FEATURE: 3:33: National Album Day: The Album I Will Be Listening to at That Time This Afternoon

FEATURE:

 

 

3:33

IN THIS IMAGE: The album cover for the Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique (1989)/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

National Album Day: The Album I Will Be Listening to at That Time This Afternoon

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THE decision wasn’t all that easy…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @luana_dmc/Unsplash

because I was also toying with Steely Dan’s Can’t Buy a Thrill. That album is one I fondly remember - and the reason I was considering it for a special spin was because of the perfectionism exuded by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker – two fastidious and masterful writers/composers who ensured, even at their loosest, the songs had layers and fine details. I love the whole album and you can go from the crooned and ‘professional’ vocals of David Palmer on Dirty Work and Brooklyn (Owes the Charmers Under Me) to the exhilarating riffs on Reelin’ in the Years; the underrated gems of Kings and Midnite Cruiser and the sheer perfection of Do It Again. I would chose Steely Dan over Beastie Boys in a fight over material – whose records I would like to listen to – but, on National Album Day, we are being asked to select a record that will be played at 3:33 P.M. – an iconic and appropriate time if you know your vinyl and why the ‘3s’ are important! To be fair; I will play Can’t Buy a Thrill in its fullness later today and end the day with a beer and a fine listening experience but, when singling it down to one record, I had to go for the Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique. Everywhere on social media, people are nominating the albums they will be playing. I can imagine the sort of disruptions and concentrations being vibrated across the land as 3:33 comes and we all fall silent for specific amounts of times!

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Beastie Boys/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

I am not sure whether a double-album (is it strictly a single album?!) is allowed but, as it IS an album, I am going to spend that bit longer letting the Beastie Boys’ masterpiece unfold and unfurl. You might ask why I am choosing this record – even if you couldn’t care less I am going to explain anyway – and why not someone like Kate Bush…who I adore beyond words and is an artist who loves albums to death! I could go with The Kick Inside or Aerial but I feel, as I play them a lot, there is not a special reason to select one of them. I chose Paul’s Boutique because, to me, it is the definition of what an album should be. You cannot choose a single song and leave things there: you are so engrossed by all the samples, cutting lines and wonderful images to leave things alone! The only problem being where I am right now is the fact I do not have the vinyl and a record player available. I could run somewhere in the vain hope someone will but that is a remote possibility I am not willing to entertain. Instead; I am hunkering by a laptop with my headphones on and will spin the album on Spotify. It lacks a certain romance and purity but, as I have no choice, it is better than nothing!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

I first encountered the album not that long after its release. Paul’s Boutique came out in 1989 and I was about six at the time. I think I encountered it in the early-1990s and a lot of my school friends were getting into U.S. Hip-Hop and it was seen as THE thing to listen to! I was aware of the Beastie Boys and, looking back, License to Ill, their 1986 debut, remains my favourite. The reason I plump for Paul’s Boutique is because of its fullness and how daring it is! Look at a song B-Boy Bouillabaisse and you have a distinct nine-part suite that unfolds throughout the hypnotic swansong. I will come to explain why the album is going to be my choice for today’s celebration but it seems people cannot get enough of Paul’s Boutique. When it was released in 1989; many critics were put off because it was unlike the Beastie Boys’ debut. Those expecting Fight for Your Right or No Sleep Till Brooklyn – accessible and easy-to-understand songs – were in for a shock. Shake Your Rump and Hey Ladies are, I feel, the equivalent songs on their follow-up albums. Maybe the Paul’s Boutique cuts are more complex and sample-laden but they are still quite easy to digest and get on-board. The remainder of Paul’s Boutique gets inside your head and soul with its multiple samples and insane world...

The boys lost none of their wit and intelligence but stepped things up in terms of sonics and storytelling. Paul’s Boutique is named for a fictional clothing store that was suggested by band member Mike D. It is ‘located’ on Manhattan’s Lower East Side – the location for ‘Paul’s Boutique’ was an existing clothing store on the corner of Rivington and Ludlow Street called Lee’s Sportswear. Featuring production by the Dust Brothers; the album was recorded in Matt Dike’s apartment and the Record Plant in Los Angeles. Aside from the vocals themselves; Paul’s Boutique is composed of samples and people did not know what to make of it back then! When the Beasties started work on their second album, they were in self-imposed exile in L.A. and were being written-off as a novelty act. They were seen as a joke and many were not expecting a second record. In any case; it was an opportunity for Ad-Roc, Mike D and MCA to throw out the rulebook and make the record that they wanted! Back in 2009; Pitchfork – who usually crap over every album! – gave the twentieth anniversary reissue of Paul’s Boutique a perfect ten! Although I am listening to the original version – albeit, through Spotify… - the review makes some excellent observations:

“It’s impossible to hear the vast majority of this album as anything other than a locked-tight group effort, with its overlapping lyrics and shouted three-man one-liners, and it’s maybe best displayed in the classic single “Shadrach.” After years of post-Def Jam limbo and attempts to escape out from under the weight of a fratboy parody that got out of hand, they put together a defiant, iconographic statement of purpose that combined giddy braggadocio with weeded-out soul-searching. It’s the tightest highlight on an album full of them, a quick-volleying, line-swapping 100-yard dash capped off with the most confident possible delivery of the line “They tell us what to do? Hell no!”

 

“As reissues go, the 20th Anniversary re-release of Paul’s Boutique is relatively bare-bones. There’s a richer, cleaner audio mix remastered by the band, a tracklisting that splits “B-Boy Bouillabaisse” into its separate parts, and a sharp mini-gatefold package highlighting the iconic cover photo. That so little has been changed is more of a relief than a problem; between the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd samples, you’d think the clearance issues would be prohibitive. Just the fact that this album’s being reissued with all this care and attention should be enough. After Paul’s Boutique failed to move units, it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility that the Beasties would wind up like the protagonist of “Johnny Ryall”—with “a platinum voice/But only gold records,” reduced to obscurity while their most ambitious work faded into cutout-bin purgatory. As it turned out, they created an album we’ll probably never hear the likes of again—good thing it’s deep enough to live in forever”.

The reason I love the album and feel it is perfect when it comes to this special day; I can understand why it was a bit overlooked in 1989. At the time – and even now – music was a lot more accessible and had never seen an album as dense with samples. The Beasties were on full-on attack-mode when it came to jokes and vocals but it is the samples and the way they spliced them into the songs that excites me. One ca say albums like Paul’s Boutique inspired other sample-heavy masterpieces from DJ Shadow, The Avalanches and Beck but, to me, Paul’s Boutique is the ultimate combination of Hip-Hop confidence; brilliant jocular and memorable songs and sounds that blow your mind! The Vinyl Factory, last year, wrote an excellent piece that looked at the samples used on the album and broke things down:

“At the time of its release Paul’s Boutique was a relative commercial dud for the Beasties, given that the success of Licensed To Ill had taken the trio from middle-class punk kids to rap poster boys overnight. In Licensed To Ill the Beastie Boys came to disturb the peace, at least for the white, middle-American music market Def Jam were looking to break into. They succeeded in that. “I’m real mad at the Beastie Boys, they definitely messed up a lot of things for me,” said LL Cool J in a 1987 interview. But the Licensed To Illformula was not built to last. You can only play the teenage rebels for so long.

Anything from “100 to 300” samples lie within Paul’s Boutique according to one of its creators, Mike Simpson of The Dust Brothers. With production partner John King the duo crafted Paul’s Boutique from their LA studio armed with an MPC and a near-encyclopaedic knowledge of funk, soul, rock, rap, jazz and everything in-between. For the Beasties, Paul’s Boutique was their unabashed ode to ’70s funk and bravado, an album as lyrically potent as it was tongue-in-cheek and one that helped set the tone for rap music throughout the ‘90s.

Marking 28 years of Paul’s Boutique, we scratch the surface of the samples that epitomised this landmark LP from one of Brooklyn’s greatest exports”.

It is shocking noticing the major acclaim and recognition the album has received after its release – it is seen as one of the most influential and best albums ever – compared to the muted and dismayed response it garnered back in 1989! It is a surprise the boys had commercial backing and a label to support them for their third album: 1992’s Check Your Head was a critical success and gained huge reviews! Beastie Boys changed directions again but they did not drop their ambition and continued to keep the samples flowing and thick! There were some reviewers, back in 1989, who loved Paul’s Boutique and realised it took a while for it to settle. Maybe it was a bit complex and deep to please those who want something easy and straight-forward but I am glad people gave the album a chance and it has been so important. Another interesting article looked at the situation Beastie Boys were in after their debut and how Paul’s Boutique was received:

“By the time Beastie Boys convened to record the follow-up to their debut, Licensed To Ill, they’d painted themselves into a corner. That first album boasted rock hooks, hard raps and explosive singles that helped push the record to platinum status in no time flat. But MCA, Mike D and Ad-Rock’s send-up of frat-boy culture threatened to become a self-sabotaging millstone heavier than the Volkswagen chain Mike D wore around his neck. Three years later they’d left Def Jam, signed with Capitol, and pitched up at The Dust Brothers’ place looking to create a follow-up that would shake the one-hit wonders tag they’d been lumped with. As luck would have it, the production duo had been working on a complex patchwork of beats, songs, dialogue snippets and anything else they could lay their hands on. Beastie Boys saw their future in its gleefully anarchic collage: the basis of what would become Paul’s Boutique.

“A lot of the tracks come from songs they’d planned to release to clubs as instrumentals,” Ad-Rock later told Clash magazine in the UK. “They were quite surprised when we said we wanted to rhyme on it, because they thought it was too dense.” The Brothers offered to strip the tracks to their bare beats, but the Beasties demurred and quickly got to work writing additional songs with their new collaborators”.

 “Released on 25 July 1989, and named after a fictional clothing store, Paul’s Boutique (actually Lee’s Sportswear, located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side; the vinyl sleeve folded out to reveal a panoramic photo of the corner at Ludlow and Rivington Streets) initially confused punters looking for more of Licensed To Ill’s jock bravado. In the years since, however, it’s been rightly hailed as one of the cornerstones of hip-hop.

Gleefully racing through samples by everyone from The Beatles to Johnny Cash (the album has spawned entire websites devoted to tracing the sources, variously estimated at between 100 and 300 samples), Paul’s Boutique made clear exactly what was possible with hip-hop at a time when the number of lawsuits issued by disgruntled songwriters was on the rise. Though everyone involved is adamant that the samples were cleared, the $250,000 allegedly spent on doing so is nothing compared to today’s licensing fees. Just as soon as the Beasties and co opened the floodgates, they were pushed shut again. It would be impossible to make Paul’s Boutique today”.

New York Post wrote an article that explained how Paul’s Boutique changed Hip-Hop and changed the game. It showed white guys could rap – in a genre that was largely composed of black artists at the time – and sampling was taken to the next level! The Dust Brothers (who would become The Chemical Brothers) came to the fore and music videos were reinvented. The Beastie Boys, again, broke ground and released these stunning and immersive videos. Artists sampled on the record – including The Beatles – were brought into a new genre and, for others, new generations were discovering music they would not have otherwise have heard.

I love Paul’s Boutique because you cannot skip a track and do not want to leave any tracks out! Hey Ladies and Shadrach were released as singles but, given the length of some songs and how dense they were, it was never going to be a record with loads of singles and radio-friendly cuts! From the casual and modest opener, To All the Girls, you settle in and experience an album like no other – the only sample on the song is Loran’s Dance (Idris Muhammad). Shake Your Rump starts a brilliant 1-2-3-4-5 that is busy and addictive; crammed with samples a perfect combination between Beastie members trading verses and disparate samples aiding and abetting their mischief! Johnny Ryall, Egg Man and High Plains Drifter, among them, sample Pink Floyd, Jean Knight; Curtis Mayfield and Ramones – it is staggering how many diverse and unconnected artists seamlessly blend and collaborate! Hey Ladies arrives in the middle of the pack and welcomes a second-half display that mixes short snatches (5-Piece Chicken Dinner is twenty-three seconds of magic) to the twelve-minute-plus finale! Car Thief ingeniously fuses Donovan with Trouble Funk (naturally!) and Shadrach – my favourite cut – has everyone from James Brown and Rose Royce at the table! You listen to the fifteen tracks are dizzied and exhausted. You come back time and time again and it is one of those records you keep picking new stuff from. I have been excited by the album since I discovered it as a child and now, in 2018, I am going to mark National Album Day with a special play. Other people are celebrating and marking 3:33 P.M. in their own way but, for me, there is only one album I could play: the majestic and divine…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

PAUL’S Boutique!

INTERVIEW: Celia Palli

INTERVIEW:

Celia Palli

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THE terrific Celia Palli…

has been talking with me about her new single, Complicity, and what its story is. I ask about her upcoming album, Technicolours, and what we can expect; which artists and albums have made a big impression on her – Palli reveals how Nelly Furtado forms part of her favourite musical memory.

I was eager to learn why she recorded the new album in Brooklyn and why there has been a gap since her last release; whether there are tour dates coming up and which rising artists we need to get behind.

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

Hi! I’m good. It’s been so exciting to read the reviews for my single and to see the release come together. I’m celebrating inside (smiles).

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

I’m a singer, musician and composer. I’ve been singing for other artists for over ten years and, in 2014, I took the big step and released my first album. I took some time away to hone my craft, write better songs and that’s how this new Technicolours record was born.

 

Complicity is your new single. What is the story behind it?

I was alone one evening, playing the piano, and began playing a chord progression. I thought to myself: ‘What if the melody goes to the highest part of my range?’ I gave it a try and I was vibing with this song. I kept saying the word ‘complicity’ in the chorus but I didn’t have much besides that. Just a feeling. I really wanted the lyrics to be special so I asked my singer friend Nashlyn Lloyd to write lyrics with me. 

I knew I wanted them to be about the complicity between partners which, in Spanish, is something extremely positive. In Spanish, being able to appreciate complicity between partners means that they have a deep connection. When presenting the storyline to Nashlyn, and hearing the confusion in her voice; I quickly learned that in English it doesn’t mean the same thing. Hahaha! This misunderstanding worked to our advantage. We used the criminal connotation that complicity has in English to describe the deep connection.

Technicolours is your upcoming album. Are there particular themes and experiences that influenced the music? 

Yes, for sure. I spent the last three years in New York and the time there really left a mark. I went out to see local musicians a few times a week and something about their fearlessness dared me to try new ideas.  

It has been a few years since your debut album. Has it been a case of taking a break and finding a new sound (in regards the gap)?!

Yes, it has.

After my first album, I wanted to know what I could have improved on. I set up a few meetings with people in the industry that I respect and listened to what they had to say. The one comment that really stuck with me was that I could still take the songwriting to the next level. That was very empowering to know because it gave me direction. I didn’t set foot in the studio until I felt my writing had changed.

You recorded the new record in Brooklyn. What was it like being there and working with the production duo, LIKEMINDS?!

I met LIKEMINDS in Brooklyn where we did the pre-production, but we actually recorded the album in Montreal. And, I have to tell you; I have never worked with producers that were so synched with each other and so selfless. Their one and only goal is to elevate the music! I learned a lot watching them work together. 

What sort of music did you grow up around? Were you subjected to a wide range of sounds?

My parents would play vinyl every weekend, from morning to night. It was a ritual when I was young. We listened to The Beatles, Paul McCartney and Wings, as well as artists from my roots like Lluís Llach. These are my first musical memories. Growing up as a teen; I tried to listen to a variety of genres from Rock to Reggae. I think there’s greatness in each genre.

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

I want people to talk about and share my music. Word of mouth is the ultimate compliment for a musician. 

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

Yeeeeees. My first show with Nelly Furtado. I was twenty-four-years-old when I joined the band. Our first show was in Mexico City and we had had an audience of 150,000. I will never forget the feeling of happiness right before jumping on stage. 

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

Prince - Purple Rain

He poured his soul into those vocals and it reminds me to do the same.

Solange - A Seat at the Table

The sounds choices in production opened my mind and the visuals for the music videos were breathtaking. I find everything about this album inspiring. 

Any Beyoncé album!

I play her songs and dance like no-one’s watching!

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

Hahaha. That’s a fun question. Dark chocolate, mints; a kettle… chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Wifi and a couch - because being on the road needs to feel the most like home.  

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be prepared to be persistent against all odds and then some.

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

I currently have a few months of releasing music and promoting, so no dates yet. BUT, when I do have dates, I will post them on all my socials. So; hit that follow button to stay up to date (smiles).

 IN THIS PHOTO: Paris Monster/PHOTO CREDIT: Elizabeth Lauren West Photography

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Paris Monster, Nick Hakim, Kate Kay Es.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Kay Es

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

I unwind with wine. Haha! All jokes aside…I kind of do. At night, a glass of wine and silence is very much needed. Other than that, music is playing when I shower; when I cook, when I’m on the bus… 

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).

Paris Monster - The Cause of It All

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Follow Celia Palli

Official:

https://www.celiapalli.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/CeliaPalli/

Instagram:

 https://www.instagram.com/celiapalli/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/CeliaPalli

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/celiapalli

YouTube:

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

FEATURE: The October Playlist: Vol. 2: It’s More a Metaphor for Love Than a Hostage Situation, Mind!

FEATURE:

 

The October Playlist

 IN THIS PHOTO: Bilie Eilish/PHOTO CREDIT: Ben Hassett for PAPER 

Vol. 2: It’s More a Metaphor for Love Than a Hostage Situation, Mind!

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THERE are some great songs out this week…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Thom Yorke/PHOTO CREDIT: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

and ones that, to me, dig deep and stay with you! I guess that happens a lot but there is something about this week’s selection of tracks that goes further and remains in the mind longer. Among the fresh cuts are songs from Billie Eilish, Thom Yorke and Jon Hopkins. St. Vincent, ALMA and CHVRCHES are here with some fantastic material and it is a eclectic and bold week for music! I have been looking through the assortment of releases and put together, what I think, are the very best and most interesting. Even if you do not like everything in there; I am confident you will get a lot to take away and keep you occupied. It is another strong and fascinating week of music that will get into the heart, mind and body.

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

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Thom Yorke – Volk

PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Billie Eilish – hostage

CHVRCHES – Graffiti

Run the Jewels – Let’s Go (The Royal We)

Mahalia – Surprise Me

Yak – Bellyache

St. Vincent - Savior (Piano Version)

ALMA – Cowboy

PHOTO CREDIT: Pooneh Ghana

POND – Sixteen Days

PHOTO CREDIT: Amber Pollack

Sundara Karma – Illusions

Jon Hopkins – Feel First Life

Cloud Nothings – So Right So Clean

Boy George & Culture Club – God & Love

Jacob Banks – Slow Up

Kurt Vile – Yeah Bones

Loyle Carner (ft. Jordan Rakei) – Ottolenghi

Little Mix (ft. Nicki Minaj) – Woman Like Me

Maggie Rogers – Light On

Paloma Faith – Loyal

The Prodigy (ft. Ho99o9) – Fight Fire with Fire

Sia – I’m Still Here

PHOTO CREDIT: Rory Barnes

YONAKA – Own Worst Enemy

Ella Mai – Good Bad

Jess Glynne – 123

Áine Cahill – Water Into Wine

Shawn Mendes – Under Pressure

Theresa Rex – Wild Ones

Middle Kids – Salt Eyes

Ady Suleiman – Rise Up

PHOTO CREDIT: Shawn Brackbill

John Grant – Preppy Boy

Rosie Carney - Orchid

Dani Sylvia – Miracle

RAT BOY – INTERNATIONALLY UNKNOWN 

Liv Dawson – Good Intentions

TRACK REVIEW: Fiona Harte - White Picket Fence

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Fiona Harte

White Picket Fence

9.5/10

The track, White Picket Fence, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/track/3R55JILwSML3YrB1kC4WJb?si=JGD4OTpmTpCxSI1zRWjUDQ

GENRES:

Folk; Singer-Songwriter

ORIGIN:

Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland/New York, U.S.A.

RELEASE DATE:

10th September, 2018

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ON this trip out…

I get to talk about Fiona Harte and what she is up to right now. I will look at her debut single but, before then, I will investigate songs that take something common and add new elements to it. I will look at influences and where some artists take guidance from; artists who move and take a chance somewhere big and new; those who can get into the heart and have that star quality; competing in a challenging business that is seeing a lot of turnover – I want to talk about Harte and where she might head next year. I have looked at Fiona Harte before and have featured her music on my site. It is good to do a proper review of her debut single and what she is doing right now. She is a songwriter that has worked hard to get where she is and it seems like her potential is boundless. What strikes me is how determined she is and what natural talent she possesses. It is quite hard differentiating between songwriters because many of them are talking about the same things and there is not a lot of distance between them. The impulse to talk about love is common and understandable but it seems like every songwriter out there is doing it. I normally would think twice about looking at songwriters who talk about love because it seems to be all anyone talks about. I know it is key to us all but I long for artists who tell stories and break away from the mould; go a bit further and study something more original. This might seem like a slight against Harte but there are a couple of reasons why her subject matter is needed. She is writing a debut single and has it out there now. You cannot really go into the market with something odd and unexpected as you need to bring audiences in and, essentially, write about what you know. Her music switches between Folk and Pop and these genres rely upon those artists who write from the heart and we can connect with. I know she is an intriguing and talented songwriter who will break away from love in future releases but now, on White Picket Fence, she is keeping it safe.

Again; there is nothing against that because you want to embrace artists who can strike a familiar chord and you can easily bond with. Look back at all the legends and they started their careers looking at relationships and matters of the soul. Harte is among the songwriting tradition but, rather than copy everyone else and create something dull and generic; she has penned a song with a more interesting bent and dynamic. The twenty-four-year-old has had her share of heartache and disappointment and wants to put this down onto the page - she does so in a colourful and intelligent way. One of the most shoulder-shrugging things would be if Fiona Harte were like much of the mainstream and wrote about love in a very stale and formulaic way. She, instead, has decided to use that song title as a sort of dream and curious enigma. Maybe it is that ideal of a white picket fence and settling down; perhaps it relates to something cliché and boring in love – being too settled or boring and not showing enough ambition. In any case, I shall look more into that when I come to the song but it is an interesting number indeed. Harte has written a song about someone who controls the mind and actions by doing very little and it can be rather unsettling. She has the hope new love will come along and there will be something good on the horizon. It is an interesting angle and one not many songwriters explore. I guess, as long as a musician can engage on a different level and do something new, love and its much-trodden themes are safe and fertile ground. Harte is not someone who can ever be caught writing in a very ordinary way or presenting what has already come before. I like her writing because you never know whether she is writing about her own life or taking it from a more fictional space. Her debut single leaves you wondering and the rich language throughout paints pictures and causes interpretation. I will move on now but allude to this point more in the conclusion.

It is always hard coming into the market and trying to carve out your own territory. I have encountered many songwriters who have come and not really burned that brightly. It is really tough getting attention and setting yourself aside with the first song. Maybe you compromise and do what everyone else is doing and risk taking a long time to get genuine credibility or you can release something fresh and run the risk of people not really getting it. Harte has penned something original and unexpected but there is that familiarity of love and trouble in relationships. It is a nice mix but her influences and sounds gets to me. Harte has been inspired by great artists like Joni Mitchell and Carole King and you can hear that coming through. They might seem like lofty names but so many new artists do not look that far back. It might be snobbish but I worry when young songwriters do not have a musical knowledge past this decade and list all their favourite albums as very recent ones. It is okay being inspired by the likes of Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift but there are so many young artists who only know new music and that is all that matters to them. They have not got that wider knowledge and all of their icons are from today. It is so limited and, as such, you have so many who sound alike and do not retain those icons and what they did. Harte is a more mature songwriter who has grown up around some great music and that has captured her heart. Whilst she does not take too heavily from King and Mitchell; you cannot help but to hear elements of them in her work. I love both of these artists but they have different styles. Mitchell is a more challenging artist in terms of her themes and can often be quite gritty, dark and emotive. She is someone who has enflamed imaginations with these bold stories and incredible albums.

It is hard to explain but Joni Mitchell is maybe harder to love in terms of her voice – it is quite divisive – but her lyrics are phenomenal. Carole King is a more appealing and popular vocalist and her songs are more traditionally romantic and accessible. The two are legends and have changed music but they are very different in many ways. I am interested to know where Harte came from and how she discovered these artists – you get to hear shades of each in her songs and it is a really interesting brew. I feel influences and idols are as important as anything. It is hard to be unique and every artist has taken from someone else. It is a hard thing to come into music and be completely alien and not be compared with anyone. Influences are important because they give you that guidance and root and it means you can start there and build outwards. Although one does not hear too much of Joni Mitchell and Carole King too heavily; I feel that style of music is most important and Harte prefers the more poetic, deep and classic style. Rather than do something mainstream and too ordinary; you get that clash of relatable heartache and poetic flourishes. Her songwriting has already caught minds and captured people and I think that is going to increase. I do wonder whether there is more material next year but now, with White Picket Fence, we have a song that marks a big talent who has a lot of potential. It is a brilliant and memorable introduction that sets the scene and will leave many people wanting more very soon. She is a Northern Irish artist but is based in New York right now. Some people might say that leap is quite big and scary but it seems like it is working very well for her.

One might say that is a bit of a strange move. Maybe the scene is not that great where she is from in Co. Tyrone but it is a bit of a trek to get somewhere where her music will resonate. I have never been to Northern Ireland but I wonder whether there is much of a scene beyond Belfast. I know there are a few good spots for music there but it is not a nation as active and well-known as the U.S. America is a nation that has always produced wonderful music and that dream of getting to somewhere like New York and making it big is still there. Songwriters want to settle in and make it soon; they want to get that attention and play alongside the biggest artists around. It is brave stepping outside of your home and safe territory and going somewhere daunting. I cannot imagine how unusual it was going there for the first time and how long it took for Harte to feel truly settled. It is impressive seeing her take this leap right from the start and knowing where she wants to go. You can detect an artist who wants to be a big success and not take years to get there. Her songwriting is already assured and brilliant and it might take years to flourish and be discovered in Northern Ireland. Harte wants to take her music to the masses and it seems New York is a perfect place for her. It is a packed and competitive area but it is possible to find collaborators and plenty of people to make the music shine and spread. More and more, artists are moving to cities and not finding opportunities in smaller towns. As more and more musicians come into the world; it is hard to set yourself aside and a lot of venues are closing. What worries me is how stressful the city can be and how expensive it is for musicians. Harte has gone to a part of the world that has its struggles and problems but, in terms of music, it is a hotbed of variation, innovation and wonder.

I have moved myself to get my work further and it is a tricky thing to master. You take that time to settle in and, once you have, you have to keep your ears and eyes open for any chance that comes along. It is different in terms of journalism but songwriters have the same issues. Fiona Harte is a young woman who knows what she wants but will still have to tackle the size and width of New York. I know she is making moves and turning heads but I feel next year will be a very big one for her. After bringing out White Picket Fence; the question is whether there will be more material and what happens next. New York is a perfect place to get fresh inspiration and collaborate; work with some top talent and get the music to a load of people. I am excited for her and know she will be a big success very soon. What impresses me is how hard she is working and how determined she is. The songwriter has moved away – I am not sure if it is a permanent thing or a temporary move – and shifted into a whole new world. Rather than feel overwhelmed and buckled by that task; Harte has taken to it very quickly and knuckled down. She is hard promoting her debut track and wants her name to get out there. Already, there are a lot of sources spreading the news and falling for what she does and it is all very positive. Harte is a songwriter that, as I said, is writing about something quite familiar and known but does so in a new way. Not only is she talking about heartache and relationship problems in an innovative manner but she is able to get into the head very quickly. It is hard to get your songs heard above everyone else and resonate but she has done that right away. I feel it is a mix of her personality and influences that make her music so strong.

Fiona Harte is someone who has put her heart on the line and committed herself but been messed around. She has given her all and faith and been let down. Rather than get too despondent and defeatist; she knows something good will come along and there is hope on the horizon. The worst thing a new artist can do is to take something as obvious as love and write in a very unengaging and simple way. She knows this but also knows relationship issues are a commodity we can all understand. It is the manner of her words and the way her voice elevates sentiments that gets under the skin and stays with you. As a songwriter; Harte mixes poetry and striking images with common strands and the result is a bold and brilliant bouquet. She is in an industry that is as brutal and unpredictable as anything and it can be easy to have hope and then be buried. That has happened with many different songwriters. They come into the business and have big ambitions but, unless they do their own thing and take risks, their music will never remain and people will go elsewhere. Fiona Harte is someone who has been looking around music and what is being put out. She is a fan of Pop I am sure but her music is much more indebted to classic Folk artists and iconic singer-songwriters. That is a breath of fresh air in an industry that is still putting too much focus on mainstream Pop and that kind of thing. There is so much turnover and choice in music and it can be startling covering great artists and those who have the potential to remain. It is great to hear Harte emerge and I have every hope she will remain for a very long time and there is a lot more material to come from her. Given the fact White Picket Fence is out there; it is probably wise I get down to it and offer my thoughts.

One gets relatable and classical tones from the opening strings. The acoustic guitar flows like water and tumbles. It is a fast and exciting rush that is pastoral but emotional. You get a little bit of Joni Mitchell at her finest and shades of modern artists like Billie Marten. I was engrossed from the off and compelled to imagine and conspire. Before Harte comes to the microphone and any words come forth; you are already struck and buckled by the beautiful tones. The guitar adds so much and you already start to get impressions of a relationship going through storms. The heroine approaches and asks to be wound up so someone can watch her choke. The calm manner in which she delivers the words makes them stand out and seem more shocking. Luscious, smoky and delicate; the vocal is delightful and potent and has so many different shades. It is a beautiful and divine sound but one that seems to carry hurt and burden around with it. You get feathers and smoke and there are all sort of vivid images being projected. Maybe we are seeing someone being pulled apart by the black horses of love and being torn to the wind. It is clear there has been some hard background and things are not going well. Perhaps Harte is stuck in a relationship where she is being controlled and hurt and there is that need to remain strong and deal with that comes her way. The hero looks at Harte and expresses more than words can; he is holding her and taking her breath. One wonders whether there is pure love coming through or whether those looks hold something a little unsettling and insincere. Maybe there is that coercive nature and something deceiving lingering. Harte has cracks on her back and it seems she has been carrying a lot of pain around for a while. The man is the reason she has left and if she wants her than she will be gone. Maybe he has been given too many chances and there is no more room left for him. Harte delivers her words with such clarity and beauty and you actually hear little tones of singers like Eva Cassidy. I am not deliberately trying to compare Harte to anyone else but you can picture her record collection and upbringing by the way she sings and how her voice mutates. White Picket Fence is an emotional and heartaching song that is honest, affecting but has that redemptive hope. One needs a few listens to get to grips with the song and really consider its meanings. You can have your views and interpretations but White Picket Fence is more complex than that. It is a marvellous and accomplished debut single from a songwriter, on this evidence, who has a long future ahead of her.

Perhaps there was affection and safety before but the tide has turned and there is that desire to find something purer and less strained. The song looks at brighter horizons and how things can get better but it is clear how much has already been taken from her. I was following the words and painting all sorts of scenes! Harte’s voice is that ever-striking thing that has immense beauty and variations. You get sweetness and seductiveness but gravitas and command come through. It is a colourful and complex sound that makes the words resonate and gives them so much potency. She is not willing to be controlled and does not want the aggression in her life. I am not sure what has caused this split and why things have turned this way but the heroine is keeping her head. As opposed wallow and document a break-up in a very staid and comfortable way; Harte uses language as a way of writing this fascinating and poetic drama. One feels the force of images and metaphors; a songwriter who is challenging tough days into something beautiful and wise. You want things to work out for the best but you cannot get away from the struggles and chains that are haunting her. Harte wants to be the one who “got away” and you wonder whether that relates to her escaping his clutches or a pure sweetheart who the man did not realise – someone who was special and he messed things up. The building backing vocals produces this choral affect and, alongside the persistent tumble of acoustic guitar, it is a highly charged and gorgeous thing. I detect a nod to artists like Laura Veirs and Neko Case – check out the album case/lang/veirs and songs like Behind the Armory – and it is a very pleasing mix. Harte still sees white picket fences and green grass growing; she has that romantic ideal and feels that potential. I wonder whether that image is a romantic dream or a symbol of safety and somewhere calm. Again; Harte splits the mind and you wonder what the real truth is. In any case…you cannot get away from that desire to break from a rather troubled space and find something idyllic and comforting. She also knows new love will come through or things can improve.

I have talked a lot about Harte and what she is writing about. The Northern Ireland-born artist has grown up around some wonderful musicians and has been struck by their genius. You can hear shades and spirits of Joni Mitchell and Carole King but it would be unfair to solely mention them. Above all else, Harte is her own writer and takes from her own experiences. She is a wonderful writer who can pen poetic expressions but there is so much working away. A wonderful artist who seems to tick all the boxes; I wonder where her music will go and what she has coming in 2019. Today is National Album Day and it is a chance for us all to reminisce and talk about our favourite albums. Not only that but we get to underline the relevance of albums today and argue, against some people’s opinions, that albums are dead. I feel they are burning bright and people still have an appetite for them. I am not sure whether Fiona Harte, today, will be listening to something like Blue (Joni Mitchell) or Tapestry (Carole King) – and whether she is aware of the day – but I know she loves albums and all they offer. The reason I bring this topic to mind is the way Harte writes and where she wants to head. One feels White Picket Fence is the start of a story that could continue and blossom very soon. I know there will be more material coming and I feel an E.P. or album might not be that far away! There is so much she can talk about given the fact she has moved to the U.S. and changed her life quite a bit. It would be easy to fall back on relationships and exploring them every way possible. Rather than repeat herself and be too predictable; Harte, I assume, will be talking about all manner of things and having that mix of personal and poetic.

She is a writer who can take from the heart but has the ability to transcend that and step into other worlds. I cannot wait to see where she steps next and I imagine there will be tour dates soon enough. Having moved to New York; things will take a little longer to truly settle and she is getting to grips with everything there. Maybe it will take a while before she can command a big tour but I know there will be U.S. demands and people back here will want to see her play. Make sure you throw your support behind her and do not let her music pass you by. It is hard to survive in modern music and, unless you have all the bases covered, you can get swallowed and overlooked. Fiona Harte will have no such issues and I feel she has a lot to say. Her debut single is a brilliant moment that is as strong as anything out there and does a hard thing: looks at love and common subjects but does something new and exciting. I was drawn to the lyrics and they sort of took me by surprise. Her voice is gorgeous and the composition, whilst quite simple, is highly engaging, affecting and emotional. Here is a rounded and complete songwriter who has a natural charm, sense of the mysterious but is relatable and easily likeable. Harte will round the year off by getting White Picket Fence out there and planning her next moves. Maybe there will be a few smaller gigs or she may already be percolating with ideas for others songs. Whatever is in her mind; let’s hope she gets time to rest and reflect on how far she has come. The striking and stunning songwriter will have a lot of demand come her way and it could be easy to take that all on and burn out. Rather than run too fast, she will want to carefully consider what is coming and what she wants to achieve with her music. The future is hers and I feel she can go anywhere she wants. Ensure you support Fiona Harte and listen to White Picket Fence; follow her next steps and watch a talented and bright songwriter…

SLOWLY seduce the world.

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Follow Fiona Harte

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/FionaHarteMusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/FionaHarte1

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/fionaharte/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/fiona-harte-music

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5MhqWAoMsPoYzCaFEf6mYs

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Siena Liggins 

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

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BEFORE the weekend comes in…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Grace Carter

I wanted to put out another list of female-led songs that should get you in the mood and bring the contrasts of autumn to mind! I am excited seeing what is out there and the range of music being made by some incredible artists. This playlist features a selection of just-released songs and some slightly older cuts; bringing together a variety of genres and songs that, once heard, demand more attention and affection. I am prepared for all autumn has in store but, here, we have rain and something darker with sunny and warm bursts – perfect for an autumnal playlist! If you need some uplift and energy to get you through; make sure you get your ears around this selection of songs and let them seep…

 IN THIS PHOTO: YONAKA

INTO the blood.

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

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Shervin Lainez

Speedy Ortiz – Bigger Party

FOURS – Even in My Dreams

Ralph – Dark Clouds

Millie Turner – Night Running

PHOTO CREDIT: Nathan Russell

Lauran Hibberd – What Do Girls Want?

Jodi Guthro – Shots Fired

 

PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Saradjola

YONAKA – Own Worst Enemy 

 PHOTO CREDIT: @noranordfromnorway

Lilly Ahlberg – Needing You

Grace Carter – Why Her Not Me

Siena Liggins - Naked

Valerie Broussard – Hold on to Me

Bibi Bourelly – Writer’s Song

Poppy – Fashion After All

PHOTO CREDIT: Metaxia Coustas

Meg Mac – Give Me My Name Back

SVRCINA – Come Together 

Haley Heynderickx (ft. Max Garcia Conover) – Little Wind

Arctic Lake – Night Cries

Steady Holiday – Trapping Season

VISTA - Born for Blood

Martha Hill – Wallflower

Sofie Winterson – Half Asleep

Leah Capelle – Walking with Giants

Miya Folick – Thingamajig

PHOTO CREDIT: Savannah van der Niet

San Mei – Heaven

Blood Red Shoes – Mexican Dress

Paloma Ford – 4 the Fame

ECKOES – Hurricane of Storms

INTERVIEW: LeBarons

INTERVIEW:

LeBarons

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MY final interview before the weekend…

is with LeBarons as they talk about their current single, Long Highway. I was interested to know what the song’s story is and what sort of things they address in their upcoming album, Summer of Death. They tell me how they got together and what the music scene is like over in Toronto.

I ask whether they will come to the U.K. and play and whether they have favourite memories from their careers so far; which rising artist we need to keep a watchful eye out for; if they get time to unwind away from music – they each pick a song to end the interview with.

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

Hi, there! It’s been going great; thank you for asking. It was exciting to finally release our single after all the preparation we did for the album. It seems like it has been well-received.

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

We are LeBarons; an Alt-Country band from Toronto, Canada. We have been together for roughly four years. Members include: Chris MacDonald – Vocals, Acoustic; Megan Tilston – Vocals; Casey Irvin – Lap Steel; Evan Levy – Electric Guitar; Po Karim – Drums and John Dinsmore on Bass.

Long Highway is your new single. Is there a story behind the song?

When I was younger, I wanted to be a writer - I still do. Haha. One of my first ideas for a book was going to be about two kids that live in a small, removed town somewhere along the coast. It’s a town where the only place to go is down to the lake and is where all the kids hang out. The two protagonists would soon venture out on the road in search of something bigger. Along the way, they get mixed up in a murder, ultimately forcing them to make a decision to run or face up.

They choose to run and the road trip continues only in a different context. I decided I would write it into a song; I just couldn’t put the murder in there because I’m not as good as Nick Cave. But, I think I captured the vibe of how I wanted the book to feel. I would love to write it one day.

Everyone put a lot (of input) into it and had a lot of creative ideas that really furthered the vibe; our songs come out best when that happens.

It is from the upcoming album, Summer of Death (out on 2nd November). What sort of ideas and experiences inspired the song?

Roots would go back to my love of romantic style stories - anything Springsteen, S.E. Hinton/Rumble Fish; Kerouac - anything along those lines is where I always want to be.

How did LeBarons get together? What attracted you to one another?

I made a few Craigslist posts, which landed Casey and Evan; I married the other singer; met Po through my work and then we were recording at John’s studio, Lincoln County Social, and forced him to play bass with us.

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

I’m sure Po has it all planned out for us. Haha. No, really…the fact that we have achieved all that we have is a marvel in its own. These recordings have just made me want to record and document more; I just want to play and have a lot of fun with my band. They are so talented, insightful and the best bunch of musicians anyone could ask to play with. Writing songs with them feels really good.

You are based out of Toronto. Is there a good music scene there at the moment?

Toronto’s music scene has always been thriving. It’s very lively and stocked full of talent that stretch across all genres. You can go out any night of the week and find a show to go to. I feel fortunate to live in a city like this, definitely.

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

Chris: We’ve played so many fun shows it’s hard to choose. But, last winter, we played a show in my shop as a part of a block party/music crawl. The crowd was handpicked because of space limitations. It was intimate and the vibe was just amazing. That is a fond memory.

Casey: When Chris brings a new song to the rest of us, it usually comes with a shortlist of notes for the feel. He might say “make it like American Girl” or he'll slouch down in his knees, sit back in space and air-drum a few bars. I really love interpreting these songs as a band; we each start from a different interpretation of Chris’ notes but, after a few runs and things start to click, it's such a wonderful feeling.

Evan: We had some terrific guest musicians on the Summer of Death record including a horn section playing a part I had created (a first for me). It's really powerful experiencing something you have in your head become music in the air, then on the record. I'll remember that for a long time.

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

 Chris: I can’t answer this…

Megan: (Shakes her head, ‘no’).

Po: If it’s a LeBarons record, it’s the new one Summer of Death. I think the songs are amazing and we had a lot of fun making it. We were able to branch out and explore some really creative ideas and sounds. We also took our time making the record - almost two years. That meant that we were able to spend time on each song and make them all sound unique based on the mood we were trying to create. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.

Casey: Sweetheart of the Rodeo by The Byrds is definitely a key album for me. The first pedal steel line of You Ain't Goin’ Nowhere runs itself through my head on an almost daily basis. Really, though; anything that Gram Parsons had a hand in could be my answer to your question here.

Evan: Too many to mention…

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

I’m pretty fond of our hometown staples at the moment: give me Matt Mays or The Sadies and I’d be happy to follow them around for sure.

Rider? Hmmmmmm. I’m going to think long and hard about that. I’d take Springsteen, too.

Will we see you on the road this year at all?

I think we’ll definitely put a few miles into it when the dust settles.

Might we see you in the U.K. very soon?

Would love to. It’s a great place and haven’t been for a few years. Might be due for a visit and a pint!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I don’t know exactly...read books, try and stay off the phone.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Alun Piggins. He’s not new, but I have no idea why he isn’t famous. He’s one of the best songwriters in Toronto and, if you don’t believe it, you will when you here his song Steel Heart.

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

Music is the unwind...music and beer.

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).

Chris: Living on the Moon - Adam Faucett

Megan: Bad Girl (Pt. I) - Lee Moses

Po: Appalachian Death Sigh - Bill Fox

Casey: Sleep with One Eye Open by Chris Thile and Michael Daves

Evan: 1952 Vincent Black Lightning - Richard Thompson

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Follow LeBarons

Official:

https://www.lebaronsband.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/lebaronsband

Bandcamp:

https://lebarons.bandcamp.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lebaronsband

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/lebaronsband 

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Maggie Rogers/PHOTO CREDIT: Howl & Echoes

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

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WITH the weather being a bit all over the place…

IN THIS PHOTO: Koko Clay

it is time to settle down with some music from the best underground female artists around. We all need sounds that soundtrack autumn and put the changeable conditions in mind. I have been looking out for the best new – and slightly older – female-led tracks that showcases an immense amount of skill and variation. It is an exciting time for music and it is hard to keep a track of all the brilliant offerings emerging! Take a look and listen through this female-scored rundown and I am certain there will be something in there that will stick in the mind and lift the mood! Autumn is all about colour and that mix of warm and slightly cooler. Here, with the music setting the mood, it is the perfect playlist to…

IN THIS PHOTO: SASAMI/PHOTO CREDIT: Alice Baxley

EASE you into the weekend.

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

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Lauren Rocket – Diamond Nights

 ART CREDIT: Kim Van Vuuren 

EMERGER – Nomadic Love

PHOTO CREDIT: Melissa Chu

Nina Luna – Red Flags

PHOTO CREDIT: Hillary Olson

JØUR - The War Inside

Middle Kids - Salt Eyes

PHOTO CREDIT: Maria Stijger Aramburu

Jo Marches – Clearing

PHOTO CREDIT: Howl & Echoes

Maggie Rogers – Light On

Liv Dawson – Good Intentions

Desperate Journalist – It Gets Better

PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Jamer

Christina Martin – Impossible to Hold

PHOTO CREDIT: @abaxley

SASAMI – Callous

Arc Iris – Icon of Ego

PHOTO CREDIT: @stoyanovjones 

Koko Clay – Motherland

Jess McAvoy (ft. Alicia Madison) – All Alone

HAVVK - Glass

Sizzy Rocket – Juicy Fruit

PHOTO CREDIT: @bambivader

Norma – Another Red Day

Ibeyi – Rise Up Wise Up Eyes Up

PHOTO CREDIT: Nata Moraru Photography

Mersey Wylie – Giving Myself Away

IAN SWEET – Hiding

PHOTO CREDIT: Ania Shrimpton Photography

She Makes War – Dear Heart

CRAY – Peaches

Deanna Devore – Fuels

Emma Danelon (ft. Renzo) - Questions

Red – Dangerous Love

Emilie Brandt - Grey

INTERVIEW: Heir

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Portia Hunt

Heir

___________

THANKS to Tom from Heir…

PHOTO CREDIT: Portia Hunt

for chatting about the band’s new track, Restless, and what its story is. I was eager to know what comes next for the guys in terms of gigs and material and how they found one another; which rising artists we should keep an eye out for – Tom tells me how he and the band relax away from music.

Tom talks about the music he was raised on and how he feels looking back at a busy and exciting year for Heir; which one music memory sticks in the mind; what he/the guys hopes to achieve by end of this year – Tom selects a couple of cool songs to end things on.

__________

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

Hi, man. What’s it to you?! Joking. It’s been alright, thanks. Currently talking to you via Microsoft Word 2017 with a mint tea.

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

I’m Tom from Heir. We’re a Pop band from Leeds, U.K. Sam, Tom; Harry, Ste and Samuel – the musical equivalent of The Teletubbies.

How did Heir start life? When did you all find one another?

We are from all over the U.K. but met in Leeds for uni. We started playing tunes together and, after a couple of years, realised that we got on alright and all enjoyed it (yes; that took two years). We then decided to form as Heir in 2015.

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

Restless is a tune that we wrote in Northumberland a couple of years ago now. It’s a song about being settled in your restlessness and overthinking. Obviously, with us being in the period of life post-uni, it’s something quite fresh on the brain.

Might there be more material coming this/next year?

Oh yeah, baby…

PHOTO CREDIT: Portia Hunt

Last year was a busy and exciting one for you! How do you see the year looking back? How has this year fared in comparison?

Last year was bloody ace! Playing Reading and Leeds was fab and the big support gig at Scarborough Open Air Theatre were moments that you don’t think you’ll get early on as a band so it was a really great learning experience.

This year has been a little more focused on recording and writing - loads in the pipeline ready to put out into the world from Restless onward. Very buzzed to get it all going!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Charlène Dosio

If I were to travel back to your childhoods; what sort of music would I find in your collections?

I can only speak for myself as the lads would probably not be too thrilled if they were also associated with The Chuckle Brothers’ cassette. That’s actually not a joke: I can still remember one of the tunes in full to this day.

I was actually quite fortunate to be brought up in a household that loved a lot of amazing songwriters. Most of our car journeys were spent listening to Eagles, Billy Joel; Carole King and Supertramp. Those, along with the She’s the One (single) by Robbie Williams were the highlights for sure.

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

I’d like to be able to beat my long jump P.B.

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

I think my fondest memory with the band is our second visit to Belgium and Holland. We go out once or twice a year to play some stripped-back shows. I just love the fact that we crammed all of our stuff into my parent’s people carrier and roof box. We must have looked like the least Rock ‘n’ roll band in the world (which we are, to be fair).

Great people, great fun.

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

Again…I don’t want to speak for the other lads but, when I was getting into music and working out why I loved the songs that I loved, I listened to The Stranger – Billy Joel a lot. That’s probably one of the main albums of my earlier years as a musician. Can’t say that it means the most to me now but it was certainly important to me when I was younger.

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

Band: HAIM; Rider: seven-a-side football pitch; my mum’s homemade Sunday roast and Tropicana - because, times are tough at the moment and I miss it (that’s not too much to ask, is it?!).

PHOTO CREDIT: Portia Hunt

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

Yeah! We’ll be doing a big headline next year. More recently, we are playing the following:

9th October - Hull

20th October - London

21st October - Halifax (acoustic)

30th October - Exeter

More T.B.C.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

We’d be asking them…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Wild Front/PHOTO CREDIT: John Almando 

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

At the moment, I have been really enjoying Wild Front, Westerman and Greatest Hits.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Westerman

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

Absolutely. Some seriously good board games going on in our house - and a few of us play football. I know that Sam is a keen cyclist too. Thanks for your concern, m’dear.

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

Make You Feel - Wild Front

Easy Money - Westerman

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Follow Heir

PHOTO CREDIT: James Ward 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/heirtheband

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/heirtheband/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/heirtheband

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/heirtheband

INTERVIEW: Megan Lara Mae

INTERVIEW:

Megan Lara Mae

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THE fabulous Megan Lara Mae…

has been giving me the skinny regarding her new single, From the Ashes, and how the song came to be. I was keen to know whether more material was coming and which artists have inspired her to this point – she tells me what Brighton is like a base and how inspiring it is.

Mae reveals who she’d support on tour given the chance and recommends a rising artist we need to get involved with; whether there are going to be gigs coming up; which musical memories she counts as the most precious – I was keen to know how songs come together and whether she has a songwriting process.

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

Hi. My week has been great, thanks! My band and I had our debut London headline gig on Saturday at The Finsbury. The main support was Dutchkid - it was their first-ever live gig but they were insane and, if that’s what they’re like now, then we should expect crazy things from them by the New Year!

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

So. My name is Megan Lara Mae and I’m an unsigned Electro-Pop singer-songwriter. I’m originally from Birmingham but I moved down to Brighton a few years ago to start studying (I absolutely love Brighton and have no desire to move at the moment…). I was brought up learning and playing Classical music and within church choirs - I like to draw on this, together with my contemporary music training. My songs aim to have an uplifting and empowering yet sentimental vibe that can hopefully identify with many people.

I would say it’s for fans of Sigrid, Florence and the Machine and Bat for Lashes.

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

There is indeed...

So. It’s reflective of my own story but, essentially, the song carries the message of rising from a dark place and going into the light, while never dwelling on the past. So, for me, I had an experience in my life that hurt me pretty bad and put me in a really dark place and I could’ve kept following that path for myself, getting darker and darker… but, instead of dwelling on it and letting that define me, with a lot of help from some amazing friends, I was able to rise from it and be at peace with the situation. I hope that From the Ashes can help other people in similar situations.

Might we see more material next year? What are you working on at the moment?

Oh, yes! So From the Ashes is the final song to come out from my current project - my debut E.P., Into Daylight. But, my goal is to make everything I do a learning process so that the next thing is always bigger and better than the previous thing…so, at the moment, I am currently producing and finishing writing some brand-new material ready for a new project to come out in 2019…keep your eyes peeled!

How do songs come together for you? Do you set time aside to write or is there a particular process?

There’s no particular process. I used to fear writing lyrics, as I’d told myself I couldn’t do them, so I leaned on building my creative process for the melodic side of things. But, since moving to Brighton, I’ve loved going for bike rides and walks along the seafront, which is just the perfect time for me to think (and probably overthink) – but, usually my best lyrics come from these times. So, now, I try to go on a few solo bike rides and walks every week.

Do you recall when music came into your life? Was there a moment you knew it was the career for you?

My first-ever musical moment was when I was six-years-old. The teachers at primary-school clearly saw something in me and gave me the lead role in the junior musical - I was the Frog in Frog’s Spring Party (so much fun!). From then, music was a process and I just constantly grew a love and desire to be involved in it more and more and I eventually studied classical flute, piano and voice all up to grade 8.  

We went on a family holiday to Corfu when I was twelve and my parents encouraged me to sing in all the karaoke bars. My favourite song to sing was Don’t Know Why by Norah Jones. When we were there, we met someone who asked whether I wrote my own music. With limited life experiences to draw from at age twelve, when I got home I tried putting together the piano and my voice and actually started improvising to films that I’d put on silent and out came some songs. By fifteen-years-old I was performed my original music and shows and festival across the U.K. and that’s when I looked back and knew that it was a career for me!

Which artists do you consider to be role models and inspirations?

I’m inspired by the works of legends, including Elton John with his heavy piano-led songs and Kate Bush, whose voice is just incredible! I love Kate Bush’s crazy attitude and sweeping melodies and this is has definitely become a feature in my own music. But, I’m also influenced by lots of current artists…the ‘Pop’ genre is massive so I try to listen to so many artists in this style by engaging with Pop playlists on Spotify. Some specific artists that I adore though include Sigrid (all her songs are hits!); Rae Morris (she just oozes ‘Cool-Pop’) and Lorde (everyone knows how brilliant her stuff is).

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

My 2018 goal was to release my debut E.P. I started recording and producing the tracks back in January and the first single off the E.P. came out in April 2018. Since then, I’ve been dropping tracks from the body of work and by the end of the year I hope to have achieved this goal. I’d also hope to have everything ready for the next project by the time the year comes to close. I’m just loving being in the creative head-space at the moment!

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

I have two…

Firstly, in summer 2017, I had the crazy privilege of playing a few sets at Glastonbury Festival. While it wasn’t a big stage or anything, just the opportunity to play at one of the most renowned festivals in the world was mind-blowing. The feedback was incredible and I’m praying that I get a similar opportunity to play at Glastonbury 2019!

Secondly, as I’ve said I aim to write songs with uplifting messages that can identify with audiences. Earlier this year, I released my first single from the E.P. called Caribou. The song is about not letting things chase us down but to persevere in these times. Just after releasing it, I got a message from someone saying how they’d been listening to the song during their mornings to help them not feel down but to encourage them to keep going, despite what their life’s circumstances was telling them. This is exactly what I want from my music - not to just release music, but to make a difference to people’s livelihood.

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

Sigrid! She is killing the game at the moment! To support such an awesome artist who has been noticed for her credible Pop songwriting would be an opportunity-and-a-half!

And, my rider…I’m quite a simple person (I like to think anyway). Before any gig I love having a hot drink of honey and lemon, so that’s pretty much all I’d request. I asked my guitarist what he would want too (his expectations are clearly way bigger than mine) - he would ask for a PS4 with a T.V. screen, probably with additional driving seats for specific games and then a coffee machine (we are Brightonians and therefore need good coffee).

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

This industry isn’t easy but, if you’ve got dreams and ambitions and are clearly gifted to make it as an artist or musician, then absolutely don’t let other people discourage you. Society tells us we must have ‘proper jobs’ or work at desk or whatever, but some of us just don’t function like that. I don’t believe we’ve been gifts in music to let those gifts become dusty and eventually forgotten.

If music is your brick in life, then put that brick in the bucket first; then you can add your smaller stones (e.g. money) and then the sand (i.e. all the little details in life)…don’t add the sand first or else there’s no room left for the brick. This was recently my advice to myself and it’s made such a difference in my approach to my music career – so, I hope that makes sense and can be helpful to others.

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

My next gig is in Southampton on 7th November at Heartbreakers with my gorgeous band and we will be supporting a very cool upcoming Indie-Pop duo called Deco. Then; I’ll be heading to my hometown of Birmingham on 7th December to play at the Cuban Embassy, so if you’re in one of the two cities, then please come along! (There is also potentially a little support tour lined up for the New Year with a super-cool artist, but that’s all hush hush at the moment…).

 IN THIS PHOTO: Dutchkid

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Absolutely. Please go check out Dutchkid! As I said; they were insanely good when they supported us on Saturday in London. They are an Indie-Pop band with some killer-catchy tracks and I would not be surprised if they go massive very soon! Also; a Brighton-based artist called Lydia Evangeline - the voice on that girl is from another world. I’d describe her as Power-Pop, but she also has the ability to break chains with her lush intimate voice.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lydia Evangeline

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

While I’m not brilliant at unwinding; I always make an effort to have one complete rest day per week. I usually do this at the beginning of the week so that I’m working from my time of rest, rather than resting from working myself into the ground. I love to channel my creativity into other things like making tote bags or finding some cute activity on Pinterest and seeing if my close friends want to try it out with me. I’m also a bike ride lover and get such a thrill from cycling to new places and seeing what else there is beyond what I already know.

Finally; who can’t unwind to a great Netflix series…?

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’ve mentioned them quite a few times now: but Dutchkid are epic so I’m going to choose my favourite of their songs, Glow

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Follow Megan Lara Mae

Official:

https://www.meganlaramae.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MeganLaraMae

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/MeganLaraMae/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MeganLaraMae

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/megan-lara-mae

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0p7Hw9CLgjO2mEgrwgJ0JM

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfNcFbNUOAoBT-iCyJbCaZQ

INTERVIEW: Sam Dickinson

INTERVIEW:

Sam Dickinson

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IT has been good to speak to Sam Dickinson…

as he has been talking about his new single, Wild Sun, and revealing its story. The songwriter lets me into his world and explains what music truly means to him; what we will get from his upcoming E.P., From the Glass House: Part One, and which artists have made an impression on him through the years.

I wanted to know whether there are going to be any gigs approaching and which three albums are most important to Dickinson; which rising artists we need to get behind; the advice he would provide to approaching artists – he ends the interview by selecting a great song.

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

Hey! I’m good, thanks. It’s been a busy week in fairness; some long days. I have been gearing up to release my first new music in a long time. I forgot how much you actually have to do! But, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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

Of course! My name is Sam Dickinson and I am a singer-songwriter from Gateshead, which is just outside of Newcastle upon Tyne…and, yes, I have the accent! I released my debut album back in 2013 and that was a concept album; recreating the sounds of Stax and Motown with some big horn sections and big vocals. It was so much fun to record. I toured the U.K. with it and received some amazing airplay too. It was all self-financed, so you can imagine the pressure that came with that but, you know, I look back now and think: ‘Wow, you really did well!’. Although, at the time, I would constantly think I could do more, do better.

This time around, I took my time with new music and went with a different sound and vibe.  To be perfectly honest; just as the album was taking off - which was a year after its initial release -, I started suffering from anxiety and depression. Everything became just too much. So, I halted everything for a year or two. During that time, I went into radio, presenting my own show - something I still do. I just needed time to work out who I am and why I had these feelings. So, when it came to working on new music, I thought I’d take a different approach in sound and what I wanted to talk about.

Wild Sun is your new single. Can you talk about the story behind it?

Wild Sun is one of those feel-good tracks where you’ve come to the realisation that the person you’re with is no good and you just don’t want to deal with it anymore. We’ve all been there. You have that moment where you stop feeling like a failure in love and you say to yourself:  ‘What the hell am I doing with him?’. It’s the weight lifted off your shoulder moment: “We could try to start again, we could say that we are friends, but we’ve broken down” the song says.

It’s true.

It is from the E.P., From the Glass House: Part One. How much of your own emotions, experiences and struggles define the songs?

Oh, completely! Isn’t that when music is at its most powerful?! We can have similar experiences as each other and that’s why and how people relate to music.

How powerful and important is music regarding well-being and how you can strive as a person? Does it hold a lot of power and comfort?

Massively. You know, when I was suffering from anxiety and depression - and I still do to some degree. However, I was sitting with my counsellor, really digging deep and she said to me: “Sam, why don’t you try writing music again? It could really help you”. I thought she was talking rubbish to be honest but I tried it. I worked on a song called Therapy which is from a project coming next year and it just felt right. So, from a songwriter’s perspective, you can get so much off your chest and feel good but, when I listen to the music, I want to connect too. I feel like I’ve done that with my new music.

There’s a track on From the Glass House: Part One where I talk about my struggles. It’s my favourite and I’m so proud of it. I start by explaining why I appeared to quit music then I talk about how I feel now, looking back: “You won’t believe me now, but you should feel so proud/of everything you have done, life is there to be won”.

There’s also a song called All We Are on the E.P. It’s in acoustic form as the full version will be the next single and the first off From the Glass House: Part Two. I wrote it with my friend Hattie Murdoch after we watched a friend of mine, who is a drag queen, be vilified on national television and social media. She’s come back stronger and I sing about how we’re all human beings; we need to come together and work together - especially in this era of Brexit and Trump.

Were you raised around a lot of great sounds? What sort of music did you grow up around?

Oh, my god! Yes! Aren’t we all influenced by what our parents listened to?! On the way to school in the car, I would listen to Gabrielle, Simply Red; Lighthouse Family, Beverley Knight; Everything But the Girl. I could go on but those artists have shaped my music and the sound I have. We used to listen on cassette! I think they’re starting to make a comeback. Haha.

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

The new E.P. will be released and I’ll start working on the release of the second. I just hope so many people get to hear it and enjoy it.

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

I have three...

The first was hearing my music on the biggest radio station in the U.K., BBC Radio 2. It was like I was on the verge of making it; I am so proud of that. The second was playing in front of 30,000 people at Newcastle Pride and the final was one of the smallest gigs I’d done. We were in a tiny venue in Newcastle but the vibe was electric. I was just relieved I didn’t have to pay for the broken chairs from people dancing on them all night!

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

Gabrielle – Rise

This album is a lesson in sheer and utter class. Her heart had been broken; the father of her child was convicted of a hideous crime and she could have released an album slagging him off. She didn’t. She had class and that says a lot.

Anastacia – Freak of Nature

This album is a lesson in self-empowerment and has some amazing songs on it.

Aretha Franklin – Greatest Hits

Need I say any more?! It’s Aretha.

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

Literally, any of the artists I’ve previously mentioned. Although, I’m sure it’d have been Aretha if I’d been asked this six months ago.

My rider wouldn’t be crazy: just some food and a nice New Zealand or South African Sauvignon Blanc.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Keep going! Keep plugging. Believe in your brand and always question if it’s the best you can give. With hard work comes success, so get to work.

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

My tour will be announced in the New Year for March 2019. So, follow me on social media for that announcement.

How important is it being on stage and performing? Do you love playing your music to the crowds?

I love it. It’s a bit like radio where people can get to know you and, after the show, you get to know them. Music connects so many people. At my shows, there’s a group of people who come to every show together and they met because of my music. I love seeing them at each show, enjoying themselves. I also love seeing new people at shows; you can tell at the beginning they don’t know what to expect then the music does the talking.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Beth Macari

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

My friend Beth Macari. You should also check out HATi.

 IN THIS PHOTO: HATi

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

Not a huge amount, if I’m honest. I usually feel guilty if I’m not working. Is that the classic workaholic sign?! I do enjoy eating out and a nice wine. I also work out to de-stress and unwind - crazily, it works!

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).

Beth Macari – Clone

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Follow Sam Dickinson

Official:

http://samdickinsononline.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SamDickinsonOnline/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/samdickinson

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/samdickinsonmusic

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/27mxie9bsTRnNDUwtyVDop?si=PM8XAzZiQU-q0LijGM_cZw

INTERVIEW: Derek Sallmann

INTERVIEW:

Derek Sallmann

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I am ending the day by speaking with Derek Sallmann…

COVER DESIGN: Brennan Elias Alban-Springer 

about his latest single, Love, Future You. He reveals whether there is more material coming and what the inspiration behind his latest track is; whether there are particular albums/artists that have affected and driven him – Sallmann highlights a rising artist that is worth some time and we should be checking out.

Sallmann discusses when music came into his life and which artist he’d support given the chance; if there will be tour dates coming up and whether the American will come to the U.K. and perform at some stage.

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

Hey! I’m doing well and I hope you’re having a great week too! I’ve been busy planning out everything for the single release for my song, Love, Future You.

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

Definitely! My name is Derek Sallmann and I’m a twenty-three-year-old singer/songwriter based out of the Waukesha/Milwaukee area. I graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College in 2017 with a Biology degree and I was a commuter, so I was able to work on my music and play shows when I wasn’t at school. Biology and music are my two biggest passions.

I released my first album, All Seasons, in 2016, which was composed of ten tunes produced by Tony Schueller of Anton Music Productions in Lannon, WI. After I released that album, I did a lot of co-writing and wrote a lot of different songs - over sxity in the past year alone. I got connected with producer Bill Lefler (Ingrid Michaelson, Dashboard Confessional; Joshua Radin) and we did one song remotely with me in Wisconsin and him in Los Angeles. I sent him the demo of a song and he liked it; he produced the track and sent it back to me to put the vocals on. It was a lot of back and forth, but that’s just kind of the nature of working long-distance like that. Since the track went so well, I decided to travel to L.A. to work with Bill in person on a few more tracks on the E.P.

The E.P. will be titled Love, Future You (the same title as the single) and will be composed of five tracks total. I would describe them as ‘Indie-Pop’ and each song definitely has its own personality. The official release date for the E.P. is December 14th, 2018.

Can you reveal the story behind your latest single, Love, Future You? How did it come together?

Totally! Love, Future You was the first song I co-wrote with my friend Kyler England and we wrote it over the Internet. I had been through this really bad break-up and we talked a lot about how, when you’re in a situation like that, nothing feels like it’s going to get better…even though you know in your heart that it will. We channelled those feelings into this idea of a love-letter from your future-self to your present-self; telling you that everything is going to be alright.

When Bill and I were in the studio we actually sampled a bird call in the song (I love birds and my brother and I run an educational birding show on YouTube called Badgerland Birding) which I thought was really cool. The track came out great and when we were in the studio we thought it would be cool to have Kyler sing background vocals on it. She agreed and added them in later on and it really helped pull the track together.

Might we see more material next year perhaps? How far ahead are you looking?

The rest of the E.P. will be released by the end of this year but, yeah, I’d love to be able to release new music on a consistent basis. I love songwriting and turning an idea into a piece of art. I think the whole process is incredible.

Do you recall when music came into your life? Was there a moment you knew it was the career for you?

My parents are both very musical and my dad taught me how to play guitar when I was thirteen-years-old so music has always played a big role in my life. When I was just learning how to play guitar and sing I remember hearing the song Smooth by Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas and thinking how amazing it would be to perform that song one day. It just really pulled me in and made me want to be a performer.

It’s amazing how much influence one song can have on your life. That was the moment I knew I wanted to be a singer and performer and it took a lot of work from that moment to get to where I am today.

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

One of my main goals is to get the new E.P. to chart on iTunes. People can help with that by pre-ordering it. I’ll be posting on my website www.dereksallmann.com and my social media pages when it’s available for pre-order.

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

Oh, man; there are so many good memories I have from music. One of the main ones is playing on the U.S. Cellular Connection Stage at Milwaukee’s music festival, Summerfest, with a full band. It was my first full-band show and it was a dream of mine to perform on a big stage at Summerfest. One day, I’d like to be a headliner there.

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

That’s a tough question...

Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind

It definitely has had a big impact on me because I listened to it a lot growing up. If I hear any of those songs it brings me right back to my childhood.

Yourself or Someone Like You - Matchbox Twenty

It is really influential to me as well. Matchbox Twenty was one of the bands where I just started liking every song I heard by them. I was a big fan of the song 3AM and listened to that whole album a lot.

I’ve also really enjoyed Lauv’s i met you when i was 18. (the playlist)

All the songs are so honest and catchy and I think it’s inspiring that he produced a lot of them himself.

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

Good question. There are so many options. I think I would have to say Ed Sheeran. I’m a big fan of his music and work ethic and he seems like a really fun guy to hang out with.

I think the rider (if it really can be anything) would include having puppies on the tour bus at all times; allowing me to talk about animal conservation at some point in the show and unlimited bottles of raspberry iced tea.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I would tell them to write as much as possible and be obsessed. It’s easy to get distracted by what everyone else is doing, but do your best to stay focused on working hard every day and creating goals you can achieve on a daily basis. It’s definitely a grind and it’s important to keep at it.

Also; keep in mind that there’s not really anyone who is successful because of just luck. Those who are at the top (99% of the time) put in the work to get there. It’s not a mistake, even if it looks like it. Just keep in mind that if you put in the work you will get to where you want to be.

There’s that phrase “Everybody wants to be the beast, but not everybody wants to do what the beast does.” I think that’s a big part of it. Everybody wants to be successful, but not everybody wants to put in the work. Put in the work, show-up every day and don’t give up. 

Also, don’t let other people discourage you. Be able to take criticism but assess whether it’s valid or not before moving forward. There are always going to be people who don’t agree with what you’re doing and that’s okay. Surround yourself with other hard-working musicians. That way, you can all motivate and encourage each other.

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

I have a few shows coming up to finish off the year but most of them are private events. I’m taking part in a songwriting retreat at the end of October and will be planning an album release party in honor of the new E.P. I’ll be posting on www.dereksallmann.com about the date for that as well as my other social media pages along with a few other tour dates I’m finalizing at the moment.

Will you come to the U.K. and play at some point?

I’d like to. I don’t have any plans to go there on my tour schedule at the moment but the future is wide open right now.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kris Angelis

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Definitely! My friend Kris Angelis just released a new E.P. that Bill Lefler actually produced as well. I really enjoy listening to her music and she has a great voice. Check her out.

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

I do actually. I work with an organization called The Friends of the Mukwonago River and part of my job is leading paddle events, bird walks and hikes. Additionally, my brother and I run the Badgerland Birding YouTube channel and I run my own called Badgerland Fishes. A lot of the work we do for the channels involves going out and exploring, fishing; snorkelling and other fun activities that help me relax and recharge.

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).

Sweet! I’d recommend Kris Angelis’ song, Stained Glass (smiles)

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Follow Derek Sallmann

Official:

http://www.dereksallmann.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/dcsallmann

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/DerekSallmann

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/dereksallmann/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmPvk2U33gDHe6JEMDFiesg 

INTERVIEW: Tori Cross

INTERVIEW:

Tori Cross

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IT has been good to catch up with Tori Cross…

as she tells me about her new single, Looking Up. She reveals how she came to work alongside XamVolo and what we can expect from her forthcoming E.P., Growth. I ask whether there are a few albums that mean a lot to her and which artists she counts as influences – Cross reveals plans for gigs and what she wants to achieve by the end of the year.

The songwriter tells me whether she gets time to unwind away from music and, as a Birmingham-based artist, what the scene is like there; if she has any advice for artists coming through; which rising artists we need to get behind – Cross ends the interview by selecting a great song.

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

Hi, Sam. I’m sound, thank you. I just got back from London for a few days seeing friends and had a bit of a chill out!

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

My name’s Tori and the music I write is Soul/R&B. I’m from Birmingham but have been living in Liverpool for five years. I went there to study music at uni and loved it so much I decided to stay! In my final year at uni I met XamVolo, who recently toured with Paloma Faith, which is such a madness. I backing sang for him for a while until I decided to take my solo stuff seriously and focus all my time on that.

Looking Up is your new single. What is the story behind the song?

The whole tone of the song is intended to be sarcastic. I wrote the song based on my absent father who I spoke to on the phone when I was little but never met. I basically wrote the song as a first and last song written about him since he has such little relevance to my life yet, in the same vein, so much. I’m really pleased with how it came out because it feels really powerful. My stepdad has been an amazing father figure in my life, so I’m really lucky that I haven’t missed out on that.

It is from your forthcoming E.P., Growth. Are there particular themes that inspired the songs? Has it been fun to record the songs?

I was having writer’s block for so long and was confused about the direction I wanted my music to go in but one evening something just clicked and I wrote two of the four songs on this E.P. (in one night). I had such a clear idea of how I wanted these songs to sound so I worked with a couple of producers until I worked with TeeSoulful who produced, basically, what was inside my head.

For this track, I decided to work with XamVolo who captured the power needed behind this song perfectly! The common theme within all the tracks is the strength within imperfect situations. They are situations I have been through and grown though and I hope that other people can relate.

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

At the moment, my musical rotation is mainly around RAY BLK, Mahalia and Ariana Grande. I’m also loving Hozier’s new E.P., especially the track Nina Cried Power. When I was younger, I was obsessed with Amy Winehouse (still am); I love that she literally wrote whatever she was thinking and believed. She wasn’t concerned about outside opinions which I really admire. As well as Amy, I listened to loads of Corrine Bailey Rae, Lianne La Havas and Gabrielle Aplin. My mum played a lot of jazzy and Reggae/Ska stuff when I was growing up, mainly people like Ella Fitzgerald and UB40.

How do songs come to you? Will you set time aside to write or do you let the muse strike?

I do try to take time just to sit down with my guitar specifically to write, but almost all of the times I do I come up with nothing. Nothing that’s any good anyway! I usually just have to keep my phone close to me in case I do come up with something so I can record it onto my voice notes. It’s usually whilst I’m doing something else - having a conversation or watching a programme - that ideas come to me. Often, I will sit down to learn a cover and that can spark a new idea for a song.

You are a Birmingham-born artist. How has the music scene changed there the last few years? Is there a varied and growing culture there?

I’ve actually only just moved back to Birmingham, so I’m trying to work out the music scene and make new connections - but there is a buzz in the city and a sense of excitement. I feel like Birmingham musicians are starting to get heard and a lot of the underground artists are coming into the mainstream. I popped into town the other day and there was a massive graffiti and Hip-Hop festival at the Custard Factory. There’s always something going on!

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

I feel like it’s nearly over. Haha. But, I want to gain a bigger fanbase and get some festivals booked in for next year.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Jay Chow

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

Probably recording my music video for the next single, Woman. It was the first time I’d done anything like that so it was a massive learning experience. I also got to work with some of my really good friends so it was so much fun! The visual side of everything in music is really new to me so it’s always an exciting challenge.

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

Number one has got to be Corinne Bailey Rae – Corinne Bailey Rae

It really gets me. Me and my mum used to blast this out of the car with the windows down in the summer. I had the little lyric book that came with the C.D. and knew the album back to front. I think I still do! I was eleven when this came out and each song is still so vivid in my mind.

Second would be Amy Winehouse’s album Frank

I think this is her best album. It feels more honest and more ‘Amy’. I feel like she was pushed to make her second album safer so she held back in places. The whole album is vulnerable and it encourages me to be the same with my own music.

Finally; a newer album which I couldn’t live without is A Song for Every Moon by Bruno Major

I think it’s so beautiful. The harmonies make me tingle and the groove makes me melt. It’s made up of twelve songs because he wrote and produced a song per month, hence the name. I think it’s a really interesting way to work. This album can calm me down no matter what mood I’m in.

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

Jessie Ware! I think she’d be a good laugh and I could learn a lot from her. She seems like a really grounded artist. Plus, I love her music and am obsessed with her podcast, Table Manners.

My ideal rider would be lemon and ginger tea, honey; Gü Key Lime Pie Cheesecake and a bottle of gin and tonic! Though, to be honest, I’m happy with a few Coronas. Haha!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Karen Cross

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

I’ll be performing at The Victoria in Birmingham on 27th September; Jacaranda Phase One on 17th October and PizzaExpress Live Holborn in London on 18th February 2019. Any new dates I’ll be posting on my socials!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Literally, just keep going. It’s such a hard slog and you need to be your own biggest fan. Also…be nice!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jalen N’Gonda/PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Pallant Photography

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

My favourites at the moment are Jalen N’Gonda and XamVolo.

 IN THIS PHOTO: XamVolo/PHOTO CREDIT: @yvonneschmedemann

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

I love to watch crime series and documentaries. I’m watching The Bodyguard at the moment and I’m obsessed. I’m also watching Killing Eve which is so good! I recommend them both. It’s the only time I get to switch off from music to be honest but, to me, that’s a good thing!

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

I’d like to play RAY BLK’s new song, Empress. I think it’s such an anthem and a great message for girls everywhere. Thanks, Sam!

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Follow Tori Cross

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/toricrossmusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/toricrossmusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/toricrossmusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2O6IFcaKlJL1HnX9pxSf3S

FEATURE: We’ve Got It Covered! National Album Day: My Ten Favourite Album Covers Ever

FEATURE:

 

 

We’ve Got It Covered!

PHOTO CREDIT: @nataliedivine/Unsplash 

National Album Day: My Ten Favourite Album Covers Ever

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THIS is a visual piece that…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @lensinkmitchel/Unsplash

celebrates National Album Day and shows how important the visual side of music is. I guess we always associate musical history with the physical product and vinyl. Being able to hold a piece of art in your hand is so important and pleasurable and it seems that thrill is being lost more and more I have been thinking about what defines a great cover and how it grabs you. Whether it is a stark, single image or something busy and iconic – I have made some suggestions and picked my favourite ten. Many people might disagree but there have been some incredible album covers since the record was introduced seventy years ago. Have a look at this list and reveal in the visual quality on offer. Maybe you will be compelled to go out and buy that album, on vinyl, and get the real thing in your hand. In any case; I am going to revisit the albums and see if there is a link between the cover image and the music within – just a theory I have. Take a look at this awesome ten and I am sure you will agree how essential and integral the album cover is…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @mikeferreira/Unsplash

TO this very day.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

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The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers

Date of Release: 23rd April, 1971

Fact:

“In early 1969, Andy Warhol agreed to design an album cover for the Rolling Stones.

The band’s frontman, Mick Jagger, wrote Warhol a letter about the project, telling the famed artist, “The more complicated the format of the album, e.g., more complex than just pages or fold-out, the more f–ked-up the reproduction and agonizing the delays.”

Warhol ignored this, creating one of the most complex and memorable album covers in rock history for “Sticky Fingers,” the 1971 album that took the Stones from stars to legends” – New York Post

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Date of Release: 26th May, 1967  

Fact:

“This was a period when McCartney was asserting himself more and more when it came to the Beatles’ career decisions, a trend that would continue for the remainder of their time together. He produced ink drawings of the cover concept and shared them with Blake and his wife Haworth. “I did a lot of drawings of us being presented to the Lord Mayor,”
Paul explained in Barry Miles’ Many Years From Now, “with lots of dignitaries and lots of friends of ours
around, and it was to be us in front of a big northern floral clock, and
we were to look like a brass band. That developed to become the Peter Blake cover” – Rolling Stone

FKA twigs - LP1

Date of Release: 6th August, 2014

Fact:

“Just before and during the release of her debut album LP1, there was a flurry of impressive song snippets and videos, and then the cherubic album cover was finally revealed. It was all over the Internet, pasted on city corners, and had an exhibition at Wallplay in NYC with accompanying images by Jesse Kanda. It's both a strong audio and visual presentation for what promises to be an exciting, long-term career for FKA twigs”  Complex

The Clash – London Calling

Date of Release: 14th December, 1979    

Fact:

“Two people were responsible for the striking black and white image on The Clash’s London Calling. The first was the band’s statuesque bass player, Paul Simonon, who is shown driving his bass guitar into the stage of the New York Palladium on September 21, 1979.

“The show had gone quite well,” he recalls, “but for me, inside, it just wasn’t working well, so I suppose I took it out on the bass. If I was smart, I would have got the spare bass and used that one, because it wasn’t as good as the one as I smashed up. When I look at it now, I wish I’d lifted my face up a bit more” – LOUDER

 Patti Smith – Horses

Date of Release: 13th December, 1975   

Fact:

“The simple black and white portrait gracing the cover of Horses was taken by Smith’s good friend, and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Smith had met Mapplethorpe on her first day in New York City in 1967, when she accidentally wandered into his apartment looking for someone else. The two became close friends, even sharing the smallest room at the Chelsea Hotel (as it was all they could afford), where they would stay up all night and work on their respective art forms. Mapplethorpe has described his collaborations with Smith “like taking drugs; you’re in an abstract place and it’s perfect”.

At the time Horses was recorded, Smith was becoming well-known in the New York underground circuit, along with other bands such as Blondie and The Ramones”- lomography

Nirvana – Nevermind

Date of Release: 23rd September, 1978   

Fact:

“Take the now-infamous image of a naked underwater baby floating across the cover of Nirvana‘s ground-breaking “Nevermind” — arguably among the most eye-catching album covers ever produced. It was “a fluke,” said photographer Kirk Weddle .

Kirk completed the “Nevermind” assignment over three shoots on location in Southern California. Working at a public pool in Pasadena, he convinced friends to press their four-month-old boy into the service of rock n’ roll. “The mom was on my left, and blew a puff of air into the child’s face,” Kirk recalls. “Then we dunked him in and, bang bang, pulled him out. We did it twice and that was it.” The record label’s art department added the fish hook and dollar bill as finishing touches” – Huffington Post

 Hole – Live Through This

Date of Release: 12th April, 1994    

Fact:

“Courtney Love stated in an interview that she

“Wanted to capture the look on a woman’s face as she’s being crowned… this sort of ecstatic, blue eyeliner running, kind of ‘I am, I am— I won! I have hemorrhoid cream under my eyes and adhesive tape on my butt, and I had to scratch and claw and fuck my way up, but I won Miss Congeniality!'” – Feel Numb

Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon

Date of Release: 1st March, 1973     

Fact:

“None of the band members offered an explanation, leaving it up to fans to add their own meanings, a process that required repeated album listens and discussion with other fans. (In an interview with Ed Lopez-Reyes of Floyd news site Brain Damage, I likened Pink Floyd to magicians who don’t explain their tricks.) It’s no wonder that the album turned Pink Floyd into major stars, sold 50 million copies and remained on the Billboard charts 741 weeks.

The Dark Side of the Moon design is another product of the fertile creative team of Aubrey Powell and Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis, who are responsible for creating some of rock’s most memorable album covers, such as Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy. As discussed in Mark Blake’s Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd, the original design emerged from Powell’s and Thorgerson’s practice of conducting brainstorming sessions that stretched from late evening until 4:00 a.m. (Hipgnosis had been given minimal creative direction by the band other than a suggestion by keyboardist Richard Wright to “do something clean, elegant and graphic.”)” – Medium

The Beatles – Abbey Road

Date of Release: 26th September, 1969      

Fact:

“In keeping with the pencil sketch that Paul McCartney had given to photographer Iain Macmillan, the sleeve simply shows the four Beatles walking across the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios in North London.

The famous cover shot was one of six taken by Macmillan at 10am on August 8, 1969. As a policeman held up the traffic, the photographer had just 10 minutes to balance on a stepladder and get the shots. The result was striking and iconic. But few could have imagined the reaction it got.

Shortly before the release of the Abbey Road album, an American newspaper ran a story that claimed Paul McCartney had died in a car accident in 1966, and that the current ‘Paul’ was actually a lookalike called William Campbell. The rumours gathered pace and when Abbey Road arrived that October, its sleeve was pronounced by conspiracy theorists as final proof of Macca’s demise” – Louder

 David Bowie – Aladdin Sane

Date of Release: 13th April, 1973      

Fact:

“What is the first image that comes to mind when you hear the name David Bowie? For many millions of fans, it’s one of the musician, bare-chested, with a bold red lightning bolt scrawled across his ethereally white face and a mystical pool of water nestled in the nook of his collarbone. The photograph is one of the most famous ever made by photographer Brian Duffy, taken for the cover of the pop icon’s album Aladdin Sane in the second of five sessions which the pair conducted together, and has become one of the most recognised photographs ever taken.

The famous red and blue lightning bolt which is painted across Bowie’s face was, in fact, inspired by the logo on a rice cooker in the studio kitchen. “In the studio we had a sort of mobile make-up table with mirrors on it, and on wheels,” Duffy's studio manager Francis Newman recalls. “I remember David sitting in front of that with Pierre Laroche, and they had obviously talked about using this flash. Well, Pierre started to apply this tiny little flash on his face and when Duffy saw it he said, ‘No, not fucking like that, like this.’ He literally drew it right across his face and said to Pierre, 'Now, fill that in.' It was actually Duffy who did the initial shape – I’m not saying he did the actual make-up. It then took Pierre about an hour to apply properly. The red flash is so shiny because it was actually lipstick” – AnOther

FEATURE: The Shame on You: Why Spotify Streaming Records and Music Statistics Paint a False Picture Regarding Gender and True Quality

FEATURE:

 

 

The Shame on You

IN THIS PHOTO: Ed Sheeran/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Why Spotify Streaming Records and Music Statistics Paint a False Picture Regarding Gender and True Quality

__________

ONE of the biggest curses in music…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @dotgrid/Unsplash

is how numbers-obsessed and focused it is! It seems, as opposed any other form of quantification and definition; numbers and statistics dictate what constitutes ‘good’ music. Every time you go onto a site like YouTube or Spotify; there are those streaming numbers and you feel like you are watching a company’s accounts being opened rather than listening to music! The same is true when you look at statistics being put out into the world – I shall concentrate on that more later. I am  huge advocate of gender-equality and rights in music. I can see there is a divide out there in many areas but you can never genuinely claim there is a gulf in terms of quality. A worrying report came out regarding Spotify and the most-streamed artists of the past decade:

“Spotify has revealed the most-streamed artists in the platform’s 10-year history. Drake, followed by Ed Sheeran and Eminem lead its rankings – while Rihanna and Ariana Grande are the only women in its top 10 list.

The streaming giant, which launched in Sweden, the UK, France, Spain and Norway in October 2008, has also listed its users’ favourite songs and albums. It named Sheeran’s 2017 single Shape of You as its most-played track. Sheeran’s 2014 single Thinking Out Loud also features, in fifth place. Drake’s 2016 single One Dance comes second, while the Chainsmokers’ Closer, also released in 2016, comes in third.

Justin Bieber effectively has three tracks in the top 10. He features on Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s 2017 Despacito remix (coming in at 7), and as a solo artist with Love Yourself (8) and Sorry (9).

No female artists have songs in the top 10, however Rihanna became the first artist to reach 1bn streams on Spotify, in 2013. She is the most-streamed female artist globally, followed by Ariana Grande and Sia. Adele and Taylor Swift’s initial resistance to putting their music on Spotify may have contributed to their respective placings at six and seven”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Halsey/PHOTO CREDIT: Jenn Five for NME

I do wonder how damaging streaming figures and these sort of reports are. On the one hand, you do wonder why it is so male-dominated and how come fewer female artists are being promoted and backed?! Great current artists like Halsey and Dua Lipa are popular and write great music but they are struggling against the more commercial artists – it seems men are still dominating when it comes to streaming statistics. This, as the article continues, is a big problem that is not exactly new:

“The lack of women on Spotify’s 10-year streaming charts correlates with recent research by Baffler critic Liz Pelly, who found the platform’s “most popular and visible playlists to be staggeringly male-dominated”.

Spotify’s high-profile editorial playlists are immensely powerful. A high placement on a playlist such as Rap Caviar or New Music Friday can change a song’s fortunes. Playlist culture has also changed song structure, with verses and choruses hitting sooner to avoid being skipped by listeners.

Pelly concluded that the platform’s algorithmic recommendations meant that “when a user listens to mostly male-dominated playlists, what is produced are yet more male-dominated playlists”.

Whilst there is pull and power associated with playlists and what is being streamed on Spotify; I do wonder whether this pointless numbers game blurs lines. You can look at the report and, rightfully, detect there is sexism and an imbalance that suggests male artists are being promoted too heavily or consumers are being directed to music created by men.

It is shocking to see but it does not really tell the real story. I have mentioned a couple of female artists who are currently popular but, in truth, look at some of this year’s best albums and you will see some serious female talent behind them. From Kali Uchii and Kacey Musgraves to Christine and the Queens to Florence and the Machine; look at Courtney Barnett and Mitski and gander Anna Calvi and Cardi B. That is just a few names who are jostling to be among the very best from this year – their albums have enflamed and engrossed; they are seriously awesome and have, in my mind, created music more stirring and impactful than their male peers. It seems there is that assumption that streaming figures equates to quality. I am not sure how male artists are marketed and why they are outstripping women but you can certainly not claim quality is the reason. Again; maybe someone like Ed Sheeran has a bigger fanbase or his music is more digestible. He is not taxing on the brain and, in a lot of ways, his audience are attracted to him as a person as opposed his music. Drake and Eminem are in the top-ten of the most-streamed but, again, one needs to look at why Hip-Hop artists are trending more and why they are promoted more fervently. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Drake/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I am not saying their music lacks validity and quality but I look at artists like Drake and Ed Sheeran and then match them against, say, Christine and the Queens and Janelle Monáe. If you did a track/album-by-album comparison I am pretty sure, in terms of reviews and consistency, you would see the victory going to the female artists. That might sound random and specious but Spotify records and figures do not correlate to quality and talent. It might be frustrating to learn that the more talented female artists are overlooked why more mainstream and Spotify-friendly artists are being heralded and highlighted! Artists like Rihanna are making a charge but you wonder why the likes of Beyoncé and Taylor Swift did not crack the top-ten! The former, especially, has been producing exceptional, groundbreaking music since Spotify began and, for me, has been much more consistent and surprising than Eminem and Ed Sheeran. You look at any measure of artistic strength and quality and, in every case, I can find female artists who can easily overtake and replace those male artists in the chart. What bugs me is how much importance is placed on streaming figures and followers. I get a lot of requests for interviews and so many P.R. companies put Instagram, Twitter and Facebook followers in there – as if that should bowl me over and wow me! New artists are not allowed the same luxuries when it comes to popularity and many artists cannot get their music featured on Spotify. There are so many factors that skew reality and highlight this gender divide.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Rihanna/PHOTO CREDIT: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/Vogue

It is great you have a sense of popularity and appeal but numbers do not mean quality or promise. So many artists who have millions of followers and break streaming records do so because they are cool, fashionable and hot. Maybe their music appeals to a certain demographic who is more concerned with hooky choruses and generic lyrics. So much of music, now, is based on how many streams you get and how many playlists you can get your music on! Sure; there are female artists who are as commercial and unchallenging as the most-streamed men but you have to wonder why they are not receiving kudos. I am not a big fan of Taylor Swift, Katy Perry or Dua Lipa – or someone like Rihanna and Jess Glynne – but they write music that has its market and, look at YouTube and the sort of figures they pull in and you wonder why that does not translate to Spotify! One feels playlists and their sway is muddying the waters and creating an imbalance. I feel there is sexism at work but many might, naively, assume the men in that most-streamed list are there because they are superior. There are articles like this that gather women’s voices and showcase the fact there is sexism in the industry.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @tompottiger/Unsplash

I was reading an article from earlier this year that looked back at 2017 and the disparity between men and women – how many men were credited when it came to big hits and how few women there were in the industry:

“After researching the lack of diversity in Hollywood, the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the leading global think tank studying issues of inclusion across entertainment mediums, has set its sights on the music world. The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism division just released its inaugural report on inclusion in popular music and the results reveal that just like in the film and television industry, there is a strong need for more females in the music industry.

The report showed that:

In 2017, 83.2% of artists were men and only 16.8% were women.

2017 marked a six-year low for female artists in popular content

Of 2,767 songwriters credited, 87.7% were male and 12.3% were female.

73.8% of female songwriters only worked once in 6 years, 7.9% worked twice, and 4.3 percent worked three times. Less than 6% of female songwriters had 6 or more credits across the sampled time frame.

Nine male songwriters were responsible for 1/5 of the songs in the sample.

Out of the study’s 651 producers, 98% were male and only 2% female.

A total of 899 individuals were nominated for a Grammy Award between 2013 and 2018. 90.7% of those were male and 9.3% were female”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

It makes for worrying reading but, again, we forget how many fantastic women there are in the industry and the sort of work they are putting out there. Beyoncé recently topped a poll conducted by Woman’s Hour that sought to find the most powerful women in music. We are seeing figures that show most top-forty songs are written by men and most producers are men. It seems all the sides of the industry are male-led and women are in the minority. I agree a lot needs to be done when it comes to employment and redressing the balance of producers/engineers etc. but my mind keeps coming back to this Spotify list. I think the most compelling and fantastic artists at the moment are women and yet, more and more, it is male artists you see promoted on the site. I am not sure whether there is a connection but how is a true balance across music going to happen when the world’s most-popular and talked-about platform for music are putting the men first?! We have these powerhouses like Beyoncé and artists like Halsey who speak out against injustices and make their voice heard. In terms of political and social awareness; female artists are much more potent and prolific; my favourite albums from this year, largely, have been created by women and I feel the Pop mainstream is seeing artists like Ed Sheeran being overtaken by Dua Lipa, Sigrid and their peers.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

In order to see some real change and improvement happen in the industry as a whole, we need to change the way platforms like Spotify do things and how much of a role playlists play. You go onto the site and most of the new playlists have men heading them up. I do not believe there are more men making music than women as a whole. There might be a slight advantage to the men but not as large as many suggest. Perhaps more girls are streaming than women and men so that is something that needs to be questioned. Talk to those buying albums and the non-preteen demographic and there will be a different picture painted. We are in a golden age for female songwriters and look at the mainstream and underground and I can see that revolution happening. I realise the Spotify top-ten looks back at the last decade but, again, fantastic female artists have been in the business since then and you get this misleading sense of popularity/quality. Is it true women market more to other women whereas men market to everyone? Perhaps that is true in terms of mainstream Pop but it is not the case with the wider market! Many might say this latest report is irrelevant and who really cares – so long as you support female musicians in your own way then that should be enough. I understand that but I also know how much power and influence Spotify holds and how the young generation are swayed by it. Their schematics and marketing needs to change, that is for sure.

PHOTO CREDIT: @brucemars/Unsplash

I am not saying a change at Spotify will lead to improvements regarding females headlining at festivals and getting more women into studios. I am fully aware of the sheer quality out there and how many world-class female producers, artists and songwriters there are. I would like to see THEIR voices and talent recognised and inspire future generations. Spotify’s most-streamed list would lead you to believe artists like Ed Sheeran and Drake are the best from the last decade but, if anything, they are the most consumable, marketed and easy on the mind. That appeals to a certain sect but it is taking so much away from so many extraordinary female artists who, if they were given the same props, would be able to affect real change in the industry. If we start looking at the way huge influencers like Spotify tabulate and promote their artists then the service can be amended to that it goes away from the commercial and chart-bound and reflects the true nature and brilliance of modern music. Statistics and streaming figures suggest men are dominating and hold the most power but when it comes to the most important thing of all, the music itself, I feel women are the ones…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Maggie Rogers (one of the most interesting and engaging voices in new, modern music)/PHOTO CREDIT: Jennifer McCord for DIY

WHO have the most powerful voices!

INTERVIEW: Dry Reef

INTERVIEW:

Dry Reef

___________

I have been setting time aside to speak with Dry Reef…

as they tell me about their new single, Start It Up. I ask what the story behind the song is and whether there will be more material coming along - their album, Daychange, is also out and a good chance to investigate the band in-full. I ask how the guys got together and what sort of music they were inspired by growing up – they recommend an approaching act to watch out for.

I wanted to know if there are any tour dates booked and which albums mean the most to them; how their music has evolved since the start and what Philadelphia is like as a base.

__________

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

We are pretty excited, honestly. Our week has been busy but fun busy.

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

I'm Pat, bassist and vocalist; I'm Collin, lead guitarist; I'm Charles, guitarist and vocalist; I'm Joey and I play drums.

Start It Up is your new track. What is the story behind the song?

Start It Up is the first single we recorded for the album. It is mostly about a feeling of excitement for the future, while reminding ourselves to enjoy the present moment along the way instead of only focusing on the finish line. I try to put reminders in a lot of my songs in case I lose my way one day.

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

We are absolutely coming out with new material next year. I think we all agree the most important part of all this is creating something new for everyone.

How did you all find one another and start Dry Reef?

Well. Collin gave me (Pat) my first guitar lesson in middle-school. In high-school, we started playing outdoor parties for our friends; then it was parties and venues in college and, when we realized we all had similar goals for our careers, we decided to really go for it in 2016 after college.

In terms of music; what did you all grow up around and idolise when young?

We came together as a band in high-school and played a lot of Classic-Rock and Reggae covers just for fun, so I guess that was a big influence. But, the more we grew together, the more we wanted to push ourselves musically. Pat began to love Post-Rock bands like Sigur Rós and Explosions in the Sky. Charles brought a Disco-Funk sound to the table; Joey loves Umphrey’s McGee even if he won't admit it and Collin just got so crazy-good at guitar - we were like, ‘alright; time to make something completely different than we've ever heard’.

What is Philadelphia like as a base? Is there a strong music scene there?

Philly is an amazing place to be a musician. There are some of the most unique and comfortable venues we have seen on the entire East Coast and all of the local artists look out for each other.

How do you think you have developed and evolved since the start of your career?

The biggest change since 2016 has been seeing a lot of our friends and family quit jobs because they are unfulfilled. Seeing that has made us so much more grateful to have a job that we don't want to quit and maybe one day we could even inspire others to find fulfilling careers.

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

We would love to get Joel Embiid in a music video, honestly.

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

One time, we booked an Airbnb in Maine and the owner of the property was a fan of ours from our show the night before. They stocked the house with all sorts of extra goodies for us. It was a really cool moment for us to see our music reaching people and it felt like a reminder we were on the right path.

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

Pat: Take Care, Take Care, Take Care by Explosions in the Sky

It showed me how much energy can come from two guitars a bass and drums. No vocals, little production; just pure emotion and light. It's an album I listen to that grounds me in the present more than anything.

Collin: Wildflowers by Tom Petty

It came out the year I was born and I can remember my dad playing it constantly over the years. Petty became the first concert I ever saw and inspired me to learn music from an early age.

Charles: Axis: Bold as Love by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

It was the first album that really inspired me to get better at playing the guitar and to start writing my own songs. It also has one of the most iconic pieces of album artwork in music history.

Joey: Teen Dream by Beach House

I found this album when I had just finished high school and I had never heard something so ethereal and honest before. It was a time in my life when everything was changing, and it felt like this music could protect me from any harm.

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

Dr. Dog is an obvious pick for us. They are from Philadelphia and their sound is so wholesome and energetic. We really relate to their ability to create such a new form of Alternative-Rock. Their live show is a great time.

As for the rider…we'd love to have a baby goat to pet.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I think we would say that nobody in the industry really knows what's going on right now. Everything is changing every single day and there is too much conflicting advice out there to keep your head straight. I think what the scene needs now is artists that do whatever feels right.

IN THIS PHOTO: Ritual Talk

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Please check out Ritual Talk. They are a super-creative band from N.Y.C. with an airy, Synth-Pop sound.

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

We haven't needed to get away from music yet: it's where we are the most comfortable and we are so grateful every day to be able to be doing this.

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).

Blue Magic (Waikiki) - Son Little

6 Years - OddKidOut

Zebra - Beach House

Impossible Germany - Wilco

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Follow Dry Reef

Official:

https://www.dryreefband.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Dry.Reef/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/dryreef

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/dryreef/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/DryReef12/videos

INTERVIEW: Tom Leeb

INTERVIEW:

Tom Leeb

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THE fantastic Tom Leeb…

has been explaining the story behind his latest single, Are We Too Late, and discussing his E.P., Tom Leeb. I ask the songwriter which artists have influenced him and whether there are a few albums that mean a lot to him – Leeb talks about his plans going forward.

I wanted to know whether he has a favourite memory from his career so far and which sounds he grew up around; why he decided to follow Folk and which rising artists we need to keep an eye out for – he ends the interview by selecting a great song.

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

It’s been great. It’s had seven days and seven nights - just how I planned it!

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

I am a Pop-Folk singer-songwriter from France.

The video for Are We Too Late is out. What was it like creating that? Is it true you went out to Normandy to film it?

Filming this music video is the consecration of a lot of things…making it all happen; from writing the melody, to writing the words and making it sound original; true, sincere. Once you have all that, you then need images that elevates the music. Normandy was the right place for it.

Are you surprised by the success of the song and how many people have responded to it?!

Yes, very much so! I believe there is an audience for me out there in the world, but never have I thought it would be that big already, a few months after its release. I am feeling blessed!

Your eponymous E.P. is out. What sort of themes inspired the music on? Do you have a favourite cut from the collection?

The usual brokenhearted man that puts words over music. Joking! But, not joking. I had one love and one heartbreak; both of them two (lots of) six songs - my E.P.

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

My dad is a Jazz fan and has tons of C.D.s at his house and he used to play them a lot whilst I was growing up. From a young age, I was fed with music so I feel like I’ve always had it in my blood. I started music as a drummer and then, later, first picked up a guitar in N.Y.C. - where I was studying - in 2009.

Is there something about Folk music that attracted you? How come you took that direction?

I was blown away by a John Mayer performance back in my dorm room in 2009. It was a live version of the song, In Your Atmosphere, from the live album, Where the Light Is. Straight away, I knew this was the genre I wanted to explore with my own music!

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

I am more of a day-by-day kind of guy. I don’t usually look too far in to the future but I understand you’re interested in knowing my ambition. Well. My E.P. is the first honest piece of my life. I want to share it with people so that they can connect with the lyrics and/or the melody - that’s my goal for today, tomorrow and the end of 2018.

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

New York, 2011 I’m playing at an open mic night called The Underground; my girlfriend is here, with her phone out and getting it all on tape. There were musicians on stage in case a singer didn't play an instrument - or wanted to play a cover song - but I had my own instrument and didn’t want to play a cover.

I started singing solo; first verse, first chorus. Halfway through the song, all the musicians got it and joined me on second verse, as if it was all rehearsed. I’ll always remember the feeling of having a band joining me.

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

John Mayer - Continuum

The first album that inspired me in all ways.

Coldplay - Ghost Stories

Unreal. So deep and so melodious.

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Incredible musician and songwriter. This album is so singular.

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

My friend and fellow Folk singer Hugo Barriol. He’s got something in his sound. Look him up!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I am myself a new artist coming through, so I’m still learning everyday. I’d still tell my fellow artists to never stop dreaming and dream bigger. But, on top of all that, work. Hard. Practice every day for hours. Go from good, to very good to even better. Don’t ever compare. Do your thing.

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

I’m based in France for now. But, soon enough, I’ll be touring in Europe!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Hugo Barriol

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Hugo Barriol; The Night Game; Melissa Bon.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Melissa Bon

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

I don’t really: music is my therapy, my job but also my chill time.

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).

Matt Corby - Wrong Man

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Follow Tom Leeb

PHOTO CREDIT: @nicolasburlot

Official:

http://tomleeb-music.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Tom.Leeb.Officiel/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/tomleeb/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/tomleeb

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDP4Z-V95n3GfMPJ4c1mcHQ

INTERVIEW: MAWD

INTERVIEW:

MAWD

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IT has been great spending time with MAWD…

as she tells me about her new track, Wandering Eye, and the rather quirky story behind it! She explains how health issues have affected her music and what she has planned coming up; which albums and artists have made the biggest impact on her – I ask whether the American artist will come to the U.K. and perform at any point.

MAWD talks to me about the music she grew up around and how she got that incredible, raw voice; if she has advice for artists coming through; which rising musicians we need to be aware of; what she hopes to achieve by the end of the year; if she gets time to chill outside of music – she picks a great song to end the interview with.

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

Hi, there! Well, the week has just begun for me (it's Monday... although, being a musician, what day even is the beginning of the week?!). But, so far not so bad! Feeling a bit run down so I went to Whole Foods and stocked up on an ungodly amount of vitamins to kick this bug I feel coming on. Now, I'm catching up on all my emails and hoping to squeeze in some music writing time while everyone is out of the apartment.  

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

Hi, there! My name is Madeleine Mathews but I go under the moniker ‘MAWD’ (a few reasons for the name: I LOVE Harold and Maude and want to embody Maude's positivity and outlook on life...minus dating a man sixty years my senior. If you haven't seen the movie, it's my favorite! And, MAWD derives from the '60s slang, ‘mod’, which is one of my absolute favorite eras. And, lastly, my grandmother pronounces my name ‘Maude-lin’ with her adorable Swiss accent; so, therefore, I am MAWD!).

A little about me: I have a chinchilla named Caper (who I've had for five years). I moved to Los Angeles about a year ago and we have a love/hate relationship...mostly love! Due to some recent health problems, I've had to really restrict my diet and find it hard to eat out because of that. But, on the upside, I have found I actually really love cooking! And, if I do say so myself, I'm pretty dang good at it. I have an amazing boyfriend (who you can see shaking his booty and driving the ‘MAWD-mobile’ in the video) who has been incredibly supportive of me throughout this whole bad health and musical journey. My favorite show is Seinfeld.. and I play music!

Wandering Eye is your latest single. Can you give me a sense how the song came together and what inspired it?

It came together about a year ago. My boyfriend and I were in a parking lot and he was poking fun at me saying I have a wandering eye after this man walked past us. He then went on to say “I'm going to write a song about how you have a wandering eye” and I snapped back: "No…I'm going to write a song about how I don't have a wandering eye!".

And, so; the next day I wrote a majority of the song in my room and a few days later took it to my good friend (who is actually producing my E.P. and produced/co-wrote this song), Josiah Mezzaschi, and he loved it! I, of course being the indecisive and most self-critical person I am, thought it wasn't very good. But, after he encouraged me that we should finish it; we did that very day and now it's one of my absolute favorite songs I've written!

PHOTO CREDIT: Ben Thomas

I hear little shades of Janis Joplin! Did it take a lot of work to provide your voice that rawness or is it a natural sound?!

It's funny how my voice found me…

I didn't start attempting to sing until I was seventeen. I always felt I had this desire to get my emotions out through song, but had no idea what I was doing when it came to actually singing them. I would mimic other artists like Amy Winehouse, Joanna Newsom or Norah Jones for fun…and eventually I found my own unique sound. Voice teachers have always had trouble with me because of this and the way I pronounce things when singing. I don't want to sound like everyone else: I want to sound like whatever feels most natural and real to me!

When it comes to those scratchy, belty parts of my voice - that developed over time. I first started out singing light, folky songs and in college, while playing in a few bands, I found myself wanting to rock. I love Folk music and love playing/writing it, but there's a part of me that just wanted to let loose. I still have no idea how I do it but it just feels so right when I do. It's an unexplainable thing but I only hope to develop and improve my voice over my lifetime. Just a short three years ago, I would of never imagined my voice being able to sing Rock ‘n' Roll. I think all artists grow into who they are truly meant to become.

Can you tell me what sort of music you grew up around? Which artists struck your ear?

Oh, dear. These questions are the hardest because I could write a novel…

When I was really young (like five-twelve), my mom played a LOT of Beatles, Carole King; Simon & Garfunkel, Partridge Family (don't laugh...this is my best-kept secret...I love them so much) and all the classics while my dad and I would rock out to The Rolling Stones and Beck. One of the people who truly made an impact on my life musically was my best friend from basically birth, Hannah Grubba.

In fourth grade, we would drive around in her mom's car listening to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath; Queen etc. (we thought we were so cool). In middle-school, we'd listen to Devendra Banhart, The Shins; The Strokes, early Kings of Leon (Aha Shake Heartbreak is so good); Vetiver, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and so many other bands. After getting exposure to Indie music, I was obsessed with finding new bands. I'd go on Pitchfork and all those other early blogs and try to find my next favorite underground band. In high-school, there was a lot of Fleet Foxes, Radiohead; Joanna Newsom, The Kills; Dirty Projectors and all those early Indie bands that really set the bar high.

Might we see more material next year perhaps?

Indeed! I'm working on quite a few things for next year including my second E.P. Right now, I'm focusing on trying to figure out which songs will make the cut and trying to write more. At this point, I'm trying to release single-by-single until I have enough for my second E.P. - since that seems to be the model these days in the music world. 

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

I have a few goals set for myself. I'd love to get on a notable Spotify playlist and get my music heard by more people! I'd also love to get some more quality live videos up (which are in the works). And, it would be absolutely amazing if I could get a T.V. placement! In reality, I would just like my music to reach and touch more people.  

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

Oh, goodness. I feel like there have been a lot! So far, a couple come to mind...

The first one being my E.P. release show in Chico, CA back in May 2017. I just couldn't believe the large crowd of people there came to see me! It was truly overwhelming and special. Some of the others being our tour to SXSW with my L.A. backing band in March 2018 and releasing this music video! Every show seems to be special in its own way. Every encore, every crowd that comes to see us; it truly means so much. 

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

This is probably the hardest question ever. But, the three that first pop into my mind are:

Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls

This is when I fell in love with Brittany Howard. She is one of my all-time favorite musicians and is incredibly inspiring. This album sort of catapulted me into discovering my Rock ‘n' Roll side.

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

This is one of those albums that are not only so magical and nostalgic, but absolutely perfect. I remember seeing them play it at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA when I was a teenager and I cried from how amazing this show was. One of my all-time favorite albums.

The Beatles - 1

I know this is a compilation album of some of their greatest hits but I remember a specific moment when my rat died when I was like six and my mom bought me this album to cheer me up. And, I'd listen to it every time I was sad. It just reminds me of innocent and wonderful times.

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

I would love to open for Alabama Shakes. I think that would absolutely be a dream come true. My bandmates and I joke about it all the time; saying things like "Just wait till we open for the Alabama Shakes and travel all over the world!". 

My own rider?! First of all: How cool would that be!? Since I have such a restricted diet from my health problems, I would definitely have lots of LaCroix (although, I heard they are getting sued for having insecticide in their product?! So, maybe I'll stick to Pellegrino); Throat Coat tea, coconut tortillas and a taco bar…and endless french fries. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I would say...it's a long road but don't give up. If you have the right amount of determination and drive, you can make anything happen. Learn things on your own (whether it's industry knowledge about splitting co-writing agreements or contracts to creating your own content so you don't have to waste money or time paying someone else)! Be creative! Stand out from the crowd but be yourself. Don't ever let people tell you who you should sound like or who you should be. I know I'd rather look back and be proud of the work I've done than compromise to make more money or become more commercial…

You will find your fan base. It takes people years and years and years to break through, although it seems like they got discovered overnight (hey; some people do but most of the time it took them five-plus years to get there). I know I'm still on my journey, but the best things I've learned this year - especially living in L.A. - is to stop comparing my own journey and successes (or lack thereof) to others. Be happy with where you are. If you are playing music and have a band that supports you, that right there is amazing! If you have people coming to your shows to see you (even if it's just a few), that is amazing! Be happy that you get to play music!

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

Right now, I'm going into a bit of a hibernation mode with our live shows. My backing band and I have been playing pretty consistently for the last year (anywhere from three-eight shows a month or more), so I'm taking the time now to get some recordings and videos done and rework our live set. I've got lots of new songs in the mix and new fun covers we want to toss in. Our next two shows are at The Hotel Café’s main stage on October 16th and Sofar Sounds’ L.A. Halloween show on October 30th.  

Will you come to the U.K. and play at some point?

I would love to! I would love to do a national and international tour at some point. Just gotta keep hoping for that big breakthrough to get the funds or hop on board opening for another band! 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Livingmore/PHOTO CREDIT: Suzi Carmichael

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Oh, definitely! Some local L.A. acts that I love are Livingmore, Aloud; KiSMiT and Sarah Rogo. I've had the pleasure in sharing a show with all of these amazing bands/artists. I also know that she is blowing up everywhere - but Phoebe Bridgers has been on-repeat for the last six months or so. She's amazing!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Phoebe Bridgers

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

Even when I'm not playing or writing or seeing music, I'm usually doing something music-related like answering emails, organizing band practices or recording times; booking shows or trying to make content. But, when I do give myself a little breathing room; I love to go thrifting with my friends; go out for coffee at my favorite spot down the street, go to the beach; draw when I'm inspired, go on fun little dates with my boyfriend and lay in bed with a big cup of tea and watch really bad reality shows. 

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

Oh, my goodness. ONE SONG! This is the hardest yet. I always go through phases of only listening to Gregory Alan Isakov for weeks straight. So; in honor of me being in yet another Isakov phase, how about one of my favorite Greg songs called Big Black Car

Thanks for having me!

___________

Follow MAWD

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mawdmusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/mawdofficial

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mawdmusic/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/mawdmusic

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoONiL04v9XyBsZp38boRcA

FEATURE: Stronger: World Mental Health Day: Remaining Focused and Resolute

FEATURE:

 

 

Stronger

PHOTO CREDIT: @daesign/Unsplash 

World Mental Health Day: Remaining Focused and Resolute

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TODAY is a very important and busy day…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @aliyahjam/Unsplash

that has got a lot of folks on social media sharing their stories and joining together. It is World Mental Health Day and, as you many have seen online; a lot of people are coming out and sharing their mental-health experiences. I am seeing a lot of people revealing their experiences with depression/psychological distress. Mental-health is a complex thing so being aware of its spectrum and how many people are going through tough times is important. Forbes have written a piece that states why we need to get involved with this special day and take messages away:

“If you’ve ever heard the term ‘mental health’ and thought this isn’t for me, you may just want to keep reading.

While the language around mental health and mental illness has existed for decades, the conversation itself has become far more open and relevant to all (and rightly so). Mind, the UK’s leading mental health charity summarises it concisely by saying “mental health can affect anyone any day of the year”.

While there is a World ‘Day’ for almost everything, today – World Mental Health Day – feels particularly significant and worthy of attention.

·         Mental health problems are one of the main causes of disease burden worldwide.

·         In the UK approximately one in four people will experience a mental health problem each year.

·         And one in six report experiencing one of the most common problems, such as anxiety and depression, in any given week.

Days like today at the very least, bring global attention to an important conversation and provide an opportunity for people to share and speak up more publicly about their own experiences”.

This is the one day where you do not really mind hearing strangers/’friends’ talk about things. If they are recognising World Mental Health Day and being more open then it feels like, in a way, they are taking a big step and, if only for a day, social media is being used as a tool to connect and communicate effectively. In music, I am hearing a lot of tales of people taking leaps or relocating. It can be scary upping sticks and going somewhere new and, for me, that is especially true. I moved to London a few weeks back and, in order to be closer to the heart of the music industry, I feel like it is something I HAD to do. I was too far away from the action where I was and I had been meaning to make the move for years. You might assume happiness and contentment overcame me when I was settled in and had everything unpacked. Maybe that is the feeling for some but, for me, it is more like a business move. I don’t do ‘happy’ in any sense and, having suffered from pretty bad depression since I was in school; I am unable to get properly excited and overwhelmed by positive emotion. I have not been able to find work yet, which is a pain, but my money situation is not too bad. I am keeping a close eye on things but am itching to have something happen and find some employment. I have plenty of time to write but feel a bit isolated and tired at the moment.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @jpgbarbosa/Unsplash

When finances become a bit scant and it does get scary, I hope something will come along and, even though the city is packed and busy, it is really hard finding a well-paid job and getting your footing. I am tired all of the time and even a simple commute is exhausting and can involve a lot of being prodded and pushed about. I have met a few new people up this way but it is hard to escape the feeling of being alone and isolated. Even when you are in crowds of people and on a busy street; there is no point where I feel safe, together and part of a community. I guess that is the nature of the city and, through all of it, I have to keep reminding myself I am doing this – moving and staying here – to get ahead in music and make a life for myself. There are things about home and my old life I miss. I do miss family and my dog and I miss my car. Being able to get anywhere and have that freedom is a big loss. I miss being able to drive down to Brighton on a sunny day like this and my local area; having a job and being a bit more secure.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @fairytailphotography/Unsplash

There are bad days and things are pretty stressed but there are good moments and times when I can find solace and perspective. Just today, when traveling on Piccadilly underground; there was a busker playing a version of, I think, Radiohead’s No Surprises. It may seem appropriate/inappropriate on World Mental Health but he was playing the song on a ukulele. It was a quite meandering version but it made me smirk none the less. I did not spend too much time outside the station but, when I came back through fifteen minutes later, he was playing the same song! That made me smile and it is little things like that which get you through. I know the city existence will be a hard one and it might be a while yet before I find work but I am afforded time at the moment to write and not have to face the daily commute. Others on social media, I see, are experiencing doubts and finding adapting difficult. I am not sure whether it is the dreaming minds of musicians that are most prone but so many are dreaming of big things are tackling them head-on. Whether that is a move to London or recording an album; having this concept or an ideal for where their music will head. The creative mind is often prone to these big ideas and romantic notions and that is great.

Musicians are among the most ambitious and hardest working out there and I know few in the business who cut loose. There are many like me who have taken leaps or made changes in life and it is a bit of a struggle. It is natural, I guess, and the one thing we have to remember is things will improve and things will fall into place. Few of us aware of the extent of mental illness and how one’s mental-health is affected on a daily basis. I can share my story and see other people’s tales me it is hard to understand exactly what is happening and how they are feeling. Life gets busier and harder as we become more modern and immersed in technology. We have adverts that set this ‘ideal – whether it is beauty products, technology or something else. We are always bombarded with adverts and emails; our lives are more and more conducted online and it can be hard to find time to unwind. Even if we can get out; how much does a night out cost and do we have the energy?! I am not surprised our mental-health problems are making the news. Everyone sees successful and good-looking people online and someone else’s good news and achievements can make us feel inadequate and a failure.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @arstyy/Unsplash

That is especially true in music. There is a split between the established and popular artists with their gig demands and big audiences and those who have to slog and make their way with very little support. The thing is; even if you think a band or famous musician looks content and happy, often, they are struggling and go through the same things as us. I guess we all need to stop measuring ourselves against others and spend less time online. Today; I have seen some big artists speak about their mental-health problems and what they have to endure. A lot of articles are online that advise us how to look after ourselves and we all see messages/posts with platitudes and pieces of encouragement. Some of it can help, I guess, but it is a lot more complex helping someone cope with mental-health issues because we are all complex and have different minds. I think, on World Mental Health Day, we all need to take in as much advice as we can and spend some time away from the Internet. Whatever works for you; you need to do it and be aware that there are many people out there going through similar problems. Poor mental-health is a real concern for everyone and I am seeing more and more musicians express their anxiety and troubles. I think it is the demands of the profession and how much time they have to spend online. I am on the laptop most of the day and it can be very isolating and tiring.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @jp_photography/Unsplash

Rather than abandon that practice and way of working; all of us need to make small changes and be more conscious of how we are feeling. I hope the messages and awareness being raised today endures and everyone who feels sad/bad about themselves realises they are strong. It can be hard to feel like you are coping and mean something. I am in that boat and my sense of self-worth seems to wane and wax – I am not sure whether I am making the right choices and if things are going to work out for the best. Keeping that faith strong and focusing is a challenge but we need to keep resilient. Being unafraid to connect with someone in the same boat is a big step and getting out and socialising as much as possible is a positive move. A lot of articles released today and promoting exercise and fresh air; others are suggesting mindfulness and spending a couple of hours a day to relax and put away all the distractions. I am not sure how much these guides and articles help but it is important, however you are coping and making sense of your mental-health; ensure you follow as many steps as possible and do not measure yourself against others. Music is an industry where impressions of self-worth and ‘success’ are being measured against unrealistic standards. I suppose it is unavoidable but there is a link between this mindset and the rise in mental-health issues. Finding ways to get by and realise you are doing well is paramount. That might involve listening to music more or exercising; making big changes or altering the way you see yourself – today is a chance to start afresh or be reminded why you are around and what you have to offer. Things will get better, regardless of how bad they are now, and the future holds a lot of great things. World Mental Health Awareness Day is not meant to be a once-a-year occasion for discussion: we need to keep the spirit burning and understand how important good mental health is. If you are someone who is struggling or reaching a very low point; have a look at the great mental-health charities out there and reach out if needs be. Regardless of how impossible improvement is and how low you are; take stock, take a breath and understand…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @wildlittlethingsphoto

YOU are needed and are strong.

FEATURE: The Gift of Music: Some Brilliant Pre-Christmas Releases Worth Your Affection

FEATURE:

 

 

The Gift of Music

PHOTO CREDIT: @freestocks/Unsplash

Some Brilliant Pre-Christmas Releases Worth Your Affection

__________

I will publish a feature that highlights…

 IMAGE CREDIT: Reel Art Press

some great music-related items perfect for Christmas soon but, over the next few weeks, it seems like there are some fantastic treasures coming forth that could distract you before then! I have been looking at my bank balance and wondering whether I can afford all the goodness that is being unveiled. The first treat that appeals to me and I think should be on the minds of everyone who loves good music is Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin. In the absence of any Led Zeppelin gigs – those reunion talks never go away! – anyone with even a slight whiff of Led Zeppelin love (that should be EVERYONE) will be able to revel in a collection of photos that show the guys in their prime – a snapshot of what they were about and what the experience of being in Led Zeppelin was all about. For those who want a brief overview; here is a rundown of what you can expect:

“Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin is the first and only official illustrated book to be produced in collaboration with the members of the band. Celebrating 50 years since their formation, it covers the group’s unparalleled musical career and features photographs of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham on and offstage, in candid moments and in the recording studio. This definitive 400-page volume includes previously unpublished photos, artwork from the Led Zeppelin archives and contributions from photographers around the world.

IN THIS PHOTO: Led Zeppelin/PHOTO CREDIT: Neal Preston

If ordered before October 9th, an exclusive 19.7 x 27.8in poster will come with your pre-order from reelartpress.com or from selected independent retailers. To see the list of participating stores, click here”.

There are some fantastic shots in the book and you get a real understanding of who the band were and what life on the road was like. In an age where there are endless Instagram posts and musicians seem less interested in the visual side of things; having a passionate and authoritative collection of Led Zeppelin photos is a great treat! I know there are always Led Zeppelin products coming onto the market – including reissues and new rarities – but there are not many books out there about them. This volume is a definite must for anyone who wants to get inside the head of a great band and have their eyes opened. I am already putting my order in and, as I say, the next few weeks are going to be very pricey indeed! I feel like the music gods are sprinkling treasures before us in the run-up to Christmas in order to empty our wallets. Who am I to argue when there is such gold coming through?! If Led Zeppelin is not your bag then maybe Kate Bush is – an artist I talk about a lot and, rather unexpectedly, we have two Bush-related gifts we can get our money around!

 IMAGE CREDIT: Faber & Faber

I keep mentioning money but, really, when you have these fantastic products in the market, they are more investments than anything else. I love streaming music and downloading tunes but they are disposal and rather throwaway in many ways. When artists bringing out hardware, whether it is a book or music, then it is a real chance to get excited and buy something, years from now, you will keep dear and hold onto. I have talked about Kate Bush’s lyrics book but, for those unaware, here is a bit of information:

“Kate Bush writes some of modern music’s most gorgeous, literary, and complex lyrics, and now a portion of them will be collected in a new book, How To Be Invisible: Selected Lyrics. The cloth-bound book will be out December 6th via Faber, and will feature an introduction from Cloud Atlas author David Mitchell, a longtime fan of the singer.

“For millions around the world Kate is way more than another singer-songwriter: she is a creator of musical companions that travel with you through life,” Mitchell says in a press release. “One paradox about her is that while her lyrics are avowedly idiosyncratic, those same lyrics evoke emotions and sensations that feel universal.”

Mitchell, who contributed to Bush’s 2014 Before the Dawn performances, has previously spoken about Bush’s lyrics. “Her songs read like scenes from short stories, or the stories themselves (odd ones),” he wrote in 2011. “It’s hard to think of a novelist, let alone another singer-songwriter, who takes on such diverse narrative viewpoints with Bush’s aplomb: a foetus during nuclear war (‘Breathing’), a weather-machine inventor’s daughter (‘Cloudbusting’), a suicide bomber (‘Pull Out the Pin’) or a dancer whose partner turns out to be Hitler (‘Heads We’re Dancing’)”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush/Fish People

Aside from artists like Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan – whose lyric book I already own – there are not that many out there whose words captivate me enough to go out and buy a book. Bush is that exception and someone, right from the off, took everyone by surprise! Consider what she was talking about on her debut album, The Kick Inside, and you can understand why everyone fell for her way with language – she spoke about incest, mature love and something utterly beguiling. Her lyrics book, How to Be Invisible: Selected Lyrics will be out on 6th December and I am really excited. Bush’s and genius continued right through her career and even now we are still drooling and picking over Kate Bush’s lyrics. It is a bit hush-hush regarding the designs and which songs will appear – there are no pre-releases teasers – so we will have to guess what form the book takes. Even those who are not enamoured with Kate Bush will find much to love and be able to easily immerse themselves in her fantastic and beautiful world. I cannot wait to see what is included in the book and it will be a real treasure! Although I feel the book will be an incredible thing, The Guardian had some reservations:

“Bush named her first hit after a school set text, which is a great way to get everyone to think you’re some kind of poet, the sort of person who reads for fun or something. She also wrote a lot of songs that need to be written down to be seen for their full oddness. Cloudbusting, don’t forget, is about a man struggling to recollect the time that his father was arrested for trying to build a rain-making machine. Yes. Breathing is written from the perspective of a foetus during nuclear war. Hounds of Love is about that picture of dogs playing poker. It isn’t, but you get the point. Even then, lines that work on record don’t always seem the same when written down. Her Mrs Bartolozzi is a deft sketch of the drudgery of the housewife, with dabs of Mrs Dalloway. But on the page, it’s hard to justify charging us £19.99 to read: “Slooshy sloshy slooshy sloshy / Get that dirty shirty clean / Slooshy sloshy slooshy sloshy”.

IMAGE CREDIT: Kate Bush/Fish People

Maybe there is new Kate Bush music coming next year (I predict there will be) but, out of the blue, she announced she’s remastered her albums and is bringing them out in four different sets. Before her book comes out in December, you can get acquainted with her remastered reissues and it is a nice accompaniment. The four-box release, as CLASH show, brings together all her albums:

“Featuring rarities and cover versions, the vinyl and CD sets will be released in two separate batches - the first two on November 16th and the second two on November 30th.

Contents of the boxes are as follows:

KATE BUSH REMASTERED IN VINYL 1
THE KICK INSIDE
LIONHEART
NEVER FOR EVER
THE DREAMING

KATE BUSH REMASTERED IN VINYL 2
HOUNDS OF LOVE
THE SENSUAL WORLD
THE RED SHOES

PHOTO CREDIT: Kate Bush/Fish People

KATE BUSH REMASTERED IN VINYL 3
AERIAL
 DIRECTOR’S CUT

50 WORDS FOR SNOW

KATE BUSH REMASTERED IN VINYL 4
12” MIXES

THE OTHER SIDE 1
THE OTHER SIDE 2
IN OTHERS’ WORDS”.

You can pre-order here but I am most looking forward to that fourth boxset! There are some great rarities and Christmas tracks, some B-sides and cover versions that, whilst maybe appealing to the diehard, it is a wonderful study of a complete artist who could tackle any song and make it her own.

IMAGE CREDIT: Cassell Illustrated

I, like many, have struggled to obtain Kate Bush vinyl and, if you look around, there are few record stores that stock her stuff. You often have to pay a lot of money on Amazon and it is a rather frustrating process! Not only will the albums be remastered and have an even sharper sound; it is great to have the records all in one place so you can enjoy time and time again. I shall move on from Bush and pushing her work but it is exciting there are ‘new’ releases and she is still keeping active. I will mention two more pre-Christmas releases but, right now, another music-related photo collection has just been announced. Whereas Led Zeppelin have been involved in the collation and creation of their book; Amy Winehouse’s tragically short but brilliant life is being brought to our shelves. Here are some details (from DAZED)  that talk about the book and what it is about:

“In an interview with Dazed last year, photographer Charles Moriarty shared memories of his friend, Amy Winehouse, as he spoke about his first photobook, Before Frank – which featured an introduction by Dazed’s Ashleigh Kane. Moriarty befriended Winehouse in 2003 when she was a 19-year-old local singer on the cusp of fame after being asked to take some photographs of her in London and New York for her debut studio album, Frank. Now, the photographer is releasing Back to Amy, which features a collection of unseen photographs of the late singer from those sessions.

PHOTO CREDIT: Charles Moriarty 

“Back to Amy: An intimate portrait of the real Amy Winehouse brings the world a step closer to Winehouse’s unique energy and vitality. Alongside the new images, Moriarty has included a series of new sections, which include words from Winehouse’s mother Janis, as well as band members, and many others who were close to her.

Talking to Dazed about his first book, Moriarty brought up his memories with young Winehouse and said, “I remember asking Amy, ‘What do you want from this?’ and I do remember she wanted it to be as real as could be.”

Despite Winehouse’s confident and carefree demeanour, Moriarity says he had seen the singer’s vulnerability. Her sensitive nature, he believed is what was exploited by many and what led her to such a tragic end. He said, “Amy had things in her life that weren’t all correct and there were issues there, but to then use that as a weapon against her was just upsetting to see. Sadly, I don’t think the media will ever learn from that.” He adds that it’s through these books that he hopes to show the world the real Amy Winehouse.

Back to Amy: An intimate portrait of the real Amy Winehouse featuring rare and unseen photographs by Charles Moriarty – published by Cassell Illustrated – is available now. You can find more information here”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Charles Moriarty  

I love Amy Winehouse and the book is out now. I am holding off buying it for a few more weeks – need to give the credit card a brief rest! – but it is amazing to see Winehouse from different angles and in different settings. It makes her passing all that more sad and makes us realise what an immense talent she was. Many get that view of her with a big beehive and make-up; the excessive and derailed artist who was hounded by the press. Underneath everything she was this rather cheeky, shy and normal woman who wanted to make music and did not care about all the fame and attention. The book is an illuminating, charming and memorable collection of photos that paint a story of Winehouse and who she was away from the glare of the media. Ensure you get a copy when you can because it is another essential musical purchase. Staying on the theme of books and there is another essential buy you need to be aware of. Rather than a lyric or photo book; Matt Everitt has collated his interview experienced into The First Time: Stories & Songs from Music Icons. The hardback edition is out on 5th November and I would urge people to pre-order their copy about the book:

“Taken from the cult BBC 6 Music show, The First Time invites you inside the lives of some of the music world’s most notable legends.

From Alice Cooper to Yoko Ono, Courtney Love to Elton John, follow their lives and careers starting with their first musical memories, first records and first gigs, finding out the songs that have shaped them along the way. With 40 compelling interviews, specially commissioned collage illustrations and a bespoke playlist for each musician, The First Time is a must-have for any music lover”.

PHOTO CREDIT: @matteveritt 

Music is becoming less visual and physical so here, in a rather spiffing book, we have something worth holding onto and pouring over! I love reading interviews online and hearing them on the radio but bringing them into a book gives us time to pause and reflect. I know Everitt has a lot of experience interviewing and you can feel the passion come through. I have heard a lot of the original interviews on his BBC Radio 6 Music show, The First Time with…, and I know there will be extra little details and additions. In any case, it is hard to find all the older shows and, here, we have this compendium that unites the most memorable and revealing interviews. Get a hold of it and you will not be disappointed.

I forgot to mention the Beastie Boys’ book, as Consequence of Sound explains, it is a definite must-have:

“Back in 2015, Beastie Boys’ Ad-Rock and Mike D signed a deal with Random House to pen their memoir. Now, three years later, the book is finally ready for release on October 30th.

Based on the sheer size of the aptly titled Beastie Boys Book, it’s easy to see why it took the duo so long to complete. The behemoth book spans 592 pages and includes rare photos, original illustrations, a cookbook from chef Roy Choi, a graphic novel, a map of Beastie Boys’ New York, mixtape playlists, pieces by guest contributors including Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, and Amy Poehler, and other surprises”.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beastie Boys/PHOTO CREDIT: Bruno Torturra Nogueira

“A description on the Beastie Boys’ website called Beastie Boys Book as “a panoramic experience” and “a book as unique as the band itself.” It will cover the entirety of the group’s career, “revealing and very funny accounts of their transition from teenage punks to budding rappers; their early collaboration with Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin; the almost impossible-to-fathom overnight success of their debut studio album Licensed to Ill; that album’s messy fallout; their break with Def Jam, move to Los Angeles, and rebirth as musicians and social activists, with the genre-defying masterpiece Paul’s Boutique.” No doubt the book will also touch on the Beastie Boys’ later years, including the tragic death of MCA in 2012.

Pre-orders for Beastie Boys Book are ongoing here”.

I definitely recommend you get behind the book and grab a copy. Again; even if you are not a Beasties fan – how dare you! – then it is a definite great read that shed light on the Hip-Hop scene in New York in the 1980s and 1990s and will give you a humorous and colourful take on the Beastie Boys and what made them tick. The last pre-Christmas music purchase I will mention – I may do a second part if more goodies come to life – is The Beatles’ eponymous album getting a workover.  I am a massive fan of that 1968 album and consider it to be one of the best from The Beatles! It is a magical, fractured and key work from them – at a time when the members were on different pages and cracks were showing. The thirty-song album mesmerised critics upon its release and has delighted fans ever since. Here, in a fantastic article; Rolling Stone have been looking at the release and what fans can expect:

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles in London on 28th July, 1968/PHOTO CREDIT: © Apple Corps Ltd.

“Everything we know about the White Album is about to change. The Beatles’ 1968 masterpiece has always been been the deepest mystery in their story—their wildest, strangest, most experimental, most brilliant music. But as it turns out, the White Album is even weirder than anyone realized. Especially when you’re hearing it in Abbey Road, the fabled London studio where the band spent five long months making it. Over a couple of sunny days (and late nights) in Abbey Road, Rolling Stone got a one-on-one exclusive tour of the previously unheard gems from the new Super Deluxe Edition of The Beatles (due November 9), forever known as the White Album. Producer Giles Martin, son of George Martin, is a valiant guide, playing outtakes from deep in the vaults, often grabbing a guitar to demonstrate a chord change. “They were a band on fire,” he says. “It’s double or triple Sgt. Pepper—the four walls of this studio couldn’t hold them anymore.”

Part of the White Album mystique is all the drama that went into it—the arguments and bad vibes are the stuff of legend. So the big shock is all the humor, excitement, and camaraderie on display in the new set. Case in point: a previously unknown version of “Good Night” where John, Paul, George and Ringo all harmonize over folk guitar. As Martin admits, “You listen to them sing together and ask, ‘This is the White Album?” 

 

“Yes, this is the White Album—and the stunning box set goes deep into the creative frenzy the Beatles surged through in 1968. There’s a new mix from producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell, plus four discs of outtakes. The bonus material is full of revelations, especially the crown jewel of buried Beatle treasures: the acoustic Esher demos.

It follows in the wake of last year’s acclaimed anniversary edition of Sgt Pepper. But this is a deeper dive, since the album covers so much ground. With their batteries recharged from their India retreat, all four were hitting new peaks as songwriters—even Ringo, who contributed “Don’t Pass Me By.” They couldn’t wait to get back into the studio. They had no idea how much trauma they were in for. George’s “Not Guilty” went through 102 takes—and still didn’t make the album. Their long-suffering producer bailed after a few months. Ringo not only quit the group for a couple of weeks, he fled the country”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

“The outtakes defies the conventional wisdom that this is where the band split into four solo artists. “Do you think the perception of the Beatles history has been tainted by their own commentary in the early Seventies?” Martin asks. “That’s what I get. I think post-Beatles, when the champagne cork has flown out of the bottle, and they’ve gone their separate ways, they reacted against it. ‘Oh, to be honest we didn’t work well as a group,’ and that sort of thing. Yet they never slowed down creatively. I quite like the idea of them throwing cups of tea at each other in the studio. I’m mildly disappointed not to find it. But what they’re doing is making a record”. 

“The Deluxe and Super Deluxe Editions finally unveil the Esher demos, which hardcore Beatle freaks have been clamoring to hear for years. In May 1968, just back from India, the group gathered at George’s bungalow in Esher (pronounced “Ee-sher”) to tape unplugged versions of the new songs they’d already stockpiled for the new album. Over the next days, working together or solo, they busked 27 songs. The tapes sat in a suitcase in George’s house for years. Seven tracks came out on Anthology 3; others have never been released in any Beatle version, including John’s “Child of Nature” and George’s “Sour Milk Sea.” The Esher tapes alone make this collection essential, with a fresh homemade intimacy that’s unique. Martin says, “They’re rough takes, but spiritually, the performances stand on their own.”

not to find it. But what they’re doing is making a record.”

The Deluxe and Super Deluxe Editions finally unveil the Esher demos, which hardcore Beatle freaks have been clamoring to hear for years. In May 1968, just back from India, the group gathered at George’s bungalow in Esher (pronounced “Ee-sher”) to tape unplugged versions of the new songs they’d already stockpiled for the new album. Over the next days, working together or solo, they busked 27 songs. The tapes sat in a suitcase in George’s house for years. Seven tracks came out on Anthology 3; others have never been released in any Beatle version, including John’s “Child of Nature” and George’s “Sour Milk Sea.” The Esher tapes alone make this collection essential, with a fresh homemade intimacy that’s unique. Martin says, “They’re rough takes, but spiritually, the performances stand on their own”. 

“This edition has new versions of other songs from the same period: “Hey Jude,” “Lady Madonna,” “The Inner Light,” “Across the Universe.” (But not the B-side “Hey Bulldog,” since there aren’t any outtakes—they tried it only once.) They also have a bash at oldies like “Blue Moon” and “You’re So Square (Baby I Don’t Care).” It shows what should have been evident all along from the original record—they sound like a true band, four guys who can’t stop showing off for each other, too passionate about their songs to consider backing down. (Or to notice everyone around them cracking under the strain, even the stoic Mr. Martin. His son explains, “There was no schedule, and he loved a schedule.”)

Of course, the essence of the White Album is that everyone hears it differently—including the Beatles themselves. They clashed over what to include, what to leave out, whether it should have been edited down to a single record. (Years later, in the Anthology documentary, they were still arguing over it.) This edition will fire up those arguments. But even for fans who know the original album inside out, it’s a whole new experience—one that will permanently change how we think and talk about the Beatles”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

1. “Revolution 1”
The legendary Take 18, a nearly 11-minute jam from the first day of the White Album sessions. The other Beatles were surprised to see someone new at John’s side: Yoko Ono, who became a constant presence in the studio. It begins as the version you know from the record: John’s flubbed guitar intro, engineer Geoff Emerick’s “take two,” John’s “okaaay.” But where the original fades out, this one is just getting started. The groove builds as John keeps chanting “all right, all right,” from a low moan to a high scream. Yoko joins the band to add distorted synth feedback, while Paul clangs on piano. She recites prose poetry, fragments of which that ended up in “Revolution 9”: “It’s like being naked…if you become naked.”

The story of this jam has been told many times, usually presented as a grim scene where Yoko barges in, sowing the seeds of discord—the beginning of the end. So it’s a surprise to hear how much fun they’re all having. It ends in a fit of laughter—she nervously asks, “That’s too much?” John tells her it sounds great and Paul agrees: “Yeah, it’s wild!”

2. “Sexy Sadie”
As the band warms up, George playfully sings a hook from Sgt. Pepper: “It’s getting better all the tiiiime!” John snorts. “Is it, right?” Take 3 is an acerbic version of “Sexy Sadie,” with Paul doodling on the organ. Yet despite the nasty wit, the band sounds totally in sync. When George asks, “How fast, John?,” he responds, “However you feel it.”

3. “Long, Long, Long”
George’s hushed hymn has always been underrated—partly because it’s mastered way too quiet. In the fantastic Take 44, “Long, Long, Long” comes alive as a duet between George and Ringo, with the drums crashing in dialogue with the whispery vocals. Giles Martin explains, “I suppose, as is documented here, George was Ringo’s best friend, as he says. That song is kind of the two of them.” George starts freestyling at the end: “Gathering, gesturing, glimmering, glittering, happening, hovering, humoring, hammering, laquering, lecturing, laboring, lumbering, mirroring…” It closes with the spooky death-rattle chord, originally the sound of a wine bottle vibrating on Paul’s amp. “It still gives you the fear when it comes.”

4. “Good Night”
Of all the alternate takes, “Good Night” is the one that will leave most listeners baffled why this wasn’t the version that made the album. Instead of lush strings, it has John’s finger-picking guitar and the whole group harmonizing on the “good night, sleep tight” chorus. It’s rare to hear all four singing together at this stage, and it’s breathtaking in its warmth. “I do prefer this version to the record,” Martin admits. (He won’t be the last to say this.)

John plays the same guitar pattern as “Dear Prudence” and “Julia.” That’s one of the distinctive sonic features of the White Album—the Beatles had their acoustic chops in peak condition, since there had been nothing else to do for kicks in Rishikesh. In India, their fellow pilgrim Donovan taught them the finger-picking style of London folkies like Davey Graham. “Donovan taught him this guitar part. John was like ‘great!,’ and then in classic Beatle style, went and wrote three songs using the same guitar part.”

The other “Good Night” takes are closer to the original’s cornball lullaby spirit. In one, Ringo croons over George Martin’s spare piano; in another, he does a spoken-word introduction. “Come on now, put all those toys away—it’s time to jump into bed. Go off into dreamland. Yes, Daddy will sing a song for you.” By the end, he quips, “Ringo’s gone a bit crazy.”

IMAGE CREDIT: Animal Care College 

5. “Helter Skelter”
This Paul song inspired endless studio jams, lurching into proto-headbang noise—they started it the day after the Yellow Submarine premiere, so maybe they just craved the opposite extreme. This take is 13 minutes of primal thud—remarkably close to Black Sabbath, around the time Sabbath were still in Birmingham inventing their sound”.

6. “Blackbird”
Paul plays around with the song—“Dark black, dark black, dark black night”—trying to nail the vibe. It isn’t there yet. He tells George Martin, “See, if we’re ever to reach it, I’ll be able to tell you when I’ve just done it. It just needs forgetting about it. It’s a decision which voice to use.” He thinks his way through the song, his then-girlfriend Francie audible in the background. “It’s all in his timing,” Martin says. “There’s two separate things, a great guitarist and a great singer—he’s managed to disconnect and put them back together. He’s trying to work out where they meet.”

7. “Dear Prudence”
Of all the Esher demos, “Dear Prudence” might be the one that best shows off their rowdy humor. John ends his childlike reverie by cracking up his bandmates, narrating the tale of Prudence Farrow that inspired the song. “A meditation course in Rishikesh, India,” he declares. “She was to go completely berserk under the care of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Everybody around was very worried about the girl, because she was going insaaaane. So we sang to her.”

8. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
There’s an early acoustic demo, but Take 27, recorded over a month later, rocks harder than the album version—John on organ, Paul on piano, lead guitar from special guest Eric Clapton. (George invited his friend to come play, partly because he knew the others would behave themselves around Clapton.) The groove only falls part when George tries to hit a Smokey Robinson-style high note and totally flubs it. “It’s okay,” George says. “I tried to do a Smokey, and I just aren’t Smokey”.

9. “Hey Jude”
Recorded in the midst of the sessions, but planned for a one-off single, Paul’s ballad is still in raw shape, but even in this first take, it’s already designed as a 7-minute epic, with Paul singing the na-na-na outro himself. Another gem on this box: an early attempt at “Let It Be,” with Paul’s original lyric showing his explicit link to American R&B: “When I find myself in times of trouble / Brother Malcolm comes to me.”

10. “Child of Nature”
Another treasure from Esher. “Child of Nature” is a gentle ballad John wrote about the retreat to India: “On the road to Rishikesh / I was dreaming more or less.” He scrapped it for the album, but dug it back out a few years later, wrote new words, and turned it into one of his most famous solo tunes: “Jealous Guy.”

11. “JULIA”
One of John’s most intimate confessions—the only Beatle track where he’s performing all by himself. You can hear his nerves as he sits with his guitar and asks George Martin, in a jokey Scouse accent, “Is it better standing up, do you think? It’s very hard to sing this, you know.” The producer reassures him. “It’s a very hard song, John.” “‘Julia’ was one of my dad’s favorites,” Giles says. “When I began playing guitar in my teens, he told me to learn that one.”

12. “Can You Take Me Back?”
The snippet on Side Four that serves as an eerie transition into the abstract sound-collage chaos of “Revolution 9.” Paul toys with it for a couple of minutes, trying to flesh it out into a bit of country blues—“I ain’t happy here, my honey, are you happy here?”

13. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
Paul spent a week driving the band through this ditty, until John finally stormed out of the studio. He returned a few hours later, stoned out of his mind, then banged on the piano in a rage, coming up with the jingle-jangle intro that gets the riff going. This early version is pleasant but overly smooth—it shows why the song really did need that nasty edge. A perfect example of the Beatle collaborative spirit: John might loathe the song, Paul might resent John’s sabotage, but both care too deeply about the music not to get it right.

14. “Sour Milk Sea”
A great George highlight from the Esher tapes—“Sour Milk Sea” didn’t make the cut for the album, but he gave it to Liverpool pal Jackie Lomax who scored a one-shot hit with it. (It definitely deserved to rank ahead of “Piggies,” which remains the weakest track on any version of this album.) “Not Guilty” and “Circles” are other George demos that fell into limbo—“Not Guilty” sounds ready to go at Esher, yet in the studio, it was doomed to over a hundred fruitless takes.

15. “Happiness Is a Warm Gun”
A tricky experiment they learned together in the studio, with John toying with the structure and his mock doo-wop falsetto. “Is anybody finding it easier?” he asks. “It seems a little easier—it’s just no fun, but it’s easier.” George pipes in. “Easier and fun.” John replies, “Oh, all right, if you insist.” It’s a moment that sums up all the surprising discoveries on this White Album edition: a moment where the Beatles find themselves at the edge of the unknown, with no one to count on except each other. But that’s when they inspire each other to charge ahead and greet the brand new day”.

This should be enough to exhaust and satisfy the music appetite before Christmas and, as I say, shall keep an eye out and report any new releases that are worth snapping up! This might sound like an expensive rundown but I think everything I have listed is worth getting involved with – not just my tastes and personal recommendations influencing! Have a look through these marvellous musical treasures and I know there is enough in there…

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles recording their eponymous album in 1968/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

TO make you part with some pennies.

INTERVIEW: The Silent Comedy

INTERVIEW:

The Silent Comedy

___________

THE awesome band The Silent Comedy…

have been talking about their approaching album, Enemies Multiply, and what sort of themes are investigated throughout; why there was a slight gap since their last release and which musicians are inspiring to them.

I was eager to know how the band got together and how their sound has evolved since the very start; if there are any gigs booked in the diary; whether there are any rising artists we need to be aware of – they provide some useful advice for newcomers in music.

__________

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

We’re doing well, thank you!

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

The core members of The Silent Comedy are Joshua Zimmerman (Vocals, Bass), Jeremiah Zimmerman (Vocals, Keys, Guitar); Justin Buchanan (Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar) and Chad Lee (Drums).

How did The Silent Comedy get together and find one another?

The development of the band, and its line-up, was a process of evolution over years. Obviously, Jeremiah and I are brothers so we met pretty early on. Justin is the only other member that was there at the very beginning of The Silent Comedy. We met him through some mutual friends when we were in high-school. Chad is our cousin and the newest member. We had several drummers over the years before he started playing with us.

Enemies Multiply is your forthcoming album. What can you say about the themes explored and the influences in the songs?

Enemies Multiply explores the feelings of dealing with hardship and adversity in life. The songs are anthems of frustration, anger and despair. We get influence and inspiration from our personal experiences as well as what we see in the world around us. Societal themes of our time from Brexit in the U.K., Donald Trump in the U.S.A. and the rise of dictators around the world mirror some of the upheaval and chaos that we experience in our own personal lives. The songs of this album track that narrative arc.

This is your first album in eight years. Was there a reason behind the gap?

It is actually our first release in five years. There are a number of reasons for the gap that would take a while to explain but a quick version is that we have all gotten caught up in other artistic pursuits and our own lives. We toured hard for a number of years and also needed a break from the road. It feels good to revisit the band after taking a step away.

In terms of music; what did you all grow up around and idolise when young?

Jeremiah and I were raised on the Folk music of the sixties - Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel; Cat Stevens etc. We were also introduced to the roots of Blues music through ‘field songs’ and ‘spirituals’ that were sung by slaves in the American South. Traces of these influences can still be found in our music now.

How do you think you have developed and evolved since the start of your career?

Our sound has changed pretty drastically over the years. We were a more folky, acoustic act in the beginning. Over years of touring, we added a lot of the Rock influences that we love and the sound became a mixture of both. This album is considerably less Folk-oriented than we have been in the past. It’s a better representation of what our live show has developed into. We still write the softer acoustic songs, but we don’t play them live as often.

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

Releasing Enemies Multiply is our focus right now. We really want people to have access to this album because it means a lot to us. We’ll be doing a few release shows in California, then looking to do some more performing in 2019.

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

Two show memories are particular stick with me over the years. We played KOKO in London with our good buddies The Heavy in 2013. That whole tour was amazing but that show was amazing! Another one was playing Wrex the Halls holiday show in our hometown of San Diego with Queens of the Stone Age, Cage The Elephant and Vampire Weekend.

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

That’s a really tough question! I don’t know if I could choose just one. Different albums are perfect for different times and moods…when it comes to the impact a single album has had on me then In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel may be the one!

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

I have always wanted to play with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. That would be an amazing experience!

As far as riders go; our rider is pretty simple. Just some food and beverages make us happy. Nothing crazy!

Can we see you on the road this year at all?

We have several shows in California to celebrate the release of the new album. San Diego on October 13th and 19th and L.A. on October 18th.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I would tell aspiring artists to really analyse what they truly want out of an artist’s life and what sacrifices that will require. It isn’t an easy life and I think a lot of people pursue it with unrealistic expectations.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Benjamin Booker

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

There is a guy named Benjamin Booker that I am really digging right now. He has a song called Slow Coming that has just gotten under my skin. I usually listen to it at least once a day.

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

We all have very busy lives outside of music. A couple of the guys had children recently; I am constantly traveling shooting and directing projects for television - so we don’t get very much chill time. When we do, we all have different activities to unwind. I like to go to my house in the forest in upstate New York and spend time in nature.

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 would have to say Slow Coming by Benjamin Booker since I mentioned that before!

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