Stephie Chapman

writing, travel, ukuleles, photos

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A Bourbon and Coke with... Chroma Bay

A Bourbon and Coke with… Chroma Bay

Chroma Bay are a three-piece hailing from Nottingham, UK. We had a quick chat with them about their upcoming release, the football, and just how great Glasto was this year.

photo by Ian McConnachie

  Hi guys, how’s it going? Introduce yourselves! Hey! We’re Scott, Miles and Ben. Collectively Chroma Bay, creating electronic pop music from the heart of the UK.

Where are you at the moment? We’re…

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If You like Tove Lo, You Might Like VÉRITÉ

If You like Tove Lo, You Might Like VÉRITÉ

There’s a spate of female vocalists out there at the moment, and I, for one, am really enjoying it. Artists like Tove Lo, Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding, to name just three, are kicking it with the pretty vocals over nice electro-pop beats and hitting the spot like a frosty beer in a frozen glass on a hot summer’s day. And it’s refreshing, too, to listen to pop songs with lyrics that have a little bit…

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If You Like... The 1975, You Might Like Beach Weather

If You Like… The 1975, You Might Like Beach Weather

Beach Weather, an American alt. pop three piece comprising of A Rocket to the Moon front man, singer/guitarist Nick Santino, bassist Reeve Powers, and drummer Austin Scates. Formed in the summer of 2015, Beach Weather hit the ground running with a US tour supporting The Maine, and a swift EP release. 2016 brought a European tour early on, this time opening for Sleeping With Sirens, and there are…

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A Mojito With... Korynn O'Connell

A Mojito With… Korynn O’Connell

Korynn O’Connell

  We had a quick chat with San Francisco singer songwriter (and total babe) Korynn O’Connell about what’s coming up for her, her dream festival line up, and her new EP, Coast to Coast.

Hello, Koyrnn, How’s it going?

Hey! It’s going great.

Where are you at the moment?

Currently chillin’ in my room in San Francisco, CA.

So, your EP, Coast to Coast, is available now. Can you…

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Steph on Instagram: “Hi there book two. Time for you to be edited. Aahhh this is exciting. #amwriting #writersofinstagram #novelist #jetplanestojupiter”

“Hi there book two. Time for you to be edited. Aahhh this is exciting. #amwriting #writersofinstagram #novelist #jetplanestojupiter”

When I started writing Getting Over Jesse Franklin I always assumed it would be a nice little standalone novel. A one off. With the happy ever after. And it is - you can read it and leave it at that if you like. I apparently couldn’t, though, and by the time I was just about finishing it, I decided I didn’t want to let it go. So, here’s the result. A sequel. It’ll be out soon(ish). 

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Steph on Instagram: “Today's office. #editing. Always editing. #amwriting #coffee #writersofinstagram”

“Today's office. #editing. Always editing. #amwriting #coffee #writersofinstagram”

The sequel to #GettingOverJesseFranklin is on its way! I’m editing like a boss at the moment. 

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So, sometimes I make ukulele covers of songs I like. I love the idea of writing my own stuff, but it always ends up like some terrible angsty emo poetry. Fiction I can do, songs, not so much. So for now, I just make covers. This one is Wolf by Beach Weather. Check em out. They are good. 

Oh yeah. And Reeve totally retweeted this. Thanks fella. 

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Cute

My friend’s baby loving on my sister’s iPhone. 

A video posted by Steph (@imcountingufoz) on Sep 24, 2015 at 9:58am PDT

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Up in the air, somewhere over the south of England. 

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We flew from Leeds to Southampton today, and this was the view on our descent. I live on the flight path and you can actually see my house in this video. 

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Who likes Bob’s Burgers? Steph likes Bob’s Burgers.

Actually, Steph cries with laughter at Bob’s Burgers. And it turns out the theme tune is pretty fun to play, too. Here it is, all slowed down and stuff. 

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ALL. THE. FEELS. 

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Bekonscot

My sister and I took the kids to Bekonscot Model Village today. I’m sure I went there as a child. I have a vague memory of being taken to a model village and since I think it was with my Dad, and he lived in Milton Keynes, it seems plausible that it could have been this one. 

Anyway, that’s really by the by. 

It’s a sweet little place. Eccentric, and quaintly old-fashioned. It takes about an hour to get around it, if you take a good look at the models, which you should. 

We joked about being Borrowers, and chased the miniature trains around their tracks. That was Elliot’s favourite. Ruby’s was the models of the girl guides, who’d set up camp on a hillside. Complete with canvas tent. I liked this little view down the hill to the harbour. 

It’s kind of Cornish looking. It could be in St Ives or Falmouth. And the people playing croquet. Because who doesn’t enjoy a game of croquet every now and then?

The swimming pool was sweet, too. 

Nice attention to detail, I thought. What with the little guy swimming along under water and the sunbathers and such.

The goldfish were akin to whales to the Borrower-sized people. 

It even has it’s own tiny Marks and Sparks and a Waitrose, selling tiny boxes of Ritz crackers. RItz crackers, I ask you! The entire place is wonderfully quirky. Go!

We took a detour on the way home, to Amersham, so I could do some belated book research. I’m still pleased I chose Amersham as the place Cassie grew up in. It felt kind of weird going there, but in a good way. I kept looking out of the window, as I was driving around, wondering if I was going to see her walking up the road. Then I remembered that I made her up and she’s a figment of my imagination. 

And anyway, she doesn’t even live there anymore. 

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Larmer Tree 2015

Just shy of a year ago, I picked up a ukulele and taught myself how to play a Blink 182 song over the course of an afternoon. 

I was writing the ending of Getting Over Jesse Franklin, and I had this idea of how I wanted it to end, but wasn’t sure if it was even possible. I like accuracy, even in fiction, and I didn’t want anyone to ever read my book, and then scoff that what I’d written simply wasn’t something you could do. And so, I got hold of this little tiny four stringed thing and Googled the chords, and a chord chart. 

Turns out, it’s entirely possible, and sounds pretty sweet, too. 

Just under a year on, I’ve just played my ukulele at Larmer Tree festival in Wiltshire as part of Southampton Ukulele Jam. I stood up on stage, with 30ish other people, and played Talulah the Les Paul in front of hundreds and hundreds of people. I blew the audience kisses whilst we did Mr Brightside (”it was only a kiss, it was only a kiss”). I channelled my inner Taylor Swift and shook it off. I rocked out like a rock princess to Sheena is a Punk Rocker and Blitzkrieg Bop, mashing up my right hand in the process, ripping my cuticles and breaking my nails and not caring one iota, and I sang sweet harmonies to Champagne Supernova, Baby I Love You, I Can See Clearly Now, Inbetween Days... the list goes on.

Yesterday, I taught a girl, who’d never picked up a ukulele in her life, to put together a few easy chords and play Poker Face by Lady Gaga. She looked pleased with herself. If that isn’t very good work, I don’t know what is. 

I’m thankful for a lot of things in my life, but right now, I’m most thankful that I picked up that little four-stringed wonder, because it was definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done. 

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Pumped Up Kicks

I’m playing my ukulele at Larmer Tree Festival next month with Southampton Ukulele Jam. ACTUALLY NO, THIS MONTH! (Holy MOTHER) So, in preparation, I’ve bought myself a few presents. 

Basically, I pimped up Talulah the Ukulele. And she now looks epic.  

She now has a far, far better strap, with lightning bolts, no less. And a tuner, which is something I’ve been meaning to buy for a while. I’ve got a spare set of strings just incase i get over enthusiastic during Sheena is a Punk Rocker and snap one, hair chalks, because what is life without interesting hair? And a silver skirt for Silver Saturday. 

So, if you’re coming to Larmer Tree, come and find me. I might sing you a song! 

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London

Occasionally, not often, but occasionally, I require a weekend where I can let my hair down and do things I couldn’t otherwise do if I had my offspring with me. Everyone needs a break. This weekend was one such weekend. And I think it may have topped Amsterdam. 

Britmums, via the Moo shop in Shoreditch, to pick up my rush order cards. Aren’t they cute? I left a few here and there on public transport. So in the highly improbable event that you’re reading this because you found my card on the Overground or the Central Line. Well, hello. 

I have no photos of Britmums, because I was unapologetically shitfaced the entire time. There are huge portions of that conference I have no memory of. If I misbehaved, and I am sure I did, well, sorry, not sorry. Needless to say, I required coffee. And then more wine.

And then, obviously this shop front needed documenting. Because it’s a shop front with sperm on it. And a weird face emerging from an old stye television. But whatever. Sperm! 

Blur. Actual Blur. In Hyde Park. I went to find a friend who was there, too, and couldn’t find Alice or Alice again. But that was okay. I went to Soho for tequila and beer after. Blur. Fantastic. BLUR! BLUR! 

On Sunday I went to Brick Lane with my sorella, and we met Verena, my travel bud of choice and generally the best person to make mischief with. We ate cheese and meat, and drank nice beers...

...And then later on, a beigel with salt beef and pickles and mustard. Let’s not be silly. Spot the rogue dick. I didn’t, until I was about to post this photo. But now I’m kind of glad he’s there. Hi, rogue dick. Do you concur? #Grey.

Finally, I’d like you all to meet Misti. She’s my latest baby, and I love her. She’s an acoustic Kala ukulele, and she sounds like a dream. Much, much richer than Talulah-the-Les-Paul. Today I’ve mostly been learning to play Out Of Time, by BLUR! As a nod to the weekend, natch. 

I love discovering new secret places every time I go. London, you are the best. Don’t ever change. 

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Isn’t my sister such a betty? 

I think it’s fair to say we were quite excited about season 3 of Orange Is The New Black. We put on our jammies, I cracked open the wine, and we made a silly video. 

Sorry, not sorry.