Issy x

If you’re looking for someone who writes music reviews ripping off NME, you’re in the right place. Weekly reviews and occasional interviews :)

[issysindieblog]

INTERVIEW - Elijah Miller

At the beginning of the year, I stumbled upon twenty year old singer/song writer, Elijah Miller, our first interaction involved a Catfish and the Bottlemen mosh pit and a lost phone.

Ever since then, his music has completely enthralled me.

Elijah released his debut album, The Garden (and other short stories), just over a year ago and it is a 50 minute, fourteen track album. Lyrically, it is packed with his raw and profound takes on love, heartbreak and jealously. It is full of soulful guitar solos, that somewhat bares resemblance to the work of Isaac Gracie, which eventually builds into bigger and somewhat heavier choruses.

Since then, Elijah has released another single called Paris, which is considerably more upbeat than tracks on The Garden. The contrasts in mood between these tracks are incredibly well handled, showing the range of Miller’s talent. Paris is a catchy song, with a snappy hook and a memorable chorus. The lyrics flow at a perfect pace, with lines such as ’my pride and your habit to lie foreshadowed our demise’ and ‘now its been two years since we haven’t spoken, and if you care I’m still trying to quit smoking’

Below, see Elijah Miller.

I had some questions for Elijah Miller and these were his answers - we spoke about his new music he’s currently working on, naming instruments and his sun-dried tomato and basil loaves (which are apparently out of this world).

It’s been just over a year since you released your debut album, The Garden. How did you find the process of making that?

Making the Garden was a weird process, I did everything in my room over about two months. Half of the tracks were already written but I re-recorded a few of them.

I always work to a deadline so was quite stressful and I was moving to London at the same time. I think I blocked out the recording and mixing memories because of all the stress.

Fast forwards five years from now, where can you see yourself? Do you think you’ll still be making music?

Five years from now I imagine that stylistically I will have changed a fair bit. My style has definitely taken a turn since the album to a more upbeat vibe so who knows.

Maybe I’ll be doing yodelling by then...

Do you name your instruments?

I don’t actually get much of a chance to get attached to my instruments because most of them are around for a few months and then move on (my dad runs a vintage guitar and amp store... Shout out Miller and Sons Vintage) but I have my own back line of acoustic and electric guitars. My acoustic doesn’t even deserve a name based on how much he loves snapping the G string after a few days of use...

Who are your main musical influences?

My big influences at the minute are MGMT, Kings of Leon, Band of Horses, Little Comets, IDLES and Vampire Weekend.

Which song of yours is your favourite to perform?

At the minute, probably Paris. It’s just nice to have a bit of a boogie with the crowd rather than stand and awkwardly watch people cry.

What are the main themes/topics for most of your songs? Do you think these will change over time?

Heartbreak is always going to be a big one because it never really leaves after you’ve been royally fucked over by someone. Jealousy is a really really big thing for me, but it’s something I work on by writing about it and then realising I’m not alone when people connect with it.

Are you working on anything right now?

I’m working on a lot of things right now. I have about 6 or so new tracks that are slowly going to work their way into live sets. It’s my favourite work I’ve done by far.

Do you come from a musical background?

Yeah - so I grew up with my dad being the leader of worship at a church, I would see him performing most Sundays and he taught me how to play guitar. My siblings also do music, my brother Coby is in my band and my sister Molly is an insane singer... My two younger brothers play too. Wesley’s 15 and can play guitar 5 times better than me!

What new/present music do you like?

So, there’s this punk band called IDLES I’ve been listening to for a few years. Their second album just charted number four or five... They’re definitely worth checking out

Do you have a hobby that isn’t music?

To be honest, everything I’ve been doing for the past 6 months has been music, although I’ve got really into baking bread... My sun-dried tomato and basil loaf is out of this world.

You can catch Elijah at the end of the year playing in and around Bedford (dates yet to be confirmed) and you can listen to his album on all streaming platforms.

Watch the music video for his single, Paris, below.

https://youtu.be/FQDv7ehnWNk

[issysindieblog]

ISSY’S INDIE BLOG

Do I smell a re-brand?!

Those loyal few will remember this as Issyreviews but I felt it was time to switch it up a bit! Keep your eyes peeled for the next few months as I plan to move this to a proper website format (this will most likely be in the new year). This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time now and this small rebrand is one of the first steps to doing that! There’s going to be so much more than just reviews and interviews on the website and it’s going to be a more fun and interactive for all of you!

In the meantime, I now write for a digital music magazine! It’s called The Mixup and you can find some of my work at www.themixup.co.uk . Right now, material for that is my main focus, but everything I write for there is uploaded to here as well. Check it out, show it some love, it'd mean to world to me.

Hope you’re all keeping well - an interview goes up tonight with the lalalovely Elijah Miller is going up tonight. Be there or be squaaare!

Is x

[issysindieblog]

REVIEW - That Sound (Sam Fender)

Tyneside born and raised Sam Fender is back with his 8th studio single, That Sound, taken from his upcoming EP titled Dead Boys.

Below, see the cover art for That Sound.

That Sound was debuted tonight (22nd October) on BBC Radio 1 and was named as The Hottest Record in the World on Annie Mac’s evening show, currently being covered by Phil Taggart. It is a fiery three and a half minute track starting off with an incredible drum beat and guitar riff, later leading into Fender’s gritty, yet polished vocals. His vocals on this track have a different sound, proving that Fender is able to easily adapt to different beats accordingly.

Talking to Phil Taggart about the track, Sam expressed how music is something that is able to keep him grounded and how it has given him a self-confidence and a purpose that he can’t find from anything else. Several of Fender’s tracks are associated with highlighting social and political issues. For example, male suicide and toxic masculinity in the track Dead boys and the media’s portrayal of young people in Millennial. However, That Sound comes across as somewhat more personal track in comparison to his other singles.

Via social media, Fender announced his upcoming, debut EP which is to be released next month.

“New track ‘That Sound’ is out! It features on my Dead Boys EP, which I’m buzzing to say is out November 20th and now available to preorder on LP, cassette and digitally!!” He wrote on instagram this evening.(@sam_fender)

That Sound by the talented Sam Fender and his band is available for streaming everywhere and you can preorder Dead Boys here: 

https://store.universalmusic.com/samfender/

Sam Fender

You can catch Fender and support on his headline tour starting a week today. You better be quick though, as tickets for the majority of the venues have sold old. See dates below.

Above, Sam Fender and his lead guitarist, Dean Thompson. Photo credits: Matty Snelling (@afishout0fwater).

October 29 – Mash House, Edinburgh (SOLD OUT)

October 30 – Fibbers, York (tickets remain)

October 31 – King Tuts, Glasgow (tickets )

November 2 – Chapel, Leeds (SOLD OUT)

November 3 – Leadmill 2, Sheffield

November 5 – Soup Kitchen, Manchester (SOLD OUT)

November 6 – Shipping Forecast, Liverpool (SOLD OUT)

November 7 – Thekla, Bristol (SOLD OUT)

November 9 – Rock City Basement, Nottingham (SOLD OUT)

November 10 – The Castle and Falcon, Birmingham

November 12 – OMEARA, London  (SOLD OUT)

November 13 – OMEARA, London (SOLD OUT)

November 14 – OMEARA, London (SOLD OUT)

November 17 – Newcastle University (SOLD OUT)

February 25 – Gorilla, Manchester

February 28 - Electric Brixton, London

Sam and his band also support Blossoms for two dates on their UK tour at the end of this year at the O2 Academy in Glasgow and the O2 Academy Brixton, London. Tickets for both of these dates have sold out.

[issysindieblog]

INTERVIEW - Billy Bibby and the Wry Smiles

Billy Bibby and the Wry Smiles are a four piece alternative rock band formed in Wales/Cheshire, after guitarist Billy Bibby left Catfish and the Bottlemen in late 2015. He decided to reinvent himself with a new band, and a completely different sound and Billy Bibby and The Wry Smiles evolved.

This involved swapping out his powerful and gritty guitar riffs from The Balcony for more light-hearted tunes, such as ‘Don’t Fall’ and This Kind Of Summer’ on their debut EP, Bide Your Time.  

I asked Billy some questions about the ultimate direction of his band, being a TV chef and hidden meanings in his music - these were his answers.

So far, the band have released six singles and an EP, which are all available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. They’ve also played an impressive number of gigs and festivals up and down the country, including Tramlines in Sheffield, Victorious Festival and Kendal Calling.

Are there hidden meanings in any of your music?

Yes there are. I don't want to delve too deeply into what they all mean because there's no mystery behind them. However, some lyrics in there involve my experiences of life whilst in Catfish and post Catfish.

If you could have your top five of musical influences (dead or alive) for dinner, who would they be and why?

Elvis Presley, I was brought up on his music by my parents. He is my number one go to Spotify artist when I want to listen to something I know inside out. Highly suspect, a band from Cape Cod USA. I love their music and Johnny the singer is a unique individual so I'd like them. Liam Gallagher purely to entertain us all whilst we eat, he’s a hero. John Lennon but I don't need to explain that one. The last one would have to be a toss up between Alex Turner, Richard Ashcroft, Dave Grohl, Abba, Kurt Cobain and Kelly Jones.

Can you describe each member of your band in ten or less words?

Matt (bass) - So solid crew. Always leaves the light on.

Tom (lead guitar) - Spanish Zak Mooneyham from school of rock. Face melted.

Alan (drums) - Metronome tempos without the metronome. Colin Farrell look a like.

How could you describe your music?

With the Band, I’d say it’s simply Rock or Alternative Rock. People would say indie but I hate that phrase.

How did everyone in your band meet?

In 1985 by way of a Facebook Post calling out all musicians wanting to be in a Godlike rock band.

Which of your songs do you play the most frequently?

A song Called Don't Fall. Thats always in the set. Except when we forgot to play it once. All but once since the start of the dinosaurs.

What is your ultimate direction for the band?

There's only one direction, and that's to be as big as One Direction. In all seriousness though,  just being a big arena headline band and topping festival bills one day.

If you weren’t involved in music, what would you be doing right now?

I'd be a TV chef making Jamie Oliver Bankrupt.

What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Don't do it! No, simply just fuckin’ enjoy it. Enjoy the ride with your band or on your own and don't forget why you started in the first place.

A lot of bands forget who they are and forget why. Being in a band is a business but part of that business is about being happy and being true to who you are.

Finally, do you have regrets about leaving Catfish and the Bottlemen?

None at all. I wish them all the best and will still follow what they do but once the boat has sailed you jump on another one and don't look back.

[issysindieblog]

Weird u may think but I’ve seen ur post on a few page and just think you seen nice and like our same music and I’d like to get to know, sorry if this is of blue x

ello, follow my insta @Lsabeltate x 

[issysindieblog]

FOR VIOLA BEACH

Tonight I was offered the chance to write for The Mixup. I’m so thankful for this opportunity and I will continue to post everything here, as well as on the other blog. It got me thinking about why I started this blog and the driving force that is behind it, and here that is. It’s different to how I usually write and I will get back to regular posting soon. I have an interview ready to post over this weekend which will interest some Catfish and the Bottlemen fans.

Big love as always, Issy x

FOR VIOLA BEACH -

I remember when I first heard about Viola Beach’s passing. I remember when I first heard their music and a feeling washed over me that I will never be able to articulate and describe properly. A feeling of loss, emotion and a anger at this World for taking one of the newest and most promising bands around. I also remember watching Glastonbury the year of their deaths and seeing Coldplay honour them with letting them headline for one song, where they would usually play Heroes by David Bowie.

I remember knowing that if it wasn’t for that tragic accident, then they would one day be headlining with their jangly guitar songs, such as Swings and Waterslides which is the ultimate summer anthem, filled with incredible guitar riffs and distinctive vocals taken from their self titled debut album, released shortly after the bands death.

In many ways, they were the first band that ever got me into indie music and for that I am forever thankful.

It has ultimately made me make the decisions I have, including writing here now and listening to all of the music I have since discovered from them.

So this is dedicated to Tomas, River, Kris, Jack - the Viola Beach boys and their manager Craig. Without your music and your story, I wouldn’t be writing this today and following my dreams. This is for you. I promise that you will never, ever be forgotten and that you will live on in your music forever.

[issysindieblog]

INTERVIEW - SPINN

SPINN are quickly winning over a fan-base across the UK from locals in their hometowns in Liverpool where they grew up to now adoring teen girls and this comes as no surprise to anybody. They have the cheek yet optimism of a new band despite completing their final lineup only last year and will no doubt continue to roar through the UK music scene and gain an army of avid supporters in years to come. This month, the boys are embarking on a tour of the UK, playing a series of gigs up and down the country from Glasgow to Bristol. They finish the tour off on the 28th September back in their home-city of Liverpool (O2 Academy 2 Liverpool). They've impressively already managed to sell out three of their six dates and have recently announced that they have been signed to American label, anti fragile music. The thing that the band are chuffed about though? The fact that one of their songs, It's Not Getting Better, was played on Made in Chelsea earlier on this week.

SPINN have released eight songs so far, including a self-titled EP which was released in April of this year. Singles of their's include catchy 'It's Not Getting Better' which is a song that stays in your head for days after first hearing it's memorable lyrics ( "you know it's killing me being here, killing me, being here.”) and groovy guitar lines which resemble that of early work from Blossoms.

Pictured below, SPINN.

So, (currently) 180,000 monthly Spotify listeners, a UK tour this month with half of the dates sold out and a growing army of supporters, I had questions for Johnny from SPINN and these were his answers... Maybe I'm slightly biased, but I think that these are the best answers to an interview that I've ever read.

1. Was there a particular moment that you realised that SPINN were becoming popular?

I was once getting a meal deal in Tesco and I saw somebody walk in the shop wearing a SPINN teeshirt. I was absolutely buzzing that somebody was wearing some of our merch and later on they messaged our Instagram page and said they'd seen me but had been too scared to come up and say hello. The same thing happened to me when I saw Ex-Everton Winger Steven Pienaar in a different Tesco. That made me realise we were doing something right, I still think we've got a while to go before we can say we're properly popular though. Just got to keep working innit x

2. Away from making music and gigging, what are your favourite things to do together?

Honestly just knocking about with each other like we always have, is what we like to do. Usually it can be anything from just walking around the shops together to going on nights out and staying up till 8AM. Last week Louis had to stay at my flat and we spent the time going to Tesco and prank calling Sean.

This has been a very Tesco centric interview I'll try and steer away from that for the rest of it. Right that's besides the point, as long as we're still knocking about together and taking the piss out of each other, we'll enjoy it x

3. You're going on tour soon, do you each have an essential item you will take with you?

I try to bring a book of some sort for the drive currently, it's Nine Stories by J.D Salinger

Andy ALWAYS brings a hairdryer and various hair products, rocking a bowl when you're on the road ain't no easy fete!

Sean usually just brings himself, that leather jacket he's always got on. A spare bass guitar wouldn't go a miss either, though. Once he left his on the side of the motorway when we were on the way back from Derby, good times.

Louis brings his Aston Villa blanket and 20 Litres of Vape liquid, the little fiend.

4. What/who are your major influences?

Collectively: The Drums, The Smiths, The La's, The Cure, Orange Juice, Ride, My Bloody Valentine.

Individually: Too many to list xoxo

5. Let’s fast forward five years from now, what do you see SPINN doing?

Ideally I'd like to get to the level of Wolf Alice or The 1975 are at now, that would be the dream. If we keep on working then I can see no reason why we can't get there, if we don't then that's fair enough, but we have to at least try! Anyway that's the dream, as long as we can make a living off the band and keep writing music that develops and matures with us then I'll be happy.

6. Do you have any pre-gig rituals?

I always have to go on stage last, I don't know why. At particularly big gigs we listen to 'I Am A God' by Kanye West before we go on, because it's such a good tune for getting hyped to. Other than that, apart from the odd bout of stage fright it's usually just a beer with the boiz before going on.  

7. How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

I think our songwriting has definitely improved. When we listen to our new stuff compared to our older songs, it's just in a different league, that only comes with experience though. I think that us touring has definitely helped us realise what is what in terms of song structures and live performances. So to answer the question properly, yeah we've got a lot better (even though we thought we were boss before when we weren't lol).

8. Can you describe each member of the band in under ten words?

Andy - A man who loves his haircut more than life itself.

Sean - Donned in a tight leather jacket he's often quite hungover.

Louis - A small man, usually asleep in his Aston Villa blanket.

Me (Johnny) - Taller than the other four, basically the god of dancing xoxo

9. How long have you been playing together? 

Louis joined about a year ago, but we've been a band for about 2 and a bit years. Saying that, I don't think we would be SPINN without Louis so therefore I'm gonna say a year.

10. What has been your favourite and least favourite venue to play so far?

My favourite was The Magnet in Liverpool. There's so many boss memories there but now it's been turned into one of those chain comedy clubs which is something that chips away at my soul every time I walk past.

My least favourite was The Sitwell Tavern in Derby. Everybody who came to see us was lovely and so were the other bands and the promoters Dominic (just wanted to make sure if they read this they know I had a boss time at the gig and in the chippy afterwards ;) ).

But, and it's a big but, the pub had fuck off massive "The S*n" flags up all over the gaff which frankly isn't something we like to see anywhere, as we think that that rag is scum, sorry not sorry.

SPINN set out on their debut headline tour this month at the following locations:

21st September - Surf Cafe, Tynemouth

22nd September - Broadcast, Glasgow

25th September - Record Junkee, Sheffield

26th September - Hy Brasil Music Club, Bristol 

27th September - Thousand Island (formerly Upstairs at The Grage), London

28th September - O2 Academy 2 Liverpool

Tickets are available to buy now at https://www.musicglue.com/spinn-band/ and all of SPINN's music is available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify.

[issysindieblog]

REVIEW - Brixtons

Brixtons are an upcoming four piece indie band formed in 2016 in Wantage, Oxfordshire. Their lineup consists of Will Heason (vocalist and guitarist), Will Allen (on drums), Matt Ellacott (bass guitar) and Ollie Roberts (lead guitarist).

The quartet's style mostly follows heavy guitar and bass lines with Heason's effortless vocals and Will Allen's punchy drum beats, with the exception of one song, ‘Poppy Croft’. It’s a beautiful, three minute acoustic track of theirs which has a much different sound to their other singles. It is effective that they have a song which slightly strays from the rest of their music as it shows the full extent of the band’s talent.

Pictured above, Brixtons.

Brixtons' have so far released five singles, including catchy ‘Ten Minute Chase’ which is a fiery three minute track packed with catchy lyrics and guitar lines, which leaves people humming and replaying the track on repeat in their head for days after first hearing it, and ‪’Monday Night’‬ which starts with a memorable guitar riff which continues throughout parts of the song and a repetitive drum beat.

Below, see the cover art for their single, ‘Ten Minute Chase’.

The boys from Brixtons say that they are influenced by ‘Big British Bands’ such as Oasis and The Stone Roses but also present indie rock bands such as Arctic Monkeys and DMA’s. They are a band full of potential for the future and I’m excited to watch as their fan base grows and they release more music in the coming years.

Brixtons next play on the 27th September Supporting Airways at the o2 Academy in Oxford. Tickets are available to buy from https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk from £7.90. All singles by the band are available for streaming on Spotify and on Apple Music now.

[issysindieblog]

REVIEW - Alone in the Wilderness (Bro Dylan)

Alone in the Wilderness is the latest single of three piece American rock band, Bro Dylan. It's a snappy three and a half minute track filled with catchy guitar riffs and lyrics which bares resemblance to the early work of The Killers.

The song opens with a drum beat and clean guitar riff that continues through the whole song before vocalist, Alex, begins to sing. His vocals are a cross between Twin Atlantic’s Sam McTrusty and Brandon Flowers of The Killers.

Below: Cover art of Alone in the Wilderness.

The single was released on the 1st of June and was recorded at Wildwood studios in Cleveland, Ohio and produced by  Maddie Finn from American Idol and Scott Hanson.

Bro Dylan consists of Alex Zinni (vocalist, lyricist and guitarist), Mike Miller (drums) and Sam Bodjiak (bass). Two of the band members, Mike and Sam are actually related to each other and the whole band has grown up knowing each other since they were young.

They take inspiration from bands such as Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and The Clash and are definitely a band to keep your eye on in the future as they explore their sound and release new music.

Alone in the Wilderness is available for streaming now, as well as four other singles by them (Tiger, Getting Even, Crisis and No Boundaries).

[issysindieblog]

REVIEW- Dead Boys (Sam Fender)

Making his way on to the new UK music scene is twenty-two year old, Tyneside born and raised Sam Fender. He is quickly winning over a fan base through the World as he plays festivals across the globe from Boardmasters in Cornwall to Lowlands fest in The Netherlands. He has also just sold out two nights in the Omeara in London as he embarks on a UK tour during November (see tour dates at the end of the article).

Below, Sam Fender, 22.

Sam recently dropped his seventh single, Dead Boys, last week on Annie Mac's evening show and it was named as the 'Hottest Record In The World' at the time it was released. His music is known to tackle political and social issues and stereotypes, such as catchy single  'Millennial' which mocks the way that the media portray Millennials with lyrics such as 'Sit back, relax, watch the whole world collapse' and the repetitive line of ''I'm a millennial, I'm young and dumb' and 'Greasy Spoon' which has strong links back to sexual harassment and the treatment of women.

His new single, Dead Boys, is no different as he sings about Male suicide, particularly in his hometown of Tyneside, Newcastle. The biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK is suicide and Fender believes that not enough people are talking about this issue because of toxic masculinity and perceptions of how men should act. 

It is a beautiful song, with Fender's gritty yet polished vocals belting out the chorus 'Nobody ever could explain all the dead boys in our hometown' and a soft guitar riff continuing throughout the whole track.

"I want to just raise the conversation, I think that it is important to talk about it. " Fender said, talking to Annie Mac last Tuesday. "Men don't talk, so if one person listens to this or sees what we're doing with this song and talks about their problems, then it's done it's job. That's all that I could wish for." 

Dead Boys by Sam Fender is available for streaming now and you can see Fender plus support on tour this winter, tickets have gone on sale now:

30 October – Fibbers, York

29 October – Mash House, Edinburgh

31 October – King Tuts, Glasgow

2 November – Chapel, Leeds

3 November – Leadmill 2, Sheffield

5 November – Soup Kitchen, Manchester

6 November – Shipping Forecast, Liverpool

7 November – Thekla, Bristol

9 November – Rock City Basement, Nottingham

10 November – The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

12 November – OMEARA, London (SOLD OUT)

13 November – OMEARA, London (SOLD OUT)

17 November – Newcastle University

3 December – Academy, Glasgow (Supporting Blossoms)

13 December – O2 Academy Brixton, London (Supporting Blossoms)

[issysindieblog]

REVIEW- As You Were (LG)

Yo! My name is Issy, and this is my first review post! It’s a super old Liam Gallagher review of ‘As you were’ that I wrote when it came out last year. I hope you enjoy reading it :)

As you were' from Liam Gallagher may just be the most anticipated solo album of the year. Luckily, it does not fail to deliver and compensate for the lack of music since the oasis and beady eye days.

The fallout of oasis in 2009 left behind two very talented brothers who have successfully gone different ways in the industry; Noel following the rock scene and Liam more down the indie and Brit pop route.

"I didn’t wanna be reinventing anything or going off on a space jazz odyssey,” says Liam when asked about the influences of the album. “It’s the Lennon “Cold Turkey” vibe, The Stones, the classics. But done my way, now.” Listening to the album, you can definitely hear the impact of Liam's teenage idols, re-invented with a special Liam twist to them.

Here’s my track by track thoughts:

Wall of glass - With loud electro guitar solos and rocking drum beats throughout the whole song, it’s a perfect song for the first track of Liam Gallagher's debut solo album. It was the first released single as a new solo artist for Liam and for me, personally, it goes down as quite an iconic one.

Bold - A song with the air of rebellion. The lyrics ‘there's no love worth chasing yesterday’ could be interpreted as a possible dig at his brother, Noel, and his solo album with High flying birds which was titled ‘Chasing yesterday’ and released in early 2015.

Liam's voice here sounds a lot like him in his prime year '94. The man himself has described it as very 'Lennon-y' and I can't help but agree with this.

Greedy soul - American songwriter Jimmy Webb told Liam how one of the lyrics in this song was one of the finest lyrics he's ever heard (this is 'and it's a long way down, when you're the wrong way round'). It’s catchy with multiple layers to the song and and a great guitar riff throughout.

Paper Crown- This is one of the calmest songs on the album, stripped down with an acoustic guitar for the intro and drums and electric guitar throughout the rest of the song. It is very melodious.

For what it's worth - a song about apology, filled with emotion and regret. The beautiful mix of orchestral instruments accompany electric guitars and Liam's raspy but polished voice in this song. It's very much gives me Oasis vibes. ('Underneath my skin, there's a fire within' is a strong metaphor in here).

When I'm in need - the beginning of the song sounds like it's being played on an old vinyl machine, giving it the retro sound. Again, to me, it sounds similar to an old style oasis song, but more of a B Side. Very repetitive but effective, giving it the catchy feel in the end!

You better run - this is a big up song, with a catchy guitar riff during the verses. There is Clever rhyming of shelter and Helter skelter. It is a full bodied song full of aggro!

I get by - similar loud electric guitar sound, an upbeat song about love! Again, it’s got a very catchy chorus.

Chinatown - another one of the released solo singles, another very calm song and by far the on most mellow onthe album. The lyrics ‘Happiness is still a warm gun' is a reference to a song from the Beatles ninth studio album, released in 1968; showing Liam's early music influence from the Beatles.

Come back to me - The electric guitar in the beginning is incredible, come back to me is very upbeat with a quick tempo, following the drum beat. Hats off to Liam's new band here. Guitar music is definitely not dead.

Universal Gleam - Liam's iconic tambourine makes a come back in this song with a riff continuing throughout the whole song. This was a very anticipated song from this album and does not disappoint, with Liam tweeting lyrics to this song back in march. Liam even claims that he wanted to call Beady Eye's last ever album Universal Gleam.

I've all I need - This is a song inspired by a meeting that he had with Yoko Ono eighteen years ago. Liam has explicitly said that some lyrics for the song were taken from a banner that she had in the kitchen, meaning 'while I've been hibernating I've been gathering my wings'.

Overall, I’d give it a solid 4/5 stars as a rating. It’s perfect for former oasis fans who want music with the same kind of feel to it, however, after a while it just becomes a little same-y as the rest of it. This is just an overall view on it. Obviously, we’d all be happier with these songs if it was by Oasis but with the Noel and Liam feud still continuing, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

If you’re looking for something different to the Oasis sound, maybe you’d be more inclined to listen to Noel’s new album instead of Liam’s debut one.

[issysindieblog]

INTERVIEW- The Witching Hour

Breaking into the new and upcoming UK music scene is gritty, punk meets indie band, The Witching Hour. 

The four piece band from Wales have played a series of gigs supporting acts such as Rainbow Maniac and just this month they played their first ever headline gig in Aberdare in Wales. In October, they also play Swn festival in Cardiff. Right now, they may be a relatively new band with a small fan-base, but they're definitely a band to keep your eyes on in the future as they have recently been in the studio, recording two new singles.

I spoke to bass player, Morgan Vick, ahead of them being released. We spoke about things such as what we can expect from them in the future to musical influences of the band, which you can read about below. 

{Below, The Witching Hour}

How would you describe your sound? What genre do you class yourself as?

I'd say that we're sort of punk but then again, we also have got slow songs. We don't really fit into one genre, we just do what seems right. If I'm honest, if I said that we were one particular genre, that would change. We can be a little shouty but then we can also be mellow too. 

You're a relatively new band so how much do you think that your sound will develop/change in the future?

I can almost definitely say that our sound is going to change in the future, it's a natural thing that happens to every band/artist. Right now, it's kind of go with the flow, whatever sounds good for us. Sticking to what you know is quite important for us but I'm curious to see what we do develop into in the future.

Who's in the Band?

Alex Evans - Lead singer, guitar

Corey Davis- Lead guitarist/ backing vocals

Jordan Wright - Drummer

Morgan Vick - Bass guitar

Can you describe each member briefly?

Alex, our singer, is really outgoing and quite funny. He's our driver as well and he always takes us to McDonalds after a gig.

Corey is so organised that it could be considered obsessive! He's a great lad though and always sorts everything out for us.

Jordan looks and acts like a child. He's always up to anything, you could tell him we've got a gig in Australia in two days and he'd be like "Oh right, cool."

I'm (Morgan) the baby of the group because I'm the youngest. I'm probably the most enthusiastic when we play a gig and love to interact with the crowd. I'm always up for a mosh pit!

If you could compare yourselves to any other band, who would it be and why?

I'd probably compare us to Pretty Vicious, they're a class band.  Our genre is very, very similar to theirs and they're also from where we come from! We had a gig in Cardiff supporting with band called The Rainbow Maniac and the lead singer of Pretty Vicious, Brad came along. He said that we reminded him of them when they were just starting out. To get to their level would be insane, right?

You’ve been recording some new singles recently. How has that experience been?

It's actually really good fun. However, being in the studio for ten hours can get quite boring. I think if you were doing anything continuously for that amount of time then it's bound to get a bit tedious. It is proper interesting though, seeing how it all works. I think we have three or four sessions left before everything is done!

Who are your musical influences?

Mine are Catfish And The Bottlemen, I've been a massive fan of them for three years now and they always put on a great show. I absolutely love their bass player, Benji Blakeway!. I'm also influenced  by Pretty Vicious because our backgrounds are so similar. I'm also a huge lover of Slaves because there's only two of them which shows that you can still do anything you want If you put your mind to it. 

I'm not too sure about the other boys, but I know that Alex(singer) loves The Beatles, our lead guitarist, Corey, loves Alter Bridge and Jordan is a huge fan of Slipknot. So, I'd say that they're probably influenced by them.

What can we expect from these new singles? 

We're a very cool fuckin' band, so some quality tunes and lyrics! They're called ' Do you think she's perfect' and 'Kill Yourself (the music is dead)' and will 100% be out by the end of the year. We're playing a big festival called Swn (which was actually founded by Radio 1's Huw Stephens and John Rostron in 2007) in October in Cardiff and they should be ready before then.

[issysindieblog]

Hi!

My name is Issy and boy, oh boy, I do not understand Tumblr. Can you tell I’m new to this? Haha!

Anyway, I’m an aspiring music journalist, based in the South West of England. I’ve tried many different website formats and found Tumblr to be the easiest out of all of them, so, here I am. 

My music influences mostly include Catfish And The Bottlemen, Oasis, Tom Grennan, Blossoms and Sam Fender.

Stay tuned, I have a small interview with a friend’s band coming real soon and a review of some of their new music. 

See ya all soon

Issy xo