Tag Archives: Acoustic

Acoustic, Folk, Interview, Music, Rock

Interview: Emily Barker of Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo

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I always love it when I come across an artist on complete accident and soon become a fan.  Emily Barker is one of those artists who I stumbled upon last year after hearing her and Mr. Frank Turner duet on the Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo song “Fields of June”.

Her name may not be well known just yet here in the states, but I have a strong feeling that that will all be changing in the next year or so.  Having already played the opening ceremony for the Olympics as well as was featured on the UK roster for the Revival Tour last year, Barker has everything going her way.

Of course Barker is not alone and is surrounded by amazing talent in her band.  Having dug into their catalog, I can only say that I wish it did not take me that long to get into them.  They have been doing their thing since about 2005 and have already three albums to show for it.

Next month, Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo will be releasing an all new album titled Dear River and have already planned on an extensive UK tour to support the new release.  Having already heard a couple of tracks, I would be lying if I said I was not excited for this.

Recently, I had the chance to catch up with Barker and not only got to asked her about rubbing elbows with Frank Turner, but some other questions as well:

BHP: Hi Emily, thanks for taking some time out of your busy day to chat with me.  How’s the week been treating you?

EB: Good thanks! Nice to see the sun. Very busy trying to get everything prepared for the album release, alongside doing a bunch of other projects that I’m involved with.

So, for those who have not heard of you yet, tell me a little about yourself and your band.

I’m from Bridgetown, Western Australia but have lived the last 11 years over here in the UK doing my music. The Red Clay Halo are Gill Sandell: accordion, piano, guitar, flute and bvox; Anna Jenkins: violin, viola and bvox; Jo Silverston: cello, electric bass and bvox. We’ve also recently been joined by a drummer: Nat Butler due to the sound of ‘Dear River’, our forthcoming record, having more of a “rock” vibe. I guess we play contemporary folk/rock music. As a songwriter, I’m very much influenced by Neil Young – both his more acoustic sound as well as the heavy, guitar-lead stuff with Crazy Horse. As a singer, I’m really influenced by Aretha Franklin. So what have we got now…folk/rock/soul but then there’s the classical element that The Red Clay Halo bring too so…

You were born an Aussie, but eventually ended up in the UK. How did that come about?

I headed over to the UK with a working-holiday visa that lasts for 2 years. I worked in the UK in order to travel all around Europe, Brazil, Canada and the USA. At the end of my two years, I was living in Cambridge and fell into the music scene there. I loved it so I kept returning. After a while I made the decision to try to be a musician full time and also to live in the UK.

How tough was it to move away from home? 

It wasn’t that tough to move away. I really wanted to see the world, but it is tough staying away. I miss my family everyday and at the same time, I realise I’m becoming more and more embroiled in my life here, so the idea of moving back now becomes this huge, overwhelming question. I wish Australia was closer to the UK so I could just pop over for a weekend.

So, at what age did you start getting into music?

At a really young age. There was always a lot of music in our family home. Dad was big into vinyl and he played loads of 60’s/70’s singer-songwriter/folk revival records (all the usuals – Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, etc.) as well as a lot of blues, rock and jazz. My mum plays a bit of guitar and used to sit us all down and teach us old English folk songs and children’s nursery rhymes. She taught us how to harmonize. When I was a teenager I auditioned (because my peers dared me to!) for the Year 9 band as lead singer. I sang “It must have been love” by Roxette and got the role.  Then I made a deal with the only other musicians in the school at the time (they were big into heavy metal and none of them sang), that if they would play soul songs for me, then I’d sing heavy metal for them. So our set consisted of Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry, Etta James, Metallica, Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Quite a combo!

Nice.  That is a completely random list of bands to cover!  How long ago did you meet up with The Red Clay Halo?

8 years ago when we were all living in London.

Was the Red Clay Halo already doing their thing when you were introduced to them, or was this just a new collaboration once you started playing together?

A new collaboration. They hadn’t played together before or met (apart from Jo and Anna).

What exactly is this genre “chamber-folk’ that has been used to describe some of your songs?  

I’m not sure who coined that phrase but it definitely worked for our album “Despite the Snow” and probably also “Almanac”. I guess chamber-folk has got an element of classical music/arrangements in it. We certainly have that in certain songs.

You’re pals with a guy who has pretty much made a huge name for himself here in the US over the last couple years. I am sure tons of people ask you how you met and eventually shared the stage with Frank Turner in the UK. Honestly, if it were not for him, I may not have been privy to Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo. So, how’d y’all meet?

Frank is a very good friend and a huge inspiration to me. I first met Frank about 6 years ago at one of our shows in Brixton. [He] invited me out on the road with him and the band to open up the shows. We did something like 28 shows in 30 days – Frank style! – and became good friends then. We have had the honour of performing on his records and sharing his biggest musical moments with him: Wembley Arena and the Olympics Opening Ceremony. I am forever grateful for his support. We have more plans to collaborate too!

Playing the Olympics Opening Ceremony.  How insane was that?

Totally insane! So difficult to compute due to how epic it was. I’m so pleased Frank asked us to be involved. Was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime moment. We had A LOT of fun!

I bet.  I wanted to talk about the murder-ballet that Frank Turner appear on called “Fields Of June”. Not only was the rendition outstanding, but it had me hoping you two would duet again. Any change that will ever happen again?

Why thank you very much! It certainly will happen again. We’re actually talking about doing something very soon – most likely a cover but I’m sure we’ll write something original at some point in the future too.

Who was the original guy who shared vocal duties with you on that song when it first released?

Steve Adams from a great band (no longer together sadly) called The Broken Family Band. The Singing Adams now exists though and they’re awesome.

You have a new album that is coming out soon don’t you? Care to tell me a little about it?

Of course. It’s called Dear River and it’s out on July 8th on Linn Records. We recorded it in a state-of-the-art studio called Gorbals Sound up in Glasgow with producer Calum Malcolm. The songs are all about ‘home’ – a subject I’ve been quite preoccupied with since leaving Australia 11 years ago with a backpack and a wish to see the world. It’s my personal story of home but it includes those of other’s too and covers the related themes of exile, emigration, land rights and ancestry.

With the new release, you all have a  UK tour coming up.  I heard Chris T-T is opening for you. I must say, I am jealous I will be missing out on that tour!

It’s our biggest headline tour in the UK ever. We’ll also be playing Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London on 16th October which is our biggest headline show! We’re really pleased to have Chris join us. It’s something we’ve been threatening to do now for about 4 years.

Threatening? Haha, I don’t see why that should be a threat. Were there any other musicians or acts you tried to get to join you on tour?

Not on this one. We knew we wanted Chris T-T. There’s a bunch of people we’d love to take but they’ll have to come on other tours.

I have to ask, when will you ladies tour the states? Please tell me soon.

I’m hoping to come over and do a solo tour at the end of the year! I’ll keep you posted…

So say you did make it to the states on a tour. Who would you want to share the stage with?

I’d love to meet up with The Revival Tour guys again: Chuck Ragan, Rocky Votolato, Cory Branan and Jay Malinowski. Or…Neil Young and Gillian Welch!

Speaking of the Revival Tour, you happened to play one of my all time favorite tracks “Fairytale Of New York” with Mr. Chuck Ragan. Whose idea was that? You guys nailed it and I can not tell you how many times I listened to it over and over. Thanks for that.

Our pleasure. It was Chuck’s idea. I recorded my part in Australia when I was back there for holidays. Love singing with that gent.

I am sure the Dear River UK Tour will take up the latter part of 2013, but what else will Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo be getting into this year?

We’re doing a bunch of festivals over the summer; I’m writing quite a lot for TV and film at the moment; I’ve got two other side projects: Folk in a Box (smallest music venue in the world) and Vena Portae (Swedish/Anglo collaboration/band); I’m also writing an EP with Ted Barnes and the list goes on. So keeping myself busy for sure!

Folk in a Box? You have got to tell me about this. Sounds fun.

It’s Britain’s smallest music venue, if not the world’s! You can read about it [at] www.folkinabox.net

That just looks like so much fun. So, what is Vena Portae all about?

It’s a collaboration between a Swedish producer/engineer/musician Ruben Engzell, a British theatre maker/musician/composer Dom Coyote and myself. We made an album last year which we’ll release hopefully early next year – it’s quite hard to fit in with all the other things going on but we love it and it will happen soon.

Wait. Ted Barnes? As in the guy that played with Beth Orton?

Correct!

That is just awesome. Tell me, why should someone check your band out?

In order to define what “chamber-folk” is, OR because we’re all decent enough human beings working hard at what we love, OR because it will lead you to a really great coffee shop somewhere in London/the UK.

Or because you and your band sound amazing. Seriously, I first thought you were from Nashville when I heard you signing solo.  I’ll stop with the pleasantries now.  Let’s hope you make it to the states soon.

Bless ya thanks.

Dear River will be released on July 8th in the UK.  Pre-order the album HERE.

Check out the rehearsal video that was taken of Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo while playing “Ghost Narrative”:

Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo are:

Emily Barker
Vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica

Anna Jenkins
Violin, viola, vocals

Gill Sandell
Accordion, piano, flute, vocals

Jo Silverston
Cello, bass, banjo, vocals

For more information on the band, visit www.emilybarker.com or check out her Facebook page.  Also, if you like photography and randomness, you should find Emily Barker on Instagram.  She takes some pretty awesome photos.

Acoustic, Alt Rock, Country, Music, New Release, Progressive Rock, Review, Rock

Album Review: Davenport Cabinet – Our Machine

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Travis Stever is a pretty busy man.  You may have heard his name before as he is one of the founding members of some small, little band called Coheed and Cambria.  When he is not touring the world playing to his die hard fans, Stever has his own solo project called Davenport Cabinet.  Earlier this year, Stever dropped his second solo release titled Our Machine.  Full of a folk alt-rock sound at times, the album is quite catchy and just further showcases how great of a musician Stever really is.

Now when say I folk rock, don’t go thinking I am talking about the folk rock that is stealing the music scene these days.  This is a much more intriguing sidestep into a great genre of music.  When listening to this album, I thought of everyone from Pink Floyd to Rush, as well as Queensrÿche and even Van Halen.  Sure, combining all of those bands might sound a little off, but I tell you, this sophomore release by Stever is far from that.

Starting the album was the instrumental “Night Climb” that kind of set the level for what I was about to hear.  Acoustic guitars played over electronic sounds for less than a minute while someone beat on on a drum.  I really was not sure what to expect from this.

“Deterioration Road” was the song that for whatever reason reminded me of Van Halen and honestly, it was because of the singing style.  The music however was very much more progressive and just well put together.  In fact, the beginning of the song is where I could hear Pink Floyd.

“Simple Words” was an acoustic folksy jam with Stever’s cousin Tyler Klose (thanks for the correction via tweet Travis!) sounding a lot like Geoff Tate.  Don’t let that discourage you in any way though, this was a great jam especially when Stever’s other cousin Laura Tsaggaris met Klose making for a great duet.  The harmony those two created was just perfect.  You can tell that a lot of thought was put when recording this track, it is flawless.  If there is one track on this album you need to check out, make it this one.  Hands down, this was my favorite song on the album.

“Sister Servent” followed with a certain Coheed and Cambria sound I have grown so accustomed to but instead of Claudio Sanchez taking on vocal duties, Klose however did his own thing and pulled it off quite well.  The drumming and the guitars on this track were so captivating switching from a distorted riff to a modest jam on guitars while impressive beats backed them all up.

Stever dabbled with some electronics in “These Bodies”, and interesting track that really was a lot darker than previous tracks.  Seeming to talk about redemption and dying, the track sounded good but just caught me off guard.  Then came “Our Machine”, a poignant and fun acoustic song that really screamed folk rock but also did not let go of the progressive feel.  This track was a foot-stomping jam that I enjoyed quite a bit.  Once again, you can literally hear the all the hard work put into this track.  I especially loved hearing the banjo being plucked throughout.

“Black Dirt Burden” once continued with the banjo and one of my favorite effects that Stever played with Coheed and Cambria, the talk box.  Immediately following was his trademark tearing-apart-the-guitar-solo, but only for a moment.  Once again I am could not help but think of 80s rock throughout this track, but not without gracious amounts of guitar solos and even a little more talk box.  This track really proves how talented Stever really is and not just because he busted out the talk box.

I liked the change up in “Drown It All”, a more country folk sounding track.  Use of the slide during the song was perfectly ok to this listener.  Leaving behind the progressive sound, this track sounded quite cheerful yet I have reason to believe it was speaking of addiction.  I could be wrong of course. “Dancing On Remains” sounded like Peter Gabriel took over singing duties for a moment.  This track seemed to lose some of the momentum captured in many of the previous tracks.  I just could not get into this song at all.

Thankfully “At Sea” caught my attention again, but not entirely.  Of all the tracks on this album, this was the one I felt just had too much going on.  “Our Father” ended the album with a slow start that soon morphed to a overly-distored guitar riff that soon was met with some smooth guitar solos.  The instrumental soon faded out leaving me wanting to hear more of the chaotic experimental guitar playing.

I’ve seen Coheed more times than I have fingers on my hands and I have always enjoyed watching Stever just kill it on guitar solos and play the talk box during select tracks.  It is no surprise to hear from him the exceptional musicianship on Our Machine.  Sounding prog-rock at times, many of the songs really remind me of a distant Queensrÿche relative, but the folk sounding tracks are what captivated me the most.

If you could accept The Prize Fighter Inferno from Sanchez, then you have no reason not to do the same for Stever.  This album is full of great tunes and really should be dismissed as a solo project as Stever, with help from friends, has really put together a solid album for all to hear.

Acoustic, Music, Music News, Music Video, Rock, The Awesome

Music Video: Frank Turner – “Recovery”

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April can not come soon enough as Mr. Frank Turner is releasing an all new album titled Tape Deck Heart.  It is scheduled to drop on April 23rd and I have already secured my pre-order for the vinyl.

In anticipation of the release, Turner has recently released the music video for a single off the new album titled “Recovery”.  Check it out:

You’re welcome.

Acoustic, Cleveland, Indie, Live Shows, Music, Music News, Music Video, Punk, Rock, Vinyl

Into It. Over It. Announces Tour & Limited Edition 52 Weeks Vinyl Box Set

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After 5 years being in existence, Into It. Over It., aka Evan Weiss, is hitting the road to headline his very own tour.  First stop…Cleveland.

Weiss has also taken his 2007 release 52 Weeks and turned it into a very desirable collectors item.

On Octtober 16th,  Into It. Over It. will release a limited edition vinyl box set for 52 Weeks, which includes 4 LPs and a 52 page art book via No Sleep Records. Fans can pre-order their copy of 52 Weeks from the No Sleep Records website today.  Doghouse Records will also be releasing 200 copies of the box set on double cassette.

I do not know about you, but I am pretty excited about this.

Chris from No Sleep Records posted this picture on his Facebook today (of course it still needs print and whatnot:

Into It. Over It. Tour Dates:
Oct 17 – Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class
Oct 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Unitarian Church
Oct 19 – New York, NY – Santos Party House (CMJ)
Oct 20 – Boston, MA – Middle East/Upstairs
Oct 21 – Hartford, CT – Webster Underground
Oct 22 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
Oct 23 – Richmond, VA – The Camel
Oct 24 – Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern
Oct 25 – Orlando, FL – Will’s Pub
Oct 26 – Gainesville, FL – The Fest
Oct 27 – Gainesville, FL – The Fest
Oct 28 – Gainesville, FL – The Fest
Oct 29 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl
Oct 30 – Louisville, KY – The Vernon Club
Oct 31 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen

Acoustic, Music, New Release, Punk, Review, Rock

Album Review: Joey Cape / Tony Sly – Acoustic Volume 2

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Has it really been been 8 years since Tony Sly and Joey Cape released their first solo album collectively?  I can remember the day I heard cuts off that release and bragged to my close friends about it.  Soon they were just as hooked as I was with the acoustic renditions of Lagwagon and No Use For a Name (NUFAN) songs.

Hearing those punk rock songs acoustically was just something so new and exciting for this listener.  Keep in mind, this was before many of the punk musicians started their acoustic projects.  It was a new method of sorts and would pave a side road for punk rock music forever.  It’s save to say the revival was made possible by Cape and Sly.

Cape and Sly would continued with their solo careers separately after the release and both dropped some remarkable albums, but nothing was as memorable as their first attempt.  Over the past 8 years, Cape and Sly really built their reputation as solo artists and decided it was time again to take some of their classic songs and create acoustic renditions of them for all to head.  Needless to say when I found out via Fat Wreck Chords that Cape and Sly were releasing Acoustic Volume 2, I got a tad excited.

Once again the duo took 5 songs each from their back catalogs and turned them into acoustic masterpieces.  To keep with the idea of their original attempt, they both wrote and recorded brand new tracks to add to the mix.  The result is a sequel to an amazing release that follows the same path of awesomeness.

Cape took the first half of the album and started it with “I Must Be Hateful” taken from 2003’s Blaze. The already amazing song sounded more powerful than ever when broke down into acoustic form.  Cape loses the rasp in his voice and gently sings with assistance from soft piano.

“Know It All” was one of my favorite tracks off of 1994’s Trashed, and 18 years later it continued to impress me on a different caliber.  “Alison’s Disease”, originally found on Live Fat, Die Young, was a tearjerker to listen to.  I remember the original on the Fat Wreck compilation, but this round was almost as hard to listen to as Fat Mike’s acoustic version of “My Orphan Year”.  Amazing on how slowing down a song can unleash so much emotion.

I was so happy to hear “Resolve” on this release.  Listening to Cape play a more folky version brought a smile to my face even though the track pays homage to their drummer Derrick Piourde who passed in 2005.  “Broken Record”, Cape’s all new track, followed the same path as previous tracks with a mellow mood.  The song perked up half way through but ended just as soon as it started.

Sly took over the remainder of the album with a powerful version of “Black Box”.  Maybe it was the accordion in the background with piano and a strings section, but the new and improved version taken off the 2005 NUFAN release Keep Them Confused sounded better than ever.

“Soulmate” was my choice track off this release.  The track was already one of my favorites in the 90s on Leche con Carne! and hearing it all over again in a different way was just refreshing.  A new take on an old classic was just what I was looking to hear.  I could not help but feel the same way I did when I heard “Justified Black Eye” for the first time in acoustic form back in 2004.  It brought a smile to my face and I instantly sung along.

“Chasing Rainbows” was a fun take on the original found on More Betterness!, but overall I still preferred the 1999 original.  “Pre-Medicated Murder”sounded nothing like the version found on Hard Rock Bottom. The slowed down version was eerie in a sense to listen to and enhanced the lyrics so much more.

Sly’s original, “Liver Let Die”, was a barroom masterpiece in it’s own carried by strumming acoustic guitar.  The song was likable and held out an instant invite for me to learn the chorus and sing along.  The track ended with a crowd chanting “one more song, one more song” and to me was a perfect way to put this release to sleep.  It also provided for a taste of what Sly has in store for his listeners in future releases.

What happens when punk musicians age?  They grow up, maybe have a family, live life, but never put down the guitar.  If you are thinking that this album is “just another punk rock side project” you are wrong.  This album is a celebration by two men and their career featuring some classic songs.  I am glad I only had to wait 8 years for this because honestly, 10 years might have been too long.

If you like NUFAN and Lagwagon, chances are you already know about Acoustic Volume 2.  If you dig acoustic music, check it out, you will not be disappointed.  Punk rock or not, this duo make for some amazing renditions of classic cuts I feel many can appreciate regardless of what genre of music is preferred.