Rhythm & BoozeAn online music webzine created by music lovers for music lovers.
30 August, 2013
60 Seconds With…..Wilko Johnson
Filed under: Interviews — Tags: 60 seconds with...., bingley music festival, wilko johnson — willmunn @ 10:23
60 Second Band Interviews
Wilko Johnson
Ahead Of His Performance at Bingley Music Live
What’s your favourite thing about British festivals?
Well, this year’s been pretty unusual. It’s been marvellous, being out in the sun; as the sun has chosen to shine this year. It’s all about the friendly atmosphere. So I guess you could say my favourite thing is fun in the sun.
What’s your first live music experience or an early memory that stands out?
Probably, the first gigs we started doing in 70’s, playing in pubs in London. We were from just outside London, in Essex, so it was like coming to the big city. It was exciting. It felt serious.
Who is your ultimate performer?
Chuck Berry, I’ve seen him 4 or 5 times. The first time was in the mid-60’s – he thrilled me; his music and stage performance.
What’s been the highlight of your recent performances?
What’s been pretty good is we did the Farewell Tour earlier in the year and then I retired, but I didn’t like that much! Then summer came along and the festivals started coming in and I thought, well, I’m not too ill and if I can’t make it then the show will still go on. We also played in Tokyo, it had been pouring with rain. We came on stage; the clouds parted and out came the sun.
You’re known for your love of the Thames Estuary but do you have any particularly fond memories of Yorkshire?
Well, my Mum came from Sheffield. So I remember visiting Aunties and Uncles and I always remember that warm twang I feel whenever I hear “do you want a cuppa tea”.
BML has a ‘pirates’ theme this year. What’s your favourite fancy dress outfit?
Batman mask!
Wilko johnson performs Live at Bingley Music Festival on Saturday 31st August
Tickets are still available but please hurry if you want to catch Wilko. A standard three-day weekend ticket is £45*, with advance day tickets for Friday costing £17.50* and advance day tickets for Saturday or Sunday priced at £30*.Tickets are available online at www.bingleymusiclive.com/tickets or call the ticket hotline 0871 220 0260.
Singer-songwriter, Rupert Stroud has recently released a stunning second album entitled Chasing The Night (reviewed on this very site), a varied and vibrant, often emotion fuelled mix of hook-laden pop, rock and grunge. The abum is one of those releases that you find yourself returning to over and over again, humming the massive choruses hours later, so I thought I ought to grab the chance to speak to the man himself to see how he goes about constructing those contagious anthems, what influences his writing and more.
1. Hi Rupert, How are things with you, thought we’d start with a few getting to know you questions, so can you tell us what you’re first memory of music and did you grow up in a musical background?
I’ve been told, that from as early as 18 months old, I would always nod my head to music and dance around. Then when I learnt to speak singing came naturally to me. I used to love sitting in the back seat of my mum and dad’s car while they played music on their tap player or the radio! I sang along to everything-Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Bob Marley, Simply Red, The Police, The Beatles… ah the list goes on! But also my 2 older brothers were a big influence on my taste in music- Nirvana and Oasis always stood out to me. So then, over 10 years later, when I learnt to play guitar, they were the first 2 bands I wanted to mimic and learn the riffs of! Everyone in my family loved music but no one was really very musical per say-In fact I was the only one out of us 4 boys that my dad DIDN’T encourage to play a musical instrument…and look at me now! 😀
2. Was there any defining moment or artist that first sparked an interest in music?
I’d always loved music and singing and was asked to join the choir at school but that was so NOT good for your rep at school. Also I was a pretty shy kid in my pre teens and early teen years. Around the age of 14/15 I remember watching on TV a recording of Nirvana Unplugged at NYC on MTV. Kurt’s voice was a bit rough and squeaky, breaking at times but the passion in his performance was mesmerizing! To hear those great songs that I’d heard time and time again, blasting from my brothers bedroom while growing up. To be then transformed and broken down into intimate acoustic songs… it was like a small education in music for me. Just that one program! That was THE moment that made me think “I want to learn how to play the guitar!”
3. When did you start performing and writing songs? And were you in any bands before you went solo?
Shortly after learning how to spin off a few power chord riffs and play some of my favourite songs, I started a covers band at school with a few mates but that’s really when I took my first tentative steps into song writing. We enjoyed gigging locally and being known as “the most exciting part of the end of school music concerts”. But when school came to an end , we naturally disbanded and I went on to Uni to study Music and New Media. I didn’t really start performing solo til my last year of uni , when I had to write songs for a songwriting and production module. It forced me to get back into writing and performing again and it kind of went from there. I started attending open mic nights, playing covers and originals and then started getting booked for proper gigs.
4. What were your original ambitions with music and when did you realize you could make a career out of music?
At first , after uni, I saw it as a part time hobby. Something I could do every other weekend to earn some extra cash. I enjoyed performing and having a drink with friends after each gig and meeting new people. When I had written enough songs for an album I went into the studio to record and did my research about how and where to release my music. Putting my music in front of potential fans etc. A lot of people seemed to love my songs…and not just me mum n dad… so it kind of made sense to pursue music as a career. I’m a strong believer in “following your dreams” and “doing something you love”, which a lot of people say sometimes isn’t possible but only YOU can make things happen for YOURSELF. It’s like with everything in life. If you have a talent and you work hard at it, research and open your own doors, you can achieve your dreams…. But it’s not meant to be easy! So I like the challenge the music business brings too!
5. Your latest, Chasing The Night showcases a number of different influences and moods, does this reflect your own musical tastes and did you always plan to write a varied album?
Yes I wanted the album to be as varied as possible and I suppose it does naturally reflect my own musical tastes. I wanted this album to be different from a lot of what you hear these days. You have to be unique to stand out in the music business and I’ve grown so tired of some albums that sound the same. Song after song. I have a “sound” and I think my sound is based on my song writing style and my voice. Like many young artists I probably started out sounding like some other established singers but it was important for me, to find my own voice. It’s also about the way I tell the story in each song.
6. What kind of subject matters influence your writing, are they personal tales or are they more story based?
Most songs are based on my experiences but quite a few are definitely influenced by my family and friends. I draw a lot of inspiration from people around me. Sometimes not even people who I know particularly well. I like to observe the way people behave. It fascinates me.
7. How does your new album differ from your debut (released back in 2008)?
It’s pretty different! My debut was a lot more “pop”, simpler song writing. I was a lot younger and naïve back then. It was a big step for me and looking back, I think I was quite brave to self fund and release an album, when I had so little experience! But I’m glad I did it, I learnt a lot from my ‘mistakes” from my debut. It’s been a real learning curve. And I’ve developed so much as a songwriter since then. Also my voice has developed, I think it’s matured…. I’ve grown up a bit.
8. How has the album been received to date and what are your hopes for the album?
I’ve had a great response so far to the album. It still amazes me how I can get people on the other side of the world buying my album from my website or iTunes. Sales from Europe, the US, South America , the Far East and all over! In fact off the back of my debut album, I even booked a short tour of Hong Kong! I was totally stunned when people turned up at my gigs and were singing along to the choruses, crazy! I sound like my dad but the internet is AMAZING in that way. People who have never seen me live are some of my biggest supporters! I’ve promised many fans dotted all over the world that “I will one day perform in a town near you!” So I need to continue to work hard to fulfill that promise!
9. When did you link up with producer, Will Jackson and what do you think he’s brought to your album?
I linked up with Will in 2008 when I was writing my debut. I’ve learnt so much from the man! He’s a legend! An amazing musician and producer and a very laid back a lovely human being-which makes it even more of a pleasure to work with him! Will brought a wealth of experience as a producer and musician and we both have a similarly eclectic taste in music. Will gave me the confidence to develop my own sound on my second album. I learnt a lot from the whole recording process from Will during the recording of my debut. By the time I went back in to record Chasing The Night, Will and I had developed a real friendship and he understood exactly what I wanted to achieve on Chasing The Night.
10. Can you tell us about your new single, Always (100% of the proceedings being donated to charity) and how you became involved with the charity Alzheimer’s Research?
Well the song is dedicated to my grandmother who died over 2 years ago after suffering with Alzheimer’s for the last 7 years of her life. It’s such a devastating disease and caused my family and I a lot of heart break and pain to see how it destroyed my wonderful Grandma! I wrote the song back around my debut album days soon after she had passed but didn’t put it on my latest album. It just didn’t seem right. I then actually re-wrote the music and modified the lyrics a little to make it into the song you hear today! I then did my research into Alzheimer’s charities in the UK and from what I learnt online, we, as a country, don’t put enough money into research! We desperately need to find a cure! Anyone can get Alzheimer’s and there are already 820,000 people in the UK who have the disease. I contacted ARUK and told them what I planned to do and they have been supporting me ever since the first phone call! 97% of the funding they get for their research is from public donations and private fundraising events like the one I am hosting on 30th June at The Ilkley Playhouse, in West Yorkshire.
I see the “donate and download” project as an on going thing. As my profile continues to rise, so does my work in raising awareness and funds for the charity! It’s become a big focus in my life now and I endeavour to continue to raise money for the charity for many, many years to come.
11. What’s next for Rupert Stroud? Are you planning to tour the album? Will you be performing at any of this summers music festivals?
We’re playing Live At Leeds which will be our first festival of the year and we’re planning a tour of the north of the UK and a few dates to be set for London too! This summer we’ll be visiting cities and towns all over to perform for my great fans! We are always looking for new venues to play so if anyone reading this would like to see us live in their town, please contact me either through facebook or email me at [email protected]. Keep your eyes on the website for confirmed gig dates!
12. Thanks for your time, is there anything you’d like to leave our readers with?
Thanks very much for reading –take care and please do check out my official website rupertstroudmusic.com and check me out on Facebook and twitter! But please, above all, find it in your heart to help ARUK find a desperately needed cure for Alzheimer’s. By donating and downloading the track “Always” you are not only contributing towards their desperately underfunded research but in return you are receiving our gift of a really heartfelt song. Thank you and Cheers J x
When everyday people find out that I write Rhythm & Booze, one of the first questions they ask me, is what styles of music to you like? Now for me that’s a huge question and I always reply with the standard response of “I listen to every genre of music you can imagine and more”. To me there are two general types of music, good and bad, so to dismiss an entire style is somewhat niave.
Modern day pop music tends to get something of a bad reputation as throw-away or manufactured, people seem to think that pop music is all boy-band this and reality TV show that, when in actual fact the term “pop” covers a massive spectrum of artists and sure there are loads of novelty trash acts out there but, like every genre there are those performers who simply dazzle and add something unique or so outragiously infectious you can’t help yourself being sucked in.
Lettie is one such purveryour of pop, an artist who welds contagious pop melodies to fizzy electro hooks and pure heartfelt passion, to create a sound that pulls at the heart strings one minute and makes you want to dance the next. With the release of latest album (reviewed elsewhere on this very site) Good Fortune Bad Weather just around the corner, I thought it was high time we caught up with Lettie and find out a little more from Rhythm & Booze’s latest obsession.
1. I thought we’d start with a few getting to know you questions, so what are you first memories of music? Did you grow up in a musical background?
On my mum’s side my Swedish great grandmother was concert pianist, and my granny in Glasgow played. My mum went to ballet school, appeared on Anglia TV singing ‘Blowing In the Wind’ and my dad was in the film business and there were records floating around. My uncle lived with us and he liked to play records like the Velvet Underground and J J Cale.
2. What was the first music you identified with and can you remember the first record you bought?
The first music I identified with was classical. I was practically bullied for it but I just loved it, in particular Dvorak. Then I moved on as it wasn’t cool and listened to a variety of different stuff such as original Soundtrack of the Wanderers, which had a lot of fifties stuff on it like ‘The Wanderer’ by Dion. We also had a double record of Atlantic Soul hits. The first record I bought was probably the soundtrack to the ‘Blues Brothers’ and I loved it except it didn’t have my favourite track on it by John Lee Hooker ‘Boom! Boom!’
3. When did you first discover your voice, was it at school? And when and how did you decide that you wanted to go into music?
My voice was never really my instrument. It was the piano so I would probably say that I began writing at sixteen, picked up the guitar and taught myself to play at the same time, quit the piano at eighteen and in a desperate bid to not have to completely give up music altogether after school tried for many years to work with individuals and bands with my voice as it was altogether more portable.
4. You have relocated a few times, have these moves inspired your music and how did you come to record originally in New York?
The moves have made it very hard for carrying instruments and as a result I have had pianos and lost them including a very nice one I was given that I sold to some heavies from Paisley in Glasgow, which is why I don’t perform on piano anymore. I worked with an antique dealer who was doing a Millennium spoken poetry record and after buying me a ladybird dress I never saw him again. I have tried to do music but life has got in the way. I used to play at a pub called ‘Blackfriars’ in Glasgow on songwriter nights and I went nearly every week to gigs at the Barrowlands handing out flyers. In London I was very proactive and found it inspiring as I worked for a music company and met a lot of musicians. We all used to swap tapes and go to each others gigs.
5. How did you meet David Baron and how did you come to record with him?
I met David Baron in 2006 on myspace when the whole musical community broke down for a bit and everyone was talking to one another. We started talking about film music and Philip Glass. He had some interesting music up on his site and I really enjoyed his instrumentals. Also, I have been hugely interested in jingles and David had already a very successful career before he began producing records writing TV themes and music for advert. So I met him and his family in London and it began there. He invited me to America. At the time he shared an amazing studio in an art deco hotel called the Edison Hotel just off Times Square. It was amazing that I had the opportunity to record at these famous studios and I remember he left me for a whole day to just play and I sweated cause it made me so nervous. A lot of the tracks on ‘Everyman’ were recorded at the Edison studios. The rest was recorded at his home near Woodstock in upstate New York.
6. What kind of things inspire your songwriting? On your website your described as a collector of memories, dreams, films, books, words, etc, does this inspire your writing in anyway? And how did you start these collections?
I love films as much as I Iove music. It’s been a constant in my life. When I haven’t had an instrument I will watch a film. So my writing has been influenced greatly by the landscape of film soundtracks one of my all time favourites being Wim Wenders film ‘Paris Texas’ by Ry Cooder which my dad crashed his car into a pillar when he dropped me off at the airport in upset. I started collecting Miniature golf postcards in about 2003 and have over three hundred (I believe it is the largest in the world on the subject), then I started collecting postcards and now I’m collecting books, old design magazines and ephemera including photograph albums. I find they have a story to tell and my music has always been about the external and not necessarily the internal. I used to write a lot of songs about me and I guess I have become much more interested in other people and other peoples lives now. All of these are my canvas as well as the news.
7. You’ve now just about to release your third album, Good Fortune, Bad Weather, how were the first two received both here and the US?
The first two records, which were recorded over about ten days with David Baron mixing and doing all the other parts whilst I was back in England took two years to get out. The acoustic record ‘Everyman’ did very well as a couple of the songs got picked up. I was very happy Corrine Day who was a very talented photographer and only died in 2010 picked out my song ‘Hang On’ for a fashion campaign. That meant a lot to me but also the BBC embraced my work (Dermot O’Leary picking the same song as Corrine Day) and I travelled well with it. In regards to the album ‘Age of Solo’ I eventually sold all the copies of the CD and people on the whole seemed to buy and enjoy this album more. It was very important I felt to have had both though. It meant I gave ‘Everyman’ away free (which I never pressed) and the more electronic side of ‘Age of Solo’ made performances a bit more edgy, gave them more energy and meant I could perform to a more ‘rock’ crowd that Peter Murphy has.
8. Do you think your sound has developed over the three releases and how does the new album differ from the previous albums?
David Baron has worked tirelessly on this album and the sound has developed in part because of all the amazing musicians that have been involved including David Baron himself, Zachary Alfrod, Danny Blume, Pete Caigan, D James Goodwin, Kevin Kadish, James Pollis, Sara Lee, Simi Stone, David Gould, Emily Welsch, Rebecca Schlappich and Michael Tritter. David spent months and months on it and transformed a ten day writing session into a piece of art because both of us have learnt so much in the intervening years. I am very lucky to not only have him as my co-writer, producer, musician, director, record technician, mixer, masterer but also my adviser and above all friend.
9. How has the new album been received to date and what are you hopes for the album?
The album is still not released but I have been selling a few copies from website and overall the response has been very positive.
10. I’d describe your sound as modern day electro-pop with a twist, do you think this a fair description and how would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard of you before?
I think this is a fair description. I also think it is very much a product of both David Baron and I sharing a lot of interest in the obscure, the sci-fi, the quirky, the eccentric, and the historic. The instruments he has arps and moogs just have their own incredible sounds which are impossible to create using samples. The album is a meeting of two minds and two artists. Both of us have quite eclectic tastes and veer towards more experimental music but together we tried to make something quite direct.
11. You’ve guested with a number of different people from Pete Murphy of Bauhaus to Chris Difford, is there anyone left you’d like to perform with?
I love collaborating and performing with other people especially as I am now performing solo. Some of the people I have always wanted to work with are David Byrne, Adam Ant, Babybird, Lou Reed, Hugh Cornwell and Simple Kid if he would come out of retirement! I am also interested in creating more music with Anthony Phillips (Genesis) and my dream would be to do more songs for film.
12. You’ve recorded sessions for Dermot O’Leary and in 2010 appeared in a documentary Hello Glastonbury, have these helped raise your profile?
I loved recording the session for Dermot O’Leary. I also enjoyed being part of Rachel Davies documentary, which was cleverly edited to make it look like I didn’t have a major breakdown after the technical problems experienced during the Glastonbury performance! I am very grateful for the support from the BBC. It has been divisive. I would also say that touring with Peter Murphy for 27 dates in 2009 was very beneficial for raising my profile a little in Europe and my live performance by the end had improved dramatically. It was very interesting for me as I doubled up as merchandise girl to see not only the extent of Peter’s fantastic fan base but also talk to people in all these countries and found for example, the enthusiasm for my music was most felt in Portugal and Germany.
13. What’s next for Lettie, are we going to see you go on tour or play some festivals? And what can people expect from one of your live concerts?
The live thing is something that is next on my ‘to do’ list. I have done hundreds of gigs in the past, and the best review I have ever had was my last one supporting Roger O’Donnell in March of last year. I am really keen to make my next performances the best yet. I made a choice this past year to either work on getting some money in (the day job of which I have five) or carry on gigging. I have, therefore, been concentrating on getting the album done first, and the music videos of which most are made by myself second and now I am ready for the third, which is the live performance. Casio have kindly given me a couple of keyboards and at the moment I am trying to get my head around learning them!
14. One of the songs from the new album, Lucky has been chosen for the film Exit Strategy, how did this come about and are you hoping for more soundtrack work now?
It was through David Baron and his connections in America. It was fantastic to finally get a song on the film and I can’t wait to see it. It went on release on March 9th 2012.
15. Thank you for your time Lettie, I wish you all the best with the new album, is there any parting words you’d like to leave us with?
Thank you so much for having me. My parting words today are Live, Laugh and Love!
There are singer-songwriters and then there’s Jake Morley. Ever since I was first exposed to the the wonderfully upbeat and incredibly infectious Freddie Laid The Smackdown/Feet Don’t Fail Me Now single (first released last year) I became a little obsessed with the music of Jake Morley, I found myself humming his melodies in the street, in the bath and just about everywhere inbetween.
Jake then graced our finest local venue, The Marrs Bar where he showcased his inventive lap guitar work, delivering a stunning set of hook-laden acoustic pop alongside his incredible backing band, leaving everyone baying for more.
With all this is in mind and with the re-release of his debut album Many Fish To Fry, I thought it was about time I caught up with Jake to find out what makes him tick, here’s what he has to say.
1. Hi Jake how’s things with you? Let’s start at the beginning, what are your first memories of music? And did you grow up with much of a musical background?
There’s a classic photo of me aged about 5, sitting asleep on my dad’s lap while he played piano. I was a very fortunate to grow up in a household with so many opportunities to discover music – a piano, a drum kit, an acoustic, an electric, a bass guitar… As quite a shy child, music became a way to communicate without being tied up by language.
2. Can you remember when you started really taking notice of music, was there a particular artist that you first identified with? And what was the first record/CD you bought?
I had an unusual fascination with Bob Marley when I was really tiny. What was that about?! I just got it I dunno. And that thing happened where you mention something in passing once in December, then word spreads around the family and suddenly you’ve got nothing but Bob Marley presents for Christmas.
I loved all kinds of things, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, The Cats Musical Soundtrack… But I don’t know if you can truly love music until you hit your teens. Something magical happens then. You start really feeling it, in ways you’re not equipped to describe. It’s no longer just a bit of fun it’s fucking serious – life, love, death and friends are at stake. There’s suddenly a whole world to explore, and for me music was the map.
3. When did you start writing/playing music and who influenced those early beginnings?
I remember being about 15 and strumming Oasis songs at my mate’s house. Everyone was singing along and pretending to be wasted and it was the first time I realised music was something I could take part in rather than just listen to. That feeling got burned into me very deeply around then. I’d learned piano, drums, guitars, a bit of singing, and every song by Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead and Gomez. Me and some mates formed a band, and we played cover songs and our own first experiments with songwriting.
Anyway… I turned out to be a bit of a control freak. I didn’t think anyone could play my songs better than I could so I started recording all the parts myself on an 8-track. By the time I left for university I’d finished a 7-song EP of my own songs called Fit Of Panic.
4. I’m intrigued by your inventive use of guitar, how did you develop this style of playing and have you always used your guitar as a percussion instrument in your performance?
I always used to take the piss out of anything that looked a bit flashy. I’d be like “why do people play like that? It must be just to feed their big rock star egos.” I preferred John Frusciante solos where he’d only play 4 notes but they were the best 4 notes in the world.
But when I was a bit older and still hadn’t found a reason to believe in myself yet and out of nowhere it was a flashy guitar song that was the spark that got me passionate about songwriting again. It was by an american songwriter called Stuart Davis – “Nothing In Between”. It showed me that guitars can be more than an accompaniment to the words or an ego trip for the guitarist. They can be an incredibly beautiful expression in their own right, weaving with the words to make the song better. It was a mad thrill. So I ditched all my old songs and started exploring that for a while.
5. When did you first think you could make a career out of music?
I remember the first time I topped up my oyster card with £10 instead of £5!
I’m still broke cos there’s no money in music outside mainstream pop. But careers aren’t about fat paychecks they’re about paying rent doing what you love. I’m privileged to have a shot at that.
6. You’re just about to re-release your debut album Many Fish To Fry, how has the album been received to date?
Everyone seems to love it apart from the Guardian. It was actually first released on my own label in early 2011, and I’m honoured to be able to release it properly now. Obviously in the meantime Ed Sheeran and Ben Howard have changed the landscape, and some people write that I’ve cooked this up now just to ride their wave. Haha! What can you say to that? It’s always the same old story with music scenes, the same patterns destined to repeat themselves over and over again. I’m just gonna stay out of it.
7. The album has a number of varied influences from the funk of Freddie Laid The Smack Down to the country-ish Be With Me Once More via the choral pop Feet Don’t Fail Me Now, was it always your intention to write a varied album and will you continue to mix and match styles?
I definitely intended a varied album because I’m a varied person and I wanted to open up each part of me, even the parts that contradict other parts. This first album is just about an introduction, a bit like when people meet at a party and try to tell each other everything about themselves in one go.
Now the introduction’s done I feel more free to write about certain things in more detail. So album two will have a different personality I think.
8. What influences your songwriting?
I don’t like to think about it cos you’ve just got to let things seep into you first. It doesn’t go straight from influence to a song, otherwise where does the writer come into it? How is he saying anything original? It has to go from influence to you as a person. Then you sit with it and let it stew inside you. And that’s the same for everyone whether they write songs or not. So I just try to be a good person, to keep learning, keep being a passionate music fan and a lover of life, then write whatever comes naturally.
9. You’ve played with a number of different artists from modern day blues-man Joe Bonamassa to Ed Sheeran do you think your sound compliments a variety of styles and is there anyone you’d like to perform with in the future?
There are probably as many kinds of music as there are people, but we all overlap a bit too. Even rich bankers have things in common with people sleeping rough, though you have to look harder to see it. I’ve not done many gigs where I felt totally in the wrong place, but I’m not looking to appeal to everyone. I’ve got no problem if people say it’s not their thing. In my comfort zone I’d love to tour with Imogen Heap or Elbow or artists like that. But I like to challenge myself too and if that means someone quite different then bring it on.
10. You’ve been nominated as one of HMV’s Next Big Thing, how did this come about and what does it mean to you?
That’s phrase is just industry people talk. I’m not sure what it means. But it’s very nice of them to choose me, and I’m honoured to have my CD on the same HMVs racks where I spent my youth.
11. You’ve just issued a DVD with Many Fish To Fry, can you tell us about that and where your video ideas come from?
I always like to stick my oar in with that, much to the misery of my director friend Alex Genn-Bash who shoots all my videos. It normally involves us sitting around throwing a massive stack of ideas back and forth until we fix on one. Then we do that about 5 times, then we run out of time and shoot something else.
12. I see you have a UK tour lined up, are you performing any festivals in the summer?
My main focus is our full band UK tour in May which is gonna be long and intense. I get a big thrill out of touring, especially with my band who are like brothers to me now. We give a lot on stage. It does mess with my head quite a lot too though. I like to write blogs for each gig to make sense of it.
But yeah there’s quite a lot of festivals too, including some I’m not able to announce yet, and a few in Europe which will be exciting.
13. What’s next in store for Jake Morley?
I’m getting ready for album two which is taking shape in my head. I see it all as a process and I want to think that my best work is still ahead of me. Just keep playing that’s the trick. Keep playing.
14. Thanks for your time Jake, is there anything you’d like to leave our readers with?
If their twin gods are Rhythm and Booze I think they’re managing quite well without me actually.
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20 March, 2012
Interview With…..Auction For The Promise Club
Filed under: Interviews — Tags: interview with Autcion For The Promise Club — willmunn @ 09:25
Every so often a band come out that scream for your attention and Cornwall based female fronted and unusually named Auction For The Promise Club are one such band. The three-piece group, write delightfully infectious songs, full of immediate hooks and contagious, intoxicating vocals that instantly attract.
The band have just released their debut EP (reviewed on these very pages) so I thought it’d be the perfect time to catch up with the bands siren like lead singer, Zoe to find out a little more about Auction For The Promise Club.
1. Firstly I thought we should start of with a few getting to know you questions, so can you introduce yourselves and tell us who does what in the band?
Zoe – I’m Zoe, I am the singer and guitarist and a bit of keys occasionally, Perran plays lead guitar, bit of bass and a bit of keys if hes feeling fruity! Toby my brother plays drums.
2. I’m intrigued by the unusual name for the band, how did that monicker come about, is there a story behind the name?
Zoe – the name chose us!
3. How did the band first form, were you in bands previous to Auction For The Promise Club? Or are you all long term friends?
Zoe – Me and Perran met through a friend, we played acoustically then Toby got involved and made it nosier. Long term friends definitely
4. I’ve seen all sorts of intriguing comparisons thrown about, who influenced the sound of the band? And can you come up with a description for your sound?
Zoe – I love Radiohead, Bjork, PJ Harvey.. I like all music that makes you feel something. Hopefully people feel something in our music.
5. How to you go about writing your songs is a group effort? And where do you get your inspiration for the songs, is it everyday life or are they stories you’ve written?
Zoe – Sometimes its a group effort, sometimes I finish a song straight away and then we add the band. Lots of different things inspire the songs, feelings, stories, moments..
6. You’ve just released your debut EP, how has that been received so far and what are your hopes for this release?
Zoe – Its been great to finally get it out into the big wide world! We have been faffing around for sometime with the record, talking to people, taking advice etc some good some bad but hopefully we are rolling now 🙂
7. What are you currently up to? are you touring the EP or are you working towards an album?
Zoe – We are very excited to be recording our next EP in June so we are writing for that and making more videos etc, all good fun!
8. And if you’re working on new material what can we expect from the band in the future?
Zoe – yes! Cant wait
9. You hail from St Agnes, Cornwall, not noted for it’s musical exports, is there scene down there? And are there any bands you’d like to recommend?
Zoe – There is a BIG scene in Cornwall, Tall Ships are a great band from Falmouth. Suitenoir are a great rock band we are playing with this weekend. Loads of bands, check out the recent Mojo Music Expo 2012
10. How would you describe a Promise For The Auction Club live show?
Zoe – ha! Probably better than a Auction for the Promise Club live show!
oops, told you that name was a bit unusual
11. Are you playing any festivals in the summer? And where can we catch you playing next?
Zoe – We are playing at the O2 Academy Islington THIS weekend on Sun 25th March and cannot wait to play Bestival in September! hopefully a few others along the way.
12. Thank you for your time, are there any parting words you’d like to leave us with?
Zoe – If you hink we are anygood, it would be wonderful if you could ‘like’ us on Facebook so we can keep you posted with gigs and news 🙂 Much love!
