‘Welcome Home’ is a single from Liverpool trio Leap of Faith. For a track that lasts under three minutes, these guys know how to make every second count. The punk fuelled verses will have future crowds at their gigs stirring up chaos in the pits whilst the release into those melodic choruses will surely have them singing along too. This a band with a point to prove, their future looks promising.
L.M
‘Demons’ is the debut single from Liverpool rock band The Black Jackals. Driven by a killer riff, the song will appeal to rock fans who want instant gratification from a guitar band. The track is not self-indulgent, it does not ride the coattails of current trends in modern music. This is simply a modern interpretation of rock music, dispelling the old tired cliché that ‘rock is dead’. The tannoy effect on the vocals is also a nice production touch, it gives the track a grittier feel whilst the song explores overcoming your own internal struggles.
The Black Jackals have the capacity to appeal to both indie and classic rock fans alike. They have the right kind of momentum behind them and we look forward to seeing what they release next year.
L.M
‘Demons’ is now available across all music platforms.
You can follow The Black Jackals at: http://www.facebook.com/TheBlackJackals
Last Saturday, Indie-pop band Denio treated the audience at The Shipping Forecast to a set of feel good songs that can compete with their peers.
From start to finish Denio played a stellar set, demonstrating that they possess a sonic intuition to craft songs that create an electrifying atmosphere. ‘Models’, the single they were promoting that evening, was an early favourite with the audience. It contained all the attributes to become a constant live favourite with its pulsating drums and memorable guitar hook.
‘Cait’, was another highlight and definitely the band’s most well-crafted song of the evening. Plucked guitar strings defined the tone of this song perfectly and worked well to keep the audience engaged as it transitioned between the song’s verses and choruses. Denio are a live band to be revered, make sure they are under your radar for next year.
L.M
‘Models’ is now available across all music platforms.
You can follow Denio at: http://www.facebook.com/denioband
Picture the setting. You and your friends are out in the city, in a venue illuminated by candles and dim lights. It is probably somewhere to have casual drinks, to enjoy a catch up before you hit the clubs, where meaningful conversations are impossible to have. The music to complement this setting would be that of Liverpool-based musician Kingfast and his debut EP Dream World.
The EP is predominantly performed with Kingfast only on guitar and vocals. It complements the opener ‘Look In Your Eyes’ perfectly. It forces Kingfast to let the emotion of the song influence his vocal delivery. When he sings the lines, When I look in your eyes, I think you were a prize, you can feel the hurt he feels over the demise of the relationship he is singing about.
‘One Day’ is probably the most standout track here. The beatboxing and swinging guitar lines give it a more upbeat feeling than the preceding track. It feels as though Kingfast is channelling the spirit of Prince when you listen to it. When he sings in falsetto or his harmonies compliment his lead vocal, this influence comes through strongly.
Closer ‘Friend or Foe’ acts as the perfect companion to the opening track, both in the tone it sets and the subject it is speaking about. Kingfast sings Are you a friend or a foe? as though he could be singing about the same relationship at the beginning of the EP. It sounds as though he wishes to seek a resolution with this person, so at the very least he knows where he stands with them. It is a fitting song to end the EP, even if the lyrics address an uncertainty about a future relationship.
Kingfast’s Dream World is a strong introduction to a musician with the talent to go onto more interesting things musically. If musicians are looking to join a backing band, any of them with a shred of common sense would get in touch with Kingfast after hearing these songs. It would be nice to hear the next release from this musician with a full band, as it can only help develop his songwriting further.
L.M
You can follow Kingfast at http://www.facebook.com/Kingfastmusic
You can stream Dream World on Spotify.
Black Heart Atomic Bomb is the debut release from Liverpool band, Take No Offence. The single, which was released in October this year should certainly set things in motion in 2017 for the three-piece consisting of Chris Casey, Jack Jeffcock and Kieran Casey.
Having only been together for almost a year, the trio has certainly managed to make their mark on the Liverpool live music scene having already competed in ‘Liverpool Rocks! Battle of the Bands’ and performed at popular venues such as The Zanzibar and The o2 Academy.
The group describes their genre as hard rock and the single provides no less. Listeners are indulged with a clean-cut but memorable guitar riff throughout supported by a grungy, moody underlying bass-line with generous amounts of cymbal bursts keeping those pulses racing.
The well-crafted lyrics suggest some of the bands personality and creativity with ample application of distortion layered over the vocals, culminated towards the end of the track with a whisper-like interpretation of the final few vocal phrases. The singer’s almost homophonic style of expression in this final section at 2.49 followed by an uplifting advance in the chord structure comes as a sweet surprise for the lucky listeners, a move that gives Black Heart Atomic Bomb the desirability it needs to reach its listeners.
The debut single is appealing with its catchy chorus’ and frequent, familiar guitar phrases, nevertheless it’s the developments and unpredictable approaches to the instrumentation that keep us listening. Take No Offence can relax in the knowledge that they could easily satisfy listeners of all genres.
With gigs booked into the New Year in some of Liverpool’s most prominent venues such as The Jacaranda and The Arts Club; 2017 could see some great opportunities for the band.
Black Heart Atomic Bomb is currently available on iTunes and Spotify. See www.takenooffence.com for more details.
Naomi Campbell
In the following interview Musician/Writer Naomi Campbell interviews Steve Thompson and The Incidents. Naomi talks to the band about their new single The Rabbit Hole, its influences, the response it has received and what lies ahead for the band.
Congratulations on your new single, sounding great! How long have you been working on The Rabbit Hole?
We’ve been working on the song for the past 5 months live and in the studio so it’s grown and evolved over that time .
Would you say the single has a somewhat spooky vibe what with the smoke alarm and sound effects? (And of course, with the release coinciding closely with Halloween)
I think we wanted it to have a weird vibe rather than spooky , something different to modern day indie music , were big fans of riffs and harmonies as with most of our songs. The Rabbit Hole is comparing modern day society’s decent into social networking with Alice’s journey down the rabbit hole, scary,weird, wonderful, mind blowing but also dangerous too, in fact it borders on madness.
Who were your main influences when writing the track?
I’d say the psychedelic 60’s is heavily influencing this tune , Cream, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Hendrix , The Doors to name a few.
Have you had any kind of feedback since releasing the track?
We’ve always had good feedback on our music from those that support us and those that hear us for the first time but ultimately we’re making the music we want to make and if it pleases people that’s great if not then that’s no problem either .
Working from a largely music populated city such as Liverpool means of course, you’re going to be surrounded by several other musicians. Were you or have you been influenced by anyone locally?
No, I don’t think Liverpool bands have influenced our music at all ,we have a sound that differs from the so called Liverpool sound , trying to replicate other bands is always a mistake, find your own vibe and run with it .
Would you say you have a pretty faithful fan base since you’ve been performing together now for four years?
Definitely although I don’t like the phrase fans I prefer to think that we find fellow music lovers that click with what we’re doing musically.
How do you come together to work as a group when writing a track?
Steve is the main songwriter but the songs are left to the devices of all band members to do what they please with feel and flow of the songs , we like to keep things loose with room to grow the music before it gets recorded, the songs could be a year old by the time they make it onto a recording.
What was your influence for the video for The Rabbit Hole?
Definitely the madness of Alice in Wonderland.
Where was The Rabbit Hole produced/recorded?
We recorded the track at the fantastic Canvas sounds in Nestor where most of our recording takes place , very relaxed and productive studio
Is the new release directed at any type of listener in particular?
Anyone that likes decent crafted weird songs.
Will there be an album/more releases to follow the single?
Yes we’ve got two thirds of the songs done so hoping to get the next album out early 2017.
It’s been quite the adventure for Steve Thompson and the Incidents already having recently been signed and featured in a US movie! How exiting was this for you and how do you guys plan to top this?
It’s always great to have your music appreciated and with our publishing deal hopefully there will be many.
More opportunities for our music on the big screen so definitely exciting times
What are your plans for the remainder of 2016?
We’re just going to concentrate on recording and finish the album , we’ve been playing and recording solidly for the last four years so we’ll enjoy some time off from gigging until the new year.
Where can we see you perform next?
We’ll be announcing dates early next year so keep your eyes on our FB page.
Finally, where can we buy your track?
All the usual suspects Amazon music, ITunes etc and our debut album can be purchased through our FB.
You can follow Steve Thompson and The Incidents at:
http://www.facebook.com/theincidents
Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/fightfathers
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fightfathers
‘She Wanted Storms’ out on 28th October 2016
Great song writing can take listeners on a journey through the music it creates. ‘She Wanted Storms’, the lead single and title track from Fight Fathers’ debut EP is testament to this.
The ambient guitar work and swirling bass (performed by Alex Cowley and Liam Stremel), set the tone of the song perfectly. This is music that serenades its listeners in ethereal soundscapes before crashing into heavy and grinding choruses. The quiet/heavy dynamic is nothing new but Fight Fathers apply a sophisticated and mature approach to it on this track. Verses never out stay their welcome, building a subtle tension that is released when the band explodes into the choruses. The choruses are clinically executed too, they are punchy even for a mid tempo song such as this.
The band’s meticulous attention to detail is not restricted to song structure either. The solo that follows the first chorus contains three sections, each defined by a different guitar tone to compliment Cowley’s playing. It is approaches like this that enhance the production of this song and give it depth. This is clearly a band who continue to refine their songs until they believe they are ready to be heard by others.
This is a strong introduction by Fight Fathers, it entices you to explore them further when their EP is released. If they can maintain this love and ambition for making music, the very least this band deserve is a loyal cult following.
-Liam Matherson
Writer and Editor, Red Eyed Skeleton
In the following interview I spoke to Jay Plent, vocalist and guitarist for Manchester’s Too Cool Kid. Plent dived into his band’s history, song writing process and discussed the band’s latest release ‘Drained’.
Writer/Editor: Liam Matherson
BEGINNINGS
How did Too Cool Kid form?
Out of necessity. There’s no glamorous story to it really! TCK started out as a solo project, a means for me to vent my musical passions, release some original material and get a feel for the recording side of things. But once I started booking gigs I needed a band to play the material. Initially this was a constantly shifting cast of members, but when we came to headline the Junkyard Festival in Cambridge, I brought in George and Ross to play, and since then they’ve been part of the band on a fairly permanent basis.
SONGWRITING
Is song writing a collaborative process for Too Cool Kid, or are the songs written by individual band members?
Well I write the music primarily. That’s not to say that it doesn’t come under change in amidst the band though, often the parts I write for Ross and George will become more complicated or just different once they get hold of them. George in particular will bring his own styling to the drum arrangements, making them more fluid and smooth. But it works for us, we’re all very on board with the style and the music, and the more we play the more it starting to sound like the three of us playing together rather than just an expanded solo project.
What Too Cool Kid song perfectly captures the band at their best?
Well because of the nature of the band’s origins, the only current track we have out online that features all three of us playing is ‘Drained’. That song is a great representation of us though, it’s weird, knotty, and kinda compliments our individual strengths really well. When we’re playing live, the song that ALWAYS raises comment form our audiences is ‘Target No.9’. From the moment we started playing it that track has been a set favourite, no matter how a gig is going, we always hit our stride in the set when we drop that badboy.
RECORDING
Your latest release is ‘Drained’. Did you have an idea as to how you wanted this song to sound?
I always want us to sound direct and infectious. I want our songs to hit the listener immediately, intrigue and beguile them! ‘Drained’ (we think) really meets that criteria, it’s snappy as hell (it’s our shortest song to date) it packs big grooves into a small space, and doesn’t trade off catchiness for self-indulgence or musical gluttony. We knew when we went in to record it that we wanted it rough and ready, aggressive…
Where did you record this song and who did you bring in to produce them? How did these decisions help the recording process?
We record mostly at our home studio. Generally drums are done elsewhere – for ‘Drained’ we recorded with Matt Cooke (formally of Cambridge 105) at The University of Surrey. Production, the arrangement decisions are mostly done by me, with some input from the band and some from our regular producer Simon. I don’t know about helping the process per-se; we tend to have a pretty good idea of what we’re doing before we go in, but as with anything, when you have good people involved, it enables you, makes everything easier.
What songs have been the easiest and most difficult to capture in the studio?
I think the toughest one to get right was Icarus, in fact personally I’m still not 100% with it as is. The tricky part was balancing the delicate piano such with the bombastic ending in such a way that it was surprising without being jarring. Live we play it slightly differently now, but at the time yes that one was the trickiest, although people seem to enjoy the studio version! Easiest would’ve been the first EP – there was no pressure or anything because it was all about learning and doing things fresh.
THE FUTURE
What plans do Too Cool Kid have for the rest of the year?
Summer is sadly drawing to a close, so we’ll be quiet for a bit since we’ll all be back at Uni. However, we’re playing in Cambridge at The Junction in December (tba) and we’re planning to record some fresh new tunes before the end of September, so they might be dripping out form early next year. We’ll keep you upto date always on the TCK Facebook page.
You can follow Too Cool Kid on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/toocoolkidbanduk.
In the following interview, I sat down with KingFast (Paul John Walker) to discuss his music with him. Liverpool’s The Brink, provided the perfect setting to talk about KingFast’s beginnings, influences, songwriting, gigs and it’s future.
When you started KingFast, did you have a specific idea as to how you wanted the project to sound?
Well recently I just got management, we were sort of talking together about changing as P.J, how we were going to move forward. It was just changing a few little things. Mostly the music is the same thing as it was, it’s the same sort of songs, but with the electric guitar. Keeping the loop pedal and stuff but changing little tweaks but it’s mostly the same sound, just progressing it a bit more. It’s just starting again really, forming a new sound.
Are there any musicians that influence KingFast?
I guess I just listen to a bit of everything. Sometimes there’s an electronic side to it, I guess that comes from Bastille. In terms of singers, I guess I’m influenced by soul singers; Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson’s obviously a huge one. I don’t sound so much like them, I guess that’s where the sound comes from, in some sort of way. It’s a cross between that and pop singers like Bruno Mars.
Do you approach song writing in a particular way?
It can go either way for me it’s usually lyrics first. I just jot them down on my phone, on a bus or wherever. It’s usually lyrics first and I fit it around that. I guess I never really know what’s going to come out. I wouldn’t usually just sit down and write a song, sometimes something would come to me like a lyric and I would just expand on that and when I get home try and do something over that. I guess I haven’t really thought about that idea; it just comes out. I guess that’s a good thing, maybe.
When you write lyrics, do you have specific topics you like to explore in your songs?
I like to keep it pretty diverse. Lately the songs I have been writing have been more current things that are happening in the world. Just things that I see every day, in everyday life is something I write about and obviously a few of my relationships, but everyone has them.
Are there plans to get a backing band to support you in the future?
Yeah, I would really like to do that. I don’t know what way the music’s going to go at the point because I don’t know how far down the line that would be. For me, to beef up the music a bit, I would yeah. I would get a backing band.
How have audiences responded to the live performances you have done so far?
I think so yeah, I mean for the most part I guess it’s hard to know whether people pick up on lyrics in a live setting. I’m sure some people do but they don’t really come up to you and say those were great lyrics. They usually say you sounded good. Some people have said this specific song was really good and I like this song. As long as they’re liking the overall thing that’s what matters to me. If they take anything away from the lyrics, that would be awesome.
Is there one KingFast song you want people to respond positively to?
I’ve got a song called ‘One Day’, and it’s just about people just trying to change themselves. To think like they’re improving themselves but in the long run it’s not helping them mentally. I think it’s a good message and I just like the actually song in general. It’s probably one of my favourite that I’ve ever written, and I wrote it quite recently like a year ago. So yeah, if people like that one it would be good. Hopefully take away from the message, thinking about it, think twice before they mess with their bodies, with their faces. There’s all those crazes, with their lips blown up, things that they don’t really need to do, you’re fine just the way you are.
What are Kingfast’s plans for the future?
As far as gigs go, I’ve got a few covers and stuff coming up. Nothing major, original. We’re going to record the EP, four tracks in the next month. I’m going to the Edinburgh Fringe, next month. But yeah, the EP will be recording in the next month, and I imagine releasing it in the next two to three months. So that should be exciting and hopefully things will pick up from there. You’ll probably see my name everywhere, well that’s the plan anyway. I’ll just take it each little step at a time and just see what happens.
You can follow KingFast on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Kingfastmusic
In the following interview, we spoke to Echo Grass. We discussed with the band how they compare to their previous band the Silver Backs, recording their EP ‘The Cure for Silence’ as well as giving us a track guide to the songs that appear on the EP.
How does Echo Grass differ from your previous band the Silver Backs?
JOHN (Lead Guitars and Backing Vocals):
We’re a bit more on the same wavelength. With the old band, I think a lot of the time, we had all our different influences coming in on too many different songs. You’d have songs next to each other, in a set, on a recording, you wouldn’t normally associate with each other. So they’d be completely different styles, or really heavy or really light sometimes really poppy and then sometimes really out there. It was a bit erratic, it was a bit all over the place. We sort of had four different people who tried to make music rather than people making music together as a group.
JAY (Rhythm Guitar and Backing Vocals):
It’s a bit more split up between us. Originally, I was writing most of the stuff and now it’s more of a team effort.
JOHN:
We all help finish them now. I think when we use to do it, it be a song that was Jay’s and there be a song that was mine. And then, if someone didn’t like a part of it or wanted something else, it would [create an] argument, because you feel more possessed about it, rather than it being like our song. That’s the main difference, we work more together as a team.
Where did you decide to record The Cure for Silence EP?
JOHN:
Tom’s Dad, knows a guy who does some recordings in his spare time. He offered to just have us come round, using some recording software. Obviously there were limitations with it, it was a home studio. We just thought for the first one, with Elliot, we wanted to get something down, we could put out there, an idea of what we were. It’s hard to get across to people, to come down and see shows, or to show interest when you haven’t got anything to show them, then and there when you are talking to them about it. Just having something early on that we could give out, show them or people could look up when they’re looking to find us or whether or not they should come and see us or book us for things.
JAY:
We needed something that could go out quick. We could have paid for a really big studio, the thing was Elliot was new and didn’t really know the songs as well then. We wanted something we could just put out to get ourselves more gigs and more noticed. We thought it was more convenient, cheaper and it was more us, a bit raw.
JOHN:
We didn’t want to go out there and try and do something too outlandish. We’re not that type of band, we wanted to try and get something a little more ourselves. A little rough.
JAY:
I think for the first EP, it’s done an alright job. It will show what we can do.
A TRACK BY TRACK GUIDE TO ‘THE CURE FOR SILENCE’
1945
JAY:
1945 started as a little acoustic track I did just messing about in my bedroom and basically showed these two. Elliot wasn’t in the band then when we came up with it. Showed these two, after a little bit of debating…
JOHN:
After an initial twenty minute to half an hour argument.
JAY:
After that, we ended up coming round to it and just finding a way [that] fitted us. From there, with lyrics and that, it’s just want seemed to fit at the time. Overtime time we just changed to what seemed to fit us. Elliot ended up adding the drums to it and it just changed it all. It sounded a lot better when we add the drums over because at that point we didn’t have a drummer.
JOHN:
When actually wrote the song we didn’t have any drums to it. So the beat, it didn’t feel as full. We weren’t as sure about it. With sections of the song as well, like the main riff sounds fine with just the two of us, but as soon as you add drums we had to make adjustments to make it fit with a beat. I think as well once we got a drummer, the pre-chorus came into its own because the verse is quite soft.
JAY:
The verse is soft, the chorus is quite distorted and loud.
JOHN:
As soon as we got the drummer in, I think it was the first practice we did with Elliot we got that transition into the chorus.
ELLIOT (Drums and Backing Vocals):
It took a bit of nodding.
JOHN:
A lot of eye contact trying to make that work the first couple of times. So the transition between the two sections came to when we got the full set up as well as the end.
JAY:
Either way it was an acoustic track that was just an idea, that we ended up just taking and making into a song.
HOMESICK
JOHN:
It was probably the song that decided musically how we went. Out of the new songs we’ve got, Homesick sort of gave us the direction we wanted to go in.
JAY:
I think it’s the most important song on there but I don’t think it represents the best on there.
It was basically me and Tom coming up with just a riff, we had a vision that’s what we called it. We knew what we wanted, where we wanted to take it.
ELLIOT:
Whenever they go on one of their visions, you can’t stop them. They’re on the next step before you’ve even grasped the first one.
JOHN: It went from being a minor riff that we had to being like a fully-fledged song in their head before I had even finished tuning my guitar. I think it’s just impatience really, I think that song is born completely out of impatience. They can’t wait too long to tune, so they have to play with something else.
JAY:
It was sort of originally what we wanted to look towards, the genre of music that we play. But Homesick fell into so well that it started a bunch of other songs.
JOHN:
It’s probably why we ended up with a new drummer as well. That was round the transition phase.
ELLIOT:
Wasn’t it, you wrote the song, showed it to the last drummer once and he left?
JOHN:
I don’t think he was on the same wavelength as us.
JAY:
He didn’t have the vision.
JOHN:
I don’t think he could handle that one. So that sort of helped us design everything else that we’ve done since.
ICARUS
JOHN:
Jay had that one for probably about three months before me and him started together. Originally me and Jay started on our own and started looking for members. The first practice we ever did in my house, with just two acoustics we finished that song the first time.
JAY:
It came about because I am sort of into weird stuff like that I look for space and Greek mythology. So, I was like I want to write a song about Icarus, it’s pretty cool. It came about where I found a riff, two nice notes and worked it from there. It sort of fell flat by itself without another guitar.
It’s one of the only ones that’s lasted. The only one that fits no matter where it goes.
JOHN:
It’s had subtle changes, and we’ve made it change slightly over time. To just fit in with what we’ve got now. That might be the originally that we ever did together.
I think that song’s nearly two years old. We have recorded it before but I think we’re happy with this recording.
THE CURE FOR SILENCE
JOHN:
It originally started out as a live intro for Icarus. We were looking for a way to start a set live because we couldn’t decide on what song to play first. Openings are important, because people will decide whether or not they really want to stay or leave based on how good your first song is.
While we were playing around with it. Elliot and Tom, once again went off on a tangent.
ELLIOT:
He started with a bass riff, I added a bit of drums to that. We were like playing that for about twenty minutes while you guys played on top of it.
JAY:
Until I found that riff I do over it. It was, it just didn’t feel like it was clicking for me. It didn’t feel like us, and then when we add like distorted guitars, your high leads over it and the riff. It really did fit and come together.
JOHN:
Deciding not to put a verse on it lyrically, was something we were a bit unsure of at first. We didn’t know or not whether or not that would be a good idea or a bad idea. It didn’t feel like it needed anything else once added all the guitars bits. We thought, just for us, it would work better as a shorter song with an intense chorus.
What are Echo Grass’ plans for the rest of 2016?
JAY:
Gigs, gigs and more gigs, basically. Just push ourselves to do as many things as possible and just not stop. Carry on writing, do more EPs, more recordings, just more. Just keep ourselves out there. Push ourselves until literally, our fingers are bleeding.
JOHN:
We’re trying our best to try and spread out a bit more. I think one of the main problems that we had was that we were too local, too insular. We only played within two miles of where we are sitting right now. So really we needed to spread our wings a little bit, go a bit further out, try and get in front of new people. So last night we started playing a little bit further out, we went over to West Kirby for West Kirby Live. That was a fun festival.
JAY:
First year of the festival and it went down really well. We had a great day and it was a massive response from loads of different bands. Loads of people went, it looks like it could still be bigger next year. Hopefully we will play it again because we really enjoyed it.
JOHN:
Hopefully later on in the year, we hope to go further out. We want to push ourselves to travel around the north west, maybe even further. We want to try push a little bit further out. Maybe visit some more places that we haven’t played before. We’ve done Manchester a couple of times, before Elliot was in here, we’ve only done that once or twice. We’d like to play in front of some different audiences and try get ourselves out there as much as possible.
JAY:
I would like to do down south.
JOHN:
It would be nice to just see how different people perceive us and how it goes down in different parts of the country. We only really had a small audience so far. It would be nice to see how people respond to the newer stuff that we’ve got.
You can follow Echo Grass on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/echograss. Their EP, ‘The Cure For Silence’ is out now.
R.E.S 