Deluge by Lisa Errico by Lisa Errico

DELUGE Editor in chief: Lisa Errico Photographer: Lisa Errico CONTRIBUTORS Jen Moon Lisa Errico Jâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nae Saunders COMMERCIAL For all enquiries please email info@deluge.com WEBSITE www.lisaerricophotography.co.uk

SPECIAL THANKS A huge thank you to all of the artists, bands and journalists who got involved with Deluge. Published in Leeds Published by Official Print Tel: 07875427339 Email: lisa.errico17@gmail.com Address: Kirkstall Road, Leeds. ISBN Copyright information All images and content Copyright ÂŠ 2015 Official Print - All rights reserved. No commercial reproduction, adaptation, distribution or transmission of any part or parts of this magazine or any information contained therein by any means whatsoever is permitted without prior written permission.

Features 05 | Lily Kerbey 22 | Georgia Thursting

Interviews 12 | Jamie Merchant and Pieter Snyman 31 | Marcus Songs 48 | Conor Morton 54 | Contrarians

EP Reviews 40 | Heather Coulton 46 | Wave Pictures

Lily Kerbey

A rare and refreshing take on the upbeat, youthful genre of pop

Composer and singer By Beth Andralojc

as ‘Everything, Everything’ and ‘Metronomy’ have also had a big impact on her written material. Her music and live performances exhibit a strong ability to blend the refined smoothness of jazz with the scattered cheeriness of pop. The sophisticated yet upbeat performance she delivers to her fans distinguishes her music from the sense of melancholy that is currently circulating chart music today. It embodies a power to fuse two very different musical genres together in a unique and mature way. Currently, she is working alongside the other members of her band to produce material for their debut album based around what she playfully describes as the ‘unapologetic’ pop of the 1980’s and 1990’s.

omposer and singer, Lily Kerbey, regularly performs at many of the highly-acclaimed music venues in Leeds. She identifies the alternative culture and gig scene of Leeds as having a huge influence on her styles of music and fashion. She also considers Leeds as the home of the friendliest, most welcoming music venues which house the most supportive crowds of viewers and listeners. For Lily, performing live is a cathartic experience which enables her to engage fully with her audience. Her favourite venues in Leeds include Sela Bar, Smoke Stack and Verve.

“An avid lover of all things vintage” Her live performances offer a rare and refreshing take on the upbeat, youthful genre of pop, to which she adds a distinguished sass with her ability to cover a wide vocal range. The warming, soulful element which she brings to her performances is greatly inspired by her passion for music from the Jazz and Big Band era. Her experience of performing with the popular Big Band, Echo 42, has helped her to develop a powerful, soulful voice. Jazz and Big Band music are not the only influences on her musical style; current alternative pop bands such

Lily’s live performances are equally by her classical look as well as her musical style. Her image is characterised by a chic elegance that is established by her smoky eyes, deep red lips and striking retro outfits, reminiscent of actresses and singers of the Jazz era. She describes herself as having always possessed a passion for vintage clothing, but asserts that she only began to

dress in it after she had moved to Leeds. Her love for vintage was reinforced by her experience of living in a city that encourages diversity and individual style. Working in a vintage tea room as well as attending Leeds College of music has enormously influenced her views on individual style. In her opinion, Leeds is a place where people can wear whatever outfits and styles they desire without receiving judgement from others. As an avid lover of all things vintage, she finds great enjoyment in dressing up, a hobby that she feels people are becoming more and more disinterested in. In exhibiting an elegant onstage look, she hopes to encourage her audience to take a

more enthusiastic approach towards finding and developing a distinct and personal style. A firm believer that her audience should gain an overall experience, she argues that a live performance should be visually entertaining as well as a lyrical experience. It is for this reason that her image and musical style compliment one another so fluidly. With her striking appearance and brightly suave music, Lily is able to bring an uncommon, sophisticated spirit to the Leeds music scene. She is a rare and exciting musician and performer that always provides an enjoyable experience for all of her viewers.

LEEDS KIRKGATE MARKET A unique and cultural shopping experience Open Monday- Saturday from 8 am until 5.30pm 7

Darlia

Blackpool based rockers perform their new EP in Leeds

Northern Rockers By Joe Hughes

he penultimate date on their tour of new record P.E.T.A.L.S takes Blackpool indie-grunge boys Darlia to The Wardrobe, Leeds, a venue more closely associated with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Playing to an already packed out room local lads Vitamin open proceedings with their own brand of ambient indie pop feat. Ezra Koenig-esque vocals. Their tunes, although catchy and certainly danceable, do little to muster anything out of the audience, not to say they don’t deserve it. Closing track and indie-pop anthem ‘Did it For You’ has recently featured on BBC Radio 1 and having just signed to Sony Records it shows that others are noticing this talent too! Second up are essex based Nothing but Thieves who tear through a 30 minute set including anthems like Zane Lowe approved ‘Emergency’, and album tracks ‘Lover Please Stay’ and ‘Our Music’. Initially reminding me of Muse, then Royal Blood and at times Keane, the band weave in and out of heavy and soft rock tracks back to back with little interruption. Connor’s lead vocals soar across some of the riffier songs like ‘Ban All Music’ and they’re impressive too! The band are tight and offer some close harmonies that only accentuate the big melodies

towards the end of the set and as they grow with confidence they even tease the crowd into the first mosh pit of the night! Having just been confirmed for this year’s 2000 Trees festival (amongst others) Nothing but Thieves are making some big strides in the right direction. If you get a chance to catch them at this year’s festivals, do it- you won’t be disappointed! Northern rockers Darlia finally take to stage and launch straight into the familiar riff of hit track Napalm during which the audience finally erupt and Darlia get the reaction they truly deserve. New tracks Stars Are Aligned and I’ve Never Been to Ohio are picked out early in the set showing that the band really are growing and that front man Nathan Day isn’t just another British ‘Cobain’. More familiar tunes Candyman, Dear Diary and Queen of Hearts are the highlights of the set and from the audience’s reaction, you would be forgiven for mistaking this small show for a triumphant homecoming gig. After a short 45 minutes the show is over and there’s a tangible excitement in the air – the crowd left (rightfully) wanting more and Darlia are left with the accolade of being one of the few underground British bands keeping rock alive and they’re doing it on their own terms!

Capua Collective Behind the scenes of a Capua Collective music video By Georgia Thursting

amie Merchant and Pieter Snyman have been working tirelessly this past few months on creating two polar-opposite videos for Leeds based ambient/jazz-hiphop band Capua Collective. The dream collaboration between two best friends and a team of young creatives found through mutual friends, appears an interesting one, so I was glad to grab a moment with the two film makers to find out more about the process of creating both a live session and a concept video for the Leeds outfitâ&#x20AC;Ś Â

“The dream collaboration between two best friends” When did you start working together?

to university.

The live Capua shoot seemed really professional and well put together so I wouldn’t have guessed. I can imagine that you have to think about everything in so much detail so that things don’t have the option to go wrong.

J- We both came to Leeds Beckett Uni, but I wasn’t massively into film originally, In all honesty. I was very in-experienced – I’m sure Pete’s probably the same. So we teamed up on a few uni projects and then made friends through those, you know, went to a few parties together. P- Yeah, and we have been working together ever since.

P- We had so many shoots go wrong last year in our placement. J- There’s always a way out, film is literally just problem solving. P- If it doesn’t go wrong in a shoot you know you’ve not done something right, or if you finish shooting on time you need to really think about what you have done, like, what did we miss out? (Both of the guys laugh).

Were all your previous projects music videos, or were there a few different things in there? J- We did do my brother’s function band video. P- That was like the first proper project we did. J- It was the first video I’ve ever made too. It was similar to what we did with the Capua live video, the band recorded a track in an open space and we filmed it. After a few more uni projects together we were both given the opportunity to intern with the production company Fresh Cut. That’s when we both got a lot better at filming and editing, it was great to get that real industry experience. P- We’re still actually very inexperienced aren’t we? (Cracks up laughing). I mean, we both did the same kind of subjects at school, like history and science. J - Loads of other people on our course went to college and studied film before they came

Has studying film affected your appreciation of film? J – Definitely, you can’t watch a film in the same way again. Films that you used to think were good you now think are shit.

Do you have any examples?

J – Action movies mainly, like Die Hard. You look at the story and stuff, and it’s just naff – it doesn’t seem complex in any way and the camera angles are awful. P- You get a new appreciation for old

“For me, music is always the most important part of a film” films and how they did it back then. It’s hard enough shooting now, but back then you could only review footage a few weeks later once it was developed, so it had to be spot on. I’m more interested in the v effects side of movie making, whereas Jamie is really good at organic filmmaking. He studies films too hard sometimes.

I’ve been hearing a lot about Birdman, did you get a chance to see it? P- Yeah, we went to see it at the (Hyde Park) Picture house. As soon as we started watching it Jamie started analysing it… I was

like, just roll with it! J- Yeah, then I had a few gin and tonics and just forgot and got engrossed in the story. It’s probably in my top ten films ever and it came out this year, which is amazing - for a contemporary film. P- Everything is so intertwined and well thought out, like the idea of a play within a play. J- They gave the illusion that it was all one shot, so that’s really cool. We’re both really into steady cam and camera movement, so that was amazing to see. I don’t know if that’s ever been done in a film before now.

What inspired you guys to work with Capua on

these two videos? J- Definitely the music. It’s all so cinematic and each track is usually quite long, like it’s been built for film. I was thinking I’d do a music video for my dissertation anyway, ‘cause it’s quite hard coming up with a short film or screenplay concept. For me, music is almost always the most important part of film. Putting an epic track in the background can pull something off that’s not shot particularly well in the first place.

How did you come up with the concept for

the Alaska video?

P- I was at uni doing my research project, and I stumbled upon an article about Google opening new augmented reality software for phones. You can go on your phone, look through it, and see a virtual landscape where there are different energy hotspots that give you life. You have to discover new places in your city to gain more points. It’s one of the more useful virtual reality games out there, as it actually gets you to go out and experience the world around you instead of just sitting at home. At the same time as reading the article, I was listening to Alaska. The music almost sounds like you’re in this trapped digital world, where, when the music gets more intense it feels like it’s lifting you out. I imagined two dancers dancing in a variety of different places, escaping the world and imagining what it means to be free, to live and to love.

What was the most difficult stage of planning?

P- One of the most tricky parts has been realising that we couldn’t shoot in so many different locations, and fleshing out the concept to make it work for the budget that we have. J- It worked out though

when Pete found this crazy building at Leeds uni called the Roger Stephens building. It’s completely bare concrete with this futuristic, morph shape. It really speaks out to that kind of weird, dystopian society. Then we had to think of an idea to get across the idea of all these people losing their senses, so we decided to bandage up their senses - their eyes, noses, ears and then styled them all in this uniform look. We will really be going to town with the cinematography and I think that everybody that watches it will take a different level of meaning from it.

What visual inspiration did you work from with the costumes? P- I was looking at tunics, and medical scrubs, they both looked amazing but were too expensive. I never used Pinterest before this project either, but it’s so useful just to make mood boards and for stylistic references. So yeah, first off it was these grey cloaks that looked pretty futuristic, but then that changed to medical scrubs. In the end we just went to Primark and bought grey suits and plimsoll shoes. J- It looks really good in the end though.

Filmed at Belgrave Music Hall

1A Cross Belgrave Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 8JP 0113 234 6160

Tell me a little more about the Alaska video and it’s storyline. J- Well it starts with us following this one character in the dull, urban environment and then this girl, who isn’t in the uniform, but in this lovely white dress starts to dance around him. She takes him into this kind of natural dreamlike setting, where everyone is dressed in white and there she begins to take off his bandages. When she gets around to taking the bandages off of his eyes, the tune drops in and we move to the woodland scene.

Is there a certain style of grading and colour theme that you’re going to apply to the video?

J- We are going really grey and unsaturated for the dull, urban scenes then the woodland scene is going to be really bleached and white, with lots

of glare – almost like you’ve been born again. P- It’s almost over exposed, and we’re using lots of smoke grenades too to really access that dreamy feel.

Lets chat a little about the live session video. Was that something Capua wanted or that you guys thought up? J- It was really what Capua wanted most. I think it worked out really well at the Belgrave (the video was shot in the live venue’s Snug Bar). It put across a much more relaxed vibe than it would have if we’d shot in a real studio, and the audience wouldn’t have looked right in a studio either I don’t think. It was a lot easier to organise too, so we were happy to do it. P- With Capua, having the audience in the live video really helps them put across the fact that they are a live

band, but who still sound electronic and produced. J- I think the silent disco headphones looked cool too as you could see the band getting a feed, but you can also see that there’s a live drummer. My main influence was the video by Snarky Puppy – Lingus (We like it here), as it’s the first time I’d seen that silent disco headphone thing done in a live-recorded session.

The two videos will be out in April. Head to www.facebook.com/ capuacollective and give them a like so you can catch them as soon as they are released.

MARCUSSONGS

'Like That' and 'Don't Look Now'

available on

Capua Collective graced the stage of Nation of Shopkeepers this autumn; electronic group ‘Amoa Mass’ supported them. ‘Amoa Mass’ creates music on stage, purely from production; it’s clever. At first, (honestly) I thought it was a little boring, but I wasn’t paying much attention; then I took a seat near the stage and just concentrated a little. It was clearer then, I could hear different melodies in the music that were being disguised as something more indefinable. I would’ve liked to listen for longer, but unfortunately I’d just sat down to their last song.

Gig Review

Capua Collective and Georgia Thursting play Nation of Shopkeepers By Rebecca Frodsham

o off with ‘Amoa Mass’ and on with ‘Capua Collective’. ‘Capua Collective’ are one of those cool bands, the image-less image band. Immediately I was struck by the Glasper style sound, that cross over they were making between hip-hop and jazz. It’s a distinctive genre, and an increasingly popular one; I think it’s popular because there’s a bit of something for everyone in it. Transgressing genres is always a great way to make create a new landscape of sound. Often this type of band omits vocals, but ‘Capua Collective’ had Georgia Thursting. She added so much to the sound. Vocals cut through a texture better than any other instrument (in my opinion); the voice is also extremely versatile, the possibilities- almost endless. Whether she took a lead role, or a more instrumental role, the sound really needed it. There were a few songs in which Georgia wasn’t a feature- but I think she only would’ve added to those pieces too.

to chat to people about their thoughts on the gig. It wasn’t too late, so I got some coherent answers out of people. One girl said ‘it just makes me want to move and like, sway and stuff.’ I understood where she was coming from; the music has that kind of rotating effect. Like the sensation of the planet spinning a little if you sit up too fast. It ignites some natural instinct that makes you want to move with the music. Needless to say, it’s a captivating sound. For the last song, Georgia was once again on stage. They played ‘Might as Well’ to finish off with. I was taken aback by how quickly their set had gone by, I really could’ve done with a little more time to absorb it all. The last song was more electronic than the other vocal tunes, it was heavier too; I wouldn’t say that this was a track designed to fit around the vocals, much the other way around. It was a great song to conclude on as it summed up their sound more than the others did. It was what I really wanted to hear. Needless to say, I walked out of the gig feeling a bit ‘cooler’ than when I walked in, it was like I was in on some secret. ‘Capua Collective’ has obviously concocted a formula for musical success, and I will definitely be going to see more of their gigs in future.

The instrumental pieces were less fluid and more percussive. I’m not sure why that is but it was definitely noticeable. The sax really took over here, having more weight to pull now, and he was absolutely nailing it. I’d moved to the back of the room by this point. The crowd had gotten quite large, and I thought having my little notebook out writing words like ‘trance-like, ambient and intense’ was a little ‘un-cool’. Sitting at the bar near the back was actually a great idea! I could hear a more over-all sound from there, as well as being able

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A formula for

musical successâ&#x20AC;?

Georgia Thursting A Musician on the Edge

“I

’ve always been really driven, to the point that I’d driven myself into the ground so I reached a breaking point and decided to take time out to explore my vision as an artist and just write, behind the scenes.” Georgia Thursting is a musician based in Leeds. Beginning more as an organic singer-songwriter, Thursting began performing in more of a straight-up acoustic soul style, before reflecting and narrowing down a vision better suited to her, whilst retaining certain ‘organic’ values. “It’s lovely and I feel myself becoming a much more mature artist. The downfall is that I’ve become more of a perfectionist, which is so time consuming.” “Since last September I’ve been working with a few really talented producers and exploring a mix of electronic and acoustic piano sounds. You can still hear that it’s me though, I think as a singer it’s great because we all have our own individual phrasing and ways of using our voices.”

By Joshua Nicol

In a sense you can really hear the clarity and pure nature of her music upon first listen. Playing around themes of relationships and sexuality, Thursting exploits the jazz roots of her influences very subtly, honing in on the genre that the lyrics lend themselves to perfectly. This, contrasted with collaborations with electronic artists allows a fusion of influences appearing in her musical repertoire.

about the way the industry works in the 21st century. “I think it’s easier to have your music heard and in a sense, create something out of nothing initially.” she explains.

“It’s all about sharing the stories and experiences of creative and inspirational women”

“I think individual networking and just getting out there is the most important aspect though. I’ve never had management or a label, and I’ve done alright. If people like you and see that you’re working for it, you stand a pretty good chance at getting some sick gigs you know?”

Whilst it’s all very easy to say an artist has a talent, Thursting is also an artist blossoming out of the post-digital revolution era, where self-made artists are now having to use more nous in order to function in the modern industry. Thursting believes the changes to be positive and talks optimistically

Thursting also keeps herself busy by focusing on a number of projects away from music, one of them being her online blog, ‘a musician on the edge’. “It’s all about sharing the stories and experiences of creative and inspirational women.” Georgia explains.

“That’s not saying that people will listen but we have all the tools we need a lot more accessibility than back in the ‘50s for example, where the labels ran the studios and you could record at home.”

“I want everyone to read it and feel a sense of empowerment and intrigue; men or women. I’ve become so much more curious about how people do what they do these days as we live in such a vibrant and creative society in Leeds where young people are moulding this independent scene. There’s also a little fashion in there ‘cause I’m a sucker for visual beauty and creativity.”

In an environment that is reliant on the original independent scenes, Georgia Thursting is a musician with a vision and sense of determination that seems to be able to function and ride the wave sufficiently. That, on top of a soul and a gifted songwriting ability will be the thing to shape her career in the future. “There is a lot to be said about being a woman who knows what she wants and is

striving for musical success. It can attract great people and adoration but it can also be really hard. I think for a woman you can feel powerless a lot of time, or if you are acting strong you get stick for it. I get particularly down hearted about the images of a lot of the biggest female artists. We need more Lianne La Havas’s and Patti Smiths!”

Gig Review

Tigers and Lions and Shallow Thoughts at Brudenell Social Club By Joe Parr

eing in a two-piece rock band nowadays instantly draws comparisons to such famous duos as the Black Keys, Royal Blood, and the White Stripes, and unfortunately for Tigers and Lions who open tonight’s show, they are no exception; people see a guitarist/singer and a drummer on stage and usually their minds are already made up on how they will sound. This is a damned shame. From the first few chords of their set they make it clear that they may have the face-smashing riffs of Royal Blood, but with more of a classic rock vibe. More Zeppelin than Deftones.

bands that seems to be endemic in the Leeds scene; people come out to see their friend’s bands, and that’s about it. Even if they see a band they love, they’ll only end up seeing them again when they play another gig with their friend’s band. At one point the smoke machine on stage engulfs the drummer, and combined with the (really awesome) black backdrop dotted with white lights which resembles a night sky, and with how drunk I am, it is quite a moment. They burst into ‘You Wanna Dance’, and it’s fantastic. I really wanna dance as well, but I’m too busy taking notes and feeling self-conscious. The song’s bridge has a middle-eastern flavour to it, which I really didn’t see coming. I grin like an idiot when the singer, Mak Dawson, turns towards Bryn Jenkins, the drummer, and rocks the fuck out. It’s always brilliant to see the sort of energy and chemistry that seemingly only two-piece bands share, even in such a setting as this one. These guys really deserve a bigger crowd; when I saw them play at the Wardrobe they had one, and Dawson handled them like a veteran frontman.

“ It’s always brilliant to see that sort of energy and chemistry that seemingly only two-piece bands share” Their energy on stage is undeniable, despite the lack of a large crowd to play off to: there must have been less than ten people inside the Brudenell’s games room, which, now that I’ve seen it, has the potential to host pretty big gigs. There’s just about enough people here to achieve a mosh pit if they’d put their minds to it, but they won’t. Unluckily, it’s the sort of gig that you can enjoy just as much sat down as standing. But this, of course, is no fault of Tigers and Lions, who absolutely kill it all throughout their set, but more the apathy towards new

Next, they burst into ‘Alive’, which is my favourite song of theirs, so again I was probably grinning like an idiot. It’s a god damn anthem if there ever was one! And as Dawson sings the line “I’m in a room full of people,” you can see him smirk. He knows, he doesn’t care. He’s there to rock, no matter what size the crowd is, and that is a brilliant thing.

Shallow Thoughts

“An indie band, that’s undeniable, but with a definite flavouring of Americana: imagine Little Comets with a big injection of Springsteen” By Joe Parr

ext up is Shallow Thoughts, previously Munich. I was worried these guys had dropped out of the gig due to ‘Munich’ being scribbled out of the set times, but I find out it’s just a name change, which pleases me. Their enthusiasm is infectious as singer Gareth Keane begins the set with a loud “wooooo!” They are an indie band, that’s undeniable, but with a definite flavouring of Americana: imagine Little Comets with a big injection of Springsteen. Then, all of a sudden, ska! This is why Shallow Thoughts are a great band: they’re a band who obviously have a wide range of influences, and they never balk at the idea of throwing any one of those influences into a song. They segue into ‘Everywhere You Tread’ and their Americantinged sound becomes even more American-tinged (in a good way).

cheeky bit of ‘Basket Case’ punkrockery, into some Maccabees pedalheavy indie, and even a disco beat at one point, which I couldn’t help but throw a couple of shapes to. When they start ‘Forever’, my favourite song of theirs which they didn’t play when I saw them last, it becomes clear to me that Shallow Thoughts might just be one of the best bands in the whole of Leeds. It’s their most British sounding song, with a hook that Alex Turner would kill for, and the best use of slap bass I have heard in a long, long time.

There’s an anthemic quality to Munich as well that brings to mind latter day Kings of Leon, and the Killers, and a cooler-than-though swagger to the songs reminiscent of the Strokes or the Hold Steady. It’s light and breezy, danceable, and the backing falsetto vocals by the drummer is just really impressive. The harmonies are most certainly on point. The next song wields a duel guitar solo that, in my inebriated state, I could have sworn God was talking to me. It’s a happy, feelgood belter that would destroy the radio. Seriously, I don’t say this about many local bands, but Shallow Thoughts have serious mainstream potential. Just the right mixture of radio-friendly, singalongable niceness and a cool, hip attitude that NME would probably shit themselves over. I will be very, very surprised if they don’t make it far. Keane’s frontman skills are really something. As he sings in a half soul/half speaking sort of way I can’t help but be reminded of Julian Casablancas, but with more heart and more balls. The rest of the set is a blur of styles:

The crowd never really arrived, and I didn’t count how many people were there to watch Tigers and Lions, and Shallow Thoughts: I didn’t want to. But both these bands proved that it doesn’t matter how many people are watching, or even if anyone’s dancing. All that really matters is the performance, and that you should play the same way to ten sober, uninterested buddies of the headline band in a small Leeds club that you would to a crowd of 50,000.

Marcus Songs

Marcus provides an insight on what it is like to be a music student in Leeds

By Lisa Errico Can you give a general background on ‘Marcus Songs’? I’ve been singing; writing and producing songs, busking and making funny faces for 4 years; I found my interest in music back in high school when I was in the school band.

I’ve just had a listen to ‘Midnight Dance’ and ‘Princess’ and they had a similar style to Olly Murrs. Would you say he’s been an influence to your music?

Would you say your course is competitive? Everyone must be after the same thing and thirsty for fame? At times it can feel like a very polite, passive-aggressive gang war. But people generally try and look out for each other I’d like to believe, we’re all in the same boat.

Do you think the way music students dress can have an impact on their success and how they are perceived by others?

Growing up i’ve had all sorts of pop influences; I do like his music yeah, but I can’t really do that funny dance thing that he does which is a shame.

Image is everything

What made you want to study music in Leeds?

I like shirts with patterns on… .a lot.

I’d lived most of my musical life in Manchester and thought it was time to try a different kind of city.

Modern technology such as iphones, etc have recording apps that have made it much easier for ‘anyone’ to be recognised for their music. The same

Can you tell me a little bit about the clothes you are wearing in the shoot?

can be said for YouTube. Do you think this has put music students at a disadvantage? I think it’s the job of music students to move with the times and combine their knowledge of music with new forms of distribution to be able to utilise these channels to their maximum potential. We would be at a disadvantage if we fooled ourselves to believe that simply ‘gigging’ is still enough.

Social media has benefited many for being discovered within the music industry, what are you thoughts on this? I’m obsessed with social media. It’s become the new way to connect with the widest catchment of your fans. I’d say if anybody was serious about their music they’d get stuck into Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & spend some good time figuring out how they really work.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like shirts with patterns on...... a lot....â&#x20AC;?

THE CORN EXCHANGE

Open weekdays 9-5pm Leeds Corn Exchange is delighted to host the very best creative, imaginative and independent retail businesses. Now just one of three Corn Exchanges in the United Kingdom which still functions in a traditional manner as a midpoint for trade, Leeds Corn Exchange caters to students and the locals of Leeds.

A Billion Lions Could this be the return of punk to the battlegrounds of Yorkshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residential suburbs?

By Matthew Haigh

t’s a sad fact of life that the underground living room gig scene of Leeds probably peaked about 18 years ago when the West Yorkshire Police implemented ‘Operation Wonderwall’ and Leeds saw the creation of an anti-indie task force set up to hunt down the public nuisance of house party rock. Local bands stood defiant, but could not compete in the face of actual authority – and nowadays you’re lucky to see a band store their guitars in the host’s bedroom at a party in favour of another session of EDM and verbose Aphex Twin fawning. This makes it all the more special that A Billion Lions are a band that harks back to a simpler time, and when they brought the noise to a small living room in Hyde Park earlier this month you could sense the

zeitgeist bristle in anticipation. Its punk Jim, but not as we know it. A Billion Lions consistently bring their own flavour to the mix with upbeat, energetic sets that boldly dance between genres – driven by a burning desire to just get that music out there, they’ll rock out with their socks out as they play anywhere that will have them… including this occasion, in the heart of a Hyde Park student soiree.

“A Billion Lions are a band that harks back to a simpler time” 35

For their first time playing with new drummer Matt Nutter, they were confident and on point. This confidence was demonstrated right off the bat as they opened with the thundering good time of new song ‘Breakaway’, a song that required guitarists Joe Parr and Philip Brannan, and bassist Ryan Olliver to actually know how to play their instruments. All four brought the beat so by the end of their opening gambit the crowd’s curiosity was piqued, and this world weary critic had a delicate tear forming in the corner of his eye – could this be the return of punk to the battlegrounds of Yorkshire’s residential suburbs?

What followed was an intense and varied 40 minutes. The band brought out fan favourites ‘Little Man’ and ‘Wasted’ at exactly the right time, two songs which encouraged the audience full of drunken dudes to mimic the band and take their shirts off (in the finest display of homoerotic band adoration this critic has seen since he saw a large, beardy fan try to get off with every member of The Men at once). The party was in full swing before ABL decide to drop the skank with another new song, ‘Gringo’,

a wise move as the crowd respond by doing exactly what was asked of them. Namely, skanking so hard the floor almost fell through. Forgive this critic if he slams two vague music genres together, but A Billion Lions are best described as an indie post-punk outfit. They’ll flip you off, but they’ll also pay you a nice compliment, and ultimately, the irony runs deep. Their music is a love letter to the “don’t give a damn” ideals of punk music tempered by their desire to actually have a good time with it. It’s not too serious but it’s no less honest for it.

As A Billion Lions closed by bringing out their funk smeared cover of the theme tune to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, this ethos was crystallised. They’re there to have a good time and they know you’ll have one too. With the feedback still ringing, the band closed and promptly threw down their instruments in favour of something to drink. Eight out of ten, see this band soon because one of them will probably be dead soon. Part of the fun of seeing them live is trying to figure out which one. Punk is back in your living room and now it has a smile on its face. ABL.

Heather Coulton All the Years Review

eather Coulton has likened her musical style to that of past greats such as Carole King and Karen Carpenter; admirable comparisons given that they helped form part of a sea change away from the male dominated world of singer songwriters. More recently, the success of artists such as Rae Morris (whose debut broke into the official top 10 album chart just a few months ago) has demonstrated that there remains a substantial audience for this type of performer not only in terms of album sales but around the touring circuit as well.

now’. The kind of introspection into the past that makes you question the passage of time and whether it’s linear direction towards the future really reflects the direction of your own life.

After this short reflection the bass and drums arrive, giving the piano a chance to flit around Coulton’s words of wisdom, ‘give yourself as much as you will’, she says, but warns of the dangers of self-indulgence in excess and going backwards in restraint. The advice continues as strings reinforce her words, but the solemn tone is suddenly broken around the half way All the Years, from Coulton’s mark. As she sings ‘start to upcoming EP of the same name, make way for new’ the strings begins life as a solemn piano take centre stage along with her ballad, her voice reflecting on the cries of ‘woahhh’, a new found past around a trio of sustained optimism building the song to a piano chords. Time appears to be crescendo before the mood is the key theme here, setting the calmed again by a wonderfully scene ‘a year ago or so almost’ melodic bass line. before looking to a future that seems more akin to the past: Before long, the drums ’musing over where I’d be a accelerate into the penultimate year from then, feels like I went section. ‘We’re all two hearts back ten…’ Reminiscent of that wanting one/ we all brood over old Dylan line: ‘I was so much things we’ve done’ the longing older then, I’m younger than that for love and our worry of past

By Alex Snelson mistakes is highlighted in its repetition, but as the next verse begins, the drums are restrained to cymbals, the bass following the same rhythm of piano chords that began the song, but the tone is different now, taking on a sweeter sentiment shown with the lyric ‘I’ll make you cups of tea/ stir in three heaps of me’. Those two hearts finally make one ‘for the one whose hand fits mine’. The past that concerned us at the start of the song is a distant memory now, when the present is this good we want it to remain in to the future, as does Coulton: ‘Want it to stay that way… through all the years’.

‘All the years’ is a song never stuck in reverse or about to burst. In the words of the song itself, it gives itself as much as it needs, both lyrically and musically. As the lyrics delve deeper thematically, the band is there to strengthen Coulton’s words and the song profits greatly from it, her praise of her band members is certainly not misplaced. With a lyrical dexterity and a well-balanced backing band to match, Coulton’s ‘All the years’ EP should certainly be something to look forward to, but if that’s too far away, be sure to catch her performing live around Leeds at any one of a number of intimate venues.

Wave Pictures EP Review- Pea Green Coat

By Joe Parr

“I’m talking rock music here, not alternative rock, not indie, not punk, or (god forbid) Britpop; just straight up, no nonsense rock” 46

he Wave Pictures’ latest track starts with the most standard sounding three chord riff you will have ever heard, the sort of riff that may have been groundbreaking in the early 60s, but even then, probably not. Bear in mind, this is not a criticism; I love simple-as-fuck riffs, and you should too, because they’re fun. What’s even more fun is when the bass, drums, and (fuck yes) harmonica kick in after three seconds, turning what could have been the most par-for-thecourse rock song of all time into something actually incredibly listenable. The bass rumbles loudly and proudly, complementing the guitar with its equal simplicity. Speaking of simple: the drums. Standard 4/4 rock beat. And very quiet. No crazy crash of cymbals, no seven-second super speed fills, just run-of-the-mill drumming. Yes, I realise, dear reader, that it may seem like I’m not building this track up as much as my first three sentences may have

suggested. So what makes it worthy of your time? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s the harmonica, which wails wonderfully at all the right moments. Maybe it’s the lyrics and general attitude of the song, manifested in singer David Tattersall’s Jonathan Richmanlike delivery. Maybe it’s none of these things, but rather all of them together at once. Take away one element from this song and I could see it being kind of dull. Lack of harmonica? Lack of interest. No riff that a ten-yearold could play? No dice. But smush them together into this three minute long wonder and it all works perfectly. This track won’t set the world on fire, but it will please fans of rock music greatly. I’m talking rock music here, not alternative rock, not indie, not punk, or (god forbid) Britpop; just straight up, no nonsense rock. If Pea Green Coat doesn’t satisfy your rock needs, then piss off and listen to grime or something.

Conor Morton is a student of music production at Leeds College of music, hailing from Sheffield I was keen to find out what attracted him to Leeds and how his tastes have adapted recently.

Conor Morton By Jack Stevenson What was it that attracted you to Leeds college of music? A number of reasons, during my time at college in Sheffield I really started to enjoy using the studios and would record most of the music for my band at the time, I always felt that gigs were opportunities to gain fans, if I like the sound of a band live I’ll get home and check out their music online. So I always felt that having songs recorded and available was a must. I also started to get into electronic music around that time; dubstep was quite a big thing for me so I used to mess about at college on pro tools making really rubbish attempts at dubstep. I then decided to save up for a macbook so I could learn at home.

mates played some horrible cover versions of Arctic Monkeys’ songs in front of her, I feel really embarrassed when I think back to it. Around Y7-Y9 everyone was really into bassline house, the most obvious example of this kind of music would be the song “Heartbroken by T2.” Then In college I met loads of different people, I suppose I kept an open mind and just listened to loads of different things. I pretty much listen to anything… Apart from Pop Punk, I kind of refuse to get on with Pop Punk, I suppose because I just don’t relate to that culture.

“Alex Turner’s mum was actually my German teacher...”

I see from your soundcloud page that you are producing music in many different genres from rock to drum and bass, why such an eclectic mix?

What are your favourite tracks to produce?

It just so happens to be from the way my music tastes seem to have gone. I was brought up listening to pulp and oasis as a kid, but I was also really into Eminem as well, and then being from Sheffield, the Artic Monkeys were a big thing for me (Alex Turner’s mum was actually my German teacher) There was a couple occasions where my and a couple of my

My favourites are definitely band situations I think, I love making music with other people, I think in this modern culture where people are becoming more independent and somewhat lonely, it’s important to still keep that social side to music. But then I like to incorporate some synthesisers in there. Unusual sounds just make music a lot more interesting I find.

How would you describe the music scene in Leeds? What I would say is that Leeds definitely get a lot of good mainstream artists in the city, at the expense of Sheffield, unfortunately when the Leeds arena was built it seems like a lot of established artists have started skipping Sheffield and coming to Leeds instead, which is good when I’m here but bad when I’m there.

What are your top picks for venues? and why? I think I’m kind of obliged to mention the venue’s I’ve worked for first. So the Leeds and Sheffield 02 Academy’s, The Leadmill Sheffield and The Cockpit Leeds (before it closed) all brilliant venues. My other favourite venues would have to be the Belgrave Music Hall, it just looks cool. The Brudenell is also definitely one I want to go more to; it’s a part of the reason why I wanted to move to Leeds. Being from Sheffield I’ve got to mention the venue Corporation, I’m not really into the bands that they have there, but the clubs nights are legendary and having played there once, the small room is brilliant, and a decent price to hire out.

both. I think they’ll definitely be an increase in music over time and more bands and artists will look to go down the independent route and not bother with trying to get signed.

Besides yourself are there any new acts we need to look out for in the next couple of years? I’d say the band Alvarez Kings from Rotherham are a big one, they’ve been going for a while now and are definitely my favorite band within the Sheffield music scene, they played warped tour in America a couple years back, they’re going to be releasing a EP soon, so it’ll be interesting to hear what its like. Also got to mention Krrum from my college. An electronic music producer who recently got a band together and is playing loads of gigs all over Leeds, really interested to hearing what else he’ll bring out over the year!

How do you see the Leeds music scene developing over the next few of years? If I knew the answer to that I’d be sorted. Suppose it all depends what the next trend is really. There’s a chance the whole music scene could go back to being more band orientated as dance music is becoming a little bit oversaturated at the moment, everyone seems to be doing the same thing. Or some new forms of electronic music could take place again as the experimentation capabilities of synthesizers are pretty much never ending. Maybe a bit of

Gig Review

Lucy Whittaker plays Crowd of Favours By Joe Parr

’d never heard of Crowd of Favours before this gig, and I didn’t quite know what to expect. The basement area where the gigs are held is fantastic; the red brick walls and candles give the place a very chilled, almost arty atmosphere; like some place out of a 90s rom-com. Some of the art on the walls is as brilliant as it is quirky, in particular a painting of famous cats of the internet to the right of where I was sitting amused me to no end. Lucy Whitaker, takes the stage with her band. They storm into ‘One More Minute’, with squealing funky guitars. The room is packed completely now, and Lucy and her band are full of toe-tapping energy. There’s a definite groove, and people are definitely grooving. ‘Miss Your Kisses’ is a song which has serious hit potential. Whitaker has the flow of an expert rapper, as well as a masterful control on her voice. She has the potential to be a great frontwoman, she moves about confidently on the stage. She takes to the keyboard for ‘Fam’, an inspirational ballad: “Hold your head high and stand up tall. You’ve got to be brave if you want it all.” It’s a truly beautiful song, and the crowd watches in silence, taking in every note. It’s unusual seeing a blonde, nonurban, white girl singing “fam, this is how we do it,” but not in a ridiculous way. Now, if ‘Miss Your Kisses’ has hit potential, then ‘Seven’ has mega-hit potential. It begins with a fantastic guitar riff and drum beat that gets the whole place moving. The guitar really drives the song, and then when the chorus arrives the whole thing explodes. “I didn’t mean to break your heart,” she sings, and so does the audience by the end of the song. Then a guitar solo arrives that fits so perfectly and is so brilliantly executed, it wouldn’t surprise me if it took weeks to perfect. It’s so great, in fact, that people applaud it when it ends. The basement of Crowd of Favours has been transformed into a giant dancefloor, with people throwing shapes left and right. Whitaker and her band (who are tight as fuck, by the way) flow seamlessly into the closer, ‘Dance All Day’. She introduces the individual members of the band (which I always love, it gives it such an old-school feel; not enough people do that anymore), and then the song goes just like how the title suggests. It’s just too funky and groovy not to dance to. By the end, the crowd is utterly enamoured. The ovation lasts a long time. I personally had a few songs stuck in my head for days afterwards. Fantastic performance. If she carries on like this, then I’d be surprised and saddened if Lucy Whitaker didn’t become huge.

Contrarians Exclusive Interview

By Ted Westwood

“It now sounds alive and a lot heavier” Contrarians discuss their new single- ‘Afflictions’

fter their gig at The New Conservatory, Leeds I interviewed alternative-rock band Contrarians. The Leeds students started gigging after releasing their first single ‘Afflictions’ in March and are keen to represent the fantastic music coming out of city. The four-piece consisting of vocalist and guitarist Solay Elibol, guitarist Pete Woodin, bassist Alasdair Goodman and drummer Louis Huddle have certainly created a powerful debut release. The single ‘Afflictions’ that can be streamed on SoundCloud instantly resonates their influence from Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) and The Pixies while the vocal has a real Jack White appeal. “We want to go a similar direction but try and add a British touch,” Solay explains. “I think some of the best media to come from Britain is slightly eccentric. Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys for example sings with head voice in a similar, quirky way to some of mine and Pete’s vocals. I am really trying to use my British accent though!” “The songs of our influences are in your face and honest, there’s a lot of indie around that hasn’t got much character or energy,” Solay explains. “I’m a real fan of music with some story to it and this is certainly what I’ve tried to do. I’d rather not go into detail but ‘Afflictions’ is about angry sex, not mine I might add. It’s a real shame we didn’t sell it to 50 shades.” ‘Afflictions’ certainly achieves its aggressive intentions - fuzzy guitar tones, trashy hihats, vivid sexual images, a Royal Blood style guitar riff break and a post-chorus vocal as eccentric as that of Brian Molko from Placebo. Its intensity really excited me about hearing further songs from the fourpiece. Initially, the ideas for their future releases were conceptualised by Solay, evolving when the band formed at Leeds College of Music late last year. “It now sounds alive and a lot heavier, we’ve got two more tracks ready to release which will show this, I think people are gonna like the sound.”

Having heard previews of upcoming ‘One Lone Wolf’ and ‘Talk Your Way Out of This’ it is clear that accessibility is of real importance. “Some bands can be a bit selfish when writing music, it should be about delivering a message not making it confusing. I definitely feel we achieved this with ‘Afflictions’.” Recently Muse, an influence for one of Solay’s old bands named The Upgrade, has been criticised by many for being too simple with recent singles ‘Dead Inside’ and ‘Psycho’ from their upcoming album ‘Drones’. “I’ve only heard ‘Psycho’ which was okay, the simplicity is what’s popular at the moment. Hopefully the songs they don’t release as singles on the record will be better.” It was agreed that Leeds band Alt-J strike an effective balance between complexity and accessibility. “They’re a great example of creative alternative rock that incorporates catchy hooks and structures. Stuff like ‘Breezeblocks’ and ‘Fitzpleasure’ are fantastic!”

“We want to go in a similar direction as Queens of the Stone Age but try and add a British touch” As a result, we discussed the growing prominence of the Leeds music scene “bands such as our friends- Carnabells, are doing great at the moment.” The stylish rock ‘n’ roll 5-piece formed in 2012 have played Glastonbury and supported likes of The 1975, Little Comets and Catfish & the Bottlemen. “They have come a long way in such a short period of time. They’re gonna be big, we just hope to carry on that success from Leeds with Contrarians.” When asked what they felt the reasons were for the local success of Carnabells Louis suggests, “they work very hard, constantly plugging their work. That and their haircuts.” Solay laughs, “Yeah, their image is definitely a big part, their tracks are catchy as hell and their fan base really help them out.”

“For bands of our genre it’s hard, will it when we may have a bigger 56

be more or less popular in a few years fan base? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to tellâ&#x20AC;? 57

Recently newer bands such as Royal Blood are joining the ranks of established and current artists such as Foo Fighters and QOTSA, demonstrating that alternative rock still receives attention. Unfortunately it still proves difficult to break through in such a similar way considering current chart trends, “for bands of our genre it’s hard, will it be more or less popular in a few years when we may have a bigger fan base? It’s hard to tell,” Solay argued. “You’ve got to make it at the right time. I think we aspire to minor success around the city, Aly and I only have a year left at the college so it would be great to play some big shows.” Louis again interjects “and achieve world peace.” “We’re all probably influenced subconsciously by current trends. While I want success I’m not particularly interested in following them. I’d like to bring something new to the industry, but who doesn’t? I’m more interested in following in the direction where the writing leads” Solay explains. “When I’m writing I think about what I’d like to hear in a song, what I’d enjoy and what has worked so far.”I asked if the link was there between the desire to take a new direction and the band name, “I think so, it sort of sums up what we want to achieve and our style. I have to admit it sounds a little left field and cocky though! When I think of a contrarian, I think of someone who wants to think they are right all the time. Hopefully some people can

relate to that and indulge in their own narcissism! And now I realise I sound proper pretentious…” Solay recalls the moment he chose it as a band name, to which Louis had no recollection. “I was watching Family Guy and Louis called Brian a contrarian, I’d learnt a new word.” Pete remarks, “If anyone is going to be the most contrarian it is Louis, simply because he’s the drummer. My point has been proven as he has denied the story.” Solay corrects Pete “you mean Lois?” The band has recently played a showcase on Cambridge 105FM and are in the process of booking shows in Leeds and their hometowns. In addition, they are releasing ‘One Lone Wolf’ and returning to the studio in May to prepare further single releases.