Amelia’s Magazine | The Royal Wedding in Illustrations: Kate, Wills and the rest of the guests

Kisstch Wedding by Faye West
Kisstch Wedding by Faye West.

Continued from my first Royal Wedding blog post here
Kate and Wills For Ever by Sarah Arnett
Kate and Wills For Ever by Sarah Arnett.

Carole Middleton by Fi Blog
Carole Middleton by Fi Blog.

Miriam in Coral by Elsabe Milandri
Miriam in Coral by Elsabe Milandri.

Carole Middleton by Fi Blog
Carole Middleton by Fi Blog.

Watching the Royal Wedding drift past me on my TV screen I thought: if only everyone could afford to pay skilled craftspeople to conjure up metres of the most wonderful handmade lace for their wedding dresses. Just think, cialis 40mg it would be the most fabulous way to keep traditional skills alive. But unfortunately Kate’s beautiful dress will be copied widely and copied badly because something this marvellous is just not attainable for the majority. Dresses this good are only made for future Queens.

Kate and Wills take their vows by Jenny Robins
Kate and Wills take their vows by Jenny Robins.

Miriam Gonzalez at the Royal Wedding  by Karla Pérez Manrique
Miriam Gonzalez at the Royal Wedding by Karla Pérez Manrique.

Queen Elizabeth by Elsabe Milandri
Queen Elizabeth by Elsabe Milandri.

Sketches of the guests and procession by Jenny Robins
Sketches of the guests and procession by Jenny Robins.

I loved the minutiae of the occasion… roguish Prince Harry with his broad shoulders and the rakish glint in his eye… I’ve always loved a ginger and he’s no exception to the rule. Pippa Middleton upstaging the procession down the aisle with her perfectly shaped swaying bottom. Elton John miming to the hymns (not to your taste then Elt?) Never a Labour MP in sight.

Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice by Elsabe Milandri
Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice by Elsabe Milandri.

Royal wedding by Graham Cheal
Royal wedding street party by Graham Cheal.

Royal-Wedding-by-Melanie-Chadwick
Royal Wedding by Melanie Chadwick.

Seeing the playful page boys in their red and yellow finery, cialis 40mg and the Queen, drug always a fan of this season’s most on trend look, in her matching lemon yellow colour blocked outfit. The funny little girl with her hands on the ears for the infamous balcony kiss. Kate bending down to fiddle with something, her head at groin level (chortle chortle).

Royal Wedding - Pippa Middleton and bridesmaids by Sara Japanwalla
Pippa Middleton and bridesmaids by Sara Japanwalla.

Royal Wedding guests by Sara Japanwalla
Royal Wedding guests by Sara Japanwalla.

Royal Wedding Miriam Gonzalez Durantez by Michalis Christodoulou
Royal Wedding Miriam Gonzalez Durantez by Michalis Christodoulou.

tara palmer tomkinson by Sara Japanwalla 4
Tara Palmer Tomkinson by Sara Japanwalla.

Here then, are the illustrations produced from my wonderful illustration twitter followers. Enjoy. Why not? It will be our dirty little secret….

Royal Wedding_Tara Palmer-Tomkinson_by Michalis Christodoulou
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson by Michalis Christodoulou.

Tony & Gord by Izy Penguin
Tony & Gord by Izy Penguin.

Eugenie & Beatrice by Izy Penguin
Eugenie & Beatrice by Izy Penguin.

Prince Harry and the Royal Wedding Clean Up by neonflower
Prince Harry and the Royal Wedding Clean Up by Lizzie Campbell, aka neonflower.
An explanation for this final wonderful image from neonflower: In this illustration of Prince Harry, I wanted to acknowledge his down-to-earth approach both as Prince William’s best man, and as a member of our royal family. Eschewing the pomposity and formality of the aristocracy, we’re told that Harry organised bacon butties for peckish wedding guests partying until the wee hours at Buckingham Palace. I’m sure that he displays regular acts of such easy-going, ‘everyman’ behaviour. As such, I’ve created a visual representation of Harry, together with his namesake vacuum cleaner, clearing up after the previous night’s royal wedding celebrations.

Categories ,Carole Middleton, ,Elsabe Milandri, ,Eugenie & Beatrice, ,Faye West, ,Graham Cheal, ,Izy Penguin, ,Jenny Robins, ,Karla Pérez Manrique, ,Kate & Wills, ,Kate Middleton, ,Lizzie Campbell, ,Melanie Chadwick, ,Michalis Christodoulou, ,Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, ,neonflower, ,Page Boys, ,Pippa Middleton, ,Prince Harry, ,Queen, ,Royal Wedding, ,Sara Japanwalla, ,Sarah Arnett, ,Street Party, ,Tara Palmer Tomkinson

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London 2012 Olympic Games Team GB Illustrated

Kristian Thomas by Tim Parker
Kristian Thomas by Tim Parker.

The Olympics are in town in case you haven’t noticed, and I’ve been lucky enough to get along to a few events in person. It was at the weightlifting that I became a big fan of feisty young contender Zoe Smith (although she didn’t place she went on to break the British record) and decided to put together an illustrated tribute. I loved Zoe Smith’s dedication to glam: her triangular stud earrings a defiant statement of femininity in the face of twitter abuse directed against her choice of sport.

Zoe Smith by Rosemary Cunningham
Zoe Smith by Rosemary Cunningham. ‘It’s a bit epic, but I was going for a kind of vague superhero type vibe, whilst keeping a nice retro Olympic feel.’

Since then I’ve watched seven hours of live fencing (and still have no clue how it works) and a good dose of Greco-Roman Wrestling (not a British sport – it seems to be almost entirely dominated by Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the US and Cuba) and like many people around the world I’ve seen a fair amount on the telly. Gymnastics and synchronised diving? LOVE them. Particularly the men’s…

Louis_Smith_by_Claire_Corstorphine
Louis Smith by Claire Corstorphine.

Yes, the Olympics have screwed up parts of East London and there are some crazy ass sponsorship rules, not to mention some half-assed nods towards sustainability or a useful legacy that actually benefits the local area. A cyclist has sadly died even as we shine in the Velodrome, and yet… it’s hard not to get swept up in the excitement, especially when you’re in a real audience, watching it all unfold in front of you.

Bradley_Wiggins_by_Gabriela_Larios
Bradley Wiggins by Gabriela Larios.

The Olympic medal tally for Great Britain is at present really quite amazing for such a comparatively small country. Let’s hope it inspires us to get a lot fitter because as a nation of biscuit troughing sofa surfers we really need to. Here, then are some illustrated responses to the inspiring talent of our very own Team GB.

Jessica Ennis - Warrior - by James Pitman
Jessica Ennis – Warrior – by James Pitman. ‘I wanted to create something that showed her (and athletes/competitors in general) warrior spirit, and I wanted to create thoughts of the comparison between society now and society thousands of years ago and what role athletes may have taken then even though now their expertise in physical activity is just for ‘fun’. But then I also want to still show her feminine beauty, particularly to contrast against the ‘warrior’ concept.’

Daniel Purvis by Adam Pryce
Daniel Purvis by Adam Pryce.

Bradley-Wiggins-By-Jake-Snellin
Bradley-Wiggins-By-Jake-Snellin
Bradley Wiggins by Jake Snellin.

Greg-Rutherford-by-Sam-Ailey
Greg Rutherford by Sam Ailey.

Olympics 2012 Mo Farah by Kristina Vasiljeva
Olympics 2012 Mo Farah by Kristina Vasiljeva.

Victoria Pendleton by Scarlett Tierney
Victoria Pendleton by Scarlett Tierney.

tom james by livi gosling
Tom James by Livi Gosling. ‘After winning a medal in Beijing he greeted his girlfriend with a kiss that mirrored that of the famous sailor/nurse kiss on V-Day. I added daffodils as he’s Welsh and the composition is meant to be reminiscent of a cote-de-arms.’

Helen Gorrill synchro image
Jenna & Olivia, Team GB Synchronised Swimmers, 2012 Olympics by Helen Gorrill. Currently on show with DegreeArt.

Kristian Thomas by Adam Pryce
Kristian Thomas by Adam Pryce.

Olympics 2012 Women Cycling by Kristina Vasiljeva
Olympics 2012 Women Cycling (Dani King, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell) by Kristina Vasiljeva.

Bradley-Wiggins-by-Victoria-Haynes
Bradley Wiggins by Victoria Haynes.

Zoe Smith by Emma Black
Zoe Smith by Emma Black. ‘I saw on twitter that Zoe celebrated after her weightlifting by going out for a Big Mac, which I thought was quite amusing! I referenced the food off a photo she posted on her twitter feed.’

Stott and Baillie by Scarlett Tierney
Stott and Baillie by Scarlett Tierney.

Jessica Ennis by EdieOP
Jessica Ennis by EdieOP

Whats leffe for Bradley Wiggins by neonflower
Whats leffe for Bradley Wiggins? by neonflower* ‘As well as asking the question where Bradley goes next, it’s essentially a nod to all the road cyclists out there partial to a spot of Belgian beer (there are plenty of them – including my bf and ALL his cycling chums!) – and we all know that Bradley hit the pop last night. Good on him!’

Andy Murray by Gareth A Hopkins
Andy Murray by Gareth A Hopkins. ‘I like the fact that andy Murray doesn’t really fit the mould of an Olympian… It’s not that he doesn’t do anything that others like Jessica Ennis or Tom Daly do, it’s just that there’s something about him which excludes him from being a Team GB poster boy. I think it’s that he’s not out there for the country, he’s out there for himself, despite enormous pressure to conform to an image of a national sports hero. He’s almost an anti-hero, and I can’t help admiring that.’

TeamGB Olympics by Isher Dhiman
TeamGB Olympic Gold Winners by Isher Dhiman. Cycling Track – Sir Chris Hoy, Rowing – Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, Athletics – Jessica Ennis, Cycling Road – Bradley Wiggins, Sailing – Ben Ainslie, Tennis – Andy Murray, Equestrian – Brash, Charles, Maher and Skelton, Shooting – Peter Wilson

Bradley Wiggins by Bish
Bradley Wiggins by Bish.

Helen Glover by Bish
Helen Glover by Bish.

Nick Skelton by Bish
Nick Skelton by Bish.

Olympic Park by Bish
Olympic Park by Bish. ‘Drawings were done on the 1st of August at the Olympic Park when Helen Glover and Heather Stanning got the first gold Bradley Wiggins got Gold at the time trial, and the 5th August at the Greenwich Park for the Showjumping the day before GB got Gold.’

YouTube Preview ImageOlympic animation by Rosemary Cunningham.

Adlington by May van Millingen
Adlington by May van Millingen.

Wiggins by May van Millingen
Wiggins by May van Millingen.

Divers by May van millingen
Divers by May van Millingen.

If you enjoyed this don’t forget to check in with Matt Bramford‘s pre-Olympics illustrated blog post too. Here’s to lots more wins before the week is out!

Categories ,Adam Pryce, ,Andy Murray, ,Bish, ,Bradley Wiggins, ,Claire Corstorphine, ,cycling, ,Dani King, ,Daniel Purvis, ,DegreeArt, ,EdieOP, ,Emma Black, ,Fencing, ,Gabriela Larios, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Greco-Roman Wrestling, ,Greg Rutherford, ,Gymnastics, ,Helen Glover, ,Helen Gorrill, ,illustration, ,Isher Dhiman, ,Jake Snellin, ,James Pitman, ,Jenna & Olivia, ,Jessica Ennis, ,Joanna Rowsell, ,Kristian Thomas, ,Kristina Vasiljeva, ,Laura Trott, ,Livi Gosling, ,Lizzie Campbell, ,London 2012, ,Louis Smith, ,May van Millingen, ,Mo Farah, ,neonflower, ,Nick Skelton, ,Olympics, ,Rosemary Cunningham, ,Sam Ailey, ,Scarlett Tierney, ,Synchronised Swimmers, ,Team GB, ,Tim Parker, ,Tom James, ,Velodrome, ,Victoria Haynes, ,Victoria Pendleton, ,Weightlifting, ,Wiggo, ,Zoe Smith

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London 2012 Olympic Games Team GB Illustrated

Kristian Thomas by Tim Parker
Kristian Thomas by Tim Parker.

The Olympics are in town in case you haven’t noticed, and I’ve been lucky enough to get along to a few events in person. It was at the weightlifting that I became a big fan of feisty young contender Zoe Smith (although she didn’t place she went on to break the British record) and decided to put together an illustrated tribute. I loved Zoe Smith’s dedication to glam: her triangular stud earrings a defiant statement of femininity in the face of twitter abuse directed against her choice of sport.

Zoe Smith by Rosemary Cunningham
Zoe Smith by Rosemary Cunningham. ‘It’s a bit epic, but I was going for a kind of vague superhero type vibe, whilst keeping a nice retro Olympic feel.’

Since then I’ve watched seven hours of live fencing (and still have no clue how it works) and a good dose of Greco-Roman Wrestling (not a British sport – it seems to be almost entirely dominated by Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the US and Cuba) and like many people around the world I’ve seen a fair amount on the telly. Gymnastics and synchronised diving? LOVE them. Particularly the men’s…

Louis_Smith_by_Claire_Corstorphine
Louis Smith by Claire Corstorphine.

Yes, the Olympics have screwed up parts of East London and there are some crazy ass sponsorship rules, not to mention some half-assed nods towards sustainability or a useful legacy that actually benefits the local area. A cyclist has sadly died even as we shine in the Velodrome, and yet… it’s hard not to get swept up in the excitement, especially when you’re in a real audience, watching it all unfold in front of you.

Bradley_Wiggins_by_Gabriela_Larios
Bradley Wiggins by Gabriela Larios.

The Olympic medal tally for Great Britain is at present really quite amazing for such a comparatively small country. Let’s hope it inspires us to get a lot fitter because as a nation of biscuit troughing sofa surfers we really need to. Here, then are some illustrated responses to the inspiring talent of our very own Team GB.

Jessica Ennis - Warrior - by James Pitman
Jessica Ennis – Warrior – by James Pitman. ‘I wanted to create something that showed her (and athletes/competitors in general) warrior spirit, and I wanted to create thoughts of the comparison between society now and society thousands of years ago and what role athletes may have taken then even though now their expertise in physical activity is just for ‘fun’. But then I also want to still show her feminine beauty, particularly to contrast against the ‘warrior’ concept.’

Daniel Purvis by Adam Pryce
Daniel Purvis by Adam Pryce.

Bradley-Wiggins-By-Jake-Snellin
Bradley-Wiggins-By-Jake-Snellin
Bradley Wiggins by Jake Snellin.

Greg-Rutherford-by-Sam-Ailey
Greg Rutherford by Sam Ailey.

Olympics 2012 Mo Farah by Kristina Vasiljeva
Olympics 2012 Mo Farah by Kristina Vasiljeva.

Victoria Pendleton by Scarlett Tierney
Victoria Pendleton by Scarlett Tierney.

tom james by livi gosling
Tom James by Livi Gosling. ‘After winning a medal in Beijing he greeted his girlfriend with a kiss that mirrored that of the famous sailor/nurse kiss on V-Day. I added daffodils as he’s Welsh and the composition is meant to be reminiscent of a cote-de-arms.’

Helen Gorrill synchro image
Jenna & Olivia, Team GB Synchronised Swimmers, 2012 Olympics by Helen Gorrill. Currently on show with DegreeArt.

Kristian Thomas by Adam Pryce
Kristian Thomas by Adam Pryce.

Olympics 2012 Women Cycling by Kristina Vasiljeva
Olympics 2012 Women Cycling (Dani King, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell) by Kristina Vasiljeva.

Bradley-Wiggins-by-Victoria-Haynes
Bradley Wiggins by Victoria Haynes.

Zoe Smith by Emma Black
Zoe Smith by Emma Black. ‘I saw on twitter that Zoe celebrated after her weightlifting by going out for a Big Mac, which I thought was quite amusing! I referenced the food off a photo she posted on her twitter feed.’

Stott and Baillie by Scarlett Tierney
Stott and Baillie by Scarlett Tierney.

Jessica Ennis by EdieOP
Jessica Ennis by EdieOP

Whats leffe for Bradley Wiggins by neonflower
Whats leffe for Bradley Wiggins? by neonflower* ‘As well as asking the question where Bradley goes next, it’s essentially a nod to all the road cyclists out there partial to a spot of Belgian beer (there are plenty of them – including my bf and ALL his cycling chums!) – and we all know that Bradley hit the pop last night. Good on him!’

Andy Murray by Gareth A Hopkins
Andy Murray by Gareth A Hopkins. ‘I like the fact that andy Murray doesn’t really fit the mould of an Olympian… It’s not that he doesn’t do anything that others like Jessica Ennis or Tom Daly do, it’s just that there’s something about him which excludes him from being a Team GB poster boy. I think it’s that he’s not out there for the country, he’s out there for himself, despite enormous pressure to conform to an image of a national sports hero. He’s almost an anti-hero, and I can’t help admiring that.’

TeamGB Olympics by Isher Dhiman
TeamGB Olympic Gold Winners by Isher Dhiman. Cycling Track – Sir Chris Hoy, Rowing – Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, Athletics – Jessica Ennis, Cycling Road – Bradley Wiggins, Sailing – Ben Ainslie, Tennis – Andy Murray, Equestrian – Brash, Charles, Maher and Skelton, Shooting – Peter Wilson

Bradley Wiggins by Bish
Bradley Wiggins by Bish.

Helen Glover by Bish
Helen Glover by Bish.

Nick Skelton by Bish
Nick Skelton by Bish.

Olympic Park by Bish
Olympic Park by Bish. ‘Drawings were done on the 1st of August at the Olympic Park when Helen Glover and Heather Stanning got the first gold Bradley Wiggins got Gold at the time trial, and the 5th August at the Greenwich Park for the Showjumping the day before GB got Gold.’

YouTube Preview ImageOlympic animation by Rosemary Cunningham.

Adlington by May van Millingen
Adlington by May van Millingen.

Wiggins by May van Millingen
Wiggins by May van Millingen.

Divers by May van millingen
Divers by May van Millingen.

If you enjoyed this don’t forget to check in with Matt Bramford‘s pre-Olympics illustrated blog post too. Here’s to lots more wins before the week is out!

Categories ,Adam Pryce, ,Andy Murray, ,Bish, ,Bradley Wiggins, ,Claire Corstorphine, ,cycling, ,Dani King, ,Daniel Purvis, ,DegreeArt, ,EdieOP, ,Emma Black, ,Fencing, ,Gabriela Larios, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Greco-Roman Wrestling, ,Greg Rutherford, ,Gymnastics, ,Helen Glover, ,Helen Gorrill, ,illustration, ,Isher Dhiman, ,Jake Snellin, ,James Pitman, ,Jenna & Olivia, ,Jessica Ennis, ,Joanna Rowsell, ,Kristian Thomas, ,Kristina Vasiljeva, ,Laura Trott, ,Livi Gosling, ,Lizzie Campbell, ,London 2012, ,Louis Smith, ,May van Millingen, ,Mo Farah, ,neonflower, ,Nick Skelton, ,Olympics, ,Rosemary Cunningham, ,Sam Ailey, ,Scarlett Tierney, ,Synchronised Swimmers, ,Team GB, ,Tim Parker, ,Tom James, ,Velodrome, ,Victoria Haynes, ,Victoria Pendleton, ,Weightlifting, ,Wiggo, ,Zoe Smith

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Review of album Dig Down Deep and interview with Vandaveer

Vandaveer by Gemma Sheldrake
Vandaveer by Gemma Sheldrake.

Dig Down Deep opens the latest album from Vandaveer of the same name. It’s a rousing ditty that traces the journey of a merry band of vagabonds as they traverse a snowy landscape. Well that’s what happens in the brilliant video at any rate, this site on which Mark Charles Heidinger is joined by the delightful harmonies of Rose Guerin. Vandaveer is steeped in old world folk and southern roots, web but there’s a driving beat that keeps this album moving forward no matter how keenly it looks to the past… pounding cello or sparse piano keys accompanying the duelling voices of Mark and Rose as they narrate stories of war and loss, love and life. I’d be hard pushed to pick out a favourite tune from this wonderful and emotionally rich album. Just buy it, okay? But first, here’s a Q&A with the man behind it all: Mark Charles Heidinger.

Vandaveer Dig Down Deep cover

Dig Down Deep is your third album. How has your sound and approach changed since your first album?
Vandaveer essentially started out as a fling with my first record, then turned into something more serious for me a short time later, so I suppose I’m a bit more conscious that it’s a career of some sort these days. I can’t really say precisely how that has affected my sound or approach to writing and recording, but I’d like to think that with age comes better filtering. I’d like to think I’ve become a bit more discerning, but I’d be foolish to declare such a thing to be wholly true, for that would be anything but discerning.

vandaveer by daria
Vandaveer by Daria Hlazatova.

What is the title single Dig Down Deep about? It’s a very cold looking video… was that painful to film?! I imagine there were a lot of cold fingers.
I suppose it’s about the great getting on with things. Life is incredibly beautiful and profound, but it’s also full of heavy sadness and tumult. It can be quite a struggle to remain buoyant and focused. But it’s important and more than a bit comforting to know that this is a common experience. As for the video, yes, it was very, very cold. 8 degrees Fahrenheit cold. Took two days to shoot in Long Island, NY this past January. I’ve never known such cold. But we did it, and that’s the point I think. It all made sense. A cold, painful sense of accomplishment.

Who are the rag taggle band of followers in Dig Down Deep?
True believers, esteemed colleagues and luminaries, each and every one, deserving of accolades galore for bearing with us that very long weekend. Musicians, painters, photographers, singers, comic artists, lovers, tenders, fixers, and great conquerors of cold. But most importantly, they are our friends.

Vandaveer by Fawn Carr
Vandaveer by Fawn Carr.

There is a very old world feel to your music and to your imagery – why do you think this is?
I can’t really say why that might be the case, but as the world is in fact a very old place I think it makes sense that music seems to reflect that. What we do as Vandaveer is contemporary by default, but themes and ideas can be quite old at their core, and I’ve always considered myself a thief and a pilferer, musically speaking. But I think that’s the way this game is played in general, really…

vandaveer by neonflower
Vandaveer by Neonflower.

How have your Kentucky roots come to the fore in recent times?
From a purely logistical viewpoint, Kentucky is all over and inside each Vandaveer record. My longtime producer/studio collaborator, Duane Lundy, has a wonderful studio in Lexington, KY, so we find ourselves working there quite a bit. In addition, we end up with a lot of our friends from Kentucky playing on the records… Amazing folks like Ben Sollee, Cheyenne Marie Mize, Justin Craig and Robby Cosenza (they of These United States infamy)… Kentucky is in my bones. From the songs to the studio to the folks who we make music with. Then there’s the bourbon…

Vandaveer by Katie Chappell
Vandaveer by Katie Chappell.

Have you ever had any really dodgy jobs to support your music career, and if so what was the one you hated the most, and loved?
I think every job is dodgy in some respect, playing music amongst the dodgiest, honestly. The fact that I call singing songs a career is quite dodgy. The best job I ever had happened to fall in my lap straight out of college. I was actually paid a handsome monthly sum to write music trivia questions for a dot com before the bubble burst. Doesn’t get dodgier than that.

Vandaveer by Vanessa Lovegrove
Vandaveer by Vanessa Lovegrove.

Why do you think you often don’t like your own songs once you’ve recorded them and is there any remedy for this?
Did I say that? Firstly, I can’t be trusted. Secondly, recordings are more like polaroid snapshots of songs, really. They shouldn’t be treated as definitive versions in my book. That being said, they do end up serving some sort of archival role, so you want them to sound satisfactory. I find recording to be an entirely arbitrary process. Who’s to say that a song should only have 8 tracks or 64 tracks on it? When is too much too much or too little too little? The fact that you have to call a song finished at some point in the process is what I find frustrating. I like to think of songs as living things. They change over time. But recordings stay the same.

Vandaveer by Rhiannon Ladd
Vandaveer by Rhiannon Ladd.

How did your relationship with singer Rose Guerin come about?
Rosie and I met during the heyday of a little folk collective we had in DC called The Federal Reserve. Was a ramshackle bunch to be sure, but it produced golden memories for me. Meeting Rose and casually stumbling into a musical relationship was one such moment. She is truly special. 

YouTube Preview ImageWoolgathering.

What are you most looking forward to next time you come to the UK?
I am most looking forward to the next time we tour the UK. Everything else will be dessert.

Vandaveer by Nicola Ellen
Vandaveer by Nicola Ellen.

Dig Down Deep by Vandaveer is out now.

The Nature of Our Kind

Categories ,Ben Sollee, ,Cheyenne Marie Mize, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,Dig Down Deep, ,Duane Lundy, ,Fawn Carr, ,folk, ,Gemma Sheldrake, ,Harmonies, ,Justin Craig, ,Katie Chappell, ,Kentucky, ,KY, ,Lexington, ,Long Island, ,Mark Charles Heidinger, ,neonflower, ,Nicola Ellen, ,ny, ,Rhiannon Ladd, ,Robby Cosenza, ,Rose Guerin, ,The Federal Reserve, ,The Nature of Our Kind, ,These United States, ,Vandaveer, ,Vanessa Lovegrove, ,Washington, ,Woolgathering

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with The Epstein about new album Mumurations

The Epstein by neonflower
The Epstein by neonflower.

Oxford based folk rockers The Epstein return with their second album Mumurations today. 14 months in the pipeline, it’s a record filled with songs of departure and change, all set against a lush melodic backdrop. From opener Morning News – a typically heartfelt tale set to the mournful twirls of a guitar – to the beautiful lilting sounds of current download single Calling Out Your Name, this is over 40 minutes of big folk that is well worth checking out. I spoke with Olly Wills, who is responsible for vocals and acoustic guitar.

The Epstein - Murmurations Cover
What does Murmurations mean?
Murmurations is the term used for a flock of starlings when they fly in swooping flocks of thousands and can be seen sweeping and diving above fields and trees… I think it is something that is most often seen in the early autumn. Type the word into google images and you will see what I mean, it is an amazing spectacle.

The Epstein by youdesignme
The Epstein by youdesignme.

Who came first to The Epstein, and how did the others come on board?
The band started with founder members Olly Wills and Al Verey and very quickly Jon Berry and Rowland Prytherch came on board. We started playing open mic nights in Oxford and London and built the band up from there. We got a residency in a local pub where they paid us to play for 2 hours a week on a Thursday night and slowly the band developed its live skills and worked out what songs worked and what songs didn’t. This was quite a few years ago now and the band has changed hugely over that time but Olly and Jon are still there along with Seb Reynolds on Keyboards, Humphrey Astley on Bass and Tommy Longfellow on drums.

YouTube Preview Image
What inspired the words and the sounds of the new album?
Our first album was pretty narrative in terms of its songwriting and pretty country-folk in terms of sound… we wanted the second album to be quite different in both regards. We aimed for a widescreen cinematic and fully studio sound and the songs whilst still being narrative in some regards are also more image based as well. Hopefully they allow the listener to paint pictures for themselves as they listen. 

The Epstein by SarahJayneDraws
The Epstein by Sarah Jayne Draws.

What can attendees expect of your album launch later this month?
We are playing album launches in Oxford on June 27th and London on June 30th and we are really excited about both shows… We have some great support coming from The Dreaming Spires, Co.Pilgrim, Empty White Circles and Jordan Oshea (2 support bands each night, not 4!) and we will be playing the whole album from first track to last with some great visuals to help create a magical atmosphere. Great venues, great music and some cool backdrops… what else could ask for?

YouTube Preview Image
Why is Oxford such a hot bed of musical goings-on? Anything special that you can put a finger on?
Ever since I have been involved with music in the city there has been a constant week in week out scene. You can choose between 4-6 gigs a night almost every night of the year which is a pretty healthy amount of creative activity for what is a pretty small city… There are some great local music magazines, there are loads of festivals to get involved in and a huge student population who are a big part of it all too. On top of this you are really well situated if you do want to do gigs in London and other UK cities. Oxford had a rich heritage in great music when I got here 10 years ago – Radiohead and Ride are just two that spring to mind – and is so cool that in recent years newer bands have brought recognition back to the city. Foals and Stornoway are two recent acts who are known far and wide now, so I guess that all in all these elements combine to create a scene in the city where as a musician there are many opportunities to get your project in front of many interested people and hopefully further a field as well.

YouTube Preview Image
It’s taken awhile to record this album. How did it take shape?
We started this album in a studio in north London, did sessions in Bremen, Germany and ended up doing a lot in Truck Studios, Oxford as well as various rooms in between. It involved many musicians and much planning and as a result took us quite some time to record let alone mix and master so that in brief paragraph explains the lengthy nature of the process… The end result is what we planned for at the start, I just dont think we thought it would take nearly as long as it did to get from that start to today where the album is all packaged and ready for people to take home with them.

What next for The Epstein?
A busy summer of shows here in the UK promoting Murmurations and also on the continent where the album is out on PIAS Records. It is great to be busy again and the band has never been better as a live unit so we have a lot to look forward to in the near future. In the autumn we will finish off the next record – which we have already started on – and baring in mind the experience with the making of the current recordings we are seriously aiming to be able to release another album early in 2014. Fingers crossed!

The Epstein release Mumurations with Zawinul/PIAS on 24th June 2013. They will celebrate with a launch party at St Albans Church in their home town of Oxford.

Categories ,Al Verey, ,Co-pilgrim, ,Empty White Circles, ,Humphrey Astley, ,Jon Berry, ,Jordan Oshea, ,Morning News, ,Murmurations, ,neonflower, ,Olly Wills, ,Pias Records, ,Rowland Prytherch, ,Sarah-Jayne Draws, ,Seb Reynolds, ,St Albans Church, ,The Dreaming Spires, ,The Epstein, ,Tommy Longfellow, ,Truck Studios, ,youdesignme, ,Zawinul/PIAS

Similar Posts: