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Amelia’s Magazine | The Long Blondes

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viking%20moses%20-%20swollen%20and%20small.jpg
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 sale information 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.

LosCampesinosFront.jpg
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.

BornRuffsEP1.jpg
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.

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Amelia’s Magazine | Transgressive hot summer tour comes to London

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Transgressive Hot Summer Tour comes to London

Cross Kings is I think one of London‘s better venues, about it order It has that sticky floored authenticity that we have come to see as a pre-requisite for an unpretentious musical enjoyment. At the Transgressive night the place was packed and the crowd was a nice mix of people, trendy, but not hoxton try-hard trendy.

cross%20kings%20jeremt%20warmsley.jpg
Photo by Ben Broomfield

The venue is blessed with a basement that is just as big as another venue, which is great as it means that more bands can play rather than hanging around waiting for the previous band to pack up. It was this basement that we precariously crept into, as if entering a coal mine, reading the words, “all ye who cross this point must abandon all faith“ on the way. The happy crowd seemed not to have taken heed of this warning, nodding their heads watching So So Modern. I say nodding their heads, there were a fantastic few people at the front who were getting spazmodic in some new crazy ways.

so%20so%20modern.jpg

So So Modern are everything the Klaxons should have been. They cross punk and electro in such an intelligent way that means they could never be typecast as either of the two. Three guys have a guitar and a keyboard each and thus the loud dirty riffs and crazy futuristic noises made are perfectly in sync with eachother. The lead singer (screamer) is clearly so absorbed in the music that it would be possible to tell by his movements if the drummer missed a beat. Catcthy melodies would at times work their way up to a gloriously incompresensable din, followed by a pause, followed by a scream, followed by more incomprehensable din! Fantastic!

Then we watched Esser, at first I was mostly confused by them, the lead singer looked a little nervous which felt strange given the humour in the lyrics. However Esser had some really good songs and throughout the performance totally won the crowd over. “Headlock“ had people singing along. I thought their loony friend dressed as a skeleton dancing around with a glitterball on stage was wonderful, but the london crowd didn’t really bat an eyelid at him.

jeremy%20wamsley.jpg
Photo by Ben Broomfield

A couple of whiskeys later and I was enjoying the sound of Jeremy Warmsley’s voice, when he draws back from the microphone slightly it gives a new echoish quality to his voice, which had you never seen him live could be thought of as a recording trick but live it is really apparent how natural it is. “Dirty Blue Jeans“ was my favorite song of the night though the beautiful piano tinkling and heavy voiced “I knew that her face was a lie“ almost knocked it off the top spot. I was genuinely sad when the night ended without him playing “I believe in the way you move“. Transgressive is a brilliant label doing something truly different and after this night I would certainly go one of their gigs again even if I had never heard of any of the artists playing, I’d be sure of having a great time.

Written by Emma Hamshare on Wednesday July 23rd, 2008 11:14 am

Categories ,Live London Venue Hoxton Band Modern Punk Electro Lead Singer Keyboard Music Drummer Lyrics Song Piano Gigs

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Amelia’s Magazine | Tom Vek introduces new album Luck: interview and review

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tom vek by gianluca

Tom Vek by Gianluca Floris.

I was super excited to discover that Tom Vek has completed his third album Luck, which came out a few weeks ago on Moshi Moshi Records. I knew Tom Vek many years ago, when his career had just launched at the indie label where my flatmate worked, and Amelia’s Magazine had just begun – his music was part of the soundtrack to my life back then. Ten years later we are both still doing our thing, which is kind of nice to know. From the determined catchiness of Sherman (Animals in the Jungle) – which is accompanied by a deeply unsettling but brilliant video (below) – to the humour and bounce of The Tongue Avoids the Teeth, this new record is Tom Vek at his best: an album chock full of catchy songs featuring his trademark singsongy chat, all set against a backdrop of extravagant glitches. The lyrics may be inspired by the hardships and tribulations of modern life but the results are undeniably upbeat. I caught up with Tom to find out how life has been treating him…


Sherman (Animals in the Jungle)

It’s been ten years since you first burst onto the music scene with We Have Sound, and you’ve been quiet for quite some time since your second album, what have you been up to?
I released an EP with a friend from New York under the name Nothankyou, I also made an app that sorts out how shitty music looks on phones.

Tom Vek by Simon McLaren
Tom Vek by Simon McLaren.

What were the biggest inspirations behind Luck?
Reading Tom Wolfe’s The Bonfire Of The Vanities was a big reference point for Sherman, and added to my general musings about controlling your fate and stuff which runs through the record lyrically.

Tom Vek Luck album cover

How do you marry the song writing process with production?
It’s kinda combined really, I produce as I go along, it’s part of the writing now, because I’m looking for some kind of sonic interest before an actual song is put together.


Broke

Did you learn any new processes or instruments to make it? if so which ones…
Um, not sure, I learnt a load of stuff between the first 2, I think that’s why this album was quicker because I knew what I was doing in the technical sense. I bought a pitch pedal and put it on a lot of things.

How long did it take to create this record?
2 years I guess..

Tom Vek by Sonia_Melot

Tom Vek by Sonia Melot.

How much has luck (or otherwise) affected your life?
Well I don’t know really, I think that’s what the whole album muses over. I think I’ve had some extraordinary luck, and I’ve also worked extremely hard at some things which yield less of an impact, so there’s an odd relationship, I always have that “the more I practise, the luckier I get” line in my heard ever since I heard it as a child, but it’s odd because I haven’t really mastered anything particular musically, but maybe that regime has been practise in itself. My latest theory is it’s a karmic thing where you can work really hard on something and the luck you earn doesn’t necessarily come straight back but in a mysterious way, which is nice because then you lead a life of injustice and blessings, which rouses the existential I guess, keeps it interesting.

Who do you hope will listen to this record, and what will they be doing at the time?
That’s a funny question, that’s a little weird to think about, I don’t know really, I tend to have a little headphone time in the evenings, maybe that kinda thing, or in a car, music’s so great for driving to.

Tom Vek by Sonia Melot 2

You will be going on tour later this year – what can the audience expect from your latest live show?
3 guys trying their hardest to play all the bits, while I try to remember all the lyrics and ignore a load of people looking at me haha, they are funny things live, it just seems like a bit of a bizarre thing that I put myself through, good fun though and I’ll keep doing them so long as people want to hear sub-standard versions of the songs. I’m just kidding, the live shows are life-changing.

Lastly, what do you remember most fondly when you look back to the time of your first release ten years ago?
Being around Brick Lane, where the indie label that we made We Have Sound with were based, I had a job around the area, and I’d pop out on my lunch breaks to go have a chat about printing flyers or something, and get CDs from the other labels in the office. Releasing music was a kinda mysterious thing, not so statistically scrutinised it is now, I’m so grateful I was able to release an album in the old music industry.

Luck by Tom Vek is out now on Moshi Moshi Music – go check it out!

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday June 24th, 2014 5:10 pm

Categories ,Brick Lane, ,Gianluca Floris, ,Luck, ,Moshi Moshi Records, ,Nothankyou, ,Sherman (Animals in the Jungle), ,Simon Mclaren, ,Sonia Melot, ,The Bonfire Of The Vanities, ,The Tongue Avoids the Teeth, ,Tom Vek, ,Tom Wolfe, ,We Have Sound

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Amelia’s Magazine | Live Review: Smoke Fairies and Sea of Bees at The Fleece, Bristol

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Smokefairies Illustration
Smoke Fairies Illustration by Alice Potter

The violinist comes on stage. He’s very tall and his tailcoat, ask wide tie and long hair and mostasche are how I consider a more genteel England might be attired. He looks considerate and pensive in a poetic sense. The rest of the band come on stage. Then the two female singers who are Smoke Fairies quietly take their places at the front. They appear a little bashful, malady but they have determined stares as they attach their instruments and look out to the audience. Their small frowns and concentrated expressions make them appear like they have been thrust on stage and are finding themselves dazed by the lights. Starstruck by their situation. But also it feels like reassurance; the two, click dressed in black mini dresses, are focused and aware that they behold the potential to have an audience in the palm of their hand. They look out and they know that a mood can be changed by the unison of their voices. They’re not nervous. Because their music is blinding.

Smoke Fairies hels

The sound starts and the voices are slow. The guitars are played, fingers flickering on the notes, dancing in small circles. The electric strums are perfectly matched with the violin. The drums are hit and the two voices are joined and that’s the moment. This time it came earlier than expected. Charlie and I look at each other. A translation says; ‘this is good, I’m glad we came to this one’. Then following this is a quizzical eyebrow raise from him; ‘do we have their cd?’, before he spins me round, grabs my waist (bit annoying) and moves to the music. We try and get as lost as possible, which hopefully leads to synchronized swaying. Occasionally I look at him with my eyes wide: ‘This is EPIC’ (over use of this word through eyes/speech, noted). Oh how I love the difference between playing something off the old Mac and seeing the scenes played live. Even though it is of course a joy to sit/wallow/cry/smile/dance to tracks at home, some acts are just SO much more incredible in real life form. Like Smoke Fairies.

SF_press2SML

Picture Source

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.

They also have a hefty 90s twang. Reminding me of Alicia’s Attic and The Shakespeare Sisters (you must know Stay?) – a bit grungy but with a little folk and blues twist. Their name; ‘Smoke Fairies’, fits perfectly with their ethereal, rocky and fantastical sound. From interviews past, I read that it alludes to the summer mist that collects in the hedgerows of Sussex’s narrow lanes. Being a childhood Sussex girl myself, I know this mist well. The old railway tracks by my house are dusty aired heavens; the hours spent walking the lanes, their vision, scent, sound and feel make for ‘home’ in a snapshot. Jessica Davies and Katherine Blamire met at school in the fair county of Sussex. And (wisely) rather than 5ive, Wigfield etc. the pair preferred folk, classic rock and blues. So they got together and created their own sounds, moulding their preferences and harmonies. After school, they lived in New Orleans and Vancouver, before returning to go on tour with Brian Ferry in 2007. They have since received high acclaim from artists such as Richard Hawley and Jack White. The former took them on tour and the latter recording a single with the fairies.

packshot_small

Smoke Fairies live highlights for me were; Summer Fades, Gastown, Hotel Room and Strange Moon Rising. As they played their guitars, their concentration and dedication to each note was mesmerizing. Although they seemed a little distant between tracks at times, their music was confident and heavenly. I highly recommend you listen. Their album, Through Low Light and Trees is out now on V2.

sea of bees

Sea of Bees Illustration by Genie Espinosa

Sea of Bees supported Smoke Fairies. As you may already know, I think Julie Ann Bee is superb. You can see from my review of her album, Song for The Ravens, available on Heavenly Recordings. Seeing her live, she was even more endearing than I had hoped. Somewhat of a contrast to Smoke Fairies’ mysterious mood, Julie broadly smiled and chatted between songs. She seemed really happy to be on stage, declaring her love for the South West’s cider and mentioning that since she was a child, she had in fact deeply wanted to be English. I got the impression that she yearned for this through the sugared lens of Mary Poppins, when she mentioned the singing dreampop, in the same way that we all live in castles and are close friends with Prince Harry. Not that England isn’t splendid. Regardless, when she talked of the Isle she sounded genuine and almost childlike. I get the impression that she has a very vivid imagination and a warm heart, perhaps under appreciated, but certainly obvious tonight. And in all her music of course.

Sea

Happily Julie’s singing on stage was as sweet as it is on her album, but with the high notes hitting the rooftops. Hearing her explain each song’s meaning was a delight not often had. And seeing her acting out the songs, her face frowning into the mid distance and then smiling… looking to the imaginary stars – made her album’s preconceived character a reality. Her feelings manifesting themselves in her music, she seems almost vulnerable, but utterly lovable.

sea of bees3

Sea of Bees Illustration by Genie Espinosa

She talks and sings of dreams and following them, of saying goodbye to past loves and the joy of friends. All that we can relate to, but that we could never articulate with such beautiful sounds as she does. As sugary as a sugar mouse, as heavenly as a glass of Peach Prosecco on a cloud. Song For The Ravens is out now on Heavenly Recordings.

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Written by Helen Martin on Friday February 4th, 2011 6:53 pm

Categories ,5ive, ,Alice Potter, ,blues, ,Brian Ferry, ,bristol, ,california, ,England, ,Enya, ,Ethereal, ,Fairies, ,folk, ,Genie Espinosa, ,Heavenly Recordings, ,Helen Martin, ,ireland, ,Jack White, ,Jessica Davies, ,Katherine Blamire, ,Mary Poppins, ,moody, ,New Orleans, ,Prince Harry, ,richard hawley, ,Sea of Bees, ,Shakespeare Sisters, ,smoke fairies, ,Sussex, ,The Fleece, ,V2, ,Vancouver, ,Wigfield

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Amelia’s Magazine | Kate Stelmanis of Austra talks about touring Europe with her debut album Feel It Break

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Austra by Karolina Burdon
Austra by Karolina Burdon.

Truth be said, pills I have been thoroughly wowed by the debut album from Austra. Maybe it’s the strong influence of The Knife, medicine a band I absolutely adore, malady or the sweetest of vocals from the classically trained Canadian lead singer Katie Stelmanis. Either way Feel It Break has been on repeat for many weeks or more. From the throbbing beats of Beat and the Pulse, with its 80s-esque gymnastic dance video, to the lush loops and yearning wails in Lose It, Austra has me hooked.

Austra Sleeve
I spoke with Kate Stelmanis, the Toronto-based brains behind Austra. A very independent lady: we like.

What was the best part about being a singer in the prestigious Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus and then the Canadian Opera Company?
Being in a choir was a very social thing for me. I loved my friends. But most importantly, it is such a powerful experience performing in a huge group like that. Standing in a choir and being surrounded by voices, each person singing their specific harmonies that all come together so unexpectedly was the most amazing thing for me.

Austra by Clive McFarland
Austra by Clive McFarland.

How has your voice changed, now that you sing dark electronica?
My voice has changed a lot since my training. I’ve basically abandoned all of it and over the years, being in lots of different types of bands, developed my own sound.

How have your inspirations shaped the way you sing and make music?
My greatest inspiration is classical music and opera. That is what I grew up on, and so that is what I am most familiar with. My music is very influenced by these genres.

Austra Kate Stelmanis

What has been the best and worst parts of managing your whole career independently?
I have had help from lots of people, the Blocks Recording Club provided me with the resources to learn how to be a band. And Mike from Fucked Up acted as my manager for years. He is more of a mentor really, I respect his opinion and his ideas immensely. Nowadays it’s becoming more difficult to stay on top of things, but I don’t want to chose a manager until I’m sure it’s the right fit. Essentially a manager is almost like another band member, so I will chose carefully.

YouTube Preview Image
Beat and the Pulse.

How does being based in Toronto affect your life and creation of music? Why are Canadians not as receptive to your music as Europeans?
I don’t think it’s that Canadians are not receptive to my music, I think its more so that because we are so sparsely populated and such a large country that it’s difficult to promote smaller sub-genres. Canada is known for its folk and rock music, not for its electronic scene. Though people here are ready for it it’s just difficult to grow in a country that isn’t set up to support that particular genre. Things will evolve though I’m sure. Toronto has been a great place to make music, mostly because of the huge amount of people making music successfully in the city – which is great inspiration and motivation to continue with my own project.

Capture-something-rare-by-Abi-Heyneke
Capture Something Rare by Abi Heyneke.

What do you most recommend a new visitor to do in Toronto?
You should visit Trinity Bellwoods Park, the Ossington restaurants, Kensington Market vintage shopping and make sure you check out the cheap eats.

YouTube Preview Image
Lose It.

What can an audience expect from your live performance?
I am currently performing as a six piece with two back up singers and an extra keyboard player. We play a mixture of analog and electronic instruments.

Kate Stelmanis of Austra

What have you learnt about Europe that has been most surprising, whilst on tour?
It’s terribly hard to find hummus in many parts of Europe, and far too easy to find cheese.

Feel It Break is out now on Domino Records. I strongly urge you to check it out! Kate Stelmanis and co will be on tour in the UK during July.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday May 19th, 2011 4:59 pm

Categories ,80s, ,Abi Heyneke, ,album, ,Austra, ,Beat and the Pulse, ,Blocks Recording Club, ,canada, ,Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, ,Canadian Opera Company, ,Clive McFarland, ,Domino Records, ,electronica, ,Feel It Break, ,Fucked Up, ,Karolina Burdon, ,Kate Stelmanis, ,Kensington Market, ,Lose It, ,opera, ,Ossington restaurants, ,The Knife, ,Toronto, ,Trinity Bellwoods Park

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with singer songwriter Kyla La Grange

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Eco Luxe Showroom Hipstamatic

Fair+True and Reluxe illustration by Andrea Kearney

The EcoLuxe exhibition was held at the ultra chic One Aldwych Hotel, sickness just across the road from Somerset House. Fresh from Esthetica, generic I wondered if the designers holed up over at One Aldwych would be able to compete with the level of talent I’d witnessed over at Somerset House, but my questions were quickly forgotten as I descended the staircase at the hotel and saw what waited for me.

Inevitably, there were a few brands and designers showcasing work that didn’t really float my boat, but I also saw some beautifully crafted clothes that really excited me. Here are just a few of my favourites.

I was excited to see that Fashion Conscience, my favourite ethical online retailer, had a stand. I quickly got chatting to their PR rep about how to encourage more mainstream use of ethical design principals and how to close the gap between the high end ethical and the affordable everyday ethical. Fashion Conscience, in my humble opinion, are beginning to fill this gap, but there is still some way to go. The Fashion Conscience stall was showcasing the work of two of my favourite labels, ReLuxe and Fair+True:

Reluxe oozes cool. The designs are fresh, colourful, relaxed and crucially AFFORDABLE. They use recycled fabrics which means many garments are completely unique, or in limited supply due to the limitations of the fabric. I have fallen in love with this slightly bonkers neon striped skirt and am just waiting for pay day to purchase it (don’t beat me to it!) Brands like Reluxe and Fair+True (below) make me excited and hopeful that ethical businesses CAN make it in to the middle market mainstream, can be affordable and can have mass appeal. YES.

Knitted Skirt by Reluxe. Photo via Fashion Conscience.

Fair+True are a brand new Fairtrade company that also make lovely, brightly coloured sporty brights that I would love to wear. All pieces are fairly made in the UK or Africa or created from sustainable and organic fabrics. LOVE.

Fair + True illustration by Fritha Strickland

I hadn’t  heard of Lowie and I’m most disappointed by this because I  loved their stuff. Their AW 2011  clothing and hand knitted accessories were brightly coloured and gorgeous. I adored their Turkish socks, ear muffs, cloche hats and cardigans. Their SS 2011 collection was also beautiful with some really interesting shapes and details.


Turkish socks by Lowie. Illustration by Faye West

I liked the moody colours, tailoring and detailing of HEMYCA‘s clothes. Their focus is on fine tailoring, with an emphasis on the waist, which I always love. Ethically, HEMYCA has an ‘Organic Tailoring’ range and manufactures all their garments in London, promoting local businesses and cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions.

Hemyca Dress.

I briefly saw Sanyukta Shrestha’s wedding accessories and dresses. However, it wasn’t until I saw models wearing the dresses online after the event that I truly appreciated their beauty. In fact I had a mouth a-gape, heart a-flutter moment when I saw this floor length, pleated dress with low cut back. It’s made from 100% organic silk and organic fair traded cotton sateen. If I could get married again (to the same man, I hasten to add!) it would be in this dress. Oh my. Head. Over. Heels.

Sanyukta Shrestha Wedding Dress illustration by Fritha Strickland

I always expected to be impressed by Esthetica and Eco Luxe, but I didn’t expect to be blown away, but I was.  I left both the show rooms with my brain whirring, a bag stuffed full of promo material, a camera full of more images than I knew what to do with and having talked at a million miles an hour to so many interesting and inspiring people. Eco Luxe has doubled in size since last year in what I assume  is a reflection of the increasing acceptance and awareness of ethical design. As ethical design and shopping with conscience become more mainstream,  I hope that ethical clothing designers wont be sectioned off in their own separate rooms. Instead they will be showcasing alongside all the other  London Fashion Week designers; proving that fashion with a conscience is not the exception, but the norm. One day indeed.

Fair+True and Reluxe illustration by Andrea Kearney

The EcoLuxe exhibition was held at the ultra chic One Aldwych Hotel, doctor just across the road from Somerset House. Fresh from Esthetica, page I wondered if the designers holed up over at One Aldwych would be able to compete with the level of talent I’d witnessed over at Somerset House, but my questions were quickly forgotten as I descended the staircase at the hotel and saw what waited for me.

Inevitably, there were a few brands and designers showcasing work that didn’t really float my boat, but I also saw some beautifully crafted clothes that really excited me. Here are just a few of my favourites.

I was excited to see that Fashion Conscience, my favourite ethical online retailer, had a stand. I quickly got chatting to their PR rep about how to encourage more mainstream use of ethical design principals and how to close the gap between the high end ethical and the affordable everyday ethical. Fashion Conscience, in my humble opinion, are beginning to fill this gap, but there is still some way to go. The Fashion Conscience stall was showcasing the work of two of my favourite labels, ReLuxe and Fair+True:

Reluxe oozes cool. The designs are fresh, colourful, relaxed and crucially AFFORDABLE. They use recycled fabrics which means many garments are completely unique, or in limited supply due to the limitations of the fabric. I have fallen in love with this slightly bonkers neon striped skirt and am just waiting for pay day to purchase it (don’t beat me to it!) Brands like Reluxe and Fair+True (below) make me excited and hopeful that ethical businesses CAN make it in to the middle market mainstream, can be affordable and can have mass appeal. YES.

Knitted Skirt by Reluxe. Photo via Fashion Conscience.

Fair+True are a brand new Fairtrade company that also make lovely, brightly coloured sporty brights that I would love to wear. All pieces are fairly made in the UK or Africa or created from sustainable and organic fabrics. LOVE.

Fair + True illustration by Fritha Strickland

I hadn’t  heard of Lowie and I’m most disappointed by this because I  loved their stuff. Their AW 2011  clothing and hand knitted accessories were brightly coloured and gorgeous. I adored their Turkish socks, ear muffs, cloche hats and cardigans. Their SS 2011 collection was also beautiful with some really interesting shapes and details.


Turkish socks by Lowie. Illustration by Faye West

I liked the moody colours, tailoring and detailing of HEMYCA‘s clothes. Their focus is on fine tailoring, with an emphasis on the waist, which I always love. Ethically, HEMYCA has an ‘Organic Tailoring’ range and manufactures all their garments in London, promoting local businesses and cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions.

AW2011 preview Hemyca .

I briefly saw Sanyukta Shrestha’s wedding accessories and dresses. However, it wasn’t until I saw models wearing the dresses online after the event that I truly appreciated their beauty. In fact I had a mouth a-gape, heart a-flutter moment when I saw this floor length, pleated dress with low cut back. It’s made from 100% organic silk and organic fair traded cotton sateen. If I could get married again (to the same man, I hasten to add!) it would be in this dress. Oh my. Head. Over. Heels.

Sanyukta Shrestha Wedding Dress illustration by Fritha Strickland

I always expected to be impressed by Esthetica and Eco Luxe, but I didn’t expect to be blown away, but I was.  I left both the show rooms with my brain whirring, a bag stuffed full of promo material, a camera full of more images than I knew what to do with and having talked at a million miles an hour to so many interesting and inspiring people. Eco Luxe has doubled in size since last year in what I assume  is a reflection of the increasing acceptance and awareness of ethical design. As ethical design and shopping with conscience become more mainstream,  I hope that ethical clothing designers wont be sectioned off in their own separate rooms. Instead they will be showcasing alongside all the other  London Fashion Week designers; proving that fashion with a conscience is not the exception, but the norm. One day indeed.

Fair+True and Reluxe illustration by Andrea Kearney

The EcoLuxe exhibition was held at the ultra chic One Aldwych Hotel, recipe just across the road from Somerset House. Fresh from Esthetica, I wondered if the designers holed up over at One Aldwych would be able to compete with the level of talent I’d witnessed over at Somerset House, but my questions were quickly forgotten as I descended the staircase at the hotel and saw what waited for me.

Inevitably, there were a few brands and designers showcasing work that didn’t really float my boat, but I also saw some beautifully crafted clothes that really excited me. Here are just a few of my favourites.

I was excited to see that Fashion Conscience, my favourite ethical online retailer, had a stand. I got chatting to their PR rep about how to encourage more mainstream use of ethical design principals and how to close the gap between the high end ethical and the affordable everyday ethical. Fashion Conscience, in my humble opinion, are beginning to fill this gap, but there is still some way to go. The Fashion Conscience stall was showcasing the work of two of my favourite labels, ReLuxe and Fair+True:

Reluxe oozes cool. The designs are fresh, colourful, relaxed and crucially AFFORDABLE. They use recycled fabrics which means many garments are completely unique, or in limited supply due to the limitations of the fabric. I have fallen in love with this slightly bonkers neon striped skirt and am just waiting for pay day to purchase it (don’t beat me to it!) Brands like Reluxe and Fair+True (below) make me excited and hopeful that ethical businesses CAN make it in to the middle market mainstream, can be affordable and can have mass appeal. YES.

Knitted Skirt by Reluxe. Photo via Fashion Conscience.

Fair+True are a brand new Fairtrade company that also make lovely, brightly coloured sporty brights that I would love to wear. All pieces are fairly made in the UK or Africa or created from sustainable and organic fabrics. LOVE.

Fair + True illustration by Fritha Strickland

I hadn’t  heard of Lowie and I’m most disappointed by this because I  loved their stuff. Their AW 2011  clothing and hand knitted accessories were brightly coloured and gorgeous. I adored their Turkish socks, ear muffs, cloche hats and cardigans. Their SS 2011 collection was also beautiful with some really interesting shapes and details.


Turkish socks by Lowie. Illustration by Faye West

I liked the moody colours, tailoring and detailing of HEMYCA‘s clothes. Their focus is on fine tailoring, with an emphasis on the waist, which I always love. Ethically, HEMYCA has an ‘Organic Tailoring’ range and manufactures all their garments in London, promoting local businesses and cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions.

AW 2011 preview. Hemyca

I briefly saw Sanyukta Shrestha’s wedding accessories and dresses. However, it wasn’t until I saw models wearing the dresses online after the event that I truly appreciated their beauty. In fact I had a mouth a-gape, heart a-flutter moment when I saw this floor length, pleated dress with low cut back. It’s made from 100% organic silk and organic fair traded cotton sateen. If I could get married again (to the same man, I hasten to add!) it would be in this dress. Oh my. Head. Over. Heels.

Sanyukta Shrestha Wedding Dress illustration by Fritha Strickland

I always expected to be impressed by Esthetica and Eco Luxe, but I didn’t expect to be blown away, but I was.  I left both the show rooms with my brain whirring, a bag stuffed full of promo material, a camera full of more images than I knew what to do with and having talked at a million miles an hour to so many interesting and inspiring people. Eco Luxe has doubled in size since last year in what I assume  is a reflection of the increasing acceptance and awareness of ethical design. As ethical design and shopping with conscience become more mainstream,  I hope that ethical clothing designers wont be sectioned off in their own separate rooms. Instead they will be showcasing alongside all the other  London Fashion Week designers; proving that fashion with a conscience is not the exception, but the norm. One day indeed.

Fair+True and Reluxe illustration by Andrea Kearney

The EcoLuxe exhibition was held at the ultra chic One Aldwych Hotel, viagra just across the road from Somerset House. Fresh from Esthetica, I wondered if the designers holed up over at One Aldwych would be able to compete with the level of talent I’d witnessed over at Somerset House, but my questions were quickly forgotten as I descended the staircase at the hotel and saw what waited for me.

Inevitably, there were a few brands and designers showcasing work that didn’t really float my boat, but I also saw some beautifully crafted clothes that really excited me. Here are just a few of my favourites.

I was excited to see that Fashion Conscience, my favourite ethical online retailer, had a stand. I got chatting to their PR rep about how to encourage more mainstream use of ethical design principals and how to close the gap between the high end ethical and the affordable everyday ethical. Fashion Conscience, in my humble opinion, are beginning to fill this gap, but there is still some way to go. The Fashion Conscience stall was showcasing the work of two of my favourite labels, ReLuxe and Fair+True:

Reluxe oozes cool. The designs are fresh, colourful, relaxed and crucially AFFORDABLE. They use recycled fabrics which means many garments are completely unique, or in limited supply due to the limitations of the fabric. I have fallen in love with this slightly bonkers neon striped skirt and am just waiting for pay day to purchase it (don’t beat me to it!) Brands like Reluxe and Fair+True (below) make me excited and hopeful that ethical businesses CAN make it in to the middle market mainstream, can be affordable and can have mass appeal. YES.

Knitted Skirt by Reluxe. Photo via Fashion Conscience.

Fair+True are a brand new Fairtrade company that also make lovely, brightly coloured sporty brights that I would love to wear. All pieces are fairly made in the UK or Africa or created from sustainable and organic fabrics. LOVE.

Fair + True illustration by Fritha Strickland

I hadn’t  heard of Lowie and I’m most disappointed by this because I  loved their stuff. Their AW 2011  clothing and hand knitted accessories were brightly coloured and gorgeous. I adored their Turkish socks, ear muffs, cloche hats and cardigans. Their SS 2011 collection was also beautiful with some really interesting shapes and details.


Turkish socks by Lowie. Illustration by Faye West

I liked the moody colours, tailoring and detailing of HEMYCA‘s clothes. Their focus is on fine tailoring, with an emphasis on the waist, which I always love. Ethically, HEMYCA has an ‘Organic Tailoring’ range and manufactures all their garments in London, promoting local businesses and cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions.

AW 2011 preview. Hemyca

I briefly saw Sanyukta Shrestha’s wedding accessories and dresses. However, it wasn’t until I saw models wearing the dresses online after the event that I truly appreciated their beauty. In fact I had a mouth a-gape, heart a-flutter moment when I saw this floor length, pleated dress with low cut back. It’s made from 100% organic silk and organic fair traded cotton sateen. If I could get married again (to the same man, I hasten to add!) it would be in this dress. Oh my. Head. Over. Heels.

Sanyukta Shrestha Wedding Dress illustration by Fritha Strickland

I always expected to be impressed by Esthetica and Eco Luxe, but I didn’t expect to be blown away, but I was.  I left both the show rooms with my brain whirring, a bag stuffed full of promo material, a camera full of more images than I knew what to do with and having talked at a million miles an hour to so many interesting and inspiring people. Eco Luxe has doubled in size since last year in what I assume  is a reflection of the increasing acceptance and awareness of ethical design. As ethical design and shopping with conscience become more mainstream,  I hope that ethical clothing designers wont be sectioned off in their own separate rooms. Instead they will be showcasing alongside all the other  London Fashion Week designers; proving that fashion with a conscience is not the exception, but the norm. One day indeed.

Fair+True and Reluxe illustration by Andrea Kearney

The EcoLuxe exhibition was held at the ultra chic One Aldwych Hotel, sildenafil just across the road from Somerset House. Fresh from Esthetica, I wondered if the designers holed up over at One Aldwych would be able to compete with the level of talent I’d witnessed over at Somerset House, but my questions were quickly forgotten as I descended the staircase at the hotel and saw what waited for me.

Inevitably, there were a few brands and designers showcasing work that didn’t really float my boat, but I also saw some beautifully crafted clothes that really excited me. Here are just a few of my favourites.

I was excited to see that Fashion Conscience, my favourite ethical online retailer, had a stand. I got chatting to their PR rep about how to encourage more mainstream use of ethical design principals and how to close the gap between the high end ethical and the affordable everyday ethical. Fashion Conscience, in my humble opinion, are beginning to fill this gap, but there is still some way to go. The Fashion Conscience stall was showcasing the work of two of my favourite labels, ReLuxe and Fair+True:

Reluxe oozes cool. The designs are fresh, colourful, relaxed and crucially AFFORDABLE. They use recycled fabrics which means many garments are completely unique, or in limited supply due to the limitations of the fabric. I have fallen in love with this slightly bonkers neon striped skirt and am just waiting for pay day to purchase it (don’t beat me to it!) Brands like Reluxe and Fair+True (below) make me excited and hopeful that ethical businesses CAN make it in to the middle market mainstream, can be affordable and can have mass appeal. YES.

Knitted Skirt by Reluxe. Photo via Fashion Conscience.

Fair+True are a brand new Fairtrade company that also make lovely, brightly coloured sporty brights that I would love to wear. All pieces are fairly made in the UK or Africa or created from sustainable and organic fabrics. LOVE.

Fair + True illustration by Fritha Strickland

I hadn’t  heard of Lowie and I’m most disappointed by this because I  loved their stuff. Their AW 2011  clothing and hand knitted accessories were brightly coloured and gorgeous. I adored their Turkish socks, ear muffs, cloche hats and cardigans. Their SS 2011 collection was also beautiful with some really interesting shapes and details.


Turkish socks by Lowie. Illustration by Faye West

I liked the moody colours, tailoring and detailing of HEMYCA‘s clothes. Their focus is on fine tailoring, with an emphasis on the waist, which I always love. Ethically, HEMYCA has an ‘Organic Tailoring’ range and manufactures all their garments in London, promoting local businesses and cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions.

AW 2011 preview. Hemyca

I briefly saw Sanyukta Shrestha’s wedding accessories and dresses. However, it wasn’t until I saw models wearing the dresses online after the event that I truly appreciated their beauty. In fact I had a mouth a-gape, heart a-flutter moment when I saw this floor length, pleated dress with low cut back. It’s made from 100% organic silk and organic fair traded cotton sateen. If I could get married again (to the same man, I hasten to add!) it would be in this dress. Oh my. Head. Over. Heels.

Sanyukta Shrestha Wedding Dress illustration by Fritha Strickland

I always expected to be impressed by Esthetica and Eco Luxe, but I didn’t expect to be blown away, but I was.  I left both the show rooms with my brain whirring, a bag stuffed full of promo material, a camera full of more images than I knew what to do with and having talked at a million miles an hour to so many interesting and inspiring people. Eco Luxe has doubled in size since last year in what I assume  is a reflection of the increasing acceptance and awareness of ethical design. As ethical design and shopping with conscience become more mainstream,  I hope that ethical clothing designers wont be sectioned off in their own separate rooms. Instead they will be showcasing alongside all the other  London Fashion Week designers; proving that fashion with a conscience is not the exception, but the norm. One day indeed.

Fair+True and Reluxe illustration by Andrea Kearney

The EcoLuxe exhibition was held at the ultra chic One Aldwych Hotel, order just across the road from Somerset House. Fresh from Esthetica, viagra approved I wondered if the designers holed up over at One Aldwych would be able to compete with the level of talent I’d witnessed over at Somerset House, but my questions were quickly forgotten as I descended the staircase at the hotel and saw what waited for me.

Inevitably, there were a few brands and designers showcasing work that didn’t really float my boat, but I also saw some beautifully crafted clothes that really excited me. Here are just a few of my favourites.

I was excited to see that Fashion Conscience, my favourite ethical online retailer, had a stand. I got chatting to their PR rep about how to encourage more mainstream use of ethical design principals and how to close the gap between the high end ethical and the affordable everyday ethical. Fashion Conscience, in my humble opinion, are beginning to fill this gap, but there is still some way to go. The Fashion Conscience stall was showcasing the work of two of my favourite labels, ReLuxe and Fair+True:

Reluxe oozes cool. The designs are fresh, colourful, relaxed and crucially AFFORDABLE. They use recycled fabrics which means many garments are completely unique, or in limited supply due to the limitations of the fabric. I have fallen in love with this slightly bonkers neon striped skirt and am just waiting for pay day to purchase it (don’t beat me to it!) Brands like Reluxe and Fair+True (below) make me excited and hopeful that ethical businesses CAN make it in to the middle market mainstream, can be affordable and can have mass appeal. YES.

Knitted Skirt by Reluxe. Photo via Fashion Conscience.

Fair+True are a brand new Fairtrade company that also make lovely, brightly coloured sporty brights that I would love to wear. All pieces are fairly made in the UK or Africa or created from sustainable and organic fabrics. LOVE.

Fair + True illustration by Fritha Strickland

I hadn’t  heard of Lowie and I’m most disappointed by this because I  loved their stuff. Their AW 2011  clothing and hand knitted accessories were brightly coloured and gorgeous. I adored their Turkish socks, ear muffs, cloche hats and cardigans. Their SS 2011 collection was also beautiful with some really interesting shapes and details.


Turkish socks by Lowie. Illustration by Faye West

I liked the moody colours, tailoring and detailing of HEMYCA‘s clothes. Their focus is on fine tailoring, with an emphasis on the waist, which I always love. Ethically, HEMYCA has an ‘Organic Tailoring’ range and manufactures all their garments in London, promoting local businesses and cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions.

AW 2011 preview. Hemyca

I briefly saw Sanyukta Shrestha’s wedding accessories and dresses. However, it wasn’t until I saw models wearing the dresses online after the event that I truly appreciated their beauty. In fact I had a mouth a-gape, heart a-flutter moment when I saw this floor length, pleated dress with low cut back. It’s made from 100% organic silk and organic fair traded cotton sateen. If I could get married again (to the same man, I hasten to add!) it would be in this dress. Oh my. Head. Over. Heels.

Sanyukta Shrestha Wedding Dress illustration by Fritha Strickland

I always expected to be impressed by Esthetica and Eco Luxe, but I didn’t expect to be blown away, but I was.  I left both the show rooms with my brain whirring, a bag stuffed full of promo material, a camera full of more images than I knew what to do with and having talked at a million miles an hour to so many interesting and inspiring people. Eco Luxe has doubled in size since last year in what I assume  is a reflection of the increasing acceptance and awareness of ethical design. As ethical design and shopping with conscience become more mainstream,  I hope that ethical clothing designers wont be sectioned off in their own separate rooms. Instead they will be showcasing alongside all the other  London Fashion Week designers; proving that fashion with a conscience is not the exception, but the norm. One day indeed.

Fair+True and Reluxe illustration by Andrea Kearney

The EcoLuxe exhibition was held at the ultra chic One Aldwych Hotel, cost just across the road from Somerset House. Fresh from Esthetica, I wondered if the designers holed up over at One Aldwych would be able to compete with the level of talent I’d witnessed over at Somerset House, but my questions were quickly forgotten as I descended the staircase at the hotel and saw the stalls.

Inevitably, there were a few brands and designers showcasing work that didn’t really float my boat, but I also saw some beautifully crafted clothes that really excited me. Here are just a few of my favourites.

I was excited to see that Fashion Conscience, my favourite ethical online retailer, had a stand. I got chatting to their PR rep about how to encourage more mainstream use of ethical design principals and how to close the gap between the high end ethical and the affordable everyday ethical. Fashion Conscience, in my humble opinion, are beginning to fill this gap, but there is still some way to go. The Fashion Conscience stall was showcasing the work of two of my favourite labels, ReLuxe and Fair+True:

Reluxe oozes cool. The designs are fresh, colourful, relaxed and crucially AFFORDABLE. They use recycled fabrics which means many garments are completely unique, or in limited supply due to the limitations of the fabric. I have fallen in love with this slightly bonkers neon striped skirt and am just waiting for pay day to purchase it (don’t beat me to it!) Brands like Reluxe and Fair+True (below) make me excited and hopeful that ethical businesses CAN make it in to the middle market mainstream, can be affordable and can have mass appeal. YES.

Knitted Skirt by Reluxe. Photo via Fashion Conscience.

Fair+True are a brand new Fairtrade company that also make lovely, brightly coloured sporty brights that I would love to wear. All pieces are fairly made in the UK or Africa or created from sustainable and organic fabrics. LOVE.

Fair + True illustration by Fritha Strickland

I hadn’t  heard of Lowie and I’m most disappointed by this because I  loved their stuff. Their AW 2011  clothing and hand knitted accessories were brightly coloured and gorgeous. I adored their Turkish socks, ear muffs, cloche hats and cardigans. Their SS 2011 collection was also beautiful with some really interesting shapes and details.


Turkish socks by Lowie. Illustration by Faye West

I liked the moody colours, tailoring and detailing of HEMYCA‘s clothes. Their focus is on fine tailoring, with an emphasis on the waist, which I always love. Ethically, HEMYCA has an ‘Organic Tailoring’ range and manufactures all their garments in London, promoting local businesses and cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions.

AW 2011 preview. Hemyca

I briefly saw Sanyukta Shrestha’s wedding accessories and dresses. However, it wasn’t until I saw models wearing the dresses online after the event that I truly appreciated their beauty. In fact I had a mouth a-gape, heart a-flutter moment when I saw this floor length, pleated dress with low cut back. It’s made from 100% organic silk and organic fair traded cotton sateen. If I could get married again (to the same man, I hasten to add!) it would be in this dress. Oh my. Head. Over. Heels.

Sanyukta Shrestha Wedding Dress illustration by Fritha Strickland

I always expected to be impressed by Esthetica and Eco Luxe, but I didn’t expect to be blown away, but I was.  I left both the show rooms with my brain whirring, a bag stuffed full of promo material, a camera full of more images than I knew what to do with and having talked at a million miles an hour to so many interesting and inspiring people. Eco Luxe has doubled in size since last year in what I assume  is a reflection of the increasing acceptance and awareness of ethical design. As ethical design and shopping with conscience become more mainstream,  I hope that ethical clothing designers wont be sectioned off in their own separate rooms. Instead they will be showcasing alongside all the other  London Fashion Week designers; proving that fashion with a conscience is not the exception, but the norm. One day indeed.

Fair+True and Reluxe illustration by Andrea Kearney

The EcoLuxe exhibition was held at the ultra chic One Aldwych Hotel, sickness just across the road from Somerset House. Fresh from Esthetica, I wondered if the designers holed up over at One Aldwych would be able to compete with the level of talent I’d witnessed over at Somerset House, but my questions were quickly forgotten as I descended the staircase at the hotel and saw the stalls.

Inevitably, there were a few brands and designers showcasing work that didn’t really float my boat, but I also saw some beautifully crafted clothes that really excited me. Here are just a few of my favourites.

I was excited to see that Fashion Conscience, my favourite ethical online retailer, had a stand. I got chatting to their PR rep about how to encourage more mainstream use of ethical design principals and how to close the gap between the high end ethical and the affordable everyday ethical. Fashion Conscience, in my humble opinion, are beginning to fill this gap, but there is still some way to go. The Fashion Conscience stall was showcasing the work of two of my favourite labels, ReLuxe and Fair+True:

Reluxe oozes cool. The designs are fresh, colourful, relaxed and crucially AFFORDABLE. They use recycled fabrics which means many garments are completely unique, or in limited supply due to the limitations of the fabric. I have fallen in love with this slightly bonkers neon striped skirt and am just waiting for pay day to purchase it (don’t beat me to it!) Brands like Reluxe and Fair+True (below) make me excited and hopeful that ethical businesses CAN make it in to the middle market mainstream, can be affordable and can have mass appeal. YES.

Knitted Skirt by Reluxe. Photo via Fashion Conscience.

Fair+True are a brand new Fairtrade company that also make lovely, brightly coloured sporty brights that I would love to wear. All pieces are fairly made in the UK or Africa or created from sustainable and organic fabrics. LOVE.

Fair + True illustration by Fritha Strickland

I hadn’t  heard of Lowie and I’m most disappointed by this because I  loved their stuff. Their AW 2011  clothing and hand knitted accessories were brightly coloured and gorgeous. I adored their Turkish socks, ear muffs, cloche hats and cardigans. Their SS 2011 collection was also beautiful with some really interesting shapes and details.


Turkish socks by Lowie. Illustration by Faye West

I liked the moody colours, tailoring and detailing of HEMYCA‘s clothes. Their focus is on fine tailoring, with an emphasis on the waist, which I always love. Ethically, HEMYCA has an ‘Organic Tailoring’ range and manufactures all their garments in London, promoting local businesses and cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions.

AW 2011 preview. Hemyca

I briefly saw Sanyukta Shrestha’s wedding accessories and dresses. However, it wasn’t until I saw models wearing the dresses online after the event that I truly appreciated their beauty. In fact I had a mouth a-gape, heart a-flutter moment when I saw this floor length, pleated dress with low cut back. It’s made from 100% organic silk and organic fair traded cotton sateen. If I could get married again (to the same man, I hasten to add!) it would be in this dress. Oh my. Head. Over. Heels.

Sanyukta Shrestha Wedding Dress illustration by Fritha Strickland

I always expected to be impressed by Esthetica and Eco Luxe, but I didn’t expect to be blown away, but I was.  I left both the show rooms with my brain whirring, a bag stuffed full of promo material, a camera full of more images than I knew what to do with and having talked at a million miles an hour to so many interesting and inspiring people. Eco Luxe has doubled in size since last year in what I assume  is a reflection of the increasing acceptance and awareness of ethical design. As ethical design and shopping with conscience become more mainstream,  I hope that ethical clothing designers wont be sectioned off in their own separate rooms. Instead they will be showcasing alongside all the other  London Fashion Week designers; proving that fashion with a conscience is not the exception, but the norm. One day indeed.
Kyla La Grange by Anna Casey
Kyla La Grange by Anna Casey.

A couple of weeks ago I met with angsty new folk popstrel Kyla La Grange at her management offices in central London. Her slight figure was easily missed as I walked through to the glass walled meeting room, dosage but I greeted her warmly when she came through to join me. Kyla la Grange performed on my hastily assembled Climate Camp (RIP) stage at Glastonbury last summer, gamely playing a beautiful semi-acoustic set in the sweltering summer heat. Today she releases her first official single – the anthemic Walk Through Walls – so let’s find out a bit more about this intriguing new musician…

Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage
Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Kyla La Grange by Rukmunal Hakim
Kyla La Grange by Rukmunal Hakim/YesGo Illustration.

She may look very young but don’t be fooled by Kyla’s youthful exterior – she’s actually a 24 year old Cambridge University graduate. It wasn’t until her uni years that she finally found the guts to make music, performing at an open mic acoustic night called Songs in the Dark. “It was a good place to cut my teeth.” The process was very organic. She met other musicians, formed a few bands and played in some Battle of the Bands competitions. “Basically it was all very low pressure.” She loved studying philosophy, and admits that she misses the academic stimulation. “Being at Cambridge was like living in a magical piece of history… but I am incredibly grateful to be making music now.”

Kyla La Grange by Rebecca Strickson
Kyla La Grange by Rebecca Strickson.

When the outside world of work beckoned she found herself working long hours in a high end bar, making it hard to go into the studio every morning and be creative. That and the odd bit of secretarial work kept her afloat until she was discovered by management company ATC via Rollo of Faithless fame, who discovered her songs on Myspace. She is eager to emulate the likes of Mumford and Sons and do things her own way, without the controlling hand of a label. “ATC let their artists go away and get on with it. They don’t view me purely as a money making machine; they are in it for the long haul. But I don’t anticipate selling a lot of records, ever,” she blithely tells me.

Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage
Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

The last year has been devoted to the creation of her debut album which so far hosts “too many songs” including the luscious Vampire Smile, a darkly beautiful blast of longing. But she’s in no rush. “The album will come out as and when it’s finished; the worst thing I could do would be to rush its release.” She expects it will finally see the light of day in early 2012.

YouTube Preview Image
Vampire Smile.

All Kyla’s influences come from “sad music”. Having been introduced to Cat Power by a former boyfriend, You Are Free is a constant presence in her life alongside Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. But she also likes a lot of modern bands – Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, Yeasayer, Matthew And The Atlas, Marcus Foster, Alex Winston and Band of Horses. “I only write because I’m often quite sad…” she tells me. “I don’t think I’d write if I was a genuinely happy person.” In the age old tradition of the angst-ridden artist, writing music has become Kyla’s best form of catharsis, “like running into a big open field and screaming until you feel better.” It’s as if she feels an unstoppable need to release her feelings out into the open.

Kyla la Grange by Gemma Smith
Kyla la Grange by Gemma Smith.

I wonder what has prompted such a downbeat personality. “Some people just have a default mode,” she explains. “They wake up and feel a bit black inside.” She admits that this is something she has battled for a long time but insists that her mood is not affected by the outside world… she just tends to feel down most of the time. “Most people fall into one of two camps – they are either upbeat or see life from behind a big grey cloud. Everyone is a product of their genes and their experiences when they are young.” But she is absolutely clear that she doesn’t blame her parents for the way she has turned out. “Even though I wasn’t a very happy child my parents were both fantastic.” Her parents had been involved in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa before settling in Watford, and she felt very different from everyone else at her school. “Kids can be vicious.” They were massive music fans, between them inspiring her to listen to many different genres. “Dad loved folk, blues and country. Mum loved classical, rock and indie.” She now lives between Stockwell and Vauxhall. “I like the mix of people and place, the beautiful old squares next to housing estates… it’s unpretentious.”


Just click here to hear Walk Through Walls.

I wonder if such a sensitive personality will still be able to write songs from the heart if she becomes famous. She has thought about this. “I don’t think the drive to write songs will be lessened just because people like them,” she says, “it’s not the only reason I write. I think all the best artists write primarily to get something out of the experience and I want to convey raw honest emotion because that makes the most meaningful music.”

Kyla La Grange in February 2011
Kyla La Grange in February 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

It comes as no surprise that lyrics are hugely important to Kyla, although she likes the odd “non-sensical song by The Beatles.” She can’t really describe her writing process, although it is the part she loves the most. “It’s such a strange, solitary thing. You get so swept up in what you’re feeling, engrossed in emotion.” She can’t tell me what comes first, melody or lyric. “They tend to come together.”

Kyla doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed into any musical movement, so it’s no surprise to find that she lists herself as Black Metal/Children/Grindcore on Myspace. “There have been so many genres flung at me but I never think about what I belong to – the songs just come out.” I think she has a kind of dark indie pop sensibility that is all her own, and not fitting in to any musical clique suits her well. “I suppose my music is a bit all over the place, like me.” She gets thoroughly annoyed by the suggestion that women must fit into any type of separate musical category. “Music is not a sport so why do there need to be different categories and awards?”


Kyla La Grange performing on the Climate Camp stage at Glastonbury.

I ask her whether she is in general quite a solitary person, although I think I already know the answer. “Definitely. I’m not terribly good with people and I much prefer talking one to one. Groups of people are scary.” But she has grown accustomed to working with her band of four and she’s easy and down to earth when talking to me, even if an overwhelming undertow of sadness never quite leaves the room.

You can access a free download for Walk Through Walls from SoundCloud right here. The official launch party is at Notting Hill Arts Club tomorrow night, Tuesday 8th March, with the brilliant Daughter providing a support set and DJing from the Maccabees. After that she’s off to SXSW in Austin, Texas to play the Neon Gold show and she’s sure to be playing some festivals in the UK this summer. Make sure you catch Kyla La Grange soon, before she hits the big time.

You can read my review of Kyla’s performance at Glastonbury last summer here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday March 7th, 2011 6:33 pm

Categories ,Alex Winston, ,Anna Casey, ,ATC, ,austin, ,Band of Horses, ,Bright Eyes, ,Cambridge University, ,Cat Power, ,Climate Camp, ,Daughter, ,elliott smith, ,Faithless, ,Gemma Smith, ,glastonbury, ,Indie, ,Joni Mitchell, ,Kyla la Grange, ,leonard cohen, ,Maccabees, ,Marcus Foster, ,Matthew And The Atlas, ,Mumford and Sons, ,Neon Gold, ,noir, ,notting hill arts club, ,pop, ,Rebecca Strickson, ,Rollo, ,Rukmunal Hakim, ,Songs in the Dark, ,SoundCloud, ,South Africa, ,Stockwell, ,sxsw, ,texas, ,Vampire Smile, ,vauxhall, ,Walk Through Walls, ,Watford, ,Yeasayer, ,YesGo Illustration

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Amelia’s Magazine | Album Review: Mamuthones by Mamuthones

by


Illustration by Bryony Crane

From Bernard Chandran’s glorious and vibrant show at The Show Space, malady no rx it was a mere moment to hot-foot it around the corner to Elliott J Frieze’s show at the Charing Cross Hotel. Now, I can’t deny that I’ve spent many an evening down the unsavoury alley at the side of this grand building, but I had assumed that it was a pretty generic, sterile hotel. It is, in fact, quite something – grand sweeping staircases and rows of rooms with Baroque decoration and plush carpets. I love this about fashion week – being able to enter buildings you didn’t know existed is a real treat.


Illustration by Jo Cheung

Ushered into a side room and handed a glass of champagne, I met up with contributor Georgia and a little later Amelia, and a charming woman led us to our seats. This wasn’t an ordinary catwalk – in one of the larger rooms a circular catwalk had been formed with the use of chairs – pretty much all front row, with models to come out at one end. It was a real shame to see seats unfilled – when a designer has put so much work into a collection (as we were about to discover) it’s pretty heartbreaking to see that people just can’t be bothered to turn up. But the arrangement meant that Amelia (sitting opposite me) and I could narcissistically take pictures of each other, which made the waiting time pass very quickly indeed!

When the first model appeared, it was a little chaotic. Racing in front of us, models took a brief pause at the end, then sprinted around the other side, then back across the front, then around the other side, returning back down the middle and occasionally colliding with the next model out. It was a nightmare to decide where to point my camera, and I left with a bit of a headache. But, it’s easy to become tired of watching models walk backwards and forwards, so to see them turning and navigating their diminutive, hot frames around a room became captivating.


Illustration by Bryony Crane

The collection started with some exciting corduroy tailoring in a natural cream colour. High-waisted trousers with enormous waistbands and double-breasted macs appeared on the ladies; for the gents the fabric had been tailored into trousers and a onesie with buckle details and an unsettling camel-toe…

Next up came luscious camel coats for both genders with a deep brown lining – the lady wore hers open as she swaggered in a floppy hat, the gent had his firmly fastened with a thick belt that synched in the waist. If I had any money, I would probably buy this.


Illustration by Jo Cheung

After a bit more chocolate tailoring, styled with chic aviator sunglasses, came the show piece – a grey multi-layer dress that swept the floor as the model walked. A definite winner, if you ask me.

Elliott finished the collection with some classic black looks – body concious dresses for women and structured tailoring for the guys. The whole aesthetic nodded to the Seventies and the women especially oozed sex appeal with figure-hugging outfits and super-chic styling.


Illustration by Bryony Crane

From Bernard Chandran’s glorious and vibrant show at The Show Space, health it was a mere moment to hot-foot it around the corner to Elliott J Frieze’s show at the Charing Cross Hotel. Now, I can’t deny that I’ve spent many an evening down the unsavoury alley at the side of this grand building, but I had assumed that it was a pretty generic, sterile hotel. It is, in fact, quite something – grand sweeping staircases and rows of rooms with Baroque decoration and plush carpets. I love this about fashion week – being able to enter buildings you didn’t know existed is a real treat.


Illustration by Jo Cheung

Ushered into a side room and handed a glass of champagne, I met up with contributor Georgia and a little later Amelia, and a charming woman led us to our seats. This wasn’t an ordinary catwalk – in one of the larger rooms a circular catwalk had been formed with the use of chairs – pretty much all front row, with models to come out at one end. It was a real shame to see seats unfilled – when a designer has put so much work into a collection (as we were about to discover) it’s pretty heartbreaking to see that people just can’t be bothered to turn up. But the arrangement meant that Amelia (sitting opposite me) and I could narcissistically take pictures of each other, which made the waiting time pass very quickly indeed!

When the first model appeared, it was a little chaotic. Racing in front of us, models took a brief pause at the end, then sprinted around the other side, then back across the front, then around the other side, returning back down the middle and occasionally colliding with the next model out. It was a nightmare to decide where to point my camera, and I left with a bit of a headache. But, it’s easy to become tired of watching models walk backwards and forwards, so to see them turning and navigating their diminutive, hot frames around a room became captivating.


Illustration by Bryony Crane

The collection started with some exciting corduroy tailoring in a natural cream colour. High-waisted trousers with enormous waistbands and double-breasted macs appeared on the ladies; for the gents the fabric had been tailored into trousers and a onesie with buckle details and an unsettling camel-toe…

Next up came luscious camel coats for both genders with a deep brown lining – the lady wore hers open as she swaggered in a floppy hat, the gent had his firmly fastened with a thick belt that synched in the waist. If I had any money, I would probably buy this.


Illustration by Jo Cheung

After a bit more chocolate tailoring, styled with chic aviator sunglasses, came the show piece – a grey multi-layer dress that swept the floor as the model walked. A definite winner, if you ask me.

Elliott finished the collection with some classic black looks – body concious dresses for women and structured tailoring for the guys. The whole aesthetic nodded to the Seventies and the women especially oozed sex appeal with figure-hugging outfits and super-chic styling.

All photography by Matt Bramford

See more of Jo Cheung’s illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!
Mamuthones front cover

Having extensively researched the subject (well, visit googled it) I’ve been able to establish that Mamuthones are pre-Christian masquerades dating back 2,000 years from Sardinia. As a musical project, Italy’s Mamuthones are no less mysterious, seeming as they do to tap into the same strand of unnerving mysticism as this ancient ritual. One thing is for sure though – any album that gives a credit in the sleeve notes for “screams and whispers” is worth a spin. Can things get any weirder? Of course they can! Further inspection of the sleeve notes reveals that one of the seven tracks, MJ74 was recorded in 1974. But wait, this is a debut album! What the bejesus is going on?

As it turns out, Mamuthones is the solo project of Alessio Gastaldello, founder of Italian psych pop mavericks Jennifer Gentle. Here he teams up with former bandmate Marco Fasolo on guitar and… 62 year old drummer Maurizio Boldrin, which is where MJ74 comes in. Boldrin actually recorded this track of monk-style chanting and cymbal chimes back in the 70s, and it’s testimony to the sheer otherwordly nature of Mamuthones’ vision that this happily sits side by side with a bunch of tracks recorded last Spring.

The Mamuthones by Ankolie
Illustration by Ankolie

So what exactly is Mamuthones’ vision? Well, be afraid, be very afraid – it takes all of the psych and none of the pop of Jennifer Gentle to create a truly foreboding mixture, where Boldrin’s pounding tribal drumbeats collide with monumental keyboard drones and, of course, whispers and screams. Tracks like Ota Benga recall the weirder end of the Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd cannon, while A New Start could be from an (admittedly brilliantly produced) transcendental meditation CD.

So you could say something for everyone then? Well yes, if everyone has just woken up from an acid trip in rural Sardinia. But seriously, if you like your music weird and wonderful (and with a bit of ritualistic chanting – let’s face it, who doesn’t?) then you’ll love this. If you like your music safe and cosy, then watch out – you’re about to be terrified.

Mamuthones is out now on Boring Machines.

Written by Rob Harris on Wednesday March 2nd, 2011 5:50 pm

Categories ,Alessio Gastaldello, ,Allessio Gastaldello, ,Ankolie, ,Boring Machines, ,Jennifer Gentle, ,Mamuthones, ,Marco Fasolo, ,Maurizio Boldrin, ,Pink Floyd, ,Psych pop, ,psychedelia, ,Syd Barratt, ,transcendental meditation

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Amelia’s Magazine | Saint Saviour at Bush Hall: Live Review

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saintsaviour genie espinosa
saintsaviour genie espinosa
Saint Saviour by Genie Espinosa.

Fresh from touring with Groove Armada, treat with whom she collaborated on the album Black Light, viagra order Saint Saviour played her debut solo show at Bush Hall, in deepest Shepherds Bush. It must have been a bit bewildering, a week since playing at Brixton Academy after a run of shows that earned her rave reviews and numerous admirers (including the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant) to be appearing in a renovated dance hall on the Uxbridge Road, but the intimate setting was perfect to showcase her new material.


Photo courtesy of Saint Saviour.

Saint Saviour is no stranger to the pages of Amelia’s Magazine, having been reviewed a couple of times (including once by yours truly) with her old band, the ever-spangly RGBs (who were once described by the NME, no less, as delivering “almighty fem-pop… with an eccentric blitzkrieg wallop”). I’d seen them a few times around town, and I’d also caught her debut with Groove Armada at the climax of last year’s Lovebox festival. It’s actually one of those rare times, if you endlessly follow bands around gigs, where someone you’ve seen play often is plucked from little venues in Kilburn, Brixton or Shoreditch to tour the world.

Taking to the stage with what looked like a giant jellyfish umbrella (“make of that what you will” quipped Saint Saviour, aka Becky Jones), the set started off hypnotically – anyone expecting a set of pumping dance anthems was in for a bit of a shock. In fact, Saint Saviour’s set proved what a versatile performer she is, mixing up her styles and tempos – whether accompanying herself on keyboards on songs like the delicate Fallen Trees and Hurricanes, or upping a gear (backed with a full band and, for a couple of numbers, a string section) with tracks like Birdsong and the kick-ass current single, Woman Scorned: watch the video here:

YouTube Preview Image

The stage presence that I’d seen in places like the Windmill or the Old Blue Last, and witnessed by anyone who saw her on tour with Groove Armada, was there in spades tonight, whether entrancing a hushed crowd on the slower numbers with her voice (which has been compared to people like Kate Bush, and I think has a touch of Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins about it) or totally throwing herself into the up-tempo songs.

Saint Saviour by Karolina Burdon
Saint Saviour by Karolina Burdon.

To thunderous cheers from the crowd, Saint Saviour was tempted back out for an encore of the touching When You Smile, backed solely by harpist Jharda, before leaving once more to the rapturous applause of an appreciative audience. As a debut show, stepping out of the shadow of Groove Armada, it was great success for Saint Saviour and justifies the praise that she’d already received. It was also a bit of a strange moment for me, having seen her back in the day with her old band, and here she is (deservedly so) on the verge of playing bigger stages as a star in her own right.

Catch my post-gig interview with Saint Saviour here.

Written by Richard Pearmain on Tuesday November 9th, 2010 12:38 pm

Categories ,Brixton Academy, ,Bush Hall, ,Cocteau Twins, ,Elizabeth Fraser, ,Genie Espinosa, ,Groove Armada, ,Jharda, ,Karolina Burdon, ,Kate Bush, ,Lovebox, ,Neil Tennant, ,NME, ,Old Blue Last, ,pet shop boys, ,RGBs, ,Saint Saviour, ,SaintSaviour, ,Windmill, ,Woman Scorned

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Amelia’s Magazine | An animated video from Co-Pilgrim: Pushover

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Co-pilgrim videostill-nail hammer
The new Co-Pilgrim animated video for Pushover was made by Claire Bennett (who sings in Co-pilgrim) & Suzy Brough. This is the same team who made the Fairer Sea video, using single-frame animation with images composited from drawings and photographs. Mike’s coonskin coat and straw boater style was a popular fad in 1920s American Ivy League college students who would line up to cheer on their ‘football’ team (Claire is American). Watch the video below.

Co-pilgrim videostill-nail hammer
Co-pilgrim videostill-let's hear it for misery
Co-pilgrim videostill-filling lungs
Co-pilgrim videostill-beat
Pushover is featured on the new Co-Pilgrim album Plumes, which is out now on Battle. Writing by front man Michael Gale will be featured in my 10th anniversary book, available here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Sunday November 16th, 2014 3:31 pm

Categories ,animation, ,Claire Bennett, ,Co-pilgrim, ,Fairer Sea, ,Michael Gale, ,Plumes, ,Pushover, ,Suzy Brough, ,video

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