Like the tenacious music bloggers we are, we have spent the last few weeks tracking down some of our favourite bands from our trip to this year’s SXSW. Today we are really pleased to be able to bring you this interview with the lovely Carlee Hendrix from You Me & Us.

For those of us from colder climates, a band that come from California and plays fuzzed-up guitar pop probably cannot fail to conjure up images of sunshine and warmth. You Me & Us definitely had this affect on us, and not just because our introduction to the band was in Uncorked’s heat-trap of a backyard in Austin, under clear blue skies and blazing sunshine.

A shy and unassuming trio, the band really came to life as they powered through a host of two minute spiky pop tunes that jumped out and grabbed your attention, only to then disappear just as quickly, leaving you wanting for more.

For those new to the band, please tell us the essentials.

We are a three piece band from Bermuda Dunes, California. We play noisy, fuzzy pop songs.

How was your SXSW experience?

It was a little bit hectic in terms of traffic and driving around a huge van in Austin, but we got to play some really fun shows and eat a lot of pizza and cupcakes, so overall it was worth it.

We saw you at Uncorked on a very hot afternoon and loved it – did you enjoy the show?

Yes! It was definitely hot though. Unfortunately we didn’t get to stick around because we had to leave to play another showcase right after our set.

You had a ‘superfan’ in the audience that day – is he at all the shows?

That was Thor, the music director at KWVA, and that was his first time ever seeing us live.

You’ve been playing at Coachella – how did that come about?

We were a late addition to the lineup. Goldenvoice called us two days before and asked if we wanted to play.

Was that your biggest audience to date?

We played another festival that Goldenvoice put on in between both Coachella weekends called “Tachevah” and that was probably the biggest audience we have played for.

Any plans to come to the UK?

Nothing as of right now, but we’d love to soon!

Your tunes tend to be very short, sharp and to the point – any plans to write any 3 minute epics

We’ve been writing longer songs since releasing “Paperweights.” I think overall it’s just about what each specific song calls for.

Who is Steve Holt?

He’s a character from the TV show “Arrested Development.” If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend it!

‘Bright Red Marker’ is a great song but it makes us feel a bit sad.  There is a great lyric, ‘put a sweater on if your hearts grown that much colder’. Is it odd playing such an emotionally charged song over and over?

It is, actually. That song hits much closer to home for me than most of the other songs I write, and it can sometimes be weird to bring up those feelings so often.

What’s next for recorded material?

We’re about to release a new EP in late June. We’re really excited!

What has been the best medium for sharing your music and finding new fans?

I think touring is the best thing you can do in terms of getting your music out there. You’re playing a show for a completely new group of people every night that might not have otherwise ever known you existed. I also think it’s the most sincere and honest way to connect with people who listen to your music.

What other bands do you recommend we go listen to?

La Luz! We played with them at Burger Records a couple of months ago and they were incredible. We’ve been listening to their record pretty much nonstop since.

See you back at SXSW next year?

Definitely!

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Find out more about You Me & Us at the following links,

http://grumpybear.bandcamp.com/,

http://youmeandusband.com/,

https://www.facebook.com/youmeandusband,

https://twitter.com/YouMeAndUsBand

As always thanks to Victorsson for his excellent photos – please check out more of his work: http://www.jvictorsson.com/

Flash Bang Band – ‘If You’re Driving’ – NEW Single & Video

We have a special affection for Flash Bang Band, as they played on the bill at the first show we ever co-promoted. They are quite bonkers in a very lovable way, but also have a knack of unearthing great hooks and then playing them very, very loud.

They have an album coming out on ‘At The Helm’ later in the summer, but preceding this is new single If You’re Driving, which is released on the 3rd June. The video follows a pair of feet on an interesting day-out, we have no idea what it’s about but like it regardless!

Hella Better Dancer – Sleep (demo)

We were very excited to see Hella Better Dancer play in Brighton last week. We are going to post an interview with them soon, but in the meantime have a listen to the band’s last output ‘Sleep’ (it may even still be available to download for free)

The Self Help Group – BBC Introducing: The South

‘Not Waving, But Drowning’ by The Self Help Group continues to be one of our favourite albums of the year to date. We’ve also been lucky enough to catch the band playing live on a few occasions and would highly recommend you do as well, if the opportunity presents itself. If not, then they recorded a live session for the local BBC station. Their first offering is ‘The Rapture’, which might well be our current favourite of theirs – and definitely a highlight of the live set. Enjoy!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p018g3zx/BBC_Introducing_The_South_18_05_2013/

Helene Greenwood – The Break EP

(Washaway Records) 

Review by: @tvermar

The Break EP is the debut release from up and coming London based singer-songwriter Helene Greenwood.  Helene comes from a well studied musical background, but already on her debut, shows that she wants to follow her own musical instincts rather than adopt a particular style or musical method.  

The EP comprises of 5 tracks, including Helene’s reading of two familiar classics ‘In Between Days’ by The Cure and ‘Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)’ by Johnny Mercer and Rube Bloom.  Her version of ‘In between Days’ is particularly moving, taking The Cure original and backing it with something totally unexpected; a barely there orchestration, which reminds this listener of strangely enough, Spacemen 3 of all bands – in their quieter moments. 

This should not detract from the 3 originals (listener’s assumption) on the EP, ‘Break In Break Out’, ‘After the Fire’ and ‘In The Sunshine’.  These are really the highlights of the EP.  Helene presents a perfect mix of beguiling lyrics, enchanting vocals and interesting musical arrangement.  There is a bit of English folk, mixed with a jazz-like ease of touch, all complemented by Helene’s haunting yet childlike vocals. 

This is a great EP and has really got us all excited about the release of Helene’s full-length debut album, ‘Collectable You’, later in the year.

Helene celebrates the release of the EP with a show at the Union Chapel, London this Friday 17th May. Tickets here

Donna Fullman – I Can’t Sleep

Donna made a big impression on us the first time we saw her play live. A beautiful acoustic version of ‘Hello Shanghai’ from the EP Happiness + Victory created a special kind of magic in the room (you know what that music magic feels like don’t ya?)

The more we got to know Donna and her work the more we came to appreciate not only her voice, but also her songwriting skills and her dedication to the art – I think you’ll see from the below interview that Donna puts a lot of thought into the craft of songwriting. Debut album ‘Inner World’ has many fine tunes on it – including I Can’t Sleep, which Donna kindly donated for our debut release.

Please click on the album cover above to grab a free copy of our album, and click on the Inner World cover to find out to hear more of Donna’s excellent tunes.

Hi Donna, how’s that insomnia?

Ha! My conscience is clear – so I sleep quite well now thanks! Like a baby in fact.

Did the person who inspired ‘I Can’t Sleep’ get their comeuppance?

Well, let’s just say that when I first began writing ‘I Can’t Sleep’ I certainly had someone in mind. Doing me wrong and lying about it makes for some pretty sleepless nights. Towards the end of finishing the song – we’re talking a few years here! – I also felt that the song had a wider message to do with the powers that be – they just happen to be the blue party:“If I can’t sleep why can you? Laying your dirty, dirty secret on your pillow blue”.

How did the song come about – was it an easy or hard one to complete?

Well, as I say, it took a long time to complete – some songs are like that. They urge you to start them but for some reason linger until you’ve fully grasped the message I guess. Then, once understood, you can share it authentically. That’s when music reaches people.

Is it representative of your work as a whole?

It certainly carries a lot of what I care about – message, space, a Roy Orbison cinematic feel I think – it also builds slowly and then delivers by the end – I like to think I make music that promises to deliver and delivers – if you listen – patiently! For me Music is a commitment the listener enters into – I certainly hate to feel cheated by a song if I have given it my attention and by the end it falls flat, fails to resolve somehow or leaves me thinking what was all that about?

Where does it rank among the others on ‘Inner World’?

In my heart they are all my babies! Inner World took nine months to record and the labour was painful! I love them all the same, as any good mother would. It’s track 9 on the album – which is an auspicious number.

What are you up to on the music front at present?

I’m writing new material for my next release – it might be a live recording to capture the energy and magic you create when playing live. I like the idea of it being quick and painless without compromising on quality.

I’m also playing more solo shows and hope to play to wider audiences throughout Europe, I want to share the album.

Any live shows on the horizon?

Yes – some really exciting shows actually – May is busy!

Sat 11th May

Lindfield Arts Festival / Sussex / Tickets via website or donations on the day

I’ll be playing a solo acoustic set in the Church at 1.30pm

http://www.lindfieldartsfestival.com/buy-tickets/festival-activities/music-festival/

Mon 13th May

Radio Reverb LIVE SESSION on the Pete Jones Show – tune in – 97.2fm

http://radioreverb.com/

Wed 15th May

Supporting Paper Aeroplanes at Komedia, Brighton, doors 7.30pm, £8/£10

http://www.komedia.co.uk/brighton/music/

American Werewolf Academy were one of the surprise packages in our 2012 box of musical treats. Hailing from Dallas, this trio blew us away when we caught a live set that bristled with attitude and great three minute punk-rock-pop tunes. The UK release of album ‘Everything Alright So Far’, showcased the talents of the band and highlighted their ear for a melody and sense of fun.

You can therefore imagine that we were very pleased that American Werewolf Academy kindly offered a song to go on our debut compilation album. ‘Do Whatever’ follows the ‘classic’ AWA template – rocking guitars, catchy hooks and a ‘dare you not to jump up and down’ attitude – the perfect album opener!

We caught up with head ‘werewolf’ Aaron to find out a bit more about the track:

‘Do Whatever’ are these the rules AWA live by?

It’s sort of a silly song. There’s a hedonistic theme in lots of our songs, particularly our earlier songs. I’d like to do whatever I want. Usually that involves drinking lots of alcohol and eating nachos. Exciting, I know. When I was in the UK I didn’t see any nachos. That’s a shame.

How long has this song been around? How did it come together? Was it pretty straight forward to record?

This was the first song I wrote for the new record but we didn’t wind up using it. It just didn’t fit the feel of the record. We recorded it pretty quickly straight to 2″ tape without using any computers. We recorded it caveman style.

It sounds like a lot of fun to play – is that true? 

Yeah, it’s a fun one to play. We still play it from time to time. It’s an easy one to remember, which helps because we’ve got a bunch of songs.

What are AWA up to at the moment – anything new on the horizon?

I’m really excited about the new record. It will be out on Damnably sometime in the fall I imagine. There are some good songs on there and the artwork looks really cool. I want to get out and play more, we’ve been laying low getting the record done. Hopefully we’ll get out of town again and play some new places. We’re talking to Wussy about some possible dates. I’d like to hang out with those guys again.

For anyone who loves ‘Do Whatever’, where do you recommend they go next to discover AWA? 

There’s a few free songs on our website, there’s also Youtube. The best thing is just to come out and see us live.

If you get the chance, we wholeheartedly recommend the live ‘AWA’ experience – for now though please help yourself to ‘Do Whatever’ and the rest of Some Of It Is True Loves…Vol.1, for FREE: www.hiddentrailrecords.bandcamp.com

Co-pilgrim ‘A Fairer Sea’

On the surface Co-pilgrim’s album, ‘A Fairer Sea’ ticks all the boxes to qualify as a damn fine guitar-pop record. It has catchy hooks, glorious harmonies and a host of memorable tunes. Straight out the blocks comes ’22′ an insanely catchy song that will have you singing along in no time. ‘Come On Come On’ does a similar job, driven along by chiming guitars and layers of lush vocals, it comes across like an early Byrds foot stomper. Although a little slower, the chorus of ‘I’m Going To The Country’ sums up one of the key things we love about this record. It is a simple refrain but the layers of rhythm section, keys and gentle strumming, combined with the beautiful vocals envelop you and whisk you away to the countryside, porch and river that are being sung about.

So far this all seems very idyllic but, if scratched, every surface reveals something underneath. In the case of ‘A Fairer Sea’ this seems to be a great deal of love, loss and heartache. Lead man, Mike Gale, has a beautiful voice but also a willingness to share with his listeners a lyrical poetry that, when combined with his lilting vocal and the angelic harmonies of his bandmates, cannot fail to break your heart a little. From the off we are aware of a, ‘You shaped hole in my heart’ but for us this strain of melancholy hits home most powerfully in the beautifully haunting, ‘Roslindale’ where, ‘nothing more than memories are riding with me now’. This is truly stirring songwriting.

Co-pilgrim have managed to pull off this delicate balancing act with great dexterity. You love the ups and live through the downs, but you stay for the complete ride. ‘A Fairer Sea’ packs a punch both musically and emotionally – for those very reasons it is a record to be cherished.

(we wrote this review a month or so ago for our friends at Fatea, however we love this record so much we wanted to make sure it reached as many people as possible!)

A new friendship with a Bruntnell super-fan (#1) put Peter back on our radar and based on this recommendation we caught one of his shows at SXSW this year. I remember it being incredibly loud, Peter having a certain swagger and a set crammed full of quality songs. I also remember a man down the front eyes closed, taking it all in and singing every word back at Peter (super-fan #2).

The point of this preamble is that it would seem that Peter Bruntnell is an artist worth investigating, and for those like us who haven’t got round to it in the past, Loose Records have kindly made the job very easy due to the upcoming release of, ‘Retrospective‘ , ”a 17 track compilation of Peter’s songs from 2004′s Played Out, up through until 2011′s Black Mountain U.F.O.album”.

We didn’t need anymore convincing, so this beautiful version of ‘Played Out’ with Rumer just whets the appetite even more!

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For those of you wanting to catch a Peter Bruntnell live show then we will be doing our level best to get to Palmfest, put together by the good people at Brighthelmstone Promotions

Brandy Zdan recorded some amazing music as part of the duo, Twilight Hotel. She is now branching out on a solo career and the first offering, ‘Mourning Dove’, has been made available today (and as a free download for a limited amount of time).

We already knew that Brandy had a great voice and this stripped back tune lets us appreciate it in all its glory.  The apparent simplicity of the guitar work lets you focus on the vocal and the layers of emotion that are evident as the song unfurls. You can literally feel the anguish, pain and confusion in the refrain, ‘we came this far without tearing it apart’.

As the song itself spreads its wings, anticipation grows but instead of giving you the big ending you were expecting, it stops abruptly. For me this is a master stroke as instead of feeling cheated, I’m going straight back to the beginning and playing it again!

This is Brandy’s first offering from her debut EP, Lone Hunter, which will be out later this year. 

Regular followers of this blog will know that we have been big fans of Roxanne since the spiky-pop gem that is ‘Red & White Blood Cells’ wriggled its way into our eardrums (YOU!,…WHITE!, YOU!,…WHITE! etc).

We’ve kept an eye on Roxanne (in a non-creepy way) since our first interview and were excited to get our hands on a copy of debut album, ‘The Real Thing’ – which is produced by Gordon Raphael (The Strokes, Regina Spektor). We were not disappointed as it is a fine record – one we will review in detail soon.

The album is officially released today (19th April) and was preceded earlier this week by a new video for one of the album highlights, ‘Some Kind Of Creature’.

Pop over to Roxanne’s website to find out how to get your hands on, ‘The Real Thing’: http://www.roxannedebastion.com/