Foy Vance brings the Joy of Nothing to KOKO

You hear a lot of talk about “how nice!” and “how humble!” certain musicians are when people talk about them, so it feels a bit futile to say all these things with fear of putting across what sounds like empty words. But what I will say that within ten minutes of walking through the maze of stairs to the dressing room at infamous London venue KOKO, Foy Vance has already poured me a gin and tonic, and as we sit in the back room with the window open he apologises for smoking about ten times (I’m trying to quit for a bit, after picking up a horrendous chest infection, and I assure him it isn’t his fault when I erupt into ugly fits of coughs every couple of minutes).

Foy Vance is a singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland, and in this past year he’s released much acclaimed album, “Joy of Nothing”, toured with Ed Sheeran, and collaborated with Bonnie Raitt. Tonight, he’s in London for a sold-out gig, in the middle of the UK leg of his tour.

I want to start off talking about the album, and Foy explains that he started writing a lot of the songs that are now on the record when he was living in London, but the inspiration really began the moment that his train pulled away from Euston, when he moved away.  “It was when I moved to the Highlands - you know what? I booked the house, unseen, because I was told where it was and who owned it and all that and I thought, that's going to be alright, so I put the deposit down and thought, I'd better go up and see it. So I got on the train at Euston station. And that journey, that change in scenery... I felt that this weight of city life was starting to settle the further north I got. By the time I got into the Highlands I was in love already, and I'd written the first lyrics of a song called "Closed Hand Full of Friends" and that was the catalyst to the record. The journey to the new record started before even getting there, but it was only when I got up there that it all came together all of a sudden.”

His move to the Highlands was an escape, after finding no comfort in the city where so many artists go to find inspiration. The title of his album, “Joy of Nothing”, refers to the silence and peace he became at one with, when re-settling in the Birks of Aberfeldy. “There is a nothingness up there - a beautiful nothingness, a simplicity I think. And I think I was feeling pretty complicated - to quote Annie Lennox - in London. It was like, I was touring all the time, trying to facilitate the London life, because living here's so expensive. I found that I actually wasn't enjoying London. The reason to be in London is when you can appreciate all that it is. It's one of the most amazing cities in the world, but all I was getting was the stress and the traffic and the to and from the airport and crowded trains, and paying for a house you couldn't swing a cat in. I just had enough.”

He says that we don’t spend enough time in silence, by ourselves, and points out to me how noise is something that it’s so hard to escape. “We're sitting here now and we're engaged in conversation. But I can hear the buses go by,” he says, gesturing out of the open window, traffic jams through Mornington Crescent, going down to Chalk Farm Road, there’s the occasional ambulance, or car alarm, in the distance and always a faint hum of machinery. “I can hear people talking in there,” he indicates to the lounge, next door, “but there's something about being in Aberfeldy, or anywhere where it's quiet, being in silence just focuses you. It does me, anyway.”

But Foy’s roots are not in Scotland – he grew up in Ireland, the son of a travelling preacher. “It was by the sea, by the water, which is a different kind of thing all together, even if you've got the city and all the signs of mankind behind you, you still look out to the sea, out to nowhere, and where does it go? I wonder, if I just went that way, where I'd end up. So I loved that growing up. Especially on Bangor Bay, because the boats would go out there and I'd see them going by and think, where are they going?”

I ask if he sees stories like this in everything. “It was beautiful. I remember just thinking having that sense of travel with me, if being born by the water had helped that, I've always had an affinity with the natural elements more than anything else.”

Leaving London, he says, has helped him not only to find inspiration but be creative in an environment far from the heart of the music industry. Yeah. You know what, not to put too fine a point on it, but it honestly felt like I'd moved from the humdrum of the industry to the haunts of the ancient bards, because that's what it's like up there, you know what I mean, people go there to write, and where I live's quite an artisan area, a few galleries, and a guy that's trying to reinvent tweed... or not reinvent, but he's a designer basically, with a little tweed shop. There's furniture makers, there's guitar builders, an old nineteen fifties art deco cinema, it's a lovely wee spot, and you feel that when you go there and it just makes you want to create.”

Foy also collaborated with Ed Sheeran on album track “Guiding Light”, and toured all over the States as Ed’s support act – arenas full of screaming girls being a very different experience to his normal shows. “It’s not what I'm used to at all. I mean, until that the biggest names that I'd toured with were people like Pete Townsend or Bonnie Raitt. Actually, The Who is a bad example because people go mental at their concerts, but Bonnie Raitt - you go to her concert and people sit down and they're there for the music and nothing else. The celebrity element doesn't come into it, it's about music, it's all about music. That's what I've kind of always strived for - a music loving audience. Because there's something... again, silence, at a gig, sometimes I get finicky about it when people talk or shout out during songs and I don't mean to be a prick, I don't mean to be a pretentious little twat but it's just cause I think music works better in silence, because then you can play with dynamics and go places that you just can't go if you're working with a constant din. At Ed's gigs, they were great fun, and I had a ball, and it was great to get to know Ed better. He's just a solid heart, a really good guy. But the gigs were just a different thing, I played to the people more than I played music, really, and had fun.”

However, he doesn’t want his audiences completely silent necessarily – people singing along is something that he finds very unifying and special. “I get people to sing a lot - well not a lot, but for a bit, and I like that, I like that when a room feels unified, but I also like it during quieter songs or whatever when you can disappear into your own little world and you know, almost forget that they're there, finish the song and open your eyes, hopefully they've enjoyed it as much as you have. But in saying that, very often when I play in Dublin - it always happens in Dublin - they just sing. Everything. And it just changes the gig, it's lovely. It's lovely because it makes it kind of... it makes it as if you're all in a band together. So I guess you've just got to take gigs how you find.” Silence, however, is important, both in his performance and his day to day experiences. “I like to be on my own as much as I can, because I think it’s good for you. We don’t spend enough time by ourselves.”

The show that night in sold-out KOKO is a beautiful collaboration of joyful unity, loyal fans singing along with lyrics like it’s a gospel church, and moments of complete silence, nothing but the music filling the room. Highlights include a special guest appearance from Foy’s ten year old daughter, Ella, who plays percussion excellently during the jovial and majestic “Closed Hand Full of Friends”, an angry and heartfelt rendition of “Janey”, which Foy dedicates to his friend Janey, who is in the crowd tonight. He pays amendment to Lou Reed, covering “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” and asking the crowd to “doo-doo-doo” as he declares, aloud, “Dear God - If Lou Reed isn’t in Heaven, I don’t think any of us want to go there.”

He ends with “Guiding Light”, once again, asking the crowd to sing along with the refrain, and they do – a continuous repetition of a thousand voices chanting “­When I need to get home, you’re my guiding light, you’re my guiding light.” And the most magical thing is that they carry on, long after he’s left the stage – in their seats, in the foyer, and out in the street.

Treetop Flyers play Manchester's Night/Day Cafe

TREETOP FLYERS - Night/Day Cafe, Manchester - 15th November 2013

 Country/folk/rock band Treetop Flyers have been playing together in various formats for a couple of years, and won the Glastonbury Festival Award for Emerging Talent in 2011, releasing their debut album “The Mountain Moves” earlier this year. 

I meet lead-singer Reid, guitarist Sam and drummer Tomer drinking beer on the saggy sofas of Manchester’s Night/Day Café’s dressing room, where tonight they’re playing one of the last shows of their headliner UK tour, having wrapped up Bristol and London gigs earlier this week.

After having to part with their old bass-player over the last month, they say that their performances feel different, yet in ways better than ever before. “I think we’re a lot more relaxed now,” says Reid, “We had a gig in London the other day and someone said “That was the best you’ve ever sounded”, and we feel like a different unit and a lot better.”

Sam describes a growth in audiences, and a warmer reception compared to previous tours. “We’ve seen at this tour a slight lift; we’ve had more people at our gigs. When you do sound check and it’s an empty room, it’s like oh God, what’s going to happen. We’ve done enough empty rooms in our time. It was a scramble to get everybody ready for this tour, but the music feels brilliant, and so we are actually really grateful just to play, it’s all just been a tremendous experience.”

They tell me how they met: an amalgamation of various London bands. “Mine and Tomer’s band fell apart, so as we’d known Sam for years we started to get everyone in a room with [bassist] Laurie as well, purely just to have a laugh,” Reid explains, “and I think deep down we knew that it would work.”

Sam interrupts, “Reid always had an idea that him and myself would play together. I didn’t really realise that, I thought we’d just get drunk together,” he jokes. “But when we got into rehearsals and messed around, we quite quickly realised that we could all bring something to the table and the music could be born. It was like a reinvention for all of us, coming together.”

Over the last few years, a lot of writing together, a lot of intense touring, has led to an intensity comparable to an actual relationship. The writing process for their first album, “The Mountain Moves”, has consisted of a lot of fighting, and a lot of painful honestly.

“It’s like when you have a girlfriend and you have an argument, and you have to take a few days to make it up to her,” Reid tells me. “It’s like having four girlfriends.”

I ask about something I’m always intrigued with regarding bands – as much as it’s a relationship, do they see their project as a business too? And does this business have ethics?

Tomer says that this is something they consider more and more now. “Sometimes you don’t really have a choice, you know, which is unfortunate. I think you have to compromise in order to get anywhere in life in general, but there are definitely things we wouldn’t do.”

“The argument sinks with doing adverts and stuff like that," says Sam, "That is quite a different landscape than it was when you dream of being in a band. Five or ten years ago it wasn’t very cool to do an advert. But if you’re on the inside and you look at how business works, there’s very limited options to make money but also have that kind of exposure. A good example is The Lumineers. Do the ad, take the money off the devil, and then all of a sudden you’ll be playing two thousand capacity gigs around the world – you’ve got to do what you can to get past a certain level. “

Tomer explains that an old band of his, in the States, went through that same ethical dilemma. “Our singer wanted to turn down a chance to be on an ad campaign for Coors Light,” he says. “They were going to put a free download on a billion bottle caps. A billion. And some of the bands that were involved were big bands, and they asked us to be involved with it. He didn’t want to do it – he said, ethically speaking, that he didn’t want to be involved with Coors because they had something to do with the Nazis in World War Two. I think it depends on your personal ethics.”

I ask what these ethics are – to them, personally, and where they would draw the line. “I wouldn’t want to endorse politicians,” says Tomer. “I feel like it’s a bad place to get involved – I see when bands get upset when politicians use their music in their campaign, Reagan did it in the 80s with [Springsteen’s] “Born in the USA”. That song is actually a massive criticism of power in the United States and politics. I know that Springsteen wasn’t very happy about it.”

“We could re-write “Things Will Change”, and it could be “Things Won’t Change,” says Sam.

They throw about names of musicians they think have successfully walked the line between channelling a political message without it becoming cheap – Woodie Guthrie, and the Beatles’ “Blackbird”. “It’s clearly a civil rights song, but you can listen to it and it just sounds like a song about a caged bird,” says Tomer. “Many great songs reflect on the troubles that people come into in life, I think that’s the best way you can delve into people. Music is about reflecting on life.”

And it always come back to heartbreak, Reid says, that is the most powerful force behind their music, and, decidedly, the majority of pop songs. “It’s really intense. You can’t lie about it. When you feel it, the world just disappears around you. It can hit you really hard. It’s the purest emotion you can ever feel.”

“All of us combined have lost so much in the last couple of years,” adds Sam. “I think the band is a big part of the longevity. We’ve lost girlfriends and family members and lots of things but we’re all still here, looking at the same ugly people.”

The loss of Reid’s father played a large part in the creation of “The Mountain Moves” – his ashes were actually used as an instrument on one track. “I remember telling the producer and he was like, that’s so fucking cool, good idea, he said to me, you’ve got to do that. We never forgot it, we put it really high in the mix.”

It's an emotional experience watching them play that night, with all these things still fresh on the mind: their live set is so tight that it's hard to believe they've recently replaced their bass player. With the Mumford hiatus going on, I'm sure it won't be long until critics are putting hype around risingly successful folk bands like this, but I'm keen to forget that and see them for what they are - clearly very close friends, smart guys, making music that is full of heart.

You can check out more of Treetop Flyers here 
Photos from Rachael Farrington.

Recommendations: October 2013

October has been an insane month of travelling, hard work, and giving and taking a lot from every single day (I'm also very aware that I have been awful with keeping up with this blog but hey, I always come back).

"Without/Within" - Bear's Den
The third EP from one of the best folk bands to have emerged this year, and in my opinion it's probably their best yet. Each track is beautifully produced, from the boundlessly atmouspheric and colossal opener, "Sahara", to nostalgic heartbreaker "Sophie". I know I chime on about them a lot but they also put on a great live show, go see them if you can.

Hannah Georgas
Canadian artist Hannah Georgas graced the stage at Folkgeek Magazine's first birthday party, has just put out her second album, which is self-titled. Rich and ethereal, her music reminds me a slightly edgier Feist.

"Recover" - Chvrches
Glasgow electronica band Chvrches have I'm not even sure what appeals to me so much about this song but after seeing them play at Manchester's Ritz I listened to it pretty much straight for two days entirely - it's something about the deeply tranquil "ooo's" of backing vocal during the middle eight, with the simple yet haunting conclusive lyric "I know you don't need me" falling into a minor chord.

"August and Everything After" - Counting Crows
This is clearly nothing underground or super-cool but I found this lovely 1993 album in a crate at my local market, and was filled with the nostalgia of listening to this record - folky, rootsy and a little bit unique - in my friend's father's car a few years ago. This is no doubt them at there best. And it's sad and also in some ways very lucky, how all treasure washes up in plastic crates in market halls some day.

"Take up my heartstrings, play me what love brings"

"WILD LOVE" - Gossling

Melbourne singer-songwriter Helen Croome is "Gossling", who hasn't really reached us here in the UK yet but is a increasingly successful back in Australia - her new album is released over there on the first of November, and single "Wild Love" was the eighteenth most played song on Triple J last year.

Croome's prim and very distinctive vocals are the most remarkable thing about her music; she sounds very similar to Julia Stone and maybe even Lauren Mayberry. Until the album's released, I guess it's hard to get a good idea of what Gossling's sound is really like, and it's definitely too early to make sweeping genre generalisations, but I'm really excited to watch her grow.

Recommendations: September 2013

Fortunately, September ended up being a month of way more gigs than I expected including the ever-improving Catfish and the Bottlemen at Manchester's Night/Day Cafe, vibrant, French singer-songwriter Melanie Pain at the Deaf Institute and a beautiful Laura Marling show at the Lowry - solo, and acoustic, she's different to how I've ever seen her before.



Nick Mulvey
There's so many folky singer-song writer types around nowadays, but Nick Mulvey, who supported Laura Marling on her UK tour last month, is truly something to do it. He's an exceptional guitarist, his lyrics are pure poetry and he puts on a great live show. "Cucurucu" my favourite of his, and he's definitely one to watch.

"Tiderays" - Volcano Choir
"Reprave", the second album from Justin Vernon's new project is completely beautiful, it's a lot more accessible and little less ambient and abstract than the first album (personally, I think this the new album is a lot more Bon Iver than the last). "Tiderays", the opening track, swells from the softest opening of dainty guitar riffs to a refrain bouncing with heart pounding percussion and piano. Utterly serene and perfect.

"The Artist Is Present"
A documentary about Marina Abramovic, one of the most famous performance artists in the world - I don't exactly know what I thought of this, and whether it inspired or upset me, but I know that it made me think a lot about human interaction and communication. "The Artist Is Present" is the name of one of Abramovic's most famous projects, during which she took a seat in the Museum of Modern Art in New York every day for several months, inviting visitors to sit across a table from her, for however long they wanted, and look into her eyes.

"Home Again" - Michael Kiwanuka
I finally picked up a physical copy of this 2012 album, and it's been one of my favourites for long train journeys recently, I think Michael Kiwanuka's one of the best R&B artists to emerge in a long time.

"Nothing Compares 2 U" (cover) - Capital Cities
I'm not even sure I really like this but it's a really interesting cover and definitely demands a listen, the use of horns is really interesting. Their track "Hair" is so much fun, as well.

Sinead O'Connor's Letter to Miley Cyrus

This is written very much in a rush and something I really value your opinions on - if you've been anywhere near Twitter today, you'll probably have read Sinead O'Connor's open letter to Miley Cyrus today - which you can see here. Read that first.

It was when she compared her to being "made into a prostitute", that got me.

And if you've been hiding in a box for weeks, the video in question:



"WRECKING BALL" - Miley Cyrus

I've been actively avoiding blogging about Miley Cyrus to be honest, for two basic reasons - the first, is that lots of other people are much better articulating all these important points about slut-shaming and women in the media but I'm pretty fucking sick of being quiet about it at this point.

A friend of mine wrote this piece about Cherie Bebe's Burlesque Revue in Manchester recently, which I saw, and it really got me thinking about burlesque, and displays of sexuality - the thing that the music industry sees as so cheap and desperate as, in fact, an art in itself.

My take on it is pretty much this:

When someone makes bad (normally pop) music, we'll be quick to call them out on it. Rebecca Black's "Friday" is a prime example of it: an international laughing stock. But the object of attack wasn't music, was it? We weren't demonising and criticising the act of making music, it was the fact that it was an awful song.

But with Miley Cyrus' displays of sexuality, it's how dare a woman display her sexuality, and how dare she take her clothes off. I don't know if this is to do with our association that a naked woman is shameful, or an object, and that that's wrong. Because sexuality can totally be art, that's something we can embrace and be okay with - what's problematic isn't the way Miley Cyrus uses it, but the oversimplification and objectification of women in "Blurred Lines". It's almost like "don't hate the sin, hate the sinner". Except... not. Don't hate displays of sexuality. Hate demoralising ones, hate ones that objectify. And try to understand them. And try to think about why they're wrong.

The only problem I really have with what Miley Cyrus is doing is that, I hope it isn't out of fear. Or an effort to be controversial. Or, as Sinead O'Connor very explicitly assumes in her letter that she is vulnerable or nervous about exposing her body. And as long as that isn't valid, and she's comfortable as an artist expressing herself in that way, the problem isn't Miley's but belongs to us - as the media, as an audience.

"Days Are Gone" - Haim

I first saw Este, Danielle and Alana perform at end of last year, opening for Florence and the Machine at Liverpool's O2 Arena - the three stylish, sassy and unconventionally beautiful sisters' set of drum circles and rock and roll had the audience right under their spell. I felt like they were an accidental discovery of mine until January, when they won the BBC's Sound of 2013 award, and it seems the whole world has fallen in love with their Fleetwood Mac-esque vibe, hilarious interviews and irreplicable style.



Haim, in the last couple of months, have become really special to me, because amongst other reasons the way they are personally remind me a lot of my relationship with my best friend and our sense of humour (we've also spent a lot of time dancing to "Forever" in my kitchen).

There are so many things I love about them - their honesty, their sass, the vibrancy of their live set and the fact that they dance so liberally and have so much fun without it being sexualised, maybe a first for a female pop act. I almost want to go as far as saying they're maybe the first successful girl band, in the sense that they don't appear to have been forced to do dance routines or lose weight or lose themselves. My expectations for their album, with the promise from four proceeding singles, were really high.

It opens with the ethereal, ambient,"Falling" followed by joyful, impossible-not-to-dance-to "Forever"."The Wire" is punchy, Haim's most recent hit single, which is just as witty and wise as the video to go with it - "Always keep your heart locked tight, don't let your mind retire".



"If I Could Change Your Mind" has an incredibly cool 90s vibe that reminds me slightly - dare I say it - of some of the more obscure S Club 7 album tracks (I was about six then, and a massive fan).

It's followed by "Don't Save Me"... . Title track "Days Are Gone" isn't restrained by its heavy production, and ventures into a gorgeous R&B style, followed by deeply grungy "My Song 5" - bass-heavy, dirty and loose and evoking layers and layers of texture, moans of "Honey, I'm not your honey-pie", and "Go Slow" showcases Danielle's powerful, airy vocals beautifully.

"Let Me Go", to me, is maybe the best track on the album - their resonant cries of "Let me go, you know I'm not one for leaving" make a catchy live favourite, recognisable to anyone who's seen them play at most of the UK festivals this summer, drum heavy, explosive and dark, with moody guitar solos. It captivates your attention so much that you're hanging on to the vividly visual lyrics of heart-breaker "Running If You Call My Name", which sound more than anything like it could have come right off a Stevie Nicks record.

But I feel obligated not to make too many comparisons. With a great burden of expectancies on their shoulders, Haim's debut could have easily been a disappointment, but I really believe it exceeds the ever-dangerous hype. It carries over everything that is special about them into a 45 minute record as best as it can - that unique sound of sisters singing in harmony, their love of dance and the raw energy of their on-stage performance. "Days Are Gone" is a perfect blend of singles you love already, some tracks that are a continuation of that style, and some complete melodic surprises. I'm definitely blown away by these ladies' highly anticipated debut release, and can't wait to catch them on tour.

Amber

Indie folk-rock quintet Amber met at the University of Nottingham, released their debut EP "Noah" in July this year, and have already been compared to the likes of The National and To Kill A King.



"NOAH" - Amber

"Noah" is their first single and the title track of the EP. For me, it brings in a lot of my favourite things about all of the best folk music to emerge in the last six years (of the dreaded "nu-folk" title). It has the religious references and organic roots of "Peaceful..." era Noah and the Whale, and the rousing choruses and long, joyous "haar's" of a good Mumford footstomper - at the same time, it's a little more heavily produced and there's even moments that remind me of Coldplay.

Looking a little further to find more of their stuff, I came across a cover of Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" on their Tumblr, which is one of my favourite songs in the world, and they certainly did it justice, showcasing Joshua Keogh's beautifully melancholic vocals, the addition of drums giving it a chunk of texture. The layered harmonies in the infamous "Whatcha say" bridge, however, don't differ hugely from Heap's original arrangement, and they echo around the earphones gorgeously.

Amber are currently unsigned, but there's undeniably going to be opportunities ahead which I hope they make the right decisions about, and, despite having made the fatal decision of choosing a band name that isn't Google-able, I definitely think there's exciting things ahead for these guys.

More of them here.

Bear's Den announce new EP "Without/Within"

Today Bear's Den, who are vastly becoming one of my favourite bands to emerge in 2013, announced the release of their third EP via a website statement- "Without/Within" is due for release via Communion Records on October 27th this year. They also unveiled a preview of its opening track, "Sahara".



"SAHARA" - Bear's Den

Those that have been to one of their gigs, or seen them play at numerous festivals over the summer will maybe recognise in the tracklisting "The Writing On The Wall" from their live set, and "Don't Let The Sun Steal You Away" was previously released with lead singer Andrew Davie's 2009 project Cherbourg.

"Sahara" I find much more powerful and raw than anything else they've ever released before. With a gorgeously minimal opening sliding down from the simplest of runs on keys, it swells into the most immense floods of instrumental break, with drums that go though you like heartbeats, soft and strong thumps of bass and lyrics that go between articulate and the simple yet brilliant "You said I could never be happy with anyone, but I found love".

If it's anything to go by, following the triumph of "Agape" this is more promising than anything they've done so far, and I'm definitely excited to see their incredible progress continue.

"We packed up all our troubles, in our beloved bubble"

"A STRANGE KIND OF MYSTERY IN THE AIR" - Pete Roe

In March last year, I ended up going to three Laura Marling shows within something stupid like five days, and her opener for that tour was Pete Roe, who you might remember also plays in her band. I remember how the first night I was happily surprised by a support act that I enjoyed and just politely nod along to with an air of impatience. The second night I found myself singing along, and by the third, I was a fully converted fan, knew each song and had bought some of the music.

The way that Pete Roe plays guitar, effortlessly plucks and slaps the strings to create so much dynamic, reminds me at times of Marling too, of Ben Howard and even Leonard Cohen. It's clear from watching him on stage that he's a comfortable showman and has a lot of charisma, he's an exceptional guitarist and his studio recordings incorporate strings gorgeously.

"A Strange Kind of Mystery in the Air" is the first single from Roe's newly released album, "Our Beloved Bubble", and is written about the various occurrences in a Bristol pub that he used to live above.

"Our Beloved Bubble", recorded in Nashville is 2012, is out now, and you can check out some of his upcoming tour dates here.

Recommendations: August 2013

"Home" - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
This was released back in 2009 but it was still the song of the summer for me this year, partly due to the fact that my French family (who are always a couple of years behind in popular culture which is sort of lovely) have been playing it frequently. It's just incredibly happy and full of love, and a song I know I'll be listening to for a long time.


Princess Century
I had the joy of watching Austra drummer Maya Postepski's UK solo debut this month in Manchester, and whilst I'm not normally massively into electro stuff her live show is beautiful, she incorporates film into her set really nicely, and new album "Lossless" is really special.

"The Wire" - Haim
Haven't stopped going on about these three sisters from LA for weeks, and their new single is just stellar - -dirty- moans of guitar in the introduction, the -slow/anticipation- rhythm of it all and a . The video is hilarious, smart and brilliantly showcases all of the sass and style of Alana, Danielle and Este.

"The Civil Wars" - The Civil Wars
The Civil Wars latest album is a very personal and open admission and venture into the turmoil between members John Paul White and Joy Williams (they recorded it at a time they were barely speaking to each other, think "Rumours"), and possibly in there is an explanation for the hiatus they've just taken because of "irreconcilable differences". But a lot of the songs actually seem to come from a place of joy and not hate, specifically "Eavesdrop" and "From This Valley", though I love every song on this record. I'm really hoping these two will make music together some day.

"Bonfire Heart" - James Blunt
I've said this before and I'll probably say it again (albeit always a little sheepishly), I genuinely think that James Blunt is really good - some of the better mawkish ballads in his discography are really nice, and there's definitely some great cheesy feel-good singles that are fun to sing along with when you've had about six glasses of wine (ahem) . His new single "Bonfire Heart" is tiny bit folky, definitely catchy and the video is one you'll call out for being tacky and secretly it warms your heart a little bit.

"Dancing in the Dark" (cover) - Eddie Berman and Laura Marling
Not much to say about this Springsteen cover except it's very simple, and very beautiful. I'm not sure what makes it so captivating - the -word about guitar pattern-, or how heartbreakingly vulnerable Marling's falsetto sounds singing the words "I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face." 

Live from Jodrell Bank - The Transmissions - 30th August 2013

I’ve wanted to get to a gig at Jodrell Bank – a space station and observatory which is pretty close to where I live, ever since they began their series of one day festivals “The Transmissions” in 2011 – their stage has seen the likes of Elbow, the Flaming Lips and Lianne La Havas. When I heard Sigur Rós were playing I was sure they were the perfect band to play this perfect and slightly bizarre venue.

It was a really well-organised event, with a lively end-of-summer festival atmosphere despite occasional spells of rain and a bit of a different crowd than most festivals – there were a lot of families and it was in general a bit of a richer crowd, though people definitely weren’t cold or unresponsive. The observatory had set up a Science Arena in the adjoining field with demonstrations and stalls, and it was nice if not a little weird being able to escape the main area to eat a tray of potato skins and learn about H2O powered cars.

First up was Nik Colk Void, whose abrasive art-noise effects it is hard to believe are created by just the three members and their intricate electric guitar/bow work. Personally, I wasn't massively into it but could definitely see how what they're doing is clever (and the weird space sound effects along with the bizarre venue made the whole thing feel like being in an episode of Doctor Who for sure).

I'd heard a lot of both good and bad things about Daughter's live performance so was interested to go decide what I thought. Generally, they were sounding great: the project as a whole admittedly rides on Elena Tonra's gorgeous and ethereal vocals - their set had a few hiccups with obvious technical difficulties, and I do feel like whilst they’ve got a really lovely sound going on, they don't quite have the songs yet. Their hit single "Youth", however, definitely had the front rows singing along.

Poliça are from the States, and are at the top of their game, having just released their album “Shulamith” (named after feminist writer Shulamith Firestone) and having had Justin Vernon of Bon Iver call them “the best band I’ve ever heard”. I thought they were great – lead singer Shanny Leaneagh was brilliantly energetic and cool, and their electro synth-pop sound was in general really bright and refreshing.

With some very theatrical control room messages, it was announced that the Lovell Telescope - of 76 metres in diameter and focal length of 22.9m – would be turned around for Sigur Rós’ set. That moment was truly spectacular, the strange mixture of people making up the audience: the families, the kids smoking weed, the girls in flower crowns and middle class couples – staring up at the sky in union and with wonder, like children walking into Disneyland for the first time, and thegigantic radio telescope was revealed in its full frontal glory, to a soundtrack of audio from Jodrell Bank’s footage from the last fifty years, specially selected by the band.

Sigur Rós took to the stage, modestly and their set wasn’t overshadowed, nor disjointed with the spectacular light show that incorporated both the large screen above the stage and the majestic Lovell Telescope behind it. For it was the perfect backdrop for the world they were creating – it was at times the moon, the tide, a shadow moving through golden fields.

And their music compliments it perfectly, because neither imbalanced the other but was one entity. If you listen to Sigur Rós, you’ll probably know what I mean when I say that their music makes you feel like you’re having some kind of profound and epiphanous realisation about something – it captivates your mind, turns any moment into a movie, and the visuals they use in their show illustrate and add to that beautifully.

Lead singer Jónsi’s sings in gorgeous falsetto, his voice is one you can never mistake, it’s just pure as snow and beautifully clean and clear – and during the set he moves between playing guitar, and also flute.

I spent a lot of the latter half of their performance stood near the front, trying to find out quite what their set up is, and all I concluded was really the fleet of musicians that make up Sigur Rós changes throughout their set – at times there being about ten musicians on the stage, with horn and strings player coming on and off.

Highlights included “Hoppípolla”, their biggest hit – to which the crowd response was insanely joyous and warm, and a brilliant rendition of “Sæglópur” – the bass just gives me chills every time.

It was, actually, so nice to attend a show where people’s eyes aren’t utterly focused on the people on the stage– heads turned as lasers and spotlights threw gazes to the trees and the sky – although, sadly, it wasn’t a particularly clear night - and in a way I think it pushed the crowd to pay more attention to the music than actually looking at the band. Sigur Rós truly brought their world to Jodrell Bank, through a whirling technicolour journey of sound and visual, and the life in their set more than made up for the lack of stars.

"The Barr Brothers" - The Barr Brothers

One of the things I always think about music made in Canada is that it has a very definite sense of place to it - I’ve noticed this with folk artists, electro-rock bands and everything in between.  I can’t even articulate that properly, or quite put my finger on what it is – the word “cinematic” comes close. Maybe it’s a product of the fact that it’s not exactly a country where bands rush to tour, or possibly just because parts of Canada are so quiet and serene. It might be that it’s “just me”, and that I picture it as this far away (and maple syrup filled) Disney Land of tranquillity, but there’s definitely a sense of both refuge and distance in the sound that a lot of musicians that spend time over there produce.

To me, the Barr Brothers self-titled debut epitomises that spirit. “The Barr Brothers” was released in 2011 but it seems to be only now that it’s getting a lot of attention here in the UK, with recent radio plays from Lauren Laverne and rave reviews for their shows all over Canada and the States this summer.

Andrew and Brad Barr grew up in Rhode Island, count rock and roll as a big influence, and as kids they put all of their rage, energy and passion into intense boxing matches with each other – now, they channel it into music.

They moved to Montreal in 2005 and began this project, picking up harpist Sarah Page along the way, who Brad met when he overheard her playing through the shared wall of their neighbouring apartments. With the bringing in of their friend Andres Vial to play keyboards, bass, percussion and sing back-up vocals, quarter that is The Barr Brothers was assembled.

The album itself is gorgeous, folky without confining itself to one particular genre – it’s full of different sounds and moods and textures, from the serene and gentle “Beggar In The Morning” to songs with slightly rougher edges, like bluesy “Lord I Just Can’t Keep From Crying”.

They’re about to embark on a six city UK tour, kicking off tomorrow night at the Borderline, London, and will also be playing at the End of the Road Festival this Sunday. You can find out more on their website.

Recommendations: July 2013

As with the last few, this is hilariously belated but we should be back on top soon enough!

"Tickle Me Pink" - Johnny Flynn

Another artist I was reacquainted with because of hearing him play at Mumford and Sons' Lewes Stopover, I'm hugely excited about his new album "Country Mile" which is scheduled for release this September. "Tickle Me Pink" is one of his absolute classics.

Castro
These guys come from Derby, recently supported Catfish and the Bottlemen and their EP "Dirty Vibe" demonstrates a sound that's messy, full-on and passionate. I'm definitely excited to see how these guys develop.  *

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" - Betty Smith
One of the best books I've read perhaps ever? A snapshot of family life in Brooklyn in the early twentieth century, this novel is narrated by Francie, a young girl that reminds me in so many ways of none other than Scout from "To Kill A Mockingbird"

Keaton Henson (dot com)
This is a bit of a weird one - despite being a big fan of Keaton Henson, I'm not exactly recommending him so much in this case but his... website? Just trust me, and follow this link for hours and hours of mind-numbing, creative, sleep-inducing procrastination/bliss.

Fluffy Towels - Yankee Candle
Call me a corporate soulless cow for investing the admittedly ridiculous £16.99 on such a stupid brand (something they sell for less than a pound in Ikea) but I came across 'fluffy towels' scented Yankee Candle when my friend took me into their store in early spring, and spent every pay day for months trying to decide whether or not I could justify spending that amount of money on a candle. It turns out I could, and in return I've been provided with 150 hours of my entire room smelling like a fancy hotel.

Music, Pussy Riot, Adventures // love a little bit more.

Hello!

I want to apologise for the lack of blog posts these last few weeks/two months. I've been all over the place - as well as results day stress etc partly literally - travelling through four different countries, working at festivals, going to cities in the UK I'd never been to before, and I've been lucky to meet so many fantastic musicians, writers, events people who are not only talented and hardworking but just incredibly kind.

I was a tiny part of the craziness that was Mumford and Sons curating and headlining an enormous yet very warm-hearted festival in Lewes, I've been to so many great gigs, learnt about Russian politics, told drunk secrets with my best friend in a dark flat in Amsterdam, listened to an entire James Blunt album more than once in a row, made a lot of new friends, swam in the English Channel at midnight.

Every day I am gaining faith, gradually starting to feel like there's people that do their jobs because they want to give an audience a great service, and to make this crazy industry and also this world a little bit of a better place.

Monday night was the Pussy Riot Commemoration event at Kraak, which I wrote about here before hand and helped out with on the day - bands from all over the country and even the world came to Manchester to put their love and their time into an incredible event. I was on the merch stand on the night, and loved chatting to everyone about their reasons for coming (and I met someone that read this blog?!), and local businesses and creators and artists contributed raffle prizes and auction gifts, and it was again, something that couldn't have happened without that sense of community spirit and giving from everyone involved. I'm proud of all of them.

As cheesy as it sounds, I keep thinking that that's what Pussy Riot really is: the more I've learnt about the girls, the more I think that this is what they'd want - on top of a protest, a headline in the paper, a cry out in the courtroom - this is a reminder to love a little bit more, to do and not just be. That's something you can do if you can't donate, if you can't speak out, just think about how freedom of speech affects you, and those around you.

I was telling someone about the event earlier today, and they asked "So why did you do that, was it for your personal statement and for work experience?"

I wanted to tell her "fucking course not".

It's so hard to imagine doing anything like this for a CV or personal statement, which I am constantly being told is valuable at the moment. And I'm honestly not attempting to seem gratuitously good hearted by saying that, that's not how it is at all - it's just so basic to care about something and put in what you take out, and I think that's the attitude we should have to everything we do. When you care about something, and love something, it doesn't feel like work, it doesn't feel like you're giving up time, it feels like you're doing the best thing with it that you possibly can.

Before these last few months I was told that workplaces are all bitchy, competitive, unfriendly environments, that people care only really about money, and that I should never have expected a change from that when I left school. I can honestly say that the majority of those I've worked with or been involved with in the last month in the music and arts industries haven't been like that at all, but love what they do, and work towards a goal.

And I know that real life's going to swoop back in and take over soon, and I'll be applying to universities and studying for exams and things and I'm so worried that I'll forget what it means to have this kind of passion for what you do. (re applying for uni, they tell us all the time not to use the word "passion" in personal statements so do leave your favourite synonyms in the comments)

Regular posts should be back to normal (as normal/organised as this ever gets) as soon as possible.

Lots and lots and lots of love. 

be brave and kind.

REVOLUTION: Pussy Riot Commemoration Festival @ Kraak

I had, admittedly, almost completely forgotten about Pussy Riot – I remember being captivated by their story first appearing in the news, probably just over a year ago - it was a combination of the courage and persistence of the three women and the shock, as well, that we live in a modern world and this is still happening that inspired a lot of people, I think. If I'm honest, I stopped thinking about Pussy Riot as it disappeared from the papers and the news, and this is something I'm sure I'm not alone in.

Then, I was reminded last month at an Amanda Palmer show of all places, when Olivia, from online magazine Shatter Japan, spoke about a fundraising event that they are holding, to help and raise awareness for Pussy Riot.

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I was curious, both about the Pussy Riot situation itself and why the British press has left such a gaping hole in terms of addressing it, so went and met Olivia in Manchester last week to talk about it.

The seventeenth of August will mark one year since Masha, Nadia and Katya were sentenced to two years prosecution for performing a “Punk Prayer”, to oppose Vladimir Putin’s policies, in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Olivia and her team at Shatter Japan are holding a two day commemoration festival in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, in two weeks' time.

Olivia explains to me that within this first year of Pussy Riot’s prison sentence, they’ve been constantly changing between prisons, and their legal team shifted completely. “Originally they were all kept in Moscow together, then it was decided they’d be sent to penal colonies. Masha was separated from Nadia, at the moment Masha’s being relocated again. There’s a real grey area in terms of where they are and what’s going on with them – I can’t tell you for sure, I’m not sure even if their lawyers can tell you. The rumours were even the lawyers didn’t have access to the reasons why Masha was being located. They are not together. It’s been implied that the reason they were separated was obviously so that they can’t communicate, and to break them down mentally and emotionally.”

For the team working on these events, the lack of communication and sense of disconnection has been a huge issue – a combination of there being cloudiness surrounding any political situation in Russia, as well as an added difficulty caused by the lack of participation from British mainstream media.

However, they got the chance to meet two members of Pussy Riot at Yoko Ono’s Meltdown in London, recently.  “That’s the first point I think that our team, having done all of this work, had a real sense of connection with them. There are so many activists and arts people down in London and across the country that have been working on other aspects of the Pussy Riot cause, but this was the first time we had direct connection with the women themselves, so that was good for us in terms of being able to say that this is a real issue, they’re really committed to releasing their colleagues.”

She’s very clear about the point that Pussy Riot have always thought of themselves as “media activists”, and that awareness is the main objective for them. “They pick a space that they want to perform in; there may be a reason for why that particular location, and then they perform. They’re not a traditional band in the sense that they have four key players, it’s this organic group of people who care about things, trying to make a point through their art.”

Olivia explains how the way the press have been only covering larger parts of the Pussy Riot story has left a considerable amount of gaps in most people's knowledge – recently, it has come seemingly out of nowhere that Masha is on hunger strike. “It’s just the sensationalist side of it that the mainstream press will leap on – you haven’t had any lead-up to that. The information coming from the prisons where Masha and Nadia are is really limited, it’s this really longwinded chain of information that finally gets back to mainstream British media. It’s partly to do with circumstance that that’s going on, but I partly think it’s because nobody’s really tracking what’s going on in the mainstream media, therefore you end up with a total gap of information – the most visible press not doing their job properly.”

She gives off a suspicion of editors making an active decision to ignore the cause – “I would even go as far as to say that the mainstream media are consciously ignoring it. Actively not reporting on it, actively not putting resources into that area. "

Another cause of the lack of severity in the way the British media are addressing the Pussy Riot story is how this situation is something those of us that are privileged, and free, literally cannot imagine – it’s almost like fiction, and the only way I could think of to describe it is “hilariously awful.” Olivia says that the comical portrayal of Putin is definitely an issue. “They haven’t realised that it’s a very serious situation, and when they announced the so-called Anti-Gay Legislations there were protests in the streets, these young kids – some maybe LGBT and some who weren’t, maybe colleagues of theirs, being harassed in the streets for protesting; blood coming off their heads, people being beaten up, people being hounded down alleyways, something that you now think don’t really happens. You don’t expect it to be happening within Europe or in the sphere of your world, but it’s happening, and it’s actually getting worse.”

But she expresses a hope in the role that smaller communities and especially the Internet play in raising awareness about Pussy Riot, though it doesn’t have the same power as a broadcast on BBC News or a headline from The Telegraph. “It’s where the bloggers come in, the activists, arts communities; social media is where the continuous flow of information is coming from. When something will come out, if you happen to be online at the time, then you might see that feed, but it won’t last for very long.”

“Revolution”, a two day festival taking place in Manchester’s Northern Quarter on Sunday 18^th and Monday 19^th of August, will be collecting funds for The Voice Project, one of the only legitimate organisations in terms of helping Pussy Riot and distributing funds directly to them (their website is really great and contains a lot of information about where the funds are going as well as merch/videos/messages from the girls.) Olivia explains the communication situation makes distributing funds to Pussy Riot a great struggle. “Originally when we did these events Pussy Riot had a different legal team, and we were in direct touch with that legal team and so we actually sent the funds directly to the lawyers. At some point at the end of last year the legal team was switched, so we’re no longer in direct touch.”

 “A lot of people have been put away in Russia, in other countries, and here as well, where you can’t hear their voices anymore. I don’t think anybody is capable of resolving this Pussy Riot issue. It’s a global difficult issue involving politics and religion and all sorts of things, but I think the idea is you just relate it to yourself – it’s up to the individual at the end to think about whether they want to know more.”

As well as donating and coming along to the event, the best thing that anyone can do is raise awareness - it's clear that social media, tweets, blogs, and real physical interactions like putting up posters, telling a friend, telling children - is one of the best ways to help Pussy Riot.

 “The easiest way to raise awareness to be honest is actually within our communities – student communities, writers, musicians, the arts community, politicians maybe. These are the areas that the people can raise awareness through without depending on the mass media. I do think that what we’re doing is just the tip of the iceberg. We’re giving people options to think about whether they care for something or not, and that’s important.” Hope, she says, is in young people, and in the Internet. "We really need to encourage young people to really be curious about what's going on in the outside world. Don't block information from them about this: keep it open, and create discussion. If you're in a band, talk about it."

But her most important message - and the message of Pussy Riot themselves - is that Revolution is bigger than them - it's about art, human rights, and most of all about freedom. This "Revolution" is about actively pushing ideas and discussion, not waiting for things to evolve.

 "We wanted to start the ball rolling and a little bit of discussion going, about how people want their arts communities to be and how artists want them, ideally. How you can hold events for free, in your community - you don't need to involve corporations and unethical people. There's a way of building that kind of arts industry. It's also about talking about LGBT issues - those issues are still very unresolved, even here. Obviously parts of Africa or Russia at the moment are really seriously in need of sorting out in that area, seriously needing help. And also we musn't forget that here there are lots of desparities in society - the pay gap between men and women is disgraceful. We want to take the template for what Pussy Riot are doing and put that into our own work. We'll do this event, and we'll bring as many people together as we can."

The event features local bands, as well as some travelling from London, Liverpool and Leeds, and the debut UK solo performance from Princess Century (drummer from the Torontonian electro-band Austra), as well as video messages from supporting artists all around the globe - this is very much not just for Manchester's arts community, but an international and hopefully world-changing thing.

You can buy tickets here, and if you're not Manchester-based, check out The Voice Project and Shatter Japan for much more information about Pussy Riot.

"Life's magical around you"

"I FORGOT TO TELL YOU YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL" - Josh Weller

I was so hesitant to like Josh Weller, mainly because whilst his Twitter account is hilarious 90% of the time, and also occasionally vaguely offensive and sexist, but I cannot help but grin every time I hear this song.

In the video for his new single, "I Forgot To Tell You You're Beautiful", Weller dances around a bedroom in the style of a tacky dating site ad and it's just the perfect summer tune: catchy, playful, a tiny bit kitsch and yet all with a thread of actual sentiment.

And just as it promises: "You'll be lolling in no time."

Recommendations: June 2013

So I accidentally took a massive blogging hiatus in June, partly because I've been all over the country on the craziest of adventures, but nothing is really a valid excuse. I'm home now, with very bad Wi-Fi.

"Full Circle" - Half Moon Run

Half Moon Run have been hotly tipped for 2014 by pretty much everyone, and their first single "Full Circle", shows tonnes of potential - beautifully progressive, dynamic indie-folk-rock. I'm loving their album "Dark Eyes" so far too.

BOXES

This is Athlete's bass player, Carey Willets' solo project - intended to be a band, originally, but has ended up himself, a laptop, a keyboard and a loop pedal - therefore his live shows are that gorgeous phenomenon of physically watching each part of a song being constructed  in front of you. "Silent Alarm" will always be the song I remember drunkenly belting out with my friends, after a gig in Birmingham this month, it also has a brilliantly clever video.

Haim

I've loved Haim excessively since seeing them open for Florence and the Machine back in December, but watching their performance from Glastonbury this weekend has definitely converted me into a huge fan. The three sisters, Este, Danielle and Alana are just brilliant: with a touch of 80s, a touch of Fleetwood Mac, and they're exactly what "Girl Power" should actually mean. I'm definitely hoping to catch one of their gigs as soon as I can.

"Best of Friends" - Palma Violets

"Best of Friends" has a great garage feel, with catchy choruses and an air of mess and spontaneity. It's also totally something I can see popping up in angsty teen dramas on E4 over the summer.

Mother Mash

Led to this little place in Soho after Googling "the best mashed potato in London", my chicken and leek pie with mash and gravy for a not-that-bad price of £8.95 was pretty much the highlight of my year.

Catfish and the Bottlemen

Lead singer Van, bass player Billy and guitarist Ben met at school – the origins of their drummer, Dr Bob, remain enigmatic, something Van only describes as “a very naked story.” As a band, Catfish and the Bottlemen aren’t actually that new, but have spent the last year writing and recording together.

Van spent a lot of his early life in Australia, has a love of tacky horror films and, admittedly, only knows four guitar chords - "My friend's brother taught me guitar, and I think he was scared I'd get better than him."

More of a poet, really than a musician, he describes the band’s writing procedure as more of a process than adding than taking away – it’s all about “romantic lyrics” and parts that “hit you hard”. I say that I think “Homesick” does that – go listen to it. The chorus is an argument; enhanced syllables are great big prods in the heart, and the verses softly accompanied by delicate guitar riffs.

“Homesick” wasn’t a favourite of theirs, but when they presented what would have been their first EP,

Their recent UK tour has showed a huge expansion in their fan base – with heartwarming modesty, Van expresses surprise at seeing that people are actually singing along with the lyrics of the songs. His favourite gig they’ve played so far was at Camden Barfly, the end of May. “We’d just been signed to our label, so it was like a celebration”.

The label they’ve joined is Communion Records – founded by the likes of Kev Jones from Bear’s Den, Ben Lovett from Mumford and Sons and Maz Tappuni, radio presenter of Sunday night XFM goodness. Van describes the label not like an employer, but the way somebody talks about an inspiring teacher or older friend. “It’s like a great big family. They’re all musicians, so there’s no man in a suit telling you “This is how music should be.” They really get it.”

That night, I watch them play Wrexham’s Central Station – admittedly it’s spacious, but half of the crowd that there is run to the very front as soon as the band come on, dancing to every track and singing along, clasping their friends’ hands, headbanging, and raising their drinks in the air. I can’t quite tell who these people are – whether they’re big fans, who know and adore all of these songs, or if they just came out for the night and fell in love straight away. And I decide it doesn’t matter.

Catfish and the Bottlemen’s debut single, “Homesick”, came out last Monday and is already climbing the iTunes rock charts, reaching #11. You can buy it on iTunes, or find a vinyl copy here.

Recommendations: May 2013

A large percent of this is cheesy pop music, not even ashamed.

"Wasting My Young Years" - London Grammar
I'm definitely developing a soft spot for soft, rattly percussion, and my love for this song is probably related greatly to how much the lead singer of London Grammar sounds like Daughter. It's such a grower, sounding so soft and mature and beautiful when you first hear it, but with each listen its dynamics are more and more noticeable.

"Tuesdays with Morrie" - Mitch Albom
Albom met with his favourite college professor, Morrie Schwarz, each Tuesday at the side of his death bed for the professor's final class. The subject: the meaning of life. I have a couple of draft posts about this book (mostly written in the middle of the night on a crazy thought-rollercoaster) but it's definitely made me want to change the way I think. "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" is another great one of his.

"Get Lucky" - Daft Punk
As if you haven't heard this song already, except I couldn't go without mentioning it; I caught Daft Punk fever after Radio 1 started playing it the moment I woke up each morning. This is the biggest, bestest shamelessly disco number that I've heard in years. It's already the song of the summer.

"Closer" - Tegan and Sara
This song is definitely one to sing along to drunk, is full of love and has me dancing - an explosion of synths, and keyboards.

Medium (x)
Medium is a new social network - I guess it's Twitter without the character limited, but much more chatty and fleeting than most blogging platforms, and I'm still getting to grips with using the site, it definitely has a lot of growing space.

"The First Days of Spring" - Noah and the Whale

The First Days of Spring - A Film By Noah And The Whale from charlie fink on Vimeo.

Something it's important to know is that I will forever relate Noah and the Whale to F. Scott Fitzgerald. I was lucky enough to briefly meet them last year, and being an embarrassing fangirl I asked them to sign something for me, but the only thing I had with me that was in any way paper was my copy of "This Side of Paradise", which their lovely guitarist went on to exclaim he had a framed copy of in his living room. A lot of the time I go to read that book I open it and remember, and it's really funny to me because a folk pop band inside the pages of an American classic is like a metaphor for what their music has become.

There are some albums it's easy to write and talk about straight away, because you're so full of words and thoughts at first listen that you're bursting with the need to push them into the world. Some take longer, because they need exploring, and there's more to discover, and parts of it don't make sense yet. And then there's the third kind, where you tell yourself to hold back the waterfall of thoughts that surround it because this music will sound and feel different in a week, or a month, or a year.

"The First Days of Spring" was that to me, Noah and the Whale's second studio album, from 2009.  It's been one of the most important albums in my life, I think, since buying it nearly two years ago, when I was discovering a side to Noah and the Whale that wasn't happy ukulele pop or American influenced songs about dreams. It's been with me throughout both a minor heartbreak, then, one summer, a huge instance of grief that is still present every day.

Noah and the Whale's second release is a record about losing someone. A classic break-up album, you might say, and some quick Googling can take you straight to what, or who, it is written about. The beautiful concept film they directed, which is above, leaves plenty of puzzle pieces - Charlie Fink unashamedly wears his heart on his sleeve, a process of cleansing through music. But to the listener, of course, it doesn't have to be about losing a lover: it is loss through death, loss of a friend, or anything about the process of grieving someone, or something. I am a firm believer that music doesn't have a strict, universal meaning, set by the person who wrote it: once it's released it has a life.

This album opens with title track, "The First Days of Spring", bittersweet and orchestral and so melancholy, celebrating new life with a restrained desperation and sorrow within it. There's a moment of soft plucking between two notes, tremouring strings until everything just bursts free, filling skies.

It contains some of the saddest, hardest songs to listen to I know. "I Have Nothing" and "My Broken Heart" are beautifully minimal, straight from the heart, it's almost uncomfortable how in touch and unashamed their writer is of being so profoundly sad.

I don't really like to make completely personal links when I'm writing about music, because it's so much bigger than what it just means to me. But "Our Window" was there with me the night I sat on my roof in a blanket, looking out at all of the stars. I couldn't be at the hospital to see him with the rest of my family. Someone had to stay behind. There wasn't room in the car.

But, as much of a heartbreak record that it is there are moments of pure joy - "Instrumental I" sounds so playful, the sounds of an orchestra warming up and coming together "Love of an Orchestra" twinkles up and down in scales, sounds like gleefully running through dreams and contains one of my favourite lyrics of all time: "I know I'll never be lonely: I've got songs in my blood".

Regretful "Stranger" and "Slow Glass", which is cooler, harder, angrier - both portray the later, more bitter and hardened and confused stages of being left alone.

"Blue Skies" is that constant that the whole record leads up to, a song that contains only four chords yet surrounds you like an ether, creates so much noise whilst being so quiet and restrained. It pads into place very gently; you don't realise it's creeping up on you. Earlier songs sample lines of its melody, sometimes in a minor key instead. Like so many of the songs on this record, guitar and strings cushion and dazzle around the edges, but the heart of this song is the percussion - this was recorded at a time when Charlie Fink's brother, Doug, was still the band's drummer.

"My Door Is Always Open", the last track is another stand-out, starting out with simply the soft flutters of a guitar and Fink's Lou Reed-esque voice, building up to a gorgeous harmonic round of:
"I'll love with my heart, and I'll hold with my hands,
but you know, my heart's not yours."

This album is so incredible because it is a human being raising their hands and dropping their pride and saying "I am full of sorrow." It doesn't hold any conclusion, any magic remedy, and it doesn't claim to. It's the loss of a person from someone's life and its effects, the feelings of having explored every contour and every edge of the hole that they left behind. And when the hole's been nestled through to the other side, as well as all the despair, what's present is, as Fitzgerald would say is, "An extraordinary gift for hope".

Punk Rocky.

Just like I feel about Disney movies and Coco Pops and my family and oxygen, I don't really remember a time when The Rocky Horror Show wasn't in my life, even though it isn't really something conventional for a child to grow up with. I have memories of being about eight years old and my dad driving me to my swimming class with a CD of a full production of it in the car, literally every single weekend for about six months, then seeing the movie years later and it was only then that I understood all of the sex references for the first time.

Written by Richard O'Brien, the plot sounds just as ridiculous and fantastic in writing as it actually is - a newly engaged couple's car breaks down on a stormy night, they seek help from what turns out to be a castle full of beings from another planet - governed by the cross-dressing master, Frank-N-Furter, and begin a night they will never forget.

It's one of those odd things my dad and I have always bonded over - if someone says they're "lucky" at any kind of social event, one of us will be quick to darkly and gratuitously declare "I'm lucky! You're lucky! We're aaalllll lucky!", even to a tough crowd that don't catch the reference. We dug that CD out again recently on a drive to Wales, not only sang alone but spoke along with every word.

I love going to see the stage show; the glitz and the glamour, the dressed-up crowd, the drunks and those that call out and interrupt, provoking the narrator's hilarious quick-witted  responses. Sure, the plot completely loses it 50% of the way through and the songs gradually decrease in quality after "Sweet Transvestite". It all adds to what isn't really the experience of going to a play, more just going to a massive party.

The cast in the 40th anniversary production of Rocky Horror I went to on Saturday night involved Dani Harmer (Tracy Beaker! My childhood!) as Janet which was the most bizarre thing to get my head around,  and Philip Franks as the narrator. Every character in it is so iconic and full of life that to be honest I don't think they're roles that are so much given a completely new identity with every actor, but there's been a lot of new ideas and characteristics brought to each production I've seen for sure.

I think even with a lesser cast, it wouldn't really have mattered at all because the most important part of Rocky Horror is always, always the crowd. I just loved going with my friends (all of who were "virgins") and dressing up and forgetting everything in this simaultaneously bizarre and familiarly nostalgic world of the insanity that it is.

Because the point of it is seeing Columbias in sequinned gold hats and jackets sipping gin and tonic in bars the thirty minutes before the theatre opens, Rif-Rafs smoking cigarettes in the street, 40 year old Magentas dragging along their husbands who refused to dress up, and a brave Rocky in golden underwear shivering outside the doors.

I'm definitely not enough of a devoted/cult fan to regularly check fansites or anything but TimeWarp.Org certainly has some great information if you're looking to go for the first time!

"Your tears will speak of love and better times"

"FAMILY TREE" - Meadowlark

At the end of last year, musician Kate McGill, whose 150,000+ following largely came from the Youtube covers she posted when she was a teenager, announced that she wouldn't be making music as a solo act any longer. This March, however, she emerged with Meadowlark, her new band compromised of herself, Daniel Broadley and Carl Jones.

"Family Tree" first demo of theirs is gorgeously dark, nostalgic and so very minimal, nothing but the piano, sinking into minor chords in the verses, a gently plucked guitar and soft, swift percussion; it's a new and original take on folk-pop, yet miles away from the Ben Howards and the Mumfords. Kate McGill's voice is as sweet and youthful as it is filled with the angst and regret that these lyrics spark.

Meadowlark recently supposted Bastille at one of their London shows and are currently working on their first EP, more details can be found on their website.

"Before I Sleep" - Bo Bruce

Bo Bruce is someone I've written about here a lot; a wonderful singer-songwriter who was ready to give up on the career she'd worked for for years before finding fame through the unexpected route of BBC's The Voice this time last year. She's the best thing to come out of a TV talent show in well, ever, (including the dancing dog on Britain's Got Talent) and I was lucky enough to hear the album I'd so eagerly anticipated for the first time at a listening party in London at the end of last month.

It's been the perfect soundtrack to these last few weeks, and I can just tell already that it's one of those records I'll keep with me for a long time.

"Landslide" is just the perfect opening track, sun-rising from a gentle hum to the bleeding magic of the chorus, a song about the frustration of waiting for the right time. It leads into "Save Me", the first single Bruce released from this album; a gorgeous infusion of the electronic and the organic. Its lyrics are both a cry for help, and accepting of the need for her own independence.

"Alive" was co-written with The Script's Danny O'Donoghue and produced by Henry Binns, an energetic ballad with the most beautiful strings. It's powerfully uplifting; it takes the imagery of a car crash and a storm to illustrate the urgency of love. With has a chorus that sounds in a lot of ways like a Script song, it incorporates the chilled electronia of Zero7 music, a combination that oddly enough sounds brilliant, and be sure to catch the incredibly moving video for this one which is out tomorrow.

"Speed The Fire" features Johnny McDaid's vocals and is another than excels in its use of vivid imagery; a burning house, burning memories and thoughts. Gita Langley's strings, again, add the heart to this song, its choruses rage from the full glow of a choir to more minimal ones, the haunting strength of Bruce's voice alone is a candle in the dark.

The record takes a darker turn as "Telescope" clicks in, very different to the others. It's slow and cool, yet deeply angry, Bo's voice in multiple layers whirring around the ears; a song about the contrast between loving someone and being unable to see the bad in them. It's followed by "Ghost Town", which is eerie and soft, whispers about until that moment when the drums kick in and everything explodes.

"On The Wire" is, I guess, the closest this album has to a big dance track, the significance of drums giving it a feel that's almost tribal, reminiscent of Kate Bush or more recently, Florence. "Holding The Light" draws a great contrast from this, minimal and stripped back to simply an acoustic guitar, the way it was written.

"Lightkeeper" is just a perfect demonstration of the greatest kind of pain turned into the greatest beauty, through it becoming art. It's a comfort song, a hymn. Lyrically it is so powerful - taking something ugly and casting a spell over it with the metaphor of "The heart of their machines", a strong chorus and ghostly faint backing vocals. It follows with "The Fall", where the dynamics of her gorgeous vocals just shine.

There's a bout of faith and positivity with "The Hands I Hold", a co-write with Sia, one of the most hopeful songs about love and friendship I've heard in a long time. "Echoes" was originally much more of a pop song, but its production was stripped back to leave the gorgeously melancholy track that it is. I think "Golden" may be the most perfectly produced track on the record, courtesy of James Flannigan (from The Stiff Dylans!), giving it the odd effect of being joyfully uplifting as much as it's a heartbreaker.

It closes with "How We're Made", the perfect illustration of that struggle to articulate a goodbye; facing loss and facing life. It is beautifully intense, Johnny McDaid's incredible production is reminiscent ticking clock and whirring, spinning instrumental that sounds like machines and magic spells. Of all the ways, the poetic and the lovely, that feeling of loss is depicted through on this record, the most touching and raw lyric of them all is simply
"I just miss you."

This album exceeded my expectations so much; it isn't just the quick-release that Bruce could easily have ejected to get in the charts straight after The Voice, or a vehicle for nothing but her vocals; it's beautifully produced, eloquently written - you can just tell from listening that this record was years in the making, not just the nine months that it took to produce.

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
- Robert Frost


Buy Before I Sleep // See Bo on tour