- Interviews
1: How the devil are you today and where are you?
Basking in the golden sunlight of the
2: When did you discover you had such a unique singing voice?
Just now, thanks. No, maybe when we got our first review and it seemed to be a talking point. Before that, I don’t remember anyone mentioning it to me. Quite rude under the circumstances.
3: You said recently that your previous band ‘Absentee“are taking a “long lunch”. Are the other band members still making music?
One of those long boozy lunches where more wine appears and you keep talking then its dinner time and before you know it your cooking breakfast for each other. We're all very close and everyone’s busy making music.. Laurie is with me in the coastguards, Babak, Laurie and Melinda all play together in Wet Paint, Melinda also plays in Singing Adams, and I've just finished recording Babaks solo music. We're like the Brady Bunch. But not blonde,or happy.
4: You founded your own label ‘Editions recording’. Why take that route and would that be your advice for new artists just starting out?
I took that route so I could make the records the way I wanted. Ltd edition, hand made, screen printed etc.. You can't really do that with a label that has a lot of more practical concerns like how do we not let this guy bankrupt us? , and why is he always asking us to this stuff? There’s no perfect route for me to take, either my own label or someone else’s provides exactly whets needed, but I'm getting close. Any new artist starting out should stay well clear of any advice I give, but try to stay close to what ever it is they think they want.
- Interviews
Hi and how are you enjoying being back out on the road?
We love it! last year was good for us as far as getting exposure in a lot more countries but we didn't get to really appreciate it until we got to start gigging again so the last few months have been great to be back out and playing and seeing all these places.
How would you personally describe the music on your second album?
It picks up where we left off in the first. The first album we put a lot of emphasis on it playing as one piece. This time we did it in a much shorter time so its more about each individual song which allowed us to bring in a few other sounds and instruments, for example we got the chance to use a few of our piano songs. The album design for 'The Ashburys' was initially going to be a sitar and telecaster forming a cross. We ditched that but i think it represents the sound.
Any new instrumentation or effect used in the studio on this record that was new to you?
Mainly the piano tracks, although we also brought a bit more of a folk aspect that wasn't on the first. Bert Jansch and pentangle are big influences on us and on 'Ta wit Ta woo' the acoustic folk guitar hints at this. Also some of the melodies on ''2nd Hand Rose''use an English folk aspect on top of a grungy back drop. Although we always got described as a ''folk'' band we had never really stuck to acoustic picking in this way, its always been more bluesy so its nice to branch out.
- Interviews
Wow... well there have been a lot! We played the Pyramid Stage at
Your solo album is an absolute delight. Have you had it written for a long time or are the songs all new creations?
A couple were a year or so old but the rest were written in the 6 months prior to the recording process.
Your voice bears an uncanny resemblance to Joanna Newsome, do you enjoy her work and who are your main musical influences today:
Joanna Newsome is a wonderful musician. I learn something every time I listen to her records. My main musical influences are kinda sprawling at the moment. I owe a lot to Lucinda Williams, Leonard Cohen, Emmylou Harris, Joanna Newsome, Anais Mitchell, Stuart Bogie, Melanie, classical music on the whole, Ben, Mat and Jeff of course and Robin Ryczek who plays on my record and so much more that I can't even think of at the moment.
- Interviews
We were very pleased to be able to put some questions to the guys in Tall Firs, Dave Mies and Aaron Mullan
Congratulations on a great new album, how the devil are you today?
AM: Thank you. Doing swell, it's a pleasant day in NYC
Where does that gentle sound come from and is this new record a change of direction for you both?
AM: We are gentle people. We don't play any conventional instruments on this record. We simply recorded the sound of us brushing the hair from babies' foreheads, feeding squirrels peeled grapes, and caressing the cool burble of mountain streams. To us this record sounds a lot like the first one, more of a return to form than a departure. But what do we know?
DM: Yeah, it is a lot like the first album. Besides the hushed atmosphere it has in common, we're also feeling that same excitement we had back then: that buzz that comes with bearing it all for the first time (or if not the first time, than at least with somebody new).
I know it's kind of a sit down affair, but the intensity on stage is greater than it's ever been.
How did you come about calling yourselves Tall Firs?
DM: I wanted to be the "sextets", an homage to an all girl Doo-wop group my mother sang in by that name. I still can't believe Granny let her sing on local TV in the fifties with that as their moniker.
AM: We were thinking about a number of different seafood dive joints in our native
How much interest do you take in how your music is marketed, CDs, Downloads, Vinyl and where your music is, or could be used, advertisements for example?
AM: We pretty much listen to music on LP or on our iPods. The LP is the real deal. That's how we grew up. To our personal listening habits the CD interlude was a segue to nowhere, not that we never bought them. As to how people listen to our music, format doesn't matter at all. I'll personally dub you a cassette for $15. If you wanna listen on CD or wire recorder or reel-to-reel, please enjoy! If anyone ever offers us money to use our music in an advertisement, I guess we'll burn that bridge when we come to it.
DM: The more time passes, the less I give a shit about format. If I had my druthers I'd listen to an LP at home, but I've had just as radical musical experiences listening to an old favourite over the loudspeaker at the grocery store. Like anything else, you take it how and when you can get it; sometimes the "how" and the "when" matter a great deal, and sometimes they don't. As far as the add business goes, I guess it depends on what they're selling and how much they're paying. So far, we're not too sought after in that regard. I'm not sure what product we'd be suited to sell really, maybe tranquilizers.
- Interviews
Hi, and how are you all on this chilly January day?
Dan: Hi, I’m good thank you, I’ve got a morning coffee helping me beat the cold.
Andy: Hola, yeah good thanks! these cold mornings arr tough but it can
only get warmer :-/ hopefully. Emma: Hello!
We are seeing the band at the Portland Arms in Cambridge on Friday, what can we expect?
Dan: Yes it’s about a month since our last gig so we’re excited about playing. We’ll be playing some of the songs from our new album along with a few of the older ones thrown in for good measure.
Andy: You better be ready! It's gonna be off the hook.
Tell us a bit about the band, how long have you been together, how did
you all become ‘a band’ in the first place?
Dan: it was about 7 years ago, the band I was in had played a gig with the band Emma was in, and after that we kept in touch. Those bands stopped when people moved away for Uni and things, so we started playing and writing together instead.
Andy I was playing in a band with my brother at the time and I asked him if he fancied playing with us as well, he did and things seemed to click pretty well between the three of us.
It’s a really nice picture on the cover of your album ‘Our of Sight,
Out of Town’ who created that and what was the idea around the album
title?
Andy: The 'Out of sight, out of town' cover art was done by Rosie Miles a friend of ours. She originally made the video for our song 'Suitcase' earlier last year - we all loved her artwork and the animation she made for the video - we wanted her to be involved in the artwork for the new album!
- Interviews
We thought it would be interesting to find out what it's like to run a London gig venue. We spoke to Stacey who runs the Lexington and Buffalo Bar.
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What is the greatest challenge facing you in running a music venue in London in 2012?
Making a profit whilst still retaining a sense of pride at helping and not exploiting bands
How do you try and distinguish The Lexington & Buffalo Bar apart from other venues
By trying to be better than other venues, mainly in how we treat customers but more importantly how we treat the bands
Are venues in London in competition for bands or vice versa
Venues compete for bands
The Betsey Trotswood & Shacklewell Arms are demonstrating that its possible to run a venue with an interesting and diverse booking policy whilst retaining the character of a pub that one would still be inclined to visit on its own merits' Is that your aim with the offering at the Lexington?
Most definitely
Is it true that the reason venues have three bands on the bill is to increase the visits to the bar? or, is it all about the art?
I prefer a two band bill. We try and talk promoters out of a 4 band bill. A 3 band bill seems to be a common choice with promoters. I think it gives them added security of filling the room. In house shows we try keep it to two. It has nothing to do with bar runs
The Lexington has a reasonable selection of bottled beers for a gig venue, but we have had a request to ask you if you can get more draught real ale behind the bar?
We have 2 lines of real ale as well as 2 lines of American which is similar. We can’t do any draught upstairs in the venue room because of the lengthy of the line we can’t guarantee quality
Any chance of producing a "Live at the Lexington" series of bootleg style recordings of bands which don't have record deals? Online or downloadable etc…
If you tell me how?
Most interesting rider
You’ll have to ask matty. Most of the ‘interesting’ stuff is a joke anyway oh one band asked for no glass to be used within a 100m of the crash barrier. Think it was a generic contract
What is the criteria for successful gig - box office, publicity, drink sales, personal satisfaction?
Sold out, people happy. Job done
Perfect artist yet to play at Lexington?
Nick Cave
The Lexington can be found at 96-98 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JB
If you have got any questions for Stacey, just mail
- Interviews
Hi Mary, How the devil are you today. Where are you and what's the view like?
I am devilishly well today, actually, here in upstate New York where I live. We're having an uncommonly mild winter this year, which is, believe it or not, a bit dull. I like the beauty and drama of snowstorms and icicles.
How does ‘BurnBabyBurn’ compare to your other albums to date, from your perspective and where did the title come from?
Well, this is my tenth album, and there has been, for me, quite a bit of variety amongst all of the previous ones. But I suppose that if I had to pick one or two things that set "BBB" apart from the rest of the oeuvre (if you will), it might be that I left the arrangements more open and minimal than I had in previous projects, with no set template for all the songs. I hope and intend for this record to present a step into the future for me, perhaps a free-er future musically and creatively and personally, so this attitude fed into the production approach and also into the title, which to me expresses a cavalier way of saying, "don't look back" and also "let's have fun, friends," as referenced by the 1970's dance classic "Disco Inferno." Life is short.
It’s a long-time since from the days of ‘Madder Rose’, how would you describe your outlook then (being in MR) and now (with The Soubrettes) ?
In Madder Rose I was a much greener person, easily influenced, fearful of opinions, annoyed at having so many pressures. I had wanted to be a musician forever but I had anticipated only the creative parts and not the rest of it; my confidence was low, my skills less developed, and my understanding of the overall undertaking was limited. Now I have done this a bunch of times and know what I'm about. As I've reached each personal goal, I have the fun of setting new goals I know I can reach. Back then I lived in mortal fear of singing a bad note, but this year I'm scoring two films, writing new songs which have more of a return-to-rock feel, and writing a play and a television show, translating a different new batch of original pop songs into French. I am not afraid of my limits now--now I find them amusing and challenging.
- Interviews
Hi Darren,
The 'Christmas in
I think both the Tea and the Cake Recipe were Tom's i
In an increasingly competitive environment, what do you think are the greatest changes you have felt in the music business since you started out?
That records sell less. It's an inescapable fact. It's ma
John Peel was an early champion of your music. Do you think the gap has now been filled, in British music radio?
I think he was a one off, but I also think Jon Kennedy, Marc Riley and others are one offs. I don't think he's been replaced but I don't think that means there aren't equally great but different DJs. I hear his influence everywhere.
When on tour where are the places you most like to visit? Any culinary
We always have the AA pub gui
- Interviews
Hi Holly, Hi David,
How the devil are you today and what is the view from where you are sitting?
We are ill through drink after two days of partying in Berlin. We are still there now, sat in a hostel trembling like new born lambs with the hangover vultures circling to pluck our eyes out. We did some gigs with Wickes, H Hawkline, M J Hibbett and the Validators, Skint and Demoralised and Standard Fare. It was a lethal cocktail of fun. We need to go home now to hang ourselves out on the washing line.
How did you both decide to form the band and what sparked the moment when you said, hey, this is our sound?
We formed the band in Paris. I (Holly) was living there and David came over to visit and we just started writing tunes. We wanted to do a band with no rules and no industry bullshit so we just thought lets do it. We had never played together before although we had always both been in bands. We don't really have a specific sound really. That's part of the fun really. No rules.
Does being married to each other make it easier being in a band and being on the road?
Well the good thing is you don't have to phone home when you are on tour. It depends who yer husband/wife is. We get on really well and always have a laugh when we're away so we love it.
- Interviews
Anything unique to the Scottish or local Carrbridge festive celebrations that does not extend down south?
Festive season will be celebrated in
Can you sum up what this year has meant to you?
The year has been a good one, very productive. I have learnt a lot and progressed a lot with my music and performance. Ma
What were your own gig highlights this year SXSW and Homegame were polar opposites.
They could, I suppose, be
- Interviews
Hi and how the
I am good and my
What were your preparations for the current
WE hAd some Rehearsals afTer we Got bacK from south america anD I TRy to gEt as mUch rest as Possible before we gEt back on the road and eaT healThly also I spend as much time as i can with my daughter.
The band is obviously very musical. Where did you learn this skills?
Thanks man.... i never studied music so I basically learned BY playing loTs, experimenting and Challenging mYself.
Label or go it alone, any advice for new artists along those lines in today’s musical world?
trY tO do as mucH as You can youRseLf keep it truly to your Music avOId gEttinG sucked in by majoR labEls if you can.
- Interviews
Coming to Europe and the UK very soon, is a very special band; Siskiyou. We have a chat with Erik
Tell us about Siskiyou ... what sounds can we expect to hear at the up-coming live shows?
Siskiyou is collaboration between Colin Huebert and myself. Colin left Great Lake Swimmers in 2008 and had already been working on some rough demos of songs. He shared them with me sometime 2009 and in fall of that year I flew out to Vancouver to help him flesh out recordings that would ultimately become Siskiyou's debut album. With the addition of Peter Carruthers and Shaun Watt, we now have a fully functioning 4-headed, 8-armed musical hydra. You should expect to hear guitars, drums, banjos, keyboards, melodicas, musical saws and all the other things that make life worth living.
Are you still a member of Great Lake Swimmers and if so, what is that band up to at the moment?
I am still a member of Great Lake Swimmers and we've just finished recording a follow-up to Lost Channels. It should be out spring of 2012.
You are heading to Europe for the next month, looking forward to the trip and what will make it a successful trip for the band?
We are absolutely looking forward to our November tour and hoping that the weather could do us a favour and just hold off for a few weeks. We were hit with a snowstorm in Sweden last year and discovered our tour van had no snow tires and little in the way of functioning windshield (windscreen?) wiper fluid. I think the success of the tour hinges entirely on the availability of Belgian beer and good people to share it with.