POLYMORPHOUS MAN GRIZZLY BEAR CHRIS TAYLOR TAKES TIME OUT FROM HIS GROCERY SHOPPING TO CHAT WITH CHRIS FAMILTON ABOUT HIS NEW SOLO PROJECT CANT. Chris Taylor is a man with many strings to his bow. As well as being producer, bassist and multi-instrumentalist for Grizzly Bear he also runs his own label Terrible Records, produces bands like Morning Benders and Twin Shadow and can now … Continue reading INTERVIEW: CANT
written by Chris Familton J Mascis’ recent solo album Several Shades of Why isn’t his first release under his own name, that honour goes to Martin + Me (1996) – a collection of acoustic Dinosaur Jr songs and covers recorded on tour. In that sense the new album is probably considered Mascis’ first true solo record as it was recorded in a studio with original … Continue reading INTERVIEW: J Mascis
STEPPING UP “We get talked about as a lo-fi band but it isn’t what we are trying to do,” says Step-Panther’s Stevesie as he takes Chris Familton through the recording of their debut album. For any new band the biggest step after writing a batch of songs and establishing your live show must be the recording of the debut album. Many have built a career … Continue reading INTERVIEW: Step-Panther
Beastwars have their debut album out polluting young minds and are touring New Zealand to rabid audiences at the moment. The record stands as one of the great metal albums to come out of the shaky isles in quite a long time and we managed to catch frontman Matt Hyde for a few minutes between gigs for the inaugural interview in our new section Questions … Continue reading Questions & Answers: Beastwars
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Flying Nun, here is a reprint of a piece I wrote about the label last year… written by Chris Familton A record label at the right place at the right time can be integral to a music scene, often gaining revered status further down the track as history settles into place. Sub Pop, Motown and Factory are obvious examples. … Continue reading FEATURE: Life in a Chord | Flying Nun Records
INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE RIPLEY JOHNSON IS A BUSY MAN, RECENTLY RELEASING NEW NEW ALBUMS WITH WOODEN SHJIPS AND MOON DUO. HE TAKES THE TIME TO EXPLAIN TO CHRIS FAMILTON WHERE THE LATTER FITS INTO THE WORLD OF DRONING PSYCHEDELIC ROCK. Establishing yourself outside a band where you have gained a loyal following can be a tough task. There are the perils of not being as good … Continue reading INTERVIEW: Moon Duo
STEPPING OUT ALONE WITH A NEW NAME AND A NEW MUSICAL DIRECTION MELODIE NELSON IS CREATING AUTHENTIC, BLISSED OUT 60S SOUNDS. SHE TELLS CHRIS FAMILTON HOW MEDITATIONS ON THE SUN CAME ABOUT AND WHERE SHE IS GOING NEXT. Melodie Nelson has emerged blinking into the bright lights on her debut album Meditations on the Sun. It is an album that represents her first solo foray into relatively straightforward songs after years spent as one … Continue reading INTERVIEW: Melodie Nelson
REAL WORLD MUSIC FANTINE IS ONLY JUST RELEASING HER SECOND SINGLE AND EMBARK ON HER FIRST NATIONAL TOUR BUT HER QUIRKY ELECTRO POP MUSIC HAS ALREADY TAKEN HER TO CUBA, LONDON AND NEW ZEALAND. SHE SHARES SOME TRAVEL STORIES WITH CHRIS FAMILTON. Fantine Pritoula may be a new name on the local music scene but in the last two years she has gained some healthy … Continue reading INTERVIEW: Fantine
written by Chris Familton Joan Wasser has one of those careers so far that many musicians dream of. From her early days as a violinist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and then The Dambuilders she had a solid grounding in the indie and classical worlds. The seeds of her solo career were planted when her boyfriend Jeff Buckley tragically died and she formed the short-lived … Continue reading INTERVIEW: Joan As Police Woman
THEORY OF EVOLUTION Heading down under to play Splendour in the Grass Wild Beasts bring with them a new album Smother that is already garnering critical acclaim for its further refinement of their literate and nuanced art pop. Hayden Thorpe talks Chris Familton through the changes. The UK quartet from the Lakes District have upped the ante with each of their previous two albums, peeling … Continue reading INTERVIEW: Wild Beasts
ON A MISSION MONA ARE A BAND WITH AMBITION AND SELF BELIEF WHO ARE BUILDING A REPUTATION FOR THEMSELVES IN THE UK BEFORE THEY TAKE A RUN AT COMMERCIAL SUCCESS BACK HOME IN THE US. THEIR LEADER NICK BROWN STATES THEIR CASE TO CHRIS FAMILTON. There has always been a grand tradition of American bands gaining success in the UK before being welcomed back to … Continue reading INTERVIEW: MONA
THE VACCINES ARE BARELY A YEAR OLD YET THEY ARE ALREADY TOURING THE WORLD, GAINING KUDOS FOR THEIR DEBUT ALBUM AND UNDERGOING MEDICAL OPERATIONS IN THE NAME OF MUSIC. DRUMMER PETE ROBERTSON TALKS TO CHRIS FAMILTON ABOUT THEIR RAPID ASCENT. From YouTube to blogs, magazines and TV, The Vaccines seem to be everywhere at the moment and one could be forgiven for some skepticism at … Continue reading INTERVIEW: The Vaccines
Doubtful Sounds 