Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Bora Aksu

Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by Gareth A Hopkins
Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by Gareth A Hopkins.

Nicola Roberts was once more amongst the attendees for The Unknown, online which promised an entire narrative within the collection. Ever the romantic, tadalafil Bora Aksu discovered four old postcards in a Geneva antiques market. Initially attracted to the beautiful Edwardian imagery, it was to be the words written on the back that would inspire him the most. Written by a young lady named Rose, the postcards disclosed her love for Charles… and left Bora wondering what happened to this great romance of over one hundred years ago. And thus he embarked on The Unknown.

Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by Karla Pérez (Geiko Louve)Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by Karla Pérez (Geiko Louve)
Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by Karla Pérez aka Geiko Louve.

Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by Gareth A Hopkins
Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by Gareth A Hopkins.

Lighting low, the show began with a group of models who emerged en masse at the head of the runway, each dressed head to toe in shades of cream and beige with their heads wrapped in flowery garlands. Before them the catwalk (with no riser this season) was strewn with autumnal petals. Short puff skirts paired with crisp sleeveless blouses gave way to columns of tulle and net, all with signature Bora Aksu detailing. The demure colouring left me with the impression of an Edwardian schoolgirl who had been caught in her undies, but amongst this were some very wearable separates that should sell well in the real world.

Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by Megan Thomas
Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by Megan Thomas.

With a splash of sea blue roped detailing the collection moved onto sophisticated blacks and navy blues. Sweeping dresses with ribbon seam details emphasised womanly curves and curved necklines riffed on the current mania for all things pan collared. Sheer fabrics gave a glimpse of nipple, a common theme of this fashion week.

Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu SS 2011 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by June Chanpoomidole
Bora Aksu S/S 2012 by June Chanpoomidole.

I prefer my Bora with a bit more colour and structure, but this was an elegant collection that showed off Bora Aksu‘s love of all things Edwardian. It was also an excellent showcase for his new venture into the realm of hosiery. In the goodie bags were a pair of very special Bora Aksu branded tights, the rolling fishnet emulating the curved seams of his clothes: a perfect way to own a piece of Bora for a fraction of the cost of a whole outfit. Over the next few days I spotted many a pair of Bora clad legs on the front row, so it looks like he’s onto a winner.

Categories ,Antique, ,Beige, ,BFC, ,Bora Aksu, ,Charles, ,Cream, ,Edwardian, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Geiko Louve, ,Geneva, ,Hosiery, ,June Chanpoomidole, ,June Sees, ,Karla Perez, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Megan Thomas, ,Nicola Roberts, ,Nipples, ,Pan Collars, ,postcards, ,Romantic, ,Rose, ,S/S 2012, ,Sheer, ,Somerset House, ,The Unknown, ,tights

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Amelia’s Magazine | Akamuti: natural organic skincare from Wales

[IMAGE] Reeds

Laura Ward has both striking portraits and moody black and white landscapes in her portfolio, viagra but what initially drew me to her work was her‘mirror’ set on Flickr. It’s a very low-key selection of random and sometimes a bit blurry shots, more about taken in a plethora of shiny surfaces. The photographer is always in the picture, generic half-hidden behind the camera, and you can practically hear her going ‘ooooh, shiny!’ as she goes for a quick snap in a car mirror, shop window or water-stained bathroom.

But don’t get me wrong – Laura takes ‘proper’ photos too. This includes some really excellent portraits, skillful and professional but always with a slight quirk. Then there are the airy landscapes and the soft, abstracts shots of female figures, not to mention the surprising plays with layers and light. Laura’s long list of previous exhibitions, past, present and future, demonstrates that this girl isn’t just talented, she also has drive and passion in spades. I think we will be hearing more from Laura – lots more.

[IMAGE] Self-portrait (2)

Your new exhibition with photography group Effra FC is showing now in Camberwell. Tell us a little about Effra please.

Effra FC is a South London collective of photographers, with varying levels of skill and styles, who meet once a month in a local pub. Over the last few years it’s grown from a handful of strangers into a 90+ group. Effra has favoured low-fi (ie free) techniques to show work in the past. Mark from Sun & Doves invited us to put on our first professional show and 16 members opted in. It’s a wonderfully eclectic group of people who don’t take Effra FC too seriously. I think that is what makes it work. I’m really proud to be a part of it.

[IMAGE]
Ponies, on show now with Effra.

Effra started as a Flickr group. It seems to me everyone who uses Flickr adores this site. What is it about this site that resonnates so strongly with its users?

The simplicity of Flickr is one of the reasons that we’re all photographers now. I remember the excitement of taking my pictures out of a static website and having this new interactive audience at my fingertips. Having strangers comment on your work is a thrill. It’s also a huge source of inspiration and reference as it’s saturated with so many impressive photographers and ideas.
[IMAGE] Self-portrait (1)

Your CV of photography exhibitions is impressive. Could you tell us about a favourite project please?

Thank you. I tend to favour projects that take me out of my comfort zone. That said, my favourite project is one called ‘Unthought’. I work on images collaboratively with Belgian photographer Stefan Vanthuyne. We don’t discuss how we do it and quite often it doesn’t work, but that is part of the process. Photography can be very isolating, so ‘Unthought’ is a very happy friendship. I also worked on ‘The Apollo Project’ with Jonny Hughes where we took over a shop for a month and turned it into an art/music venue. I could write a book about that month, so that was definitely significant. As soon as those doors opened, it belonged to the community.

[IMAGE] Unthought

Your previous show was the group exhibition ‘Send me a postcard darling’. What was the thought behind this, and how did you get the enchanting Melissa Auf Der Maur to participate?

I decided to book The Red Gate gallery in south London with the aim of doing something similar to shows in Nottingham and New York. SMAPD evolved into its own little thing thanks to the people that got involved. Postcards are such an accessible format for everyone to produce but it’s a size that can challenge you. A couple of established artists commented on how difficult the format was to work with. I remember seeing one of Melissa’s photographs many years ago which I was really drawn to. It was a self portrait called something like ‘When I’m sad, my nose bleeds’. She’s so supportive of creative projects like this so I just asked her. Having established artists like Melissa Auf der Maur, Chad Van Gaalen and John Riordan means more people might come along and take a look at the work of home studio heroes.

[IMAGE] Autumn

Is there a new project coming up which you can tell us about?

I’ve started planning a new project which is partly inspired by the film ‘The Double Life of Véronique’. At the moment it’s a portrait series of 10 people who lead double lives, or those who do one thing to fund something else. I’m really interested in layers and mystique in subjects and they’ll probably be multi-exposed. I’m also hoping that 2011 takes me out of my comfort zone, which is why I’m taking part in Sonny Malhotra’s ProAm Project.

You have an international background. Do you consider London your home? How does taking photos around London compare with photographing other places?

I’m 32 now and having lived in so many places, I can make anywhere feel like home but London is the one place I feel comfortable. I like diversity, uncertainty and the fact that I have friends from all over the world in the same place. I live in Herne Hill which is a wonderfully friendly little melting pot of the best of all worlds and I can’t help but take photographs of it. That said, I need to get out of it fairly regularly to be able to appreciate it. I’ve done very little London life photography this year and I’d like to get back into it.

[IMAGE] She makes war

Your website and Flickr stream has an impressively wide range of photos and styles. You have these amazing, intense portraits as well as the really fun, playful stuff. What kind of photography is your favourite?

I’ll take photographs of almost anything I prefer an element of surprise and untidiness. I don’t really favour studio lighting, and I try not to plan too much. My favourite kind of picture is a soft abstract female shot. I love Francesca Woodman’s work so if I could take more images akin to hers, I’d be happy. Though I’d never want to rip her off.

I really love the set of pictures taken in mirrors and shiny surfaces – I have one of these myself! But tell me, what’s the deal with these pictures?

It’s the depth, layers and the light! Puddles, mirrors, windows are so much fun. Taking photographs through layers is also great, whether it’s a layer of plastic, water, and even cling film. Despite having photoshop, I use these pre-digital techniques all the time.

[IMAGE] Mirrored

How did you get into photography? What is it you love about it?

I have absolutely no formal training. I started in my teens when my parents allowed me to go travelling to Italy on my own and my dad gave me a Pentax. I was still hoping to be a decent writer back then, but I quickly realised that taking pictures was much easier. I can never find the right words.

What do you do when you’re not taking pictures?

I’ve worked for charities for many years now. My day job is very much focused on numbers and organising – analysis, strategies, reporting, reconciliation and fulfilling appeals. I definitely get a kick out of working both sides of my brain but it’s not easy managing creative projects and having a day job. Having said that, I don’t think I could do one without the other.

Laura Ward’s work is showing now with Effra FC – on until 25 January at the Sun and Doves in Camberwell, 61-63 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5.

Laura Ward Reeds
Reeds

Laura Ward has both striking portraits and moody black and white landscapes in her portfolio, find but what initially drew me to her work was her‘mirror’ set on Flickr. It’s a very low-key selection of random and sometimes a bit blurry shots, ampoule taken in a plethora of shiny surfaces. The photographer is always in the picture, troche half-hidden behind the camera, and you can practically hear her going ‘ooooh, shiny!’ as she goes for a quick snap in a car mirror, shop window or water-stained bathroom.

But don’t get me wrong – Laura takes ‘proper’ photos too. This includes some really excellent portraits, skillful and professional but always with a slight quirk. Then there are the airy landscapes and the soft, abstracts shots of female figures, not to mention the surprising plays with layers and light. Laura’s long list of previous exhibitions, past, present and future, demonstrates that this girl isn’t just talented, she also has drive and passion in spades. I think we will be hearing more from Laura – lots more.

Laura Ward Self 2
Self-portrait

Your new exhibition with photography group Effra FC is showing now in Camberwell. Tell us a little about Effra please.
Effra FC is a South London collective of photographers, with varying levels of skill and styles, who meet once a month in a local pub. Over the last few years it’s grown from a handful of strangers into a 90+ group. Effra has favoured low-fi (ie free) techniques to show work in the past. Mark from Sun and Doves invited us to put on our first professional show and 16 members opted in. It’s a wonderfully eclectic group of people who don’t take Effra FC too seriously. I think that is what makes it work. I’m really proud to be a part of it.

Laura Ward Ponies Effra FC
Ponies, on show now with Effra.

Effra started as a Flickr group. It seems to me everyone who uses Flickr adores this site. What is it about this site that resonnates so strongly with its users?
The simplicity of Flickr is one of the reasons that we’re all photographers now. I remember the excitement of taking my pictures out of a static website and having this new interactive audience at my fingertips. Having strangers comment on your work is a thrill. It’s also a huge source of inspiration and reference as it’s saturated with so many impressive photographers and ideas.

Laura Ward Self 1
Self-portrait

Your CV of photography exhibitions is impressive. Could you tell us about a favourite project please?
Thank you. I tend to favour projects that take me out of my comfort zone. That said, my favourite project is one called ‘Unthought’. I work on images collaboratively with Belgian photographer Stefan Vanthuyne. We don’t discuss how we do it and quite often it doesn’t work, but that is part of the process. Photography can be very isolating, so ‘Unthought’ is a very happy friendship. I also worked on ‘The Apollo Project’ with Jonny Hughes where we took over a shop for a month and turned it into an art/music venue. I could write a book about that month, so that was definitely significant. As soon as those doors opened, it belonged to the community.

Laura Ward Unthought
Unthought

Your previous show was the group exhibition ‘Send me a postcard darling’. What was the thought behind this, and how did you get the enchanting Melissa Auf Der Maur to participate?
I decided to book The Red Gate gallery in south London with the aim of doing something similar to shows in Nottingham and New York. SMAPD evolved into its own little thing thanks to the people that got involved. Postcards are such an accessible format for everyone to produce but it’s a size that can challenge you. A couple of established artists commented on how difficult the format was to work with. I remember seeing one of Melissa’s photographs many years ago which I was really drawn to. It was a self portrait called something like ‘When I’m sad, my nose bleeds’. She’s so supportive of creative projects like this so I just asked her. Having established artists like Melissa Auf der Maur, Chad Van Gaalen and John Riordan means more people might come along and take a look at the work of home studio heroes.

Laura Ward Autumn
Autumn

Is there a new project coming up which you can tell us about?
I’ve started planning a new project which is partly inspired by the film ‘The Double Life of Véronique’. At the moment it’s a portrait series of 10 people who lead double lives, or those who do one thing to fund something else. I’m really interested in layers and mystique in subjects and they’ll probably be multi-exposed. I’m also hoping that 2011 takes me out of my comfort zone, which is why I’m taking part in Sonny Malhotra’s ProAm Project.

You have an international background. Do you consider London your home? How does taking photos around London compare with photographing other places?
I’m 32 now and having lived in so many places, I can make anywhere feel like home but London is the one place I feel comfortable. I like diversity, uncertainty and the fact that I have friends from all over the world in the same place. I live in Herne Hill which is a wonderfully friendly little melting pot of the best of all worlds and I can’t help but take photographs of it. That said, I need to get out of it fairly regularly to be able to appreciate it. I’ve done very little London life photography this year and I’d like to get back into it.

Laura Ward She Makes War
She Makes War

Your website and Flickr stream has an impressively wide range of photos and styles. You have these amazing, intense portraits as well as the really fun, playful stuff. What kind of photography is your favourite?
I’ll take photographs of almost anything I prefer an element of surprise and untidiness. I don’t really favour studio lighting, and I try not to plan too much. My favourite kind of picture is a soft abstract female shot. I love Francesca Woodman’s work so if I could take more images akin to hers, I’d be happy. Though I’d never want to rip her off.

I really love the set of pictures taken in mirrors and shiny surfaces! But tell me, what’s the deal with these pictures?
It’s the depth, layers and the light! Puddles, mirrors, windows are so much fun. Taking photographs through layers is also great, whether it’s a layer of plastic, water, and even cling film. Despite having photoshop, I use these pre-digital techniques all the time.

Laura Ward Mirrored
Mirrored

How did you get into photography? What is it you love about it?
I have absolutely no formal training. I started in my teens when my parents allowed me to go travelling to Italy on my own and my dad gave me a Pentax. I was still hoping to be a decent writer back then, but I quickly realised that taking pictures was much easier. I can never find the right words.

What do you do when you’re not taking pictures?
I’ve worked for charities for many years now. My day job is very much focused on numbers and organising – analysis, strategies, reporting, reconciliation and fulfilling appeals. I definitely get a kick out of working both sides of my brain but it’s not easy managing creative projects and having a day job. Having said that, I don’t think I could do one without the other.

Laura Ward’s work is showing now with Effra FC – on until 25 January at the Sun and Doves in Camberwell, 61-63 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5.
Laura Ward Reeds
Reeds

Laura Ward has both striking portraits and moody black and white landscapes in her portfolio, side effects but what initially drew me to her work was her‘mirror’ set on Flickr. It’s a very low-key selection of random and sometimes a bit blurry shots, taken in a plethora of shiny surfaces. The photographer is always in the picture, half-hidden behind the camera, and you can practically hear her going ‘ooooh, shiny!’ as she goes for a quick snap in a car mirror, shop window or water-stained bathroom.

But don’t get me wrong – Laura takes ‘proper’ photos too. This includes some really excellent portraits, skillful and professional but always with a slight quirk. Then there are the airy landscapes and the soft, abstracts shots of female figures, not to mention the surprising plays with layers and light. Laura’s long list of previous exhibitions, past, present and future, demonstrates that this girl isn’t just talented, she also has drive and passion in spades. I think we will be hearing more from Laura – lots more.

Laura Ward Self 2
Self-portrait

Your new exhibition with photography group Effra FC is showing now in Camberwell. Tell us a little about Effra please.
Effra FC is a South London collective of photographers, with varying levels of skill and styles, who meet once a month in a local pub. Over the last few years it’s grown from a handful of strangers into a 90+ group. Effra has favoured low-fi (ie free) techniques to show work in the past. Mark from Sun and Doves invited us to put on our first professional show and 16 members opted in. It’s a wonderfully eclectic group of people who don’t take Effra FC too seriously. I think that is what makes it work. I’m really proud to be a part of it.

Laura Ward Ponies Effra FC
Ponies, on show now with Effra.

Effra started as a Flickr group. It seems to me everyone who uses Flickr adores this site. What is it about this site that resonnates so strongly with its users?
The simplicity of Flickr is one of the reasons that we’re all photographers now. I remember the excitement of taking my pictures out of a static website and having this new interactive audience at my fingertips. Having strangers comment on your work is a thrill. It’s also a huge source of inspiration and reference as it’s saturated with so many impressive photographers and ideas.

Laura Ward Self 1
Self-portrait

Your CV of photography exhibitions is impressive. Could you tell us about a favourite project please?
Thank you. I tend to favour projects that take me out of my comfort zone. That said, my favourite project is one called ‘Unthought’. I work on images collaboratively with Belgian photographer Stefan Vanthuyne. We don’t discuss how we do it and quite often it doesn’t work, but that is part of the process. Photography can be very isolating, so ‘Unthought’ is a very happy friendship. I also worked on ‘The Apollo Project’ with Jonny Hughes where we took over a shop for a month and turned it into an art/music venue. I could write a book about that month, so that was definitely significant. As soon as those doors opened, it belonged to the community.

Laura Ward Unthought
Unthought

Your previous show was the group exhibition ‘Send me a postcard darling’. What was the thought behind this, and how did you get the enchanting Melissa Auf Der Maur to participate?
I decided to book The Red Gate gallery in south London with the aim of doing something similar to shows in Nottingham and New York. SMAPD evolved into its own little thing thanks to the people that got involved. Postcards are such an accessible format for everyone to produce but it’s a size that can challenge you. A couple of established artists commented on how difficult the format was to work with. I remember seeing one of Melissa’s photographs many years ago which I was really drawn to. It was a self portrait called something like ‘When I’m sad, my nose bleeds’. She’s so supportive of creative projects like this so I just asked her. Having established artists like Melissa Auf der Maur, Chad Van Gaalen and John Riordan means more people might come along and take a look at the work of home studio heroes.

Laura Ward Autumn
Autumn

Is there a new project coming up which you can tell us about?
I’ve started planning a new project which is partly inspired by the film ‘The Double Life of Véronique’. At the moment it’s a portrait series of 10 people who lead double lives, or those who do one thing to fund something else. I’m really interested in layers and mystique in subjects and they’ll probably be multi-exposed. I’m also hoping that 2011 takes me out of my comfort zone, which is why I’m taking part in Sonny Malhotra’s ProAm Project.

You have an international background. Do you consider London your home? How does taking photos around London compare with photographing other places?
I’m 32 now and having lived in so many places, I can make anywhere feel like home but London is the one place I feel comfortable. I like diversity, uncertainty and the fact that I have friends from all over the world in the same place. I live in Herne Hill which is a wonderfully friendly little melting pot of the best of all worlds and I can’t help but take photographs of it. That said, I need to get out of it fairly regularly to be able to appreciate it. I’ve done very little London life photography this year and I’d like to get back into it.

Laura Ward She Makes War
She Makes War

Your website and Flickr stream has an impressively wide range of photos and styles. You have these amazing, intense portraits as well as the really fun, playful stuff. What kind of photography is your favourite?
I’ll take photographs of almost anything I prefer an element of surprise and untidiness. I don’t really favour studio lighting, and I try not to plan too much. My favourite kind of picture is a soft abstract female shot. I love Francesca Woodman’s work so if I could take more images akin to hers, I’d be happy. Though I’d never want to rip her off.

I really love the set of pictures taken in mirrors and shiny surfaces! But tell me, what’s the deal with these pictures?
It’s the depth, layers and the light! Puddles, mirrors, windows are so much fun. Taking photographs through layers is also great, whether it’s a layer of plastic, water, and even cling film. Despite having photoshop, I use these pre-digital techniques all the time.

Laura Ward Mirrored
Mirrored

How did you get into photography? What is it you love about it?
I have absolutely no formal training. I started in my teens when my parents allowed me to go travelling to Italy on my own and my dad gave me a Pentax. I was still hoping to be a decent writer back then, but I quickly realised that taking pictures was much easier. I can never find the right words.

What do you do when you’re not taking pictures?
I’ve worked for charities for many years now. My day job is very much focused on numbers and organising – analysis, strategies, reporting, reconciliation and fulfilling appeals. I definitely get a kick out of working both sides of my brain but it’s not easy managing creative projects and having a day job. Having said that, I don’t think I could do one without the other.

Laura Ward’s work is showing now with Effra FC – on until 25 January at the Sun and Doves in Camberwell, 61-63 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5.
Laura Ward Reeds
Reeds

Laura Ward has both striking portraits and moody black and white landscapes in her portfolio, order but what initially drew me to her work was her ‘mirror’ set on Flickr. It’s a very low-key selection of random and sometimes a bit blurry shots, taken in a plethora of shiny surfaces. The photographer is always in the picture, half-hidden behind the camera, and you can practically hear her going ‘ooooh, shiny!’ as she goes for a quick snap in a car mirror, shop window or water-stained bathroom.

But don’t get me wrong – Laura takes ‘proper’ photos too. This includes some really excellent portraits, skillful and professional but always with a slight quirk. Then there are the airy landscapes and the soft, abstracts shots of female figures, not to mention the surprising plays with layers and light. Laura’s list of exhibitions, past, present and future, demonstrates that this girl isn’t just talented, she also has drive and passion in spades. I think we will be hearing more from Laura – lots more.

Laura Ward Self 2
Self-portrait

Your new exhibition with photography group Effra FC is showing now in Camberwell. Tell us a little about Effra please.
Effra FC is a South London collective of photographers, with varying levels of skill and styles, who meet once a month in a local pub. Over the last few years it’s grown from a handful of strangers into a 90+ group. Effra has favoured low-fi (ie free) techniques to show work in the past. Mark from Sun and Doves invited us to put on our first professional show and 16 members opted in. It’s a wonderfully eclectic group of people who don’t take Effra FC too seriously. I think that is what makes it work. I’m really proud to be a part of it.

Laura Ward Ponies Effra FC
Ponies, on show now with Effra.

Effra started as a Flickr group. It seems to me everyone who uses Flickr adores this site. What is it about this site that resonnates so strongly with its users?
The simplicity of Flickr is one of the reasons that we’re all photographers now. I remember the excitement of taking my pictures out of a static website and having this new interactive audience at my fingertips. Having strangers comment on your work is a thrill. It’s also a huge source of inspiration and reference as it’s saturated with so many impressive photographers and ideas.

Laura Ward Self 1
Self-portrait

Your CV of photography exhibitions is impressive. Could you tell us about a favourite project please?
Thank you. I tend to favour projects that take me out of my comfort zone. That said, my favourite project is one called ‘Unthought’. I work on images collaboratively with Belgian photographer Stefan Vanthuyne. We don’t discuss how we do it and quite often it doesn’t work, but that is part of the process. Photography can be very isolating, so ‘Unthought’ is a very happy friendship. I also worked on ‘The Apollo Project’ with Jonny Hughes where we took over a shop for a month and turned it into an art/music venue. I could write a book about that month, so that was definitely significant. As soon as those doors opened, it belonged to the community.

Laura Ward Unthought
Unthought

Your previous show was the group exhibition ‘Send me a postcard darling’. What was the thought behind this, and how did you get the enchanting Melissa Auf Der Maur to participate?
I decided to book The Red Gate gallery in South London with the aim of doing something similar to shows in Nottingham and New York. SMAPD evolved into its own little thing thanks to the people that got involved. Postcards are such an accessible format for everyone to produce but it’s a size that can challenge you. A couple of established artists commented on how difficult the format was to work with. I remember seeing one of Melissa’s photographs many years ago which I was really drawn to. It was a self portrait called something like ‘When I’m sad, my nose bleeds’. She’s so supportive of creative projects like this so I just asked her. Having established artists like Melissa Auf der Maur, Chad Van Gaalen and John Riordan means more people might come along and take a look at the work of home studio heroes.

Laura Ward Autumn
Autumn

Is there a new project coming up which you can tell us about?
I’ve started planning a new project which is partly inspired by the film ‘The Double Life of Véronique’. At the moment it’s a portrait series of 10 people who lead double lives, or those who do one thing to fund something else. I’m really interested in layers and mystique in subjects and they’ll probably be multi-exposed. I’m also hoping that 2011 takes me out of my comfort zone, which is why I’m taking part in Sonny Malhotra’s ProAm Project.

You have an international background. Do you consider London your home? How does taking photos around London compare with photographing other places?
I’m 32 now and having lived in so many places, I can make anywhere feel like home but London is the one place I feel comfortable. I like diversity, uncertainty and the fact that I have friends from all over the world in the same place. I live in Herne Hill which is a wonderfully friendly little melting pot of the best of all worlds and I can’t help but take photographs of it. That said, I need to get out of it fairly regularly to be able to appreciate it. I’ve done very little London life photography this year and I’d like to get back into it.

Laura Ward She Makes War
She Makes War

Your website and Flickr stream has an impressively wide range of photos and styles. You have these amazing, intense portraits as well as the really fun, playful stuff. What kind of photography is your favourite?
I’ll take photographs of almost anything I prefer an element of surprise and untidiness. I don’t really favour studio lighting, and I try not to plan too much. My favourite kind of picture is a soft abstract female shot. I love Francesca Woodman’s work so if I could take more images akin to hers, I’d be happy. Though I’d never want to rip her off.

I really love the set of pictures taken in mirrors and shiny surfaces! But tell me, what’s the deal with these pictures?
It’s the depth, layers and the light! Puddles, mirrors, windows are so much fun. Taking photographs through layers is also great, whether it’s a layer of plastic, water, and even cling film. Despite having Photoshop, I use these pre-digital techniques all the time.

Laura Ward Mirrored
Mirrored

How did you get into photography? What is it you love about it?
I have absolutely no formal training. I started in my teens when my parents allowed me to go travelling to Italy on my own and my dad gave me a Pentax. I was still hoping to be a decent writer back then, but I quickly realised that taking pictures was much easier. I can never find the right words.

What do you do when you’re not taking pictures?
I’ve worked for charities for many years now. My day job is very much focused on numbers and organising – analysis, strategies, reporting, reconciliation and fulfilling appeals. I definitely get a kick out of working both sides of my brain but it’s not easy managing creative projects and having a day job. Having said that, I don’t think I could do one without the other.

Laura Ward’s work is showing now with Effra FC – on until 25 January at the Sun and Doves,61-63 Coldharbour Lane, Camberwell, London SE5.
Why did you decide to set up business?
 
Akamuti grew out of my passion for plants! I’ve always been interested in their role in tree medicine, page herbalism and aromatherapy so it feels very natural to work with all these wonderful ingredients. Akamuti began in 2003 when I was only 20 years old and keen to start my own business. I think that being home schooled from the age of 10 instilled in me a very independent outlook on life and this streak has grown with me! The business started off in a really small way, advice mixing up tiny amounts of creams & balms from raw ingredients – always using only the best natural ingredients that we could source. Then I would set off to the local health shops with my little box and try to sell them. It was really exciting to get a positive response and this spurred me on to set up a website so that people could order online. From these humble beginnings the business slowly but surely began to grow. Nowadays the whole family are involved in the business, troche with five of us working together. Our combined enthusiasm for a holistic way of living, eating and healing keeps our creativity focused, ensuring that our products reflect our ethics.

Why is being part of a family business so satisfying?
Its good to work together because you have people you know that you can rely on in a crisis. We understand each better than anyone else and thankfully we all seem to rub along nicely so we make a good team.

How did you train yourself to make skincare products?
When I was 17 I did a herbal medicine course that taught me how to make balms and macerated oils, which was great fun to do in the kitchen. I loved drying herbs, hanging them from the airer so that they made a mess on the floor. I experimented, researched and got my hands dirty until I found a recipe that I was happy with. I’ve also worked in aromatherapy for many years so I know my ingredients inside out.

How is your organic vegetable garden, and do you grow any of your own ingredients?
I really love gardens and I’ve been trying my best to grow veg for years. This year I managed to coax some lovely potatoes out of the ground as well as salads, tomatoes and a million cucumbers. Sadly, my onions and garlic didn’t even get chance to see the sunshine this year (slugs!) but I plant them every year because it feels wrong not too! We have plenty of space so it’s been a dream of mine to grow our own ingredients for a few years now… I just need to find the time. 
I’m hoping to plant a lavender and rose garden at some point so that I can make a small amount of my own rosewater!  
 
Can you describe the set up in Wales?
We work from our workshop in a beautiful valley in south west Wales overlooking the Brechfa Forest. We have a smallholding so it’s not only home to us but a few unruly animals as well. It’s a truly inspirational place to live, with nature literally on the doorstep and natural beauty around every corner. I love the peace and quiet here, it really nourishes the soul.   

When you have visitors where do you take them out?
I would take them to our little town of Llandeilo to shop for organic bread and homemade ice cream, then we would visit Carreg Cennen Castle, dramatically perched on a limestone outcrop. I’d make sure we visited the seaside where there are countless coves to choose from, so we might just do them all. And to finish, we would end up in our local pub which has the best beer garden in the world!

What are the benefits of being in Wales, and the pitfalls?
I love the wild side of Wales most. It’s great to nip out the door and within minutes you can be in a forest, a meadow, or on a mountain. I love the trees and fields, the castles, the coastline, the views out to the Brecon Beacons, the stunning drive through the Towy Valley. There is a strong craft community here, we have several community run shops, and there is a lot of great food and farm produce about too. The pitfalls… what pitfalls!?
 
Been anywhere else lately?
I’ve just got back from southern Snowdonia where I stayed at the foot of Cadair Idris. There is a beautiful lake there which I love. It is very cool and quiet – you could be anywhere in the world. I’ve also recently discovered the New Forest – I particularly like all the animals wandering freely through the villages.

How do you source your fairtrade organic ingredients?
Thankfully the internet makes this very easy. We find new suppliers quite quickly and many come by word of mouth. A lot of the time I stumble across people doing amazing things which I note down for the future!

What is the first thing you do when you want to invent a new product?
I make myself a coffee, find a comfy spot, get my notebook out and start writing. I think of what I want to achieve with the product and what I would like to go in it and then I start putting them together. I also brainstorm with everyone else. A bit like planning a garden, the best part is picking the plants! 

What exciting new products are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on a flower based perfume at the moment, so I’m playing around with sandalwood, rose, jasmine and a number of other oils to get the best combination. I’ve decided to keep the perfume as an oil, much like the ancient Attar perfumes, which were based on sandalwood oil. I am a big fan of eastern aromatherapy and I like the way the scents make me drift away to the ancient lands of Persia or Anatolia in my mind.  

What is your favourite ingredient to work with and why?
I’ve got a few favourites but I’ll try and narrow them down. My first love is definitely Rose Otto oil – it works so well for many physical and emotional problems, as well as smelling beautiful. I also love working with Neroli essential oil because it is so uplifting. If an oil could have the quality of kindness then this is the one! 

Why should people buy your products?
Because they are good for the skin and the soul! They are made with 100% natural ingredients from start to finish without any additional rubbish, and we try our best to harness all of the natural goodness of trees, plants and flowers in each product so that our customers get the very best we can make. Our products are people and planet friendly, and they are affordable too.
 
Akamuti by Jenny Lloyd
Akamuti by Jenny Lloyd.

I first became enamoured with Akamuti skincare products when I discovered the brand in 2008 and subsequently interviewed them for the last print issue of Amelia’s Magazine. A family run business in Wales that creates gorgeous organic fairtrade products – what’s not to like? Time to find out what founder Lindsey Hedges is up to these days…

Why did you decide to set up business?
Akamuti grew out of my passion for plants! I’ve always been interested in their role in tree medicine, information pills herbalism and aromatherapy so it feels very natural to work with all these wonderful ingredients. Akamuti began in 2003 when I was only 20 years old and keen to start my own business. I think that being home schooled from the age of 10 instilled in me a very independent outlook on life and this streak has grown with me! The business started off in a really small way, mixing up tiny amounts of creams and balms from raw ingredients – always using only the best natural ingredients that we could source. Then I would set off to the local health shops with my little box and try to sell them. It was really exciting to get a positive response and this spurred me on to set up a website so that people could order online. From these humble beginnings the business slowly but surely began to grow. Nowadays the whole family are involved in the business, with five of us working together. Our combined enthusiasm for a holistic way of living, eating and healing keeps our creativity focused, ensuring that our products reflect our ethics.

Akamuti skincare by Karina Yarv
Lindsey Hedges, founder of Akamuti. Illustration by Karina Yarv.

Why is being part of a family business so satisfying?
It’s good to work together because you have people you know that you can rely on in a crisis. We understand each better than anyone else and thankfully we all seem to rub along nicely so we make a good team.

How did you train yourself to make skincare products?
When I was 17 I did a herbal medicine course that taught me how to make balms and macerated oils, which was great fun to do in the kitchen. I loved drying herbs, hanging them from the airer so that they made a mess on the floor. I experimented, researched and got my hands dirty until I found a recipe that I was happy with. I’ve also worked in aromatherapy for many years so I know my ingredients inside out.

Akamuti-rose & marshmallow beauty mask
Akamuti’s Rose & Marshmallow Beauty Mask.

How is your organic vegetable garden, and do you grow any of your own ingredients?
I really love gardens and I’ve been trying my best to grow veg for years. This year I managed to coax some lovely potatoes out of the ground as well as salads, tomatoes and a million cucumbers. Sadly, my onions and garlic didn’t even get chance to see the sunshine this year (slugs!) but I plant them every year because it feels wrong not too. We have plenty of space so it’s been a dream of mine to grow our own ingredients for a few years now… I just need to find the time. I’m hoping to plant a lavender and rose garden at some point so that I can make a small amount of my own rosewater. 
 
Can you describe the set up in Wales?
We work from our workshop in a beautiful valley in south west Wales overlooking the Brechfa Forest. We have a smallholding so it’s not only home to us but a few unruly animals as well. It’s a truly inspirational place to live, with nature literally on the doorstep and natural beauty around every corner. I love the peace and quiet here, it really nourishes the soul.   

Akamuti-by-Nina-Hunter
Akamuti by Nina Hunter.

When you have visitors where do you take them out?
I would take them to our little town of Llandeilo to shop for organic bread and homemade ice cream, then we would visit Carreg Cennen Castle, dramatically perched on a limestone outcrop. I’d make sure we visited the seaside where there are countless coves to choose from, so we might just do them all. And to finish, we would end up in our local pub which has the best beer garden in the world.

Carreg-Cennen-Castle-by-Yelena-Bryksenkova
Carreg Cennen Castle by Yelena Bryksenkova.

What are the benefits of being in Wales, and the pitfalls?
I love the wild side of Wales most. It’s great to nip out the door and within minutes be in a forest, a meadow, or on a mountain. I love the trees and fields, the castles, the coastline, the views out to the Brecon Beacons, the stunning drive through the Towy Valley. There is a strong craft community here, we have several community run shops, and there is a lot of great food and farm produce about too. The pitfalls… what pitfalls!?
 
lindsey_akamuti_darren fletcher
Lindsey Hedges by Darren Fletcher.

Been anywhere else lately?
I’ve just got back from southern Snowdonia where I stayed at the foot of Cadair Idris. There is a beautiful lake there which I love. It is very cool and quiet – you could be anywhere in the world. I’ve also recently discovered the New Forest – I particularly like all the animals wandering freely through the villages.

Cadair Idris by Karina Yarv
Cadair Idris by Karina Yarv

How do you source your fairtrade organic ingredients?
Thankfully the internet makes this very easy. We find new suppliers quite quickly and many come by word of mouth. A lot of the time I stumble across people doing amazing things which I note down for the future.

What is the first thing you do when you want to invent a new product?
I make myself a coffee, find a comfy spot, get my notebook out and start writing. I think of what I want to achieve with the product and what I would like to go in it and then I start putting them together. I also brainstorm with everyone else. A bit like planning a garden, the best part is picking the plants! 

Akamuti-buttered rose & almond hand cream
Akamuti’s Buttered Rose & Almond Hand Cream.

What exciting new products are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on a flower based perfume at the moment, so I’m playing around with sandalwood, rose, jasmine and a number of other oils to get the best combination. I’ve decided to keep the perfume as an oil, much like the ancient Attar perfumes, which were based on sandalwood oil. I am a big fan of eastern aromatherapy and I like the way the scents make me drift away to the ancient lands of Persia or Anatolia in my mind.  

What is your favourite ingredient to work with and why?
I’ve got a few favourites but I’ll try and narrow them down. My first love is definitely Rose Otto oil – it works so well for many physical and emotional problems, as well as smelling beautiful. I also love working with Neroli essential oil because it is so uplifting. If an oil could have the quality of kindness then this is the one. 

Why should people buy your products?
Because they are good for the skin and the soul! They are made with 100% natural ingredients from start to finish without any additional rubbish, and we try our best to harness all of the natural goodness of trees, plants and flowers in each product so that our customers get the very best we can make. Our products are people and planet friendly, and they are affordable too.
 
Akamuti-replenishing rose facial oil
Akamuti’s Replenishing Rose Facial Oil.

What do you expect to top your Christmas bestsellers list this year?
At the moment, our Replenishing Rose Face Cream is selling very quickly so we are making lots of it to try to keep up with demand. Over the winter the skin tends to dry out much more (I know mine has!) so your skin will really appreciate a good, rich moisturiser to put back all the goodness which the cold weather takes out of it. Replenishing Rose Face Cream is a welcome treat for tired, hungry skin because it is very rich and softening, combining nourishing raspberry, precious pomegranate and rosehip oils with luxurious Rose Otto oil. I expect all our face creams and exotic butters to be the bestsellers over Christmas because they make lovely, unusual presents that are totally natural and ethical.

***************************

I recently chanced upon a bottle of Kalahari Watermelon Body Oil that had been kicking around in the back of my bathroom, and let me tell you it is a glorious treat after a brief interlude of using a cheap Superdrug moisturiser. It smells utterly heavenly and soaks in really well, leaving a delicate waft of essential oils in its wake. You too can shop with Akamuti on their website and at independent retailers across the country.

Categories ,Akamuti, ,Aromatherapy, ,Attar perfume, ,Beauty, ,body butters, ,Brechfa Forest, ,Brecon Beacons, ,Buttered Rose & Almond Hand Cream, ,Cadair Idris, ,Carreg Cennen Castle, ,Darren Fletcher, ,face cream, ,fairtrade, ,Health, ,Herbal Medicine, ,jasmine, ,Jenny Lloyd, ,Kalahari Watermelon Body Oil, ,Karina Yarv, ,Lindsey Hedges, ,Llandeilo, ,Neroli oil, ,New Forest, ,Nina Hunter, ,organic, ,Persia, ,Pomegranate, ,Raspberry, ,Replenishing Rose Face Cream, ,Replenishing Rose Facial Oil, ,Rose, ,Rose & Marshmallow Beauty Mask, ,Rose Otto oil, ,Rosehip, ,sandalwood, ,Snowdonia, ,Towy Valley, ,Tree Medicine, ,wales, ,Yelena Bryksenkova

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Amelia’s Magazine | The Pipettes – Interview

The Pipettes were a pretty big deal a few years ago, prostate bursting onto the indie club scene with their 50s and 60s-influenced polka-dot pop song album Meet The Pipettes and its hit singles like ‘Pull Shapes‘ and ‘Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me‘. That was half a decade ago, information pills though – since then, and they’ve had several members come and go, leaving the band in its current incarnation of sisters Gwenno and Ani [right and left, respectivaly, in the photo above], along with the boys who play the instruments and help write the music. After a long delay they’ve managed to get a second album ready for release, so I caught up with them earlier this week to see how they’ve been coping with all this commotion.

I thought that we’d start with just clarifying something that I’m not entirely sure about, which is the songwriting – who writes what?

Gwenno: It’s the same as it’s always been. How it works is that one person will write the song, and they’ll bring it in, usually in something like a finished form – it might need a few more chords, or a second verse – but they’ll bring it to the band, and we’ll all interpret it in our own way.
Ani: Everyone’s a songwriter in the band.

I’ve been listening to the new album. It’s an interesting change in direction because it’s not as doo-wop any more, is it? There are a couple of songs that still have that Phil Spector kind of sound, like the first album, but there’s a big change towards synths and electronics and stuff. Almost like moving forward through time a bit? That’s kind of what it sounded like to me. It’s called Earth vs The Pipettes which, in my mind, means space and sci-fi and lasers and things like that – futuristic things. Is that roughly what the thinking behind the album title was?

Gwenno: Well, we were going to call it In Colour, but then there was the whole sci-fi thing – there’s this b-movie called Earth vs The Flying Saucers, and there’s a poster for the film, with all these monsters coming down and people on the floor, and we were going to imitate it with the boys all on the floor and us coming down as the monsters. The album is slightly more grown-up and more serious to a certain extent, but there’s still that silliness and that sense of ridiculousness.

There’s a lot less playground-romance in the new songs.

Ani: [whistfully] I think we should be honest that our school days are well and truly gone…

Time to put the photos away in the album?

Ani: Heh, yeah. Although I never liked school much. We were 100% losers.
Gwenno: But now you’re a winner!
Ani: Yeah! Um. A winner all the way.

So there’s the sci-fi influence on the new album, but what else was coming into your heads when you were making it?

Gwenno: Well, everyone had different takes on it, really.
Ani: When I first came into the band…

Sorry, how long have you been in the band now?

Ani: Two years. When I first came into the band I thought, “yay, I’m in a 50s pop band,” and the first songs that I wrote were songs like that, but they’re not now, they’re more disco.
Gwenno: But also there was a natural evolution, if you’re wanting to be pseudo-academic about it, but at the same time it was a natural thing for us to move in that direction. And of course, being in a band together for so many years, you start to think…

Something different?

Gwenno: Well… Actually, I don’t know.
Ani: It’s not going to be the same, is it?
Gwenno: I know, but I do think that it’s a development anyway, in a way. Everyone can be themselves more.
Ani: Who are you?
Gwenno: [Laughs] I don’t know… Well, I really love a lot of British 80s bands, Bananarama and things like that.
Ani: Which you reference on the first album quite a lot.
Gwenno: Not sonically, though.

Lyrically?

Gwenno: Yeah. And I like old Kylie songs and things like that, and I think that you can hear that more.

So are you saying that you weren’t as keen on the Phil Spector-influenced stuff from the first album?

Gwenno: No, it wasn’t that. There was a point to it, and it was a really good point. I remember seeing the band play in Cardiff and thinking it was absolute genius, and that I wanted to be in this band. None of us were massively into 60s pop music or anything like that, but it was about the history of pop music. Like, if this makes sense then we can make our own year zero here. It was a slightly more intelligent approach than just, “oh, I like playing, I like singing.”

And with your new songs you don’t feel tied down to a single aesthetic?

Gwenno: No. I think it feels… The longer you make music with someone, the more that you trust them, and the more you understand, and you can trust their input. It’s not as controlled.
Ani: And also, with this album, everyone in the band now is at the same point. You [gestures to Gwenno] came in later than the start, I came in even later, so everyone could start from the same point and everyone worked together as a unit, wrote it as a unit.
Gwenno: I guess the common thread is Martin [Rushent, producer], apart from the space theme, of course.

I was watching your video for the first single off the album, ‘Stop The Music’ – you’ve got your dance moves in that, and lots of costumes…

Gwenno: Yeah, and again, it’s quite an organic development, and I don’t think that that song is very ‘Bam! We’re Back!’ – people have been a bit slow to get behind it, and me too. I didn’t write this song and it took me quite a while to actually understand it, to really, really get into it. It’s such a grower.
Ani: It’s a much more confident approach. I don’t want to undermine ourselves, but it doesn’t sound as desperate, like, “hey, we’re in a band.”

So you’re more sure of yourself? The album does sound very cohesive despite the change in direction, I think.

Gwenno: Well, it was a move away from songs like ‘Pull Shapes’, which we ended up feeling quite defined by. Putting ‘Stop The Music’ out first is quite a deliberate thing from us, as in, “here’s a song, we really love it, and it stands on its own and doesn’t need gimmicks.” Which, again, is what this album is about. You have to take it as it is – you like the music, you like the music, if you don’t, you don’t. I think ‘Stop The Music’ confirms that statement, really. The video, too, I don’t think is at all a gimmick, I just think it’s shot very beautifully. It’s probably the proudest I’ve ever felt in making something, visually. I don’t feel like I’m being stupid, jumping around clapping my hands.

You don’t worry at all that the change of direction will alienate some of your fans?

Gwenno: Well, I think that was inevitable. I think, even had it been the same lineup, someone isn’t going to like the new direction anyway. It’s easy to think that we’re alienating fans with a change in direction.

But you’re picking up new ones, too?

Gwenno: I think so, too. To be honest with you, the only reason we’re still here is for the songs. We knew it was going to be difficult with the new lineup, but had we not had so much faith in the songs we just wouldn’t have done it.
Ani: Yeah, and I’m not going to lie – over the past two years it’s not been easy to keep going, at all. There’s been no reason except that we’re making this record.

A labour of love?

Gwenno: Well it is, but having done the first record and having had people respond to it by saying, “it’s a bit gimmicky, it’s a bit throwaway,” it just made us feel that we wanted to do quite a serious thing. Yes, we do dress up and do silly dances, but we feel very passionate about that!
Ani: And then there’s the whole thing that we’re doing it independently, by ourselves, not on a major label or with co-writers forced on us. We would never do that, even though it was an option.

You said that the first album was a bit gimmicky – but surely that’s the point of pop music? To criticise pop for being throwaway and fun is a bit like criticising water for being wet.

Ani: Yep. That’s a thing I find with pop, that it can still be great music, it’s not just throwaway. Someone’s writing it, it’s someone singing someone’s emotions. Just because it’s pop…
Gwenno: I do think it’s completely different, though, when you have artists drawn up in a marketing board meeting.

But that’s still someone’s words that they’re singing, someone’s emotions.

Gwenno: I suppose. I just have a real detachment from modern pop music at the moment.
Ani: I’m not talking about Rihanna – I love Rihanna! I love Girls Aloud! But I’m talking more about…

Straightforwardly manufactured acts who are designed deliberately to make sales?

Ani: Yeah…
Gwenno: [To Ani] I don’t get what you’re trying to say…
Ani: I’m trying to say that just because it’s pop music that doesn’t make it less good, or less credible, than indie or whatever. I think that because we clap hands and dance and wear silly things…

Lots of bands wear silly things, mind. You guys seen Of Montreal?

Gwenno: Hah, yes!

Just because pop music might be, as you say, manufactured, doesn’t make it any less worthy, does it? But you guys are clearly not that kind of mainstream pop music, you’ve got that weird twist to it still by bringing in elements of disco and soul and so on.

Gwenno: I do think that it’s important, with this album, that even though it’s four to the floor most of the time it has still be played and written by a real band. I was talking to [former member] Rose about it yesterday – I like that in songs like ‘Stop The Music’ it’s grounded in very good music. It’s not just an electro-dance-slash-hip-hop song, it’s clearly grounded in 60s soul and all of that stuff. We were having a discussion in studio the other day about having a backing track – obviously Martin has done a lot of stuff to make us not really sound like we’re real, which is brilliant, we love that, and you can never recreate that live unless you played along with a backing track, which we would never, ever do. I really dislike bands that play to backing tracks, on the whole, and I have yet to see a band I’ve enjoyed the feeling of who have played along to a backing track. I would rather have less instrumentation, and see what everyone is doing on stage, and have that being what I hear.
Ani: It loses a lot of its soul. The way it feels, when it’s played in a certain way…

Like having an old record where it always skips in a certain place, and when you hear it on the radio and it doesn’t have that little clip in it, it feels less real?

Gwenno: Yeah, and I think where we differ, as a pop band, to a producer in a studio just making up something for a hired songwriter, is that we don’t have to justify ourselves by saying, “we’re real.” I think that’s an interesting distinction.
Ani: You always feel like you have to validate why you do something. I feel like we’ve thought a lot about the point of us doing this now.
Gwenno: Yeah, because the point is different now. When we started we were sort dressing up and being all anti- those indie guitar bands that were around, but they’ve all gone now, so where do we stand in the grand scheme of things? [Laughs] You need to know who your enemies are, you know, who the bad man is, fighting against what system. It’s finding out what your context is, sort of doing that all over again, really – and I think the songs are wicked. I genuinely do. I think Martin’s done a really good job.

He’s been around for a while – almost old to enough to have worked on some of the original doo-wop records.

Ani: Yeah he has. There’s just some amazing stuff that he’s done. The thing that I love about Martin is how ridiculously enthusiastic about music he still is. He’s not at all cynical, which is just great, because you’d think that you’d lose enthusiasm by then. He’s kind of done more than anyone I’ve ever met.

So who’s he worked with?

Gwenno: Well, I think his biggest thing was Dare by The Human League. Buzzcocks, Stranglers, Shirley Bassey, Altered Image… I think he turned Madonna down.

Really?

Ani: A guy called and said, “I’ve got this girl, Madonna, do you want to make a record with her?” and he said he was too busy because he was doing another Human League album. Even if that’s not true, I think it’s great.

Rehearsals for your tour are going well?

Gwenno: Really good, actually. We’d done a gig as a duo in October at S?n Festival, Huw Stephens’ festival… it seemed a bit of a curse, the S?n Festival, because we couldn’t do it the year before because a girl left the band, but this year we decided we were definitely going to do it because my mum was there, my dad was there, my friends… And then we hadn’t rehearsed, and rehearsing as a duo has really changed the dynamic of the band which I hadn’t expected so much. There’s a lot more singing in unison – I feel so much more confident about it. Obviously, it’s good because we’re siblings, and if we’re singing out of tune we’re going to be harmonising out of tune, if that makes sense. I remember with Rose and Becky that it wasn’t always in tune, there wasn’t that natural instinct, and we were always counteracting each other, we weren’t really harmonising. This is good, I’m quite excited about this new thing, there’s more of a unified voice.
Ani: And also with the old songs we haven’t found that it massively affects them, and we were worried about the old songs mostly because of the freaky harmonies, but there really weren’t any three-piece harmonies anywhere. I do Rose and Becky’s parts, though – I rock ‘n roll AND I hip-hop, which is great.

Does this mean that you’re not looking to find a third member of the band, to get it back to how it was before?

Gwenno: No, not really. I think it was quite nice realising that we’re not the Sugababes, and you can’t just fill that gap. It feels like an evolution, because obviously having a third person who you don’t know can be really weird. They’re not Rose, they’re not Becky, and that’s just not how it is any more. Getting a randomer doesn’t really work…

Kind of like a session musician?

Gwenno: I think that’s what happened, by the third girl who came in. She ended up being really more of a session singer, really, because they couldn’t join in the writing because we’d already written the album, it was finished, they could only sing along with us. It was kind of a redundant thing, and there was no point in them joining the band if they couldn’t help to create anything. Much more of an urge to get the album out, because it’s been going for the last couple of years, and now it’s finally coming out…

Scary?

Gwenno: Yeah, actually! I’m just so happy, that we’re not sitting on this album. It was recorded in the spare bits of studio time that Martin had, which is great, we appreciated that so much, but I remember we read a book which mentioned him, talking about when he made Dare. He said it took him more than a year to make it, and were already three months into recording so we were a bit worried because he was comparing our album to Dare – though obviously it’s probably not going to be anywhere near as big! – and in the end it took him, I think, one more day to finish than for Dare.
Ani: It’s just so good to have the album out really. I’m not nervous at all. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but we have tried our best.

(All images courtesy of the band, taken from the shoot for their latest album)

Categories ,50s, ,60s, ,70s, ,Ani, ,Bananarama, ,Becky, ,Dare, ,disco, ,Doo-Wop, ,Earth vs The Pipettes, ,Gwenno, ,Human League, ,ian steadman, ,interview, ,Kylie Minogue, ,Madonna, ,Martin Rushent, ,Meet The Pipettes, ,pop, ,Pull Shapes, ,Rose, ,Shirley Bassey, ,soul, ,Stop The Music, ,The Human League, ,The Pipettes, ,video, ,Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me

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Amelia’s Magazine | The Pipettes – Interview

The Pipettes were a pretty big deal a few years ago, prostate bursting onto the indie club scene with their 50s and 60s-influenced polka-dot pop song album Meet The Pipettes and its hit singles like ‘Pull Shapes‘ and ‘Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me‘. That was half a decade ago, information pills though – since then, and they’ve had several members come and go, leaving the band in its current incarnation of sisters Gwenno and Ani [right and left, respectivaly, in the photo above], along with the boys who play the instruments and help write the music. After a long delay they’ve managed to get a second album ready for release, so I caught up with them earlier this week to see how they’ve been coping with all this commotion.

I thought that we’d start with just clarifying something that I’m not entirely sure about, which is the songwriting – who writes what?

Gwenno: It’s the same as it’s always been. How it works is that one person will write the song, and they’ll bring it in, usually in something like a finished form – it might need a few more chords, or a second verse – but they’ll bring it to the band, and we’ll all interpret it in our own way.
Ani: Everyone’s a songwriter in the band.

I’ve been listening to the new album. It’s an interesting change in direction because it’s not as doo-wop any more, is it? There are a couple of songs that still have that Phil Spector kind of sound, like the first album, but there’s a big change towards synths and electronics and stuff. Almost like moving forward through time a bit? That’s kind of what it sounded like to me. It’s called Earth vs The Pipettes which, in my mind, means space and sci-fi and lasers and things like that – futuristic things. Is that roughly what the thinking behind the album title was?

Gwenno: Well, we were going to call it In Colour, but then there was the whole sci-fi thing – there’s this b-movie called Earth vs The Flying Saucers, and there’s a poster for the film, with all these monsters coming down and people on the floor, and we were going to imitate it with the boys all on the floor and us coming down as the monsters. The album is slightly more grown-up and more serious to a certain extent, but there’s still that silliness and that sense of ridiculousness.

There’s a lot less playground-romance in the new songs.

Ani: [whistfully] I think we should be honest that our school days are well and truly gone…

Time to put the photos away in the album?

Ani: Heh, yeah. Although I never liked school much. We were 100% losers.
Gwenno: But now you’re a winner!
Ani: Yeah! Um. A winner all the way.

So there’s the sci-fi influence on the new album, but what else was coming into your heads when you were making it?

Gwenno: Well, everyone had different takes on it, really.
Ani: When I first came into the band…

Sorry, how long have you been in the band now?

Ani: Two years. When I first came into the band I thought, “yay, I’m in a 50s pop band,” and the first songs that I wrote were songs like that, but they’re not now, they’re more disco.
Gwenno: But also there was a natural evolution, if you’re wanting to be pseudo-academic about it, but at the same time it was a natural thing for us to move in that direction. And of course, being in a band together for so many years, you start to think…

Something different?

Gwenno: Well… Actually, I don’t know.
Ani: It’s not going to be the same, is it?
Gwenno: I know, but I do think that it’s a development anyway, in a way. Everyone can be themselves more.
Ani: Who are you?
Gwenno: [Laughs] I don’t know… Well, I really love a lot of British 80s bands, Bananarama and things like that.
Ani: Which you reference on the first album quite a lot.
Gwenno: Not sonically, though.

Lyrically?

Gwenno: Yeah. And I like old Kylie songs and things like that, and I think that you can hear that more.

So are you saying that you weren’t as keen on the Phil Spector-influenced stuff from the first album?

Gwenno: No, it wasn’t that. There was a point to it, and it was a really good point. I remember seeing the band play in Cardiff and thinking it was absolute genius, and that I wanted to be in this band. None of us were massively into 60s pop music or anything like that, but it was about the history of pop music. Like, if this makes sense then we can make our own year zero here. It was a slightly more intelligent approach than just, “oh, I like playing, I like singing.”

And with your new songs you don’t feel tied down to a single aesthetic?

Gwenno: No. I think it feels… The longer you make music with someone, the more that you trust them, and the more you understand, and you can trust their input. It’s not as controlled.
Ani: And also, with this album, everyone in the band now is at the same point. You [gestures to Gwenno] came in later than the start, I came in even later, so everyone could start from the same point and everyone worked together as a unit, wrote it as a unit.
Gwenno: I guess the common thread is Martin [Rushent, producer], apart from the space theme, of course.

I was watching your video for the first single off the album, ‘Stop The Music’ – you’ve got your dance moves in that, and lots of costumes…

Gwenno: Yeah, and again, it’s quite an organic development, and I don’t think that that song is very ‘Bam! We’re Back!’ – people have been a bit slow to get behind it, and me too. I didn’t write this song and it took me quite a while to actually understand it, to really, really get into it. It’s such a grower.
Ani: It’s a much more confident approach. I don’t want to undermine ourselves, but it doesn’t sound as desperate, like, “hey, we’re in a band.”

So you’re more sure of yourself? The album does sound very cohesive despite the change in direction, I think.

Gwenno: Well, it was a move away from songs like ‘Pull Shapes’, which we ended up feeling quite defined by. Putting ‘Stop The Music’ out first is quite a deliberate thing from us, as in, “here’s a song, we really love it, and it stands on its own and doesn’t need gimmicks.” Which, again, is what this album is about. You have to take it as it is – you like the music, you like the music, if you don’t, you don’t. I think ‘Stop The Music’ confirms that statement, really. The video, too, I don’t think is at all a gimmick, I just think it’s shot very beautifully. It’s probably the proudest I’ve ever felt in making something, visually. I don’t feel like I’m being stupid, jumping around clapping my hands.

You don’t worry at all that the change of direction will alienate some of your fans?

Gwenno: Well, I think that was inevitable. I think, even had it been the same lineup, someone isn’t going to like the new direction anyway. It’s easy to think that we’re alienating fans with a change in direction.

But you’re picking up new ones, too?

Gwenno: I think so, too. To be honest with you, the only reason we’re still here is for the songs. We knew it was going to be difficult with the new lineup, but had we not had so much faith in the songs we just wouldn’t have done it.
Ani: Yeah, and I’m not going to lie – over the past two years it’s not been easy to keep going, at all. There’s been no reason except that we’re making this record.

A labour of love?

Gwenno: Well it is, but having done the first record and having had people respond to it by saying, “it’s a bit gimmicky, it’s a bit throwaway,” it just made us feel that we wanted to do quite a serious thing. Yes, we do dress up and do silly dances, but we feel very passionate about that!
Ani: And then there’s the whole thing that we’re doing it independently, by ourselves, not on a major label or with co-writers forced on us. We would never do that, even though it was an option.

You said that the first album was a bit gimmicky – but surely that’s the point of pop music? To criticise pop for being throwaway and fun is a bit like criticising water for being wet.

Ani: Yep. That’s a thing I find with pop, that it can still be great music, it’s not just throwaway. Someone’s writing it, it’s someone singing someone’s emotions. Just because it’s pop…
Gwenno: I do think it’s completely different, though, when you have artists drawn up in a marketing board meeting.

But that’s still someone’s words that they’re singing, someone’s emotions.

Gwenno: I suppose. I just have a real detachment from modern pop music at the moment.
Ani: I’m not talking about Rihanna – I love Rihanna! I love Girls Aloud! But I’m talking more about…

Straightforwardly manufactured acts who are designed deliberately to make sales?

Ani: Yeah…
Gwenno: [To Ani] I don’t get what you’re trying to say…
Ani: I’m trying to say that just because it’s pop music that doesn’t make it less good, or less credible, than indie or whatever. I think that because we clap hands and dance and wear silly things…

Lots of bands wear silly things, mind. You guys seen Of Montreal?

Gwenno: Hah, yes!

Just because pop music might be, as you say, manufactured, doesn’t make it any less worthy, does it? But you guys are clearly not that kind of mainstream pop music, you’ve got that weird twist to it still by bringing in elements of disco and soul and so on.

Gwenno: I do think that it’s important, with this album, that even though it’s four to the floor most of the time it has still be played and written by a real band. I was talking to [former member] Rose about it yesterday – I like that in songs like ‘Stop The Music’ it’s grounded in very good music. It’s not just an electro-dance-slash-hip-hop song, it’s clearly grounded in 60s soul and all of that stuff. We were having a discussion in studio the other day about having a backing track – obviously Martin has done a lot of stuff to make us not really sound like we’re real, which is brilliant, we love that, and you can never recreate that live unless you played along with a backing track, which we would never, ever do. I really dislike bands that play to backing tracks, on the whole, and I have yet to see a band I’ve enjoyed the feeling of who have played along to a backing track. I would rather have less instrumentation, and see what everyone is doing on stage, and have that being what I hear.
Ani: It loses a lot of its soul. The way it feels, when it’s played in a certain way…

Like having an old record where it always skips in a certain place, and when you hear it on the radio and it doesn’t have that little clip in it, it feels less real?

Gwenno: Yeah, and I think where we differ, as a pop band, to a producer in a studio just making up something for a hired songwriter, is that we don’t have to justify ourselves by saying, “we’re real.” I think that’s an interesting distinction.
Ani: You always feel like you have to validate why you do something. I feel like we’ve thought a lot about the point of us doing this now.
Gwenno: Yeah, because the point is different now. When we started we were sort dressing up and being all anti- those indie guitar bands that were around, but they’ve all gone now, so where do we stand in the grand scheme of things? [Laughs] You need to know who your enemies are, you know, who the bad man is, fighting against what system. It’s finding out what your context is, sort of doing that all over again, really – and I think the songs are wicked. I genuinely do. I think Martin’s done a really good job.

He’s been around for a while – almost old to enough to have worked on some of the original doo-wop records.

Ani: Yeah he has. There’s just some amazing stuff that he’s done. The thing that I love about Martin is how ridiculously enthusiastic about music he still is. He’s not at all cynical, which is just great, because you’d think that you’d lose enthusiasm by then. He’s kind of done more than anyone I’ve ever met.

So who’s he worked with?

Gwenno: Well, I think his biggest thing was Dare by The Human League. Buzzcocks, Stranglers, Shirley Bassey, Altered Image… I think he turned Madonna down.

Really?

Ani: A guy called and said, “I’ve got this girl, Madonna, do you want to make a record with her?” and he said he was too busy because he was doing another Human League album. Even if that’s not true, I think it’s great.

Rehearsals for your tour are going well?

Gwenno: Really good, actually. We’d done a gig as a duo in October at S?n Festival, Huw Stephens’ festival… it seemed a bit of a curse, the S?n Festival, because we couldn’t do it the year before because a girl left the band, but this year we decided we were definitely going to do it because my mum was there, my dad was there, my friends… And then we hadn’t rehearsed, and rehearsing as a duo has really changed the dynamic of the band which I hadn’t expected so much. There’s a lot more singing in unison – I feel so much more confident about it. Obviously, it’s good because we’re siblings, and if we’re singing out of tune we’re going to be harmonising out of tune, if that makes sense. I remember with Rose and Becky that it wasn’t always in tune, there wasn’t that natural instinct, and we were always counteracting each other, we weren’t really harmonising. This is good, I’m quite excited about this new thing, there’s more of a unified voice.
Ani: And also with the old songs we haven’t found that it massively affects them, and we were worried about the old songs mostly because of the freaky harmonies, but there really weren’t any three-piece harmonies anywhere. I do Rose and Becky’s parts, though – I rock ‘n roll AND I hip-hop, which is great.

Does this mean that you’re not looking to find a third member of the band, to get it back to how it was before?

Gwenno: No, not really. I think it was quite nice realising that we’re not the Sugababes, and you can’t just fill that gap. It feels like an evolution, because obviously having a third person who you don’t know can be really weird. They’re not Rose, they’re not Becky, and that’s just not how it is any more. Getting a randomer doesn’t really work…

Kind of like a session musician?

Gwenno: I think that’s what happened, by the third girl who came in. She ended up being really more of a session singer, really, because they couldn’t join in the writing because we’d already written the album, it was finished, they could only sing along with us. It was kind of a redundant thing, and there was no point in them joining the band if they couldn’t help to create anything. Much more of an urge to get the album out, because it’s been going for the last couple of years, and now it’s finally coming out…

Scary?

Gwenno: Yeah, actually! I’m just so happy, that we’re not sitting on this album. It was recorded in the spare bits of studio time that Martin had, which is great, we appreciated that so much, but I remember we read a book which mentioned him, talking about when he made Dare. He said it took him more than a year to make it, and were already three months into recording so we were a bit worried because he was comparing our album to Dare – though obviously it’s probably not going to be anywhere near as big! – and in the end it took him, I think, one more day to finish than for Dare.
Ani: It’s just so good to have the album out really. I’m not nervous at all. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but we have tried our best.

(All images courtesy of the band, taken from the shoot for their latest album)

Categories ,50s, ,60s, ,70s, ,Ani, ,Bananarama, ,Becky, ,Dare, ,disco, ,Doo-Wop, ,Earth vs The Pipettes, ,Gwenno, ,Human League, ,ian steadman, ,interview, ,Kylie Minogue, ,Madonna, ,Martin Rushent, ,Meet The Pipettes, ,pop, ,Pull Shapes, ,Rose, ,Shirley Bassey, ,soul, ,Stop The Music, ,The Human League, ,The Pipettes, ,video, ,Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me

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