Interview: Alan Pownall

Alan Pownall has found the media furore surrounding him increasing month by month and is now a favourite on Radio 1. Since he picked up a guitar in 2004 he has found himself playing gigs with numerous rising stars including Florence and the Machine, Jack Penate, Laura Marling and Noah and the Whale. His music is very easy going and simplistic in style, which isn't a criticism (much of The Beatles' catalogue could be classed as simplistic), and allows for more scope for his voice to dominate the record. I caught up with him to discuss the album and life on the road.

You went on tour with Adele when you only had a few songs, what did that whole experience do for your confidence?

It was bitter/sweet in many ways. Being there was a great experience but i hadn't been playing for very long so it was very daunting.

Your rise has been pretty meteoric considering you only really picked up a guitar in 2004. How do you handle that?

Six years! Isn't that quite a long time? I don't know, I've been lucky with a few breaks but I don't take it for granted. I've still got a long way to go and that's what keeps it fun and exciting.

You've said you don't consider yourself to have any real 'influences' as such. Do you think that gives you more freedom to try different styles?

Of course I have influences, I just don't consider them perhaps like other writers do. I could write a song and months later i'd notice the similarities to one or many artist I was listening to at the time. But It's subconscious, I've never sat down and tried to write with an idea in mind, I like it to be spontaneous. We are all influenced by our surroundings, I just don't know where to start when I'm asked this question because I know not what influences me and why.

You've been labelled as a folk artist. Do you think that's down to your links with Noah and the Whale and the fact that you fall in the singer-songwriter bracket?

Yes, but I don't really pay attention to all that. I don't see myself as a folk artist at all, and if other people do, well there's very little I can do about it.

How've you found recording the album? How is it sounding?

Making this album was the first time I went into the studio. Before I'd done everything with a mic, guitar and the most basic recording equipment. I learned so much making this record. I can't wait to do it again with a second record. I'm very happy with how it's turned out.

You went on tour with Marina and the Diamonds recently. How did that compare with your earlier touring experiences?

We only did three dates with Marina, and I never met her. The Marina tour doesn't compare to other tours I've done, it was an in out job.

You quit your art course to pursue music. Is that something that you'd like to complete one day?

No, that's behind me. I have no desire to relive that time. I loved it there, but I left for a good reason.

What's next for Alan Pownall?

I'm releasing my debut Album in July.

Interview: NRWO

Florida band NRWO (Nothing Rhymes With Orange) are all set to release their second LP 'The Happiness Struggle' in the UK on May 4th. I caught up with Rich Coccaro to find about a little about the history of the band and to see what we can expect from the album.

How did you guys start out?

When I first started playing I didn't think about joining or starting a band, it kind of just happened. Carl was doing some singing on his own, he always wanted to sing in the band that I was trying to put together.. I wouldn't let him.. I told him he sounded and looked too much like that Bono dude.. Eventually after years of abuse and nagging, I gave in.. from then on we just started writing songs..

The both of us started getting into music and following bands at a very young age. My first show was The Police - Syncronicity Tour. Probably shouldn't have told you that because now you have an idea of how old I am.. Well I was about four or five.. Yeah, I made my dad take me.. That was kinda of the starting point. My first show was in a stadium and I was five.. that says it all..We've always had the mentality of writing BIG songs that could hold up in a stadium or an arena and I think that is reflective of the bands that we grew up listening to. I mean it's a bit more diverse these days but growing up with The Smiths, Oasis, u2, even Springsteen and Petty.. So that's where we've always wanted to go..

How does this record differ from your previous offering, 'Hello Mysterious'?

It's much better! That's the biggest difference I think..I wanted this album to be about songs that are simple and honest. I lent a hand in the writing a bit and tried to get Carl to go in a different direction from the past record. There were a lot of obscure references and I, as I'm sure most, had a problem connecting with. We were trying to be a band that we were not or will ever be and I don't even know what band that is..I think we've always had a much more understanding of what kind of band we don't want to be then the band we want to be. So With this album it was the two of us with an acoustic guitar taking personal experiences, stories, things that happened on a daily basis, relationships, etc. you know the usual, and just letting it go. This is how it is..

You're influenced by a lot of British bands. What do you think British bands offer than American bands don't?

I’m really not sure. Not to say that America doesn't have a ton of great bands I just think Britain has more. To me it's about great songs and less about who can be the most successful, make the most money in the shortest time. I think there is more longevity with bands from the UK. Primarily because I think the songwriting is better and the fans connect more with those types of bands..

You've supported the likes of RHCP and Doves, how did that feel?

It was good. Anytime you get an opportunity to play with bands that have inspired you in some way, it makes the shows that much more exciting. Also keeps us on top of our game. If we're supporting an act of that size, we better not suck!

What have you got planned for the rest of the year?

With the release of The Happiness Struggle, we'll be heading back to the UK in August. Then hopefully a follow up tour in the states, and then hopefully a follow up to that tour in the UK, then back to the states... I don't want to go home, I'd rather just live on the road. Well maybe a week or two back home would be nice.. and I say that now but a month into it and I'll probably want to be back home doing nothing..

How has British reaction to you differed from in the US?

The reaction so far has been pretty much the same all around, which is good and surprising. I think it's still a bit early to know for sure but we're hoping both sides take a liking.. We've always focused more on the UK because we just felt it was a better place to get our music
across.. As I mentioned before I just think there's more of an appreciation for music in Britain. If it's takes a while to break America then so be it..I think America needs their music spoon fed to them, so if that's the case, we'll do it. One at a time if need be. You always hear about bands breaking the UK before the US. Take Kings Of Leon. Perfect example.

What 3 tracks of yours should we track down and love?

Headlines And Deadlines
Escaping Hell
The Happiness Struggle...
and the rest of the album..

There's a place in Wales called Blorenge, which does rhyme with Orange. Does this make you sad?

I actually think I've heard that before.. but no it doesn't make me sad. If anything, glad. Because now maybe we can change the name of the band.

Active Child Remix: Steve Mason, Lost and Found

The steady, tinny drumbeat from Steve Mason's latest single 'Lost and Found', along with the atmospheric vocals, always hinted its remix potential and now Active Child has stepped up and produced it. The remix has been described as 'sci-fi tinged' and the layers of synths and keyboards do sound like they belong in an indie sci-fi flick. Despite the relentless pace througout most of the track Active Child has still managed to produce a very chilled out remix and you can find it here.

You can also check out the single in its original format below.

Watch: Biffy Clyro, Bubbles

Biffy Clyro's latest release is undoubtedly one of the highlights of 'Only Revolutions' with its (excuse the pun) bubbling verses and rousing sing-a-long chorus. However, the major draw for many is the inclusion of a solo by Josh Homme of QOTSA. It's a sign of how far Biffy Clyro have come, as well as the strength of their music philosophy, that they have been able to attract such a name.

“Someone like Josh, it’s like he’s a musical lifer,” says vocalist/guitarist Simon Neil. “We are as well, and I think when you meet people you can see in their eyes whether they really mean it or not. It’s kind of weird being friends with someone who’s a hero like Josh, but I see in him what I see in myself and he sees in us what he saw in himself, that kind of hunger and willingness and doing it for the right reasons. It’s really easy to connect with people because of that.”

The single is due for release on April 26th ahead of their UK tour. You can find the dates for the tour and the video for the single below.

April

29th – Perth, Concert Hall.
30th – Sheffield, O2 Academy.

May

1st – Blackpool, Empress Ballroom.
3rd – Leicester, De Montfort Hall.
4th – Portsmouth, Guildhall.
5th – Bristol, Colston Hall.
6th – London, Hammersmith Apollo.

Destined for Stardom

Bands have been using the new wave of social media to enhance their status for years now; its most famous child perhaps being Arctic Monkeys, who raced to the fastest sales for a British debut album back in 2006. Now, however, social media has a new Queen. Noush Skaugen is probably the most famous female solo artist that you've never heard of and, remarkably, despite her unsigned status she's racked up a staggering 1.2million followers on Twitter (which is especially impressive when you consider that people like Stephen Fry have 1.3million).

Born in Sweden to a Swedish mother and Persian Father, Noush has split her time between Sweden, France, the US and London, completing a law degree at Warwick University in the process. After gaining some musical success she decided not to follow a career in law and having gathered more support through podcasting and Myspace Noush released her debut EP 'Palomino' in 2007. This in turn led to prestigious prizes in the form of 'Alternative Pop Artist of the Year' at the 17th Annual LA Music Awards, and 'National Independent Rock EP of the Year' at The Hollywood Music Awards. She then followed this up with her first full lenth album, 'Lost and Found' in 2008.

Her rise seems to show no signs of stoppng and, after becoming the most popular unsigned artist on Twitter, she became the first unsigned artist to be invited to perform a live-streamed showcase from Twitter's San Francisco HQ earlier this month. On top of this she's had a successful slot at this years SXSW, has toured with the likes of Nine Inch Nails, TV On The Radio, Paramore, R.E.M., Joss Stone and The Mars Volta. Now with a new album due for release in the spring Noush is releasing 'Run Baby Run', her new single, in May, which you can see below. The video is a further example of the lengths that Noush goes to to connect with her fans; she recorded it especially as a thank you after reaching one million fans on her Twitter.

Harper Simon: Like Father, Like Son

The folk rock slide guitars and soft vocals that wash over you at the start of Harper Simon's latest single 'Shooting Star' conjure images of Simon and Garfunkel and well they might. Harper is the son of Paul Simon. Being the son of a superstar hasn't been a guarantee of instant success as it has been for so many others as it's only now, at the age of 37, that his eponymous debut album has been released. I've only been able to listen to the few tracks that are on his myspace page but it seems as though Simon is the superstar child most likely to gain independent success (over the likes of Sean Lennon and James McCartney for instance.)

The album is due out on April 5th so it remains to see whether he can retain the consistency throught a full 10 tracks. However, with contributions from collaborators of Elvis and Patsy Kline, as well as from Sean Lennon and Paul Simon himself, the signs are encouraging.

'Shooting Star' is below and you can head to his myspace for more information.

New Band: The Suzukis

The Suzukis are a new four-piece from Wigan who are promising to take rock back to basics. Channelling the likes of The Sex Pistols, The Stooges they've been championed by Zane Lowe and are the first British band for a long time that can really claim to be a voice for the disillusioned youth of today. Their debut single, 'Built In' was released on March 22nd and is still available as a free download here.

The band display these raw punk rock sensibilities without seeing the need to re-create the circus that generally seems to accompany it. There are no spikes, no piercings, no outlandish wardrobe, just four young guys making the music they love. If you like what you hear then you'll be pleased to know that there's not long to wait for the album as it's due out in May. You can also head over to their myspace for more information.