Amelia’s Magazine | Our Garden Birds: An Interview with Illustrator and Author Matt Sewell

our garden birds matt sewell
Our Garden Birds by illustrator and bird enthusiast Matt Sewell was published a few months ago with Ebury Press. Collating together his inimitable drawings and quirky writings for cult website Caught by the River, this book is a beautiful paen to our feathered friends. I predict that it will generate many a new twitcher in the back garden and local parks… Matt described to me his love for birds and how he makes his gorgeous artwork.

our garden birds matt sewell
Why are birds so important?
I focused my work on birds a few years ago after I took some time out and went travelling with my girlfriend. I needed to re-address what I was doing and needed to bring the soul back into my work that had got lost by doing too much commercial work and trying to impress the in-crowd. My work has always had a focus on nature but British birds have been cropping up through-out since day one without me really realising. Being a bit of a spotter since a kid they’ve always had a special place in my heart, I have loads of good memories of family and holidays associated with them. I honestly get such a buzz by seeing a new bird or even something really common, seeing a jay can put me in a good mood all day. Also with poring over bird books for years I couldn’t help but humanify and mystify birds that I have never seen. I channelled all this positivity and love into my work and have been having a great journey ever since.

our garden birds matt sewell
What is your favourite bird and why?
Like records, colours and ales my favourite changes by the week. At the mo it is all about goldfinches, the young have fledged and are all hanging out and having fun. I’m seeing groups of about 10 all scuttling about and having a laugh, plus they really remind me of my girls so that always nice.

our garden birds matt sewell
What is your process when you draw?
I’ll have a look through my favourite bird books and maybe have a look at Google Image just to know I’m getting the basic markings in the right place. I think about the bird’s nature and character and decide how he is going to look and get to it. But really when I draw a bird I try to do it as quick as possible so I can capture a character within it.

our garden birds matt sewell
When do you remember them first becoming important to you?
My earliest memory is hiding in my mam and dad’s bed as a jackdaw flew around the room. It had somehow got down the chimney, shit everywhere and then made it’s way up stairs to scare the living daylights out of me and my sister. When I was about 4 or 5 we moved to an old mill that was really a small farm, and I got kind of obsessed with nature from then really. But my first real recollection of birds becoming a big part in my life was when some swallows nested just above our front door. I clearly remember being blown away by them, the power and just sheer magic of them in flight, their song which I could never forget and the muddy nest that they made. Sometimes my dad would set up a step ladder and we’d have a look at the chicks. Very special memories.

our garden birds matt sewell
Why did you decide to write your own quirky descriptions to accompany the illustrations?
The book originated from my Bird of the Week contribution to the Caught By The River blog. I originally just wanted to contribute to CBTR because I loved it so much, such a lovely and inspiring site and originally I was just going to paint a bird that I loved or had spotted that week. So when I painted the Bluetit (my first) I thought I had got a lot of character in him but I didn’t think I had got across all my love for him so I wrote a sentence or two. As the contributions continued my writing grew longer and more confident and the book naturally took form from that.

our garden birds matt sewell
How did you hook up with caught by the river and then with Ebury?
Jeff Barrett from Heavenly Records and CBTR got in touch initially through a mutual friend of ours, Paul Tomlinson. He was after a new logo designing for CBTR and he was really into a logo I had done for a site me and Tomo had set up called The Wooden Branch. Which is basically a site for people who love trees to put up pictures and explanations of their favourite ones from around the world, it’s a lovely idea but didn’t take off… nice logo though if I say so myself. Anyway I worked with Jeff on a few things and then continued with the Bird of the Week contribution to the blog. After a only a few birds Jeff saw the potential of it turning into a book; they had already had a book out called A Collection of Words on Water and there were a few others in the pipeline. Initial interest was good and it was with a big publishers for a year with them farting about with it before they dropped it. Which is when Ebury Press picked it up and the whole process has been a complete joy ever since.

our garden birds matt sewell
What have you been teaching your little girl about birds?
One of her first words was ‘owl‘ which was absolutely amazing. She has known pigeons and made their ‘coo‘ since she was about 10 months. She’s two now and points out robins and blackbirds, I’m not certain but today I’m sure she pointed out a goldfinch and off course I’m going to say she did!

our garden birds matt sewell
What bird would you most like to draw from real life that you have not yet had an opportunity to do so?
I’d love to spot and jot a Lammergeier, they scare the absolute bejesus out of me and have done ever since I saw an illustration of one in a book at school: it was of a Heidi-looking type girl in the Alps getting attacked and carried away by one. They’re one of the most unearthly looking birds out there. When I was in Australia, the one that kept getting away was a Crimson Finch, he looks dope. But really I’d love to spend a bit of time with a Waxwing, those buggers have been avoiding me for years.

our garden birds matt sewell
Our Garden Birds by Matt Sewell is out now on Ebury Press, and you can also get a trio of limited edition wooden birds on the V&A website.

Categories ,A Collection of Words on Water, ,Bird of the Week, ,birds, ,Bluetit, ,book, ,Caught By The River, ,Crimson Finch, ,Ebury Press, ,Heavenly Records, ,illustration, ,interview, ,Jackdaw, ,Jeff Barrett, ,Matt Sewell, ,Our Garden Birds, ,Paul Tomlinson, ,review, ,The Wooden Branch

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Amelia’s Magazine | Album Review: The Magic Numbers

ROKIT – the originators of vintage fashion boutiques (and my favourite vintage store) have done it again. Not so long ago they had me reminiscing of my time mincing around Hollywood, store with their Bailey Hats of Hollywood collaboration that bought silver screen glamour to any look.

This time around, more about ROKIT have excelled themselves with ROKIT Recycled.

ROKIT Recycled, previously known as ROKIT Originals, is the brand’s mission to upturn fast and throwaway fashion. Let’s face it – the statistics are shocking and in a world of #2 t-shirts and £4 dresses, things aren’t changing very rapidly.

It is estimated by National Recycle Week that if every fashionista purchased one item of recycled clothing each year (each YEAR for God’s sake) it would save 371 millions gallons of waterand 4571 million days of electricity. That’s pretty incredible.

With this in mind, ROKIT are taking ethical to the next level – ROKIT Recycled is an initiative to use every single piece of material available, with zero waste (the ethos they’ve stuck by since their humble beginnings in 1986).

With a new design team on board to conjure up new and exciting pieces, this new range is a real winner. From bags to belts and purses to hot-pants, unwanted materials are salvaged and turned into key pieces for any wardrobe this Summer and through to the Autumn. Each creation is individually handmade and therefore unique, all depending on what materials are available at the time. You might bag yourself a patchwork purse featuring vintage calfskin and suede, or a pair of denim dungarees made entirely of jean refuse.

These products give new form to old structure, re-envisaging covetable pieces from vintage goods. We’ve got a few images of a teeny tiny selection of what’s on offer, but the beauty of the initiative is that you just don’t know what you might pick up. So pop down to your local ROKIT as soon as is physically possible and check out what they’ve got in store!

ROKIT – the originators of vintage fashion boutiques (and my favourite vintage store) have done it again. Not so long ago they had me reminiscing of my time mincing around Hollywood, adiposity with their Bailey Hats of Hollywood collaboration that bought silver screen glamour to any look.

This time around, viagra 60mg ROKIT have excelled themselves with ROKIT Recycled.

ROKIT Recycled, previously known as ROKIT Originals, is the brand’s mission to upturn fast and throwaway fashion. Let’s face it – the statistics are shocking and in a world of #2 t-shirts and £4 dresses, things aren’t changing very rapidly.

It is estimated by National Recycle Week that if every fashionista purchased one item of recycled clothing each year (each YEAR for God’s sake) it would save 371 millions gallons of waterand 4571 million days of electricity. That’s pretty incredible.

With this in mind, ROKIT are taking ethical to the next level – ROKIT Recycled is an initiative to use every single piece of material available, with zero waste (the ethos they’ve stuck by since their humble beginnings in 1986).

With a new design team on board to conjure up new and exciting pieces, this new range is a real winner. From bags to belts and purses to hot-pants, unwanted materials are salvaged and turned into key pieces for any wardrobe this Summer and through to the Autumn. Each creation is individually handmade and therefore unique, all depending on what materials are available at the time. You might bag yourself a patchwork purse featuring vintage calfskin and suede, or a pair of denim dungarees made entirely of jean refuse.

These products give new form to old structure, re-envisaging covetable pieces from vintage goods. We’ve got a few images of a teeny tiny selection of what’s on offer, but the beauty of the initiative is that you just don’t know what you might pick up. So pop down to your local ROKIT as soon as is physically possible and check out what they’ve got in store!


Illustration by Natasha Thompson

ROKIT – the originators of vintage fashion boutiques (and my favourite vintage store) have done it again. Not so long ago they had me reminiscing of my time mincing around Hollywood, order with their Bailey Hats of Hollywood collaboration that bought silver screen glamour to any look.

This time around, discount ROKIT have excelled themselves with ROKIT Recycled.

ROKIT Recycled, more about previously known as ROKIT Originals, is the brand’s mission to upturn fast and throwaway fashion. Let’s face it – the statistics are shocking and in a world of #2 t-shirts and £4 dresses, things aren’t changing very rapidly.

It is estimated by National Recycle Week that if every fashionista purchased one item of recycled clothing each year (each YEAR for God’s sake) it would save 371 millions gallons of waterand 4571 million days of electricity. That’s pretty incredible.


Illustration by Dan Heffer

With this in mind, ROKIT are taking ethical to the next level – ROKIT Recycled is an initiative to use every single piece of material available, with zero waste (the ethos they’ve stuck by since their humble beginnings in 1986).

With a new design team on board to conjure up new and exciting pieces, this new range is a real winner. From bags to belts and purses to hot-pants, unwanted materials are salvaged and turned into key pieces for any wardrobe this Summer and through to the Autumn. Each creation is individually handmade and therefore unique, all depending on what materials are available at the time. You might bag yourself a patchwork purse featuring vintage calfskin and suede, or a pair of denim dungarees made entirely of jean refuse.


Illustration by Emma Block

These products give new form to old structure, re-envisaging covetable pieces from vintage goods. We’ve got a few images of a teeny tiny selection of what’s on offer, but the beauty of the initiative is that you just don’t know what you might pick up. So pop down to your local ROKIT as soon as is physically possible and check out what they’ve got in store!


Illustration by Natasha Thompson

ROKIT – the originators of vintage fashion boutiques (and my favourite vintage store) have done it again. Not so long ago they had me reminiscing of my time mincing around Hollywood, remedy with their Bailey Hats of Hollywood collaboration that bought silver screen glamour to any look.

This time around, purchase ROKIT have excelled themselves with ROKIT Recycled.

ROKIT Recycled, website like this previously known as ROKIT Originals, is the brand’s mission to upturn fast and throwaway fashion. Let’s face it – the statistics are shocking and in a world of #2 t-shirts and £4 dresses, things aren’t changing very rapidly.

It is estimated by National Recycle Week that if every fashionista purchased one item of recycled clothing each year (each YEAR for God’s sake) it would save 371 millions gallons of waterand 4571 million days of electricity. That’s pretty incredible.


Illustration by Dan Heffer

With this in mind, ROKIT are taking ethical to the next level – ROKIT Recycled is an initiative to use every single piece of material available, with zero waste (the ethos they’ve stuck by since their humble beginnings in 1986).

With a new design team on board to conjure up new and exciting pieces, this new range is a real winner. From bags to belts and purses to hot-pants, unwanted materials are salvaged and turned into key pieces for any wardrobe this Summer and through to the Autumn. Each creation is individually handmade and therefore unique, all depending on what materials are available at the time. You might bag yourself a patchwork purse featuring vintage calfskin and suede, or a pair of denim dungarees made entirely of jean refuse.


Illustration by Emma Block

These products give new form to old structure, re-envisaging covetable pieces from vintage goods. We’ve got a few images of a teeny tiny selection of what’s on offer, but the beauty of the initiative is that you just don’t know what you might pick up. So pop down to your local ROKIT as soon as is physically possible and check out what they’ve got in store!


Illustration by Natasha Thompson

ROKIT – the originators of vintage fashion boutiques (and my favourite vintage store) have done it again. Not so long ago they had me reminiscing of my time mincing around Hollywood, healing with their Bailey Hats of Hollywood collaboration that bought silver screen glamour to any look.

This time around, information pills ROKIT have excelled themselves with ROKIT Recycled.

ROKIT Recycled, nurse previously known as ROKIT Originals, is the brand’s mission to upturn fast and throwaway fashion. Let’s face it – the statistics are shocking and in a world of #2 t-shirts and £4 dresses, things aren’t changing very rapidly.

It is estimated by National Recycle Week that if every fashionista purchased one item of recycled clothing each year (each YEAR for God’s sake) it would save 371 millions gallons of waterand 4571 million days of electricity. That’s pretty incredible.


Illustration by Dan Heffer

With this in mind, ROKIT are taking ethical to the next level – ROKIT Recycled is an initiative to use every single piece of material available, with zero waste (the ethos they’ve stuck by since their humble beginnings in 1986).

With a new design team on board to conjure up new and exciting pieces, this new range is a real winner. From bags to belts and purses to hot-pants, unwanted materials are salvaged and turned into key pieces for any wardrobe this Summer and through to the Autumn. Each creation is individually handmade and therefore unique, all depending on what materials are available at the time. You might bag yourself a patchwork purse featuring vintage calfskin and suede, or a pair of denim dungarees made entirely of jean refuse.


Illustration by Emma Block

These products give new form to old structure, re-envisaging covetable pieces from vintage goods. We’ve got a few images of a teeny tiny selection of what’s on offer, but the beauty of the initiative is that you just don’t know what you might pick up. So pop down to your local ROKIT as soon as is physically possible and check out what they’ve got in store!

The Magic Numbers – The Runaway released July 26th on Heavenly Records

So it’s welcome back to our favourite hirsute sibling popstrels The Magic Numbers. One of those bands who split opinions, hospital some find the Stoddart/Gannon clan over saccharine and cutesy, there others declare them to be masters of dreamy, viagra buy intelligent retro pop. Third album ‘The Runaway’ sees to put an end to the cynicism of the former and delivers a more adult, spacious and classy experience that will appeal to anyone harbouring a fondness for starry-eyed wonder and wistful harmonies.
Having released their first two albums in quick succession, their second album ‘Those The Brokes’ failed to achieve the commercial success of their first, giving the impression of a rushed release. Whether this was due to pressure from their label, Heavenly, or a personal choice it seems that they then decided to take something of a sabbatical, spending the interim 4 years gathering their thoughts, going through their old record collections and reshaping their sound before embarking on The Runaway. Luckily for both them and the record buying public the break certainly paid off.
Album opener ‘The Pulse’ is a perfect, if somewhat unconventional choice for kicking off the record with Romeo’s fragile vocals, gorgeous epic strings and heart-rending melodies creating an uplifting, beautiful yet melancholic track. And the sentiment continues throughout the album.
With touches of Fleetwood Mac and The Beach Boys sprinkled throughout the record, The Magic Numbers have clearly invested their time and money on a larger studio, higher production values and a shed load more instruments.

‘Why Did You Call’ has Stevie Nicks written all over it, with the driving rhythm of the verses, the stirring epic chorus and the echoing oohs and ahhs of the backing vocals, together with the angry heart break of the subject matter. It’s compelling stuff.
‘Throwing My Heart Away’ sees Angela Gannon take lead vocals, creating a different dynamic to the usual ‘Numbers’ style. Sounding not dissimilar to something The Cardigans might have released ten years ago (and I don’t mean that in a negative way – quite the opposite, in fact) it is a stirring, charismatic and downright brilliant exercise in thoughtful and intelligent pop music.
‘The Song That No One Knows’ has something of a Style Council laid back jazz-lite feel to it, which may sound terrible on paper, but the airy strings floating over the top of the stolling melody pull it out of any smug acid jazz pit it may have been relegated to otherwise.
Their sound on this album is more epic, more interesting and a lot more accomplished than on their previous releases, but without losing the innocence and reflective charm of their earlier albums. They have grown up and grown into their sound, at the same time drawing on the influence of their predecessors in charismatic epic pop, and through doing so have produced a truly gorgeous album.
There are moments on this record where I wanted to kick off my shoes, get out my chiffon scarves and run through a field singing at the top of my voice. Other times I wanted to stare wistfully out of the window. Make of that what you will, but what is for certain is that this is a record that tugs at the heart strings and deserves to be taken seriously by all the hardhearted cynics out there. Disliking The Magic Numbers is a bit like hating on a box of puppies. There is something undeniably infectious and magnetic about their music and I can admit to being completely sold.

Categories ,album, ,album review, ,Dream-pop, ,fleetwood mac, ,Heavenly Records, ,Stevie Nicks, ,Style Council, ,The Magic Numbers

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