austin

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

by

sounditout by Sarah Jayne
Illustration by Sarah-Jayne Brain

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

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

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

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

YouTube Preview Image

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

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

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay girl

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

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

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay

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

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

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

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay man

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

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

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

Written by Richard Pearmain on Tuesday October 4th, 2011 11:27 am

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

Similar Posts:





Amelia’s Magazine | SXSW – Tips for 2010

by

The latest in a series of events from Bad Idea Magazine, illness ‘Future Human’ explores a new topic each month and hosts an evening of discussion and debate at The Book Club in Shoreditch.

This month’s topic ‘Fashion’s Microchic Shake-Up’ pondered on the impact of the internet on the global fashion market we see today. Prior to the invention of the internet, cheapest origins of fashion trends could be pinpointed to say, dosage a specific youth culture, a political movement, or a new music trend. Times have changed; the way we see fashion has changed. The serge of information made accessible to us via the internet has created a new breed of consumer, a fashionista in his or her own right. Hello Microchic. 

The term Microchic is used to describe fashion today – fashion derived from a variety of new, and inspirational sources. A style influenced by social networking sites, trend blogs and small cult labels adopted by highstreet clothing lines. A Microchic consumer knows about fashion and demands individuality, quality, innovation and fashion-forward appeal. 
Ben Beaumont-Thomas began the evening with ‘The Great Microchic Shake-Up: A Primer’, in which he defined microchic as a ‘hyper-personal multi-faceted look’. The internet allows us to cherry pick fashions, it’s no longer about subcultures showcasing specific looks but about a consumer being able to choose a look for that day without the commitment. London’s fashion-forward hubs like Shoreditch accommodate many a microchic fashionista and, it seems what used to be ironic now just ‘is’. In order to track cult fashion movements on the streets of London, Paris, Milan, New York and Tokyo big brands subscribe to online global think tanks and trend forecasting services such as WGSN. These think tanks track fashion movements all over the world. Data is collected to give information on a global scale. Sales figures, market research, on-the-street trend spotters, and research into new manufacturing techniques all form a hub of information essential to any brand that wants to survive. It seems clear; the Internet has played a huge part in turning the way we think about fashion around.

So began the evenings debate; “Can the British High Street compete with Microchic?” The audience were able to upload thoughts in real-time via a live twitter feed which was displayed on stage for debate interaction. Guests Iris Ben David, CEO of Styleshake, Helen Brown, founder of Catwalk Genius and Ruth Marshall-Johnson, senior editor of WGSN Think Tank also shared their thoughts, prompting further debate. A particularly interesting point made by @cushefootwear via twitter was “Internet is to clothes what microwaves are to food”, prompting us to question the importance of ‘experience’ and ‘sensation’ when buying fashion. 
Alterations in consumer shopping patterns have led to many interesting technological developments. Innovative systems are being designed to meet new sets of consumer demands. 


www.styleshake.com

Styleshake allows a user to build a look within an online interface. The idea is, the user can create the garment they have in their head (you know, that absolutely perfect dress you wonder if you’ll ever find) through the selection of various characteristics, such as fabrics, necklines, and detailing. After you’ve designed the garment you can have it made at very reasonable prices.

Catwalk Genius is an innovative creative platform in which unestablished and up-and-coming fashion designers can sell their ranges. It’s a great resource for those looking for something ‘not on the High Street’. Users can also invest in emerging talent by buying shares in a designer’s next collection.

Perhaps a more extreme example of innovation is Augmented-Reality Shopping in which tools such as 3D scanners are used to replicate the body shape and look of a user, allowing him or her to see what they would look like in any chosen garment. 
Emerging trends are all about the involvement of the consumer. The consumer is part of the process. Innovative systems like these are designed to combat consumer frustrations such as differentiation in sizing between brands or inability to find a specific item or size, while offering an alternative consumer experience. Many consumers would be happy to do away with the days of long queues, sweaty changing rooms, rude salespeople and traipsing round shops all afternoon. By adopting an online shopping sphere, however, we lose out on the interactivity, the social nature and the tactility of shopping the High Street. Retail brands will need to facilitate technical developments such as 3D scanners (eliminating the need for changing rooms) to compete. 


H&M Garden Collection

The competitive nature of the High Street has resulted in a cycle of mass production of fast-fashion garments and large amounts of waste. In contributing to our throw-away society the highstreet fails to represent the ethical edge that can be found in Microchic. However the High Street favourites H&M’s Garden Collection made up of organic cotton and recycled polyester represents a change in attitudes from big brands.

So what does the future hold for the British High Street? Join the Debate!

We Have Band could be the most interesting group I have ever interviewed for the sole reason that every question results in the three members talking over each other, rx telling jokes and generally launching into their own internal debate. This is hardly surprising when you consider that two of the members of the band are married to each other and the third member has unwittingly become part of that relationship. Regardless, the London-based three piece are always hilarious and charming in equal measure.

The group has already been tipped by numerous music critics as the band to watch in 2010 and have their songs have been remixed by Bloc Party, Carl Craig and DJ Mujava. It seems inevitable that We Have Band’s debut album, WHB, will thrust them into the limelight with the same feverish hysteria that surrounded Hot Chip’s The Warning, as their dance floor friendly electro pop is already getting some heavy rotation by some of the world’s biggest DJs.

Amelia’s sat down with Darren, Thomas and Dede to find out more about their debut album and the unlikely way the band came together.

Howdy, guys. How was the band formed?
Dede: Thomas was making music and he wasn’t feeling very inspired so I offered to make music with him. I came up with a concept name for the band and mentioned it to Darren. He liked the name and asked if he could join. He came round for dinner and then we formed the band.
Darren: Thomas and Dede are married so I am like the third member of the marriage. It’s quite weird because we don’t really know each other but we just experimented. On the first night we wrote WHB and that’s why we called the album WHB.

How long have you been together?
Dede: Just over two years. That first dinner was in late 2007 and then we spent about 6 or 7 months writing songs. Then everything just went crazy.

Why did you choose to work with producer Gareth Jones (Grizzly Bear, Interpol) on this album?
Thomas: He actually just did additional production and mixing. We had done most of the production ourselves so we just needed someone to help us take it to that next level. We didn’t want to stray too far from what we had originally done but we wanted to give it that shine. He understood that. We wanted someone who would tailor themselves to the band rather than try to change things. We basically tried to capture the energy of the live shows.

You seem very polite and welcoming on stage. How true is this in real life?
Darren: It’s all a huge lie!
Thomas: Dede gets excited.
Dede: If everyone is enjoying themselves then you start enjoying yourself and you start getting excited by the atmosphere. We are quite relaxed.
Thomas: We all have our quirks but we are quite happy in each other’s company. As Darren mentioned, Dede and I are married so there is always something bigger than the band.
Dede: We all just go and have a cup of tea and a bag of crisps after a show.

-Painting by John Lee Bird-

What are you noticing about each other as you tour together and immerse yourselves in each other’s company?
Thomas: Darren has a laptop addiction.
Dede: He is also addicted to eggs…

That can’t be very pleasant on a tour bus!
Darren: No, it isn’t! I tend to avoid Thomas and Dede until they have had a coffee in the morning.
Thomas: We can all be a bit short with each other but that’s fine. For the first hour of each day we just don’t speak and then after that we are fine!

You have been referred to as “part Hot Chip, part Talking Heads”. What do you think about this?
Thomas: Dede is banned from reading reviews but we’re fine with that.
Dede: That’s fine. It’s just not what we are.
Thomas: Yeah, it’s not what we are. Talking Heads were obviously an amazing band and we have only released a couple of singles so far but we will let them just say that and take it.

Piano is a very misleading first song on the album as it is nothing like the rest of the record. Did you have a theme or is the album just a bunch of songs that you were happy with?
Thomas: We were aware that they were quite stylistically diverse but they are all us. They are all produced in the same way with the same equipment. Plus, lots of bands have one, maybe two songwriters but all three of us contribute equally to the songs. We didn’t want to hide Piano at the end of the album just because it was a little different.

2010 salutes the return of the 60s, discount but forget the bubblegum pop of The Shangri-Las & co – I’m talking about the deeper and more sophisticated psychedelic sounds of Cream and The 13th Floor Elevators. If the noughties have been characterised by a great come back of punk, sildenafil post-punk and no wave sounds, then my personal forecasts for the new decade see a return to more psychedelic and drone-y atmospheres. The ‘nu-psychedelia’ I saw at SXSW, however, is intertwined with lots of different influences, from the rawness of garage rock and surf music, to the fuzziness of shoegaze-y guitars and 80’s synths, and the complexity of noise.

Turn on, tune in, drop out! Hopefully this will be a new Summer of Love.

Bet on these as real gold for 2010 and beyond:

These Are Powers – finally over the “ghost punk” definition they’ve dubbed themselves with, their hypercharged electro tunes, brightened up with sirens, samples and the best bassline I’ve heard in a while. They will make us dance all the summer.

Small Black – the East Coast is living the cosmic age. Small Black and fellow musicians Washed Out, Neon Indian, Memory Cassette among others take electropop to another dimension with fuzzy dreamy synth-y melodies and textured vocals. This band, in particular, is just great. And it’s making its way to the heart of the hipsters all over the world.

Pearl Harbor – the West Coast, on the contrary, is living the Summer of Love. And Pearl Harbor, together with extraordinaire Best Coast, are major exponents of the trend. Peace and love.

Male Bonding – despite coming from Dalston, Male Bonding don’t even sound British. They explosive mix of noise, shoegaze and rock and roll sounds closer to the Los Angeles bands gathered around The Smell than the anorexic depressed goths that meet at Catch. There’s some hope for British music. God save Male Bonding.

Best Coast – Bethany Cosentino & co are one of the most blogged about bands of the past few months and their broken-hearted twee gaze-y tunes will be pop anthems of the new decade. Someone compared them to the Ramones’ 45s played at 33 revolutions per minute. Listen to them and you’ll see why.

A Sunny Day In Glasgow – this 6-piece band from Philly has been one of the most underrated bands of the past few years. Hopefully this SXSW will help them to rise to the well-deserved heights of glory. Their haunting, dreamy, almost pastoral music reminds of Beach House and Grizzly Bear in a way, but they’re as unique as the former are.

Harlem – brilliant post-surf (if you can call it that way) with a Bowie-esque touch.

Tanlines – here’s another example of the new Brooklyn sound. Tanlines mix urban rhythms with tropical beats and space-y vocals. The mix of these elements seems weird but it’s actually a winner.

—

Once again, it seems like the American music scene is beating the UK for new, interesting production. People seem to want to dance, to dream, to trip into outer spaces – and US musicians, with their home productions and collective efforts, seem to give the best answer to these new needs. The thought process seems to be: The times have never been so shit. So what? Let’s drop acid and dance in the woods!

It’s a shame UK and European bands can’t keep up with the change, considering the great music tradition we’ve got here. The industry is stuck, 90% of British musicians are either on the dole or working 7 shifts a week in shitty pubs in order not to starve (or doing too much mephedrone so they don’t feel the hunger) and what suffers is the music.

Hopefully this wave of positivism will reach the Old World soon and we’ll see brilliant more UK bands at SXSW next year.

Written by Laura Lotti on Wednesday March 31st, 2010 5:22 pm

Categories ,13th Floor Elevators, ,2010, ,A Sunny Day In Glasgow, ,austin, ,Best Coast, ,Cream, ,Diary, ,festival, ,Harlem, ,laura lotti, ,Male Bonding, ,pearl harbour, ,small black, ,South By South West, ,sxsw, ,tanlines, ,texas, ,The Shangri-Las, ,these are powers, ,Tips, ,Videos

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | SXSW – Diary of a Festival Attendee

by

Photographs by Laura Lotti

The South-by-Southwest Festival (or SXSW, in the shorthand) is perhaps the world’s most infamous record company picnic. Every year, hundreds of bands turn up from around the world to play shows after show to rooms filled with A&R suits in the hope of securing a record contract and advance sizeable enough to be able to afford the gasoline for the ride home. We’ve been lucky enough to have had a pair of eyes on the ground for this year’s shenanigans, in the shape of Laura Lotti – she kept a diary of her blitz through four days of gigs and free parties, which we present to you here today. Tomorrow, she’ll be talking some more about some of the more noteworthy performances she caught over the week.

—-

Prologue

When I got to Austin, I didn’t know what to expect to be honest. I imagined a kind of musical wonderland, but I didn’t think I was going to actually be THE music wonderland I’ve always dreamt of. After all, Texas, apart from Dallas (I’m talking about the 80s soap opera) and cowboys, is mainly known for being home to one of the biggest dumb-asses/suckers on the globe, Mr. George W. Bush, so I had mixed expectations towards this adventure.

I didn’t think Austin was a little liberal hippie centre in the middle of such a conservative environment. I didn’t expect bearded tattoed gringos smoking weed on the streets, and I didn’t think I would have lived one of the best (actually, definitely THE best) festival experiences in my entire life. Forget Glasto or even Bestival, where people are more excited about swimming in the mud and about the amount of MDMA and pills they can fill themselves with (which can be quite entertaining when you’re 15) than the actual music performances.

Now I know why SXSW is still considered the best and biggest showcase for rising bands. The atmosphere is simply joyful and laid back, and for the first time ever I didn’t get that feeling of being at a stresstival that always assails me when it comes to decide which band to see, what to wear for the weather, and how to get to meet your favourite band.

At SXSW you simply breathe music: downtown is taken over by the biggest names in the music industry and you find yourself sharing beers with nice smiling people that turn out being members of brilliant bands like The Death Set and Yacht, or at house parties with the editor of Spin magazine.

It only happens there. It only happens once a year. Like Christmas, but better.

Anyway, what I understood after the first 24 hours is that it’s pointless to make plans. Letting yourself be guided by the music and the odd encounters you make in the streets is the best strategy to discover great acts you maybe have never heard of and to get surprised by the secrets this city has to offer.

As soon as we got there, my Austinian friend Lydia warned me about the few rules for surviving this 4-days of musical overdose. First rule: there are no rules.

Other rules are:
• Everyone for themselves
• Never pay for venues (there’s lots of free parties too – which are the best)
• Never queue for bands (they’re probably going to play somewhere else in a couple of hours)
• Start to RSVP for free-drinks parties one month in advance
• Be ready to walk a lot
• And be nice to everyone, ‘cos everyone here is nice!

This following journal is a collection of the first impressions I took of the festival. Some parts might not make much sense, and that’s because I was stoned all the time (I embraced the local habits pretty fast). I’ve deleted the most embarrassing bits, but I wanted to preserve the enthusiasm that was gleaming through those notes, what I was feeling in those moments. So bear with me.

People are actually so nice and friendly down there that for the first 36 hours I was properly puzzled, being, as I am, used to the detached British politeness. And apart from difficulties in food hunting (I’ve been vegan for a while, but it’s difficult to resist to those deliciously smelly BBQ and breakfast tacos, and at some point I had to surrender to the pizza and free vodka in the artist lounge – it was a matter of survival, for real), this is the heaven on earth I was looking for. Now I just need to start a band and be decent enough to be able to play there next year. Or maybe I could just become a professional groupie…

Wed 17th (First Night)

Maybe it’s because of all the ‘Badass Purple’ they’ve got in here, but I love everything about this city.

We arrive in Austin around 9pm after a 6-hour road trip from Mexico, and we get straight into the Texan groove. We start from Cheer Up Charlie’s, that I would later realize is something of a cool hangout for first-hand hipsters and trend setters. All the gigs put up here are actually NOT part of the official SXSW fest. Instead, they’ve been put together, totally for free and without age limits, by the legendary New York based promoter Todd P, the brain behind the other big festival that will take over Monterrey, Mexico, just on the other side of the border, one week after SXSW. A guarantee of quality, basically.

In fact, we start the night rocking with These Are Powers, preceded by our very own Male Bonding, which are doing pretty well in Austin (I see their name everywhere on the bills of the best venues next to all the up-and-coming bands for 2010-2011). These Are Powers play a supercharged set where the bass (played by ex-Liars member Pat Noecker) mixes with samples and drums – and Anna Barie’s incredibile voice – to create an explosive yet dark atmosphere in between acid house and urban music.

Following, are Javelin, whose style has been cleverly defined (after several Lone Star beers) by the illustrious music expert Atti as, “very 90s, with a bit of the Shamen.” I find them more tropical than ‘shamanic’. On stage the percussions play a primary role, accompanied by fuzzy guitars, samples and distorted vocals.

Glad to see that finally bands are finding the key to put together electronic music with a satisfying visual show on stage. I’m glad to see that people dance at gigs in this country! Yeah!

We move to the indoor stage where Vivian Girls are causing a riot. It’s fun to see a whole army of big boys going nuts for these three fairies from New York.

Thurs 18th

We start the music day at the Insound day party at Club De Ville. Small Black, exponents of the hip chillwave genre that’s bursting out of Brooklyn, are pretty awesome. We’ll hear a lot of them in the next few months. I suddenly realise I haven’t had any food for the last 20 hours, and I haven’t had any water because, “sorry ma’am, we don’t care about water,” but I’m fine! The sun and the music feed me for now!

Vivian Girls are playing again. I think I’m becoming they’re biggest fan. They seem they’ve just come out from a Sofia Coppola movie. They’re fairy but powerful, feminine but tough. And their music reflects all the different angles of their being young women in the 21st century. Liars follow and they’re amazing! Raw and powerful as always, but with the sun shining on me and a cold Lone Star in my hand make them sound even better.

It’s getting dark and we decide to make a move and check out London’s Crystal Fighters at Barbarella. Despite the venue being not literally packed, they are doing a surprisingly good show. Definitely the best I’ve seen of theirs. Their music reminds me of the choruses that hooligans sing at football matches, but with an allure of coolness. And it works. Their beats are very masculine, almost primordial, no wonders the majority of the audience is made by over-excited pogoing guys.

We then move to Cheer Up Charlie’s again, where the gritty surf punk grunge of the losangelenos Shannon and The Clams is rocking hard. At the Iron Gate we manage to see Maluca, the last discovery of the Mad Decent crew, kind of M.I.A. meets Santigold. She looks good on stage, but do we really need another urban princess?

And then we go *back* to Charlie’s for The Morning Bender. They’re considered one of the up and coming bands for 2010 but to me the look like a bunch of 18 year old kids with the attitude of an old crooner. I find their performance a bit flat. Fans of Coldplay and Frank Sinatra might like them (I know someone would kill me for this comparison). I personally don’t.

Then it’s the turn of Tanlines, another Brooklyn band. They’re another electro pop outfit in the guise of Memory Tapes and Neon Indian. Maybe it’s this amazing loveful weed but I really dig them! There’s something powerful in their tunes and I’m totally moved by them. Their use of percussions is great. I personally like percussions. I like seeing people banging on the drums. I find it sexy. Primordial.

Lemonade follow. I’ve seen them already back in London when opening for Aliens and to be sure, I think this was not one of their best performances, but they do good. Their psych-droney pop is catchy and loud. Delorean, from Barcelona, are better than expected. Their noisy acid electronic sound is pretty good, but I’m not 100% sure about the performance.

Fri 19th

Enough live music. Today I decide to hang out with Brick Lane glory The Coolness. They’re a band people love to hate and hate to love, but they’re doing well in the States. Their glam cock rock camouflaged in Shoreditchian outfits is well received at Emo’s Annex, one of the best stages to play. After finally succeeding in dragging the boys out of the artists’ village – indulging in free massage, free food and drinks require time, you know – we get to Mohawk Patio for These Are Powers and – finally! – SALEM.

Brooklyn’s These Are Powers confirm the first impression I had of them at Charlie’s: singer Anna Barie is tough and cool and funny and she’s a great performer, too! She’s probably one of the new acts that would deserve to be compared to Grace Jones. SALEM just get on stage and they are already visually amazing: a mix of metro-hippie grunge with a touch of Marc Jacobs allure. But yeah, the visual impact is much better than the aural one. Theirs is a show built as a dialogue between airy melodies and junkie white rap. Still, in my opinion they sound much better recorded than live.

After leaving Mohawk, I manage to grab a bit of Neon Indian’s set from the street. He’s playing at Club De Ville, but I can’t be bothered to queue to get in (after all, that’s one of the main rules of SXSW!). The sound quality is awful (still better than certain London venues). The band is good though. I think I’m rediscovering my faith in electronic music.

So I’m standing here outside the venue with other tons of people and a suspect-looking guy comes to me: “Hey do you wanna get in?” I DO want to get in, I’m ready to prostitute my time to talk to this dude in front of a beer (which I don’t like, anyway) even if he looks weird and sleazy: “Yeah”. So I follow him, he whispers something to the bouncer and we’re inside! He then turns towards me, makes a big smile and: “Have fun!” – he says goodbye and leaves! Welcome to Texas, the friendly State for real!! Nice people do exist in the world!

From this new perspective I can see that Alan Palomo is an great performer and he’s got a full band – American Apparel girl included – helping him to translate his bedroom synth-pop in live music. His tunes are weird, quirky but sophisticated enough (the guitarist is pretty good) and the band in itself is visually appealing. Catchy. Pop. But not dangerous. They remind me of Cut Copy – which I used to love 2 or 3 years ago. I look around and suddenly realise I’m surrounded by second and third class hipsters, moms and industry people. And I want to leave straight away. Sorry Neon Indian, I believed in you.

Pit stop at Papparazzi Pizza – pretty healthy by American standards (I had to surrender to cheese, again – sorry, but I can’t live on peanuts and tortilla chips forever).
There’s a party going on in there, kids dancing to Human League and Madonna. Great vibe. In exchange of the sticker I’m wearing (someone stuck it to my jacket the night before – I think) I get to sign their wall (And get a half price pizza!) I love Austin more and more.

Time to catch up with the crew. After seeing electronic dandy Daedalus giving a great performance at Independent – though not on his best ones – we leave, drunk stoned and knackered, but fulfilled by this music overdose.

Sat 20th

After a late breakfast (can a meal at 4pm be called breakfast if it’s the first thing you manage to get into your stomach since the night before?) at Magnolias’s – massive list of tex-mex, the food is clearly unhealthy and damaging, but it’s so colourful and cartooney that put us all of us in the best mood for the last day of our stay at SXSW -and listening to Talking Heads, we down our tacos and get ready for the evening!

It’s fucking freezing today, but we don’t care (we will do later) and head to Cheer Up Charlie’s, where I finally manage to see Toro Y Moi. It’s a semi-acoustic set: he, his Fender and his voice create beautiful airy atmospheres. It feels good and helps bearing the cold. Following is a psychotic performance from Canadian Duchess Says. Singer Annie-C is a sort of Kap Bambino on speed, and the band uses real instruments, which is always better. During their set a spontaneous mayhem explodes and everybody dances among hay bales, sheets and (mic) wire jumping.

The cold is almost as bad as in London, I need something hot to hold in my hands, so we head off to Progress, an ethical coffee shop frequented by the fixed-gear crowd not far from Charlie’s. It works. All warmed up we head back to see Cloud Nothings. It’s always strange seeing a band performing live after listening to their tracks online. Giving a body and a look to someone you’ve heard maybe just online could be misleading. It’s easier when you see someone first: you get excited if they’re good, you start searching information on the internet and then buy records and stuff. But it’s harder for blog bands to keep up with the expectations. And if they do, they’re good for real! Cloud Nothings is actually the solo project of Dylan Baldi, the lead singer, but the band manages to convey the same carefree summer-y vibe given by the recorded version. This is pure surf garage rock. It’s quite relieving after all these bleeps and glitches. They still lacks of the rockstar self-confidence to put up a properly involving show. But maybe they don’t care about that. These are kids happy to make noises with fuzzy guitars and banging drums. Their raw, drunken, lo-fi sound is pure joy after all this electro.

To follow, more surf rock from Beach Fossils. The reverb plays a big role for them as well (like for most of the bands I’ve seen these days) giving to their music that 60s lo-fi vibe that’s so hot right now. After them, one of my favourite rising stars: Pearl Harbor, an almost all-girls band from Los Angeles who make beautiful drone-y psychedelic music. I can see that the 60s are back in full force. Lots of bands show clear psychedelic and surf influences but updated with shoegaze-y guitars and 80’s synths. It’s a winning recipe for new decade’s music.

More psychedelia with a noisy touch from Texan Indian Jewelry: they’re one of the hotly tipped bands for 2010-2011. Someone compared them to Led Zeppelin. Not sure about this, but they are brilliant anyway. Change of atmosphere (and temperature) at Stubb’s where we dine listening to Scissor Sisters playing in the backyard stage (embarrassing, I know – I’m stoned and cold, every place is good as long as its warm and close – and serves food. I’m so starving I could actually eat a roast!).

The venue is packed and at the bar we hang out with Mischa Barton (well, we’re standing next to each other waiting for drinks). Today is such a surreal day. This freezing wind has nothing to do with the summery weather we had yesterday. We give up and go back home, dreaming of a hot cup of English tea as soon as we get there.

Sun 21st

I can’t believe it’s over. Austin, I’ll definitely see you next year.



Written by Laura Lotti on Tuesday March 30th, 2010 9:03 am


Categories ,austin, ,bands, ,beach fossils, ,cloud nothings, ,crystal fighters, ,daedalus, ,delorean, ,Diary, ,duchess says, ,festival, ,hipster, ,indian jewelry, ,javelin, ,laura lotti, ,lemonade, ,liars, ,maluca, ,neon indian, ,notes, ,pearl harbour, ,SALEM, ,scenester, ,shannon and the clams, ,small black, ,south by southwest, ,sxsw, ,tanline, ,texas, ,the coolness, ,these are powers, ,toto y moi, ,Vivian Girls

Similar Posts:

Bookmark this:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Digg
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Technorati
  • LinkedIn

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

by

sounditout by Sarah Jayne
Illustration by Sarah-Jayne Brain

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

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

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

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

YouTube Preview Image

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

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

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay girl

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

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

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay

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

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

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

Sound it Out by Jeanie Finlay man

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

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

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

Written by Richard Pearmain on Tuesday October 4th, 2011 11:27 am

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

Similar Posts:






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

by

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

Similar Posts: