MAG
VENTURE
SEPTEMBER issue 2013
foxes
car party / let it happen / lukay / white clouds and gunfire / ke$ha + more
explore RISING UK STAR FOXES is an artist we’re determined to keep our eyes on. Having already received worldwide airplay on a bunch of songs we guarentee you know, we think it’s time this featuring artist gets a feature as THE artist. Upbeat and truthful, Foxes can and has been capturing the attention of music fans across the globe with her wistful lyrics and memorable melodies.
FOXES
FEATURES
REGULARS
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8
LET IT HAPPEN
4
SPOTLIGHT ARTIST: CAR PARTY
10
THE DISCONNET
21
ON THE RADAR
11
TIDES
22
SHOW REVIEWS
16
LUKAY
24
ALBUM REVIEWS
34
SAMUEL LITTLE
38
COMPANY PROFILE: ZEALOUS
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WHITE CLOUDS & GUNFIRE, VIV AND THE REVIVAL , OWL CITY, KE$HA + MORE
HELLO! VENTURE MAG
ISSUE NO. ELEVEN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MUSIC FILLS THE INFINITE BETWEEN TWO SOULS. RABINDRANATH TAGORE
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KLANGKARUSSELL SONNENTANZ
KATY PERRY ROAR
ARCTIC MONKEYS DO I WANNA KNOW?
JOHN NEWMAN LOVE ME AGAIN
disclosure F FOR YOU
CALVIN HARRIS THINKING ABOUT YOU
ELLIE GOULDING YOU MY EVERYTHING
WE ARE THE OCEAN BLEED
SECRETS ready for repair
MONTHLY PLAYLIST Here’s our collection of songs that we just haven’t been able to stop playing throughout September. For the most part we’re very chart releated this month, and we think it’s because we’re just not quite ready to let go of Summer. What, or rather who is on your monthly playlist?
spotlight artist
car party C raigslist is an advertising website that is globally known, and more often than not it seems to be one
of the “in” places to find fellow band mates. Baltimore pop-rock band Car Party began their journey through a Craigslist ad which was posted by drummer Taylor Hughes, who explains to us how he got started in music.
and a follow-up release ‘High & Low Places’, saw the bands fanbase and confidence grow. Then, in October of last year the band introduced their third EP ‘Patterns’ to the world. We were interested to hear how the bands writing process has changed across the years.
“I’ve always wanted to play music, both of my parents were very musical. My Mom sang and my Dad played guitar. I started on guitar and violin when I was still in elementary school. By 16 I had my first opportunity to sit at my first drum kit and I completely fell in love, I dropped most of my other instruments and focused completely on drums and starting a band,” he said.
“Writing has become so much easier. We already know what we as individuals like and dislike. So we know now, better than ever, what we’re shooting for when writing our parts. Other than that, it’s always been a pretty unique process. We don’t sit down to write in one particular way. Sometimes drums come first, other times lyrics come first. We pick something we like, and write it from there.
After filling up the member spots and non stop rehearsing, Car Party had released two EPs within two years of being a band. Their debut EP ‘Excuses’
Our bassist Chris is responsible for a lot of the music, he writes most of the guitar parts and
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structures inspiration Jimmy Eat indie/pop and Atlas
all of our songs. He draws a lot of from bands like Number One Gun and World, but he’s also into a lot of modern bands like The Naked and Famous Genius”, explained vocalist Mike Natzke.
With that being said, the band are very conscious of what type of message comes across in their music. With countless bands spreading numerous meanings and messages through their music, whether strikingly obvious or hidden within the lyrics, the most important message Car Party want to spread is authenticity. “We’ll always write what sounds and feels natural to us. We aim to create real, relatable songs that listeners will continue to come back to.” Which could be why the band are in no rush to release their debut full length. “We do have plans to release a new album, but we’re kind of waiting for the timing to be right. Doing a full length is something we’ve wanted to do for a while, we just haven’t been able to take the proper time off to do so. That’s something we’ll be working towards in 2014, for sure.” But the band have given their fans a little something to carry them through until they release a full length. Their latest single “Weekend” came out in July, and already shows the bands progression. “Honestly, “Weekend” came together surprisingly fast. We were just jamming on some stuff at practice one day, somebody played a part we all liked, and in about 5 minutes, we had the first verse done. After that, everything just fell into place. It was like the song started writing itself.”
to tour with Fall Out Boy, Owl City, Jimmy Eat World and Tegan and Sara.” Car Party are not unfamiliar to the life of touring, having shared the stage with the likes of Conditions, Consider Me Dead and School Boy Humor. Though one of the bands most noteable tours was with Every Avenue last year. “It’s hard to narrow it down to one particular favourite moment, experiencing EA’s last tour ever was really cool to be apart of. I think the best part was the growth we experienced from it. The best part for me was overcoming my stage fright. After playing bigger shows consecutively my anxiety almost completely subsided. As a band we experienced a growth in our fan base as well as growing together as a band, that tour made us closer than ever.” When the band aren’t spending their time on the road or writing they told us “We’re really into Mario Kart, oddly into Mario Kart.” And when asked to describe the last three years in a total of three words, they said: “fast, slow and hungry.” So although it may have been a hungry and slow struggle for the band, with the best parts going too fast to process, we’ve been told to keep an eye on Car Party as they’re “going to be doing a lot before the end of the year, we want to work on another release, some touring and maybe a little more...”. Check out the bands latest video by click the screenshot below. You can also keep up to date with what they’re up to by following the links.
The band also decided to pay respect to Fall Out Boy by covering their fan-favourite track “Alone Together”. “We chose to cover “Alone Together” because their album is such a big deal right now. Fall Out Boy have always been my favourite band, so I was down to do any song by them, or from their latest album. We just thought we could put a cool spin on it,” said Mike. Another big part of any bands career is touring and spending time on the road, travelling to and from different cities and states. With each band comes a different perfomance style, layered with their personal quirks and memorable moments.
www.twitter.com/carparty
“A lot of people look forward to Nick’s keyboard handstands and singing the “Woahs” in our song Dollar Sign. And if we got the chance we would love
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The Assembly Line 6 -- VENTUREMAG.CO.UK
By Aud Lew
BY NICOLE THOMAS
An Interview with...
Let It Happen L et It Happen are a pop-rock quartet from Cincinnati, Ohio. Formed in 2010, the band have been determined to show what they’re made of from the very beginning. We got the chance to talk to
drummer Sean Highley about all sorts, including how he kick started his career in music. We spoke about the bands newest album ‘Unravel’, their writing and recording process and creating a music video.
Could you give us a brief history of how you got started in music? As a kid I remember listening to bands like Blink 182 and Green Day, and pretty much everything Drive-Thru Records ever put out. I decided that I was going to learn to play an instrument and start my own band. That year I got my first drum set for christmas, and my cousin Michael, our guitarist got a bass. One of our other friends had a guitar, so we started trying to write songs. They weren’t any good, but that was when I got hooked. I loved how playing music with people felt, and never looked back. After countless bands and genres here we are doing the same thing after all these years. How would you describe your sound in five words? Four guys writing honest music. You recently released your new EP ‘Unravel’, did you try to convey a message or meaning throughout this release? This record and looking to uncover Being able really how
is really about deconstructing your life at each piece of it for what it is in order truths, and discover other perspectives. to look at yourself in a new way is human growth and progression occur.
How was the recording process for ‘Unravel’, would you do anything differently? The recording process was great actually. We really clicked with Paul Leavitt the producer, and he helped push these songs to their potential. It was also more about what we wanted to do than the vision that he himself had for the songs. I think that is what made the record what it is. He helped us realize our own vision in the songs. Can you tell us about your writing process, is it static or does it change depending on the song? A lot of the time it all starts with a riff, or a vocal hook. That one little piece that makes the rest of the songwriting just click. We were fortunate enough to spend some time in a rented out home to write these songs, and really separate our minds from everyday life. Not to say it was all work all the time, but having that time with only each other and being away from the outside world really put us in a place to write good songs. You recently released a video for your single, “Over My Head”, where did you get the inspiration for the video from? I think the biggest thing in doing a video for us
is finding a unique interesting way of telling the song’s story. At first listen one might think “Oh this is about a girl” but it doesn’t have to be at all. The feelings that are expressed in this song can really be attributed to anyone who is oppressed. In the video the main character is having a mistake held over his head karmically by the universe, and that is why these ridiculous things are happening to him, such as an umbrella that rains underneath. You signed to InVogue records back in June, how has that experience been so far? It’s been great. Nick Moore, the owner is really open to anything we want to try, and incredibly supportive of what we are doing. I hear about labels that limit what their artists can do, and it results in songs, and material that is boring and safe. Taking risks is how new things are made. You’re hitting the road for ‘The Unravel Tour’, what could we expect from one of your shows? One could expect semi-awkward banter from Drew and Michael to the audience, lots of sing alongs, post show conversation, and sweat. Lots of sweat. What do you think are the best and worst things about touring? Other than loving music, meeting people is by far the best part of touring. Some of my best friends have been made on the road. As for the worst part, it would probably be somewhere between finances and living in a little van with 3 other guys. I love it all so it doesn’t bother me too much, but those are probably my two biggest stressors. What do you have planned for the rest of the year? Touring, writing, repeat. We want to be out on the road as much as possible, and take time to write this upcoming full-length as well. Expect to see some more tours announced soon from us! Is there anything else you would like to say? Thanks so much for interviewing me! Also, go pick up a copy of ‘Unravel’ on iTunes or MerchNOW!
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THE DISCONNECT T he Disconnect are a rock quintet from Tallahassee, Florida. Hitting the music scene in
2011, it wasn’t long until the band released their first self-titled EP. After a few shifts in members and a clearer understanding of what they wanted the band to become, Andrew Vinson (vocals / guitar), Nick Dorado (bass / vocals), Austin Jiles (drums), Josh Sapp (guitar / vocals) and Chad Hemanes (guitar / vocals) set out to record their second EP ‘All I’ve Found’ in winter of 2011. ‘All I’ve Found’ was recorded with Lee Dyess at Earthsound Recording (Mayday Parade, From First To Last), and released in March of 2012. With a rock foundation ‘All I’ve Found’ really surprised fans and critics when the band experimented with different sounds in order to come up with a
hardcore influence which coated the EP, creating the unique sound that they are known for today. Since then The Disconnect have spent as much time as possible writing and recording their first full length album ‘Currents’, which was recently released. ‘Currents’ definitely showcases the bands progression both musically and lyrically, and is a promising release from a band who are still finding their feet in the industry.
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TIDES H ertfordshire is home to TIDES, a pop-funk quartet made up of Aaron Trowbridge, Tommy
O’Malley, Steve Ford and Christian Murphy. Tipped to be one of the next big bands, their memorable melodies and unquestionable passion has led to a steady fan base growth since forming in 2012. TIDES’ story is already unique, having met each other while sea fishing off the coast of Antigua. This is when they began to write music together, more so to pass the time than anything else. But before long they realised there was a certain chemistry that made starting a band seem like the most logical decision they could make. When it came to naming the band, they easily all agreed on TIDES, the name of their previous fishing boat.
On their return to the UK, they devoted double the time and triple the effort into crafting their infamous blend of pop-funk. Their determination has certainly paid off and the band have just released their debut EP ‘Breathless’. They will also be hitting the road to support Kids In Glass Houses and The Last Carnival on their UK tour. Keep an eye on this band, they could be the next big thing.
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BY: BEKKA COLLINS
THE
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
starring
KE$HA
the summer set
Photos By Dylan Razo
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LUKAY 16 -- VENTUREMAG.CO.UK
Could you introduce yourself and tell us how you got started in music? Hey wusup, my name is Lukay. Music is something that I've always been around growing up. I grew up in a musical family, it was second nature to me to choose the music route. I started by writing songs, uploading them on MySpace, collaborating with different producers, doing a lot of networking and one thing led to another. Before you know it, I was in the studio with Grammy award winning producers, writing for some of today's biggest artists. But my #1 passion has always been to be an artist. There's no greater feeling then being on stage, performing for my fans. You won the ‘Best R&B Artist Anglophone of the Year’ award in the Montreal Hip-Hop Awards 2012, how has this affected your career in terms of growth and development? I feel blessed. I do music because it's my passion and not for recognition, however it definitely was encouraging and kind of gives you that boost to continue to work harder. Your latest single “Dance With You” has already achieved chart success, did you expect it to be so well received by fans and critics? Believe it or not, I knew the song was going to do good. However I didn't expect it to be that big, but I was definitely confident that the public would feel what I felt once they heard it. I'm very confident in the songs I write but it's never a guarantee that it will be a hit, and to see the great result is amazing. I'm grateful for that! What can you tell us about the creation of this single, why did you decide to release this song? I can't say that I decided to release the song alone. Obviously it was my single of choice, however I have a great team around me such as management, label, PR etc that helps choose the singles. Everybody felt like "Dance With You" was the one, and the rest is history!
www.twitter.com/lukaymusic
Who came up with the concept for the video to “Dance With You”, and what was the experience like creating it? I came up with the concept and the director polished it, and put it in cinematic form. The experience was exhausting but a lot of fun. Especially when you're working with a great team. The director is Francesco Gianini, and the DOP was Anthony Sarracco and Peter Lavender who is from the UK believe it or not! You’re known for your songwriting skills. What can you tell us about your writing process, is it the same for every song or does it differ? Well there are a few methods that I use, but mainly I like to carry around a recorder so that I may record ideas, melodies or lyrics that comes to mind. But I also like to sit down at the studio and think of a topic to write about, then put melodies to it. You’ve shared the stage with a bunch of artists, what could we expect from one of your live shows? Definitely originality and a few surprises for the ladies. I try not to be typical but rather give the public something they will forever remember. Obviously it will include dancing as well, definitely an energetic performance! What do you have planned for the rest of the year? A lot of traveling, collaborations and shows. I recently signed a publishing deal as a songwriter with ULTRA (Calvin Harris, Benni Benassi, David Guetta, Deadmau5, PITBULL ect), and I'm very excited. Stay tuned, because I may just end up writing your favourite artist's next big hit. Is there anything else you would like to say? Salute to all my fans and supporters out there #TeamLukay. Without you I wouldn't be where I am today. And to everybody who is hearing about me for the first time, welcome to my story, I hope to have you by my side for the continuation of my journey!
www.facebook.com/Lukaymusic
“I do music because it’s my passion and not for recognition”
Owl City By Aud Lew
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On the Radar
BY: BEKKA COLLINS
BY: BEKKA COLLINS
BY: BEKKA COLLINS
laura welsh
colour coding
heliotropes
Check out “Undiscovered”
Check out “Yours, Not Mine”
Check out “The Dove”
Laura Welsh is a dynamic artist who has the power to become the next big female act. Soulful vocals, complex melodies and bursts of keys make her songs a refreshing addition to the music world. Having recently supported Ellie Goulding at this years iTunes festival, and with more shows on the way, the last thing Laura plans to do is stay quiet. With an upcoming music video ready to debut and the want to be heard, we bet that Laura won’t be disappearing from our radar anytime soon.
Colour Coding are a family affair, made up of cousins Chris Holland and Tim Commandeur from Syndey, Australia. Both were previous members of the band Operator Please, before deciding to embark in the music world as Colour Coding in 2011. The band quickly gathered a local fan base, and with a recently released double A-side single under their belts, they aim to take the world by storm in 2014. We can’t wait to see what they get up too.
Brooklyn, New York is home to a group of four rockers known as the Heliotropes. With their disntinct heavy sound, they kicked off 2013 with the release of their debut full length ‘A Constant Sea’ via Manimal Records. The album holds a solid collection of songs which have received widespread critical acclaim and a wealth of fan support. Portraying the bands grungy 70s sound well, it’s only a matter of time before people catch on to the talent this band have.
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REVIEWS
SHOW REVIEWS//
Jessica Lee Review
BY: DECEMBER LEANNE
H aving booked minute trip out
a very last to beautiful Vancouver B.C, I was able to see Ottawa’s own Jessica Lee perform at the Tom Lee Music Hall. Local acts Kieran Strange, The Face Plants and Halfway to Hollywood opened the show. Jessica Lee was discovered by a Youtube video contest, with the prize being to sing with the band Marianas Trench at a concert in Toronto. Jessica won the competition and got to duet with singer Josh Ramsay, on their song “Good to You” at Massey Hall. She was then brought to Vancouver to record a studio version of the song and music video, and later was proposed a co-management deal with Josh Ramsay and 604’s Jonathan Simkin. The rest progressed from there. With her infectious pop music, she had the place upbeat and
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dancing throughout her set. She played her singles “Beautiful” and “Save Your Breath”, which had the crowd singing and dancing. She also performed many of her other catchy tunes, taken from her debut album ‘Carried Away’ which was released earlier this year. To make things interesting for her fans Jessica was throwing purple unicorns into the crowd as a way to win merchandise. She also had fellow 604 Record’s artist, Cat Thomson join her on stage, and did a few acoustic songs in the middle of the set. With her charismatic stage presence and genuine talent a good time was had by all. www.twitter.com/jessicalmusic
www.facebook.com/jessicalmusic
SHOW REVIEWS//
REVIEWS
NIGHT RIOTS SHOW REVIEW BY: MELISA BAYKENT
A fter driving around for some time in the stormy Arizona weather and
making a pit stop at McDonald’s, I finally arrived at Martini Ranch. There were only a few people in the crowd at the beginning, but after about thirty minutes Martini Ranch became a spot full of good music and cool people. Two local acts took the stage before Night Riots and they got the crowd pumped. At one point, there was a group of guys dancing along to the beat and just enjoying themselves, which is what one should do at a gig. After about two hours of the local acts, Night Riots hit the stage. The stage was decked out with several amps as well as homemade light fixtures, which was a nice personal touch. During their soundcheck
they ran into some trouble with the guitar pedals and after several attempts of trying to make it function properly, they resulted in just sticking to the amps and ditching the pedal board. And yes, they did the soundcheck themselves! They played all of their songs from their ‘Young Lore’ EP, with standouts being “Spiders,” “Remedy,” and “Back To Your Love”. They also played some older tunes from when they were known as PK. Including one of my personal favorites, “London,” which I was ecstatic to hear. Everything about their performance was perfect. Travis’ vocals were pretty much on point the whole
show and the catchy guitar riffs from Nick were flawless. Mikel and Matt’s stage presence was captivating and you could tell that they were having a lot of fun doing what they love. Rico may have been to the far back of the stage in his own area, but he sure didn’t let that stop him from rocking out. Technically, Night Riots are a band who don’t just put on a great show, but they put on a show that is also skillful. Not only that, but through their performance you can easily understand how serious they are about music and putting on a good show. www.twitter.com/nightriots www.facebook.com/nightriots
REVIEWS
ALBUM REVIEWS//
album reviews ONE TWO THREE four five OUT OF / five
ATTENTION THIEVES ‘HARD TRUTHS’
‘Hard Truths’ is the latest release from the Reading rock quartet, Attention Thieves. From the opening of “Prove You Wrong” listeners are given strong guitar riffs, a tasteful bass line to groove with and a drum beat to stomp their feet to. Alex Green’s vocals are powerful and demand to be heard, creating a fitting vibe for the remainder of the EP. Each song’s lyrics empower the listener, like in their title track my favourite line says, “If you don’t believe in me then I guess I’ll have to prove you wrong”. Though during the first handful of plays, the songs sound dangerously similar and I found myself checking to see whether the track number had changed. Attention Thieves have definitely found their sound, and it would be nice to see them be a bit more adventurous, but regardless the EP is a solid effort and will be electric live.
TONIGHT ALIVE ‘THE OTHER SIDE’
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‘The Other Side’ is the sophomore album from Aussie rockers Tonight Alive. The growth in the bands sound is evident from the opener “The Ocean,” which packs a punch around the dominating gritty riffs. The album seems to equally focus on both the musical and vocal talent that encompasses it, while structurally making sense without ever being predictable or safe. The band welcome sincerity as songs such as “The Other Side,” “Bathwater” and “You Don’t Owe Me Anything” devour emotional pangs through lyrical insights and softer sounds. In contrast, radio-ready single “Lonely Girl,” and tracks like “The Fire” and “No Different” are empowering and energetic with hard-hitting beats full of angst and promise. Building on their original sound, ‘The Other Side’ offers something for everyone and is an exemplary second album, one Tonight Alive deserve to be proud of.
ALBUM REVIEWS //
REVIEWS
LONDON GRAMMAR ‘IF YOU WAIT’
‘If You Wait’ is the eagerly anticipated debut full length from London Grammar. A confident musical journey has allowed this trio to continuously rise over the past year, and ‘If You Wait’ manages to capture throbbing percussion, delicate keys and haunting vocals to create an impacting and ultimately beautiful release. This three piece have easily pushed the boundaries of generic “pop”, and are bursting into a genre all of their own. Lyrically, this album crosses between emotionally devastating, as “Wasting My Young Years” has us questioning loneliness, while “Sights” keeps us thematically uplifted as Reid encouragingly sings “keep it together.” With tight riffs and trembling piano notes slicked across the whole album, and spiritual vocals that twist to fit the mood of each song, ‘If You Wait’ is a truly refreshing release which is sure to do well.
BELLA DIEM ‘FLYING’
Bella Diem are a Birmingham quintet who released their latest EP ‘Flying’ last month. Opener “Hypnotised” is enticing with it’s jazz-infused riffs and will be stuck in your head after a few listens. It’s a fairly strong opener but soon becomes repetitive and dull towards the end. “From Venus To Earth” follows, slowing down the pace with a simplistic pattern that creates a strong foundation for the soothing lyrics to lay across. The structure of this song is creative and gives it something more to offer. “Run Away” breaks into male vocals and strong percussion, it is easily the most fun song on the EP and is packed full of elements, hinting that the band can go a lot further with their sound. Fourth and final track “Flying” has a predictable sounding structure but the delicate dual vocals add a lot of depth to the song. The soothing vibe that carries the song brings the EP to a soft end. ‘Flying’ is a commendable release and does well to sum up the bands sound across four tracks.
LOVE INKS
‘GENERATION CLUB’
Austin, Texas pop trio Love Inks’ new record ‘Generation Club’ is cohesive, almost to a fault, an undisturbed constant stream of dreamy pop music. The record drifts along, transitioning from song to song effortlessly, almost lazily. Lead singer Sherry Leblanc’s voice has a floaty, retro quality to it, not unlike Lana Del Rey, adding to the overall easy, passive quality of ‘Generation Club.’ Stand out tracks “Outta Sight” and “Hearts Up” offer the listener a more upbeat, bubbly tone, kicking the somewhat sleepy record up a notch. Under the surface, there is a subtle confidence pervading Love Inks’ sound. It’s as though Love Inks doesn’t really have to try; they just sit down together and create this sweet, understated pop music on the first try. While Love Inks’ music itself might not be particularly dynamic or diverse, it is that self-assuredness that makes ‘Generation Club’ so exciting.
twenty | one | pilots By Alex MACKWORTH praed
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foxes photos By manny hebron
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Louisa Rose Allen, also known as Foxes is one of the best UK up and coming female vocalists. Born in Southampton and currently residing in London, her vocals may not be new to your ears as she features on several established tracks including Zedd’s “Clarity” and Fall Out Boy’s “Just One Yesterday”. Beginning her music career back in 2009, she worked continuously, experimenting with different styles and elements until she found her sound. She released her debut EP ‘Warrior’ in May 2012, and began to grow a steady following of dedicated fans. Featured on the Debenhams advert is her song “Youth” which was released last year, but is recently capturing the minds and souls of many. Flamboyant and energetic, Foxes’ vocal delivery alongside her staggeringly honesty lyrics is breath of fresh air, and her ‘Youth’ EP which features many remixes of the track is currently available for pre-order. Determined not to be that “featured artist” we are interested to see how Foxes will break out of her shell, and prove herself as the solo artist many of her older fans know and love. We don’t know where her music career will take her, but we think she’s gonna go far. www.twitter.com/iamfoxes
www.facebook.com/iamfoxes
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e l t t i L l e u m a S
Samuel Little is making a comeback in the music world, after being on hiatus for quite some time. Previously the vocalist of UK pop-punk band Fleeing From Finales, he is no newcomer and is returning to his fans better than ever. Sam’s music endeavours don’t stop there. After Fleeing From Finales ended, he went on to form a short lived, but well loved band; Clarkson. But before long Sam decided to fly solo, creating music under his previous moniker Eat Sleep Attack. While he was no stranger to success via his solo acts and groups, it wasn’t until the birth of his daughter that he returned to music with a record especially in her honour. ‘Don’t Leave This Ship’ has been described as the most simplistically beautiful music Sam has written to date, and since its release in mid August, it seems fans and critics both agree. ‘Don’t Leave This Ship’ includes three original tracks and a Blink 182 cover. Prior to its physical release on Working Week Records the album helped fund a flight, allowing Sam to pay his final respects to his now deceased father. While Sam has previously played with many established acts such as Idlewild, Scouting For Girls & Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, he plans on
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continuing to play music as long as he can, whether that is as a hobby or profesionally, it’s certain that this won’t be the last we hear of Samuel Little. He is currently on a UK tour which spans until the end of September. After that, who knows what we can expect, but whatever it is- we hope it’s good.
www.facebook.com/eatsleepattack
‘DON’T LEAVE THIS SHIP’ EP
white clouds & gunfire White Clouds and Gunfire are a pop-rock band from Petersborough, England. The band formed in January of 2009, fronted by Eveline Verdegaal and rounded out with bass player and vocalist Rob Woods, drummer Lewis Fountain, guitar player and vocalist Byron Marr, and guitar player and vocalist Alex Cox. Excelling in jammy choruses and thoughtfully constructed bridges, WCAG’s sound is an interesting mix of melodious pop and chunky chords, with elements of 80’s girl power rock seeping through in Verdegaal’s piercing vocals. Although many people will inevitably make comparisons to other female vocalists, Verdegaal’s voice is so distinct that it is impossible to justify such a comparison. While musically, the band can be compared to poppunk counterparts We Are the In Crowd and Mayday Parade, vocally, Verdegaal can only be compared to 80’s queens like Heart or Pat Benatar. On WCAG’s debut EP, ‘Zero To Hero,’ the lyrical content ranges from inspirational on “Stand and Be the Hero” to scathing and angry on “You Think You Know Me.” White Clouds and Gunfire have a tenacious “gogetter” tone to their music that reaches beyond the music and touches the listener. While the sound isn’t exactly mature, it’s that youthful sort of attitude that is contagious and empowering to the listener.
White Clouds and Gunfire’s new album, ‘For All the Non-Believers,’ was released via I Am Mighty Records and is available now for download. You can catch the band on tour across the UK until the beginning of November.
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‘FOR ALL THE NON BELIEVERS’
Viv and the Revival 36 -- VENTUREMAG.CO.UK
Viv and the Revival formed back in 2010, and we chatted to Viv himself about his start in music, why he prefers the DIY approach, and found out about the new album ‘The Introduction’. Could you give us a brief history of how you got started in music? I’ve been around music my whole life, my Dad being a professional drummer and all. I picked up a guitar at 8 but seriously started playing at 14, and then started playing in bands around 16. You have already self-released four EPs, why do you prefer to self-release your music as opposed to signing with a label?
Wow, that’s a tough one. I really love them all, but “Criminals” is a very powerful song in my opinion and I can’t wait for people to hear it! What was the experience like getting to work with Grammy-nominated producer Rich Friedrich? It was great! Rick is so talented, and it was really easy for us to work together! Everything seemed to click, and we had a blast. I learned a lot from him. If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I wouldn’t really change anything about the industry, but I would love to have been a I’ve really enjoyed the DIY aspect so far, part of the scene in the 70’s or a time when but I’m getting interested in signing with the music business seemed to be more a label to see what they could do! Also, about the music and less about the business. to be on a respected label with great artists and bands would be amazing! What do you have planned for the rest of the year? Your latest musical offering, ‘The Introduction’ is due for release on October I’m excited to tour a lot and bring the 8th. Is there a meaning or message you music to everyone we can! Also, I can’t wait have tried to convey throughout this to be able to sit down and write and get album? some new stuff going! Always keeping busy! All of the songs each have their own messages Is there anything else you would like to say? and meaning. It’s an album about life and all of the things in it. Thanks so much for having me, I really dig your magazine, you guys are great! How do you think ‘The Introduction’ differs from your past releases? It’s a step up and a level above everything else I’ve put out before. I’ve grown so the music obviously had to grow too.
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Lyrically, where do you tend to draw your inspiration from?
www.twitter.com/vivpeyrat
Everything! I love to write about the universal topics like love, life, death, success, spirituality. Anything can be inspiring, from a movie to something your friend says to you, it’s all good!
www.facebook.com/vivandtherevival
What is one song from ‘The Introduction’ that you’re most looking forward to sharing with your fans?
Company Feature:
Zealous PHOTOS by: SAM BLAND
We recently caught up with Guy Armitage, founder and CEO of Zealous. Zealous is an online space for all creatives which exists to showcase work, and allow creatives to colloborate and reach their audience. Guy explained that “In the near future Zealous will become a single point of entry for organisations looking to organise/represent and showcase talent. It’s completely free to join the site and as simple as clicking on the register button.”
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One of the most interesting things about Zealous is that it is open, meaning those who are artists and those who just want to discover new creatives can both be a part of the site. “Businesses are so busy trying to protect their space that they lose track of what is best for their customers. From the start the core idea behind Zealous was to “Empower Creatives”, since most creatives have sporadic cash flows it would be silly for us to ask them to pay a monthly membership to access services that will help them make money. It’s a Catch 22.
Instead we’re working on a model which defers their costs to organizations that depend on their output, it’s in those organizations interests (and ours) to help catalyze their creativity and produce the next generation of awe inspiring content.” One of the main reasons why Zealous exists is to give creatives a chance to work together, as according to Guy it is a need rather than a want for creatives to work alongside one another. “Creativity is becoming increasingly complex, if you want to capture your audiences imagination in film, you’ll need a vast array of skills from writing to sound, filmography to production. It’s not impossible to take this on by yourself, but if you want to guarantee the quality of your work, and not spend 10 years learning every trade then collaboration is really the only way forward. Also it’s not just about creating the works anymore; it’s about promoting your work effectively. The internet can only go so far with providing you access to people and allowing you to distribute your work, but you’re going to need to make good looking content to capture your audiences interest in a world saturated with information. Think of a person buying a CD just because it has cool looking art on the cover, it doesn’t reflect at all on the quality of the music, but it was a deciding factor in the purchase. Another example would be an amazing artist taking a picture of their masterpieces with a mobile camera. They lose the depth of colour of the work they spent countless hours on and the photo might be badly lit and wonky. As they share this content they essentially throw away the opportunity of having professional photos taken (photographers don’t just have the skills, but also their own kit) blowing away their viewers with crisp imagery; increasing interest in their work, bringing more people to their exhibit and eventually adding value to the piece being sold. Finally, the more people you work with, the more people sing your praise. That’s free marketing! So not only do you get their time, and energy but you get access to their audiences. This is something the music industry has embraced wholly, how many times have you seen a song “featuring” another artist?” But Zealous don’t describe themselves as a platfom, because that implies being static, and they pride themselves on being active in the community. “We’re a movement, our involvement started on the web, since that was an affordable way to reach a maximum people. But we’re active by giving talks at universities and going to degree shows to help student’s access best practice when promoting themselves on the web.
This month we’re pushing our showcasing boundaries into the real world by organizing Zealous X, an event to be hosted in a 5 floor building between the Tate Modern Gallery and the National Theatre. Giving artists, photographers, performers, musicians and filmmakers an opportunity to reach out to a new audience and discover each other’s skills to collaborate. Submissions are open to anyone in the UK on the 30th of September. We’re also bringing the industry, the Government and the creatives together to share their challenges in open discussions over the exhibits 4 days. We want creativity to be more open, not just to the audience but to those that define where the industry is going. It’s a journey, we’re not perfect but we have very big ideas, and with the help of our user base we intend to make creativity a better place for all parties. Starting any company comes with it’s challenges, but a company with such big goals couldn’t have launched without a few bumps in the road. “We face challenges pretty much every day, but if you wanted the more notable ones, we have two in particular. Our development team are based in Egypt (outsourced to a business I cofounded). I don’t need to tell you what has been happening in Cairo in the last 2 years, but with the revolution it’s been a balancing act of guaranteeing their personal safety, whilst keeping them working and updating our features on the site. The second has been building credibility with the creatives, there are so many organizations out there conning artists, preying on their need to promote themselves. We’ve needed to organically grow respect within the community, which I can proudly say is now acknowledged by most. And alike challenges, companies have their successes too. “Our biggest achievement could be the article in Forbes, or the fact that I managed to secure an amazing team working on Zealous. It could even be that we managed to attract interest from organizations like the Arts Council and the BFI, but actually it’s the reaction I get from artists themselves, we’re doing it for them so being recognized by them is a big thing for me.” Social media is a crucial part of establishing a companies brand, and Zealous know this all too well. “We’ve had presence on social media ever since we started on Zealous, we’ve not always had the resources to use it as effectively as we would like to, but it has helped raise our profile and the profile of the creatives, providing us with a perfect space to engage with our users and share knowledge.”
While everything seems to be in tip-top shape at the moment, we wanted to know what Guy wants to accomplish with Zelous? “Most startups at the moment are in it for the 3 year exit. I feel this is detrimental to the economy; I’m in it for the long run. The tangible answer is that in 3 years time I would like to be able to source any skill across any creative field in any place. I also want to generate a middle market for people who want to organize/represent/ showcase creatives by giving them the tools to do so. The vision is to change the way we create and consume creativity across all fields.” And so with those aims in mind, what does the future of Zealous actually look like? “Our future looks bright but challenging, we’re working on growing the service as quickly as possible and are starting to gather momentum in doing so, the next challenge will be to optimize our services to give everyone a good experience and remain open to the needs of our user base. In the long term there are some very important
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questions our generation will need to solve focusing on IP rights (the remix culture), the way organizations devalue content through mass market streaming, measuring the impact arts have on our economy, our current distribution models and of course the money available to the arts. We believe each one of these challenges needs to be tackled and solved before creativity can flourish, kick starting a second renaissance across all fields.” Zealous however know that it is early days in their business, but they have ensured that they want to do whatever they can to keep the communication flowing. “We’re open to feedback on everything we do, so if you want to work with us, discuss one of your challenges, suggest ideas or partnerships you shouldn’t hesitate to get in touch with us at www.zealous.co Other than that, keep creating.” You can also keep up to date with Zealous and Guy himself by following the links below. www.twitter.com/Zealous_co www.twitter.com/guyarmitage
NGHBRS
“HOLD UP GIRL” MUSIC VIDEO: WATCH NOW
pitbull by: dylan razo
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MAG
VENTURE FOUNDER + EDITOR IN CHIEF + Designer BEKKA COLLINS: Founder / Press / Graphic Design / Writer BREANNE GILL: Editor In Chief JAKE WILLIAMS: Graphic Design
PHOTOGRAPHERS SAM BLAND / MANNY HEBRON / AUD LEW / ALEX MACKWORTH-PRAED / DYLAN RAZO /
writers MELISA BAYKENT / DECEMBER LEANNE / BRITTANY MCGARITY / JULIA PURCELL / KAYLEE SMOKE
special thanks Car Party, Let It Happen, Lukay, Mike Cubillos, Poppy Ballard, Meghan Kehoe, Manny Hebron, The Disconnect, Tides, Mark James, Rick Moreno, Jen-Nimmo Smith, Joshua Lomas, Frankie Davison, Guy Armitage, Billie Gianfrancesco, Erika Clark
contact WEBSITE www.venturemag.co.uk TWITTER www.twitter.com/ventureuk FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ventureuk tumblr www.venturemag.tumblr.com YOUTUBE www.youtube.com/venturemag
FACEBOOK.COM/VENTUREUK @VENTUREUK WWW.VENTUREMAG.CO.UK SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2013
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