Regular readers well know that we are suckers for gorgeous vocals and harmonies. Therefore it is no surprise that we have been utterly charmed by Brighton based, The Self Help Group. The band release their debut album, ‘Not Waving, But Drowning’ on the Union Music Store record label tomorrow (11th Feb). It is a record that has been an ever-present companion over the past few weeks and is packed with great tunes that hook you in immediately with their apparent simplicity and beauty – but also keep giving as you find something new in the glorious textured three-part harmonies.
So, the record sounds great, and perhaps just as importantly the live experience is just as mesmerising – we wholeheartedly recommend The Self Help Group experience.
We caught up with Mark Bruce (Singer-Songwriter), Clara Keely Wood (Vocals) and Jamie Fewings to talk about the new album, musical pilgrimages and footwear!
Hello Self Help Group, the opening of album ‘Not Waving, But Drowning’ has the sound of a radio being tuned. Is this a knowing nod to the opening of the Dexys album ‘Searching For The Young Soul Rebels’? If so did you purposefully choose the sounds/sample (we were half expecting the Deep Purple & The Sex Pistols al la Dexys)
M.B Have to admit my ignorance to all things “Dexys” so, that’s a no. Funny story though. Jamie (Freeman – Producer) and I had been messing around with the start of the album and he came up with the detuned radio thing, which for starters was odd as I’d used it on a previous track myself. I then came to a recording session with the brain wave of mixing in bits of the tracks from the album and he threw the same idea at me straight off.
Tell us about how song writing works within the band
C.K.W Mark writes all of the material and normally has a fair idea of how he would like the song to sound. Sarah, Mark and I then get together and build harmonies around the main melody. We then share that with the rest of the band and they add their magic.
What 3 words best describe The Self Help Group Sound
C.K.W Wistful, harmonious, storytelling.
As a proclaimed Self Help Group, which Self Help book would you recommend we invest in?
M.B Never read a self-help book myself, or attended a group for that matter!
Ever been to Laurel Canyon? If the band were to go on a musical pilgrimage, what destinations would be on the agenda?
C.K.W Is that near Ramsgate? No never, maybe we should….how amazing to have been around in the 60’s/70’s in Laurel Canyon with the likes of Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
J.F I guess we should go to all the places in the songs, so, The Moon, Utah, Michigan, Arkansas, Florida, Wyoming, Pennsylvania……Devon?
M.B We should skip Glasgow and the prisoner of war camp I think.
What is the oldest song on the album? What is about that tune that demanded it make the record?
M.B The oldest song on the album is “Big Nose George”. It’s actually older than the band itself. I wrote it very early on, before this venture had any real direction, outside of my loft. I wrote the whole song in 10 mins. I hope it doesn’t show!
Mark, with all the fuss about the new My Bloody Valentine record do you wish your ‘shoegaze’ band was also still going? How has your actual footwear changed between this band and those days?
M.B No I’m quite glad the old shoegaze band isn’t still going, although, we weren’t that bad as I remember. I don’t think my brain could cope with all that racket nowadays though. I hope the footwear has taken a step in the right direction………Do you see what I did there?
Excuse our musical ignorance but, is that what is known as a ‘Reprise’, three-quarters of the way through ‘Sand’? Whatever it is it’s rather lovely – how did it come into being?
M.B I have a masters degree in musical ignorance. I don’t think it is a reprise though. I had written the verse and chorus to the song and after, a pause, hit that first chord and the tempo change felt right. Just happened really. These things often do. I have no musical training or pre planned ideas of where a song needs to go. I only hope that I’m just blessed with a reasonably good “Shit” filter. The duffers don’t usually seem to make it as far as the rehearsal room!
Mark has talked about using interesting news stories as inspiration for his songwriting – within this structure what motifs are recurring within The Self Help Group’s writing?
M.B Seems to be death and, now that I look at the songs, there is a lot of familial love……never used that word before!
The cover art for the album is beautiful – how did it come together?
M.B I was searching for images online as I had nothing already planned for the album. I found the image and thought it was stunning. I was amazed that it hadn’t been used before and that, it being a 15th century painting, was free to use. All of our releases have featured “Art” on the covers. The previous two had been things I’d found, a painting from car boot sale and some decoration on a wardrobe.
What are your favourite tunes from the record to play live? Any particular reason’s why?
C.K.W Personally speaking, ‘The Rapture’ gets me every time. As a band we have always loved performing the song together from when it was first written, the dynamic of the song seems to work well live which just makes it a total pleasure to play.
The LP release is imminent – what are you up to promotion wise?
C.K.W We’ve been busy doing gigs, and radio interviews etc…which have been fun. Our record label, ‘Union Music’ take really good care of us, they’re always busy making sure the right people hear the album.
Self Help Group can choose the three headliners at Glastonbury this year – who would you go for??
MB The Smiths, Sufjan Stevens and….rem…The Beatles!
C.K.W Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley and Bjork.
Finally, where can we buy the album (which we like a lot!), find out about upcoming shows and all things The Self Help Group?
C.K.W Our album can be bought from our awesome record label, ‘Union Music Store’ in Lewes, or from other great local music shops, plus of course Amazon or digitally, online from iTunes etc.
You can find out what we’re up to on our face book page, twitter account (@thegroupies) or on our website theselfhelpgroup.com. You can catch us live next at the Brunswick, Hove on March 2nd or March 23rd in Lewes.
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Thanks as always to the band for sharing their time with us, to Stevie & Jamie for bringing the band to our attention and helping create a great record, and to Bob Russell for a fab photo!
Anyone who follows our Twitter or Facebook pages will be well aware of our love for this six-piece hailing from Lewes (& surrounding area). We first saw Early Ghost play an acoustic set in Union Music Store, where they defied physics by all managing to perch on the tiny stage. The set in those days didn’t include any of the songs from new album, Cadaques, but was full of stomping tunes, enthusiasm and more than a little craft.
After that we saw them play a variety of shows, sometimes headlining, othertimes supporting. Early this year they supported Team Me and then Bowerbirds and it was blatantly obvious that their sound had developed, almost beyond recognition. Violins, Trumpet, Clarinet and Sax lined up alongside the acoustic, electric, banjo combinations we had been used to seeing. The sound was just so much bigger, Morricone-like refrains dominated and Mike and Zoë’s vocals took on a new confidence. If I’m honest, at times the wall of sound was so big it meant that the tunes got lost, but even then, when everything came back together the strength of the songs made it all okay!
We were lucky enough to see the band play the launch show for ‘Cadaques’ and we are pleased to report that, for us, this was their best show yet – the band and album sounded fantatsic.
Thanks to Mike from the band for taking the time to answer our questions.
Debut Album ‘Cadaques’ has just arrived – how has the reception been?
The reception has been wonderful. Often when we write a song the influences can shine through a little too much – it can be dangerous when you’re really going after a certain style and tone because it can almost sound too replicated, so we’d often water that down a bit after the first form of the song was written. By the time the final versions were written, it was hard to tell how obvious those influences even were anymore. So, I am so pleased that our fans and reviewers seem to have picked up on the influences perfectly, and really seem to understand what we were going for.
How long did the album take to come together?
We worked on the album for a long time and the main thing that held us up was the habit we had of writing/scrapping/rewriting again and again. I mean some of the sections we had for certain songs on that album go back two years. In terms of the actual recording, that spanned about a year – we were constantly scrapping recordings as well, which was probably extremely annoying for everyone involved but worth it for the finished product. I still have copies of the old versions of the songs and it’s really interesting now to listen back.
It is quite a different sound from your previous EP – how would you describe the difference?
It is a cliche to say so but the new work is definitely more focused. It’s funny because it almost feels like the old EP was written when we were a different band entirely. I think perhaps ‘We Crossed The Waves’ had a bit more of a sporadic variety of styles and influences going on – there was the obvious Morricone sound there but other tracks were a little more straight forward. For this new record we’ve explored beyond spaghetti western soundtracks and, although that’s still the core style of music, other music from the 1960′s has been just as important to us such as Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, The Band etc, and a lot of Surf music too. Further back there’s also tracks that we wrote whilst listening to a lot of gypsy jazz and Balkan music.
Early Ghost live is a real ensemble experience – do you write all the tracks together or do you do that individually?
There doesn’t tend to be a set process for that, in that all the members are constantly writing things. Songs tend to end up being a mix of riffs and ideas that we are all throwing around at the time. I suppose sometimes it can be a bit of a routine process since often someone will bring a riff or section to the table, Mike will go away and arrange it, everyone will refine their own parts from the new arrangement and then Zoë and Mike will work on the vocal parts and lyrics. We all tend to obsess over certain aspects of the songs, for example Sam (Allan) likes to compose memorable guitar riffs more than anything else. Says he’s from the ‘Tasty Riff Department’.
Who in the band can play the most instruments
It’s hard to say really because it’s difficult to say what constitutes being able to play an instrument …some of the instruments we appear to be fluent in a lot of the time we learnt them for the sake of the songs they appear in – for example, we used to play ‘In a Single Mind’ with a guest trumpet player, but since he wasn’t able to make all of our shows Sam (Allan) started to learn the trumpet and managed to nail all of the parts in a few months. It was pretty much the same situation with Mike playing the accordion and Zoe playing the fiddle. Basically we can play these instruments but only really know how to play our own songs!
In terms of who plays the most instruments, let’s go with Sam (Watson) because he swaps between things the most.
How did the band come together?
We started as a 3 piece as just Karl, Mike and Sam (Watson). We started writing songs that were difficult to play live as a 3 piece pretty much from our first song. We brought Hugh in for drum sections but then had to keep adding in extra members as we added in extra instruments during recording, and eventually grew to a 6 piece!
Trumpet, Clarinet, Sax, Banjo…..the list goes on. Is there an instrument that would never make it onto a Early Ghost record.
Not that I can think of…let’s go with Bagpipes. Although Sam might not be happy about that due to being from Scotland and all that. Maybe the Keytar? Then again, the other Sam loves cheesy instruments like that. He wants to start a Status Quo tribute band called Wet Denim. He already has the album art planned out – something to do with him dressed as a fireman in all denim struggling with a firehose, or something like that. I try not to really listen when he talks about it. I think he’s pretty set on it though.
What is the bands favourite tune to play live?
Probably The Hidden Stirs. I just really enjoy the feel of that song and it’s probably the song we are proudest of from the new material.
Are Early Ghost rock’n'roll? Any hi-jinks we need to know about?
I wish we had some stories to give here but there’s nothing to share…yet. Give it a few years maybe, when life on the road has dug her prying claws into our souls a little more.
I’m a massive Morricone fan and there is an unmistakable influence of his on this album – most prominently on ‘Interlude’ – who is the fan and how did you come about his music?
I hadn’t really thought about where that influence came from until you asked this. Karl and the two Sams came back from a trip to Amsterdam with the riff to ’1914′, from our old EP. It was really Morricone sounding and as soon as we heard it we really fell in love with the idea of moving towards that sound. After that we’ve really just been developing that style.
My favourite Morricone sountrack is The Good, The Bad & The Ugly – what’s yours?
Without a doubt “…e per tetto un cielo di stelle (in English – A Sky Full of Stars for a Roof)”. I think it’s actually a spaghetti-western-comedy. We haven’t actually checked the film out yet but we came across the soundtrack and the title theme is mindblowing. It’s just incredibly composed and the guitar tone is unbelievable.
Your covers, videos & even lyric sheets all contain striking artwork – it would seem that EG is a cottage industry – what else are you making?
Hopefully very soon, t-shirts too!
What is happening next for Early Ghost?
We are going to be spending 2013 playing shows in support of ‘Cadaques’ and in the summer doing a small round of the festival circuit. We are already in talks for some festival bookings so they will get announced as soon as we are allowed to get the word out!
You’ve played a few festivals this year – if you could choose 3 bands to headline ‘Ghost-fest’ this Halloween who would they be?
Let’s say…Kurt Vile, Timber Timbre and The Doors with a resurrected Jim Morrison.
Regular readers of the blog will be well aware of our our love and admiration for Union Music Store. What you may not be aware of is that Union co-owner, Jamie Freeman, is a rather fine recording artist in his own right. To set that record straight we caught up with Jamie to chat about song writing, band leading and his new video.
Your debut solo album ‘Just You’, is still bearing fruit with the video release of ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’ Have you been pleased with the reception to the album?
I’ve had some great response to it, and I’m really pleased with it as a collection of songs. But we didn’t really have a plan for it, so we didn’t approach it the same way we do now with other Union artists. ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’ is actually the first proper video we’ve done for any of the album tracks.
What prompted you to release the video now?
Religion is rife with hypocrisy. The song was mainly prompted by the religious rhetoric during the Iraq war. Imagine if all those western Christian politicians actually followed just one of their God’s top-ten rules; thou shalt not kill. How different would the world be?
I’m an atheist, I think religion is bunk. That stance is only strengthened when I see how many people are prepared to bend their religions to whatever political or personal need is present at the time.
The record packs a real emotional punch – was it a challenge sharing that much of yourself in song?
The point of songwriting, for me, is to convey some emotion. Love, anger, loss, whatever it is.
I’ve written some properly sad songs, but funnily enough I got a tweet from someone who watched the video and said it moved them to tears! I hadn’t expected that, I must say, but they obviously heard something in it that touched them.
How do songs manifest in the Freeman brain-box?
Well, from my previous answers you know I’m not about to say they’re a gift from God, but they do sometimes just appear out of thin air. Often a line or a phrase will lead to an almost fully-formed song and it flows out pretty quickly. Other times I might leave an idea kicking around for months or years then really work at it. Usually the old adage ’20 percent inspiration and 80 percent perspiration’ is about right! I do try to work on the lyrics, because I can’t bear songs with sloppy lyrics, or words that are just there to fill space or make a convenient rhyme.
I know when I’ve got a lyrics right because it will often – regardless of the subject matter – make me choke up! It’s embarrassing as I often write on the train in public. I’m quite soft…
You’ve been playing live with the Jamie Freeman Agreement for a while – what’s it like being a band leader?
The band are great and it’s been really exciting, after years of playing solo, to have this bunch of people making your song come to life in a different way. It’s an amazing thing to have these actual, real-life human beings playing your songs – it’s awesome! Magic can happen when a bunch of musicians play together, you can’t beat it.
Is there an actual ‘agreement’ they need to sign-up to? Where did the name originate from?
Haha! An actual agreement, perhaps written on parchment, would be excellent. The name is just a rhyme really, it just sounds good. It’s kind of a play on the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Stevie will almost certainly remind me she came up with the name, but like all the good ideas, as band leader, they tend to become mine over time… in my head at least!
What is next on the agenda for you and the band?
A second album, once I’ve finished producing The Self Help Group’s debut album, which will be Union’s next release.
Your image is part-mod, part-cowboy has this ever led to any major fashion faux-pas?
Almost certainly! But I draw the line at cowboy boots, I’m more a brogues person!. I’m a mod, I just look for those crossover reference points; like Levis 501s or Converse for example. Amazingly I have another mod in the band now, Joe Ellis. He’s pretty hard-core, a very cool looking guy! We’re not an American band (except Jessica of course), we just play American-influenced music. In the age-old tradition of British bands!
The Beatles were trying to play American rock’n'roll, but the skiffle influence made it come out differently enough for the Americans to think it was something new. I think our folk influence means we’ll never be a ‘country’ band. That’s cool, the Americans already have that covered.
You produce your own material and you have overseen some excellent work by other artists. If you could bring in someone to ‘twiddle the knobs’ on a new Jamie Freeman record which producer would you go for & why?
Jack White would be a good candidate; he totally gets it. Or T Bone Burnett. I’m hoping to have Richard Smith produce something in his Nashville studio for the next album, he’s been offering to record something for me for ages, and he could certainly put some good pickers together for a session! Steve Earle isn’t strictly a producer but I would love to spend a while with him in the studio.
Neil Young or Bob Dylan? Why?
Neil, for me. For no particular reason, he just floats my boat more than Bob. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bob – he’s a bonafide songwriting genius. I think it’s Neil’s guitar that does it for me, electric and acoustic. As one of CSNY, Neil’s was one of my very earliest influences; my Mum played De Ja Vu a lot, so aged four I could sing along with ‘Our House’ and I assumed it was about my family home. I always wondered why we didn’t have ‘…two cats in the yard’!
If you could curate your own dream festival who is in the line-up?
I’m gonna say The Levellers, in a pathetic attempt to ingratiate myself with the Beautiful Days people! Seriously though, Neil Young and Crazy Horse would headline. Larkin Poe are there. Emmylou Harris of course. Phantom Limb would be excellent. And late on the Saturday Steve Earle invites The Agreement on stage to join him for Copperhead Road… Well, it’s my fantasy after all!
Finally, which of your tunes would you recommend people listen to as an introduction to what you and your music is all about?
Tricky… The album is fairly evenly split between the folky, English-sounding ones and the more country ones. Lilly’s Boarding House is kind of a ‘calling card’ track, but the title song ‘Just You’ is probably more representative.
We always ask what are our guests top 3 Dylan albums so, what are yours Jamie?
Let’s see… Everybody Know’s This Is Nowhere, The Beach, Rust Never Sleeps… Oh, Dylan, sorry My all-time favourite is Bringing It All Back Home; that’s the sound I was consciously going for with Thou Shalt Not Kill – Dylan going electric (did you hear the ‘Judas’ reference at the end?). After that I don’t have too strong opinions, but I do like The Times They Are A-Changing and I have a soft-spot for John Wesley Harding. You might think I’d be into Nashville Skyline, but really I’m not. It’s not a great record in my humble opinion. Don’t tell him I said that!
Thanks to Jamie for his time.
The Jamie Freeman Agreement play a FREE show tomorrow, 22nd September, at Union Music Store http://unionmusicstore.com/
Our friends at Union Music Store have been busy singing the praises of Larkin Poe since we started going into the shop. They have also been good enough to bring Rebecca and Megan to play in Lewes and Brighton on numerous occasions!
Larkin Poe aren’t a hard sell – they make beautiful records, are brilliant live, have a great band and seem like genuinely lovely people. If you add House of Hats to the live mix you, undoubtedly, have a great show on your hands. Victorsson dug out his camera for the first time since The Staves (surely a coincedence) to capture the evening. I hope you enjoy as much as we all did!
Larkin Poe are two sisters, Megan and Rebecca Lovell, who know a thing or two about writing excellent songs. They have released five EPs, all of which not only highlight their song-writing prowess, but also show an innate understanding of various genres, glorious vocals and a mastery of their instruments. To see Rebecca sing and Megan play the dobro is a very special experience – and that is why we are so excited about seeing them play again later this month. The girls are in the middle of a European tour and we are lucky that our friends at Union Music Store have managed to persuade them to come our way for a third time! If you get a chance to see them play live we would highly recommend it – if not all of the EPs are worth a listen. It is a true honour to to introduce you to Larkin Poe,
Hello Larkin Poe, how are you keeping?
Mid-way through a two month tour, I would say we’re doing very well – spirits are high and we’re happy to be in the UK!
We have been following the youtube tour diary but still cannot keep up with all your travels! Where are you at the moment?
At this moment, we are in our trusty van driving from Northampton to Oxford for a rehearsal show with Fairport Convention. We are so excited to be performing at Cropredy this coming weekend and today’s events are getting us into the Cropredy spirit!
What has been the favourite place you’ve visited this summer?
We have been touring solid for two straight months, so we have gotten the opportunity to visit a lot of amazing places… it’s really hard to choose a favorite! One of the most memorable days of the tour so far was in Lucerne, Switzerland. We performed at the Blue Balls Festival in the evening, but during the afternoon we got to swim in Lake Lucerne… Wonderfully refreshing.
…..and how about the musical highlight of your travels?
At the beginning of last month, we played a show in Hannover, Germany at The Blues Garage. The energy in the room was electric and I think everyone had an unforgettable evening.
For the uninitiated where is home and how did Larkin Poe start?
Home is Atlanta, GA. We two sisters started playing classical violin and piano at a very young age and throughout our childhood and teenage years, music became a bigger and bigger part of our lives. After attending a bluegrass festival in our mid-teens, we picked up mandolin and dobro and started playing bluegrass music as a band called The Lovell Sisters, which included our eldest sister, Jessica. The Lovell Sisters toured internationally for five years before Jessica decided to leave the group and move on to new things. We started writing songs, Megan picked up the lap steel, and at the beginning of 2010, Larkin Poe released its first album.
Having seen you play together, the strong bond between you is obvious – are there not any Oasis/Gallagher sibling bust ups when touring for so long?
The strong bond that is apparent when we’re performing isn’t just for looks – we are very, very close as sisters and are lucky to be best of friends. Of course we have small spats when we’re on the road, it would be impossible not to, but we stay away from “bust ups”… We’re a unified team (we like to think we’re soul extensions of one another), so we usually don’t have too much to argue about.
You are coming to play in Lewes soon – do you have fond memories of the town?
This will be our second time coming to play in Lewes and we are definitely looking forward to it. We have fond memories of walking through town, visiting the farmer’s market at the bridge, having lunch at La Porte’s, and of course, getting to hang out at The Union Music Store with Jamie & Stevie Freeman!
Do you write songs together? How does the process work in Larkin Poe?
Before Larkin Poe, we hadn’t really written much of our own material. But with our four seasons concept albums, we decided we wanted every song to be original and kicked our songwriting into high gear. We write both together and separately, but in the end, every song must get a stamp of approval by each of us and is arranged together with the whole band.
The dobro is unique instrument – how did Megan discover it and how much practice did it take to become such a virtuoso? Is Rebecca allowed to play it as well
When we were taking lessons on acoustic instruments, I tried banjo, mandolin, and guitar, but they never really clicked with me. Then I saw the dobro being played and my heart was stolen. When we began Larkin Poe, I also picked up the electrified lapsteel to match a more rocking sound… I love my dobro and lapsteel dearly, but Rebecca is always welcome to play them anytime she wants.
The video for ‘Play On’ is stunning – where are you? Was it fun to make?
Thank you! We made the video for ‘Play On’ in Stongfjorden, which is a beautiful small town on the west coast of Norway. We had a film crew out to film our show there, which you can view on the live dvd included with our newest album ‘Thick As Thieves’, and while we had the afternoon off we figured, “Why not? Let’s just film a music video while this film crew is here”. It was fun and relaxed filming; very casual. But we think it turned out extremely well and it has had nearly 80,000 views on YouTube!
‘This Girl’ is our current favourite Larkin Poe tune – what can you tell us about the story behind this song?
I (this is Megan speaking) wrote ‘This Girl’ after my mom and I had been talking about relationships and how important it is to treat the other person gently and with respect in a relationship. This doesn’t only apply to romantic relationships, but friendships and sibling relationships as well. The only way to be happy through hardships, this is especially meaningful to Rebecca and I on long, rough tours, is to remember that everyone has their fragile moments and to try to be kind through difficult times. I think that’s what ‘This Girl’ is trying to say; value the person you’re with.
When can we expect the next recorded output?
As soon as we get home from this tour (which will be at the beginning of September) we have plans to get into the studio to start work on our first full-length album. We’ve got piles of new songs that we’ve written and we’re impatient for people to hear them… so, ideally, as soon as possible. We hope that people will keep checking our website for updates regarding the new project.
What tunes have been keeping you going on the tour bus?
As always, Jeff Buckley’s album Grace has been on repeat; additionally, the new album from Dirty Projectors, Swing Lo Magellan. This past spring, we had the opportunity to record on the forthcoming album from Barnsley’s own, Katriona Gilmore & Jamie Roberts. The new album is called The Innocent Left, and is due out in October… but we received a pre-release copy (lucky us!) and have been playing it nonstop in our van.
I’ve seen a clip of you doing an excellent ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ cover – will you be doing anything like this at Lewes?
We’ll be drawing from a wide range of material for our show in Lewes; people should prepare for almost anything!
Any other odd covers used for sound checks?
Currently, Bon Iver’s “Perth” is a favorite for sound check… but the guys in our band – Rick Lollar (electric guitar), Chad Melton (drums), & Robby Handley (bass) – can play just about anything, so we’re always kept guessing as to what we will be jamming on.
You have been playing numerous festivals – if you were organizing your own, which 5 bands would you choose to play?
Regular blog readers will also be pleased to hear that one of our other someofitistrue faves, House of Hats, will be supporting Larkin Poe at their Lewes date.
Thanks go to Megan & Rebecca for being so generous with their time, and to Stevie for her support.
In case you were looking for some new tunes this weekend we wanted to share a few things that we’ve been enjoying here at someofitistrue.
1. Small Shipwrecks – ‘White Diamond’
We have a real soft spot for this tune which has really grown on us over the past few weeks. It’s a slow burner that builds up layer by layer, wriggling its way into your affection, before gently fading away having made its point. The point being ‘You need to listen to me again’.
The band are based in Lewes, East Sussex, and they are preparing to release their debut album Eucatastrophe. We have had a sneak preview of another track, which we like at least as much as this one, and cannot wait to hear the record and see the band live.
Please do have a listen and let us know what you think.
2. Lazy Acre Records – Norwanglish ‘An Introduction To Lazy Acre Records’
We have met lots of lovely people since we started the blog – the fine people at Lazy Acre being amongst the nicest. As the title says, this album provides you with an overview of what Lazy Acre are all about. There are fine tunes from the likes of blog faves Uno Moller and Stylusboy, as well as excellent songs from Bellman and Synne Eileen & The Sunbeams. Something for everybody!?!…..and it’s ‘Name your Price’ – how good is that!
Last but not least, the kind folk over at Fatea Magazine have just released there 2012 Summer Showcase. This is very new to us at someofitistrue, so new that we haven’t had time to listen to it all the way through! However, these guys know a thing or two about music so expect some traditional folk through to Indie Singer/Songwriter. Oh and it’s free as well!
When it comes to the trinity of Folk, Country and Americana my preferences have always been towards Americana, through which I then discovered Country. For some reason I’d never been that interested in folk music - in a straight shootout I would always pick Neil Young over Bob Dylan. Things move on and although I cannot see a time when Bob beats Neil, I have started to immerse myself in finding out more about Folk music. One of the key reasons for this is seeing Josienne and Ben playing live at Union Music Store (an awesome event in conjunction with Bob’s Folk Show& Record Store Day). They only played a fifteen minute set, but I was blown away by Josienne’s beautiful voice and Ben’s amazing guitar. I have since become a fan of their second album The Seas Are Deep and have my pre-order in for new EP Homemade Heartache (the tune of the same name even sounds a bit country!).
I hope you like what you read and please do take the time to listen to Josienne and Ben’s music.
What are your musical backgrounds? Has ‘folk’ always been your genre of choice?
JOSIENNE: From the age of about 3 I was convinced I was a fantastic singer. My parents inform me back then I was average at best, however they did not discourage me from bursting into song at the slightest provocation. I was heavily involved in all things musical at school and then aged 15 I started having formal, classical singing lessons; I also took up the tenor saxophone. I went off to university believing I wanted to be a classical singer, but a few disastrous recitals knocked that notion right out of my head. I had started to do a bit of songwriting while at university, and realising that it was less work and more fun I thought it more my thing. Folk music has always been a genre that I’ve been drawn to because of its often dark subject matter, its wordiness and the element of storytelling appeals to me both as a singer and a songwriter.
BEN: For me, I started classical guitar lessons at the age of 6. I continued with them up through the grades, but reached the usual teenage thing of wanting to play louder and heavier, so started playing (steel string) acoustic and electric aswell. My parents, I think, tried to influence me a bit by taking me to see the region’s local guitar celebrity, Gordon Giltrap, at the town arts centre, which is where my interest in folk and fingerstyle guitar was probably first picked up. I didn’t really do much guitar playing whilst at uni, and spent too much time studying (Maths) and making very mediocre electronic music! After university I played in a few indie bands, and eventually met Josienne who suggested I listen to Fairport Convention… Folk was always there in the background, but never something I’d embraced much beyond the odd bit of fingerstyle guitar.
Your last released collaboration ‘The Seas are Deep’ was an album of ‘traditional’ folk songs – how did you go about choosing the songs?
JOSIENNE: Most were ones that we’d heard other people perform, that resonated with us in some way – usually because they’re quite sad! Ben was keen to put on an instrumental piece he’d taken from a Celtic guitar album, and I begrudgingly allowed him to, mainly because then we could use the title “The Seas Are Deep” as the title for the album! Silver Dagger we stole from Martha Tilston – we saw her do it with solo violin at St Giles’ Church, processing down the aisle, so switched violin for mandolin.
BEN: Some of them were new tunes that we hadn’t ever played and just needed arranging. Hares on The Mountain, for example, was something off the Davey Graham/Shirley Collins album – he does this basic guitar thing which I ended up pulling apart and playing it with a more involved guitar line.
I have seen you only briefly live, is it an intense experience like the record?
JOSIENNE: Yes – a lot of people say it’s much more intense than the record. We tend to choose quite gut-wrenchingly melancholy tunes, and then play them in quite a gut-wrenchingly melancholy way! So yes, quite intense.
BEN: I think live it’s a lot different. With the CD it’s easy to talk over or ignore, whilst when we’re sat in front of you it’s hard not to get caught up in the moment.
You are based in London, is there a big ‘folk’ scene? Where should people go to see good folk music?
JOSIENNE: In short, yes. There are various pockets for every flavour of folk. The Lantern Society is a bi-monthly night at The Betsey Trotwood that is much more Americana and Country-infused, whereas somewhere like The Goose Is Out or The Green Note tend towards the more traditional.
BEN: There’s loads going on for every interpretation of the word “folk” – the bigger London-based acts tend towards and around nights run by The Magpie’s Nest, which deals with more folk and anti-folk. Newer acts, especially the younger ones, can be found at The Folkroom, a night I help run every other Wednesday in The Queen’s Head on Acton Street.
What are you working on at the moment?
JOSIENNE: We’re working on our new EP, “Homemade Heartache” – out on July 21st comprising of four folk/country tracks. Our previous two releases were quite traditional in essence, and quite intense in mood. This EP was meant to be a short respite from the doom and gloom we have previously been pedalling! There’s no denying that’s what we’re best at, but it’s not all we want to do.
BEN: We’ve just finished a free download to go with Homemade Heartache – a cover of Gillian Welch’s “I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll”, which kind of completes the circle. There’s a lot of Gillian and Dave in the EP, since we’re both massive fans of theirs, and by adding a straight cover is pretty much a hat-tip to those that have influenced our writing. Oh, and mandolin practice.
Do you have recurring themes that come up in your own songs/lyrics?
JOSIENNE: Yes: loneliness, misery and death. In seriousness though, I do seem to tend towards the melancholy, and “love and the loss of it” is a recurring theme throughout my songwriting. It’s not that I’m a terribly sad person, it’s that sad songs are easier to write than happy ones.
Ben tweets a lot about the records he is listening to – do you share tastes? Who are your personal favourites?
JOSIENNE: We have a record collection in common, then a massive divergence! In common, probably Fairport Convention, Joan Baez, Nick Drake, Johnny Cash, Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings, Old Crow Medicine Show, CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Martin Simpson/June Tabor, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello. Personally, I love Peter Green, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, Don Mclean, Eddie Reader and Fairground Attractiion…more modern like Sons Of Noel And Adrian, Pete Greenwood, Kings Of Convenience
BEN: Ummm…. the usual guitar-like things: I’m a big fan of Gilmour, Knopfler etc, a lot of the folkier things like Nic Jones, Pierre Bensusan, Gordon Giltrap, whilst new things tend to be eclectic. Squarepusher’s Ufabulum arrived recently and has been in heavy rotation. I’m also a fan of The White Stripes, lots of things from Warp (Boards of Canada, Aphex and the like) and was recently introduced to Erased Tapes Records, which I suspect I may be looking to get into much more heavily.
Ben – who are your favourite singers and why?
BEN: Josienne Clarke. She’s sitting next to me??!!!?!? Jeff Buckley, because he’s the only other singer I’ve heard that brings a lump to the throat.
Josienne – who are your favourite guitarists and why?
JOSIENNE: When first asked this question I naturally thought of Ben, he plays the guitar exactly how I would like to be able to, but that doesn’t make for a very interesting answer so in second place there is Peter Green; I know he’s a blues guitarist, but he’s really the only one who’s guitar playing alone I’ve got in any way involved with.
One record you both love?
Leige and Leif by Fairport Convention (obviously)
How did you find each other?
BEN: She was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar.
JOSIENNE: I still work as a waitress in a cocktail bar, but that’s not how we met.
BEN: I was playing electric guitar in a relatively non-descript indie band, who were having some mixes done by a friend of Josienne’s. I’d popped over to collect a hard drive and was playing some Bert Jansch on the chap’s Martin guitar to pass the time. The question was then asked if I could play acoustic like that, what was I doing in a crap indie band! I replied that I didn’t know any folk singers, and he promptly introduced me to Josienne. We did our first gig a month later.
For those looking for an introduction to Josienne & Ben, what two tracks best sum up your output to date?
JOSIENNE + BEN: “Hares On The Mountain” and “Done”
What are your 3 fave Dylan albums?
JOSIENNE: The Times They Are a-Changin’, Freewheelin’, and Bringin’ It All Back Home
BEN: There’s a great bootleg of the Halloween concert that’s probably my favourite thing of his that isn’t strictly his – amazing duet with Joan doing “Mama You’ve Been On My Mind” which is way up there. Then Highway 61, then Times They Are a Changin’.
This week someofitistrue are very pleased to bring you a band on the brink of releasing their debut album. Hatful of Rain are creating a positive buzz with their first video and have also received airplay on Bob Harris’ radio show. Phil Jones from the band kindly chats to us about how the band got together, making the record, the band’s influences and what the future holds.
Good day Hatful of Rain. How are you? Where are you and, what are you up too?
We are getting ready for our album launch on 30th May, which is sadly now sold out! Shame we didn’t get a bigger venue! There’s been a lot of interest in the album, following the release of the official video on YouTube and it’s very exciting.
We all have day jobs and families. Chloe is studying for her midwifery degree, I’ve just come back from playing in Paris with another band and James has just returned from playing in Mexico with the Balanescu Quartet.
Tell us about how the members of Hatful of Rain came to be in a band together.
In 2009 I met Chloe at the Shoreham-on-Sea folk day. I had done my set and was getting some – ahem – some refreshments and Chloe came on. It was pretty noisy there and the sound system wasn’t quite up to the job, but I could still tell that she had a fabulous presence and a lovely voice. On that day she was accompanied by Ben McGuire on banjo, who was in the Hatfuls for a while and plays on the first EP before heading off to do other musical things. I introduced myself and they obviously saw past my rather overly refreshed demeanour and soon we were playing together.
At the same event the following year, Fred was playing with his other band Porchlight Smoker and Chloe and I were performing as a duo. Fred offered to play some mandolin with us and I brought along James to our first rehearsal with Fred. James and I had played together some years previously in a Cajun/Old Time band called The Crawfish Scrapers with Dave Simner, now of the Curst Sons and fiddle maker Vince Purcell. That first rehearsal was fabulous. Fred and James can really pick and the interplay between them was fabulous. Chloe and I had to pinch ourselves to believe we’d managed to recruit two such fabulous musicians.
I’ve heard you described as Bluegrass, British Folk, Appalachian – all terms I’m aware of but don’t really understand – how do you describe yourselves?
Well those are certainly are our influences! Being and sounding British is important to us and we are looking to retain that in the sound whilst staying true to the classic stringband format. We aren’t bluegrass as we don’t have a Scruggs style banjo sound, although the rhythms are all there and James and Fred trade licks like the bluegrass guys.
The name, ‘Hatful of Rain’ conjures many images – why did you choose the name and what does it mean to you?
“Got a head full of lightning and a hatful of rain”, from the Tom Waits song Long Way Home. Yes it’s got a melancholy feel to it, but we’re actually very cheerful!
How did the link up with the Union Music Store record label come about?
Well Jamie and Stevie are real afficionados of all things rootsy – we couldn’t have escaped their attention for long! They’d come along to a few of our gigs and soon we got to talking. They’d released Jamie’s album and an EP by Zoe Brownrigg and we liked them both. They had a good business background and an enthusiasm for what we were up to which was hard to resist! They have brought so much to the project and really helped us attract attention – we wouldn’t be speaking to you now if it wasn’t for Union Music Store.
You can only save 5 records from your collection…..what would they be?
Sorry did you say 50 ? This is really difficult! My 5 would be “Time The Revelator” by Gillian Welch, “Sticky Fingers” by the Stones, Dylan’s “Blood On The Tracks”, “Heartbreaker” by Ryan Adams and “Be Good to Yourself at Least Once a Day” by childhood favourites and Welsh psychedelic pioneers Man – good advice too J.
You now have a video for ‘Way On Up The Hill’. Is this the first video you’ve made? Who was the most natural in front of the camera?
I’m fairly new to videos, there are a couple, but I’m not telling you where you can see them (no, not that sort of video..) Chloe was wonderful in front of the camera, all first take stuff and she sells the song just enough but no more. I couldn’t keep a straight face.
Your debut album is out soon. What’s it all about?
Well hopefully it sounds coherent – as if it’s produced by the same people – but I don’t know if it’s about anything other than us having a great time. If anything, it reflects us finding our feet together. We are already looking forward to recording the second. In many ways the feel of the record is influenced by Jamie and Stevie, particularly the sleeve, the video and their help in the final aspects of recording and the track listing. Chloe has written most of the songs, one with James who contributes one instrumental. Fred brought “Welcome to the Family”, which is a tender song about family dysfunction, whilst mine in “Rockin’ Chair Daddy” is a bit autobiographical – about growing up in Wales, loving American music.
The hidden gem is Chloe’s “Exit Song” which, at this moment no-one to my knowledge has played on the radio. The first time I heard it sitting at her kitchen table I had to get the hankie out – it’s one of the most beautiful song of love-lost I’ve ever heard. I really hope no-one ever plays it to Simon Cowell.
Are the songs new or ones you’ve been playing for a while?
Bit of a mixture, none had been around for more than a year.
How does the song writing process work within the band?
Chloe wrote most of the songs for the album with contributions from the rest of us on particular tracks. Whoever writes the song, the process seems similar. The writer fetches up to rehearsal with the lyrics, melody and chord patterns and the whole band does the arrangement, adds instrumental flourishes, etc.
How difficult was it harnessing the energy of a live performance within the confines of an album?
We recorded the album in a converted barn, which was nice because it allowed us to play mostly live. Recording always involves that dynamic of energy, whilst playing with sufficiently accuracy to meet the demands of repeated listening. We were delighted to be helped by Simon Scardinelli who recorded the album on his Dr Scardo’s mobile unit, which worked very well. We were pretty relaxed about the whole thing and had a good time, which was in part due to Simon’s steadying influence and forensic ears!
Hatful of Rain are hosting a festival – which 5 acts would you ask to play with you?
Do they have to be alive? If not Hank Williams, Gram Parsons, Sandy Denny, Lowell George and Elvis.
What does the rest of 2012 have in store?
Reaching more audiences by getting out and gigging. Finishing writing the second album. Playing at a couple of great festivals – I’m particularly looking forward to being on the same bill as Jason Ringenberg, Otis Gibbs and the Toy Hearts at Maverick Festival at the end of June (29th, 30th & 1st July).
Anyone who knows me well will have heard me singing the praises of Union Music Store in Lewes over the past 12 months. Of the many artists they have introduced me to, local girl Zoë Brownrigg has proved one of the most interesting. Obviously standing out as the only female in the excellent Early Ghost, Zoë has also released her first solo EP ‘Not Once Did I See Your Face’. Her strong yet ethereal voice, ear for a great melody and always interesting songwriting, make the EP a real gem.
Zoë very kindly agreed to have a chat with someofitistrue. I hope you like what you read and please do give Zoë’s EP a listen.
How did the solo EP come to be?
Well I had been gigging the songs for a couple of months, when I managed to secure an in-store at the Union Music Store in Lewes – a shiny, new shop selling country/folk/Americana CDs, instruments and their paraphernalia. I played my usual set with my partner Sam Allan accompanying with various instruments (mandolin, second guitar, hand clapping, etc) and apparently caught the attention of the owners, Jamie and Stevie Freeman. Pretty soon after we were discussing recording and releasing me on their label. Following a couple of months plotting, scheming and recording it was released on September 10th 2011.
It has a very fine cover – did you design it yourself? What does the mask symbolise?
Why thank you! Sam took the cover shot in his living room and then edited it to get that floaty misty-pink feel. I’m wearing the mask to mirror the title ‘Not Once Did I See Your Face’ (which is a line taken from the song ‘Ahead of us Yet’) which reflects on how, certainly in my dreams, people’s faces tend to be ever-changing or perhaps not there at all and yet you can have a really strong sense of who that person is.
What, to you, is the pivotal song on the EP and why?
Although quite a simple song, I think ‘Smooth Edged Stone’ has a particular significance on the EP- it has quite a strong message of independence and determination. I think it also sums up the sound of my first couple of years as a musician with the use of harmonies and finger picking.
Your song writing seems way beyond your years – any ideas why?
Isn’t it true that everyone’s maturing quicker these days? However, I have read a lot from a young age; fantasy or period novels taking centre stage. I think I learnt quite quickly that sometimes you don’t want to read or hear about normal, every-day stuff, that poetic language provides a beautiful escapism. I love finding my own meanings in other people’s songs and I hope people can find theirs in mine.
What is going to be your next musical output?
Well, alongside recording a debut album with my other musical project Early Ghost- a six piece experimental-folk-rock-type-thingy band, I’m writing for a second solo EP which I think will have a slightly different sound; I want to experiment with different instruments and effects and try and give a bit more ‘atmosphere’ to my songs. I think I’ll also go under a more inclusive name, like a band name, as I want to start collaborating a lot more and think ‘Zoe Brownrigg’ is too limiting almost, I want it to be a group effort.
Is Lewes a good place to be for an aspiring musician?
It’s certainly a nice, safe little cubby-hole to incubate creativity in- there are limited venues (some pubs, a converted church and the Union Music Store’s shop window), but they’re comforting and familiar and there’s a strong community spirit in Lewes- especially when it comes to music. There’s also a convenient rail line to Brighton or, if you’re feeling really brave, London. But it’s always nice to come back to Lewes.
Who are your key influences as a songwriter?
I honestly don’t know, as I don’t think I can hear much of the artists I listen to in my songs! But I suppose it must come from somewhere, so I’ll list some of the artists I’ve listened to a lot over my song-writing years so; Jose Gonzales, Johnny Flynn, Beirut, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver and Laura Marling. Of course, I didn’t grow up listening to these songs so they are recent influences, I could play the usual ‘The Beatles, Nick Drake, Bob Dylan’ cards as they were frequently played by my dad in the times before I discovered S Club 7 and the usual pre-teen rubbish. But I think I preferred jumping and dancing on the table to his various compilation albums such as ‘We Love Life’ or the 60s classics ‘Peace and Protest’.
What were your favourite Albums of 2011?
The Middle East - I Want That You Are Always Happy
Paul Thomas Saunders – Lilac and Wisteria
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
Ever thought of auditioning for X Factor?
No.
Any New Year’s resolutions you are still managing to keep?
No.
What are your hopes and fears for 2012?
I wouldn’t want to start the year with any fears! I never think about limitations, only what I want to achieve. Over this year, I’m hoping to release a second EP and be part of a house concert tour of the UK.
Zoë’s EP ‘Not Once Did I See Your Face’ is out now on the Union Music Store record label www.unionmusicstore.com
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