INDIA BOURNE INTERVIEW - 12.02.2014

"The last couple of years have been a bit of a whirlwind" is a statement that tells the story, of how life has been for Devon musician, India Bourne. Critical success after the co-creation of Ben Howard's album 'Every Kingdom', has enabled India to perform and tour all over the world. India's solo career has seen the release of EP 'These Days Of Ours' back in 2011 and with a new Ben Howard record and co-writing currently being worked on, India's set for another crazy year in 2014. I was lucky enough to get an insight from the lady herself....

*What is your earliest memory of involvement with music?

My earliest memory of my involvement with music is swinging on my mum’s skirt aged 2 as she sung in a choir concert. I had to be tempted away by fruit pastels and told to sit quietly so the other people could enjoy the concert. I love fruit pastels to this day.

*What kind of music were you listening to, any albums that stand out?

I grew up listening to a wide variety of music that my parents and older sisters liked, such as the Beatles, Peter Gabriel, Simon & Garfunkel and Joni Mitchell as well as a lot of classical - Palestrina, Bach, Jesualdo, Britten amongst others. And later, Radiohead, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine and such like. My first cd was Spice, by The Spice Girls. Yep.

*You are well known for being a multi-instrumentalist and perform with fellow Devonian Ben Howard but you also have your own project, tell me a bit about that?

I wrote a few songs and recorded a 3 track ep when I was 16 but ended up shelving songwriting for many years until I picked it up again post university. I had an amazing time at uni studying music and had a very inspirational cello teacher who encouraged me to play as much as I could. I didn’t write a note of a song whilst I was there and I believe my time spent at uni was to be a sponge and just soak up as much information as possible. The variety of musical traditions and styles I studied during the course have definitely served me well as a songwriter today.

The last 3 months I have gone through a really interesting faze. Since the band has taken some time off for Ben to write the second album I have had the luxury of time to focus my attention solely on exploring my own sound. Back in 2011 I recorded a 5 track ep of songs I had written post uni called These Days of Ours. The ep sounds true to my classical music education, involving recording layers of vocals, cello and piano.  The sounds coming out now however are much more upbeat with my vocals less floaty and more driving. I have begun to look at lyrics differently too, and my current aim is to have the words shape the music now rather than the other way around.

*With the likes of touring, playing live, interviews and press commitments, how do you find time to write and pursue a solo career and how do you prioritize your time?

Writing my own songs definitely took a backseat whilst I was on tour with Ben. The last couple of years have been a bit of whirlwind and I needed to focus my energy on that. Being on the road can be a bit of a bubble and all-consuming, so really writing only started again when we had a break. But now that I have had some solid time to write and learn how to record remotely, I will be able to take this technology out with me on the road. So if I am struck by an idea, I will be able to shove it down!

*After the success you have had performing alongside Ben Howard over the last few years, has it made you feel any differently about the music industry at all and did you have any pre-conceived ideas about it before?

You know, when we first started playing together, it was never my expectation that we would have seen the success that we have. I honestly hadn’t really thought about it much more than, ‘if things go well, we might get signed one day'! Both Island Records and Warner Chappell publishing have been vital to getting us the opportunities we needed to be heard on a larger scale. As a band we successfully gigged and self-promoted ourselves for a couple of years before they got involved but when they did they certainly opened bigger doors. It’s fantastic if artists can be very successful without label backing, but I imagine it’s much harder to get the level of visibility you need to expand in the same way.

*Every Kingdom was an album that really seemed to gain a lot of attention and very quickly sold in ridiculous numbers.  Can you tell me a bit more about the recording process itself?

It was a crazy year and a half that we worked in my mum’s barn in Devon. Ben, Chris and I were also touring in between recording sessions and would come back to dust off the desk (with the occasional mouse keeping us company), light the fire and put a large pot of coffee on before getting back into it. When I listen to it now, I hear all those moments - the fire crackling, tractors passing, sheep yelling. We saw all the seasons pass, some of them twice... It was an experience I won’t forget in a hurry.

*What are you currently working on for 2014 with both your solo project and Ben Howard?

I am about to join the boys in the studio to work on Ben's second album. I am really excited about the songs that are coming out. He is creating some really magical and inspiring material for us to get our teeth into. Once we release, we will head out on the road…

Words by Gareth Hack with thanks to India Bourne.

 India's solo EP is available now. Check it out at http://indiabourne.com/ Photo:- http://indiabourne.com/

HALF MOON RUN LIVE REVIEW - ROUGH TRADE EAST, BRICK LANE, LONDON - 31/1/2014

Half Moon Run...bringing diversity to the capitol. 
Photography - Joe Curtis.

HALF MOON RUN - LIVE AT ROUGH TRADE EAST, LONDON - 31/1/2014

By Gareth Hack.

Early Friday evening in East London was miserable, wet, windy and cold. But there was something worth heading out for, Half Moon Run had returned for a brief visit to the UK to make their presence known both on Radio 1's Live Lounge and to do a one off record store show at Rough Trade East. There is something quite special about in-store performances and this show was a perfect example to back up that statement. An atmosphere of genuine excitement was noticeable as smiling fans swiftly filled up the floor in front of the tiny stage set up. Moments later, the lights dimmed and the band took to the stage much to the delight of the cheering audience. The good old British weather was no issue for the people at Rough Trade,  they were here to check out a band that have gained real attention off critics recently and they didn't leave regretting it. The band open the set with electronic influenced '21 Gun Salute', and with the inclusion of all members makes a real impact as it builds to the chorus. Lead singer Devon Portielje belting out his vocals from the get go with the harmony backing throughout the set added by all members. Devon, Conner Molander, Dylan Phillips and Isaac Symonds have a collective sound that they should be proud of. Contributing individual musicianship qualities for the benefit of producing good songs is what this young band have already managed to achieve in a short space of time. As each song finishes up the crowd are more than happy to tell the band how much they appreciate them, which the band themselves seemed to enjoy. A short, but sweet set was exactly what Half Moon Run needed to pull off on this trip and that's what they did. Personal highlights in the set included the delicate Jeff Buckley similarity perceived in 'Unofferable' and the slick tempo in 'She Wants To Know'. Half Moon Run have been known for their lengthy touring schedules and as a result they have earned themselves the ability to master these songs from their debut album. Like I said before, there seems an honest atmosphere at the show and as Devon explains to the crowd how he cut his finger and bled all over his guitar last time he played in London it becomes clear that the intimacy of shows like this are hard to come by. A relaxed band and a relaxed audience are a great combination as it almost seems like all pressure has been taken and stripped back to its basics, with no hidden agendas. 'Full Circle' gains the biggest cheer of the evening and people are singing it back to the band word for word. 'Call Me In The Afternoon' with its catchy pop assets and impressive rhythmic qualities also have the same effect on the record store audience. Throughout the set the band look like they really enjoy what they do, moving about the stage, chatting between songs easily and smiling away as if they had just stumbled across a sound that they feel genuinely content with. At the end of the set Devon announces the group's next return to the UK will be during Summer and its the perfect way to end a show with a crowd that seems to want more. This show as a whole ticked all the boxes for me, intimate, relaxed, good sound, honest and genuine. This for me, is what live music is all about.

RY X - BERLIN EP REVIEW

RY X - BERLIN EP (INFECTIOUS MUSIC UK) RELEASED - NOV 27, 2013.

Australian born singer songwriter Ry Cumming creates a work of variation in this 4 track cluster. Under the stage name of RY X, he has managed to produce a track worthy enough of Sony TV advertising campaign bosses with the title track 'Berlin'. Chances are you've probably heard it on the Sony ad yourself recently. This has surely enough made his music more accessible for the masses and lets face it, he probably gets some pretty cool TV's bunged into his contract signing conditions too. In similar fashion we heard Jose Gonzalez do the same with his impressive 'Heartbeats' a few years back and that track combined with the ad definitely had a positive impact on his career. Besides the TV selling qualities this release from RY X isn't entirely unique or original but still holds the quality of a pretty decent bunch of songs. Atmospheric simplistic guitar and crashing symbols beside a tenor vocal create immediate associations with Bon Iver and Keaton Henson. These ingredients make the songs both respectable but imitative. Is there an obvious connection of influence? I'm not entirely sure. There has been a growing collection of artists attempting a similar sound of late and I cant help but feel that it might not work for them in the long run. But on the other hand saying that, if the music is good, it really shouldn't matter and I think that the 'Berlin EP' sits in that category. It doesn't seem to have an identity of its own somehow. The arrangements are varied and contain obscurity in the track 'Shortline' with an eerie electric guitar sound thats followed by a modest beat and some humble vocal work in 'Vampires'. This has to be the stand out track on here for me. Followed by a tender piano and a genuine aching that emerges from RY X in the last track 'Wanderlust', finishing the EP in a theatrical manner. Overall this collection of songs are not ranked among others that you desperately need in your collection but are just quite nice to listen to if you get a chance. 'Berlin EP' is quite simply a suitable assembly to hear around this time of year.

Gareth Hack 

5/12/2013.

AYANNA WITTER-JOHNSON INTERVIEW - 23.10.2013

Singer, Songwriter, Cellist, Pianist, R & B/jazz/folk/soul artist and even dance performance creator. The descriptive list of Ayanna Witter-Johnson's abilities, and her versatility, seems to be endless. In 2011 Ayanna became the only non-American, to win a highly respected competition held in Harlem, New York City - Amateur Night Live At The Apollo. She was a nominee for Best Jazz Act at the MOBO awards in 2012 and has gone on to co-orchestrate for the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Ayanna is set to release a new EP titled 'Black Panther', and has recently been featured on Radio 1's review show. Currently on a world tour with composer Anoushka Shankar, she kindly took the time to answer a few of my questions.

• Ayanna, tell us a little bit about yourself?

I'm a singer, songwriter, cellist and pianist. I spend most of my time performing my original material to live audiences and I love every second of it!

• We briefly met back in 2011 while you were supporting Natty on a UK tour. What have you been up to since?

I have since supported the incredible Roberto Fonseca on a UK tour, orchestrated for the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Urban artists Devlin, Skepta, Ms. Dynamite and Fazer on a project called 'Urban Classic' that was part of the Olympics, recorded a second EP soon to be released, had a song previewed by Edith Bowman on the Radio 1 Review Show, written over 65 songs, travelled to Thailand, the U.S., and various countries in Europe and created two music and contemporary dance performances.

• You're soon off on tour again with Anoushka Shankar. Can you tell us a bit about the tour and how it came about?

Anoushka has just released a new album 'Traces of You' featuring Norah Jones and she was looking for someone to sing what Norah does on the album and to play piano and possibly another instrument. A friend told her about me, she checked out my YouTube videos then asked me to audience for her personally A Capella. We are doing some dates in Europe then touring the U.S., Canada and India!

• Your live performance is brilliant. With the use of a cow bell foot pedal and tapping on the Cello. What was it that drew you to play the Cello as apposed to any other instrument? And how did the inclusion of both the pedal and tapping happen?

Because I was a pretty good classical pianist by the time I got to secondary school, when they offered us the opportunity to study an instrument, they said that I could learn a new instrument. My Mum didn't want me to strain my neck muscles playing a woodwind or brass instrument and she didn't fancy having loud drums in the house so the only family left was the string family. I decided that the double bass was too big and that my hands were too big for the violin so the cello seemed like a perfect fit!

• When I saw you live, I glanced around at the audience and there were people looking on completely captivated. Do you ever get nervous knowing that all eyes are on you?

No, not really. There's a feeling of excitement in my stomach but I mainly focus on sharing the best of me with the audience and concentrate on being present in the moment.

• You have a song called 'Ain't I a Woman?' Based around a speech given by women's rights activist Sojourner Truth at a Convention back in 1851. What was it about the speech that inspired you to create a song about it?

I was actually leading a 13 week workshop all about the life of Sojourner Truth. Helping them to explore her story through music, poetry and drama and they asked me to create something too. Looking through her life, I felt that her speech embodied so much of what she stood for and that it was still as relevant today as it was then. So it seemed completely apt to turn it into a song.

• What are your opinions about the representation of women within the music industry currently? And what do you think needs to change?

There really is a diverse representation of women from Bjork to Rihanna so it's hard to generalise. There is a great deal of over sexualisation in the commercial industry and I do think that the extend to which that is portrayed given the number of young girls engaging with the music, needs to be considered a lot more carefully.

• Music has the ability to reach and connect people from different backgrounds and cultures. What's your view on the strength of music's possibilities?

It truly is limitless! There is no inherent hierarchy in music and so it must be made available to as many people as possible to enjoy. From opera to dancehall! It accesses the heart and enables conversation to happen regardless of language. It can be both healing and destructive and so the power of music transcends a pervading intellectual nature of a lot of communication today.

• You were part of a genuine musical competition in the states - Amateur Night Live at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC. And congratulations for winning! But I'd really like to know your personal view on 'The X Factor'?

It's an entertainment show! It's not for everyone and most certainly not the only route to survival and success in the music industry.

• And lastly, do you have any special plans for 2014 and what would you say to people who are thinking about checking your material out?

I will be recording my full length debut album and continuing to build my fan base with some really exciting live shows. My music is authentic, melodic, soulful and created to live in people's hearts.

For more details about Ayanna Witter-Johnson check out her website

www.ayannamusic.com 

With thanks to Ayanna Witter-Johnson

POOR MOON INTERVIEW - 30.09.2013

Poor Moon are an American band signed to Bella Union and the legendary Sub Pop record label. Featuring members of Fleet Foxes, Pedro the Lion and Crystal Skulls. With debut ep 'Illusion', and a self titled full length as part of their releases, Poor Moon have no current tour plans. Lead vocalist Christian Wargo told me this week that, the focus now, is on Poor Moon's new record. Also, what would Christian say to Justin Bieber given a chance, I hear you ask? Is he a Beatles, or a Bowie man? Luckily, he helped shed some light...

• How did the band Poor Moon come about?

Basically, I have been making music with Casey Wescott for 15 years in various bands. The two of us have known Ian and Peter for almost as long. At some point a few years ago, I had a lot of songs written and knew that I wanted to make another album that wasn't Crystal Skulls or Fleet Foxes... I think the idea to make a new band with these friends started as a "wouldn't that be cool?" kind of conversation and then grew into a "well, why not?" kind of conversation. I usually send my demos to these three guys for feedback and pats on the back. So, it was a really easy transition to start playing together and bringing my demos to life.

• What's your favourite thing about the band?

I don't know... the band itself. The dudes in the group.

• When touring the UK, where did you enjoy the most? And what did you get up to in your spare time here?

We've had only a few shows over there so far. I think Manchester and London probably were our best shows. We hit up a few pubs, made terrible late night food choices, hit up a wine tasting, hung with the Bella Union bros, rented some bikes, we saw Grandaddy play. We stayed near the club where they performed, which is close to that huge Westfield plaza mall thing... We wandered through there a few times, wondering what we were doing.

• Are Poor Moon planning another trip to these shores anytime soon?

We are working on a new record. No tour plans.

• When on tour what do you miss from home the most?

My own bed, privacy, decent pizza. Clean clothes. Keeping up to date with all of my Gordon Ramsay shows.

• While on the road what items can you NOT live without?

GPS. Grandpas pine tar soap. A plastic bag for used socks... I can survive without most things... But I need to know where I'm going and I need to smell as good as possible in order to feel as good as possible. Just kidding, I only say that because people always tell me I smell good, which I find shocking at times. It's not something I aim for. I just use soap.

• You have a very distinct sound, what or who do you draw influences from?

It's always a tough question to answer with any sort of accuracy. I like so many things. Musical and non-musical. I like highly detailed and composed music but I also like very loose and spontaneous  music. I like melodic and rhythmic. You know my tastes run all over. Just depends on the day. I can listen to any style, as long as I feel the artist believes in what they’re doing. Something indescribable that gives me that connection to them, and brings me into their world.

• What music is playing in your van currently?

Again, it's all over the place, but I have been digging in to some cool stuff that came out of Istanbul in the 70s. Baris Manço, who I found on an NPR podcast... Which led me on a search for music from that time period in that area of the world. I found a bunch of stuff. This one song in particular from Kamuran Akkor- Ikimiz Bir Fidaniz.  I love the guitar sounds.

• What's your favourite British band or act?

The Smiths... duh?

• What band do you advise people to check out?

Pure Bathing Culture…Our buds from Portland.

• Beatles or Bowie?

Impossible question. Bowie- Hunky Dory, The Beatles- Abbey Road.

• Festival or your own show?

Own show.

• TV or a book?

I've read the first three or four chapters of so many books. It's tough for me to finish a book. I don't like fiction very much. I would rather watch Master Chef.

• If you could say one sentence to Justin Bieber what would it be?

Have you ever considered starting a band with Justin Vernon and Justin Timberlake and calling it "Justin Time?"

• If you could play a show with any act dead or alive who would it be?

The Kinks during the Village Green era.

THE ALBUM 'POOR MOON' IS AVAILABLE NOW

FIND POOR MOON AT:-

SUB POP RECORDS - http://www.subpop.com/artists/poor_moon

FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/thepoormoon

TWITTER - https://twitter.com/POORMOONband


INTERVIEW BY GARETH HACK WITH  THANKS TO CHRISTIAN WARGO.

FOSSIL COLLECTIVE INTERVIEW - 17.09.2013

                     

This week I was lucky enough to interview Johnny from the band Fossil Collective. The group from Leeds have recently returned from a tour of the states in support of The Boxer Rebellion. Coming home this summer to play some festival dates at Green Man and End Of The Road festival. Their debut album 'Tell Where I Lie' reached the number one position in the USA 'New Album Charts' and single 'Let It Go' became single of the week on iTunes Canada. Currently working on new material I managed to grab a few words....

*You recently toured the US, how did it all go?

We had an amazing tour and met so many new fans. I think a highlight for me was our show with the Boxer Rebellion in Chicago. The queue for the merch table after the show was something else. It took about 2 hours to finish talking with everyone and then we all went and partied at a little pub round the corner. Happy memories.  

*When writing and recording 'Tell Where I Lie' did you have a positive feeling about it and think that it would receive such recognition?

We never really worried about the recognition, but knew we had good songs. The more important thing for us was to be honest and for the songs to represent such a creative time in our lives. When we finally released it and it did so well it took us by surprise. I remember our manager ringing us to tell us that it had gone number 1 in the US Billboard new artist chart. We were in a travel lodge at the time, it was surreal. 

*When writing songs do you have a certain process or style in which you approach it?

An idea can come from anywhere really, it can start often with the guitar but also a drum beat (under my arrest started this way). The most important focus for me is that the song holds up if you stripped it back to just a guitar and a melody, is it still strong without production or gimmicks?!

*The album has some really beautiful songs, what is your personal favourite to play live and which do you feel most proud of?

I like playing the magpie live as it has a great outro for us and is one of the few times we really push it, we use two drum kits on this and i love the energy we get from this. I'm most proud of 'Wolves' at the moment (it can change) I just think we really nailed it on this one. 

*And what inspires you as an artist?

Everything - love, life, stress. The album was inspired by all of these but with a nod to our love for nature and the outdoors. We're both more comfortable in the countryside than a city so we wanted to reflect this in the music. 

*On the upcoming uk tour are you guys playing with a full band lineup or as a two piece?

No, we're lucky to have some very clever musicians that come with us. We're a 5 piece live normally.  

A few quick ones:-

*Most overrated band/artist dead or alive?

The Kooks

*Most underrated band/artist dead or alive?

Villagers

*Download or physical copy?

Vinyl

*And your all time favourite album?

Air - Moon Safari

*So you're playing a date in Exeter on your tour, (October 6th, Exeter Phoenix) what do you like an audience to take away from catching you live?

To feel like they've really connected with us. We put a lot of honest emotion into our set so I hope this is what they take away.

*And lastly whats next for Fossil Collective?

We're just about to release a new EP. Can't tell you too much, but it's 4 tracks and we'll have the release details very soon. It's a collection of songs that we've written over the last couple of months as we start the song writing process for album number 2 which will come towards the end of 2014. 

Fossil Collective begin a 12 date UK tour on September 27th. Be sure to go check them out at http://www.fossilcollective.com/live/

Debut album 'Tell Where I Lie' available now.

http://store.universal-music.co.uk/restofworld/dirty-hit/fossil-collective/icat/fossilcollective/

Download a free 4 track ep at the below link

http://www.fossilcollective.com/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/fossilcollective

Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/user/fossilcollective

HALF MOON RUN - DARK EYES REVIEW

HALF MOON RUN - DARK EYES (INDICA RECORDS) 2012


This is the debut album from Canadian three piece outfit Half Moon Run. These guys have been around since 2010 and have really set the bar pretty high with an album of this caliber. I have listened to the album a few times now and each time this collection of varied songs are offering something new. With their first single 'Full Circle' being elected as a free weekly download via the itunes store, I decided to give it a go. Kept it on my phone and played it for a few weeks before resisting the urge and buying the album. So I guess both the band and sadly itunes have served their purpose in that sense. Intricate acoustic guitar picking followed by a delicate vocal from singer Devon Portielje announce 'Full Circle' the opening track on the album. An infectious drum beat, bass and added electric guitar full of reverb make this collection come to life. The chorus is irresistibly catchy and you will find this with the next track on the album to, 'Call Me In The Afternoon'. It has one of those melodies that includes a backing vocalist adding another spin to a track that you swear you've already heard somewhere before. This track oozes single material. I can see it being a record label's ideal candidate as a second single. It also shows the extent of musical ability for all members. Singer Devon displaying his percussion skills by using a pair of drum sticks and a tom instead of a guitar for the track. With a similar ethic the drummer plays keyboard and drums during the song. All members adding contributions in the vocal department throughout the entire album in fact. Similarities to other artists are always going to occur, but that doesn't make this album unoriginal. Slower songs on the album venture towards a Jeff Buckley/Radiohead sound which is always some feet if its pulled off well. In this case it very much is, which sits very well with me indeed. Stand out tracks including 'Unofferable' convey this very concept with a clean guitar sound that you can imagine being played in a candle lit empty cathedral. A thudding floor tom that keeps a beautiful pace until the song ends but never short of echo effects. The song 'Nerve' towards the end of the album has a simple keyboard part but again a nice tempo which feeds yet another great catchy chorus. The melodies on this album are brilliant, sometimes one vocalist, other times two and at times even all three. Keeping this mix along with a quality of good lyrics is always a great recipe for decent songs. There is a dark element to some of the lyrics and tracks alike on the album clearly, but a distinctive lead vocal that almost makes you forget at times perhaps a portrayal of pain should be perceived. An unusual feeling to experience I suppose in the context of certain songs but the passion may be an element that just stands out at the fore front of the singers voice. None the less it works for sure. If you like an album that has a mixture of both fun, yet pop-esque pleas alongside dark qualities then you will love this album. As far as debuts go in my eyes, these guys have a done a really good job. An album well worth checking out by a band that have the foundations to do really well.

Gareth Hack.
07.08.2013