Brighton Unsigned Magazine - Issue 19 - April 2014

ISSUE 19 • APRIL 2014

FREE • NOT FOR PROFIT

COVERING THE BEST UNSIGNED MUSIC AROUND SUSSEX AND BEYOND

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

GUY LLOYD’S BLOG www.guylloyd.co.uk facebook.com/JuiceDrive

ACCESS TO MUSIC STUDENTS TELL THEIR OWN STORIES...

twitter.com/guy_lloyd So it’s finally happening. My mid-life crisis is in full swing. My band and I are reuniting, twenty two years after splitting up. Don’t worry Brighton: this will be happening in the deepest, darkest, bowels of the East Midlands. East Midlands, I’m sorry.

Let me take you back to the beginning.

Throughout the late eighties and early nineties, I was in four different bands.

The members just about stayed the same over the years but we changed the name of the band to be ‘edgy’. I was the singer in all four bands. I can’t sing but no one else volunteered, so I stepped up every time we reformed. I was hired more for my fancy dress wardrobe than I was for any talent. I knew this but I was happy to take the gig because I knew being a singer in a band, would get me the girls, even if I was dressed as a woman.

We finally spilt in 1992 when I went off to

LISTEN TO GUY AT BRIGHTON’S JUICE 107.2 FM MON TO FRI 3 TILL 7PM ON JUICE DRIVE

Going by the artist name of Dirty Buziness, I’m a drum ‘n’ bass producer, DJ, MC+Host and beatboxer. Very diverse with my styles composing the full spectrum of drum ‘n’ bass. With releases on 4 different labels due out early summer, collaborating with other artists and also signed to MultiFunction.

live in Australia, reformed in a different guise seven years later and then split again when we realised we weren’t going to be pop stars.

Over the last year, we’ve made contact again through Facebook and we talked about doing an anniversary gig. This intensified over Christmas and then we got the devastating news in January that our drummer had collapsed and died of a heart attack, at the age of just forty-nine years old.

We went to his funeral, regaled the old times and talked to the family about going ahead with a gig. They wanted it to happen (his brother Tony, filling in on the drums), we wanted it to happen and we’re now putting on a show to end all shows in early July. Fittingly, the money taken on the door will all go to the British Heart Foundation.

RIP Steve. We’re going to miss you. But at least you don’t have to go through this midlife crisis. It’s getting embarrassing now.

WWW.FB.COM

/toby.douthwaite I’m Lachlan Campbell (that’s pronounced like Loch Ness) and I make organic-sounding indie/folk rock. Together with a mishmash of local musicians, I’m channelling this constant winter that’s gripped the South into something at least slightly less bitter... currently seeking fellow multi-instrumentalists, and players of strange and unusual instruments, to join the backing mob of a band.

Email me:

lachlancampbellmusic@gmail.com WWW.TUMBLR.COM

/lachc.tumblr.com

I am Vi Vi Stone, a Dark Electronic Soul artist writing dark torch songs about experiences of love. My music is a mixture of ambient, soul, electronic pop and orchestral sounds. My aim is to help people feel and connect through the power of music and to let the world know that we are not alone.

WWW.SOUNDCLOUD.COM

/vi-vi

I’m the D.A and I write pop songs that are influenced from Motown to 90s Backstreet Boys. Working with artists from SBTV & The Voice I’m creating an eclectic sound, which is hip enough for the cool kids however still mainstream for daytime radio. Solid song writing and remarkable recordings encompass my main ethos.

WWW.TWITTER.COM

/TheDAUK

As a singer, multiinstrumentalist and songwriter working on new material with a heavy progressive rock feel, I am on the look out for local musicians to form a live gigging band and get an album produced in the studio.

Anyone who wants to get involved, email me: steve@oricarmy.co.uk

WWW.SOUNDCLOUD.COM

/jaejonson

Editor: Steven Probets Founder/Deputy Editor: Jordan Thomas

We are proud to be working in association with Access to Music College and also Zooberon Events.

We are always on the lookout for volunteer writers, photographers and camera operators including anyone interested in interviewing bands on or off camera. Also, if you have any enquiries regarding advertising or any other involvement in Brighton Unsigned contact Steven via email steven@brightonunsigned.co.uk

MOTH

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ACCESS TO MUSIC

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SOUTHPAW

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ZOOBERON

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HALF CROWN

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MUSIC REVIEWS

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SOUND RECORDING PT 1

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THE DUBARRYS

Website Development: Ash-Hill Smith Writers: Cindy Cheng George Metcalf Kaye Sarah Inglis Helena Watmuff Jordan Thomas Jacqueline Mitrovic Danny Ansell Proofreader: Alex Clouter

BRIGHTONUNSIGNED.CO.UK

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Website: Jak Kimsey

FACEBOOK.COM/BRIGHTONUNSIGNED

GUY LLOYD’S BLOG

James Hawley

jameshawleyphotography. tumblr.com

TWITTER @BTONUNSIGNED

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Front Cover Photography:

YOUTUBE.COM/BRIGHTONUNSIGNED

ONTENT

WELCOME

reverbnation.com/ianroland

Ian Roland’s ‘Helicopter’ EP is a recording I’ve been very keen to get my hands on. I’ve enjoyed many a gig of Ian’s distinctive folk-rock sound played out on his 12-string guitar, so I was keen to hear how the tracks sounded with a full band.

For the EP, Ian plays guitar (or indeed guitars) and mandolin as well as singing, while Lee Bridges plays drums, Scott Gentry bass and Jake Skinner percussion. The result is a great, fullsounding six-track CD with excellent production and an over-arching character, Annie, who appears in most of the songs. Influences include Elliott Smith and, particularly in vocal style, Fleet Foxes, along with folk stalwarts such as Cat Stevens.

‘Helicopter’ opens with a burst with the song ‘Hate’, which has Noah and the Whale influences in its instrumentation.

My favourite live track, ‘Songbirds’, comes next, and it’s very much fleshed out on the CD, the percussion really bringing out the Elliott-Smith-style 6/8 waltz time that you can’t help but sway to.

All the tracks on the EP are nicely layered and this is particularly noticeable on the third and fourth tracks, ‘Got You, Annie’ and ‘Never Be Lost’. ‘Got You, Annie’ features some lovely mandolin playing

Vices EP

facebook.com/leapyearsband review

KAYE SARAH INGLIS

from Ian, while on ‘Never Be Lost’ the multi-tracked vocals give the song a greater depth than I’ve heard at live performances.

‘Shooting Star’, the penultimate track, has a sad theme but maintains the upbeat feel of the EP as a whole and conjures some powerful imagery with its winsome lyrics.

For the closing track, ‘Helicopter’, there’s a change of pace and it all gets a bit faster and bouncier. This is another song I have really enjoyed hearing live and it’s great to hear it in a more fleshedout format.

The ‘Helicopter’ EP is a strong and punchy release. Produced by Ian himself and Jake Skinner, who also mixed and mastered it at Cobbs Mill Studio, this is a professional-sounding recording full of catchy, beautifully constructed songs.

twitter.com/leapyearsband

After the huge storm The 1975 have created in the music world, Leap Years’ arrival is the potential antidote. If you have exhausted The 1975’s debut and your ears are now hungry for bands of a similar vein, Leap Years can offer a fresh substitute. If you are sceptical, it only takes the intro and bridge on ‘February’ to become just as quickly infectious as ‘Girls’, defying you not to smile along to it.

The EP ‘Vices’ channels a bouncy indie feel yet avoids being one-dimensional by intersecting this with emotive, atmospheric tones. The lead vocals from Jimmy Balch are clear and melodic and the EP doesn’t waste any time, kick-starting with the overpoweringly danceable titular track. By the stand-out ‘Liars’, you wish you already knew all the

MUSIC REVIEWS

fb.com/ianrolandband

Leap Years

INDIE ROCK

Helicopter EP

FOLK-POP ACOUSTIC

Ian Roland

review CINDY CHENG

words so you could wildly sing along to it. Winding things down is the moving ‘Middle Ground’, cooling you off in time for the peppiness of ‘February’.

Following their smooth transition from alternative to indie, the ease in which the four-piece execute their songs could trick the unaware into thinking they had been playing this type of music since childhood, going back to one another’s houses after school for practice sessions.

Importantly, they sound like they are having a lot of fun doing what they are doing, which subsequently transpires on to its fortunate listeners and the polished production is testament to the band.

The result is something exciting and deliciously cheerful, a reflection of Leap Years’ burgeoning future.

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ALBUM REVIEW

Something in the Water (Album)

If I could give you one piece of advice about the new Jipsy Magic album, ‘Something in the Water’, it would be to crank it up and listen loud. This is a foot-stomping, headbanging collection of tunes with a wide range of review KAYE SARAH influence from reggae to INGLIS rockabilly to hip-hop and ska, spliced with indie rock, funk and pop with even a few vocal moments that nudge on to the lighter edge of the metal spectrum. I’d recommend headphone listening for the opening track to get the full effect of the schoolyard-style opening (cross reference here ‘Kids’ by LCD Sound System).

Jipsy Magic are a highly acclaimed Brighton band comprising Chris Mace on lead vocals and guitar, Nick Jackson guitar and vocals, James Finburg bass and vocals plus Charlie Gibbs on drums and vocals. The band has headlined the local Twisted Frontier Festival as well as playing two headline dates in Ibiza in 2013. They come with an impressive CV of shows and are clearly hitting the right notes with fans as the album was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign.

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The album itself is a nicely rounded package. It opens with the words “Bon

ALT-POP

Jipsy Magic

facebook.com/jipsymagic www.jipsymagic.com jour” in the first track, ‘Lost in Time’, and concludes with the band telling us it’s time to “Hit the Road”. Inbetween the wide variety of tracks shows the band’s many and varied influences.

“Roll up, roll up,” they invite us in ‘Lost in Time’, and with this funk-filled, catchy opener packed with beats to make you move, you know you’re in for a thrilling ride. Chris’s vocals and singing style here sometimes reminded me of midcareer Levellers vocals, which wasn’t an influence I was expecting.

‘Unlikely Joe’ and ‘Rumspringa’ (previously released as a single) maintain the upbeat, funky feel with clear hip-hop roots. ‘Rumspringa’ comes with a catchy repetitive chorus that makes for an easy, instant earworm. The most heavily hiphop influenced track on the album is the fourth track, ‘Disco Shoes’, which contains the chorus “Got to get my disco shoes on and keep on dancing”. It’s actually impossible not to dance to this track, as our slightly bemused dog will tell you when he caught me stomping round the sitting room.

The midway point of the album heralds a change of pace: ‘Plain Jane’ and ‘Childhood Sweetheart’ are more traditional, poppy love songs. ‘Plain Jane’ is slower with observational lyrics in the vein (although not the style) of the Arctic

Monkeys and other local observational bands such as Pipe & Tabor. It’s very vocal-led and a lovely, succinct and honest piece of writing. In ‘Childhood Sweetheart’ I can hear influences of popular 90s bands Longpigs and Shed 7 in the guitar riffs – this is a song to end the night with.

With ‘So Serious’ the pace picks up again and this track is also much heavier in terms of production. In this track lies the oddest influence with a possibly unintentional similar vocal style and rhythm to the start of Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’. I don’t know if that’s what the band were aiming for, but combine it with a far heavier rock, verging at times on light metal, sound to the chorus and you have the most interesting track on the album.

This brings me on to my joint favourite track, ‘I Own’, which again combines great catchy guitar with ska and reggae beats and must get crowds moshing at gigs and in living rooms whenever it’s played.

Previously-mentioned 90s guitar influences can be heard in the track ‘Creatures’, while my other joint-favourite track, ‘Mojo Hand’, is the penultimate song on the album and again it starts life a slower number, before moving back into heavier indie-rock territory. It

is from the lyrics of ‘Mojo Hand’ that the album title is drawn and as well as being one of the longest tracks on the album it is also the most memorable. There’s a heavy hint to the analogue bass sound of Air’s Sexy Boy peppered throughout this track.

The album closes with ‘Hit The Road’, which both in title and in lyrics provides a quirky end point. I imagine Jipsy Magic will be hitting the road and pleasing crowds up and down the country with this well-rounded release.

One final point to note is that only two of the tracks are more than five minutes long, and many come at around about the three-minute mark, making them ideal for radio play.

Download from iTunes or order from www.jipsymagic.com

www.townofcatsband.com

28 February saw the launch of the Town of Cats EP ‘Premium Monkey Business’ at The Prince Albert. A mixed line-up started with The Curious Sounds: a youthful duo playing cello and accordion, singing ditties that would fit well in the cafés of Paris. A swift turnaround saw half of Brighton band, Half Crown, kick off what was billed as an acoustic set, well at least the shaker was! The three singers with electric and amplified acoustic guitars started strong and built to a frenetic finish. Reaction around the crowd was that there were similarities to Plan B but this outfit had the energy and charisma of plan a, b and c at least. If half the band can hold an audience as rapt as these guys did then a date for the diary is certainly the launch of their own EP at The Haunt on 14 June.

The Albert was at capacity by the time Town of Cats came on. Made up of four lads and Ma, yes she really is mum to the talented singer/song-writer Joe, the

Various facebook.com/flokband review

JACQUELINE MITROVIC

Town of Cats appeared happily at home on the stage. Ben on drums kept the rest of the band on their toes beating a super fast pace. Ma was on sax and whipped up a storm on the spoons. Barney, switching effortlessly between sax, flute and piccolo whilst dancing wildly, and Adam, the fastest fingered bassist in the west, were both amazing to watch and listen to. Cleverly written songs are witty with a funky, gypsy ska sound making them eminently danceable. How these guys sing the “Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry” line in “Nursery Crimes’ so fast is beyond comprehension. Gelling well together, with easy banter between them, Town of Cats quickly engaged the crowd, particularly some Spanish ladies who seemed to rather enjoy ‘El Cougre’. To finish the set was ‘Twists of Fate’ building to a crescendo about setting the roof on fire which, given the heat generated by Town of Cats, might well have happened at The Albert. Catch them supporting Half Crown in June… you won’t regret it.

soundcloud.com/flok-uk

MUSIC REVIEWS

facebook.com/townofcats

FOLK

Live Review @ The Prince Albert

FLOK

GIPSY SKA FOLK

Town of Cats

review HELENA WATMUFF

Musicians can bend and change over time, falling in and out of trend, groups and genre. FLOK is the most recent creation of Alex, Matt and Dan. Folk, but not quite, the sound brings connotations to mind of early Led Zeppelin, combined with The Staves and Joni Mitchell.

Each member does their part to elevate this band forward, with one taking care of marketing and promo, another stepping in as recording engineer and producer, with the final slot being filled by Matt who is FLOK’s resident artist for all works relating back to the band.

The band draws influences from artists similar to these, with Alex expressing interest in the 90s feminine sounds of The Cardigans and Six Pence None The Richer with Dan drawing on Foo Fighters to integrate solidarity into this group.

Although, despite the above list of wellknown names, FLOK’s sound is incredibly organic, and creates something a little more spiritual and hypnotic, especially present when listening to the band’s ‘Letting Go’. This is a mesmerising song with sporadic dynamic changes throughout; it really sets the band apart from modern folk groups and brings a traditional feel back into the music.

However, on the other side, the dynamic of work load is far from traditional and FLOK have adapted brilliantly within the changing music industry. Having recently received help from outside management, and acquiring a new double bassist to complement the acoustic vibe, who takes payment in the form of chocolate biscuits, it’s very clear that the music, a hard working ethos and possibly food is the priority for the group.

These guys have also received massive support from local town Horsham with a few notable names including Gary Holder and Mark Daly while also branching out further to our own Prince Albert in Brighton. Not to mention a few quirky locations in London such as the Acklam Village Market, “it’s a wonderful space to showcase yourself to a London audience without all the ticket hype and they have a food market which serves everything from Thai curry to Polish sausages!”

I’m really keen to see what FLOK have planned for summer. With a natural sound that will sit wonderfully among the festival line ups, I’m so excited to see these guys featured somewhere among our local festivals including The Great Escape and Meadowlands. It’s refreshing to see something that feels so rooted to the Earth in a musical climate of unstable and fake representations. A genuine rich tone that seems like a story to be shared with care and intimacy among its listeners.

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FEATURED BAND 8

Founded in 2011, The first of The DuBarrys (Alex, Chich and Rax) met as a collective of uni students, all moving into the same student house without previously ever knowing each other. With a mutual love of music and an immediate bond, the guys all started playing together before starting the band that we know of today. With Alex from Belgium, Rax from Bournemouth and Chich from “The Shire” as he calls it near Southampton, it is an eclectic mix for these guys (after all, barely anyone in Brighton feature JORDAN are actually from Brighton, right?). Along with their original THOMAS drummer Omar from Spain but unfortunately he had to move back home, which leads to an old friend of Rax’s who also came to Brighton to study, Dylan who immediately clicked and became part of The DuBarrys. For the origins of their name – “We had to come up for a name for our first show and we were going through song titles we liked, ‘Dubarry Was

A Lady’ and ‘Pacific Lane’ were the two we liked. We put them together to make “DuBarry Lane” but then changed to “The DuBarrys” as we thought it was more catchy.”

Fast forward to today, The Dubarrys are definitely no strangers to live shows, even to outside of the UK. Thanks to their former dummer Omar, they ended up touring in Castellon. But to make it even better for themselves, their biggest show there ended up generating so much interest, it won them Concert of the Year at the Castellon Auditorium.

However that wouldn’t be their only highlight of gigging – “Isle of Wight was definitely the highlight of 2013 for us.

Got to play a 45-minute set on the Band Stand, which is the biggest stage we’ve played.

We couldn’t grasp that we were playing at a festival Jimmy Hendrix played at 40 years ago. The experience was amazing, free food, free drinks and of course being driven around in golf buggies!” The DuBarrys also supported King Charles in Bristol and Dutch Uncles in Manchester.

Not to mention another trip to Spain for the second time around at Bidi Festival – “It was great to be back in Spain at Bidi Festival on an even bigger stage than last time, outdoors this time also! The vibe is different in Spain, playing at 1am whilst 25% outside is something we could get used to.

“While over there we had the privilege of spending two days in Rockaway Studios to record ‘How Bad Do You Want It’ and ‘Migration’.” Talking of recording, The DuBarrys has still yet to release their debut EP despite the tremendous popularity that they have gained through live performances in and outside the UK. However, their EP is finally going under works. “We

are now working with management and going to record a 4-track EP at Ray Davis’ KONK Studios, in London where artists such as Arctic Monkeys, Adele, Bombay Bicycle Club and Depeche Mode have played. After this we will release a single with a video and then the EP itself. Regarding the debut EP, we will be working with producer Ben Mason during five days.” Not to mention their new video and track ‘This Time’ – “The video is self-made, filmed with the help of our manager Jack Bennett, at Brighton Electric Studios. We then edited it ourselves adding some effects to make it visually more appealing. Layers upon layers of footage saturated to make for some trippy effects. The song is going to be re-recorded and re-released, as explained above.”

Back home in Brighton, how do The DuBarrys feel of here? “The music scene in Brighton, alongside London, is at a very high level. A lot of bands in a small area, with a number of great small venues, which of course means that it is hard to get paid for gigs as there are so many bands out there; but having said that we’ll always call this home, the charm of its small crowded venues makes it more intense.”

However, it seems not everyone is a fan of The DuBarrys in Brighton! “We have had a few encounters with the local seagulls… they seem to have a grudge against us. We left band practice and guitarist Rax had just bought some new Ray Bans, when a seagull decided to drop one just on his glasses, nowhere else, not even on his hair or clothes, just the new ray bans!

The second time this happened was at rehearsal at our drummer’s flat. During a break on the balcony, singer Alex was sitting on the balcony as bassist Chich came out and ask to take the seat. Alex happily gave Chich his seat, as though he knew what was about to happen. Within a matter of seconds a seagull dropped one on Chich. Alex couldn’t believe his luck.” soundcloud.com/thedubarrys www.thedubarrys.com Images courtsey of James Hawley www.jameshawleyphotography.tumblr.com

FEATURE

like silence violently coloured in. The mixture of these two sounds make their live shows very engaging and entertaining, as more often than not a band doesn’t hold the audience’s attention for one hundred percent of the show; however with Moth and their mixture of juxtaposing sounds and energy, your attention is fully held.

Moth have released their first EP entitled ‘Breed’, a brilliant four-track EP reminiscent of the 90’s grunge era with a psych twist, guitarists Callum and James providing blues inspired groove filled riffs while drummer Ben giving a frantic yet controlled 60’s style song-driving rhythm, which when combined with the mixture of the screamed and restrained vocals from singer Sean creates an incredibly engaging and unique aural experience.

Something’s happening to the Brighton scene at the moment, the bands who recycle Two Door Cinema Club riffs, sport razor fades and Top-Man prom suits in music videos shot for their media studies coursework, are finding themselves exiled to the edge of the scene, losing attention to bands who draw a more alternative crowd. feature GEORGE METCALF

One of the most unique and exciting bands in this scene is MOTH.

MOTH formed in early 2013 and since then have gone on to gain a cult following a reputation for alcohol fuelled explosive live shows, and perform at a wide variety of Brighton venues and with a wide variety of veteran bands. With a sound very reminiscent of the 90’s American post grunge combined with British teenage angst and boredom induced anger mixed with elements of the psychedelic rock movement from the 60’s, MOTH have proven they are a very unique up and coming band involved in the ever impressive Brighton scene.

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A band whose soul goal is to get drunk and play loud music, their main sound is Jesus Lizard inspired groove-infused punk with vocals that either channel Ian Curtis or Henry Rollins. However the band also experiment with a more atmospheric sound, which mixes their raw frantic sound with a more trippy vibe, the end results sounding

Their dynamic and aggressive performance put to tape is nothing compared to their alcohol-fuelled energy filling live performances. The band shows little concern for personal safety and delivers a very engaging, compelling and straight up enjoyable live show. Singer Sean has been quoted saying, “If we’re not bleeding a little bit by the end of the show, it’s not been a good show”; this illustrates how much Moth put into their live performances, live performances that other bands struggle to match.

The band have also had a lot of very positive attention from a number of local media and online publications, all of which has helped add to their cult following and has helped to get their name out there. Moth has recently recorded a single, which will be released on a compilation vinyl with other Brighton bands also playing in the alternative scene.

Although Moth aren’t too fussed about being part of any scene, they didn’t set out to fit into a certain place, they just want to play the music that they enjoy and that comes naturally to them, and ironically that’s why they fit into the up and coming Brighton alternative scene. As the scene itself consists of people who are making music simply because they want to make music, who didn’t set out with the intention of fitting in anywhere in particular and who just play the music that comes naturally to them.

Moth is by far one of the most exciting live acts around at the moment and have lots of great opportunities to showcase their talent. They have the potential to really do something and this, coupled with their progressive play-any-gig attitude, can facebook.com/moth.uk only mean good things for their future.

Live Photo: © Ajit Dutta, RaidSTUDIOS.com

moth-uk.bandcamp.com

So you guys got together at Access to Music College in 2012. How did you get on to form the band?

We started as a project on our course, playing cover songs together just to get a good grade. The turning point between being a project and being a band was a random jam we had during a rehearsal just to warm up. We accidentally wrote a song doing so. That song went on to become ‘Seizure’. After that session we had a chat and made the decision to continue the band as something more than just a covers project.

What did you get from the college and how has it helped you as a band?

Over the two years we’ve been with the college we have had a phenomenal amount of help and influences.

Connor Drescher - Vocals Dean Theodosiou - Lead Guitar Alex Thompson - Rhythm Guitar Joe Matimong - Bass & Backing Vocals Harry Beer - Drums

One of the most significant being Martin Rossiter (ex Gene vocalist) helped us with the breaks in ‘Seizure’, and taught us how to make our songs catchy without subtracting from their roots. On top of that, the tutors have always guided us in the right direction when we’ve needed it, whether we knew we needed it or not.

What was the reasoning behind the name?

It started off with just a joke about our guitarist Dean Theodosiou wrestling bears as a hobby. Whilst throwing random names around he suggested ‘Southpaw’ and we liked it, admittedly some of us more than others, but eventually it grew on us and just stuck. It felt right.

What’s your favourite food before a gig?

How would you describe the sound you guys play?

We always get asked this and to be frank we have no idea, we find it hard to label ourselves and have just accepted it’s not really possible to be objective about that.

What inspires you when writing?

For us we get inspiration from the atmosphere and seeing other bands play incredible sets. Also we take a lot from our individual influences (all diverse for us), which is crucial for inspiration when writing. For example, Dean takes inspiration from Alice In Chains whereas Joe takes it from Rage Against The Machine.

Your first gig was in December 2012.

How did you find it?

We found it exhilarating and a rush. We loved the vibe and atmosphere that came from it and we instantly seemed to gain a fan base. It seemed somewhat surreal.

We were a band no one had ever heard of let alone seen before. It was our first form of exposure, which makes it all the more ridiculous that we got asked at the end of the night to play an encore. The only issue we had was that we had no other songs yet; we’d only been a band for about a month. After explaining this to the promoter he was so desperate to see

us play again he asked us to just play our set again. The crowd loved it.

What came of it? You have played some great venues, what was your favourite?

INTERVIEW

PHOTOGRAPHY © DIK NG

MEETING AT ACCESS TO MUSIC COLLEGE AND FORMING IN 2012, SOUTHPAW HAS QUICKLY BECOME A SOLID AND IMPRESSIVE YOUNG ACT WITH THEIR MIX OF ROCK AND HIP HOP...

This question splits the band down the middle, really. Alex, Connor and Harry don’t really eat before a gig, not significantly anyway. On the opposite end of the spectrum Dean and Joe go on binges before and after playing. The most significant scenario was Dean eating a large takeaway pizza, two chicken Tikka sandwiches plus a Tikka baguette all to himself whilst we were on tour just before walking on stage.

Now we’ve gone on tour and gigged countless times we’ve had the opportunity to play some great venues such as The Hope, The London O2 Academy, The Bristol Tunnels and even Meadowlands Festival. As for our favourite, I think we have to say the O2 Academy in Birmingham. It was incredibly surreal to have our own dressing rooms with showers and fridges. It gave us a taste of what we want.

Any embarrassing moments?

There has been a hell of a lot! I think the most significant was at the hotel at the end of the tour. Without going into a great amount of detail we ran around the hotel exposing ourselves indecently after two crates of beer and some fine dining upon pot noodle! Although we regret nothing, it was a bonding experience.

What are you planning for 2014?

We have a lot planned for 2014 to say the least. First and foremost we are currently recording our first ever EP, doing all the work ourselves. We have already put countless hours and days of work into it and there are countless more to come. We really want to take our time and release something we are proud of. We aim to release this summer 2014, but for now that is all we can say on the matter. fb.com/bandsouthpaw soundcloud.com/southpawuk

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FEATURE

PHOTOGRAPHY © TONY JUPP

HALF CROWN FIRST HAD A LIVE REVIEW IN BRIGHTON UNSIGNED MAGAZINE WAY BACK IN ISSUE 2, NOVEMEBER 2011.

BRIGHTON UNSIGNED CAUGHT UP WITH THE BAND TO SEE HOW IT WAS GOING...

The members of Half Crown have known each other since school, from playing music individually and sometimes together.

The beginnings of the band originated when David (guitar) and Josh review (drums) worked together on JACQUELINE another project but when MITROVIC that folded Charlie (bass) and Frankie (guitar) joined them to form the nucleus of the current line-up. Then one drunken weekend freestyle rapper Louie was recruited and Half Crown as they are today was born.

These guys have a clear group identity, of self-professed British gents, so when they walk in the room you know the band has arrived. That said, although there is a collective visual ‘style’ that is thought

A recent support slot to Rizzle Kicks at the Dome generated glowing reviews and this hard working band have lots more gigs on the horizon. They are continuing their association with the Foodie Festival, something they love to do because they

There has been lots of talk of an album and Half Crown has already released a number of EPs. With every purchase of the recent ‘Eye Spy’ CD, fans were PHOTOGRAPHY © TONY JUPP

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out but naturally evolving; the individual identities of the different members are still absolutely evident. Their influences are wide-ranging and music in itself is what spurs them all on. Main influences come from blues, reggae, jazz, rock and hip hop with a bit of poetry thrown in. This eclectic mix does show in the music they create, which means their appeal spreads to a wide audience. They also most definitely fit in with the Oxjam demographic statistic that bands need to appeal to audiences of females between the age of 18 and 30!

all put food and drink as a close second to music when it comes to things they love. Then they are confirmed for Redfest (www.redfest.co.uk) just up the road in Redhill and have a slot on the main stage for One Love Festival, which is held over the weekend of 15-17 August, with a few more festival appearances potentially in the pipeline. The One Love (www. onelovefestival.co.uk) slot is something all of Half Crown are really looking forward to because reggae is a massive influence on what they do as a group so I imagine this will be one not to miss.

With some top secret support slots still under wraps it’s worth keeping an eye on their website www.halfcrownband.com or their Facebook page www.facebook. com/officialhalfcrown so you know exactly where and when you can next see them.

being sent an extra free EP. The idea of an album is still under discussion but nothing is yet finalised, so it’s a ‘watch this space moment’. There is, however, a new offering scheduled for imminent release, rather than the usual four-track EP this is a seven-track LP so almost an album. Having spoken to the guys I can confirm that they are really excited about the release and are hugely looking forward to the launch at The Haunt on 14 June, which is likely to be their ‘show of the year’. They will be ably supported at this gig by Charlie Winston and Town of Cats, both of whom are working hard to make a name for themselves and are worth making time to see. Charlie is hugely popular in France and Belgium, with his tracks “Like a Hobo” and the platinum selling “Hello Alone” getting millions of hits on YouTube. Town of Cats have just seen the launch of their second EP “Premium Monkey Business” and are gearing up for a season of festival appearances starting with Small World in May. Recently named Sound and Motion’s ‘Band of the Year 2013’ Half Crown are definitely in the ascendency so I highly recommend that you get along to The Haunt on 14 June to judge for yourself if you can. fb.com/officialhalfcrown www.halfcrownband.com

Heart Full of Beef

DAISY VICTORIA

The Islands of Japan

THE GALLEONS

The Gift That Keeps Giving

PUPPET KINGS

Day of Night

BLEED AGAIN

reviews JORDAN THOMAS

The one that is definitely worth watching and listening to, one of Daisy’s latest video shows a slightly trippy (and very resourceful!) effect that matches the tune and beats to the track perfectly.

While it sets the mood and easily gently nods the head to the beat, Daisy’s gentle singing is opposite yet perfectly matches to the slightly techno yet rocky tune. Be sure to check this one out.

A soft acoustic track from The Galleons is presented by a sweet and quirky animation. In a sort of Terry Gilliam style of collage, the animation is a delight to watch with the storyline following the journey of a submarine, which then gets ascended by a balloon up to sky and space. Its content and feels are like a nice dream state of a child. It’s worth watching for the video alone but it’s even better with a track like this.

INTERVIEW

SEARCH FOR THE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE. IF YOU ARE VIEWING THIS PAGE ONLINE CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO LINK TO THE VIDEO.

The Puppet Kings release the track ‘The Gift That Keeps Giving’, and gives their usual style of a Brighton-esque rock. The video itself is your typical band-room performance along with clips of road trips and takeaways. That is not to say that it’s dull with some creative editing and camera shots that keeps in tone with the track itself. It does give a pretty good idea of what kind of performance to expect live if you haven’t seen them on stage.

Bleed Again (with releasing a new EP) released this rather impressive and high quality video that wouldn’t be out of place on Kerrang Channel and the like. A typical format of a stage performance but using simple yet effective usage of lightings around the stage and making use of the metallic surrounding and fog. It matches the heavy metal genre perfectly. The track would definitely go down well with the Alternate fans.

13

Where to record in your chosen room: You probably don’t want to record in the middle of the room or tucked deep in a corner!

The middle of the room is where certain frequencies can build up and you get what’s called standing waves coming through in your recordings. Alternatively the corners of the room and under places like desks are where the bass frequencies get trapped. I like to clap and listen to see if I can hear anything annoying, and if you can hear something you don’t like you can either try your best to deaden it or locate to another area of the room. It’s down to experimentation.

NOISE REDUCTION

Surfaces: The surfaces around you are an important point to consider when doing a home-recording session. The materials that make up your room can determine the difference between a great recording and a very bad recording. Bad surfaces such as glass (reflective), concrete, tiled walls, flooring, or any hard and smooth surface will reflect the sound around the room causing a not very nice echo effect. Good surfaces include carpet, rugs, curtains and most furniture (such as the classic studio sofa), and can help deaden the sound. If you’re not after a dead sound and just want a small amount of room warmth without a harsh echo, I really like using rooms with some brick walls (non painted!!) and wooden beams if you’re lucky enough, all can sound really nice. One really great way of getting rid of bad surface effects is to hang a duvet or some clothes down the wall. It’s amazing how man nasty frequencies can be taken out with a few simple additions to you room layout.

Noise reduction: Make sure your recordings go from sounding unfinished to recordings that sound slick and smooth. Background noise should be as quiet as possible or non-existent. That means turning off ANYTHING noisy in your house such as a TV, oven, dishwasher, washing machine, and move your fish tank if you have one (they make a surprising amount of noise). This is an important part of your pre-recording preparation because even though it might not sound like much at first, after using compressors in the mixing and mastering; background noise can appear (even with the use of plug-ins try to reduce it) stupidly loud. It’s not only irritating but near enough impossible to edit out background noise. Much easier to just turn off that fan before recording.

BLEED

Recording technician Danny Ansell from Ting Music give musicans helpful hints on getting the best sound with a home recording set up...

Another point on noise reduction that requires its own paragraph. HEADPHONE BLEED! Make sure you pick a pair of headphones that are fully enclosed and adjust the volume depending on the track to get minimal bleed. Test it out before you start recording takes!

MIKING

WHICH ROOM?

SURFACES

RECORDING FEATURE 14

RECORDING TIPS AND TRICKS PART 1

Miking drums: You can easily get a good solid drum sound with just 4 microphones: one in front of the kick, one on top of the snare and a stereo pair over the over heads. Using more microphones won’t necessarily make your drums sound better, it just gives more flexibility later on when mixing.

TUNING PREPARATION

GUITARS AND BASS CHOOSE YOUR MIC

Different mic types: Condenser mics have diaphragms that are thin, possessing a voltage running between the capacitor and the diaphragm. Pros: extra sensitivity giving more of a dynamic range. Cons: delicate, requires power source (requires phantom power). A dynamic microphone is durable and self-powered but won’t produce as higher quality audio signal as a condenser microphone.

Make sure you keep all your instruments in tune especially when over dubbing. If a track is even slightly out of tune you can completely ruin the recording of the song by not noticing this earlier. Check tuning after every take.

Don’t leave yourself lots of problems to try and fix later on.

Don’t bank on it sounding better after mixing. Make sure the take is clean beforehand. Even if you can fix the sound of a track using lots of plug-ins and editing, there’s no comparison to a nailed recording incorporating tightness, dynamics and tone.

Be prepared, especially if you’re recording with someone else.

Recording is a long process and people get tired. Being ill-prepared takes up lots of time, it annoys you and anyone you’re working with and tires you out more. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

Ting Music was established in Feb 2013 by musicians, for musicians to provide artists with a platform to promote themselves.

Next month in Part 2, Danny will be looking at recording tips and tricks to take to the studio.

If you are interested in discussing a recording project with Danny or you are about to embark on a new musical project and could do with some recording advice please email

RECORDING FEATURE

When recording guitars and bass it’s a good idea to record DI as well as mic up the Amp/Guitar. This gives you more flexibility later on (you might find you prefer the amp). I’ve often found that if a bass or guitar isn’t cutting through the mix (seeming distant) using the DI signal with an amp simulator can make a track sound stronger. Also test out mic positioning around the amp’s cone. You can pick up different sounds by pointing the mic directly at the centre of the cone or just off-centre. It’s important to experiment.

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brighton

FREE VOCAL & BEATMAKING WORKSHOPS

Thurs 17th April 10am-4pm BOOK NOW!

Enterprise Point, Melbourne St BRIGHTON, BN2 3LH

This Easter holidays, Access To Music Brighton is offering young vocalists and producers a great opportunity to take part in FREE one-day music workshops. The workshops will be led by qualified college tutors and are ideal for 15-18 year olds.

www.accesstomusic.ac.uk 01273 628363 atm.brighton@accesstomusic.ac.uk Come and see us at...

Brighton Music Conference The Dome, 11th & 12th April

Stand A26 plus seminars from Louis La Roche and Let The Machines Do The Work

the music & media college