ROMANCE ISN'T DEAD: Our interview with Aberdeenshire 4-piece The Framed!

 

Below is our interview with The Framed! Enjoy!

 

To stay up to date with future interviews like our facebook page at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

 

PART 1 - THE INTERVIEW

 

Had you been involved with any other bands prior to The Framed?

 

"We’ve all played in bands before. Glynn and Gareth have been playing in bands together for a few years and Steve was part of an Oasis tribute band for a while. Jamie has been in other bands but concentrated on his solo material and made a bit of a name for himself around the Inverness area and the north of Scotland."

 

How did The Framed begin?

 

"Glynn and Gareth had been playing in another band and had decided that they wanted to play different material that was more enjoyable. After playing with several line-ups and a lot of different musicians we found Jamie and Steve and everything seemed to blend well."

 

Where did the name The Framed come from?

 

"We chose the name The Framed because it was simple and easy to remember. We could give you some long contrived reason for it but it’s simply because we thought it was short and snappy."

 

How would you describe the sound of The Framed?

 

"We essentially play rocked up indie. It’s got a punky simplicity to it with a bit of youthful naivety thrown in."

 

You used to be called Wasted Sidelines. Why did you change your name to The Framed?

 

"We were originally called Wasted Sidelines. It was supposed to be a description of the music industry but the majority of people we spoke to didn't really seem to get it and just thought it gave out negative connotations. Because of this we thought we’d change the name to something more simplistic that fitted the music we play better."

 

All your tracks to date have been recorded at a home studio. Would you say that this environment contributed to your music at all?

 

"The tracks we have at the moment are really just demos. Although by recording the demos in a home studio it gives us a chance to take our time and work things out. It lets us hear everything that we wouldn't hear in a live room and allows us to make more informed decisions about what we are playing. It can also be handy to see how arrangements work when recorded."

 

Who would be your dream collaboration?

 

"There are so many great musicians out there that would be a pleasure to play with. To be honest all of us would probably choose different people because we all have different tastes. We think that Graham Coxon would be a great collaboration though as his solo stuff is up our street and got that grungier side to indie which we quite like."

 

Any new songs in the pipeline?

 

"We are always writing and have a good few songs that we’re in the process of finishing."

 

Any new singles, EP's or album to be released in the near future?

 

"We are away to record a new EP next month at Monnow Valley Studios with Paul Tipler producing. We are all very excited about it and in the rehearsal process at the moment. The EP should be released in March or April."

 

Any live dates coming up?

 

"We don’t currently have any live dates booked because we have been concentrating on rehearsals for the studio at the moment. We will be booking live dates in the next few weeks to coincide with the release of the EP."

 

Who would be in your dream supergroup?

 

"Again we would all have different super groups however a group consisting of members from the Stones, the Who and the Kinks might be quite interesting."

 

 

PART 2 - THE QUICKFIRE ROUND

 

Favourite Beatle?

 

Glynn: "John Lennon."

 

Jamie: "George Harrison."

 

Gareth: "George Harrison."

 

Steve: "John Lennon."

 

Favourite band?

 

Glynn: "The Specials."

 

Jamie: "Brand New."

 

Gareth: "Little Man Tate/The Who."

 

Steve: "The Stone Roses."

 

Favourite new band?

 

Glynn: "The Strypes."

 

Jamie: "Make Sparks."

 

Gareth: "Tiffany Page."

 

Steve: "The Enemy."

 

Favourite song?

 

Glynn: "I'm A Face - The High Numbers."

 

Jamie: "Can't decide - default answer, 70 x 7 by Brand New."

 

Gareth: "What's He Got - Graham Coxon."

 

Steve: "Waterfall."

 

Favourite album?

 

Glynn: "Definitely Maybe."

 

Jamie: "Fools And Worthless Liars - Deaf Havana."

 

Gareth: "Eric Clapton Unplugged."

 

Steve: "Be Here Now."

 

Vinyl, CD or download?

 

Glynn: "Vinyl."

 

Jamie: "Download."

 

Gareth: "CD."

 

Steve: "CD."

 

Style icon?

 

Glynn: "Paul Weller."

 

Jamie: "None - got a very confused style."

 

Gareth: "Sixties/eighties mod."

 

Steve: "Gem Archer."

 

Favourite clothing brand?

 

Glynn: "Fred Perry."

 

Jamie: "Volcom/Fred Perry/Vans."

 

Gareth: "Merc London."

 

Steve: "Adidas Originals."

 

Favourite film?

 

Glynn: "Duplex."

 

Jamie: "Shaun Of The Dead."

 

Gareth: "Almost Famous/Bad Taste."

 

Steve: "Cool Hand Luke."

  

Favourite TV show?

 

Glynn: "Swamp People."

 

Jamie: "Black Books."

 

Gareth: "The Inbetweeners."

 

Steve: "That 70's Show."

 

Who would you like to play you in a film of your life?

 

Glynn: "Ben Stiller."

 

Jamie: "Dylan Moran."

 

Gareth: "Mike Myers."

 

Steve: "Tom Hanks."

 

Favourite food?

 

Glynn: "Steak."

 

Jamie: "Cake."

 

Gareth: "Curry."

 

Steve: "Pizza."

 

Football team?

 

Glynn: "Man U/Aberdeen."

 

Jamie: "Don't have one."

 

Gareth: "The only sport I like is tiddlywinks."

 

Steve: "Man United/Aberdeen."

 

 

All logos, pictures and photographs were taken from The Framed facebook page. Aldora Britain Records does not own any of the images used.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this feature on The Framed! Check out our previous feature on Fairport Convention and Edwina Hayes!

 

Check out The Framed here - https://www.facebook.com/theframedmusic

 

You can also like our facebook page to keep up to date with all future interviews at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

AB RECORDS

MEET ON THE LEDGE: A review of Fairport Convention's gig at The Queen's Hall in Edinburgh! Support came from Edwina Hayes, check it out!

 

 

Below is our review of Fairport Convention's gig at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh! Support came from the talented Edwina Hayes! Check it out!

 

To stay up to date with future interviews like our facebook page at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

 

 

PART 1 - THE REVIEW

 

You may remember our last live review of Glasvegas and The Strange Blue Dreams at the Old Fruit Market in Glasgow. If you're expecting more of the same old rock 'n' roll then we suggest that you turn away here as tonight's review is based on a night of world-class folk music.

 

Fairport Convention brought their 'Wintour' to Edinburgh's Queen's Hall last night and played a strong set including the classic tracks 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes?', 'Matty Groves' and 'Meet On The Ledge. However, first was the support act - Edwina Hayes. Edwina was given a fine introduction from the injured Fairport bass player Mr Dave Pegg and a warm welcome from the Edinburgh crowd. She went on to perform four self-penned songs will a beautifully unique voice, highlights were definitely 'Tell Me So' and the Boo Hewerdine co-write 'Bend In The Road'. Between each tune, she chatted and joked with the crowd and told stories of cake makers from Aberdeen, her knack of writing depressing (but lovely) songs and Eddi Reader getting lost on her way to a stage! Edwina then went on to perform a Richard Thompson number, 'Waltzing's For Dreamers', which was unsurprisingly received well and played to rival Thompson's version, showcasing her unique voice once again. Following this, she invited some special guests up for her last song - the members of Fairport Convention. Taking up their posts on the stage they performed a brilliant rendition of Nanci Griffith's 'Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness', before Edwina departed."

 

The Fairport set that followed was superb and kicked off with a storming performance of the title track from their 1995 album, 'Jewel In The Crown'. Following this was the slightly 'gothic' (as Chris Leslie put it!) folk song 'Doctor Of Physick' and then 'I'm Already There'. 'Home', 'Theodore's Song' and 'Cell Song' provided moments of discovery and each will be downloaded in the following days! However, the highlight of the first half of the set came with the ferocious 'Dirty Linen' which was performed at a furiously fast pace. So much so that stand in bass player Matt Pegg had to go and 'lie down' afterwards. Set one was concluded with 'Mercy Bay' and an explanation of Dave Pegg's absence from the bass - he had had an accident involving a washing machine... typical! He was still able to venture on to stage every now and then with his natural wit and to sing some harmonies."

 

After a twenty-minute interval Fairport returned to the stage for their second set. This included the revised version of 'Farewell, Farewell' and a brand new song entitled 'Myths & Heroes'. Edwina then returned to the stage for a fantastic performance of 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes' which was followed by a Ric Sanders stand-up comedy routine preluding 'Danny Jacks'. The main set was then concluded with traditional folk song/Fairport classic 'Matty Groves'. And despite the fact that Simon Nicol promised that this would be their last song they couldn't resist the cheers, clapping and stamping of the crowd that lured them back out to perform the amazing, iconic 'Meet On The Ledge'. Again this featured both Edwina, Dave Pegg and the biggest sing along of the night.

 

Overall, a superb showcase of the folk world which can be caught again, as Simon Nicol kept reminding us, during August for their annual Cropedy festival in which fine weather and sunshine is ensured. Finally, it is no surprise that this band are still drawing crowds after being together for forty years and it was inspiring to see how willing they were to chat to fans beforehand, during the interval and after the show. Definitely worth checking out before its too late!



PART 2 - THE SETLISTS

Edwina Hayes

Run
Leave A Light On For You
Tell Me So
Bend In The Road
Waltzing's For Dreamers
Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness (with Fairport Convention)

Fairport Convention

Jewel In The Crown
Doctor Of Physick
I'm Already There
Home
Theodore's Song
Dirty Linen
Cell Song
Mercy Bay
(Interval)
Festival Bell
Wassail Song
Farewell Farewell
The Happy Man
Myths & Heroes
Too Close To The Wind
Grace & Favour
Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (with Edwina Hayes)
Danny Jacks
Matty Groves
(Encore)
Meet On The Ledge (with Edwina Hayes)



Hope you enjoyed this feature on Fairport Convention and Edwina Hayes! Check out our previous feature on Two-Bit Sister!
 

Check out Fairport Convention here - http://www.fairportconvention.com/

 

Check out Edwina Hayes here - http://www.edwinahayes.com/

  

You can also like our Facebook page to keep up to date with all future interviews at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

AB RECORDS

TURBULENCE: Our review of 'The Jackal', the brand new EP from Two-Bit Sister, and a little interview as well!

 

Below if our feature on Two-Bit Sister's brand new EP 'The Jackal'! Scroll down to see a review, an interview and a track by track! Enjoy!

 

To stay up to date with future interviews like our facebook page at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

 

PART 1 - AB SAYS...

 

Below AB Records talks you through the EP!

 

"Two-Bit Sister were one of the first ever bands to feature on this blog and it's been great to see them mature and now release their brilliant debut EP. The EP is entitled 'The Jackal', taking its name from the first track, and is a fine piece of art. Everything from the artwork right down to the tunes are spot on. The EP kicks off with the title track which is a fine slice of melodic pop which also features a fine guitar solo to conclude. The song has touches that are reminiscent of Irish indie pop band General Fiasco which is no bad thing at all! The following track, 'Turbulence', is a completely different affair. This track is far more towards Kurt Cobain grunge than General Fiasco pop! Again, no bad thing and the track demonstrates Two-Bit Sister at their most rocking on this EP. Meanwhile, 'Wanna Know' is alternative rock at its best with a great sing-along chorus and some fine fills on the drums. The set comes to its finale with the much more laidback 'Times'. However, 'laidback' is not something that Two-Bit Sister do well and when the drums kick in they're back to their rocking old selves! And then the song breaks down into a blues-influenced bridge halfway through a la Jack White, bringing another dimension to the Two-Bit sound! In conclusion, a fine debut EP which wears influences as varying as General Fiasco, Foo Fighters, The White Stripes and Nirvana proudly on its sleeve. A debut to be proud of!"



PART 2 - TWO-BIT SISTER SAYS...

In this section of the feature, Two-Bit Sister talk us through the EP track by track!

The Jackal

Connor: "Generally speaking, Leon will have a riff or a chorus and then we’ll work through it adding new bits. However 'The Jackal' was pretty much a finished piece, so once I’d put down some drums it was good to go, with the exception of the solo at the end."

Leon: "Yeah I actually wrote the song in one go on an acoustic guitar, while I was sitting on my bedroom floor. I was going through a bit of a Bob Dylan phase and didn’t really expect it to become a Two-Bit Sister tune, which is probably why it sounds pretty different to the rest of our stuff."

Turbulence

Connor: "If I remember correctly, this one came about as the result of jamming in our garage. It went from an initial riff to a song pretty quickly. It’s always good when a song just ‘happens’ especially after you’ve spent a lot of time agonizing over another one."

Leon: "Definitely. Weirdly I always felt like this was quite Pink Floyd inspired, even though it doesn’t sound it. Chris (producer) was quite influential, in a positive sense, with how this turned out on record. He was very encouraging in terms of just trying stuff to see if it worked, so there are some subtle bits in the song that came about as a result."

Wanna Know

Leon: "This was one of those guitar riffs that I just stumbled across while playing and really liked the sound of, as it had a nice punk rock bounce to it, which isn’t something we tend to associate ourselves with. The rest of the song seemed to come quite easily, which is always nice."

Connor: "Yeah, it’s a song I always enjoy playing. I grew up listening to a lot of Blink-182 and so this sound feels very natural to me. Leon was a little worried it was a bit ‘too happy’ though!"

Times

Connor: "I was actually in France, last summer, when Leon sent me the intro and riff of this song, so it’s always had a summery vibe to me. That heavy breakdown was hammered out in practice a while later on, and just seemed to fit."
Leon: "I think we’d struggled for a while to really make that main guitar riff sound how we wanted, as we had quite a strong idea of how it should come across in our heads. That’s something I ‘m glad we achieved on the recording."



PART 3 - THE INTERVIEW

What was your earliest musical memory and what inspired you towards pursuing a career in music?

 

Leon: "I'm not sure what my earliest musical memory is but I remember the first time I heard AC/DC, my friend played me 'Back In Black' and 'Highway To Hell' and I just ended up listening to them over and over."

 

Connor: "I think my earliest musical memory must have been watching Rush's 'Live In Rio' DVD (my dad's a big fan) and just thinking that Neil Peart must be from a different planet, I was really blown away by his playing and that was way before I ever sat behind a kit! In terms of inspiration for a career in music, it was really the fact that there was nothing else that ever compared. It had to be music for me."

 

 Where did the name Two-Bit Sister come from?

 

Leon: "In Wes Anderson's film 'The Royal Tenenbaums' there's a line 'and no damn two-bit, chartered accountant is going to change that', I was watching the film one day while we were trying to think of a band name and I decided I liked the idea of two-bit something, and we eventually decided on sister."

 

How would you describe the sound of Two-Bit Sister?

 

Connor: "Difficult to pin down for us at the moment I think, we just like to call it rock but there's all sorts of influences in the mix."

 All pictures in this feature are taken from the Two-Bit Sister official facebook page!

The interview excerpt in Part 3 is taken from our interview with Two-Bit Sister last year, this can be found at the following link - http://aldorabritainrecords.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/the-jackal-interview-with-rock-band-two.html

Thanks to Leon and Connor for chatting to us!



Hope you enjoyed this feature on Two-Bit Sister! Check out our previous feature on The Modern Means!

Check out Two-Bit Sister here - http://www.twobitsister.co.uk/

Grab yourself a copy of 'The Jackal' at the following link - http://two-bitsister.bandcamp.com/

You can also like our facebook page to keep up to date with all future interviews at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

AB RECORDS

THE REAL ME: Our interview with West London three piece The Modern Means!

 

Below is our interview with The Modern Means, a mod-influenced indie band from West London! Enjoy!

 

To stay up to date with future interviews like our facebook page at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

 

PART 1 - THE INTERVIEW

 

What is your earliest musical memory and what pushed you towards pursuing a career in the music business?

 

Tim: "My brothers sitting around our dad (who was also in bands), playing 'Yellow Submarine' on the acoustic guitar he made, wanting that to be my job. Grew tired of the nine to five some years ago."

 

Louis: "Similar to Tim, my first memories are watching my brother Alex and dad play guitar in the kitchen. Before then it was just staring at record covers. I got round to learning guitar about sixteen and hassled my brother to show me a few chords. Once I could string a couple together, that was it. All I wanted to be was a musician."

 

Sean: "Watching 'Tommy' and seeing The Fureys in Ireland."

 

What kind of records were on around the house when you were younger and would you say that these records still influence your music today?

 

Sean: "The Who, Ramones, Eddie Cochran, I think these have influenced me and are still some of my favourite artists."

 

Louis: "In the kitchen there would be everything from Motown, Otis Redding, Bowie, The Jam, Kinks, Dusty Springfield, Crosby, Still & Nash to opera and classical. Apart from the classical side, all those bands and records influenced me greatly and is still some of my favourite stuff to listen to."

 

Tim: "Not so much records playing, but always had the radio on in the background growing up. This defiantly influenced my musical tastes as I still listen to Capital Gold/Gold music to this day and have a wide spectrum of musical taste."

 

Had you been involved in any other bands or musical ventures before The Modern Means?

 

Sean: "Yep played in a few bands of various types."

 

Tim: "I've been in bands for years. My three brothers all play guitar, so I picked up the sticks."

 

Louis: "I’ve played in bands, on sessions and sporadically working as a solo performer since my teens. The main band I was in for many years was the Lieutenant’s Mistress from Brighton."

 

How did The Modern Means begin?

 

Louis: "I was in a band called Hands Make Fire, which came to an end and I found myself with about six or seven songs which I wanted to do something with. I had met Sean and he said his mate was a drummer (Tim) and we set about working on them. Didn’t have any pre-planned idea just decided to let the tunes dictate. In the end we naturally became a band as we’re all around the same age and have a lot of shared influences. We thought about adding extra musicians but the three piece setup really worked and suited the material."

 

Can you introduce us to the band and tell us what you play?

Louis: "I play guitar and sing, Sean is on bass and backing vocals and Tim drums and does backing vocals."

 

Where did the name The Modern Means come from?

Louis: "Loads of bands at the moment seem to just have one word for a name. So we wanted something short and with a 'The'. We really liked ‘The Means’ but there were too many bands called that. We settled on The Modern Means as a way of getting round that, but also cause it had a nice ring to it. It also seems to fit in with the lyrical content of some of the songs which draws from modern day observations."

 

How would you describe the sound of The Modern Means?

Louis: "Melodic, powerhouse indie combo."

 

You have released one EP to date. You released this as a free download. In the age of illegal downloads do you think this way of releasing music may be the way forward for up and coming guitar-based bands?

Sean: "I think music should foremost be accessible and this is the best way for us to get it to the people that matter, albums are a great way to showcase your art and style but I think people will get an album if they can first get a feel for the music."

Tim: "I think its the only way, isn't it? if you want to get out there and heard. Shame because there is a lot of crap to be sieved through."

Louis: "For us it was just initially so we could get some gigs. I’m not against free downloads as such, however I think it does slightly de-value what you do as a musician. I think if you’re a new band it’s very hard because no one has heard of you so you wanna spread the word."

 

We at AB Records are really enjoying the EP especially the lead track entitled ‘The Real Me’. What is this song about and what influenced it?

Louis: "It's essentially about different events happening in around your life and how this affects you. Does it change you? Have you changed and do you still recognise the person and ideals that you set yourself in life? Just raising the age old questions."

 

Are you a fan of The Who song of the same name!?

Tim: "Definitely."

Sean: "Brilliant song and at a great part of a great film, almost as good as 'Bell Boy'."

Louis: "Cracking tune! For our 'Real Me', I wrote the chorus last and wanted to change it once I thought of something better. However it just worked so nicely that it became part of it. Title aside though it has nothing to do with The Who song."

 

The EP on the whole seems to have a strong pop edge to it. Is this what you were aiming for?

Louis: "Not intentionally. We didn’t really know how we sounded and that is pretty much just how it came out. It was recorded live with vocals and a few guitar bits done later. I think having now done some gigs we are perhaps a bit heavier, but essentially we are aiming to do intelligent pop music with guitars."

 

Do you have any 'rituals' before you go on stage?

Sean: "Trying to adhere to the two pint rule..."

 

Any live dates coming up?

Louis: "Yeah, we’re supporting The Bishops at The Finsbury on Saturday the 8^th of February. We also have a gig at the Camden Enterprise on 4^th March as part of End of The Trail records showcase."

 

Any new songs in the pipeline?

Tim: "Yes."

Louis: "Got one that’s nearly done called ‘My Own Worst Enemy’ and I’ve got a few more in home demo form. So yes plenty more to come."

 

When can fans expect the next official release?

Louis: "ASAP – we have been in contact with a couple of labels who want to do something with us, so just a case of working out what format it will take. Watch this space..."

 

Who would be your dream collaboration?

Louis: "Dunno really, love to do something with a horn section at some point."

 

Who would be in your dream super group?

Louis: "Reni (The Stone Roses) on drums, Paul Simonon on bass, Johnny Marr on guitar and Paul Weller on vocals and guitar. Maybe also stick Ian McLagan on keyboards and the Memphis horns. Staple Singers on backing vocals."

Sean: "Bruce Foxton of The Jam on bass, Stevie Wonder singing, Hal Blaine on drums, Eddie Cochran on guitar and hair and Josh Homme for extra guitar and vocals Shangri Las on backing."



PART 2 - THE QUICKFIRE ROUND

Favourite Beatle?

Louis: "George."

Sean: "George."

Tim: "Ringo."

Favourite band?

Louis: "The Cribs."

Sean: "The Jam."

Tim: "The Who."

Favourite new band?

Louis: "Temples."

Sean: "Arctic Monkeys."

Tim: "Supergrass (does that count?) Don't really have one."

Favourite song?

Louis: "Changes all the time, today it's Tin Soldier by the Small Faces."

Tim: "Hard to just settle on one. Late In The Day, Supergrass. (Went to their last gig in Paris. The guitar solo bit makes me cry)."

Favourite album?

Louis: "The Smiths - Meat Is Murder."

Tim: "22-20s - Shake Shiver Moan."

Vinyl, CD or download?

Louis: "Vinyl."

Tim: "Download."

When you press shuffle on your iPod, what is this first song that comes on?

Louis: "China Girl - Iggy Pop."

Tim: "Usually some ska or reggae as I have so much on there (android...fuck iPods)."

Style icon?

Tim: "Myself."

Louis: "Tim."

Favourite film?

Louis: "The Good The Bad & The Ugly."

Sean: "The 25th Hour, Failsafe or True Romance."

Tim: "Star Wars: A New Hope."

Favourite TV show?

Louis: "Spaced."

Sean: "Will And Grace or Steptoe And Son."

Tim: "The Simpsons."

Who would play you in a film of your life?

Louis: "Bradley Wiggins."

Sean: "Henry Fonda."

Tim: "James Corden."

Favourite food?

Sean: "Fullers London Porter."

Tim: "Chicken."

Football team?

Louis: "Don't support a team but have a soft spot for Brighton and Hove Albion."

Sean: "Team Sky-Froome."

Tim: "Arsenal."



All images taken from The Modern Means facebook page!

Thanks to Louis, Tim and Sean for answering our questions!



Hope you enjoyed this feature on The Modern Means! Check out our previous feature on Little Liam!

Check out The Modern Means here - https://www.facebook.com/modernmeans

 

You can also like our facebook page to keep up to date with all future interviews at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

AB RECORDS

IF I WASN'T ME: Our feature on Little Liam's latest EP 'If I Wasn't Me'!

 

Below if our feature on Little Liam's latest offering, the 'If I Wasn't Me' EP! You can see our review of the EP alongside a track by track from Liam and some excerpts of an interview we did with him last year! Enjoy!

 

To stay up to date with future interviews like our facebook page at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

 

PART 1 - AB SAYS...

 

Here, AB Records reviews the EP!

 

"Little Liam have already released an acoustic live album ('Live From The Heart') and a demo EP ('The Beginning'), the former features just two guitars and a voice while the latter features just a piano and a voice. This makes 'If I Wasn't Me' the first full band offering from Birmingham's very own Little Liam and the presence of the rest of the band add double to the final sound. This is saying something as the two acoustic offerings to date are mind blowing. The EP can easily draw comparisons to the likes of The Bluetones, Oasis and especially Ocean Colour Scene. This is no surprise considering frontman Liam Garland was effectively mentored by the OCS boys and there are tales that he played tambourine on the Liam Gallagher/Steve Cradock recording of 'Carnation' when he was just a teenager. However, Liam's songwriting stands out and covers a wide variety of styles - the rock 'n' roll of 'Last Dragz' and 'I Get This Feeling'; the folk rock of 'You Don't Know' and 'Just When I Thought' and the smooth rock of the eponymous title track 'If I Wasn't Me'. Highlights are definitely the two opening tracks 'I Get This Feeling' and 'Last Dragz' as they are simply amazing rock 'n' roll tunes which, at the end of the day, you can't beat. However, the remaining three tracks all have special qualities as well and there is not one weak track on the EP. Also, congratulations have to go to Ange Pyatt for the trumpet and background vocals on the final track 'Just When I Thought' which take the track to a whole different level to the previously released version on 'Live From The Heart'. The only disappointment is the fact that the EP clocks in at less than fifteen minutes! However, we can all be reassured that Little Liam have plenty of unreleased material much of which can be checked out in demo or live format at their soundcloud page. Keep on keeping on Little Liam!"

 

 

PART 2 - LITTLE LIAM SAYS...

 

Here, we catch up with frontman Liam Garland who talks us through the EP track by track!

 

I Get This Feeling

 

"Wrote this song after my second gig! I supported Pyro's ex-band Copious in Birmingham and this gig and meeting Jim made me feel so great!"

 

Last Dragz

 

 "Sorry I wrote this while I was smoking loads of weed but I gave it up and  try to just test it moderately!"

 

You Don't Know

 

"About trying to do something your or my own way, and one of the first proper decent songs I wrote!"

 

If I Wasn't Me

 

"Personal song really and weird because I was going through a tough time and  things play on your mind, I was worrying too much about what people thought and basically looking in from the outside I'd be able to see what that was but only 'if I wasn't me'!"

 

Just When I Thought

 

"Was really just a tune I made at home and never thought nothing of until Jim was certain it had to be in our set, the first night I showed him his hairs were standing on end! Then Ange joined the band and added to it so much it's now kinda expected at gigs!"

 

 

PART 3 - THE INTERVIEW

 

How did Little Liam begin?

 

"Little Liam began years after my previous band ended. I was recording all my music at home and learning all the instruments to be able to make it sound like a band rather than on my own, we had problems with the last band and people left so it pushed me back a little bit, I went home and over the next couple of years went on to write most of the songs which we now play at our gigs!"

 

How would you describe the sound of Little Liam?

 

"We have tried to figure this one out ourselves because it's kind of unique but again we go with smooth rock."

 

Earlier this year you were joined on stage by Simon Fowler of Ocean Colour Scene. How did this come about and how did it feel to be playing alongside a true legend?

 

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing! It's a weird one, Ocean Colour Scene were supposed to be playing in Scotland but unfortunately got cancelled and Simon saw us listed in the line up for Welfest so he contacted the organiser to ask me if he could join for a couple of songs! Wow! Ideally again, it would have been him joining the band onstage but it was all so quick we didn't prepare for it and if you have someone like Simon Fowler joining you, you have to be on form!"

 

 

All pictures in this article are taken from the Little Liam facebook page!

 

The interview excerpts in Part 3 of the feature are taken from our interview with Liam Garland last year! You can read the full interview here - http://aldorabritainrecords.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/our-time-will-come-our-interview-with.html

 

You can also check out our review of 'Live From The Heart' at the following link - http://aldorabritainrecords.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/live-from-heart-we-review-little-liams.html

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this feature on Little Liam! Check out our previous feature on The Shiverin' Sheiks!

Check out Little Liam here - https://www.facebook.com/LittleLiamBand

Get yourself a copy of 'If I Wasn't Me', 'Live From The Heart' or 'The Beginning' by contacting Little Liam through their facebook page!

 

You can also like our facebook page to keep up to date with all future interviews at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords

 

AB RECORDS