We chatted to NOVELTY ISLAND about his new Single – Michael Afternoon

Although released a couple of weeks ago, and another single out tomorrow that you should definitely check out first thing, this absolute hidden gem is one you will want to listen to, and find out more about. Have a read of our interview here:

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Who is Novelty Island? Where are you from?
I’m Tom McConnell.. a songwriter and musician from Liverpool. I set up my project Novelty Island in the basement of Abbey Road Studios where Abbey Road Institute is based. I then proceeded to fill Novelty Island with my surreal pop songs and papier-mache… 

What are your biggest inspirations in the music world?
Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson

You recently released your new single, Michael Afternoon. What does this song mean, to you as the singer-songwriter?
Michael Afternoon is a shattered and battered fella who’s given up on the world, half a bag of sugar’s what he needs…

How does this compare with your previous singles and EPs?
I think the forthcoming album (which includes Michael Afternoon) is more concise than my previous releases, probably as it was all written and recorded in a very short space of time. I also think there’s more of a definite lyrical style to this stuff… 

Did you have any help in creating the musical masterpiece that is Michael Afternoon?
I recorded all the instruments/vocals at home in Liverpool myself except the drums that were added on by Jan Simson at 13 Studios in London. It was then mixed by Carlos Lellis so I had help from Carlos, Jan and my guitars… 

What artists have you been listening to recently?
I’ve been listening to Flyte’s new record, a guy called Nick Nicely and I found an EP by an artist called XINA recently that I thought was great… 

What advice would you give to those looking to make music?
Ignore this – “you’ve got a foot in the door, just gotta kick it open” said pub bloke #24233425

What is next for Novelty Island?
My debut album, How Are You Coping With This Century? comes out in October on Think Like A Key records and I’m currently getting a live band together. Dates will be announced soon… 

Where can we find out more about you?
instagram.com/_noveltyisland and novelty-island.com 

Anything else you would like to tell us?
Welcome to Novelty Island… 

We chatted to ROOSKIN about their new single ELOISE

Released one week ago, Rooskin’s new single has already got potential to be something big. We chatted to the band about all things music

Can you tell us a bit about Rooskin? Who are you and where are you all from?

We’re mainly from Essex apart from Buddy who’s from London! We each bring a unique influence to the table from straight pop hooks to absolutely math jazz synth lines.

If you had to sum each band member up with one word, what would you choose?

Rob – Dad
Matt – Uncertain
Felix – Chilled
Peter – Busy
Buddy – Wizard

You recently released your new single Eloise. Can you tell us a bit about what the song means to you, as a band?

It feels a lot like picking up where we left off. After so much time away from creating finished pieces of music it’s really nice to return to a familiar and well developed sound.

It’s a track that’s full of energy which is what we feel we and the rest of the artistic community have at the moment. A real eagerness to make the most of things, which I think is reflected in the lyrics.

Is Eloise a real person? If so, how has she interacted with your lives?

Yeah, she’s real! Eloise showed me this dead surfy tune that I loved and while trying to work out the riff in the song she’d shown me I stumbled upon a different new riff which became the intro to our single “Eloise”. Then after I slapped some chords over the top it felt only right that the lyrics reflected her in some kinda way.

Obviously, we decided the most subtle and artistic way was for Matt to belt her name for 3 bars in the chorus amidst a choir of psychedelic angels!

Is this new single a hint at more new music to come?

So many tunes in the bank – I’m itching to get them out! We have a nice variety of singles ready see us through to next summer when we’ll hopefully release my favourite song EVER and take over the world!

How does this single compare to your EP released last year, Honey Spells?

I think “Eloise” is a good first step after our EP. I feel like the EP cemented the area of the sound we were aiming for, this single is the first branch off of that sound… where will the next branch take us? Stay tuned!

Are there any plans to play any live shows?

Things have come back to life seemingly overnight! We played our first show with The Waterfalls who we owe a debt of gratitude for getting us back into a good state in terms of playing live! We have more lined up and we’re scheming some pretty exciting shows for the end of this year and into next year too!

What artists is each band member currently listening to?

Rob – Labi Siffre and Frankie Valli
Matt – Mystery Jets, Jimi Hendrix & Sunflower Bean
Felix – Metronomy and Mac Demarco
Peter – Silk Sonic
Buddy – Foo Fighters vs Earth, Wind & Fire

What advice would you give to those looking to make music?

Don’t try too hard, don’t be too precious and if it sounds good, do it – even if it’s ridiculous!

Where can we find out more about you?

Instagram is probably our most active social but we’re on all the other good ones! @rooskinband

Anything else you would like to tell us?

Just thanks for listening & stay tuned for endless cruisy tunes!

We chatted to Jack Hinks about his new single THE EMPEROR

Released on 20th August, Jack’s new single is an instant indie-folk banger, and has an interesting story to go with it. We caught up with jack about all things music:

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from and where did your musical journey start?

I grew up in the borders of Scotland and found myself taking some local guitar lessons just as I turned 13. My parents had surprised me with an electric guitar that summer and I wanted to get stuck into learning and writing. I had always enjoyed singing and listening to music, so it felt like the next step towards expressing myself creatively.

If you had to sum yourself up in three words, what would you say?

Introspective Dark Optimist

You recently released your new single The Emperor. I hear this song has a pretty interesting backstory, along with a few other tracks. Can you go into a bit more detail about this?

The Emperor is the fourth track in a series of five, with each track representing a stage of grief in the Kübler-Ross scale. My intention was to create a mini-album that would work cohesively as a concept, but also work as stand alone songs. I’ve always been very interested in the cycle of grief, and most of my own writing is usually fueled by personal experiences, so I thought it could be an interesting way to explore each part of the process musically. The Emperor, in my eyes, represents Depression. I started writing it after having an experience where I felt completely out of place with a group of people I used to be really close with, and it made me feel as though a chapter of my life had come to a close. It felt like a sort of grieving, and the song grew from there. I wanted to explore the imagery of The Emperor within Tarot lore, as it usually represents confidence, stability and control within your life and actions. But, in Tarot when a card is revealed to upside-down it usually reverses the meaning or implication anyone could take from it. I thought that was a really interesting concept and storytelling tool, and I thought it could work well with the idea of Depression.

When can we expect the last song in the series?

I’ve been releasing each of the songs every 3 months, so all being well, mid-November!

Who produced this 5 piece? Have you worked with them before? How was it, working with them?

I’ve had a firm idea of what I wanted to do with the concept from the start. The first 2 tracks (Jigsaw and Plastercast) were recorded at Slate Room Studios with Garry Boyle, but since the pandemic hit, I’ve been exploring recording and producing it all myself from home. It’s been a process I’ve really enjoyed and growth through. I’ve always had an interest in the self-producing and engineering side, but until now I hadn’t been confident enough to produce and engineer my own music myself, as I’d always worked with Garry in the studio. I owe a lot of my recording experience to him, from both sides of the glass.

Are there any plans to play any live shows soon?

My hope is to get the full concept album ready with my band and play some shows once it is all released, but currently I’m getting used to juggling live gigs returning along with the rest of my responsibilities. I play in wedding and cover bands and with the lowering of restrictions I’ve found myself very busy again, very quickly!

Once this musical adventure into grief is finished, what is next for you?

I’d love to keep writing and releasing and honing my craft. I have plenty more songs that I could release, but also a few ideas for more concept albums. I’m also very keen to explore recording and producing more artists, as well as getting into playing with and for other artists in the scene!

What advice would you give to those looking to make music themselves?

If you have an idea of how you want to sound or what you want to write about, follow that desire. It’s all too easy to be distracted by what is popular or successful right now, but there is space for you and your sound. Don’t dilute yourself for others.

Where can we find out more about you?

You can get a much better sense of who I am and what I like to do (in and around music) by following my social media accounts. You can find me as @JackHinksMusic on most platforms.

Anything else you would like to tell us?

I’m currently curating my own monthly unsigned/indie playlist for local artists. Each month I select some of my favourite new music, and every week I play alongside and promote an artist on my social media. The playlist is called ‘Hot Singles in Your Area’, and my inbox or DMs are always open to questions and submissions from fellow artists!

Album Review – Heartwork, Whatever Comes After It

This is an album I have been excited to listen to for a long time. Ever since I first met Dan I’ve been in awe at his musical talent and ability, and I’ve been hopeful that this album would be no different.

The album was showcased over 10 days, with each track getting announced one day after the next. As much as I wanted to join into the hype, I had to restrain myself from listening as I wanted this album review to be representative of my actual first listen.

Before we get into any tracks, I have to give a mention to the title. It shows a feeling of helplessness, despair and confusion, but mostly just not giving a shit anymore, and letting things be how they are going to be. Kind of reminds me of Tigers Jaw’s “I Won’t Care How You Remember Me”. Same energy. Anyway, more to come with all of that later.

Track 1 – Chaos > Order.

The track, and album, opens in a strange way, like an audio recording in a place that is really windy. All I manage to make out is the words “good luck with that”. I think this is a good president for both the album and how we are all feeling, let’s be honest.

But very soon we go into a classic Heartwork heavy guitar riff, with a slower style vocal. Soon the rolling drumbeat starts to come in, giving it an almost tribal like sound. This, combined with Dan’s long, drawn out syllables, create some awesome hooks.

The second half of the song takes a more pop-punk sound, really bringing it to life, but still with that rolling, ever-there drum beat. Then the last lyrics come together with some crowd chants (that I’m part of), to bring the song to one unified close. Ongoing drum beat and unified close – could this be a metaphor for the last 18 months? Maybe it is, or maybe I’m just reading too much into this. Who knows?

Track 2 – Apatures.

This one goes straight into a heavier sounding full band style, almost sounds like a Menzingers’ song (I know Dan is a big fan of these guys, so might be the inspiration). This song is loud and brash, a real headbanger and mosh-pit-er. I really like the radio style voice over the drum fills, before going into a full on blazing guitar shred. In three words – Heavy, Angry, Fun.

Track 3 – John Goodman.

Can I first of all start off with who is John Goodman. I didn’t hear any mention of his name, or anything about him in the whole track. If Dan could shed some light on this person that would be amazing.

Just like the previous track, this one opens in a similar, heavy style, but with a weird vocal effect, a bit like a radio. Maybe a public broadcast, panic message?

Although I can still hear the American rock band influences, this one goes back to that pop-punk style we saw in the second half of track 1. Almost to the point of reminding me of the band Microwave – I don’t know if they are an influence to Dan.

The song itself has this message of disassociation and confusion, from a mix of drink and drugs. Mixed with the call and response, a tripped guitar solo and another rolling, almost heartbeat like drum, give this song a proper high feeling. Coming back to that strange vocal effect shows to me that this is a never ending cycle, maybe for whoever this John Goodman is.

Track 4 – You & Yours

Track 4 is a much softer, acoustic track (well, to start with at least), one that really brings out Dan’s incredible guitar skills. This track, like the album title, really does remind me of Tigers Jaws’ “I Won’t Care How You Remember Me” – starting off softly before going into a classic rock sound.

This song also features some awesome big build ups, followed by quiet patches, a very emotional track, one that comes from the heart. Combine this with the guitar squeaks that haven’t been editied out, make this one raw and close track.

Although I’m not too sure of the meaning behind this one, really is confusing to work out. Something about regrets maybe?

Track 5 – Silver

Straight away this is another Midwestern rock style guitar opening – so much so I could have sworn this song was already in one of my playlists. But quickly this comes to change, as we get into the mid section it sounds nothing like anything else so far.

The heavier rock style of this one would absolutely kill a live show! I can almost imagine the mosh pits and crowd surfing now.

Like track 4, I’m struggling to understand quite what is going on in this track – what are the 16 years of struggle? Maybe something about settling for second place? Who knows? I really like the ending though.

Track 6 – Disco_Beat_2020.mp3

OK, so firstly, what is up with the name of the track? I was expecting some proper techno, 80s disco beat. I have to say I’m disappointed it wasn’t.

Instead this is another acoustic-rock style track, big Frank Turner vibes going on here. A feel like this is Dan’s lockdown song (come on, everyone has to do at least one…).

For me, this song is Dan taking himself apart, while showing the craziness and never-endingness that was 2020, with the drums and guitars almost looping, showing everything else just looping, over and over again.

But at least, come the end, we get that classic disco beat, but almost more of a punk disco beat. Something to get you moving while also getting you angry.

Track 7 – Fire

This one certainly has more of a country feel to it, but also one I can see a crowd clapping along to at a gig kind-of-song. Soon into the track, it turns more pop-y, taking a bit of a different direction to the rest of the tracks on the album so far, but one I really like though, especially the use of synths in the song.

Unlike the last two, I kind of understood the meaning of this one. It’s a song about selfishness, and the need to look out for others. But also about looking out for yourself, and not caring what others think. But also not being an arsehole. Well, maybe I understand it.

However, I do really like the longer, drawn out acoustic ending.

Track 8 – Me & Mine

Another acoustic track, this one coming in a bit shorter than the rest. Me & Mine features just a single voice and guitar, with what sounds like mostly open, strummed chords. Mix this with the smoother, slower vocals from Dan and it’s a nice track, one I think would be awesome solo live.

Again, no real meaning I can gather from it, but one I really enjoyed listening to.

Track 9 – Everything, all at once

Well it’s safe to say the song opens with everything, all at once – a massive, loud and heavy intro. As a song, it harks back to the more metal influences on Dan’s work, but still jumps between styles across the whole, high tempo track.

The only real thing I can say from this song is the way it just straight up hits you in the face, and does not apologise for it one bit.

Track 10 – Bad Luck To Say Goodbye In The Dark

First, I have to say this one does have a clear meaning to it, and it’s definitely my favourite from this album. The real mix of styles, all blended together make this one that I can listen to on repeat for ages.

The song starts with open chord strumming, a quiet before the storm feeling, and along with the slow, low vocals gives this song some real soul to it.

Then at that 1 minute marker. BANG. Back into that heavy sound, all the way through to the end of the track and album. A real punk-metal combination, getting those fast and angry bits, mixed with the slower recess throughout.

I get the feeling of being done, of having had enough, from this one. It’s the end of the album, end of an era. Getting old, can’t hack it anymore (sorry Dan).

The slow guitar picking parts really help break up the mid sections of the song, helping build up to one more in your face moment near the end.

The latter half has more of a begging feel, of almost mercy for something? But also some hope, some good in looking forward, maybe even a bit of a love message in there somewhere. And with one more final guitar shredding solo, and a fade out to just the drums, it feels like it ends on a positive, maybe life isn’t so dark.

In conclusion

Dan’s second (proper) album has been an absolute blast to be a part of, from the build-up and help with crowd chants, to the final finished product.

If you are looking for an album that is going to open up your soul with some deeper, hidden meaning, or looking for that song that’s going to pull you out of those hard times, maybe this one isn’t for you. But if you are looking to rock out and spend 40 minutes listening to some good tracks, maybe this one actually is.

Review by Ted Stargatt for TrueStyleMusic

Live review – The Gathering – Cheese and Grain, Frome. 07/08/2021

Saturday night saw the first run of the non-socially-distanced ‘The Gathering’ shows, from Frank Turner. A run of smaller, let’s-play-a-show type gigs, these were originally planned to be the first show’s post lockdown. As everything else over the last 16 months has shown, that didn’t quite happen, but I’m sure everyone there had a great time.

When I arrived in Frome, before seeing the first act on stage I had the opportunity to catch up with Frank about everything that had happened over the last 16 months. You can catch our interview here.

The evening saw a loaded bill, including local acts Semantics and Borts, Dave McPherson, Guise, Pet Needs, Skinny Lister, and of course a Frank Turner/Matt Nasir duo set.

Semantics were a great way to open the afternoon, and followed by Borts set the tone for what was going to be a killer night.

Dave McPherson, an artist I’ve heard of but never taken the time to listen to did an amazing job with his set, playing a mix of songs from his solo work, covers from his band InMe, and even a Bon-Jovi cover to bring it to a close. Another favourite discovery of mine.

Up next was Guise, performing as a duo set. I last saw Guise as a solo act, in Bath, March 2020, just after the release of their debut EP. Since then, I feel both the performance on stage and the crowd reaction has improved massively. Jess has definitely come out for her shell as a performer, and was talking to the crowd like a seasoned pro, even getting the crowd to sing along!

After this was Pet Needs, another new band for me, these guys have gone from strength to strength since being picked up by XtraMile Recordings. Saying they rocked that stage would be an understatement. All four of the band were full of energy, bouncing around the stage (and I think there would have been stage dives if it was allowed). Another band I would seriously recommend checking out if you haven’t already.

Pet Needs

Now, for those who have already seen the photography gallery from Saturday, it was after Pet Needs that the lighting changed on stage, and became so much darker.

Skinny Lister took stage as the last support set for the night, performing as a three piece. Although there were a few technical hitches along the way, they played an awesome set, including getting ‘Party George’ up on stage near the end (that’s one for the older fans).

And then it was time for the main act of the night, performing as a duo with Matt Nasir.

Frank played a massive 20 song set, spanning almost every album (nothing from No Mans Land though). We were greeted with Don’t Worry, one I’ve not seen as a set opener before, as well as hearing Father’s Day (first time for me) and The Opening Act Of Spring.

The crowd were on their feet and moving for the whole of his set, filling in for the sing-alongs (and parts Frank forgot the lyrics). For a lot of people, this would have been their first gig in at least 17 months, and all that energy they have been saving was let out on this evening.

We were also treated to two new songs in the setlist – The Work and Fatherless. The Work is a happy song about marriage and Fatherless, a slightly less happy, angry punk song about Frank’s relationship with his father, one that links nicely to Father’s Day.

The on stage chemistry between Frank and Matt really helped make the show that night. The jokes, crowd interaction and shared good times is always part of a Frank show, and this was no different.

Somehow there was also time for some covers that night, including Simply Red (Matt’s favourite band), Fine Young Cannibals (if these two can really be called covers), and what is probably Frank’s most popular cover – Queen’s Somebody To Love.

Of course The Gathering was played, first song of the ‘encore’. And the set was brought to a close by the classic singalong I Still Believe. Everyone was singing along with the “hear ye” and “I still believe”, and brought the night to a wonderful close.

And that concluded The Gathering. A really nice way for a lot of people to get back into the live music scene, and hopefully a signal of more good music to come.

Frank Turner’s new album FTHC is due for release next year via XtraMile Recordings.

I’s like to thank Frank and the team at XtraMile for inviting me along to the show, and can’t wait for what is next to come!

Frank Turner interview here.

Full gallery here.

Live review: Bombay Bicycle Club with Tamu Massif, O2 Academy Bristol. 24th July 2020

After 16 months of no live reviews of proper gigs, it was good to be back at the O2 Academy in Bristol to see the indie-rock legends that are Bombay Bicycle Club play their second warm up show before their headline set at Latitude Festival tonight (25th July).

Firstly (and hopefully the only c-word mention of the night), O2 Academy Bristol have what I think are very solid covid procedures in place. Everyone has to show proof of full vaccination, negative test from within 24hrs, or natural immunity from a positive test within 180 days. Other venues – take note! I did also notice a lot of people were keeping their masks on inside.

Once in, we were shortly introduced to the first act of the night, local musician Tamu Massif. Tamu, who played as a one man band, using a mix of guitar, pedals, loops and synths, played us a selection of new and old songs. Although I had never heard of Tamu before last night, I must say his skills and musical ability really took me by surprise. He is an incredible one man act, his voice matched his playing style amazingly. I think if he had a full band set up, it would be simply unbelievable. Sadly the set was ruined by so many people talking. Seriously, after 16 months and people are still doing this shit?

Tamu Massif – Copyright TrueStyleMusic

One to watch out for, and if you ever get the chance to see Tamu live, take it!

Another short break before the main band came on, and what an entrance they made. All of that pent up energy from the last 16 months of no gigs was released at once, and no one – band or crowd – could keep still. I was even singing along in the photo pit!

Copyright TrueStyleMusic

Now, with some bands, they come on stage full of energy, but by three songs in they are dying on their feet (looking at you, Neck Deep at Download…). Bombay were not one of these. That energy was kept up throughout the whole set. This was also one of the loudest crowds I think I’ve ever heard!

Throughout their mammoth 18 song set, we were graced by a truly amazing cover of Lose You To Love Me, originally by Selena Gomez, a false start for I Can Hardly Speak (I don’t know if intentional or not?) and even a brass section for some songs – at one point there were 9 people on stage!

I’ve always been told that if the crowd is singing along to a guitar solo, you know you’ve made it, and last night was certainly one of those nights. At one point, frontman Jack Steadman remarked “it’s been one of those shows with a stupid smile on my face the whole time”. Same.

Copyright TrueStyleMusic

While looking through my notes it is difficult to put into words how good last night was! From my place up on the balcony I witnessed some epic dad dancing, and looking down into the pit below every single person there was having a great time.

The main set was brought to a close by Carry Me, from the bands 2014 album So Long, See You Tomorrow. With a bit of encouragement from the band, crowd members started ‘carrying’ each other (on their shoulders), before the time-honoured tradition of walk off walk back on again.

If you’ve ever read some of my other reviews you know I hate this part, so I’ll keep it short with one word: why?

With lots of chants of “one more song” and “Bombay Bicycle Club” (not the easiest, or clearest chant), the band eventually came back to the stage for the proper big ender – Always Like This.

And what an ending it was! The band still kept that energy going, and the crowd kept on top of their fiery dance moves. With more horn solos, good vibes and what is simply written in my notes as “bass solo, fuck yea!”, the night was drawn to a close and sadly we had to get to wherever we were off to next.

Copyright TrueStyleMusic

As always, a massive thanks goes out to all the staff, crew, security, bar staff, promoters and everyone else who works behind the scenes, to Bombay Bicycle Club and Tamu Massif for being amazing performers, and of course to the crowd for making it an excellent first show back!

Words by Ted Stargatt for TrueStyleMusic

All Photos copyright Ted Stargatt/TrueStyleMusic. Use without permission explicitly prohibited.

We chatted to SUNSTINGER about their new EP – Beyond The Frame

Can you tell us a bit about Sunstinger? Where are you from and how did you all meet?

Sunstinger was originally a recording project. We have all been in bands in the area, some of us in bands together. We wanted to just record some stuff and see how things would turn out. We got a few gigs and got the buzz back to start gigging again and it’s just progressed from there.

We are from various small mining villages in Fife, Scotland. Apart from our drummer Nick who was born in Spain but is from our main town in Fife, Dunfermline.

Where did the name Sunstinger come from?

The name means absolutely nothing unfortunately. We just stuck the first two words that came to mind together and that was that. There wasn’t much thought into a name as we did not know where we were going with the project. Do we wish we came up with something else? Maybe.

You recently released new EP Beyond The Frame. Any tracks that stand out as band favourites?

Everyone has different favourites, which I think is a good thing! We have alot of different styles and sometimes we change back and forth… I prefer our more melodic songs like Nothing’s Alright, Leave Me Alone and All My Friends Are High. Whereas our guitarist gourlay prefers the more 80s influenced stuff like The Void and Shimmer.

Who produced Beyond The Frame? Have you worked with them before? How did you find working with them?

The EP was produced by Magnus Collie. He plays a huge part In the way this band sound has developed. He’s pretty much the 5th member. We won’t work with any else, we have no reason to.

What were some of the biggest challenges to overcome when making music, especially during a pandemic?

The pandemic has been challenging trying to keep active. Just before the pandemic hit we were really starting to see the numbers at shows and things were picking up pretty fast. It was unlucky but we kept releasing songs and have managed to keep busy during the time. We just can’t wait to play live again. In this EP we tried to capture the drive and energy of our live shows.

You guys released a lot of new music in 2020, and even before. How would you say Beyond The Frame compares to your older releases?

We experimented with a few different sounds in our releases. I think the EP is what we were building towards. It’s exactly how we wanted it to sound and were very proud of how it’s turned out.

Can we expect any live shows from you guys soon?

Yes, we’re booked to play a hometown show in Dunfermline at PJ Molloys on 8th October. This will be our first show back by the looks of things and we have two great local support acts lined up. T-A and Jupiter Strange.

Where can we find out more about you?

Check our Facebook page and Instagram for updates

Both @sunstinger

And if you haven’t already go and purchase our EP from bandcamp. Grab a limited 12″ vinyl!

And, because they are always forgotten in interviews, any last words from the drummer?

He’s not here but if he was I reckon he would say “quien tiene los doritos?” Then fall back asleep.