#like it's stuck in my head as a fully produced song by an indie rock band except nobody else can hear that

[mysterypigeon]

trying to name a song and there's one option that makes sense and fits the mood lalala. and then there's the fun silly option..........

[underachievers-please-try-harder]

Interview // Declan McKenna

I interviewed Declan McKenna for 7digital.

What’s your earliest musical memory?

The one I always think about is probably the first proper concert I went to. It was in 2010, so I would have been 10 or 11. Anyway, I went to the Hop Farm Festival and I saw Bob Dylan and Ray Davies from The Kinks, and Mumford & Sons before they were the huge band they are now. I always think about that. I mean, getting to see Bob Dylan isn’t something everyone gets to do and to do it so young – before I really appreciated fully what he does and did – was pretty sweet.

Are you from quite a musical family?

Relatively, yes. All of us have at least dabbled in music. My dad plays guitar, my mum plays keys and the flute and stuff, and a couple of my siblings are really into music as well. I have five older siblings so I’ve had a lot of people influencing me.

What kind of music were you hearing around the house, growing up?

My dad listens to a wide range of things but a lot of classic rock, the likes of Wishbone Ash, The Who and The Beatles. My mum loves a lot of different things, but [she played the] 80s pop she would have been into when she was younger. My older brothers got me into early-00s indie with The Strokes, and then eventually Vampire Weekend and stuff, and my sisters listened to a lot of pop – Christina Aguilera, Westlife and all that sort of stuff. I think all of that comes together and influences what I do

When did you begin writing music yourself?

I’ve been doing it for a long time. Me and one of my sisters and my cousin formed a band and would write songs when we must have been about eight, but I really decided to stick at it from maybe 11 years old. I was really trying to write songs and starting to listen to other songs and trying to improve through that.

Who are your songwriting heroes?

At this point in time, I’d say David Bowie, Jeff Buckley and Nina Simone.

It’s been a little over 18 months since you won Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent competition. Just how mad has life been since? Presumably your life has changed completely?

Yes. From February or March that year things started kicking off and then in April I won the competition. Everything has changed so much since, and it’s happened in a way that I would never have expected, especially so soon. I think it’s great to be able to do this rather than being stuck in school and doing stuff that I don’t really enjoy. At this present time, I’m only really worrying about things that will make me really happy and make me enjoy my life. I’m doing stuff on my own terms which I’m very happy about. So it’s been a great few months and I’m excited for releasing the album and all the stuff that comes after it.

Where are you at with your album?

I’m nearly finished. Now I’m back in the UK, I’ve got a couple more days of not doing anything and then I’m back in the studio running up to the end of the month. I think I’m going to do two more songs and then that will be it, really. So yeah, I’m very close to being finished and I’m just really excited.

You’re working with James Ford on the album. How’s he to work with?

Great. It’s cool working with someone who’s worked on some of my favourite albums. He’s really just improved all of the songs, and it’s been really, really, really fun working with him.

Are there any collaborations on the album?

I actually do have one. I haven’t really mentioned it yet, and I’m not sure if I’m supposed to, but one of the tracks on the album I co-wrote and produced with one of my favourite artists...

But you can’t say with whom?

No.

Your singles so far have been extremely varied. To what degree is that diversity motivated by a desire to prevent people pigeonholing you?

I’d love to not be pigeonholed but there’s no way it’s ever going to not happen. Even the greatest of greats all had the start of their careers put into boxes or were told that they sounded like one artist or another. With all these crazy changes that have happened in the last two years when I’ve been writing this album, I just haven’t felt like I’ve had a stable enough world around me to make everything sound exactly the same. I think the album’s going to flow well but I’m trying to write a bunch of songs that I like, rather than focusing too much on things like genre, which I think a lot of bands get lost in. They’ll try to make their albums quite cool-sounding, but often get caught up in genre rather than the initial songwriting process.

It’s clear from the lyrics of songs like ‘Isombard’ that you’re extremely engaged with politics. It must have been really interesting spending so much time in the USA this year, in the run up to the presidential election?

Yeah, I was there when the election happened, on the day. Rather than being in my little north of London, Guardian-readers area and internet bubble, driving through Utah and Louisiana and Texas and seeing the genuine amount of support and people getting rallied up for Trump was kind-of scary. It was a tense time, that, but there was nothing particularly violent going on which was good. But it really puts things into perspective because I didn’t really fully understand the genuine support that Trump had in this election.

So you weren’t as shocked as you might have been Trump being elected?

I think I was still shocked. I still thought that it wasn’t going to happen. Me and my friends were saying how it could genuinely be like the plot of a TV show: the billionaire, glamorous dude who’s an absolute fool becoming president, but lo and behold. I still kind-of held onto the hope that it wouldn’t happen, but it did.

What with that and Brexit, it’s been a pretty surprising year, politically. Are you ending 2016 feeling hopeful?

I think I’m always hopeful. I think my generation is one to be hopeful about. Maybe again it’s from my own little social bubble, but I see a lot of my friends and their friends, and people around me who are young, and I see a lot of talent and a lot of people who want to speak out about things; artists like myself who want to make changes in the world. And I think people want change right now above everything.

We’ve had the recession, and some people are looking for change in the form of things like Brexit or voting for someone like Trump. I feel like my generation is slightly more level-headed in the sense that we want change through ourselves and our own actions, if that makes sense? Like, making people think about alternative ways that we can make the world a better place. I think that makes me hopeful most of all; the younger generation. And once we get the vote then I think things will look up as well.

Ideally, what age do you think people should be able to vote?

I’d say, for realistic reasons, 16. But I think in an ideal world you would be able to get every single person in the country to just have a chat with someone and they can judge if they should be allowed to vote or not. But I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. I was maybe 14 I wanted to vote, and I know a lot of intelligent kids who are much more informed on these things than older people, so I think 16-year-olds should be able to vote. People are still holding on to that idea that age and wisdom correlate, but I know a lot of young people who are a lot wiser than older people, if that makes sense. Obviously not all, but I know a lot. And a lot of people who listen to my music reply to my tweets about politics, and they’re all obviously engaged and probably around my age or younger.

Currently it feels like we see a lot of protest music in genres like rap and grime, but not so much in indie-rock. Would you agree?

I feel very proud of grime in a way. I think grime is something that my generation – and people a bit older – can hold as their own. It stands up for itself as something that can be very self-sufficient and intelligent. But a lot of my friends make political art, or they’ll show me their assignments that they’re doing at school and it will be based on political things. I love seeing my friends doing well, and speaking out about things for younger people.

So what’s the plan for 2017? 

Next year is just getting the album out, I’m going to say in March or April. I’m not 100%, but I think around then. And then touring, probably for the full year, almost. There are going to be loads of festivals and lots of travelling, which I’m excited about. It’s just going to be really, really busy for me, which I think is generally a good thing.

[tonguetiedmag]

music: weekly roundup (our favorite submissions of the week)

Stevie wolf - Ink

I’m not sure if it’s because I tend to go through submissions in the late hours of the night, but much of this week’s playlist is easygoing, slow music that fits on my sleep playlist. This track exemplifies what I’m talking about. The vocals are straightforward and gentle, the instrumentals are pared back and subtle. The lyrics on this really caught my attention. I loved the story behind it, from both a poetic standpoint and a literal one (I have tattoos, I did “kinda like how much it hurt” as the song says). The lyric “I’m a blank sheet of paper, so empty and naked, but I wanna be that brave” made me stop what I was doing and actually rewind the song. This track amps up just a bit towards the end but, through and through, remains steady and meandering. Put it on your relaxation playlists, it’s so so sweet.

Sea Girls - Do You Really Wanna Know?

This is, at its core, an easy-going indie pop track. With a catchy chorus, the trace of a British accent that doesn’t disappear into steadily delivered vocals (you know how that thrills me), and upbeat instrumentals, this has all the makings of a song that would lend itself perfectly to a summer beach drive or a kitschy rom-com montage. Lyrically, it’s a sweet track about getting to know someone just a little bit deeper, or maybe not and just spending the day in bed instead.

Glass Animals - Dreamland

I was fully prepared for this track to be too electronic for me. I’m not always the biggest fan of electropop, but this track has a very subtle electronic base with really dreamy vocals over it. The whole thing mixes together to produce this hazy, ethereal vibe. This is one of those times were the content really does match the title of the track. The vocals take center stage at the 1:30 mark and to be quite honest, it’s the part that sold the song to me. It’s like fighting through the woods and getting to a little clearing in the middle full of wildflowers.

Sleepy Gonzales - Slow Apocalypse

I’m not sure, in the end, which part of this song clinched its spot on my playlist this week between the overall tone, the lyrics, and the vocal delivery. This track is low and moody with instrumentals that blend into a background of soft haze. There were a few standout lyrics that really caught my attention, specifically in the verses. What really made me stop in my tracks though, were the vocals. The vocals are low, just a touch hazy, and doubled - the male/female duet is a very steady constant through the song and adds a wonderful depth to the vocals. This song is definitely a perfect late-night listen.

dad sports - out 4 a breather

This song struck me as the lovechild of a frenetic pop-punk track and a laid back acoustic song. It’s got all the lyrics and attitude you’d find in something you could mosh to but none of the actual moshing, which makes it absolutely perfect for my stripped-down, laid-back, late-night listening habits. The vocals are low and steady, almost bashful. This sounds like teen angst wrapped up in a new love interested cloaked in anticipation. I’m so into it. Send this to your crush right now.

The Half Trees - Let You Down Easy

I’ll lay this out to you very plainly: this song took my breath away. I listened to it five times before I hit accept, but not because I couldn’t decide if it deserved a spot on the playlist - I just wanted to hear it more. Imagine Death Cab for Cutie mixed with Manchester Orchestra’s slower stuff and that’s about where this song lands for me. The chorus is smooth and slow until the title line comes around and packs a punch in its delivery. This song is melancholy with just a touch of longing, and would sit right at home amongst bands like Death Cab, Foxing, and Turnover.  

The Royal Foundry - Okay?

This easy going indie rock track isn’t quite as contemplative as the rest of our playlist this week, but I absolutely loved the beginning. The intro has big sweeping piano notes that swell and fade into an upbeat guitar rhythm. The opening vocals are imperfect in that perfect kind of way, with a little squeak on an upturned lyrical question: “Am I doing this right?” This song is hopeful, fun, and a perfect reminder that better days are coming. Indie Rock at its absolute finest, place this on playlists next to Hippo Campus, Phoenix, etc.

AM0RA - Girls’ Night

Okay, you caught me - I may have put this playlist together largely at 2 AM looking for slow songs, but that doesn’t mean when a good post hardcore track comes across my desk I’m not immediately interested regardless of time of day. The description on this track literally said “for fans of The Used” so I basically accepted it before I listened to it. The opening vocals on this track are loud, irreverent screams. When the clean vocals kick in, they’ll get stuck in your head I promise. The guitars in this track are so prominent I felt them in my very bones. It’s a little long, but there’s a switch up in the last third of the song that shakes it up a little bit. Consider this saved to my “Pop Punk 4Ever” playlist, I’m sold.

Listen to these songs on our playlist!

Article by: Jacq Kozak

[gigsoupmusic]

Radio Free Universe shares latest single "She's High Again"

Radio Free Universe is an indie-rock band hailing from the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Their new single "She's High Again" captures two perspectives of the same situation -- the light and carefree chorus is the perspective of “She” and the dark verses are the reality of the situation played by the singer. Listen to the new single "She's High Again" now on Soundcloud and read the interview with Radio Free Universe. Can you talk to us about the inspiration behind your latest single, "She's High Again"? The song is about my guitar player and best friend and his wish. It’s a “be careful what you wish for” kinda story. Some time after his break-up with a rising starlet, we were in our downtown loft making yet another record. He’d tried dating and messing around with girls, but he was frustrated. One night he just came out and said it, ”I wish a really hot girl would just walk in off the street so I wouldn’t have to bother dating.” Well ten minutes later, in walked our subject. They were married within a month. We were all naïve and had no clue she was on meth. We just thought she was “different”. He stuck by her for years through everything you could think of. I found it fascinating. Years later, like a good Yoko, she split up that project right here in Hamilton. When Radio Free Universe decided that this song fit this new project, all those years of observation combined with living in Hamilton to produce the finished product. How has your community contributed to your success? A lot of career musicians live in Hamilton. The city has a vibrant and dynamic music scene. It’s a blessing and a curse. The blessing is you’re always around incredible dedicated music professionals (players, producers, writers, and sound engineers). Mohawk College is constantly developing new young talent. A lot of young bands meet there. It’s a great city to be a musician. You can find live music worth seeing every night. We all get to know each other. We all learn from each other. The curse is simply the saturation of the local market. Listeners are so spoiled. You really have to work hard to get their attention. When artists start to expand their market out of Hamilton it’s amazing to see how well the rest of the world reacts to so much of what we do. I got to pick some of the best people to make this record with. From strings to the guys who joined the band. It’s very similar to living in California back in the day where you had a plethora of raw talent living close to a lot of production facilities. What advice would you give other musicians? Make great music. Make it so you can listen to it and be proud of it for the rest of your life. That’s really hard to do, but you have to. Make sure you connect with the song emotionally. If you almost can’t sing it sometimes because it makes you feel so intense that you almost lose the note, you’ve done it. Someone will listen to it and really connect with you and when they do you will have a listener for life.Next get a real producer.  I’m a total hypocrite here because I was very involved in producing this record on every level, but I fully understand the equipment and the technical application of the recording process. Not because I took some stupid course, but because I worked alongside some great producers. Even with that I still know that I have to have someone who is pushing when I’m not. I have a co-producer for that -- really important. If you don’t know anything about recording, don’t start -- just play your song and your instruments. Learn how to perform it perfectly then get a producer.  Listen to music you like and start looking. If you hear something from another artist that blows you away, find out who they worked with and work with them. For many, thinking you’re capable of engineering and producing your own record is the kiss of death. Sure, you will eventually make something good but it will take you a decade or more. Save yourself the trouble and pay someone reputable to make your record -- it’s your career.  People pay $100,000 to go to school; you can pay $15k to make a real record. Figure it out. There is no easy way these days -- you have to kill for it. While you wait for that to happen. Just post yourself (providing it’s great) playing live or performing acoustically. Record it with your phone and get it out there.  Build your fan base like that if you have to. Yes people really like live raw sounding stuff because they know they are getting that when it scrolls up their feed. These are distinct things. One of my biggest problems is self image. I’ve always been self-conscious about that crap. Get over it and get out there. People will love you for being real as long as you’re great. Describe to our audience your music-making process. It’s voodoo. I mean after writing for so long it’s not changed too much. I get less impressed with myself, which has really helped. Songs can come in many ways but usually it’s a melody I hear somewhere. Like in my dream or driving, when I’m not doing music specifically it just hits. I always drop what I’m doing and document the idea. It’s like a whisper from the other side. From there I’ll go to the studio to bounce the idea off Mark (co-producer) or a band member and just start working our asses off. We aim for a track that carries itself with no production -- one instrument and the vocal. Then the games begin.  Once a song is started, we usually leave it up on the board until it’s done. (Yes I said board. Having a real studio with a full-frame class A console at your disposal is really the greatest thing in the world.) How did it feel when you released this new music? Amazing! I’m really proud of the songs on this record. I had to dig deep to make something I could listen to perpetually. That meant rediscovering basic things like what made me want to make music to begin with. We referenced our favourite music and tried to make something that could be played alongside it. If you could collaborate with any musician/band, who would it be? And why? I have gotten to work with some amazing people. I’ve been around some of my heroes and I’ve tried to absorb their “thing” and make pieces of it my own. There are a couple of people that I would die to work with. Dr. Dre. for one -- I’m a huge fan. I would love to see his process and try to get my head around how he builds a track. I think I would get so much from that. I’m sure it’s very different than what I’ve already got in my bag. He’s so not hit and miss. He always nails his productions. I also want to work with Quincy Jones. Especially the younger version because I love the idea of working 20 hrs a day on something. I want to learn his process first hand. I think that would be humbling. What first got you interested in music? The vacuum. My parents made me vacuum all the time. And young -- like 7 or 8 years old. When I heard the sound of it I would hum to it. I discovered dissonance and harmony and tone. I was able to sing well very early on. The very first time I sang in front of people, I was in grade six. From that point on I knew I would be a musician. It wasn’t even a question. Read the full article