INTERVIEW: Lily & Madeleine

INTERVIEW:

Lily & Madeleine

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IT has been enjoyable speaking with the duo...

Lily & Madeleine who have been telling me about their current single, Analog Love, and how that came together. I ask them what we can expect from their upcoming album, Canterbury Girls, and what they have planned moving forward – they select some rising artists worth watching out for.

I ask how they found one another and why they moved to New York; which albums mean the most to them and whether we might see them tour very soon – they reveal whether they’ll come to the U.K. and end the interview with some great music.

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Hi, Lily and Madeleine. How are you? How has your week been?

Madeleine: We're good! Just keeping busy and trying to stay warm in Brooklyn, N.Y. 

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

Madeleine: Sure! I'm Madeleine, Lily's older sister. We're from Indiana and just moved to N.Y.C. about a year ago. We write indie Folk/Pop music and recorded our most recent record, Canterbury Girls, with Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk in Nashville, TN where our label New West Records is based. We both play keys and Lily also plays guitar. 

When did you decide to record music to together? Was it a natural move for you both?

Madeleine: We started writing and recording when we were both in high-school and it started out as just a fun project. After signing to Asthmatic Kitty Records and releasing our E.P., suddenly we realized that we could write and play as a career and began pursuing a career in music since then. 

Lily: We had been singing around the house and writing little jingles our whole lives. Since then, we've made four full albums together!

 

Analog Love is your new track. Tell me how that track came to be.

Madeleine: We wrote Analog Love with our friend Lucie Silvas in Nashville a couple years ago. We usually don't start with the title of the song first but Lucie had the idea for the title and we went on from there. The song is about finding an uncomplicated and reassuring romantic relationship. Lily and I are often on tour, therefore our relationships must be long-distance. The distance can get frustrating, so finding a solid, real, ‘analog’ relationship was the inspiration there. 

Lily: We also don't write a lot of love songs because it can be hard to capture that emotion of longing without being too melodramatic. I think writing Analog Love was one of the only times I could express those feelings without being overwhelmed. And Lucie was amazing to write with, as always!

It is from the upcoming album, Canterbury Girls. What sort of themes and ideas might we find on the album?

Madeleine: Canterbury Girls is the most intimate and powerful project we've ever made. Each song tells a story of heartache, triumph; pain and, finally, self-love. 

Lily: I think the album is really about perseverance. We talk about the concept of ‘emotional baggage’ on a lot of the songs, but the album as a whole sends a message of staying strong and open while still processing your pain and acknowledging that you deserve better. 

You moved to New York early last year. How important was it to locate there and be in one of the world’s most inspiring places?

Madeleine: Our move to N.Y.C. was kind of random. We knew we wanted to leave Indiana but we weren't sure where to go. I was living with a boyfriend at the time and wasn't even sure I wanted to leave my relationship and my whole life behind. Lily gave me the strength to leave that toxic relationship and move to one of the most inspiring and exciting places. We found an apartment on Facebook and put down a deposit that day.

We flew out here with few belongings and have spent a year exploring, writing; eating, being lonely; meeting new friends and finding new inspiration. New York is incredible. 

Lily: Honestly, I just wanted to get out of the Midwest, make a new change and take a step forward in my life! I was between L.A. and New York, but we decided New York made more sense. 

When you were all growing up, what sort of music inspired you?

Madeleine: I remember getting my own iPod Shuffle when I was young and listening to Enya, Simon & Garfunkel; Green Day and Shania Twain. I loved anything with a catchy melody and harmony.

Lily: I liked listening to artists that made music I couldn't fathom creating myself. Singers with unbelievable vocal ranges like Celine Dion and really interesting songwriters like Arcade Fire and The Shins. 

Do you think it is hard for female artists to get noticed in 2019? Have you found obstacles placed in your way because you are young women?

Madeleine: Certainly, some people don't take us as seriously because we're young and female. But I've found there's a lot to learn about the industry and, when people give us the chance to show our worth, we're able to learn so much more. 

Lily: Eh, yeah, of course. But, sometimes, it's fun when people underestimate you because it can be sooo satisfying to prove them wrong. 

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

Madeleine: We toured with Joshua Radin in Europe in 2017 and it was an amazing experience. We got to see so many beautiful cities and play to wonderful people. I can't wait to come back to Europe. 

Lily: We got to play with the Indianapolis Symphony when I was like sixtteen or seventeen. It was crazy to hear a song I wrote being arranged and played by such fantastic musicians. I hope we'll get to do that again sometime. 

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

Madeleine: The album, I Want That You Are Always Happy, by The Middle East is very special to me. I originally found it at the library and borrowed it because the cover art was so strange. Turns out it has fourteen beautiful, original and emotional tracks. I listened to the album many times while going through a tough transitional period in my life and I think it brought me peace in that time. 

Lily: I bought Sound & Color by the Alabama Shakes for my car cd player and listened to it for hours while I drove all over the Midwest. Gimme All Your Love is SERIOUSLY one of the best songs ever in my opinion. It never gets old. And the album has a really nice range of genre influences and mood switches that keeps your attention and makes it perfect for a long drive.

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

Madeleine: I would love to open for Kacey Musgraves! Her live shows look so fun and she is so talented and beautiful! My dream rider would include fancy French pastries and endless coffee. 

Lily: Yeah. Kacey or Kehlani. Kehlani has an incredible voice and I'd love to watch her show from backstage and drink champagne.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Madeleine: Write from the heart; don't try so hard. You have all the words within you. I would also say that to be successful you must be more than just an artist. You need to know how to book shows, made merchandise; create a budget, hire other musicians if needed; promote your music online, create connections in the industry. Being your own business owner will make you an even better artist in the long run. 

Lily: Artists on the come up think way too much about their image. Don't be afraid to look stupid or be yourself because, if you focus too much on copying current fashion or music trends, it's just gonna seem inauthentic and cheesy. Be ugly and weird and as quiet or as loud as you want to be. 

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

Madeleine: We don't have any U.K. shows booked yet but we're working on it. For now, you can catch us in the States on the East Coast in Feb/March and on the West Coast in late-March. (We're hoping to come to U.K./E.U. after that...stay tuned.) 

Lily: We WILL be there soon!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lennon Stella

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Madeleine: I'm LOVING Lennon Stella lately. She is a young lady writing and recording in the Nashville Pop scene and she first started out with her younger sister. Her music is fun and also poignant. She just released an E.P. late last year. 

Lily: We saw a woman named Cassandra Jenkins perform in Manhattan last week and I thought it was just amazing. She had a beautiful string section with her during her live performance and when I listened to her studio versions on Spotify the songs were just as amazing!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Cassandra Jenkins

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

Madeleine: Lily and I try to rehearse every day but, when we need a moment to relax, we love to knit and crochet while watching Netflix. Knitting is also nice to do on tour because it's meditative yet productive. 

Lily: Yeah. Madge and I love working on a knitting/crochet project and bingeing a new series. I also like playing video games and taking longgg walks in New York while listening to an album or a podcast. 

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)

Madeleine: I choose Months by The Middle East from their record, I Want That You Are Always Happy

Lily: I choose Dreamlover by skinny legend Mariah Carey

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Follow Lily & Madeleine

Official:

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https://open.spotify.com/artist/1kCC5slv2AdQ6MxcKP2fEQ?si=XqB0cvQTT8-D6dulaiByow

FEATURE: From Raw Sushi to Broken Politics: The Brilliance and Endurance of Neneh Cherry

FEATURE:

 

 

From Raw Sushi to Broken Politics

IN THIS PHOTO: Neneh Cherry (circa 2018)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

 The Brilliance and Endurance of Neneh Cherry

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BECAUSE this year ends with a ‘9’...                   

 PHOTO CREDIT: Olivia Rose for i-D

we are looking back at the albums of 1969, 1979; 1989, 1999 and 2009 that will all celebrate big anniversaries. Maybe The Beatles’ Abbey Road (1969) is the biggest album that will get a lot of focus come September. The same, too, can be said for years ending in a ‘4’ – there are some awesome albums we will mark and will be introduced to a new generation. Whilst I am pumped to see which albums are coming up to their anniversaries, one record I will celebrate is Neneh Cherry’s Raw Like Sushi. Her debut album was released on 5th June, 1989 and was a revelation from the Swedish-born songwriter. It remains one of the most confident and original debut albums ever released and introduced the world to this fantastic, vital and genius artist. Even looking back now, Raw Like Sushi sounds completely fresh and you pick up new elements and revelations.

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

1989 was a great year for music: epic releases from Beastie Boys (Paul’s Boutique), De La Soul (3 Feet High and Rising) and Madonna (Like a Prayer) made it a year to remember! Among the best records of that year was Cherry’s Raw Like Sushi. It is one of those albums that bursts with colour and the best of 1980s Pop but Cherry was looking forward and producing this much more complex, intriguing and challenging type of music. Whether looking at models posing for snaps on Buffalo Stance or slamming men who need to do some growing up (Manchild); it is a masterful album filled with gems. The debut is packed with great songs and, at a time when Pop is rather limited and not daring enough, many could do worse than checking out Neneh Cherry’s Raw Like Sushi.

I was six when it came out but I do recall the video for Buffalo Stance and being amazed by this bright, quirky and seductive vision. Cherry, as an artist, was charming and cheeky; she was far smarter and inventive than her peers and, as a songwriter, taking Dance and Pop in new directions! I mention Neneh Cherry because tomorrow she appears on Lauren Laverne’s breakfast show (from 7:30) on BBC Radio 6 Music. There is much to discuss – which I shall come to – but the fact her debut is coming up for its thirtieth anniversary is a wonderful thing. The reviews speak for themselves! Pitchfork, when reviewing Raw Like Sushi last year, had this to say:

“It’s very much a maternal record, too; two decades before M.I.A.went onstage at the Grammys while on the verge of giving birth, Cherry triumphantly mimed “Buffalo Stance” on the UK chart show “Top of the Pops” while clad in maternity Lycra and a bronze bustier-blazer combo. At its best moments, Raw Like Sushi mixes its nurturing spirit with an audacious optimism, a hopeful foresight that mirrors Cherry’s vision of a genre-agnostic pop landscape.

“Manchild,” the second track on the album, is probably the best example of Raw Like Sushi’s widescreen view; it reunites Cherry with Wild Bunch member Robert “3D” Del Naja, who by then had formed trip-hop collective Massive Attack. Anyone expecting something like “Buffalo Stance II” to be Sushi’s second single was probably surprised. Its shape-shifting, woozy synths, which floated in and out of keys, led and were led by Cherry’s soulful yet pointed vocal. She’s acting as the prodding yet sympathetic sage to a flailing other, rapping about “R-E-S-P-E and C-T” while chords quiver and hover...

 

Audacity was what made Raw Like Sushi such a thrilling album three decades ago, and it’s also a big part of why today it looms large, both as an example of musical possibility and as a totem of womanhood. The front of Raw Like Sushi shows Cherry in full-on Buffalo stance, her arms crossed, her gaze set, her pout square. Its back cover, however, shows Cherry in flight and lost in the music, her curls midair, her arms splayed—realizing the joy in pure possibility, and dancing along with it as fast as she can.

I was a fan of Cherry from her debut and, as a curious young music lover, snapped up all of her albums. Cherry took a few years to follow up her epic debut and, in 1992, the music scene had evolved and she had developed as a songwriter. Not a stranger to evocative and striking album covers – look at the raw and striking image on Raw Like Sushi – on Homebrew, Cherry is seen standing next to a pram, playing with her hair. I like the title because it suggests a home-made beer but, in the context of motherhood and new responsibilities – Cherry has several children but her daughter, Tyson, was born in 1989 – it clever wordplay that makes you smile! There was also a sense of Cherry, on Homebrew, returning to her Swedish roots and producing a more mature – but no less thrilling – album.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

Although Homebrew is stuffed with producers, it is Cherry’s direction and exceptional command that pulls you in and defines the album. Cherry and her producer husband Cameron ‘Booga Bear’ McVey – who co-wrote and produced Raw Like Sushi – were together again for Homebrew but, if anything, her sophomore album is more inventive and cross-pollinating. Man, her third album, arrived in 1996 (Cherry gave birth to her daughter, Mabel, in the same year) and was another incredible offering. The first single, 7 Seconds, was released two years before the album came out and is the legendary duet with Youssou N’Dour. Other great tracks on Man, including Woman and Hornbeam, push Cherry’s talent even further and proved she was one of the finest artists in the world – she still is, obviously.

I was heavily into Neneh Cherry’s work by this stage and was falling for this exceptional and rare talent. Cherry would not release another album until 2014. Following this eighteen year break, she returned to us and I breathed a sigh of relief - as many others did! Unlike her earliest albums, Blank Project is a more mature and emotional listen. Cherry wrote the material as a way to mourn her mother – who died in 2009. The sound is sparser and, whilst it took a while to adjust, it sounded like a natural evolution. Naked and Weightless rank alongside the most potent and arresting songs Cherry had produced until this point and I love the album. It is distinctly Neneh Cherry but her working with a barer and stripped sound.

AllMusic, when reviewing Blank Project in 2014, had this to note:

“The title track then propels the album into the first of several stark pieces that involve the Pages' hurtling drums and protrusive synthesizers. Their work suits baleful and agitated words that have sharpness even when Cherry delivers them with sweetness. Nervous energy -- taut and circular drum patterns, sing-songy vocal projections, raw barbs -- rarely recedes. When it does, as on "Spit Three Times" and "422," the results are just as penetrating. In the former, Cherry casually flicks "You're addicted to me/Leave me alone" and then, seconds later, trails off with "I'm addicted to you." The latter is one of the bleakest and most moving moments in Cherry's career, if only for "Thoughts that curl up your toes/All the bullshit that gets up your nose." Friend Robyn joins in on "Out of the Black," but the mood hardly lifts, with imagery of tied hands, mourners, and wolf packs over steady drums and tremulous synthesizers. From front to back, Blank Project is riveting uneasy listening”.

Broken Politics arrived in October last year and confirmed Neneh Cherry was back with us for good – I hope these past two albums mark a permanent return! Recorded in Woodstock, Broken Politics keeps the sound relatively sparse but it is a bolder offering than Blank Project. Whereas Blank Project drew inspiring from the passing of her mother, a few of Broken Politics’ lyrics were motivated by the funeral of her biological father, Ahmadu Jah, in Sierra Leonne.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

Cherry confirmed that there was a lot of darkness hanging over the album; she felt anger but also managed to find some positivity. As Broken Politics would suggest, activism and making sense of the world in which we live is high in the mix. Cherry definitely reflects on anger and feeling isolated but there is that energy that promotes expression and improvement. Produced by Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden; Broken Politics is a remarkable work and proves that, twenty-nine years after her debut, the masterful Cherry has lost none of her magic. I wonder what will come next but, when it came to Broken Politics, critics were lining up to give praise. The Guardian’s Laura Snapes was stunned by the album:

“Poignancy has accumulated at 54 – an age her voice carries beautifully. “Don’t live for nostalgia, but the impact of everything resonates,” she sings on Synchonised Devotion. Cherry still has “an allergy to my realness, like my own self-worth”, she sings on Natural Skin Deep – a simmering, almost angry outlier – but refuses to give into it: “Don’t have anywhere to go / Nowhere to hide / All of me is now.” Cherry’s sage perspective weaves through these tender, bristling tracks, and elevates Broken Politics from being simply a beautiful record to a revelatory one. “Just because I’m down, don’t step all over me,” she warns on Fallen Leaves, and promises to remain open to risk and common sense: an admirably holistic approach to a shattered world”.

So, what comes next for Cherry? Although it has only been a year since Broken Politics came out (less, actually) she is keeping busy and loving life. In this interview with The Guardian last week, Cherry talked about expressed her love of being a grandma:

“I’m called “mormor”, the Swedish word for grandma. The other day we went to visit my mormor in Stockholm, my mum’s mum, who’s 95. Four generations of us were there. She has dementia, so it was difficult trying to explain whose mormor was who”.

She also talked about her marriage to Cameron McVey:

“Cam [McVey] and I have been married for 28 years. We’re partners, companions, lovers. When we met, it felt like we’d been looking for each other. As much as we drive each other crazy sometimes, that click makes for something really great”.

I will end by sourcing from an interview Neneh Cherry conducted with The Independent when she was promoting Broken Politics back in October. The writer, Jon Pareles, perfectly drilled down to the golden nugget of Cherry’s music:

“Serious thoughts, a buoyant spirit and a disregard for genre boundaries have defined Cherry’s music since she emerged on her own in the 1980s. She is the daughter of a drummer from Sierra Leone, Amadou Jah, and a Swedish painter, Monika (Moki) Karlsson, who married Don Cherry soon after she was born. The family had a bohemian life, performing and making visual art, living in Sweden and in the United States”.

Cherry talked about her early days and how she managed to succeed and create the albums she wanted to…

“I definitely knew which compromises I did not want to make,” she says. “What I found slightly daunting after the success of ‘Raw Like Sushi’ was this feeling where you end up in a little bit of a cage,” she added. “There were definitely restrictions and a funny feeling, a worry about becoming competitive rather than taking risks. Or not just taking risks, but just growing.”

When talking about Broken Politics and its mix of the natural and technological, Cherry discussed the process and how the sounds blended:

“The music is made for real, even if it’s loops and coming from a computer,” Cherry says. “To me there are definitely sounds and a feeling in some of the tracks that remind me of the music that was made in the room, some of the music that brought me to where I’m sitting at now – the music that my parents made and the music I grew up around. It’s interesting, using the idea of organic music but making it in the way we’re making music – the way we carry the torch”.

I am excited to see what Cherry discusses with Lauren Laverne tomorrow morning because, as an artist and innovator, there is nobody like her! Her songs – from her debut to her latest album – are phenomenal and so much more stirring and memorable than, well...pretty much everything out there. I hope we see many more years of Neneh Cherry majesty because, to me, she is one of the finest songwriters ever. To end this piece, I am ending with, what I think, is the ultimate collection...

IN THIS PHOTO: Neneh Cherry and band performing in Australia earlier this month/PHOTO CREDIT: @misscherrylala        

OF Neneh Cherry diamonds.

FEATURE: Far from Ironic: Jagged Little Pill: The Musical: Could Other Albums Follow Alanis Morissette’s Classic to the Stage?

FEATURE:

 

 

Far from Ironic

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify 

 Jagged Little Pill: The Musical: Could Other Albums Follow Alanis Morissette’s Classic to the Stage?

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I am remaining in ‘nostalgia territory’...              

 IN THIS PHOTO: Alanis Morissette (date unknown)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

for a little bit because, after my look at Skunk Anansie turning twenty-five (the band formed in 1994), I am switching to an album that is getting celebration – albeit it, in a different way to the quarter-century-old London band. I am often looking at periods in music that can be adapted for the stage or find their way onto the screen. Consider the slightly detached nature of streaming and how we digest music. I often associate the modern consumer with earphones and always in a hurry. I see so many people on the Tube lost in music but I wonder whether they can truly focus and block out the periphery chaos and cram that is city life. I would like to think people still enjoy music in a very concentrated and focused way but so many of us listening on the move and listen to snatches of songs – it is hard to find time to really study music and take some proper time to listen. Not only are a lot of modern artists being discovered in a very fractured and bitty way but older acts are being overlooked by so many people – not able to cram it all in and experience records like we used to. Netflix offers this exciting and broad-minded platform for shows and I do often wonder whether producers are ignoring all the great stories waiting to be told. From the birth of Hip-Hop to bands embarking on great and interesting times – from Fleetwood Mac during Rumours or Madonna during the Erotica period – through to entire movements (maybe a look at Grunge from the perspective of a group of friends and their connection?).

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Not only is the screen capable of hosting these illuminating, educational and inspiring stories from music but the stage is there too. We have musicals but most of these are quite old and they are much more ‘conventional’. I have raised this before but why does theatre here and in the U.S. have to be dedicated to the ‘classic’ musicals? There are modern musicals such as Hamilton and The Book or Mormon - but how often does a producer or company focus on popular music and put that on the stage?! Ben Elton put Queen’s music to the stage via We Will Rock You and you get the odd example here and there. I think there is so much potential to be found regarding music. It is always risky getting carried away regarding periods, acts and types of music. Imagine launching a Hip-Hop based play in the West End. Would that be more popular in America and would it be reserved to a rather limited audience?! One has to think about this before embarking on something ambitious and expensive. This all brings me, rather ineloquently, to news that Alanis Morissette’s iconic album, Jagged Little Pill, is headed to Broadway! My ears pricked when I heard the news and I had two reactions: surprise it had not been done sooner and (I felt) what an original choice it was. One might raise some eyebrows regarding this play/musical…

You might feel like there is very little story one can get from an album. Think about the best albums and how we experience them. The songs burst to life and we all have our own images of what each track is about. Great albums can create this narrative and story that engages the listener and almost seems filmic. I think there are countless albums that could be adapted for screen or stage and not only lead to a wonderful piece but inspire new generations. I feel there are a lot of albums out there waiting to be discovered, going unnoticed and unchecked in the digital world. If they were brought to life on screen and stage – where a lot of people tend to focus on – then that would be a way forward...albeit it quite an excessive one in some ways! Pitchfork report on the Jagged Little Pill project that is coming to the American masses in the autumn:

“Jagged Little Pill—the rock musical based around Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album by the same name—is slated to premiere on Broadway this upcoming fall, The New York Times reports. The theater, cast, and date of the show’s opening have not yet been announced. Last year, the musical debuted with a sold-out, 10-week run at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Jagged Little Pill features songs from the 1995 LP, as well as other tracks from Morissette’s discography. The musical is directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus and was written by Diablo Cody. The show’s producers said that Jagged Little Pill is being revised from its 2018 production”.

Our new musical comes to #Broadway this fall.
We want you to know everything first—sign up by Feb. 11 to get priority access to tickets and to stream an exclusive first listen of “All I Really Want”, featuring our World Premiere cast. https://t.co/mB8M3IOyDw #JaggedLittleBroadway pic.twitter.com/VZNGOMFxRK

— Alanis Morissette (@Alanis) January 28, 2019

I was not aware the musical was already open and had enjoyed a successful run in the U.S. It is exciting more people will get to see the musical and I hope it transfers to London’s West End this year. The album, for those unaware, arrived in 1995 and it was the third studio album from the Canadian songwriter. The experimental nature of the album fit into a music scene that, by 1995, was full of variation and differing scenes. We had Britpop here whilst America was transition from Grunge to the next phase of Rock. Morissette seemed to link the Post-Grunge sound with the Alternative-Rock tones that would become more prominent in the years that followed. The lyrics resonated with many because, essentially, it is about broken relationships and themes of aggression. This is a more common staple now but I do not think many songwriters have addressed the subjects with such personality and original insight. Maybe it is Morissette’s distinct vocals or the way she expresses her anger – it certainly captured the imagination and announced her as a major talent. Jagged Little Pill was a departure from Morissette and were less reliant on Dance-Pop blends. Morissette moved from a more sugar-sweet and bubble-gum sound to something much more impactful and tough. The record would go to top the charts in thirteen countries and sell millions. It is one of the best-selling albums of all-time and it was nominated for nine Grammys! It would win five of them and transformed this promising artist into a worldwide sensation.

There are standouts a-plenty on the 1995 gem. You Oughta Know, Hand in My Pocket and Ironic are, perhaps, the most popular and best-known but tracks such as All I Really Want are huge! That song looks at intellectual intercourse – as Morissette expressed – and a connection with an angry, frightened soul. Looking at female expression and anger together with tales of record bosses who prey on their female talent – this was no ordinary, commercial album. The fact that Jagged Little Pill was brought out on the Maverick (and Reprise) label makes me wonder whether another one of their talents, Madonna, played a role. This was a year after Bedtime Stories and a few after Erotica. Here was a female artist tearing up the rulebooks and unafraid to explore lesser-heard themes and ideas. That sort of bold and maverick approach wowed the public and drew some fond acclaim. There are plenty of positive messages and hopeful tales on Jagged Little Pill – the fact it is so varied and has endless delight means, even now, people are finding new sides to the record. It is not a shock a playwright would find much to admire and adapt. In many ways, the anger, sense of fear and rebellion that is featured on the album is a perfect modern tale. I have not seen the musical but seeing these well-known songs in a new light will be fascinating. Even though Jagged Little Pill is heading the direction of Broadway, not all critics loved the album when it was released (idiots). Some were surprised the insular songs resonated with millions but others felt the extremely personal nature of the songs was a little intense and detached.

If some critics were a little cold and unsure back in 1995, the years following the album’s release have been very kind. Jagged Little Pill is often featured in polls collating the best women in Rock and the finest albums of the 1990s. The awards streamed in and Morissette had a hard time matching the same success and sales on the follow-up, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. In fact, that album got some stunning reviews and sales but the fact it followed Jagged Little Pill – a revelation and unique explosion – means many favour the 1995 record. I do wonder if theatre-makers will look at the follow-up because Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie has terrific songs like Thank U, That I Would Be Good and Unsent – maybe the sequel to the original tale? I am interested to see whether the Jagged Little Pill musical will score big on Broadway and, after that, there will be talk of another project regarding Morissette. Many would not think that album would be a natural stage musical but think about the stories told in the songs and how they can not only form a narrative but be matched with some very vivid and memorable images. It may have taken twenty-four years but one of the finest albums from any female artist is getting its turn on one of the world’s biggest theatre circuits. I think there will be huge demand for it to come to London and excite audiences here.

There have been attempts to translate bands/genres into plays/musicals but I think the fact Jagged Little Pill is getting spotlight will inspire others to look at music’s past and what could happen. I talked about Hip-Hop earlier and I wonder whether one of the forefather records, Paid in Full by Eric B. & Rakim, could make a good musical? There is that story of discovery and innovation together with these unique, extraordinary and timeless songs. Classic Pop records from The Beatles could make for a great music and, if we stay in the 1990s, one is spoiled for choice. Might it be sacred turning Nirvana’s Nevermind or Oasis’ Definitely Maybe into musicals? I feel both would be ripe for investigation but, truly, this Jagged Little Pill could be the medicine needed to...I’ll drop that line of thought. F*ck it...

IN THIS IMAGE: How long before Oasis’ 1994 debut is turned into a musical for the West End?!/IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

The fact this unusual but hugely-popular album is getting Broadway focus means there is an appetite for albums-as-musicals. Maybe we should not get carried away and start scouring the shelves to see which record comes next...which one would come next?! I do feel there is this room for consideration and exploration. I have mentioned Madonna and, as an artist, her rich back catalogue would fare brilliantly on the stage – a Like a Prayer or Ray of Light musical, perchance?! I am excited to see what doors the Alanis Morissette musical opens. One must think a Michael Jackson or Fleetwood Mac musical would be a possibility and, as you let your mind wander, there are countless albums that leap to mind!

As I say; I hope the musical transfers to the U.K. because I have fond memories of Jagged Little Pill. Back in 1995, I was big into British leaders like Oasis and Blur; embroiled in their infamous Britpop war and excited by all the different bands competing around them. I mentioned it when looking at Skunk Anansie this morning but, when they arrived with their debut in 1995, there was nothing like it in British music. Likewise, Alanis Morissette was breaking ground and adding something truly special to the musical water. Maybe the messages were not written for a person like me – a teenage male – but I could feel the conviction and was listening to these very frank and honest lyrics. It was a pivotal moment for me and, because of Jagged Little Pill, I incorporated more Alternative-Rock into my collection; went looking for artists more concerned with distinction and being original as opposed the mass who were chasing chart positions and the mainstream. It is, as Variety explained in their review of the Jagged Little Pill musical, hard to adapt a huge album into something disciplined enough to be a success on the stage:

“It’s a risky business, making a musical not from a story demanding to be told but from a set of songs merely available to be used. “Jagged Little Pill,” American Repertory Theater’s world premiere based on the 1995 Grammy-winning alt-rock smash, triumphantly avoids the pitfalls. Always engaging, often moving and even rousing, the show boasts dramatic interest and integrity on its own theatrical terms, courtesy of director Diane Paulus (“Waitress,” “Pippin”), first-time librettist Diablo Cody (“Tully,” “Juno”) and that peerless, soulful balladeer of the modern Western condition, Alanis Morissette...

 

The smash-hit album, written in collaboration with Glen Ballard (also credited here), garnered praise for its suavely blended musical influences and deeply-held personal feelings. It also attracted brickbats from critics objecting to excessive insularity and unseemly anger, but such charges seem baseless now. Heard at a 20+ year remove, the songs of “Jagged Little Pill” impress as sage rather than wantonly ferocious, and prescient in their forthright demands for women’s dignity and emotional agency, now echoed in our Time’s Up era. As a voice of the mainstream, not just misunderstood adolescents alone in bedrooms, the album becomes a fertile source for a broad-based narrative.

The review went on to congratulated the ensemble and the chemistry; the fact that the musical is not nostalgic and an excuse to remember this iconic album – it is a lot more intriguing than that:

Yet “Jagged Little Pill” is no cynical exercise. Its characters may touch on a wide spectrum of contemporary life, but so do the original album’s songs; it would betray the source material if it didn’t attempt to encompass what the late Tom Wolfe approvingly called “the lurid carnival of American life at this moment, in the here and now.” Cody’s scenario thoughtfully wraps the social concerns around the characters, plotting and connecting the dots with assurance. And set designer Riccardo Hernandez’s swirling panels act as restless screens for projection designer Finn Ross’s photos and videos, serving as both family album and national panorama...

 

But everyone serves, and is well served by, music rendered eminently stage-ready. Paulus engineers an ingenious collaboration starting with her dozen-member ensemble, employed like Greek choruses to comment on and participate in the principals’ conflicts. Clad mostly in black, they glide in for the second chorus of an individual’s song, like a troupe of Maenads acting out the singer’s pain through Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s dazzling choreography, all lunges and reaches and sharp turns. With master orchestrator Tom Kitt (“SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Next to Normal”) expanding the sound to Broadway size for the onstage band, the result is intimate songs transforming before our eyes into explosions which — in the case of “You Oughta Know,” the lacerating indictment of sexual betrayal assigned here to the rejected Jo — inspired a spontaneous standing ovation on opening night for Patten and the troupe”.

It looks like critics’ pens will be frantic when the musical hits Broadway later this year and I am so pleased there is this impressive and popular musical bringing new light and depth to a brilliant album! I know there are talented artists and writers who will see the success of the Jagged Little Pill musical and wonder where they can go and which albums are primed for exposure! There are gambles regarding the story and ensuring the album is interesting enough to warrant theatrical prominence but, when it is done right, it leads to this masterful work and ensures the original album...

IN THIS PHOTO: Alanis Morissette (circa 2018)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

FINDS a whole new audience!

FEATURE: Paranoid and Post Orgasmic: Twenty-Five Years of the Wonderful Skunk Anansie

FEATURE:

 

 

Paranoid and Post Orgasmic

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify 

Twenty-Five Years of the Wonderful Skunk Anansie

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MAYBE this is the first time I have been given a music...        

 IN THIS PHOTO: Skunk Anansie (date unknown)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

tip from The One Show...but I was watching last night and there was a feature regarding Skunk Anansie. One of their reporters spoke with Skin, their lead singer, and looked back at the band and how they got together. I do not mark every band/artist’s big anniversary but I am struggling to take in the fact it has been twenty-five years! (Make sure you check out their anniversary live album). I remember discovering Skunk Anansie when they first started out and my love for them intensified by 1999 – the year they released the titanic single, Charlie Big Potato. I shall talk about that soon but it seems a lot of modern artists have to give thanks to bands like Skunk Anansie. In the 1990s, there was still this dominance of male bands and we did not hear as many female-fronted acts as we do today – though the number is still smaller than one would like. Groups like Skunk Anansie, Republica and Elastica provided this alternative during a decade that was pretty male-heavy in terms of band sounds. The incredible chemistry comes from Cass (guitar, bass and backing vocals), Ace (guitar and backing vocals) and Mark Richardson (drums and percussion) but, to me, the real power is from Skin. Although the band disbanded in 2001 – and would reform in 2009 – they have produced six studio albums and they have not done talking yet! Skunk Anansie formed on 12th February, 1994 and they picked the most ambitious and quality-filled year of music to join!

I often think of 1994 as being unbeatable and the brilliant albums from that time have inspired countless artists. Think of the best albums from that year and there was very little like Skunk Anansie in there. Apart from a few British treasures like Portishead (Dummy), Blur (Parklife) and Oasis (Definitely Maybe), there was a lot of American influence and power. Green Day gave us Dookie and Weezer brought us their eponymous album (the blue-covered one); there were great records from Madonna, Tori Amos and Pavement and it is clear 1994 was a very eclectic and stunning year. I guess, in terms of force and potency, Hole were fairly close to Skunk Anansie. Led by Courtney Love, one can see some similar strands. At a time when Britpop ruled and we were all watching as these huge British bands brought a very particular style of music, one feels Skunk Anansie were more inspired by the American Alternative and Grunge scenes. Their debut album, Paranoid & Sunburnt came out in 1995 and a very important time for British music. 1995 was a time when Britpop was perhaps at its height and Skunk Anansie brought us this political, charged and quite intense record. Recorded with their original drummer Robbie France, it was a fantastic debut and one that provided something truly different. I have mentioned the American influence and I remember the record coming out and wondering whether there was a British band like them…

Maybe it was the group chemistry or the voice of Skin but I was already hooked and loved how Skunk Anansie could mix anthemic and accessible with something quite dark and gritty. Songs such as Selling Jesus, as you’d guess, had a religious-protest angle whereas I Can Dream, although it did not make the top-forty, is a stunning track that takes their sound in a new direction. Perhaps it is Weak that we associate with Paranoid & Sunburnt. I know Skin performs slower versions of the song at her solo gigs but the fully-charged original is hard to beat. Released in January 1996, many feel it is the band’s defining work and a song that gets into the head. I think I remembered all of the words the first time I heard it (in 1996) and can belt it out when the moment calls. It is a huge track and one that has yet to be equalled in terms of its unique sound and thrilling chorus. What made Skunk Anansie’s introduction so timely and revolutionary was they seemed to sit outside of Britpop and sandwiched between the Grunge of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam and the lighter, more celebratory Britpop scenes. There was this disparate clash and, in some ways, Skunk Anansie drew those worlds together. The fact a lot of those scenes were personal and vague in terms of themes meant the deeper and more political Skunk Anansie took many by surprise.

Andy Langer, when reviewing the debut album in 1995, had this to say:

“If there's yet another British invasion, big money's got to be on Skunk Anansie leading the charge -- if only because crunch, rage, and soul are far more relevant today than Oasis and Supergrass' fab revisionism.Paranoid & Sunburnt's political and racial anthems not only make for one of the angriest British records to make it stateside since the Sex Pistols, but they also create a record where frenzied feedback, resonating riffs, and self-deprecating wit find their own reactive power in that anger's face. Vocalist Skin is the real story here, a true soul singer who's comfortable playing a black Pat Benatar. The fact that Skin can so easily balance slick melodies and churning grooves makes the album both oddly charming and downright revolutionary. And Skin knows it too, requesting "Save me from critical acclaim," on the record's centerpiece, "It Takes Blood and Guts to Be This Cool But I'm Still Just a Cliché," like she knows its already too late”.

Maybe Skin wanted her band to remain under the radar but, with a debut so compelling and original, that was not going to happen! Some predicted a sophomore slump in 1996 but, armed with acclaim and a legion of fans, the band filtered that into another tight and electric record. By 1996, the scene had changed again and one can argue bands like Manic Street Preachers, Rage Against the Machine and Tool were more prominent and popular than the legends of 1994.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

For that reason, Stoosh seemed to have some allies but, again, none quite like this. With excellent production from Garth Richardson, the record is packed with standout moments and big messages. Skin, if anything, seemed more charged and essential on the band’s second outing. All I Want found the band documenting those who hang out with bands and whose religion seems to be money – a new angle not often explored in music at that time. She’s My Heroine proved Skunk Anansie could produce something more melancholic but still grip the listener; Hedonism (Just Because You Feels Good) is an autobiographical record that seems to look at the pressure aimed at the band and how they needed to step back from all the excess and demand. Brazen (Weep) catches you off guard with its demonic laugh and the head-spinning sound but shows how Skunk Anansie were always looking in different directions. I will not include reviews for ALL of their albums but it is clear that, although the music landscape had changed since 1994/1995, Skunk Anansie were able to fit in and stand aside. AllMusic, in a retrospective review, were full of praise for Stoosh:

“Stoosh finds Skunk Anansie still raging for political activism (albeit sometimes through muddy lyrics), and the band makes no bones about that fact (addressed succinctly on "Yes It's F*****g Political." Skin proves herself capable of more personal issues as well on the subtle, moody "Infidelity (Only You)" and the lighter (musically) pop/rocker "Glorious Pop Song." Skunk Anansie's full-frontal charge can be wearing at times, but for a good dose of aggressive, hard rock with better-than-average lyrics, Stoosh succeeds more than it fails”.

 

Perhaps that observation regarding intensity is a personal view but there were a lot of angry and charged bands around in 1996 – it is unfair to single out Skunk Anansie when Manic Street Preachers’ Everything Must Go was as aggressive and full-on! Post Orgasmic Chill is the first album of theirs I truly digested in full and, again, came at an interesting time. 1999 saw the end to a lot of the popular sounds of the mid-1990s and, with great albums from Eminem, Beck and Red Hot Chili Peppers out, maybe American artists had more to say. It is clear there were no real unifying genres and movements at that time – perhaps Hip-Hop was stealing a bit more focus. There are a few weaker moments on Post Orgasmic Chill but the record is packed with stunners. I bought Charlie Big Potato as a single back in March 1999 and was eager to put it on and listen. Its video is typically odd and Anansie-esque and one can interpret the lyrics how they want. Some say the song’s title is slang referring to testicular fortitude and guts – giving it your all and swaggering out. One would not be shocked to hear that but I would be eager to know how Skin views the song and what she and Len Arran were imagining when putting it together. The band released four singles from their third album and cuts such as Lately and Secretly, to me, define the sound of 1999. All the key components were still in the ranks – the nervous energy and distinct lead vocal – but Post Orgasmic Chill was more accessible and straight-ahead then we were used to – maybe reflecting the sounds defining 1999 and how music had altered; maybe an attempt to remain fresh.

Yes, there are some messy moments on the album but the sheer force and chemistry of the band more than makes up! I love how Skunk Anansie remained political and essential and did not compromise and water down their messages. We Don’t Need Who You Think You Are and The Skank Heads are anti-racism and you can hear the passion and heat in Skin’s voice! Skunk Anansie said goodbye to the 1990s by incorporating more Metal and bigger sounds into their mix and, as such, captivating new audiences who were big into Nu-Metal of that time. We would not see another album from them until 2010 but, when they returned to us, Wonderlustre was worth the wait! Singles like My Ugly Boy showed the band had not exactly got prematurely old and boring and it contained their usual blend of depth and spark. Reviewers noted how the band could have messed their return up but were the same tight and quality unit they always were. The fact they came back was not because of financial lure and the need to recapture the past. They could have produced a record with tracks like Weak on it but that would betray the fact they had matured and, in 2010, the scene was different. Given that, one could forgive them for calming a bit and trying a new direction but Skin’s always-reliable anger and striking words mixed with the band’s intensity, togetherness and kinetic energy.

The reviews were positive and, again, AllMusic were keen to pay tribute:

“The music packs plenty of catchy semi-metallic riffs, while Skin's voice still reverberates with tension while going from quiet vocalizations to commanding shouts -- though now she often sounds composed, not hysterical, in her anger. Most songs share the post-grunge and alterna-rock ethos, and would fit quite well on the radio, but most bands polluting the same airwaves would be left red-faced by Skin's fierceness and power -- and the group is still catchy as hell at that. They are similar to Therapy? in that regard -- the one other band that plays simply, but avoids conformism, delivering a unique, handmade take on a hackneyed style. Wonderlustre sounds streamlined -- in the past, Skunk Anansie were keen to shift from angsty grandeur to heart-wrenching intimacy, but here, they never go overboard emotionally, and most songs only differ in hooks, not vibe or dynamics. But this only makes the record more cohesive and mature, which is precisely what they should be like on an album made after a decade-plus hiatus”

Black Traffic, released in 2012, divided critics but there were still these politically-aimed songs – I Believed in You is the most overt and memorable expression of the band’s disappointment in the leaders of this nation (and the world). Maybe some were looking for a calmer album in a year that was not producing work as heavy and explosive. A lot of great Hip-Hop and Pop was emerging but nothing quite like Skunk Anansie’s latest offering!

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

They effortlessly fused hard-ahead rage with softer and more emotional songs such as I Hope You Get to Meet Your Hero. I feel one of the reasons Skunk Anansie retained popularity and appeal was their mixture of textures and the fact they were never one-trick. The contrasts in their material satisfied a wide audience but they always had that distinct and reliable core sound that was not perverted and polluted by record labels and the charts. So many reformed bands rely on their past or attempt to ‘fit in with the kids’. Skunk Anansie had a lot to say and were channelling a lot of anger being felt by the public regarding politicians and the state of events. 2016’s Anarchytecture – with its more colourful cover this time – drew some mediocre reviews but there was still plenty of passion for the band. Some critics felt there were too many weak moments and the band hopped genres a lot but, to me, their current album is among their most ambitious and realised. Drowned in Sound had some positive words to say regarding Anarchytecture:

“There’s a couple of staggeringly good moments here - ‘Without You’ is a tingling ballad, Skin’s “I can’t get by without you” chorus pulling an edge of real desperation, you believe her 100 percent; the understated ‘Death To The Lovers’ would have been a huge hit for them back when the public were paying enough attention, and you could give it to any contemporary balladeer and watch the money roll in. Someone should get Adele on the phone...

 

The album closes with the cathartic ‘I’ll Let You Down’, which seems the oddest title possible for a Skunk Anansie song - letting you down is the one thing they’ve never really done. Their time closing the Pyramid Stage may be a long way behind them, but this is a band that have learned their craft well, that know exactly how to operate the gears and levers in their machinery to produce the best possible version of themselves. No lives will be changed, nor hearts broken, but it does what it needs to do satisfyingly well”.

I am interested to see what the band have planned and, with issues like Brexit and Trump not going away, there is new fuel and inspiration! There is still racism around the world and corruption so one feels Skin has plenty jotted down for the next album. Maybe they are not the same as they were back in 1994 but one would not expect them to be. The world has moved on and so have the band. They still have the fire and direction of their younger work and, considering many bands their age become bored and lifeless, it is testament to Skunk Anansie they have that fire burning bright. I hope they do furnish us with new material soon because they are an essential voice in music.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

The band want to move in the same direction and want to keep going. In this interview from 2016, they were asked about their past and which moments stand out:

“How do you look back at the success of the band, and the experiences you have from 21 years of performing?

A] It’s amazing really, after playing the festivals we’d walk off stage after playing to like 50,000 people, and I’d turn to Mark (Richardson, Drums) and ask “How are we still getting away with it?!”. I’m actually relearning a lot of old material for our next tour, and its amazing because playing our old stuff reminds me of all the times we performed it: touring America, having fun y’know? It all comes back to you as you play these songs. It’s been an incredible journey and I’m lucky to have done it, and still be doing it, It’s like a dream job that still hasn’t ended!

S] Is it important to you as a band to try new things as a band?

A] It is really important for us to evolve and grow, not just to stay current and up to date, but to stay fresh and do something new, and so it stays exciting for us to do. We’ve always tried new things and developed our sound, even back in the day we tried different sounds, worked with different artists and producers, played with different types of songs and adapted our style. The new material incorporates electronica and punk, our influences are all around us and feed into what we create, keeps us fresh and our material diverse.

S] How do you feel you have developed and changed personally?

A] As you grow older, you don’t fundamentally change, you just have a lot less free time than when you’re younger! You have more time to see friends and go to gigs when you’re younger, which is harder as you have kids and responsibility. But basically I feel I havn’t changed that much, I still am really passionate about music, still have that energy for it and love listening to new stuff. I spend a lot of time with other artists and musicians it it keeps that energy and that love going”.

I love the fact the long-serving Skunk Anansie get to celebrate twenty-five years of formation on 12th February and there will be a lot of people spinning their songs and looking ahead. They arrived as this very exciting and fresh proposition with a debut album that came just as Britpop was dominating here. It would have been easy for many to overlook the band but they had a huge sound and a direction that spoke to those who wanted an alternative and something deeper from the music. To me, they scored my high-school days and, as Charlie Big Potato arrived in my final year at high-school, I felt like they had followed me through a tough period but one filled with great memories. I love the band but feel Skin is one of the most compelling and inspiring voices in music. She has inspired so many other artists and I do not think her lyrics get the credit they deserve. Let’s hope the band has some plans given the fact they have been kicking around for this time and many will be curious to see where they head. It has been a long and successful path for the band and let’s hope, as the world cries out for artists who can articulate the anger and division out there right now, they keep going...

             

FOR many years to come.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Self Esteem

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Self Esteem

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IT is very rare that we get a great musical...       

talent who matches incredible ability with a genuine, down to earth personality! It’s unusual to see Self Esteem’s Rebecca Lucy Taylor simply called ‘Self Esteem’: most people have to say ‘Rebecca from Slow Club’. I guess most will know her from the duo – formed in 2006 in Sheffield, it consisted Taylor and Charles Watson. I remember when they burst onto the scene and being amazed by their musicality and the strength of their material! This was at a time when there were relatively few male-female duos and now, over twelve years later, there are more and more on the scene. I know a lot of duos who are inspired by Slow Club and particularly Taylor’s incredible songwriting and vocals. Their 2009 debut, Yeah So, is one of the most impressive debut albums of the decade and it is amazing to hear how realised and confident they were then. I guess I am doing the same thing as everyone else and not seeing past Rebecca Taylor’s former life. When it was announced Slow Club were splitting, it was obvious both would continue to make music. As Self Esteem, Taylor retains some strands of Slow Club but has created a bigger and more alluring sound. I have bemoaned the real lack of pop and spark in music at the moment; how few Pop artists are writing something uplifting and engaging. Maybe it is a case of having to project the realities of life or a desire to be completely honest, emotionally.

Self Esteem is a different and unique proposition. Taylor has years’ experience with Slow Club and is masterful when it comes to penning tunes that get right into the head. In March, Madonna’s Like a Prayer (her fourth album) turns thirty and I hope people make a fuss. It was a huge step for the Queen of Pop and he first time she got the unerring ear of critical acclaim. Before then, she was popular - but, one feels, not universally adored. The strength of that album is the evocativeness of the lyrics and the match of maturity and sheer Pop fun – one must also consider the confidence and real sense of personality that emanates from every song. There is a real sense of opening up from Madonna; not the generic and cliché songs many of her peers were singing about. Taylor might be a few years shy of Madonna’s best but there are similarities regarding the music. Self Esteem/Taylor never produces two songs that sound the same. There is that mesh of serious and thought-provoking alongside these crackers that are effervescent and have the potential to remain and resonate for years. One other comparison is the complex balance of accessible and star-like. Madonna, in 1989, projected a rather engaging and openhearted figure on Like a Prayer’s cover but, naturally, she was a superstar and there were boundaries.

Rebecca Lucy Taylor has this real sense of gravitas and superstar-in-waiting but she is one of those artists you could chat to and have a laugh with. One only needs to look at her social media feeds to realise she is a warm, funny and sometimes awkward (always funny and engaging) human who has a great wit, huge heart and real warmth – even though here is an artist whose stock is rising and she has is one of the best young artists out there. I love the fact Taylor is this perfect combination of matey and genuine star. Her music takes you in different directions but she has a sound that is distinctly hers. Wrestling and Rollout, released last year, are instant hits but there are layers and nuances that come out the more you listen. Rollout was especially popular and gained a lot of tractions from stations like BBC Radio 6 Music (especially from the legend that is Shaun Keaveny!). Whether you class Self Esteem as purely ‘Pop’ or it is a mix of Pop and Indie; the songs are fresh and mature but they have this addictive quality. In a scene that is becoming more dour and serious, it is nice to have an artist who can bring the fun and spunk without compromising intelligence and depth – so many modern Pop artists lack lyrical clarity and any sense of distinction. Self Esteem’s newest cut, The Best, is Taylor faster-paced and more energised.

Rollout has a more sensual, hip-swaggering soulful kick whereas earlier singles such as Your Wife and OMG are bubbling, bursting and slamming. I love how Taylor, as a songwriter, provides something new with each song and I cannot wait to see how it all comes together on the debut solo album. Make sure you pre-order Compliments Please - because it is one of the most anticipated albums of 2019. I will grab myself a copy because I have been following Taylor’s career since the start and cannot wait to see what she offers the world. I will try and catch a Self Esteem gig because I am based in London and have heard so many positive reviews regarding that experience. There are very few modern artists who have as much strength, variation and energy as Rebecca Taylor. It is the personality of Taylor that really strikes a chord with me. She is consistently funny and charming on social media and is, as I say, this rarely accessible artist. There is no ego with her and, when you hear her being interviewed, she is one of the most grounded and friendly artists around. All of this adds up to one of the most important and intriguing talents we have in the country. Make sure you get onto Self Esteem’s social media feeds (listed at the foot of this article) and go catch a gig when you can!

This is a time of transition for Taylor and many still, as mentioned, associate her with Slow Club. She recently spoke with DIY regarding her new moniker and what life was like in the duo:

“It’s a weirdly difficult thing to spend your whole life as a creative person, just doing a version of yourself because you have to make sure the other person is happy with your output,” explains Rebecca Taylor – formally one half of Sheffield folk pop duo Slow Club. “I loved it, but it wasn’t fully me, and I underestimated how much that affected me over the years. I was way more ambitious than where we were getting to and you can’t push someone else to be like that,” she pauses for a beat, “apparently”.

Taylor went on to talk about her ambitions and a record that is, oddly, a driving force for her:

“All that gets me off is harmony and beat and I just was constantly saying that it needed to sound like ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ because I still think that’s one of the most unbelievable records ever,” she explains of the album – recorded at Margate’s Electric Beach studios sporadically over the past two years. “It feels meaty. It doesn’t feel girly, and I never wanted it to be sweet. I did too many years of that and I never felt comfortable with it”.

In a way, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Taylor write a Kanye West-like masterpiece that takes you in all sorts of directions! The Self Esteem material coming out now gets stronger and stronger and I think a Hip-Hop leaning would be a good move. I am not sure whether we will see some touches of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy on the Self Esteem debut album but that would be something! Although Taylor is not the same Trump-supporting-odd-self-promoting-bit-off-the-wall artist as Kanye West, I admire her ambitions and it is clear she is an artist not committed to the mainstream and what is ‘expected’ of a female artist. I think artists like Taylor are vital because they think outside the box and are putting female artists under the spotlight. I often write about sexism and gender inequality in the industry and how festivals are reluctant to book women as headliners. Taylor is someone who speaks up and is aware there are issues and deficits in the music industry. Once Compliments Please – I wonder whether there should be a comma in the title? – is out there and Self Esteem tours far and wide, you cannot ignore the festival-readiness of Rebecca Taylor. She is one of those artists primed for a big stage and I would be disappointed to see her miss out this year. I am confident she will be among the front-runners when it comes to festival headliners next year and there are few artists enjoying the same creative run as her.

The music industry is going through a tough time in so many respects and, as much as anything, it can be hard focusing on artists and predicting who will be the next best thing. Rebecca (Lucy) Taylor does not need to prove herself to anyone – given her experience and work with Slow Club – but I often thing mainstream Popstars get undue exposure and focus. If one wants more depth, detail and range then look the way of Self Esteem! I am keen to interview Taylor because she has so much life and energy inside of her. She is one of those people you listen to for ages and I bet you can tell a story or two! I think a lot of mainstream stars lack that relatable and tangible quality. You could never imagine them spending time to chat and being anything other than quite guarded and overly-disciplined. I like the fact you get a cheeky joke from Taylor or she might go off script once in a while. There are few artists like her and I feel the industry can learn a lot from her. Taylor is the boss and someone who has a big year ahead of her. She has lots of tour dates lined up and, with The Best out there and gaining all sorts of passionate reviews, many are looking ahead to the album.

It is the first big move from this songwriter that many still associate with Slow Club. The skin might not have been fully shed but this is Taylor wearing a different wardrobe and, in many ways, going it alone. Her fan numbers are growing and it is a very exciting time for Self Esteem. Able to mix cool and sassy with genuine heartache moments of exhilarating delight – this is a rare brew and one that I am quite partial to. Ensure you get your ears around Self Esteem and follow the always-delightful and fun Rebecca Lucy Taylor (@SELFESTEEM___) on social media. I am tipping her for big things in 2019 and, looking ahead, who is to say she cannot headline festivals like Glastonbury and Isle of Wight?! I think she is close to being at that level and her music is definitely hitting all the right notes. I will stop waffling now but I am pumped for Self Esteem and will follow her movements with great interest. Go pre-order the Self Esteem album, go catch a gig and throw a lot of love the way of Rebecca Lucy Taylor. She is on a definite wave right now and producing simply incredible music. How far can she go? She is bloody awesome and I think the next two years will see Self Esteem go from the festival headline-promising to a truly international name. If you think that is exaggeration then go check out the amazing music and...

YOU’LL fall in love pretty damn quickly.

________________

Follow Self Esteem

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RLTSELFESTEEM/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/SELFESTEEM___

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/rebeccalucytaylor/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2MkmNMZjUiu1ZY4j1sKnGw

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3K9muOlJVKLgH4SIwwZiDe?si=R86O-HKWT92cj19GdIhFGQ

IMAGES/PHOTOS:

@SELFESTEEM___/Getty Images

FEATURE: The Rumours and Second Hand News: Fleetwood Mac’s Masterpiece at Forty-Two

FEATURE:

 

 

The Rumours and Second Hand News

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify/Herbert Worthington

Fleetwood Mac’s Masterpiece at Forty-Two

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THERE are a couple of reasons why I am covering Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours.              

IN THIS PHOTO: Fleetwood Mac in 1976/PHOTO CREDIT: Herbert Worthington

It, for one, is an album that helped lift the U.S./U.K. group to new levels and came out of a very fractious and troubled time. Even though the official forty-second-anniversary of the album does not occur until 4th February, the album went to the top of the U.K. charts this day in 1978. The eleventh album from the band would go on to sell over forty-five-million copies and spent over four-hundred weeks in the U.K. chart. Those figures are astronomical and not something we would hear today – even when you account streaming figures into the mix! Fleetwood Mac’s eponymous album arrived in 1975 and was when Bob Welch departed the band – newcomers Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham were the fresh and exciting new faces. The American couple added new dynamics to the band but, as recording for Rumours began, their personal lives were getting in the way of the music. Nicks and Buckingham were not the only ones culpable. In fact, every member of the band was strained and the relationship between the other couple, Brits Christine and John McVie was in trouble. Mick Fleetwood seemed like the odd man out but, I think, he was not blameless regarding causing a bit of tension and controversy. One of the things that defines Rumours’ creation is the sheer hedonism. Perhaps it was a way to numb themselves from the arguments or a way of getting the creative juices flowing: Fleetwood Mac were certainly ‘indulgent’ and in need of an escape…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The band (looking cheerier) in 1976/PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest

It sounds like it was a case of the band ripping up the studio and fighting but everyone knows there was a lot of disruption and arguments happening. Nicks and Buckingham were fraught and the latter wrote about Nicks in the cruel and dismissive Go Your Own Way. It would not happen today but the fact Nicks is present on the track do seems unbearably tense and unhappy. The band knew that the music was solid and golden: the personal problems were happening but they did not let it get in the way of the recording too much. Nicks did struggle to get her fantastic track, Dreams, recorded – Buckingham was exerting a lot of control and, as such, Nicks did suffer to a degree. Prior to the album being recorded, the band was subject to press intrusion and inaccurate stories. There was a lot of tabloid attention their way and the psychological impact this had in the ranks was quite pronounced. The fact they managed to get into the studio to start work on Rumours was a huge feat in itself. Rumours was a collaborative experience with a lot of terrific individual moments but Lindsay Buckingham was very much leading and guiding the sound. He wanted to create a Pop album and seemed to have a solid idea how Rumours was going to come out. In many ways, there are two sides to Rumours.

There is the partying and the recklessness happening as they recorded in various studios around California. The band were taking a lot of cocaine and partying. A lot of that was done with other people as there was not a great deal of socialising away from the studio. They would often start recording at breakfast having only got a wink of sleep the night before. It seems, though, that the tensions and fallouts actually made the work shine. They seemed to create some of their best work when there were disagreements and, even though Nicks and Buckingham were divided, Buckingham had a real talent for making Nicks’ work resonate and blossom. Despite the animosity between members and a real hard time in their arc; the music one experiences on Rumours seems too good to be true. I have written about this before but how often does one hear an album like Rumours in this day and age?! Most artists/bands who are happy and focused cannot release a record half as good: Fleetwood Mac were putting down this material whilst sleep-deprived and, at times, at loggerheads. The main writers on the album – Buckingham, Christine McVie and Nicks – worked individually and there were occasions when they shared lyrics with one another. The Chain is the only song written by the entire band – a rare collaboration that stands as one of Rumours’ best moments.

Although Nicks and Buckingham were balkanised and Christine McVie was having an affair during the time, a lot of the songs regarding affairs and breakups were only realised after the fact. It was rather craft that the writers were talking about these matters but in a way that did not make it apparent. Listen to the songs written by Buckingham and, for the most part, there is a more bitter and angry tone. Second Hand News, Go Your Own Way and Never Going Back Again are regretful and show a man looking for a new start. Nicks provides more hope with the gorgeous Dreams. McVie’s Songbird is one of the most beautiful songs the band ever recorded whilst McVie’s inspiring Don’t Stop urges the band/people to look forward and forget about yesterday. McVie’s You Make Loving Fun was not actually written about her husband, John (it was about a lighting engineer she was having an affair with) whilst Nicks’ Country-flavoured I Don’t Want to Know look at the end of the relationship and why it comes and goes – hard not to think about her state of affairs with Buckingham and how capricious their love was. Gold Dust Woman is Nicks’ experiences in Los Angeles and her hardships there; Oh Daddy, a Christine McVie number, about Mick Fleetwood and his wife Jenny Boyd getting back together (although there are a couple of interpretations regarding the song’s origins).

All of the songs hang so well as a unit – despite the fact there were three different writers (apart from The Chain). I think The Chain is the best song on the album as it is most complex and unified. Its famous bass work has been sampled and used extensively but I love how it sort of builds and builds as it goes along. The band always knew the album would be good and see the light of day and I am searching my mind and wonder whether any similar album has been recorded. There have been albums where band members have been tense and struggling – The Beatles’ Let It Be springs to mind! – but nothing where the results have been so good! In many ways, the personal crap was happening behind closed doors and, when in the studio, that negative energy was being channelled into something positive and productive. The success and sales of Rumours speak for themselves and the record hit number-one here in 1978. Mick Fleetwood called Rumours Fleetwood Mac’s most important album and it allowed the group to continue for years to come. Had there not been success and chart glory then one wonders whether they could have maintained their bond and had viability. It is hard to say whether there is one clear reason why Rumours was/is a major success. The fact the songs are likeable, personal and instantly memorable meant people were playing the album over and over.

Critics raved over the record and the retrospective reviews speak for themselves. Pitchfork wrote this review back in 2013:

“As much feminine energy as Rumours wields, the album's magic is in its balance: male and female, British blues versus American rock'n'roll, lightness and dark, love and disgust, sorrow and elation, ballads and anthems, McVie's sweetness against Nicks' grit. They were a democratic band where each player raised the stakes of the whole. The addition of Buckingham and Nicks and McVie's new prominence kicked John McVie's bass playing loose from its blues mooring and forced him towards simpler, more buoyant pop. Fleetwood's playing itself is just godhead, with effortless little fills, light but thunderous, and his placement impeccable throughout. The ominous, insistent kick on the first half on "The Chain", for example, colors the song as much as the quiver of disgust in Buckingham's voice when he spits "never."

Nevertheless, it is difficult not to buy into the mythology of Rumoursboth as an album and pop culture artifact: a flawless record pulled from the wreckage of real lives. As one of classic rock's foundational albums, it holds up better than any other commercial smash of that ilk (Hotel California, certainly). We can now use it as a kind of nostalgic benchmark-- that they don't make groups like that anymore, that there is no rock band so palatable that it could be the best-selling album in the U.S. for 31 weeks. Things work differently now. Examined from that angle, Rumours was not exactly a game changer, it was merely perfect”.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Rumours helped inspire Alternative-Rock bands like Matchbox Twenty and Goo Goo Dolls and Rock groups like The Cranberries. Pop artists like Tori Amos were struck and, as the years have ticked on, the album has touched the new generation. It is hard to think of an album that has the same quality and nuance. To me, Rumours is one of those perfect albums one cannot fault and unpick with criticism. In this 2013 feature by Uncut , the publication looked back at an archive piece from a 2003’s Uncut feature that investigated Rumours and its story (if you follow!). The aftermath and following months were interesting:

“Touring for Fleetwood Mac by now meant private jets and all manner of preposterous demands. Hotels would be told to paint rooms pink and install grand pianos. White, like the one on the cover of Imagine, of course. If they couldn’t be manoeuvred through the door, they had to be winched through the windows.

Somewhere in the midst of the madness, the group managed to record further albums. Following Rumours was never going to be easy and the double album Tusk, released in November 1979, met with distinctly mixed reactions. Again it took over a year to record and cost a million dollars – an unprecedented amount of money at the time. The album boldly mixed radio-friendly pop songs from Nicks and Christine McVie with more experimental and non-commercial pieces from Buckingham, who dominated the sessions and was adamant the band should show more ambition than merely recording ‘Rumours Part II’.

“Coming off an album as successful as that, we were being asked to get on this treadmill of clichéd thought and hash out the same thing again,” recalls Buckingham. “Punk and new wave had kicked in during the meantime and, although I wasn’t directly influenced by that music, it gave me a kick in the pants in terms of having the courage to try to shake things up a little bit. I wanted something that had a little more depth”.

Fleetwood Mac recovered from this rather shambolic and dissolving band in 1976 to something completely different a year later. With Rumours, they not only built from their eponymous record (not the first time they released a self-titled album!) but created one of the best albums ever. There was this issue with drug use and disagreements; Buckingham exerting quite a lot of control and the danger Fleetwood Mac might not come out of the other end as a unit. They managed to record this peerless album and carry on for decades to come. The band is still touring today – minus Lindsay Buckingham – and produced some truly exceptional records. Maybe Tusk – the 1979 follow-up to Rumours – is their best post-Rumours work but the band, by 1979, were a little more secure (even though there were tensions and problems whilst recording Tusk). The reason Fleetwood Mac have endured and continue to play together is the friendships in the band and the fantastic music. Buckingham’s departure only happened last year and, before then, they were touring and, one feels, maybe thinking about another album. The band has not recorded an album since 2003’s Say You Will and I wonder whether they will do anything about that. Whatever the band have planned going forward, it is worth marking Rumours going to number-one in Britain and, in a few days, it will be the forty-second birthday of one of the most influential albums ever created. I play it quite regularly and always seem to find something new. The American-British band was having their troubles whilst Rumours was being recorded but, as you listen to the immaculate songs, one realises their strongest bond was...

 PHOTO CREDIT: Rock Hall Library and Archive

THE music itself.

INTERVIEW: Charlotte Black

INTERVIEW:

 Charlotte Black

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THIS week begins with a chat with Charlotte Black...

who has been telling me about her latest single, Los Angeles, and what inspired its creation. I ask if she is already working on new material and which artists/albums have been most important to her; whether there are new artists to look out for and what the future holds.

Black talks about last year and tells me whether, as a rising artist, it is hard to get noticed; whether she gets time to chill and what advice she’d give to approaching artists – she ends the interview by selecting a track.

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

Hey, Sam. I’m great, thank you. I’m actually in Sydney as we speak and the weather is delicious! It’s been amazing having a hot January! 

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

I’m a Pop singer/songwriter from Edinburgh, currently based in London. I absolutely love intricate storytelling lyrics and aim to let my tracks be as vulnerable and true to me as possible. I’ve been on the music ‘releasing’ scene for about a year however I’ve been songwriting for such a long time. 

 

Los Angeles is your new track. Can you tell me about its background and story?

So. Los Angeles is about a summer romance that was that little bit of magic; the story being encapsulated in L.A., the city of dreams. It’s about longing to be back in a time and place with someone: Los Angeles being the metaphor for the person. 

Do you think there will be more material coming? How far ahead are you looking?

Absolutely. I’ve got a new song coming in the next two months. I’m even more excited about it than I was about Los Angeles! Then, I’ve got a few more in the process of being produced. It’s going to be a busy year! 

Looking back on 2018; what are your impressions and memories of the year?

2018 was actually one of the best years I’ve ever had; not only for music but it was a strong year of self-development. I really gave myself space to discover exactly what direction I wanted to take my music in and now I feel really excited for the future!  

When you were growing up, which artists guided and compelled you to get into the business?

I grew up listening to ABBA and Joni Mitchell. Then, as I got older, I fell in love with Hilary Duff, Avril Lavigne and Taylor Swift - who were all a huge part of my inspiration of becoming a singer/songwriter. 

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

Oh. It was definitely being playlisted on New Music Friday in several countries after my most recent release. It was such an incredible feeling to be placed alongside artists in such big fans of.  

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

This is a tricky one. First of all would be Taylor Swift’s Speak Now as that totally represents my teen. She’s the most relatable writer so I’d say that album was profound for me.

Secondly, it would be the A Star Is Born Soundtrack. i absolutely love every track on there.

Aaaaand probably Taylor Swift’s new album, Reputation - I found it fascinating watching the development of her writing and her career. This album represents so much courage and strength which I absolutely love.

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

Taylor Swift, one-hundred times over. I love her energy whilst performing and think she’d be incredible to work alongside and support. I think there endless amounts I could learn from her, she’s unstoppable. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I’d say, that if you’re writing/producing songs, make sure you’re creating tracks that you love, that you’re proud of and that are true to who you are as an artist. It’s so easy to produce what you think other people will like but, from experience, I’ve realised that the work that’s truly me is the work that people really respond to. 

The music industry is getting bigger and more competitive. Is it hard for a new artist to get noticed and have their work heard, do you think?!

I think it’s always been a challenge, especially because the market is so saturated now with so much talent! It’s much easier nowadays to release as in independent artist which means we’re all aiming for the same spot on these Spotify playlists. However, I think if you put in your 10,000 hours and work as hard as you possibly can your work will be heard and celebrated.

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

Nothing set in stone yet. However, I’ve got my live band set up so it should be very, very soon. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Foxgluvv

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I’d definitely recommend checking out Foxgluvv. She’s full of sass and confidence and I just love her whole project. And Josh Piterman. He has the most beautiful voice! 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Josh Piterman

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

I love to travel. I try and go away as often as I can as all of these new places I visit end up being huge inspirations for my writing process. There’s something about a new city that always inspires me. For example, Los Angeles is about my time I spent there two years ago. 

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).

Ooo. I’d love to hear Dutch Melrose - Jazz, on The Drive Home. He’s a good friend of mine from L.A. and his music is incredible

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Follow Charlotte Black

Official:

https://www.charlotteblackmusic.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/charlotteblack

Facebook:

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Instagram:

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https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Zs1T5v8fRPBvCZu8H28bM?si=iUsKN3GkStW4TecGzfXS5g

FEATURE: Ronnie Scott at Ninety-Two: The Jazz Musician Who Founded an Iconic London Venue

FEATURE:

 

 

Ronnie Scott at Ninety-Two

IN THIS PHOTO: Ronnie Scott captured by Godfrey Argent on 17th November, 1969/PHOTO CREDIT: National Portrait Gallery, London  

The Jazz Musician Who Founded an Iconic London Venue

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IT is not often I celebrate and mark club owners...        

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

but there are not many London venues that last for sixty years. It is hard to know whether Ronnie Scott is more famous for being a musician or the founder of the legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. The club celebrates sixty years in October and it is amazing to see this bedrock of the London live music scene go from strength to strength! I will come to the club and its survival but, on 28th January, 1927, Ronnie Scott was born. Born to a Jewish family in Aldgate, Scott began playing on small Jazz clubs at the age of sixteen. His passion was sparked early on and he began touring with trumpeter Johnny Claes (1944 to 1945) and Ted Heath (in 1946). Although his early life saw minor recognition and success, Scott was part of the band of musicians who worked on the Cunard liner, Queen Mary. He worked there so he could visit New York and the sounds coming from Jazz clubs there. Although British-born, it was the American Jazz masters like Charlie Parker who had a bigger influence on him. There was another step in his career when he joined Jack Parnell’s orchestra and was there in 1952. Soon enough Scott led his own groups (a nine-piece and quintet). Scott co-led The Jazz Couriers with Tubby Hayes between 1957 and 1959 and, before long, he moved to open his own club. Scott was an occasional and talented session musician and is renowned for his solo on The Beatles’ Lady Madonna.

Although Ronnie Scott was passionate about music, his experience in New York had made an impact. Jazz was not a huge commodity in Britain in the 1950s and a lot of the best players were working in the U.S. That said, there were some upcoming artists but very few specialised Jazz clubs for them to play in. Alongside Pete King (a tenor sax player), Scott opened Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club on 30th October, 1959 in Soho. The opening and early moments were a success but it was not long before the club moved from Gerrard Street to Frith Street – it was in its new location by 1965. Using his experience in music and his stage command, Scott preceded over events at the club and was their compere. A lot of the Jazz clubs in America (during the 1950s) has comedians and entertainers who would introduce the musicians and get the crowds warmed up. Scott, as this genial and humour figure, would get crowds ready with his asides and jokes – he had his regular routines and staple lines. Although the club moved from a small basement to a more buzzing location; it retained its core of excellent Jazz in a warm and relaxed environment. In many ways, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club was a revelation. The club had a British feeling but was distinctly motivated by the successful and popular Jazz joints of New York. Scott ran the club until his death in 1996 and Pete King took it over until 2005 when it was sold to Sally Greene – the theatre impresario keeps it alive and has not changed the club’s spirit and ethos.

Not a great deal has changed since the early days. Maybe it is less bursting and bustling than it was in its earliest days. Back in the 1960s it was a real hotspot that saw the likes of Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughn delight and inspire. A lot of the biggest musicians of the time preferred the environment of Ronnie Scott’s as it was more intimate and familial than the concert halls – which were often quite large, cold and impersonal. It is the familiarity and comfort of the club that continues to draw in the biggest names of the music industry. Ronnie Scott’s, now and then, is the place that offers upcoming artists a chance to hone their skills and play to a very dedicated and receptive audience. It has, in the past year played host to big artists like Norah Jones but a lot of underground acts have been fortunate enough to play there. The club has developed through the years and is not purely about Jazz and concerts. With its space downstairs and its thriving bar upstairs, Ronnie Scott’s is one of the most sought-after hang-outs for the hipsters and music lovers of all ages. It is not reserved to Jazz experts and, with its D.J. sets, there is Latin, Jive and Blues music played. Ruby Turner is playing a few days next week but, if you look at the calendar then you can keep abreast of all the happenings and shows at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. Ronnie Scott would be proud of the club’s success and the fact it remains secure, safe and popular.

There is a great menu and selection of drinks to be found and the Upstairs @ Ronnie’s is a one--hundred-and-forty capacity bar that offers live sounds every night or the week. There is poetry slams and sets; jams, art and everything you could possibly want! The cocktails are legendary and the service is excellent. It is a perfect spot to visit whether you love Jazz or not. The convivial and relaxing setting is great for new musicians who might feel intimidated playing at such a legendary venue. London has some great Jazz clubs – including Vortex in North London and Nightjar in the centre – but there is nothing that rivals Ronnie Scott’s. Boisdale has Scottish food and might seem an unlikely bedfellow with Jazz but it is, perhaps, the most similar to Ronnie Scott’s in terms of feel and layout. The Blues Kitchen and 606 Club are thriving and Jazz Café is worth a visit. Nola offers a suave and grand setting close to Ronnie Scott’s and, although some of these Jazz clubs have been around for a long time, most are relatively new and one feels inspired by the success and flair of Ronnie Scott’s. There is debate as to which London Jazz club is the most popular and relevant but there are none as iconic and sought-after as Ronnie Scott’s. When it celebrates its sixtieth anniversary in nine months, many new and established artists will pay tribute and ensure we have many more decades of the wonderful venue.

With more and more venues in the capital being threatened, it is humbling and encouraging to know this king of the Jazz scene has remained since the 1950s. There are those who feel Jazz is an outsider genre and style of music that can never rival the appeal of Pop and Rock. The fact there are at least a dozen fantastic Jazz venues in London proves there is an appetite and it is more than the music itself. At Ronnie Scott’s one gets that complete experience: a stylish and evocative décor and the wonderful drinks. I have not visited myself but have interviewed many Blues and Jazz artists who have played there and everyone has the same takeaway: it is the most important and best gig they will ever play. It is all down to the ambition and passion of Ronnie Scott and what he sought out to achieve before 1959. His reputation and legacy as a Jazz musician is solid but his name is synonymous with the creation of one of the world’s best and most respected Jazz clubs. Even though it is located in London, it has that feel of a 1940s/1950s American Jazz club and has stayed relatively true to its roots – one will not find needless modern touches and too many changes that make it more ‘trendy’ and suitable to young audiences. The fact Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club has remained stoically proud of its roots and ideals is one reason why so many people go there. It is a dream venue for many upcoming musicians and, through the years, the walls have played host to some true legends. As we remember Ronnie Scott on his ninety-second birthday, I wonder what he would have made of the success and rise of his club. I am sure he would be proud but he could not possibly have imagined that, when it opened its doors (at its original location) on 30th October, 1959 it would remain thriving and strong...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ronnie Scott’s Big Band/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

AFTER sixty years!

FEATURE: The Brilliance and Enigma of Azealia Banks: Is She Blurring the Line Between Persona and Needless Controversy?

FEATURE:

 

 

The Brilliance and Enigma of Azealia Banks

IN THIS PHOTO: American Hip-Hop/Rap star, Azealia Banks/PHOTO CREDIT: Highsnobiety/Andrew Boyle 

Is She Blurring the Line Between Persona and Needless Controversy?

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FOR as long as music has been producing stars and icons...      

 IN THIS IMAGE: The cover of Azealia Banks’ December-released (2018) E.P., Icy Colors Change/IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

there has been controversy and that confusion between persona and being offensive. Look back at the Punk icons like Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols) and Ramones; Britpop bands like Oasis and modern-day performers like Azealia Banks. I am not saying Banks is on the same level as the iconic best but she might get there one day. It is clear she is a gifted live presence and someone offering something genuinely new to music. It seems unfair to single her out but it seems she is making the headliners more for her comments as she is her music. Banks has a chequered history of making misguided remarks and getting into Twitter spats. I shall come to that later but the most-recent incident of Banks getting into hot water related to her insulting Irish fans at a gig. This article explains how the American rapper can be prosecuted:

“Azealia Banks could be prosecuted if she continues to make insulting remarks about Irish people, a barrister has suggested.

The rapper, 27, walked off an Aer Lingus flight from Gatwick to Dublin before take-off earlier this week because of an apparent spat with crew on board.

Banks chose to disembark the plane before take-off after a verbal altercation took place between her and airline crew when she told them not to stare at her as she was being asked questions.

She then posted a series of Instagram stories about the exchange in which she called one member of the airline crew an “ugly Irish b*****”.

The New York rapper claimed she had been “treated like a wild animal” and denied that she had told the stewardess she would “sort her out”, saying that she does “not use that kind of slang”.

It would be callous to write Banks off as someone who stirs trouble and I think there is an aspect of persona and character. Musicians have been ruffling feathers and rebelling for decades and the industry seriously needs those with a bit of attitude and personality. I have been looking for someone who stands out and separates themselves from the pack. Azealia Banks is someone who has spirit and spunk and is unafraid to hold it back. Is there a big difference between someone like Liam Gallagher running his mouth against certain figures and his brother and Banks insulting fans?! If it was a case of the odd Twitter feud and a few regretful moments then one could say it is part of music and can be overlooked – it seems like the problem runs deeper. The fact there are articles that chronicle her Twitter beefs and controversial moments leaves me concerned. It is a shame she is making the news for the wrong reasons because, as a performer, she is stunning. This review from The Guardian recalls her recent gig in Manchester:

“After high-profile spats with everyone from Grimes and Elon Musk to Zayn Malik and Sarah Palin, this week Azealia Banks was at it again. An apparently straightforward flight to Ireland saw the hair-trigger New Yorker remove herself from the plane after an argument with an air attendant ended with her referring to “ugly” Irish women. One tearful confessional and a live triumph in Dublin later, she reignited the furore with a social media rant referring to “leprechauns”.

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

She has just one proper album to her name (a second is due this year) but it’s hard not to suspect that while they have kept her in the spotlight, the spats – and perhaps not unrelated, her mental-health issues – have also prevented her becoming the superstar she should be. Here she croons like a jazz singer and delivers freestyle rap at blistering speed. When she unveils an a capella soul voice as big as Whitney Houston’s, she is a revelation”.

Azealia Banks has her third album (her second proper) coming out later this year and it will be interesting to see what she writes about. There is hot anticipation in the music community but, even before her debut, there was this wait and sense of anticipation. Years past between her first signs of promise and the much-required debut album. Broke with Expensive Taste arrived in 2014 and critics were keen to see whether the wait was worth it. The Guardian had this to say:

“Three years after her breakout hit 212, Azealia Banks has finally released her debut album. It’s a contender for album of the year. Banks immerses herself in 90s nostalgia, spitting darkly and sharply over tracks full of elements of UK garage, deep house and trap (an aggressive strain of hip-hop). She makes lines such as “Sprite I love the mosta/I ride rolla coasta/I try all the cultures” not only rhyme, but pulsate. It’s childish and kitsch: the use of xylophones creates a tropical timbre… but it’s a knowingly naff, Hawaiian resort kind of tropical. The only mis-step? Nude Beach A Go Go sounds like a Christmas single by an ersatz Beach Boys”.

In July 2018, Banks left the set of the U.S. T.V. show, Wild ‘n Out – she accused the cast of using colorist jokes against her. She was due to release her album, Fantasea II: The Second Wave, but said she needed some time to relax. Banks went on to say she would release music when she was ready. It is clear there have been occasions where people have jabbed Banks and tried to rile her. That cannot be forgiven and there has been a lot of pettiness aimed against her. I think, however, Banks is creating more controversy than necessary. It is evident she’s one of the most promising names in modern music and can do a lot of good. With competition from the likes of Cardi B, one wonders whether digs, Twitter spats and needless attacks against fans are the way to raise her profile. It is sad to see the music taking second fiddle to the remarks. When interviewed by Highsnobiety last year, Banks addressed questions regarding scandals and Twitter fueds:

“This is the thing,” she says, “It’s like people get way too dramatic about things. Who cares? People do shit. People have done shit to me, I’ve done shit to people. It just fucking happens – you live and you learn and you move the fuck on. Honestly, I don’t know what people’s obsession is with me being like this. People are always like, ‘Are you a miserable person?’ Oh my fucking god. Like I’m at home hanging out with my dogs, baking cookies, writing songs, watching TV, and doing my goddamn thing. People love the drama and then they like to pretend they don’t. And then they’re always like, ‘Oh, how could you say that?’ And then they’re talking about it for fucking two weeks and it’s like ‘shit, let it go.’”

I ask, “While we’re here, is there anything that you would want to clear the air on in any sort of topic or –”

PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest 

“Well, if I weren’t the person that I am, I don’t think I would have a semblance of the cultural relevance that I do, you know? With black women in music, it’s really easy to be forgotten about when you’re not really subscribing to the whole… I guess, hyper-feminine idea of what a female artist should be. When you’re not being a fantasy of what society thinks the perfect woman is as a female artist, it’s really easy to get cast aside, and even when you are doing that, it’s still really easy to get cast aside. My voice and my opinion is in tandem with my music, [and it’s] something that makes me really special.”

She continues, “I’ve been banned from Twitter for a lot of different reasons, I’ve probably had my Instagram follower count stifled [with] shadow banning censorship, all kinds of things like that. It’s just indicative of the personal power that I have beyond being the musician. And yeah, of course, sometimes you can get a little heated and things could get a little out of hand… [but] that happens for everybody. I have the potential to do more than just music and be more than just a musician”.

It is true, like I said, the debate is not one-sided. Banks has received unwanted attention and abuse and I do not think that should be overlooked! It is not fair when Banks is the subject of derision and insult. Whilst it is easy to say she should rise above it, I do think there is a difference between a unique and bold artist and going too far.

Maybe there are mental-health concerns and pressures that are enforcing her actions. I would feel the same when presented with any other artist but I have to wonder whether Banks needs to let the music do the talking. She is one of the brighter stars in the music sky and I am concerned her popularity and potency will diminish the more controversy and unwelcomed press attention gets in the way. Her history with Twitter is a long and often unhappy one and I do wonder why she strikes out at fans at times – is it a case of there being blame in both camps? The recent controversy in Ireland might be forgotten and, when Banks stepped onto the KOKO stage this week, she gained a glowing review:

“Banks sings as well as any classic soul star, and could rap circles around many artists who are given bigger and better stages. Her interaction with the crowd is superb: she eyeballs them with bravado on “Count Contessa” then takes the time to make sure a fan gets one of the gloves she’s been handing out during the set.

When she reaches her biggest hit to date, the European rave-inspired “212”, you wonder if the ceiling is going to cave in. As a person, Banks clearly isn’t perfect. On stage, however, she is flawless”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

At the end of the day, we should be concerned more about the music because that is what matters most. Azealia Banks’ live performances are world-class and she must rank as one of the finest live acts in the world right now. Her music, whilst not prolific, shows plenty of boldness, genius and strength. Banks can get to the top of the mainstream and inspire the next generation but I do wonder whether, at some point, her actions and remarks will overtake her brilliant talent. Maybe feuds and stirring up a bit of controversy is part of the game and a ‘persona’ but I do wonder whether there will be a moment things go too far – threatening to derail her remarkable reviews and growing musical reputation. Banks’ stock is rising but it is dealt a blow every time something unpleasant comes up. There are few artists worth being concerned about but, with more focus on the music and greater discipline from the Harlem-born star she could, very quickly, transform from this star-in-waiting to become...

THE Queen of Hip-Hop.

FEATURE: Dust on the Crates: Are the Risks Inherent in Sampling Holding Back a New ‘Golden Age’ of Hip-Hop and Rap?

FEATURE:

 

 

Dust on the Crates

IN THIS PHOTO: De La Soul (circa 1989)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Are the Risks Inherent in Sampling Holding Back a New ‘Golden Age’ of Hip-Hop and Rap?

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THERE are some mighty-big albums turning thirty this year...               

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

and, with that, a chance to introduce them to a new generation. I am just about old enough to remember when they arrived the first time and, at the age of four/five, I was very new to Hip-Hop and Rap. Most of my musical experiences until that point were Pop and Rock; music from my parents and whatever was floating around the charts. Both Paul’s Boutique and 3 Feet High and Rising are thirty this year and, on 3rd March, De La Soul’s masterpiece gets a spotlight. 3 Feet High and Rising was the debut album from New York’s De La Soul and was very different to the edgier and more arresting Rap/Hip-Hop of the day. Whereas groups like N.W.A. and Public Enemy – who released seminal albums the year before – were talking of social justice and police aggression; De La Soul created something humorous, peaceful and light. At the time, the band faced aggression and attacks as many felt their music was against what Rap and Hip-Hop stood for. At a time when the likes of Public Enemy were rallying against oppression and racism, De La Soul were releasing this album that included frat-style humour, gags and this ‘Daisy Age’ sound – harking back, almost, to the Summer of Love in 1967. 3 Feet High and Rising is seen as one of the most important records ever and it took a little while for people to understand its place in the Hip-Hops scene and the role it played.

The same can be said of Paul’s Boutique. That came out in July 1989 and was the second album from the Beastie Boys. The sheer scope and sample-heavy sound of the record meant critics were unsure and did not know how to take to it. It was a different experience to Beastie Boys’ debut, Licensed to Ill, and it meant the trio were sort of hit hard. They got critics back but there were a lot of people in 1989 who felt Beastie Boys were over – a novelty act who had their time and were right for retirement. That record, again, is viewed as a vital addition to the glorious period where Hip-Hop and Rap ruled. I sort of think 1986-1990 is when the genres were at their most important, experimental and eye-opening. Look back at forefathers like Eric B. & Rakim and their 1987 album, Paid in Full. It is one of the earliest examples of that golden age of Hip-Hop – many track the start to 1986 – and its glorious samples and rhymes inspired countless other artists. Look at this review from AllMusic and they highlight how well the samples fuse:

“There are also three DJ showcases for Eric B., who like Rakim was among the technical leaders in his field. If sampling is the sincerest form of admiration in hip-hop, Paid in Full is positively worshipped. Just to name a few: Rakim's tossed-off "pump up the volume," from "I Know You Got Soul," became the basis for M/A/R/R/S' groundbreaking dance track; Eminem, a devoted Rakim student, lifted lines from "As the Rhyme Goes On" for the chorus of his own "The Way I Am"; and the percussion track of "Paid in Full" has been sampled so many times it's almost impossible to believe it had a point of origin. Paid in Full is essential listening for anyone even remotely interested in the basic musical foundations of hip-hop -- this is the form in its purest essence”.

 

I am not suggesting the entire reason Hip-Hop and Rap was ruling from the mid-1980s to the early-1990s was because of sampling! This was a time when American politics played a big role in music and the experience of the black population was hard. Rather than present these very angry and direct songs that rebelled against that oppression; acts like Eric B. & Rakim and Public Enemy managed to project big and striking messages but have this extraordinary tapestry running through. Not only did the songs sound more evocative and accessible with sampling but it was also a way of introducing new genres, artists and albums to people – they would hear sampling and be encouraged to seek out the originator. Not only were these gods passing on messages of uprising and raising awareness of what was happening in their communities; the sampling used provided this aural history and spoke louder than traditional instrumentation. If the messages were looking forward then the samples took us back and created this wonderful combination. It is not only Hip-Hop and Rap where sampling has played a big role. Artists such The Avalanches and DJ Shadow have created masterful albums that have dug deep in the crates and brought together disparate sounds. I feel one of the big reasons why these albums – those from 1986-1990 – made a big impact is because of the samples and how they brought in listeners who would not usually investigate Hip-Hop. That is not to say the samples watered down the message: they added layers and new dynamics and, as I say, created this wonderful clash.

I do think a lot of music today is rather simplistic and lacks the variation and ambition needed to last through the decades. Hip-Hop and Rap are vital genres now and artists such as Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar and SZA are essential young voices. I find, when looking at the biggest albums out there, other genres are stealing focus. We still get these immense Hip-Hop albums coming through that potently speak of injustice and hardship – is the fact sampling is harder these days mean their impact is reduced?! It is a busy and packed music scene and I think there is a big role for Hip-Hop albums that rely solely on the messages and how relevant they are. Consider the anger in the Rap/Hip-Hop community and the plight of the black America. Under Trump, the U.S.A. has hardly evolved since the days of Ronald Reagan. Again, we have a Republican President who is serving himself and not the people – I see so many similarities to 1989. George H. W. Bush became President in January 1989 but, whilst a step up from Reagan, he was another Republican and not aware about things like inner-city poverty, racism and police brutality. I feel Trump is the worst of the bunch and America is more divided than ever. The last couple of years have seen some stealthy and solid Hip-Hop albums but none that match the spread, grandeur and sheer weight of those classic records – from the likes of N.W.A., Public Enemy and De La Soul.

PHOTO CREDIT: @florenciaviadana

Whether we need to foster a peaceful record like 3 Feet High and Rising or an incendiary L.P. like It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Public Enemy, 1988); is the fact there are stiffer locks on vinyl crates the reason why there is not another golden age of Hip-Hop? You can argue we do not have the same talent we had in the 1980s and there has already been this Hip-Hop/Rap regency. If we were to attempt a second incarnation then would sampling be at its heart? I agree it is hard to define what would make a new golden age boom but I think having access to music’s past is a key ingredient! At a time when young listeners are hearing what is fresh and are less curious than my generation; maybe having these modern records with older samples would be a great way of conveying important messages but opening young minds to some fantastic music of the past?! Sampling was never easy back in the 1980s and it was a hard time getting artists to agree to having their music used. There are articles that explain when you need permission and how to go about achieving that. There are so many different things to consider when we look at sampling in the modern age. Not only are there countless underground artist who are using sounds without permission but laws are stricter and it is a confusing process getting permission. Often, lawyers get involved and they either charge huge rates to use that sample or they insist the original artist gets a big cut of the royalties.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Public Enemy (date unknown)/PHOTO CREDIT: Rock Hall Library and Archive

This article from DIY Musician explains what one needs to do to ensure they are legally using a sample:

“In order to legally use a sample from a copyrighted song in your own music, you actually need TWO different licenses:

1) one for the usage of the master recording (which is often owned by a label)

2) and one for the usage of the underlying composition (which is controlled by the publisher/songwriter)

Unlike the license to distribute a cover song, neither of these two sampling licenses are compulsory, meaning the copyright owner doesn’t HAVE to grant you permission. In fact, they can pretty much dictate the terms for the usage of the sample (though there are some general practices, as shown below)… and you can either agree to those terms OR head back to the studio to remove all instances of that sample from your track.

 

Let’s say that you’ve presented your track to all the copyright owners. They’ve listened and liked what they heard. What now?

Well, the publisher is apt to want an advance (think of it like a clearance fee) which can run you anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars or more, PLUS a percentage of all revenue generated by the song. I’ve seen this listed on some music law sites as anywhere from 15% to 50%, depending on how prominently the sample is featured in the new song.

The label who owns the master recording will also want an up-front fee similar to the advance you’ll pay to the publisher, PLUS something called a “rollover” — which is a royalty calculated based on a sales threshold. (Once you’ve sold X amount of discs or downloads, you’ll owe us $X.)

So, you decided to put a little bit of Ray Charles into your latest dance track, and look how much it’s cost you before the song is even available for sale. Ouch!

There are issues when it comes to getting this far and struggling to get in touch with the copyright holder. What does an artist do when it is that hard to track them down?!

What if you can’t get in touch with the copyright holders?

The above scenario assumes you received a reply from the copyright owners in the first place. That’s a big assumption! Lots of times, big labels and publishers don’t want to bother with independent artists’ sample clearance requests. (“Come back when you’re signed, and maybe we’ll negotiate with you then!”)

So… that leaves a world where sampling is happening — yes, lots and lots of sampling is happening — and yet clearing those samples often feels like a fool’s errand for unsigned artists. No wonder lots of myths and misinformation get spread around this complicated issue.

One of those common myths is this: you can legally sample a copyrighted song without permission as long as the sample is shorter than 6 seconds, or 11 seconds, or 15 seconds…

FALSE!

Copyright is copyright. And if the sample is recognizable (hell, even if it isn’t recognizable), you’re using another person’s intellectual property in order to construct or enhance your own. Think about the famous case of Vanilla Ice borrowing the bass line from “Under Pressure.” The sample is probably only 3 seconds long, but that didn’t stop Queen and David Bowie (or their labels/publishers) from swooping in to collect the cash. So no, you can’t legally sample something (no matter what the length) unless you’ve cleared that sample with both the owner of the song and the sound recording.

 

I mentioned how musicians are using samples without clearance - which not only means lawyers are going to be stricter and less malleable but it spoils things for those who are going about things the correct way:

That being said, plenty of people are releasing music these days with samples that haven’t been cleared. And right or wrong, it’s easy to understand why that practice has become so commonplace, considering the difficulty and upfront cost of clearing samples, the shifting cultural attitudes around copyright, as well as changes in music technology and distribution.

More people than ever before have access to affordable recording and sampling tools. We have access to the entire history of recorded music  — which is like a sampler’s playground stretching across the whole planet and back in time more than a century. And we have access to easy (and independent) distribution, which means it’s harder for publishers and record companies to monitor and control what’s being released, because it’s no longer being exclusively channeled through that major label system.

So, could you just include some samples on your next album or single without clearing them? Maybe — though you’d be violating the contract you sign with your disc manufacturer and distributor, and if those entities caught wind of it they’d be obligated to remove your music from their service until you’d proven you had legally cleared the samples”.

It is, clearly, a bit of a minefield in any case and consider the cost if you were to construct something as fulsome and eclectic as Paul’s Boutique, say! There are Rap/Hip-Hop albums that have sampled dozens of songs and, when you think about the time and cost associated with a single sample, that is a daunting realisation!

I am not saying for one minute there should be a programme where every song recorded is available and one can cut samples from any and use in their work. It would be helpful having that database and then, attached, would be details regarding copyright holders and the process. I feel it is unwise to charge for every sample – as that would stifle creativity and ambition – but there needs to be this legal and transparent process. Look at this playlist that unites all the samples used on 3 Feet High and Rising and one can only imagine the headache is a Hip-Hop band wanted to make that same album in 2019. We cannot let anyone take anything but, in an age where there is a desire for a strong surge from Hip-Hop and Rap...I think we need to ask whether there are ways artists can sample without going to such lengths. We will mark two titanic albums turning thirty this year and I feel the reason they have proved so inspiring and compelling is the way the artists – Beastie Boys and De La Soul – managed to unite these eclectic sounds into something genuinely new. The world is in disarray and I do not think the Pop mainstream have the ability and ammunition to document what is happening and make powerful statements. The true power and truth has always come from Hip-Hop and it has been many years since I saw a sample-heavy record. In fact, there has been nothing quite as busy as Paul’s Boutique since 1989.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Hip-Hop pioneers Eric B. & Rakim/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Some can argue a song that is a sample-heavy is not new but can only say anything in modern music is new? So many songs have bars similar to other tracks so I think that argument is invalid. I want to bring in an article that features producer Mark Ronson. He was asked about sampling and his experience.

“So say you're working on a song and you're like, "I want to put in five seconds of this other song." You can't just put it in, right?

You can't just put it in. Basically, you go to the person that wrote it, or maybe the person that owns that song now — because it could have been sold, the rights to it, years ago. You have to play them your song, and then you guys kind of come to agreement about how much you're going to give them.

I mean, if you use a tiny two seconds of a Led Zeppelin song, it doesn't matter how important it is to your song — you can pretty much guarantee you're going to give up 100 percent of your publishing to Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. And then you could use a tiny bit of an old spoken-word performance from an old Jesse Jackson speech or something, and maybe give 10 percent of your publishing away for it. I've been on both sides of that equation. Sometimes it's so important to your song. It could be this little saxophone move or something, but to you it defines the entire feel of your song. And it's worth is to give away all that publishing, I think, if it's something you really think makes your song truly special”. 

He expressed how important it was to get permission to use samples – as a lot of older Hip-Hop artists stole what they liked:

“We still tend to think of copying as a bad thing — something we shouldn't be doing.

Back to what I was saying about what you add to the equation, in hip-hop there was the expression "jacking" — like when you just steal something. There is no merit in that, especially if you're trying to steal and get away without actually paying the people that wrote it in the first place. That's the absolute worst. But I think that if you're taking something and building on it, like the way that the Stones and The Beatles and Eric Clapton did with the Delta blues to make their own music, and it's truly become something that can enrich somebody's experience in a different way.

Take "Sunshine of Your Love," for example. Without the great blues guitarists of the '30s and '40s, "Sunshine of Your Love" never would have existed. But I can definitely argue that I get something out of listening to "Sunshine Of Your Love" that I wouldn't get from listening those records. It gives you a different experience. I think that's what deems it worthy; that's what gives you your merit. If you really manage to be influenced or borrow or copy without making it a carbon copy, something that truly provides its own experience, its own thing for the listener, it is original. It does sound like nothing else that came before”.

PHOTO CREDIT: @phosleep  

It is a fascinating article/talk but one question stood out that inspired this piece: the issue of whether we are in a post-sampling age. So many people can create samples on their laptops and fuse anything together. Do artists even look through crates for old records and is sampling the same now as it used to be:

“You know, we used to go to record stores or record fairs to find these rare breaks. I see young producers today, kids who are 19, 20; they stay up all night just sampling straight from YouTube. I think things like YouTube kind of have made a lot of today's younger generation think that, "Well, everything kind of just belongs to us, right?" Because it kind of does: Music has been free for a long time now, for better or for worse.

In some ways, the culture of today is really just about taking whatever you feel like and making it your own. Which is dangerous — there are troubled lines there — because at the end of the day, credit needs to go to the people that created the stuff in the first place. But it does make for some incredible, exciting art. And it does mean that some little kid sitting in his basement in Ohio with a laptop can be making some of the most interesting music around”.

It is clear things have changed and not only is it more difficult to clear samples and be able to afford that but we have technology that allows us to create fresh sounds and samples without having to look at old records – which I think is less effective and important as bringing in older records to the new generation.

IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for Beastie Boys’ 1989 album, Paul’s Boutique/IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

I think it is great we have access to sounds and effects through technology but I long to hear artists rummaging through crates and, inspired by the artists they hear, make an approach to use them on an album. It has been so long since I heard a sample-rich album come out – and I do miss that a lot. There are many reasons why Hip-Hop enjoyed a regency during the 1980s and 1990s but I feel the ability to sample others is a part of the magic. I think it is harder now to get permission to use samples than it was thirty years ago. As we mark the anniversary of titan albums like 3 Feet High and Rising and Paul’s Boutique; I wonder whether we will see any modern-day versions at all. I feel Hip-Hop and Rap artists are crying out to make their versions but there are so many stages one must take; a more litigious world and a needlessly rigorous process of clearance/permission. It is hard to balance it so people are not stealing music and ensure there is fairness. I think estates and labels can loosen the strings and there needs to be a way where artists can sample others and not have to jump through so many hoops. It is wholly possible we will see another golden era of Hip-Hop and the world now calls for a band/artist who can write that next classic. I think the central messages and performances and key but, if one looks at the iconic Hip-Hop/Rap albums of the late-1980s/early-1990s, then the thing they have in common is the magic and evocative brilliance...

 

OF samples.

INTERVIEW: Sincere Deceivers

INTERVIEW:

Sincere Deceivers

___________

I have been speaking with Sincere Deceivers...

about their latest track, Hot Handed, and how it all came to pass. I was curious to learn why the Yorkshire natives relocated to London and what sort of music drives them – they recommend a new artist to look out for that is primed to go far.

The guys reveals the albums special to them and when we can see them perform; which artist they’d support on the road if they could and whether they have plans for more material – the members each choose a song to end the interview with.

____________

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

Matt: Great, thanks. We launched our new single last week, so mainly recovering from that!

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

Dom: Of course. We’re a London based three-piece. Matt is on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Tim on electric guitar and I play cello and do backing vocals. We make kind of layered, Folk-infused rock.

Hot Handed is your new single. Is there a tale behind the song at all?

Matt: Yes. It was inspired by two separate sets of events going on around the time of writing. The first was watching friends - and in particular Tim - get married and the other was seeing the impact of dementia on my grandparent’s relationship. I suppose it was an attempt to give some advice that I’m not qualified to give – make the most of special relationships, pursue them in good faith and hope for the best...because you never know what might get in the way down the line.

The song is quite unconventional in terms of its lyrics. Do you feel too many artists lack that original approach to songwriting?

Matt: I feel like it’s an aspect that sometimes get ignored or overlooked in the quest for killer melodies and hooks, but these things are definitely not mutually exclusive and there’s plenty of cracking songwriters out there trying to use words inventively to say something. 

You are Yorkshire natives but live in London. How did Sincere Deceivers find one another?

Tim: Matt and I were at college together back in Yorkshire and played in early line-ups of the band before heading off to various places for uni. After a break for a few years, we both ended up in London again and then roped in Dom, a friend of Matt’s, to make us a trio.

What is life like for a young band in London?

Dom: Unfortunately, I’m not sure we can get away with describing ourselves as young anymore - but London is a great city. There’s certainly lots of music going on and we’ve met some great people along the way. I play in a couple of other London based bands too.

Do you have plans for more material a bit later this year?

Matt: Yes! We’ve written a few new ones over the last six months and we’re keen to get back in the studio. Watch this space.

When you were all growing up, what sort of music inspired you?

Tim: Matt and I were listening to a lot of Pop/Rock bands before we started playing together: The Beatles, obviously; Dylan and singer-songwriters like Tom McCrae, Damien Rice and Folk music like Kate Rusby. My parents introduced me to local folk songs from a young age.

Matt: I remember Urban Hymns by The Verve being one of the first albums I bought and thinking that was pretty cool. Rock music with an epic strings section. Bright Eyes were a formative discovery.

Dom: Muse; dad’s Pink Floyd and lots of choral stuff.

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

Tim: We launched our first E.P. together at St. Pancras Old Church and that was a special night.

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

Tim: Jeff Buckley - Grace

Because it’s the perfect combination of balls-out Rock and Roll with plenty of guitar wizardry, but so much emotion.

Matt: That Buckley album is special. I thought about this for a long time without anything definitive popping in my head. The album that has been on the heaviest rotation for the last seven years is Given to the Wild by The Maccabees. I just seem to keep going back.

Dom: Neutral Milk Honey – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

It’s shonky, lo-fi; surprising and mad but also emotional moving and intelligent. It’s when I realised you could get away with anything in music as long as you liked what you’re doing.

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

Matt: I’m gonna hijack this one: Scott Matthews. Because I think he’s one of the best singer-songwriters of the last decade and he seems fun. I quite like a sneaky scotch before we go on stage and I think Scott would enjoy one with us after the show too.

Dom: Can I have some Tangfastics, please?

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

Dom: We’re plotting getting out and about over the next few months. But, we will be back in London for a headline show at The Finsbury for Lost in the Manor on 7th March.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?                           

Tim: I’m not sure we have much helpful advice about coming through, but we have been doing this a while and you can get caught up in the gigging and releasing - but then we try and hold to that reason you started, which is normally that you love making music.

Matt: Also, look after your ears in loud rooms. Mine are getting crunchy.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Amy May Ellis/PHOTO CREDIT: Emma Freemantle

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Matt: The awesome Amy May Ellis played with us at our single launch. We met her through Folkroom Records. They put on amazing fortnightly shows in London with some great acts, including Louis Brennan, Tom Hyatt; Kirsty Merryn and Winterfalle to name a few.

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

Tim: Following my beloved Huddersfield Town.

Matt: I quite like walking.

Dom: Eating food.

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).

Dom: Jungle - House in LA

Tim: Lau - Toy Tigers

Matt: Sylvan Esso – Slack Jaw

___________

Follow Sincere Deceivers

Official:

http://www.sincere-deceivers.co.uk/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/sincere_d

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/sinceredeceivers

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4PXiq8gdHxvFSxGXVTCnnT?si=myn_JfhQRz2yi77tY-GB7w

TRACK REVIEW: Rosie Turton - The Unknown

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Rosie Turton

The Unknown

9.4/10

The track, The Unknown, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiWYwUaPsAk

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

GENRE:

Jazz

The album, Rosie’s 5ive, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0ecE3kT7P76f7ZUtEvnL9X?si=M5ksuZSuS1ugleuJIdcIKA

RELEASE DATE:

11th January, 2019

__________

THIS is a bit of a step into a new direction...

and it is quite hard for someone like me to review music that is instrumental. A lot of my ‘skill’ comes from interpreting words and deciphering what an artist is talking about. I have reviewed Jazz before and the trick is to be able to understand the music and what that is trying to say. I will come to the song in question in due time but, right now, Rosie Turton is in front of me and it brings a few things to mind. I want to discuss Jazz and organisations that are raising its profile in the U.K. a lot; why we have overlooked the genre and what it offers to the world; the beauty of composition and how it can say more than words; a look at the future for Rosie Turton and how Jazz can come more into the fore and integrate with other genres. The Jazz:refreshed name is one that has been helping raise the profile of Jazz musicians in the U.K. for years. In 2003, they created a weekly residence in the Jazz world for artists who wanted to experiment and push boundaries. It is hard to succeed in certain genres because the music played can be quite unconventional and strange to some. Think about genres such as Grime and Drill and, why they are getting respect and being heard, it is hard to assimilate into the mainstream. The core of modern music relies on a certain safeness and a familiarity. If one were to splice anything a bit edgy or new into the mix then that ruffles feathers. I will explore Jazz and why it has always struggled to impress upon the mainstream but it is great that Jazz:refreshed is around and helping to aid and uplift some of the best Jazz musicians in the country. The ‘5ives’ series of records – Rosie Turton has released hers recently – has been brought from the Jazz:refreshed stable and brought artists like Ashley Henry and Nubya Garcia. It can be hard for musicians to get heard and have their music discovered and I like the fact there is a label/body like this that is a safe haven and common voice.

I like the fact there is this place for Jazz musicians to go and a supportive hand. If we think about Jazz then we often look back to the past and get a very distinct impression. In terms of the modern brand, perhaps the U.S. leads in our views. I am thinking about Kamasi Washington and the sounds he is putting down right now. There is a rich and hugely impressive stock of Jazz musicians in the U.K. and that has always been the way! I think we need to clear our mind of preconceptions and stereotypes and listen to what is coming through right now. It is always going to be hard for Jazz to truly make its voice heard but there are so few radio stations who take a chance and actually play it. Jazz:refreshed has gone a long way to raise the profiles of some of the best Jazz musicians in the country and make it more accessible to the people. I do wonder whether there is a time when all genres will be together in the mainstream and it is a much broader canvas than it is right now. The reason I say that is because Jazz offers something one does not get from other genres. Think about the sheer sense of expression and individuality one gets from a Jazz player. Pop and Rock can be very generic and you rarely feel like the artist is putting their everything into the music. Also, the music can play second fiddle and, when faced with lyrics and voice, there is not much to distinguish from the rest. It can be quite frustrating seeing this fairly narrow market where there are few risks and truly unique artists. Jazz is a lot more accommodating to those who want to stand aside and genuinely make people feel something. Rosie Turton is someone who can help bring Jazz to more people and show what a strong and varied genre it really is.

She studied Jazz at Trinity College London and she has expressed herself through a variety of musical projects, including composing and playing with the septet Nerija, Sun Ra space-influenced Where Pathways Meet and recording with Hollie Cook. You mention Jazz to most people and they will wrinkle their noses and tell you it is boring. Many people have that impression Jazz is all the same and it is going to be very similar to what was coming out in the 1950s and 1960s. I love Miles Davis but, to some, he can be seen as dry and not terribly exciting. His playing is exemplary and he is a true pioneer but, in terms of excitement and capturing minds, there are some who grow weary and feel there is little on offer. It is different retuning your mind to listen to a form of music that is largely wordless. It is more about the sound and mood set rather than what is being sung. For that reason, some cannot cope and feel like they need vocals in order to understand. Davis proved, through his career, that Jazz is this malleable and ever-evolving form – he moved from the chill of Birth of the Cool to the wild experimentation and fire of Bitches Brew! Modern Jazz is very different to what came out decades ago and there is much to recommend. There is that need for reappropriation and seeing the genre in a new light. Jazz has always been vital and part of the music fabric. From its beginnings to its use in Hip-Hop and Rap – think about the classic records where Jazz can be found – through to the modern breed. Many see Jazz as this club-based thing where people are nodding their heads and it is all quite pretentious and dull. That does still happen but Jazz is so misunderstood. There is so much physicality, beauty and colour to be found and, even if you are new to Jazz, there are modern artists who can make it tangible and real.

You do not need to be an expert and know the history of Jazz to get involved with the genre. Maybe start with artists like Rosie Turton and then work your way back. Turton is a modern talent who is pushing Jazz in new directions and putting her stamp on it. Listen to her album, Rosie’s 5ive, and you have five tracks that are all under ten minutes. One of the problems with Jazz is brevity and focus. It is as much about expression and experimentation as anything and, as such, a little time is needed. Many have short concentration spans and do struggle to sit with a piece of music. Because of that, modern Jazz is offering more fizz, explosion and life than the older, classic icons of the past. I feel Jazz is a mobile and evolving genre. Maybe it will be hard to integrate it fully into the mainstream – due to the lack of vocals – but listen to modern Pop and Rock albums and there is something missing. Maybe it is a certain explosion or that lack of real soul. I think Jazz has a lot to offer and shows what can be accomplished when you get musicians together who create these evocative and hugely impressive pieces. I do think Jazz has so much to give and we often get hung up on this rather cliché and misguided view. Turton’s album does offer some vocals but it is more about the compositional sound and what it is saying. There is a real sense of the international and explorative in the record. Inspired by London, New York; the Himalayas and India, it is a global recording that proves why Jazz warrants respect. How often do you listen to music today and feel genuinely moved?! It is hard in this fast-paced and competitive world to find music that gets into the brain and takes you somewhere special. Jazz, in so many ways, is the perfect form of music for these stressful and busy times.

Most of us are stressed and have very demanding lives. We do not have that much time to relax and set time aside so, when it comes to music, we often play what we are familiar with or something that is quite simple. We need that release and music that makes us feel less tense. I think Jazz has a vital role in that respect because it provides a carapace and comfort. A new article from The Guardian shows many under-thirty-fives are turning to Classical music because it offers an escape from the noise of modern life. That makes sense. We want something calming and beautiful to soothe our minds and ease the strains. I think Classical music will continue to grow and gain focus from young listeners. The same can be said for Jazz. One does not get blasted with guitars and drums and, if you need something de-stressing and inspiring, Jazz is where you go. I do think many assume it is boring and there is not going to be anything worth exploring. I do admit some Jazz music is very academic and unmoving: more about technique and ability rather than emotion and feel. Jazz has always suffered from elitist sneering and snobby disregard. I feel the new breed of players in the U.K. are showing what people are missing. One can add a vocalist to the music but that is not always necessary. It is great just listening to the compositions and discovering all the life and texture that is being presented. Unlike Pop and Rock – which guides us and tells us what is being presented – Jazz allows the listener to go their own way and paint their own images. Music that offers that personal and unique perspective should be applauded. I think too much modern music is very literal and provides little imagination and wonder. Maybe this is why Classical music is bringing in the younger listeners and stressed workers – they want to unwind and be eased but also want something that channels that restlessness in a creative way.

Rosie Turton will go a long way and is already establishing herself as one of the finest young performers in the U.K. Recorded at Soup Studios in East London, Rosie’s 5ive blends together trombone, violin and electronic elements. One of the most important things to remember regarding modern Jazz is how progressive and varied it is. Many feel Jazz is just about trumpets and saxophones and that is about it. Modern Jazz, in fact, integrates many others genres and has quite a modern and fresh feel. Turton and her players explore Indian sounds and Hip-Hop; fuse that with traditional Jazz and pepper through something quite special. It is a blend and explosion of sounds that perfectly draws from Turton’s itinerant and busy past. She has travelled far and met many different people. All of this is brought into the music and she urges the listeners to enter her world and see where she has been. It can be hard convincing a stoic audience Jazz is a genre on the rise and worth exploring. We are all comfortable with our tastes and many of us feel unwilling to bend and try something new. I feel there are elements in Jazz that we do not get with other genres. Consider the power of music itself and how a composition can say more than words. Genres like Pop are great but they are very literal and there is little opportunity to experience the composition – the vocal and lyric are very much the focus. I listen to a lot of modern music and there is this focus towards the vocal and words. The compositions are okay but it is very rare to be drawn to the background and what is happening there. Jazz is all about the musicianship and hearing these committed and passionate players unite and create something stunning. Think about what you can experience when listening to Jazz.

Rather than put it on in the background and dismiss the genre, listen to the music itself and realise how much work and technique goes into it. Rosie Turton is someone who seems completely natural and free but she has many years of music experience and puts so much of herself into every note. (Alongside her is Johanna Burnheart on violin; Maria Chiara Argirò on piano/wurlizter; Twm Dylan on Bass and Jake Long on drums’ Ben Hayes on synthesisers (on Orange Moon) and Luke Newman on vocals (on the track, Stolen Ribs). One can listen to the album and discover something new in every track. Some are more rhythm-heavy and intense whereas you get something softer and more teasing in other moments. Jazz is always fighting against misconception but young British Jazz musicians are showing what can be realised. With the likes of Jazz:refreshed offering stages, support and a community, so much terrific work is emerging. I am excited to see how British Jazz develops and what is around the corner. I think Jazz will not convert everyone and it can be quite hard bonding with a form of music that is more about music than it is vocals and words. You need to have patience to truly appreciate the music in its glory but I think we all need that right now. Classical music is making an impression on the young and I can feel a tangible desire for music that calms us and makes us feel safer. Jazz has that power and, in fact, I think it is much more varied and wide-ranging. Have a listen to songs like The Unknown and, before long, you will realise it is a sign of what Jazz is right now rather than what it used to be – and what people think Jazz is all about. I am not saying modern Jazz has abandoned its past but what we have today is much more exciting and eclectic than the Jazz of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Rosie Turton is among a group of young musicians who are making Jazz more accessible without compromising on ambition and ethics.

I love the production and sound of The Unknown. Rather than starting as this apocalyptic, scary and bleak place, it is quite sparse and rhythmic. Percussion takes the lead and one gets this almost Asian sound coming through in the beats. It is someone spiritual and meditative and, alongside the fast clicks and rolls, there is a contemplative nature that steadies the mind and opens the imagination. Piano rolls in and, at once, the listener is imagining and picturing the song. We begin with this gentle introduction but one that offers plenty of pace and nuance. My lack of technical knowledge will come in regarding the instruments but I love how there are so many different percussive sounds. There is a deeper drum boom at the background that drives the accelerated and bone-clicking lead. The piano rolls romantically and tees up Turton who brings in some smooth, caramel and sensual trombone. I am reminded of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue but, in many ways, Turton adds her own spins and provides something even more tender and romantic. It is a great fusion against the passion and pace of the foreground. In many ways, we get a new stage and vision. I am not sure what ‘the unknown’ relates to. Maybe it a physical thing and a darkness we all experience or a more spiritual realisation. Many will have their own views but Turton’s introduction takes the song in a new direction. The players weave in and out of one another and you get this rather scintillating and exciting mixture. The percussion and trombone have their own pattern and path but the piano offers this constantly moving narrative that takes the song to its next phase. There are Jazz numbers that can be cluttered but The Unknown balances the instruments perfectly and everything sounds wonderfully balanced. It is a hypnotic brew that gets into the mind and takes you away. Whereas there are no words in the song, you have these images and scenes that mix the darkness of the night and something more nourishing.

Turton and her band fuse supremely and create this fulsome, rich and epic sound. I feel this song could well be sampled by a Hip-Hop or Rap act because there is so much life and potential to be found. There are moments where certain instruments stand out and get chance to tell a story. I like how the percussion and piano come through when Turton stands back. The song builds and becomes more intense. There is cymbal from the percussion and the trombone sets its own course. Turton both guides her band and creates her own thread. The piano is less audible as we hear this rise but then, before long, the song comes back down new elements come through. There is a violin and the piano shines once more. The Unknown started calm and dark but rises to this sunshine thing that burns and warms with its radiance. I like how there is this improvised feel and the band do not sound overly-rehearsed. One gets romance and yearning from the violin and the piano provides this sense of movement and curiosity. Percussion gives that heartbeat and backbone and the bass keeps things solid. The sheer spritz and energy of the track does not relent and you get captured by this incredible force! I love how it is impossible to turn away from the song and how you will be immersed within. I was imagining this colourful and bustling city that is full of life but there is that confusion and fear. The traffic blares and the people rush; the signs are neon and there is this somewhat spiritual light that emerges from a local café. Maybe there is some psychological fear and sense of the unknown but, to me, the anxiety comes from the physical aspects and the busy streets – something I get from the music. Each player acts like a part of that scene and it is quite an experience!

As the drums pulsate and the trumpet expresses with emotion and conversation, I see that as the rush of traffic and the chatter of people. The piano, bass and other elements are the background noise and life that keeps the feet music and keeps me moving. I find myself drawn to this hectic and multicultural landscape and trying to find some sense of reflection and gravity. Like Kamasi Washington’s work; Turton and her crew are able to create these grand and atmospheric pieces that are full of life but can be understood and appreciation by those new to Jazz. The Unknown calms and retreats and then builds up into this almighty high. It is a sensational track and one that definitely needs a lot of plays. You listen to its first and try to get to grips with all being played and, the more you play it, the more you discover. I was amazed listening back again and finding stuff I did not notice the first time around. The Unknown is the second track from Rosie’s 5ive and leads to the wonderful The Purge. I love how the album/E.P. is arranged and what role each song plays in the overall narrative story arc. There are few songs that leave an impression as big as that from The Unknown. I do not listen to a lot of Jazz but I think this track is a perfect introduction. You do not need to be aware of the genre’s history to understand and appreciate what is being played. If you have not heard Rosie Turton’s music and often find Jazz can be quite stiff and unarresting then do yourself a favour and investigate The Unknown. It is a jewel in an extraordinary album and shows how strong modern British Jazz is.

Rosie Turton has grown as a musician and shows great maturity throughout Rosie’s 5ive. Follow her social media pages – which are at the bottom of this review – and make sure you listen to all the songs on her new album. I love the musicians she plays with and they have a real connection and chemistry. It is important to bond with the musicians and make sure everyone is on the same page. I am not sure how long they have all been playing together but one finds a blend of freedom and routine. The music is exceptionally tight and together but there are moments for free expression and improvisation. Jazz is at its strongest when there is looseness but always retains its focus. I think many avoided Jazz because of the noodling and experimental aspects – often going off in all directions and not really saying anything cohesive and productive. I do like musicians being lost in the moment but you need to tell a story and not just wander off and play whatever sounds ‘right’. Modern Jazz feels a lot more disciplined and focused but is also more genre-fusing and bold. I think grandfathers like Miles Davis and John Coltrane are in their bones and D.N.A. but look at how Jazz has grown. It is no shock it has been part of the Hip-Hop and Rap tapestry since the 1980s. Think about the glory days of Hip-Hop and how Jazz was an essential background. Modern artists like Kendrick Lamar use Jazz to heighten the music and offer something dynamic, fiery and thrilling. Jazz will always be vital in the musical landscape but I want to see it assimilated into the mainstream and used more heavily by artists there. Listen to great Jazz musicians today and you will find much variation and quality. Jazz is no longer a genre that is reserved for the diehards and the intellectuals. That might sound insulting but that slightly dusty and dry sound that used to appeal to a certain breed has gone and been replaced by a much more modern and relatable flair.

I will end things soon but want to urge people to listen to Rosie Turton and get more involved with British Jazz. This article highlights British Jazz pioneers like Shabaka Hutchings, Yazmin Lacey and Nubya Gracia – some of the most expressive and inventive players in the world right now. That feature offers some useful words and reasons why Jazz is essential right now. The artists feature mention how Jazz is changing and appealing much more to a younger audience. It is much broader and more exciting than we can imagine and there are so many clubs around the capital that are offering a space for these talented players. We also have this impression of the old Jazz clubs being all smoky and accommodating these beard-stroking quartets that are all finger-clicking and too-cool-for-school. Modern Jazz clubs offer temples for musicians to hone their craft and draw together the generations. Modern Jazz artists like Rosie Turton and Kamasi Washington are bringing more story and concept to the plate. Turton mixes together her travels and experience around the world into this variegated boiling pot. Kamasi Washington, on Heaven and Earth, brings spirituality and physicality together; a deep and proactive selection of songs that are as potent and impressive as any I have heard in the last few years. One of the challenges Turton faces arrives when it comes to accepting a female leader on the stage. Nubya Garcia, in the above feature, talked about experiences of talking to people impressed to see a young woman on the stage. They are used to men – men of a certain age – and are unfamiliar with seeing a woman lead a band or stand alone. Nobody can define modern Jazz or easily write it off. I do worry we are not willing to expand our minds and get beyond the comfortable and commercial. Modern Jazz is a broad canvas and one that offers fast-paced rides, comfortable templates and genre-fusing magic. These times are stressful and unsure and artists like Rosie Turton are providing music that provides safety, inspiration and majesty. If you do anything today, make sure you play Rosie’s 5ive and fall in love with this bold, varied and accomplished...

QUINTET of compositions.

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Follow Rosie Turton

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RosieTurton

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Rosie-Turton-2378642772347184/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XhOg4JXERUGJbf6DQTPdT?si=LgzarNJPSKqWZi4YGLmgaw

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/rosieturton

Bandcamp:

https://rosieturton.bandcamp.com/

FEATURE: Groovelines: Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody

FEATURE:

 

 

Groovelines

 IN THIS PHOTO: Queen in 1975/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody

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THIS feature looks at celebrated songs and how they came together...             

and the stories behind them. I have just watched the Queen film, Bohemian Rhapsody, and was amazed by everything! There are some factual exaggerations – including the fact Queen did not sell their tour van to fund their debut album; Freddie Mercury did not reveal his HIV/AIDS diagnosis to the band just before Live Aid in 1985 – but the performances are exceptional and it is great to get a closer look at the legendary band. One of the factual errors arrived when the band were presenting Bohemian Rhapsody to the record label boss, Ray Foster (played by Mike Myers in the film). There are errors and oversights in the film but it is not a documentary – they had to exaggerate some of the truth! The band’s greatest song, Bohemian Rhapsody, must have seemed like a comet from space in 1975. We have not heard anything like it since and it is a song that could only have come from the brain of Freddie Mercury. It is considered one of the finest songs ever recorded and certainly cracks my top-five. I love how it three songs squashed into one and is this quasi-operatic expression. It is one of those songs that should be a benchmark for any ambitious songwriter who does not care about limits, being commercial and following the pack.

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

When it was unveiled to the world, it got some average reviews and very little airplay given its six-minute-plus running time. D.J. Kenny Everitt did play it (numerous times) but very few others would touch it! Things have not really changed a lot now and I wonder whether Bohemian Rhapsody would get played on a big station in 2019. Bohemian Rhapsody did go to sell more than a million copies by the end of January 1976 and stayed at the top of the U.K. charts for nine weeks. It was re-released in 1991 following Mercury’s death and it remains one of the best-selling songs ever. Mercury wrote the song at his London home and one can only imagine what was racing through his mind as he started putting it together. Roy Thomas Baker – who co-produced the song alongside Queen – has said how Mercury played the opening ballad section and then, at a point, stopped to say this is where the Opera comes in! Imagine a songwriter doing that today and it would be met with stony faces. It is one of those songs that was in Mercury’s mind and almost complete before he took it to the band. A lot of Queens songs required a lot of studio time and attention but, in terms of effort and studio demands, Bohemian Rhapsody tops them all! Many have debated what the title refers to but there is that combination of a rhapsody and operatic drama combined with the bohemian artist being an individual.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Spotify

It sounds like a contradiction in terms – if that is the right term?! – but there is a lot of speculation as to what was in Mercury’s mind. I cannot recall whether there has been a song since 1975 that has contained so much ambition, different turns and twists and a big plot – many wonder, again, what the song is about and whether Freddie Mercury was borrowing from his own life. Although the song was completed in 1975, Mercury started writing the lyrics in the late-1960s. Lyrics from older songs were snipped and put into Bohemian Rhapsody. When the band started recording at Rockfield Studio 1 in Wales, they could not have imagined what they would produce and how it would be received. There are rumours Mercury had the song completed in his head before entering the studio and, like a conductor, guided the players and knew exactly how it was going to sound. Mercury, Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor sang their vocal parts for ten-twelve hours a day and it shows how intense things were! Can anyone imagine a modern-day band doing that?! Mercury was determined to get the sound he heard in his head so there was a lot of vocal work! He was very much in control because he wanted it to be as magnificent and grand as possible. One imagines there would have been some tense moments in the studio but all the hard work and hours led to one of the greatest songs ever.

Bohemian Rhapsody confused many at the time because it does not have a conventional structure and narrative. The song has no chorus and it was rare to hear a band stray away from love to address subjects as dark as murder and nihilism. From the narrator telling his mother than he’d just killed a man – putting a gun against his head – to the biblical guitar solo that would come, Bohemian Rhapsody is this extraordinary masterpiece that one can endlessly pull apart. Maybe Mercury was taking from his own regrets and experiences. Whether he was talking about confusion and changes or merely penning something fictional, the lyrics are certainly different and very interesting. There is the casual disregard for life – Mercury explaining how nothing really matters anymore – and this very open and honest confession. Before you get attached to this ballad and familiar sound, the song goes semi-operatic and there are a series of harmonic changes. Think of how The Beatles pushed the studio with 1967’s A Day in the Life and The Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations was a revelation; Bohemian Rhapsody was unheard of and it must have been an immense task getting it all laid down! Whether you prefer the fatalistic lyrics, the wall of vocals or the wonderful twists throughout, it is hard to beat the head-banging solo. It was immortalised for Wayne’s World and is one of the most distinctive passages in Rock history.

  IN THIS PHOTO: Queen in 1975/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Is it possible to reach that crescendo and release without letting it all go and submitting to the song’s primal and fantastic energy?! In terms of the music and structure, it was hugely progressive and would be imitated by endless Psychedelic-Rock bands. I think Bohemian Rhapsody will never be bettered in terms of its ambition because, now, we want songs to be punchy and many people do not have the patience to sit through a song that is over six minutes in length. Many have studied the lyrics and feel it is Freddie Mercury unveiling childhood fears and harsh memories. Some say the song is straight and direct whereas many others have gone in different directions – will we ever truly know the secrets and truths behind Bohemian Rhapsody?! There are reports Mercury dismissed the song as rhyming nonsense with no personal depth but maybe that was him putting people off of the scent. Musicians, critics and fans heaped praise on Bohemian Rhapsody’s complexities and genius – Brian Wilson was especially blown away and moved. Progressive-Rock definitely had its time and place – before Punk made it unfashionable – and Bohemian Rhapsody must be considered the king of all the genre’s songs. So many other bands laced together strands of songs but nothing touched the majesty and wonder of Bohemian Rhapsody. Maybe Stairway to Heaven from Led Zeppelin – released in 1971 – has that three-part stricture but is nothing like Bohemian Rhapsody.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

It has been out in the world for forty-three-and-a-bit years but there is still that secret regarding the song’s origins. Mercury died in 1991 so we might never learn where Bohemian Rhapsody came from. The story of a guilty man wrestling against his crime and struggling with darkness might sound bleak on paper but is made to sound almost transcendent by Queen. Bohemian Rhapsody appeared on the 1975 album, A Night at the Opera, and it was a definite standout. Whilst nothing matched the heights of Bohemian Rhapsody, it was a productive and epic time for Queen – the album contained Love of My Life and You’re My Best Friend. Many polls have ranked Bohemian Rhapsody among the best songs ever and I cannot argue against that. In 2019, it is still this alien mystery that sounds like nothing else in music. It is the perfect song to disassemble and analyse. Most of the biggest songs ever are fairly straight forward and rely on lyrical power or the vocal performance. Bohemian Rhapsody has all of that but it is its operatic ambitions and sheer scale that surpasses everything else. There have been simpler songs and more accessible; there have been more immediate releases but, in all of music, has there ever been a more fascinating and strange offering than...

BOHEMIAN Rhapsody?!

FEATURE: Immune to the Muse: Why Are Women Not Being Booked as Festival Headliners?

FEATURE:

 

 

Immune to the Muse

IN THIS PHOTO: Solange is headlining Primavera Sound in Barcelona this year but is in a minority - there is still a huge male dominance regarding festival headliners/PHOTO CREDIT: Mikael Jansson

Why Are Women Not Being Booked as Festival Headliners?

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I am confused as to why most of the headliners out there...     

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lana Del Rey (she has been booked as a Lattitude festival headliner but is the only female headliner announced for a major British festival so far this year)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

are male but one might assume it is because a lack of quality. We are seeing the headline acts being named for big festivals and the likes of Isle of Wight and Latitude have already named their big acts. It is shocking to see only one female headliner – Lana Del Rey at Latitude – named. There are Glastonbury headliners to come but I do wonder whether there will be any sense of balance. Even if only one woman was booked for a Glastonbury headline slot, it would still mean a huge gulf and discredit. Look back through the years and I wonder whether there has ever been a time when women have been equal to men. Maybe there have been years where women have had a bigger say but, for 2019, are we really going to believe the imbalance is due to a quality divide?! One cannot even claim the names booked as headliners for this year are hitting their peak and at their most popular. If that were the case then one might assume IDLES and Childish Gambino would take some spotlight. Among the headliners for major British festivals, only The 1975 are really on the rise. George Ezra will headline both Isle of Wight and Latitude but one cannot claim he is reigning in the mainstream and the first choice. There are, among the other headliners, a collection of established acts and past-their-prime artists who are lazy bookings.

 IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES (who would make a more exciting festival headliner than George Ezra and Snow Patrol!)/PHOTO CREDIT: Ebru Yildiz

Let’s make a difference between gender equality and headline acts. Over forty-five festivals have pledged to have an equal split by 2022 but that does not mean that will include headline acts. Even if that pledge did include headline acts, why do we need to wait three more years?! Pitchfork ran a feature last year tracking the changes to festivals in regards gender:

“When we ran the numbers on music festivals last year, the gender disparity was glaring: Only a quarter of artists booked across 23 of the summer’s biggest fests were female or groups with at least one female member. Earlier this year, a group of 45, mostly non-U.S. festivals pledged to book gender-equal lineups by 2022. But where do we stand in 2018, and how much further do music festivals need to go to reach that goal?

But when you break down gender balance by festival, the results are more varied. In 2017, not a single festival reached the 50/50 male/female threshold. In 2018, three make it: FYF, Pitchfork, and Panorama. On the other end of the chart, Firefly, Bottlerock, and Bunbury barely clear the 20-percent mark when it comes to female and mixed-gender acts in 2018, though Bunbury at least doubles its female artist numbers over last year… from one to two.

We also broke down the numbers to see whether particular genres correlate with better gender balance. Of the top five best-represented genres, booking more electronic, hip-hop, and indie artists generally means more female musicians, while more rock- and pop-oriented fests drive more male-heavy lineups...

IMAGE CREDIT: @IsleOfWightFest  

Is there a big difference – in terms of gender balance – between the smaller festivals and the big players that most of us look towards?!

If there’s a common thread between the gender balance and uniqueness data, it’s that smaller festivals tend to do better on both. That dynamic suggests what could be the biggest problem with the modern festival scene: The events that can afford to take the biggest risks—the ones that sell out or come close before their lineups are even announced—often don’t. While some mid-size festivals develop their own unique character, many more emulate the industry leaders or are operated by shared promoters, creating regional mini-Coachellas that carry over or amplify systemic biases. For a brighter festival future—as measured by gender balance, genre diversity, or just plain variety of acts—the deep changes will have to happen from the top down”.

It is good that the pledge has been made but I am miffed as to why it takes three years to do something very easy. You only need to book more women and that can be done in 2019: waiting until 2022 means we have three more years of lop-sided line-ups and a lack of women at the top. There are female headliners are larger festivals but most of the bigger options go with men still.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @anniespratt/Unsplash

Not only is it bad enough to see the men dominate the headline slots but the nature of the music hardly changes – white guys with guitars. If you are going with male artists then why not book more R&B, Rap and Hip-Hop talent?! I understand the likes of Eminem and Stormzy are booked to headline but there is still a dependence on Rock bands and Pop artists. This year has started pretty badly and we all know what split will come: major festivals will have a few women on the bill but lower down whereas female headliners will occur at smaller festivals. It is great the smaller festivals do put women on as headliners but there is still an imbalance there. The only festivals I can see creating gender parity soon are those that are smaller. In fact, Primavera – a pretty big festival in Spain and Portugal – has a few female headliners for this year and they are in the minority. Maybe Coachella 2019 will show fortitude and have more than one female headliner and, when I think about it more, it is British festivals that are culpable. Last year’s Cambridge Folk Fest featured Patti Smith, Rhiannon Giddens and Rosanne Cash to top the bill but, again, it shows the divide out there. Genres like Folk are a lot more aware of gender and ensuring headliners are not all male.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kylie Minogue is playing this year’s Glastonbury but, rather than appearing in the ‘legends’ slot, why was she not considered for the Pyramid Stage?!/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Past the Folk festivals and the smaller alternatives, what hope is there beyond that?! Not only are the majority of festivals booking more men but the vast majority have either all-male or male-dominant headliners. I do not hold much hope Glastonbury will book a female headliners (on the Pyramid Stage as opposed other bigger stages at the festival) for 2019. It is encouraging that Glastonbury have booked Kylie Minogue for the ‘legends’ slot and Janelle Monáe for West Holts - but is that small compensation? What of the biggest stages in Britain and the artists we are selecting?! They are still, and always have been, largely male. Why are festivals, large and new, still dependent on the obvious and unwilling to break from the parable?! Beyoncé, Björk and Lauryn Hill have headlined big festivals before – including Beyoncé’s Coachella-owning set last year – but why do they need to be one-offs?! Why were they not considered this year?! I always argue Beyoncé should headline Glastonbury and it has been a few years since she did. Björk released an album last year and Lauryn Hill has been touring her sole solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. I know these women have been in the industry for a while but they are established, iconic and capable of owning the stage. Why not book Beyoncé for Glastonbury and have Lauryn Hill for Reading and Leeds?  How about the always-popular and evolving Alicia Keys for Glastonbury?! I know she would be awesome and a huge popular choice! Festivals’ sounds are always changing so I see no reason why respected female artists are not headlining.

 IN THIS PHOTO: If you want a legend to headline a major festival than why look any further than Chaka Khan?!/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

One cannot say major festivals have a particular sound and have to cater to a particular audience. Glastonbury has put up Rock, Alternative and Pop headliners for years but, as they have booked Skepta this year, one cannot say they are unevolved. Even if it was pure Rock and Pop, there are women old and new who can come in. Look at the names I have mentioned and couple that with female bands like The Breeders, HAIM and First Aid Kit. Pop artists such as Katy Perry, Lorde and Taylor Swift are ready and the likes of SZA, Cardi B and Kacey Musgraves are riding high. It is clear big festivals are not beholden to new artists so, if you are heading back in time, look at Madonna and PJ Harvey as ideal headliners. Toss in St. Vincent, Tori Amos and Laura Marling and there are some ready-to-go-headliners right there. I can also list Britney Spears, Robyn and Chaka Khan who, between them, could storm any festival they headline. Female-made music is not a genre or narrow thing that is only suitable for particular festivals. People have argued there are female artists in the industry but that is not true. In fact, a large percentage of the critics’ favourite albums from 2018 were made by women and could headline right now – including Anna Calvi and Christine and the Queens. We have established the quality is out there as is the variation. Women WANT to headline so it is not a case of apathy and indifference. Also, as some have claimed, women are not approached and refuse to play.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Big artists like Lady Gaga are being overlooked when it comes to headline slots/PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Granitz/WireImage

One of Glastonbury’s excuse in 2017 – with regards a lack of female headliners – was the fact they made offers but the women were busy. Why would women be busier than the men?! There are countless options so there is never a case when female artists are tied up and unable to make themselves available. If you are linking commercial appeal to headline worthiness than you would see plenty of women eligible. From Pop newcomers like Dua Lipa and Jess Glynne to bigger acts like Courtney Barnett and Florence + the Machine. I was baffled as to why Kylie Minogue missed out on a Pyramid Stage slot because, given her career span, she could make for an epic booking. Other legends like Madonna would be perfect and there are endless combinations when you could book new and established women in any genre and fulfill the fans’ needs. I have been reading feedback regarding festival announcements and there has been a lot of anger regarding the headliners – seen as too dull, samey or irrelevant. Festivals are not only booking mostly men but they are selecting tired and uninspired artist rather than better, fresher options. GRAZIA, writing in 2017, highlighted the statistics and raised theories as to the gender imbalance:

“This summer at V Festival, Pink headlines one stage and Annie Mac the other – and if you brave the Worthy Farm mud, you can catch the likes of Katy Perry, Solange and Lorde somewhere on the Glasto bill. But these women are the minority. Just because Adele and Beyoncé (two of only eight female Glastonbury headliners ever) are on hiatus, is there really no one available to represent female artists? What about Super Bowl- smashing Lady Gaga? Rihanna, who has the third highest number of Top 10 hits of all time? Björk and her four-decade career?

IN THIS PHOTO: How long until Björk gets a headline slot?/PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Walker  

The reasons for male-dominance are many – and continually debated. Structural power in the music industry remains overwhelmingly male, with one survey showing that only 30% of senior executive roles are occupied by women. As the culture of mainstream festivals has become intertwined with lad culture and Topman slogan T-shirts, perhaps promoters, bookers and A&Rs want more of the same.

It is, like so much in the music industry, normalised to see male names appear physically bigger on flyers and social media promos, but there is a more systemic issue at stake. Who makes the decisions about who sells and who doesn’t? Who chooses who gets playlisted on Radio 1? Or has the album of the week? All these contribute to consumers’ access to artists and in turn who makes top billing because of their popularity.

Perhaps the gender split in audiences is at play. Male-dominated ticket-buying has been blamed for male-dominated line-ups but, conversely, seeing more women on-stage might also make for safer spaces for female attendees. Last year, Glastonbury featured its first women-only ‘intersectional, queer, trans and disability-inclusive space’ called The Sisterhood, in an attempt to disrupt the status quo. And sexism is just one issue: more women doesn’t automatically equal more diversity all round. More straight white women at Glastonbury doesn’t mean more female artists of colour next year, but it does present a healthy challenge”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Emily Eavis (one of only a few female bookers/heads of major music festivals)/PHOTO CREDIT: PA/Getty Images

There are female bookers – like Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis – but there is some truth to the theory male bookers go for male artists. There are more women in the world than men and festivals are recruiting more women than ever. One thing that does cloud some festivals is sexual assault and abuse but having more female headliners would not only give them a voice and sense of safety but it would help reverse this male dominance. It is fair to say most of the decision makers – from label bosses and radio heads – are men and there has not been a kick up the arse to make them change their ways. Radio is changing a bit and we are seeing more women, such as Sara Cox and Lauren Laverne, appearing in bigger slots. Look at the total numbers and there are still more radio men than women – more in the breakfast and drivetime positions. Most label bosses and festival heads are men and the male odour continues into publishing, A&R and P.R. labels. I could rattle off the great female artists and bands coming through – including Let’s Eat Grandma, Dream Wife and Stealing Sheep – who have to look at festival bills and see that male rule. How long do they have to wait to get a shout and be higher up?! I do not feel audiences and ticket buyers would rebel and have a temper tantrum if women were booked as headliners.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Foo Fighters (who will headline Reading and Leeds this year)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Too much power lies in male hands and it is not the case they hate female artists and do not want them to play. Look at the big record labels’ websites and you can see a fairly equal split. Most number-one singles are from men but there are a lot of great female artists visible and popular. The only real reason why men are still being booked as headliners is because that’s how things used to be. Change is a big thing but there is a risk bucking trends because, at the end of things, there is that bottom line and profit. What is a female headliner bombs or Foo Fighters are denied the chance to play?! In fact, the more I think about it, the less I understand why women are overlooked in the headline places. We have been promised gender parity in 2022 but, as I said, that does not mean headline acts will be fifty-fifty.  Music festival headliners should be based on a number of things: stage presence, experience; popularity, relevance and energy. Can anyone honestly say there is an absence of women that fulfil that criteria?! I think not. Look at this report from The Independent from late last year and there are ample options:

“The key thing about any festival is that you don’t stand still,” Benn said in February. “You can’t keep drumming up the same acts and expect people to continue to come and see them.”

The delusion in this statement is laughable. Including next year’s headliners, 11 all-male acts have headlined at least twice in the past 20 years: Fall Out Boy, Muse, Kasabian, Kings of Leon, Biffy Clyro, Eminem, Green Day, Guns N Roses, Manic Street Preachers, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Foo Fighters have headlined four times in 16 years...

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Tempest has released two solo studio albums and is a respected poet, writer and playwright/PHOTO CREDIT: Eddie Otchere 

Off the top of my head, headline-worthy female acts that festival organisers could pick from for 2019 include Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, SZA, Florence + the Machine, Lorde, Katy Perry, Patti Smith, Stevie Nicks, Lana Del Rey, Solange, The xx, Lady Gaga, Janelle Monae, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, MIA, Nicki Minaj, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Bjork. The majority of those acts have either recently released or are expected to drop new albums within the next 6-12 months – and will certainly be more timely than Foo Fighters, who released their latest album Concrete and Gold in 2017.

Other female, gender-neutral or female-fronted acts that would be amazing on any number of the other stages are: Little Simz, Flohio, Anteros, Lion, Yonaka, Yaeji, Goat Girl, Sigrid, LAUREL, Kate Tempest, Cupcakke, Ms Banks, Aine Cahill, Alma, Koffee, Jessie Reyez, The Aces, INHEAVEN, Black Honey, Nadia Rose, Ray BLK, Lady Leshurr, Sleater Kinney, Jain, Haim, July Talk, Clean Cut Kid, The Japanese House, Jorja Smith, Maggie Rogers and Anne-Marie”.

Lana Del Rey is already headlining Latitude but I could name ten female artists who can headline festivals this year: Solanhe, Beyoncé; Madonna, Kate Tempest; Florence + the Machine, Lady Gaga; PJ Harvey, Janelle Monáe; Tina Turner and Britney Spears. In there, we have a nice mix of legends and newer acts and I do not see why they are overlooked. I am pretty sure every one of them would be free for a big festival and they are not reserved to the likes of Glastonbury.

 IN THIS IMAGE: PJ Harvey performed on the Other Stage at Glastonbury in 2016 but one feels it is a perfect time for a Pyramid Stage headline slot/IMAGE CREDIT: tomhermans

Isle of Wight has a Rock ethic but we have PJ Harvey and Tina Turner; Latitude could do well with Kate Tempest and Solange whereas Reading and Leeds could have Beyoncé and Florence + the Machine offer something good – Glastonbury could have Lady Gaga headline given the fact she is now an Oscar-nominated actor! There are plenty of excuses but there are no reasons and facts beyond the continued lack of female artists in the headline slots. There are waves of musicians ready to take the reins and they are not being handed them. If festivals are evolving and committed to quality then how can they rationalise booking past-the-sell-by-date bands like Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro and Snow Patrol when there are dozens of better and more interesting female artists who could rule! We should not have to wait until 2022: action needs to be taken right now and festival organisers have to account for their inexplicable reliance on male artists. I hope there is genuine change by 2022 and, if it cannot come sooner, we need to ensure that this pledge of equality and balance...

PHOTO CREDIT: @v_well  

EXTENDS to the headline slots.

FEATURE: The January Playlist: Vol. 4: Everything in Moderation at the Better Oblivion Community Centre

FEATURE:

 

The January Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Florence + the Machine

Vol. 4: Everything in Moderation at the Better Oblivion Community Centre

__________

EVERY week seems to bring…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Vampire Weekend

more and more treats. The start of 2019 was a little slow but now, as we come to the very end of January, there is so much quality and brilliant music coming along. I expected things to heat up in February but we have been lucky to receive so much great music before then. Not only is there a Connor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers project/album, Better Oblivion Community Centre, but we have new material from Florence + the Machine; Dido, Beck; Ward Thomas, Dua Lipa and even Vampire Weekend!

It is an exciting and packed start to the weekend and there are some fantastic tunes to get your teeth into! I am thrilled to hear so much great music arrive and cannot wait to see what we get next week. It seems there is no predicting what will come and how many big artists will release some epic tracks. Make sure you set some time aside and investigate the very best songs from…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dido

A stellar and productive week.

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

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Florence + the Machine – Moderation

Better Oblivion Community Centre – Sleepwalkin’ 

Vampire Weekend – 2021

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelsey Hart/Little Ghost

Kate Nash – Trash

Dido – Give You Up 

The Dandy Warhols – Highlife

Foals – Exits

Weezer – Take on Me

Blaenavon - Catatonic Skinbag

Mercury Rev (ft. Susanne Sundfør) - Tobacco Road

Anteros – Drive On

Ward Thomas – It’s Not Just Me

Hippo Campus – Doubt

IN THIS PHOTO: Julia Michaels

Julia Michaels (ft. Selena Gomez) – Anxiety

Beck – Tarantula (Music Inspired by the Film Roma)

Dua Lipa – Swan Song (From Alita: Battle Angel)

Grace Carter – Heal Me

PHOTO CREDIT: Fernando Oliveira

Bonobo – Ibrik

IN THIS PHOTO: Yungen

Yungen (ft. Dappy) - Comfortable

Cassadee Pope – If My Heart Had a Heart

Band of Skulls – Cool Your Battles

J. Cole – Middle Child

RAT BOY – I WANNA SKATE

PHOTO CREDIT: Richmond Lam

Broken Social Scene – All I Want

Ms Banks – Hood B*tch

Robinson – Karma

PHOTO CREDIT: Bridie Florence

Blood Red Shoes – Bangsar

David Gray – Watching the Waves 

Ashley Tisdale – Love Me & Let Me Go

Jenny Lewis – Red Bull & Hennessy

Loren Gray – Queen

PHOTO CREDIT: Dean Chalkley

Ida Mae – If You Don’t Love Me

Tori Kelly – Change Your Mind

AURORA – Animal

PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Blackham

Alice Pisano – Lost You in the Crowd

TRACK REVIEW: Kahlla - Small

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Kahlla

Small

9.5/10

The track, Small, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/track/63dshJ8uXzZQgq1J3Xob9P?si=yNJk_z1rQzCiJFFcx_WQQA

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

GENRES:

Pop/Alternative

RELEASE DATE:

25th January, 2019

__________

I might go on a bit of a detour...

to start this review – but it will make sense later. I will talk about Kahlla and how her international and varied past have contributed to her sound. I also want to look at how songwriters compose and what inspires their process; how honesty and revelation in song can work so long as there is substance in the song; those who are primed for success years from now – I will end by looking ahead to Kahlla’s future and where she can head. The reason I want to slightly go off the road to start is because I am listening to music right now and there is not too much that is catching my ear. Sure, I like bits and pieces coming out but there is relatively little that remains in my mind and gets under the skin. I have tried explaining this and trying to rationalise why I feel a bit distant from music but I think it is the sheer weight of the industry and how hard it is to stand apart. I am listening to a lot of David Bowie and his work prior to his ‘Berlin Trilogy’ – Station to Station is an album that I love and does not get talked about as much as it should. Bowie was always innovative and looking to take his music in different directions. Even though he was not always perfect when it came to quality, you could never call him boring and he never liked to do the same thing. I look back at the icons and innovators because they have made their mark and should act as a guide to the new generation. I wonder how many modern artists are learning lessons from the legends of old and actually realising why they sustained and continue to be talked about. Whilst it would be unfair to compare Kahlla to David Bowie, I think she (Freya Volk) is someone informed by different cultures, experiences and movements. So many artists simply stick with the same sound or do not really evolve between releases.

She was born in Amsterdam and raised in Germany – she now lives in London. I can hear the internationalism in the music and different parts of her life in every track. Like big artists such as Bowie, you get this sense of different nations and people; a more open mind and artistic soul. Stick with me on this one but I think Bowie succeeded and was so inspired because he travelled and integrated different genres into his core. Too many artists now are stiff and not willing to open their horizons. Not only does Kahlla give us impressions of different landscapes and views but the way she writes about herself and experiences is bold and honest. Kahlla left her rural home at the age of eighteen but I feel that time was instrumental to her. If she started life in the city and did not make a leap then I think her music would sound very different. I think it is the different settings Kahlla has lived in/around that has enforced her ambitions and inspired her sounds. One gets a sense of the vulnerable with Kahlla and she opens her heart to the listeners. Maybe it seems rash and hopeful thinking Kahlla’s boldness and extraordinary music can be linked to the fact she has lived in different nations – I would argue against this. If you are standing in the same spot and only have the same people around you then, unless you are very imaginative, your music will not be that broad. Kahlla has spent time in a rural setting and time in Europe. She now lives in London and a very different environment. I yearn to hear artists that have a constant need to move and grow with every release. Kahlla has a definite core sound but you can tell she is always keen to express different aspects of life and not do what so many do – just talk about love and relationships and nothing else. Her current song is about a relationship but, as you will see, it takes a different angle and is very personal to her.

Another reason I have been looking back at the legendary artists is because of how they used to write. I might have this romantic impression but it seems, more and more, artists now are relying on technology and are not actually sitting down to write. Many are using apps and recording ideas onto their Smartphones and it is a quick and easy way to compose. I know a few who will literally take pen to paper and others who are influenced by scenes around them – they photograph what they see and that translates to songs. Look at Kahlla and, in many ways, she has that romance and tradition of the older songwriter. I get the impression of the classic artists scribbling notes and projecting this very idyllic and peaceful scene. Maybe I am naïve regarding the process but things have definitely changed a lot. So many are hurrying and jotting notes between jobs and not having that much time to sit and write music. The reason Kahlla’s songs sound so complete and evocative is the way she writes and the attention paid. I like the fact there is a mix of the modern and old-fashioned when you look at her. Her music projects the impression of someone who is aware of the demands of the market and what music is popular but look at how she writes. She can be caught wandering the London streets armed with a disposable camera. Not only is it rare to find a shop that still processes photos but how often does one see anyone taking pictures the old way?! It is a charming and authentic aspect to her personality that sets her aside. I am not sure whether Small relied on photos and capturing special scenes but it is clear Kahlla is a step apart. She does not approach songwriting in a very clinical and formulaic way. I think so many songwriters are like that and their music seems to replicate a common pattern or algorithm.

I think many fear they will struggle for success and quick appreciation if they do not follow the pack or write something that is similar to everything else. Kahlla builds collages from pieces of her life and arranges them into the music. These soundscapes and striking pieces are as a result of her taking these photos and freeing her mind. She is very honest and open through her music but she is not a songwriter who simply writes about love and heartache in a very predictable way. One gets a real sense of a unique artist who wants music to be much more immerse and captivating than simply listening and walking away – she wants to bring you into the music and ensure you are walking alongside her. Kahlla was classical trained and spent time in Punk/Rock bands. She digested as many shows as possible and got a really eclectic upbringing. Again, this is similar to a lot of the legendary artists who, naturally, would evolve and shift between albums.

I also want to look at how songwriters compose and what inspires their process; how honesty and revelation in song can work so long as there is substance in the song; those who are primed for success years from now – I will end by looking ahead to Kahlla’s future and where she can head. Maybe my comparisons to Bowie were not rash and there is something in that. In any case, both of them are informed by their past and other nations – both have an attachment and link to Germany – but it is that artistic approach to music that is why I mention Bowie. He almost approached music like a canvas: not beholden to a set formula and style, he was this artist who was keen to stand out and not be easily defined. His various impressions and creations were staggering and, when I look out at the modern landscape, I do wonder whether there is any real sense of preserving that discipline. I am not sure whether Kahlla is inspired by artists like Bowie and Can but you can sense a connection. She has been influenced by years of poetry and a ‘bare-all’ style of lyrics. In many ways, each song is a collection of photos that document a very particular point in life. I love the idea of Kahlla walking around London in all weathers being moved by things around her. Whether a wintery scene or an unusual human; a perfect sunset or a very strange bit of graffiti – it all makes its way onto film and into music. Kahall is very into art and someone who is keen to express in a very evocative and physical way. Like me, she has a few tattoos but, unlike me, she has a real passion for tattoo art. She is a very striking woman in any case – my way of saying she is incredibly beautiful – but one is stunned by her tattoos and the fact that she stands out in a crowd!

One would definitely not forget Kahlla is you saw her and she is fascinated by art and culture. In many cases, she has already conceived artwork and the videos before a song is finished. Again, here is an artist who is much more involved in songwriting and approaches it from a visual and imaginative standpoint. I do think a lot of modern songwriting is quite procedural and predictable and there are very few that view music as art. When she talks about love, that is not to say Kahlla is abstract and detached. Instead of being very stark and colouring by numbers, Kahlla talks about heartache and being overlooked in a way that mixes emotionally honesty with something quite colourful and artistic. In ways, she is similar to female trailblazers like Lapsley and Phoebe Bridgers. One definitely can hear similar melodic sensibilities and a fresh, exciting approach to songwriting. What one gets with Kahlla is a definite personality. That might sound strange but she pops and resonates. Too many artists are unattractive on the page and you are not compelled by their past. Kahlla is a fascinating songwriter and someone whose creative process and imagination draw you in and keep you hooked. I am not always a fan of artists talking about love because, a lot of the time, there are clichés everywhere! I do not mind hearing about heartache and doubts so long as there is something different to be found. I have heard too many wracked and over-emotive songs that drain the energy and leave you cold. Kahlla is the same as us and goes through hard times and has to fight against doubters. Instead of being defeated and deflated, she has this strength that resounds and sparks. She is confident in her own skin and knows how strong she is. Small is about someone close who doubts her strength – whether a family member or her boyfriend – but Kahlla knows not to take the words too seriously and believe what that person thinks.

We can be made to feel inadequate and small. Whether it is someone we do not know well or a family member, it is hard to take in and can dent the spirit. Rather than believe that and let it get to you, that determination and fortitude is important. Kahlla uses this truth and direction to create inspiring songs and provide something genuinely uplifting. One gets the drum machine-led groove and soundscapes that bring in her Classical music background. It is the way she marries these rather different sounds together and comes up with something natural and unexpected – a songwriter who is taking risks and seeing them pay off. In many ways, Kahlla is the artist we need in music right now: a brave, innovative and fascinating character who will inspire many. Whether Freya Volk’s alter ego is an exaggerated sense of who she is – like Bowie and his Aladdin Sane – then I am not sure. What we do know is that Kahlla is truthful and, when it comes to matters of the heart, we are hearing Freya Volk write without disguise. Artists who obfuscate and blur their own reality behind metaphors and lies will never resonate like those who are very open and true. Kahlla might be a creation and invention but what we hear and experience comes from the woman behind her – with no sense of fantasy and lies. This is important because I find it hard to bond with many modern artists. I want to feel connected and as though I am listening to words that explain who they are and what drives them. Kahlla, on Small, battles against doubt and those who want to put her down. It will be interesting, when I get to the song, seeing whether the perspective is from a lover or someone in her family. It is a great inspiration for a song and something we can all relate to. Let me get to the song now and not leave you waiting too long.

I wonder whether there will be a video for Small because I can imagine a very vivid and memorable outlook. I would love to see what Kahlla comes up with because, as the song opens, I already started to picture scenes and the storyline – as Kahlla often envisages videos when writing songs, I am sure she has something in mind. There is almost something Jazz-like and classic about the opening of Small. Too images come to mind when hearing the opening lines. For one, I imagine the heroine in a club in the 1950s playing to this smoky room. There are no other sounds and she is under this spotlight and closing her eyes – letting her soul out and lost in the moment. The other vision I had was of Kahlla in her room with the rain beating down. She is alone but thinking about harsh conversations and troubled times. I do not know whether the song relates to a previous lover or her current boyfriend – if, indeed, she is seeing someone – but I got the view a sweetheart was in her mind. Maybe that is rash but the opening lines find the heroine wondering if she needs approval and support. Kahlla feels like they are not on her side and she really wants to be who she is – it is hard at the moment and she wonders why she cannot toughen up. Strength is not something Kahlla is lacking and I think she has plenty of guts and strength. What is most impressive about the song is how sparse the composition is. Kahlla’s voice is allowed to reign and there are a few piano notes in the background. The voice is very much at the top of the mix and it is smoky and dreamy. One can imagine Kahlla very close to the microphone and with her eyes closed – in a very intimate setting with some low lighting. The vocals soon layer and we get this sort of mix of direct and disembodied.

I like the fact the transition is quite gradual and we are not overwhelmed with sound and rush. Beauty and tenderness are present but you can feel the hurt come out. Again, I was thinking of a relationship but the words might relate to family and friends. It is hard not to think of Kahlla and her boyfriend on different pages and separating. Maybe it is an older relationship but the words sound fresh and urgent. It is clear, whoever inspired the song...they do not have faith and are not providing that support. The heroine is left to wonder whether she should go her own way and trust what is being said. She is being made to feel small and bad and this is getting to her. Kahlla knows she is strong and worth more and I do wonder how the situation came to be. Maybe there is a natural breakdown and disconnect and one is left to wonder. I feel like the other party has not been committed and is taking Kahlla for granted (I should say Freya). The heroine has been stung too often and made to feel like she does not matter. Instead of striking back against them, Kahlla has that self-belief and knows she is worth a lot. The earlier piano notes are replaced by fresh beats that click and patter with immediacy. Kahlla also does not keep the vocal projection static and, instead, moves and twists. At one point, there is this syncopated rap that is unexpected but seems to give the words even more weigh and reality. At another moment there is an almost seductive delivery and the fact we get this mixture and change keeps the song mobile and original. I hear a lot of artists who do not consider pacing and delivery but Kahlla ensures Small is always moving and never gets predictable. She is questioning her mind and wondering whether she should place any trust in her once-treasured support. It is hard to break away from someone you love and trusted but it would be foolhardy to bury anger and stay with someone who does not respect you.

When Kahlla is at her most seductive, beautiful and evocative – the vocals layer and the words rise to the heavens – I think about the cover art for Small. The image is of a small watering can and a cactus. I think of this dry and desert-based soul who used to rely on this nourishing water and substance but does not have that anymore. Maybe she needs that watering or feels like she is deserted. Maybe the sweetheart is this prickly plant and she is the life-giving force. Maybe I am over-interpreting but I feel like there is a connection between the visual image on the Small cover and what the song is trying to say. Even though she is letting her heart beat strong and asking hard questions, the vocal is light and beautiful and one gets a real rush and physicality. I do love how there is that balance of raw and hard-hitting lyrics and a composition/vocal that is soulful, rushing and explosive. Kahlla feels small in her shoes and she knows she is worth more than that. The heroine is asking questions and searching her mind but you sort of hope she will move on and not made to feel inferior. Perhaps there are issues that can be resolved but I think, when you are at the stage when you are being belittled, it is tough to come back. Maybe, again, I am thinking too much of love (rather than family) but what is left when you take away that trust? There is a physical connection and passion but the core of a relationship is trust and respect – it seems like this has been taken away. If we are looking at family and friends then that bond is important and you cannot break it. Instead, there needs to be some harsh words from Kahlla – informing them that she is not to be taken for granted and made to feel small. By the end of the track, you hope Kahlla is okay and she has been able to find some peace. One knows she will be okay but it is quite sad to realise she has been put in this situation and made to feel like this. Let’s hope whoever has committed this sin has either been spoken to or removed from her life!

I have covered Kahlla quite extensively and the woman behind her, Freya Volk. I will write a bit more because I think there is a bright future for her – and I forgot to mention something at the top. In many ways, Kahlla is this almost-flawless person. You have this very confident and stunning woman whose beauty and grace and matched with a strength and sense of rebelliousness. Her love of tattoos and artwork goes beyond her body and soul – one can feel images and art flowing through her songs. Kahlla’s music is accessible and original at the same time. You can bond easily with her but never feel like we have heard it all before. The way she mixes more Classical edges with Rock and Pop elements is fantastic. It is still early days for her but all the signs are very positive. I wanted to mention her voice and how that makes me feel. Maybe this is me getting a little gooey-eyed and smitten but it is another aspect that buckles the knees and gets into the heart. I am discovering a lot of great Pop around but the vocals seem somewhat distant or routine. I want more explosion or passion; I need that delicacy and tenderness when required. So many artists have a narrow emotional palette and their performances can come off as colour-by-numbers and flavourless. On Small, you get all these different shades and emotions and there is so much beauty to be found. Not only that but one is instantly bonded to Kahlla because there is this rawness and strength that inspires. She packs so much into the performance and, together with the excellent composition; it means you’ll come back a few times just in case you missed something! This is rare to find and another reason I believe Kahlla will go on to have a bountiful and bright career. So, then...what comes next for her and what does the rest of 2019 hold in store for the multi-talented songwriter?

I do feel like there will be tour demands and more material. She released Come with Me last year and that gained a lot of positive reviews and respect. I am seeing people react to Small and, again, the song has gone down a storm. It is not a shock to discover this but it makes me wonder what happens next. I think there is a definite E.P. inside her and, maybe in the summer, Kahlla will look to unite some of her songs into a collection. People will want her to tour and there will be plenty of demand in London. I am not sure whether she will be based here long-term – let’s hope so! – but it seems like she is happy and secure right now. There are fantastic venues around and plenty of chances for Kahlla to get onto the stage and wow the crowds. I think there will be chances for her to play through Europe and perhaps Germany will be part of that plan. It will be a busy year for Kahlla and I would not rule out some festival dates and bigger gigs. It might sound premature but there are very few artists like Kahlla. I will wrap things up in a minute but I would urge people to listen to her music and go see her live when you can. Keep a track of her social media pages because she keeps them updates. There are very few who have that combination of informative and full social media pages – with a biography and links – and some excellent photos. I am always banging on about photos and how few artists have decent ones but Kahlla, as an artist and someone visually-minded, was not going to fail. All of these elements make her much more attractive and appealing. If you get that visual aspect and know a bit about her then it adds to the music and makes for a more direct and realistic artist. If we have to have to fill in too many gaps then it gets frustrating and we move on to someone else. There is no fear here as we have this very talented and ambitious artist who has a long future ahead. Small is another fantastic bouquet from Kahlla and I feel, as 2019 progresses, we will see a lot more wonderful work and fantastic revelations from this...

INCREDIBLE artist.

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Follow Kahlla

Official:

https://www.kahllamusic.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/kahllamusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/kahllamusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Ivh6miV0b6eX4n3OsuJPH?si=FPCxYGOvTaq6C6JlT5nIAw

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/kahllamusic/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCElTIV8PbRuFAf-huxwB3mA

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/kahllamusic

PHOTOS:

Ben Mcconnahie (@half.crescent)                

INTERVIEW: Katy Tiz

INTERVIEW:

Katy Tiz

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MY final interview of this week is with Katy Tiz...

who has been talking about her latest, single, Life (ft. Ed Drewett). I ask what is coming up next and why the British songwriter located to America; how she views 2018 the sort of music she grew up around.

Tiz recommends a new artist to look out for and tells me the albums that mean the most to her; whether there are going to be tour dates coming and which artist she’d support on the road if possible – she selects a recent track to end the interview with.

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

Really great! I’m currently in London and it’s getting a bit cold so I look like penguin at wrapper up walking the streets.

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

Hi! I’m Katy Tiz. I’m a singer songwriter and a part-time grilled cheese chef.

Life is your latest track. Is there a personal story behind it?

There is. This song has been in my life for over four years. I’ve always believed in it and it’s actually the first song that I’ve released that involved my bros (red triangle pro), so it’s a big tick in the box for me! 

I love the video’s concept/look. Did you have a lot of input regarding its direction?

Thank you! I had this concept in my head because I wanted it to be P.O.V. The only part of Life Ed and I sing to each other is the last chorus so I wanted it to tell my side of the story from his eyes. I worked with Jasper Soloff, who is just a dream. We chatted it through and he really supported what I wanted and made it come to life. We shot on 16 mm film. It was amazing!

Might we see more material coming this year? What are you working on?

Yes, you shall! I was in the studio last week. I’m feeling really inspired at the moment. It’s something I can’t force so I’m loving it.

2018 must have been a pretty busy year. Do you think you learned anything about yourself as an artist during 2018?

Yes, absolutely. I learned to stop second guessing myself. I’ve also learned how important it is to continue driving forward.

Give me a sense of the music you grew up around and when it came into your life.

Well. I used to sit in my room for hours and listen to India Arie and Alicia Keys. Believe it or not, I was really shy. I just loved listening to music and daydreaming but I wouldn’t step out of my room and sing. EVER.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Knott

You are British but live in America. What was the reason for relocating and what is the music scene like where you are now?!

I’m all over the place now - and I love it because I get to work with people based all over. I really love their influence when we are in the studio. Every city brings something completely different and it keeps me on my feet. 

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

The very first phone call I got from America for my first record deal. I remember calling my brother in absolute disbelief. We were both so confused and stunned. He told me to go out, turn my phone off and have the best night of my life just in case it wasn’t real. And it was the BEST night of my life.

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

Alicia Keys - Songs in A Minor

Because she just open my eyes to music and singing.

Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Because it reminds me of an amazing time in my life and becoming a proper adult.

And Spice Girls – because I am British and they are royalty. 

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

That’s a hard one...

I’m gonna go with P!nk. She’s incredible. And my rider would consist of my actual body weight in fries. (They don’t actually have to be hot because I love cold fries).

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Take a moment when you need it to remember why you do what you do and who you are. Listening to your own music, even the really rubbish stuff. Be your own biggest critic and biggest fan.

Might we see some solo dates a bit later this year?

Yes. I hope so! 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Reyn Hartley

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Reyn Hartley. He has a song out called Snitch and it’s sick. I listen to it in the gym and walk around like I think I’m a gangster. I can’t wait to hear more music from him.

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

I love driving - it really helps me unwind. I know that is weird but I love it. I used to drive for hours and hours at night. But now I don’t have a car. 

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).

 Ok. Battle by David Guetta (my bros wrote it!)

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Follow Katy Tiz

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/KatyTiz

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/KatyTizMusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2E19mfEFhCr6UgZUYJGOEW?si=Rpj-ri3cThCRhMx9I48u5Q

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/katytiz/

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS IMAGE: The Coathangers 

An All-Female, Winter-Ready Playlist (Vol. VI)

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THE weather is not too bad today...

PHOTO CREDIT: Amun/PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Almeida

but it has been pretty shocking the past week or so! I am glad there is some respite from the cold and wet - but you know it will be back soon. To make sure we keep spirits high and do not drop into a slump; here is an assortment of new cuts from some of the finest female voices around. It is another packed and varied selection of songs that gets into the brain and makes the heart skip. It is clear female-led music is among the strongest out there and here is the proof! If you need something to keep the blood warm and the head swimming; have a listen to these songs and let them do their work. Maybe the cold weather will be back very soon but, with these tracks nearby, you are guaranteed a...

 IN THIS PHOTO: MAHLLA/PHOTO CREDIT: Ben Mcconnachie

WARM and nourishing blast of sound!  

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

____________

 PHOTO CREDIT: Luis Kramer

The Coathangers – Bimbo

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

Daisy the Great – Woods

PHOTO CREDIT: EmoRafsan Shakill

Vicky Emerson – Steady Heart

Amun (ft. Skrapz) – So Cold

Fiona Harte – Storms

PHOTO CREDIT: Marieke Macklon Photography   

RIDER – Tell Nobody

Tilly Valentine – Brick by Brick

Birch – Spelling Lessons

girl in red – watch you sleep.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ben Mcconnachie

KAHLLA – Small

Jenny Lewis – Red Bull & Hennessy

Rosie Carney – Awake Me

Molly Rainford – Commitment

Malory – Blue Umbrella

AURORA - Animal

Summer Walker – Settling

Kassi Ashton – Violins

BABii – SEiiZURE

PHOTO CREDIT: Gavin Smith

Lizzy Farrall - Barbados

PHOTO CREDIT: Geert Braekers

BRUTUS – War

FLØRE – Heavy Lungs

Lily & Madeleine – Analog Love

Grace Carter – Heal Me

Lil Halima – Hold Me

Rose Elinor Dougall – First Sign

Anteros – Drive On

PHOTO CREDIT: Alexa King

Joy Williams – Front Porch

FEATURE: Headline Blues: What the Hell Has Happened to British Festivals?!

FEATURE:

 

 

Headline Blues

IN THIS PHOTO: Biffy Clyro (who are confirmed to headline Latitude this year)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

What the Hell Has Happened to British Festivals?!

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THAT may seem like a rather general and vague question...   

 IMAGE CREDIT: @OfficialRandL

but my anger and confusion is a response to the festival announcements we are hearing. A little while ago, Reading and Leeds announced their headliners and, upon first inspection, I was shocked. Aside from The 1975 – who are very in and popular right now – the rest of the headline acts are an assortment of past-their-best artists who should not be there. Foo Fighters, Post Malone and Twenty One Pilots is hardly the most exciting combination and I wonder why there are four headliners and not three – as the festivals are spread over a three-day weekend. It is a somewhat disappointing and boring headline show and it makes me wonder where the hell the excitement has gone from music! I know there are captivating artists around, many headline-ready, and they are not getting the call. Glastonbury’s first headline act, Stormzy, is more energised and interesting than the Reading and Leeds festivals’ acts and he is a black artist – the lack of diversity across the big festivals is glaring. I am fearful Glastonbury will go the same way as others and book an all-male headline line-up. I am thinking about Glastonbury and it is good they have taken a chance regarding genre and the fact Stormzy has only released one album. If there is a balance and sense of awareness then the headliners might be okay. The thing is, I feel Glastonbury will either book one female headliner or none at all.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Stormzy (the only Glastonbury headliners (Pyramid Stage) confirmed so far/PHOTO CREDIT: Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage

They might have one black artist (so far) but the gender imbalance is alarming. I cannot remember whether Glastonbury has ever booked more than one female headliner in a year and, in the last five years, it has been male-dominated! There are a lot of interesting announcements to come but Reading and Leeds sort of cemented the trait we are seeing: booking bloke with guitars and keeping it very white and male. Guitar music is great but it is in a strange and poor place right now. Other genres and sounds are more popular and the fact so many mores established acts are getting headline slots makes me wonder whether any rising artists will ever get a look in. Do we need to see Foo Fighters headline again?! They cannot bring anything new to the party and have been around since the 1990s. Post Malone and Twenty One Pilots are so unexciting and bland you wonder how many other artists were on the list when the headliners were considered! Two more festivals announced their headliners recently and it is another predictable look. The headliners, no shocks, are all bloke with guitars and they are all white. It is another case of a festival bill being filled with white artists and there is such a lack of diversity! There are some women on the Isle of Wight bill – including a headline-worthy Lily Allen – but the top-three are George Ezra, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Biffy Clyro!

 IN THIS PHOTO: George Ezra is headlining Latitude and the Isle of Wight Festival this year/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

You look at those names and wonder what is new and exciting. I know Noel Gallagher has a huge fanbase and appeals to a wide demographic but there is far less demand for his music than the Oasis heyday. He is a great live performer but he seems like that very obvious/easy headliner that can provide a few thrills but very few memories. Are we going to see Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in June and come away with so many highlights and fond memories?! I do not think so. George Ezra is a popular modern artists but he is not exactly thrilling! I listen to his music and, whilst competent, it makes me very sleepy and he does not have ‘headliner’ written all over him. What demographic are Isle for Wight going for?! If Noel Gallagher is bringing in the middle-aged men then George Ezra is attracting the younger females – it is a case of trying to cover all bases without thinking of true quality and diversity. You’d hope a festival as big and prestigious as Isle of Wight would book female headliners but, alas, no! They have newcomers like Sigrid, DMA’s and Jess Glynne on their bill but there are plenty of other artists, as exciting, who could fill a headline slot. Not only is it confusing wondering who Isle of Wight are pitching to but you look at the headliners and sort of sigh.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Solange is one of the headline acts for Primavera this year/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The artists included that really annoyed me is Biffy Clyro. Like Readings and Leeds’ booking of Foo Fighters, they have gone with an established and long-serving band that have not had a big album out for years. Ellipsis, released in 2016, gained a few good reviews but did not get a lot of focus. The band have been putting out albums since 2002’s Blackened Sky but have long past their peak. Not only do festivals need to reflect what is coming through and artists who are reaching their peak but, yes, there needs to be some older acts. The mores established acts who have been around a while and already performed at festivals for years...surely they should go lower down the bill?! I look at Isle of Wight and there is nothing that would interest me in the slightest. That sentiment has been echoed on social media and it is a rather dour affair. Think, again, about the fact there are white blokes with guitars there. The same could be said, largely, for Reading and Leeds and does it fall to Glastonbury solely to rescue the big festivals?! I am aware there are smaller British festivals and European ones that are more gender-aware and booking black artists. Look at the line-up for Primavera (held in Spain and Portugal) and they have the idea! They have Solange and Erykah Badu as headliners and, yes, both women and black. There is no need to fill quotas in any case: both of these women are huge artists at different stages of their careers.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Janelle Monáe (who is confirmed to play Glastonbury’s West Holts - but one feels she is ready for a headline slot on the Pyramid Stage)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

One might argue Solange is not quite ready for headline status but she has quickly established herself as a hugely popular artist. Cardi B and Janelle Monáe are also headlining and, among their nine headliners, FIVE are women. The genre breakdown is interesting because it is less reliant on guitars and bands and focuses on genres like R&B, Soul and Pop. Look at the fact there are five black artists in the line-up and you have one of the first truly equal and progressive line-ups. I am hearing of other small festivals showing similar spirit and intelligence but, sadly, it is down to Europe to show Britain how to do it. They have shown you can book headliners and make sure there is gender and racial equality and, yes, some really exciting artists! More and more, British festivals are becoming so dull and not showing any bravery. We have many festivals in this country and I am aware the smaller ones will book female headliners and show a more exciting, diverse line-up. It is the big festivals like Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and Isle of Wight that are leading the way and should be setting an example. It seems, this soon, Europe is ahead of us – are we sure we want to leave the E.U.?! The reason Primavera appeals to me is because they have managed to create equality but are focusing on quality.

 IN THIS PHOTO: St. Vincent - surely she is ready for headline duties?!/PHOTO CREDIT: Nedda Afsari

I have argued Beyoncé should headline British festivals – more on her later – but her sister, Solange, is as alluring, intoxicating and talented. She proved herself with the album, A Seat at the Table, and I know she will put on a storming set. Tame Impala is in the mix and he is a fantastic addition. It is a great line-up already and one that is not being mirrored over here. Another festival that announced its headliners is Latitude. It is a big festival and one that has grown from boutique status to become one of the most in-demand on the calendar. I thought, when they announced their line-up, we’d see a change and difference. I’ll give it to them, they have booked one female headliner: Lana Del Rey is long-over that exposure and is a sound booking. The other two headliners, alas, besmirch that rather bold step. Again, George Ezra is headlining. It is fine to headline one festival (I guess) but TWO?! Is there such a massive fanbase that we need him at two – so those who cannot get to the Isle of Wight can get to Suffolk?! I wonder why Latitude missed a chance and became the first major British festival to book more than one female headliner. Look at the other headliner, Snow Patrol, and there is this echoing of Isle of Wight. In fact, there seems to be this template forming that dictates British festivals.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Snow Patrol (who are one of Latitude’s headline acts for 2019)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Snow Patrol are a band that divide opinion – I cannot stand them – but have not been popular and huge for many years. Their current album, 2018’s Wilderness, had some okay moments but hardly got sweeping positivity. They have been going since the 1990s and they have already enjoyed headline slots. It is a rather strange move to book a band that are not exactly trending and being talked about and book them as a headliner. Combine George Ezra with Snow Patrol and you have enough drowsiness in there to put down a cocaine-fuelled maniac! That may sound cold but the artists have a distinct sound that is not what you would label as exciting or universal. They have a particular set of fans but will struggle to bring in any new festival-goers. I love Lana Del Rey and feel she will bring more spark and drama but, again, her music has a dreamier and soothing edge. You have, in effect, three headliners at a summer festival that are very similar. What happened to the festivals where we had decent bands who could whip up a storm?! Maybe there was gender and racial imbalance then but you could not say our festivals lacked excitement! Whilst Latitude have female artists lower down the list – including Julia Jacklin and Nadine Shah – it is a case of the lower-downs being more compelling than the headliners!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lana Del Rey (who is a rare female headliner (Latitude) this year)/PHOTO CREDIT: Samir Hussein/Getty Images

Why could Nadine Shah not headline?! She is brilliant and much more compelling then George Ezra and Snow Patrol! Freya Ridings is an addition that represents the new breed of Pop but, in actuality, there are countless artists who could make the Latitude line-up more balanced and exciting. They are announcing more artists soon but, once more, it is a case of blokes – minus Lana Del Rey – with guitars at the top and a lack of female and black faces on the rest of the billing. In the space of only four festivals, we have shown less diversity and excitement than one in Europe! I know Glastonbury have two more headliners to announce but I know the way things will play out. There is so much talk of artists like Sir Paul McCartney and The Cure headlining that it will mean another male-heavy year. I know those icons will certainly add plenty of fun and fascination but we are going to see another imbalanced headline line-up. I know there have been rumours Madonna could play but I think that booking is unlikely. Glastonbury have at least one black artist confirmed as a headliner but will we see another? Janelle Monáe is already confirmed for Glastonbury but not as a headliner on the Pyramid Stage. I think that is a mistake and wonder why she was not booked as a headliner?! She could bring an awesome show and it is a case of Glastonbury recognising artists who are popular but not understanding the fact they are strong enough to headline.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé absolutely stormed her headline show at 2018’s Coachella/PHOTO CREDIT: GQ

I know at least one of the other two headline slots will go to a man and I think we will only see one black artists headline. If there was one female artist headlining you could say there is equality in terms of race and gender but there isn’t. There is so much talk and discussion regarding gender inequality at festivals and, with an opportunity in front of them, British festivals are not taking a chance to act. Dozens of festivals have pledged to make their line-ups gender-equal but that promise means we have to wait until 2022! Why does it take THAT long to do something simple like changing your practices?! It is staggering to think this is almost like a punishment and they will leave it until the last moments. Primavera is setting an example and showing how you can book fascinating artists and make sure there is equality in terms of sound, race and gender! It is no shock to see Britain lagging because we always assume we are right and seldom are. Our smarter cousins in Europe are embarrassing us and I suspect America will follow suit – their bigger festivals have always shown more equality. One can argue back the fact last year’s Coachella had two male headliners. Beyoncé headlines but she was sandwiched between The Weeknd on the Friday and Eminem on the Sunday. It is true there is gender inequality but there are two black artists headlining and, again, exciting sounds…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Cure (who are one of the hot favourites to take one of the last of the remaining two Glastonbury headline slots)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Eminem produced an electric and incendiary set whilst The Weeknd provided a terrific set. Beyoncé, mind, showed why the 2022 pledge regarding gender is insane. She absolutely stormed the Saturday and produced one of the finest headline sets in the festival’s history! I know it might be expensive to book her but why was she not first on the list for British festivals this year?! Coachella is a huge festival and I am looking at confirmed artists for this year and there is a pleasing balance regarding genres, gender and race. I am not sure who will be headlining yet but I am confident it will be similar to last year in terms of the captivation quality. You go to festivals and want those big and exciting acts. Coachella is leaving the likes of Reading and Leeds in the dust! Look underneath the 2018 Coachella headliners and there are artists who could graduate to the headline slots. Cardi B and HAIM missed out last year but would you bet against them?! One artist who was at Coachella last year and, I feel, should be headlining festivals here is St. Vincent. She is strong enough to command the biggest stages in the world and I am curious why she has been overlooked. Why are major British festivals willing to book great artists lower down the bill but have such boring and blokey headliners?! Headliners should be the main draw and the reason many of us go to festivals.

 IN THIS PHOTO: One of Reading and Leeds’ headliners this year, Twenty One Pilots/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Sadly, we have a lot of interesting music that is not on the headline stage and the main events are rather lacklustre. I am getting sick of Britain being behind the rest of the world when it comes to equality and what you want from headline acts: plenty of memories and fun. Think about Beyoncé’s Coachella hurricane last year and she was more impressive than every headliner booked for the major festivals in this country in 2019! I look back at past years and, sure, there have always been issues regarding gender and race but, man alive, there was quality and excitement! From the Britpop and Grunge theatrics to the best Glastonbury has offered us...what has happened to British festivals?! I understand festivals are more than the headliners and there is plenty of quality when you look at the bills. The headliners should, you think, be about the best and most interest acts but that is not the case at all. Not only does true gender equality need to happen quicker than 2022 but bookers need to think about the sounds and type of artists they are booking as headliners. Right now, the summer’s headliners are not exactly turning heads and there is that mix of has been bands and lots of blokes with guitars. In years to come, people will look back and wonder what represented music in 2019. Look even further and we can be proud - but is this really what British festivals are about now?! I do hope Glastonbury pulls something epic out of the hat regarding their remaining two headliners because, as it stands, British headliners are...

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

A rather boring and predictable headache.  

INTERVIEW: Jolé

INTERVIEW:

Jolé

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IT has been great learning more about Jolé...

and his incredible world. He has been discussing his latest single, Seldom Seen, and revealing its inspiration. I was eager to learn when music arrived in his life and whether there are particular records that have informed him and inspired what he does – he recommends some approaching artists to follow.

I ask whether there are tour dates and, if he could support anyone on the road, who that would be; whether he has a favourite memory from his career so far and how he chills away from music – he chooses a great, if underappreciated, song to end the interview with.

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

Hey! I’m good, thanks. My week has been great. It snowed, so that was fun!

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

Sure. My name is Josh and I go by ‘Jolé’, which was a nickname at school…I write lo-fi- Pop with Folky elements.

Seldom Seen is your new track. Is there a story behind it?

I wrote this song at a time when I was trying to hold down about four jobs and do music. It’s a song about trying to escape the troubles of everyday life and when you just don’t want to be seen. Cheerful!

Are you planning on more material for later in the year?

Yes. Definitely. I believe this year will be a busy one!

2018 has ended and I wonder how you view the year that has just gone. Do you think you grew as an artist throughout?

2018 was a really great year for me. Although I didn’t release any music as Jolé, I was constantly writing and also working behind the scenes to build up the team that I work with now. I am super-lucky to have had the opportunities given to me in 2018 which set me up for 2019. I definitely grew as a songwriter and artist; I have been learning a lot! 

You have spent a few years with various bands but are now solo. What do you think you have learned from the time in those bands?

How to cope with touring...

I haven’t done it for a while but we were pretty much constantly on the road for five years. It was great fun with my best mates but it definitely takes its toll! I feel a lot more prepared for it now.

Give me a sense of the music you grew up around and when it came into your life…

My first experience of music would have to be Van Morrison. Apparently my mum and dad used to play his music when my mum was pregnant with me. They would play him and The Beach Boys when I was quite young. When I was a bit older, I remember going through their record collection and really taking a liking to Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band. I used to listen to the seven-inch on-repeat. The first album that really grabbed me was Parachutes by Coldplay. I remember hearing it for the first time at my cousin’s house and falling in love with it.

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

I went to Budapest over summer to play a couple of shows which was pretty ace!

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

Coldplay - Parachutes

(For the reasons I mentioned earlier).

Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell

This is one of the most heartbreaking, beautiful albums I have heard. I saw it live and it was the best.

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

I love the sounds on this album and my first show I went to was Brian Wilson playing it in full!

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

I would love to support Beck! My rider would be just be stacks and stacks of flapjack and sweet (I have a sweet tooth), Mezcal and fresh lime.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be nice to everyone. It’s a small world.

Do you think there are going to any tour dates coming up?

Yes. Definitely. Should be releasing some soon!

Is the stage somewhere you love to be?

90% of the time, yes!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Matt DiMona

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Really enjoying a guy called Matt DiMona at the moment. Harvey Causon is wicked; King Princess is awesome too!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Harvey Causon

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

Not really! I love my job so it’s hard to switch off but I love to listen to podcasts and read too. That’s probably how I tend to relax.

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 say….Ed Prosek – I Was Wrong. I’ve been listening to that a lot recently

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Follow Jolé

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Jolemusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thisisJole/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/293DzAwiQQs4mkeOzQ6lOu

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jolemusic/

 PHOTOS:

Doug Elliot