1. What inspired you to become a singer/writer/band? and who are your early influences.
   Songwriting has always been a great creative outlet, combining my love of the guitar and the sounds it makes with my love for poetry and writing in general. I was influenced at an early age by an older sister’s boyfriend who was an amazing guitarist and who taught me some basics on the guitar. I always found it hard to copy what other bands played, so I found it easier to make my own stuff up.

1. Tell us a little about how you write, how do the songs come? What gets you going creatively?

I usually spend hours just noodling around on the guitar and eventually come up with a chord progression or sound that I like. From that, a melody develops and the lyrics flow from that.

1. What is the first record you bought and why?
   The first record I ever bought was Bob Dylan and the Band’s live album “Before the Flood”. I had listened to my parents’ Bob Dylan collection but became obsessed by the song “Like A Rolling Stone” which they didn’t have, so this was the first album I came across which had that song on it and I bought it. I didn’t like the rest of the album though. The first albums I bought and loved were The Church’s ‘Unguarded Moment’, The Cure’s ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ and Simple Minds’s ‘Sister Feelings Call’.

1. What current OZ acts inspire you? Ditto for international acts?

I am continually inspired by three more old school acts that are still around: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Underground Lovers and The Church. All three bands continue to produce innovative and exciting music. Another major inspiration is The Vines: Craig’s songwriting is incredible and they are so exciting live. There are a number of younger local acts that have impressed me too: Papa vs Pretty stand out (although unfortunately they disbanded earlier this year) and The Trouble With Templeton. Internationally, current bands that inspire me include The National and Johnny Marr.

1. Tell us a little about your music and what a crowd can expect at a live show – Our music has been variously described as The Church meets Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen, an element of Died Pretty, The Go-Betweens and even a bit Psychadelic Furs – a lot of architectural guitar sounds layered over a Hammond organ base and melodic bass. Melody plays an important part in our songs and lyrics are very important too. We love to play live and are of the view that every gig should be as entertaining and dynamic as possible. So we don’t just stand still playing in t-shirts and shorts.

1. Favourite artists of all time?

The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Church, The Undergound Lovers, The Smiths, Joy Division, The National, Simple Minds, Died Pretty, The Go-Betweens, The Triffids, Pulp.

1. Fave film? Fave Book? Fave place? Fave animal or pet?. And story if there is one
   Favourite Film: Bladerunner

Favourite Book: Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami)

Favourite Place: Either New York or Tokyo

Favourite pets: Cats

Heres a recent QnA Chat from the  UK Songstress  currently touring Australia opening for Busby Marou…Tour dates on previous posts

What inspired you to become a singer/writer/ and who are your early influences.?

I was always surrounded with books as a kid. Some of my ancestors were famous writers, like Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde, and I always loved reading. I started writing poetry when I was about nine years old, and wrote my first song when I was fourteen. I started getting really interested in rock and pop as a teenager and was brought up on classical, jazz and Cole Porter, so I’ve always listened to a lot of different genres of music. When I was fifteen, I got into a band with some friends, taught myself bass and ended up writing, playing and singing with that band, gigging all over our local area and learning everything the long and hard way! I never went to music college but you learn a lot by immersing yourself in it, and surrounding yourself by crazy and amazing people and art.

Tell us a little about how you write, how do the songs come? What gets you going creatively?

I get inspired by strange and beautiful films, and all forms of art where someone is trying to do something truthful or new. There’s nothing stranger than real life, and all my songs are based on true stories, either from my life, people I know, or the world around us. I called my album ‘Talk To Strangers’ as I love chatting to people – they always end up telling you some fascinating story or secret. I always think I need lots of time and peace and quiet to write a song, but then sometimes a song comes along when you’re dancing in a club, waiting jetlagged in an airport or walking through a wood without a pen and paper – you can’t control when and where the song monster will strike! Ideally I sit at a piano or with a guitar, grab a pen and a dictophone, switch off my phone, and start improvising and allowing ideas to come.

Your bio mentions an interesting story tell us what went on there and more?

Ed Sheeran and I wrote a ballad called ‘Little Things’, full of true little details about people we know and love. It ended up being a number one for boy band One Direction, which was an unexpected and exciting turn of events! It was lovely working with Ed as he’s such a sweet person and a good mate – I’ve known him for a few years from the London gigging scene. It was amazing as it meant I could give up my job, become a full time songwriter, and go into the studio with brilliant producer Shawn Lee to make my album ‘Talk To Strangers’. It just shows how you never know what will happen next!

I used to work with Adam Ant for a while – he was an incredible mentor, and a very inspiring artist to be around. I learnt a lot from him, and he liked the way I played guitar, which rocked my world.

What is the first record you bought and why?

The first album I bought was “1977” by Ash – a pretty, messy, fuzzy, Britpop record full of teenage yearning! The first single I bought was soft, sweet harmony driven R&B by boy band Damage. The first albums that hit me hard though were ‘The Bends’ and ‘Ok Computer’ by Radiohead – I was so inspired by their inventive, unpredictable, genre-defying music.

What current aussie acts inspire you? Ditto for international acts?

I totally love Busby Marou who I’m supporting at the moment – my friend Ryan Keen introduced me to their beautiful bluesy country tinged folk music. It’s so exciting to be on the road with them over the next few weeks

5 Seconds Of Summer – these guys are brilliant! I wrote ‘Voodoo Doll’ with them and they’re very talented, funny and lovely guys – we had a lot of fun, and it’s exciting seeing them take over the world at the moment!

Matt Corby – He was under a lot of pressure to do something really pop, and he turned around and made the music he really wanted to make – subtle, beautiful, soulful and folky.

And I think Sia is amazing – she’s living the dream, doing lots of interesting collaborations and features and still getting the chance to make the music she wants to make.

Plus I always loved Silverchair and Nick Cave! It’s really exciting being in Australia – I love the music scene here…

Some amazing international artists I’ve been listening to lately:

I’ve been listening a lot to Anoushka Shankar as we did a show together at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London – she’s an incredible musician, very understated and beautiful. I also love her sister Norah Jones’ work, especially the latest album. I find Joanna Newsom really fresh and unpredictable, and I’ve also been listening to a lot of Adrian Younge, and Shawn Lee who produced my album.

Tell us a little about your music and what a crowd can expect at a live show – ?

I play fiery-sweet soulful, folky pop – ‘pop in disguise’. I sing and play guitar and ukelele at gigs – it’s acoustic music, but I love dropping in a heavy bluesy riff from time to time, like on my single ‘Rebel Without A Cause’. I’ll be playing that and other tracks from my album ‘Talk To Strangers’.

Favourite artists of all time?

Joni Mitchell, Billie Holiday, John Martyn, Nick Drake, Jimi Hendrix.

Fave film? Fave Book? Fave place? Fave animal or pet?. And story if there is one

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is one of my all-time favourite books – I borrowed the idea to write my song ‘Exorcist’, about jealousy, love, obsession, and leaving the past behind.

I think Spinal Tap might be one of my favourite films – it’s just so silly and funny, and rings very true for anyone who’s ever been in a band. I also love strange and arty films, anything from Almodovar to Miranda July, Hitchcock to Wes Anderson. I get very inspired by films – my single ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ is all about teenage frustration and boredom and I just thought the James Dean title was perfect, so I stole it.

At home I’ve got a gorgeous big fat ginger cat called Louis – so I’m a bit biased but I think he’s my favourite animal. Whenever I’m working he comes and sits right on the keys of my laptop, or comes and sits next to me while I’m playing guitar and singing. He’s like a little dog and will always come to say hello to whoever’s writing in my studio with me, or when my band comes over to practise he goes to sleep inside the double bass case. He partly inspired my song ‘Slo Mo Tiger Glo’, about waking up covered in tiger stripes.

One of my favourite places is my Granny’s house in the countryside in England – she has lots of old books and paintings and a beautiful garden. At Christmas the British side of my family all get together there, with up to thirty people squeezed in for lunch. I love sitting with her, drinking tea and hearing all the latest gossip, or waking up there and hearing the most incredible bird song dawn chorus.

Fave food or drink and is there a story associated with that….?

Most of my songwriting and recording sessions are powered by strong black coffee! I think that’s why my music tends not to sit still, and usually has a strong groove.

You are backstage with Joanna Newsom, what do you say?

I’d love to go on tour with Joanna Newsom! I’d see if we could write a strange beautiful duet together… Also I’d ask if i could have a go on her harp! She probably wouldn’t let me.

Where do you see music heading?

I love the cross pollination across musical genres at the moment – fans can feel this too – I think people listen to loads of different types of music nowadays and are more open and less tribal. Everything has been shuffled and things are getting mixed up in an exciting way. It’s definitely the age of digital music, but I’m interested to see how this can be mixed up with analogue and organic sounds as I think people will never tire of expressive, human sounds. I think the future always contains a nod to the past.

What are your future plans for 2014

I’m touring all over Australia with Busby Marou until the end of November and then I’m back in the UK to write and record more tracks over Christmas time. Next year I’m planning more touring and festivals, and I definitely want to release some new material of my own, as well as keep writing for other bands and artists. Hopefully I’ll come back to Australia too – watch this space!

20th and 21st Sept at the 2014 Sydney Fringe

@ The Annex, 5 Eliza St, Newtown, 2pm

Book Tickets Here: www.thevegetableplot.com.au

New York Band Release In Australia This Friday September 12

We have the album at Media Now – Please contact for hard copy CD and links. Checkout the video on the right >>>

An audacious debut album packed with the type of songs that make you want to sing along, make you want to dance, and make you feel uncomfortable all at the same time, True Loves won the band a well deserved round of huzzahs from all of the key tastemakers and helped expand the band’s audience both in the US and abroad. In 2012, Hooray for Earth made their maiden voyage to the UK and saw their single “No Love” reach the Alist on BBC Radio 1.

With Chris Coady (Grizzly Bear, Beach House, Future Islands) in thecoproducer’s seat, the sessions for Racy took place at Dreamland in Kingston, NY and at DNA Downtown in NYC over the rst few months of 2013. Crafting a more uid listening experience with Racy also meant a more active role in the studio for Heroux’s longtime bandmates bassist Chris Principe, drummer Joe Ciampini, and keyboardist/vocalist Jessica Zambri. “I’m still writing, arranging and doing the preliminary recording”, Heroux says. “But then it’s all funneled out through our scrappy rock band.” Racy is very much a rock album. Featuring nine nely etched songs rendered to life by Coady’s crystalline production, Racy represents a bold and beautiful step into the light for Hooray for Earth

“Grinding, distorted guitars, beaming synth lines, a mechanistic

rhythm section, theatrical vocals, all polished to a retrofuturist

80s sheen by producer Chris Coady” - Pitchfork

“The title track to album number two is earnest rather than

irtatious, placing the band somewhere between Diiv’s

washed-out stoner rock and the chipper power pop of the

recently returned Weezer.”- NME

www.hoorayforearth.net

THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC MUSEUM PROJECT

In July 2017  Australian rock’n’roll will be 60 years old. It was born when Johnny O’Keefe released The Wild One on 5th July 1958. AMMP is pushing for a national music museum by 2018 with exclusive stories, rare film clips, unseen photographs and a petition.

There have been many calls for an “Australian music Hall of Fame”
(Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum) or a “contemporary music centre incorporating a
Hall of Fame “(Music Victoria CEO Patrick Donovan). AMMP has been set up to help restart the discussion. It even offers music fans the chance to create a digital plaque like this one for Skyhooks’ Shirley Strachan.

AMMP is the work of former music editor, journalist and author Jessica Adams, who started the campaign for a Melbourne lane way honouring Chrissy Amphlett after she interviewed her for Time Out Melbourne at the request of her friend, editor and author Jenny Valentish.

AMMP is supported by Charley Drayton (Cold Chisel, Divinyls), Rick Grossman (Hoodoo Gurus, Divinyls), Reg Mombassa (Dog Trumpet, Mental As Anything), Midnight Oil, Patricia Amphlett (Little Pattie, also Chrissy’s cousin) and  Amphlett’s agent and friend Fran Moore.


AMMP EXCLUSIVES
THE STORY BEHIND CHRISSY AMPHLETT’S NEW MELBOURNE LANE
-Unseen photographs of the search for a Melbourne lane for Chrissy Amphlett.
THE CHRISSY AMPHLETT WING AT AMMP – VISIT THE ONLINE EXHIBITION
-Rare images of Chrissy’s famous fluorescent mic stand and
her Divinyls wardrobe case.
THE LATEST ON ROWLAND S.HOWARD’S LANES
-New interviews with campaigners and photographs of
Rowland S. Howard’s Victorian lanes.
THE MUSTER – A NEW VIRTUAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIAN
MUSIC MEMORABILIA
-From Francis Leach’s Ratcat pass to exclusive shots of Paul McCartney’s
Melbourne Piano.

For more info and the latest news see www.ammp.tv

Iconic guitarist, songwriter and vocalist BRIAN SETZER partnered with TIME.COM to exclusively premiere his high-octane first single “Let’s Shake,” off his new album ROCKABILLY RIOT: ALL ORIGINAL. Link to the premiere of “Let’s Shake,” accompanied by a Q&A with Brian here: http://ti.me/1l7iSEu.

SETZER says, “Yeah, ‘Let’s Shake,’ how come no one has thought of that title yet?  We’ve been making rock ‘n roll now for 60 years and no one has come up with ‘Let’s Shake?’  And I came up with it and I went ‘wow…Let’s Shake!’ You know, oh god, it’s just so simple it’s magic!  It’s got a really great guitar solo in it, just rock ‘n roll sounding…it’s not really ‘billy’ sounding, it’s more rock and roll… again, it’s the simplest songs that are the hardest to write.”

ROCKABILLY RIOT: ALL ORIGINAL is a straight-ahead rockabilly album from start to finish with 12 new songs. SETZER brings his trademark twang and fretboard fire, and he’s backed by three musicians that he says “are the best in their craft”: Mark Winchester (bass), Kevin McKendree (piano) and Noah Levy (drums). Recorded in Nashville, the album was produced by Peter Collins (who’s handled the same honours for SETZER albums Vavoom! and The Dirty Boogie).

Single Lets Shake is at Media NOW, The Planet Company will release the full length Deluxe Packaged LP AUGUST 15.

Some recent USA Media

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/brian-setzer-talks-rockabilly-riot-alloriginal-track-by-track-604220

http://www.axs.com/brian-setzer-still-shakin-with-rockabilly-riot-all-original-13877

About Brian:

3-time Grammy-award-winner, Brian Setzer is a “Musician’s Musician” credited with continually taking chances with innovative and daring musical styles, while single-handedly resurrecting two forgotten genres of music (rockabilly in the ‘80’s and swing in the ’90’s).  Along the way he has scored chart-topping hits throughout his decorated career as founder/leader of the Stray Cats, his 18-piece Brian Setzer Orchestra, and as a solo artist. He is consistently cited as one of the world’s greatest living guitarists, and has a best-selling, extensive line of elite Gretsch signature model guitars bearing his name. Brian made a cameo in the 1987 film, La Bamba (the biographical film written following the life and career of Chicano rock ‘n’ roll star Ritchie Valens), portraying rockabilly pioneer Eddie Cochran. In 2002, Brian earned the distinct honor of being one of the few musicians to be animated in an episode of “The Simpsons,” an episode which also featured rock ‘n’ roll legends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.