Late Hala - Don't Look Now

Sometimes it's risky business putting my email address in my twitter bio as it leaves me vulnerable to various spam and scam emails. However having the latest video from Late Hala land in my inbox made it completely worthwhile.

Don't Look Now is a promising debut single from the London based, psychedelic quartet. Vocals float effortlessly across the steady riffs, continuing to spin dizzily around your mind as we are treated to an eclectic layering of indie, rock and 1960's inspired psychedelia. Just as you think you've grasped the twists and turns of the fuzzy verses, you'll find yourself suddenly lost in another world in the swirling, dramatic guitars of the outro.

Don't Look Now is one of those tracks that demands to be listened to uninterrupted and I look forward to hearing more from this intriguing group.

Website

http://latehala.bandcamp.com/

Twitter

@latehala

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/latehala/info?tab=page_info

Make Exactly What You Want To Make: An Interview With Kelly Lee Owens

Having put forward her debut self -released singles 'Lucid' and 'Arthur' earlier this year, it is clear that Kelly Lee Owens is making herself comfortable in the ambient world of her newly formed solo career, a world that she is creatively in control of. The bittersweet, electronic pulses of both Lucid and Arthur was the perfect announcement that Kelly Lee Owens was stepping away from the indie-pop world of her previous band and making her own path. We discussed the learning curves that come with only having yourself to answer to.

'Being in a band always seemed like a stepping stone for me. A way to experience & learn what I wanted to do & what I didn't want to do. I had some great times, but I was itching to explore my own universe, to see what sounds I would create. It took me a while to get there, actually, I'm still exploring & learning. but yeah, I always envisioned myself as a solo artist in the long run.'

It may be bit of a leap in genre for some, but Owens spent valuable time co-writing with artist Daniel Avery and contributed her ethereal vocals to Ghost Culture's 'Understand' which was a experience which she soaked up.'Working with Dan & James opened my mind in terms of how things can be written & produced electronically. I very much wanted to dive in to that world & I did, head first.' Diving head first into a solo music career without a record label having your back is a daunting prospect even in today's DIY-driven industry, but for Kelly it left more room to expand her creativity, describing herself as 'not wanting to be inside any particular box' on her social media bios. 'Like I've said before I enjoy exploring the inbetween lines genre-wise. To be pigeoned holed as an artist can be a bit restrictive.. I have so many musical passions & inspirations and I want to make whatever comes to me at that moment in time, whether it's a track like 'Uncertain' - quite intricate & immersive or the techno rework I did of 'Lucid' - each explores different angles & sides of me. Also in general I'm a bit protective of my creativity, it's my essence. Same as you have yours. No artist should have to twist or mould that for any body or any label y'know?'

'Make exactly what you want to make'

  But what about the rules which we give ourselves in our minds? 'Umm I don't think I have any creative rules.. I just want to make sure I'm doing as much myself as possible - that's why I write, perform & produce. I sorta made a pact with myself before I started anything, to do just that. Saying that, if I hadn't worked with Ghost Culture early on in the album, I would never have had the encouragement I needed to finish my first single 'Lucid'.. sometimes you need those small, but gentle pushes.' Sometimes those pushes can come from people who we have never even met before and for Kelly, Bjork is that very inspiration. 'Well, I value her strength of character & her dedication to her individual creative visions. She makes me think, "fuck it Kelly, make exactly what you want to make!" I think a lot of young artists have been encouraged to be themselves creatively because of her. <3'

Kelly Lee Owen's debut headline show will be taking place at The Waiting Room, London on July 22nd 

Click here for further details.

A New Age for Music

In light of the announcement of high street giants 'HMV' going into administration I was wondering where I heard a warning of this before. The answer was in MC Lars' 'Download this Song'. MC Lars' image is the adorable nerd rapper with his songs always focusing on intelligent subjects such as literature, poetry and even space travel. However, 'Download this Song' has been on repeat on my iPod due to the serious message it carries. Although the song was released in 2006, it has never been more relevant then today as Lars explains to big record companies that the music industry will fall apart if they fail to recognize that we are now in the digital age and if they want to keep up with technology then they need to embrace it; otherwise they are doomed to failure. If free digital songs are available to consumers then of course consumers will grab it with both hands, everybody loves something for free but is up to record companies and distributors to adapt to this. This may have been the very reason why HMV sank like the Titanic, and while my sympathies are with those who now need to find new jobs, it is good news for indie record stores. I have always loved indie stores due to the fact that the staff are passionate about what they do and most importantly, they stress the importance of physical copies. There is nothing like the buzz that you feel when you walk out of a shop, anxious to get home so you can discover something new. You will not find this buzz sitting on your computer. In fact with many vinyls, EPs and LPs that I have purchased, there has been a code on the inside so the consumer can have a physical copy and still enjoy the song on their iPods.

Next time you feel the urge to buy a new single or album, seek out your local record store and more then likely the staff will get to know you, and in time, start recommending new releases that you may like. This is a huge contrast to the service that HMV offered, a faceless corporate organization that I always felt lost in. (one member of staff even admitted to my boyfriend that he didn't even LIKE music). Remember that the fate of music is in the hands of the consumer.


It's 2006, the consumer's still pissed , won't take it anymore so I'm writing a list, Don't try to resist this paradigm shift, The music revolution cannot be dismissed $18.98 Iggy Pop CD? What if I can get it from my sister for free?  It's all about marketing Clive Davis, see? If fans buy the shirt then they get the mp3  Music was a product now it is a service  Major record labels why are you trying to hurt us?  Epic's up in my face like, "Don't steal our songs Lars," While Sony sells the burners that are burning CD-R's. So Warner, EMI, hear me clearly, Universal Music, update your circuitry. 
                                                                                                                                  MC Lars