Saturday 22 November 2014

Interview: Robbie Boyd


Following the release of his acclaimed debut album 'So Called Man' Robbie Boyd is set to release his single 'Brave' on the 7th December. Tying in with the breezy optimism of his album, 'Brave' has reached the ears and received the praise of Radio 2 and 6 Music due to it's quintessentially folk, home-spun sound.
Robbie was kind enough to give me a quick low-down on his single and his career so far.




You learnt your trade by busking in major cities such as London and Paris. Do you take anything from these experiences to put into your live sets or even your songwriting?


'Absolutely, when you play songs in their raw form on the street, you discover which ones have the immediate effect of grabbing people’s attention as well as feeling which new songs you get the most enjoyment out of playing. Another thing you really learn is stagecraft and how to refine it – how to grab an audience and keep them there, whether you’re doing your own material or covers. If 10 people are playing ‘Imagine’, you need your version to stand out. From the start, I often made more money playing my own music, which gave me even more belief to carry on. I’ve had many interesting experiences with passersby on the streets, including one whose words of encouragement were “they want to see you have your face in the dirt!” - so I used that as inspiration for one of my songs. I have many other references to my busking experiences in my work.'


Alongside many other of your tracks, 'Brave' enjoys much positivity. Is this a theme you deliberately stick to or does the optimism flow naturally in your songwriting?

'It’s not really a conscious thing, it’s where I go when I write and I like to approach many difficult subjects with a sense of positivity. The world can be a very difficult, lonely place and we are told about it a lot in the media, so to say a few good things, and to say that this world is also a place of great kindness and beauty once in a while, can only be a good thing, I reckon.'








You've worked alongside Ray Davies, did he share with you any words of wisdom?


'Writing a song with Ray Davies was one of the most wonderful and surreal moments of my life. He taught me how to really hone my lyrics and about the power of imagination using fictional or real life characters in my stories. The song we wrote together is called ‘Modern Man’. I wrote another song called ‘Front Page News’ which is all about my encounter with him, and also has references to my busking days. Ray also recommended I keep as much control over my songs for as long as possible.'

How does it feel to know you're marked in history as the first ever Brit to perform on the O2 Arena?
'Epic. I’m very proud of all my achievements and that’s definitely up there, pun intended. My next goal is to perform on the main stage!'


'So Called Man' is available to purchase now on iTunes with 'Brave' set for release on 7th December 


Sunday 2 November 2014

Music...Will Outlive Anyone Or Anything: Interview with Bloom Twins


Anya and Sonya Kuprienko AKA the captivating dark pop duo Bloom Twins are not just your standard teenage pop stars. The Ukrainian identical twins channel their boundless energies into their world of music and high fashion, finding inspiration along the way. I mentioned before how seeing Bloom Twins perform was an hypnotising  experience and so I decided it was time to catch up with the sisters on their career so far.

The music and fashion industry are two of the most notoriously difficult worlds to break into and gaining a foothold in either isn't the easiest task in the world, yet the girls are conquering both after taking the dramatic leap of leaving their small town outside of Kiev for the sprawling lights and hectic pace of London.  "It totally was a big leap for both of us." They explain "But we've always dreamt about it. Something we always wanted. And we are very lucky it happened this early in our lives. We were just babies in Love with British music, our parents introduced us to it. We naturally began to get hungry for music and started to discover lots of different instruments, but that wasn't enough. And than we met our manager, who suggested we move to London. And that was a step closer to our dreams." However it was a quintessentially British artist that may have had a sub-conscious effect on the decision. "Our main influence was the legend of music - Paul McCartney. Our parents know all Beatles songs by heart. And our childhood was drenched in an ocean of Paul's McCartney songs."



As diverse as London is a city, an eclectic mix of various backgrounds, there is still no escaping cultural contrasts. However for Anya and Sonya, what could result in home-sickness, they have turned into inspiration for their songwriting. "When we first arrived to London, we were very hypnotized by its beauty. We found it very different from our home-country. It was like being on a different planet. And the city inspired us to write our first song "She's not me". 

It's not unusual in the fashion world for models to try their hands at a career in music once contracts become short supply (a record deal being one one of the prizes on America's Next Top Model) or even music artists becoming more known for the clothes they wear rather than the tracks they put out. However for Bloom Twins the two industries are not mutually exclusive, nor a back-up plan. Having graced the pages of Vogue Italy, Russia and Ukraine, music and fashion reflect one another for the duo. "Busy life is a happy life. Yes, music and fashion go hand in hand. They are very connected to each other, just like my sister and I. There is no life for us without music, and fashion helps us to show our personalities, we would say fashion is the way our music looks" Together in front of the camera, together behind the mic, do they ever drive one another mad? "We would lie, if we would say we don't drive each other nuts, sure we do, but that's healthy. We share all kinds of emotions with each other: Love, happiness, anger, sadness. Literally everything. Every one of her mistakes is mine, and an other way around. We're kind of prepared to be in marriage. We think we can overcome anything. And the good thing about having a twin is that sometimes we don't need words. We understand each other without them."


What do the girls think of each other?
Sonya: (Anya is) a mathematician in music
Anya: she's not me 

Last summer the world was united in grief and sadness when the commercial flight Malaysia Airlines jet MH17 crash landed - possibly shot down - with no survivors. The disaster came in the wake of civil unrest that has been boiling over in Ukraine due to the conflict of the country's standing with the EU and Russia. Last February Kiev saw their most violent day in over 70 years as fighting took place between police and protesters in Independence Square.  Watching the crisis unfold in their homeland while thousands of miles away in London, Anya and Sonya knew that they could not remain silent on the issue. What emerged was a haunting cover of Bob Marley's peace loving 'Get Up Stand Up', using previously unseen footage which was unable to emerge into the media as the accompanying video. "Firstly, we were in London, and watching what was happening was not easy. It moved us in every way. There was pride and sorrow mixed in one. We wanted to support people of Ukraine who wanted the change and hence the words "Get up, stand up for your right, don't give up the fight" were the perfect choice."Explaining the intentions behind the music video "It always helps to know that someone supports you. And that you are not alone. One other reason was that our society strives on appetite for immediacy. What's on the tabloids today is nowhere to be found tomorrow. But what happened in Ukraine - is shaping the history. We can't let it be forgotten. And music and authentic footage will outlive anyone or anything."  So how powerful a tool is music in getting a message across? "In our opinion music is one of the most powerful tools that exists. It's a language everyone speaks. It's so powerful and can really make a difference in a world. It can touch your consciousness. Anyone can relate to it, regardless of religion, skin colour, political view, or orientation. It cures people. Nordoff Robins transforms lives. And if we will manage to somehow make any difference in someone's live through it - then we certainly won the biggest prize."



The Bloom Twins debut EP was due for release earlier this year, but due to setbacks the twins have been unable to return to London in order to pursue its release. It's not the only plan they have for when they arrive back however. "First of all, we will buy soya late at a coffee shop. Cause we really miss it and we don't have it in Ukraine. Than we will see Lenka- our manager, and than the best of all- we'll get back to performing, recording, and we can't wait to release our long awaited EP that was pushed back due to visa issues. We miss performing so much. It's an addiction one can't cure."

Hopefully it won't be too long a gap before the duo do make it back to London, with their down to earth, bubbly personalities coupled with a steely ambition, it's an exciting wait to find out what the emerging EP will have in store.