Billy Walton & Richie Taz (Photo by Allan McKay)

BW         It’s been great; the turnouts have been wonderful and the shows have been going fantastic and it’s nothing but happiness all round.

AM         The UK’s interesting because it’s always been a good territory for bands like yours hasn’t it?

BW         Yeah, guitar rock’s still alive and rock ‘n’ roll’s still breathing.

AM         It’s been nearly 2 years since we last met up, what’s been happening in that time?

BW         Actually, with my band we’ve been playing gigs and we’ve just recorded a new album called “Crank It Up!” and we’re very excited about it and we’re doing this tour pushing that.  Myself, I’ve been playing with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. I didn’t do the UK tour this time because I was doing my tour and finishing the album and I fly back next Thursday and play with The Jukes again up in Rhode Island, so it’s been a very busy summer, it’s been wonderful.

AM         You mentioned the album, I’ll come back to that in just a minute but I’ve noticed that you’ve become really popular with the Jukes fans as well.

BW         It’s been great, Jukes fans are music lovers and the Jukes are a unique band where nothing’s polished and you never know what’s going to happen and that’s what’s great and the fans dig into that because it’s happening in real time; even we don’t know what’s going to happen next.

AM         As a guitar player in The Jukes, there are some big shoes to fill there when you look at who’s been there in the past.

BW         Yeah Little Steven (van Zandt) and Bobby Bandiera who’s a great, great player but we’re the next evolution of The Jukes, so it’s a cool thing and to hear Southside sing every night is a pleasure.

AM         And Southside seems to be pushing outwards again with The Poor Fools.

BW         He’s always on the go, which we all are.  We all want to do different projects, do different things and evolve musically still, no matter what.

AM         So, tell me about the new album then.

BW         The new album; I’m very proud of it.  It’s a little bit more laid back than “Neon City”; the songwriting is a step up.  I’ve been doing some writing with this guy Randy Friel from Scullville Studios; he’s a good friend of mine, a great piano player and we’ve been hitting it off and writing, we just come with ideas and magic happens.

AM         With the kind of touring schedule that you’ve got with The Jukes and the Billy Walton Band, how do you actually manage to fit in the writing and the recording?

BW         I’m still trying to figure that out.  We did it and after we got the project done, you realise you can’t believe you made the time to do that.  It’s just constantly working and then we’re going to be on to the next album and on to the next Jukes show and the next Billy Walton Band tour, constantly moving, constantly evolving and trying just to get out there and play guitar.

AM         So, have you got a home studio that you use where you put ideas together?

BW         No, I don’t personally because I like being a guitar player and a songwriter instead of an engineer; I know a little bit about it and I have done it in the past to put ideas down but when you’re in a creative mode, you want to capture the creative mode instead of trying to get this take.  You want to stay in that creative mindframe, for me anyway.

AM         You and William (Paris) have obviously been together for a while now and I’ve seen that on stage it’s almost telepathic sometimes, so do you come along with an idea for a song and you work on it together?

BW         Yeah, constantly.  He has ideas he throws at me and I throw them back and they evolve.  We do some jamming in the middle of songs and sometimes that sparks something; every song comes in a different way.  It’s not like it’s cut and dried; okay, next song.

AM         It’s a bit like that that Keith Richards quote that you don’t write songs, they’re just in the air and you have to pick them out.

BW         Well, he had a few.  We were talking earlier about Randy Friel, where the magic was happening.  If you like somebody and you surround yourself with good people, have a good time, pop open a beer, have some fun, do some writing and just let it go then you’re creating instead of just champing at the bit trying to put a song down to get it out there.  That’s what’s different about this album.  Not running out of time, just doing it.

AM         So is most of the material on the new album your own songs?

BW         Yes, it all is; no covers.

AM         That’s great, I’ll look forward to hearing it.  I understand there was some original financing on the project as well.

BW         We did the Kickstarter programme, which is a great, great programme not only for music but for all the arts; for people who want to put movies out or artists.  You’re preselling your album and offering alternatives and people really dig in to it and it’s great for the artist because they don’t always have the money upfront and it gives you the ability to create more instead of being held back financially.

AM         That’s great, thanks for your time Billy.

BW         Thank you.

And that should have been the end of it; get a few photos, have a couple of Buds and enjoy the bands for the rest of the night.  I’ve done a live review of the band already and I’ve seen them a couple of times so there’s no reason to do another review.  Okay, I was wrong; I’ve seen the Billy Walton Band twice doing support sets and tonight they’re headlining which is a whole new ball game.

The support band is The Stone Electric who play a steady opening set which brings to mind early 70s British bands like Free and Stone the Crows or, more currently, The Black Crowes and they feature the powerful voice of Noni Crow.  They get a fairly good response, and the audience are pretty nicely warmed up for the headliners.

The nucleus of BWB is Billy Walton and bass player and co-writer William Paris joined on this tour by drummer Simon Dring and tenor sax player Richie Taz and from the moment they take the stage it’s a bit like being hit by a hurricane.  We’re only halfway through the first song when Plus One makes the observation that Billy’s an incredible guitar player, which is an understatement if anything but I’ll come back to that later.

Billy and William have played together for several years now and could add any other competent musicians to the mix and it would work out pretty well.  This time, however, Simon Dring and particularly Richie Taz (who plays on Billy’s new album), add many different options to the usual BWB power trio set, including the opportunity to throw in a couple of Springsteen covers, “Badlands” and “Rosalita”.  For most bands these would be brave choices but the quality of the playing, particularly the interplay between guitar and tenor sax, is so good that the band produce stunning versions of these songs which have all the power of the E Street Band originals.

The set lasts for a couple of hours and is a mix of material from the new album, older Billy Walton originals and a few covers thrown in.  Although Billy Walton is a great rock player, he’s capable of a lot more besides;  the set tonight includes the live favourite “Soul Song”, the country blues of “Deal with the Devil” and the early Springsteen feel of “The Deal Went Down” (both from the new album) and the band sound tremendous in all of these styles.

What makes BWB so special live isn’t just the outstanding technical ability; the band know how to entertain and to sell the songs as well.  They play with a huge sense of enjoyment and aren’t afraid to inject a bit of humour into the show.  The solos and jams can lead anywhere; how about breaking into the Surfaris’ hit “Wipeout” or the “Peter Gunn” theme during a solo or throwing in a verse from The Who’s “Baba O’Reilly” in the middle of “Badlands”?  The band knows how to pace the set, picking the moments for the slower-paced material before building up a head of steam for a barnstorming finish and then it’s all over, leaving the band and the audience completely drained.

Do yourselves a favour and go out and see the Billy Walton Band next time they’re in the UK; I’ll even let you know when it is.  Any band that can make such a glorious noise with an audience of about 150 in a church hall in Whetstone deserves to reach a bigger audience.

AM - How did the European leg of your  tour go?

SSJ - Well, we missed our keyboard player, he had some family things, but Amsterdam was great .  The best part of Amsterdam is that The Paradiso’s a great venue.  We started off with the Solomon Burke stuff because I grew up with listening to that and some of the songs with the early band were Solomon Burke songs.  We started “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” and the audience started singing before I did and I thought “That’s great man” because it really felt like they were attuned to what we were doing and it was a great moment after Solomon had died a couple of days before in Schiphol airport (on the way to a show at The Paradiso).  Then the next night was good and the third night was a disaster.

AM - Is it a bit strange doing the London show so close to the start of the tour?

SSJ - No, you know it used to bother me, London, but we’ve done it enough times that at the end of the tour my voice is completely shot, so I’m glad to get it out of the way.  It is still a big thing, an important thing, for us because London is one of those places that you read about when you’re a kid and you can’t believe you’re actually there, but after this we go to Holmfirth and what could be more exciting than that?

AM - It’s a great gig venue, though because I saw you there a couple of years ago, without Jeff (Kazee, the Jukes keyboard player), as it happens.

SSJ - Yeah, it’s funny.  When we first went to Holmfirth I said “I’ve never heard of it”  and Graham (Jukes tour manager)  said “I don’t think I know it either”,  and he’s from up there.  We got on some country road to get there and we thought “This can’t be true” but it was a great gig; it’s a really fun place to play.

AM - They film a British TV series there.

SSJ - They used to.  “Last of the Summer Wine”.  Every time I say Holmfirth, people say that; that’s what it’s known for.

AM – What do you think makes Jukes fans so loyal?

SSJ -We’re honest. You know, when we had the bad night we were honest about it.  We screamed and yelled and broke things and the audience know it’s not going through the motions and I think they appreciate that in the sense that it is what it is on stage and it isn’t any phoney-baloney  stuff and if we’re really having a bad time I try to find some way through it with the anger and sometimes it leads to very interesting things.  And also, we try to do it differently every night; try to find different ways to get through.  And we’re good.

AM – The new album “Pills and Ammo” came out earlier this year and you’re playing quite a few songs from it on the tour.  How’s that going?

SSJ – Well, the thing is, when I started writing the album I really didn’t think about how it would translate live and then I listened to one song, I can’t remember which one it was, “One More Night to Rock”, maybe, and I thought “This is gonna go great live” and then when we went into rehearsal all of them sounded good and finally we got on stage and they all worked well because they’re all rock and roll songs and they’re much more instantly accessible, you know, and the aggression is there and the venting of the frustration that people are feeling about the economy, so it really worked out.  It was funny for me that almost all the songs work live and I don’t have to worry about it, I can throw them in anywhere.

AM – The album’s quite guitar-based, which is a bit novel for you.

SSJ – The funny thing is I wrote it with my keyboard player.  That’s why we brought in Andy York from John Mellencamp’s band because he’s such a great guitar player, real rock and roller, and between him and Bobby (Bandiera) the songs just took off on the ideas they were throwing at each other.

AM – That’s a very Rolling Stones thing isn’t it? At the time the Jukes were starting, the Stones were really doing the twin lead guitar thing.

SSJ – We listened to a lot of that stuff and I was trying to get some inspiration for what I wanted to do with the guitars and I went back to “Sticky Fingers” and The Faces and The Who and, just big guitar sounds.

AM – That’s got the guitar album out of the way.  Any plans yet for the next one?

SSJ – I have an acoustic album I’ve been writing for a few years;  just acoustic instruments, but that doesn’t preclude horns, it just means we won’t be big and bold, it’ll be more introspective but I don’t know if that’s the next one I’m gonna do; I have a couple of other ideas too.

AM – “Pills and Ammo” is  the 4^th studio album on your Leroy label.

SSJ – I wouldn’t know, I guess so.

AM – So how is it different; the way you work now compared to the late 70s and early 80s?

SSJ – Well, Stephen (Van Zandt) and I, when we were making records, the first three records, we did what we wanted to do but it was against some opposition but it was also sub rosa.  We wouldn’t let them hear anything, the record companies, and I kind of got into the idea that the less everybody knows, the better, except for the people that are making the music.  This way, I don’t have to hide anything; I do it at my pace, I get it to the point where I like it, I don’t worry about anybody criticising it from the interior and the people who I ask questions of, I trust.  So being your own record company is a great freedom in that it leaves you alone when you want it to and then I’ve got to be the president and figure out ways to promote it and do all that stuff.

AM – I noticed on this tour you’ve had a few planned and unplanned personnel changes.  How do you deal with that?

SSJ – Well, you know, our bass player John Conte’s out with some huge German rock star so Skip Ward has come in to play.  They learn the songs and we go through rehearsal but it’s more about gelling on stage and you have to let people make mistakes and find their own way through and you have to have patience, but you also have to trust in the music to and sometimes when you bring somebody new in it doesn’t work.  Jeff’s replacement is Bobby Lynch and he’s great and we’re always happy to have him.  I don’t know; the right people come in and you know it.  If the wrong person comes in, you also know it and you say it’s not working out and you try somebody else.

AM – That  leads me really neatly into the next question.  The guys are all phenomenal musicians.

SSJ – Yeah, they are really good.

AM – So how do you keep all that energy focussed and going in the right direction all the time?

SSJ – Physical threats.  No, I think they take the cue from me in that I really care about it and they really care about it.  You know, there are complacent acts on stage and the bands are happy to play if they like the music but  the fire isn’t there and I don’t know how to do it that way.  There’s nights I wish I could just sink back and relax but I’m just not that kind of person.  I really want to push it.  It’s not always the best thing, but there it is.

AM – Your voice, you’ve been singing for..

SSJ – 80 years..

AM – Over 35 years.  Do you do anything special to keep your voice in good shape because that’s a long time?

SSJ – Drink like a fish and sleep like a log.  No I don’t; I don’t do any exercises or anything like that.  I’ve never really had any vocal lessons and I’ve never figured any other way to do it than to just get up and do it.  My training was in pubs and bars for 30 years, so I know how to do that.

AM – A lot of musicians have passed through the revolving door of the Jukes..

SSJ – They sure have..

AM – Do you always try to make it a positive thing when that  happens?

SSJ – When they go?

AM – When somebody comes in to replace them.

SSJ – If they’re the right person, yeah, sure.  Of course I want them to bring in what they bring in and I want them to feel comfortable and I want them to have fun on stage;  that’s what it’s all about and I never have a problem with anybody leaving because I think if they’re going to what they think are greener pastures I want them to go.  I’m always into people finding other places, doing other things.  It can be painful, like Bobby.  I mean we miss Bobby, but he’s got things he wants to do and he’s working with Jon (Bon Jovi), which is a lot more money obviously, but also he has his own bands, 2 or 3 different type of bands in New Jersey so it’s what he wanted to do for a while.  I’m all for it, I don’t really have any problem with anybody trying out something else.

AM – From the message board on www.southsidejohnny.com there was a lot of really negative stuff when Joe ( Bellia, former Jukes drummer) left earlier this year. I guess the fans get to love the band.

SSJ – Yeah, and I love Joe too, but a change just had to be made, guys wear out in this band and sometimes they need some time off.  Bobby is another one, I mean he just couldn’t do it any more; he needed something different.

AM – And the final question, I’ve got to ask, how much of the set list do you think you’ll actually play tonight?

SSJ – We’ll play it all; just not in that order.  No, I don’t know, what’s the difference anyway?  Over the years you get to read an audience and read a night and you really do have to trust your judgement as to what should be the next song.  You sit down to write a set list but by the time you get to the fifth song, the mood might be different and you want to go with it.  And also it keeps the band on their toes, I mean it makes it so that they can’t just sit back; they’ve got to pay attention, which is important in this kind of music.  You’ve got to play to the music.

AM – Thanks for the interview and I hope the rest of the tour goes really well.

SSJ – My pleasure.

AM How’s the tour been so far?

BW Fantastic. There’s been a lot of people coming out and supporting live music; it’s been fantastic.

AM How many times have you visited the UK so far?

BW I’ve been over here myself about 10 times but this is our 6^th tour with the Billy Walton Band

AM And when will you be coming back again?

BW We’re coming back in May and we’ll try to come back as much as possible.

AM And is that doing the same kind of venues that you’re doing on this tour?

BW It’s a good mix; we’ve been working our way up the ladder.

AM Do you think that British crowds are pretty responsive to your material?

BW Very; they love their music. What’s cool about it is that they know what part of the country we’re from by the style of music we’re playing; it’s just amazing that they love the blues and rock that much, it’s a great thing.

AM For anyone who hasn’t seen or heard you, how would you describe the kind of stuff you play?

BW Well, it depends on the night, but basically we want to play and jam and do our solos but, more importantly, we want to have a good time. We want to make sure that everybody else has a smile on their face and they had a good time with rock ‘n’ roll because rock ‘n’ roll is fun.

AM Who would you say you’ve been influenced by musically?

BW That’s a good one. Musically, the list’s so long I don’t think we have enough memory on that thing.

AM How about some of the big influences?

BW OK, so we’ve got Johnny Winter, we’ve got Freddie King; I like Little Feat and of course my Jersey roots Southside (Johnny), Bruce and … there’s so many. That’s tough, that’s a good question.

AM It’s a bit like the impossible question “What’s your favourite song?” Do you mean, today, yesterday, 5 minutes ago?

BW The collection on my iPod is so wide that I can go from Louis Prima to Metallica; it’s not so much influence as what you like and it all influences you in the end, you know, if you hear it it’s always gonna be with you. Of course, Jimi Hendrix. How could I not say Jimi Hendrix; come on!

AM Great version of “Little Wing” tonight by the way.

BW Thank you.

AM How different is the discipline of working with your own band to playing with Southside Johnny?

BW That’s a good question too. With my own band, I have the responsibility of putting on a good show and making it happen, making sure everybody has a good time. With Southside it’s a little different; he’s legendary. He’s got these awesome songs, he’s got a fantastic band. He’s the best white soul singer I’ve heard in my life and on tour I got to hear him in my monitor right up close. He is by far the best soul singer I’ve ever worked with. You don’t know what you’re gonna get but it’s always a good time; guaranteed. And that’s a Jersey thing, I don’t think I’ve ever walked out of the Stone Pony without a smile on my face because it’s fun, everybody has fun there.

With Southside it was great, learning the parts and seeing how a master can work a crowd and change an audience the way he does. At the end of a show to see these people, their reactions, it’s a wonderful thing.

AM And finally, I heard a rumour that on New Year’s Eve at the Count Basie Theatre , the Billy Walton Band became the only support band ever to get a standing ovation there. What was that like?

BW That was fantastic. Everybody was there to have a good time, to bring in the New Year and we had a great time. It’s a wonderful organisation; the theatre’s fantastic, the people were there and it’s not just us. We were feeding off a crowd of people that were surrounding us and it was going to be a good night.

AM From the pictures I’ve seen on our website it looks like you had a little bit of help from some of The Jukes.

BW Yeah Joey (Stann, tenor sax) came out to jam with us. It was the same thing the other night, the gig before we left, at the Stone Pony with Jeff Kazee. Southside was backstage and we said “Wanna come up and jam with us?”, so he came and played harmonica with us.

AM It strikes me that they’re a very supportive group of people.

BW Yeah, it’s a great community and I’m lucky enough to be involved with it.

AM Thank s Billy.

BW Thank you.

The idea behind it is that it’s back to the blue print that we had for the first record, but it’s more straight forward and it’s simpler. And it’s played harder and faster and it’s louder than our previous albums.

How would you describe your style and who are your influences?

The fundamental elements of what we do are four part harmony punk rock band, where the live show depends on a lot of energy and a lot of crowd participation. As far as influences go, we put the band together in the beginning, because we loved the likes of Wire and The Clash and all that sort of post punk stuff. Now, because that’s all in your DNA, you get more influences from a story you read in the newspaper or a person you meet at a show.

You’re under your own record label now, is this a welcome change for you?

Yeah, it’s the best thing we’ve ever done, because it’s fifty percent less people who come and steal the rider at the end of the day! Truthfully ever musician is a control freak and it’s easier to keep an eye on things when you’re on the label.

Would you ever take new bands under the label?

I think we could if we wanted to, but the whole idea of us doing it is to gain control and we wouldn’t really want to be the boss of anyone else. I know other bands do it but it’s not really for us.

Are you proud of your Sunderland roots, and are there any up and coming bands from the area you think are ones to watch out for?

We’re massively proud of our roots. Sunderland hasn’t really got an enormous heritage of Indie rock bands, but there was a healthy scene when we were starting out and I think there is once again now. I live in Newcastle now, Barry lives in Glasgow, but the other two guys are still living there, and we still rehearse there. There’s a band on tonight actually from the North East, not too far from Sunderland, called Love Bites and Bruises, who are a big tip for next year from me for sure.

After a two year break from the UK charts, how does it feel to be back in the spotlight?

Nice, because we didn’t expect it this time. We made a record off the radar and expected it to stay that way. We would have been happy if we could have been self sufficient, just doing our own thing and existing in our own world, but it is really nice to be in the charts and have people coming to see your shows – its mega.

With this being your third album, do you think it’s a make or break situation for the band?

Well it was at the time of making it. I think we knew if we messed this record up then we probably wouldn’t make another one, not because the industry wouldn’t allow it, but because there’s only so many mistakes you can make as a four piece before you all start hating each other. But things are good at the moment, I think we’ve learnt a lot over the years, and we’re closer now than we ever have been.

Do you have any personal favourite songs from the new album?

‘Beginning of the Twist’ is my favourite song because it’s come to symbolize an awful lot for us.

How has your winter tour gone so far, are you enjoying it?

Yeah, we’ve only played a handful of shows over here so far because we’re on the back of our European tour; it feels like we’re two thirds of the way through an extremely long tour. We live for touring and it’s the most enjoyable part of doing this. The studio is just kind of a means to an end really.

Have you played in Cardiff before? Also which city in the UK has the best crowds?

Well we’ve played the Cardiff Student Union Great Hall a couple of times, and we’ve played at Barfly a couple of times years ago, but we’ve never played at Sub 29 before. I don’t know, the UK is an odd one, because every major city has an equally good audience. Sometimes you can be surprised when you go to a smaller town and the kids there are so hungry for a show that they just go nuts. We played at Whitehaven in Cumbria a few nights ago, and we were dreading it beforehand because we were wondering how it was gonna go, but the audience were crazy, it was more mad than we’ve ever had. It’s unpredictable really.

When the band first started did you ever think you’d reach this level of fame?

No not at all, we started the band as a hobby, with just the hope of playing a few local shows, and we had no idea that we’d end up doing it seven years later.

You’ve recently toured the US – How did your American fans compare to your British fans?

Good, we did a lot of touring in America with the first two records, and not so much on this one because we did Europe a lot more. We were in America in June, and it was nice to get back out there, it felt like people had been waiting for us, which for your ego is a really healthy thing, it’s flattering.

Your cover of ‘Hounds of Love’ has been a huge success for you; do you ever get sick of being asked to play it?

No, because I remember going to see Pulp at Leeds festival one year, and them not playing ‘Common People’ and their other hits, and I remember being really annoyed. If you pay good money to see a band and they don’t play their hit songs, then it’s a rip off frankly. We’ve got enough songs now to vary our set lists, but there are a few that we’ll always play.

And finally, where would you like to be in ten years time – still in the music industry?

I’d like to still be a musician, and I’d like to still be in this band with these individuals, we’re really close. If I wasn’t doing this then I’d have absolutely nothing to do with the music industry, it’s quite hideous actually.

Tell us a little bit about each of you.

Tim: My name is Tim Sensation, I have my parents to thank for that. I sing in Kill Cassidy and am half of the song-writing team.

Martino: My name is Martino. I play the guitar in Kill Cassidy and am the other half of the songwriting team. I am 6′ 4″. I like long walks, reading, European cinema, drinking till I’m drunk and talking about the universe and most of all going somewhere ordinary and listening to music that makes it feel unusual. Cat-lover, GSOH etc, etc…

What’s the story behind the name?

M: Simply put, it’s the title of a song from a long lost band, who were gigging friends a few Summers ago!!

How did you start as Kill Cassidy and when?

M: It’s been an ongoing project since the  end of my last band XisLOADED.

T: We basically met through an ad in the window of a boutique famed for its 50′s cocktail dresses…

What/Who are your influences for your music?

T: We’ve always tried to create engaging apocalyptic soundscapes within a pop format. Our joint influences are  those who push boundaries but we like to keep people engaged with our music and not turn them off with meandering self-indulgence.

You’ve got some great tracks – how come you haven’t been signed yet?

T: Thank you! Kill Cassidy began as a songwriting project and having played some shows this Spring and Summer, we are now ready to turn it into a full band.

M: We are currently looking for the right people to complete the line-up. It could be you – if you play bass or drums, contact killcassidy@yahoo.com and let us know a little bit about you.

How long have you been gigging?

T: We’ve been road-testing a live set since May.

M: We had really good responses at Dot to Dot Festival in Nottingham/Bristol and have been lucky enough to share stages with Joyzipper, Make Model, The Corrections and Red Light Company amongst others already. We’re looking forward to getting out and playing live again as soon as our line-up is complete.

Can you give us a rundown of the two Kill Cassidy tracks that we will be hearing on the podcast.

LEAVE THE STARS
T: It’s basically my observations on the faddish nature of our views on popular culture and I’d been listening to a lot of Prince at the time.

M: I wanted to take quite an uplifting but slow, atmospheric guitar hook and see if I could match it with a more groove-ridden backbeat for the verses.

EVERYTHING MY WAY
T: The idea behind EMW came from this cascading guitar and and vocal melody – that’s the verse by the way. Everything else just kinda fell into place pretty quickly after that.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Now let me see… I was born and grew up in Norfolk. I’m a huge fan of the countryside and the coast which Is why i suppose, things didnt work out so well for me in London this year. I moved to the big city after graduating to try to gig as much as possible and make a name for myself.

I did play a lot of gigs and think it came to about 60 gigs from October to October. I’m a hard worker and I’m always writing wherever I go. I’ve moved back to Norwich now and intend to try to build a solid following of likeminded people whilst still keeping links with London and other regions.

How long have you been making music?

I began playing and singing at uni in York. There was a cool little open-mic night every other Thursday and eventually i did pluck up the courage to go and play a song. The support i found while I was at university was tremendous and i couldn’t imagine a better start or more supportive people to be around.

How did you start as a solo artist and when?

From that open-mic night a guy offered me a gig in a local pub and it just went from there. I’ve always gigged under the name Jess Morgan and i suppose things just started to take off for me. I lived in halls a few doors down from another student called Nick who helped me make my first recording.

I do listen back and cringe at those songs now for sure but i remember thinking at that time that for once in my life something really did fit and i’d found something that I was, or had the potential to be good at.

What/Who are your influences for your music?

I was brought up listening to some great music. My mum and dad love their music and have pretty eclectic tastes which was an advantage for me growing up. They introduced me to some of the greatest vocalists around like Tina Turner, Paul Rodgers, Seal, Canned Heat, Stevie Nicks, Annie Lennox and so many more. When I decided I was interested in lyrics, I found there was plenty in their collection to pinch and I was particularly taken with bands like Del Amitri, Deacon Blue, The Robert Cray Band, Fleetwod Mac, Thin Lizzie, Cream, Dexys Midnight Runners and loads more… These days I tend to make a bee line for singer songwriters which seems a bit lazy and i’m always telling myself to broaden my horizons!

You’ve got some great tracks – how come you haven’t been signed yet?

Its a competative industry and it isn’t the same as it used to be. I’ve done a lot of sending out demos to the labels and even met with a few. I think its hard if you happen to lack resources. If the industry was all about the songs and little else then i think it would be a lot different and there would be a lot more scope for singer songwriters such as myself.

Image and potential to be commercial seem like they’re higher up the priorities list as far as the big labels are concerned. I’m talking with a small label in Norwich about trying out a release with them and seeing what kind of a response we get.

How long have you been gigging?

Been gigging a few years now. Will be on a short 6 day tour in October coming to the isle of Wight, London, Norwich, Sheffield, Coventry and Glasgow see myspace or jessmorgan.co.uk for deets.

So, who are you?
My name is Gordon Grahame and I make records as Lucky Jim as well as under my own name.

What’s the story behind the name?
Lucky Jim was actually originally a combination of my self as writer and singer and Ben Townsend as Producer.

I am originally from Edinburgh, but met Ben in Brighton and made our first album “Our Troubles End Tonight” and soon signed to Dance Label Skint Records – not one of my better ideas.

I’ve made three albums under the Lucky Jim name. I’ve had some success in Germany and got a break by having the song “You’re Lovely To Me” on an advert for bread last year.

Lucky Jim was something I used as an expression rather than something I took from the Kingsly Amis novel. I just wanted something memorable

What/Who are your influences for your music?
My influences are pretty huge. I’m always getting compared to Dylan but I like all of the 60′s – 70′s songwriters eg Cohen, Young, Buckley, Hardin Van Zandt, Mitchell( Joni) etc

After that I’m all over the place – AC DC, the Velvets, Frank Sinatra…

You’ve got some great tracks – and i see you are signed – what’s the plan for global musical domination?
I’ll just do what I always have done. My latest record is a departure from the roots sound – it’s more slick and has more of a Jazz Soul feel.

I’ve been gigging for a long time. It’s depressing actually – I just applied for a busking license cause I’m so
skint (no pun).

So as far as world domination is concerned…

Can you choose your two favourite Lucky Jim tracks and tell us about them
Off the top of my head I’d say my current favourite tracks are “Don Quixote” which is about the end of a relationship from the point of view of a hopeless romantic and “Let It Come Down” which is about looking for the One and believing they could be anywhere in the entire world.

Check out his MySpace and support this artist.

So, who are you?
Neil Sharkey, a.k.a. Looptron. Who the f**k are you? And what the f**k are you doing in my house?!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m 180 centimetres tall, weigh 75 kilograms, I’m an Aries, my favourite colour is blue and I have a morbid fear of that nasty fake tomato sauce you get on baked beans and spaghetti hoops.

What’s the story behind the name?
It’s a sad tale of rejection. We were trying to think of catchy, one-word names for the “proper” band I play with (which ended up being called Moeker – www.moeker.com) and I was putting together random bits of words to try an make something unique and it just sort of popped out. I suggested it to the band and they all hated it. I still kinda liked it and craftily purchased the web domain name, you know, just in case. There’s something deliciously 80s and cheesy about “Looptron”. It sounds like it should be a delay pedal.

How did you start as Looptron and when?
The original idea to indulge in some loop-based disco guitar madness struck on a plane en route to Hong Kong about four years ago. In Moeker I’d always gone for quite electronic or synthetic processed guitar sounds with lots of delay and filters and crap like that, plus I’d just picked up this Roland groovebox thing and a shedload of cheap effects pedals off eBay and it seemed like a natural extension of what I was already doing. Combine that with the oddly appropriate web address I already owned and that was it! When I got back to Blighty it all sort of fell into place, I started experimenting and demoing some tracks and then… nothing. The band got busy doing a record, most of the gear got consigned to crates when I moved house and the whole thing was promptly forgotten.

Then, early in 2007, Moeker took a break which coincided with my purchase a shiny new laptop so I decided to persue Looptron in earnest again, but this time doing everything in software. I’m now convinced it’s the only way to fly – you can be infinitely creative because you’re no longer bound by how things can be physically hooked up. The resulting experimental tracks I posted on the website, largely for my own amusement and the whole thing just simmered away in the background until I got my first gig.

What/Who are your influences for your music?
I think my main tactical advantage is being extremely ignorant when it comes to electronic music. Every noise I make with a synthesiser still tends to be exciting and inspiring to me so I don’t worry about trying to break new ground all the time and just get on with enjoying playing the music – something that was happening less when playing the guitar. Looptron seems to have drawn occasional Krautrock comparisons so I should probably mention Kraftwerk or Tangerine Dream or something at this point but, frankly, that would be a Big Fat Lie. Mind you, as a result of the comparisons I’m currently getting exposure to all sorts of wonderful 70s and 80s electronic music that was previously missing from my collection.

In truth, though, I mostly steal the disco stuff from Kylie records.

You’ve got some great tracks, how come you are unsigned?
I’m a control freak. My studio set up is minimal but ideal for what I’m attempting and I’d gain very little advantage from a record company paying an advance for me to go to a “proper” studio. It seems better to not be in debt to them, keep all your publishing and sound recording copyrights and decide yourself how to get it out there. If it’s a coherent set of tunes like the “Obsolete Before You Start” EP I personally think it’s worth taking the extra time and effort and packaging that up into a more traditional CD release and selling it as such. These days, companies like CD Baby make it easy for anyone to that relatively inexpensively. If it’s a more of a random quick and dirty tune that works fine on it’s own then just bung it on the website and let it drive traffic to the site – in the long run the exposure is actually worth more than it’s weight in shiny gold rocks.

Of course, that’s not to say that if someone out there wants to license the Looptron recordings for distribution and give me a fat marketing budget I’d say no. I just suspect the only way to really make it big in this increasingly uncertain industry is to get out there and play live. A lot.

How long have you been gigging?
As Looptron? Only since mid 2007. I’d been getting my gigging fix as emergency backup guitarist with a rather fetching electro band named Cassette Electrik (myspace.com/cassetteelectrik) but at almost the same moment as they decided they didn’t actually need a guitarist I got a call with an offer of a gig. For some reason I said “yes, I’ll do it,” despite only having a small collection of experimental songs under my belt. Cue the most panicked month of my life figuring out how the hell I was going to make any of them work live!

So I ended up writing and rehearsing the majority of the set for that gig from scratch, forcing myself to work with the a limited set of software based drum machines, synthesisers and guitar FX models as if I had a physical pile of kit to play with. Most of it is done on the fly by sampling performance and looping it, and even the more pre-programmed elements like the drum loops have a certain degree of randomness applied to them live. It’s actually impossible play it exactly the same way twice so as a performer you’re forced to react a bit differently every time – something i think that missing from a lot of “live” electronic music. That basic rig is also now the basis for pretty much all the Looptron stuff written since.

Can you choose your two favourite Looptron tracks and tell us about them.
Hello, My Name Is Looptron – first track I wrote for the first gig, it was never intended to be anything more elaborate than an intro but it just grew. This one really never, ever comes out the same way twice. Live it’s all done with simulated tape loops which is pretty apt, given the name. The EP version, for reasons no-one quite understands, has an E-Bowed trio of electric guitars on it which is something you don’t hear every day.

Smile / Obsolete [slight return] – this song is almost obscenely good fun to play live, and it also runs through just about every trick in the Looptron Operations Manual – there’s tape looped guitars and vocals, vocoders pretending to be backing singers, random beat-sliced fills happening on drums that are mostly recycled from other songs on the EP, synth parts that get assembled in stages over the course of the song…you name it. Just showing off, really.

Check out his MySpace and support this artist.

If you want to help get this to number 1 then you have today and tomorrow to buy the single, from iTunes, etc. or as an old-fashioned limited edition 7-inch. Go to Malcolm’s Myspace for more links. And you can find out a bit more of why Malcolm is doing this when we got the chance to pose him a few questions.

What was the initial impetus behind the song?

“I wanted to destroy Xmas. Or rather X-factor-mas. Life and culture in Britain today has become really, really rubbish. We are all going to die, people should be aware of this. It’ll help them live in the Now more.”

Why and when did you decide to go for the xmas number 1?

“It started as a joke, then people started to take it seriously, now I am taking it seriously. No one really cares though, people have the option to change things this year but apathy is still stopping them from buying it. Mums, Grans and kids are sleepwalking into the supermarkets to buy Leon, and the people who care about music are being vastly outnumbered.”

Do you have a favourite xmas song?

“The Shakin’ Stevens one.”

Do you really think you have a chance getting to number 1? Or the top ten?

“No, No.”

Considering the content, what was it like recording this song with a kids choir?

“It was great, we all had a laugh. Kids are probably more aware than adults about these sorts of things. It’s only when we get older that we start to cling to our material possessions and false values. They sang with glee. Funny how no one seems to bat an eye when kids sing hymns and carols full of myth and lies, but ask them to sing straight fact and then all the fingers wag.”

Buy the single, make Malcolm merry… or something near to that.

Here is the official video for the song.
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So who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Charlie-Sloth, I am a musician from Camden Town-London. I have been making Hip-Hop for nearly 9 years, I’ve worked with some of the finest artists the World of Hip-Hop has produced.

I produce all my own material and make all my own videos, from writing the treatments to directing the video right down to the edit I’m really self -sufficient. Everybody tells me I’m the best rapper in the UK. World hip-hop publication ‘The Source’ recently said I’m “One of UK’s finest”.

I also recently won an Award @ the Cravefest Awards in Canada – I won Most Original Video for my “Guided tour of Camden” video. I make GOOD honest music – every track i make carries a
piece of my soul!!

What’s the story behind the name?
Sloth has been my nickname since i was like 13, it was one of those names that stuck. I just could not lose it – at first i hated it..(I won’t say how i got the name hahah) but then i embraced it and become Sloth – don’t get it twisted I’m NOT LAZY! I just like to sit down a lot.

How did you start as Charlie Sloth and when?
Well I started rapping on Pirate Radio Stations in London in 1999. That was my first major foot in the door, back then everybody would slag me off and say how awful I was but the guy who owned the Radio station had faith in me and would always back me – even though I was pretty wack – but I think he saw my passion – “Thanks Bossman”

Oh and all you dudes who used to say I’m wack please stop myspace messaging me… I don’t wanna collab! hahahah

What/Who are your influences for your music?
I have too many musically to create a shortlist. I’m a fan of good music, regardless of genre. Obviously my main forte is Hip-Hop but so many artist’s music has been a big influence on my sound.

You’ve got some great tracks – how come you haven’t been signed yet?
Thank you – I often ask myself the same question..i have had loads of offers but none have been suitable-I have several deals on the table at the moment-I guess I’m just waiting for the the right deal to come along-I’m not afraid of going the independent route!!!

I think I’ve had a MASSIVE independent year….I’ve done a track with all the UKRAP Legends which got played all over the country…I Won an AWARD in canada (The first uk rapper to do this)…..Then I got bigged up by the worlds biggest Hip-Hop publication ‘The Source’ (Also the first UK artist to be blogged by them) . I’ve done tracks with the likes of hip-hop legend ‘Craig G’ and I’m getting more radio play then MOST signed UK urban acts and I haven’t even released my CD yet…….. Why ain’t i signed???

How long have you been gigging?
Ive been gigging for 8 years…

Can you choose your two favourite Charlie Sloth tracks and tell us about them.
Wow..this is a hard one… I’ve got over 200 hundred tracks so picking two is like taking me to the pic ‘n’ mix factory and saying I’m only allowed two sweets!!!

Track one-COME ON BACK TO ME-This is a metaphorical track,you really need to listen to this one right to end to grasp it…. you can watch the video for this on my myspace page-I hope it makes you think.

Track two-SLOW DOWN-

This track tells you the story of a inner city youth who strives to be known as the “bad man” in his area – it’s a story of the vicious circle of violence and drugs – a circle which traps so many of todays youth.