Vuolla Q&A

Your name:

Ilari.

Where are you from?

Jyväskylä, Finland.

Name of band: 
Vuolla.

Who else is in your band? 

Kati Kallinen - vocals and keyboard
Ilari Kallinen - guitars
Kalle Korhonen - growls
Mika Laine - bass
Timo Ruunaniemi - drums

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

We're a bunch of different personalities that share a passion for music. We all look at music from different angles but there are some bands that rock the boat for each one of us. Like Type o' Negative.
Describing Vuolla's music with genre words has always been a difficult task for me. There are elements of post rock, doom metal and even fragments of death metal. On the other hand there are very light moments where we go almost pop. I like to think we're making music that holds and delivers strong emotions and is not chained to any defining words.

Who are your main influences musically?

Just to lay down some bands I would say: Opeth, Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Anathema, Isis (the band).

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We have just signed a record contract with Schwarzdorn Production from Germany. We hope this co-operation to carry on for more albums and hopefully I will see Vuolla playing some good heavy metal festivals in future.

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

Our first tour outside Finland. This took place last year in September. We played seven shows in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. Good tour, met a lot of lively people that experience music to the heart.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

There are some "mistakes" I have made along the way by choosing wrong people to play in Vuolla. I would like to forget some of those, yes. But then again, I don't blame myself. You can go on for years without knowing the real personality of the guy next to you. Moving on is the key.

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

"Rivers In Me".. It holds the kind of lyrics that represent our music and style to the core.

Where can we listen to it?

https://youtu.be/1I-BijU8iSQ

Where can we find out more about your music? 

http://vuolla.net/

https://www.facebook.com/Vuolla

https://itunes.apple.com/fi/artist/vuolla/id423684388

http://open.spotify.com/artist/7s8Z51wrhNVhbuqWWOHoh1

https://twitter.com/losingthetrust

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

To all who read this: Support the underground..!

Multiplier Q&A

Picture by Trust A Fox Photography

Your name:

Phil Hartley (guitar).

Where are you from?

Manchester.

Name of band:

Multiplier.

Who else is in your band?

Andy Gardner on vocals, Danny Callaghan bass and Rod McFarlane on drums.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Moody and melodic, loud and quiet. Rich passionate vocals, guitar that shimmers and roars, pounding yet melodic bass and driving drums that interweave the songs rather than merely act as a foundation. Indie, pop, rock, post-rock, shoegaze, it’s all in there, somewhere.

Who are your main influences musically?

Our collective influences are all over the place and we each have our own influences and fave bands. We all come together and agree on bands such as early Radiohead, Doves, Elbow and The Chameleons. We certainly don’t actively try to sound like anyone else, but equally we’re not offended by comparisons. I read somewhere that being in a band is a compromise and it is, but hopefully something unique comes from all the disparate influences we have.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

To be honest, we just want to be the best we can be. We’re serious about what we do without taking ourselves too seriously. Of course we want people to be into what we do, but if the extent of that is a good reaction at a gig, that’ll do. Anything else is a bonus

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

Our debut at The Deaf Institute in Manchester (my fave venue) opening for I Like Trains was special, but also playing Night & Day recently was terrific for the reaction and feedback we received.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Probably the most disappointing time was when we were given a support slot for a band that me and Rod really admired but they turned out to be a bunch of c***s! Never meet your heroes as the saying goes!

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

There are a few we’ve yet to record that are even more representative of what we do, but probably Choice from our new EP.  It’s moody, full of dynamics and light and shade but it is also very melodic.

Where can we listen to it?

Mp3:  https://soundcloud.com/multipliertheband/choice

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsKexKPJ74g

Where can we find out more about your music? 

https://www.facebook.com/multiplierband

https://twitter.com/multiplierband

https://multiplier.bandcamp.com/releases - Our EP will be available for streaming or high quality download from May 11th.

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

Our debut three-track EP is released as a very limited CD on May 9th and we envisage that it will only be available at the launch show on that day - details on our Facebook page. It can be downloaded from our Bandcamp page from May 11th.

The Broken Broadcast Q&A

Your name: 

James Riggall.

Where are you from? 

Teesside, UK.

Name of band: 

The Broken Broadcast.

Who else is in your band?

Gary Hughes (bass), Emma Riggall (drums), Snowy (guitars) and Alexandria Readman (trumpet).

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Post rock fables

Who are your main influences musically?

Everything from folk to rock, things that touch ethereal, Radiohead, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver etc.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Songs that sit deep, when it makes your hairs stick up on your neck.

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

Playing festivals last year to hundreds of people.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Nothing as of yet. We try to make the most of all situations, if 30 people turn up they could be your next big fans, so we give them everything.

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

We try to make all our songs a little different but Sea Coal Collectors is a crowd favourite.

Where can we listen to it?

http://soundcloud.com/thebrokenbroadcast/sea-coal-collectors

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Facebook.com/thebrokenbroadcast

@brokenbroadcast

Www.thebrokenbroadcast.com

Instagram.com/thebrokenbroadcast

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

Currently working on second album due in the summer.

Second EP from Psylhouette

KRAUTROCK-influenced project Psylhouette have released their second EP May Be Right.

It follows their debut effort In On The Outside, which won support from BBC Radio 6 Music's Tom Robinson among others.

The group from Brighton describe the style as "influenced by Krautrock, post rock, psychedelia and new wave and artists such as Can, Neu!, Sigur Ros, Mogwai and The Doors".

You can have a listen for yourself below and for more information, head to psylhouette.co.uk or read the Q&A with RealSoundsOK from last April.

Second release of the year from Postcode

POSTCODE have released their second record of the year with EP Year Of The Zebra - Part One out now on Small Bear Records.

The Manx "zebracore" band have also released a video for lead track Yggdrasil.
Mikie Daugherty from the band told RealSoundsOK: "This EP features the lighter, poppier and more upbeat side of Postcode for the most part and sees us exploring new territory whilst utilising, and sometimes expanding upon, the instrumental blueprint laid down on last year's EP.

"It sees the band experimenting as much as ever and utilising sounds and techniques they have not explored before."

You can download the EP via their BandCamp page and for a more in-depth look at the EP and the process behind it, visit the band's blog by clicking here.

Gates release single Low ahead of album launch

POST rock outfit Gates have debuted their new single Low from the album Bloom & Breathe, out on October 20th via Pure Noise Records.

Kevin Dye from the New Jersey band told RealSoundsOK: "Nothing about the way this song was written was typical for us. Dan really ended up leading the structure of this song with the beat, which was the spirit of the original idea.

"We were tired of piecing parts together at the time, and the chorus was written around the vocal melody which is unusual for us as well. Lyrically, the more I edited this song, the less I liked it, and I ended up keeping the original draft which I’ve never done.

"We’re all very proud of the way it came together in the end and is one of our collective favourite tracks on the album." 

For more on the band, including how to get the album, visit gatesnj.com or facebook.com/gatesnj

Debut album on the way from Flights

POST rock quartet Flights will release their debut album History Be Kind on October 6th through Scylla Records.

The Bristol outfit announced themselves in 2011 with an EP that garnered praise from the UK music press.

A year in the making, History Be Kind became a trans-Atlantic effort with guitarist and lead songwriter Joe Newcombe relocating to New York for part of the process.

Check out the video for The Ghost Of Things below and for more visit flightsband.co.uk

Disappearer Q&A

Your name:

Pedro Coelho Pereira.

Where are you from?

Lisbon, Portugal.

Name of band:

Disappearer.

Who else is in your band?

A social assassin also know as the Basement Dweller Choir.

How would you describe yourselves?
Sometimes calm, sometimes intense music.

Who are your main influences musically?
I always end up forgetting some important artists/bands so I avoid to use a list, but later in life 16 Horsepower (David Eugene Edwards), some post-rock bands (from - even early - Talk Talk to Mogwai and GY!BE...) and all slow heavy psychedelic rock/metal (70's/80's) come immediately to mind. They all have a musical power of immediate impact, they grab the listener and that will always influence the way I try to make songs (I hope).

What do you hope to achieve in music?

To make music that affects people the same way it affects me.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Finding people who genuinely, really like the music.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Some parts of the recording process, directly connected to life and others on how stupid we can somehow be, for no apparent reason.

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

Stuck in a Loop. There's despair but there's also hope, maybe an illusion (or not) that we create on the way we behave if things go bad, we repeat mistakes although we can always start over.

Where can we listen to it?http://disappearer.bandcamp.com

Where can we find out more about your music? 
http://www.twitter.com/disappearerband
http://www.disappearer.pt
http://www.facebook.com/disappearer

http://open.spotify.com/album/7LRms9LvGmWPyTfgtWVlPL
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/disappearer/id889395918
http://soundcloud.com/disappearerpt
http://www.youtube.com/disappearerpt

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

How's life in Portugal after a financial bailout? Terrible.

EP on the way from The Wax Girl

POST-rock/ambient project The Wax Girl will release their debut EP on August 8th.

Toronto-based Alex Wright - the man behind the music - recorded, engineered and produced the five-track Anosmic entirely on his own.

Wright founded The Wax Girl in 2012 when he began writing and recording cinematic, shoegaze-esque demos in his studio as a creative outlet. 

You can listen to first single Consciousness below and for more information visit landofthewaxgirl.com or check out the Q&A Alex did with RealSoundsOK by clicking here.

Flying Cape Experience Q&A

Your name: 

Akira & Jo Annah.

Where are you from? 

Finland.

Name of band: 

Flying Cape Experience.

Who else is in your band? 

Just the two of us. And a few spirits who talk through us.

How would you describe yourselves? 

Jo: Our music? We've described our music a psychedelic therapy. For me personally creating songs is therapy. It is also very spiritual, magical. I feel I'm deeply attached to everything inside and outside during all creative processes. Therefore our music is emotional. 

Akira: At times our music making is self-therapeutic. Sometimes it's very bad therapy, hah! Music just comes from some place, it's like it always already had been there in every possible form and we would just let it to be heard. That's what it is at best, like channelling.

Jo: Yes, just like he said.

Who are your main influences musically? 

Jo: I love silence and the sounds of nature. Life is so hectic. I listen to music very little. We both like rock bands like Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana, Soundgarden etc. We like The Verve and some of the brit pop bands. We like NIN, TOOL, Deftones, Elliott Smith, Mew, Beck, Massive Attack, Radiohead…We like a lot of music from different genres. We have listened to lot of 60's and 70's music in our childhood, maybe some influences has come from there subconsciously. I really can't say that I hear any of the bands I mentioned in our music though.

Akira: What she said. I guess everything we've ever heard has had an influence on us. The variation between different genres has been so diverse, so it's hard to pick any. Well, one of my early childhood memories include listening to Abbey Road on my own cassette player, and it sounded miraculous! I had no idea of any instruments, this magic just flooded from the speaker!

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

Akira: To be able to continue creating it. 

Jo: To be able to continue to love creating it.

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

Akira: Some of the album reviews have been so very beautiful and touching, it's been the biggest highlight, to touch people.

Jo: Yes, it has been amazing…that so many people have understood us "right". And for me the highlights are when a new song is born, when the melodies and the chords find each other, those are the most touching moments. And when someone says he's/she's been touched about our music and has had a relief in his/her life through our songs. Those are the super-highlights. 

And, not to forget all the amazing warm-hearted and talented people we have met after we released our first album. Love to The Shoegaze Collective! The support from there has been invaluable, not to mention all the new friends we've had a chance to get to know around the world from the collective. We also found ourselves soul mates from there, and it led us to collaborate with them. Our newest release, a split ep "8" with Joaquim Barato was born that way.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

We value all moments.

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

Akira: I'd pick I Love You, as it is the first song we ever made together. Jo sang most of the vocals first and the rest just happened, that represents us well because we just let it out. None of our songs represents our music as a whole, as at least we think that all of our songs have so far been pretty different from each other, and by some coincidence it just happens to be that way.

Jo: I'd pick that too or Unfold. It describes our music a lot. It is calm and it is like a journey. The song actually is about journeys. 

Where can we listen to it? 

Our debut album "Let's sing more about the eyes" and our newest release, a split EP "8" are here: 

http://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/lets-sing-more-about-the-eyes

http://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/8-split-ep

http://theactivelistener.bandcamp.com/album/joaquim-barato-flying-cape-experience-8-al015

Where can we find out more about your music? 

We are active on Facebook. We have a Twitter account, but we are too busy and too dinosaurs for that ;)

https://www.facebook.com/FlyingCapeExperience

https://soundcloud.com/flying-cape-experience

https://twitter.com/FCExperience

The Wax Girl Q&A

Your name:
Alex Wright.

Where are you from?
Toronto, Canada.

Name of band:
The Wax Girl.

How would you describe yourself?
Honest, resilient, passionate, idealistic, sincere. I think the same words can be used to describe my music.

Who are your main influences musically?

Some can probably be heard in my music more than others, but here are a few: Radiohead, Joy Division, Portishead, Björk, Elliott Smith, Fleet Foxes, Sigur Rós, Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I always dream that someday my music will be heard in film. The thought of composing music for a film score is something that really excites me. I’d be thrilled if I ever got the chance.
Ultimately, I’d really just like to be able to keep creating music for as long as I can, while continuing to connect with the people that my music reaches.

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

My music career has brought me many wonderful experiences; not just through the short time that I’ve spent developing The Wax Girl, but through other bands that I’ve had the pleasure of being part of. I’ve toured across Canada with some incredibly talented musicians/great friends, performed in packed venues and made an appearance in a film. I’m very thankful for all those experiences.
Above all, meeting my beautiful girlfriend, Sara, is the greatest moment. It was a long chain of unusual circumstances that brought us together and if it wasn’t for my music career, I would have never met her. She inspires me every day to keep following my dreams and I can't imagine my life without her.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I find value in every experience, good or bad. I never regret anything.

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

Music isn’t always easy to write. In fact, most of the time I find it difficult to create something that I’m really proud of. For every piece that makes the cut, there are a handful of others that don’t. So when an idea blossoms so beautifully, and so effortlessly, the feeling of self-awareness is greatly amplified. I can’t even begin to explain just how incredible that feels.
To answer your question, ‘Unknown Location’ best represents my current body of work, because those rare feelings were experienced when I wrote it.

Where can we listen to it?

It can be streamed or downloaded for free, here:
https://soundcloud.com/thewaxgirl/unknown-location

Where can we find out more about your music?

My monthly newsletter is a great way to stay in touch. You can subscribe here (sorry for the long url):http://landofthewaxgirl.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=506e8c340db6491236dfbac06&id=9d85f79168
Official site: www.landofthewaxgirl.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewaxgirl
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheWaxGirlMusic
Bandcamp: www.thewaxgirl.bandcamp.com
Tumblr: www.thewaxgirl.tumblr.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TheWaxGirlMusic

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

Thank you RealSoundsOk for inviting me to participate in this Q&A. I appreciate the work that you do. I’m currently working on new music and will be making a special announcement very soon. Stay tuned.

Joaquim Barato Q&A

Your name:

João Caldeira Bispo.

Where are you from?
I'm from Portugal, but am living in Lima, Peru.

Name of band:

It's a one-man music persona called Joaquim Barato.

How would you describe yourself?

I'm interested in deconstructing the concept of the standard song, while keeping some of its characteristics, and on producing music that goes beyond genre barriers. My music has been described as dreampop, ethereal, post-rock, indie folk, shoegaze.

Who are your main influences musically?

My music is influenced by artists such as Slowdive, Dakota Suite, Mogwai, David Sylvian, Low, Red House Painters, Pink Floyd, Neil Young and Joy Division, among others. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

My aim is to set moods, emotions and get reactions from listeners with each song, and somehow challenge them to keep an open mind and an attitude of acceptance.
Sometimes disregarding technical rules, I allow my songs to breath their own life into existence, owning their beauty and supposed flaws.
I could say my music is a sort of statement of love for this world, and for individuals as part of a whole.

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

Every time a new song is born, and every time someone connects to a song, that's a highlight for me, a moment of discovery and awe.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Every moment that has marked me in some way counts, even if I haven't enjoyed it. It has passed, whether I forget it or not.

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

I have enjoyed composing and producing the song "You Go In Circles You Are The Universe" very much, and have released it recently on my split EP with Finnish duo Flying Cape Experience, so that would be a good representation of my sound.

Where can we listen to it?

http://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/track/joaquim-barato-4-you-go-in-circles-you-are-the-universe

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joaquimbarato
Twitter: http://twitter.com/joaquimbarato
Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/joaquimbarato
Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyXUc-Z4CDWIvJXlhsDYgmQ
Tumblr: http://joaquim-barato.tumblr.com/
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/joaquim-barato
Last FM: http://www.lastfm.com.br/music/joaquim+barato
Label Site: http://elvalsdelconejomedia.blogspot.com/

New single from Sunset Graves

SUNSET Graves release new single Your Ghost Is Formed today from their forthcoming album Form Your Ghost, out on June 9th.

The single - available digitally and on limited edition 7inch clear vinyl - includes exclusive non-album b-side Turquoise.

It allows debut album Variant, which saw Sunset Graves - aka Andy Fosberry - combine ambient electronic sounds with post-rock and trip hop along with Andy's love of samples.

You can listen to the single below and for more visit sunsetgraves.com, twitter.com/sunsetgraves or facebook.com/sunsetgraves

Your Ghost Is Formed rises from Sunset Graves

UK electro-rock outfit Sunset Graves will release new track Your Ghost Is Formed on May 19th.

The single will also include an exclusive non-album track Turquoise.

Your Ghost Is Formed is a follow-up to Sunset Graves' debut album Variant, which spans a variety of genres from track to track with the likes of post-rock, ambient electronic and trip-hop all on offer. 

But Andy Fosberry - the man behind Sunset Graves - heads to a more electronic place with his new work.

You can have a listen below and to find out more visit sunsetgraves.com, twitter.com/sunsetgraves or facebook.com/sunsetgraves

The Gateless Gate release fifth recording

POST-rock act The Gateless Gate have released new album Near North.

It is the fifth recording by Canadian Allister Thompson under this guise, but the first with partner Teri-Lynn Janveau, a classical pianist.

Allister told RealSoundsOK: "The recording is a musical travelogue through the wilderness of our province in Canada, a vast, sparsely populated natural area. 

"The music was influenced but such ambient masters as Harold Budd and Steve Roach, but also by such musicians as Popol Vuh, Arvo Pärt and Klaus Schulze. However, there are also strong folk, new age and psychedelic influences."

The 70-minute album is available at thegatelessgate.bandcamp.com and for more on the band visit thegatelessgate.net

In addition to making music, Allister also writes about it on his blog makeyourowntaste.wordpress.com

Ninth Floor Mannequin Q&A

Your name: 
Jarrod Pedone.

Where are you from? 
Staten Island, NY.

Name of band: 
Ninth Floor Mannequin.

Who else is in your band? 
I write/perform/record/mix/master all of the music by myself. I use a steady group of musician friends for performances.

How would you describe yourselves? 
I never wanted to be "That drummer who thought that the band should start doing his songs". So, I kept my mouth shut and the songs sealed up in my head. This project is the only place where I let those strange ideas take shape in an unfiltered way. I've been a musician for a while now. So, the band is just a collection of favorite musicians who I've met along the way. 

Who are your main influences musically? 
Like most musicians, my influence list is long. However, if I had to boil it down to basics, I'd go with Paul Simon, Erykah Badu, Frederic Chopin, The Get Up Kids, Jeff Buckley, Bjork, The Zombies & Danny Elfman. 

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
I hope to rekindle the relationship between music and some other creative art. I like to let factors such as film and literature leak into the music writing and recording process as opposed to the standard stand-alone popular music album. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
I was surprised how much I enjoyed reading an in-depth review of my EP. I found a lot of satisfaction in seeing a writer hypothesize about my creative thought process using only my finished music product as his guide. It's even more satisfying to hear that some of his assumptions were eerily correct. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
I'd like to forget how hard it was to label the EP as "finished". I have perfectionist tendencies and it's tough to wear your imperfections on your sleeve, permanently. I still get tempted to go back and fix something every time I hear my music played. 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
I would go with "Snakebit". The reason being that it feels the most natural. I've never thought that the song was too this genre or too that genre. It feels like that song most accurately replicates the sounds that play in my mind. It's simply the most honest song that I've made so far. 

Where can we listen to it? 
http://ninthfloormannequin.bandcamp.com/track/snakebit


Where can we find out more about your music?

Twitter: @aJellyElectric 
Personal site: http://jarrodpedone.com/Ninth-Floor-Mannequin 
Bandcamp: http://ninthfloormannequin.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinthFloorMannequin
iTunes: any day now 

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask? 
This debut EP was brought to you by a love of classic sci-fi combined with my 11-day coma...long story. Thanks.

Nanaki release Afterlight EP

POSTCODE  guitarist Mikie Daugherty has put on his Nanaki hat and released the EP Afterlight on Small Bear Records.

The five tracks were recorded last autumn while Postcode was regrouping with a new drummer.

Mikie explained: "Back in the early-to-mid part of the last decade Nanaki was an instrumental post-rock-type band based on the Isle of Man, at a time that such a thing was not really deemed socially acceptable in the local scene.  

"Known for our intense performances and excessive volume, Nanaki only released one album in its lifetime, the exceedingly limited-edition Fashion Is The Enemy Of All Art, back in The Summer Of Rock, 2003.  That record predated the existence of Nanaki as a full band, having been written and recorded by myself and, on some songs, bassist Emma Ryan before the addition of extra personnel to the line-up."

The new EP was recorded in a similar manner, with all instrumentation being handled by Mikie, with no intention to return to live performance with other musicians. 

He added: "Perhaps less obviously post-rock than the live band had been, Afterlight also sees Nanaki explore new areas, including experimentation with tempo changes and, in Saint Alessa, a 'concept' piece of sorts."

You can check out the EP below and the video for Regretfully, I Must Decline Your Invitation above.