NARC. #162 June 2020

ISSUE162

JUNE20

FREE

NADINE SHAH COMMERCIAL UNION HOUSE JISTER STAR & SHADOW RADIO CURVY SOUNDS

RELIABLYINFORMED

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PREVIEWS 4 REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

ISSUE162

JUNE20

FREE

RELIABLYINFORMED

Yes, that’s right, there are still reasons to be cheerful this month. Our region’s creatives are stepping up to the plate and continuing to entertain us (and themselves) with a vast array of music, art, theatre, comedy, film and much more. Plus updates on crowdfunders and support networks

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Singles, EPs and albums by local musicians, plus theatre, comedy and more!

INTERVIEWS & FEATURES 13 SMOOVE & TURRELL 14 JISTER 16 COMMERCIAL UNION HOUSE 18 PRIMARY COLOURS 22 NADINE SHAH

Ali Welford talks to the Whitburn-hailing musician about changing attitudes and bucking the trend on her new album

Dear Constant Readers, I regret to inform you that I have become one of those people who tuts under their breath when seeing someone break social distancing rules. I’ve tried not to, really I have, but it appears that I have a latent nosy parker syndrome which has only just manifested.

I’m in the fortunate position to live in the Northumberland countryside, so I rarely came across many people even ‘back in the day’ before lockdown was A Thing. The enforced social distancing has turned me into even more of a recluse and, whether it’s in the supermarket or on my state mandated exercise, if you venture too close or – GOD FORBID – drip your runner’s/cyclist’s sweat in my vicinity I’ll be forced to mutter quietly about you under my breath. Consider yourself told.

Aside from becoming a miserable old biddy, this month I’ve mainly been...well...doing not very much at all. Working on the magazine is pretty much the only activity that brings me any real joy (that and re-watching Desperate Housewives on Amazon, obvs) and the things I used to do to escape from work – namely research holidays on the internet – have become futile. Still, I must not (but still will) complain, because my family and friends are healthy and I shook Mr Sunak’s magic money tree and managed to finance at least the next three months’ worth of digital magazines, so all’s not lost.

I hope you and yours are managing as best you can, and you find some enjoyment and entertainment within our pages which – as always! – are crammed full of amazing North East creativity.

Editor Claire Dupree info@narcmedia.com Website David Saunders narcmagazineonline@gmail.com Creative El Roboto Advertising Claire Dupree info@narcmedia.com Stay social, connect with us NARC.magazine @narc_magazine @narcmagazine

Photographers Ricky Atterby / Marcel Bass / Ben Holden / Kristoff Photography / Blades Productions / Connor Vettas-Young Cover Image Fraser Taylor Contributors Kristopher Cook / Mark Corcoran-Lettice / Caitlin Disken / Laura Doyle / Mollie Field / Lee Fisher / Eugenie Johnson / Jason Jones / Catharina Joubert / Lee Hammond / Jonathan Horner / Tracy Hyman / Beverley Knight / Jay Moussa-Mann / Robert Nichols / Ikenna Offor / Paul Ray / Helen Redfern / Damian Robinson / Elodie A Roy / Steve Spithray / Jamie Taylor / Andrew Thompson / Amy Wardley / Ali Welford / Alex Withers

19 CHARLOTTE GRAYSON 20 THE PALPS 21 LUST FOR LIFE DRAWING 24 DALE HUSBAND 25 YOUNG WOMEN’S FILM ACADEMY 26 BALLPEEN 28 SHAMU 29 STAR & SHADOW RADIO 30 CHILLI STUDIOS 31 EYECONIC 32 MARC BIRD 33 24 HOURS IN ISOLATION 34 NOIR AT THE BAR ANTHOLOGY 36 CURVY SOUNDS REVIEWS 37 DEMOS

Featuring Rob Howe, Lizzie Esau, The Finest Drops, Scott Free and No Fox

38 TRACKS

Single reviews of local artists including Cat Ryan, Conrad Ashton, J.P. Riggall, Scrannabis, Luke Rv feat. Nifty Struggle, Indoor Kids, Swine Tax, Laurie Shepherd, Class Gymnast and more

39 ALBUMS

Reviews of new releases by Galaxians, Hinds, Bhajan Bhoy, Jehnny Beth, Anthony Gowland, Art Feynman, Pottery, Naeem, Sonic Boom, Courtney Marie Andrews, LA Priest and many more NARC. Magazine, John Buddle Work Village, Buddle Road, Newcastle, NE4 8AW Tel: 0191 226 7980 Email: info@narcmedia.com Web: www.narcmagazine.com Published monthly by NARC. Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publishers. The opinions expressed in NARC. belong to the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of NARC. or its staff. NARC. welcomes ideas and contributions but can assume no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations

43 MIXTAPE

Scott Forbes from Gosforth Civic Theatre talks about some of his favourite tunes

Next Issue Out 30th June

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PREVIEWS

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL YES, THAT’S RIGHT, THERE ARE STILL REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL THIS MONTH, AS OUR REGION’S CREATIVES ARE STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE AND CONTINUING TO ENTERTAIN US (AND THEMSELVES) WITH A VAST ARRAY OF MUSIC, ART, THEATRE, COMEDY, FILM AND MUCH MORE. THERE ARE ALSO UPDATES BELOW ON CROWDFUNDERS AND SUPPORT NETWORKS, AND PLEASE DO GET IN TOUCH IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE FEATURED IN A FUTURE EDITION. WORDS: CLAIRE DUPREE STREAMING, VIRTUAL VIEWING, PARTICIPATION & MORE NEW STUFF Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle have kicked off a fortnightly update of fun online entertainment from some of their staff and regulars. Currently on the Online section of their website are directions to new work from associate artist Rosie Stancliffe; a performance from musician Martha Hill; an article about how disabled people are problem-solving during the pandemic by Holy Moly & The Crackers’ Ruth Patterson; artwork from associate director James Pickering and info on the theatre’s first live performance on Zoom, taking place on Wednesday 24th June.

Sunderland’s National Glass Centre have launched their new exhibition, No Strings, on their website. Looking at beading in a modern context, No Strings features the work of seven international artists working with glass beads in unconventional ways.

Curator Julia Stephenson also hosts a short video tour of the exhibition.

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Northumberland’s Woodhorn Museum is famous for (among other things) housing the Pitmen Painters’ collection of work. Inspired by other museums around the world recreating their famous artworks, the Pitmen Painters Recreated project sees local people reimagine their favourite works using household items, with often amusing results.

Sunderland’s Unison Music & Events group have teamed up with music blog Spotlight to curate a series of Crossover Covers featuring local artists covering each other’s songs, with surprising and creative results.

It may be news to some of you that we share our delightful website editor David Saunders with Tees Music Alliance, where he also works as their artist development guru. His ever-restless mind has come up with many new projects (check out the NARC. website for some inventive new features), chief among them TMA’s new podcast, Summat or Other, in which David chats with local musical mavericks to find out what makes them tick. Currently online is an incredibly insightful conversation with Teesside rapper Shakk, with more planned for the future.

Contemporary group Ellen Hathaway Dance Company released their new project – and first ever online dance film – entitled CO-iNSiDE; a relatable, heartwarming tale of a young couple in lockdown. They’re inviting members of the public to share their experiences by sending in videos of their lockdown lives, with the aim of raising money for NHS charities.

Theatre company Bitter Pill’s national callout has seen Newcastle playwright Alison Carr’s new work, Stuff, exclusively performed by Olivier Award-winning actress Sophie Thompson and released via the Painkiller Project podcast. It’s a witty and surreal tale of a woman whose bath falls through her floor into the flat below, prompting an unexpected and curious meeting with her neighbour.

Shining a new light on creative thinking in arts and humanities research, the Possible Podcast features conversations between academics, international activists and North East makers and artists. Episodes recorded so far include discussions on the power of publishing and zine culture, the links between music and memory, the history of censorship and Durham’s proud protest song heritage.

FEATURE

Pitmen Painters Recreated: George Blessed - Whippets - c1939 | Eric Musgrave and Teddy Eastoe

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FEATURE

L-R: Ted Hanky, The Girl on a Spacehopper by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen Gateshead’s Workplace Gallery have kicked off a series of informative and informal conversations between artists via Zoom, taking place every Tuesday. The next couple of events feature artists Magnus Quaife (2nd June) and Catherine Bertola (9th June).

Middlesbrough comedian Ted Hanky hosts live quizzes with a difference on his Facebook page, raising money for NHS charities. His quizzes feature familiar faces (including the likes of Chris Kamara, Steph McGovern, Neil Maddison, Dean Windass and a host of local comedians and performers) asking some of the questions.

The interactive quiz also offers a cash prize for the winner. View for free or buy a ticket for £3.50 and join in via his Facebook page.

A new topical comedy podcast called 10 Things with J And Ben sees producer and writer Ben and comedy cohort Jason Roberts take the week’s events apart one laugh at a time and fight to get their chosen stories in the coveted list of 10 Things that sum up the week. They’re joined by some pretty special guests including guest spots from Jason Cook, Lauren Pattison, Kerry Godliman, Micky Cochrane, Si Beckwith, Matt Hoss and Curtis Stigers (Yep, THAT Curtis Stigers!). Described as “fierce, satirical and totally daft”, it’s the antidote to

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boring stuff everywhere.

Newcastle’s gallery and cultural collective AmberSide have begun a new community project based around Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen’s iconic Girl on a Spacehopper image, which depicts a young girl dressed in a glittery party dress gleefully hopping down a Byker back lane on her spacehopper. They’d like to hear from local residents about what the image means to them, with a new exhibition planned for later in the year alongside a 2021 film release. Share your thoughts and experiences via: spacehopper@amberonline.com Tyne & Wear Archives are looking for participants to contribute to the documentation of this once-in-a-lifetime experience we’re currently facing. They’d like to hear from local residents and have put together a brief questionnaire online.

The Auxiliary in Middlesbrough have put together a series of free art packs for residents in the Newport and Gresham areas of the town. Created with the aid of local photographers and printmakers, the packs include items like disposable cameras from art collective WAX and linocut print-making sets provided by printmaker Suzie Devey.

Online videos will help households to create unique artworks. To receive an art pack email theauxiliaryprojectspace@gmail.com (you must live in the Newport or Gresham area of Middlesbrough).

STILL ONLINE Our region’s museums and galleries continue to provide cultural sustenance while their doors remain closed. Here’s a round-up of some of the best…

Take a virtual tour of Great North Museum: Hancock’s Ice Age to Iron Age gallery, or peek behind the scenes at their fascinating ethnography and biology stores; discover artistic delights on a wander around Laing Art Gallery’s rooms; Google’s Arts & Culture tour of the Discovery Museum will engage youngsters and adults alike; and there’s a host of interesting artefacts to discover in Tyne & Wear Museums & Archives’ online stores. Currently on display at Side Gallery is an exhibition of work by photographer John Rigby which focuses on the people and landscapes of Maryport and Workington in West Cumbria, and Amber Films’ own The Art of Shipbuilding is also available to view; there’s more exquisite art

on display at BALTIC’s website, including exhibitions from Abel Rodriguez, Judy Chicago and Imran Perretta, alongside video workshops on zine making and family activities to pass the time; art lovers can also browse the varied collections at Biscuit Factory; the work of painter Norman Cornish is on display via a virtual gallery tour of the exhibition at Barnard Castle’s Bowes Museum; the collections from Middlesbrough’s MIMA gallery are available to view online; also in Middlesbrough, Platform A Gallery’s exhibitions are available to view in glorious 3D; Teesside’s Dovetail Joints continue with their virtual gallery, at which you can explore work by Jack Oaten, Augustus Wray, Mo Coade, Seb Smith, Kemetic Blue, Calum Stamper and more; and Shieldfield Art Works’ website displays work created by members of their Painting For Fun group.

If it’s performance you’ve got a hankering for, there are a raft of quality productions and podcasts online from local practitioners.

Open Clasp’s production Key Change, an illuminating portrait of women in prison, is available to watch online; the fabulous Coronavirus Theatre Club is still going strong, with a variety of entertaining short videos of monologues and pieces produced by talented writers and directors while in lockdown; Eliot Smith Dance host classes and screen performances via their new digital outlet; the ever-innovative Northern Stage continue their podcast series with inspirational chats between associate director Mark Calvert and theatre makers, writers and actors including Hannah Banister, Dan Bye, Scott Turnbull, Bonbons Cabaret, Melody Sproates, Amy Golding and Young Company; yet more diverse voices can be heard on Star & Shadow Radio via their Mixlr station – expect art and music chat, stories, poetry, plays and much more. If your ribs need a tickle, look no further than The Stand Comedy Club’s Saturday Night At The Stand livestreams, which always feature some star turns; there’s more hilarity thanks to Newcastle comedy improv troupe The Suggestibles, whose #carryonimprovising shows take place via their social media pages every Friday night.

Plenty of musicians have caught the livestream bug, and regular quality showcases can be seen via the likes of Stockton’s Georgian Theatre, whose Facebook page hosts livestreamed shows on Saturday nights (this month’s roster so far includes the likes of Joe Garratt on 6th June and Nadedja on 13th June), plus tune in on Fridays for their Friday Social (Media) streams and occasional comedy shows courtesy of Shoe Cake Comedy Club. There’s also semi-regular livestreamed shows on Sunderland’s Independent Facebook page.

It’s possible to expand your horizons during lockdown and learn new skills online thanks to the region’s makers and doers.

Check out Newcastle’s Chilli Studios for interactive workshops; North Tyneside Art Studio, who host regular online tutorials via

FEATURE

CROWDFUNDERS, CHARITY INFO,COMMUNITY RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES Our cultural venues still need your help to move onto the next phase of whatever the ‘new normal’ is going to be. If you’re able to afford to support venues and organisations through Crowdfunder rewards or donations, here’s a (far from exhaustive) list of great people who need a helping hand.

ALPHABETTI THEATRE NEWCASTLE CASTLE SAGE GATESHEAD FIRST AVENUE STUDIOS POP RECS LTD SEA-CHANGE NORTHERN STAGE DANCE CITY CUSTOMS HOUSE TYNE THEATRE & OPERA HOUSE COMMERCIAL UNION HOUSE THE WITHAM OUSEBURN FARM PEOPLE’S THEATRE GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE THEATRE ROYAL LIVE THEATRE TYNESIDE CINEMA MAGIC HAT CAFE For those who need advice on the latest grants and government funding or just support and a friendly ear, there are plenty of resources and helpful local organisations who can offer their expertise.

ONLINE SHOPPING With phased reopening a real possibility in the coming weeks, it pays to keep an eye on your favourite local shops and outlets’ social media pages for updates. In the meantime, or if you’d rather not venture out, there’s ample opportunity to #buylocal. Check out these splendid people for music-based starters.

CURVY SOUNDS FLEA CIRCUS 586 RECORDS BEATDOWN RECORDS BEYOND VINYL REFLEX CD & VINYL RPM SAXOSOUL RECORDS SOUND IT OUT RECORDS VINYL GURU

FOOD & DRINK If it’s food you’re after, Big Mouth Comedy Club have diversified into food delivery, cannily titled Big Mouth Food Company. From Tuesday 9th June they’ll be offering deliveries of cheese platters featuring delicious goodies from local growers and makers.

Check out the list in our May issue for restaurants and breweries currently delivering in your area.

NEWBRIDGE PROJECT TEES MUSIC ALLIANCE TIPPING POINT SAGE GATESHEAD SUNDERLAND CULTURE TYNE & WEAR CULTURAL FREELANCERS THEATRE FANS NE SUNDERLAND INDIE

their Facebook page on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and Gateshead’s Shipley Art Gallery whose weekly art challenge is inspired by their collection.

page; you can also join in with the Pop Choir Project Lockdown, hosted by Cornshed Sisters’ Jennie Brewis and Liz Corney, with regular singalong sessions via Zoom.

For families, look no further than Life Science Centre’s science experiments and other fun activities via their social media pages and YouTube channel; or join in with Fully Booked Theatre’s interactive dance theatre shows every weekday at noon.

Have a singalong with Beccy Owen’s Couch Choir every Sunday morning and early evening via her Facebook

If you’ve caught the quizzing bug, check out some great events courtesy of Prohibition Cabaret Bar (Wednesday); the notoriously tricky Free Trade Inn virtual quiz (Wednesday); and the perennially cool Zerox quiz (Tuesday); plus keep an eye on Stockton’s Storytellers and Darlington Hippodrome’s Facebook pages for semi-regular events.

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NEWS

Greg Genre

COMEDY

PREQUEL SEQUEL REQUEL LIVESTREAMED SHOWS

Words: Eugenie Johnson Ever watched a movie and thought to yourself that it really needs a sequel, or found yourself pondering why a classic movie has never had the remake treatment? If the answer is no then, let’s be honest, you’re probably not alone. Yet the comedy potential for thinking up these imaginary blockbusters is huge. That’s probably why Chris Lumb from Shoe Cake Comedy Club (who ordinarily run a monthly show at Stockton’s Georgian Theatre) created Prequel Sequel Requel, a panel show alongside Discount Comedy Checkout pals Eddie French, Natalie Smeaton and Phil Smith, that dares to go where no film producers have gone before (and probably with good reason).

Prequel, Sequel, Requel is accessible through its Facebook page during restrictions and throughout the next couple of months the team have a varied bunch of movies lined up, promising something to suit everyone’s movie taste: sci-fi adventure Flight of the Navigator (31st May); Martin Scorsese’s iconic Taxi Driver (7th June); 80s cult classic The Lost Boys (14th June); action-packed crime flick Point Break (21st June); and beloved fantasy romance Edward Scissorhands (28th June). As well as getting the opportunity to laugh at the concepts that never were, audience members can also chip in, voting for their favourite idea from the panel and getting the chance to posit their own titles too. Future events will focus on Pretty

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Woman (5th July), Scarface (12th July), Mannequin (19th July), Super Mario Bros (26th July), Weird Science (2nd Aug) and The Princess Bride (9th Aug), ensuring that silver screenbased shenanigans continue throughout the summer, no matter where you happen to be. www.facebook.com/preserequel

MUSIC

GREG GENRE RELEASES NEW ALBUM

Words: Laura Doyle Newcastle multi-instrumentalist Greg Genre knows only too well the creativity possible thanks to looping techniques, and he’s poised to release a whole album based on it this month.

When it got tough to communicate with an entire band, Greg turned to looping to achieve that multi-instrumental sound all on his own. Now that everyone’s in the same boat being stuck indoors by ourselves, Mr Genre has taken to constructing a few songs for us to enjoy which will be released weekly as lockdown progresses, with the aim of releasing the whole project as a video playlist via YouTube, coinciding with a performance on Facebook, on 26th June.

Themes for the release have spanned nature, history and consciousness; Dose of Happiness includes samples of the dawn chorus recorded from his garden and is inspired by Greg’s love of birdwatching; Little Dot explores our miniscule place in an infinite universe; while Spells echoes its mystical name with reverb-heavy, pounding loops adding to the ethereal experience.

Looping creates snowflakes of sound: no two are exactly alike, so if you’re looking for a tracklist with diversity and range, look no further than

Greg Genre’s genre-busting project.

Greg Genre releases his new album via YouTube and Facebook on 26th June www.facebook.com/greggenremusic

MUSIC

PIT PONY RELEASE NEW SINGLE

Words: Caitlin Disken Rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the North East’s finest garage rock bands, Pit Pony are back with their latest exceptional offering, Sulk.

Masters of complimenting Jackie Purver’s defiant yet melodic vocals with their vigorous guitar textures, Sulk is the Newcastle-based quintet’s most audacious single yet.

Available digitally across all platforms from 12th June, the track’s “I wanna go out tonight” refrain will undoubtedly resonate with many of us in lockdown. Yet according to the band Sulk was penned pre-lockdown: “It was actually written before it started. Luckily we’d recorded it and two other tracks in Blank Studios the week before lockdown was enforced. I suppose it has a lockdown nod in the sense that we’ve all realised how much we miss one another and have been reaching out to friends and family,” the band acknowledge.

Brilliant and intense, Sulk ultimately deals with love/hate relationships and being stubborn: “It’s a bit like a ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea’ relationship, where you want to be independent but underneath you realise you need other people.”

Pit Pony release Sulk on 12th June www.pitponyband.bandcamp.com

NEWS

Church, Honey

MUSIC

MUNRO VIRTUAL FESTIVAL #002

Words: Claire Dupree Let me tell you that running a music festival is no small job, and it takes a particular set of skills and determination to make a successful event.

Imagine how much harder that must be when you can’t meet any of the performers, be in any form of control over their technical set-up or have any idea of how many people might turn up (or not). Gulp.

Hats off then, to Teesside promoters Famous Last Words, who will be running their second MUNRO virtual festival on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May via their Facebook page.

“MUNRO’s first virtual festival was a first for myself as well. I was going into the unknown.”

Explains head honcho Adam Gallagher. “In terms of how it would run, how people would react and how to make it a success was something I had to try blindly before knowing the outcome.

However, thanks to all the artists that performed, I believe it excelled above and beyond any expectation that I had set for MUNRO.” With one successful event under his belt, Adam is keen to continue giving musicians in the region a spotlight. “I decided to throw everything at this one weekend and recruit some of my favourite artists. There is a wide variety of exceptionally talented individuals and groups, mainly from the North East but also some from further afield.”

Taking to the ‘stage’ from 2pm until 9pm on both days will be artists representing a mash-up of genres and styles, including Scarborough’s finest melancholic indie rockers The Feens; brand new acoustic folk artist Church, Honey; Newcastle rockers Club Paradise; emotive songwriter Finn Forster; gritty folk pop star Eve Conway; Brighton’s indie pop rockers Luna Blue; nostalgic lo-fi folkers Mt. Misery; Middlesbrough rapper Shakk; Redcar pop duo Komparisson; Gateshead four-piece Spilt Milk; post-punks Whale Hill and many more.

MUNRO Virtual Festival #002 takes place from Saturday 30th-Sunday 31st May via MUNRO Festival’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/munrofestival

STAGE

ONSTAGE: ONLINE DIGITAL THEATRE FESTIVAL

Words: Helen Redfern While venues remain closed, creativity still abounds. Writers, theatre makers, actors and performing arts groups are discovering fresh, innovative ways to create theatre shorts and longer productions while they and their audiences stay at home.

Onstage: Online is a digital theatre festival aimed at celebrating creativity during the lockdown.

Although Gala Theatre and the Assembly Rooms Theatre, which is the main venue used by

Durham University’s Student Theatre, have temporarily closed, both teams are determined to continue to provide a platform for local theatre makers to showcase their work, while also promoting the mental health benefits creativity can bring.

“I know the team at the Gala Theatre are really enjoying working with our partners at Durham University, and I can’t wait to see what theatrical gems the project produces,” enthuses Counsellor Joy Allen, cabinet member for transformation, culture and tourism. “It is well known that watching theatre and engaging in the arts can be incredibly beneficial to our mental health and well-being, and finding things that lift our spirits is especially important right now.”

From Thursday 11th-Sunday 14th June, live sessions will be streamed each day on the Gala Theatre’s YouTube channel, along with scheduled pre-recorded content, showcasing County Durham talent to a global audience of all ages.

Kate Barton, head of student theatre at Durham University explains: “We want to programme the best of the North East and appeal to a wide range of audiences and ages.”

When the festival is over, sharing the joy will continue: the videos will remain available for people to enjoy on both the Gala Theatre and Durham University’s YouTube channels. Keep an eye on their websites for further information on productions. www.galadurham.co.uk www.theassemblyroomstheatre.org/ onstage-online

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NEWS

Rob Heron

MUSIC

SAGE GATESHEAD INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR TWO NEW PROJECTS

Words: Claire Dupree As part of their continuing commitment to support musicians, Sage Gateshead have unveiled two initiatives for North East-based artists.

The Artists In Residence programme, which aims to support four artists over a period of 10 months to develop an ambitious creative project, is open for applications. Their priority is to support musicians who are at a ‘pivotal point’ in their career, and who could benefit from the facilities and advice available from the Sage Gateshead team. Taking place from September to June, the package would include a £3,000 fee plus creative development financing of £500, a residential retreat to work on ideas and implementation, access to rehearsal space at Sage Gateshead, advice and contacts from the team and well-being support. Video footage and a concert or virtual event to showcase the finished result is also part of the package.

The venue are also looking for musicians across all genres to take part in Sage Sessions, a series of stripped-back sets which will take place in Hall One. The venue are keen to hear from musicians who may not have had access to the venue or been represented in the past, including those who consider themselves to be from a disadvantaged background.

Both initiatives have an application deadline of

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12th June. Visit the venue’s website for full information. www.sagegateshead.com/artist-development/ artists-in-residence www.sagegateshead.com/artist-development/ sage-sessions

MUSIC

BETH MACARI RELEASES NEW SINGLE Words: Laura Doyle Routines are a great thing to have and to keep, so it’s fabulous to see local singer-songwriter Beth Macari keeping to her regimented release schedule.

She releases the third single of a planned five that has been steadily pumped out every three weeks, with her ambitious musical project now taking shape. Chapter three of her mini series is entitled I Am, and continues the streak of songs full of personality and emotion. With a voice so soulful I never knew it could exist outside of a cabaret bar scene in some thriller film, Beth Macari refreshes the funk fusion genre into something new and very palatable.

This time, the name of the game is introspection and personal growth. “It’s all about self love and acceptance, being able to say ‘I am enough’ and ‘I am everything I need’.” Macari explains. “It’s a very honest song, it mentions some of the trolling I’ve had in my career thus far but now being at peace with it.” We’ve all got our demons, and working through them in a healthy, productive way can be difficult, but it’s ultimately the most rewarding.

Beth Macari releases I Am on 26th June www.facebook.com/bethmacarimusic

MUSIC

ROB HERON EP RELEASE

Words: Lee Fisher Although recent years have seen him swap spats for Clash t-shirts, local musician and DJ Rob Heron is still a man very much tuned into the rhythms and mores of the past. So while other artists are working on 90-minute isolationist concept albums during lockdown, Heron’s gone the other way. The Grundig Tapes Vol 1, just released on his Bandcamp page, saw him grapple with a 1960s Grundig tape machine, a 1950s Grundig microphone and songs written during The Awfulness but sprinkled with the dust of depression-era Oklahoma.

Inspired by Shetland country singer Thomas Fraser and using the same equipment, wrestling with microphone positions and domestic reverb, the four songs on the EP embody what Heron describes as the “homely and honest, no frills lifestyle”, much like people obsessing over their sourdough starters. Heron admits that the distinctly lo-fi sound of the recordings (think Smithsonian Folkways rather than Sebadoh) could sound harsh to modern ears, even after being mastered by Swedish specialist Anders Peterson. And the songs are great too – tackling the boredom of lockdown and what comes afterwards, the petty racism associated with St George’s Day and – typically for Heron – what happens when the booze runs out. All this plus yodelling and a kazoo solo!

The Grundig Tapes Vol 1 is available now.

Whether or not there’s a Grundig Tapes Vol 2 depends on the ‘R’ rate www.teapadorchestra.bandcamp.com

NEWS

MUSIC

Sign up for Generator’s Creating Content Course via their website www.generator.org.uk

GENERATOR’S CREATING CONTENT COURSE MUSIC SAM SLATCHER RELEASES NEW ALBUM Words: Claire Dupree North East development agency Generator unveil their very first online course for musicians, which will take place from Monday 1st-Friday 5th June.

Musicians need to stand out from the crowd now more than ever, so Generator’s pithily titled Creating Content Course will provide the tools and tricks of the trade to enable musicians to engage their fanbase and develop their brand.

Artists will learn the basics of digital design by undertaking a series of challenges, from designing posters and logos to creating gifs and building websites, with the aim of encouraging musicians to think more broadly about their output and how to build and retain their fanbase.

Generator’s artist development manager Charlie Dancer explains why creative content is so important. “We now live in a world of visual content, where music and visual aesthetics are intrinsically linked. Over the last 30 years artists have used visual content to create a world for music fans to further fall in love, and from a cold industry perspective, build brand loyalty.”

Open to all, the course will be of particular interest to newer artists who are looking to make their mark, as Charlie explains. “You’ve written some great songs but you have no social media presence, assets or anything else. You need launch into the world with some exciting and engaging content – by the end of the week you will have created a website, a logo, a colour pallete, a press release, a music video and social media assets.”

Words: Claire Dupree Durham songwriter Sam Slatcher has previously found acclaim thanks to his tremendous work with National Syrian Orchestra’s viola player Raghad Haddad, which resulted in single City of Sanctuary and the collaborative album Stories of Sanctuary.

As demonstrated on previous releases, Sam has an uncanny knack of drawing out interesting stories and adding his own uniquely percussive style to create music which is both soothing and thought-provoking. His latest efforts have culminated in the release of his debut solo album, Chaos & Solitude, the release of which was brought forward due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sam describes the album as a “personal and political reflection on the recent changes in British society from political division”, and it’s clear the album is a labour of love for the musician, as typified by the gently affecting A Thousand Miles, on which Sam’s buttery vocals are underpinned by harmonious backing from Mim Skinner; while Can’t Move The Mountain Today, with its piano interjections and faintly jazzy rhythms soars with beautific intentions, as soft cello adds a mournful edge. Sam hopes the album inspires listeners to reconnect with nature

and discover a place of calm and the kindness of strangers.

He’ll be performing at a livestreamed fundraising concert alongside Raghad Haddad on Friday 5th June, raising money for the City of Sanctuary project, and streamed via their Facebook page.

Sam Slatcher’s album, Chaos & Solitude, is out now www.samslatcher.com

MUSIC

BE QUIET. SHOUT LOUD! RELEASE NEW SINGLE

Words: Tracy Hyman Middlesbrough’s disco pop kings Be Quiet. Shout Loud! invite you to escape the lockdown for four and a half minutes of typically catchy escapism.

The pandemic may have delayed their latest album release, but that hasn’t stopped them from releasing their feel-good disco tracks to the world.

Inside A Disco Dream is as anthemic as the boys get, replete with stabs of synths, percussive claps and sing along “oo oo oo-oo oo oo”s, all of which lead up to the energetic beat-fuelled climax of the chorus. It’s enough to get you on your feet, as the band invite you to turn your bedrooms and lounges into places where disco dreams are made.

“I’ve been here a while. Did you forget about me?” sings Jake Radio. With a track this catchy, it’s not likely!

Be Quiet. Shout Loud! release Inside A Disco Dream on 19th June www.bequietshoutloud.co.uk

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NEWS

Roxy Girls

MUSIC

TUSK FESTIVAL GOES VIRTUAL

Words: Claire Dupree While for many the COVID-19 pandemic has restricted and narrowed opportunities, for some it has opened up the possibility for infinite expansion. The adventurous TUSK Festival, scheduled to take place at Sage Gateshead in October, has befallen the fate of so many events – at its heart a festival which actively seeks to encourage international collaboration and performance, the global pandemic has rendered the event in its usual guise untenable.

TUSK, however, has always been a forwardthinking and cutting-edge event, having embraced livestream technology and digital programming for several years. That wealth of experience will now see TUSK Virtual offer an expanded programme of performances, exhibitions, film screenings and discussions which could only ever have been dreamed of pre-pandemic.

Taking place from Monday 28th SeptemberSunday 11th October, the 10th edition of the festival will be a truly global celebration of alternative and experimental culture where ‘normal’ festival rules will no longer apply, making for a truly thrilling and completely immersive event.

Artists already lined up to perform include Norwegian noise artist Deathprod; math rockers Horse Lords; noise artist and improviser Maja S.K. Ratkje; audio-visual artist Sarah Hennies and Newcastle sludge rockers Lump Hummer.

Now added to the line-up are avant garde jazz hero Roscoe Mitchell; manic/ecstatic father/ daughter duo Yeah You; mostly-Ugandan sextet Nihiloxica; Newcastle radge punks Blóm; Chicago jazz maestro Angel Bat Dawid; Japanese experimental band OOIOO and influential experimental musician Jim O’Rourke and Japanese songwriter Eiko Ishibashi, who will team up for their first performance to take place outside Japan.

There’s loads more still to be announced,

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alongside an expanded film schedule and the always-inventive TUSK Fringe programme delivered by The Old Police House. The festival is intrinsically linked with venue partners Sage Gateshead, who continue to support TUSK in the expansion of the programme. We’ll bring more information on the ambitious event in our September issue, and you can keep informed on developments via their website.

TUSK Virtual takes place from Monday 28th September-Sunday 11th October www.tuskfestival.com

MUSIC

ROXY GIRLS’ A WEALTH OF INFORMATION EP

Words: Mark Corcoran-Lettice Exploding onto the North East circuit in 2018 and gaining national attention last year for their fully-formed, adrenalized take on post-punk, Roxy Girls take another step towards the limelight with the release of their latest EP, A Wealth of Information, on Friday 5th June.

The third EP to date, and second to be released via Moshi Moshi Records (one time home to Hot Chip and Late of the Pier and the current label for acclaimed composer Anna Meredith: not bad company to be keeping, to put it mildly), A Wealth of Information comes modelled as a clear successor to last year’s A Poverty of Attention.

Again, the quartet storm through seven songs in less than a quarter of an hour, blowing through ideas at such a blur you’d be concerned if it wasn’t so clear that there’s much more to come from them yet.

Combining established favourites of their live set, like the declarative Commands alongside compressed mini-anthem and lead single Dirtier, and the frantic-even-by-their-standards The Droid, A Wealth of Information boasts a sharp wit and ambition behind its immediate endorphin rush.

Whisper it quietly, but queue this one up right after A Poverty of Attention and you might just find that Roxy Girls have stealthily released a debut for the ages right under our noses.

Roxy Girls release A Wealth of Information via Moshi Moshi Records on 5th June www.roxygirls.bandcamp.com

STAGE

CREATIVE CALLOUTS FOR NEW PRODUCTION HADDOCK AND CHIPS

Words: Eugenie Johnson The chippy: it’s a British institution. While most of us probably won’t have been able to enjoy the pleasures of fish and chips lately, the community that comes together while waiting on a fresh fry in these establishments is evoked in a new production from writer Janet Plater. Despite the recent restrictions, Plater’s work Haddock and Chips is currently in the R&D phase, with a view to touring in Autumn 2021. It’ll be a rich tale set in a Whitley Bay chippy as protagonists Brenda and Bob manage with a man down, and exploring themes of human decency and kindness.

Haddock and Chips is produced in partnership with CaroleW Productions, whose commitment to supporting projects which epitomise ‘a good night out’ ensures that the production will contain a hearty dose of music and comedy alongside insights into humanity and loneliness.

Accompanying this current phase of development are two creative calls. Coinciding with Bob’s youthful ambition to be a professional photographer, imagery is a running theme throughout the play and it is hoped that an exhibition of selected works will accompany any tour. In addition, the team are also seeking two short response pieces from emerging writers to the production’s core themes. In turn, these will be brought to fruition by a director and actors to be performed to an invited audience. While we may still be socially distanced right now, even in its early stages Haddock and Chips is offering a form of creative community through its take on a cornerstone of British life. www.carolewproductions.com/ emergingwriters

INTERVIEWS

SMOOVE AND TURRELL

Image by Ricky Atterby

WE HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO PUSH OUR SOUND INTO DIFFERENT AREAS WHILE STILL KEEPING TO OUR BELIEF THAT SOUL MUSIC SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO THE STANDARD STYLES OF THE PAST

BEVERLEY KNIGHT TALKS TO THE FUNK AND SOUL DUO ABOUT THEIR NEW ALBUM, CELEBRATING TEN YEARS TOGETHER AND THEIR PASSION FOR THE NORTH EAST If you’re looking for a band whose pure passion and adulation of their scene is crystal clear, then look no further than Smoove & Turrell; the North East duo are inherently proud of their region, and have been instrumental in supporting the live soul and funk scene.

Smoove explains that, despite the high praise awarded to them by the likes of funk and soul DJ Craig Charles, the scene is still very much underground. Partner in crime John Turrell adds: “UK soul will never die. We have had a love affair with the scene since we started and have been lucky enough to meet and work with a load of other artists who feel the same!”

2019 marked the end of their first decade as a band, which was a milestone the duo were keen to celebrate, as Smoove enthuses. “We were enthralled that we were still going strong and realised that we could do another ten years more!”

It seemed right that with the onset of a new decade should also come a new album: Stratos Bleu, released this month, is a collaborative project for the band and they pride themselves on working with some of the best musicians in the North East: “Everything came together very naturally. We all rose to the occasion experimenting to discover new sounds and write tunes together.”

Elements of house and dance music are very evident, especially on tracks It Ain’t Working and This Time, and a certain generation may be transported back to the legendary backroom at club night

Shindig. “I hope on every album we have always tried to push our sound into different areas while still keeping to our belief that soul music should not be limited to the standard styles of the past.” John reflects.

Stand-out track Do It features a sample famously used by Primal Scream, and Smoove explains that sampling techniques are close to his heart. “It’s my hip-hop roots and my passion for cut ‘n’ paste music. Do It features lots of samples and scratches referencing positive messages.” Elsewhere on the record, Still Don’t Know is a remake of an old song You Don’t Know, taken from their first album Antique Soul. “Our label mates Kraak & Smaak from Holland made a remix which we liked so much that we thought we would rework their version into our live sets. It went down well, so we added this updated version; a rework of a remix!”

The duo are justifiably proud of their regional heritage and find that being from the North East is a talking point. “We don’t feel any disadvantages by not living in London or a bigger city. This is our home, and it’s where we belong.”

Smoove & Turrell release Stratos Bleu via Jalapeno Records on 5th June. The band’s tentative live dates include gigs at Sage Gateshead on Friday 31st July, Gateshead Beer & Music Festival on Friday 28th August and ARC, Stockton on Wednesday 16th September www.smooveandturrell.com

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INTERVIEW

THIS IS THOUGHTFUL, ELOQUENT, ALMOST UNCOMFORTABLY HONEST SELFEXAMINATION AND SOCIAL COMMENTARY 14

INTERVIEW

JISTER

JONATHAN HORNER TALKS TO MIDDLESBROUGH HIP-HOP ARTIST JISTER ABOUT HIS TRIUMPHANT RETURN ON NEW EP POETRY, NOT PROSE

We’ve waited patiently for Teesside hip-hop artist Jister to return; unbelievably it’s been three long years since JTLR, his transcendent album with The Lion Ranger. “I think I felt like I’d completed the game if that makes sense.” It absolutely does when considering that love for the record was such that it prompted touring with one of his heroes, Scroobius Pip. So, why the wait before dropping a new release? “It sort of just didn’t happen after that peak. It was a weird time all-in-all, my work/life balance was all over the shop and I was in a pretty much constant state of stress but now I’ve changed jobs, have an amazing girlfriend I live with, and I’m in a much, much healthier place mentally. I suppose my creativity has come back along with my sanity, which is nice!” Or to put it in a way only Jister could: “I went to hell and back, went partly mad, came back swinging a party bag.”

Jister’s re-emergence solidifies this month on the release of his new EP – Poetry, Not Prose. The darkness he has personally battled through is visible in all corners of society of late; this hasn’t escaped his keen eye and he’s come back swinging, for himself and for us. He announces his frustration in opening track Commode as he rages, “Wading through fiction, ‘cos facts can be mangled and even the devil looks good at the right angle.”

Contrary to a quip on EP track Flood, he’s not been napping over his three year break; his focus has been on musicianship. “With hip-hop, because you don’t have to put the years in to learning an instrument, the amount of people calling themselves rappers is insane and it’s a really saturated game to be in. This made me want to prove to myself that I can be an actual musician.” He has released a number of instrumental records quietly, which have not only provided a glimpse of the mastery he unveils in full on Poetry, Not Prose but also sparked its creation. “A few of them were a bit too good for an instrumental EP, so I kept them and wrote bits around them. This then snowballed and before I knew it I was planning a full project.” As a producer, there is something that binds his tracks together sonically – a sound that is undeniably his own – but he still manages to take us on an auditory trip, from the frantic swells and yells of Tomato Soup to the menacing stride of Funky Potato and the sinister pulsing bass of Flood. Boredom Of The Bees feels almost disarmingly upbeat after this onslaught of sonic neuroses, but then those words hit and you realise the battle isn’t over.

He explains his lyrics and their darkly comic, refreshingly grounded, gritty realism. “I’ve always been fascinated by the state of things and

working out why things are the way they are, so it makes sense that that has tipped over into my music.” The name of the EP comes from the fact that most of these songs are basically free-written. He outlines his deliberately untethered process: “I just wrote what I was feeling or thinking about that day, usually starting with a lyric or a word/idea, and then themes would sort of manifest as I went along.”

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that these are random throwaway skits; this is thoughtful, eloquent, almost uncomfortably honest self-examination and social commentary.

As the EP draws to a close, the importance of his message really lands and he emerges as a spokesman for the broken. In the opening lines of Boredom Of The Bees he lays out the state of affairs as he mourns, “The bees are over flowers and the birds are bored of trees and the fish are getting sick of it, from the Tyne to the Tees. Everyone is knackered. The planet’s on it’s knees. They’ve taken all you’ve ever had and never once said please.” While on Flood he offers a hand to those struggling. “If you think you’re a mess, I wrote this for you.” His aim, though, is not just to soothe but to unite the divided and mobilise them. He welcomes the responsibility. “I think it’s important to talk about these things, especially when most of the planet’s inhabitants are affected by them.” He’s not afraid to shake things up either: “It might just take a flood for the flowers to grow.”

Jister has a lot of love for his chosen medium and he speaks about it with paternal care. “All genres go through peaks and troughs but I feel like some form of hip-hop will always be in existence as it’s something that’s always developing.” It’s no secret that, through grime, the UK has a strong international voice in hip-hop music and Jister has the same fatherly patience and pride. “After a few identity crises with weird crossovers into some terrible pop music over the years, grime artists have accepted their own identity and built from it which is really exciting.” The North East holds its own also, in his opinion as he reels off a list (far too long to publish here) of artists he respects.

It’s not news that the future of live music is a sad mystery at the moment, but Jister has plans. From his live show “you can expect more self-deprecation between songs as well as a bit of humour, audience interaction and a performance you can actually hear properly, with loads of mad bass-heavy, Northern goodness to enjoy.” Can’t wait!

Jister releases Poetry, not Prose on 5th June www.jistermusic.bandcamp.com

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INTERVIEW

COMMERCIAL UNION HOUSE

LAURA DOYLE TALKS TO ORBIS’ JONPAUL KIRVAN ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY WHICH THRIVES AT COMMERCIAL UNION HOUSE Starting something new is scary. It might mean trekking in unknown territory, or mingling with unfamiliar faces. Working in any creative sector especially can seem the most daunting; everyone appears to know exactly what they’re doing and why. But it’s important that everyone starts somewhere, and those who look like they’re having a great time doing artistic jobs often have a support network around them, helping them through every step. Finding these networks, however, can be the tricky bit.

That’s where the folks behind Orbis, based in Commercial Union House in Newcastle’s city centre, come into play. They’re responsible for the smooth running of eight floors of the old office block situated just across from the Tyneside Cinema, and provide a whole host of services and activities for creatives in the North East. The community built within these walls has allowed for exponential growth of those who reside within; the communication facilitated by having so many minds in such close proximity allows for projects and opportunities to develop which may not have been able to happen without it.

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“At the start, many years ago, Orbis and Commercial Union House had hardly any recognition,” co-director of Orbis and Ampersand Inventions’ Jonpaul Kirvan explains. “However, we now have a building bursting at the seams with an incredible supportive community that will reach out and give support to those that need help to rebuild after this global pandemic. I have always reminded myself no matter how dark it gets, no matter how tangled and confused you get, just be kind! It’s that simple.”

The businesses found inside Commercial Union House have done an excellent job of adapting the spaces to fit a wide variety of purposes.

Vane Gallery occupies the first floor, operating as an exhibition gallery for any and every type of art you could imagine. They’ve showcased local artists’ creations on the reg, but also feature national and international artists to bring exceptional cultural experiences to the region. And did I mention all exhibitions and activities are absolutely free to the public?

Floor two houses Arcadea – a charity which works tirelessly to bring

INTERVIEW

ART & LIT disability-friendly programmes to the region. Their goal is to up inclusivity in arts and culture by highlighting the need for accessibility in all walks of life, and delivering events, workshops and education which abide by their mission.

There’s plenty of room at Space Six on their semi-sprung floors for rehearsals and choreography. Chances are if you’ve seen any indie shows in Newcastle, the performers will have used Space Six at some point for their work. Besides providing rehearsal space at an affordable (and therefore inclusive) rate, Space Six also includes workspaces for budding artists to get some admin done, chat to peers and maybe even collaborate on projects.

B&D Studios and Ampersand Inventions make up floors three, four and six, providing the bulk of the creative spaces available to local artists. Regardless of your speciality, you’re bound to find somewhere suitable for your needs here. B&D Studios houses a number of movers and makers on their floor, including a record shop, Tint Brow Bar, and a gallery space which is widely available for use. (This lot helped me out a bunch during my own MA course when I needed a funky place to film a project – so heaven only knows all the ways they’re able to facilitate whatever idea is bouncing around in your noggin.)

Ampersand Inventions, meanwhile, has more going on than you could possibly fathom. Boasting nearly 50 workspaces over two floors suited to a wide range of purposes, Ampersand Inventions proudly do all they can to cultivate a flourishing community right in the centre of Newcastle.

Kirvan continues: “Spanning over eight years, my role as a director at Ampersand Inventions is to manage a multi-functional space that provides a creative and supportive environment for experimental and participatory events, not-for-profit organisations, charities, students and artists. This has been developed further by creating ‘departments’ (including for fashion, printmaking and an

I HAVE ALWAYS REMINDED MYSELF NO MATTER HOW DARK IT GETS, NO MATTER HOW TANGLED AND CONFUSED YOU GET, JUST BE KIND! IT’S THAT SIMPLE experimental process-based gallery) and providing studio members and their businesses with continuing professional development.”

Usually by day, creatives can flit from office to studio at their leisure.

Members from Explore Lifelong Learning, which promotes curiosity and education for everyone wherever they are in life, meet here for lectures and classes. But by night, things might get a bit busier thanks to their roster of events which take place on their floors.

Frequent F*ck Up Nights feature talks from now-successful businesspeople about their lives’ oopsies, and how they learnt from past mistakes. Or perhaps there’s a show, gig, or gallery opening taking place.

At the moment though, things have slowed down at Commercial Union House. Their closed doors unfortunately mean many projects have gone on pause, classes are currently cancelled and things are an awful lot more quiet. At least there’s a couple things that can move online: the F*ck Up Nights will still be dotted about, albeit as virtual versions accessed via Zoom. And, with any luck, Orbis will be able to spring back on their feet once lockdown lifts and it is safe to do so. However, it might take a little help from their friends, as Kirvan explains: “After lockdown I hope to set up Orbis Union, a fringe steering group that will help connect communities together through creative projects. The team will consist of the many creatives that reside in Commercial Union House and our connected supporters.

We currently have no funding, we have no magic wand, however, we have an incredible connection towards the true value of community!”

To support Orbis and Commercial Union House you can donate via their website www.orbis.one

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INTERVIEW

PRIMARY COLOURS BEVERLEY KNIGHT TALKS TO THE NEWCASTLE QUARTET ABOUT THE RELEASE OF THEIR NEW EP

MUSIC

Image by A.Haller Change: you can embrace it or shy away from it. Newcastle-based indie rock outfit Primary Colours welcome the former, and they’re acutely aware that their journey has led them to become what they are today. Finlay Ireland (bassist/co-lead vocalist) readily agreed to explain more: “Every band has growing pains, we’re no exception, by the time I joined they had been through two bassists, and since then the band has been through two drummers.”

With Corey Hunter (rhythm guitar/co-lead vocalist), Callan Dance (lead guitar), and Finlay secured, drummer Sophie Purvis arrived last. Finlay recalls: “We auditioned Sophie by having her record our second EP. She absolutely smashed it, so she’s been in ever since.”

Originally, their sound was akin to a 2000s indie band, but has shifted as they have matured: “I’d say a major factor in our sound changing was Corey becoming more comfortable writing on guitar and us gelling as time went on.”

Finlay thinks about how they have grown in the musical sense: “I’d say our sound is mainly jangle pop/punk, with psychedelic hints.”

While the band’s personnel may have changed, they remain committed to their material, resulting in the release of EPs Stay At Home Part 1 and 2 – albeit with a little polish here and there... “I wanted to rewrite all the lyrics Corey didn’t write; Part 2 is much more of me wanting to make these songs something we can be proud of lyrically.” Finlay explains that re-release of the band’s material has helped to cement their sound, explaining that their first EPs “didn’t capture the raw sound of a live show, they sounded too clean, and we felt like we had to remedy this before we moved forward.”

Part 1 is out right now, with the release of Part 2 following on 29th

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I’D SAY OUR SOUND IS MAINLY JANGLE POP/ PUNK, WITH PSYCHEDELIC HINTS May. Deliberation ensued about whether releasing the music in two sections was the right way to go. Finlay expands: “We went back and forth a lot on whether to do an album or two EPs. We settled on the two as the songs were recorded in separate live sessions, they wouldn’t have sounded right lumped together in one project.”

As a whole, the Stay At Home EPs provide a good old mix of influences and a nod to different eras, and whilst Part 1 has a mellower, more acoustic atmosphere, Part 2 uses its full force with bag loads of energy: “Part 2 is a lot more genre-bending. We have a surf rock song, then a punk song, then an indie song, then a weird kind of jangle pop-punk song. Whereas we think Part 1 is a throwback to 2000s indie. There is one song on Part 1 that isn’t really new; it was just never recorded before; it’s called They Don’t Even Know, and we’re proud of how it turned out.”

Exploring that playful punky edge has been a fun element that the quartet has relished. Finlay concludes: “People Pleaser is as punk as we get, and has always been a favourite for the band to play.

Gaslight’s chorus is the heaviest thing we’ve done up to date. Playing Gaslight is just sheer catharsis for me. Being able to scream and thrash around, it’s like cleaning my soul.”

Primary Colours release Stay At Home EP Part 2 on 29th May www.facebook.com/primarycoloursband

INTERVIEW

MUSIC

CHARLOTTE GRAYSON

THE COMMON DENOMINATOR IN THE SONGS IS THAT THEY ARE TRUE, AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME

DAMIAN ROBINSON TALKS TO HARTLEPOOL SINGER-SONGWRITER CHARLOTTE GRAYSON ABOUT THE RELEASE OF HER DEBUT ALBUM There’s undoubtedly something seemingly important about a recording artist getting into a good rhythm and building up momentum. Whilst it may take artists time to find and develop their sound, once they’ve got it the best thing for them to do is to fly straight into the next piece of work. And the next. And the next.

Success in the pop world seems to be grounded in a mixture of confidence and momentum. Which is something Hartlepool singer-songwriter Charlotte Grayson currently has in spades at the moment.

Flying high thanks to last month’s statement of intent, her debut album Grow, Grayson is already thinking about how and when it’s followed up; she’s on a roll. In fact as (bad) luck would have it, the first week of the enforced lockdown was planned for Grayson to record follow-up music.

The Gods of pop may well be sorry if they’ve upset Grayson’s momentum…

“It was annoying to have to stop, though we weren’t sure if this was to be an EP or an album, or what it might have turned out to be.”

Grayson confirms.

For some, the lack of studio time may well have stopped creativity, not so for Grayson. “The lockdown’s keeping me busy and I keep writing demos and sending them across to the label to hear. Once I can start writing a song I won’t stop until it’s finished.”

Receiving accolades upon its release, Grow is a particularly high standard of a debut, and if new music may follow soon then it’s to be

looked forward to. Filled with a country pop sound, Grow is full of optimistic, melody-filled songs which sparkle with confidence and confident vocal delivery. Opener Tiptoe sets the standard high for upbeat, acoustic-driven emotive pop which glistens as much for its honesty (“I like to test you just to see how much you care”) as it does for its Americana-styled electric guitar lines. Likewise, All You Have To Do and Drunk Girls sound like country-infused Taylor Swift; purposeful pop with strong hooks and cleverly crafted, honest, vocal lines.

Grayson explains the title of the record was chosen purposefully.

“We decided to call it Grow as it’s my first album and my label’s first album so I feel like ‘grow’ encompasses my feelings about how I’m developing and how the label is developing.” She remains confident that her creative choice of being as open as possible is essential: “The album is about me up to this point in my life. The common denominator in the songs is that they are true, and that was important to me. It was only the song People that I felt was a bit too direct so I tweaked a few lines, but other than that I ran blindly into this – that’s life.”

Promoting the album through livestreamed gigs, Grayson is also keen to maintain her momentum with more performances, an album launch party when possible and recording new music. “I can’t wait to get out and play live as soon as possible,” she enthuses.

Grow is out now via Shy Bairn Records www.facebook.com/charlottegraysonmusic

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INTERVIEW

MUSIC

THE PALPS

Image by Martin Luther Kirche

JASON JONES TALKS TO THE NEWCASTLE LO-FI ROCKERS ABOUT THEIR CINEMATIC AND AMBITIOUS DEBUT ALBUM Genuine originality isn’t easy to come by these days. The world is a very big place, humans have been knocking about for quite a while now, and whether it be directly or otherwise, most ideas are to some extent rehashed from things that came before them.

On their debut album And The Ground Grew Cold…, however, Newcastle natives The Palps have delved into that rich, problematic tapestry of history and emerged with a concept that isn’t just origi-nal, it’s positively mind-bending.

The band – made up of frontman Tom Astley, guitarist Sam Covill, bassist Kate Franklin and drum-mer Ali Bee – deal in a brand of self-professed lo-fi prog rock that strides between genres with con-fident ease while never losing sight of its admirable ambition, or its sense of intimacy. As Tom puts it: “We’re not rock gods, we don’t live on a different planet, so it’s trying to marry those two aesthet-ics together.”

While The Palps may not boast the deific status of some of their more-esteemed prog forefathers, they cast a hulking great shadow over most bands with the grandiosity of the themes underpinning their debut. Rooted solely in the North East, it spans everything from the last ice age to the violent race riots that scarred Middlesbrough’s Cannon Street in 1961 to a post-apocalyptic vision of Durham’s Heritage Coast from a distant, hellish future. It’s quite the ride, and for an album with such a unique premise, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the concept blossomed from a suitably niche seed.

“I started getting really interested in the history of witch hangings in Newcastle, in Scaffold Hill, which is near where we rehearse,” Tom

IF YOU GENUINELY BELIEVE SOMETHING CAN DESTROY YOUR WORLD, THE END OF THE WORLD BECOMES A TANGIBLE THING 20

explains. “But pretty early on I started thinking about the actual theme – what’s the actual ‘this is what I’m really talking about’ allegory? It was a bit on the nose, thinking about the witch hunts and not being able to see somebody else’s point of view. It felt a bit glib, particularly with what we were going through with Brexit and all that sort of shit.”

Most bands would have kept hammering away at that initial idea, trying to cram a square peg into a round hole in the name of shallow political commentary, but The Palps are too inquisitive and too canny for that kind of thing. Humble, thoughtful and quite clearly impassioned by the music they make, the close-knit four-piece have a refreshing outlook that strives for a deeper understanding of the complex region around them.

“It was more trying to get into the head of someone that you would fundamentally disagree with,” Tom continues. “The idea of seeing somebody who would hang a witch or vote for Brexit as reac-tionary and ignorant is too easy an assumption – it doesn’t tell the whole story. So I was trying to get into the mind of why somebody would do that. That person genuinely believed their world was at threat. If you genuinely believe something can destroy your world, the end of the world be-comes a tangible thing. Whether true or not, the feeling that your world is coming to an end is a powerful emotion.

To me, that was the spark.”

“I think that’s what makes it unique,” Ali adds. “Usually, with a concept album, all of the songs might be about a similar time or a similar place around the same theme. This one has a concept, but it spans millions of years and lots of different places, and lots of different demographics of people.”

Debut albums don’t come much more original than that.

The Palps release And The Ground Grew Cold… on 31st May www.thepalps.bandcamp.com

INTERVIEW

LUST FOR LIFE DRAWING LUST FOR LIFE DRAWING’S REFRESHING ART CLASSES HAVE REINVIGORATED DARLINGTON’S ARTISTIC SCENE, CATHARINA JOUBERT TALKS TO GRACE LANCASTER ABOUT ADAPTING THEIR LIFE DRAWING SESSIONS DURING LOCKDOWN

ART & LIT

When self-taught artist Jonny Lancaster and wife Grace hosted their first Lust For Life Drawing session in a pub’s back room in Darlington, they took the concept of art out of stuffy museums and changed their audience’s perception of life drawing forever. At once uplifting and challenging, the popularity of their sessions quickly grew, and they planned to tour the North East for the first time this year. Having to postpone their plans in the wake of the coronavirus, they suddenly faced an entirely different challenge: how to keep life drawing alive online?

Life drawing – drawing a living being, normally a nude person, in real life – has been practised over the centuries by many renowned artists as a critical part of their artistic development. It is traditionally done in a tutored environment, but discovering a need for an art event that is engaging and free of formalities, the Lancasters created their own version. “We’re unique,” Grace says, “because we’re fast-paced, we’re not tutored, we don’t put any pressure on people and we do it in quite unique venues.”

As promoters of unbounded creativity, attendees do not have to use specific techniques, equipment or listen to lectures; everyone is free to draw as they like. The LFLD sessions open a portal to a liberal era of artistry, as participants draw while serenaded by rock ‘n’ roll classics, taking artists from one pose to the next. Music defines the pace of the sessions, starting off quickly with one song per pose and gradually slowing down towards the end as the number of songs per pose increases.

As well as limiting the time artists have to capture the life model’s shapes, their sessions take place in a different venue each month – venues where you would least expect to find naked models. They have hosted sessions in the Darlington Indoor Market, the Head of Steam Railway Museum and the Hippodrome Theatre. Reacting to the current lockdown restrictions has proved challenging; because

THE LFLD SESSIONS OPEN A PORTAL TO A LIBERAL ERA OF ARTISTRY, AS PARTICIPANTS DRAW WHILE SERENADED BY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL of the nature of their events it’s hard to recreate digitally, as online sessions can be hacked. “Unlike a musician you cannot say, I’m going to do a Facebook Live and stream to your audience,” Grace explains, “because we’re dealing with naked models and we have to protect them.”

Instead, they created a virtual life drawing pack. In the pack, you receive instructions matched with a playlist that is typical of their sessions; my recent pack included songs by The Cardigans, Elton John and Iggy Pop, alongside a link to a set of poses. Participants are encouraged to follow the guidelines by matching the correct number of songs per pose, making for a refreshing way to indulge in creative self-care.

For their next session in June they’ve invited Brian Ramsey, a semi-finalist in Sky TV’s Arts Landscape Artist of the Year, to do a Line and Wash Workshop on Architecture, which will feature an interactive pack and how-to videos, which will be free to all artists who want to take part (dates of delivery currently TBC).

In a time when we are in need of new forms of escapism, Lust For Life’s Lockdown Drawing sessions are a fantastic way to de-stress and become part of a community that understands the mental bolstering and emotional release creative expression can bring to artists and non-artists alike.

Visit Lust For Life Drawing’s Facebook page to stay up to date with future events www.facebook.com/lustforlifedrawing

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COVER FEATURE

NADINE SHAH

ALI WELFORD TALKS TO THE WHITBURN-HAILING MUSICIAN ABOUT CHANGING ATTITUDES AND BUCKING THE TREND ON HER NEW ALBUM If anybody doubts the pitfalls facing professional musicians in the age of COVID-19, one need simply highlight the plight of Nadine Shah. With new album Kitchen Sink imminent, the Whitburn native ought to be enjoying a golden summer; a further rise of her star following the huge acclaim and Mercury nomination afforded to its predecessor, 2017’s superb Holiday Destination. Instead, the campaign thus far has been limited to phone interviews and Zoom calls from her boyfriend’s home in Ramsgate. With her entire touring schedule wiped out, the realities of a global pandemic have already bitten. “Playing live is my bread and butter, but because I’ve

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lost all my shows I’ve had to leave London – I couldn’t afford it any more!” she reveals.

“It’s really upsetting,” she continues, choosing to focus on the record.

“I’ve worked really hard on this album, and I took my time with it as well. After the Mercury nomination there was a lot of pressure to put something out soon afterwards, but I didn’t want to do that. To date this has been my favourite album to make. Albums are like babies; you’re not allowed to like one more than the others, but everybody does secretly. So many things were going to happen off the back of this album – a great slot at Glastonbury, some really fun

COVER FEATURE

MUSIC

BESIDES PROVING A MORE THAN WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO HOLIDAY DESTINATION, THE NEW LP REPRESENTS ANOTHER VITAL, FORTHRIGHT ARTISTIC TRIUMPH – ALBEIT ONE OF A MARKEDLY DIFFERENT NATURE

Image by Fraser Taylor festivals in Europe...it’s so frustrating.”

Fortunately – and despite a series of delays – Kitchen Sink itself is still due for release this month. Indeed, besides proving a more than worthy successor to Holiday Destination, the new LP represents another vital, forthright artistic triumph – albeit one of a markedly different nature: “I was getting pretty tired of being labelled a political musician – I’m still just a little daft lass!” Nadine admits.

“I’m so glad I made Holiday Destination. I’d always wanted to make a political record, and I was really happy to talk about the refugee crisis, the Syrian civil war and the importance of immigrants to our tiny island. I think the time was right, and that that’s why it resonated with so many people. But everything I said was being very heavily scrutinised. I welcomed it, but there came a point where I just wanted to go back to being a musician having fun, and not a political voice.”

Even so, the themes explored on Kitchen Sink are by her own admission far from trivial. Dealing equally in personal vignettes and devilish humour, its 11 numbers highlight the pressures and expectations placed upon women in their 30s and 40s, with particular focus offered to their standing and perception within western societies. “My five closest friends have all had babies in the past year – I’m the only one who hasn’t – but a lot of my other friends are going through emotional turmoil, as are so many women my age and older,” she explains. “I wanted to do it in a way which

wasn’t dour or down in the dumps. I wanted it to be empowering, and to take the power back by laughing at these subjects.

“We’re conditioned from a really young age – playing mammies and daddies; playing brides – it’s what we’re expected to do,” she continues. “I used to think: ‘when I’m 20 I’ll get married; when I’m 22 I’ll have a baby.’ Then when you reach 22 you think: ‘when I’m 25 I’ll get married; when I’m 27 I’ll have a baby.’ Now I’m 34 and I’m still not married and I still don’t have a child, but the narrative has changed in my head. Instead I’m beginning to think: ‘I might not have a baby; I might not get married,’ and that’s okay! I can still have a full and great and happy life without either of those things. I can have a great career as a musician… I can travel the world… I can have an endless number of lovers! I wasn’t presented with any of these options as a kid, but a conversation has started and it’s a really exciting time.

“It’s not one size fits all,” she emphasises. “Just because I talk about tradition and not having to adhere to it, that doesn’t mean I’m telling a woman who has chosen to get married or have a child that she’s wrong. I’m not poking fun at her. I love her. I celebrate her. But I also celebrate women who choose not to have children. I celebrate women who can’t have children. I really wanted everybody to feel like it’s alright.

“As a feminist, I do find myself feeling conflicted, because I do still want to get married,” she confesses. “Sometimes I ask myself why – marriage was originally to do with ownership of land and having a relationship with the church. I still like the idea of having a partner in crime, but really I think it’s just because I want to have a big party!”

Despite the personal and professional limbo brought about by the current crisis, Nadine’s innate optimism is reflected in her outlook going forward: “Hopefully something positive will come off the back of this. People are being so sympathetic towards musicians right now, and I’m hoping that compels them to actually go out and buy our records. It’s awful having such a jammy job and having to go to people cap in hand, but it’s still a job – we’re providing a service, and it’s how we make our money. A discussion has started about making streaming fairer for artists, and it seems like people are dying to go to gigs. I think we’ll see a real appreciation for artists more so than we have in the past.”

Nadine Shah releases Kitchen Sink on 26th June via Infectious Records www.nadineshah.co.uk

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INTERVIEW

MUSIC

DALE HUSBAND

Image by Connor Vettas-Young

STEVE SPITHRAY TALKS TO THE MIDDLESBROUGH-BASED MUSICIAN ABOUT THE ‘FINGER-STYLE FOLK’ SOUND ON HIS NEW ALBUM While the TS1 postcode has come in for some criticism in recent years, it remains a cultural melting pot and hotbed of talent for Middlesbrough’s finest up-and-coming musical heroes, largely for its cheap rent and easy access to rehearsal spaces and local venues.

Gresham Road’s finest, Dale Husband, returns in June with his first full-length solo effort after a couple of EPs in 2016 and 2018 and preceded by the singles Storms and Worried Moon. While the work rate might not seem prolific at first glance, Dale is in a deep and fertile creative furrow just now, channelling a sound usually found deep in the Appalachian foothills as he manages to craft subtle layers of musical ideas out of some sweet and savvy storytelling.

While Dale’s style is steeped in American folk for fans of Jackson C Frank and Cormac McCarthy, The Endless Heavy Sleep is built around the story of a local anti-hero, a country gentleman and writer called John Hall Stevenson who died in 1785, as Dale explains: “Most of my music has imagery that reminds me of East Cleveland. I’d never read much about Stevenson until around the time I was finishing these songs. His writing was really lucid but he felt trapped by the confines of his status. He was also good friends with Lawrence Sterne. I was reading Sentimental Journey at the time and they both share an atmospheric style that influenced the album.”

Dale is a familiar face around Teesside, fronting up Heel Turn as

DALE IS IN A DEEP AND FERTILE CREATIVE FURROW JUST NOW, CHANNELLING A SOUND USUALLY FOUND DEEP IN THE APPALACHIAN FOOTHILLS 24

well as playing bass in Dripp and Sorry Escalator. Having hooked up with Sad For Life Records the time seemed right for a solo record.

Ste Bardgett from Mouses produced the record, and along with violin and backing vocals from Teesside’s Parissa Zarifi and light musical accompaniments from Alex Chalmers, they have created a lush, rootsy and timeless album. “The brief was along those lines.

I’m a massive fan of Sam Beam’s [aka Iron & Wine] early home recordings and Great Lake Swimmers. In terms of production they were both points of reference for the recording, as was Elliot Smith’s XO. We all worked hard and really have the whole thing; depth and shade. I’m very grateful to them.”

At the time of writing there has been no realistic plan on when or how live music may be able to restart but Dale is pretty equable. “I’m not concerned with gigging my solo stuff much these days. I’m hopeful to have another EP out not too long after this one and ideally release another one this year too. I always seem to have a backlog of nearly completed songs so the plan is to get as many of those out of my head as possible.” On the subject of the lockdown he comments: “It’s been positive in terms of song writing. I am usually out of the house a great deal so it’s been nice to be able to demo some new material. I got a banjo for Christmas so I’ve been sinking a lot of hours into becoming proficient at that. My future plans remain the same, recording for Sorry Escalator and Dripp has been put on hold but I’m really eager to get on with the next projects for those guys.”

Dale Husband releases The Endless Heavy Sleep on 5th June via Sad For Life Records www.dalehusbandmusic.bandcamp.com

INTERVIEW

YOUNG WOMEN’S FILM ACADEMY

WE JUST NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN DIFFERENT WAYS. IF WE CAN’T FIND A WAY THEN WE’LL MAKE A WAY

FILM

CAITLIN DISKEN FINDS OUT HOW THE NORTH EAST CHARITY IS EMPOWERING YOUNG WOMEN TO EXPRESS THEIR EXPERIENCES THROUGH FILM “It’s been a real challenge to adapt,” Clara Shield, the operations and development manager of the Young Women’s Film Academy (YWFA) says of the COVID-19 crisis. Founded in 2010, the YWFA is a registered charity whose mission is to work with young women across the North East to develop their filmmaking skills. “We work with girls who have never done anything like this before, and help them to express their lived experiences as women through film,” says Clara, who has been involved with the charity since its conception. The brainchild of actor Charlie Hardwick and filmmaker Emily Barber, the YWFA is the only all-female academy in the UK. The charity’s volunteers and members are also all female, a fact which Clara notes has helped the charity in the face of the current crisis. “I’m struck by the strength and resilience women have in adjusting to different scenarios,” she notes.

Indeed, the YWFA has been adept at adjusting to the new challenges they face. “We’d been working on this film for a while,” reflects Clara, who helps the Academy produce a film every year. “We filmed in February and got it edited in time for March. The premiere was supposed to fit around International Women’s Day.” The film Clara refers to is the YWFA’s latest offering: Ms Venture’s School for Super Lasses, which was made by the Academy’s Saturday Club alongside writer Fiona Evans. Whilst the premiere had to be cancelled, the YWFA has risen to the challenge, and the film will now premiere on 29th May on online platforms. Ms Venture’s School For Super Lasses is about a group of young women with extraordinary superpowers. The short film captures friendship, self-confidence and self-growth through the wacky guidance of their head mistress and is full of excitement and curiosity.

Clara emphasises that the Academy’s members are keen to keep

producing films, despite the circumstances. A key challenge for the Academy is that due to lockdown they are unable to access the equipment they would normally use. Instead, the YWFA has offered the girls online training which has resulted in their #LifeinLockdown Transatlantic Connections Project. “We think it’s really important for the girls to chronicle their experience of lockdown,” says Clara, who came up with the project after seeing blogs from Italy and Spain. Working in tandem with girls living in California, the YWFA has taught the girls how to utilise their smartphones for filmmaking. “Our girls are used to using really nice kit,” Clara says, “so instead, we’ve taught them how to film from smartphones, use voice recordings and how to edit with apps. I know the girls will look back and be really pleased that they’ve been able to record their experiences in this way.” Already the project is generating considerable interest, with the potential for it to expand to include participants from different countries.

The enthusiasm of the girls involved is something which impresses Clara. “They’re already keen to develop next year’s film,” Clara says.

“They want it to be an intergenerational film project working with older people, with older women sharing their experience of being a teenager.” Considering the circumstances, this project seems like a challenge, but Clara insists the girls are up to it. “We just need to think about how to use technology in different ways. If we can’t find a way then we’ll make a way.”

Watch Ms Venture’s School for Super Lasses via the YWFA website from 29th May, alongside other work produced by the Academy www.youngwomensfilmacademy.co.uk

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INTERVIEW

BALLPEEN

FIERY HARDCORE TRIO BALLPEEN DISCUSS THEIR LATEST TAPE, PACHINKO, WITH MARK CORCORAN-LETTICE Having established themselves as a deafening, bulldozing presence on the live circuit since their formation in 2017, hardcore trio Ballpeen return with their latest tape Pachinko this month: an eight track collection filled with warped noise rock moves and tense, grungy resolutions.

Consisting of Adam Gowland, Rory Rickford and Graham Thompson, Ballpeen boast a prodigious pedigree. “Graham and I were in a band [Grace] which did a split 7” in 2012 with Rory’s band, Tide of Iron”, explains Gowland. “We had played several gigs together, and we attend plenty of the same local gigs. Grace and Tide of Iron fizzled out, any bands we tried since were a struggle to get going. It was more a case of right place, right time really. Our personal circumstances are similar which makes practice and gigging easier to deal with – probably the main reason we’ve lasted

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this long.” Rickford for his part is even more direct about the band’s genesis, saying: “I’m not sure if there was an inspiration to come together other than doing something we were all into. I remember getting a call off Graham one evening saying that he and Adam were looking to start another band, and would I be interested. I’ve been seeing them both playing in different bands for years so it didn’t take much convincing.”

Between them, there’s a wealth of underground knowledge and experience that keeps their music visceral but also intriguingly hard to pin down, with influences from classic Amphetamine Reptile acts like Today Is The Day and even bands like Melvins filtering into their sound. Thompson notes, “I personally think Rory has a fairly unique way of playing in the way he incorporates quite a bit of melody and we knew it wouldn’t just be chugging hardcore or

INTERVIEW

MUSIC

THERE’S A WEALTH OF UNDERGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE THAT KEEPS THEIR MUSIC VISCERAL BUT ALSO INTRIGUINGLY HARD TO PIN DOWN

Image by Marcel Bass

whatever. I think Am Rep comparisons are fair, we’re all fans of those kinds of bands from that era. The biggest difference is with my vocals, which aren’t particularly aggressive so I think because of that we’ve drawn (some fairly odd) comparisons to bands like Hot Snakes, At The Drive-In and Get Up Kids!”

Recorded using Thompson’s own Sounds Schitty set-up, Pachinko finds Ballpeen placing a premium on raw immediacy and a direct, in-the-room aesthetic. “Apart from guitar and vocal overdubs we tracked all the songs live in a room together, so with that you get bleed into the mics from other instruments and it intrinsically gives it that kind of sound and live feel. It was a conscious decision as I think this kind of music lends itself to being recorded in that way, it’s harder to have the same energy levels and impact in your performance when playing in isolation. I find a lot of modern productions can be quite sterile and rely heavily on studio techniques to achieve a certain sound, I try my best to capture the sound coming from the instruments as best as I can without relying on overly intrusive production.”

As per their previous EP Loose Knot, Pachinko also boasts artwork from James Watts (also vocalist for a variety of bands including Lovely Wife, Mobius and Plague Rider.) “With Loose Knot I put a message out to see if I knew anyone who could accurately mimic Raymond Pettibon’s style, we got a few recommendations of people and a couple of people had a go at my idea. James was one of them.”

Thompson tells me. “As soon as we saw James’ initial sketch it was perfect and we wanted him to do it. He did such a great job. With

Pachinko we knew we could trust him again, I had a good idea of what I wanted but James had a fair bit of freedom to do what he wanted in terms of the design and layout, and once again we’re really pleased with his work. He’s done a great job.”

Joining up with locally-based tape label Cruel Nature Records (run

by Steve Strode, part of like-minded power trio FRET!) for the release of Pachinko was another instance of established connections coming into play, as Thompson explains. “We’ve known FRET! for a good while, Rory was in Tide of Iron with Rob before that too. We saw the chance to release on Cruel Nature as an opportunity to potentially reach some new people, as we’re not really a typical example of the kind of music Steve releases, and it also allowed us to work with Steve who, like Serial Bowl Records [who released the Loose Knot EP], is very supportive and easy to work with.”

Given their links in the DIY scene and get-it-done ethos, it’s maybe not a surprise that there’s also plans for a split with Teesside garage rockers Onlooker later in the year. “The tracks on the Onlooker split were recorded in the same batch as the ones on the tape,” according to Rickford. “Out of the three on there, we’ve only started playing one out recently and another still hasn’t been done live yet so hopefully once gigs start happening again we’ll be able to get a couple booked in with Onlooker to remedy that.”

Ballpeen release Pachinko on 19th June via Cruel Nature Records www.ballpeennewcastle.bandcamp.com

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INTERVIEW

MUSIC

SHAMU

DAMIAN ROBINSON DISCUSSES GROUP DYNAMICS AND GENRE-BLENDING IDEAS WITH THE NEWCASTLE ELECTRO BAND

There’s an interesting piece of advice from John Lydon is often quoted when offering advice to young bands; namely the idea of splitting revenue and creativity credits equally. Putting forward the idea that democracy, and band harmony, is much more important to a successful career than in-fighting over small percentage points, Lydon is a staunch believer that the last thing a band should be focused on is their own egos. Paraphrasing heavily; if you’re going to be in a band, then you’ll have a greater chance of success if you can create a dynamic where everyone feels involved and that their ideas matter.

Whether or nor Shamu have recently been reading any of the Gospel according to Lydon, given their recent activities, there’s a strong chance they’re at least going to the same church. “I think what’s more important than anything to this band is that we all want Shamu to be a product of our friendship as much as it’s us trying to ‘do’ a band.” says one-fourth of the band Jonathon Evans. “The main motivation for the band is that we love doing it, and we love creating together. It’s really important for us all to be part of the creative process.”

Defining this attitude, Shamu’s new album, Use Your Voice, which is released on 12th June, sees the Newcastle electronic band deliberately retrace earlier steps to ensure all members felt they

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THE MAIN MOTIVATION FOR THE BAND IS THAT WE LOVE DOING IT, AND WE LOVE CREATING TOGETHER. IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US ALL TO BE PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS

contributed to the album. “Some of the songs were written in 2017, and some of the singles like Dive and Jump Ship we’ve completely redone and rerecorded as a band. Originally there were two members in the band and now there are four and we all felt it was important to go back to the original songs and rework them. We wanted to create a band atmosphere where none of us were too precious about ownership but could all see our contributions.”

Coming in at nine tracks, Use Your Voice is a sparse, beat-heavy album filled with new-wave spiky guitars, as perfectly evidenced on Dive, and moments of distant atmospherics as found on Jump Ship.

Pop in places and dance-floor ready in others, Use Your Voice is a cross-genre journey into themes of friendships and relationships with a consistent atmosphere. “We’ve already written another seven or eight new songs which we want to record but we wanted the first album to represent our first chapter as a band, and these songs fit together nicely to define how we sound at the moment.” Pushed a little further about what their ‘sound’ is, Evans admits that it’s often hard to describe: “there’s a sense of space throughout the album, but it’s also really considered. There are parts which are really tender, which we’ve never done before, and there are points on the album that are huge with massive synth beats but they are scattered across the album; no one wants to listen to 40 minutes of the same sound.”

On a creative roll, the current thought is to record some follow-ups as soon as possible and to get out into the live scene to promote the material. Until then, their album serves as a fine example of what happens when you mix teamwork with extraordinary ideas.

Shamu release Use Your Voice on 12th June www.shamu.bandcamp.com

INTERVIEW

MUSIC

STAR & SHADOW RADIO

EVEN IN THESE CHALLENGING TIMES WE’RE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND MAKE SOMETHING CREATIVE

JAMIE TAYLOR TALKS TO JONA AAL ABOUT THE STAR & SHADOW CINEMA’S EXPANSION INTO RADIO BROADCASTING As I sit down to speak to Star & Shadow Radio’s Jona Aal, he is busy putting together the track listing for his Saturday show, Way Out In The Sticks. “It’s quite a commitment,” he tells me. ‘It becomes almost like an obsession planning what you are going to play.” It’s quite a change from his normal job setting up the PA and rigging the lighting at the Star and Shadow Cinema, but with all performances on hold for the moment, he’s had to find other ways to occupy his time.

The Star & Shadow Cinema prides itself on a volunteer-run collaborative programme and, as is the case with the physical space, their recently launched Mixlr radio station continues to fly the flag for Newcastle’s inventive artistic community.

Being forced to temporarily close has hit the cinema hard; it’s not just a building but a community of people, who all rely on it as a place to socialise and get creative. Tapping into the same DIY spirit that got the venue up and running in the first place, the Star & Shadow volunteers came up with the idea of creating a radio station as a way of keeping in touch through the lockdown. “We’re quite removed from the Star & Shadow,” Jona explains. “The radio seems a nice way of us sending something back. For the listeners, it’s a way for them to feel connected with the people they used to hang out with at the cinema.”

The programming is a real mish-mash of eclectic shows and personalities. Expect to hear anything from Dawn Bothwell’s arts and culture show Chip-Chat, musician and artist Graeme Hopper’s exploration of exciting contemporary sounds on The Ideal Retreat,

to Una’s (aged 9) Roller Cola Radiola where she talks riddles and roller skates. Perhaps the most unusual is Read Me The Riot Act, a show which Jona describes as an “antidote to the Today Show and the constant news cycle about COVID-19.” It’s certainly not what I expected – after a brief introduction, presenter Harriet Plewis literally reads, in full, a notable act of Parliament. The rhythms and repetitions of the legalese are strangely soothing and I found the whole experience oddly meditative.

So far the feedback has been really positive. They’ve had the odd ‘John Peel moment’ that comes from broadcasting live, but all in all it seems to be going well. “We just do it until it goes wrong and then we fix it,” says Jona. “There’s a big element of trust involved.”

Certainly the 10,000 listeners they’ve had so far can’t be wrong.

“We’ve got at least one programme everyday and we’re already planning more,” he says. He tells me about a new two-part show with Sneha Solanki where she looks back through her dad’s collection of Indian cinema soundtracks. As Jona explains: “That we’re able to do this kind of thing really proves that the model works, even in these challenging times we’re able to come together and make something creative.”

It’s great to hear that in these days of shadow, a star still shines bright.

Listen to Star & Shadow Radio online at Mixlr. Donate the price of a beer, coffee or cinema ticket to help them with their running costs at www.ko-fi.com/starandshadow www.mixlr.com/star-shadow-radio

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INTERVIEW

ART & LIT

CHILLI STUDIOS AMY WARDLEY TALKS TO JO BURKE ABOUT CHILLI STUDIOS’ CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE CREATIVE SERVICES FOR THOSE WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS I started volunteering with Chilli Studios in Newcastle about a year ago. At the time I was experiencing a lot of difficulties with my own mental health and it is not an overstatement to say that finding the studio was a big help in my recovery.

Chilli Studios first started in 2004 under the name NAGAS (Newcastle and Gateshead Art Studio) and their aim was to provide creative-based services for people with mental health conditions. It was sheer coincidence that I found the studio in Blackfriars Hall on New Bridge Street, I wandered in and asked if they needed any volunteers and they welcomed me with open arms.

Their studio space is an absolute hive of creativity and talent; before lockdown, the studios offered an array of workshops from creative writing to pottery, water colours to live music classes, with all abilities catered for. Art coordinator and all-round good egg Jo Burke is responsible for helping to manage the studio space, organising gallery exhibitions and offering one-to-one sessions in animation. “[I love] the ethics and ambience of the studio, and the fact that there’s a real emphasis on supporting individuals. It’s community led and allows me to incorporate my previous work in the community arts sector with supporting the members. Ultimately, it’s creative and fun with lots of peer development.” Jo says.

The driving force behind Chilli Studios is their strong ethos of providing a much-needed creative outlet to the community. The member-driven studio allows attendees to choose their own projects and they train volunteers to support their practice.

THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND CHILLI STUDIOS IS THEIR STRONG ETHOS OF PROVIDING A MUCHNEEDED CREATIVE OUTLET TO THE COMMUNITY 30

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the programme has shifted online and has been adapted to meet the changing needs of the members. “The main issue that we were concerned with was the safety of our members, as a lot of them are vulnerable and have underlying health conditions.” Jo explains. “Before lockdown began, we made sure that the contact details were up to date and that we could get their consent for sending out art kits. Chilli Studios is a community and we wanted to try and keep that feeling as much as possible.” A fortnightly podcast has also been initiated, which ensures everyone is involved by recording the members over the phone so they can contribute.

As our dependence on technology grows exponentially, the ‘digital divide’ has become a huge factor in increasing inequality and restricting information flow. Chilli Studios have been immensely proactive and industrious in getting ahead of the curve and using the technology to meet the needs of their members. They’ve opened their forum and online workshop programme to those who are experiencing mental health issues or simply for those who just need a calming place to go, offering access to watercolour workshops, drawing, pottery and creative writing.

Jo’s personal artistic outlet is short film and installation but she’s also a graphic designer. She cites one of her personal highlights as the Heads & Tales Heritage Project which she describes as: “readdressing the history of mental health from a grassroots (or lived experience) perspective.” The Heritage Project is an archive of artistic works that aims to provide a voice for those with mental health conditions and it’s as varied as you would expect from Chilli Studios. With work that includes paintings, recordings of spoken word and animation, all with a focus on changing perceptions of those with mental health conditions. www.chillistudios.co.uk

INTERVIEW

MUSIC

EYECONIC

Image by @bladesproductions

KRISTOPHER COOK TALKS TO THE MIDDLESBROUGH RAPPER ABOUT THE RELEASE OF HIS AMBITIOUS AND ENTICING NEW PROJECT Look to the fringes of any major city and you’ll find a roster of talented MCs, many operating in their own lane cutting straight to the front of the peripherals; case in point: Teesside’s Eyeconic. The Polish-born rapper has hit home in a big way following a constant stream of quality genre-peddling releases, becoming a heat-seeking magnet to the likes of RIDE Music and BBC Tees Introducing.

Eyeconic’s underrated status is about to be tested, as he gears up for his most ambitious and entic-ing project to date.

“I had created this folder of tracks called ‘release this if I die’ which I showed to a friend who told me it would be a shame if no one heard it. That’s when I knew I wanted to make a posthumous album that’s released while I’m still alive.” Yes, you read that right, Do Not Resuscitate (DNR for short) is a posthumous album released while Eyeconic is still knocking about, a concept that is somewhat left-field compared to the string of legitimate posthumous rap releases we’ve seen in recent times.

Try not to write Eyeconic off as some edgy spitter looking to generate a quick reaction, that’s selling him short; the reflection of the man behind the moniker isn’t so cut and dried. “There’s a lot of songs that just didn’t make it on because I don’t want to put that energy out there, you know when you’re sad and you listen to sad music to fetishise your own sadness? I didn’t want people to do that.”

He later goes on to cite Mac Miller as an influence, someone who found critical acclaim for his posthu-mous album Circles in January following his untimely death in September of 2018.

With that in mind, listen to album singles Die Alone and Sober Up, songs that deal with self-destruction and isolated oblivion at their core, but are executed in a cheerfully optimistic vibrato, set about on

WE’RE SO CAUGHT UP IN THE FUTURE AND WE LET LIFE PASS US BY, AND THINGS END – I’M TRYING TO FIND BEAUTY IN THINGS ENDING beats that only build on these breezy textures – something that Mac Miller dabbled in on tracks like Hurt Feelings and Small Worlds. It’s a contrasting dichotomy that is uplifting in a way, no doubt a snippet of what’s to come when DNR finally drops.

“I strongly believe that death gives life value. We’re so caught up in the future and we let life pass us by, and things end – I’m trying to find beauty in things ending. This is just my way of dealing with it and accepting death the best way I can but also showing the end in a different light.”

Eyeconic could be North East label Park Avenue Record’s biggest signee since opening shop at the top of 2020. Spearheaded by Charlie Soulsby (NE Rising) and artist Too Common (aka Tom Col-lins), the indie label looks to raise the profile of the bustling underground scene, having already moved the needle via countless open mic nights across the North East – events that would have Eyeconic frequent the bill. “To this day, they were some the most packed out open mics I’ve ever attended. So it doesn’t even feel like you’re performing at an open mic, it really just feels like those people are really there for you, it’s a great energy.”

Eyeconic releases Do Not Resuscitate via Park Avenue Records on 12th June www.facebook.com/iameyeconic

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INTERVIEW

MUSIC

MARC BIRD

Image by Marc Bird

ALI WELFORD TALKS TO THE SUNDERLAND-BORN SONGWRITER ABOUT HIS PENSIVE BEDROOM POP DEBUT A stalwart of much-missed outfits such as Yellow Creatures, Lunar Bells and Video Spring, Marc Bird has been a familiar face on the North East circuit for the best part of a decade. Now based in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, the Sunderland-born songwriter and producer re-emerges this month with Bronze – his first ever full-length album, and perhaps more significantly the maiden material unveiled under his own name.

“It’s a bit scary going out on your own, you feel a lot more exposed!”

He muses. “I’ve been working on these songs for about two years, and initially I was going to release them under another band or project name. For some reason, though, I thought it felt more appropriate to release them under my own name – perhaps because a lot of these songs are so introspective.

“The roots probably come from latter day Yellow Creatures when the stuff we were doing was a bit more mellow, plus the sound Kate [Edwards] and I were going for with Video Spring.” Marc explains.

“It’s definitely a nostalgic record, and probably the most contemplative thing I’ve done. A lot of the songs were written from the viewpoint of being in isolation – even though they were written a long time before the lockdown! – and are about examining the past and how it shapes your present and future. Although Yellow Creatures was always a collaborative effort, this definitely feels like

A LOT OF THE SONGS WERE WRITTEN FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF BEING IN ISOLATION – EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE WRITTEN A LONG TIME BEFORE THE LOCKDOWN! 32

an extension of that approach to writing and production.”

Pieced together in his home studio, the end result is a pensive bedroom pop delight; a minimalist gem bathed in lush electronics, spare beats and spectral sampling. With Kate Edwards providing guest backing vocals, it’s a hidden gem bound to beguile shoegaze and dream pop devotees, with meditative nuggets and instrumental breaks elegantly evoking the likes of Beach House, Chromatics and Slowdive. “This isn’t a concept record, but I did want to tie it all together and make it feel like a journey,” he recalls. “The album is bookended by the same field recording of a train, and there’s also lots of synths and samples, plus audio from different countries I’ve visited in Europe – Germany, the Netherlands etc.”

While bemoaning the challenges facing the industry as a whole, Marc admits that recent housebound months have not been without their benefits: “There’ll be a visual album on YouTube as well,” he reveals. “I’ve always loved accompanying releases with as much of my own artwork as possible and giving songs a collective visual identity. I had a few ideas for a video for the title track, including stuff to be shot on location, but obviously with all that’s happened I wasn’t able to do that. Being furloughed from work and having all this time on my hands has been of huge benefit, though, and meant that I’ve made a bunch of videos I’d never even thought of doing. All of them are black and white and stem from the album cover, with a mixture of found footage and stuff I’ve shot myself at home. One video led to another, and eventually I thought ‘to hell with it, I might as well do the whole album now!’”

Marc Bird releases Bronze on 12th June via Plastic Palace www.marcbirdmusic.bandcamp.com

INTERVIEW

24 HOURS IN ISOLATION

SOME DEGREE OF ISOLATION HAS EXISTED BEFORE COVID-19.

LONELINESS AFFECTS ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE, AND IT HAPPENS RIGHT AROUND THE CLOCK. BUT HOW MANY OF THOSE STORIES DO WE REALLY KNOW?

STAGE

Image by Sky Hawkins

ALEX WITHERS FINDS OUT MORE ABOUT THE SERIES OF MICRO-PODCASTS MADE BY NORTH EAST CREATIVES WHICH INVESTIGATE ISOLATION AND SOLITUDE Scheduled for release on Sunday 21st June – which also happens to be the longest day of the year (although these days, everyday seems to feel longer than the last) – twenty-four North East-based artists will collaborate on a straight-talking isolation themed project, discussing the social impacts and issues of feeling alone.

24 Hours In Isolation, an idea brought to life by writer and producer Ben Dickenson and poet Sky Hawkins, introduces a new kind of storytelling production which aims to cast a light on untold experiences of seclusion and loneliness through the medium of music and words.

Presented as a series of micro-podcasts, the project features work from celebrated artists such as singer-songwriter Beccy Owen, the Door-To-Door-Poet Rowan McCabe, fusion artist Tracey Tofield, poet and performer Viv Wiggins and comedian John Scott.

Intending to raise regional awareness on the sometimes-damning effects of self-isolation, along with providing a provocative response to the epidemic of solitude which has been growing in British society even before the virus arrived, each creative involved will produce a short story that artistically represents the actions of real people dealing with their individual isolation battles – whether that be events prior to the COVID-19 outbreak or throughout the frustrating lockdown period.

Stories will cover a selection of thought provoking and emotive scenarios, including school students released early after spending the day ‘isolated’ from their peers; the relentless struggles of dealing with job insecurity and the 9am runners circling parks, each engrossed in their music and inner thoughts with body anxiety.

Other hard-hitting stories capture battles of recently unemployed

chefs struggling with Universal Credit applications, exhausted nurses overwhelmed by loneliness outside of work and single parents drowning in the lack of conversation they find as a result of 24/7 baby care.

Speaking about the inspiration for the project, Ben Dickenson said: “COVID-19 arrived unexpectedly, bringing sickness and death but also separation and hardship for many people, including countless artists. I’ve been furloughed from my jobs with City of Dreams and Alphabetti Theatre. As a creative with a social mission I found the isolation and purposelessness of this hard. I talked to a lot of people who had similar feelings.

This snowballed into stories from parents, nurses, children, supermarket workers and more. For many of us, it was also clear that some degree of isolation has existed before COVID-19.

Loneliness affects all kinds of people, and it happens right around the clock. But how many of those stories do we really know? And what better way to tell them than through the writing, music and performance talent of the amazing creatives in the North East.”

Released on the hour every hour, from midnight on Sunday 21st June, each podcast will let listeners hear, sing along with and ultimately learn the consequences and effects of isolation. All 24 stories will be free to download in a single audio package the following day, before released as a complete collection by Wednesday 1st July. In the meantime, check out the project for updates on Twitter: @24_isolation 24 Hours In Isolation will go live on all major podcast platforms from midnight on Sunday 21st June www.twitter.com/24_isolation

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INTERVIEW

ART & LIT

NOIR AT THE BAR ANTHOLOGY HELEN REDFERN TALKS TO SIMON BEWICK AND VICTORIA WATSON ABOUT THE LAUNCH OF NOIR AT THE BAR’S FIRST CRIME WRITING ANTHOLOGY

Newcastle’s Noir at the Bar, which celebrates crime writing with live readings and social gatherings, has been on quite a journey. From the first Noir at the Bar event at the Town Wall Cinema Room on in June 2016, to weekly Virtual Noir at the Bar sessions on Wednesday evenings during lockdown. Organiser Victoria Watson is now looking to unveil a new anthology of stories by crime writers from all over the UK and abroad, including authors based here in the North East.

It’s an ambitious project, made possible by the enthusiasm of the writers involved and the experience of Simon Bewick, a crime novel fan and writer, who’s recently returned to the North East after a long career in digital marketing for a large publisher. “Producing a book in six weeks is no mean feat,” explains Simon. “Having worked in publishing for 25 years, I have never known a project go from conception to publication in less than two months, which is our timetable.”

The collection embraces the spirit of Noir at the Bar itself – a mixture of well-established authors – including Zoe Sharp; Neil Broadfoot (shortlisted for the prestigious Deanston Scottish Crime Book of the Year Award and the Dundee International Book Prize); Philippa East, author of Little White Lies ‘the most unputdownable and thrilling debut of 2020’; Roz Watkins (CWA debut shortlisted and Times Crime Book of the Month) and Margaret Kirk (Good Housekeeping Novel Writing winner), as well as up-and-coming newer authors.

The collection is the epitome of what Noir at the Bar has always been about: “Very inclusive, no snobbery,” as Simon puts it. The ‘normal’ events cater to a maximum of 65 people, and Vic recognises that it’s more intimate than the larger festivals. “There’s always a really good mix of writers and readers. Everyone is really

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into crime fiction and really friendly. With two or three intervals, it’s a really informal night, with plenty of opportunity to chat to the people who’ve stood up and read. Crime writers are always very approachable, and you get to hear new writers you’ve not heard of before.”

The worldwide Noir in the Bar initiative began in Philadelphia in 2008 thanks to international crime fiction buff and editor Peter Rosovsky. Having been a fan and writer of crime fiction for a long time herself, Vic had already built up a network on Twitter and from attending festivals and events when she was talked into organising Noir at the Bar in Newcastle. It’s that strong network that made the transition to online as successful as it was when lockdown was announced in March. “Within one week, people were there,” Simon enthuses. “That wouldn’t have happened without the interest that Vic had already built up with the physical version of Noir at the Bar.” Virtual Noir at the Bar started two months ago, and the response has been phenomenal with over 300 subscribers in the first three weeks, full session attendance and over 1,000 views of previous shows. Vic’s objective was clear: “I know lots of people will be missing Noir at the Bar, book launches and literary festivals so I teamed up with Simon to bring Noir at the Bar straight to your home… OK, so you’ll need to bring your own booze but it beats another night of flicking through the TV looking for something half decent to watch.”

Although weekly online events are a massive commitment for the pair to organise and pull off, the response has been overwhelming.

“For some, it’s the only time in the week they know which day of the week it is,” says Vic, “and to know people are joining us from New Zealand where it’s 6.30am is incredible.” Their aim is to make Virtual Noir at the Bar interactive and as much like the live events as

INTERVIEW

T-B: Simon Bewick, Victoria Watson they can with breaktime quizzes, book giveaways, virtual recordings afterwards, competitions and chatroom activity.

So why an anthology, and how did that become the next step?

When Simon suggested an anthology to Victoria, she’d already been thinking along the same lines. She’d heard fans of crime fiction saying they were blitzing through books and box sets and looking for new things to do with their time. And as much as readers would welcome new material from their favourite authors and fresh voices with open arms, writers would also appreciate the opportunity to share their work in this way.

Victoria describes the anthology (and Virtual Noir at the Bar) as a COVID-free zone, although all profits will go to the NHS. With a bar/pub setting as a general guideline, 90% of the material has been especially written for this project. “The unquestioning response to the request has been amazing,” explains Simon. “We’ve both been bowled over by everyone’s willingness to be involved and we hope we can get it out to a wide enough audience to provide some support for those working under current conditions on the frontline.”

“Some of the people who’ve read at the Noir at the Bars actually volunteer or work for the NHS, so they’re very keenly aware of what’s going on.” Victoria adds.

Alongside her nine-month-old child, Vic considers this anthology her baby. Borne out of this unprecedented crisis, it’s a great souvenir of a time when noir became the norm.

Noir at the Bar anthology will be available on Kindle from 10th June, with a paperback version due soon after www.facebook.com/vnatb

THE COLLECTION IS THE EPITOME OF WHAT NOIR AT THE BAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT: “VERY INCLUSIVE, NO SNOBBERY,”

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INTERVIEW

MUSIC

CURVY SOUNDS

BEVERLEY KNIGHT TALKS TO THE NEWCASTLE MUSIC HUB’S JESSIE MILLS ABOUT THEIR DEDICATION TO THE LOCAL MUSIC ECOLOGY Just like Aladdin’s Cave of Wonders, Curvy Sounds is a treasure trove of finds. It’s more than just a shop; husband and wife team Jessie and Andrew have fostered a hub of creativity. Andrew customises and fixes bespoke guitars, and has an incredibly intuitive understanding of instruments and materials. Jessie runs the business and shop side, and eagerly explains what makes Curvy Sounds the ‘go to’ place for regional musicians: “We were excited by the incredibly talented community of musicians in the North East and wanted to provide a repair service that set up instruments to play at their best. We had an abiding fascination with quirky instruments from different cultures and hoped to reflect and celebrate the tastes of our community.”

An important factor in Curvy Sounds’ success is that it needed to be in the heart of the community. “When we saw 31 Heaton Hall Road, we fell in love. The rent was fantastically cheap, which was obviously very appealing with us just starting our business. It was in a terrible state, so Andrew worked incredibly hard doing it up.” Having the right people involved has always been key, and that extends to the shop’s first landlord Leo Ormston, who passed away last August.

“Leo was responsible for the survival of Curvy Sounds, halving our rent when Andrew was going through operations and treatment for cancer.” Jessie explains. “We would like to commemorate Leo and his incredible kindness; without him Curvy Sounds would have

WE WERE EXCITED BY THE INCREDIBLY TALENTED COMMUNITY OF MUSICIANS IN THE NORTH EAST AND WANTED TO PROVIDE A REPAIR SERVICE THAT SET UP INSTRUMENTS TO PLAY AT THEIR BEST 36

gone under.”

Andrew and Jessie’s hard work in creating a hub for local music has paid dividends, and they’re thrilled to be able to cater to young musicians at the start of their career. “We love watching them grow and hearing the music they produce. We also feel very privileged to have worked on the instruments of some of the finest musicians in the North East. What’s more, we love it when we find our shop full of women, a guitar shop full of women is a rare and wonderful thing!”

Last Christmas they started an environmentally conscious scheme for the area. “We promised to plant a tree for every guitar we sold.

Just before lockdown, we donated the first five wild cherry tree saplings to Hotspur School in Heaton, for the key workers’ kids to plant. When lockdown ends we plan to plant 25 oaks with the charity Living Woods North East, in their Durham woodland area.”

Curvy Sounds have adapted to things as best they can in the current climate. Customers can buy online, they’re open by appointment only in the mornings, and they’re delivering locally. “We will let people know when we are starting to take in repairs again. We hope to gradually go back to business as usual, but our shop is small and crammed full of instruments, so I think we will need to have one customer in at a time.”

Andrew’s currently keeping busy by customising a guitar which they plan to raffle or auction off to raise money for the NHS. Jessie explains: “We are working out how exactly we are going to do this and will let our customers know on social media how to join. He is carving an ornate design into the wood of an Epiphone SG, giving it a look of aged decadence that we think will look truly resplendent when it is done.”

Curvy Sounds is located at 31 Heaton Hall Road, Newcastle. Visit them online to buy instruments and equipment www.curvysounds.co.uk

LIVE

DEMOS WE WANT YOUR MUSIC!

IF YOU’RE AN UP AND COMING BAND OR MUSICIAN, AND WOULD LIKE YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED IN OUR DEMO SECTION, EMAIL A TRACK TO INFO@NARCMEDIA.COM AND TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF! WORDS: TOM MCLEAN

DEMO OF THE MONTH

Lizzie Esau by Martha Esau

Lizzie Esau – Be There It’s extremely rare that a song made up almost entirely of piano and vocals lands so perfectly, but Be There does just that. Lizzie’s melodious tones, tinged with a gorgeous huskiness, immediately brings about a feeling of palpable calm. It’s a truly beautiful track, Lizzie is singular, one of the most unusual and appealing voices

The Finest Drops – Safe Like No Other

This track reminds me of fun times with friends, which is slightly painful but joyful too.

A gentle alternative indie rock track, Safe Like No Other makes you want to move while at the same time making you feel quite relaxed.

It starts with a catchy electric guitar riff, followed by a strong drumbeat and surprisingly soft, unassuming vocals that almost melt into the music. The song’s addictive bassline and mellow vocals make it unique, quietly whispering you into a sense of summer.

The band proudly proclaim that they steer away from subscribing to music industry objectives, and it’s clear they’re fiercely anti-commercial and pro-creativity, with an admirable DIY ethic. www.thefinestdrops.bandcamp.com

Scott Free – Shine Days

Shine Days has a certain delicious, vintage quality to it, making it sound like it has lived

I’ve heard in a long time, with a magical quality you can’t quite put your finger on. If you’re looking for a song to gently hush you into quiet contemplation, then this jazz-imbued piano ballad will be just the ticket.

Lizzie is also raising money for NHS Charities Together, listen and make a donation here. www.soundcloud.com/lizzieesau

forever and is already a classic. Boasting skilful Americana country fingerpicking and a rare countertenor vocal, reminiscent of Neil Young, Scott Free’s track appears to look back with regret on a past relationship that has now altered, seemingly for the worst. The author reminisces “I look back with guilt...” and puts forward a sentiment so many of us can relate to: “You’re better off without me...”

While it’s a great track, it could benefit from a bit of alternative structuring, possibly including a bridge or variation on the chorus to really keep the listener’s interest. www.facebook.com/scottfreehippy

No Fox – Two Hills & A Mountain

No Fox are an eclectic jazz ensemble and their latest single, Two Hills & A Mountain, is a whopping eight minutes 59 seconds long. The track starts with what sounds like rushing water under soft keyboard playing, followed by a sax lead. The piece sounds like something you might hear in the background

of a Hollywood bar scene when the lead meets his femme fatale. The sax and bass parts are extremely skilful, but overall the track lacks a centre. It perhaps needs greater variation in the beat and some melody or grounding to come back to. In spite of the musicians’ undeniable talent, it left me feeling a bit lost. www.facebook.com/nofoxuk

Rob Howe – Lying Awake

Lying Awake is an upbeat, head-nodding, shoulder-twisting tune. It’s Americana, it’s rock – it’s great! Arena rock with a softer edge, the anthemic chorus makes you ask the question we all try to avoid: “Don’t you feel it in the darkness, when you’re lying awake?” In contrast to the lyrical themes, this track makes everything feel a bit brighter, contrasting with the poignant lyrics: “You never sign up for changing times but I guess you get what you’re given”.The energy and excitement in Rob’s vocals are infectious, making for an enticing track. www.robhowemusic.com

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TRACKS WORDS: ELODIE A. ROY

T-B, L-R: Cat Ryan by Kristoff Photography, Nifty Struggle, Laurie Shepherd by Ben Holden This month’s new tracks seem to stir uneasily and undecidedly in and out of time – torn between the alluring realm of retro sounds and the trappings of digital immediacy. It is hard to fully place them.

Holiday In Tokyo’s anachronistic Drift Away carries within it something of the sparse intensity of early Everything But The Girl (but was most likely inspired by Mac DeMarco), thanks to its drum machine, space and jazz guitar chords. This delicately hesitant song is about distance and solitude in the computer age. Cat Ryan’s sleek new pop track, Blessed Through The TV, is a glossy number – a tale of unrequited love, robotic voices and synthetic keyboards, with a distantly new wave mood. Teesside songwriter J. P. Riggall’s The Vagrant is an elusive, translucent guitar song, with washed out touches of early REM. This gently escapist tune bears an intriguing West Coast feel, and Riggall appears to be singing from and of another place. Also in the lo-fi, on H.I.W.T.H.I (Home Is Where The Heart Is) Scrannabis delivers a humble, open and very personal hip-hop confession – an emotional letter home.

With Screensaver, ironic punk tricksters Swine Tax unsentimentally explore the absorbing vacuum of the digital present (one of their most treasured topics). Though this largely sounds like a cynical joke song, I can hear a real heart beating too. I wish they showed their soul a bit more, somehow. New four-piece Class Gymnast, with members of Ghost Signals and The Union Choir, have recorded a more idiosyncratic punk lullaby. The surreal despair and tender, talkative irreverence of Worry Creeps (their debut track) brings to mind the brilliant Newcastle trio Les Cox (Sportifs). The seasonally-named Indoor Kids play tamed ‘adult rock’ anthems. Down, the second track

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from their first self-titled EP, brims with contentedly clean guitars, bombastic choruses and an undercurrent of suitably grim lyrics. In Big Pharma, Sly Hands casually scream about self-medication and dead ends – a fiercely dissonant, pained post-grunge track. Also from Sunderland, metal quartet Karnayn erratically wander through wasted lands; Hex, their debut single, features some ominous vocals hovering above noisy layers of guitar like toxic cumulus clouds. I cannot make out any of the lyrics; this must be the sound of impending planetary disaster.

Conrad Ashton’s raucous voice seems infinitely older than he is and confidently drowns nearly everything else on his new single. A real sense of urgency and despair races through this cavernous, doomed pub-rock number, aptly entitled Time. Eco-folk singer-songwriter Laurie Shepherd candidly tells us it is not too late on Sparks; a neat, dramatic and vocally flawless plea laced with a sophisticated arrangement of live strings. This first extract from her forthcoming debut album should appeal to inveterate idealists and fans of contemporary folk group The Unthanks. Luke Rv feat. Nifty Struggle’s Ends Meet is a hyper-polished, dancey modern pop track sketching out the ordinary tragedy of zero-hour contracts, skipped breakfasts and unpaid wages – unwittingly documenting working conditions in late capitalism. In an ideal world, this deceptively radio-friendly (and formidably realistic) track would be played on every radio station in the country – or, better still, would not need to have been written. In the current time, though, the sentiment appears to be necessary.

ALBUMS 4/5 TONY GOWLAND AMERICAN WRITERS (SELF-RELEASE)

5/5

GALAXIANS CHEMICAL REACTION (STARGAZE)

Galaxians by Tim Dunk

Words: Mark Corcoran-Lettice Since forming as a duo of Jed Skinner on keys and Matt Woodward on drums in 2012, Galaxians have become underground heroes in the UK: flitting between synthetic funk, elastic post-disco and smooth house moves, their sunny and energetic dance anthems have made them one of the most reliable party-starters on the live and festival circuit. At a time when we’re in need of good news, Galaxians have heeded their call, because their latest album Chemical Reaction is the bullet-proof hit of sunshine that 2020 has so sorely been lacking.

Where there’s been a change between albums one and two for the band is the role that vocalist Emma Mason plays in the band. On their debut Let The Rhythm In, she was a special guest who enjoyed some star turns (the dizzyingly catchy How Do U Feel for one) but more often than not faded beneath the waves of synths. Here however, she’s proudly front and centre of this far more pop-centric collection, and her dazzling voice and undeniable star power gives songs like Fight For Love and closer Heat Of The City a sharp precision alongside their sweaty summer evening euphorics.

This stronger sense of pop songwriting savvy brings Galaxians closer in liner with kindred spirits like Dam-Funk, Hercules & Love Affair or Roisin Murphy’s recent singles run (and with their mixture of 80s Madonna moves with extended, DJ-friendly grooves, it’s Murphy’s current work that is perhaps the best point of comparison for the uninitiated), but in many ways it’s the band’s intense understanding of their ancestors that lifts them far above the realms of imitation.

Be it the working class frustration of Not The Money or the female empowerment of Heartbreaker, Galaxians recognise the source of all those great disco and house records – in discrimination and oppression, in the struggle for gay rights and empowerment, in the hedonism and sub-cultural collectivism of the dancefloor. Without co-opting or overwriting the past, they take their place in a grand tradition, paying tribute by embodying this same dynamic of social reflection and escapism in their own music. The joy that Galaxians bring is hard-fought and steeped in reality: that’s what makes them such a delight.

Released: 26.06.20 www.supergalaxians.com

ALSO OUT THIS MONTH Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy (Sub Pop, 05.06) //Brigid Mae Power – Head Above The Water (Fire Records, 05.06) // Wesley Gonzalez – Appalling Human (Moshi Moshi Records, 12.06)//Swampmeat Family Band – Muck! (PNKSLM Recordings, 05.06) //Remo Drive – A Portrait of an Ugly Man (Epitaph Records, 26.06) //Nadine Shah – Kitchen Sink (Infectious Music, 26.06) //The Silver Field – Sing High! Sing Low! (Crossness Records, 12.06) // Brad Stank – Kinky Om (Heist or Hit, 05.06) // Larkin Poe – Self Made Man (Tricki-Woo Records, 12.06) //Paul Weller – On Sunset (Polydor Records, 19.06) // Haim – Women In Music Pt. II (Polydor Records, 26.06) // Ohmme – Fantasize Your Ghost (Joyful Noise Recordings, 05.06) //Doomshakalaka – S/T (Moshi Moshi Records, 05.06) //Wallflower – Teach Yourself To Swim (Self-Release, 05.06) // Henry Green – Half Light (Akira Records, 12.06) // Drab City – Good Songs For Bad People (Bella Union, 12.06) // Katie Malco – Failures (6131 Records, 05.06) // Under The Reefs Orchestra – S/T (Capitane Records, 05.06) // Tengger – Nomad (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond, 12.06)

Words: Robert Nichols I can picture the steam rising through the sidewalks and the honking of yellow taxi horns; Tony Gowland may be a North East-based musician and singer but his second album, American Writers, draws its inspiration from the Big Apple and the Eastern seaboard of the USA. Tony gives us a first class ticket to enter his world of soulful ballads, or the cool lounge jazz of The Painter. Long Way To Recovery is just a Moondance away from a purring Van Morrison.

Every song is a story, again a direct link to his American writer muses. Musically he echoes the likes of Ray Charles, with his influences of gospel, blues and jazz, or the grit and grime of Billy Joel and the gentle winning piano refrains of Bert Bacharach.

Released: 01.06.20 www.facebook.com/gowlandmusic

4/5 NAEEM STARTISHA (37D03D) Words: Ikenna Offor For those in the know, it’ll come as no surprise that Naeem’s long-gestated solo debut bristles with restless eclecticism. Having spent much of the last decade knocking about with a bevy of genre-bending stalwarts (Justin Vernon and The Avalanches, to name but two), the LA-based artist – formerly Spank Rock, real name Naeem Juwan – proves expectedly adept at collagic alchemy.

Startisha’s capricious yet eurythmic palette is at once familiar and uncanny, revealing the sheer depth of its author’s brio as it deftly flits from woozy gospel trap (Simulation) to propulsive house-tinged vibes (Woo Woo Woo) and wistful balladeering (Right Here). This rivetingly exuberant polymorphism is, unequivocally speaking, Juwan’s X-factor – put simply, he’s about as easy to pin down as a greased piglet.

Released: 12.06.20 www.soundcloud.com/naeemjuwan

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5/5

4.5 / 5

3/5

JEHNNY BETH TO LOVE IS TO LIVE (20L07 MUSIC)

KATE NV ROOM FOR THE MOON (RVNG. INTL)

MT. JOY REARRANGE US (DUALTONE RECORDS)

Words: Ali Welford I’m loathe to draw comparisons between Jehnny Beth’s solo debut and Savages – partly since the former feels every bit like an entity unto itself, but equally as they’d do her (excellent) band no favours. A stunning artistic awakening, To Love Is To Live showcases an artist liberated from form and convention, embracing throbbing bass and burgeoning electronics together with decorous brass and excerpts of poetry.

Results-wise, we’re left to absorb everything from brazen sexuality (Flower, Heroine) to exquisite, showstopping beauty (French Countryside), while the likes of I’m The Man and How Could You eschew deeper sentiment in search of riotous, visceral thrills. Sparing no sonic nor emotional expense, it’s a triumph for which anything less than full marks would feel incongruous. An extraordinary record.

Released: 12.06.20 www.jehnnybeth.com

Words: Paul Ray I’ve had the new Kate NV album stuck in my head for days now. That isn’t a sentence I’d have expected to type a month ago – I first discovered Kate Shilonosovat through her excellent 2018 ambient album для FOR. But on Room For The Moon, Kate NV applies that playful ambient sensibility to new wave forms, creating an idiosyncratic pop language of angular basslines, xylophone flourishes, modular synth bloops and beeps, and bafflingly funky drum patterns.

Over this oddball post-punk brew Shilonosovat sings short, melodious phrases in multiple languages, her lithe voice swirling around in the delirium. The album is consistently great, but peaks with closing track Telefon, a soaring, uptempo banger which feels like gazing at a twinkling sea.

Released: 12.06.20 www.katenv.com

Words: Mollie Field This is the second album from US indie rockers Mt. Joy, who are masters of weaving musical narratives that move, inspire and vibrate.

Strangers is the cream of the crop; Matt Quinn’s vocals are particularly delicate and pure in a twinkling opening, transitioning into a tone substantially more brassy. Waitress is truthful to Mt. Joy’s most organic sound, with silky strings, delicate drums and power piano solos blended with poetic lyrics and a bold chorus, creating a satisfying blend of rock and folk.

Disappointingly, some tracks fall short of Mt. Joy’s established instrumental intricacy and spirited cadence: Let Loose feels somewhat flat, lacking tempo and texture. Although Rearrange Us has some real diamonds, the lengthy album lacks consistency, interrupting its flow and limiting its potential.

Released: 05.06.20 www.mtjoyband.com

4/5

4/5

5/5

MUZZ S/T (MATADOR)

TEAM PICTURE THE MENACE OF MECHANICAL MUSIC (CLUE RECORDS)

POTTERY WELCOME TO BOBBY’S MOTEL (PARTISAN RECORDS)

Words: Tracy Hyman MUZZ isn’t just a new band, it’s a concept created from the rich musical backgrounds of Paul Banks (Interpol), Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman) and Matt Barrick (Jonathan Fire*Eater, The Walkmen). Yet, rather than an amalgamation, it’s a departure for all three musically. Fragmented sessions developed and nurtured over years are brought together through a commonality and shared vision.

Muzz wants to be real; with a handmade quality, fuzzy edges and analogue rawness. Full of beautiful melodic melancholy; piano, synth, guitar and percussion, delicately balanced with highlights of brass and clarinet sounds, it plays like a soundscape of memories – from the graceful and contemplative Broken Tambourine, to the rockier Knuckleduster; the album ebbs and flows through the senses.

Released: 05.06.20 www.muzztheband.bandcamp.com

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Words: Mark Corcoran-Lettice Having emerged from the Leeds circuit at the time when it was stuffed to breaking point with psych and fuzzy post-punk bands, Team Picture intriguingly pushed themselves away, displaying a taste for theatrical synth pop and quasi-prog on their Revival mini-album.

The Menace of Mechanical Music is a further waystation on their path, with the Gothic balladry of Sleeptype Auction and the terse pseudo-blues of Rock Hudson Tragedy showcasing their talent for superficially calm and compliant pop that boasts a thornier, more obtuse core. If the suspicion remains that they might be cleaning things up a bit too much, Team Picture’s ambition and talent for offbeat art pop continues to make them a fascinating prospect.

Released: 12.06.20 www.teampictureband.com

Words: Andrew Thompson Pottery is an unquestionably daft name for a band; luckily for the Canadian five-piece though, they’re are about to release hands down the best debut you’ll hear this year. Welcome To Bobby’s Motel is magnificently crackers from start to finish.

The album is a near-relentless discourse between hooks and rhythms. Songs are frequently mixed into one another, a production trick meaning you scarcely get a moment to catch your breath. It grooves like the best of the Talking Heads and it’s splendidly detached from reality. Sounding a bit like a Gang of Four record played at 45rpm, Pottery’s debut has more than just producer Jonathan Schenke in common with Parquet Courts. It’s mad, it’s effervescent and you should definitely go and buy it. Immediately.

Released: 26.06.20 www.potteryband.com

ALBUMS

3.5 / 5

4.5 / 5

4.5 / 5

LA PRIEST GENE (DOMINO)

GOGO PENGUIN S/T (BLUE NOTE RECORDS)

DARKSTAR CIVIC JAMS (WARP)

Words: Andrew Thompson GENE is the second release from former Late of the Pier’s Sam Eastgate under the LA Priest moniker and it’s a stereotypically ambitious album.

Texturally rich and rhythmically complex, it slinks through the opening five tracks with huge dollops of Prince-tinged syncopation before rainfall fades into Sudden Thing and Monochrome. The change in weather marks an all together more ominous timbre more akin to Autechre or Amnesiac’s darker moments in the album’s second half.

Long time friend and co-producer, Erol Alkan, has previously described Eastgate as a chameleon of sorts, able to regurgitate and refine the most finite details through his own filter. When heard in this context GENE feels less schizophrenic than on first listen and is better for it.

Released: 05.06.20 www.earthwindow.org

4.5 / 5 SONIC BOOM ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL (CARPARK RECORDS) Words: Damian Robinson Having reinvented himself in various forms since the grounding of Spacemen 3, it’s heart-warming to see Peter Kember’s recent production/mixing/ solo work held in as high esteem as the output he created a lifetime ago.

Sparse and minimal in places as demonstrated on the lush On A Summer’s Day, and with dance-floor-ready tracks like The Way That You Live and Tawkin Tekno, All Things Being Equal manages to recapture the layered electronic synth sound and pop melodies often seen in Boom’s production work and mix them with distant, spiritual, atmospherics. To put a case forward to say this sounds like the love child of Kraftwerk’s Autobahn and George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass wouldn’t be as strange as it might initially sound.

Released: 05.06.20 www.sonic-boom.info

Words: Kristopher Cook Migration in real time; Manchester’s GoGo Penguin plot a course for ambient rhapsody on their highly anticipated fifth full-length outing. It’s no wonder that Aphex Twin and Four Tet are cited as style influences, their experimental plume can be found all over this thing — more so on the abundantly sporadic Atomised (a highlight from the Don’t Go EP) and the racing depth charge that is Totem, two tracks that spearheaded this album for me.

One might wonder why it’s taken them multiple projects to officially put out something self-titled.

The reason? GoGo Penguin captures the entire visage of the trio in a tight 10-track swoop, one fit for contemporary jazz ears old and new.

Released: 05.06.20 www.gogopenguin.co.uk

4/5 COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS OLD FLOWERS (LOOSE/FAT POSSUM) Words: Lee Hammond This is a record which exudes its subject matter from the off, there is a starkness which overtakes Old Flowers. The lyrics firmly at the fore, poignant, heartfelt and passionate throughout, this is Courtney Marie Andrews’ break-up album. It is a rollercoaster of emotions, from contemplating an inability to love again on Carnival Dream, to being unable to break the spell that someone has over you.

The instrumentation feels deliberately sparse; Courtney Marie Andrews holds you in the palm of her hand. With simple yet such heartbreakingly powerful words, tracks like Someone Else’s Fault and How You Get Hurt feel particularly harrowing.

Whilst Old Flowers is not upbeat, it is without doubt some of Courtney Marie Andrews’ best work.

Released: 05.06.20 www.courtneymarieandrews.com

Words: Beverley Knight Over at the dark end of synth pop, you will find the highly respected work of Darkstar. Their tunes aren’t always meant to fill dance floors; their skilled mastery bestows electronic music fans an alternative vibe.

From the moment you hear radio tuning at the beginning of Civic Jams to the endnote, there’s a deep, spiritual ambience. Opening track Forest is a drum-less piece making full use of the organ bass, with Tuesday’s bass wobbly and distorted.

Canorous two stepper Jam presents an intentionally muffled sound that works; while in a similar vein, Wolf addresses the notion of being chased by modern life. Closing track Blurred and its emotive choir effect takes us to the end of our therapeutic trance. Quality work.

Released: 19.06.20 www.darkstar.ws

3/5 ART FEYNMAN HALF PRICE AT 3:30 (WESTERN VINYL) Words: Elodie A. Roy Art Feynman is the larger-than-life alter ego of singer-songwriter Luke Temple. On the cover of his second album, he coquettishly hides behind a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses. The sleeve is a carbon copy of Lou Reed’s Sally Can’t Dance (1974), tinged with a touch of Kubrick’s Lolita (1962) – sulphurous and sweet.

This album shimmers like a sequinned dream of gloss and gloom. It travels at full speed from sombre, minimalist synth pop and psychedelic glam to pure pop – reminding me in turn of Kevin Ayers and Bill Nelson. Mainly, it sounds ‘like punk never happened’ (to quote Dave Rimmer) – a trembling vision of the future past. However, for all its irony, this retro-futuristic fabrication still radiates some true, soulful warmth.

Released: 26.6.20 www.artfeynman.bandcamp.com

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ALBUMS

4/5

4/5

3/5

HINDS THE PRETTIEST CURSE (LUCKY NUMBER)

BHAJAN BHOY BLESS BLESS (WORMER BROS. RECORDS)

BRAIDS SHADOW OFFERING (SECRET CITY RECORDS)

Damian Robinson Fresh from some perhaps overly critical reviews suggesting their second album sounded too ‘similar’ to their distinct debut, you get the sense that The Prettiest Curse is an attempt to carry out two distinct responses.

On the one hand it sticks two fingers up to the naysayers by carrying on as normal with their loose guitar-driven indie rock sound (as evidenced on Burn and The Play); and on the other hand, it takes wild swings and ventures into new textures.

Opener Good Bad Times manages to blend Pet Shop Boys synths with Bananarama-esque sugary sweet melodies, and Just Like Kids takes us into Aqua Barbie Girl choruses. Sounding fresh and free, this is the sound young people should make; screw the critics, they know nothing.

Released: 05.06.20 www.hindsband.com

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Words: Mark Corcoran-Lettice Better known for his work in acts like trans-national post-punk/dub collective King Champion Sounds and the noisy dream pop of Deutsche Ashram (who released their superb second album Whisper Om earlier this year), Bless Bless marks a solo debut for multi-instrumentalist Ajay Saggar under the name Bhajan Bhoy.

A couple of guest turns from guitarist Prana Crafter and vocalist Holly Habstritt Gaal aside, this meditative collection finds Saggar stretching out to explore more minimal textures within his fascination for kosmische and shoegaze (David Pearce’s work as Flying Saucer Attack is a suitable comparison). The pulses underlining tracks like Stuck In A Barrel and Polar Wind may stand out on first listen, but it’s on the likes of repetitive, starstruck synth exploration Magicho that the most profound moments lie.

Released: 05.06.20 www.bhajanbhoy.bandcamp.com

Words: Eugenie Johnson When Braids began building up to their new album, they did it with Eclipse (Ashley), an ode to Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s best friend and a powerful burst of open-hearted electro pop. The rest of Shadow Offering follows suit, coming together to form one of the band’s most consistently bold albums, both lyrically and musically, from the sweeping elegance of Just Let Me to the nine-minute epic of Snow Angel.

It doesn’t always hit the mark though, with some of the tracks in the album’s middle section feeling slightly flat and Standell-Preston’s vocal mix threatening to overshadow everything else on the otherwise tender Ocean. Nevertheless, Shadow Offering presents an often expansive and honest reflection on pain, hope and much in-between.

Released: 24.04.20 www.braidsmusic.com

MIXTAPE WORDS: SCOTT FORBES, GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE

For those not familiar with Gosforth Civic Theatre, it’s a venue and community hub located in Gosforth which was taken over by Liberdade Community Development Trust in 2016.

Don’t let the 70’s brickwork fool you; GCT is one of the more unique and interesting venues in our vibrant cultural scene in the North East. We are run by Liberdade; a charity that works with people with learning disabilities. It’s a space where the local community, arts scene and learning-disabled community come together in a wonderful amalgam. I joined the team in 2017 and have had the pleasure of working with a group of people open to ideas, genuinely trying to make a difference, and bringing live music, theatre, dance and cinema to Gosforth.

It seems trite to be writing about a venue in a time when the lights are off, PAs have fallen silent and doors are closed to the public, especially as we are in the midst of a terrible crisis. But we all find ourselves in difficult times, we along with many other theatres, community venues, independents and artists are facing an uncertain future.

These tracks represent a musical celebration of GCT over the past four years and include fantastic local artists that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing play on our stage. It’s a reminder of more vibrant times and a hope that those times will return sooner rather than later.

You can support Gosforth Civic Theatre by visiting www.gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk

KING BEE BEE TO THE FLOWER King Bee were the first band to play GCT and the video for this track recorded our artwork being painted on the side of the building!

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ARCHIPELAGO MORE BAMBOO, LESS PANDAS Friends of the venue Archipelago are going places in the UK jazz scene. Check out this track form their latest album.

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THE UNTHANKS I’M WEARY FROM LYING ALONE The Unthanks played here last May, it was a sell out and very special. This is a stunning track from that tour.

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THE DELINES LET’S BE US AGAIN Jumpin Hot Club brought The Delines to us last January. They were superb and it remains our biggest ever gig crowd.

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JENNY LASCELLES HOUSE ON A HILL Jenny wowed us in January at one of our Live in the Lounge gigs.

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THE CORNSHED SISTERS IN MY HOUSE The Cornshed Sisters headlined the NARC. stage at Gosforth Beer Festival in 2019 and released this banger recently, perfectly timed for lockdown…

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HAILU MERGIA YENE MIRCHA We were about to announce a gig from Ethiopian jazz-psych-Afro-funk legend Hailu Mergia when lockdown hit. It would have been great.

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BEHOLD A PALE HORSE INTO THE ORCHARD BAPH were part of NARC.’s first Gosforth Beer Festival line up and this track also features strings from our very own Bernard Wright.

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CHICAGO HARD TO SAY I’M SORRY/GET AWAY Our CEO Rob came in on the last day of Liberdade delivery before lockdown with this song in his head and an idea for a video. Here it is…

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JOHN FARHAM YOU’RE THE VOICE The soundtrack to Liberdade’s last dance piece entitled When We Were.

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STEVE LUCK STEEL BRIDGE Steve is a brilliant composer and pianist based in Ouseburn Studios, his Great Northern Piano Sessions have been beautiful.

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PAUL SMITH SILVER RABBIT Paul Smith’s baby friendly gig courtesy of Chalk was my (then two-month-old) son’s first ever gig.

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GET THE BLESSING CELLOPHANT Get The Blessing in February is one of my favourite ever gigs, and it was a pleasure working with Jazz North East.

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BINKER & MOSES INTOXICATION FROM THE JAHVMONISHI LEAVES Binker & Moses were the first major gig we booked, they are award-winning, unbelievably talented and top guys.

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