Nothing makes us happier at Vanadian Avenue than when an emerging artists we admire, are going viral. And when that happens, we are always ready to take screenshots, write down the links and put it together into a nice, tidy database. You may ask why do we do it for? The answer is very simple: young bands very rarely get exposure that established artists are getting all the time. Interviews, reviews, media mentions, high profile links, plays – everything counts in the perfect world of social media. If you are not visible, it’s hard to get to new fans, it’s hard to interest a label in your music, and it’s almost impossible to get yourself signed.
Exposure is essential at the beginning of every career and if it happens for the right reasons, you are a winner. And Cambridgeshire based trio, Idealistics are definitely going viral for one of the best reasons we have ever heard – fighting for musicians with disabilities and long term illnesses.
Ali Hirsz, the lead singer of the band suffers from rare form of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). There is no cure for her illness and she has many side effects that make her daily life very difficult. Because of the rarity of her condition, she is being fed with a pump that goes directly into her heart. Earlier this week, Ali underwent a serious emergency heart operation, but before going to hospital, she sat down with Catherine Wylie from PA Media Group to discuss her aliment, prejudice associated with disabilities and difficulties musicians with long terms illnesses face. Her openness, honestly and frankness made the interview such a good read that it was picked up by many sources, and we truly hope so the music industry will pay attention!
We are pleased to report that operation went well and Ali will now begin a long process to recovery. Her fans were of course updated on the band’s official Facebook page:
The interview was featured on three popular national news pages: AOL, Yahoo News and Talk Talk News that are visited by millions of readers daily. Please see the breakdown of the campaign (with screens) we prepared below.
After appearing in the national news, Ali conquered local titles as well! The article appeared in more than 460 local newspaper and we are incredibly proud that what she had to say resonated strongly with so many readers.
LOCAL NEWSPAPERS:
Article that appeared in nearly 460 local newspapers
Google Search results – Ali is going viral!
We have chosen several newspapers to show you that Ali’s story reached every part of the United Kingdom, including Ireland, Gibraltar, Isle of Wight and remote parts of Scotland. And West Midlands of course (Hello Worcester News!)
We would like to thank to Lyle Bignon of Birmingham Music Coalition, who put Ali in touch with the PA Media Group team, Catherine Wylie for speaking to Ali on such a short notice, Richard Canham, the Deputy Head of Video at PA and to Dominique Hirsz and George Gillott of Idealistics who were absolute sweethearts keeping everyone’s spirits up.
The COVID -19 outbreak is hitting entertainment industry very hard. Gigs, tours and even Glasto have been cancelled or postponed. To cover loses and to reach the audiences, bands and performers flock to the Internet to perform. There are hundreds streams and home concerts being organized and available to watch from home if you find yourself in isolation. You can stream music, buy merch or albums to support musicians though this time.
The reason for this blog post is very simple. At Vanadian Avenue we work with many young and upcoming artists, who may not have large audiences or visibility online to attract large crowd. We want to change that – and bring some new people to their socials.
Below you will find a list of artists from Birmingham scene and links to their pages. We hope this blog will not only helps you to purchase some goods, new music or tees – but maybe it will lead you on a whole discovery of new music, bands and scenes.
We will be profiling other towns as well but let us start closer to home.
In no alphabetic order, all equally cool. This blog lists only killer acts.
This list will be updated as we go along so please come and check it often. Birmingham rules if you haven’t noticed. Well you did now!
You can listen to our hand crafted playlists as well. Streaming the music gives artists more exposure, so please feel free to share them with your friends.
Soundcloud playlist:
Spotify playlist:
YouTube playlist:
In the next couple of days, we will compose a similar post for our friends in Manchester, so stick around!
With Idles taking a three month break between albums and new world wide tour (we truly cannot believe that this is happening!), Joe Talbot is hitting the road again. It seems that the lead singer, front man and the central figure behind the highly successful AF Gang, cannot sit idle – all puns intended. This time, he is taking part in a series of Q+A sessions, offering his fans an unique chance to learn more about IDLES tours, behind the stage events and how it truly feels to be in the most popular rock band in the world. A series of 8 gigs will take Joe all over the UK to London, Birmingham, Dublin and Manchester and Scotland. The tour will start on the 13th of February in the North and will finish in the West Midlands on the 12th of March. We will be keeping an eye as the tour progresses so you can expect this tiny blog to grow.
Q+A Tour
All events are organized by Toura Toura, a booking agent for such legendary figures as Alan McGee, Shaun Ryder, Bez,Tony McCarroll & Louise Wener. The best thing about each Q+A session is, they will be conducted by different interviewers, offering the audience a truly unique experience. No show will be the same. Of course, it’s not all talk, live music will be included as well. Some excellent special quests will be joining Joe on stage, so grab your tickets before they are gone. If you have seen Idles performing live, you know how hard it is to get a ticket for your dream show. The demand is huge and Joe Talbot has a golden touch – everything he is involved in sells out rapidly. Listen to your friendly bloggers, we are rarely wrong. When we say the tickets are flying out, it’s not a drill or a marketing pitch – it is the true state of things. Don’t say we didnt warn you when the show in your town is all sold out 🙂
Of course, once the news went out, fans went into a frezny and all major music news outlets wrote about it. In less than 24h, almost 7,000 people liked, shared and talked about the event on Idles official Instagram:
We will be updating this blog with new information as it becomes available!
Keep your eyes open and don’t forget that you can come up with your own questions to Joe, that might be asked on the night!
Anyone up for a trip to Lincoln? This East Midlands town has a medieval cathedral, a Norman castle, a Roman gate and a stunning waterfront promenade among its many attractions. But wait till you hear about their local music scene! Vigilantes, Sükko or, the main subject of this blog, Who`s Misty? Now this is something we gotta tell you about!
Who`s Misty – your future superstars
About two weeks ago we received an email from a band that have not been on our radar. It read simply “So we have just spent the last hour trying to come up with a great opening line, but fortunately we are better at writing songs than emails!”. Straight to the point with sense of humour. We have to say the band had our full attention at that point. They were to release their debut single “Supernova” at the end of the month and were female led indie trio. The single has been attached to the email to make things easier. So we pressed play and then…something hit us but we still try to determine what it was.
It could have been the guitar hooks or the excellent melody line or maybe the vocals. Or just the fact that a young band sent us a single that should have been on BBC Radio 6 playlist. If we could not name one band from Lincoln before, after few days we were familiar with a good portion of the scene and we managed to gather quite a bit on Who`s Misty? themselves.
The core of the band consists of Donald Davis (drums/live guitar), Aidan Betts (bass) and Imogen Camplin (vocals), they occasionally become four piece for live shows. The trio have been gathering rave reviews across the spectrum: from BBC Introducing (“Absolutely cracking”- Jess Lord), BBC East Midlands (“Unlike anything else”- Hannah Fletcher) to blogs and magazines (“The band are set to rocket to the sky with their debut release. Ready for a silver screen, if the band have more songs like this in their back catalogue, they’re destined for greatness” -Chloe Mogg Reyt Good Magazine).
In a way it was encouraging that we were not the only ones who were absolutely mesmerised by “Supernova”. Who`s Misty? say they are ready to take 2020 by storm and in this case we will believe every word they say.
What Lincoln based trio produced is three minutes of upbeat indie song that could become one of Summers`s anthems. It has all the markings of a radio hit as well – from the catchy chorus to a melody line that is easily recognisable to a wonderful vocal duet at the end of the track. There is something of Wolf Alice, London Grammar, Echosmith and Sunflower Bean in them. But also a large quantity of their own stage presence and style. It is such a wonderful feeling for a reviewer to be able to see a young band at the very beginning of their career. And it`s not that we want to brag later on how we were “first to know them”. It is a rare privilege and a pleasure to witness how artists mature, develop and go on to conquer the world. We think we know how Steve Lamacq felt when he got that first demo from a band called Cold Play.
Who`s Misty? gigs have been described as electric.
Who`s Misty? may be a young band with barely a year under their belt but they have already been performing on larger stages. Last year the band was invited to play at 2Q Festival in Lincoln. If you find yourself debuting on the same bill as The Blinders, Avalanche Party, Yonaka or Calva Louise then this is a clear indication where this band will go in five years from now.
We don’t know who is the Misty (the bands bio answers cryptically “god knows…”) but we are certain that the Lincoln trio will be a force on the circuit quicker than you can say The Newport Arch. And we will not be surprised if record labels will keep on knocking on their door. Actually, if any label is reading this – do yourself a favour and sign the trio and mentor them in the right direction. You can thank us music scouts later.
We will be keeping our eye on the bands progress. And so should you. Now we are off to find our jaws – they should still be somewhere in the house. Maybe under the sofa…
Here`s a short message to everyone for 2020 – The Birmingham scene is rocking. We are in full swing and every band is gearing to release their best music yet. Nothing will stop us. We begin January interviewing one of the best local bands that have been on our radars for the last three years. In such a short period of time, they went from playing tiny venues to being on big, renowned stages, from hanging out in tiny green rooms to travelling Europe and Russia.
Please meet The Assist – a band that you need to have in your lives. No need to thank us, we are just humble music scouts. It`s not our fault we know the best music around!
The Assist are:
Mikey Stanton
Ryan Stanton
Jorge Poole
Ben Faulkner Luke Jones
Official bio: Formed between Walsall and Birmingham in 2014, The Assist quickly made themselves a staple of the Birmingham music scene, selling out shows at some of the city’s biggest and most iconic venues such as the O2 Academy and the O2 Institute. Their infectious energetic pop has led them to share the stage with NME Award winning act Rat Boy, Manchester chart toppers Blossoms, Happy Monday’s front-man Shaun Ryder and they’ve even ventured into Europe with Black Honey. The band have performed at a range of well-known festivals including Leeds & Reading, Isle of Wight, TRNSMT, YNot, Kendal Calling and even a special in store performance for Dr Martens at Live at Leeds. They even had an appearance on Sky’s Soccer AM and have been backed by the likes of Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson of BBC Radio 6.
The Assist are well known in the West Midlands, but Indieterria attracts readers from all over Europe. Please introduce yourselves to those who haven’t heard about you before.
Ryan Stanton: We’re The Assist, 5 lads from Walsall, who love playing music and having a laugh. We write indie/pop tunes about things going on around us and in our lives. We thrive on making friends and taking all our mates on the journey with us that’s so far taken us from our local pub to the biggest festivals in the country.
The name of the band is truly unique. Would you mind explaining the meaning behind it?
Ryan Stanton: The name sort of grew. We all love football so we started off thinking of football terms, nothing really fit (the free kicks or the penalties). The Assist is also about us helping everyone out with our music, we’ve always got open ears for people who need a chat and everyone can lose themselves and forget about their problems having a dance at our gigs.
The group formed in 2014 and within a year you were considered as one of the leading talents on the Birmingham music scene. Do you remember when you realised that there was something extraordinary in The Assist or were you just wanting to play music you wanted to hear?
Ryan Stanton: It all happened quite fast we never knew a thing about the industry and we came into this with no expectations. We loved the early gigs so much we could never say no to a gig and ended up playing everywhere. It was definitely us just focusing on enjoying ourselves that attracted the attention, it’s so obvious when bands are manufactured and trying to be something.
For many years you existed as a quartet but recently you expanded into a five piece. Please introduce your newest member.
Ryan Stanton: Luke Jones has been our best mate forever. Hes been documenting the band the last few years as our photographer and videographer. The band was just as much his as it is ours so it was a perfect fit. He’d been helping us out with band decisions and guitar parts in the studio for ages so it was a natural progression. We think hes added loads to our sound and live show and we cant wait to show everyone.
The Assist have impressive CV: appearances at biggest festivals, being invited to Soccer Am, touring with This Feeling, sharing stages with Blossoms, Jaws and Shaun Ryder – you must be being stopped in the streets by now and asked for autographs! Jokes aside, but are there any goals or challenges that you still haven’t achieved?
Ryan Stanton: Its been amazing to play shows with some of our heroes but we still feel our music needs to achieve more. A massive goal and challenge for us is the debut album! (laughing)
2019 was a very special year for the band. You managed to accomplish something that no other band on the indie scene have done so far – a trip to Russia. The band appeared at several concerts entertaining large crowds. How do you remember the trip and are you planning to come back?
Ryan Stanton: The trip was a complete blur we did 6 gigs in 5 days and it was literally the best time ever. We met so many amazing people and the gigs were out this world. No words can really do it justice I’m just glad we’ve got a great tour video of it to remember forever. We’d love to go back to Russia but this year might be out the question with recording commitments.
We have to ask about another international trip you have made – this time to Paris. You have played at the famous club “Supersonic” to a full house. Any good memories from that gig? We heard that you had a lot of the fancy French red wine on the rider!
Ryan Stanton:
This was our first away gig and will take some beating. A lot of our mates made the trip with us, think there was around 20 Walsall lads. Hugo the promoter there is a legend and he spent just as much effort organising the after party as he did the gig!
Your new single “I Don’t Care” is catching the attention of the big names in London: John Kennedy at Radio X, Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson at the BBC6 Music among many others. Where was it recorded?
Ryan Stanton: It was recorded at RML in Wolverhampton by Ryan Pinson. Hes done all our releases to date. We cant speak highly enough of him. It’s so great when a band and producer connect and get the best out of each other.
There is a word on the street that you are working on new music to be released in the summer but you are being surprisingly quiet about it. Not a single mention on your social media or in the interviews. Can you shine a bit of a light on the matter?
Ryan Stanton: Is it a new EP or are you putting finishing touches to your debut album? We’ve always been lethargic with releasing new music and now we feel is the time to really knuckle down and get a solid debut album down. We wont rush out so there`s no timescale at the moment unfortunately.
Let’s talk about the upcoming “Discover Birmingham 2020” showcase. On January 11th you will perform alongside Karkosa, Roma Cove and The New Consistent at the Sunflower Lounge. What exactly is this project? How did you become a part of it?
Ryan Stanton: Discover has sort of been born out the Birmingham music scene doing so well. A lot of eyes in the press are on Birmingham so it feels right to start the year with all the best local acts playing the best local venue. We were asked by Birmingham Promoters who put us on the Spinn support a few months ago!
With packed performances at TRNSMT, Y Not, Kendall Calling and Isle of Wight Festivals, it can easily be said that The Assist is leaving the indie circuit for much bigger, more popular pastures. Where is 2020 going to take you?
Ryan Stanton: If you`d of asked us where we’d be st the start of 2019 we would of never said Russia so we literally have no idea. All we know for sure is there`s going to be loads more new music, loads more exciting gigs and loads more good times!
We will be reporting back on The Assist as they release new singles thou out the year. Please keep coming back. And if you see them live – pass our love to the band.
Alternative Christmas continue at Indieterria. Many of our readers were absolute legends helping out during the fan campaign to get Jarvis Cocker`s single “Running The World” to #2 in the UK charts. We thought that after our shared Top 40 adventures, we will write about equally brilliant Christmas song recorded by a band that is making waves on indie circuit.
Those who follow our blog will be familiar with future rock stars known as The Kecks. We have interviewed them and followed their musical development for about a year now. It is an absolute pleasure and privilege to see them evolve and develop their (incredibly huge) potential.
The Kecks came into being after mighty Manuka Hive came to an end and their arrival caught us by surprise. We were not expecting such a radiant mix of alternative rock, psychedelia, post punk and avant-garde. But sonic palette was just part of the package. The Kecks emerged from obscurity full of ideas and with a clear cut artistic vision. Blade Runner like visuals (images, videos), gender bending wardrobe, their courage to be photographed wearing dresses or holding hands in public. There was sense of adventure, rebellion, challenging of social norm in how they carried themselves on and off stage, how they merged different elements to create their own unique identity as artists and performers.
It was impossible not to fall in love with The Kecks almost instantly. And we were not the only ones. In just a year the band managed to get decent following on social media, released a successful single (Stick in My Throat), played a session for BBC Introducing, released a live video (All For Me) and played European tour that took them though Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, France and UK.
The band responded to their fans in a manner that could truly warm even the coldest of hearts. Please allow us to quote their statement in full: “The support we’ve received in this first year has been phenomenal and we just wanted to do something as a little fun as a way of saying thanks to everyone who has taken the time to check us out this year. We look forward to catching up with you all on the road again in 2020 and have plenty of new music primed ready for your ears in the new year!”
And so they wrap up 2019 releasing a live version of Mud`s festive favourite Lonely This Christmas.
Written in 1974, this classic song went to number #1 and was performed on Top of The Pops. The single was a homage to Elvis Presley and members of Mud dedicated it to the King of Rock and Roll for his 40th birthday.
The Kecks` version is very much on point and retains the slower Elvis-like singing of the original, but without the unnecessary pomp and kitsch. The song is stripped back and reinvigorated, dusted off and brought up to date for XXI century. It still sounds retro, vintage even but was given a very strong modern approach that will also appear for younger audience.
Lonely This Christmas was recorded as part of Glade Sessions. It was organised by Alexander Luebbe, produced by Carlos Andres and filmed by Yotam Schwartz.
The Kecks in all their splendour and glory
It`s not always a safe bet to take on a classic song – but The Kecks come on top in their version of Lonely This Christmas. It shows their strength and ambition as a band. If you can own a song written by a rock legends –then you can pretty much do anything, the sky`s the limit.
And this is what we would like to wish to The Kecks for 2020.
The band has been featured on our blog before. We absolute adore them:
The Kecks have been getting more and more attention in the national and European blogs and magazines. If you are curious who they are and want to learn more, please check out those articles as well:
Every year at Indieterria, we celebrate Christmas in an alternative way. Be it by bringing a festive cheer to a mosh pit (have you ever brought big slabs of chocolate to a gig to share with fellow gig goers and bands? You should try it!) or by supporting worthy causes. And this year presented us with a most magnificent cause there can be. After the recent elections, Brexit and years of austerity some incredible people decided to end the 2019 with a song that sums it all – Jarvis Cocker`s “Cunts Are Still Running The World”.
Their campaign to bring a 13- years old single to the top of charts just in time for Christmas took over so quickly that even the best marketing experts were surprised. But it gets better – all proceeds from the single are going to charity so you can not just sum up the people in power with the song, but also take part in a very peculiar Band Aid like exercise. All you need is to buy the single or stream it (or even share the campaign).
We had to meet up and speak to people who came up with this absolutely brilliant idea. Please meet Michael Hall and Darcie Molina – geniuses of marketing and we mean it.
Michael Hall: The group is run by myself and Darcie Molina. We were so down at the election results on Friday morning (Friday the 13th). We were expecting disaster from the exit polls but it was worse than anything we could have imagined. It just occurred to us that it would be magical to get Jarvis Cocker’s “Cunts Are Still Running The World” to number 1 in this country. And then we realised, it would be the Christmas charts that week so we decided to give it a try. We expected to have a fun little group with a bout 20-30 like-minded people but then it really connected with everybody and they built this amazing Facebook group and made the campaign global.
We think it’s a fantastic choice, but we have to ask: why this particular song? Have you considered other tracks before settling on “Running the World”?
Michael Hall: I’ll be honest – it was the song that gave us the plan, not the other way around. Since then though, we’ve had suggestions from people for a lot of songs. My favourite suggestion so far has been “Mother” by IDLES for its anti-Tory lyrics.
It took only couple of days for the group to go viral and attract 27.000 members. That’s more than AF Gang, the popular fan group for IDLES. Have you expected such a great response?
Michael Hall:Michael Hall: We had no way to know it would get this big. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and we’ve received support from some surprising corners. Speaking of AFGang, we are using the way their moderators run that magnificent group as a blueprint for how we run this one. They are an example of how to run a positive, inclusive group and we hope to emulate them briefly here. We love AFGang, let it be known!
Detailed guide for fans how to get the song to number 1
The campaign has been featured by Guardian, Observer, BBC, Clash Magazine and NME. Did you expect such an incredible media coverage for this effort?
Michael Hall: Absolutely not. The Evening Standard and some of the other Tory rags are getting involved now too! Every member of the press I’ve spoken to has been kind and supportive so far – nothing like what you might expect.
Jarvis Cocker has responded on social media saying he was very happy about the campaign. But have him or his representatives been in touch with you?
Michael Hall: Yes, he has a big surprise for us up his sleeve today. That will make things very interesting later in the day as the race draws to a close. We started without label or artist involvement but they are fully on board now.
All the proceeds are now going to Shelter which gives the campaign a new charitable dimension. You basically formed this year’s Band Aid. How does that feel?
Michael Hall: Well that’s a very kind thing to say indeed! This is just a small protest that a community of wonderful, good-hearted punk rock humans have made into a “thing” that now helps the homeless. Finding out that the proceeds would go to Shelter brought tears to my eyes. It’s a beautiful gesture from Jarvis and we all know how important it is to support our nation’s ever-increasing homeless population.
Where does the campaign stands now? Are we close to the official number 1 spot?
Michael Hall: We are Number 2 on Amazon, Number 2 on iTunes and Number 1 on 7Digital. Also, the song is now at Number 3 for UK downloads on Google Play and Number 1 on iTunes Alternative Charts!
If everyone in our group downloads the song today we’ll be in the charts tomorrow. The Official Number 1 is a long shot, of course it always has been, but we are going to do absolutely everything we can to make it happen. We haven’t slept since Monday so we’re not going to give up now!
The charts statistics are closing on Thursday 19th of December at midnight. What can people still do to help?
Michael Hall: Download, download, download and stream, stream, stream. Every download helps a homeless person and tells this government what we think of them. #jarvis4xmas
Detailed information about the single: Release: 13 November 2006 Numbers: RTRADCD340/RTRADLP340 with RTRADS340/RTRADDA340 / RTRADCDP340 Formats: CD/LP with bonus 7″/Digital Download/Promotional CD Sleeve: The Designers Republic & Jarvis Cocker Highest Chart Position: 37 (UK) More information:http://www.acrylicafternoons.com/disc-jarv.html
After the singer and the record label officially acknowledged the fan effort to bring the song to the top of the charts, magazines, celebrities and fellow musicians voiced their support on social media for the campaign. We managed to find several examples:
Make 2019 a Christmas to remember – get Jarvis Cocker’s song to number 1 – Cunts Are Still Ruling The World. As well as being a swearingly good song, proceeds will be donated to @Shelter
Oh! Also! Talking of Jarvis. Cunts Are Still Ruling The World aren't they. Let's get it to number one. Downloads count more than streams. Merry Christmas! #jarvis4xmas x https://t.co/BWa1sJroBu
C**ts Are Still Running The World by Jarvis Cocker would be a very suitable Xmas No 1 for 2019. It needs to be bought by Thursday – it’s already at no 29. Please share. https://t.co/Fs3jq7UAFS
And the singer had a fantastic surprise for the group that has been working tirelessly. He prepared a special, acoustic version that was delivered to the group members on the last day of their campaign. The song was accompanied by a message:
“So here’s the story: about a month ago the Kaiser Quartett sent me a recording of their arrangement of “Running the World” & asked if I’d consider singing on it. So I did. The song will feature on one of their upcoming record releases but – given the current campaign – we thought you might like to get a sneak preview right now. Merry Xmas! Jarvis xx”
If you still haven’t had enough, you can also see a rare live performance of the song from 2009:
From a crazy idea of just two people, to a Facebook group of nearly 35.000 people in less than a week, the campaign surpassed all expectations. Nobody even thought it would be possible to engage such a big crowd. And the effects are simply mind blowing. We have been collecting articles about the idea and in just under 2 days, we managed to collect over 60 links to the biggest newspapers from all over the world. Including The Times, Guardian, Rolling Stone magazine, The Independent, BBC and others. Please take a look at the articles as even professional PR house wouldn’t be able to brag about such powerful and successful campaign.
On the 20th of December, the official UK charts statistics became available. The group admins released the following statement:
“The Chart positions are in.
UK Download Chart: No. 2
Scotland Overall Chart: No. 6
7Digital: No. 1
iTunes: No. 3
Amazon: No. 3
Google Play: No. 3
UK National Chart: No. 48
Over 225,000 Streams!
This is absolutely, insanely incredible. We started this for fun and out of disappointment and discontent 7 days ago – we didn’t get admins or the nod from the label until Monday. That’s just 4 days. You took a 13 year old song that a few people remembered very fondly and turned it into the rallying cry of a mini-movement”.
Few hours later another, longer announcement was issued:
“This is absolutely, insanely incredible. We started this for fun and out of disappointment and discontent 7 days ago – we didn’t get admins or the nod from the label until Monday. That’s just 4 days. You took a 13 year old song that a few people remembered very fondly and turned it into the rallying cry of a mini-movement.
There are now 33,000+ now us. This community has taken a little bit of civil disobedience and turned it into a huge campaign, a community comforting one another and offering hope and humour where it’s most needed. A community that has dedicated it’s time, money and energy to helping the homeless and giving agency to the voiceless over this week.
We’re immeasurably proud of you, the people in this group who have achieved such huge strides in such a ludicrously short amount of time.
It’s been a delight to receive positive coverage from The Guardian, The Indy, Clash Magazine, The NME, Les Inrockuptibles, Radio Ireland, God Is In The TV, Under The Radar, PopBitch, Roliing Fucking Stone and many more. It was a thrill for a bunch of fan-humans to get support from The Lemonheads, Richard Hawley, Shaun Keaveny, Tom Robinson, AFGang, Stuart Maconie, Maxine Peake, Spillers Records, Nick Wallington, Fat White Family, Pam Hogg…and so many more. THANKS TO THEM!
That all aside, everything positive that has happened is because of you, this community – not the record label, not the press, not a celebrity, not a politician and not even our beloved Jarvis himself. You have come together and made a difference. You have helped homeless people in the UK at their most vulnerable time of year and offered a strong voice of protest against injustice and the rise of the right.
THANK YOU. YES, YOU THERE, SPECIFICALLY.
“I learned a long time ago there is something worse than missing the goal and that’s not pulling the trigger” Mia Hamm
We on the left are used to all manner of defeat. Sure, we hoped for a higher National Chart playing – about 47 places higher as it goes – but the odds were stacked and you did great work. We don’t see this as a defeat but as a phenomenal first step. We don’t want ANYONE here to feel like this was a waste of energy or time – we will Keep Fucking Going.
We’ll be moving forward with those who would wish to stay with us as a cultural fundraising, campaigning forum and organisation group which we can help steer towards positive outcomes. We envision this as being a place to arrange and promote REAL WORLD change-making – projects and fundraisers large and small from all parts of the group, from all corners of the world. But we started this for fun and plan to keep it that way. Keep your good humour flowing and music recommendations flooding in.
We plan to start using the mentoring facility on Facebook to offer more vulnerable group members someone to reach out to in times of need.
We will be here for each other.
We are here to unite, never to divide – and all clear thinking good-hearted people are welcome here. We admins will try to live up to your standards.
We’ve listened to all the suggestions being made in the group and we will continue to do so. It won’t be anything like the same intensity from us this week – but don’t expect us to slack and don’t you even think of that either.
Here’s some things we all need to remember:
OUR REAL WORK IS TO BE DONE OUT IN THE WORLD
ALL IS LOVE – NO NEGATIVITY
THIS GROUP HAS A ZERO CUNT POLICY (apart from me, obvs)
We’ll rename the group after the weekend – suggestions would be great.
So – community leaders, musicians, artists, fundraisers, campaigners, charity reps, non-cunts – towards what shall we next steer this unwieldy beast?!
Cunts ARE still running the world…but not for long…
You can find all charts screenshots in the gallery below:
Charts summary
Number 1 on 7 Digital
Amazon Downloads – Number 3
Google Play Charts – Number 3
iTunes Download Charts – Number 3
UK Official Charts – Overall Downloads Number 2
UK Official Charts – UK Singles Top 50, Number 48
Offcial UK Charts – Scottish Charts Number 3
On 21st of December, an urgent announcement was posted on the group, providing more information about the mid-week position:
“HUGELY EXCITING UPDATE!!!
RUNNING THE WORLD NOW AT NO.2 IN THE OFFICIAL UK CHART
We have insider info and are beyond thrilled to tell you that the song is now at #2 in the national day-by-day charts!!
The full UK charts. The proper charts. The one we were #48 in yesterday. You kept downloading this song for charity and saying you wanted a #1 this week instead. And we went up 46 places overnight. What do you think about that?!
Thank you, inflight WiFi. Please pass the tissues.
We’re cancelling Christmas. We’re going to get this song to number 1 – the first Number 1 single of 2020. We’re doing this. Join us???
Join and share on every platform!!
Twitter & Instagram: @jarvis4january”
If you haven’t downloaded or steamed the song yet, please do so – the group is fighting to keep the song in top 10 for next week and maybe give it a number one in the first week of January! Whatever happens – when the community comes together, amazing ideas come true. Thank you!
All sales proceedings from the song throughout the festive period will be donated to Shelter.
What a time to be alive (despite the poverty and politics of hate).
Please keep on giving and supporting, you are doing amazingly well.
First world problems you will say – but it is incredibly hard to sit on a great interview and wait for a right time to publish it. It been a few anxious weeks but the wait is finally over! HUSK`s new single “Feeling Heat” is dropping on November 1st, with funky lo-fi video to accompany it, and we can only tell you to get your dancing shoes on – we are going to a proper party!
We spoke with Alfie Austin about his music, a single that may turn him into a proper pop star, artists that inspired him and where he sees himself in five years time. Despite being incredibly talented singer and song writer, he remains grounded and even humble, looking at his music in practical ways. It is such a welcoming change from all the adrenaline pumped ladsy bands with egos and arrogance bigger than the Beetham Tower. And a stark reminder that is not the hype that makes an artist – but a talent and hard work.
But we digress. Its Monday and we have an amazing singer, song producer and musician to introduce!
The sleeve for Feeling Heat single
Please introduce yourself to the readers of Indieterria.
Alfie Austin: I’m HUSK, I’ve been dubbed as “the outsider pop star we’ve all been waiting for” and “pretty darn good” by BBC 6 Music. I describe myself as the ”love-child of 80’s synth nostalgia and fresh leftfield pop”.
Where are you based and who is in the band?
Alfie Austin: It’s just me. I`m from Manchester, UK. I work with a lot of talent because it takes a village to make music happen!
Tell us something about the project – are there any goals that you managed to achieve to date?
Alfie Austin: Since releasing my first EP in 2018, I’ve had some really cool stuff come my way. Being played on BBC 6 Music and BBC Introducing Manchester is definitely a highlight, as well as playing the revered Manchester International Festival this summer and to 15,000 at Pride in Hull. I’m so excited to be releasing my next single “Feeling Heat” on 1st Nov via really cool label AnalogueTrash, that’s already being played in Australia and the UK.
What inspires you? What artists or genres had the biggest influence on you?
Alfie Austin: I’m a hairbrush diva at heart, and grew up on a diet of melody centred Pop, with the likes of Madonna and Girls Aloud and I’m an avid Eurovision fan. In recent years though, the rich, imperfect vocals of Northern Soul and intelligent Pop with smart production and New Wave has influenced me with artists like Prince, Eurythmics, Robyn and Little Dragon.
I’m really influenced by queer culture too. Most queer parties are full of love and expression, and I want to create that good mood in my music, whilst talking about real issues that aren’t just dancing and/or love.
Naturally, I love artist like CHVRCHES & Christine & The Queens but I can’t replicate what they do – I have my own writing style.
It`s all about the music – and we want to hear your tunes and how they have been written.
Alfie Austin: When writing a new track, I will sing melodies and if they get stuck in my head, I know they’re a keeper. Next, I tend to create the bones of the track, including most of the synths and beats. I then take it into the studio and turn it into something really special. I’ve been working with producers Sugar House Music (Viola Beach/ Pale Waves/ Larkins), who are incredibly good at making things sound polished but interesting and work you hard to get the best out of you.
Name your best song. Is there a story behind it?
Alfie Austin: It’s definitely the new one “Feeling Heat”. It’s got really strong 80’s vibes, which I just can’t get enough of. I was having a time where everything I wrote I absolutely hated and I was feeling really under pressure to come up with something in my really busy schedule. “Feeling Heat” is about that! And then once we got it into the studio, everything we tried just clicked – we finished it in a matter of hours.
How do you create your unique sound? What gear are you using?
Alfie Austin: My main tools are my Arturia Microbrute synth and Propellerhead’s Reason. I use a lot of layers. There’s always like 4 snares and 2 kicks, 5 synth sounds playing the lead melody and 2 bass synths. Sugar House also used a really creepy vocoder for vocal harmonies on my EP that we have used ever since.
Squad goals – where do you want to see the band in five years time?
Alfie Austin: I’m not going to lie, it would be really nice if I was signed to Virgin EMI and had a shit hot manager that keeps me in check, filling arenas. But if I’m still making music that people enjoy, and I’m not going hungry, I’ll be okay. I have a few specific goals for this next single “Feeling Heat”, and now that AnalogueTrash are on board, that’s one goal ticked off. Every little piece written about HUSK is still really exciting though.
If any bookers or promoters want to get in touch – what is the best way to contact you?
Imagine you can record an album with any producer, dead or alive in a studio of your choice. Who would be on your record?
Alfie Austin: Totally self-indulgent but Brian Higgins/Xenomania featuring a Nadine Coyle vocal would be a dream! Xenomania have such an amazing repertoire of innovative pop and I think it would make for a really great record. I’d also love, love, love a collab with Janelle Monae. She’s just and all round great artist!
On 13th of September, we had the pleasure of reviewing “El Dorado”, a second single by Avalanche Party promoting their upcoming debut album “24 Carat Diamond Trephine”. And now a month (and few days) later, we are presented with another single entitled “Rebel Forever”. This is the third promotional single released since July, the first being “7” and probably the last one before the album hits the shelves on 22nd of November. As two previous singles, “Rebel Forever” also comes with a fascinating video – in true AP fashion, it is dark, cinematic and quite beautiful.
Writing the previous review, we reached the conclusion that “El Dorado” was the best song written by the band so far. It was experimental, bold and sublime. Having listened to “Rebel Forever” over 200 times in the last 24 hours, we have now officially changed our mind. The new track is now our all-time favourite, vastly superior to previous releases and (we have to say it) extremely radio friendly at the same time!
There is nothing wrong with the radio-friendliness, mind you. “Rebel Forever” is a catchy (again, a compliment), addictive song that will get stuck inside your head for hours and the chorus is a true masterpiece. The lyrics are linking “Rebel” to the second single when the front man, Jordan Bell sings: “Make a golden bird/ It flies over the mountain ranges/It flies over the seas and across the world/Till it reaches the El Dorado”. Should we take it as a hint that the songs on the upcoming album might all be linked somehow? Is “24 Carat Diamond Trephine” going to be a concept album? We will have to wait to find out but judging by the musical company the band keeps and their own releases, maybe risking a statement that we have a renaissance of concept albums in the North, is not too far stretched?
Standing at 3 minutes and 36 seconds, “Rebel Forever” can easily be placed in the middle between “7” and ” El Dorado”. Not only because of the length of all three songs (“7” is just two minute long while “El Dorado is nearly 6 minute), but also because of the videos that illustrate all three tracks. “7” is a nightmarish visualization of somebody (in that role, truly convincing lead singer of Strange Bones, Bobby Bentham), being tortured and injected with a poison, clearly as a part of some horrific Russian/KGB experiment (there is a word “shell” on the syringe written in Cyrillic if anybody has any questions or doubts). The injections causes not only foaming at the mouth but also hallucinations and intense pain to the subject. It ends with the subject destroying the interrogation room and stabbing pictures of the Avalanche Party members with knives.
The video to “El Dorado” is like a quiet break between two outbursts of anger. It reminded us of a road movie, it was quiet, almost melancholic, idyllic but with an undertone of danger in it. And “Rebel Forever” takes us back to some strange location again, another experiment cell or maybe a motel room? There is not much furniture except a mattress in the middle of the room, a bottle of absinthe on the floor and strange collection of artworks and curiosum: taxidermied bird and a pair of moths, small goat figurine in an ornate glass jar, a picture of an bleeding ear, a skull and a statue of a Greek goddess without hands. A young man is laying on the make shift bed, clearly delirious from the drink or maybe something else as well. As usual with AP video clips, it’s hard to find straight answers. We can only wonder if the man was drugged against his will and left in this remote place to die or has ingested the drink himself with the intentions of getting high. Whatever the reason, he’s experiencing a vivid, almost kaleidoscopic swirl of images and visions. Sometimes he seems to be drowning in water, grasping for air, in another moment he is looking calmly at changing colours stretching out his arms. There are two references to “El Dorado” in “Rebel Forever”. At the beginning of the video, we see a recording of the cowboy walking through the plateau known from “El Dorado” and there is a framed picture of him shooting a gun. We have a sneaky suspicion that the unnamed cowboy and the hallucinating man somehow know each other and will meet up at some point.
“Rebel Forever” came with a PR note attached and it is as cryptic as the video itself, but it provides us with a bit of background information about the shoot and it’s location:
“The video was filmed over the course of a few days in deep, dark Berkshire. It shows a trip through time and the great outdoors and has two main stars. Django is a scaly fiend of the reptile family Chamaeleonidae who spends his time eating rump steak and shedding his dark and succulent past. Ron is a horrible WMC toilet of a cat who would rather the world left him alone. This broadcast was made possible by Welsh wizard Kyle ‘Eagle Burger’ Howells and his unflinching vigour, boundless generosity and eye for a mood. Rebel Forever.”
It seems that the new song made a strong impression not only on us, but on other reviewers as well. We have found some fantastic opinions so please read on:
“Hard-touring underground rock outfit Avalanche Party simply refuse to stop. Capable of sustaining lung-bursting, multi-national spells on the road, the five-piece give 100% each and every night. And with With another massive UK tour on the cards, Avalanche Party have shared their bolshy, bruising new single ‘Rebel Forever'”. https://www.clashmusic.com/news/avalanche-party-share-bold-clip-for-rebel-forever
“The garage punks knock out a belter of raucously melodic evocation on ‘Rebel Forever’, which may surprise some of their fans, as this feels almost ‘pop-ish’ compared to some of their earlier more heavier numbers. It’s still dark – aided by nightmarishly constructed images in its accompanying video – but both the style and production sound better than ever” http://littleindieblogs.blogspot.com/2019/10/track-of-week-avalanche-party-will.html
“Avalanche Party’s delirious ‘Rebel Forever’ was made for gloomy, gray days (much like this one). Calling to mind the dark decadence that lent itself to the Berlin of Iggy and David, the song’s razorblade riffs and ever-so unhinged vocals lend an elegant, somewhat controlled violence to the band’s sound” http://www.logicfuzzy.com/2019/10/video-of-day-avalanche-party.html
It is always with a great pleasure that we introduce you to an emerging talent. And seeing the artist progressing, growing, going on tours, recording and generally becoming better and better at their craft, is one of the reasons we continue writing and keeping this blog.
In June this year, we interviewed The Kecks, a young four piece indie rock band that grabbed our attention with their music, unique stage image and being innovative in a genre that sees hundreds of bands playing very similar tunes. We promised to keep an eye on them and we are staying true to our word.
The Kecks on Tour
2019 has been a very successful year for The Kecks and yet they are far from sitting down to rest. When every other band is now preparing for Christmas, the lads from Kecks are hitting the road to play UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands. The tour will commence at the famous Molotow Club in Hamburg on 26th of October (just in a couple of days!) and will finish on 17th of January at Cassiopeia with a massive show alongside the Talk Show.
To celebrate their success over the last ten months, the band prepared a special version of “All For Me” for their fans which debuted on their Youtube channel on 24th of October.
The band even released a small statement alongside the video: “Making a last grasp effort to cling on to the summer sunshine The Kecks took some time out from a studio session deep in the East German countryside to capture a raw, intimate and personal one take stripped back acoustic version of future single ‘All For Me’. This stripped back version shows a completely new dimension to the band and is a huge departure from fiery debut ‘Stick In My Throat’ which was released in June of this year via AWAL. The snarling, simmering and emotionally charged debut complete with a weird and wonderful trip of a visual filmed and directed in collaboration with the bands close friend Carlos ‘Mexi Kravitz’ Andres was what originally grabbed the attention of the likes of Radio X , BBC Introducing, NDR and FKP Scorpio”
If you have a chance, please come and catch The Kecks playing live before the end of December. 2020 is looking like a breakthrough year for the band and they will be playing much bigger venues. There is magic in the smallest, most intimate places, where you can stand next to the band and see every drop of sweat on their faces.
And nothing in the whole wide world can replace this feeling.
