BWD Magazine - July 2014 by BWD Magazine

#1 Variety Magazine - A Worldwide Puclication

JULY 2014 Vol 17

THE SOAP GIRLS INFECTIOUS

HEARTBEAT & HEART-THROBS IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC

KAROLINE RHETT A POP STAR’S DISCOVERY THE RESONANCE OF RHETT

OVER A DECADES WORTH OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

FEATURES 04 Jermaine Smith Everything From Sports, Modelling To An Musician

06 No Loose Ends (Book Review) Author: Ramsey Venner

Blue Touch Paper

Building Empire Of Sounds

16 Sons Of Kal-el Legendary On Their Way To Immortal

18 The Peckham Cowboys Song-slingers Armed With An Absolution Of Music

20 Robot Space Love (Album Review) Artist: The Void

22 Karoline Rhett A Pop Star’s Discovery To The Resonance Of Rhett

24 DJ Nino Graye Brilliance Behind The Mic, Confidence Of A Composer

26 PhilCastRadio Encouraging The Scene That’s Cultivated Their Growth

COVER STORY 12 The Soap Girls Infectious Heartbeat Of Both Music And The World

LIFESTYLE 08 Put It On My Tab An Avenue Of Avarice With 3 Free App’s

14 5 Tips For Creating A ‘Wicked’ Set-list Affording The Pleasure Of Music To Your Audience

ENTERTAINMENT 7

Buffalo Bites (Monthly Feature)

Over 20 Years’ Experience In The Creative Audio And Music Production World

2 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

FROM THE EDITOR

LAST ISSUE

In a world where a swipe across the virtual shelf has supplanted the casual stroll down the aisle, content driven media has become the golden chalice of promotion; fresh content delivered with the minimum of fuss constantly throughout the day has become the key to ensnaring the public interest, of reaching the plateau of fame and recognition you deserve to be standing upon. Without an audience to listen no-one can hear you talk. Without a pair of eyes to observe no-one notices when you achieve greatness and without a market waiting on pins to learn which direction their latest fascination will be coming from no-one will be holding the banners of congratulations when you finally step up to the limelight. With an empire of insiders working tirelessly away to bring you the biggest, best, and breaking news across the entire landscape of the media BWD Magazine has built a reputation as being one of the leading names in the industry. When we speak, others listen. With a worldwide audience of subscribers downloading and learning

Editor In Chief V Keach

Associate Editor J Addams

which name to look out for, which band they should be following, who the

Lead Contributing Writer

next Big Thing is going to be, BWD Magazine speaks to millions of awaiting

J Addams

ears each and every month.

Contributing Writer With the world as an audience BWD Magazine puts you firmly in the

V Keach

spotlight.

Art Director V Keach BWD Magazine- ‘Leading Whilst Others Follow’

Graphic Artist(s) V Keach, BWD Graphics

Circulation/Sales Officer(s) V Keach/J Addams

BWDMAGAZINE.COM BWDRADIO.COM FACEBOOK.COM/BWDMAGAZINE TWITTER.COM/BWDMAGAZINE FACEBOOK.COM/BWDRADIO TWITTER.COM/BWDRADIO_ TWITTER.COM/BWDPROMOTIONS

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 3

A truly happy person is too busy living in the moment to dwell on the past or worry about the future.“

roving the adage of ‘brains and

estranged father’s collection of over five hun-

beauty’ isn’t the sole preserve of

dred LP’s and albums he discovered a tapestry

the female side of the species

of textures that spoke to him, connected with

Jermaine Smith is bringing the

the inner artist and began a life-times obsession

chiseled good looks of a

that would see him become a magician in music.

Parisian exponent with an intellectual insight those who meet with him consider company

Nourished by the sounds of Motown and the

worth investing in.

stylings of Marvin Gaye his inherited collection delivered a broadening perspective of sounds,

Though dig a little deeper behind the eyes and

eventually leading him to exploring what other

we find another adage of books and their being

genres and musical worlds hid within their digi-

judged solely on their covers being equally

tal worlds.

applicable; a Floridian native Jermaine’s outer deportment of confidence and assurance hides

As he matured so too did his tastes, his focus

a less than enviable upbringing. Born to parents

turning to the world of rap and the blank can-

who saw ‘family’ as something that had sides to

vas it afforded its exponents; the cats-cradle

be taken Jermaine withstood the constant point

of emotional out-pouring and poetic license

scoring and slurs each parent would speak of the

inherent within the genre may have appeared

other as only the blessed ignorant of one who

completely different to the artists he initially felt

knows no different could.

drawn to, but it proved to be the bridge between the sounds of his inspirations and the emotional

It speaks much of Jermaine’s inner strength,

tsunami wrought from his experiences of life.

however, as from this car-crash of emotional mis-trust and embittered battling he was able

It was within the world of rap he found solace

to discover the joy of music from his father, an

as the promise of a ‘normal’ childhood was once

unintentional gifting mayhap but one that set

again denied him during his high-school years;

him on his path to adulthood with a steady-

a step-father as unfortunate a human being as

ing hand. As he buried himself within his now

his own father had been Jermaine now had the

4 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

“TODAY IS YESTERDAY’S MEMORY AND TOMORROW’S DREAM.”

JERMAINE SMITH responsibility of enduring the untenable whilst being a positive

cian, but also businessman, husband, and model contracted to the

male role model for his sister Marissa.

notable Sports and Lifestyle Unlimited Agency.

Stepping-up to the challenge he became a star athlete at school,

‘Today is yesterday’s memory and tomorrow’s dream,’ he philosophi-

the basketball court becoming his own land to rule. Knowing now

cally reveals to us when discussing his BWD Magazine feature win,

that he pitted his might against such current NBA stars as Louis

‘thus live one day at a time, as they are given. A truly happy person

Williams of the 76ers and the LA Clippers forward Al Aminu and

is too busy living in the moment to dwell on the past or worry about

the advanced placement and honors he received only add to his

the future.’

legendary status within Meadowcreek High School’s history. For those who lay the blame of their present on the troubles of College saw him on the sporting field and extend his intellect

their past Jermaine Smith offers us a chance to see a better future,

majoring in psychology, and it was shortly before this current leg

to hold perspective to the light, be encouraged by the view, and use

of his successful scholastic career was drawing to a close, the

as the mantle to become the role ‘model’ Jermaine has proven to be.

dawning of a move to the University of Oregon lighting his path, that his natural musical talents made themselves known. Diving into the worlds within words Jermaine found an unending flow of

Contact Information:

lyrical complexity pouring from his pen, the essence of emotion as detailed as it was hypnotic when drawn from the well of his experiences.

Website: myspace.com/isaiahmessiah Twitter: @Jsmithatown26

Charged with a renewed vigor there seemed no obstacle too big nor challenge too large to stop the determined Jermaine, and to that end he now stands as being not just an incredibly gifted musi-

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 5

ritten from a first person perspective No Loose

must go to when pressed through the voice of a man clearly supe-

Ends by author Ramsey Venner tells a millionaires

rior to those he must call his contemporaries, No Loose Ends is a rare

tale on a street hustlers budget; what begins as a

treat of a read; one that doesn’t glorify the ugliness and force us to

self-sacrificing act of voluntary incarceration for a

look, but instead allows us as much of a viewing as we think we can

crime he didn’t commit soon sees lead character

manage, with open arms for when you come back for a second and

Travis Smith - aka Contraband - refusing to fall like his contemporaries to the enticing clutches of drug addiction, but falling heavily

third helping. 5 Stars out of 5

for the alluring charms of the cash that comes from introducing ‘product’ to ‘consumer’. Set within a brightly lit backdrop of Reno, Nevada No Loose Ends maps out the course of our leads mis-adventure with an engorgement of detailed minutiae, placing you firmly behind the eyes and within the emotions of Contraband as what begins as a two year prison sentence undertaken on another’s behalf quickly turns into a businessman’s understanding of supply and demand, revealing a world where admiration becomes envy, respect become revenges, and sin is available 24/7 and to suit your bill fold. Though never offering excuses for actions undertaken nor apologies for an avarice of indulgences Ramsey instead paints a picture of simple open honesty; these are the things that happened and this is why they happened, and it’s up to the individual to remonstrate or rally against the injustice beset against our lead protagonist as he chooses a side to stand on. Like a confessional for what lies behind Hollywood’s plastic glamour there’s an attractiveness to Contraband’s character that ingratiates with ease; the detailing of hours spent in the company of ladies whose affections are negotiable and by-the-hour, the high level

Contact Information:

meeting of fellow ‘business men’ in a low level strip club, and the rush of adrenalin coursing through the writing on the page as we

Website: www.ramseyvenner.com

descend into the madness and are forced to choose just whose side

Instagram: No_loose_ends

we are on; ours or theirs. A fastly flowing foray into the depth of humanity and the lengths it

6 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

BUFFALO BITES MONTHLY FEATURE Greetings Buffalo! This month I bring you the little adventure I call ‘Getting

I knew we’d need later but not really have time to build on site. It’s amaz-

a studio space’. It started a few months ago when I asked a friend of mine,

ing what you can do with railway sleepers, decking, old speakers and a few

doing a similar home recording vibe, if he’d like to join forces as I was look-

sheets of ply wood with a little google-searched inspiration.

ing for a partner to build a studio. To my utter astonishment Ross agreed!

By the way, I’ll make my apologies for the scatty-nature of this month’s Bite now, my head as you can possibly imagine is brimmed full of electrical cur-

We listed all the gear we had between us and except for a couple of mic’s

rent phases, floppy brick walls and basically inadequate infrastructure ie;

and a mixing desk we had more than enough to mic a band, one at a time,

no running water or toilet! So there you go. Brain fried.

for what I call ‘studio standard practice’, everyone taking their turn layering tracks down to a click or some sort of guide. As fantastic as Foel Studio

Eight days ago on Monday 16 June we collected the keys to what will be:

have been over the last couple of years, it’s tricky trying to convince a band

Crown Works Studio!! Aaaarrrrrgggghhhh!! Sleep? Nope, not on Sunday

to travel into mid-Wales to record especially the younger bands with limited

night. It’s hard to put into words the feeling of being on the brink of build-

transport. (Something to consider when building your studio) As I’m based

ing your first non-home studio, a dream I’ve held for years and scary. Scary

in the midlands it’s a trek for me too but fortunately the studio is awesome!

in a good, butterflies in tummy anxiety kind of way. I think?? In the last

So, back to the story…We found a few units up for rent and started to view

week and a day we’ve sorted two wobbly walls, started soundproofing,

them in person. The first unit we found was huge. 2,500 square feet; one

arranged electrical work, had steps built outside, bars over the window,

very large room! It had formerly been a pole dancing club so had a definite

plans for a new and insurance friendly front door, a toilet has started to be

feel to it... Mainly due to the stage still being there, unfortunately the poles

installed, planning for electrical and audio distribution, windows ordered

had been removed! As wowed as we were the roof was 100 years old and

for the control room and live room for visual communication, cut a hole

leaky, the access was limited being up narrow stairs, and we’d have had to

in a wall for said window, materials ordered and delivered, studding for

build a substantial amount of construction before even considering sound

plasterboard sheeting (including acoustic damping), rock wool installation

and wiring. So we searched on. The next unit was in an old converted car

in places most desperate, met the neighbors in other units on site, met the

park. The man called it ‘the cave’ and holy crap it was grim. The previous

building owner, (who also happens to be one of the people involved in the

tenants had left plenty of evidence of their cannabis trading and distribu-

building of Trident Studios in London!), and prepared the floors for paint.

tion. They’d transported it out in refrigerators and freezers for anyone who’s interested, most of them piled up in a wall of appliances still there. The

I’m tired, my body hurts and still we carry on! This is a labor of love and we

place wasn’t for us, darkness and damp, a homely studio does not make it!

will not stop until we finish. Over the next couple of months I’ve limited my recording sessions so I can be as involved in the build as possible (a

The search continued and somehow the stars lined up when we found

great way to reduce your labor costs) and get to know the place from the

what had previously been ‘Crown Nail Works’ a Wolverhampton nail making

ground up. So I’ll be trying to walk you guys through some of the joys and

company. There was a young couple still in there who’d started to convert

some of the hurdles too (next month). When I started writing this column

the 1,250 square foot unit into a studio and it was split into a large room,

I honestly had no idea if we’d be building a studio so soon. It just goes to

a small room and a wide corridor. The smaller room had a window which is

show that if you put the work in and are incredibly lucky, great things can

great in the control room and the live room was 12.5 x 7 metres so plenty

happen. Can’t wait to bring you all with me! For now I’m going to wrap it

of room there for bands and their gear. After a second visit with my partner

up and get back to the third layer of plasterboard on the first wall. There’s

‘in studio crime’ we decided to go ahead! Time was ticking by and if you’ve

a few gaps to fill yet, I’m learning new skills every day, and not a single one

ever looked into building a commercial recording studio the amount of

of them music related! Happy Tracking dear Buffalo! And remember: “I know

research is phenomenal. Mind-bending. Now bear in mind that our budget

a song that’ll get on your nerves, get on your nerves, get on your nerves.....”

is quite low for a project of this scale. The build and equipment have to come in under a certain cost and that is not very flexible, as it should be.

Buffalo Music Production - www.facebook.com/gazz.rogers

It’s all about planning. Or at least that’s what we thought. In the next two

Foel Studio - http://www.foelstudio.co.uk/

weeks I spent a little time and money making some improvised acoustic diffusers, speaker stands and amp risers, basically anything I could do that

7 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

PUT IT ON MY TAB 8 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

BBC NEWS

Share entire Drive’s or a single something simply with a swish or delve into the Drive through your desktop if desired, as an app it feels designed to fit your own personal demands, whether busy

Known throughout the world as the single

hard-core cloud-connoisseur constantly on the move or occasional

most unbiased and reliable source of cur-

puddy-piccy pusher collating a captioned kitty collection.

rent and breaking news the BBC is the leader in its field of news-bringers to the people; presented with a staid hand its

GOOGLE KEEP

reputation for delivering the facts as they are sans any religious or political bias the British Broadcasting Corporation’s tiny app centers squarely on the information at hand,

Keeping a handle on all the ins and outs

minus speculation or finger-pointing or condescending overtones

of modern life is as tricky as explaining

of ‘if you’re not with us, you’re against us’ lesser news agencies are

why any of the Kardashian’s are famous.

famed for.

Fortunately, Google steps up to offer assistance for the first part of that open-

Covering all the crucial areas of interest - including but not limited

ing sentence - as for the latter, even Google has its limits.

to world news, the latest top stories, sports, politics and business developments - it also offers the probing prodder a chance to learn

Hit by an inspirational thought or caught up in the most amazing

what’s happening in the crucible bowl of science.

sun-set, write it down, take a snap, or verbally sing the praises of the moment and have it saved as text for rumination anon before

Delivering the facts and information from the four corners of the

saving the lot in this essential easy breezy app.

globe as they happen and customizable enough for you to order which area of interest takes precedent it is the Gossiping Google

A digital secretary on your device Google Keep presents your files

of news-gatherers for those who fingers need to be kept firmly

and fancies in a nicely clean, evenly spaced and placed presenta-

on the pulse of what’s going on where and why and what-for and

tion of all your intellectual insights and Bailey-esque brilliance.

whatnot; read as you wait in line for some shopping or download for a quiet catch-up when dropping the kids off at the pool, it also

Add a splash of color to the file for defining what-whatnot-is-what

includes video clips of the top headline stories for those wishing

and sync the whole gosh-darn lot across all your digitally designed

to witness the events ‘first-hand’.

devices for fulsome integral intuitiveness and all hour’s access to your info. A picture taken to remind you what futon you want as

GOOGLE DRIVE

a wedding gift, a few lines informing your future self to get your kids vaccinated, a short sentence of spoken wordy wonder that will probably turn out to be the ramblings of an internet idiot once

With a generous 15GB of free storage and

revealed to the patrons of your preferred forum of choice, it’s your

the ability to access its bits-and-bytes

pixelly pencil and paper pal and plug for your Swiss-cheese brain.

innards from any Android based doohicky with an internet connection Google

You can even make a memo to pick up some beans, vodka and

Drive is the big back pocket for your life.

‘cigarette’ papers from the store, and set a location based reminder

Allowing you to upload and view a range

to retrieve and display your shopping list of largess upon wobbly

of formats from across the wealth of Word/Office styled programs

footed arrival through the hallowed portal of that blissful marriage

there’s very little you can expect to chuck at Google Drive it can’t

of convenience and consumerism.

handle. PDF’s or presentations, doodlings or .doc’s, jpeg’s of an amusing cheese favoring feline or a scan of a receipt for your

Write it on Keep, upload it to Drive, and be the first to say ‘I called

proof-of-purchase when arguing with the money-monkey jockey-

it! Here’s proof!’ when the BBC finally announce the Kardashians

ing the refunds till taken by your camera and instantly stored, it

were a science experiment to disprove God by making the most

takes the lot with a quiet reserve of humble usefulness and an

self-entitled idol for society to worship.

unspoken surety of retrieving your info of import when asked.

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 9

BLUE TOUCH PAPER

fter the incredible awakening of sound and score

Breath represents one of those rarer of releases; an album that

that was Blue Touch Paper’s debut album release

takes what you know from their previous work and builds empires

Stand Well Back the prospect of re-igniting the

of sounds upon them.

flames anew with another crafting of compositions would have seen lesser artists balking at

Mixing their almost trademark style of being able to fuse jazz, rock,

the thought.

and classical elements into cinematic soundscapes with the enthusiasm of an unbridled creative mind Blue Touch Paper is lead once

Attempting to capture lightning in a bottle twice is often the down-

again through by the embarrassingly talented Towns through new

fall of many a group, the inevitable follow-up hoping to ride the

scores that sees the group expanding the landscape further than

coat-tails of the furore from the first; pushed into production and

their first release and more than any other.

shoved onto shelves, most-times the album will be received with an over-riding arch of initial euphoria that quickly gives way to

Delivering textured emotion through the medium of sound as

ambivalence and disappointment.

moments of contrast pique your attentions and drive your desire for more, and producing an

Written by a committee of

animated film to accom-

invested parties whose eyes

pany the track ‘Fair is Foul’

are firmly on the bottom-line

- animator Michael Tang

too many fall foul of cookie

- ; BWD Magazine tracked

cutter safe songs designed

leader and composer and

purely for the quick-buck

creator extraordinaire Colin

cynicism of returning-to-the-

Towns down to discuss Blue

well of the first album whilst

Touch Paper and the album

offering enough mass appeal

Drawing Breath, his works

on the new works to sell-

within the industry as both a

sell-sell before public inter-

musician and composer, and

est wanes and the well has

whether Hendrix licks beats

been wrung dry.

Beethoven.

So with two years of their lives set to one side, over sixty demos laid

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

down and pulled apart and recorded and ruminated upon, with the resulting tracks chosen to go on the album setting plaudits tongues wagging and audiences clamoring Blue Touch Paper perfectly dem-

BWD: Hello, and thank you for this interview; if you would like to introduce

onstrates the old adage of ‘perfection takes time’.

yourself..? My name is Colin Towns of Blue Touch Paper and I’m a composer for film,

Lead by noted composer and respected musician Colin Towns and

television and theatre. I also compose and arrange for several European big

complimented by saxophonist Mark Lockheart, Stephen Maass on

bands such as Hamburg’s NDR Bigband and Frankfurt’s HR Bigband and have

percussion and electronics, Chris Montague taking duties on gui-

written for artists such as Michael Brecker, Billy Cobham, Norma Winstone, Nils

tar and Edward Maclean rounding the group out on bass, Drawing

Landgren, etc.

10 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

My philosophy is simple - I follow my heart. I have two bands, The Colin Towns

tango (Suddenly a Tango), fun (The Joke) does music still make you smile? Well

Mask Orchestra presenting some of the greatest and most important new and

it should, sound design and Shakespeare (Fair is Foul), middle east/electronic/

established musicians today and Blue Touch Paper a six piece electric band that

wild powerful heavy riffs (Drawing Breath), abstract and uplifting happy finale

explores everything so long as it grabs your ear and takes you on a journey!

(48 Prefabs and Forks No. 60) and many other roads - but never the same road twice. The playing and solos also never repeat themselves and are played within

Blue Touch Paper is Mark Lockheart (saxophones), Benny Greb (drums), Chris

the world of the composition, not on a self-indulgent trip. Some reviewers have

Montague (guitars), Edward Maclean (bass), Stephan Maass (percussion/elec-

said that there may be “too many ideas on one album” - is this possible? What

tronics) and myself Colin Towns (keyboards/sound design/composer).

does this say about other albums?

BWD: Your first album Stand Well Back birthed almost an entirely new

BWD: Is the life of a musician enough to tempt you away from your life as

genre in itself, receiving critical acclaim and really pushing the boundaries

a composer..?

of music.

I started my working life as a shipping clerk working in bands every night and

The first Blue Touch Paper album was the result of my belief that Weather Report

weekends. I started composing when I was fourteen and always knew that this

was unfinished business and the writing approach by Joe Zawinul (compositions

was my goal. I played as a keyboard player in all kinds of situations but my com-

not just a head and off we go!) was my starting point. Yes some influences show

posing is where I feel I have ‘something to bring to the table’. It took 10 years to

their heads but my musical journey has been more extreme and I don’t carry

get out of the shipping office and start to realize my dream of becoming a film

rules in my head so the music came out in all directions. I do not ‘fuse’ music

composer. I’m continually fascinated by composition and never tire of the long

as this does nothing for me. I look upon today’s technology with joy, spreading

days spent looking for ideas. I’ve been lucky. I wish I had the time to develop

out all the possible sounds and colors, much like an artist would on a palette

my piano/keyboard playing but have to accept that falling asleep in front of the

and make new pictures. I composed and demoed about 30 pieces and finally

computer or piano at two in the morning (or earlier) is a sign that the piano

worked on 15, cutting it down to 13 for the album. The guys in the band were

development will come later.

chosen very carefully as I always look for ideas and vision (not copying). Whether it pushes boundaries or not is not for me to say, but composition fascinates me

My film credits include: Maybe Baby (starring Hugh Laurie), Vampire’s Kiss (star-

and we owe it to the musicians who have made a difference to explore - not

ring Nicolas Cage), Space Truckers (starring Dennis Hopper) and The Puppet

follow. All the guys see, play and explore this music in their own individual way.

Masters (starring Donald Sutherland), My Angel (starring Vanessa Paradis) and Crimson Rivers 2 (starring Jean Reno). I’m not a great fan of television drama

BWD: After such a reception from your first album how did you approach the

today although there’s still some great drama appearing in the States, UK and

recording of Drawing Breath?

Scandinavian that keeps the flame alight. I’ve been lucky to work on many

The second album, Drawing Breath, was born out of 60 demos I created. Some

wonderful German television films over the past few years and I’m very happy to

tracks we recorded together and others in small groups. For instance – Benny

work with certain adventurous directors in Germany that allow me to continue to

(drums) Stephan (percussion) and Edward (bass) were recorded together. The

develop my scoring ideas. I always give 100% to every project I work on and I try

electric percussion we recorded with Stephan over 3 days. He has a great

to balance the TV/film/theatre work alongside the concerts/gigs. Because of my

understanding of ‘sound’ and came to the studio bursting with many great ideas

scoring work, it’s difficult to take Blue Touch Paper out on the road as much as

which we explored together. Chris’ guitars took about 4 days and I am always

the critics and fans would like. So I feel that when we do play live, the concert is

excited and blown away by his incredible playing and ideas. Mark’s saxophone

always extremely special and something that we as a band will take home with

was again overdubs and took about 4 days. Always respectful of the musicians

us – it’s not just another gig.

‘sound’, it’s great that he’s happy with exploring effects that my engineer Toby Wood and I would experiment with. I’m also a lover of no effects and silence

BWD: And finally; what does Blue Touch Paper have in store for us next?

when the moment is right.

Blue Touch Paper will slowly record their third album. It will need a strong and clear vision. It will not be rushed so will arrive when it has something new to

Benny’s drums have a great ‘sound’ and it’s crucial to get this recorded right. He

say. Before that, there will be the film from our recent gig at Band On The Wall

will also experiment with his sound, colors, time etc. He is a master drummer of

in Manchester which will appear online. I’m currently up to my neck but I will

course. Everything that happens during the mix is Ok’d by the guys.

edit it soon - sorry to the fans but it is on its way. Tracks that we decided not to include on the recent album will also become available. Check out the guys in

Edward is our rock and never misses a beat, regardless of what chaos is happen-

the band who all have great gigs/projects/albums coming out. Later this year I

ing around him. He has a natural melodic feel to his solos, which worked great

will record a new Mask album which I’ve been working on for three years!

on ‘Juggling with Strangers’. The keyboards/samples/sounds are played in on the original demos. As the track comes into shape I usually take a long hard look at

Contact Information:

what I’ve done and alter/edit my sounds in order to make the composition work and keep the surprises coming. I’m very rarely satisfied with my solos and usually settle for spirit over technique.

Website: www.bluetouchpaper.com Twitter: @BlueTouchPaper1 Facebook: BlueTouchPaper1

On the album you will be taken on a journey from wild dance (Isadora) to wilder

he exotic heat-haze strewn landscape of gorgeous South Africa leaves an indelible impression of nirvana on Earth, a backdrop to a thousand beginnings and the very birthplace of life itself.

A dreamscape almost, once bathed within its atmosphere of nothing being impossible and problems as something rarely encountered, there is a peerless sense of positivity throughout the continent; casting visions of promises fulfilled, ambitions met, and challenges conquered. Mixing a visionary heritage with the very French air of confidence and focus The Soap Girls are forerunners in bringing the infectious heartbeat of both music and the world to your play-list in a harmonious intensity and incomparable passion defined as the TSG Movement. Running full throttle towards their destiny Mille and Mie - aka The Soap Girls - are a brace of beauty and brains, bedecked in blonde, delivering a primal and raw, powerfully emotional sound that is as genre-changing as it is life-changing; affording the depth of pop to the energies of rock The Soap Girls have birthed a universal language of musical treats

THE SOAP GIRLS

and entreaties. Website: www.TheSoapGirls.com

Having forged a unique bond that sees both stars sharing and express-

Twitter: @The_SoapGirls

ing the same sentiments and insights on a very-near psychic level The Soap Girls have become more than just another act to acknowledge or sound to sample some of; a dedicated hard-core fan base has seen the

girls’ ground-breaking music travel around the globe, their audience now to be found upon every square inch of the atlas. Sharpening the edge with an over-lull of punk draws attention to

The

Cover Story

the time spent crafting their compositions, the genres sensibilities of Hallo all! I’m Mie the prettier one hahahahaha (Just kidding)! I’m humorous, music without emotion is a hollow joke to the soul endearing the listen- moody, the reserved one and definitely the thinker, perfectionist and (flutterers ears to The Soap Girls’ honest delivery of complicated themes and ing eyelids) the angelic one”! tones, written in a universal tongue and speaking to the happy gland in coquettish whispered screams.

BWD: All corners of the world have been wanting an answer so come on; what can you reveal about your new album..?

With our reputation for being number one in music BWD Magazine pol- Our new album is an eclectic fusion of many genres with a definite raw, street, ished the brass plaque that proudly speaks of ‘...not just being ahead of bold sound without corporate influence!! It’s an album reflective of who we the curve but being the curve others follow!’ and set off and out into the are as writers/performers and inspired by our journey in the industry!! We wide blue yonder, in search of The Soap Girls and the answer to such wanted an album that sounds exactly as we do and with as little polish as questions as how they create the style witnessed across over thirty five possible where the performance and energy emanates so that when people compositions, what keeps them so high in their fans and audiences come to a show they will get what they have fallen in love with!! estimations, and other weighty musings.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

The album gives a peek into our lives as we write about things that happen around us. There are some real angry songs that were a great release for us.

Some of the songs we wrote were actually as a result of a fight we had with BWD: To The Soap Girls we are very pleased to say; would you care to introduce each other!! We usually write when we feel a strong sense of emotion, whether yourselves..? it’s anger, frustration or disappointment. We also have a few we’ve written Hello! I am Mille pleased to meet you. I’m the louder, bossy, bass playing, spontane- about other people we know - like our jerk hole neighbor - and even one about ous Soap Girl!! I’m often described as the devil and my sister Mie as the angel haha- a “know it all” in the music scene here in SA!! We are extremely grateful to hahaha! By the way: I’m the one who has to work hardest to get my hair straight!! have been brought up listening to the music our mom exposed us to; music

12 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

from the 60’s all the way to the mid 90’s, it definitely has had an impact on our

people in mind and we cannot say we are fitting into any specific genre and

musical tastes and direction!! The beauty of combining our diverse styles is that

who or what we sound like which makes it rather difficult to explain our sound!!

we create our own sound!! It wasn’t something we consciously started doing… it

Sometimes Mie will be playing around on the acoustic/electric and she gets mad

just sort of evolved into the way we write, and although we don’t write with the

if she feels I’m hijacking a mellow song and I come in with hard aggression so

thought in our mind of, will people like/relate to this?? We know from the crowd’s

we will then marry the two (example: Voodoo Child. There is a song called Real

reaction at our shows that people do indeed connect to the songs, they’re a bit

which I love and she hated for example) we fought over that song for weeks!!

surprised at first but then they really get into it!!

Some music execs will say “jeez but those tempo changes need to make more sense and we will laugh and say NO take it or leave it. Our music isn’t written

BWD: There doesn’t seem to have been such a unique fusing of sounds and

from “formula’s that are expected!!” What you see, what you hear, is what you get.

styles in recent years, so you could say ‘The Soap Girls’ sit alone at the top of the mountain..?

BWD: Do you feel the richness of your heritage helped draw inspiration and

We believe it’s impossible not to be unique as long as you stay true to yourself

strength during the beginning of The Soap Girls?

and your music. For us that means totally blocking off from anything and every-

Definitely. As kids from ages 9 and 10 we were street performing to sell our

thing that is out there music wise whilst we write. We are always careful of what

handmade soap for different charities; we did that 365 days a year for 8 years.

we allow ourselves to be exposed to!! We weren’t at all sure how people would

From that we learned total dedication. We always feel that if you’re going to do

react to our music at first, but as we perform the music we can immediately see

something then put your heart and soul into it. It also prepared us for life and

and feel people reacting to it. We are often completely blown away by how much

how to deal with rejection and disappointment, and also that there are some

people feel for our music, there is no better feeling than being as 1 with your au-

really amazing people in the world that’ll stand up for what you believe in and

dience; it’s like being on a never ending high!! We write songs as soon as we feel

they’ll be with you all the way!!

something, which is obviously very often. Life is like a game of snakes and ladders because we love capturing our emotions through music!! We often go 3 days in

We first got into a recording studio when we were 12 and 13. A man we met

a row doing almost nothing else but writing until we’ve said what we needed

while street performing invited us to record a song. Looking back on that time we

to say!! Sometimes when we felt like writing a song but weren’t getting it (Mie)

cannot help but roll on the floor and laugh untill it feels like we’re going to die.

would try to provoke me into fighting with her, as we usually write our best songs

Our first trip to the studio was like some messed up modern day version of the

when we’re fighting!! (Girl Next Door, Hold on Tight) Most of the time though we’ll

Addams family. The producer and his family were all a bit cooked, but we gained

be playing around and then from a riff we end up with a new song. It’s always

some experience with a few mental scars and moved on to the next step finding a

different and whatever we read also has an impact on our songs whether it’s a

better producer with a decent studio so eventually a few years later (aged 15/16

Gothic Vampire novel or a horror story!! One of our songs Rolling Stones for ex-

yrs. old) we were signed to a major label. We spent 4 years in the dance pop/

ample we wrote after smoking our first “green” experience so it’s a rather mellow

electro genre which the label pushed for and we had some hit songs that charted

take on life and what it takes to get where you’re going!! LOL

however we couldn’t marry ourselves to neither the music nor our performances to the music and so a battle eventually ended in us parting amicably with the

We have a different sound because we don’t look around us trying to see and

label (our favorite parting was the MD of the Universal Music SA telling us to

hear what everyone else is doing, we shut ourselves off, do our own thing and we

go home and burn our wardrobe and we were to wear/perform exactly how he

also have a very warped sense of humor so we’re pretty sure that affects how we

dictated…..enough said!!) We were outta there!!

view life and people!! We never consciously sit down and work out how we are going to write or go with a sound in mind, we just write it’s as simple as that. We don’t write with radio/nor

(Continued......Page 25)

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 13

5 TIPS FOR CREATING A ‘WICKED’ SET-LIST

So you’ve practiced and prepared, pushed it to the limit and sweated pure Think of it as a sample or taster for aural rumination, a track that effort in your rehearsals to the point of being able to identify every last comes in just under the length of the others on the list to give beep, boop, or bass solo from your musical catalog and having successfully a quick dose of brilliance without over-dosing on indulgence. If booked a gig or six to demonstrate your beepy-boopy-bass brilliance to your your style will allow go for a quick-paced, motivating number that adoring fans now comes the time to think about which songs you will afford drives the listener along; you’re looking to hook as many ears as the pleasure to your audience - and, more importantly, in what order they possible as quickly as possible so keep long winded solo’s and will be revealed.

over-complicated middle eight breakdowns for later on in the list.

With a view to delivering the best set on the night each and every night, Once hooked it’s now time to reel those ears and attentions in, being the best performer on the list each and every time, this month we are so... focusing our attentions on delivering a killer set.

BUILD UP THE ENERGY

START BIG

No matter how many tracks make up your set-list the first should be thought of as your introduction to the audience, and thus needs to be an attention grabbing slab of sound; impact and impressions

are required here, with a view to leaving both all over the attentions of your audience.

Now you’ve got the eyes and ears of the crowd pointing in your direction it’s time to build - momentum, that is! Pick a track that follows the momentum and flow of your opening number and

generates more; if you think of it like gears in a stick shift automobile we want to be going from First to Second without loss of

Though rarely the very bests of best from your musical goldmine it revs. Choose something that carries the feel and atmosphere the should nevertheless be a strong opening number that sets out your stall first track created and adds a broader stroke of sound and depth. as to what your music is ‘all about’ without question over genre, theme, or overall tone. It should give a broad sense of what style/genre you are If your first track got their attention the second should feed purporting to represent, along with the sound that makes you unique to their interest and add a little garnish to the offerings; perhaps all the other acts out there of a similar bent.

something that goes deeper in composition but not too deep as to leave the audience wondering if someone else has started playing.

14 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

Like the opening number it should be punchy and powerful, reeling

Bring out the brilliance and back the banging beats, the chanting choruses

in those early ears and casting for those still standing on the cusp

and riffs that get under the skin like a parasite requiring a healthy dose of

of en-catchment.

aural medication via the medium of your music.

You’re looking to underline the image/sound the first song set out

Much like the opening number you should be mindful of ensnaring the

to establish, re-affirming the belief in your audience that what they

audience anew after the brief respite, generating that rush of adrenalin that

heard is what they’re hearing and settling them into the comfort-

first signaled your appearance on stage and their radars.

able embrace of your sound. Don’t go too full-on, however; after a lull the sudden shift in gears may be

Though tempting, keep those avant garde and grandiose numbers

a jarring juxtaposition for a crowd lost in the contemplation and lamenta-

for a little further into the set. Speaking of which...

tion of their very soul.

TIME TO PUT THE KETTLE ON

LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE, MORE, MORE!

Not really, of course - unless you’re playing at a bizarre FolkFest For Tea Appreciators and it’s your turn to ‘be mother’. This is the point in your set where you can slow down apace, relax into the groove of your performance, and bring out

As the last song of your set it will be the one people will be most likely to remember, so here is where you get to pull out your biggest of big guns.

the more laid back, less than mainstream sounds Barring encore or similar the last song on your set should be the one that

of your set.

gets the sweat flying and floors heaving with bodies. A lone song or sonnet are the traditional fillings in the set-sandwich; alternatively, if you have more than one genre within your mighty musical grasp,

If there’s a chanty bit that will get people interacting in a call-and-repeat

here would be the opportune time to launch your kaleidoscope of sound

fashion then so much the better; you’re looking to be leaving with your

upon the captivated crowd.

sound ringing in their ears and bouncing around in the forefront of their mind, your name tripping off their tongues as they stand queuing up for a

The benefits of keeping the tracks less representative of your style/more

double booked taxi or under cooked pizza.

‘out there’ in scope are many, the least of which being able to showcase the entire range of your sound with feedback from ears already listening to

Go big, go bold, but above all go bravely into that last song with all the

what you are trying to communicate.

energy and enthusiasm of a thousand armies converging in the middle of battle. You are the ring master in your own personal Cirque de Sound,

It doesn’t have to be limited to just the one number; if your time on stage

so crack that whip and send them home happy, high on adrenalin and in

allows you can incorporate as many or few as you wish. A slow paced intro-

absolutely no doubt which artist they’re going to be talking about tomor-

spective song followed by a decrying of your love for a lady of uncertain

row when the sun has washed across the crust of alcohol sweat peppering

past, a moody introspective missive that segues into a call for a joining of

their brow and they’re wondering what happened to their left shoe and why

arms and swaying together will keep the mood level whilst allowing you

they have a half-eaten pizza in their pocket.

to move into other areas of aural inspection. Addendum... Inevitably the silence of a collective heart sighing in unison will greet the

Above all, the most crucial point to remember is nothing is ‘set’ in stone;

fading of the last few bars of song, gifting you the perfect opportunity to...

build a virtual set list on your PC and listen to the songs in the order you feel works. Move them about and re-listen to how it all hangs together; it may be a bit of a chore or even seem superfluous - after all, you know what

GET THE BLOOD PUMPING

your music sounds like; you created it. But therein lies the rub; once a general running order has been established very few bands or musicians look

4. and celebratory!

Now we’ve done with the laconic and/or indul-

to changing up the order of their performance until a new song is written

gent artistic expression it’s time to raise the

and needs to be fitted into the current playlist. It doesn’t make you wrong

temperature again; and what better than swift a

or somehow less of a musician if you choose not to; it’s just a lot easier to

return to form with a bombastic dropping of the

hammer out these little details in the privacy of the rehearsal studio than

hammer and hailing the gods of all things loud

before a paying audience whose starting to lose interest, thin out, and seem to be giving the impression of a crowd of people discreetly trying to organize a mass exodus through the window in the toilets. BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 15

o you know what makes the good bands great and the legendary, immortal? It’s a difficult question to broach when considering the subject

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

matter of what is music being one personal to

BWD: We kneel before the Sons of Kal-el and request you please;

the tastes of the individual ear. What one con-

introduce yourselves..?

siders to be the very Bach of brutal metal others may balk at the

Hi my name is Chad Sunderland and I’m the one wailing away over

notion of proffering the word ‘music’ to when describing the dirge

the beautiful music. Alright, I’m Aaron - the one riffing my heart out

that left them with a permanent ringing in their left ear.

on guitar. Hi I’m Lee Churchill, I am the bass. Hi I’m Maciej (Magic) and I’m the man with the sticks.

So allow me to clear some confusion and let clarity rain down like a refreshing tsunami to drench your ‘drums by introducing you to

BWD: From your individual works in bands such Red Cow Down

the UK band Sons of Kal-el, a five strong group whose status as

and The More I See, how did the four of you bring your talents to

legendary on their way to immortal looks set to be a small step

form Sons of Kal-el..?

indeed. However, should we have expected any less from a band

Chad got married in 2011 and already knew Aaron and asked him

comprised of members

and Lee Churchill (former

who have toured the

The More I See) to be

stages of the world,

part of his wedding band.

shared a spotlight

After three chords, his-

with guitar gods

tory was made. Chad and

like Steve Vai, and

Aaron decided to take

earned the respect of

everything from their past

their contemporaries

musical loves and make

through their critically

the idea into something

acclaimed previous

real. Looking at bands like

works?

Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Ozzy

By bringing their com-

Osbourne, we then created

bined talents together

demos of early songs whilst

as the formidable

also drinking Aaron’s fine

uber-group Sons of

selection of Oakham Ales.

Kal-el, Chad Sunderland, Aaron Beeken, Lee Churchill, and Maciej ‘Magic’ Nawrocki reveal the band as musics’ very essence, an aural

When writing, Chad and Lee developed their thrash metal influ-

embodiment of the spirit sent soaring into the air and onto your

ences from the More I See’s ‘The Wolves are Hungry’ into more of a

playlist with their all new and unfeasibly awesome release Songs

‘hard rock’ style for Sons of Kal-el. Chad was also the main lyricist.

From The Phantom Zone; officially released on May 17, 2014.

Aaron comes from a heavy rock and metal background with the band Proto Inferno and has a Degree in Music from The Academy

Deporting an extravagance of sound and understanding across a

of Contemporary Music. Aaron was invited to compose and arrange

meaty ten tracks Sons of Kal-el first step on the path to the top is

the music and add his virtuosic guitar skills to the musical blender!

a mighty big one, for sure; so big, in fact, it was blocking out the

Magic helped us out on drums for a festival last year and after the

sun we usually hide from as it annoys its way through the win-

demise of Red Cow Down, he has recently joined the band full time.

dows here at BWD Magazine. Checking the dates of the equinox against the number of fish in the bay, divided by the number of

BWD: With favorable comparisons to A7X and Audioslave how

stalks that fell outside, the chalk circle we were standing in and,

would the band define their quintessential sound to our readers..?

certain Google was probably right about it not being time for a

Our sound on this album is very much influenced by bands of the

solar eclipse just yet, we trotted off to ask Sons of Kal-el some

90’s alternative scene but with the guitar sound of the early 1980’s

questions about them big boots of theirs, their latest release and

(Rhandy Rhoads, Vai, Malmsteen era) and lyrically we come from a

upcoming plans, and what it is about the British and their love for

very honest and personal point of view. The lyrics and music commu-

tea...and chimps.

nicate social, political and emotional issues – things that a lot of true

SONS OF KAL-EL 16 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

rock fans can listen to and relate to. We are also very much fans of the heavy riffs from bands such as Soundgarden, Metallica and the ‘owners of the crown’ Black Sabbath! But quintessentially all our influences have come together into one big mixing pot to create the sound of the spawn of superman. BWD: Appearances live throughout the UK seem set to take the band even further into the public’s consciousness..? We are going to do a UK tour in the late summer that will range from the depths of Brighton to the peaks of John O’ Groats. This is going to also coincide with a video release for our next single in the upcoming months. For now, we will concentrate on hitting all the festivals we have applied for – as seen on our website and a few shows that will be organized in London. BWD: From a world stage to a bar stage and everything in between, what’s been the most memorable appearance for the band (either in Sons of Kal-el or before)..? Chad and Lee – has to be appearing on top of a bar, in a bar at the Reeperbahn in Hamburg for the More I See band where the Beatles had allegedly performed before and also singing with Bones from Stuck Mojo at a festival in Italy. Aaron – has to be with Sons of Kal-el, a small town in Lincolnshire called Bourne at The Corn Exchange. The whole crowd that night were incredible, singing along to every song from our album! Also playing with Steve Vai in Guildford and Portsmouth Guildhall were pretty memorable experiences. BWD: And finally! We all know Britain’s particular fancy of imbibing a full bodied leaf from the tree known as Tea is one of cultural as well as historical significance, but tell me; why do you have chimps pretending to be removal men moving pianos about in your tea adverts on television? Surely elephants would be better as not only could they lift more but could probably fit more in their trunk as well..? Simple. An elephant doesn’t look as good in a flat cap whilst drinking PG tips.

THE PECKHAM COWBOYS

ooking out across the expanse of the charts from

such artists as Guns N’ Roses, Primal Scream and Hanoi Rocks the

our easy chair upon the porch at BWD Ranch it’s

cross pollenating of such powerfully adept performers passions has

with a tear-filled eye we find our gaze resting on an

taken the band from its inception in 2010 to the worlds attentions in

Earth scorched with the fires of an industry intent

2014 - even prompting most notable of guitarists in the field Slash to

on trying to grow sustainable crops from cheap

commend vocalist Mark Eden as being ‘...one of the world’s best rock

corporate fertilizer.

and roll singers.’

Having ravaged the land like a plague of locust’s clutching the

After a storm of successful single releases the recent unveiling of

handles of some mighty big forks the churning wheels of a real-

the bands second album 10 Tales From The Gin Palace means The

ity-show tractor gouges divots of determination from what’s left,

Peckham Cowboys have yet again shown the world that whilst the

destroying the possibilities of anything new or substantial growing

Devil has the reputation for owning the best riffs, ol’ Red clearly

in its place.

needs to beef up the security

guarding

As more and more tearful

them from the dex-

finalists turn the process of

trous hands of the

song craft and appreciation

dedicated artist.

for the art into a ‘who-hasthe-worse-sob-story’ contest,

Hearing talk of a tour

erupting like weeds across

schedule

store shelves and download

that will see them

charts and fed on hype and

winding things up in

invasive advertising that

August with a head-

slowly suffocates the com-

lining slot in the

petition and makes the dry,

world famous and

stilted air of re-hash and

widely revered 100

me-too music a seemingly

Club in London BWD

2014

permanent fixture, deliverance has been found in a most unlikely

Magazine fortified ourselves with three shots of finest sippin’ whis-

of Western lands.

key, tipped our Stetson in thanks to the serving wench, and mozied our way along to The Peckham Cowboys homestead to discuss the

The land of London, to be precise, in the jolly ‘-Isles’ of ‘British-’

bands deeply rooted musical history, the future for the growth

itself; from wherein a quaint suburb town steps forth The Peckham

of new talent in the musical field, and find out more about their

Cowboys, six strong jawed song-slingers armed with an aural abso-

eagerly anticipated latest single and Cargo Records release ‘The

lution of a track called The Debt Collector for our grateful mercies.

Debt Collector’...and possibly some things about steak.

Delivering a nourishing dose of blues based rock tempered with

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

the talent of a band whose members have previously worked with 18 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

BWD: To you we say ‘howdy’ along with ‘please; introduce the band..?

The critical acclaim that the band has got is obviously very nice and very encour-

Well, there’s myself (Dale Hodgkinson – guitar), Marc Eden – vocals, Timo Kaltio

aging. We’ve always known what we were doing was good simply because it was

– guitar, Ryan McCormick – drums, Duncan Mackay – keys and trumpet and last

different to what the herd is currently up to, but of course it is flattering to get

but certainly not least Nigel Mogg – bass.

the level and the amount of positive reaction to it all that we have..... and it is somewhat bemusing at times because you’re in the middle of it all and you don’t

BWD: From working with some of rocks biggest names individually to

really realize that it’s “happening” as much as it actually is.

releasing your own compositions as a collective, a band; how did it all come about..?

BWD: Though a band still early into its career how does it feel to receive

The band began as an impromptu jam at Guy Bailey’s house which we happened

accolades from established and respected musicians as well as the fans, and

to record. Over the next few months when me, Marc and Guy would collide we’d

how does it affect the band..?

jam and record for the heck of it – an excuse really to get loaded, have a laugh

None of this was done by design.... the band was formed by accident and we’ve

and make some music together – no-one had any thought of forming a band at

just pushed on in that same vein.... as soon as we saw that people liked what we

that time. The recordings continued and Marc nick-named the recording venture

were doing we knew it would be foolish and selfish to stop, so we’ve ploughed

“The Peckham Cowboys” because it all happened in Peckham just off The Old

on despite the hard road it has been to crawl along on your knees with no

Kent Road, and later on the members of the first incarnation of the live band

money. It has cost Marc and myself the larger part of our souls and more money,

were all living in that area. This recording venture resulted in the debut album

time, energy, effort, blood, sweat and tears than we can ever truly justify to our

“Flog It!” which garnered critical praise and baffled a lot of people with its mind

loved ones who’ve had to deal with the fall-out. But there you go..... Accolades

blowing recording levels and resulting distortion.... to the point where the record

from established musicians are nice but the band is all seasoned veterans so

company asked: “Is it meant to sound like that?” The line-up we have now has

that is only really acknowledgement from peers rather than a grand blessing

simply evolved... Guy left to do other things (he’s been writing material for Chris

from “the grown-ups”.... far more important is the wonderful reaction from the

Kimsey’s artists and playing guitar for Tyla amongst other stuff) and Marc and

ever-growing fan base.

myself wanted to carry on so we got in touch with musicians that we knew and whom we thought would be up for this travesty – and they were, so here we are

I think the “inclusive” attitude of the band is what appeals to the fans – they

at! All the lads have “done a bit of previous” – the collective CV includes work

come along and laugh and enjoy themselves with us and know they’re going to

with Guns n Roses, Hanoi Rocks, Primal Scream, The Quireboys, Slash and Duff,

be entertained by a band that gives it their all but at the same time has left

Mott The Hoople and about 86 billion others.... but that is generally something

rockstar-type pretensions at the door.... too many bands of recent years have

that the press focuses on (and I understand why – it’s a hook to hang yer hat

been so far up their own arses and so self-important and serious (despite uni-

on, as it were) but the fans aren’t so bothered by all that and it means very little

versally wearing crappy clothes!) that it is unbelievable..... I mean this is rock n

to us as a band – we’re all about what we’re doing together and now. The new

roll for cripes sake – not cancer research (as in the science and the shop...) get

album “10 Tales From The Gin Palace” came out on Valentine’s Day of this year

some perspective here, y’know?

and has been lauded as “a masterpiece”, a “modern rock n roll classic”, “the best album by any UK band in decades” and has been compared to The Stones’ best

BWD: From the looks of 2014 it seems to have The Peckham Cowboys writ-

work amongst other such lovely stuff. It’s out on Livewire/Cargo Records (like the

ten large and deep across it..?

debut) and is available HMV, Amazon, iTunes, Spotify etc etc etc.

Yes, this coming year and I imagine even more so next year will be The Year(s) of The Cowboy.... it’s all very encouraging to be getting somewhere after the

BWD: The latest single release The Debt Collector is like a breath of fresh

Herculaneum amount of graft that we’ve put in – just desserts and all that.

air in the tired old lungs of recent industry releases...?

The single is out and there should be a promo video for it very soon. We’ve just

Well I’m very proud of the whole “Gin Palace” – we all are – it’s been described

completed a tour and we’ll be doing a string of one-off dates over the summer

by a few reviewers as “all killer, no filler” and I’d have to agree with them. “The

and then we’ll tour the UK again at the back end of August, and hopefully get

Debt Collector” is a particular high point though (and predominantly down to

out to Europe – fans on the mainland are screaming at us to get over there,

the genius of Marc Eden); very catchy whilst simultaneously being somewhat

which we’d love to do – and the States as well – but all that takes planning and

off-the-wall, and with a witty lyric (as all his lyrics are) that I think most normal

money which should be in place after the summer. Next year – the big festivals,

people can relate to (politicians and bankers etc aside) – everyone is in debt and

a new album and...... Who knows what else? As long as we can earn enough to

has got these people knocking at your door. You haven’t paid your exorbitant

put fuel in the tour bus, buy guitar strings, booze n food (and enough to stave off

phone bill/rent/energy bill – so, oh look here comes some horrible wanker who’s

The Debt Collector when he comes knocking) we’ll be at a venue near you soon!

going to take food out of your kids’ mouths because you’ve owed some other bunch of wankers 4 pence for the last 2 weeks. Shocking business and like the

Contact Information

rest of our material, there isn’t anyone currently in music that is addressing such everyday stuff – no one else sounds like The Cowboys so I think that is why, as you’ve said, the music is a breath of fresh air.

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 19

ock was officially declared dead the moment

toe-dipper song; it shows everything the band are about to drown

Sharon Osbourne put her lot in with the Cowel-

your senses with without overplaying their status as musicians nor

cash-cow and became responsible for the homog-

attempting to fit every good riff into the first number on the album.

enized dilution and decimation of all things one

Temptation assured and desire acquired the album then hits you

could reasonably bang one’s hat-rack with devil

with Planets Will Fall, an exceptional slice of the old fried gold; for

horns thrown high to.

those who favor the flavor of Aerosmith anthemic awesome sans high-street cheese Planets Will Fall grabs the number one spot on

Since then anything entering the charts has come across as cynical

my personal playlist and refuses to let go.

high-street repro-rock, each band a check-list of clichéd cookiecutter clones referring to their How To instruction book to ensure

Double-stops, incidental riffage, and cymbals the drummer isn’t

man-scara is correctly applied and the couldn’t-care-less slouch of

afraid to hit when the occasion demands, it’s songs such as this the

dis-interest is affected in the proper manner.

band will still be playing when embarking on their 20 year anniversary world tour.

Now more commercial than an advert for Macey’s sponsored by Coke, it is to the internet those who seek a fat-free slice of fried

Everyone brings the emotion of a charging army and unjustly

gold spinning on the digital decks of their iPods, with a gladdening

spurned lover to deliver a soundtrack for the next revolution. The

of the heart and hopefulness of the soul we find the exponents of

drums rolling a beat seemingly designed to coincide with the rush-

rock’s soon-to-be greats in the substantial palatial offering of some

ing feet of a mass body aimed at the bulls-eye of injustice, the

mighty meaty music by rockers and rulers of the riff The Void.

vocals perfectly timed to empower the force of the ruler’s fall at the hands of his estranged subjects with each imaginary blow landing

Having kicked the teeth out the mouth of moribund music with

square and true.

solo offerings Play. Make. Believe and Acoustic/This Record Is Not Blu-Ray ‘Void founder and vision maker Jon Vornbrock turned what

Robot Song From Robot Son calls for calm in the proceedings, a

had been mere side-project musings into high-gear greatness, the

laconic delivery hinting at brooks babbling on the edge of freshly

album Robot Space Love bringing Dean Wilson, Jonny Little and Rob

cut fields, reflection on the mind and consideration of the heart

Cooper into the world of wonder; Vornbrock revealed and reveling

soothing the troubles of the soul. Such troubles that soon become

the freedom within. Filling each of the eleven tracks on offer with

apparent, the mood darkening and becoming a passionately electric

enough hooks for a dozen amateur re-enactments of Peter Pan

release, turning the babble into a swell and the fields into scarred

‘Robot Space Love’ immediately draws you in with a curious sensa-

battle-grounds, the listener now a witness to all that has fallen and

tion of insinuation-through-song, the drawing out of a single note

been turned to waste.

feeding back building to a crescendo that puts you firmly on the edge of a desirable frustration.

Summer and Knife To The Heart are pure crowd moving manna, the surge of the guitar building the mosh pit and screaming vocals

Measured and drawn there’s a sense of The Void preparing you for

delivered with a commanders certainly almost guaranteed to get

even greater things on album opener Wave Machine, a considered

the elbows and knees flying ‘midst the devil horns and hair.

pacing of rhythm and occasional explosions of vocals the perfect

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 20

What begins as an apparent ode of solace to the songs namesake Lucy is to Robot Space Love what Don’t Cry was to UYI; a smorgasbord of deeply emotional extravagance, nothing held back nor apologized as the band deliver what is simply captivating genius. Cries and chords ring out and proud, a mushroom-cloud enveloping the audience and smothering the landscape with a saturation of sound. Self-indulgent? Maybe; but I would wager you would be hard pressed to find a reason why that is such a bad thing for The Void to be accused of once hearing the track for yourself. Love and Distortion and Free are more melancholic musings, the former an acoustic driven dalliance decorated with electric punctuation, and the latter a moodier tempering with a drawn out beat, a soupcon of Smashing Pumpkins, and a chance to hear the depth of range vocalist Jon holds under his chordal control. My Days Are Numbered has a more indie-rock feel, verging on grunge in places with punctuated vocals, raw guitars and cymbals breaking the background down into a shoe-gazing gravitas, hints of Jimmy Page lurking around the edges of the guitar and controlling the whole nicely. Ending on Love Trips sends us off with a encouraging farewell and an open invitation to return, a very Soul Asylum inferring sound that closes the album with just the right level of charged emotion to leave us feeling satisfied and fulfilled yet replete enough to consider finding room for another helping. With the lyrics ‘I need you’ reminding us of the open-arms that await us upon our return Robot Space Love draws to a close, your ears already missing the music and your thumb twitching toward the repeat button. It’s sometimes hard to see what’s missing until someone takes the time to point it out, and for the rock genre we should be thankful of The Void and Robot Space Love for being that much needed reminder. 5 Stars out of 5

Contact Information: Website: myspace.com/musicisvoid Twitter: @Musicisvoid Facebook: Musicisvoid

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 21

KAROLINE RHETT

ncapsulating the altruism of an angel with the adroit air of

an artist some may see Karoline Rhett as a singing Svengali of

finally giving a second helping of the sumptuous talent revealed on her previous album of March 2013 and cementing the foundations Stirring Rainbows had laid down.

the Soul, a twenty first century Saint in song with an understated altruism that, whilst widely acknowledged as being beyond the

Within a month of the release Karoline turned her sights to the

efforts of any of her contemporaries, is never held by her or her

munificence her music could afford others, the Teen Nation Spring

audience as reason for her shining example to be followed by all.

Anti-Bully Tour seeing her volunteer her talent and passion for charity towards others with the group as they took their anti-

Rather than just delivering a captivating voice and enchanting

bullying message finding of inner strength and speaking out into

releases that deliver an intoxicating breadth of melody to cleanse

schools and venues across the ‘States.

and redefine excellence upon your aural palette, her charitable works and others-first approach has seen this Charleston, SC born

As the year was drawing to a close Reverbnation awarded Karoline

bringer of joy and melodic imperatives rise to be the cream of the

the honor of being one of their 5 Fresh Picks Featured Artists in

current crop of singer/songwriters.

October 2013, with The Nashville Universe further adding to her armor with a Female Artist of the Year nomination. Not for nothing

Since aged three and the beginning of what is surely set to be a

but her New Year Celebrations deserved to begin early, with the

fruitful and illustrious singing career Karoline has set fires under

single release Save Your Heart also receiving nominations as Song

the seats of the industry and worried wannabe’s alike, the pop star

of the Year.

‘Amy Grant’ being the first to discover the resonance of Rhett after encouraging the young starlet on stage to perform and subse-

With an invite to become a part of what is set to be the biggest

quently captivate her audience.

benefit concert series seen in history with the Festival of Hope in 2015 which will see hundreds of global charities benefiting

With a path to the top seemingly awaiting her tread Karoline took her

directly BWD Magazine sat down with Karoline to discuss the

first step with an introduction to Joe Taylor, a veteran producer for

September 2015 event, her almost spiritual studio releases, and

RCA Victor and Moonwatcher. The ensuring debut release Stirring

which CSi do I see..?

Rainbows featured a cavalcade of artists, writers and studio engineers clamoring to perform with the starlet, her own self-penned songs on the album shining as brightly as the voice behind them .

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Acclaim and audience adulation followed the release, and with it an emboldening of the voice and character that lay behind such

BWD: To the star Karoline we say ‘hello, thank you’ and ‘please,

stunning works.

introduce yourself..? Hi, I’m Karoline Rhett and I’m a singer/songwriter from Charleston,

That first tread having quickly raising her step to a pace Karoline

South Carolina.

started work on her follow-up second full album release, Melody

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 22

BWD: Before we discuss your unbelievable music career thus far, tell us

experiences of my friends. I think it’s much easier to write about things that

a little about the 2015 benefit festival; how did you get involved in such

you know about or you have experienced. The older I get, the more situa-

an outstanding event..?

tions I will encounter, so who knows what I will be writing about next.

I was contacted by the organizers of The Festival of Hope. They asked if I would be interested in being a part of their Battle of the Artist Segment, and

You can purchase both of my albums directly from my website or on iTunes.

if I was, send them all of my information to be considered. They contacted me soon after and let me know that they would love for me to be a part of

BWD: Have you ever thought/been able to speak to Amy Grant about that

the festival.

first ever impromptu performance..? No I haven’t, however I would love to. I would love for her to know the posi-

The Festival of Hope 2015 is a benefit concert that will be a lot like “Live

tive influence she made in my life. I know my mother tried a few years ago,

Aid” but LARGER. There will be over a dozen live concerts taking place over

to see if it would be possible to have a meet and greet with her. Her team

one weekend and as I mentioned it is a benefit concert so many people will

really tried so hard to make it work, but we weren’t able to make it to where

benefit from this festival. As a matter of fact, 100 charities will benefit direct-

she was performing. Maybe one day I will get the chance to see her again

ly. As they put it, “Tens of Millions will get a Hand up not a Hand out”. The

and let her know what impact she made in my life. I think she would like to

festival will take place beginning Saturday, September 5, 2015 and will end

know, that inviting me on that stage changed my life.

Monday, September 7, 2015. I will be singing in Dallas, however concerts will take place in Doha, London, Johannesburg, and Rio de Janeiro. You can find out everything about the festival at www.thefestivalofhope.org.

BWD: What can you tell us about the Unstoppable Charity Album; from what we hear it’s looking to be quite something..? Oh it is going to be amazing. The album, which is titled “Unstoppable” will

For me, being a part of this festival is one of the most exciting events I have

consist of young unsigned artists from all over the world and all proceeds

ever been a part of. Not only because I will have the opportunity to enter-

from the sales of the album will go directly to anti-bullying charities. As

tain so many people, possibly make a ton of new fans, but the thought of

everyone knows, bullying is a global problem and too many lives have been

being part of an event that its purpose is to help others, makes me so happy

affected permanently by it.

and I feel so incredibly blessed to be a part of it. The album will be released on August 11, 2014. There will also be a huge BWD: It isn’t often we hear of an artist as generous in her charity to oth-

launch party that will be held in Nuneaton Warwickshire, UK on August 12,

ers as she is in her voice and song..?

2014. You will be able to purchase the album on all music download sites.

I feel that when something is important to you and also affects others, as

You can find out more about the album and the launch party by going to

an artist, you have a great avenue in getting your message out and bring-

www.bigpuretalent.com.

ing awareness to an issue. Like my song Big World, off my album “Stirring Rainbows”. The song is about not letting others get to you, to keep your

BWD: And finally! Which is better; CSI Las Vegas ...or...NCIS?

head up and stay strong. When I was recording this album, I experienced

CSI Las Vegas or course!

bullying. Luckily I have such a strong support system around me that the problem was taken care of pretty fast. Anything I can do to bring awareness to bullying and put an end to it, I am all for. My album “Stirring Rainbows” is more on the pop side, and my second album “Melody” is more pop/country. I discovered that I really love both genres and to be able to incorporate both in my music is awesome. You will notice that on my album “Melody”, it definitely has a pop/country feel to it. I have found that my fans really like the mixture of pop and country, so I am ecstatic that they love it as much as I do and, by the way, I have the world’s best fans. They are such an important part of my life. They are with me every day and show so much love and support. I am so lucky to have each and every one of them. I am so proud of “Melody”. One of the songs off this album is “Save Your

Contact Information

Heart”. It was nominated for Song of the Year with The Nashville Universe. As a matter of fact, I was also nominated Female Artist of the Year. Two nominations I am really proud of.

Website: www.karolinemusic.com Twitter: @KarolineMusic1 Facebook: Karolinemusic

The songs that I have written or co-wrote were about my life experiences or

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 23

DJ NINO GRAYE

Standing on the plateau and seemingly filling the space reserved

that audience to connect with you know?’ Nino tells us when press-

for the very cream of their kind DJ Nino Graye stands alone atop

ing him on his feature win. ‘It feels good that in the digital age we

the mantle of being the one opponent fellow battlers don’t wish to

still have outlets willing to give indie the time it deserves in the

come up against.

light. Excuse my hiphop!’

Brilliance behind the mic and carrying the confidence of a composer

As requests for his time sees him appearing on releases all over the

before the crowd Nino dominates the world of hip-hop with an iron-

globe there is little doubt in our mind that Nino Graye is settling

fist; countless invites to appear on tracks by such legends of the

nicely into his future position as one of the best Emcee’s the world

lyric as the Wu Tang Clan’s Cappadonna and Wisemen’s Bronze Naz-

of hip-hop has ever produced.

areth sit comfortably within his own repertoires of rhyme, a catalog of a collection that delivers powerfully emotional music as defining of its concepts as it is descriptive in its missives.

Contact Information:

A constantly shifting aural landscape undulating within our ears

Website: www.f4emusic.com

Nino captures the very essence of life’s experiences, distills them

Twitter: @NinoGrayeF4E

to their most insightful, before firing them back out to a world un-

Facebook: Nino.Graye

prepared for the sheer musical magnitude of force heading in their

Instagram: Nino2TheGraye

direction. With a mental might as fierce as his verbal one Nino has turned talent into attention, infamy to furor and inevitable fame with an entirely self-made career; lending his razor-sharp mind to the business-side of ‘the business’ his acumen behind the mic has been matched by his fearlessness in promotion, his efforts revealing four solo releases alongside numerous collaborative ones, his reward the aforementioned invites falling through his mail-box as he cements his reputation as being one of the greatest of greats. Though undoubtedly a legend-in-his-own-lifetime Nino Gaye displays a surprising humility when discussing his BWD Magazine feature win; ‘I am always happy to connect with new outlets and grab Photo Credits: Justin Warner & EXI Media - All Rights Reserved .

24 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

(Continued From Page 12-13)

The most important too was making sure that whatever song we write that we never have to wait for a mix in order to perform so nobody can ever control our

We then had a stint with a group from USA. Flew to NY, recorded, and new

music… we are our music.

singles were released; however, this too wasn’t the right fit and especially the frustration of waiting for more than a year to even hear the mixes and finding

BWD: From the heart of South Africa to the eyes and ears of the world;

out the crookedness in the deal (hence the songs; Hard Road and Are You Happy).

what’s next on your uncompromising agenda..?

We came back and realized that nobody was getting us so we put our heads down and started writing fresh & found a producer who was prepared to record

The SoapGirls ‘team’ are currently in negotiations with Major Independents

raw and as we are while not interfering with our arrangements nor our songwrit-

and Major Labels, both in SA and the UK, as the rollercoaster continues to

ing/sound (Charlie Hamilton You rock!!)

gather momentum. Whilst the “machine” to take The Soap Girls worldwide is a necessary requirement, even in today’s technological world, we are also cog-

We must admit that when we walk out of the studio with some songs just freshly

nizant, from past experience of Labels in SA and the USA, that whoever is to

written and recorded that we’re at times super nervous as to what the reaction

be our partner from this perspective, has to be 100% in tune with who and

would be once uploaded!! We were overwhelmed and almost shocked when our

what The Soap Girls phenomena is all about. Until then the ‘team’ rolls on-

song Girl Next Door started getting over 100k in plays and even more when it

wards and upwards, ensuring that the fans continue to enjoy the journey we

hit the million mark; we almost fell out our underwear. We were sweating…..

are so enjoying ourselves on, i.e. Soundcloud, Twitter and Facebook. Addi-

Unsure of how to respond to the rather overwhelming response and it became

tional avenues of The Soap Girls are going to be rolled-out over the coming

a little more difficult thereafter as we uploaded new music. We are never sure

weeks and months, which includes the imminently available YouTube Show,

of what the reaction will be!! We must say we love the positive and the hateful

giving true insights to whom The Soap Girls really are. We are in the pro-

responses. In fact, we have to give a shout out here also to all our haters; we

cess of finalizing live shows in SA, to then be extended to include a few Eu-

dig them because they keep the fires burning and we love the opportunity to

ropean dates and possibly the USA. All in all it is a journey, not to be missed.

give as much back. We are humbled and driven by people like BWD Magazine who through opportunities like this cover feature enable us to move forward.

A HUGE thanks to BWD Magazine for giving us an opportunity and the voice.

We would also like to mention Swam Music Player a Canadian band who have

For The Soap Girls, it is these opportunities that are humbling and exhilarating,

fallen in love with us (and vice versa) and find every opportunity to let us know!!

helping strengthen our resolve ‘to be who & what we are’. THANK YOU!!

We are extremely fortunate in the team we have behind us notably PoshSam our personal manager who has always led the fight in order for us to keep on

BWD: And finally, which is the heaviest;

regardless of circumstances and who has a passion for everything we stand for and who goes to the ends of the earth to keep us on our road!! Steve Harris (for-

A ton of feathers...

mer MD of UM SA is our business manager and having traveled the journey with us is as passionate and completely gets what we will or won’t do, as well as, an

...or...

amazing publisher John Fishlock who we think enjoys our quirkiness and stands passionately and proudly behind our unwillingness to compromise who we are.

A ton of bricks..?

There are many people/artists/indie stations/journalists who we meet along the way and we send a massive amount of thanks to them for their unwavering sup-

Well they’re both a Ton aren’t they? ;);) But we imagine it would be a hell of a lot

port!! The most important lessons we have learned is what we will or won’t do!!

more difficult transporting the feathers!!

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 25

Do you remember the moment you discovered that one band, that one artist

With growth comes expansion, and now PhilRadioCast sees itself compet-

that made the world of music - something you had thus far been aware of but

ing with streaming services fighting for their own slice of the audience ear-

not particularly interested in - and changed it forever?

’oles. However, like a perpetual motion machine the energy that fueled the stations first steps have continued into a canter, their steadfast stance on

Suddenly the dirge of distraction and detritus of warbling fools transformed

bringing a stage for all to step upon and deliver a line-or-two maintaining

into an explosion of emotions; a landscape of musical metaphor solos and

the stations reputation as the first place to go when sourcing new sounds.

similes, beats and break-neck bass battering down your ear-canal and kicking you straight in the adrenalin.

Encouraging the very scene that has helped cultivate their growth PhilRadioCast enjoys a uniquely symbiotic-like partnership with the bands they

The rush of excitement and unbridled passion for these new sensations

showcase, a huge audience on offer and awaiting the musician’s efforts to

through sound that sent you off to the music-store, throwing money at the

turn them into fans of their singles and sound. Sharing and connecting by

till-monkey before sharing the haul of tuneful treasures with your contem-

way of social media encourages awareness through airtime, cross-promotion

poraries and friends, pouring over the playlists and gorging on even the

perfection played past ‘11’. Though the likes of iTunes and Spotify have far

smallest tad-bit of tattle or info you could glean from the available media.

deeper pockets and much fatter wallets PhilRadioCast maintains itself as an

Nelson Beroin certainly remembers, and seems determined to keep that

equal to those with financial excess, its position within the ears and minds of

initial injection of unearthing new musical manna in a constant state of

true music discoverers solidified by its rock-hard reputation, its unequalled

happening, spreading it to the pierced ears of the people around the world,

emotion, and - of course - it’s unrivalled playlist. As they themselves advise;

sharing the sensational feeling for all who wish to partake with as much - if

“You have the right to remain silent but we don’t recommend it.”

not more - enthusiasm than the ardent followers of said sounds. It is through the self-same passionate drive of embracing the moment that PhilRadioCast was built, a radio station dedicated to delivering the surge of unsigned talent rising from the garages and gig-venues to the millions of ‘fans’ and ‘soon-to-be-fans-of-’ that collectively tune in to rock out. With the awfully adequate mainstream content on homogenizing itself into nothing it’s a stark contrast when compared to the riches afforded by the talent and diversity of bands the unsigned scene espouses. With a base to call home and launch themselves from PhilRadioCast has become the de facto station for acts looking to show their mettle and metal on a global stage.

Contact Information:

Launched in August of 2012 PhilRadioCast began as a rather unassuming webcast streaming songs onto the internet. It quickly caught the attentions

Website: www.philradiocast.com

of an audience, and soon an increasing fan-base regularly tuning in helped

Twitter: @philradiocast

turn the station into a leviathan launching new bands into the ether and across the world-wide-web’d.

26 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com