Conor Maynard Interview

In the space of a year ConorMaynard has gone from a YouTube sensation into a pop star in his own right. He first started posting videos of himself singing covers and built up a strong online fan base. He was signed to Parlophone in late 2011 and began working on his album Contrast, which went straight to number 1 in the UK. Scene catches up with the Conor when he has just got back from America to find out what it was like getting so much attention before his album was released and his dream acting role.

How has this year been for you?

I think this year has been the rapid part, obviously the past four years was me posting covers on YouTube and getting signed and working on my first album. That kind of took about four years and then this year it kind of all took off in one go and it’s been amazing for me to step back and see the growth. Fans and my friends get to see it as well, how my life has changed. I suppose that’s one of the reasons I named the album Contrast because of that crazy change.

How was it getting so much attention before your album was even released?

It was very crazy for me. It was kind of scary at the same time because it did put pressure on me putting out the album and people enjoying it. I suppose it delivered as it got to number 1 in its first week, which was an incredible thing to happen. For me it’s definitely been a plan to keep releasing music and keep pleasing fans with my music, so hopefully that will continue to happen.

How did you celebrate when it went to number 1?

I actually got to sleep for once. I got a day off afterwards so I got to sleep and then I think that night I went out with my friends and you can actually find pictures of me being asked for ID trying to get into a club. That was hilarious. 

Lianne La Havas

Lianne La Havas was tipped to be big this year and she certainly didn’t disappoint. Her debut album charted at number 4 and gained her a Mercury Prize nomination and a host of famous fans including Prince, Stevie Wonder and Bon Iver. You can tell she is enjoying the experience as she recounts us with her tales from America, the artists she is nominated with and how she looks after that beautiful voice of hers.

We last spoke to you at the end of last year, how’s the past year been for you?

I’ve had a lot of fun this year, lots of exciting things have happened so I’m chuffed. Meeting Stevie Wonder, actually just the fact that he came to my show is pinch yourself. I screamed when I found out I was so excited, my whole band where excited. We are all massive fans and I’ve learnt a lot about music just from him as well as other artists, that was a really amazing highlight of this year.

Your album, Is Your Love Big Enough, has just been nominated for the Mercury Prize, how does that feel?

I’m so trilled I can’t believe it. I didn’t find out properly because what they do is they ask you if you’re available on the night of the ceremony rather than say you’re nominated, as there is a certain time when they announce it all. They knew my availability but I found out the day before or something about the actual nomination. I was over the moon.

What do you think of the acts you are up against?

I love Jessie Ware, I know her and I love her voice and I love her songs. Michael Kiwanuka I love, Ben Howard and I love the Alt-J album, Richard Hawley as well. It’s a really mixed bag but just to be nominated is just the best feeling in the world. I can’t wait to be at the ceremony and be a part of it all, see everyone’s performances. It’s going to be a really wonderful evening of music. It’s crazy, so prestigious and just a wonderful thing so I am very happy. 

Life in Film Interview

 

London based guitar band Life in Film is made up of Samuel Fry, Micky Osment, Edward Ibbotson and Dominic Sennétt. They caught the attention of industry giant Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur) who has been working with them on their album and been asked by fashion label Burberry to play an acoustic session for them. When we speak to Ed the excitement the boys have for the music they are making and the tour they are just about to set off on is evident.

How did you guys meet and decide to start making music together?

I’ve known Sam since we were at school together, we did a few half arsed band things when we were at school but then we both went to Uni. That’s where Sam met Dom and Mick. They played about a bit but nothing serious and then when Uni ended they broke up and Sam came back to London. We started playing about with guitars and the other two moved up to London and we decided to give it a go. Dom says he remembers the first time I met him and it was in a pub in Acton, I seem to remember that being ages after I met him so that’s an on going dispute.

We all get on really well, we pretty much spend all of our time together and it’s quality. I think it’s pretty much all we have wanted to do. In an interview we did a while ago Dom said that most of our humour is based on insulting each other so if it ever came down to an argument we have already said the worst stuff you could possibly say already, it would almost be pointless to have the argument. It’s wicked, there has never been a big bust up and we are all quite close emotionally and sort of look after each other.

How did you come up with the bands name as there are several stories around. I read that an Indian guru told you that you needed to be in a band called My Life in Film, that’s not true is it?

I quite like the guru one but it’s absolute bollocks. I got told that the other day, I think Dom said that I’d gone to India and meditated with a guru or something like that, it’s absolute nonsense. Although I kind of wish it was because that’s far more interesting.

It came from this film called American Movie, this sort of documentary about this guy in America. He is obsessed with horror movies and he is trying to make his own movie but it’s really low budget and he is slightly deluded and this documentary follows him trying to make a horror movie. Although he was the guy that was desperate to make the movie this documentary was actually following him, so it was kind of his life in film, even though it was all about him trying to make his own film. We liked the ideas running through that. We spent ages trying to think of a name and we came up with some bad ones. I think it’s a bit like hearing the sound of your own voice. It always sounds a bit alien.

How was it working with Stephen Street?

Yeah that was brilliant, that’s probably been a high point for all of us. We like the same music but also each like our own different things but I think the Smiths and Blur are probably the two bands that we would say are big influences, probably the Smiths more than Blur and so that was just a dream. I think a lot of people that aren’t in bands maybe don’t know about producers but even before I was in a band I knew about Stephen Street. I just thought it would be amazing to work with him. I think he had heard a couple of early demos and he knew that we weren’t signed at the time so he just did it because he obviously really liked. I know people always say what an honour it is to work with someone but for us that was a pretty big thing, probably the biggest thing that’s happened to me.   

AxeWound Interview

What’s better than being in one hugely successful metal band? Being in two, a feat AxeWound are working for with their debut album Vultures. Instigator Matt Tuck (Bullet For My Valentine) got together Liam Cormier (Cancer Bats), Jason Bowld (Pitchshifter), Mike Kingswood (Glamour Of The Kill) and ex-Rise To Remain bassist Joe Copcutt to push metal to it’s limits. Here Matt talks us through the changes in metal music and how he lost his confidence when he had his tonsils removed.

How did the group come together?

It was something I had wanted to do for a long time and I had know Jason from when he stood in at some Bullet shows. We kept in touch ever since as he was the guy I wanted to do it with. We had an opportunity to do it December last year so I just phoned him up and we kind of just did it there and then. Then after the music was written and recorded then we kind of put the band around it.

Which song do you think most defines the bands sound?

If I had to pick one it would probably be Post Apocalyptic Party. It’s got a little bit of everything that AxeWounds is about. There’s a lot of swagger in that song, it’s brutally heavy but it still something you can nod your head to which is a nice thing to be able to do.

You recorded Vultures in 11 days, with no pre-writing or rehearsing, what was the motivation behind that?

We just didn’t have the luxury of time or budget. We did it all in my downtime from Bullet and we funded everything ourselves, then it was coming up to Christmas so we just gave ourselves a goal of 11 days. We actually dropped one from the album because we weren’t too sure of it so we put it to bed. 

Don Broco Interview

It’s been a busy summer for DonBroco, although the band have been together since 2008 relentlessly touring the country, the release of their debut album Priorities saw the crowds get bigger and their shows reviewed in Kerrang! Lead singer Rob Damiani took the time to talk to us about his writing process, dealing with doubters and doing it DIY.

It seems to be very important to you guys to do it yourselves, what are the advantages and disadvantages of doing it DIY?

We have always had a quite DIY ethos, it’s almost quite hard to give that up in a way. Since we signed to Sony they have been great, obviously they have had more ideas for us, there is a bigger team behind us but we still get to keep our individuality and any ideas that we want to put forward come first, which is great. I think it’s important because it means you don’t turn into a standard band in a way you still get to get all your original ideas out.

If someone came along and said they could guarantee you a No1 album and lots of money but you would have to change the band would you do it?

No I don’t think so because everything has happened so naturally for us, I don’t think we could ever change things up dramatically. The way things are going they seem to be working all right. It’s nice having other people involved, with anything really. With the album, we wrote that ourselves but we are also taking advice from our producer, collaborations are great but when anyone comes in and tells you what to do it’s not going to end well. 

How did you guys know when you found your sound?

It’s definitely a more gradual process. When we first started writing songs three years ago they don’t sound anything like the songs we are coming up with now. It’s a learning curve, learning how to write songs and learning what we liked about our own music. It defiantly wasn’t straight away. We’ve all got such varied influences, it was quite hard to pick what is was we wanted to do as when we first started we just wanted to be a band, we wanted to play anything. When we wrote our mini album Big Fat Smile we saw that as a definite turning point, this is what we like, this is what we want to do. Writing the album it really came together, now it’s finished it’s still quite diverse in the sense that we cover a lot of ground and we have tried a lot of things out on it but it’s a way more focused release. Looking back through the progression of stuff it’s definitely changed and I don’t think when we started we could have written that.   

Foxes Interview

 

When we get to speak to Foxes (A.K.A Louis Rose Allen) she is on her tour bus on her way to Berlin and surprisingly upbeat for someone who has got another five hours of travelling in front of them. With an infectious charisma and stunning ethereal vocals that were showcased on her Neon Gold Records’ debut Youth late last year, Foxes is capturing people’s attention all over the world.

You moved down to London and studied music, why did you stop?

Well I feel like music can’t really be taught. I think it was a bit too much of a classroom for me and I just wanted to run off and create some sounds. It was great fun but it wasn’t really for me. I feel that music school is for if you want to become a teacher. It’s probably different for lots of people but for me I wasn’t really into all of the theory classes. I just don’t feel like you can be taught music, I feel like it’s something you learn yourself. I just wanted to run off and write songs and sing them on stages really.

What were your musical influences when you were growing up compared to now?

Growing up I loved the Spice Girls, Eminem, it was very pop, typical young kid in the 90’s. I loved all sorts of stuff. I was a big fan of 90’s dance music. I really liked Kate Bush, Patti Smith, still do and Björk, Portishead, Massive Attack, stuff like that really. I actually get my inspiration more from film. It’s visually more inspiring for me so I watch a lot of films and soundtracks. I love Leon, more recently I think the Drive soundtracks brilliant. When I was younger I used to watch Leon five times a day and Forest Gump five times day apparently, my mum said I used to sit there and have them on repeat.

How do you describe yourself as a performer?

I think I just get into it. I really enjoy magical stage performances. I like it when the artist can take the listener away for half and hour and make them think they have gone into another world. I’m a big fan of magical moments in performances and the occasional jump about. It’s taken me a while to get good at my craft, stage confidence and performance. I don’t get nervous now, I used to.