Album Review: Live for the Moment // The Sherlocks

Originally published on The Indiependent.

I must admit I did not go into Sheffield band, The Sherlocks, debut album Live For The Moment, with a particularly open-mind. Throughout their relative rise in popularity over the last two years I have happened across their singles in sponsored Facebook posts that appear to have been met with hype and derision in equal measure. It is certainly true that the young band have managed to build quite an impressive indie following through social media campaigns, no doubt inspired by the grassroots, youthful energy of fellow Sheffield band, Arctic Monkeys. That band has probably inspired most guitar rock bands over the last decade in some way but their legacy here mostly spans from their early albums. Another band that The Sherlocks can all too easily be compared to are Manchester’s Courteeners. Indeed, my initial stance on the band was essentially; they’re not going to make my ears bleed but they sound exactly like any number of other bands that I could listen to instead.

BBC Introducing Humberside’s Alan Raw Interview

Originally published in The Hullfire.

We interviewed BBC Radio Humberside presenter and local music maestro Alan Raw in the new live space at the BBC open centre, BBC radio Humberside.

This new space means that bands can play live sets at the radio station and right in front of the studios. We did the interview in a café style area next to this where presumably guests and artists can come and sit. Tonight the session was from Of Allies – you can read about that in Max’s article.

the end or ‘the tale of two cities’

I was very conscious, on the last full day in New York, of the pressure to fit in everything that I hadn’t yet done. Having said that, much of this was fairly easily rectified. By the end of the day I was satisfied that I could leave knowing I’d taken a good bite of the Big Apple. Raining and misty though it was…

Alt-J ‘3WW’ Review

Originally published in The Hullfire.

Alt-J return with something new – and definitely ‘something good’ –ahead of the release of their third album. Their second record, This Is All Yours, followed a similar style to their award-winning and undoubtedly unique debut, An Awesome Wave. If this new track is anything to go by, Relaxer promises to push the boundaries yet again and be something quite special.

Robert Ziegler Interview // Music of John Williams concert with RPO

Hull City Hall recently hosted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for a night celebrating the film music of composer John Williams in the latest of a string of concerts in collaboration with the world renowned orchestra. The sold out concert which is one of the key events of the first season of the City of Culture year was full of highly recognisable tunes from beginning to end. Conducting such classics as the themes from Star Wars, E.T., Jurassic Park and more, was US born composer Robert Ziegler one of the most prolific and versatile conductors working today. Robert has conducted many of the major orchestra’s in the world and worked on films and contemporary music as well as with the Royal Philharmonic on numerous occasions including for this John Williams tour. I spoke to him as he prepared for the show on Thursday 2^nd February.

Mystery Jets Interview

Originally published in the Nov 2016 edition of The Hullfire.

I met with guitarists and vocalists William Rees and Blaine Harrison of the Mystery Jets before their gig on the 4th October at Welly. The Mystery Jets, originally from Eel Pie Island in London, are a stalwart of the Noughties British Indie scene, first putting out music in 2005 around the same time, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party and others were releasing their debuts. Their rise might not have been quite as astronomical but they have a dedicated fan base, and a unique story that sets them apart from your average indie rock band. Not to mention a roster of incredible songs to boot. Their latest album The Curve of The Earth is epic and experimental that could be deemed a cult classic in years to come. Over the course of nine tracks it treads heady ground lyrically and musically but still manages to come back to the family oriented and homely feel of the London band and their ethos.

What has been your experience of Hull?

Blaine: “We’ve played here a lot, stretching right back to our first tour where we played in this venue with Bloc Party in 2005. Bloctober, it [the tour] was called. We’ve played Adelphi, we’ve played Fruit.”

Album Review: Ellipsis // Biffy Clyro

Originally published on The Indiependent.

Biffy Clyro have reached the distinguished milestone of their seventh album and with it is the beginning of a new cycle in the band’s life. Biffy Clyro by their own admission are a band who embrace the three album cycle, in which there is a simple stylistic or thematic similarity grouping the trilogy together. The band has suggested that Ellipsis is the beginning of a ‘re-birth’, a back to basics embrace of chaos.

Frontman Simon Neil has called it ‘fight rock, pint-in-the-face rock’. This claim is certainly true of some songs and the album has a feeling of different pieces being thrown together, albeit in a good way. However the glimmer of pop on many of the tracks and the undeniable production values present suggest otherwise. At times it is unclear what direction Biffy are really trying to take with this album.

Single Review: The Hubbards // Cold Cut

Originally published on The Indiependent.

Hull band The Hubbards have become one of the biggest bands in the area over the last couple of years and have an impressive EP already out, which has got them airplay on Radio 1 and BBC 6 music. Latest single ‘Cold Cut’ finely tunes their underrated abilities into their best song yet.

The layers of accomplished guitar work that has been present in all their music so far is also present here with a reserved, jazzy intro leading into the energetic verse and chorus. ‘Cold Cut’ is full of intricacies that could go unnoticed, as the song is so catchy and danceable (as is shown in the humorous music video).

Clean Cut Kid Interview

Originally published in The Hullfire.

Clean Cut Kid are a band from Liverpool with a handful of singles out that have brought them swift recognition within the indie sphere as a one of the next big things. Singles like ‘Vitamin C’ and recent release ‘Pick Me Up’ show their exciting and diverse talent, and colourful personality inherent in their music. They supported Fickle Friends on the Hull leg of their tour at Fruit on Monday 7^th March. Tim and Ben from Hullfire radio show Alternative Agenda chatted to Mike and Evelyn Halls, Saul Godman and Ross Higginson of the band after their set.

Fickle Friends Interview

Originally published on The Hullfire.

Brighton band Fickle Friends came to Hull for their first time ever to play a gig at local venue Fruit on Monday 7^th March. They are an exciting act recently picked up by Polydor records, who are utilising a range of instruments to make groovy indie pop tunes such as ‘Swim’ and ‘Say No More’. Tim and Ben from the Hullfire Radio show Alternative Agenda went to see them and got a chance to chat to Natti, Sam, Harry, Jack and Chris about their experiences on tour, their music and how the indie/alternative genre is changing.