The Banter - October 2013

KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES NEWTON FAULKNER // DEAF HAVANA SHANE FILAN // UNION J // RADKEY // THE FEELING ALSO : CD REVIEWS // GIG REVIEWS // MOVIES

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Contents

8

INSIDE â—? www.thebanter.co.uk

4 INTERVIEW - Shane Filan

Interview with former Westlife star Shane Filan on going Solo.

10 CD Reviews

24

Tht We take a look at the best recent releases in the music world

39

14 INTERVIEW - Kids in Glass Houses

The Banters Natasha Reid talks to Cardiff Rock Band Kids in Glass Houses.

20 Gig Reviews

A round up of some the hottest gigs in Glasgow over the last few months.

28 INTERVIEW - Union J

Union J singer George Shelley talks life after the X-Factor.

54 Hype: Killer or Creator

18 Editorial Team Editor

Ritchie Marshall

Photos Daren Borzynski

Editorial Maxwell Lynas Daren Borzynski Team Sarah Moyes Rosie O’Neill

Laura Donaldson Holly Lennon

Martin Knox Francis Milligan

Asif Ali Natasha Reidw

46

Breaking Bad - a look at the hype around todays most talked about TV show.

A loo

Contact

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THE BANTER | 3

Interview

4 | THE BANTER

Interview

SHANE FILAN

INTERVIEW BY LAURA DONALDSON

S

hane Filan spent 14 years as the frontman of one of the biggest boy bands of all time. Westlife scored an unbelievable 26 top-ten hits, 14 of these being number ones, and were frequent winners of Record of the Year. So, it would be understandable for the 34-year-old to be nervous to head out on his own.

Westlife announced in October 2011 that they would split after their 2012 ‘Farewell’ tour to pursue their own projects. The foursome said at the time: “The decision is entirely amicable and after spending all of our adult life together so far, we want to have a wellearned break and look at new ventures.” For Shane, this new venture was the decision to forge a solo career himself and shortly after he debuted his first solo single ‘Everything To Me’, we chatted to the singer and father of three about the new chapter in his life. “‘Everything To Me’ came about in the first writing session I had for the whole album,” Shane explained, “It’s all about things that are important for me in my life - my kids, my family, being love, being healthy, being happy - stuff like that. It’s about life and enjoying it and while we’re living.”

The track is one of the first that Shane had a go at writing himself. After years of having songs written by other people for Westlife, he decided that song-writing was something he’d like try his hand at: “Writing music for me is so new so I was a bit nervous but I thought ‘let’s try it and see how I get on,’” he said.

“I wrote it with two other guys [Nick Atkinson and Tom Wilding] and they wanted to do an up-tempo song so I was like ‘yeah let’s do it’ and 3 or 4 hours later we had the song.

Lyrically it’s a positive song and it’s optimistic and I think it suits this time of year.”

There must have been pressure for Shane to choose the perfect post-Westlife single but he admitted he relied on the advice of his label, Universal, saying: “When I wrote the song I had no idea it was going to be my debut single,” “The record label just told me that it’s a great song and a great start but to keep writing more but in the end they kept on coming back to ‘Everything To Me’. I think because it’s a bit of a departure from Westlife,it’s so upbeat. I left the decision up to them but I am very happy with the song.”

Shane also shot a music video for the track, his first experience of a solo shoot. He travelled out to L.A. to film the visuals and said the experience was a world away from the experiences he had with Westlife. “It was weird, he said, “weird is definitely the best way to describe it. It was fun, of course, and I was very excited but there was something like 81 people working on my video - it was crazy having all these people making sure I was ok and happy, it was mad. It was a lot of fuss just for me.”

“It was actually the first day I’d been out of the studio for so long so to go from 3 or 4 people locked away in a studio to this set was pretty humbling. It was quiet though and when I was back in the trailer in between takes literally just by myself I did think ‘ok, this is what my life is going to be like now, there’s going to be a lot of alone time.’ It freaked me out for a bit but now I’m just going to enjoy every minute of it because you never know what’s round the corner.”

THE BANTER | 5

Interview Shane admits that he hasn’t always wanted to go solo and it was never part of his big plan.

“Westlife was amazing, we had 14 amazing years and when Take That came back all those years ago I thought we’d be able to keep going, I thought we had another 10 years in us,” he revealed: “It was genuinely never something crossed my mind and then when the band split it was only then that I realised that if I wanted to keep singing this would have to happen.”

“I was very scared, very nervous.

Even when me and the lads were talking about what we were all going to do next - I said I would love to keep singing, Nicky and Kian wanted to do TV and Mark wanted to sing as well - we were all very honest with each other but we all said it was going to be strange and we weren’t really looking forward it. I think we were all scared about the end of Westlife and we all still are to a certain degree.”

Shane travelled out to Nashville, USA to hone his his new-found writing skills, attending sessions every day and writing tracks for his solo album. He said the trip was “amazing”, especially as it’s the home of one of his personal heroes, Garth Brooks. “I love Garth Brooks!” he exclaimed, “I don’t know if he was that big in the UK but in Ireland he was absolute legend, he was like Elvis!”

And it seems as though the Brooks influence will be evident on the album: “I think folk music and country music were always big in Ireland, we loved that sound growing up,” Shane said.

“I think it was always in me, I knew if I was ever going to go solo it would be that kind of sound...but I didn’t think I’d ever make as much a folksy- album as I actually have. It’s still very much pop but it’s more country and more up-tempo.

It’s the music I found most natural to write.”

It’s clear that the writing side of music is one that Shane has taken to easily. Despite his initial reservations he now really enjoys the process, as he explained: “You go in and build these tracks from nothing and all of a sudden they’re a song. It’s such a good feeling and a feeling that I’d never really had before.”

He continued: “I learnt so much in Nashville and got to work with some amazing writers. The songs that I think are the best are the one that I worked with unknown writers on.

I wrote a really nice song called ‘Once’ in just an hour and a half. It’s just about life and how you only live once and I

6 | THE BANTER

think that’s the whole essence of the album - just sit back and enjoy life and be happy.”

Before he releases his solo album, Shane is teasing fans with a four-track EP to coincide with the release of ‘Everything To Me’. “I’m really glad the label decided to the EP actually,” Shane admitted: “I think they just want to give fans a taster of what the album’s going to be like and I think it will get the fans excited. I’ve started to get good reactions for some of the songs already so things are definitely starting to get a bit exciting now.”

Things could be set to get even more exciting as Shane revealed that he is “definitely” planning on embarking on a solo tour, should everything with the single go well. “I’ll definitely do some sort of tour - I don’t know where or when but next year I reckon, early - mid next year,” he said.

“I want to get a few singles out first, I want people to know my music and know my album and just get used to me being solo really. I’m still getting used to it myself! I think I need to find myself as a solo performer first. It’s really early days but it is something that I’m really looking forward to. I can’t wait to get out there, big or small venue - I’ll start right at the bottom if I have to.”

As the interview comes to an end, Shane the possibility of his solo attempt crashing and burning (as unfortunately has happened to a few former boy band members before).He is happy to admit that he has no idea which way this will go, saying: “Right now I really don’t want to put any more pressure on myself.” Shane Filan comes off as a truly nice, humble guy who really just loves to sing, perhaps as it’s all he’s ever really known. As for how he wants his solo music to do in the charts? He said:“I’m not expecting number ones or anything like that I just want people to like my songs.

We’ll just have to wait and see!”

BE INSPIRED BY TIME ...volunteer time is free, but it’s priceless. you can’t own it, but you can use it! #BeInspiredByTime

Interview

BIRDY

INTERVIEW BY FRANCIS MILLIGAN

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Interview

T

he music industry has been a buzz recently with the upcoming album launch by the incredibly talented English singer, songwriter and musician Jasmine Van Den Bogaerde, better known by her stage name, Birdy.

I was able to have some of the lovely Jasmine’s time to have a chat about her career so far, from the early days of the Open Mic competition until now, the run up to her second album, Fire Within.

Birdy told me that since her debut launch back in 2011 ‘its been sort of weird and strange as everything has happened so quickly but at the same time it has been incredibly exciting to be touring and writing all the time.’

I wanted to know if Birdy thought this far ahead when she began on the Open Mic competition at the age of 12, she told me that ‘back then I didn’t really know what to expect, my first album was a whole new thing for me but it was also very surreal and a strange experience and now with Fire Within I feel like I’m starting that whole process again but this time its somehow more scary as its all my own material and its something that people haven’t heard before, its my own songwriting that I’m launching.’

Even for the people who are unaware of Birdy, everyone has heard her cover the wonder that is Bon Ivers Skinny Love, and I just had to know what made Birdy choose that track that brought her to fame. She told me that ‘Its one of my favourite songs and I’m a huge fan of Bon Iver, it was just something that happened and I didn’t really know what to expect, it was exciting to see the reaction it got after it was played on the radio.’

Since the debut album until the upcoming launch of Birdy’s new album, Fire Within, she has been touring, promoting and writing. For a 17 year old girl it must be, what I can imagine, an incredibly busy life with many high points and fun filled memorable events. I asked Birdy what has been highlights for her, she replied ‘For me there is many memorable events but what stick out is being able to play at the Paralympics opening ceremony during London 2012 last year, which was the most incredible experience and I felt very lucky to be there. The only other thing that could be mentioned would be when touring in Australia I was able to play three nights at the Sydney Opera House which was the most incredible place and venue, it was just such a wonderful atmosphere.’

With the new album release Birdy has been kept busy as it was written whilst touring and the whole album has been a gradual process with it being recorded partly in Australia and partly in London after some of it having been written whilst touring in the USA. The new album is basically about experiences, having fun and enjoying the good times, the up beat vibe and feel of the album certainly conveys this. Wings in particular is all about having fun with your friends and all the members of the Wings music video are Birdys friends ‘which was really cool’ Birdy stated ‘it was great to do, having my family and friends being able to take part in my video and pretend to be part of a carnival like theme was something different and they all enjoyed it too’.

Fire Within is inspired by Birdys career, whats happened in her life, stories or feelings at the given moment of time she has been writing which means the new album is a piece of Birdy in essence. Birdy said that she is inspired by many things and the album shows that, the new sound and feel of her music has been due to her inspiration. The aim for Birdy is to continue writing, which she is always doing, and experiment a little more like she has done, moving away from the totally stripped back music, which she does enjoy and she won’t stray from her original style of music in the future of her career but we can see some differences in her music which she would like to add to her stripped back style.

Birdys next steps for Fire Within is just to promote the new album, we can see three live warm up shows that’ll be within Manchester, Edinburgh and London, for fans visiting these shows they’ll see a new side to Birdy as she doesn’t want to be stationary on stage, she’ll be roaming around more whilst performing live due to the new up beat feel to the album which she says is difficult just to stand still and sing. Birdy will also be playing guitar in her live shows now along with her new performance style, making the shows feel new and more fun.

I have no doubt in my mind that Fire Within will do extremely well and take Birdy onto the next level of her music career and I urge you to listen to her new music at any given chance as its very easy on the ears and the sort of tracks you can have on repeat and not get bored of listening to.

A full album review of Fire Within is already available on The Banter website if you’re interested in knowing more.

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Music

CD REVIEWS PLACEBO Loud Like Love VIRGIN EMI  Placebo are back with their seventh studio album. Loud Like Love has been released almost two decades after their debut and is the trio’s first to be released after signing a huge distribution deal with Universal last year.

Just like 2009’s Battle For The Sun, Loud Like Love looks set to divide listeners into clear love or hate categories. The sound is standard Placebo and will please die-hard fans no end but those who haven’t enjoyed a Placebo album before - this one won’t change your mind.

Lead vocalist Brian Molko’s unmistakable sound opens the album with the record’s title track, an upbeat, rock-infused affair. Scene of the Crime follows, which starts of slow before building up to an anthemic chorus.

The album’s lead single, Too Many Friends, is next and carries possibly the strangest lyrics of the album - “My computer thinks I’m gay/ I threw that piece of junk away/ On the ChampsÉlysées”. Despite the strange lyrics, there are some genuinely great songs on Loud Like Love. Exit Wounds and Purify being two of the best, these tracks are the most crowd-friendly and will have fans loudly singing along. At only ten songs long and a running time of 45 minutes, Loud Like Love is short and sweet.

Placebo have stuck to their general formula and have played to what they know they’ll fans will enjoy rather than change to try and entice new ones. This album shows the band’s consistency after 20 years in the business.

LAURA DONALDSON

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NAUGHTY BOY Hotel Cabana VIRGIN EMI  In the last 18 months, Naughty Boy has become one of the most sought after names to work with in the UK. The producer, who kick-started career with an appearance on Deal Or No Deal to raise fund for his music making, impressed fans and critics alike with his work on Emeli Sande’s debut Our Version Of Events. Now, it’s time for Naughty Boy (real name Shahid Khan) to show us what he can really do with his debut solo album Hotel Cabana. The record is a concept album, showcasing the mysterious Hotel Cabana and all the different guests that stay there. It also boasts one of the most impressive list of features of the last few years - with Tinie Tempah, Gabrielle, Chasing Grace, Wretch 32, Ella Eyre, Ed Sheeran, Professor Green, Wiz Khalifa and Bastille frontman Dan Smith all making an appearance. Naughty Boy also enlists the help of his old friend Emeli Sande who appears on seven of the album’s fifteen tracks. One of the best appearances made by Emeli is on Lifted, which sounds similar to Emeli’s debut single Heaven and is an uplifting tune that is guaranteed to stick in your head. Highlights on the record include Ed Sheeran’s introspective Top Floor and Gabrielle’s take on the downfalls of fame, Hollywood. There’s also a surprisingly great cover of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky by Tanika, who really makes it her own.

The album is really interesting as a concept with the different guests on the album acting as different guests in the Hotel Cabana but the tracks are just as great on their own as singles.

An impressive debut.

LAURA DONALDSON

Music CHVRCHES The Bones of What You Believe VIRGIN RECORDS  Scottish trio Chvrches have released their debut album The Bones of What You Believe. Vocalist Lauren Mayberry, Martin Doherty and Iain Cook recorded the collection in Cook’s front room without the interference of any record labels, and it’s certainly paid off.

The album is brimming with electro-pop hits complete with more than a few throwbacks to the 80s. Previous singles The Mother We Share, Gun, Recover and Lies work as tasters for the other hits that make up The Bones…, although they still stand out as the best when the album’s finished.

Mayberry’s high vocals shine on Tether, which serves as a real highlight on the record, as well as on We Sink. Every element of Chrvches comes together perfectly - the drums, the vocals the synth - in a way that makes the album so great there’s not one track you’ll want to skip. Their songs are so catchy and radio friendly but are still so cool probably due to the unapologetic 80s influences.

Chrvches had been a favourite among music blogs as well as earning a place on BBC’S Sound of 2013 poll before they’d released this album. The Bones of What You Believe has proved that they certainly live up to the hype.

LAURA DONALDSON

BIRDY Fire Within ATLANTIC  In 2009 we were graced with the English singer and pianist that is Birdy and up until 2011 she was pushing tracks out regularly and working with some great music teams. In 2011 she released her first album including the chart dominating cover of Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’.

Birdy has been touring and working on her latest album “Fire Within” which is set for release on the 23rd of September this year. So far we’ve been able to hear ‘Wings’ the first track on the new album and what a track it is - a personal favourite and perhaps a chart topper for Birdy. From low tempo tracks with the soft string accompaniments making it easy on the ears to up beat catchy tracks that you can help tap along to the album has a varied song feel to it but works well to construct a great album. The album shows of the the talent that Jasmine Van Den Dogaerde has as a young individual ; her strong, powerful voice comes across well on each track to accompany her fantastic songwriting which also shows well on this album, you can tell the lyrics have gone through an intricate thought process before being set in stone.

Fire Within has a certain flow to it, which is wrapped round a them of a loving relationship; listening to the album makes this clear from the ups of ‘Wings’ to the lows of ‘No Angel’ creates not only a balance of style amongst the tracks but also helps the them flow. The album is definitely one to look out for with some of the tracks making it into the top 10 of the UK charts in no time. If you do give it a listen you’re certain to be wishing the tracks lasted longer as they are just that great.

FRANCIS MILLIGAN

THE 1975 The 1975 UNIVERSAL  The 1975 have finally dropped their hugely anticipated, self-titled debut album. The band have undergone several re-births (previously being The Slowdown, BigSleep and a few more) but have finally found their footing as The 1975.

Their upbeat, electro sound teamed with personal, autobiographical lyrics have made them pioneers of the comeback of 90s Britpop. Their previously released EPs have gained them legions of fans who have been counting down the days to this full studio record, and they’re sure to be thrilled with the final result. The album opens with a self-titled track, which serves as a great introduction to the LP, although it does end rather abruptly. This is followed by The City - an infectious, upbeat tune that is perfect for crowds to sing along to. The 1975 re-recorded single Sex for the album which was previously uploaded online under a different moniker. This new version of the tale of teenage lust is one of the highlights of the record and would be perfect for playing to a stadium crowd.

Radio friendly Chocolate is another highlight, with Matthew Healy’s vocals really shining through. There’s a few surprises on the album too, like M.O.N.E.Y which a tinge of R&B to it, and Talk!, whose fast, tangled rhythm smoothes out to an easy groove, which are a nice departure from the band’s signature sound.

The 1975’s debut has certainly been worth the wait and it’s easy to see why they’re the new band everyone’s talking about.

It will be interesting to see where they take it next.

LAURA DONALDSON

THE BANTER | 11

Music

DEAF HAVANA Old Souls BMG RIGHTS  Deaf Havana are not the young men they once were. The release of third studio album ‘Old Souls’ cements their transition not only into the big time but into manhood. One charming quality of the band has always been the ability to express feelings and emotions in their music and this has not changed by any stretch of the imagination on this album.

Opening track ‘Boston Square’ picks up where ‘Fools and Worthless Liars’ (2011) left off with the tale of a lost friend.

Relatively upbeat track ‘Everybody’s Dancing And I Want To Die’ explores the loneliness and insecurity of growing up but in a way that makes you want to dance away the pain. Tracks ‘Night Drives’ and ‘Lights’ highlight Veck-Gilodi’s outstanding vocals and ability to tell stories of alcohol fuelled woes, desperation and nostalgia in brilliant and relatable way.

‘Mildred (Lost A Friend)’ and ‘Kings Road Ghosts’ are definite highlights of the album. The former being a perfect example of Deaf Havana’s ability to write a powerful and catchy song and the latter bringing back the old sound we love so much.

Closing track ‘Caro Padre’ sees Veck-Gilodi open up about the relationship with his father in by far the most outstanding track of the album. Veck-Gilodi’s powerhouse vocals combined with the haunting gospel choir sets it above the rest. The lyrics are likely to bring a tear to even the most unwilling eye, taking this album above and beyond what Deaf Havana and bands of their kind have done in the past.

It becomes clear almost immediately on ‘Old Souls’ that Deaf Havana have found themselves. They have crafted an album that shows personal and professional growth with a more polished, albeit more radio friendly, sound. A sound that is welcoming to fans new and old. The boys have done it again.

HOLLY LENNON

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ELIZA DOOLITTLE In Your Hands PARLOPHONE  25 year old British singer-songwriter known as Eliza Doolittle, known for her chart dominating track Pack Up Your Troubles, is set to release her second studio album which has been titled In Your Hands.

The album features the recently released track Big When I Was Little, which has received positive reviews all round, however for people anticipating the album it is mostly the same as that track. The album is enjoyable to listen to but feels a little bit repetitive at times with its slightly cheesy but up beat and catchy pop feel. I do not wish to put anyone of this album in anyway, if a slight R&B feel to catchy up beat music is to your style then you’ll love this album. The whole album is balanced out incredible well from start to finish as it rises and falls at the correct time over the thirteen tracks on it. It gives of a feed good vibe and if you’re feeling happy it will certainly boost your mood even further, however you do need to be in the mood to listen to it. Eliza Doolittle has clearly put a lot of effort into this album to keep in consistent and fresh from her previous music but she has done so without straying away from her own sound. Tracks to listen out for have to be Hush & Team Player, these are the two tracks that could be listened to at any time happily.

FRANCIS MILLIGAN

THE DEER TRACKS The Archer Trilogy Pt. 3 THE CONTROL GROUP  The Archer Trilogy Pt.3 marks the final instalment of The Deer Tracks three record project. Two years ago, David Lehnberg and Elin Lindfors set themselves the somewhat ambitious task of recording a trio of albums in the space of just two years. And while some bands may struggle to record just one album in that time, The Deer Tracks already had two greatly received records under their belts before they started recording Pt.3.

Luckily the final part showcases some of their best material yet.

While the first album was very experimental and the second was heavily influenced by a more electronic sound, the latest record brings all that together in a wonderful way.

Coming in at just under a minute long, III opens up the album with a beautiful display of the Swedish duos voices and shows us just how compatible they really are together. W quickly follows and Elin’s haunting voice is given even more chance to shine through the electronic back drop of the song.

Astral Ship, one of the most accessible tracks, proves to be the most upbeat of the ten songs. And if you’re not too familiar with David and Elin then it’s a good place to start. Lazarus starts off as a weird, slightly dark, pop song but come the middle of the track and feels like you’re in the middle of a full on European rave. It takes a few listens to get your head around it fully but it actually comes out as one of the highlights.

Closing the album is Road To. It’s a bittersweet song that brings this two year project to an end but also gives up something to look forward to. What The Deer Tracks choose to do next is anyone’s guess but after this it’s going to be special.

SARAH MOYES

Music

JAMES BLUNT Moon Landing ATLANTIC  James Blunt is set to release his fourth studio album ‘Moon Landing’ on Atlantic Record this October 21st. Its been three years since we last saw a studio album from him when he released ‘Some Kind of Trouble’ in 2010 boasting one of his hit tracks Stay the Night.

Moon Landing is produced by Tom Rothrock, who worked with James on his multi-platinum selling debut studio album ‘Back to Bedlam’, and Martin Terefe.

I suspect that the new album will be a strong contender within the UK album charts when it is first released as the work that has been put into this album is incredible.

James Blunt has already released a single from the album along with its music video. Bonfire Hearts was added to YouTube on August 28th and I must say, since its release it has been incredibly difficult to stop listening to it, along with other tracks on the album such as Miss America and Blue on Blue.

Every James Blunt Album has that one track that everyone will remember and then there is that one hidden track that everyone will learn to know and fall in love with. The one track from this album that will be most successful in my opinion is certainly Bonfire Hearts, its just fantastic! Always Hate Me, the ninth track from the album is James Blunt’s hidden gem for this album its incredibly easy on the ears and an instant classic for James.

The album has its strong up beat track that you cant help but tap along and feel the beat to but its complimented well with soft mellow tracks like Blue on Blue, the whole album has a nice balance.

FRANCIS MILLIGAN

MIKILL PANE Blame Miss Barclay VIRGIN EMI  Mikill Pane’s name has been around for some time now, having worked with UK artists such as pal Ed Sheeran and Paloma Faith but now it’s time for him to take centre stage. The Hackney rapper’s debut album Blame Miss Barclay was produced with Jake Gosling (who has previously worked with One Direction and Wiley) and is an insight into the journey of growing up in London today.

The album opener, which is also the record’s title track, launches the listener into a huge rock/rap crossover and tells the story of the English teacher who inspired Justin Smith Uzomba to one day become Mikill Pane.

The next track, Roll On, has a more reggae beat while Summer In The City shows more diversity with a pop sound and a definite hint of The Streets. Dirty Rider is another fun track about bicycles - cleverly thought out to have the rhythm of the track reflect that of a bike.

Not all the songs are cheeky, pop tracks though as a darker side is unveiled through Lucky, a piano-assisted tale of a shady drug dealer.

This character shows up again in I’ve Realised, another thoughtprovoker. Through this album, Pane has managed to perfectly encapsulate stories, characters and a whole scene. Overall, Blame Miss Barclay is definitely an interesting debut - flipping between fun and dark - and shows Pane’s wordplay and wit is almost unbeatable.

The light tracks are a great listen and the darker ones will leave you thinking long after the music has stopped. A name to watch out for.

LAURA DONALDSON

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Interview

INTERVIEW

KIDS IN GLASS 14 | THE BANTER

Interview

HOUSES INTERVIEW BY NATASHA REID

THE BANTER | 15

Interview

I

t has been two years since we last heard from the five piece, rock euphoria that is Kids in Glass Houses. For a band that I can proudly confess has dominated my love for music for at least the last five or six years, it has definitely felt like a long time coming. I have not really known what to do with my iPod and found myself going back to relive some of my favourites from Smart Casual and Dirt. And it would seem Kids in Glass Houses have done the same.

Following from the deep and dark sound of Gold Blood, the band bring their fourth album to the mix entitled “Peace,” which Aled Phillips - lead singer, tells us is something a bit different to that of Gold Blood. “I think it’s a lot more fun.

Gold Blood was really something that we got a bit creative with and went off on a bit of a tangent with. It wasn’t what people expected from us and it was a bit serious, especially when we were playing it live. With this album we wanted to write something that is a lot more direct and a lot more fun.”

Due for release on September 30th, Kids also took a different approach to making the album with Iain, guitarist, recently developing his own skill set in recording. The vast majority of the album was largely put together in Iain’s front room. “It was really just all done ourselves. We didn’t collaborate with a producer in the studio as such. It was kind of the easiest writing process I think we have had and it was the most prepared we have been going into the studio. It can be quite stressful going into the studio with sort of half an album whereas this time we knew what we had to do and had it mapped out.”

“Peace” could finally be an insight into a band that has offered us such a wealth of lyrically great songs before. The tracks to come however are a bit more in touch with the experience of both Aled himself and the band. “I’ve always been a bit reluctant to be autobiographical with lyrics and I’ve always felt a bit uncomfortable about feelings too much I think. I don’t know if that’s just with being a bit older or being in a band where you want to make music for more people to relate to easier. This one just ended up being a lot more autobiographical and easier to read into I think. It is a lot about things that have happened in my life and stuff that has happened as a band over the last year or so as well.”

Kids in Glass Houses have never been shy to experiment with their music. From the flirtatious pop sound of Smart Casual, to the anthemic grand scale sounds of Dirt, to the deep and rawness of Gold Blood. What will ‘Peace’ offer?

The truth is ‘Peace’ will be combining everything that the band have learned and explored so far with an added twist. “As much of a cliché as this is, it is just kind of mixes everything we have ever done really. The last album was a very standard rock album but we took the darkness of that and applied that pop stuff we’ve done before and added electronic elements as well to fill the gaps. So rather than putting in four guitars to make one sound, we only did like two guitars and added electronic just to make it a bit more interesting and a bit more dense.”

16 | THE BANTER

For those who can’t wait to hear the defining sound of Kids in Glass Houses so far, a hint of this can be heard on their first single to be released from the album, ‘Drive.’ “It was the first song we wrote for the album or the first song where we thought this is what we want to do with the album. It definitely captures the spirit of a lot of the album that had that electro element but is also kind of heavy pop I guess.

We kind of decided as soon as we had written it that it was how we seen us going forward. A bit of a no-brainer for us really.”

With a second single due to be released before the album, title track ‘Peace,’ new and existing fans have already embraced the new direction Kids in Glass Houses have went and like ever, supported what they do. “It has been amazing actually. We didn’t really know what to expect. A few songs on our last album, I guess didn’t get the reaction that we were hoping for or we were used to because they were so different. We didn’t know what to expect from people listening to us now. It is kind of overwhelming really.“ With an exciting new album just around the corner comes an exciting new headline tour and that is when Kids in Glass Houses are really in their element. One of the best bands I have seen perform live, they will be headlining The Garage in Glasgow on October 5th this year. “We’ve played the Garage loads of times. We’ve done pretty much everywhere, The Barrowlands, o2 Academy, the SECC, but the Garage has always been one of our favourites because it is quite small and intimate but also a good setup with a big enough stage to move around and see the whole crowd.”

Playing the o2 ABC on their last tour with Gold Blood, Kids in Glass Houses never fail to play a great set and engage with the crowd. Not only this, the band also got in touch with their artistic side and created a world onstage of neon paint and fluorescent lighting. It was undoubtedly a spectacular show with an underground, intimate feel exceeding all expectations. How does a band top that? “To be honest, I don’t know. We just spent shit loads of money on our last tour. I think at times that tour felt a bit too serious and had a lot of people on stage. It was really fun to push ourselves and do something that was really ambitious on stage. But at the moment, we’re just really enjoying having the five of us on stage playing new songs and just taking it back to basics for a while.”

But it is never just basic at any gig in Glasgow and Kids in Glass Houses agree saying Scottish crowds at gigs are, “The best crowd in the UK. We’re never afraid of telling any magazine that. It’s just the way it is.“ Despite their compliments of the Scottish crowds, their presence, for a second year in a row, was certainly missed this year at T in the Park. “When it was on this year, my twitter feed was just exploding with news and I just wanted to be there. The weather was amazing as well. But we’re always, always keen to do T in the Park. Hopefully next year if all goes to plan.”

Interview They may not have played our T in the Park this year but they did make appearances at smaller scale festivals including Slam Dunk. A while away from when they played V Festival in 2011. “It’s kind of weird. V Festival was a one off and we had had quite a commercial year with Radio 1 and we had also done a song with Frankie from the Saturdays so it just came from that. Slam Dunk has always been close to our hearts being one of the first festivals we ever did. We came from that scene however many years ago. For us, we love doing Reading and T in the Park and that cross section that has a bit of everything and when we come off there we really feel like we have achieved something huge.”

label and doing a song with a popstar - they’re really going to want to release that as a single. But I’d never write off doing it again I don’t think. There are a lot of cool things you can do with collaborations.”

Unlike most bands these days, Kids in Glass Houses did not rely on social media to build their fan base. They started from the bottom, working hard, supporting bands including Lostprophets. “Obviously some people are just sort of born to be rockstars and just take the easy route I think. A lot of bands need that education of seeing how bigger bands deal with crowds. It is not easy to be a support band when you’re starting out and people don’t know you. It’s definitely an education trying to work with other people and playing to crowds bigger than you’re used to. You have to lean all these things and it was great having a more experienced band go on after us and you can watch them from the side of the stage and see how it works. Even like the mechanics of touring, seeing how hard it is to put on a tour and having that understanding and respect for all the crew.”

Having also had well established bands support them such as Boys Like Girls, it was hard to think of a band that they haven’t already played with but would be a good match.

But of course, Scotland’s best rock band, Biffy Clyro came to mind and a tour with both bands is something current fans and anyone with a general appreciation for rock music should be excited about. “It would be awesome to do a tour with Biffy. We have seen them a few times and actually met them at V festival. They are an amazing band and seem like really awesome people as well so that would be good.”

Their appearance at V Festival and the collaboration with Frankie from The Saturday’s was a brief period I, and presumably a lot of other long term fans, found odd to say the least. But it shows just how diverse Kids in Glass Houses and how they are unafraid of risk taking. When asked if they would make similar moves in the future, Aled was quick to never say never. “I would never write it off. It was kind of frustrating because we didn’t really want to do Undercover Lover as a single as such. We wanted to do a song with Frankie but thought it would be cooler just as something on the album that people had to go out and find for themselves rather than it being thrown out into the public and us being defined by it for a short amount of time. In another way we had to understand that being with a record

It has been seven years since Kids In Glass Houses brought to us their first EP, E-Pocalypse. But seven years has passed incredibly fast and the achievements that they have under their belt are incredible. “Getting a record deal in the first place. That is something we kind of forget how massive a deal that was. To come from the welsh valleys and get a record contract, not just with anyone, but a label that was such a big part of our musical up bringing I guess.

Obviously playing Reading, T in the Park in 2010. That was the point we went from just being a band some people knew to being a band that a lot of people knew. It went a bit crazy and it was like a whirlwind really and had a lot of amazing things happen at once. Going to Japan and Australia, seeing the world through the eyes of a band is a massive privilege.”

What I love most about Kids in Glass Houses, despite having traveled the world and playing some of the biggest festivals out there, they are very much still a grounded, solid rock band that clearly still love what they do. So many bands these days get a taste of America or Asia and you don’t see or hear from them for so long. Fame in general can change the direction for bands and artists dramatically. They forget where they started and what they started with. Kids in Glass Houses remain as they did when I first heard them and to me, they have made some of the best music in my generation. I hope they never stop.

THE BANTER | 17

Interview

NEWTON FAULKNER 18 | THE BANTER

INTERVIEW BY ROSIE 0’NEILL

Interview

W

ith a number one album and a world tour under his belt from 2012, Newton Faulkner knew he had a lot to live up to. Aware of the obvious pressures of making an album, Newton added a little more to this by live-streaming the entire recording process of Studio Zoo. “I’ve never worked this hard in my life; everything’s been totally non-stop. It’s pretty crazy” said Newton.

Faulkner opened up to his fans by putting cameras in the rooms of his home where he was making the album Studio Zoo. This allowed them a true insight into the work of the artist – how much time and stress goes into the process of writing and recording music. Newton feels that the filming idea started off very small and ended up a lot bigger than his initial thoughts. Judging by the videos, making an album isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Newton said: “In the beginning it was really hard to get past the fact there were cameras recording me. It was actually really intense filming in that way for such a long period of time.

“Once I got passed the initial ‘weirdness’ of the cameras, it didn’t take long to get used to it. It was weirder when it all stopped if I’m being completely honest. I was insanely nervous about the whole thing, until I started working; then it seemed to just fall into place. It’s funny because I was always cautious of my language, so after nine o’clock I would have small swearing celebrations.”

By his own admission, Newton has still been promoting his number one album Write It On Your Skin; which proved a massive success, not only in the UK. “There’s been so much going on since last year, I’ve never worked this hard in my life. I’ve been so busy and seem to have just gone with it into the next album, I guess that’s the best way to do it” he said.

It’s apparent that he’s gone for a different sound with this album, compared to the last. Studio Zoo has a very raw and honest tone to it; which may have something to do with the fact he enabled people to watch the making of the record.

There was simply no hiding for the musician. He said: “It’s definitely different. I’ve gone back to my roots with this one; and by that I mean my prehistoric roots. I’ve rewound to what I was doing before anyone knew my name, because that’s the music people want me to make.

“The majority of the album is just me and a guitar, literally.

This meant I had to step up my game in both of these things, it wouldn’t have worked if one of them was just average. I had to make the largest leap in my guitar playing to allow me to throw enough sound onto the tracks. The songs don’t sound any smaller though and this is because the guitar parts are so complicated.”

Newton also admitted that previously, there’s been

some conflict between his public and private personas.

Consequently, he let the cameras in 24/7 in order to normalise his life as a musician. “I have to admit, the people that would have watched this will know me better than some of the people closest to me; because you get to see me at my best and my worst.”

On his inspirations behind the album, Faulkner finds it hard to pinpoint exactly what inspired him: “I actually don’t know what inspired me because I purposely didn’t listen to anything else when I was making it. It had to all come from me; I really didn’t want to follow anything.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always draw influences from things I love but I wanted to make my music, not a copy of anybody else’s.”

The musician takes great pride in this album and claims it’s his best yet. He also feels too attached to the record to choose a favourite track. “I can’t pick a favourite yet. It’s all too fresh for me; I can’t separate myself from how much work went into every single note, never mind a full song.”

Faulkner first came onto the music scene back in 2007 with his single Dream Catch Me. In the industry today, it’s crucial for artists to evolve in what they do. Newton said: “Vocally this is a huge step up from anything I’ve ever done.

As I said, my guitar playing has improved a lot. Writing wise, I was advised to do the same as the first album but what I was doing before was to build up a radio identity. I felt layered as a person and not really like me, it was very confusing.

“My live performances have never really changed but my intention has been to bridge the gap between live and the recording side of things. I’m a lot more in control now.”

He’s definitely no stranger to the live music scene, as it appears he’s never really off the road. Newton says touring is probably the best part of it for him and he holds a special place in his heart for Scotland.

“I have two days off at some point before the end of this year, which is a long time for me. I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself. I hear about people going on holiday for like two weeks but to me that is just crazy, it would feel like a lifetime.

“I love playing in Scotland; it’s one of my favourite places to play. I have a mentally weird thing with Scotland, it’s such a relaxing place to be. I want to die there, which sounds absolutely insane but I do. It’s just got such a chilled out feel to it.”

Newton Faulkner has proved he can produce an album in the space of two weeks, while under complete public scrutiny; something not many artists could do. With a work ethic like his and such an honest personality – it’s hard not to fall in love with what he does.

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Music

GIG reviews

PHOTOS BY DAREN BORZYNSKI

THE 1975 O2 ABC, Glasgow GIG REVIEW

The 1975 stopped off to play Glasgow’s O2ABC for part of their UK wide headline tour.

Hitting the stage after robbing the wardrobe of the angst ridden teenage outcast from an 80’s John Hughes movie, The 1975 had the predominately teenage female audience screaming with excitement.

This gig was already a sell out even before the release of 20 | THE BANTER

their self-titled debut album, and with the album instantly hitting the No. 1 spot in the UK the audience could look forward to ‘The City’ and ‘Girls’.

Their sound of alternative rock with a measure of synth pop is nothing original, but they have brought their own style and swagger with it. It was a great performance from The 1975, they will grow on you, and will have you hooked with ‘Sex’ & ‘Chocolate’.

Music

EELS O2 ABC, Glasgow GIG REVIEW

The want within me to start this article with a pun about a ‘Shocking Eels Gig’ or an ‘Electrifying Night with the Eels’ has been difficult due to the fact the night was just that, electrifying.

Everyone entering what used to be one of Glasgow’s hot spot cinemas knowing that the five-piece band who kicked up a garagey racket from the off, fronted by Mark Oliver Everett aka E, gave the whole room an electrifying feel.

After a pre warm up act that can only be described as border line Amsterdam window show we were graced with the talents of South London’s up and coming singer song writer Misty Miller. She set the mood nicely for The Eels to take the stage and rock the ABC like it hasn’t been rocked in a long hard time.

They appeared on stage and all were rather disturbingly kitted out in identical tracksuits, shades and facial fuzz, like some weird cult, which rather suited them. Opening with a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Oh Well created an atmosphere that will stand the test of time within the ABC. The crowd were hyped up to here some old classics along with stuff from their most recent album Wonderful, Glorious and they weren’t disappointed with the selection of songs presented to them.

everyone was singing with The Eels just for Mark Oliver Everett himself. It was sung from and to the stage with love.

After things had been brought back to a calm it was sadly almost the end of the show. It was time for a group hug then to head backstage ready to pounce out again for their encore.

Their eagerness to ignore their managers restrictions meant they performed several successive encores, telling the audience “Damn we can do this all f***ing night if we God damn want to’ made the fans come alive more than the had been prior to now. The encore kicked out My Beloved Monster with Mr E’s Beautiful Blues, for true Eels fans it was a sadder sound as it showed they love these songs not for their featuring within the movie of Shrek but for their true musical stature.

After a while E himself stated “thats an awful lot of rock” and decided to shake things up a bit giving the audience a range of variety and added in a couple of his light hearted pop tracks “for the ladies” which went down a treat for all, not just the ladies.

After most of the crowd had they waited until all but few remained for a ‘secret’ encore of Dog Faced Boy accompanied by the burlesque styled dancers we seen as a pre warm up act at the start of the evening. I have to give it to anybody who hires dancing girls with 1950s hair, style, costumes and moves that would shock you, purely for a warm up and an encore.

E led took the group through various tracks such as Fresh Feeling, The Sound of Fear and into the rockabilly riot of Souljacker part 1. After a menacing Peach Blossom, E also allowed the group to pause and introduce themselves in an original and amusing way, each member of the band had their own song to sing from The Who’s Who are you to the Beatles Let It ‘E’ which both got the crowd joining in synchronized harmony, was somewhat surreal knowing

E has been rocking out for over 20 years producing over 20 albums yet he still has the ability to leave a city such as Glasgow left ecstatic with a gig such as that. I can personally say I will never sing Let It Be by The Beatles the same again, as I assumer others wont be able to either. The Eels at the O2 ABC get a well deserved 4 stars pushing its way into a gig to remember for all who went, you cannot help but admire Mark Oliver Everett.

FRANCIS MILLIGAN

THE BANTER | 21

Music

WIZ KHALIFA O2 Academy, Glasgow GIG REVIEW

If there Wiz there was, and he had Glasgow rocking inside the great venue that is the O2 Academy. Before the main man took the stage we were in the more than capable hands of Tuki Carter and then in the even more crowd friendly capable hands of the rapping sensation that is Trinidad James.

Tuki Carter got the crowd going crazy within a matter of minutes just by running around crazy and rapping at the same time.

Tuki then handed the stage over to the stylish and talented, Trinidad James.

He then began to build the eager crowd up to their highest point possible before Wiz made his way to centre stage. Trinidad James had the O2’s bass levels at an all time maximum in my opinion as I could feel every part of me buzz with every crisp beat.

One lucky Trinidad fan was brought on stage and given the t-shirt that Trinidad James was wearing and then kept on stage to jump around crazy along side him.

After the DJ change over and the band members took their positions the lights became even more dim and from a cloud of smoke, possibly created by him, Wiz Khalifa appeared sporting some of the strangest attire possible but that went undetected to the fans as the cheers, howls and applause overwhelmed Wiz enough that he could barely say an opening line.

The whole evening went without hiccup and Wiz performed to his highest of ability helped with a four-piece backing group including a drummer, bassist, plus a large amount of strong stagehands who would clear the stage

of any discarded matter thrown as a token of appreciation from the audience.

In between tracks there was lashing streams of water from his numerous bottles placed by the speakers, thrown across the most excited crowd I have ever seen. Each track sharply detached from the other but was finessed by Wiz’s continual pelvis thrusting, especially when it came to Its Nothin, another track which got the crowd going crazy.

After an incredibly version of Black and Yellow, the track that really lit his career up by making him mainstream in 2010, Wiz asked ten or so of his close friends, team mates and fellow Taylor Gang members to come to the stage to take a bow alongside him, putting a perfect close to the evening and to Wiz Khalifa’s excellent gig that ‘blazed’ Glasgow up on a cold Tuesday night.

FRANCIS MILLIGAN

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Music

WHEATUS Kings Tuts, Glasgow GIG REVIEW

A lot’s happened since Wheatus first came onto the scene with their debut album in 2000. Their first couple of songs ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ and ‘A Little Respect’ were huge hits in the UK charting at number 2 and 3 respectively. But unless you actively kept up with the band, you might be mistaken for thinking they faded away, when they’ve actually released 5 solid records since they were beaten to number 1 by Atomic Kitten all those years ago. Luckily for the band, the shows on their latest UK tour have been selling out, and the one at Kings Tuts has also done just that.

Taking to the stage first was Ventura Project aka Joey and Mike. The duo are used to making music from different sides of the Atlantic, with Joey based in England and Mike in New York. But tonight they’re finally together in the same place, playing their first batch of live shows. Their music echoes a sweet dreamy indie pop sound that you can easily love, and while the band is still finding their feet playing live, they’re definitely worth keeping track of.

Next up was Gabreille Sterbenz, who has been doing backing vocals for Wheatus for the past couple of years. Her soothing vocals show of her fantastic voice in all its glory and the crowd lap it up instantly. It’s not what you would imagine from a typical Wheatus support act but Gabreille’s wonderfully mellow music is a joy from start to finish.

MC Lars is in his element as he takes to the stage. There’s a clear group of hard core fans at the front of the crowd sporting his t-shirts and having already toured with Wheatus before, most know exactly who he is. He powered through some of his finest songs like ‘Hurricane Fresh’, ‘Mr Raven’ and pulled up Brendan from Wheatus to supply vocals for the extremely catchy ‘Download This Song’. But it’s when Lars asks the audience to hold up objects he can freestyle about that you really get an idea of just how talented he is.

Haim O2 ABC, Glasgow

12th December

Jake Bugg O2 Academy, Glasgow

31st October

As Wheatus take to the stage, the cheers from the audience are almost deafening as they launch into their first song.

Their set is a complete mix of their whole discography with songs like ‘Leroy’ from their debut record through to Gabrielle Aplin songs from their latest album ‘The Valentine Lp’, which was released earlier this year.They throw in some covers too from their anthem ‘A Little Respect’ by Erasure, teenage singO2 ABC, Glasgow along classic ‘Basket Case’ by Green Day and the surprise 2nd November hit of the night ‘Little Things’ by One Direction. The latter only making sense when you find out the British boy band have been covering ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ on their world tour for the past few months, bringing a Wheatus a whole new generation of fans at the same time. And speaking of that song, Wheatus keep it to the end of their set as the crowd join in singing every word along with them.

The fact Wheatus can still stand on stage thirteen years after their debut record and play to a sold out crowd says a lot about their music. And if it doesn’t prove their still doing something right, then i’m not sure what will.

SARAH MOYES

Union J Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow

7th January

KT Tunstall O2 Academy, Glasgow

21st November

Lissie O2 ABC, Glasgow

24th October

Imagine Dragons O2 Academy, Glasgow

15th November

Nina Nesbitt O2 ABC, Glasgow

16th October THE BANTER | 23

Interview

INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS BY DAREN BORZYNSKI

INTERVIEW:

RADKEY 24 | THE BANTER

T

hese guys are serious! - about their music, anime & having fun. To be honest, I didn’t know anything about Radkey before someone told me to look out for them on an upcoming Jools Holland show. It really captured my interest, because this trio of young brothers gave a performance that audiences yearn for.

The Banter managed to meet up with Radkey in Glasgow’s King Tuts as part of their supporting tour with Drenge.

Firstly, I wanted to know: How can three young brothers get into music together? Growing up, all brothers in families I knew went on to do different things and fought about it, too. Isaiah (18), the middle brother, explained: “We are all home schooled, so that made us abnormally close to each other. Dee (20) had used my bass to fill in or a cover band, and he did really well.

So I decided we should start a band. I would play the bass, Dee would play guitar and Sol (16) could play drums, and it just worked out. We decided to practise everyday, or we wouldn’t get Christmas presents or something like that.”

Was their style of music down to previous influences? Isaiah: “My first song was Monkey Wrench by the Foo Fighters, when I was like 3 years old. Maybe that was a sign. I’m not sure if it was my first experience of music, but that’s the one I remember.

School of Rock, that movie was one that really got everyone into playing. So I would say that’s a benchmark.”

Their music is sometimes described as Rock, Metal, Hardcore, Grunge & Punk. I wanted to know what Radkey thought about it themselves. Isaiah: ”I can dig that, Grunge & Punk. Lets call it Grunk, Grunk Rock.”

Had there been in arguing between the brothers of what type of music they played? Isaiah: “We just decided early on we would do whatever we did, what came out, and this happened.”

How did your family feel about your playing loud music? Isaiah: “They were really supportive, It’s just a bizarre family we have.”

It’s 10 days before the release of only their second E.P. entitled ‘Devil Fruit’, but Radkey have received lots of praise and high profile fans. How do such young men `feel about this attention? “We love it, we are so stoked that people are digging the music we are doing. It’s just an amazing feeling that something that comes out of your brain, people are actually digging.”

The ‘Devil Fruit’ E.P. was recorded in Kansas City with Joel Nanos at Element Studios and then fully realised, mixed and mastered

by Rory Attwell (best known for recording/engineering/mixing the debut albums of Palma Violets and The Vaccines). ‘Devil Fruit’ features four tracks of stomping, anthemic strutting punk’n’roll that is part Ramones energy, part Danzig croon and part Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster noise.

Lead track ‘Romance Dawn’ starts slow and brooding, before accelerating and exploding into life – a rush of energy and chanted vocals, with a melodic hook that worms its way into your brain and stays there. ‘Little Man’ is next, and the

Interview three brothers use it as a chance to tell their mother’s father what they think of him. “He was an all round bad father and grandfather,” admits vocalist Dee. ”He never showed one shred of support.”

The remaining two tracks ‘Start Freaking Out’ (“A song about cutting loose and not worrying about what people think about you,” explains Dee) and ‘Overwhelmed’ (“About a guy that’s been through so much that he suddenly doesn’t care anymore”) resonate with power, adrenalin, attitude.

Isaiah explained: “We watch lots of Anime, and there is a show ‘One Piece’, and the thing that they eat to get powers is called Devil Fruit, so we named it ‘Devil Fruit’.”

Are any of the songs linked to Anime? Isaiah: “Only one, ‘Romance Dawn’, and that’s linked to that same Anime.” For me, Anime is a fast, hyper and explosive style of in your face cartoon, and it must be an influence on their style of music.

“That’s maybe why we are drawn to Anime, there are lots of stories and genres more to choose from. The stories also go on longer.”

With their recent appearance on Jools Holland, where lots of well renowned bands have previously played, did Radkey know who Jools was before playing? “We had researched the show quite a bit before we had been on it, although we hadn’t known about it until we got booked. It feels amazing, as they say it is really hard to get on Jools Holland.”

This is only their second visit to the UK, but first into Scotland.

What were their first impressions?

Isaiah: “All the hills and lochs, it all looks beautiful, we really dig it here.”

Dee: “Really cool buildings, and the weather is cool, too.”

Isaiah: “We haven’t managed to see much of it yet, only driving to Glasgow.

Although they did have a trip over to Dundee the following day, so hopefully they do manage to see more of Scotland.

Coming from St Joseph, Missouri, did they know much about us, or just what is shown on film - that we all wear kilts and look like the characters from ‘Brave’? “We don’t at least, I’m not sure if other people do. Although I would love to see a kilt at some point.”

How would they take my suggestion that lots of punk bands in the 80’s wore tartan, would they go for it? “I would wear a kilt.”

I think seeing any of Radkey don the kilt on stage in Scotland would go down extremely well. Go for it on your next visit, Isaiah!

After this tour, what’s next for Radkey? “As soon as we get back home, we are going to start working on our first full length. If everything goes according to plan, hopefully it will be out next April. Then hopefully a headline tour to follow.”

Dee and Solomon had been sitting quietly and patient whilst Isaiah answered my questions. I thought it was only fair that

THE BANTER | 25

Interview

they have something to make a bit of noise about.

Dee, as young men do, has decided to learn how to read, write and speak Japanese. “I’m learning Japanese because of Anime.

After I started studying it, I got more into the culture. It started slow, but I manage to understand it more and create sentences in my head. I can understand my Japanese friend a lot more and have little conversations.” I can see a pattern forming now, Dee wearing a kimono, Isaiah a kilt.

I wondered if because of Dee being a vocalist and learning lyrics, did he think this helped him to understand languages easier? “I think its a lot easier, you can also use your imagination to put stuff to the words to make it easier to remember.”

Isaiah, by his own admission, “watches a shit ton of movies.”

Some of his favourite directors include Guy Ritchie, Robert Rodriguez & Wes Anderson. “I liked Rodriguez’s grind-house stuff, and Guy Ritchie’s Snatch, it’s one of my favourite movies ever. RocknRolla, and even the Sherlocks, were decent.”

Did he have a favourite film? “A Clockwork Orange.” Not what I expected, the film is 24 years old than Isaiah. He went on to add: “My dad saw it when he was 7.”

Solomon also has a favourite with Hot Fuzz, and Isaiah suggested that Dee’s favourite was Shrek 3, although Dee did laugh that one off.

Did Solomon play drums because he likes to hammer the keys 26 | THE BANTER

to his favourite computer games? Solomon replied: “I tried to play two other instruments before the drums, but they didn’t suit me. I do like to play Halo, Mario games, Elder Scrolls and RPG’s.”

I also quizzed Isaiah on his love of sports, Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs. “Baseball, American Football, yeah. I tweet the Chiefs almost every week and haven’t had a hit back yet. They are all happy that the Chiefs are 4-0 at the moment, 4 wins, zero loses for anyone that doesn’t follow the sport. They did laugh at me when I told them I liked the Miami Dolphins.

Just to point out, they have won their first 3 games, first time in over 10 years!”

Radkey are hoping to catch a football (soccer) match when they are back down in London, although they don’t really follow soccer.

My impression on meeting Radkey is that they are just down to earth, genuine young men who enjoy what they do. No fake answers or anything that sounds remotely prescripted. They are also very likeable.

I may be showing my age by saying I bought Green Day’s Basket Case on tape when it was released. Back then, probably no one predicted the rise to the stadium fillers they have become. Time will only tell what the future holds for Radkey.

Next stop, T in the Park?

Life has its ups and downs You can talk confidentially online or by phone whenever you need to.

Whatever your worry, it’s better out than in.

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Interview

UNION J 28 | THE BANTER

INTERVIEW BY ROSIE O’NEILL

Interview

A

fter coming fourth in last year’s X Factor, Union J have shown that winning the show doesn’t count for everything in your music career. In fact, they’ve shown that falling short of first place can sometimes work out better for the artist. With a top ten debut single, an album, a book deal and a UK tour fast approaching, Union J are certainly at the top of their game.

George Shelley spoke with The Banter on behalf of his fellow band mates; Josh Cuthbert, Jaymi Hensley and JJ Hamblett, on what life after X Factor consists of.

First and foremost, what’s it like being a member of one of the hottest boybands of the moment?

“It’s something I don’t think I could even begin to describe.

It’s mental. If you look back, it’s a massive turnaround from what we were doing last year, I wasn’t even originally in the band so it’s just something I never imagined happening.”

How would you describe your experience as a group on the X Factor?

“It’s kind of like a rollercoaster; if you know what I mean. One minute you feel great because your feedback was good and everyone’s congratulating you, then it gets to the Sunday and you’re completely down because there’s a risk you’re leaving the competition or one of your friends are. The whole experience is very stressful and pretty tiring but it’s definitely one of the best platforms for new artists.”

Have you caught up on this year’s series? Is there any crucial advice you could give the hopefuls?

“I’ve not had much time so I’ve only seen bits of it. Shelley is amazing. She was on the show last year with us so I know she really deserves it this time. I would just tell people to enjoy every minute of it and take it as it comes because before you know it, it’s all over.”

‘Beautiful Life’ is the second single you have due for release. Tell us a bit about that…

“Yeah, that will be released on October 20th. We actually heard this song before we started the show and just fell in love with it. We knew we really wanted to use it but had to wait for the right time and obviously that’s now.”

The album is due for release on October 28th. How does that feel?

“It’s starting to sink in a bit more now actually, it’s just incredible to be releasing an album though. It’s something we’re all extremely proud of because it’s so different. You know when you get songs on an album and think ‘that’s a bit of a curveball’; well our whole album feels like a curveball, nothing sounds the same.”

Can you tell me about the making of the album?

“To be honest, it was probably one of the most chilled out and relaxed experiences of my life. It was a really fun thing to do, which I didn’t expect. For example, I could be in the studio recording vocals and one of the others will be in the next room watching football, playing the PlayStation or something. It was sort of like a holiday [laughs]. Everyone, including the people we worked with on the album, was so

chilled the whole time.”

Were there any specific inspirations behind the album?

“Because there are four of us we all have a different inspiration, that’s probably why the album is so diverse.

Some of the people we based it on were Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Kings of Leon. So yeah, it’s quite a mix.”

You’ve also signed a book deal. Can you tell us a bit about that?

“We signed a book deal with Penguin. The book is simply to give fans more of an insight into what we done before X Factor. Our fans know what we done as such, but it tells them a bit more about our families, our hometowns and what used to be our lives.”

Is your success something you could have predicted?

“No. All of this is a dream come true- which sounds totally cliché, but it is. I mean, we have our own dolls coming out, it’s crazy.”

You’re obviously aware that the competition in the music industry for boybands just now is very strong. What separates Union J from the likes of One Direction?

“Every boyband out there just now has something different to offer. It’s down to the songs and style of music each of us goes for I guess. Personally, we feel that we focus a lot more on our vocals, rather than styling, image dance routines, like other people. The One Direction comparison is something we got a lot at the beginning, but that’s kind of died down now.”

As a band you have a million followers on Twitter. Do you ever get negative comments rather than positive feedback on there?

“In the whole year of being with the boys, I don’t think I’ve seen anything negative on Twitter. We get so many nice messages from our fans and it allows us to see how they feel about the music. While we were on the X Factor, we would get a lot of Tweets from One Direction fans making comments on whether they thought we were similar or not. It was never really anything nasty, more of an observation.”

Can you briefly sum up the upcoming events for Union J? “Right now we’re doing book signings for the release of that.

Next it will be the release of Beautiful Life, which is followed by our album. Over the Christmas period we’re touring the UK so everyone needs to come along to that!”

THE BANTER | 29

Interview

DEAF HAVANA INTERVIEW BY HOLLY LENNON

30 | THE BANTER

Interview

T

he phrase ‘long time coming’ springs to mind when I think of Deaf Havana. It’s been a long eight years since the band formed at their local college. In the early days they were the British equivalent of Alexisonfire with a mix of screaming and beautiful, beautiful vocals.

But as the years have gone on, and the band lost their resident ‘screamer’, they have developed into a strong alternative rock band with emotionally driven and powerful lyrics.

Lead singer James Veck-Gilodi propels the band’s sound with lyrics that are both heart stopping in honesty and exceptionally relevant to fans. Their break-out album ‘Fools and Worthless Liars’ reached number one in the UK rock chart in2011, officially marking their entrance into the big time. New album ‘Old Souls’ is set to gain them the mainstream recognition they rightly deserve and is currently (as I write) sitting at number nine in the official album chart. Not only are they on their third album – they have released an auto-biographical DVD ‘English Hearts’ excusive to the new CD which follows the band back to the English countryside where they began.

The Banter spoke to lead singer James to see how he is feeling following the release of the new album.

Did you feel more pressure over this album because there was more anticipation than with the others?

There was kind of less pressure than last time – I put less pressure on myself this time so it was kind of easier to write. I did feel it obviously but it was quite relaxed, I found it quite easy.

The album contains some darker lyrics; would you say it is a more mature sounding album?

Yeah I think before I didn’t know what I wanted to write, I just wrote what came out. I think with this one I sat down and really thought about it. I think it has evolved into better song writing. It’s a bit more influenced by people I actually listen to – obviously there is a bit of Bruce Springsteen and stuff like that. It is more mature I think.

The lyrics are quite personal – does this make them more difficult to perform?

It’s kind of the opposite; it kind of makes it easy because I know I can mean every single word that I say. Every song I write feels like a release - like a weight off my shoulders.

For me it’s just really nice to write about stuff that I really mean.

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Interview

How was it working with Youth on this record?

It was really good! He is one of they people that there is no one on earth remotely like him, he is insane. We heard horror stories that he was really harsh and quite demanding in the studio but he was really nice and relaxed. He just got on with us really well and we worked really well together.

He thinks of songs in such a different way to me. When I write a song I think of the main bulk of the song like the verses and the chorus. When he thinks of it he sees so many layers and he puts all these weird atmospheric sounds in the background. It works so well because he is a genius.

the studio we just decided to do two sessions with them.

I like the way it sounds. It was nice to expand with more musicians and stuff because it’s something we’ve never done before.

How did the idea for a DVD come about?

Where we’re from is such a remote part of England, no one really realises that when we tell them so we just wanted to show people what we’ve been through. It was always something we wanted to do but we never could afford to do it.

I was at your last Glasgow show and it was pretty amazing – how do you find the Scottish crowds in comparison to the rest of the country?

I think they are up for more of a laugh. I love the Scottish crowds, they are so rowdy – they are always up for a laugh and they love boozing which I love.

Was it hard to film with it being so personal?

I don’t mind because I’m pretty open like you said earlier the songs I write are pretty personal so I’m not too bothered. I think the guys are probably a bit weird about it!

The feeling that Deaf Havana were about to step out from the shadows of the underground rock scene has been circulating since the line ‘I made plans of being more than just that band who had that song about friends and not much else’ were dropped in the opening of ‘Fools and Worthless Liars’. ‘Old Souls’ is that step. The sound is a bit more polished, the songs are a bit more radio friendly but the heart is still there, alongside Veck-Gioldi’s indisputably brilliant lyrics and vocals. Deaf Havana has definitely grown – literally, there are six people when there used to be four!

I was (pleasantly) surprised to find the acoustic version of Hustanton Pier featuring a gospel choir – what inspired you to get them involved?

When we done our last tour in November we got them to come and sing with us in Shepard’s Bush Empire in London and they were on the new record so while we were in 32 | THE BANTER

Who are you listening to right now?

At the moment obviously The 1975 are phenomenal and they’re probably one of the few British bands at the moment. Drake’s new album and Placebo’s new album – there is a lot of really good albums coming out at the moment.

He came to work every day seemed depressed, and it

the point that I asked him about it outside of

He said he thought about suicide

Dave could see his workmate seemed down, so he asked him about it.

Because he did, his workmate is still alive.

www.chooselife.net/ask

4398 8/2013

For help and advice for you or the person you’re worried about, call Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87 or Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90.

© NHS Health Scotland 2012, 2013 Image: © iStock

If you can read between the lines, you can save lives.

Interview

34 | THE BANTER

Interview

A

mira McCarthy, Asami Zdrenka, Jess Plummer and Shereen Cutkelvin are the four names that make up the UK’s hottest new girlband Neon Jungle.

By entering the UK singles chart at number 12 with their debut single ‘Trouble’, the girls have shown that a lively manufactured pop group might actually be what the music scene is looking for.

Shereen spoke to The Banter about her place in the band…

How does it feel to be part of the newest girlband in the industry?

“It’s just mental. Everyone is saying we’re going to be the next big thing, which is something you don’t hear every day. I feel it’s a privilege to be part of this.”

Have you been worried about the girl band stigma?

Quite a lot of girlbands end up hating each other…

“Not really to be honest, we don’t even think about that.

All we have thought about so far is what we’re doing, focusing on what we need to do. It feels like we’re on the motorway and in our own little lane. We’re going to do this thing and we won’t be a flop, we work far too hard for that.”

Do you have much of a musical background?

I’ve sang since I could talk, I mean I don’t really know what I was singing, but I was definitely doing it. My Dad was a singer and that inspired me when I was younger. I grew up listening to him and to other music; it’s always been a big part of my life. It’s weird though, I’ve always seen myself as a solo artist, and so being put into Neon Jungle came as a bit of a shock. I didn’t expect to end up in a girlband but it’s actually worked out quite well.”

How did Neon Jungle come about? Did you have to audition?

“Yes. Well, all four of us were. For example, I was found on YouTube and asked to attend the open auditions, but we all came together through an audition process.”

Would you compare Neon Jungle to any artists out there just now?

“No, not really. Without sounding too cocky, we don’t really care what anyone else in the music industry is doing – we want to focus on ourselves. However, if I had to pick one group to compare us to, it would have to be the Spice Girls. I mean this in the sense that they took over everything and completely dominated the music industry.”

We’ve heard your debut single ‘Trouble’, what else will you bring to the music scene?

“We’re here to be totally different. Because we’re four individual people, we are so diverse in what we do. It’s just like taking four different ingredients, four different voices and putting them into the one mixing bowl. The album is very raw and real, every song on there stands out.

BY ROSIE O’NEILL

S

ir Terry Wogan, Matt Baker, Gary Barlow, Nick Grimshaw, Alex Jones, JLS and Union J have joined forces to kick start this year’s BBC Children in Need Campaign.

They are calling on the Great British public to once again get fundraising to help raise millions for disadvantaged children and young people right here in the UK. There are a number of fun ways people can get fundraising for the Charity as demonstrated by Pudsey’s celebrity pals. Union J and Alex Jones are leading the fundraising charge by asking people to ditch their usual 9 to 5 work clothes and wear their #pyjamas and have a PJ party of their own!

The official fundraising pack is available for download and is jam packed with fundraising ideas and games to help people with their fundraising efforts. To date the Great British public has raised nearly £690 million for children across the UK and the Charity is calling on people to once again pull out the stops and start baking, running, dancing, pyjama wearing or singing; anything at all to help raise money to change young lives!

THE BANTER | 35

Music

S

ince introducing themselves with near anonymous posts of two songs (Hey Now and Metal & Dust) late last year, London Grammar quickly captured the interest, and more importantly, the imagination of music fans across the UK and beyond.

The tracks catapulted Hannah Reid, Dot Major and Dan Rothman straight into the spotlight, with music critics and fans eager to see what they did next. The trio released the acclaimed Metal & Dust EP, sold out two London dates, played with The xx at their Night + Day festival, secured slots at near all of the UK’s major summer festivals - including Glastonbury, Bestival and Festival Number 6 before confirming their own headline tour this October, which has already sold out the first London date with a second now announced.

Their first official single release, Wasting My Young Years, strode confidently into the Top 40 after a Radio 1 B List and now the new single, Strong, is gaining strong radio support and lighting up the blogosphere. The band is currently the number one most blogged about artist, according to Hype Machine.

It’s no understatement that London Grammar’s debut album was one of the most highly anticipated debuts this year.

36 | THE BANTER

The album is a result of 18 painstaking months spent writing and recording. Each of the 11 tracks is testament to the trio’s innate understanding of the roles that subtlety, contrast and restraint have played in the creation of memorable, timeless and transcendent music. “That’s how this all started,” says Dan, “and it’s always been our primary goal, to keep space in the music.

The way that, say, the guitar and vocal interact is massively important to us.”

More than delivering on their promise, London Grammar’s electrifying debut solidifies them as being one of the most exciting and innovative bands to emerge in 2013.

See London Grammar live on Oct 27 at Oran Mor, Glasgow.

Music

CLEAN BANDIT 15

W Forget your rock revivalists or your retrofitted soul crooners, Clean Bandit could not have emerged at any time other than now. Comprised of brothers Jack and Luke Patterson alongside the classically-trained pair of Grace Chatto and Neil Amin-Smith, the group formed at university in 2008.

One night, in the dingy confines of an old Cambridge venue, chamber music met bass music, and it never looked back.

That is certainly true of Clean Bandit’s music to this point. From the Caribbean, soca-inspired melody of UK Shanty to the catchy grime-pop of Mozart’s House (check the band’s Youtube channel for the full compendium of tracks, remixes and reworkings), melody is always to the fore.

It’s a quality shared by the best of both classical and pop music, so now surprise to find it’s also true of a band trying to bring two worlds together.

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING Public Service Broadcasting is the corduroy-clad brainchild of Londonbased J. Willgoose, Esq. who, along with his drumming companion, Wrigglesworth, is on a quest to inform, educate and entertain audiences around the globe.

PSB’s uniquely spell-binding live AV Transmissions see them weave samples from old public information films, archive footage and propaganda material around live drums, guitar, banjo and electronics as they teach the lessons of the past through the music of the future - beaming our past back at us through vintage TV sets and state of the art modern video projection devices.

THE BANTER | 37

Feature

O

rganisers of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay are delighted to announce a uniquely Scottish line up for the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party. Unique Events, on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council, confirmed a feast of home grown talent will celebrate the 21st Birthday of the world famous event, which will welcome 80,000 revellers to the centre of the capital on Tuesday 31 December 2013.

Scotland’s Big Year starts here.

to Hugh McDairmid’s Haircut, Black Rose Ceilidh Band and Box Fizz.

As well as celebrating 21 years of the world famous Street Party, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is a signature event of the Year of Homecoming Scotland 2014, launching a packed programme of events throughout the year. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party offers an evening’s entertainment from an exceptional all Scottish line-up across stages in and around Princes Street. The Waverley Stage will see a headline performance from festival favourites and Edinburgh’s very own Mercury Prize nominees Django Django, whose first self-titled album has been shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year.

With these five live stages and countdown fireworks at 9pm, 10pm and 11pm, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay once again offers an exhilarating and eclectic mix of live entertainment which will climax with the singing of the world’s largest Auld Lang Syne and the spectacular Midnight Fireworks from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle.

Django Django will be joined on the Waverley Stage by the UK’s hottest new act, Glasgow synth-pop outfit Chvrches, whose debut album, The Bones of What You Believe, raced straight into the top 10 in the week since its release, and by guitar-blasting perennial party favourites The Rezillos.

The Scottish Stage features stalwart of Fife’s Mercury Nominated King Creosote, plus special guests the Shetland collective Fiddlers’ Bid, and Treacherous Orchestra while at the ever-popular Keilidh Stage revellers will be dancing

Kenny Anderson, aka King Creosote, said “Pour yourselves a dram from those hip flasks, get ready to break open the black bun, but keep the coals tight in hand for King Creosote and his band are about to extinguish any lingering triskaidekaphobia in the run up to the bells of 2014.”

Pete Irvine, Director of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, said “Scotland’s Big Year starts here and what better way to launch ourselves into the New Year than with a showcase of Scotland’s musical talent here in the home of Hogmanay.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay will once again be the best New Year party on the planet this year with a strong Scottish flavor – whether you’re from Scotland or much further afield, come and join us to welcome 2014.”

The early bird ticket offer for Edinburgh Residents will close on 31 October. Until then, anyone living in an EH postcode can buy their Street Party ticket for the reduced price of £16.

The full programme for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay will be announced on Tuesday 12 November 2013.

PHOTO BY CHRIS WATT

38 | THE BANTER

Interview haven’t done a whole lot of live action acting because I said I would like my days to start up at 11am instead of four!

“And I do know how difficult it is for actors, on TV especially – one of my best friends is on television doing 16-hour days, and starting hair and makeup at five and then you are playing a part and you don’t necessarily get control of the edit and then you don’t get to really do the storyline. I am just such a control freak, I would have to be the director, producer, actress and hair and makeup. So we will see, maybe...”

In her pop persona, Perry says there’s a lot of acting going on anyway. “I don’t feel like I have to hide behind anything necessarily. I enjoy just playing a character, and there are many different characters inside of me that I like to play on and I think there’s a little Smurfette inside of me and I just had to bring her out!”

Katy perry

K

aty Perry has 37 million Twitter followers and 53 million Facebook fans. She was ranked 7th in Rolling Stone’s global Queen of Pop in 2011, and Men’s Health named her Sexiest Woman of 2013. But although these quite giant accomplishments tower over her voice work for the upcoming sequel to The Smurfs, she’s right at home playing the tiny heroine.

The 28-year-old Californian singer, real name Katheryn Hudson, plays Smurfette, a character pure of heart and soul.

Despite her fairly short marriage to Russell Brand and his “wild” image, Perry has traded successfully on her good girl image, which is not, she says, any kind of illusion. “I grew up in a very strict, religious household, but what I was able to take away from that was that my moral compass is very valuable, and to stay in tune with that. Integrity and respect are important characteristics to adopt. I got to kind of sift out the other stuff that I didn’t really care for early on.”

It was early on, aged nine, when Perry decided she wanted to be a singer. As it turns out, it didn’t take much to transfer her vocal talents to the world of animation. She’s not, however, quite as keen on live acting. “I definitely knew I wanted to do some voicing and animation because they brought me so much joy and I just thought it was an organic transition to use my voice in that capacity, but I

So where can we expect to find Perry next? “I am tempted to be Rachel in Blade Runner 2. If Ridley Scott will call,” she laughs. But seriously? “I really enjoy playing the opposite of what you would expect in live action films, and I have done a couple of little TV spots and I really like playing characters – self-deprecating characters,” she says. “My heroes are like Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy… those are all of my favourite types of actresses. So I would like to follow in that type of work.”

Perry is obviously more suited to comedy than drama.

“Yeah, I am more interested in comedy,” she confirms, “but I would be challenged by drama. The animation is a really nice way to kind of dip your foot into the water.”

The singer’s approach to life, and performing, is that it “can never be too cartoonish”. She says: “I like to exaggerate and be larger than life when it’s appropriate for stage and for film and for animation. I love doing the animation. I get to come in my pyjamas, with no makeup, no lashes – I look nothing like myself. I get in that booth and it’s fun. It’s really fun work.”

For some, the revelation that Perry isn’t always glammed-up might be hard to swallow, but she insists that she’s just a normal girl. “I would like to say that I sleep in couture, but that’s not real. If I am not dressed up, I am dressed really down but that’s because I am working a lot, I am going to the studio, I am either in my workout wear or some hideous track suit I think because I want to put most of my attention into my work. It takes a lot of effort to dress up... I put in a lot of time. This is like seventeen hours!”

THE BANTER | 39

Interview

INTERVIEW BY NATASHA REID

Since leaving their label, Universal, in late 2011, nobody knew just what had happened to the much loved British indie-pop band, The Feeling.

When would their instantly recognisable, feel good sound return to our radio?

The answer is now. The wait is over. The Feeling are finally back with their fourth album since going independent. “Boy Cried Wolf,” due for release on October 7th, sees the band go back to their autobiographical roots and, ultimately back to basics.

“The thing about this album which we’re really excited about is that we did the entire thing ourselves in the studio. We’ve always produced our records but when we were on a major label there were a lot of people involved, a lot of opinions and we went to a lot of different studios.”

“In the end we are proud of our records but we feel like this is our most consistent work since our first album. It’s just coming from the five of us with no outside influence at all. When we finished it, we took it to new labels, got signed and we’re releasing it pretty much as it is. That’s what has been really exciting.”

Excitement seems to be the basis on which this album was made. The Feeling rediscover the fun in making music, something which they admittedly lost during the process of their last album.

“We found the process of making our third album really quite excruciating. It took two years and we wrote about 60 songs. By the end of it, we just wanted to get something out there.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a few songs on there that we’re really proud of but just the

40 | THE BANTER

whole process was very difficult.”

They may have gone into this album with better intentions and clearer thoughts but their sound remains much the same. As with the previous three albums, it never strays too far from that of radio friendly, indie-pop.

“We’re just the same bunch of guys with the same kind of song writing. I think this one is a better produced album because we are getting better at it but also because it was done in a much more consistent way. It was just us and not over a very long period of time either. It cost next to nothing to record and, in terms of pure production quality, I don’t think you’d ever believe that our last album cost a hell of a lot more than this one.”

“It has actually just been a pleasure. It has been hard work, it always is. To get something from an idea that you have to a finished mix along with the artwork and everything else is a lot of work.

Interview

There haven’t really been any disagreements, it has just been us being very instinctive, trying things out and it just feels like its working.”

The album comes following a break up between front man, Dan and his partner of five years.

The main theme therefore explores heartbreak.

However, we are told it is also very much about the excitement of feeling liberated, not just the fear of being alone.

“Rescue” is the first single to be taken from the album, due to be released on October 7th also.

The Feeling, already an established band with a huge fan base are lucky enough not to worry about generating excitement. They simply want to let people know there is a new album of theirs out there, and with a strong marketing team behind them, they are able to do this the same day the album is released.

But, fans will have to buy the album rather than just “Rescue” as a single if they want to get a real

taster of what The Feeling have been up.

“I actually think there are better songs on the album that better represent the overall feel. But that is the most pop sounding song. We love that, we always have. We have always made those brit-pop/indie-pop songs because we just enjoy it. In terms of getting a song out there that can hopefully get some airplay on the radio and make people aware that the album is out there, we felt like “Rescue” would be the obvious choice really.”

The video for “Rescue” has already had an amazing reaction with more than 90,000 views within the first three days. It also features a very special little appearance.

“It’s my son in the video, with the red hair. It was really fun to make the video with him and we had a good sort of father son bonding experience doing that over a couple of days.

The reason he is in it is because we’re actually THE BANTER | 41

Interview

setting the scene up for the next video which is title song, “Boy Cried Wolf.” The man in that with red hair is the son grown up.

It works out perfectly.”

Following the excitement of their album and single release, The Feeling will set out on their UK tour stopping in Glasgow’s famous Oran Mor for the first time on October 22nd.

“We’ve played pretty much everywhere else in Glasgow.

Glasgow is one of the best places in the world to do gigs.

From small gigs like King Tuts, which we have done many times, to playing Barrowlands, people really know how to go out and have fun in Glasgow. There is always beer flying everywhere, they just know how to enjoy themselves so it’s a great place to come and play. Other places can be a lot more reserved and people aren’t particularly sure what they are supposed to be doing.”

“When we played Barrowlands, that was one of our best shows. The place was jumping and it was just great but likewise if you play a small venue like King Tuts you’re right on top of everyone and feel totally connected to them all.”

Having played some of the biggest stages in the world including Glastonbury’s pyramid stage and the Olympic opening ceremony in London, The Feeling surprisingly still admit to getting nervous.

“You never stop getting nervous. It is something you actually need, like a nervous energy that builds up and gives you what you need to do the gig. If you didn’t have that you would probably just be bored and the audience would be bored too.

You have to give as much as you possibly can when you are up there.”

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For many bands, touring is the one of the best parts of the industry and for The Feeling, it’s no different.

Travelling is a big part of why we got into music. We love making music and playing music but getting to see the world and experience it all is a great thing. At the same time though it’s like anything in life, if you have too much of that or are away from your family for too long it gets difficult. Or if you’re in the studio for too long, you just want to get out and play for people. It’s about getting the balance between it all.”

Never scared of trying new things, one place The Feeling have yet to travel to is China. With a booming music industry, the band feels set to conquer the huge population taking their very British sound with them.

“I have a friend who went out there with a band and within a year they were playing huge arenas because the population there is so massive. Their small cities are about 10 million people.”

And it doesn’t stop there. Bass player, Rich, is exploring all areas of music and is currently working on a house music track. “I’m going to work with a mate who mixed the chemical brothers album and may come of it, but I’m just doing it because it’s fun.”

The Feeling are one of the most memorable and recognisable bands in the British indie scene. A band that can go two years without releasing new music and yet in between never stray too far from our ears.

“We just feel lucky that we can justify still doing this as a job.

We make an album, we put it out, we tour, and people come see us. It’s ridiculous.”

Television

“I

t’s Marvel Studio’s first television show and that in itself makes it something to look out for because if you love the Marvel movies, it’s all that but just on a smaller screen.” says Chloe Bennett who plays computer hacker and civilian Skye in one of the most anticipated TV shows of the year.

She’s taking about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D or Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division if you want to give it its full name. It’s the brand new TV show from Joss Whedon (Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Cabin in the Woods to name a few). He’s also the man who wrote and directed Marvel’s The Avengers in 2012 and that ended up being the third grossing film of all time. So I think it’s safe to say he has enough credentials for us to be excited about his latest project.

The show debuted on Channel 4 at the end of September and already it’s got everyone talking. If you haven’t seen it yet then here’s what you need to know. Agent Phil Coulson is back, and so is actor Clark Gregg who played Coulson in some of the most recent Marvel films like Thor, Iron Man and The Avengers. He’s back to head up a team of agents

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to look at strange cases involving super humans across the world. While the Marvel films tend to focus on the people with the super powers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is driven by the team of agents instead.

But you don’t need to read comic books or have even seen any previous Marvel films to become a fan of the show. Elizabeth Henstridge who plays Agent Jemma Simmons says it has something for everyone, “It’s got the comedic element, the drama, the big set pieces, and then the relationships which, as an actor, that’s what you’re really interested in” she continues, “You want to convey the journeys they’re all going to go on and that there’s a reason they’ve all been put in this team. They’ve each got incredible strengths and but then they’ve also got weaknesses which mean that for some reason together they’re a lot better than apart.”

And Ming-Na Wen, who plays Agent Melinda May agrees “It’s just great storytelling and Joss Whedon just infuses it with such humour and it’s not just one-liners and punch lines and slapstick, it just comes from the situation. And these are such extraordinary situations that we’re put in,

Television so if you can’t laugh about it you’d run screaming into the other room!”

There’s some who might be a little sceptiacal about how it’ll work on the small screen. Not only will the pace of some of the episodes need to be slower for it to work on TV, but it’s also quite different from watching it on a giant screen at the cinema. However Iain De Caestecker who plays Agent Leo Fitz says it’s got all the right elements to work, “The size of it is a really big thing, the special effects are really just as good as you see in the movies. There are huge set pieces too, because it’s part of the Marvel universe. Also within that it’s got all those different elements of the different types of relationships, along with the comedy and drama element.”

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D might be one of the biggest TV shows to debut this autumn but it’s not the only show people should be looking out for. We’ve put together a list of some other shows to check out -

New Girl Technically it’s not a new show but Season 2 ended with Nick and Jess finally getting together (cue a squeal of excitement from everyone who invested too much into their fictional relationship) so that’s reason enough to be watching. Season 3 carries on with Nick and Jess, and then Cece not going through with her wedding and deciding she loves Schmidt. It’s already started back in America so it’s only a matter of time before we get to see how their relationships pan out over here.

Sleepy Hollow Based on the short story by Washington Irving, Sleepy Hollow is another new show to debut this year. Most people will know the story from the film of the same name with Johnny Depp but this new one has a twist. As Ichabod Crane travels from 1781 to New York in 2013 to remove the series as far away as possible from that 1999 film.

The Middle The Middle has never really taken off in the UK has much as some of its comedy peers. Based around the Heck Family, it sees Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn taking on the parental roles to their 3 children. Eden Sher is flawless in her portrayal of teenager Sue Heck and hopefully this season will see the show pick up some of much deserved recognition.

BY SARAH MOYES

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Television

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Television

Hype: Killer or Creator

BY MAXWELL LYNAS

September 29th 2013. The date that one of the most hyped and talked about shows in recent years ended its award-laden five season run, that show is of course Breaking Bad.

F

or those who don’t know Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn and follows the story of Walter White (Cranston), a High School Chemistry teacher, who is diagnosed with Cancer and uses his chemical expertise to produce and sell high quality Crystal Meth (a natural series of events, I’m sure you’ll agree) in order to support his family after his death.

How did Breaking Bad become the global phenomenon that it did?

This is a show that failed to gain an audience when its first two seasons were first screened in the UK on FIVE and subsequently the rights to the further seasons weren’t secured.

It success is most likely down to several factors, such as the compelling and unusual story, the calibre of acting and the boxset-binge viewing culture that has appeared in recent years but the main reason for its success has to be attributed to hype and word of mouth.

Hype is a powerful thing; hype turned this once unsuccessful TV show into a one of the biggest TV shows in history.

Hype turned Breaking Bad from a show which failed to gain an audience in the UK into a show that people demanded Netflix to stream the latest episodes within 24 hours of the US premiere.

Hype turned Breaking Bad from a show which suffered an uncertain future due to the Writer’s Strike into an Emmy Award winning show and a show many now regard as “The Greatest TV Show Ever”.

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Television Hype may have saved Breaking Bad from becoming another TV show also-ran but hype isn’t always a precursor to success, just ask Flashforward, Studio Sixty on The Sunset Strip, Joey or the countless of other TV shows that were hyped to the heavens before they imploded or just faded away.

Even successful shows such as Lost and Mad Men suffer due to hype, Lost nearly collapsed under its own hype before TV guru JJ Abrams steadied the ship and the hype of Mad Men has built up so much expectation that new viewers can be disappointed by its slow and measured story.

Breaking Bad isn’t the only hit TV show to end this year, Showtime’s hit Dexter also came to a conclusion this year but this was another show that collapsed under the hype and expectation and delivered a season which many fans found disappointing.

cancelled as they didn’t live up to people’s expectations, even though Firefly has went on to become a bona-fide cult classic.

Whedon has a massive task on his hands to deliver a show that will satisfy an audience that will be made up of avid and sometimes rabid comic book fans as well as fans of the Avengers Assemble movie and casual viewers who will be tuning in to see what all the hype and fuss is about.

A failed TV show may not derail the Avengers juggernaut but it may tarnish it a little bit, so Disney and Marvel have a lot riding on the show and they certainly look to have an experience set of hands moulding and eyes watching their show in Whedon.

Hype and success have also allowed TV shows to long outstay there welcome, Prison Break is a perfect example of this, a show that was designed for one or two seasons but ultimately became so successful and hyped by its network and its audience that it was dragged out for four seasons and the quality of the show suffered and the audience began turning off.

Heroes is another and there are many TV shows that suffer the same fate, very few TV shows know when to call it a day, this is how we end up with eleven, yes eleven seasons of Two and a Half Men. Hype hasn’t just killed shows in this new age of Twitter, Facebook, boxsets, streaming and Hashtags even in the 90s hype helped kill shows, with Twin Peaks falling victim to hype. Even though it is now regarded as benchmark of TV and a major influence on shows such as Lost When one hyped TV show finished, it is quickly replaced by another; when The X-Files finished, The West Wing took its place, then The Sopranos appeared then it was The Wire then Lost then Mad Men then Breaking Bad and there were countless in between.

This year’s most hyped TV show is definitely Marvel’s The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which is Disney and Marvel’s small screen follow-up to their summer blockbuster smash-hit Avengers Assemble.

Marvel’s The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D will hit our screens under the watchful eye of “Geek God” Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and director of Avengers Assemble and will follow the adventures of the S.H.I.E.L.D as the deal with the fallout of “The Battle of New York” seen in Avengers Assemble.

Whedon is no stranger to hype after his success with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Whedon’s next projects, Firefly and Dollhouse suffered and both were prematurely 48 | THE BANTER

I’m about to disclose a shocking revelation but for me Breaking Bad is overrated and over-hyped… don’t get me wrong I like it, I enjoy watching and I think Bryan Cranston is a revelation in the role of Walter White but “Greatest TV Show Ever”?

Please! That honour belongs to The Sopranos but may be my feelings on Breaking Bad is a by-product of the hype that surrounds the show; perhaps all the hype built my expectations up to a level that would never be matched and that’s where the dark side of hype rears its ugly head, it may help create a show’s success but it may also help to tie the rope that see a show ultimately hang itself by.

Perhaps if I stumbled across Breaking Bad myself I would be one of the many that proclaim it to be the “Greatest TV Show Ever” So hype… a creator or a killer… I’ll let you decide…

Gaming

GAMES TO WATCH OUT FOR! Our pick of the top games to check out this winter.

BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS

A prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, the first two critically acclaimed games of the franchise.

Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals.

PES 14

Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 mark a new beginning for the popular series, with its new engine allowing for the most comprehensive advance in the PES franchise since its inception developing a new approach to console football.

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2014

Call of Duty: Ghosts, an extraordinary step forward for one of the largest entertainment franchises of all-time, featuring a new dynamic where players are on the side of a crippled nation fighting not for freedom or liberty, but simply to survive.

WWE 2K14

WWE returns to our consoles and even introduces 30 Years of WrestleMania Mode in WWE 2K14.

Groundbreaking single-player campaign slated to transcend three decades of high profile matches and memorable moments in WWE history.

LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES

Players take control of Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Wolverine and many more Marvel characters as they unite to stop Loki and a host of other Marvel villains from assembling a super-weapon capable of destroying the world.

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2014

The most feature-packed and technically advanced release in the series’ history. Benefitting from more than 1,000 improvements and enhancements over its most recent predecessor, FM 2014 is set to be the most realistic simulation of football management ever THE BANTER | 49

Interview

TOP SCOT! 50 | THE BANTER

Interview

A

fter nearly 50 years on the stage and screen, comedian and broadcaster Billy Connolly has never felt more assured in his career.

He’s come a long way since early days as a Glasgow shipyard welder - Billy Connolly achieving remarkable global success through stand-up comedy, folk singing, and through a range of inspired film roles that capitalise on his talents. His Scots swagger, it seems, makes people laugh, and why not?

Connolly’s breakthrough film role came in 1997 alongside Dame Judi Dench in the drama Mrs Brown, in which he played Queen Victoria’s favourite servant, John Brown.

The performance earned Connolly a BAFTA nomination.

Parts in Hollywood blockbusters followed along with quirkier roles such as a tormented priest in the second X-Files movie and a pet zombie in the underrated Fido.

Now recently seen alongside an esteemed cast including Michael Gambon, Pauline Collins and Maggie Smith in Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut, Quartet, and last summer lending his voice to one of the year’s biggest box office hits, Disney Pixar’s Brave, Connolly says he finally has faith in his acting career.

“I’m 70 now and I finally have confidence in my acting,” laughs The Big Yin. “It’s literally taken this long!”

Clearly the multi-talented Connolly is in demand. Lately he’s been in New Zealand, shooting the next instalment in The Hobbit trilogy, The Desolation Of Smaug. He takes on the weighty role of dwarf warrior king, Dain Ironfoot, alongside another esteemed cast that includes Sir Ian McKellen, James Nesbitt and The Hobbit himself, Martin Freeman.

But at his heart, Connolly’s appeal seems to lie in his quintessential Scottishness – he’s arguably the most famous Scot on the planet. That made it all the stranger when he decided to leave Scotland for the States. “At the time when I left, about 30 years ago, I needed a break,” he says. “I think many people go through that mentality of getting away from home and you know, it wasn’t Scotland, it was a million things that led to my departure.

I wanted to get away from the media over here, have a clean getaway and America represented that for me.

because I’m moving around so much, people wonder where I consider home. And I have thought about that and, of course, it’s Scotland! I probably spend more time in New York, more to do with the fact that I’ve children who live there now and are technically American themselves. But it’s very special up in Aberdeenshire, you can do all your battery recharging there and when I head up to the west coast, I get this tingly feeling; it’s this feeling that that’s where I belong.”

Getting close to celebrating an incredible 50 years in the entertainment business, Connolly wonders how he made it this far. “It’s the world’s longest running joke!” he laughs. “I think I’ve been very lucky, very blessed particularly that I had the chance and choice to try so many different things out. Music, stand-up, movies – it’s been extraordinary.”

Although his first taste of fame came from music, he says that apart from jamming at Steve Martin’s house in Los Angeles, that chapter of his life is over. But what remains very current is comedy. “It’s what I started out doing – I guess it’s nice to come back to what you know,” he says.

But what of the criticism in recent years? Connolly famously chastised some audience members for interrupting and disturbing his act. “It was just those two incidences where a few audience members annoyed me and I just thought, ‘Forget this, I’ve had enough’,” he frowns. “I’m not in the habit of doing that and I’ve thrived off audience participation for my entire career. But when somebody keeps interrupting you or there are so many bodies moving in and out of the theatre, it’s distracting and it drives me mad sometimes!”

Connolly doesn’t like to plan too far ahead, but as his wife, Pamela Stephenson, showed off her moves on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, can we expect him to follow suit?

“Well she’s a dancing pro!” he cries. “She’s always tangoing and waltzing around the house. They did ask me to do Strictly and I straight out said ‘no’! I don’t know – there’s this massive pressure with a show of that magnitude; I don’t think I’d want to put myself through that. Although they can ask me again in a few years. I might have changed my mind at that point!”

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Movies THOR

FROM 1ST NOVEMBER

Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s “Thor” and “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

THE COUNSELLOR TBC FROM 15TH NOVEMBER Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt star in Ridley Scott’s gripping thriller about a lawyer who becomes a drugs trafficker. The counsellor (Michael Fassbender) seems to have it all, including the beautiful Laura (Penelope Cruz) as his fiancee. But he wants more. An opportunity arises to become involved in a huge international drug deal overseen by scary-haired Reiner (Javier Bardem). He ignores warnings about how this will change his life and dives right in.

But then fixer Westray (Brad Pitt) breaks the bad news that the $20 million shipment has been hijacked. Worse still, their ruthless business partners blame the counsellor alone for this loss. And they’re out for revenge!

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CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS: REVENGE OF THE LEFTOVERS U FROM 25TH OCTOBER

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 picks up where Sony Pictures Animation’s hit comedy left off. Inventor Flint Lockwood’s genius is finally being recognized as he’s invited by his idol Chester V to join The Live Corp Company, where the best and brightest inventors in the worldcreate technologies for the betterment of mankind. Chester’s right-hand-gal - and one of hisgreatest inventions - is Barb (a highly evolved orangutan with a human brain, who is alsodevious, manipulative and likes to wear lipstick. It’s always been Flint’s dream to be recognizedas a great inventor, but everything changes when he discovers that his most infamous machine(which turns water into food) is still operating and is now creating food-animal hybrids –“foodimals!” With the fate of humanity in his hands, Chester sends Flint and his friends on adangerously delicious mission, battling hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, apple pie-thons, doublebacon cheespiders and other food creatures to save the world again!

BY POLLY BROWN

Movies COMING SOON

BAGGAGE CLAIM 12A FROM 11TH OCTOBER Determined to get engaged before her youngest sister’s wedding, flight attendant Montana Moore (Paula Patton) finds herself with only 30 days to find Mr. Right. Using her airline connections to “accidentally” meet up with eligible exboyfriends and scour for potential candidates, she racks up more than 30,000 miles and countless comedic encounters, all the while searching for the perfect guy..

TURBO tU FROM 18TH OCTOBER ragtag group of trash-talking adrenaline Turbo is a snail who dreams of being the greatest racer in the world. His obsession with junkies tricked out with shells that look like speed has made him an oddity and outsider in mini-street racing cars. the slow and cautious snail community.

Turbo is the ultimate underdog who Turbo desperately wishes he could escape the achieves the impossible by refusing to let his limitations get in the way of his dreams. slow-paced life he’s living, and he gets that chance after a freak accident leaves him with the power of incredible speed.

The newly turbo-charged Turbo embarks on an extraordinary journey to achieve the impossible: racing against the best that the Indianapolis 500 has to offer. Joining Turbo is his dedicated pit crew of racing snails – a

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS 12A FROM 18TH OCTOBER A retelling of the headline grabbing events that occurred on the high seas in April 2009 when cargo ship captain Richard Phillips, married father of two, surrendered himself to a group of four Somali pirates in order to protect his crew off the coast of Africa. After an unsuccessful escape attempt, he was subsequently rescued when US Navy SEAL snipers shot and killed three of the pirates.

ENOUGH SAID 12A FROM 18TH OCTOBER A divorced and single parent, Eva (Julia Louis Dreyfus) spends her days enjoying work as a masseuse but dreading her daughter’s impending departure for college. She meets Albert (James Gandolfini) - a sweet, funny and like-minded man also facing an empty nest. As their romance quickly blossoms, Eva befriends Marianne (Catherine Keener), her new massage client. Marianne is a beautiful poet who seems “almost perfect” except for one prominent quality: she rags on her ex-husband way too much. Suddenly, Eva finds herself doubting her own relationship with Albert as she learns the truth about Marianne’s Ex. THE BANTER | 53

Feature

YOUNG FARMERS ARE STAYIN’ ALIVE AT 75!

The Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC) has announced details of the 75th anniversary concert to take place on Saturday 30th November in the Hydro Arena in Glasgow.

Staring over 300 young people, the glittering event is designed to showcase talents which extend far beyond the field!

Over 5,000 audience members will be toe tapping, hand clapping and dancing in their seats as they join the performers to celebrate memories past and present of the Association’s 75 year tenure in Scotland and across the globe as a platform for the rural communities. The event is also being organised to help support the Willie Davidson fund, recently established by the SAYFC for the future development of clubs and districts.

Taking place on St. Andrews Day the concert will celebrate Scottish heritage with traditional highland dancing and pipers as well as solo, duet and choir performances of music from the past 60 years.

members of the SAYFC come together from north, south, east and west regions.

Top names have already been confirmed as supporters of the event, with Muller Wiseman, The Royal Bank of Scotland, The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, Scottish Rural College, Davidson’s Feeds, The Scottish Farmer and GKD Galbraith all signed up as event sponsors.

Penny Montgomery, Chief Executive of SAYFC said: “Our concert will showcase all that is excellent in Scottish entertainment, while supporting the valuable work of SAYFC. It is an ambitious event designed to challenge our members to put on a show like no other. Naturally they have been rehearsing hard and in front of anyone who’ll listen including their herds, flocks and crops! It will be an incredible event and one which will mark our 75th anniversary in true fan fayre.”

Müller Wiseman Dairies Sales and Marketing Director, Sandy Wilkie – also SAYFC President, said:

Highlights will include The Farmer’s Wives Choir – a harmonious selection of beautiful voices collaborating from the farms and fields of Scotland brought to the centre stage of Glasgow, plus a very special opening and closing scene.

“We are delighted to back SAYFC as the support on offer for their members is crucial in producing the next generation of confident agri-business leaders and players. It’s great to see that so many talented members will be performing on the night and showcasing their skills outside the workplace.”

The venue, Glasgow’s newest entertainment hub, will also welcome a host of comedy performances, dancing and instrumental entertainment all commencing from 7pm as

Tickets for the event are available from www.sayfc.org or from the Young Farmers Centre at Ingliston. £15 adults, £10 concessions

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