Clairvoyant headline @dingwalls2camden on July 17th following their sold out debut the week before. With support from @rivera.bandofficial25 + @cymbol.band and @angxtband . Tickets available now through the link in our bio. Don’t miss out 🫵
📅 July 17th
📍 Dingwalls 2, Camden
#rangarecords
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Clairvoyant is fronted by Ruby Tiger Starkey, Lee Starkey's daughter and Ringo Starr's granddaughter.
The band in their own words
"Clairvoyant are a five piece rock band inspired by the timeless sound of The Beatles, Oasis and Led Zeppelin. Fronted by Ruby on lead vocals, the band combines powerful melodies with energetic performance and a passion for great songwriting. Guitarists Teddy and Arthur bring a blend of rhythm and lead work that helps define the band’s sound. Luca on bass and Anthony on drums provide the driving force behind it. Mixing classic rock influences with their own fresh ideas, Clairvoyant deliver music that feels both familiar, exciting and tells their audiences to get ready to face the future."
Newcomers onto the scene, they formed earlier this year and through posting videos online have built up a strong following. I first discovered them when chatting to singer Ruby and her telling me about this new band she was starting. From then on I became a fan. Clairvoyant play their own mix of mod style rock with influences from bands such as Led Zeppelin and The Beatles being a main source of inspiration for their music. They will be playing alongside The Ties and Mayfair this coming Friday at Dingwalls in Camden and have just announced another gig at Dingwalls on the 17th of July so if you didn't get your ticket for Friday in time, catch them again as you won't want to miss out. Check these guys out.
Hello all, holiday vibes getting thick today. Anyway, we're back with Gigchat series and now we have William from a Swedish indie band Isolated Youth. They already released trilogy singles. Among the other indie bands we've ever discovered, Isolated Youth is positively distinct and own such a haunting rock music they will guide you in more precise way here.
Hello, guys, let's start with introduction !
The band consist of Egon Westberg Larsson, Andreas Geidemark and William & Axel Mårdberg. We’ve known each other for a long time through friendship and blood band. Isolated Youth is unpredictable sensitive music. A collision between fragility, melancholy and Dionysian ecstasy, beauty and intensity. The characteristics of Isolated Youth’s music is a boyish voice, crystal guitar, winding bass and innovative drumming which comes together in a burning display.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Patti Smith, Blixa Bargeld and Ian Curtis, among many.
Can you give us guide track by track from Devotion, Bayonet, and Boytale?
We always try reach the same thing in different ways. It’s an attempt to create something truly honest and beautiful.
Devotion is a song about the sense of devoting yourself entirely to the sensitive souls, forsaken artists, bleeding boys and blue girls…
Bayonet is a song about my (William’s) sickness. And is perhaps the most aggressive one we’ve made.
Boytale depicts a boy who has reached the end of the road, it depicts a boy filled with sorrow. He sees himself in glass and realizes what he could become, what he was meant to do all along. The boy then kills his persona, and is incarnated by his true self. To be able to go on from there he has to surrender completely to his actual path. So he forsakes certainty and is ready to lose both himself and what he holds dear for his mirrored resemblance.
As a band, how it works for you between music/songwriting and publishing/management stuff ?
All is done by ourselves or people close to us, as of now.
Can you tell us about the Swedish indie music scene? Best festivals, most popular genre, and specifically the punk scene you've been into?
Sure, the best festivals are probably Kalabalik på Tyrolen, a postpunk/ New wave festival and perhaps Way Out West for it’s international acclaim. The most popular genre in the indie scene is perhaps indiepop/electronical music, where Sweden has been successful over the years.
The underground punk scene we’re familiar of, in Stockholm, exists in basements, under restaurants, and in small gatherings, although ”Klubb Död” has started to bring some of us into light, so that is where I would draw my attention if I were to explore the Swedish scene, right now.
People say Sweden is country of music, do you find it gives you advantage to be Stockholm-based band?
In some ways yes, and in some ways no. Music is much appreciated in Sweden, however there are not many bands like us out there, whereas Copenhagen and London might have more… the scene is yet to bloom again here, and we are looking forward to flower with it.
Things you like to do together other than jamming?
Many things! We are a close companionship, and we spend much time together.
Artists/musicians/bands you want to collaborate with?
We would like to collaborate with William Maybelline of Lebanon Hanover / Qual, and Anselm Kiefer.
Things you wish people would ask you?
Mainly about our music.
Give us your musical wisdom or advise ?
Although we are the beginning of our journey we would say: rehearse constantly, study the greats and devote yourselves entirely.
Plan for 2018?
We haven’t made a bucket list, but we strive to take matter in our own hands and make it a successful and beautiful year for us and our loved ones.
Give us music recommendation to listen to !
Vår, The Birthday Party and John Frusciante’s ”Niandra DeLades and usually just a T-shirt”.
Black Top Lines, an alternative punk band hailing from Norwalk, Connecticut, is comprised of vocalist Julia Breen, guitarists Justin Graff and Angelica Martin, bassist Mateo Roldan, and drummer Asha Locke. This past Saturday, February 11th, the foursome put on their second live gig with another amazing local act, Anxious, at the infamous Darien Depot in Darien, CT. Upon entering the venue, it was clear that this was bound to be a night no one there would ever forget. As the night wore on, the air was filled with laughter, the sounds of joyous reunions and “long time, no see’s,” killer tunes, and light-hearted banter, each second leading up to the well- anticipated set.
As Black Top Lines took the stage, surrounded by friends, family, and other familiar faces, they appeared to be at ease, at home, and ready to knock everyone’s socks off--collectively a fear that they were certainly able to achieve. Despite this being only the second live performance within their career, it was a show unlike any other, one where the true heart, passion, and drive of each member was blatantly present within each chord progression, chorus, and tempo- change. The audience drew out their cellphones and lighters, swayed to the rhythm, and sang along to each song throughout the set, much of which consisted of various covers from bands and artists such as Paramore, PVRIS, Halsey, and even a spontaneous rendition of Smash Mouth’s hit, “All Star,” which drew a great amount of laughter from the audience and band alike. Of the two incredible original songs that BTL performed, the final song was surely powerful, an anthem lined with anger and aggression, one explaining that a woman’s body and what they wear in no sense justifies objectification and cat-calling as explained through lead- singer, Julia’s, inspiring and beyond powerful closing speech, encouraging women to stand and speak up for themselves in the face of oppression. The entire set was one that radiated positive, light, and warmth, managing to leave the night singed with a perfect sense of euphoria which was truly a beautiful sight to behold.
Though Black Top Lines’ career has just begun, it is without a doubt that within the next coming months, their talent will be able to shine through, allowing them to elevate to heights that they’ve never reached before and gain the recognition and love that they truly deserve.
Following their gig, Electric Daze had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Julia, Mateo, Angelica, Asha, and Justin to discuss their aspirations, hopes for the future of Black Top Lines, and unapologetic love for their fans and each other.
Electric Daze: In regards to music, have you always been interested in playing? When did you realize that you wanted to start a band and/or turn to music professionally?
Justin: Okay, well, I come last.
[Everyone laughs]
Julia: So, basically, I met Asha last year and we had talked about how we both wanted to be in a band and that just never happened. This year, I still wanted to be in a band and I decided to text Asha since we both wanted to do it freshman year, and I asked her “Do you want to be in a band with me?” and she immediately responded “FUCK YES!” in all caps.”
Asha: I think it was like a Sunday night.
Julia: We practiced like once at her house after that. I later texted Angelica about it and she didn’t even know she was in the band until probably two weeks later but she was!
Angelica: I remember we were in science class and we had been coming up with band names and logos and it suddenly hit me… wait, I’m in this!
Mateo: And then here’s where I came in. Angelica had asked me if I wanted to be in the band and she was basically hunting me down, telling me that I had to join because she wouldn’t do it alone.
Asha: and then, Justin came along.
Justin: Yeah, I came to the last show. I had texted one of my friends that I wanted to be in a band and suddenly, like two weeks later, I was in.
Asha: You’re welcome [laughs]
ED: Did you have any strong musical influence when you were growing up? Who would you say has inspired you the most to either pursue music further or travel down the path that you have in terms of sound, genre, etc?
Justin: About half of my family is drawn towards art and the other half is drawn more toward music, so at the same time that I was being pushed toward art, I was taking music lessons. I had always wanted to be like my dad and my mom so I was really conflicted- I didn’t know whether to choose music or art for a while.
Angelica: It’s sort of the same thing with me- I think half of my dad’s side plays music (I’m not going to get into numbers because that’s a lot) [laughs]. I’ve been playing orchestra for about eight years but I wasn’t really interested in playing orchestra so when Julia asked me if I wanted to be in the band and said that they needed a guitarist, I was like “cool, I kinda know how to play the guitar!”
Asha: I think my biggest musical influence would probably be my dad because he’s a rapper so I’ve always gone to him and asked him for help with everything like “I don’t know how to do this band stuff I need your help.” And my mom’s been a DJ so if I didn’t choose music, it probably would’ve been weird.
Mateo: And for me, my brother has been a huge influence because he started playing guitar out of nowhere—I thought “Nope! Six strings are too many for me so why don’t I play bass?” And that’s exactly why I chose that.
ED: This is slightly stereotypical but where did your band name, Black Top Lines, come from and what does it mean?
Angelica: Asha, take it away!
Asha: Yeah so it was probably seven in the morning and I was on the bus on my way to school, hating life as I usually do, and I thought that I might as well think of some band names. I pretty much would always come up with some ideas here and there. So I had been looking down at the street, which was a black top, and the lines on the street and it sort of just hit me! I had the idea in my head already but it had been “Black Top Lives,” because I feel like there are so many people that use and cross the street daily so that inspired me in a way. There’s so many people on this planet and they all have different stories.
ED: What is your usual songwriting process? Do all of you have certain roles that you take or does it shift from time to time? When you write, where do you draw most of your inspiration from?
Julia: Yeah, so with the first original that we wrote, Mateo had written a really awesome bassline and Asha wrote all of the lyrics.
Angelica: I think she tried to record it on her phone beforehand to get it to work—I think we still have it! We had just tried to play around with everything and see what sounded best and I guess, from there, it just kind of happened?
Justin: Yeah, I think I kind of procrastinated the whole time. I started learning the bassline and two practices later, I just came in an improvised. I just self- taught myself by watching Angelica play. I remember hearing Julia’s first song and suggesting that we played it a different way be she said “No. I don’t like that. It doesn’t sound like my song!”
Julia: I wrote the last song that we played [laughs]. I mean, I play the guitar a little bit but I don’t really know the music terminology or the scales so I really just wrote the song through imagining what it would sound like and composing it mentally. Everyone is super talented so it really just fell into place through adding everyone’s different ideas.
ED: Have you been working on anything recently?
Asha: Yeah, actually! We have a song in the works that I wrote a while ago so watch out for that!
ED: I’m sure it’s a bit nerve-wracking to perform in front of crowds—have you found it to be that way or do you feel relatively calm in terms of live performances? Are there any pre- show rituals that you have to hopefully ease your nerves?
Angelica: Oh my god! I’ve been waiting for this!
Asha: So we have a pre- show ritual that we do before every show.
Mateo: So many people know about it and they always put it on their Snapchat stories.
Asha: We huddle in a circle like we’re a football team and we just sing All Star [by Smash Mouth] and so everyone gets really hype. It’s really funny.
Angelica: I think it gets rid of a lot of my nervous energy.
Asha: It adds onto mine, though, I don’t know why. I’m usually really fine all day until like five minutes before the show starts but this show, I was just worrying all day [laughs]
Justin: I was really calm today until right before we went on.
Mateo: What basically happens for me is that I get super nervous right before we play but when we all walk onto the stage, or platform, or wherever we’re playing, I hear everyone screaming and chanting for us and that calms me down.
Angelica: I think it really helps that the crowd is usually made up of a ton of our friends so even if we screw up, we know that they’ll love us anyway [laughs]. It’s really reassuring in that sense.
ED: What have been your most memorable show/ performance?
Angelica: I think our last show here [the Darien Depot] was the most memorable for me. A lot of our friends had organized fan projects and it was really cool. I think during Roman Holiday, they had held up colored lights and organized them to make a pride flag. And during our last song, we had had confetti. We also met Justin that night so I mean, it has to be!
Asha: The first thing we asked him was “Can you play All Star on the guitar?” and he said yes so we let him in immediately.
ED: What are your plans for the future? Where do you see Black Top Lines in a few months?
Asha: I honestly don’t know where I see myself in the next few days but I just hope that we’re all alive, steady, and doing okay. It’s kind of hard to tell where this band will take us in the next few months.
Angelica: I just hope that we’re going to be able to play a lot more live shows and write more originals (and possible less covers).
Asha: We do have another show coming up really soon for the Homeless Men’s Youth Shelter—it’s a free show for charity to raise awareness for the struggle of the homeless youth in Connecticut. There’s going to be a ton of people there—it’ll be really cool.
Angelica: Yeah! But it’s all really up in the air besides that.
Justin: It’s kinda bad for me [laughs]. Well, I’ll be in college by the end of this year so maybe I’ll come back to play a few shows but I’m just kinda here for now.
Angelica: Just don’t go to college. You just can’t leave.
ED: In terms of Black Top Lines, if there was anything that you wanted future fans to know about you, what would you tell them?
Asha: I think that I would want them to know that, if anything, if they come to see our show, definitely either before the show, after the show, or during, you can be whoever you want to be and to be yourself.
Justin: Everyone’s welcome, for sure.
Mateo: We don’t care what you look like, where you come from, what you have on your shoulders… we just love everyone. We want to just throw out so much love to everyone.
Angelica: You’re welcome to come into our arms- I will definitely hug everyone.
Julia: We just want to spread a ton of positivity always.
ED: Is there anything else that you want to say really quickly?
Mateo: I love you, mom.
Asha: We should definitely make a shirt that says “I love you, mom” on it now- we have to.
Make sure to check out Black Top Lines and follow their whereabouts on social media to keep up with what they’re up to within the next coming months: you certainly won’t regret it!
with guest Age of Ore – Jake Hoopes, Luke Hoopes, Madeline Greeno, Josh Greeno
The interview i did with the very talented band Age of Ore is now available to watch. The average age of this band is between 10 & 16 years old and they are into metal music like Iron Maiden, Metallica & Alice in Chains etc. They throw down hard and really play the music.
The band also performs one of their original songs. This is a must watch!
The band members are: Jake Hoopes-Guitar & Vocals, Luke Hoopes-Drums, Madeline Greeno-Bass & Josh Greeno-Guitar.
Thanks for watching!
Today we are talking about some of the mistakes that we have made as a band over the years. Here are 5 tips for bands that are just starting out or who haven...
tips for musicians who are just starting bands for the first time.
