FEATURE: Hard Work Needed in the Volunteer State: Why Are Country Music Stations Ignoring Women?

FEATURE:

 

 

Hard Work Needed in the Volunteer State

IN THIS PHOTO: Kacey Musgraves/PHOTO CREDIT: Eric Ray Davidson for GQ 

Why Are Country Music Stations Ignoring Women?

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MY eye has been caught be an article that…

 IN THIS PHOTO: A shot of Nashville, Tennessee (the centre for Country music in the U.S.)/PHOTO CREDIT: @theexplorerdad/Unsplash

is being shared on social media. It was written by Jessica Hooper (for ELLE) and looked at female artists in Nashville standing up against a blatant ignorance of Country artists. The piece centres around a ‘Song Suffragettes’ event that collates Nashville’s premier and preeminent weekly showcase for female songwriters. The reason why this event is gaining traction and attention is because of shocking statistics regarding the male-female ratios on Country music stations. The piece brings us into that world and the event. Candi Carpenter and four other women take to the stage and sing each other’s choruses; there is that connection and the night is explained clearly – getting women in Nashville heard and ensuring there is an equal grounding. There are so many great female artists coming out of Nashville but Country music is, perhaps, the biggest genre celebrated there. Tennessee music tends to focus on Nashville and at the centre of the centre is Country. The genre gets a bit of a kicking from music snobs but it has evolved over the years and incorporates so many others sounds. It is not about the plaintive strumming and drawling vocals; the same old heartbreak and something rather cheesy. Modern Country steps in various directions and is a whole lot more accessible, varied and appealing than you might think.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

I do not need to defend the genre – because it is great – but the issue relates to women being overlooked. The reason I chose Kacey Musgraves as the ‘cover star’ of the article is that her acclaimed album, Golden Hour, debuted at number-one with very little support from Country radio! Listen to the album and you get so many different sounds and angles coming in. There is heartbreak and contemplation but a whole lot of fun and captivation. It is a record that sees Musgraves co-write every track and in control throughout. She shines and bursts and shows what an immense talent she is. Musgraves impressed with her previous studio album, 2015’s Pageant Material, but Golden Hour is s step-up and a bigger statement. Musgraves co-produced the album alongside Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk and ensures it is a much bigger and more eclectic record. It is the sound of a wonderful female artists remaining in the Country genre but putting in Blues-Rock, Pop and other genres. A lot of the lyrics and themes are familiar to those who like their Country pure and uncomplicated but the performances and compositions are incredibly detailed, huge and impassioned. In essence; it is a fantastic album that should go down as one of this year’s very best! It was released in Marc but has gained its acclaim and chart positions through the label and Musgraves, I guess. Transitional Country radio, who should support Musgraves, gave it relatively little support and affection!

It is a shame that this occurred but listen to Country radio, especially in Nashville, and it is not a shock. I guess radio in this country should do more to promote female artists and I do not feel there is a fifty-fifty balance at all. Male artists are always favoured but the issue is especially pronounced in the U.S. Nashville is a hub where so many tremendous female artists are out there playing at local gigs and trying to get their music to the masses. I have been following the music coming out of the so-called ‘Volunteer State’ for a while and know how many fantastic female songwriters are striking my mind. Artists like Jess Williamson, Lacy Cavalier and Tenille Townes are among the new breed of Country/Country-tinged artists who, one suspects, has to fight a lot harder than their male peers. I hear from people there is a rule where they space-out the gap between male and female artists on Country stations. You would be hard-pushed hearing two female songs together. I am not sure whether there is this assumption female artists are inferior and do not have that commercial appeal – maybe they are not what traditional Country fans want to hear – but it seems completely idiotic. I look at the ELLE article and the facts speak for themselves:

“In the past few years, the number of female artists on country radio has been steadily declining. According to trade publication Country Aircheck, in 2016 female artists made up 13 percent of radio play; by 2017, that figure was down to a meager 10.4 percent. The country radio programmer quota–cum–excuse that fuels this inequity is that “one woman an hour” is plenty. In response, labels have grown reluctant to sign female talent, knowing that radio won’t support them. Festival and tour promoters excuse the dearth of female country acts on lineups by pointing fingers at radio and labels, insisting that there are not enough bankable female artists to draw from—just superstar headliners like Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Tim McGraw/PHOTO CREDIT: BMLG

Women are being systematically locked out of the scene and having to graft and grind to get their music heard. That assumption that they (the female artists) are not bankable and lack that real star quality is rubbish! Listen to artists like Kacey Musgraves and what she is putting out and you will find a lot of similar, if inferior, artists who are taking Country to new heights. I have followed the genre for years and always hear about the successful male artists. From my childhood being fed Garth Brooks to the slightly new acts like Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line and Keith Urban. There are female-fronted Country acts like Lady Antebellum but, considering the solo artists, and it is the men who get the most attention. Ashley Monroe, Ashley McBryde and Brandi Carlile are among the new breed offering scintillating work but there is that heavy focus on the men.

“The issue has been in plain sight in Nashville for years, though efforts to address gender inequity are more recent. Change the Conversation, an organization founded by CMT executive Leslie Fram, industry stalwart Tracy Gershon, and journalist Beverly Keel, began holding meetings with industry leaders in 2015 to raise awareness and advocate for change. The organization—and also Shorr’s career-launching anthem “Fight Like a Girl”—gained momentum in the wake of “SaladGate,” a 2015 incident in which radio consultant Keith Hill told Country Aircheck that female artists are the tomatoes, and not the lettuce, of the country music salad, and should be programmed sparingly. His evidence: In 1997, spotting a downward trend of listenership on 35-plus country stations, Hill theorized the issue was too many female artists. He tested the hypothesis with four stations, who he says saw a ratings boost after cutting the number of spins of female stars”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Carrie Underwood/PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Kacey Musgraves resists the assertion female Country artists are not popular and women do not like hearing other women sing. There have been some who say female Country stars are best played sparingly because it is better on the ears and rating stay higher. The male voice, it seems, is more varied and palatable and female artists can be sprinkled in to add to the pot. Musgraves is among those calling out stations and asking whether this years-lasting discrimination is based on any fact or sensible explanation. It all comes back to that false claim: women do not like hearing female Country artists perform. Maybe they assume they’ll sound like Dolly Parton or Patsy Cline. Maybe that was okay years ago but now, when Pop/R&B artists are more soothing on the ears, do we want to embrace female Country artists who will be slightly atonal and grating?! That is not my view and I think there is that falsehood being perpetuated. I keep coming back to Hooper’s findings and wonder why great artists like Carrie Underwood have to fight so hard – considering she is a huge success and has an enormous fanbase:

“Carrie Underwood, whose total global sales of 65 million records have made her the biggest artist in the history of country music, agrees with Musgraves’s assessment. “I think it’s really great that there’s fan advocacy and social media support around women in country music, because there are so many incredible female artists who, for some reason, are not being given a chance,” she says. “We are told time and time again that the women listeners who make up the majority of country music radio listeners don’t want to hear other women on the radio, which I think is not true. Growing up, it was incredibly important to hear strong, amazing, talented women on the radio. It let me know that I could do that, too”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Members of the Song Suffragettes backstage before a performance/PHOTO CREDIT: Paul McGee

One of the positive movements that has been born from this discrimination and exclusion is WOMAN. That stands for The Nashville Women of Music Action Network and this comes in the wake of #MeToo and Time’s Up. Whilst other genes have seen campaign and action; Country has been lacking and nothing has come up to speak for female artists. Women, in Country, are not seen as leaders in the same way someone like Beyoncé might be seen in R&B. If you look across all of music and how often do you see the media and radio promulgating female artists and heralding them as leaders?! You see plenty of attention for male bands and Popstars but rarely will you find journalists highlighting women as leaders. Maybe female journalists will do their part – I have seen great articles about Christine and the Queens and Neneh Cherry where they are spoken about as goddesses – but it is a rarity.  Country music is a genre with so many incredible female examples who are being overlooked for no reason. It seems like WOMAN is much-needed and determined to make change:

“Nashville WOMAN’s tactics are a strategic pivot from the way Change the Conversation and others have been operating so far; the group is public-facing in its presentation of solutions. They tweet screenshots of what Hot Country weekly playlists would look like without male artists, often highlighting a lone female artist in rotation—naming and shaming dozens of stations directly. They’ve had some success with request campaigns and have offered research to Country Radio Seminar and advocated for Time’s Up messaging at the Country Music Association Awards. What has gotten the most notice, though, is Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty Tour 360, specifically, her decision to bring an all-female lineup—Maddie & Tae and Runaway June—on the road with her. Underwood says her choice was based on her desire to give young talent a boost, adding, “It’s really wonderful to see female artists supporting each other. That is one amazing thing that has come out of the lack of females being supported in country music: We are all rallying together”.

IN THIS PHOTO: One of Country music’s rising names, Jess Williamson/PHOTO CREDIT: Chantal Anderson

Spaces and systems like Hot Country have excluded women for a while and modern musicians like Kacey Musgraves and Carrie Underwood are rebelling and taking matters into their own hands. They might have to work harder than you’d expect but they are pushing hard to get their music heard and prove, when it gets huge acclaim, that the ‘rules’ and cultures in Country is denying the world of so many great musicians. There are great events and nights in Nashville where women are taking to the stage and showing what unity and talent there is.

“A growing number of female artists have begun taking matters into their own hands. For Brandi Carlile, whose By the Way, I Forgive You debuted at number five on Billboard in February with negligible support from Hot Country radio, this means being the change. In July, she announced Girls Just Wanna Weekend, a destination festival with an all-female, country-leaning lineup co-headlined by Carlile and insurgent hitmakers Maren Morris, Margo Price, and the Indigo Girls, scheduled to take place in January in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Carlile’s inspiration for the festival comes from Lilith Fair, founded in 1996 by Sarah McLachlan to refute radio programmers’ refusal to play female artists back to back. That touring festival grossed over $60 million in its initial three-year run, and Carlile seeks to create a similar space of inclusion for her fans. “We want to be in the conversation—to see the pendulum swing in our direction. We want to be in the headlining slots on festivals because we’ve earned it, and to be played on radio, not as a niche or a novelty, you know?” Carlile says. “We don’t want to hear, ‘Well, we’ve got our woman on this festival lineup’ or ‘We’ve already played a woman in this hour.’ We’re not a genre. We’re half the world”.

Every genre and area of music can do more to promote women and I feel, as feminist movements come through, we can no longer avoid the nonsensical guidelines and exclusions that mean men get most of the exposure. Country is a genre that can only exist, thrive and diversify with female artists and look at modern artists like Musgraves, Underwood and their peers and you can hear what talent is there! God knows how many rising female artists there who are playing in bars around Tennessee – and states like Texas – that want to get their music played on Country radio! In this country, we have stalwarts like Bob Harris who gives a fair airing to female Country stars and is passionate about promoting equality and talent-based exposure. He, in fact, has provided a platform for a number of female artists through the years and is someone who never considers gender when it comes to picking songs – so long as it sounds great then it has its place. It seems U.S. radio needs to take this approach and have champions like Harris in control of playlists and shows! Modern Country playlists in the U.S. are not based on talent and quality: it seems men, whatever they are putting out, will get the most focus. This bent and broken system is so bowed to the desires of big labels and the sexist practices that need to be eroded. Some good work is being done from the ground in Nashville but I wonder how far the problem spreads. There are great Country artists around the U.S. – and in the U.K. who also want their music played here – and the Country stations like WSIX-FM and WSM are largely beholden to male artists. I was not fully aware how severe the situation is and how hard big Country artists like Kacey Musgraves have had to work to get on some sort of equal footing. I think the problem extends beyond Nashville itself but the heart of Country seems to be there so it is the most pronounced example. Country, as a whole, has a countrywide illness that needs curing. A lot of work needs to be done but, as the likes of WOMAN and Song Suffragettes are showing; there is a huge problem and stations/labels are not helping. It is a huge shame to see female Country artists ignored and pushed away but let’s hope, very soon, some positive changes…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @daniel_von_appen/Unsplash

ARE made!

FEATURE: Long, Long, Long: The Beatles’ Eponymous Masterpiece at Fifty: An Album That Continues to Reveal Magic and Mystery

FEATURE:

 

 

Long, Long, Long

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles during the summer of 1968/PHOTO CREDIT: Don McCullin

The Beatles’ Eponymous Masterpiece at Fifty: An Album That Continues to Reveal Magic and Mystery

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THERE is a lot of celebration and anticipation…

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

regarding the fiftieth anniversary of The Beatles’ eponymous album. With its iconic white cover – hence its nickname – and four sides (when it came out on vinyl); it is a record that continues to amaze people and compel discussion. I am listening to a three-hour investigation of the album by Martin Freeman on BBC Radio 6 – studying the songs and speaking to high-profile figures about the record and the impact it made on them. It is a fascinating thing and it is good to see an album – a double-album, I know – get such a thorough going-over. Every Beatles album deserves that sort of acclaim and given the fact we are talking about their work this far down the line shows how much they mean to us! 22nd November is the official fiftieth anniversary of the album but it is good to get in there and get the party started. Billboard have outlined what we can expect and, to promote the remastered version of The Beatles that is coming up, spoke with Giles Martin (Beatles producer George Martin’s son) about the work and some interesting facts:

“The Beatles’ longest, strangest work is about to get a new look. Ahead of its 50th anniversary (Nov. 22), a greatly expanded edition of 1968’s The Beatles (widely known as The White Album) -- helmed by producer Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin -- will see release on Nov. 9.

The set contains revealing mixes of the original double LP, refreshed versions of its acoustic demos, and unreleased recordings from George Harrison’s bungalow in Esher, London, fresh from the band’s fabled Rishikesh trip.

According to Martin, The White Album sessions weren’t exactly the volatile trip that has been fossilized into Beatle lore. Sure, there were spats, including Starr leaving the group in a huff and heading to Sardinia on Peter Sellers’ yacht, or George Harrison recording over 100 takes of a song allegedly about McCartney’s controlling, repressive effect on him”.

I am going to get the remastered version but there will be vinyl versions and DVDs released. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks and make sure you treat yourself to a real bumper package! Looking at the Billboard interview and it was the question as to why Giles Martin (and co.) decided to look through the vaults and bring the album back to life:

“This isn’t the first repackaging of The White Album, and the story of its making — drama, discord and Maharishi — has long been codified into myth. Of course, the reality of it was more complex. Did you still feel there are undiscovered corners of this album and its legend that could still beguile longtime listeners?

In all honesty, I think what beguiles listeners is the songs themselves. The story behind the record is what people write about, but at the end of it, you don’t listen to a song thinking about that. For me, what was surprising about The White Album was how cohesive it is as an album, as far as its creation. My dad was never a fan of it because he had such a tough time making it. He went on a holiday halfway through because he was just sitting in the studio listening to the band jamming for hours on end”.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

I am amazed the album managed to get recorded and The Beatles actually have it out in the world! Things started quite positively and normally but it started to go wrong and cracks appeared. There were tensions and personal disputes but the music stands out. I will talk about the songs themselves in a bit but it is quite funny Paul McCartney was drumming on songs for The Beatles. Ringo Starr drummed on most of the songs but there was a bit of a bust-up and Starr left – he would return to find his drum kit adorned in flowers with a sweet message from his bandmates. It seemed McCartney had drumming ambitions in 1968:

“Did Paul have drummer dreams in 1968?

I think lots of bands’ members have drummer dreams. Steven Tyler joined Aerosmith because Joe Perry liked his drumming. The drummer on “Walk This Way” was Steven Tyler, originally. So, that really annoys drummers. Ringo left, not because the Beatles were breaking up, but because he was pretty pissed off. But then when he went, they realized they weren’t the Beatles. There were four of them, and then he was gone. And when he came back, they filled the studio with flowers.

So much is written about things. I mean, even when I hear Yoko on the recordings, she sounds sweet, and they’re having a laugh; it’s not just her with John. I know it became difficult; it became difficult at Abbey Road as well. There was a bust-up because she ate George’s biscuits -- just a stupid thing. But it gets written about, and written about, and it becomes this big thing”.

 

When we get the remastered songs and demos; it will bring together dialogue snippets and bring The Beatles to life. This article gives more life and colour – as to what we can expect – and I know many people who are keen to explore and investigate the hidden depths of the fabulous ‘White Album’. I am going to get involved because I am compelled to find out whether there was this myth regarding the stresses in the studio. I have read about the arguments and how each Beatle recorded some of their material alone. It is clear they were not the focused and together band that arrived years before – did the introduction of Yoko Ono and her larger role in the camp play a decisive role?! A fascinating article from LOUDER took a look at the album and how things were faring at the time. It was a rather fraught road into the studio:

“Bound together by the captivity of fame, The Beatles came to resent their essential closeness. And by 1968, as they set about recording their eponymous double White Album, they were pretty much sick of the sight of each other. Just as telepathic harmony between the four Beatles had facilitated the creation of perfect pop, so growing disharmony bred the raw, discordant fury of rock”.

IN THIS PHOTO: John Lennon and Yoko Ono during the recording of The Beatles/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Imges

Personal problems and romantic splits were playing a role in the lives of The Beatles. Lennon, especially, was suffering a lot and in need of someone he could feel safe with and adore:

“Trapped in a loveless marriage, obsessed with thoughts of Yoko and unable to sleep (an insomnia diarised in the White Album’s I’m So Tired), he wrote Yer Blues. Reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac and the other blues boomers, the song was indicative of the fact that Lennon was far from happy. “When I wrote ‘I’m so lonely, I want to die’,” he admitted, “I’m not kidding. That’s how I felt, up there, trying to reach God and feeling suicidal.”

Having travelled to India in search of direction and wise counsel from a parental figure, Lennon found only disillusionment. He left Rishikesh in a huff, accusing the Maharishi (falsely, as it turned out) of making a pass at Mia Farrow, an incident chronicled in the accusatory Sexy Sadie. “I was rough on him,” he said. “I always expect too much. I’m always expecting my mother and I don’t get her. That’s what it is.”

Within a month John and Cynthia’s marriage had ended and he was in a relationship with Yoko”.

Even if marriages and changes in their lives was making the business of making music tough; it seems each Beatle wanted to work individually and create, essentially, four different solo albums:

“When the four Beatles finally took their individual songs into Abbey Road Studios in May 1968, they worked more autonomously than ever before. Abandoning the meticulous crafting that had served them so well on Sgt. Pepper, they jammed out a few backing tracks collectively, but generally worked individually.

The majority of the White Album was recorded as if four solo albums were being made simultaneously. McCartney was no longer editing Lennon and vice versa, Harrison was left to his own devices, and Ringo spent entire days twiddling his sticks in the studio’s reception; each songwriter took care of his own overdubs separately. A frustrated George Martin eventually abandoned production duties to go on holiday. His position as omnipresent fifth Beatle had been usurped”.

You should read the entire article but it is clear there was a point when The Beatles, as a functioning band, went past the point of no return. They would finally split a couple of years later but there were regrets and unhappiness present in 1968. In an interview long after The Beatles was released; John Lennon talked about his experiences:

“I was too scared to break away from The Beatles, which I’d been looking to do since we stopped touring [in ’66],” Lennon revealed in 1980. “I was vaguely looking for somewhere to go, but didn’t have the nerve - so I hung around. And then I met Yoko and fell in love: ‘This is more than a hit record. It’s more than everything…’”

Lennon was hypersensitive to any negative reaction to his newly attached Siamese twin. The indignation of his fellow Beatles was at least understandable, but the negative press and public reaction to Yoko was not. It was this undue criticism (partly born of racism) that particularly rankled. A dormant hard-man persona came to the fore in Lennon. The moptop-era puppy fat was gone forever, now replaced with a lean, mean demeanour: Lennon the Peace Yob. It was the template for Liam Gallagher 25 years later, and a role Lennon himself would inhabit for the remainder of the decade.

Angry John was easily mistaken for Political John. Resentful that nobody liked his new girlfriend, he started ranting about peace, furiously planting acorns and shouting at journalists from bed. In so doing he inadvertently supplied the blueprint for Bono and every other rock star who assumes that just because they can sing in tune they’re Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill and Jesus Christ rolled into one.

There is a lot to unpack there but I feel, like Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, one could make a film about the album and how it was made – given the fact there was a cyclone of drugs, struggles and band members warring. It is a fascinating snapshot into a band who were fresh-faced and brothers in 1962/1963 but, a few years later, they were starting to fray and that love was missing. They did manage to make peace and create more cohesive work but what is astonishing is how GOOD the music on The Beatles is! The final snippet of that fascinating article I want to bring in seems to sum up the album perfectly and what was achieved:

“The Beatles were a leviathan, a cultural colossus whose influence on their musical contemporaries was wholly unprecedented and remains unsurpassed. They were the first four-piece guitar band to smoulder moodily in leather jackets and shades; the first to grow their hair, to fly their freak flag, to tune in, turn on and flaunt it in the tabloids; the first to India; the first to soundtrack a Revolution; and the first to fall out over the first – and still the very best – Yoko.

With the White Album, The Beatles delivered all the necessary components for what we now know as classic rock, but the disharmony that facilitated its birth proved fatal. As John Lennon himself acknowledged: “The break-up of The Beatles can be heard on that album”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

All of the tensions and sarcastic remarks being made at various recording sessions could give the impression the band were not bothered about music and wanted to get through quickly. The reason why we are still enticed and addicted to The Beatles is because of the passion exuded in every note! The fact the band decided to release a thirty-song album – almost unheard of at the time and something risky in today’s culture! – is a bold and extraordinary move. If they were out of love with music itself then they would dash off a short album but, as it was, there was influence and inspiration working through the blood of each band member. Maybe their sojourn in India had sparked endeavour and genius but, whatever the catalyst was, the boys were keen to record these varied and brilliant songs. Although George Harrison and Ringo Starr were writing and part of the process; the main songwriters were Lennon and McCartney! There is this feeling that McCartney was the slightly cheesy one who was writing disposal ditties whilst Lennon was the strict and tempestuous rival who was penning more serious music. McCartney had written a couple of sillier songs on 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Lovely Rita and When I’m Sixty Four, for example – so it was no surprise that he would have a few on The Beatles – Maxwell Silver Hammer (for Abbey Road) would show he was not willing to drop that line of enquiry after the 1968 drama.

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles during the summer of 1968/PHOTO CREDIT: Don McCullin

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is not one of the most serious and memorable songs from McCartney but Lennon provided the equally-silly The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill and, to be fair, both of these titans created a lot of hugely important work. From McCartney’s Blackbird, Helter Skelter and Back in the U.S.S.R. to Lennon’s Sexy Sadie, Happiness Is a Warm Gun and Glass Onion – some of the best work either songwriter had come up with was on this album. It is the sheer variety and consistency of the work that amazes me. Maybe Lennon was being inspired by Yoko Ono and his creative attitude was being inspired by hard changes and new discovery: McCartney, maybe, was funnelling tensions and a sense of dislocation into new adventures. Whilst those songs I have mentioned are the best from both; they had a load more songs on the album and it is a great window into their mindset and world. Maybe Lennon just shades it in terms of quality and those memorable cuts but The Beatles allowed Lennon and McCartney to go wild and come up with material that, for any other album, might have been questioned or nixed. As a child, when I discovered the album; songs like The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill and Wild Honey Pie were keener to my ear but, as I cry older, I understood the layers of Glass Onion and the hidden delights of Long, Long, Long – a song that gets some criticism but I actually like! Scrappy, less-memorable songs like Piggies (Harrison) and Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? (McCartney) all make sense of are part of an important documentation. Nothing is expendable and you are hooked by the incompleteness and wackiness of some moments!

I love the charm of Martha My Dear and Harrison’s epic, While My Guitar Gently Weeps. The Beatles is a scattershot statement of intent from a band who, for much of the recording, were tense and divided. At a time when we are straying away from albums as a format; the likes of The Beatles are essential and engrossing artefacts. I hope, on 22nd November, everyone spins the album and unravels all the quirky asides, intense songs and incredible moments. If you can get the remastered and re-released spread – with its demos and rarities – that will give you a much more complete and interesting look at The Beatles. Even if you do not like every track on the (double) album; you have to concede that there is so much to take away and treasure! One can only imagine the daily reality of making such a challenging piece of work but, if it was a disaster in terms of quality, we might have reduced ‘The White Album’ to the level of an interesting footnote. As it stands; fifty years from its release, we are still engrossed and moved by this incredible and nuanced slice of wonder from The Beatles. It may be fifty years since the record arrived in the world but, I wonder, can you think of another record as intriguing, sprawling and fantastic…

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

AS The Beatles’ eponymous work of genius?!

INTERVIEW: Maggie Szabo

INTERVIEW:

Maggie Szabo

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THE wonderful Maggie Szabo…

has been telling me about her single, Don’t Give Up (she has just released the song, Wide Awake, alongside No Class), and how it came together. I ask her what we can expect from her upcoming E.P., Worthy, and which musicians are important to her; which three albums are important to her and how she got involved writing for other artists and T.V. placements.

Szabo talks about her plans going forward and how important it is being on the stage; what she does when she is not making music; the rising artists we need to check out and get behind – she picks a classic song to end the interview with.

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

Hey there! My week has been great! I literally just landed in Amsterdam and am writing this at my friend’s dining room table at their home close to Vondelpark.

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

My name is Maggie Szabo and I’m a recording artist and songwriter from a small town in Ontario, Canada but currently live in Los Angeles.

Can you reveal the story behind your single, Don’t Give Up? How did that come to be?

I was inspired by the lyric idea ‘don’t give up on love,’ and that’s where the song started. It’s a feeling we’ve all felt before and the lyrics and melody came very naturally. I wanted the lyrics to be really honest, which is where the first line of the verse came from: “Everyone knows this world isn’t perfect”. Once I finished recording the song, I knew that the video had to stand for something and I wanted it to stand for something I truly felt for.

I decided I wanted to make a video that shed light on transgender issues particularly trans kids. So many trans kids are being discarded by their family and are forced to live on the streets. I wanted the spirit of the video to genuinely portray the story of a teenager struggling with their gender identity.

It is from the E.P., Worthy. What sort of themes defines the E.P.?

I named it Worthy because I wanted the E.P. to feel empowering. I want it to be a reminder that everyone is worthy.

Which musicians do you count as idols? When did music come into your life?

There are too many idols to name! Music came into my life at an early. Some of the first artists that I fell in love with were Carole King and Tracy Chapman. I really look up to them because they are such amazing songwriters and artists as well. Their lyrics feel really honest to me, so I think they had a huge influence on my writing growing up. I also sang in a Jazz band when I was a kid so Etta James definitely made an impact on me. I also love Justin Timberlake, Sia and John Mayer.

You have written for other artists and for T.V. placements. Was there a moment that you knew you needed to concentrate on your own material?

My own music has always been a priority for me but I have always loved writing for other projects. Songwriting makes me happy, no matter what it is for. It’s a very different feeling having someone else sing my material other than me because it’s such a great compliment and I truly feel honoured when someone else wants to use my music for their own. I try and balance both equally because some of my best material wasn’t necessarily written with myself in mind; it was more about just writing a great song.

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

I have some collaborations coming out with some amazing D.J.s and I will also be releasing a Christmas song! I will also start planning ideas for a tour next year.

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

I thought about this for a good few minutes…and I honestly can’t say I have one specific memory that is my favourite. Performances, being in the studio and landing in L.A. when I first moved here are all memories that will stick with me forever.

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

Tapestry by Carole King; Continuum by John Mayer and Justified by Justin Timberlake mean a lot to me because they all contain some of my favourite material from my favourite artists. Nowadays, I don’t listen to full albums as much because now the music industry is more focused on singles - but I definitely spent a lot of time listening to those albums.

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

Definitely Justin Timberlake would be someone I would love to support! If I could support him, I don’t care what my rider would be (smiles).

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

If you want to pursue a career in music, be willing to sacrifice everything you have for it.

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

I am playing on October 18th in Amsterdam as part of ADE and, on Nov. 4th, at the Palm Springs Pride!

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

So important! I love feeling the energy of the audience in the room - it’s so inspiring. It’s also a great way for me to see what material people react to and that helps inspire my new music.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I’m sure you already know him, because he is mega-successful, but I have been listening to all of Chris Stapleton’s music. I work a lot in the EDM world, so some of the D.J.s and producers I work with in Europe aren’t super-familiar with his music, but I definitely recommend everyone listen to Stapleton’s songwriting; there is so much to be learned.

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

I love health and fitness as it keeps me feeling good and it helps me to stay mentally focused on my goals. When I’m not in the studio, you can often find me in the gym or running outside listening to music!

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).

It's Too Late - Carole King!

___________

Follow Maggie Szabo

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/allaboutmaggie

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/allaboutmaggie

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/allaboutmaggie/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/allaboutmaggie

YouTube:

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

INTERVIEW: Jay Miners

INTERVIEW:

Jay Miners

___________

I have been speaking with Jay Miners…

about her latest track, Something Alive, and the story behind it. The song’s video has just been released so I was keen to talk about the song and see where she is heading next. Miners discusses her path into music and which artists are important; how crucial N.Y.C. is a base and which rising artists we need to get behind.

Miners tells me about her upcoming E.P. and what she wants to accomplish by the end of the year; if there are any gigs coming up and which albums have influenced her most – I ask whether she is coming to the U.K. and how she spends time outside of music.

__________

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

Hey, Sam! My week has been great, thanks! Working a lot and I’m adjusting to this weird fall transition happening in N.Y.C.

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

Sure! I’m Jay and I am what I like to say a songwriter singing her own songs. I grew up playing Classical piano, but fell in love with writing songs when I was about fourteen. It took me a while, but I started performing these songs on stage and found it exhilarating sharing them. Now, writing and performing music is my main work. I’ve just wrapped up recording an E.P., dropped the first single off of it and am gearing up to play some more shows.

Something Alive is your new single. Can you reveal the story behind the song?

I wrote Something Alive about a year ago and it’s inspired by the book I’m working on now. The story itself is about a young Asian-American woman who is both inspired and haunted by her mother, who was a renowned journalist and has presumably died. The book frames as a murder mystery, but it aims to explore the main character’s identity as an Asian-American woman today, very much trying to figure out who she is. It’s still in the works but its themes, as well as my own experience, definitely influenced this song and music video!

I understand an E.P. is coming along. What sort of themes and ideas influenced it?

Yes! The E.P. audio is done and we’re rolling it out with a few singles and some video/visuals - and the full thing will be released in January 2019. The record is very much centered around the theme of making, creating and art. These songs were written during a period of pretty big change in my life - I was in my first really committed relationship; I left a full-time job to focus on music and I was spending a lot of time alone just trying to write songs and stories.

I came to many realizations about my own work; like what inspires me and how to keep productive. That process - which is messy and uncertain and constantly changing but so, so fulfilling - definitely bled into these songs. 

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

My parents’ C.D. collection definitely inspired me growing up; I gravitated towards classic singer/songwriters like Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell and Elton John. Vienna Teng had a great influence on me when I was a teenager - it was one of those things when you see someone who looks like you - doing the thing that you love to do, which was writing songs - and you think: ‘Hey, I could actually do this’. You don’t realize how much of an impact someone like that has on you until you start pursuing it, either.

How important is New York regarding your style, songwriting and passion? Do you get driven by the people around you?

New York definitely plays a part in my songwriting. When I was a teenager, all I wanted to do was write songs about New York, which is honestly what fuelled my entire first E.P. I love living in New York: there’s a way it makes you feel both lost and inspired at the same time. There’s also this hustling feeling you get from living here,where you feel like you always need to be doing something more. It keeps you on your toes, for sure.

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

Release two more singles off of the E.P., each accompanied by visuals (both art and video) that really enhance the meaning of the songs. Play more shows and connect with listeners and other artists. Write new music. And, hopefully, take a really long nap in between all that.  

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

My first show at Rockwood Music Hall in April 2017. One of the most heart-warming feelings I’ve ever had on stage was when I played the last song, Sunlight in Your Eyes, and at the end. I directed the audience to sing “oohs” with me. And they were all singing, and I was singing, and the room just filled up. There’s a video on YouTube of this. I’ll probably hold that memory close for a long while.  

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

Tough question! It changes every other day. For now; these are my most beloved:

Rumours (1975) by Fleetwood Mac

Legendary album. Taught me good melody lines and harmonies. Every track on this album is strong. I play it pretty often and I’m never sick of it. There isn’t a favourite track off this, but right now I’m really feeling You Make Lovin’ Fun.

Inland Territory (2009) by Vienna Teng

When this album came out, I was sixteen and I remember, one evening, I was lying on my bedroom floor with headphones on and just had this album on replay. I gravitate back to this album often. Each song is intricate, well-thought-out and has something to say. St. Stephen’s Cross and Stray Italian Greyhound are my top off the album – although, this rotates often. 

Dearest Everybody (2018) by Inara George

This has been a recent favourite. Inara’s voice is heavenly and each song is sweet and interesting. Crazy is my go-to off this album – so beautifully crafted, lyrically and musically. 

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

Probably Joni Mitchell - and I’ll ask her questions about songwriting all day. Lots of tea and the occasional birthday cake - even when it’s no one’s birthday.  

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I’m still a new artist myself and I’m still learning something new about the work and about myself every day. Two things I’ve learned that have really helped me stay on the ground are:

1) Keep working on your craft. I really had the opportunity earlier this year to focus on songwriting - I challenged myself to write a song every week for about three months (and I did). Most of those songs were thrown away (the good ones landed on the new E.P.). Scheduling myself to produce work continually was new, frustrating and exciting and it really gave me a chance to realize that there are so many ways for me to foster growth as a musician and writer.   

2) Have confidence in your work and don’t put anyone on a pedestal. Getting rejected is part of the game and getting a little discouraged by it is, too. But, get back up; move on to the next and keep fighting for your art…because you are your biggest advocate and you know you’ve made something worthwhile.

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

I’m planning to play a few N.Y.C. shows before the end of the year. All my show dates are available on my website at jayminersmusic.com/shows.

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

I’d love to! That would be a dream. It probably won’t happen in the very near-future but I see it happening soon for sure.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Treya Lam

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Treya Lam’s album Good News is great. Joy Williams is dropping a new album soon. Artists that I’ve crossed paths with that are really great – Samantha Rise and Sarah Kang. Also; Alex Wong, who is working on his second album right now, is one I’m excited about that. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Joy Williams/PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Barron 

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

When I step away from music, I usually spend time with my family. If I get an evening alone to myself, I’ll snuggle on the couch and fall asleep watching Grey’s Anatomy. That’s the best.

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).

Geyser by Mitski. My recent obsession

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Follow Jay Miners

Official:

https://www.jayminersmusic.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jayminersmusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jayminers

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/jayminers

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClBvLvlQQEaWdr_QfTQUW5A

TRACK REVIEW: FloodHounds - Take It Too Far

TRACK REVIEW:

 

FloodHounds

Take It Too Far

9.4/10

The track, Take It Too Far, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/track/3y9kppFghlgJz8O7J6Jf7L?si=bBWfS-azSuivPeESzG4C6Q

GENRE:

Alternative-Rock

ORIGIN:

Sheffield, U.K.

OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE:

20th October, 2018

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THIS time around…

I want to look at a great band that is back in my view and I want to pay some new attention to. I want to address, before I get to them, Sheffield and the Yorkshire scene in general; the conflict between bands and solo artists and how the balance is starting to tip; lyrics that paint an optimistic picture; developing as a group and making changes – I will end by looking at how FloodHounds will develop and what their future has in store. This is not the first time I have come across the band and it is nice to be back with them. I am pleased to see them again and I wonder whether their new song, Take It Too Far, is the start of something full. It is always nice reviewing and interviewing artists from all areas of the world but I am back in Yorkshire. It is a county that keeps cranking out fantastic acts and I am pleased to put FloodHounds alongside the very best. Yorkshire is a vast and colourful county that is teeming with sounds and brilliant artists. I am not sure whether there is something in the water – I think there must be! – but you tend to get a lot more variation and strength in Yorkshire. What strikes me about Sheffield is the consistency and the history the city has. Look at bands like Pulp and Arctic Monkeys and you have two of the best bands of the last thirty years. Maybe they differ in terms of style but you can tell there is a distinct local sound that comes into their music. The city is still firing out brilliant artists and wonderful venues like The Leadmill mean there are places for artists to play. I don’t know really. Maybe one finds more cooperation and unity in Sheffield but it is a part of the world that should not be overlooked.

You can investigate the classic artists from here but I know there is a new breed working hard and keeping the city burning. FloodHounds are in no rush to move away and have a great fanbase there. The trio have been playing for a long while now and there is a great connection within the ranks. I am a huge fan of the work they do and I feel it is where they are based that means they are solid and together. It can be hard surviving and growing somewhere like London but it is easier and less stressful when you are away from there. I have nothing against music in London but it is difficult tackling the daily grind and making a name in a very packed area. Sheffield is away from the capital – so critics might not come here first – but I feel there is less tension and more room to breathe for artists. What impresses me is how diverse the city is and the variety on display. I know FloodHounds have been playing a long time but I have seen them add new elements into their music. Other acts in Sheffield have taken inspiration from FloodHounds and incorporated that into what they do. I feel local sources and national websites need to be more invested in Sheffield and realise it is a city that has always provided us brilliant music. We get too fixated on other parts of the world and forget there are places like Sheffield that are bursting with life and activity. I will move onto a new subject in a bit but I am fascinated by local differences and the various scents one gets when you move around. Yorkshire is a county that, I feel, is producing the best music around and we all need to get more invested. Sheffield is an industrious and steely city that is proud and hard-working. Make sure you spend a little more time that way and unearth all the brilliant new acts that are emerging right now.

It has been a while since a publication did a rundown of Sheffield artists to watch but, right now, FloodHounds should be top of your list. I have looked a lot at solo artists the past few weeks and am always extolling their virtues. I feel it is a ripe and productive time for them and it has been a long time since bands ruled the scene. Arctic Monkeys were one of the last bands to properly have mainstream attention and apart from some modern acts like IDLES; how long has it been since a band has been right in the centre of music?! I feel there will be a shift happening in the next few years. Music goes through cycles and different trends dictate what we hear in the mainstream. Right now, solo music seems to be reigning and it is a period where brilliant young names are creating work that will resonate and remain for years. I wonder why bands have taken a backseat in the mainstream – I feel it might have something to do with the sounds they produce and whether they can mix it with solo artists. There have not been THAT many exciting bands come through in the big leagues for a bit so I am looking to the underground to inspire. Look at the legendary bands like Pulp and Radiohead and they were coming into music at a time when bands were more common and, between them, they were providing personal and unique sounds. Right now; it is harder to be distinct and the popular demand seems to be aimed at solo artists. It means new bands have a harder time of things and it may take longer to transcend and get recognition. FloodHounds are part of a culture that can provide hard and grumbling sounds with lyrics that go deeper than the commercial and cliché. I feel a lot of bands (in the mainstream) either have softer sounds or are quite predictable or they are repeating what has already come before. The best of the newcomers are showing their stripes but it might take a while for a real shift to occur.

A reason why I feel FloodHounds will remain and inspire is because they have that bond and chemistry – which I shall talk about later – and the music being produced is fantastic and consistent. You can hear a FloodHounds song and take away messages that are compelling, encouraging and interesting and the sound is always urgent and bright. The band has gone through some changes but I feel like the brilliant music they are providing is the main asset. It may take a little while longer for bands to get properly into the mainstream but we need more bands like FloodHounds. They have a wonderful live show and connection and there is a magic and explosion that gets into the head and stays with you. I am not sure what their plans are for next year but I am sure it will not be long until FloodHounds will get their acclaim. I feel it only takes a few bands to get the spark lit and, from there, they can inspire a movement and revolution. Maybe IDLES and groups like Wolf Alice need a bit of backing but I can see other bands starting to make their way through. It is a great time for music and, whilst solo artists are making big headway and taking biggest attention; I can see a slight shift and I have every faith more balance will come in soon enough. FloodHounds are an ambitious and hungry band that are based in a brilliant county. They have a lot of support around them and have gained acclaim for journalists and radio. There are  a few reasons why bands are slightly struggling against solo artists but maybe the lyrical content and variation of the compositions are a factor. I think solo artists have more room to manoeuvre and they are less bound to commercial demands and particular sounds. Perhaps I am wrong but bands, over the past few years, have been a bit constrained. I can hear little changes emerging and the underground best are providing something original, fresh and interesting.

One reason why bands have taken a slight backseat is the lyrics they are producing. I do not want to say solo artists have more appeal in that regard but it has been a while since I heard a band whose words stuck in my mind. FloodHounds, on their latest cut, have an optimistic mindset and are producing words that we all need to abide by. These times are stressful and demanding and it is great artists see that and are releasing music that provides that kick of life and redemption. There is nothing to suggest love-based, less optimistic lyrics are dying out but I am more prone to artists that can talk about something encouraging and reflect the times in which we live. It is a challenging period in history and things are getting rather dark. I am hearing solo artists who are urging something upbeat and urging us to keep strong but, more and more, personal concerns dominate lyrics. That is understandable to an extent but I want to hear more bands/artists thinking outside of their own lives and give us something more profound. FloodHounds mix something general and accessible with inspiring messages and encouraging tones. They want us to know we can all make it through the worst times – not always the case but largely true – and that is something that is unusual in music. Maybe it is a commercial risk straying away from love and broken hearts but I am seeing more and more artists observe the modern world and dig a lot deeper. In terms of their music; FloodHounds have progressed and made some alterations but they have always broken away from the obvious and routine – their music has that flair of individuality and has actual substance. I shall move on now but I wanted to display my views regarding lyrics and how important it is to go beyond the rather easy and tackle bigger themes. It seems, then, that FloodHounds have all the components and contours figured and they might well be one of the first bands to break into the mainstream. I am excited to see how they progress and what comes next for them.

I have been following them for a long time now and not a lot has managed to faze them. Jack Flynn and Lauren Greaves are the consistent link in the band and they have brought in a new bass player, Joel Hughes. I am not sure why the change has happened but Hughes seems to be settling in well. He made his live debut when FloodHounds supported The Blinders in Derby and FloodHounds are embarking on their next phase. It can be difficult losing a member and having to make changes and, in a lot of cases, it can be the end of the band. If there was another loss then it might be too much but FloodHounds have quickly adapted and strengthened. I like their new addition and it has not changed their sound too much. Things are starting to get big for the band so they need to remain strong and productive. Their latest song has some Blues harmonica thrown in and a Psychedelic bridge section – complete with flutes and all sort of magic! Most bands, like FloodHounds, stick to what they know and are reluctant to break away from something tried and tested. It can be tempting sticking with something familiar and safe and you might not feel easy doing something new and experimenting. FloodHounds have that core sound but feel they are willing to shift and try new things. This is a reason why I feel bands can make their way into the mainstream and the new breed are showing great strength. FloodHounds have a great live sound and have been playing a long time so it is no shock to see them cemented and solid. Rather than continue to play the same sort of thing and keep to that basic drum-bass-guitar routine; they want to expand their horizons and keep things interesting. I know how the local scene is embracing FloodHounds but I can hear people from further afield welcome the band and start to embrace their music. FloodHounds have a Punk edge they, on Take It Too Far, inject Blues and Indie together.

Before I get down to the song in question; it is worth seeing where the band can go and why I feel they will be big news next year. It has been a little while since we saw new music from FloodHounds and it good to have them back in the mix. Whatever happens in new and mainstream music next year; I am sure we will see a change happening and bands like FloodHounds will make headway. I shall end by speaking about the future of the Sheffield band but I can see them grow and get more intriguing by the release. Few bands have made as big a leap as FloodHounds and they are one of the most solid acts around. Even though they have changed a member and that could have split them; there is that friendship and solidity in the ranks and they all want to continue and make wonderful music. Life for bands can be hard when you have several members and keeping that harmony can be tough. I have a renewed interest in bands and have spent a long time investigating solo artists. Whilst I am a big fan of the solo artist and have been exposed to some incredible sounds; I am excited to adjust my radar and start bringing bands into the mix. Maybe the balance will come in a few years – and will not be instant – but I feel the underground is producing bands with much more substance and intelligence than recent years. Many are discussing important themes and not just sticking with the same subjects time and time again. I hope I have contextualised FloodHounds and what they do but the bottom line is this: they are on a sterling and golden path that will, soon enough, see them rub shoulders alongside the big guns.

A spirited and hardcore blitz reminds me of Arctic Monkeys and Queens of the Stone Age – and a song I heard on Spaced that doesn’t come to mind right now! – and it is an instant blast. You are right in the song and FloodHounds are wasting no time getting into the mind.  There are wordless vocals that have a slightly distorted edge and the to-and-fro between the players gets your head rocking and the body moving. I was moved from the very off and impressed by the physicality of the song. The riffs are chunky, the bass guiding and the beats firm. That combination gives a real fizz and electricity to proceedings and, before a word is sung, you are invested and interested to see where the song heads. I mentioned how bands such as FloodHounds stray away from obvious lyrical themes – heartache and romance splits – but they manage to weave a little bit of that into the fold. You get some familiarity and understanding but there is something more widespread and optimistic working away. Whilst the band wants us to be strong and determined; they are talking about something harsh and poisonous. Maybe it is impossible to completely detach away from love and relationships and you always need to put that into music. I don’t know but you can take a few things away from Take It Too Far. There is a lot of hatred and struggle and it seems, even when the first round is done, there is more where that came from! No names are mentioned – and it is not completely clear whether heartache is being assessed – but you might get a bit of political whiff. Perhaps the trio are talking about Government strife and how they are leading us down a bad road. You get a bit of romantic hurt and deceit but you can apply the words to wider concerns and what is happening in the country. Our hero knows we will get there some way and, whether that alludes to harmony in the country or personal satisfaction; I feel like his hurt is shedding and optimism is on the horizon.

The spirit and influence of Arctic Monkeys is clear but it does not dominate what FloodHounds do. I have seen the trio mutate and grow since the start and they are becoming their own boss more and more. It is nice to hear elements of Arctic Monkeys in the background but the forefront is very much that of the trio. I hear words that talk of hope and improvement and my mind is divided between the personal and political. The clever thing about the song is how you are never completely sure where the story emanates from and what the origin is. The damage has been done and the lead wants to know whether this pattern is coming to an end. Maybe there is a bit of personal problem that has been brought to the forefront. He is tired of the same occurrences and being hurt; having his life altered and affected like this. I, at every stage, am drawn to the idea of political tensions and how the country is moving. You can interpret the song how you want but, at its heart, is that message of improvement and change. It may seem like things are bad now and they will not brighten but that is not true. The trio unite perfectly and provide a composition that is always snaking, teasing and strong. The verbal hit-and-run and this constant crap is getting to the hero but he is resolute. One of the biggest strengths of Take It Too Far is learning from the past and not willing to make the same mistakes. By not revealing names and whether it is about heartbreak, a friendship souring or political upheaval; you can bring your own conclusions to mind and take the song where you feel fit. I always think about the political side of things and how FloodHounds might be thinking about recent events. However you view the song; you cannot get away from the bursting and enflamed composition and the strong lead vocal.

Greaves comes in with backing vocals and there is a brilliant burst of Blues harmonica. You do not expect it from the song and it provides another angle. More and more, as time goes on, things shift to the personal and you wonder whether they are talking about individual romantic strife or something more general. I was caught by the left-turn the song took and how it shifted from the familiar. Take It Too Far is a song you can play time and time again and get that hit from it. I have been hankering for a song that provides a real release but projects a great message. The more I listen to the song, the more I am divided where it stems from and how it came to FloodHounds. The trio provide an exceptional performance and the production brings every note and sinew to life. The song’s villain is fighting with themselves and it seems like they are digging their own grave. I was thinking about our Government and what a mess they are making but maybe FloodHounds has a common enemy that has inspired their latest single. You need to listen to Take It Too Far a few times for everything to sink in and all the shades hang. It is a fantastic song that gets into the blood and stays with you. I hope FloodHounds continue to make music and we will hear more from them next year. It has been a great and productive career so far but I feel they are hitting a new stride and things are getting stronger. I am thrilled they are back and they have not disappointed with Take It Too Far. A brilliant song that takes you by surprise and gets into the head; I feel it will do wonders on the stage and people will respond to it in a very physical and real way. Make sure you wrap your head around the track and spread the message far and wide.

The band is playing in London on Friday and then they are back up in Sheffield. The guys have that appeal in the capital but it is the local venues/crowds that are providing the biggest support. Their new single is officially released on 20th October and the gigs they have coming up is to promote it. Right now, we are lucky enough to have it on Spotify and give it a listen before it is officially released to the wider world. I know the band has experienced some change recently but that has not dented their armoury. They will continue to grow and play and I love what they are putting out into the world right now. Take It Too Far is a brilliant song that, I hope, will lead to an E.P. or album. It is clear there is renewed ambition and I am looking forward to see what that translates into. Next year will be a great one for them and I feel there will be big gigs. I am not sure whether the band has plans for international date but I would not be surprised to see FloodHounds take on the world! They have a sound that would do well in America and other parts of the world. I am seeing some great bands come through and it is interesting seeing all the different variations around. The solo artist holds a lot of clout but there has been this huge majority that (I feel) needs to change. Moving forward; 2019 will be a good year for FloodHounds and I know more material will come. Led by Jack Flynn; the Sheffield band will look to add to what they have out there now and I predict some huge gigs will arrive. What impresses me is how FloodHounds keep solid and never drop a step. One might see a slight change in terms of composition and the tones they are bringing into the blend but there is that distinct ‘FloodHounds sound’ that keeps coming through. The trio are among the most solid and fascinating around and you would do well to follow what they do. Everyone needs to show some support for the Sheffield three-piece and get involved with what they are up to. I would like to see them do a few more gigs down London way and Brighton is not too far away. Rather than race ahead and plan a list of gigs; I know they will be promoting their new single and thinking about where they head next. I am sure more material is brewing and they have an idea of what they want to do next. I am compelled to see what that is and how they move. Take a listen to Take It Too Far and let it get into the bones. It is another memorable and strong single from FloodHounds and I am glad they are putting new stuff out there. It has been a busy and eventful last couple of years for the trio but I feel they are strong and rock-solid right now. Maybe they have faced challenges and the odd slip lately but there is no stopping them right now. The FloodHounds juggernaut is strong and determined and you would do good to…

JUMP on board.

___________

Follow FloodHounds

Official:

https://www.floodhounds.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/FloodHounds

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/FloodHounds

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/floodhounds/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/floodhounds

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3KgsfDOX7uvQcYlpcJv40h

YouTube:

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

 PHOTO CREDITS:

Lewis Evans Photography

INTERVIEW: Maria Kelly

INTERVIEW:

Maria Kelly

___________

THE last interview of the day…

finds me chatting with Maria Kelly about his current single, june, and what inspirations/ideas are behind her upcoming E.P., notes to self. The Irish-born, Berlin-based artist talks about life in the German capital and which musician, given the chance, she’d love to support – I ask which three albums are most important to her.

Kelly tells me about her tour schedule and which memory from her career so far stands in the mind; the rising musicians we need to follow and check out – she ends the interview by selecting a great song.

__________

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

Hello! I’m really good; thank you for asking. My week has been quite lovely. It’s been this beautiful autumn/winter-type weather here in Berlin at the minute and I am very much enjoying jumper season.

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

I usually describe myself as ‘Alternative-Folk’ - whatever that means – but, outside of genre, I just try to write introspective songs that allow for honest expression of feelings that I normally find quite difficult to express.

I’m also from Westport, a small town in the West of Ireland, but currently living in Berlin!

June is your new single. Is there a tale behind the song?

Specifically, yes, but that’s no fun to talk about…

In general; it’s about allowing yourself the space and time to deal with negative emotions that can be easily avoided. I wrote it when I first moved to Berlin and I was spending a lot of time alone. I found it quite difficult to lie to myself when I was alone, which led me to jot down this kind of angry, frustrated diary entry; full of things I wanted to say, but never did.

It is from notes to self. Can you talk more about that collection and how your move from Dublin to Berlin provoked the inspiration?

Notes to self quite quickly became the title because I had decided, as soon as I got to Berlin, that I would quite literally write notes to myself. Whether this was interesting phrases or thoughts I had gathered from other people; life lessons, pep talks telling myself to calm down or cop on… It allowed me to understand my mentality at the time and kind of ‘check in’ with myself - as you would with a friend. It allowed me to be honest with myself.

The rest of the songs on the E.P. capture other moments in time throughout the summer and deal with a general theme of ‘holding on; hiding behind and letting go’. That’s a lot of info to take in...But I think it will make more sense when it’s all out in the world. Haha!

How has it been moving from Ireland to start afresh in Berlin?! What are the main differences you have noticed?

It’s been amazing. It really has. I originally came for ‘just the summer’ but, after two weeks, I didn’t want to leave. It feels like a much slower pace of life here, which I love. There’s time and space to focus on things that you actually really want to do and it isn’t too expensive, so there’s not as much pressure to break your back just to pay the rent.

Getting to experience a new place and culture has definitely been great for my songwriting too - it feels like I have the confidence to push the boundaries a bit more than if I were at home.

Which musicians do you count as idols? When did music come into your life?

Regina Spektor, for sure; Lisa Hannigan; Lucy Rose; Gemma Hayes; Wallis Bird - there are specifically a lot of Irish female songwriters who I would of discovered when I was younger. I had always been surrounded by music growing up and started playing guitar and writing when I was about ten.

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

I’m excited to get my E.P. into the world and I would feel fulfilled if it just reached as many ears as it possibly can. I have some exciting shows too - some after the November tour dates - that I really can’t wait to share. But, I don’t have particular goals by the end of the year- I have had a very lucky year that I am grateful for and I am just looking forward to releasing notes to self and seeing what people think.

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

Most recently; getting to play in St. Michael’s Church for Other Voices Ballina alongside Villagers, Sam Fender and Maverick Sabre. I just couldn’t believe I was in that line-up.

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

Lucy Rose - Like I Used To

Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope

Dido - Life for Rent (my mum’s fave)

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

I would have a lil’ cry if I got to support Lucy Rose. That’d be a teenage dream come true. Ha.

My rider…that’s a fun question! Honey, lemon; a kettle…and then a very nice bottle of gin for after the show and a packet of six teacakes. Wild.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Don’t rush it: spend time making music you really want to make. Let people help you. Be supportive of your music scene.

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

Yes - and I am so excited! I hit the road on 16th October with All the Luck in the World. I’ll be opening up for them here:

16.10...PAPIERSAALE, ZÜRICH (SWITZERLAND) 

17.10...SCHON SCHON, MAINZ (GERMANY)

18.10...GLEIS 22, MÜNSTER (GERMANY)

14.11...RÓISÍN DUBH, GALWAY (IRELAND)

15.11...KASBAH CLUB, LIMERICK (IRELAND)

16.11...THE ROUNDY, CORK (IRELAND)

17.11...THE GRAND SOCIAL, DUBLIN (IRELAND)

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

In recent months, it has become one of my favourite aspects of being a musician. My songs are such personal things to me and, when I am really present in a performance, I feel very much back in the headspace of the time I wrote it. To get to do that, but in a room full of welcoming, attentive people is quite a strange healing process.

It’s then even better to realise that the song can then have a different meaning for each person in the room - allowing them to return to a particular headspace and to, hopefully, find healing in it too.

 IN THIS PHOTO: LAOISE/PHOTO CREDIT: Lucy Foster Photography

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Loads. LAOISE, Ailbhe Reddy; All The Luck In The World, Good Ghost; Vampire Finch...and, if you haven’t hear of them; also loving Saint Sister, Lomelda and Haley Heynderickx.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Saint Sister/PHOTO CREDIT: Lucy Foster Photography

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

Writing is quite a chill experience for me but, other than music, I listen to a lot of podcasts; explore coffee shops, read; watch really crap YouTube videos…

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).

April Showers by Good Ghost - it’s beautiful (smiles)

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Follow Maria Kelly

Official:

http://www.mariakellymusic.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/mariakelly.mk/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mariakellymusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mariakellymusic/

SoundCloud:

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YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUqUrVi7mfDY9srzIy61KgA

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/15MkO1zSQcHtjObfkiEUaV

INTERVIEW: Sedric Perry

INTERVIEW:

Sedric Perry

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IT has been great chatting with Sedric Perry…

about artists who inspire him and how music came into his life. Perry discusses his latest track, Naked, and the rather sexy story that compelled it; whether there is going to be more material along the way, too. The Philadelphia-raised, Berlin-based artist tells me about a few albums that mean a lot to him – I ask, as a black artist, if he has found it harder to get a footing in the industry.

Perry gives some useful advice to emerging artists and tells me what he hopes to accomplish before the end of this year; how he spends his time away from music; which rising artist we need to get behind – he reveals whether he will be coming to the U.K.

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

It’s been a good week. Been making music, hanging with friends from out of town and getting a lot of love on the project so far.

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

Sure. I’m originally from Philly - so I started with R&B and Gospel. I moved to New York when I was seventeen and started working on Jazz and House tracks with friends. Now, I’m in Berlin making what I call ‘R&Bounce’. I haven’t had that many solo releases so this project is kind of like my introduction to the world!

Naked is your latest single. What is the story behind the song?

Me and my best friend have all these little phrases that we use to talk dirty about strangers. Like, if we see a guy pushing a stroller and he’s kind of attractive, I’ll say: “Oo; he made that baby”. Naked’s about this one time I went to this wild party they throw every two months in Berlin. I was making such intense eye contact with a complete stranger from the end of the bar that, by the time we got close to each other, neither of us could actually speak. We just laughed and said “hi”. The only thing that came to mind was ‘I really wanna see you naked’.

Which artists did you grow up around? Were you raised in a musical family?

I grew up listening to a lot of Gospel and Jazz; Whitney, Sade and The Winans. My grandfather was a guitarist and my uncle sang. He was so confident and sensual with his performances, I wanted to be him…then I found out about Usher and wanted to be him too.

As a young, black artist in music; do you take a lot of influence from Urban artists? Do you think it is harder for black artists to get recognised?!

Of course, I have a lot of love for our new generation. The range of music from artists like Daniel Caesar, 6LACK and GoldLink is so inspiring. I think, a few years ago, all music got funnelled into one genre and everyone was making EDM, i.e. ‘Dynamite’. Now; I feel like it’s spread out and anyone can do whatever they want. I’m sure there’s still prejudice, but I also notice that black artists on top have a reputation for pure excellence and innovation that you don’t see anywhere else these days.

What comes next in terms of material? Are you working on more stuff?

Constantly. I want my audience to grow with me, so the next thing they hear will have live instruments; different voices and more experimentation. I have a lot of new material coming soon!

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

I have a really wild idea for a music video. It’s probably going to cost a lot, so that’s a big goal for me. Beyond that, some performances, one more single and hopefully a cut with a major artist!

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

Yeah, actually. Haha. I’d just started singing. I had debilitating stage fright, so I always closed my eyes really tight whenever I sang. I was in church singing We Need a Word from the Lord and I just remember singing my entire little nine-year-old heart out. When I finished, I opened my eyes and saw the whole church standing and clapping. It was really sweet.

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

Some albums were with me through my craziest transitions in life. Lianne La Havas’ Is Your Love Big Enough? got me through my first adult break-up.

Choose Your Weapon by Hiatus Kaiyote is just legendary.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Lauryn Hill) made me want to be super conscious in high-school and want to be intellectual about the way I love and create art.

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

It would be wild to go on a tour with Tyler, the Creator. I feel like we would get into so much trouble together. I’d use a live band - bass, keys; drums, guitar and backup singers and just go nuts. Of course, fog machines and good lighting, too.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Every individual path has its own rhythm. Sometimes, I get frustrated by not being as far along as I think I should be but that’s just comparison. The best thing I can say is put the time into it, the more you create; the more you’re inspired, the more you grow; the better you’ll feel about the process. You’ll be too grateful to compare yourself to anyone - especially in today’s world of social media.

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

No tour yet, but lots of shows here in Berlin! On November 9th, I’m doing Small Sessions Berlin. I’m really excited to present this music to everyone.

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

Of course. I have a lot of friends in the U.K. It’ll happen very soon!

IN THIS PHOTO: Noname

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I’m really loving Noname right now. She’s getting quite a bit of buzz and I think it’s well deserved.

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

Not too much lately, but I usually like to just go to nature and shut my mind off. I’m also obsessed with water so, if I can hit a pool, a lake or the beach after a long week, I’m good.

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).

Everyone should check out Lil Wayne’s verse on Let It Fly

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Follow Sedric Perry

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SedricPerryMusic

Instagram:

 https://www.instagram.com/sedricperry/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/sedric-perry

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

FEATURE:

 

 

3:33

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

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

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THE decision wasn’t all that easy…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @luana_dmc/Unsplash

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

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

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

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

PAUL’S Boutique!

INTERVIEW: Celia Palli

INTERVIEW:

Celia Palli

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THE terrific Celia Palli…

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yes, it has.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prince - Purple Rain

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

Solange - A Seat at the Table

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

Any Beyoncé album!

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

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

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

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

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

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

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

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

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Paris Monster, Nick Hakim, Kate Kay Es.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Kay Es

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

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

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

Paris Monster - The Cause of It All

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Follow Celia Palli

Official:

https://www.celiapalli.com/

Facebook:

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

Instagram:

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

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/CeliaPalli

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/celiapalli

YouTube:

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

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

FEATURE:

 

The October Playlist

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

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

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THERE are some great songs out this week…

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

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

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

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Thom Yorke – Volk

PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Billie Eilish – hostage

CHVRCHES – Graffiti

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

Mahalia – Surprise Me

Yak – Bellyache

St. Vincent - Savior (Piano Version)

ALMA – Cowboy

PHOTO CREDIT: Pooneh Ghana

POND – Sixteen Days

PHOTO CREDIT: Amber Pollack

Sundara Karma – Illusions

Jon Hopkins – Feel First Life

Cloud Nothings – So Right So Clean

Boy George & Culture Club – God & Love

Jacob Banks – Slow Up

Kurt Vile – Yeah Bones

Loyle Carner (ft. Jordan Rakei) – Ottolenghi

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

Maggie Rogers – Light On

Paloma Faith – Loyal

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

Sia – I’m Still Here

PHOTO CREDIT: Rory Barnes

YONAKA – Own Worst Enemy

Ella Mai – Good Bad

Jess Glynne – 123

Áine Cahill – Water Into Wine

Shawn Mendes – Under Pressure

Theresa Rex – Wild Ones

Middle Kids – Salt Eyes

Ady Suleiman – Rise Up

PHOTO CREDIT: Shawn Brackbill

John Grant – Preppy Boy

Rosie Carney - Orchid

Dani Sylvia – Miracle

RAT BOY – INTERNATIONALLY UNKNOWN 

Liv Dawson – Good Intentions

TRACK REVIEW: Fiona Harte - White Picket Fence

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Fiona Harte

White Picket Fence

9.5/10

The track, White Picket Fence, is available via:

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

GENRES:

Folk; Singer-Songwriter

ORIGIN:

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

RELEASE DATE:

10th September, 2018

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ON this trip out…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SLOWLY seduce the world.

___________

Follow Fiona Harte

Facebook:

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

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/FionaHarte1

Instagram:

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

SoundCloud:

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

Spotify:

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

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Siena Liggins 

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

__________

BEFORE the weekend comes in…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Grace Carter

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

 IN THIS PHOTO: YONAKA

INTO the blood.

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

___________

 PHOTO CREDIT: Shervin Lainez

Speedy Ortiz – Bigger Party

FOURS – Even in My Dreams

Ralph – Dark Clouds

Millie Turner – Night Running

PHOTO CREDIT: Nathan Russell

Lauran Hibberd – What Do Girls Want?

Jodi Guthro – Shots Fired

 

PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Saradjola

YONAKA – Own Worst Enemy 

 PHOTO CREDIT: @noranordfromnorway

Lilly Ahlberg – Needing You

Grace Carter – Why Her Not Me

Siena Liggins - Naked

Valerie Broussard – Hold on to Me

Bibi Bourelly – Writer’s Song

Poppy – Fashion After All

PHOTO CREDIT: Metaxia Coustas

Meg Mac – Give Me My Name Back

SVRCINA – Come Together 

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

Arctic Lake – Night Cries

Steady Holiday – Trapping Season

VISTA - Born for Blood

Martha Hill – Wallflower

Sofie Winterson – Half Asleep

Leah Capelle – Walking with Giants

Miya Folick – Thingamajig

PHOTO CREDIT: Savannah van der Niet

San Mei – Heaven

Blood Red Shoes – Mexican Dress

Paloma Ford – 4 the Fame

ECKOES – Hurricane of Storms

INTERVIEW: LeBarons

INTERVIEW:

LeBarons

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MY final interview before the weekend…

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

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

__________

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Chris: I can’t answer this…

Megan: (Shakes her head, ‘no’).

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

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

Evan: Too many to mention…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

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

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

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

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

Music is the unwind...music and beer.

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

Chris: Living on the Moon - Adam Faucett

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

Po: Appalachian Death Sigh - Bill Fox

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

Evan: 1952 Vincent Black Lightning - Richard Thompson

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Follow LeBarons

Official:

https://www.lebaronsband.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/lebaronsband

Bandcamp:

https://lebarons.bandcamp.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lebaronsband

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/lebaronsband 

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

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

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

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WITH the weather being a bit all over the place…

IN THIS PHOTO: Koko Clay

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

IN THIS PHOTO: SASAMI/PHOTO CREDIT: Alice Baxley

EASE you into the weekend.

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

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Lauren Rocket – Diamond Nights

 ART CREDIT: Kim Van Vuuren 

EMERGER – Nomadic Love

PHOTO CREDIT: Melissa Chu

Nina Luna – Red Flags

PHOTO CREDIT: Hillary Olson

JØUR - The War Inside

Middle Kids - Salt Eyes

PHOTO CREDIT: Maria Stijger Aramburu

Jo Marches – Clearing

PHOTO CREDIT: Howl & Echoes

Maggie Rogers – Light On

Liv Dawson – Good Intentions

Desperate Journalist – It Gets Better

PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Jamer

Christina Martin – Impossible to Hold

PHOTO CREDIT: @abaxley

SASAMI – Callous

Arc Iris – Icon of Ego

PHOTO CREDIT: @stoyanovjones 

Koko Clay – Motherland

Jess McAvoy (ft. Alicia Madison) – All Alone

HAVVK - Glass

Sizzy Rocket – Juicy Fruit

PHOTO CREDIT: @bambivader

Norma – Another Red Day

Ibeyi – Rise Up Wise Up Eyes Up

PHOTO CREDIT: Nata Moraru Photography

Mersey Wylie – Giving Myself Away

IAN SWEET – Hiding

PHOTO CREDIT: Ania Shrimpton Photography

She Makes War – Dear Heart

CRAY – Peaches

Deanna Devore – Fuels

Emma Danelon (ft. Renzo) - Questions

Red – Dangerous Love

Emilie Brandt - Grey

INTERVIEW: Heir

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Portia Hunt

Heir

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THANKS to Tom from Heir…

PHOTO CREDIT: Portia Hunt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Might there be more material coming this/next year?

Oh yeah, baby…

PHOTO CREDIT: Portia Hunt

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

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

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

 PHOTO CREDIT: Charlène Dosio

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Great people, great fun.

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

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

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

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

PHOTO CREDIT: Portia Hunt

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

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

9th October - Hull

20th October - London

21st October - Halifax (acoustic)

30th October - Exeter

More T.B.C.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

We’d be asking them…

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

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

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

 IN THIS PHOTO: Westerman

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

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

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

Make You Feel - Wild Front

Easy Money - Westerman

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Follow Heir

PHOTO CREDIT: James Ward 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/heirtheband

Instagram:

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

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/heirtheband

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/heirtheband

INTERVIEW: Megan Lara Mae

INTERVIEW:

Megan Lara Mae

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THE fabulous Megan Lara Mae…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is indeed...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have two…

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

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

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

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

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

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

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

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

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

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

 IN THIS PHOTO: Dutchkid

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

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

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lydia Evangeline

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

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

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

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

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

___________

Follow Megan Lara Mae

Official:

https://www.meganlaramae.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MeganLaraMae

Instagram:

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

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MeganLaraMae

SoundCloud:

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

Spotify:

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

YouTube:

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

INTERVIEW: Sam Dickinson

INTERVIEW:

Sam Dickinson

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IT has been good to speak to Sam Dickinson…

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

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

__________ 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s true.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have three...

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

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

Gabrielle – Rise

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

Anastacia – Freak of Nature

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

Aretha Franklin – Greatest Hits

Need I say any more?! It’s Aretha.

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

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

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

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

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

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

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

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

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

 IN THIS PHOTO: Beth Macari

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

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

 IN THIS PHOTO: HATi

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

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

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

Beth Macari – Clone

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Follow Sam Dickinson

Official:

http://samdickinsononline.com/

Facebook:

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

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/samdickinson

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/samdickinsonmusic

Spotify:

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

INTERVIEW: Derek Sallmann

INTERVIEW:

Derek Sallmann

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I am ending the day by speaking with Derek Sallmann…

COVER DESIGN: Brennan Elias Alban-Springer 

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

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

__________

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s a tough question...

Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind

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

Yourself or Someone Like You - Matchbox Twenty

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

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

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

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

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

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

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kris Angelis

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

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

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

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

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

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

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Follow Derek Sallmann

Official:

http://www.dereksallmann.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/dcsallmann

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/DerekSallmann

Instagram:

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

YouTube:

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

INTERVIEW: Tori Cross

INTERVIEW:

Tori Cross

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IT has been good to catch up with Tori Cross…

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

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

__________

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 PHOTO CREDIT: Jay Chow

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

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

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

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

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

Second would be Amy Winehouse’s album Frank

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

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

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

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

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

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

 PHOTO CREDIT: Karen Cross

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

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

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

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

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

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

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

 IN THIS PHOTO: XamVolo/PHOTO CREDIT: @yvonneschmedemann

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

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

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

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

___________

Follow Tori Cross

Facebook:

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

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/toricrossmusic

Instagram:

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

Spotify:

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

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

FEATURE:

 

 

We’ve Got It Covered!

PHOTO CREDIT: @nataliedivine/Unsplash 

National Album Day: My Ten Favourite Album Covers Ever

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THIS is a visual piece that…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @lensinkmitchel/Unsplash

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

 PHOTO CREDIT: @mikeferreira/Unsplash

TO this very day.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

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The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers

Date of Release: 23rd April, 1971

Fact:

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

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

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

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

Date of Release: 26th May, 1967  

Fact:

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

FKA twigs - LP1

Date of Release: 6th August, 2014

Fact:

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

The Clash – London Calling

Date of Release: 14th December, 1979    

Fact:

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

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

 Patti Smith – Horses

Date of Release: 13th December, 1975   

Fact:

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

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

Nirvana – Nevermind

Date of Release: 23rd September, 1978   

Fact:

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

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

 Hole – Live Through This

Date of Release: 12th April, 1994    

Fact:

“Courtney Love stated in an interview that she

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

Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon

Date of Release: 1st March, 1973     

Fact:

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

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

The Beatles – Abbey Road

Date of Release: 26th September, 1969      

Fact:

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

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

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

 David Bowie – Aladdin Sane

Date of Release: 13th April, 1973      

Fact:

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

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