BWD Magazine - March 2014

Worldwide Indie Music, Lifestyles, Entertainment Magazine

March 2014

anima A clutch of aces

david Perlmutter

LAW

book review and

AKA

a smashing release

Lakesha Washington

“wrong place wrong time”

OVER a decades worth of experience and knowledge

The Mumblecores

“GAMING AT ITS BEST”

Features 04 Chill Will Da Don A Scholar Of The Streets

06 LAW aka Lakesha Washington Where Only The Strongest Survive

10 AdamPlaysYT One Of The Top Gaming Channels

16 The Burgeoning Taking Listeners On An Adventure

18 The Mumblecores Standing Apart From All The Others

21 Lil Gee Weaving Lyrical Missives Between Rhythmic Melodies

22 The Whereabouts Music Of Merit, Real Integrity AND Worth

COVER STORY 12 ANiMA A Clutch Of Four Aces

Lifestyle 08 Put It On My Tab Trio Of Touch-Tappy Apps For The Musician

14 5 Tips For Making A Music Video One-Eye On Your Budget, The Other On Your Future

ENTERTAINMENT 20 BWD Radio (Sponsor) Your Top Indie Artist’s ‘Global’ 24/7 Non-Stop Music Radio Station - Commercial Free - #1 in Genre Variety, Live Shows and Contest Giveaways!!

24 BOOK REVIEW: David Perlmutter Wrong Place Wrong Time

25 BWD Records (Sponsor) The Independent Music Label of the South

2 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

FROM THE EDITOR

last issue

Bridging the gap across all media platforms BWD Magazine is dedicated to turning the spotlight onto the figures and faces, names and in-the-knows hitting the headlines and filling the attentions of the entertainment world.

From musicians to models, ground-breaking acts to artists and artisans, imagination is the only limit in BWD’s ambitions in bringing the audiences of the world to the names we feature.

With over a decade’s worth of experience in the music industry and a crowd of millions worldwide spreading the word with each new release, BWD has established itself as the leader in its field.

BWD Magazine- ‘Leading Whilst Others Follow’

Editor In Chief V Keach

Associate Editor J Addams

Lead Contributing Writer J Addams

Contributing Writer V Keach

Art Director V Keach

Graphic Artist 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

buffalo bites..... Monthly Feature COMING IN APRIL! BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 3

Support is very key to

F

rom one of the toughest neigh-

ration and determination that pours from Chill

bourhoods constrained within

Will Da Don’s ever sharp insight, those dangerous

the streets of Bryan, TX to the

streets and darkened alleys became an invalu-

steps of greatness leading to

able resource.

the top of the music charts Chill

an underground

Will Da Don is turning the hard knocks of life into

Having laid the kindling with the experience of

artist and I appreciate

hard hitting lyrics, frustration into fruition, and

everyday life on the streets, Will’s musical fires

furious determination into fanatical demand.

were sparked into life when his Uncle James

all the support I get,

introduced him to the music of the legendary Born Will Robinson in July ‘84, Chill Will’s early

West Coast Rapper Too Short.

especially from you

years were spent in a state of upheaval, the road more of a home than any bricks and mortar

Charged with the flames of inspiration, they

guys! “

building in William Robinson senior’s pursuit of

were further stoked when his brother Blue led

providing for his family.

him to the world, words and wisdom of artist Tupac Shakur.

Eventually settling in the neighbourhood of Beckstreet, Chill Will witnessed the once pros-

The fires now ablaze, Will Robinson began the

perous surroundings decline; submerged within

metamorphosis into the artist Chill Will Da Don,

a charged environment of tension, angst, and

fervently scoring his own world of words as his

untenable frustration at the situation around

inspirations had shown him as he’d developed

him; it was through the tight bonds of family

his own voice and style.

life that kept Will from joining the path leading to a life of incarceration and a future without

Like the cocoon of command within the com-

promise.

poser his understanding of the word-play and erudition to express same started to break out

As a sanctuary to raise a family or find security

the chrysalis, define him as a scholar of the

for a bright and prosperous future it was sorely

streets while uniquely able to realize his own

lacking; but as nurturing grounds for the inspi-

thoughts so that the audience didn’t just under-

4 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

Chill Will Da Don “it’s very hard for up & coming artists to gain the recognition.....”

stand the music and meanings from within him; they empathized

Twelve months and over one hundred tracks later The Saga

with them, Chill Will’s words coming at them as if describing their

Continues was released with a huge anticipation. Featuring pro-

own struggles and strife.

ducers Legacy, Kiese and KC3D; This Feeling was the first single off the album that received to critical acclaim, with the second - Her

College saw him taking the football field by storm, the chance of

Feeling - likewise rewarded.

a hitherto unseen talent with the pig-skin turning his NFL-Shaped career into being cruelly denied when an injury side-lined the star.

Currently preparing for his next full album release entitled ‘Power Moves Only’ and due to drop in 2014 BWD Magazine sat down to

Dispirited with the game and interest waning he chose not to

talk with Chill Will Da Don about his feature win and the music

dwell on the negative and instead embraced it as the Silver Lining

behind the man.

he knew it to be, throwing himself back full force into music with a renewed charge.

‘This award means a lot to me,’ he explains, ‘because it’s very hard for up and coming artists to gain recognition before we hit the main-

When 2011 rolled around Chill Will Da Don’s first single ‘Money To

stream. Support is very key to an underground artist and I appreciate

Blow’ burst onto the radio, turning up the heat as it turned Texas

all the support I get, especially from you guys! ‘

airwaves decidedly Chill-ed.

With his 2012 release ‘Streetfame’ (hosted by 97.9 The Beat’s DJ M Squared) Deonte - aka Hot Rod - collaborated with Chill on the

Contact Information:

single The Good Life and was produced by Legacy.

Website: latenitemuzik.bandcamp.com

Ending the year with fellow label C Dot Smoka the two collabora-

Twitter: @ChillWillDaDon

tors released the Late Nite Muzik: EP, cementing Will’s reputation

Facebook: ChillWillDaDon

as an artist in demand and providing his audience with a new world to explore.

Photo Credits: Chill Will Da Don - All Rights Reserved

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 5

T

here are many laws in life one has to obey; the law

A collection of her writings became Lakesha’s own debut release,

of the land, for example, which governs society’s

the album So Far So Close releasing on iTunes and exposing her

behaviour. The law of the jungle, where only the

as a singer with a voice as expressive as the words they sang with

strongest survive.

such passion.

Within music we have a new law being written which is proving

With the joining forces both in life and business to her husband

just as impossible to ignore as the draw of the beat, its compelling

Mark, LawMark Music Productions was born. The commitment

presence felt and turning to adulation amongst audiences and art-

brought to her own lyrical soliloquies is now available to help the

ists alike.

frustrated musician or producer lacking an ability to articulate, their emotions described with a pin-sharp clarity only Lakesha seems

Representing harmony as it forms the bonds of emotional connec-

able to ascribe.

tion felt by any who have experienced the bitter-sweet sting of love, loss, and re-building the ties that bind the humanity to its heart, this

Feeling drawn to her presence and unwilling to defy the LAW, BWD

LAW in question is known to her fans as Lakesha A. Washington; the

Magazine sat down in the company of Lakesha A. Washington aka

Canadian ‘soul of the sirens’.

LAW to talk about her blessed gift, her inner thoughts, and where the future may lie.

Weaving melody and words into a heady concoction of creation and connection LAW first found the drive of emoting when still in her home of Canada; with the initial impetus looking for an outlet to

exclusive interview

build upon, it was when a move to the States found Lakesha alone and almost invisible. In unfamiliar surroundings she began turning those emotions into prose, pouring her pain at being so lost in a crowd into music.

BWD: Thank you for granting us this interview; please, introduce yourself..?

Awakened, the drive she had felt before now had a direction to travel, a moment in time to look deep within her soul and examine to

Well, I am Law. I call myself this as this is not only my music name but

understand the finer details of it all. Bringing the influences of her

also the initials to my name which is Lakesha A. Washington. I prefer

contemporaries throughout genres as far-reaching as Contemporary

Law though..Lol.. I am a songwriter and producer with LawMark Music

Christian, Jazz, Neo-Soul and R&B, emotions took form and a

Productions. Glad to be able to share and thank you for the opportunity

mirror was held up to the emotional experiences life seems too

in this interview!

bequeathed to us all.

With her talent in full bloom she became a lighthouse of lyrics for

BWD: With an exclusive fan base it might be fair to say that our

lost artists unable to extemporize the feelings they felt, penning

audience are more familiar with LAW then they realize?

several of the tracks on the smash debut release of music group Certain in 2003.

6 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

law aka Lakesha Washington It’s really been wonderful having the response from various radio sta-

to express, they can be very descriptive and from my ‘gut’ feelings. Life

tions, dj’s, blogs, family and friends. The foundation of what I do in

is tough no matter who you are though. When I was younger I fell into

music begins with writing and I am hoping plenty will hear my song-

depression and I quickly realized that God was someone I could talk to

writing through both inspiration and R&B music. I want to write about

when I wasn’t comfortable sharing my struggle. Now I tend to also talk

life in general. There is so much to talk about. I’m thankful for anyone

through my writing, as well as other people’s lives through observation

who has taken the time to listen. I have a new single out called Holy

and identifying.

Spirit which I’m so blessed to have had the opportunity to produce and record this record with a writer of the song and great friend Oshawn

BWD: Do you ever feel burdened by the mixed blessing of having to

Jefferson. This song has been encouraging folks and I’m grateful.

experience the loss, the heartache of life’s lessons, if you will, to be

Definitely take a listen; to those who haven’t.

able to capture such emotions in song?

BWD: They say you should never work with children or animals,

Yes very often. It’s human nature. The lessons and burdens in life give

but working with a marital partner can be equally as precarious;

you more perspective and without the clashes in life it can make for a

yet despite this you and your husband Mark founded the LawMark

less interesting song at times. I believe people want to identify with

Music Productions. How did you manage to strike the right harmonic

what is true and what is real in life’s experiences and we want to con-

working balance?

nect with the song that also expresses this.

That’s funny because like a marriage, it takes work. We both have our

BWD: And finally; what would you like to be remembered as most;

differences that we hear in music but it keeps it interesting while we

a good person or a great songwriter?

are being creative. We have realized that you have to be open to ideas and that production is a process with many phases. Trial and error is a

Wow...that’s easy. A great songwriter. Being remembered as a great per-

lot of times how you find the right ingredient. We started doing music

son is great but I try not to get too caught up in people’s opinion of who

together in 2007 and knew very little about working the ‘development’

I am. Once they hear my songs and if they then get a chance to know

of a song from start to finish. However, you see that’s just what we

me, they’ll see I am not perfect but I am a ‘real’ person and hopefully

needed to learn and grow together. Creating music together offers the

they’ll see my heart and understand the great person I am on the inside.

opportunity to work on many more songs. We are ready to work with artists, producers etc. It’s the best part, hearing thoughts and words come to life!

Contact Information: Website: soundcloud.com/lawmusic20

BWD: From the words you write it seems impossible to understand the power of emotion that inspired them..?

Twitter: @LawMusic20 Facebook: Law20 Photo Credits: LawMark Music Productions

Writing is an amazing outlet. I tend to internalize and so when it’s time

All Rights Reserved

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 7

put it on my tab Dinner-table sized desks exploding with banks, dials and switches beside bulky lumps of grey towers chugging away beneath a fog of cigarette smoke and producer sweat is a thing now consigned to the murky past of the music world, joining reel-to-reel tapes and wax cylinders.

Being little more than engorged in mobile phones minus the actual ability to make calls or send texts means you have an incredibly powerful microcomputer fighting the grip of your palms with its overly bevelled frictionless edges, and fully capable of taking over your life.

Whether it’s an Apple or Android there is an app out there designed to do something you’ve been doing for years without any serious problems but can now do it from the comfort of the toilet without worry of having to halt mid-way and risk losing precious missives to answer the hammering on the door or apply a courtesy flush.

We shall be roving our beady eye across the various out-lets for applications vying to stand beside the bloat ware and corrupted sectors on your hard-drive or external memory, downloading the most interesting or useful of those we find worthy of further inspection, and dropping our pointing pinkies upon their touchy-trickery and reporting which few of the many finds favour upon our ‘Pads, brings ‘appiness to our Android.

This month we shall be looking at a trio of touch-tappy apps for the musician. (Apple and Android)

8 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

beatwave

evernote

So you’re cruising down the freeway with

Exactly what an app offering all the func-

the wind in your face when inspiration

tionality of a traditional pencil and paper

strikes! A melody more addictive than

note taking set-up should be. Evernote

sugar laced Crack is banging about the

provides an infinite amount of blank can-

ole think tank like a hostage in the back

vases for you to scribe your most inti-

of a van; far from your home studio and

mate of missives and keep safe for future

desperate to record the tune, a compositional coup comes in

perusal.

Beatwave.

You can change the colour of the ‘paper’ to highlight particular Simply fire-up the home screen and press your digit into employ

notes, and whether it’s scribings, scribblings, documents, web clips

and onto the apps widget and within seconds you can be building

or images, the ‘Note can take it all and then some and remember

your magnum opus with minimum fuss.

the lot wholesale and verbatim.

A synth based app, its simple interface allows you to build layers

Lyrics can be transcribed and saved on your mobile to the track you

of various instruments by the expeditious nature of tapping a grid.

composed earlier on your work Tab when your boss thought you

Seconds after loading an entire orchestral piece can be produced

were finalizing the figures for the month, uploaded and saved on a

from within its confines, and additional instruments can be pur-

cloud of bits and bytes that won’t get lost beneath the mountain of

chased should you despair at the lack of frugal horn in the free

take-away boxes and socks and letters from your boss demanding

version.

those figures for the end of the month.

Once built, the track can be stored for later attentions, or sent and shared via email with less effort than falling down the stairs, possibly to our next choice of app.

dropbox

Before the world got Dropbox, hard-drives were home to every last bit of byte your brilliance deemed worthy enough to keep.

Upload, download, save or delete a multitude of files from your mobile or Tab, synching when desired across numerous devices and throwing in the ability of previewing any files marked Favourites for ease of identification.

Again, functionality is as competent and simple as you really need for what is essentially a virtual junk-drawer, and the freedom to be able to upload, download, side-load and send whether on the beach on the bus or in the bog means no information or file need be lost to bad filing or poor memory or losing that piece of paper with the antidote written on it.

Which brings us nicely onto our third and final app in this triple app tappings.

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 9

F

rom the anonymous surroundings of Lancaster in the

gameplay you could trouble your bandwidth with, your time on his channel

United Kingdom, to the sounds of a clamouring audience

an investment that pays back ten-fold.

battering the ‘Like’ button on YouTube - AdamPlaysYT is one of the many growing gaming channels competing

In showing it‘s neither hype nor hyperbole behind the humour and hubris,

in the entirely self-fought battle to find and develop an

Adam’s audience continues to grow with each update of the channel. Various

audience. Currently absorbing both the attentions and

well-respected gaming companies, such as Elgato Gaming, help bring spon-

bandwidth of over twenty-three thousand subscribers,

sorship to sit alongside him beneath the umbrella of the mighty Machinima,

AdamPlaysYT stands at the head of the charge, leading adventurers into

an endorsement Adam never dreamed he could achieve.

a new world of online content creation, seemingly destined for a victory thoroughly deserved.

With a corner of the offices knee deep in old Cheetos bags and a pile of NES cartridges this high BWD Magazine has long since committed the

As a prolific gamer possessing an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things

Konami code to memory, known for some time how ‘the cake is a lie’, so

Minecraft - Adam’s natural enthusiasm and magnetic charms have seen

with the DS fully charged and our sunny Floridian offices echoing to the

this fifteen year old school boy

enchantments of Zelda’s Lullaby

become a well-respected gamer

we slipped through a nearby

and vlogger in the YouTube com-

warp pipe, umbrella in hand and

munity. As part of the number

bowler hat upon head, surfac-

one entertainment network for

ing in the birthplace of Atari

gamers around the world, the

and Adam himself to ask this

behemoth, known as Machinima,

philanthropic player about his

Adam helps add to the huge

gaming credentials; how he

network of channels whose pro-

broke out of his bedroom and

gramming accrues over one and

Britain itself to become a bona-

a half billion unique views each

fide voice of gaming across all

month.

continents and shores, and chat about Machinima and Mario,

Not bad for a lad of only fifteen years of age, it has to be said.

With each upload honing his craft as one of the internets most respected voices leading the charge to sustain the appetite of an audience enamoured

GamesMaster and more.

exclusive interview

by the voracious vlogging community, AdamPlaysYT continues to be the

BWD: Hello and welcome to BWD Magazine; would you care to introduce

channel bringing the thunder and lighting the fuse of this exciting new

yourself to our audience..?

world of gamer-centric online broadcasts.

Hello, my name is Adam and I’m 15 years of age. I live in the North West of England in a county called Lancashire in which I created, developed and main-

Bringing his own no-nonsense honesty and compelling commentary to the

tain to this day my YouTube channel - AdamPlaysYT.

fore, Adam incorporates missives and insightful facts alongside compelling play-through and informational videos. Collaborating with other luminaries of gaming, Adam throws out some of the finest unscripted viewing and 10 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

BWD: So what is AdamPlaysYT all about..?

In short, basically I create videos on the internet and make money off it! I created

Gadget Show Live at Birmingham’s NEC last year in April. It was a joyous experi-

the channel back in September of 2012 as a way of sharing my encyclopaedic

ence and for me, at the time a 14 year old schoolboy, meeting, greeting, taking

knowledge of everything Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition - a game that I was hooked

pictures and signing autographs was a little surreal! I can’t wait to do the same

on at the time and which still is a huge part of my life till this day!

at EGX Rezzed in March this year!

Minecraft is a hugely popular game on the YouTube scene. Its gameplay

BWD: Your approach to your channel and quality of updates speaks highly

commentaries, music video parodies and informational videos rack up millions

about the level-headed professionalism you approach AdamPlaysYT..?

and millions of views every month (a huge audience of which I’m proud to say

As far as creating content goes, I have three types of categories for them.

I share!).

Firstly, pre-mediated videos. These can be anything from an informational video

The game is about placing blocks (basically a huge game of LEGO) and build-

about some news regarding new features that could be added to Minecraft, a

ing enormous structures as high as the sky can do. The possibilities are endless

discussion video about something new and upcoming that I find interesting or a

you could say, the survival mechanics of finding resources and exploring dun-

product review. These types of videos usually have quite a bit of planning going

geons also create highly entertaining online multiplayer play - which is some of

into them but some might just be a basic script or mind-map of ideas I need to

the types of content that I produce.

touch on in the video.

When playing with friends and other YouTubers, I record the footage and

Secondly, spontaneous gameplay commentaries. Basically, these are videos

upload them for the world to see on YouTube, and somehow, 25,000 people

that I decided I am going to record there and then. These types of videos are

enjoyed the videos enough to subscribe to my channel and the channel has an

usually longer and feature minimal post-production editing such as special

accumulative 2.1 million views!

effects, etc. Videos of this type can include but are not limited to; dual com-

The past year or so has been a complete blur, with YouTube and all the excitement that comes with it - making new friends, generating a following and

mentaries with other YouTubers, playing online multiplayer games with friends and discussion videos.

discovering an audience - and I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner in

Finally, live-streams. These aren’t pre-recorded and are done live (as the

2014! This year I plan to expand my creative reach into other games and even

name suggests), which funnily enough can sometimes lead to somewhat hilari-

try my hand at weekly vlogs (documenting my everyday life and the lead up to

ous technical issuers! For me, these live-streams are usually spontaneous and

my GCSE exams and beyond), comedy videos and real life skits (although these

don’t follow a weekly schedule unlike other YouTubers. Most live-streams

are just a few of my ideas!).

will occur on my Twitch channel and will be announced across social media

BWD: The all-inclusive/wholly open invite that is YouTube and the internet

(YouTube, Twitter & Facebook etc.).

has allowed people such as yourself to develop a career around their hob-

BWD: Who do you click n’ sit to enjoy; which contemporaries do you person-

bies/interest by sharing their passion and enthusiasm globally to others of

ally see as doing something different or unique?

a similar mind; gaming specifically has seen an exponential rise in channels

When it comes to watching other YouTubers, I have a few favourites. For

offering a gamers-view to see the world through, the competition for an

many years I had an unhealthy obsession with TheSyndicateProject’s ‘The

audience is fierce yet your channel on the Machinima Network has accrued

Minecraft Project’ videos, but since the dawn of my YouTube channel, unfor-

substantial subscribers – would you say this endorsement of your channel is

tunately I haven’t had much time to sit, relax and watch his videos which

a mark of the quality within the vlog’s you produce?

makes me a little upset. I also love watching KSIOlajidebt’s FIFA videos as

Machinima Inc. (in my eyes) is a brilliant network of gamers which do the same

well as wroetoshaw and a few others.

thing that I do every day, and some as a full-time career. My affiliation with

I also watch a lot of my friends’ videos including stampylongnose (who

Machinima came about shortly after I left the RPM Network, which is a sub-

recently hit one million subscribers so - congrats mate!), MessYourself,

sidiary of Maker Studios which owns Polaris, the coveted invite-only managed

lifeofkodi & more.

YouTube Network for huge YouTubers. Since I first started my YouTube channel,

BWD: And on that bombshell would you like to bring things to a close with

my dream has always been to partner with Machinima since back then they

a little information regarding what will AdamPlay next..?

were the biggest and only, to my knowledge, well-respected gaming network

I’m always so indecisive about what I’ll do next but I’m really getting into live-

at the time. Nowadays, their reputation in the YouTube scene and the gaming

streaming at the moment. The prospect of being able to do a video live and to

community isn’t what it used to be since the rise of Curse and IGN but they’re

get comments as you’re “making it” is fascinating to me and I’m at a stage in my

everything I need right now. It still receives a colossal 2 billion views a month

career where this is possible now! I hope that in the future I can do many more

on YouTube with all of its partners uploading daily videos!

live streams on TwitchTV channel.

BWD: Do you find having such a public profile difficult to handle? How have you managed to deal with the pressure of a watching world?

Contact Information

Right now I’m coping pretty well with a public profile, but in the past I struggled a lot with the typical internet troll comments like “I hate you.”, “You’re gay.” & “Go

Website: www.twitch.tv/AdamPlaysYT

die.” My advice to anyone starting out a YouTube channel would be that whilst

Twitter: @ AdamPlaysYT

there can and will be very vocal internet trolls in the comments section of your

Facebook: AdamPlaysYT

videos, there will also be a fair few loyal watchers who don’t leave any sort of textual feedback and who just enjoy the video.

As a plus side to having a public profile, I recall meeting several of my view-

youtube.com/AdamPlaysYT instagram.com/AdamPlaysYT Photo Credits: AdamPlaysYT - All Rights Reserved

ers (fans or subscribers/followers) at gaming & technology events such as The BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 11

C

ontinuing the legacy of being the hub for all new and exciting things music-wise in Birmingham; the United Kingdom has once again thrown down its winning hand to reveal a clutch of four aces known as ANiMA, scooping the pot with a sweeping gesture that leaves little room for argument in the wake

of their devastating call.

With a sound so fresh as to currently defy present conventional pigeon holing of genres; Dan Sheridan, (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Christopher Charles Lutha Sheridan (guitar, vocals and keyboard), Mike Bar (bass) and Adam Wakefield (drums) have forged an uneasy truce with aligning ANiMA to the tag of grunge enforced upon the group by lazy journalism and those under-developed of the music-gland.

More rock than remonstration ANiMA’s grasp of how a song is more than an invite for your ears to become distracted from the chitter-chatter of the modern world, an investment of emotion and interest that extends beyond the nonsense and noise in the air-waves, began in the not-too-distant-past of 2011.

When ANiMA vocalist Dan Sheridan realized his then-current band The Fairytale wouldn’t be the group able to bring to fruition the compositions he had in mind, and not wanting to be in a position where he wasn’t giving one hundred percent commitment to the group, and made with the farewells.

anima

Having a clear vision of sound in mind he began piecing together the group that could not just play the sounds he heard in his head but take them above and beyond any levels of perfection he’d envisaged, collectively creating music

Website: ANiMAnoise.bandpage.com

that would see the single ‘The Sun & The Moon’ receiving airplay on Kerrang!

Twitter: @ANiMAnoise

Radio and BBC WM.

Facebook: ANiMAnoise

As the old saying goes, nothing good is easy and nothing easy is good; as the band themselves would attest, perfection takes time, and even though bass player Mike Bard and guitarist Christopher were quickly welcomed into the fold it would take a few more months and bodies to fill the seat behind the drum-kit.

When a mutual friend introduced the threesome to a drummer by the name

exclusive interview BWD: Like a breath of fresh air direct from Birmingham, please intro-

of Adam Wakefield; chance, happenstance, or even fate could be called in for

duce us to ANiMA..?

the line-up over being responsible for the paths that were about to be crossed;

Chris: ANiMA is a four piece rock band. For those new to us, we strive to

a chemistry found and friendships forged, ANiMA burst onto the gigging scene

explore variations on the genre, pushing the boundaries of what can be

as a toned and honed slice of solid sonic songs and explosive stage presence.

achieved with heavy guitar music, not liking to be tied down to any specific

Influenced by bands such as SOAD, Suede and Smashing Pumpkins ANiMA

scene or genre so that we keep our own personality and integrity, and can

brought change to the ears of the audience and chagrin to the pens of the

continue to react to what’s going on around us at the same time.

media, their combined artistry birthing a sound that mixed the hook-laden

Dan: To be a bit less abstract however, listen to us if you want music that

hitting power of rock with the familiar pattern of popular music in tightly deliv-

hurts your ears, and at the same time retains melody and hooks.

ered radio-friendly three minute slices of ‘superb’.

Debut release Homeopathy showed the group in the raw, almost visceral state

BWD: Birmingham has always been known as the land of new music

of a band holding a legion of power beneath their structured insurgence of

and genres, with ANiMA it seems coy about defining the style; so what

shock and awe. As the band have grown so too has their craftsmanship, though

does the band call their music?

it stands as a point of merit that opening track Dysphoria was so well received

Dan: The only genres we feel comfortable being closely associated with

it remains a fan favorite and one of the bands most popular songs.

are rock and alternative. Rock because, plainly, we are a noisy, guitar driven

Before 2014 has a chance to get underway proper and snatches ANiMA away from our grasping hands BWD Magazine threw a fistful of air-miles at the Buy

band, but adamantly we avoid clichés, trends and artistic compromise, so we definitely sit on the alternative fence also.

Tickets Here desk jockey sitting behind the counter, scorched across the skies and, remembering to replace any uses of the phrase ‘I am’ with the somewhat

Collectively some of our most notable influences are Nirvana, Radiohead,

Zen-like ‘Om’ we tracked down the band ANiMA to talk about how it all came to

System of a Down and fellow brummies Black Sabbath. Individually, we

be and where it will go, being RGG Band of 2013, and Birmingham’s burgeon-

carry our own personal weight of inspiration. As the main songwriter, I’ve

ing band scene.

learned a lot from the likes of truly great rock and alternative writers such as Billy Corgan, Amanda Palmer, John Lennon, David Bowie, Thom Yorke

Photo Credits - ANiMA - All Rights Reserved

12 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

and Kurt Cobain, although lately I’ve been inspired more by some of the

Cover Story

emerging Midlands bands like Youth Man. It’s once more a great time for ‘guitar

should be a real triumphant show for us, I’m looking forward to it.

music’ in the Midlands, heavy bands are thriving again.

Chris: We were very excited by the extent to which ANiMA were covered in RGG. It

I also listen to a lot of classical music, particularly romantic composers like

was obvious Nick was impressed with our sound, but we were delighted to have

Rachmaninov, Grieg and Chopin. I think this also finds its way into our songs in a

some recognition, we’ve got everything it takes to make it far! To get recognition

way, if more subtly than the distortion, wailing and...Horrific screaming.

like that really shows us the impact we can have from just one show!

We’re not afraid to work outside rock convention, this is how music moves forward. I’m kind of sick of ‘retro’ acts. It’s stale. Why waste time attempting to create

Dan: Yeah the whole ‘Band of the Year’ identification was off the back of one performance. So all in all it was extremely encouraging.

a ‘pseudo sixties’ production on a track, or dress like Madonna or whatever? The world has already been there.

BWD: And finally; what’s 2014 looking like under the eyes of ANiMA?

The more time this band has to evolve, the more you will hear an exploration

Dan: We’ve been working tirelessly to be honest. Personally I’m really shattered!

of new sounds and concepts. We’ve got a LOT of a new ideas, and our ambition

A lot of energy is going into the new EP, ‘Remember it’s a Memory.’ It’s a kind of

isn’t faltering.

concept record, based around the theme of memories, and how we perceive them.

Like, when you remember a certain event from your life, how similar an emotion

BWD: Though almost a world away from your debut EP release Homeopathy ANiMA have managed to retain that initial spark of explosive creativity whilst

is evoked to the one you experienced at the time? Is it at all similar?

So essentially it’s a record about questioning self-beliefs. The past makes us

moulding it creatively..?

what we are in the present, but memory and the past can be very different things.

Dan: Well in many ways this band is a different one to the band who released Ho-

It’s fairly contemplative, I don’t claim to have any answers, but hopefully it will

meopathy. We were only just discovering our own sound and I think it definitely

be a satisfying exploration.

took recruiting Adam on drums last September to really round this off.

We’re treating this release as a genuine work of art rather than merely a collec-

Adam: The Sun & The Moon single combines the heaviness of the earlier songs,

tion of songs. All the tunes will be standalone tracks, able to be enjoyed in their

but has a sing-along chorus and clean, driving vocals.

own right, but hopefully for the audience who allow themselves to be drawn into

Dan: Yeah we took a lot longer getting the right vocal representation for that

the record as a whole, it will be a rewarding experience. I appreciate the era of

single. For Homeopathy we just recorded as much as we could in the limited

the ‘album’ is over, and most people want a quick fix, but I think in the name of art

studio time we had. That resulted in me doing all the vocals in one or two hurried

that belief needs challenging. We get enough disposable bull thrown at us every

takes. We definitely pushed for more of a ‘radio single’ sound with The Sun & The

day, why should music be like that? When you buy clothes they’re soon replaced

Moon. It has that kind of anthemic quality so I think it works.

by new ones, or a computer will soon become outdated, it will creak around the

Homeopathy was rawer, and it’s the record you should listen to if you want to

edges and eventually stop working. Art shouldn’t be disposable. Yeah, in tangible

hear the transition from, basically, a metal band, which is how ANiMA began, and

cd form it will eventually deteriorate, but music itself can be ageless. Beethoven’s

the band you hear on The Sun & The Moon.

fifth symphony certainly hasn’t broken yet, and who hasn’t heard a Beatles song?

Back to the point, the titular track ‘Bad Memory’ will be pretty new for most

BWD: How did the band feel at becoming RGG Band of 2013?

people, and there will be a brand new track we haven’t played live yet. So even

Adam: It’s great to be rewarded for the gigs and EP for last year and how, hope-

for those who go to all our shows there’ll be a surprise or two for ya!

fully, it will help to widen our listeners and get us further acclaim/attention.

Dan: It feels good to be recognized for the work we’ve done and it really has been

‘Remember it’s a Memory’ is out in May, but you can wet your appetites with

a long, mostly unrewarding slog – for us at least -since 2011 when we formed

the new promo video, featuring ‘The Sun & The Moon’ which will be found on the

the band. We really can’t thank Nick Townsend of RGG enough for putting us for-

record when it’s out. It’s on YouTube. We hope to have more releases before the

ward for that. I know he’s a fan of what we do, and that feeling is mutual. In fact

year is out, we’ll be playing plenty of gigs if you want to catch us live, including

he’s putting us on at his place, Base Studios in Stourbridge on March 28th. That

at least one festival, hopefully more.

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 13

5 tips for making a music video When MTV first launched way back in the hair-sprayed decadence of the leopard-

i have a dream

print eighties no-one could have foreseen the impact it would have had on the music world; whereas before an artist or band had to rely on the printed media and a life on the road for eighteen months of the year to establish themselves and find their audience they could now attract as much - if not more - attention in a three and a half minute video.

As a promotional tool the benefits of a music video were ten-fold; the costs involved in bringing new music to the peoples of the world was suddenly considerably less than it would’ve been to hit every stage between here and Who knows Where, Europe, and being able to shove the band/artist into the faces of millions of potentially interested eyes at any time of the day also cut down on the amount of printed media (such as flyers or adverts in magazines) circulating about the landscape and draining precious funds ear-marked for the bowl of brown M&M’s and serving dwarf at the post-gig soiree from the budget.

Since then, of course, the world has opened up to allow anyone with an internet connection and the wherewithal the opportunity of sharing their sounds and accompanying sights with a global audience waiting to discover themselves some fresh new sounds. As far away as the furthest tip of a penguin’s tail whilst still being just on the other side of a lens, a musicians audience is closer now than ever before; so once you’ve got your music on a cloud somewhere burning up the download charts it’s time to take the next step and brush them teeth and put yourself before the digital Cyclops and make with the music-video.

So with one eye on the dwarf budget and the other on your future, here’s five tips to help you on the way to seeing your name under the headline ‘Midgets Reveals M&M Madness of Musician!!!’

Or ‘Latest Video from Global Smash Sensation!!!’

Whichever; both are good...

14 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

1.

So what do you want your video to look like? What impressions do you want to convey to your audience? What moves and looks are you going to pull as you whip your hair back and forth before the

cameras ever-staring eye? Storyboarding a song is as simple as drawing a line from A to Z, as long as you have at least a rough idea on the overall theme you’re looking for.

It doesn’t have to be an Orwellian novel with a cast of thousands searching for some far-reaching truth of humanities deepest emotional strains; most videos are essentially a performance of the artists/bands stage act, and anything beyond that is a fairly straightforward story-line built around the lyrics of the song itself.

Start with a few simple outlines of what you see in your head when the song is being played; write down everything that springs to mind or catches your fancy - you can always trim the fat after, and even a bad idea may end up working really well when pinned down onto celluloid (a perfect example would be Estranged by Guns N’ Roses; no idea what’s going on but damn, it looks good, and even has dolphins in it!).

Once you have a general idea what style or theme you like, start with the brainstorming to flesh it out. Write it out on a large sheet of paper and draw connecting lines to other ideas, or fire up the movie maker program on your computer and have stick figures move stiffly through possible scenarios or motifs. Either way, being able to see your ideas writ big as it were will make it easier to see what you like and works, and what you don’t and doesn’t.

Even putting all the ideas into a hat or bag and then randomly

touch we can all bring forth a picture perfect encapsulation onto memory

selecting one at a time to build a single continuum could deliver

card the visions of a Shakespearian performance strutting its funky stuff in

surprisingly effective results - if it’s good enough for Bowie when

accompaniment to the song.

writing songs, and all that.

Point, click and capture the moment music found its new Master Of The

location, location.....location?

2.

Moves on your mobile with a quality of image, the envy of any eighties band, the crystal-clear clarity far better than the inside of a custom-made

On stage or in a bus depot? A back alley

diamond cut crystal candy bowl. Again. And again...

or a gentleman’s club? Your bedroom with

...and again...Speaking of which...

a black curtain behind you hiding the

take thirty seven

Garfield wallpaper, or a churchyard that sees you dodging angry looks from mourn-

ers between shots?

Where you choose to film will be limited by what restrictions - both legal and moral - are imposed on the location. See what and where you have available; do you own a cellar big enough to recreate a

4.

It may be dull, it may be tiring, and it probably will be frustrating towards the end as you yet again mime and mouth along to the backing track for the umpteenth time that day, but you won’t know if you have the perfect shot until you’ve tried to

live gig situation, or a window box perfectly sized for some Lego-

record it. Much like the music you’re filming for your video it will represent

inspired film noir? Do you know someone who knows someone

you as an artist and you as a product; why invest either money or interest

who runs their own business and has a building going handy for

in something that doesn’t engage you? Knowledge of shutter speeds and

a shoot, or can you film it at two in the morning when you’re sup-

where sells triple espressos at four in the morning aren’t needed, just an

posed to be jockeying the till like a certain Mister Kevin Smith of

ability to step back, watch what you’ve shot and say ‘Does it work?’

Clerks/Red State fame?

Fancy angled and up-the-nose shots are all well-and-good but a surprising

What you have available is what you will likely end up using, at

number of videos adopt a ‘run through it once whilst filming from several

least in the first instance. Anywhere you own or is public property

angels’ method of video-shoot, which lends itself well to the arm chair

should be considered fair game, though communal areas such as

director amongst us and has the added bonus of being incredibly effective

parks and municipal buildings (ie: libraries, court houses, public

when cut together right.

restrooms) will have some law governing what is and what is not considered acceptable behaviour.

It may even be down to the musicians why you are still shooting the same scene fourteen hours after you began. It can take a while for some perform-

If unsure, check. Google exists for a reason, and even though it

ers to get comfortable ‘acting out’ on cue and away from the stage. Keep

probably isn’t to find out the legalities governing banana whip

calm and call to mind the six ‘P’s of music: Practice some Patience; a Perfect

covered dirty rockers bouncing through the pink aisle of Toys R’ Us

Performance is Persuasive Promotion.

it should be able to tell you if the cheese flavoured hammer-head shark pushes you over the line of good social accordance and into the attentions of the local constabulary.

i’m ready for my close-up

3.

What you choose to record your cinematic debut on will be the most crucial part of the whole process.

Coming Soon To Now Playing

5.

As with everything, promotion is key. Once you have your story boarded and your shooting schedule sorted you might want to be making announcements of an upcoming reveal to your followers and fans. With social media sites afford-

ing you a captivated - or at the least, reachable audience to inform of your daily dealings you can use the sweat off their brows and likewise connected

After effects and such can make even the most

friends to bring even more hype to your campaign or promotions.

ambiguous dross seem like it was touched by Kubrik’s genius, but if the

For Example...

original shots are all out of focus and all over the place then no amount

A post informing the world of your future plan is also an invite to anyone

of computer capitulations will iron out the dodgy framing and replace the

wishing to become a part of music and film history by being part of the

singers head.

crowd on this day in this location.

Once again the smartphone revolution comes to the fore, nearly everyone

Engaging your audience is infinitely easier when it involves them directly,

now having access to a quality visual recording device. The more megapix-

will make promoting yourself and your music far easier and further reach-

els the better, of course, but with an app market waiting for your dextrous

ing than hammering the re-tweet button for three solid hours.

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 15

S

ince 2011 one band has led the way in creat-

into the wilds a new unstoppable beast of brilliance.

ing new ways to break the old rules of music previously ensnaring creativity and imagina-

Born from a mix of Indie and Hip-Hop the bands own unique

tion through composing songs that take the

sound have earned them their place at the Table of Tunesmiths,

listener above the hum-drum of a four/four beat

the band showing themselves as pioneers offering places on their

and squealing guitars, and on an adventure into the unknown;

voyages into opportunity of opulence and revelations of rhyme.

an unknown wherein those who dare to follow find portraits of soundscapes, visions of greatness, and a tune you can hum long

Hearing the call of the band and finding our feet unable to resist

after the last note fades out, reality comes back and reality comes

the melody BWD Magazine waltzed its way into the world of The

a-knocking once more.

Burgeoning to talk tunes and tempo; songs and success, and which tag-team titans would come up trumps in the ultimate music

Influenced by British Indie-Rock and bringing only the best

throw down.

melodic mastery of other genres The Burgeoning are more than a band with a tune or two in their back pocket; they are a cavalcade of chords, crowd cap-

EXCLUSIVE interview

turing choruses, and cataclysmic creations intent on tearing

BWD: To start, hello, and

down the traditional

you fine gentlemen are..?

and rebuilding it into something quite

Logan Thierjung on vocals

extraordinary.

and guitar, Marc Giovanetti on guitar and keys, Alex

Individually going

Thierjung on bass and

by the monikers of

Brandon Bradley on drums:

Logan Thierjung (lead

We are The Burgeoning.

vocals and rhythm guitar), Alex Thierjung

BWD: From listen-

(bass), Brandon

ing to your tracks The

Bradley (drums), and

Burgeoning seem to be

Marc Giovanetti (keyboard/synth/lead guitar) these Bensalem,

more than just a band; indeed, there’s a highly creative imagina-

Pennsylvanian artificers of sound began their creation of celebra-

tion at work behind these songs..?

tions in 2011, when brothers Logan and Alex found themselves looking at the current state of music and finding it lacking for

When fans listen to our music, we want them to feel they can

imagination, invention, involvement and – above all – the invest-

embrace themselves and their own truest and deepest adventurous

ment of emotion to carry crowds through both chaos and clouds

spirit. We want to be the inspiring gateway force that plunges them

and leave the listener breathlessly spent for it.

out of any problem, life situation, or insecurity. Almost as if we are the soundtrack to their own self-discovery to who or whatever they

With fellow Pipers of Pied Brandon and Marc of the same mind

want to be and do. As a band we tend to look at our sound or genre

and talent to create gold from the leaden scene The Burgeoning

as untamable and not particularly describable, but if we had to sum

was formed, the band’s name taken from the definition of same;

it up with a few words, we can be described as a boundless-unchart-

to whit, to expand, to grow, to become something more.

ed-muse-euphoria (B.L.U.M.E.). We ourselves were all kids with different toys in the same sandbox. Our mascot, “Blume” the robot, is the

Quickly the band established themselves in the venues of their

symbolic collective of our own individual personalities and quarks.

hometown, winning over crowds and hypnotizing listeners with their incredibly energetic performances and contagious set-lists;

BWD: How did the collaborations with Gonz come about?

soon they became Philly’s latest unsigned explosion of sound, and after finding fellow state-shifting stalwart in the artist known as

Gonz is the blood related cousin of Logan and Alex. Growing up we

GONZ, collaborations were formed and The Burgeoning released

weren’t the closest relatives however later in our lives only a few

The Burgeoning 16 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

exclusive interview

years ago we discovered we all have musical talent between all three

THUG LIFE.

of us. Logan and Alex were introduced to music since the dawn of time, as well as Marc and Brandon. Gonz started with music at his early

BWD: And finally; what’s on the horizon for The Burgeoning in

twenties. As cousins and friends we all decided to jam one day, and

2014?

from there it was history. We make new tracks all the time jamming, and recreate Gonz’s original tracks as well bringing our own melodic

More visual media, music videos, cover videos, vlogs, new merchandise,

indie rock edge.

and writing our first album songs. Possibly, some promotional raffle contests to win some cool stuff personally styled up by the burgeoning.

BWD: How confident were the band that there would be an audience for this new mix of styles and sound?

With any art form comes the artists’ conscious motive and essential deepest lack of concern that people will fully understand or even like our sound/music. In this world if you feel a certain way, someone somewhere is bound to feel the same or close enough to connect even if it is one person. Since the world is a big place, we have nothing but faith in ourselves and what we love to do, and that is all anyone really wants to see. People doing what they love, with originality and style.

We’re confident in saying we have something new and exciting to bring to the ears of everyone on this earth.

BWD: Clearly many people are grateful the band took the bold step, the acclaim and appreciation The Burgeoning have received undoubtedly promising a future for the band..?

Our relationship with BSMG is more of a partnership. We are both working together to pave the way for other independent artists to get out there and build their brands. Amongst still building our own brand, we are in the creative process of writing our first full length album,

Contact Information

called “Adventure”.

Website: www. theburgeoning.com BWD: Penultimate question time! Who would win in a tag-team fight between Biggie and Tupac versus brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher (of Oasis fame)?

Twitter: @TheBurgeoning Facebook: The.Burgeoning Photo Credits: The Burgeoning - All Rights Reserved BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 17

The Mumblecores

D

escribing themselves as pop at heart with a grunge-

gamers in their audience. Quickly snapped up for airplay across

rock body The Mumblecores are the epitome of a

the Midlands, the groups unique sound and solid reputation was

band fully in the driving seat of their own career;

starting to precede them. Justification for such missives of The

seeing the future as something they not only want,

Mumblecores and their music came in the guise of REChead Records,

but have the tools, ability, and hook laden tracks to

a music label who spotted the bands intense performance and

make it an almost unbelievable reality.

undeniable tracks and made them an offer to sign there and then.

Breaking through the embarrassment of musical riches, the

Already featured as ‘Band Of The Day’ in Counteract Magazine and

Midlands in the UK is known to birth as no easy feat for a band

being listed as ‘Band Of The Week’ on music review website Audio

wanting to stand apart from the others and establish themselves.

Pulse are but two of the reasons BWD Magazine grabbed our pass-

However, with a canny eye to the connected world online; Kraig

port and headed to the airport, our destination Birmingham in the

Fallows, Chris Jones, Anthony

land of bowler hats,

John Ellis and Reece Mason

our mission being

are delivering the audience

one of tracking down

of the internet the extraordi-

and tackling the four

nary explosion of sound and

piece of performers

superb substance known col-

who call themselves

lectively as The Mumblecores.

The Mumblecores to find out just what

Since their formation in

makes this band one

2010 the band have pushed

of the most intrigu-

forward with their mix of

ing on the music

infectious hooks and ravag-

industry’s radar; what

ing riffs to crowds across

is it about them that

their home county, perform-

has lifted them from

ing with an unbridled adren-

the crowds of other

alin rush to the happy glands of aural appreciation that sweeps up

bands to where they are now, where they hope to go, and if it isn’t

the crowds and carries them along through the rapids of rock riffs

what you do or the way you do it, what is it?

and grunge grit. Such shows established The Mumblecores as more than just a band, the overwhelming response garnering the band much praise from a quickly established and vastly growing fan

EXCLUSIVE interview

base as word of the new group spreads.

Upon completion of their debut EP ‘Quiet, Loud’ the band released

BWD: With a clearing of the throat we say hello; who are The

it across all platforms; from iTunes to Amazon to Sony Music Hub,

Mumblecores?

they even made it available through the XBOX marketplace for the 18 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

We are a four piece post-grunge/rock band from Birmingham. We first

internet, social media side of things but actually going out with flyers

started writing music as a band in late 2010 but have been gigging

and talking to people about our shows. We’ve found that a little face

and recording with this line up since July 2013. The Mumblecores

time can give people a reason to come and spend their hard earned

consist of Kraig (Vocals & Guitar), Chris (Guitar), Anthony (Bass) and

cash on coming to see you play!

Reece (Drums).

We’ve had some interesting moments on stage along the way for sure!

BWD: Your reputation as being an incredible adrenalin rush to the

Kraig spent a good twenty minutes before going on stage thinking

ears is certainly justified after hearing your EP ‘Quiet, Loud’…

he’d broken his amp before realizing that he had actually just knocked

We are so pleased with how the EP turned out! We really wanted to try

a dial down to zero and it was working perfectly but just removed all

and capture the raw energy and feel of our live shows, and with the

the tone. Crisis averted! Reece, halfway through a song lost his snare!

help of Tom Bickley (Guitarist & Producer in ‘Everybody Looks Famous’),

He didn’t break it, but it literally ended up halfway across the stage

who recorded and co-produced the EP, we feel we have done that. We’ve

because he’d been hitting it so hard!! Ant has had a bass that had been

had really good reviews and feedback from various people and fans of

cutting out during a song, and then in the process of punching it to fix

the band, and the tracks have been featured in both local and national

it, just proceeded to smash the pickups on it to pieces! The worst of the

media which is always nice!

bunch though would have to go to Chris, who managed to blow his amps mainboard and tubes after just three songs of a set! He ended

We’ve always found that our music has swayed more towards ideals

up having to play through the stage PA for the rest of the set, and trust

that we believe in as a band and as individuals. We don’t consider

us when we say that, with an electric guitar and distortion pedals, it

ourselves to be a politically motivated band and we certainly have no

sounds horrible!! But these things happen when you do live shows! We

agendas, but we are all very passionate about what we feel is right

survive, laugh it off, grab a beer and roll onto the next show.

and wrong in society and life in general. This EP and all our music is influenced by that. We also like to let the listener make up their own

BWD: As a band still quite early into its career, what milestones

mind as to what each song is about, rather than giving a breakdown of

have you set for yourselves?

each lyric line by line. It’s always nice to hear how someone else has

We just want to get our name out there as much as possible, playing as

perceived your work and their interpretation. Kraig has always found

many places as possible and hopefully somewhere along the line more

it easier to write more aggressive and angrier sounding material, so I

and more people will start coming to our shows and enjoying what we

wouldn’t be expecting any ballads anytime soon!

do! It would be nice to play a few big shows this year and maybe get on a few festivals around the UK. We’re back in the studio in March/

BWD: Clearly the hard-work and promotion has already started to

April time to get a new EP recorded and we’re really excited to play our

pay off, the band recently signing to the label REChead Records…?

first ever festival called ‘L2G Festival’ that is showcasing some of the

REChead are a new label from Birmingham who found us online

country’s biggest unsigned talents, so it was really great to be asked

and have really helped us push the presence of the band around the

to play! We just hope that people who listen, either on record or live,

Midlands and further afield. They are young, ambitious and want to

see the passion we have for what we do and feed off of that and will

succeed, just like the band, so it’s great to work together to try and

want to hear more.

push the band to the next level. As they are just starting out it’s cool to share ideas and be there from the beginning to see it take shape

BWD: Penultimate question time! Finish this sentence; It ain’t what

and grow bigger.

ya do, it’s the way that ya do it; that’s...?

What makes you stand out from the crowd!

BWD: You’ve bestrode the stage up and down the land, receiving critical and fan acclaim with almost every step; but has it really

BWD: And finally; what can we expect to see and hear from The

been the life of ‘Reilly’ it appears on paper..?

Mumblecores in the upcoming year?

We’ve had the attitude from day one of “if we can plug in and play, then

More of the same! More shows, more songs, more promotion and just

we’ll play!” I think that’s one of the joys of this band! We take what we

generally having a great time and trying to meet as many new faces

do very seriously, but we’re also just happy to be playing and doing

as possible!

what we all love! Whether that’s in a little pub shoved in a corner, or on a huge stage like the ‘Academy’ it makes no difference to us, we’ll

Contact Information

treat it exactly the same! If we play to 3 people or 300 people it doesn’t matter to us, we just try and make those that are there to watch us,

Website: www.themumblecores.co.uk

remember us, and hope they’ll come to watch us again. We started this

Twitter: @TheMumblecores

band to play songs that we love and hope other people like what they

Facebook: TheMumblecores

hear and nothing will ever really change that. With all our gigs, we try

Photo Credits: The Mumblecores/Sean Shore Photography

to advertise them as much as possible, and not only using the usual

Flashback Studios - All Rights Reserved BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 19

BWD RADIO is available on iTunes & Google Play!

DOWNLOAD BWD RADIO’S HOT MOBILE APP

BWD Radio IS Your #1 Variety Station Spinning The Hottest Indie Music Artists of Today!!

Non-Stop Music 24/7!

All Genres! No Commercials!

Your ON THE GO Station!

20 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

lil gee Answering the call to music that goes beyond the human impetus

Showing the world his own visions through consumptive composi-

to weave lyrical missives between rhythmic melodies, entwining an

tions and hypnotic hooks of almost unparalleled command, it’s hard

emotional depth of integrity to create the genre of Street Gospel, Lil

to imagine this is all coming from an artist still only 22 years old.

Gee - aka the artist Gregory Bell - is LA’s and the music scenes finest example of the passion within personal belief.

Poet, musician, and an artist who finds ears to listen to his words whenever he speaks, it’s only a matter of time before Lil Gee’s mes-

This Baton Rouge boy has been building his musical mansions of

sages are heard across the world.

sound since age 14, a prolific composer and writer whose self-produced recordings showed his talent was a match for the desire to extemporize beyond the thoughts of his peers.

When a suitable genre for him to fall into failed to appear he simply

Contact Information:

created his own, having found his own subtle blend of sounds and religious thematic tones brought a richer indulgence and more satisfying experience than simple pigeon-holing would allow.

Twitter: @TheOfficialLilG Facebook: LilGee Instagram: TheOfficialLilG

This drive to follow his own path saw Lil Gee sign to a fresh new

Photo Credits: Lil Gee

label called JustDFire Records, a label able to allow his unique vi-

All Rights Reserved

sions their full reign of reach. Though far-seeing in scope, the label

.

and Lil Gee parted ways two years later; but the foundations had been laid for what a further two years of hard work would reveal, Lil Gee’s upcoming and much anticipated full album debut release Hood Religion.

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 21

The Whereabouts

W

hen the Swinging Sixties came to a close the Disco

of jeggings, leggings and Limp Bizkit, a band of bringers-back-to-

Seventies planted its eight inch high sequined platform foot

the-fold of fans of music from a time when it was all about the

squarely on the dance floor, the air was rent asunder with the

sound rather than the style.

sound of an army of Pac-Man’s, the wacka-wacka soundtrack to falsetto’d chaps in disturbingly tight trousers crowing about walk-

Forget eye-liner and long hair, torn-up T’s and tattoo’s; no gangsta

ing with a fever at night; the guile and almost subversive feel of

nor geezer nor bling or big shoes, bullet-nutters bringing beef or

the music talking to teenagers and troubling parents of the time

vocalists with issues. Those with a Hank-ering for some Hol(l)y

quickly overwhelmed by an out-pouring of immodest clothing,

good tunes without hyperbole or hairspray or horribly contort-

curly chest hair and epileptic inducing light shows.

ing trews need look no further than the land of the lyricist and Emerald of Isle, see the blinding light of clarity shining above

Music as a whole became more about pouting and posturing then

the fug of falseness and fake and know, in your bones, that The

producing something of merit with any real integrity or worth; it

Whereabouts are all about the melodies and music.

was all about the posturing and posing, pretending as if music hadn’t existed before the disco-ball was born and only ever

Stripping away the tantrums and Travolta-alikes to leave their

acknowledged significant works in the way one excuses childish

songs as a direct and to the point as a needle to the eye; Wayne

behaviour as simply not knowing any better.

Watters Reilly (lead singer/rhythm guitar), Evan Murphy (lead guitarist), Joseph Adcock (bassist/backing vocals) and Dara Curtis

The excess of the Eighties raised the stakes further still, increasing

(drummer) are an honest-to-goodness breath of fresh air from

both chest hair and shoes height and painted it none-more-black,

Ireland known as The Whereabouts.

calling it hair metal and/or glam-rock. Spandex was made and against all reason became even more an affront to the senses than

Carrying a strong sense of rhythm and blues feel and style as

before, though now bulges were more leopard print and stripes

that other Fab Four, ‘The Whereabouts’ are a finely honed rock &

instead of sequins and such.

roll band, have taken all the bloat and blah other musicians use to pad out their sound and delivered the landscape a clean slate

Somewhere along the lines things went completely awry, and so

to appreciate the music, become invested in the sound, and feel

now we are looking for new leaders of those lost in a landscape

as involved in the performance as if you were nose close to each member belting out the notes.

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 22

Influences from the likes of Chuck Berry, Dr Feelgood and, of

ing three original compositions alongside three cover versions..?

course, The Beatles, are worn with a badge of pride rather than attempt an homage or imitation; like a jazz player in a group The

We wrote our three originals (TwentyThirtyThree, Fever and Shakin’)

Whereabouts understand their genres range and run freely within.

in the space of around 2 to 3 weeks. We wasted no time in rushing

They’ve captured the style and delivery of their peers and thrown

into the studio to get them recorded. We wrote all the songs and all

it right back out there for us, their audience, to inspect and explore

the lyrics together as a band in our rehearsal room. The three covers

and confirm there is no excess of bulk or added padding agents

we done just happened to be the three strongest songs on the set

here. There is simply the leanest cut of melody and music from

list at the time.

the finest stock, raised on nothing but the choicest organic-grown sound discovered in the Sixties, and delivered by the Silver Service

BWD: Do you feel The Whereabouts mark a new page in music’s

of music to deliver a thoroughly satisfying experience.

ledger, where people began to eschew the false and flamboyant and get back to it being just about the music?

Feeling somewhat peckish for an order ‘to go’ BWD Magazine hit the internet highway to seek out ‘The Whereabouts’ of these Irish

Music nowadays is more of a popularity contest rather than a music

lads and ask them a bit more about the band; their substance

contest. For us Rock n Roll is real music and takes talent to play. We

over style and why not some ‘crunch’, their recent appearances

don’t think it’s fair that people get thrown into the music limelight

and reaction from their fans, and what we can tell from the way

for 2 or 3 having to record songs 5 or 6 people have written for them

they walk.

just so people can make money for a young talent.

BWD: Usually we’d ask your thoughts on any contemporaries but

exclusive interview

uniquely The Whereabouts appear to have none..?

There are a few different bands out there doing the same as us and we love the fact we aren’t alone in bringing back Rock n Roll.

BWD: Before we get into things proper, what are The Whereabouts all about..?

BWD: Penultimate question time! Finish this sentence; ‘Well you can tell by the way I use my walk I’m-?’

The Whereabouts are a Rock n Roll band from County Cavan Ireland.

We started as a band in early summer of 2013 through a mutual

......a woman’s man?

love for 60’s music. The band currently consists of 4 members, Evan Murphy-Lead Guitar, Wayne Watters Reilly-Vocals & Guitar, Dara

BWD: And finally; what does the future hold for The Whereabouts?

Curtis-Drums and Joseph Adcock-Vocals & Bass. We recorded our debut EP towards the beginning of September and was released at the end of September.

BWD: The sound of the band is reminisce of the Sixties own rock

World domination.... of the world.

Contact Information Website: www. thewhereaboutsofficial.com

backing track; on the surface it seems clean and wholesome

Twitter: @TheWhereabouts_

through lack of distortion or screamed vocals, but just underneath

Facebook: TheWhereaboutsPage

you can sense a ‘knowing look’ of understanding, an intensity of

Photo Credits: The Whereabouts - All Rights Reserved

passion that goes beyond the words..?

We all began learning to play our instruments in our early teens. We grew up listening to bands like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who, The Beach Boys, Bo Diddleys and all the main R&B groups of the 60’s and 50’s. Over the past 8 or 9 months we have moulded our own sound but we got our own sound by watching and listening to performances of all the named bands, it really helped to watch them perform as we got to see what amplifications and brand of guitars they used.

BWD: Your recently released EP TwentyThirtyThree has garnered some favourable acclaim since its September 2013 release, featur-

BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 23

david Perlmutter book review Experience, as those who have it will tell you, is what we call those

Never once making excuses for how things turn out, he accepts his fate

moments in life that find you in a completely alien situation and having to

is down to his own hand, and likewise it is he who must sort the whole

adapt and adopt a hitherto unacknowledged set of life-skills with which to

mess out.

deal with your current situation.

A biographical tale of unbelievable fate, this father of four can rightly claim As is the case laid out before us in Wrong Place Wrong Time, an almost

the crown as Europe’s Ulysses, London’s Laureate, and also the South West’s

confessional of celebration and calamity that has rightly earned author

Shakespeare.

David Perlmutter the number four position in True Crime and True Accounts in the UK, and twice topping the charts to sit in the much coveted number one position of the charts in both Spain’s Real Events and the US Amazon charts.

Such endorsement of electrifying erudition has credited David’s book with a place under the noses of several movie makers eager to turn this incredible tale into the blockbusting film it promises to be.

Recounting the tales of a young David Perlmutter he tells us how his carefree gadabout days of drink, decadence, and dalliances with the fairer sex led him from the safety of the somewhat mundane London to the moribund surroundings of a Spanish jail.

A richness of detail recounting finite minutiae turns what could have so easily come across as one man’s extravagance in both ignorance and indulgence instead engages the reader within his world as an emotional witness to it all.

As a captivating insight into the world of one embracing the moment as it happens, of living ‘in the now’ and taking each step with a leap into the unknown; with us as willing voyeurs, it is also a sobering cautionary tale as to the ease with which it can all go so horribly, horribly wrong.

Read for yourself why Wrong Place, Wrong Time has earned over one-hunWhat could have come across as an author recounting the lowest point in

dred and eighty-five 5-Star reviews and another forty 4-Star endorsements

his life as an almost Twelve Step Confessional and sermon into the wages of

of erudition!

sin instead reveals the details of such raconteur richness with an unbiased tone; moves you into the position of an observer witnessing the events

Website: www.thewrongplaceatthewrongtime.blogspot.co.uk

without pomp or pretence or protestations of anything other than the old

Facebook: wrongplacewrongtimebook

adage of life being stranger than fiction truly prophetic indeed.

Twitter: @davepperlmutter Photo Credits: David Perlmutter - All Rights Reserved

24 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com

bwd records, llc independent music label of the south Continuing to set the standard for others to follow

Owing to their unique position within the world of

BWD Radio has extended its vast reach in the me-

music BWD were able to snap up and sign Flori-

dia with the launch of its own record label, BWD

da based rapper 5 M.I.C-Z to their label, an artist

Records, LLC ‘The Independent Music Label of the

that brings with himself a level of credibility that

South’.

owes everything to musical talent and dedication and nothing to a cynical self-styled back-story and

Taking over a decade’s worth of industry knowledge

whose first release on the label – ‘Head Turna’ – has

and experience BWD Records, LLC - ‘The Indepen-

firmly established the label as serious competition

dent Music Label Of The South’ - is the culmination

to the established status quo.

of BWD’s vast expertise in the field of music and artist promotion; not content with simply waiting

Continuing to set the standard for others to follow

to see what single or artist reaches number one

BWD Radio has proven again the need to change

BWD Radio took their position of being known

and adapt in this never static landscape of media

globally as the leaders in discovering new indie

and music is key to continued growth and success.

acts and on the 26th of October 2012 launched

Pushing where others are content to stagnate is

their own record label, BWD Records. Dedicated to

the secret behind where BWD Radio currently find

finding the best as-yet unknown talent out there

themselves today, and with the launch of their own

BWD doesn’t limit itself to one specific genre; rath-

label in BWD Records it gives you some idea of just

er it extends its horizons to include all genres such

how far BWD Radio are aiming to go.

as rock, metal, hip hop and dance amongst others. A smorgasbord of scintillating new acts are present-

“Don’t just MAKE a Difference, BE the Difference.”

ed under the BWD mantle, representing the best of the best and most unique in their field, such as you

– BWD Records, LLC

have come to expect from one of the industry’s top

‘The Independent Music Label of the South’

media professionals.

V i s i t w w w . B WD R e c o r d s . c o m o r w w w . F a c e b o o k . c o m / B WD R e c o r d s . l l c

25 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com