For me, page the majority of fashion week involved being squished like a sardine in regimented rows watching models strut up and down a well lit runway. While this is all well and good, rx sometimes it’s fun to break from the norm…
from what I can gauge, prescriptionNasir Mazhar is a headwear designer, with very theatrical taste.
To view his presentation at London Fashion Week s/s10 we descended into the vaults of Somerset House, entering a strobe lit room, where at the end of the corridor a stunning and SEXY model posed around a pole in an almost fetichistic nude mask that covered her mouth and eyes……
This was the opening taste of the world of Nasir Mazhar that is visceral, amusing, unique and downright hot. As I am predominately a photographer, I feel the images illustrate the experience better than anything I could write!
All photographs by Elizabeth Johnson
For me, troche the majority of fashion week involved being squished like a sardine in regimented rows watching models strut up and down a well lit runway. While this is all well and good, website sometimes it’s fun to break from the norm…
from what I can gauge, sickNasir Mazhar is a headwear designer, with very theatrical taste.
To view his presentation at London Fashion Week s/s10 we descended into the vaults of Somerset House, entering a strobe lit room, where at the end of the corridor a stunning and SEXY model posed around a pole in an almost fetichistic nude mask that covered her mouth and eyes……
This was the opening taste of the world of Nasir Mazhar that is visceral, amusing, unique and downright hot. As I am predominately a photographer, I feel the images illustrate the experience better than anything I could write!
All photographs by Elizabeth Johnson
For me, thumb the majority of fashion week involved being squished like a sardine in regimented rows watching models strut up and down a well lit runway. While this is all well and good, viagra dosage sometimes it’s fun to break from the norm…
To view his presentation at London Fashion Week s/s10 we descended into the vaults of Somerset House, entering a strobe lit room, where at the end of the corridor a stunning and SEXY model posed around a pole in an almost fetichistic nude mask that covered her mouth and eyes……
This was the opening taste of the world of Nasir Mazhar that is visceral, amusing, unique and downright hot. As I am predominately a photographer, I feel the images illustrate the experience better than anything I could write!
All photographs by Elizabeth Johnson
For me, sildenafil the majority of fashion week involved being squished like a sardine in regimented rows watching models strut up and down a well lit runway. While this is all well and good, sometimes it’s fun to break from the norm…
from what I can gauge, Nasir Mazhar is a headwear designer, with very theatrical taste.
To view his presentation at London Fashion Week s/s10 we descended into the vaults of Somerset House, entering a strobe lit room, where at the end of the corridor a stunning and SEXY model posed around a pole in an almost fetichistic nude mask that covered her mouth and eyes……
This was the opening taste of the world of Nasir Mazhar that is visceral, amusing, unique and downright hot. As I am predominately a photographer, I feel the images illustrate the experience better than anything I could write!
All photographs by Elizabeth Johnson
For me, nurse the majority of fashion week involved being squished like a sardine in regimented rows watching models strut up and down a well lit runway. While this is all well and good, health sometimes it’s fun to break from the norm…
from what I can gauge, Nasir Mazhar is a headwear designer, with very theatrical taste.
To view his presentation at London Fashion Week s/s10 we descended into the vaults of Somerset House, entering a strobe lit room, where at the end of the corridor a stunning and SEXY model posed around a pole in an almost fetichistic nude mask that covered her mouth and eyes……
This was the opening taste of the world of Nasir Mazhar that is visceral, amusing, unique and downright hot. As I am predominately a photographer, I feel the images illustrate the experience better than anything I could write!
All photographs by Elizabeth Johnson A few months back, priceAmelia’s Magazine was asked to produce a piece of artwork as part of a collaboration with the housing and homeless charity Shelter for their House of Cards campaign. The aim was to highlight the issue of Britain’s housing problem; this year alone, salve 65, order 000 people will lose their homes, joining the hundreds of thousands on the streets already. It became somewhat of an in-house event. Amelia’s cousin Simon French, an animator at Framestore, created the hard hitting images of houses and buildings, flimsy as a pack of cards, fluttering away in the breeze. Created in association with the Leo Burnett Agency, all involved, including the directors Dom and Nic; Radiohead, who provided the soundtrack and Samantha Morton as the narrator, provided their services for free to support the cause.
Our submission was entitled Two of Hearts. We asked that it would be made up by contributions from illustrators and received a deluge of submissions. The artwork was put together like a patchwork quilt of cards in many different styles and designs, all depicting the two of hearts. It was big too, A0 size, and perfectly displayed the different styles of our illustrators.
Last Thursday we were finally able to see the fruits of our labour – and of the hardworking illustrators who answered our brief. Held at the Central London art gallery The Haunch Of Venison, the event also served as an auction, with all the artworks available to bid for. All proceeds were to go the Shelter Charity. Given the high caliber of work, and the high profile artists who were involved, its a given that the bidding would have achieved a fever pitch. Lending their names to the exhibition were artists such as Marc Quinn, David Bailey, Damien Hirst, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Rob Ryan, Giles Deacon and Nick Park, who had all designed a card in either the Hearts, Clubs, Spades or Diamonds suits. All involved were given free reign in creating a new design, and as our pictures show, imaginations ran riot.
The event was filled to the rafters, and it was wonderful to see so many of the illustrators for Amelia’s brief attend. The Two of Hearts submission had a continuous crowd gathered around; a mixture of spectators and proud illustrators. We managed to get plenty of pictures with our illustrators, as you can see.
Emmi Ojala, Thereza Rowe, Sarah Kirk, Rosalie Harris – other illustrator, please get in touch and remind us of your name!
Illustrators include Nozomi Inoue and Chris Cox. Other illustrators, please get in touch and remind us of your names!
The auction was held a few days ago, with every piece of art work receiving a bid. Our Two of Hearts submission, which had been estimated to go for between £1,000-£2,000, ended up selling for £2,200 to a mystery bidder. We are so pleased with the results, especially as that goes towards the £100,000 that was raised for Shelters campaign through the auction.
While the exhibition was only on for a short time, it is still possible to purchase a limited edition A5 replica pack of the final exhibited pack of cards. Only 1,000 packs will be produced, so it is likely that they will sell out soon. Again, all profits will go to the Shelter campaign. The cards cost £70 and will be on sale at the Haunch of Venison gallery, and online, through Shelterhouseofcards.org.uk A few months back, thereAmelia’s Magazine was asked to produce a piece of artwork as part of a collaboration with the housing and homeless charity Shelter for their House of Cards campaign. The aim was to highlight the issue of Britain’s housing problem; this year alone, this web 65,000 people will lose their homes, joining the hundreds of thousands on the streets already. It became somewhat of an in-house event. Amelia’s cousin Simon French, an animator at Framestore, created the hard hitting images of houses and buildings, flimsy as a pack of cards, fluttering away in the breeze. Created in association with the Leo Burnett Agency, all involved, including the directors Dom and Nic; Radiohead, who provided the soundtrack and Samantha Morton as the narrator, provided their services for free to support the cause.
Our submission was entitled Two of Hearts. We asked that it would be made up by contributions from illustrators and received a deluge of submissions. The artwork was put together like a patchwork quilt of cards in many different styles and designs, all depicting the two of hearts. It was big too, A0 size, and perfectly displayed the different styles of our illustrators.
Last Thursday we were finally able to see the fruits of our labour – and of the hardworking illustrators who answered our brief. Held at the Central London art gallery The Haunch Of Venison, the event also served as an auction, with all the artworks available to bid for. All proceeds were to go the Shelter Charity. Given the high caliber of work, and the high profile artists who were involved, its a given that the bidding would have achieved a fever pitch. Lending their names to the exhibition were artists such as Marc Quinn, David Bailey, Damien Hirst, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Rob Ryan, Giles Deacon and Nick Park, who had all designed a card in either the Hearts, Clubs, Spades or Diamonds suits. All involved were given free reign in creating a new design, and as our pictures show, imaginations ran riot.
The event was filled to the rafters, and it was wonderful to see so many of the illustrators for Amelia’s brief attend. The Two of Hearts submission had a continuous crowd gathered around; a mixture of spectators and proud illustrators. We managed to get plenty of pictures with our illustrators, as you can see.
Emmi Ojala, Thereza Rowe, Sarah Kirk, Rosalie Harris – other illustrator, please get in touch and remind us of your name!
Illustrators include Nozomi Inoue and Chris Cox. Other illustrators, please get in touch and remind us of your names!
The auction was held a few days ago, with every piece of art work receiving a bid. Our Two of Hearts submission, which had been estimated to go for between £1,000-£2,000, ended up selling for £2,200 to a mystery bidder. We are so pleased with the results, especially as that goes towards the £100,000 that was raised for Shelters campaign through the auction.
While the exhibition was only on for a short time, it is still possible to purchase a limited edition A5 replica pack of the final exhibited pack of cards. Only 1,000 packs will be produced, so it is likely that they will sell out soon. Again, all profits will go to the Shelter campaign. The cards cost £70 and will be on sale at the Haunch of Venison gallery, and online, through Shelterhouseofcards.org.uk
Ah, page I still get misty eyed when I think back to something I’ve tagged as ‘ErrorsFuck Buttons and Mogwai Tuesday’ last year. Sorry 2009, healing but no Tuesday night has come close since. Throbbing electro, adiposity screaming death metal vocals and epic, beautiful, kidney shaking post-rock all on one bill, as they played Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange last October. For a mid-week gig, it was pretty sublime, and the first time I’d seen Fuck Buttons live.
Last year’s album, Street Horrrsing was one of my 2008 favourites, and still regularly pops up as a loud, exhilarating, droney soundtrack for my walk to work. On a morning when you can’t quite wake up, it has sort of the same effect as sniffing a Vicks menthol inhaler on a really cold, frosty day.
After my very first listen to Tarot Sport, the upcoming album from the Bristol boys – Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power – it wasn’t quite hitting the same highs as their debut. That’s not to say it’s bad though. It just means Street Horrrsing will take some beating. A swelling fifty-minute roar of pretty bleeps, twinkling bells, shrieking monkey howls and battering tribal drums – sublime!
The more I play Tarot Sport though, the more hooked I’m getting. It’s the noise of euphoric, urgent electronica clashing slowly with rolling, distorted squall, that’s got me. And just when I thought the single and album opener, Surf Solar, couldn’t really be improved upon, I saw their video for it – penguins doing frantic laps of an ice-blue, aquarium rave.
Fuck Button’s set at Glasgow’s Stereo last Thursday blazed through the first and second albums, in one glowing, unbroken hour. Apart from a quick thank you at the end, the pair of them kept their heads down, standing opposite each other at a table piled high with fluorescent cables, and a suitcase full of pedals, keyboards and gadgets, including their well-played Fisher Price cassette player. Gripping the yellow mic in his teeth, while using his hands to play keyboard and, well, fuck with some buttons, Benjamin screamed vocals through it, while Andrew fiddled with a laptop and lunged and pogoed back and forth at the table. A lot of people find this kind of deep-in-concentration, on-stage behaviour annoying, as it’s not bringing much spectacle to the noise, but personally I think a couple of cheesy Glasgow-aimed gags would kill the mood of their primal, industrial mix dead, and I’m quite happy for them to let the crowd get carried away without interruption.
Playing with their love of a slow climax, where they take techno beats and hypnotic, doom-laden rhythms then bring them to a screaming, brutal crescendo. A bit more confrontational than Animal Collective, maybe if they’d hung out with Earth during the heroin years, and listened to a lot of Neu! and (the not yet invented) Andrew Weatherall together. (Weatherall produced Tarot Sport funnily enough.) Colourful, pulverising, beautiful and brutal. Maybe next year I’ll get misty eyed about Fuck Buttons Thursday.
Tarot Sport is released on ATP Recordings on 12th October.
Written by Claire Sawers on Wednesday September 30th, 2009 6:26 pm
Bands like Okkervil River are eminently missable. They’re so redolent of a slew of others, pillmore about and if you’re not on friendly terms with their songs they’ll pass you by like so much jaunty, information pills pleasant Americana. They’re also a great illustration of why you should persist with music.
And that’s not some pious, try rockist view meaning you’ve got to put down what you’re reading, sit up, and pay complete attention. It’s just good to give things a chance to get beyond your initial scrobbler – which makes quickfire connections, comparisons and judgments based on an increasingly convergent shared knowledge-bank of 50 years of pop. It’s about checking in music’s hiding places for that spark that turns a casual recommendation from a friend into your favourite album of the year.
You need to listen to Okkervil River because the real star attraction is the lyrics of Will Sheff. Like a Prozac-ed Conor Oberst words tumble out of him in stanzas, cascading, beautifully chosen, but always controlled. “Although I put my lips to your face / trying to push his kiss out of its place / although my heart started to race / now it has slowed / I’ll let it go,” he sings on ‘Song Of Our So-Called Friend’.
Behind him five guys playing the alt-country instruments you’d expect stay out of the way. Childlike drummer Travis Nelson (who has excellent wiry drummer’s hair) and keyboardist and trumpeter Scott Bracket sing along with every word, like their own band’s biggest fans.
Six members is often a bad, self-indulgent idea but OR’s are always serving and augmenting their songs. The slow-burning ‘The President’s Dead’ segues masterfully into ‘Black’, which is a pretty straightforward three chord stomper but when Okkervillised it comes out yearning, wistful and layered. They’re like “partytime!” Wilco, Being There-era. There’s a touch of Arcade Fire in their scope and ear for an epic. This sometimes skirts too close to hokey, but with lyrics as good as Sheff’s they’ve earned their slide guitar solos.
On latest album The Stage Names, everything comes together during the final song ‘John Allyn Smith Sails’. All the words, all the fear, all the joy, all the themes that have preceded it fall into place when it morphs into something from a very famous album. It’s one of the most beautiful musical moments of 2007. Ruining it before you’ve heard it would be a spoiler on a par with that Planet Of The Apes video cover featuring the Statue Of Liberty.
It’s a transcendent moment tonight. They know exactly how good it is. They audaciously don’t even end the set with it. They’re rightfully confident. They may be America’s best band.
Why is it so great being 16? It’s an angsty, pill uncertain time in which you doubt everything, troche struggle with a bunch of new and confusing ordeals and inevitably puke down your top talking to the guy/girl you like at an underwhelming party. But we largely remember it with total fondness.
You needed to work your problems through to their logical conclusion, buy more about no matter how labyrinthine they seemed. You’d not yet developed the coping strategy for later life – blithely shrugging, saying “well, them’s the breaks” and getting on with it. We can all agree that that’s a far simpler and more practical way to deal with things, but Jamie Lenman of Reuben is stuck in adolescence. His last thought is his best, and he’s going to yell it at you. This is thrillingly vital. I worry for him.
Slightly overweight, borderline ugly, he’s preaching to a small and dedicated throng. It’s a metal crowd – everyone is either unfathomably young and infectious or crusty and old enough to know better. It’s like being back at your first ever gig. An unexpected obscure song, a friendly moshpit, loud, people screaming.
Lenman’s band expends tangible effort, like the best air guitarists. Drummer Guy Davis reaches Canty-like levels of inventiveness, buried under a relentless propulsive drumstorm. He sits up throughout, a skinny Rollins, if he shaved his head he’d be a nutter. Bassist Jon Pearce does a textbook tall man, long instrument, purposeful sway thing. The three of them look moments away from combusting.
They tick lots of my boxes. Inventive, heavy, melodic, loud, fast, screamy, catchy. These are mostly the wrong boxes for 2007. ‘Some Mothers Do Ave Em,’ with a gargantuan riff that Josh Homme would divorce Brody (remember her?) for, is tossed away, apparently unaware of its own greatness. ‘Let’s Stop Hanging Out’ is their pop hit – a problem, because like almost everything they’ve done, it’s structured as if written by an Asberger’s sufferer. It lurches from A to B via, like, 37, each section marginally better than the last.
This analysis is all very silly and waaaay too glowing for a band you could fairly dismiss as dunderheaded nu rock – big riffs, often-daft words, sometimes cheesy tunes. But there’s something elusive, weird and brilliant at work which makes it seem completely unfair that Reuben are playing a half-empty goth club rather than enjoying Biffy-like love and adulation at the Astoria.
Their tour DVD, documenting life in a band too poor to give up jobs at supermarkets, is the saddest music film you’ll see this year, including ‘Control’. There’s a purity to Reuben, because you feel deep down they’ve realised they’re never going to “make it”. They’re getting as much out of nights like this as they possibly can.
They will surely disappear within five years, but Lenman will be back, I assure you. He’s a genius, that kid at school who was amazing at everything he tried but strangely awkward. His songs, once you’re over their ever-so-slight similarity to a bunch of nu metal we all wish hadn’t happened, are like nothing else in 2007.
I emphatically resist that getting older means you need to listen to cerebral, reflective music. It’s patronising, and a denial of where you’ve come from. Reuben are funny, but they’re also extremely earnest, and that seems to be a dirty word these days. But why should we forget what it’s like to be earnest? Why are we ashamed of being heartfelt? Why is it ok to call directionless, indulgent “folk” beautiful and intelligent when loving heroically crafted “rock” gets you laughed at? By your early 20s these are questions that seem too unanswerable to worry about
It’s fair to assume that most bands are having fun; travelling around the country playing music and generally being outrageous on tour buses is fine work if you can get it. Kotki Dwa however sound like they’re enjoying it even more then everyone else, buy more about not only have they rummaged around the musical toy box but they’ve emptied the shop. Robin’s Clogs is a wonderfully crafted indie pop song, mind with slicing guitars not dissimilar to Foals except without the edge and with a squeaking synthesiser over the top playing out a melody as catchy as they come.
Kotki Dwa then are one of the new generation of British pop bands who are re claiming the fun in indie from across the Atlantic. Vocalist Alex, unlike so many of his contemporaries, is actually able to sing melodically and belt out fine vocals with a painfully delicate voice, sometimes sounding on the verge of tears, yet conversely remaining wistfully upbeat, lips smiling but eyes crying. You know the type. This is never more apparent than on B-side Halogen, which holds it’s own to make a single of two fine songs. Oh, and they can even sing in French.
Written by Will Hitchins on Saturday December 15th, 2007 3:08 pm
Planet Patrol is a series of ongoing live urban art events held at various venues in and around London. The concept behind Planet Patrol is to present some of today’s most in demand and sought after urban artists, purchaseprescription in an environment which allows people to witness live art/music & visuals all under one roof. Aside from the regular London events, this siteprostate Planet Patrol recently held it’s first global sessions tour of Japan, troche Bruno 9LI one of Brazils most talented street artists was invited over to create live art whilst DJ Aya provided the necessary musical back drop.
Screen prints & original pieces from the likes of Eelus, SheOne, Dan Malone & Adam Koukoudakis were also on show. Planet Patrol held a total of three live events, these included Tokyo, Osaka & Fukuoka. Bruno 9LI created three mind-blowing canvases, one for each event, these took up to a total of fours each to complete. The lucky few who had been invited to these events witnessed live art from a truly dedicated and highly skilled master of his art!
Planet Patrol have Just released a very limited, signed, numbered & embossed silk screen based on an original piece that Bruno created for the Tokyo event! Bruno’s next exhibition will be taking place in August at the Annno Domini gallery in California, Planet Patrol will also be exhibiting the new silk screen & an original canvas from the Japan tour at the Burning Bridges group exhibition to be held from Friday 13th June – 22nd at the Bricklane gallery, 196 Brick lane, London.
Mr Bruno Novelli has also designed the cover of Issue 9 of Amelia’s Magazine…..
Silk screen available from www.planetpatrol.co.uk
Tour photos: www.flickr.com/photos/planetpatrol
Not to be confused with Shoreditch Hall, this web Hoxton Hall is a stunning Victorian venue more commonly used as a community centre, viagra buy hosting coffee mornings and craft sessions in the forgotten art of basket weaving. For tonight, nurse the ornate iron balcony and draped red curtain were the perfect setting for an intimate gathering of just eighty invited guests to showcase Micah‘s forth coming album.
Micah performed with all his usual vim and vigour, a two hour set of tracks old and new, from the tender, heart-wrenching chords of Beneath The Rose to the crashing tones of The Leading Guy. Insisting that nothing he played from the upcoming album sounded anything like the record, Micah sang quiet songs about wishing wells and loud songs about regret intermission by anecdotal tales of life’s ironies. He also spoke of the happiness he’s found with wife of two weeks and four days, Mrs Ashley Bryn Hinson, a picture of whom now adorns his guitar.
Picture if you will a young man sitting on the front porch of his family home in the secluded town of Abilene, Texas. Convalescing from intensive surgery, the young man is confined by a back brace and the haziness induced by a cocktail of sedatives and weed. He spends his days writing songs for the girl next door whom he longs to see if only for a moment as she cycles past. This was just one of many fables regaled by Micah at the showcase. Such romantic yarns are the stuff of fiction, just another chapter in the life of Micah P Hinson.
What a macabre bag. Imagine the Peter and Jane books of our childhood; now imagine what the Ladybird illustrator would have drawn if he’d been on acid. The bag from The Twilight Sad‘s merchandise collection reminds me of Martin McDonagh’s play, priceThe Pillowman. In this, order the Pillowman is styled as a kindly Father Christmas character that helps children (who will otherwise have deeply traumatic lives) pre-emptively kill themselves. It employs the same absurdist humour as this lovely bag which shows a son with a cloth mask about to smother his sleeping mother, with an inset of a mystery hand pouring a bottle of poison. It’s a series of confusing cartoon events that would have Jonathan Creek baffled for at least twenty minutes about who is to blame and who is the real victim in this two-dimensional world. But this is not just a generic piece of merchandise aiming to make money with as little creative effort as possible, in fact it doesn’t directly advertise the band at all. There’s no huge slogan distracting the eye from the unnerving image (taken from the Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters LP artwork). This style of artwork has become a recurring theme for the Glaswegian band, as there are a series of these images available on t-shirts, screen prints, and previous EPs, all of which complement their passionate anthems. You can be sure you won’t be mugged with this subversively vicious image hanging from your shoulder.
The Twilight Sad and other Fat-Cat merchandise available here
While I am possibly the only person who thinks their music often sounds more like daft punk than Daft Punk, hospital there is no denying that Justice WERE 2007 for many people. Having burst into public consciousness back in 2006 with their remix of Simian’s ‘We Are Your Friends’ and made all of us D.A.N.C.E. (sorry!) in early 2007, viagra 40mg later that year they decided to give us † (that’s their album title, by the way).
On their debut LP ‘New Jack’ sits comfortably between the full-blown Jackson Five-esque pop of D.A.N.C.E. and ‘Phantom’, a track showcasing the Electro-Rock sound that the duo’s reputation (especially as a live act) is being built upon. As such, it is an apt metaphor for Justice themselves – part kiddie-friendly pure Pop delight and part something more adult.
Beginning with a now all-too-familar French Electro favourite – a kitsch, forgettable/’never remembered in the first place’ Disco-Pop sample – the track swiftly disinitigrates into a rhythmic storm of digital malfunction. The aforementioned sample is cut and pasted with decisive abandonment to resemble a skipping CD, carefully arranged distorted clipping introduces microscopic bursts of rhythmic silence, while random MP3-style glitches can be heard beneath the cacophony seemingly at random. And this is all before the listener’s audio equipment appears to give up and switch to another track.
Whereas a few years back a similar approach was to be heard in more obscurist music by everyone from Aphex Twin to sound artists like alva.noto, Justice have made these sounds a whole lot more accessible (and D.A.N.C.E.-able… sorry again!) without dumbing them down.
Written by Joseph Scott on Thursday May 8th, 2008 2:34 pm
One thing is certain on listening to Swollen and Small; Viking Moses is utterly in love with Neutral Milk Hotel. He knows the songs inside out, for saleinformation pills upside down, and has grown up learning to play along with Jeff Mangum’s melancholic ponderings on life, the universe and everything.
This EP is a collection of four NMH covers, all played uniquely but strangely similar to the original tracks, with the emotion and devotion of a true disciple of the band he obviously so loves.
Having played with the rock stars of the alt-folk movement over the last five years (Devendra Banhart, Will Oldham, Cat Power), Moses has finally decided to do the self indulgent thing of strumming away his favourite songs for all to hear… And I’m damn happy that he did. It’s an interesting selection of songs he has decided to cover, three from the lesser known On Avery Island, and the dance floor filler Holland 1945 (from In the Aeroplane over the Sea), all of which are done justice.
Viking Moses has the same sort of off -beat, powerful and delicate voice as his idol and pulls off the long high drawn out notes in a wonderful, same-but-different manner from the originals. His rendition of Holland 1945 is truly spectacular, edging away from the rollicking, percussion driven original and opting for a quieter and all together gentler rendition which allows for the heartbreak of the lyrics to really come through.
It’s basically a one man and his guitar affair with occasional slide guitar and harmonica, percussion coming from the pounding of palm on guitar, working particularly well on Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone; a brilliant original and a worthy cover. As goes for the rest of the record.
This debut single from hotly-tipped Cardiff students Los Campesinos! suffers from the same problem as past efforts from the very similar Leeds band The Research and Bristol-based Kid Carpet. Namely, more about the whole thing reeks of a kind of contrived wackiness. I’m all for simple pop – The Ramones, shop for instance – but there’s simple pop and then there’s children’s music, and this – so sugary and kooky, veers towards the latter. And yes, the Americans say “math” – how amusing.
The press release for this EP not only offers the terrifying prospect of a “jazz flute” but also the use of something called a “shlang dan”. Thankfully, purchase the prospect of a muso jamming session – high on fannying about, viagra sale low on actual tunes – fails to materialise. That’s not to say, however, that Born Ruffians are particularly tuneful – they’re not. They play an ultimately frustrating kind of country rock reminiscent of Neil Young at his most MOR. What’s more, Luke LaLonde’s singing voice is so whiny it makes the vocals of infinitely annoying Clap Your Hands Say Yeah front man Alec Ounsworth sound like Johnny Cash.
If you weren’t sure with the term ‘neon done well’, pill this could have been your crash course. If you mix ‘indie’ and ‘rave’ apparently this is the uniform! Brilliant, price I got given three glow bracelets from an almost-nuclear guy at the bar. That’ll do nicely.
We’re completely entranced by the art/performance band that is MEN. How can you not go weak at the knees for a diverse musical stew that fuses dance and electro beats with rock music and combines this with a dose of political and social activism that takes in complex subject matters such as gender roles, erectile wartime economies and sexual politics? Oh, information pills and their live shows are pretty wild too.
For the uninitiated, a little backround info: MEN are made up of JD Samson, best known for her involvement with Le Tigre and a 2006/2007 playmate of Peaches in her backing band The Herms, Michael O’Neill (Ladybug Transistor) and Ginger Brooks Takahashi (LTTR) as well as fellow Le Tigre member Johanna Fateman who remains in the backround alongside artist Emily Roysdon and contributes as writers, consultants, and producers; as you can see, MEN have a pretty stellar pedigree.
A short while back, we managed to catch them in their fly by night visit to the UK, where they briefly rocked up in Brighton, Soho’s legendary Madam Jo-Jo’s and the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen (where Amelia’s Magazine squeezed our way to the front of the room). The crowd were made up of a mix of music label A&Rs (MEN are very much the hot ones to watch for 2010, don’t you know) and devoted fans of JD from her Le Tigre days.
JD, the charismatic little devil that she is, had the crowd wrapped around her little finger and calling out for more, as witnessed in the rapturous reception she received as she bodypopped her way through ‘Simultaneously‘. As MEN’s guitar riffs joined forces with a deep electro beat, friends of the band stood at the back of the stage holding banners high, as you can see from the photos.
A couple of days later, we had an email chat with JD and asked her to tell us a little more about what makes MEN tick……
We loved your live show, it was electric! Combining the elements of art and performance seems like an integral part of a MEN gig, can you share with us why this is important to you?
Being on stage is an opportunity to explore that space of performer, musician, and artist with an audience and bringing together elements of agit-prop theater, dance music, and the live rock band is a project we’re totally invested in.
What messages do you want your audience to leave a MEN gig with?
Questions about who we are in the world, where our money comes from, and how powerful it can be for people to gather together and share our space and time.
MEN don’t shy away from including hard hitting subjects such as sexual politics and war-time economics in the lyrics, unlike many other bands and singers. Is it safe to say that there isn’t enough activism in music right now?
I don’t want to judge other artists about what they want to talk about in their own art. We make music that talks about our lives and what we think about and where we exist as humans on this planet. Not many people talk about war time economies and gender fluidity but we do. and we are happy to be a queer activist band. JD, Is your involvement with MEN different from your part in Le Tigre and if so, how?
Of course this experience is different for me. I am working with two new musicians whose collaborative efforts bring totally new elements to my music. I am still me, so a lot of my music and aesthetics are similar, but I have grown since writing with Le Tigre and I think its clear that we are doing something different and have new discussions with a new audience.
Illustration by Celeste Dupuy-Spencer
What are the plans for MEN in the next year? And what subject matters would you like to tackle next in your songs?
In 2010 we will be working on our album, finishing our album and then sharing it with the world on tour. We’re excited to be making a new performance in Mexico City this summer with live hand drummers and our painter friend Celeste Dupuy-Spencer. We’ll also be performing at the 35th Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival!
Written by Cari Steel on Wednesday February 17th, 2010 3:58 pm
Religious to Damn‘s lead singer is Zohra Atash, more about a cool lady with a batwingged 70s style, look a voice a bit like Alison Goldfrapp and Natasha;Bat For Lashes, approved and an excellent (seemingly well behaved) fringe. The Brooklyn band’s album, Glass Prayer, is out now on M’Lady’s Records. I caught up with Afghan-American Zohra, and asked her a few questions.
Hello, could you introduce yourself for us please?
My name is Zohra Atash, I’m a singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter. My primary project is Religious to Damn.
Could you describe what your music is like?
I try to make music that’s atmospheric and elegant, thoughtful and melodic. Some people have said that it’s cinematic and evokes a certain sense of expansiveness, which I’d agree with.
Where are you from?
My parents are Afghan, but I was born in Florida and grew up in Virginia. But I’ve been in Brooklyn for quite some time now.
How does London compare to New York? Do you like England?
I’ve been in love with British culture and art for years. I may have had my raising in south, but I lived in a house full of British records – from 60’s British invasion rock, to my sister’s collection of new wave and post-punk. My favorite bands in high school were Lush and Pulp…. I really wanted to move to London and start a band!
Why the name; ‘Religious to Damn’?
I write the music, but I wanted to avoid the stigma that goes with being a singer-songwriter. The name came up in a rather fiery conversation I was having with Josh about people who seem to be attracted to religion primarily so that they can condemn others to hell. We both liked the multiple meanings, (from) Religious to Damn(ation), as in a span, and Religious (in order) to Damn, so it stuck.
Tell us about Glass Prayer?
I wanted to make a record you could really immerse yourself in, something with really grandiose imagery. There are a lot of layers. It’s subtle at times, and heavy on the drama as well. It’s meant to reveal itself after multiple listens. We’re inspired very much by artists that maximized the possibilities of production, but the thing about them was that they didn’t beat you over the head with every last sound and idea. Some things may be out in front, but others are buried, carefully placed, left in soft focus. And that’s why they reward multiple listens, because new nuances emerge gradually, and one day you notice things you may not have noticed before. It’s a gamble to make a record like that these days, given how saturated the world is with new music. But we went for it anyway.
And when will you next be on tour…?
We’re planning to be in the UK/Europe this year, hopefully sooner than later. I’m very excited.
Who would you like to sing with in an ideal world – dead or alive?!
Bryan Ferry
How did you all meet?
Josh and I knew each other for years before we started working together. We had a similar aesthetic. Charlie was a classically trained percussionist, but also just an amazing rock drummer. He has an incredibly full range of capabilities to realize the diverse aspects of the music. Allegra played in a band in Portland called Magick Daggers, as well as The Portland Cello Project, and we had mutual friends, so when she moved to New York, she came on board. And Lea was Charlie’s bandmate in a Balkan punk band, and she’s also a classical musician, so she rounded out our current lineup.
How did you get the position you’re in now?
We put a lot of heart and muscle into getting to the place we’re in now. I dedicated my whole life to this. It’s a labor of love…. it’s what I wanted to do my whole life. We’ve certainly put up with our share of obstacles. Sadly no stories that don’t fall into the category of boring rock doc cliché. It’s not an easy business and New York’s not always a kind town. But we got to where we are through perseverance and the belief that we had something worthwhile to offer to the musical landscape.
How do you see your future?
We’re excited to bring our live show to as many people as want to see it. Believe it or not, the next record’s almost written, and we’re planning on recording it later this year. I’d say the future will be at the very least, eventful. I’ve got lots of ideas, and am always eager to write new songs and record new records. I see a future filled with lots of Religious to Damn music!
Religious to Damn‘s lead singer is Zohra Atash, viagra 60mg a cool lady with a batwingged 70s style, viagra a voice a bit like Alison Goldfrapp and Natasha;Bat For Lashes, physician and an excellent (seemingly well behaved) fringe. The Brooklyn band’s album, Glass Prayer, is out now on M’Lady’s Records. I caught up with Afghan-American Zohra, and asked her a few questions.
Hello, could you introduce yourself for us please?
My name is Zohra Atash, I’m a singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter. My primary project is Religious to Damn.
Could you describe what your music is like?
I try to make music that’s atmospheric and elegant, thoughtful and melodic. Some people have said that it’s cinematic and evokes a certain sense of expansiveness, which I’d agree with.
Where are you from?
My parents are Afghan, but I was born in Florida and grew up in Virginia. But I’ve been in Brooklyn for quite some time now.
How does London compare to New York? Do you like England?
I’ve been in love with British culture and art for years. I may have had my raising in south, but I lived in a house full of British records – from 60’s British invasion rock, to my sister’s collection of new wave and post-punk. My favorite bands in high school were Lush and Pulp…. I really wanted to move to London and start a band!
Why the name; ‘Religious to Damn’?
I write the music, but I wanted to avoid the stigma that goes with being a singer-songwriter. The name came up in a rather fiery conversation I was having with Josh about people who seem to be attracted to religion primarily so that they can condemn others to hell. We both liked the multiple meanings, (from) Religious to Damn(ation), as in a span, and Religious (in order) to Damn, so it stuck.
Tell us about Glass Prayer?
I wanted to make a record you could really immerse yourself in, something with really grandiose imagery. There are a lot of layers. It’s subtle at times, and heavy on the drama as well. It’s meant to reveal itself after multiple listens. We’re inspired very much by artists that maximized the possibilities of production, but the thing about them was that they didn’t beat you over the head with every last sound and idea. Some things may be out in front, but others are buried, carefully placed, left in soft focus. And that’s why they reward multiple listens, because new nuances emerge gradually, and one day you notice things you may not have noticed before. It’s a gamble to make a record like that these days, given how saturated the world is with new music. But we went for it anyway.
And when will you next be on tour…?
We’re planning to be in the UK/Europe this year, hopefully sooner than later. I’m very excited.
Who would you like to sing with in an ideal world – dead or alive?!
Bryan Ferry
How did you all meet?
Josh and I knew each other for years before we started working together. We had a similar aesthetic. Charlie was a classically trained percussionist, but also just an amazing rock drummer. He has an incredibly full range of capabilities to realize the diverse aspects of the music. Allegra played in a band in Portland called Magick Daggers, as well as The Portland Cello Project, and we had mutual friends, so when she moved to New York, she came on board. And Lea was Charlie’s bandmate in a Balkan punk band, and she’s also a classical musician, so she rounded out our current lineup.
How did you get the position you’re in now?
We put a lot of heart and muscle into getting to the place we’re in now. I dedicated my whole life to this. It’s a labor of love…. it’s what I wanted to do my whole life. We’ve certainly put up with our share of obstacles. Sadly no stories that don’t fall into the category of boring rock doc cliché. It’s not an easy business and New York’s not always a kind town. But we got to where we are through perseverance and the belief that we had something worthwhile to offer to the musical landscape.
How do you see your future?
We’re excited to bring our live show to as many people as want to see it. Believe it or not, the next record’s almost written, and we’re planning on recording it later this year. I’d say the future will be at the very least, eventful. I’ve got lots of ideas, and am always eager to write new songs and record new records. I see a future filled with lots of Religious to Damn music!
Religious to Damn‘s lead singer is Zohra Atash, illness a cool lady with a batwingged 70s style, cialis 40mg a voice a bit like Alison Goldfrapp and Natasha;Bat For Lashes, medications and an excellent (seemingly well behaved) fringe. The Brooklyn band’s album, Glass Prayer, is out now on M’Lady’s Records. I caught up with Afghan-American Zohra, and asked her a few questions.
Hello, could you introduce yourself for us please?
My name is Zohra Atash, I’m a singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter. My primary project is Religious to Damn.
Could you describe what your music is like?
I try to make music that’s atmospheric and elegant, thoughtful and melodic. Some people have said that it’s cinematic and evokes a certain sense of expansiveness, which I’d agree with.
Where are you from?
My parents are Afghan, but I was born in Florida and grew up in Virginia. But I’ve been in Brooklyn for quite some time now.
How does London compare to New York? Do you like England?
I’ve been in love with British culture and art for years. I may have had my raising in south, but I lived in a house full of British records – from 60’s British invasion rock, to my sister’s collection of new wave and post-punk. My favorite bands in high school were Lush and Pulp…. I really wanted to move to London and start a band!
Why the name; ‘Religious to Damn’?
I write the music, but I wanted to avoid the stigma that goes with being a singer-songwriter. The name came up in a rather fiery conversation I was having with Josh about people who seem to be attracted to religion primarily so that they can condemn others to hell. We both liked the multiple meanings, (from) Religious to Damn(ation), as in a span, and Religious (in order) to Damn, so it stuck.
Tell us about Glass Prayer?
I wanted to make a record you could really immerse yourself in, something with really grandiose imagery. There are a lot of layers. It’s subtle at times, and heavy on the drama as well. It’s meant to reveal itself after multiple listens. We’re inspired very much by artists that maximized the possibilities of production, but the thing about them was that they didn’t beat you over the head with every last sound and idea. Some things may be out in front, but others are buried, carefully placed, left in soft focus. And that’s why they reward multiple listens, because new nuances emerge gradually, and one day you notice things you may not have noticed before. It’s a gamble to make a record like that these days, given how saturated the world is with new music. But we went for it anyway.
And when will you next be on tour…?
We’re planning to be in the UK/Europe this year, hopefully sooner than later. I’m very excited.
Who would you like to sing with in an ideal world – dead or alive?! Bryan Ferry
How did you all meet?
Josh and I knew each other for years before we started working together. We had a similar aesthetic. Charlie was a classically trained percussionist, but also just an amazing rock drummer. He has an incredibly full range of capabilities to realize the diverse aspects of the music. Allegra played in a band in Portland called Magick Daggers, as well as The Portland Cello Project, and we had mutual friends, so when she moved to New York, she came on board. And Lea was Charlie’s bandmate in a Balkan punk band, and she’s also a classical musician, so she rounded out our current lineup.
How did you get the position you’re in now?
We put a lot of heart and muscle into getting to the place we’re in now. I dedicated my whole life to this. It’s a labor of love…. it’s what I wanted to do my whole life. We’ve certainly put up with our share of obstacles. Sadly no stories that don’t fall into the category of boring rock doc cliché. It’s not an easy business and New York’s not always a kind town. But we got to where we are through perseverance and the belief that we had something worthwhile to offer to the musical landscape.
How do you see your future?
We’re excited to bring our live show to as many people as want to see it. Believe it or not, the next record’s almost written, and we’re planning on recording it later this year. I’d say the future will be at the very least, eventful. I’ve got lots of ideas, and am always eager to write new songs and record new records. I see a future filled with lots of Religious to Damn music!
Religious to Damn‘s lead singer is Zohra Atash, capsule a cool lady with a batwingged 70s style, a voice a bit like Alison Goldfrapp and Natasha;Bat For Lashes, and an excellent (seemingly well behaved) fringe. The Brooklyn band’s album, Glass Prayer, is out now on M’Lady’s Records. I caught up with Afghan-American Zohra, and asked her a few questions.
Hello, could you introduce yourself for us please?
My name is Zohra Atash, I’m a singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter. My primary project is Religious to Damn.
Could you describe what your music is like?
I try to make music that’s atmospheric and elegant, thoughtful and melodic. Some people have said that it’s cinematic and evokes a certain sense of expansiveness, which I’d agree with.
Where are you from?
My parents are Afghan, but I was born in Florida and grew up in Virginia. But I’ve been in Brooklyn for quite some time now.
How does London compare to New York? Do you like England?
I’ve been in love with British culture and art for years. I may have had my raising in south, but I lived in a house full of British records – from 60’s British invasion rock, to my sister’s collection of new wave and post-punk. My favorite bands in high school were Lush and Pulp…. I really wanted to move to London and start a band!
Why the name; ‘Religious to Damn’?
I write the music, but I wanted to avoid the stigma that goes with being a singer-songwriter. The name came up in a rather fiery conversation I was having with Josh about people who seem to be attracted to religion primarily so that they can condemn others to hell. We both liked the multiple meanings, (from) Religious to Damn(ation), as in a span, and Religious (in order) to Damn, so it stuck.
Tell us about Glass Prayer?
I wanted to make a record you could really immerse yourself in, something with really grandiose imagery. There are a lot of layers. It’s subtle at times, and heavy on the drama as well. It’s meant to reveal itself after multiple listens. We’re inspired very much by artists that maximized the possibilities of production, but the thing about them was that they didn’t beat you over the head with every last sound and idea. Some things may be out in front, but others are buried, carefully placed, left in soft focus. And that’s why they reward multiple listens, because new nuances emerge gradually, and one day you notice things you may not have noticed before. It’s a gamble to make a record like that these days, given how saturated the world is with new music. But we went for it anyway.
And when will you next be on tour…?
We’re planning to be in the UK/Europe this year, hopefully sooner than later. I’m very excited.
Who would you like to sing with in an ideal world – dead or alive?! Bryan Ferry
How did you all meet?
Josh and I knew each other for years before we started working together. We had a similar aesthetic. Charlie was a classically trained percussionist, but also just an amazing rock drummer. He has an incredibly full range of capabilities to realize the diverse aspects of the music. Allegra played in a band in Portland called Magick Daggers, as well as The Portland Cello Project, and we had mutual friends, so when she moved to New York, she came on board. And Lea was Charlie’s bandmate in a Balkan punk band, and she’s also a classical musician, so she rounded out our current lineup.
How did you get the position you’re in now?
We put a lot of heart and muscle into getting to the place we’re in now. I dedicated my whole life to this. It’s a labor of love…. it’s what I wanted to do my whole life. We’ve certainly put up with our share of obstacles. Sadly no stories that don’t fall into the category of boring rock doc cliché. It’s not an easy business and New York’s not always a kind town. But we got to where we are through perseverance and the belief that we had something worthwhile to offer to the musical landscape.
How do you see your future?
We’re excited to bring our live show to as many people as want to see it. Believe it or not, the next record’s almost written, and we’re planning on recording it later this year. I’d say the future will be at the very least, eventful. I’ve got lots of ideas, and am always eager to write new songs and record new records. I see a future filled with lots of Religious to Damn music!
Religious to Damn‘s lead singer is Zohra Atash, information pills a cool lady with a batwingged 70s style, online a voice a bit like Alison Goldfrapp and Natasha;Bat For Lashes, mind and an excellent (seemingly well behaved) fringe. The Brooklyn band’s album, Glass Prayer, is out now on M’Lady’s Records. I caught up with Afghan-American Zohra, and asked her a few questions.
Hello, could you introduce yourself for us please?
My name is Zohra Atash, I’m a singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter. My primary project is Religious to Damn.
Could you describe what your music is like?
I try to make music that’s atmospheric and elegant, thoughtful and melodic. Some people have said that it’s cinematic and evokes a certain sense of expansiveness, which I’d agree with.
Where are you from?
My parents are Afghan, but I was born in Florida and grew up in Virginia. But I’ve been in Brooklyn for quite some time now.
How does London compare to New York? Do you like England?
I’ve been in love with British culture and art for years. I may have had my raising in south, but I lived in a house full of British records – from 60’s British invasion rock, to my sister’s collection of new wave and post-punk. My favorite bands in high school were Lush and Pulp…. I really wanted to move to London and start a band!
Why the name; ‘Religious to Damn’?
I write the music, but I wanted to avoid the stigma that goes with being a singer-songwriter. The name came up in a rather fiery conversation I was having with Josh about people who seem to be attracted to religion primarily so that they can condemn others to hell. We both liked the multiple meanings, (from) Religious to Damn(ation), as in a span, and Religious (in order) to Damn, so it stuck.
Tell us about Glass Prayer?
I wanted to make a record you could really immerse yourself in, something with really grandiose imagery. There are a lot of layers. It’s subtle at times, and heavy on the drama as well. It’s meant to reveal itself after multiple listens. We’re inspired very much by artists that maximized the possibilities of production, but the thing about them was that they didn’t beat you over the head with every last sound and idea. Some things may be out in front, but others are buried, carefully placed, left in soft focus. And that’s why they reward multiple listens, because new nuances emerge gradually, and one day you notice things you may not have noticed before. It’s a gamble to make a record like that these days, given how saturated the world is with new music. But we went for it anyway.
And when will you next be on tour…?
We’re planning to be in the UK/Europe this year, hopefully sooner than later. I’m very excited.
Who would you like to sing with in an ideal world – dead or alive?! Bryan Ferry
How did you all meet?
Josh and I knew each other for years before we started working together. We had a similar aesthetic. Charlie was a classically trained percussionist, but also just an amazing rock drummer. He has an incredibly full range of capabilities to realize the diverse aspects of the music. Allegra played in a band in Portland called Magick Daggers, as well as The Portland Cello Project, and we had mutual friends, so when she moved to New York, she came on board. And Lea was Charlie’s bandmate in a Balkan punk band, and she’s also a classical musician, so she rounded out our current lineup.
How did you get the position you’re in now?
We put a lot of heart and muscle into getting to the place we’re in now. I dedicated my whole life to this. It’s a labor of love…. it’s what I wanted to do my whole life. We’ve certainly put up with our share of obstacles. Sadly no stories that don’t fall into the category of boring rock doc cliché. It’s not an easy business and New York’s not always a kind town. But we got to where we are through perseverance and the belief that we had something worthwhile to offer to the musical landscape.
How do you see your future?
We’re excited to bring our live show to as many people as want to see it. Believe it or not, the next record’s almost written, and we’re planning on recording it later this year. I’d say the future will be at the very least, eventful. I’ve got lots of ideas, and am always eager to write new songs and record new records. I see a future filled with lots of Religious to Damn music!
Religious to Damn‘s lead singer is Zohra Atash, buy information pills a cool lady with a batwingged 70s style, a voice a bit like Alison Goldfrapp and Natasha;Bat For Lashes, and an excellent (seemingly well behaved) fringe. The Brooklyn band’s album, Glass Prayer, is out now on M’Lady’s Records. I caught up with Afghan-American Zohra, and asked her a few questions.
Hello, could you introduce yourself for us please?
My name is Zohra Atash, I’m a singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter. My primary project is Religious to Damn.
Could you describe what your music is like?
I try to make music that’s atmospheric and elegant, thoughtful and melodic. Some people have said that it’s cinematic and evokes a certain sense of expansiveness, which I’d agree with.
Where are you from?
My parents are Afghan, but I was born in Florida and grew up in Virginia. But I’ve been in Brooklyn for quite some time now.
How does London compare to New York? Do you like England?
I’ve been in love with British culture and art for years. I may have had my raising in south, but I lived in a house full of British records – from 60’s British invasion rock, to my sister’s collection of new wave and post-punk. My favorite bands in high school were Lush and Pulp…. I really wanted to move to London and start a band!
Why the name; ‘Religious to Damn’?
I write the music, but I wanted to avoid the stigma that goes with being a singer-songwriter. The name came up in a rather fiery conversation I was having with Josh about people who seem to be attracted to religion primarily so that they can condemn others to hell. We both liked the multiple meanings, (from) Religious to Damn(ation), as in a span, and Religious (in order) to Damn, so it stuck.
Tell us about Glass Prayer?
I wanted to make a record you could really immerse yourself in, something with really grandiose imagery. There are a lot of layers. It’s subtle at times, and heavy on the drama as well. It’s meant to reveal itself after multiple listens. We’re inspired very much by artists that maximized the possibilities of production, but the thing about them was that they didn’t beat you over the head with every last sound and idea. Some things may be out in front, but others are buried, carefully placed, left in soft focus. And that’s why they reward multiple listens, because new nuances emerge gradually, and one day you notice things you may not have noticed before. It’s a gamble to make a record like that these days, given how saturated the world is with new music. But we went for it anyway.
And when will you next be on tour…?
We’re planning to be in the UK/Europe this year, hopefully sooner than later. I’m very excited.
Who would you like to sing with in an ideal world – dead or alive?! Bryan Ferry
How did you all meet?
Josh and I knew each other for years before we started working together. We had a similar aesthetic. Charlie was a classically trained percussionist, but also just an amazing rock drummer. He has an incredibly full range of capabilities to realize the diverse aspects of the music. Allegra played in a band in Portland called Magick Daggers, as well as The Portland Cello Project, and we had mutual friends, so when she moved to New York, she came on board. And Lea was Charlie’s bandmate in a Balkan punk band, and she’s also a classical musician, so she rounded out our current lineup.
How did you get the position you’re in now?
We put a lot of heart and muscle into getting to the place we’re in now. I dedicated my whole life to this. It’s a labor of love…. it’s what I wanted to do my whole life. We’ve certainly put up with our share of obstacles. Sadly no stories that don’t fall into the category of boring rock doc cliché. It’s not an easy business and New York’s not always a kind town. But we got to where we are through perseverance and the belief that we had something worthwhile to offer to the musical landscape.
How do you see your future?
We’re excited to bring our live show to as many people as want to see it. Believe it or not, the next record’s almost written, and we’re planning on recording it later this year. I’d say the future will be at the very least, eventful. I’ve got lots of ideas, and am always eager to write new songs and record new records. I see a future filled with lots of Religious to Damn music!
You may have seen my review of Smoke Fairies, visit web with Sea of Bees supporting, visit this site last month in Bristol. ‘I’m telling you when they play together live on stage, it feels, well… I will have to use a simile – here follows: You know that advert for Ireland, when the lady is singing in her Enya (is it her?) voice and the camera is sweeping over the ridiculously green fields and coastlines of Ireland? A bit cringe but you get the image, it feels like you are the sweeper – as in you are sweeping/flying over amazing landscapes. Possibly wearing some tweed, definitely a cape with a hood. The music is more The Cranberries than Enya, but the flying sensation fits.’ I was lucky enough to get hold of Katherine and Jessica, just as their tour finished. I asked them a whole bunch of questions, on a range of subjects; from Jack White to New Orleans and Sussex.
Could you introduce yourself for us please?
We are Katherine and Jessica from the Smoke Fairies
And what is your music like?
A concoction of harmonies, riffs, blues, folk, long drives, late nights, nostalgia, stories of loss, dark thoughts, changing light, memories.
When and how did you get together?
k.We met at school when we were about 11 and started singing together as a way to make the school years more interesting. It soon became pretty obsessive with us playing at every opportunity.
Do you miss Sussex?
K. Sometimes living in London gets a bit intense and I think deep down we both love getting out to the countryside and back near the sea. I miss the space and the ability to get out on your own. But London has more opportunities and of course we are drawn to all the activity and creativity happening here. It would be equally hard to tear myself away from here now that it has become a home base.
What was Canada and New Orleans like?
K. We lived in New Orleans for a year at quite a pivotal time in our lives and we absorbed a lot of influences from the environment and people. We used to hang out in a coffee shop where we were given gigs and a lot of musicians from across the States would pass through. We felt free to explore our sound. We were affected musically as well as by the heartache that came from leaving it behind. Canada was a less focused and more calamitous year and that came out in the music we were writing at that time, but again the environment was the main influence seeping in. From our apartment we could see the mountains stretching off into the distance as well as the sky line of the city. Those places were important in our development, but nowadays we are just as much influenced by the heavy air of London, as England has really become our home.
Who have you toured with? What was it like?
J: We have toured with a range of artists; Bryan Ferry,The Handsome Family, Richard Hawley and Laura Marling. All have been completely different experiences due to the venues, the audiences and the way we were travelling. For some tours we have driven ourselves which requires a lot of organisation.
And what is touring as the headline band like?
K. It has given us a lot more confidence as performers. It is a completely different feeling to being the support band, there is more of the feeling that you are able to own the stage and that brings a sensation of immense freedom and enjoyment. It’s very satisfying to be able to headline shows now.
What was it like working with Jack White?
K. At first we couldn’t really believe we were there, but it was amazing how relaxed we felt once we got into the studio and we had never had the chance to record with analogue equipment before so that was really interesting.
Who would you like to work with next?
K. I think any musician dreams about working with many of the people they admire.
What’s coming up for you?
J. At the moment we are getting ready for festival season, writing the new album and making plans to release ‘Through Low Light and Trees’ in the US.
How are you enjoying your successes?
J. It is great at the moment but we will always want more. We are pleased with ‘Through Low Light and Trees’ and the way it was received but we are eager to move on to the next album.
What inspires you?
J. Sometimes it will be music but mostly ideas from songs will come from a combination of experience, books, tv, the weather, the seasons…. Sometimes one idea will strangely keep presenting itself in different ways, forcing you to write about it.
Do you write your own music?
K. Yes. We write it all. Except, recently we have been experimenting with some covers. We worked on a cover of Killing Joke’s Requiem and played it a lot on our last tour. We ended up releasing it on the B Side of our special edition tour vinyl of our single Strange Moon Rising. We also recorded a cover of Neil Young‘s Alabama. We are hoping to expand the covers we do into more unexpected genres, so there will hopefully be more on the way. The Killing Joke cover was really inspiring as it was probably a surprising direction for us to take, but it gives you a different perspective on your own songs and how you could think about writing songs in another way.
Where did you learn to play the guitar like that?
K. I think its just taken us a really long time to develop our style. Its a bit like singing I think, it takes a while to find your voice and feel confident. That came mostly from listening to a lot of music and watching folk and blues musicians playing live. Sitting in the front row and watching their fingers. I don’t think our style of playing is particularly conventional or based on a technical background.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
K. Hopefully still alive and reaching more people with our music, maybe I’ll be able to get a dog, but I’m not sure with all the touring.
Illustrators include Nozomi Inoue and Chris Cox. Other illustrators, please get in touch and remind us of your names!
Amy Rhian, Louise McLennan, Roberta Boyce
I’m fascinated by Polly Morgan‘s Ten Of Diamonds
