Interview: Robbie Boyd

Following the release of his acclaimed debut album 'So Called Man' Robbie Boyd is set to release his single 'Brave' on the 7th December. Tying in with the breezy optimism of his album, 'Brave' has reached the ears and received the praise of Radio 2 and 6 Music due to it's quintessentially folk, home-spun sound.
Robbie was kind enough to give me a quick low-down on his single and his career so far.

You learnt your trade by busking in major cities such as London and Paris. Do you take anything from these experiences to put into your live sets or even your songwriting?

'Absolutely, when you play songs in their raw form on the street, you discover which ones have the immediate effect of grabbing people’s attention as well as feeling which new songs you get the most enjoyment out of playing. Another thing you really learn is stagecraft and how to refine it – how to grab an audience and keep them there, whether you’re doing your own material or covers. If 10 people are playing ‘Imagine’, you need your version to stand out. From the start, I often made more money playing my own music, which gave me even more belief to carry on. I’ve had many interesting experiences with passersby on the streets, including one whose words of encouragement were “they want to see you have your face in the dirt!” - so I used that as inspiration for one of my songs. I have many other references to my busking experiences in my work.'

Alongside many other of your tracks, 'Brave' enjoys much positivity. Is this a theme you deliberately stick to or does the optimism flow naturally in your songwriting?

'It’s not really a conscious thing, it’s where I go when I write and I like to approach many difficult subjects with a sense of positivity. The world can be a very difficult, lonely place and we are told about it a lot in the media, so to say a few good things, and to say that this world is also a place of great kindness and beauty once in a while, can only be a good thing, I reckon.'

You've worked alongside Ray Davies, did he share with you any words of wisdom?

'Writing a song with Ray Davies was one of the most wonderful and surreal moments of my life. He taught me how to really hone my lyrics and about the power of imagination using fictional or real life characters in my stories. The song we wrote together is called ‘Modern Man’. I wrote another song called ‘Front Page News’ which is all about my encounter with him, and also has references to my busking days. Ray also recommended I keep as much control over my songs for as long as possible.'

How does it feel to know you're marked in history as the first ever Brit to perform on the O2 Arena?

'Epic. I’m very proud of all my achievements and that’s definitely up there, pun intended. My next goal is to perform on the main stage!'

'So Called Man' is available to purchase now on iTunes with 'Brave' set for release on 7th December 

Music...Will Outlive Anyone Or Anything: Interview with Bloom Twins

Anya and Sonya Kuprienko AKA the captivating dark pop duo Bloom Twins are not just your standard teenage pop stars. The Ukrainian identical twins channel their boundless energies into their world of music and high fashion, finding inspiration along the way. I mentioned before how seeing Bloom Twins perform was an hypnotising  experience and so I decided it was time to catch up with the sisters on their career so far.

The music and fashion industry are two of the most notoriously difficult worlds to break into and gaining a foothold in either isn't the easiest task in the world, yet the girls are conquering both after taking the dramatic leap of leaving their small town outside of Kiev for the sprawling lights and hectic pace of London.  "It totally was a big leap for both of us." They explain "But we've always dreamt about it. Something we always wanted. And we are very lucky it happened this early in our lives. We were just babies in Love with British music, our parents introduced us to it. We naturally began to get hungry for music and started to discover lots of different instruments, but that wasn't enough. And than we met our manager, who suggested we move to London. And that was a step closer to our dreams." However it was a quintessentially British artist that may have had a sub-conscious effect on the decision. "Our main influence was the legend of music - Paul McCartney. Our parents know all Beatles songs by heart. And our childhood was drenched in an ocean of Paul's McCartney songs."

As diverse as London is a city, an eclectic mix of various backgrounds, there is still no escaping cultural contrasts. However for Anya and Sonya, what could result in home-sickness, they have turned into inspiration for their songwriting. "When we first arrived to London, we were very hypnotized by its beauty. We found it very different from our home-country. It was like being on a different planet. And the city inspired us to write our first song "She's not me". 

It's not unusual in the fashion world for models to try their hands at a career in music once contracts become short supply (a record deal being one one of the prizes on America's Next Top Model) or even music artists becoming more known for the clothes they wear rather than the tracks they put out. However for Bloom Twins the two industries are not mutually exclusive, nor a back-up plan. Having graced the pages of Vogue Italy, Russia and Ukraine, music and fashion reflect one another for the duo. "Busy life is a happy life. Yes, music and fashion go hand in hand. They are very connected to each other, just like my sister and I. There is no life for us without music, and fashion helps us to show our personalities, we would say fashion is the way our music looks" Together in front of the camera, together behind the mic, do they ever drive one another mad? "We would lie, if we would say we don't drive each other nuts, sure we do, but that's healthy. We share all kinds of emotions with each other: Love, happiness, anger, sadness. Literally everything. Every one of her mistakes is mine, and an other way around. We're kind of prepared to be in marriage. We think we can overcome anything. And the good thing about having a twin is that sometimes we don't need words. We understand each other without them."

What do the girls think of each other?
Sonya: (Anya is) a mathematician in music
Anya: she's not me 

Last summer the world was united in grief and sadness when the commercial flight Malaysia Airlines jet MH17 crash landed - possibly shot down - with no survivors. The disaster came in the wake of civil unrest that has been boiling over in Ukraine due to the conflict of the country's standing with the EU and Russia. Last February Kiev saw their most violent day in over 70 years as fighting took place between police and protesters in Independence Square.  Watching the crisis unfold in their homeland while thousands of miles away in London, Anya and Sonya knew that they could not remain silent on the issue. What emerged was a haunting cover of Bob Marley's peace loving 'Get Up Stand Up', using previously unseen footage which was unable to emerge into the media as the accompanying video. "Firstly, we were in London, and watching what was happening was not easy. It moved us in every way. There was pride and sorrow mixed in one. We wanted to support people of Ukraine who wanted the change and hence the words "Get up, stand up for your right, don't give up the fight" were the perfect choice."Explaining the intentions behind the music video "It always helps to know that someone supports you. And that you are not alone. One other reason was that our society strives on appetite for immediacy. What's on the tabloids today is nowhere to be found tomorrow. But what happened in Ukraine - is shaping the history. We can't let it be forgotten. And music and authentic footage will outlive anyone or anything."  So how powerful a tool is music in getting a message across? "In our opinion music is one of the most powerful tools that exists. It's a language everyone speaks. It's so powerful and can really make a difference in a world. It can touch your consciousness. Anyone can relate to it, regardless of religion, skin colour, political view, or orientation. It cures people. Nordoff Robins transforms lives. And if we will manage to somehow make any difference in someone's live through it - then we certainly won the biggest prize."

The Bloom Twins debut EP was due for release earlier this year, but due to setbacks the twins have been unable to return to London in order to pursue its release. It's not the only plan they have for when they arrive back however. "First of all, we will buy soya late at a coffee shop. Cause we really miss it and we don't have it in Ukraine. Than we will see Lenka- our manager, and than the best of all- we'll get back to performing, recording, and we can't wait to release our long awaited EP that was pushed back due to visa issues. We miss performing so much. It's an addiction one can't cure."

Hopefully it won't be too long a gap before the duo do make it back to London, with their down to earth, bubbly personalities coupled with a steely ambition, it's an exciting wait to find out what the emerging EP will have in store.

Exclusive Interview: Getting To Know States Of Emotion

I met States Of Emotion completely by chance when I ventured into Essex for the first time to pay a visit to The White Room Studios. It was there that they were rehearsing their material and after they were kind enough to play me a few of their tracks, I was hooked. I then made a mental note to nab the guys for an interview so we could all get to know them a bit better...

There seems to be such a great rapport between you all, you've known each other for a long time but what made you decide to group together as a band?

(Olly) "Luke, Bonzai and I formed the band at school 12 years ago, we had some mutual friends but didn't really know each other at the time, I walked past the music room one lunchtime and heard Bonzai jamming with some other musicians, they were playing "The Hives-Hate To Say I Told You So" I can remember being really impressed and asking my music teacher who the bass player was, turns out he had already formed a band with Luke on drums. I then set about poaching the pair of them to join the band I was starting up. I knew Luke's cousin Adam Pelosi, so I asked Adam to introduce me to Luke, we got on really well and he agreed to come and have a jam with me and a couple of mates. It went really well, we had a laugh, so we decided to make it a weekly arrangement, after a couple of weeks Luke managed to convince Bonzai to join us. The other 2 lads we'd been jamming with left after a few weeks but Luke,Bonzai and I were determined to carry on so we played for a few years as a 3 piece, always under the name States of Emotion, right from the start. A good friend of ours Rishi then joined and played guitar with us for a while before deciding to call it a day. I'd been mates with Brick since primary school, he was also friends with Luke and Bonzai as they were in the same year group at senior school, we got him down to rehearse with us the day after Rishi left and it's been us 4 ever since."

Your music doesn't confine itself to one given genre, do you all have different influences that you bring to the table?

"We all listen to loads of music and we do have a variety of personal influences which we bring to the table individually but we collectively share a mutual love for Coldplay and U2. They've both hugely inspired us as a band."

The lyrics in most of your tracks really tug on the heartstrings, who writes the lyrics and what's your process of piecing them all together?

(Olly) "I write the lyrics, I'm very grateful to have an emotional outlet like this in my life. All I can really say about it is that I write from the heart and I'd feel like a fraud if I didn't do so." The story of how this band got together is an honest one and I write songs about real incidents in my life. Don't get me wrong, once upon a time we were arrogant, pretentious, insecure teenagers that didn't know any better but that stage is now years behind us, I sleep very well every night these days !"

Your recent release of 'The Way That I'm Wired' has received such a positive response, how does this feel for you all?

"It feels great when people respond positively to our music. It means so much to us all when people have a genuine love for what we do, it's what we work so hard for."

Describe each other in one word

Olly - "Luke = Loyal, Brick = Talented, Bonzai = Genuine"

Luke - "Olly = Singer, Brick = Guitarist, Bonzai = Bassist"

Bonzai - "Luke = Alcoholic, Brick = Beard, Olly = OCD"

Brick = "Luke = Luke,Olly = OllyBonzai = Bonzai"

Alongside band duties, Olly also manages Flag Factory which champions local talent and hosts alternative Clubnights in Essex. This weekend will see the exciting return of Flag Factory Festival. 

Taking place at The White Horse in Coxtie Green Brentwood on Fri 12th Sept & Sat 13th Sept, the 2 day event will feature 23 of the most exciting new music artists from in and around Essex. Alongside a wide range of Beers & Ales, BBQ and a selection of stalls including Vintage Clothing, Records, Tattoo exhibition, Arts & Crafts + more.

For More information visit: https://www.facebook.com/flagfactory.presents?fref=ts

EP REVIEWS: 'Reconnected' Bauer / 'So Much Love' Katie Coleman

Since beginning my blogging journey, Bauer and Katie Coleman have most probably been my most talked about artists. Although belonging in completely separate spheres, (Bauer being firmly established on the underground Manchester scene and Katie Coleman a fast up and coming artist on the London circuit) both have exciting new EPs due for release soon. Bauer make a return this summer with their Reconnected EP, following on the success of previous albums Sleeping Giants and Lose All Memory, whereas Katie Coleman is bringing us her debut EP So Much Love.

The re-release of highly-popular track Connected kickstarts Bauer's Reconnected EP which returns us to their roots, both reminding established fans of a firm favourite and inviting any newcomers with their electro-pop anthem produced by the iconic Steve Power. With an attention grabbing intro, Nothing Will Change is a purely serene track, despite the melancholic lyrics, with Greg Matthews' vocals offering sympathy against the light and breezy synths. Tranquilizing melodies eases into an uplifting chorus before the tone drops into an ethereal outro. My Guiding Light transports us to a lazy summer's evening with atmospheric guitar riffs peeking out from behind sun-drenched synths. Combine this with it's danceable beats and hazy melodies, My Guiding Light demonstrates Bauer's renewed energy and direction.

Bauer demonstrate further their new musical drive by presenting us with By The Blue Lake an instrumental heavily influenced by the works of Trent Reznor. An ominous intro builds and simmers dramatically, interrupted in periods by brooding pianos before synths suddenly take us by surprise. By The Blue Lake contains such a harrowing depth, demanding close attention to be paid which deems the track a personal favourite of mine.

No time is wasted as the highly energetic Hole In My Head introduces Katie Coleman's So Much Love EP with her powerful, soulful vocals soaring above playful guitar riffs and catchy pop beat as we jump head first into an attitude-fuelled, empowering track. Enough softens the EP as our guard is dropped for a passionate piano ballad which demonstrates not only Katie's astounding vocal abilities, but also her talent in songwriting with poetic imagery forming the heart of the track.

Title track So Much Love injects the EP with a funky combination of pop and soul alongside backing vocals heavily influenced by gospel. Place this among the grooving guitar riffs and you have a strong pop track which reels you in and leaves you singing along long after the outro fades out. Never Again playfully tricks the listener with it's soft intro finding itself suddenly kicked out the way for a pumping, feisty track with a heavy rhythm to create a song with a kick-ass edge. I had previously featured a review of Katie Coleman's debut single back in April, however One More Lonely Heart is a track that is in no danger of becoming stale with the ripping guitar riffs and Katie's vigorous vocals soaring above the catchy chorus.

 

Reconnected will be available from the 25th August 

So Much Love is ready for pre-order here and is due for release on 1st September.  

@bauermusic_

@katie_coleman

 

Album Review: Turrentine Jones 'Our Days'

The last time Turrentine Jones were featured on my blog ( you can jog your memory here) they had just embarked down the route of Pledge music in order to produce their debut album OUR DAYS (with 5% of profits being donated to homeless charity Mustard Tree) The results of which landed in my inbox recently and the Blues drenched sounds with a strong Memphis influence told me that the public's faith was well spent.  Packed with tracks which simmer in 'devil-may-care' riffs, it's icy cool attitude teases us with the mystery it retains.

Gift of A Rose eases us into the album with it's charming melodies and plucky riffs. The smoothness to the track, which manifests itself in Julian Neville's sultry vocals, creates a strong Beatnik vibe as the infectious rhythm creates a promising album opener. Southern American attitude is punched directly into Hunger as their influence from the Tennessee label Stax Records shines through with a raw edge to the guitar riffs and a heavy emphasis on the unmistakable twang to Neville's vocals. Love Heard You Coming is arguably the most radio-friendly track to the album due to it's playful spontaneity and conventional approach to the chorus. Grace Is A Dancer injects OUR DAYS with a heavy passion in it's subtle intro which slowly heats up into a celebratory ballad. The track simmers back down again into an intimate acoustic guitar solo which feels so close , the Fretboard is almost whispering in your ear.    

It's easy to see, or hear even, how the colloquially titled Moonlight Is On Yer Side was chosen as the single for OUR DAYS. The fun, yet seductive, instrumentals deems the song perfect to represent the album. Moonlight Is On Yer Side is a smart and sharp track, cloaked in a mysterious nighttime haze due to the echoing bridge, but still contains all the makings of a hit single with it's carefree, danceable beat and spontaneous nature.

Pussy Cat is a T.S Elliot style ode to feline femininity and thankfully, evades the trap of  the simpering love song. The woman of desire, and the subject of the track, shares the traits of a Pussy Cat due to the fact she noncommittally comes and goes as she pleases against a backdrop of electric riffs, which provides a gentle warmth and flows smoothly into the gentle Little Queen. June returns the album to it's raw blues core, complete with angst-ridden lyrics. The main concept behind OUR DAYS seems to be quite simply 'women' with Mary Ann as the finishing track. (I wonder how Grace and Pussy Cat lady feel about this??) However Mary Ann is a lucky lady as the song provides OUR DAYS with a heated passion in it's velvety verses and pining guitars which perfectly seals up the album.  

2013 saw Turrentine Jones receive a rapturous reception at the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury . Couple this with the raw, sensual energy of OUR DAYS and you have a band that is set to stamp it's own unmistakable mark on the British music scene.

OUR DAYS will be available from 11th August

Birdeatsbaby 'The Bullet Within'

If the characters of the 1972 film classic Cabaret all each had a sinister twin, they would most probably produce a sound rather similar to Birdeatsbaby's third studio album 'The Bullet Within', due for release on July 21st. Originating from the seaside town of Brighton, the band established themselves with their melodramatic, noir rock sounds in 2008 and return this summer with further promises of dark twists, turns and dark magic that Birdeatsbaby are so apt at delivering.

The Bullet sets the metaphorical stage for the album as Mishkin Fitzgerald's clear, cutting vocals creates a strong presence, as though her voice is located in your head rather than your speakers. When I had first heard the term 'Cabaret Rock' I fully admit I had no clue as to what the genre consisted of, however within the first minute of The Bullet I fully understood it's meaning. The first half of the track takes a broken, staccato approach to the piano, incorporating all the exaggerated musical gestures of theatre. An unexpected twist is then taken following the bridge as it all smooths out into a haunting outro. Drinking In The Day, the following track, should be provided with a health warning for the emotionally fragile. A mournful tale of falling into a downward spiral, the song delivers all the raw, naked emotion of a Greek tragedy to Drinking In The Day while the minor key of the piano, against the subtlety of the violins, creates a tale of heartache that could easily succeed in breaking apart even the toughest of souls. In order to avoid the album falling into the danger of drowning in such cutting emotions, Enemies Like Me stomps in with a Hammer Horror intimidation, with violins breeding a perfect, sinister creation which builds melodramatic tension to a climatic crescendo before dropping it's tools to transform into a hauntingly beautiful, melodic piece with delicate notes.

Duets between piano and violins are the album's main staple which creates a serene transition to each track, especially into the ethereal track Ghosts. Mishkin's emotive vocals produces a Gothic, Victorian romanticism while Tessa Gilles succeeds in drawing us into the unknown as she works her way intricately around the violin. Arguably The Bullet Within's strongest track, Ghosts contains the tortured poetry akin to 19th Century love stories such as Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations. Hands of Orlac suddenly contributes an aggressive kick to the album, smashing apart any false sense of security the listener may have lulled into by forcing us into an attentive state as we weave through a tale of personal angst, emphasised by sharp guitar work courtesy of Garry Mitchell.

     

Into The Black returns to the album's core of decadent Cabaret rock, followed by a haunting chorus for an Interlude.  It's more appropriate to refer to the second half of the album as 'Act 2' as we are treated to catching basslines on the guitar heavy track Tenterhooks before mellowing into the dark fairytales of Spiders, which guest features Gabby Young, and The Lighthouse, both flowing perfectly with touching tenderness. The Bullet Within opens with unabashed, dark energy of noir rock and so I was expecting the album to follow full circle and end on an equally dramatic note. However things are never as they seem with Birdeatsbaby and The Bullet Within is the audio equivalent of becoming lost in a dark forest full of strange and wonderful creatures. The album closer, Silence, provides a still eeriness with whispering vocals floating above the twinkling piano line before the anger and determination is directed into Katha Rothe's explosive rhythm before simmering back down into a soft, mournful tale which fades the album out.

The Bullet Within contains all the unique features that makes Birdeatsbaby a truly exceptional band with theatrics, Cabaret and noir art rock all tied together in a black, velvety package that Tim Burton himself would be envious of.

       

         

The Bullet Within is due for release on 21st July. 

Meanwhile, follow the band on Twitter over at @birdeatsbaby

Here Come The Zombies! Interview With Apollo Junction

For the lads of Apollo Junction the outlook seems to be a positive one at the moment. Graham Norton sort of fancies them (although he may have been drunk at the time of calling them 'very handsome') and they've been grabbing the attention of the mainstream music press with their indie ballads such as 'If I Fell' and dance anthem 'Born For Now'.  Therefore I decided it was about time to find out what this group were all about and emailed them for a quick interview.

Most bands that I have featured on my blog so far have shunned the hassle of hiring a management and PR team, deciding instead to do the legwork themselves. Apollo Junction are no different, but how do they dish out these roles between them?  'We all have roles within the band but PR wise Jamie takes most of the lead on it. Matt and Jonny do the logistic side of things (organising gigs, practices, sending cds out etc). Sam does all the web based geeky stuff such as the website etc we all do a bit of the social media and Ben makes the tea!' They explain.  Taking double roles within the band seems to have reaped the results they were after, but how have they absorbed the reaction to their hits and how does it feel?
'I would say humbling but that would be the wrong word. The right word is proud, proud of how people have taken an interest, proud of the songs we have written, proud of how hard we have worked to get them out there and finally proud of our mothers…for having such handsome sons!' In between maintaining their Mother's gift of handsome features and Ben making the tea, is there any time left for inspiration for songwriting? 'We all inspire each other and are all each other’s muses. I know it sounds a bit lame but it’s true what happens when we are jamming is like magic sometimes.' 

Apollo Junction have made themselves known on the music circuits in both Leeds and London. However most bands I've crossed paths with so far have been from either London or Manchester, both places where the music scene is thriving, but Leeds?  'Well in all honesty Leeds is an amazing city with some great bands but it can't be compared to London's music scene as that's where bands go to make it, in our eyes it's why it's so important people champion their local scene!' They tell me. 'Having said that I personally believe that the whole city scene thing isn't quite as prevalent anymore due to social media you can have fans all over the world let alone your own city! But we think Leeds’s scene is fab we have shared the stage with some amazing bands.'  So any best or worst gigs so far? 'We have only done 11 gigs we have gigged sparingly and concentrate on writing. Our gigs have caused much more of a ‘buzz’ this way. No best or worst so far for us just all brilliant!'

By the time the year is out, Apollo Junction want to have achieve three main objectives and these are 'Get back on the radio, play festivals and finally all of us get a tattoo of the band somewhere! I would see that as a way to start 2015 with a bang.'  You can help them do this by checking out their Soundcloud and if you like what you're hearing you can download the tunes here.