#Lahayna

[falsafad]

"Waxa ugu wanaagsan ee qof bini aadam ah naftiisa bari karo, waxtar iyo waayo arragnimo aan xad iyo xuduud toona lahayna ku siyaadin kara, waa fahmida iyo aqoonshada naftaada iyo noloshaada"

Baro naftaada intaad qof kale ku mashquuli lahayd.

[lahayna]

Lahayna: Behind the Songs

The Lahayna song writing process was often an emotive affair, but we thrived on collaboration with each other.  Ideas were brought to a rehearsal room or studio in varying degrees of readiness and each band member would then work on creating the perfect part to fit in with the whole arrangement. We sought each other’s opinions and listened to our Producer, Luke Buttery. The process brought the best out of each of us as musicians and writers.  In the early days songs were sometimes road tested at a gig the same day they were written!  

Here Matt and Chris share some of the stories and production ideas behind the songs on Lahayna’s debut album ‘Lahayna’.

‘Save My Soul’: This was an idea that started when I was messing around at home with playing slide on open D tuning. I had been listening to a load of delta blues records so there was a nod  to the “girl gone done me wrong” in the lyrics but I wanted the music to have a more modern feel percussion wise, so we experimented with lots of layering of percussion in the studio and then added a synth in too. I love the backing vocals that Nikki adds on these. [Matt]

I really love Rory’s drum part on this one - he was always messing around with tribal style rhythms in rehearsals and those ideas found the perfect home on this track. [Chris] ‘Losing Battle’: This song had been around for a while and the lyrics were about that typical relationship we find ourselves in at times where we feel stuck in a loop repeating arguments and the point where you just want out. Musically, the idea was to counter this with a summery 70s funk pop vibe, nodding  to the Isley Brothers and the Jackson 5, really layering things up. I think J’s voice is great on this and for me the stand out is the cool outro solo on the Rhodes which our producer Luke Buttery added. [Matt] ‘Butterfly Bomb’: This track started out as a title, which had stayed with me from the stories my grandparents told me about growing up in London during the Blitz. Butterfly bombs were designed to attract people to pick them up and then explode.  Matt and I worked on the lyrics as a fictional story and sent them back and forth for each of us to add more lines. This was a process that really worked for us.  Once we had the lyrics, Matt then worked on the chord structure and I added the bass line before we took it to the other guys to add their parts.  Our inspiration for the production was the energy and sound of Rolling Stones tracks such as ‘Brown Sugar’ and Jumping Jack Flash’. It was great fun to play. [Chris]

‘Made Out Of Stone’: The idea for lyrics for this was kind of a “split personality conversation” and the philosophical questions I often found myself battling with whilst living in London: the part of me that felt compelled by my environment to live fast and pursue a certain level of financial recognition as a musician. And then what I call my true nature, which valued none of those things and really thought the true value in life came from the nourishment of the soul, striving to create what was real and pursuing the good. From a music perspective, I like the cool Motown style production this has going on and the tremelo. [Matt] ‘House of Cards’: There have been 3 events which I look at as “before and after” moments in my life: when I emmigrated to Spain at the age of 30, the birth of my daughter at 22 years old and, the first was my first real experience of death, when a close friend committed suicide. He had just turned 18 and over the year leading up to this, was trying to come to terms with the death of his mother (who had also committed suicide). Shortly after, his sister was to take her own life.  I personally spent many years trying not only to come to terms with the death of a close friend, but understand what had happened and how any one of us can get into the situation where this seems like the only option. I spent a lot of time with his father after, seeing a broken man who had lost his whole family: and I spent many years questioning the meaning of life through this context. [Matt] ‘When the Lights Are Low’: Another song that had been in vaults for a while and went through many incarnations…I think I wrote this when I was 18 or 19. Musically it was another one which leant heavily on us listening to Curtis Mayfield and the like at the time and we wanted the big production, the heavy reverb, the dramatic strings, brass the whole works. And I really love Churchy’s baseline, groovy and melodic. [Matt]

‘Set It Off’: I remember secretly using the studio where I was working as dubbing mixer to record this years back. I wanted the slow burning intro with the acoustic guitars and then the big kick in. Again, it was another split personality conversation, when you’ve been wronged in a relationship and are trying to make up your mind whether to stay or go. It was a lot of fun to record this one and get the Les Paul out for the solo. [Matt]

‘Passenger’: To give you an idea, this track was once introduced at a gig by Mems as a cry “for the revolution”…Similar to Made out of stone, the lyrics were dealing with my frustrations with living in London and, in general, trying to make sense of the inequality in the world whilst recognising my hypocrisy at times and attempting to understanding the part that I played and how things could change etc. From a music point of view, we left the extended outro for the album and I really love the anthemic quality of this one: along with House of Cards it’s probably my favourite track on the album. [Matt] ‘Love Is Dead’: I’d been listening to a load of rockabilly at the time and this was one of the tracks that I wrote after we had already entered the studio. This song was the start really of the writing for the band that would go on to be Burning Condors. The idea was to have a fun throwaway party song, with the lyrics about how we can sometimes throw ourselves into frivolity and indulgence in an attempt to get over the end of an important relationship. [Matt]

‘In the City’: The inspiration for this song came to me whilst I was driving to our old rehearsal studio, Pulse, in Walthamstow. It was a mid-summer evening and as I drove over the crest of a hill near home on my usual route, I was dazzled by the sun setting in perfect rays over that part of East London.  It was a beautiful sight, albeit probably not great driving conditions! By the time I reached Pulse I had the chorus and a verse.  J then wrote the other verses in a Cafe in Blackhorse Road; adding his own thoughts on living in London at the time, and the situation and surroundings he was in.   

Matt wrote the main melody on guitar and we worked on the song’s structure in the rehearsal room together.  The melody came one day at our manager Paul’s house.  Matt played the riff to J and it just popped into his head. To start with he sang some made up nonsense like “she came out of the window.  I didn’t even know her name”!  It was a relatively quick process and it produced an obvious first single for us.  

We wanted the production to be big and punchy whilst retaining the sound of the individual elements – vocals, guitar, bass and drums.  There are very few embellishments on the final recording, other than some timpani to accent the drums on the breakdown, which sounds massive! [Chris]

The album ‘Lahayna’ is released via Snakehand Records on all major digital formats 20/11/2017.

[fruitbatwalton]

Ralph's Indie Show Replay

As played on Radio KC

Sunday 5th November from 5-7pm GMT

Internet Radio on rkc.noip.me

Played in 162 countries 

Worldwide on 2 satellites

Website: ralphslife.co.uk

Music Blog: fruitbatwalton.blogspot.co.uk

Submissions: ralphslife@mail.com

Twitter: @fruitbatwalton

PLAYLIST :

Click the band's name to follow them if they're on on Facebook:

COLOUR - MinusBauer - Nothing Will ChangeWatercolours - Feel TomorrowEmpathy Test - Everything Will Work OutPanda Cult - Shoot For SomethingThe Decrees - Sons Of RageThe Nouvelles - CherrybombMint - St OxfordCassia - Out Of Her MindThe Velvet Hands - Only Blame MyselfEdits - Don't SpeakKID CUPID - Blue Moonwojtek the bear - BookcaseMono Sideboards - GerlFirst The Drums — Best Days (ft. Esorini)KYLYPSO - Cosmic DolphinsCROOKED TEETH - MirrorsStocksnskins - Stuck In A GroovePyramid Park - The UnexplainedLahayna - House Of CardsFold - Choose Love EERA - Reflection Of LoveRidley Woof - HowlAlex Francis - All I've GotAshley Sherlock - Fine By MeMoses Sumney - Indulge Me

[josuermendez-blog]

#Kitchen? #cooking #idk #lahayna #ithinkwewereok @slyhagan_50 was cooking. I think @bryceratops5 was busting a move #yingyang #mydogwasthere #gettingswole #gettinghyphe #brosephs

[lahayna]

An Interview with Lorenzo Scavone: Photographer Responsible for the ‘House of Cards’ Cover Art

An interview with Brazilian photographer Lorenzo Scavone, the photographer behind the darkly atmospheric cover photo for our ‘House of Cards’ / ‘Sign of the Times’ single.  (Instagram: @lorenzoscavone_visual)

[Q.] How did your involvement with Lahayna come about?

[A.] It’s a nice story: I met Lahayna by Matthew, who was selling his Fender Stratocaster at the time. After exchanging some emails regarding the guitar (which I actually bought) we started talking about music, bands, etc. 

We became sort of pen pals, until we met in person here in São Paulo, Brazil! 

[Q.] Which is your favourite track on the album?

[A.] ‘In the City’ was the first song I heard, and Matt told me the whole story of it, which is amazing! 

Having an unsigned band reach the no. 33 UK Top Charts and make so much success is a fantastic and one of a kind achievement, especially nowadays when you are competing with so many big names of the music industry.

And despite its great story, I really like the song, it has a great vibe! 

[Q.] What inspires you as an artist?

[A.] For me, being an artist is like state of mind.

A very personal way to feel and connect to the world and its surroundings. It’s like exploring a distant country you never been before and travelling on your own street with new eyes. 

I also think that this is a way to be more mindful and connected with things that matter for ourselves, in an era in which we can get distracted all the time. 

Everyone has stories to tell and to actually think that we can be inspired and learn by them and also inspire or pass something on it’s truly something, isn’t it? 

[Q.] Are you working on any projects?

[A.] I am currently working on some personal projects in photography, cinema and as well music.

Recently, I have been exploring ambient music with the guitar to complement some images. The approach is very visual because these soundscapes aren’t a necessarily a soundtrack (In which music most of the cases, is an extra narrative tool) for the photo or frame in question, because they are a translation of the picture itself into music, in a way.

Of course it sounds very abstract and it is manly subjective, but it’s being an interesting process 

[Q.] Which Brazilian bands should our fans back in the UK check out?

[A.] That’s a hard question; music in Brazil is so diverse! But thinking in the fans, I have two recommendations: One of them it’s a psychedelic rock band from Goiás called Boogarins and the other one is a rock trio from my city (São Paulo) called O Terno. Both are very different from one another but really good and original, it’s definitely worth to take a listen!

[lahayna]

Why Lahayna is Supporting Youth Suicide Prevention Charity PAPYRUS: An Open Letter from Matt

Dear Listener,

There have been 3 events which I look at as “before and after” moments in my life: when I emigrated to Spain at the age of 30, the birth of my daughter at 22 years old and, the first was my first real experience of death, when a close friend committed suicide. He had just turned 18 and over the year leading up to this, was trying to come to terms with the death of his mother (who had also committed suicide). Shortly after, his sister was to take her own life.  I personally spent many years trying not only to come to terms with the death of a close friend, but understand what had happened and how any one of us can get into the situation where this seems like the only option. I spent a lot of time with his father after, seeing a broken man who had lost his whole family: and I spent many years questioning the meaning of life through this context. 

Whilst suicide can happen at any time, it continues to be a “taboo” subject and I think there is a lack of understanding of how especially vulnerable we are as we face the changes at the age of “becoming an adult”:the work of a charity like PAPYRUS is fundamental for changing such attitudes.

The lyrics to the song ‘House of Cards’ were written over 10 years ago and the process was cathartic for me: as such it has never really felt like “my song” and I never felt completely comfortable with releasing it commercially. However, on reflection as the years have passed, I hope that this could be something incredibly positive: the lyrics may help anyone who is affected by a similar situation and that any financial proceeds can go towards raising awareness, providing support to those affected and prevention of something, which is very close to my heart. 

Yours faithfully

Matt

https://www.papyrus-uk.org

[lahayna]

Moonlighting with Space Cowboy

Rory remembers the summer Lahayna became the backing band for French born DJ, Space Cowboy.

In the midst of our chart-entering success, we were approached by French born DJ-turned-artist Space Cowboy (known as Nick to his friends, parents and now Lady Gaga and Flo Rida), to become his backing band for a one off performance of his new album.  Space Cowboy had his own UK top 40 success when he collaborated with Nadia-Oh, with ‘My Egyptian Lover’ reaching #2 in the UK Indie singles chart.  

Space Cowboy’s new album ‘Digital Rock’ was due for physical release in the UK on 29 January 2007 (digital release in Japan on 31 July 2006) and off the back of Sony releasing the album in Japan, XFM DJ Eddy Temple-Morris boarded the Space Cowboy hype-train and offered him the opportunity to headline an XFM show at Cargo, which would be broadcast live on XFM.  Enter Lahayna, stage left…  

The courting of Lahayna started, as any teenage romance does, by a quiet question posed to a friend-of-a-friend, regarding a newly discovered band reaching the national red-tops, and after a quick chat between management, rehearsals began in Shoreditch.

I don’t know how many of you reading this will have ever been to London rehearsal spaces, but comfort, space, working equipment or any sense of normality are luxuries seemingly not-afforded. The lasting memories from rehearsing with Space Cowboy are the vodka cranberries prior, during and post-rehearsal, the thick shag-pile green carpet stapled to the walls and meeting the one and only Scarlett O'Hara (Scarlett Black).  Miss O'Hara (real name Scarlett Black) was to be the Cher to Space Cowboy’s Sonny. She arrived at rehearsals fresh from stage school, which she attended alongside Lily Allen, and had the poise, diction and eloquence to match. 

Whilst rehearsals were progressing well, Space Cowboy had a music video to shoot, and asked us Lahayna boys to perform in it - the track was called ‘Talking in Your Sleep’ and you can watch the finished video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHe6nAxS9zg&index=1&list=RDzHe6nAxS9zg

Extra points if you can guess the age of the models, spot the moment Matt realises he is being attacked by clumps of feathers, can count the bars between the penultimate notes in the song, or spot what Churchy’s bass is plugged into…!!

Whilst filming the music video was fun, there was to be no schmoozing as we had a half day shoot before heading to the Bull and Gate for a sold-out* gig. (*This may not strictly be true!).  When we saw the final video we realised there were models we could have chatted up (or invited to the gig!).

If truth be told we kinda forgot about the music video for a while… until we were sent the picture below.  Space Cowboy’s ‘Digital Rock’ album was hitting the big time in Japan, and this picture shows it playing in a Japanese record store!

There wasn’t too much time dwell on the success our mate Nick was having, as the XFM show loomed ever closer. Rehearsals ceased and Cargo was packed to the rafters and the album (plus a cover of Daft Punk’s Technologic) was played to thousands in the UK live on XFM. 

Ending?! Well, with 10 years having passed, there’s an opportunity to look at what happened next… The Lahayna tale will be described here in other blog posts, but the tales of O'Hara and Space Cowboy are worth telling. 

We didn’t hear anything from O'Hara until our paths crossed on the same Jitterbug Jive bill at The Brickhouse (Shoreditch) in 2010, with O'Hara dressed in a Jennifer Ellison catsuit as she raa-raa’d greetings and exultations prior to performing a bendy, twisty, talented show, which the Shoreditch faithful enjoyed for the imaginative choreography as much as the lyrical and musical display.

We heard that Nick had moved to America and was hanging out in various high-profile nightclubs and exclusive parties… We then spotted him in the video for Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’. A few messages later and we realised he had become part of Lady Gaga’s writing team and was the proud owner of two Grammy’s! He had also dueted with Ms. Gaga and had Flo Rida feature on a Space Cowboy single… 

So whilst we don’t expect Lahayna’s long awaited debut album to *quite* earn us Grammy’s, be played live on XFM or reach #1 in Japan, (equal writing royalties after all this time right boys!?) We do hope everyone enjoys the songs and the album. There are a lot of memories contained in those songs and hopefully these blogs will have triggered some memories of your own! 

NB. If we do earn Grammy’s, get played live on XFM or reach #1 in Japan, then Matt has told us he will perform solo wearing O'Hara’s catsuit… 

Peace out, much love

Rory, Lahayna x

[lahayna]

The Street Art that Inspired Lahayna

London’s rapidly exploding street art scene formed the ever changing backdrop to our experiences in Lahayna.  We were gigging and rehearsing heavily in East London between 2005 and 2007, whilst all around us exciting new street art would appear overnight and disappear the next. East London felt like the centre of the creative universe, like anything was possible, and that spirit inspired us.

Our earliest rehearsals were held at Enterprise Studios, a crumbling old building just off of Denmark Street and Shaftesbury Avenue, which has since been demolished to make way for the new Tottenham Court Road tube station. It was here that we rehearsed with J for the first time and took our formative steps as a band.  The sound was terrible, like hearing yourselves back through a wind tunnel, but it was a great location and had a community feel. We soon moved on, but we missed being greeted by a great piece by Focus, which glided serenely along the wall opposite the front entrance.

Our awareness of the street art phenomenon increased exponentially when we started rehearsing at Bona Fide, a damp, dark subterranean basement on Curtain Road, in the heart of Shoreditch.  At the time we were playing shows all over Shoreditch and Hackney, the epicentre of London’s street art scene.  A short walk from Liverpool Street Station would take us past works by some of street art’s biggest names, including a giant Invader overlooking City Road, faded Banksy’s, Dface, Shepard Fairy, Sweet Toof, Sickboy, Cartrain and a Jef Aerosol paste up. It was impossible not to absorb this creative spirit and to be inspired by it.  This was a big part of the cocktail of influences which went into our writing, sound and style.

Sticker art was spreading like a virus at the time, providing the inspiration for an early guerrilla marketing campaign.  Every available surface, including lampposts, post boxes and bins, seemed to be disappearing under a fresh layer of stickers each morning.  We decided to ask the question ‘What is Lahayna? At the time the band had only recently been formed and our name was a genuine source of interest. It was essentially meaningless, a word made up by J to fit our sound, but as with all the best band names, it gained its meaning for people over time.  It was up to us to make the name own our own.  We gave away piles stickers to fans and gig goers and they quickly appeared all over East London, helping to get the name ‘Lahayna’ into the public’s consciousness.  

The most obvious influence of street art was in our photo shoots, where it provided the gritty counter balance to our pristine white suits, or added an additional layer of local interest.  For our white suit photo shoot in 2006 many of the best shots were taken in Brick Lane, just around the corner from where we rehearsed, and the venues we were playing night after night. Another photo shoot around that time took place in Hackney and was featured on the reverse of the ‘In the City’ flyer.  The best group photo taken that day made use of the surrounding street art to provide a fifth member of the band.

We recorded ‘In the City’, and later our album, at The Way Studios in Hackney, which around that time was a lively international community of graters and dreamers.  The area was yet to experience mass hipster displacement from Shoreditch and it felt on the rise after many years of neglect.  Street art was a big part of the renaissance. Our long days in the studio were broken up by walks along the High Street for essential supplies, or through Victoria Park to London Fields. In the side street next to the studio we found a Paul Insect, ‘Atomic Mind’ paste up, whilst London Fields had London’s 100th Invader proudly displayed above its street sign. Any wooden construction hoardings around the studio had been heavily ‘bombed’ by Sweet Toof, with the giant pink gums of London’s craziest back street dentist found on seemingly every street.

Street art has the ability to shock, entertain, inspire, surprise and delight, particularly when it’s experienced unexpectedly.  Finding a new artwork, which has appeared overnight, can be a deeply personal and exciting experience.  I was lucky enough to experience this on one of my many early morning drives to The Way. It was a bright Spring morning and a few minutes from the studio I was fortunate enough to come across an ingeniously placed new piece by Banksy. I suspect the paint was still wet!  C Church

To celebrate the release of our album and the influence of street art on Lahayna, Churchy will be creating and giving away 3 new pieces of stencil artwork. Details will be announced on our Facebook page and you can see a previous example of his work here:

http://burningcondors.bigcartel.com/product/original-artwork-the-gecko-by-churchy

[lahayna]

Touring and Promoting ‘In The City’

Our debut single ‘In the City’ was a disruptor.  It sent shockwaves through the UK music industry when it gate crashed the Official Singles Chart, reaching #33 on Sunday 18 November 2007.  It achieved the highest ever midweek entry for an unsigned band (#13) and the highest chart placement for an unsigned London band. This is the story of the promotional campaign behind it.

The planning for ‘In the City’ began in spring 2007.  By this point we’d already released our ‘Go Go Down’ / ‘Red Light’ EP, toured the UK’s major cities and were building a fanbase. A single release felt like the natural progression.  At a series of band meetings chaired by our manager, Paul Cannon, we discussed how to overcome the seemingly insurmountable challenge of gaining wider public attention without industry contacts, financial backing, or the benefit of a record label’s PR machine.  

Looking at the impact of technology and the growth of social media, it was clear to us that we needed to embrace the change rather than fight against it. Lahayna was a band borne out of the MySpace generation and we used the growing social media phenomenon to connect directly with people.  Access to music on personal devices and via social media was increasing rapidly and gave us the opportunity to reach a wider audience. We took inspiration from Koopa, an unsigned band already achieving chart success and media attention.  We registered ‘In the City’ with a digital distribution company and decided to take our music out onto the streets.

Oxford Circus, outside Topshop, was our regular location. Armed with mp3 players and headphones we approached people directly, offering them the chance to listen to our songs right there and then on the street, whilst explaining our story.  People could then pre-order the track on their phone via a text message to 82822 for £1.50 and crucially the download would count towards chart sales in the week of release.  This guerrilla marketing campaign was very hard work. All of us, including our manager Paul, had to hold down day jobs to fund the band, whilst hitting the streets in the evening and at weekends to become a physical form of radio.  Connecting with people through music was good fun though and gave us all a crash course in sales and marketing. One evening we met a young lady from a PR firm in Soho, she loved our story, so much so that we ended up in the gossip pages of one of the tabloids a day later!  The single was also used as a backing track on BBC1’s Football Focus, gaining even more exposure.

The artwork for the promotional flyers and posters was designed by our good friend and long time collaborator Sean Roper.  Talented photographer Babs Kehinde, also a friend of the band, took the photo for the reverse of the flyer at a photo shoot around Hackney Wick and Dagenham Dock.  We had t-shirts manufactured emblazoned with the download details, turning us all into walking billboards.  These were the uniform for our street team and psychologically they made it much easier to approach and engage with people. A self funded UK tour was the pinnacle of our promotional efforts in the build up to the release date, criss-crossing the country, taking in the delights of Norwich, Brighton, Southampton, Coventry, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Winchester, Essex and London.  We played to new crowds, including people that had found us via social media and others who were there by chance.  These shows were really enjoyable as we met so many people.  Before and after each performance we would take our mp3 players and headphones out onto the street to promote the single release in that town or city.

The release of ‘In the City’ was a watershed moment for the UK music industry.  It showed that unsigned bands could compete with major labels by embracing the power of guerrilla marketing, using social media effectively and connecting with people directly.  It was a disruptor.  The industry soon fought back lobbying to prevent pre-order sales counting towards a chart position.  This was a sad day for music lovers, hoping to hear real bands or artists breaking through, but ‘In the City’ provided a brief moment for optimism.  J Ullman

Links:

http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/3554/lahayna/

[lahayna]

Lahayna’s Appearance on ITV’s Play Date

One of the more surreal experiences during our time in Lahayna was our appearance on ITV’s late night dating show Play Date in October 2006.

We were approached by a friend of Matt’s from his time at MTV who was now working on the show’s production team. They were looking for a full band to appear and offered us the bait of playing a couple of tracks live on TV. After much deliberation we decided to do it. I’d just begun dating my future wife at the time and had to explain that I wasn’t looking for a date, but that any PR was good for the band. It was a difficult sell! The production team arranged to meet us at one of our regular gigs at Lark in the Park, Islington, where they filmed cutaways and some live footage. We provided basic information about ourselves and went through the filming schedule. 

The production was slick, with no hanging around or hours spent in makeup. We were quickly reclining on bean bags scattered around the studio with laptops at hand, ready to reply instantly to the inevitable deluge of messages from interested ladies. However there was no deluge and we spent the majority of our time playing solitaire! Throughout the show we were each summoned to the couch for cringingly dull interviews, with the exception of Mems, as his interview was pure comedy gold. Describing his ideal date, he gave a detailed account of a recent meal he’d enjoyed with Matt. It sounded like pure romance, but then again Matt always knew how to treat a lady! 

Looking back it was terrible TV but we had great fun. Never before had five guys on a dating show appeared so disinterested in actually getting a date.    

C Church

You can watch the interview with Lahayna and live acoustic performances of ‘Losing Battle’ and ‘Move On’ from the show here:

Losing Battle: https://youtu.be/XVIJglvVwMc

Move On: https://youtu.be/I_uAByU80XM

Interview: https://youtu.be/p2aOmioVkhE

[lahayna]

Lost Songs of the Lark: the Decline of London’s Grassroots Music Venues in a Microcosm

Grassroots live music venues in London are an endangered species.  The Mayor’s Music Venues Taskforce reported a decline of 35% between 2007 and 2015, a loss of 48 venues.  Lahayna played at many of these venues and they formed the backdrop to our development as a band.  Consequently this is a subject which is very important to us.  

Bull and Gate, The Spitz, Turnmills, Metro Club, Pleasure Unit, Caernarvon Castle, The Standard, Old King’s Head, Punk, Purple Turtle and Astoria 2.  Lahayna performed at all of these venues and some more than once, but they have all closed in recent years.  The iconic Madame Jojo’s and 12 Bar Club are also gone, leaving a live music void in the heart of Soho.  The closure however which hits hardest is Lark in the Park, a venue which we’re sure many Lahayna fans will be familiar with.

 Between 2005 and 2006 Lahayna performed at Lark in the Park, next to Barnard Park in Islington, nearly ten times, including three gigs in a row during Feb-Mar 2006.  Matt (Guitar) even ended up promoting his own nights there. At a time when we were gigging heavily all over London and other UK cities, Lark in the Park felt like a home gig for us.  We were comfortable there, and our sound and tightness developed quickly as a consequence. Despite the tiny stage, terrible layout, expensive drinks, poor location, unscrupulous promoters (not including Matt!) and a lack of ‘hipster’ clientele, Lark in the Park was the making of us.  We road tested new songs there, developed our stage presence, gained a style, won over new fans and most importantly, we had a lot of fun doing it.

In the years since Lahayna performed on its stage, Lark in the Park was purchased by former TV actor, Gary Whelan (Ballykissangel), but ultimately the business wasn’t profitable and the building was left empty for over two years.  The venue which had given us so much was eventually demolished in 2014, despite a spirited campaign by local community activist and architect James Dunnett.  In a perverse twist, a planning application for five new homes, ‘Nord One’, was submitted by Higgins, the construction company that employed Rory (Drums) during his time in Lahayna.

The reasons behind the loss of venues like Lark in the Park are varied, but symptomatic of a lack of appreciation of their role in local communities. The music industry has greatly undervalued grassroots venues as the key incubator for new bands, vital to fill festival slots and larger venues in years to come.  In 2005 the Mayor’s Music Venues Taskforce identified market failure within the music industry, external forces such as rising property prices, high business rates, a lack of protection in the planning system and overzealous licensing and policing.  Live music venues are also often considered a public nuisance, rather than a valuable community space, despite evidence that gig goers are surprisingly sober compared with other groups enjoying a night out.

Despite the decline, there are some green shoots appearing.  London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s commitment to boosting London’s night time economy has seen the long overdue introduction of the night tube and the appointment of Amy Lamé as Night Czar.  The Mayor’s ‘Rescue Plan for London’s Grassroots Music Venues’ was published in January 2017, and one of the key recommendations of the Music Venues Taskforce, the introduction of the ‘Agent of Change’ principle, to protect existing venues from noise nuisance prosecutions when new residential development takes place nearby, was an election pledge.  Independent Venues Week was launched with Arts Council funding, to promote London’s live music scene and rich heritage, particularly among tourists.  Most encouraging of all, figures published in January 2017 showed 94 venues operating, the same figure as 2015 and indicating stabilization.

Despite these positive signs, to flourish again grassroots venues like Lark in the Park need to adapt.  Venues and promoters have often been complacent, assuming that the support of new bands by dedicated friends and family will always be unwavering. These supporters would accept poor sound, high drinks prices, crumbling facilities, questionable food and a seemingly random selection of acts on the same bill.  Since the economic crisis, people are far more aware of what they are spending, and expect value for money.  The growth of London’s restaurant scene, whilst clubs and bars have suffered, is evidence that people will still go out for the evening and spend, but they expect a good experience in return.  If grassroots venues can get the experience right, what could be more positive and rewarding than supporting an exciting new band taking their first steps?

The loss of Lark in the Park and other grassroots venues may not have been mourned at the time, but the decline will, if unchecked, have lasting cultural and economic impacts.  UK Plc. benefits significantly from the global export and reputation of UK music, including ‘heritage’ acts such as the Rolling Stones and music tourism.  Bands may not be en vogue at present, but musical tastes are cyclical and when a band, or artist, catches the cultural zeitgeist, an exciting new scene can explode seemingly overnight.  These bands have provided the soundtrack to many young lives and without venues like Lark in the Park, where will the next Lahayna or future Rolling Stones learn their trade? Surviving grassroots venues and new operators can thrive, and become relevant again, if they seize their chance to improve and deliver exciting new musical experiences.  C Church

Links:

https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/arts-and-culture/music/saving-londons-music-venues

http://musicvenuetrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/londons_grassroots_music_venues_-_rescue_plan_-_october_2015.pdf

http://www.independentvenueweek.com/

http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2013/may/lark-park-pub-be-demolished

http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2012/sep/disused-lark-park-pub-building-must-be-saved-demolition-says-leading-architect

https://www.higginshomes.co.uk/blog/2015/nord-one

http://www.ukmusic.org/news/uk-music-welcomes-the-new-london-mayor-sadiq-khan-mp

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/sep/09/the-slow-death-of-music-venues-in-cities

http://www.timeout.com/london/music/the-death-of-londons-live-music-venues

http://www.citymetric.com/business/londons-night-life-trouble-and-night-tube-wont-save-it-2365

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/37682065/mumford-and-sons-ben-lovett-is-hopeful-for-the-future-of-music-venues

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/istudents/small-music-venues-in-the-uk-are-under-threat-and-we-need-to-do-something-drastic-about-it-a6825456.html

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/music-fans-sadness-as-kentish-town-gig-venue-bull-and-gate-is-closed-8492738.html

http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/attractions/amy-lam-announced-as-londons-first-night-czar-a3386971.html

https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2017/london-grassroots-music-venue-numbers-stable-first-time-decade-claims-report/

[lahayna]

A Short Interview with Sean Roper: Designer of the ‘In the City’ Artwork

A short interview with Sean Roper, designer of the iconic ‘In the City’ artwork.

[Q.] So how did your involvement with Lahayna come about?

[A.] Matt and I went to school together; we also went to the same college where I studied graphic design. I also knew Chris through his brother Steve.

[Q.] Were there any early signs Matt and Chris would go on to form a band?

[A.] Yes, I remember Matt would always bust out his guitar and play out some new melodies that he had written. It was very obvious he had a real passion and talent for it.

[Q.] What were your first impressions when you saw Lahayna live and what made them stand out?

[A.] It was a real head turner, I was really impressed how they performed live. It was a real eye opener for me and changed my opinion on the live music scene.

[Q.] What inspired the artwork for ‘In the City’?

[A.] It was really tough challenge to come up with something because I literally had nothing to go on. The band had no photos, no logo, nothing; I was given free reign. The band was beginning to get a lot attention, performing in clubs all over London, so the London backdrop felt right. They also had slight Hawaiian theme because of the name, so I wanted give it a bright warm feel which also reflected their sound. Silhouette figures of the band came completely from memory, including that stupid Pink hat that only Rory got away with wearing!

[Q.] How closely did you work with the band during the design process?

[A.] It was a very close process, but at the same time very challenging. I don’t think they really knew what they wanted until they saw it, but the closer I worked with them, the more I realised their vision.

[Q.] Were you involved in any other design projects for the band?

[A.] I was always working on something for them, logos, flyers, press releases, it was always done out of the pure pleasure of working for them and rarely for money.

[Q.] Where has your design career taken you in the 10 years since ‘In the City’ was released?

[A.] I worked again with most of the band when they formed Burning Condors. I don’t often get to do that kind of work these days. Nowadays I mostly work on designs for exhibitions and events for the likes of BBC Good Food, Crufts and many motor sport events like Formula 1.

[lahayna]

Filming the Lahayna 'In the City' Music Video

Daniel Johnson is an independent screenwriter and film director from London. Here he shares his memories of his work with Lahayna back in 2007 and the previously untold story behind the ‘In the City’ music video.

I have been delaying writing this for weeks, because I can hardly remember anything. I mean, I remember things, but I’m not sure which order they go in. Here’s what I remember, and if it’s factually true, maybe someone else will tell me.

I’m pretty sure a music video wasn’t part of the plan.

I met up with the band’s manager, Paul Cannon, at the Chequer’s pub in Barkingside. How we’d got in touch, I have no idea. Maybe it was Chris Church who put us in touch but all that me and Churchy had in common was that we went to the same school. So I’m not even sure we knew each other.

Anyways Paul talked about this great young band and somewhere around this time I was also making a short film called ‘Mix CD’ (an epic short about how to make a mix for a girl). I used one of Lahayna’s tracks in the film, and then began filming a documentary about the making of their new album.

Meanwhile, Lahayna were in the midst of beginning their historic climb into the UK Singles Chart.

And then I was out on the streets with the lads, literally going up to random people in Central London and making them listen to the single, ‘In the City’ - and if anyone showed even a slight interest in the track, we showed them how they could buy it and support an indie band.

And don’t forget, this was indie back when indie was really indie. Everyone else was trying for a record deal but these guys were just putting out their own music, before there was even really the infrastructure to do such a thing.

The guerrilla marketing was taking off and Lahayna were rumoured to be climbing into the charts. This was 2007, and for a band with no label and no history to suddenly appear in the top 40 was unheard of.

So we all gathered at some band member’s house (see, I can’t even remember where I was) to listen to the charts being announced on the radio, back when that was still a thing people cared about.

The band were there with friends and family, and there was me, the imposter with the video camera. I wasn’t even sure if we were making a documentary anymore, I just turned up to things and pointed a camera.

They hit the charts. No 33. The feeling in the room was one of immense achievement. This meant something.

And little did we know it but the entire music industry was changing. Lahayna could have waited a few years and had an easier time but instead they decided to do the impossible, and they did it.

And then I went home. And we had enough footage for a documentary and that was to be that.

But then some TV channel said, “where’s the music video?”

And there wasn’t a music video.

But the band did have a gig lined up. So we decided I’d shoot the music video at the gig and edit it that night.

Like all great rock n’ roll stories, this night involved a beat up old car filled with band members and their instruments. Oh, and me and my camera gear.

We headed off to East nowhere for the gig – and, I’m sorry to spoil the story but – the place was near empty. Maybe 10 girls and 3 guys who only went cause the girls were there.

But we needed a video.

The band were on fire. Playing triumphantly like they’re at Madison Square Gardens, and rightly so, these guys had the added confidence of being in the charts now.

“I need you to play 'In the City’ twice”, I said.

A few weird looks but then they rocked it both times.

Then I got home and edited the video together. I added in shots of the band with their friends and family from the night they stormed the charts.

And I added footage from the nights we spent harassing strangers in the backstreets of London demanding they listen to some music.

At the time it seemed like a silly little video, hacked together in a few hours. But now I can see, it tells a story. A story about a young talented band. About dreams followed, friendships made, records broken.

And now we’re older and different and would any of us go running around the streets all in the name of music? Maybe we would.  D Johnson

‘In the City’ [OFFICIAL VIDEO] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AWcOWO9gSY      

‘Mix CD’ [Ft. ‘Go Go Down’] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SNF1sCn1Jg&app=desktop

http://www.danieljohnsonfilms.co.uk http://www.twitter.com/danieljohnsonuk

Join Daniel’s Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/bvxGdT

[lahayna]

A Short Interview with Paul Cannon: Lahayna Manager

[Q.] How did your involvement with Lahayna come about?

[A.] It’s a strange connection, but my girlfriend (now wife’s) sister was dating Rory (drummer) and I went along to see them live and instantly fell in love with them, both on and off the stage. I went to see them a few times after work and soon we had a chat about me taking on the role of manger. I think it also helped that I had a suit! It really started off with me just making sure the band didn’t let anything fall through the net, building up contacts, arranging gigs, etc. just so they could concentrate on their music, but then over the weeks and months ahead it became more of a serious role.

[Q.] What were your first impressions when you saw Lahayna live and what made them stand out?

[A.] Like I said earlier, I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them live, their energy and tight unit onstage just grabbed my attention and sucked me in, but it wasn’t just their personality on stage, but also off stage and after sharing a few drinks with them you couldn’t help but like the lads. It also helped that at that time they had a great track, ‘Sign of The Times’…which was always a crowd pleaser!

[Q.] One of your biggest successes as manager of Lahayna was the legendary Thames boat party – why did you opt for a boat party rather than a normal gig?  What was the biggest challenge you faced in organising it?

[A.] The Thames boat party was an epic event, it was something that helped us stand out from the crowd and seeing as our single was ‘In the City’, it was the perfect venue to lay on a party for the fans. Having 350 people in one place enjoying your music while taking in the sights of our beautiful city, just made sense in light of the upcoming single.

The biggest challenge I had organising this event was finding a boat big enough on our tight budget, but it all came good in the end.

[Q.] Lahayna was in the first wave of bands to truly embrace social media to connect with new fans.  How important do you believe Myspace was in Lahayna’s chart success?

[A.] The social media scene, especially Facebook was taking off in 2007 and this was a fantastic tool in spreading the word on our single release and keeping the fans updated on gigs and events. It played a massive part in helping Lahayna have their chart success, as you had your fan base just a click of a button away.

[Q.] What was your greatest achievement as Lahayna Manager?

[A.] I can think of many personal achievements: The lads playing at the Cavern Club, organising the boat party, helping organise successful UK tours and setting up the release of the single on a tight budget, but the greatest achievement of all was having a top 40 hit with no backing or support from the big boys, but all off the back of our own hard work and it made it very rewarding to hear ‘In The City’ being played on Radio One… no one can take that away from us now- it’s one to tell the grand kids!