All Interviews
Ben Marwood
Ben Marwod
Having been seen on tour recently with Frank Turner, acoustic king Ben Marwood is about to hit the festival circuit. Notably, he will be joining Frank Turner, The Subways, Metronomy and Bombay Bicycle Club at this year’s 2000Trees Festival. zap! bang! took a few minutes with Ben Marwood to see what he was most looking forward to.
Cats and Cats and Cats
Ben
Cats and Cats and Cats are one of the many upcoming acts to be performing alongisde The Subways, Metronomy and Frank Turner at Cheltenham’s 2000Trees festival. Designed as a showcase of the UK’s most exciting music talent, zap! bang! jumped at the chance to find out more…
Sound Iration
Nick Manasseh
In 1989 Sound Iration’s In Dub spearheaded a new age in homegrown British reggae, continuing a mission started by Nick Manasseh and Steve ‘Scruff’ Guilder which pioneered what became ‘UK steppers’. Since then Nick has been at the heart of London’s roots reggae scene as DJ, producer and radio presenter and on the eve of a re-release for In Dub, zap! bang! Magazine caught up with him to hear his thoughts about the current reggae scene.
Lights
Lights
Back at home in Canada, electro-popstar Lights is already a sensation. Having had her debut album The Listening crash into the Top 10, Lights was also rewarded with the Best New Artist gong at the Juno Awards - Canada’s answer to the Grammies. With the homeland captivated, Lights has decided to spread her magic further afield, with her herat set on scoring a chart hit on this side of the Atlantic. Her distinct flavour of electro-pop has been heard most recently alongside Owl City, whom she has supported on tour. zap! bang! managed to catch five minutes with Lights as she prepeares for the release of debut single “Ice”.
The Hush Now
Noel Kelly
Having missed the UK Top 40 with their seasonal offering “Wishing You A Happy Christmas”, Boston quintet The Hush Now are far from dissapointed. Having their sights set firmly on British stardom, The Hush Now release their second album Constellations on February 22nd. With a new line-up and determined attitude, lead singer Noel Kelly seems optimistic about the future when he speaks to zap! bang!
Oswald
Tom McCreery
The Scottish music scene has always been a notable affair. The country that has spawned the likes of Del Amitri, The Proclaimers and Franz Ferdinand is already proving that 2010 could be their year to reclaim the top of the charts. Alongside Twin Atlantic and The Frightened Rabbit are brother duo Oswald, who have asked their current fanbase to help them make some instrumental decisions. The public chose the tragic tale “Flying To The Ground” as the pair’s next single after an online vote. zap! bang! took a moment to talk to lead singer Tom McCreery about the impact of social networking on the band.
Christian Scott
Christian Scott
26-year jazz trumpeter, composer and producer Christian Scott is fast becoming one of the hottest properties on the contemporary jazz scene. Having already received much critical acclaim, his forthcoming duet with Scroobius Pip is only the latest in a long line a high profile collaborations. Previous projects have seen him pairing up with Prince, Jill Scott and Mos Def, so it is little surprise that Christian is opening up the jazz scene to a younger market. A lot has changed for Christian since his 2006 debut Rewind That, but on the dawn on his fourth solo venture You Said Yesterday Tomorrow Christian is facing a new challenge — the British market. With pop-jazz currently pleasing the public, can Christian entice the Brits into something slightly more authentic? zap! bang! took a moment to find out.
Boyz II Men
Shawn Stockman
Having formed in 1988 as a quintet, Boyz II Men lost founding member Marc Nelson before even being signed. The remaining four, Shawn Stockman, Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris and Michael McCarry carried on undeterred. 1990 saw them sign to Motown Records and the rest as they say is history. With 60 million album sales under their belt and unforgettable hits including “End Of The Road”, I’ll Make Love To You and the massive Mariah Carey duet ” One Sweet Day”, it is little surprise that Boyz II Men want to celebrate their 20th anniversary in style. Now a trio, following the departure of Michael McCarry in 2003 due to chronic back problems, Boyz II Men have just released their ninth studio album Love and will be embarking on a tour of the UK in late 2010. Shawn Stockman took 15 minutes out to reminisce with zap! bang!
Vitalic
Vitalic
Electro maestro Vitalic, aka Pascal Arbez, released his second album Flashmob last year to widespread acclaim. The man behind dancefloor favourite “La Rock 01” is on the road touring an impressive new live show featuring two mirrored walls and mesmerising graphics. Ahead of his visits to the UK and Ireland, zap! bang! was granted an interview to find out how Pascal’s latest opus came about and get an indication of who to look out for in 2010.
Stacey Jackson
Stacey Jackson
“I know it sounds very diva-ish but I’ve just been speaking to the director of my music video.” Self-proclaimed ‘Soccer-Mum turned Rocker-Mum’ Stacey Jackson is having a hectic day. In the build up to the recording of the promotional video for her forthcoming single “I Hear A Symphony” lifted from her album Upside Down, Jackson has already had a costume fitting and a somewhat challenging meeting with her video’s director when zap! bang! get a moment to chat to the London based Canadian. “I wanted to find a way that I could include my own kids somehow in the video. And he’s all professional and not a big fan of having kids on board, I was like, “You know what, I want my kids involved somehow, so let’s just figure this out.” I have four children, so two of them are completely written into the script and that’s easy. The other two I am trying to find a way that I can even just have them in the video for a split second. I can’t have two kids and not the other two kids in the video because that’s not fair. We’re busy arguing about that.”
It is clear within the first minute that Jackson will win her battle. Having spent the first half of her professional career working in PR and television, Jackson has a way with words. Having teamed up with the charity Music For Youth, Jackson knows that she needs to balance being a Mum with her own career goals. It appears including her children is an integral factor. “I really couldn’t be a terrific and fabulous Mum if I wasn’t a happy lady. I really know that if I couldn’t sing again, I would really be miserable. It’s kind of like anything – if someone said to me I wasn’t allowed to have chocolate cake for the rest of my life, I would be miserable. For me it is about balancing, so I went back to singing and my kids are at school. Though I did mess it all up by getting pregnant in the middle of recording the album. That was a little bit of a surprise. But you know, I was very lucky, I had a girl after three boys, so it can’t be that bad. At the end of the day, it wasn’t just something I decided I was going to be, a recording artist. I’d always had the singing, it was just about finding the right time, after finding a husband, having a few kids and moving a couple of times.”
A family woman at heart, Jackson has in fact been performing for over 25 years, but various obstacles have always prevented her from fully achieving her musical dreams. “I was performing in Montreal and New York. Having lungs is a great think because you can travel with them, you can hang them up for a while then go back to them. The one thing I did do was put my musical career on hold for a bit when I was having my family, then I moved from New York to London, so settling them in you really have to focus on being a Mummy. Really be at home and be that family Mum.” But now with her family settled and at school, Jackson has decided to take some time for her. Given that PR is all about contacts, which she didn’t have in the UK, Jackson decided to follow her dream, with Music For Youth proving a much needed catalyst. “I wanted to find a charity that did exactly what I would have wanted when I was a kid. When I was 14, I was jamming in my parent’s garage. I mean I was playing in a whole load of clubs, but we’d have to go out and get our own gigs. I couldn’t even drink in some of these places. I was underage obviously, so they’d have to get special permission. It was a big deal trying to find a venue for us to perform in. What Music For Youth do so well is all the festivals across the UK for kids of all musical talent. They could be amazing or not so great, but you could end up playing at a Carling Academy or the Royal Albert Hall. They provide the platform for these kids to play in front of their peers and their family. All you have to do is sign up. I totally wish I had that when I was a kid.”
I think if you are really good at something, you should never give up on a dream.
With a firm belief that performance “will help build their confidence for later in life”, Jackson is passionate about her cause. “When I was a kid, about fourteen, I did a jingle for a dry cleaners commercial. I had to go into the studio and sing and it was brilliant. So for these kids, they came in from all over the UK it was an amazing opportunity. I think watching them as Mum, it filled me with pride. I enjoyed watching them doing their thing as much I enjoyed doing my part in the studio.” Music For Youth has been providing young musicians with a public platform for nearly half a century, yet it’s work is not widely known. Jackson, who was clearly a PR queen, steers all conversation away for herself, focusing purely on promoting her cause. “My goal is to get some celebrity musicians to work with these kids in workshops. We’d like to also put out Music For Youth singles and albums, in order to increase revenue for the charity.”
However, she does concede that recording the album was dream come true for her. “I think if you are really good at something, you should never give up on a dream. If you really believe in yourself then don’t give up. You’ll end up on old and grey saying ‘what if?’. I have a really inspirational story, my aunt, she is 80 years old. She is one of my mentors. When she was around my age, she had three boys, she decided to follow her passion for sculpting. Fast forward, you now can’t walk into one of the buildings without bumping into one of her massive sculptures. She’s one of the biggest sculptresses in Canada right now.”
Taking a leaf out of her aunt’s book, Jackson has finally been able to record an album of covers. “it was really nice to put a melange of them together, use them and see how it could come out. It was just the most fascinating experience of my life.” Far from taking the predictable route, Jackson has stopped and thought through each track on her collection, rearranging to give each her own flavour.
“I was a huge of Motown back in the days, when I was about the age of my daughter with my Dad. I’d be sitting in his 1960-something Mustang convertible and he’d put in a cassette of Diana Ross and The Supremes. I knew every word to every song and I wasn’t even two years old then! I just absolutely had that Motown thing in me. I just loved every Motown track that was put out. Then growing up, as a teenager and when I went into the music business, my influences were always hard rock. I loved Motley Crue. Then I was into grunge, then post-grunge. I loved all of Guns ‘n Roses, The Pearl Jam, Creed and Linkin Park. That’s what excited me about this album. I was like, I can’t deny that I really have the love and fascination for Motown, so how can I use the influences of the music I love today, which of course includes the music that my kids are listening to too.”
“I Hear A Symphony” is probably my favourite track because it is by Diana Ross and The Supremes. That brought back a lot of memories for me of my Dad, who is no longer with me. He actually died whilst I was in the middle of recording the album. I also have a lot of Music For Youth children on the album and they have a set of strings playing on that track. The other is “Band Of Gold”, which is the old Freda Paune song. It doesn’t sound anything like it now. The reason being that I also have some kids on that track, but it has my most grungey influence. I think I really pulled from that Pearl Jam era onto that track.”
With the music press firmly supporting her campaign, it appears that Jackson is well on her way to achieving her personal goals as well as her charitable aims. She has been dumbfounded by the response not just in the UK but globally. “In Greece, my dance remix is selling off the shelf. I’m a rocker, but “Band Of Gold” has been remixed to a whole variation of dance tracks. That track in Greece is selling amazingly well. It’s crazy.” However, Jackson hasn’t finished just yet. “I want to continue putting out subsequent albums for Music For Youth. But I do also write songs, I will ultimately want to put out an album of original tracks.”
Stacey Jackson’s Upside Down is currently available digitally. For more details visit her Official Site.
Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean
“Our music business is different from being a sportsman. Being a sportsman you peak when you are twentysomething. You are old when you are thirty, I have to laugh at that sometimes. A tennis player can be in his late twenties and they will talk about him as if he is 90, which I find quite sad. Or a footballer who is 29-years-old, well I suppose he only has a year or two left, I think how negative, the poor guy. If the poor guy was to really take that in, he’d probably go and top himself. In our business you can go on until you are, I don’t know.” Billy Ocean may turn 60 in January, but Trinidad’s finest is far from ready to retire. Having taken a break from the music industry to raise his family, Ocean decided to finally return to his passion. “Well, I’m getting accustomed to it again. I’ve been back out there since 2007 and I’m trying to make the most of it. Enjoy myself as much as I can. And the people, you know, they come to see me so I have to be the best that I can. On my best behaviour at all times, so I try to do that.”
Ella Montclare
Ella Montclare
“Sorry, I’m just laughing cos you said Zap! Bang! It sounds like a 60s superhero or something!” Ella Montclare is giggling, it is a good start to the interview. Trip-hops latest potential superstar isn’t really a newcomer to music industry. “Being background was really nice for me as it was the safe place to be,. They had all the pressure and I could just go ‘la la la’ behind.” Having spent years as a background for the likes of Babyface, Montclare was never sure about the spotlight. “I didn’t know if I wanted to be a front person, I wasn’t sure it was for me. But the turning point was when I did those songs for Steve Baughman in America, basically I came back to UK and put them on MySpace. Then, what happened was I got an incredible reaction. I had all these people writing to me asking about the album. I thought I was making music for myself and my friends and I don’t think without MySpace I would have ever got much further. The major turning point was the reaction. I thought I could make an album and people would buy it. It’s such a positive arena. Now being up front is great, it is a dream come true.”
Elliot Minor
Alex Davies
Alex Davies and Ed Minton first had the idea of forming a band whilst students at Uppingham School in York. Davies had been on course for a career as a concert violinist, when Minton introduced him to the world of rock. The pair set about recording and writing, taking a gap year after finishing at Uppingham School in 2005 to focus on their music. During that year, Davies bumped into his childhood chum Dan Hetherton and invited him and his brother Ed to join the group. Then came Ali Paul, another of Davies’ childhood pals to complete the line-up. Initially performing as The Academy, before changing their name to Elliot Minor, the group built up a fanbase locally and online. In 2006 came a life changing competition win, which saw the group support McFly on tour, leading to a record deal and a hit debut eponymous album. Record company issues followed, with Elliot Minor leaving their Warner Bros. deal. Fans waited with baited breath whilst the quintet got their act together. Finally they can breathe, with the difficult second album Solaris finally on shelves. zap! bang! grabbed a few moments with lead singer Alex Davies to find out what really went on.
The Soldiers
Ryan Idzi
In 2007, Ryan Idzi thought he had the X Factor. Reaching Boot Camp, he was an early favourite. However, when he forgot his words, his dream was shattered. Heartbroken, Idzi returned to his day job in the British Army. However, it wasn’t long till he got an unexpected letter that would set his singing dreams in motion once again. Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi was about to embark on a new mission. Teaming up with Sergeant Major Gary Chilton and Sergeant Richie Maddocks, they were to form the singing trio The Soldiers. Little did they know that their project would launch them to stardom. Debut album Coming Home has already reached number four in the album charts, while the trio have performed in front of the Queen. Idzi took a few moments out of his hectic schedule to tell zap! bang! all about it.
Ingrid Michaelson
Ingrid Michaelson
Ingrid Michaelson is the latest indie queen. Following in a long line of American singer/songwriters, Michaelson’s talent and sheer determination finally paid off when her 2007 album Girls and Boys sold over 400,000 copies on her label Cabin 24 Records. The album’s success was prompted by the hit single “The Way I Am”, which benefited from Old Navy placing it in a commercial. “The Way I Am” went on to sell 1.5 million copies, whilst her song “Keep Breathing” was used in 2007’s season finale of Grey’s Anatomy. Having already visited the UK to support Jason Mraz on tour, Ingrid Michaelson has just released her fourth album Everybody as her UK debut. zap! bang! grabbed a few moments with Michaelson to talk about being the latest indie star.
Hayley Sanderson
Hayley Sanderson
Fans of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing may not know the name Hayley Sanderson, but they will be sure to recognise her silky smooth vocals. Peterborough-born Sanderson’s profile was raised after her haunting rendition of “Moon River” during the 2008 series. Sanderson, who has been a regular vocalist at Ronnie Scott’s and can be heard both as a singer and saxophonist in Pink Floyd tribute band Think Floyd, has finally been offered the chance to record her own record. Her vintage reworkings of timeless classics can be heard on debut album Just Songs. With 2009’s Strictly Come Dancing drawing to a close and an album to talk about, zap! bang! grabbed a few moments with Sanderson to see who she is backing.
East 17
Tony Mortimer
Formed in 1992, Walthamstow boys Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy and Terry Coldwell reached worldwide fame as East 17. Launched at a time when the boyband was prevalent, East 17 were the grittier alternative to nice boys Take That. All went well for five years as the quarter achieved hit after hit — from “Deep” their Gabrielle duet “If You Ever” via Christmas Number One “Stay Another Day”, however things turned sour when in 1997 singer Brian Harvey claimed Ecstasy “can make you a better person”. Harvey saw himself sacked and soon after songwriter Tony Mortimer parted with Hendy and Coldwell due to creative differences. All of a year later, Hendy and Coldwell invited Harvey back into the fold and they relaunched themselves as the trio E-17 with somewhat limited success. Mortimer, till now, has refused to rejoin his former band mates. However, having been asked by Born Free to join Bryan Adams, Peter Andre, Mutya Buena and Gabriella Cilmi in the line-up for their Wild & Live concert on November 14th, Mortimer decided that instead of launching his new solo material he would treat fans to much awaited reunion. zap! bang! jumped at the chance to find out more from Tony Mortimer.
UB40
James Brown
“I suppose in the beginning we kind of expected to be successful otherwise we wouldn’t have done it. No, I don’t think we’d have thought that in thirty years time we’d being doing this, so I don’t think we even imagined it really. So the length of our careers is a little bit of a surprise.” UB40 are one of the most successful British bands ever. Formed in 1978 by a non-musical group of Birmingham school friends, their first instrument was bought with compensation money former lead singer Ali Campbell received shortly after his 17th birthday. Spotted by Chrissie Hynde, the group were offered a supporting slot on The Pretenders tour. 70 million album sales later, UB40 are still going strong with two albums set for release and an impending UK tour, zap! bang! managed to grab a quick chat with drummer James Brown.
Sannie Carlson (a.k.a Whigfield)
Sannie Carlson
Sannie Carlson may not be a name you all recognise. Sannie had studied music before becoming a successful model. A chance meeting with producer Larry Pignagnoli transformed the 23-year-old Dane’s life forever. He decided to rename the pretty blonde Whigfield and launched her with the song “Saturday Night” in 1993. The song became a phenomenon, with Whigfield become the first non-UK or US act to debut at number one in the UK Top 40. Far from a one-hit-wonder, Whigfield has notched up an impressive five albums with Sannie balancing her work as a performer with songwriting. zap! bang! jumped at the chance to speak to the 90s icon about then and now.
Daniel Hart
Love Revue
Singer/Songwriter Daniel Hart saw his group Love Revue’s popularity jump when they won the Samsung £400 ‘Share’ Campaign with “Soothe My Soul”. The London-based performers suddenly saw themselves launched into the realms of national radio. Undeterred, they set about recording and releasing their debut album Love Revue — a 70s inspired radio friendly collection — and have teamed up with Swedish songstress Therese and the BBC introduced The Fuel for their UK tour. zap! bang! grabbed a few moments with Daniel Hart to find out more…
You are credited as an actor, singer, songwriter and poet – would the term artist better suit?
I’m an artist at home and a performer on the road!When did you first experiment with artistry?
When didn’t I?!Do you have a preferred medium for self expression?
Conversation.What impact does your Kabbalist faith have on your writing?
It was when I started studying that my songs had a beginning a middle and a continuation. In my study that I began to see where I’d been, how to be where I am and where I would like to go. When you begin to open your heart to possibility and embrace other people, feel their process, new ideas come flooding in.Why choose the name Love Revue?
It kind of came to me in a similar way that the name ‘The Beatles’ came to John Lennon in a dream. I wasn’t asleep, but it just popped in to my mind and then in to my mouth and it was kind of a joke at the time, but now I know why it was chosen. Love Revue is a double edged experience — the songs/messages are the ‘Love’ and the performance is the ‘Revue’. We have both integrity and energy!When you begin to open your heart to possibility and embrace other people, feel their process, new ideas come flooding in.
You are on tour with Therese, who also appears on your album. Can we expect future collaborations?
We love writing together as we have a connection and our songs are really an extension of our lives.Do you enjoy the collaborative process?
It’s my favourite part of the work. Elevating the sparks of this chaotic world in to an uplifting energetic message.Also joining the line up are The Fuel, can we expect to see cross band performances at the live shows?
On tour yes and at The Roundhouse we’ll be singing our mad love song “Superhero” with Therese!If you could collaborate with any current artist, who would that be and why?
Now that Michael is writing songs with the angels and teaching them to moon, Neptune and Jupiter walk, I would like to collaborate with Amy Winehouse, because the writing process isn’t just about what you can get out of it, it’s also about what you can give.Your hero is Michael Jackson, do you hope to emulate his success?
Absolutely. He had it all — movement, sound, attitude, message, effect.Having won the Samsung £400 ‘Share’ Campaign with “Soothe My Soul”, has there been a large impact on the popularity of Love Revue?
Yes, it’s a good way in, isn’t it? We live in a world where people are rushing around and they need these little hooks to hang their attention on, so when you say you’ve won this or that, they start listening to the music more and in time they get to know what you have to offer. So it can be the basic quick fix beginning to a deeper more long term relationship.What can we expect from the coming year?
Nothing less than superstardom.Love Revue will be playing London’s Roundhouse on November 14th. More dates can be found on their Official Site
Odette
Odette
Roman Odette is no stranger music. The Italian singer/songwriter started playing piano aged five, was a soprano soloist at nine, went to jazz school at 15, joined a rock band at 16 then a girlband at 19. The girlband, Jungle Gardenia, got signed but never released a record. Her first solo attempts also failed to see the light of day - big names were interested but never delivered on promises. Disillusioned, Odette did a Masters in New York and become an MTV Executive. But the business side of the music business didn’t light her flame. Motherhood bought her time out and Odette got back into writing and recording. zap! bang! took to chance to find if the independent Odette can make it third time lucky…
Charlie Winston
Charlie Winston
“I don’t drink it all the time, just a couple a day. It lasts in your body quite a long time.” Charlie Winston arrives at the interview dressed in his eccentric English Gentleman garb, complete with the ever-present Trilby with what appears to be a double shot espresso. Before the interview starts, Charlie assures me that coffee isn’t his way through touring. “Caffeine withdraws on your adrenaline system. Sleep and water, well oxygen, what they do is recharge the system, so if you don’t have enough sleep or enough oxygen in your body then your body can’t produce adrenaline that the coffee instigates. so that’s why sometimes when you drink coffee when you are tired it just makes you more tired.”
With the coffee talk (and the coffee) drawn to a close, Charlie relaxes in his seat and takes a breather from his busy touring schedule. Charlie is not the new overnight sensation, he has been touring for several years - be that as a solo artist or simply playing bass for his already popular brother Tom Baxter (both Tom and Charlie use their middle names as stage surnames — their real surname is Gleave).
Little Comets
Robert Coles
Newcastle quartet Little Comets started making waves as the trio Freerunner. Formed of brothers Mickey and Robert, alongside their equally musical mates Matt and Mark, Little Comets are about to land all over the UK. Not only can the dynamic troupe be found supporting both Hockey and The Noisettes on tour, but also the lads are prone to impromptu one-off performances anywhere and everywhere. zap! bang! took a moment to speak to lead singer and guitarist Robert Coles about “Adultery” and guerrilla gigging.
Blake
Stephen Bowman
The internet has proved itself time and again to be the new place to be seen and heard. From Esmee Denters to the Arctic Monkeys, it seems that everyone is doing it. Classic boyband Blake are no exception; having been formed through Facebook, the quartet became an overnight sensation back in 2007 with debut album Blake storming to the top of the classical charts. Three years later, Blake have parted ways with Universal and changed line-up via Twitter. zap! bang! spoke to bass-baritone Stephen Bowman about their first independent release Together.
Sondre Lerche
Sondre Lerche
Sondre Lerche may not be a known name in the UK, but the 27-year-old Norwegian singer/songwriter has more than proved his worth on a global scale: 2002’s Faces Down even made the Rolling Stones Top 50 Albums of 2002 list! Now that the chirpy chappy has conquered the States, he is wanting to try his luck on this side of the pond. Bringing with him his guitar, Lerche is ready to unleash Heartbeat Radio (album number six) on the British public. zap! bang! grabbed a few minutes to find out what took him so long.
Jon & Roy
Jon Middleton
The world of the television advert and the chart hit have often collided in the past. With the likes of The Noisettes, The Bellamy Brothers, Chairlift and even Babylon Zoo having already reaped their reward (i.e. the top 10 hits), Canadian trio ‘Jon and Roy’ jumped at the chance when VW asked to feature their sleeper hit “Another Noon’ in their new advert. Having released debut album Sittin’ Back(as a duo)in 2005, the boys took a break for solo outings before joining forced with additional member Ryan Tonnelli for new album Another Noon. zap! bang! grabbed a moment with vocalist/guitarist Jon Middleton to find out about Canada’s newest exports.
The Boxer Rebellion
Nathan Nicholson
Late July saw HMV make a groundbreaking step forward in the world of the music retailer. Having paid interest in the multi-national The Boxer Rebellion, they retailer stepped forward to help with promotional and production costs of the groups much-awaited second album Union. Having been signed way back in 2003, after a sensational reception at Glastonbury, The Boxer Rebellion have had a rocky ride in the business that is show. However, the band’s sheer determination has seen them through and Union is the fruit of four years hard work. HMV clearly think the product was well worth the wait, but now it is time to see if the public agree. zap! bang! took a moment to talk to lead singer, guitarist and keyboard played Nathan Nicholson about the long and winding road that has lead to such a monumental collaboration.
Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap
The sun is shining gloriously, perhaps summer has finally arrived. It’s making me smile as I make the call to the “Queen of Do-it-yourself” Imogen Heap. First attempt, the line is busy, so I try again. Thankfully this time I get through. She is bright and friendly, much lovelier than I had expected. After no messing around, we do only have 20 minutes to conduct the whole interview; we shimmy past the formalities and strike up a conversation about life, success and dreams. “I think the secret is that it attracts people who want to do music for a living. I don’t think there was anywhere else in England at the time that did that sort of thing. I went in it’s second year and it was still very much trying to find its feet. Its partly funded by the music industry, the BMI and so there is this sort of knowledge that it is where people go if they want to do well. They are well connected.” Heap is one of the Brit School’s earlier success stories. Having gone at a time when there were few alternatives, she thrived on being able to live out her musical ambitions. It doesn’t take much thinking time before she reveals a liking for “Amy Winehouse. She really feels the music. I hope God willing she will be able to keep going for a long time. The Brit school gets its fair share of celebrity wannabes, but you can tell that she really feels the music.”
Speech Debelle
Speech Debelle
26 year old South London rapper Speech Debelle may not have had the easiest of upbringings, but she has not let that hold her back. Instead of bottling up her issues, Speech decided instead to hook up with some musicians and write some frankly honest tunes. Debut album Speech Therapy may be one of the surprise nominations at this year’s Mercurys but upon listening to the softly spoken heartfelt revelations, it is immediately evident how she warranted selection. Speech may not be a name everyone knows at the moment, but current evidence suggests she deserves to be. zap! bang! decided to take a few minutes to find out more about the girl whose name everyone will soon be dropping.
Twin Atlantic
Ross McNae
Cross-breeding is fairly common place at the start of a band’s life. Therefore it is not a surprise then to hear that the latest Glaswegian indie kids Twin Atlantic have all been heard in different bands before. Formed in 2007, lead vocalist/guitarist Sam McTrusty (Arca Felix), bassist/pianist Ross McNae (LongStoryShort), guitarist/cellist Barry McKenna (Think:Fire) and drummer Craig Kneale (In Ernest), the foursome appear to have made a wise decision in ditching their formative bands. Twin Atlantic appear all set to follow in fellow Glaswegian rockers footsteps by hitting the bigtime. Having already supported the likes of The Subways, Biffy Clyro, You Me At Six, Funeral for a Friend and Lostprophets it seems that 2009 will see them finally having their moment in the spotlight. John Travis (Sugar Ray, Kid Rosck, Static X) produced debut mini-album Vivarium is all set for a September release, with the eye-wellingly beautiful “Lightspeed” and stomping lead single “You’re Turning Into John Wayne” already winning over many a heart. zap! bang! took a moment to find out more from Ross McNae.
Yarden Tsur
Yarden Tsur
“I’m a big big girl, in a big big world”, those were the lyrics to Emilia’s lullaby that took the world by storm a decade ago. Now, a young Israeli girl named Yarden hopes to do the same. Her songs however carry a message; it is not that she believes her songs alone will change the world, but maybe they will do a little to help.
Ivryrise
Ben Falinski
Having only formed in 2007, Ivyrise have already garnered plenty of attention for their breed of stadium pop/rock. 2008 was by anyones standards a phenomenal success. Not only did debut single “Tips” launch them into the public sphere, it also sparked interest from the “white boy with a feather in his hair” and former Run-DMC remixer Jason Nevins. Nevins ended up remixing their second single “Disguise”, helping it reach number two in the independent charts. If praise from the likes of Kevin Spacey was not enough, Ivryrise topped it all off by winning themselves a support slot on the Bon Jovi “Lost Highway” tour. Having entered a competition in the London Paper, they proved to be run away winners. However, post the highs came the lows. Lead singer Ben Falinski kindly took a moment to tell zap! bang! all about what it was that drove him to write about his sense of loss on fortchoming single “1000 Feet”.
TV/TV
Eric Mendelsohn
When I spoke to him Eric Mendelsohn had only just woken up. It had been a busy time for the TV/TV guitarist. Currently one of the acts on the world famous Warped Tour, Mendelsohn and his band mates are on the brink of the big-time, having become mainstay soundtrack artists for MTV shows including “The Real World” and “The Hills”. TV/TV formed all of three years ago in a small apartment in Manhattan’s East Village. Good mates Josh Ocean (vocals/guitar) and Matt Walczak (bass) used to jam together and eventually decided to get together with some other friends to form the band. They named themselves in tribute to the Berkeley Film group who saw art as a medium to rebel and worked with producers Zach Odom and Kenneth Mount on their 2007 debut EP Something To Get Excited About. The EP set tongues wagging, but Ocean and Walczak felt that the line-up wasn’t working, so they rounded up their mate Camillie Oliver (drums) who knew Mendelsohn from the New Jersey music scene. Since the new line-up came around they have worked with pop producer Bleu McAuley (Boys Like Girls, Jonas Brothers) on the more mature follow-up Not Enough Red.
Christina Courtin
Christina Courtin
“I learned a lot about what I didn’t want to do musically and I eventually learned that teachers are just the same as me, just older.” Attending the prestigious New York music college Juilliard was an eye opening experience for the extremely talented musician Christina Courtin. “They’re not exactly any more ‘right’ about anything musically than myself.” Her teachers saw her potential, but did not necessarily know how to nurture her talent. Having sung and played violin from a young age, Courtin was torn as to what she really wanted. “I did go to college for violin, but I was still singing in my dorm room at night.” Though she loved playing the violin, singing provided a magical feeling that she was hooked on. “It’s true that I did quit singing upon entering Juilliard, but I soon found myself totally depressed and distant because of it. Once I started singing in public again, things immediately became so much clearer and better for me. I guess I realised that without singing and/or making creative music, my life isn’t really worth diddly-squat.” Thankfully for us and for herself, Courtin did land on her feet after nearly tumbling at an unsettling situation.
Alexa Woodward
Alexa Woodward
Alexa Woodward had only just started to make headway in her law career when she decided that maybe there was something else she wanted to do. Having always loved the banjo, something inside her was saying to follow the dream. This summer sees the release of the 27 year olds’ album Speck, which is already drawing comparisons with Joanna Newsome and Jean Ritchie. The daughter of a documentary maker has already won over critics, most notably as a semi-finalist in New York’s largest songwriting competition — Jezebel Music’s Williamsburg Live Songwriter Competition. zap! bang! jumped at the chance of asking Woodward all about the importance of following your dreams.
Jodie Harsh
Jodie Harsh
Jay Clarke, better known as alter ego Jodie Harsh has been the talk of the UK club scene for the last few years. The St. Martin’s College graduate is taking her club night Circus to the world famous o2 for a one night Pride special on 4th July 2009. Pride, the annual gay and lesbian festival was made truly possible by the drag queens of Stonewall, so it seems only right that 2009’s biggest Pride party is organized by Britain’s biggest drag queen. The night features sets from Siouxsie, man of the moment and current Kylie collaborator Frankmusik and The Feeling’s Dan Gillespie all topped off by a legendary set by Harsh herself. Given Harsh’s flair for fashion and statements, the night promises to be full of colour so we took a moment to have a word with the lady herself to find out a little bit more.
The Do
Olivia and Dan
“Dogmatic dotty double doolally doppelganger!” is definitely one of the quirkiest album descriptions I have ever heard, but upon listening to The Do’s A Mouthful it all makes sense. The French-Finnish duo formed of singer Olivia Merilahti and musician Dan Levy has to be one of the most exciting musical propositions of 2009. They don’t fit into the trend of female solo singers, nor do they base themselves around an acoustic guitar. The Do are an exhilarating of free form jazz and melodic vocals.
Dan Mangan
Dan Mangan
“I don’t know what you’ve been told, but I don’t get out much these days” informs Dan Mangan on “Robots”, but that is all about to change. This summer sees the release of the Canadian’s Nice, Nice, Very Nice a follow up to his EP Roboteering. Though he promises that the next album won’t be so long in production, it has already been nearly three and a half years since his debut Postcards and Daydreaming hit record shops and became one of those records that you told all your friends about.
Guy Fantastico
Guy Fantastico
“I’m a bit of a mutt” declares Guy Fantastico, a statement which may be true of his origins but not of his music. “I was born in Florida. Spanish was my first language… both of my parents grew up speaking Spanish. My mother was born in Cuba and my father was born in what I believe is now the Ukraine, but he fled as a child with his family and hopped around Latin America. I’ve been living in Los Angeles for the past few years, but lately I’m finding myself in New York more often” he explains.
Richard Walters
Richard Walters
Richard Walters, who has already been noted by The Guardian as the ‘new band of the day’ is about to bring balladeering back into fashion.
Love Grenades
Elizabeth Wright
“My mother was a trumpet player and my dad a multi-instrumentalist both have a lot to do with why I make music. However, I was raised by my grandmother who was a classical concert pianist who really made me want to pursue music as more than just a hobby. She told me once I got out of high school, ‘You have two options: either make babies or make music.’ She had chosen to have nine kids and that doesn’t seem like fun… so I chose the latter.” Just by looking at her background it is easy to see why Elizabeth Wright of Love Grenades is now making waves on the LA music scene.
Alessi's Ark
Alessi Laurent-Marke
It has to be said, 2009 appears to be the year of the British female vocalist. Amy Winehouse kicked off the trend a couple of years back, swiftly followed by the equally noteworthy Adele. However, 2009 has seen the dawn of Little Boots, Florence and the Machine and Polly Scattergood (to name but a few). Now it is most definitely time to add another name to your lists, Alessi’s Ark.
The Frontier Brothers
Marshall Galactic
The Frontier Brothers have landed. Nobody can deny this fact, but from where it is exactly they originate is still a mystery. Their debut album Space Punk Starlet is proof that there is far more to them than any other American Indie Rock band out there at the moment. In fact, upon hearing the 14 gems on what is an album with no fillers, it is hard to confine them to the indie box. Could this trio really be from a different planet? I spoke to Marshall Galactic to find out a little bit more about what we can expect from this latest space invasion.
Sparrow And The Workshop
Jill O'Sullivan
Let me introduce you to the splendiferous Sparrow and The Workshop. The Scottish/Welsh/American trio (currently based in Glasgow) fuse together alt folk with country rock. The line-up consists of Jill O’Sullivan (guitar/vocals), Gregor Donaldson (drums/vocals) and Nick Acker (bass). “Devil Song” is a haunting blend of Jill and Gregor’s vocals, backed initially by a simple guitar strum. As the song brews, the darker elements grow and climax. An interesting blend of male/female vocals defines their sound and “Devil Song” shows a story telling form.
Dan Smith
Dan Smith
Dan Smith is set be a talent to watch in 2009 as the 22-year-old releases his debut double A-side single in February with an album to follow later in the year. Armed with a loop pedal with which to layer a backing of hand claps, percussion and piano to a pop voice which sways into an operatic powerhouse, I caught up with Dan to find out more about his arrival on the music scene.
Bedouin Soundclash
Jay Malinowski, Pat Pengelly, Eon Sinclair
From University band to global stars, the Canadian trio that is Bedouin Soundclash has been lucky enough to see their brand of rock-tinged reggae filter out to fans worldwide. Mike Barnard caught up with lead singer Jay, drummer Pat and bassist Eon just before their appearance at Brixton Academy to talk touring, Myspace and the late, great Desmond Dekker.
Abominable Iron Sloth
Matt, Andre
To cut a long story short, a pre-historic sloth is frozen in the ice age, and later dug up by an ancient tribe. They idolise the sloth, and build it the best suit of armour in the world, in the hope it will one day day wake up. It does; cue the death of large numbers of villagers.
Liars Interview
Julian
On a Siberian evening, when Russia was blowing her cold, post-communist freeze onto the Deutsch in Berlin, I got the chance to have some discourse with Julian of The Liars. Sipping on a beer in the American owned, aptly named ‘White Trash’ bar in Prenzlauberg, we managed to reveal alot of the intricacies within the new record: Drum and Mt. Heart Attack.
Enablers
Pete Simonelli / Kevin Thompson
Neurot’s Enablers purvey a sonic relationship between alternatingly melodic/abrasive instrumental moodscapes and poetic verbal noticings and emotions, which has offered a couple of gorgeous and moving albums thus far, including Output Negative Space from earlier this year. With news of the group returning to the UK within a couple of months, Zap! BANG! recalled our conversations with the band just after they had returned to the US after the tour supporting said record. The band are not just awesome songsmiths but real nice people. And good conversationists. Check:
JayetAl
James and Al
Winchester duo JayetAl have been driving dance fans on the South Coast of England into a frenzy with their searing melodies combined with ferocious percussion. Drummer James and guitarist Al, equiped with a computer with which to create their unique soundscapes, also make the use of keyboard and drum machines to powerful effect. Currently putting the finishing touches to their debut album, it could be the spark to ignite big prospects for the pair. Zap! BANG!’s Mike Barnard found out more.
James Plotkin (Khanate, Phantomsmasher, KHLYST, Archive, OLD...)
James Plotkin
Through his work solo work, collaborations with artists like KK Null as well as playing his part in such groups as OLD, Khanate and Phantomsmasher, James Plotkin has carved out an awesome career in the murkiest and most intense of musical corners. After being consistently blown away by his various sonic children I, Zap! BANG!’s Philip Hoile, thought it very necessary to find out more about the man and how these different projects come together.
The Fucking Champs
Tim Green
The Fucking Champs fit beautifully into an analogy involving some sort of ore or something — some natural, primitive mixture of rock and metal, and theirs is an awesome and relentlessly classic style. Back in December they came to England and played All Tomorrow’s Parties, and so there I made it my business to meet the band, who kindly agreed to answer some questions for me sometime. So a couple of months later I got hold of them and they did. And here’s what they said.
Birdpen
Dave Pen
Birdpen are a rocktronica act who have recently expanded to a full band to give their live shows a bigger and fatter sound. Birdpen combine melancholic singing with spine-tingling acoustic guitar ambience, electronic orchestration and kicking percussive rapture to nourish and comfort the heart. With two eps under their belt, they have been receiving a lot of praise from critics, with many comparing them to The Beta Band. They have six dates in the south east of England coming up over the next few months so I caught up with Dave Pen to discover more.
Johnny Truant
Stuart, Al, James, Paul
Brighton’s metal beast Johnny Truant have been extensively touring ever since delivering their powerful second album In The Library of Horrific Events. Back at the end of last year they played Southmapton Joiners and whilst singer Olly entertained the hordes of adoring female fans upstairs in the venue, the rest of the band joined me for a chat and introduced me to their horny new guitarist.
Beyond All Reason
Venno, Nick and Russ
After releasing their debut album Words Of Betrayal on Ad Altiora, York’s finest melodic metal band Beyond All Reason headed off around the UK with Johnny Truant and Blood Roses. When the tour hit Southampton’s Joiners, we rounded up Venno [vocals, guitars], Russ [guitars, vocals] and Nick [bass, vocals] into one of the dingiest corners of the dirty backstage basement to have a few words. And now after rumours of conversation about such taboos as emo, Def Leppard and the York folk scene, and with the cassette tape of the interview having been found after being lost and presumed dead, we can finally find out what was said…
Battles
Ian Williams, Dave Konopka, John Stainer
Battles are an organic-sounding instrumental band featuring Don Caballero and Storm and Stress guitarist Ian Williams, electronic experimentalist Tyondai Braxton, Lynx guitarist Dave Konopka and Helmet and Tomohawk drummer John Stainer. After having signed to Warp Records, the band furthered their UK infiltration by making their way to Camber Sands upon the invitation of The Mars Volta for ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in December.
ASVA
B.R.A.D.
This year saw the doom world reaching new lows with the almighty incantations of a strenghthened ASVA, originally formed in the droning wake of Burning Witch by B.R.A.D. and G. Stuart Dahlquist and now with the pair having forged allegiance with Jessika Kenney, Troy Swanson, John Schuller and Trey Spruance.
Melvins
Buzz Osbourne
We caught up with Buzz Osbourne (Guitar, Vocals) for an insight into the intricacies of a marriage The Melvins have made with music for over twenty years.
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