Bad for Lazarus - BURNT

The Bad for Lazarus boys are back with another single that will knock your teeth out. BURNT is released on 2nd September and I will be heading to one of their gigs in Brighton so expect a review as soon as my ears stop ringing! In the meantime check out the video below

Yearbook @ The Hope, Brighton 29th July 2013

Appearances can be deceptive and with Yearbook what you see isn’t what you are going to expect to hear. They may look like a selection from the cast of an American Pie-style movie with geeky glasses and chino shorts; but their music doesn’t contain any of the cheesy Americanized clichés that have become commonplace throughout that style of music. 

In reality they are Hampshire’s answer to Biffy Clyro and give the audience at The Hope in Brighton a ferocious and continuous 20 minute set that pulls you in on the first song and doesn’t let you go until they finish playing. The band have crafted a huge live sound thanks in part to the drummer who churns out hard driving beats and choppy, syncopated rhythmic stops.

The singer has an amazing voice, seamlessly switching between screaming, signing and whispering. It is rare to find a signer who manages to pull off these different styles well but Yearbook have done just that. His vocal talents are supported by delicate and sparse vocal harmonies, adding even more depth to their live sound.

Particular highlights of the set were Art Student and Visionary, fast paced and clever songwriting. They have all the energy and brash of bands like Gallows and Lower Than Atlantis so its no surprise the latter asked them to a support them on their tour.

With such an impressive live set the band seem equally suited to playing stadiums as they do smaller venues they headlined tonight. The band are in Guilford, Leicester, London and Southampton so if you are in the area I strongly advise you go and check them out.

Bo Bruce Interview

 

Savernake Estate, with its 4,500 acres of the only privately owned forest in Britain and grand stone Grade 1 listed palladium mansion sounds like the ideal place to live. A childhood surrounded by stunning scenery, opulent landscapes and a historical family heritage may appear to be the perfect setting but the reality for Bo Bruce was far from the idyllic state people assume it would have been. “All that was affluent and impressive was just face you know. All these tragic things are happening against massive backdrops; that’s the only way I can describe it. The horror scene that might happen on a side street in Eastenders was happening in our world but with a different backdrop.”

When Bo was first exposed to the British public on The Voice last year people soon learnt that even though she had a title, Lady Catherine Brudenell-Bruce, and came from aristocratic heritage that trouble didn’t find it’s ways into her home. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, the most terrible things happen to anyone and everyone. All I know is that’s true no matter where you come from and people are beginning to get that, but yeah there were definitely people who where like ‘how can anything bad happen to you when the back drop was so impressive?”

Born in 1984 to the Earl of Cardigan David Brudenell-Bruce and Rosamond Winkley, Bo was brought up on Savernake Estate but an ideal childhood crumbled around her, much like the 19^th Century Lodge her father now lives in is reportedly crumbling around him. Last year Bo took out a restraining order against her father and now isn’t allowed to legally talk about him, her voice drops to barely more than a whisper as she address this point. “I’m not officially allowed to utter a word about my dad. I just can’t.”  As Bo stays quiet on the matter her father hasn’t been quite so discreet and has given several interviews about his daughter but never once alluded to what lead up to the separating of their relationship. His troubles with his children, Bo’s brother Thomas James Brudenell-Bruce - Viscount Savernake, who is also estranged from his father, isn’t the only battle he is facing at the moment. He is currently engaged in a long running battle with the trustees of the estate that has included being taken to court twice charged with criminal damage, theft and assault although he has never been convicted. 

Rudimental Interview

In recent years the role of the producer has drastically changed and Rudimental are the perfect group to highlight this, having stepped from behind a mixing desk into live shows. The four London born producers work together to create music influenced by growing up around the eclectic mixture of music that soundtrack the streets of Hackney, combining soul, hip-hop, jungle, reggae and drum and bass on their debut album ‘Home’. Ahead of their performance at Live at Leeds WOW247 spoke to Piers Aggett from the group.

What can people expect from the album?
Soul, bass and beats. It’s going to have a theme of soulful vocals as that’s what we are about and melodies and grooves that make you want to dance. It’s not just drum and bass there is going to be house, garage, hip hop, a little bit of reggae.

When you are dipping in and out of so many different genres and singers how do you keep a consistent sound?
It’s definitely hard, labels don’t like it and they get a bit stressed out. We are fanatics of music so if we have an idea and it kind of doesn’t sit, then we will change it. Good vocals and vibe instruments, mixing that with electronic music is our big thing so I think people will get that from our album but it’s different, it will keep people on their toes. I think we are a more of a band but we have come from the electronic world. When we do a fast song it leans towards jungle and when we do a slow song it leans towards house.

The role of the producer has changed in the last few years, where do you think it’s headed?
It’s changed hugely, if you go back to the 90s the role of the producer wasn’t really writing it was more advising the writers and advising the project and making it all work together. The producer these days kind of does a bit of everything, we write the idea with the artist or sometimes on our own, we kind of do the middle bit of putting it together and we do the end bit, we even sometimes do the mixing, because there is four of us we can pass the work around. The role of the producer is definitely a multi-role thing rather than a one-role thing that it used to be.

What do you want from the future of the band?
When we first met we all said we would love to headline Glastonbury one day, however long that takes. Or do our own gig at Hyde Park like Coldplay did and Blur, have an amazing live show and keep producing albums.



Published in Yorkshire Evening Post 

Fun @ Leeds O2 Academy Leeds 16th April 2013

Not many bands have the ability to impart on a gig a festival atmosphere but that is exactly what Fun did when they brought their show to Leeds.

The American band started in 2008 but it wasn’t until they released their second album Some Nights and the lead single We Are Young filtered onto radios that Fun’s spirited pop was brought to the masses.

Lead singer Nate Ruess commands attention as he dashes around the stage, his presence a mixture between Rufus Wainright, Mika and Freddie Mercury just without the flamboyant dress sense. He is one of those frontmen that draws your focus and you find yourself not being able to look away from him.

The only instrument he uses throughout the gig is his voice so he is able to move swiftly around the stage and by the end of the gig he must have covered every inch of the floor but still looks like he has the energy to run a marathon. His vocal ability is extraordinary; a male hasn’t reached and sustained such high notes since Danny Zuko in Grease.

The set feels like it is over before it has begun as the songs are so well crafted that there isn’t a moment where you aren’t carried along by the anthemic tracks. The tracks are filled with upbeat sentiments and empowering lyrics that prompts the sense of inclusion that you don’t get with my many gigs where everyone in that room at that moment is feeling the same thing.

Where the festival spirit is really evident is during the encore of We Are Young when the entire audience is on their feet, arms raised above their heads as the band round off a motivating and energetic gig.


Published in Yorkshire Evening Post 

Sam Sallon @ Gaslight Club 11th March 2013

The theatrical setting of the Gaslight Club is perfect for hosting Sam Sallon who glides onto the stage in dark jeans and a black jacket, looking a little like Russell Brand’s more attractive and better-groomed brother. Candles flicker inside and behind the stage snow can be seen gently falling on the road outside. As soon as Sam starts playing there is something mesmerising about him and the setting only adds to the magical quality he is filling the room with tonight.

His songs are more like stories, full of observational lyrics where Sam is the messenger. ‘Just the Same’ talks about how life is finite and that’s something we share with everyone in the planet, it sounds like the soundtrack to a beautiful eschatological dream. ‘Long Way Down’ is another song that stands out for its simple arrangement yet powerful content.

He has a very accomplished finger picking style, not showboating but very skilled. Rather than using vocal runs or tricks, he lets the natural tone of his warm voice shine through. He teases the audience with his voice barley a whisper then let’s his voice rise, using it for emphasis and not just effect. To put emotion into the songs he uses clever lyrics and interesting melodies, not relying on clichés or key changes. The melodies he goes for aren’t the obvious ones but he makes them work so at the same time they sound new yet recognisable.

Having never been a fan of whistling it is surprising to hear it used so well in Sam songs. It’s used perfectly in the tracks and his music had a holistic quality, everything works in harmony and complements each other. His music is pure and unadulterated, his lyrics wistful and intelligent, a true raconteur and a striking example of musical talent.

Tom Odell Interview

Fresh from being the first male to win the BRITs Critics’ Choice award and before he starts his international tour, Scene caught up with Tom Odell to find out more about the young musician who was spotted and signed by Lilly Allen and is predicted to do big things with 2013.

Why do you think you have been the first guy to win the BRITs Critics’ Choice award?

I think that girls, in the past ten years, have been making better pop music than guys. I think they have been making great music and deservedly that’s why they have been winning all the awards. People like Adele and Emeli (Sande) are incredible artists and I am proud to be involved in an award like theirs.

How did you put your band together?

Over the past 3 years I’ve chopped and changed, people have left and people have come and its got bigger and smaller, its been quite an evolving process that’s been happening for a while. I’ve always loved playing with a band, its one of my favourite things playing music, that bond you have with musicians.

Your songs so far have been to do with heartbreak; do you think it’s harder to write songs when you’re happy?

I think it’s possible to write songs when you are happy, I don’t think you have to be broken down. There is definitely something to be said that when everything is in order and you have your girlfriend and you have a nice flat and great family and everything seems alright, that its difficult to write songs but I have never really been in that situation, my worlds never really in order. I think there is always scope to talk about something. With this album, I’m young so heartbreak was something I wrote about because that was apparent in my life.

The Joyformidable Interview

Welsh rock trio The Joy Formidable show no sign of slowing down in 2013 with the release of their second album Wolf’s Law and an extensive UK tour, culminating in their largest London headline show at the Roundhouse. Before they set off we catch up with lead singer Ritzy to talk about the new album, how the band is environmentally aware and why she would want to be a possum.

You recorded your new album in a remote log cabin in Portland, Maine, what did that experience bring to the songs?

I think creatively we needed it. We love being on the road, we write a lot on the road but what we need at some point is some time to reflect on everything we have been writing. I think it gives us a really isolated solitude in nature, it was just a perfect place to reflect on what we have been writing over the course of the year. To reflect on where we were at, give us a chance to reconnect with ourselves in different ways, just a bit of space to lose yourself and become completely consumed by making a record.

What can fans of the first album expect from the follow up?

It’s intricate, beautiful. There’s a lot of range on the new album, from the orchestral to the intimate so there is a range of dynamics and a breath of instrumentation but ultimately, it’s a different Joy Formidable record. I think it’s just very natural for us to come out with a follow up that’s different. We always want to be brave in terms of the writing and moving this band forward creatively. It’s definitely different but it has all the same passion and intent and the voice that’s synonymous with the Joy Formidable.

As a band you are environmentally aware, what changes have you made to become more environmentally friendly?

I think obviously, it’s always been something we are connected with but it’s been spurred by us being in this setting and being very close to nature in the middle of nowhere. We don’t want to lose our connection with the natural world.

I’m a big believer in people power, it’s all about tiny steps and what people can bring to the table. As long as people have optimism and they question, they have a social responsibility what ever that is. I think its all the small gestures added up that can make a hell of a lot more difference than governments and companies. It’s something that we have always been interested in, a gesture as small as printing your album box  on recycled paper, we’ve got a tree certificate in each of the box sets as well, that means there is a tree planted for every box set that’s bought. If everybody did lots of tiny gestures like that then it can have an impact. 

Maaike Breliman Interview

You could almost say it was fate that Maaike Breliman would be cast in the role of Kate Bush for ‘WOW’, not only does she share the singers birthday but also a strong resemblance in appearance and vocal style. As Kate Bush only toured once, Wow will give fans a chance to hear Bush’s songs performed live by Maaike and great attention has been given to the production to make it as authentic as possible. During rehearsals we caught up with Maaike to find out what she loves about Bush and how she has been preparing.

What is it about Kate Bush that you think captivates people so much?

I think it’s the fact that it’s got so many different aspects that are all good. The lyrics plus the music plus the detailed recording and arranging plus the way she would express and perform so I guess it’s a lot of different things all combined.

What where the most important elements for you as a performer trying to emulate Kate Bush?

I’ve always said that as a singer I’m not the kind of singer who aims to make people dance but I want to touch them, I’d rather have people having goose bumps and being touched in an emotional way.

You have had to train for all the dancing, how has that been?

Yes sometimes it is, I’m not 21 anymore so it’s hard work. I have always danced and worked out a lot, which has helped, but it’s a lot of work still.

What are some of the challenges you have faced getting the show together?

Luckily, I have a good eye for detail as does our producer. I wouldn’t want to have a show that doesn’t have a lot of details in it.

How have you managed rehearsing while in different countries?

Always been a challenge, we are very grateful for the internet so we can stay in touch a lot, does speed things along when you don’t have to send things through regular mail. My band are all from UK so they can sometimes practice without me, I can prepare for the dancing in Holland, my backing vocalist is from Holland to so I fly back and forth a lot, its a lot of planning. 

Published in Yorkshire Evening Post 

Epilogues – The Cartographer

 

The Cartographer is the tender debut album from brothers Mickey and Joey Donnelly from York. They have only been Epilogues for around a year and the emotive and delicate instrumentation at work is even more impressive when you consider their ages, Mickey in his second year of University and Joey yet to finish school.

The album starts with ‘Eos’ a lullaby of a track that sets the standard for the dreamy harmonies and carefully crafted guitar parts that engulf the record.

‘Atlas, At Last’ the most affecting track, with soft and melancholic vocals against a simple piano part are simply divine. Its simplicity allows the listener to be immersed in the emotive and delicately layered harmonies that build towards the end of the song to create a warm, blissful track. The song sounds like it belongs in a dream sequence of a fairytale film as it has an ethereal quality.  

Another stand out track is the sweet ‘Persephone’, only a short track but full of beautiful harmonies and sweetness. For the last track John Donnelly adds his vocals to ‘the Cartographer’ and it’s tenderness works well with the downcast tempo and lyrical play.

The whole album is unadulterated and natural sounding with a great balance between instrumentation and vocal harmonies. It’s brave to let songs stand this bare but they have managed to keep them interesting and full of depth. The lyrics are thoughtful and articulate with a poetic quality that sits beautifully next to the graceful piano melodies.

There’s maturity in the songs that surprises and excites, if this is the debut album from the boys then their future must hold something special.

Published in Counterfeit Magazine 

Django Django Interview

Not many bands receive the same level of acclaim with a debut album as Scottish group Django Django did in 2012 with their self-titled album. Before the band headline the NME tour we catch up with bassist Jim Dixon to find out how the band felt at being nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, plans for their second album and why they went with a terrible band name.

When you started the band were you all quite focused as to what you wanted from the band or has it taken on a life of its own?

Yeah pretty much. I don’t think we had any kind of idea of what it was going to do, we didn’t even think we would get an album out when we first started doing songs, it’s just snowballed. We put a couple of singles out just because we were excited to do that not because we had any foresight as to where that would go. We put the first couple of singles out ourselves with a friend and then we got offered a record deal so we wrote an albums worth of stuff and when the album came out its taken off, its been pretty unexpected but its been great. It’s been pretty amazing the places we’ve been playing, last summer we went all round Europe, we have been to America, Australia and Japan, its totally exceeded anything that we thought would happen. 

How far along is the second album?

Pretty early stages, we are in the studio in the next couple of weeks but we are working on the live set then hopefully we will get some time to work on some new songs. It’s pretty tentative at the moment, we are recording a few ideas ourselves and hopefully we will start working on stuff in the next couple of weeks.

Your fist took 3 years to complete the first album; will the process be different this time around?

I think so because Dave (Maclean – drummer) produced the last album and it was pretty much trial and error as we didn’t really know what we were doing so it took us quite a while. I think now that we are working on it full time things will be a lot quicker than the first album. Everyone was working full time jobs and Dave was in college, we were literally getting together twice a week but hopefully this time will be much quicker. 

The Wonder Stuff Interview

-->

After 26 years only one original member of the Wonder Stuff remains, lead singer Miles Hunt has stayed a constant throughout the bands varied history that includes a break-up in 1994, a reunion in 2000 and the death of two members. Prior to the release of their seventh album and short tour we spoke to Miles Hunt about the bands line-up history, how he performed whilst being miserable and not owning a TV.

You are going on tour with Pop Will Eat Itself and Jesus Jones, what do you like about those two bands?

I think there is a spirit shared between the three bands that we don’t muck about, there is very little in the way of subtleties within the three bands. It’s obvious what we are trying to do and that’s put a rocking tune over in a pretty forceful way.

As a band you have had lots line-up problems for 25 years, how have the changes affected the band?

It’s not been problems really, it’s been getting rid of some spare fat and each time the line up changes have occurred the band gets a kick up the arse and a bit of new life into it so for me it’s great. We’ve not been the only ones, there have been a lot of bands that I have been influenced by over the years that have had constantly changing line-ups, the Cure, the Waterboys, the Cult, there are loads of them. Not everyone’s cut out for the long haul, it’s been my baby since ‘86 and I’ve yet to think of anything I would prefer spending my life putting my efforts into. As each member has left it’s either been because they don’t feel it anymore or they have found something else they want to do with their life and each time somebody new has come in its given it a new energy and certainly the line-up that we have now is the best we have ever had. 

Do you think the band has an independent existence or is it dependant on you?

Well I’m the thread really that’s been there since the beginning, I’ve always been the principle songwriter. Pretty soon into it we were doing regular interviews with the press in the late 80’s and it was always me that got pushed forward by our pr’s and so I suppose mine has been the constant face of the band. 

Rihanna Unapologetic

It was billed as an opportunity for fans and journalists to gain an insight into the singer and join her on a weeklong party while she completing her 777 tour; seven gigs in seven cities to celebrate the release of her seventh album. What should have been a great PR opportunity turned flat when the singer failed to spend any time with the people she had invited to be around her and promises of parties failed to materialise and one journalist got so bored he took all his clothes off, which certainly Rihanna would approve of. It all sounded so good to start with, a private jet with a star who is  (if her Twitter account is anything to go by) a party princess but failed to deliver, much like the album.

Unapologetic has all the ingredients to make it a huge record. The industries best writers, the best producers and the powerhouse of Def Jam and of course the lady herself. Considering her six previous albums have a strong ratio of hits to filler it’s surprising that Unapologetic lacks any substance.

It feels like Rihanna or more accurately the people who write her songs have got bored. Considering all Rihanna had to do was add her vocals to the record she could have put some effort in, it sounds like she recorded all her parts in one take with the same enthusiasm she would put into ordering a drive through. She doesn’t in any way make it sound like she is enjoying it so how is the listener meant to?

Opening track ‘Phesh out the Runway’ sounds like it should have been given to Nicki Minaj and the songs carry on from there. It’s more a collection of songs ordered together rather than an entity that has had some time taken over it. Even the lead single ‘Diamonds’ lacks the power that it should have being filled with clichés and absence of any hook. Tracks are littered with Dubstep, more because that’s what’s selling records at the moment rather than because it needs it.

The only theme that is present throughout is the thinly veiled attempt to justify her relationship with Chris Brown. Their collaboration on ‘Nobodies Business’ is completely tasteless and musically uninspiring. There is a difference between forgiving someone for a mistake and victimising a misogynist by flaunting your toxic relationship. If it really is nobodies business keep it that way rather than whining on through a whole album about how misunderstood your relationship is.

Does the fact that there is no theme, no consistency and most worrying of all every song is devoid of even a feeble attempt at a chorus hamper it’s chances of selling well. No. Has the fact that most critics have reviewed it in a negative tone stopped it going to straight to number 1? No. Should anybody bother buying? No.

Ben Howard @ O2 Academy Leeds 14th November 2012

A faint spotlight searches the stage, giving the occasional glimpse of a lone figure. For the first song Ben Howard remains on his own, dressed in black, delicately strumming an electric guitar.

His band, consisting of three multi-instrumentalists who switch instruments between tracks, join him on stage and help produce the soaring folk harmonies his songs are known for. Throughout the set Howard displays amazing musician qualities, using an acoustic guitar to get percussive rhythms by tapping, slapping and knocking the sides.

You get the sense he doesn’t give himself an easy time vocally and makes himself work for it, pushing his voice to desperate places but never missing a note. Considering his talking voice has such a soft tone that it slightly gets lost while he talks to the audience, when he sings it fills the room with power and emotion. His set follows the same pattern as his songs, a measured start, teasing the audience with what is coming and then building up to a glorious crescendo of voices and cymbals.
The Wolves and Keep Your Head Up were the highlights of the show, songs that cry out for the audience to sing, clap and holler along.

Howard has an extremely warm tone to his voice and his songs are so tender it would have been nice to hear them in a more intimate setting, as occasionally the chatter from the audience took away from their beauty.


Published in Yorkshire Evening Post 

Bad for Lazarus Interview

 

Brighton based psychedelic rockers Bad for Lazarus have been whipping audiences into a frenzy in the last few years with their energetic live shows. Ahead of their long awaited debut album they released the stand alone single ‘My Muddle’, the video of which was the second most popular on NME. I chatted to Rich Fownes to find out what the reaction has been like to the new tracks and the state of rock music.

You set up your own label Shit Chic, why do that rather than approach an already established label?

For every cliché reason you hear about day after day. We'll always be open to offers, but it's a fucking wasteland out there and I don't expect any favours or easy rides. No established label would have much of a reason to gamble on us, why pick us over One Direction...if I had money to invest I'd know who the safer bet is. We don't want to curb our ideas to try to appeal to the last, panic-stricken dinosaurs remaining.

As a band you have had a few incarnations, was it every frustrating and how did you keep the motivation going?

Not frustrating at all, we got better every time. So there were always a few cum faces when we took it to the next level.

How’s the tour been going? What’s the reaction been to the new tracks?

Amazing so far! (I have to say that though, right?) ..but genuinely amazing. The main difference I've felt on this tour is our singing has started getting really tidy. It's nice when that kind of thing starts feeling effortless, when you start you never know if you're gonna get there. Right now we're feeling the karmic payoff for all our public onstage no-no's.

Goyte @ O2 Apollo Manchester 15th November 2012

Nothing about Goyte’s gig tonight is ordinary, from the stage set up to the display of musical talent. The stage is a solar system of sample triggers strewn in all corners and Wouter "Wally" De Backer spends the show bouncing around hitting, tapping and plinking the various samples that make up his distinctive alternative rock. The superb drummer he is becomes apparent in the first song and even though he is hammering the skins his voice doesn’t falter from its impressive range.

Throughout the set a projector casts animation and images on the back wall, a favourite would be the cartoon organ taking over a family house in ‘State of the Art’, a funky and dark track using a vocoder to create some menacing vocals.

Midway through there were a few quieter tracks that show he can still create great songs that are stripped back. Like the fabulous ‘Bronte’, a touching song about a family putting their pet dog down, which combines ethereal harmonies with simple drums. Considering his excitement throughout the rest of the set he is able to perform the track with tenderness and keep the same fullness of his more layered songs.

When the time comes for the breakup song of 2012 to be performed, the audience notes Kimbra’s absence. Brilliantly, the audience is asked to join in to cover her second verse and chorus backing vocal part, it’s a warming moment. Not many performers would be able to get that level of audience participation without encouragement. In fact not many performers would be able to seamlessly navigate their way around the huge selection of sample triggers set up whilst still maintaining an engaging and humours dialogue with the audience.

The entire set is well choreographed around the huge selection of instruments and is extremely well executed. The transitions between songs are smooth and the band genuinely looks like they are having a great time. Goyte’s live show proves him to be a dynamic and enormously talented individual.



Published on Music-New.com

The Lovely Eggs Interview

Bands don’t get much more wonderfully bizarre than TheLovely Eggs, a married duo from Lancaster that have, for the past five years, been touring their surreal punk rock around the globe. Back with their third album ‘WILDLIFE’ we talk to Holly and delve into the minds of the band that write about sausage roll thumbs and washing line smiles.

For those who don’t yet know much about you, tells us a bit about the Lovely Eggs?

We are a two-piece band from Lancaster, we got together about 5 years ago mucking around really. I was living in Paris and a friend said ‘oh I bet you cant write a song’ because they didn’t believe we had been musicians as me and Dave have both been in bands before. There and then we wrote a song and we quite liked it and we have never stopped really.

You are very prolific; does song writing come naturally to you?

Yeah it does, we don’t even think about it we keep writing and then if we have got a particular song we want to release we just release it, we just keep writing away. It’s like stories to us about our life and things we have observed.

You have a unique way of looking at things.

We do wear a different pair of spectacles to most other people I think. The way we look at life been inspired by other authors and other writers and musicians, its about looking at the world differently from how you normally would. If you do that you end up with lyrics that are maybe different. I suppose we have a different approach to song writing, as we don’t really write about what other bands are writing about. We write about what happens in our life, we are quite like voyeurs, we see stuff and write about what had happened to us.

The Staves Interview

Folk trio The Staves enamoured legendary producers Ethan and Glyn Jones so much so that for the first time the father and son duo co-produced a record together. The result is the sisters debut album ‘Dead & Born & Grown’ an incredible blend of the girls angelic harmonies and poetic stories. Scene caught up with Emily to talk about their debut album and how they look after their voices.

Was there much in the way of preproduction on the album, as it doesn’t feel overworked at all, just very natural and charming?

We didn’t really do very much preproduction at all, we went and sat in Ethan’s garden for an afternoon with him and Glynn and we just played through some songs. We would play them a song and Ethan would say “I can hear a bit of that maybe” and we had tea and cake and went home and we were like “ok we will see you in a couple of months” and that was it. We really didn’t have it all planned out at all and we wanted quite a live feel to it. We didn’t want to over think it by being absolutely sure and making all the decisions about what would happen musically before we had actually got into the right space with the right people and kind of discovered what everybody was feeling should happen in the song.

Is there one song that best represents the album?

We sort of had that thought process when we were deciding on what the album should be called and so we settled on ‘Dead & Born & Grown’, which is the title of one of the songs. It’s one of the first songs that we wrote together, I think if you get that song then you really understand where we are going from, it’s very simple it’s just guitars and vocals, some simple harmonies in there. I would say that’s fairly representative of us but then there is also a song which comes at the end called ‘The Eagle’ and that is the most recent song that we have written and that’s also kind of the most representative in a way because that’s the point that we are at now so you have kind of got both ends of the album.

The video for ‘Tongue Behind my Teeth’ has a great cowgirl and revenge theme, who came up with the concept?

It was a friend of ours, we were talking about that being the next single and doing a video for it and our friend was like “I always hear horses hoofs, I always just see you girls on horses” and we all kind of laughed. Then we looked at each other and were like “do you think we could do a cowboy thing?” We went in and said to our video people that we had this idea ‘we want to go to the desert and make a cowboy video but we will be girls, we are not going to be all corset, sexy girls, we want to be like men seeking revenge.’ We were expecting to get shot down but they said ok so we went out to this place in Spain and we were like “I don’t really think anyone has thought this through as we can’t really ride horses, what are we going to do?” It was really good fun.

Hot Chip Interview

HotChip have spent the last 8 years refining their electro pop sound with their fifth studio album, In Our Heads, gaining critical acclaim as their best yet. The band have left record label giant EMI, who released 2006’s The Warning, an album that saw them nominated for the Mercury Prize and was Mixmag’s album of the year. We spoke to Felix Martin (drum machine/synthesizer) about the bands decision to change labels, measuring the bands success and whether he would have chosen instant success at a young age.

With the fifth studio album is it easier to create the songs together?

Our albums seem to come out pretty regularly, one every couple of years, we are onto our fifth album and we kind of pride ourselves on being quite prolific, we don’t really get musically constipated like some other bands who keep trying to make other records and it just doesn’t work out. We are lucky enough that we always have loads of ideas, I’m not saying they are always amazing ideas but we keep moving forward, we just keep trying to add momentum. We create a lot of music so there is no point in hanging around and not putting it out there when it’s ready.

Why the decision to release In Out Heads on Domino rather than EMI?

It was a very natural decision to say we’re friends with them, they really like our music, they wanted to sign us originally years ago and they get who we are and what we want to do. We don’t have to explain to them too much and they won’t try and force a round peg into a square hole, which is maybe what you get slightly with a major label. On the other hand we never really had a problem with EMI and there were some nice people there, they did do a good job. It did change a lot towards the end and it wasn’t really the same company as when we had first signed to them. 

How do you quantify success as a band?

We definitely think about it. From the point of view that we are, partly at least, a pop band, we are definitely aware of whether or not our albums are being listened to by a lot of people and whether our tours are selling out and whether we are still relevant in any way, shape of form. When you’ve made five albums, internally you start trying to justify it. Why do I think it’s necessary for me to keep doing this or would it be better to stop now but we just haven’t really come to that point in terms of creativity and the ideas that we have. You see people’s careers on the up and down, not everyone retires when they are at the peak of their success. A lot of people, the venues are getting smaller and the crowd is diminishing, that’s hard as well but it’s your career so you have to keep plugging away at it I guess. 

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.