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March  ’13              FREE              #3    

WHAT’S IN INTAMISSION

INTAMISSION MUSIC

suff records Interview

pure love interview

interview with dark nebula

dark nebula

techstravaganza

wullae wright interview

reviews

Alright guys! Ready for issue #3? The March edition! Well you better be because we've got on hell of a treat for you. We teamed up with the guys at Dark Nebula Promotions on this one as we joined them at their first ever TECHSTRAVAGANZA, where

we got loads of sick shots and interviews with all the bands from Colibra to Ashes of Validia to Screaming hard rockers ORION! Now Dark Nebula may be the main feature in the mag but we have another biggie.... with FRANK CARTER OF PURE LOVE! what it is you'll have to wait and see! As well as all of that we've still got sick reviews and interviews from the unsigned world of music! So grab a pew, pop in a pop tart and chill out with us for a bit!

SUFF RECORDS INTERVIEW So  why  a  record  Label?  I’ve  always  fancied  doing  it  but  never  really  got  round   to   it   or   discovered   the   right   people   to  sign.  A  couple  of  people  from  my  town  blew  me  away   on   so   many   occasions   that   I   thought   it  was  time  they  got  signed,  so  I  jumped  in.    Why  Suff  Records?  My  recording  studio  used  to  be  in  a  town  called  ‘Sough’   and   I   give   the   studio   an   alternative  spelling  (Suff  Studio).  I’m  now  based  in  Trawden  but  the  name  stuck.  It  seemed  natural  to  name  the  record  label  after  my  studio.    Why  do  you  feel  being  an  independent  label  is  so  important?  I   can   allow   for   more   artistic   freedom   without  worrying  too  much  about  whether   it’s  going   to  be  a  number  one  hit   record.  Being  on  my  own  means   it’s   only   my   own   soul   I   have   to   sell   if  things  don’t  work  out  as  I  hope  they  will.    What  type  of  genres  will  you  be  accepting  as  a  record  label?  My  music  tastes  range  from  sweet  folky  pop  to  death  metal  but  the  record  label  will  mostly  be  looking  for  stuff  that   is  fairly  accessible.   I  don’t  really  plan  on  having  a  niche.    Does  your  studio  cater  for  all  genres?  Absolutely.  I’ve  had  everything  from  male  voice  choirs  right  through  to  thrash  metal.    What   are   the   biggest   bands   that   have   used  your  studio?  I  have  had  some  really  great  talent  in  my  studio.  ‘Emmott   &   The   Folkestra   are   starting   to   do  really  well  on  the  underground  folk  scene  and  I  expect   big   things   for   them   in   the   future.  Most  of  the  bands  I  have  had  are  all  relatively  new  so  ask  me  that  question  again  in  the  future!    

Have   any   of   the   bands   that   have   any   of   your  facilities   ever   inspired   you   to   start   making  music?  Inspiration  can  be  taken  from  all  music  whether  it’s  good  or  bad.    What’s  the  aim  with  the  label?  To   create,   release   and   press   some   great  records.  To  get   them  on  the  radio,  get   them  in  magazines   and   newspapers,   get   them   on   your  stereo  and  ideally  get  them  overseas.    Have  you   got   any  bands   lined   up?  –   If   so   can  you  give  us  any  names?  I   can   currently   confirm   ‘J-­‐Bear   and  The  Giants’  who  are  a  new  school  breed  of  blues-­‐rock  and  Choir  of  Cubs  which  is  my  own  indie-­‐electronica  project.   I   have   another   person   who   I   am  currently  in  talks  with  and  another  2  who  I  have  in  mind  (and  I  think  they  have  read  my  mind).      

Contact  Suff  Records  Twitter:       www.twitter.com/SuffStudio  Facebook:                  www.facebook.com/suffstudio  Website:          www.suffstudio.co.uk      

PURE LOVE INTERVIEW

How   did   you   come   up   with   the   name   ‘Pure  Love’?  It  came  from  the  song  Sapphire  Bullets  of  Pure  Love  by  the  Mahavishnu  Orchestra.      Are  you  looking  forward  to  your  tour  with  Pure  Love?  Yes.    It's  almost  done  at  this  point  but  it's  been  nothing  short  of  amazing.        What  song  is  your  favourite  to  play  live?  The   set   can   be   somewhat   of   a   blur   and   my  favourite  songs  change  from  night  to  night  but  I  think  the  song  Anthem  is  always  a  stand  out  for  me.     If   I'm   having   an   off   night   it   can   always  inject  that  energy  and  emotion  that's  needed  to  finish  the  show  strong.        Is   there   anything   in   your   career   you   have   yet  to  achieve  that  you  would  love  to?  There   is   plenty   that   I've   yet   to   achieve.     You  

You  always  need  to  place  goals  in  front  of  you  or  else  you'll  never  improve.        What  5   things  do  you  want   to  do  this   year?   If  any!  I  will  need  to  do  an  endless  amount  of  things  to  top  last  year  so  I  plan  on  doing  that.    Things  are  looking  good  so  far.        Favourite  songs  of  2013  so  far?  I'm   listening   to   the  new  Nick  Cave  and  the  Bad  Seeds  record  as  I  type  this  and  it's  very  inspiring.        Do  you  listen  to  unsigned  bands?  If  so  who  do  you  think  we  should  watch  out  for?  Yes.    There's  a  great  band   from  Brooklyn  called  Workout.     They're   one   big   rock   n'   roll   party.    Also,   some   friends   and   former   band   mates   of  mine   from   Boston   called   J/Q.     They   run   the  gamut   of   punk   inspired   power   pop   to   total  Prince-­‐worship  creeper  anthems.        Where’s  the  oddest  place  you’ve  gigged?  With   Pure   Love:   A   Russian   Government  sponsored  Olympic  party.    Weird  vibes.      With   a   former   band:   A   street   corner   in   the  Mission  District  of  San  Francisco.        What   does   Pure   Love   have   that   other   bands  don’t?  Frank  and  I.                          Interviewer:  Sofee  Bryan  

Dark Nebula Promotions Techstravaganza

On the 24th of February Manchester Retro Bar played host to Dark Nebula Promotions FIRST EVER Techstravaganza! An event that saw four bands kick ass and melt faces, but first we had a chat with Paulo and Ryan the guys behind Dark Nebula Promotions and asked what the deal was and what they are about.

So why a promotions company? We are both huge fans of live music and have been frustrated that a lot of UK bands we love would rarely play gigs any further north than Milton Keynes. When we were presented with the opportunity to organise the Manchester UK Tech Fest all-dayer, setting up a promotions company seemed like the next logical step. Now we can bring the bands we love to us! Why the name Dark Nebula Promotions? At the time we were trying to come up with a name that was memorable but also suited the vibe of progressive & technical metal. We ran through a lot of ideas but when my (Paulo's) girlfriend Suzie suggested it we knew it was the right one. Most importantly we get to use cool space pictures on our artwork!! What was your initial goal with the project? As I touched upon earlier our initial goal was simply to organise a one-off all-day concert in association with the UK Tech Fest. However, this has organically grown into something with a much wider scope. We figured, why should we only put on one show when we can put on as many as we want? It seems that you focus on a certain genre of music, is this the case? You could say that yes, but the beauty of technical and especially progressive metal is that it already incorporates elements from other genres as diverse as jazz and black metal. We aren't too concerned with genre  

labels though, as long as we like the music! Our next show will actually be quite ambient and relaxing, in contrast to our first few shows, and will feature In Colour and Those City Lights.  You're based in the North West, would you branch out further? I don't see that happening to be honest. There are some great metal promoters around the UK already that are putting on amazing shows at affordable prices. However, Manchester seems to be sorely lacking in good quality yet reasonably priced metal gigs! What bands are you guys into? (signed and unsigned)

Dark Nebula Promotions Techstravaganza

Paulo: I'll generally listen to anything with a combination of guitars and talent in it but I love bands that can do something a bit different; Tool, Mars Volta & Opeth to name a few and then there's the heavier side of me that loves the likes of Anaal Nathrakh, Ted Maul & Pig Destroyer. Regarding unsigned bands, I would have to give a shout-out to The Colour Line! Those guys really work really hard and bring so much commitment to their live sets!

Ryan: Obviously I’m a huge fan of the more recent end of the Tech/Prog metal scene, especially in the UK, as well as a little hardcore if I'm in the mood. Bands like FellSilent, SikTh, The Chariot, The Contortionist, etc have all massively influenced me as a musician. I'm also a fan of a lot of electro music; if it’s labelled as IDM then I'll usually enjoy it! Any bands that obviously put a lot of effort and talent into their music, I'll at the very least respect. What bands are you excited about having in the future? We have some big shows coming up!! Our next show on the 16th of March at Satan's Hollow features In Colour. We are big fans of these guys; from Dan Tomkins' work in Tesseract and Skyharbour to Dan Weller's guitar work in SikTh and his production work for the likes of Malefice and Enter Shikari, these guys ooze class and talent. I think a few people might be surprised by how different their sound is compared to what they are perhaps best known for! After that we have the much anticipated UK Tech Fest Manchester all-dayer on the 27th of April at Dry Live with some huge acts playing such as Manchester's very own riff-wizards Aliases (featuring Graham "Pin" Pinney formerly of SikTh) and the haywire fusion of electronic & metal that is The Algorithm, fresh off the back of their

announcement to play this year's Download festival! What was the idea behind Techstravaganza? The original idea was to think up a catchy name for our events. You should have seen some of the hilarious suggestions we came up with! We settled on this name in the end as it represents what we are all about: celebrating technical metal! TECHSTRAVAGANZA!! What bands did it for you at Techstravaganza? Paulo: I was incredibly impressed with all the bands. Obviously I have seen Orion (Ryan's band) many times now so I know all about their insane talents. I've known a couple of the guys in Colibra since my university days and I was really happy to finally see them playing live and tearing it up! Echonic's complexity of composition was a real joy to watch in a live setting and Ashes of Validia's alternating thrash/groove vibe was mesmerising. The show was a real success and serves as evidence of the huge potential that the Manchester music scene holds! Ryan: Again, I'm with Paulo, every band on the bill was great and we had a crowd to suit! Personally it was the first time I’d seen any of the other bands perform and they all blew me away. From the point of view of my own band we received an amazing response from the crowd and had a genuinely great time on stage. It was a successful night all round and we can’t wait for Techstravaganza round 2 on the 24th of March! Will we be seeing bigger projects from Dark Nebula like a record company or something similar? Absolutely you will!! We have been working to establish ourselves as promoters and now after months of hard work we are starting to see that paying off. We have some big plans to expand Dark Nebula, but without giving too much away at this stage, all we can say is that it will be HUGE!

COLIBRA Hard Rock Five piece COLIBRA have been In the process of completing their Debut EP which is set to be ground breaking if their set at Dark Nebulas TECHSTRAVAGANZA is anything to go by, before they hit the stage I had a chat with the guys to hear what they had to say! Are you excited for tonight? - Excited, it’s the first show of the year! [Matt] - Been a long time since we’ve played here. 2002 I think Matt and me had a band that played here. [Tom] What bands are looking forward to see tonight? - Ashes of Validia, they’re pretty cool. And Orion should be pretty good as well. I don’t really know the other bands; I’m just excited to see everybody really. Cool night all round. I hear you are recording a new EP, how’s that going? - Yeah yeah pretty good, we’ve got the last little bit of drum tracking to give a tweak and then starting the bass tracking and the guitar tracking just a long hard boring tedious job. - We have 6 songs already written it’s just the case of retracking in the studio with our producer. We’ve been in production for past few months. You have a song called ‘Backlash’ is it going to stay a demo, or are we going to see it on the EP? - Nah it will be on the EP, it’s actually going to be proper recorded. - So yeah we put two tracks online and there’s four more that we haven’t released yet. Are you playing backlash tonight? - Yep, we are playing 5 out of the 6 tracks tonight, aren’t we? One last questions before I let you go, what do you do before you get on stage before a gig? - Lots of drinks like beer. - Save as much energy as we can before we get up on stage - Tescos sugar free energy drink, it’s like 37p!  

LIVE REVIEW Kicking off the night as Dark Nebula always does with an enormous band that kicks ass, which come in the form of monster rockers Colibra! Now even though the set started off quite a bit awkwardly by having the guys basically going right we're here to kick your ass please step forward and receive it and boy did they. The guys sound is a thing of beauty, something that I've been looking for in a new band for quite some time playing all of their tracks off their up and coming soon to be released EP which if I have my way I will be buying, I owe it to myself. As the set moved on so did the confidence of the band and indeed the energy which matched their incredible sound playing songs like 'Righteous Son' and new release 'Backlash' both of which offered a slightly different side to the band, 'Righteous Son' being a funky number that should glimmers of Rage Against the Machine with a sprinkle of Stone Sour sparking out huge crunchy guitar driven, solo based beast like tunes that featured a slapped bass adding the funk to this full on heavy rock field of fury killing the night, but I do think that they should be on a bigger stage in a bigger spot but if this was a contest to see who the best band was then they'd be a hard act to follow.

Contact Colibra www.colibramusic.com

ASHES OF VALIDIA

Are you looking forward to the gig tonight? - Oh yes! It’s a long time coming! What bands are looking forward to seeing tonight? - Particularly Colibra! - And Orion, I listened to them in sound check and they are sounding pretty good. Where does the name ashes of validia come from? - Well originally I wanted something short and sweet, just one word, and everything I could think of was already taken and I wanted something original so that when people came to search it online all they would get was us, so eventually I looked at some Latin words and I found the word Validius, which means strong, brave and basically I came up with Ashes of Validia from there. You’re in the process of making a new album, how’s it coming along? And are you going to be playing some of that Material tonight? - Yeah all the material we’re playing tonight is brand new, this is our first gig no one’s heard anything its all-new material. What have you been doing tonight to get yourself ready for the gig? - Well we had a practise last night to make sure we were tight, we’ve been pretty much more or less today staying focused, you know like keeping yourself level headed and make sure that your right more and anything and if you’re ready, if you’re not ready there’s no point in doing a gig so I think that’s the most important thing really. So kind of like history in the making really? - Well yeah I mean this guys been trying to do it for three years (points to Schofe) so yeah a long time coming this gig.

LIVE REVIEW Next on the bill is a big one indeed because not only were they the second band on but the packed house at the Retro Bar were about to witness history in the making as Ashes of Validia took to the stage for their first ever gig, THREE YEARS in the making! So of course having interviewed them before hand I was instantly excited to hear what they sounded like but whilst knowing this was their first gig the thought crossed my mind of "I wonder if they'll make any mistakes?" You know with the riffs and everything, maybe they'll forget a song or hit a bum note but no the mistake came from our good friend, the evil villain that is technology! That's right the Ice queen had to peak her head through the door and messed with things this time it was with the wireless that had an effect on one of the amps leaving every one even the band gutted because of how much of an important night it was for them, I mean three years in the making you want to know if its all been worth it and my god were they as soon as they got things working the band came into their own and destroyed the stage making the venue and the people inside there. The bands bitch blasting out fast paced, melodic masterpieces that if it was a painting you would of expected it to be one of Picasso’s, seriously whilst watching them live I could picture myself in a car flying down the motor blasting out some Ashes of Validia with the windows down just to make the Experience that more bad ass, you would never of believed that this was their first ever gig together they were like an extremely well oiled machine I can't wait to see them again live. Contact Ashes Of Validia

www.facebook.com/AOVUK

Ashes of Validia have been a mystery in the music industry for quite awhile with their sound yet to be heard. The Violent screams and Melodic fast paced riffs were yet to be unleashed up the world until the 24th of February that is where the Aggressive Rock 5 piece took to the stage for the first time ever, we had a chat with them before hand this is what they had to say!  

ECHONIC Are you excited to play tonight? - Yeah! We’ve been wanting to get back into gigging for a bit, we’ve been on the side lines of gigging for a few years while we have been doing our uni bits and pieces. Exciting stuff, first gig back together! Back together? - Yeah we had a different drum and basses back in college. You’re working on a new album, how’s it sounding? - It’s sounding great at the moment, we’ve got drum tracks for it now, we are waiting to record bass, we need to record vocals and bits, it’s going really well! Are you going to playing any new stuff tonight? - Yes we are! - Only one of our old songs is sneaking in tonight! Which is unconceivable, we change it up to bring it up to date. What bands are you most looking forward to see tonight? - It will be pretty cool to see Orion, they seem like good guys. What do you guys do before a gig to get you psyched up? - Have a full English breakfast this morning, haha. - And do nothing for the rest of the day, until we get told on what to do! - I make sure my hands are warm. - Strict sort of no practising on the day policy!

LIVE REVIEW Ok so bring on the support act all the way from Manchester (and Preston) we have Echonic, a slightly lighter sound compared to the other bands on the line up but this as well was their first ever gig this year so lets see what goes wrong here! There were some technical troubles at the beginning but nothing too major so they got let off with that. Their set was very energetic and well put together with extremely powerful instrumental sections that made the songs extend by at least another ten mins now they were quite breath taking if I had to describe the set though it would be a super extended version of the Shinedown Classic 'Lady So Devine' which is an extremely powerfully melodic song that I for one can't get enough of but my only gripe is that the power seems to stop completely when it came to the versus which is quite a shame because I could listen to their powerful stuff all day but its their first gig and they have ages to perfect them selves but great set non the less.

Contact Echonic www.echonic.co.uk

Echonic stem from the mighty mountains of Manchester! Where they have gathered week in week out to perfect their master craft, which they were set to unveil to 2013! But before this we had a chat to the guys!

ORION Are you excited about headlining? - Yeah I’m looking forward to it. - It’s the first techstravaganza put on by mine and Paulo Bodriguez promotional company, Dark Nebula Promotions check us out! How does it feel being part of a band and a promotions company? - Pretty good actually, it’s a pretty columnist perception that promoters are nice people, so being kinda from a band background we know how bands want to be treated. A lot of people look at it like a business and get a lot of people coming, but we feel that we are quite nice people as well as good business people. What’s it like having Ryan as part of Dark Nebula? - Personally I’m the drummer so I don’t get told a lot, erm.. no it’s good so it gives us a chance to get more gigs and stuff like that, it’s useful in that respect. You released an album in December of last year, what song has the best crowd response? - ‘Epiphany’ I’d say that last breakdown of Epiphany is the usually one of them ones where we give the people what they want! - And defiantly ‘The Lucifer Experiment’. What other bands are you excited to see tonight? - All of them, as I sort of know them all! - But no we are excited for all them! What do you do before you get yourselves hyped up for a gig? - Watch live videos of the ‘Chariot’! - Well there’s Guinness for one! - But no we don’t really have a way, we kinda go on there and see how things go really, we just get up and play, it depends on the type of crowd we get. If the crowd reactions, if the crowds a good atmosphere then that helps, but if they are just stood there with hands in pockets stood at the back, it kind of kills it.

LIVE REVIEW Right here we are at the last band of the evening, every bodies nicely beaten up due to the loud gut busting tunes that have taken over them this evening but before all that ends Orion need to take the stage and dominate the surroundings with some head banging melodic compositions that were in attendance loud and proud tonight causing arm scattering mosh pits that some of the band members did cause, throwing them selves into some of the audience! Oh my god how could they!? It's rock music love shut ya mouth if you didn't like it.... Tough shit you’re here now, If the band wasn't starting mosh pits and making heads roll well then they would be all over the place I remember looking around and finding one of the guitarists flying past me during the bands huge instrumental which was sick by the way! The guys really did show why they should be headlining, in fact all the bands did. Dark Nebula Promotions hosted Techstravaganza on the 24th of February, some of the bands were new, some old but one thing is for sure the footprint that all the bands left at the Retro Bar that night will last a life time.

Contact Orion www.facebook.com/OrionOfficial

Melodic Guitar work, heavy vocals and enough power and energy to propel a jumbo jet down the run way Orion Headlined at Dark Nebulas first ever Techstravaganza and planted more than a cosmic foot print in Manchester's ass they took that place into orbit, we had a chance to talk to the lads before they took to stage!

WULLAE WRIGHT INTERVIEW

So how's 2013 shaping up for you then? 2013 has been an absolutely brilliant year so far for my music. 2012 ended so well that my aim was to just keep pushing for more opportunities this year. I have been given so many amazing opportunities by so many great people including musicians, bands, bloggers, radio DJs and promoters. Examples this year are, being featured on two compilations so far: '1st Renaissance' by Red Dragon Records with my song UFO, and 'Individual Volume. 2' by Hourglass Recordings with my song Red Bridge. I have had numerous songs aired on over 20 radio stations around the world including in South and North America. I have been in the top five for the last two months in Ralph's Life Music Blog: Top Ten Blogged Band Chart; and had my song Roadtrippin' reach number 20 in a Rock Chart. I have been featured on two other musicians songs, and had my song 'A Story of a Wall' remixed by Electronic-Dance musician Carmine. I have had my song UFO featured on Straight to your Head Podcast on iTunes, and I am the featured Artist of the Week on Supafi64 Podcasts. I have also had numerous reviews done by different music bloggers. How would you describe your style of music? Largely my music centres around a traditional Acoustic/Indie/Rock set up; however I try to

develop new sounds whilst keeping my own style. In my first album 'AFTER. THE. RUSH. HOUR'S. GONE.' (2008) I aimed for a very traditional Indie Rock sound, with occasional dark atmospheric backdrop. Many of the songs are a simple guitar, drum and bass set up. My second album 'In Cloud Cuckooland' (2010) I regard as my best album. It is a dark Industrial Electronic Dance album combined with Rock and Acoustic sounds. 'Anonymous' (2011) is my third album, and is a 20-track mix of Hard Rock, Dance, Breakbeat and Dubstep. My fourth album 'Opus. 1' (2011) is simple an acoustic album. It was recorded over 2 days, and is what the songs sound like live. I also have two E.Ps: 'Overzealous Work ethic' (2011) of piano songs; and 'Under the Pyramids' (2011) a clean Electric collection of songs. What's your method of song writing? I don't have a structured method of song writing as such, it is more an emotive thing and is influenced by different factors. Sometimes I will write the lyrics and that can make me think of a whole world of sounds I want to create; at other times the music can inspire me to write the lyrics. Sometimes I already have themes and I research the area and write lyrics based on that; other times my songs are from my own experiences and so the subject matter and lyrics flow easily as with Red Bridge for example. It really just depends where I am, what is going on in my life, and my frame of mind at the time. You recently had to part ways with from FreakyPug Records, did you learn anything with your Experience with them? A decision that was incredibly difficult for me to make at the time. I hold Freaky Pug PR/Records in such high regard. They have a wonderful approach, not only music as a whole, but to every individual artist and band. They are incredibly professional, understanding of a band/musician's needs, and guides and helps them accordingly. Seeing this kind of commitment in a PR/Record company really gave me a lot of faith in these kinds of Independent Labels.

WULLAE WRIGHT INTERVIEW In my opinion, Freaky Pug PR/Records really are a one-of-a-kind label. You will not find nicer people than them anywhere in the independent music scene. They really identified and highlighted my strengths for me, and I am very thankful to them for that. They also gave me a confidence that I lacked before meeting them. I also now value my own music more highly since working with them. They really have contributed a huge amount to the development of me as a musician and my belief in my music. In summary, I have learned a lot from them and am incredibly thankful to them. What is it that spurs you on through your career? Over the years it has been different things, but currently it is other people. I have on many occasions asked myself if it is time to stop writing music. At the end of 2011 I considered stopping; however two musicians in particular encouraged me not to. Carmine, an Electronic Dance Musician did a remix of my song 'Sleight of Hand' (from my Under the Pyramids E.P) and believed I should not stop. The biggest encouragement came from my friend and musician Stuart Carroll, who not only encouraged me to keep writing but helped me believe that I could write my new album 'The Orange Line'. I wrote the song UFO in 1999, and Stuart heard an old cassette recording I had of it and encouraged me to record a new version, saying the song was excellent. I may not have recorded this song or any of the others if it were not for his encouragement. Since then I have continued to write, record and produce my songs and new album. The comments and support from other people have given me such confidence, which was something I definitely lacked. The continued support of others continues to drive me and my music, and I am extremely grateful to every single person who takes the time to listen to my music. Are you working on anything at the moment? 'The Orange Line'. I could, with the right means and time, finish the album very quickly.

I do not, however, have either of these currently, so the album is taking a while to come together. It is slow progress, but progress nonetheless. I have been told by a few people who have heard tracks from it, that it is shaping up to be my best album yet, which I hope it turns out to be. Do you prefer playing on your own or part of a band? I prefer writing, recording, and to some extent the gigging, better as a solo musician. When I write a song, I know what I expect for it. I have an idea of what I want the completed version to sound like. I enjoy that freedom, to explore the whole song as I see fit. I enjoy recording my music and producing it to the standard that suits me; and I enjoy gigging and playing the songs the way they were written, raw and bare. Really the only thing I miss about being in a band are the laughs you get, and being able to share the excitement of a good gig. What do you do to get hyped up before a gig? I suppose if I do anything that gets me hyped up, is chatting to my friends and people who have come to see me. That's the bit that makes the gig all worth while. Seeing people come and listen to me and my music. That gives me a lot of confidence and energy. I also tend to be a bit restless before a gig. I get so eager to go up on stage, especially if I feel I have a good setlist, my voice is feeling good, and the venue and crowd is perfect. I can get quite nervous, especially if I am performing new songs. Do you have any exciting plans for the rest of this year? This year is continuously exciting for me! I am genuinely surprised with the many music-related messages and offers I am getting from people. I suppose for me, I am excited about my new album, which I hope to have finished by the end of the year. It includes my songs UFO and Roadtrippin', and I am eager to hear the finished album and have others hear it too.

Jean cabbie And the secret admirer

Hands up, who has head of these Puerto Rican rockers before? Thought as much... Well, their bio tells me that they're influences came from all over, power pop, classic rock and the blues. It certainly shines through in their music. Bright Blue Skies is the first track I heard and the first track I would recommend giving a listen if you want to hear what this band appears to be about. They capture the listener and put them into that classic meditative mood where the head nods and the foot taps.

Technically the band have done well considering they are unsigned, have no manager and have only had the songs mastered locally by the looks of things. The only comment I would say to this is try to get past the heavy levels of bass that comes through on the master, (and perhaps you want to try to find someone else to mix it next time guys). The rhythm section is tight, which is always a great sign of things to come for I truly believe this is the engine room of the band. The tight drum and plodding bass fits in well with the hard strumming of the rhythm guitar with the lead guitars fills and licks coming well over the top, very hair metal and almost poison like in parts. Jean Cabbie & The Secret Admirer Society allow their other influences shine through in their phrasing and I could almost hear a bit of Bowie coming through in how Truth, Consequences & Me came across. One criticism about this is although good to listen to, the tracks don't necessarily fit together and flow very well from one to the next when listened to on reverbnation. But don't let this put you off, enjoy every song for what it is. Sweet Victoria is the band's second attempt at a ballad, following their first in Everything. Whilst it does sound like a ballad, I'm not sure if it's how the track is mixed or something else but the lyrics don't come across very clearly and it's hard to tell what is actually being said. Nevertheless, if you're one of those people who don't really mind what the lyrics say and can enjoy Rammstein as much as Bob Dylan, then this shouldn't affect your enjoyment at all. Give them a listen, they're very easy going and it's easy to get lost in something else with these guys strumming away in the background. Not a party starter, but not a party breaker either. Just a tip though guys, change the name - Jean Cabbie & The Secret Admirer Society isn't that catchy is it. Tim Gower

Time of the mouth Hailing from the West Midlands town of Kidderminster, the cheekily-named Time of the Mouth are Chris Jones on vocals and guitar, James Chatfield on bass and Carl Browne on drums. Third Time Lucky is their debut EP, and is a collection of four songs that hail back to the glory days of good old-fashioned indie rock. The set opens with The Only Way Out, bursting with a poetic energy and confidence not a million miles from Biffy Clyro, and a melody that could be straight from the vocals chords of Placebo’s Brian Molko. The in-your-face guitar riffs take centre stage for the chorus, and the drum fills roll with toms-aplenty. The atmospheric middle section provides a nice

break in the arrangement, with the only real gripe being the lack of oomph that should be bursting from Chatfield’s bass amp to balance the mix. Next is Amy, an up-tempo affair, starting with clean guitar arpeggios and (thankfully) more presence in the lower frequencies, giving the arrangement a more polished sound. The backing vocals too seem to add an air of maturity to the song. And with lyrics like ‘Amy, you lift me / You complete my soul / I miss you / I need you / I love you’ the boys aren’t ashamed of keeping their message simple. Tears opens with a simple guitar vamp over an intriguingly syncopated drum riff, punctuated by an intelligent bass line. Again there’s the recurring themes of sticky teenage relationship woes: ‘I know you need me know / I’ve seen it in your face / In my arms you’ll find your place’. The economical song arrangement sticks to the trusted verse-chorus-verse formula. And why not? If it ain’t broke, etc... Lastly, Take Me With You opens with another clean guitar riff, but the stomp boxes get stomped on nice and early, and together with the minimal reverb on the vocals, the result is an uncluttered sound, though no less confident for it. All in all, the whole EP has an accomplished and mature sound, particularly for such a young bunch of lads. It would be interesting to see what could be achieved with the backing of a respectable record label. There’s variety in the guitar and vocal production, which should keep up the listener’s interest, though maybe the bass could do with asserting itself a little more in the mix. Their touring schedule sees them in various venues across the country, so should they grace the stage in your local boozer, expect an evening of decent garage rock that should have the crowd jumping and record labels reaching for their pens. So for Time of the Mouth, their time could be now. Jason Kenny  

Chadwick station For fans of the Beatles and ELO, the new EP from Chadwick Station is set to become the perfect soundtrack to spring. What immediately came to mind when playing the latest record from the five-piece - entitled Waiting For A Sunny Day - was that my dad would absolutely love them. And I mean that as a compliment. From their website, it seems the majority of their influences are older musicians - legendary artists like Jimi Hendrix and John Mayer and show-stopping groups like The Cure and Led Zeppelin. This is something that really shines in Waiting for a Day, yet the band still manage to create their own sound.

Kicking off the EP is the track High and Low, which - in all honesty - was not my favourite song on the record. However, it packs a good punch and is brimming with cheerful riffs McCartney would be proud of, The 60s vibe is well underway and sets the tone for the rest of the record. Similarly, Leaving It All Up To You has a sort of Sgt Pepper's ring to it, the classic chord combinations and effortless harmonies making for a catchy, sunny tune. The wistful melodies build up to an in-your-face chorus and a charming “poppiness” that can be felt throughout the EP. It's all Hi Ho Silver Lining in the next track, Startin' Tomorrow. While the lyrics seem to tell a rather bleak tale, the riffs are happy clappy and the harmonies never falter. Following that we have Before Time Slipped Away, which is more overtly soppy than the other songs. It melts the heart in the same way Extreme did with More Than Words and is overflowing with gorgeous acoustics and gentle lyrics. Rounding off the EP nicely is Waiting For A Sunny Day (aren't we all?), which sees Chadwick Station bring out timeless chords in abundance. Reminiscent of ELO's Mr Blue Sky and once again, the Beatles' observational wit, this tune is bouncy, lively and sums the group right up. Jessi Cole  

Kill for company So I’m going to be honest when I got this review I was really excited to listen to Kill For Company’s new EP as I’ve heard a lot of good things about them especially around the twitter world and now I understand why everyone is jumping on the band wagon!

Kill For Company are a Manchester duo made up of Michael Banfield who plays a self manufactured hybrid guitar and bass, which I for one find pretty fucking cool! Then you have Mark O’Donoughue who plays the drums and percussion, which

makes you think he should make something hybrid? Haha.

But anyway the first song ‘Alternative To Living’ starts off with a very catchy drumbeat that instantly makes you tap your foot, and draws you straight in with an equally catchy chorus and makes you hum it all day. The second song ‘Black and White’ is a very laid back chilled song, with a very catchy melody that kicks in a classic Madonna riff from the track ‘Beautiful Stranger’; probably not an initial influence of theirs but certainly one that springs to my mind. The third track ‘Push’ see’s us pick up the beat a bit with a very indie rock n roll feel, which reminds me of a very mancunian night out and that’s right up my street! The fourth track ‘Decide’ is very dirty rock n roll but with a very calm feel to it! And last but certainly not least is ‘Not Enough’ which calms everything down with a very slow and soothing beginning but then it just kicks in and is like WOW! Mind blowing due to the fact that it kicked in with a bang and flew melodic guitar-bass riffs at you.

Kill For Company EP ‘Alternative To Living’ is out on April 20th and I really suggest you go and buy it! It will be the best thing you have bought this year! And it’s probably the best thing you will listen to by far! So what you waiting for?! Sofee Bryan

 INTAMISSION MUSIC