INTERVIEW: For Esme

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Vanessa Heins

For Esme

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IT is good to catch up…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Laura-Lynn Petrick

with For Esme’s lead Mar Meredith and see what is cooking right now. She talks to me about the brilliant track, Modern Love, and filming its incredible video; what comes next and when music came into her life – she recommends a rising artist we should get behind and investigate.

I discover whether there are tour dates coming up and which three albums are most important to the band’s lead; whether she gets much time to chill and, given the chance, which artist she would support on tour – she ends the interview by selecting a great song.

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Hi, For Esme. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello, Sam! My week has been great, though quite hectic. I’m battling the fall cold that many people seem to have in Toronto right now and it’s been wearing me down.

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

Sure. I’m Mar Meredith and I’m the frontwoman/creative director of For Esmé, which I am currently performing with four wonderful humans: Charles Tilden, Karrie Douglas; Lewis Parker and Liam Cole. For Esmé is an unabashedly feminist exploration of self-love and the courage of conviction in uncertain times. 

Modern Love is your latest single. What is the story behind the song?

The song emerged when I got engaged to my now-husband and I was uncomfortable with the reaction that I felt I was getting for that - as if I had accomplished the ultimate goal that a woman can, in securing a husband. I was frustrated by it but also interested in interrogating my frustration. When I did so, I had to face the uncomfortable truth that my younger self often HAD defined herself somewhat by her relationships to and ability to attract men. I felt a surge of gratitude for having outgrown that and seeing myself as complete, independent of anyone else. 

I believe Joan Didion’s 1961 essay, On Self Respect, played a role. When did you come across that work and how does it feed into the song?

I seem to remember first reading it in the first apartment I ever had to myself. I remember scrawling “Character - the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life - is the source from which self-respect springs” on a Post-it note and sticking it right on the front face of my desktop. It stayed there for years until I switched over to a laptop full-time. It felt really important to remember that.

I revisited the essay when I was writing this record and found even more to love in it than I had any of the times I’d read it before. The essay always helps me get back on track with listening to myself and I wanted to create my own piece of art that would work in the same way, perhaps more accessibly.

The video is really imaginative and memorable! Was it a great video to work on?!

Thank you! It was a real pleasure to work on. Director Nick Tiringer approached me wanting to make a video for this song and, when he pitched this concept, it was PERFECT. I had always envisioned the song as something you needed to say to yourself in the mirror and I had gone as far as thinking about that viral YouTube girl from a few years ago, Jessica’s Daily Affirmations – so, when Nick came at me with this concept if felt like he’d read my mind! Watching everyone select their different mirror routines and interpret the lyrics individually was really special for me. I love each cast member’s performance so much.

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

I am working on new music (I was really fortunate to get to spend a few weeks of the summer in a cabin in the woods working on new songs) but I have to be honest that I work pretty slowly! I have a lot of songs on the go but I am still sorting out what is going to come next, conceptually. In the meantime, I have some more videos for Righteous Woman in the works that I am excited to share. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Vanessa Heins

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

I’ve always loved music deeply for as long as I can remember. I have a quit vivid memory of being a kid and seeing an a capella choir perform and feeling my arm erupt in goosebumps. That was so powerful - I wanted to be able to create that level of emotional communication myself. I first started writing my own music when I was working at a summer camp in high-school but I was always singing, dancing and performing from as early as I could talk and walk. 

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

I think what I am most excited about are our upcoming tour dates. Every time we perform these songs they develop deeper and different meanings - and it has been really exciting to share that with different audiences over the past four months. So, I hope to unlock a new level of energy and sync for the show. Also, per your earlier question, I’m really keen to get further on my new songs and get them closer to being ready to record.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Laura-Lynn Petrick 

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

Hmm; this is tricky because I’ve had a lot of really special experiences working in music. I think the ultimate euphoria and the one that lasts the longest though is the moment of gratification when writing a song that really feels so right and pours out so quickly. A recent example was in writing For Others. It just poured out of me and I just knew it was right. Honestly; that’s the best feeling in the world.

Another really fulfilling memory was creating our music video for Small Talk because I got to work with a team of people I admire so much - and to work in a medium that is really exciting for me (dance). The final product was something I am so proud of. These aren’t exciting examples, haha, but the highs from playing a big festival or having a great piece of press don’t last as long or mean as much as the more personal milestones. 

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

Ooo; this is hard! I feel like my answer to a question like this differs based on mood and season and moment…but here goes:

Knives Don’t Have Your Back - Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton

This is probably the record that has the longest term and biggest impact on me. It makes me feel so deeply and really takes me to an introspective place. The heartbreaking vulnerability and remarkable honesty in it is really profound. 

Cloak and Cipher - Land of Talk

This was the first L.P. I ever remember buying that I wasn’t already familiar with; when I moved into the first apartment I ever had to myself. It was the soundtrack to a newfound independence and has really stayed with me ever since. I love this band. 

Hounds of Love - Kate Bush

I frickin’ love Kate Bush so much. She’s such a creative songwriter and producer and video-maker: she’s really the full package deal. This record is such an adventure from beginning to end. I spent a lot of this summer staring at big summer skies and sunsets and The Big Sky was always in my head. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) is such an incredible song about empathy. 

 PHOTO CREDIT: @ShootYrShow (Farrel Rafferty) 

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

Another tough one, because so much of the music I love is so different in style than my own! I’d love to tour with Robyn. She’s such a total bad-ass and she writes the best Pop songs that are also so meaningful. Plus…she gets her audience dancing - which is my favourite!

In terms of rider; I’m really not fussy. It would be pretty wonderful to have some single malt though!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Listen to your own intuition more than anyone else’s advice! And, second, working on the craft and the art is way more important than networking and social media no matter who tells you differently. 

PHOTO CREDIT: @ShootYrShow (Farrel Rafferty) 

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

We’re so excited to be hitting a bunch of cities in Ontario and Quebec this month; Guelph, Windsor; Quebec City, Ottawa; Toronto, Peterborough and Kingston. 

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

Yes. We want to do this so much and are working on some relationships that can help make this happen. We’d love to come to you!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jeremy Duthcer

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

A wonderful artist named Jeremy Dutcher just won the Polaris Music Prize here in Canada, which is a pretty prestigious award in Canadian music. He makes the most remarkable and beautiful music combining his Wolastoq First Nation roots with his classical training in Opera. It’s really incredible. 

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

My favourite place to unwind is at my cottage. It’s an island on Georgian Bay with no electricity, only outhouses and very little cell reception. There, I’m able to get in touch with myself in a beautiful way, separate from the pushes and pulls of the city and the Internet. I read, canoe; paint and draw, journal; cook and make whole days revolve around sunsets and adventures in nature - it’s my favourite place on Earth and keeps me sane. 

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).

A song I’ve been loving lately because the lyrics really strike home is Poem by Toronto band U.S. Girls 

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Follow For Esme

PHOTO CREDIT: Vanessa Heins

Official:

http://www.foresmemusic.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/foresmeforever/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/foresmeforever

Facebook:

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyWMDJEKC7w15aY1PI_Qjfw/videos

FEATURE: She Plays the Cello Like a Violin: National Album Day: The Best Debut Albums Ever

FEATURE:

 

 

She Plays the Cello Like a Violin

PHOTO CREDIT: @samueldixon/Unsplash

National Album Day: The Best Debut Albums Ever

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IT is coming up to National Album Day (13th October)…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @lagianolik/Unsplash

and I have seen various radio stations and websites cover the album from different angles. Whether it is the best album opening track or the best record of this year – there is a lot of interest in the album itself and how important it is. I might well cover both of those considerations in future pieces but, to me, when you think of the album and the most interesting topic around it…can you get any more interesting than deciding the best debut album?! Naming the best album full-stop would be exhaustive and contentious but I think it is easy to limit the choice of best debut album down to a select few. In fact, I have assembled fifteen records that, I feel, can be considered the very best opening statements ever. You might have your own interpretation and champion but there seems to be a sense of consensus regarding the assembled list. What makes the ‘best debut album’ is the fact people, when they were released, would have judged them on the strength of the whole rather than the singles – how often do we do that on a regular basis?! These albums are special, not only because they are complete and thrill you from the first to the last, but because it is the first album we heard from those artists – those who made a bold and brilliant push right from the get-go! Have a listen and look through the shortlisted best debut album nominations and see which one you would plump for – maybe you have a different view and think one has been omitted! As we near National Album Day, I excited to pull apart, celebrate and commemorate the album…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@iammrcup

ANY way I can.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

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Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill

Release Date: 15th November, 1986

Producers: Rick Rubin, Beastie Boys

Review:

“There is a sense of genuine discovery, of creating new music, that remains years later, after countless plays, countless misinterpretations, countless rip-off acts, even countless apologies from the Beasties, who seemed guilty by how intoxicating the sound of it is, how it makes beer-soaked hedonism sound like the apogee of human experience. And maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but in either case, Licensed to Ill reigns tall among the greatest records of its time” - AllMusic (2011)

Standout Cut: No Sleep till Brooklyn

Patti Smith – Horses

Release Date: 13th December, 1975

Producer: John Cale

Review:

“Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine." Patti Smith's debut - from that devastating opening line forward - is a unique rock & roll document; its ambitious musical primitivism, anybody-can-do-it-attitude and casual androgyny laid down a blueprint for punk. Twenty-nine years old when the album was released, Smith was a natural, if unlikely, avatar of rock. A published poet and rock critic, she set her beat-tribute "babelogues" to the inspire din of Sixties-style garage rock” - Rolling Stone (1997)

Standout Cut: Gloria (Part I: In Excelsis Deo; Part II: Gloria (Version)

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Release Date: 23rd January, 2006

Producers: Jim Abbiss, Alan Smyth

Review:

“At moments like that, Whatever People Say ... defies you not to join in the general excitement, but it's worth sounding a note of caution. We have been here before, a decade ago: critics and public united behind some cocky, working-class northern lads who seemed to tower effortlessly over their competition. The spectre of Oasis lurks around Arctic Monkeys, proof that even the most promising beginnings can turn into a dreary, reactionary bore. For now, however, they look and sound unstoppable” - The Guardian (2006)

Standout Cut: Fake Tales of San Francisco

a

Jeff Buckley – Grace

Release Date: 23rd August, 1994

Producers: Andy Wallace, Jeff Buckley

Review:

“As the son of Tim Buckley – who also died far too young – Jeff was always going to find it difficult to escape his father’s shadow and establish himself as a singular talent. Grace, though, was a remarkable first step – inconsistent certainly, but blessed with moments of arresting, beguiling beauty. It takes most of its compositional cues from fairly classic rock sources (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd), but Buckley’s vocals – committed, sincere, stop-you-in-your-tracks intense – marked him as an artist to follow intently. What a tragedy that he was never able to develop further the epic potential of this worthy debut” - BBC Music (2011)   

Standout Cut: Hallelujah

The Beatles – Please Please Me

Release Date: 22nd March, 1963

Producer: George Martin

Review:

“This slightly rough and ready debut is as close as we can get to their early live set.The range of their tastes is reflected in their penchant for slightly saccharine ballads, melody already as important to them as the sharp rhythmic groove and tough rock sensibility of the utterly sensational, snotty version of 'Twist And Shout’, which features a fearless lead vocal from Lennon that defined the way British rock singers would approach the mike ever after” - The Telegraph (2009)   

Standout Cut: Twist and Shout

Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction

Release Date: 21st July, 1987 

Producer: Mike Clink

Review:

“It’s a surprising closing sentiment for an album so drenched in fear and loathing. But taken of a piece with the band members’ declarations that despite the hard living they were just five guys out to have a good time, it also shows how Guns N’ Roses’ early outlook was as animated not just by its members’ heady stew of influences. Perhaps all that wanton consumption could lead to a place of contentment that offered more than the comfort offered by the Midwest, more than the neon-lit debauchery of clubs’ back rooms—a wandering through the jungle that would open up into paradise” - Pitchfork (2017)    

Standout Cut: Sweet Child o’ Mine

Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Release Date: 25th August, 1998

Producers: Lauryn Hill (also exec.), Che Guevara and Vada Nobles

Review:

“What’s most remarkable, in retrospect, as the cult of Lauryn Hill grows stronger (sporadic concert appearances becoming the stuff of myth) is how slight some of her songs are on record. For being almost 80 minutes long, Miseducation is a surprisingly easy listen, coasting mostly on Hill’s simple repetition of phrases to emphasize a mood. By album’s end, a cover of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” (with beatboxing) seems obligatory but still a part of what she does best: Like Amy Winehouse, Hill gets at the heart of ’60s soul while slyly turning it into her own postmodern art project. The album’s simple authenticity is one of its strengths, turning backup vocals into rap refrains and stripping bare much of soul music’s bullshit” - SLANT (2015)  

Standout Cut: Doo Wop (That Thing)

Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols

Release Date: 28th October, 1977  

Producers: Chris Thomas, Bill Price

Review:

“In a commercial sense, however, the Sex Pistols will probably destroy no one but themselves, but theirs is a holy or unholy war that isn’t really going to be won or lost by statistics, slick guitar playing or smooth studio work. This band still takes rock & roll personally, as a matter of honor and necessity, and they play with an energy and conviction that is positively transcendent in its madness and fever. Their music isn’t pretty — indeed, it often sounds like two subway trains crashing together under forty feet of mud, victims screaming — but it has an Ahab-versus-Moby Dick power that can shake you like no other music today can. It isn’t particularly accessible either, but, hard to believe and maybe not true, record sales apparently don’t mean much to the Pistols. (They never do when you don’t have any.)” - Rolling Stone (1978)  

Standout Cut: Pretty Vacant

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin

Release Date: 12th January, 1969 

Producer: Jimmy Page

Review:

“Led Zeppelin I is a fantastic glimpse into the time capsule, a standing testament to rock pageantry. If released today, there would still be a place for it in the genre’s decorated history. It set the tone for one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Even if no one knew it yet” - Consequence of Sound (2014)     

Standout Cut: Communication Breakdown

The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses

Release Date: 2nd May, 1989 

Producers: Peter Hook, John Leckie

Review:

“Squire's riffs are bright and catchy, recalling the British Invasion while suggesting the future with their phased, echoey effects. The Stone Roses was a two-fold revolution -- it brought dance music to an audience that was previously obsessed with droning guitars, while it revived the concept of classic pop songwriting, and the repercussions of its achievement could be heard throughout the '90s, even if the Stone Roses could never achieve this level of achievement again” - AllMusic (2009)

Standout Cut: I Wanna Be Adored

Ramones – Ramones

Release Date: 23rd April, 1976  

Producers: Craig Leon, Tommy Ramone

Review:

“They don't alter the structure, or the intent, of the song, they simply make it louder and faster. And that's the key to all of the Ramones' music -- it's simple rock & roll, played simply, loud, and very, very fast. None of the songs clock in at any longer than two and half minutes, and most are considerably shorter. In comparison to some of the music the album inspired, The Ramones sounds a little tame -- it's a little too clean, and compared to their insanely fast live albums, it even sounds a little slow -- but there's no denying that it still sounds brilliantly fresh and intoxicatingly fun” - AllMusic (2010)  

Standout Cut: Judy Is a Punk

Oasis – Definitely Maybe

Release Date: 29th August, 1994  

Producers: Oasis, Mark Coyle; Owen Morris and David Batchelor  

Review:

“It's their much-vaunted 'attitude' that has bolstered Oasis with the confidence to make all this work. The only equivocal thing about 'Definitely Maybe' is its title. Everything else screams certainty. So what if all the singles are here” - NME (2000)

Standout Cut: Live Forever

The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico

Release Date: 12th May, 1967  

Producer: Andy Warhol  

Review:

“Offerings as extreme as "The Black Angels Death Song" or "European Son" were always going to be the moments that really remained in the minds of those brave enough to experience this album. Not many did and unbelievably it remained a semi-obscurity long after its release, with only rock scribes and musicians enhancing its reputation by word of mouth. Acceptance as a 'classic' hasn't diminished its awesome power to shock and provoke one jot. If you've never heard it, your life will be changed. If you've already got it, it's still an essential purchase. A monument to the evil that men (and women) do” - BBC Music (2002 – Deluxe Version Review)

Standout Cut: Venus in Furs

Television – Marquee Moon

Release Date: 8th February, 1977  

Producers: Andy Johns, Tom Verlaine

Review:

“Leader Tom Verlaine wrote all the songs, coproduced with Andy Johns, plays lead guitar in a harrowingly mesmerizing stream-of-nightmare style and sings all his verses like an intelligent chicken being strangled: clearly, he dominates this quartet. Television is his vehicle for the portrayal of an arid, despairing sensibility, musically rendered by loud, stark repetitive guitar riffs that build in every one of Marquee Moon‘s eight songs to nearly out-of-control climaxes. The songs often concern concepts or inanimate objects — “Friction,” “Elevation,” “Venus” (de Milo, that is) — and when pressed Verlaine even opts for the mechanical over the natural: in the title song, he doesn’t think that a movie marquee glows like the moon; he feels that the moon resonates with the same evocative force as a movie marquee...

When one can make out the lyrics, they often prove to be only non sequiturs, or phrases that fit metrically but express little, or puffy aphorisms or chants. (The chorus of “Prove It” repeats, to a delightful sprung-reggae beat: “Prove it/Just the facts/The confidential” a few times.)” - Rolling Stone (1977)

Standout Cut: Marquee Moon

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

Release Date: 15th June, 1979

Producer: Martin Hannett

Review:

“Ian Curtis synthesizes and purifies every last impulse, his voice shot through with the desire first and foremost to connect, only connect -- as "Candidate" plaintively states, "I tried to get to you/You treat me like this." Pick any song: the nervous death dance of "She's Lost Control"; the harrowing call for release "New Dawn Fades," all four members in perfect sync; the romance in hell of "Shadowplay"; "Insight" and its nervous drive toward some sort of apocalypse. All visceral, all emotional, all theatrical, all perfect -- one of the best albums ever” - AllMusic (2012)    

Standout Cut: She’s Lost Control

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Malaika 

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

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THIS is another sunny day…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jack River

so it is a good time to publish another playlist that keeps hold of the summer but looks at the autumnal chill. The female-led songs I have included here have that great balance of warm and uplifting with the more reflective cool of the autumn. It is a great time for new music and I have uncovered some gems from great female artists – make sure you get involved and have a good listen.

This playlist collates all the best new slices – and older tracks – from great female artists/female-led acts that will get into the head and stay with you for a long time. It is another bumper and busy playlist that I am pleased to present and, with cold weather forecast very soon; it will keep the bliss of summer firm but remind us autumn…

 IN THIS PHOTO: MONOWHALES/PHOTO CREDIT: Francesca Ludikar

IS very much with us.

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

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Cosha – LUV

PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan Vivaas Kise

Dagny – Landslide

PHOTO CREDIT: @misterchristiaan

Alice Avery – Addicted

Laura Roy – Company

PHOTO CREDIT: @leftoverlight

Frankie Davies – High on Love

Young Thieves – What You Want

PHOTO CREDIT: Alice Rose Humphreys

Moon Panda – Rabbit

PHOTO CREDIT: ellmatik

Amber Mark – High on Your Life

Elley Duhé - WAY DOWN LOW

Tia Gostelow – Phone Me

Sloan Peterson – Our Love

CXLOE – Show You

PHOTO CREDIT: @BrookeWedlockSchaal

Celia Palli – Complicity

PHOTO CREDIT: Lily Sadin

Melanie Baker – Loveblind

PHOTO CREDIT: Sebastian Barros Photography

Babyteeth – Shame

Tancred – Clipping

PHOTO CREDIT: SHOT BY PHOX

Jerry Williams – Left and Right

COVER DESIGN: MMiii Design

Chasing Jonah – Feels So High

Nat Reed – Flow

Malaika – Low Fruit

Betta Lemme – Sea of Silence

PHOTO CREDIT: Kurt Cuffy - Music & Portrait Photography

MONOWHALES – Let It Go 

Emily Kinney – Mortal 

Charlie Says – Witches

PHOTO CREDIT: Xtina Ness

Jade Jackson – Aden

Amy Steele – Long Way Home

Camden Cox – Time

Jack River – So High

INTERVIEW: Sonal Jogia

INTERVIEW:

Sonal Jogia

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I have been speaking with Sonal Jogia…

about her new single, Alive, and what its story is. I was keen to know whether more material is coming and why she moved from Canada to Spain; which musicians she grew up around and is inspired by; a few albums that mean a lot to her – she highlight some rising artists to check out.

Jogia reveals how she spends time away from music and what advice she would give to musicians coming through; if there are going to be any tour dates approaching; how her songwriting has evolved since the start – she ends the interview by selecting a great song.

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

My week has been good thanks! Some work, some downtime…always trying to find a balance.

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

Sure I can! I was born in England and moved to Canada when I was just a-year-old. I always loved to sing. As a child, I would sing and perform for anyone who would listen to me. As I got into my teens, I became a bit more quiet about the fact that I could sing and usually just kept it to myself, besides a couple of trusted friends.

Now, I better understand that these gifts cannot be kept for oneself…they are meant to be shared and experienced together! Other than that, I am as much of an introvert as I am an extrovert. I love people I can be vulnerable with and forming heart connections and I love lifting my energy by spending time with these people and by spending time in nature - and, of course, by being creative by either writing, listening to music and playing the guitar and singing!

What is your new single, Alive, about? Is there a story behind it?

Alive is a heartfelt and emotional expression of Love; love that brings out the best in you and helps you grow and evolve as a human; a love that makes you feel safe and like you’re not alone and are always supported. Alive can pertain to any kind of love, really; not just romantic love.

We share loving relationships with different people in our lives…family, friends; our pets (who are also family) - and this song can heighten emotions of love that we share with another being. I hope people feel that when they listen to Alive. I hope it makes them feel that love even stronger in that moment.

I believe you left Canada to find new opportunity in Spain! What was the reason behind that? Are you back in Canada now?

Honestly; it was just a lifestyle change and change of perspective that I was looking for…not to mention a desire to live by the sea and to have milder winters. I also wanted to immerse myself in another culture and moving to a small Spanish town definitely gave me that experience. I can also speak Spanish quite fluently now, which was a part of the plan.

I go back and forth spending time in both Spain and in Calgary, which is where I grew up in Canada. I was back recently to record the most-recent E.P. and to do some shows. I can see myself spending more and more time there in the future. Having finished recording the new E.P., I’m at the stage where being there would be better for me on a professional level as an independent artist.

Are you already looking ahead to new material? Might we see more songs next year?

Well. If everything goes according to plan, then you’ll see some more songs this year! With the completion of the new E.P., Alive is just the first of a few singles I plan on releasing this year. Exciting times!

How do you think you have evolved and changed as a songwriter since you started out? Do you feel like you are writing in a more natural way?

Writing for me is definitely very instinctive. It can often start with a catchy melody or a couple of phrases that I just can’t get out of my head and then I just run with that. Sometimes, I end up composing entire songs in my head because I can just hear it all before I sing it out-loud or pick up the guitar. Lately, though, in the past couple of years I’ve also taken to co-writing with other musicians and songwriters. That has been a really great experience for me because it has allowed me to learn different techniques and processes when it comes to writing.

It’s interesting to see how other people approach a song. This has really been helping me grow as an artist and a songwriter. As well as getting to know other creative minds to collaborate with, these relationships often grow into friendships…which is such a gift.

Can you remember when you decided to go into music? Was there a single moment where you knew you had to follow it?

Wow. Well this, for me, has been a process - and a long one at that. I can’t pinpoint one single moment: it’s been many moments and experiences throughout my life that have lead me to the realization that, when you have a purpose; when you have something that gives your life meaning then that’s what you go towards. I now understand that this is what my life was leading me to: to music. It brings humanity together and connects us.

It’s a very powerful thing to be able to see how something that comes from your heart can affect people on such an emotional and spiritual level…in the same way it affects me. Once you feel that, you can’t help but want to experience that with others.

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

Well. I would like to have some tour dates set for Europe by then, which I’m working on now. There’s no better way to experience these songs then to share them live! I also plan to release a couple more singles and, eventually, the E.P. I don’t have a firm date set for the release of the E.P. yet, though; I’m aiming for the end of this year! I’m also practicing a lot and trying to improve my guitar skills. Since I’m fairly new to the guitar in these past few years, I’m spending time training and getting my live acoustic set ready to go on the road!

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

I have a few that really stand out for me - and those have to do with the way people have experienced my songs. I’ll mention a couple of these that had the most impact…

There is a song I wrote which is on my first E.P. that has to do with finally having the strength to walk away from a relationship that is not healthy and no longer serves you. I had somebody share with me that, when her fiancé left her, she was so broken and she sang this song over and over while looking at herself in the mirror to help her find her strength again. I get goosebumps just writing about it now because I hoped that song would help people to feel empowered!

Another memory is a more recent one which involves a live performance at an open mic night in Calgary. I was singing a song off of the new E.P. called Where I Wanna Be and, after I took my seat, a guy came up to me to ask me if I could write down the name of the song and my name in his notebook. As I was writing; I asked him what he wanted it for and he told me about his struggle with mental illness and how this particular song came to him at the perfect moment in his life as he was feeling very low and vulnerable at the time. He was so grateful for having received that gift right when he needed it the most. I decided to get his contact info to send him the song, which hasn’t even been mixed and is still unreleased.

These are two examples of how music really connects us and how it brings healing. 

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

Haha. It wouldn’t be surprising to those who know me that all of my selections are going to be '90s albums! So, let’s go…  

Mary J. Blige - What’s the 411?

There was nothing that I didn’t love about this album. From the hard beats, to the beautiful harmonies; to the passionate vocals. I would listen to it over and over on-repeat without ever getting sick of it! I loved all the elements of Hip-Hop, Soul and R&B all fused together. It truly is a timeless album. She really set the stage stylistically for artists in similar genres who came after her - including me!

Erykah Badu - Baduizm

The beginning of Neo-Soul! This beautiful woman is so self-assured. I love how she expresses herself in her songs. She is just very connected and in-tune with herself and the universe and it really comes through. I find her songs to be really healing on an energetic level. She really knows how to transmit a feeling and elevate your vibration…love her!

Jodeci - Diary of a Mad Band

JODECIII! Oh, Jodeci. Their songs could go from hopelessly romantic and all about love; to very explicit, get down and dirty styles. I remember there being a lot of controversy surrounding the band…from drugs, to partying; to domestic abuse, to not coming through with their commitments - just real-life humans trying to figure it all out. And the music…THE MUSIC! I love how synthesizer-based these songs are, with smooth bass-lines and killer harmonies. It was very impactful for me.

My friends and I would listen to this album while chilling at home; cruising around town, at parties…it didn’t matter where. You think it would be mainly women who would have been diehard fans but men loved them just the same. Lots of memories with this album! I think that’s one of the main things that make it stand out for me.

This was a tough question. Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo; Michael Jackson, Sade…how do you narrow it down?! But, I had to so I did. Thanks for asking this!

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

You really stumped me with this question! I’m going to say Tina Turner. I love how she has stayed relevant over many decades and has evolved with the times. I love her energy and delivery on the stage and the thing I love most is her resilience. She has endured some very tough times in her personal life and has always risen above them through her music, mindset and spirituality.

As for the rider; it would entail being able to spend personal time with her, such as joining her in her meditations and meals - because that is where you can really connect and get to know someone on a human level. Oh, and maybe a duet. Haha! This is all seems like a fantasy - but we know anything is a possibility in the entire realm of possibilities. Either way, it has been fun to give this some thought as I had never thought about it before.

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

Soon, yes, but I’m just in the process of getting started with tour plans. I’m going to be booking some dates throughout Europe for the winter and then in Canada in the spring and summer. So, be on the lookout for that! At the moment, I’ve just returned to Spain from Canada after having finished recording the new E.P. so touring is definitely high up on my list of things I’m working on right now.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Well. Being a fairly new artist trying to break through myself, I would tell them the same thing I try to do myself. Keep your focus on your craft; on your art; on your creations. You have to be happy first with the music you’re putting out there and you have to believe in it. Deliver your songs from your heart. Music is about connection…vulnerability…openness…unity…so use it as such!

And then, of course, find a balance between this and treating it as a business. That is where I’m at right now: trying to find that balance and understanding that there is more to it than just making the music and performing. It can be daunting, but I’m learning as I go along! 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Joanna Borromeo/PHOTO CREDIT: Tieran Green Photography

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Oh, yes. Absolutely. Joanna Borromeo, Forest Blakk; Jocelyn Alice, TassNata…and there are many more that I love but these ones for sure. Check them out because they all have that special something!

IN THIS PHOTO: Forest Blakk

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

Up until now, I definitely have. My way of unplugging and reconnecting with myself is to spend time in nature. I love to be anywhere by the sea and especially love to be in it, so coastal Spain is an amazing place to be for me. I love waking with my dogs out in the vineyards and olive groves. Up until now, working on my music and chill-time have been pretty balanced.

But, now, as at the moment I am just a one-person team; I am spending more and more time on my music and launching this new project. That is my main focus and what is taking the front seat right now. I believe that it’s always important to take down time for yourself. Stillness is important for keeping the mind right, for gaining perspective; for flow, creativity and inspiration. That will always be an important part of the process for me.

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).

Haha. I appreciate that! I’d love to hear something by JP Cooper. I love Closer, September Song; She’s On My Mind. Too many good ones to choose from! Any of these songs would be great. Thank you!

And…thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me and my music better. It’s been a pleasure!

___________

Follow Sonal Jogia

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sonaljogiamusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/SonalJogiaMusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/sonaljogiamusic

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7fBc0nbvj2oK0VLjEtgQAG

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/sonaljogiamusic

TRACK REVIEW: Cedric Burnside - We Made It

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Cedric Burnside

We Made It

9.8/10

The track, We Made It, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/track/7oMfprCkncaMYeT88o9FVR?si=WcjxCm-vT9C5lCtsogNW8A

GENRE:

Electric-Blues

ORIGIN:

Mississippi, U.S.A.

The album, Benton County Relic, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/4T2zPWhLYVCjambuNxVbhd?si=mJSKxMI2Q4eQeoSRl2yakQ

 RELEASE DATE:

14th September, 2018

_________

THE last couple of days…

have allowed me the chance to look in other directions for music and break away from what I usually do. This time around, I am investigating Cedric Burnside and a few points relevant to him. Burnside is the grandson of the legendary R.L. Burnside and you get embers of the great man himself. I want to talk about the Blues and how that has evolved; Mississippi and how Burnside still resides there; the upbringing he had and why his background affects his music; how he recorded his album, Benton County Relic, quickly and why we need to spend time around an artist like Burnside. You might have heard that surname but Cedric Burnside does not copycat his grandfather – he has the same sense of passion but tackles Blues in a slightly different manner. I am a new convert to Cedric Burnside and have been diving into his music. I have not followed the Blues for a while and I think we all get the impression the genre is going to be rather old and predictable. Think of the Blues legends like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House and Blind Willie McTell and you definitely get a sense of what the Blues was about in the 1920s and 1930s. I dip in time and again but it is quite hard to get into a head-space where I can sit and listen to the Blues. Maybe there is not enough going on or there is something lacking in the production. Whatever it is, I feel many of us avoid the genre because it lacks spark, magic and physicality. I am interested tracing the Blues back seven or eight decades because, in many ways, those artists are the forefathers of what we hear now. Listen to what is in the mainstream right now and, to some degree, you can trace it back to the Blues. It is a vital genre that holds so much power and is very influential – even if you are not a fan of the original source.

My favourite sort of Blues is when it is sprinkled with Rock and Garage. I am a big fan of The White Stripes and The Black Keys and love what they did. Maybe we do not hear so much Blues-inspired music in the mainstream but that is a shame. Not only can you provide gritty and confessional lyrics but the music has that urgency, kick and electricity. Cedric Burnside is someone who has not betrayed and modernised the lyrical roots of the Blues. He has managed to put his own life and stories into the pot but has updated the Blues. There are acoustic moments and something that reminds one of players like Son House but the electricity has been cranked up and it is a lot more fresh and exciting. I know the Burnside legacy and realise what pressure there is to produce work that is true and loyal to the lineage. I feel Burnside is someone who can convert people to the Blues and has plenty going on in his music. Many wonder whether Rock and Alternative are dead because you do not get enough captivating and memorable bands out there. Maybe that is exaggerated – listen to the likes of Wolf Alice – but there is less wonder and popularity than there was decades ago. What strikes me about Burnside is the way he can provide exhilarating and rich compositions but address themes that are personal and deep. A lot of artists concentrate on love and generic themes but Burnside goes further and brings you into his world. I will talk about that in a second but, before I move on, it is worth bending your ears to the music of Cedric Burnside and seeing where he came from. Many artists do not interest me in terms of their family and background but the Burnside name is one that has excited and influenced music for generations. You are compelled to look at where Cedric Burnside came from and how he has impacted music. It warrants a big screen adaptation because, when you look closely, there is so much we can teach other musicians and those interested in the Blues.

Cedric Burnside still resides in Holly Springs, Mississippi and is not one of those artists who has abandoned his roots. It may not seem like the most interesting and scenic part of the U.S. to live but it somewhere that means a lot to him and he holds it very dear. Burnside was raised on the Hill County variant of the Blues and the unorthodox version one might hear. That is why his sound strays away from the more traditional and honed variety – there is something almost spiritual and enflamed about his interpretation and it is one that, I feel, is much more relevant and substantial than the old-school Blues. Burnside grew up around the likes of Otha Turner, and T-Model Ford; he listened to a lot of modern music but it was the Blues pioneers that inspired him. There are some great Soul and R&B singers emerging from Holly Springs but it is not renowned for its overflow of great music. It is less productive in terms of music but it is a space where Burnside feels most comfortable and pure. Mississippi is one of the most deprived and neglected parts of America and I bet there are a million stories one can hear from the people. Most would associate Mississippi with legends like Howlin’ Wolf and B.B. King but there are modern musicians in the state who cover a range of genres. Mississippi has its French Quarter and there are so many cultures running through the state. Many might forgive him for living in New York or L.A. – so he can get that exposure and explore somewhere huge – but he has no reason to leave where he is from and what made him. If anything, the state is more important regarding his music than it is his personal growth and happiness. By that, I mean you can hear the history and heart of Mississippi come through in the music and everything he does. It gives his Blues authenticity and a flavour many of us are foreign to.

Burnside was born to play the Blues and has been surrounded by that music his entire life. He is a black artist who, like many of his peers, has had to struggle for attention and been overlooked by the Government. Many African-Americans have had to fight for their rights and to be heard. That is not news but the fact it happens in 2018 is shocking. Music is a great way of ensuring we are all aware and conscious of the plight. I guess Rap and R&B are genres that provide a platform for black Americans to discuss what they are going through and how their ancestors have had to struggle. It is a way for them to sing loud and have their voice but that seems like scant consolation. The U.S. Government should be doing more but, look back through history, and the fate of the black citizen has been hard and ignored. The reason why Burnside is so passionate and determined is so he can tell his story and document the way his people have struggled. There are great Rap and R&B artists out there but Blues, for decades, was the way for black Americans to vocalise their fight and talk about the reality of their situation. Blues is a genre that is not as popular as it once was but, with the likes of Burnside established and popular, I would like to see the genre rise. Benton County Relic is an album that is Burnside’s story; a way of scoring his situation and background; talking about social themes and touching on political concerns. It is a fascinating album that inspired me to review a cut from it. One might argue his music would be less potent and memorable if he hailed from somewhere like New York. Mississippi is a state that has been synonymous with Blues masters but, in the current time, it is still compelling musicians.

Mississippi is a fantastic state but its poverty and deprivation do affect how people perceive it. Look closely and there is a rich musical seam running throughout. Burnside recorded his album in only two days and performed it alongside drummer/slide guitarist Brian Jay in the latter’s Brooklyn home studio. Whilst the album was recorded in New York; it is Mississippi and the bones of Burnside that run through the songs. One gets that blend of old-style Blues and traditional sounds and a more immediate flair. It is not the Blues sound of the 1930s one can hear in Cedric Burnside’s music. Artists like Led Zeppelin and The White Stripes spring to mind when hearing Burnside’s Blues and it means there is a much more commercial and accessible aspect to it. I am excited to see if he produces more music next year but, right now, he is talking about where he came from and the heartache he has endured. From growing up in a poverty-stricken house where there was no T.V. and entertainment to suffering the loss of his parents, uncle and brother in quick succession…it has been a long road and one that has been paved with tragedy. It is fascinating seeing him talk about hard times and how he managed to grow from those foundations. I am sure his words will inspire other artists to come through and talk about their story but you listen to Burnside sing and you get this distinct impression of how he grew up and why the Blues is so important to him. It might be hard for Burnside to remain cool and composed given the fact he has come from such hard times and is seeing so many black Americans struggle and live in such squalor. The music he is creating right now cuts much deeper than his previous work and is the most urgent record he has put his name to. Cedric Burnside is one of the most important musicians around right now and you need to hear how he sings and the electricity coming from him to know how much it all means.

Burnside was Grammy-nominated in 2015 for Best Blues Album (for the Cedric Burnside Project’s Descendants of Hill Country) and he is a coveted musicians. Burnside is trying to update the Blues and make it more accessible to young generations. Maybe his previous work has been more traditional in terms of his sound but the 2018-Burnside is a more fired-up and rocking sort. I hear elements of The White Stripes in his work but, to be fair, it sound completely new. What amazes me is how Burnside talks about themes such as losing loved ones and growing up in a poor state whilst making the music resonate and connect. It is a brilliant brew that seems to unify R.L. Burnside and old Blues masters and nods to modern-day Rock and Garage bands. I feel it is the perfect combination and something we should all be paying attention to. So much of modern music is about cliché themes and relationship talk that it becomes stale and annoying. You do get artists that go beyond the ordinary but they are few and far between. The commercial dollar still holds clout but I am drawn to artists who are much more intriguing and deep. Burnside is not one who is going to sell his values and talk about love and boring themes – even if there is a bit of romance and heartbreak in what he does. Instead, you get family values and bold confessions; exposure regarding his early life and how he became the man is today. I would love to see this continue and thrive on future albums because I feel it is artists like Burnside saying so much more than anyone else. Many of us are unaware of the struggle out there and how many artists started their lives. Few of us are aware of the realities and how people like Burnside got into music. Blues is a genre that many ignore and feel it is going to be the same as it was decades ago.

We Made It opens Benton County Relic and starts with a lot of fascination. You get a few flecks of guitar and some grumbling electronics. It teases you in and there is that feeling something will explode and something great is going to occur. One feels some tension and anticipation but things get chugging and moving pretty quickly. Without Burnside speaking a word; you get this nice duel between the guitars and drum. It is propulsive and catchy and provokes an image of a train moving along. There is that old-school Blues grumble combined with the electricity and modernity of music today. The production is never too crowded or polished: it allows the rawness to come through and ensures there is that live-sounding feeling. It is impossible to get beyond that hooky and mesmeric composition that scratches, struts and strums. The flair and colour one feels from the song is wonderful. You are helpless but to groove along and let the potent rhythms get under the skin. Boogying, bouncing and kicking along, you are cast under Burnside’s spell. The hero keeps his hair and head straight even when he is down and low and, as the chorus attests, he has made it. He is also speaking to another party; maybe his family or a sweetheart who has gone through the same things. I get the feeling Burnside is talking about his past and how he grew up in tough times. There is that hurt and struggle but the defiance and determination is primal. Burnside never explodes or gets carried away: he has sass and cool but there is a lot of emotion and physicality behind his performance. I am always drawn to the way his voice is backed and what a funky, compelling sound one hears. If you are new to the Blues or think you have it figured then you need to hear Cedric Burnside.

From the very first moments of We Made It, you are transformed and drawn into this mystical world. Even though there was no running water in the house – or hot water at the very least – you have to imagine his childhood was intense. The hero talks about that struggle and poverty but the chorus keeps coming back: he made it out and made it through. It is always as though Burnside is speaking about other people and those he knows – whether the family he grew up around or the people of Mississippi. The locomotive and propulsive guitar-and-drums combination gives you shivers and smiles; the vocal has a rumbling depth that reminds me of Howlin’ Wolf but has plenty of Burnside’s D.N.A. Rather than throw too many words into the song and reveal too much; Burnside allows the music to do some talking and strut. It is a fantastic swirl of notes that has ample kick and wonder. It grumbles in the blood and blends into the marrow; seeps into the soul and gets the feet moving. I always picture his growing up and living in a house where he and his family had to struggle. He had grown and survived those days but is not willing to ignore where he came from. The Blues is about your roots and laying down the truth. Burnside is not going to ignore an important part of his life and what he has had to come through. The hero comes back into the fray and keen to deliver that mandate. He has seen the worst of times unfold and never thought he would make it. The lyrics on the song are not complex and there are few individual lines but it is the focus of his message and the way he delivers his lines that makes We Made It stand out. Cedric Burnside fuses with the backing brilliantly and there is that steam that builds and explodes. I was helpless but to surrender to the song and how it carries you along.

There are great songs on Benton County Relic but few are as interesting and swivelling as We Made It. A perfect opener to the album and a true assessment of who Cedric Burnside is and what he is all about. The song is a perfect introduction to a brilliant artist. Ensure you get back and listen to what other material he has produced and see how he has grown. Burnside is masterful in everything to do and sounds at his most confident and rich right now. I know there are other Blues artists out there but none who have the same spritz, magic and brilliance as him. We Made It reveals more layers and truths the more you listen to it and gives you goosebumps. I am one of those people who can immerse themselves in a genre and is not willing to simply pick here and there. The Blues has been out of my mind for a while and I have not really seen anything that turns my head. Burnside’s updating of the form has got me reinvested and makes me realise what a fantastic style of music it is. You get the gravitas of the Blues masters and the sounds of old but he makes everything sound contemporary and new. Get your ears around Cedric Burnside and his brilliant. Not only does it move the body and mind but it gets the heart pumping and makes you come back time and time again. Not many artists have that addictiveness and sense of purpose – reasons why we should celebrate Cedric Burnside and promote him far and wide.

Benton County Relic is a fantastic album that has many great songs and ear-catching lyrics. You do not need to listen too hard to know how inspired Burnside sounds and how much the music means. The guitars are fantastic and you get big riffs and pumping sounds. It is a hot and spicy brew of sounds and that, combined with the hard-hitting and personal lyrics means you get a record that is much more immediate and enduring than anything out there. I have not heard an L.P. that cuts as deep and sounds so fresh. The songs never sound crowded and too rehearsed. The fact it was recorded in a couple of days means it has that live-sounding quality and reminds one The White Stripes. You never feel like you are listening to anyone else but there are those memories and flecks running through. A bold and colourful sound that gets into the brain and bones; everything from the record gets into the head and makes you smile. That is not to say the lyrics lack emotion and you pass them by – Benton County Relic is a profound and affecting documentation of a talented artist who has gone through a lot and has the Blues running through his veins. Listening to Cedric Burnside makes me look back at the Blues and his relatives; how the genre has evolved and grown and why we need to listen to what he says. I wonder what more is coming from Burnside and how he will develop over the next few years. There is a lot going on in the U.S. and one feels political situations and developments are affecting him. Mississippi is still with him – as he resides there – and he still lives around struggle. I would love to see Burnside play in the U.K. and bring his music to the people here. The man is a compelling and engaging artist and I feel it is only a matter of time before he is a big name here.

I am pumped to see where he heads and how his music will evolve. I feel we still rely too much on Pop music and what is promoted in the mainstream – it means we are missing out on so much and do not really get the chance to explore in more depth. Cedric Burnside is an artist who is revitalising the Blues and has a serious talent. His music cuts deep and he is able to unify the old and new. For those who love the foundations of Blues and what it stands for will not be disappointed; anyone who wants something more intense and body-moving will gravitate towards Benton County Relic. If you have not heard the album then it is worth getting stuck into and spending a lot of time around. Every song has its place and tells its own story. I am someone who is familiar with the Blues and what it is all about. It is not viable to possess the same Blues sound as was present in the 1930s but that does not mean it should be overlooked and written off. I am one of those people who feels a few tweaks and modifications can enliven and revitalise a genre. Cedric Burnside is bringing the Blues to new ears and not willing to let it rest. Make sure you follow Cedric Burnside and what is happening in his life right now. There will be tour dates and new developments and I feel 2019 will be an important year for him. Things are going really well and his music is hitting hard and teaching us all lessons. I get a real sense of where he is from and why music means so much to him. It is hard to explain but artists like Burnside stay in the mind for a lot longer and makes a genuine impression. Get behind Burnside and what is contained within Benton County Relic. It is a brilliant album and I was eager to review We Made It. It is a fantastic song that seems to define the record and shows how exciting Burnside is. If you have not heard of him now, make sure you correct that and…

GET lost in his world!

___________

Follow Cedric Burnside

Official:

https://www.cedricburnside.net/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/cedric.burnside.5/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/cedric.burnside/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5tuhrLilxNi6N7D6VeQZnc

FEATURE: Within Without You: How the Stage Can Bring Enormous Confidence from Artists

FEATURE:

 

 

Within Without You

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@billetto  

How the Stage Can Bring Enormous Confidence from Artists

__________

I often wonder how some artists…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Freddie Mercury/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

who seem rather quiet and conservative in private can suddenly be unleashed from those confines when they hit the stage! I look at artists icons Kate Bush and Freddie Mercury and know, away from the stage, there is a shyness and sense of quiet that makes it more amazing they are so bold and incredible from the stage. Although Mercury is no longer with us; the split between his rather shy private persona and the showman he was on stage is exceptional. It can be hard coming into an industry like music and having to face the pressures of anxiety and stage fright. Maybe artists like Bush and Mercury escaped stage fright – although I know both did have a touch – but there is a magic that comes from the stage that seems to bring the best from the most introverted. To be honest, there are a lot of artists who find it hard taking to the stage but, when they are up there, it can be like they are released and at their very best. Freddie Mercury is not a rare example. Although he was a quiet and softly-spoken man away from the spotlight; his sheer passion and force of nature went into the studio and the stage especially. He was like an animal when he got up there and it seemed to bring something from him. I wonder how genuine artists like that are on stage?! Is it a case of them being hesitant and guarded away from the stage or the stage itself acting as a sanctuary and place where they can truly be themselves?!

 PHOTO CREDIT: @flaviewxvx

It is an interesting question and the reason I bring it up is the interviews I do with rising musicians. I ask how important it is being on stage and it is interesting seeing the responses I get. Many feel like that live setting is where they feel most free and can be at their most expressive! Many musicians do not like being in the studio and it can be quiet limiting recording music and that slightly delayed process. Sure, artists can experiment and put something wonderful into their recorded music but I wonder if it is truly possible to feel natural, connected and unshackled when there is that rather delayed process. You never know how people will react to the music and it can be a frustrating process. So many artists I interview say getting out there is a vital part of what they do and the only reason they are in music. Many feel confined in the studio and love that instant reaction – where they can hear their songs get that reaction and vibe from the energy coming from the people! A few artists lack confidence and the love of the stage and prefer the calm and discipline of the studio. Those who do love performance feel like it is the way music truly resonates and gets into the heart. One stumbling block, more and more, is the shy and anxious artist who yearns to be on the stage but cannot get over that fright.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lady Gaga/PHOTO CREDIT: @ladygaga/Getty Images

Personas and characters are a way of negotiating nerves and being able to deliver music to the people. Artists like David Bowie and Lady Gaga have exaggerated their personalities – David Bowie went even further and played a few different characters – in order to feel more confident on stage. Away from the bright lights, they are different people and it seems that opportunity to step into different shoes and shed your skin on the stage is an answer to nerves and a sense of shyness. Today, more and more, it is harder to remain private and closed-off away from the stage. Artists like Sia (who wears a wig over her face for publicity photos) and Sir Elton John are seen as somewhat moody and enigmatic – when they are on the stage, that all changes and they seem like a different person. I was reading an interesting article from The Economist that investigated the shy artist and why it is hard for them to have a private life:

“In previous generations it was easier to keep a public persona and a private life separate. But today, thanks to the internet, celebrity cultureand social media, the shy artist has less private space to withdraw to. To feed the ever-hungry media beast, there are unprecedented invasions of privacy: topless photos taken using drones and personal photos being downloaded from the cloud. Unwanted attention aside, there is so much “noise” out there that to be heard as an artist, there is a greater need for self-promotion”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: David Bowie in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: Masayoshi Sukita via Morrison Hotel Gallery

Although there are some artists who are themselves on stage (quiet shy) – Bob Dylan is one classic example – getting up in front of people, for many musicians, is a way of gaining new confidence and bringing something out of them they never thought they possessed. Elvis Presley is a famous example of someone who had difficulty getting in front of people and was a bit hesitant when it came to performance. Presley watched others perform and, bit-by-bit, got more confident and, before long, turned into a hip-swivelling god who is regarded as one of the greatest live performers ever. There are modern artists, such as Adele, who get incredible anxieties and do not like touring but others feel like audiences make them feel alive and it is where they feel natural. David Bowie admitted in interviews how he wasn’t a gregarious person so, with personas such as Ziggy Stardust, he was allowed to be someone else and, when up in front of music, he was electrified and renewed. Musicians feel time away from stage is a feast of interviews and awkward communication. Many get caught in promotion and it can be a tiring and unpleasant cycle. The fact so much of today’s promotion and marketing is done online means a lot of artists rarely communicate face-to-face and there is that lack of physicality. Whereas, years ago, interviews were done in the flesh and there were music shows on T.V.; there was more direct contact and less online manoeuvring; now, more and more, musicians are cloistered or buried in a sea of online demands and there is less need to get out there and connect with people.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@mehdibtne

Maybe I am over-simplifying things but I hear from so many artists who struggle with shyness, anxiety and addiction issues. Modern music is more demanding than ever and the nature of forging a successful career is tricky. So much more effort needs to go into things and there is little chance for rest and relaxation. Online promotion and demands mean many artists are exposed to trolling and negative feedback. Online focus also means musicians are staring at screens and are shackled to their laptops. I am seeing artists out there and know how many interviews they have to give and how much promotion is involved. The stage can provide that chance to bring all the introverted hurdles and the stresses together and release them through the power of live music. Artists can feel like the audience give them strength and they can feel safe and secure when they are performing. That sense of safety and the ability to stretch wings means a lot of artists who are shy or tormented away from the stage are provided a pulpit to become someone different or feel less confined. There is no guarantee a shy frontperson is going to be completely natural and different when they are on the stage. This article from The Guardian studied shy artists and how they can be reluctant leads:

“…It’s not just introspective indie names who end up as reluctant frontpeople. You might assume former Distiller Brody Dalle never had a doubt about her chosen career, but as a child she says she was so scarred by being told she had a terrible voice during a school singalong of Waltzing Matilda that it put her off singing for years. “It fucked me up,” she says, adding that she’s shy when not onstage, “so I’m probably not the typical frontperson.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Brody Dalle/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

“The thing is, Dalle does seem to be the typical frontperson. Whether it’s Jack Steadman from Bombay Bicycle Club fretting about public speaking or Gerard Way, former singer of My Chemical Romance, being too inhibited to do karaoke with friends when he’s not on stage (“I get too nervous”) an uneasy, hesitant disposition seems to be extremely common in today’s singers. So how, you might ask, do they do it?”.

Gerard Way, the lead of My Chemical Romance, says there is this amazing transformation when he gets onto the stage:

“Way says this “switch” happens the moment someone tells him it’s time to get on stage – “it doesn’t matter what time of day” – and all his nervousness dissipates so that he can transform into his alter ego of Rock Frontman. It can be a physical thing, too. “I was completely out of shape during my time in My Chemical Romance,” he admits. “But the switch happens to your body too – thanks to the adrenaline you’re able to do things you wouldn’t normally do.”

Dalle agrees with the switch theory, claiming it enables her to do things she wouldn’t dream of in every day life. “Maybe my balls grow a little bit bigger,” she says. “I have a friend who is super-super shy, but the minute she gets onstage she’s climbing over security guards, completely manic”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@honeyfangs

There are natural and unavoidable downsides for those leads who are unleashed on the stage. Destructive behaviour can come through and they can take things too far. For band leaders, especially, strains can form on the tour bus and in hotels; being in closed confines and having to spend a lot of time with other musicians…there is that natural tension and it is not all great. I wanted to study the difference between the introverted or shy artists and what the stage can give them. Some do take the confidence they get from the stage and take things too far. Whether that included destroying equipment or courting controversy to get the crowd involved – it is a hard balancing act. In any case, the stage is that attractive and much-loved area where musicians can be transformed and let all the stress out. Tackling anxiety and stage fright is tough so it is not always as easy as being quiet and a bit shy off of the stage and instantly getting up there and everything is okay. So many of the artists I speak to – whether they have stage fright or not – feel like live performance is the finest part of their career and what they live for. I see so many bands/artists speak passionately about the stage and how they live for those gigs! The stage is that forum that can be a challenge and fall-back for many artists but, for decades, it has provided a platform for revelation, explosion and a whole new world. Stage fright and anxiety are huge problems and heart-breaking for many musicians but there are therapies and simple steps to help tackle it and lead to improvement. From modern and unsigned artists to classic artists like David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Kate Bush; look at the difference between the person away from the stage and how different they are when delivering music to the masses. More and more, I am hearing from artists who adore being on the stage because they can feel like their true selves and it is a rare chance to physically connect with the people who listen to their music. It can be a cruel mistress but the stage, for more and more artists, is a temple and lifeline that can be a…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@jsharp9066

TRUE revelation.

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Black

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

__________

WHEREAS yesterday was more of a summer’s day…

IN THIS PHOTO: Justine Skye

I feel today is more autumnal and I have been hesitating going out because of the weather! In spite of the dreary rain and the cold, I find it is much more useful and productive settling in with some music and looking at some great female-led sounds. This playlist is designed to highlight the diversity of music made my female artists and why they warrant big acclaim.

I have been looking through the latest releases – and a few slightly older ones – and put together the songs that I feel documents best the spectrum and range that is available. Have a listen to the playlist and I know there will be songs that turn your head and stay in your head! The weather is a bit crap so it is a good excuse to ignore the outside and immerse yourself in…

IN THIS PHOTO: Wet

SOME great music.

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

_____________

Harlea – Beautiful Mess

Hairband – Flying

Fuzzy Sun – Heavy

Emmi – Label on It

Wallace – Pantone Home

Wet – Lately

PHOTO CREDIT: Transluceo Photography for Indie Midlands

Eliza Shaddad – Just Goes to Show

Queen of Hearts – Cold

Hero Fisher – If I Die and Nothing Happens

CAGGIE – Here We Are Again

The Elephant Trees – UNCOMFORTABLE

Gold Baby – What Party?

Caitlyn Smith – East Side Restaurant

Alex Hepburn - If You Stay

Sara Phillips – Here’s to You

PHOTO CREDIT: @rainazafar 

Kiya Lacey – Down

 

Ebhoni – Street Lights

Hazel Iris – Candle

foxgluvv – Fries

Emily Warren – Say It

Billie Black – The Last Time

PHOTO CREDIT: Dean Street Designs 

Chorusgirl – No Goodbye

Sophie Simmons – If I Could

PHOTO CREDIT: @lissyellelaricchia

Anna Wise – Some Mistakes

Kate Stewart – He’s Good

Ojerime – Handle

Justine Skye - Goodlove

INTERVIEW: MALKA

INTERVIEW:

MALKA

___________

THE wonderful MALKA…

has been telling me about her latest track, Don’t Leave Me, and what comes next for her. She reveals the music she was raised on and the albums most important; how she balances music with motherhood and running a record label – I ask whether we can see her on the road before next year.

MALKA talks about the importance of being on stage and how she transitioned from life in a band (6 Day Riot) to working solo; whether she has any advice for artists coming through; which emerging artist we need to keep our eyes out for – she ends the interview by choosing a great new track.

__________

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

I'm fine, thanks. My week has been busy. I run my record label myself so release dates are always a bit manic.

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

I have been making music for years; initially with my band, 6 Day Riot which was in the Folk-Pop genre. I was the lead singer and songwriter. After three albums, I decided to go solo and started my project MALKA which is Alternative-Pop. I write a lot of music for T.V. and film too.

Don’t Leave Me is your new single. Is there a story behind the song?

There is. A friend of mine was going through very hard time and I wrote this song for them.

How do you think you have grown as an artist since the start? Do you find yourself adding new elements to your work?

Yes. I have definitely developed as an artist. I think you gain confidence the longer you have been making music. You strive to create something new: you don't follow you try to lead. And, so, I am no longer afraid of not conforming: in fact, I find it is my goal not to.

Might we see more material next year?

Yes, indeed. I have written the album! I just need to find some time to head into the studio and record it all. I am really excited about it. It is a big step forward sonically.

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

I used to listen to The Beatles and The Carpenters with my mum as a kid. But, in terms of my own favourite artists, Kylie has to be up there. She has always been a favourite of mine.

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

As ever, for more people to hear my music and to gain enough exposure to keep doing what I am doing.

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

Probably playing at Glastonbury with my band, 6 Day Riot. We had no real expectations but rocked up to a full tent and it was the best feeling.

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

OK Computer - Radiohead; Graceland - Paul Simon and Rumours - Fleetwood Mac.

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

David Bowie. That would have been amazing wouldn't it!

And, rider-wise; nothing crazy like a bowl of brown M&Ms or anything like that. But, maybe an Espresso Martini. That would jump-start the show nicely.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Don't get frustrated when you think things are not getting traction immediately - the best things come to those that keep on doing and don't give up.

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

I have a few dates booked in for November:

13th Nov: Servant Jazz Quarters, London

23rd Nov: Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh

24th Nov: The Hug and Pint, Glasgow

I will head out on tour to promote the new album next year.

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

It is absolutely one of my favourite things. I love performing. I love connecting with the audience and finding out their favourite songs and it just makes me feel so alive to be on stage.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Seaker/PHOTO CREDIT: Buzz

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yes, have a listen to Seaker - a solo artist/producer from London.

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

I don't get any! I have two kids…I write and produce the music; I run the record label and I lecture in Music Business too. I am lucky if I get any sleep. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. If I get a spare minute, I love doing Pilates. And I love just hanging out with my little family.

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).

How about the new Seaker song Fireworks, then?

I can help to promote someone else while we are here. Thanks (smiles).

___________

Follow MALKA

Official:

http://www.malkamusic.co.uk/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/malkamakesmusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/malkamakesmusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/malkamakesmusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6w42VEfAMHWaHur8tUnGxC

YouTube:

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

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/tantrumrecords

FEATURE: The October Playlist: Vol. 1: I’m Not Sure What ‘Has Ended’, Mind…

FEATURE:

 

The October Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Julia Jacklin/PHOTO CREDIT: Nick Mckk

Vol. 1: I’m Not Sure What ‘Has Ended’, Mind…

 __________

THE first Playlist of this month…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Thom Yorke

brings together some pretty big releases! We have a new song from Thom Yorke and there are offerings from Beck, Julia Jacklin and John Grant; some great cuts from Róisín Murphy, Jessie Ware and The Breeders – it is quite a busy week for fantastic music!

I have collated the best examples from this week and put them into a handy playlist. It is a chance to see the variation, quality and memorability of the songs included. Every week produces some fantastic songs but I feel the past few days have seen so many great songs come through! Set aside some time, have a listen to the rundown and get your weekend off to a flying start!

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

___________

Thom Yorke – Has Ended

PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Austin

Beck – Colors

Julia Jacklin – Body

Róisín Murphy (ft. Ali Love) – Jacuzzi Rollercoaster

Jessie Ware – Overtime

Clean Cut Kid – Slow Progress

PHOTO CREDIT: Marisa Gesualdi

 The Breeders – Spacewoman

Miles Kane – Killing the Joke

Bad Sounds – Wages

St. Vincent – Savior

Halsey – Without Me

Chlöe Howl - Work

Mariah Carey – With You

NAO – Curiosity

Papa Roach – Renegade Music

Sharon Van Etten – Comeback Kid

PHOTO CREDIT: Eliot Lee Hazel

Cat Power – You Get

KT Tunstall – Poison in Your Cup

LANY – If You See Her

Alessia Cara – Trust My Lonely

Charlene Soraia – Tragic Youth

Eve Belle – Til I Fall Asleep

PHOTO CREDIT: akam1k3

Sigrid – Sucker Punch

Roses Gabor – Stuff

PHOTO CREDIT: Simon Becker

Estrons – Strangers

Kurt Vile – One Trick Ponies

Ward Thomas – Never Know

PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Alexander Harris

Fickle Friends – The Moment

Ariana and the Rose – Lonely Star

John Grant – Is He Strange

Nick Talos – Home to You

Brooke Williams – High & Bye

Diana Gordon – The Hard Way

Saint Sisters – Corpses

Mavi Phoenix – 7Eleven

TRACK REVIEW: the Village - Always on My Mind

TRACK REVIEW:

 

the Village

Always on My Mind

9.2/10

The track, Always on My Mind, is available via:

https://thevillage2.bandcamp.com/track/always-on-my-mind

GENRES:

Folk; Alternative; Indie

ORIGIN:

Derby, U.K.

The album, Carnival of Fools, is available via:

https://thevillage2.bandcamp.com/album/carnival-of-fools

 RELEASE DATE:

8th September, 2017

_________

ON this occasion…

I am taking my mind in different directions and looking at an artist who compels new lines of investigation. I am changing pace and looking at an artist, Phil Matthews, and a musical project that is growing and creating delight. The Village (or ‘thevillage’) is the moniker of Matthews and one that I have discovered quite recently. Before I review a song from his latest album, I wanted to look at records that grow and develop over time; music that is Folk-based and looks at something quite pastoral, quaint and calming; a look at artists who are building their reputation and growing a steady fanbase; a nod to musicians who cannot be easily predicted and are surprising when you hear them – I will look at where the Village might head and what comes next. My review schedule has been thrown into a loop and I have had to chop-and-change things recently. Even though I was going to review the Village’s album in a few weeks; it is a year old and a record that has been out there in the public long enough. I do not review albums but I was interested to review Matthews and his music. We are often told the album, as a concept, is dying and should be ignored. I have been thinking about that proposition and how we are starting to ignore albums in-full. Matthews, as the Village, prides himself on creating records that are complete, immersive and every song shines – he is one of those old-school artists who loves the album and creating something whole. The reason why I am not too bothered coming to Carnival of Fools late is because the songs shine and reveal themselves through time. Even through the pace, for the most part, is quite enticing and settled; there are nuances and revelations that do not instantly come to the fore. It is wonderful discovering an album that does that: it flourishes and blooms so long down the line and stays firmly in the head.

Songs on the record bubble and still have that charm whilst ones you might have overlooked are firmly golden and presenting fresh avenues. I have always loved the album and do not feel it is endangered and warrants any talk of extinction. It is brilliant finding artists who are more concerned with musicians who want to produce albums and give the listeners something solid and personal. Listen to the Village’s new (or most-recent) record and you will find yourself coming back to the thing time and time again! It is, as I shall investigate later, an album that has softness and pleasure but there is ample invention and interesting lyrics. I do not usually review artists with few high-resolution photos – although Matthews has a few – and relatively little information. I always look for artists who can produce great images – a selection of them – and some deep and stunning information. It gives me something to build on and I can go from there. It is not a big problem here (and a lot of artists are struggling to piece that together) because the album itself is rich and I struggled for a while to select a single track that represents Carnival of Fools. The album, as I have stated, is bursting with ideas and I feel one needs to investigate it in its entirety to get the biggest impact. Although I have singled a song out and wanted to focus on Always on My Mind; I suggest you all pick up the L.P. and spin it right the way through. I do not feel albums are dying and there is any risk they are going to slip away at all. What gets to me is how little patience people give to records and the fact many jut pass them by and focus on singles. Artists need their albums to be heard and do not want people to simply skim through and select the odd track. There is a National Album Day coming up in a week and it will provide a chance for us to celebrate the album and all bond with those that have defined our lives.

It has been a while since I last reviewed a Folk album. Although the Village is not purely Folk; that is the basis – although there is Pop and Psychedelic touches here and there. The Village, as Matthews claims, is a place for oddballs and outsiders; it is a space where they can feel safe and understood. Maybe that is a bit harsh and off-putting but, in fact, it is a place for those who want to get away from the rush and stress of modern-day life. Matthews has built up a following in the Midlands’ live circuit and I will look at that a bit later. He has cemented his reputation and honed his skills over the past few years. The music one hears on Carnival of Fools is quite slumber-inducing and inviting. I dived into the record and was blown away by all the sounds that came through. It is a tender and personal presentation but one that is filled with scenes, dreams and the serene. Whether you see the Village as a concept and specialised place; you cannot ignore the music is universal and easy to love. I have avoided looking at Folk-inspired music for a while because I tend to find the artists (I reviewed) sound very alike and I repeat myself when writing reviews. There is pleasant Pop that scores carnival tents and the rush of the fair. There is the quiet chatter and the softness of the village; the tenderness of a fete and something quite serene working away. Opposed to that is a musical excitement and vivid scenes that suggest something a bit more edgy and exciting. You do not often see albums that address these themes/emotions being proffered in the mainstream. Maybe we are too concerned with Pop and Alternative sounds – and that which is concerned with commercial avenues – but we cannot ignore artists creating something more sophisticated, calm and interesting.

I will move onto a new subject in a bit but I wanted to stick with Folk and how varied the genre is. Phil Matthews has spent years developing his music and getting to where he is now. I have not mentioned age – because it seems a bit coarse – but it is something that needs addressing. Although Matthews is not as young as he once was, I feel we need to mention artists who are not considered ‘trendy’ and ‘cool’ by the media. Perhaps Matthews does not care about that but there is ageism and exclusion in music right now. It has always been the way and it is not a new revelation. Radio has always been stuffy when it comes to middle-aged artists and they are less keen playing their music. Maybe BBC Radio 2 would be a natural space for Matthews and the Village but I wonder why all radio stations cannot get over age limitations and feel that, when an artist gets to a certain point in life, they are past it and consigned to the scrapheap. That sounds rather foreboding and cruel but I feel artists like Matthews warrant more attention and age gets in the way of things. Look at the experience he has and the way he writes; how engrossing the music is and the way it takes you by surprise. Most of the submissions I receive are from artists in their twenties and thirties and that seems to be what is sought-after and popular. I feel a lot of respect should be given to artists who do not have flashy P.R. teams and shiny websites; those that are performing at big venues with flashy sets and getting onto the coolest websites. Music is about image as much as anything as it seems age is a huge factor when it comes to focus. I feel music should only be based on quality and, when you listen to the Village; one cannot ignore the quality that emerges and how promising it all is. Maybe I have rambled a bit but I feel an artist should not be ignored or restricted to certain radio stations when they reach a certain age.

Matthews, as I said, has built his name in the Midlands and has been on the circuit for a long time now. Over two-hundred radio stations have played his music and he has a loyal and growing fanbase. Although one, on Carnival of Fools, is given projections of bunting and village carnivals; that is not to say the music is reserved for those who are found in those environments. What strikes me about the music of the Village is how ubiquitous and wide-ranging it is. Matthews is not singing only about villagers and the quaint pace of fetes and outdoor activity. His music dips deeper and the lyrics stretch further than you might imagine. That is one reason why he has built a big foundation and continues to reach new ears. People assume you have to pack out places and be on streaming sites – and getting millions of streams – to be deemed worthy and popular. Matthews has a great following and radio stations around the nation have turned onto his music. It has been a fabulous past few years and, with Carnival of Fools, it got a lot of attention and love. Even recently, he tweeted how delightful it is when someone asks for one of his C.D.s. That sort of reaction – when musicians are taken aback – shows how much things mean and the assumptions they have. I feel we get into a mindset where we assume everything is digital and people go after what is on Spotify. Matthews continues to plug and he is one of the hardest-working musicians on the road right now. He knows his music has that easy grace and cannot be pegged that easily. I am excited to see where he goes next and where his music will take him. I feel Matthews has the potential to take the Village to the cities and take it around the world. Maybe you assume his Britishness is the defining feature of the music but everyone anywhere can understand what he is performing and picture what is being sung.

This place for oddballs, the Village, is somewhere just south of convention and not a place where chart-makers and trend-setters might step. A reason why Phil Matthews gets into my head is because he cannot be easily predicted and written about. You might see photos of him and read his biography and feel you have it licked and figured. I got into that headspace and felt I would easily be able to write about him and what his music is all about. You only need listen to a few cuts from Carnival of Fools to figure the Village is a much more complex and interesting beast than you would imagine. The best musicians out there are those who can bring you in and do not push you away but have their own skin and do not follow the pack. I wonder whether Matthews has plans for new music next year because I feel the demand is growing right now. I feel music is too much about style and a sense of fashion and not enough about reputation and longevity. Matthews has built this base and continues to recruit people in. His live sets are fantastic and lauded and the records he puts out are filled with details, great scenes and wonderful memories. Maybe the population of the Village is expanding but I feel more radio stations need to get involved with what he is doing and how his music is perceived. I feel we still devalue artists of a certain ilk and age and we are missing out on so much! Before I move onto my last point; I wanted to address the visual presentation and marketing – how that can be increased or changes that can be made to get it to new hands. Many do not really consider it or might be wrapped up with the music itself and have little opportunity to think about websites and presentation etc.

It is a point I have made with a few artists in the past – and got my arse chewed once or twice! – but I feel one way of getting the music to a wider realm is to have a look at the images and website etc. It might sound shallow and insignificant but you can reach a lot more people when you think about these considerations. Matthews has a big fanbase but his music warrants a lot more love and exposure. His official website is updated and looks good but I wonder whether more biography and some review snippets would catch the eye of potential fans and radio stations. I want to know who Phil Matthews is inspired by and where his musical path started. The photos I have included in this review are good and of a great quality but, given the concept of Carnival of Fools and images one summons; the musician could run riot with that and produce a lot of new snaps. The same goes for a P.R. company. I am not sure whether he is being represented by anyone but I think a good team could get him some more images and add something to the website; bring new light and life to his music and push it hard to other stations. I might be one to talk – I need to sort my website out a bit! – but there is so much promise; that ability to get the music to other age groups and new realms. There is that domination of Pop and what is in the mainstream and anything on the boundaries is not given the same heat and affection. In order for music to survive and albums to be treated with more respect; we need to start opening our eyes and broadening our horizons. I have been caught by the variation out there and never limit myself to certain genres/sounds. The Village is a moniker that offers so much and has a lot more life left. I know Matthews performs regularly and he wants his music to reach as many people as possible.

Perhaps he will consider those aspects/suggestions for 2019 because I am keen for his music to pick up new waves and traction. Right now, looking at Carnival of Fools a little whole after its release, I wanted to make a few points. If you feel you have the Village figured out and know what the Folk-tinged sounds will involve; you listen hard and your expectations are subverted. I will wrap things up here and get down to the song but I feel it is amazing how narrow our tastes can be and how we peg artists too readily. Phil Matthews has that gentle and comforting sound but he is not someone who, in a way, shows his age and there is plenty of endeavour and excitement. His lyrics are far more intriguing and arresting than you might imagine and the whole experience is wonderful. I feel we should all snap up the album and build it in to our regular rotation. One other reason why I feel the Village could build and gain new fans is the timelessness of the songs. Not every track on Carnival of Fools is about love and matters of the hearts – there is imaginative diversions and tracks that step away from the familiar. In any case; I am interested to see where Phil Matthews takes his music next year and what he might come up with. It is a great time for him and, when I look at his Twitter feed; I can tell how people are taking his music to heart and how popular it is proving. Maybe he will look at his website and getting his sounds out to new markets but, in truth, he is doing brilliantly as it is. The man has been in the business far longer than I have and knows what he is doing! I know his audience is quite broad in terms of age but I think there are so many more people who would turn on to his record and what he is putting out into the world. Keep your eyes on his social media feed – and his official website – and see where the Village heads next.

You can definitely hear the croak and gravitas of Bob Dylan when Always on My Mind comes up. I got flavours of Traveling Wilburys (the supergroup Dylan was in) and that sort of sound. The hero saw this girl that has been seen as distant but is always there. The heroine, it seems, wants our man to be the one who to pass on some advice. The girl is nice, it is said, but I wondered what he meant by the opening verse. I wonder what the ‘advice’ alludes to and how they both met. Matthews’ voice holds so much potency and weight; there is colour and candour and you are instantly fused to the lyrics. Maybe the girl feels like she is too lonely and wants someone to hang with. It seems, right away, this is a sweetheart relationship and more than friendship. In the same way old masters like McCartney can still write about love in fresh and interesting ways; Matthews presents something alluring, original and surprising. Matthews looks at the girl and knows how she feels isolated and in need of sanctuary. This advice she is looking for seems to be romantic, perhaps, or maybe she required some wisdom and guidance. I get the sense of someone who has been cast adrift and has been fighting the tide for a while now. The composition is fairly simple but it is the perfect accompaniment to the lyrics. There is a pleasing beat that gives the song strike and passion whilst the guitar provides gentleness and tender allure. The hero is stepping between an honest and comforting presence and someone who wants a little more than, in the words of McCartney, “casual conversation”. It seems like this girl has made an impression on the hero but he is fighting a rival. The affections of the girl are being split between Matthews and an unnamed man.

The hero wishes she could be his alone but, as things often go, there is complexity and other jostling for her heart. The melody and gentle swoon of the song catches the heart and gets you calm but, when you listen to the lyrics, there is a lot of pain and pining emerging. What gets to me is how you get these impressions of Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney but are never too attached when you look at influence. Matthews has a bit of Dylan’s gravel and vocal sound whilst, lyrically, there is a bit of McCartney working away. Rather than stick too closely to them, you get this new and personal concoction that gives Always on My Mind much more weight and truth. The themes will ring true with a lot of people and it is the straightness and directness of the words that makes the song shine. Our hero can only watch and wonder whilst he says the girl going off with another man. He has a heavy heart and wonders why things cannot be different. Maybe this intrigue and yearning has been there for a while and, who knows, maybe he and the girl have a history together? I think there is more at work than an instant attraction and fresh encounter: there are roots and seeds that have been planted years ago and it seems like there is history to this history. Rather than cast anger out and give the song acidity; Matthews keeps his head and heart level and keeps his cool. The woman treats him like he is not there and ignores him somewhat. These pains and ignorances get to him but there is still that hope things might be different. You can never write things off and say they will not happen but things are tricky right now. Matthews’ voice holds so much conviction and I love how the composition changes and evolves. You have this backbone that lurches and drives through but, soon enough, another guitar line comes out and gives the song new electricity and ache. The spirit of Dylan and McCartney is never too far from view but, as I say, you never feel like these icons are too encroaching and dominant. Phil Matthews writes from his own heart and, because of that, Always on My Mind wins you easily and stays in the head. It seems like the hero himself is the lonely one – although he says he is feeling fine – and he definitely needs that company. I wonder how things worked out and whether the heroine of the song changed her mind and went to the hero. It is a frustrating tale of lust and unrequired affection; something we can all relate to and get behind.

Phil Matthews has been in music for nearly five decades and has written for a lot of different artists. He has been in bands since he left school and Matthews himself has been covering quite a lot of ground since he discovered music. After building up a collection of songs for bands and having all this material in his pocket; he went solo and formed the Village. Matthews records and plays the instruments himself and has been steadily putting out material since then. Although the Village has been around for about four years; it seems like the natural space for Matthews and where he is most comfortable. Perhaps I was being a bit harsh and judgmental when I said his biography was a bit scant. In fact, when you look at his official website, you get backstory and discover where he came from. It is amazing to see how he has evolved and where his career started. I am not sure what the next step is but Matthews will continue to record music and get out there. So much of today’s music is about how many times a song has been streamed and, although Matthews’ music has reached far and wide; should we look at Pop and mainstream artists more because of some flawed measure of popularity?! I think music and the market needs reorganising so we can put the Village on the same platform/level as a big Pop name. Matthews himself is a sort of cross between Sir Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan. He definitely gets guidance from those legends but there is plenty of energy and personal D.N.A. in his tracks. I selected Always on My Mind because it is one of the most accessible tracks from Carnival of Fools and I think Matthews himself counts it as a favourite. If you have not subjected yourself to the wonders of the Village and got involved with Carnival of Fools; make sure you rectify that and get involved. I am keen to see where Phil Matthews goes in 2019 and whether another album comes along. I am a recently new convert to his music and am looking back at what he has done. Carnival of Fools is an album that promises one thing when you look at its cover and name but, when you dive down, it provides so many more colours and themes. I love what Matthews does and how his music makes you feel. Have a listen to the great songwriter and make sure you spend the proper time to…

LISTEN to his music in full!

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Follow the Village

Official:

https://www.thevillage.me.uk/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/theVillage9

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/PhilMatthewsa.k.a.theVillage/

Bandcamp:

https://thevillage2.bandcamp.com/music

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/thevillage-2

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Chlöe Howl

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

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I am never quite sure whether it is autumn or not…

IN THIS PHOTO: Sody

because the weather has been pretty good today! The sun is out and it is pretty damn warm! I am looking around at the new releases (and slightly older songs) and there are some great songs around. In another edition of this female-led playlist; there is a great mixture of sounds and genres that should enlighten and entertain the most fussy of music lovers. Have a look through the selection and there is going to be a lot there to keep you amused and engaged.

This playlist brings together some of the most talented female/female-led artists around and songs that will get into the head and stay there for a very long time! It is a wonderful time for music and it is amazing hearing how many wonderful female artists are shining and standing out. For those who feel female-made music is a genre and does not have the same strength as male-led sounds need to have a listen to this playlist and see what incredible talent…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kassi Ashton

THERE is out there.

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

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Ella Dixon Hood

 Megan Dixon Hood - Drown

Galaxians – How Do U Feel

Jessie Munro – Enough for Me

Kassi Ashton - Taxidermy

Sody – Maybe It Was Me

PHOTO CREDIT: #shayrowanphotography

Natalie McCool (ft. Hattie Pearson) – Backstage Pass #1

Judith Ude – All the Love You Feel

PHOTO CREDIT: Gwenaëlle Trannoy

Tiger Lion – Black Sea

Harlee – GIANT

Megan Lara Mae – Losing to You

PHOTO CREDIT: James Gallant

DIDI – Fickle Friends

Marie Davidson – Day Dreaming

PHOTO CREDIT: Olivia Ferrara

Sunflower Thieves – Two Halves

PHOTO CREDIT: Francesca Allen

Roses Gabor – Stuff 

Lily Moore – Do This for Me

GUTTFULL – Tits and Nails

Eve Belle – First Impressions

PHOTO CREDIT: Maxime Imbert

Farao – Marry Me

Chlöe Howl - Work

PHOTO CREDIT: Lissy Laricchia

Madison McFerrin – Shine

Ruby Francis – Rush

AURORA – All Is Soft Inside

Ivy Adara - Currency

 

Barbarella’s Bang Bang – Cowboy Job

PHOTO CREDIT: @thirtydirtybirds_

Kagoule – It’s Not My Day

Corina Corina – Toothbrush

INTERVIEW: Dani Wilde

INTERVIEW:

Dani Wilde

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ALONGSIDE her brother Will (as The Wildes)…

Dani Wilde has released a cover of the Joni Mitchell classic, A Case of You. I speak to Dani Wilde about why she recorded the track and what it is about Mitchell that attracts her; what sort of music she grew up around – whether Brighton is a great base for young musicians.

Wilde reveals whether there are tour dates coming up and what it is like being on stage; the advice she would give artists coming through; if there are particular albums she holds dear; how she unwinds away from music – she ends the interview by selecting a great song.

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

Hello! My week has been great, thank you. When I’m not touring, I lecture Music History and teach Vocal Performance at Britain and Ireland’s Modern Music Institute - so I’ve been juggling that with being a new mum and also gigging and recording.

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

Sure thing. I signed to Ruf Records, a European Blues record label back in 2007 and, more recently, VizzTone records in America. I’ve spent the past ten years touring all over Europe, Canada and the U.S.A. and I’ve been lucky enough to chart in the Country charts and the Blues charts in Europe. 

Although I often get pigeonholed as a Blues artist (and I do love the Blues), I’m more of a singer-songwriter inspired by many roots genres from Country to Gospel; Folk, Americana and Blues. My new record is really Folk-meets-Acoustic-Soul’ but you can hear the Blues in my note choices as a vocalist and the harmonica accompaniment.

A Case of You is your new track – recorded with your brother, Will. What was the reason for covering the song?

I’ve always been a big Joni Mitchell fan and her album Blue is in my top-ten-favourite albums of all-time. I actually decided to cover this song though after Prince died. I’ll be honest; even though I loved Prince’s music – songs like Purple Rain and How Come You Don’t Call Me - I didn’t delve fully into his back catalogue until he passed away. I came across a cover of Prince singing this Joni song and I really fell in love with it. That was when I started performing the song live. This coincided with me being pregnant with me little girl and so the song took on a whole new personal meaning for me.

I was touring out in Europe until three weeks before me due-date and when I performed this song each night with my huge belly on stage I would sing it for her. The lyric “Part of you pours out of me” really resonated with me - the concept of not knowing where I end and my little girl begins and how much I loved her even when she was still in the womb.

That’s why I decided to record this song.

Is there something about Joni Mitchell and the way she writes that attracted you to her?!

I was introduced to Joni Mitchell’s music by my high-school music teacher. She is a poet - her lyrics are just beautiful and her use of imagery is so unique –; she really paints such vivid pictures with her words. I also admire Joni Mitchell for her unusual vocal phrasing. There is no-one quite like her and as a vocalist I feel I have learned so much from listening to her records.

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

I grew up listening to my dad’s record collection: Bob Dylan, Motown; the Blues and ’50s Rock ‘n’ Roll. I grew up busking and playing Dylan covers in local pubs. My first professional gig was a support for Folk artist Maddie Prior (Steeleye Span) at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon. I was seventeen and I played a set of original acoustic material blending Blues and Folk influences. I was born in 1985, and so I also listened to a lot of the great ’90s pop singers such as Whitney Houston - who had a huge impact on me as a female singer.

You are based in Brighton. Is it a great area in terms of music and inspiration?

Yes. I came to Brighton to get my university degree. It’s a huge creative hub and a great place to meet like-minded musicians. I’ve recorded in studios across the world such as in San Diego, Washington D.C.; Berlin, Liepzig and Madrid – and so it was nice to record my last album, Live at Brighton Road, for VizzTone records in my hometown using Brighton’s best session players.

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

I would love to see my new single, A Case of You, chart in the Folk/Blues charts. I’ve got a big tour of Europe booked in for this coming autumn. I’ll be taking my baby girl, who is now eleven-months-old, on the road with me which is a dream come true.

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

For me, the highlight has been performing to children in the slums in Kenya. I’ve been fortunate enough to use my music as a fundraising tool to help provide children in Kenya’s slums with educational opportunities. I’ve worked with a charity called Moving Mountains to build classrooms and to deliver music education. I also support Toto Love Orphanage for children with HIV and AIDS in Embu, Kenya. When music can be used to put smiles on the faces of kids in need, and to make a real difference to their lives, that, for me, is what life and love is all about.

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

I don’t think I could pick just three albums - a lot of the Blues records I love were recorded before the days of albums. I love albums that make people question their own social conscience such as Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are a-Changin’ and Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.  

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

That’s a tough one…

Most of my heroes are sadly not still alive today. I’d love to open for Al Green or Van Morrison. Or maybe Paul Weller or Bob Dylan. I’ve been lucky enough to share festival bills with some of my heroes such as Bobby Womack and Koko Taylor whilst they were still alive.

In regards to my rider; labradoodle puppies and orange Smarties, obviously - and some sushi, prosecco and pumpkin spice lattes!  

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Create your own luck. Being in the right place at the right time means putting yourself in every potential right place whether that is your web presence; busking, gigs, local support slots; local radio and so on. Just share your music with the world at every opportunity and inevitably people will start to take notice.

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

I’ve got a U.K. show in Coolham, West Sussex in December. Before then, I’m out in Germany, France Luxembourg and Switzerland. In January, I’ll be up north in the U.K. at The Great British Rock & Blues Festival. Blues Matters are hosting an all-female stage there with myself and Dana Gillespie.

How important is it being on stage and performing? What sort of feeling do you get when up there?

I love it. It feels like a spiritual experience sharing your emotions through song and you can just feel it when the audience feel that magic too. That’s what it’s all about.

 IN THIS PHOTO: YEBBA

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yes. I really love YEBBA - ‘YEBBA’ is ‘Abbey’ spelled backwards. Abbey Smith is an amazing artist from the U.S.A. who has so much emotion in her voice it’s insane. She is a spectacular talent. She fuses Gospel with R&B and Acoustic-Soul. Her songs, My Mind and Evergreen, can be found on YouTube.

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

I unwind by playing with my little girl - reading her stories, taking her swimming; pushing her on the swings in the park, taking her to feed ducks and escaping the city for days out in the countryside.

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

YEBBA - My Mind (Sofar NYC). Abbey Smith wrote and recorded this after her mother committed suicide. I just find her voice mesmerising

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Follow Dani Wilde

Official:

https://www.daniwilde.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/DaniWilde1987

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/DANIWILDEBLUES/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/75Fysjl73jB4dHfN0Yb1iB

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6TcC1Lm-W1eY0-8l4-dYgg

INTERVIEW: Alexis Keegan

INTERVIEW:

Alexis Keegan

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I have been speaking with Alexis Keegan…

about her new track, Gospel, and whether there is a story behind it. She tells me how she got into music and which artists have been most influential; a few albums that she holds dear and whether there are any tour dates coming up.

Keegan talks about future material and which memory from her career so far stands in the mind; which rising artists we need to get behind; what advice she would give to musicians coming through at the moment – I ask how she chills away from music.

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

Hey! My week has been awesome. Had a viewing party last night for my new music video which was so fun!

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

I’m just a girl currently living in Los Angeles who loves R&B and believes music can change lives like it changed mine. Also; I’m a dog mom to the cutest Puggle named George. Haha

 

Gospel is your new single. What inspired the song? Does it come from a personal perspective?

After spending many years writing and recording songs about heartbreak, I was so ready to put out something that wasn’t about my broken heart:  I just wasn’t in that place anymore. I was working on my upcoming E.P. with producer Andrew Williams and we called in my friend Dom Williams to co-write a few songs. At the beginning of our first session, Dom said that he wanted to play us a song he had written that he thought I would like.

As someone who always has a hand in the writing, I was on the fence about it. But, once I heard this song, I was so blown away and had to record it. I grew up in a gospel choir but am not very religious so I LOVED the way this song had the Gospel-Soul feel without it being a religious song. I also loved the lyrics of basically telling someone to get their actions right or they will be kicked to the curb. We wanted to create a female version of CeeLo’s Forget You…just a super-fun, sassy; attitude-filled song.

What sort of music did you grow up around? Did music come into your life quite early?

I was obsessed with big Soul voices growing up…all the greats like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey; Aretha Franklin and then, later on, Christina Aguilera. I also really loved The Beach Boys. Their harmonies are insane. I have such amazing memories of going to a Beach Boys concert every summer with my dad. It was such a childhood highlight.

I love your vocal and its raw edges. Is it quite hard to get your found sounding like that?

Oh, thank you so much! I think growing up listening to those Soul singers; I just kind of pulled them into my own style.

Do you think there will be more material coming down the line?

Definitely! The plan is to release a full E.P. at the beginning of next year.

Can you remember when you decided to go into music? Was there a single moment where you knew you had to follow it?

I have always loved music and have wanted to be a singer my entire life but, when I was little, I was really shy. I would sing, but locked in my bedroom into a hairbrush with no one watching. Things changed a lot when I was in seventh grade. When I was twelve-years-old; my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I truly believe listening to music was the thing that got me through it. I would listen to Mariah Carey's Butterfly over and over again. Something about it just spoke to me in a special way. Towards my dad's last stage, I sang the song for him and he responded and smiled.

From that moment forward, I made a promise to myself that I would use my voice and music to help people get through hard times the way that music helped me. From there, when I entered high-school, I joined the MLK Jr. Gospel Choir where I became the only Caucasian member and one of the lead singers. It was one of the best experiences of my whole life and really brought my out of my shell. It was the priority for my life from that moment forward.

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

One memory that sticks out in my mind is the first show of the first tour I ever did. I opened for Ron Pope and the first show of the tour was in Philadelphia. Since I am from New Jersey and I went to college in Philadelphia, my whole family and so many friends came out. This was also a sold-out show so it was just insanity! One of the coolest nights of my life.

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

The first album I was ever obsessed with was Mariah Carey’s Music Box album

I remember having it on a cassette tape and it really was the first taste I got of a female that could REALLY sing. 

Whitney Houston’s Greatest Hits album is definitely on the list

I played that so much that it literally stopped playing. Haha. In high-school, my friends didn’t want to drive with me anywhere because I only played that album. Whitney is just my ultimate queen and such a huge influence on wanting to be a singer. I wish I could have had the chance to meet her. 

The third album and probably the most important is Mariah Carey’s Butterfly

Because that song is one of the reasons I got through my dad passing away.

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

Oh, wow. The dream would be to open for Mariah Carey! Since she plays such a huge role in my life, that would just be a dream come true. I’m excited even thinking about it. Haha.

My rider would be pretty minimal. Probably would just need bottled water, hot tea with honey and some gluten-free pretzels (I have a small addiction. Haha).

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

Hopefully, the beginning of next year! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for updates!

 What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Early on, the things I was told and what appeared to be most important is likeability and physical appearance. As a teen, I put a lot of pressure on myself to look good because that’s what the magazines told me. To be a young girl and to feel the need to focus on sex appeal, I now know it doesn’t matter who you are; what you look like or where you come from…the most important thing is focusing on what you’re passionate about, what makes you truly happy and staying true to yourself. I would tell new artists to focus on those important things. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Allen Stone

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

My newer obsessions have been Allen Stone (seriously; his voice is insane!) and Maren Morris. Maren’s album is the first in a long time that I can listen to from start to finish and love every single song. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Maren Morris/PHOTO CREDIT: Austin Hargrave : Photographer

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

Because music is my everything; I have to make a conscious effort to unplug and take a break sometimes. And Los Angeles is such a busy city that it can get exhausting. My favorite thing to do is drive up to a little wine country area a couple hours outside of L.A. - the towns are Solvang and Los Olivos. It’s so quaint and beautiful. Plus, I love wine (smiles). It’s really nice to go up there a few times a year just to clear my head and relax; wine in one hand, dog in the other.

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

I feel like dancing so let’s blast Whitney Houston -I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)! 

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Follow Alexis Keegan

Official:

https://www.alexiskeegan.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AlexisKMusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AlexisKeeganMusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/58U2dw8DQDSvmEJjvwToN6

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/alexiskeegan/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/alexiskeegan

INTERVIEW: Johny Dar

INTERVIEW:

Johny Dar

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THIS is not the first time I have spoken with Johny Dar…

but he is a busy man so there is always something brewing in his camp! I have been speaking with him about YOUNOTUS’ remix of his song, Be Free, and how that project came together; whether there is more work coming down the line and what he wants to achieve before this year is through.

Dar reveals a few albums that are special to him and how his love of fashion and music intertwine; who he considers as musical idols and whether he takes from past music and mixes it with his own expressions – he ends the interview with a great song selection.

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

Bitching. From London Fashion Week to a Paris trade show; I am now enjoying my weekend in Amsterdam.

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

If you really want to know who I am - your question will be answered with my next song… - I am a child that never stopped playing. I see life as one big playground. My art is always true to an emotion that is aching to respond to what life brings my way.

Your song, Be Free, has been given a remix by YONOTUS. How did you come to hook up? What do you think of the results?

Bitching. The wizards of P.R. put it together. We are an arranged marriage - but with a great looking baby; what do you think?

Is there going to be more material coming along do you think?

Don’t have to think about that one: once I start, I don’t stop. So you can expect much more…

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

Looking at my pictures being a kid; I tried hard to look like Michael Jackson…and, eventually, after he turned white, we looked alike (smiles). So; I started with wanting to be Michael Jackson and then realised that Johnny Cash is not so bad.

I didn’t grow up around a lot of music which drove me to discover the music within me, so it worked out in the end.

I know you are a big fashion lover and have graced catwalks around the world. How does fashion and music intertwine do you feel?

If you wanna see architecture as frozen music, fashion can be the bendable music - or body music. To me, in one way or another, it all ends up being music since everything is vibration when you break it down anyway! You can be satisfied with just creating a song or, in my case, I need more and have to keep expanding into the song of life; whether that’s building a car or creating a fashionable piece. I just keep creating so it all intertwines within my grander creative vision.

Do you draw from other artists when writing music or come at things from a fresh perspective?

I do my best to forget everything that I know about art, music; fashion and design before I am able to find that space of having an inspiration. As an artist, I don’t believe in sitting there and attempting to produce anything - other than finding greater flow or ease within the best medium to express my emotion in that moment.

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

Staying alive till the end of 2018 - cause I have many projects that are coming to their final stages before the next chapter of Johny Dar unfolds in 2019. From Art Forever to Dardelica to my novel, Darya; to the complete IQ-ME series to the launch of my new fashion collection and my body-art book, Wild Wild World. 2019 is gonna be rocking.

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

Pink Floyd - The Wall; Bob Marley - Greatest Hits and Jimmy Hendrix - Electric Ladyland

Those are just classics that never cease to inspire me.

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

Björk. I will bring aliens from the skies and rock it all…  

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

You can make a living copying others, or you can be great being you. If you are not an artist with the ability to come up with an original idea and concept in any moment given then it will be difficult in the times to come since artificial intelligence will be taking over.

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

We have a world tour coming up…ask my manager the details!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kaizen Karnak

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

So many. Two who played at our event at London Fashion week, Slackbaba and Kaizen Karnak, both are super-talented and rocked the party.

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

I paint to unwind.

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).

Santana - Put Your Lights On

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Follow Johny Dar

Official:

https://johnydar.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JohnyDar

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/johny.dar.5/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3mTekwi2ewzlxAdih6IAjA

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCETMTHu3unObULKFYI96XxA

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/johnydarcreations/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/johnydar

INTERVIEW: Big Lonely

INTERVIEW:

Big Lonely

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IT has been cool speaking with…

Jake of Big Lonely about the new single, Ticket, and how the Canadian band found one another. He talks about the upcoming album, Bad Magic (out on 12th October) and what inspired the music; how they have evolved as a unit since the start and whether any tour dates are coming up.

The band members each select a song to end with; Jake picks an album that means a lot to him; which approaching artists are wort checking out; how he spends time away from music – he provides some helpful advice for musicians coming through.

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

We are great! This has been a very excited week for us having just released our new single. Feels good to release some music again. 

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

We’re a band from Burlington, Ontario (Canada) called Big Lonely. Pleased to meet you.

Ticket is your new single. Can you talk about its background and story?

I wrote the first incarnation of Ticket three years ago. It’s about one of our original band members (T.J. Bowman) who left the band and what it was like to go on as a band without him.  Years before Big Lonely started, T.J. and I were in high-school together. I was very new to writing music, and T.J. was one of the few people who I trusted enough to show the first songs that I ever wrote. He told me I would be his “ticket to the top”.  I wasn’t.  (We’re still best friends).

It is from the album, Bad Magic (out on 12th October). What sort of themes and ideas influenced the songs?

The main theme of Bad Magic is misplaced belief: the morality of allowing others to believe in you, while you don’t fully believe in yourself. A lot of the album is about the idea of asking everything of someone and just hoping you’re worth the time and effort given.

Can you talk about how Big Lonely got together? When did you meet?

T.J., Cole; Ciaran and I all grew up and met in Burlington. We started the band in 2012 in London, Ontario together while we were in college. When T.J. left, we added our new college friends Taylor and Andrew.

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

We all come from different musical backgrounds and tastes, but I think Radiohead is a common denominator. 

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

Our first two albums dealt a lot with heartbreak and angst. Now that those things are no longer present in my life, I have to deal with everything else. Bad Magic is a mature progression of lyrical themes and personal growth. Musically, I think, over the years, we have become a little less sporadic and introduced a refined focus on rhythm and groove.

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

Releasing our album this October will be a big milestone for us. We hope to bring it to as many people as possible and in as many ways as possible.

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

A few weeks ago, we rented a school bus filled it with fifty of our closest friends and fans; drove everyone out to an isolated barn in rural Ontario and hosted an intimate album preview show called The Bad Magic School Bus. It was probably the most unique experience we’ve had as a band and one we won’t ever forget.

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

Building Nothing Out of Something by Modest Mouse stuck with me all through high-school and helped carry me through the aches and pains of being a young, angsty teen. It was also a major inspiration for me, musically.

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

We would support the Baha Men (of Who Let the Dogs Out? fame), and on our rider we would ask only for the dogs to be let back in.

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

Yes! We will be touring throughout the fall in support of our new album. All dates can be found at www.biglonely.com

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be nice to all that you meet.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Pineapple Girls/PHOTO CREDIT: @L.A. West

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Elementals, Pineapple Girls; Fonfur, Sweet and Lowdown; Clementine, Huttch and Thick Picnic.

IN THIS PHOTO: Fonfur

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

Whenever we get the chance, we vacate to our drummer Cole’s cottage and play copious amounts of ‘Spikeball’. Though I wouldn’t call it unwinding, we take it more seriously than we take music.

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).

Elementals – Angel Static

Pineapple Girls – Sleeptalking

Fonfur – Denim Dogs

Sweet and Lowdown – Bad Coffee

Huttch – Get Up

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Follow Big Lonely

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BigLonelyBand

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/biglonelyband/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3f8MQIW7c15h431lHmmHfI?si=mj1ee6KjQDmeUTiUqXX-aQ

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLswC4lIfDXZ8zYiGkbvPHw

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/biglonelyband/

INTERVIEW: SHIRAN

INTERVIEW:

SHIRAN

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SHIRAN has been telling me about her…

track, Zehere, and what comes next for her. I ask what sort of music she grew up around and what she hopes to achieve by the end of the year; if there are albums that are important to her – she recommends some approaching artists to look into.

I ask SHIRAN whether there is any advice she would give to artists emerging right now; how it feels being on stage and delivering music to the people; whether there are tour dates coming up – she ends the interview by selecting an interesting track.

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

Hi. I’m and it was a great week.

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

I’m SHIRAN and I’m a thirty-one-year-old from Israel. In the last years, I tracked my Yemen roots and created songs from my grandmother’s stories of the Yemen (Aliyah). The songs were produced by my husband, Ron Bakal, and came out alongside a groove band and, together, we created a new style: Middle East-Afro beat.

Zehere is out. What is the inspiration behind the song?

The song describes my grandmother’s sister - a young girl named ‘Zehere’, and her family who moved to Israel from Yemen. All that she can think about is running away from the place she lives, to explore the world outside. The song was written from her sister's point of view: “Just be back, Zehere/Your time to see the world will come”.

Can you talk more about the video? Who came up with the concept and what was your reaction seeing it back for the first time?

My husband, Ron Bakal, and I met with the director, Vadim Mechona. After we told him Zehere’s story, together we created the concept of the video. Our idea was to bring the East together with the West - the old with the new and, finally, to bring Yemen into TLV 2018.

The first time I saw the video, I was very proud and excited about the results.

I believe an album is coming up. Are there particular themes and stories that have inspired the music?

Yes. The album concept came from the stories. I tracked my Yemen roots and created songs from my grandmother’s stories of the Yemen (Aliyah).

Might we see more material/singles coming down the line?

Yes.

Can you recall when music came into your life? Which artists did you follow?

Music came into my life when I was sixteen-years-old. That was the time I started to sing and discovered the music. At that time, I was listening to singers like Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson; Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé and a lot of Israeli music.

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

I hope to bring my music to as many places in the world as possible. I hope to create a lot of music and be proud of it. 

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

I have a lot of memories. My favorite one is the time that Ron and I worked in the studio on one of the songs, Yatim. This song was written by the inspiring life story of Haim Malihi (Ron’s grandfather) that made an Aliyah from Yemen at a very young age; after being orphaned from his mother. The song describes the journey and the dream that he had to get to his heart’s destination.

The work on the production of the song was magical and the creation was amazing. It was clear to us how to create the musical journey of the song because of its strong story.

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

Balkan Beat Box - Shout It Out

I really like the album's musical production and I think this is one of the best bands from Israel.

Aziza Brahim – Soutak

I love her music and her voice. This album excites me because it is produced accurately to her truth and humility.

Omar Souleyman - To Syria, With Love

I love the groove and the rhythm of this album.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Music requires patience, persistence; willpower, determination and faith.

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

I’m going to perform at two festivals in Israel: InDnegev and the International Music Showcase. We’re now working on summer 2019 tour dates in Europe.

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

Being on stage and performing is the most important thing!

After all the work involved regarding music and everything around it, I’ll always remind myself  that, in the end, I decided to make music because of my strong desire to sing -  especially with my own music on stage.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Quarter to Africa and Malabi Tropical.

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

I’m trying as much as I can - especially when my husband is my musical producer. So, most of our time, we’re playing music, creating music; making a decisions about the project. We sleep with it and wake up with it. So, it's important for us to do things that are not related to music like watching movie and traveling the world.               

The main thing I do to chill is sport (like swimming and running) or just taking a walk through the beach and pass time by the sea.

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).

Warni Warni - Omar Soulyman

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Follow SHIRAN

Official:

https://batovrecords.com/artists/s-h-i-r-a-n/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ShiranAvrahamOfficial/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4sJyVLje7OBYbgNuwwFj6S

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbkvlIBmm2gNmCYOLckCaqQ

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/shiranmusic/ 

INTERVIEW: Lexytron

INTERVIEW:

Lexytron

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THIS interview sees me speak with Lexytron…

as she talks about her debut single, Blackmail. I ask her how she got into music and which artists she grew up around. I was eager to learn where she heads next and whether we can catch her on tour – she highlights a rising band we need to get behind.

Lexytron tells me which musician she’d support given the chance and what her favourite memory from her career so far is; the three albums that mean a lot to her; if she gets time to unwind away from music – she ends the interview by selecting a great song.

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

Hi, Sam. It’s going well. I’ve played a couple of low-key shows in South East London this week with Marco Meloni, who has mixed my album. He had a former career as a recording artist in Italy and now produces, mixes and teaches music. He is so passionate, so versatile and it’s a joy playing with him.

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

Simply put, I am a girl musician who writes songs and sings them. I have recorded an eleven-track album called Something Blue, which I worked on with Mike, the lead guitarist of indie rock band City Reign. The album crosses genres and does not fit neatly into a musical box - I can’t help it. I learned Classical piano and violin from a young age but I have Rock ‘n’ Roll in my blood.  

Blackmail is your debut single. Is there a story behind the song?

The song is open to interpretation. I have described it as the Devil’s take on a love song, which is alluded to in the music video. The overarching theme is unbalanced and unreciprocated lust which borders on obsession.  The music helps lighten the somewhat shady undertones!

It is from your forthcoming album, Something Blue. What sort of themes inspired the music on the record?

Each song has its own theme but broadly - rejection, loneliness; lust, love and female empowerment with a spatter of social commentary. 

How did music come into your life? Did you grow up around a lot of different stuff?

Music has always been around me. My dad used to play Beatles tapes to put me to sleep but I had no idea who they were at the time so I guess I was hypnotised. I remember being really scared of Eleanor Rigby - there’s some really chilling strings on that song – and it’s a wonder I didn’t have nightmares. He also had a lot of different music playing in the house and in the car. He is Greek so it was everything from Savopoulous, who is like the Greek Bob Dylan, to South American panpipe music via more traditional Rock ‘n’ Roll dad-music like Bruce Springsteen and 1960s compilations.

When did you decide to get into music? Was there a moment you knew it was for you?!

My mum sent me to piano lessons aged six as my sister was learning so, in a way, she made that choice for me. Apparently, I used to watch Fiddler on the Roof as a toddler and imitate playing the violin in the mirror, so I started to learn it too. The moment I remember consciously becoming a music ‘fan’ is when I was about seven and my dad put on Sounds of the Sixties on BBC2 on a Friday evening. It was the first time I had seen The Beatles. I think it was a black-and-white performance of She Loves You.

Something connected in my head and heart (perhaps from the earlier hypnosis) and he handed me over his tapes which I started to listen to in my bedroom while playing with my Barbies and Polly Pockets. 

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

The album is finished so, for the rest of the year, I want to get out and play for people and get the word out about ‘Lexytron’. I just want people to hear and enjoy the music!

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

I played The Prince of Greenwich and there were some Ukrainians in town. I have a song called Gypsy Blue which has an Eastern European folkish flavour to it and they lapped it up and started wooping, clapping and joining in. Given that they had never heard it before, it was a nice feeling! Making someone’s night or bringing meaning to a moment in their life, no matter how fleeting, makes it all worthwhile.

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

Rubber Soul by The Beatles

It’s always hard to pick a Beatles album, but this album walks the tightrope between Rock ‘n’ Roll and Folk and is easy on the ear but with a lot of depth. I don’t know how they managed it. Each song has its own personality and emotions. I think that is why I strive to write ‘different’-sounding songs and to not hide my feelings in them.

In My Life is so short but it says so much - it took me a while to learn to play the superfast harpsichord solo myself - and it is so intricate but delightful and poignant. I’d like that song played at my funeral, but I performed it at a friend’s wedding.

Funeral by Arcade Fire

Sonically, this is such a beautiful album. I am a big fan of the band, but this will always be their high-point for me because of where and when it hit me. I am from a small town but I have since lived in many different cities, including two capitals, so perhaps I connect to that feeling of escapism on a deeper level.

Neighborhood #1 in particular is so dramatic and uplifting in the way the music builds up. They are perhaps the best musicians I have seen live. There is so much going on the stage and so many instruments! They may have classical sensibilities, but to me they are Rock ‘n’ Roll.

American Idiot by Green Day

This is the album where I finally understood why all the cool kids at school liked Green Day (I then went all the way back to 39/Smooth and moved forwards) and also introduced me to the world of Punk music which I did not grow up on. My dad was more of an Old Grey Whistle Test kind of guy so it was not something I ever heard in my house and my other source of music was the charts and radio. The songs are ambitious in structure and message.

A song like Homecoming is a gas of Who-like proportions. Billie Joe is a lyricist with no pretension and he writes very autobiographically and without filter. I admire that greatly. I think the reason he is perhaps not given the same kudos as other Rock icons is because he is still alive and kicking and making music in various guises. 

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

Why not aim high? Paul McCartney - just to have an opportunity to meet him and thank him.

I would put my mum’s home cooking on the rider. My mum is Persian and food is a big part of her culture. Her cooking is not just about good food but it represents giving love. That’s why I always have eating marathon when I go home as she goes overboard to compensate for me not being there all the time. If Paul tasted it, he’d definitely want to hang out with me more! Win-win.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I’m a new artist so I could do with all the advice I can get - perhaps to support our fellow artists!

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

Yes. In support of the first single, I’m playing locally:

30th October - The Reliance, Shoreditch

3rd November - The Allsop Arms, Marylebone

7th November - Lyttelton Arms, Camden

11th November - Plough, Bloomsbury

I will be announcing some more shows, hopefully outside of London, once the next song and album comes out! Stay tuned.

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

Hugely important and I am looking forward to getting to play more and more because I love it. It is great to see the reactions of people to the words you sing and the sounds you make. When the crowd gets that, their positive energy is intoxicating and invigorating! You don’t want it to stop.

 IN THIS PHOTO: False Advertising

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

False Advertising – they rock.

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

I love cooking and eating - food is an event for me. I love exploring the city of London and beyond, given that I am a Northerner.  I love travelling to other countries too. I have been very fortunate that I grew up getting to go to Greece almost every summer but I am making it my mission to see as much as I can while I’m in this world.

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).

Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam - A 1000 Times

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Follow Lexytron

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Lexytronmusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/LexytronMusic

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTcDgF0GOE8IxYDqhK-fCAQ

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/user-353045116

FEATURE: National Album Day: Why the Album Still Means So Much

FEATURE:

 

 

National Album Day

PHOTO CREDIT: @skylarfaithfilm/Unsplash 

Why the Album Still Means So Much

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SOME have poured scorn over the concept…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @florenciaviadana/Unsplash

of a day that celebrates albums and puts them in the spotlight! Some say it is contrived and a day devoted to a format that is not relevant during these times. One of the biggest debates in music is whether the album is still viable and people actually listen to them. Certainty, musicians do not go into the studio to record a few singles and decide to add a few additional numbers to make up an album. There is that feeling we only go after what is played on the radio and do not have the attention spans to fully commit to an album. Maybe that is down to the way music is promoted nowadays: Spotify streaming and singles played on the radio; those big songs highlighted and the album is sort of out there for people to find. I am not one of those people who likes to listen to one or two songs from an album and then let it go there. Artists put their everything into recording albums and I feel we owe it to them to mark that and listen to their work. I will end this piece by highlighting my favourite six albums (or those that have made a huge impression) – records that need to be heard in their fullest and, to me, should give people good reason to open their eyes and ears and concentrate on what artists put out!

 PHOTO CREDIT: @skylarfaithfilm/Unsplash

If album sales have declined and electronic formats make it easier for us to handpick songs and skim at will; there are those who realise that, seventy years since the creation of the L.P., there are those who want that complete and long-playing format. Before I go on; here is a bit of information regarding National Album Day:

“The British Phonographic Industry and the UK Entertainment Retailers Association have announced the inaugural National Album Day, reports Music Week.

Taking place on the 13th October, with help from the team behind Record Store Day as well as broadcast partner BBC Music, National Album Day will include live events, LP playback sessions and online listening parties.

Participating stores, organisations and individuals will be invited to play their favourite album at 3.33 pm sharp, apparently.

“Individual tracks may have stolen the limelight over the past few years, but British music fans love albums as much as ever,” shares Kim Bayley, Chief Executive of the ERA.

According to the BPI, an estimated five billion albums have been sold since 1948 – when a performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in e minorby the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York became the first album pressed to vinyl”.

There is that fear that, now we have Spotify playlists, the album as an artform is being put to pasture. This article from The Guardian (from 2017) looked at playlists and how they have affected albums:

“Artists are even starting to pull apart the album format and create evolving playlists in their place. Drake’s much-vaunted “playlist”, More Life, was essentially an album given a zeitgeisty rebrand, but in 2016, David Gray released a “dynamic” greatest hits on Spotify where tracks were switched around depending on how popular they were, while there were industry rumours, subsequently scotched, that Calvin Harris was going to abandon the album entirely and instead release singles and EPs on a rolling basis. Now London rapper Avelino is planning an eight-track “evolving playlist” for the end of September where it will be added to and subtracted from on a regular basis. Playlisting now means the album no longer has to remain a fixed entity”.

PHOTO CREDIT: @mariahashby/Unsplash 

“But while Spotify may be shaping the way music reaches us, ultimately the listener still has choice – and that power is built into the service’s architecture. Spotify watches which tracks get skipped, and those with high skip rates will be unceremoniously binned for stinking up its playlists. The onus therefore remains mostly on artists and labels to whip up momentum”.

Getting a number-one record is still important and a big achievement but I wonder how many of us look at the charts and what is happening. When I was young, I always loved looking at the album charts and seeing who would be at the very top. Now, I feel we are more compelled by which song is the most streamed or which one is trending. Maybe we are aware of the biggest albums from this year but how many of us have sat down and actually listen to them end-to-end?! I feel we only get a limited impression of an artist if we listen to whatever song of theirs is on a playlist or the singles being promoted.

PHOTO CREDIT: @rawpixel

In a lot of cases, the singles might be misleading and not your favourite tracks from that album – we might ignore the album thinking it will stink but are judging everything based on what is released into the charts. In other cases, singles might not be indicative of what an album contains and, in many cases, they are part of a whole story. Think about the best albums of this year – everyone from IDLES and Anna Calvi to Christine and the Queens to Arctic Monkeys – and we have all heard the odd single from these artists this year. They are incredible and instant but you need to listen to the records themselves and see why critics are raving. I have heard the albums from each of those artists and can attest to their brilliance. The singles released from the respective records are strong but, in many cases, not the strongest cuts from the album. A lot of times, labels direct what is released and it often revolves around getting out there something direct, catchy and accessible.

IN THIS ILLUSTRATION: Cardi B/ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Clara Bacou

The finest albums from all-time have a range of textures: songs that are complex and nuanced; others that are direct and catch you straight away. I do not buy the assertion artists are recording albums for the sake of it; that it is all about a few songs and the rest is filler. When the C.D. came out, I know a lot of acts felt they had to cover every second and take advantage of the format – that did mean there were weaker tracks and unnecessary inclusions. Now, they do not need to do that and I think albums now are much more streamlined, quality-controlled and personal. Maybe some of us are impatient and we want to hear a range of artists but are you going to remember any of the songs you streamed in the past week?! How about the artists themselves?! I could listen to a Cardi B track and will be taken aback and it would be in my head for a while. Chances are, soon enough, it would go out and with it Cardi B herself. Listen to her album, Invasion of Privacy, and you hear so much at work. It is filled with pleasure, confidence and wonderful songs. I have listened to the album in its entirety and, as such, Cardi B has been rattling around my mind. It is rewarding listening to a complete record, not skipping a track and getting a complete impression of what the artist is trying to say.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kobuagency/Unsplash

I feel a lot of an album’s appeal lies in its physicality and tangential nature. You can pick up a vinyl and take out the record itself and then read the notes on the sleeve. Digital options mean there is that lack of touch and connection with the physical side. Saying that; albums are about music and I feel we all need to slow down and take more time listening to music. I feel so many of today’s artists are fighting against the consumer culture: investing their all into record albums and telling a story in its ten (or so) tracks. They want people to spend time listening to their records and what they have spent countless hours crafting in studios. A recent article from The Guardian, reacting to the Mercury Prize nominations, explained how there are plenty in record shops flicking through vinyl – the album is living on and needs to be fostered:

“In the first case, this bump is being fed by artists rededicated to the format. The album remains a powerful artistic statement, so much more than 12 songs shoved together.

There was a time when it seemed the forward-thinking move was to ditch albums. In 2007, the band Ash claimed they were done, saying: “The way people listen to music has changed, and with the advent of the download, the emphasis has reverted from albums to single tracks.” They’ve since released two albums (and a best of), admitting: “We’ve noticed just how much vinyl has come back and we thought this would be the best way of getting our music out there again”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @annietheby/Unsplash

The article goes on to look at the disposability we are seeing this decade and how people are rebelling against it:

“In fact, Jon Tolley of independent store, Banquet Records, says: “The increase in demand [for albums] was customer-led, not industry-driven. I’ve always thought the increase in vinyl sales is an immediate reaction to how disposable everything else is in the 2010s.

“As you have the world of music at your fingertips, the stuff you really love, that you want to have to hold forever, you want to have in a physical form. And some of that is outrageously extravagant.

“Vinyl itself is beautifully cumbersome and unnecessary. And that’s the beauty. Your record collection is an art collection, both aurally and physically.”

Stephen Godfroy, co-owner of Rough Trade, has seen a similar fetishisation in his customers: “The LP is the finest, truest aesthetic and informative representation of a recording artist’s work, given the breadth of ‘canvas’”.

I think we all need to celebrate National Album Day and not see it is a one-off thing that is designed to mark seventy years of the album. Instead, we need to recognise it (National Album Day) is recognition people are not letting albums die and there is this resurgence. Most of us are passionate about music because of the albums we were raised on. If we only heard the odd song from big artists I wonder whether we’d bother listening to them today. Most of my most-precious music memories revolve around listening to tapes, C.D.s and vinyl in their full state and unpicking each track. I loved going down to a record shop and buying the latest big release. Maybe there was the odd duff track on albums but that was all part of the pleasure and experience. So many artists today are, without irony, putting out vinyl and connecting with the colour, joy and physicality of an album. They want to be remembered and people to get something from their music. The album can never die but I do feel there is this ignorance that suggests modern music is about playlists, singles and disposability. Think about your early life and how you discovered music – I bet you have visions of albums and vinyl lying around! That is certainly my recollection and, ahead of National Album Day; here are six records that have made a big impression…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @maltewingen/Unsplash

IN my life.

 ________________

The Beatles – Rubber Soul (1965)

 ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

Whilst not considered the best album by The Beatles, it was among many of their albums I was raised on. Rubber Soul is not as experimental and bold as later albums like Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band but something about the L.P. struck me. Rubber Soul was the moment The Beatles reinvented Pop and pushed it forward; John Lennon and Paul McCartney showing greater confidence as songwriters. I love the rich harmonies on The Word; the playfulness and catchiness of Drive My Car and the revealing, emotional tones of In My Life. Closer Run for Your Life was dismissed by writer John Lennon but it shows, even near their peak, the band were not flawless. I love the simplicity of the recordings and how, even though a lot of the songs are piano/acoustic guitar-led; they are much bolder and developed songs than The Beatles were producing a couple of years previous. Rubber Soul is a complete and astonishing work where The Beatles are pushing their work further than ever and sound completely in-harmony. It is a record I first experienced as a child and has been with me ever since.

Jeff Buckley – Grace (1994)

There is a reason why Grace continues to inspire generations and the new breed of songwriters: every song is a side of Jeff Buckley and is as beautiful as the last. I discovered Buckley as late as 2004 but was struck by his voice and what a compelling songwriter he was. Hallelujah is the song everyone talks about but consider the sweep and heartache of Last Goodbye and the spellbinding Corpus Christi Carol; the attack and power of Grace and the exceptional lyrics of Lover, You Should’ve Come Over. I have watched documentaries of Buckley recording the tracks and how much of himself he put into the sessions. He laboured over songs and never considered Grace would be about a couple of singles and that was it!

Kate Bush – The Kick Inside (1978)

Kate Bush has always been seen as an album artist. She still has so much affection for the album as a format and, right from the off, ensured her albums were chocked with life and quality. The Kick Inside is my favourite album because it is a narrative and exploration of a song artist entering music – full of confidence, ability and that wondrous voice. Singles like Wuthering Heights are stunning but the joy is listening to all of the tracks (on The Kick Inside) and witnessing this fantastic young artist exploring new themes and ideas. No two tracks are alike on The Kick Inside and I love the variation and beauty throughout. Bush was talking about menstruation and incest; discussing love in very mature ways and looking at themes no other artist was talking about. I love all the sounds, lyrics and brilliant moments on The Kick Inside and have to listen to it the whole way through. It is a treasure and masterful record that still brings new revelation to light – despite the fact I have heard it countless times!

The White Stripes – The White Stripes (1999)

The White Stripes would grow more confident as their careers evolved and incorporate more instruments into the mix but the reason I love their debut so much is its rawness and sparse sound. It is a D.I.Y.-sounding record that artists today are inspired by. Most of the songs are quite short and snappy and, because of that, you are more than happy to spend the time listening to the complete album. Like all great records; The White Stripes holds together and tells a story but is broad and varied. Jack and Meg White are completely connected and add so much colour and physicality to each song. It is a wonderful, engrossing album that I have been a huge fan of since 1999. Again, you could not imagine listening to the odd song from the album and leaving things there: such is the power and consistency of the material, you follow it end-to-end and let your senses trip and wander.

Paul Simon – Graceland (1986)

Few albums are more important and loved as Paul Simon’s Graceland. I recall discovering it during the 1990s and connecting with sounds I had never heard before. The African rhythms and voices that came from the speakers brought me into a new world but, oddly, it is the lyrics that stick in the mind! I love how Simon tells tales and the way he employs language. Graceland is filled with lovable characters and personal stories; fascinating visions and unforgettable lines. The record is so full of unbelievable sounds and textures; a rich and endless banquet that needs to be experienced as a whole thing. It is one of my favourite records and I cannot listen to Graceland in pieces: I need to sit there and make sure every track unfolds.

Björk – Debut (1993)

There are few albums, in my mind, that are as diverse and compelling as Debut. It was not the first Björk album I cam across – that would be Post – but it has made the biggest impact. The bellicose and intense opening of Human Behaviour is amazing; the anthemic Venus as a Boy a totally different beast; Big Time Sensuality is a blast of delirium and energy; Violently Happy one of the best things Björk ever recorded. None of the eleven tracks are surplus to requirement and I adore how each song has its place and wrestles for attention. It is another one of those big and busy albums that you need to settle down with and listen to in one go.

INTERVIEW: Stone Jets

INTERVIEW:

Stone Jets

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FROM a trip to Leeds…

it is over to Cape Town, South Africa as I speak with Stone Jets. They have been discussing their current album, Memory, and the stories/themes that go into it. I was eager to learn how their U.K. tour is going (their last date here was on 1st October - they completed the interview during the tour) and how the band found one another.

They tell me about their musical tastes and what they have planned going forward; if there is a strong and interesting scene in Cape Town right now; which approaching artists we need to look out for – they end the interview by selecting some great songs.

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

Hey, Sam. We are great, thanks. The week has been amazing - filled with gigs and sightseeing.

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

We are a three-piece band of Soul musicians from Cape Town, South Africa.

Memory is your latest album. What sort of themes and ideas go into the songs? Do you have favourite cuts from the record?

Yeah. Memory is our latest offering and it mainly deals with the joys and woes of taking time to relive certain memories and pausing the ever demanding ‘now’. The record is so new; we still love them all the same.

How did Stone Jets get together? Do you all share musical tastes?

Given and Manfred met at a studio and Eduan joined the band as the drummer when the decision was made to grow the duo into a band. We have intersecting tastes that make it easy to share a love for the art.

Cape Town is where you are based. Is there a strong musical scene there right now?

Yes. We are currently based in Cape Town. There is a strong wave of musicians in Cape Town and, like many creative city hubs, it - Cape Town - faces challenges that affect the scene.

The band has evolved and changed through the years. Do you think you are at your strongest and most focused right now?!

Yeah, we have grown. Thank you for noting that. I think we are even more determined. I truly believe that our current U.K./Ireland tour is fortifying our motives and focus, personally and musically.

You are in the U.K. touring at the moment. What has the tour been like so far? Do you like it over this way?!

This tour has been everything and more we could have thought of. The reception and feedback has been extremely invaluable. We do like the music scene and music culture here.

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

2018 has dished up amazing challenges and milestones and, if we can complete 2018 having completed all that tours we still have, then that would be a massive achievement.

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

Unanimously, it would be receiving that email and confirmation for our first International tour.

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

Given: Phantom of the Opera - Original London Cast

My mom played this C.D. when I was growing up.

Manfred: Tananas - Time

Steve Newman’s guitar playing on the album inspires me.

Eduan: Alter Bridge – Blackbird

The music and Myles Kennedy’s voice make it so great!

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

Fleetwood Mac. Our rider would have endless pizza, time with the band (Fleetwood Mac) and endless boiled water.

Are you going to be touring more later this year? Where are you heading?

Yes, we are. We will be back in South Africa: Johannesburg, Durban and East London by the end of the year.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Just do it and push on through - and only listen to people that want you to be more of yourself.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lili Caseley

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yeah. Lili Caseley (U.K.); Olly Flavel (U.K.) and CrossCurrent (Cape Town).

IN THIS PHOTO: CrossCurrent

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

Yeah, we do.

Given: I run and go hiking.

Manfred: I am an amateur luthier.

Eduan: Developing the emerging Whole Foods movement

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).

Given: Aretha Franklin - Tracks of My Tears

Manfred: Läpsley – Operator (He Doesn’t Call Me)

Eduan: Vulfpeck - 1612

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Follow Stone Jets

Official:

http://www.stonejets.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/stonejets

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/stonejets

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/stonejets/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/stonejets

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1RqKaZtnoko0n8YpgLNZkx

INTERVIEW: Sunflower Thieves

INTERVIEW:

Sunflower Thieves

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THE superb Sunflower Thieves…

 ARTWORK CREDIT: Adam Illingworth 

have been speaking with me about their new track, Two Halves, and what the reaction has been to it so far. I ask Amy and Lily how they found one another and whether they have shared taste in music; whether there is more material coming along – they select some rising artists that are worth checking out.

Sunflower Thieves tell me about the albums that matter most to them and whether there are any gigs coming up; how they feel being on stage and sharing music with the people – they each select a song to end the interview with.  

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Hi, Sunflower Thieves. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello! We’re great, thank you! You’ve caught us the day after our fabulous gig with Wildwood Kin in Leicester – so, yes, we’ve had a great week!

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

We are Amy and Lily! We are a female-fronted Pop-Folk band originally from the East Midlands and now based in Leeds. We take inspiration from the likes of First Aid Kit, Gabrielle Aplin and Lucy Rose. We combine delicate harmonies, honest lyrics and driving rhythms and, along with our wonderful band, we play all over the country at as many different shows, events and festivals as possible.

I believe Two Halves stems from personal tragedy. Can you explain the story behind the song?

Two Halves is an incredibly personal song, so we don’t go into too much detail regarding the story behind it. The song was inspired by, and a reaction to, a close friend in a vulnerable place. Lyrically, the song portrays the reassurance and care that is necessary in a friendship, without it becoming overwhelming. We have been so touched by some of the messages and responses we’ve had since the release and how people have interpreted it.

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

There will definitely be more music coming out next year. We are writing and starting to demo new work as we speak. Since the single, we have also released a live band performance video, as well as a live acoustic version - so definitely have a look at those if you haven’t already. We have also been performing at a few Sofar Sounds gigs this year, which will produce some live videos on their YouTube channel!

We are super-happy with the reception Two Halves has received and we can’t wait to follow it up with new material. We also have a whole bunch of new merch to be announced soon which we’re pretty excited about, as it’s been a while since we last had some and a lot of it is brand-new.

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

We have always been close friends - from a very young age - and have always shared a passion for music, particularly attending live music events. Through the very creative community we grew up in - and the everlasting support and encouragement from our families - we started playing open mics and local events, before beginning to write our own material.

We became ‘Sunflower Thieves’ about three years ago before releasing our debut E.P., Hold the Storm, in early-2017. There was no funny or particularly memorable moment when we decided on the name; we just liked the contradiction between something beautiful and something negative.

Since then, we have stepped up in both our music and performance; been joined by a drummer and bassist and played all over the U.K. at more and more exciting shows.

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

We have lots of shared musical interests and lots of different ones too. We often share music with each other that we’ve just discovered and we have many albums and songs that remind us of our childhood with strong memories attached to them. We both sang in a local choir, attended piano lessons and joined wind bands/orchestras when we were younger.

Amy: I went to a lot of Country, Singer-Songwriter and Folk gigs with my family - artists whom I still listen to and love…

Lily: KT Tunstall, Joni Mitchell and The Cranberries.

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

We would like to have booked/played a Sofar London show - and have a plan for our next single!

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

Amy: My favourite memory is our debut E.P. launch which took place in February 2017 - the day before my twentieth birthday. We held an intimate gig in a friend’s house (which used to be a bank), decorated the place with fairy lights and bunting; had homemade cakes and invited all of the people who had supported us until that point. It was amazing to play with the band to that special audience for the first time and to have a physical copy of something we were so proud to share and had been working towards for so long.

Lily: The first full-band gig we played in Leeds at Oporto - that was a lovely evening and I remember feeling very happy and proud.

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

Amy: I am most inspired by and absolutely love Carole King’s Tapestry album. My parents introduced her music to me and I find so much emotion and honesty in her writing. Her songwriting career inspires me.

Lily: Like I Used To by Lucy Rose was a big influence for me getting into songwriting properly.

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

Lucy Rose again; she’s an absolute angel.

We would need herbal tea and Oreos; some cute fluffy animals backstage and lots of houseplants onstage!

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

We don’t have a tour planned at the moment but we have a fair amount of gigs coming up! We update all our socials with upcoming gigs when they are announced and in the run up to them so you won’t miss them if you follow us!

6th October: Derby Folk Festival (Fringe Stage)

11th October: No.28, Belper (supporting The Herron Brothers)

28th October: Hockley Hustle, Nottingham

4th November: Lending Rooms, Leeds (supporting Saltwater Sun)

26th November: LS6, Leeds (headline gig).

Is it fun performing? What has it been like getting out there and performing in front of the people?!

Of course! Performing is often the best part of doing this. It depends on what sort of show it is as to how nervous we get. Funnily enough, it’s more nerve wracking performing in front of an audience we know than one we don’t. We love performing with the band as this gives our songs a new life and lifts the atmosphere of our performance.

However, at our recent Sofar Sounds shows we have been performing as the original duo with just an acoustic guitar and this is fun in a different way; giving us more flexibility with our performance and a more intimate atmosphere.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Support others and they will support you. The more work, practice and time you put in, the more you will get out of it. And be true to what you want to do - don’t let anyone tell you that you have to be a certain way or product a certain type of music. Don’t let the passion get lost.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Laurie Illingworth

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Amy: So many! If I had to choose from recent gigs - Cozen (Leeds) and Laurie Illingworth (Nottingham)…

Lily: Sfven and Green Gardens.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sfven

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

Amy: Music isn’t all work, so going to gigs and writing music is relaxing! Other than that, my go-to relaxation is a nice coffee and cake with friends.

Lily: Chamomile tea and fairy lights.

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).

Amy: What Am I Here For - Jade Bird

Lily: Beautifully Unconventional - Wolf Alice

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Follow Sunflower Thieves

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/sunflowerthieves/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/sunthievesmusic

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/user-497232891

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sunflowerthieves/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC22uxwKH1zMy99L29pmUw4w