INTERVIEW: Billie Black

INTERVIEW:

Billie Black

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I am ending today by speaking with Billie Black...

as her E.P., The Last Time, has just been released. She talks about themes and inspirations and which artists have compelled her; a few albums that are very dear and what she has planned in terms of the future – Black explains how music came to her and when the bug struck.

I ask whether she gets time to chill outside of music and what advice she’d give artists coming through; which new artist we need to get behind and follow – she ends the interview by selecting a great current track.

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

I’m well, thank you. It’s been a very busy week - but I’m happiest when I’m busy.

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

My name is Billie. I am twenty-three. I make music. I learnt how to sing through listening and then studying Jazz at uni but also have a passion for Electronic music. I have tried to combine the two in my original projects.

The E.P., The Last Time, is out. Are there themes and personal experiences that inspired the songs?

I wanted the E.P. to be quite bold and cinematic. It’s definitely got a romantic theme. I am a very romantic and passionate person, so I suppose it’s quite honest in that sense

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

My favourite is the final track, Long Way to Go, because I love the melody and then sample of Eartha Kitt at the end. I, of course, love all of the songs though.

Might we see more material next year?

Yes! I took some time out of music to start a degree in Social Anthropology at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies). I finish my course in May and I am looking forward to focusing solely on music again; it is my passion.

Are there particular musicians you draw inspiration from? Did you grow up around a lot of music?

I love Billie Holiday. I am really inspired by her honesty and raw emotion that comes across in her expression. Chet Baker. I also love old Soul – Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin. I don’t come from a musical family: I am the only person in my family who does music for a living but my mother used to be a professional Disco dancer so I grew up listening to a lot of Disco. My dad is into Reggae and Bob Dylan - a strange mixture!

Your music has been championed by the likes of BBC Radio 1. How does that make you feel?!

It’s cool.

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

Continue writing, continue gigging. Start a new project – maybe start working on an album.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Well. I wanna finish my degree. I also want to do another show where I play music off my latest E.P. and maybe play some tunes that might become part of an album.

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

Every time I perform, whether it is jazz or my own stuff, I feel amazing. It’s hard to think of a performance that particularly stands out - as I’ve done so many - but my favourite memories are definitely being on stage. Even when I took a break from doing my own music, I was still gigging doing Jazz roughly twice a week so it makes me really happy.

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

Donny Hathaway – Live

Because I feel and believe every single word he’s singing. I can relate to his emotion and his soulfulness makes me feel warm. This album makes me feel like myself.

Laura Mvula – Sing to the Moon

Because it helped me through a really tough time in my life. I am also really inspired by her writing and her use of strings to create a really atmospheric, bold sound

Nancy Wilson and Cannonball Adderly - Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderly  

Because it was one of the first Jazz albums I listened to in its entirety. I know all the tunes off by heart and they bring back some really fond memories.

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

I would support Sade because she is effortlessly sophisticated and classy and an absolute legend. I’m not fussy with my rider as long as there’s red wine I’m happy.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

First and foremost, be yourself. Don’t get caught up in the race. Take things at your own pace. Try not to compare yourself with others. Constantly question whether the things you’re doing are making you happy; try to live in the moment and enjoy yourself, remember that music should be fun and fulfilling; be determined and don’t give up.

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

Early-2019 - I will let you know!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kadhja Bonet

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Kadhja Bonet – the most beautiful voice and writing I’ve heard in a while.

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

I enjoy spending time with my family. I have a twin brother that I’m really close to.

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 Love – Kadhja Bonet

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Follow Billie Black

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dvdngm0WZX3GFfsD4zWmC?si=dJ5I6g58So2P4SxSKCu0Ag

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/thisbillieblack

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thisbillieblack/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thisbillieblack/

FEATURE: Merchant Ivory: T-Shirt Day 2018: Sporting Your Favourite Music Merchandise with Pride - and the Very Real Problem of Fake Options

FEATURE:

 

 

Merchant Ivory

IN THIS PHOTO: Stuart Maconie (bottom row, second from the left) and the BBC Radio 6 Music RadMac team proudly boasting their T-Shirt Day 2018 choices/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC 

T-Shirt Day 2018: Sporting Your Favourite Music Merchandise with Pride - and the Very Real Problem of Fake Options

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BBC Radio 6 Music have just completed…

 IN THIS PHOTO: BBC Radio 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq embracing his love of band T-shirts/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

their T-Shirt Day 2018 and it provided the chance for listeners, between seven A.M. and P.M., the chance to share their music T-shirts. Whether a classic band tee or a solo artist new to some of us; songs were tailored to their iconic finery. There has been a banquet of great music and it has been a great way of bonding listeners and introducing many of us to new music – I even got a Madonna track played (Express Yourself) after showing a photo of me wearing a Madonna T-shirt! It wasn’t only a chance to get people proudly sporting their favourite music T-shirts but it shone a spotlight on the best and worst sides of merchandise. If you have been to a live gig lately, you probably saw a merchandise table somewhere. Smaller artists tend to have less of a spread and big acts can have anything from posters and T-shirts to caps, cups and pretty much anything you can think of. How much does something like a T-shirt cost and bring in for an artist? Looking at this BBC article and we can see the figures broken down:

But more than simply a memento from a gig, or a way of showing your musical colours, band T-Shirts can be of considerable importance - to both artist and fan. So, we’ve decided to dig a bit deeper to find out just how important band T-Shirts can be.

After all, merch is a considerable part of a musician’s income. The Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association reported that the global music merchandise market (of which T-Shirts are a considerable part) was worth $3.1 billion in 2016, up 9.4% from the $2.83 billion generated in 2015. To put that in perspective, the gross revenue from live music concerts worldwide during 2016 was $4.88 billion; while the global market for recorded music that same year was worth $15.7 billion, according to IFPI. So, still a vital source of income for artists.

Of all music merchandise, band T-Shirts continue to be the items that spark fans’ interest the most. Christiaan Munro, director of merchandise company Sandbag, who work with acts like Radiohead and Arcade Fire, tells us: "The T-Shirt is always the biggest seller - for every artist"... 

“T-Shirts are now such a big part of how acts make money as revenue from physical sales experiences a decline. But revenue and profits are not the same thing, so how much of the money you paid for a T-Shirt actually makes it back to the artist you’re supporting?

Willis says many of the acts they work with would expect to pay around £5 per unit for printing and production for a T-Shirt based on a run of 50-250 garments. A bulk order could see the per-unit cost drop to £2.50 but that would be based on 1,000+ items, something only the largest of acts could comfortably sell out of and not be left with mountains of unsold stock.

However, there are many hidden costs that the consumer does not see. In the UK, VAT swallows up 20% of the sale price. Then at the venue, acts can be charged either a flat fee or a percentage of turnover for that night for simply having a merchandise stand at the venue. "This is the thing that really needs to be said – the people who earn the most out of the products, apart from the tax man, are these concession companies," says Sandbag director Munro.

Artists can make around £4.80 from a T-shirt sold for £20.

For hosting and staffing the merchandise stand, many venues with a capacity of around 10,000 and upwards take anywhere between 20% and 30% of gross – even as much as 40% in some cases. For acts on the road, Munro estimates that – after the venue cut and taxes are accounted for – they might have to work with 55% of the retail price. So, for a T-Shirt that cost £5 to make and sold for £20, the margin after deductions would be £6 - of which the act’s managers would typically take 20%, so that’s really more in the region of £4.80”...

 

“For venues around the 1,000-capacity level, acts may be charged a fee of £60-80 for a table at the back of the venue regardless of how much merchandise they sell. Grassroots venues though, specifically those with a maximum capacity of 300, normally charge nothing for merchandise tables. So this can often allow smaller, DIY acts to take home more of your £20”.

It is a hard balance when it comes to T-shirts and how much a band can make. I attended a small gig last month and noticed T-shirts selling for about fifteen or twenty quid. The cost of making the T-shirts was minor but few people were milling – even though the designs were great and the quality was fantastic. Even though it can be hard enticing fans to buy merchandise, there is a bit more say when it comes to total profit and how much they get to take home. You can see from the figures above that there are a lot of people who take a cut. A venue needs revenue and some of the pie and people working the stall will get some; the manager and then, by the time profits are split with the band, it is not a huge amount. Even though it can be hard to get a great deal of merchandise, it is a very important was of connecting with fans.

In fact - as the BBC article explains - more can be made (in some cases) from streaming:

“Meanwhile, some acts who handle all their royalties themselves can often take home a lot more from streaming. Car Seat Headrest, for example, revealed last year that he had made almost $30,000 from streams of his self-released albums since 2013.

For a CD sale, an act could again earn anything from a single-figure royalty percentage to 20% – but this is after the retailer’s cut, VAT, mechanical royalties and manufacturing costs are deducted. If an act, however, controls their own publishing and acts as their own label, recording at home for next to nothing and selling £10 CDs at the back of their gigs, after manufacturing costs are taken out (which can be as little as £320 + VAT for 500 units in a card wallet), they could be looking at 90% margin after they have covered the cost of the pressing run. It is important to note, however, that these are only guide figures and every act will be operating under very different circumstances”.

As the BBC Radio 6 Music celebration showed; people are holding onto their old T-shirts and showing their colours with pride. I have some newer T-shirts – including Queens of the Stone Age – but I know people who have some classic deigns that are worth quite a bit. T-shirts and merchandise are a great way of forging tribes and creating this identity. We all want proof we attended gigs or show our backing of particular artists.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

It is great seeing a great merchandise stand and, given the way we get we get music these days, many artists rely on merchandise for money. There is a problem with over or under-demand and that can create waste but, if one person buys a piece of merchandise, then that connection can be more potent and life-long than anything else. How do we know about the people streaming the music and those listening away from gigs?! If you can see people wearing T-shirts or carrying some band merchandise then that is a solid bond and can lead others to discovering music. I, like many, have discovered new bands/artists through the BBC Radio 6 Music celebration but, in the outside world, many are discovering great artists through seeing others wearing some merchandise. There is another problem that is hard to police: counterfeit merchandise and bootleggers selling unauthorised and unofficial merchandise. I was reading an article from 2014 that, sadly, is still very relevant today:

“If you’ve purchased a band t-shirt on Amazon, there’s a good chance it’s fake.  According to research conducted by Andy Young of merch-focused startup Tunipop, more than half of the band t-shirts floating around on Amazon are complete knock-offs.  Young surveyed 100 of the top US artists, and discovered the following:

o    51 artists had merchandise available on Amazon.

o    Out of those, 47% had products that were only available as counterfeits.

o    The other 53% had a mix of authentic and ‘questionable’ items available.

“Frankly, the list of artists doesn’t matter. Just pick one,” Young told Digital Music News.  “The problem is almost across the board inside Amazon”...

“So, where is the outrage from the industry?  How can artists, suppliers and management be so quiet when millions of dollars are at stake?”

Part of the answer, according to Young, is that most merchandise (including t-shirts) are sold on the road.  Young estimates that 80% is sold at venues, in usually controlled environments (ie, at a stand at the gig).  The remaining 20% is sold online, so it’s harder to dedicate resources to policing it”.

How easy is it to control and monitor those selling fake band merchandise and depriving artists of money that should be going to them? This article shed some more light:

“On top of assaulting a band’s bottom line, bootleg merchandise is difficult and sometimes even impossible to fight.

“The market is fluid and bands are constantly trying to address the bootleg problem as the bootleggers become better at evading detection,” says entertainment lawyer Scott Burroughs. “Depending on the artist, there can be more people outside the venue selling bootleg stuff than authorized sellers offering the real deal.”

To make matters worse, enter: the internet. Bootleg sellers outside of shows are nothing new, but websites like Amazon, which is just the massive tip of the e-com iceberg, are making it exponentially easier to sell unauthorized merchandise, and exponentially more difficult for bands to track all of that merch down”...

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Given how hard it is to track down bootleg sellers, and how much harder it is to actually succeed at stopping them, trying to get fans to only buy authorized items is probably the best solution. The easiest way to know a t-shirt is legitimate is to buy directly from the band at a show or on their website, but wading out into the world of retail, especially online, can take fans into murky territory.

“Spotting bootleg merch online is like spotting a spam e-mail, you have to have an eye for what is official and what is not,” Vince Edwards of Metal Blade Records notes.

There’s merch sold at shows and merch sold online, and then there’s another seemingly ever-expanding curveball: the band name-splashed fashion items from mega-retailers like H&M, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters. The question of “legitimacy” here is really more about fan cred. Stores this big can’t get away with ripping bands off, and when they try to, they tend to get sued, or at least forced to pull the designs”.

IN THIS PHOTO: BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne getting into the spirit of T-Shirt Day 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: @laurenlaverne

There is the issue regarding big retailers selling unofficial merchandise and making a profit from it or, in fact, anyone making their own merchandise. I have seen a lot of T-shirts and seemingly official merchandise from various sellers but you know that it is fake. I have heard from a lot of artists, popular and new alike, on the subject and they are divided. Many are furious others are profiting from their name like ivory hunters; this unethical and unseemly practise; from small stallholders to major websites. They do not feel it is fair for others to trade on their name and not give any money where it should go. On the other hand, if people are wearing that artist then that is raising awareness. Some artists struggle to shift a lot of merchandise so the fact people are going online and buying is good, right?! It is a hard moral dilemma but I feel this almost sacred connection between artist and fan should not be exploited by retailers and vendors. It might seem expensive parting with a lot of money for a T-shirt but consider how much the artist gets. Unlike your everyday T-shirts; band merchandise can be cherished for years and make that huge impact. How many of us are willing to dispense with a great T-shirt or piece or merchandise we bought after a gig?! The memories held are very special and, as said, others will see that artist on you and ask – that can connect existing fans with new fans and, like that, the artist has fresh support.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Shaun Keaveny and the breakfast team showing off their music tees for T-Shirt Day 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

It is wonderful seeing people proudly talking about their favourite music T-shirts and merchandise and I know what an important source of income it can be. The fact so many other people profit from a band/artist and their merchandise (vendors and the venue) means it is extra-important to make sure you are buying official merchandise. I guess it is good – if you buy unofficial products – you are still showing support but the morals surrounding depriving an artist all-important finance does not sit well. I am worried, when I am online ordering a musician’s merchandise, whether it is legit and how much money goes to them. The important thing is showing your support but it is vital we ensure, when thinking of buying merchandise, we go to official sites and buy, if possible, at gigs. In any case; BBC Radio 6 Music T-Shirt Day 2018 has been a raging success and shows how so many different artists are connected by that love of something so simple – the chance to wear these brilliant threads and show our love. Whilst songs and gig memories might only last a few months or years; the sacred and exciting merchandise can recruit new followers to an artist and those shared memories can last...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Louis Theroux and a favourite band T-shirt/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

FOR generations.

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: FLOHIO 

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

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THE weather is getting rather chilly…

so we need some decent tunes to get into the blood and warm us up! Things are going to get more bitter so I am preparing for some musical remedy. This latest instalment of female-led songs features multiple genres and will appeal to a wide audience. If you are looking for something more charged and energised then you are set; if you want a bit of seduction and cool then there are some songs in the mix. Have a look at the rundown of brilliant tracks and you’ll find something that catches the eye! It is another great selection of some of the best rising female...

IN THIS PHOTO: Sarah Darling 

ARTISTS around.  

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

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Brooke Fraser – Human

Miranda Arieh – The End

FLOHIO – Toxic

Liela Moss – New Leaves 

girl in red – forget her

Lucy Mason – Runaway

Self Esteem – Rollout

PHOTO CREDIT: Rory Donaldson

Peluché – Figure Me Out

PHOTO CREDIT: Nathan Moas

Lupa J – You’re in My Headphones

Missy Higgins – Peachy

Sarah Darling – Diamonds

GVgrace – Fuck Golf

PHOTO CREDIT: Lucy Feng

Mai Kino – Young Love

PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Venturini

Juniore – Magnifique

PHOTO CREDIT: Shervin Lainez

Monogem - Shade

PHOTO CREDIT: I like what you look like

BATTS – Mars

PHOTO CREDIT: Jinling Jade

Matilda Eyre – The Calling

Kira Isabella – Stupid Heart

Shay Lia – The Cycle

PHOTO CREDIT: @felice.c0m

The Beaches – Fascination

RuthAnne – It Is What It Is

Blanche – Moment

Kara Marni – L Word

PHOTO CREDIT: Muffadal Abbas

Raphi – Money 

Radiant Children – Tryin’

PHOTO CREDIT: @_christinaislas

Molly Burch – First Flower

Jess Morgan – Death of a Ballroom Dancer

Megan McKenna – Everything But You

INTERVIEW: Payson Lewis

INTERVIEW:

Payson Lewis

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MY last piece until later...

is an interview with Payson Lewis who has been talking with me about his new track, Better Run, and filming its rather interesting video. I ask him what is coming up and whether there will be more material afoot; which artists inspire him and when music struck.

I was keen to know about future gigs and some approaching talent to keep an ear out for; which albums mean the most to him and what advice he’d provide rising musicians – he picks a great cut to end things with. and what advice he’d provide rising musicians – he picks a great cut to end things with.

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

Hey! I'm doing great - thank you so much for asking. And it's been an awesome week. I mean; we just had Thanksgiving, so I feel like I'm still stuffed from that and still buzzing from being able to spend a lot of time with family and friends. It's been a good week!

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

Umm, yeah, sure. My name is Payson Lewis. I'm an Indie-Pop artist. Originally from Philly, now permanently in L.A. I don't know. I never know what else to say about myself. I'm a Pisces; favorite color is blue; take my coffee black?

Better Run is your new video. Is there a story behind it?

Well. The story behind the song is about taking back control in an otherwise controlling relationship. So, when we were thinking about ways to portray that on screen for the video, we came up with this idea of being held hostage by these dominatrixes in a futuristic ‘neon prison’ and then breaking free and ultimately coming back to exact my revenge.

The video looks like it was interesting to shoot. What was that like?

Oh, man. This was one of the most fun video shoots I've ever been a part of. First of all, shooting with the dominatrixes was awesome. The actors portraying them in the video, Serena Koo and Janis Valdez, were so fun to work with; were totally game to leave their comfort zone a little and honestly really made me enjoy being ‘tortured’.

And then, as far as the filming in the desert...we used this unbelievably awesome picture car, a 1972 Scout II, which was probably the most fun thing I've ever driven. So, both days of filming were just a blast. And James, the director, is one of my best friends, so that made it all that much better.

Might we see more material next year?

Oh, yeah. So much. I don't want to give it all away...but expect new music, new videos; live stuff, maybe a tour. The whole compliment of tricks are coming out of the bag next year.

Can you give me an idea of the artists, older and new, who inspire you and compel your own sound?

I mean, it's impossible to list them all. But, I grew up on Classic-Rock; Queen, The Beatles and Elton John. Now, I'm definitely listening to a more Pop-driven palette. Mostly Indie-Pop stuff but also some top-forty like Shawn Mendes or Troye Sivan. For a specific example, on my first E.P., a lot of the vocal production and background parts were really inspired by HAIM who I was pretty into around the time we were laying down the tracks.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

I definitely have plans. Like I said; lots of music and videos are on the way. I'm incredibly excited about 2019 actually. If we didn't have Christmas and New Year’s coming...I'd just like fast-forward and get it going!

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

I feel like this is an easy one - and I've heard it before from other artists, so I apologize if I come off cliché but the first time playing a show and hearing the crowd sing my music back to me; singing along to the hooks, knowing all the lyrics. Man, that was amazing! I will also say that hearing from fans all over the world who have been listening to my music is really cool too. I wasn't expecting that, so it's really just kind of eye opening about the global reach of music today.

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

Wow. Most meaningful is hard. But, I can tell you the three that I most often go back to - so maybe that is what meaningful is. But, I can't quit listening to Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Continuum by John Mayer or Prince by Prince. And a bonus fourth is Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black.

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

Oh, gosh. I mean, there's not any material thing that I can't live without, so I have to go a bit more ‘generic’ I suppose (or ideological) and I would just ask my man Santa to make sure my family and friends were happy and healthy. I wouldn't be anywhere without them so I just want the best for them all. Oh, and I promised my dad a Rolls Royce if I ever get rich and famous. So maybe throw one of those in the back of the old sleigh.

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

You are asking all these big questions - this is so hard. Actually, no, this is easy: Paul McCartney. And the rider would just say ‘thank you’.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Again, it may sound cliché, but you just gotta be true to yourself. Be you. So much of the music I hear coming out these days sounds the same. It feels like people are chasing what's cool or what's happening. But, the ones that always cut through are the ones who are just themselves because by definition - that means they are unique.

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

Unfortunately, I don't have anything lined up for the rest of 2018. But 2019 is gonna be filled with lots of live music from me, so stay tuned and I'll let you know!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Carrie Manolakos

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Definitely. How about I give you some variety; check out Bridesman, Joe Leone; Carrie Manolakos, James Byous or Meg DeLacy.

 IN THIS PHOTO: James Byous/PHOTO CREDIT: Dalen Muster

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

Going to an empty gym and shooting hoops is like church to me. I'm not a religious person, but there's just something about being alone in the gym and seeing that ball go through the hoop that makes me feel centered and in control. It's the best way for me to blow off steam and also to relax within myself.

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).

First of all, thank you so much. This was so fun. But, if it's totally up to me; it's a bit moody but I can't get enough of this song by Lennon Stella, Like Everybody Else (Acoustic). It's haunting and just so timely for our day and age of constant and crippling comparison. If you need something slightly less depressing check out another one of her tunes, Bad. Basically, check her out

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Follow Payson Lewis

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/69zyKWGSd3gemLNgqGxaOA?si=MGb8qvc5SLmPH5ugfq300g

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/paysonlewis

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/paysonlewis/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/paysonlewismusic/

INTERVIEW: Matt Warren

INTERVIEW:

Matt Warren

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I have been talking with Matt Warren...

about his role kickstarting House music and how he helped create this incredible scene in Chicago. Warren discusses the scene in Chicago now and artists/albums that have impacted him; what he has planned coming up and if there will be tour dates.

His album, Music Is My Life, is forthcoming and he discusses the themes that inspired the album; what his favourite musical memory is and which rising artists we need to watch out for – he ends the interview by selecting a classic track.

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

It's been a whirlwind of activity...with my new disc out, interviews and other promo duties - but it's been awesome.

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

I'm Matt Warren from Chicago. I've been producing music since the inception of House music; I've had numerous releases over the years and have worked with the likes of J.M. Silk, Byron Stingly; Shawn Christopher and many others.

 

Music Is My Life is your new album. What can you reveal about it and how it came together?

The album came about from the suggestion of my Executive Producer, MyMy ‘Pepper’ Gomez. I've been engineering and producing for other artists for the past ten years and we thought it was time to bring a new fresh perspective on dance music. I wanted to go back to the days where you could put on a record and it would be entertaining from start to finish.

You are a legend of the House scene. Can you remember when you started and which artists inspired you?

I was making records before House was born, so I naturally wanted to know what this new genre was all about. I have to give credit to the late, great Frankie Knuckles who inspired me to write my song Bang the Box. From there, I was hooked!

How do you think House has changed since 1980s?

Well. I would say that there is some good House music still coming out, but I feel like a lot of it has ‘lost its soul’ and that's why I recorded Music Is My Life - to remind everyone where the ‘soul’ of House music comes from. Real arrangements, real instruments and soulful vocals.

Chicago is, obviously, in your blood. Is there still a varied scene in the city?

There is still a scene in Chicago as far as musicians go; however, I feel like the ‘Club’ scene here has really changed since the heyday's of the late-'80s and early-'90s. You’re hard pressed to find a House music club in Chicago nowadays.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

We are looking forward to getting out a doing D.J. sets all across Europe and the U.S. I'm also already working on the follow up disc to Music Is My Life.

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

I played a gig in Switzerland for the millennium New Year. There were sixteen-thousand-plus people in the crowd. It was amazing!

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

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy

This album taught me what arrangements and music are all about. 

Sade - Diamond Life

This album showed me what amazing vocals should sound like.

Heatwave - Too Hot to Handle

Perfect example of an album that you play from start to finish. Brilliant!

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

I would ask that all mankind could put away these hurtful political and nationalistic views and start to treat each other with humility and kindness.

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

I'm not sure what you're asking about with the rider part of the question...do you mean my performance rider?

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Keep putting out new music. Don't ever give up your dreams.

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

Nothing scheduled yet but dates will be forthcoming.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Elena Andujar

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Elena Andujar, Sharkeyes and B.B.

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

When I have time to chill, I'm spending it with my wife and two sons. I'm a huge fan of mixed martial arts = UFC!

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

I would request The Ones You Love by Frankie Knuckles (Shapeshifters Mix)

__________

Follow Matt Warren

Official:

https://mattwarrenmusicismylife.com/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6at3aDV01ztkagGCY3BeN8?si=_izRViPOSfCDoIlHGpHmbg

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/wakeupmusicgrp

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wakeupmusicgrp/

INTERVIEW: Junior Bill

INTERVIEW:

Junior Bill

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THE band is supporting former Supergrass...

drummer Danny Goffey at the moment so it is a great time to speak with Junior Bill about their recent single, There’s a Wolf in Grangetowen, and what comes next. Their eponymous E.P. is out so Rob from the band has been talking about future plans and the sort of music that inspire him.

I ask about the band’s beginning and what plans are afoot for next year; which rising artists we need to keep an eye out for and where the band are gigging – each of the band members end the interview by selecting a great track.

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

Rob: Hi. I’m very well, thanks and extremely excited and happy to be touring with Danny Goffey right now.

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

We are a five-piece band from Cardiff. I, Rob, write the songs, front the band; sing and play the guitar. We have Joel Beswick on keyboards, Rory Saunders on bass; Jim Strickland on drums and Luke Owen is the new boy - who sings and plays just about everything.

How did Junior Bill get together? When did the band form?

We’ve had previous incarnations. It’s always been led by me and Joel and Rory have remained present since the start when we met in Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff in 2013. Joel and I, in fact, have played together since I was thirteen, and him fifteen, in a previous band. Junior Bill had a rapper for the first few years, who was Portuguese and rapped in Portuguese and the band had a slightly different flavour then. Luke and Jim joined more recently and the new line-up is now complete. We still rehearse in the place we all met - Cathays Community Centre.

There are four self-released songs coming. What was the reason behind that?

We wanted to tell the stories of where we come from. Each of the four songs tells a different narrative about Cardiff that has wider resonance with national stories. We felt that we wanted to use this offering to say to the world: ‘This is who we are. These are the streets and stories that made us and the same things are happening in your town too’. Not all our music is Cardiff-centric, but these four are our most localised and it ties them neatly together.

Can you talk about There's a Wolf in Grangetown and its story?

The Wolf of Grangetown was a rumour back in my secondary-school, Cathays High. Kids would say “Wallahi, there’s a wolf in Grangetown, bruv”. I thought, maybe, the Muslim kids said it cos a lot of them were scared of dogs. It seemed like a kind of funny idea and the catchiness of the name invited a song. It’s a fun song with a balance of surrealism, urbanism and playground humour as well as an ode to one of Cardiff’s most important and life-filled areas.

I promoted it by creating a hoax campaign about the presence of a wolf in the area. I put warning posters up and got up to all sorts of antics and it absolutely caught fire in local press and social media. Here are two articles which tell the story.

Do you share similar musical tastes? Who are you inspired by?

We’ve all got grounding in Reggae, Ska and Dub. We hold that classic Roots sound, for me particularly from Kingston between 1975 and ’79, up as the pinnacle of that type of music - which is why we revere it and pay some sort of tribute to it but understand that what we do needs to be different and not attempt a rehash of that music - it was done best in a certain time and a certain place.

We all love everything, really. Jim has played in many bands including some which do live drum and bass stuff, which influences his drumming, and he produces Drum ‘n’ Bass in his spare time. Two of Rory’s favourite bands are Jungle and Everything Everything. Luke has a melodic ear and loves Pop, Soul and a good boogie. Joel likes a lot of interesting instrumental stuff and jazzy stuff ranging from Bill Evans to BadBadNotGood. I mostly love songwriters and voices - people with something to say who invite you into their peculiar and different way of seeing the world. And that could be anything from Richard Dawson to Lily Allen to Nadia Rose to Baxter Dury.

As Christmas is coming; what one present would you like if you could have anything?

A pony? I guess we haven’t thought about it yet.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Yes. To write and write and write.

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

Seeing as we’re on tour with their drummer; what comes to mind is when I saw Supergrass at Glasto 2004 in the sun/rain when a rainbow appeared and they kicked into Alright. I was eight-years-old and was dancing like mad, wearing a fez and a man wearing only a green tent called me a “fookin legend!”.

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

Impossible question to answer but, for right now, I’ll go with Word Gets Around by the Stereophonics of all things! I really don’t like most of their stuff but they really captured young life in the Valleys in this album and it, for some reason, really resonated with me when I was really young, even though I’ve hardly spent any time in the valleys.

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

Seeing as you said ‘alive today’, I’ll go for The Rolling Stones. We’d have caviar and champagne. I don’t even like either of those things.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Don’t think you need permission to do what you want to do. Spend two years making your art with no specific purpose other than for making it and enjoying it. Connect with the art as deeply as you can before you start trying to be famous.

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

Our tour continues this week:

Friday 23rd - Thousand Island, London

Saturday 24th - Gwdihw, Cardiff

Is it true you are supporting Danny Goffey?! Have you met him before?

Yes and yes. He found out about us through a mutual friend and invited us to play his party. It was great.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Aldous Harding/PHOTO CREDIT: Cat Stevens

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Where do I start?! You might already know some…but I like Aldous Harding…Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s new album is great; LUMP, BALOJI; Duval Timothy…but most of them have been around for years to be honest.

IN THIS PHOTO: LUMP

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

I like to go swimming.

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).

Joel (keys): Oscar Peterson - A Hymn to Freedom

Rory (bass): Ian Dury - Wake Up and Make Love to Me

Jim (drums) - The Slackers - Married Girl

Rob (vocals and guitar): Aldous Harding - Party

Luke (vocals and synth): Nao - Fool to Love

__________

Follow Junior Bill

Official:

http://juniorbill.co.uk/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/juniorbillmusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/250nqRYTUiSI6nnVXG5yXa?si=eXyDC6s2T52ZRUpSDNYf2A

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/juniorbillmusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/juniorbillmusic/

FEATURE: Curves and Trends: Why a Genuine Show of Strength and Honesty Should Not Be Questioned and Cheapened

FEATURE:

 

 

Curves and Trends

  IN THIS PHOTO: Little Mix are raising awareness around body issues in their single, Strip/PHOTO CREDIT: Little Mix/Rankin 

Why a Genuine Show of Strength and Honesty Should Not Be Questioned and Cheapened

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THIS piece has been ‘inspired’ by an argument…

PHOTO CREDIT: Little Mix

that is breaking out regarding Little Mix stripping for a promotional photo concerning their latest album, LM5. The photo/still from the video shows the members with words written on their bodies. It is a promotional for their track, Strip, that shows them facing the camera with words written on their bodies. It is meant to show what women have to face and expectations placed upon them. The members have shown a naked sense of honesty and revelation; not designed to sell records and make headlines but show the realities of being a woman and how they have pressure put onto them daily. This article gives the details:

“Seven years and five albums in, Little Mix are continuing to prove themselves models of empowerment and body positivity. Those themes run deep throughout the Brit girl group’s new album, LM5, and to celebrate their big release day on Friday (November 16), they debuted not one, but two stunning videos.

The first, “Strip,” was co-directed by photographer Rankin and features inspirational activists like Bryony Gordon and Nimco Ali, along with featured artist Sharaya J and the girls’ own family members. Fittingly, Jesy, Jade, Perrie, and Leigh-Anne “stripped” down for the black and white affair, covering their skin with nothing but derogatory words like “slutty,” “talentless,” and “ugly.” It’s a striking image, and their confident, liberating lyrics give it all the context you need: “Take off all my makeup ’cause I love what’s under it / Rub off all your words, don’t give a uh, I’m over it / Jiggle all this weight, yeah, you know I love all of this / Finally love me naked, sexiest when I’m confident”...

Upon releasing the video for “Strip,” Little Mix tweeted, “This is so special to us, from the amazing women we worked with, to the message of the song. It’s EVERYTHING we wanted LM5 to represent!”

Along with “Strip,” the group also debuted an eye-catching video for “More Than Words.” In it, featured artist Kamille basically becomes an honorary fifth member of the tribe, joining the girls as they belt the thundering power ballad against hazy backdrops that compliment the song’s glitchy vocal stylings. Don’t miss the stormy climax, during which they weather a wild rainstorm while proclaiming their undying devotion.

Little Mix’s very empowering, very poptastic LM5 is out now”.

Most people have not had an issue with Little Mix’s shot/video and what they are doing – there is an objectionable voice in the pack. There has been a row brewing involving, no surprises, Piers Morgan! This article gives you some developments and background:

“Pop star Ariana Grande has hit out at Piers Morgan with a series of tweets in defence of women who choose to show off their bodies.

The ITV presenter criticised girl band Little Mix for posing naked.

He mocked their "feminist statement" and accused the group of using sex to sell records.

Grande, who Little Mix has supported on tour, then waded in to the spat: "I use my talent AND my sexuality all the time because i choose to...

also @piersmorgan, i look forward to the day you realize there are other ways to go about making yourself relevant than to criticize young, beautiful, successful women for everything they do. i think that’ll be a beautiful thing for you and your career or what’s left of it. 🖤

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) November 21, 2018

"Women can be sexual AND talented. naked and dignified. it's OUR choice," Grande tweeted. 

Piers Morgan is known for being a provocateur on issues like this.

During a debate about the image and Little Mix on ITV's Good Morning Britain earlier this week, he said the girl band were using a naked photo shoot for attention and accused them of "using sex to sell records".

But Morgan made it clear he didn't buy their message of body positivity.

"Here's a great idea, girls - if you want to really empower yourselves, get naked and put the word slut all over your body," Morgan said on GMB, before showing a mock photo-shopped image of him posing with insults all over his body.

"Why don't we stop pretending that getting your kit off is feminist empowerment?" he added, citing other celebrities who have posed nude including Kim Kardashian.

The row between the band and Morgan then escalated further when member Jesy Nelson told the BBC's Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1 she was not surprised by his comments before using an expletive to describe the TV host.

She then posted pictures of herself posing in underwear on her Instagram account.

In recent days, Morgan had also accused the Ellen DeGeneres show of hypocrisy for a segment where she "celebrated" images of handsome men, including some partially clothed.

Ariana Grande's mother, Joan, waded into the row by quoting Morgan's tweet about Dixie Chicks and saying: "Didn't your mother ever teach you, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it!"...

IN THIS IMAGE: Piers Morgan’s ‘response’ to the Little Mix-Ariana Grande row/PHOTO CREDIT: @piersmorgan 

The presenter then replied, doubling down on his accusation that the band were using their nudity to sell records.

Joan issued a scathing reply, saying: "Trash talk for the sake of denigrating women doing their jobs is at best misogynistic and at worst undignified and ignorant!"

Grande then clapped back at Morgan with a series of tweets of her own about women's right to choose to show their bodies off.

The singer also accused him of hypocrisy while supporting the band, who have toured with her and performed at her One Love Manchester concert”.

I think Morgan’s point in all of this is that men would be criticised for stripping and trying to sell music that way and Little Mix have stripped down so they can get more fans in and court more headlines. In his Daily Mail column; Morgan talked about modern feminism and a couple of women who are not, I presume, his kind of feminist:

“Hypocrisy is sadly a prevalent theme with much of modern feminism.

The likes of Kim Kardashian and Emily Ratajkowski have both built hugely lucrative careers out of stripping off in the supposed name of ‘feminist empowerment’”.

In the case of Kim Kardashian-West and celebrities who have been known to strip down for no reason; I agree there are times when it has been problematic. There have been occasions when Kardashian-West has been talking about body-shaming, body size and diets and has revealed these photos of her; all curvy, slender and sexy. Maybe her intentions were good – to show everyone is beautiful etc. – but it seems, when you have a near-perfect figure, it is almost insulting to post photos like that.

Many women will see models and celebrities and feel inferior and weak. I feel artists and figures like Kim Kardashian-West mean well but their actions can be misguided and, for the most part, her words and potent messages can be more powerful than stripping down. One could call it (stripping) feminism but one could also claim there is sensationalism and exhibitionism. I think it is great if women want to show some curves and show their bodies on Instagram or whatever and their actions should not be questioned. It is empowering and, at a time when there is rife sexism and sexual assaults against women, if it gives them confidence and inspires others then all the better! As a heterosexual male, it may seem like I am encouraging voyeurism and titillation. There is a marked difference between reality T.V. figures and artists like Little Mix. Morgan’s cynicism can be seen as him baiting and attacking like we are used to – when is he ever out of the news?! – but he is stepping into a conversation he is ill-equipped to understand. I know Morgan has asked Ariana Grande onto Good Morning Britain to ‘settle things’ but one suspects he would argue and throw his weight around. The reason I have been compelled to wade in is because of the assumption revealing any flesh, in music, is a marketing ploy.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ariana Grande/PHOTO CREDIT: @ArianaGrande

Let’s set aside models and reality T.V. stars and whether shots of them topless/scantily-clad in mirrors is their version of feminism or something they feel compelled to share with the world. I might get in trouble if I sit on the fence there but, in music, why would anyone assume Little Mix’s photo was designed to score streams and sales?! Consider, first, their typical demographic. Not to be all-sweeping but one feels most of their fans are teenage girls – they certainly are not marketing to people like Piers Morgan and myself. Maybe there are older males who listen to their music but few are going to go out and listen to their music because they are showing their curves! I have heard their music and like most of it but would not call myself a fan. I did not see that image (at the top of this piece) where they have words written on their skin and get arousal – sexually or commercially. I am not rushing to Spotify to stream their latest album because, if I do, they might show more of themselves in future! The photo shows potent and alarming words that look at things women have to deal with – from slut-shaming and sexism to being judged ugly and useless (either by men or their peers). They could not have made such a bold statement clothed and the juxtaposition between these common and upsetting terms and them revealing themselves leaves a lingering impression.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

The objective was not to be objectified; they want to be taken very seriously and I think their brand of feminism, to argue against Morgan, is very inspiring and fine. I do not believe they aimed to court any extra sales and ensure they drawn in a different demographic. A lot of the people who will see the image and buy Little Mix’s music – teenager girls and children – will see their favourite stars addressing issues like fat-shaming and sexism and are not shying away. At no point between conception and execution of the photo are marketing men salivating at the prospect of randy teenage boys and leery older men getting their jollies seeing Jesy, Jade; Perrie and Leigh-Anne cupping their breasts and touching their skin. There is a huge moral, philosophical and intended divide between Little Mix’s photo and some rather racy shots being posted to get some more Instagram followers. Ariana Grande has, rightly, stated it is rather cheap and cynical to attack beautiful and honest young women; questioning what they are doing and sneering. Look at modern music and there are bold and inspirational artists like Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande; Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Katy Perry and, for nearly every one of them, sexuality and nudity plays some role. Whether it is a photo or part of a music video; the intention is expression, empowerment and honesty.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kim Kardashian/Kardashian-West/PHOTO CREDIT: Presley Ann/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

I admit there have been cases in music where sex has been used to sell. Some videos have featured semi-naked women just to get people talking and that is another matter. A lot of these videos feature male artists and directors and their ambition is to get some cheap attention. Little Mix and their contemporaries realise the work and what they are saying is important and, as I say, their demographic is largely young and female. There is something alluring and racy seeing a female artist in a very charged video or a provocative photo but it is art and expression – they are not wondering how many extra fans they can get out of this. Look back at artists like Madonna and how, even early in her career, she used sex as a way of pushing against conventional and conservatism. There were, sure, times she was literally selling the concept of sex but her videos and photos were designed not to cheaply sell records but show her personality and fight against repression. She was expressing herself and sex is a healthy part of life – talking about it in music is great and, if it not taken too far, then why complain and judge?! Madonna was paving a way for female artists and still fights today about sexism and the patriarchy. This easy and unflinching judgement from Piers Morgan seems to apply to all female artists. If they are seen to take their clothes off then, naturally, they are struggling and need to get their careers back on track!

They’re too busy shouting at me to remember... even though when they stop shouting they realise I’m right. https://t.co/kzwCF38st5

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 22, 2018

If Little Mix had simply been standing completely naked and cheekily winking at the camera then, yes, I would not see a pure motive for that. That is not them – or most other female artists – and they are very proud of the photo (quite right). If you are going to question every woman who has disrobed or been a bit edgy for a photo then you will have your work cut out. In some cases, there is a fine line between art and exploitation/commercial gain but that was not the case here. Think about the campaigners and strong feminists who are fighting against this very male and unhelpful type of comment and what message it is sending out. I have been following Jameela Jamil’s work and how she is standing up against body-shaming and those who degrade women. She is one of this generation’s most vocal and important figures; tackling those who judge women’s bodies or have unrealistic and crude expectations. Jamil constantly is being exposed to men who are attacking her views and displaying the kind of ignorance that should have died decades ago. We have a long way to go combating sexism and abuse but she is taking huge strides. There do seem to be double standards when it comes to nudity and what the ‘intent’ is. There have been plenty of male Popstars through the years who have stripped to their underwear and, even though their intent is less expression and more salaciousness; nobody gets on their cases and criticises them.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jameela Jamil who, like Little Mix, has raised awareness regarding body issues and shaming/PHOTO CREDIT: Ramona Rosales for The Guardian

Why should a band like Little Mix have to answer for themselves when their intentions are pure and they are trying to fight against sexism, hatred and judgement?! It is no surprise Piers Morgan has been making the news – and claiming to be the victim when faced with a backlash – and I do wonder how his Good Morning Britain co-host, Susana Reid, puts up with him! She has, on more than one occasion, ripped up his script or got angry because he has gone too far or said something foolish. I would agree that there have been cases where artists have stripped and shown flesh to sell and get tabloid inches but this is as far from the truth as possible regarding Little Mix. The more these kind of stories bubble up – when there are objections and dubious attacks – then the longer it will take for equality and any sort of real conversation to take place. Little Mix, as you can see from what is written on them, are taking a stand, showing a very striking image and trying to raise awareness. The assumption they are engaging in some salacious and crude marketing ploy to get extra money and fans is ridiculous. We should be on the same page and trying to stamp out harsh expectations, cruelty and discrimination – if someone is trying to make a positive difference then questioning that is only adding to the issue. I shall leave it there and move past it but I know there have been some words exchanged between Little Mix, Piers Morgan and Ariana Grande. Whether a consensus and truce can be called then I do not know but I hope he can see why his reaction is misjudged.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Little Mix

The last thing I will mention regards whether they should have used ‘real’ women for the video/shot and not themselves. This article from Metro makes a valid point:

“While PR expert Hayley Smith of Boxed Out PR does believe the whole thing has ‘a feeling of discomfort as it feels as if they are using this for PR to sell records’, she does believe their message is something that still needs to be applauded. ‘It’s a relevant topic and they’re showing support of it,’ she added to Metro.co.uk. ‘I don’t think it’s a case of sex sells, as they aren’t trying to reach a male audience, they’re trying to empower a female audience and they certainly shouldn’t be slut shamed for it.’ Their clip has been praised by body confidence advocates and fans are loving the tune. But despite the tune being a certified bop, Piers was fuming at the idea: ‘What is empowering about this? Get your kit off, airbrush yourself to within an inch of your lives… ‘What’s the point of it? Using nudity to sell their album…It’s using sex, sexuality to sell albums.’

PHOTO CREDIT: @sauvageisland/Unsplash 

Smith added that while they invited a studio of faces in do dance in their underwear alongside them, the girls should have used every day faces for the album cover, shot by famed photographer Rankin, instead of themselves, if they really wanted to shout their message. ‘I think it would have been a better move if they used real girls (and guys) on the album cover. Using themselves feels somewhat antiquated and they’ve missed a real opportunity to make a huge impact,’ she continued. ‘Using real people, with their insecurities and online insults written on them would have been incredibly powerful, and the girls could have joined them’”.

Maybe they should have used everyday women in the video but that is something they could think about. It would have made the video a bit more rounded but, for a promotional shot, they would have needed to have an image of themselves. Maybe they can take this on board but I feel Piers Morgan’s viewpoint is flawed and wrong. If anything, the video/photo has done exactly what it set out to do...

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

GET a conversation started!

FEATURE: Fifty and Out? Is There an Age Limit When It Comes to Artists Hitting Their Creative Peak?

FEATURE:

 

 

Fifty and Out?

IN THIS PHOTO: Noel Gallagher (whilst touring as Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in 2018) with Charlotte Marionneau in Paris/PHOTO CREDIT: Sharon Latham (from the book, Any Road Will Get Us There (If We Don’t Know Where We’re Going) 

Is There an Age Limit When It Comes to Artists Hitting Their Creative Peak?

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I have been investigating ageism in music a lot…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1986/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

and do feel artists get pigeonholed and written off when they hit a certain age! It is interesting listening to legendary figures and which radio stations stop playing their music – there seems to be an age bracket for all of the big broadcasters. Maybe they will be consigned to BBC Radio 2 when they go past forty and it seems demographics and a misguided perception of relevance dictates an artist’s radio life. I think there is too much ageism and discrimination that needs to be addressed but I do wonder whether there is this feeling that an artist only writes great music when they are younger. Whilst I feel all artists should be allowed exposure and have something important to say; there is that argument as to whether artists, legendary and not, hit a peak and then it is a matter of steady decline. I think this question applies to the classic musicians we grew up with and have entered a new creative phase. If you look at two of my favourite female artists, Kate Bush and Madonna; they are both sixty and have no plans to retire. One can say, from a critical standpoint, they reached their peak around the 1980s. Madonna enjoyed success in the 1990s – 1998’s Ray of Light was a blockbuster – but, since then, it has been a case of great albums but nothing that hit her vibrant and eye-watering brilliance of the earlier days. Bush, similarly, has created brilliant albums later in her career – 2005’s Aerial (when she was in her forties) is seen as one of her finest achievements; 2011’s 50 Words for Snow (when Bush was in her fifties) is incredible – but most, when we think of the heady days, sort of stop by the late-1980s.

All those iconic Pop artists, from Prince and Michael Jackson through to David Bowie, had their ‘day’ and one can debate whether they managed to equal their peak later in life. David Bowie might be one of the rare exceptions regarding resurgence. He enjoyed a run of wonderful albums but, when we ponder the best of his output, we tend to have our minds in the 1970s and 1980s. That golden period – between 1971 and 1977 – when records like Aladdin Sane (1973), Young Americans (1975) and Low (1977) arrived (Bowie was in his twenties and thirties). Prince’s very best albums were created, largely, between 1982 (1999) and 1992 (Love Symbol) and the master was in his mid-twenties/thirties during that time. The reason I am bringing up this topic is that some musicians feel the notion there is an age limit and cut-off regarding quality and critical peak is a lie. They say some of their best work comes when they pass fifty and grow older. Maybe there is something subjective regarding quality. An artist might feel more comfortable and natural writing when they pass fifty – or they feel like they do not have to please radio stations and labels – whereas critical acclaim tends to happen earlier in a career. It is a generalisation to state critics stop listening when artists approach middle-age but I feel there is something to be said for youth and how artists write at different times in their life.

I am sure the likes of Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher will say they are producing their best work right now but one suspects this is more a commercial pitch or, as I say, they feel freer and less constrained by commercial pressure and hype. Does that sort of pressure lead to creative brilliance or are periods in time more impactful? One could say the reason the likes of Madonna and Noel Gallagher peaked when they were in their twenties and thirties was the climate around them. Madonna was living in a different times and music was very different; she was making her records in a different way and, as a younger woman, her ideals and ambitions were different. Gallagher, as a member of Oasis, was propelled by the Britpop rush of the 1990s and was writing in a band. Many might say Oasis’ first two albums (1994 and 1995) were their only relevant and decent offerings; a defined period in time when they were able to encapsulate a definite momentum and produce music the world needed to hear. Every accomplished and established artist seems to have that energy and desire when they are young and, largely, their music changes course and sound when they get older. Maybe Madonna is the exception but the artists I have mentioned so far sort of slowed down and became less bombastic when they hit their forties and fifties. Perhaps it is that case of having to write a particular sound that is seen as ‘age-appropriate’ or they feel foolish trying to recapture that youthful zing.

There is a definite difference between music peak and ‘musical paralysis’ – when we stop discovering music and tend to fall back on the songs we grew up around. This article explains more:

“Did you know that you’ll likely stop discovering music right before you turn 28?  The strange phenomenon is called “musical paralysis”.  And researchers have found that users, on average, stopped discovering new music at 27 years and 11 months.

The research, commissioned by the streaming music service Deezer, surveyed 5,000 adults from the UK, the US, Germany, France, and Brazil.

Researchers found that music fans will first hit their “musical peak” several years before entering into a “musical paralysis.”  During the ‘peak’ age, they’ll listen to ten or more new tracks per week.  Then, they’ll stop discovering new music altogether.

Surprisingly enough, the ages of both musical ‘peaks’ and ‘paralyses’ varied by country.

For example, in Brazil, music fans will hit their ‘peak’ right when they turn 22.  They’ll stop discovering music altogether just 2 months after turning 23.

In France, the average listener hit their musical peak 4 months after their 26th birthday.  Just 3 months after turning 27 – under a year later– they’ll reach their musical paralysis age.

The peak age for German music fans is 27.  They’ll stop discovering new music exactly 4 years later.

In the UK, people hit their peak 5 months after their 24th birthday. As with German users, they don’t reach their musical paralysis age until much later — 6 months after turning 30”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Johnny Marr (circa 2014)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Maybe musicians are like us when it comes to discovery and how their mind works. The younger artists are still curious about music and new sounds and put that into their own work. There is that freedom and the impetus; they have more fascination and going through a different phase of life. The fact they (musicians) are still blossoming and have very different responsibilities/experiences (the younger artists have different political takes and views on life, sex and music). Johnny Marr (The Smiths) has stated, lately, that his current solo work is his finest work. Most people would disagree and state Marr was at his peak when he was paired with Morrissey – as The Smiths created some of the defining songs of the 1980s. Maybe, as The Atlantic shows, there are differences between disciplines. Maybe creative peak differs depending which field of the arts you are in:

“We Peak Young The New York Times' Sam Tanenhaus, age 54, acknowledges "an essential truth about fiction writers: They often compose their best and most lasting work when they are young. 'There’s something very misleading about the literary culture that looks at writers in their 30s and calls them budding or promising, when in fact they’re peaking,' Kazuo Ishiguro told an interviewer last year. Ishiguro (54 when he said this) added that since the age of 30 he had been haunted by the realization that most of the great novels had been written by authors under 40"...

We Peak in Middle Age Science journalist Jonah Lehrer, age 28, writes, "it's hard to settle this argument using anecdotes. Fortunately, a psychologist at UC-Davis, Dean Simonton, has assembled the historiometric data. He finds that the vast majority of disciplines obey an inverted U curve of creativity. The shape of the curve captures the steep rise and slow fall of individual creativity, with performance peaking after a few years of work before it starts a slow, gradual decline."

For instance, Simonton has found that poets and physicists tend to produce their finest work in their late 20s, while geologists, biologists and novelists tend to peak much later, often not until they reach late middle age. Simonton argues that those disciplines with an "intricate, highly articulated body of domain knowledge," such as physics, chess and poetry, tend to encourage youthful productivity. In contrast, fields that are more loosely defined, in which the basic concepts are ambiguous and unclear - examples include history, literary criticism and biology - lead to later peak productive ages. It takes time to master the complexity; we need to make lots of mistakes before we get it right.

It is interesting comparing painters and musicians, scientists and novelists and when their ‘peak’ occurs. I feel music, unlike art and literature, finds greater truth in the notion that younger artists – those in their twenties, thirties and forties – are more creative and adored than those who are a bit older.

It takes me back to the issue of music tastes and peak and whether we sort of switch off and rest on our laurels as we go through life:

“For men, the most important period for forming musical taste is between the ages of 13 to 16. Men were, on average, aged 14 when their favorite song was released. For women, the most important period is between 11 and 14, with 13 being the most likely age for when their favorite song came out. It also found that childhood influences were stronger for women than men and the key years for shaping taste were tied to the end of puberty”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @_rxshxxd/Unsplash

Do we often put too much focus on the lead/songwriter and forget, at all stages, they have producers and writers helping them – many of them might be slightly older. This piece makes some interesting points:

“In other words, while many people do their best work at average ages given what it is that they do, we have the capacity to excel at any age.

Truth is, we go through stages in our lives, and there are opportunities to do our best at various periods. What’s more, the differences in the way we view accomplishments at different ages can be extremely valuable to society collectively–especially when people work together. The innovation potential at the intersection between “young genius” and “old master,” for instance, is huge, especially when both parties are open to listening to and learning from one another.

No one wins Best Actress or Actor without the work of a director and a supporting cast. Pulitzer and Hugo winners would go prizeless but for their editors; Grammy winners have producers and songwriters; and Nobel Prizes are often won, to borrow a line from Isaac Newton, by “standing on the shoulders of giants”.

There are other reasons why we perceive artists being at their ripe best in their earlier years. A lot of times, we fall for musicians because of what they are saying and some relatable anger. I have mentioned Madonna and back in the 1980s and 1990s, she was talking about sex, being emotionally and physically revealing but also capable of writing songs that encapsulated youth, freedom and fun.

A lot of fans and critics would have been her sort of age – or younger – and they could relate. Many older or younger listeners might not have been able to relate so I wonder if there is subjectiveness regarding age and the fact we feel closer to artists who are similar to us. I think a lot of slightly older listeners might feel more connection to someone like Noel Gallagher and Johnny Marr now because they have that aspect in common – it is one of their peers making music. Many artists tend to hit gold early because they transcend from discovery and mistake-making and then discover that sweet spot. Look at the likes of Noel Gallagher and how do you possibly top something like (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? Gallagher was twenty-eight when that record came out and it followed an epic debut, Definitely Maybe. Oasis, even by 1997, were declining and not able to hit the same critical and creative stride they had even a couple of years before. Johnny Marr was twenty-two when The Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead came out – they had reached that height and could never quite replicate the same magic. A lot of us, because of the age in which we discover an album, tend to feel that this work is sacred and, if it is not a copy of that, then it is a failure. Artists are always growing and moving but we all have those periods/albums that are seen as ‘best’ – can musicians ever please everyone and is nostalgia blurring our perceptions?

There are a lot of other factors. Many musicians, when they are popular and have hit that peak, do not have the same need to create a legacy and make that commercial impact. Popular culture shifts and it is unrealistic to think someone like Johnny Marr could get the same sort of focus as a solo artist as he did as part of The Smiths in the 1980s. Artists learn more as they grow older and I feel it is the lyrical and sonic side of genres like Pop where you see a definite age limit. Maybe, when artists get to fifty, they naturally evolve into a less electric and vibrant mould and that does not strike the ear in quite the same way. Many say Jazz and Classical artists can improve with age because of the professionalism and maturation of sound; Pop and other genres put lyrics and vocals at their fore so that means themes and a feeling of familiarity will be a bigger deciding factor. It is a complicated debate and there are many different aspects to consider. I do feel like artists over fifty should not be written off and it is awfully naïve to feel there is a definite where artists are seen as commercial and meaningful. Artists like Kylie Minogue and Melanie C have attacked radio stations for side-lining their music and, when they have reached a particular age, certain broadcasters have dropped loyalty and not seen them as viable. I disagree with this ageism but what of creative peak? I think it was Johnny Marr who claimed he is producing his best work now and most people would disagree. I have regard for these music legends but I do not feel it is nostalgia or pop culture’s changes that mean we feel they were at their best in their twenties and thirties – the fact is, they were stronger back then. Damon Albarn has just turned fifty and, whilst producing stunning records, he was at his finest when penning Blur classics in the 1990s and 2000s. Artists are still relevant and needed when they hit middle-age but I feel that argument of quality is an easy one to settle. Many have their own views but I think musicians (outside of Classic and Jazz) hit their peak...

IN THIS PHOTO: Damon Albarn in 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Aaron Richter/Contour by Getty Images

BEFORE the age of fifty.

INTERVIEW: Jane's Party

INTERVIEW:

Jane’s Party

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THE guys of Jane’s Party...

have been speaking about their latest song, Wait for You, and its story. I ask them how the band formed and what it was like supporting Tom Odell on tour – they each select an album that means a lot to them.

I was curious to learn whether tour dates are coming up and whether they have new stuff in the pipeline; the advice they would give to approaching artists and some new talent we need to look out for.

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

We’ve had a very successful release of our new single, Wait for You, and we just came off a weekend packed with shows and recording - so we’re all doing great!

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

Jeff Giles (keys/guitar/vocals), Tom Ionescu (guitar/vocals); Devon Richardson (bass/vocals) and Zach Sutton (drums). we are Jane's Party - a band out of Toronto, Canada.

What is the story behind your new track, Wait for You? How did it come together?

Wait for You was written in the months following our return from opening Tom Odell’s No Bad Days tour in Europe. There’s a real vulnerability in coming home from a huge tour and not knowing what the future has in store. Writing the song was a sort of therapy that helped us come to terms with how we were feeling and turning that into inspiration and excitement for what’s to come.

The energy that emanates from a packed venue is exhilarating and the whole tour we wished for something simple to sing at the top of our lungs that could be shouted back, no matter the language barrier. We knew right away, as soon as the chorus to Wait for You came together, who it was meant for.

What was it like supporting Tom Odell in tour? Was that a crazy experience?

It was one of the most surreal experiences we’re ever had as musicians. Playing to audiences like that on a daily basis, spanning countries we’d never even visited before and connecting with people on that level was very special.

Might we see more material coming later down the line?

We’ve got the record slated to release on February 15th with a total of twelve tracks.

How did Jane’s Party find one another? When did you meet?

We all met at York University by Jane and Finch where we studied music and shared a house. We recorded our first album, The Garage Sessions, in our garage. We went on to release that album independently and garnered some CBC radio play, which sparked many years of creating music together.

Do you share similar tastes? Who are you inspired by?

We do share similar tastes, but mostly it just boils down to great music made by great players performing tasteful, well-crafted songs. I don’t think that can be pinned to a genre or handful of artists.

As Christmas is coming; what one present would you each like if you could have anything?

I think we all agree that another European tour would be the perfect Christmas present this year!

Do you already have plans for 2019?

As we mentioned, the new record comes out February 15th, 2019 so that will be accompanied by a lot of touring and support material for the album, including new videos and festival season of course.  

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

Definitely touring Europe as support for Tom Odell.

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

The Beatles – Abbey Road; Arcade Fire – The Suburbs; Radiohead – The Bends and Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks. The sounds, lyrics; songs and nostalgia in these recordings will always resonate with us.

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

Lady Gaga – meat and cheese platter; in-season avocadoes; local artisan; hand-made breads and assorted dips; premium, locally roasted single-origin brews; assorted wine and spirits and fresh underwear and socks.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Play live a lot. Just keep playing live and, if you play covers, play covers that you love not ones that you think you should play because they are relevant.

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

We are playing Buffalo at the end of this month with Lowest of the Low on Nov 24th and are part of Concert for Socks at the Rivoli on Dec 6th. There will be more dates to announce closer to the album release.

IMAGE CREDIT: Matt Duncan

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Matt Duncan, Lukas Nelson; Kirty, Ferraro and The Beaches.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kirty

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

Sometimes. Nothing beats a good flick or an Americano at your local coffee spot with friends. 

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).

Matt Duncan - The Keys

Robyn - Honey

Lukas Nelson - Find Yourself

Kirty - That’s Not Me

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Follow Jane’s Party

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/janesparty

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/16SY7vICMlc8XGaTPocEa3?si=zt7_Ai4NRxuFyLh40p3KPA

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/janespartyband

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/janespartyband/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDCvJjSnfs9ZFgJy1SGbdrw

INTERVIEW: Gaspar Narby

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Yolane Rais  

Gaspar Narby

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MY first interview of the day...

is with Gaspar Narby who has been telling me about his latest track, Words of July, and how it came together. I ask the Swiss artist if there is more material coming and what he has planned coming up – Narby reveals a few albums important to him.

I ask what music he grew up around and how he came to work with LEES on his latest track; if he gets time to unwind away from music – Narby ends the interview by selecting a cool track.

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

Hey, Music Musings and Such! It’s been beautiful! Releasing new music is always a bit overwhelming, but I’m on it!

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

I’m a twenty-two-year-old producer based in London. I mix elements of Electronic music, Pop and R&B; using organic samples I often record myself.  

Words of July is your latest track. What is the story behind the song?

My girlfriend, Felix Gonzales-Torres’ Double Portrait and my cassette player inspired the track. To me, Words of July is about finding mutual trust, becoming a shelter for the other and vice versa - without ‘becoming one’ and losing your individuality.

IN THIS PHOTO: LEES/PHOTO CREDIT: Elizabeth Farrell.

How did you come to work with LEES? What did you think when hearing her vocals back for the first time?

LEES and I were at uni together (at Goldsmiths College). The first time I heard her sing was during our first week and it blew me away. Her voice has such a grain; it seems to carry her entire self in there! And, on top of that, she is one of the most talented songwriters I know.

The video, shot by Theo Le Sourd, was filmed on 16mm. How did you feel seeing the video back?

I was really excited! As I mentioned above, I used a cassette recorder a lot to add texture to sounds and getting some of this through the use of film in the video was great. Theo also brought his own vision of the song, which I thought was really interesting. I don’t hear a different song on YouTube and on Spotify now!  

Might there be more material next year do you think?

That is the aim! Two E.P.s are on the way, if all goes according to plan. I have quite a lot of material ready and working on some more. I’m releasing a five-track E.P. on 14.12.2018 so I am still focused on this, but I’ll soon be preparing the next!

What sort of music did you grow up around? Which artists inspired you to get into music?

I had such a varied playlist when I was little. I was the biggest fan of Placebo. The Swiss band The Young Gods, who pioneered sampling in Rock music, were also a huge part of my musical childhood. My father is a big fan of Boards of Canada and also gifted me The Eminem Show when I was six.

I still don’t know whether that was good or bad parenting to be honest (but this album is brilliant!)… I can still hear my mother whistle CocoRosie, Yann Tiersen or Agnes Obel if I close my eyes.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Les Mauvais Garçons

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Releasing more music (two E.P.s are on the way) and gigging! I’m not going to lie; I’ve had a hard time finding as many concerts as I’d like to play but my live show is ready and I think it’s great, so booking agents reading this hit me up, thanks!

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

It’s hard to choose one! Writing my first single, Home, with the British singer LEES was just such an organic and beautiful session.

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

That’s so hard!

Bonobo – The North Borders

The sound-world Simon Green creates on this album is out of this world; the way he brings acoustic instruments and electronic layers together is pure inspiration to me. It really influenced my way of seeing electronic music.  

Moderat – III

The way these guys approached songwriting within Electronic music inspires me a lot and every single layer of their production blows me away. Their drums and synths…no words.

Deru – 1979

This ambient album accompanied me throughout the past few years; when driving at night, when going on a run; when cooking lasagna, Deru’s textures and melodies just make things better.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Yolane Rais

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

I actually just got the Tascam 414 (a four-track cassette player that adds an amazing lo-fi touch to whatever you put in it) for myself as an early Christmas present, so I’m all good! If you’re willing to spend a thousand pounds I wouldn’t refuse a Juno-60 though, thanks!

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

Lorde, of course. Just to be able to see her perform every night! My rider would revolve around food more than drinks I think. Get me sushi and Peruvian food please! 

PHOTO CREDIT: Theo Le Sourd

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Believe in yourself! Experiment! Keep learning! Collaborate! Work harder than the day before!

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

Gigs aren’t confirmed yet, but I’ll be playing in January in London! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to know when (I swear I’m not just trying to get more followers; I genuinely don’t know the exact date. Hahah)!

IN THIS IMAGE: IMOGEN

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

The singer-songwriter IMOGEN just released an E.P. and I can’t quite describe how beautiful it is. I saw her live and stopped breathing for forty-five minutes I think.

I’m not too big on Techno usually but this amazing Polish woman, L Ʌ V Σ N, has been releasing massive tracks that find a way to stay really subtle and intricate.

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

I’d say running, but I usually use this occasion to listen to mixes and discover new music. So, cooking would be the answer. It started because I love eating, really (I’m conscious I mentioned food about two hundred times in this interview already…). It’s also super-nice to share good food with friends!

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

Nepthune – 20+17

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Follow Gaspar Narby

PHOTO CREDIT: Les Mauvais Garçons  

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/GasparNarby/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2j4vLZ1ZNKpYCPhk98FR2s?si=ysEfyGsoRgKpsRd7hkn4fQ

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/gasparnarby

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/gasparnarby

INTERVIEW: Elle Hollis

INTERVIEW:

Elle Hollis

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I have time for one more interview...

and was keen to discover more about Elle Hollis and her latest track, Luxury. The Netherlands-based artist tells me more about its background and what we might expect from her going forward – she also reveals a rising artist we need to keep an eye out for.

I ask which artists and albums have played a big part in her life and how important it is getting onto the stage; if she gets chance to unwind away from music and if there are tour dates coming up – she ends the interview by picking a great song.

__________

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

Hi! My week’s been pretty chill so far. I have a performance tonight which I’m really excited about.

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

So. I’m Elle Hollis; twenty-two-years-old from the Netherlands. I’ve been singing and making music for as long as I can remember. But, I didn’t grow up in an area where a lot of people did that or something else that was creative. I was never the odd one out but, deep down, I always wanted something different than my peers; always wanting something more, something creative.

I eventually went to Stockholm to work on music and after that I got my first publishing deal at Warner/Chappell. Since then, I’ve been writing and creating so much and I love it. My music is a mix between Pop/Electronic with fresh vibes. 

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

I made Luxury with producer duo QSTNMRKS. We initially wanted to make something in the style of Finesse by Bruno Mars because we were really digging that vibe at the moment. So, I wrote the lyrics and we recorded a first version which was still very upbeat. And then the next day we thought ‘No, this just doesn’t feel right’. It’s not the feeling we want to convey with this. And then we changed the production to what it is now and it all just made sense.

The song is about the feeling of only being able to express the feelings you have for someone when you’re under the influence of something, like alcohol. And even though it can be very fun to just be reckless and impulsive for a moment, it’s also very sad because those feelings are still there when you’re sober. So, combining that with a darker and more serious production gives us Luxury as we know it now. 

Might we see more material arriving next year?

Yes. I have so many songs ready to be released! I really just can’t wait for everybody to hear them. 

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

As I said; I didn’t grow up in an area where people were very creative or made lots of music. No one in my family sings or makes music. My parents have always really appreciated music though and are always interested in the stories behind songs or albums. But, besides that, I really did it all myself.

You are based in the Netherlands. What is the music scene like there at the moment?

Right now, Hip-Hop/Rap is pretty big in the Netherlands. Dutch music really fills up the charts. But, the Dutch charts are not really my priority. I’ve always been really interested in the Scandinavian music industry for instance. And I’d rather not be ‘famous in a commercial way’ but still have sold-out shows and fans who appreciate your music because they genuinely like it, even though it’s not big on the radio. 

Do you already have plans for 2019?

In 2019, I’m gonna release a lot of music and perform! I love performing, so I want to do that as much as possible. 

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

My best memories in music include a performance I did in Luxembourg. I was the opening act for Louane, a French singer, and it was a sold out show with about 3000 people in the audience. I loved it. The bigger the audience the better I feel when I’m performing. And my other best memories are studio sessions with people that you really connect with on a musical level. Since I’m not used that where I grew up, it always feels really special.

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

Three favourite albums, O.M.G. I have so many! But, I guess the ones that hit a part of me I feel no one else gets is Where the Light Is by John Mayer (the live album); Nothing Was the Same and Take Care by Drake and Blue Neighbourhood by Troye Sivan. And everything that Billie Eilish makes. That’s more than three, I know. But, these albums really came out at times when I apparently really needed them. They really inspired me in terms of songwriting and composing. 

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

If I could ask for any kind of present for Christmas, it would be the ability to travel anywhere as much as possible. My more realistic wish is a snowboard or a skateboard.

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

If I could support any musician right now, I would pick Troye Sivan. I absolutely love his latest album. Let’s hope it’ll happen some day! 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

If I could give any new artists advice, it would be to really not care about what people think of you being creative and making music or whatever it is you do to express yourself. I literally have to tell myself this every single day as well. Haha. But, it’s so true. In the end, it’s all about making yourself proud.

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

I have some shows planned in the Netherlands in 2019, but I also really wanna go abroad! I would love to perform in the U.K.! (so please book me if you want to see me. Haha).

How important is it being on stage and delivering your songs to the fans?

Being on stage is one of the most important things for me. When you have a good show and the audience is really into it, it just gives you so much energy. I really want to be an artist that doesn’t just have fun songs but that really puts on a great show that people will always remember. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I think some people still haven’t found out about Billie Eilish. Her songwriting is amazing and she’s only sixteen. That’s insane. I wish I was that confident at sixteen. Haha. Maybe her music is a bit too alternative for most people but I still think she’s gonna be huge. 

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

When I’ve been working on music a lot, I sometimes really need to chill away from it. I can never really completely chill away from it since it goes on in my head 24/7. But, watching movies, T.V. series and hanging out with friends really helps. That also gives me time to get new inspiration.

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).

Let’s play Lost by Frank Ocean. I love that song - always makes me feel good!

__________

Follow Elle Hollis

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ellehollismusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/4eEkGn4Jt6vtLssiOd9EHA?si=etrSdTLWQ7OZ3IMjqhUjWw

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/ElleHollisMusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ellehollis/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/Lonn4z?fbclid=IwAR2h2al6gGXTw5aC1JUb2qgjNt6_tDpmpnueG2GIkr7TA2XmBGKgO5It1kY

FEATURE: Groovelines: Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights

FEATURE:

 

 

Groovelines

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights

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A lot of people do not really look at an individual song…

 IN THIS IMAGE: The single cover for Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights (1978)/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

and think about how it started life and why it is so highly regarded. I want to put certain tracks under the microscope – ones that mean a lot to me – and get to their heart(s). This might be the last time this year I get to write about Kate Bush – any excuse, me! – so it is only right I put her first. A debut single can be a hard thing to pitch. Most artists do not have the pull to call the shots and make any real demands. If they are with a record label, other people might write the single and the artist may only get a lot of say. Even if a songwriter feels they have this superb debut single, it may not be a sentiment shared by those who make the decisions. Kate Bush faced this sort of opposition when pitching Wuthering Heights. EMI’s – her label at the time – Bob Mercer wanted to release the more conventional James and the Cold Gun as the first single but Bush, knowing Wuthering Heights was special, fought for her choice! Given the fact Kate Bush was a teenager at the time and this was the first single the public were going to hear; standing up against the record label was a brave thing to do. Not many established artists today would combat a label’s opinion but Bush, on her first time through the machine, was passionate and angered – rumours that she broke down in tears show this song and her career meant so much.

IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for Kate Bush’s 1978 album, The Kick Inside/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Bush was someone, right from the off, who wanted more of a say regarding her music’s direction and sound – The Kick Inside, where Wuthering Heights is placed, is an album Bush has sort of distanced herself from. I will talk more about this unique song and why it has impressed and resonated through the years but, even before the song was released, it seemed like Kate Bush and Emily Brontë shared some D.N.A. They share a birthday and Wuthering Heights’ heroine, Catherine/Cathy, shares a forename with the iconic songwriter. Kate Bush’s inspiration for Wuthering Heights was not the book itself but a documentary/T.V. show she caught the final ten minutes of – where Heathcliff was being haunted by the ghost of Cathy outside his window. Everything about the creation of Wuthering Heights is wondrous. You have this ingénue songwriter who was captivated by this T.V. adaptation and decided, on 5th March, 1977, to sit at a piano one night (when there was a full moon) and pen this amazing song. The fact so few artists have covered the song since its release on 20th January, 1978 shows what an intimidating and rare bird Wuthering Heights is! The single was not expected to do well and nobody really thought it would do much in the charts.

It charted in 1978 and rose to the top spot within three weeks. It became the first U.K. number-one written and performed by a female artist and is viewed (by critics) as one of the finest songs ever. Although Kate Bush re-recorded the vocal for the song in 1986 (for The Whole Story), the original is still the absolute best. Not only has Wuthering Heights’ unusual source of inspiration not been repeated much – how many artists write about a famous novel or literary heroine?! – but Bush’s delivery was the source of music interest. The fact she was ridiculed because of her performance style and video – more on that later – did get to her but all of Bush’s attributes made the song was it is. The way she floats and twists lines; her pronunciation and sheer passion is immense. The Wuthering Heights video allowed Bush’s love of dance to show and, again, provided us this unique and beguiling talent. Andrew Powell (the song’s producer) stated the vocal performance was done in a single take and there were no overdubs. The session started at midnight and, with Bush encouraging everyone throughout, it was all completed by five or six in the morning. There was a lot of discovery and naivety in the studio when Wuthering Heights was being created but there was one person who was cool, professional and supportive: Kate herself:

“All of this served as Kelly's starting point for the very first Kate Bush session, during which he was "learning as I went along and dreadfully insecure. I give full credit to Andrew [Powell] and the great musicians, who were very supportive, while Kate herself was just fantastic. Looking back, she was incredible and such an inspiration, even though when she first walked in I probably thought she was just another new artist. Her openness, her enthusiasm, her obvious talent — I remember finishing that first day, having recording two or three backing tracks, and thinking 'My God, that's it. I've peaked!'"

So, then; how did all the parts come together and what was the atmosphere like in the room at the time? The Sound on Sound article explains:

“The live rhythm section that Jon Kelly recorded for 'Wuthering Heights' consisted of Kate Bush playing a Bösendorfer grand piano, Stuart Elliott on drums, Andrew Powell on bass and Ian Bairnson on a six-string acoustic. And in terms of the miking, Kelly adhered pretty closely to Geoff Emerick's favoured choices while adding some of his own.

"Kate always recorded live vocals, and they were fantastic, but then she'd want to redo them later. In the case of 'Wuthering Heights', she was imitating this witch, the mad lady from the Yorkshire Moors, and she was very theatrical about it. She was such a mesmerising performer — she threw her heart and soul into everything she did — that it was difficult to ever fault her or say 'You could do better.'"

"That was a huge room, twice as big as the live area in Studio Two," Kelly remembers. "It could accommodate between 60 to 70 musicians, and had high ceilings and a lovely, bright sound. Everything sounded great in there. I miked the first violins with a couple of 87s, as I did for the second violins, the violas, the French horns and as overheads — back then you could have called me Mr. 87. At least there were FET 47s on the cellos. I'd try to use as few mics as posssible in Studio One because the room sounded so good and there was this phase thing going on — the more mics you used, you could fool yourself into thinking it sounded better, but things would cancel one another out and you'd lose the vibrancy... 

Ian Bairnson's electric guitar solo, which winds its way through the closing stages of 'Wuthering Heights', was played in the Studio Two control room, his Les Paul going through a Marshall head and Marshall 4 x 12, miked with... yes, a pair of 87s, one close, the other about four feet away.

"Ian warmed up and developed that solo while I got the monitoring right, and there was one take that was just great," says Kelly. "Being in the control room, he missed the feedback from the amp, and I can remember telling him to get close to the speakers, expecting this to do the same. You can tell I was pretty naïve..."

 IN THIS PHOTO: Engineer Jon Kelly in 2004/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

It is amazing to think how quickly and smoothly the track came together; how fast wrote it and how, over forty years after its release, nobody has created anything with the same mood and magic. Kate Bush, in 1978, was assured and an unpredictable creator. The Telegraph when putting Wuthering Heights under the spotlight, shed more light:

“Paranoid about being labelled, Bush strove to keep changing after Wuthering Heights. She said she wanted people to “chase after her”, to find out what she’d do next. “If I really wanted to, I could write a song that would be similar to Wuthering Heights. But I don’t want to. What’s the point?” she said in 1978.

This explains why over 40 years, it’s been impossible to anticipate her next move. She’s constantly created extraordinary musical netherworlds that have, in turns, taken in mainstream pop, Philip Glass-like minimalism and Balearic house, to name just three. To this day, Bush remains one of pop’s last great eccentrics. Her sold-out and critically lauded run of 22 shows at Hammersmith Apollo in 2014 showed what a force she remains.

But it was the uniqueness of Wuthering Heights that gave her this licence to experiment. Its release announced the arrival of an honest, unusual and fearless performer, rather than the arrival of a singer of piano ballads based on Victorian gothic literature...

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

As all truly great performers would, Bush used her unforgettable and idiosyncratic debut as a springboard rather than a template. And it is sadly unimaginable, in our more homogenised pop climate, with its fragmented listening patterns and lack of must-see TV music shows, that a song such as Wuthering Heights would have such a national impact if released today.

I first encountered the song when watching a VHS of her ‘best of’ compilation, The Whole Story. Two videos of the song was released – one with Kate Bush wearing a red dress; the other in a white dress – but it is, essentially, her dancing in time to the song. The fact such a simple conceit could stay in the mind and become this iconic visual proves Kate Bush, even then, was peerless and like nobody else. Wuthering Heights went against the boring Pop grain and did not play by any rules. I have not heard another track even vaguely like Wuthering Heights since 1978 and (the track) never loses its appeal. From the twinkling and seductive piano notes to the legendary and aching guitar solo at the end; Wuthering Heights is a masterful piece of songwriting that gave the world this wonderful artist. Kate Bush is still creating – she has just remastered and reissued her back catalogue and a book of lyrics, How to Be Invisible, is out next month – but she never flew as high as she did on the debut single. It can be quite intimidating having this genius debut single but it acted as a springboard for Bush. Wuthering Heights is an amazing and strange song; a timeless classic and filled with nuance and visions. It is a dreamy epic that, forty years later, has yet...

TO find an equal!         

FEATURE: Different Year, Same Problem: Whilst Genre Diversity Is Defining Major Festival Headline Slots, There Is One Pressing Question: Where ARE the Women?!

FEATURE:

 

 

Different Year, Same Problem

IN THIS IMAGE: The official poster for next year’s Reading and Leeds Festivals/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/Press 

Whilst Genre Diversity Is Defining Major Festival Headline Slots, There Is One Pressing Question: Where ARE the Women?!

__________

MAYBE the women of music have asked for some respect…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Stormzy at this year’s Wireless Festival/PHOTO CREDIT: Mohamed Abdulle/Mabdulle

or been a bit too good in terms of album quality because, lo and behold, it seems we are in for another male whitewash regarding festival headliners! I was pleased when Glastonbury announced Stormzy as their first (Friday) headliner because, as much as anything, it means Grime and Rap is getting more of a look-in. For a festival that has doggedly avoided putting artists like this at the top of the bill; Glastonbury is responding to changes and showing itself to be open-minded regarding the potency of Grime. Look at the headliners announced for next year’s Reading and Leeds Festivals and, again, there is no the normal slew of tired and recycled Rock bands! We have seen the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Eminem take to the Reading and Leeds headline stages, so the fact Post Malone has been announced as one of the four headliners is no real/seismic shock. In terms of the others…there is a bit of a mixed bag. Considering The 1975 are just about to release their album, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, it seems like their time is now. It is their third album so they have had time to build their stage presence and fanbase and will be able to get the punters in – one of the concerns regarding Stormzy headlining Glastonbury is the fact he has only released one album and, as such, can he fill a set adequately?! Twenty One Pilots are also headlining and, whilst not a huge name, they have a good fanbase here.

The fact is, annoyingly, there is American dominance at a British festival! I know quality needs to reign but The 1975 are the only British headliners for 2019! Stormzy has got Glastonbury off to a British start but, to track back to Reading and Leeds, and the formulaic, predictable log has been dropped: Foo Fighters. I love Dave Grohl and he is rightly considered one of music’s titan icons but when was the last time Foo Fighters dropped a biblical album?! Critically, the last album of theirs to get a pretty decent feedback was Wasting Light in 2011. In fact, one has to go back to the 1990s in order to find the best Foo Fighters albums. So, I have to ask; why go for a band that, whilst great in the live setting, are neither fresh nor providing anything great?! It is a case of them cranking out songs people want to hear (their classics) and the new ones that most are not too bothered with. Foo Fighters headlined Glastonbury last year and I was baffled by that appointment! It seems like we cannot have a major festival in this country without the band being booked. It is an appallingly lazy, tragic and depressing booking than demonstrates the issue with festival organisers. Look at the five names I have mentioned and you will notice a lack of women...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Nadia Rose (someone who could produce a stonking Reading and Leeds headline set)/PHOTO CREDIT: Anthony Devlin/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

One might argue there have been few good Rock albums from women and so, when it comes to the big festivals; isn’t this just a reaction to demand?! Even if Reading and Leeds and Glastonbury were Rock-focused, then there are plenty of names to select! If some of the more traditional and rigid festivals have not made themselves malleable to trends and changes; Reading and Leeds has shown it is willing to diversify. A lot of huge Rap and Grime talent was on the bill last year and there were female artists further down. Glastonbury’s Grime revelation is pleasing and, again, what of the women?! Grime has some major female players, new and classic. Think about an icon like Ms. Dynamite or fresh blood like Lady Leshurr and you have choices but, as this article explains, Grime is a genre which is not as open and accommodating to women as they should be. Even so; we have Nadia Rose and Ms Banks who, I feel, could make more pleasing headliners than Foo Fighters. Think about Hip-Hop and you have a veritable banquet of choice! You could have an icon like Neneh Cherry or rising talent like Cardi B or Nicki Minaj; some other-genre women like Rihanna, M.I.A. or Dua Lipa; maybe Courtney Barnett, Laura Marling or Beyoncé, St. Vincent, Anna Calvi…or Christine and the Queens! I could rattle on for hours about the possible selections but there are some great black artists in the list that would add some much-needed diversity to the Reading and Leeds headliners!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé (the perfect headliner for all your festival needs!)/PHOTO CREDIT: Invision for Parkwood Entertainment

The suggestion women are not able to handle a headline slot at festivals like Reading and Leeds is absurd! Someone like St. Vincent could own Reading and Leeds and blow everyone else away; someone like Courtney Barnett could do a brilliant headline set and there are female-led bands like Wolf Alice – who have just won the Mercury Prize! – would be perfect. There are a lot of great female bands around that are ready to shine and one has to imagine the likes of HINDS and Dream Wife are ready to shine. In any case; how can anyone claim the same-old, same-old all-male headline trend be a good thing?! Festivals like Reading and Leeds and Glastonbury have been dragging their heels for years and, while they are expanding their horizons regarding genre and tastes; female artists are being denied the headline slots. I know artists such as Billie Eilish will be playing Reading and Leeds next year but there are plenty of like-minded female artists who are bigger than could take a headliner – take Lorde, Katy Perry and Kacey Musgraves. Perry, in fact, has just been named the highest-earning female in music and my mind keeps coming back to Beyoncé, oddly. I am not sure whether he price tag is ridiculously high but she would crap over any headliner the major festivals have to offer up for next year!

Look at the names listed on this females in music power list and the honours about to befall SZA, Kacey Musgraves and Hayley Kiyoko and it is clear there are some incredibly potent female artists who are making way for others, leading a charge and influencing many! This BBC article responds to the gender gap and inequality and states that, although there are optimistic changes coming for 2019; festivals are still not doing enough:

“The BBC recently named Beyonce and Taylor Swift as the two most powerful women in music.

The person behind them (and above Adele) in third might not be a household name, but is "shaking up the industry".

PRS Foundation's boss Vanessa Reed has been praised for her work in trying to close the gender gap in a traditionally male-dominated business.

From from festival line-ups to producers, she says "doing nothing" to make a change "is not an option". 

The PRS Foundation funds new music and new talent across all genres.

This week its campaign to persuade festival organisers to have equal numbers of male and female performers by 2022 is meeting with European Parliament to put forward its concerns and ideas.

"Audiences want something different," says Vanessa, who is in charge of Keychange.

"There are talented women out there who aren't getting the same opportunities as men.

"There's still some resistance but I think people are beginning to realise that doing nothing is not an option"...

IN THIS PHOTO: PRS Foundation's boss Vanessa Reed/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images      

“So far, 140 festivals around the world have signed up to the pledge.

"Coming up against so many male artists in this industry... it's tough and it's annoying," says Rita Ora.

"But at the same time it's amazing for women like us when we do get a gig like Glastonbury Pyramid stage.

"You're just like, 'Wow I'm amongst all these incredible artists and hopefully one day it'll really change'."

PRS Foundation says women represent less than 20% of registered songwriters, and that when Keychange was started in 2011 only two percent of producers in the UK were female.

"When I started I didn't know any other women who were working," explains Catherine Marks, who was the first female to win producer of the year at the 2018 Music Producers Guild Awards.

"Maybe five years ago I started hearing about lots more women getting involved.

"It could be that women perceived it as a too male-dominated world and didn't want to get involved... it could just be that they weren't interested in production.

"But I think those feelings have changed and it's important to recognise that."

Catherine adds: "I've never really noticed too much of a divide, I maybe felt that as a woman I needed to work harder but nobody ever told me to".

I wonder, exactly, why men are automatically booked – many have not released decent material for years; others are unpopular or less established – whereas women have to ‘prove’ themselves. What about Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey?! How about a few icons like Madonna and Janet Jackson?! I could rattle off dozens of names who have proven themselves and are able to captivate audiences around the world. Robyn, who has just released the insanely-good Honey, is someone who is ripe for headline attention!

Whilst there is a pitch to create parity and evolution, the facts speak for themselves:

“We know that the issue of gender inequality in the music industry is urgent: in 2018, just 14 per cent of performers at US festivals were women, and the gender pay gap at some of the biggest music-focused companies is a staggering 30 per cent. Of the world’s 600 most popular songs this year, only two per cent were produced by women. The statistics highlight a vital need for inclusivity and representation for women – on stage and behind the scenes. Statement Festival in Sweden, for example, was a direct response to sexual assaults in local festivals, and is for women only, and Mujeres en la Musica, a Spanish documentary campaign, highlighted that music industry money largely goes to men.

Working to combat these issues is Keychange, a pioneering music initiative bringing together the industry, national governments, European Parliament and the European Commission, with the aim of tackling the gender imbalance. Keychange, run by the PRS Foundation, has built a manifesto based on the work and ideas of women participating in their programme, which originally started as a talent development pool and sprung from there. That includes 60 emerging women artists and DJs from across Europe – like Jamz Supernova and Violet Skies – and seven international festivals across 18 months.

This manifesto builds on Keychange’s ask of music festivals and conferences to pledge a 50/50 gender balance on their line-ups by 2022. Over 130 festivals from 22 countries took them up on it, and we’re already seeing results.

“Festivals aren’t only festivals, they’re marketplaces for the music industry – that’s why it’s so important, we have influence on the headliners of tomorrow,” Alexander Schulz of Hamburg’s Reeperbahn festival explained”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: The 1975 (who have just been announced as one of Reading and Leeds’ headline acts for 2019)/PHOTO CREDIT: Billboard

It is all very well the likes of Glastonbury saying they are accommodating female artists but they speak like they are housing degenerates who are unfit for society! You do not need to give them a platform and make small changes. There are countless female artists, from every genre, who are ready and willing to headline festivals! They have the pull to bring in the masses and the talent to go down in history. Denying that fact and sticking with the same tired and plodding bands is a bull*hit move! Critics are raving about albums from female artists and radio stations are playing the songs. If this is not translated into festival exposure then how are the next generation of female musicians going to see that they can make it?! Look at the festival bookings now as you will see man after man topping things.

IN THIS PHOTO: SZA (a name I was surprised to see missing from Reading and Leeds’ line-up for next year - maybe she will be announced at a later date?!)/PHOTO CREDIT: Billboard

I applaud the diversification of sounds and booking artists like Stormzy and The 1975 but I have a horrible feeling Glastonbury will book another two men. There has been talk Madonna might be booked but that seems a long shot. I dread to think who will headline – probably Muse and Coldplay – but I very much doubt two female acts will be booked...maybe it will be all-male once more. It seems hard to believe there will be a fifty-fifty gender split by 2022 given the rate of ‘progression’! Maybe there are changes behind the scenes and out of sight but we need to see women visible and given their just rewards! I am sorely disappointed by the male-dominated headline bookings and it is wrong to blame them directly! The blame lays entirely at the feet of those organising Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds. Given the opportunities available and the crop of wonderful female artists who could dominate a headline slot I say, once more...

IN THIS PHOTO: Lana Del Rey (whilst she ‘appears’ on this fake Glastonbury poster, she could prove a popular headliner)/PHOTO CREDIT: Interscope Records

SHAME on you!

FEATURE: Burning Down the House: Bringing a More Theatrical and Original Approach to Live Performance

FEATURE:

 

 

Burning Down the House

 IN THIS PHOTO: David Byrne during his American Utopia tour (venue location unknown)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Bringing a More Theatrical and Original Approach to Live Performance

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MY eye has been caught by an article on the NME website…

 IN THIS PHOTO: David Byrne and his troupe at the Hammersmith Apollo on 23rd June, 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Vianney Le Caer/REX

that looked at some modern artists who are doing something different with the live performance. Rather than the usual gig experience – artist/band turns up with a support act and then plays a set and maybe an encore comes – technology is allowing something different to gigs. Not only are we seeing some artists take a more technological approach to gigs but some are taking a theatrical, symbolic and original approach. Talking Heads gigs of old were never normal and predictable so it is no surprise to hear David Byrne bring something beguiling and educational to his latest tour. His American Utopia tour, as NME explain, is more than a man playing songs as we’d expect:

“Even if you’ve never been subjected to such pretentious whimsy, everyone’s seen a set a bit like it – a disappointing phone-in effort from an artist who used to break creative boundaries. Like resting on laurels, too many rely on legacy.  It’s why David Byrne’s ‘American Utopia’ tour – hyped to high heaven for completely understandable reasons – is all the more refreshing in contrast, bucking the trend.

Skipping barefoot across the stage, flanked by a roving cast of marching-band dancers who dive in and out of the curtains lining the stage, David Byrne’s show is carefully choreographed, but – as with Christine and The Queens’ current show – it manages to feel very human. It’s the opposite of alienating; the joy is pure and infectious. Even an alien landed straight from another galaxy with no working knowledge of the Talking Heads’ staggering impact would get it straight away. Hell, it doesn’t matter if you’ve only ever heard ‘Psycho Killer’ sampled on Selena Gomez’s ‘Bad Liar’ (banger)...

 

Tellingly, Byrne also subverts another tradition, too – instead of ending on a huge banger of his own, he swerves in a different direction and closes every show with a cover of Janelle Monáe’s 2015 song ‘Hell You Talmbout’. It feels fitting to see a true innovator using his time in the spotlight to pay it forward”.

I guess it can be quite routine and uninspiring if an artist as established and well-known as David Byrne does the usual gig thing. Rather than have a setlist of Talking Heads songs and solo material; Byrne brings something physical, high-concept and precise to his shows but makes it accessible and, odd, simple. Not only does one – attending his gigs – get the songs known and loved but there is a piece of performance art. Maybe those words lead people to something arty and pretentious but, with Byrne, he is unifying dance, theatre and technology into something magical. The Guardian, when attending one of his American Utopia gigs, provided their take:

“This unprecedented, exquisite live show finds a 12-strong band in near-constant motion, with percussion to the fore: at several points, half a dozen musicians are playing bits of drum kits hanging off harnesses they are wearing, a cross between an American high school marching band and a Brazilian carnival procession. (The harnesses are so discreet, the keyboard player’s instrument appears to hover in mid-air.) Everyone is in (normal-sized) grey Kenzo suits and barefoot; by the end, backing vocalist Chris Giarmo’s jacket is entirely black at the back, and Byrne’s own back is piebald with sweat”.

 

“Pop is no stranger to troupe dancing, but working musicians don’t normally move this perfectly, rearranging themselves like psychic starlings into clumps or lines, posing, vogue-ing, proceeding backwards in circles; choreographer Annie-B Parson is the architect of these manoeuvres. You can see the link to a previous Byrne outing – 2015’s US-only Contemporary Colourshows, since released as a film – which found Byrne reinterpreting the US sports pastime known as “colour guard”, where flag-spinners join marching bands for half-time performances.

This set, by contrast, is all grey and minimal and yet somehow just as kaleidoscopic. A huge swath of songs – Talking Heads songs, Byrne solo outings drawn from various periods, covers, collaborations – have all been subtly rescored to fit a show heavy on funk, fun, drama, shadowplay and a sprinkling of overt politics. Between two recent songs – Dog’s Mind and Everybody’s Coming to My House – Byrne encourages everyone to vote “in every election they possibly can”.

Maybe it is more of an American artist thing – as NME’s article explored – but I wonder whether artists are properly utilising technology or developing live gigs. Consider how far music production has come and how we share it: can we really say the gigs and viewing experience has made similarly big steps?! One can never get rid of the traditional and high-energy show – imagine the likes of IDLES or Foo Fighters employing dancers and have something high-concept working away whilst they were thrashing, swaggering and generally owning the stage!

 IN THIS PHOTO: St. Vincent at the Cambridge Corn Exchange on 2nd September, 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Sonja Horsman for The Observer

There is a division line in terms of the genres/artists who are taking this approach but I feel the art world is divided. We might see albums employing elements of theatre, dance and technology but do we often get to see a gig, from a mainstream artist, like that?! In the case of David Byrne; he is someone who uses music as education as much as entertainment. In tandem with his American Utopia album; he has launched a website dedicated to feel-good stories and has done lectures and, in many ways, brings an academic side to his work. Perhaps it would be odd seeing Byrne performing his epic songs in an ordinary way: bringing in dancers and introducing much more physicality, spectacle and imagination into the mix leads to a more enriching and emotional memory. You will go to a gig, as many have, and come away inspired and changed. This somewhat new approach to live performance has been controversial. As NME stated; St. Vincent accrued some divisive reaction when she tried something new:

“Towards the end of last year, fresh from releasing ‘MASSEDUCTION’, St Vincent put on one of the most divisive shows in recent memory. Parring off the convention of a support act entirely (instead she opted to screen her short horror film The Birthday Party) Annie Clark also did away with almost every element that you’d associate with a typical live show. A band was nowhere to be seen; a curtain unfurled to reveal a screaming face instead. Clark performed alone with her guitar, backed by garish day-glo visuals, for the entire show...

Far from indulging the usual patter between songs there was zero audience acknowledgement, and in stark opposition to the brute physicality of her previous live shows – touring ‘St Vincent’ Clark frequently injured herself mid-performance – any movement was clinical and small. Shifting her microphone a metre to the left for one song, turning robotically to her right for another, it was less a gig, more a visual collage. It left some staggered by the bold move towards minimalism; others simply scratched their heads in confusion”.

She was not the only one whose deep messages and thought-provoking material required a performance that seemed to match the lyrics and themes being explored:

“Currently on tour in the UK, Christine and The Queens has also taken a turn towards the theatrical, using a cast of charismatic dancers – each with distinct styles and clear personalities – to help pull her audience closer. As with St Vincent’s ‘MASSEDUCTION’ her latest album ‘Chris’ also plays heavily with tensions around power and lust. Except in Christine’s case, she’s largely questioning how these things are typically wielded by women in the spotlight. To cut a long story much shorter, society doesn’t tend to be a massive fan of women in assertive command of their sexuality – Christine and The Queens, however, doesn’t really give a shit about this weird expectation. ”I’m just trying to deflect the male gaze and to sabotage it slightly,” is how she put it, talking to NME for our Big Read with the star earlier this year. “I’m horny, and I desire, and I’m sad, and happy, and joyful.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Christine and the Queens (Héloïse Letissier)/PHOTO CREDIT: Jamie Morgan

In terms of the types of artists who are embracing the unconventional and changing the nature of live performances; it is unlikely to extend much to the Pop mainstream. I think it would be dangerous for someone like Dua Lipa or Ed Sheeran to change what they do considering their popularity and what their fans expect. Maybe it is insulting – not meant to be – but David Byrne and St. Vincent appeal to a more mature and deep-thinking audience. If you had an artist whose demographic was very young and were screaming the whole set then they would not stand for the sort of thing you’d see at a David Byrne gig. Dancers, routines and theatre have always been part of the live show for many artists but there is this small band bucking trends and taking risks with their shows. It is a lot to do with personas and new personalities being revealed. The Christine and the Queens-Chris and St. Vincent-MASSEDUCTION are different to their earlier work! The themes being tackled in these albums – and for David Byrne – are more political, provocative, perhaps, and require something challenging. If these artists simply delivered this big and potent songs as a Pop artist would – or in a more conventional manner – one wonders whether the results would be as emphatic. Consider this review of a recent Christine and the Queens show:

“The otherwise sparse stage is adorned for the first act by a floor to ceiling painting of bucolic rolling hills, creating the perfect backdrop for low-slung single Girlfriend and its sprightly choreography.

During the emotionally ravaged Paradis Perdus, the lights on the painting shift and a thundercloud that had seemed to be resting calmly in the distance hovers into view. Later, the screens fall away altogether, replaced variously by banks of lights, plumes of green smoke and fluttering fake snow. At one point, a dancer seems to literally go up in smoke. It is modern theatre cajoled into a pop concert framework...

Joined by six dancers, Chris swaps the supple, loose-limbed movement of her debut for a more animalistic physicality, jostling sweatily with her cohorts on opener Comme Si and providing the centre around which they spin like orbiting planets during a spectacular 5 Dollars. The choreography is so far removed from your typical pop show – at one point, during the harpsichord heavy The Stranger, the dancers mimic the rise and fall of a wave, as if in slow motion – that when they do line up for a typical dance break, as on the horny strut of Damn (What Must a Woman Do), it feels cathartic. As the song crashes to a close, keen to really hammer home the lineage she’s channelling, she chucks in a quick snippet of Janet Jackson’s Nasty for good measure”.

Another artist, who I have mentioned, who is pushing boundaries is St. Vincent. Last year, when she played Brixton Academy, she divided people with a show that consisted of a short film; her playing songs to a simple backing track and no other performers. Last month, when playing Cambridge, this review shows Annie Clark has lost none of her ability to move and cause worried whispers:

“The banks of lights at the rear aren’t the only things pulling the crowd’s eyes out on stalks. Everyone on stage is dressed in tight flesh tones which, for a couple of seconds, registers as nudity – save for Clark’s thigh-high dominatrix boots and belt. (The band are in fact wearing leotards, dresses or shapeless jumpsuits)...

Then you notice the male players have bowl-haircut wigs and what look like tights over their faces – as though they are about to rob a bank, or worse. Drummer Matt Johnson (formerly of Jeff Buckley’s band) and keyboard player Daniel Mintseris are featureless mannequins, while the women – Clark and Toko Yasuda, who plays bass and keyboards – get to breathe normally. As a performance, it’s hard to read precisely: of a piece with the plasticity, kinkiness and electronics swirling around the Masseduction songs and their videos, but with the tables turned: Clark is nobody’s vapid eye-candy, but a female musician playing with gender roles, control and abandon; very forbidding, a little inviting.

Does it all get a bit samey? Well, yes – although effective, the heavily stylised aesthetic of this show does grate, and the weirdness that used to be a feature of St Vincent’s output seems in thrall to a number of familiar 80s motifs. Back then, Robert Palmer had a notorious video in which a gaggle of models were dressed up as musicians. Although it’s clear that St Vincent is purposely performing a kind of takedown of that robotic, gazed-upon femininity, after a while, it becomes hard to separate from empty sexiness.

Gradually, though, as the sweat makes its way through her hair, Clark becomes more naturalistic as the set draws to a close. Laughing, she tries to insert Cambridge road names into New York and delivers Smoking Section with a husky, Left Bank feel”.

Perhaps we have not seen a mass movement of artists going against the conventional grain but we have seen some big artists do something very different with their sets. Whether it is risky or a natural evolution of the live set; I think we will see more artists experimenting and bringing a cinematic, theatrical and strange edge to their shows. Whether enflamed and intense like Christine and the Queens; artistic and stunning like David Byrne or a quirkier St. Vincent approach; it is good seeing these musicians try something different. I think one of the reasons why venues are struggling and why a lot of us are not going to gigs is because we know what to expect. The decades-old routine or support acts coming on and then the artist tackling their material in a very normal way sounds sensible but how likely is that show – unless they are truly iconic – going to stick in the brain?! You can bet the likes of David Byrne have left many speechless recently and that, in no small part, is due to the way the live show is approached. Perhaps it will take a while for most of the big artists to follow the likes of Christine and the Queens but I think the results speak for themselves. I want to go to a gig to hear the songs I know and love but I want to be moved and involved in something spectacular and unique. A lot of gigs provide the former but the latter, sometimes, lacks. With innovators and pioneers transforming live gigs and making them more of a spectacle; they are bringing the humble stage to...

IN THIS PHOTO: Christine and the Queens at Bournemouth International Centre on 17th November, 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Dan Reid   

A new era…                                                      

INTERVIEW: Jazzboy

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Louise Desnos 

Jazzboy

___________

MY last interview of the day...

is with Jazzboy. He has been telling me about his new E.P., Jesus Jazz, and its creation; what the music scene is like where he is in Paris; which artists and albums guide him – I ask whether there are any tour dates approaching.

Jazzboy tells me about some upcoming artists to check out and what advice he would offer musicians starting out; if he has plans for 2019 already and how he spends time away from music – he picks a pretty good song to end things on.

__________

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

I’m good, thanks. My week’s been kind of intense and full of surprises, but I’ve actually enjoyed it.

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

My name is Jules and I write, record; produce and perform music as ‘Jazzboy’. I’m currently living in Paris, France.

Jesus Jazz is your latest E.P. What sort of themes inspired the E.P.?

Songs are about death, ego, drugs and falling asleep. This is the first time I’m summing it up and it’s sounding weird. Haha.

What was it like working on the music? Do you have a favourite song from the selection?

The process was very natural, as I’m producing everything myself. The only pressure I felt was my own and that was a nice thing to experience. 

I don’t really have a favourite song: the E.P. as an entirety forms this kind of little monster that I love. It’s hard to choose just one piece of his whole body, you know?

What sort of music did you grow up around? Which artists inspired you to get into music?

I grew up around Nu-Metal, Post-Punk and Pop music, basically. Marilyn Manson, The Clash; Siouxie and the Banshees, Pavement; Deftones and David Bowie had a big influence on me as a teenager. 

As a Parisian artist; can you reveal what the music scene is like in Paris right now? Has it changed a lot over the last few years?

I feel that the most interesting scene in Paris right now is the Electronic music scene. It takes a lot from the D.I.Y. and Punk ethos: throwing illegal parties in huge basements, playing very loud music and the rest of it...I’d love for the Pop music scene to move more in that kind of direction; to get more attracted to danger in a way, thereby becoming more risqué.

For example, I think that N.Y.C. has a great Pop/Experimental scene with a very free and crazy vibe (s/o to The Glove). Saying that; D.I.Y. parties in Paris have come a long way, which is good.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Christopher Barraja

Do you already have plans for 2019?

I'm barely making any plans; just going with the flow I guess. I'm gonna go back to N.Y.C. in February to support the great Tredici Bacci at Mercury Lounge and will probably play in London, Paris and Berlin too.

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

I guess the very first time I tried to record music on a computer. I was messing around with samples and vocal effects; I didn't know what the hell I was doing but I loved it. Kind of the same feeling as when I first stepped on a skateboard – freedom!

PHOTO CREDIT: Louise Desnos 

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

Always a very harsh question. I'll go with whatever comes to mind now…

Television - Marquee Moon

Instant crush when I was very young and into Punk music. It sounded so different, pure and beautiful but also very unapologetic. If ‘perfection’ is a thing, I think it comes very close to it…

Jeff Buckley - Grace

Totally hated it the first time I heard it and then I spent a whole month getting lost in all of the songs. I love how it's easy to hate it, but how it also has this magic that eventually gets to you.

Broadcast - Haha Sound

The most melancholic, divine; beautiful, weird and haunting album I’ve ever heard. It reminds me that music is something way bigger than the humans making it.

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be? 

A little donkey-back riding trip in the countryside with my girlfriend.

PHOTO CREDIT: Edouard Sagues

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

I'd love to support Mica Levi or Micachu and the Shapes. And I’d ask for fifty fresh kiwis with fifty bananas, all cut in small, round pieces in a big bowl.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Get as close as you can to your inner-self and try to love it.

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

I’m playing in Paris for one of my ‘Jazzodrome’ parties I run there on 23rd November. I'm also playing in N.Y.C. at Mercury Lounge on 14th February, supporting the great Tredici Bacci.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ryder The Eagle/PHOTO CREDIT: @loganwhitephoto

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Luxardo, Ryder The Eagle; Krampf, Oklou; EarTheater, Tirzah; Tredici Bacci, Ryan Power and Locate S,1.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Oklou

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

I go skate a lot - mostly in the mornings. I do a bit of English boxing too. Also, a lot of movies.

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).

You should play OK by Demon V then. Thx!

__________

Follow Jazzboy

PHOTO CREDIT: Louise Desnos  

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jazzboyworld/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6EaFxUvBz6JbPruye7gwGN?si=SI-VeMP2QiatCkxuHfdQ0g

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jazzboyworld

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jazzboyworld/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG0-N_JMpcI1HEoS8DTafPQ

INTERVIEW: Julian Mika

INTERVIEW:

Julian Mika

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THE first port of call today...

is with Julian Mika. He has been talking with me about his latest track, Know To, and what comes next; which albums and artists have been inspiring and influential; what he thinks of the current British Hip-Hop scene – he recommends some rising talent to watch.

I have been asking about his heroes and idols; whether he gets time to chill outside of music; which artist he’d support on tour if he had the opportunity – Mika ends the interview by selecting a cool track.

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

Yo. What’s happening? Yeah. It’s been good; lots of things going on. Lining up a couple things for the next months. You know how it goes.

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

First and foremost, my name’s Julian Mika - that’s my real name, no stage name. I feel like it’s important to keep it personal; it represents what I'm trying to do with the music which is to keep connected to the people who listen and get involved. I want to feel like there’s a relationship there through the music and what better way to start that than with your birth name. That’s really me at the end of the day.

Know To is your new track. What is the story behind it?

(Laughs). Do you want the short version or the long version? Nah; I'll put it simply...I heard the beat and the song literally just wrote itself. You have different experiences of writing. Sometimes, it takes a bit longer to write a track and you sit with it a bit more and sometimes it’s like fishing. You just catch it out of thin air and that’s what happened with this song.

It came at a time when I was figuring out a lot of different things and I just felt like this song is going to represent the start of something new. It’s kind of like saying I've been waiting for some time and the time is now.

Might we see an E.P. coming next year?

You might (laughs).

Which artists do you consider role models and icons? Did you grow up around a lot of music?

The thing is, yeah, the list of artist is very long because there’s been a very wide range of music that has surrounded me my whole life. But, what pops into my head straight away, and even if it might seem super bate (laughs), are the early Jiggaman (Jay-Z) records. When I heard Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint young, it proper just connected to me and I feel like I really studied that. The words and the way it makes you feel like you were really there. And, then obviously you got your Tupac Shakurs who I just feel like even (just) his character in interviews taught me loads. In terms of Hip-Hop, as I’m sure you can imagine, the list is long.

When I think about my relationship with words; that really brings up Bob Dylan for me. There was something about his voice and the poetry he used which was intriguing to me, even as a child. In a funny way, that kind trickled down to my taste in music. I like a voice that actually stands out; that you can recognise as soon as you hear it, along with the words which makes the message so much stronger. From that, that sparks the time when I heard Boy in da Corner for the first time. You can’t deny the production and Dizzy’s voice.

Lastly, growing up, there was so much music around. So much Soul, Rock; Blues...just all of it. The Aretha Franklins, Whitney Houstons; Sam Cooke, Ray Charles; Otis Redding, Lauryn Hill; James Brown and, of course, uncle Frank, the great Frank Zappa. It’s one of those questions I could sit and talk about for days because these are all part of the D.N.A. that makes me. Not just as an artist but as a person.

Do you think the British Hip-Hop scene is growing? What is your take on the modern vibe?

So, firstly, I love it, what’s going on. It’s not even just about Hip-Hop to me; it’s just about being part of something. I just love the whole thing of being unapologetically U.K. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, as long as you’re representing that; you’re all one because we are representing where we are from and not sugar-coating it for the rest of the world to accept like we might have done back in the day.

But, also, that is part of the growth...so, yeah, in short: I do think the scene is growing. It’s always been here but it’s for the world now, not just our little bubble and that’s sick to see. Coming from London, I just rate the merging of sounds because that represents our community, essentially.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Yeah. I’ve definitely got plans. Keep releasing music, getting shows going. Big plans for 2019; I’m excited.

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

Yeah. I think my favourite memory would be Willesden Green Resident Studios; just turning up there after-hours with a bunch of olders, just falling in love with the craft. Those were like the beginning days of catching the bug.

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

Oh, rah; that’s mad-difficult. I recon, right now, it would have to be Reasonable Doubt - like I mentioned earlier. Also, To Pimp a Butterfly and Views. The answer to that question will forever be changing though. Depends on the day, my friend.

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

A boxer puppy (laughs). R.I.P. Noodles.

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

It’s funny, actually. I was having this conversation with my girl the other day and, again, obviously I could list a thousand artists but, for right now, I would have to say SZA, yeah. I think there’s something I like about supporting an artist that’s in the same family of what you do but that’s in a different medium.

My rider would be: Magret de Canard (laughs hard). Nah. I would probably have some good speakers to bang music, some rum and ginger; some Monster Munch, a bucket-full of 99p chicken wings from KFC - cos it’s my favourite, even though man’s trying to get on that veggie life (laughs). Tea and biscuits, no doubt, and a nice comfortable sofa. It’s the simple pleasures. Yeah. I'll keep it at that for now.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

The advice I would give myself (laughs) would just be persistence.

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

Not yet. I still want to get a couple songs out into the world but, yeah, keep your eyes peeled.

 IN THIS PHOTO: RIMON

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yeah, there are. I like RIMON. She’s really hard. It’s not necessarily new but I'm messing with slowthai and Octavian right now. There’s also an artist called dijon that I like. There’s loads, man.

 IN THIS PHOTO: slowthai

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

I watch The Great British Bake Off (laughs). Shout out to Prue.

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).

Eugy – ‘Starboy  Soco’ remix

__________

Follow Julian Mika

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Julian-Mika-2064529566914248/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Mvd1qANA5NbEJQFwt7q50?si=RvN0Yg5-T5C9HupX1jazqQ

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JulianMika1

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzfdCTM-JQNFGNGd7Uh53KQ

FEATURE: An Ideal Romance: The Beauty of Collaborations

FEATURE:

 

 

An Ideal Romance

IN THIS PHOTO: LUMP (Mike Lindsay and Laura Marling)/PHOTO CREDIT: Mathew Parri & Esteban Diacono  

The Beauty of Collaborations

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MOST people realise music trends have changed…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Arctic Monkeys in 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

over the past decade or so. There was a day, not an age ago, where bands had a big say and there was a lot of great music from them. This year has not exactly been lazy when it comes to bands and their glory – we have the likes of IDLES and Arctic Monkeys flying the flag – but there is not the scene there was back in the 1990 or last decade. I know there are a tonne of bands coming through and a load of stunning acts that are picking up awards and creating great music. Music, still, is very much about the solo artist. Look at the top-twenty albums from this year – in terms of the critical reaction – and they are from solo artists. I am not sure when the change happened but music has become more and more a solo endeavour. Many might say that is quite lonely and wonder where bands have gone but are bands going out of fashion?! Maybe they will not disappear from the consciousness of the mainstream. I do wonder how we got to a time when the band market ruled to now: solo artists are dominant and providing us with the finest albums (by and large). I do wonder whether a lot of the best bands have past their best days and the finest of the new breed are fighting to get attention.

I know there will be a swing back towards bands and we will see years when band-created music rules but, as of now, I have to ask whether sheer numbers is the problem. I feel there is something freeing and liberating with the solo artist. They can do what they want and are more flexible regarding genres and splicing sounds. Back when there was a bigger and more mainstream-visible band scene, it was easier to succeed and be visible. Now, I feel there is less of a demand for groups and what they are doing – a lot of festivals are reflecting this. Duos are a great ‘compromise’ but are still not as potent and popular as the solo artist. I think musical collaborations are providing a lot of promise. Look at LUMP and what they are putting out right now. Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay are this dream partnership that are creating fantastic sounds. It can be the case solo artists who have their own vibe and fanbase can find new delight and ambition when they join with another. I am more familiar with Marling’s work but am not as au fair with Lindsay. Tunng is the twisted Acid-Folk band started by Lindsay and it is completely different to what Laura Marling has put out. Both are incredible musicians and they are a potent force when joined together.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

There is not the same bulk and crowding as you’d get in a band of four or five huge musicians; it is a duo that unites the diverse and wonderful sounds of Marling and Lindsay. I love solo artists and what they are releasing but do wonder whether there will ever be that shift back to bands. Until that happens – if it does at all – I feel these musical collaborations are a great step. LUMP is an interesting name and idea and is not a million miles away from Laura Marling’s solo work. Lindsay has brought something distinctly him to the mix and it is wonderful hearing these two musicians fuse and create something memorable and tantalising. LUMP spoke with The Line of Best Fit regarding collaborations and their favourite partnerships. There are, as The Line of Best Fit say, risks when you bring together artists with these high expectations:

“The results aren’t always golden - have a listen to Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s ‘Ebony and Ivory’ - but when artists find a natural chemistry together, the songs they write complement and enhance one another and create something brilliantly new in the process.

Such joy can be heard in Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay's work together as LUMP. Their spirit of collaboration is writ large throughout their eponymously titled record, where Marling adds words and vocals to Lindsay’s music and is literally spelt out on the final song, “LUMP is a Product (credits)”, which starts with the lyric “LUMP is a product of Mike Lindsay and Laura Marling.” There’s also the mysterious LUMP himself in the mix, the figurative embodiment of their work and the albums’ cover star who they’ve described as “Bagpuss but mixed with a yeti".

LUMP are showing what magic can be created by joining two musicians with different sounds/pasts and putting them on the same page. One of my favourite recent pairings is Matthew E. White and Flo Morrissey. They brought out Gentlewoman, Ruby Man last year and it is a selection of eclectic cover versions. I was not too familiar with either artist but they sound incredible together. I sought out Flo Morrissey after I heard the album and compared her work (solo) with the duo’s album. It is a partnership that Marling and Lindsay enjoyed:

“Laura: “The record they did together, Gentlewoman, Ruby Man was very good and actually it’s probably the easiest equivalent to LUMP in some ways. I thought it was a brilliant use of her timeless, weird ‘60s’/‘70s vibe and his production style."

Mike: “I hadn’t actually heard it and what’s been nice about doing this is the opportunity to listen to things; you can explore a little bit. I know both artists but I hadn’t heard their collaboration and I really loved it when Laura sent it through. I don’t always sit down and listen to records when they come out, it sometimes takes a nudge or two here or there for me to notice what’s going on in the world".

I hope this is not a one-off project from Morrissey and White and the fact LUMP are doing what they are can be traced back to Gentlewoman, Ruby Man. Another collaboration that is named in the article is Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave’s track, Where the Wild Roses Grow.

This was a big mainstream, big-name collaboration that one did not see happening. Certainly, the styles of Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue are as different as you can imagine. The 1995 duet was a case of big names forging their voices together and showcasing new layers. Few had heard that sort of soothing and alluring sound from Minogue and it was a more romantic, if dark, territory for Cave. Lindsay and Marling have their views:

“Mike: “I threw this one in, I don’t know if you know it or not Laura?”

Laura: “I remember it, I haven’t really listened to it since it came out, but I remember thinking it was an amazing clash of two worlds and a very smart move on both of their parts.”

Mike: “My ten year old self used to have posters of Kylie Minogue on my wall, I’m a secret fan of early Kylie. This was the turning point for her, when suddenly her whole persona of a sweet pop star kind of disappeared. It was amazing she was singing with Nick Cave and that’s definitely a sign of the greater than the sum of its best parts scenario - Nick Cave hadn’t worked with someone like that before, from that side of the pop world and she hadn’t gone over to the dark side. It’s a great song, this is about collaborations and ‘Where The Wild Roses Grow’ is a good one”.

There are, as we know, cases where artists are getting together and collaborating. You do not have to look too hard on the weekly Spotify recommendations and there are a whole host of artists combining for some track. A lot of the time, I find these collaborations excessive and driven by commercial needs. You often get four or five random names on a song and it can sound cluttered and cheap. A lot of these collaborations are designed to get streaming figures up and that commercial. Consider a song like Girls that saw Rita Ora join with Cardi B, Bebe Rexha and Cardi XCX together and you’d think, on paper, something brilliant could have come out. They are four of music’s biggest names but, in reality, the song is a rather lacklustre and slight offering that does not linger in the mind. The best collaboration of this year is the group, boygenius. Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker are the ‘supergroup’ and their eponymous E.P. has gathered huge acclaim. NME assessed the E.P./album in these terms:

“Backed by just a finger-picked acoustic guitar, it sounds like its being sung as the women drive down a quiet road in middle-of-nowhere America on their way to the next set of walls and doors. In the song’s final seconds, the guitar softens further, their soaring voices drawing out the final line until it cuts off abruptly midway, reinforcing that sense of brevity. It’s a notion that works on more than one level, too; much like its creators’ time in any one place, ‘Boygenius’ is all too fleeting, a record that leaves you yearning for more”.

This, again, is a project I hope continues like LUMP and Matthew E. White and Flo Morrissey. Rather than abandon their solo careers; Bridgers, Dacus and Baker have been able to bring together their new songs/thoughts together and are turning heads. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, last year, brought us Lotta Sea Lice. There is a natural symmetry and companionship between the musicians and their styles, to me, fuse naturally. Barnett and Vile are not that far apart in terms of their lyrical style and delivery and I feel that was a reason why they recorded an album together. Both are still recording solo – Barnett’s recent record, Tell Me How You Really Feel, is one of this year’s best – but I think it is great she and Vile have an outlet if they want to try something different. One off-duets/collaborations can work brilliantly – I think the best is still Elton John and Kiki Dee’s Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – but they can be hit-and-miss. I think more artists should join together and create something unusual/unexpected. You get it more in genres like Pop and Hip-Hop – where big names get together for a track or album – but they can fizzle. I think the likes of LUMP show well-known artists can step out of their normal world and make music together. I hold high hopes boygenius make another album and we get more from Flo Morrissey and Matthew E. White.

Neko Case, k.d. lang, Laura Veirs released the case/lang/veirs album in 2016 and that was met with positive reviews. The musicians have their established and respected solo careers but, like boygenius, there is this sisterly and instant bond within the group. Whether it is a duo like LUMP or a trio; a supergroup-style band...if the chemistry is right then it can be a wonderful thing to behold! I would love to see more of these collaborations/groups form and show what can happen when you bond these popular and defined names into a new project. From Beyoncé and Lady Gaga uniting on Telephone; Beyoncé and Jay-Z forming The Carters or Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars giving us Uptown Funk; you get that power when you bring together these great names. Maybe bands will have their day again but, right now, these great musical collaborations provide something different and fresh. Who knows what combinations and hybrids we could get in 2019?! The collaborations this year – LUMP and boygenius – have been hugely successful and there will be great demand for more work. It is clear the music scene is more attuned to the solo artist and they are getting most of the press. I feel there are remarkable bands about to spring to the mainstream but think about these great and organic musical collaborations and how great they sound. Apart from the odd disastrous single through the years; if you get the right partnership(s) then it can pay dividends! I have only cracked the surface of collaborations I music but the last few years has seen some mighty musical forces emerge. We might be familiar with an artist in their own milieu and zone but, when they stand aside and work with another great name – or several artists come together – what comes from them...

CAN truly stagger the senses!

FEATURE: Queens, IDLES and a Cherry on Top: The Best Albums of 2018

FEATURE:

 

 

Queens, IDLES and a Cherry on Top

IN THIS PHOTO: Héloïse Letissier, A.K.A. Christine and the Queens/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images  

The Best Albums of 2018

__________

A lot of others are putting together…

 IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

their lists of the year’s best albums and there has been some stiff competition this year. I have been thinking about the best records from 2018 and, in no particular order, have assembled the very finest. From the incendiary and extraordinary sophomore album from IDLES to Anna Calvi’s remarkable Hunter; it has been a wonderful year for music that has seen some of the decade’s finest emerge. Have a look at the rundown and selection of this year’s finest discs and I hope you agree with (at least) some of the choices. It is very clear that 2018 has been a wonderful and varied...

IN THIS PHOTO: Neneh Cherry/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

TIME for music!

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

________________

Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

Release Date: 27th April, 2018

Labels: Wondaland/Bad Boy/Atlantic

Review:

“Although Monáe sings that she won’t “spell it out for ya,” the multi-hyphenate artist came out as pansexual in a recent Rolling Stone interview—or, as she put it, “a free-ass motherfucker.” That revelation signifies the next step in her evolution, as an artist and an individual. Technically speaking, Dirty Computer is a wonder, deft and cohesive in its blending of genres, but Monáe’s declaration—really, a call to action—lends the album a sense of urgency. On Dirty Computer, the erstwhile Electric Lady loses the metal and circuitry, but none of her power or artistry, cementing her status alongside Prince in the hall of hyper-talented, gender-fluid icons who love and promote blackness” – The AV Club

Standout Track: Crazy, Classic, Life

Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

Release Date: 30th March, 2018

Label: MCA Nashville 

Review:

“Everything clicks perfectly, but the writing has an effortless air; it never sounds as if it’s trying too hard to make a commercial impact, it never cloys, and the influences never swallow the character of the artist who made it. In recent years, there have been plenty of artists who’ve clumsily tried to graft the sound of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours on to their own. On Lonely Weekend, possibly the best track here, Musgraves succeeds in capturing some of that album’s dreamy atmosphere without giving the impression that she’s striving to sound like Fleetwood Mac. It’s an album that imagines a world in which its author is the mainstream, rather than an influential outlier. It says something about its quality that, by the time it’s finished, that doesn’t seem a fanciful notion at all” – The Guardian

Standout Track: High Horse

Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

Release Date: 11th May, 2018

Label: Domino

Review:

“The Sheffield band’s journey has now taken them from “chip-shop rock’n’roll”, in Turner’s own words, to their very own ‘Pet Sounds’: the threads have been dangling for years, but Turner’s finally tied them together in a rather magnificent bow. Depending on where you’re sitting, this album will likely either be a bitter disappointment or a glorious step forward. But to where, exactly?

The album’s title is a fitting one: this record feels a lot like gazing into the night sky. At first it’s completely overwhelming – you’ll be trying to connect the scattered dots on this initially impenetrable listen, and maybe even despairing when it doesn’t all come together. But when the constellations show through, you’ll realise that it’s a product of searingly intelligent design” – NME

Standout Track: Four Out of Five

Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel

Release Date: 18th May, 2018

Label: Milk!/Mom + Pop/Marathon Artists

Review:

“The source of Barnett’s frustration is a moving target though – and she is both fuelled and exhausted by it. Need a Little Time, whose melody is at once bright and flat, feels like a conversation with herself: “You seem to have the weight of the world upon your bony shoulders.” The peppy isolationist anthem City Looks Pretty is conflicted too, dabbling in optimism and nihilism, succumbing to neither: “Sometimes I get sad / It’s not all that bad / One day, maybe never / I’ll come around.”

As much as finding a neat conclusion might lighten that mental load, Barnett has none to offer here. All she can do is show her workings, but leave the problems unanswered” – The Guardian

Standout Track: Charity

Parquet Courts – Wide Awake!

Release Date: 18th May, 2018

Label: Milk!/Mom + Pop/Marathon Artists

Review:

“‘Violence’ is the first standout, a mazy, bassy call to arms. Like many of Parquet Courts’ best songs, it functions as an alarm clock, a cattle prod. “Violence is daily life,” they chant, Savage considering the “pornographic spectacle of black death” that is the human condition. But the frontman is there for the listener too, offering us his hand as he spits, “Savage is my name because Savage is how I feel… My name belongs to us all… My name is a threat”.

This band have long articulated the inertia of acclimatising to adult life, and ‘In And Out Of Patience’ – a classic Parquet number – does so almost flippantly. “I’m neither here nor there,” muses Savage. It’s there again on the breakneck ‘Extinction’, Savage poking fun at his daily existence (“I’m trying not to turn into a psychopath”) over impatient guitars” – NME

Standout Track: Freebird II

Father John Misty – God’s Favourite Customer

Release Date: 1st June, 2018

Labels: Sub Pop/Bella Union

Review:

“God's Favorite Customer is littered with asides and in-jokes, peaking with the winking self-parody of "Mr. Tillman" and bottoming on "The Palace," where Tillman offers the revelation "Last night I wrote a poem/Man, I must've been in the poem zone." As Tillman's voice is pushed to the front of the mix -- there's no hiding from the many words of this singer/songwriter -- it's difficult to avoid his lyrics, which will either play as devilishly clever or solipsistic slop depending on your perspective. Then again, that double edge is also by design: Father John Misty means to provoke and soothe in equal measure, which is precisely what he does on God's Favorite Customer” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Mr. Tillman

Jorja Smith – Lost & Found

Release Date: 8th June, 2018

Label: FAMM

Review:

“Any artist of note will tell you they’re influenced by all kinds of different musical genres, and Jorja Smith is no exception. On ‘Lost & Found’, the hook on ‘Teenage Fantasy’ is straight out of an early ‘00s R&B cut. Jazz exerts a force right from the album’s title track (and indeed throughout) and, needless to say, Dizzee Rascal interpolation ‘Blue Lights’ nods to her affinity with rap, a discipline in which she regrettably dabbles on freestyle ‘Lifeboats’. The moments at which Smith manages to distill any of these genres into something entirely her own are truly special.

It’s the first full length album from a young creative brimming with ideas and promise. While ‘Lost & Found’ doesn’t feel like Jorja Smith’s magnum opus, it’s a brilliant first draft” – CLASH

Standout Track: Blue Lights

Anna Calvi – Hunter

Release Date: 31st August, 2018

Label: Domino

Review:

“Like gender, the record also examines sexuality. Calvi has flirted with a queer point of view before, as on "I'll Be Your Man" from her 2011 debut. But Hunter is the record which fundamentally lives and breathes queerness, a record where on "Chains" she suggests, "I'll be the boy, you be the girl/I'll be the girl you be the boy." Unlike earlier efforts, this feels less like theater for theater's sake, and ultimately, unbridled and infinitely real. On "Wish," for instance, she's never sounded so liberated, and that lack of constraint bleeds into her guitar playing, hinting at a newfound joy amid the curious majesty of her music.

Hunter is the record where, more than any other, Calvi's talents have fully crystallized. The true character of her music has been unleashed and will likely see all those PJ Harvey comparisons finally fade, eclipsed by the radiance of this tough yet open-hearted work” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Hunter

Neneh Cherry – Broken Politics

Release Date: 19th October, 2018

Label: Smalltown Supersound

Review:

“Now the multi-faceted agent of cool is back with a fifth solo album, ‘Broken Politics’. It’s ostensibly more restrained than preceding ‘Blank Project’ from 2014 yet holds a subtle potency. Continuing the artist’s collaboration with Four Tet, and longtime writing partner Cameron McVey, its stripped back sonics zero in on Cherry’s beautifully clear, distinctive vocals that slip periodically into spoken word as they wrap around rich and poignant lyrics.

Her social commentary emerges from a deeply personal perspective, at no point despondent but often melancholic and at times defiantly direct. ‘Fallen Leaves’ pleads: “Just because I’m down/Don’t step all over me.” Trip-hoppy, dub-backed ‘Kong’ protests the refugee crisis, while sinister-edged single ‘Shotgun Shack’ takes on gun violence.

A slow burn of an album, ‘Broken Politics’ artfully cuts through a turbulent, noisy world” – CLASH

Standout Track: Shot Gun Shack

IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance.

Release Date: 31st August, 2018

Label: Partisan

Review:

“Everything about ‘Joy As An Act Of Resistance’ is just so perfectly realised. The band began to write the album immediately after they finished work on ‘Brutalism’ – and it shows. The songs feel lived in, the record’s overarching message – that of the necessity of unity, positivity and loving yourself – so empowering that it almost amounts to an entire worldview. It’s even more powerful for the fact that Talbot worked on the album in the midst of massive personal trauma. This is a proper classic punk album, one that people will turn to in times of need, one whose authors are unembarrassed about still believing that art can manifest positive change. As Talbot roars on ‘I’m Scum’: “This snowflake’s an avalanche” – NME

Standout Track: Samaritans

SOPHIE – OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES

Release Date: 15th June, 2018

Labels: MSMSMSM/Future Classic/Transgressive

Review:

“But where once those tracks were tinny, here they have become steroidally imposing, gilded with distortion and industrial heft. Based around catchy chants, perfect for skipping rope games conducted by dominatrices, Ponyboy, Faceshoppingand the Aladdin-quoting Whole New World/Pretend World are dazzlingly brash and butch. Pretending is less successful – a stately bit of Tim Hecker-ish ambient, where her very particular sonics get lost in reverb – but it leads into the album’s biggest pop moment, Immaterial, where all the latent J-pop vibes get brought to the fore in a high-speed pachinko cacophony.

Despite software advances, so many electronic producers are content to lapse into nostalgia or a safe, compromised emotional range; Sophie has crafted a genuinely original sound and uses it to visit extremes of terror, sadness and pleasure” – The Guardian

Standout Track: Faceshopping

Jon Hopkins – Singularity

Release Date: 4th May, 2018

Label: Domino 

Review:

“In terms of Hopkins’ career trajectory, this isn’t quite as good as his last album, 2013’s Immunity, which was something of a breakthrough for the Englishman, but it does feel like the continuum. Like Immunity, it’s beautiful and it’s heartbreaking – as attractive as a sunrise peaking out over an doomed industrial zone. There’s humanity in desolation. Hopkins knows it to be true. That’s why we desperately need him out here” – The Irish Times  

Standout Track: Echo Dissolve

Eleanor Friedberger – Rebound

Release Date: 4th May, 2018

Label: Frenchkiss Records

Review:

“For so many people, the 2016 election activated a sense of uncertainty or inspired aimless wandering. There’s something closer to home happening to Friedberger on Rebound, though. On “Everything” she sings of a coveted romance, “a man in Greece, a girlfriend in Italy.” “Are We Good?” gives her an approximation of what that relationship might be like: “I proposed to a woman for a man last night.” But the experience is remote and dissatisfying. Friedberger isn’t exactly part of the action. While it continues her project of self-investigation, Rebound does not quite feature the Eleanor Friedberger we’ve come to know from her first three albums. It’s as though part of her has receded from view, as she tries to figure out—as we all do, all the time—what happens next” – Pitchfork   

Standout Track: Everything 

Shame – Songs of Praise

Release Date: 12th January, 2018

Label: Dead Oceans

Review:

“First impressions and preconceptions do few bands many favours, but Shame seem to have had to work hard to shelve such opinions on ‘Songs Of Praise’. The power and ferocity with which they do so across the album - as well as its rollocking instrumentation and clear social conscience - makes it a triumph.

“In a time of such injustice, how can you not want to be heard?” Charlie offers in ‘Friction’, before he launches himself into a roaring chorus, and on ‘Songs Of Praise’, Shame shout louder than anyone else at the moment, and make a claim to become Britain’s best new band” – DIY

Standout Track: Concrete

Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears

Release Date: 29th June, 2018

Label: Transgressive Records

Review:

“Like a magic eye puzzle falling into place, ‘I’m All Ears’ has only slightly shifted the band’s focus, but suddenly it all makes sense. ‘Hot Pink’ had signalled scuzzier intentions, but that track’s crushing drop transpires to be only one of many tricks up the Norfolk duo’s sleeves. Later singles ‘It’s Not Just Me’ and ‘Falling Into Me’ sound nothing short of invincible, the latter continually shapeshifting each time you think you’ve got it nailed down.

But if they’ve perfected the modern pop template associated with acts like SOPHIE (on production duties here) - and they have - it’s somehow not the most impressive element of the record. The second half of the album includes a pair of breathtaking epics, ‘Cool & Collected’ and ‘Donnie Darko’, that showcase a songwriting maturity well beyond their 18 and 19 years. Somehow it all fits. Let’s Eat Grandma, it turns out, are nobody but themselves” – CLASH

Standout Track: Hot Pink

Robyn – Honey

Release Date: 26th October, 2018

Labels: Konichiwa/Interscope

Review:

“Perhaps as a tribute to her connection with Falk, Robyn made Honey with other close friends. Along with Klas Åhlund, her collaborator since the Robyn days, the album features lush, expressionistic tracks produced by Kindness' Adam Bainbridge ("Send to Robin Immediately") and Mr. Tophat ("Beach 2K20"). However, her main creative partner is Metronomy's Joseph Mount, who contributed to over half the album and brings a crisp synth-pop edge to "Ever Again," which finds a stronger, wiser Robyn promising herself to never be this devastated again. The eight years between Body Talk and this album would be a lifetime for almost any artist, and several lifetimes for a female pop star, whose career longevity isn't usually measured in decades. However, Robyn continues to make the trends instead of following them, and with Honey, she enters her forties with some of her most emotionally satisfying and musically innovative music” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Honey                              

Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar

Release Date: 9th March, 2018

Label: Ninja Turtle

Review:

“Cocoa Sugar bursts with the weird warmth of an ice burn, a sizzling stew of Tricky-covers-the-Fall garage rap. Each song is nasty, brutish and short, bristling with imagination. Wow shackles its motorik angst to a dead-eyed drawl, seasoned with abattoir squeals. In My View is a slugabed’s vision of anthemic pop, while Toy is the most conventionally vicious rap here, every word a wound. The trio reckon this is their most “linear” album, which seems a stretch. It feels just as estranged of pop’s traditional structures and strictures as they’ve always been. It feels exhilarating; it feels like freedom” – The Observer  

Standout Track: In My View                    

Christine and the Queens – Chris

Release Date: 21st September, 2018

Label: Because Music

Review:

“You don’t need to see her dancing to work out that Letissier is a fan of Michael Jackson – but you also catch an occasional echo of Scritti Politti’s pillowy white funk, not least on opener Comme Si, and, on Feel So Good, the clank and grind of both Jam and Lewis’s work on Janet Jackson’s 1986 album Control and the Art of Noise’s sample-mad dance music. She just writes fantastic songs: the melody of 5 Dollars is perfe ctly poised between sweetness and melancholy; What’s-Her-Face frames a lyric about self-loathing with an ominous cloud of electronics; Damn (What Must a Woman Do?) conjures a crowded dancefloor at 4am so effectively you can virtually feel the perspiration dripping from the ceiling. It is an album about pop music as much as any of the other topics it addresses. Or rather, about a belief in pop music as something more than ephemeral – as a vehicle for ideas, a space in which you can transform yourself – in an era when pop is supposed to have lost its longstanding hold over its audience, when it’s not supposed to amount to much more than a pleasant soundtrack or minor distraction. Get it right, Chris implies, and it can still be powerful” – The Guardian

Standout Track: Feel so good                 

Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy

Release Date: 5th April, 2018

Label: Atlantic  

Review:

“The Latin trap "I Like It," with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, is a notable highlight, a potential chart-buster in waiting. Surprisingly, Invasion is not just sneering street bangers about her "money moves." Bittersweet infidelity dirge "Be Careful" finds Cardi yearning for a solid relationship with a real man, not an unfaithful one (all signs point to Offset). On "Ring," a smooth R&B jam that features Kehlani, Cardi is vulnerable, revealing a well of pain beneath her tough-as-nails facade. "Thru Your Phone" is unflinching and relatable, wherein Cardi burns with vengeance as she poisons her cheating man with bleach in his cereal and a good old-fashioned stabbing. It's cartoonish but real, a confession of thoughts that are all too familiar to the scorned. This balance between over-the-top party starters and thoughtful reflection makes Invasion of Privacy an impressive debut for a rising star who can back up her outspokenness with raw talent” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Bodak Yellow

Boy Azooga – 1,2, Kung Fu!

Release Date: 8th June, 2018

Label: Heavenly   

Review:

“The sense that Newington has poured everything into this significant debut ensures an emotional resonance at the heart of songs like ‘Waitin’, with the spiralling repetition of its weary chorus set to cause all kinds of borderline obscene tingles within festival-goers over the coming months.

The love for his craft that Newington clearly possesses is writ large across these eleven songs and the bloated Sabbath crescendo of closer ‘Sitting On The First Rock From The Sun’ is a bizarrely fitting finale. It feels like a release, entirely lacking cynicism, simply the right thing for that moment in the song. It’s a philosophy that Boy Azooga lives by on ‘1, 2 Kung Fu’ to often giddying effect” – CLASH

Standout Track: Loner Boogie

INTERVIEW: Zoe Polanski

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Ori Kroll 

Zoe Polanski

___________

MY last interview today...

PHOTO CREDIT: Ori Kroll 

is with Zoe Polanski who has been talking about her new single, Violent Flowers, and filming its video (which is due soon). I ask the Tel Aviv-based artist what the scene is like there and which artists have inspired her – and which albums are most important to her.

Polanski talks about her upcoming plans and provides some advice to rising artists; which gifts she would like for Christmas and whether there are any approaching artists we need to get behind – she selects an interesting song to end the interview with.

__________

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

Hi, Sam. I’m great thanks! This week has been really nice since summer has finally ended in Tel Aviv and the heavy hit has been broken at last. It always feels like a burden is lifted when summer ends here and the first rain arrives.

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

I was trained as a guitar player, but I’ve been also writing music for as long as I can remember myself. I started my first solo project, Bela Tar, in 2010 as a manifestation of my growing fascination with texture-based songwriting, production and loop exploration and, during the years, it has been an active project. I have released two albums and an E.P. Another substantial project I was involved with is the Israeli band, Reo. It served as an outlet for a vision we had combining ’80s Pop aesthetics with Hebrew lyrics. In recent times, Bela Tar and Reo have taken the back seat in my life and gave room to new interests.

Composing several film scores shifted my work into the field of ambient experimentation. I met Aviad Zinemanas, who is a prominent Israeli Electronic musician, and together we started creating new arrangements to my songs.

Violent Flowers is your latest single. What is the story behind it?

I originally created it as a Bela Tar song using my familiar method of working with loops. First came inspiration for a single loop with a texture that fascinated me and made me want to explore all of its secretes; its lights and shadows. In this method of working, the loop is like a terrain for me and the song structure is my exploration of it.

I later realized that the basic loop in Violent Flowers was a manifestation of a beautiful memory I had that belonged to a previous chapter of my life. The song evolved as a visualization of that memory. When I met my current band mate, Aviad, we tackled this song pretty quickly. The soft electronic parts are his take of my first basic loop and an enriching addition to the sound image of the song.

What was it like putting the video together? Was it good working with Nadav Direktor?

In the video, we tried translating the audial experience of the loop based song into image and editing. We knew from the start that our subjects are going to be flowers and leaves, so coming up with the idea of a constant ‘zoom-in’ motion set us on a journey exploring hundreds of old nature films. It was a really fun process and Nadav is a mastermind in finding the rarest most beautiful pieces of film. Nadav worked hard on creating an organic flow between the different footage and the result, in my opinion, is a trip like experience.

Is there a strong music scene in Tel Aviv right now? What sorts of sounds are popular?

Tel Aviv is a very culture oriented city. Music-wise, its strong-suit at the moment is the Electronic music scene. There are a lot of great-sounding clubs and a growing amount of Techno/House producers and D.J.s that are based here. Tel Aviv is dramatically different from the rest of Israel (much more international) but, still, this is a Middle Eastern country and you can find traces of more local musical genres in a lot of the music that originates from here. The use of African or Arab instruments is evident. I also like using the Darbuka (an Arab percussion instrument) in some of my songs.

The sound of it is pretty far away from the kind of dream Pop that my music is often described as, but it’s an instrument that I heard around me growing up in Israel and I feel that it makes sense for me to combine it with what I do.

PHOTO CREDIT: Goni Riskin

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

My mother was a classically trained pianist and we always listened to music when I was growing up. Jazz and ethnic music were the most common; some Country music as well. Surprisingly enough, we hardly ever listened to music sung in Hebrew, so when I started writing songs, it was strangely obvious for me that I needed to write in English - even though my native tongue was Hebrew. Only later on did I start writing in Hebrew and it was a big challenge for me.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Yes, I do. I am planning to release the album that I am currently finalizing with Aviad Zinemanas. It will include both songs and ambient pieces. I am also currently working on a few collaborations that will see the light of day in 2019. One is with an Israeli Techno producer and another is a new project in Hebrew. My biggest plan for 2019, which is more of a hope though, is to continue experimenting and collaborating and creating lots of new materials.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ori Kroll 

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

Music gave me so many great memories. But, in all honesty, I think nothing beats the feeling of having a moment of musical inspiration when I’m working on a piece, by myself. It’s rare and it’s wonderful.

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

Teenage years are the ones in which music hits you with the most intensity so it saddens me a bit to admit that music I discovered then and loved during that period of my life probably means the most to me. Red House Painters - Rollercoaster was one of the first albums I fell in love with.

In later years, I discovered a newer incarnation of the same artist and Sun Kil Moon’s Admiral Fell Promises became a really important album for me. My third choice would be a more recent one; one of the exceptions that were able to blew my mind, even though I was older…that’s William Basinski’s Disintegration Loops. In contrast to Mark Kozelek’s work I adored in previous years, in Basinski’s music I found elements that are closer to my own creative process.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ori Kroll 

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

Tough call. There is a Neumann microphone that I am dying for and a Maison Kitsuné jacket I would love to have. Either one of those would be awesome. Or, perhaps, that the entire world becomes vegan.

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

I was actually pretty blessed and I got a chance to support so many great musicians in their Israeli tour dates - like Tame Impala, Swans; Mark Kozelek, Lætitia Sadier; Sleep Party People and more. I feel I’m satisfied in that area. Regarding my dream rider - maybe a backstage full of dogs.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I don’t know that I’m qualified to give any advice; I believe that, for different people, it works differently. Some clichés are worth mentioning though - that it’s okay to be influenced by stuff but don’t try sounding like someone else. Try doing only what inspires you and makes your insides feel warm and fuzzy. Don’t worry too much about self-promotion. Worry about your art being amazing. That being said, you should find an awesome graphic designer.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ori Kroll 

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

I am currently playing only in Israel but planning some European dates for spring of 2019.

How important is it being on stage and delivering your songs to the fans?

Playing live is a part of my work as a musician that I have grown to love. When I started out, I had a terrible stage fright and it took me years to shake it off. Only in the past year have I started to enjoy it. And I do now, tremendously. I am not a super-social person to say the least and playing shows allows me to connect with people on a very profound level, something that is almost impossible for me otherwise. So, I would say being on stage is a huge deal for me and it has a lot to do with me being less lonely.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Shame on Us

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I would love to recommend some Israeli artists that I admire. As I mentioned; the Electronic scene is happening in Tel Aviv and there are a lot of interesting artists like: Red Axes, Shame on Us; Or Edry and TV.OUT. And, not Electronic but still great: Vaadat Charigim and Hila Ruach.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Vaadat Charigim

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

Since I work independently in music - with no day job -, I have no other choice but to really fill my time with all kinds of different projects. Other than creating original music, I score films and I teach production and guitar. I actually don’t have much time left for hobbies. I do unwind though by taking my dog on walks and watching Netflix.

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).

Or Edry - Cheder Choshech  

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Follow Zoe Polanski

PHOTO CREDIT: Goni Riskin 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/zoepolanskiakabelatar/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Bo6nw7v7mY8f8Qx9hET3B?si=SN8OzqMLT7mgWG_f0juHug

YouTube:

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

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/bela-tar

Bandcamp:

https://belatar.bandcamp.com/?fbclid=IwAR14cg9O25CJT053mEtvE066E7KyhBJvXAFI4hyCPmJdxA3BDQuiqJ73w9M

INTERVIEW: Love Ghost

INTERVIEW:

Love Ghost

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THE guys of Love Ghost have been talking with me...

about their track, Nowhere, and its award-winning video; whether there is going to be new material coming along and how the band found one another – they select albums that are important to them and rising artists we need to watch.

I ask if they get time to relax away from music and whether they share musical tastes; the importance and role of L.A. in their music and what they have planned going forward  - they select some cool songs to end the interview with.

__________

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

Finn: My week has been the whole mix of emotions - good and bad, happy and sad; you name it.  We have been getting ready for a show this Saturday at Casey’s Irish Pub - it is one of our favourite spots to play, so that’s good. I also had a friend that passed away over the weekend and that’s been difficult.

Mya: I have felt especially swamped by graduate school applications, essays; book contributions, meetings and, of course, performing. I am unsure whether I have actually gotten worse at adulating (sic), or whether my obligations have placed a peak level of demand on pre-existing adulting capabilities.

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

We are Love Ghost.  We play progressive, hard Grunge-Rock with Jazz elements and strings. Mya Greene plays viola, Finn Bell plays guitar and sings lead vocals; Ryan Stevens plays bass guitar and sings backup vocals and Samson Young plays drums and sings backup vocals. Our new album is called Lobotomy.

Nowhere is your new track. What is the story behind it?

Finn: Nowhere actually grew out of an argument I had with an ex-girlfriend. It sprung from that argument but, on a deeper level, it speaks to adolescent depression. Depression is something I have fought with for most of my life. We all jammed together to come up with the instrumentals.

Mya had initially composed a viola part, which involved mode-mixture in rhythmic unison with the guitar but Finn offered suggestions, which led to the catchy melody you hear on the recording. The song has initially been shorter, but a bridge was added. We have performed it extensively.

The video has won awards! How did it come to be and what was it like being involved?

Finn: My dad directed it. It was fun to be a part of the filmmaking process. Finding all the locations with him was a fun experience. My dad was really inspired by this Beatles movie, Across the Universe, by Julie Taymor and The Beatles concert on the roof. Those were the inspirations initially and I guess there is also a little Magical Mystery Tour in it - so it was sort of our ode to The Beatles.

Mya: Our manager Dan Bell has extensive filmmaking experience and came up with the idea to do a psychedelic-themed video featuring our performance of the song. To my knowledge, none of the band members really had too much input on the script for this particular video, though that is different for the other videos. We filmed the video on a rooftop in downtown Los Angeles.

The weather and food provided at the shoot were perfect and it was fun being shot by drones (pun intended) and with Go Pros attached to our instruments in unusual places. The person managing the location was over-the-top aggressive, but we all had a good laugh poking fun at him.

Might we see more material later in the year perhaps?

Absolutely. We will be recording a single next week and we have plans to record an E.P. when we return from Ireland.

How did Love Ghost find one another? Did you all meet in L.A.?

Finn and Mya are the two original members from the initial lineup. They met through parental connection in the film industry. Their parents suggested a jam session and it went well. Ryan had come to our shows and had a mutual connection with Finn and so was invited to join after the initial bassist left. We knew Samson through mutual attendance at a local music school. We all met in Los Angeles.

Do you share similar tastes? Who are you inspired by?

Finn: I would say, since we all come from different musical backgrounds, we don’t exactly have the same musical tastes but it lends to our unique sound and for that I am grateful. Me, personally; I love ’90s and early-2000s music. I am inspired by Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead and Elliott Smith amongst others.   

Mya is rather open to experiencing all genres, but was trained primarily as a musician in the western Classical tradition. We are inspired by an increasingly diverse array of genres and artists.

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

Finn: I would like to record the best single I possibly can; one that showcases all our abilities.

Mya: I hope that we produce a high-quality new single, solidify some of our new, yet-to-be performed material and attract a significant audience during the first days of our tour in Ireland.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

We will be doing the latter-half of our Ireland tour. We are going to go to Japan and play twelve shows in both Tokyo and Osaka.

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

Finn: That’s a really good question. There are a lot. Selling out our record release at the Bootleg and having four-hundred people chant “Love Ghost, Love Ghost” - that really moved me.

Mya: For me, I would say that it would have to be during this one outreach performance at an elementary school where children literally jumped out of their seats and tried to hug me. I played some excerpts from the Viola Concerto by Bela Bartok and the Cello Suite No. 3 by Johann Sebastian Bach. That was the most enthusiastic audience response I have ever witnessed with respect to any music that I performed.

That moment also supported the hypotheses that none of us are innately wired to only appreciate top-40 hits and that exposure helps form musical preference, which felt encouraging.

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

Finn: In Utero by Nirvana

Listening to that album is what really made me want to write music. In particular, Scentless Apprentice really captured my imagination.

Mya: I cannot really say. I pretty much never listen to whole albums and my favorite songs by different groups are usually a collection of songs and/or pieces scattered across albums.

Rayn: System of a Down - Mezmerize has some of the hardest bass lines ever. Love that album.

Samson: Buddy Miles - Them Changes made me want to be a drummer. Listen to it.

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

We’d support Thom Yorke. 

Our rider would be that the venue we are playing at has to give one meal to a homeless kid at the end of every show. That is definitely a cause for all of us. We have been organizing and feeding the homeless on skid row in Los Angeles this entire year.

Mya: ...and I want hot sauce with Carolina Reaper listed in the first five ingredients.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Finn: Stick with it. It’s the ones who have faced adversity and stuck with it that you know about today.

Mya: Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket; don’t underestimate the need for entrepreneurship and don’t major in music. I have been around too many musicians who appear to never make an effort to develop any other skills in addition to their musical discipline and then struggle to make ends meet when they cannot make their career take off. There are also many who do not understand the need to be promoted and wait for others to simply hand things to them. I had this mentality for a while.

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

We are playing six shows in Ireland coming up: Roisin Dubh, Galway 27th; Whelan's, Dublin 28th; Cleere's, Kilkenny 2nd Jan; ChezLeFab, Limerick 3rd Jan; Spirit Store, Dundalk 4th Jan; Crane Lane, Cork 5th Jan.

We will be playing twelve shows in Japan in March.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Bitch Falcon

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Bitch Falcon (from Ireland), Moollz and the Irish band we will be touring with, modernlove.

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

Finn: I don’t get much time to chill but, whenever I do, I usually eat ice cream and watch YouTube tutorials on black holes.

Mya: I do lots of things in addition to music. I am not sure I would use the word’chill’ to describe many of them. I unwind by Googling things; looking up videos of medical procedures which involve things oozing, looking at puppies; writing and lying in bed under piles of clothes with crumbs underneath them.

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).

Finnegan: Frame by Frame - King Crimson

Mya: Langes Haar by Die Vamummtn

Ryan: Flypaper by My Ticket Home

Samson: -Istoid by Chuan Tzu

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Follow Love Ghost

Official:

https://loveghost.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/@LoveGhost_

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/loveghost_official/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/loveghost.official

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7oYWWttOyiltgT19mfoUWi?si=uBDs4XScRp-F_7d6oiBvrg

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/LoveGhost

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/loveghost_official