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Gruff Rhys – Bablesberg is out Friday 8 June via Rough Trade / Remote Control.
What is your name and role within Black Stone Cherry?
-Ben Wells and I play Guitar
Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
-I live in my home state of Kentucky. It’s beautiful here! The music scene varies from country, bluegrass, rock, and indie. It’s very diverse!
You’ve had huge success with your last LP Kentucky – and the Blues covers EP Black to Blues was also well received, where and when did you record Family Tree?
-We recorded Family Tree the same place we did Kentucky and Black To Blues! It’s located in Glasgow, KY at Barrick Recording Studio. It’s a great place to record-great vibe and sounds! The owner/engineer, David Barrick is one of our longtime friends and is great to work with!
What programs and equipment did you use?
-We recorded to Pro Tools. As far as mics, I really can’t tell ya that… that’s not my department! Haha. But i used Gibson, Fender, Epiphone, and Gretsch guitars with a Budda SuperDrive 45 amp.
How did you first start playing music?
-Elvis Presley made we want to start playing music and entertaining He is my biggest influence hands down! My parents gave me a guitar for Christmas when i was probably 7 years old. Never looked back!
The new album Family Tree was written, recorded and produced in a very organic fashion – all the band members participated in the creation of it (and all BSC releases) – so very much a “family affair” what were the highlights of this process?
-Yes, we are all very much hands on when it comes to BSC. Highlights as far as writing would be the fact that we wrote most of this record while on tour on the bus. It was really cool because each day we would gather in the back lounge and come up with a new song! Recording is always fun. We don’t like a stressful work environment, so it was very laid back and fun!
I hear that the Album was influenced by all the music that you all grew up with such as Cream, Led Zeppelin and The Faces plus blues legend Muddy Waters, please describe your usual song writing process:
-There really is no method for us. Most of the time a song starts with a guitar riff or melody, then everything else falls into place as long as everyone in the band likes the particular riff. Someone will come up with an idea, and the rest of us will dive in! Or sometimes a song will come from jamming all together at soundcheck, which is really cool!
The theme of Family is very strong with Black Stone Cherry – you have been together a very long time and are a really tight unit. Your drummer John-Fred’s dad is in a band (still going) called Kentucky Headhunters –and BSC as a young band rehearsed in their practice house. How did BSC form and why did you think BSC has lasted so long?
-We formed in 2001. I met the guys in June of that year. The other 3 guys went to the same school-I was from another county over. When we all jammed the first time, it was instant chemistry! We knew we had a band. I think we all just shared the same common goal and focus to be friends and make music together. We have stayed together so long because we are family first-band second.
Legendary musician Warren Haynes is a guest on the album – and singer Chris’ 5 year old son sings backup on a track, how did both of these guests come to be on the album?
-Chris’ son was a very spontaneous thing! Chris’ wife and son dropped by the studio one day and he has been singing that song so we basically put a mic up to him, stood him up in a chair and had him sing it! It was so cool!
Warren has been an influence on us for many years. We met him several years ago and have always been fans. We knew he would sound great on “Dancin in the rain” so we asked him if he wanted to be a part of it. He said, absolutely, so we sent him the tracks to his studio and he knocked it out of the park! Very honored to have him on this record!
What do you have planned for the remainder of 2018?
-Touring and promoting the new album is the plan!
Will you be returning back to AU?
-We hope to return very soon! We have really enjoyed the past two tours we have done in Australia and can not wait to return!
“Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On”
Ben Wells
Where are you currently based?
Perth
How did you first start playing music and what do you attribute to long and fruitful career as a musician within Australia and internationally?
I started messing with guitar when I was eleven after becoming smitten with all the twangy guitar sounds I was hearing coming from the family radio. I retired at the age of twelve but took it up again when my friend roped me into a high school band he was forming.
My long career in Australia before being ‘discovered’ internationally is probably due to a combination of bloody-minded perserverance and not being much good at anything else! My international career came about by virtue of a lucky break when the right people heard and liked my first album. For many deserving musicians this just never happens. I feel very fortunate.
When it comes to playing guitar, do you have any tips for the best method of practice?
I’m told that it’s just about putting in all those hours and being disciplined about it. In my late teens I did sit for hours on end in my bedroom listening to all the blues greats and jamming along with them but I now practice only spasmodically. I do like to improvise and experiment on stage, however, which I guess is kind of like practising on the job.
Who are some of your favourite guitarists – both Australian and international and why, dead or alive and why?
OK – my list of Australian greats would have to include Kevin Borich, Peter Walker, Phil Manning, Mal Eastick, Jeff Lang, John Meyer, Kent Hughes, Ian Moss, Lindsay Wells and Dutch Tilders. Apologies to all those I’ve left out. What I like about these players is that they all have uniquely identifiable styles.
Internationally some of my absolute favourites would be: Elmore James, whose recordings inspired me to take up slide guitar; Robert Johnson, who pretty much ‘wrote the book’ of blues standards; Buddy Guy, who can ring more emotion out of a Strat than just about anyone I know; Albert Collins, who had a unique style, was absolute ‘master of the Telecaster’ and a hell of a nice guy; Freddie King, the most powerful force of nature ever unleased on a blues guitar; and then there’s Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan – what can you say about them? They took blues guitar playing to it’s zenith and then some! These guys are only the tip of the iceburg. There’s been so many. Of all living guitarists the one I most revere is Derek Trucks.
It’s been a few years between releases, what do you like doing away from music?
I like to play tennis, go to the movies, hang out with friends, go for a run, spend time down on Western Australia’s southern coast – basically just living like anyone else. Being out on the road all the time can be great fun but it’s not ‘real life’.
How has the music scene changed since you first started?
When I started out the pubs were in full swing all over the country. Now that they’ve all but disappeared we lost that excellent training ground for young performers to learn the craft of playing live. Nowadays you get these amazingly talented kids coming straight out of their bedrooms and onto national TV etc. They may have great songs and great voices but I don’t hear much instrumental improvising from them. That is something that only playing lots of live gigs with other musicians seems to foster and I confess that I miss it in today’s music. The other huge change is the digital revolution which has changed the way music is recorded, delivered and listened to. In some respects the internet has prised open the vice-like grip of the major record companies and been somewhat liberating. A really good artist doesn’t need a major these days to be heard. Unfortunately, neither does a mediocre one!
What is your setup when recording and playing live guitar, pedals, amps?
Over the years my use of pedals has diminished. I have three on stage at the moment: a Roger Mayer Axis pedal, an Ibanez CP9 compressor and an Australian made MI Audio Blue Boy Overdrive. Most of the time only the Axis pedal is on. My amp is either a Fender 1962 Bassman Head or a Marshall Silver Jubilee. In both cases the speaker cabinet is a 4×12 Marshall with 25 Watt ‘Greenbacks’.
Who are what influences your songwriting and playing?
This is hard to answer. I never really know where the songs come from. John Hiatt reckons that they’re just in the air and if your antenna is up at the time when one is passing you might catch one. I tend to agree. If I start out with a guitar in my hand you can bet that it’s going to be a blues and what comes out will be fragments from a lifetime of listening – half remembered bits and pieces that get subconsciously combined into something that might be considered new. Lyrically I’m influenced by people and events around me that I observe. Quite often I’ll write about someone else in the first person which can lead to some misapprehensions on the part of listeners. When I’m performing I try to give free reign to my emotions and let all and any of my musical influences just flow. That’s part of the excitement of flying by the seat of your pants and doing so much improvising. The other part of course is not knowing just when you’re going to fall flat on your face.
How do you keep the creative juices and desire to perform live going at the sexy age of 69?
I don’t know. It’s just still there, as strong as it ever was. I take heart from the fact that John Lee Hooker and BB King were still producing great music well into their eighties.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Bukka White, The Alabama Shakes, Rory Gallagher, Lake Street Dive, Ali Akbar Khan, Little Feet, Steve Winwood.
Does living in Perth (the most isolated capital city in the world) help or hinder your creativity?
Well it probably does both in different ways. I think it’s helped a lot of us from over here to be a bit more individual. We don’t have quite as many other musicians around us to copy or to learn from and so we just go our own way – for better or worse. It probably helps you become proficient a lot quicker if you’re able to see great musicians all around you but if you don’t have that you tend to come up with your own musical solutions.
What do you have planned for the remainder of 2018/19?
It’s been hectic getting the album out, so after the May tour I’ll take a couple of months off to relax and do a bit more writing I would like to tour Australia again in October to get to some of the places we’re missing this time – Adelaide, Canberra, regional centres etc. I won’t be going overseas until 2019 and even then I won’t be doing an all-states US tour. It just takes too long. I’m at that stage in my career where I’ll only do things that are really enjoyable – so some selected US and European shows but not the long list of one-nighters
(album out April 27 via Only Blues Music) Dave touring Australia May 2018 – check website for details. US tour likely for later in year.
Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
I live in Newcastle but because I am a touring act I am not really part of the local scene however Newcastle is undergoing huge change I am led to believe it is developers with curfews versus music venues and artists. But ultimately, I think change is good and I hope the scene will flourish again.
How did you first start playing music?
I used to watch my older cousin, Trev, strum a few chords. Then at age seven I started lessons and learnt those same chords, then wanted to play “that other fancy stuff” which was lead guitar. From that wherever I found a teacher, classical in Bendigo, Jazz on The Gold Coast and Sydney and whist still playing in rock bands, I just loved to play and learn.
How would you describe yourself as an artist and your musical styles – you have covered such a diverse range of music:
Guitarist/Composer with “world music” flavours, it’s a real melting pot but I like rhythmic music.
How did you come to compose for other instruments and an orchestra? What are the greatest challenges?
It’s all instinct and hearing a melody or counter melody then assigning the appropriate instrument. I do love the deeper instruments like Cello and Bassoon and the beautiful chords a brass section can play.
Was it a risk stepping outside the comfort zone of guitar? Is that what appealed to you?
Rule 1 – Have no fear! As I really compose for myself first, I am pretty good at saying this is how it must be, it sounds and feels good.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I don’t listen to much music as I like to keep my ears fresh. I hardly ever listen to guitar music. Currently in my car, I have Cold Chisel and Mumford & Sons.
What or who influences your songwriting process?
I love Ennio Morricones “The Mission” and Pink Floyds ‘The Wall”
Who are some of your favourite guitarists – both Australian and international and why?
Ian Moss for his tone and phrasing
Leo Kottke – I just love his pieces
Django Reinhardt – The raw gypsy energy
Who are some of your favourite composers and why?
Ennio Morricone and Roger Waters as they write very emotionally, sometimes dark. As a composer, I am not supposed to Like Andrew Lloyd Webber but sometimes it takes courage to write a simple, happy piece and not complicate it for the critics.
What do you have planned for 2018 / 2019?
2018, new solo album and tour and beyond that I don’t have any plans at all and I find that exciting!!
Favourite food and place to hangout?
I love hanging out at home with my wife and pooch and also riding my motorbike to the beach.
I seem to always end up at Thai when we dine out but sometimes you can’t beat a good old fashioned roast.
Bruce touring Australia April thru June – check website for details and tickets.
DO NOT SLEEP IBIZA’S FASTEST EMERGING HOUSE & TECHNO CLUB BRAND JOINS FORCES WITH ABODE ANNOUNCING NEW AMNESIA RESIDENCY EVERY THURSDAY DURING SUMMER 2018
Do Not Sleep
Thursdays, Main Room Amnesia Ibiza
14th June to 27th September 2018
Do Not Sleep over the past few years has forged both a strong and resilient reputation with Ibiza’s underground. With an impeccable track record of carefree dance floor camaraderie, Do Not Sleep has long been flying the flag for quality music as a strong party proposal. Their family of DJ’s and house music protagonists have been exploring the sounds of the underground to fuel Ibizan nights during past residencies at Privilege, Space and Sankeys. As the 2018 season is upon us they find their new spiritual home at one of the best-known and internationally renowned clubs Amnesia.
Summer 2018 sees Do NOT SLEEP joining forces with ABODE – another fast-emerging UK club brand which shares a parallel ethos alongside a strong international following and fanbase. Delivering a contrasting but complimentary house sound, the two brands joining forces will unquestionably form a standout Thursday event for Ibiza in 2018 filling the space left by the legendary club brand Cream.
Do Not Sleep are proud to be hosting Thursdays at Amnesia with Abode who are fresh from their recent sell out Printworks, London show and several festival outings.
Long time resident DJ / Producer Darius Syrossian will return to the Do Not Sleep booth for 2018 and alongside both peers and protégés deliver and steer the underground events music-first policy. A host of leading international underground talent will showcase the deeper and darker electronic sound perfectly suited and designed for the Amnesia main room.
Commenting on the approaching 2018 Season, Do Not Sleep’s Neil Evans states:
“When we first started Do Not Sleep I remember clearly that there was a strong desire to be nomadic, holding the ability to take our party vibe around the island in high regard. We have a big Thursday slot to humbly fill; but we are confident that the main room at Amnesia fits our sound entirely. Darker tracks that have real soul translate well in that space”
Darius Syrossian added further thought: “It’s one of the few rooms left in ibiza where you can play both hard techno but also music which has a bit more depth & is a bit more soulful, both sounds work equally as good in that room and the sound system is deadly!
Do Not Sleep’s clubbing philosophy has been transparent from the start – inaugural parties capturing the excitement of unannounced guests and international artists paired with the adrenaline and atmosphere that they have now become tethered with.
Fundamentally rooted in the Ibizan spirit and focussing on delivering contemporary DJ’s across leading and emerging names of the underground scene there is a no-gimmick and inclusive emphasis that has successfully seen Do Not Sleep create parties around the world.
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WRONG Festival 2018 Announces Stage Splits & Set Times – Download the official clashfinder HERE Featuring: FUTURE OF THE LEFT / DAMO SUZUKI / MUGSTAR / HEY COLOSSUS / KAGOULE / SEX SWING / GNOD / CONAN / ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY + many more 28TH April 2018 – Various Venues @ Liverpool Docklands With just a few short weeks to go, WRONG Festival are pleased to reveal the set times and stage splits for the full line up of their unmissable second-year outing on their official clashfinder which can be downloaded HERE (see below for text version of details).
Set to take place on the 28th of April 2018 at Liverpool Docklands, they’ll once more be shining a spotlight on a plethora of loud, strange and far out talent from the international Freakscene. £12 Super Early Bird tickets and £15 Early Bird tickets are now sold out, with Discounted Advance tickets priced at £20 on sale now via Skiddle, See Tickets and Dice FM from: https://wrongfestival.com/ The full and final line up looks like this: FUTURE OF THE LEFT, DAMO SUZUKI w/ MUGSTAR, GNOD, CONAN, HEY COLOSSUS, KAGOULE, SEX SWING, SPECTRES, THE ST. PIERRE SNAKE INVASION, ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY, GREY HAIRS, BILGE PUMP, ELEVANT, SPQR, THANK, DEATH AND THE PENGUIN, TABLE SCRAPS, IRK, GRAVVES, KAPIL SESHASAYEE, OHMNS, BURIED SLEEPER, BLACK PUDDING, ALPHA MAID, NASTY LITTLE LONELY, TOKYO TABOO, SONS, LUCY LEAVE, BISCH NADAR, SALT THE SNAIL VS BLEACH, SWEETS, LONESAW, PATCHWORK GUILT, PSYBLINGS, SWEARWOLVES, LEWIS O’NEILL DJ. The newly released stage split and stage time information is as follows: Invisible Wind Factory Stage Bisch Nadar – 13:00 – 13:30 North Shore Troubadour Stage Swearwolves – 13:30 – 14:00 Drop The Dumbulls Stage Psyblings – 13:15 – 13:45 Tickets on sale now: https://wrongfestival.com/ |
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Photo credit: Andrew Janjigian
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Portland folk songstress Johanna Warren shared the video for “Cleansed By Fire,” the meditative track off her acclaimed new album Gemini II, today. The clip, a piece about former lovers dissolving their broken bond and reclaiming autonomy, shows Warren dancing in ocean waves while singing in Icarus-inspired imagery: “We, two as one / Reached for the sun / Well, we tried.”
Last year, Warren also released Gemini I, the first of a pair of conceptually connected albums written and recorded in the throes of a rocky romantic relationship with another artist. “All the songs on both records are about a complicated three-year relationship with a Gemini man,” she says. “It was very much a ‘twin flame’ situation. We were working with bright light and intense shadow.” As a way to process this emotional chaos, Warren began to write in earnest as a form of self-therapy. Eschewing the more abstract lyricism of her earlier work, she began to create a suite of confessional songs about the blessing and the curse of romantic love.
The albums that resulted, Gemini I and Gemini II, are moody, bewitching records packed with layers of occult symbolism and personal mythology. Every song on Gemini I has a corresponding “twin” on II, linked by melodic motifs, lyrical content or production choices. Rather than the DIY recording setups that Warren and engineer/producer Bella Blasko had used previously, the Geminis were tracked at Dreamland studios in upstate New York. There, equipped with a sudden wealth of instruments and more sophisticated technology, Warren who arranges and play nearly everything on her records, felt free to explore. This spirit of experimentation is evident on the records. The songs retain the hushed warmth of previous releases Fates and numun, while expanding Warren’s sonic landscape in all directions.
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How did you first start playing electro and progressive house?
I started very young and at home, I imagine that like almost everyone. First trying to mix with cassette and later with turntables!
What do you attribute to your success?
I believe success in life in general, and at a professional level I still have a long way to go, although I
am working hard to achieve it!
Your recent track ‘Evolet’ is out now, where and when did you record it?
Evolet came up very quickly, the sound came to my mind and I shot it in the studio. It’s a club sound,
now I’m just working in another direction.
What inspired the songwriting for Evolet?
I needed to transmit something fresh, with punch, with much joy and it was achieved.
You had a massive touring schedule in 2017, what do you find most rewarding and challenging of maintaining such a busy schedule?
I love to be on tour continuously, this year we have the obligation to overcome 2017 in everything.
I have to keep doing a lot in my career and I do not want to stop. I want more shows, more
productions, more collaborations and even more interviews … hahahaha
You had a massive residency at Pacha, how did you prepare for each show?
I really like to improvise, I am one of those who look at the track and give them what they ask for.
Although after so many shows at PACHA I already know the public well and I like to drive them crazy.
What do you think think is the key to a successful string of residency shows such as the Pacha shows?
Hard work, passion, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of excitement … all this is what TAAO KROSS adds up
every day to keep taking steps in the industry.
What do you have planned for the rest of 2018 in Ibiza and the rest of the world?
Keep working, soon I can reveal that you will be with me at IBIZA, but there are very nice things,
many shows in many countries and a lot of music to play
You have all the info on my website … www.taaokrossmusic.com
Are you or will you be working on new music?
I’m working on a lot of music, on incredible things that excite me a lot, on completely new sounds, I
want to innovate in the electronic scene and I have to get there!
What influences your songwriting and sound as a whole?
It influences me from my life day to day, experience, the family … I try to relate the sounds to
everything that surrounds me.
Favourite place to hangout?
IBIZA I adore her for all that she has given me, for all that she gives me and for all that we are going
to do together.
What hobbies do you have outside of music?
Enjoy the family, my friends from my city and the other life outside the shows and music.
In addition to the events, Red Bull Music Festival New York will tell original stories through editorial content on RedBullMusic.com. Red Bull Radio (www.redbullradio.com) will also feature a month of NYC-focused programming, including event live streams, special broadcasts from Red Bull Arts New York, and more.
May 22 + 24: Oneohtrix Point Never: ‘MYRIAD’ @ Park Avenue Armory
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| Tour Dates
Friday 27th April: Groovin The Moo, Wayville SA |
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Gang Gang Dance – Kazuashita is out Friday 22nd June
via 4AD / Remote Control Records.
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Stereogum
“Clocking in just under the two minute marker, “Chasing Catherine” is a succinct snippet of tenderness from Bent Denim that shows that sometimes less is most certainly more if you’re looking to make an impact.”
The Line of Best Fit
“It doesn’t get more real or honest than this.”
Noisey
“As with all of the band’s finest work, the whole thing is haloed with a sonic sense of adventure that lends the track a glowing earnestness that feels wildly compelling.”
GoldFlakePaint
In Littlejohn’s own words; “The song is a riff on the theme of losing your childlike sense of wonder. Growing up and realizing that you kinda fit yourself into a box and using things to dull the emotions that come out because of that. I’m sure most people at some point at had long hair and zits.
“The song started with that ethereal ’80s synth and it grew from there. I put a lot of things through a vintage Shure level loc compressor that i found at the Nashville flea market. It’s an esoteric piece of studio gear that has achieved cult status for f*cking up sounds in a very musical and positive way.
“I was also able to use my family’s old upright player piano at the very end of the song – it allegedly came out of a saloon. It has an almost tack piano quality and is super nostalgic for me because its the piano I grew up messing around on and playing Beatles songs from old player rolls.”
Living in separate towns in separate states – Nashville and New Orleans – the pair are often compared to The Postal Service for both their parallels sonically and also the similarity of their song-writing methods; sending demoes back and forth via email and each working on their music individually. The NyQuil Pop band are also often spoken of in the same breath as their brothers in slow-core, Hovvdy (who are, coincidentally, their friends and collaborators outside of Bent Denim, with Ben having mastered the band’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘Taster’ and played bass on their most recent album ‘Cranberry’).
The duo make glitchy, lush, Americana and emo-flecked dream-indie for the defeated – the kind that envelopes you whole and talks to you like an old friend. Biographical stories of lost love and longing, Town and Country is their most visceral and raw record to date. Out on 11th May, the album is a totally insular work, having been completely written, recorded and produced in the respective bedrooms of the duo. Its beauty lies in the fact that it is so plainly introspective and yet collaborative.
