FEATURE
MUSIC
CROSSOVER COVERS MUSIC BLOG SPOTLIGHT TEAMED UP WITH SUNDERLAND’S UNISON MUSIC AND EVENTS THIS YEAR TO LAUNCH A COLLABORATIVE CELEBRATION OF THE REGION’S MUSIC SCENE, SPOTLIGHT’S JORDAN DAVIDSON EXPLAINS HOW CROSSOVER COVERS CAME ABOUT Nobody could have predicted the topsy turvy (to put it lightly) year we’d be in for, but one thing that I’ve been inspired by was the way that the music scene in the North East has rolled with the punches and adapted along the way. Very quickly we witnessed a shift in the zeitgeist that was born from our region’s many creatives being, well, creative and using the power of social media and DIY style live music streams to reach their followers. This refusal to be silenced was one of the inspirations behind myself and Ben from Unison Music & Events wanting to make the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown a chance for collaboration and shared love for our music scene. We decided to launch a video series that would encourage local musicians to cover one another’s tracks, encouraging them to communicate with and support each other as well as gain new followers at the same time. Some went above and beyond, such as Holly Rees and her band who made a quirky well produced music video for their cover of Swine Tax’s track I’d Like, and Thomas Dixon who made a hauntingly passionate saxophone solo of Before The Fall by Ten Eighty Trees. Once we realised we were onto something that people were really excited about, myself and Ben decided the next step would be to turn the project into a charity campaign, settling on the North East based Crossings Community Group, who provide a safe space for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants to come together, practice music and express themselves creatively alongside local musicians and the community. The important work they do has, like many other charitable organisations, been under threat by challenges such as seeking appropriate venue spaces to practice as well as lack of funding and awareness, not to mention the Covid-19 lockdown. Collecting together 15 of the 29 cover tracks that were made as part of the project, we set about making a compilation album which is available on Bandcamp with a suggested donation of £5, with all of the proceeds going to Crossings Community Group. www.crossovercovers.bandcamp.com
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THE DAWDLER: VARIOUS
Hen Ogledd are such a joy to listen to! I think it’s a really unique sound. The production, instrumentation, lyrics, melodies, everything! Just loads of fun. They’ve soundtracked a fair few impromptu lockdown living room dancing sessions. My dear friend David Turnbull, aka Fax Machine. Baffling musicianship and creativity. It can be heartbreaking, hilarious, terrifying, and crazily groovy from one minute to the next. Fax Machine should be a household name, in my opinion. I’m also really enjoying material from Ceitidh Mac, and looking forward to hearing more from one of the very best voices. Talking of great voices, Hector Gannet have a voice from above. www.thedawdler.bandcamp.com www.henogledd.com www.faxmachinemusic.bandcamp.com www.ceitidhmac.com www.hectorgannet.com
BALLPEEN: ONLOOKER
Onlooker are my personal favourite local band at present, for those who aren’t familiar they’re a great band from Teesside who write really catchy and interesting garage-esque rock songs incorporating guitar lines with heavy hints of John Reis’ (Hot Snakes/Rocket From The Crypt) style. I’ve really enjoyed their recorded output this year, mostly as you can hear them growing in confidence and develop their style with each new release. I understand they have a full album in the works so am excited to hear that in 2021. www.ballpeennewcastle.bandcamp.com www.onlookertheband.bandcamp.com
SWEARS: LEOPARD RAYS
Hartlepool’s finest alternative rock band Leopard Rays are similar to us in having quite a guitar-heavy, grungy sound and they have a unique style and some really cool riffs. We started around the same time as they did and we’ve been fans of theirs since day one, sharing a number of bills with them. We even record at the same studio (All Silk Recording Studio with the legendary Ed Hall). www.swearsband.co.uk www.facebook.com/leopardrays
