Elba Sessions

Summer’s here and it’s been a bit of a scorcher this week. Hopefully it continues but as it’s Glasgow, there’s always the threat of rain just ten minutes away. We’ve had this listed on myspace, facebook, last fm and songkick for a while but I just realised I’d not stuck it on the blog! How foolish of me.

June 3rd sees us ‘Present’ at the Liquid Ship for the 7th time and we have a belting line up! It’s a very acoustic affair this time with stripped back sets from Blue Sky Archives and My Cousin I Bid You Farewell as well as including the acoustic storytelling of Shambles Miller.

House rules apply, free to get in for 3 brilliant artists.

P.S. We hear that Blue Sky Archives are awaiting a shipment of shiny EP’s, if we’re lucky, they might take some along to the gig. If we’re unlucky, you can get it here, on their bandcamp page!

Well, what a bloody lovely album this is.

If I were old fashioned and still used a typewriter, there is every chance I’d have an waste-paper basket by my side overflowing with attempts to review this album. It’s not that it’s a complicated album, or that I couldn’t get my head around it’s sound. It’s simply because I wanted to do it justice. I’ll more than likely turn into some bumbling idiot yelling the odd brilliant, superb or magnificent in there for good measure, but for now, I’ll try my best to stay coherent.

‘Payday’ opens the album with a drone and echo sound which sounds somehow like a call to sit up and listen to what’s coming next. ‘Crank Resolutions’ is a mesmerisingly beautiful song with frantic synths and loops. There’s something mad but at the same time very settling about it. It’s a song I’ve repeatedly listened to over the last month and the effect is always the same, a knowing smile that this is one of the reasons why I love music.

The albums keeps pace with the industrial soundscape and title track ‘All Creatures Will Make Merry’ and then almost effortlessly shifts pace to the acoustic ‘Weather’ followed by the stripped back, ukelele, song from a long time ago sounding ‘One Day This’ll All Be Fields’.

I could go on, describing each track individually and how it switches from fast to slow, frenetic to soothing, loud to soft, but it might make it sound like a jumbled up and incoherent album which is what it is not. It’s effortless and graceful, it takes you other places and makes you excited about where it will go next.

And whilst many ‘last tracks’ can be utterly forgettable or skippable because the six minute gap for the hidden track is just not built for the i-pod generation, ‘A Fair Exchange’ a beautiful 72 second piano driven song, with strings which is a reflective and comforting way to end one of the best albums I’ve heard all year.

The album is released on the brilliant Song, By Toad Records on May 24th but special limited handmade copies are available, subject to availability, here and at Meursault shows. Talking of Meursault shows, this poster was too good not to stick on the blog. Even better that it looks like an amazing line up!

Shambles Miller is a delightful ‘folker’ from Glasgow ways. I’m very glad to have had the opportunity to get a little insight into his world of tiny guitars and wizards. Quite possibly the nicest (not to mention most patient) artist I’ve had the pleasure of picking the brain of, I encourage you to mosey on over to his myspace. There awaits some enthralling little tales that you can immerse yourself in.

There have been some charming photos of you in your youth with various musical instruments added to your blog recently. When did you start playing and writing your own material?

Well, my mum will always insist that I wrote my first song when I was about three, singing about being in bed. I don’t think that counts though and much to her chagrin, I doubt I’ll be releasing it as my first single.

I’ve been playing the guitar and writing songs since I was about 14, but it was only a year or so ago that I felt I had the kind of material I was really confident in sharing with a wider audience. Wider than my mum, dad and dog, anyway.

You released your EP Shambles Vs The Dragonwizard late last year. What were the themes you were working with when you started putting it together.

Well, being my first E.P. I wanted to try and showcase a good range of the sort of stuff I do, so it incorporates the humorous side as well as a slightly darker stuff. A lot of it is about fighting against certain things: be it myself or some kind of authority or the idea that everyone has to be the same in someway. Or, y’know, evil wizards.

Are you pleased with the finished work?

I am, yeah, I’m very proud of the record. Although a year on I can definitely hear areas where I feel I’ve improved, (especially after nearly a year of gigging at least every fortnight) I think that’s natural. You have to be your own worst critic. There’s a saying that “art is never finished; only abandoned” and I’m sure that with unlimited time and money I’d have added certain elements, but this is always the sound I wanted from my first E.P. I originally put out a limited run of 50 copies and I sold the last one a week or so ago, which was a little strange, seeing it go. If there’s enough demand in the future though I’ll hopefully do another run.

Neil Slorance’s artwork for the EP is absolutely adorable. How long have you known one another?

We’ve been best friends for over 10 years now, since secondary school. He painted my guitar for me and when I decided I was going to put out my own E.P., there was no question about who I was going to get to do the artwork. He also does the odd poster or flyer for me and of course my badges feature his work too. I usually have to pay him by taking him for dinner. Most people actually recognise the Neil Slorance version of me before they’d recognise me in the street. Even in reviews, features and on blogs folk will use a wee Slorance Shambles. I quite like that.

You’re often noted for singing in your native accent. Why do you think that there is such great focus on that?

I think it’s because for so long, so many people seemed to sing in a faux-american accent, and singing in your own accent for a Scottish person meant comparisons to The Proclaimers. I think partly the success of Biffy Clyro and the rise in popularity of folk music means it has become more acceptable to hear someone sing in a Scottish accent. To me it just sounds more true. So many singers nowadays modify their voice, either to sound different to everyone else, or possibly even to imitate whatever sound or accent is in vogue, but it often comes off sounding forced. It just sounds false.

Where did the tiny guitar come from?

Haha, the tiny guitar. I think a lot of people expect to see it at every gig because I mentioned it on my myspace page, but it only features on one song so far. It was a present from my mum and dad after they’d been on holiday. I think it was intended to be a toy for children but with some jiggery-pokery I managed to turn it into a playable (albeit temperamental) instrument.

You’ll be playing Sloans Ballroom again on the eighth of June. Are you looking forward to the show?

Definitely, I really enjoyed it last time and this time I’m sharing the bill with some great acts who happen to be some of my closest friends, so it’s that wee bit extra-special. Plus it looks like it’ll be my first gig back after the first month off from gigging that I’ve taken in nearly a year.

Are you quite fond of the venue?

Very much so, it’s gorgeous. The sound is great and it has a really lovely atmosphere, plus it’s not every day you get to play in a ballroom.

We try to ask (though I always forget) anyone involved in a podcast or interview for Elba Sessions if there are any bands we should be checking out? Any recommendations?

Well, I would definitely recommend Florence and Lauren, one of the bands I’m playing with on the 8th of June. They change their name a lot (its a woman’s prerogative I understand) and seem to have invented the genre “folk-pop melodrama.” There’s Mr. Andrew Lindsay, also appearing on the bill on the 8th. He plays some really catchy folky pop too and has a voice that’s just as impressive as his haircut. I’d also keep an eye out for Reverie, soon to release her debut album, and Anavris; one of the best unsigned bands in the business just now.

Finally, what will the next venture for Shambles Miller be?

Well, I’d absolutely love to get to play any wee festivals this year, so if anyone will have me it’ll make my summer. I’ll also be recording my next as-yet-untitled E.P, which I can’t wait to get into. Apart from that, I’ll be back gigging regularly within the next couple of weeks and hopefully I’ll manage to fit in a wee Scottish tour. I might try and lose my beer belly too, that’d be a plus.

Shambles Miller will be playing Sloans Ballroom on the 8th of June

Also, Shamble Miller is looking for your vote in his bid to open Green Man this year. You can head along here to cast your vote!

Fun Anxiety – A condition known to afflict members of rock combination group Kill The Captains, born from a sense that everyone is having fun without them. Symptoms include leaving conversations hanging because your neighbour’s conversation sounds more interesting, a pathological refusal to go to bed despite the fact that everyone else went to bed days ago, a phobia of clowns.
Related forms: Funmnesia

Today we welcome Armellodie’s southernmost batallion Kill The Captains to the Elba Sessions. Having just released their debut long player, Fun Anxiety, we caught up with front man and axe-wielder Leon for a few words.

Firstly, would you care to introduce the band?

Of course- I go by the name of Captain Carter, I am co-axe wielder and chief warbler. My fellow axe grinder and gnasher of teeth is Dr Pickavance. Captain Scarlett pounds the traps like his life depends on it, Bifidus Digestivum does the sub-sonic pulses and throbs recently filling in the clown sized shoes of his forbear Yoz Hughes.

Awful question, but, who are your main influences. Having seen you live, I’m guessing it’s varied throughout the band!?

We are a ramshackled pile up of the best of Kraut rock, post rock, Brighton rock, roll and rock. Love Slint, love My Bloody Valentine, love Kyuss, love Can, love Le Savy Fav, love seventies folkie stuff, love it love it love it.

You seem to be quite a busy band what with having your own studio and putting on monthly ‘Mutiny’ nights. Do you think more bands should get involved with taking a wider approach to their band i.e. putting on gigs for themselves etc…

If you can handle the extra stress and strain of putting on an event it can be massively rewarding. We started Mutiny quite simply because we felt there weren’t enough nights like it in Sheffield. When we go out for a night of live music we want to see something fresh, non-generic and exciting, and we knew there were lots of people in our city similarly like of mind and taste. So it was a no brainer really. One of the obvious key benefits is that you get to put yourself on the bill with bands that genuinely excite you, rather than being at the mercy of a promoter who might not share your taste in music or sense. And then there’s the general principle of the evening where we aim to make the nights as good experience as possible for the bands we put on- we’ll promote the ass off it, whip up a great atmosphere and, importantly, all profits are shared. It is criminal that too many top bands play without being paid their dues.

Has doing this helped you as a band?

Greatly- we’ve played with some incredible bands as a result and reached their audiences where potentially we might not have. As a result we’ve shared the bill with the the likes of Bilge Pump, Acoustic Ladyland, Fists, Wooderson, Corleone, Johnny Foreigner, and our amazing label mates Cuddly Shark and Le Reno Amps.

How did signing to Armellodie come about being that you are based in Sheffield and them in Glasgow?

It was a strange meeting of minds that came about in 2007. My old school friend was passing through Sheffield with his band Actress Hands co-touring with Le Reno Amps. We all hit it off, sank booze, chewed the metaphysical fat, exchanged musical tips. Al Nero of the Amps got in touch a few weeks later expressing an interest in putting out some records on his fledgeling Armellodie label. The rest they say is history. We couldn’t be happier. To be on the roster of bands that Al has put together is an absolute dream. I genuinely believe we’re on one of the best labels in the UK. Cuddly Shark, Super Adventure Club and the Amps all deserve to be massive.

The new album ‘Fun Anxiety’ was released on May 5th. Has it been a long time in the pipeline?

As we went for the DIY approach, recording it in our studio ourselves, it probably took us a bit longer to piece together than it should. But it was our aim to try and do something a bit different- an album lover’s album. Hopefully something that you want to listen to from the first track through to the last, in one sitting. We consciously avoided simply recording the live renditions of the tunes, instead looking at different ways of interpreting songs that we had got used to playing a certain way. Hence stuff like Lebanese has been transformed from its live thrashy origins into something more ethereal and stoner for the record.

It struck me when listening to the album that it was very different and very cleverly put together, do you have a different approach to songwriting than your average band would?

Each song is different. Some stuff is the result of jams that have been recorded, replicated, structured, recorded and restructured. Other times I’ll come to the band with a song that’s ¾ finished, we’ll hammer it out and see what direction we can pull it in. As a general rule, we try to avoid the conventional verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus route. But there is always something to be said about convention from time to time.

Does having your own studio help with developing the songs and how they eventually end up sounding on the record?

Absolutely. Our studio is a modest set up, but has served us fantastically well over the years as a recording and songwriting tool. For the most part, it’s instant feedback. If you’re working something out and unsure where to take it, recording and listening back is great for stimulating creativity, and making you look at the song more objectively. It’s also useful for documenting and logging jams, ensuring they’re not lost to the moment. Some of our best moments as a band have been born from recorded jams.

It is standard at Elba that we try to get some ‘local’ knowledge out of all the bands we speak to. Is there any bands that we should be looking out for either from Sheffield or that you’ve come across on your travels?

Loads – Wooderson are great band from Sheffield which we played with just the other night, Bilge Pump are awesome, hilarious and technically absurd, Bad Guys rock some serious ass and obviously our aforementioned label mates. Super Adventure Club have to be seen to be believed.

What does the rest of the year hold for KTC?

Well we’ve had a chocker year so far but after a gig with Clinic at the Harley in Sheffield in June, followed by the Peace in the Park festival we’ll take a short break from the gigs to return to the studio to record a new EP.

‘Fun Anxiety’ is out now on Armellodie Records and you can get your grubby paws on a copy here.

Not in Anyone’s Gang is a treat of an EP. Pop is something that we often turn our noses up at. However, where would we be without those key tracks that make you want to dance until you’ve worn a hole in the floor and sweat off the layers of make up and/or product applied before heading out to blissfully forget a whole lot of your worries and likely a whole lot of the night itself? Not only that, but really where would we now be without the punk-pop-ska insanity of (the never to be abbreviated unless you are happy to splutter M-M-a-t-Cuh-Cuh) Ming Ming and the Ching Chings?

The EP batters out the gate. It is impossible to not tap your foot to Season of Horrors; the spirit of indie disco will possess you. It provides an infectious opener with its non stop hooks, brass and steady building outro that teases and tinkles out. Secrets of Men maintains the spirit of the opening with a menacing bass that belongs in a dirty rockabilly song.

The EP moves on after smacking you in the face with their moodier tracks and onto lighter things. With Creepy Tales little vocal flourishes and a sort of silliness provided by playful guitar, running up and down the scales, hearken back to Madness more clearly than at any other point on the album.

Punch In The Face is verging on that cockney chimney sweep notion that developed somewhere in the new Millenia of indie music. As someone who detests the trend that had louts oom-cha-ing all over the place, its a decent offering. Not going absurdly over the top as a certain recent disbanded Scottish three piece did in running with a notion that tires easily.

But that little detour aside the EP retains its charm in its closing. Straighten Up! gets back to the bass driven momentum that got the five track racing and rounds it off nicely. The pulsing finisher is designed for closing a set. Electro pulse, cowbell, lasers – live, this would leave me drooling.

So Elba went head to head with the nations would be leaders last night and ended up having a bit of a hoe-down at The Liquid Ship. We were joined by local outlaws Bad Bad Men, David Bova and marky:boyofdestiny. I took a few photos which are up on our flickr page but have added the best few below. It was a lovely sunny evening so I took the opportunity to walk a couple of the subway stops, stretch my legs, listen to some music and take some photos hence the first picture… My attempt at something slightly election related, Donald Dewar looks down Buchanan Street on the day the UK went to the polls.

I’ve only recently taken up photography and find taking pictures in a dark basement a bit of a challenge! If anyone has any tips, please let me know!