View from the Stalls: October 2015

Monday 26 October 2015

Interview with Sam Marder of Keywest

I have to be honest and say, it's been a while since I was this excited for an interview. With an album that went straight to number one here in Ireland, a tour on the way, and a growing fanbase, Keywest are certainly a force to be reckoned with.

I chatted to bass guitarist Sam Marder to talk about the bands success with the new album, the up and coming gigs and the busking on the world famous Grafton Street in Dublin. But.. let's start with the album, 'Joyland'!

"We were delighted to get the number one spot! We felt very honoured and proud of ourselves and our fans who have supported us through thick and thin. The first number one album for our band was certainly a big part of our career so far.

A lot of people around us have reacted with a kind of "You've made it now!" type of attitude, the funny thing is as much of an accomplishment it is, it only encouraged us to get back on the street and further promote Joyland and keep it up their at the top for another week! We had no chance to celebrate. It was a kick in our arses showing us what we were capable of and how we could push this further and compete with the likes of major label artists in our own way!"

It's important to note that this success hasn't just been recognised in Ireland, the band actually had to add another date to play in London in November due to the phenomenal demand, something Sam is understandably delighted with!

"2 dates in London is very cool, we were really excited adding the UK dates onto our tour this year, especially seeing as the London dates are a homecoming gig for the three of us English lads in the band!
I suppose we are probably the last people to realise and come to terms with how its truly coming together, but every now and again I get a clue and kind of stand back and think, "wow, there is actually a crowd here and they know all of our songs?". Its a really great feeling. Much like playing guitar hero, but in real life! But to be honest, a lot of daily life feels like a lot of hard work, like it's always been!"

Keywest will travel around Ireland and the UK on a tour in the months of November and December (I'll stick the dates and venues down on the bottom of the page) and the bass player admits that live performances hold a particular soft spot in the band's heart.

"We love performing live, its the raw energy that we have gotten hooked to! We have great interaction and banter with our fans too over all our social media, so sometimes our shows feel like just a giant party with a lot of mates!"

And when the guys aren't playing packed out shows, you can find them on the streets, busking! Which, again, is something that Sam says is very special to the band!

"Busking is an experience! You never know whats gonna happen or who's gonna turn up, good or bad!
However, while pulling those crowds on the street, I always feel amazed we've managed to capture the attention of people going about their daily business, while they are in the stress of shopping or commuting on the grey street.
We've managed to capture the attention of a person and do something great together for the 15 minutes we've had them stand still and just listen and enjoy music. Its cool, its like you might have made a really positive impression on their day! Well we hope positive!!! Hopefully we are doing a good service for the community!"

So far, whether it be busking, in the studio recording, or doing gigs, it seems to be paying off for the band, so much so that they were awarded the 2015 Hot Press Most Promising Act!

"It was quite the achievement, to be honest, its our fans we have to thank for winning that one! I suppose winning that was a part of us getting the cover for Hotpress later on too! So we have our fans to thank for that also!"

Something tells me that won't be the last award this band scoops, especially with the drive and determination Sam portrays when it comes to talking about Keywest's future plans.

"What we've done so far has been off the efforts from our own back! We are an independent band! We want this to keep going and growing, so the plan for 2016 will to be travel and start branching out the same we have done here. Take to news streets in different lands and take to the internet and try and cause a stir!! Potentially we might introduce someone else to our entourage in the way of a licensing deal or something for abroad, but we'll see what 2016 has in store for us! Either way, we are happy to go it alone as usual too!"

If you haven't already checked these guys out, take my word for it, you are missing out. Here is how you can do so... Actually, I'll let Sam explain!

"Set me up for the plug, I love it! Joyland is available for order from HMV Ireland or in any of their stores, also it's available from iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and all the other usual suspects!
However, if you want to hear Joyland live, you will have to get a ticket to our UK and Ireland Winter Tour from www.ticketmaster.ie or www.ticketmaster.co.uk
The songs from Joyland were crafted on the street and inspired by the busking. We use a lot of that inherent acoustic driven rhythm that we felt drew people to us most effectively! And the songs are a collection of experiences. If you've ever heard us on the street and enjoyed it, I'm sure you will love Joyland. If not, I recommend you try it anyway!"

KEYWEST UK AND IRELAND WINTER TOUR DATES

Nov 13 - Belfast

Nov 18 - Liverpool

Nov 19 - Birmingham

Nov 20 - London (sold out)

Nov 21 - London (sold out)

Nov 27 - Killarney

Dec 04 - Cork

Dec 05 - Limerick

Dec 10 - Waterford

Dec 12 - Galway

Dec 15 - Dublin (sold out)

Dec 16 - Dublin

P.S You'll catch me at the Waterford gig! Be sure to say hi!

EOIN!

Interview with Flight Brigade

I can easily say that this is by far the largest band I have ever interviewed! Consisting of two sisters, four guys and one husband and wife, both Flight Brigade's on stage and off stage presence certainly is something to behold.

I recently chatted to the London based band about the release of their EP 'Stealing Fire', current tour and plenty more!

"We formed because Ollie (lead singer) grew up on the road from us girls in the group Me, (Miriam, now his wife) and my sister Dorry. Ollie had written some songs, and plucked up the nerve to drop in on our musician parents to see what they thought of his early demos. Dorry & I just started jamming along and a few months later we recruited musician friends from college. Neil was, and still is, the heaviest drummer we know, he's mad for really heavy music and we think that's bought a lot to our sound -as we like to combine beauty, harmonies and more delicate stuff with pretty heavy riffs. The fact there is 7 of us means we can get an almost orchestral sound at times and build layers and play with dynamics."

If you haven't already checked this band out on YouTube, I would highly recommend that you do so! Or alternatively, check out their tour dates on their website and tag along to a gig because here is what you can expect at a live performance:

"We like to think we give it all we can, people have told us, that's what comes across - which is good!. We aim to do what we do with conviction. To tell the story, or communicate a feeling. We also like to make use of dynamics, bring out the contrast between delicate intimacy and thunderous heaviness."

No doubt, the setlist at a gig will be filled with older material but also the newer stuff on the EP. The band believe the new release has it's similarities and differences to their previous releases, something fans will be delighted to hear.

"I think there's some similarity and some contrast. Housefire has a brooding mood, which is also present in the track 'Our Friends Our Enemies'. We tend to write songs that tell a story. 'Our Friends Our Enemies' was written after Ollie heard an amazing story about World War 11. Ollie's was walking with a friend round Clapham Junction, where we lived, and his friend mentioned that bombs had fallen, right where they were standing, during World War 2 but hadn't exploded. Some Czech workers, under forced labor by the Nazi government were rolling powder-less shells off the munitions assembly line. One of the unexploded bombs was opened up and inside was a note, written in Czech, that read 'this is all we can do, for now'. This just inspired the song, it was a story of incredible courage under the watchful eye of the enemy. In contrast 'When We Were Young' is a fun, nostalgic track its got quite a different feel, kind of feeling of reminiscence. The Phantom is also more synth-driven and has an almost playful feel."

Although the band are understandably thrilled with the end product of the EP, they don't want to stop there, and already have plans to release an album in the not too distant future.

"We can't wait to get the album out. Work is being done on it as we speak. We're squirreling away on it in-between tour dates!"

Ah yes, the tour! I was joking to the guys that one noticeable absence from the tour was Ireland! But they assure me it's high up on their to-do list. Sit tight Irish fans.

"Yes it is busy but we're kinda used to that. We played 16 UK festivals this summer so it's been pretty non stop for a while! If only we could play Ireland in this tour! We'd love nothing more. Us sisters are half-Irish, we love the country and have loads of family in Connemara. So, yes, we'd especially love to come play Ireland. But Yeah, we love playing live, we've played hundreds of gigs and learnt lots through doing that. It's hard to beat the feeling of playing live, its addictive in many ways, - we're truly hooked at any rate!"

As I mentioned, you can check out their tour dates on the website www.flightbrigade.com. The EP was released last Friday October 23rd and is available to purchase on all digital outlets and physical copies are available to buy at one of the gigs! If you're considering popping along to a gig, here's a little taster of what to expect - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3N91IAT_yY

EOIN!

Friday 23 October 2015

Interview with Chris Haze

Mark my words; this guy is going to be huge. With his new single 'Let Us Be Heroes' set to be released on December 4th, playing festivals such as Indiependence and supporting bands like The Academic on tour, Chris Haze is already taking steps in the right direction.

I recently caught up with the rising artist to pick his brain about the new single and talk about much more besides!

"Music is always something I loved, I ended up teaching myself the guitar when I was in a pretty shitty place in my life. (excuse the sob story). I lived in a house with a few mates at the time and one of them used to play the guitar. I kinda robbed his guitar all the time teaching myself a few chords from YouTube videos. Until I could eventually afford my own second hand guitar. From there I ended up writing my own songs by putting chords together rather than learning covers. The natural progression after that lead me to writing lyrics and that's when music really became special for me."

One could only assume that one of the hardest things about being an up and coming solo artist is promoting yourself and getting people to listen to your music and take you seriously. Haze admits, it can be difficult at times.

"It is definitely not one of the easiest things. The hardest part is getting people in the industry and fans to take you seriously as an artist. Promoting yourself also takes time from the things you should be doing like writing, rehearsing and most of all enjoying the music. I look at it like this..no one will push you/promote you better than yourself because nobody believes in what you do like yourself as an artist. So it is hard but rewarding if you can make the connections and fans you need supporting you."

Anyone who is familiar with Haze's music or knows him personally, will be well aware that he is an extremely hard working musician and has enjoyed a considerable amount of success recently, with things falling into place for him at the right times, but he is adamant, the hard work is just beginning.

"I have been enjoying it but at the same time I still have a lot of work to do to get to the stage i'd like to be at. I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to my career because I always want the next step which sometimes kicks me in the teeth from expectations being too high. But I'm learning and working harder everyday to achieve the success I'd like to achieve."

The release of his new single 'Let Us Be Heroes' will undoubtedly bring more success, I'll let Chris explain where the idea for the song came from and what people can expect from it!

"Let Us Be Heroes is another way of me saying “stick together”. And when I say “Heroes” I don’t mean superman, I mean everyday heroes that go out of their way to make things easier and more manageable for those who find it hard to do it for themselves. It’s about sticking together and trying to help rather than hoping these problems pass by without affecting you. It’s easy for a lot of us to get on with every day life without these kinds of issues because most of us live in modern societies where we don’t have to see or deal with issues like starvation, and fatal diseases taking the lives of our loved ones.
The idea and message behind this song and title is that..just because these kinds of issues are not a part of our everyday lives, doesn’t mean they’re not happening. We should always be conscious of these issues other people face on a daily basis and do whatever we can to help. I know some days it’s hard to but we should always be grateful for the lives a lot of us have without ever forgetting about the people facing real life problems right now."

Regarding that song, he recently posted on his official Twitter @chrishazemusic that it would be going back to the studio for a bit of work, but fear not, the change will hopefully bring positive rewards.

"When I say a little different I mean a higher standard of production. I produced the current version of the single but a producer that worked on the latest The Script album and produced Superheroes really likes the song and wants to take it to the next level production wise. Which will hopefully result in a higher rate of airplay for the release."

As I mentioned before, Chris has and is still touring with Irish band The Academic (playing in the Fences in Mullingar tonight Friday 23 Oct) and he says he is delighted to be gigging with the guys.

"It's a great opportunity to be given to support any band or act with hype behind them. On top of them being a pretty talented bunch. I was delighted when their management asked me to support them as they played just after me on the mainstage of Indiependence Festival this Summer."

So it really does seem to be coming together for Haze but like he said, the hard work is only beginning, and here is what the future holds;

"The future holds lots more Single/EP & Album releases and as many gigs and tours as possible. The aim is to get a label involved to help make all these things easily possible."

EOIN!

Thursday 22 October 2015

Interview with Jamie Harrison

This guy has been making huge strides in the Irish music industry in recent times, and with the calibre of music he continues to release, such as his latest single 'If I Only Knew Your Name', it doesn't appear that the success is bound to halt at any time soon.

I recently caught up with the Galway native to chat about that single that has everyone talking! I've even given it a couple of spins on my radio show myself!

"This was a song I wrote last year that seemed to come together

magically - one of those rare '30 minute songs. I guess it refers

to those moments what we've all experienced where you pass

someone on the street or see someone somewhere and for a

second everything just stops as you catch eyes. It also has a

more 'daydream' element of thinking about who that 'one person'

is and where in the world they might be. I guess that's what it

meant for me, but of course, it came out of me so fast that it also

has other subconscious meanings and interpretations and it's

not really stuck down to one thing. The lyrics are maybe a little

bit more open to interpretation than some of my other songs."

If you haven't already heard the lyrics, have a listen here for yourself, and watch the very snazzy music video, which Jamie says was great fun to make; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFtuRzaOusk

"I had an amazing director just guiding me through everything so that made it a lot easier. It was certainly the largest and most serious from a production standpoint, (and it was shot in Hollywood, the entertainment capital of the world) so there was a little bit of extra pressure there I guess, but I loved every minute of it!"

Despite his notable success to date, in many ways this release is just the start of Jamie Harrison. In fact, he has an EP set to be released very shortly.

"I will have an EP coming soon after releasing 'If Only I Knew Your Name'. I am really excited to release that because it gives people more of an idea of who I am and that I'm not just about one thing. It also gives people an opportunity to hear some other songs that I can do live, so its always nicer to go to a gig and know some of the songs, than to only know one."

With over 12,000 likes on Facebook, people are becoming more and more familiar with Harrison's music, which one can only assume is a dream come true for any artist. But the humble Galwegian is keeping his feet fixed firmly on the ground

"To be honest, it's been gradually building for a while and many people already recognise me from busking in whatever city I happen to be in, so I don't feel any huge change taking place right now. Like you said before, it's only the beginning for me, so maybe in time, I'll have a better answer to that question! But also, I've been so busy doing so many radio shows and TV slots that I haven't had a huge amount of time to even notice it! And my family will make sure my feet always stay firmly planted on the ground though *laughs*"

Jamie mentioned his busking, which really was a focal point in getting his career up and running. He started out as a busker, playing on the streets of Galway. In 2012 he raised €6,000 for Neuroblastoma patient Lily-Mae and sang on the charity single 'A Song For Lily-Mae', which went to number 1 in the Irish charts. But he claims he doesn't have a preference of being on the streets busking or in the studio recording.. It all depends on the weather. Typical Irish!!

"It really depends where I am and what the weather is like outside haha! In the winter, it's a lot nicer being in a cosy studio hanging out with other musicians and making music, but when the sun is out, it's a really good buzz being out on the streets and meeting people and playing music for them. It's also quite nice around Christmas when people are in doing their Christmas shopping and exploring the markets, but damn, trying to keep your fingers warm while playing the guitar is no easy feat!"

So whether you plan on listening to Jamie on the street, buying his EP or seeing him at a live gig, here is what he has in store for the future;

"I will be doing some gigs in Galway and Dublin coming up to Christmas, but dates aren't completely locked down yet. However, if you go onto my Facebook page which is facebook.com/jamieharrisonmusic, I'll be keeping people updated whenever we decide on some definite dates!"

If you do happen to see him busking, be a dear and give him a cup of coffee to warm him up! Poor guy!

EOIN!

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Interview with Saoirse Casey

Get out your pen and notepad and stick this name down on your 'One to Watch' page. With an incredibly unique voice, style and the ability to formulate exquisite lyrics, it won't be long until Saoirse Casey is making headlines.

I recently chatted to her following the premiere of Keith Plunkett's music video for his new single 'Hold On' which we both feature in as leads (I dont think acting is my thing), but nonetheless, here's what she had to say.

"Music was always something I cared about but I don’t know about it being an eventuality. I was encouraged to learn instruments and I was very stubborn I think. My mom tried to teach me keyboard when I was around 10 or 11 and I just wasn’t dedicated at all.. I get a little annoyed at that because now I’m piano obsessed and it would have been great to have started learning back then."

Saoirse is actually the daughter of the hugely popular and successful Irish singer/songwriter, Paddy Casey and she claims he has influenced her greatly, but not in the traditional sense of the term!

"Hmm… I’m not sure he influenced me in the way I play or write, but seeing him play his songs for people as I grew up and going to his gigs was and is a very special thing to me. I was and am very proud of him. Yes, he influences me now. Some of his advice includes ‘’Don’t be a musician’’ and ‘’Don’t date musicians’’. He’s actually forbidden me to date anyone till I’m 30 years old!!"

So at the age of 19, it seems Saoirse has a while to wait yet until she can search for the man of her dreams but at 17, she made a life-changing decision. She left school and focused more and more on her music.

"I have no idea if leaving school was the right thing to do.. I still feel like a baby bird. I think time will tell? It did feel right though. I don’t think it’s for everyone. There was a lot of great things about the school I went to but getting up in the mornings just wasn’t working for me. Just kidding. I don’t regret anything yet. There’s a great quote by someone somewhere ‘’Do it or don’t do it. you will regret both’’ I'm just going to try my best."

For anyone who has heard Casey's music before, you will be well aware of her captivating lyrics and ability to paint a picture in the listener's mind. But where do the ideas for her songs come from?

"All my songs are personal in an impersonal way. I do try to cloud the truth a little bit, just because the details aren’t very important. They start with a feeling, and the story can come from there. The stories might not be true but at the same time they are. I think the word for that is allegory, but that makes me think of the bible!!

The young artist claims that she is really enjoying the experience of gigging and performing in front of larger audiences but admits she is unsure as to what the future holds for her from a musical point of view.

"The word career scares me..but I would like to keep playing music for a long time. There’s so much to learn, and thats so exciting. As for getting signed, well, thats also a bit of a scary term. I can’t imagine a businessman/woman seeing something sellable in me. Can I just go live in the forest and hold concerts for the woodland animals? I hear they’re a very attentive audience."

Well the woodland animals will be glad to hear that she does have one particular project she is focused on;

"I'm hoping to release my album in Spring 2016, and this week I'm playing support for Declan O'Rourke in St.David's Church in Naas. I'm really looking forward to that."

And finally... I asked where people could find out more about Saoirse Casey and/or listen to her music and she gave me this response.. See if you can make sense of it!!

"Of course, you can find me sometimes on the moon. There’s this beautiful jazz bar there, where I sing at. Mostly covers, you know, like The Cure and Simon and Garfunkel. Or you could check my Facebook page and youtube… or my website. Cue website link… www.saoirse-music.tumblr.com :) I would be very happy if someone liked my music, and wanted to come see me play."

EOIN!

Sunday 18 October 2015

Interview with Jessica Smith

I think it goes without saying that Ireland has produced some incredible artists in recent years, but when it comes to dance tunes or club classics, well, we may be a little bit behind other countries. But fear not, Dublin singer/songwriter Jessica Smith has just released a single worthy of getting a few spins in any nightclub.

I recently caught up with her to talk all things Jessica Smith-y including how the song came about, how she found it making a music video for the first time and what her plans are for the future.

"I have been singing since i was a child. Music has always been in my family with my Dad Damian Smith being a trained baritone. In fact the first time i remember singing was when my dad was rehearsing in our house for a show he was doing at the time in National Concert Hall in Dublin. My dad called me into the room and asked me to sing the female part in "BlackHills" from Calamity Jane. I recall singing in front of his Aunt and Uncle in their home in Baldoyle. I suppose i just loved it from that moment.

I love Coldplay and Adele and pretty much majority of dance music. I want to write music that is up beat with a story.

I want my music to move people both physically and emotionally."

Well, 50/50 certainly will move people physically but one song I stumbled across that moved me emotionally song 'Marry Me', composed around the time of the Same Sex Marriage Referendum in Ireland. Here's what she had to say about it; Oh and check it out too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iymv2-jfxCM

"I wrote 'Marry Me' with my producer Cormac Butler. I decided to write 'Marry Me' for the Marriage Referendum , i suppose, to be a voice for my family members and friends who are gay. I have never understood why it would be up to someone else to say how people should live their lives. I have seen Love in all shapes and sizes and forms and its all equal in my eyes. I wanted to put my opinion across in the only way i know how which is in my music in the hopes that it would make a difference. Love is Love simple as."

As I mentioned in my intro, it may be argued that Ireland is a little bit off the pace when it comes to dance music but the Dubliner believes that she could actually use that to her advantage and that there may be a niche for that genre of music within the country.

"50/50 is definitely different to 'Marry Me'. It's more pop dance than anything else. I do think there is a niche for that style of music in Ireland in particular because there aren't many people doing this genre here."

And that certainly seems to be the case so far because the song and Smith's vocals have been getting a huge amount of praise from various different music critics and has even been getting some airplay on national radio.

"The response thus far has been extremely positive. '50/50' has been played on a good few Radio stations throughout Ireland since its release including being the 'Home Grown Hero' for Dermot&Daves show on TodayFM the week of its release. I am VERY excited to see how '50/50' does over the coming weeks."

Often, musicians find the transition from recording vocals behind a microphone to making a music video in front of the camera to be quite difficult and although for Jessica it was a brand new experience, she claims to have loved every minute of it. See for yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSeShNzWi7s

""The music video was a totally new experience and was in fact my first ever music video for my original material. It was filmed by 'Crooked Gentlemen Films' who are AMAZINGLY talented and really helped to bring my music to life. The Dancers in the video were incredible, it was beautiful to watch them act out the story in the song and i wont lie i may have shed a tear watching them perform. The whole experience of making the music video was surreal and a memory i will cherish."

Hopefully from her point of view this will be just the first of many music videos she will be involved in. Jessica says she wants this to be a huge stepping stone in her career and she is working hard to ensure it lasts.

"I want '50/50' to be the start of my career. I fully intend to record more music and have been writing for the past 3 years with Cormac so there are many many more songs to come. In fact, I am currently working on my EP which i aim to release early in the new year."

Check Jessica out on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Jessicamusicofficial?ref=bookmarks