Long Time Divided Q&A

Your name: 

DJ Beckage.

Where are you from? 

Pittsburgh, PA.

Name of band: 

Long Time Divided.

Who else is in your band?  
Well, there’s me as the lead singer, Paul Terry and Dean Toughlain on guitars, Bob Beveridge on bass, and Slick on drums.

How would you describe yourselves? We’re a blue-collar, hard rock band. We enjoy writing music that we want to hear on the radio.

Who are your main influences musically?Boy, for me the 90s grunge rock scene was definitely music that I grew up and I think has helped to give me my voice (no pun intended) with the band.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
I just want the band to continue creating music that we enjoy. We’re working on tracks for our sophomore album and I’m looking forward to that.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
I have to say that opening for Fuel was a big highlight for me. We’ve had a chance to open for a number of big name acts that we all enjoy – Static-X, Soulfly, Jimmie’s Chick Shack, Soul Asylum – and they’ve all been awesome people.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
HA! I really don’t have one. I’m sure it will come eventually but so far, so good.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
I’d have to say Requiem. The song has been a sort of linchpin for the band and really fun to play.

Where can we listen to it?
Our entire album is available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and pretty much anywhere a person gets their music, just look-up “Long Time Divided.” To hear Requiem, go to our ReverbNation page (reverbnation.com/longtimedivided).

Promote your mixtape at ReverbNation.com

Where can we find out more about your music?
Our home page - www.longtimedivided.com

Facebook - facebook.com/longtimedividedband

Twitter - @longtimedivided

ReverbNation - reverbnation.com/longtimedivided

SoundCloud - soundcloud.com/long-time-divided

Tumblr - longtimedivided.tumblr.com

Instagram - @longtimedivided

Emma Swindells Q&A

Your name:
Emma Swindells.

Where are you from?
Wolverhampton, UK.

How would you describe yourself?
I would describe myself as an acoustic/country act. All of my songs are written about my own personal experiences which I hope other people can relate too! I try to incorporate Taylor Swift's honesty, Miranda Lambert's attitude and Ed Sheeran's looping technique into my music.

Who are your main influences musically?
Miranda Lambert, The Dixie Chicks, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves to be specific. But I love all styles of music especially acts who write their own music.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
Music is my life. My family refer to my guitar as my 'third arm' because I am always playing it! I absolutely love going to watch other bands play and playing as many gigs as possible myself. The biggest compliment anyone could ever say to me is that they love one of my songs. I would love to get to the stage where I could play venues and have the audience singing along to my songs. I love playing and practising at home, but when people can relate to what you are singing about share what you are feeling, that is really special.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Playing at the Country 2 Country festival at O2 in London. It was an honour to be part of such a great event and to meet so many people! Country music is really growing in the UK and I am so pleased to be part of it.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
I can remember playing "I'm Yours" by Jason Marz in a pub a couple of years ago, I got to the third verse and my mind went blank! I couldn't remember the words. I actually said down the mic I have forgotten the words. I had a laugh with the audience and went back to the chorus. But to be honest I wouldn't want to forget any of the moments I have messed up. Everyone is human and we all make mistakes and some point. The most important thing is to learn from them, I have never forgotten that song since!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
That is a very hard question! I find a lot of my songs are very different.. If I had to pick one song right now it would probably be Flat Line. This is because this song is about living life to the full and not being afraid to fail. I am really into my inspirational quotes, I saw a post on Instagram that showed a heartbeat on a screen; it said without the highs and lows in life you would have a flat line! To live involves both the good and bad in life and I think this is something everyone can relate to. This song and it is really good fun to play live.

Where can we listen to it?
http://amazingtunes.com/emmaswindells/tunes/320947
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WIx73fDnXI




Where can we find out more about your music?
http://www.w21music.com/emma-swindells
https://www.facebook.com/emmaswindellsmusic
https://twitter.com/swinny91
https://www.facebook.com/CountryMusicAppearances
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1HMtkmLM4qtzc1g20QnJJA
http://amazingtunes.com/emmaswindells

The Trend Q&A

Your name:

Sam Kavanagh (guitar & vocals).

Where are you from?

Sudbury, Suffolk, UK.

Name of band: 

The Trend .

Who else is in your band?

Fenton Brett (bass & vocals) and Connor Hume (drums).

How would you describe yourselves?

I would class as a rock band however we have been told that our sound is naturally grunge so possibly a combo of grunge rock and a little bit of punk.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We are just three mates having a laugh while in a band anything else is a bonus.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Highlight so far has to be when we played Chinnerys in Southend last Friday.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Probably a gig we did at Three Wise Monkeys in Colchester. We played terribly.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

One song to represent us would be Ten Pence Shy as it is fast and rocky and great fun to play.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/thetrend

Where can we find out more about your music?

Our Twitter page is @TheTrend_UK

The Vaulted Skies Q&A

Your name:

James Anthony John Scott (principle songwriter, guitar, vocals and pointy shoes).

Where are you from?

St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Just North of London in the UK.

Name of band:

The Vaulted Skies.

Who else is in your band?

Scott Bradley - Danceable Drums

Rupert Hobday - Gothic Guitars

John Melia - Bass, Bass, Grumpy Face

'Doktor' Ben Singleton - Keyboard Experiments

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Lyrics inspired by Longfellow, behemoth melodic basslines, gothic guitars, dramatic drumbeats and soaring synths are performed with unrelenting passion by a New Romantic, a Mad Scientist, a Rockabilly-Hippy-Goth, a Giant and a Cyborg Drummer from the Future, to create epic, edgy alternative indie pop-rock, designed to make you laugh, cry, think and dance (sometimes all at once).

Who are your main influences musically?

The Cure, Nirvana, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Warpaint, New Order, Muse, Joy Division, Radiohead, PJ Harvey...

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Whilst reaching as many people as possible through radio and so on is really important to us, there's nothing better than playing to large audiences and creating memorable events. We'd love to headline Glastonbury one day. And if that's happening, it probably means that a number of other things are going well too.

All I know is, the bigger the stage, the better the gig seems to go down. I think this music is made for large stages.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

This interview, probably :0)

Otherwise, I think it would be when we found out that John Ravenhall (who produces the artists on Sir Paul McCartney's label) had shortlisted one of our tracks for use in a US TV show he's working on as music director.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

To be honest, it's all been pretty good for The Vaulted Skies so far!

I guess, despite the fact that he has a shiny metal ass, our cyborg drummer Scott might regret "cutting a caper" at our observatory photo shoot and splitting his trousers mid-air. The rest of us quite like reminding him of that.

I also had a situation in a previous band where I was on stage in front of a packed house with the flu and pretty much off my tits on cough syrup, and I kept getting electric shocks off of the microphone! As painful as it was, I think the shocks were the only thing that kept me going for the duration. Looking back, I can laugh about it, but I wouldn't want it to happen again!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

That's a tough question because we set out to be eclectic and make sure every song has something different to offer. In terms of what's available to listen to online in the form of a finished mix right now, Caroline Slipped Across The Sky might be a good starting point. It's at the more serious end of the spectrum, whereas other songs like 'It Starts With You', 'Hungware' and 'Does Anyone Else Feel (Strange)?' are more danceable and feature what could be described as a little bit of humour amidst the pathos.

Where can we listen to it? 

Caroline Slipped Across The Sky is currently streaming at https://soundcloud.com/thevaultedskies/caroline-slipped-across-the-sky-the-strange-ep-mix

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.thevaultedskies.com

www.facebook.com/thevaultedskies

http://soundcloud.com/thevaultedskies

http://twitter.com/thevaultedskies

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

Our next gig is at The Horn in St. Albans on Wednesday 25th March!

Big Tooth Q&A

Your name: 
George Crossland.

Where are you from? 
London, England.

Name of band: 
BIG TOOTH.

Who else is in your band? 
Joe Weightman.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 
All we know is music; it's our drive and passion! We got together to make music about five weeks ago. It's amazing to be able to bounce off someone so talented. And it really shows in our music. All the songs sound different but have that BIG TOOTH running through them.

Who are your main influences musically? 
Our influences spread across the board, from the beatles, all the best bits of the 70s, 80s and 90s. And more modern music like Sam Smith.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
To make as many people happy with our music as possible and make sure everyone in the world has heard of BIG TOOTH!

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
The initial reaction to the songs we put out a few weeks ago. Everyone loved them and started sharing them around. Well, except for one blogger who didn't like the songs, but he was very nice about it!

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
That blogger!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
I personally think Sunny Day captures what were all about, melodic, fun and young!

Where can we listen to it? 
https://soundcloud.com/big-tooth 

Where can we find out more about your music? 
https://www.facebook.com/bigtoothband @big_tooth_band

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask? 
I hope you all enjoy listening to it as we have making it! (cue 90s band documentary outro music!)

New album from Club K

JAZZ-tinged indie band Club K have released their album Let M Shake on Small Bear Records.

The album will be available on vinyl as well as digital download.

The Swedish band - Anton Linderoth, Samuel Johansson, Nora Hedberg, Klas Schéle, Joel Biel, William Herrlin and Richard Göthesson - gave RealSoundsOk a run-down of its history.

They said: "Club K started out in 2011 in the small town of Kristianstad. Samuel and Anton recorded some Frank Zappa songs as a school project and in between sessions Klas, Joel and William used to come in and eat pizza and jam. Club K was formed.

"After some time Nora and Andre joined and the band recorded the album 'Det er ikke din syld' (It's Not Your Fault), probably the best/worst debut in the history of music.

"In March 2013 the band released the 'I'm A Whale' EP. In 2014 Andre quit to focus on his art and Richard joined. After some records and several tours around Europe, Club K's new album is finally out

"That's our boring story. Listen. Pay our rent. Peace."

You can listen below and buy from bandcamp. Head to Facebook for more.

The Human Project take on football's thugs

MELODIC punks The Human Project have released a video for The Beautiful Shame.

The track - taken from debut album Origins - reflects the Leeds band's displeasure around the mindless minority of football fans.

Guitarist Luke Yates told RealSoundsOK: "We wrote The Beautiful Shame as a cry of despair at the bigoted, racist thugs who still - in 2015 - manage to somehow ruin a nice day out for everyone else and are genuinely dangerous to the safety of totally innocent people, who simply want to see a game of football.

"It mainly questions who is to blame for allowing this macho bullshit to continue and suggests that the powers that be within the sport and with the police often fail to draw the line where friendly rivalry ends and violent thuggery, blatant racism and, essentially, organised crime begins."

Have a watch of the video below and for more - including live dates in April and May - head to facebook.com/thehumanprojectuk

Second album from Palm Reader

HARDCORE boys Palm Reader will release their second album Beside The Ones We Love on April 6th on In At The Deep End Records.

It follows their acclaimed debut Bad Weather that took the Woking band on tours across the UK and Europe.

Vocalist Josh McKeown told RealSoundsOK: "Beside The Ones We Love feels like a very natural progression. We wanted to try and focus on exploring what was instinctive. We pushed ourselves, but we didn't force anything.

"We hid away in a lock-up for a couple of weeks and crafted the majority of the album there and then.

"Lyrically there is no overall theme. It's a thought process where subjects we think about are spilled out and offered up. 

"The aim for me has always been to put forward a topic of conversation in the hope that people will start talking to each other more and their opinions will be exchanged, heard and appreciated.

"It feels like that doesn't happen enough. So many of life's problems can be solved through conversation."

Palm Reader are also heading out on the road in May with dates in Manchester, York, Glasgow, Newcastle and Nottingham. For more info visit facebook.com/wearepalmreader

The 23's Q&A

Your name: 
Blair Ramsay.

Where are you from? 
Musselburgh just outside Edinburgh, Scotland.

Name of band: 
The 23's.

Who else is in your band? 
Ben Clark (rhythm and lead guitarist), Lee Anderson (bass) and Michael Ferguson (drums). My role is frontman, rhythm and lead guitarist. 

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 
As a band i would describe ourselves as confident and open. We are always up for making a scene about things and that's what we intend to do in future. Our music comes across a few different types of genres so we never really give ourselves a specific one but our mixes are rock n' roll, indie and possibly alternative. 

Who are your main influences musically?
We take a lot of influence from the likes of Oasis, Libertines, Kasabian, BRMC etc. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?
What we hope to achieve is certainly a record deal at some point but right now all that matters is getting our music heard. It's too early to make a call on our future cause we have only been a band for two and a half years, but we certainly dream of playing the big stages with the big names. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
We have a few highlights but selling out Electric Circus and Cabaret Voltaire in Edinburgh when we started as a band were big moments, so early in our time as a band as well. Also playing our first show in Glasgow at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut at the end of last year supporting The Blue Dawns was a big highlight. Definitely a band worth looking out for. Nice bunch of lads too.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
There's been a few gigs where myself and Ben have got completely fucked before even getting on stage and having a poor gig because of it. We are still bad for it to this day but we have controlled it a lot better now.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
Our latest single She's Trouble is a big favourite for our fans. It's 7:04 long but doesn't disappoint. 

Where can we listen to it? 

https://soundcloud.com/twenty-threes/shes-trouble


Where can we find out more about your music?
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/The23sband/
Twitter - @23sband
Instagram - @the23sbandofficial 
ITunes - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/shes-trouble-single/id963230125
SoundCloud - soundcloud.com/twenty-threes

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
Spread our name about as much as you can.

Rogues On The Sea Q&A

Your name: 

Edward Bouchard.

Where are you from?

Perth, Western Australia.

Name of band: 

Rogues on the Sea.

Who else is in your band?

Angus Edwards, Nic D'Adamo, Neil Gillespie.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Well, we first and foremost are just making music that we want to hear, stuff that is different to other music out there. I understand that's difficult, but we pretty much don't sound too much like anyone else and the reviews we've had of our album so far, have all mentioned comparisons to different bands. So they're kinda stuck trying to relate us to anyone else as well it would seem.  

Because of our band's love for 60's and 70's bands, we do embrace older sounds and rawer sounds, but in having said that we are embracing modern sounds as well. So it's a good mixture of the two.

The songs usually revolve around a guitar riff or a piano riff, and there is a emphasis on good lyrics, with no throwaway lines. It's kinda missing in today's music, and is an overlooked part of music these days, which is kinda sad. Bands and songwriters in times of yore used to have something to actually say!

Who are your main influences musically? 

Led Zepplin, Queens of the Stone Age, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, the White Stripes, Tom Waits, Radiohead.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

Just to make a living playing music, instead of having to do other work to supplement the income. Having more time devoted to music would sure help, and of course be more liberating. And after all, isn't that what everyone wants?

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

Well it's early stages for the band at the moment. We just released out debut album about a year ago, and are still looking for another band member so we can play live. But the highlight so far is just having music out there and seeing it grow every day and people just hearing the music and liking it! It's the simple things!

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Paying for the making of the album! 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

Probably 'Ghosts Inside a Frame', the second song off our debut album. Why? It's got everything to me, great hooks, great lyrics, great sounds, like the interesting guitar sounds, the pounding drums that were just recorded perfectly and especially the glitchy random electric piano we found in the studios back room that died before we got to finish the take. And all of this in under three minutes.  

Where can we listen to it?

www.soundcloud.com/roguesonthesea, or on Spotify.

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/roguesonthesea

iTunes : https://t.co/TUEvqHVxQy

www.soundcloud.com/roguesonthesea

www.twitter.com/roguesonthesea

instagram - roguesonthesea

New EP from The Great Duck War

THE wonderfully named The Great Duck War have released their self-titled EP.

It was recorded at musical collective The Spanish Mansion in their home town of Madison, Wisconsin.

Reid Kurkerewicz told RealSoundsOK that the band "strive to capture the feelings of isolation experienced in the day-to-day meanderings of some fun-loving, hot and bothered suburbanauts".

You can listen to the EP below and for more on the band visit facebook.com/thegreatduckwar

The Sad House-Guest Routine Q&A

Your names:

Andy Duncan and John Edwards.

Where are you from?

Camberley in Surrey originally, but now Andy lives in Wiltshire and John lives in Hong Kong.

Name of band:

The Sad House-Guest Routine.

Who else is in your band?

The band is Andy Duncan, John Edwards and James Macdonald. We all play various instruments so the duties change from song to song.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Andy: The best description I can think of is psychedelic-folk, though sometimes without the psychedelia and sometimes without the folk. We love harmonies – in fact, we’re almost unhealthily obsessed with them, we like swirly guitars and we like bubbling bass. But we also like banjos, ukuleles and flutes (but none of us can play the flute).

Who are your main influences musically?

Andy: Definitely for me, Syd Barrett is a massive influence. He fascinates me and some of his songs are just perfect. I’d love to know what he could have gone on to achieve. Apart from him, I have the inevitable Beatles ardour, and I love Elephant 6 bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel and Circulatory System. The North Sea Radio Orchestra and Joanna Newsom are also people I listen to a lot, and I have discovered that I love the bleakness and big skies of gothic Americana – The Handsome Family have been a recent, wonderful discovery, thanks, I must admit, to True Detective. And I love some Neil Young, but only when he is sad. When Neil Young is sad, I am happy. It is a cruel state of affairs that would probably mean we could never be friends. Oh, and finally, Little Bear by Guillemots is quite possibly the most beautifully brutal song I have ever heard.

John: My favourite bands include the old greats like Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin and a few well known indie bands like My Bloody Valentine. At the moment I am a big fan of Sharon Van Etten, Conor Oberst and Father John Misty. There’s a slice of American folk right there. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Andy: I would love to be able to make music full-time. I am lucky that I happen to be in a band with two of my best friends, so if we could spend our working lives getting together, having a laugh and making music, I couldn’t think of anything better. To be able to sell a few albums, have songs in films and play a few festivals would be magic. We could tour the country in a campervan together, play festivals, and solve mysteries.

John: Getting positive comments on our songs on Soundcloud is always a delight. Follow us! And maybe we will follow you too. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Andy: I played a festival a couple of years ago. A smallish one on a farm in Wiltshire, but a festival nonetheless. It was summer, it was a glorious day and we were playing outside. The sun was setting as we played our last song, the crowd were up against the stage in a state of high excitement and for a few glorious moments I indulged in the idea of being a Rock God. (Then I drove home in my Seat Ibiza and had a cup of tea.) More recently, a New York record label has asked to use some of the Sad House-Guest Routine’s songs on forthcoming compilations, which is pretty exciting.

John: The writing and recording that we’ve done together over many summers has been great fun. Nothing beats the delight of listening back to a piece of music that you have made, and then sinking some celebratory Carling beers.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Andy: For me, it was the gig that immediately followed the festival highpoint. We played a club in Swindon where the band outnumbered the audience. The experience was compounded by my bass guitar breaking just before we went on, and I had to conduct a hasty repair by jamming a couple of chopsticks into the f-hole (if you’ll excuse the expression).

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Andy: I think there are, broadly speaking, two sides to our music. One is the swirly psychedelia of Dead Section, which is steeped in echo and harmonies. And then there is the folky acoustic side too, of which John’s song, Sisyphus, is a brilliant example.

Where can we listen to it?

http://soundcloud.com/sad-house-guest-routine/dead-section

Where can we find out more about your music?

Twitter: @sadhouseguest

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sadhouseguestroutine

Jeannine Barry Q&A

Your name: 
Jeannine Barry.

Where are you from?

I was born in Germany and spent part of my childhood there and then relocated to England with my family. 

Name of band: 
Jeannine Barry. I'm a solo artist but I do have an amazingly talented live band to back me up and who I am currently writing songs with now. 

Who else is in your band?
Keir Moore on rhythm guitar, Marcus Gooda on bass, Alexander Esp on drums, Ryan Bissett on lead guitar, and Richard Hay on pedal steel.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

I would best describe my sound as pop/country.
I am thrilled to be heading over to Nashville in April to record a new EP which will show both old and new fans a different side of me. 
I believe it's very important for an artist to evolve and not be too one dimensional so I'm currently writing songs with a focus on a modern pop sound with a rock edge - whilst still retaining a country twist. 
I'm so excited at the prospect of working with some amazing Nashville musicians who will help turn my vision into reality. 

Who are your main influences musically?

I have been very influenced by artists such as P!nk and Eminem, Adele, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson and most recently, Brandy Clark, Maggie Rose, and so many more. I feel inspired by strong independent people who want to empower themselves and others along the way. Those who are constantly on the lookout to find just that little bit more freedom and who are a little bit rebellious and go against the grain. I find it inspiring. As most artists though I feel I want to create my very own sound and not copy anyone. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?I would like to be able to make a living as a singer/songwriter and to tour all around the world especially the US. I would like to build a big fan base to share my music with and hopefully to inspire them too. If I get that lucky I would like to be a successful recording and touring artist. But my main goal is to have as much fun as possible wherever this journey is going.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

I just came home from playing a set at the amazing Country2Country festival here at the O2 in London and it was an incredible experience. It was amazing to see so many people come out to support me and this genre over here in the UK. I met amazing artists from the UK and US such as Sonia Leigh, Sasha McVeigh, Katie Armiger and so many more. That's definitely a highlight and of course the fabulous news that I will soon be heading to Nashville to take it all to the next level. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I forgot! Haha. Well I mean there are ups and downs in every career and so I have had experiences that I would like to just forget but I learned so much from each of them that I wouldn't change them now. 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

I think so far maybe my latest single ALL NIGHT. However, I change so much every day as an artist and person and am looking forward to creating the new sound in my next release. 

Where can we listen to it?  
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/all-night-single/id968859753

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/jeanninebarrymusic
www.twitter.com/jeannine_barry
www.jeanninebarry.com
Debut EP https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/give-me-something-ep/id738511209

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
2015 is set to continue being an amazing year. Recording the EP in Nashville is going to be such fun and I have many co-writes pencilled in throughout the year over in the US which is so exhilarating as my sound will continue to evolve and excite.