WOMAD Special - Eight questions with Seramic

Not long to go until this year's WOMAD Festival! We're excited to announce that the third of the artists we've handpicked for the line-up are Tigmus favourites Low Island, who'll be joining MarthaGunn and Seramic to bring a whole lot of joy to the line-up. All three have delivered some of the best live sets we've seen over the past few years so if you're heading to the festival you are in for a huge treat - watch out for scheduling information to find out which days and stages each of our artists are playing on!

After catching his incredible set at this year's Bushstock Festival a couple of weeks ago, we caught up with Marcus Foster, AKA Seramic - get reading our interview below! Grab tickets for WOMAD here and check out the full line-up here.

(c) Jamie Strachan

1. We can’t wait to have you playing for us at WOMAD! Introductions first - who is Seramic?

Seramic is me, it’s also a very collaborative project so I have my live band who I love playing with and there are two producers who I work with who contribute to the sound massively too.

2. How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t listened yet? We’d say that they’re in for quite the treat and to head straight for the I Got You EP.

My music draws from lots of different influences, I guess to simplify it’s kind of a combination of soul/r&b/gospel, it’s a fun show to see.

3. Which artists, past and present, influence that unique Seramic sound?

I am very influenced by Prince and Sly and the Family Stone but I love people like Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak and Outkast.

4. Who else is in your headphones at the minute?

I like the Kanye produced record by Teyana Taylor and the Daniel Caesar record a lot.

5. You’ve been away from the live spotlight for a few months - what’s been happening in the world of Seramic, and when do we get to hear some new music?

We have our new single Strange Magic out right now so check it out, I also made a video for it. I have been working on lots of music, we will be releasing loads of singles this year which is exciting.

6. Will you be bringing new tracks to WOMAD? What else can we expect from the show?

We will be playing some new songs, we are actually going to do something really stripped down for that show so it should be quite special and different.

7. The few Seramic sets I’ve caught over the last couple of years have been some of the best live music performances I’ve been lucky enough to witness. The full band shows are infectiously energetic and it’s clear that you’re completely at home on the stage. In particular, a stripped back secret set in a tiny wine bar at Bushstock Festival last year was my festival highlight and a total joy to watch. How do you feel about getting back to performing live?

I love performing live more than anything, it’s where I feel totally at home so I’m just really excited to be doing that as much as possible when I get the chance.

8. Finally, the line-up (http://womad.co.uk/line-up/) for WOMAD is looking pretty strong already! Who else should people be catching? For us, Django Django, Too Many Zooz and your Communion Records pals MarthaGunn are a must!

I’m looking forward to seeing as much as I can!! People should check it all out!!

Eight questions with The Dollymops

Oxford! We're happy to be working with The Dollymops on their upcoming hometown EP launch show at The Jericho Tavern on 7th June. The EP Fields Of Wheat is due for release on the 8th June, and they'll also be taking the show along to Banbury and Bicester. Grab your tickets for the Oxford date here, and check out our interview with the band below!

(c) Helen Messenger

1. First up, who are The Dollymops? How long have you been making music together?! 

The Dollymops are an Oxford four piece and we've been together since around the turn of the year. 

2. Where does the name for the band come from? 

The band name comes from a Victorian name for a prostitute, with 'dolly' being slang for a bloke's member at the time apparently. People often think we're a local cleaning firm though. We're neither male prostitutes nor cleaners, although they're both probably more lucrative career options than the band.

3. Who are the band’s biggest musical influences and all time favourite artists? 

I think our biggest musical influences are old punk records by the likes of The Clash, Pistols and Buzzcocks, classics like The Kinks and The Beatles, and a bit of noughties indie for good measure. 

4. Your new EP ‘Fields Of Wheat’ is due for release on the 8th June - what can you tell us about the writing and recording process? 

The songs were mostly written as a cheap alternative to going to the pub on weeknights. They're very much inspired by everyday life and personal experiences, without wanting to get too bogged down with suburban, kitchen sink dreariness. We recorded the EP at some old apple barn in the middle of nowhere which has been turned into a studio. I thought it would be pretty tedious but it was actually a lot of fun!

5. You’re launching the EP at The Jericho Tavern for us on 7th June with support from Fracture and Persephone. What can we expect from the show?

You can expect a crazy night. With a line up we curated and at our favourite Oxford venue, simply historic. We shall be playing tracks from our debut EP, new ones and maybe even a special cover. Friends and family will be coming from far and wide and hopefully they'll be enough space for everyone else to squeeze in we have met on our travels thus far. We're so proud of our EP and this will be a special show, what with it not going live and launching until midnight every ticket holder will receive a limited-edition cd version. Hand signed, and surely a collector’s item in years to come!

6. Describe your dream gig to us! Are there any venues that you’re desperate to play in Oxford or further afield? Any artists you’d love to collaborate with on a performance?

We'd love to do some of the festivals that we grew up going to as punters like Glastonbury and Isle of Wight, and I like the idea of doing gigs in obscure settings; bakeries, catteries and what not. 

7. What do you have lined up as a band for the rest of 2018? 

We've got quite a few gigs coming up over the next few months. We're also planning on recording another EP in august, and one more perhaps towards the end of the year if the songs haven't dried up by then. 

8. Last up - who are in your headphones at the moment? Any local Oxfordshire bands we should be listening to?

Self Help, Lucy Leave and Easter Island Statues were all incredible at Common People Oxford recently and we are very excited to be playing alongside them all on the Banbury leg of the EP tour, a line up we curated. Oxford's music scene is stronger than it has ever been with professional promoters, fresh labels and beautiful venues. It's an honour to cut our teeth in our home city. When we gig in London we really do miss the familiarity!

WOMAD Special - Eight questions with MarthaGunn

As we posted on our socials last week, we're really excited to be working with our friends at WOMAD Festival this year, adding three of our favourite bands to the line-up. We'll have more details soon about the stage and timings, but the bands will each be playing in a "Tigmus hour" slot across the three days. The latest line-up announcement included MarthaGunn and Seramic, who we're really chuffed to have booked for the festival! We're big fans of both bands, having seen them at various shows over the last couple of years, and we've got one more artist to announce soon too who we all adore!

We caught up with Abi from MarthaGunn - get reading our interview below! Grab tickets for WOMAD here and check out the latest line-up announcement here.

(c) Steve Glashier

1. Hello! We’re so glad to have you guys playing for us at WOMAD - we’ve all loved you since catching your set for Communion’s showcase at The Great Escape last year. First things first - who are MarthaGunn and how did you all meet?

Hi! We are really looking forward to playing WOMAD. We are a 5 piece rock band who first met in Brighton some years ago. Frankie plays drums, Ally on bass, Humphrey and Max play guitars and I (Abi) sing and play keys.

 We met just before we started studying in Brighton. Max was living with a close friend of mine who introduced us and we met Humphrey and Ally a few weeks later, all itching to be in a band. Frankie joined the band in 2015 after we saw him play a gig and decided he was the drummer for us. We mark the moment Frankie joined as the real beginning of our journey.

2. We know a little of the story but for those who don’t - tell us where the name of the band comes from! Was it important for you to keep a connection to Brighton through the name?

MarthaGunn was an 18th century spiritual healer from Brighton who is also an ancestor of mine. Brighton is a big part of who we are and our history, the connection was never intentional but a welcome nod to our beginnings.

3. Your sound bridges a gap between the contemporary and some of our best loved bands from the 70s (you’ve earned a lot of comparisons to the likes of Fleetwood Mac) - how would you describe your sound, and who are the biggest musical influences on the band, old and new?

We all love the 70s, especially the songwriting. We draw from many places as individuals, our tastes are quite eclectic between us and our sound is born out of that. Some of our biggest influences are David Bowie, Arcade Fire, Tame Impala, Mystery Jets and Kate Bush.

4. With two pretty successful singles under your belts and a string of shows supporting the likes of Bear’s Den, Mumford& Sons, James Bay and AnnenMayKantereit in the UK and further afield you could say it’s been a pretty positive start for the band. What have your highlights been?

We've had a pretty exciting year, the live side has been a great ride. I'd have to say the highlight has been exploring more of Europe in our van 'Dorothy'. It's a dream for us. It is such a wonderful adventure to explore news places with your best friends through playing music.

5. You appear to have been busy writing and recording for a few months now… how is it all going? When do we get to hear the fruits of your labour?

The last 6 months have been very much geared towards writing. We have been hidden away in Wales and various other places exploring who we are as a band. It's been a very productive and revealing experience. We can't say for sure when we will next release music but certainly before the end of the year.

6. I imagine a MarthaGunn recording session is a pretty fun environment to be in but it’s also clear that you all really enjoy playing live, so it’s great that you’re coming back to the stage for WOMAD in July. What can we expect from the set?

We like to think of ourselves as a live band first and as writing has been the main focus recently, we are itching to play! Expect high energy and lots of new songs.

7. The WOMAD line-up (http://womad.co.uk/line-up/) is looking (and sounding) great already - we’re chuffed to have added you and Seramic. Who else do you think that people should be catching over the weekend?

WOMAD has such a diverse line up, we are most looking forward to finding something entirely new to us. Definitely going to catch Mr. Jukes!

8. Beyond the festival - who else is piquing your interest musically at the moment?

This is a wide question, I'll keep it brief. Jon Hopkins just released a phenomenal new album. There is a disco/pop band called Parcels from Australia via Berlin whom we all adore. Recently Bowie has been in heavy circulation in our van.

Eight questions with Me and the Moon

We're proud and excited to be working with Guildford 3-piece Me and the Moon on back-to-back hometown single launch shows (tickets) next month for their new tune It's Alright. We caught up with the band to find a little more about their listening habits, recording process and what the future has in store for them - get reading below and keep an ear out for the new tune on 6th February.

1. First up, who are Me and The Moon?! How long have you been making music together?

Hey! So we are Tamara, Jonny and Alex. We've been playing as a 3 for about 2 years now which has flown by!

2. Tell us who influences you musically as a band and individually!

Jonny tends to listen to more jangly guitar stuff like Alvvays and Real Estate while Tamara is into more folk stuff like Matthew and The Atlas and Laura Marling. Alex leans more towards bands like Hey Rosetta and Mac DeMarco. But it all kind of crosses over and mostly we all really listen to the same stuff.. We're all big fans of Bombay Bicycle Club, Foals, Lucy Rose.

3. We adore your recent single ‘Standing Still’ - how did it feel to get that one out into the world, and how has the response been since the release?

Thank you so much, we were so excited to put it out as we feel its taken a new direction to some of our older stuff. Its been a super exciting time, the track got added to the Radio X playlist which was awesome and seemed to be really well received, and had lots of nice reviews from a few blogs which is great.

4. Your new single ‘It’s Alright’ is being released on 6th Feb - anything you can tell us about the writing or recording process for the track?

We've spent a lot of time on this track and we're really excited to releasing it! We've been experimenting a lot more with synths and samplers and adding new textures and sounds. Theres lots of harmonies and we feel like it really sums up sonically everything we want to sound like so we cant wait for everyone to hear it!

5. You’ve had to add a second hometown single launch show at The Star Inn in Guildford due to pretty immense demand for the first show. What can fans expect from the shows, and how do you prepare in the run up to a big gig?

We cant believe it! It's pretty overwhelming really how fast that sold out, We've spent the last 2 months really focussing on writing so we're going to be playing a lot of new songs which we cant wait to share with everyone. We're practising really hard working on the live sound. The dates are part of our tour to promote the new single and theres always something special about a hometown show so we're looking forward to these nights.

6. Who is your audience and how do you connect with fans - all the usual social media?! Any crazy, fun, exciting stories about your fans are very welcome!

Most of it is general social media really the usuals of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We get a lot of support from local radio and BBC Introducing which we're so grateful for that helps us reach new fans.

7. Describe your dream gig to us! Any venues that you’re desperate to play close to home or further afield? Perhaps there’s an artist you’d love to collaborate with on a show?

Its hard to say! Theres some cool big venues we’d love to play but smaller venues are so intimate. Theres a few festivals we’d love to get involved in though such as Latitude or Barn on the Farm.

8. Beyond the release of the single, what does 2018 hold for Me and The Moon? World domination, or perhaps an album is in the pipeline?

We haven't planned our world take over yet.. ahha No so we've got the single coming in February, and then we're doing some recording in spring so hopefully some new songs later on in the year. Our festival summer is starting to look busy which we're super excited for and then hopefully just lots of gigs and new songs is the aim for the year.

Eight questions with Martha Bailey

We can't wait for our show with John Smith at St Barnabas Church, Oxford on 16th Nov, alongside his tour support Will Stratton we've got one of our favourite local artists Martha Bailey opening the evening. We caught up to find out more about Martha, take a read below...

1. First up, who is Martha Bailey?! How long have you been making music?

Hmm, still working that one out. For simplicity's sake, I am a folk enthusiast and singer-songwriter from rural Oxfordshire i.e. the middle of nowhere. I've been making music of a kind since I was 7 which is when I started learning classical guitar. I didn't take it too seriously, and my parents said I sung like Ethel Merman (they weren't being complimentary.) Thankfully something changed, and I started singing and performing around age 16, which is longer ago than it feels. I've been writing with intent since I was 20 - so 4 years now.

2. Tell us your biggest musical influences!

I don't know for sure what influences people can hear in my music, but growing up I listened to a lot of folk (Kate Rusby, Show of Hands), I worship Joni Mitchel, I love Joan Baez, The Staves and Nick Drake. I think Marika Hackman is pretty inspirational, her lyrics are brave and often a middle finger to social convention, or so it seems to me. I do have some Sugababes tracks on my running playlist, but I don't think they've made their way into my sound.

3. Your debut EP ‘A Different Time’ has been out for almost a year - how has the response to that been? We notice that it was produced by the ever talented friend of ours, Robin Christensen-Marriott… how did you meet and decide to work together?

I know, it's gone so fast! And I've learnt so much since then. I think I was afraid of releasing that EP as I'd never done anything other than crumby YouTube videos and demos before, so I just kind of plopped it on Bandcamp and then ran away. It's gone down well, as far as I can tell. I've had some airplay on BBC Introducing in Oxford and Radio 6, and a few nice reviews. I've also managed to flog most of the CDs I had pressed. Maybe that's got more to do with my sister's artwork though.

I met Robin due to a combination of Oli Steadman recommending him to me, and my sister Niamh meeting him at a music festival a couple of years later when I was ready to record. It was so great to work with Robin, his talent is endless. We'll be back in the studio in the next couple of months I hope...

4. Who is your audience and how do you connect with fans - all the usual social media?! Any crazy, fun, exciting stories about your fans are very welcome!

I have a loyal fanbase in my family and friends (perhaps they're just pretending but they're too far in now), and I really enjoy connecting with people at live shows, which I've been doing a lot of over the past few months. A lot of people who follow what I do are those I have met when I've been busking in Oxford and in London. It's usually busking that provides the best stories - a particularly bemusing event was when someone asked me to give him piano lessons so he could 'get to know me better'. When I told him, quite reasonably I thought, that I didn't have time and in any case wasn't a piano teacher, he lost his sh*t at me. That was weird.

5. We’re excited to have announced you as our opening act for John Smith at his Oxford show at St Barnabas Church. What should fans, and those who might be new to your music, expect from your set? We predict a rather beautiful night of music!

Not as excited as I am! It's going to be so good I can't wait. You can expect a couple of songs from the existing EP and a few that I've been working on recently which are a little different in content to those I've written before. You can also expect me to cough awkwardly and say 'ummmm' when I'm re-tuning.

6. Have you played a show in a Church before? Do you find that the setting for a gig has a big effect on the atmosphere of the show and your audience?

I've never performed solo in a church, although I have recorded some things in the past in churches because the acoustics are so wonderful. It's one of the things I'm most looking forward to about the gig I think, because those kind of buildings seem to create an atmosphere that's both very calm and quite intense all at once. It's certainly going to be a different experience to playing in a sweaty basement.

7. Describe your dream gig to us! Any venues that you’re desperate to play in the UK or further afield? Perhaps there’s an artist you’d particularly love to collaborate with?

Probably a good slot at Cambridge Folk Festival or somewhere similar. I've been to so many festivals and whilst being in the crowd is amazing I can't imagine what it must be like to be the act helping sustain that amazing festival atmosphere. I've got one festival booked so far for next summer, but I really want to make it a priority to play some more and do it properly for the first time. In terms of collaborating - I'd love to work with Billie Marten, she's a young singer-songwriter with so much talent and insight. Her songs are crazy beautiful and so well crafted, and when I found out she was in her teens it blew my mind as she sings like she has the maturity and life experience of someone much older.

8. The end of the year is fast approaching, so what does the rest of 2017 hold for you, and looking towards 2018?

Well the plan for the rest of this year is to take my foot off the peddle with the gigs and release a single. It's taken me a lot longer than I'd hoped, but I've only been pursuing music properly since I graduated last year and I've learnt so much since then, so it's not been time wasted. Next year I'll release another EP and this time I won't be scared of my own work!

Eight questions with Solo Collective

We recently gave a shoutout to a run of shows from Solo Collective, a trio of artists who have come together to perform their own material and to collaborate, both in the studio and in the live environment. With another run of shows coming up in November, we caught up with Sebastian Reynolds to chat about the project! Grab tickets now for the shows in Newton Abbott (17th Nov), Oxford (18th), London (19th) and Liverpool (21st) and get reading our interview below...

1. First up - who are Solo Collective?

Solo Collective is a trio of myself (Sebastian Reynolds - piano/electronics) with Anne Müller (cello/electronics) and Alex Stolze (violin/electronics). We are releasing a record (Solo Collective Part One) which features two tracks from each artist, one each from our debut live performance in Berlin in Feb 2017, and one studio track each. The record is coming out in Dec 2017 via Alex’s Nonostar Record label. My track that I made with Anne (Holy Island) is available on Spotify/all digital platforms now, and there’s a beautiful video that I made with choreographer Adrienne Hart (Neon Dance) and film maker Adam Hale that we filmed with Adrienne’s dancer Aoi Nakamura on Holy Island, please do check it out!

2. How did the three of you meet, and who had the idea of forming the collective?

We met through the Berlin scene, where Anne and Alex are from, and the idea came for us to try performing in this format, each playing our own sets, but featuring and supporting each other, rather than the band format of a group of people originating and playing music together.

3. Who influences the three of you collectively and individually?

Anne and Alex grew up in East Berlin, under the GDR, so they were drawn to the idea of being able to have strong individual voices within a group environment, rather than just being pieces of a larger puzzle. I’m sick of band politics so this concept was very appealing also.

4. You (Sebastian) have played in a lot of bands in the past - how does it feel heading out for shows and performing solo material now?

It’s simultaneously liberating and terrifying, being in the limelight. I love the artistic freedom of not having create by committee, but I miss having a band to split all the costs between.

5. After a run of shows in September you’re playing four more in Newton Abbot, Oxford, London and Liverpool in November - what should fans expect from the shows?

For Oxford and London I’m planning to play new material, having played in those places quite recently I want to play some different material. I have a pair of mini albums (Remembrance/Epiphany) that I am hoping to bring out next year, and in Sept I played more of the Remembrance material (piano based/sentimental/ambient) whereas next month I’ll play more of the Epiphany tunes (distorted/dissonant/griefy). I dare say Anne and Alex have plenty of tricks up their sleeves too!

6. Describe your dream gig to us! Any venues that you’re desperate to play in the UK or further afield, or an artist that you’d all love to collaborate with?

I used to play at the Vortex and Cafe Oto in London with my old band Braindead Collective, and it would be great to go back there, particularly the Vortex was a home from home for a while. And I know Anne played there with Nils Frahm a few years back so we’d love to play there as Solo Collective. There are some wonderful chapel spaces in London, St John on Bethnal Green and Union Chapel, but I think the Old Church in Stoke Newington, where we are playing in November, is going to be great. We’ve done a couple of great shows in Berlin, and I’d love to play the Radial System there in 2018.

7. What’s next for Solo Collective after this run of shows?

We are booking another UK run in February, and will be doing a full Euro tour hopefully around that time. All three of us are bringing out new solo records in 2018 too.

8. As a regular on the Oxford music scene do you have any top tips for us in terms of new bands to watch? We’re big Low Island fans personally!

Suzy Bowtell who is opening for us in Oxford on behalf of Young Women’s Music Project is great and I’m looking forward to seeing her!

Eight questions with Will Stratton

Coming up in November we've got a special show with touring folk artist John Smith - his name is pretty commonplace but his music and guitar style are far from it, and kicking off the evening we've got brilliant support from Martha Bailey and Will Stratton. We caught up with Will in the run up to the show... find out what he had to say below and grab tickets for the show here.

(c) Nika States

1. First up, who is Will Stratton?! How long have you been making music?

I’ve been playing piano for 26 years and guitar for 18, and writing songs somewhere in between. I’m from California, originally, but I’ve lived in the Northeastern U.S. most of my life. I’ve made six records so far and I plan on keeping going as long as the songs keep coming.

2. Tell us your favourite artists and biggest musical influences!

It’s probably pretty obvious to anyone who listens to me that I love the music of Nick Drake and Bert Jansch. I’m also into a lot of North American guitarists like Leo Kottke and Nathan Salsburg, and songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Karen Dalton. I listen to a lot of classical music, though I don’t know how much of it has rubbed off on the way I play and perform. If any of it has, it’s probably been the piano music of people like Erik Satie and Bill Evans.

3. Your latest album ‘Rosewood Almanac’ was released back in May… how has the response to the record been so far, and how does it feel to have it out in the world?

It feels good. People seem to like it. This is my first record with Bella Union, a label that I’ve long admired, and so I’m proud to be working with them, and excited that I get to see so much of the British Isles in touring behind this album. I’m pretty unsentimental about my records once they’re finished, though, and I’m deep into working on the follow-up album, now, so I’m looking forward to gradually incorporating more newer material into my sets.

4. Who is your audience and how do you connect with fans - all the usual social media?! Any crazy, fun, exciting stories about your fans are very welcome!

I think people who listen to my music tend to know that they can reach out to me and expect some sort of response--hopefully things never get so crazy that this becomes too difficult. I prefer meeting people and talking to them in person, and corresponding on e-mail, but of course I’m on social media as well.

5. We’re excited to have you playing our John Smith show at St Barnabas Church, Oxford as John’s tour support - what should fans expect from your set?

My sets tend to just be guitar and vocals. I love playing in churches because they seem to have some of the best acoustics for my kind of music. There will be a lot of variation musically with the simplest of materials.

6. Have you played in or visited Oxford before? We hope you’re planning to squeeze in some sight-seeing… would definitely recommend the University Parks!

I’ve haven’t been to Oxford since I was 6 years old, but I have a great aunt who lives in Oxfordshire in the countryside and I’ve visited her as much as I can. I mostly know Oxford through the murder mystery TV shows I like to watch with my girlfriend. I hope I’ll get a chance to walk along some canals. I’ve fantasized about living in a boat on one of those canals.

7. Describe your dream gig to us! Any venues that you’re desperate to play in the US or further afield, or an artist that you’d particularly love to collaborate with?

I’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with a lot of people that I admire, either directly or indirectly. Top of my list now would probably be Jim O’Rourke and Olivia Chaney, both brilliant artists in very different ways. I’d also like to collaborate with a film composer like Olafur Arnalds. Making film music has always appealed to me. As for venues, I haven’t given that much thought, but I guess I’d like to play at Town Hall in Manhattan, and at the Barbican in London. I think it’d be fun to do a one-off concert where I write some songs for chamber orchestra and guitar.

8. You’re touring with The Weather Station and John Smith through some of October and most of November, what else does the rest of the year hold for you?

I’m going to try and finish up the songs for my next record so that I can go into a recording studio again in early 2018, and get in lots of time with family and friends in between.

Eight questions with Bare Traps

This Saturday (16th Sep) in London we've got Bare Traps, Parachute For Gordo and Meyou playing at The George Tavern, with a Flash in the Dark DJ set til late. We loved Bare Traps set in Brighton when they played for us at The Alternative Escape and their tunes have been in our headphones since the show - can't wait to have them play for us again! We caught up to learn a little more about the band, get reading the interview below and check out the Facebook event here for more info and tickets for the show!

(c) Tom Halliday Photography

1. First up, who are Bare Traps?!

In descending order of beardedness: Luke - guitar and delinquency, Sam - vocals and smoulder, Liam - bass and beer, then last and by all means least bearded, Scott - drums, token Essex blonde.

2. How long have you been making music together? What are the band’s biggest musical influences and favourite artists?

In our current incarnation, we've been making music together for ten months. Bare Traps has been knocking around a little bit longer than that, but with two other waste-men that quit the band last year. We mean 'waste-men' in the most affectionate way possible. Now we have two new waste-men. 

Our sound is a mash-up of influences from cool indie shit, like: The Smiths, Bloc Party, Foals; with funky stuff like: Prince, Friendly Fires, Chic; electronic stuff such as: SBTRKT, James Blake, Bonobo; and more obscure math-rock, like: The Fall Of Troy, And So I Watch You From Afar, and Tubelord.

3. We loved having you play a set for us at The Alternative Escape in Brighton back in May - what have you been up to since then? Lots of festivals we hope!

Errrrm, so yeah loads really. We played to an awesome crowd at Fieldview Festival in August. It's a really sick festival with some of our favourite acts of the moment: Clean Cut Kid, Palace, Fickle Friends, and Youngr. We ended up giving a second, impromptu performance in the campsite from the roof of our car in the pouring rain too, which was fun. And wet. The highlight was probably our steel pans player, Rahmel, having to repeatedly pour water out of his pan throughout. Then we played Sundown Festival at the beginning of this month. That was eventful. We snuck on the main stage with Craig David, then nearly got thrown off the site for dropping our trousers in front of security. True story. Headline news though, is that Scott has become a 'flexitarian', which is a poncey hipster way of saying he's a fussy tit.

4. You recently released ‘All In You’ which we think is an absolute tune - anything you can tell us about the writing or recording process for the track?

Ahhh thanks! It was one of those mythical moments where a song seemed to write itself. I (Luke) was just messing around on my guitar before band practice one Sunday morning, and happened to come up with the main riff. When we got to rehearsal, I began playing the riff while we were setting up. Scott asked what it was. I shrugged. We dicked about with it for half an hour, got excited like a bunch of little girls, then voila - All In You was born. The rest is history blah blah blah.

5. You’re playing at The George Tavern for us this Saturday (16th Sep) - what should we expect from the show?!

About thirty-five minutes of music, interspersed with awkward silences, technical difficulties, anxious tuning of guitars, terrible attempts to be funny, futile attempts at asking the audience to come closer to the stage, and bad dancing. 

The thirty-five minutes of music will be sick though. Honestly, our music's awesome. My mum said so and she likes Abba.

6. Who is your audience and how do you connect with fans - all the usual social media?! Any crazy, fun, exciting stories about your fans are very welcome!

Our "fans" are Sam and Liam's friends. That's why we asked them to join the band - so they'll bring people to our shows. Yeah, we use social media. Tinder mainly. At Sundown Festival this year, a fan of ours got me (Luke) to sign her forehead, then randomly, and quite unannounced, showed me her lady garden, which funnily enough had a flower tattooed on it. 

For the avoidance of any issues: the other members of the band, all of whom have girlfriends, were absolutely nowhere near this incident. Nowhere near at all. In fact, I think they'd already packed up and gone home. Honest. 

Liam, I'm still waiting for you to send me those photos.

7. Describe your dream gig to us! Any venues that you’re desperate to play in London or further afield? Any artists you’d love to collaborate with on a performance?

Dream gig has got to be headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glasto really hasn't it?! Errm, London venues? I think we're ready for Wembley Stadium actually. Maybe we could play in the foyer at half-time or something. Would be great to collaborate with Stormzy. He could spit a grimy verse on one of our songs like he did with Little Mix. We'd be worried about ruining his credibility though, so maybe not.

8. As Summer comes to a close and the cold weather sweeps in… what does the rest of the year hold for you… we hope that new music is in the pipeline!

Some new music and some old music actually. I mentioned earlier that we swapped the two old waste-men for the two new waste-men. Well, we thought it would be cool to re-record some of our older tunes with the new guys, which we've done. We've totally re-recorded them; changed the instrumentation in places, used different production techniques - it sounds the tits! We're going to be recording a new single too, so all being well, we'll be dropping a new record before the year is out. We've got some cool gigs coming up too, including our first international show, which will be in the south of France. Got to make the best of that shit before Brexit you know!

Eight questions with Benjamin Yellowitz

Check out our interview with Benjamin Yellowitz, a singer-songwriter from London who is heading on a UK tour next week taking in shows around the country to support the release of his new single Erase You. He's kicking off the tour a week today (15th Sep) playing for us at The Mad Hatter in Oxford for our 'Friday Night Live' residency alongside Antony Elvin and Lisa Doscher - info and tickets here!

1. First up, who is Benjamin Yellowitz?! How long have you been making music?

Benjamin Yellowitz is me! It's a strange and somewhat pretentious story actually! I was born Ben Williams, but changed my artist name a few years ago to my family's original name - Yellowitz. It was an excuse to go in a new musical direction and experiment with a new stage persona, strangely I was much more comfortable being 'him', and realised I was holding myself back in 'real life' too. Told you it was pretentious! I've been making music since I was really young, grew up surrounded by it!

2. Tell us your biggest musical influences!

Ahh a real mixture! From thoughtful songwriters like Tracy Chapman, Ben Howard, to awesome producers like Bon Iver, James Blake. I have a lot of pop interests too, like The Weeknd's old stuff, my current listen's are NAO and RAY BLK. There's always this distinction between 'interesting/complex/off the radar' and 'pop/catchy/addictive'. Any music that can join the two together - I will have on repeat!

3. Your new single ‘Erase You’ is being released soon - anything you can tell us about the writing or recording process for the track?

It's a raw one! Haha! But I guess it was needed. Kind of a 'look its a new me!' break-up song... Only kinda the opposite as well. I must give a shout out to recording and mixing engineer - Jonny Breakwell, who did an awesome job on this track!

4. You’re going on tour to celebrate the single release - what do you enjoy most about playing live?

I love performing live, every night is a completely different story. The beauty of performing on my own is that I get to change the songs slightly every time. People say its a really big sound for one person - lots of FX, guitar percussion, a nice subby drum sampler etc. I don't want to be a guy and his acoustic guitar, but I don't want it to be tricky gadgetry either, so it's somewhere between the two.

5. We’re excited to be hosting the opening night of the tour with you performing at our ‘Friday Night Live’ residency at The Mad Hatter alongside Lisa Doscher and Antony Elvin - what should we expect from the show, and have you caught either of them live before?

All live, no looping and dare I say... pretty emotional too! This will be my first time to catch Lisa and Antony live, I'm excited!



5. There are a couple of Sofar Sounds shows in amongst your tour dates. We love Sofar - how do you find that the shows differ to a regular gig in terms of how your music is received by the audience?

I love playing Sofar shows. They're a strange combination between a 'promo performance' and a full-on headline gig, you only play for 20 minutes but to a silent crowd ready to soak it all up. They're always full of interesting people ready to see/hear new things. There's a lot more importance on the first song at regular gigs, it's your moment to prove yourself, break through whatever barriers and whatnot, but once you've captured the audience, you have them for much longer to create a more dynamic performance that tells several stories.

7. Describe your dream gig to us! Any venues that you’re desperate to play or further afield? Perhaps there’s a local artist you’d love to collaborate with?

Actually, I am super-stoked to be playing in the UK more. After touring abroad so much, I am happy to be exploring closer to home. As I said, every gig is different, and thats all I wish for. I don't really have a desire to play huge venues. See more great cities, meet more interesting people, end up in more bizarre situations... And obviously play more gigs!

8. As we approach the end of Summer and festival season, what does the rest of the year hold for you… is more new music in the pipeline, perhaps an EP? We certainly hope so!

Haha thanks, I hope so too! I have SO many songs in production right now, I'm so keen to get them right though. I also need to be home a bit more to actually get them finished! So yeah, I'll probably be sitting with Jonny at the studio more than I'll be on stage.

Eight questions with Johanna Glaza

Next up in our series of interviews with Tigmus artists, we caught up with Johanna Glaza recently... she's set to release her debut album 'Wind Sculptures' later in the year and is supporting Lucía Scansetti alongside Emma Ballantine in London on October 13th - tickets and more info here! Get reading to find out more about Johanna!

1. First up, who is Johanna Glaza?!

It's me. Lithuanian born London based independent artist, with lungs full of songs.

2. How long have you been making music? Tell us your biggest musical influences!

I've been singing ever since I remember myself. But my first full time music project was the band Joana And The Wolf when I moved to London. Then in 2013 I've released my first solo EP Silence Is Kind and ever since enjoyed my solitary songwriting experience. It's always so hard to tell what really has influenced us, layers and layers of things we listened to, read and experienced. But when writing this album I've be listening to Arvo Part a lot, Lubomyr Melnyk too, also was going back to 70s - Joni Mitchell, Linda Perhacs, Roy Harper, Laura Nyro.

3. The 405 just premiered the video for your new tune Space Mermaid... it’s clear from the video and a glance through your photos online that visual art is a big element of your music, would you agree?

Very often I draw inspiration for my music from visuals - paintings, photographs etc. So maybe there is some natural correlation between the sound and the visuals. But I think lyrics are much more important to me than visuals. They are the bones that hold everything together. There could be no visuals at all but if the lyrics are evoking some strong images that can stir peoples imagination I feel like my work has been done. I guess the right images are necessary to unlock certain things and emotional codes that are so hard to express. I paint by words and melodies, these are my primal tools, anything else is additional.

4. We hear from the article that your debut album ‘Wind Sculptures’ is ready for release... how does that feel?! What can we expect from the record?

I feel terribly proud and terrified at the same time. Really happy I followed my instincts and recorded the album to tape at analogue studio, it was a very special experience. Very lucky too to have met someone who I think understood me and my songs completely. Ed Deegan has done some amazing work producing it. He helped me to challenge myself and all my insecurities, always walk on the edge of raw and beautiful and didn't let me use any 'make up' on songs. So they feel now very true to me. And the whole approach to arrangements by using tape loops and found sounds instead of usual synths and samples made it even more special.

5. You’re supporting at our upcoming Lucía Scansetti show at The Harrison in London on 13th October - we can’t wait for the show! Have you played alongside Lucia or Emma Ballantine before?

No, I haven't and I 'm looking forward to hearing them live very soon!

6. Who is your audience and how do you connect with fans - all the usual social media?! Any crazy, fun, exciting stories about your fans are very welcome!

I'm very slow with the social media. I was probably the last person to join Facebook and later Twitter. I still don't have Instagram account. I love the actual physical presence during the live shows. It's a very unique experience to be on stage in your own world and at the same time to be able to communicate with the audience. The best part about people who love what I do - very often they become my really good friends.

7. Describe your dream gig to us! Any venues that you’re desperate to play in London, or further afield? Any artists you’d love to collaborate with on a performance?

I dream to have a world tour at abandoned churches...

8. As we glide through Summer rapidly, what does the rest of the year hold for you?

The end of September I'll see my album out and then planning a lot of shows. But also really looking forward to going back to my own bubble to write more songs. That's just what I do.

Eight questions with Dan Rawle

We caught up with Dan Rawle for an interview! We last caught Dan when he supported Jonny Payne and the Thunder at The Library in Oxford for us back in Feb 2016, and since then Dan has played his own headline show at the venue to celebrate the release of his debut EP! He's playing in Oxford this Friday at The Mad Hatter for the first of our 'Friday Night Live' shows at the venue, alongside Scott Gordon and Martha Bailey - grab your tickets here and get to know Dan through the interview!

1. First up, who is Dan Rawle?! How long have you been making music?

So, I grew up in Abingdon, south of Oxford and ever since I can remember there was my Mum's old classical guitar tucked away in a corner of the lounge behind the sofa. I used to hop it out and pluck an open string or two, put it back, and forget about it. That's really where it aaaaallll began, I was about 11 or 12 I reckon.

2. Tell us your biggest musical influences!

I went through the pop punk phase, Blink 182, Sum 41 etc, and sang in the most ridiculous fake American accent until Oasis changed all that. But it was really The Beatles that kicked things off I think. As they did for a lot of people. And more recently I stumbled upon Passenger, that had a massive impact. I love Mike's ability to write songs with such detail and imagery. They make sense, and are lyrically so bloody clever!

3. You recently released new EP ‘It’ll All Come One Day’ - anything you can tell us about the writing or recording process for the track? How has the response been? 

My debut EP, It'll All Come One Day, has been years in the making, songs like My Oh My and He's A Friend Of Mine had been written yonks ago. For me, writing songs is a funny business, but a damn rewarding one. I strive to create something that is concise, catchy as a bugger, and that people can relate to. And I feel so proud of this EP, and hope that I've achieved those things. The response has been amazing!! The launch gig at The Library was everything I hoped for and I'm so chuffed with how everyone has received it. It's simply a great feeling to have your very own creation bouncing around out there, for all to hear. And pretty cool to see the physical CDs in Oxford's very own Truck Store.

4. We’re excited to have you performing at our inaugural ‘Friday Night Live’ show at The Mad Hatter alongside Scott Gordon and Martha Bailey - have you caught either of them live before?

I have to admit to not seeing Scott Gordon or Martha Bailey play yet. But I've listened to them both, and really looking forward to sharing the stage with them at the show, it's gonna be a corker!

5. As an Oxford musician have you been to the venue before?! We love it’s quirky artwork… for a little bit of fun, what’s your favourite Alice in Wonderland character? We’re partial to the March Hare!

And the Mad Hatter is a perfect venue for such music. Quirky and intimate, I just hope I get the door riddle correct! Or I'll be singing in the street. As for Alice characters, I haven't seen the film or read the book for many, many years. I'll go for a rabbit, theres a rabbit in there right!?

6. Who is your audience and how do you connect with fans - all the usual social media?! Any crazy, fun, exciting stories about your fans are very welcome!

I love playing shows. There's nothing quite like standing in front of a load of people, telling them stories, and having them listen. Outside of the shows I try my best to keep up with the social media speeding train. These days the world has a 7 second glance, trying to be the focus is a tricky business. But, it's good fun! And never before can musicians connect so instantly with the audience.

7. Describe your dream gig to us! Any venues that you’re desperate to play in Oxford or further afield? Perhaps there’s a local artist you’d love to collaborate with?

Oxford is a crock pot (what is a crock pot by the way!?) of talent. And the venues have a lot to do with it. I guess it'd be cool to play the O2, and fill it out. But the smaller venues are fantastic. I've been briefly chatting to Harry from Waiting For Smith, we're hoping to sort a show out at some point. And have been dancing around the idea of playing with Barney of Duotone. That'd be a lot of fun.

8. As we closely approach the end of Summer (boo!), what does the rest of the year hold for you… is new music in the pipeline? We certainly hope so!

Which brings me to what's happening next! New music is most definitely on the agenda, I've previewed a couple of new songs recently and have a load of new ones up the sleeve. There are more shows for the rest of the year too, and it's really exciting to have two of my good pals, Pads and Sarah, behind me as a band to take things forward. Fun times are a foot! Thanks to promoters such as yourselves and many other local ones the music round here is tip top!

Eight questions with Flatlands

We caught up with Flatlands, a young indie rock band from Oxford who play at Tap Social Movement in Oxford this Sunday (13th August) for our Yan Tan all-dayer alongside the likes of Hazey Jane, Self Help, Holly Redford Jones and more! They're also heading across to the big smoke next week for a headline show at The George Tavern on Saturday (19th) with Self Help and a DJ set from Macho Trax - both are free entry! Get to know the guys with our interview and take a listen to their latest tune, Share My Smile.

1. First up, who are Flatlands?!

Flatlands are Nat (guitar), Tom (vocals, guitar), Jamie (bass, vocals), and Rob (drums). We're a four piece act from Oxford aged 17-19.

2. How long have you been making music? Tell us your biggest musical influences as a band!

We've been together since about November 2016. Our sound largely comes from two scenes. Modern indie rock akin to Will Joseph Cook, Circa Waves and High Tydes alongside the dance punk vibes of West Coast America; Modern Baseball, The Front Bottoms and Remo Drive are huge for us.

3. Having just lived in Oxford as a student for three years one of the things I miss the most is the incredibly tight knit and diverse music scene - how important do you find this is for yourselves as a young band in the city?

Oxford is definitely well known for having an amazing music scene. Currently, the young bands around are seriously strong: the likes of Catgod, Self Help, Slate Hearts, Daisy, Wolfs and 31hours have combined into a great little scene bubbling under. I think its been really great for all our confidence having fellow musicians playing alongside and watching each other.

4. You recently released a new tune ‘Share My Smile’ - anything you can tell us about the writing or recording process for the track?

We wrote Share My Smile whilst in a really upbeat summer vibe. Everything about it is glowing with energy. We recorded it with Nick Moorbath in Evolution Studios over a couple of days. I think the track really developed a lot in the studio with the end result having much more rhythmic flavour and pop sensitivities than our original intention.

5. You’re headlining at The George Tavern for us on 19th August with your Oxford pals Self Help supporting and Macho Trax DJing til late - what should we expect from the show?!

Yes! Extremely excited for this one. Danny, Silke, Sean and Elizabeth (Self Help) are just our absolute favourites. We haven't gigged alongside them since our March headline slot in The Library, Oxford, though Silke has joined us a couple of times to dep on drums. Its going to be a fantastic set and a really exciting first gig in London for Flatlands.

6. Who is your audience and how do you connect with fans - all the usual social media?! Any crazy, fun, exciting stories about your fans are very welcome!

Our local audience is a diverse group of friends, musicians and, most importantly, our mums! Online we've done quite well at promoting ourselves. Definitely worth checking out our Instagram to see some Flatlands silliness. I'd like to think fans have been very receptive to some of our daft antics. Sadly we're still waiting on a super fan to send in a photo of 'Flatlands' tattooed on their forehead but I'm sure its coming.

7. Describe your dream gig to us! Any venues that you’re desperate to play in Oxford, London or further afield? Any artists you’d love to collaborate with on a performance?

There's a few bands we'd love to grab a slot with. Early on in our career we supported Yonaka who, since then, have gone on to do some pretty special things. A reunion slot alongside them would be an absolute honour. If we're really going for dreams though, supporting Modern Baseball at O2 Forum Kentish Town would be unreal if they do ever get back together...

8. As 2017 speeds along, what does the rest of the year hold for you… we hope that new music is in the pipeline!

August is busy. We're glad to be branching out across the country with a number of cool slots in places outside of Oxford. September should see some important recording getting done which we're super excited about, just in time before we head off to university in London together. We've got no idea what'll happen when we all move to the big city! Whatever it is, it's going to be exciting though.

Eight questions with Pete Gardiner

1. First up, who is Pete Gardiner?! 

Well I certainly wish you'd begun with an easier question. I'm not really sure I know the answer to this yet, but I feel confident I'm getting closer to it with every passing day, so maybe you could ask me again in a year or two.

2. How long have you been making music… any particular musical influences? 

Well, I'm 31 now, so just over half my life. I wrote my first song when I was 15 or so and it's been all downhill ever since. I'm influenced by a handful of bands from each decade going back the the 50s, but I've been most heavily influenced by Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan for a long time now.

3. In a couple of weeks time you’re playing for us at London’s Harrison with a special ‘in the rounds gig’ - have you played shows like this before? What should the audience expect? 

I've played this kind of event twice in my career. I'd like to play them more often. They've proven to be much more engaging than the average bar gig. All of the artists share the stage together and take turns performing one song at a time. Each track is usually introduced by the artist with maybe a little story about how it came about. It's an interesting format that allows the audience to hear 3 or 4 different songwriters at once while finding out a bit about them in the process. It's a welcome change from the usual way of listening to one set at a time.

4. You’ll be playing alongside Martha Bailey and Tom Hyatt - have you shared stages with them in the past? 

I've never met either if them. But I've listened to their music online. They're both very talented writers and I'm looking forward to playing with them.

5. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome. 

Well my audience is anyone from any age group. I'm not part of any scene or any clique or any genre. And it's not for lack of trying, it's just that no scene or clique or genre seems to want me. My songs are very lyrically driven. I just try my best to write honestly and I've been lucky enough to be complemented by people from all walks of life who have enjoyed the music. I guess my number one fan is anyone who carries a flame for a girl it didn't work with or someone who can see the funny side to everything that's desperately wrong with the world and our situation.

6. We’ve just seen that you’ve been invited to play at Cornbury Festival, great news! Have you been to the fest before? Is there anywhere else that fans can catch you over Summer? 

I'm really excited about this festival, I've never done it before but I hear good things. We have a website where all my gigs are regularly updated you can check it out and join my mailing list at petegardiner.co.uk

7. What would your dream gig entail? Any venues you’re desperate to play in the UK or further afield or artists you’d love to play alongside? 

Well the dream gig for me doesn't have anything to do with the venue, it's all down to the audience. When you go onstage you hope the audience will be hospitable and give your songs a chance. When you feel a crowd warming to you and you feel yourself warming to them it can create a very memorable evening. It doesn't always happen and you get nights when you can't find your way into the songs. But when it does happen and the crowd gives in it can be really special. I think I'd be a good support act for Foy Vance at the moment. I really enjoy his songs and I think it's be a good fit.

8. As we reach the halfway mark of 2017, what does the rest of the year hold for you?

Just a lot of writing I think. I'll spend some time in solitude and keep trying to hit on something useful. It takes me a long time to come up with anything I'm not embarrassed by. I've also had to change my writing style recently because I don't have a broken heart or any resentment towards any women these days and I haven't for quite some time, so I've had to rethink my whole career as a writer. I may even have to stop thinking about myself for once. We'll see what happens.

Pete Gardiner plays a special In The Rounds gig at The Harrison in London's King's Cross, alongside Martha Bailey and Tom Hyatt - tickets available here!

Eight questions with George Holroyd

(c) Jack Margerison Photography

First up, who is George Holroyd?!

I'm a 23 year old acoustic singer/songwriter originally from Suffolk and now residing in London, with a love for energetic live performances.

How long have you been making music… any special influences?

I've been playing guitar for over 10 years but didn't really start singing or writing songs until about 4 years ago, while at university in Nottingham. In terms of influences, I'd say Paul Simon, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan for the storytelling aspect of their songs and Ben Howard/The Tallest Man on Earth for their guitar/live style.

Your new Demons & Dust EP is due out very soon (9th) - how does that feel to almost have it out in the world?!

I'm absolutely psyched to finally have it out there, it's been over 2 years since I released my last EP (Peru). I tried to give this one more of a cohesive feel as the Peru EP was more of a collection of the songs that I'd written to date, I wanted more of a common theme and I think I've achieved that with Demons & Dust. While we're on this actually I'd also like to say a massive thank you to Sam Winfield for producing the record and to Cailean Couldridge for shooting the cover art, two massively talented guys who are a pleasure to work with.

You’re celebrating the EP with a launch show at one of Tigmus’ favourite London venues The George Tavern - what should fans expect from the set?

Yes I'm very excited to be playing there! I still play a solo set, fairly stripped back in terms of effects (just me and the guitar throughout). It'll be a nice intimate atmosphere in the early parts of the set with some of the quieter songs that I've written before opening up into some rowdier tracks towards the end as everyone's working their way through the contents of the bar, expect some crowd participation by the end of the evening and one or two well known covers thrown in!

Have you played alongside Felix M-B and Daisy Chute before?

I first saw Felix play about 3 years ago at Rescue Rooms in Nottingham and was instantly taken by his style, he has so much presence on stage and his songwriting is next level. Since then we've played a couple of gigs together and it's always an absolute pleasure, can't wait to see him play some of his new songs on Friday. I experienced a very similar reaction when I first saw Daisy play at a Tigmus gig in Hampton a couple of months ago; her songwriting is fantastic and the harmonies that she created with her band were breathtaking. I can't wait to see them both perform again and I'm honoured to have them supporting for the launch.

Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans?

My audience is anyone who'll listen! I've met people of all ages after shows who've said they enjoyed what I've done and I like to think that my songs don't necessarily fall into one particular "bucket" or style. I think that the best way to connect with people that listen to the music is meeting them after shows and trying to foist my CDs on them/having a drink and a conversation.

What would your dream gig entail? Any particular venues you’re desperate to play or artists you’d love to play alongside?

I would love to play both Union Chapel because it's a beautiful venue and Brixton Academy because of the history and the amount of amazing shows I've seen there over the years, I feel one is currently more attainable than the other though! When I think of gigs I would personally love to have played (i.e. live albums that I played to death growing up), the ones that really stick in my head are Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park and the Red Hot Chili Peppers gig in Hyde Park (which I was at aged 11) back in 2004 - they had James Brown supporting them! Final one - as already mentioned, I would love to play alongside The Tallest Man on Earth.

What does the rest of 2017 hold for you after the EP launch?

Playing more shows to promote the D&D EP and getting to work on some new songs! I pretty much took 2016 off in terms of music so I'll be looking to not do that again, I've got a few ideas for the next steps I want to take songwriting-wise and I'm hoping to experiment with expanding the live sound a little too.

George Holroyd launches his Demons & Dust EP at The George Tavern in London tomorrow evening (9th June) with support from Daisy Chute and Felix M-B - tickets available here.