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.