Call Upon The Author

The Bright-Eyed Sky make lo-fi folk that we here at call Upon The Author have become rather addicted to! Under this sunny pseudonym Thom James writes about life in a small town in Wales, somehow taking the mundane and transforming it, by way of a bedroom based recording set up, into something special. We’re big [...]

Bella Echoes are a London based group playing acoustic indie with an alternative edge. From their studio in Walthamstow, they pour their hearts and souls into their music, resulting in a fascinating sound that builds from their rock solid rhythm section upwards to an instantly recognisable vocal…

RoseRed & The Butterflies is the alter ego of singer/songwriter Lydia Nicolaides. Describing herself as “Mary Poppins on Acid”, RoseRed is a prolific songwriter and her mix of catchy tunes and quirky lyrics have marked her out among her po faced peers. You’ll find RoseRed regularly cropping up at London gig venues and she’s just released her debut album Just A Glimmer, so we thought it was the ideal time to catch up for a chat.

A couple of weeks back we reviewed Violent Soho’s album. We thought it was a breath of fresh air amongst the wealth of stale music that pops through our letterbox. We thought we’d catch up with the band to find out more about them, so we fired our questions at drummer Michael Richards and here’s what he had to say!

Outside, in Bournemouth, the sun was shining brightly, almost without mercy as the market packed up for the day. Amidst the clang of metal against metal and plastic against the pavement was the excited chatter of those queuing outside the O2 Academy, waiting for the doors to open.
But who cares about what was outside? Who could care when in the depths of the cavernous academy one of the behemoths of music resided alongside one of Britain’s most exciting bands. Although diminutive in size and in name, Little Fish pack a surprising punch.

2010 has been a fantastic year for High Wycombe quintet Young Guns, who are undoubtedly flying the flag for up and coming British rock bands at the moment. Their new album “All our Kings are Dead” has received positive acclaim from the UK’s music press, including an impressive “4K” rating from Kerrang! Magazine, who are becoming a regular in the prestigious rock magazine. We took the time to catch up with Gustav Wood, the bands vocalist, during a busy UK tour to talk, fan tattoos, personal experiences reflected on the album and supporting Bon Jovi.

Whilst a number of our nations “sporting heroes” have not been busting their balls for our approval *cough * the England football team *cough*, rising Liverpudlian rock band Sound of Guns most definitely are. As the band arrive at Coventry’s famous Kasbah venue – after making an appearance on Sky and getting “ spray painted in make-up” according to vocalist Andy Metcalfe, before having to travel in a somewhat decrepit van up to Coventry during rush hour – it is arguable that other, more pretentious bands would cancel the gig due to exhaustion, not Sound of Guns…

Revere finish soundchecking at Southsea’s The Fat Fox, and wander over to where I’m waiting to have a chat with them. As the bar is playing (good) music very loudly, it is decided that this is not a suitable place to conduct an interview, and in the absence of anywhere better we head back to mine for a beer and a chat! Because Revere make music that is intelligent, grown up and somewhat earnest, I’m interested to discover if the band themselves are the same… Singer/ guitarist Stephen Ellis and violinist Ellie Wilson are representing, as I simply cannot fit the entire eight piece ensemble into my palatial shoebox.

White Belt Yellow Tag have apparently just finished soundchecking when myself and my illustrious best mate arrive to interview them. They are Justin Lockey, formerly of Yourcodenameis:milo, Craig Pilbin, and Tom Bellamy ex-Cooper Temple Clause. When they come strolling out from behind the green door, both of our heads snap up – this band are [...]

Something a little different for you today. When Matt Merritt was offered the chance to interview Disturbia founder Frank Major, he couldn’t quite understand why they’d be interested in a music site. Then he realised that Disturbia make shirts for the Prodigy and their tees are often found adorning walking rock god Slash. Suddenly, this interview seemed like a very good idea indeed! So, we sent Frank some questions, and here’s what he had to say!