Released yesterday, this new song is one to watch out for. The band’s previous track Feel The Same features on our playlist ‘Rock Out’, so this one was set to be a banger!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from and where did the journey into music start for you?
We are all Londoners who come from all over the place, Italy, India, Australia and Norther Ireland. We have been involved with music, in one way or another, from a very young age.
If you had to sum yourself up in three words, what would you say?
Rock And Roll
You released today your new single Have You Met Me. What does this song mean to you?
the song was inspired by the realisation that the same way we go down, we come back up; gradually and then suddenly. The antihero protagonist has lived a life of unapologetic excessive in all ways and despite nearing the end, the statement is clear… I won’t go down.
You released two singles last year, Delicious and Feel The Same. How does this new track compare to these previous releases?
We released 3! Creep Negativo came out at the end of the year. They are all rock and roll songs, they are all very Ora Violet, they are all honest and put a lot of work into each one of them. This one is a 2 minute feral sonic bullet, so it’s shorter than the others, it differs in this
Is there still more new music on the way from you?
Oh yes, plenty more to come out this year
Can we expect to see any music videos any time soon?
We have a video for Have You Met Me by Italian artist Pablo Chiereghin, it comes out on June 11th
What about live dates, now that gigs look set to return soon?
October is when we start playing live again, more info to come soon.
What is one thing you didn’t expect to have to deal with, while making music?
As banal as it sounds, Covid
Where can we find out more about you?
@oraviolet and on Spotify
Anything else you would like to tell us?
Thank you for having us and thank you for your support
Out now across all streaming platforms, this duo have stormed onto the scene. We spoke to them about all things music
Can you tell us a bit about yourselves? Where are you guys from and how did you meet?
So we’re made up of Matt Spencer who plays lead guitar and me, Ewan McLeish and I’m on lead vocals and play guitar. We met through Matt’s older brother Luke who happens to be my best friend, and one day on a kayaking trip we decided to have a jam to see where it took us. We ended up writing songs in the summer of 2020 albeit remote from each other due to the pandemic, by sending riffs and ideas online and building a song until it was completed. I remember the first time we met in person after lockdown we played one of our songs in full that we’d written separately from each other, and it was quite a bizarre feeling. We are based in Chichester and London.
If you had to use three words to sum the other up, what would you say?
Ewan about Matt: Decisive, driven, and a great tour guide when in Camden.
Matt about Ewan: Handsome, Furry, Melody-maker
You recently released your debut single I Remember. Where did the inspiration come from for this track?
‘I Remember’ is a song about someone’s constant endeavour to reach a sense of self-acceptance. This notion was channeled into an acoustic demo which later had 90s alt rock elements added to it.
Is this a hint at more new music on the way?
Yes, we are planning on releasing our second single in early July so stay tuned… We are really excited for the next release too as it’s still in our style, but also offers a slightly different flavour to the one you get with ‘I Remember’.
Who produced this? How was it, working with them, especially during a pandemic?
‘I Remember’ was produced by Neil Elliott at Old Blacksmiths Studios in Portsmouth. It was great to experience building a relationship with a producer for the first time (and first time in the studio), as this is really important to make a studio session successful. We had to push the date for our recording session back a little because of restrictions, but we feel really lucky to have got in and recorded not too long after as we were desperate to get some songs down. What was also lucky was that I (Ewan) was allowed to take my mask off for tracking vocals, otherwise the end product would’ve sounded a little muffled…
What is one positive you guys have taken away from the pandemic?
That it is still possible for us to write and develop songs, even if we are remote from each other. I believe it gave us an extra drive to push even harder to make the most of the time we had and be ready for when we could eventually record or play live.
Are there any plans to start playing live shows, when they are allowed?
Yes, we are hoping to play some shows at a local venue called ‘La Havana’. Moreover, we are going to push to get in some local festival slots.
What is next for you guys?
We are going to keep writing and releasing songs over the summer. Ewan will be moving to London in September so the big city awaits us….
Released just a few days ago, this debut single from Blueprint Tokyo is doing well, with well over 5,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. We caught up with Andy from the band.
Can you tell us a bit about Blue Print Tokyo? Where are you all from and how did you all meet?
Kevin [Dawson] and I [Andy Hale] met after bands we were each in folded. We formed a band and released an EP that started taking off. We quickly found ourselves on bigger shows, getting label interest, performing at festivals like SXSW and others. We finished up another EP, and shortly after releasing it, Kevin was diagnosed with a degenerative bone disease. It made standing, not to mention playing or touring, extremely painful. So right on the verge of becoming full-time musicians, we put things on hold. He found himself at 27, needing a total hip replacement. For someone so young, it was pretty nuts. It was a tough battle to regain his strength and get healthy again, not to mention the financial ramifications. Fast forward a bit of time, and Kevin and I wanted to start fresh. It was free of any baggage, any particular sounds, and we could hit the reset button.
If you had to sum each band member up in one word, what would you say?
Blueprint Tokyo is Kevin Dawson and Andy Hale. Kevin is curious, and Andy is thoughtful.
You recently released your debut single Panic Carefully. What does this song mean to you, as a band?
For us, it’s really about the future and how we view growth and looking ahead.
Panic Carefully deals with anxiety and the feelings of panic that [we] get in everyday life. Those can be big or small, and that they never really leave, but you can deal with them.
Is this a hint at more new music on the way?
Absolutely, more music is on the way. We’ll be releasing more singles over the coming months alongside an EP.
Who, would you say, are some of your biggest musical influences? Do you feel like their sound blends into yours?
We have a wide range of musical influences. We both grew up heavily influenced by the “oldies” stations playing The Beatles, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Fleetwood Mac, The Cars, The Eagles, and others. And we also love bands like The Silversun Pickups, Explosions in the Sky, Muse, Appleseed Cast, Phoenix, The Cure, Interpol, White Lies, and Foals. We recognized pretty early on to trust our sound and let it happen organically. But bands like Depeche Mode, The Cars or The Cure certainly helped shape our early musical tastes for textured guitars and synths.
To me, Panic Carefully reminds me of a lot of new British Indie music. How is your sound being reacted to by a mostly American audience?
We love British Indie music, so we’re delighted you picked up on those influences. Music crosses borders much more freely now, and as long as it resonates emotionally with a person, that’s the most important thing. It seems like our sound is being embraced, and we hope it will continue as the song continues streaming and getting radio airplay.
Are there any plans to play live, when it is safe to do so?
We want to perform live when it’s safe.
What would you say to young bands/artists as advice when looking to make music?
We would say trust your instincts, focus on the song, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. In our previous band, we were burnt early on with a bad contract. So it’s also always acceptable to say no.
Where can we find out more about you?
Our official website is blueprinttokyo.com. Our music is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and others.
I’d like to thank Andy for taking the time to answer our questions and wish him and Kevin the best of luck for the future
Also known as Matt Dunne, Specific Coast’s new single Home went live back in February this year. We caught up with Matt about all things music.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from and where did the journey into music start for you?
I moved to Los Angeles 7 years ago to pursue a career in the music industry. After meeting with people in the music and entertainment industries, I completely lost my confidence and decided to focus on the business side of the industry. I took a job at a publishing company and worked my way up from an assistant to label manager. Privately, I never stopped writing and performing for my friends. I created Cactus Coast, a collective of artists, songwriters, producers, and engineers, and I began hosting backyard concerts at my home in Silver Lake, providing a unique, intimate setting for artists like Royal & the Serpent to perform. Through the support of my little collective, and a prominent sync in the hit Netflix series Ginny & Georgia, I found my confidence again and released my single “Home”.
Who are some of your biggest influences and inspirations?
I’ve always loved sad singer-songwriters. Damien Rice’s ‘O’ and Bon Iver’s ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ are two of my favorite albums. When I’m not writing sad songs, I’m inspired by The Lumineers and The Head and the Heart.
You recently released your new single Home. What does this song mean to you, as an artist?
The song itself is about a long distance relationship. I originally wrote it as a voice memo for my girlfriend. It was my way of telling her that I was in it for the long haul. We now happily live together and it’s so special to me that so many people have connected with it. The response has been unreal and I plan on releasing music more frequently because of it.
It’s been a little while since you released anything else before this. What have you been up to since then?
I was focusing on building my record label and community, Cactus Coast. I’m also a full time artist manager at Flip A Switch Music where I am also a partner. Since the release of “Home” I’ve been busy finishing my next release, Wasn’t Love, available June 2nd.
How does Home compare to Eye To Eye?
I recorded Eye To Eye in my apartment. I wanted to make something lo-fi and indie sounding. I’ve always loved the soundtrack from the movie Garden State and wanted to make something I thought could live in that universe. “Home” was really inspired by The Head and the Heart and the Lumineers. I wanted to make something that was minimal but polished sounding.
Is this new single a hint at more new music on the way?
Yes! I’m releasing a new song on June 2nd called Wasn’t Love. For this one, I dove even deeper into the production and it will be my most complex release yet. While still having very minimal production. I’ve written so many songs over the years and I’m having a ton of fun revisiting them in the studio with my co-producer Paul Edelman. (If not) What is next for you?
Any plans to play any live shows, when it is safe to do so?
I can’t wait to start hosting backyard concerts again! I’ll have to ease into it a bit but hoping to support my next single with a small show for friends and family. As soon as everything opens up, and if the demand is there, I’d love to play out. It’s been years since I’ve played a real show but I have a product I really believe in that I’m really proud of.
What is one positive you will be taking away from the situation we’ve been in for a little while now (don’t want to use the C word)?
This past year I’ve had the opportunity to lean into management. My clients have placed 8 tracks in TV, Film, and commercials. I released my first song in years and spent time writing and recording. Without the C word, I don’t know if I would have had the time to do all this.
Where can we find out more about you?
I’m fairly new to the artist side of things but I love keeping up with everyone on instagram. I try not to take myself so seriously so I hope to make a few people laugh and there is plenty of puppy content!https://www.instagram.com/specificcoast/
Anything else you would like to tell us?
Pre-save my song Wasn’t Love on spotify! I’ll love you forever. It’s a little bit daunting to release a song after a big placement in a tv show. What if people don’t listen to this one? I guess we’ll have to find out! https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/specificcoast/wasnt-love
Can you start by introducing us to the band? Who is in it and what do you all do?
Sure so we’re The Fiasco, a Pop/Rock bands from Leeds, UK. I’m Adam and I play guitar/vocals, Tim is lead vocals/guitar, Jack in on bass and Matt on drums.
How did you guys meet?
Me and Tim met way back in school when we were 16. We had similar tastes in music and so decided to get together and have a jam. From there The Fiasco was born. We met Jack and Matt about 4-5 years ago to join the band which is when we’ve really picked things up again releasing music and playing shows (except from over the last 12 months obviously).
It looks like you guys have been pretty busy over the last few months, can you tell us a bit about what you’ve been up to?
Sure, so we released our previous single ‘Played Me At My Own Game’ in February with a lyric video and got a really great reception with it. It helped us secure a publishing deal. So we decided to come straight back out with our new single ‘Breaking Out’ which was released on 30th April. Luckily the Covid restrictions had loosened up enough for us to get together and shoot a music video this time – outdoors of course (really thankful we had amazing weather!).
Your new single, Breaking Out, is out now. What does this song mean to you as a band?
This song is all about feeling trapped in your own head. So many people suffer with mental health and anxiety and this is something we feel strongly about as a band and raising awareness about them. We wrote this song about how suffering with mental health and anxiety can impact relationships, particularly trying to start new relationships and how it can feel frustrating being stuck inside you’re own head and thoughts.
How does this song compare to your previous release, Played Me At My Own Game?
I think this one is more modern. I personally prefer Breaking Out (probably shouldn’t say that haha – Played Me At My Own Game is a cool song too). It certainly has similar Pop/Rock vibes that we are heavily influenced by, but I think it’s ultimately a feel good, dance about tune, even though it is highlighting significant issues many people face, it’s all about overcoming them. I think it has a feel good and optimistic vibe to it.
Can you give us a sneak preview as to what is next for you guys?
Sure. So we have a bunch more songs lined up for release this year, and also a cover! Back in the early days of The Fiasco, me and Tim used to post acoustic covers to YouTube and we grew a pretty good following through it. We thought it would be cool to bring back one of our most popular covers that got several hundreds of thousands of views back then. My lips are sealed as to what song that is at the moment though! Sorry 😉
How have you all been keeping busy during lockdown?
Well Tim and his wife Emily very recently welcomed their first newborn, Reuben… so I guess Tim’s had his hands pretty full with that and also learning how to survive on no sleep! As for me, I’ve been busy writing new music, and working and producing songs for other artists. We’re really looking forward to getting back in the rehearsal room very soon though!
What is one thing you’ve learned from making music during a pandemic?
Don’t put your life and artist career on hold! When this whole thing started nobody could’ve predicted it would last as long as it has done! It’s a rubbish situation but you just have to adapt and make the best of what it is. I feel really bad for the artists who have done nothing at all for the last 18 months… it’s gonna be super hard to get back going at a decent momentum! It’s been far from ideal, but there are still lots of ways to create and engage with people!
Can we expect any live dates from you guys?
Yes, we have a show booked at B2 Venue in Norwich on Saturday 9th October which we really excited about. We’re going to be sharing the stage with RANE who are putting out some killer music at the moment.
We have some great merch available at the minute – all the info and the store is on our Facebook page and we’re always doing giveaways on Instagram. So be sure to follow both accounts!
Have a read of our review of Played Me At My Own Gamehere
I’d like to thank Adam for taking the time to answer my questions, and wish him and the band the best of luck will all the new music. We hope to catch the band out on the road as soon as they play a show close to us!
Earlier this evening, Frank Turner played his brand new single, due for release tomorrow, on a live stream on his YouTube channel. The Gathering, a brash, angry, punk rock song that makes us all want to be back in the mosh pit. Even more, this track features Dominic Howard (drummer from Muse), and Jason Isabel on lead guitar.
And to add to that, there’s a new album coming soon (date unconfirmed as of yet), AND tour dates being announced tomorrow, with tickets on sale Friday at 10am.
Keeping it going, another new song, titled The Resurrectionist. Inspired by Charles Dickens, this is a classic Turner Tongue Twister, a sing along hit I cannot wait to hopefully hear live.
You can catch the live stream here to listen to everything Frank has to say
Released today across all platforms, this French funk-pop newcomer is certainly one to look out for. Have a read of our conversation here:
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from and how did you all meet?
We were all born in the south of France, where the sun warms hearts. We met in Toulouse during jam sessions or while crossing paths in music school. Toulouse musician network is quite small and helps to make great connections. We have all had a lot of experiences in various bands (jazz, rock, hip-hop, funk, electro) and it is the desire to make people feel good music to dance to, that brought us together.
If you had to sum the band up in three words, what would you say?
Dance, Disco Ball (two words I know, this is cheating…) and BoyBand
You released your new single KEEP GOING today, what does this song mean to you as a band?
Keep going is an ode to the power of music. That of bringing together people and energies, to make it something transcendent and positive. In my opinion this is what people need just right now!
Is this a hint at more new music on the way?
Of course, our first EP will be released in October 2021, stay tuned!
Who produced this? Have you worked with them before? How was it working with them?
For the recording we decided to do the best, calling Daniel Yvinec as producer. A guy who has already played with Maceo Parker, Salif Keita, Mark Murphy… and had a lot of experience as a producer (he was notably nominated for the Grammy Awards in 2011 for his work with the ONJ, the national orchestra of Jazz in France). It was the first time that we worked with a producer. It was a very enriching experience and it is clear that our EP would have had a completely different color without him. He helps us to keep the best, change some lyrics or song structure and find some “hooks”.
We discussed a lot with him upstream to define our music and where we wanted to go together, shared playlists, and ended up spending a weekend in the bassist’s parents’ basement in the countryside near Toulouse, where we rehearsed. We are also grateful to Romain Clisson, the sound engineer at Durango Studio in Paris, who made up the second half of the dream team and helped us to have a sound, a touch, the Flakes touch!
Pre-pandemic, did you get the chance to play many live shows? What were some of your favorites?
Unfortunately, our first gig was the day before the first lockdown. So we did just a few concerts in France in 2020, and our gig as a support band for Maceo Parker which was scheduled for our release party in October 2020 was canceled. What a shame!
We therefore had to postpone everything to one year. But we had the chance to do five concerts in 2020 and the one which stays in our memory was on the main stage at the Carcassonne festival, where people could be standing! Do you realize?
Looking into a world post lockdowns, do you plan to get out on the road?
Of course, it’s been our dream for a year! Our tour has been canceled and a lot of places where we were supposed to play have closed, we have to start all over again as soon as we are more clear on the health situation. We are still waiting for answers for this summer, it will be done at the last moment. The gigs all over the world have been postponed for a year and the places that remain are quite limited so it isn’t easy to be a band that is starting during this period.
How have you all been keeping yourself busy during lockdown?
We continued to compose, thought about making costumes for the show, collaborating with photographer for our EP cover photo, finalized the Keep Going video which will be released on May 20, 2021, we didn’t give up.
What is next for the band?
As I said earlier our music video will be released on May 20, 2021, our first EP in October 2021, and to come maybe a live show!
Where can we find out more about you?
You can follow us on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (Flakestheband), listen to our music on all the streaming platforms or buy it on Bandcamp when it is released of course.
Anything else you would like to tell us?
Yes, stay positive despite everything that happens, never give up, it will make us stronger and more united, believe in these wildest dreams and keep going!
I’d like to thank the band for taking the time to answer our questions and wish them the best of luck with the new single, and upcoming video and EP. Hopefully we’ll catch them on the road soon!
Dog On A Swing, also known as Ed Ritchie is set to release his new EP at the end of this month. We caught up with Ed about the new music:
Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and where did music start for you? Hi, my name is Ed and I play music under the name of Dog On A Swing. I was born and brought up in Edinburgh, and after a few adventures, I returned home ten years ago. My big bang moment was first hearing Green Day’s Dookie just before becoming a teenager. I dug out my brother’s old classical guitar from the back of a wardrobe, then had weekly lessons for a few years. I went to uni, joined the bands society and ended up running it til I graduated, but besides one co-written song, I didn’t get into songwriting til I was nearly 30! By that time, I finally had something to write about, so after six months I started playing open mics with the first Dog On A Swing songs.
Photo by Ryan McGoverne
If you had to sum yourself up in three words, what would you say? After a lot of discussion with my fiancee, I would say: observant, introspective burrito-fan.
You’re set to release your new EP later this month. What does this EP mean to you? It means a lot! Back in 2013, the original On Love was the very first official release I ever put out. I jokingly came up with this title after releasing the debut album Autonomy in 2017, but then realised I had a lot to say. On Love I is mostly about early, innocent, yearning love. On Love II moves onto mature love, the realities of deeper love, what it means to love harder/put more effort in, facing life’s difficulties. Technically, I’ve also learnt a lot since writing and recording the first one. The real pre-production work on this one happened in the last six months of 2020. This project has kept me sane during all this, and I’m really happy with how it’s turned out and the initial reception to the EP and single.
What tracks stand out as favorites for you? A good litmus test for every song on each release is ‘would I miss it if I took it out?’ so technically I’m partial to all of them! To actually answer your question though- Be My Widow is probably the most emotionally direct song I’ve ever written, bearing in mind Autonomy was all about my mental health journey! I’m also really looking forward to playing Exchanges live, as its very first performance (with my bandmate Martyn) was literally to a blank wall! The song was pretty fresh when we were invited to play a few sets across Falkirk for an all-dayer event, maybe a tad early in the day as even the staff were well out of our eyeline…
I personally really like Past Port. Can you tell us a bit more about where the inspiration came from for this track? Funnily enough, it was the last song written for the EP! I was on a songwriting getaway in February 2020 with some friends when a hypothetical question popped into my mind- if there was a door to go back in time for a second attempt at a relationship, would you go through it? My immediate, gut reaction was ‘absolutely not’ but that would’ve made for a pretty bland tale! The other thing that really kicked the song off was the house we were all staying in had perfectly flat floors at ground level, but upstairs was another story. It is a very weird sensation to be walking towards the bathroom late at night and momentarily going down and back uphill! I had a first line about a house with sloping floors by the time I got on the train home, and about 90% of the lyrics were written on that journey.
What have been some of the biggest challenges making this EP, especially during lockdown? For every previous DOAS release, I had always demoed and rehearsed the songs at home then recorded them in a studio (with producer Graeme Mearns- highly recommended if you’re in Edinburgh!) I knew I needed a new approach early on, but luckily during the first lockdown I finally got to grips with recording software (Reaper) so I could produce the EP myself at home. I’d worked with Jon Bews [violin] and Graham Coe [cello] on Autonomy, and with Alex Palmer [drums and percussion] they were all able to remotely record their parts and send them over to me. The aforementioned Martyn was also meant to be on the EP (he’s been on everything since After Work, and played over 70 gigs with DOAS) but his laptop broke and technology defeated our workarounds. Besides a lot of swearing at my laptop, I really enjoyed the production process. Afterwards I sent all the stems off to Ross Saunders, who mixed and mastered what you’re hearing today!
Can we expect any gigs, when it is safe to do so? Definitely! Open mic is where I started so I’ll be playing them first to get my match fitness back (nothing replaces live performance, both in attending and actually playing) but happy to perform wherever anyone wants me!
Photo By Ryan McGoverne
What is next for you? I’ve learnt very basic video editing in lockdown so in the immediate future, I’ll be finishing off videos for at least a few more songs from On Love- expect at least one more single in the coming months! On the songwriting front, I’m working on a second album all about friendship (a big topic surprisingly underexplored in song!). Outside of DOAS, I’m working on a score for a poetry performance piece my fiancee has written.
Where can we find out more about you? You’ll find everything I’ve released over at dogonaswing.co.uk (Bandcamp), and the username on most social media places will be ‘dogonaswing’. If you just search for ‘dog on a swing’, you will mostly find a lot of dogs on swings- something that always brightens my day!
Anything else you would like to tell us? Thanks for reading and look out for videos from a session I’ve recorded exclusively for TrueStyle. Thank you for the questions!
I’d like to thank Ed for taking the time to answer our questions and wish him the best of luck with the album release in the next couple of weeks. Keep an eye on our socials for an exclusive session, coming soon
Released a couple of weeks ago, this new album absolutely kills! We thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with the bass player, Pete, about all things music
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you all from and how did you all meet?
We’re from various places around Manchester. That’s our home city, where we grew up and where we’ve stayed close to, but we’ve moved around a lot – we call it “being in orbit”. We live in the countryside now, and we have links to London too. Mike and me met when we were kids and we were in a band together in the late 90’s; Grant was a drummer who I knew from “the scene” who became a good mate. The three of us got together and started WinterGreen in 2013/2014.
If you had to sum up each band member in one word, what would you say? Mike (singer/guitarist) Ginger Grant (drummer) Rocker Me (bass player) Dancer!
What is one thing that makes you stand out from all the others?
No other band anywhere in the world has got us three in it.
You recently released your new album, Framed. What does this album mean to you, as a band?
It’s really satisfying. We’ve been a band for 6 or 7 years and it’s our 4th album, which is pretty good going. We are quite productive. We always work REALLY hard on the songs, getting them as good as they can be, and we feel we’ve gone up a notch with each album we’ve made – especially this one. It’s our best one yet. We’re really proud of it and we haven’t finished – we can’t wait to hear the next one!
What tracks stand out as favourites, both to play and listen back to?
It’s hard to point to one track, or a handful of tracks. We’ve lived with them for 8 or 9 months writing & recording the album. They become ingrained within you. It’d be like trying to decide which are your favourite fingers or toes – they’re just “there”! It’s like having several kids – they are all different and you love them all differently, but equally!
Who produced Framed? Have you worked with them before? How was it working with them?
A guy called Peter EJ Lee produced it. Peter has had hits in the past under the name “Love to Infinity” and he’s produced or remixed Grace Jones, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, Coldplay…… loads of acts. Mike was working with him on a film soundtrack and got him interested in us. He was a godsend to be honest. We couldn’t record together because of Covid Lockdown and travel restrictions, so we had to play our parts individually at home and send them to Pete. Our previous albums have all been played live in the studio as a band, then mixed/over-dubbed etc. but this was a completely different way of making a record. Pete brough the whole lot together and sprinkled it with gold-dust!
What were some of the sources for inspiration?
We just love songs and songwriting. Anything that’s a great song, well constructed, well recorded….. that’ll do us. And we like to try and do the same, write great songs. Inspiration comes from loving music, loving loads of artists and wanting to emulate what they achieved whilst not copying them as such. All three of us have different influences – Mike is probably more of a classic guitar strumming songsmith; Grant likes to rock-out and bash his drums like a proper Rockstar drummer, while I’m more sort of robotic-dance orientated – well defined rhythms & bass….. it’s quite a mix that gives us what we think is a sound that’s familiar and can perhaps be referenced to other bands and artists, but ultimately sounds like us.
How does Framed differ from your previous three LPs?
Well, as per the answer above it’s massively different due to the way it’s been recorded in Lockdown. Also, it’s a progression from the other three (and each one has been a progression from the previous one). We don’t want to stand still. We don’t want to do the same thing over & over. We want to try different things, keep learning new ways of doing it. We’re always looking for new sounds, new ideas we can introduce to keep it fresh and keep it moving forward. We want to evolve, always.
Are there plans to play live, when it is safe to do so?
Yes definitely – We took a year off gigs…. Then when we were ready to go back to it, the pandemic hit us and we’ve lost another year! We can’t WAIT to get back on stage, as soon as it’s safe to do so. We’re already talking to venues and promoters, so we’ll hopefully start lining up some dates soon…….
What is next for Wintergreen?
Well, Mike is making a film in Mexico at the moment – he’s been there nearly two months but is due home in the next week or so. When he gets back we’ll get rehearsing (as soon as we can) and get out playing live. In the meantime we’ve been pushing the album all over the place and we’ll keep doing that. The feedback has been great, and we wanna build on it.
Sure – there’s a song on the album entitled “Sad Strings” that will be in a forthcoming mod/road movie called “The Pebble and The Boy” Directed by Chris Green. It stars Patsy Kensit, Jesse Birdsall, Sacha Parkinson, Stuart Wolfenden, and Mani!!! (amongst many others, and a load of scooters!)
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