Pledge Music – AmeliasMagazine

Amelia’s Magazine | The I Like Trains interview: singer Dave Martin answers my Q&A

I Like Trains by Gemma Smith.

You are currently on a very extensive tour: what prompted the decision to do such a big tour?
The best way to promote an album is to get out there and play it to as many people as possible. We’ve done more extensive tours than this in the past, so we know we have it in us. It can be hard work, but also a lot of fun. I guess we must be a pretty good live band as we’ve always had the ability to win over an audience. We’ve been playing together for 6 years, and it feels like we continue to improve as a band.

I Like Trains by Calico Charlotte Melton.

You pride yourself on being “fiercely independent” – which was one of the things that first attracted you to me. Why do you think it is so important to take control of your own destiny?
I think it comes naturally to us now. You can sit and wait to be discovered, or you can get out and make the first steps on your own. Pretty soon the second and third steps will become obvious too. Coming from Leeds has helped in this respect, with bands before us making a success on their own terms. It showed us the way.

Why has it taken so long to get your second album finished? What have you been up to?
The main reason for this record taking so long to be released is that our label Beggars Banquet ceased to exist. We spent some time talking to other labels, but decided that we would be best served to release it ourselves. All of this took a lot of time. We also spent a while developing a new sound for the record.

I Like Trains by Karolina Burdon.

You made the album through an innovative pledge system. Can you tell us a bit more about this process?
Pledge Music is a website which facilitates fan funding of an album. We set ourselves a monetary target for what we needed in order to set up our own record label and release the album. We came up with a number of incentives for people to Pledge on, signed copies of the album, hand illustrated lyrics books, access all areas passes to gigs etc. The key thing about the Pledge system over some other fan funding initiatives is that no money exchanges hands until the target is reached and the album is guaranteed to be released. We were also keen to offer people value for money. The response we got when we went live completely blew us away. We weren’t entirely sure if anyone cared about us anymore, but we reached our target in about 24 hours and over 800 people went on to put their hard earned money into an album they hadn’t heard.

I Like Trains by Rukmunal Hakim.

Has it been hard to do everything yourself? what are the hardest things about this approach and what are the most rewarding?
It has been hard work. It’s been a steep learning curve to release our record on our own label, and that has been the most difficult thing. Not knowing exactly what steps to take to get it into shops. I also feel as if there is some sort of stigma in releasing a record on your own label. Some people seem to perceive releasing a record via the more traditional record company route as a mark of quality control, and that fan funding bypasses that. For me it is a much more democratic model. If there is an appetite for a record then it will get produced whether or not one or two money men at a record label think they can make some money out of it. It is extremely rewarding to see the album in record shops all across Europe, and to know that it is down to our hard work and the faith of our fans.

I Like Trains by Jess Holt.

What is current single A Father’s Son about?
It is about population pressure. I don’t want to say too much as I’m keen for people to draw their own conclusions, but the record as a whole is looking at the future for the human race. I did a fair bit of research into the science of climate change, and took my inspiration from that.

Where was the video shot? It looks cold. And who is the kid?!
It was shot on the North Yorkshire coast around Saltburn. To be honest we didn’t have a great deal to do with the video. It was done by a company called Progress Films. We’d been admiring their work for a little while so trusted them to do a good job. They sent a few treatments over to us, we made some tweaks and then left them to it. We were pleased with the result.

Illustration by Sarah Matthews.

You released a solo album last year (which I haven’t heard) – how did this go down? and how does promoting a solo album fit in with promoting a group album too – is he supporting the band on tour?!
I’ve been asked about this a few times. This was an April Fool’s joke by our fan site: www.thisgreenandpleasantland.com. I think it says that it includes a Britney Spears cover. I have as yet, not done a Britney Spears cover! *the cheek!*

How did you choose support for your tour, and in particular Napoleon IIIrd of whom I am a big fan too?
Well it is as simple as us being big fans of his too. We were very pleased that he could do it. He actually went to the same school as Guy and I did in Evesham, Worcestershire. We didn’t really know him back then as we were in different years, but we recognised him when we got to Leeds. It’s a small world.

I Like Trains by Bryony Crane.

You lost a band member in Ashley Dean, do you think you might work with him on any new videos? Are the rest of you involved in other creative projects too? and if so what?
I would never say never. We’re still in touch with Ashley and its great to see him doing so well with his videos. Guy has taken on the graphic design for I LIKE TRAINS now.

You seem to have become slightly less introspective in new album He Who Saw The Deep, and are looking to the future rather than the past. What prompted this change of perspective?
It was just a desire to keep challenging ourselves, to keep things fresh and exciting. We didn’t want to make the same album twice. For the first 4 or so years as a band we worked hard to create an identity. With HWSTD we took all of that and turned it on its head. We’re happy that it still sounds like an I LIKE TRAINS record, and it has given confidence to continue developing and evolving.

You released a free download just before xmas – a cover of Wham’s Last Christmas. Why did you decide to cover this song? And did you have trouble keeping a straight face whilst you were recording it? I imagine it might have been a bit hard to do in a po-faced manner!!
It was fun. Again something we almost certainly wouldn’t have done 3 years ago. We were asked to contribute something to the Leeds Music Scene advent calendar. It was a few days before December so we knocked the cover out very quickly. We chose it because underneath all the sleigh bells and fake tan there was a certain darkness. We had a great reaction from it.

Where are you now? and how is the European leg faring… any highlights so far?
We are somewhere between Milano and Ravenna dodging some flamboyant Italian traffic! The tour has been fantastic, exceeding our expectations. There seems to be a certain momentum for the record in Europe, and an appetite for I LIKE TRAINS that we haven’t really had on previous trips. The highlight for me was the Botanique in Brussels. A sold out show at one of our favourite venues in the world. Everything seemed to come together for that gig.

Why should people come and see you on tour when you reach the UK?
That’s not really for me to say, but we can promise to give it our all and thousands of people across mainland Europe would probably back me up on this one.

The new album He Who Saw The Deep was one of my favourite albums of 2010. I Like Trains begin the UK leg of their tour today: and continue right on through to the 10th of March. Our full tour listing can be found here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday February 2nd, 2011 5:05 pm

Categories ,Ashley Dean, ,Beggars Banquet, ,Botanique, ,britney spears, ,Brussels, ,Bryony Crane, ,Calico Charlotte Melton, ,Dave Martin, ,Gemma Smith, ,He Who Saw The Deep, ,I Like Trains, ,iliketrains, ,Independent, ,Jess Holt, ,Karolina Burdon, ,Last Christmas, ,leeds, ,Leeds Music Scene, ,Napoleon IIIrd, ,Pledge, ,Pledge Music, ,Progress Films, ,Rukmunal Hakim, ,Saltburn, ,Sarah Matthews, ,tour, ,Wham!

Amelia’s Magazine | Marching To Another Beat: an interview with Malka

Malka cover art Marching to another beatMalka cover art Marching to another beat
Marching To Another Beat is the beautiful new album from Tamara Schlesinger, otherwise known as Malka in her solo guise. The album continues her journey away from the acoustic fanfare of her former band 6 Day Riot, combining dreamy vocals with driving basslines and joyous electronic production.

The album was part crowdfunded using Pledge Music – what were the biggest pitfalls and joys of doing it this way?
I really enjoyed using Pledge Music for crowdfunding the album. I found it really rewarding and so enjoyable to interact with fans both old and new. The biggest joy I think would have to be the sense of not being alone and having a real sense of people rooting for you. There were no pitfalls really -although I did find it nerve-racking to begin with, wondering whether anyone would pledge and also stressful trying to hit all my deadlines for fulfilment.

Tamara Malka portrait
I know you are also juggling being a mother with being a musician – how do you manage the both?
Well, that can be hard work. Finding the time to switch off from being a mum and trying to be creative – to run the label, rehearse and gig without feeling guilty about being away. But I think we have found a healthy balance. My daughter loves music, and I am constantly making up silly little ditties while trying to entertain her (and I record the good ones on my phone for future use). Plus hearing her shout “mummy is that you on the radio?” when my song came on 6music made it all seem worthwhile.
I have found that being a mother has increased my creative ideas but finding the time to makes those ideas a reality is in frustratingly short supply. How have you found the time to create such an amazing new album, and what inspired the lyrics and general atmosphere?
There have been a lot of late nights! I also have never felt more inspired or creative. I would say my new family life has definitely inspired the lyrics: particularly My Body which is about being pregnant and I’ve Got Nothing which is about how important my family are to me. It took me longer to get this album together than with previous releases but in a way that has made it stronger in my mind. I was in the studio one day a week with my good friend Jay (who produced the album with me). I found the mood and sound of the album about midway through recording, songs moved and developed to fit into the final direction.

How did you physically manage playing all the instruments yourself and what kind of help did you have putting the album together?
I began all the songs at home by creating drum loops. I wrote all the melodies to the beats which was a new way of writing for me. Then I would create synth sounds (often just distorting vocals) at home as well. And then I would bring what I had into the studio with Jay. Once there, I would add guitar parts, electric ukulele, keys, handclaps, bass and anything I could get my hands on to create the sound I wanted, along with lots of harmonies. I can play most stringed instruments (not that well.. but editing is a great tool) and piano to a basic level so it wasn’t too hard. It wouldn’t sound how it does without Jay. He helped me create the sounds for lots of the synths and we would discuss arrangements together.

Imagery remains very important to your vision – what has inspired your most recent look and videos?
I have always cared about the visuals, I did my degree in fashion and I strongly believe that music and art are hugely connected. You can certainly create a stronger identity sonically through visuals too. The visual for the album artwork came about as I felt that the tribal beat suited the image of a warrior queen. I painted the main image. With regards to the videos, it is the same team that I have always used. But again the imagery was very important to me. Particularly with “Into The Night” as that was the first introduction to MALKA. I thought that with the change of sound to electro from folk that UV was a pretty decent statement of intent.

Who do you work with on your videos? (and is that wee blonde one in Let it Go Matilda?)
I work with my friends (who are incredibly talented) Lee Bamsey is the director. My ever suffering husband Martin Macdonald is the editor and D.O.P is Steve Gray. I must point out that they all do this for me as a favour. I just cover costs. I couldn’t do it without them all. And yes, well spotted that is indeed my daughter in “Let It Go”.

What does a major release like this mean for someone who runs their own label?
Everytime I release a new album I think maybe this time it will breakthrough. You would think I would learn! It’s so frustrating at times to compete with major or even indie labels as you never have the same clout, even if people are really behind the album. However, it is beyond rewarding to see the results and to receive good reviews and radio play when you know that you have done it all by yourself (with a little help from your team of course).

Your album was released a few days ago, what has the feedback been like?
The feedback as been amazing. It’s so terrifying to release an album, even when you feel it’s your best work to date. But having fans (and critics) enjoy your music makes the hard work and sleepless nights so much more worthwhile.

Where can people catch you live?
There will be more dates coming up soon. But for now the one date for your diary is Woodbridge Music and Arts Festival in August. We are playing on the mainstage and I am hoping to bring my daughter along to watch me on stage for the first time.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday June 11th, 2015 11:26 am

Categories ,6 Day Riot, ,6Music, ,album, ,Crowdfunded, ,I’ve Got Nothing, ,interview, ,Lee Bamsey, ,Let It Go, ,Malka, ,Marching To Another Beat, ,Martin Macdonald, ,Matilda, ,My Body, ,Pledge Music, ,Steve Gray, ,Tamara Schlesinger, ,Woodbridge Music and Arts Festival

Amelia’s Magazine | Tallulah Rendall introduces new album The Banshee and The Moon

Tallulah Rendall by Alison Day.

Musician Tallulah Rendall is a super talented woman with an indomitable vision that inspires; launching her self-released crowdfunded third album The Banshee and The Moon with a very personal photo album and an accompanying exhibition at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery. In this intimate interview she shares the making of her new album, plus what it takes to go for it alone.

Canary.

What inspired the lyrics of The Banshee and The Moon?
A huge transition in my life. After ten years of playing in bands, I decided that it was time to record an album on my own without the influence of creative collaboration. It was also at this time that I decided to move to Berlin. The move combined with my study of qi gong opened up many new possibilities and realizations. I spent hours alone playing bass, guitar and immersing myself in vocal harmonies. I didn’t have a piano so I would take myself off to the nearby piano shop to write. All these changes lead to my style of writing evolving. With my two previous albums, and EP’s unknowingly I had rested heavily on the obscure and often fantastical when it came too lyric writing. Metaphors about water nymphs, black seagulls amongst others.

Whilst I was writing this album there developed a sense of personal awareness and clarity that previously had been obscured. This arose in tandem with a story that I was exploring. The notion of the maiden, wise woman and crone as being three aspects of a woman that are always present within and this began to resonate deeply for me. I had never felt a connection to my own wise woman but I was beginning to grasp a sense of her within, and so wrote her story called The Banshee. The Banshee personified my wise woman. She was free, all knowing, vulnerable, powerful, wild, untamable all the aspects that I myself was aspiring to and above all she rode a beautiful wild steed across the heavens! She became my muse and the lyrics of this album tell both her story and my own journey to embodying her aspects within myself.

All photographs by Serena Bolton.

You have taken an unusual route to the release of your albums – what inspires your approach?
My mum used to run a nightclub called 7 1/2 in Portugal. When the revolution came she returned to the UK and set up a nightclub in Shepherd’s Walk called The Black Sheep which, then became 7 1/2. There are two aspects to this story that I love. The first is that this meant as a child I grew up with a basement full of amazing vinyl records which my mother had kept hold of and hours were spent listening and exploring the psychedelic artwork.

The other strand to the story is that she met many of the great musicians, from the Beatles, to The Stones, Cliff Richard.. and the story I love best is the day an unknown musician pitches up at her venue in London bargaining to use the venue as a rehearsal space for the two weeks leading up to the venue opening. They reach an agreement on the understanding that he would then play the first two weeks for free. Low and behold ‘Hey Joe’ goes to number one in the UK charts the night before the club opens and my mum has Jimi Hendrix playing her venue for her opening night and for free for the next two weeks. Allegedly, there are pictures somewhere of mum playing the broom with Jimi Hendrix..

So I guess the basement stash of vinyl was the main strand that inspired the concept of the books. I loved the artwork and am myself an artist. When it came to exploring how I wanted my albums to be released, I just wasn’t satisfied with a cd in a plastic case or a download, to me that lost so much of the story behind the musician and the music. And so I began to cultivate this concept of a song inspiring a piece of art, and then filming the creation of both processes. This naturally led to me: writing about the songs, the stories behind them, and the way of an independent musician, through crowdfunding, self-doubt and determination.

Initially I approached a label to see if they were interested in the concept and signing my first album/book Libellus but the response is why would we take a risk on an unknown artist. They thought it was going to be a really expensive process, which whilst it does cost more than a download to make in actual fact because the concept behind the projects is creative collaboration, everyone involved in the creation of the books has worked for free and in actual fact because I have released my albums as books and sold them for £15 I have been able to survive as an Independent musician at a time when most labels have been struggling to find ways of inspiring music lovers to by music. I am now hoping to find a label open to this way of creating music.

Tallulah Rendall by Gianluca Floris.

What kind of subject matter features in the accompanying book, and what is your favourite bit?
The Banshee And The Moon text narrates the story behind the journey from my band disbanding and my decision to record an album on my own and to play all the instruments on the record. It tells of my move to Berlin, my unexpected travels to India and then how I have ended up in the depths of Devon. Included also are the stories behind the individual songs, and the black and white photographs that were created in response to the songs. A huge thank you to Serena Bolton, Ben Heron, Akio, Paris Ackrill and Jim Kroft for collaborating with me and for taking such beautiful pictures.

I don’t really have a favourite bit of the story to be honest because every part of the story was integral to where I am now in my life. But if I had to pick one I would chose the picture of The Horse, taken by Serena Bolton and the quotation:
“In silence the teachings are heard; In stillness the world is transformed.” Lao Tse, Tao Te Ching

Well and meeting Ben of course!

What have been the highlights and pitfalls of crowd funding the album?
Crowdfunding is one of the most extraordinary experiences I have encountered. It challenges your self-belief beyond comparison but if you can get through that it is one of the most nourishing experiences. When I first began crowdfunding in 2006 for my first album, Libellus, no one had heard of it so it was pretty challenging but I had three amazing patrons and that gave me a head start.

For my second album Alive, I crowdfunded through Pledge Music. This was around 2010 I think and it was still a very new concept so hours were spent explaining to each person that I was not taking their money; it was an exchange. They could buy a piece of art, hire me for a gig, or commission a song. The fact that I was running the campaign through Pledge helped validate it but it was still three months solid work and at the end of it if I didn’t raise all the funds I wouldn’t receive any of the money so it was beyond stressful.

For this latest crowdfunding project for The Banshee And The Moon I decided that I would run it off my own website so to alleviate the stress of the potential of not receiving any of the funds if I didn’t reach my target. I asked all those who had been involved in previous campaigns and they all trusted I would deliver, and so it began. And ten months later it finished… It was a huge amount of work and because the financial situation had changed so much globally it was tougher than previously to get the large amounts. What in turn happened was nearly 95% of people who had backed me previously with smaller amounts backed me again but by giving 200% more that the first time.

It was extraordinary. I would receive and still do receive daily emails, Facebook messages from pledgers encouraging me on. And now that the album/book editions have been sent out to pledgers the response have been incredible and many have reduced me to tears.

These responses make everything worthwhile the ten thousand hours spent crowd funding, recording, writing to press, battling with printers….

“Thank you @tallulahrendall for the amazing gift that is The Banshee And The Moon. Music to my ears and inspiration for my eyes. You are a wondrous woman” Leonora (UK)

“thank you so much for sending over your new piece of art – I’m totally blown away, your book is so, so very beautiful my dear!!!!! Congrats & “Very well done”, wonderful chosen photos, I love them all! And I think they fit very well to each song!” Pete (Germany)

“Dear Tallulah, thank you so much for this wonderful album and the personal words in it! It looks gorgeous and I hardly dare to touch it to avoid any fingerprints on this beautiful cover. Discovering my name after finishing to read your very interesting and touching text made me very proud. It is a great feeling having been allowed to be a small part of this impressing project. I wish you a perfect launch party. You really deserve it!” Frank (Germany)

“Dear Tallulah, I have just received my copy of your book and album today. Am flattered that it is both personally signed and that I’m noted among your supporters (delighted to be so). I shall treasure this always. Many thanks, Andrew xx”

“WOW, FANTASTIC, THANK YOU- Absolutely stunning” (Gill)

Can you tell us more about the accompanying exhibition to launch the album?
Rebecca Hossack and I met at a family exhibition last year. My younger Nick is an artist, and my other brother Max is a magician. We decided to put on an event together and I met Rebecca there, and she expressed a love for what I was creating and suggested we do something in the future. So in January this year I sent a message outlining my exhibition concept not really thinking I would get a yes. But I did. I am still slightly shocked that it is happening, but it is and it has grown like I could not of foreseen.

I have managed to get sponsorship from Grosvenor events, Sipsmith and Chase Vodka (big thank you to them) so each night there is an event from 6-9pm showcasing the art and from 7-8pm I will be performing songs from the album.

There will be 14 black and white photographs in the exhibition and each one is accompanied by a QR code streaming the song that inspired the creation of the image.

The performances are seated in keeping with the intimacy of a living room tour.

Last year I spent four months on a Living Room Tour travelling around the UK and Germany playing in summerhouses, a castle, a kitchen, sitting room, gardens a warehouse. Each night was hosted by a fan and they invited the guests. The nights were run by donation and so it was free entry, just bring a bottle or a dish. The response was incredible and totally inspiring. I had become slightly jaded after too many unpaid gigs in shit venues and had decided to explore other options which led to this tour. (I am now organising a new living room tour for 2014 so if you are interested in hosting please message me tallulahrendall@gmail.com).

The concept of donation seemed to open up a whole new way. The response was people gave what they felt the performance deserved and the result was I earned more over this period than ever before. Plus I was able to play long two-hour sets rather than 20 mins in a shit venue so it felt in balance.

But back to the exhibition at Rebecca Hossack runs from Wednesday 28th May to Saturday 31st May and will be open each day from 10am, and then in the evenings are the events from 6-9pm. I am trying to keep a tab on numbers so we have enough seats so am encouraging people to reserve them in advance from this link.

Talullah Rendall by Gareth A Hopkins.

You have been moving around a lot, where are you currently living and what brought you there?
The depths of Devon, in a wild valley next to a beautiful clear river and untouched oak forest. It is amazing. I needed to recharge after the touring and crowdfunding and to focus on getting this project out into the world. I was conscious that my health was so poor and after routinely being on antibiotics six or seven times a year because of a really poor immune system I knew that I need to make some changes which I have and the result is no antibiotics for two years major improvement

I also didn’t want to take on a PR & marketing company and so I have been doing everything myself. To keep some sense of balance it has been fantastic being able to focus entirely on the project and nourishing being able to step out into the wilds from my doorstep.

Your next tour will be hosted by fans, how do you find the right venues?
It is more about the people than anything because once in the space I can adapt it to work for the set up.

With the living room tour I did last year I had no idea until I walked in the door what the room would be like, which kept it really exciting. Also the audiences were completely different at each event. What was incredible was that it didn’t matter if it was accountants, artists, mothers, kids, or any age, my experience from all audiences except the one night I did where everyone was really just interested in getting as fucked as possible as quickly as possible, that was fair from enjoyable, but aside from that my experience was that once everyone was settled in a comfy spot I could tell the stories and sing the songs with a real open heart and everyone (except the one night of wasters) really connected with that. So it really is more about my willingness to step into any space and be as open and honest as possible.

What can the audience expect from a live show, and why do you enjoy creating a spectacle?

It is interesting because my live show has changed hugely. I love the fantastical of dressing up, lighting, film visuals but also for me now more than ever I don’t feel like I need the costume to hide behind.

So now it really is about creating beautifully lit and inspiring spaces, it’s about connecting with the audience on a level that hopefully empowers them to believe in their own creativity and vision.

My intention is to sing the songs from my heart and share what I have created without expectation.

I am proud of what collectively has been achieved, there are hundreds of people involved in enabling The Banshee And The Moon to come to life and right now it is all about celebrating just that.

Celebrating a dream becoming a reality, and my hope is that with each performance or each reading or listening of the book that people will be inspired to allow their own creative vision to have a space in their life.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday May 20th, 2014 6:20 pm

Categories ,album, ,Alison Day, ,Alive, ,Canary, ,Crowdfunding, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Gianluca Floris, ,interview, ,Lao Tse, ,Libellus, ,Living Room Tour, ,Pledge Music, ,Rebecca Hossack Gallery, ,Serena Bolton, ,Tallulah Rendall, ,Tao Te Ching, ,The Banshee and The Moon

Amelia’s Magazine | The I Like Trains interview: singer Dave Martin answers my Q&A

Illustration of Amelia the lady of the night by Abby Wright coming *******

Vrooosh and we’re in. After a National Express journey from Bristol at 4.10pm we arrived immersed in the mighty traffic of London. From tweet updates, check information pills I was aware that the Amelia’s Magazine London team had spent the morning working hard whilst we’d been at work.

Gareth A Hopkins Mattt Bramford

The lovely Matt Bramford, pharmacy Amelia’s Fashion Editor working hard with a smile. Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Getting off the beloved bus, we tubed to Bethnal Green Road, missing our bikes with all our hearts after we discovered we had got off at the wrong tube stop and had to walk the length of the road. When we got to 110 -ish I put on my heels and immediately inflicted a new set speed of slow on us. Then after apparently vacantly walking past the venue, we about turned and eventually arrived at 123 Bethnal Green Road at 8pm. And there we are- in.

Illustration on its way of 6 Day Riot ******

It’s buzzing and I can see the feathered headdress and hear the sound of glorious music coming from the stage. 6 Day Riot are on stage and everyone is loving it. “Drink!” Vodka O flowing, blue bottled Adnams beers in hand – mutter to Charlie, he can’t hear me, the walls are bright and the buzz is loud. But we are smirking at each other, as the swirl of this internal world is clearly alleviating our hours of bus lethargy. There are beautiful outfits from where I want to know, and make up perfection. I’m loving the wedges, flowing skirts, vintage fabrics and beautiful piled up and flowing hair. Breathing art of their own kind, everyone I want to know and only until midnight to do it. Um, let’s CHAT. Ze atmosphere is perfect for le chat… Bonjoir…

helboyf3

Charlie and I by Abby Wright – This illustration was a present for our families (I know) – but now you can see Charlie us both. In art form!

I meet Jess Furseth because we are looking at each other like we know each other, but don’t. It’s like online friend dating. How could this all go minus the screen? It’s fine of course. We natter about the world then pop downstairs with my curly haired man. There we meet Hannah Bullivant and her husband. Chat, chat, banter, banter – her husband is from Jersey too. Cue lots of Jersey yabbering then Jess, Hannah and I discuss the power of the WORD etc. There are tea cups about the place from earlier’s tea, cake and illustration session, and a comfy Chesterfield sofa for a second of sitting. This is when I briefly meet Amelia’s Dad. It’s all in the eyes! Lovely man.

Picture of moi by Akeela

Boosh and we’re chatting outside. Banter, banter. Then downstairs and the Lily Vanilli cake is being cut. I have a bite of Charlie’s and the white chocolate and sweet cake melts like pink heaven in my mouth. He swipes it away from my chops. Chat, chat. “Hello Amelia!” She’s wearing an amazing cape and gorgeous shoes. So nice to see her. “Fabulous PARTYY!”

ACOFI cake illustration by Danielle Shepherd

CAKE! by Danielle Shepherd. Made by Lily Vanilli.

Chat to a couple of bloggers and see some of the splendid illustrators I speak to everyday. Everywhere I turn is enthusiasm and love for ART! Whilst Charlie is talking about his hair (apparently) to a table of chaps, I corner an illustrator with a goodie bag. I didn’t get one, but those who did had a Tatty Devine necklace, Dr Hauschka products, Pukka tea, a Moleskin notebook and other goodies in their possession. Jealous.

Gareth A Hopkins Sallly Mumby Croft copy

Ex-Fashion Editor of Amelia’s, Sally Mumby- Croft snapping away. Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Squeal at Matt Bramford before spending the rest of the evening throwing shapes with Chazaroo, Hannah, her husband and the lovely Jess. C.L.A.S.S.I.C. tunes are spun out from The Pipettes and the Mystery Jets DJ. We take breaks outside and before long it all becomes a spinny blur of joy.

The Pipettes by Avril Kelly

MattBramford_ACOFI_280111_430
Stylish people dancing, picture by Matt Bramford

dancing

Hannah Bullivant in the thrust of a move.

It would have been super to have chatted to EVERYONE, but to be honest I adored spending the evening with three fantastic new (now real-life – that’s right writers and Jersey 2) friends. That’s what it was about for me, relaxed fun and an appreciation for the creative and beautiful. I’m proud to be a part of Amelia’s Magazine and all who sail in her.

I Like Trains by Gemma Smith.

You are currently on a very extensive tour: what prompted the decision to do such a big tour?
The best way to promote an album is to get out there and play it to as many people as possible. We’ve done more extensive tours than this in the past, cheapest so we know we have it in us. It can be hard work, pharm but also a lot of fun. I guess we must be a pretty good live band as we’ve always had the ability to win over an audience. We’ve been playing together for 6 years, adiposity and it feels like we continue to improve as a band.

I Like Trains by Calico Charlotte Melton.

I Like Trains by Karolina Burdon.

I Like Trains by Rukmunal Hakim.

I Like Trains by Jess Holt.

Illustration by Sarah Matthews.

I Like Trains by Bryony Crane.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday February 2nd, 2011 5:05 pm

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