I first encountered Dry the River when they offered to do a gig for the Climate Camp stage at Glastonbury this summer. On record they are fabulous, but live I was absolutely blown away by this talented five some. Over the past six weeks they have been on tour up and down the country: I find out how life has been treating them in my intimate interview with Norwegian lead singer and chief songwriter Peter Liddle.
How did the band get together?
I’d like to say it was an epic tale of overcoming obstacles and triumph in the face of adversity but it was actually a pretty run-of-the-mill thing, haha. I had taken some time out of music to do some other stuff but before I knew it I’d kind of unconsciously started writing a record. One weekend I recruited some musicians I knew from old bands etc. and we spent a weekend recording. The day after we finished recording I went off on an acoustic UK tour and the band was kind of built out of that.
How do you describe your music to people who have never heard it?
Actually it’s changed a lot – at the start it was very lo-fi folky stuff because the songs grew out some acoustic bedroom recordings, but now that we all live together and are all involved in the writing process we’ve opened the door to a lot of different influences. I think the songs still resemble folk music thematically – I write a lot about family, relationships, the things that a lot of us deal with day to day – but in the practice room we all get the chance to pull the arrangements in different directions. I guess the short answer is that it’s folky gospel music played by a post-punk band.
You share a home in Stratford – is this ever hard work? Who does the most washing up (and the least)?
I think living in a confined space with other people is always a tricky business. At least in our case we have a mutual understanding of each other’s situation. That said, some days are obviously harder than others. We’ve been on tour for six weeks now, mostly cooped up in a van – I think after our Nest show on Wednesday we’ll all go back to our respective family homes for some time apart. Jon (drums) does the most washing up, he likes to keep things tidy. I think I probably do the least, or Scott (bass)…
You are known for utterly lush harmonies… is it hard to get these right and how do they come about?
It’s funny, it was never our intention to be a band that feature prominent harmonies. We were in the studio working on a new recording and I asked Scott whether he could sing. He had a go at singing a third or a fifth on top of what Matt and I were singing and it seemed to work. It really was that haphazard – we rarely spend time crafting harmony parts, Matt and Scott just sing where it seems to make sense. Sometimes we get to recording a song and realise what we’ve been singing doesn’t even work, and have to sit at a piano working out what the lines should be!
Were you all musical children? Did you learn to play instruments from a young age?
Aside from Will, we’re all first generation musicians. None of us come from particularly musical families. I think we actually all grew up at a time when being in rock bands was just what kids did. Certainly in Newbury where I took up music in earnest, almost everyone tried their hand at it. That said, I’m at the other extreme to Will – I never studied music formally at all and one day I’d like to. The other guys all have at least a pretty solid (if rudimentary) understanding of music theory.
Does Peter write all the lyrics, and where do you draw inspiration from?
Writing lyrics is a separate endeavour to writing songs, for me. I write chord progressions and vocal melodies and have a pretty formed idea of where a song is going, then I go away and spend a long time writing lyrics. I think experience informs the way everybody behaves – it’s the lens that everybody views the world through and music is no different. In my case the songs are rarely based on a specific event or a candid message that I desperately want to deliver. They’re more a collection of responses to environments I’ve found myself in – periods of time, people, places… So I guess in that respect they include images of my childhood in Norway and the UK, reflections on my time at University, and a whole load of other stuff that influences my worldview on any given day.
Your songs are very intense emotionally – is this intentional and why do you think they come across like this?
I think there are probably two reasons for that. Firstly, whether it’s an event or a feeling or a situation, something has to motivate an artist enough to write a song or paint or whatever. I think the vast majority of artworks are created as an emotional response, so the subject matter is always going to be emotional in nature. Secondly, though, we are grew up listening to post-punk and metal and so on, which is traditionally played in a very intense way. I think the way we play probably magnifies the emotional content in the lyrics.
We first met at Glastonbury when you played for Climate Camp this year… what was your highlight of this year’s festival?
Snooooooooooop!
You will be playing a lot more festivals next summer, can you tell us which ones they will be, and are there any in particular that you are looking forward to?
I think we’ve confirmed quite a few now but I’m not sure which we’re meant to reveal! The other day we were announced alongside Midlake and Wild Beasts in the first batch of names for End of the Road, which we’re super stoked about!
You’ve decided to release your debut single on Transgressive Records – what made you decide to go with this label and what will the single be?
Tim and Toby at Transgressive really put their faith in the music at an early stage when everything was uncertain. A lot of people see a band with potential and sit in the wings, waiting to see how they’ll fare. Transgressive were the opposite – they met us straight away, told us they loved the music and believed in it, and set about moving mountains to help us become a full time band. Aside from all that, they’re a great label and we’re really proud to be adding to the discography. As for the song, you’ll have to wait and see!
Your YouTube video for Bible Belt has gained more than 100,000 hits – why do you think it has proved so popular?
There are a variety of a reasons I suppose – firstly it was on the YouTube front page as part of a YouTube Music Tuesdays promotion, which I think put it in front of a lot of people who wouldn’t normally have seen it. Also Watch Listen Tell, who filmed that session, have a really loyal following, and maybe there was a word of mouth element too – I guess it’s quite memorable with Matt’s broken arm and so on!
You’ve just played the Forum, what was the highlight of the gig? What can the audience expect at your headline gig at the Nest in Dalston?
The Forum was our biggest show ever – there’s no substitute for experience on big stages in front of lots of people! That said, we love the more intimate settings where we can see familiar faces and talk to people. I hope The Nest will be a really special event – for us it’s our homecoming show after six weeks on the road, as well as our 100th show and a celebration of all that’s come about in the past year.
You can find the wonderful Dry the River on Myspace here, and at home on their website here where you can download three songs for free. You can also follow them on twitter here, and of course do not forget their headline show, which is on Wednesday 15th December at The Nest. Full listing info here. Read my review of their gig at Glastonbury here.
Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday December 14th, 2010 12:45 pm
No two festivals are the same. Which is lucky since we would be stringing our genitals up by the linings of our straw hats if they were. Truck Festival, however, seems to hold a beautiful sense of naivety about it, pretty impressive considering its 11 year jog since its first outing in 1998. What seems to set it apart is its strong sense of community spirit. Throughout the weekend many of the acts expressed their respect and admiration towards Truck organisers, Robin and Joe Bennett. And with ice cream supplied by the vicar and food from the snowy members of the local rotary club, you can’t help feeling you’re a part of it.
Following an early morning sprint from the more fresh faced end of the car queue, I managed to make it to the heavily odoured cowshed for Oxford’s pop darlings, Alphabet Backwards. Headed by the eccentric James Hitchman with his merry entourage, from appearances you may be excused for thinking you’re in for another melancholy strangling of your sanity with tales of first loves and heartbreaks. Thankfully not. Alphabet Backwards’s brand of energetic lo-fi poptro found the entire cowshed transfixed as we were taken into the rather alternative musings of Hitchman’s brain box. ‘Disco Classic’ was a particular favourite with its synth heavy, building intro. ’80’s Pop Video’ was one of the most involving tracks of the entire festival with the crowd taking over, to ad lib a bizarrely synchronised clapping solo, halfway through. Looking around found many a laughing face or tapping foot whilst the 5-piece bounced around the stage. In the words of Alphabet Backwards themselves, “pop’s not a dirty word”. Thank god for that.
After aimless wandering, I found myself back in the cowshed for the highly anticipated, Youthmovies. It’s hard to argue that they don’t know what they’re doing but amidst the thrashing guitars, flashing lights and smoke machines, it’s also hard to see much else beyond that. The proclamation that we were watching the best band in the world found me wondering whether the farm fumes had projected me to a mediocre parallel planet. If you’re into turned backs and guitar noise you’ll get on well with it but I couldn’t help feeling it was a bit like watching other people eating food when you’re hungry. Strong cheekboned lead singer, Andrew Mears, who was once involved with ‘math rock’ tyrants, Foals, is clearly a talented soul, confirmed after I later heard him deliver a rather intricate poetry reading possibly to an audience that didn’t understand. But there certainly wasn’t enough water around Youthmovies to go floating any boats. Or trucks for that matter.
These New Puritans, with skinny-framed Jack Barnett emerging in a shimmering gold roman-esque shirt, which seemed rather fitting considering the thumping drums which at times, sounded like a call to arms. As Barnett delivered his rap-esque vocals I couldn’t help think this is what Linkin Park would sound like if they were from the UK and just a bit more cool. Don’t let that put you off though. In fact don’t even use it as a comparison. ‘Numbers’ played on our human desire for repetition, perfectly wrapped up in a stupidly named parcel of electronic nu gaze. Whatever you call it though, I dare you not to be stirred at least a little.
Truck isn’t exactly spacious but preceding Noah and the Whale, it was chlaustrophobic madness. Crowd control had to make a forceful announcement that if people didn’t move, they were out. Fun fun fun indeed. After a 25 minute wait they finally arrived. Following the onslaught of skinny kids with 80’s haircuts, the cutesy summer strawberry pop was hideously refreshing. Exactly what you’d want to listen to before taking off all your clothes and dancing in long grass with a childhood friend. Naturally, ‘5 years time’ was a favourite, sending limbs all over the place although it’s a good idea to not write them off as some kind of one hit wonder hippy outfit. A lot more lies beyond the band than just a youth celebratory summer anthem. Frontman, Charlie Fink, holds faint similarities to the early Johnny Cash with his collected swagger, well groomed hair and waistcoat/tie combination. This mixed with the love heavy vibe and modern mish mash of jazz and folk rock made me wonder why I’d want to be anywhere else.
I was starkly unimpressed by all the bands named as headline acts. Lemonheads were uninspiring and I would of been equally entertained had someone just stuck a CD player containing their album, centrestage and pressed play. After seeing ‘It’s a Shame about Ray’, I had to go and flog a dead horse for a while. Camera Obscura delivered gentle sugary pop melodies to a laxidasically sprawled audience. Coming across as completely inoffensive in the good sense. But it was within the smaller acts that the most exciting, raw and breaking performances came.
Pivot delivered the most lip biting, mind blowing set of the weekend. Not an attack you’d usually experience at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon. Seemingly gentle chaps turned into thrashing electronic noise warriors, pulling at the very bottom of the hairs in my neck before tearing them out. Comparisons could be made to a heavier Metronomy or a more broken Soulwax but it would be a weak attempt at pigeonholing something than shouldn’t be. Richard Pike tribally howled his way through a few sections whilst brother and drummer Laurence pounded at the quaking drum kit with such force that I thought a heart attack was only a matter of time. Definite highlight. Their album ‘O Soundtrack My Heart’ comes out August 20th although it’s hard to portray the passion and power that they play at, through a disc or music file.
Young hearts, Orphan Boy, a 3-piece from Manchester were one of the most exciting and promising of the weekend, only stumbled upon whilst I tried to find the person who had my plastic cup of warm cider, which rapidly paled into insignificance. There were few bands at Truck you could claim had any relationship with progressive post punk, but Orphan Boy more than made up for the lack of it. Thrashing their guitars into their vigorous yet half polished anthemic delights, they had the controlled arrogance of musical greats, creating a sound similar to The Fall if you stuck them in a pan and mixed them with a pinch of Arctic Monkeys. I couldn’t help feeling they weren’t getting the reaction they deserved but the few that were there shared my appreciation.
It was then time to put away my dog eared notebook and effeminate pen and get involved in a good ol’ game of wallet fishing before jumping in a skip, picking up paralytic drum and bass kids and then passing out in someone elses shirt. Holy truck. Ouch.
Written by Jacob Denno on Wednesday July 23rd, 2008 12:19 pm
Happy New Year! It’s that time of year again when we all set about making resolutions and miraculously changing our lives for the better. So far, case for 2011, viagra dosage I’ve set myself the insurmountable tasks of quitting smoking (again), getting fit (again) and saving money (AGAIN), as well as to make more of an effort to contact friends who I don’t see regularly, get through that list of books I buy on recommendation that is quickly becoming a floor-to-celing pile, learn to cook more than just beans on toast. Oh, sure!
Here at Amelia’s Magazine, we thought it might be interesting to find out what some of our favourite fashion designers plan to do in 2011. I spoke to a few of them, who we interviewed in 2010, about their plans, hopes, ambitions, dreams and everything in between. I posed the question suggesting the response could be hopes for their labels, their personal lives or something more philosophical. I’m so glad one of our designer friends, amidst economic recession and doom and gloom, prioritises ‘more sex’ on their agenda for this coming year…
Here’s a little round-up, with as always, fabulous illustrations… and I’ve linked each designer’s name to our original interview so you can read more about them if you wish!
‘My main resolution for 2010 is to keep growing and evolving as a brand, creatively and as a business with the vision to bring awareness to conservation and also increase the percentage of my profit margin that can go towards conservation charities, completing the circle between what inspires me as a designer and helping to sustain it in a creative, innovative way that results in sculptural, desirable, uniquely embellished fashion.
‘I would also like to find some time between all of that to spend more time gardening…’
Read a full interview with Ada with even more amazing illustrations in Amelia’s new book!
‘My New Year resolutions are… well, quite honestly, I have to stop injuring myself in the workshop. I had two rather nasty accidents within the last 2 months. And secondly, it would be to have more Skype dates with my overseas friends and family. 2010 has been beyond incredible, and to wish for the same again would be enough in itself, I cannot wait for 2011 to begin, bring it on!’
Whilst we’ve developed new cute tags to help our garments last longer (it’s a nice little wooden tag holding yarn so you can fix your garments), launched knitwear shrugs for winter brides and taken on a small concession in Harveys, (the Halifax department store) I’ve also been struggling to feed the poor snowbound sheep.
I’ve been using sledges, mountain bikes and my own two feet to defeat the snow. I’ve never felt so popular as when I’m spotted from afar by my sheep so that they’re already forming a welcoming committee by the gate. It’s difficult, but exhilarating when, once the sheep are cheerfully surrounding their bale of haylage, I can look out over the snowbound valley. It’s beautiful!
Looking forward to the new year though, we’re hoping for a sunny spring. Lots of lambs, picnics in the hay meadow and summer balls. The new collection is coloured like the sun on a misty spring morning and is frilled and ruched and rippled into delicate dresses, tops, cardis and scarves.
‘2011 already holds some exciting opportunities for the label including a lot more hard work! I’m looking forward to my collaborations with very.co.uk and my new accessory line for Dune at the start of the year. I’m hoping to broaden my collections and expand the brand by introducing printed knitwear as well as building on the success of the jersey line Oli Rubi… I have a very determined attitude for 2011!
On a personal level one of my New Year’s resolutions is to continue with my running and possibly attempt a half marathon – eeek!’
’2011 will be a busy year for me. I will be producing three collections for Orschel-Read. A small A/W 2011/12, the summer 2012 collection for London Fashion Week in September, and also a couture collection for the end of May. A New Year’s resolution for me is to stop working Sundays! And to enjoy the wonderful city we live in a little more. I also hope to spend more time with friends and family, and finally learn something totally new.’
“New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday” (Charles Lamb)
‘Professionally: In January 2011 I am launching the wedding collection during Couture Fashion Week. So from now on its “strictly sex after marriage…” In February 2011 I am producing an amazing show during London Fashion Week, inspired by Islamic Art, and Maiden Britain tees and sweats will be launched to buy online soon. I am also hoping to do a lot of new collaborations with artists from all over the world this year.
Personally: I hope and wish for peace of mind, good health and more sex. This year I am open for love! I hope everybody’s New Year wishes will come true.’
Do let us know if you’ve made any interesting resolutions for 2011, I’d love to hear them!
Happy New Year! It’s that time of year again when we all set about making resolutions and miraculously changing our lives for the better. So far, cost for 2011, I’ve set myself the insurmountable tasks of quitting smoking (again), getting fit (again) and saving money (AGAIN), as well as to make more of an effort to contact friends who I don’t see regularly, get through that list of books I buy on recommendation that is quickly becoming a floor-to-celing pile, learn to cook more than just beans on toast. Oh, sure!
Here at Amelia’s Magazine, we thought it might be interesting to find out what some of our favourite fashion designers plan to do in 2011. I spoke to a few of them, who we interviewed in 2010, about their plans, hopes, ambitions, dreams and everything in between. I posed the question suggesting the response could be hopes for their labels, their personal lives or something more philosophical. I’m so glad one of our designer friends, amidst economic recession and doom and gloom, prioritises ‘more sex’ on their agenda for this coming year…
Here’s a little round-up, with as always, fabulous illustrations… and I’ve linked each designer’s name to our original interview so you can read more about them if you wish!
‘My main resolution for 2010 is to keep growing and evolving as a brand, creatively and as a business with the vision to bring awareness to conservation and also increase the percentage of my profit margin that can go towards conservation charities, completing the circle between what inspires me as a designer and helping to sustain it in a creative, innovative way that results in sculptural, desirable, uniquely embellished fashion.
‘I would also like to find some time between all of that to spend more time gardening…’
Read a full interview with Ada with even more amazing illustrations in Amelia’s new book!
‘My New Year resolutions are… well, quite honestly, I have to stop injuring myself in the workshop. I had two rather nasty accidents within the last 2 months. And secondly, it would be to have more Skype dates with my overseas friends and family. 2010 has been beyond incredible, and to wish for the same again would be enough in itself, I cannot wait for 2011 to begin, bring it on!’
Whilst we’ve developed new cute tags to help our garments last longer (it’s a nice little wooden tag holding yarn so you can fix your garments), launched knitwear shrugs for winter brides and taken on a small concession in Harveys, (the Halifax department store) I’ve also been struggling to feed the poor snowbound sheep.
I’ve been using sledges, mountain bikes and my own two feet to defeat the snow. I’ve never felt so popular as when I’m spotted from afar by my sheep so that they’re already forming a welcoming committee by the gate. It’s difficult, but exhilarating when, once the sheep are cheerfully surrounding their bale of haylage, I can look out over the snowbound valley. It’s beautiful!
Looking forward to the new year though, we’re hoping for a sunny spring. Lots of lambs, picnics in the hay meadow and summer balls. The new collection is coloured like the sun on a misty spring morning and is frilled and ruched and rippled into delicate dresses, tops, cardis and scarves.
‘2011 already holds some exciting opportunities for the label including a lot more hard work! I’m looking forward to my collaborations with very.co.uk and my new accessory line for Dune at the start of the year. I’m hoping to broaden my collections and expand the brand by introducing printed knitwear as well as building on the success of the jersey line Oli Rubi… I have a very determined attitude for 2011!
On a personal level one of my New Year’s resolutions is to continue with my running and possibly attempt a half marathon – eeek!’
’2011 will be a busy year for me. I will be producing three collections for Orschel-Read. A small A/W 2011/12, the summer 2012 collection for London Fashion Week in September, and also a couture collection for the end of May. A New Year’s resolution for me is to stop working Sundays! And to enjoy the wonderful city we live in a little more. I also hope to spend more time with friends and family, and finally learn something totally new.’
“New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday” (Charles Lamb)
‘Professionally: In January 2011 I am launching the wedding collection during Couture Fashion Week. So from now on its “strictly sex after marriage…” In February 2011 I am producing an amazing show during London Fashion Week, inspired by Islamic Art, and Maiden Britain tees and sweats will be launched to buy online soon. I am also hoping to do a lot of new collaborations with artists from all over the world this year.
Personally: I hope and wish for peace of mind, good health and more sex. This year I am open for love! I hope everybody’s New Year wishes will come true.’
Do let us know if you’ve made any interesting resolutions for 2011, I’d love to hear them!
Being the new year and all, medical perhaps it might be nice to take an appreciative glance at the wonderful music that touched our ears and hearts in 2010, mind and indeed continues to do so as we begin the thrilling joy that is January 2011. Now, remain/become positive chaps and chappettes, a new dawn, means a shiny new chapter. You can file 2010 away under ‘misc’ and make all sorts of resolutions on new notepaper. As arty people and appreciators of creativity, this MUST appeal to you. I personally believe that creativity can be kickstarted with music. So, if you are feeling sluggish and are already considering a nap, perhaps first quickly read my list of music that has the potential to kick the ass of thou. If you are already napping, and can not bring yourself to open your eyes, please use a person to click on an immersed youtube video and feel a small whack from one of these beauties. Then you can wallow as much as you want.
Beach House: Teen Dream, Bella Union
French born, Victoria Legrand produces the sounds of vocals and organ. A striding, confident femme fatale. With her long, dark curly hair she is all about the swipes, swooshes, ducks and flicks. Alex Scally in contrast plays his guitar delicately and beautifully. Interestingly, he was not a guitarist before Beach House and taught himself, which is why he says, he can play exactly how he wants with no preconceived notions about the role of guitar. Together they work as a flamboyant, thinking, sultry and exciting creation. Listening to them is like being stuck in the bubble of a dream pop flash lens… and loving it.
Angus and Julia Stone: Down The Way, Flock Music
So sweet and delicate. But with some serious edge. Definitely not wishy washy ‘blah’ folk. This Australian brother and sister duo are strong and create catchy songs with a distinct sound from the heart. They used to be solo artists, but decided to collaborate in 2006. One can imagine them sitting somewhere on one of Australia’s ridiculously massive and unfeasibly gold beaches, upright on a beige throw, writing their emotions out. Or on the road… with straw hats on. They tend to write separately apparently, then get together to create a structure and the harmonies. This sounds right, I personally can’t imagine writing about boys with my brother eating marmite (urgh) on toast next to me to be fair. Down The Way is glorious album and a whimsical mixture. Pay particular attention to; ‘I’m Not Yours’, ‘For You’ and ‘And The Boys’.
Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me, Drag City Joanna Newsom; harpist, pianist, singer and model from Nevada City, USA. One of those girls at school that is both extremely talented and manages to sustain excellently long hair. Her voice is incredible, and watching her recently, she sounds softer than earlier in her career. ‘Peach, Plum, Pear, live – wow. She released a new album in 2010, ‘Have One On Me’. The gentler sound of her voice and the precise, stunning notes of her instruments leave you in awe with this album. ’81 is just fabulous. Graceful and composed, it’s like listening to a soundtrack from a party taking place in another world, where everything is unashamedly and naturally, magical.
The Acorn: No Ghost, Bella Union
A bit like Bon Iver and Elbow. More like the former, in that The Acorn are from Canada and write their music in Canadian cottages. They went to one in Northern Quebec for No Ghost.This is a highly romantic vision for me and works on many levels, not least because the music seems to reflect the surroundings they were born in. Spindly melodies and haunting humming, these songs are the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. ‘Almanac’ and ‘Misplaced’ are perfect.
Au Revoir Simone: Night Light, Moshi Moshi
All remixes of Au Revoir Simone’s songs- by the likes of Jens Lenkman and Neon Indian. The Brooklyn indie pop gals, Heather D’Angelo, Erika Forster and Annie Hart took their name from a minor character in the Tim Burton comedy; Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. This remix album is a like finding a hidden Snickers on a 20 mile walk, or the ice-cream at the end of the tunnel. I challenge you to feel grumpy when listening to the electro, pure girly voices running up and down in pitch. Come on, stand up and make a cup of tea. To use the title of their song; ‘Only You Can Make You Happy’. Drink some tea.
This Is The Kit: Wriggle Out The Restless, Dreamboat Records
I put this album on when we visited my boyfriend’s Dad’s new house in Jersey. It’s a big, 60s, art-deco style, Gatsby type house, right on the seafront (I know, it’s idyllic). Previously I had only ever listened to This Is The Kit on my Mac, and once, seen her live. Both intimate venues, I liked to keep Kate locked in my collection as ‘mine’. However, when she was played loud with no distortion, in an acoustically happy room, it’s truly something else (as they say). Her voice resonates and echoes, as if you are actually within an enchanted forest with the most ethereal story teller you can possibly imagine. Or perhaps inside a whale traveling in the ocean. Captivating and vulnerable, she will envelop you. Whenever I play Wriggle Out The Restless, people are immediately in love. I can not recommend this album enough. See my previous review here and listen to my favourite; Moon, below.
Hidden Orchestra: Night Walks, Tru Thoughts
These guys just sound very cool. Wholesomely cool. Listening to this album is being in the countryside and looking at everything in a totally refreshing light. I think they are best listened to in such settings, but this could be my romantic side playing up again (boyfriend away on business…) – I can imagine listening to them waiting for a bus in a city, or with a glass of whisky and someone good to chat to… in a city. I am sure they are really urban actually (being Tru Thoughts and all) but amazing instruments equate to nature for me. I’m rambling. I apologize. ‘Strange’ is angelic.
Johnny Flynn: Been Listening, Transgressive
We all know how Amelia’s Magazine loves old Johnny. He is multi-talented and makes you want to stare at his face for days. Flynn’s latest album; Been Listening is a culmination of his musings, travels, thoughts and feelings as he grows, figures life out a little more, and becomes more distinctive and beautiful. It’s got a bit more bite than A Larum, but continues with the theatrical edge. Occasionally it sounds like he is swaying about with a tankard singing in your local (endearing). Sometimes it’s like he’s sitting by a river, or in the city’s compact and grimy depths. It is less haystack joviality and more gutsy than younger Flynn. ‘Barnacled Warship’ is a stomper, whilst, ‘The Water’ with Laura Marling is a duet formed in heaven. See live review by Rob Harrishere.
Sea Of Bees: Songs for The Ravens, Heavenly Recordings
Lovely voice with a dark undercurrent fluttering through her lyrics. Julie Ann Baenziger is a 25 year old from Sacramento California. Unable to embrace her clear talent, she spent years secretly teaching herself how to sing, until she moved out of home at 23. She plays marimba, glockenspiel and slide guitar. This is her debut album and it is full of raw emotion, wistfulness and beauty. See my full review here.
Best Coast: Crazy for you, Mexican Summer
Singing about the ocean, sun and fun with a wholly American rocky sound, this band are surf pop at its best. The band consists of Bethany Cosentino, Bobb Bruno and Ali Koehler. Crazy for you is about Bethany’s longing for Los Angeles while spending her days in NY attending Eugene Lang College. Best Coast formed during her first days back in California. Bethany has a ginger cat called Snacks who you can find on twitter and often tweets her whilst she is on tour. Almost too cute.
Mountain Man: Made The Harbor, Bella Union
Molly Erin Sarie, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Randall Meath produce sounds as sweet as honey pie. The trio use minimal instruments, and instead rely on the power of their voices in unison to produce their earthy, ethereal atmosphere. The three met in Vermont and are from West, Middle West and Eastern United States, they share a love of nature, femininity and the moon. Together their harmonies are utterly all encompassing. So calm, very real and shiver inducing in their intimacy. Made The Harbor was recorded in an old ice cream parlor from the turn of the 20th century. The sounds of the building and the artist’s breathing, welcomed.
Written by Helen Martin on Thursday January 6th, 2011 11:25 am
Her debut album came out a few weeks ago and she’s been busy promoting it since then, adiposity but I’ve finally managed to secure an interview with Lauren Doss, shop better known as Mechanical Bride. At the root of Living With Ants is Lauren’s piano… sometimes dissonant, see sometimes mournful but always spare and well considered. The nuances of jazz and classical music are a welcome addition to this hauntingly beautiful collection of songs. Mechanical Bride will be performing live at Truck Festival in just a few short weeks and in the meantime you can hunt out Living With Ants on the excellent Transgressive label. Well worth it.
You pretty much taught yourself the piano. Have you tried your hand at any other instruments, or are you tempted to learn anything else at some point, if so what?
I try my hand at a few other instruments, guitar and tuned percussion. But I’d really love to learn to play the cello, it’s such a beautiful instrument.
What kind of music did your parents play when you were little? Any particular fond memories?
There was some great 80’s/early 90’s music my mum used to play that I remember well from cassettes in the car – Bruce Hornsby, Don Henley, that’s nostalgic of my childhood. My mum bought me Jackie Wilson’s Reet Petite on 7” as I loved it so much when I was little.
Reet Petite
How did you hook up with Tommy who plays jazz piano on your album?
Tommy is my good friend and a great musician; we met whilst studying our Music and Visual Art course in Brighton.
What is the spiritual aspect of your inspiration?
I’ve learnt a lot from my upbringing, people and loss through the last few years. I’ve learnt how important the art of overcoming is, and to have faith things will work out, trying to think positively and being patient. I also think about certain people that I’ve lost in my life and I like to think they look out for me and I have their strength and blessing.
How do music and art fit together in your life?
I love the feeling of being immersed: looking at something wonderful and hearing something wonderful, it’s simple and very sensual. I’ve realised that I’m not really happy unless my own music and visuals are unified in some way. I suppose it’s subconscious, feeling the need to express things visually and musically so that the two entwine. It’s an interesting process when the two cross over.
What are the stories you lean towards writing about and what places and moments inspire your ideas the most?
Mainly it depends on the mood I’m in and what imagery I’m seeing. I like travelling a lot and I find that’s an inspirational thing, particularly train journeys. And I collect imagery in a scrapbook. Nature and water are an endless source of inspiration… I guess that’s why I like living where I do, as there is lots of both.
Why do you think that Transgressive liked your music so much?
I’ve been working with Transgressive since 2005, and at the time there weren’t quite as many female artists as there are now. I was doing whatever weird things came into my head so it must have caught their attention!
Any stories from the shooting of the Colour Of Fire video in Berlin? It’s a beautiful video, what’s it about?
It was such a fun video to shoot in such beautiful places. One of the locations was a derelict complex of rehabilitation hospitals for German soldiers in the 1st and 2nd world wars. It had an incredible feel to it, really eerie but full of beautiful ornate colours. The song has a lot to do with dancing and being freed of burdens, ideas of traditional Indian ceremonies with animals and colours.
Colour Of Fire
With the video the concept was to create a dark fairytale/ mythological mood in the forest. There are these spirit-like creatures and you’re not sure if they’re bad or good, but they are otherworldy and dancing through an ominous beautiful space. You are not sure if I am one of them or not and they transform through dance and light and fire.
What do you do to battle the stage fright?
I am still learning how to deal with it, but having a routine leading up to a performance helps. My friend Caroline who plays with me is good at calming me; she’s taught me some good breathing exercises and mini meditations to do when you start getting the fear. Also no caffeine and eating nuts helps!
What do you hope from the next year?
Well, I’d be happy if we could play some good shows, try and get the music heard in different places we’ve not been to. I’d like to start writing and recording some new music, do some other collaborations with people. Just hope for Good things please!
Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday July 6th, 2011 12:48 am
Mechanical Bride returns with the new single To The Fight, a beautiful slice of dramatic indie folk that Bat For Lashes fans will adore.
The track is released today on Transgressive and comes accompanied with an enigmatic video of singer songwriter Lauren Doss running along the streets of Saltdean on the Sussex coast, then rushing out across the open fields before slowing to a pace on the beach. The concept for the video came from Lauren and is based on the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon. He ran hundreds of miles in two days to deliver the message of battle victory – it was a physical battle of the body, demanding duration, determination and strength. Lauren ran from town to sea in the course of a day, finding herself at rest in a peaceful place that itself is yet another obstacle. To The Flight was directed by Fabio Youniss and Lauren. It is the third single to be taken from the stunning jazz inflected Living with Ants album, which we reviewed some months ago.
Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday December 5th, 2011 5:23 pm
Dancing like a loon to jungle music at 3am. Sitting next to a cornfield in the evening sunshine with a succulent burger in one hand and a cider in the other. No, for sale wait, getting some love from the Truck Monster…. no; feeling the love as the most perfect album in the entire history of recorded music was recreated live on stage…. I’m trying to sift through my favourite moments at Truck festival 2011, and I could sit here ad infinitum without coming any closer.
The weekend of July 22-24th is one of Summer’s prime time slots in the festival calender – if this was the telly, it would be the 7.30pm Eastenders or Corrie dilemma, so Truck has always run the risk of being overlooked by the bigger beasts of the festival scene, yet it has diligently carved itself a niche amongst good people who love great music. If I were to try to give Truck a unique selling point, I would say that it’s like attending the worlds hippest village fete (but with no pretentious ‘tude). Example? Next to the stage that Transgressive, Heavenly Records and Bella Union were curating the line-up, the local Rotary Club were serving up cups of tea and scones. At this rate, I wouldn’t have been surprised had I been served tea by a ray-bans wearing vicar.
This year, I brought a good friend who had previously only been to one festival (Glasto), so I was excited to see what she made of something a lot more intimate. Joining us for an all-too brief time was Amelia and her lovely boyfriend Tim, who I last saw at Wood Festival. Sharing the same ethos as Wood (which isn’t hard; they are run by the same family), Truck is a resolutely inclusive, family-friendly festival. Babies and tiny tots are held in high regard here, and are given plenty of fun activities and places to play, which must be a godsend for parents.
Illustration by Benbo
Amelia captures her crew in the early evening sunshine.
I noticed that Truck had expanded a fair bit, there were additions of a theatre space, a comedy and cabaret tent, (which I regretfully say that I didn’t give enough attention to – next year I promise!), as well as Wood Field, which was a little slice of Wood festival, curated by the Oxford Folk Festival and providing lots of environmentally friendly activities and workshops (and music of course)
Most of my time was spent by the Clash Stage. This was the place where Transgressive, Heavenly and Bella Union took turns in curating the days set list. I considered myself in safe hands with these three labels; the triumvirate of the independent music scene. I have nothing but respect and admiration for the people behind this. Not least because they nail it again and again and again. Transgressive had kicked proceedings off on Friday with acts like Gaggle, Peggy Sue, Johnny Flynn and Graham Coxon. Gaggle are a force to be reckoned with; I first saw the 20+ piece all-female performance art choir about a year ago at The Lexington and was completely transfixed. They exemplify everything great about being a woman; strong, loud, dynamic and passionate (with killer headgear), I found this photograph of Gaggle posing in the field above Truck to give you a sense of their presence.
Saturday was Heavenly Records turn to take care of us. When I was first really getting into proper music – after my Five Star faze – Heavenly were one of the first cases where I was intrigued by the label as much as the artists. Right from the get go, Heavenly had its finger on the pulse of the dreamy halcyon days of early 90′s indie-pop, underground and all matter of slightly letfield music. And they provided one of the biggest and unexpected highlights for me on Saturday night – Edwyn Collins. First of all, I had no idea how many songs of his I knew without actually realising who had sung them; of course his biggest hit was “A Girl Like You“, and his days with Orange Juice produced the glorious “Rip It Up And Start Again“, but apparently I’ve been singing along to many more of his hits over the last few years. Live, his set was faultless; it was energetic and fun and the audience were loving every minute. It was about halfway in that I suddenly remembered reading that Edwyn had suffered two strokes a few years ago and could not marry up the idea of suffering something so debilitating with the man on stage who was giving us such a wonderful show. After the weekend I learnt that after a stroke, a persons ability to sing can sometimes remain unabated. I left the set in absolute awe of this mans ability and talent.
photo by Andrew Kendall
Tearing ourself away from the Clash Stage for a hot second, we headed over to the Main Stage to catch Gruff Rhys who delivered a brilliant performance. I had never managed to see the Super Furry Animals live, so I was really happy to watch Gruff entertain us. Sensations in the Dark is one of those perfect songs where every second packs a punch – and it’s great to dance to. (Which we did of course).
Late Saturday night and the bars kicked into full swing, such as Kidstock (pictured above), home to several sambuca shots which fortified Anshu and myself for our next pit-stop – the Boxford dance tent. My lovely and kind friend Toby Kidd was DJing old skool jungle in a two hour set that led me to discovering that I can actually dance to jungle. (I’m well aware that photos exist that will disprove this belief, I’m just not going to show them to you).
Photo by Ian Taylor
Sunday was a blazing hot day and I spent the first part of the early afternoon watching bands from a horizontal position, whilst letting the good people at the Rotary Club feed me a late breakfast. (Not literally at the same time, that would be too sybaritic – even for me). Bella Union’s set was possibly my favourite over all, I loved Cashier No.9, who opened proceedings and have been playing a lot on 6Music recently. I hadn’t heard of Lantern’s On The Lake, but I really enjoyed their set – it was a mix of loud, jangly guitar and etherial shoe-gaze. In fact Lanterns took shoe-gaze to its most literal level – I didn’t get to see the lead singers eyes – she and her guitar were pointed resolutely at the floor, lost in the wall of sound that she was creating.
Alessi’s Ark is a favourite of Amelia’s Magazine and its contributors so I was eager to see her set as well. She has a sweet delicate sound that reminds me a little of Liz Fraser from Cocteau Twins, which is ironic seeing that the guitarists in the band founded Bella Union, the label that Alessi is signed to.
While my friend went to chill out in the afternoon sunshine with a reflexology session, I made my way over to the Wood stage, where Rachael Dadd was performing songs from her new album Bite The Mountain. I’m feeling like a little bit of a Rachael groupie of late, having gone to both nights of her album launches, as well as watching the beautiful evening that she helped put on a few months ago to raise money for the Japanese tsunami appeal. So although I know most of her songs off by heart now, they still feel fresh with every listen.
The most epic part of the weekend took place on Sunday night. Over at the Main Stage, The Dreaming Spires were holding court. The band consists of Robin and Joe Bennett, the brothers behind Truck. Knowing these guys, I knew what they had up their sleeve after their blinding set, which made me very excited. So at 11pm, everyone rushed back to the Clash Tent, where alongside The Magic Numbers, Trevor Moss and Hannah Lou, and Sarah Cracknell of St Etienne, the band performed the entire album of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. From start to finish, every second was magical. The audience sang along for most of the songs, or danced furiously. Watching the album being performed live, it made me realise how sonically perfect Rumours is; the composition of each song is faultless. The songs were sometimes sung en masse, or the various bands would take it in turn to sing. Of course, it wouldn’t be Truck if the Truck Monster didn’t come on stage and dance behind the band, which added a suitably surreal touch to proceedings. It was one of those moments that can never be captured again, and I’m so glad that I got to experience such musical craftsmanship.
All of a sudden, the festival was over for me, as I had to rush home. My spies tell me that me that those who stayed danced late into the night (or early into the morning), drawing to a close a beloved festival that gets everything right.
Photograph by Ian Taylor
Familiar with a fair few live music venues across pricehelp +UK&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Westminster, approved +London&gl=uk&ei=kdYETam3HY2ShAfs5NntBw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CB0Q8gEwAA”>London, I’ve been pretty up close and personal to a number of bands, both great and truly awful, and wondered how Charly Coombes and the New Breed would fair at the Monto Water Rats in Kings Cross, as the stage is particularly petite. Taking to said stage on Saturday December 11th for the last night of their Waves EP promotional UK tour to a familiar crowd, CCATNB stole the show headlining a night of indie and rock music as the band with the edge. Showing only a comical strain to the end of their tour, as with fellow Oxford-ites and Amelia’s Magazine pal Little Fish, the band set out with great energy getting the walls shaking to their distinct key led indie sound that is so easily digested.
Opening with their current single and crowd pleaser Jungles and Tides, momentarily forget about the ear candy, which is delightful, with many members of the crowd of the fairer sex, the eye candy wasn’t bad either. Clearly comfortable and at home playing The Water Rats, which has housed many bands, both up and coming and established, there’s a definite intimate tone to the night, where the crowd are within inches of the band, in all their sweat and glory. Their sound and musical ability isn’t matched within the indie music scene at the moment, taking soulful strides above the rest and echoing late 90s British rock at its best, the fellow bands of the night are good but not in the same sphere as the New Breed.
That aside, stand out tracks of the night include the head swinging God Knows, the beautiful and eloquent Sub Rosa, off their current EP Waves, which signals the musical prowess of the New Breed led effortlessly by Coombes’ key skills, and closer Dress to Kill, a song that marks the New Breed stepping things up a notch on their quest to bring descent independent music back home. Full of confidence and an instant connection with their fans old and new, CCATNB are for anyone who like a solid punch to their indie pie, and these guys are on the up and up. With their set ending all too quickly, catch them while you can at these intimate venues, as I can only see a brighter and bigger future for Charly Coombes and his New Breed.
Familiar with a fair few live music venues across check +UK&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Westminster, viagra 40mg +London&gl=uk&ei=kdYETam3HY2ShAfs5NntBw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CB0Q8gEwAA”>London, search I’ve been pretty up close and personal to a number of bands, both great and truly awful, and wondered how Charly Coombes and the New Breed would fair at the Monto Water Rats in Kings Cross, as the stage is particularly petite. Taking to said stage on Saturday December 11th for the last night of their Waves EP promotional UK tour to a familiar crowd, CCATNB stole the show headlining a night of indie and rock music as the band with the edge. Showing only a comical strain to the end of their tour, as with fellow Oxford-ites and Amelia’s Magazine pal Little Fish, the band set out with great energy getting the walls shaking to their distinct key led indie sound that is so easily digested.
Opening with their current single and crowd pleaser Jungles and Tides, momentarily forget about the ear candy, which is delightful, with many members of the crowd of the fairer sex, the eye candy wasn’t bad either. Clearly comfortable and at home playing The Water Rats, which has housed many bands, both up and coming and established, there’s a definite intimate tone to the night, where the crowd are within inches of the band, in all their sweat and glory. Their sound and musical ability isn’t matched within the indie music scene at the moment, taking soulful strides above the rest and echoing late 90s British rock at its best, the fellow bands of the night are good but not in the same sphere as the New Breed.
That aside, stand out tracks of the night include the head swinging God Knows, the beautiful and eloquent Sub Rosa, off their current EP Waves, which signals the musical prowess of the New Breed led effortlessly by Coombes’ key skills, and closer Dress to Kill, a song that marks the New Breed stepping things up a notch on their quest to bring descent independent music back home. Full of confidence and an instant connection with their fans old and new, CCATNB are for anyone who like a solid punch to their indie pie, and these guys are on the up and up. With their set ending all too quickly, catch them while you can at these intimate venues, as I can only see a brighter and bigger future for Charly Coombes and his New Breed.
Familiar with a fair few live music venues across case +UK&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Westminster, page +London&gl=uk&ei=kdYETam3HY2ShAfs5NntBw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CB0Q8gEwAA”>London, prostate I’ve been pretty up close and personal to a number of bands, both great and truly awful, and wondered how Charly Coombes and the New Breed would fair at the Monto Water Rats in Kings Cross, as the stage is particularly petite. Taking to said stage on Saturday December 11th for the last night of their Waves EP promotional UK tour to a familiar crowd, CCATNB stole the show headlining a night of indie and rock music as the band with the edge. Showing only a comical strain to the end of their tour, as with fellow Oxford-ites and Amelia’s Magazine pal Little Fish, the band set out with great energy getting the walls shaking to their distinct key led indie sound that is so easily digested.
Charly Coombes and the New Breed by Roderick Barker-Benfield.
Opening with their current single and crowd pleaser Jungles and Tides, momentarily forget about the ear candy, which is delightful, with many members of the crowd of the fairer sex, the eye candy wasn’t bad either. Clearly comfortable and at home playing The Water Rats, which has housed many bands, both up and coming and established, there’s a definite intimate tone to the night, where the crowd are within inches of the band, in all their sweat and glory. Their sound and musical ability isn’t matched within the indie music scene at the moment, taking soulful strides above the rest and echoing late 90s British rock at its best, the fellow bands of the night are good but not in the same sphere as the New Breed.
That aside, stand out tracks of the night include the head swinging God Knows, the beautiful and eloquent Sub Rosa, off their current EP Waves, which signals the musical prowess of the New Breed led effortlessly by Coombes’ key skills, and closer Dress to Kill, a song that marks the New Breed stepping things up a notch on their quest to bring descent independent music back home. Full of confidence and an instant connection with their fans old and new, CCATNB are for anyone who like a solid punch to their indie pie, and these guys are on the up and up. With their set ending all too quickly, catch them while you can at these intimate venues, as I can only see a brighter and bigger future for Charly Coombes and his New Breed.
I first encountered Dry the River when they offered to do a gig for the Climate Camp stage at Glastonbury this summer. On record they are fabulous, symptoms but live I was absolutely blown away by this talented five some. Over the past six weeks they have been on tour up and down the country: I find out how life has been treating them in my intimate interview with Norwegian lead singer and chief songwriter Peter Liddle.
How did the band get together?
I’d like to say it was an epic tale of overcoming obstacles and triumph in the face of adversity but it was actually a pretty run-of-the-mill thing, ampoule haha. I had taken some time out of music to do some other stuff but before I knew it I’d kind of unconsciously started writing a record. One weekend I recruited some musicians I knew from old bands etc. and we spent a weekend recording. The day after we finished recording I went off on an acoustic UK tour and the band was kind of built out of that.
How do you describe your music to people who have never heard it?
Actually it’s changed a lot – at the start it was very lo-fi folky stuff because the songs grew out some acoustic bedroom recordings, price but now that we all live together and are all involved in the writing process we’ve opened the door to a lot of different influences. I think the songs still resemble folk music thematically – I write a lot about family, relationships, the things that a lot of us deal with day to day – but in the practice room we all get the chance to pull the arrangements in different directions. I guess the short answer is that it’s folky gospel music played by a post-punk band.
You share a home in Stratford – is this ever hard work? Who does the most washing up (and the least)?
I think living in a confined space with other people is always a tricky business. At least in our case we have a mutual understanding of each other’s situation. That said, some days are obviously harder than others. We’ve been on tour for six weeks now, mostly cooped up in a van – I think after our Nest show on Wednesday we’ll all go back to our respective family homes for some time apart. Jon (drums) does the most washing up, he likes to keep things tidy. I think I probably do the least, or Scott (bass)…
You are known for utterly lush harmonies… is it hard to get these right and how do they come about?
It’s funny, it was never our intention to be a band that feature prominent harmonies. We were in the studio working on a new recording and I asked Scott whether he could sing. He had a go at singing a third or a fifth on top of what Matt and I were singing and it seemed to work. It really was that haphazard – we rarely spend time crafting harmony parts, Matt and Scott just sing where it seems to make sense. Sometimes we get to recording a song and realise what we’ve been singing doesn’t even work, and have to sit at a piano working out what the lines should be!
Were you all musical children? Did you learn to play instruments from a young age?
Aside from Will, we’re all first generation musicians. None of us come from particularly musical families. I think we actually all grew up at a time when being in rock bands was just what kids did. Certainly in Newbury where I took up music in earnest, almost everyone tried their hand at it. That said, I’m at the other extreme to Will – I never studied music formally at all and one day I’d like to. The other guys all have at least a pretty solid (if rudimentary) understanding of music theory.
Does Peter write all the lyrics, and where do you draw inspiration from?
Writing lyrics is a separate endeavour to writing songs, for me. I write chord progressions and vocal melodies and have a pretty formed idea of where a song is going, then I go away and spend a long time writing lyrics. I think experience informs the way everybody behaves – it’s the lens that everybody views the world through and music is no different. In my case the songs are rarely based on a specific event or a candid message that I desperately want to deliver. They’re more a collection of responses to environments I’ve found myself in – periods of time, people, places… So I guess in that respect they include images of my childhood in Norway and the UK, reflections on my time at University, and a whole load of other stuff that influences my worldview on any given day.
Your songs are very intense emotionally – is this intentional and why do you think they come across like this?
I think there are probably two reasons for that. Firstly, whether it’s an event or a feeling or a situation, something has to motivate an artist enough to write a song or paint or whatever. I think the vast majority of artworks are created as an emotional response, so the subject matter is always going to be emotional in nature. Secondly, though, we are grew up listening to post-punk and metal and so on, which is traditionally played in a very intense way. I think the way we play probably magnifies the emotional content in the lyrics.
We first met at Glastonbury when you played for Climate Camp this year… what was your highlight of this year’s festival?
Snooooooooooop!
You will be playing a lot more festivals next summer, can you tell us which ones they will be, and are there any in particular that you are looking forward to?
I think we’ve confirmed quite a few now but I’m not sure which we’re meant to reveal! The other day we were announced alongside Midlake and Wild Beasts in the first batch of names for End of the Road, which we’re super stoked about!
You’ve decided to release your debut single on Transgressive Records – what made you decide to go with this label and what will the single be?
Tim and Toby at Transgressive really put their faith in the music at an early stage when everything was uncertain. A lot of people see a band with potential and sit in the wings, waiting to see how they’ll fare. Transgressive were the opposite – they met us straight away, told us they loved the music and believed in it, and set about moving mountains to help us become a full time band. Aside from all that, they’re a great label and we’re really proud to be adding to the discography. As for the song, you’ll have to wait and see!
Your YouTube video for Bible Belt has gained more than 100,000 hits – why do you think it has proved so popular?
There are a variety of a reasons I suppose – firstly it was on the YouTube front page as part of a YouTube Music Tuesdays promotion, which I think put it in front of a lot of people who wouldn’t normally have seen it. Also Watch Listen Tell, who filmed that session, have a really loyal following, and maybe there was a word of mouth element too – I guess it’s quite memorable with Matt’s broken arm and so on!
You’ve just played the Forum, what was the highlight of the gig? What can the audience expect at your headline gig at the Nest in Dalston?
The Forum was our biggest show ever – there’s no substitute for experience on big stages in front of lots of people! That said, we love the more intimate settings where we can see familiar faces and talk to people. I hope The Nest will be a really special event – for us it’s our homecoming show after six weeks on the road, as well as our 100th show and a celebration of all that’s come about in the past year.
You can find the wonderful Dry the River on Myspace here, and at home on their website here where you can download three songs for free. You can also follow them on twitter here, and of course do not forget their headline show, which is on Wednesday 15th December at The Nest. Full listing info here. Read my review of their gig at Glastonbury here.
Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday December 14th, 2010 12:45 pm
