Released on the 31st January, Landslide, the latest track from Earl Grey Collective, is the perfect smooth-groove summer track. The combination of Funk and Blues make it a perfect late night with friends track to vibe with.

I thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with front man Will:

Tell us a bit about the band. Where are you from and how did you all meet?

We’re pretty spread out actually, Katie hales from Hampshire, Zac from Woking, Will from Cardiff and Alex came from Australia! The band was formed in 2 separate stages, Me (Will) and Katie met at university and had the idea to start a band back then but it wasn’t until we finished Uni and after a bit of hard thinking that we asked Zac (who I knew from church) to be involved. We asked Zac if he knew any other bass players who had some serious groove and he suggested Alex, we met up a couple of times and the rest is history.

Where does the name “Earl Gray Collective” come from?

We came up with the name when I (Will Gray) met Katie Earl at university. On hearing each other’s last names we decided that we should either get married or start a band. Needless to say we formed a band!

You recently released your latest single, Landslide. Can you tell us what this song means to you?

I wrote the song around the time that I was getting married and it’s a reflection on the whole “through thick and thin” nature of the promises I made. I guess it’s kind of a reminder to myself that life’s not always perfect and I’m certainly not, and that love isn’t just about a good feeling but about choosing to care for the other even when it’s difficult.  

Is this a hint at more new music on the way?

Yes, it definitely is! We’re releasing one a month (if all goes to plan) leading up our EP release, so keep on the look out. 

Who produced this music? Have you worked with them before?

We self produce our music with most direction coming from the incredibly talented drummer/producer extraordinaire Katie Earl and myself. 

Where do you look for inspiration and influence in your music?

For me the music and songwriting that have moved me most are ones telling stories. Whether through the emotions evoked by certain sounds or by well crafted lyrics driving the imagination. As a kid I could get lost for hours in the stories of Laura marling, Mumford and Sons, Bon Iver and John Mayer and I think it’s safe to say their way of writing stories has continued to form and inspire my music. As a band however we draw inspiration from all over the place, we’ve all got interests in slightly different areas and genres

What, would you say, was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome when making your music?

Ooooh that’s a difficult one, I guess at this point in our career when for us things have been slow, the big hurdle and obstruction to the creative process is just playing the numbers game. Trying to get out of a mind set of “who’s heard it” to am I enjoying what I create and write has been a big hurdle to overcome for me (Will).

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

I guess I’d say 1: write a lot and then just keep writing and 2: Just have fun. Making great music can have a real technical element to it but if you forget about the spark behind why you write and the emotions you’re trying to evoke then it can quickly become just a task to complete rather than a joy to make

Did you have any plans to go on tour? Are you hoping to play any shows when we are all allowed back out?

No plans currently for a tour although who knows what the future holds. Yeah we’ll definitely get on the gigging as soon as it’s safe to do so (although who knows when that’ll be!)

Where can we find out more about you?

The main place we hang out is on instagram which you can find here:

https://www.instagram.com/earlgraycollective

Otherwise you can follow us on FB or even have a look at our new website.

https://www.facebook.com/EarlGrayCollective

https://www.earlgraycollective.com/

Anything you would like to tell us?

We’ve actually just released the music video we made for Landslide this week which was a heck of a lot of fun to make so if you fancy checking that out on our youtube page that would be awesome. 

These guys are definitely one to look out for, and I hope to catch them at a gig soon. Until then, I’d like to thank Will for taking the time to answer my questions and wish him and the band all the best for the future.

After the release of their latest killer single –Brother, I thought it would be good to chat to the four piece from Hartlepool about all things music. Read our conversation here:

Tell us a bit about the band? Where are you from? How did you meet?

We come from a little old town called Hartlepool in the North East of England. Beautiful place with a rich musical culture. Myself (Luke) and Sean went to school together and have always been jamming. We met Tom at a New Years eve party and it was not long after that we started playing with Dave. It’s been a blast so far.

Where does the name Leopard Rays come from?

So, i was in Florida a few years back and enjoying my time around some of the theme parks when i came to a Sting Ray pool on the day we went to SeaWorld and there was this massive fucking Sting Ray thing at the bottom of the pool. I noticed it was called a Leopard Whip-Ray. Kinda just came to me then and I made a mental note and when the band formed, that was it.

Have you played many shows before lockdown? How were they?

Oh god, yeah. I can’t remember fully but off the top of my head i think we have played like 50 maybe since the beginning.

You recently released your latest single Brother. Tell us a little about it?

This was the very first Leopard Rays song to get put on the table, I wrote it years back and it worked perfectly for us. It rarely left our set too , we love playing it. It’s one of them songs that we can really channel our energy, crowds seem to dig this one too!

Is this a hint at more songs on the way?

Absolutely, we have the release of our Debut EP which is coming later on in the summer. Got more music after that to which is ready to go. 

Who produced this music? How was it working with them?

Chris McManus from Blank Studios in Newcastle Upon Tyne. A righteous dude and a real craftsman in the studio. We always worked with Chris and everytime its a pleasure. 

How have you been keeping busy during lockdown?

The standard really, binge watching series’, gaming, baking, drinking. For the most part anyway. Been getting a lot of new songs demoed too and we have done a live stream or two.

Which artists are you currently listening to?

The Amazons, Tom Misch, Marketplace, Venus, R.E.M, Smashing Pumpkins.

Where can we find out more about you?

We are starting our own Podcast called “MIGHT AS FUCKING WELL” that’ll be available via our facebook and Instagram and hopefully Spotify too, you will see our true selves in that should you all decide to tune in. 

Our website is a good place to start – https://www.musicglue.com/leopard-rays/

Anything you would like to tell us?

Stay safe, look after yourselves and others, it’s a weird time for us all. 

I’d like to thank Luke for taking the time to answer my question and I want to wish him and the rest of the band all the best for the future. I hope to catch them at a show one day!

After the release of latest single, Wide Awake, released back in July, I thought it would be a good opportunity to have a chat with Nick Howe. Nick has also released IT BELONGS TO HER this year, and his debut EP, The Struggle Is Real, was released back in 2016. This multi-talented singer-songwriter is definitely one to watch out for.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Where are you from and where did music start for you?

My name is Nick Howe, I am a Singer/Songwriter and I was brought up in a household of musicians, my Dad actually signed to EMI the same week as Kate Bush. He didn’t have massive success in music but has been a successful actor for many years. At the age of 15 I was really inspired to get into songwriting after a trauma and watching my dad write songs for many years.

Songwriting is and was one of the most therapeutic things I do.

If you were to sum up your style in three words, what would you say?

pop/folk/acoustic

Tell us about your latest single Wide Awake. What does this song mean to you?

The song was inspired by a friend’s battle with addiction, subsequent realisation and path to recovery. The song is especially relatable during lockdown, as many of us have been forced to look inward without the usual distractions and temptations of life. I hope it might provide comfort for people going through the same struggles during these strange times.

Is this a hint at more new music on the way?

Yes! I cannot wait to share the next singles and EP coming out for the rest of the year. The new music video will be out very soon.

Did you have any help with the making and producing process? How did that go?

Yes, I love the process of collaboration, My producer Callum Rose was really inspiring to work with on this.

It was a pleasure to work with Billy Lockett on this too, he’s a great songwriter and has taught me a lot about the process of writing. 

How do you look to find inspiration?

Jeff Buckley had a profound effect on me.  Other inspirations include Bon Iver and Trent Reznor, I like that they focus on pushing boundaries. 90% of my songs are written about people in my life.  I tend to be inspired by people and by situations. I find falling in love and falling out of love can be the best inspirations for the raw powerful songs.  In my experience, being in a heightened emotional state tends to inspire the best songs.

Who made the lyric video?

Mertcan Mertbilek http://mertcanmertbilek.com/

Did you play many shows pre-lockdown? Any plans to go back on the road when we are allowed to gigs?

Yes! I was gigging like crazy in the past five years. I actually just moved to Prague as it was one of the only cities with Live music during Lockdown. We are setting up some big events here and in Germany. All will be announced soon. I am heading to Berlin next before I come back to London.

Where do you hope to be this time next year?

My main ambition is to headline festivals so playing more festivals and push boundaries with my music and touring. I love playing in unconventional locations and next year we will be announcing an unconventional tour in Museums, galleries, natural spots.

In addition to this we hope to break a record collaborating with the most dancers in lockdown in a music video.

Where can we find out more about you?

www.nickhowemusic.com
www.facebook.com/nickhoweuk
www.instagram.com/nickhoweuk

Anything you would like to tell us?

Please keep an eye out for the follow up music video out in 2 days Aug 6th. Also, the follow up single coming is out on 28th Aug.

Well, you heard it here folks. Go and check out Nick’s latest single, Wide Awake, as well as the rest of his discography, and I hope to be able to catch him at show one day!

After the release of their latest single Feel Better – a indie tune hoping to show things in a bit of a better light, I decided to catch up with Midnight Mouth about all things music. Read our interview below.

Tell us a bit about the band. Where are you from and how did you all meet?

We’ve all known each other for about 15 years and have always played music together from time to time. It then got to the point where we were all available to start our own band and the stars aligned. So here we are…

Where did the name Midnight Mouth come from?

It came from Scott’s mind. He was getting intimate with a lady many moons ago and it just popped into his head. He had to write it down. She wasn’t happy but Scott was because he got a band out of it 10 years later.

If you were to sum up your style in three words, what would you say?

Driven emotional state.

You recently released your latest single Feel Better. What does this song mean to you?

It means a lot to us because it was part of the first cluster of tunes we developed as a band. It’s been in the set since day 1 and we’re so psyched that it’s finally out there.

Where did the inspiration come from, and where do you normally look for inspiration?

It came from Scott after having one of those days where things were not going his way. In terms of inspiration, we take it from a variety of different places: relationships, other bands, mental health, etc. It’s all the things we experience or have experienced in our 20s (a couple of us nearly 30).

Is this a hint at more new music on the way?

Yes absolutely. Next single will be out at the end of July and then a third single along with the EP in September.

Did you have any help with the writing and recording process?

Nope. We recorded everything DIY during lockdown. Poppy mixed and produced everything as well.

Can we expect any music videos to come?

We’re planning on it. Arthur tried filming something during lockdown and the footage was so bad that he didn’t even show the rest of the band.

Do you plan to play any live shows once we are allowed back out?

Hell yes. Pierce is working on it right now. He’s having to re-book the shows that we had lined up already. Dates will be released soon.

Where can we find out more about you?

All the socials. Head to midnightmouth.com and sign up to our mailing list where you will really find out about more.

Anything you would like to tell us?

We’ve had a look at your blog and think it’s great so thanks for having us! Oh and keep an eye out for our next single in July…

I’d like to thank the band for taking the time to answer my questions and I wish them all the best for the next year.

Tell us a bit about the band. Where are you from and how did you all meet?

Joe: We met eachother whilst studying at the University of Leeds. Leeds is a great place with a great music scene so it was the perfect place to get started as a band! We are now located in London which is giving us an opportunity to conquer a new city with loads of new venues.

If I were to use the phrase “for fans of”, who would you most liken yourselves to?

Finn: Bands like Rex Orange County, Larkins and Circa Waves spring to mind. Also Harry Styles on his most recent album particularly. 

Can you tell us a bit about your latest single 6 Weeks? What does this song mean to you?

Alexi: Last summer we were looking through Tom’s instagram and found an instrumental from 2014 that he made when he was 16. That instrumental became the chorus of this tune which we went on to write the rest of whilst cramped together into a grimey Leeds uni house in Hyde Park. It’s a tune made with summer in mind, it’s about a character that doesn’t want to get too deep into a summer relationship – “I don’t wanna call it a fling, but you’re not my everything”. 

How, would you say, does this song differ from Red Wine, released back in February?

Tom: We think that 6 Weeks and Red Wine go really well together, as part of what we call ‘Phase 2’ of our journey as a band. They have a similar vibe and could easily sit side by side on an EP. Saying that, every time we go into the studio we try to push ourselves a little and incorporate something new. This time, you’ll hear a lead synth line, as well as a few more sudden textural changes. It’s important to evolve but not to do it for evolution’s sake. If it sounds good, keep it in! 

Do you work with any producers to help bring your music to life?

Alexi: We’ve worked with a couple producers but the one who has produced Red Wine, 6 Weeks and the 3rd single of Phase 2 is a dude called Bob Cooper. He’s a genius really and is the only man to have ever equaled and sometimes even surpassed our anal perfectionisim. He is beyond technical and knows more about the art of production than we’ll ever know so it’s a real gift having him in the studio with us. He’s also super calm and collected under pressure which is needed when we’re biting each other’s heads off during the inevitable chaos that ensues during the last few hours of our recording time.

Where do you look to find inspiration?

Finn: I’d like to think of us as musical magpies, happy to find inspiration in a wide range of genres. Alexi particularly is a huge hip hop fan and an advocate for new music, and this has shown more and more as his songwriting has developed. Artists like the Orielles, Michael Kiwanuka and Phoebe Bridgers have come out with albums in the last year or so that have been really big for me personally. We’ve also had times where inspiration for a song has come from a particular scene in a film which can be a really interesting starting point. Having our own distinct sources of inspiration which we each bring to the table is definitely beneficial for our writing process. 

What is next for Ten Hands High?

Joe: We have a single out on the 24th of July (probably out by the time you’re reading this) which we can’t wait for everyone to hear. We put a lot of work into this one and think it’s the best song we’ve recorded to date. We have loads more songs in the pipeline which we are going in to the studio to record very soon as well. In terms of live playing, it is uncertain due to recent events but we will gig as soon as we are able to in London and Leeds. We can’t wait to get back playing again, we miss it so much!

How have you been keeping busy during lockdown?

Alexi: Finn’s been crying about having to come home prematurely from his year abroad in Turkey because of Covid. Tom bought an electric drum kit so sits on that until his bum gets sore or he needs to apply to another 47 jobs that will inevitably reject him because he has too high grades and too much experience. I’ve been spending my time trying to write a song that Finn likes and Joe is in love so has definitely been ‘keeping busy’.

Any plans to play any shows when we are allowed back out?

Joe: As soon as we can we will be back in London and in our hometown of Leeds. We can’t wait to start playing again, it’s one of the things we enjoy most about being in a band so it’s been tough over the last few months especially as we had a bunch of shows booked across the country for March. We know though that when we will be back we will be better than ever as we have been working hard over lockdown to continually improve as a unit, so bring it on!

Where can we find out more about you?

Finn: Check out our website tenhandshigh.com for merch, pics and gigs (when they return anyway). Check out our insta @tenhandshigh, for a meticulously curated feed is courtesy of the most anal-retentive frontman in alternatuive music. Our twitter is @Tenhandshigh_ if you fancy some takes on new music which range from tepid to hot. And if you’re at the more mature end of our demographic, do not fear – you can also find us on Facebook.

Anything you would like to tell us?

Tom: Just keep an eye on us in the coming months! Our insta is a pretty good place to keep up to date: @tenhandshigh. We’ll be releasing new music that’s unlike anything we’ve done before and we’re so excited about it. As lockdown eases, we plan to gig as often as possible, with many of our March to July dates rescheduled for later in the year. We have no intention of slowing down. In fact, we are ready to hit the ground running. 

I’d like to thank the guys for taking the time to answer my questions and wish them all the best with all their latest music.

Ahead of the release of Universal Sigh, set to be released on the 7th August, I chatted to Orchard about everything music, and their latest single Universal Sigh

Tell us a bit about the band. Where are you from and how did you all meet?

Hi we’re Orchard and we’re from Staffordshire. We’ve all been playing music from an early age and we met through gigging in different bands. We’d often do shows around Staffordshire together and then we finally got together as this band in 2017.

If you were to sum up your style in three words, what would you say?

Gosh that’s a tough one! 
Lots, of, things (that’s three)!

Tell us a bit about your latest single Universal Sigh. What does this song mean to you?

It’s got a killer intro! It was one of the first songs we worked on as a band when we formed. This song is written as a bit of an instruction manual to deal with a diminishing connection with someone close to you. You know, like trying to strike a match that’s soaking wet.

Is this new single a hint at more music on the way?

Yeah! We’ve got more singles coming out through out this year. We’re really excited to get them released! 

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

The single was produced by Tom Bishop. We’ve all worked with him over the years when we were in different bands, but we’ve always loved how Tom works! Apart from being an amazing person and producer, he’s a real music lover and just really great in the recording setting. He brought out the best in what we were trying to achieve with this single. 

Before the world went crazy, did you get to play many shows? How did they go?

Yeah, we’ve played some amazing sell out shows around the Midlands. We’re looking forward to getting back to it, to promote our music coming out, when we can. 

Are you planning to get back on the road as soon as gigs are allowed?

We were constructing our live set, trying to creating the album sound we’d capture before everything was halted so yeah, we’re keen to finish that up and play some shows! It’s been particularly hard for music venues and they’re critical for Artists, so it’ll be ace to see them open their doors again. 

If you had an endless budget and no time restrictions, what is one thing you would love to do musically (or generally)?

I’d love to build a music academy based on everything you need to write, create and record music, collaborate and produce artworks and videos and generally be as creative as you want! Think Andy Warhol’s studio with music gear! 

What advice would you give to a new band looking to start making music?

Buy a laptop and get writing! Being in a practice room is so important for crafting your sound for shows, but music has changed over the years and the inspiration you can get by using certain software instruments is amazing for setting yourself apart. Be brave with your sound, write what you like and work hard. 

Where can we find out more about you?

You can go to check us out by this link and pre save our single ‘Universal Sigh’ 

Insta – orchard.band
Facebook – Orchard Band 
Twitter – @band_orchard 
Soundcloud – Orchard

Anything you would like to tell us?

Just to say how much we enjoy playing as a band. We are four close knit mates, who enjoy going out for a beer together and I think this really comes through in our music – both recorded and live shows.

You can check out Universal Sigh, released across all streaming platforms from the 7th. Until then, I’d like to thank the guys for taking the time to answer my questions and wish them the best of luck with their new single