An Interview with Dead Cities

Continuing the string of interviews I've posted with local musicians and bands about how they go about writing their songs I recently got the chance to interview Ryan Wyatt, bass player with the multi instrumentalist Liverpool Folk-Rock band Dead Cities.

So in the beginning, what made you want to write songs?

Nothing really, Martin had a few tunes and hadn’t played for a while so me and Oli started playing on top of them and they sounded pretty good so we carried on for 3 months or thereabouts before we realised we were a band.


Who influenced you as you began writing?

Probably Martin without sounding cheesy, just because he had these songs lying about and me and Oli just threw anything over them we thought we could add.  After a while when we started doing songs from scratch with each other, I think it was obvious that people like Neil Young has an influence on us as a band and Led Zeppelin for me are always going to influence ideas I come up with.  The Beatles too and anything more contemporary we listen to as a whole together – Wild Beasts, Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes – there’s a lot of stuff in there.



So how did you all come together as a band?

I already knew both Oli and Martin, and they had played together in The Alterkicks. I had been playing in a few different bands around the same time, as well as my flat being in the same building as Oli’s, so it just kind of happened by accident really. Me and Oli had played in a few bands together already before Dead Cities, and as we lived in the same building as each other, and with Oli’s bedroom becoming a kind of local rehearsal room for bands we played in it, seemed the obvious choice for Martin to use me and Oli as the rhythm section.

Where did the name “Dead Cities” come from?

Martin had come up with a joke name which we would refer to ourselves as but when we realised we were turning into a band we just chose the name “Dead Cities” from a song title we had.  We managed to cut out all of the stresses involved in naming a band which is usually the biggest pain in the arse when starting a new project.


What would you say inspires you when you all write?

Wouldn’t be able to say to be honest as it can come from a film, book, concert you have been to, a noise you hear. For me I don’t really write as much as I usually help arrange or come up with melodies on top of existing chord structures so it is usually just something you think will add to a song for me.


You all play various instruments (live) but what’s you’re individual instrument of choice?

It would definitely be the bass as that is what I have played for 10 years in different bands and when people ask me to play with them it is usually to play bass. It’s the one instrument I feel completely comfortable on and never feel out of my depth on it. Since staring Dead Cities I have taken a real shine to the ukulele and find myself playing it everyday

Old Man (Live)

When you come to write a song do you find you always approach it in a similar way? Or do you have a formula as a band? (Do you write the songs as a band or do you write the lyrics and then approach the music as a band?)

It can work in different ways really.  Most of the time Martin will come in with a chord sequence and a melody and me and Oli will add what we think suits the song. It can result in me changing around different instruments to see what fits and Oli doing the same, then if we feel a song needs a change in direction or needs added sections one of us will usually come up with the idea of where to take it and it usually works without anyone thinking differently.  Sometimes we will literarily just write a song on the spot or in the studio and just take it there and then.


You grew from an acoustic band but have been branching out introducing other instruments, where do you see your musical direction going next?

Don’t have a clue and I would think that none of us do. We work on songs together and if they sound right they are in and if they don’t they will be put aside and we will work on something different. We might have 3 that we are working on all with different instrumentation that will sound like us but don’t sound alike so I think the sound always changes but can so easily come back to what it was we were doing at the start.  It’s all about how the song we are working on at the time feels. If it needs to be big it will end up big but if it needs to be soft it will be soft so I don’t think we ever have an idea of what the next track we work on will sound like.

What music are you all into at the moment?

I am into blues and have been for years and that is mostly what I listen to but I find I end up listening to a lot of music I hear friends playing or even listening to friends’ bands that I really look up to. At this very moment though it is The Movie Soundtrack to The Last Waltz by The Band which I just managed to get hold of at a record fair so that will probably be on my record player for the next month.


How would you describe your music, genre wise?

I wouldn’t know how to describe it really. If you say Folk people will expect Folk if you say Indie people will expect Indie and if you say Pop people will expect Pop I just say it’s a bunch of songs where we pass instruments about and try and create different sounding songs with just the three of us.


What's coming up in the summer? Recording?  Gigs?

I would imagine we will be going out and gigging over the summer as well as writing and looking at getting together more recordings for an album we hope to release this year. Unfortunately with being unsigned and some members working jobs and some unemployed the summer isn’t much different then other times of the year so you find you still push on and work as hard as any other time of the year. We have gigs starting to come in with Liverpool Sound City and one or two festivals so we will see what comes in and where they take us but in the mean time I suppose we will still just be writing, recording and drinking all of Oli’s tea and eating all of his digestive’s he tries to hide from us.

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You can find out more about Dead Cities and check out some of their music at: myspace.com/deadcitiesband

Interview with Shane Beales

Liverpool based Singer-Song writer Shane Beales has just released his 4th EP Heavy Clouds describing it as "honest melodic music".  He released the EP for free, and recently played a set for BBC Radio Merseyside. In 2006 he began Project52 which saw him write, record and release a song a week for a year and Muzikreviews.com described him as ‘Quite the up and coming artist’. In this interview I asked him about how he went about writing the EP and what spared him on. 

So in the beginning, what made you want to write songs?

I grew up in a musical family and everyone was writing their own songs so as youngest child, it just seemed the thing you did when you were old enough!

Who influenced you as you began writing?

I used to live in Melbourne and there is a folk pop band called “My friend the chocolate cake” and their lead singer David Bridie was a huge influence when I first started. Simple piano songs – beautiful!  Also Radiohead, Ben Folds and Dave Matthews band plus of course, Jeff Buckley.

What do you say your muse is, what inspires you when you write?

I am inspired singing about hope, change and being confrontational! (hope I don’t sound too much like a politician.)

What’s you’re instrument of choice parts of ‘Heavy Clouds’ seem piano led, while other tracks are definitely guitar led?

Both I guess – quiet and loud! Most of my songs lend themselves to either one or the other, though I used to happily play piano for hours on end without getting blisters, which is more than I can say for the guitar.

When you come to write a song do you find you always approach it in a similar way? Do you have a formula?

My only formula is to trust my instincts, I tend to write quite quickly and later rue all of my mistakes!

Do you find your approach to writing a song like ‘Across the Sea’ differs from writing a song like Crunch?

Yes  - the lyrics for across the seas were very much tied in with the music from the beginning – whereas I had the idea for The Crunch initially just instrumentally and had to find some lyrics just in the nick of time before it was time to record the vocals.

You released ‘Heavy Clouds’ as a free download, why did you do this?  Do you think artists should have to give away there music for free?

I released it as free download for promotional purposes to reach new listeners and also to question what monetary value music deserves. Why is 79p a track is the right price for a download or £10 for a CD?  

Do you think it’s a necessity with how today’s music industry works? I don’t believe it’s absolutely necessary to give music away for free, it should be a decision made on the merits of each project. I would hope people don’t feel that they are forced to give music away.

Your new album ‘Heavy Clouds’ is available now, what can listeners expect from the EP?

Heavy, sometimes musically, sometimes lyrically, confrontational and ultimately uplifting. With a variety of sounds and entry points…

How would you describe your music, genre wise?  Your latest release, Heavy Clouds, seems quite rocky.

Alternative singer-songwriter I guess, It’s honest melodic music from the heart. Sometimes aggressive, sometimes gentle, always sincere.

What's coming up for you, any gigs or recording?

In August I’m moving to London, promoting Heavy Clouds EP and preparing for an album is next. Also playing with my wonderful band!

You can download Heavy Clouds for free at Heavy Clouds.com, You can also find out more about Shane on his Myspace and Site.  Heavy Clouds is also being sold as a Remastered Limited Edition on CD with super artwork for £9)

Seth Lakeman at the Liverpool Urban Centre, 7/4/10

When I was asked if I’d like to review Seth Lakeman’s gig at the Liverpool Contemporary Arts Centre I jumped at the chance, having heard of the Mercury Prize nominated Folk Singer, but never getting the chance to listen his music I was interested to finally hear him.  I hadn’t heard his music before so I checked out his albums before the show, I’d like to be able to say I was impressed.  Even more so I’d like to be able to say my opinion was changed by his performance.  But I can’t.  When listening to his albums it struck me that something was missing.  I couldn’t put my finger on it.  But having stood just 5 feet from him during his set I realised what it was that was missing.  While he played a confident set with varied material I felt throughout the set that there was a spark missing that let the songs down.

Guy infront of me at the gig in a stupid hat.

The evening began with support acts that were comfortably similar to the headliners style  with The Kevin Critchley Outfit playing in a similar vein to Lakeman’s own brand of slightly rocky English folk.  They opened with an energetic set, with songs from their debut album Scars. With a depleted band, just guitar, violin & cello instead of their normal 5 piece the KCO performed a confident set, engaging and joking with the crowd between songs. They were followed by Dan Donnelly who played a solo set accompanied only by his loop pedal, which he used to create his own backing using the body of his guitar for percussion and layering several guitar parts up to create songs like ‘Cigarette’ and ‘Diamonds in the Road’.

I went for a sit down at the back half way through

Lakeman’s set began with a track, ‘The Hurlers’, from his current album Poor Man's Heaven.  He then announced that he was releasing his next album Hearts and Minds on June 14th before playing the title track. He played several more new tracks during the rest of the evening.  Throughout his set Lakeman switched between violin and guitar and while I felt he lacked a certain spark of conviction in his voice his fiddle playing made up for this. He was ably supported by his band and while his particular brand of contemporary English folk may not be my cup of tea, I can easily appreciate its appeal to so many of his fans.  His songs are well crafted and he and his band played a dynamic set, changing the tempo of the evening several times, slowing the mood right down only to bring things to a peak announcing ‘I hope you don’t mind another hoedown’ and ending the set with ‘Poor Man’s Heaven’ before returning for an encore with an up tempo ‘Race To Be King’.
While Seth Lakeman might not be to my taste he was certainly interesting to watch live and he kept his audience’s captivated throughout.

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This review was written for liverpoolacoustic.co.uk

LiverpoolAcoustic.co.uk

My interviews with musicians and singer songwriters can now also be found at LiverpoolAcoustic.co.uk at the moment my most recent interview with Rachael Dunn can be found here.

Liverpool Acoustic is a brilliant central resource for anyone interested in acoustic music in the Liverpool & Greater Merseyside.  I originally found out about the site while looking for gigs for my band CGW last year.  The site has a comprehensive diary of open mic nights, gigs and festivals happening in and around Liverpool, well worth a look if you're a musician or not!  

 

An Interview with Rachael Dunn

For this years first interview I was lucky enough to speak with Rachael Dunn, a north-west singer-songwriter who the Liverpool Echo described as having "warm, sweet, intoxicating vocals and gorgeous insightful songs."  Having performed on BBC Radio Merseyside her music has also been aired by several American radio stations.  Rachael's next album 'Alpha Ghost' is slated for a Febuary release.

You’ve become part of the Liverpool acoustic scene within the last few years what made you want to perform live?
My first live gig was May 2008 at 'The Mocha lounge' with encouragement from local poet and writer Amanda de Angeles I decided to share my music, Prior to that the idea of getting up in front of people scared me to death, and although my first live experience was nerve wracking and scary, I felt such a buzz and rush of adrenaline, overcoming fear can give you a real sense of achievement.

What drove you to write your music?
Being born into a very musical and artistic family was the driving force that lead me to be creative on many levels.  Visual art was my first choice of expression but I had an underlying fling with music, it's something I picked up and put down many times throughout my life. In March 2007 I found myself becoming more drawn towards music and after polishing up and improving my guitar skills the song writing started to flow.

Which artists/bands influenced you as you began to write? Would you say these people still influence your music?
I grew up listening to Kate Bush, Clannad, Japan and David Sylvian, my brother who is five years older, certainly influenced my musical ear. I’ve always had very eclectic taste and love 50's and 60's harmony bands like Dion and The Belmonts and The Everly Brothers. When it comes to my own style of music I think melody and harmonies are very important.

What inspires you to write?
My inspiration to write can be triggered by many things, all the things life throws at you, weather positive or negative I try to put a reflective or spiritual slant on what I’m writing about, rather than bitterness, pain or blame. I’m inspired visually by the beauty of nature and also the harsh contrast of the changing seasons.

How do you approach song writing, do you find it is different each time or do you have a formula that you stick to?
Generally I start with a theme or idea of what the song is about then I try to seek out the music on my guitar, after I have a melody I'll write lyrics and the song comes to life sometimes instantly other times more slowly over a matter of days or even weeks.

Which songs do you wish you could have written?
To me songwriting or any creative expression is so personal and individual that I never really wish I had written someone else’s songs. Although we all aspire and are appreciative of great music, your own songs are a little piece of you and you cannot be someone else.

A lot of musicians struggle or are reluctant to categorise their music what genre would you place your music in?
Everyone will have a different opinion so its difficult to pin down what my style is but if forced to categorise I would say Folk/acoustic organic and natural. Although with any genre of music you either like it or you don’t.

Are you writing at the moment?
I’m writing with musician and producer Alex Dun ford on various songs, for my forthcoming album 'Alpha Ghost' that I'm releasing at the end of February all being well.

What's coming up for you, any gigs or recording?
My next gig is on 26th Feb. The Folk Upstairs @ The Zanzibar and my album 'Alpha Ghost' will be available from the end of February and all the details will be on www.myspace.com/rachaelveronicadunn

An Interview with Rob Clarke.

Rob Clarke is a Liverpool based singer/songwriter his new album 'Portraits' is out next year. His work has an honest tone and quality which makes his finely crafted music all the more listenable. The Liverpool Echo has praised his work as being "memorable songs that... evoke the spirit of Liverpool." Rob spoke to me about his upcoming album and about how he goes about writing.



So in the beginning, what made you want to write your own songs?

I was listening to Gimme Shelter by the Stones - had it on downstairs loud enough I could hear it upstairs in the bath- I knew some other people who played guitar so I’d thought I'd leave that to them – didn’t want to follow the herd so to speak – but then it just suddenly struck me I was prepared to do whatever it took or spend any amount of time to play guitar even a bit, even just a few notes or chords...

Who influenced you as you began writing? Do these people still influence you?

From there I always wanted to write songs, everyone that I admired did that and it became the biggest part of it almost straight away – I was trying to write songs before I could play to any standard at all really and I soon found that was pretty much the best part. Have you read Shakey?(The biography of Neil Young by Jimmy McDonough) To me if I’m not sure about something I always try to think what Dylan or Neil Young would do – and if that doesn’t work I think what the Beatles or Stones might do – so they pretty much cover if for me.

Your song Long Way north, has some strong imagery, it reminds me of early Bob Dylan, would you say Dylan is one of your influences?

Yes, a friend of mine offered to get me a copy of North Country Girl when I said I’d heard it ages ago and was trying to remember it but he took a long time to give it to me – after a while I thought it must be easy to play from my memory of it – it didn’t occur to me to get it off the Internet for some reason – anyway in doing that I ended up doing my own type of version, thought that would be more productive.

So that’s how it happened – it was that and also playing in folk clubs where a lot of the songs people sing have narratives to them so I’ve also been influenced by that sometimes as well. Funny though when I play it very few people seem to pick up on how similar it is structurally...



What’s you’re instrument of choice?

Guitar is good, also piano although it sometimes seems more difficult to write on...

What would you say your muse is, what inspires you when you write?

Songs are all around but in saying that they can be easy or difficult to find depending on your state of mind. I think you can write about absolutely anything, anything that’s happened domestically or socially, people you come into contact with and especially things or events that go on in the world or where you live – I’m surprised really that more people don’t write songs about some of the big things that actually happen in the world for good or bad – maybe that’s a part of 'dumbing down'? John Lennon or Dylan weren’t afraid to write songs about real subjects... so what’s to fear? To me a song is basically just your own point of view about something - the judgement about how good or bad it is for later...

Once you get in the zone you can write about anything really – the ideas are all around but once you come out of the zone it can be difficult to see that – Recording and rehearsing can break the flow because you almost inevitably get into a different mindset...what does that tell you – stop rehearsing and recording!

Your song North to West, from you’re forth coming album, is just you and a piano do you favour a stripped back sound?

Yes very much – I like real sounding things but then again I like electric guitar as well so I want to do that ASAP as well...

How do you approach song writing, do you find it is different each time or do you have a formula?

No formulas for me anyway but wouldn’t rule anything out -instinct is probably better though...

You have a new album coming out soon called Portraits, what's the album have in store for listeners?

Ten stripped down acoustic portraits of people and in some cases animals... so if that’s your bag this one’s really for you! The publicity for it will say something like ‘Or an artist, two footballers and a hedgehog’.

How would you describe your music, genre wise? A lot of musicians struggle or are reluctant to categorise their music.

I’m trying to make it timeless I think.


Rob's new album 'Portraits' is scheduled for release on the 28th of February, you can find Rob's critically acclaimed previous album 'Long way North' available to buy on his myspace page here. Also on his myspace you can find his upcoming double A-side single, 'End of the End/Tracey Emins Blues' due to be released in early February.