miles, your album, is out on 5th October. Are there particular themes and ideas that inspire the music?

Courage, surrender; dignity, self-transformation; friendship and love. It is a culmination of songs after two years of global travel to post-conflict regions.

Do you find music can resolve conflict and bring people together? Does modern political turmoil affect the way you write?!

Music reveals our borderless hearts. Two people cannot speak at the same time to each other, but they can sing together. Two people may not be able to stand next to each other in the same room but they can certainly dance in the same room. I’ve seen it happen time and time again so, yes, music brings people together... 

Yes. My writing is always affected by what is happening politically, socially and communally. It is natural to be connected to the world around us and if I don’t write about it: I feel unnatural and can get very overwhelmed. Music brings me together with my own wellness in this way.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ebet Roberts

How did growing up in Queens affect the way you write music and approach people? Is it a part of New York that seems to encompass every walk of life?

Queens is home to immigrants from all over the globe and a key component of New York City's melting pot. As a youth, I shared food, songs and dances with my friends…finding my reflection in others that are ethnically and culturally different than myself greatly informed the way I grew up, my writing and my thinking. It gave me insight of how similar we all are.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Sandrine Lee

In terms of musicians; what sort of stuff are you into? Who were you raised on?

Prince, David Bowie; Jeff Buckley, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; Mercedes Sosa , Sweet Honey in the Rock; Toshi Reagon, Joan As Policewoman; Somi, Meshell Ndegeocello; Meklit Hadaro, Daniel Lanois; Nina Simone, Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

To do everything I can to help get people out to vote in our election.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Sandrine Lee

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

When I played the Nice Jazz Festival in Monaco with my good friend John Andrews on guitar, it was drizzling (it was outdoor concert) and the people were very far from the stage; seeking shelter from the rain. But, we just plugged in to get ready to play since it was still safe to do so. As soon as we started, people began to move towards the stage. By the end of our set, there were over a thousand people with us.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)? 

Nina Simone - Live at Ronnie Scott’s

Because of her songs God and King of Love - and how she sang it on that particular night. 

Mercedes Sosa - 30 Años

Because of how the crowd is with her.

Stevie Wonder - Innervisions

Because it is everything that ever was.

  PHOTO CREDIT: Sandrine Lee

Can we see you tour soon? Where are you playing?

Working on it.

Will you come to the U.K. and play here?

Working on it. Can’t wait to return to the Barbican. I was there a few years back opening for Raul Midon at the London Jazz Festival.

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

Stevie Wonder. 1 d.i. box 1 mic on boom stand.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Write what you feel, tell the truth about it; do not compromise your vision.

IN THIS PHOTO: Be Steadwell

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Be Steadwell; Benjamin Clementine and Las Cafeteras.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Benjamin Clementine/PHOTO CREDIT: Protsko Nikita 

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

Not really, thankfully. I dance.

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).

Lhasa De Sela’s - De Cara a la Pared

___________

Follow Morley

 PHOTO CREDIT: Sandrine Lee  

Official:

http://www.morleymusic.org/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/morleymusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/morley_music/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MorleySongs/

YouTube:

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

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/morley-official

INTERVIEW: laye

INTERVIEW:

laye

___________

THE awesome laye…

has been telling me about her latest track, milk n honey, and what its background is. I ask the Canadian artist whether there is more material coming up and whether she is always learning new things – I wanted to know how early music came into her life.

Laye reveals her favourite albums and touring plans; what advice she would give to artists emerging; a rising act worth checking out – laye shares her favourite musical memory.

__________

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

Hi. I’m good, thank you. Sleepy. My week’s been nice. Had a few shows in Toronto and B.C. and I’m now back in Montreal.

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

My name’s laye and I’m an artist from Montreal. The last two-three years I’ve been working on music and I’ve recently started releasing it (go put it in your ears). I think my music always has a sort of longing feel underneath it all and a darker Alternative-Pop production to it.

milk n honey is your new single. Can you reveal how it came together and what its story is?

I was out in L.A. and I had a session with FnZ (Finatik N Zac) along with Lauren Christy - who co-wrote the song with me which was amazing. She wrote a lot of Avril Lavigne’s music that I loved growing up. We wrote the song pretty smoothly together and it was a really good feel.

Will there be more material coming next year do you think?

More material coming this year. I’m back in the studio finishing up my album and I’ll be releasing a song on October 5th that I wrote two years ago. Getting nervous about that one: it’s coming up fast but I’m very happy about it finally coming out.

When did music come into your life? Which artists did you fall for at a young age?

My dad would have Alternative music radio stations playing that definitely impacted me somewhat as well as my mom played a lot of Dido and Norah Jones. I think, in terms of my own exploration of music; that only came later. I didn’t have a phone or laptop for a lot of my growing up and, when I did, I started listening to a lot of acoustic sessions on YouTube and singer-songwriter-type music.

As an artist; are you always learning new crafts and sides to the industry? Is music a learning experience? 

Definitely. This year has been a huge year for growth. I’m currently self-managed so I’m learning a lot about the whole industry as well as on the creative side of things - I’ve gotten to experience so much more than I expected and meet so many new people. I’m constantly learning.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I want to get to a spot where I feel that I have the team I need around me to go full force in 2019. I want to release a lot of new music, new visuals and start doing shows. I don’t want to slow down. This year, I’ve started to finally put music out and, by the end of 2018, I want it to feel like it’s just the beginning and be happy where I’m at but without getting comfortable. 

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

I just recently flew out to Vancouver to play Westward Festival - opening for Cigarettes After Sex - at The Vogue. I never would have imagined that happening. That’s going to stand out for me for a bit.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)? 

That’s something that’s always going to change for me but, right now, I’ll say these guys:

Kodaline - In a Perfect World

Really helped me through a tough patch.

Leon Bridges - Coming Home 

It is a good way to start the day.

Dido - Life for Rent

My mom played it a lot when I was younger and two of the songs off of that album were the first songs I sang in front of people.

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

There would be so many different artists I’d love to tour with. Some of them don’t really make sense because of our musical differences, sonically. However; I’d hope our paths cross at some point. I think Lorde would be amazing; Locals Only Sound, Daniel Caesar; Leon Bridges and SZA.

Rider: wine and a warm blanket. Cozy. 

Might we see some tour dates coming up? Where might we be able to catch you play?

No tour dates just yet - hoping to start playing some small shows in Montreal, Toronto and wherever else it takes me right now.

How important is it being on stage and performing? Is it the place you feel most comfortable? 

It’s funny because you would think that it should be. For me, I’m getting used to it. I love it, but I love it once I get pass the fear - and there’s still a lot of fear there for me. I want to get to the point where I have nerves but I’m confident enough to enjoy it.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Don’t get down on yourselves - it’s so easy to. And, if you do, try to recognize it and get out of it and keep pushing forward. Only you can be you so, as long as you’re doing that, nobody else is. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Locals Only Sound

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Locals Only Sound. A duo/collective from Toronto. They have some stuff out right now and a lot more on the way that’s really exciting.

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

Right now, things are pretty go, go, go but, when I do have downtime, I want to read more…and Netflix and wine. I just recently started and finished Game of Thrones so, if you have any recommendations, let me know (or books too, I guess) I also started getting into production myself, so downtime is sometimes still music for me - but, getting to work on my own things and explore other aspects of it.

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’m gunna go with If This Is Love - Xavier Omär

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Follow laye

Official:

http://www.layemusic.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/layemusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/layemusic/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/layemusic/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe7g1EQA6dmP3_sXVit3nRg

INTERVIEW: AyOwA

INTERVIEW:

AyOwA

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AHEAD of their E.P. release tomorrow…

I have been speaking with AyOwA about Farvel and what we can expect. They talk about their new single of the same name and what the story behind it is; how AyOwA got together and what sort of music inspire them.

I ask whether they are going on tour and what the music scene is like in Denmark right now; if they get time to chill away from music; who they’d support on tour if they had the chance – they end the interview by selecting a great track.

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

Hi, there! Thanks. It’s been good but busy since we’re releasing an E.P. and getting ready to go on tour!

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

AyOwA consists of synth/piano player and producer Nicolai Kornerup and singer and composer Hannah Schneider, both from Copenhagen in Denmark. Nicolai does most of the production and Hannah mostly takes care of the lyrics and melodies.

We create our music in a basement studio in Copenhagen - that seldom see the light of day - but has a lot of good vibes and a grand piano. If you mix Noise-Pop with Electronica and melodies with improvisation, in an evocative and playful mix, that’s where you’ll find our music. 

 

Farvel is your new track. What is the inspiration behind the song? 

Farvel is a song that has had many different arrangements: from a big electronic track over complicated beats, until it eventually ended up in this simple version; recorded at the Wurlitzer in one take. We felt a song that sticks with you for that long has something it wants to say! 

It is from the E.P. of the same name (out tomorrow). Are there particular themes and ideas that influenced the songwriting? 

Hannah: Throughout AyOwA’s existence, there has been an underlying theme of saying goodbye to a loved one. I lost my father in the process of recording this E.P. and, naturally, it has been with me in the process of writing the texts and the melodies. Farvel means farewell and, in that word, there is both sadness and a wish for lighter and more hopeful times. I think this duality shines through the E.P.

How did AyOwA get together? When did you start making music? 

We’ve been friends since we were teens and we’ve played music together ever since. We decided to join forces in AyOwA almost three years ago.

When did music arrive in your lives? Which artists are you inspired by? 

We both come from ‘a home with a piano’. Nicolai’s grandmother taught piano and both Hannah’s parents and grandparents were Classical musicians. Music is a vital part of both our lives and we get weird when we don’t have it around! We are both inspired by a lot of Classical music like Debussy, Satie and Bach - but some of the bands that have brought us together are bands like Boards of Canada, The Internet; Cocteau Twins and Beach House.

You are based in Denmark. Is there a varied and strong industry there right now? Are there a lot of great local artists emerging?  

It seems like Denmark and Norway has always been standing in the shadows of the Swedish music industry when it comes to the Scandinavian scene but now it’s changing - lots of really interesting acts are emerging! The Danish music scene is small but really diverse and strong. There are a lot of interesting female artist coming thru like Soleima, Kwamie Liv and, of course Mø.

 What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018? 

Not many months to go but, as we’re going on a big European tour supporting Faroese artist Eivør in October, we’ll be playing our music many new and exciting places and that has definitely been a goal for us since the beginning!

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

We both had a really spectacular time playing Roskilde Festival last year- probably one of the peaks so far! 

Which one album means the most to you would you say (and why)? 

Hannah: There are so many! But, if I can only pick one I think maybe the Bjørk album Homogenic is the most important to me

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

If you could fix us a tour supporting Massive Attack, Portishead; Björk and Cocteau Twins we wouldn’t say no!

Might we see some tour dates coming up? Where might we be able to catch you play?

We’re playing a release concert at Absalon in Copenhagen on Friday, Sep. 28th and then we’re going on tour with Eivør:

10.10. Teatr Szekspirowski - Gdansk Poland

11.10. Hybrydy - Warsaw, Poland

13.10. Chorzowskie Centrum Kultury - Chorzow, Poland

14.10. Hirsch - Nürnberg, Germany

15.10. Treibhaus - Innstbruck, Austria

17.10. Bleu Lezard - Lausanne, Switzerland

18.10. La Salle Du Cercle - Bischheim, France

20.10. The Control Club – Bucharest, Romania

22.10. The Studio - Norwich, U.K.

23.10. Patterns - Brighton, U.K.

24.10. The Globe - Cardiff, U.K.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through? 

Have something to say with your music! And keep saying it!  Some of the most interesting artists are the ones that keep evolving, and hang in there.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Pernille Smith-Sivertsen of Blondage/PHOTO CREDIT: @ventilstudio, @stefanwessel and @alicekaufmannjewellery

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out? 

We love the Danish Electronic-Pop act Blondage; Art Pop-er ML Buch; fantastic Masasolo (who did a great remix of our song, Sommer - just sayin’) and check out newcomer Ida Kudo as well - she’s on fire!  

 IN THIS PHOTO: Masasolo

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

We basically don’t! Funny, because it’s too true.

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).

Please play us Falling by Vera (ft. Okay Kaya) and we’ll be dancing through the night!  

___________

Follow AyOwA

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AyOwAmusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ayowamusic/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thisisayowa/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/ayowa

INTERVIEW: HEAVN

INTERVIEW:

HEAVN

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I get to talk with HEAVN…

about her single, High, and what the story behind it is. She speaks with me about changing her artist name and how her music has developed since the start; the sort of sounds she is inspired by – HEAVN recommends some rising artists to look out for.

I ask her if there are any albums that inspire her and whether we can see any gigs; what she hopes to achieve before the end of this year; how she spends her time away from music – HEAVN selects a cool song to end things with.

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

Hi, Sam. It’s been great! I’m just getting everything ready for my release and I’ve just shot my music video which will be coming out soon!

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

I’m a Dark-Pop/Indie singer-songwriter. Originally from Milan; I moved to London four years ago to follow my passion for music. I’ve graduated from BIMM last year and I’ve just finished my Masters in Songwriting and Production at Tileyard Studios. I used to release music under CarryLyanne, but I’ve just rebranded and changed my artist name to HEAVN.

What promoted the artist name change from CarryLyanne to HEAVN? Does it signal a new creative and personal phase?

Since I’ve started writing, I feel my style has developed in a different direction so I wanted a fresh start to release my new music under a different name. Everyone says my voice is very warm, so I thought something soft like ‘HEAVN’ would suit well.

Can you reveal the inspiration behind your new track, High? Is there a story behind it?

The track is about learning to love yourself first before you give love to someone else: “I can’t teach you how to love if you don’t love yourself”. I originally written the track inspired by My Week with Marilyn. The film follows the relationship between Marilyn Monroe and her personal assistant, Colin Clark.

It also shows Marilyn’s complex personality. She is unable to love herself and, as a result, cannot give love to Colin or anyone around her. Indeed, the intro of the song features samples from Marilyn’s interviews.

Will there be more material coming next year do you think?

Definitely. I already have some new tracks which I can’t wait to share with the world!

How do you think you have evolved and changed as an artist since your earliest days? Do you feel you are more confident and assured than before?

To be honest with you, I don’t think I will ever feel assured! The more I get to know the music industry, the more I realise it’s just a big gamble! If anything, I feel I am more confident with what I want from my music and who I want to work with.  

In terms of musicians; what sort of stuff are you into? Who were you raised on?

It’s funny cause I was raised on Hard-Rock and Metal and everyone laughs when I say that! One of my all-time favourite bands will always be Aerosmith. However, I listen to everything; some of my favourite acts include Lana Del Rey, Halsey; ZAYN and Highly Suspect.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I am starting this new musical journey with HEAVN, so I’m hoping for my brand to become established and I want to start planning gigs for the New Year and get involved in as many songwriting camps as possible.

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

Yes. In June, I went to a songwriting camp in Nashville. I had the best week of my life creating music with talented musicians and producers and exploring a new city. I love working with people so, for me, it was an unforgettable experience and it really helped me to grow as an artist.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Christina Aguilera – Stripped

Great, raw vocals and emotions

Lana Del Rey - Paradise

It felt like something authentic and unique when I first listened to it and it had a big impact on my writing.

Aerosmith - Nine Lives

Reminds me of my youth - and Tyler is probably one of the best singers of all time!

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

Lana Del Rey!

For the rider, I would probably ask for a personal chef as well as a permission to have my hotel room filled with cats.

Can we see you tour soon? Where are you playing?

I’m performing my new music live for the first time at Two Brewery on 9th October at 6 P.M.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be true to yourself and always respect other people in the industry.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Måneskin

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Måneskin, Folly Rae and Two Feet.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Folly Rae

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

I like to read books; work out (when I’m not being lazy!) and just chill with my friends.

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).

Pink + White - Frank Ocean (smiles)

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Follow HEAVN

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/heavnuk/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/heavnuk/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/user-48903410

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/track/64HRGLSNGNqa9SvDFxySxR?si=q_5YmiCWSa6Uuygk9BR00g

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO_zTzRZMMuHLBGGRTEAuDg/featured?view_as=subscriber

FEATURE: 2011: The Limbs of a Shaking Nation: The Best from a Fantastic Musical Year

FEATURE:

 

 

2011: The Limbs of a Shaking Nation

IN THIS PHOTO: PJ Harvey (photoed in 2011)/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Marcocia 

The Best from a Fantastic Musical Year

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THIS series is designed to celebrate years in music…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Radiohead (captured in 2011)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

post-2000 - and the fact this century can rank alongside the last in terms of the best music. There are some who claim music peaked by the end of the 1990s and we have not seen anything as good. I have already focused on a couple of years from the twenty-first century and there are few as strong as 2011. From superb efforts from the likes of Laura Marling and Kate Bush to stunners from James Blake and Beastie Boys; PJ Harvey and Radiohead – quite an exceptional and varied year. You cannot claim 2011 lacks bite and, to my mind, it can rank alongside most years in terms of its sheer brilliance. Have a look at the records below and recall all the wonder we saw seven years ago. 2011 remains one of those years that…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

HAS yet to be touched.

ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

                                                                         ______________

PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

Released: 14th February, 2011

Label: Universal Island Records

Genres: Alternative-Rock; Folk-Rock; Folk

Radiohead – The King of Limbs

Released: 18th February, 2011

Label: XL Recordings

Genres: Alternative-Rock; Electronic; Experimental

St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

Released: 12th September, 2011

Label: 4AD

Genres: Indie-Rock; Post-Punk; Art-Pop; Baroque-Pop

Florence + the Machine – Ceremonials

Released: 28th October, 2011

Label: Universal Island Records

Genres: Alternative; Indie; Pop

Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Released: 17th June, 2011

Label: 4AD

Genres: Indie-Rock; Folk

Tom Waits – Bad as Me

Released: 21st October, 2011

Label: Anti-

Genres: Rock; Blues

Kate Bush – 50 Words for Snow

Released: 21st November, 2011

Label: Fish People

Genres: Art-Pop; Jazz; Chamber-Pop

Beyoncé – 4

Released: 24th June, 2011

Labels: Parkwood, Columbia

Genre: R&B

James Blake – James Blake

Released: 4th February, 2011

Label: Interscope Records

Genres: Dubstep; Soul; Experimental; Electronic

The Black Keys – El Camino

Released: 6th December, 2011

Label: Nonesuch

Genres: Blues; Blues-Rock; Garage-Rock

Lady Gaga – Born This Way

Released: 23rd May, 2011

Labels: Streamline, Kon Live, Interscope

Genre: Dance-Pop

Björk – Biophilia

Released: 5th October, 2011

Label: Universal International

Genres: Electronic; Experimental; Trip-Hop; Glitch

Wild Beasts – Smother

Released: 9th May, 2011

Label: Domino Recording Company

Genres: Indie-Rock; Indie-Pop; Dream-Pop

Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

Released: 27th April, 2011

Label: Capitol Records

Genres: Hip-Hop; Alternative Hip-Hop; Post-Punk

Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

Released: 9th September, 2011

Label: Virgin Records

Genres: Folk; Folk-Rock

FEATURE: The Devil Makes Work for Idol Hands: Is Music Following Hollywood into a Dark Pit?

FEATURE:

 

 

The Devil Makes Work for Idol Hands

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@benwhitephotography  

Is Music Following Hollywood into a Dark Pit?

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A couple of big revelations have come from the world of music…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@melwasser

that have caused shock and called into question how far cases of sexual abuse and inappropriate behaviour extend. It is not a shock seeing big names in Hollywood being revealed and exposed when it comes to taking advantage of women and letting their hands wander. Bill Cosby has just been sentenced to between three and ten years in prison and it has shown powerful men are not immune from justice. It makes for grim reading!

“It is time for justice,” said Judge Steven O’Neill, who handed down the sentence on Tuesday at the Montgomery county courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

Cosby was found guilty earlier this year of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia estate in 2004. The sentence caps a precipitous downfall for an actor once known as “America’s Dad,” who starred in the popular Cosby Show in the 1980s and 90s”.

I suspect Cosby’s sentence will be reduced – if he lives long enough to see that happen – but it is another instance of a once-loved figure being revealed as something nobody expected. When we come to music, there have been fewer high-profile cases. Times have changed and women are coming forward; accusing and revealing men who have let power go to their heads and crossing lines.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Judge Steven O'Neill sentenced 81-year-old comedian Bill Cosby for sexually assaulting Temple University athletics administrator Andrea Constand in 2004/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/AP

Look back at music and you can see how things have changed regarding consent and sex. There once was a time – maybe it still happens – where the ‘groupie’ would hang around and wait for her favourite band/artist to emerge after a gig. That idea of bedding a famous musician and them in turn revelling at the attention of their fans was glamorised and seen as normal. Who knows which of the idolised and celebrated music legends have been privy to having sex with a string of female fans – who knows how many of them were under the age of consent. It is rather seedy and sworded thinking about how those encounters were initiated and whether any of the women/girls were plied with alcohol/drugs beforehand. As I say; there are dungeons and crevices of music where that still happens but, thankfully, the groupie culture died and has taken on a reduced form. A lot of bands scorn groupies and find it embarrassing; a lot of the dangers regarding sexual exploitation and abuse are online – grooming and inappropriate messages/images falling into the hands of young girls/women. We have passed the time when big bands like Led Zeppelin would engage in debauchery and excess; their contemporaries inviting young fans into their tour buses/hotels and, in essence, using them.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@sauvageisland

This article, written by Rae Alexandra last year, examines the history of assaults at gigs and how things have changed since the 1990s:

“Assault at shows is an issue that has been publicly discussed since riot grrrl first shone a light on it in the early 1990s. This reached its peak in 1999 when the chaos of Woodstock resulted in numerous sexual assault reports and a number of rape allegations from audience members. More recently, in 2015, five teenage girls in the U.K. started #GirlsAgainst to highlight the fact that this problem is ongoing. Just last year, 26 women reported being assaulted at the Schlossgrabenfest music festivalin Germany.

It’s not talked about all that often, but the risks facing women and girls who like live music are not limited to fellow audience members. There is a culture of silence in this male-dominated industry that, in my 18 years of journalistic experience on the road and backstage, has shocked me”.

She went on to examine that idea of the groupies and how it is a rather complicated discussion:

“The issues surrounding bands and groupies are complex and frequently rooted in a culture that tells rock musicians that it's their right, and tells young women that their greatest commodity -- their easiest “in” -- is their bodies and their sexuality. Romanticized depictions of groupies in TV and movies (Showtime’s Roadies was a recent offender) continue to perpetuate the idea that groupies are beloved and essential; that women can get in on the excitement of being on the road, if only they’ll give it up. In reality, groupies are often mocked by the band the second they’ve been ushered off the bus”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/carolinehdz

There are articles that seem to skew the idea that being a groupie is negative. This piece features a different take on sex - as a way of making connections and bolstering confidence:

“There’s no stigma around making connections within a music scene through online or non-sexual networking, but there is lots of stigma around using sex to make those connections, and there shouldn’t be. Why not utilise my erotic capital, whether through flirting, dressing a certain way, or having casual sex? This became an almost necessity when I realised how hard it is to get a foothold in a music scene. When we started our night we had practically no contacts; we couldn’t even get through to most venues, never mind convince them to take us seriously when we finally got hold of someone on the phone. If you’re not a DJ, then the received wisdom is, what business have you got starting a club night anyway? No one starts club nights just for the fun of it. Even the DJs who we eventually booked were skeptical. So I felt it necessary in certain situations to deploy the erotic capital I realised I had after gaining confidence after sleeping with a string of musicians”.

The New Yorker  investigated the often-maligned word and wondered whether being a groupie was about sexual expression, independence and the only way women, in music or not, could feel part of the scene:

“Some feminists might wish to decry this kind of live-and-let-live ethos as witless and naïve. There is, of course, a more troubling presumption embedded in these relationships—that, at least in the earliest days of rock and roll, “groupie” was the only viable position open to a woman who wanted to participate, in some way, in the creation and dissemination of the music she loved. The logic goes like this: women became groupies because what else could they possibly do to mediate or amplify the sublime experience of reacting to these songs?

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@skylerorking  

“For me, the most interesting question that “Groupies” raises has less to do with cultural pathways and more to do with old-fashioned carnality and the places within us that it comes from. Perhaps it’s not so much that sex was the only option for these women, but that it was their preferred option. Fandom operates differently than a creative or critical impulse—and it wants for different things, too. People find all sorts of ways to manage the magnificent, sometimes paralyzing feelings a true communion with art incites: as long as there have been humans making beautiful things, there have been other humans who wish to subsume or harness that energy via sexual congress. Sex is a method (and an effective one) for achieving a kind of transcendental closeness to another person and, by inevitable extension, to the work that they make”.

There are other articles such as this; here and this that looks at the way musicians and fans used to connect – or the somewhat lascivious and sexual nature of band-fan relationships. The reason I bring all of this to play is because of the way some artists still think that culture is acceptable. I am someone who is unwilling to accept anything positive or good could come from celebrating casual sex in music and that rather unseemly scene of the past.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Matthew G via Flickr Commons

I am glad to see there is not the same sort of exposure and gaudiness happening today but there have been a couple of big stories coming out that make me wonder whether music is as clean and safe as it should be. Most male artists are respectful to their female fans and the big bands of today – Muse, Coldplay; Foo Fighters and the like – are not inviting lines of women into their tour buses and getting their rocks off. It appears, even though social media is there to unveil and condemn any form of sexual inappropriateness, it still is happening. BØRNS is the latest artist who is making the news for all the wrong reasons. Pitchfork has reported what has happened and the revelations coming forward:

“On September 21, a woman with the Twitter handle @kaliforxniaposted a statement in which she called Borns a “manipulator” and “user.” She said that she met him at a concert in 2015, and struck up a friendship that continued over text and social media. Months later, she alleged that he asked her to “meet him for drinks” in L.A. “I was expecting a bar but ended up at his place,” she wrote. She claimed that she then entered Borns’ home, where he offered her alcoholic drinks. “Suddenly I became drunk and was completely taken advantage of,” she said. She continued, “Once everything happened I went to the bathroom and started bleeding. I was completely shocked from the blood and started to get it together and realized what just happened. I blamed myself for that night because I didn’t say no even though I was intoxicated”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: BØRNS/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The piece continues and looks at the allegations. It paints Garrett Clark Borns in a very bad light. He came forward and tackled the accusations:

“In a note posted to Instagram today, Borns wrote, “I am both hurt and angered over the disturbing and false allegations that have been spread over the past few days on social media. All of the relationships I have had were legal and consensual. They ended abruptly and that obviously caused hurt feelings, but for anyone to suggest anything beyond that is irresponsible”.

It seems a special account was set up on Twitter in order to collate testimonies and reactions from fans who have experienced similar inappropriateness from the musician:

“The Twitter account @exposing_borns has also been collecting various accounts of alleged misconduct. One claim was allegedly made by a 19-year-old named Mathilda. She allegedly said that she and Borns began corresponding over social media, after she reached out as a fan, but “he never wanted to get to [sic] deep or personal. Only asking for nudes. If I didn’t send any, he ghosted me for days.” She then claimed that he flew her out to Hamburg, where they spent two days together. “I did not like the way he wanted to have sex wit [sic] me. Made me scream for daddy’s cock etc etc. Very uncomfortable”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Moose Blood/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

These accusations will have a damaging effect on his career and you wonder why artists feel they can still behave with this sort of disregard and arrogance and expect to get away with things. There is that danger, in a social media age, anyone can out and accuse any musician without evidence and they, in turn, can immediately be removed from Twitter and the ball can roll a lot quicker – being dropped from their label or gig organisers cancelling them from their bills. You can never tell how true the allegations are but it seems like so many young women are coming through and sharing stories. His Twitter account is still active and it seems like he is standing his ground. It is troubling to see this story come to light and I wonder how far it goes – whether there will be more women telling their stories. You always have to ask how many of these allegations have validity and proof but it seems odd to accuse, originally, a musician for no reason. Back in February; Moose Blood were in the news for sharing nude photos from a fan’s phone and spreading them around. NME told the story:

“Moose Blood have responded to allegations that frontman Eddy Brewerton stole nude photos from a woman’s mobile phone.

Last year, Twitter user Zoe Maria spoke out to claim that Brewerton took the images from her phone before spreading them around on the band’s WhatsApp group.

“Just a friendly reminder for those of you not in the know: Moose Blood vocalist stole nudes off my phone and sent them to band’s Whatsapp group,” she wrote. “No I will not shut up about it because it still hasn’t been addressed. I’ll bring it up at every opportunity”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@charissek

After Good Charlotte removed the band from their tour; it signalled a new low for Moose Blood and, just recently, they have announced they are taking a break from music:

“Moose Blood have announced that they’re going to “step away” from music, following a “traumatic year” off the “back of serious false allegations”.

The band removed drummer Glenn Harvey in March 2017 following sexual harassment allegations against him that surfaced online.

This was followed almost a year later by allegations against frontman Eddy Brewerton, when he was accused of stealing nude photos from a woman’s phone and sharing them with other band members. Brewerton denies the accusation”.

The band have come out and staunchly defended their reputation. They claim they are being falsely accused and are not happy with the situation:

"Rumours have escalated beyond belief and it makes us sick to our stomachs that we have been very wrongly labelled with these horrendous, incorrect terms. If certain people actually did their research and knew one ounce of truth about the situation then we would not be in this position. You can’t wrongly label innocent people. Your words have very real effects and consequences. You are part of the problem and the reason why social media can be such a toxic place".

We will have to wait and see what the future holds for Moose Blood but I find it hard to believe a band who have had two unrelated accusations levied at them are innocent. Even if, in one case, they were misunderstood or joking around does not wash – there is no excuse for any of it!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@kj2018

A survey conducted early this year revealed the extent of sexual harassment and abuse in the music industry as a whole:

“The survey was conducted by the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), a non-profit organisation with nearly 9,000 members, who work to protect the interests of professional musicians. Among the respondents, 60% said they had experienced sexual harassment, both from superiors – such as conductors, teachers or established musicians – as well as peers in musical groups.

“I always take a sleeping bag on tour, because often we are sharing sleeping space, and a sleeping bag (that doesn’t zip all the way down), is the most effective way of not being molested while asleep,” one respondent wrote. Another said: “‘I have been propositioned and/or expected to engage in ‘casting couch’ or flirtatious behaviour so many times I have lost count.” Other respondents spoke of musicians exposing themselves, being kissed and touched against their will, and, in 6% of cases, being victims of rape and assault”.

Big artists such as R. Kelly have been accused of sexual assault and, as this list shows, it is not only actors/those in the entertainment industry that are being exposed. I looked at sexual abuse and misconduct in music last year off of the back of reports such as this and revelations from big names who have experienced sexual harassment/assault.

 IN THIS PHOTO: R. Kelly/PHOTO CREDIT: Live Nation

BØRNS and Moose Blood are aberrations and rarities: they are the most-recent cases of sexual assault/misconduct but this has been a problem in music for a long time. It seems the punishment for artists who go too far is severe. This article, from this May, looked at the case of R. Kelly and how Spotify dealt with allegations of sexual abuse:

“Streaming service Spotify will no longer promote R. Kelly’s music, Billboard reported on Thursday. The move comes after Time’s Up called on Spotify and other companies and concert venues to cut ties with the singer, who has faced allegations of sexual abuse for decades.

This is a small step forward, I guess. But as many have noted before, the music industry has yet to face the same kind of #MeToo reckoning that Hollywood and media have. R. Kelly and XXXTentacion are just two of the many men whose careers have, until recently, been largely unaffected by the allegations against them. Earlier today, New York Times pop music reporter Joe Coscarelli tweeted an email he got from XXXTentacion’s lawyer, who listed some of the other musicians accused of sexual assault and domestic violence that Spotify has not yet penalized, including the band Red Hot Chili Peppers, multiple members of which have been accused of battery, the Backstreet Boys, whose member Nick Carter has been accused of rape, and rapper Trey Songz, who was arrested in March on charges of felony domestic violence”.

I do worry how many cases are coming to light and how many are being hidden – women fearing they will not be believed or punished somehow. Whilst names as big as Harvey Weinstein are not being accused in music, I know full well there are numerous cases of sexual abuse happening and the penalties for artists who are accused is not stiff enough. I think more stringent and brutal measures need to be taken. I know everyone is innocent until proven guilty but you cannot really allow any artist to remain on social media and touring until they have been cleared. One does not know for certain how many of the recent stories are 100% true but I am in no position to disprove or cast aspersions on the young women who have come forward. As I said; sexual abuse is not new n music but we continue to see it and I wonder how far the problem extends; whether it can ever be stopped and what more can be done. It is not only female fans who are being subjected to unwanted abuse/attention – those in other areas of music (publicity, for example) report issues with boundaries and how they often find themselves being inappropriately touched or talked to.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@crea_tives

This Noisey article investigated that in more depth; how endemic and widespread the issue is – and how many women are pressured into having sex by those higher up in the industry:

"There's a lot of confusion over what is the boundary and with whom," said Rebecca Haithcoat, a freelance music journalist, who has contributed to Noisey. "If I go out to [a drink meeting] with a publicist or a manager and he sexually harasses me, who do I tell?"

Others I spoke with said the insecure nature of freelancing makes speaking out too great a risk, particularly among younger workers who may rely on such work as an entry point into the industry.

Kate, a former freelance music writer who now works in A&R and asked to use a pseudonym, says the precarious nature of freelance work made her afraid to speak out when a well-known musician pressured her to have sex with him before an interview. She was 21 at the time. Kate says she excused herself to the restroom and left. Though she eventually told the festival publicist who had invited her to the event about what happened, she never told her editor.

“This was my main source of income, and the reason I was able to meet people and get assignments—I didn’t want people to think I was difficult. You can easily feel isolated. I was scared that [the musician] was gonna take some revenge on me, or publicly discount everything that I said in order to save his career”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@rawpixel

Social media makes it easier to identify perpetrators and lead to greater awareness. Whilst some of the waters are muddied – how many true cases and genuine claims are there?! – women (and men) are not afraid to come online and castigate artists who have come too far. Only time will tell as to whether music can turn a corner and we can do much to protect female fans/those in the industry. It is sad to see artists risk their careers and be so stupid. I am not one who feels those accused are as innocent and spotless as they say. I do not believe random attention-seeking or vendettas are at the heart of these claims. More needs to be done to ensure we see fewer cases like we have seen recently. Until then, it is sad to see cases of sexual abuse/inappropriateness emerge. I genuinely hope, sooner rather than later, we can create change and safeguarding so women in music (and fans) can…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@isaiahrustad

TRULY feel safe.

INTERVIEW: Claire M Singer

INTERVIEW:

Claire M Singer

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IT has been great speaking with Claire M Singer…

about the upcoming two-day festival, organ reframed, at Union Chapel, London. There is a lot happening at the festival itself - Friday 12th and Saturday 13th, 17:00, Spitfire Audio Composer Insights, £5; Friday 12th, 18:30, Visions in Meditation, tickets from £8.50; Saturday 13th, 12 noon, Daylight Music, pay-what-you-can; Saturday 13th, 18:30, Éliane Radigue and Hildur Guðnadóttir, tickets from £8.50; Friday 12th and Saturday 13th, Exhale, free for attendees to all Organ Reframed events – and singer talks about what we can expect; how she got involved and why she took to the organ.

I ask whether the organ itself is becoming more popular and what advice she would give to anyone wanting to take the instrument up. Singer discusses her start in music and how her work has changed through the years – she reveals whether organ reframed will be an annual festival.

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

Hi. I’m great, thank you! I’m just busy busy getting ready for organ reframed at Union Chapel in a few weeks’ time. It’s all go but hugely exciting to be pulling it all together.

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

Sure! My name is Claire M Singer. I’m from Aberdeenshire in Scotland but have been living in London for the past sixteen years (I moved here to study music at Goldsmiths). I compose, perform and produce acoustic and electronic music; I create audio-visual work and installations but, more recently, I have been focusing on composing and performing organ, cello and electronics. I have released two albums, Solas and Fairge, on Touch and my most-recent project has been writing the music for Annabel Jankel’s film, Tell It to the Bees, which has just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

I’m also music director of the organ at Union Chapel in London and I started an experimental organ festival in 2016 called organ reframed which is about to happen for the third time on October 12th-13th.

I am interested by your start in music. What inspired the 2016 release, Solas, and how did you approach recording of it?

I started learning cello at the age of seven and piano at eleven and, from a very early age, I much preferred to sit and write my own melodies on the cello and, later, on the piano rather than play the music my teacher had given me. I then started playing in bands from the age of thirteen (first on keyboards and later adding my cello and accordion) and, when I got my own Roland keyboard E-300 - which introduced me to multi-track recording -, my compositions expanded quite dramatically into multi-instrumental works and that was it, I was hooked.

I never really wrote the notes down on manuscript: it was always recording the piano or cello onto tape or recording on to my Roland floppy disk. This approach is what led me to studio composition at university. I liked that you could instantly hear your composition come to life. As I was playing classically on the cello, but also playing in the band, my writing very much took influence from both styles and is probably why my music today straddles the Classical, Electronic and Contemporary fields.

I started playing organ when I joined Union Chapel as music director of the organ in 2012. I have been composing for organ for about twelve years but the early pieces were written for another organist to play. Since I had keys to one of the most beautiful organs in the world (Father Henry Willis, 1877), I used to sit for hours on end and experiment. I’ve never had an organ lesson but I developed my own way of playing and slowly reduced the amount of electronics I was using. I experiment a lot with the mechanical stop action, which basically lets you precisely control how much wind enters the pipe. Over the years, I have learnt every single incremental sound you can make on the UC organ and that’s how I developed pieces like The Molendinar (on my first release, Solas). I have had many people ask me over the years what electronics I am using in the piece but it’s solo organ and everything is played in one take.

Solas features my organ, cello and electronic work which I wrote at the Chapel and also some earlier works (electronic and solo cello). It’s basically a collection of my work spanning fifteen years! 

As a composer and artist; how do you feel your work has evolved and changed since the start?

I think my work has naturally evolved through time from drawing on various creative experiences - playing in bands and orchestras; studying composition at university - and a major turning point for me was when I started playing the organ. This ultimately developed my voice to where it is now. However, I think if you listened to one of my first-ever compositions you would still be able to tell that it is me. I feel like I’ve always had the same voice: it’s just constantly evolving as I have new creative experiences and still there is so much more to explore!

Was there a particular moment/artist that got you into music? Were you always curious when it came to sound?

Probably the most pivotal moment was when I started playing recorder in primary school which was soon followed by learning to play cello. It felt really natural to me and it was at that point I realised I could play by ear.

Tell me about the festival, organ reframed, and how it came together. What can we expect to see from it?

The idea of the festival has been a long time coming since I wrote my first organ piece and wanted to share the secret of how amazing the organ is - but it didn’t come into fruition until October 2016. The first three years of my time as music director of the organ at Union Chapel was transitioning the organ from its full restoration into developing a program of concerts and educational workshops around it.

This three-year program was called the Organ Project which was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund along with the full restoration of the organ. The Project gave me a chance to test the waters with different ideas and develop a regular organ concert presence at the chapel of all different genres. After completion in 2016, I felt ready to finally consolidate these ideas into a festival and organ reframed was born.

The organ has one of the largest repertoires and has a strong Classical concert organ scene and that is equally important. In my opinion, we should embrace its historic repertoire and also help it to grow. There aren’t many contemporary composers writing for the organ as access can be tricky; most organs are in churches so you need to know someone with a key! In order to really explore and write innovative music you need time with the instrument. The main aim of organ reframed is to commission artists and composers to write new works; to allow them time on the organ to develop ideas and ultimately help develop the organ repertoire and show that this is an instrument that is very much at the forefront of new music today. To have the opportunity to build on the organ’s rich history and bring it to the attention of a new generation of artists feels hugely important.

This year, on Friday 12th, we have special screening of Visions in Meditation by Stan Brakhage with new works composed and performed by Philip Jeck, Sarah Davachi and Darkstar plus James McVinnie and London Contemporary Orchestra. On Saturday, Daylight Music - a fantastic regular lunchtime concert at Union Chapel - will be producing an organ reframed special with Terry Edwards, Seamus Beaghen; Douglas Dare and Deerful and, in the evening, we have new commissions from Éliane Radigue and Hildur Guðnadóttir performed by Frédéric Blondy, Hildur Guðnadóttir; James McVinnie and the London Contemporary Orchestra. Plus, a special documentary on Éliane working on her piece in Paris.

Throughout the weekend, we have a new sound installation by Kathy Hinde and Spitfire Audio Composer Insight with Dario Marianelli and Michael Price before the two evening shows. All work has been commissioned and created on our organ for the festival. 

This is a unique festival that celebrates the relevance of organ. Do you feel it has played a huge role in historical culture and music?

The main aim of organ reframed is to contribute to the development of the wonderful existing organ repertoire by commissioning new works by contemporary composers/artists and encourage them to take the time to explore; take risks and create truly innovative work. I think the organ is having a bit of a moment in the contemporary/experimental music world and there is a definitely a fresh approach forming towards the instrument - and organ reframed is making a contribution towards that growth but it’s great to see projects happening all over the world.

This is definitely sparking the repertoire to grow in many different directions, like with other instruments but just on a lesser scale as access is still tricky.

Is there any advice you would give to someone tackling the instrument who needs guidance?

As I came to the organ in a different way to most (no formal training), I’m perhaps not the best person to ask! As a musician and composer I would say, and this goes for any instrument, the best thing is to spend as much time as possible exploring, practicing and also recording yourself playing so you can listen and learn how to develop your technique.

Do you think the festival will be an annual thing? How far ahead are you looking?

I hope so! We are now in year-three. It’s always tricky as we are reliant on arts funding but I won’t give up without a fight! (Smiles).

You are the recipient of the Oram Awards. What was that like? What was your reaction?

I felt hugely honoured to have my work and practice endorsed by the PRS Foundation and the New BBC Radiophonic Workshop by receiving an Oram Award. It was a huge surprise and it’s such a wonderful award celebrating creative women. The award also profoundly resonated with me having studied in the EMS (Electronic Music Studios), Goldsmiths who played a key part in putting together the Daphne Oram Collection.

Having composed music for the film, Tell It to the Bees; how do you feel film composition varied compared to studio/personal music? Do you approach it with a different mindset?

Tell It to the Bees is the first film I have worked on and probably the steepest learning curve of my entire career to date, but incredibly exciting and fun! The score is a mix of cello, organ; electronics and also orchestral from the brilliant London Contemporary Orchestra. It’s definitely a different beast writing for film as opposed to my own album material as you have to learn to hold back and take on more of a supportive role to the picture.

I had to learn this all pretty quickly but luckily I had an extremely supportive director who is very passionate about music so she really pushed me, which was hard but the best way to learn. Also, writing short cues was at first a challenge! (My own album material spans from seven-twenty-five minutes!) My style/voice didn't change but the thing that may surprise people is the orchestral cues. I haven’t ever previously released any of my orchestral compositions which are faster moving than my organ works. It was really fun to write notes on paper (or Sibelius) and also to bring all of my sound palettes together in one score.

Will there be more material and music from you next year do you think?

I’m ready to get cracking on my third album after the festival. (Smiles). 

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

A more-recent favourite music memory is from last year’s organ reframed when Low wrote an extensive work for our organ. I’ve been a huge fan of the band for a very long time and it was truly magical what they created. It was especially exciting to then travel to Amsterdam and open for them at Westerkerk on their beautiful organ. Definitely a very special one for the memory bank.  

Do you find much time to relax away from music? How do you unwind?

I love going home to Scotland and it’s hugely important to me as it’s the only place I seem to be able to re-set. Walking in the hills, swimming in lochs…it’s good for the soul!

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).

Thanks so much for having me! I’d like to choose Occam Delta II by Éliane Radigue. I still can’t quite believe that Éliane is writing her first organ piece for organ reframed this year! She is incredible and it is a HUGE honour for the festival. Premiering on 13th October, performed by Frédéric Blondy

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Follow Union Chapel/organ reframed

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/UnionChapelUK; https://twitter.com/OrganReframed

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/unionchapeluk/; https://www.instagram.com/organreframed/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/UnionChapelUK/; https://www.facebook.com/organreframed/

INTERVIEW: Pleasure Craft

INTERVIEW:

Pleasure Craft

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MIGHTY thanks to Pleasure Craft…

for discussing his new single, It’s Not Real. The songwriter (Sam Lewis) discusses his tastes and what themes inspired his upcoming EP1 (out on 25th October). I discover how the Canadian artist got started in music and how pivotal it was moving to Toronto.

Pleasure Craft highlights some albums that mean a lot to him and a few rising artists we should back; what he has planned going forward in terms of gigs; whether he will come to the U.K. soon – he ends the interview with a great song shout.

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

Great! Release week is always crazy-busy but I’m excited to finally get this out there.

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

I’m an independent singer/beat-maker/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. I live in Toronto. I study Jazz but I make Pop music.

It’s Not Real is your new single. What is the story behind it?

It’s Not Real was the first song I wrote for EP1. I wrote it in 2015 when I moved to Toronto from Salt Spring Island, B.C. That huge change in my environment was a bizarre experience. The song is about the surreal, unanchored feeling of starting out in a new city. 

The track is from EP1. Are there particular themes that inspired the music on the E.P.?

The whole E.P. is centred around identity and expression. How people see me versus how I want to be seen. The uncertainty of It’s Not Real develops into a series of questions and ideas on the other songs and eventually finishes in a place of confidence and security that I’m in the right place doing what I’m meant to do.

Tell me about moving to Toronto. Was that a pivotal moment for you?

Looking back, it seems like a big change: from rural B.C. to the biggest city in Canada. But, at the time, I never really questioned my decision. I knew that I wanted to make songwriting a career and moving here was the first logical step in doing that, so I did it.

How did you start in music? Were you raised around a lot of music?

My parents are not professional musicians but there was always music playing in our house. My mum played classical flute growing up and was always very persistent in encouraging me to explore music.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I’ve actually already started recording EP2. It should be ready for mixing by the end of December. Also; I’m hoping to play a show a month in Ontario/Quebec in 2019, so booking that is a ton of work.

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

The first live Pleasure Craft show last December. It had been years of writing, recording; mixing and planning leading up to that and it felt like the start of something really exciting.

Which albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

That album/film is the best-captured live show there is. The energy and stage presence is huge. I reference that all the time when I’m working on our live set.

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

The album I listened to the most as a teenager. That album feels like another world that you step into when you listen to it. That music doesn’t try to be anything else; it’s not trying to be Pop or Indie or Hip-Hop. It’s not trying to cater to anyone and I respect that.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I am a very new artist myself so I should probably just shut up and listen.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

The release party is October 26th at The Rivoli in Toronto!

Might you come to the U.K. and play? Do you like the music here?

Yes! My dad grew up near Birmingham so I have a dual-citizenship. Definitely planning on making good use of that.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Mouth Breather

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

My good friend Mouth Breather is releasing an amazing album pretty soon. You’ll be hearing about him soon, I’m sure.

Also; check out Lovers Touch. I played keyboard in that band for a long time before I got busy with Pleasure Craft but I miss playing those shows. It’s great music.

IN THIS PHOTO: Lovers Touch/PHOTO CREDIT: Emma Robinson

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

I need to get out of the city sometimes. I love the high energy and the ambition here but it burns you out after a while. I need to see the west coast whenever I can.

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).

The song Velvet 4 Sale by U.S. Girls is what I have on repeat right now, that whole album is amazing.

Thanks so much for the interview! Great questions.

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Follow Pleasure Craft

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/samuelblewis

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/pleasurecraftmusic/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Pleasure-Craft-851405971613119/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7ckVX9yP9zoeucDtmJjC1U

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/pleasurecraftmusic

Bandcamp:

https://pleasure-craft.bandcamp.com/

INTERVIEW: Sôra

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: @thomasbraut

Sôra

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THE awesome Sôra…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Berrebictures

has been telling me about her new song, Sakura, and the story behind it. I discover the kind of music she was raised on and what we can expect from her upcoming E.P., Number One - she tells me how her downtime is spent.

Sôra reveals her favourite memory from music and which three albums are important to her; if there are going to be any gigs approaching; which rising artists we need to get involved with – she provides some useful advice for musicians coming through.

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

Hey, I’m great. The week has been busy, just as I like it! 

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

I’m a singer, songwriter and musician. I’m still studying Jazz - there’s always more to learn! Music is my life and has always been part of it. For those new to my music, I think it is a mix of many different styles that I’ve grown up with like Pop, Hip-Hop; Jazz, Soul; R&B and even Rock. 

Sakura is your new track. Is there a story behind the song?

Sakura is a song about the cycle of life and death so I guess there was, is and will be millions of stories behind that song. My dad passed away when I was young and, after that, I started questioning what happens after life ends. This questioning was a real inspiration for the song Sakura.

It is from your upcoming E.P., Number One. What sort of themes and ideas inspired the music?

Everyday life and the emotions I feel; human beings and the positive aspect of being a human. All the capacity that human beings share like strength, perseverance; resilience and, most of all, love…which is the key and the solution to everything. I’m an optimist!

Talk to me about your parents and upbringing. Did you grow up around a lot of music? How important was where you were living to you in regards inspiration?

Music was there all the time. My father used to mix and had a huge music culture. I remember my father sharing his taste in music and making me discover what he liked for hours; going from The Doors to Madonna. My mum used to blast the music out when we were all doing the housework, dusting and hovering with Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley or The Jackson 5 in the background. From time to time, we’d stop and have a really good dance in the living room before continuing the cleaning! 

PHOTO CREDIT: @thomasbraut

It seems like you are influenced by a wide range of sounds and styles. Do you think having that eclectic and curious mind lends your music greater width and potential?

I think being exposed to different cultures has made me more open to a big variety of music and sounds. The English, Spanish and French music scene is very different and I was lucky enough to experience all three. But, also, I’ve always loved very different sounds and enjoyed Classical music as well as Rap.

I think that, today, musicians have become so good in their specific types of music that what’s interesting is to do something very different and combine the sounds in a way that’s new and personal.

Do you tend to find musical guidance from new artists or are you keener on slightly older sounds?

Both! Creation is always enriching whether it’s old or new!

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I hope to finish my first album and have a tour planned for next year!

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

Yes! My first concert with my partner Clement at Le Point Ephémère in Paris. The atmosphere was incredible; people were wild and it was the first time I shared my music with the public! I got so much back from the audience. 

Which three songs/albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)? 

The three album I’m choosing mean the most because they bring up warm and old memories and had an important role to play in my musical construction. But, it doesn’t mean they’re my favorite of all-time. That’s impossible to answer!

The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 from Earth Wind & Fire

It is really is part of my childhood memories. It’s a very joyful album and it was the period I started listening properly to the bass. At that time, I realized bass was one of my favorite instruments

B’Day from Beyoncé 

It is amazing! I used to have Hip-Hop lessons at that time and I remember watching those video clips when I came home from school and trying to copy the choreographies. Deja Vu was clearly my favourite in the album and the video was great! I also remember screaming my head off, trying to sing like Beyoncé!

The last one would be Baduizm from Erykah Badu

Because it has brought me closer to Jazz and closer to singing. I was so much in admiration when I discovered this album. All her gimmicks and her small rhythmical leads were so innovating. It’s one of my favorites.

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

Erykah Badu, of course. She’s a mentor for all the modern singers out there and has an incredible aura.

PHOTO CREDIT: Berrebictures 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Never give up; always believe in your dreams and be true to yourself

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

I’ll be playing at Le Hasard Ludique in Paris on 28th September and there will probably be other opportunities between now and the end of the year. You can be sure you’ll be informed via the social network.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Danista

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I’ve just discovered Danitsa. She’s a Swiss artist and does really cool hybrid Hip-Hop music. Really like her voice! And, if you haven’t heard of Charlotte Dos Santos…you should really listen to her album, Cleo. I love it.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Charlotte Dos Santos

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

No, not much time at the moment! If I do, it’s nice to spend time with my family and friends and the household animals! A dog and two cats! This time spent relaxing helps me get inspiration for songwriter and composing. So, I’m never totally cut off from music.

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).

Trying Not to Die - Louis Cole (ft. Dennis Hamm)

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Follow Sôra

PHOTO CREDIT: @thomasbraut

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/iamsoramusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iamsoramusic/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/iamsoramusic

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV4HQ_9FDMLJ8PODQuk4rvQ

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Bx4jpot6hc7oUbu2SbtJ1?si=YjCnQNDXT5-4DxP9o9whyQ

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/iamsoramusic

INTERVIEW: Werner Bekker

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Xavier Saer  

Werner Bekker

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I have been learning more about Werner Bekker…

and what sort of music the South African artist was raised on. He discusses his current single, I’m with You, and what comes next for him; whether there are any rising artists we need to get involved with – I ask where we can see him on tour.

I discover what sort of music Bekker is inspired by and what the scene is like in South Africa right now; a few albums that are important to him; how he spends his time away from music – he ends the interview by selecting a cool tune.

__________

Hi Werner. How are you? How has your week been?

It's been a lovely week here in South Africa. Spring has started to peak its head out and we just had our national heritage day celebrations, which is always an amazing time. It's great to see the amazing diversity and beauty that our people have.

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

I am a singer/songwriter from Johannesburg, South Africa. I grew up in a very artistic home. My dad used to be a full-time musician and my mum used to do a wide variety of visual arts. I am currently doing music as my full-time job and have been involved in the music industry in South Africa for around five years now.

I’m with You is your current single. Can you reveal the story behind it and how the song came together?

I'm With You is a song about the death of a relationship and how we as people tend to cling to the idealism of such a relationship. We often don't want to let go of the idea of something even though it has been long gone. In the song, I chose to use an old car as the metaphor for the relationship. This 'car' keeps breaking down and you don't want to let it go because of all the preconceived ideas you have built up around your feelings about this 'car'. The specific car that inspired the song was an old Volkswagen Beetle called Penny-Lane.

Will there be more material before the end of the year?

Unfortunately, we will not be releasing the next single before the start of next year. We are currently in-studio working hard to get a full five-track E.P. out by then as well as another music video. So, I can tell you that it will be well worth the wait.

PHOTO CREDIT: Xavier Saer

How did you start in music? Did your family play a hand in your passion?

My family definitely played a massive part in my being a musician. As I mentioned earlier; my father was a musician for many year when I was a child. We used to tour South Africa with him and my mum, visiting all the major cities and festivals and I was really inspired by my parent's lifestyle. I started with piano lessons at the age of seven and have apparently been singing since before I could talk. I often think that, if it weren't for my parents, I would not even have thought about pursuing a career in music.

Which artists inspired you then and inspire you now regarding your sound?

I quite like music in the same way that I like books. I am very particular about it and when I find something I truly like I will listen to/read it over and over for the rest of my life. The first artists I really admired as a child must have been Jack Johnson, Damien Rice and Jason Mraz and, to this day, I am still listening to them and loving them. Current inspirations for me include Ben Howard (whom I discovered as a teenager), Hozier; Jake Bugg, Aliocha; Matt Holubowski and Fink. 

PHOTO CREDIT: BOLD Photography

You are based out of South Africa. Is there a strong music scene there? What sort of sounds are trending right now?

There most definitely is a very strong music scene in South Africa. It can be very diverse, although the three most popular genres according to me would be as follows: Hip-Hop would be at number-one; most of our major radio stations are focusing on the current international boom in this genre. Secondly, the Afrikaans music industry has been a top seller in our country for many years and is still one of the strongest and quickest-growing.

Lastly, and my personal favourite; we have a flourishing underground scene that includes every genre from folky singer/songwriters to Metal to Ska-Jazz and so much more. This last category is the most diverse and also the smallest but it tends to have a very close following of dedicated listeners which appeals to me.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I must say I would love to have the new E.P. done and dusted and ready to release. This has also been my first year playing some major festivals and I am really looking forward to playing those as well. In all honesty, this year has been so great thus far that I don't really even know if I can expect anything more from it.

 PHOTO CREDIT: BOLD Photography

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

I think it's hard to pick one moment. They all sort of amalgamate into one big blur of awesome experiences but, if I have to choose, I would probably say my first performance at my high-school was a major moment for me. That's about eight years back now and, at that point, I didn't even know how much I loved doing this but it planted a seed. It was an amazing night. 

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Firstly; Damien Rice's O

He recorded this with a small 8-track recorder in many cities across Europe and you can hear the true emotion and delicacy in every single word that he sings.

Secondly; Ben Howard's Every Kingdom

This story is similar in that this whole album and the E.P.s running up to it were recorded in a barn by Ben and his two band members. The feelings and emotions are so real that it almost feels like you can touch them.

Lastly; Jack Johnson's Brushfire Fairytales

It was probably the first artistic work that got me to think and dream in a musical fashion and I have been listening to it since my first ever road trip. It is arguably one of Jack's most honest and serious albums which has grown on me so much. It's like watching Friends for fifteen years and laughing and finding new jokes every single time you watch it again.

PHOTO CREDIT: Xavier Saer

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

Definitely Damien Rice…

I would not want much from a rider perspective - maybe just a bottle of good wine and a quiet room with an old-school record player so that we can share inspiration and talk about the processes we follow. I would love to pick his mind and truly understand the inner-workings of his writing and recording processes.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Just be you: only you can sound like you and that's the only thing that puts you aside from every other artist out there. Also; keep pushing a dream that you believe in, not someone else’s.

PHOTO CREDIT: Greylin…Photography

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

My next festival dates in South Africa are 27th September at White Mountain Acoustic Festival and then over New Year’s at Smoking Dragon. Both these festivals take place in the beautiful Drakensberg and are a must-see for music and nature lovers alike. 

Might you come to the U.K. and play? Do you like the music here?

It is one of my all-time dreams to do a tour in the U.K. and myself and my team are hard at work trying to make it happen.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Matt Holubowski

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

My current favourite new artists include Matt Holubowski and Aliocha as well as some South African acts such as Bad Peter and Stone Jets.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Aliocha/PHOTO CREDIT: williamarcand.com

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

Yes, of course. I love woodwork and building this around my house (sometimes, I only manage to destroy them) and I also love traveling and hiking and being in nature. Most of the time, however, I spend my time of playing The Sims 4.

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).

Please could you play Shrike by Hozier

___________

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PHOTO CREDIT: Nico Welgemoed  

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