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!

Gig of the week: Lucy Rose and Charlie Cunningham at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (3rd Nov)

Our top tip this week comes from the completely magical combination of Lucy Rose and Charlie Cunningham. Charlie joins Lucy on her UK tour which kicks off this Wednesday, and they play O2 Shepherds Bush Empire in London this Friday. We've seen both of them live and can only imagine that together they'll create a beautiful and mesmerising evening of live music, not to be missed! Grab tickets for Friday and check out the rest of the dates on the tour here (but be quick as they're beginning to sell out!) Listen to two of our fave tracks from the pair below...

Follow Lucy Rose online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Track of the week: Evergreen - 'Aux Echos'

In honour of our own Parisian maestro Mindy, our track of the week this week comes from a trio of Paris/London based artists who released their debut album back in 2014 and who we are chuffed to have back releasing new music! Evergreen (formally We Were Evergreen) have just released Aux Echos, a beautiful new tune following up their Towards record which is full of tune after tune like Daughters and Leeway. We've pretty much had this new track on repeat since it's release last week and can't wait to hear more new music from the trio!

Follow Evergreen online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

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!

Gig of the week: Public Service Broadcasting at Eventim Apollo, London (26th Oct)

In a week that is packed out with lots of great Tigmus shows, including the Jeremy Tuplin album launch in London, Art Theefe single launch in Oxford, and shows with Sky Coloured and Luke Daniels headlining in London AND a free entry Mt Doubt show in Brighton, it's hard to choose our favourite gig from other promoters, but we're pretty sure we've chosen a total corker!

Public Service Broadcasting play the last night of their current UK tour to support the release of their third studio album Every Valley (a concept album about mining in the Welsh valleys) this Thursday with a show at Eventim Apollo, London. They're completely unique and we love all three records - seeing them live is certainly an experience worth checking out! Take a listen to Progress from the latest album below, and check out their Live In Brixton album to see what the fuss is about! Grab the last tickets for the show here, and for our shows this weekend, head to our Eventbrite page.

Follow Public Service Broadcasting online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Track of the week: Gengahr - 'Mallory'

Following In A Past Life from the Pale Seas chaps last week, a new tune from Gengahr has made it to our track of the week spot today! Back in 2014 when I had just started university I caught them both supporting Dry The River - it's great that both support bands are doing pretty well for themselves now! Following their 2015 debut album A Dream Outside the band, an alternative four-piece from London, have released this new single and announced that their new record Where Wildness Grows is due to be released on 9th March. Get listening to the new tune below!

Follow Gengahr online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

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.

Gig of the week: The Big Moon, Get Inuit & Be Good at The Bullingdon, Oxford (18th Oct)

Another cracking week of live music coming up... it's always tricky to pick a gig of the week but this is one that we'd massively recommend catching if you're in Oxford on Wednesday! As if headliners The Big Moon and tour support Get Inuit weren't enough, locals BE GOOD are opening up the evening - what a line-up! BE GOOD recently released new tune It's Cool But It Ain't You which we've had on repeat constantly since making it our track of the week a couple of weeks back. Take a listen to all the bands before and head to the Facebook Event to find out a little more about the show! It looks like it'll be a sell-out any minute, so grab tickets asap (beg, steal or sell a limb if you have to...)

Track of the week: Pale Seas - 'In a Past Life'

If we could make an entire album the track of the week we would do (album of the week, if you will...) with the new record from our old pals Pale Seas. After being away for a couple of years they returned over Summer with news of their debut album Stargazing For Beginners and the wait was finally over this Friday. We've whittled the record down to one of our favourite tracks, In a Past Life - listen to that below and check out the full record on Spotify and in all good record stores! Also... if you're in London head along to Rough Trade East on Thursday (12th) to catch them performing and signing copies of the record from 7pm - free entry so definitely worth heading along to if you're about, more info on Facebook here.

Follow Pale Seas online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Gig of the week: Fenne Lily, Paul Thomas Saunders, Sivu & Siv Jakobsen at Cecil Sharp House, London (12th Oct)

With lots of our favourite artists out on tour at the moment it's a tricky week to choose our top tip, but we're pretty confident that if you head to Cecil Sharp House on Thursday night (12th Oct) you'll have a brilliant evening with four incredible artists performing. Fenne Lily, Paul Thomas Saunders, Sivu and Siv Jakobsen are currently on a co-headline tour, with shows this week in Glasgow and Newcastle before the tour finishes up in London on Thursday evening with a show promoted by our friends at Parallel Lines.

These are four extremely talented young artists and the show should definitely be on your radar if alternative and acoustic tunes are your cup of tea! Take a listen to the four acts below, and grab tickets for the night here.

Track of the week: Strong Asian Mothers - 'Hard To Find'

In another brilliant week for new tunes, our track of the week this week comes from Strong Asian Mothers. They're back with a new single Hard To Find with some cracking press photography from Dan Harris and they're launching the track with a headline show courtesy of Communion Music at the brilliant Oslo Hackney (London) on November 30th - grab tickets here if you dig the tune!

Follow Strong Asian Mothers online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Gig of the week: Benjamin Yellowitz at The Lock Tavern (6th Oct)

Our gig of the week is the Benjamin Yellowitz single launch show as he takes to The Lock Tavern for the London date of his Erase You tour. The show is this Friday (6th Oct) with special guests and Laura Grandy in support, and it's free entry! Check out the event for more info here.

Follow Benjamin Yellowitz online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.