With a sentimental place in my heart after seeing this band way back in 2016 in a small venue deep in Bournemouth, it was an absolute pleasure to see them again now, as the fully fledged indie pop sensation that they are. With my late teens soundtracked by their self-titled debut album, they really do hold a very special place in my heart, and it’s very safe to say that I was not disappointed by this set at the 02 Academy.
Opening with synth drenched track >>There’s a reason why (I never returned your calls) an eclectic wave of energy surfed throughout the Academy, a perfect choice of opening track. It’s enticing and endearing – this matches the persona of the band, they have a charming allure about them. Honestly, each member is ethereal, and glows with talent and devotion.
A noticeable track being >>Your Girlfriend. It was strategically placed mid-set. Energy was floating high and it has a delightful bass line, it’s incredibly catchy and has that feel good vibe of indie pop that is forever lovely (and forever stuck in your head) ((I’m not sad about it, its and absolute banger))
An honourable mention that cannot be forgotten, is the doubtlessly flawless ensemble of Blossoms track >>My Favourite Room bleeding into Oasis’ >>Half the World Away. Which, of course, flooded the crowd with sentiment, as everyone emptied their lungs to scream along. As if you couldn’t please a crowd more, front person Tom (playing onstage alone with just acoustic guitar) then started playing chords for >>Last Christmas and exclaimed that ‘It’s november, right?’ This poured petrol to the fire that was a massive sing along, and continued long after Tom left the stage for the encore.
The sets flow was foolproof, an impeccable mix of staple tracks from their debut self titled album, and their newest album >>Ribbon Around the Bomb. Obviously, drawing the beautiful set to a close with the track undoubtedly got them to where they are now, Charlemagne. I remember hearing this song whilst getting ready for school in 2016, as it was featured on BBC Radio1’s track of the day. This song inevitably leads the band to commercial success, yet that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is a killer track, that’s like a tsunami of energy when played live.
Altogether, I cannot fault Blossoms show, it was everything I hoped for and more. It was incredibly sentimental and nostalgic for not just me, but the entire room. It has reignited my adoration for this indie pop band from Stockport.
Review by Kate Feast, originally written for The Bristol Gig Guide. Photos by Ted Stargatt for TrueStyleMusic. No use without permission.
Tonight’s support came from The Cruel Knives, a 4 piece hard rock/alternative rock band from the UK who are a perfect fit for a warm up act with their crashing drums and thundering bass and shrieking guitars and powerful vocals.
After a short break, The Pretty Reckless appear onto a dark stage to the sound of a siren that is loud and gets the attention of the sold out venue. A blast of strong lighting gets the show underway and they launch into the first song, title track Death by Rock and Roll, as Taylor Momsen struts out onto the stage wearing a black leather jacket, short black slip/dress and her big soled black boots and with her long flowing blonde hair she launches into the track with her power ridden vocals hitting the crowd. We are off on a music filled extravaganza!
Tracks Since you’re gone, Only Love can Save Me Now and So It Went follow in quick succession as Momsen struts her way around the stage cavorting and playing up to the crowd, who are firmly in the palm of her hand. Next up is arguably their biggest hit to date and the one that catapulted them into rock stardom; Make Me Wanna Die. This one see’s everyone shouting the lyrics back at a visibly appreciative Momsen and the energy is electric. The next song to get a big reaction is Medicine as Momsen straps on a guitar and invites everyone to join in, which they willing do as Momsen screams “Bristol you are awesome.”
The slower track Take Me Down is announced as the final track, met by screams of boo as the now frenzied audience doesn’t want this musical free fall to end. As it finishes the band exit stage right and the waiting crowd stamp their feet and whistle loudly some shouts of “Taylor Taylor!”. The band return to the stage after a few minutes and Momsen thanks them for an amazing night. This really is the last song Momsen proclaims as they launch into Fucked up World with its power drum intro and Momsen lets rip with her gripping vocals and the place errupts again.
Its great to see that The Pretty Reckless are back to their best with a very polished performance that was full on from start to finish and the audience left very entertained and full-filled.
Review and Photos By Martin Smith. No use without permission.
Saturday night at the Cheese and Grain in Frome The Lightning Seeds in the third date of their month long tour. This gig sold out weeks ago so I knew the crowd were expecting a good show.
Tonight’s support came in the form of Badly Drawn Boy (aka Damon Gough) who rose to fame in the 90’s, much like Ian Brodie and his band The Lightning Seeds. Gough arrived onto the stage at 8pm wearing his trademark Beanie hat to warm applause, running through some of his more well know songs including Something To Talk about and ending with a beautiful piano version of Silent Sigh. He played and impressive 45 minutes in which he said “I am more worn out doing a 45 minute support slot for the Seeds than a 2 hour show for myself” said with a smile and appreciation for having the chance to tour with the Lightning Seeds.
Next up was the main act, the one the crowd were eager to see. A packed venue cheered and shouted as Broudie and his band took to the stage and he greeted them with a “Hello Frome how are you” to which the crowd responded by shouting back various responses. Brodie and the band took to their places and he quipped “tonight is a mix of old and new songs….but mainly the older ones!” which hit the spot with the crowd. First up however was new song Sunshine, track 5 from new album “See you in the stars” released last month, which due to it’s recent airplay on the radio had the crowd singing along.
The audience were treated to a few songs from Jollification, two heavyweight tracks Lucky You, which included a guitar solo from Brodie and Perfect early on in the set. This is by far their most popular album to date. Great To Be Alive closely followed and This Was from the new album.
Both had a good reaction and was warmly received. While You Showed Me had them dancing, and more class songs followed with a nice triple in the shape of Sugar Coated Iceberg, The Life of Riley and Pure which led up to the two song encore. The first song being Marvellous which the crowd brought in with their singalong.
The final song of the night was Three Lions which as Broudie reminded us the World Cup was only three weeks away. The response to the song was incredible and looking round I could see everyone was singing it.
A fitting end to a great set of both old and new songs proving that the Lightning Seeds are still relevant.
Review and photos by Martin Smith for TrueStyleMusic. No use without permission.
Rina Sawayama is not scheduled to perform until 9:15 pm, but at 7:30 pm, Birmingham’s 3000-capacity O2 Academy already feels packed. The concert isn’t sold out, but it’s impossible to tell. No matter where you look, people are wearing eccentric clothes and bold colours and wearing impeccable makeup. The venue feels more like a fashion show than a concert crowd, but it also feels like a sanctuary. With everyone dressing in their own style, and unafraid to be themselves, there is not a single drop of judgement in the air.
As the clock strikes 9:15, the first few bars of ‘Minor Feelings’ start playing. It is then that Sawama emerges through the ring of spotlights at the back of the stage onto a platform. Icy, pale-blue lights shine onto her through the thick smoke. Her features aren’t identifiable, but you know it’s her. She is wearing denim head to toe, including a denim cape draped over her body and a denim cowboy hat. Beneath her, gusts of air blow her pin-straight black-and-blonde hair in every direction. It is at this moment that it becomes clear that Sawayama’s Hold the Girl tour is more than live music—it is spectacle. There is a pause, the crowd ruptures into a single unanimous cheer and she starts singing: “How am I supposed to feel / when you’re telling me that nothing in my life is real?”. Her piercingly-powerful voice is shockingly crisp, and no amount of listening to the studio recordings of her songs can prepare you for finally hearing her live.
“However you felt before you came in today, I hope that when you leave, you feel a little more slay,” she says after the first couple of songs, a statement that is met with a unanimous cheer and several individual shouts of “slay” from the audience. The message makes sense, especially on the Hold the Girl tour. Comprising mainly of songs from the eponymous album, Hold the Girl sees Sawayama reclaim her childhood as she navigates themes of self-love, growth, and ultimately acceptance. It is a message with which the audience resonates deeply, as expressions of admiration fill the room as people’s eyes are glued to her in awe.
Divided into five ‘acts’, the show sees Sawayama dive into every corner of her discography, moving from 2000s pop-rock, to electro-pop, to ballads, to everything in between. She transitions effortlessly from song to song. After ‘Minor Feelings’, the titular ‘Hold the Girl’ is next. Combining her powerful, mellifluous vocals with electronic instrumentals, the song serves as an opportunity for her and her two backup dancers to perform impeccably coordinated dance routines, something which would continue for the rest of the show.
The setlist then progresses, as Sawayama sings ‘Catch Me In the Air’, ‘Hurricanes’, and ‘Your Age’—all songs from ‘Hold the Girl’. The unwavering energy only slows down during Act 3, or, the one where Sawayama performs her ballads. Swapping dances and electric lighting for an acoustic guitar and soft white light, she performs the heartbreaking ‘Send my Love to John’, a song about an immigrant mother apologising to her son for not accepting his sexuality because of her religious beliefs. The now teary-eyed crowd is silent, and the electric energy that once filled the room has now vanished, replaced by a feeling of community and acceptance. As people hold hands and hug their loved ones, it is clear the message of the song resonates with the crowd.
But the sombre atmosphere does not last long, as Sawayama swiftly moves onto ‘Phantom’, a sensational pop number with one of the best bridges on Hold the Girl. From this moment forth, Sawayama sticks to upbeat, danceable hits as past traumas are left behind and buried in the middle of the setlist. ‘Phantom’ is followed by ‘To Be Alive’ (from Hold the Girl) and ‘LUCID’ off her debut EP RINA. She even sings a snippet of ‘Beg For You’, her collaboration with electro-pop artist Charli XCX.
The home stretch of the show sees her perform some of her older hits including the 2000s dance track ‘Comme Des Garcons (Like The Boys)’ and ‘XS’, a scathing critique of capitalism hidden behind abrasive, jarring pop.
And as expected, the show closes with ‘This Hell’, a song about celebrating love and togetherness even if it means going against other peoples’ rules or beliefs. When it comes to the song’s bridge, not a single person is quiet: “Got my invitation for eternal damnmation / Get in line, pass the wine, bitch / We’re going straight to Hell,” both Sawayama and the audience sing. With fiery red light flooding the room and a backdrop made to mimic red hot coals, the crowd is (metaphorically) on fire.
The song ends, the venue’s main lights turn on, and people turn to leave the venue. It appears as if nothing had happened, although judging by people’s expressions, everyone was feeling a little more “slay” than they did before.
For the penultimate show of this leg of Frank Turner’s Never Ending Tour of Everywhere, Frank brought his entourage to Bristol’s O2 Academy for a sold out night of legendary music.
Before the show, I had the pleasure of chatting to Frank and Johnny from Pet Needs about both their new albums, the tour and all things music.
The show was opened by Mash P, who is originally from Sierra Leon. Mash used to live on the streets, until he was supported by Way Out Arts, who helped him get his music career up and going and get him off the streets. Mash is now in the UK and hoping to continue his music over here.
Although only a short 20 minute set, Mash blew away the crowd who turned up early, singing his traditional African songs, but with a contemporary twist. The man certainly has lots of energy, and was bouncing and dancing around the stage. For his last song he was joined on stage by Truckstop Honeymoon, really creating a mix of two different styles but that worked really well together.
You can find out more about Way Out Arts and their work here.
And it was without a break, Truckstop Honeymoon came to do their set. Husband and Wife act Mike and Katy West brought their traditional American travelling folk songs across the pond for their tour with Frank Turner. It’s difficult to put into words their style of set, between them they’ve got a great way of engaging with the crowd and are brilliant story tellers, both through their music and between songs. Before seeing them live for the first time I was unsure if I would enjoy their set, but I have gone away with another new band I would happily see live again. They even brought their son, Julian, who lives in Bristol, to support them on the drums.
Next up was Pet Needs, a band that increasingly needs less introduction to each show they play. The energy they bring to the stage is like an explosion, and since seeing them live for the first time back in 2021, these 4 boys have really have fallen into their own style and rhythm. They are confident without being arrogant, lively without being over the top.
This leg of the tour is the first time lots of the songs from their new album Primetime Entertainment have been played, and I can guarantee they are hitting the audience well. After their set finished I overheard someone who (somehow) had never heard Pet Needs before say “It’s good to see punk is still going”. Every show they are going away with more new fans.
Pet Needs are off on their own headline tour in December:
6 – Birmingham – Dead Wax 7 – Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach 8 – Bristol – Exchange 9 – London – The Grace 12 – Southampton – The Joiners 13 – Leeds – Hyde Park Book Club 14 – Manchester – Gullivers 15 – Nottingham – The Bodega 16 – Colchester – Arts Centre (SOLD OUT)
And then it was time for the main act of the night.
Electric guitar in hand, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls came on stage and went straight into Four Simple Words, minus introduction. From the off, we knew this was going to be a hardcore show. Followed by Haven’t Been Doing So Well and Photosynthesis, which got the pit open, the set was looking to be a good mix of the old and the new.
Frank was playing a 2 hour set for this show, taking a full trip from the early years through to the new album – FTHC. Lots of the classics were played, including Plain Sailing Weather, One Foot Before The Other and The solo version of Long Live The Queen, as well as some of the not so often played songs, like There She Is, Love 40 Down and Thatcher. (Unlike a lot of shows on the tour so far, Thatcher was not ended with a certain ‘chant’)
The HC in FTHC stands for Hardcore, and the songs from the new album certainly live up to that title. Punches, Non Serviam and The Gathering were all played to a wild crowd, with a big mosh pit opening up and the whole of the crowd on their toes. Even up on the balcony I could feel the heat from everyone dancing and having a good time.
Everyone was jumping up and down for Polaroid Picture, before Get Better being the first big finish of the night. And after the short walk off and walk on, Frank returned with just his guitar to play us The Ballad, an instant crowd scream-along, always the loudest of the set.
The Sleeping Souls re-joined the stage for one last time to help Frank end the night with Recovery, Try This At Home and I Still Believe, being the final big finish of the night. Overall, it was a great night and a great penultimate performance from Frank, The Sleeping Souls, Pet Needs, Truckstop Honeymoon and Mash P.
And then Frank went off to Thekla to play a DJ set to a sold out boat.
Sadly there were two dampeners to the night. Firstly, a couple of the security guards at the O2 Academy who took it upon themselves to make the jobs of us photographers more difficult, by getting in the way and stopping us taking and crowd shots or photos outside the pit. And secondly to Thekla. Sadly, I don’t think anyone from the gig actually managed to get into the DJ set, as the ticket queue skip closed at 11, which was the same time the show ended. So the only option was to wait in a 2 hour queue and ultimately miss Frank’s DJ set. Really poor planning from the club in my opinion.
But other than that, it was a really good night, and as always a massive thank you goes to Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls, Pet Needs, Truckstop Honeymoon, Mash P, and everyone involved behind the scenes in making this show happen.
Frank is back on tour across the UK in the New Year, tickets available here now.
All words and photos by Ted Stargatt. No use without permission allowed.
Before the penultimate show on their massive run of supporting Frank Turner across the world, we chatted to Johnny (and a surprise guest appearance from George) Marriott about the new album, being on tour and all things music. Have a listen here
Photo of Pet Needs taken 13/10/22 at O2 Academy Bristol by Ted Stargatt
After over 2 years away, US rock band The Menzingers came back to the UK, stopping off at London’s Roundhouse to play their biggest ever headline show to date. Seeing the amount of associated band top around Camden that day, I knew we were in for a big one.
The show was opened by Sincere Engineer from Chicago. The Menzingers have been taking them along on loads of their shows across the US, and have now brought them along to the UK and Europe.
Although only half an hour, they still played a blinder of a set, with a big crowd gathering early. They were a really lively band, with people singing along and getting involved. Front person Deanna seemed genuinely shocked by the level of support they were receiving, and they interacted with the crowd well. All in all, a good warm up set.
Up next was the legendary Joyce Manor. And straight from the off you could tell this was going to be a wild Saturday night in Camden. The crowd brought everything to their set, and with songs like Heart Tattoo, Constant Headache and Christmas Card they went wild. It always makes me laugh when you have a support set with crowd surfers – it shows how good they are and how on side the crowd are. And fair play to security, they handled it well.
And then it was time for the main act of the night.
Unlike most bands, The Menzingers didn’t make a new album during lockdown. Instead, they did a reworking of their latest album Hello Exile. Greg also took some time to work on his solo project. And then as soon as they could, they hit the road, playing shows across America and now the rest of the world. Greg also made a solo trip to the UK a couple of months back, playing a mix of his own songs and some Menzingers songs.
So this wasn’t a tour to promote a new album, or to advertise something going on. This was a tour for the sake of doing a tour. And these are always the best kinds.
Opening the set with Good Things was certainly a good choice. Again, straight away the crowd was electric, dancing, singing and moshing along to the music. From song 1, crowd surfers were coming over the barrier into the waiting arms of security. Playing their top Spotify song I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore second is a change from the ordinary, with it being played last in previous tours.
I can only wish I had as much energy as Tom does when I do my day job. That man jumps around the stage like someone possessed, and it’s a wonder he has any voice left to sing the songs he takes lead on, as every time Greg is on the mic he is screaming along louder than the audience. However he has changed from his infamous ‘have fun and be yourself’ top that he used to wear at shows.
I love the Roundhouse as a venue. It’s big enough to create an amazing atmosphere, while still being able to see the show from wherever you are in the venue, and with the added advantage of the upstairs seating. The sound has always been excellent every time I’ve been too, something some other venues need to get a bit better at…
The transition from Who’s Your Partner into Anna was unmatched, and really kept that energy high.
In Remission was the first big finish of the night, before doing the classic walk-off-walk-on and coming back to play Lookers, Ava House and ending the show finally with After The Party. There was one more lot of singing, dancing and crowd surfing, before the night was done.
As always, The Menzingers put on a show like no other. The energy they bring, and that is shown back by the crowd, is something unmatched to anything I’ve seen before. The UK part of their tour is now finished, but if you get a chance to catch them in Europe or next time they come to the UK, you would be a fool to miss it.
As with every show, a massive thank you always go to the staff and security at The Roundhouse, and to everyone else involved in making the show happen.
Out everywhere TODAY, Manchester based The Battery Farm’s new single and first release of 2022 is out today. We spoke to Ben from the band about the new single and all things music.
Can you tell us a bit about The Battery Farm? Where are you from and how did you all meet?
We’re from Manchester, individually all around Greater Manchester but spiritually we’re a north Manchester band. Myself and Dom, our guitarist, are brothers and formed the band from the ashes of a band we’d been in together for the previous 8 years. We’ve been playing and writing together for about 12 years now. I’ve known our bassist Paul for a long time as I used to act and we’ve been in a few plays together. He also happens to be an amazing musician all round so we asked him to join and he said yes. I met Sam, our drummer through work and jumped at asking him to join once I found out he was a drummer as we’d been let down a few times. Luckily he’s brilliant.
If you had to sum up each band member in one word, what would you say?
Dom: Genius
Paul: virtuoso
Sam: juggernaut
Me… bald
If I were to use the phrase For Fans Of, who would you liken yourself to?
Pere Ubu, Evil Blizzard, Witch Fever, Black Sabbath, PIL, IDLES, early Manic Street Preachers… our sound is actually quite varied, but in general I’d go with those bands.
You release your new single Working Class Lad TODAY. What does this song mean to you as a band?
It means everything. It’s the lead single from our debut album, which is a massive milestone for us and, in a personal level, the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. I’ve never released a full album before. It also marks another step-up for us. The sound on this is absolutely huge, we’re really proud of it
Where did the inspiration come from?
It’s a song about identity and how people judge the content of that identity. Whose right is it to judge that but your own? Me and Dom grew up in a family that was Working Class on one side and lower Middle Class on the other, so it’s a song that wrestles with the guilt of not feeling Working Class enough, of feeling like an impostor because we have had minor class privilege in our lives, while at the same time struggling many of the struggles that Working Class people struggle – the money worries, the poverty, the being written off and sneered at and then conversely the idea of having to fit in a box to fit someone’s image of a worthy working class person. The song asks the question of what constitutes the ‘right’ kind of working class person and who decides what that criteria is, and ultimately it makes the statement that from lower middle class down we are all being victimised and manipulated. So yeah, the song is inspired by class identity and class struggle and what those things even are.
Who produced it? Have you worked with them before? How did you find working with them?
David Radahd-Jones at Red City Recording produced the track and he’s done an amazing job. He gets exactly what we are and what we’re after and he’s wrung every last drop of power out of this. We worked with Dave on our previous 2 EPs as well and he nailed them. We trust him completely, which is hugely important, and also helps that he’s great to work with and full of ideas.
Is this a hint at more new music to come? Can you tell us anymore about it?
It is. We’re dropping our debut album on 18th November, which we’ll be announcing full details of at the start of August. I can’t tell you too much more yet, other than it’s shaping up to be an absolute monster of a record.
Are there any plans for any live shows coming up?
Yep, we’re playing Rare Vitamin Annual Diversion in Northwich on 15th July with The Lovely Eggs and The C33s, then Ulltra Festival in Hull on 16th July with Avalanche Party & DITZ. Then after that we’re back in Manchester for the first time since February to headline Aatma on 23rd July. July is a busy month!
What is something that happened that you weren’t expecting to happen, when you made Working Class Lad? What did you do about it?
Honestly, not much. Everything went according to plan with that one. We did record it in a batch with some other songs for the album though and a few of them turned out much heavier than expected. I think that’s the band we’ve become now without even realising it. Over the last couple of years, just through playing together a lot, our sound has evolved into this ferocious noise. It’s a beautiful thing.
Apart from the new music, what is next for The Battery Farm?
More festivals, more gigs, more graft. We’re supporting Evil Blizzard for the 2nd time at the end of the year which is exciting and we’re going to Wales for the first time in October, which is nice. This year we’ve done some massive stuff and shared stages with some of our heroes. Everything we do from this point on is just about moving forward. The future’s bright.
What music are you all listening to at the moment?
I’ve been listening to the new Bob Vylan album a lot, which is an outstanding, incendiary piece of work. We’ve also collectively been listening to a lot of Turnstile recently, their new album is glorious.
Where can we find out more about you?
We’re on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @thebatteryfarm and on Bandcamp at thebatteryfarm.bandcamp.com, plus we’re on all your usual streamers.
Anything else you would like to tell us?
Not much really. Fuck the Supreme Court. Bodily autonomy for everyone. That’s it.
So can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from and when did you start to make music?
So I am 24 at the moment and i’ve been releasing stuff under my own name for about 3 years now. I’m originally from the midlands and i was in a high school band called The Collisions so i guess thats the first point where I was making music of some sort. When we all went to uni the band kinda stopped and I ended up doing other stuff at uni for a while so it went a bit quiet. But i wrote a bunch of songs anyways and eventually there were enough that I liked that i thought I’d try record them. I did. Then I put it out and started gigging. Then there was a global pandemic and now we’re here. It’s a classic rags to other types of rags but better at music production story.
If you had to sum your style up in three words, what would you say?
Unfortunately Folk Punk
So far you’ve released two singles this year. Can you tell us a bit about them?
They are two songs that i wrote about a year ago. They were starting off points for 2 albums in totally different styles. Both were written about a year ago and i’ve been trying to write others that match the style of one or the other the whole time. I haven’t really managed to get an album of either so I eventually just thought. Ok fuck it. Let’s put them out. I kinda see it as entering a shitpost era in terms of music. I’m kinda not gigging atm (but if anyone would like me to then do get in touch!) and i’m making music that i think is fun. So i decided to stop worrying too much about it being cohesive and instead just release the songs i think are fun. So that’s where Giving Up for PR and Waste This Year (With Me) came from.
And I hear there’s some more big things to come? Can you tell us more about what is next?
So in the spirit of having maximum fun making music I’ve reassembled my high school band, built a studio in my parents shed and we are working on some songs. We made a live recording of Giving Up for PR which is gonna come out soon as a proof of concept and it seemed to work so i’m going from there. I got a little obsessed with the band U2 via the comedy podcast U Talkin U2 2 Me? recently and i learnt about the Rattle and Hum project, which is essentially this quite pretentious hybrid Live/Studio album/film. So i thought i’d make my version of that as it seems like a lot of fun and is rife for parody. I’m currently doing an MA in Screenwriting so any opportunity to put 2 passions together I leap at. Plus who wouldn’t take an opportunity to lovingly mock Bono.
What have been some of your biggest inspirations for your music making?
The obvious answer is Frank Turner. I have a tattoo of his logo and i’ve honestly adored him since I discovered him at 16 and it’s through his influence I discovered many of my other favourites (The Weakerthans, Frightened Rabbit, Arkells etc). Recently my biggest inspirations have been the bands in the DIY Punk scene. People like Jeff Rosenstock and The Homeless Gospel Choir. I love the attitude these guys have. Music is about community and fun and feeling and saying what you think. These guys do that perfectly.
I’ve also been massively been influenced by Lorde recently, I love how she made an album that she kinda knew wasn’t what her fans necessarily wanted but it was what she wanted. Solar Power rocks and i’ll have many an argument on this topic if needed.
I also wanna throw a shout out to Ezra Furman for being the coolest and for tipping me onto Lou Reed. It’s probably a bad musical choice to start letting Lou Reeds work influence you but if someone as cool as Ezra Furman likes him then i feel obligated to get influenced.
I also know you are a keen gig-goer. What have been some of the best gigs you’ve been to?
I always feel like the best gig is often the last one you went to. I saw Parquet Courts a few weeks back and they were rad.
But honestly there is a long answer that I can’t do this interview without mentioning. At Lost Evenings 4 and meeting all the guys from the Solo Armada live streams post day 1. The Solo Armada is a gift to gig going and the music scene and during lockdown those live streams were the first time i felt like strangers possibly might like my music. It’s a beautiful community and i can’t not shout out Phil Rees and our dear interviewer Ted for being fantastically nice and talented people. They are the kinda of people that make gigs worth going to.
Oh look, its us three!
A final short answer is I saw Frank Turner play the closing down of Nambucca and cried for the entire final 30 minutes. That man never fails to surprise me. It was perfect. (aside from Nambucca closing which is fucked)
What are some of the hurdles you’ve encountered making music, and how did you get over them?
I think the biggest hurdle has always been finding motivation to do it. I think it’s a hard thing to do consistently because you are making this music that you think is great but without having a dad who happens to be the A and R guy for Sony Records, it’s not that easy to get it out to new people. I have eventually realised that this element is perhaps less important. You gotta make stuff for you and then hopefully others like it. Trying to be famous is a bit of a losing battle. i’m more likely to get famous for doing something embarrassing on CCTV in Sainsbury’s and it going viral than from music. But in the end i’m not gonna stop making music and I’m going to continue ignoring wet floor signs so we’ll see which one happens first.
Any live shows planned?
At the moment i’m taking a little break from live stuff so not really. But as i said earlier. If anyone wants me to come play songs somewhere i’m not gonna say no.
Where can we find out more about you?
My insta is joshrightonmusic thats a good place. If you want to see me tweet about vape pens and Neutral Milk Hotel then i’m also on twitter @joshrighton. Those are both fun.
Anything else you would like to tell us?
Oh urm. I’m not sure. I guess i could tell you my PIN code. it’s 54….oh thats someone at my door I think. Got to go! Thank’s Ted!!
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