Amelia’s Magazine | Sound It Out: an interview with Jeanie Finlay

sounditout by Sarah Jayne
Illustration by Sarah-Jayne Brain

Record shops have always been a particular haunt of mine – from my (short-lived) days as a superstar student DJ when I’d go on the hunt for Friday night floor fillers for the student union, to my weekly shopping expeditions to the much missed Selectadisc in Nottingham to boost my Bowie collection, right up to the present – rummaging through the record racks in such establishments as Rough Trade and Sister Ray.

Being a record geek, I naturally had to check out a new documentary which I’d heard had been made about a small independent record shop in the North East (at a time when such shops are disappearing at an alarming rate), especially when it was then premiered at this year’s SXSW in Austin, Texas, and subsequently became the official film for Record Store Day 2011, picking up plaudits along the way! That film is Sound It Out, by Jeanie Finlay, and it follows the trials and tribulations of running Sound It Out Records, an independent record shop (the last one, in fact) in Stockton-on-Tees.

Sound It Out by Jeanie Finlay
All photography courtesy of Jeanie Finlay.

I caught a screening of the film at Rough Trade East a while ago, which was followed by a Q&A with Jeanie Finlay and a typically robust performance by Stockton’s Chapman Family (who also contributed to the soundtrack). It’s a funny, touching piece, and it’s more than a just film about a record shop, it’s also about a love of music, and what it means to the community that gathers around the shop, and about the larger community, in Stockton, as well.

YouTube Preview Image

Amelia’s Magazine posed a few questions to Jeanie Finlay about the documentary.

What inspired you to make the documentary? Is the finished film how you imagined it when you first started, or has it taken on a life of its own?
Sound It Out is a documentary portrait about the very last record shop in Teesside, Sound It Out Records, Stockton-on-Tees. It’s a film about music and passion and collecting, all encased in a tiny shop on a small street in the place where I grew up. I went to school with Tom (the shop owner) and although Sound It Out isn’t a shop from my formative years (Alan Fearnley’s RIP) it was clear how much the shop meant to people when I’d go in to visit. It seemed like the perfect place to make a film about what music means to people and about the North East, about my home. Over the last five years a record shop has closed in the UK every three days so it seemed important to document Sound It Out in all its glory. It’s the first film I’ve made on my own – I usually work with a crew. For Sound It Out I wanted to just start shooting, just me and the camera and see what happened. I sensed there was a film to be made in the story of the shop but I really wasn’t sure until long into the shoot. I needed to find out by just doing it. All the way through, from the filming, edit, design and distribution I’ve just tried to follow my gut instinct and go with it.

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay girl

Was it easy to persuade Tom to let you film in the shop? It must have been a bit of an unexpected request!
He was totally open and gave me complete access to the shop. The filming was a bit of a novelty at first and then I think it just became normal. When I’m filming things get good when it just feels boring – everyone has got so used to me filming that it’s not anything out of the ordinary. I’m just that girl in the corner with the camera. Tom was the only person I knew before I started and it was really interesting getting to know the regulars and deciding who the film would focus on. I was totally drawn to the shyer people who came in.

You get a few candid interviews with a lot of the regulars in the shop. Was that intended, to capture the ‘person behind the record buyer’, or was it something that just happened naturally?
I’m always interested in getting to know people ‘on camera’. The people I met were very candid and generous with what they shared. My films are always pretty personal and aim to find a glimmer of the person inside. I hope that people come away from the film feeling like they’ve got to know the people they’ve met on screen, for a moment. I’m not just interested in music – I’m interested in what it means to people and how it moves them. For me – music is powerful because other people’s lyrics and sounds can tell the story of our lives in a way that could be hard to articulate with words alone.

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay

Were you surprised by the critical reception Sound It Out received? And what did Tom and the customers think when they first saw it?
I was really nervous to show the film to Tom and the customers but they all seem to have taken the film to their hearts. Tom had been at a rough cut viewing but the first time he saw the finished film was the world premiere at SXSW, Austin. I was so overwhelmed after I did my introduction I burst into tears. I then just sat back in my seat and watched the audience. They were incredibly warm and Tom ended up on stage giving out advice on the best way to clean records. It was an amazing day. Since then the critical reaction has been kind of crazy. I originally imagined that I would do a small DVD run of the film and sell it in Tom’s shop. The film’s played at festivals all over the world. We’re now looking at a UK theatrical release and putting out a soundtrack EP on vinyl. We did a weeks run in NYC last week and got reviewed in the New York Times. I could not have predicted any of this:

Ms. Finlay’s smartly assembled film is an affectionate portrait of a shrinking group of record collectors under technological siege… Like a mint pressing in a bargain bin SOUND IT OUT is a rare find. Sweet.‘ (Daniel M. Gold, THE NEW YORK TIMES)

I don’t think it’s a film for everyone but the people that do like it seem to really like it.

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay man

Teesside has got a pretty vibrant music scene, and you include tracks by a few local artists (such as the Chapman Family, Das Wanderlust and Soviet Disco) in the film. Do you think that the area’s environment has helped create a distinct Teesside sound?
Totally… absolutely. Das Wanderlust makes me think of the strange landscapes of my youth and I love the moody, brooding sounds of the Chapman Family. Teesside runs through their music like words through Brighton Rock.

You’re currently trying to raise funds to get Sound It Out a full UK cinema release. With record shops still in a perilous position, are you hoping to inspire more people to support their local stores?
My film has been made with blood, sweat, tears and the support of (so far) 329 backers on crowd-funding website Indiegogo.com. It’s a micro budget film and we crowd-funded the shoot, the post production and when we got into SXSW we raised enough to get there for the premiere. It’s been like running a sponsored swim with a film as the goal and backers picking perks in exchange for their support. We’re now trying to finish our DIY story by raising enough to take the film to 30 cinemas across the UK. If we reach our goal of $10,000 we will unlock BFI P&A funding which will make it happen. Supporters can choose a limited edition 7” gatefold DVD with a baby blue vinyl soundtrack EP, a tour of the shop, a portable record player or bring the film to their own home. We still have a way to go but I’m hopeful. Each $ pledged gets us that little bit nearer – it’s the power of the crowd! I really do hope that people make the most of their local record shops. One of the pleasures of working on this film has been visiting some amazing shops. If you don’t use it – it will go, forever! We’re planning to hook up with local record shops when we take the film to cinemas. Get people in there buying something surprising.

After all the promotional work for Sound It Out, do you have any other projects in the pipeline?
Yes! Two new films, both feature documentaries – The Great Hip Hop Hoax (for BBC Scotland and Storyville), a film about LA hip hop act Silibil n’ Brains. No one knew they were Scottish, with fake American accents and made-up identities and ORION: The man who would be King, the rise and fall of a masked singer on Sun Records that tens of thousands believed was Elvis back from the grave.

Categories ,Alan Fearnley, ,austin, ,BBC, ,BFI, ,Bowie, ,brighton, ,Chapman Family, ,Das Wanderlust, ,Elvis, ,High Fidelity, ,indiegogo.com, ,Jeanie Finlay, ,New York Times, ,nottingham, ,Record Store Day, ,Record Store Day 2011, ,Rough Trade, ,Selectadisc, ,Silibil n’ Brains, ,Sister Ray, ,Sound It Out, ,Sound It Out Records, ,Soviet Disco, ,Stockton, ,Sun Records, ,sxsw, ,Teesside, ,texas, ,The Great Hip Hop Hoax

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Amelia’s Magazine | Photography Book Review: Jim Lee, Arrested

Jim Lee Arrested courtesy of Jo Reeder
‘Aeroplane’ photograph courtesy of Jo Reeder PR, all other photography by Alia Gargum

If there is one thing I could easily spend all my money on, it’s art books. Beautifully printed, embossed, collectable items of temptation that I can never seem to have enough of; I’ve had to firmly steer myself away from the bookshop section of many a gallery in order to stop me buying everything. But, I can’t help myself, and love a gorgeously bound book that will last as resource much longer than a magazine or paperback.

Jim Lee Arrested by Alia Gargum
Jim Lee Arrested by Alia Gargum

Timing nicely with his latest exhibition Ammonite Press have produced Arrested, a book about the iconic photography and film work of Jim Lee, who has changed the entire way the industry worked through his 50-year career. Having pioneered fashion photography that was about more than just the consumption of clothes, this book catalogues his most well-known and rarely seen images together in a silver-edged gem of a book.

I knew of Jim Lee‘s work through his photography for Ossie Clarke and the instantly recognisable ‘Aeroplane’ image, above, and found myself recognising more of the work as I read through the book. The large-scale pages work brilliantly for the work and layout of the book, which is presented in chapters to note each stage of Jim Lee‘s career. There is charming insight into Jim Lee‘s life and career from former Style Editor of Harpers & Queen, Peter York, and great quotes from the artist himself, such as “..some of my most successful early photographs were created with a very young fashion editor – only twenty-one – who had a surprisingly direct manner and great style: Anna Wintour…”. Besides working with Anna Wintour, Lee also collaborated with big-name designers such as Yves St Laurent, Gianni Versace and of course Ossie Clark, with work appearing in Elle, the Sunday Times magazine, Harpers & Queen and the New York Times.

Jim Lee Arrested by Alia Gargum
Jim Lee Arrested by Alia Gargum

Jim Lee also had an incredible film career, producing over 400 distinctive advertising campaigns for big-name brands like Levi’s, Elizabeth Arden, Esso and British Airways. He also produced a number of films and directed the 1992 full-length feature Losing Track, starring Alan Bates, which echoed the difficult relationship he shared with his own father.

Jim Lee Arrested by Alia Gargum
Jim Lee Arrested by Alia Gargum

What I love most about Jim Lee’s work is the stories behind the always beautiful imagery, and the fact that he was able to transfer this feel successfully to film is a testimony to his success. He still collaborates on a number of projects, and has his work displayed in a number of galleries, recently including Somerset House. As an illustrator I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy this book, but have found this collection of imagery from the 1960′s through to modern day not just inspiring but most definitely value for money. Having something a bit different and beautifully made as a part of my reference library makes a change from the tons of saved magazines, blogs and online mood boards. I’m a fan.

Jim Lee Arrested by Alia Gargum
Jim Lee Arrested by Alia Gargum

Jim Lee- Arrested is available to purchase online through Ammonite Press and in-store at Harrods, Selfridges and other major book retailers.

Categories ,Ammonite Press, ,Anna Wintour, ,Arrested, ,Book Review, ,British Airways, ,Elizabeth Arden, ,Elle Magazine, ,fashion, ,film, ,Harpers and Queen, ,Jim Lee, ,Jo Reeder PR, ,levis, ,New York Times, ,Ossie Clark, ,photography, ,Somerset House, ,Sunday Times Style Magazine, ,Versace, ,Yves Saint Laurent

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Amelia’s Magazine | Pick Me Up Graphic Arts Festival 2013: Pick Me Up Selects Review

Pick Me Up London 2013 review-MaricorMaricar donut
Banana vs Donut by MaricorMaricar.

Each year I look forward to exploring new graphic art and illustration talent at Pick Me Up, and so it was that I trundled along to Somerset House this Sunday, skirting the Marathon on the Embankment to enjoy a relatively quiet visit. First up, some of my favourite pieces from Pick Me Up Selects, the opening section where new talent is given a brilliant showcase.

Pick Me Up London 2013 review-MaricorMaricar banana
MaricorMaricar are twins who work out of Sydney in Australia – I loved their beautiful typography created with delicate embroidery, but my favourite pieces had to be their tiny artworks featuring surreal images and puns. A banana doing a somersault through a donut? Why not?!

Pick Me Up London 2013 review-Tom Edwards lion
University of Brighton graduate Tom Edwards displayed a whole wall of domestic cats and wildcats – a big hit with Snarfle, who likes to growl at anything that could potentially be a lion.

Pick Me Up London 2013 review-Katie Scott Snake
I instantly recognised the intricate work of Katie Scott, who I first spotted at her graduate show in 2011 – she makes delicate patterned artworks that remind me of old fashioned classroom anatomical aids. I’m glad to see she’s had a busy few years, creating artwork for the likes of New York Times and Phaidon.

Pick Me Up London 2013 review- Malarky
Malarky is an interesting choice for Pick Me Up, best known to many as a street artist who paints bright big toothed animals all over walls and shop fronts in east London. We couldn’t resist a little print titled Hotpot Snottini, which features one of his beasties inside a 70s casserole dish. Strange and wonderful.

Pick Me Up London 2013 review- PingsZoo
Ping Zhu goes by the very apt moniker Ping’s Zoo – loved this jungle scene, erupting with animal activity. As a follower mentioned on instagram, I love how you don’t see all the beasties straight away.

Pick Me Up London 2013 review- Hattie Stewart
We will be posting an exclusive interview with self confessed professional doodler Hattie Stewart shortly. Hattie channels the spirit of pop artists such as Keith Haring to transform glossy high fashion magazine. The likes of Vogue, Pop and Love are given outrageous makeovers, the models acquiring colourful leopard print skin and cartoonish eyes.

Pick Me Up London 2013 review- Daniel Frost
I was struck by a wall of marvellous miniatures by RCA graduate Daniel Frost, who works his stick figures in bold primary colours. Each little vignette and model is a part of his imaginary Frostville, where the strangeness of everyday life is celebrated.

Pick Me Up London 2013 review- William Goldsmith
Delicate watercolour people populate narrative illustrations by the Glasgow based William Goldsmith – these are a sneak peak at pages which feature in his upcoming graphic novel The Bind.

Pick Me Up London 2013 review-Rob Flowers squid king
The popularity of risograph prints shows no sign of waning, and their instantly recognisable muted neon colour palette was present throughout Pick Me Up. We were so smitten with this Squid King that we bought him, a bargain at £10. Rob Flowers (above and below) is inspired by mythology, folklore, early fast food merchandising and the surreal. His wall was a riot of monsters and mushrooms in a zingy range of colours.

Pick Me Up London 2013 review- Rob Flowers mushroom
Above I have covered the artists whose artworks I captured reasonably well in photos (not easy, when trying to carry a squealing baby at the same time, I’ve discovered), but there are many more of mention: fabulous Kama Sutra inspired typography by Malika Favre, surreal 3D installations by Anna Lomax, brilliant crayon portraits by Damien Florébert Cuypers, stunning retro style minimalist art inspired by everyday activities (such as painting toenails) from Sarah Vanbelle and delicate dreamlike fantasy environments by You Byun. Coming soon: my round up of the best of the rest of Pick Me Up. Make sure you catch the last few days if you haven’t already been: full listing hereRead last year’s review of Pick Me Up Selects here.

Categories ,Anna Lomax, ,Damien Florébert Cuypers, ,Daniel Frost, ,Frostville, ,Graphic Art, ,Hattie Stewart, ,Hotpot Snottini, ,illustration, ,Kama Sutra, ,Katie Scott, ,keith haring, ,Malarky, ,Malika Favre, ,MaricorMaricar, ,New York Times, ,phaidon, ,Pick Me Up, ,Pick Me Up Selects, ,Ping Zhu, ,Pings Zoo, ,rca, ,Risograph, ,Rob Flowers, ,Sarah Vanbelle, ,Snarfle, ,Somerset House, ,Squid King, ,sydney, ,The Bind, ,Tom Edwards, ,University of Brighton, ,William Goldsmith, ,You Byun

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with photographer Andrew Meredith

stomach Cuba 2009″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-21008″ />
Havana, buy information pills Cuba 2009

How do you define good travel photography? I’m not sure what other people think but for me, it’s an image that beckons with its infusion of colours, seduces with its ambience and caresses with an intriguing subject matter. It’s not so much about capturing something divinely exotic as it is about viewing an unfamiliar and mystical part of the world through the window of a photographer’s lens. I’ve always been allured by such landscapes which is why I recently found myself trekking across London on a constipated District Line in the blistering heat, to check out photographer Andrew Meredith’s new exhibition, ‘Excursions’.

I came across Andrew’s work a few months ago when I was writing up my Pete Fowler interview, which he kindly provided the images for. A nosy parker by nature, I couldn’t help but Google stalk him. The search results threw up an impressive website, with an even more impressive portfolio.


Santiago, Chile 2008

Counting big names like Selfridges, Chanel and Anya Hindmarch as his clients, The Falmouth College of Art graduate has worked on numerous projects, including one entitled ‘The Slaughtermen’ for OnOffice Magazine, featuring a day in a life of an abattoir worker. This subsequently led to Andrew winning the 2008 ‘Best in Book’ Category for the Creative Review’s Photography Annual. Amongst other photography award nominations, Andrew’s credits include Kanye West’s Late Orchestration album cover and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue Russia and Frame Magazine amongst several other well-known magazine titles.


Santiago, Chile 2008

Having exhibited at galleries across London over the past eight years, Andrew’s latest project, ‘Excursions’, spans two years’ of travels across the Americas and the Caribbean. Now before you start visualising cheesy smiles in front of Machu Picchu, bottom shuffling down Chichen Itza or staring moodily into the distance with a vintage Cohiba in the Plaza de la Revolución a la Che, the photographer has decidedly taken a less conventional approach by capturing less familiar, deserted and occasionally dilapidated landscapes in favour of popular picture perfect landmarks.

Describing the exhibition’s theme, Andrew explains: “Excursions is a photographic journey through Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba and America to document every day scenes that are far removed from our own. The route I took was mainly by road, impulsive and unplanned and avoiding all the obvious tourist traps along the way.”

The result is an honest and raw photographic essay that pitches the beauty of nature amongst rugged urban landscapes. Having developed a deep bond with Chile, Andrew will also be auctioning signed and framed images of the Santiago stills, with all proceeds going towards the Global Givings Relief Fund for Earthquake in Chile to help rebuild regions that were hit hardest by the earthquake earlier this year.

On a balmy summer evening, we caught up with the photographer at a private view of his exhibition to find out more about his travel encounters…


Santiago, Chile 2008

Your new exhibition is entitled ‘Excursions’. Is there any particular reason why South America is the focal point of these excursions?
I originally went to Chile for my friend Erwin’s wedding in Santiago, but couldn’t help feeling excited about exploring the city. It reminded me of scenes from Alec Soth’s book ‘Dog Days in Bogata’ where he finds himself in Colombia’s capital, waiting to adopt his first child. As he found himself with time on his hands, he decided to document his surroundings as a future reminder of his new daughter’s birthplace.

Based on this idea, I too felt compelled to start documenting the trip and pretty soon we started going off further south of Santiago to places like Chiloe, Pucon, Osorno, Villarrica and Temuco. The fact it was South America was a complete accident; I was merely a traveler passing through. We went off the beaten track and immersed ourselves in the exploration, finding skeletons in forests and tiny villages along the way as well as those impressive cityscapes too. We had some time to fly out to Buenos Aires where I found other types of landscape, greyer than in Chile – a lot more concrete and crumbly. It struck me that the further we went, the more differences we were exposed to and before my eyes, a project started to unravel and evolve the further we traveled.


Buenos Aires, Argentina 2008

Did you literally stumble across your subjects or did you have an idea of what you wanted to shoot beforehand?
I had no preconceptions about Chile and Argentina. I had seen some beautiful holiday pictures taken in the southern parts of the countries, but they were never the kind of images I would like to have captured myself. What I found most interesting were the ramshackle and crumbly parts of the city, with power cables overflowing to the far corners of the buildings. That impressed me the most in a downtrodden dirty kind of way!

Where Cuba was concerned, we all have stereotypical ideas of what Havana looks like; the fine 1950s cars, gents smoking cigars, and a city that is crumbling faster then one can refurbish – I wanted to avoid all of that. My first night in Havana ended up being in this huge hotel which was pretty horrible. However, at about midnight when I looked out of the window, there was this incredible view of darkness with vibrant streams of light blazing through it. It was a beautiful moment as the night sky appeared as if it were on fire.


Pucon, Chile 2008

Your photos are mainly of landscapes opposed to people – was this a conscious decision?
I get a real sense of calm from observing landscapes and cityscapes. Being able to view it from up high above, looking down is endlessly interesting to me. At that distance, you cannot see people’s faces or their problems; all you can see are things moving around in the distance unaware that they are being photographed. I guess I’m sort of a voyeur, although not in a pervy sense! There was definitely an element of escapism for me around capturing images of landscapes. Hopefully through viewing my work, my audience might also join me in feeling that way too.

You mentioned that you wanted to avoid tourist traps – other then the landscapes being less recognisable, what were you hoping to portray in these photographs?
As a tourist, you are often only shown certain things. As a result, I end up feeling as if I’m being led around on a lead most of the time. I don’t like the idea of tours only passing by the attractions which people assume you’d be most interested to see. By avoiding all the tours and tourist traps, I was able to encounter landscapes less manipulated by mankind, which was much more appealing to me. My surroundings seemed to possess a purer beauty.


Tulum, Mexico 2009

Were there any challenges you faced whilst shooting abroad?
The first few days in Havana were incredibly hard work where everyone just seemed to be after your money. I guess it comes with being a tourist but I experienced this more in Havana than anywhere else I’ve ever been. I know that people just need the money so they can work towards a better life than what the Communist government will hand to them but it felt abusive at times. I just knew we had to get away from there and go further afield to avoid the tourism.

Other obvious challenges were language barriers and differences in culture. I have a basic grasp of Spanish so I could get by some of the time. Luckily I have a few fluent Spanish speaking friends who were able to help me along the way, although mostly they were useful for teaching me offensive Spanish phrases and swear words!

Was there a country in South America which really stood out during your travels? If so – why?
Most of the countries I shot during this project were so different. For example, Tulum in Mexico was initially like a paradise until you walked a mile around the coast to find, what seemed like, an invisible gate to a much more deprived and semi-built landscape. There were dirty beaches with truck tyres and rubbish washed up on the sand and shelters abandoned half-way through being built.

Overall, my favourite country was Chile. It was my inspiration for the whole project and I saw some wonderful places and met some amazing people. It gave me access to some of the most impressive landscapes I’ve ever captured due to the sheer diversity and scale. Another reason for it holding a special place in my heart is the fact that I was able to see and document Chile before the earthquake in February and it saddens me to think of the landscape being so different now. I feel incredibly strongly about trying to give something back to the people and the landscape that allowed me to capture those images in the first place, which is why some of the stills will be available for auction.


Santiago, Chile 2008

What’s next for you?
I would love to explore other South American countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, Peru and the Falkland Islands. The next chapter of ‘Excursions’ will happen at some point.

The next place on my list though that I am keen to visit has got to be Hong Kong. I love the landscape, the tall buildings, the light, the thick air and the density. Running alongside this, I would also like to visit the Svalbard Islands deep in the Arctic Circle, miles off the Norwegian coast. It’s the most northern town in the world and one of the least populated places in the world. I think I can draw on some pretty interesting contrasts between Hong Kong and Svalbard…

‘Excursions’ by Andrew Meredith is running until 10th July at The Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, London W6 9RL.

A very limited edition, signed and framed Santiago, Chile 2008 portrait will be autioned with all proceeds going to Global Givings Relief Fund for the Earthquake in Chile. For more information, see here.

All photographs courtesy of Andrew Meredith.

Categories ,Alec Soth, ,Andrew Meredith, ,Anya Hindmarch, ,Arctic Circle, ,Argentina, ,Bolivia, ,brazil, ,Buenos Aires, ,chanel, ,Che, ,Chichen Itza, ,chile, ,Chiloe, ,Cohiba, ,Creative Review, ,Cuba, ,Dog Days in Bogota, ,Falkland Islands, ,Falmouth College of Art, ,Frame Magazine, ,Global Givings Relief Fund, ,Guyana, ,Havana, ,Hong Kong, ,Kanye West, ,Kat Phan, ,Manchu Picchu, ,mexico, ,New York Times, ,OnOffice Magazine, ,Osorno, ,Peru, ,Pete Fowler, ,Plaza del la Revolucion, ,Pucon, ,Santiago, ,Selfridges, ,Svalbard, ,Temuco, ,The Slaughtermen, ,Tulum, ,Venezuela, ,Villarrica, ,Vogue Russia

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Illustrator Andy Rementer

Andy Rementer PENCIL
I discovered the colourful and imaginative work of US based Andy Rementer at the Pick Me Up show last year. Since then he’s stayed in touch with me about new projects, and I’ve been delighted to receive the occasional surprise package in the post: sometimes good old snail mail really is the best possible way to keep in touch. After all, printed matter is my first love and there’s nothing like a gorgeous postcard, poster or zine. From window displays and animations for Kiehls to comic strips for Nobrow and duck t-shirts for Lazy Oaf, this innovative illustrator is engaged in loads of interesting projects that are bringing him to a wider audience in the UK.

Andy Rementer BANANA
What kind of feedback did you get from exhibiting at Pick Me Up last year?
The feedback and response from Pick Me Up was huge. I got a lot of positive words of support from other creatives and fans. After the show, Gavin Lucas from Creative Review wrote a nice piece about my work. Also, I have started a relationship with Nobrow, who invited me to be in their 6th issue, and am working on more projects with them as we speak. As another positive note, my work on display sold out, which hopefully means people liked it.

Andy Rementer SKITSCH_01
Andy Rementer SKITSCH_02
Andy Rementer SKITSCH_03
Andy Rementer SKITSCH_04
Tell us more about your illustrated Skitsch catalogue, how did that come about and where did your Mr. Bello character come from?
The Skitsch catalog was a project made in collaboration with Apartamento magazine. I worked with them previously on a coloring book for their 4th issue, so they were familiar with my work. Skitsch approached them to create a character and narrative around their products and designers. I think they liked my style and color palette, so they chose me to illustrate a small booklet. The Apartamento team along with Skitsch developed the idea and character traits of Mr. Bello, and I worked on the look, feel and development of him and his world. There was a lot of back and forth concerning the way everything looked, but it was worth it and I’m very happy with this project that had a lot of exposure in Milan and London.

Andy Rementer KIEHLS_01
Andy Rementer KIEHLS_02
I love Kiehl’s – but I wouldn’t necessarily put your drawing style together with the cosmetics brand. And are you a Keihls man? tell the truth now… what’s your favourite guy beauty tip?

Yes I am a Kiehl’s man! Love the shaving cream and hand cream—important to keep the drawing hand moisturized. Kiehl’s incorporates a lot of illustration actually, so while my work may be surprising at first, I feel it fits in well. The campaign had a very big response worldwide, and I received a lot of fan photos from Malaysia to Berlin. It was really exciting to collaborate with a brand that I admire so much like Kiehl’s, and I was amazed at how respectful and supportive they were with my work.
 
Andy Rementer NY TIMES_02
Andy Rementer NY TIMES_01
Work for the New York Times.

What were your favourite projects of 2011 and what are you looking forward to in 2012?
Participating in Pick Me Up was a major highlight of 2011 and for my career in general. Being part of something so big, and along with so many talented people was insanely awesome. I met some heroes there like Tom Gauld, NoBrow and the It’s Nice That crew to mention a few. Rob Ryan even picked up a piece of mine!

Andy Rementer MADAMA_01
Andy Rementer MADAMA_02
Another great project I enjoyed doing was a comic interpretation of Madama Butterfly. It was made for the Bavarian State Opera House‘s magazine Max Joseph, which is the coolest opera publication imaginable. They gave me four spreads and free reign to interpret Puccini‘s classic play in my own style and visual world. The project entailed quite a bit of research and translating as the final story was in German, and even if I can’t read it, I’m very happy with the final result.

Andy Rementer BLOOMBERG
Andy Rementer BALLIN
This year, I am really looking forward to participating in Pictoplasma Berlin. I will be giving a talk and showing some work as well. I was a part of the NYC version last year and it was a blast.

Andy Rementer GET_REAL
How would you describe your drawing style?
Fun on the outside, slightly dark on the inside.

Andy Rementer EAT
What are the bonuses of working pastel colours? 
I am naturally prone to using brighter colors in my work. I am technically color blind and have a difficult time distinguishing between muted tones. However in certain cases, I really like the contrast of my clear line style paired with pastel colors, and it’s a nice way to break out of my color comfort zone.

Andy Rementer CITY
What are the good and bad things about living in Philadelphia?
Good thing is the location, with an International Airport. There are plenty of good art stores too, so that is a major plus. Bad thing is it’s a bit of an anachronistic city.

Andy Rementer NIEVES_01
Andy Rementer NIEVES_02
Why are books so good?
Books are the best. They smell good and the tactile quality is irreplaceable.

Andy Rementer NIEVES_03
Andy Rementer NIEVES_04
Where can folks in the UK find your work, other than online?
Good Press in Glasgow sells my latest zine with Nieves (above). Nobrow features my work in issue #6. I have a full page in the first issue of Cagoule published by Present Joys.

Andy Rementer LAZY_01
Andy Rementer LAZY_02
And Lazy Oaf sells some T-shirts I made.

In the future I hope to have an even bigger presence in the UK! *so do we!* Check in with the latest work by Andy Rementer on his website.

Categories ,Andy Rementer, ,Apartamento, ,Bavarian State Opera House, ,Cagoule, ,Creative Review, ,Good Press, ,It’s Nice That, ,Kiehls, ,Lazy Oaf, ,Madama Butterfly, ,Max Joseph, ,Mr. Bello, ,New York Times, ,Nieves, ,Nobrow, ,Pick Me Up, ,Pictoplasma Berlin, ,Present Joys, ,Puccini, ,rob ryan, ,Skitsch

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Illustrator Andy Rementer

Andy Rementer PENCIL
I discovered the colourful and imaginative work of US based Andy Rementer at the Pick Me Up show last year. Since then he’s stayed in touch with me about new projects, and I’ve been delighted to receive the occasional surprise package in the post: sometimes good old snail mail really is the best possible way to keep in touch. After all, printed matter is my first love and there’s nothing like a gorgeous postcard, poster or zine. From window displays and animations for Kiehls to comic strips for Nobrow and duck t-shirts for Lazy Oaf, this innovative illustrator is engaged in loads of interesting projects that are bringing him to a wider audience in the UK.

Andy Rementer BANANA
What kind of feedback did you get from exhibiting at Pick Me Up last year?
The feedback and response from Pick Me Up was huge. I got a lot of positive words of support from other creatives and fans. After the show, Gavin Lucas from Creative Review wrote a nice piece about my work. Also, I have started a relationship with Nobrow, who invited me to be in their 6th issue, and am working on more projects with them as we speak. As another positive note, my work on display sold out, which hopefully means people liked it.

Andy Rementer SKITSCH_01
Andy Rementer SKITSCH_02
Andy Rementer SKITSCH_03
Andy Rementer SKITSCH_04
Tell us more about your illustrated Skitsch catalogue, how did that come about and where did your Mr. Bello character come from?
The Skitsch catalog was a project made in collaboration with Apartamento magazine. I worked with them previously on a coloring book for their 4th issue, so they were familiar with my work. Skitsch approached them to create a character and narrative around their products and designers. I think they liked my style and color palette, so they chose me to illustrate a small booklet. The Apartamento team along with Skitsch developed the idea and character traits of Mr. Bello, and I worked on the look, feel and development of him and his world. There was a lot of back and forth concerning the way everything looked, but it was worth it and I’m very happy with this project that had a lot of exposure in Milan and London.

Andy Rementer KIEHLS_01
Andy Rementer KIEHLS_02
I love Kiehl’s – but I wouldn’t necessarily put your drawing style together with the cosmetics brand. And are you a Keihls man? tell the truth now… what’s your favourite guy beauty tip?

Yes I am a Kiehl’s man! Love the shaving cream and hand cream—important to keep the drawing hand moisturized. Kiehl’s incorporates a lot of illustration actually, so while my work may be surprising at first, I feel it fits in well. The campaign had a very big response worldwide, and I received a lot of fan photos from Malaysia to Berlin. It was really exciting to collaborate with a brand that I admire so much like Kiehl’s, and I was amazed at how respectful and supportive they were with my work.
 
Andy Rementer NY TIMES_02
Andy Rementer NY TIMES_01
Work for the New York Times.

What were your favourite projects of 2011 and what are you looking forward to in 2012?
Participating in Pick Me Up was a major highlight of 2011 and for my career in general. Being part of something so big, and along with so many talented people was insanely awesome. I met some heroes there like Tom Gauld, NoBrow and the It’s Nice That crew to mention a few. Rob Ryan even picked up a piece of mine!

Andy Rementer MADAMA_01
Andy Rementer MADAMA_02
Another great project I enjoyed doing was a comic interpretation of Madama Butterfly. It was made for the Bavarian State Opera House‘s magazine Max Joseph, which is the coolest opera publication imaginable. They gave me four spreads and free reign to interpret Puccini‘s classic play in my own style and visual world. The project entailed quite a bit of research and translating as the final story was in German, and even if I can’t read it, I’m very happy with the final result.

Andy Rementer BLOOMBERG
Andy Rementer BALLIN
This year, I am really looking forward to participating in Pictoplasma Berlin. I will be giving a talk and showing some work as well. I was a part of the NYC version last year and it was a blast.

Andy Rementer GET_REAL
How would you describe your drawing style?
Fun on the outside, slightly dark on the inside.

Andy Rementer EAT
What are the bonuses of working pastel colours? 
I am naturally prone to using brighter colors in my work. I am technically color blind and have a difficult time distinguishing between muted tones. However in certain cases, I really like the contrast of my clear line style paired with pastel colors, and it’s a nice way to break out of my color comfort zone.

Andy Rementer CITY
What are the good and bad things about living in Philadelphia?
Good thing is the location, with an International Airport. There are plenty of good art stores too, so that is a major plus. Bad thing is it’s a bit of an anachronistic city.

Andy Rementer NIEVES_01
Andy Rementer NIEVES_02
Why are books so good?
Books are the best. They smell good and the tactile quality is irreplaceable.

Andy Rementer NIEVES_03
Andy Rementer NIEVES_04
Where can folks in the UK find your work, other than online?
Good Press in Glasgow sells my latest zine with Nieves (above). Nobrow features my work in issue #6. I have a full page in the first issue of Cagoule published by Present Joys.

Andy Rementer LAZY_01
Andy Rementer LAZY_02
And Lazy Oaf sells some T-shirts I made.

In the future I hope to have an even bigger presence in the UK! *so do we!* Check in with the latest work by Andy Rementer on his website.

Categories ,Andy Rementer, ,Apartamento, ,Bavarian State Opera House, ,Cagoule, ,Creative Review, ,Good Press, ,It’s Nice That, ,Kiehls, ,Lazy Oaf, ,Madama Butterfly, ,Max Joseph, ,Mr. Bello, ,New York Times, ,Nieves, ,Nobrow, ,Pick Me Up, ,Pictoplasma Berlin, ,Present Joys, ,Puccini, ,rob ryan, ,Skitsch

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Amelia’s Magazine | Sound It Out: an interview with Jeanie Finlay

sounditout by Sarah Jayne
Illustration by Sarah-Jayne Brain

Record shops have always been a particular haunt of mine – from my (short-lived) days as a superstar student DJ when I’d go on the hunt for Friday night floor fillers for the student union, to my weekly shopping expeditions to the much missed Selectadisc in Nottingham to boost my Bowie collection, right up to the present – rummaging through the record racks in such establishments as Rough Trade and Sister Ray.

Being a record geek, I naturally had to check out a new documentary which I’d heard had been made about a small independent record shop in the North East (at a time when such shops are disappearing at an alarming rate), especially when it was then premiered at this year’s SXSW in Austin, Texas, and subsequently became the official film for Record Store Day 2011, picking up plaudits along the way! That film is Sound It Out, by Jeanie Finlay, and it follows the trials and tribulations of running Sound It Out Records, an independent record shop (the last one, in fact) in Stockton-on-Tees.

Sound It Out by Jeanie Finlay
All photography courtesy of Jeanie Finlay.

I caught a screening of the film at Rough Trade East a while ago, which was followed by a Q&A with Jeanie Finlay and a typically robust performance by Stockton’s Chapman Family (who also contributed to the soundtrack). It’s a funny, touching piece, and it’s more than a just film about a record shop, it’s also about a love of music, and what it means to the community that gathers around the shop, and about the larger community, in Stockton, as well.

YouTube Preview Image

Amelia’s Magazine posed a few questions to Jeanie Finlay about the documentary.

What inspired you to make the documentary? Is the finished film how you imagined it when you first started, or has it taken on a life of its own?
Sound It Out is a documentary portrait about the very last record shop in Teesside, Sound It Out Records, Stockton-on-Tees. It’s a film about music and passion and collecting, all encased in a tiny shop on a small street in the place where I grew up. I went to school with Tom (the shop owner) and although Sound It Out isn’t a shop from my formative years (Alan Fearnley’s RIP) it was clear how much the shop meant to people when I’d go in to visit. It seemed like the perfect place to make a film about what music means to people and about the North East, about my home. Over the last five years a record shop has closed in the UK every three days so it seemed important to document Sound It Out in all its glory. It’s the first film I’ve made on my own – I usually work with a crew. For Sound It Out I wanted to just start shooting, just me and the camera and see what happened. I sensed there was a film to be made in the story of the shop but I really wasn’t sure until long into the shoot. I needed to find out by just doing it. All the way through, from the filming, edit, design and distribution I’ve just tried to follow my gut instinct and go with it.

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay girl

Was it easy to persuade Tom to let you film in the shop? It must have been a bit of an unexpected request!
He was totally open and gave me complete access to the shop. The filming was a bit of a novelty at first and then I think it just became normal. When I’m filming things get good when it just feels boring – everyone has got so used to me filming that it’s not anything out of the ordinary. I’m just that girl in the corner with the camera. Tom was the only person I knew before I started and it was really interesting getting to know the regulars and deciding who the film would focus on. I was totally drawn to the shyer people who came in.

You get a few candid interviews with a lot of the regulars in the shop. Was that intended, to capture the ‘person behind the record buyer’, or was it something that just happened naturally?
I’m always interested in getting to know people ‘on camera’. The people I met were very candid and generous with what they shared. My films are always pretty personal and aim to find a glimmer of the person inside. I hope that people come away from the film feeling like they’ve got to know the people they’ve met on screen, for a moment. I’m not just interested in music – I’m interested in what it means to people and how it moves them. For me – music is powerful because other people’s lyrics and sounds can tell the story of our lives in a way that could be hard to articulate with words alone.

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay

Were you surprised by the critical reception Sound It Out received? And what did Tom and the customers think when they first saw it?
I was really nervous to show the film to Tom and the customers but they all seem to have taken the film to their hearts. Tom had been at a rough cut viewing but the first time he saw the finished film was the world premiere at SXSW, Austin. I was so overwhelmed after I did my introduction I burst into tears. I then just sat back in my seat and watched the audience. They were incredibly warm and Tom ended up on stage giving out advice on the best way to clean records. It was an amazing day. Since then the critical reaction has been kind of crazy. I originally imagined that I would do a small DVD run of the film and sell it in Tom’s shop. The film’s played at festivals all over the world. We’re now looking at a UK theatrical release and putting out a soundtrack EP on vinyl. We did a weeks run in NYC last week and got reviewed in the New York Times. I could not have predicted any of this:

Ms. Finlay’s smartly assembled film is an affectionate portrait of a shrinking group of record collectors under technological siege… Like a mint pressing in a bargain bin SOUND IT OUT is a rare find. Sweet.‘ (Daniel M. Gold, THE NEW YORK TIMES)

I don’t think it’s a film for everyone but the people that do like it seem to really like it.

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay man

Teesside has got a pretty vibrant music scene, and you include tracks by a few local artists (such as the Chapman Family, Das Wanderlust and Soviet Disco) in the film. Do you think that the area’s environment has helped create a distinct Teesside sound?
Totally… absolutely. Das Wanderlust makes me think of the strange landscapes of my youth and I love the moody, brooding sounds of the Chapman Family. Teesside runs through their music like words through Brighton Rock.

You’re currently trying to raise funds to get Sound It Out a full UK cinema release. With record shops still in a perilous position, are you hoping to inspire more people to support their local stores?
My film has been made with blood, sweat, tears and the support of (so far) 329 backers on crowd-funding website Indiegogo.com. It’s a micro budget film and we crowd-funded the shoot, the post production and when we got into SXSW we raised enough to get there for the premiere. It’s been like running a sponsored swim with a film as the goal and backers picking perks in exchange for their support. We’re now trying to finish our DIY story by raising enough to take the film to 30 cinemas across the UK. If we reach our goal of $10,000 we will unlock BFI P&A funding which will make it happen. Supporters can choose a limited edition 7” gatefold DVD with a baby blue vinyl soundtrack EP, a tour of the shop, a portable record player or bring the film to their own home. We still have a way to go but I’m hopeful. Each $ pledged gets us that little bit nearer – it’s the power of the crowd! I really do hope that people make the most of their local record shops. One of the pleasures of working on this film has been visiting some amazing shops. If you don’t use it – it will go, forever! We’re planning to hook up with local record shops when we take the film to cinemas. Get people in there buying something surprising.

After all the promotional work for Sound It Out, do you have any other projects in the pipeline?
Yes! Two new films, both feature documentaries – The Great Hip Hop Hoax (for BBC Scotland and Storyville), a film about LA hip hop act Silibil n’ Brains. No one knew they were Scottish, with fake American accents and made-up identities and ORION: The man who would be King, the rise and fall of a masked singer on Sun Records that tens of thousands believed was Elvis back from the grave.

Categories ,Alan Fearnley, ,austin, ,BBC, ,BFI, ,Bowie, ,brighton, ,Chapman Family, ,Das Wanderlust, ,Elvis, ,High Fidelity, ,indiegogo.com, ,Jeanie Finlay, ,New York Times, ,nottingham, ,Record Store Day, ,Record Store Day 2011, ,Rough Trade, ,Selectadisc, ,Silibil n’ Brains, ,Sister Ray, ,Sound It Out, ,Sound It Out Records, ,Soviet Disco, ,Stockton, ,Sun Records, ,sxsw, ,Teesside, ,texas, ,The Great Hip Hop Hoax

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Amelia’s Magazine | Bishi at BFI Southbank: Live Review

Bishi by Margaux Cannon

Bishi by Margaux Quayle Cannon

It was a chilly evening on London’s Southbank, but still buzzing with Friday night revellers, skateboarders and tourists sampling the wares of the newly opened Christmas Market. Nestled beneath Waterloo Bridge, the BFI Southbank was my refuge for the evening, for Bishi’s Albion Voice show. There were a few glamorous individuals (including one half of Robots In Disguise, namely Dee Plume) in the crowd waiting patiently for the doors to open, some looking as though they were auditioning for a Roxy Music album cover. A bit unexpected for the various film goers passing through! As we took our seats inside the plush NFT1 auditorium, there was a brief introduction by Stuart Brown of the BFI’s Sonic Cinema, who had helped organise tonight and, as the lights dimmed, we were underway.

Bishi Albion Voice by Shy Illustrations

Bishi by Shy Illustrations

Bishi at BFI_by Dom&Ink

Bishi by Dom&Ink

A classically trained musician, after learning the sitar, bass and ukulele and developing a love for vintage synths and electronics, Bishi branched out into performance art and DJing, as well as playing with the likes of Patrick Wolf and Róisín Murphy. Acclaimed by the New York Times, no less, as the “New British Diva”, she also features in Julien Temple’s wonderful documentary London: The Modern Babylon. Albion Voice, her second album, is an ambitious exploration of Britain ancient and multiculturally modern (inspired by Michael Bracewell’s book England Is Mine: Pop Life In Albion From Wilde To Goldie), fusing English folk, minimal drones and lush orchestrations, and incorporating the writings of Milton, Chaucer and Mary Elizabeth Frye.

Bishi by Angela Lamb

Bishi by Angela Lamb

YouTube Preview Image

Taking centre stage, with a dazzling array of animations playing on the big screen behind her, Bishi ran through the songs from the album with an equally dazzling array of costume changes. On pieces like the epic Dia Ti Maria, the combination of hypnotic images, with vocal harmonies and a resonant church organ run through the BFI Southbank’s crystal clear PA, created a mesmerising effect. Bishi strapped on a sitar for the album’s title track, Albion Voice, and duetted (on screen, at least) with her mother, Susmita Bhattacharya, on Gram Chara (with lyrics by Rabindranath Tagore, who, in 1913, was the first non-Westerner to win the Nobel Prize in Literature). There was an instrumental interlude for The Last Of England, accompanied by an excerpt from Derek Jarman’s film of the same name (featuring a young Tilda Swinton). One song that didn’t feature on the album but which did appear was St George And The Dragon, recounting the legend of Dragon Hill. A thoroughly awesome set finished with Ship Of Fools, with Bishi inviting the audience to join in with its singalong finale.

YouTube Preview Image

Ship of Fools.Bishi_by Dom&Ink

Bishi by Dom&Ink

As Bishi left the stage to rapturous applause, and with the possibility of another performance at an East London gallery in the New Year, it looks like Albion Voice is finally going to get the exposure it deserves.

Categories ,Albion Voice, ,Angela Lamb, ,BFI, ,Bishi, ,Chaucer, ,Dee Plume, ,Derek Jarman, ,Dom&Ink, ,Julien Temple, ,Margaux Quayle Cannon, ,Mary Elizabeth Frye, ,Michael Bracewell, ,Milton, ,New York Times, ,Nobel Prize, ,Patrick Wolf, ,Rabindranath Tagore, ,Robots in Disguise, ,Roisin Murphy, ,Roxy Music, ,Shy Illustrations, ,Sonic Cinema, ,Southbank, ,Susmita Bhattacharya, ,Tilda Swinton

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