Wildflowers Press Pack 2013 by Nick Weetch

WILDFLOWERS 2013 ‘WILD AMONGST THE FLOWERS’ EP AND TOUR CAMPAIGN CONTENTS: • Preview Tour Editorial / Reviews

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TOUR EDITORIAL / REVIEWS

THE CHRONICLE MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013

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Wildflowers are all set to bloom

O Siddy, from the group Wildflowers

FOLLOWING on from their well received shows supporting the legendary Robert Plant in early September, Wildflowers are now supporting Tom Odell on his sold out UK headline tour. They are at the O2 Academy in Newcastle this Sunday, having been personally picked by Tom – Plant also personally picked them to tour with him. “We are so excited to be supporting someone whose musicianship we really admire” says frontwoman Siddy Bennett. “He is a true singer-songwriter; incredible pianist and we really rate his lyrics. “I rarely like anyone’s lyrics post 1999, but you can tell he’s got some old influences like Dylan and Leonard Cohen. “It’s pretty awesome that we are

Wildflowers support Tom Odell in Newcastle this Sunday. Entertainment Editor GORDON BARR has the details doing the full tour with him and we’re really looking forward to spending time with Tom and the other support acts. “It’s very flattering that he loves our songs, and we are so appreciative for this opportunity.” Wildflowers are a four-piece band with a great vocal harmony sound that began in April 2012.

Put together by Siddy, the 22-year-old former Bristol, and now Brighton-based, lead singer and chief songwriter. The band’s line-up includes Siddy’s sister Kit Bennett on vocals, accordion and Hammond Organ, James Ashbury, Siddy’s long-term co-writer on vocals, guitars, mandolin and banjo and Kendal Sant on vocals, harmonica and acoustic guitar. Growing up in several West Country towns and also in France, Siddy and Kit were raised as nomads, always on the move, living on boats, farms, in caravans and even on protest camps. The Bennett sisters have been strongly influenced both musically and morally by their bohemian upbringing and this is apparent in the carefree, Indie

Folk-Rock sound that is Wildflowers. Siddy quotes Alanis Morrisette as a huge influence as well as The Eagles and Patsy Cline. But together Siddy and James’s are emerging as a brilliant song-writing team that is lyrically original and musically gifted. On this subject Siddy says: “I don’t think anyone sings about heartbreak like Patsy and The Eagles, From the age of seven, I was addicted to their soulful deliverance, then at 10, Kit leant me the Jagged Little Pill album and I was hooked. “I knew the album word for word. I truly believe her lyrics on that album have shaped me as a songwriter and as a person. Girl Power wasn’t the Spice Girls for me when I was a kid, it was

It’s more Much A-Stew About Everything By Helen Dalby THERE are few things I like better when the autumn nights are drawing in than a trip out to see one of my favourite comedians perform live. Stewart Lee is one of the best live stand-ups I’ve ever watched. The word I’d always use first when describing his work is clever, but that’s not to say he’s not also painfully funny. In fact, he’s one of the few stand-ups capable of making me actually cry, so my hopes for Thursday’s opening night of his Much A-Stew About Nothing tour were high. The set this time round is bare - none of the backlit carpet remnants that formed the backdrop for his last tour - and there’s little opening preamble beyond an explanation of the format this new show will take. The show is divided into four half-hour sets which will form the basis for the third series of his popular Comedy Vehicle TV show, which will record in December and air next spring. Theme-wise, we had celebrity Tories, dog excrement, UKIP and marriage to look forward to, again explained at the outset. When he set this out, I wasn’t sure the format would work - having four distinct 30-minute pieces which weren’t interconnected felt like it might spoil the flow, but the interval helped. The moment when he swapped from one to the next felt a little stilted the first time it happened, but by the second half switch Lee had the audience in the palm of his hand, having just reduced us to tears with the culmination of his UKIP rant. This segment was a highlight of the show - a brilliant reversal of the process of evolution seen through the eyes of UKIP’s deputy leader Paul Nuttall and inspired by his warning about the influx of skilled Bulgarian workers to the UK. Lee took this theme and ran with it. By the time he was directing Nuttall’s intolerance at the first fish ever to make it on to land I was hoping he’d stop soon because it hurt. Despite Lee being self-critical of the dog excrement bit, which he said was new and not quite finished, I thought it worked well. If I had any criticisms at all, it would be that there were occasional moments of material I’d heard before. But to an extent it’s to be expected if you consume everything an artist does and it was nice to hear some call-backs for the die-hard fans among us.

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NEWCASTLE CHRONICLE FEATURE 14TH OCTOBER

ure Of You

By CHRIS SWEENEY

PSON

In fact the budding young musician, right — who fronts up-and-coming band Wildflowers — was even encouraged to stay at home and play her guitar.

one 2 see WE are more than halfway through the festival season, but there’s one worth sticking in the diary — one right at the end. Loopallu takes place in Ullapool, Wester Ross, on September 20/21. Announced so far is The Enemy and Roddy Woomble. For more information go to loopallu.co.uk

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SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD pop maverick Lorde is churning out some superb stuff. Her hot new single Tennis Court is a bigger smash than an Andy Murray forehand winner. It shot to No1 back home in New Zealand and now it’s coming out here. Watch the video and listen to it at facebook.com/lordemusic

Her parents raised her as a nomad, so she rarely got the chance to lay down roots and go to classes. She explained: “It was mad, we were always on the move. “Even now I get bored of places as I’m so used to moving around. “I went to about 17 schools by the time I was 15 — we did France, but it was mostly around the West Country. “My parents are quite bohemian. My dad is a jazz musician so he’d travel around. They never had a set job — if there was work, we’d go. Lots of the themes in my songs are about that.

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SEXY singer Siddy Bennett didn’t have a normal upbringing — her parents weren’t even bothered if she went to school.

“Music was the only thing my parents enforced, we had to do piano. If we didn’t want to go to school it wasn’t a problem but we had to keep up with our music.” The unorthodox strategy has come up trumps. Siddy’s music looks set to capture a huge audience — with Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant already on board. The 22-year-old said: “I couldn’t believe it, it’s taken me three days to come back down to earth. “He liked our stuff and got in touch with this agent to say, ‘Get them to support me’. “He’s only playing two venues in the UK this year and we’re the support act for both. “I had a solo band in Bristol for a few years. “Then I moved to London to take this seriously and we built the band around me. I knew I’d be trapped in Bristol, although it’s a good city. “But you have to bring the companies and the managers to your music — there

wasn’t any of that in Bristol and things had gone a bit stale.” Right now, the band have got their EP Wild Among The Flowers out. It’s part of the build-up to their debut album, which will be out next year. And its style has led to Siddy being dubbed the punk Dolly Parton, left. She

said: “Some people know how great a songwriter she is, but lots of people under-rate her. She’s got so many amazing songs. In her lyrics, she’s always got a big love of nature. “She did a song called Wildflowers, about growing up somewhere and wanting to move on — it’s all about feeling trapped. “I heard it and burst out crying, I just loved the lyrics. That’s why we’ve called the band after it.” Wildflowers are also on the road supporting chart-topper Tom

SCOTTISH SUN FEATURE 26TH JULY

Odell on his tour — they hit Glasgow’s O2 Academy on October 16. Siddy added: “I’ve never stepped on big stages like that. I’ve hardly even been to gigs in places like that. We want to build up the audience first as you don’t want to save all your best songs for an album that doesn’t do well or people don’t know about. “So we really want to build up the fanbase — these songs are my heart and soul.” Q For more info on the group, check out wildflowersband.co.uk

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Wild band fuses folk and punk

REVIEW BY AMANDA WILKINS

Toe-tapping entertainment What an absolute joy to see a top class West End musical grace the stage of the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne. High Society was such a well known movie that it’s a hard act to follow on stage but this production has achieved it one hundred per cent. The casting could not be better, the choreography is excellent and the revolving stage brings us magnificent sets. Sophie Bould is an excellent Tracy Lord, as is Michael Praed

as the dashing Dexter Fletcher her first husband who is such a contrast to the boring George Kittredge she is about to marry – a fact Keiron Crook gets over so well. Founder member of fascinating Aida Marilyn Cutts is Tracy’s mother and I loved Teddy Kempner’s performance as Uncle Willie. Also very good in their roles were Alex Young as the photographer Liz Imbrie and Daniel Boys as the writer

Mike Connor. But there was a shining star with a great future and that is 17-year-old Katie Lee as Tracy’s precocious little sister Dinah. All the favourite songs are there too. This is a great show, well directed by Anna Linstrum and choreographed by Andrew Wright and the dancing by the household staff was excellent. Your feet will be tapping at the end and Eastbourne is lucky top have such a polished show.

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Ancient Mariner Brighton Saturday, June 22

A carefree country punk band are bringing their sound to Brighton as part of their recent tour. Wildflowers head for the Ancient Mariner Brighton, on Saturday, June 22 (7pm). The band began in April 2012, put together by former Bristol and now Brighton based lead singer and chief songwriter Siddy Bennett, 21. Suitably labelled in an early review as “Punk Dolly Parton”, Wildflowers refuse to conform to the current rules of popular music and are fusing their punk folk roots with the strength and

depth of contemporary rock ’n’ roll. Siddy herself says the White Stripes are a huge influence, as well as Patsy Cline. Siddy said: “I don’t think anyone sings about heartbreak like Patsy. “From the age of seven I was addicted to her soulful deliverance. Then at 14 I heard Hotel Yorba and I knew country rock and roll was what it’s all about”. Wildflowers include Siddy’s sister Kit on backing vocals, accordion and Hammond Organ and James Ashbury, Siddy’s long term co-writer, guitarist and mandolin player. Growing up in several towns of the West Country (and also France), Siddy and Kit were raised as nomads – always on the move. Living on boats,

farms, in caravans and often on protest camps – the Bennett sisters have been influenced both musically and morally by their bohemian upbringing and this is apparent in their carefree sound. Their debut EP ‘Wild Among The Flowers’ is released on June 24 but will be on sale exclusively at their Dot-to-Dot dates and on their UK ‘Wild Among The Flowers’ Tour in May. The EP will be available from Itunes and via their website – www.wildflowersband.co.uk.

CATCH WILDFLOWERS ON TOUR: Saturday, June 22, Ancient Mariner Brighton, UK Thursday, July, 4, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar Brighton, UK Sunday, September 22, The Green Door Store Brighton, UK

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The Argus, Friday, June 14, 2013

theargus.co.uk/theguide THE DARKNESS Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton, December 7

Photo by Mike Burnell

THE East Anglian rockers settled their differences with last year’s third album Hot Cakes and toured the US with Lady Gaga. Fans lapped it up so the four-piece, led by Justin Hawkins, are back on the road with their Intimate Outreach tour to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the release of big-selling debut album, Permission To Land. The idea is to play lesser-known towns and venues, with Holmfirth, Dorking, Salisbury and Preston booked in alongside Brighton’s Concorde 2. Doors 7pm. £TBC. Tickets on sale 9am today from 01273 673311.

RENT Brighton Centre, King’s Road, November 23 ATOMIC KITTEN and Big Reunion star Natasha Hamilton and ITV Superstar runner-up Rory Taylor lead a West End cast and live band for a 20th anniversary concert of Broadway musical, Rent. After a sell-out run in April, this new production of the Tony Award-winning show is back for its final tour – including a date at the Brighton Centre. Penned by Jonathan Larson, Rent transposes the classic Puccini opera La Bohème to 1980s East Village New York. The show follows a year in the life of a group of friends, struggling to make it in the Big Apple under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Doors 6pm, from £22.50. Call 0844 8471515.

THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS METHOD St George’s Church, St George’s Road, Brighton, September 20 THE ASHES are soon to be battled again, so it’s the perfect time for the cricket-loving musicians behind the Duckworth Lewis Method to announce a new record is on its way. Led by The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon, the man who penned National Express (the anthem for twee travellers everywhere), The DLM follow-up their Ivor Novello-nominated eponymous debut from 2009 with Sticky Wickets. Hannon is Lewis, while his Irish compatriot Thomas Walsh is Duckworth. And Duckworth Lewis are the duo who invented the cricketing formula to solve rain-effected games. 7.30pm, £22.50. Call 01273 606312.

JAGWAR MA The Haunt, Pool Valley, Brighton, October 22 THE young Aussie duo have tapped into everything from the baggy Balearic beats of Madchester circa 1990 to the US West Coast of the 1960s, with some Pet Sound-era Brian Wilson-esque melodies. These are all to be found on the debut Howlin’, whose power has apparently got the Gallagher brothers talking about the beauty of music again (nicely in time for a 20th anniversary cash-in of Definitely Maybe next year?). To support their debut album, which was released last Monday, the Aussies have booked a five-date dash across the UK in the autumn. 7.30pm, £11. Call 01273 606312.

your guide now booking HHH Download of the week NAME: Wildflowers FROM: Brighton via Bristol INFLUENCES: The White Stripes and Patsy Cline PROFILE: Formed in April 2012 by 21-year-old singersongwriter Siddy Bennett, Wildflowers are set to release their debut EP on Monday, June 24. Wild Among The Flowers sees the band fuse punk folk with contemporary rock and roll – with a dash of country in there too. The band is based around Siddy and her sister Kit on backing vocals, accordion and Hammond organ, plus long-time co-writer, guitarist and mandolin player James Ashbury and rhythm guitarist Ben Johnsen. The four-piece have just completed their first UK tour, which included appearances at the Dot-To-Dot Festival in Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham. TRACK: Jeremiah WEBSITE: wildflowersband.co.uk SOUNDCLOUD: soundcloud.com/wildflowersmusic FACEBOOK: facebook.com/wildflowershq YOUTUBE: youtube.com/wildflowershq EMAIL: info@wildflowersband.co.uk NEXT GIG: Wildflowers play The Ancient Mariner, in Rutland Road, Hove, on Saturday, June 22, from 7pm, and The Hope, in Queen’s Road, Brighton, on Thursday, July 4. n Want more music by local artists? Visit theargus.co.uk/downloads

top five london 1... RIHANNA Twickenham Stadium, Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16 RIRI lands at the rugby stadium for two dates on the Diamond tour to promote her seventh record Unapologetic. Support from David Guetta and US electronic Doors 4.30pm. £45 to £75. Visit www.rfu.com 2... TROOPING THE COLOUR Horse Guards Parade, Saturday, June 15 FULLY operational troops from the Household division celebrate the Queen’s birthday with a spectacular show of pomp and ceremony. Starts 10am. Call 0207 4142479. 3... LOVEBOX PRESENTS NILE RODGERS The Forum, Friday, June 14 DISCO funk legend Nile Rodgers and his band Chic run through the hits that made the group famous – including Le Freak, Good Times and I Want Your Love – at this intimate festival warm-up. Starts 9pm, £22.50. Call 0844 8472405. 4... AFFORDABLE ART FAIR Hampstead Heath, daily until Sunday, June 16 TOP quality art for low prices – 70% is under £3,000 – at this annual bash to support artists and makers lower down the ladder. Pick up paintings, photography, sculpture and prints from £40. 11am to 6pm, £20. Call 0208 2464848. 5... STRANGE INTERLUDE National Theatre, until September 1 EUGENE O’NEILL’S audacious epic about repressed love in the gap between the two world wars is a masterpiece of American theatre. Anne-Marie Duff plays Nina in this three-hour drama. 7pm, £12 to £48. Call 0207 4523000.

selling fast... H The Moody Blues, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, Friday, June 21, £39.50, 08448 471515 H Ron Sexsmith, St George’s Church, St George’s Road, Brighton, Friday, June 21, 7pm, £18, 01273 606312 H All Tomorrow’s Parties curated by Deerhunter, Pontins Camber Sands, Friday, June 21, to Sunday, June 23, £180 per person, www.atpfestival.com H Elvis Costello, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, Saturday, June 22, 7pm, from £37.50, 0844 8471515 H The Pitmen Painters, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Monday, June 24, to Saturday, June 29, 7.45pm, 2.30pm matinees Thurs and Sat, from £10, 0844 8717650 H PiL, Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Thursday, June 27, 7pm, £25, 01273 709709 H Relative Values, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Monday, July 1, to Saturday, July 6, 7.45pm, 2.30pm matinees Thurs and Sat, from £15, 0844 8717650 H Strictly Confidential, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, Monday, July 1, to Wednesday, July 3, 7.30pm, 2.30pm Wed matinee, from £19.50, 0844 8471515 H Love Supreme Jazz Festival, Glynde Place, Glynde, Friday, July 5, to Sunday, July 7, £100/£50 for all three days, £50/£30 per day, www.lovesupremefestival.com H Tubular Bells For Two, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Monday, July 8, 7.30pm, from £19, 0844 8717650 H Amanda Palmer And The Grand Theft Orchestra, Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton, Saturday, July 13, 6.30pm, £17.50, 01273 673311 H Henry The VI Trilogy, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Wednesday, July 17, to Saturday, July 20, various times, from £15, 0844 8717650 H Levellers, St Bartholomews Church, Ann Street, Brighton, Friday, July 19, £21.50, www.seetickets.com H Peter Andre, Victoria Park, Haywards Heath, Friday, July 19, from £25, 01444 800045 H Gentlemen Of The Road Stopover with Mumford And Sons, Vampire Weekend, The Vaccines and Mystery Jets, Convent Fields, Lewes, Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20, £75, £20 camping, www.gentlemenoftheroad.com H Soul Sister, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Monday, July 22, to Saturday, July 27, 7.45pm, 2.30pm matinees on Thurs and Sat, from £10, 0844 8717650 H Regina Spektor, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, Monday, July 29, 7pm, £25, 01424 229111 H Bird Song, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Monday, July 29, to Saturday, August 3, 7.45pm, 2.30pm matinees on Thurs and Sat, from £10, 0844 8717650 H 9 To 5 The Musical, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Monday, August 5, to Saturday, August 10, 7.45pm, 2.30pm matinees Thurs and Sat, from £15, 0844 8717650 H Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Congress Theatre, Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, Monday, August 12, to Saturday, August 17, 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinees, from £15, 01323 412000 H Disney Live! Mickey’s Rockin’ Roadshow, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, Tuesday, August 13, and Wednesday, August 14, 10.30am and 1.30pm, from £18, 0844 8471515 H Ardal O’Hanlon, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Sunday, September 15, 8pm, from £19, 0844 8717650 H Ben E King, Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton, Friday, September 20, 7pm, £24.50, 01273 673311 H The Duckworth Lewis Method, St George’s Church, St George’s Road, Brighton, Friday, September 20, 7pm, £22.50, 01273 606312 H Joe Bonamassa, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, Saturday, September 28, 7pm, from £35, 0844 8471515 H The Seekers, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, Tuesday, October 1, from £44, 0844 8471515 H Lawson, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, October 4, 6pm, from £19, 0844 8471515 H Daniel O’Donnell, Congress Theatre, Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, Wednesday, October 16, 7.30pm, £37.50, 01323 412000 H Russell Brand – Messiah Complex, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, October 18, Doors 6pm, £27.50, call 0844 8471515 H Nights On Broadway, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, Sunday, October 20, £45, 0844 8471515 H Alison Moyet, Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Monday, October 21, from £25, 01273 709709

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Wildflowers coming to St Albans

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