INTERVIEW: NEAVV

INTERVIEW:

NEAVV

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THE fantastic NEAVV…

has been talking with me about her latest single, Keep, and what its story is. She discusses her upcoming album, Fall Hard. Get Sad., and what we can expect from it (it is out this Friday); which artists are important to her and a few albums that strike the heart.

I ask whether there are tour dates coming and whether there will be more material next year; how she came to work with Wendy Parr on her new single and whether she gets time to chill outside of music – NEAVV recommends some rising artists to watch.

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

Hi! I’m great, thanks. It’s been a busy week! My new album, Fall Hard. Get Sad., comes out this Friday, October 26th so I’ve been prepping for that. We also just had the release party for it this past Friday here in Toronto.

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

My name is NEAVV and I’m an Alternative/Synth-Pop singer and songwriter from Toronto, Canada.

Keep is your new single. Can you explain the story behind it?

I wrote Keep with Wendy Parr (Regina Spektor and Sara Bareilles’ vocal coach) while on a 2017 writing trip to Nashville. I thought that I had already written all the songs for my forthcoming debut album, Fall Hard. Get Sad., but there was just something about Keep that clicked with me and dV, my producer – we both instantly knew that it had to be included on the record.

At the time, I was struggling with how to manage some unhappy relationships in my life that were holding me back. Keep was born out of that. The song is not necessarily about letting go of any one friendship or relationship, but more about the moment when you finally see someone for who they really are, rather than how you hoped they might be or wish they could become.

How did you come to write it alongside Wendy Parr?

I was introduced to Wendy through a mutual friend on Facebook. I was heading down to Nashville to do some writing and put a call out to friends on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to write. So glad I did!

Can we expect any more material in 2019? Are you looking that far ahead?

Absolutely! My new album, Fall Hard. Get Sad., comes out this Friday (October 26th) and we are already working on the next album. Expect more music in 2019!

Do you recall your earliest musical memory? Which artist first struck your mind?

My earliest musical memory was actually watching a group of fiddle players perform in Colorado when I was around three. I begged my parents to play the violin after that for three years. Eventually, they gave in and signed me up for lessons. My parents had a great Beatles collection and I would say they are the first band that really made an impact on me. I was obsessed with them for years.

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

I would really love to get Fall Hard. Get Sad. out to as many listeners as possible and make some solid show and touring plans for 2019.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far?

So many favourite memories but, right now, I’d have to say recording Fall Hard. Get Sad. is pretty close to the top.

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

There is no way I could pick just three albums, but here are three of many…

Purple - Stone Temple Pilots

This solidified my love for Alternative music.

Grace - Jeff Buckley

Everything about this album is amazing. Required listening for any artist.

After Laughter – Paramore

Fun songs, wicked singing; important message.

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

Oh wow…I’m a big Paramore fan, so I would love to support them! As for my rider…gluten-free snacks; red wine and space for my dog backstage. Ha.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be authentic, work on your craft and know that you are allowed to say no to things.

PHOTO CREDIT: Chanel W.

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

There are some awesome things coming up in 2019 that I can’t share yet but, for now, I do have a few one-off shows. If you find yourself in Toronto in November I will be playing a full band show at The Horseshoe Tavern on November 20th.

How important is it being on the stage and playing your music to the people?

Being on stage is everything! It’s the place where I feel the most like myself. If I could, I would be on stage every night.

 IN THIS PHOTO: X. ARI/ART CREDIT: Anna Olinova

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I just played my album release party with two wicked alternative artist: X. ARI and FAVVKES…definitely check them out! Also; keep an ear out for BRKN Love.

 IN THIS PHOTO: FAVVKES/PHOTO CREDIT: Dani Gagnon

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

I honestly don’t get a lot of time to chill away from music, nor do I really want to. Haha. But, to unwind, I like to go for long walks with my dog and I also swim on a masters swim team.

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).

This artist is currently blowing my mind: YEBBA - My Mind

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Follow NEAVV

Official:

https://www.neavv.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/iamneavv

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iamneavv/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/iamneavv

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/iamneavv

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/iamneavv

FEATURE: Rumours and a Strange Tango in the Night: Can Fleetwood Mac Realistically Thrive Without Lindsey Buckingham?

FEATURE:

 

 

Rumours and a Strange Tango in the Night

 ALL IMAGE/PHOTO CREDITS (unless stated otherwise): Getty Images 

Can Fleetwood Mac Realistically Thrive Without Lindsey Buckingham?

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THE situation Fleetwood Mac finds themselves in…

reminds me of The Matrix. Neo, the protagonist, is offered the choice between a blue and red pill by the rebel leader, Morpheus. If he takes a red pill then he would be unleashed into an uncertain world and escape the machine-generated, dream-like world he is in. The blue pill would allow him to go into a beautiful prison – where he would be led to ignorance and live in confined comfort. In fact; maybe it is a bit like Alice in Wonderland. In any case; there is something tricky, unnatural and tense happening in the Fleetwood Mac camp!  The Matrix analogy might seem forced but there is a strange difference between the ‘classic’ Fleetwood Mac line-up we saw during the Rumours period and what we have now. The band’s ‘leader’ Lindsey Buckingham has been booted out of the band amidst rumours of scheduling conflicts. Buckingham, I believe, was due to record and promote a solo album and wanted to fit his Fleetwood Mac demands around that. The band were not happy and Stevie Nicks made it absolutely clear she did not want to perform on the same stage as Buckingham. The history between the former lovers is no secret. The tensions began before they recorded Rumours back in 1977 and, whilst there has been a relatively cordial working relationship since then; things have come to a head and it seems there is no way back.

It might be appropriate to turn a famous Buckingham-penned song back on him. Go Your Own Way, one of Rumours’ best songs has an unhappy irony now that Buckingham has been cast away and castigated. The fact Buckingham wanted to perform and is not happy about the situation has led to a lawsuit. This article explains the situation:

“Lindsey Buckingham — singer, songwriter and lead guitarist on and off since 1975 — is seeking millions of dollars in compensation from band mates Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie and John McVie.

The mercurial musician, who wrote and sang the 1976 mega-hit Go Your Own Way, has made it clear he is not happy to go his own way.

In a 28-page lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and a recent interview, Buckingham has laid bare the astonishing extent to which he has fallen out with his former band mates — particularly singer Stevie Nicks, his ex-lover.

The case also reveals quite how lucratively popular the band remains.

Tickets to see them last Saturday in St Louis, Missouri, on their new tour cost up to $899 (£686). Meanwhile, the most expensive tickets to see Buckingham's current solo tour are less than a tenth that price.

According to Buckingham's lawsuit, each of the band's five members was to earn around $13 million from playing 60 shows over two years in a deal with a concert producer, Live Nation. He accuses his former band members of breaching their fiduciary duty, breach of oral contract and 'international interference with prospective economic advantage'”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Herbert Worthington

It seems that tensions and disharmony are never far from the shores of Fleetwood Mac. I am not sure whether Nicks’ foot coming down was the deciding factor but it seems like Fleetwood Mac will carry on without Buckingham. Seeing as he has been part of the band for over four decades has created shockwaves and split fans. You can never really tell what truly split the band and whether there were other factors that influenced the decision to fire Buckingham. Maybe he felt he was the natural leader and could do what he wanted to do – the rest of the band were tired and felt he was hampering them. The fact Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks; John and Christine McVie remain in the band means you have most of Fleetwood Mac happily performing together. The fact, too, they have been this solid unit since, I guess, 1975 (bar a few spats and breaks between albums) is amazing. They have survived Rumours and tensions that followed and are resolved to take their show around the world with new band members Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and Crowded House’s Neil Finn. Ultimate Classic Rock have run a piece that asks how the band will survive post-Buckingham and how Fleetwood Mac’s set will alter – given the fact a lot of their best-loved songs are Buckingham solos:

“Buckingham had been a bulwark for the band since the late-'90s reunion of its classic-era lineup, holding fast when Christine McVie took a lengthy break. Long before that, he'd helped reset their commercial fortunes upon arriving with Stevie Nicks in the '70s…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Fleetwood Mac with their new members Neil Finn (second left) and Mike Campbell (second right)/PHOTO CREDIT: Randee St Nicholas for Rolling Stone

“Then, in April 2018, he was out. Fleetwood Mac quickly announced that two people would join in Buckingham's place, Neil Finn of Crowded House and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, and then began plotting a huge tour.

On the one hand, this wasn't all that out of the ordinary: Fleetwood Mac have had more than their share of lineup changes, and they'd even added two other sidemen (Billy Burnette and Rick Vito) after a previous Buckingham departure. On the other hand, there's 1995's Buckingham-less Time, an unfocused, uninteresting misfire.

How many Buckingham songs – if any – do you expect the reformulated Fleetwood Mac to perform? Are there songs he wrote that feel like required entries?

MICHAEL GALLUCCI: If they're trying to distance themselves from Buckingham, they shouldn't play any of his songs. But I realize that won't happen. So they'll probably play a couple of the more band-oriented Buckingham cuts like "Go Your Own Way," which may be the only one fans really expect, now that I think about it.

NICK DERISO: I found the inclusion of "The Chain" in their initial preview performance on Ellen to be notable. The song, though credited to the entire band, prominently features Buckingham on vocals and guitar – but Fleetwood Mac weren't beholden to that. Mike Campbell's solo took the song in entirely new places. That says two things to me: Fleetwood Mac aren't going to shy away from Buckingham's stuff, and they're not afraid to put their own new stamp on it. Campbell's presence alone might open the door for a re-imagining of other Buckingham songs...

IN THIS PHOTO: Fleetwood Mac (L-R) bassist John McVie; keyboard player and vocalist Christine McVie; vocalist Stevie Nicks; guitarist and vocalist Lindsey Buckingham and drummer and vocalist Mick Fleetwood stand together on stage after performing a concert on NBC's Today show in New York, U.S. on 9th October, 2014/PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo  

On their last tours without Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac delved into material brought in by newer members like Dave Mason. Do you expect to hear Crowded House and Tom Petty songs?

GALLUCCI: Sure do. "Don't Dream It's Over" from Finn and "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" from Campbell are shoe-ins, I'd say. I'd guess at least a couple more from each of them too. Maybe Petty's "The Insider" – which, like "Draggin'" features Nicks – and "Something So Strong," the other Crowded House song people might know. Long shots: one of the songs Campbell wrote and performed with Don Henley, and Split Enz's "I Got You."

DERISO: It's actually rather astonishing how often Fleetwood Mac relied on material brought in by hired guns during the '90s-era absence of Buckingham – though it should be noted that both Nicks and McVie left during that period too. They did Mason's "We Just Disagree" and two songs by Traffic; they even covered a song by Billy Burnette's dad. It was embarrassing, really. Even so, if that trend held, we might hear a number of non-Fleetwood Mac tracks – and they'd once again risk losing no small amount of legitimacy by turning into a jukebox band”.

It seems like most of what makes Fleetwood Mac shine and inspire is being left but one cannot help notice the Lindsey Buckingham-shaped hole that remains. In spite of this; the band are planning tour dates next year.

The group have announced a run of dates that will see their new line-up perform some of the best-known Fleetwood Mac hits:

“Fleetwood Mac are to play the RDS Arena, Dublin, on June 13th, 2019, as part of a limited European tour

The veteran rock group are currently touring in the US without guitarist and songwriter Lindsey Buckingham after an acrimonious split. The line-up now features Crowded House frontman Neil Finn and guitarist Mike Campbellfrom The Heartbreakers, along with Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood.

The dates announced on Monday include concerts at Wembley Stadium and in Berlin

“We jammed with Mike and Neil and the chemistry really worked and let the band realise that this is the right combination to go forward with in Fleetwood Mac style,” said Mick Fleetwood said in an interview in April.

“We know we have something new, yet it’s got the unmistakable Mac sound.”

“We are thrilled to welcome the musical talents of the calibre of Mike Campbell and Neil Finn into the Mac family.” the band said in a statement.

“With Mike and Neil, we’ll be performing all the hits that the fans love, plus we’ll be surprising our audiences with some tracks from our historic catalogue of songs,” said the group collectively. Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution. We look forward to honouring that spirit on this upcoming tour.”

The three dates announced on Monday are:

·         June 6th, 2019: Berlin, Waldbühne

·         June 13th, 2019: Dublin, RDS Arena

·         June 16th 2019: London, Wembley Stadium

Tickets ago on sale on Friday, October 26th at 9am”.

It is good to see any band endure tension and obstacles and come up the other side! The fact long-running bands like The Rolling Stones and The Who are still around and playing is that love of the music. It helps, of course, that the members get along and there is that bond. Others, such as Pink Floyd, seem unlikely to rekindle that spark and adding a new member would seem a strange and unpopular thing to do. There have been bands, like Queen, who have gone on with a different lead/member but it never seems right! The reason we fall for them is because of each member and you take one away and it loses its magic. Queen, obviously, are without Freddie Mercury and it is not the same – even with the talent and force of Adam Lambert belting out the songs! I guess bands like Fleetwood Mac cannot stop playing and go their separate ways if most of the members are together and happy. They are not performing for the money: they want to get the songs to new people and still love being around one another. One ‘bad apple’ or ill-fitting member cannot compromise the rest of the band so I do not begrudge Fleetwood Mac continuing. From a fan’s perspective, you have to ask whether a Fleetwood Mac gig sans Buckingham is an authentic and natural thing.

Although a lot of the band’s best songs were written by Nicks of (Christine) McVie; Buckingham’s contribution and impact cannot be underestimated. He voiced standards such as Big Love, Go Your Own Way and The Chain and it seems odd that he will not be singing them! The fact the two new members are bringing songs from their other bands, also, does not sit well. As good as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Crowded House were/are; you do not necessarily want to hear their songs played at a Fleetwood Mac gig! The reason I mentioned The Matrix and Alice in Wonderland earlier is because it seems like Fleetwood Mac 2.0 is an alternate reality or some weird dream. Would you stick with the new version of the band and live in some form of compromise or remember them as they were and return to the past?! Some might argue the point (that) Fleetwood Mac have not recorded new material since 2003 (Say You Will) and they are trotting out the same songs as we are all familiar with. That is all well and good but one assumes, at some juncture, the band will record new material. There is no use going on the road for years and that will be it – it has to lead to somewhere you’d imagine. I am a big Fleetwood Mac fan but could never consider seeing them live without Buckingham.

It is strange things ended so quickly and there has not been a clear and concise explanation as to why he is no longer welcome back in the ranks. Although you know Fleetwood Mac are, for the most part, still the band you always loved; there is something a little off not having Buckingham near the front. Maybe the new additions will be great and we’ll not have any issues but I do wonder why two new members were drafted. Buckingham has tried to open the lines of communication and get back into the band so it seems everyone else in Fleetwood Mac is making it difficult. It is a sorry sight to see one of their most important members given the silent treatment and, it seems, no longer a part of their plans. I think a Fleetwood Mac without Buckingham cannot really flourish and grow. I would hate to see the band record an album without them and the set-list will be changed. Will they do any song with Buckingham’s voice on or will Crowded House songs replace them?! There are so many things to consider and I am not sure whether the band will be able to create as memorable a show without Lindsey Buckingham as with him. I suppose one cannot live in the past and things do change now and then – even if you do not want them to. I wish the revised Fleetwood Mac the best of luck but the fact we will never hear (I assume) Go Your Own Way or Big Love again – without Buckingham at the least – leaves me very unsettled. I guess there might be a chance of a reunion but it seems the Fleetwood Mac we all know and love is…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Fleetwood Mac in 1977/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

NEVER going back again!  

FEATURE: Radio Reactive: Is Gender Equality in Radio Happening Too Slowly?

FEATURE:

 

 

Radio Reactive

 IN THIS PHOTO: Zoë Ball (who is set to take over from Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Is Gender Equality in Radio Happening Too Slowly?

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EVERY morning…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @fancycrave/Unsplash

I tune into BBC Radio 6 Music to hear Shaun Keaveny entertain and enlighten the nation – or grumble and moan a lot! That is what I love about him! He is a tremendous D.J. and, through the course of the day, I will listen to RadMac (Stuart Maconie is flying solo whilst Mark Radcliffe recovers from caner) and Steve Lamacq. Tom Ravenscroft has been standing in for Lauren Laverne and the female voices I hear between seven in the morning – before then, actually, as Chris Hawkins is on-air before Keaveny – and later in the evening are men. There are female producers and staff but how many female voices does one hear on the station? BBC Radio 6 Music is one of the fastest-rising options around and there are many reasons why it is my station of choice. I love the passion from the D.J.s and the close-knit bond between the producers and on-air talent. It terms of the music; there is a beautiful mix of genres and we get a combination of new and older sounds. There is gender equality regarding the songs played and, actually, there are a few great music news presenters on the station. Clare Crane and Elizabeth Alker are based in Salford (where a few of the shows broadcast from) and Georgie Rogers is based in London.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Georgie Rogers/PHOTO CREDIT: Georgie Rogers/BBC

I think they are all fantastic and do the station very proud; Matt Everitt, the station’s longest-running music news presenter (who is on Keaveny’s show) is brilliant but it is good there are some very talent women giving us our daily dose of music news goodness. I think they all have their own style and I feel Rogers especially could helm her own show. I think Elizabeth Alker has a Classical music show on BBC Radio 3 and you feel Clare Crane could take on her own show. Apart from a major mistake regarding RadMac – they are moving from weekday afternoons to weekend mornings -; there has been some positive change regarding women at the station. Mary Anne Hobbs moves from the weekends to weekday mornings whilst Lauren Laverne takes over Shaun Keaveny’s breakfast slot – he moves to the soon-to-be-vacated RadMac 1-4 P.M. slot. It is great see Laverne helm breakfast as it means she is the first woman on the station to be in that slot. I also like the fact Hobbs has been ‘promoted’ and allowed more airtime. There are great women on BBC Radio 6 Music: Cerys Matthews, Liz Kershaw and Lamé are essential additions to the station and show, with their talent and popularity, there needs to be more women at BBC Radio 6 Music. I love male D.J.s on the station like Hawkins, Keaveny; Gideon Coe and Ravenscroft – each of them has their place is exceptional at what they do.

IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Lamé/PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Writtle for Evening Standard

I feel, however, there is more passion and personality coming from the women at the station. There is more humour and warmth; something about their drive and connection with the listeners stands in the mind longer. I wonder whether the male dominance at the station will redress and, given the fact they have promoted two prominent female D.J.s on the station; will that lead to improvement and continued evolution?! I do not like to ask, but I am assuming the women on the station are paid less than their male counterparts. I am not sure whether experience and time slot dictates the wages but there one knows most women in radio are paid less than men. BBC Radio 6 Music is among a slew of stations that are exceptional at what they do but are not utilising the wealth of female talent out there. It was recently announced that Simon Mayo was leaving BBC Radio 2 and, at present, he presents the drive-time show with Jo Whiley. One of the comments he left on Twitter was regarding abuse levied at Whiley. She was targeted and trolled because she was presenting that slot and it shows that not only is under-representation an issue but sexism reigns. Besides the fact the chemistry between them is a little off; the format does not do credit to their combined experience and talent.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jo Whiley/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I feel, if anything Whiley is the star of that show and brings a lot more professionalism, likeability and grace to the listeners. I know she is being given an evening slot but I wonder why she could not take on the drive-time show herself?! I have confronted this issu before – inequality in radio – and ask why there are not that many women in drive-time slots. Given what we know about pay gaps and how some male D.J.s have reacted – including BBC Radio 2’s Chris Evans leaving to go to Virgin – and what we have seen published in the press; it seems alarming that, alongside the pay gulf comes this lack of trust regarding women. I am seeing improvements come into the big stations but is it quick enough?! BBC Radio 2, like BBC Radio 6 Music, has a female breakfast presenter from 2019. Zoë Ball is going to wake up the nation very soon and it is a big move forward for the station. I feel Sara Cox would have been a better choice but I wonder why she is not being talked about to fill the upcoming drive-time show change. She would be perfect for that time slot but I feel calls will go unanswered and it will be a male D.J. in that slot. I have to wonder whether Ball will get the same wages as Chris Evans when she takes over.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sara Cox/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I know Evans’ cachet and commitment commands him a lot of money but Ball has been in radio for years and should get the same. On every big station, there is that problem with pay and gender inequality. I would like to see D.J.s like Sara Cox, Claudia Winklemann and Zoë Ball seen as figureheads and part of a new revolution. Each D.J. has their own personality and they are all fantastic. I am not going to say that every female D.J./talent on radio is better than men but, as I say, you get more warmth and passion from them. From BBC Radio 6 Music to BBC Radio 2; the best and most promising D.J.s, I feel, are women. The fact they form a minority of the stations’ line-ups worries me a lot. I suspect improvement will come in years to come but, as both stations have had shifts and line-up changes; why were there not more in regards women and balancing things out?! Although BBC Radio 1 is a little more aware and proactive regarding women in big shows – Mollie King and Annie Mac are among the station’s best personalities – I still think there is a way to go there. I am not suggesting instant remedy but I think, by 2020, we should have an equal split in terms of gender on ALL of the big BBC stations – including BBC Radio 6 Music.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @adigold1/Unsplash

There are going to be issues around pay but I feel, in terms of time slot, there should be gender equality. Maybe pay is dictated by experience but women should not be overlooked and paid less because of their gender. If a female D.J. has been on the station the same time as a man; the pay should be exactly the same! I am pleased there have been changes regarding breakfast shows but I have to wonder whether this is piecemeal regarding genuine equality. Beside an all-female radio station, JACK, being launched is the radio business still a male-dominated forum?! Through the last few years; there have been enough articles outlining the facts: women are not provided the same rights as men and paid less. Although this article is five years old; there has not been great improvement regarding numbers and ratio:

“Fresh evidence of a gender imbalance in UK radio has been revealed by a survey showing that 20% of shows hosted by a solo presenter involve female broadcasters.

The ratio of women to men on radio declines even further when it comes to shows with multiple presenters, such as the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, where Sarah Montague is the only woman among the five regular hosts, alongside John Humphrys, James Naughtie, Evan Davis and Justin Webb…

 IN THIS PHOTO: John Humphrys/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Sound Women, a campaigning group lobbying for a better gender balance in radio, found listeners were 10 times more likely to hear male voices than female ones on shows hosted by two or more people.

It also surveyed 20 of Britain's most successful female broadcasters, including Jo Whiley, Clare Balding and Annie Nightingale, and found that none of them had been asked if they would like to co-present with a woman rather than a man.

Asked which female presenter she would like to go on air with, Montague chose the BBC's economics editor, Stephanie Flanders, the presenter of Radio 4's Woman's Hour Jane Garvey, and the former BBC Breakfast host Sian Williams.

Nightingale, the longest-serving Radio 1 DJ, chose Fi Glover as her dream female co-host. She agreed there should be more women on radio but said: "You don't want just want to be there to make up the numbers. You want to be there because you are the best person for the job."

It took Nightingale four years from first applying to getting the job as Radio 1's first female DJ. It took another 12 years before the second, Janice Long, was appointed”.

It is shocking seeing the figures in black-and-white and I wonder, if we saw a report now, whether there would be a huge difference. I do not think so. There might be more women coming into radio boardrooms and in management positions – there are a lot of great female producers – but, when it comes to being on the air…how many women are we hearing daily?!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Vick Hope/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I am baffled why it is so hard to an equality and why there cannot be that balance. There are plenty of wonderful female D.J.s who could do solo shows or be part of a partnership. Even when big stations do one-off shows and documentaries; most are from men and that is another area that can be addressed. D.J. Vick Hope – who co-hosts the breakfast show on Capital FM and is an award-winning journalist/D.J. did a piece for Marie Claire that outlined her experiences:

“…Now consider this: in the long history of male-female duos, the man almost exclusively sits at mic 1; the woman at mic 2. Incredible, right? So, without question, the man is in control, meaning that until he decides to switch her on, the woman across the desk from him essentially has no voice.

For me it’s what this mechanical fact represents that stings. I was told this six years ago when, fresh out of university and full of ambition, I attended a talk for budding broadcasters at the BBC led by Woman’s Hour anchor Jane Garvey. At 21, excitedly embarking upon my broadcasting journey, it hit me hard. Why, I thought, are producers and programmers not questioning an ingrained power structure that subconsciously silences women. Regardless of their talent or drive, the message is clear: ‘Know your place… because that’s just how it is.’

Six years into the industry, challenging this antiquated assertion has become a daily battle for me. Yes, I work with fantastic TV and radio teams, my job is a dream, I love my colleagues and, to be clear, I’m not pointing fingers here at any companies in particular. But there remains an inherent systemic problem that’s lamentably become the norm…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @rawpixel/Unsplash

Why does an overwhelmingly male office of production staff raise so few eyebrows? Why is it still acceptable that the only female producer is still relegated to tea runs and answering the phones, or that an almost entirely male presenter line-up goes unchallenged for just looking plain weird. Because, come on, in 2018, it does. Really weird.

Together, we can put pressure on our employers to do better, to represent the rich diversity of the audience they serve, to stop painting women as sidekicks, as appendages or accessories to men. Otherwise, we risk other young women sitting in talks like I did six years ago thinking, ‘I know my place, and it’s not here”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @rawpixel/Unsplash

It is good to hear, first-hand how sturdy the glass ceiling is. It makes people think and, as Hope says; things need to change and proactive debate/lobbying can see changes come through. There are a lot of smaller stations – most of them Internet-based – that have a balance between men and women and I feel they should act as an example as how things are done. In terms of all the biggest stations out there – including Capital FM, Radio X and Absolute Radio – it is predominantly men; most of them are white and middle-aged. I shall address age and race in a separate piece but the homogenisation and clear sexism needs to change very soon! There are some illuminating radio documentaries that show the sexism in the arts and how women are (mis)treated. The fact there has been some changes in breakfast radio is good to see but there is a long way to go before the nuclear inequality is made safe and we see a radio industry where women are equal. There are, as I stated, more women coming into the boardrooms but production teams and most of the radio heads are men. I wonder whether, in addition to direct changes at the stations, there needs to be some grassroots education at a foundational level. From school syllabuses to music colleges; do we all need to show the issue at hand and encourage greater parity?

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jenni Murray and Fi Glover of Woman’s Hour/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

There are plenty of women out there speaking loud and directly campaigning but do men need to do more?! I have tried to get onto Woman’s Hour and have a say regarding this but have not been contacted. It seems a lot of women are doing what they can but men are not coming forward – or there is a feeling men do not know what they are talking about and are insincere. I want to bring in this article from 2014 and compare it to the one we have seen from Vick Hope. Although there have been some changes between 2014 and now; look at the words below and we have seen little visible improvement:

“One cold, early morning earlier this year, Lilley Mitchell, 29, found herself standing in the kitchen of a stranger's house in Oxford, looking out onto his water-sogged back garden and expressing disbelief.

Right in front of her eyes, water was creeping up to the back of the house. Any minute now, it would spill into the kitchen.

Lilley was witnessing the cold reality of the Oxford floods. On one of her first assignments for BBC Radio Oxford, Lilley was right in the middle of the biggest story of the day in her area.

As far as local radio goes, Lilley realised it doesn't get much more 'real' than this.

She is one of a handful of 'rising stars' picked out by the BBC as part of its drive to get more women onto the airwaves. The broadcaster hopes that by giving talented female 'rookies' a chance to try out reporting in local patches, it will make room for other female reporters to move up the career ladder or branch into different roles; such as co-presenting their own show”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @csbphotography/Unsplash

There are ‘women in radio’ courses that actively encourage women to get into the business but that raises questions whether radio stations are hiring women because of tokenism or quotas:

“The BBC 'women in radio' courses, which took place in Birmingham, Salford and London, came about after Lord Tony Hall, the broadcaster's director general, last year made it one of the organisation's priorities to boost the number of women presenting local radio breakfast programmes.

As of April 2014 – the latest figures available – some 32 per cent of breakfast shows now have female presenters. In just eight months, there's been some improvement. As Mr Hall states, the broadcaster is "heading in the right direction".

But breaking these figures down, the 12 per cent rise equates to just five women. Four of those are solo presenters (Emma Britton on Somerset;Etholle George on Suffolk; Nicky Price on Norfolk and Georgey Spanswick of York) and one is co-presenting (Lizzie Rose on Humberside).

 IN THIS PHOTO: Former BBC executive Helen Boaden/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Even Helen Boaden, the director of BBC Radio, (which provides national radio stations), has said there is a "danger" that women are brought in to the BBC – whether it's presenting a radio programme or appearing on a comedy panel show – to boost numbers, rather than because they are categorically the right person for the job”.

Some defend the imbalance and say radio station hire who they think is best for the job as opposed a blanket gender equality – that suggests either women are discouraged from getting into radio or the ones here are untalented and not as skilled as men. I know well enough there are plenty of keen and talented women in radio who are not being recognised and noted as much as the men. The fact alarming figures show an imbalance makes many women feel they will not get very far at all – many are turning to podcasts to have their say and be heard; fearing mainstream and local radio will not hire them.

Another school of thought revolves around women and childcare. Some say women, obviously, will want children and that comprised their long-term reliability. Childcare is readily available and I feel it is not an issue that should affect gender equality:

“There are some excellent examples of women who juggle childcare with breakfast show presenting – including Radio 5 Live's Rachel Burden, who says that working (very) early mornings allows her to see her kids in the afternoons.

But for other mums, the hours just don't suit, Holdsworth says.

"Some women specify they can only do a certain time of the day. The other thing we have difficulty with is someone who wishes not to be on air five times a week; if they're not appearing every day it makes it harder.

"Inevitably, where mothers are the main childcarer in their family, this could exclude women for a part of their careers. They need to have the confidence to come back in."

And do mothers, generally, have the confidence to come back? More broadly, could it be the case, for example, that women – mothers and non-mothers – are holding themselves back from putting themselves forwards for radio roles?

Holdsworth says: "I think both women and men hold themselves back. The one issue we have identified with some women, though, is a fear of the technical side of radio”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @hsfju/Unsplash

The problem regarding women not being fairly represented in radio is not limited to the U.K. From Australian thorough to America; it is clear there is a worldwide issue that needs tackling. There are courses that urge women forward but I feel immediate changes can happen at the biggest station that will do more good than courses – it proves there is a place for women and equality is possible. Making changes to breakfast line-ups is great and a positive steps but look at the other time slots and how many male faces there are (compared to women) and it is clear a lot more needs to be done! From music news presenters like Georgia Rogers to on-air talent like Sara Cox and Liz Kershaw – are we doing enough to create a fifty-fifty balance in the industry?! I feel change is being talked about but not enough is being done. Until there is a retuning and big wake-up call; radio will be seen as a boys’ club and will discourage women from getting into the business. The plethora of brilliant women in radio shows what potential there is and, if we lose them from the airwaves; that will have a damaging and profound effect…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @clemono2/Unsplash

ON us all.  

INTERVIEW: Tina Boonstra

INTERVIEW:

Tina Boonstra

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I have been speaking with Tina Boonstra…

about her new track, Find You, and how it came together. She reveals whether there is a concept behind her song series, Underrated Animals, and what the next single will be; how she got into music and which albums are important to her.

Boonstra tells me what gigs she has coming up and whether she gets time to chill away from music; what advice she would give to artists coming through and which rising band we need to get involved with.

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

Hello! I’m pretty good, thanks. I released a new song called Find You on Friday, so it’s been a pretty nerve-wracking week, but good fun too.

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

I’m a singer-songwriter based in London, but (like most people in London) I’m not really a Londoner. I like to say I’m from Liverpool, because I spent my teenage years on the outskirts of the city but, unfortunately, I don’t have the accent so no-one ever believes me.

Find You is your new single. What is the story behind the song?

Find You is realising how completely un-self-sufficient I am. I have a tendency to slip into thinking that I don’t need anyone or anything to be happy. I’m fine on my own and, if stay focused and work hard enough, I’ll get what I want. But, the truth is, it doesn’t work like that. I hate to admit it, but I can’t survive this city and this life on my own. If I try to; I either end up living like a robot, not really feeling or enjoying anything, or a total wreck on the floor. Usually, both. It’s a disaster. Find You is about being honest about that and trying to figure out a way back to the things that matter.  

I understand it is part of a series of songs called Underrated Animals. Is there a concept behind the tracks and what compelled you to release a series?

It happened by accident, really. As we were recording this project, I realised that all the songs explored the idea of weakness or smallness from a different perspective.

When it came to designing the cover art; we had this idea to use unpopular animals to depict each song, as a way to try and celebrate the small and the weak. That’s how the idea came about to release all the songs as a series.

Why should we always talk about the pandas? Or the lions? What if I’m not a panda? What if I’m a pangolin or a jellyfish? Should I try to change who I am? Try to be bigger, louder; more appealing?  Everyone wants to be strong but, if we try that, we end up all the same. In this project, I wanted to celebrate the small and overlooked. And, hopefully, get people thinking about how great small is and how powerful weak can be - maybe we’re all just underrated animals?

When might another single come forward? Are you releasing a new song at regular intervals?

The next single is called Flicker and will be out early next year 

Growing up in a missionary family; how did that affect you in terms of music being played and when music came into your life?

My parents weren’t really that into music, so my main exposure to music at the start of my life was the Gospel music that was sung in my church in South Africa. Some of it is pretty wild and raucous which I loved and still do. Then, there are other songs in that genre which come from such a deep place; it’s hard not to be moved by them.

It was great, but also quite restrictive. Thankfully, I have three older sisters who eventually started sharing their music collection with me. From Nirvana to Elvis; whatever they were into, I was into as well; for a better or for worse.  

 PHOTO CREDIT: Alice Greenfield

Which artists did you discover young and become involved with?

Because of my slightly limited exposure to music growing up, I have so many memories of coming across new music as a teenager and being completely blown away; from Bob Dylan to No Doubt. I loved discovering new artists. Jeff Buckley had a particular impression on me. I was pretty obsessed with the album Grace as a teenager.

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

Well. Releasing music can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. I hope people will connect with the new song and I hope I manage to stay human through the process.

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

It’s an incredible feeling when you’ve worked on a song which describes a time or feeling in your life to hear other people connect with that song. I don’t think there’s anything quite like it.

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

Oooh; only three? I don’t know. I’m very fickle so I’ll probably change my mind depending on which day you ask me. Today; I think I’d say

Grace - Jeff Buckley

A Black Mile to the Surface - Manchester Orchestra

Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins

Such different artists writing such incredible songs. All of them have had a big impact on my life personally and as a songwriter.

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

I’m playing at the Hope & Anchor on 25th October and at The Finsbury on 6th Dec. More info on my website.

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

Tough choice. There are so many great bands around right now. Maybe Manchester Orchestra. I think they’re doing amazing things at the moment.

When it comes to a rider, I’m a simple creature. I don’t need much. Just some water would do me. My band, on the other hand...

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Make exactly the music that you want to make. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. Do what you want to do and do it because you love doing it. At the end of the day, nothing else really matters.

 IN THIS PHOTO: VOS

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

There’s this new band called VŌS that are doing pretty cool things right now. You should check them out.

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

I’m a big fan of wild swimming. There’s nothing quite like it.  I’m a bit of an introvert, really. I like reading books or being outdoors in the countryside.

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 Was Alive Back Then - Kevin Devine

___________

Follow Tina Boonstra

Official:

https://tinaboonstra.wordpress.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/tinaboonstra/

Instagram:

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Twitter:

https://twitter.com/tinaboonstra

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2H6LfNrRiHP6J007Cgol35

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INTERVIEW: Blast Bomb

INTERVIEW:

Blast Bomb

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THE German band Blast Bomb…

have been telling me about their new E.P., Burn History & Live Today, and what themes inspired it; whether they have a favourite cut from the E.P. and how they all found one another – the guys recommend rising artists to watch.

I ask whether they are planning more tour dates and if we can see them in the U.K.; what sort of music they grew up around and how they relax away from music – the guys each select a song to end the interview with.

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

Johnny: Great, thank you. We are talking to you from a bar in Hameln. We play here tonight…

Tobi: The Mad Music Club.

Klaus: Yesterday, we played a great show in Bremerhaven; too much free drink....but I was a good boy and didn’t drink.

Torben: This week is great because of the shows. It’s great to be back on the road.

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

Torben: We are Blast Bomb; an explosive Crossover-Punk band from Hamburg.

Johnny: That’s actually a very tough thing to describe. I can only call it Blast Bomb. Andy from The Dukes of Bordello (we’re currently on the road with them) says our style is “Loud sh*t”. I actually like that! We officially formed early last year and we are really proud of what we have achieved.

Burn History & Live Today is your new E.P. Is there a concept behind it, would you say?

Johnny: I would’t say it’s a full-on concept, but I noticed, as I was preparing for the recorded sessions, that the songs kinda followed a story of the reason why I´m now in Germany. It was never supposed to be this way.

Klaus: There is a concept in the lyrics. The four songs are linked through that way.

Torben: From the music side; it is definitely not following a concept. It was just an example of all our styles! We are still finding our sound.

Do you each have a favourite song from the E.P. at all?

Johnny: Burn History. I love that one. It’s so erratic and powerful lyrics.

Kai: Gambler and Live Today. They show the two different sides to our sound.

Klaus: Burn History and Stray…because I wrote it!

Tobi: Gambler. The original recording had a two-minute drum Jazz intro - and we cut it out because it was too long. I’m still not happy about this.

Torben: Burn History and Live Today. Both are fantastic.

How did The Blast Bomb get together? When did the band form?

Torben: Me and Klaus tweaking on amps in the High Gain District rehearsal room, when Tobis comes in. So, we start a session together, which was great. So, a few sessions follow. Then, Kai comes to us (we know him from the youth) and only a vocal was missing.

Kai: We did a post on a Hamburg music forum and Johnny replied to us - and Blast Bomb was complete. That was in January 2017.

Johnny: These guys have, on and off, been working together for twenty years; so it was like walking into a little family. I liked that. Plus; we are all very open-mined so it helps makes us unique.

Which artists did you all grow up around? Do you have any personal musical idols?

Johnny: I was raised on The Beatles, Pink Floyd and David Bowie, so they are my D.N.A. But, as I grew up and became an angry teenager, I was heavily influenced by Black Sabbath, Amen and Turbonegro. So, quite a contrast. But, my personal idol, without question, is John Lennon.

Klaus: I love the Rock stuff from the '70s, but also harder Metal and Punk-Rock are my favourite styles. I love Adriano Celentano and Dean Martin. Just sayin’.

Kai: From '70s Classic Rock to '80s Thrash-Metal to Scandinavian Rock ‘n’ Roll, I was influenced by all kinds of stuff...

Tobi: Billy Cobham; Chick Corea; Nomeansno.

Torben: I grew up with German radio in my parents’ house - that was Neue Deutsche Welle, mostly. First record for me was Run-D.M.C. The second was Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill; after that, I went to Rock. The biggest influences were then Guns N’ Roses and I start playing guitar because of Slash; like a lot of guys in my age. Then, Suicidal Tendencies and Pantera pushed me to another direction. But, so far or in general, it is/was a mix between Rap and Rock.

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

Johnny: World domination! Haha. Actually; I just hope we continue to grow at the speed we currently are. I really believe in this music and I’m very proud of the E.P. with have recorded.  I hope that the listeners understand what we are trying to create.

Klaus: I hope to be able to reach a few more people with our music.

Kai: We have a killer shows coming up. I hope they are successful.

Torben: That the E.P. reaches the correct ears. This, of course, is the toughest part of our job.

Tobi: To continue writing good songs!

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

Johnny: I think, for me, it would have to be my first-ever European tour with my old band. So many amazing experiences; amazing roads and views. The crowds were all so warm and friendly. We even had a couple ‘getting it on’ on top of our bass drum in one show! But, I actually think my best musical memory is yet to come - and that´s what inspires me.

Torben and Klaus: The first time we played outside Germany. We have a tour in Spain and we had to fly. It was really special.

Kai: The first time I played my Rickenbacker on stage. It’s been one of my favourite instruments since I was younger. It’s a 4001 and is from 1979. It’s an awesome instrument.

Tobi: Every time I make music and create music, it fills me with a unforgettable feeling. My aim is to have this feeling until the end of my life.

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

Johnny: Pink Floyd – The Wall

My mother us to play that album to help me sleep when she was pregnant with me! But, it’s not the greatest album of all time: that’s, without question, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Torben: Guns N´Roses - Appetite for Destruction

It made me learn guitar! But, I never played a song off it!

Tobi: Nomeansno - Wrong

Because its right!

Kai: Led Zeppelin – One

It was the first album I brought with my own money!

Kai: Iron Maiden – Somewhere in Time

Because, it opens a door to another dimension.

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

Johnny: Paul McCartney or Amen, I think. As for rider; I would need peppermint tea and prawn cocktail Walkers! Oh; I miss them crisps.

Tobi: Nomeansno. Energy drinks! Nasal spray and some herbs...

Torben: Smoke Blow. Backstage, I need Iso drink and beer.

Klaus: Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes. I just need beer and food!

Kai: Gluecifer. They are still the kings of Rock. Craft beer and a good steak - cooked rare!

Johnny: Funny how we all said food. Such an exciting band, right?

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

Johnny: We are on the road as we speak!

Do you think you’ll come to the U.K. and play next year or this one?

Johnny: Next year, we plan to visit. If we are allowed. Would be really cool to bring the guys over.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Johnny: Don´t conform to the norm and create only what you want!

Torben: Never give up on your dream.

Kai: Practice, practice and practice all the time and then, when you’re good enough, you can relax and party (Euroboy – Turbonegro)

Klaus: Practice and play live early.

Tobi: Practice even when you think your good enough!

IN THIS PHOTO: Van Holzen 

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Klaus: Van Holzen. They are the most exciting band in Germany.

Torben: Chefboss. They are from Hamburg.

Kai: Svartanatt are from Sweden. Fantastic.

Johnny: They may be new to you but, to us, they are damn old…but Smoke Blow are fantastic!

Tobi: Moving Parts.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Chefboss

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

Johnny: Music is my unwinding!

Tobi: I play drums.

Torben and Klaus: We all have families so it’s great to spend time with them! And Sport!

Kai: (Parental advisory).

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).

Johnny: I really love the new Paul McCartney album. Despite Repeated Warning is fantastic; the riff two minutes in...

Tobi: Nomeansno – Rag 'N Bones

Kai: Imperial State Electric – Down in the Bunker

Torben: Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes - Devil Inside Me

Klaus: Kvelertak – Blodtørst

___________

Follow Blast Bomb

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/blastbombhamburg/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7cij4crvmjih0TbfNkBWtf?si=IovLQtSSSLyLWWLuidfrAg

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FEATURE: Dissillusions: Is Bringing Musicians Back to Life Through Holographic Projection Morally Right?

FEATURE:

 

 

Dissillusions

IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Winehouse captured in 2004/PHOTO CREDIT: Karen Robinson 

Is Bringing Musicians Back to Life Through Holographic Projection Morally Right?

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THIS is one of these subjects that can really divide people…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Winehouse photoed in 2003/PHOTO CREDIT: Karen Robinson 

depending on your ethical viewpoint. Amy Winehouse is the latest deceased musician to get the holographic treatment. Winehouse died in 2011 and, naturally, people miss her and long to see her perform again. There have been rare songs released and a collection of half-finished cuts brought to the public. A documentary about her life, Amy, was released a few years back and it has been announced a biopic of the singer will start work fairly soon. I was a bit shocked to discover a biopic was being considered because Winehouse is that unique character who cannot be easily replicated. One wonders who will play her and whether that portrayal will be able to get within miles of who she was and why she captivated people. The news she is to go ‘on tour’ in the form of a hologram sent shivers up my spine. You can say it is good people get to see her tour again but the fact she is dead and what we are seeing is some weird spirit on the stage, to me, doesn’t sit right. The Guardian’s Laura Barton reacted to the news and asked, as I am, whether ‘resurrecting’ stars is ethical and moral:

“It has been announced that Winehouse will return to the stage once again in 2019, touring the world in hologram form. Winehouse is not the first artist to receive the hologram treatment – there have already been such incarnations of Tupac Shakur, Maria Callas, Michael Jackson and more. But the decision to turn Winehouse into a hologram, seven years after her death from alcohol poisoning, has divided many. For some this is a celebration of a great and much-missed musician. Others argue that an artist who loathed touring and hated fame should be allowed to rest…

 

In the case of Winehouse, proceeds from the tour will be channelled into the Amy Winehouse Foundation, the charity established after her death to aid vulnerable and disadvantaged young people, particularly those coping with substance abuse and emotional problems. The singer’s father, Mitch Winehouse, is the executor of Winehouse’s estate and chair of the foundation, and was intimately involved in negotiations for the hologram tour. It was just a couple of years after her death that he was first approached with the idea. “It was way too early,” says Mitch. “At that time, I could barely watch a video of Amy, never mind a hologram. I completely dismissed it out of hand.”

How we remember Winehouse – or any artist – is an interesting matter. Alongside next year’s hologram tour, there will be a new film about her life, made by Alison Owens, and Mitch Winehouse, who has been critical of Kapadia’s documentary, hopes that it will offer a more tender portrait of the singer. “Alison is the mum of Lily Allen, who herself has had struggles,” he says. “It couldn’t be in more considerate and caring hands.” Mitch also has absolute approval from Base over his daughter’s virtual image. There will be no drinking on stage, he tells me. “Amy will be portrayed at her best”.

One can claim some of Winehouse’s later performances were unfocused and shambolic – given her alcohol addiction and personal problems.

Whilst there were some ragged and controversial shows; when she was at her best and most composed; there was nobody who could project the same sense of wonder, emotion and realness. You felt like you were hearing sermons and soulful revelations from an artist free from bullsh*t and ego. This was a performer who gave her all to the music and, when on the stage, wanted the audience to see that. It was not so much a case of bringing them into songs and making them part of her words: it was a chance to see this physical being express what was inside her and watch that come out in a very primal and human way. The fact you were, literally, in the same space as Amy Winehouse was what made her such a popular and wonderful performer. Although she was only with us for twenty-seven years; I feel this eternal preservation through holographic representation is morally suspect. It is okay her family have approved this venture and there is money going to Winehouse’s foundation. I applaud the charity angle and the fact Winehouse going on tour as this disembodied projection will raise money to help others but one feels a tribute concert could have done the same thing. One might say having others performer her songs in memory of her treads the same ethical lines as a hologram Winehouse but I sharply disagree.

 IN THIS IMAGE: Gorillaz/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

There is concert footage of Amy Winehouse and archive material of her. Her records are out there and the hologram that will go touring is not going to give us anything new. You cannot add much to what has already been performed and I wonder whether people who will literally buy into these concerts are doing it for the right reasons. Are they merely there to witness something strange and new or do they genuinely want to support Winehouse and what she stood for?! I still think artists should be left alone but, alas, it seems like nobody is safe. I have covered this topic before and, last time, asked whether there are benefits to holographic versions of stars. Strangely, one can unite disparate deceased in a single performance. You could revive any dead artist and put them together with someone else to create this weird and one-off performance. The only way holograms and these kind of ideas sit well with me is if the artist is living. Consider Gorillaz who, as we know, are sort of cartoon/projection characters with real, living voices. When you see a Gorillaz concert you know the voices and instruments you see are from real people and that is part of the illusion. It is an inventive and new way of turning real musicians into cartoon versions. It has been suggested that holographs could be a way for living musicians to perform around the world without having to travel. If they are ill, exhausted or unable to perform then maybe this is a solution.

I am all for technology advancing music and open to any innovation but live performance, as its name suggests, is about the living and the audience being in close proximity to the artist they paid to see. I do not see much point seeing a hologram performing in any case and if you are struggling to perform then you need to take some time out and recuperate. Unfortunately, Amy Winehouse is in good company when it comes to being turned into a hologram. There is a school of thought that suggests holograms – whether that word is a misnomer or truly accurate – are the way forward and there is a definite appetite for them. There is a theatrical side to it and it certainly does something new with the concept of a live show. If you want to enhance music and use technology this way; ensuring only living artists are involved avoids any moral issues and avoids it being too creepy. An article from Noisey looked at the evolution of holograms and talked about ethical implications:

“When it comes to creepiness, there’s also a moral implication of bringing a celebrity back from the dead and making profit from their image. One suspects Michael Jackson may have been thrilled by his showstopping performance at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards – made by Pulse Evolution, the company Textor started with other facial animation team members from Digital Domain when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But what might Billie Holiday, who died in 1959, think about playing at noon everyday on the Hollywood Boulevard at $22-$32 a pop? Is the fact we can’t ask her – or Jackson – reason enough not to do it? And isn’t the whole thing a little macabre?

IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Holiday in 1938/PHOTO CREDIT: Underwood & Underwood/Corbis  

“Look, Billie Holiday or anyone of our deceased celebrities are performers, right?” says a slightly exasperated Alki, sounding like a man who’s heard this question more than a few times since he entered the burgeoning industry in 2012. “They lived for the limelight, so an ability to continue after death would be something they’d want.” So the thought never troubles him? “Personally, no. Does it create controversy with people? Sure it does. We embrace the controversy because it kickstarts the conversation and creates awareness”.

Another odd thing about holograms if the fact it is sort of a commercial Heaven. Artists can obtain this immortality and continue to make money – for their estate – long after they die and proves, in music, there is life (of a sort) after death. One of my big problems is the artist does not consent – the same is true of biopics. I am uneasy with estates and families speaking for the artist and taking decisions out of their hands. I think Winehouse would object to her going on the road as a hologram; Roy Orbison would be a bit weirded-out and I am sure there are few deceased artists who would actively welcome them being kept on life support through this new technology. How long has the idea of a musician hologram been around? How far has it come? This article looks at that point:

“Five years after his death, Michael Jackson stole the show. He always did when he was alive, and it was no different during Sunday night's Billboard Music Awards (BBMA), when a holographic MJ joined a five-piece band and 16 dancers onstage.

He wasn't the first. When hologram technology emerged two years ago, it seemed like a fad. Now it's a trend of resurrection so common it might just be the future of the industry…

It began in April 2012, when a virtual Tupac Shakur took the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. It was the first time a hologram had been used in a live performance for such a huge American crowd, and the first time hologram technology was used to ressurrect a dead singer.

The technology is widely celebrated, but the principle is a little more troubling. Bringing back the dead has always been treacherous ground to tread. In robotics, there's a concept called the "uncanny valley," where a digital or robotic likeness of a human is cool until it looks just enough like a real person, at which point it becomes terrifying. Think about any of Pixar's human caricatures, and now think about the Polar Express.

There's also the disturbing symbolism of the whole practice. This may be the future of entertainment, but perhaps it will never sit well. It takes months and long hours to create a likeness (and we will get faster), but it takes years of full life to build the real thing”.

I might come around to the concept of holograms if there was a way of utilising living artists and doing something impossible in real life.

I am always going to be suspect and uneasy with departed musicians because it has that creepy and synthetic quality. A final article agrees with my moral hesitation and asks whether the technology is actually fully-realised:

“I guess I’d be a little more inclined to open my mind to the hologram concert idea if it were more to recreate a particular historical musical moment in the most realistic way possible. If offered the chance to “be there” when Led Zeppelin played three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, just to name one example, I’d probably bite at it. Live Aid: The Hologram Experience, anyone?

But we’re a long, long way off from hologram technology being anywhere even remotely close to having the capability to “re-create” a full show like that. And I’m not sure we should even try. Maybe things happen and we miss them and that’s OK. Maybe our favorite singers just die and they can “live on” in video footage or through actually living musicians who cover their work. As we’ve learned so often from our technological advances, just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should”.

Other people will have their views and say this is a way of preserving artists and ensuring they reach new audiences. Others will state holograms are a chance for people to experience artists in a new light and get to see something nobody else has. I respect some people are open-minded to this concept and see light in it but I feel leaving artists like Amy Winehouse alone is doing more to her memory than reimagining her – whether that is via holographic form or a biopic. Artists need to have a say regarding their life/work and holograms do not give them that chance. The technology might improve and I may come around to the idea but, right now, the idea of reviving a lost musician in this fashion…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @russbaum/Unsplash

LEAVES me somewhat cold.  

FEATURE: Twelve Years of Silence to See a Perfect Prologue... Kate Bush’s Aerial: A Return from the ‘Wilderness’

FEATURE:

 

 

Twelve Years of Silence to See a Perfect Prologue…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush (2005)/PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Leighton/National Portrait Gallery, London

Kate Bush’s Aerial: A Return from the ‘Wilderness’

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MY rationing regarding Kate Bush has had to be revised…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 2005/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

because November is a busy month in terms of her album anniversaries! I will not put up another feature regarding her albums until next year but I wanted to look at Aerial because, not only is it thirteen on 7th November, but few people actually expected it to be released! The fact she has a book of lyrics coming out and is a series of remastered albums before the end of the year suggests any notion Bush is a reclusive and quiet artist should be put to rest. Although she has not released a studio album since 2011’s 50 Words for Snow; the fact she is gearing up for fresh activity suggests she is in the sort of mood to at least tease a new album – who knows what next year will bring?! I am sure something, in some form, will arrive next year but we must be patient! Her album, The Red Shoes, came out in 1993 and that was after an four-year gap (The Sensual World was released in 1989). There were reasons why there was a bit of a hiatus after The Sensual World. Although Bush was never known for her consistent series of albums; she has released two albums in 1978; one in 1980; another in 1982 and another in 1985 – five albums in seven years is quite a lot from someone who was putting her all into every note!

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

1982’s The Dreaming took its toll and Bush needed to relocate to the country to find new energy, space and impetus. Hounds of Love was a great and rewarding experience but, again, one that took energy from her. By the time she had finished with that, and after heavy promotion, got down to recording The Sensual World; you could tell there were some strains and a need for a rest. 1993’s The Red Shoes was a strange album that saw various tragedies and personal issues affect the material and influence her after the album was released. Look back at the albums that came before and you can see leaps and evolutions between each. The Red Shoes was a bit of a step back and, to many, remains one of her weaker albums (that and Lionheart (1978) usually get considered her worst). There are some great moments on the record – Rubberband Girl and Moments of Pleasure – but it was not on the same level as the likes of The Sensual World and Hounds of Love. Maybe there was too much pressure to change or top what had come before; a need to adapt to 1990s technology – the production was quite edgy and ‘modern’ – and take a step in a new direction. Whatever her reasoning; some were a bit cold regarding the album and it was a rather rough creative spell.

  IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

People were used to gaps between albums but there was not the four/five year gap that had had come before. The Red Shoes is the only record from Kate Bush from the 1990s and, by the time the new millennium came around; many wondered whether the icon has retired and was done with music. I listen back to The Red Shoes and it is one of those albums that is sort of half-and-half: there are four of five classic Kate Bush songs that are wonderful but then the rest sits between the average and under-par. Maybe a sense of dissatisfaction and critical infidelity got to her and she needed to retrench and find some new solution. The death of her mother around the time the album came out made a huge impact and she split with her long-time boyfriend Del Palmer. It was a tough time for sure and one can understand Kate Bush wanting time to reflect and breathe. The announcement of a new album in 2005 took many by surprise, that is for sure! In the twelve years between records, to be fair, Bush was busy raising a family (her son Bertie was born in 1998) and enjoying a more domesticated, maternal life. Domesticity and a more settled nature affects the material on the double-album, Aerial. Mrs. Bartolozzi is a paen to a washing machine and cleaning.

Make what you want of the potential sexual references regarding entangles clothes succumbing to suds – that sort of double-meaning and cheekiness has always been part of her work. On the album’s first side, Bush opens with the determined, hypnotic and assured King of the Mountain; she, literally, rattles off the number of pi on π and ends with the splendid A Coral Room. Although it is a fairly conventional side of music; the music and lyrics take us in a new direction. Certainty, there are few similarities between The Red Shoes’ songs and what we find on Aerial! The production on 2005’s Aerial is quite modern and fresh but has a warmth and old-fashioned naturalness that is wholly appropriate. The music has that familial and gentle quality. This is Kate Bush in a more settled and content life; she is singing about family, nature and everything around her. With Del Palmer engineering and Kate Bush producing – the former lovers still have a fond and dedicated working relationship – it is a record that sounds as accomplished and consistent as any she ever put out. Most artists, after twelve years away, might come back a little rusty and would take a few more records to find their former feet.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @firstmohican/Unsplash

If The Red Shoes was not a great fit; Aerial is a freer and more sumptuous album. There are fewer weak moments and the music is a lot richer, deeper and more intriguing. I love most of the first half but sometimes skip over Bertie and Joanni. No song on Aerial can be truly considered poor: conversely, it is one of Kate Bush’s most pleasing works and sounds like she has taken all the stresses, doubts and strains of the period after The Red Shoes and mixed them into the album! A new album from Bush, coupled with a more settled and family-orientated life, did not mean a tepid and restrained songwriter. Songs about washing machines, literally rattling off numbers and projecting the most wild and odd imagery showed she had lost none of her potent touch! An Endless Sky of Honey, the second side, is her first concept suite since Hounds of Love in 1985. Where that conceptual arc was about a woman being stranded at sea and trying to stay awake in hope of rescue; Aerial’s storyline is an immersion into the beauty of nature; an embrace of birds, bees; the sky, sea and everything in-between. Like its first side; An Endless Sky of Honey has endless warmth, grace and adventure. In many ways, Aerial’s concept is grander and more startling than Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave. Both relate to the natural world in their own way but there is no struggle and need for survival: a more enriched and recharged Bush is positively opening her imagination and taking the listener with her!

The second side charts a day in the world: from the rising sun and morning birds to the dawning night and silent darkness. It is more like a Classical symphony than a conventional ‘Pop’ concept. Maybe inspired by Pink Floyd and some of their most ambitious moments; one’s mind is boggled by all the detail, invention and beauty throughout the forty-two minute suite. It is testament to Bush’s command that people sit through it and immerse themselves in the music. As I say; it is like a Classical epic that requires you to sit still and digest every note and reflection. Such a contrast to the first side; in some ways, it seems like a perfect accompaniment. If Bush was keen to engage and hook listeners with more straight-forward (if strange) songs on the first side; the second is a chance to unwind and experience this beguiling and wonderful thing! On 7th November, 2005, the world snapped up a new Kate Bush album, not really knowing what to expect and whether it would be an improvement on The Red Shoes. Critics, largely, heaped praise on Aerial and proclaimed it a return to form for the enigmatic musician. The Guardian had their say:

“Aerial sounds like an album made in isolation. On the down side, that means some of it seems dated. You can't help feeling she might have thought twice about the lumpy funk of Joanni and the preponderance of fretless bass if she got out a bit more. But, on the plus side, it also means Aerial is literally incomparable. You catch a faint whiff of Pink Floyd and her old mentor Dave Gilmour on the title track, but otherwise it sounds like nothing other than Bush's own back catalogue. It is filled with things only Kate Bush would do. Some of them you rather wish she wouldn't, including imitating bird calls and doing funny voices: King of the Mountain features a passable impersonation of its subject, Elvis, which is at least less disastrous than the strewth-cobber Aussie accent she adopted on 1982's The Dreaming. But then, daring to walk the line between the sublime and the demented is the point of Kate Bush's entire oeuvre. On Aerial she achieves far, far more of the former than the latter. When she does, there is nothing you can do but willingly succumb”.

Entertainment Weekly, meanwhile, were keen to share their thoughts:

“Maturity hasn’t dulled Kate Bush’s propensity for musical loopiness. Twelve years after her last album, she is still besotted by all the wonders of this good green earth. On the sprawling but focused Aerial, she is a sprite flitting across verdant, languorous soundscapes, cooing along with the birdsong and extolling the virtues of her son, the beauty of numbers — even doing the wash — all the while mesmerizing with her controlled whimsy and intricate arrangements that never overwhelm her voice. Considering the length of her hiatus, this is a remarkable surprise”.

There is another positive review from Rolling Stone:

“Featuring songs about Elvis, mathematics, her son and a washing machine, the first disc rarely rises above a musical whisper. The second, a conceptual work that follows nature's course from afternoon to sunrise, slowly builds via fantastically gorgeous strings, a brief smattering of Spanish guitar, one slinky protracted groove built for "Nocturne," and a duet of laughter and birdcalls on the throbbing title track. Akin to recent Antony and the Johnsons and latter-day Talk Talk, Aerial doesn't deliver anything resembling a conventional pop tune. And this suits Bush just fine”.

There was no shortage of love for Kate Bush and her marvellous return! People were keen to add their comments and, as with all of her albums; Aerial is a work that needs to be played in full and listened the whole way through. The fact An Endless Sky of Honey has multiple parts but you can only stream/buy it is a single album shows how she wants her audience to listen to each part – it would sound disjointed and odd if you picked an odd song here and there!

Bush would not leave us with such a length gap before she followed up Aerial with 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. That album, as the title suggests, took on a wintery theme and saw Bush, again, stick a concept. Her modern work is more synonymous with unified and singular themes – in the sense there is not a collection of disconnected tracks – and it is interesting to see what comes next. One hopes there is not another five years to wait until we see a follow up to 50 Words for Snow but, as I say, it seems like there is activity brewing in the Kate Bush camp. We will wait with interest to see what forms and arrives but I wanted to look at Aerial some thirteen years after its release. One waited almost as long to see that album arrive after The Red Shoes and listening to Aerial in 2018 is a startling thing. The album continues to reveal its treasures and stories and I am amazed she was able to produce something as brilliant as she did. That sounds condescending but it was like being back in the mid-1980s and a refreshed Bush striking rare heights! She left us waiting for a while but it was wonderful seeing her return triumphantly after twelve years. What happens next is down to her but I feel we will get something pretty soon. Kate Bush could have retired from music or released something underwhelming but, with 2005’s Aerial; she confounded everyone and produced an album that reminded everyone…

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

WHY we love her so.  

FEATURE: (Not in Our) House Music: How Noise and Resident Complaints Are Threatening Brilliant Venues

FEATURE:

 

 

(Not in Our) House Music

PHOTO CREDIT: @5tep5/Unsplash 

How Noise and Resident Complaints Are Threatening Brilliant Venues

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WE are aware there are a lot of venues closing…

around the country - and it is hard to pinpoint an exact reason why this is happening! In some cases, there is a lack of demand and popularity that means venues cannot afford to keep going. In other instances; there are factors around licensing and legalities; some close because of a change of management and, whatever the reason behind venues closing, it is sad to see this happen. Some have their theories as to why small venues, especially, are closing and why the live music landscape is getting poorer. This article, written last year for The Guardian assessed the damage and theorised one reason why some venues are closing:

“But for the past five years Total Refreshment Centre has been under the perpetual threat of losing its space in the relentless redevelopment of London’s east. In the last decade alone more than half of London’s 430 music venues that traded in London between 2007 and 2015 have followed a similar path – toppled by planning regulations, noise abatement rulings, the juggernauting cost of land in the capital, not to mention the great outlay of booking bands and staging gigs. It’s a similar story outside of London too: across the UK, music venues that have flourished for decades have begun to disappear.

This week, the Music Venue Trust, the charity that supports the interests of Britain’s small music venues, questioned Arts Council England’s decision to reject its application for funding. The trust argues that while Arts Council England does much to support new music, with money for the internet radio station NTS, live-streaming Boiler Room and contemporary music curators Capsule to name but three, 85% of its music funding has been allotted to opera and classical music, according to the charity, with £96m given to the Royal Opera House alone. With the next round of funding applications in 2022, it’s hard not to foresee that many more small music venues might close in the next four years”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @foulsterr/Unsplash

It is hard to say how bad the problem can get and whether a turnaround can happen – there is a very real issue and I do wonder how long it will be until all our grassroot venues are lost. This report investigated London’s grassroot venues and hoe extreme the issue of closures are:

“35% of London's grassroots music venues have been lost since 2007. Music helps make London a dynamic city. Our music scene is second to none and this decline needs to stop if London is going to continue to be a city that nurtures, creates and enjoys a world famous live music scene.

The Mayor and London's Night Czar are leading the city-wide charge to support and protect London's important grassroots music venues and make London the world’s best music city.

Impact of business rates on London grassroots music venues

A fifth of London’s grassroots music venues could be forced to close due to business rates increases.

A further 18 of London’s 94 grassroots music venues are expected to experience significant financial challenges. In total, these 39 venues account for up to 530 jobs and generate up to £21.5m for the capital’s economy.

On top of this, an additional 23 venues are at risk of having to cut the number of new artists they book, instead opting to put on safer, more-established artists that generate higher sales.

Together, these grassroot music venues account for at least 14,000 emerging-artist performance opportunities annually at risk, and have a knock-on effect for the music industry as a whole, while reducing the opportunities for new and emerging talent in London.

This conservative figure is based on one emerging artist performing at each of the at risk grassroots music venues per night.

Read the full report below produced by Nordicity, commissioned by the Mayor of London”.

PHOTO CREDIT: @seththr/Unsplash 

I know measures are being put in place and the Government are pledging remedies to stem the closures. It is worrying, for all music fans, to see any venue go under and close its doors. I can understand a venue closing if it were not pulling in traders because of low demand and a general feeling of apathy in the community. Maybe that could be reversed but it is hard to compete with modern consumerism and how we spend our nights – people more willing to stay in and save money than go out. It seems, however, one factor is responsible for a lot of venue deaths: noise and complaints from local residents. This report from the BBC sheds light on this growing trend and ways in which soundproofing can protect venues from closure:

"They can be some of the best shows. You have everyone packed in... It's often the most intimate and standout experience on a tour."

That's how artist Isaac Gracie describes playing small venues around the UK - and it's a feeling many in the audience recognise too.

But the UK is at risk of losing more of its music venues, members of the British music industry say.

And now they're hoping parliament will help them stop the decline.

UK Music, which represents the British music industry, is pushing a new law based on something called the 'Agent of Change' principle…

PHOTO CREDIT: @chairulfajar_/Unsplash  

UK Music says 35% of venues across the country have closed in the last decade.

"The big problem has been in recent years that developers have moved in next to pre-existing music venues," says the body's chief, Michael Dugher.

"All of a sudden, the people in a block of flats are complaining about the noise of a venue."

Agent of Change would mean that developers have to pay for soundproofing - either in the homes being built near venues, or in the venues themselves.

Bristol venue Thekla has hosted live music and club nights since the 80s.

Julie Tippins is from DHP Family, the company which owns the venue.

"Thekla is one of the few live music venues and nightclubs that operates from a boat on a harbour," she says - something which limits how much soundproofing they can do at the venue.

DHP Family says Thekla is under threat because of plans to build residential buildings nearby.

"It is completely avoidable if we build the right kind of soundproofing into residential developments," she says, arguing this hasn't happened in the planned development near Thekla.

"If we continue to lose live venues, then it will only just make all of our lives a little bit poorer"

Some new venues, such as The Horn in St Albans, have been working closely with residents to ensure there is cooperation and understanding. Soundproofing checks have been carried and, whilst there is trial-and-error associated; it has meant greater visibility, transparency and understanding. This is one case where a new venue has been able to foresee potential stumbling blocks and avoid needless complaints.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @ddinuzzo/Unsplash

An established venue near where I used to live - The Star Inn in Guildford (Surrey) - is under threat because locals are complaining about the noise projected by live acts. A petition is online – so people can save the venue – and it has drawn a lot of coverage:

“The pub, which claims to be Guildford’s longest running music venue, hosted The Strangler’s first official gig in 1974.

However, the pub has been handed a noise abatement notice requiring a reduction in noise levels or facing fines of up to £20,000.

Pub manager Georgina Baker, who started the petition , described the decision as "stupid beyond words" and said it will "kill our business".

The pub’s “Back Room” is a popular venue for live music and regularly hosts events from the Guildford Fringe each year.

Neil Young, a developer, converted a former office that backed onto the pub into four flats and, shortly after, made the noise complaint to Guildford Borough Council.

That was despite warnings from the pub’s owners, Shepherd Neame, when he applied for planning permission that noise would be a problem.

The warning came five years ago but, nonetheless, consent was granted by the council.

Those signing the petition have been lending their support to the prestigious pub.

Callum Weston, who signed the petition five months ago, said: “The Star Inn is an invaluable asset to the cultural fabric of Guildford. It has played host to countless well-established home and international acts, as well as giving young local musicians and promoters a fantastic platform to hone their skills and take their first steps into the creative industries.

“The loss of this historic venue would be an outrage and a huge loss for the people of Guildford.”

Council leader Paul Spooner has also given his support to The Star after the noise complaint was initially made, and said he was “very disappointed” that officers had decided to issue a noise abatement notice.

You can sign the petition here”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @aplaceforcreation/Unsplash

It seems that noise complaints are among the most popular (if that is the right term?!) reasons why venues are closing down. Although spaces like The Star Inn have been there for years; it seems a new crop of residents are creating problems. As the article above shows; many venues are informing councils and local bodies of potential issues and trying to avoid conflict. Maybe, in a lot of cases, councils and those who receive these complaints need to do more. I feel soundproofing should be part of every venue’s plans. Whether that will be too costly and it will be unrealistic I am not sure. I feel that method and solution would avoid needless problems and ensure more venues survive. I am concerned there are closures because of noise complaints. You have to wonder why people are shocked to discover venues will project noise. The people who are complaining live pretty close to these venues. Unless the venue has their windows open and are blasting music from speakers; you have to wonder the radius that comes into play and issues around proximity. If you do live that close to a venue or pub; noise, of course, is to be expected. A lot of venues that are receiving complaints are contained – in the sense there is not a great deal of noise bleed and there is a case of residents being sensitive.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @alexiby/Unsplash

Most of the people who are complaining, one hopes, would have done some research and have been around the local area! You have families moving close to good schools and considering amenities; they are keen to move somewhere affable and well-off and, you feel, they must realise a music venue not only puts out a little bit of noise but is essential to the community. I do wonder whether it is mostly families who are making these complaints and concerned about their children. The exact demographic is not being released but many complaints are from new residents making claims against a venue that has been there for years. These new developments and high-rise apartments attract a more affluent type of person and, not to judge, they tend to be quite delicate and self-concerned. Many do not spend a lot of time at music venues and do not realise how much they mean to musicians who rely upon them. In many cases, the residents could have saved themselves a lot of hassle by doing proper research and consider things like noise when moving into a new place. I do wonder why there is such vociferous complaint regarding noise because the venues who are closing due to noise complaints could have just put in some soundproofing and solved the issue – residents are not accepting this and are unwilling to be malleable. It seems like the majority of the venues that are being threatened with closure due to noise have either been there years – and new residents are making an issue – or local bodies are not adequately protecting them.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @marceloleal80/Unsplash

Is noise really that much of an issue when it comes to health and well-being?! This illuminating article studied the issue at hand:

“…anti-social noise can be an enormous problem. Quite apart from the immediate distress it can cause, some research suggests a link between noise pollution and health issues like heart disease.

Anti-noise legislation exists to make sure noise that is genuinely causing a nuisance can be stopped. And as the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health found, that legislation gets used a lot.

It’s research asked 150 local authorities in England and Wales (that’s 43% of the total) about noise complaints. And it found that, over a 12-month period, there were 10,442 noise complaints relating to licensed premises such as pubs and clubs.

“It’s hard to talk about noise without examining a whole chain of factors,” explains Mark Davyd, founder and CEO of the Music Venue Trust. “At this level, running a live music venue is generally a not-for-profit business.”

“There’s an enormous amount of pressure on venues. Touring budgets have been cut, yet the industry still wants venues to take on the risks of helping new bands develop. At the same time, music venues don’t receive the same levels of public funding as other arts venues.”

It’s something of a slippery slope, with noise just one of many factors affecting venues’ prospects.

PHOTO CREDIT: @outdoor_junkiez  

“A noise complaint can be the last straw,” confirms Mark. “When margins are so thin, venues don’t have the leeway to comply with even minor licensing adjustments”.

It is hard to negotiate and navigate noise! It is such a varied, unpredictable and widespread issue in any high-street. Consider noises from pubs and bars in general – before you even throw in musicians and live performances! I know there is mediation and attempts at detente when venues are threatened but you have to wonder whether venues that are being threatened – and those already closed – have been met with (ironically) deaf ears! Can the problem be avoided on a tight budget?

“Even on a tight budget you can take measures to minimise how much sound escapes your premises:

·         Make sure doors and windows stay closed during performances. If customers tend to enter and leave frequently, install door closers to keep sound leakage as low as possible.

·         Fit acoustic seals around doors and windows. You can buy kits to install yourself for around £100.

·         Evaluate where speakers are located. Speakers attached to walls and ceilings may vibrate the structure of your building, transmitting noise externally.

·         Install sound absorption materials beneath your stage, and make sure there is some kind of anti-vibration material on top.

·         Think about installing noise limiters. These restrict volume without interrupting the sound. If acts provide their own amplification, you can also install a cut-out system, activated if the volume exceeds a defined level.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @jontyson/Unsplash

·         Evaluate noise levels during the sound check for each event. Set a maximum volume level and then restrict who has access to volume controls on the amplifiers or mixing deck.

·         If you are concerned about noise from customers leaving, put up signs and get staff to ask people to be quiet on the way out. Some venues have even experimented with handing out lollipops at closing time!

·         Think about the small things, too. Ask local taxi firms not to toot the horn when picking up customers. And don’t carry out noisy tasks – like tipping bottles into the recycling – late at night.

·         This means you need to be prepared on another front. Try to build up some positive PR that you can draw on in the event of problems.

·         If your building is physically attached to another, go and have a chat with your neighbour. Building a relationship makes it more likely that they’ll come to you with any complaints, rather than going straight to the local authority.

·         Then think about how loyal customers can help. With a little effort, you can turn their enthusiasm to your advantage.

·         “In the UK, we’re terrible at praising,” explains Mark. “We don’t say enough about how much we love having a library, an arts centre, or a music venue. Venues need to take the initiative in showing how much value they give the local community.”

      

·  Try to mobilise your regular customers. For instance, Mark co-owns the Tunbridge Wells Forum. By asking social media followers to post reviews on TripAdvisor, he was able to get the venue listed as the town’s top attraction.

·         He says it’s about playing the long game: “It may seem irrelevant right now. But if we ever have a noise complaint, the council’s attitude will be influenced by the fact that we’re rated as the number one thing to do in Tunbridge Wells.”

·         There’s strength in numbers, too — because when it comes to nuisance noise, a single complaint can shut down a venue. “You’d be amazed at how often a perceived noise problem relates to one angry, vocal person in the community,” says Mark.

The Government has brought in plans to combat the issue. It seems the problem regarding noise is being taken seriously:

“On 18th January 2018, the Government announced plans to adopt 'Agent of Change' into The National Planning Policy Framework.

The principle of ‘agent of change’ protects clubs and music venues by transferring responsibility to “identify and solve any sound problems” at new properties back to developers, rather than the owners of nearby music venues.

What effect will the changes have?

Essentially, it means that a developer of flats next to a live music venue would need to make provision for ensuring the residents were not affected by noise from music, via proper design and soundproofing…

PHOTO CREDIT: @tinaflour/Unsplash 

Likewise, an operator of a new live music venue in a residential area would need to ensure that they installed adequate soundproofing to prevent noise adversely affecting residents already living nearby.

Currently the law, in particular in licensing terms, favours developers of residential homes and their buyers. Under the Licensing Act, they can review a premises licence at no cost to themselves and force the venue to change its practices for the benefit of the residents, even if it has been hosting music events for decades.

Who do the changes apply to?

Introduction of the principle into general law would give added protection to premises to fight against such outcomes. The Planning Policy would not change the ability of people moving into existing residential properties to complain about noise coming from a venue, but it allows for a more balanced approach to the problem.

Richard Arnot, a Partner in Ward Hadaway’s Licensing team, said: “The increase in demand for housing in built-up areas means some residents are coming into conflict with existing live music venues.

“There needs to be consideration between the parties as someone shouldn’t be able to move next door to a music venue and decide afterwards that music is a nuisance. In the same way that it wouldn’t be right for a live music venue to install a sound system without consideration for nearby residents…

PHOTO CREDIT: @aliyahjam/Unsplash  

What effect will the changes have?

Richard added: “This proposal means that developers will be responsible for identifying and solving any sound problems if they are granted permission to build.

“It strikes a balance between the obligations of developers and protects music venues from running into expensive issues as a result of complaints from new neighbours”.

Although these measures have already been implanted and there is on-going contingency; it seems a lot of venues are suffering because they are older and have not been fitted with insulation or been considered under these new guidelines. It is clear cooperation and better communication between venues and residents needs to happen. I can empathise and feel needless noise and volume can put them off; it makes their lives worse and can actually affect property prices. Rather than them going straight to ‘teacher’ and lodging their grievances; I wonder whether they should actually go direct too the venue; not with anger and threats but suggestions and ways in which everyone can benefit. How many times has this potential truce occurred when venues are being forced shut?! I can appreciate how people moving into an area want as little noise as possible but music venues, unless you in big cities, are not all over the place and it is easy to live away from the worse of the noise.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @antonio_dicaterina/Unsplash

If you happen to be in the noise ‘radiation zone’ and near the epicentre of the issue; one would image you’d take all that into consideration and discuss your concerns with the venues. As we heard earlier; new musicians rely on these venues, large and small, in order to cut their teeth and hone their skills. If it is not for these venues, it means artists have fewer chances to improve and that can impede their career development. Not only that but local residents who do not have that many venues near them and being denied and it makes an area poorer. Music brings sociability and togetherness; it can put a town/city on the map and bring revenue to that venue and other local businesses. I realise most venues in the country are not responsible for putting out too much noise and receiving complaints. There are other reasons why venues are closing but, as this article highlights; musicians are feeling the pinch and it is having a knock-on effect:

“The UK’s first live music census has found that a third of Britain’s small venues outside of London are fighting to survive in the face of high business rates and noise restrictions.

Some 29% of small venues, and 27% of all venues, reported experiencing problems with property development around their premises, which can provoke complaints from nearby residents. In response, the researchers recommended that the government continue to develop at a national level a legally binding “agent of change” principle, which would put the onus on developers to soundproof new-build properties, rather than placing restrictions on existing venues. Last month, ministers including housing secretary Sajid Javid committed to strengthening planning rules to protect grassroots venues…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @foulsterr/Unsplash

“Beverley Whitrick, strategic director of the Music Venue Trust, welcomed the news. “For us, the UK live music census is an entirely positive story because it’s taking a lot of the things that we have been saying about the needs of the grassroots music sector and reinforcing it with evidence. MVT has operated as a small organisation on anecdotal evidence for the last few years and we have gone as far as we can with that. And what we needed was evidence to show why help is needed. The census is a huge step forward in providing that help.”

The report also highlighted the difficulty of making a living as a musician in Britain: 68% said stagnating pay made it difficult to earn a viable income, with the figure rising to 80% for those identifying as professional musicians; 66% reported working unpaid for “exposure” that they believe had no positive effect on their career.

Further recommendations resulting from the census included continuing to investigate secondary ticketing via the Competition and Markets Authority, encouraging more extensive funding for emerging artists, venue infrastructure, tour support and rehearsal spaces, and promoting music education in schools and encouraging live music attendance inside and outside the curriculum”.

We all, as music fans, want to reduce the number of closures and stem the issues that are clear and growing. Even though the Government are assisting when it comes to noise; you wonder how much of a long-term impact this will make: in the short-term, we are still seeing beloved music venues close and, with that, musicians and locals who rely on that lifeblood are being hit hard.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @snowshade/Unsplash

I feel noise complaints will continue to threaten venues for years and it is so easy to avoid. If a local resident does not want ANY noise and wants to live like monks observing a vow of silence then good for them. If venues are tossing out nuclear noise then I can see where they are coming from. Venues do not want to close and stop putting on live music and are willing to make arrangements with taxi companies and locals to ensure as little noise as possible is projected. So many of the venues who are being scrutinised are old and have been there before new-build apartments. Even if buildings have been around longer than local venues; you feel a civil compromise and conversation could happen. I cannot stress how important these spaces are for musicians and locals. Bands and artists depend on them for revenue, experience and new fans; locals have that social aspect and can discover new local artists/those travelling to their area. You are not only impacting the local area by shutting down venues but those wider afield. Many people travel from further afield to go to these venues and, when the spaces are closed, where do they go?! I feel more needs to be done, especially by residents, to understand the importance of small venues and avoid such needless loss. If we can do this then that will mean the world to musicians and residents and make that local area…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @gaspanik/Unsplash

A more peaceful and culturally-rich place.  

INTERVIEW: Julian Wa

INTERVIEW:

Julian Wa

___________

THANKS to Julian Wa…

for talking about his recent single, Bloom, and how it came to mind. I wonder whether there is any more material coming and if he has ambitions to hit the road and play his music to the people – Wa recommends a couple of rising artists we need to get behind and support.

The Australian songwriter tells me a few albums that mean a lot to him and what he does when not making music; what he hopes to achieve by the end of the year and whether he feels he has evolved as a musician since the start – he ends the interview with a great track.

__________

Hi Julian, how are you? How has your week been? 

Hi, there. I’m very well, thanks. My weeks are busy but productive. 

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

I have always viewed the music as more of an experience than a collection of songs. Like a psychedelic soundtrack to my life.

Bloom is your debut single. Is there a background to the song?

Bloom is actually about the very opposite: it’s about taking the easier route in life and feeling totally unfulfilled as a result.

Might we see more material coming next year? Are you working on new stuff? 

The main focus currently is an experimental, lo-fi project set for release mid-next year. But, I am working on several things. I like to stay busy and keep my mind focused.

Do you think you have evolved and strengthened as a musician since your early days?

Very much so. Naturally, the more I grow as a musician, the easier it becomes. 

Can you remember when you decided to get into music? Was there a moment you knew it was for you? 

For as long as I can remember, music has always been there for me and I have always had a great deal of passion for it. It’s also very much therapeutic.

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

I feel I have achieved most of what I wanted in 2018 with the release of Bloom; recruiting Ditto as my new distributor and gaining some traction on the Aussie music scene. Very much looking forward to what next year has in store.

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

I have plenty of stories to tell about shows/tours etc. But, I must say my favorite memories are always recording in total solitude and jamming with close and talented friends

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

I can’t say definitively as there are many more but currently I would say John Martyn - Solid Air; Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Safe as Milk and Wings - Wild Life. All three are truly innovative and I feel we are in need of that in 2018.

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

I would love to work with Reggae artist Barrington Levy. All I need is English breakfast tea and whatever he is smoking .

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

My advice would be keep your head down and work harder than you ever have if this is what you truly want in life.

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

Shows will be announced for late-2019. I want to release as much music/content as possible before getting back on the road. I love having the time to write and record with very little outside influence.

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

Stage time is everything and I cannot wait to introduce a brand new sound/energy. All very exciting to me.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Harry Heart

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

My knowledge of new music is limited to be quite honest…but I will say that Harry Heart and Good Boy certainly have my attention.

IN THIS PHOTO: Good Boy/PHOTO CREDIT: Michelle Fish

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

My life revolves around the studio and Twitter at the moment - but I can occasionally unwind with a cup of tea and a hug from my partner.

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

Thanks so much. Love in Song (from Venus and Mars) by Wings

___________

Follow Julian Wa

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JulianWaMusic

Bandcamp:

https://julianwa.bandcamp.com/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ipYk8torB1TzskYtMFlkI?si=bub9ZJuLQHed31sw1V5P7Q

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/julianwamusic

FEATURE: Beating the Curse: The Artists Who Overcame the ‘Difficult Second Album’ Pitfall in Style

FEATURE:

 

 

Beating the Curse

PHOTO CREDIT: @adigold1/Unsplash 

The Artists Who Overcame the ‘Difficult Second Album’ Pitfall in Style

__________

EVERY artist who releases a controversial or exceptional debut…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @tjump/Unsplash

has that initial praise…and then they have that burden of expectation. Critics and fans want something even better and, given the fact they came out of the traps so fast and hard; it can be hard replicating that success. So many artists have failed and not been able to reproduce the magic and heat of their debut – producing a whimper of an album and losing all that momentum. There have been, however, plenty of artists who have motivated and moved their way past the hurdles of the ‘difficult second album’ and come up with something if not better than as good as what came before. There are many examples out there but I have collated together the artists who laid down a remarkable second album after a promising/hard to follow/average debut. Whatever the reason for that expectation and pressure; here are the albums that subverted expectations and…

PHOTO CREDIT: @akshar_dave/Unsplash 

OVERCAME idle talk of a ‘difficult’ second album.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

_____________

Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)

Debut: Definitely Maybe (1994)

Review:

“Fortuitously arriving at the mid-point of the '90s—and representing the peak of a Britpop narrative that took root with the retro-rock renaissance of the Stone Roses and the La’s five years previous—(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? is Oasis' absolute pinnacle. If Definitely Maybe presented Oasis' raw materials—’60s psychedelia, ’70s glam and punk, Madchester groove—Morning Glory melted down and remoulded them into a towering sound that was unmistakably their own, with those omnipresent (but never ostentatious) string-section sweeps classily dressing up the songs like ribbons on a trophy. And yet the real triumph of Morning Gloryis measured not by the tracks that have since become karaoke classics, first-dance wedding standards, and go-to bathtub sing-alongs, but the exceptional album tracks that never got a shot at certain chart supremacy—like the jet-roar jangle of “Hey Now” (for my money, the best Oasis song never to be issued as a single) and the crestfallen “Cast No Shadow”, dedicated to a then-mostly-unknown Richard Ashcroft of the Verve, a band that would soon reap the benefits of Oasis’ American incursion” – Pitchfork

Standout Track: Wonderwall

The Beatles – With the Beatles (1963)

Debut: Please Please Me (1963)

Review:

“What’s particularly distinctive about these early Beatles records is their unapologetic, working class Britishness. The lyrics have the colloquial immediacy of everyday chatter and the band play with a kind of rough house energy, not attempting to match the sophistication of the American records that inspired them. When Lennon lets rip on 'It Won’t Be Long’, there is no attempt to disguise his Liverpool roots, no prettification, just an unadorned vocal (although McCartney is slightly more polite, his over precise enunciation on 'Til There Was You’ sounding like he’s trying to please his headmaster, or, more probably, George Martin).

The songwriting partnership is starting to flower. The loping, jangly rhythm and ascending and descending melody of 'All My Loving’ with its brilliant walking bassline seems utterly original. This is the point rider for where they are going but the cover versions are still the highlights. The Beatles could really rip the guts out of a song, and there’s a rich bluesy version of Smokey Robinson’s 'You Really Got A Hold On Me’, before they utterly take a wrecking ball to 'Money (That’s What I Want)’” – The Telegraph

Standout Track: All My Loving

Joy Division – Closer (1980)

Debut: Unknown Pleasures (1979)

Review:

“Opener "Atrocity Exhibition" was arguably the most fractured thing the band had yet recorded, Bernard Sumner's teeth-grinding guitar and Stephen Morris' Can-on-speed drumming making for one heck of a strange start. Keyboards also took the fore more so than ever -- the drowned pianos underpinning Curtis' shadowy moan on "The Eternal," the squirrelly lead synth on the energetic but scared-out-of-its-wits "Isolation," and above all else "Decades," the album ender of album enders. A long slow crawl down and out, Curtis' portrait of lost youth inevitably applied to himself soon after, its sepulchral string-synths are practically a requiem. Songs like "Heart and Soul" and especially the jaw-dropping, wrenching "Twenty Four Hours," as perfect a demonstration of the tension/release or soft/loud approach as will ever be heard, simply intensify the experience. Joy Division were at the height of their powers on Closer, equaling and arguably bettering the astonishing Unknown Pleasures, that's how accomplished the four members were. Rock, however defined, rarely seems and sounds so important, so vital, and so impossible to resist or ignore as here” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Isolation

Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)

Debut: Bleach (1989)

Review:

“The music — fuzz-blast guitars, throbbing bass — roars and spits with enough in-your-face bluster to make your compact disc skip; left-of-center rock rarely sounds as alive as the metallic punk of ”Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the album’s first single. Adding to the music’s edginess, though, are the lyrics. The characters in singer-guitarist Kurt Cobain’s songs all seem vaguely pathological-and oblivious to it. Cobain’s strange idea of a love song, ”Come as You Are,” has a refrain of ”And I swear that I don’t have a gun,” as if that’s supposed to be comforting; in other songs, he mutters lines like ”the animals I’ve trapped have all become my pets.” Nirvana may not stand a chance of selling anywhere near as many records as Guns N’ Roses, but don’t tell Cobain; you never know how he’ll react” – Entertainment Weekly

Standout Track: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)

Debut: Slanted and Enchanted (1992)

Review:

“Pavement's sophomore outing does not contain 12 perfect songs but it is close to a perfect album. Each of the best half-dozen-- "Silence Kit", "Elevate Me Later", "Cut Your Hair", "Unfair", "Gold Soundz", and "Range Life"-- contain Malkmus' catchy and highly unusual melodies ("Silence Kit" cribs from Buddy Holly, but even that's an odd gesture) and would be career highlights for most rock bands. But even the songs that aren't necessarily brilliant work well in the context of the album, moving things along in their own way. The Dave Brubeck send-up "5-4=Unity", for example, is a perfect placeholder between two unbelievably great songs. And the closing "Fillmore Jive" ends an album at least partly about the music industry on an appropriately classic rock note, with an extended group-jam coda on par with "Hey Jude". Not many records are this easy to put on in the car and let play start to finish” – Pitchfork

Standout Track: Cut Your Hair

Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (1989)

Debut: Licensed to Ill (1986)

Review:

“There’s a lot that's already been said about the daring eclecticism and arguably irreproducible anything-goes technique with which the Dust Brothers assembled the album’s beats. The music is a big, shameless love letter to the 1970s filled with a conceptual bookend (the Idris Muhammad-sampling, ladies-man ether frolic “To All the Girls”), numerous line-completing lyrical interjections from Johnny Cash, Chuck D, Pato Banton and Sweet, and, just for kicks, nine truncated songs spliced together and stuck in at the end as a staggering 12 and 1/2-minute suite. If the sonics on It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back evoked a sleep-shattering wake-up call and 3 Feet High and Rising a chilled-out, sunny afternoon, the personality of Paul’s Boutique completed the trinity by perfectly capturing the vibe of a late-night alcohol and one-hitter-fueled shit-talk session. Even now, after being exposed to successively brilliant sample-slayers from the RZA to the Avalanches to J Dilla, it’s still bracing just how meticulous the beats are here. These aren’t just well-crafted loops, they’re self-contained little breakbeat universes filled with weird asides, clever segues, and miniature samples-as-punchlines” – Pitchfork

Standout Track: Shake Your Rump             

Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (2006)

Debut: Frank (2003)

Review:

“Any album that features the lines "What kind of fuckery is this?/ You made me miss the Slick Rick gig" demands closer investigation. Of course, 23-year-old Londoner Amy Winehouse demonstrated her aptitude for a tart couplet on her debut album three years ago, but this time the music, too, packs a similar punch, and the upshot is a 21st-century soul classic.

Starting with the pungent single Rehab, everything is in its right place: the exuberant neo-Motown swing supplied by producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi; the rich, sinewy vocals, somewhere between Lauryn Hill, Beth Gibbons and Etta James; and the thoroughly modern songwriting, in which infidelity is betrayed by a telltale carpet burn (You Know I'm No Good) and a lover is less desirable than a good supply of weed (Addicted). On the latter song she triumphantly declares: "I'm my own man." Only a fool would argue” – The Guardian

Standout Track: Back to Black                      

Adele – 21 (2011)

Debut: 19 (2008)

Review:

“While 19 went to number one and she picked up the inaugural Critics’ Choice Brit award, what distinguished Adele from the similarly retro-voiced Duffy was the name she made for herself across the Atlantic, where she won two Grammys and influential fans such as Bob Dylan and Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

It is that American success that has shaped Atkins’s follow-up album. It’s steeped in Southern blues, country and soul. In another singer’s hands this might seem a nakedly ambitious attempt to appeal to the American charts, but Atkins makes the material sound genuine, largely because it is perfect for her. Where previously her slight, observational songs seemed barely able to carry her powerful voice, the emotional and musical heft of these styles enables her to really spread her vocal wings.

And her voice is a thing of wonder. There is warmth, power and vulnerability, sometimes in the same note. She has less of the unpredictable edge of Amy Winehouse, or the am-dram cool of Florence Welch, but she has a far greater range and subtlety than either, and hers is a voice that seems to go right to your heart” – The Telegraph

Standout Track: Set Fire to the Rain           

Led Zeppelin – II (1969)

Debut: Led Zeppelin (1969)

Review:

“Clearly, with their hot streak of three LPs, Creedence Clearwater Revival had the most impressive multi-album year of 1969: Bayou Country in January, Green River in August, and Willy and the Poor Boys in November.

But still.

Still: Led Zeppelin II, which came out in October ’69, just nine months after its almighty, self-titled predecessor, must have benefited from the fast turnaround. The recording process was completed at different studios during the band’s near-constant touring in 1969, and maybe the reason it was so successful was the London group, while on the road, didn’t even have time to think about the hype they were building. With LZII, Led Zeppelin became Led Zeppelin, proving their essence at the same time. To speak cosmically about the matter: What happened was what was supposed to happen.

Even more than the debut, LZII is a document of the band’s technical ability, their musicianship. After one album with The Yardbirds — a good rock band, yes, but they had no balls — Jimmy Page linked up with Robert Plant, almost five years his junior but already one of the most dynamic rock vocalists in England, up there with Rod Stewart. A powerful foundation, then, was set from the beginning. Between Page’s solos on the likes of “Whole Lotta Love” and Goldilocks’ yelps on “What Is and What Should Never Be” and others, LZII dazzles. John Bonham, too, was able to shine from behind the kit, particularly with his “Moby Dick” solo. Generations of hard rock and metal musicians, from Metallica to Soundgarden and Mastodon, would be influenced by these very stretches. It’s a lot to think about while the record’s playing, but the physical force is there” – Consequence of Sound

Standout Track: Whole Lotta Love

Madonna – Like a Virgin (1984)

Debut: Madonna (1983)

Review:

“Madonna had hits with her first album, even reaching the Top Ten twice with "Borderline" and "Lucky Star," but she didn't become a superstar, an icon, until her second album, Like a Virgin. She saw the opening for this kind of explosion and seized it, bringing in former Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers in as a producer, to help her expand her sound, and then carefully constructed her image as an ironic, ferociously sexy Boy Toy; the Steven Meisel-shot cover, capturing her as a buxom bride with a Boy Toy belt buckle on the front, and dressing after a night of passion, was as key to her reinvention as the music itself. Yet, there's no discounting the best songs on the record, the moments when her grand concepts are married to music that transcends the mere classification of dance-pop. These, of course, are "Material Girl" and "Like a Virgin," the two songs that made her an icon, and the two songs that remain definitive statements. They overshadow the rest of the record, not just because they are a perfect match of theme and sound, but because the rest of the album vacillates wildly in terms of quality. The other two singles, "Angel" and "Dress You Up," are excellent standard-issue dance-pop, and there are other moments that work well ("Over and Over," "Stay," the earnest cover of Rose Royce's "Love Don't Live Here"), but overall, it adds up to less than the sum of its parts -- partially because the singles are so good, but also because on the first album, she stunned with style and a certain joy. Here, the calculation is apparent, and while that's part of Madonna's essence -- even something that makes her fun -- it throws the record's balance off a little too much for it to be consistent, even if it justifiably made her a star” – AllMusic  

Standout Track: Like a Virgin

Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

Debut: Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987)

Review:

“In retrospect, Yo! Bum Rush the Show was a blueprint. What came after it was the work of a well-rehearsed unit keenly aware of its purpose and capabilities. Released the following summer, Public Enemy’s sophomore album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back was a brash refinement of the themes of Yo! and a jab at the jaws of detractors, high and low. “Bring the Noise” and “Don’t Believe the Hype” railed against the press, holding up the lurid sensationalism surrounding the group as a warning against trusting anything you read. “Caught, Can We Get a Witness?” is a nightmare where P.E. gets nabbed for sampling. (More on that later.) Nationteemed with a didactic social consciousness too. “She Watch Channel Zero?!” strikes out against junk television, while “Night of the Living Baseheads” addresses the crack epidemic, and “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” leads a draft-dodging conscientious objector through a vengeful jailbreak. Chuck’s booming ministerial baritone sparred with Flav’s piercing yawp in a masterful hero-and-sidekick interplay. The message couldn’t entice the masses without the levity; the levity was gimmicky without revolutionary grit giving it weight” – Pitchfork

Standout Track: She Watch Channel Zero?!

Blur – Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)

Debut: Leisure (1991)

Review:

“As a response to the dominance of grunge in the U.K. and their own decreasing profile in their homeland -- and also as a response to Suede's sudden popularity -- Blur reinvented themselves with their second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish, abandoning the shoegazing and baggy influences that dominated Leisure for traditional pop. On the surface, Modern Life may appear to be an homage to the Kinks, David Bowie, the Beatles, and Syd Barrett, yet it isn't a restatement, it's a revitalization. Blur use British guitar pop from the Beatles to My Bloody Valentine as a foundation, spinning off tales of contemporary despair. If Damon Albarn weren't such a clever songwriter, both lyrically and melodically, Modern Life could have sunk under its own pretensions, and the latter half does drag slightly. However, the record teems with life, since Blur refuse to treat their classicist songs as museum pieces. Graham Coxon's guitar tears each song open, either with unpredictable melodic lines or layers of translucent, hypnotic effects, and his work creates great tension with Alex James' kinetic bass. And that provides Albarn a vibrant background for his social satires and cutting commentary. But the reason Modern Life Is Rubbish is such a dynamic record and ushered in a new era of British pop is that nearly every song is carefully constructed and boasts a killer melody, from the stately "For Tomorrow" and the punky "Advert" to the vaudeville stomp of "Sunday Sunday" and the neo-psychedelic "Chemical World." Even with its flaws, it's a record of considerable vision and excitement. [Most American versions of Modern Life Is Rubbish substitute the demo version of "Chemical World" for the studio version on the British edition. They also add the superb single "Pop Scene" before the final song, "Resigned” – AllMusic   

Standout Track: For Tomorrow

Carole King – Tapestry (1971)

Debut: Writer (1970)

Review:

“Conviction and commitment are the life blood of Tapestry and are precisely what make it so fine. Of course, commitment alone means nothing; but commitment coupled with the musical talents of a genuine pop artist mean everything. To paraphrase Pauline Kael, writing about director Jean Renoir, Carole King is thoroughly involved with her music; she reaches out towards us and gives everything she has. And this generosity is so extraordinary that perhaps we can give it another name: passion” – Rolling Stone    

Standout Track: It’s Too Late

Van Morrison – Astral Weeks (1968)

Debut: Blowin’ Your Mind (1967)

Review:

“Morrison doesn't reach out to the listener, but goes deep inside himself to excavate and explore. The album's centerpiece is "Madame George," a stream-of-consciousness narrative of personal psychological and spiritual archetypes deeply influenced by the road novels of Jack Kerouac. The climactic epiphany experienced on "Cyprus Avenue" paints a portrait of place and time so vividly, it fools listeners into the experience of shared -- but mythical -- memory. "The Way Young Lovers Do" is the most fully formed tune here. Its swinging jazz verses and tight rhythmic choruses underscore a simmering, passionate eroticism in Morrison's lyric and delivery. Astral Weeks is a justified entry in pop music's pantheon. It is unlike any record before or since; it mixes together the very best of postwar popular music in an emotional outpouring cast in delicate, subtle musical structures” – AllMusic     

Standout Track: Sweet Thing

FEATURE: Bad Girl: Erotica at Twenty-Six: A Pivotal Album from a Pop Icon

FEATURE:

 

 

Bad Girl: Erotica at Twenty-Six

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

 A Pivotal Album from a Pop Icon

__________

I know that yesterday was the official twenty-sixth anniversary…

 IN THIS PHOTO: A publicity shot for the 1991 documentary, Madonna: Truth or Dare/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

of Madonna’s Erotica but it is an album that deserves to be marked. There are a lot more interesting albums coming up over the next few weeks that I need to be pay tribute to. You may ask why I’d mark Erotica and single it out. Madonna’s albums are always relevant and many others have passed me by without being commemorated in an article. We continuously talk about music and how it is evolving; whether there are any true icons and superstars out there. Madonna is someone who has always had her own team around her but I think, when you hear the music and how she speaks, this is nothing but her. I have been a fan of her since childhood and always marvel at how she managed to change and evolve without it seeming unnatural. Erotica, released in 1992, was released simultaneously with her first book publication, Sex – a book she alludes to on her follow-up album, Bedtime Stories. Erotica was her first release on Maverick, her own multimedia entertainment company. It was the Pop icon ascending from those earlier days of label control; breaking out and creating an album, if anything, defined who she was an still is. That is not to say she is sex-obsessed but the way she frankly and boldly talks about the subject through the album changed music.

She documented everything from the loss of two close friends to AIDS through to personal desires; something teasing and oblique to the out-right explicit and determined. Although the album was completed fairly quickly; this was Madonna in serious mode and not willing to play it safe. Erotica was much more commercially successful than previous albums and was largely well received by critics. The record saw a return after three years and revealed, as we know, a transformation from Madonna. She released the phenomenal compilation, The Immaculate Collection, in 1990 and that sort of signalled, in its title, that something more sexual and brash was coming. Maybe I am misreading but one can definitely sense that desire to be unleashed. Like a Prayer was released in 1989 and many see it as her most successful and acclaimed album. It is accomplished and introspective and, in terms of fashions, it was Madonna less in a fetish mode and more in transition from the boho chic of her early work; looking to incorporate more sensual and revealing looks in her rotation. The cover for the album sees her mix this blend: adorned in jeans and beads but cresting her thumbs inside her jeans that suggests something alluring and saucy! The Like a Prayer was a sensation and marked the first real time she was displaying a more vivacious, sexually liberated and herself! The three years between Like a Prayer storming the charts and Erotica coming into the world was not wasted. Madonna was involved in film and, obviously, ensuring she could take more control and say on her next record.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1992/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Before getting into the studio; Shep Pettibone – her main collaborator on the record – built the basic music for the album and sent it to Madonna before she started filming A League of Their Own. Madonna wrote the melodies and the lyrics and it marked a harmonious and productive collaboration. Although there are some other writers in the mix; the most decisive and obvious blend is Pettibone and Madonna. Madonna liked what Pettibone has come up with and, after filming was completed, work began. The early stages were a bit fraught with some dissatisfaction. Madonna wanted a raw and vibrant edge on Erotica and the first group of songs recorded were met with a bit of a muted reception from the Popstar. This was a period of awakening and the Pop Queen riding high on her fame. She was appearing more on film and her celebrity was rising. Of course, each new album is a chance for revolution and development and, alongside her Sex book; Madonna was embracing something more provocative and intense. We think of Madonna’s career and there are various stages where sex came to the fore. Think about Like a Prayer’s video and songs released for that album. Every album in her career, in some manner, would embrace sex in a very open way but Like a Prayer was a very personal and introspective record. Erotica changed things and is a very overt and confessional record – the confessions on Erotica are more of the sensual, revealing and explicit.

Erotica is a concept album that looks at sex and romance where she adopted the alter ego, Mistress Dita. It was heavily inspired by the actress Dita Parlo and, in terms of music; there is a lot more Pop and Dance – some slight tonal shifts from Like a Prayer but no huge departures. Alongside that core came elements of Disco and House; some New Jack Swing and Soul. The concept sees Madonna ask her lover to beg and, right from the off, here is the world’s most-famous female Pop artist showing she is the boss! Although Madonna references safe-sex; there are references to oral sex and bondage. It is not an album for children and, for sure, it is a record we define with her transition to the apex of the music world. A lot of the lyrics are quite raw and this would continue on her follow-up, Bedtime Stories. In a way, we had a bookmark of Like a Prayer and Bedtime Stories. These albums have a maturity and sense of confession: in a way, Erotica is that middle child that broke out and took chances. I guess people were a little overloaded by sex by 1994 when Madonna had to follow Erotica! Rain, one of the album standouts, is the heroine waiting and hoping for love. One assumes Erotica is full of elicit and sexy songs that push the envelope but, like all of her albums, there is that balance of the mature and immediate.

A lot of the more negative and mixed reviews around the time of Erotica’s release were concerned about its explicitness and frank talk of AIDS. Many, around 1992, were being fed on something softer and tame. The album was ahead of its time and it is only in the years that followed critics fully got on board with it – there are some who still doubt its credentials and look inside the cracks. Renowned for Sound, in a 2014 review, provided their thoughts:

“Without this album, Madonna would simply have remained a provocative yet mainstream pop superstar who could do no wrong, no matter the controversy. The critics would not have slammed her so much that many believed that her career was finally over. Madonna would never have had her comebacks. Pop music observers would also not understand why female pop stars today tend to be naked (Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Rihanna) or in drag (Beyonce in Haunted) in their videos.

In short, Madonna would never have become the Queen of Pop.

Madonna’s weary, husky and rough vocals on Erotica are nothing like the polished, radio-friendly vocals on previous albums. However, they accentuate the rawness and stark reality of the album. Her uncharacteristically gentle purr is alluring on the chilled cover of Fever, but sounds downright creepy on the aggressive hip-hop of Bye Bye Baby. Waiting (whose follow up Did You Do It? is the only real dud on Erotica) has Madonna wandering in that same hotel hallway from the Justify My Love video after a few cigarettes, pleading for her lover in rap and song…

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

Erotica highlights more of Madonna’s ‘bitchy’ side. Her falsely sweet vocals are disarming on Thief of Hearts, as they brutally dish out threats to backstabbers ice cold over sounds of police sirens and smashing glass. Words speaks the truth without being too preachy, over a backing track spiced up with a simmering anger and striking, Arabian-sounding synths.

Other confronting tracks include Where Life Begins (whose priceless lyrics promote safe sex and the woman’s right to be eaten out), Bad Girl (about a lonely woman succumbing to cigarettes, booze and meaningless flings) and In This Life (a funereal ode to Madonna’s friends who passed away from AIDS and a passionate plea against prejudice and ignorance)”.

It might not appear in the top-three Madonna albums among most fans – Like a Prayer, Ray of Light and Like a Virgin, I guess, would be the common choices – but Erotica is, perhaps, the most important and revelatory she ever produced. It is hard to compare it with a modern album because, in today’s climate, Erotica would be banned or muted somehow. There are sexually revealing and confident artists but nobody who has taken to sex in the same way Madonna did in the early-1990s! Billboard celebrated the album’s twenty-fifth anniversary last year and  showed why it such an influential album:

“Erotica occupies a watershed place in the pop pantheon, setting the blueprint for singers to get raw while eschewing exploitation for decades to come. For its 25th anniversary, Billboard spoke to the players involved in Madonna's most creatively daring release. Here's what producer-writer Andre Betts, backup singer Donna De Lory, producer-writer Shep Pettibone, co-writer Tony Shimkin and Living Colour bassist Doug Wimbish recall of the writing and recording of Erotica, the insane release party for the LP and book, and the collective societal pearl-clutching that followed.

Tony Shimkin: After doing The Immaculate Collection and "Rescue Me," she let us know she was working on a new album and wanted us to be involved in the writing. Seeing I was a musician and writer and Shep [Pettibone] was more of a DJ and remixer, we collaborated on the writing of the tracks for the Erotica album. We went up to meet with her in Chicago, post-"Vogue," when she was filming A League of Their Own. So we met with her and started to get to work on some music, and sent it to her as we were working our way through it. She would come into New York and have a book full of lyrics and melody ideas and we started working together in Shep's home studio. I believe the first time she was in New York for an extended period, we were working on "Deeper and Deeper" and "Erotica" and "Bye Bye Baby." She's very driven. There's was never a period of feeling it out -- it was diving in headfirst”…

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna performs in New York City (circa 1993)/PHOTO CREDIT: L. Busacca/WireImage

“Doug Wimbish: I remember Madonna when she used to go to the Roxy before she got really put on. I'd see her at the Roxy when Afrika Bambaataa was down there or [Grandmaster] Flash, and she was down there jamming out. And not just being a spectator, but being engaged in the scene. Madonna's association with the dance music and the gay scene and the hip-hop scene merging in the downtown clubs in New York City, and her coming from Michigan, she got it.... And she knew Dre had something special. A song like "Where Life Begins" is right up his alley. She had a relationship with Dre for his rawness and realness. You gotta be around someone in this business who tells you, "No, I'm not digging that, that's why." And also keep the window open to listen. I think that's what Dre did”.

Maybe her epic workrate and output in the early-1990s meant the music would suffer a little bit but you cannot deny the impact and inspiration of Erotica. Erotica, Rain and Secret Garden are among her finest tracks and the tour that followed the album’s release was a spectacle and feast for the senses. Bringing the music to life would always be risky but (on the tour) there were naked dancers and all manner of thrills!  

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1992/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

This article looks at the album and how Madonna found people’s reaction to her career and how people were perceiving her:

“I think it’s boring,” an emboldened Madonna confided to Jonathan Ross in 1992, when asked about critics not taking her seriously as an artist. “But I think it’s a reflection of society. The subject matter I deal with, because it usually is about taboo subjects, people are so frightened of my ideas that they try to undermine my actual talent or any artistic value that may be in any of my work. And just say ‘oh she’s just doing that to shock people,’ or ‘oh, look, she’s changing her look again, she really knows how to manipulate the media.’ But the fact is if that’s all I was good at doing, I don’t think people would be paying attention to me for this long. I mean, I’m still here”…

 

“Far less shocking—or stimulating—to the senses by today’s more desensitized standards, to say that Erotica was controversial upon its release 25 years ago is an understatement. But the flip side of the coin is that it was an undeniably revolutionary record. The unabashed and forthright way that Madonna redefines sexual identity and power dynamics, deconstructs sexual taboos, and evangelizes sexual freedom was indeed groundbreaking for its time, serving as a much-needed wake-up call for the sexually repressed and repressive, particularly here in the notoriously puritanical United States of America…

Across Erotica’s fourteen compositions (thirteen on the LP’s edited version), Madonna successfully subverts the antiquated, straight-male dominated dialogue about sex by taking full command of the conversation and delivering a clinic in sexual liberation. With confidence and charisma in droves, she flips traditional gender-driven roles and ethics on their head, blurs the socially-constructed lines between the multitude of sexual identities that exist, and gives mainstream voice and validation to those traditionally marginalized toward the fringes of social acceptance”…

 

“The most painful and poignant moment appears with the somber “In This Life,” Madonna’s homage to two close confidantes who tragically lost their battles with AIDS—Martin Burgoyne, an artist and her first tour manager, and Christopher Flynn, her ballet teacher and mentor. Reminiscing about Flynn during a 2010 discussion with the film director Gus Van Sant for Interview magazine, Madonna reflected, “Growing up in Michigan, I didn’t really know what a gay man was. He was the first man—the first human being—who made me feel good about myself and special. He was the first person who told me that I was beautiful or that I had something to offer the world, and he encouraged me to believe in my dreams, to go to New York. He was such an important person in my life. He died of AIDS, but he went blind toward the end of his life. He was such a lover of art, classical music, literature, opera. You know, I grew up in the Midwest, and it was really because of him that I was exposed to so many of those things. He brought me to my first gay club—it was this club in Detroit. I always felt like I was a freak when I was growing up and that there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t fit in anywhere. But when he took me to that club, he brought me to a place where I finally felt at home”.

“Just as refreshing and rewarding musically as it was for its brave social and cultural conscience, Erotica was, is, and will forever be a fearlessly fierce album that only Madonna could make. No one has ever come close to replicating it and no one ever will. In Vanity Fair’s October 1992 issue, Madonna proclaimed, “I’m out to open [people’s] minds and get them to see sexuality in another way. Their own and others.’” More than any other album in her prolific oeuvre, Erotica fulfilled her objective and struck a mighty blow to the plague of cultural and moral myopia, in America and beyond”.

There are other tributes and articles that celebrate and mark Erotica but it is amazing to see how fresh, brash and unique it sounds twenty-six years after its release. I have missed the exact release date by a day but I thought I’d let the hangover cure and the assorted bodies depart the party! I prefer Ray of Light, Bedtime Stories and other Madonna albums but I think Erotica is a hugely important and underrated collection. Perhaps the overt sexuality and frank talk would be censored and criticised if released today but one can look at Erotica and see how it has inspired so many modern artists. From the self-reflective and personal recordings on Like a Prayer; Madonna adopted this new, in-control persona that, whilst fictional, was mirroring her own rise. Madonna was more autonomous and confident than ever and was releasing music that not only shocked but showed there was nobody in music like her!

Erotica split critics but people are still taking about it and it was a pivotal and important period in Madonna’s career. There was yet another big shift between Erotica in 1992 and 1994’s Bedtime Stories – as Billboard investigate:

“While Madonna certainly didn't lack for fame in 1994, the button-pushing Eroticaalbum had soured many critics and fans. For the first time in a decade of superstardom, people weren't shocked by her antics anymore -- even worse, they often seemed exhausted by her.

Artistically speaking, she'd spent the last four years challenging and subverting America's sexual puritanism. But after releasing an entire book called Sex featuring nude pictures of herself and other celebrities, there didn't seem to be anywhere else to go in that realm.

Instead of Erotica's chilly, pounding dance pop, Bedtime puts Madonna in softer sonic territory. There's the singer-songwriter-y "Secret," the avant pop of "Bedtime Story" (co-written by Bjork), the new jack swing jam "I'd Rather Be Your Lover" (featuring Meshell Ndegeocello rapping), the Herbie Hancock-sampling ballad "Sanctuary" and the lush, orchestral R&B of "Take a Bow."

But softer sounds didn't necessarily mean muted lyrics. "Human Nature" finds Madonna taking on her critics more directly than ever with a logical, defiant attack on slut-shaming. And while album opener "Survival" is a cozy R&B-pop song, it was similarly unrepentant in attitude”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: A promotional shot of Madonna for 1995’s Bedtime Story

With the Queen of Pop still active and, if rumours are to be believed, preparing material for a new album; I am fascinated looking back at her career and how she progressed. One can see jumps between every album but not more pronounced than the Like a Prayer-Erotica shift. Maybe there was dissent when Erotica was released and some found it too spicy for their tastes. The songs are incredible and Madonna sounds completely confident and fascinating throughout. I will look at Bedtime Stories when I look at 1994 but I was keen to mark Erotica and show how it impacted music and why it was an important release. Maybe other events around the album – including her book – soured the perception of Erotica and took away from the music but, strip all that away, and what you have is a huge achievement and a stunning album. Erotica helped assert the blueprint for modern-day Pop; it would inspire everyone from Beyoncé and Britney Spears to Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj. Although none come close to matching Madonna’s iconic status; many artists today are still dipping in and out of Erotica and letting it fill their creative minds. If you have a moment spare – and have some headphones as not to offend sensitive ears – have a visit of Erotica and revisit a wonderful L.P. It is a stunning creation from a Pop megastar who was determined to rule the world and outgun her peers. Whilst her best work was a few years away; Erotica saw Madonna rise from the promising and rising Pop artist to a peerless and controversial…

 IN THIS IMAGE: A shot from Madonna’s Sex book/PHOTO CREDIT: Steven Meisel

CONTROVERSIAL icon!

FEATURE: Fool’s Gold: Will We Ever See a Classic Pop Moment Again – or Does Nostalgia Cloud the Way We See Modern Music?

FEATURE:

 

 

Fool’s Gold

PHOTO CREDIT: @rexcuando/Unsplash  

Will We Ever See a Classic Pop Moment Again – or Does Nostalgia Cloud the Way We See Modern Music?

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MUSIC is a truly subjective medium…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @emmafranceslogan/Unsplash

and not one that imposes rules and absolutes. I am one of those people who are open-minded and do not like to constrict my horizons. That being said; I am not as ‘broad’ as I could be and do avoid some genres. It is hard with music, really. You try and embrace as much as you can but nobody likes every single thing that is before them and you overlook some things. What strikes me about modern music is how much choice there is available. I am stunned by the range and openness that means we can access pretty much anything – artists are splicing sounds together and there is endless choice. I am reading an interview the Beastie Boys gave and thinking about their regency. I am also looking ahead to next month and the fact a few Kate Bush albums are celebrating anniversaries. I am always pumped when legendary artists remain and continue to release work. I am also excited reflecting on the albums and songs I grew up around. The reason why I wanted to raise this article is down to the split between older music that I grew up around and what is available right now. I listen back to music of the 1980s and 1990s and wonder how far we have really come. In many respects; music is more open and the market is a lot more widespread. Artists who, decades ago, wouldn’t have been heard on the radio or discovered without a record label, in this age, are free to share their music and get it out to the world.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @sudhithxavier/Unsplash

One is amazed seeing how digital platforms have transformed music and what options we have now. I wonder whether that mass of newcomers has made it difficult to discover genius albums and wondrous songs. We all have songs we grew up around and, whether they were cheesy or cool, they have remained in our mind and are in our head. Popular music has no real scenes and clans the way it did decades ago. We do not have the Punk revolution or Britpop; there is no Beat Invasion and we have few of the communities that used to bond us. From those groups came defining anthems and works of brilliance that seemed to sum up the world or a particular group of people. Other masterful works arrived outside of those communities and the scene was more enriched and bold. I can recall a load of Pop classics from my childhood – by ‘Pop’, I do not mean a limited genre but what was considered popular. Whether a Madonna classic or a wonderful offering from Blur; a Beatles anthem or something from Destiny’s Child – I was spoiled for choice and was being brought up on new music and the stuff my parents listened to. We can all name those songs that scored our childhood and got us interested in music. Whilst there are great songs being released each week; when was the last time you heard a song that stopped you in your tracks and matched those classic songs from way back?!

Maybe The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army is the last real anthem I can compare with the greats but that was back in 2003! I love music now but the Pop mainstream does not have the same icons of the 1980s and 1990s. So many tracks are written to appeal to the streaming generation and create something easy and uncomplicated. Maybe modernity and technology have made it impossible to create anything generations-lasting and fresh. I look at the Pop genre and there are some wonderful artists but nothing that gets into my head. Look around every other genre and, again, you get some stone-cold classics but the joy only lasts a certain time. Most of the music I listen to on a daily basis is from years back. I still hanker and hark back to the music I grew up around and that usually ends at the start of the last decade. If you had to do a list of the top-twenty songs of all time; how many ‘recent’ songs would be in there? The same goes for albums, too. We all know the classics but I wonder whether any record from the past decade would be anywhere near the upper leagues. Again; brilliant albums have come and every year sees some brilliant albums come through. Maybe one or two records from the past decade could make it into the top-fifty all-time albums but, again, most of the top-ten/twenty would be from the 1960s-1990s/2000s.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Jackson/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The Pop mainstream has always had some rather tragic artists plugging away but we had those icons like Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince. I am going to write a piece about 1994 in a day or two and it is a year that amazes me. Not only did we get legendary albums from the likes of Jeff Buckley and Oasis but songs from around that time stay with me. Grunge was still (just about) around and there was great Dance music; female artists like Madonna and Tori Amos were leading the way and new genres were coming to prominence. I can rattle off a list of brilliant albums and songs from that year and I can name countless years where songs (from that year) have remained with me. How long has it been since we saw a Dance classic or a Pop anthem that will last through the decades?! Maybe it is too early to make a declaration but I think we are less interested in making anthems and genius albums. One can argue whether the album is dying – I do not think so but many people do not listen to them – but there is argument Pop music (whether a specific genre of the mainstream as a whole) is getting worse. Reports suggest Pop music is getting less fun and slower; there has a case of diminishing returns. This report, from 2012,

“Reuters reports that researchers in Spain used a huge archive known as the Million Song Dataset, which breaks down audio and lyrical content into data that can be crunched, to study pop songs from 1955 to 2010.

The report says that a team led by artificial intelligence specialist Joan Serra at the Spanish National Research Council ran music from the last 50 years through some complex algorithms and found that pop songs have become intrinsically louder and more bland in terms of the chords, melodies and types of sound used…

"We found evidence of a progressive homogenization of the musical discourse," Serra told Reuters. "In particular, we obtained numerical indicators that the diversity of transitions between note combinations - roughly speaking chords plus melodies - has consistently diminished in the last 50 years…

 

The research adds that modern pop has a more limited set of sounds, and it offers advice to musicians saying that old tunes re-recorded with increased loudness, simpler chord progressions and different instruments could sound new and fashionable”.

You can say music has got stronger in many ways and there is a lot to love about the modern scene – even if there has been a change regarding Pop and its sustainability. I feel the fact we have opened the doors and created better access for unsigned artists means we are often not that focused and too busy trying to get to grips with everything coming through. How often do we stick with an artist and play the same song/album? Music, for the most part, is evolving but I feel some of the fun and quality has been lost. I have been spinning song great tracks from back in the day and maybe it is the production or the scene at the time but it pops and makes me smile. These tracks will remain with me until I die and I wonder how much music from the past decade will remain in my brain as I approach middle and old age. There is subjectivity at play but I wonder whether nostalgia and our natural inclination to reflect on ‘better days’ clouds our view of modern music.

Nostalgia can be good and makes us remember where we came from but, as this article shows; nostalgia can be unhealthy and does not allow us to appreciate the past:

“Did you know that nostalgia was once thought of as an illness, a terrible malady that caused fever, stomach pain and even death? Sufferers of nostalgia were largely Swiss mercenaries who experienced symptoms after they were posted to the plains of France and Italy in the 18th and 19th centuries. They missed the mountains and the air and the St Bernards, and who wouldn’t have a funny turn at the thought of no more fondue and raclette?

Physicians – for doctors of old are always described as physicians, aren’t they? – put the peculiar condition down to demons before deciding that actually, it was caused by all the clanging of all the cowbells in the Swiss Alps. The cowbells damaged ear drums and brain cells and essentially sent people bonkers, you see”.

I do the same with T.V. shows and decades like the 1990s. We all tend to talk more about where we came from and how good things used to be as opposed focusing on what is good these day. Maybe music was better decades back but that is not to say the modern climate lacks inventiveness and potential. Maybe there are not the same sort of Pop classics and brilliant albums we grew up around but there are a lot of advantages and positive changes. The fact we have access to a lot of great new music means we are more educated and broader consumers than pre-Internet.  

PHOTO CREDIT: @jontyson/Unsplash 

Do we all tend to get mired in nostalgia and want things to return to the past? Are we all becoming a bit tired and stressed with the modern world and want to reset the clock? 

“…And as a country we are gripped by a collective anxiety that the world was a much better place in the past, even if in the past it was touch and go as to whether or not you’d have electricity for a whole day and in the past women could look forward to a life of cooking and cleaning and hoping that the rubbish would actually be taken away. A YouGov poll earlier this year found that 71 per cent of Britons think the world is on the slide. You’ll know the usual complaints, because you’ve probably used them yourself at least once in the past month: our young people are no longer safe because of the rise of social media; the internet and smart phones have made us impolite and insular; it is only a matter of time before we are finished off by robots or climate change or designer babies or immigrants”.

Many people, myself included, think music was stronger years ago but I wonder about those songs that shout at you and obsess your thoughts. Is an overly-nostalgic viewpoint and subjective haze clouding our appreciation of modern music and making us too closed-off?!

I think there is some truth but I wonder whether we will see those songs we’ll recall and sing decades from now. There have been books published that ask where the Pop and Rock stars have gone. Perhaps T.V., film and other aspects of popular culture made some decades shine and means we have transformed a lot now. I have not given up on modern music or feel it is weak in any way. The industry has changed and it is harder for artists to cement a legacy and create something world-beating. Although many artists keep decades likes the 1980s fresh in their music; it lacks the same spark and authenticity as hearing it first-hand. Again; is that nostalgia blocking our receptors or is music weaker now?! I do wonder where the Pop anthem has gone and whether any album released in the last decade will, decades from now, rival the best twenty or thirty. I love modern music but ask myself why I spend most of my free time revising music from way back. I do not feel it is pure nostalgia and wanting to be somewhere happier and safer. For sure; the music I listen to holds fond memories and I can recall where I was when these tracks were unleashed.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @nekotai/Unsplash

The Pop genre has lost some of its fun and melody; ultra-modern production and platforms have hindered a sense of organic and personal expression. I do think time itself and the march have technology have made music good in some ways – borders are open and there is more choice – but means, alas, we will never see music that hits us in the same way as the sort we were raised on. It is interesting weighting up that argument of fact vs. nostalgia and seeing whether there is an absolute truth. It would be stupid to say modern music is invalid and lacks soul because that is not true. I think a lot of its stems from the mainstream and what is promoted and how that is done. Even if you look at years like 1994, 1982 or 1967. These years are all vastly different and wildly eclectic. There were duff tracks festooning the charts but you had that variation to keep the mind active. I recall the great Dance music of the 1990s would be in the same chart and nook as Pop gold and Grunge.

There is more homogenisation at the top and the fact we do not really view the charts as a good indicator of quality shows has music has come on. Maybe changes will never come or we have gone too far to rekindle some of that fun and variety we saw years ago. I agree that music is a lot more challenging, open and broad than ever. We have opened the industry to unsigned acts and many things have improved. I agree nostalgia does cloud how we see things and can be quite intrusive. I think, mind, the reason why I am going to dedicate (yet ANOTHER) piece to 1994 and other classic musical years is because, sadly, modern music has lost a lot of its joy. In relation to the question I pose at the top of this piece; will we, alas, ever see a true Pop classic or album that can rub shoulders against the greats?! Having weighed everything up, and looking at the potency of modern music, I feel, in many ways, the very best and most fun days of music…

 

ARE way back in the past!

INTERVIEW: Verasect

INTERVIEW:

Verasect

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THIS interview sees me talking with Verasect…

who discusses the new E.P., Sleep Stories. I ask what themes inspired the work and what the story is behind the single, Aeon – Tom Vera (Verasect) tells me which albums and artists are most important to him.

I was keen to know whether the E.P. was fun to put together and what music he grew up around; whether there are any favourite memories from his career so far; which artists he’d support on the road given the chance; how he chills away from music – he ends the interview by selecting a great song.

__________

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

I'm doing well. A lot of traveling for me. I've been away for London for a few weeks now. I was in New York visiting friends and listening to some upcoming remixes for the first time. Now, I'm down in West Palm Beach which sounds exciting - but I'm not a beach person at all. Or a daylight person, for that matter. But, I’ve had some things to take care of down here.

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

I'm Tom Vera and produce under the name Verasect. The name is short for ‘veraciter sectari’ or ‘hunt the truth’ in the Latin. 

I'm originally from New York and was born out of the underground Industrial/Goth scene. I spent my youth stomping around East Village basement clubs but now that I'm older my music has moved in a more nuanced and emotional direction. My music is a mix of Darkwave, Synthpop, and Witch House with ethereal female vocals. I work with guest vocalists around the world but I write or co-write all the lyrics and vocal melodies, keeping a common narrative across all my music.

Aeon is out now. Is there a tale behind the song?

Aeon is based on a concept in the novel Ubik by Phillip K. Dick that I found incredibly strange and haunting. In the book, when you die you’re brought to a facility called ‘a moratorium’; revived and placed in a dream-like state. Your family and loved ones can come visit and ‘wake’ you up to talk via a headset.

But, the amount of time you can be awake is finite. It is used sparingly until you ultimately pass and can no longer be woken up. I read that book when I was a kid and that part always stuck with me. While it would be great to prolong life, are you just extending the pain for both side?! Aeon is about how it would be to have someone you love in that state of being between life and death. 

Sleep Stories is your new E.P. What ideas and stories inspired the music? Is there an overall arc/theme?

I've been an insomniac all my life, so I spend a lot of time in bed, staring at the ceiling lost in my thoughts. I keep myself super-busy during the day and am keeping lots of plates spinning but, at night, it's just you alone in the bed with the universe; past, present and future surrounding you.

While I consider myself an emotionally strong person, this is the time when I feel the most introspective but also the most vulnerable. So, whenever a thought or feeling would keep me up at night, I would try to form it into a song. I'd keep a notebook next to the bed and jot down ideas or lyrics. When in the studio, I'd use those notes as inspiration for songs which turned into this E.P.

Was it quite an enjoyable E.P. to put together? How quickly did the music form and cement?

I knew I wanted to do something different from my previous projects so I spent a lot of time exploring new sounds and techniques. I was really struggling but everything came together while writing Catch Your Breath and I knew I found the sound I was looking for. I wanted to finish the E.P. in a year and it took a bit longer than that. I can only write music when I'm in the mood and sometimes I need to walk away from music for a few weeks at a time.

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

I grew up on Industrial and Goth music. In high-school, I was the only kid really into that stuff but managed to drag some of my Metal and Punk friends to clubs in N.Y.C. There I was exposed to a lot more music and became friends with lots of local artist and D.J.s.

I tend to gravitate to older music. My all-time favorite band is Frontline Assembly - who are still putting out great albums after thirty years. For more modern Electronic music, I love The Glitch Mob and Jon Hopkins as well as a lot of female-fronted projects like Purity Ring, Chvrches and Grimes.

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

A remix E.P. should be done by the end of the year. I'm lucky enough to have two good friends who are experienced re-mixers in their respective genres: Tony Rohr for minimal Techno and Dobie for Trip-Hop. Ofdream also remixed a track - so talking to two more artists to complete it.

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

Probably the first time my music was played in front of a group of people, which happened in a bizarre way…

I had been producing for a few years and had a bunch of songs that I shared with friends but wasn't posting online or playing shows yet. Now, I'm at a big Fourth of July party at my friend's house with one-hundred-plus people. I was supplying music from my phone plugged into a P.A. system and stepped away so I put on ‘shuffle’. A few minutes later, a piñata comes out and I can get dragged over and blindfolded.

Just as I'm about to swing, I hear one of my songs start to play. I froze. It was like instantly and unexpectedly being put on stage, except I couldn't see anything which made it super-weird. I couldn't see anyone's face and gauge what they were thinking. I contemplated running over to turn it off but I just rolled with it and fuck*d that piñata up. When I took my blindfold off, I saw that nobody was revolted by my music and some people were actually enjoying it. Not a bad first gig.

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

Skip…

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

Nine Inch Nails, definitely. Trent puts so much creativity and effort into their shows and would love to be a part of it. Also, their touring keyboardist, Allessandro Cortini, is a huge gear-head and would love to nerd out with him backstage.

My rider would be pretty simple:  fast Wi-Fi and Phish Food.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Just do your own thing and stop trying to replicate other artists.  YouTube tutorials are great but it's hindering creativity and originality. Mess around, turn some knobs randomly and turn mistakes into something interesting.

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

After the remix E.P. is out, I'm going to finish up another E.P. of original songs and play some shows in London. We'll see what happens after that.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Skip this - I don't know any new music (smiles).

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

I have quite a few projects outside of music so leisure time is rare these days. My other creative outlet is photography which I do casually and is more of a relaxing hobby for me. For exercise, I powerlift, longboard and play squash.

Probably my most interesting hobby is Shibari, which is Japanese rope bondage. 

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).

Everything Connected by Jon Hopkins 

___________

Follow Verasect

Official:

http://www.verasect.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/verasect/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/verasect

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/verasect

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/verasect.music/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0qGXgOeaVWc7PXMJzHMOHW?si=t4n_R2QhRWKUYRPN7wzKKA

TRACK REVIEW: After London - You’re So Cold

TRACK REVIEW:

 

After London

PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

You’re So Cold

9.4/10

The track, You’re So Cold, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6mksUb1V7ocgnGOYp0Muqh?si=BBMG9OgMSr2cNUg2rfcLdA

GENRES:

Alternative-Rock; Punk; Alternative

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

12th October, 2018

_________

WHEN thinking about After London…

PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

I get to look at bands and those working in the U.K. right now; how artists can change sound and keep on developing; competing in a heavy market and standing out; songs that mix in Punk and Psychedelic sounds; female-led bands and why I am particularly involved; getting all your social media considerations sorted and cemented; a little about how bands can translate live – I will end by looking at After London and how they can progress. I wanted to start by addressing bands that can start out with one frame of mind and then change to another. I am a fairly new convert to After London and what they are all about. The sounds they are putting out right now have plenty of energy and biting moments and there is something a little weird and tripping to be discovered. After London started as an acoustic band a few years back and they decided to ditch the acoustic guitars and crank up the volume. It is interesting seeing how artists can develop and evolve through the years. It would be interesting to hear some of the early After London recordings and the leap they have taken. I don’t think any band/artist comes into music with a set sound and has it all sorted out! They mould and develop; they keep pressing and pushing and they always look to see how far they can go. Most of these changes are not that radical but, in terms of After London, they have made quite a step in regards their tones. From acoustic sounds and something a little calmer, they have harnessed their inner-beasts and taken a sharp turn. That decision came a few years back and it seems like they have settled into what they do. I am always interested seeing how bands change things and whether they stick with what sounds right. By that, I mean artists often feel like they have the ‘right’ sound and are unwilling to bend and try something new.

PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

After London are always moving and change between songs and they are not willing to stand still. The guys want to keep their songs fresh and original so that means taking risks and experimenting. I am a fan of what they are putting out now but feel, in a little while, they will be trying yet another direction and seeing what they are capable of. What is brilliant is how confident and assured the band sound. There is that connection and chemistry in the ranks and, with that, comes a large amount of trust. I am not sure whether songs are written by the whole band or their lead, Francesca, pens the songs. There is a democracy and definite bond in the band and you can hear how comfortable they feel around one another. If you have that respect and are on the same page; it is easier to mutate your work and push things forward. My overall point is how difficult it can be for some artists to alter what they do because they fear commercial failure or something will go wrong. I have heard a lot of bands, between songs or albums, try new stuff and genres and it can sound a little clumsy. After London are a comfortable and assured band who seem effortless and natural when they are writing meaty riffs or evoking something dizzying, acidic or romantic. You get so much love and life in the music of After London and I am impressed how far they have come and how accomplished they sound – I expect this to continue through the years and it will not be long until they are getting some huge gigs. There are so many bands out there and I can always detect the ones who will reign and shine for years to come; those who sound lacklustre and tired are often unwilling to amend their music and step into new territory.  

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

After London stand out because they have great songs and, as I have said, they tweak what they do and they have changed quite a bit since their inception. You cannot just come into the market with good songs and expect to survive and be taken to heart. You need to provide more and consider every single angle. I feel a lot of artists do not realise how much work is required and what it takes to endure and resonate. After London have an understanding of the market and they make sure they take care of every single thing. Their sound is complete and original but you can hear shades of modern and classic artists in what they do. Little bits of artists like Anna Calvi come into the vocals/guitars and there are Punk shades; a few elements of other acts but, essentially, it is a band who are knowing of what they want to achieve and have forged their own identity. Getting their music and sound solid and focused is a hard thing to do and I wonder what discussions went on behind the scenes. I hear so many bands who change things up a lot and are still looking for their footing. It is tricky having something perfect and appealing right from the off and many artists take years to hit their peak. I feel like After London will move and continue to explore but they seem like they have hit gold. Apart from sounds and dynamics; you also have to consider your live performance and other factors. The band’s name, for one, strikes me and holds interest. I discover so many artists who have a forgettable name or something that is pretty ordinary. A lot of times, bands have rather silly names and it can be hard to connect with them. ‘After London’ is a great name and it makes you wonder where that came from. It may sound like a minor factor, but getting your name right and song titles standing out is vital. Alongside everything else, the band have a great social media outlet – as I shall explore in a bit.

Another reason why I wanted to look at After London is the fact they have plenty of nuance and personal appeal. You listen to their songs and new things are revealed through time. Layers emerge and you spot stuff that was missed the first time around. I am not sure whether that is because they hone and practice a lot before hitting the studio or whether live performance have given them new edge and abilities. In any case; what you get is a band who keep coming to mind the more you play them. I look at publicity photos of them and you feel like there is a lot of cheer and love among them. I have not met them personally but I can tell they are a fun and hungry band. I love the photos they have out there right now but wonder if there are more shoots coming. The band shine from the page and you are attracted to their style and sense of pull. Maybe that is something that comes naturally to them but, when you mix it with everything else they do, you get the complete package. There is so much to consider and ask yourself when you come into music. It is a really challenging industry so you need to make sure you have everything figured and accounted for. After London have the ammunition to succeed and thrive and they tick all of the boxes. I am not sure what they have planned for the coming years and how they want to move forward but the guys are rock-solid and they have so much love for what they do. This all shows when you see them live or hear one of their songs. Everything pops and you are beckoned in by a band who wants to go a long way and have a lot more to say. The sounds they make, and how they mix genres, is a reason why I like what they do.

I am hearing a lot of bands with Punk snarl but a lot of it sounds rather insincere and vague. Not that After London are all about Punk and that is their only genre; they have that in their locker and make their songs explode and shine. Listen to Ceremony Waits and You’re So Cold and you can sense that energy and spit coming from the front. One gets melody and colour with the band but it is the way they come out of the traps and the physicality they display that really gets to me. I feel Punk is a genre that is coming back a lot more and something that is grabbing the critical ear. We are living in a time when things are fractured and the people are divided. I am not sure whether things will get better and where we are headed but many artists are responding by creating something angrier and more electric. After London are concentrated more on personal endeavours and concerns but I wonder whether they will take in more political and social concerns for their future material. After London have a bit of attack and lunge in regards a Punk dynamic but they lace in something Psychedelic and fuse that with other genres. This is a combination that works really well and I would like to see more bands follow in their footsteps. I guess bands like The Wytches and a few others do this but it is quite rare. If the lyrics and vocals were quite unfocused and average then the sound would not count for much. As it stands; every facet and angle is great and the band has this brilliant foundation. They can talk about cold hearts and unwanted attentions and do so in a fresh and unexpected way. I wonder why Punk is making a comeback and whether political considerations are bringing this out of artists. After London bring their own blend and version to the party.

PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

Before I move on to another theme; I want to stay with Punk and what it is capable of. It is an interesting and bold genre that has room for manoeuvre and you can get a lot from it. After London seem to tip their hat 1970s Punk and something raw but they mix that with a more modern version. It has some softness around the edges but you get that fizzy and busting sound coming from the centre. It is hard to put into word but you get an unexpected combination with After London. It is amazing how they have changed from this acoustic band that was very different to how they are now and how settled they appear now. The full force of their Punk movements comes to life in their live performances and this is another area where they succeed. I do not get to too many live gigs – for one reason or the other – but I am hearing great things about After London and what they can do on the stage. The band can create a storm from the stage and have been lauded because of their connection, powerful performances and sense of bond with the audience. It is clear they love what they do and they feel very natural on the stage. What you get from After London is a potent and varied live set and a memorable experience. The guys are tight and complete and they can replicate what they do in the studio to the stage. Rather than lazily copy that studio sound; they inject something different into their live show and provide the people with something a little different. It is amazing seeing how a band can sound different on the stage and how that varies to how they sound on record. I am trying to cover every angle regarding After London and what they are about. I must consider the makeup of the band and why that is important.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

Maybe it is not wise to highlight a band because they have a female member but the fact they are female-led means there is a different aspect to them. You either get all-male or all-female bands but those who mix genders tend to hit my hardest. I know there are quite a few female-led bands out there and each of them provides their own take and magic. The reason why I raise this point is you get something different in the composition compared to the vocal. It is hard to put into words but there is a different story and physicality coming from the back as there is the front. This gels really well and you get two-layered songs that stand in the mind. I am always on the look-out for female-led bands and female artists and do not feel like they get the credit they warrant. A female voice, to me, holds more potency and potential than a male one. Maybe it is something emotional or instinctual but I am a bigger fan of the female sound. Francesca does not follow others or feel the need to replicate male artists. She has own sound and blends perfectly with Bryon, Will; Jake and Alex. The entire band fuses brilliantly but it is the vocal and how they resonate that gets to me. More and more; I am hearing female-led Punk bands emerge and it is a very popular combination. I still think the industry pays too much attention to men and does not really consider women as much as they should. I have talked a lot about Punk and what After London do but I feel one of the reasons why they are so popular – no offence to the rest of the band! – is that female lead. I wonder how long it will take until bands like After London get Glastonbury headline spots and can succeed the men. It is a shame there is still this sexism and the music industry is still not as evolved and conscientious as it should be.

I am keen to move onto a song but, before I arrive, I should explore that female tone and why mixed-gender bands are exciting. You get different emotions and sounds coming from the songs when you have men and women in the group. I am not saying there is a distinct ‘male’ or ‘female’ sound when you listen to music but I can detect a discernible shift between all-male and all-female bands. The writing, to me, seems to be more developed and intriguing when you consider someone like After London. The performance and sound is more varied and there is a lot more to get involved with. I do tend to find, especially with all-male bands, there is a lot of rivalry in the ranks and relationships can turn sour. I am not suggesting a mixed-gender band is more secure but there tends to be more harmony and diplomacy between them. After London sound pretty comfortable and happy around one another and their music has strengths and contours I have not found with other bands. I should stop talking about various sides to what they do and come to the music itself. They have released a double A-side single but I have decided to pick You’re So Cold – Ceremony Waits is the other side of the record. The band has been working hard and both songs sound incredible. They have different tones and stories and both have been played on the live stage. The reason I chose You’re So Cold is because it is a live favourite and I was interested seeing how it sounds when recorded in the studio. It makes me wonder where they go from here and what they have planned for next year. I shall explore their future and what is coming up in the conclusion but it is the right time to get involved with a great new song from After London.  

PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

I wanted to concentrate on You’re So Cold (as opposed Ceremony Waits) because, to me, it leaps from the gate quicker and seem to have an edge. Punchy and bold drums get the track springing forth and, curiously, there is a little bit of the 1980s in the sound! Maybe I am thinking about the similarities between the first seconds of You’re So Cold and My Sharona! That may sound little a jab but it is actually quite cool! Soon enough, the song goes in another direction and, actually, there are still bits of other decades. When the heroine comes to the microphone, combined with squally guitars and cool shred; I detect a little bit of influence of 1990s Alternative and some older-days Punk. The lead talks about a subject who is cold and she seems to take pleasure in informing them of the fact. You are not aware, from the off, whether it is a man or a woman but there is a definite sense of edginess and mistrust. The band whips up a combination of Pop king and Punk grit as the track warps, hovers and vibrates into the stratosphere. Our heroine’s voice is alive and unleashed as she stretches words and makes other explode like a bomb. It is never too intense and violent but it also never lacks vibrancy and stun. The opening moments of the song are about that mantra: letting the anti-hero(heroine) know they are cold and ensuring that gets into their head. Before a verse has come; the band get you dancing and motivated with a scintillating and tripped-out composition. It is a catchy and springing sound that gets under the skin and pricks the imagination. The bass comes through and guides as the heroine asks their subject whether they are on her stage. I can hear the influence of Dream Wife and songs like Hey Heartbreaker in the way the words are projected and enunciated. There is a little bit of classic Punk and bands like Blondie; a bit of the great Psychedelic bands and some shades from the modern-day cannon.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

One can name artists that are influential to After London but it is their own skin and sound that defines what they are about. You’re So Cold is a song that gets in your head because it comes from them and nobody else could come up with it. So many bands go in with clichés and predictable formations. After London have something different in their locker and it is that fresh and original perspective that shines. The heroine asks whether they are fools (her and her lover) and whether they can provide what they promise. Maybe it is a straight-up look at a relationship that is going sour but I wonder whether something wider and more general is being presented. The vocal is constantly exceptional and changing as each line has a different sound and, before you know it, there is a violent scream or an exclamation you did not see coming. The song is always winding and twisting and that is down to the way the band combines. The composition remains fairly unobtrusive in the early phases but it brilliantly backs the heroine who is keen to get her words out and have her say. It appears things have gone wrong with someone she knows and that fall-out has been severe. After a rather physical and direct vocal; you get this zither/theremin-inspired guitar sound and it gives the track a spaced and cosmic aspect. What gets to me is how the two different worlds and sounds can fuse and sound natural alongside one another. The band never sound forced and everything hangs together perfectly. It seems like there used to be a bond and sense of connection between the two but now things have gone wrong. The villain has been cruel and burnt any chance of love; left the heroine feeling foolish and taken too many liberties.

Inside of all of this; there is a hope things might last – she can be a horror and her lover can be a freak – but maybe that is clinging on to old memories. It is the way the words are presented and how the story comes to life that really gets to me. Always energised, emotive and stylish; it is a compelling and memorable performance that brings the song to life and ensures it stays in the brain long after you have heard it. When you hear the chorus and that sentiment of the other being cold; you wonder how things went wrong and what happened. I am interested unpicking the song and is roots but it seems like After London will not disclose all of their secrets. You’re So Cold is a brilliant song that sounds very modern and relatable but definitely has some of its D.N.A. in the past. The band are consistently solid and inspired and, backed by an incredible central vocal, you are compelled by every note of You’re So Cold. Maybe the Dream Wife comparisons are a little strong in some places but that need not be a bad thing. After London are a very different proposition and do things in their own way. If you want to discover a great new band that will stay with you and have the potential to go a long way then you’d do right to get behind After London. I am excited to see where they go next and whether there is more material in the pipeline.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

With a couple of new songs out, I am excited to see where After London can go and what they planning next. The new material they have out is amazing and it is already gathering airplay and positive reviews. I am not certain whether they have an E.P. or album arriving next year but there will be more material I am sure. It is great seeing them develop and how far they have come. Keep abreast of their social media pages for gigs and what they have arriving but I would recommend you catch them if you can. What strikes me about After London is how committed and determined they are. Their social media pages are great and it would be good to see yet more images and photoshoots from them. They are always keen to keep people updated and connected and I know they will continue that. They have a fantastic sound and clear bond and that is a reason why their music sounds complete and solid. That pace and energy will carry into 2019 and I feel they will continue to make steps and improvements. Bigger gigs will come and they will keep on building on what they do. I can see the big steps they have made and how their music has changed since the very start. If you have the opportunity to see After London on the stage then I would recommend that. They are getting gigs in London and around the South but I think they will get bigger gigs and have the chance to travel around the country. The band seem like they would be great in other continents and 2019 might provide that platform. Let’s consider where they are now and how good songs like You’re So Cold sound. You can detect how confident they are and how much love they have for what they do. This is great to hear and next year is going to be a huge one for them. Take a listen to what After London are putting out and get behind their next moves. I am a fan of their work and will be behind them as they move forward. Maybe they are in the underground right now but it cannot be long until they…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

ASCEND to the big leagues.

___________

Follow After London

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kramerdoingbits

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/after_london

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/afterlondonofficial/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/74rsF94bKLEqgRq7yGGElA?si=sxOqYvUET2eCwXwYUfG9Nw

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/afterlondon

INTERVIEW: Nuela Charles

INTERVIEW:

Nuela Charles

___________

I am ending today…

by speaking with the Canadian artist Nuela Charles about her fantastic new E.P., Distant Danger. She talks about some of the themes addresses and who she worked on the E.P. with; what she hopes to achieve by the end of the year and which albums are most important to her – she recommends some artists to look out for.

Charles talks about how she got into music and where she is headed on tour; if she is coming to the U.K. at any point; whether she gets time to unwind away from music – the songwriter ends the interview by selecting a great track.

__________

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

Hiya. My week has been great so far. I just got back home and unpacked after four weeks on the road!

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

Sure thing. My name is Nuela (pronounced new-ella) Charles. I’m an Alt-Soul artist based out of Alberta, Canada and I like to say that I sound like a soundtrack to a James Bond movie.

Can you recall when you made your way into music? Was there a time or artist that influenced that decision?

Music was always in our house growing up. My dad had an old acoustic guitar that he’d play. When I was around fourteen or fifteen, I started teaching myself how to play guitar after feeling inspired by artists like Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch and Fefe Dobson seeing them playing on MTV and Much Music.

Which artists do you draw from most? Do you have particular favourites?

It’s funny, because the music that I listen to leans more to the Alternative/Rock side; artists like Nothing But Thieves, Arctic Monkeys; Reignwolf etc. – so my influences are pretty ranged. But, I’ve always thought Kimbra, Jacob Banks and Lianne La Havas were great and would continually see what they were doing.

 

Distant Danger is your new E.P. What sort of themes inspired the songs we hear?

This E.P. touches on relationships, but talks about the strength that comes in realizing your own self-worth and standing up for that - like in Troublemaker and Do It Right. Danger is about taking a risk and stepping out of your comfort zone; even if only a little. 

Sugar might be one of my favourites because it talks about the worst parts of a relationship, but ultimately asks for the sweeter side. And, after all is said and done, even if your world is crumbling down; you need to get up and March On.

 

Did you work with different producers and writers on the E.P.? Was it fun putting everything together?

I worked with a few different producers on this project. Do It Right was one of the first songs for this project and was written and produced with the Grammy-nominated producer Rob Kleiner (Andra Day, Ceelo Green and Sia), while I was in Los Angeles. Danger was produced in Vancouver with Ryan Worsley (Dear Rouge) and the rest were co-produced by myself and production duo Towers in Edmonton, Canada.

It was fun being able to take the time moulding the songs into what they are now. I definitely pushed and we often went through several versions of most of the songs before we settled on the versions you hear on the record – and they’re better for it.

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

The rest of 2018 is going to be a bit quiet as I look toward 2019. I look forward to playing more gigs and festivals in different countries and putting out more music. 

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

This past March, I was nominated for a 2018 JUNO Award for Contemporary Album of the Year - which is the Canadian version of a Grammy - so that was pretty amazing; being in a category with Michael Bublé is never a bad look. The event itself was amazing and it was my first time rocking a red carpet…although I definitely felt in my element!

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

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill 

It was the first album I’d heard which made me think ‘You’re allowed to say that?!’ She was so raw and honest and it really resonated with me. 

Mariah Carey - Mariah Carey

This album taught me how to sing. Every song is a lesson in vocal control and it gives me life every time I hear it. 

And, most recently… 

Nothing But Thieves – Broken Machine and Nothing But Thieves

I know, technically, that’s four albums but their albums are some of the few that I can actually get through all the songs and keep on-repeat. It’s just so good - vocally, musically and lyrically. They’re actually saying something that carries weight (and they’re killer live).

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

I would support Beyoncé, any time, day, hour or place. In regards to a rider; I’m pretty easy going. A masseuse would be rad, though. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I tell artists to learn the different parts of the industry so that you know what is expected of people when you hire them to work for you. Be knowledgeable, develop your craft; collaborate and be nice. 

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

Currently working on booking some more shows for the New Year but I have two nights at the Citadel Theatre here in Edmonton in January.

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

I will definitely come back to the U.K. I actually just got back from there where I played my first Sofar Sounds gig. It was amazing!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sam Fender

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I’m always so bad with keeping up with new artists: I’m usually a year or two late. But, I’ve been loving Sam Fender, grandson and Grace Carter lately. 

IN THIS PHOTO: Grace Carter

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

Not much time to unwind, but Netflix and chill is always a safe bet. Especially, when I’m on the move – the familiarity is comforting. Even if it’s just on in the background while I’m working on the computer.

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 just head the new Lukas Graham song, Not a Damn Thing Changed. There’s so much tension; I love it

___________

Follow Nuela Charles

Official:

http://www.nuelacharles.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/nuelacharles

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/nuelacharles

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/nuela_charles

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHOgz3G58xuh-Z5xcN5mkBQ

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/54l7IHesYhtkP9Dm4jN4Zl?si=9_83AWqmTbijBBlNXxMq_Q

 PHOTOS OF NUELA CHARLES:

Steven Hope

FEATURE: Lost in Translation: Is the Contemporary Music Scene Truly Accepting of Trans Artists?

FEATURE:

 

 

Lost in Translation

IMAGE CREDIT: Sunshine Art

Is the Contemporary Music Scene Truly Accepting of Trans Artists?

__________

ONE of the reasons why I am interested in the rights of trans artists…

is because there is discussion online regarding greater equality - there are many other reasons why I want to explore this subject and look in more depth (musicians are often overlooked when it comes to talk about trans people). The hashtag #ComeOutForTransEquality has been trending and getting people talking. If you are not aware of what has been happening and why such discussion has been sparked; here is some background from DIVA:

“In just two days, 108 organisations signed up to a full page advertisement in today’s Metro newspaper, promoting the hashtag #ComeOutForTransEquality – and now that hashtag has gone viral, trending on Twitter across the UK.

"I’m extremely proud that DIVA, together with Stonewall, has taken the lead on this,” Linda Riley, publisher of DIVA magazine said earlier this afternoon.

Since launching the campaign this morning, thousands of people – including well known public figures and celebrities – have taken to social media to share photographs of the ad page, comments, and messages of support – drowning out the small minority of people still attacking the trans community.

The campaign comes just days before a government consultation on reforms to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 close (read more about that here)”.

The deadline to respond to the Government’s GRA consultation has been extended to midday on Monday. There are many reasons to add your voice and have your say. Stonewall have added some information and you would be advised to visit their website to find out more:

“The UK Government is consulting on vital new rights for trans (including non-binary) and intersex people. This could be a huge step forward for trans equality. It is crucial that the Government sees trans people and allies coming out in support…

Failure to secure these reforms would not just hold back trans people's rights, it would represent a major setback in our collective efforts to secure LGBT rights and equality.

That's why we need you to come out in support, get your friends, family and networks involved, and show that people across Britain support trans people’s right to be accepted and live free from hate”.

Before I go on, and if you need definitions and more clarification regarding transgederism, transsexualism and providing some background - so my words and the debates going on hold weight - here is some clarification:

“1. Transgenderism is an umbrella term for the state or condition of identifying or expressing a gender identity that does not match a person's physical/genetic sex. Transgender is independent of sexual orientation, and those who self-identify as transgender may consider themselves to be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, or asexual. Approximately 700,000 individuals in the U.S. identify as transgender.

2. Transgenderism differs from intersex, a variation in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, or genitals that do not allow an individual to be distinctly identified as male or female. Intersex is a physical condition while transgender is a psychological condition. The vast majority of people with intersex conditions identify as male or female rather than transgender or transsexual. (The term “hermaphrodite” is now considered outdated, inaccurate, and offensive as a reference to people who are intersex.)…

IMAGE CREDIT: Stonewall/Getty Images

3. The terms transgender, transsexual, and transvestite are not synonymous. Transsexual is a narrower term used to refer to people who identify as the opposite of their birth gender designation, regardless of whether they have undergone or intend to undergo hormone replacement therapy and/or sex reassignment surgery. A transvestite is a person who cross-dresses, or dresses in clothes of the opposite sex, though they may not identify with, or want to be the opposite gender. All transsexuals are transgender, but transvestites do not necessarily fall into either of the other categories.

If you feel like trans people - transsexual and transgender - in this country, and around the world, have the same rights as everyone else – and are treated fairly – then you need to do some research. I have been reading this article that gives some revelation, statistics and eye-opening realities:

“If you picked up a copy of Metro on Tuesday, you may have seen an advert featuring over 100 organisations voicing their support for transgender rights. After Fair Play For Women placed an advertisement in the newspaper last week which for many felt like an attack on the transgender community, charities and publications across the UK have decided to take a stand ahead of an important consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act.
If you picked up a copy of Metro on Tuesday, you may have seen an advert featuring over 100 organisations voicing their support for transgender rights. After Fair Play For Women placed an advertisement in the newspaper last week which for many felt like an attack on the transgender community, charities and publications across the UK have decided to take a stand ahead of an important consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act….

Woefully out of date When the Gender Recognition Act became law in 2004, it gave trans people the right to have their gender identity legally recognised. But that Act, as transgender people and campaigners have pointed out, is woefully out of date. In order to legally change their birth certificate, trans people have to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria and endure a series of intrusive assessments over a two-year period where a panel of legal and medical experts determines their gender. They can only do this at the age of eighteen, and it costs £140 to do so. If we voice our support for a reformation of the Act through the Government’s consultation, which is being carried out until 19 October, transgender people will no longer have to undergo a time-consuming process that can take years in order to prove their gender…

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

This could also help non-binary and intersex people be treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve. Yet in spite of these common-sense reformations, this consultation has evoked a toxic and harmful debate. The trans community are frequently attacked online, while their identities are questioned in the press, whether that’s pieces suggesting that there has been a trans “explosion”, or that trans teenagers are taking part in “an experiment”. Attacks on trans people can have a devastating impact. Roughly 45 per cent of trans teens in the UK attempt suicide, and hate crimes against the community have risen by a third in the past year alone”.

There is a lot more awareness when it comes to the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. community and what many people have to ensure. There are Pride flags proudly adorned and yearly Pride festivals raise awareness and create unity. I know a few artists from the community and, whilst things are improving and conversation is happening; they are not afforded the same rights and privileges as other musicians. Sexuality and sexual identity should not dictate how people are treated – the same way race and gender should never be an issue. That sounds rather naïve but there are fantastic trans artists out there who are not as visible as one would hope. It is not their fault at all.

Look at the mainstream and industry as a whole and how many L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. members does one hear on the radio and see adorning the cover of magazines?! There are great articles out there that highlight trans artists carving out their own niche and showing their colours. I will bring in a great study that asks whether trans artists have visibility and rights and, as I end this piece with a selection of songs from trans artists,  there is no real difference in sound. One gets this rather false impression that trans and L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. artists will always sing about their sexuality or they’ll be camp; it is all going to be rather atonal, unusual and inaccessible. If you have the mindset (that trans artists) will be second-rate cabaret performers who cannot rank alongside other musicians then you would be wrong. From ANOHNI to Ezra Furman (who, to be fair, identifies as gender-fluid) through to Mina Caputo and Laura Jane Grace – the songs being performed as are ordinary, striking and popular as any others out there. Perhaps there are trans artists talking about their struggle and fight but most of the trans artists I have heard are singing about the same sort of thing as their non-trans peers. This raises a couple of points. One wonders whether there are trans artists in the underground who are not being let through and are expected to blend in with others.

 IN THIS PHOTO: ANOHNI/PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times

Maybe trans artists who we all know are reserved about projecting a true message because they feel it will be detrimental and damage their careers. I also wonder whether the scene is not accommodating of trans (and L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. artists) performers who want to document their sexuality, changes and souls. I would like to see more trans artists promoted and highlighted – not in a pandering way but to celebrate what they do and ensure there is greater awareness and acceptance.  There are articles and think-pieces out in the press, such as this from The Independent, that highlights realities and how now, after so long, we are starting to make changes and offer equality for trans people:

“People suffer when their gender is not recognised by law, or when the government sets boundaries that define their gender. When something is in law it is “normalised”. It’s a reassurance that equal rights will be given and prejudice is the abnormality.

That’s why same sex marriage and every other fight for equality was crucial. The law must see us and recognise us as the people we are. Concerns can still be raised – equality doesn’t mean silence, but our laws should protect people who for too long have been forced to remain invisible. Let people be who they are. Today”.

I understand there are artists out there who identify as trans and are happy in their skin but there are a lot who are changing their style and holding back because they want to fit into the music industry – and not risk being judged our outcast. It is rare we see openly gay artists being acclaimed and revered and, although there are many L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. artists in music as a whole; there are relatively few in the mainstream and, if there are more, I wonder whether, again, they are hiding their true desires – talking about sex and their struggles without disguising it – and allowed to freely express. I wonder whether we still have a long way to go with regards L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. artists and whether we are aware of the fact there are trans artists out there who are being overlooked. In an industry where women still are being ignored and having to struggle for equality; is this discrimination and sexism a reason why trans artists are less visible and assimilated as one would like?! This essay, from Sarah Bartolome, published earlier this month, gives fascinating insight into the music industry and trans artists:

“Of the nearly 900 artists nominated for Grammy awards since 2013, only 9.3 percent were women. Only two percent of music producers were women. Since the award’s launch in 1974, only six women have been nominated for a Grammy Award Producer of the Year. No woman has ever won the award…

IN THIS PHOTO: Laura Jane Grace/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Yet while the underrepresentation of women in the music industry is startling, the conversation regarding gender disparity in mainstream popular music completely overlooks one particular group of missing musicians: those who identify as transgender or non-binary.

It is true the individuals in the transgender community have increased visibility in many public arenas. In politics, Danica Roem made history in November, becoming the first openly transgender individual elected to the U.S. State Legislature.

In sports, transgender athletes such as Harvard University swimmer Schuyler Bailar, U.S. duathlete Chris Mosier, American cyclist Jillian Bearden, and MMA fighter Fallon Fox have public profiles.

In Hollywood, Jaime Clayton (Netflix’s Sens8) and Candace Cayne (ABC’s Dirty Sexy Money) have joined Emmy Nominee Laverne Cox (Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black) as successful transgender actors who portrayed recurring characters on popular television shows”.

PHOTO CREDIT: @mrs80z/Unsplash 

It is rare to see an L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. artist win an award or being represented the same way as anyone else in the mainstream and, for trans artists, there is that similar lack of visibility. Maybe it is unfair to say they are deliberately and systematically marginalised but I feel there is a bit of an ignorance and lack of understanding. Might we ever see trans musicians being acknowledged fairly and given the freedom to integrate into the scene naturally and without barriers?

“…And yet, we have seen little mainstream success for transgender popular musicians. To date, no openly transgender musician has ever debuted on the Billboard Charts or won a Grammy Award as a popular music artist.

Some may attribute a lack of visible trans musicians to a dearth of performers competing in the industry. In reality, there is a large community of trans musicians actively creating and performing music, highlighted by Billboard and PBS in recent features on trans and non-binary musicians.

Another explanation for the absence from mainstream recognition may be that it is difficult for trans and non-binary musicians to find a place in the male-dominated industry. Research has shown that males have more negative attitudes towards transgender individuals, demonstrate more anti-transgender prejudice, and are more concerned with transgender women in female bathrooms than their female counterparts”.

There is, despite the comparative lack of trans artists in music, hope there is improvement and discussion. Although trans musicians do not suffer the same bullying and violence as trans people in other areas of society; I feel many are unafraid to discuss what they want in their lyrics and discuss their lives in a very unabashed and unedited fashion. Whether transsexual or transvestites; these are artists who have a critical voice and have a lot of value. Their voice and stories can act as guidance and inspiration to those in other parts of the world; people who are being ignored and assaulted; those who are afraid to come forward and feel like they will be judged. Some artists, like Laura Jane Grace, have sparked discussion and have not faced an immense amount of backlash:

“Punk rock band Against Me!’s lead singer Laura Jane Grace came out as transgender in Rolling Stone in 2012 and continues to be a vocal trans advocate, openly discussing her difficult journey.

Fans did not abandon the band following Grace’s public transition: In 2014, the band found its way back to the Billboard charts with the critically acclaimed album Transgender Dysphoria Blues. Their 2016 album Shape Shift with Me also peaked at number 6 on the Billboard charts

D. Smith, who earned a Grammy Award credit for producing the track “Shoot Me Down” on Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III, Rap Album of the Year (2009), came out as transgender in 2016. She did a short stint on Season 5 of VH1’s series, Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta, using the opportunity to educate the public about the trans community. She released her first solo single, “I’m That Bitch,” in 2016”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press 

I feel the music industry, as it is, is not as open and borderless as it could be. I know there are trans artists out there but the lack of voice at the top of the industry is not surprising. Consider how hard it is for women in music and how many L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. artists feel like they are not afforded the same oxygen and rights as others. Visibility, great discussion and social media campaigns like #ComeOutForTransEquality are assisting in raising awareness and helping change come about. I hope the Government does more to protect trans people and they are allowed to go through life with the same rights as everyone else. The violence, hatred and discrimination many (trans people) face is alarming and I feel music has a role to play. There are trans actors who are active and vocal but we have fairly few musicians who are being given the platform on which to speak and have their say. The essay I have been quoting does raise a good point regarding recent changes and how equality might be in sight:

 “The recent rise in visibility of transitioning musicians may pave the way for openly transgender and non-binary musicians to enter mainstream popular music. Further evidence shows that trans voices are emerging from the margins and stepping into the spotlight….

 IN THIS IMAGE: Shea Diamond/IMAGE CREDIT: Billboard

North Carolina’s Moogfest announced its 2018 lineup which will feature exclusively female, trans, and non-binary musicians. One Voice Mixed Chorus in St. Paul will host the Transgender Voices Festival in April, a gathering designed to “offer a space for transgender and gender nonconforming (GNC) singers across musical genres and cultures to explore our voices and identities, grow as artists, and learn techniques for voice care”.

I hope changes come in fast and here, in the U.K., the Government will offer greater rights and protection for trans people. We should not feel like we have to normalise and integrate trans people as they are part of our society and there is nothing different about them. By this; I mean they are like you and me and it is ridiculous and insulting they should suffer any abuse. In music, I am aware of some trans artists emerging and having their say but there is a way to go. I would like to see more discussion and interviews; greater awareness and highlight of these artists. Not so they are made special and isolated but show how important their voices are and allow them to write and perform as they feel natural. There is a way to go, sure, but I think change can happen and we can, in years to come, see an industry that is open and accommodating of trans and L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. artists. We need, in general, to see greater equality in the music industry and we all know what needs to be fixed. I feel many trans artists are being held back and fighting hard because women are being ignored; because things are too rigid or maybe it is something else. These changes will not happen right away but the activation, discussion and unity we have seen surrounding #ComeOutForTransEquality leads me to believe rights for trans people/musicians will come…

PHOTO CREDIT: Stonewall/Getty Images 

BEFORE too long.

INTERVIEW: Tom Boy

INTERVIEW:

Tom Boy

___________

THE guys of Tom Boy…

have been talking with me about their new track, How to Become a Drug Dealer, and what its story is. I was eager to know about their previous project/incarnation, CAIRO, and why that ended; whether there is more coming up for them and whether they will be hitting the road anytime soon.

Nate and Dante talk about their influences and reveal which albums are important to them; the rising artists we need to get involved with any how they spend time away from music – they end the interview by each selecting a great track.

__________

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

We’re fine. This is fine. (See: GIF of dog calmly sitting in burning house).

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

We are a smack-talking Synth-Pop band out of Toronto, Canada. We love washed-out guitars, reverb-soaked vocals; punchy synth and forgetting things on airplanes.

You had a previous project (CAIRO) that ended. What was the reason behind that?

Ummm…so…ok, ya. No, but, um. Well…errr. The thing is you tour, you get lonely; you meet amazing people. Ok, wait. This is starting to sound like a line from Almost Famous. The truth is that there was an affair (or two). And they involved members. Things got messy. Feelings got hurt. Grudges proved immoveable. At a certain point, we weren’t all on the same page so we moved on.

How to Become a Drug Dealer is your new track. I believe it holds personal weight. Was it hard putting the song together?

We started writing that track when we were still in CAIRO.

I think the lyrics may have been hard for certain members to swallow but it almost seemed like a penance. When things ended and Dante and I formed Tom Boy; I knew I had to take the song with me because of its powerful lyrical content. The song means a lot to us and sort of serves as a reminder about what not to do in the future.

Do you think those bad days and addictions have made you stronger people now?!

In a way, perhaps. Our bullsh*t-meter is definitely more attuned now. We fell prey to a lot of the trappings you hear about in the music industry. But, we are much clearer in our vision and goals as we move into this next phase of our careers. Physically speaking, our bodies are like eighty-year-olds, though. Haha. Dante can’t go running without having an allergic reaction and I break out in hives when someone offers me soda.

Might we see more material coming soon?

For now, we are playing the singles game. There is definitely some stuff in the pipeline. We just had a really fun time shooting our next music video in New York and we’re looking forward to a few more releases over the winter/spring.

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

To remind people we aren’t dead. Yet. 

In that same vein; do you have plans for 2019 in terms of what you want to accomplish?

We want to get in front of audiences again. The new songs are up-tempo, adrenaline-fuelled tracks that answer a lot of the questions our fans might have had when we disappeared. The story is compelling and it’s going to be really fun to tell it on stage.

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

We were given the first mention by CBC’s Best Albums of 2015. That was after one of the best tours we had driving across Canada. We were in turmoil. But we were family.

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

Nate: Radiohead - OK Computer

Simply for the fact that the first time I fell stupidly in love (and it didn’t end well) I listened to Let Down on repeat like a SAD BOY.

Dante: Nas - Illmatic

I have been listening to it since high-school and it is a perfect album with hardly any features. Just raw, lyrical magic.

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

Zola Blood (London). Dante likes his quinoa bowls (he’s trying to do better) and me, well…I honestly could live off of Skor bars and whiskey. We’re not as complicated as we sound.

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

I hope fuck*ng so.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Treat everyone like they might hold the key to your career one day. They will.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Zola Blood

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Zola Blood, Kiasmos; Vypers, Jeremie Albino; Colter Wall, Ginla; New Fries and Raveen.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jeremie Albino

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

Edibles.

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).

Nate: Zola Blood – Infinite Games

Dante: Noah Gundersen – Cigarettes

___________

Follow Tom Boy

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/loveyourtomboy

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/loveyourtomboy/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW_-z_EyDJvp08vPgBlh67g

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/285dZo95QzeBNB1kP36x12?si=nvrtOl6rSJWVPRFQ0lVzDw

PHOTOS:

Jen Squires

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: IMAN 

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

__________

THIS weekend…

IN THIS PHOTO: Rookes

is another settled one and the sun has already made an appearance! There is a bit of an autumnal chill in the air and we are never far from a reminder that the season is changing. I am hopeful it will stay warm and okay for a while but you never know how things will go and how quickly the weather can change. In any case; I have looked around the treasure chest of new music and collated some songs that summon the contrasts and colours of autumn. If you need that mix of calm and soft and the more heightened and hot then this is the right playlist for you. Have a listen to all the assorted gems that are female-led and seriously accomplished. It shows, as I keep saying, women in music are creating something tremendous and long-lasting. This is a playlist that not only throws together autumnal shades but highlights some of the very best female artists…

IN THIS PHOTO: Bahari 

IN the music world.

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

____________

Janette King (ft. Jordan Esau) – I Need Love

 

PHOTO CREDIT: Gabriel Hyden

Leyya – Wannabe

IMAN – L.O.V.E

Mae Muller – Pull Up

PHOTO CREDIT: Dawncast

Izzie Walsh – Kitchen Table

Bahari – Chasers

PHOTO CREDIT: Ben Mcconnachie

KAHLLA – Come with Me

Cher Lloyd – None of My Business

Maggie Szabo (ft. No Class) – Wide Awake

PHOTO CREDIT: @kpcaptures

Bessie Turner – Nino

Etta Bond – Love Me Up

Sasha Sloan – Chasing Parties

Liv Austen – Nothing Less, Nothing More 

PHOTO CREDIT: Shervin Lainez

Delta Rae – Hands Dirty           

PHOTO CREDIT: The New York Times

Kelly Lee Owens – Bird

PHOTO CREDIT: Chazz Adnitt

Nubya Garcia – Red Sun

Summer Walker – Prayed Up

Tina Boonstra – Find You

PHOTO CREDIT: @anthonydeeying

Ariel Beesley - Mine

Julie Bergan – U Got Me

Nat Conway – So Loud

Hanne Mjøen – Sounds Good to Me

Empress Of – Timberlands

Lara Smiles – Zombie

Bitch Falcon – Prime Number

Rookes – The Heel of My Hand

Poppy Ajudha – White Water

FEATURE: The October Playlist: Vol. 3: I Treasure My Body Fat, Sir!

FEATURE:

 

The October Playlist

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sampha/PHOTO CREDIT: Complex

Vol. 3: I Treasure My Body Fat, Sir!

 __________

THIS time around…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Neneh Cherry/PHOTO CREDIT: Kim Hiorthoy

I have compiled a great assortment of new tracks that unites the best of the mainstream with those underground, lesser-heard artists. It is another varied and interesting week for music that sees heavyweights like Thom Yorke, Neneh Cherry and Sampha line up against those artists you might not be familiar with. Given the fact autumn is upon us and things are a bit changeable; sit inside, get the music cranking and let the sounds wash over you. It is a great week for discoveries and gems; a banquet of music that sees some rather tasty treats come to view! Have a good listen and I am sure, once you make your way through the playlist, you’ll agree that it is a really strong and compelling week for new music.

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

___________

Sampha – Treasure

How to Dress Well – Body Fat

Friendly Fires – Heaven Let Me In

Editors – Cold

MØ – Blur 

Lennon Stella – Breakaway

Rae Morris – Dances with Character

GIRLI – Young

Julia Holter – Words I Heard

Thom Yorke – Hands Off the Atlantic

Billie Eilish – when the party’s over

Isaac Gracie – Show Me Love

The 1975 – It’s Not Living (If It’s Not with You)

Anna Pancaldi – Peace

Cher Lloyd – None of My Business

Mumford & Sons - Guiding Light

PHOTO CREDIT: Lottie Turner

IDER – Mirror

PHOTO CREDIT: Corinne Cumming for DORK

Nothing But Thieves – Gods

Rachel Platten – You Belong

Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life

Elle King – Shame

Greta Van Fleet – Age of Man

PHOTO CREDIT: Dean Chalkley

Richard Ashcroft – That’s How Strong

Neneh Cherry – Natural Skin Deep

Daniel Caesar – Who Hurt You? 

Tove Styrke - Vibe

Au/Ra – Ultraviolet

Carlie Hanson – Toxins

PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Alexander Harris

Novo Amor – Sleepless

PHOTO CREDIT: Darren Skene

Emmi – Scared Stupid

Jessie Reyez – Saint Stupid

Brandi Carlile (ft. Sam Smith) – Party of One

PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Driver Photography

Bessie Turner – Nino

Lil Peep – Cry Alone

Ferris & Sylvester – Burning River

TRACK REVIEW: Anna Pancaldi - Peace

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Anna Pancaldi

Peace

9.5/10

The track, Peace, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6X0GG8hBMOimNSq5a0CnjA?si=IFxhdMTNQ32e_w38DZBsqA

GENRES:

Pop/Indie

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

19th October, 2018

_________

THIS time around…

there are a few things I want to cover and explore. Anna Pancaldi is an artist I have been watching for a while and I have seen her career develop. I want to talk about musicians who develop and sounds that are varied; those who can get attention from a variety of sources and have that width; getting your music played in the U.S. and on T.V. shows; those who can go a long way and succeed in a tough industry; where Pancaldi might go and what she can achieve. It has been an exciting last year or two for Anna Pancaldi. I have watched her bloom and blossom and she is establishing herself as one of the best young talents around. You get artists who stick with the same sound and can be quite rigid. That is good if you have a golden sound and have established yourself in that niche. What strikes me about some is that they cannot see any reason to push what they do and evolve. Pancaldi started strongly and came into the industry with a bold and accomplished sense of herself but she has grown and developed since then. She is someone who has gained backing and fan support but is keen to investigate new areas and she how she can go. Soulful and heartfelt songs like Brother and Keep on Keeping On set the bar and showed us what Pancaldi was capable of. What I’ve Become was and is a bolder song that takes things in an Indie-Rock direction. Peace is another step and development that incorporates the more Rock-inspired vibes of her recent work and adds in Soul and Pop. It is a complex brew that keeps her core and foundations strong but brings in new elements. I love songwriters who take risks and do not stick with the same sounds. Changing things up and widening your horizons is a great way of winning new fans and keeping your material fresh.

The reason why Anna Pancaldi is evolving and looking at new areas of sound is because she is a curious artist. What amazes me is how she can go between genres and switch sounds and keep her personality intact. You know every song is from her and it has that distinct stamp. I see this soulful and spirited dynamic come into the music and it means Pancaldi is steps above many of her peers. A lot of the new music I get sent tends to be quite calm and unadventurous. You know a songwriter is trying to be passionate and personal but the music is somewhat unengaging and unambitious. Pancaldi gets off the blocks but always ensures every note and suggestion is meaningful. She takes care to bring her words to life and write sensational compositions. The way you grow your fanbase and get under the skin is because you keep taking risks and pushing things. Maybe ‘risks’ is not the word for it: perhaps ‘evolution’ is a better one. Every songwriter starts out with an impression of what they want to create and how they want to sound. They are inspired by artists they grow up around and love and then, you’d hope, they stretch and expand. They might retain some of that older sound but then they get out of that mindset and put their personality down. Too many artists are unwilling to step forward and do what is required. Maybe it is a fear of losing fans or not being able to fit into the mainstream. I do not know what it is but I am always drawn to those who keep things moving and change between songs. Pancaldi started out with a distinct and impressive sound and now, a little way down the line, she has grown and introduced new colours. I wonder where she will go next and how things will change. Every move she makes and every song she writes has its own look and you can sense this songwriter unwilling to stand still and repeat what came before.

I am also draw to those whose music seems to attract different radio stations. I am a big fan of BBC Radio 6 Music but feel it is hard for artists to get attention from a different variety of sources. Many artists can get play from BBC Radio 6 Music but it can be difficult getting that same focus from BBC Radio 2. There are some who can take that even further and get focus from BBC Radio 1. Anna Pancaldi has been played by some of the biggest stations out there and it is not a pitch for commercial success. I can tell some artists deliberately write a way so they can appeal to these stations but, for Pancaldi, this is natural. She is not an artist who is Pop-obsessed and pitches to a certain demographic. Whatever she puts onto the page has that wide-ranging appeal and variation. She can attract and entice those who want a more mature and emotive song but also get into the minds of the cooler and more youthful audience. Now, with Peace, she can take that even further and attract even more stations. I do think radio focus is important and is the most effective way of getting your music to a large audience. Social media is great but there is nothing like the radio for hearing that new favourite artist and having that immediate impact. It is the decades-lasting form of marketing that can bring the artist directly to the fan. Anna Pancaldi works hard and promotes what she does but her natural talent seems to resonate with a huge audience. As we step into 2019; I feel she will keep on the same lines, sound-wise, as she is right now; retaining that mixture of pressing with the more soulful. There are so many songwriters out there and it is a very challenging business. Pancaldi has already negotiated that tricky step: getting her music heard on national radio and gathering that impassioned fanbase.

Before I talk about T.V. and how music can translate there; I will stay with radio and how impactful it is. I listen to radio every day and do not limit myself to one option. You can discover artists you will not find on social media by listening to radio and, unlike social media, you hear their sounds and there is something much more natural and effecting. I can understand why Anna Pancaldi has grown into this popular and loved artist and how her music has got into the national mindset. She is still in the early stages of her career and can see her popularity grow. What moves me is how she continues to diversify and push herself, even though her music is established and popular. Many songwriters, once they get the love of radio and have that set sound, do not really make efforts to do anything more and can keep going down the same line. I can understand how artists would merge and form their sounds based on the demands of radio stations and how they can get a bigger audience. Pancaldi has always been natural and led by instincts. The relationship she has formed with radio stations has formed in a more personal and less commercial way and that is a reason why I am a fan of her. I will end the review by speaking about Pancaldi’s future and where she might go; how she will develop and where her career can take her. There are many who can get their music onto national radio but fewer who get their material played on T.V. It is a great time for her and so many eyes are cast her way. Radio stations have already jumped onto her music and love what she does but she has also managed to reach international T.V. sources. If you can broaden your horizons and get onto T.V. then that opens your music up to new possibilities.

Pancaldi is a British artist but she has got a lot of kudos from the U.S. She made her live T.V. debut on CBS and her music has been featured on the U.S. show, Famous in Love. Pancaldi penned a song for Levi as part of their Lot 700 jeans collection and got her music played on the accompanied advert. Pancaldi, oddly, has her own brand of gin and seems to have that business mindset. Not one to stick with one theme and limit herself in creative terms; she has got her foot in different waters and is always looking for that next project. I love the fact Pancaldi has her own gin and she wants to broaden her horizons. I am not sure whether that move was because she is a gin fan – in a non-drunken way – or she is always curious what she can do and achieve. Her music, as I have shown, has won the heart of national radio stations and it cannot be too long before film directors and producers come her way! I feel like Pancaldi’s music has the ability to score a big drama or a cool Indie film; get under the skin of those watching a cinematic treasure – who knows how far she can go! Getting your music on T.V. shows might seem like a minor accomplishment but I think it is a big step. There are very few who can boast that and there is a whole new world waiting for you. It is strange to consider but the same song can have a different impact when played on the screen (as compared the radio). If it is played at the right moment then it can be hugely effecting. I am not sure whether Pancaldi has had her music played on British T.V. but I can see that coming. I do not know how she managed to get her music played in the U.S. but I am sure it is her determination, talent and constant hard work that made that happen. The U.S. market is a huge one and I hope that success continues to rise.

All I have mentioned before explains why Anna Pancaldi has got success and foundations. She is a rising artist who has worked on her material and always considers how she can make it stronger. Since working alongside Matt Ingram (Florence + the Machine, Laura Marling); her music has grown and there is fresh confidence in there. Pancaldi has evolved and, as I said, is not someone who sticks with the same sound and dynamic – even if she is popular and her music is connecting with people. Electric guitar and something more thrilling is covered on her latest track, Peace. I will look at its themes and story but it is interesting to see how her sound has grown and how Pancaldi keeps plugging and experimenting. I have been talking about her T.V. success and I feel her latest revelation will get some more focus. I can imagine Peace being played on a U.S. show or a British drama. It is an exciting and busy time for Pancaldi and I know she will continue to work and share her music. There are not many who have the same work ethic as her and have that attitude. Not only is the music from her exciting and exceptional but the person behind the songs is thrilling. So few songwriters have that intriguing personality and seem to draw you in. Many times, I listen to a song and never really get curious about the artist who penned it. Maybe that is my problem but I want to feel connected with the songwriter and feel like they are writing music for me. Pancaldi is someone who is strong and resilient in her songs but you can sense a sensitivity and a complexity. She always wants to involve the listener in her sounds and take them along with her. Rather than write about something that means something to her and does not translate; the music is designed to connect with everyone and bring fresh faces in.

There are a load of artists out there and you are spoiled for choice. I have been in music for a long time and seen so many great artists come through but there are those who stay in the mind a bit and then disappear. Few really remain for years to come but that is not their fault – the industry is busy and hectic and it can be tough retaining the sounds. Anna Pancaldi draws me in because she has an incredible style and sound; her lyrics seem to speak to the masses and you are involved and hooked by every note! Maybe this is one reason why radio and T.V. have come her way. I look back and can see what a great 2018 she has had. There have been great songs and revelations; Pancaldi is looking ahead and seeing what comes next. Given the fact she has taken her sound in a new direction and exploring fresh territory; it seem next year will be a very exciting one. I am not sure whether new material is coming soon – I shall explore this in the conclusion – but I know the songwriter will look in new directions. Peace is a sign of where she is now and where her creative mind is. I wonder whether she will continue down this road or make another sonic step. In any case; you need to be involved with what Anna Pancaldi is all about and where she is going. Her music seems to resonate and connect; it goes deep and people love what she is doing. I think next year will be a huge one for her and things will get even better. Look at where she has come and how her music has been celebrated and you can see this bright songwriter shaping up to a be a future star! Even though music is packed and competitive; I can see quite a clear and golden path for Pancaldi.

It seems there is a hero/heroine that has that confidence and inner-peace Pancaldi lacks. The song opens and makes its presence known right away. There is not a big introduction and build-up and you hear the heroine come straight in. The vocal makes an impact and its feelings known and you hear this soulful and emotive tone. The production allows the vocal to come top of the mix and there is little other sound pushing it back. You get the first sign of those electric strings but Pancaldi’s tremulous and passionate voice is the most prominent instrument at first. Maybe Peace is a reaction to things that have happened before and a bit of turmoil that has plagued her. I get the sense Pancaldi has experienced some hurt and storm and she is on a better footing. Perhaps someone in her life has that calm and inner-peace and the heroine envies that. She knows things will get better and be okay when you have that peace. Maybe it has been love or a sense of accomplishment that has got her to where she is. A lot of songwriters would use love and relationships as a drive and source of inspiration. They would spill their guts about the bond and how enriched they feel. Pancaldi is more concerned with general feeling and connecting with everyone. I am not sure what has compelled Pancaldi to feel like she needs that boost but I guess life has taken its toll and there have been stresses forming. Something has arrived that has given Pancaldi this calm and settled her nerves. Perhaps there is new romantic involvement but I feel her natural fortitude and strength has seen improvement. The heroine knows things can be good and she can live in peace for a long time. She refers to ‘we’ but I wonder whether this references a lover or a friend. Maybe things have been bad and there have been obstacles but the heroine has the desire to keep positive.

The composition does not get too heavy and, aside from a sturdy beat and strings; it is Pancaldi’s voice that steals the show and does the loudest talking. Her musicians add a lot of flair and emotion but it is the lead that sells the words and brings that expressive voice to the fore. Rather than idly and lazily sing the words; she twists sentences and syllables to give them more emotion and gravitas. I get the sense of a woman who has been heartbroken and disappointment. She has gone through a lot and faced some pretty big challenges. Rather than accuse people or wallow in that state; she wants to break through and find some sense of grounding. There is nothing to fear when you have peace and things can be a lot better. It is a wonderful expression and mandate that will inspire a lot of people. It is hard to compare Pancaldi to any other artist because her voice has that special and personal sound. There is soulfulness and Blues touches that remind me of Stevie Nicks and a bit of k.d. lang but there is so much more working away. It is an immediate and dynamic voice that has so many different colours and emotions at heart. She is one of the best voices in modern music and someone who can elevate any song to rare heights. Peace is a track that makes full use of Pancaldi’s talents and will see her get into the mind of new fans. The production allows her voice to weave and dominate but there is plenty of space for the composition. Our heroine knows that, if we stand a little taller than before, things can be better and that peace can come. It would be easy to write clichés and present rather ordinary lyrics but Pancaldi never falls victim to that. I am amazed by her spirit and the way her words can get into the soul.

She is an amazing songwriter who has always impressed but it seems like she has hit new peaks here. I am curious what inspired the new track and whether a particular figure has been responsible for this revival. I am a big fan of everything she puts out because it comes from a very real place and is designed to make everyone feel better. Whether that is a pleasing composition or lyrics that are directed at the listener; you always feel involved and part of the song. I feel like there has been some struggle and hardship ahead of her but Pancaldi has negotiated them and is keen to move through. Finding calm and stability can be hard in these challenging times and finding the determination to stand tough is difficult. Pancaldi is presenting this message and sentiment of hope to the people. I think things have got better in her life and changes are going to come. There is a figure in the song that seems to imbibe this newfound lust and betterment and she is taking inspiration from them. Pancaldi’s voice swoons and swoops before rising to those dizzying heights. I always love hearing her sing and what she can bring to a song but Peace seems to be one of her most complete and inspiring tracks yet. Not that Pancaldi only writes about what she is going through but here, especially, you know she is speaking to everyone and sending that positive message out there. We all go through tough times and changes but you need that belief you can get through and the storms will pass. I am impressed by Peace and have listened to it a few times. It reveals new layers and impressions each visit and stays in the mind. There are few songwriters who can write a song that has that impact and it makes me wonder where Anna Pancaldi goes from here. She is a great artist always looking to evolve and impress and you can hear that come to the fore on her latest single. I hope everyone backs her and the song reaches even more people than it already has.

Anna Pancaldi is touring at the moment and you keep updated on her movements through her social media. With Peace out there and already capturing the imagination; people are keen to see her on the road and hear the song played up-close. The intrepid songwriter is reaching new audiences and it seems like that hunger to impress and captivate is huge. I have listened to how Pancaldi has grown and where her music is taking her. Every new release brings fresh confidence and she is not one who sticks with the same formula and repeats herself. It is going to be a busy and exciting end to 2018 but she will be looking to next year and how far she can go. Maybe there will be some U.S. dates and more success regarding T.V. and film. Radio stations here are behind her and it seems like that acclaim is going to grow. I wonder whether an E.P. will come in 2019 and what form it will take. It is a crucial and big time for Pancaldi and I am keen to see where she heads next. Maybe there will be more singles in the coming months but Pancaldi is eager to spread the music on the road and promote Peace as much as possible. There is a long way to go until mainstream success comes but you cannot rule that out completely. Anna Pancaldi has an edgy and cool sound that is beyond what you’d get from the mainstream but there is that definite populist appeal.

You can bond with a song naturally and easily but the notes remain in the mind. I would love to see her on the road but, alas, things are a bit busy this side. I know she has a loyal and passionate fanbase and her live sets are incredible. Given the fact there is quite a bit of material under her belt; her shows have that full and eclectic sound. Next year will give her a chance to bring out new material and take that next step. I love what Peace is all about and there is a more fired and exciting flair. Get behind what she does and see this brilliant young talent rise and shine. I have been looking at her music for a while and can see how much she has grown. It is brilliant discovering a songwriter and having them lodge in the head. Things are getting bigger and brighter for Anna Pancaldi and I am excited to see where she goes. There are those songwriters that make an impression and then sort of fizzle out: few remain through the years and have that evolving and always-impressive style. Peace is proof there is a war of ambition and colour burning in her heart; that desire to get her music across the world and win new fans. There are not many who have the same attributes and talents as her. I have been playing her latest song for a bit and there is new wonder and secrets revealing themselves each time. Given her rate of progression and how much she puts into music; I think 2019 is going to be Pancaldi’s biggest year and will see gain new acclaim. Make sure you get behind Peace and give it a good listen. If you can; follow Pancaldi on social media and see her on tour. She is a fantastic songwriter and someone we all need to get involved with. She has achieved a lot in her career so far but I think Peace might be her…

BIGGEST statement yet.

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