Sylwia Szyszka – Page 2 – AmeliasMagazine

Amelia’s Magazine | TOY at the Lexington: Live Review

Toy by Christina Pavlou

Taking refuge from unusually arctic conditions outside, the main bar of the estimable establishment that is the Lexington was already beginning to swell as people patiently waited for the signal to head to the venue. There was a distinct mix in the clientele (not least age), reflecting the vintages of both of the bands who were due to play tonight.

Toy by Thom Lambert

TOY by Thom Lambert

Part of the five day DRLL:LONDON festival curated by influential art punk band Wire and music website The Quietus, tonight saw rising new band TOY supported by ‘secret special guests‘ (though it didn’t take much working out who those special guests would be).

Toy by Sylwia Szyszka

TOY by Sylwia Szyszka

Playing the understudy tonight, Wire hit the stage with bass player Graham Lewis mischievously announcing that ‘We are Horsemeat Searchlight.’ They then powered through a short, loud set, mainly composed of their choicer nuggets, before hot-footing it across town for another DRILL:LONDON show at Cafe OTO, where they were due to be play alongside another new band, Teeth Of The Sea.

Toy by Katie Eberts

TOY by Katie Eberts

Formed from the ashes of one-time indie hopefuls Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong, TOY have been making waves over the last couple of years, earning praise from the likes of Rhys Webb of The Horrors along the way with their psychedelic, krautrock referencing sound. Their self titled debut album was a keenly anticipated release last year, and they’ve been playing to steadily larger audiences – indeed, tonight’s show had almost sold out even before it became apparent that Wire were also playing.

TOY snuck on stage about ten minutes earlier than billed, so I’d luckily timed my bar run right, and immediately launched into an epic Dead & Gone, with its hypnotic rhythm building into a wall of noise mid-way through. The set was largely a run through of tracks from the album, with vocalist Tom Dougall (who, incidentally, is the brother of former Pipette Rose Elinor Dougall) doing a quick introduction to each song. A pacy Colours Running Out led into a new number, Fall Out Of Love.

Toy by Sylwia Szyszka

TOY by Sylwia Szyszka

As a band, TOY visually seem to reflect their music, looking almost as though they’ve just stepped out of a rehearsal studio in Düsseldorf in 1974. Dougall is, as ever, clad in black, delivering clipped vocals between bursts of guitar, whilst there is some serious head bobbing from rhythm guitarist Dominic O’Dair and especially bassist Maxim Barron. Drummer Charlie Salvidge chips in with backing vocals, whilst a near motionless Alejandra Diez conjures some synthesizer washes.

After early singles Left Myself Behind and Motoring, TOY finished with a distinctly cosmic Kopter, before leaving the stage to cheers from the heaving crowd. With a short break before festival season begins, with appearances including Field Day, Glastonbury and the Hop Farm Music Festival lined up, it looks like TOY are going to be taking their far-out sound far and wide.

Written by Richard Pearmain on Wednesday April 3rd, 2013 12:00 pm

Categories ,cafe oto, ,Christina Pavlou, ,DRLL:LONDON, ,Field Day, ,glastonbury, ,Hop Farm Music Festival, ,Horsemeat Searchlight, ,Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong, ,Katie Eberts, ,krautrock, ,Lexington, ,Pipettes, ,Rose Elinor Dougall, ,Sylwia Szyszka, ,Teeth of the Sea, ,the horrors, ,The Quietus, ,Thom Lambert, ,toy, ,wire

Amelia’s Magazine | Mary Epworth at St Pancras Old Church: Live Review

Mary Epworth by Gemma Cotterell

Mary Epworth by Gemma Cotterell

Hidden away between Mornington Crescent and St Pancras railway station, in that relatively little known area of London that is Somers Town, St Pancras Old Church seems to be undergoing a bit of a reinvention. A church with a long and interesting history (and that’s before we get to the impressive churchyard, with its links to the Romantic Poets, the American Revolution and The Beatles), over the last couple of years it has begun to put on small gigs by many an up-and-coming artist.

Mary Epworth by Sylwia Szyszka

Mary Epworth by Sylwia Szyszka

Escaping a bitterly cold evening, I was immediately struck by how small the place is (apparently a capacity of only around 100 people), especially compared to Union Chapel, another church-cum-music venue about a mile or so to the east. With the scent of incense wafting through the door, I could see that all the seats were already taken, with any late-comers making do with standing room only at the back.

Mary Epworth by Gilly Rochester

Mary Epworth by Gilly Rochester

Playing a venue such as this must have been a bit of a contrast for Mary Epworth, having been at SXSW in Texas a couple of weeks before. Tonight was the first appearance on a whistle-stop UK tour, before some festival dates into the summer. Epworth has been ploughing her own particular musical furrow for a couple of years now, influenced by as much by English folk as by 1960s West Coast psychedelia. She gained recognition following an appearance at a tribute concert to Sandy Denny, and the release of her debut album, Dream Life, last year received widespread praise.

Mary Epworth by Rhi Pardoe

Mary Epworth by Rhi Pardoe

With a slightly reduced version of her trusty Jubilee Band (certainly compared to the gig I saw at the Lexington last summer), Epworth took centre stage in a sparkly black dress and with drum sticks in hand, leading the beat on a snare drum and (drummers may correct me here) a tom-tom placed either side of her. With support from Jim Hanner and Will Twynham, variously swapping bass, keyboards, drums and an upright piano and the redoubtable Citizen Helene supplying guitar and harmonies, she led us through a selection of songs largely drawn from Dream Life.

Mary Epworth by Gabriel Ayala

Mary Epworth by Gabriel Ayala

Playing with a more compact band meant that a lot of the songs felt more, not necessarily stripped down, but intimate, which certainly suited the setting (especially with the low level lighting, which added to the atmosphere). That said, Epworth’s soaring vocals, particularly on Heal This Dirty Soul, could more than fill the room. There was a mournful Two For Joy, with its simple organ chords feeling suitably “churchy” (as Epworth quipped when describing some of her set tonight), and the country tinged Sweet Boy, which sounds not unlike something that Caitlin Rose might come up with. Rather unexpected was a cover of The Four Horsemen by Greek prog-rockers Aphrodite’s Child. Don’t think anyone saw that coming!

Mary Epworth by Sam Parr

Mary Epworth by Sam Parr

The most well known songs, Black Doe and Long Gone, popped up towards the end (Epworth admitting that she actually wrote the latter about a dog), and there was a brief encore, accompanied solely by Twynham on keyboards, to round off the evening for a most appreciative audience.

Mary Epworth by Carley Chiu

Mary Epworth by Carley Chiu

After a bit of a break, Mary Epworth and the Jubilee Band will head off to play at the Great Escape Festival and the Wood Festival, followed by the Lounge On The Farm Festival. There don’t appear to be any new records ready for release on the immediate horizon, but I’m sure that when they do appear, they will be just as special.

Written by Richard Pearmain on Monday April 15th, 2013 12:32 pm

Categories ,Aphrodite’s Child, ,Beatles, ,Caitlin Rose, ,Carley Chiu, ,Citizen Helene, ,folk, ,Gabriel Ayala, ,Gemma Cotterell, ,Gilly Rochester, ,Jim Hanner, ,Jubilee Band, ,Lounge On The Farm Festival, ,Mary Epworth, ,psychedelia, ,Rhi Pardoe, ,Sam Parr, ,Sandy Denny, ,St Pancras Old Church, ,sxsw, ,Sylwia Szyszka, ,the Great Escape, ,The Lexington, ,union chapel, ,Will Twynham, ,Wood Festival

Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Annie Dressner and review of EP East Twenties

Annie Dressner by Karina Järv.

American songstrel Annie Dressner crafts beautiful tunes that deal with love and loss, melodic folk that lovers of the likes of First Aid Kit are sure to adore. Having forsaken her hometown of New York in favour of love on UK shores she is now gearing up to release her new EP, titled East Twenties. I caught up with the honey voiced singer songwriter to discuss inspiration, lyrics and the importance of a good cup of tea.

Annie Dressner by Carley Chiu.

What prompted the move from NYC to the UK last year, and was it a good move?
Love prompted the move. It was definitely worth it for that. I do, of course, miss my friends & family and New York City (my home). That being said, it’s been a really exciting year musically for me – and I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to tour around the UK a lot, which has been fun. I learned how to drive on the left, eat beans for breakfast, understand how to make Builder’s Tea properly without having it tossed down the drain (uncool) and deal with the wide variety of weather that any given day can bring. I have not yet, however, adopted the accent. I’ll always be a New Yorker!

Annie Dressner by Gemma Cotterell.

Are your love songs inspired by life? How much is the writing of them like catharsis? Do you feel better afterwards?
Yes, they fortunately or unfortunately are. I’d say sometimes a song is like catharsis, where as other times it is not. When there is something I find very difficult to deal with in life, it sometimes comes out in song. Maybe it is easier for me to express myself clearly that way – at least in a more clear way than as just pure thoughts. It is hard for me to answer whether or not I feel better afterwards – I would say that it really depends on the song and what I am experiencing then. I am always happy to finish a song that I am proud of.

Annie Dressner by Jihyun Park.

Why is the new EP titled East Twenties? It sounds as though it might be a reference to a district of New York?
That’s right! I grew up in the East Twenties in New York City. Since a lot of the songs are inspired by things that happened in my life, I thought it made sense since many of the experiences were near there.

Annie-Dressner-East-Twenties-Album-Art.
When did you first discover your love of song?
I have always loved music for as long as I can remember. There was a lot of music in my family – my Dad plays the piano, my Grandma always was playing violin in orchestras, my Aunt was a singer/songwriter and sound engineer, etc… I started to play piano when I was 4 and played violin for about five years starting at the age of 5. I always loved to sing – it’s my favorite thing to do. I started to write when I was 18. It oddly never occurred to me before that time that I could write my own songs. I started to play guitar the day that I graduated high school. Rather than going to my high school graduation party, I went home and picked up a kid’s guitar that had been untouched for my entire life from the corner of my living room & started to attempt to play it. After two weeks of attempting to play, I finally was starting to make some sense. Anyway, I just really enjoyed playing guitar & slowly but surely got the hang of it and started to write a few (maybe three songs over three years) songs for myself – I never really played them for anyone. One day, I played some of my songs for a friend and he said that I should either take it seriously or not do it at all — I have decided to do it seriously – and most of the time it is a lot of fun!

Annie Dressner by Sylwia Szyszka.

Who inspired you the most when you were discovering your musical voice?
I learned how to play guitar from a Simon & Garfunkel book and always loved them. I also listened to a lot of Belle & Sebastian, Carly Simon, jazz, classical music, James Taylor, etc… I couldn’t say who exactly inspired me – as I am sure all of the music that I have listened to has, in some way, inspired me.

Anne Dressner by Simon McLaren.

Where can fans look forward to seeing you this year?
I am going to be playing all over the UK, including some festivals, such as Green Man, this summer. I am also going to be playing at Rockwood Music Hall on May 5 in New York City. A complete list of my tour dates are on my website.

Annie Dressner
When can we expect to hear a new album from you, and what themes are most inspiring your next set of songs?
My new EP East Twenties is out on April 8th. I am currently writing more songs, but don’t want to promise when you will hear them. I would hope that I will have another album out in the next year to year and a half — just need to make sure it is good enough first (and write a couple more songs). As far as themes – I really don’t know yet — and the one idea I have I’d like to keep quiet until I have attempted to write some songs. It’s a fun idea though & I hope you think so too!

Can you tell us more about the Songs from the Shed venture?
Songs from the Shed is a really great video session for musicians in the UK. I heard about it & got in touch and luckily they let me come in and sing. Yes – it really is a shed. I went in the winter and it did become quite hard to feel my fingers! It was a whole lot of fun.

Annie Dressner by Katy Edelsten.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday March 11th, 2013 10:57 pm

Categories ,Belle & Sebastian, ,Builder’s Tea, ,Carley Chiu, ,Carly Simon, ,East Twenties, ,First Aid Kit, ,Gemma Cotterell, ,Green Man, ,James Taylor, ,Jihyun Park, ,Karina Jarv, ,Katy Edelsten, ,Rockwood Music Hall, ,Simon & Garfunkel, ,Simon Mclaren, ,Songs from the Shed, ,Sylwia Szyszka

Amelia’s Magazine | Au Revoir Simone at the Garage: Live Review

Au Revoir Simone by Rhi Pardoe

Au Revoir Simone by Rhi Pardoe

It’s that time of year when the NME Awards once again roll into town – a series of gigs showcasing the great and the good of the current and up-and-coming music scene at assorted venues around the capital. Tonight was the turn of Williamsburg’s finest, Au Revoir Simone, currently mid-tour promoting their new album, at the Garage on Highbury Corner.

The Garage was already pretty busy when I got there, darkened and swirling with enough dry ice to prompt flashbacks to student disco nights, but I was just in time to catch some of the opening set, from the intriguing Mariam The Believer.

Au Revoir Simone by Ruth Joyce

Au Revoir Simone by Ruth Joyce

In the decade since they first got together, the trio of Erika Forster, Annie Hart and Heather D’Angelo have produced some shimmering sounds with their keyboards, drum machines and vocal harmonies, picking up a lot of fans along the way including, somewhat improbably, cult film director David Lynch. Au Revoir Simone’s fourth album, Move In Spectrums, has given the band’s already lush synth pop sound an extra sheen, as witnessed on the LP’s lead single, the double A side of Crazy and Somebody Who.

Au Revoir Simone by Sylwia Szyszka

Au Revoir Simone by Sylwia Szyszka

Tonight was the first time I’d seen Au Revoir Simone in a couple of years (I’d caught them play Union Chapel and the Scala a while ago, but missed the sold out show at XOYO last September). Backlit on a darkened stage, the band kicked off with the cascading keyboard riffs of Just Like A Tree, which was followed by another track from the new album, the eerily 80s sounding Gravitron. There were actually quite a few songs from Move In Spectrums dotted throughout the set, but also a number from 2009’s Still Night, Still Light as well – Only You Can Make You Happy made an appearance, as did Knight Of Wands and, amongst others, the insistent Anywhere You Looked. Still Night, Still Light is probably the album that sits best with the band’s new long player, and I’m pretty sure none of their earlier tracks got a look in tonight.

Au Revoir Simone by Calamus YY Chan

Au Revoir Simone by Calamus YY Chan

With their keyboards arranged side by side, and assorted drum pads dotted around, there wasn’t too much room to move on the Garage’s reasonably small stage. Vocal duties were mainly lead by Erika Forster, though Annie Hart took over for a few songs. There was also a bit of bass guitar swapping between the two as well, and Hart also persuaded the lighting guy to brighten the room so she could get a photo of the crowd on her phone! The band finished off with another song from Still Night, Still Light, the crowd pleaser Shadows, before an inevitable encore to the cheers of the throng.

Au Revoir Simone now head off for the final leg of the tour with some North American shows, and we just hope it’s not too long before we see them over here again.

Written by Richard Pearmain on Tuesday March 4th, 2014 6:32 pm

Categories ,Annie Hart, ,Au Revoir Simone, ,Calamus YY Chan, ,David Lynch, ,Erika Forster, ,Heather D’Angelo, ,Mariam The Believer, ,NME Awards, ,Rhi Pardoe, ,Ruth Joyce, ,Sylwia Szyszka, ,The Garage, ,the Scala, ,union chapel, ,XOYO

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