Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Hearing a great song for the first time.
I went to visit a studio yesterday where I might make my new album. Whilst there, the producer played me something his band had recorded recently. This track is killer, like 80s prog pop magic.
Go to It Bite's myspace and listen to the second track Oh My God. You will love it.
Go to It Bite's myspace and listen to the second track Oh My God. You will love it.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
A busy week and Mae.
I've finally finished my one exam for my first semester, and now I have to get to grips with all the other mundane tasks for the week; ordering new merch, re-pressing both of my albums, getting my music digitally distributed, and maybe when all that is done I can write a song.
Enough of that though, because one of my favourite bands, Mae, are doing something very great this year. Each month they are releasing a new song digitally which you can buy for a minimum donation of $1. All the money raised goes to great charities. So far for January they have raised $6600! Not only that but the songs are great too. You should read more and get involved here.
Enough of that though, because one of my favourite bands, Mae, are doing something very great this year. Each month they are releasing a new song digitally which you can buy for a minimum donation of $1. All the money raised goes to great charities. So far for January they have raised $6600! Not only that but the songs are great too. You should read more and get involved here.
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Celine and a free download.
Two tips for today:
1) download a free exclusive b-side of mine at Music Glue.
2) refresh this epic Celine classic in your memory. Don't thank me. It's a pleasure.
1) download a free exclusive b-side of mine at Music Glue.
2) refresh this epic Celine classic in your memory. Don't thank me. It's a pleasure.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Procrastination and Kirk Franklin.
It's nearing the end of January and I have an exam to revise for - 19th Century Poetry. It's very boring. Naturally I'm procrastinating hard, and this procrastination has led me to take up my blog again. Properly this time. I am going to be a blogging king. Anyway, this blog is just to let you know that I will be blogging lots soon. Until then, enjoy this amazing video of Kirk Franklin doing a great song called Brighter Day. We're doing it in my gospel choir Jazzmanix at the moment.
Saturday, 26 July 2008
New demo.
I've decided the time is finally right to get my act together and start this blog! This week I've been recording a new demo with my drummer Dan Halliday at his house. Dan has recorded both my albums before, not to mention loads and loads of old demos that will remain away from the public eye (and more importantly, ears) but this year he's started studying music tech (although I'm not allowed to call it that - I think it's "sound physics" or "sonic wave making" or something) at Guildford, which is apparently the only university recording course that isn't "a joke" (Dan's words, not mine!) Anyway, recording these two tracks is basically very exciting because Dan has learnt so much this year and is whizzing around his massive computer screen, clicking this, dragging that, compressing the other - it's all terribly exciting, even for someone with a five-year-old's knowledge of Logic like me. Also, I started singing lessons this year at university, and although I don't quite sound like Ronan Keating yet, I know a little bit more about how to sing properly. Allegedly.
The purpose of this demo is to attempt to demonstrate to "the industry" that both Dan and I have come on since my last album, and also to serve as a practice run before we dive into recording album number three this autumn. When these tracks are finished in a week or so's time I'm going to get them pressed up onto little CDs and then post them to the limited number of industry bigwigs that I know; people who run record labels, publishing companies (they give you money!), booking agents, managers, etc. It gets pretty tiring doing all of this stuff myself so hopefully someone will hear how hard-rockin' these tracks are and start lending me a helping hand. Musically, these two tracks are way bigger than the ones on the last album; not only are the choruses better, but the arrangement of the songs is much larger - for example, we recorded violin this week and both songs have about thirty violin tracks on them (for the technologically ignorant amongst you, that means it sounds like there are thirty violins playing simultaneously). Of course there's still going to be a big horn section, piano (!) and all the other usual stuff, but the biggest change from the album is that there's going to be way more guitar. I used to hate guitars with a passion but that was before I met my guitarist Daz Jones. Daz's credentials include playing guitar on the 'Dancing On Ice' and 'Gladiators' theme tunes, and basically he rocks very hard. One of these new songs, which doesn't have a title yet, sounds like a massive hard rock driving anthem - you know when you listen to one of those balls to the wall rock numbers that makes you feel like you're in a massive American convertible driving down an empty mountain-top road with the sun beating down on your long hair, and you're wearing ripped jeans, a vest and a pair of aviators? Yeah? And when the guitar solo comes in it makes you want to cry and punch people at the same time? Yeah? It's one of those songs. And then, before you know it, it breaks down into just a string quartet! Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I'm very very excited about these new songs and I can't wait for you to hear them.
The other exciting thing about this new demo is that I'm getting an awesome, awesome guy called Steve Broadbank to take the cover picture. I first met Steve at a gig in Winchester a few months ago because he took pictures of a friend of mine called Freddy Furber. Steve does loads of different kinds of photography, but what I really love about his stuff is his epic capturing of breathtaking landscapes and scenes - see this one of a road in America: click here.
So hopefully what we're going to do is go down to The New Forest in Hampshire and take a photo that is like a breathtaking landscape, but also a portrait of me, for which Steve has coined the term 'portraitscape'. To make the photo even more epic I'm trying to find a way to shift an old upright piano which is in my new student house in Southampton out to the forest, so it could be a shot with me and a real piano rather than my ugly keyboard. However, I need to find a van for that and six strong men (no women, sorry) to lift it in and out. We'll see how it goes! Also, they have wild horses out in The New Forest so hopefully one of those will stroll into the shot. Maybe I'll ride it. Maybe it'll be a photo of me riding a horse by a piano. Maybe.
Finally, lately I have been loving a new track called 'Save Our Souls' by my good friends in Kid Cosmic. When I first heard their album I liked it, but ever since that time it's just grown on me more every listen until now when I'm pretty much addicted. Despite only being a three piece, Kid Cosmic sound massive. All three of them are exceptional musicians, their songs are always perfectly crafted, and their live show is never anything short of mindblowing. Their songs are never really obvious hits, but for some reason I can never stop listening - and this track is no different. I've done a really shoddy job of describing them so the best thing is probably to go and listen to 'Save Our Souls' here. I'm going to be releasing their second album on Got Got Need Records sometime soon as well, so keep your eyes and ears peeled / open for that. Plug over.
Oh, and I'm off on tour next week for ten days or so with the ever-lovely Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam and Klaus Says Buy The Record. Tim and Sam make Sigur Ros / Bon Iver-esque post rocky instrumental magic, and Klaus is like Beirut or Fionn Regan but better. Take that! We're playing some lovely places (I'm especially excited about spending some time with my friends in Cornwall) so it'd be lovely to see some friendly faces out and about. Check out the flyer below courtesy of the handsome and charming Peter of Ump Stuff.
ps - I almost forgot about Latitude Festival! I was lucky enough to be asked to play a collaborative set with Tim and Sam by the right honourable Huw Stephens of Radio 1 fame. We were on a super lovely stage that was right in the middle of the site. Wicked. Highlights included watching Sam Isaac play to over 1000 people on The Uncut Stage. He's come a long way since we were playing living rooms together for a tenner a night! Other choice moments included Sigur Ros headlining on Saturday night. They were as beautiful as expected, but when the massive brass band walked on I almost died. How can music be this lovely?! If you're yet to discover Sigur Ros you need to go here now. Other than that I wasn't really totally blown away by anything. Probably my favourite moment was when Del came and hoisted me onto his shoulders during my set with Tim and Sam and we led the crowd in a Bon Jovi-esque clap-along moment. Brilliant! It's not every day you get to tell hundreds of people what to do. It was also ace to get to hang out with some friends who I don't see that often for a whole weekend. Here we are smiling and being happy and that.
The purpose of this demo is to attempt to demonstrate to "the industry" that both Dan and I have come on since my last album, and also to serve as a practice run before we dive into recording album number three this autumn. When these tracks are finished in a week or so's time I'm going to get them pressed up onto little CDs and then post them to the limited number of industry bigwigs that I know; people who run record labels, publishing companies (they give you money!), booking agents, managers, etc. It gets pretty tiring doing all of this stuff myself so hopefully someone will hear how hard-rockin' these tracks are and start lending me a helping hand. Musically, these two tracks are way bigger than the ones on the last album; not only are the choruses better, but the arrangement of the songs is much larger - for example, we recorded violin this week and both songs have about thirty violin tracks on them (for the technologically ignorant amongst you, that means it sounds like there are thirty violins playing simultaneously). Of course there's still going to be a big horn section, piano (!) and all the other usual stuff, but the biggest change from the album is that there's going to be way more guitar. I used to hate guitars with a passion but that was before I met my guitarist Daz Jones. Daz's credentials include playing guitar on the 'Dancing On Ice' and 'Gladiators' theme tunes, and basically he rocks very hard. One of these new songs, which doesn't have a title yet, sounds like a massive hard rock driving anthem - you know when you listen to one of those balls to the wall rock numbers that makes you feel like you're in a massive American convertible driving down an empty mountain-top road with the sun beating down on your long hair, and you're wearing ripped jeans, a vest and a pair of aviators? Yeah? And when the guitar solo comes in it makes you want to cry and punch people at the same time? Yeah? It's one of those songs. And then, before you know it, it breaks down into just a string quartet! Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I'm very very excited about these new songs and I can't wait for you to hear them.
The other exciting thing about this new demo is that I'm getting an awesome, awesome guy called Steve Broadbank to take the cover picture. I first met Steve at a gig in Winchester a few months ago because he took pictures of a friend of mine called Freddy Furber. Steve does loads of different kinds of photography, but what I really love about his stuff is his epic capturing of breathtaking landscapes and scenes - see this one of a road in America: click here.
So hopefully what we're going to do is go down to The New Forest in Hampshire and take a photo that is like a breathtaking landscape, but also a portrait of me, for which Steve has coined the term 'portraitscape'. To make the photo even more epic I'm trying to find a way to shift an old upright piano which is in my new student house in Southampton out to the forest, so it could be a shot with me and a real piano rather than my ugly keyboard. However, I need to find a van for that and six strong men (no women, sorry) to lift it in and out. We'll see how it goes! Also, they have wild horses out in The New Forest so hopefully one of those will stroll into the shot. Maybe I'll ride it. Maybe it'll be a photo of me riding a horse by a piano. Maybe.
Finally, lately I have been loving a new track called 'Save Our Souls' by my good friends in Kid Cosmic. When I first heard their album I liked it, but ever since that time it's just grown on me more every listen until now when I'm pretty much addicted. Despite only being a three piece, Kid Cosmic sound massive. All three of them are exceptional musicians, their songs are always perfectly crafted, and their live show is never anything short of mindblowing. Their songs are never really obvious hits, but for some reason I can never stop listening - and this track is no different. I've done a really shoddy job of describing them so the best thing is probably to go and listen to 'Save Our Souls' here. I'm going to be releasing their second album on Got Got Need Records sometime soon as well, so keep your eyes and ears peeled / open for that. Plug over.
Oh, and I'm off on tour next week for ten days or so with the ever-lovely Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam and Klaus Says Buy The Record. Tim and Sam make Sigur Ros / Bon Iver-esque post rocky instrumental magic, and Klaus is like Beirut or Fionn Regan but better. Take that! We're playing some lovely places (I'm especially excited about spending some time with my friends in Cornwall) so it'd be lovely to see some friendly faces out and about. Check out the flyer below courtesy of the handsome and charming Peter of Ump Stuff.
ps - I almost forgot about Latitude Festival! I was lucky enough to be asked to play a collaborative set with Tim and Sam by the right honourable Huw Stephens of Radio 1 fame. We were on a super lovely stage that was right in the middle of the site. Wicked. Highlights included watching Sam Isaac play to over 1000 people on The Uncut Stage. He's come a long way since we were playing living rooms together for a tenner a night! Other choice moments included Sigur Ros headlining on Saturday night. They were as beautiful as expected, but when the massive brass band walked on I almost died. How can music be this lovely?! If you're yet to discover Sigur Ros you need to go here now. Other than that I wasn't really totally blown away by anything. Probably my favourite moment was when Del came and hoisted me onto his shoulders during my set with Tim and Sam and we led the crowd in a Bon Jovi-esque clap-along moment. Brilliant! It's not every day you get to tell hundreds of people what to do. It was also ace to get to hang out with some friends who I don't see that often for a whole weekend. Here we are smiling and being happy and that.
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