Features

Touring, Turnips and Bart Simpson: An Interview with Morning Tourist’s Sean McKinney

7th Nov 2024 — Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, I caught up with Sean McKinney of Morning Tourist to discuss his brilliant project, his UK tour (including his Newcastle stop) and exciting future plans.

Our conversation began on a gorgeously autumnal Sunday morning with an update on that latest happenings in the world of Morning Tourist:

“I’ve just finished recording a single, which should hopefully be wrapped up by the end of the week. I’m not sure what this signals the beginning of. The last thing we did was release the LP The Endless Eve in 2023, and before that, we put out an EP that got printed on vinyl and found a home with a label. It was a big moment for the project, being able to present something to people that they could hold and listen to. I’m a huge fan of albums because I love the idea of a collection of work representing a cycle of life or mood.”

This sense of cohesion certainly shines through in Morning Tourist’s music which blends a personal tone with intricate songwriting. McKinney is proud of the personality within his music and is determined to keep it central as he moves forward with new projects under the new production guidance of Ben Andrews.

Morning Tourist Live In Newcastle

“A mate advised me against jumping into a new album too quickly, in case it overshadowed Endless Eve. I’ve been working on new material, but we had to switch producers, as my last one has become a farmer and is now occupied with turnips! It was a bit of a leap, as he helped shape the sound significantly, so parting ways was bittersweet.

However, working with Ben Andrews has been great and really exciting. I’ve brought in some of the touring band to record, which has added richness to the sound.”

Finding the balance between maintaining the DNA of the project and introducing new elements has been important to McKinney:

“It does make me nervous, as I want the music to feel like it’s from the same author, even with new producers and members. The new music we’ve recorded so far isn’t a huge departure, but it does have a slightly different tone, with new instruments in the mix.

I wrote a song on piano, which is a bit different from my previous work, though it’s still firmly within indie rock singer-songwriter territory.”

I really wanted to get to the heart of what drove McKinney to produce the music he does as Morning Tourist and it’s origins came from an interesting place.

“I always joke that my first influence was Bart Simpson. He’s rock ‘n’ roll without being a guitarist or anything like that. As I was growing up, he represented rebellion, and it made me think that rebellion was cool, which is at the heart of rock ‘n’ roll.

I first really got into music around 11 or 12. My brother’s mate had a Green Day album—I think it was Nimrod. From there, I got into groups like The Offspring. Those bands were crucial, as they taught me how to write songs using power chords and verse-chorus-verse structures, which helped me start as a songwriter.

I played bass in a couple of punk bands as a teenager, but as I was writing the songs, I started gravitating towards the guitar. That led me to more songwriter-oriented, acoustic music like Bright Eyes and Death Cab for Cutie.

I began moving away from punk rock and exploring other forms of music. I was definitely a product of the indie boom of the 2000s, with bands like The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, but I also love Simon & Garfunkel, Michael Jackson, and James Brown—my parents’ influence.

I do get excited by the Cohens and Dylans of the world; I always gravitate towards the song.”

This is something which definitely runs through Morning Tourist’s work with a clear emphasis placed on the song which McKinney perfects before getting to the fun part of “dressing up the song”.

Morning Tourist are currently in the midst of UK Tour, which takes them to Newcastle (Tuesday 12th of November 2024) and also Carlisle. I wanted his take on touring and life as an independent DIY artist in 2024.

Morning Tourist Tour Dates: The Source Carlisle 9th November The Lost Wanderer 14th November
Morning Tourist Tour Dates

“I’m really excited about the tour. I’ll be visiting places I’ve never been, like Glasgow, and returning to spots like Manchester and Sheffield. I’ll be playing some new material live, which I’m looking forward to.

I love touring—exploring cities, meeting people at shows, everything about it is great. We played in the Netherlands recently, and each gig had a unique vibe, from bars to audiences of 300 people. It was exhilarating.”

“The music landscape is quite saturated, though I don’t think that’s entirely new. The democratisation has been good, but it’s harder than ever to get paid, and it’s become a contest of who can shout the loudest.

I understand there’s a game of self-marketing, but I won’t compromise my integrity. I wouldn’t even be on social media if I didn’t make music. I’m not a content creator; I make music, and there are certain things I simply won’t do. I want to maintain integrity and create something lasting.”

That commitment to integrity is evident when listening to Morning Tourist’s back catalogue, filled with distinct songs full of personality. That level of songwriting talent has seen him share the bill with the likes of Mel C and hit the heights of playing Glastonbury twice. I wanted to know how these experiences differed from regular gigs.

“I love festivals, and we’ve been lucky enough to play Glastonbury twice. This year, we played the Green Futures stage on Friday, which was brilliant, as people were full of energy. All my friends came, so it was amazing. The year before, we played Friday and Sunday, which was a dream moment.

We’ve also played Lake Fest and HowTheLightGetsIn in Wales, where we even met Billy Bragg. We did Left of the Dial in the Netherlands, which felt like a bootcamp for emerging musicians. There’s one big room where everyone hangs out together. I’d love to play End of the Road at some point if anyone from the festival is reading!”

Hopefully someone is! Morning Tourist is currently touring the UK and will be playing The Wandering Oak on Tuesday, 12th November with support from Newcastle via Nottingham soul pop artist Remy CB and the previously featured J.W Darwin. Find tickets here.

Enter the World of The Peevie Wonders – Inside their new single featuring Sam Fender, SXSW experience and their plans for the future!

18th Apr 2024 — Leave a comment

Freshly returned from their transatlantic odyssey, The Peevie Wonders are ready with new music and big plans for the future.

After a slew of shows in Austin, Texas, the group is back on home soil and ready to continue to build the hype, which has attracted the attention of the likes of BBC Radio One.

I caught up with frontman Mark Wilson to talk about their amazing experiences in the USA, as well as their exciting new track “Big Eczema Energy”, which features a solo from fellow North Shields resident Sam Fender, as well as production from Fender’s bandmates, Joe Atkinson and Dean Thompson.

The track showcases all that is good from the band, bringing big energy and unique lyrics. You can check it out here.

Bringing humour and terrific post punk energy, the track combines the wit and surrealism of bands such as FEET with the infectious energy of groups such as Shame. This addition to the growing catalogue of excellent singles released by the North Shields’ band so far further solidifies their status as ones to watch.

Sharing his thoughts about the new single Big Eczema Energy as well as working with Fender, Thompson and Atkinson, frontman Mark Wilson stated this: “This was the most fun I’ve ever had recording music. They are all good friends of mine, and it was class seeing professional musicians chipping in with writing and production on Big Eczema Energy.

They really brought it to life and helped us out beyond our expectations. It was a real North Shields collaboration. Sam’s solo was pretty much an improvisation, and if you haven’t heard it already, I would have a listen and prepare for a face melting rock n roll experience.”

The track builds upon the group’s influences, which can be heard throughout the group’s music, which mixes excellently crafted tunes with comedic lyrics often about the banality of everyday life. Past targets include the big shop at Morrisons, indie boys and gym lads, with the group delivering a unique twist on post punk.

I asked frontman Mark Wilson, about who and what inspired their uniquely brilliant music:

“Lyrically, artists like Johnny Cash, Tenacious D and John Cooper Clarke have been huge influences in the way they can add humour and make people laugh with the words they choose.

As a young boy, I was obsessed with Spike Milligan’s poetry, it’s so daft and surreal yet the stories spark something inside me that inspires me to this day to write something amusing. I love rough and raw music and The Fall are massively inspiring in how they break rules and the recordings can sound a bit shoddy and home made.

My music taste can only be described as Dad Rock, which isn’t really the sound that I have gone for, but if you break our music down the classical rock elements are all there, hidden beneath noisy guitar riffs and ranty vocals.”

These are all things which can be heard from what the group has put out so far. Since their formation in 2020, the band has gone from strength to strength. I asked Mark Wilson about what made them start The Peevie Wonders:

“I had COVID during the pandemic, and being locked in my room. I started messing around with some guitar ideas, which then progressed into songs. This was the first time I’d ever had vocals on a track, which was a weird experience whilst I was trying to find my voice. I’m still looking! 

I asked Ben, who is my best pal, to get involved and help with some lead guitar. Before I knew it, we were in a rehearsal room playing these songs that were created during my self isolation.

To start with, we had my computer plugged into the PA, which had backing track drums and bass. The hardest part was having to play perfectly in time, and then pause the track at the end of the song.

The natural progression was to get some real humans to join the band. This is where Ollie and Joe were introduced. We practised quite regularly and I was adding new songs in for us to play. Our first gig was in Sunderland at The Independent, we played 5 songs and it was a lot of fun.

The band was started as a bit of a joke, the nature of the songs shows that. The first track I wrote was about people who don’t put butter on their bread when making a sandwich… The lyrical nature has only got more and more ridiculous as the band has aged and this won’t be changing anytime soon.

I have tried and failed to write about more traditional things such as love and relationships but that doesn’t ever come into fruition. I really struggle with that sort of stuff so I may as well write about the things that I have observed and find funny, it’s all I can do really.

I had never expected the music to take us to places such as Texas or BBC Maida Vale studios, and it still blows my mind as to how we have even been invited to have such amazing experiences. It hasn’t been easy and a lot of work has gone into this, but as long as it remains fun and exciting, I want to keep progressing and see what else us idiots can get up to.”

The Peevie Wonders’ unique approach led them this year to be invited to play SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. The group participated in the boycott due to the sponsorship of the festival, however still managed to play some unofficial shows in venues around the city, who supported bands participating in the protest:

“CoCoTexas is absolutely mental, everything is bigger and worse for your health, which for a week was very nice to indulge in. I was crying out for some broccoli by the end of the trip. The reception was great, and we decided to keep the set pretty much the same as our home shows.

We took the dad joke book and the shopping scanner, which both went down a storm. We were playing to a brand new audience every gig so it was integral that we showed off what we are all about and didn’t hold back on any of the performances.

My advice to anyone going over there and playing their music would be to stay true to yourself. People will either love it or hate it, that’s the nature of the game, so you may as well remain unchanged and have fun with it. 

After playing Big Eczema Energy one day, I had a member of the audience pull me aside after the show. They explained that they had been a dermatologist for 20 years in Texas, and we had a lovely conversation about moisturiser and steroid creams. That was fun.”

The group is keen to take advantage of the momentum, they have gained from their US experience. Over the course of the past few years, the band has attracted the attention of BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music as well as a handful of prominent support slots, I wanted to know what the future held for the band:

“We have our debut EP titled “Big Eczema Energy”, which will be 4 and a half songs. I think… That will be a huge box ticked for me, as this was one of my goals at the start of The Peevie Wonders.

The EP has very similar sounding songs on it which I have been very keen to do with very rocky and energetic sounding music, which will hopefully make for a body of work that will soundtrack your morning runs or drive to McDonalds on a Sunday morning.

I also have a few unfinished tracks which I am working on. I really want to write a 7 minute ballad which I’m hoping to sit down and finish, which will probably never see the light of day and is more for my own entertainment. We will see what happens with that.”

In addition to an upcoming EP the group have some exciting gigs in the pipe line:

“We are playing A Stone’s Throw Festival on the 25th May in my hometown of North Shields, and have a few more gigs that we can’t talk about yet. With our debut EP planned for early summer, we will of course be gigging to celebrate that around the North East.”

With all that to look forward to, you can check out The Peevie Wonders’ Instagram here, as well as their new single “Big Eczema Energy” here.

Inside A Stone’s Throw Festival – The Roaming Festival On It’s Way To The North East Coast This Summer

20th Mar 2024 — 1 Comment

The North East is known for many things, from its renowned football teams to its rich industrial heritage yet, one aspect often overlooked is its breathtaking coastline. From the Northumberland Coast down to Victorian Pier at Saltburn, the region is home to spectacular beaches and picturesque towns. Nowhere perhaps captures this better than the winding coastline of which Tynemouth and Whitley Bay sits upon.

Where better a location then to set up a music festival which showcases a plethora of local talent as well as some stars from further afield. In 2022, A Stone’s Throw Festival did just that with a bill featuring the likes of Heidi Curtis, Sam Tompkins and Lauran Hibberd.

The festival, a travelling roadshow down the North Tyneside coastline, transformed coffee shops, CBD dispensaries, and warehouses into bustling arenas, transporting festival-goers by bus from venue to venue accompanied by a brass band to add to the merriment.

A Stone’s Throw is returning this May, headlined by the indie mainstays Sundara Karma, backed up by incredible acts such as Pip Blom, Bilk and Opus Kink, as well as an abundance of North East musical talent.

I caught up with festival founder Ant Thompson to discuss plans for this year’s event and what will be different with this year’s exciting lineup. “We were incredibly proud to deliver the event in 2022 but as you can imagine, we learned a lot of valuable lessons which have influenced us in curating a bigger line up and a refined experience!”

Part of this expansion includes an opening night headlined by indie legends White Lies, which Thompson promises will get the celebrations started early, adding to the scope of the ambition of this year’s event.

Part of the event’s unique nature is its travelling element, with a bus service allowing festival-goers to get from venue to venue at ease. But just how does the bus service work for festival-goers?

“We work closely with the local council to establish an appropriate route with perfectly placed bus stops near venues. 

The bus is exclusively for wristband holders and it makes getting around the festival an absolute breeze! 

Last time out we even surprised the local area by placing bands on top of the bus as it travelled through the villages. The FOMO was clear!”

This is far from the only interesting feature of the festival. The unique location of this event brings something different to the table, with a number of establishments opening their doors to live music for the first time, bringing a new fresh twist to the multi-venue festival idea.

“We use a lot of spaces which typically don’t operate as fully functioning music venues. For instance, Karma Coast is a CBD dispensary by day,  Tynemouth CIU is a trusty social club for local workers and The Watch House Museum is a functioning museum dedicated to the history of the local life brigade. These 3 venues in particular add a special unique selling point to the event and we look forward to seeing people visiting them throughout the day,” states Thompson.

“We’re not claiming the multi-venue idea by any stretch! There’s plenty of amazing multi-venue festivals across the country who certainly inspired us. That said, the initial idea came when walking along the coast during Covid. I was reminded how many amazing venues there are that people might not be aware of. That paired with how idyllic the area is, we thought it made perfect sense to give it a go! “

With such a stunning back drop, all A Stone’s Throw needs is some incredible music to fill their quirky, unique venues and that the festival has in spades with a raft of local talent taking to the Newcastle coast.

“We’re incredibly lucky to have such a flourishing batch of local talent participating in this year’s event.” stated Ant Thompson highlighting the incredible Finn Forster, The Peevie Wonders, Frankie Archer and Vice Killer as his personal ones to watch.

But perhaps the most important thing for an event such as this is the incredible chance it gives up and coming local musicians to shine and participate in front of big crowds. This is something that festival founder Ant Thompson has worked hard to achieve: “We work closely with the likes of We Make Culture to ensure there’s opportunities for the young musicians to participate in the festival. 

This is often the first large scale event the musicians have been a part of and it’s something we plan to continue year on year.”

This, along with the incredible location and quirky venues, certainly makes this event one to watch this festival season.

A Stone’s Throw Festival will take place on May 25th 2024 across various venues across the Newcastle Coast (Tynemouth and North Shields). Tickets are on sale now here.

Bands in Lockdown – Shy Bairns Frontman Edd Maughan on how COVID 19 has affected him

7th Jun 2020 — Leave a comment

The pandemic has stopped everything in it’s tracks but Edd Maughan of Shy Bairns won’t let it get him down.

Edd, whose band Shy Bairns were just beginning to find their feet before lockdown saw both members of the two piece separated back in March.

However, instead of allowing it to get them down the band have instead turned to other means of expressing themselves creatively.

“Independently, I do all the social media so I’ve been trying to engage with the audience on Instagram which has been a change.”

“I’ve learnt new skills in that sense so we should have a bigger audience when we get back.”

“We’ve only been a band since October so it made sense to get an Instagram, I’ve had it since December however didn’t properly start working on it until January, we hit a thousand followers in 90 days.”

The Instagram has seen everything from excellent covers to online tutorials as well as baking however, ultimately this is not what the band want to do.

“It’s definitely stunted the band in terms of progression, it is impossible to get ahold of Rich if you don’t go in person so if you don’t use a phone call then he’s useless.” Edd exclaimed with a chuckle.

“The two of us getting together has just stopped due to the lockdown.”

“I feel for us we’re back to square one.”

The band before the lockdown were beginning to work on finding their sound.

“We’re still in a demoy phase, when we release something it will be electric because I prefer electric (Edd has some amazing custom made guitars) however we start out on acoustics as if it sounds good acoustic it will sound good electric.”

However, there are range of artists which have influenced the band despite the two members coming from varying musical backgrounds.

“We want to take classic pop for example pre Sgt.Pepper’s Beatles for example when they were churning out classic tunes with a lot of vocal harmony stuff really comes from there.”

“Then we really split, Rich is really into Motown and more abstract music whilst I love big band acts like Nat King Cole as well as post hardcore stuff,” Edd laughed.

“So I suppose we meet in the middle with bands like Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters.”

A Rendition of Sophia’s Mundane Munday – Credit to Shy Bairns YouTube

In terms of life after COVID it appears that Shy Bairns have plans to make up for lost time.

“We want to get back together, I’ve been writing some song ideas and been keeping people interested on Instagram and Rich has been building a little studio room.”

“We’d like to get a little 3 track EP out, we’re already registered with Spotify we wanna release something solid so people know what we’re about and look maybe to support and steal people’s fans, we’d be very happy with that” he exclaimed, letting out a chuckle.

Prior to the lockdown, the band had done an open mic night which has given them a taste for even more.

“Ultimately, we try to live by the name of our band, Shy Bairns, which obviously stands for Shy Bairns get nowt so we’re gonna try and push and push to see how far we can go.”

“Hopefully we can get on local radio or even a festival we really want to shove it in people’s faces, Instagram has been really important in that sense.”

“It would have been nice to do more open mics during the summer with me being off but at the end of the day Shy Bairns is fine because it hasn’t really started yet.”

When everything reopens make sure to catch Shy Bairns and in the meantime make sure to catch them on their socials:

Instagram: @shybairnsband

Facebook: Shy Bairns

You Tube: Shy Bairns.

Keeping it Down with Sheds – Their Plans for 2020, New Music and their Manic Live Shows

16th Dec 2019 — Leave a comment

It’s a cold Friday evening in December however the Think Tank? is packed with young music fans, awaiting them are four local bands making up a lineup packed with talent from the region.

Amongst them are Sheds, a band who already have a huge following of young fans which packed out the venue for their support slot.

Sheds – Live at Think Tank? – 06/12/19

This has really energised the band who have seen their fanbase grow from strength to strength.

“Yeah, I’m buzzing for it, practices for this have gone quite well. It’s one of the few opening gigs we’ve done and we‘ll see how it goes down because we usually just play to our own fans. We’re excited to see how it goes down with others.” said the band’s singer, Frank Cook.

“We’ve played a couple of times here. We were meant to be playing Underground but got moved up here. So we’ve ended up playing here again. We’ve had a three-hour scramble to get people to go to the right place. We’ve played more gigs here than anywhere else.”

The Crowd @ Think Tank – 06/12/19

The band certainly did go down well, with a weighty crowd of young fans filling the floor with the band smashing out a mixture of covers and original material.

Included in this was the band’s new single “Keep It Down” which is closing in on 1,000 streams on Spotify.

The reaction to the single has stunned the band:

“It’s been a bit mental and it’s coming up to 1000 streams after a month we didn’t know how people would react because we just do gigs. It was one of the older songs so it was nice to put it out and hopefully, we can do better but it’s set the tone for us it’s mental how it got received really.”

The single takes influences from Arctic Monkeys as well as various indie rock bands with a strong riff which really powers the song along.

Guitarist Tom Robson also cited the Black Keys’ ‘Turn Blue’ as another huge inspiration for him.

However, the main influence for riff writer, Tom Robson, came from a very different place.

“The biggest inspirations were Tame Impala and Arctic Monkeys I had the riff for ages I just stood in the corner at mine and he played the riff and Frank played his chords and we looked at each other and we knew it was going to be good.”

“It comes together very quickly not a lot of thought goes into it. We have good ideas and it’s just about doing it. Once in a while it just clicks and we have a song.”

The band don’t plan to stop there however with new songs constantly being worked on as well as various gigs which are planned for the new year.

They plan to get the new year started with a bang when they headline the Surf Cafe on the 3rd of January with the money raised from the gig being put back into the band in the form of recording a single or even a debut EP.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5tI3BphlPj/

The plan is to keep gigging throughout the new year:

“We aim to play a show in April or May time.”

“There are more venues popping up all the time. I love the Surf Cafe I go down there at the weekend.” said guitarist Tom Robson.

Sheds are part of a growing music scene in North East which are currently exposing the North East as a hotbed for fresh, new music.

Sheds are very happy to be part of this amazing community of musicians:

“We had no idea about the music scene around here until we started. If you’d asked us a year ago, we’d be happy to just be on the circuit. There’s definitely a community of 20 odd bands. Everyone’s great and tight-knit and amazing at what they do.”

“We love Fowl, Frank loves his punk. We love Stasis, Distance are really good as well.”

Both Distance and Fowl featured alongside the lads that night in what was a high energy show from all three bands.

Sheds – Live from Think Tank? Newcastle – 06/12/19

The huge mosh pit which grew as Sheds performed showed the groups talent at getting the crowd going.

Despite this, their growing fan-base will have to wait a little longer for new music from Sheds:

“It won’t be soon for the EP, it’ll be a few months more. It’ll be more likely to have a single out first. For the EP, we want to write new songs instead of recording old ones. We want to write it properly we won’t release it until it’s as good as it could be. It could be 6 or 8 months but we’ve got new spins on things.” said guitarist Tom Robson

However, the band nearly didn’t make it this far.

The band, which had its origins in a high school music class, nearly called it quits.

“We were shit for a year and Tom nearly left because it was shocking after summer we formed but we got our shit together when we got offered to play a schools gig at the O2 and if it hadn’t gone well we wouldn’t have been a band anymore,” claimed Frank Cook.

“The response was good even though we were shit. But we learnt how to do it properly,” said drummer, Joel Bell.

Whilst the band are hungry to grow even bigger they wouldn’t want to have a huge fan-base.

“Realistically we’d like to keep gigging around. We’ve got a fan-base which is growing out from people we know. We’d like to fill a room but as long as we have an identity, we don’t really want a massive fan-base.”

The band dreams of Glastonbury whilst admitting headlining is probably highly unlikely for them.

They did, however, give their views on the 2020 lineup as well as past lineups.

“For Glastonbury, I was hoping they’d get Led Zeppelin or something like that for the 50th.”

“I’m disappointed that there’s no current band headlining it. I like The 1975 whilst they’re not my favourite band, I would have liked to see them headline this year, rather than The Killers or something,” said singer, Frank Cook.

“A modern band would be better. I’m not a fan of McCarthy headlining but the more I’ve thought about it the more I’m like that’s alright.”

The band’s high energy shows are definitely worth catching so get down to the Surf Cafe this January to catch them.

Newcastle based band Stasis announce a single is in the works

13th Nov 2019 — 1 Comment

Local band Stasis have announced that they are currently recording their debut single, ‘Lies’.

Introducing the band

The band revealed that the track is close to completion with just the bass missing from the song.

Stasis supported The Sheds last Monday at Think Tank? in Newcastle, in what proved to be an amazing moment for the band.

‘It was mint’ said drummer Dylan with the rest of the band quick to back him up.

The communal atmosphere of the band is apparent when you meet them and this vibe has translated into the songwriting process for the band as revealed by the band’s singer Tamzin.

‘The melodies are written by Fae and Ben and I write the lyrics,’

‘When Fae writes a song it’s very different to when Ben writes one, they come from different ends of the spectrum,’

‘Fae will write more heavier, grungier songs whereas Ben will write more alternative or indie songs.’

However, the band had originally been recording within Newcastle College, but the group were underwhelmed with the sessions.

Instead they have been camped around guitarist Ben’s ‘little’ mic writing and recording songs using Garage Band which the group seemingly prefer.

The band draw from numerous different influences with each member of the group coming from a different musical backgrounds.

These different approaches have shaped the sound of the band with influences listed from grunge to indie.

Guitarist Fae has cited influences from grunge icons Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins as well as taking inspiration from the shoegaze music of My Bloody Valentine.

This contrasts with bassist Patrick who instead takes inspiration more from Mac Demarco and indie music in general, this creates an interesting mix of songs which keeps the band fresh.

The band wants to be a unique entity which is very much them and no one else.

‘We don’t have a persona or anything like that, we want to be ourselves’ said the band’s singer Tamzin. ‘We all dress differently and we’re a mix of people.’

The Band playing their first ever gig – @thebandstasis

The band met in college with drummer Dylan having the idea to form the band. Ever since then they have been working and creating music.

What the future holds for Stasis they don’t know, but what they do know is that they want to enjoy it as much as they can.

The aim for the future is to simply get as many gigs as possible regardless of the venue with the band just happy to be playing music.

This means recording more songs, which the band have been doing with an EP coming in the future as well as the upcoming single.

This will hopefully lead to more amazing moments for the band live

Make sure to follow Stasis on Instagram here to make sure you don’t miss any future announcements.

HUMBUG NORTH EAST -Spotify Playlist Explained

12th Nov 2019 — 1 Comment

This is something a bit new for the blog but I thought it might be interesting.

I’ve made a playlist of songs that I’m currently listening to, some of which are new and others which are older. They aren’t particularly North East based but there are a few groups from the local area.

They’re not obscure songs which you will have never heard of, but I just wanted to explain why I picked them so here it is. If you like this let me know and I’ll keep it updated every month or so.

Frail State of Mind – The 1975

I guarantee a number of people will just switch off here. I know they’re not a popular band with most people and I can understand that to an extent. I’ve had an up and down relationship with the band over the years.

But once you cut through all the bullshit of rapid fans and on the face of it an arrogant singer (not that it bothers me), they’re undoubtedly one of the best and most interesting bands about at the minute.

It’s not for everyone I get that and this track is not going to sway around the haters, a song which sounds a lot like 2018’s ‘TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME’, one of the poppier moments (if that’s considered a bad thing – personally doesn’t bother me but each to their own) of the band which I know a lot of people dislike.

However, it is still another good song and very catchy, although I’ve got to concede that it’s nowhere near as good as the punky ‘People’ but it’s still mint give it a try.

Psycho – Slowthai featuring Denzel Curry

Rap is not my natural environment to be honest. But I love slowthai, he’s one of the best lyricist I’ve heard in a while and I personally think he was robbed of the Mercury Prize back in September.

I love this song because it’s absolutely full of energy with screeching violins really adding a threatening vibe to the track. I like it a lot even if it’s not the best lyrically.

Something Has to Change – The Japanese House

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t really like The Japanese House before this song, her debut album was average at best and didn’t really prick up my ears (though ‘Saw You in a Dream’ is a tune).

However, this song is incredible it keeps the dream pop elements but really goes to town with the pop element of the track.

The song has been stuck in my head since it was released at the end of September and really can’t wait to see what the full EP has to bring to the table when it is released.

FEET – Chalet 47

I saw FEET on Wednesday night for the third time they were incredible as always (I leave a link to the review because I’m sure you’ll all be dying to read what me someone whose never played a gig thinks) . They have such an incredible collection of fucking mental songs which I can really get on board with.

Their debut came out last month and it’s actually one of the most underrated albums of the year if you haven’t heard it. They definitely should be in bigger venues than Think Tank, with the amazing collection of songs they’ve amassed.

This song is just one of many absolute crease pop anthems which they have in their repertoire and the full album is definitely worth checking out.

Sorry – Right Around The Clock

I really love Sorry, they’re another band which should be bigger than they are. This one is a really clever concept for a song, which is based loosely off of Tears for Fears’ ‘Mad World’ with band building upon the melody to that song and running with it.

I love ‘Mad World’ so naturally I love this one as well. The song is more than just a copy or cover though experimenting with the world’s most catchy saxophones and just having a really cool groove to it.

The song is great and so is their entire back catalogue make sure to catch them at the Northumbria Institute 2 later this month.

RUNT – Hannah

The debut single from a really good local band who I’ve seen twice supporting the equally amazing Primary Colours. The song is great and has a really nice riff which goes through the entire song knitting it together well.

The band have a really good vibe to their songs, which I love so make sure to catch them live if you can.

The Cure – The Exploding Boy – Studio Demo

I’ve chosen pretty recent songs for my first six picks so I thought I’d go back to the eighties with this track from one of my favourite bands of all time.

You might ask why I’ve picked the studio demo over the actual song which appears on the 2004 compilation album ‘Join The Dots‘ and the simple answer to that is I like it more because of it’s grittier, rougher tone.

It’s quite a euphoric song, which is strange for a band who have made their living off the more depressing side of the music spectrum but it’s really good, showing off their range and why they are a legendary group.

oh baby – LCD Soundsystem

I think I found this song when I came in from a night out about a year ago and it’s really grew on me so much. It’s hardly a deep cut from him but it is so good.

The sound of the song is amazing with various synths and keyboards combining into a symphony of brilliance as well as the lyrics being just as good as the rest of the song so that’s why it’s here.

Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

A proper indie classic from the New York based band’s 2003 album ‘Fever to Tell’. It’s another break up song of sorts with the song written for Liars frontman Angus Andrew, who was in a relationship at the time with singer Karen O.

Another interesting fact is that ‘Maps’ stands for ‘My Angus Please Stay’ which I suppose is a nice little detail to bring the mood down.

My auntie introduced me to this one because that’s just how rock and roll I am but I do really love it to be fair. It’s another one which has been stuck in my head for weeks so I’m now passing it on for you to all get it imprinted on your brains as well.

Slaves – One More Day Won’t Hurt

Slaves’ most recent single and probably their most heaviest to date. I love the energy and the lyrics, I think I’m gonna keep this one short like the song because I’m currently two hours deep into this.

Ask Me Anything – The Strokes

This is probably one of the least Strokey songs from the band’s large repertoire. I really love the organ on it which gives the track a really retro vibe. It’s almost certainly one of their most underrated songs.

I don’t really have any story behind why it’s on here other than I love The Strokes so deal with it. (I found this really weird 8 bit version of it on YouTube when embedding the links to the songs which I’m not too sure on to be honest but still have a listen).

Heidi Curtis’ Ambitious Plan for World Domination – building a band, headlining festivals and working with Sam Fender

6th Nov 2019 — 1 Comment

Heidi Curtis is ambitious for success and there’s no reason why her aims couldn’t become a reality.

The band after the Sophie and the Giants show – @heidicurtismusic

The singer songwriter has already supported Sophie and the Giants and appeared on Sam Fender’s amazing single, ‘Hypersonic Missiles’.

However, there is no standing still for Newcastle based artist. She has already begun to implement her manifesto for success with her band, who are currently rehearsing and writing with her.

‘My guitarist Josh is a massive Toon fan so I would just like to headline the arena so he could shout a chant and the crowd could shout it back.’

On her Career Ambition

Curtis has highlighted the importance of being prepared for anything and whilst no gigs are currently planned, she understands the need to be prepared for anything which transpire.

‘The past few gigs have been amazing and we’ve got a promoter involved but we know we have to wait for good support slots’

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3aAbq3hJa5/

Her main aim is to build a passionate following, something she is currently well in process of achieving with over a thousand followers on Instagram as well as a growing YouTube community in which she highlights her work.

The singer songwriter is first concentrating on this rather than releasing music. However, she was quick to tease what it will sound like with demos described as if Blondie hit Fleetwood Mac.

The huge range of influences are already demonstrated on her YouTube channel in which she has reinvented popular favourites from acts such as Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and New Order, transforming them into her own unique style.

It is this and her sensational singing voice which has led to big things for her so far, supporting Sophie and the Giants at the Northumbria Institute last month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpUppWT3q5U

‘It was a great experience, the whole thing was amazing and to play on a proper stage was great… They were super lovely’

However, this is just the start for Heidi who wishes to go all the way to the summit of music with ambitions to top the bill at Boardmasters as well as to have her own headline tour.

This may well become a reality for her with the excellent acoustic version of ‘AGAIN’ on her Instagram demonstrating her supreme talent for songwriting.

Describing herself as a ‘methodwriter’, Heidi often writes from her own experiences dreaming up melodies whilst painting, molding the impressive lyrics around them.

Her songwriting journey began as a way of trying to work her way into her brother’s inner circle, something which clearly worked with her sibling now managing the singer songwriter.

It is also through this that Heidi has formed a friendship with her brother’s best mate and inspiration Sam Fender.

‘He’s always been massively supportive, he’s like an older brother.’

The North Shields based artist has always helped Heidi, having a huge influence on her music as well as helping her to write her first song.

He also provided a memorable moment for the singer songwriter, with Heidi appearing on the spectacular ‘Hypersonic Missiles’, providing backing vocals on the track.

The singer songwriter also has ambitions to headline Mouth of the Tyne Festival like Fender did earlier in the year.

However, top of the to do list for Heidi Curtis is to eventually headline the Ultita Arena in Newcastle if only to provide a special moment for her guitarist Josh.

‘My guitarist Josh is a massive Toon fan so I would just like to headline the arena so he could shout a chant and the crowd could shout it back.’

With her immense talent there’s no reason why the dream couldn’t become a reality.

Follow Heidi on Instagram here

Subscribe to her amazing YouTube Channel here

Audio Interview with Heidi Curtis

Newcastle Based Dream Pop Artist Mac Benson on songwriting, the future and new EP

1st Nov 2019 — Leave a comment

Friday sees Dream Pop rising star Mac Benson release his second EP ‘Coming of Age’.

Photo by Shona Radcliffe – @shonaradcliffe

The five track EP stretches across a variety of different influences combining to make a poppier sounding record than anything previously seen by the solo artist.

Earlier this week, I sat down with Mac to ask him about the new EP as well as how it came about.

The EP has been two years in the making for Mac Benson after the release of 2018’s ‘Love and All it’s Colour’.

The record covers the themes of love, friendship, loss and growth over the last few years of Benson’s teenhood.

‘Looking back on the last year retrospectively it kind of does feel like a transitional period of my life, and as if the period of time these songs are about are their own little era.’

Musically the EP is also inspired by a particular period with Benson pointing to various pop records released late last year.

Whilst influenced by pop, the EP takes the form of a mixed bag highlighted by the wide array of influences from within the genre.

‘I took a lot of inspiration from pop musicians who I like and grew up on: Lorde, Frank Ocean, The 1975, Taylor Swift, Bleachers. Quite a mixed bag really.’

However, ‘Coming of Age’ sees a change of direction from the singer songwriter, as heard in lead single ‘Divine’.

The single described as the darkest on the record is a perfect starting place for those wishing to preview the vibe of the EP.

However, whilst the track is a darker song, Benson makes clear that there is light on the record as well as a more electronic feel than previous releases.

‘I feel like all the others are a bit lighter in comparison (Divine), at least in terms of the production. Everything’s very electronic on this one though, definitely a departure from the last EP.’

Benson has also experimented with new ways of writing for the record, particularly building a greater understanding of the structure of pop songs which has helped him hone in on his own specific style.

‘To begin with I don’t think I was really that good as a pop writer and I didn’t really have the confidence to try and write to that kind of structure, but while making the EP I feel like it’s just grown into my natural way of doing things.’

Photo by Shona Radcliffe – @shonaradcliffe

A highlight of the singer songwriters work are his lyrics which often go into deep and personal places however according to Benson lyrics come easy due to their honesty.

‘I don’t know how else to do it, I’ve tried writing fictitiously but it just never works for me. I’m a huge overthinker, definitely more dramatic than I’d like to admit and am never short of stuff from my life to draw from.’

‘A lot of the time I’ll actually realize how I’m feeling through writing. Like I’ll just write things subconsciously, sometimes I’ll finish a whole song and be like ‘oh I guess that was what was up’, it can be really cathartic sometimes.’

It is this approach to songwriting which makes Mac’s music incredibly relatable, endearing and most of all amazing.

Mac Benson’s new EP ‘Coming of Age’ is out now on Bandcamp.

Follow Mac on Instagram here: macbenson_

All photos were taken by Shona Radcliffe make sure to follow her on her Instagram for more amazing photography: shonaradcliffe

EP and Riverside 2 date announced for South Tyneside based Pop Punk act

22nd Oct 2019 — Leave a comment

Local Pop Punk band Riversyde have announced that they will be performing at the Riverside 2 in Newcastle on the 30th of November. This news follows on from the announcement of their debut EP ‘Open Your Mind’ which was announced last month.

The band will be performing as part of a mini-festival at the venue consisting of six other local artists, in what will be the bands biggest gig to date. Tickets will be available from the band for £7 in what will be a Saturday to remember for the South Tyneside based group as they attempt to make an impression in Newcastle.

RIVERSYDE – In action, catch them at the Riverside 2 in November credit – Riversyde

This will top off an exciting autumn for the band, in which their debut EP ‘Open Your Mind’, will also be released. The group, who are putting finishing touches to the EP, have described it as being the soundtrack of growing up around the North East, encapsulating teenage life.

The EP, which will be released within the next month, has been described by lead singer Shaun Wright as being “all over the spectrum” of the pop-punk genre. With influences ranging from older pop-punk bands all the way to modern day acts blending the two together to create the four-track record.

Although the band will pay homage to the genre, the group are hoping to create something which is unique sounding whilst still feeling like a pop -punk group.

Ultimately they want to stay true to themselves, according to drummer Dan Thompson, whilst seeking to stamp their own sound upon the genre.

RIVERSYDE – New EP will be released soon credit – Riversyde

The EP was recorded around the North East from less conventional places such as singer Shaun’s dad’s tattoo shop opposite a Subway, in which the vocals were completed.

To more traditional recording studios such as the CustomSpace in South Shields, where the drums for the record were completed.

With the group investing huge amounts of time and effort into creating a record, despite the huge financial cost of creating quality music.

The South Tyneside act hope that the hard work which they have put into the EP will translate into more opportunities to play gigs, with the band wishing to move out of the pub scene and into more traditional larger venues.

Riversyde are hoping that this will attract the attention of record labels, with the recent signing of local band Groundculture, a band which the group greatly admire inspiring them to believe, as the band were recently signed to Hopeless Records who boast world famous acts as Sum 41 and Neck Deep.

Whilst not yet completed, fans can hear a snippet of what to expect on ‘Open Your Mind’ on the band’s Facebook with more exciting plans for the band including a new single being planned in the new year. That combined with more gigs, including a possible gig with fellow pop punk band, Hometruths, makes the band one to watch in the new year.

Make sure to follow Riversyde here to make sure you don’t miss out:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiverSyde-877985712400233/

Instagram: @riversydeband

Twitter: @riversydeband_