K&A with Insect Heroes

Chances are I'm not gonna get around to doing my usual Album of the Year rundown.   I did submit my usual quota to this year's BAMS Award though.  Typically, it was only a day or two after I fired off that email, that I came across this absolute beauty of an album from Glasgow's premier tropical pop brothers, Insect Heroes.  Both the album Apocalypso and the duo themselves have seemingly come out of nowhere.  So the curious sort I am, I asked them a few questions about the band and their incredible debut album.  First up though, here's one of the many, many standouts from it.

Kowalskiy:  Who are Insect Heroes?   
George:  We are brothers George and Evan Thomas, and we stay in Glasgow. George is me and I'm at the computer answering these questions. I sing and play guitar and make keyboard type noises. Evan plays drums. On the recordings we've done so far Emily Maclaren and Stuart Evans at Green Door Studio in Glasgow have helped us with production.     

Kowalskiy:  You've seemingly sprung from nowhere with your debut album Apocalypso (which is incredible by the way).  Tell us how the band came about and how you've kept things under wraps this long?   
George:  I'd done bits of solo stuff at home for a few years, and then when I moved to Scotland we just started making music together. That was a couple of years ago, and it took us a little while to get to a point where we were making something we were happy with and wanted other people to hear.    

Kowalskiy:  As I said, the debut album is out on Bandcamp now.   How'd you describe it?  
George:  It's just a record that's full of weird pop songs really. It sounds like being in space. Or a jungle. It would probably be top of the charts in a parallel world.

Kowalskiy:  There's a nod to Kraftwerk, a bit of The Beta Band about the artwork and one or two other subtle comparisons come to mind, but who'd you say most influences your music? 
George:  Yeah, The Beta Band were incredible! That was the first music I got into, and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and Super Furry Animals. We really like the way old records sound too, particularly weirder stuff like Joe Meek. More recently I think Ariel Pink, MGMT (K: one of my subtle comparisons!) and Gnarls Barkley are doing interesting things. Any given song though is more likely to be inspired by something much more different to what we do. Most of the time really I just want to make R 'n' B records, or minimal techno, or whatever.

Kowalskiy:  With the vinyl version out in February, are there plans to tour the album?  
George:  Yeah, we'd like to, but we're just taking things as they come. Our name's not really out there at the moment, so it'll probably just be a case of seeing who'll put us on, and whether we can get a crowd together. We're going to try our best because we like the album and we've got a live set that we enjoy as well, but promotion's never really been our thing!   

Kowalskiy:  What would be the ideal Insect Heroes gig? 
George:  So many to choose from! We grew up near Manchester, so maybe a joint headline with The Stone Roses in the arches under Piccadilly station around 1989. I used to have a video of the history of the Stone Roses and it looked pretty exciting back then.   

Kowalskiy:  It's getting to that time of year, so who's your tip for 2013?  
George:  We live in a bit of a bubble in Glasgow so I don't really know what's happening elsewhere but I think North American War are going to put out a really original, inventive album that's somewhere between Sonic Youth and the Velvet Underground, and Golden Teacher are putting out their first EP of African inspired disco on Optimo in February. We've all been waiting for Fur Hood to release something too, so hopefully that might happen as well.

Kowalskiy:  And last of all, what can we expect from Insect Heroes in the new year?  
George:  As I say, we're hoping to play live more, and get the record out to more people. We're always writing bits of new stuff but we haven't sat down and talked about where we'd like to go with it yet. We'll only release more stuff if we feel like we've got something interesting to contribute. Personally I've got something more groovy on my mind, but something that still takes people further off into outer space at the same time.

So there we go.  Apocalypso is quite possibly my unexpected highlight of 2012, and from it comes one of my favourite songs. I defy you to say this is anything less than 'fucking fabulous'.  Get your copy over here.  The vinyl is a must in February!

K&A with The Colourful Band

Now that's some stellar artwork there!  This is of course the debut album from Edinburgh's The Colourful Band.  It's been just over two years since the release of The Colourful EP with only (I say "only", it was a belter though) a solitary new song on one of my free monthly EPs in the meantime.  But, for the last month or so, the man behind the band, Ian McKelvie has been sowing the seeds of anticipation ahead of this album's launch with regular, teasing updates by email or Twitter regarding it's release.  So when it did finally appear in my Inbox, I was itching to hear it.

The album is a sheer delight from start to finish, and given the cold, grey days we're experiencing at the moment, the songs on it give that little, welcome blast of warmth and colour.  The album title (and I guess the band name too) couldn't be more apt.  Always The Summer and personal favourites Into the Bright Sun from Shadow and New Town Girls should all serve to prove my point.  The latter track also appears on their previous EP, as do just under half of the songs on offer here.  But whether you already have that or not, you're in for a treat.  In both the old and the new, it's apparent to all that Ian himself is a master storyteller.  Throughout the album you get a strong sense that in each and every song, he's reflecting on past experiences, such are the little intricate details.  Some of those, and the odd little 'pop culture reference' can't help but put a smile on your face.  

   New Town Girls by The Colourful Band

Anyhoo, it's about time we heard from him, so here's what Mr. McKelvie had to say when I asked him a few questions.

Kowalskiy:  Who are The Colourful Band?

Ian:  The Colourful Band is the name of the music project I started about 4 years ago.  I tend to write, record and then play either solo or with a band.  For the full band set-up its me on acoustic guitar and vocals, Steve Tonge (K: he of Supermarionation fame) on bass, Jon Tyler on electric guitar, and Fraser Stewart on drums.  We spent most of last year playing as a band, but with Dave Curry or Dave Steele sitting in on drums. Steve and I are going up to Aberdeen on Saturday to play Cellar 35, just as a two piece as that's who is available, but that's how we do things in TCB.  The next thing we have to do is play in Edinburgh again, as its been two years since the last time, then it would be nice to go play Newcastle again or somewhere new.  We played The 13th Note in Glasgow on Sunday as a four piece and it was our best performance so far.

Kowalskiy: You've about to release your self-titled debut album.  How would you describe it?
Ian: The new album has been a long time coming. I picked my strongest material from the last few years and decided to put out an album.  I would describe it as indie pop singer-songwriter for the most part, there are some folk songs as well. 

Kowalskiy:  It features tracks from your EP which came out in late-2010, along with a fair few new ones.  So how do the new tracks compare with those from the EP?
Ian:   The new songs were written either in a flat in Glasgow or a little cottage outside Edinburgh where I was living last winter.  I think some of them are very like the earlier tracks, but according to some the lyrics are post-modern. Which I had to look up.  What did you think?

Kowalskiy:  Would that make them futuristic??  OK, I have no idea what that means.  Anyway, some of the songs and stories on the album take you on a wee tour through Scotland, from Glasgow to Edinburgh and up the East Coast.  How influential are your surroundings when it comes to writing your songs?
Ian:  The songs are shaped by whatever I'm doing in real life at the time of writing. When I'm pissed off I usually write on the electric guitar and the song comes out as indie or even late 70s PUNK.  If I'm blue I will usually end up writing a folk song on the acoustic. So its hard to write the same kind of song every time, its more about externalising and therefore dealing with whatever is going on. In many instances it has been work and the hours, driving about, and general shit that life throws at you. For example, I was driving home from Manchester with a song in my head one night, and wrote the lyrics down on my mileage form when I got back to Glasgow. Then when I was doing my tax return I found the lyrics, and just wrote the music when I was taking a break.  That's the second song on the album. It was originally called "Are You Waiting For Someone To Take You Home?" but I thought it sounded a bit like The Buzzcocks, so I shortened it to "Are You Waiting?"

   Are You Waiting? by The Colourful Band

Another song I wrote when I was freezing in my flat in winter was going to be called "Because The Heating Does Not Work In This Flat", but I settled on "I Want To Go Home" because that's the chorus and it sounds a bit pretentious the other way, and less like a title.  There's another song called "Getting Famous Is Easy" which basically is my take on being a grassroots singer songwriter, and the lifestyle that goes with it.  I guess this is sounding fairly self-referential. But its basically a case of write about what you know. And I just went for it.  My mate Andy says I sound like a spokesman for how disaffected your average early thirties male is with modern Britain.  You do the exams, get the degree, get the job, and then life is just boring. Or maybe I'm just in the wrong job. That's why I write music.  In a nutshell, if you feel like this, you're not alone. That's where most of it comes from.  That, and the fact I travel around the UK a fair bit with my job.

Kowalskiy:  What would be your ideal gig? 
Ian:  Ideal gig, I would have to say with the band, CBGB, Ian Dury opening, then Neil Young, The Sex Pistols, then us, ha ha!
 
Kowalskiy:  What can we expect from The Colourful Band in the future?
Ian:  The future? Next album will be classic country rock I promise. Can't tell you more than that.

Kowalskiy:  Last one so it's a wee bit topical... and I'm taking a bit of a punt given one of your tracks is called Easter Road, but you're a Hibs fan yeah?  If so, can the Hibees win the SPL this year?
Ian:  I'm not a Hibs fan, but there is every chance they could.
Kowalskiy:  Nae chance mate! 

So, the album is out this Monday, the 19^th of November.  You can get your copy in Avalanche if you're in Edinburgh.  If not, then it'll be on all major download sites soon after.  Also, as Ian said above, on Saturday (i.e. tomorrow) him and Steve will be playing Cellar 35 in Aberdeen.  So if you're at a loose end tomorrow night...

K&A with We Are The Physics

Five years ago, it was impossible to be a physics student in the West End of Glasgow and not be intrigued by the strange We Are The Physics posters popping up here and there.  I did anyway.  Shortly after hearing, literally, Less Than Three of their tracks, I quickly developed an unhealthy obsession with them.  Then the years pass by, they slip off the radar and my musical taste takes a distinctly folky turn... until one day... I find Goran Ivanisevic in my inbox...

   Goran Ivanisevic by We Are The Physics

...and my geeky love affair begins again!  Since then, they've released another two cracking "mutant punk" singles in Applied Robotics and Napoleon Loves Josephine, and one of the albums of the year to boot.  Certainly one of mine anyway!  Your Friend, The Atom was released at the end of October so I caught up with the band via the very scientific medium of The Internet and asked them some questions about it.  To be honest, I'm not actually sure who answered my questions, but given I have 75% chance of being correct, I'll give Michael the credit.  Take it away Michael...

Kowalskiy: At the risk of asking something you've answered hundreds of times already... are any of you actually physicists?
Michael: No, none of us are actual physicists, but we are all genuine physics. Michaeldrum is a pilot.

Kowalskiy: It's been a few years since your debut ...Are OK at Music. Do you think you've gotten better at it, or is OK still a fair assessment?
Michael: I think we're still okay. People always want to hear of some journey when it comes to a second album, a maturing or an evolution, so I'm going to say we're exactly the same. Might even be a bit worse. No bands want to say the truth which is that they're probably still shite.

Kowalskiy: How do you think Your Friend, The Atom compares to it?
Michael: I think as much as it's still us, it's a lot more thoughtful than OK At Music was. We spent less time just hammering at our instruments and more time hammering at other people's instruments. OK At Music consisted of the first songs we wrote, and it was a case of throwing everything we had on one record, whereas we could pick and choose more carefully this time.

Kowalskiy: Are you going to make us wait four-and-a-half years for the follow up again?!
Michael: We didn't make you wait, you're perfectly capable of inventing a time machine and skipping ahead to hear the next one. Actually, if we'd had our way, this one would've been out in 2010. Unfortunately, banks don't respond well to us running in and asking for money. By asking I mean demanding. And by running I mean driving through the window with a van. Actually, none of that happened, we're law-abiding citizens.

Kowalskiy: My interview standard... what would be your ideal gig?
Michael: This is going to sound really unambitious, but I think we play ideal gigs a lot. When we first imagined doing gigs and what they'd be like, they were the ones we loved growing up - small, intimate and rowdy. A bit like Dudley Moore. So, we get to live out our ideal gig fantasy every time we play. We've done bigger gigs and they're always just a bit dull.

Kowalskiy: How geeky are you... give us your best physics joke.
Michael: A particle walks into a bar and the bar man says nothing of interest because, ultimately, everything we do is completely futile.

And on that positive note, I also asked them a few song-specific ones.  In actual fact, they have very little relevance... but here's what they had to say anyway.

Kowalskiy: Your opening track Go Go Nucleo -> For Science and the album title itself, both seem to suggest that Nuclear and Particle are your preferred physics fields... but which is better... and why?
Michael: It's not a competition - only the foolish reduce brilliance to lists. (That's how we get out of not answering that questions due to lack of knowledge)

Kowalskiy: The correct answer was of course, nuclear.  Tut tut!  On the subject of physics fields, I've been in and around physics for 11 years now and I've never come across Applied Robotics. Explain!
Michael: That's not a question, we refuse to answer.

   Applied Robotics by We Are The Physics

Kowalskiy: Other than not being a Kevin Bacon film, what else is Apollo 11 an example of?  This is of course referring to your non-HTML-friendly track entitled  (e.g. Apollo 11).
Michael: Apollo 11, as you well know, sir, took Stretch Armstrong and Buzz Lightyear to the moon. Apollo 11 was an example of how, suddenly, the human race took a massive artificial evolutionary step in removing themselves from the planet and landing on the moon. The song's about how fusing technology and humanity can lead to the singularity and the ultimate technological evolution of the human body into a machine or, at least, a posthuman entity that requires technology to function. NBSP with its semi-colon and ampersand is HTML and causes a non-breaking space, a wee bit of blankness in between two pieces of text. So, Apollo 11's successful mission is an example of a non-breaking space between the old world of natural humanity, and the possibility of the reality of a new world where technology allows humanity to exist outside the natural limitations of the body and the planet. We were going to call it HTML On Earth though, which is dead dead funny and wouldn't have required me to drone on and on here. TL;DR - doesn't really matter.

Kowalskiy: For your latest single Napoleon Loves Josephine, you chose to immortalise this love story in musical form.  How comes?
Michael: We always liked how that wasn't actually Josephine's name and how Napoleon just decided to call her that, so it echoes the point of the song which is about mutual manipulation. It's more about how people use each other for their own personal gain, with Napoleon and Josephine as examples of that.

   Napoleon Loves Josephine by We Are The Physics

Kowalskiy:  And So Now We're Wrestling With The Body Politic... which politician would make the best wrestler?
Michael:  David "The Rock" Cameron. Can you smell what The Rock is cooking? Possibly the NHS.

Kowalskiy: On to There Is No Cure For The Common Cold So Don't Expect A Cure For Cancer now... I don't mean to contradict you when you're in one of your more deep and philosphical moments, but haven't you heard of the Vicks' Bullring!?
Michael: That's true. And also carefully cutting your own skin off can cure acne.
[Don't try any of these at home kids!]

Kowalskiy: Track 7... this is more of a curious one about the video... what's going on?
Michael: Which video, damn you? Are we talking Goran Ivanisevic here? I just had to check the tracklisting on my own record. I think the whole plot of the video is thH3HCVV-39ERRROR LINE 9122.

Kowalskiy: Yeah, again... never heard of this Dildonics field.
Michael: I've always had a personal hang-up about Teledildonics - I remember reading a chapter about it in a book once on the way to college and this girl I thought was really pretty sat down next to me. We'd never talked because I was me, and she glanced over just as I turned the page to reveal a picture of a massive mechanized penis. Needless to say I had the last laugh. She still never spoke to me.

Kowalskiy: Right... Scottish music Cluedo. Who done 'it', where and with what?  I'll leave the 'it' up open to interpretation.  Don't get me sued!
Michael: Professor Green, in the TITP campsite, with the Benzo Fury.

Kowalskiy: Not really related to your song Eat Something, but what's your opinion on the recent findings that chocolate consumption is directly related to your chances of becoming a Nobel Prize winner? SUBQUESTION... if there were to be a Nobel Prize awarded for music, who'd win this year?
Michael: My opinion is that if it were true, I'd have all the Nobel Prizes. We should win the Nobel Prize for music because we've successfully managed to be awful for many years with only the truly enlightened noticing.

Kowalskiy: All My Friends Are JPEGs seems to be a dig at various aspects of social media. Care to go into more more detail, and also explain why constant Farmville requests from people you never even spoke to at school wasn't mentioned in the song?
Michael: It's not so much a dig, I just don't enjoy going out and having every moment captured on camera. You see groups of people emulating having a good time for the camera rather than actually, you know, having a good time. It's all become a bit like our online personnas are the ones that truly count and it's more important to show that we've had a good time on Facebook than to genuinely have one. It's a worry that eventually these online lives will be the ones that we're working in our real lives to maintain, the digital image of ourselves being more important than the physical. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, but we're in a rubbish transition stage where nothing's validated until it's been liked on Facebook.

Kowalskiy: Given the recent Scottish interest in The Great British Bake Off, what's your recipe for the perfect Junkie Bun?
Michael: Sugar. HUNNERS OF SUGAR, MATE. AW THE SUGAR, MATE. CHEERS, PAL.

Kowalskiy: Are you planning a John Travoltage counterpart to Olivia Neutron Bomb for the next album?
Michael: You're the one that I watt. You are the one I watt. Ooh ooh ooh frazzle.

Powerful stuff!  So, I hope that gives you a bit more insight, not only into their warped minds, but into the album too.  It's frenetic, fast-paced and offers very little in the way of respite.  And I'm pretty sure a lot of the subject matter violates the laws of physics themselves (should've known they weren't physicists!).  But all that is what makes it such an outstanding album... which you can of course buy here. 

K&A with Thank You So Nice

Photo by Anna Drobczynska

Regular readers of this blog should be well aware of this well-mannered Edinburgh-dwelling trio.   So far, Thank You So Nice have already bared their lonely, "socially-awkward" souls to me in their pursuit of their musical other half, and revealed their geeky admiration for a certain French philosopher when they kindly donated their album track Foucault to KEP#24 a few months ago.  Socially-awkward geeks... is it any wonder why I feel such an affinity with their debut album!   

Make Friends, Not Money was released last week on a very special day for the band.  Well... two thirds of them, as I found out when I asked them a few questions.  Here's what they had to say, plus a few of my favourite musical interludes from their brilliant debut.         

Kowalskiy:  Who are Thank You So Nice?
Rea: Three stage awkward people.

Kowalskiy:  Let's get the expected ones out of the way first... how would you describe 'your sound'?
Alex: Indie rock with krautrock aspirations/pretentions, depends how you look at it I suppose.

Kowalskiy:  And I'm sorry... but I'm curious... what's the story behind the name? Are you just that polite and appreciative?
Rea: As well as being very nice people we are pretty big geeks, primarily when it comes to history and video games. The name comes from the new Nintendo DS Super Mario Brothers. When Mario finishes a level and has pirouetted off the flagpole, it’s what he says, or should I say what we think he says, either way we like it although increasingly we're going by the acronym TYSN so we don't get sued.
Alex: It has been described as "the worst band name in Edinburgh". When I read that half of me wanted to, yes, evolve to the acronym, but the other half of me thought, well, if we achieve nothing, at least there'll be that.

Kowalskiy:  You've just released your debut album Make Friends, Not Money featuring previous single Let's Make Money... mixed signals folks!! So what's the deal?
Rea: Mixed message indeed, but Let's Make Money is more ironic criticism while Make Friends, Not Money is more sincere message.
Alex: I wouldn't take either of them at face value. I know it's a cop out, but I prefer to let the listener find their own meanings, if they really want to. We actually recorded a title track for the album but it didn't make the final cut. It probably would have made the whole thing make more sense.

Kowalskiy:  The album came out on Monday there, the same day as Michel Foucault's birthday... him from Foucault surprisingly.  Remind us who he is again, and what inspired you to write a song about him?  
Rea: I let the boys geek out about that, despite being half-French. 

Niall: Michel Foucault was a French postmodernist theorist who dealt with ideas of power and hegemony. While it's sort of grown that I am greatly acquainted with Foucaut's theories, my main admiration of him is that he was prepared to change his mind over almost anything, which is extremely unusual for an academic.  
Alex: What Niall, the Quiet Man of the group says. Foucault is an in house TYSN hero though. Whenever we rehearse or play live we put up a portrait of him on the bass amp. In a metaphysical sense.

Kowalskiy:  Other than that, what else can you tell us about the album?
Alex: We wanted to make something that was short, sharp, guitar based, and hopefully fun to listen to, with strange references if you really want to go looking for them. I find a lot of current bands, particularly in Edinburgh, po-faced and frankly dull (isn't pop music meant to be enjoyable?), so I wanted to do something that you don't have to take so....fucking....seriously.

Kowalskiy:  Are there plans afoot to tour the album?
Rea: We'd like to do a mini tour of Scotland, the smaller and intimate the venue the better.  
Alex: We'd like to tour the new towns of Britain. Playing outside of Edinburgh would be good... Our next gig is in Leith, so that's a start.  

Kowalskiy:  What would be your ideal gig?  
Rea: Ideal gig to watch would be somewhere where it's still warm at night and you can get close enough to the front but not be crush and have a good jump about with your friends into the wee hours of the night. I got pretty close to this when I went to Prima Vera Sound Festival in Barcelona years ago. But if I was performing, I'd want a small intimate venue, packed with friends and great fans; with them being as much as part of the performance as us and then we all go eat cheesy chips together afterwards.  
Niall: To watch? One of the 1979 Fabrizio De Andre concerts with PFM as the backing band. To play, I'd love to play any gig in Italy, either something huge like the Circus Maximus in Rome, or some little venue packed out.  
Alex: I'd like to play in Outer Mongolia c1200. If they didn't like you, you'd be in trouble though. I reckon they might be into Schlager so we'd probably do an hour long version of that. The roadies would take care of themselves and the rider would probably include some kind of highly alcoholic fermented milk drink.  

Kowalskiy:  Who's this Katie?  
Rea: I'll defer this answer to Alex  
Alex: Ah, Katie, a chance encounter on a London to Glasgow train over a decade ago. I thought she'd be a good subject for a public transport themed song with a semi-ironic ska bit. Her name wasn't Katie.
 

Kowalskiy:  Last one... what can we expect from TYSN in the future?  
Rea: More stickers.  
Niall: A constant experimentation of sounds, directions and a willingness to repeat things if necessary.  
Alex: More repetition, more references to obscure leaders of the opposition, and a krautrock album.

I for one, can't wait!  Their music may be fun, but despite what Alex said, they are very much a band to be taken very seriously indeed.  Make Friends, Not Money is out now on a name-your-price download over here, with CD copies available from Elvis Shakespeare, Avalanche Records and their own website.  All that's left for me to say is Thank You TYSN!

K&A with Esperi

"Is that Ryan Reynolds down there?!"

There's a saying that perfectly sums up why I started this blog all those years ago... "those who can't do, write".  And truth be told, I don't even write that good!  Better than I play the guitar mind you.  So I'm always a wee bit in awe of those who can do both, and more besides, especially when it's one of the country's finest solo artists... someone like Chris James Marr, the man behind Esperi.

I've not featured Chris half as much as I should have, given the quality of everything he's released, from his double A-side brought out by Olive Grove Records a while back, to his two recent releases, his Melancholics Anonymous EP and the brilliant debut album In A Moment, Emotion, Sentiment.

Here's what Chris had to say about them when I put a few questions his way.

Kowalskiy: Who is Esperi?

Chris: Esperi is generally just me but I've always liked the idea of having a band name and collaborating with other people, so that's the reason I play under an alternative name, and I like to sometimes play full band shows when I can, or bring along a string section etc.

Kowalskiy: You've just released an album (In a Moment, Emotion, Sentiment) and an EP (the brilliantly-named Melancholics Anonymous) in quick succession. What can you tell us about them?

Chris: 'In a moment emotion sentiment' was a studio project I started with my good friend Robin Sutherland which features some guests and the Melancholics Anonymous EP was something I made at home alongside it, 'In a moment... features the main music from my current live shows and I have the Korda String Quartet and other string players and Jon from Vasquez playing some drums, Kev from Laeto/Fat Goth playing some bass, Ged from Deacon Blue playing some double bass, whereas the EP I played everything and recorded it all at my home set up and I'm pretty happy with the sound, it's not too lo-fi [hehe].

Kowalskiy: The one common link between them is the gorgeous Homer. What inspired you to write a song about the great man himself?

Chris: Haha well Homer is what we nicknamed my Dad, it's just kind of a wee joke we have but this song is for him :-)

Kowalskiy:  So what does your dad make of being immortalised in a song as beautiful as Homer?

Chris:  My dad's pretty chuffed.  He likes it.  He has the album in his car [hehe].

Kowalskiy: Homer aside, who/what/where/when are your main inspirations and influences on your music?

Chris: That's a lot to fit in but the people around me and the artists I like, my life and experiences, home and now.

Kowalskiy: Another one now, inspired by one of your EP tracks, Come Dine With Me... who'd be your three ideal dinner guests?

Chris: Yeah 'come dine with me', I'd like to have David Attenborough, Robert Silverberg and maybe Brian Eno, some good chat there.

Kowalskiy: ...and on that 'ideal' theme, what would be your ideal gig?

Chris: Haha these ideal questions are tough cos you wanna get it right, but OK my favourite music just now is Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, Joanna Newsom, Mice Parade, Jonsi/Sigur Ros and Owen so if I could get them all on the same bill and play as well I'd be happy for that in any venue :-)

Kowalskiy: Are there plans afoot to tour the releases? Bearing in mind how late I am getting these questions over, I may have missed the boat already...

Chris: Yeah I've got a bunch of shows booked round the UK so just constant touring really as much as I can. I love playing live.

Kowalskiy: What can we expect from Esperi in the future?

Chris: Well I'm hopefully going to start recording some new stuff soon, not sure what to expect myself yet I'd quite like to experiment with the new songs I have and just see, maybe multiple versions and collaborations too and I've always got live shows I don't really take a break from that :-) Thanks Kowalskiy, all the best!

You are very welcome!  So that's that then.  Melancholics Anonymous and In A Moment, Emotion, Sentiment are both out now, so head over here.  And, as Chris said above, he's "always got live shows".  If you're in the area, here's where you can find him.

Upcoming Gigs:

Aug 11^th - Henry's Cellar Bar, Edinburgh

Aug 23^rd - Nice 'N' Sleazy, Glasgow

Aug 24^th - Cellar 35, Aberdeen

Oct 9^th - Bar Bloc, Glasgow

Oct 11^th - Tunnels, Aberdeen

K&A with Amy Duncan

It's been well over a month since my last interview... remember the days when there used to be two a week!?  So what better way to kick off August than by hearing from an ol' Kowalskiy favourite... the lovely Amy Duncan.  I first featured her back in November of 2010 when I finally managed to get around to giving her Potential-Space album the praise it quite rightly deserved.  Key words at the time being "angelic", "achingly-beautiful" and "dreamy electronica".   Since then, Amy's been busy recording her new album Cycles Of Life, part-funded by Creative Scotland, which is due out later in the year... exactly when, pretty much depends on you!

Like a growing number of artists, Amy's signed up to PledgeMusic to raise some funds ahead of it's release.  You can pledge towards the project by buying a whole host of goodies, from a copy of her CD, to a double bass lesson or even some exclusive art by Amy herself.  So, without much further ado, it's time we heard a bit more about it from this multi-talented lady...

Kowalskiy:  Who is Amy Duncan?

Amy:  A human being, compelled to expressing the ups and downs of life through words and music.

Kowalskiy:  For those out there not familiar with your good self, how would you describe your music?

Amy:  There is definitely a folk element but not in the traditional sense. The new album is mainly acoustic sounding, with string arrangements, creative drums, double bass and atmospheric electric guitar.  If I were to compare my music to another artist I would say there are similarities to early Sinead O'Connor as there is a simplicity yet deep emotional feeling to her earlier music which I think has had some influence on me.

Kowalskiy:  For your new album Cycles Of Life, like a growing number of artists, you've opted to sign up to PledgeMusic.  What made you go down that route?

Amy:  I initially wanted to find a way of raising the money to have the CD designed and pressed without going into debt, but the experience has become much more than that. It feels extremely supportive and encouraging when people pledge, and exciting too that it is helping new people find my music. As a solo artist you spend a lot of time on your own, and it feels good to be connecting directly with people who want to buy the music.

Kowalskiy:  So what goodies are on there for folk to pledge towards?

Amy:  When I was setting up the project I felt a bit daunted by what to offer as exclusives. I had a look around my flat and suddenly had the idea that I could put my artwork on there. Two of my paintings have been pledged on but there are 2 large paintings left, and 2 smaller collages left too. Pledgers have access to the album download before the official release, signed CDs, handwritten lyrics and music manuscript, the opportunity to be included in the thank you credits of the CD sleeve plus other things! Anyone who pledges will receive updates throughout the project, with free downloads of unreleased tracks, and previews of songs from the album.

Kowalskiy:  Back to the new album. How does it compare to your previous releases?

Amy:  I think this release sounds much more accomplished. My previous releases were all self produced at home, and I think I reached the limit of what my basic knowledge of production would allow.  Creative Scotland funding allowed me to work with the producer Calum Malcolm which has brought the sound quality and creativity to a place I could never have reached on my own. The process of working with Calum has been a great experience, and a real boost in confidence to have been supported by such an experienced producer. The opportunity to have real strings (players from McFall's chamber), drums by Liam Bradley who's credits include Van Morrison, and harp by Fiona Rutherford has taken my music up to a new level which is a bit of a dream come true! I don't feel held back in promoting it because I know its a really strong record worthy of recognition.

Kowalskiy:  Once you reach your target (or before), are there plans afoot to tour the album?

Amy:  I would like to tour the album at some point next year, but I thought it might be a wise move to try and gain more recognition first, so I'm planning some showcase dates, beginning with the album launch at The Voodoo Rooms on November 1st. I want to make this a big event with a full band. My friend and artist Carol Le Lievre is going to create some artwork inspired by the title 'Cycles of Life' to be projected during the performance. I'm working with Little City Pictures on a music video for one of the singles from the album which will also be shown on the night.

Kowalskiy:  What would be a) a typical Amy Duncan gig and b) your ideal gig?
Amy:  A typical Amy Duncan gig would be me singing and playing guitar and Fiona Rutherford on harp. It was amazing to find Fiona as she adds so much to the music, and its not often you find someone that you gel so well with musically. I love playing intimate gigs like this, and would like to travel further afield to other cities throughout the world and play in lovely venues. In some ways my typical gig is my ideal one too, especially when the audience is so quiet and there is space to be more expressive with dynamics. But I would also love to be able to play with strings, drums and to have a double bass player on stage. I play the double bass parts on the album, and its always a source of frustration that I can't play the double bass for my live set!

Kowalskiy:  Back to the Pledge concept... this is as deep and philosophical as my questions get... in the current economic climate, do you see this increasingly becoming the norm for some of the more established artists looking to release new albums?

Amy:  I do think that more artists will turn to crowd funding as its a good way of expressing that you really value your music and the people who buy it. I wonder if platforms like Pledge may also help with the problem of illegal downloads - if fans can engage with their favourite band or artist and be part of the whole process they might find it a more rewarding and preferable experience.

Kowalskiy:  If you were to pledge for any piece of musical memorabilia, what would it be?

Amy:  The double bass in the Kate Bush - Babooshka video!

Kowalskiy:  My topical-tentative-link one to finish off. Bradley Wiggins' sideburns. Your thoughts?

Amy:  Nice and fluffy :)

I'd go for '90s Madchester personally... though surprisingly aerodynamic! 

Be sure to head on over to Amy's PledgeMusic project page where you can have a listen to Navigating From The Heart, one of the gorgeous tracks from the album, and watch her pledge video too.  Last I checked, she was just over a third of the way towards her target.  So, if you're interested in helping her get closer, get pledging!  There'll be a fair few exclusive previews and other pledge-only incentives to keep you going until your copy of Cycles Of Life finds it's way to you.

K&A with Lonely Tourist

I remember a while back, long before I started this whole blogging lark, standing in King Tuts watching Odeon Beatclub completely steal the show from headliners, and my then favourite band, The Cinematics.  Trust me, that was no mean feat!  Their debut, and ultimately, their only album was bought the next morning and lead singer Paul Tierney even included some promo singles in the package such was the gentleman he was.  And still is to be fair.  When Paul relocated to Bristol a few years ago, he left band life behind him and went solo under the somewhat-apt moniker Lonely Tourist. 

His debut album Sir, I Am A Good Man arrived in early 2011 on the back of some impressive early demos.  Not half as impressive as the album mind you as my review at the time attests to.  Now he's back with his brilliant follow-up I Live Where You Are, I thought we should let him tell us all about it, Lonely Tourist, and some very strange gigs he's done as of late.  Take it away Mr. Tierney...

Kowalskiy: Who is Lonely Tourist?

Paul: Lonely Tourist ...when I play live it's just me, a guitar and a stomp box trying to make a band-sized noise. When I was in the studio with Jim Lang (producer) it was much more collaborative. I wrote the songs but they were very basic without Jim's production. We went into the studio and threw everything at them, and then worked out what bits we thought worked. The live gigs are a different thing, support slots are great in that people usually listen....Pub gigs you have to fight to be heard and attempt to get peoples attention without resorting to firebreathing or juggling (unacceptable).

Kowalskiy:  Many will know you from Odeon Beatclub. What effect do you think moving from a band in one of the UK's thriving music scenes, to a solo act on the South coast has had on your music?

Paul:  Aye I miss Glasgow. It would have been great to do this (Lonely Tourist) back home but it wasn't possible. Bristol does have a good, varied, music scene though. If anything moving away made me work harder to get out and about and meet people. I play all the time which has meant I've had some really great (and terrible) gigs in unusual places. These include playing inside a sculpture in a park, at a terrible rebirthing hippy pish festival where they all ignored me while their long-haired Boden catalogue children ran around at the front....I've played a gig in a bedroom (twice now - I played there the other night and it was brilliant), on boats, in cafes and millions of different pubs and small festivals.

Kowalskiy: So what's the weirdest gig you've ever done then?

Paul:

1. Inside an armadillo shaped sculpture covered in fairy lights on Bonfire night in a park (with the generator going on and off during my set). It was both good and bad.
2. Outside in a monsoon playing to two dogs chasing a ball for 45 minutes (nobody else not even the sound man who'd gone to get some food).
3. I did one with no PA in a massive conference room of 200 empty seats. I played to 4 people. Tannoy announcements went off now and again completely drowning me out.  Just before the end a bloke dressed as a pirate walked down the middle of the room followed by 20 kids and set up his act behind me (while I was still playing).

Kowalskiy:  Your new album I Live Where You Are came out on the 28th of May. How does it compare to last years' Sir, I Am A Good Man?

Paul:  Yes, the album was out on the 28th May. Compared to Sir I Am A Good Man its much more of a full band sound. We just tried loads of ideas ....wee noises, effects and the like. Ok, its not exactly the Magic Band but it is different from the first one. Hopefully a step up. I got to make a bit of noisy Mogwai type noise at the end too. We didny really do much of that in Odeon Beatclub.

Kowalskiy:  Are there plans afoot to tour the album in Scotland?

Paul:  I'm open to offers! I played 2 gigs in Scotland in February and I'd gladly do more.

Kowalskiy:  What would be your ideal gig?

Paul:  Fantasy best ever gig would be supporting The Fall. But in reality if that was ever to happen I'd probably be met with a deafening silence...if not open hostility. They'd hate me because I'm not The Fall, and because Fall fans are a fickle not easily pleased bunch (I know as I am one).
Again fantasy gigs....I'd have liked to support Franz Ferdinand at any point in time. Bloody great they are. 'Actual' best gigs to do are either decent supports (I've played with Pete Doherty, Malcolm Middleton and Admiral Fallow in the past and those gigs were magic)... or a gig on a Saturday night in a rowdy but decent pub (I played in Menai Bridge a couple of weeks back and it was excellent... best atmosphere I've felt at a gig in ages).

Kowalskiy:  What can we expect from Lonely Tourist in the future?

Paul:  I want to keep writing, recording stuff and gigging....and hopefully making stuff that is an improvement on the last albums.

Long may it continue!  I loved Paul's debut album but this is something else.  If the next one is an improvement on this, God only knows how great it'll be.  You can buy I Live Where You Are over here or by clicking the stream below.

K&A with Echo Arcadia

This interview has been on my to-do list for quite a while, ever since I fell in love with their debut Broken Chapters EP (available from all good online stockists i.e. here and here) and even-more-so with their reworking of the gorgeous Lucinda specially recorded for KEP#13.  So now they're back, after a somewhat eventful year, with their outstanding follow-up Prisoners Of The Present EP, it's time to get to know this sextet a wee bit better.  Ladies and gentlemen... one of the finest unsigned bands this country has to offer... Edinburgh's best kept secret, Echo Arcadia.

Or to be more precise, here's half of them, drummer Dan Ciesielski (also of Toy Machene) and husband-and-wife-songwriting-team Leigh and Siobhan "Vonny" Moyes...

Kowalskiy:  Who are Echo Arcadia?

Dan: We are a 6 piece Edinburgh band, playing satisfyingly unfashionable music, at least according to those in mainstream Scottish radio haha.
Leigh: We also discovered very recently that we may have been putting ourselves in with the Indie/pop/rock lot unnecessarily though; our sound has gravitated towards 'The National' and other bands of that ilk, and they have been branded as post-punk revival, which we are apparently falling within the realms of...which is nice, and open to debate no doubt ;-)
Vonny: That's an interesting one. I'm not really sure we know what we are yet, other than the sum of our parts. To me, we are six people trying to write music that makes you feel something. Something other than, "I need a new haircut and skinnier jeans,"

Kowalskiy:  It's been a wee while since the release of your Broken Chapters EP. What have you all been up to in the meantime?

Dan: Changing keyboard players, raising kids, writing new tunes, raising kids, changing keyboard players and raising kids.
Leigh: We have also introduced a trumpet player called Kev to our line up, and he has added something soulful and brassy to our sound, as you would expect i guess, as well as guitar skills and a deeper third harmony.
Vonny: Broken Chapters was a really good time for us. We'd just started to find our stride musically, and we'd begun writing music with a common meaning. Unfortunately immediately after giving birth to Felix, we were mired by my serious health problems for a large part of the year. We lost one of our members through it, so we were left with a question mark over Echo's future. A few months ago I started playing again, and did some writing. We brought Kev on board and things are looking bright again. Resultantly, I think Prisoners is a bit of a Pheonix-from-the-flames record for us.

Kowalskiy:  Considering all that's gone on since your last release has brought about the end of many a band, what do you think kept Echo Arcadia going through it all?

Leigh: I'd like to thank Jesus... He's a guy that runs a local burrito store and gives great music advice.. Sorry. For me it's about thinking of the band as a living, evolving entity. With each new member has come new passion and drive (no matter how short lived their stay with us) that has lifted up and carried forward any waning souls within Echo. Personally, it's a desire to make music, music that I love, and I would hope that rubs off on the others.
Dan: It's because we have same dream - make it in the music business and die happy snorting cocaine while pointing at our kids laughing because our planet is dying and their future is dark, bleak and messed up.
Vonny: I think a deep love of making music. I can't imagine my life without it. It's been a constant through all the hard times, and is an outlet for all of us. Also, I think having a marriage in the band has really helped. Leigh and I met through the band, making music is a huge part of our life, and it continues to be so at home. We both share the same vision for where we'd like Echo to be, and that means we stick together and do what it takes to make it work.

Kowalskiy:  With the new personnel, especially the introduction of Kev, how has this influenced or changed your song-writing process?

Leigh: Kev has been a breath of fresh air for Echo, his drive and no nonsense attitude has certainly rekindled my love of what we do. As far as song writing goes it still works with either me, or more commonly now, Vonny and I writing the songs. The rest comes when I describe how I want the song to sound, and the guys scribe based on that. The only difference I've noticed is that it doesn't take any longer with a 6th member, but the depth of sound we can achieve now is really quite something.
Dan: I don't really know. I hit things.
Vonny: I think our process is essentially the same at the minute, though we have all the added goodness of Kev adding horn and a third harmony, which has really lifted our sound. We've had one song-writing session with our new keys player, Pete, and it was brilliantly productive, though it did descend into a reggae version of Lucinda. He writes music too, so I'm looking forward to having a third person to bring tunes to the table.

Kowalskiy:  You're about to make your triumphant return with new EP Prisoners of the Present. How does it compare to Broken Chapters?

Leigh: It is natural continuation of it really, the songs we write are developing as we do, as a band. It is a richer and more mature sound for us i think, we have the same heartfelt tone as we always have, but with 25% more harmony for your buck.
Vonny: Prisoners is a maturation of our sound, I think. We're more comfortable with the songs we're writing now than we were 18 months ago. Broken Chapters marked the departure from pop-rock to something a little darker, and more substantial.

Kowalskiy:  Joker-related question... who's the joker in the band (I'm sensing Dan for some reason...)?

Leigh: Haha Dan is cheeky, Our bassist Euan is the joker of group I'd say though. He used to be a stand up and time certainly hasn't dulled his ability to take the piss and make us laugh.
Dan: I don't really know, I hit things.
Vonny: Euan, definitely. Dan is just a cheeky shit. Euan used to be a comedian...
Leigh: Haha used to be, like it wears off
Vonny:  ...and we often end up doubled-up in laughter, though I'm never, ever going to get in the kitchen and make him a sandwich. We're all really good friends, and we do stuff together outside of Echo, so the banter is plentiful!

   Joker by Echo Arcadia

Kowalskiy:  Are there plans afoot to tour the EP?

Dan: We unfortunately can't afford any extensive touring.
Leigh: But we will play as many gigs as we can in our hometown and in the other beautiful (and not so beautiful) cities around Scotland, it just might take us longer to do it is all.

Kowalskiy:  I won't ask what the not-so-beatutiful ones are.  Quick subject change... what would be your ideal gig?

Dan: Supporting Fleetwood Mac. We like to think that we are a bit like Fleetwood Mac - except all the cocaine and success.
Leigh: I've more current aspirations really, as I tend to not listen to much music other than a few bands I really get into. I would love to tour with The National, Broken Records... REM too actually, bands that I love and respect.
Kowalskiy:  If only!
Vonny: Manchester, mid 80s, line up provided by Factory Records, somewhere small and crowded. I was only a baby at the time that was all going on, but it's the music I grew up listening to, and I spent a substantial part of my childhood living there. Being a part of that musical epicentre would have been incredible.

Kowalskiy:  What do Echo Arcadia have 'high hopes' and 'low expectations' for in the future?

Leigh: High Hopes - to have people want us to play our songs to as many of them as we can. To gain more success at what we do, some bigger gigs would be lovely! Low Expectations - I wouldn't say my expectations are low, just managed, like it'd be nice to get some love from our national radio stations and presenters, but that's not going to happen. It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised.
Vonny: It'd certainly be nice to gain some new fans with the EP, and take our music to new places, but who knows?

   High Hopes, Low Expectations by Echo Arcadia

I for one, have very high hopes for this EP.  I've mentioned before that this year has seen a huge spike in the number of amazing EPs, particularly from the other side of the M8.  This certainly being one of them (incidentally, one of the others is Toy Machene's... that Dan's been a busy one).  Keep an eye on their twitter and Facebook for release details.

K&A with Stanley

Aberdeen tea-loving quintet Stanley have recently released their debut album Animals With Amazing Disguises... and it's not just those animals that have rummaged together something amazing.  It may be slightly lazy blogging, but listening to the album, it's difficult to escape the major influence from The Divine Comedy, from the eclectic subject matter and musical styles to singer Stephen Podlesny's Hannonesque vocal delivery.   All of which is none more evident than on Made For TV and the brilliant Sandwiches & Tea.  If you scratch the surface a bit though, there's much more to be heard across the album.  Take my own personal favourite, Hollywood Endings as a prime example.  It has elements of Morrissey's (finest work in my opinion) You Are The Quarry about it, in terms of the intensity it has bubbling under this scratched surface, and the sheer quality of arrangement and production.  This last point can be said for every track on the album to be fair.  It's one of the most impressively thought-out and put-together albums I've heard in a while.

   Hollywood Endings by Stanley

The album was officially released a month ago (available here from the band).  I caught up with guitarist Ramsay Clark shortly afterwards.  Here's what he had to say...  

Kowalskiy:  Who are Stanley?

Ramsay: Stanley are a Aberdeen-based group of 5 musicians, fronted by founder member and song-writer Stephen Podlesny. We’ve been going for a few years now, however the last few months have been a bit of a whirlwind of activity, what with the release of our debut album last month as well as two singles the previous year. We play all the usual instruments associated with bands, however we supplement and blend our sound with carefully put together orchestral sections and instruments such as the vibraphone and trombone.

Kowalskiy:  Before we get to the music, who's your favourite Stanley?

Ramsay: The band is named after the legend that is Stan Laurel because of Steve’s love of movies and music from the 20s and 30s, however my own personal favourite Stanley would be Stanley Kubrick. Great films, great visuals and equally great film soundtracks.

Kowalskiy:  From listening to your debut album Animals With Amazing Disguises (it's very good by the way!), it's clear you've got a lot of diverse influences, Who'd you say has had the biggest influence on your music?

Ramsay:  Every member of the band will most likely give you their own unique musical influence, and they’ll have probably changed their mind before they answer the next question! I’d say that the biggest influence on our music would probably be a musical style rather than a group or individual – song-stylists like Sinatra and Scott Walker, for example. Tough question! It’s in the nature of a musician to take inspiration from a patchwork quilt of influences. How’s that for a vague answer!

Kowalskiy:  Quite vague!  So, with all these different influences and styles in your songs, how do you go about making your music?

Ramsay: It’s probably no different to any other band, to be honest – as boring as that sounds! Steve will let us hear an idea for a song – sometimes is embryonic, other times it’s already got arms and legs on it. The band will jam on the idea, and quite often we’ll have the semblance of a song by the end of the practice session. That’s about it really – there are still lots of fragments of tunes that haven’t been used yet, so we may go down the route of finishing them off some day. Maybe we could sell them as downloads or give them away for free via our website – www.stanleytheband.com?

Kowalskiy:  Or even contribute one to your friendly neighbourhood blogger's series of free monthly EPs?  How'd you describe your album? Is there a story behind it?

Ramsay:  Ah, the dreaded “CONCEPT ALBUM” question! You’ll have to ask Steve that! Now that the album’s finally out there, it’s been great fun reading the reviews to see how other people have perceived it, and some of the stuff that’s been written is fascinating! It’s funny – today was the first day that I was able to really appreciate listening to it as an album proper and not as the album that our band recorded. I’m really proud of it – to me it looks and sounds great and every song has it’s own distinct character.

Kowalskiy:  What would class as an amazing disguise for an animal?

Ramsay: You’d have to ask Charles Darwin! At the end of the day, we’re all animals, however some of us would like to make out that they’re something else and maybe hide behind a mask.  Did I get it right, Steve?
Steve:  No Ramsay, you’re sacked!

Kowalskiy:  Are there plans afoot to tour the album?

Ramsay: Chance would be a fine thing! We’re working on it at the moment – right now, we’re really desperate to play in as many new places and in front of as many new audiences as possible, so promoters, if you’re reading this!

Kowalskiy:  What'd be your ideal gig?

Ramsay: Ach, that also changes from day to day – for me it’s currently the old Aberdeen Capitol (complete with pop-up, lighted cinema organ), supporting Roxy Music in the early 70s. We’re going through a bit of a Roxy-listening phase right now!

Kowalskiy:  What'd be your dream sandwich and tea combo?

Ramsay: Again, this changes all the time. Currently, it’d be a Tuna Mayo and Highlander Sea Salt and Vinegar crisp sandwich, made with old-school Mighty White bread – cup of Builders on the side.

   Sandwiches & Tea by Stanley

Kowalskiy:  Last of all, what can we expect from Stanley in the future?

Ramsay: Publishing deal, sign up with a booking agency, Radio 6 airplay, national tour supporting Richard Hawley, performance on Jools Holland, give up day job, new album out in Spring 2013, who knows? Music industry types – again, if you’re listening…

All seem perfectly reasonable to me!  So, to recap, Animals With Amazing Disguises is out now.  It's very impressive indeed.  And you can get your hands on it over here.   Cheers Ramsay!

K&A with Behold, the Old Bear

If you've been reading the blog recently you'll have seen me feature Behold, the Old Bear a few times already.   You may even have heard his brilliant cover of Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill on my last free monthly EP.   Well, the man behind it all is Raindeer of Mitchell Museum drumming fame.  I interviewed him last week, during which I probed him on his debut album plans, his favourite old bear, and what affect MM's reform will have on BTOB.  Before we get to that, here's one of the reason's he's gotten this blogger a wee bit excited!

    Home Space V1 by Behold, the Old Bear

Are you sitting comfortably?  Good... 'cos this may take a while!

Kowalskiy:  Who are Behold, the Old Bear?

Raindeer:  This question has baffled both scientifical and musictifcal brains since records began. Some say BTOB are nothing more than figments of someone else's imagination, some say they are the memory of your dead dog in physical form. I think Behold the Old Bear are an idea made possible by fellow humans and home recording technologies.

Kowalskiy:  Some may know you as Raindeer from Mitchell Museum. First up, what's with the animal monikers?  And secondly, how did Behold, the Old Bear come about in the first place?

Raindeer:  Hmmmmm, well... Firstly, I have been living with the understanding that Raindeer is my name since a family holiday when I was 15 I think. So that would be for the last 12 years of my life. I don't really think about it being an odd name until it comes to meeting new people. It is quite interesting seeing how people react to it. But its not a test or anything like that. There is no pass or fail system attached to people learning my name. I just judge them terribly if they react badly to it. KIDDING! No, some people make a big thing out of it, and some people are lust like, "oh hey Raindeer, nice to meet you" I like that the best.

And I felt like I couldn't really escape the Bear thing, tho I sometimes wish I did as there are already too many bear related bands out there. But there has been a progression to this bear business. I wasn't always the drummer in a band. When I first properly started getting into music, like many before me, I decided it would be cool to learn guitar. I did this and started writing really rubbish songs. I got a bit better at rubbish song writing and guitar and went to college when I was 16 to get even betterer. We needed to put a band together and the band needed a name. My brother Cameron came up with Digital Bear. I decided it was perfect and wrote and recorded and performed live wannabe Pavement songs under that moniker for the rest of college.

The last Digital Bear gig was in the old Stereo when I was 19, and that was the last time until January that I performed with a band as the front guy. So that would be 8 years, yes. I got heavily involved in playing drums with my brothers band, which turned into Mitchell Museum. I struggled to write songs for a long time. The problem was that I couldn't find anything that sounded like me. Later I decided I would call my imaginary band The Old Bear, after the CITV show of the same name. I liked that show a lot when I was small. A few years later, an old friend of mine brought a Spanish classical guitar into my flat. I fell in love with it and discovered that it gave me the power to write songs again. The first song I wrote is called 7 maybe 8. It was the first of the songs that would make up "the album" and its one of my favorites to play live.

Thanks to that guitar, some home recording equipment and some sad times, I was able to find a coherent sound and wrote and recorded 11 songs I decided could be an album. I then just needed a band to play them live. Meanwhile, due to some sort of technical issue whilst trying to set up a MySpace account, the band became Behold The Old Bear, and after a while I found the correct combination of humans, and that is that... Jesus, that is a long answer. I also really like animals tonnes. Dogs are my best.

Kowalskiy:  Anything else you'd like to add to that?!  I can't not touch again on Mitchell Museum. How would you say this new project compares?

Raindeer:  That's fair. Well, I would say that there are definite similarities that cant really be avoided. Me and Cameron are brothers, who have similar sounding voices and grew up listening to pretty much the same music. So we have taken influences from a lot of the same stuff. To be honest, Cameron is probably my biggest influence, as if it were not for him, I would maybe still be listening to Metallica all day. I still love Metallica tho. I owe much of my initial guitar stylings to them and The Smashing Pumpkins. Perhaps that is where the main differences between MM and BTOB lie. My songs are very much guitar orientated, at least at the point of writing and Cameron, well, to be honest I am not entirely sure what happens when he writes for MM. He locks himself in a cupboard with a pot, a pan, a beaten up keyboard and an MPC sampler and comes back out with something quite lovely. Also, my lyrics are usually very much to the point. I don't like a thing, and I write it down, stopping short of using peoples names. MM lyrics are hidden in metaphors and mysteries. Does that help? I don't know....

Kowalskiy:  You've got a handful of tracks up on SoundCloud at the mo, but what's the plans for some sort of release?

Raindeer:  Well I am currently working with a label towards the album getting a release. I can tell you that the album is called Some Kind Of Dark and that is the title track on the album. We are using a lot of my original recordings from my demos but adding overdubs and such like. I think we are quite keen to keep the bedroom recording sound but tidied up a bit. There are also plans to release a single with a music video in the summer. I am also working on a two minute song to be released at some point. The concept behind that is really cool. But I'm not sure I can say much else about that. oooohh the mysterious mystery!

    Shit Pages by Behold, the Old Bear

Kowalskiy:  Perhaps the most important question... Who is your favourite old bear: Paddington, Pooh, Rupert, Bungle, Superted or other? There is no wrong answer, other than non bear-related ones.

Raindeer:  That's easy. Fozzie Bear is well the bestest bear

Kowalskiy:  As well as some form of release, are there any gigs on the horizon?

Raindeer:  Yes, We are next playing in Bar Bloc on May 10th. I believe it is for a new student radio night that will be happening quite regularly. Other than that, We are being allowed to play The Kelburn Garden at the end of June and Doune The Rabbit Hole Festival in August. Hopefully we will find more gigs to play soon.

Kowalskiy:  What'd be your ideal gig?

Raindeer:  That is a hard one. well, I think I would like it to be like Latitude. It is an amazing festival. So I would have all the nice funny people too being funny in a funny people tent. But as for musics. I think I would have Randy Newman with a full band, then the pAper chAse would reform, I would defiantly like to resurrect Harry Nilsson and to finish it all, I would have Pink Floyd transported through time from their 1980 tour of The Wall.

Kowalskiy:  So, now that Mitchell Museum have risen from the ashes of the band formerly known as Mitchell Museum, what does this mean for Behold, the Old Bear?

Raindeer:  All it means is that we sometimes have a bit of difficulty finding time for both bands to practice. That's what it means at the moment. I have been asked a few times if with the new and improved Mitchell Museum being back in action will effect Behold The Old Bear. I hope it won't. I have just got this thing going after years of trying, so I don't intend on putting it down anytime soon. Hopefully both bands can happily exist together in harmony.

Kowalskiy:  What can we expect from Behold the Old Bear in the future?

Raindeer:  More Gigs, A Single. A music video. More Gigs, another Album? I have already written about half of the next album. But we need to get the first one out the way first.

Kowalskiy:  A topical question now... Where were you when Titanic sunk?

Raindeer:  What do you mean the Titanic sunk?.....I was on it just the other day. had a grand old time hangin' out at the Captains table. Silly Kowalskiy.

Silly me!  And Silly Raindeer too.  Everyone knows the bestest bear is in fact Yogi.  He'd wipe the floor with Fozzie any day of the week!  Anyway, more importantly, remember to mark those dates above in your diary if you fancy beholding this particular old bear in his natural giggy habitat, starting with the 10^th May in Bar Bloc, Glasgow.  To tide you over 'til then, here's another cracking song.  Enjoy!

   BEST ENEMY by Behold, the Old Bear