ALBUM REVIEW: Cut The Funk - 'Weekend Coda'

Last month Kent-based funk quintet Cut The Funk played an intimate gig at Brighton Komedia, as part of their south coast UK tour in support of the release of their debut album 'Weekend Coda'.  Unfortunately the gig was quite sparsely attended, which didn't seem to make much sense as other dates in larger venues of the tour had sold out. Clearly Brighton is still recovering a little bit on Monday nights and isn't willing to take a punt on some funk. Their loss I can safely say.

The set was filled with original tracks from the group, not all too common amongst funk bands who are often limited to Stevie Wonder and Tamla Motown tracks (not that there is anything wrong with that, but it is always nice to hear something fresh!). They played a couple of cover tracks, in the vein of Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis: the more serious side of jazz without going too far off the rails. The group performed extremely tightly as a unit, even if they didn't look like the most coherent group on stage with their dress and demeanor. The music was intricate and virtuosic, without going too far, which I think is a very fine line on the jazz side of things. 

Here is my track by track breakdown of his debut album, 'Weekend Coda', which is available to buy now on itunes for just £7.99.

1. Blue Milk - Opening with a dreamlike Ron Burgundy style scalic passage on the jazz flute, the track drops in just before the 1 minute mark into a classic funk groove as the saxophone takes over the lead for this instrumental head arrangement. Would sound great in Casablanca on a Thursday night!

2. Afroturf - Starting with a particularly rhythmic percussion part which carries on throughout the chirrups of the saxophone and flute, the track is underpinned by bass and guitar riffs which are barely audible, until the brass drops out about 3 minutes 30 into the track and they each get a little space to improvise, albeit quite quietly.

3. (Ain't No Thing But A) Chicken Wing - Starting with a guitar riff this time, the pitch-bending opening, which is joined by an ambient synth and sparse drums, is simple yet effective. The sax in the verse has a slight Baker Street cheesy feeling to it, possibly playing it a little safe melodically and not venturing too far into the jazzy sphere of things. Whilst I know there is a difference in styles between jazz and funk, I think the track lacks a certain panache and gets a little tired towards the end. Check out a live video of the track below, from December 2011. 

4. The Promise - Very upbeat with some cool synth sounds, funky guitar riffs and precise brass parts, this track has everything that I wanted the previous track to deliver and then some. A really catchy number and definitely my favourite from the album so far. Have a look at the video below and see if you agree! 

5. Art Dart - Spaced and mellow, almost like a Lionel Richie ballad to start, the guitar lines and opening sax parts are smooth, classy and well balanced by the razor sharp percussion. The structure and textures in the last couple of tracks are far more developed than the opening few and come across as far more polished to my ears, avoiding the slight feeling of repetition from some of the earlier riffs.

6. Cut The Funk - As the band's signature track, from the name anyway, you would be right to expect big things from this number. To start with, it is the first track to include vocals so far, with a chorus of voices chanting "cut the funk" as the track unwinds. Whilst I was hopeful that the song was going to deliver some more vocals, this doesn't extend any further than some backing vocal oohs and the "cut the funk" which keeps appearing, slightly feeling comedic to me, offering little to develop the track and seeming a curious time to break the vocal silence thus far. Otherwise the track has some great drumming and cool little fills, just a few too few words for my liking!

7. The Velvet Gutter - With the brass not coming in til about 45 seconds into the track, it gives the other instruments a chance to do their thing in the foreground, with a nice keyboard chord progression and some interesting guitar, bass and drum parts going on. The balance is just right in this track for me, alternating between the parts taking the dominance in the mix, whereas at other times the sax seems a little too prominent. The guitar solos towards the final third of the track add a nice change to the texture and sound great.  

8. Funk Credit Card - Opening with a solo breathy jazz flute solo before the beat drops, this instrument has a really pleasing texture to it, contrasting with the typical funk sound in the other sections. The bass solo in the middle stands out in the good way and the general feel of the track is an exciting one. Check out a live video of the track below.  

9. Five Knuckles - A lounge style piano intro with some lovely chords leading into a boogie-woogie track over a shuffle beat, this track stands out from the other by a mile in terms of style. The gallop of the percussion transforms the direction of the album and offers a welcome mix up to the order of play in my books.  

10. Blazer - Returning to the feel of the starting tracks, 'blazer' is quite a traditional sounding funk track. The chorus sounds a little too like some of the other tracks for my liking and the effect on the saxophone kind of irritated me, but perhaps that was just me. Have a listen below and see what you think.

11. Herbie's Grinder - Thanks to the cool fills and interesting harmonies this track is a strong end to an album that for me had its ups and downs. The nice electric guitar solos are the highlight of this track for me, providing a little more of a rocky edge to it. The textures here are nice and the space for the instruments each to share the fill space make up for a slight over-dominance of the sax throughout the album. Hopefully the band's future releases will sound a bit more democratic and balanced. 

This isn't really the sort of album that you listen to in your bedroom; it's much better when you're going for a stroll, jog, bike ride or drive. The movement compliments the music and helps to transform the environment around you into a funky place to be. The best setting of course is in a jazz club where you can see the band play and have a dance along, so if they come to a town near you for such an event, I'd say that they're well worth taking a chance on.

http://cutthefunk.com/

 @CUTTHEFUNK

Half Crown CD Review - Everything Goes LP

Half Crown have certainly come along way in the last year. Here is an extract from my review of their support slot for Rizzle Kicks at Brighton Dome in March 2013.

"The highlight of the supports for me was the main support Half Crown. Their mix of rap vocals with guitars, bass and drums provided a refreshing contrast to the previous acts, and the crowd seemed to be getting behind them too. The lead rapper was very charismatic and had an infectious energy which spread all across the band, which all seemed to be having the time of their lives on the stage. I am sure that the band has a promising future in music. It was nice to see some hip-hop without the hats."

'Everything Goes' is a diverse and collection of catchy well-produced songs, covering a wide range of styles from rock, pop, rap, indie and funk. 

The LP is available to buy from itunes here for £6.32 or pick up a copy at their upcoming gigs.

1. Palm of Your Hand

Opening with a cheeky and growling brass riff, reminding me of one of my old local favouries Two Spot Gobi, and vocals that are very much in the same vein as Will and The People, the LP starts very confidently, with excellent production and a really catchy opening track. Half Crown remind me of an early Kooks, but just a little bit cooler!

2. Electric

Opening with a Foster The People style riff, the song is as rocky as Palm of Your Hand is funky. The vocals are raspy and rough but in a good way, and the electric guitar solo and middle-8: "I'm just a couple of watts, short of what you need" are fantastic, with a real gutsy oomph behind it. A really catchy chorus too: "They say you're electric so I can't touch you babe".

3. Eyes of Diamond, Tears of Gold

Another funky upbeat and uptempo track, with lyrics spat out like a Waitrose customer with their dinner upon realizing that they've accidentally bought something from the Essentials range. Another cracking chorus after the thought-provoking pre-chorus "I want to believe, that we as individuals can be free".

4. Sync or Swim

The opening sounds like a cross between The Streets, Eminem's and Blink-182 (from their self-titled album) mixing spoken words with quite a dark sounding backdrop. Already just four tracks in, the LP covers a wide cross-section of musical styles, showing the diverse talent of their songwriting.

5. Rubber Ghost

More spacious and unsurprisingly ghostly, the vocals are very punchy, with the understated guitar and bass creating a nice textural contrast to the previous tracks. The different vocalists provide a deep mesh of call and response, harmonies and timbral variety to the track.

6. Wonderland

Great lyrics to this track!"Would you like some salt and vinegar with that chip on your shoulder? There's a time and a place to get off your face, and trust me mate I should know". A real urban social commentary that is usually associated with the likes of The Streets and Arctic Monkeys, delivered in a fresh way over this reggae backdrop. The song has lots of twists and turns and different sections. Half Crown certainly know how to piece together atypical song structures!

7. Mygrain

Starting with a fat bass-line and a psychedelic guitar lick, Mygrain has a raucous vocal almost in a glam rock style (just another genre to throw into these guys' influneces!). Glam rock rap: has that happened before? I can't think of anywhere I've heard it!

8. Rule #1

An exposed vocal and guitar start this track before the party starts with a funky riff and full band entering. The song seems to fit well with the opening track, bookending the LP with classic funk, and including the title lyric 'Everything goes', which is always good to hear. Check out the videos included and if it seems like your sort of thing then download the LP or go and catch them live soon.

http://www.halfcrownband.com/

@half_crown

Talk at Treffos Independent School - with Tom Sayer and William Roberts (aka The Skyward Lemons)

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting my friend Will Roberts in Anglesey, near where I went to university in Bangor, to do some recording of my new album, which is currently being arranged and mixed. During this time, Will and I went in to a local school to give a talk to the uppers class in Treffos Primary School. Having studied The Beatles recently and just returning from a day-trip to Liverpool the day before, the children were eager to learn about music journalism (from me) and music production (from Will).

As a part of our visit, Will played a couple of The Skyward Lemons' finished tracks to the class whilst they did drawings with charcoal, rubbers and coloured chalks on sugarpaper. Afterwards I played a couple of my songs on acoustic guitar and sang, as shown below.

It was a great experience for me to be able to share some of my experiences with the children, and give them some more information about what the music scene/industry is like today, compared to when The Beatles exploded onto the scene in the 1960's. It was really pleasing to see that a lot of the children already played instruments and that music was a big part of their lives already. I know that I didn't really get hooked on music until my early teens, so they have all got a few years head start on me already!

Will playing the piano during lunch break

The Uppers Class at Treffos with charcoaled hands and faces

Will and myself joining in the drawing fun

Playing one of my songs to the class whilst they drew

I'd like to thank Milli Evans for inviting us in to the school and hosting our visit and the Treffos Independent School for supporting and nurturing the children's education in such a practical way. I could tell from how the children spoke about music that it could well play a part in their professional lives many years from now, and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to talk about what I do to such a young and receptive audience who I am sure all have bright futures ahead of themselves.

http://www.treffos.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/Treffos
@TreffosSchool

Things to do in Brighton & Hove - Friday 27th June - Thursday 3rd July

Brighton and Hove Open Mic Guide - My Favourite Five Open Mic Nights

With the city bursting at the seams with local talent, particularly solo acoustic singer-songwriters, it is important to get in some live performance practice of your new material before your next acoustic showcase, support slot, EP launch or headline UK tour.

The Open Mic scene is Brighton is one of the best in the country, with a wide range of genre-specific open mics such as ukulele jam nights, no guitar open mics, spoken word and poetry nights and jazz and funk jam nights.

For the purposes of this article I will be looking primarily at what I think are the best open mics in Brighton for solo acoustic guitar/vocal performers (not to say that the open mics can't cater for different acts, but this is just my focus as I believe that this covers a large percentage of open mic goers).

I have listed all the necessary information below (venue, address, running times, set length, host and demographic). I hope that this is helpful!

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Monday

Where: The Brunswick - 1-3 Holland Road, Hove, BN3 1JF 

(Head down towards the sea from Tesco Express and The Wick Inn on the corner just past Palmeira Square) 

Times: Sign up from 7:30pm, starts at 8:30pm.

(Also sign up online here from 7:30am til 7:30pm on Monday ONLY). 

Host: Tom Ayres.

Set: Two songs.  There is a house guitar and piano available to use.

Demographic: With bright lights, a reasonable sized stage and a deadly silent audience, I would not recommend this for newcomers to the open mic scene. However, if you are comfortable with performing and you want your songs to get a real listen, not above the drunken hubbub of a loud bar, then this is the open mic for you. The night is always very packed and it's a great place to meet people for collaborations so don't be shy!

Covers or Originals: Usually performers opt for originals rather than covers but both are fine.

Website: http://www.thebrunswick.net/

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Tuesday

Where: Hop Poles - 13 Middle Street, BN1 1AL (just up from Sticky Mike's Frog Bar and Casablanca)

Times: 8:30pm til around 11:30pm

Hosts: Amy Forrester and Rosie Powell (the one with the camera!)

Set: 3 Songs. Guitar available and lovely photos will be taken during the night and uploaded within a couple of days. The links to all of the artist's websites/facebooks etc are also shared with the photos so it's great for publicity.

Demographic: Having only started a couple of months ago, the night has gotten off to a great start, drawing in a lot of Brighton's young stars of the future. The atmosphere is relaxed and the friendly hosts make everyone feel very comfortable when performing. There are speakers to the beer garden, so all the smokers can hear you too. With drink promotions including my favourite Havana Rum and coke for just £1.95, this has become a regular date in my diary.

Covers or Originals: Both are totally fine!

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/543409122446482/

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Wednesday 

Where: Druids Head - 9 Brighton Place, BN1 1HJ (opposite Donatellos in The Lanes)

Times: 9pm til around 12pm

Host: Paul McKeown (Also usually holding a camera or stood by the bar)

Set: Usually 3 - 4 Songs. Depending on how busy the night is you sometimes have a little longer or shorter set but usually at least 3 songs. Guitar available and sometimes a piano, although not every week. Will get some snaps put uploaded online the following week too so make sure to add Paul on facebook if you're performing.

Demographic: A very cosmopolitan open mic, this is Brighton's longest running open mic and has been going strong for over 8 years. The crowd and performers are a real mix of international students, older experienced performers from Johnny Cash's era and up-and-coming young musicians. With the homely feel of the pub and a regular good turnout, it's a great place to try out some new songs.

Covers or Originals: Originals to practice/premiere and covers to get the audience more interested.

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Druids-Head/106016126142628

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Thursday 

Where: Victory Inn - 6 Duke Street, BN1 1AH (just down from Nandos and Cornish Pastry Company)

Times: 8pm til 11pm

Host: Tiago Saga (the front-man of local band Time for T)

Set: 2 Songs but opportunities to play again if there is time. Guitar available for all to use. 

Demographic: Held upstairs in the dimly-lit function room, from my experience this open mic hosts some of the more "out there" music, from experimental blues, rap, poetry and old-school folk. A real variety show, with a free beer for each performer and a quiet audience making this a great place to play.

Covers or Originals: Lends itself to originals and old covers. Perhaps keep the One Direction cover to yourself (always good advice!). As advertised "Anything from music to tennis match re-enactment welcome". 

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/victoryinn

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Sunday

Where: Fiddler's Elbow - 11 Boyces Street , BN1 1AN (in the alley across from Wetherspoons on West Street)

Times: Starts 9pm

Host: Oliver Croome

Set: 3-4 Songs. Sometimes longer sets are available. Get in touch in advance to ask about being a featured artist. Guitar available for use and some photos uploaded from the night too. 

Demographic: I've only been to this open mic a couple of times due to working weekends, but it definitely has that lazy weekend feeling about it, which is great. Also, calling it the Sham Rock Open Mic I am sure attracts all the Guinness fans. Again a real mix of all sorts will show up here.

Covers or Originals: Maybe a couple of each. Either are fine though.

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/shamrockopenmic

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For more event listings, music features and review check out my What's On page in the Brighton and Hove Independent (out on Fridays, distributed freely all throughout Brighton and Hove) and follow me on twitter for blog updates @tomsayeruk

New Writing South Good Blog Guide

I am really pleased to announce that I have been included in the New Writing South's Good Blog Guide. Check out some of the other blogs by great local writers on https://www.newwritingsouth.com.

Busy In Bodffordd and Bangor

Just a quick update as to my whereabouts this week. I have returned to my university city of Bangor for the week to do some recording with my good friend Will Roberts in Bodffordd, of some very old material: I mean songs from up to 8-9 years ago, re-recorded, arranged and mastered into a brand new album/EP.

Day One: Worked out the track list and laid down the vocals and guitar for some of the tracks. In the evening I hosted the Open Mic at The Belle Vue in Bangor, my regular haunt from my uni days. The place was packed from start to finish and I saw some great new acts perform as well as some familiar favourites, who had all developed a lot since I'd last seen them perform.

Day Two: Finished off the guitar, piano and vocal tracks for all of the songs. Started a rough drum track for the first song, the wind, and I'm excited for how it's sounding! Here is me hard at work:

Tomorrow, we'll be working on some of the arrangements after stopping by at Treffos School on Anglesey in the morning to give a talk on music journalism to the year 6 class.
More to follow tomorrow. :)

June Jams - Six new tracks that you NEED to hear this weekend!

With the World Cup under way and already giving us some surprise results, the only thing that is for sure is that there is a lot of quality new music being made which needs more attention given to it.

Here is my pick of 6 fresh tracks from local and/or unsigned acts to ease you into the weekend:

St. LongPlayer - 'Spread Your Love (Salad Days)' Soundcloud

The new musical endeavour from the former Maccabees drummer Robert Dylan Thomas, teaming up with Ned Archibong and Nicholson Davids from Normanton Street for this new production project. With sharp vocals, tight production and a Sealife Centre backdrop, what more could you want? Debut EP 'OFTM' Out on 10th July.

Sammi Elston - 'I'll Be Your Darling' @sammielston

Liverpool-based singer-songwriter Sammi Elston combines her carefully-crafted songs with guitar, bass and drums in this catchy pop-rock number. This new recording of I'll Be Your Darling with full band was released on iTunes on 1st June 2014 and can be downloaded here.

Jetglo - 'Like A Scratch' @Jetglo_Official

Brighton indie rock band Jetglo are currently mixing their debut album for imminent release. Here is a recently uploaded track of one of the album tracks. With strong dancable rhythms and clear vocal hooks, particularly in the chorus, this is a feel-good hit in the making. 

Sarah Meek - 'Take Over' Soundcloud

Northern jazz singer based in Bangor, North Wales, Sarah Meek is one of the talents emerging from the local music scene. With the help of friends and local musicians, Sarah recently recorded her debut album, 'Beginnings' as a university project, which she was awarded a First for. Check out the first track to be uploaded, with hopefully more of the album to follow soon. Sarah is definitely one to watch in the very near future.  

Jack Rennie & The Nightmares - 'Trapped'  Facebook

What do you get if you cross Stafford brother-sister duo 'The Taskers' with a Jack-of-all-instruments? Jack Rennie & The Nightmares formed recently and quickly recorded a six track mini-album to celebrate. The album is free to download here. Check out 'Trapped' below  for some sleazy lo-fi vibes. They're coming for your heart!

Phoria - 'Undone' @phoria

With an overwhelming online fanbase, live shows including a string quartet and impressive visuals and UK tour and EP launch (16th June in London at St Pancras Old Church, 21st June in Brighton at the Haunt), Phoria are sure to not stay under the radar much longer. This track has accumulated over 125,000 plays in the first couple of weeks alone. Ambient, well produced and with ghostly vocals atop dark piano and drums, it is chilled out but in a slightly sinister way. Check it out and see what you think.

For more local music picks, what's on guides, reviews, interviews and latest releases, follow my blog or catch me on @tomsayeruk on twitter or facebook.com/tomsayeruk.

9Bach Album Review - Tincian - 10th June 2014

I saw 9Bach playing at +Komedia Brighton last week, I was blown away by their performance - see my review here. Here is my track by track rundown of their album Tincian which was released on 12th May 2014. As the titles are in all Welsh, as all of the tracks are (excluding Asteri Mou which is in Greek), I have written the translations in parentheses afterwards. The album is fantastically folky and wonderfully Welsh and is well worth a listen! Below is an album sampler where you can hear snippets of each track.

1. Lliwau (Colours)

Sparse and chilled out with a gentle drum groove, psychadelic 70's guitar lines and an exposed vocal, Lliwau is actually a song comparing colours to the beauty of childbirth. The chorus translates to "Pretty you are like colours" just in case you wondered what you were singing along to, as it has a very catchy melody.

2. Llwynog (Fox)

Lisa Jên (lead singer of 9Bach) spoke passionately when introducing this song, declaring it a song for the underdog fox who managed to escape from the farmer, his shotgun and his dog. It can't help but bring to mind Wes Anderson's 2009 film "Fantastic Mr. Fox" with George Clooney voicing the eponymous fox. So imagine this is a song about George Clooney being hunted in the Welsh countryside if you like. 

3. Pebyll

Pebyll is a ruin located in Llanddewi, a small village in mid-Wales. The song was written after Lisa discovered it whilst walking her dog. Laced with silky elvish-sounding vocals, this track is smoother than James Bond at a cocktail party.

4. Plentyn (Child)

Starting off with breathy three-part vocal harmony, this song tells an unsettling fictional story based on a real life event of a child that is stolen away from its mother at a very young age. The additional percussive rhythms and slide guitar create a rich texture for this tragic story.

5. Wedi Torri (It's broken)

From one dark song to the next, Wedi Torri is about witnessing somebody that you love in a broken state, and the effect that it has on you as you try to desperately piece them together, often at the cost of yourself.

6. Pa Le (Which place?)

Spacious with eerie backing vocals, this traditional song is about the search for a loved one years after they were last seen. Complete with a harp breakdown section which is very pretty.

7. Ffarwél (Farewell)

An unsurprisingly somber track based on a poem from a book of locally gathered songs in Bethesda. The poem is about a quarry reflecting on the times that he used to enjoy with his friends, many of whom had since passed. The chorus of male voices adds an epic filmy sound as well as additional emotional depth to the track. 

8. Llwybrau (Pathways)

A haunting piano opens the track, with a serene, piercing and catchy vocal melody garnishing it sweetly, building up slowly as the rest of the instruments come in and worldless vocal harmonies take over. 

9. Babi'r Eirlys (Snowdrop Baby)

Full of vocal harmonies, this beautiful track is completely a capella, with reverb-laden voices layering up a rich and sleek texture. 
  
10. Asteri Mou (My Star)

Sung in Greek, Lisa's third language Asteri Mou has guitar slides, a delicate melody and a nice piano hook which is imitated by the harp. Whilst building towards the end, it is a quite subdued end to the album, winding down rather than going out with a bang, but with this type of music, that is what you want.

www.9bach.com
www.facebook.com/9bachmusic
www.twitter.com/9bach

Brighton EP/LP Launches in June 2014

With so much music going on in Brighton, it can be hard to keep track of everything. Here is a list of CD/EP/ launch nights this June to keep you afloat.

Sat 7th June - Wild Rivers - Sticky Mike's - All The Lights LP

Who: Clark Maides and Josh Renton
Genre: Indie Pop
Info: OUT NOW, Wild Rivers' 11 track debut album is available for just £3.
Contact: www.facebook.com/wildrivers

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Fri 13th June - Via Tirana - GDS - Full Moon EP

Who?: One man and a guitar, amps and lots of effects.
Genre: Electronic, noise
Info: The EP was recorded with experienced producer James Gasson at Brickhouse Sudio.
Contact: www.facebook.com/viatirana

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Sat 14th June - Half Crown - The Haunt - £7 entry - Everything Goes LP

Who?: A diverse and charismatic group with an infectious energy that spreads across the whole band.

Genre: Blues, Folk, Hip-Hop, Reggae 

Info: The band recently won the Best Unsigned Band of 2013 Award from S&M

Contact: www.facebook.com/officialhalfcrown

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Mon 16th June - Fools Empire - GDS - This Is Not For You!

Who?: Led by Chelsie Tyrell's vocals and piano, this Brighton 5-piece create ambient soundscapes of beauty and wonder.
Genre: Electonica, Pop
Info: Surprisingly this is Fools Empire's debut EP!
Contact: www.facebook.com/foolsempire

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Mon 16th June - Jack Evans - Sticky Mike's - £3 entry - Stripped Back EP

Who?: A young Brighton-born singer-songwriter
Genre: Acoustic, singer-songwriter
Info: Jack will be playing all the songs from the EP at the gig, plus there is support from Ella Croucher, Giorgia-May, Robbie Skitmore & the Spanish Harlem Incident
and yourgardenday
Contact: www.facebook.com/JackEAEvansMusic

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Tue 17th June - O'Chapman - GDS - £6 entry - Relapser EP

Who?: A curly haired London
Genre: Folk, shoegaze, slowcore, dream pop and lo-fi rock.
Info: "You're just a sad sack." - Simon Cowell
Contact: www.facebook.com/ochapmanmusic

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Wed 18th June - Last Days of Rome - Hope - £4 inc EP

Who?: Recently renamed from Blind Eye Fury
Genre: Metal
Info: This is their first show with the new name and they have an EP for you, which you'll get for free if you attend the launch night at The Hope.
Contact: www.facebook.com/lastdaysofromeuk

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Sat 21st June - Phoria - The Haunt - £7 entry - Display EP

Who?: '....super-smart and endearingly pieced together from a breathtaking blend of whisper-like vocals and euphoric electronics .' - NME
Genre: Alternative, Ambient, Electronic
Info: The first track off the EP has already accumulated over 100k views in under 2 weeks!
Contact: www.facebook.com/phoriamusic

For more Brighton-based gig info, listings, reviews, CD reviews and interviews, subscribe to my blog or follow me on twitter @tomsayeruk.

If you are a local band and have a new release that you would like me to review contact me on tom@tomsayer.co.uk

Interview with Jon Gomm

Check out my interview with guitar legend Jon Gomm before his gig at Sticky Mike's Frog Bar last night, where he talks about crowdsourcing, his banjo pegs, his jazz education and much more.


He was a very lovely chap, even with his poor habit of feeding chips to the seagull on the seafront. His gig in the evening was a brilliant showcase of his guitar and vocal abilities, including a lesson for how to play drums on guitar and an insight into his background, playing in the working men's clubs of Blackpool  ("The city Brighton could have been" he quipped in response to a heckler) to particularly unreceptive audiences of "confused Glaswegian pensioners on holiday" prompting him to bring out one of his trademark showpieces, his instrumental arrangement of Chaka Khan's 'Ain't Nobody'. 
For the rest of his tour dates and more information go to www.jongomm.com or @jongomm

Keep up to date by following my blog on whattomwrites.blogspot.com or @tomsayeruk

Time for T Interview in Brogue Magazine

Check out my interview with Time for T in the latest issue of Brogue Magazine: it's the opening feature! :D

http://issuu.com/broguemagazine/docs/the_final_one_brogue_three_publishe

Very excited! Thanks to Spirit De La Mare!

My interview with guitar legend Jon Gomm will be up soon! For more updates follow me on @tomsayerukwww.twitter.com/tomsayeruk

Tom Hickox Interview - 29th May 2014

After catching the end of a very soothing soundcheck at The Hope in Brighton, I met up with Tom Hickox in a pub around the corner to talk his music, merchandise and alternative career paths.

Did your parents’ background in classical music have any effect on your album? Are there any particular records that you remember being played as a child?

Not specifically, no. I think that when you grow up everything will have an influence on you, but any classical influences on my album were not consciously made. I was not looking to make anything classical, but with my background I guess you could say it’s an innate training, the music is in my blood. I’m really grateful to have had that kind of upbringing.

In terms of songwriting and orchestration, do you see these as separate things or do they happen simultaneously?

I definitely keep the songwriting separate. I like to focus on the key elements: the lyrics, melody and harmony first, to get the core of the song down. Then I’ll think about the right ensemble to play it. I do the majority of the orchestration and arranging myself but I think that it is important not to get ahead of yourself: if you don’t give the song strong foundations then it can never stand tall.

A lot of comparisons are made between your voice and that of Leonard Cohen. How do you feel about that? I personally think you more resemble Guy Garvey (Elbow) and Matt Berninger (The National). Are you a fan of either of those?

I’m a big fan of Leonard Cohen. He has definitely been an influence to me. You can tell within a millisecond if a song is his and that is such a great thing. I think for artists it is so hard to find your voice, both in the abstract and sonic senses but I am thrilled to be compared to such great company. I really like Elbow and The National. They write beautifully crafted music and have a lot to say. Recently one of my songs was played on Guy Garvey’s radio show and he was very complimentary about it. It is so humbling and surreal to have someone who you really admire become aware of your work and become an advocate for it.

In terms of the album artwork, it appears that you are having a conversation with yourself. Was that your intention?

The main thing that I wanted the cover to convey was that I was not just speaking from my point of view on the album; I was inhabiting other people’s voices and telling their stories.  I think that it is important to get the right look for a record, taking care and effort to package it in the best way possible. If the cover is symbiotic with the meaning of the record then it really speaks to the people and transmits well.

You have quite an interesting array of merchandise, including signed lyric handkerchiefs and pocket mirrors? Are you aiming yourself at the middle-class or is it more a style thing?

Not at all. I think I’m not the sort of musician whose supporters would want a t-shirt of. I just don’t think that it suits my style of music. The lyric handkerchief is something I really like because I think it hasn’t ever been done before. And the idea behind the pocket mirror is owner is looking back on themselves through it. Also, from a boring practical point of view, both are light items which are easy to travel around with when on tour. They seem to be selling really well though. We only have about 10 handkerchiefs left (prior to the gig).

How has the tour been going so far? Do you enjoy playing all across the country?

It’s been fantastic. I am always surprised by how different the crowds are in different cities. The venues vary each night too. Some of the shows were sell outs which is great. Others were pretty close to capacity and a couple were a little more chilled but we’ve had a great reception so far. We’re finishing the tour with a full band show in London in a few days. It’s always nice to end with a home show. I could walk home afterwards if I didn’t have my keyboard!

Besides music, do you have any other big interests/hobbies?

I’m interested in art and culture; films, books, pictures, anything that I can get ideas from for songs really. I also spend far too much time watching football on TV, but that’s not been much use for writing a song just yet!

And finally, if you couldn’t make music, what would your dream job be?

I’d be up front with Suarez, banging in the goals! That has always been a dream of mine since I was little, to be a striker for Liverpool. I enjoyed football from a young age but was never particularly sporty. But I am so happy to be able to do what I love by making music. If I can keep making more records with more amazing musicians, writing and recording music that I really believe in and playing it to crowds who really appreciate it, then I will be very happy indeed.

His stunning debut album War Peace and Diplomacy is out now.

www.tomhickox.com

@tomhickox

Madison Violet Interview in Brighton on their UK Tour - Prince Albert - 19th May 2014

I caught up with Canadian singer-songwriters Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac, a.k.a Madison Violet, before their Americana Music Series gig at the PrinceAlbert, the Brighton of their recent UK tour, to talk to them about their upcoming record, beautiful venues and floral preferences.

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Firstly, I wanted to ask you about the Canada folk scene. There seems to be a lot of Canadian songwriters crossing over to the UK at the moment (notably Lindi Ortega and Basia Bulat in the last few months). Is this a new thing?

I think there’s always been a pretty much non-stop export of local artists from Canada coming over to the UK. In places like Toronto there are a lot of international touring artists coming to play, so the music scene there really thrives. Plus there are people like Bob Harris (BBC Radio 2) whose show really gives the folk/Americana/roots music a platform to be heard from. If there’s a market for it then people will come over and play the international shows.

What is the main difference between the audiences in Canada and America?

Well we don’t really play in America much, so the audiences in Canada are a lot bigger! (They both laugh!) We had some trouble a few years back trying to get into the US, which seems really silly because you can drive it in a day. The Border Patrol between Canada and the US is really strict and it can be hard to get work permits to cross, even to play a tour. It’s much easier to come to Europe so we’ve just avoided the hassle. Of course, with the new record when it comes out, there’s no reason that we’d avoid America. It would be kind of hard to miss out because it’s such a big place!

What have you been up to since your last studio album ‘The Good in Goodbye’ back in 2011?

We recorded a live CD/DVD called ‘Come as You Are’ which we released in 2013. It was a filmed during a show from our European Tour back in 2011, featuring 20 tracks played live in concert. We recorded it in a beautiful church called Kulturkirche in Cologne. After that we spent about 6 months on the new record, which we’ve taken 4 tracks from for this exclusive ‘Madison Violet EP’ for the UK tour.

Speaking of the new album, do you have any details for us about it yet? Title? Release date?

The title is tbc but it should be out in the fall in Canada and the US and sometime just after in the UK and Europe. The record has 10 tracks and has a lot more of an electronic influence. It’s got a kind of vintage-modern sound, with a lot of layered vocals, even more tenor guitar and more keyboards. Where we recorded there were piles of keyboards, like old JUNO’s that we used on the record. The previous albums we only had a short time in the studio, but this one we spent about 11 weeks getting it right, with a new producer Tino Zolfo, who used to be in the band soulDecision which were pretty big in America. We kind of felt like we were at our crossroads with our music and we were looking for something new to do and Tino really helped us to change what we were doing and the energy behind the record.

It seems that in the UK at the moment, there are a lot more solo and acoustic acts getting noticed. Have you picked up on a change in musical climate?

To be honest, we’ve never been any good at following trends and if that’s the way things are going then we’re going in the other direction. The new record is a lot more of a band record rather than a stripped back folk sounding one like the previous albums. In North America people seem to love bands like The Shins and Mumford & Sons. There are still people like Jake Bugg who are coming through, but the general scene is a lot more band-dominated, particularly in North America. It’s all the swinging of a pendulum though. I’m sure it will change again soon.

What is the most beautiful venue that you’ve played at?

Probably Massey Hall in Toronto, or some of the old theatres in Quebec. Well they’re not old like things are over here, more like built in the 1960’s! Those and the Kulturkirche in Cologne where we recorded the live album.

And finally, as you are named Madison Violet, what are your favourite types of flowers?

Tulips really brighten up the room and we love sunflowers and daisies.   

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For a review of Madison Violet's 4-track self-titled EP, and my What's On guide for the next week, check out my blog on thebestofBrighton here. Don't forget, for all updates to subscribe to my blog, or follow me on twitter @tomsayeruk.