#float inside a bubble

Hi guys! It’s been a few years!  Thanks for once again, taking the time to let me ask you a few questions.  It’s a definite honor, and appreciate you taking the time out of your day!

Since the last we talked, you’ve put out 2 albums, with the latest one out earlier this month, ‘Twist Through the Fire’.  I’m really enjoying what is your strongest effort to date!  The first thing I noticed with this album, is that there is a big step from your last one in terms of writing (especially musically).  What can you tell us about that?  I know it’s a natural progression for a band to grow, but was curious if there were other things, like bands you had discovered or something else that influenced you to go down these different paths?

MATT: In lots of ways Twist Through the Fire was written as a direct response to our first album. Everything we learned and went through during the writing, recording and release of that record had a dramatic affect on us and really ignited the fire to follow it with something specific. There's a lot of contrast with the first record, the fire and water, but also I tight bond and many references to it also, both lyrically and musically. It's our hope that they work together.

The album is getting a lot of great reviews so far, and many mentioning album of the year candidate.  I have to agree with them.  It must be a great feeling to hear that you’re connecting with people on that artistic level, which is all you can hope for?

MATT: It's a strange feeling. We're quite an insular unit as a band, we make music for ourselves, to learn and grow and explore the art-form, so it's strange to hear how someone else has reacted to it. But it is a beautiful thing to be able to share something you've made with others, it gives the music a life beyond you. It's magical.

I could ask you about each song, cause each one is so intriguing.  But a couple really stand out to me, and was curious about them specifically.  ‘Eagle’ has such a great bass and percussion stomp, mixed with that amazing organ and intricate guitar work, all blended into such a great piece.  And then the other is the title track, which really grabbed a hold of me immediately and took me on a soaring flight, as if I was listening to a band out of the late 60s San Francisco scene. Of course, like every song, the powerful vocals are prominent and in the front. If you don’t mind, can you tell us about the writing process of these songs?

MATT: Interesting choice of songs, because they both came about very differently. Eagle came together relatively quickly (for us). James and I had come up with the main guitar/bass part late one night, completely unintentionally. It felt like it had to be a stomping backbeat kind of song from the start. I think Gun had the lyrics in some early incantation already (she has a lot of narratives constantly on the go) and at some point we fit them together. For the recording we threw loads of ideas at it, synths, organs, loads of guitar lines/sounds/melodies - way too much to make sense, then James went through what we had and - somewhat painstakingly - arranged it in a way that brought out the best in it. Twist Through The Fire started life when Gun wrote the bass riff to what is now the initial part of the song. It started out as a guitar riff actually, but when we tried it on bass it had this otherworldly, kind of menacing presence that we loved. We played around the basic idea loads to explore it, but it just sat there after a while, until the night Gun came out with the line 'I will twist through the fire and dance to desire'. When she sung those words we knew immediately it had to become something, so we spent countless hours chipping away at it, resulting in numerous demo recordings and snippets captured on phones etc. I then spent about a week going through everything, rearranging it into a shape that made the most of what we had. We then spent an age getting the tempos and transitions tight enough to be able to record the song live.

You’ve put out a couple videos already, one for ‘Gold’ and the other for ‘Moonlight Mixing’.  What can you tell us about the making of these?  ‘Gold’ with the body paint, and ‘Moonlight Mixing’ with the milk bath!  Very visually striking and memorable for sure!  I’m sure Gun has some things to share about these!

GUN: To try and visualise these songs we wanted something far more direct than we'd ever done before. We wanted to blur the boundary between the creation of the song and it's visualisation. I think there's something so physical about literally painting yourself gold, to be immersed in the medium. Become the image.

I’ve always been curious, as to where the band’s name came from?  When I first came across the band, I just assumed it was one of the members, but that was not the case.  Just rolls off the tongue so nicely…

GUN: Our namesake is a an obscure 60's spaghetti western staring a black female showgirl-turned-gunslinger. We connected with the quirky, unusual nature of the film and related to the fact that it had a strong female lead in an otherwise male-dominated genre.

You’ve been playing some shows around the UK the past few weeks.  How are these going?

MATT: Really well! It's been great to play the new songs, especially now the records out because people know the words and they get excited about where we're going to take it. It's great just to talk to people, in the fleeting minutes before/after the show and just share this with them.

You also have a handful of dates for other parts of Europe in October.  Any others in the works?  Really be cool to see you in the states! (hint hint!).

GUN: We're hoping to play some more European dates this year, like Spain, Portugal and Belgium. As much as we'd love to play the States (and we really, really would!) at the moment it's just too expensive to fly six people with so much equipment all that way! One day I'm sure we will.

Anything more you’d like to add for the readers?  We always like those obscure tidbits...

MATT: If you play 'Twist Through The Fire' and 'Away From The Water' simultaneously, you'll open up a portal to the giant purple caterpillars realm.

Again, very much appreciate your time, and keep up the amazing work.  Definitely a huge fan here, and have been from the start!  Nothing but the best to continue for you all!

http://lolacolt.com/

Straight out of the desert like a cyclone, comes ‘Ghost Box Orchestra’, with their brand of fuzzed out, spaced out, gritty rock and roll.  They come at you with a snarl and attitude like no other!  If you close your eyes, and think of yourself riding a motorcycle across the barren lands into the sunset, while kicking up a trail of dust that can be seen for miles.  OK, you have that image?  This is the music you’d hear.

The band hails from Boston, but one would never know that. They have a very Texas psych feel to them.  Their latest release, High Plaine, is one of the best records I’ve heard in awhile.  From the opening build up of “Flutter” which sets up nicely for what will be an amazing trip, to the closing track “Causality Devotional”, you’ll be dusting yourself off and needing a nice cold beer, followed by a whiskey.  Highlights for me, include “Socrates Burned” and the amazing “Within the Sound”, which raises the hair on my arms.  Gawd I love that guitar and bass, and the echoey vocals that float around in there.  Just plain outstanding.

I highly suggest you take this one for a ride.  And for an added bonus, here’s a short interview I had with the band as well.  Filling us in on all sorts of goodness!  Check them out, you won’t be disappointed…

Photo by Sam Stambaugh

Greetings Ghost Box Orchestra!  Please tell us about this project!  Who and what and where and why and, whatever else you’d like to share. 

Well, we're a loud psychedelic band from the USA.  This one is our third full length and we were stoked to team up with Evil Hoodoo for the release.  Many thanks to Thom Bettney at Evil Hoodoo for bringing us in.

Everyone should go check out the benefit compilation that he put out called “For Nepal” with Mugstar, The Myrrors, Gnod, Dead Sea Apes, Jason Simon of Dead Meadow and Carlton Melton. 100% of the profits go directly to the most needy after the Nepal earthquakes via WHR Nepal (Women for Human Rights) based in Kathmandu. Thom’s doing some really good work over there. 

  http://www.fornepal.bigcartel.com/product/for-nepal

Your third LP, High Plaine, was released in May 2016.  What can you tell us about this album?

As far as I had ever looked forward, I really only had an idea for about 3 albums.  Each one expanding on the themes of the previous and building out different aspects of the band’s sound.

As best as I had it, there were 3 elements I wanted to explore: Earth, Space and Fire.  The first record (“The Only Light On” - 2010) was pretty rooted and Earthy. The second, (“Vanished” – 2013) is more fluid and weightless.  And “High Plaine” is the completion of our metaphysical cycle with fire.

We put a lot of work into it, and our full length records tend to take some time to complete.  It generally takes us awhile to tuck in all the details, but I also really like what we did with the EP last year (“Sound of (Eternal Now)” - 2015), which was recorded and released really quickly.  As everyone’s schedules and availabilities start to change, I’m hoping we can do more releases like that.

For the most part, you’ve been an instrumental band, with very little vocals.  With High Plaine, you decided to add a lot more vocals to the mix.  What was the reason for the change?  I have to say, I really dig it, and think it fits in perfectly with the music.

Thank you! That’s good to hear.  Adding vocals came fairly naturally.  I had always been careful to treat vocals like any another layer, or instrument, but it just seemed to suit the new songs right away.  I was pushing myself to write and improvise vocally during our improvs and jams to see where it made sense.  It was really important for it to 'fit', but resist putting too many rules on it so it could find its place.

I think on our first couple records I was pretty much using the guitar to do the (imagined) vocal lines. And then the two started to blend more on Vanished.  Once we worked out how to have vocals on equal footing with the guitars and other elements, then we felt more confident about letting them lead the way at times.

You guys are from the Boston area.  How’s the music scene there and has it influenced you guys at all?  Any other bands in the area that people should check out?

The music scene out here is great. It’s really vibrant now.  We have a good crop of bands tearing it up live and making great records.  Creaturos, Black Beach, Televibes, Doug Tuttle & Magic Shoppe.  For the last 3 years it all culminates in the Summer for Boston Fuzzstival, our area psych fest.  We're lucky to have someone like (Fuzzstival booker) Jason Trefts helping to pull it all together and have one hell of a party every year.  He is certainly the nexus for everything that is happening in Boston right now.  I think it pushes us all to be better and work harder.

Now, I just want to leave some space for free thoughts.  Anything more you’d like to add for the readers?

I have no idea what comes next for us and it's pretty thrilling.  Making this album felt like a long hike up a scenic mountain.  We are taking our time to look around and enjoy the view and figure out whether to go back the way we came or forge ahead and see what’s over on the other side.

Photo by Chris Sargent

http://ghostboxorchestra.com/

http://ghostboxorchestra.bandcamp.com/

I have just returned from a crazy trip, just to get this interview with the ‘Cult of Free Love’.  Let me tell you...the things I do for music.  First I flew to London, where I met some guy.  He put a hood over my head, threw me in the back of a car, and drove me to a small tavern out in the middle of nowhere.  There I had some drinks, and little did I know, this guy slipped me a mickey finn.  I woke up sometime later, in a room with a bright light in my face, with nothing but a tape recorder.  I spoke out wondering where I was, and some electronic voice responded, “It doesn’t matter where.  Now ask your questions so we can get you out of here”.  So...here we go...

Hello ‘Cult of Free Love’.  It’s a pleasure to chat with you (sorta, since my head fucking hurts, and I can’t see you).  OK, so there is obviously this mystery that surrounds the band, and it’s members, especially since you’ve gone to these measures to hide even your location.  I think I read you were an actual cult from North Wales?  What can you tell us about the band?

Hello, I am The Reverend. The cult members involved in this project have their beliefs. However we can't tell you anymore about our inner workings or we'd have to induct you forcibly into the cult. What I can tell you is we are not a band in the conventional sense. There is no John, Paul, George & Ringo with specific roles. Cult members come in and out as necessary. This is deliberate. The aim is the greater good. The music is what it is. No one person is bigger than the music… and it’s the music that brings the love. We are all very different people and we all bring something different to the cult. The idea is to create something bigger than the sum of its parts. We are all things to all people.

“Love Revolution” is the name of the debut album, which is out on ‘Wrong Way Records’ later this summer.  What can you tell us about the album?  It has a pretty wide range of sound, with many different influences coming through.  Where does all that come from?

We are influenced by many things in life. We are just as influenced by the sounds of nature - the birds, the bees, the wind, the water, the trees as we are music. Musically speaking I have been listening to Yasmine Hamdan, Mulatu Astatke and Ananda Shankar. However I know other cult members listen to a wide range of music. Some have compared us to Screamadelica-era Primal Scream, The Orb and Kraftwerk which I can see as all have been a big influence at various points, however some reviews have mentioned bands I'm not familiar with like Transglobal Underground, who I will be checking out. Ultimately it's up to the listener to make up their own mind. The album has a number of access points which can draw people from a wide variety of audiences in. There's something for everyone.

Love Revolution was neither pre-conceived nor planned. It just happened. We were initially asked by Al of Wrong Way Records for an EP, but when we started to put it together it became apparent we had enough for a full length album. Ultimately, it was made by people who love to make music for the sake of making music. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. It sounds like a complete trip.

The album consists of 8 songs, with “Interpretations of Love” having 3 parts spread throughout the album.  What can you tell us about the 3 parts.

The 3 parts were conceived with different cult members. Cult members involved were selected on the basis of what they could bring to the music. All are from very different disciplines. They were given pieces of music and asked to collaborate bringing their own interpretations to the music given. They were also given the freedom to take the music anywhere they wanted to. Those 3 pieces of music feature pieces of some of the other songs on the album. This was done purposely as we wanted the album to be a journey where everything is connected to each other. I believe this approach, although experimental, has worked out beautifully.

Last summer, you released your first single, ‘Love Is All There Is’.  Did you ever imagine you would receive the reaction you did from that song?  And how much did that change the course of the band?  

I never think of it in that way. Music is a form of communication and our message is one of love. You make music and the best you can hope for is that it will connect with someone out there. At the same time that's not the overriding reason why we make it. I believe in people and I knew there would be people out there who would connect. If anything I'd like to spread the message far and wide.

It didn’t change the course at all or our approach. If anything it spurred us on to make something equally as good but new. We initially had no idea how the new music would turn out. We didn’t want to repeat ourselves, however we wanted to expand on this idea of love in all its forms. We also used different instruments to bring different sounds. The first single was recorded entirely with string instruments. On the album we’ve kept the string instruments but have also incorporated electronics. Incidentally, a very different version of ‘Love Is All There Is’ appears on Love Revolution as ‘Interpretations of Love III’.

The band is getting some attention from the BBC now, which is super great for not only you, but also ‘Wrong Way Records’. I see this being a nice boost for the indies.  What is your opinion on this?

Mainstream radio is a difficult one to break into. You usually have to pay radio pluggers to get on mainstream radio and even then there is no guarantees. We haven’t done this. I feel we’ve got on there organically as a natural progression and through our own merit. The Cult of Free Love were played in between the Stone Roses and the Joy Division on one BBC Manchester show and I don’t think we sounded out of place. These shows are a gateway to get independent bands onto festival bills and on tv campaigns and can never be undervalued. It’s also been great for Wrong Way Records and I hope it kicks open up the door for us and their other bands.

In May, you played at the NORTHERN STAR CELEBRATES "10 YEARS OF PSYCHEDELICA" in London.  How was that experience?  And are there any plans to play more live shows in the future?

It was heartwarming, we were very well received and people were very kind to us. Cult members have been in numerous bands and we were asked to play through some members who have appeared on the Northern Star label. The sound took a very different turn that night. The set was largely improvised and the music took on a life of its own. It became very dark and sinister sounding in places and at points became overwhelming. We were told after we sounded like early-Verve which we were very happy about. Yes, there are plans afoot to play live later in the year. If people want us to play, just send us a message and we will come out and play for you.

“ALL WE KNOW OF LOVE, IS LOVE IS ALL THERE IS”.  In a time when we need more love in this world, it’s very refreshing to read these words.  Music is so powerful in connecting people, a universal language.  Music and Love, what a great combination.  Explain where you came up with this, and how important it is to the band?

Love is everything, love is all around us, love is the key to our very existence. Without love we would not exist. Love is the reason we do everything we do. We go out to work to earn money to ensure our loved ones are safe. Even the people who don't realize it, materialistic people who buy big cars and who want to be rich. It's love they're actually pursuing, they just don't realize it. Love is all we need because love is all there is.

There is a lot of hate in the world at the moment, but even the people who hate, they're in need of love too. It's love that is absent from their lives which makes them act in the way they do. So please everyone, join together with The Cult of Free Love and spread the love.

Anything more you’d like to share with the readers before I leave??

Our debut album is available to pre-order now and will be available direct from the beginning of August from:

www.wrongwayrecords.com

Space Odyssey 2020 is taken from an animated film of the same name which is coming out later on in the year. Other than that be good to each other, love each other and be prepared for the next Summer of Love.

Thank you for taking the time to share some insight into the band and letting us explore the inner mind a bit.  Appreciate it!

Thank you to you.

You can find out more about us at:

www.thecultoffreelove.com

Twitter: @cultoffreelove

www.facebook.com/thecultoffreelove

www.soundcloud.com/thecultoffreelove

You can contact us at: [email protected]

The Cult of Dom Keller are back with their third long player, ‘Goodbye to the Light’, to once again, fuzz up your head, ooze out your pores and make you thirst for something that you won’t ever seem to quench, but you can’t stop yourself from continuing to come back for more and more...and more.

This is the band’s first album on ‘Fuzz Club’ Records, and first full length release with the new lineup.  The change doesn’t affect the sound of the band drastically, but it brings in a stronger, more focused, more driven feel.  The album consists of twelve very distinct and wide sounding tracks.  From in your face, to droned out trance, to intricate pieces of meticulous music, it will satisfy your deepest curiosities.

‘Broken Arm of God’ has been making its ways around the web already.  The bass in this will scratch your ear canals like sandpaper as it travels to the center of your head. The whole song is downright dirty and gnarly, and will slam you up against the wall, and take names later. This sticks with you.  Then, if that’s not enough, follow it up with ‘Ravens and Rockets’, and you’re going to feel like you went through a heavyweight fight.  The one two punch knocks you around, but in such a good good way.  ‘Ravens and Rockets’ is one of those songs that will haunt every last cell in your body. To me, this is one of their best songs to date, and you’ll play this on repeat many times. It’s got that deep fuzzed out bass, an amazing percussion sequence that’ll rat-a-tat-tat along your spinal cord, and these amazing vocals...as if chanting to the spirits of hell. And of course, you can’t forget about the guitar work either, which weaves in and around and ties it all together. The whole song brings up dark murky images while an immense light blasts through it all. A contrast from one end to the other, which makes one hell of a complex fucking journey to take you to hell and back.

‘Bring Out the Dead’...with it’s chorus, ‘bring out the dead, bring out the wine’, echoing throughout, it’s like a seance...it’s spooky, it’s dark, it’s evil...it’s perfect, like the vampire’s ball in “Fearless Vampire Killers”.  Gothic, dark, muted, pale images appear, as the dead dance around the room inside your mind.

‘Shambhala is on Fire’ is a perfect ending to the album.  Bringing the whole album to a close with a screeching halt. Love the vocals and how they weave in and out with one another.  The song, ending with subtle countdown, prepares you for what is the end of the album, but also what is the beginning of the next chapter of the band.

I had a bit of a chat with the boys as well.  They are always so gracious to take the time to give well thought out responses.

First off, it’s always a pleasure.  Been cohorts with the Ryan for so long now, and it wouldn’t be right to not be promoting one of your releases!  Great new album, really digging it!  Won’t keep you long here, just wanted to ask you a couple questions about the band and the album.  So with that...

The band has gone through some changes over the last couple years with the lineup.  As a listener, I get a different feel now.  A stronger, more focused feel.  What’s been the biggest change you’ve felt inside the band with this lineup?  

Ryan: "The core of the band has always been there - me, Neil and Jason started as Dom Keller back in 2007 and over the years we never fully fulfilled our potential due to various circumstances and there were a few years spent in the wilderness - both creatively and our reputation as a live band - and it felt like we couldn't move forward. Difficult decisions were made and we hit the wall a few times but when we got Jason back in the band on bass and fortune brought us Al on drums it all began to fall into place. We finally had the right 4 people in the band facing the right way. The last year or two has seen us definitely evolve as a live act and through our ambition and songwriting it finally feels as though all the pieces fit. It's important for us to not be comfortable and end up making the same record over and over again. We need to challenge ourselves, push ourselves sonically and grow as songwriters and the new album is definitely our proudest moment. I feel we have created our most experimental and unique record yet"

Last we talked, it was last summer, with an interview for Fuzz Club.  In that, we chatted a little about the new record.  You had some demos, and were about to head into the studio.  You had joked about it being your “Smile” album, and talked about it possibly being the best thing you’ve done.  Now, you’ve recorded it and are about to release it.  What more would you like to add about it?  Still the same thoughts/feelings?

Neil: "We're extremely happy with the end product, but it did break us, both psychically and mentally. We put everything we had and more into every step of the process. It was meticulously planned, but there were times when we almost gave up entirely. We nearly disbanded a couple of times actually. We're glad that we persevered though. It's turned out as we wanted and is definitely our proudest achievement as a band to date"

Jason: "It's funny, When 'Goodbye To The Light' was being written and recorded, everything was fucked up. Moods within the band were in constant flux, the sense that there was an unseen force working against us in everything we did was overbearing, almost like we'd been hit by a curse that wouldn't lift. It seemed like every time we turned on the news, there was a new threat/terror attack/death/propaganda coming from all directions, so people are left feeling confused and fearful of everything, but really we're being attacked by those hidden entities that live in the pockets of our elected officials, and the control systems held in place by organised religion, all of which inspired the subjects on the record - so all that considered, it's more like the Anti-Smile, ha! Musically though yeah, there's a lot of experimentation that went into this album, we've got strings hidden in there, I played a bowed electric bass on one song, there's a lot more synthesisers going on, organs, percussion....we tore songs apart and rebuilt them entirely. I listened to the black version of our LP the other day. It sounds like the best album ever made to me. It's a religious experience"

So the new album is titled, ‘Goodbye to the Light’.  Upon listening to it, it has a wide range of sounds, pace and feel.  You had mentioned before about having 30 or so song ideas before heading into the studio, so I imagine some of that comes from just different times, writing, etc? It all flows very nicely together, and it’s almost like a story in a way.  I guess, just wondering if you’d elaborate on that a little more if you could?

Ryan: "The reality is this is our first album PROPER. The first album was mostly demos that me and Neil had recorded in our rehearsal room whilst the second album was the result of a weekend of recording jam sessions. With 'Goodbye to the Light' , we had a vision from the offset that this would be a body of work that worked together as opposed to a 'collection' of songs."

​Jason: "​​It's more of a series of stories around a theme. Musically we chose the songs that worked together as a whole, given the limited time format of a single 12" vinyl LP we had to narrow it down. It was shaping up to be a double album otherwise. The songs were all written in one time frame though. We work fast as a unit. If we could just focus on music alone without any other distractions or budget limitations we'd be putting out 3 albums a year or more.​"

​Neil: "We whittled down 30+ demos to 12 songs... Usually while travelling from gig to gig. To be honest, our previous releases were somewhat thrown together. We put a lot more thought into the album as a whole this time, it's more than a collection of songs. The aim was to create a sonic journey and show people that we have more than one string to our bow. We're happy you can hear that when you listen to it.”

What was the reason for ending ‘Shambhala is on Fire’ the way you did?  I always think, did the player break? Or my headphones die?

Jason: "​​T​he LP is generally about end times, which we are facing right now. The ending of the album signifies that. The end is the end. Time doesn't fade out, it stops. The light is gone and that's it.”

Anything else you’d like to add for the readers?  Tour dates, release parties, other cool news??

​Ryan: "The 'Broken arm of God' single will come out soon, which is going to be a rather sexy 10" blood red vinyl with non-album exclusive track and an etched b-side of the band logo and as of this moment we're currently in the middle of our UK tour, having played Oxford, Leicester and Nottingham.  We will be bringing the noise to:

Birmingham at The Hare & Hounds on June 17th

​Glasgow at Nice'n'Sleazy on June 19th

Cardiff at The Full Moon on June 24th

Manchester at Gullivers on June 25th

We will be announcing a few more dates closer to the time of the album and

'Goodbye to the Light' is released by Fuzz Club Records on July 22nd.

We already have enough demos for another album so watch this space!"​

Again, a pleasure guys.  Appreciate you taking the time to answer these!  All the best to you guys!  Cheers!

http://fuzzclub.com/

https://www.facebook.com/cultofdomkeller

Greetings Mayflower Madame!  Please tell us about this project!  Who and what and where and why and, whatever else you’d like to share.

Mayflower Madame consists of Trond F. (vocals/guitars), Ola J. K. (drums), Petter M. (bass) and Rune O. (guitars). Me (Trond) and Rune have been playing together since we were kids, but this band was formed in Oslo in 2010 when we met Ola and Petter through mutual friends. At first we struggled a long time to find a singer that fit our sound (at that time it could be described as a combination of post-punk and noise-rock). After a while our patience ran out and we booked our first gig without actually having a complete band! Trond was “forced” to handle the vocals, but luckily it worked out pretty well. We recorded a demo and in August 2011 we were voted “Band of the Week” on a national radio show for unsigned bands. This was a mini-breakthrough for us and it also gave us the confidence to see a lot of potential in this band.  

Your debut album, ‘Observed in a Dream’ was released in April.  What can you tell us about this album?

When we started the recording process in late 2014 we originally had the intention of only releasing an EP. But while recording we also continued to write more songs and we realized that we had enough material for a whole album. So we decided to postpone the release and record our newest stuff as well. We did all recording ourselves in our rehearsal room, which meant that we had the time to further develop the songs and experiment with melodies, sounds, effects, etc. during the recording process. Sometimes the process was also a bit on and off, we practiced and played gigs in between. As a consequence the recording process took longer time for us than for bands that have to rent a studio, but it also gave us a lot of freedom, which was important for us. The mixing and mastering was finished in August 2015, but then we had to sort things out with record labels, cover art, vinyl pressing etc. So it’s been a long process and wait, but we’re happy with the result and that’s, of course, the most important thing.  

The music on the album is a natural completion of a sound we have been gradually developing since we started out. I guess it’s both more atmospheric and psychedelic than our previous, more strictly post-punkish stuff, but we did not have any predestined “guidelines” of how we wanted it to sound. Lyrically it’s a tale about desire, anxiety, instability and longing – and the running order of the tracks is far from coincidental: from the smoldering serenity of “Confusion Hill” through the feverish “Lovesick” and the haunting “Weightless” to the dissolvent closure of “Forever // The End of Everything”, it implies the different and fluctuating, passing states of relationships (and life itself).

You’ve had a couple other releases, what all have you released so far?  

We made our debut with the EP Into the Haze (available on vinyl and digital) in 2013. Since then we have released a cassette single and two digital singles. Observed in a Dream is our first LP.

I’ve read others use words like “dark” “atmospheric” “moody” “powerful” to describe your sound.  How would you guys describe your sound?

“Dark and haunting, sometimes ecstatic and noisy, yet always indulging the soothing charms of melody”. We think it’s a bit difficult to describe our own sound and that it’s a lot more interesting when others who experience it more objectively do it ☺

Your sound has a great mixture of many influences.  Can you name some of the major ones for the band?  Could be other bands, or movies, or your surroundings...what are some of the guiding lights?

Yes, we do have a wide range of influences and we can only mention some of them here: Bands/artists like Syd Barrett, The Velvet Underground, Joy Division, Nick Cave, Sonic Youth and Clinic as well as lots of avant garde art and movies from the first half of the 1900s – especially German Expressionism and Surrealism. We are of course also inspired by our surroundings – the cold, decadent streets of Oslo and the grey, industrial surroundings of our rehearsal space – perhaps that’s why our music is described by most people as “dark”, haha.

Now, I just want to leave some space for free thoughts.  Anything more you’d like to add for the readers?

Sometimes we listen to George Michael.

Oh yes, and we have already written a lot of material for our next release. It will be recorded in a closed down hotel in the Norwegian mountains. Expect the musical equivalent to “The Shining”.

Follow us on www.facebook.com/mayflowermadame

and buy music/merch at https://mayflowermadame.bandcamp.com

No Man’s Valley will soon be releasing their debut LP, “Time Travel”.  The album starts out with a short hypnotic chant ‘The Man Who Would Be King’, which cleanses the listening pallet, and gets you in the mood.  Followed up by “Kill the Bees”, which is a great cross section of the band, showcasing the strengths of the band.  “Sinking the Valley” is great for relaxing at sunset, watching the day come to an end.  “The Wolves are Coming” is a great fun track, and probably my favorite on the album.  Very addicting, with the fun chorus, handclaps and the keys that will tingle your toes.  The album consists of eight songs, and as you read the short interview below, you’ll get a bit of insight into these songs.  The influences, the drive and the great mix of many different sounds.  From that great organ so prevalent in the late 60s/early 70s, to that raspy/bluesy vocal, to the soulful guitar work, and all tied together with that solid backbone of a rhythm section.

I always like to know what influences a band.  Whether it’s other music, or other forms of art, or life.  I had listened to the album a few times before reading about theirs, and now going back and listening to it with a different perspective, it’s pretty cool to hear those subtle influences within.  They are all small pieces that connect up really well, to create something that grows with each listen.

I have to say, another thing that I really enjoy, is their outlook, and how that too has changed the way I approach listening to this album.  As you will read in the interview below, be a part of the experience.  Sit back with a great single malt whiskey and put this album on and relax to No Man’s Valley!

Greetings No Man’s Valley!  Please tell us about this project!  Who and what and where and why and, whatever else you’d like to share.

Hi Nathan! We are No Man's Valley from Horst, which is a little town in the South of The Netherlands. We're five guys playing the music we love. It's just a real good outlet for us to lose ourselves into music and forget the normalcy and the stress of daily life. I'm the singer, mostly because I don't have the discipline to learn to play an instrument decently...

Your debut album is called “Time Travel”.   What can you tell us about this album, and when will it be officially released?

It's basically one of our "bucketlist" projects. We all have been in bands before, and released stuff, but never a full album, and never on vinyl. So to have this record out this summer and on a nice record label too (Nasoni Records) is just a dream come true. We recorded the songs in three sessions with three different drummers due to some lineup changes. So the songs all sound different, which is something we like actually. It's called Time Travel because in hindsight that had become sort of a unifying theme in the lyrics. The painting on the front was done by our keyboard player Ruud. It's a time travel portal, real sci-fi shit man ;)

Have you any other releases up to this point?  I believe you’ve had 2 EPs?

Yeah we had one EP called Mirror Image without me actually, but with a different singer. And a second EP that was sort of my introduction to the band called And Four Other Songs. Which actually has five songs on it haha. They were both pretty low-fi recordings which we aren't super proud of. The new record has definitely upped the level quite a bit!

Your sound has a great mixture of many influences.  Can you name some of the major ones for the band?  Could be other bands, or movies, or your surroundings...what are some of the guiding lights?

Yeah movies actually play a big role. We love to play around with samples in our live set, and some of our older songs had samples in them from movies like American Beauty, but also from people we admire like Bill Hicks. Musically we are influenced by lots of bands but the main two would probably be The Doors and Pink Floyd. But we all love Radiohead too, we're all into Queens Of The Stone Age and we don't mind any Nick Cave either :)

Now, I just want to leave some space for free thoughts.  Anything more you’d like to add for the readers?

I guess we would like to invite everyone to look up Time Travel when it's out. Our idealized idea of a listening experience would be that you'd play the vinyl without anything else bothering you at that moment. Put away your IPhone. Just take the time, read the lyrics, smell the vinyl and let yourself be immersed by it. Preferably with a good Single Malt Whisky in hand. As a band we've learned that we'll probably not rule the charts or play stadiums or something like that, but we can still do a lot of things we love. And if you take the time to really enjoy those accomplishments and live in the moment, there's no greater success than that I think. We'd like our listeners to be a part of that experience.

Greetings Owen, aka, New Age Healers!  Please tell us about this project!  Who and what and where and why and, whatever else you’d like to share.

Well, that's a big question that's hard to answer. It all started in late 2015 after my seasonal work slowed down and I had time to fill, so for the first time in years I started writing songs. The difference this time out was twofold:

1-I sang softly as opposed to the yelling I had done in previous projects. This opened up a world of melody that surprised and inspired me.

2-I do a podcast with my pal, pop-punk iconoclast Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel fame and amidst those conversations I began to realize that his belief in standard song structure ("they work!") was something I should try. This is apparent on a number of the songs on "Ghosts," especially "Hey, Hey, Hey, Yeah, Yeah," in which the chord changes would work in a 50's hit, as well as, something by The Jesus and Mary Chain. It's classic standard stuff. But it had to be more than that, so I screwed with vocal and guitar sounds to create something I felt was new and vibrant.

Your album, “Ghosts” was released in April.  I believe this is your first and only release?  What can you tell us about this album?

Well, I'm stunned by the quality of these songs and the diversity of sound. I never expected to create something like this. These songs and emotions poured out of me in a very unexpected manner. So much so that I've nearly finished five more songs. The theme of the album may be about adventures in corporate culture amidst the death of friends and coming to terms with the past. Or not. Who knows.

You’ve been in some other bands over the years, so this isn’t your first venture into music.  This is a bit of a departure from those other bands tho, in a couple of ways.  Can you elaborate on what’s been better, more challenging, etc?

I had been in noise rock bands in MPLS and Brooklyn, and I'm proud of a lot of what we created, but this is, by far, the most melodic document I have ever created. I feel like it has a timeless quality along with real lasting power because of that. For all its pluses and minuses, this album is all me. I chose to play everything, to sing, to record and mix it myself so that it would be of me, from my heart, my gut, warts and all.

In regard to writing and recording, it's actually been easier for me because I did everything myself. This means I can work as fast or as slow as I want; or I can change a song in any way I see fit without stepping on others toes. I've stepped on some toes in my life and I regret those moments, but I've also learned from them.

Really dig the album, but a couple songs really stick out for me, “Ghosts” and “Shadows vs Los Angeles”.  Can you dive into those songs a bit more, as far as the writing/influence on those?

Thank you for your kind words. "Shadows vs. Los Angels" is built around a rolling, distorted bass riff that is absolutely informed by the band NoMeansNo and Mickey Finn bassist/singer Dana Cochrane (I played drums in Mickey Finn). I wanted it to be primal, while also being melodic in a dissonant way. Lyrically it's about the political world of commercial radio which is under tremendous strain because of the shifting world of media in the Internet age.

Ghosts is all guitar riff and stop and start arrangement. Listen for the blues roll on bass. My pal Dave Klein (a tremendous bass player who was in Screeching Weasel, Black Flag and They Stay Dead) says it reminds him of Jane's Addiction. I'll take that. I loved them in the 80's and sing "coming down the mountain" every time I return to Seattle on I-90. Sonically I wanted big, dark echoey vocals to make the song feel almost unworldly. I suppose that's where Dave gets that reference. It was totally unintentional as I simply wanted to push the song in a unique direction. Lyrically, I'm not exactly sure what it's about. Possibly it's about lost friendship and missing home. Is "she" a person, a place? Maybe both. It's funny, but watch the video and you'll see that the footage, which I shot years ago in MPLS, informed the lyrics and vice verse.

You’re not originally from Seattle, how has living there influenced you as an artist?

Not at all other than that I miss MPLS. I know no one in the music scene here other than Joel from the GREAT band Vibragun.

Now, I just want to leave some space for free thoughts.  Anything more you’d like to add for the readers?

I have no idea whether this album is good, or not, but it's adventurous, melodic, bombastic and you can shake your ass to it. Bloody hell I love it and I hope you will, too.

https://newagehealers.bandcamp.com/

Greetings BLANK!  Please tell us about this project!  Who and what and where and why and, whatever else you’d like to share.

Hi Nate, greetings to you!

BLANK was born one year ago, in a basement practice room in west Amsterdam. Yes something like that.  I met Sjoerd during a rehearsal with 4 other friends and recently we decided to continue together with this project. We really wanted to make music, so we bought a drum machine and we started to play, spending hours and hours tripping out on our sounds.

Been listening to your first single, Phase Out for a few weeks now.  Can you tell us about the single?

We wrote "Phase Out" few hours before a cool show in Breda.  We didn't have any songs ready for that gig and we found a super cool riff that played continuously for all the track. It's been nice to record it but the real version is more than 6 minutes long!

Do you have any other releases at this time, and what are your plans for future releases?

Well yes. After our drummer Robert joined us we recorded an EP that is going to be released soon.  It contains 4 tracks that are still in mixing and mastering process.  And I really like it.  It’s a mix of krautrock and shoegaze with an exploding bass guitar sound and psychedelic vibes!

What are some of you biggest musical influences that have helped shape the sound of BLANK?

Probably the sound of the streets? Sjoerd and I used to write all the songs when I used to live in a big market street, in the Amsterdam center, called Cuypstraat. We just got inspired from what was going on outside everyday. But we like music, a lot. And we listen to every kind of genre. Sjoerd also runs a record label called Eager Waves Records  (where we released our 1st single) and we hang to all the possible gigs we have around our city. What you play is just inspired from what you live and from what your eyes can see around, we like that.

www.facebook.com/blnkband

https://soundcloud.com/eager-waves-records/blank-phase-out