Plug of the week goes to the very amazing Ideals. A not entirely selfless plug, I admit, since we are quite involved. Ideals have been sharing stages with Pete Doherty and The Automatic. That’s not one band, mind. Although it could, on paper, be a cool little covers outfit.
Ideals have just been on a Fierce Panda compilation, there’s new single coming out soon and a fine fine tour, too.
With the squash season about to end I’m happy to report that my tenure as Club No 1 started well. I believe I won more than lost. Didn’t suffer one humiliating defeat. Administered one or two of those myself. Our last match is next week. You are, of course, welcome to buy tickets to the show. £8 on the door, £5 with a flyer…. if you’re a sports manager with great contacts in the squash business or a potential sponsor, I think I can put you on the guestlist. I am kidding… But hey, I’m always being asked to go to gigs that are, in all probability, way less entertaining than my squash matches.
We bought a very nice, and expensive, new toy to the studio. It’s a …. it’s a… this is the trouble with writing a blog. You just start to ramble and then… you get stuck. Especially as I’ve only just had my first cup of coffee this fine morning. I can’t for the life of me remember the make, the model or what it actually does. It’s a preamp compressor sortathing. Sounds great when sung through.
I will join in the BBC 6Music debate: a few weeks ago we were guests at the Beeb, at an AIM sponsored event designed to get indie labels closer to radio people. At the meeting various dudes from the top of the food chain at the BBC came in to testify how much independent music meant to them and their corporation and how proud and passionately committed they were to independent music and the great BBC stations and programs that broadcast it. I should have known. Whenever you hear someone in a position of power say that they are “passionately committed” to something, you know the game is up.
There is some good news from radio land… Esteban’s single She Goes Out is being played on many a station up and down the country. Violet Bones’ single I Feel The Need is getting good support. The Brays are Virgin’s house band of the moment. I guess we’re doing something right.
On that happy note, come see The Do Or Dies at the Water Rats this Saturday 13th March. They are a great band with whom we had the pleasure to work recently. We did this with them:
We had the absolute pleasure to work with Peterborough’s finest, The Brays, on their new single, This Is It Now. They are a lovely bunch of guys. Never has the “Farm piano seen so much singalong action than at their session.
Another fine AIM sponsored event hit London town this week gone. AIM, of course, is the umbrella organisation for indie labels, of which we are part. They hold networking events for owners of indie labels. I go to a fair few. It’s good to mingle. This week’s episode was about synching music to ads, film, TV and whanot.
Running an indie label? Ever get that sinking feeling…? It got me a laugh or two on the night.
Very excellent presentations on how the synching thing works. A lot of times, it would appear, deals get done because a deal has to get done by end of play Friday. Those who are quick to clear the rights get the deals. Puts an indie in an advantageous position over a major. We may not have Coldplay, but we can clear our shit quicker than the major can call everyone whose permission is needed at their end. Makes sense.
In a world where top down advertising, like TV ads and passive ads in the press, is losing its effectiveness advertisers are increasingly looking for ways to create daily on-line experiences around their brands. It’s much like a band is deemed to have to blog incessantly about what it’s doing. So do brands have to create a daily, personal relationship with their customers. In doing all this, they need lots of music. New music. Now. All the time. They need new things to tie in with what they’re doing. That’s where indies can come in, providing music, band tie ins and so on.
Of course, with so much great music being made all the time the chances of getting heard are slim and none. And Slim is outta town…
The good news is that people are listening, contantly searching for new sounds and vibes. G-g-g-get out and push!
There was a listening session during which a panel of music supervision experts listened to and commented on a selection of tunes submitted by my fellow AIM members. The idea put forward was that there is no such thing as “really well synchable music”. Anything is synchable, as long as the circumstances are right.
It’s like this: all ideas are good. It’s just a matter of timing and circumstances. So, you’ve been on tour for 12 weeks. The money’s been good and you’ve got a few days off. At that point it’s perfectly acceptable to exclaim with all possible gusto “let’s hire a convertible, buy some acapulco shirts and hit the road with a bunch of loose women and a trunk full of good gear”. The idea will get a great reception. If it won’t, perhaps it’s time to reconsider the other guys’ attitudes.
But if you’re sitting in an accountancy meeting at 10.30 am on a Monday, this idea is unlikely to get a favourable reception. Then again, your accountant may be a drug crazed party animal. In which case, you may have an answer as to why your finances are suffering.
Back to music.
We heard some very cool music. I got this feeling that there are very cool labels out there putting out all this wonderful great eclectic music. They sure as hell won’t get played on R1, but it’s all legit stuff. We, here at the ‘Farm, tend to like artists that write current, edgy popular music. I’m a big fan of old obscure Cuban stuff and, for example, Django Reinhardt’s work, but I’m not that keen on putting that kind of music out. I like to live in the modern domain.
But these labels who put out all these spectacular rarities are doing good biz in the synch game. I occurred to me that there really is a market for everything out there. You’ve just got to find your niche. For instance, if you like doing jazzy piano ballads, what is the point of complaining that Camden indie venues don’t want to give you gigs? No shit, Sherlock! Consider going to a wine bar, maybe a hotel lobby. Tell them that you should be doing a residency, playing a selection of fine tunes in that genre. Slip in originals. If they’re any good, they will go unnoticed. If they stick out like a sore thumb, maybe you should write some better tunes before inflicting them on the buying public.
Similarly, if your music doesn’t fill a need at commercial radio, why hire a plugger to try and get it in there? Why not look for alternative means of getting your wares heard? They exist.
It was quite an exciting evening, actually. Eye opening, one might say. My favourite bit was when this Amerian dude on the panel talked about his work in creating soundtracks for video games. He said that he will pay around $3-5k for an unknown rock band, but to get Van Halen will cost him ten times as much. At the mention of the name, I let out a subtle ”whoa!”. People around me looked at me with confusion. Later on, when it was time to mingle, I approached the guy thanking him for mentioning the mighty VH. Turned out he was a massive fan. We bonded heavily, talking about deep cuts off the second album. Again, people around me looked on with confusion.
Esteban’s new single is gathering airplay across the island.
Peace and Love.
V.
PS. I think I’m personally responsible for a small yet quantifiable resurgence in the popularity of squash. I bang on about how great the game is to everyone I meet. Lo and behold, I’ve been receiving messages from people in my life saying that they’ve taken up the greatest game known to man. Well done! Rock!
PSS. Most of the people I come into daily contact with are involved in the art or business of making music. So, it was very funny when the other day I came into contact with someone who was an engineer in the metal industry. I asked him which metal bands he engineers for. The look of confusion on his face was priceless.
The excellent news is that Violet Bones, fresh from being No. 1 on the Play.com pre-order chart, release their debut single this week. Produced by us. Championed by BBC Introducing in Cambridge. Enjoyed on tour by the mighty New York Dolls. Roll the bones! See them on tour on the following dates - more are being added due to popular demand!!!
The other week we produced a single for Ideals, a young bunch of men from Ipswich, residing in London. The guys have been appearing on stage with Pete Doherty recently. This project and others are a new joint venture we’re doing with Manic Vision. Exciting times! See Ideals on tour…
A strange thing happened at Club (my squash club, referred to locally only as Club, as it is in the grounds of Blackheath Rugby Club, the oldest in the country), namely that I realised I’ve got a lot better at playing squash. A lot fitter, too. We have these Sunday morning training sessions where a pro player comes in to coach a few of us. A lot of intense running around. Muscles burn and lungs rasp… Anyhow, we were doing a series of court sprints and I discovered that it wasn’t the killer it used to be. That I could push myself further than before. I’ve also been pleased to note that recently I’ve been making the ball go where I want it to go. Progress comes in little bursts, innit?
Mat and I had a discussion about technique. What is it, how does it manifest itself? A good way to explain it is that you have good technique when you make mistakes only when you want to. If you consider drumming, for instance, good technique in drumming isn’t only about having the skill to execute flashy, complicated fills. It’s about being able to lay down a steady, straight beat without messing up.
I heard this story about Prince rehearsing his band. They’re all top level musicians and the keyboardist was playing two parts with his hands, singing harmonies and working the footpedals. LOTS to think about. When they got it all to work, Prince says: Now, let’s work on the choreography…
I had a particularly nice time in Northampton, of all places, checking Judy Mooch, Twelve Titans and Esteban this weekend. They played at Roadmenders. Good turnout. Good vibes.
Turns out the promoter at Roadmenders is still the same guy who promoted there last century when yours truly swung through. We were on tour with Less Than Jake at the time.
Our bands received good support from the crew at BBC Northampton who plugged the show and played the music. Many thanks.
The night ended in a small pub in one of the villages dotted around the city. The locals gather there every so often to sing songs together. Someone will bring a guitar. There’s a piano in the pub. People take turns playing songs and everyone gets into it. Sure enough, after a few we were all singing along to Phil Collins songs and whatnot. It was great fun.
Of course, eyes eventually turned to the professional musos… someone handed Steve, the singer in Esteban, a guitar and he did a rousing rendition of Have A Little Respect by Erasure. Then Steve, showing no mercy, handed the axe over to me with a sly grin. I had no choice. I concede that the opening gambit was Wonderwall by Oasis. Shortly thereafter I progressed to the piano. I do believe I played Jump by Van Halen at some point. I was better received than a decade earlier when I was in town with a touring band…. well, you get better with age!
The next morning I heard I’d been made an honorary member of the village. I’m touched.
The only time I’ve had a louder reception was at Anfield when I sang the Finnish national anthem at England v Finland footie game. The roar of the Finnish lion outperformed the whimper of the English pussycat. Unfortunately, my team did less well.
The power of music to unite people is amazing. I’m all for a good night out in a cool bar where they play awesome tracks by awesome artists, but nothing compares to making music with your fellow humans. Live, in the same room, with everyone pitching in.
The business of music with all that it entails for new bands… you know… people have to pay £5 to see a band play 30 minutes of music they’ve never heard and aren’t that bothered about…. and most of the time for a good reason, too… where is the fun in that? It seems there is a big disconnect going on.
What happened at the little village pub got me thinking about what music is all about. If it’s about sharing and having a good time, I can vouch that it feels much better than being cool.
What feels even better is that Violet Bones are at No. 1 on the Play.com pre order chart. Not bad at all…
Out of the smorgasbord that is The Animal Farm’s musical palette, a rainbow of colours and hues, of smells and sounds, of accents and body shapes, shoes and haircuts, come these artists worth your immediate attention. Check out Roxy’s Wardrobe bringing that grunge thing back…
And then for something completely different by Woman E…
And how about Violet Bones…
In addition to producing these fine artists, we also purchased a pool table. It’s a fine piece of furniture, as you can see.
Just so I’m not accused of only talking about what WE have produced, I want to plug a cool band who sent us their demo: The Spires. Nuff said.
January was a mighty busy month at the ‘Farm. We wrapped it up by entertaining Esteban for a few days. They were in town to record the rest of their forthcoming debut album. It’s a cracking piece of work. Check out their new website www.estebanmusic.co.uk. It was designed by Jealous Designs and a fine job they did too. We like hard working, talented and focussed musicians doing it on their terms. Esteban are on course to doing about 250 gigs this year. A few of them are here…
6 Feb 2010 20:00
ROADMENDERS NORTHAMPTON
19 Feb 2010 21:00
NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNI NOTTINGHAM
24 Feb 2010 21:00
THE HAYMAKER CAMBRIDGE
5 Mar 2010 21:00
THE CARRIERS INN BUDE, Southwest
6 Mar 2010 21:00
THE DRIFTWOOD SPARS ST AGNES, Southwest
25 Mar 2010 21:00
THE TAP HOUSE ST AGNES, Southwest
26 Mar 2010 21:00
THE RASHLEIGH ARMS CHARLESTOWN, Southwest
27 Mar 2010 21:00
THE COPPERHOUSE HAYLE, CORNWALL
2 Apr 2010 21:00
SWAN HOTEL WADEBRIDGE, CORNWALL
3 Apr 2010 20:00
THE ROPEMAKERS BRIDPORT
7 Apr 2010 21:00
FINN MCCOULS FALMOUTH, CORNWALL
9 Apr 2010 21:00
THE POACHER PORTISHEAD, AVON
10 Apr 2010 21:00
THE NEW INN WITNEY, OXFORDSHIRE, South
12 Apr 2010 21:00
TWO PIGS CORSHAM, WILTSHIRE, South
14 Apr 2010 22:00
ON THE ROCKS NEWQUAY, Southwest
15 Apr 2010 21:00
BUNTERS TRURO, Southwest
16 Apr 2010 21:00
THE THATCH CROYDE, Southwest
17 Apr 2010 21:00
BLUE BAR PORTHTOWAN, CORNWALL
15 May 2010 21:30
BELUSHI’S BRIGHTON
16 May 2010 22:00
MOLES BATH
22 May 2010 21:00
RING O’BELLS CHAGFORD, DARTMOOR
23 May 2010 21:00
THE QUEENS HOTEL ST IVES, Southwest
28 May 2010 21:00
THE THATCH CROYDE, Southwest
29 May 2010 22:00
BELUSHI’S NEWQUAY, Southwest
30 May 2010 21:00
GYLLY BEACH CAFE FALMOUTH, CORNWALL
31 May 2010 20:00
SANDPIPER ILFRACOMBE, Southwest
2 Jun 2010 21:00
FINN MCCOULS FALMOUTH, CORNWALL
4 Jun 2010 21:00
GALLEON INN FOWEY, Southwest
5 Jun 2010 21:00
BLUE BAR PORTHTOWAN, CORNWALL
25 Jun 2010 21:00
THE TAVISTOCK INN TAVISTOCK, DARTMOOR
14 Jul 2010 22:00
ON THE ROCKS NEWQUAY, Southwest
15 Jul 2010 21:00
BUNTERS BATH
16 Jul 2010 21:00
THE POACHER PORTISHEAD, AVON
17 Jul 2010 20:00
CHAGSTOCK MUSIC FESTIVAL CHAGFORD, DARTMOOR
28 Jul 2010 21:00
TINTAGEL ARMS TINTAGEL, Southwest
30 Jul 2010 21:00
THE CARRIERS INN BUDE, Southwest
31 Jul 2010 21:00
GLASTONBURY BACKPACKERS GLASTONBURY
1 Aug 2010 21:00
THE QUEENS HOTEL ST IVES, Southwest
2 Aug 2010 21:00
TWO PIGS CORSHAM, WILTSHIRE
5 Aug 2010 21:00
THE PERFECT 5TH TAUNTON
6 Aug 2010 20:00
MR WOLF’S BRISTOL
7 Aug 2010 21:00
THE NEW INN WITNEY, OXFORDSHIRE
13 Aug 2010 21:00
RYANS BAR TORQUAY
18 Aug 2010 22:00
ON THE ROCKS NEWQUAY, Southwest
19 Aug 2010 21:00
THE TAP HOUSE ST AGNES, Southwest
20 Aug 2010 20:00
THE ROPEMAKERS BRIDPORT
21 Aug 2010 21:00
5 DEGREE’S WEST FALMOUTH, CORNWALL
22 Aug 2010 21:00
THE QUEENS HOTEL ST IVES
26 Aug 2010 21:00
THE THATCH CROYDE, Southwest
27 Aug 2010 21:00
FINN MCCOULS FALMOUTH, CORNWALL
28 Aug 2010 22:00
BELUSHI’S NEWQUAY, Southwest
29 Aug 2010 21:00
GYLLY BEACH CAFE FALMOUTH, CORNWALL
3 Sep 2010 21:00
THE GALLEON INN FOWEY, Southwest
4 Sep 2010 21:00
BLUE BAR PORTHTOWAN, CORNWALL
11 Sep 2010 21:00
THE DRIFTWOOD SPARS ST AGNES, Southwest
17 Dec 2010 20:00
THE ROPEMAKERS BRIDPORT
18 Dec 2010 21:00
THE NEW INN WITNEY, OXFORDSHIRE
...a music company based in London, England. We offer record production, mixing and songwriting services. Through our record label, music publishing and artist management companies, we look after a growing roster of UK based artists.
Plug of the week goes to the very amazing Ideals. A not entirely selfless plug, I admit, since we are quite involved. Ideals have been sharing stages with Pete Doherty and The Automatic. That’s not one band, mind. Although it could, on paper, be a cool little covers outfit.
