“Nan Shepherd wrote in The Living Mountain, ‘In the rarefied air of the plateau, and indeed anywhere in the mountain, for the air is clear everywhere, shadows are sharp and intense’,” Thrope said of the new song and video in a press release. “I went after that rarefied air and the only way director Percy Dean and I could capture it was to get up there. A summit fever came over us both and we ended up climbing two mountains that day, Fleetwith Pike and Honister Crag. He, with a heavy-as-hell camera and me carrying an acoustic guitar dressed in a Nudie suit. The invisible thrust that pushed us up there is pretty familiar to me, when you’re suspended between rock and sky there’s an explosion of the senses. Translating just a fraction of that euphoria is a lifetime’s work.”
Over the last year and a half, there has been a keen interest in learning to play a new instrument. The pandemic was announced early last year, and what has followed has been a series of restrictions on movement and social activities.
Being required to stay at home for long periods led many to seek out new hobbies and interests. For others though, it was an opportunity to spend more time on an existing interest. For many newbies and experienced hobbyists, the choice was music.
This isn’t just hearsay, the figures speak for themselves. 2020 saw Fender have their best sales year ever. Gibson reported a huge rise in sales. Acoustic and electric guitars have been flying out of the door from retailers such as Sweetwater.
Ukuleles and other instruments are also enjoying a bigger interest from the public as people discover the joys of playing an instrument. It is electric guitars though that fascinate many, and the sounds they can make, especially once connected to amps and effects pedals.
Why are guitars so popular?
Guitars are easily one of the most popular instruments that get sold to beginners. Ideally, someone would probably start on an acoustic version before moving on to an electric one, but many go straight for a Stratocaster.
They are easier to learn than many people believe, as long as time is given to practice. Lessons are available readily from professional teachers, and there are plenty of resources available on the internet.
One other reason that guitars are popular, is that quite frankly, they look cool. You only have to look at the roll-call of famous guitarists to see why many want to emulate their success and their talent.
Many of these guitarists use effects pedals to give them their distinctive sound. Keith Richards used the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone when he helped make Satisfaction with the Rolling Stones. This record along with Richards’ unique sound almost single-handedly made the Maestro a major seller.
What is a guitar pedal?
If you are currently enjoying playing an electric guitar and own an amp, then you will be familiar with the sound of your guitar. By using a guitar pedal you can change the normal sound of the instrument. This means that you can improve the general sound quality that your audience hears, or you can make subtle changes to it.
There are many different guitar pedals, and the resulting sound will depend on what features they have, and what you want to use them for. Reverb and overdrive are too common uses for guitar pedals, and you can be subtle with them, or you can go full out My Bloody Valentine and use every effect under the sun, at the same time.
More on Kevin Shields’s love of guitar pedals below, but for now you can look at another type of pedal, the preamp.
Preamp pedals
There can be some confusion between effects pedals and preamp pedals, and many guitarists find the edges are a little blurry.
They will typically have equalization, gain, and volume controls. Preamps built for bass guitars may overdrive built into them also. Unlike effects pedals, preamps are designed to improve consistency and adjust tones.
While an effects pedal might give you that signature sound you are craving, a high quality preamp pedal is more likely to help you if you already like your own sound, but just want to improve it somewhat.
Preamps offer a way for your sound to remain more consistent when playing in different venues. They can also help if you switch instruments during your show as you won’t need to keep adjusting the amp when you have a pedal to easily get the tone right.
What musicians use guitar pedals?
It probably won’t surprise you to hear that Jimi Hendrix was a big fan of guitar pedals before most other guitarists had got involved.
Some purists look at effects pedals as gimmicks, but you only need to look at the roll call of guitarists who use these devices to realize they have a place with serious musicians.
Guitarists who use or have used effects pedals:
Jimi Hendrix
Keith Richards
Slash
Kurt Cobain
John Mayer
Johnny Marr
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Jack White
This short list doesn’t even scratch the surface, but it’s not a bad group to be associated with if you like guitar pedals, is it?
It would be difficult to imagine the sound of The White Stripes without the accompanying fuzz. When it comes to musicians such as Johnny Marr, you may have to search through his music to find when he used effects pedals, think of ‘How Soon is Now’, and you’ll be on the right track (no pun intended).
What pedals are most used today?
There is plenty of choice for preamp and effects pedals on the market now, but below are some of the most popular.
Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi
Dave Gilmour and Santana are fans of the Big Muff, and there are a number of variations in the series.
Electro-Harmonix Nano Clone
As used by the late Kurt Cobain.
Red Panda Particle 2
If you want to completely change the sound your guitar makes, then this may be the one for you.
Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini
Popular with metal musicians. Used for overdrive.
Boss DD-8
A compact delay pedal from a solid brand name.
What effects do these pedals have?
It is perhaps useful to run through what all the different pedals can do, and what you have heard on popular albums and on the radio.
Here below are many of the different pedals and their uses:
Delay
Overdrive
Fuzz
Volume
Acoustic
Noise gate
Flanger
Tuner
Tremolo
Octave
Phaser
Wah
Reverb
There are more than this, but this gives you an idea of just how many ways you can adjust the sound and tone of your guitar playing. There is one musician who likes to put all of these together, or so it seems.
Who loves guitar pedals the most?
When you are thinking of making your own sound, you might want to buy a guitar pedal and set up a DAW. Learning how to create music at home can be a simple affair or very complicated. Kevin Shields would no doubt take the complicated route when it comes to creating his very unique sound.
My Bloody Valentine is known for their literally ear-splitting music, and it is no secret that Shield’s loves guitar pedals.
No matter how much Keith Richards loved the Fuzz-Tone, it is hard to imagine he would ever contemplate a pedalboard like Shields’s. On one pedalboard for the guitarist, there are over thirty different effects pedals. Perhaps no one else in music likes to run so many pedals in unison.
Summary
Many famous albums and songs have been created with the use of guitar pedals. They are not a gimmick when used correctly, but can help create signature and unique sounds.
For some musicians, the guitar pedal is a fundamental part of their sound. For others, a quality preamp will do the job as they just need slight tonal adjustment to get the sound they want.
As you can see, many famous guitarists enjoy these pedals so there is no reason not to experiment to make your own sound. Kurt Cobain’s guitar sold for $6 million, so you have to wonder how much his pedals would be worth?
Video games are a constantly evolving industry that has gone through a long and exciting journey since the first title was published on arcade machines. On the other hand, the casino market looks for new ways to engage the audience and possibly attract more gamers than ever. Massive multiplayer titles set in open worlds with multiple scenarios are just the perfect way to make it happen. As you will see, GTA and Fallout are the best options where two spheres blend in an attractive appearance and numerous chances to combine your favorite pastimes.
Back-to-Back: Themes and Premises
Both GTA and Fallout belong to a larger series dating back to the late ‘90s and both have faithful armies. While the main premise is similar, other aspects of the two titles differ in out-turn and other aspects. Your character explores a vast universe, interacts with other people, tries to earn as much as possible, and engages in life-challenging combat scenes of more or less intensity level. As you will also see, they should obey an unwritten online casino law to get what they want.
The latest in the series and certainly the most popular one, GTA V is a constantly evolving action-adventure that takes place in the fictional open world of San Andreas. The player is free to move around the world as well as the city of Los Santos and most missions include shooting and driving. In addition to the main game, there is the multiplayer mode GTA Online which allows up to 30 players to participate in cooperative or competitive matches.
The world-famous Fallout introduces players to the world that emerged after the nuclear war. In 2077, the United States was destroyed in a general nuclear attack by China, and you are one of the few lucky or “lucky” survivors of the war tucked away in the deeply buried Vaults. Radiation, mutants, grayness, and destruction of civilization. That’s what’s left, but you have to manage as soon as possible because gangs and groups have formed very quickly, which, for the sake of easier survival, do not stop to make a stain on you on the wall. You can also consult the Vegas official game guide to learn more details.
A Little Extra Something for Casino Enthusiasts
GTA online casino savvy gamers can try their luck in both casinos and sportsbooks. The fifth iteration of the franchise introduces a new gambling establishment where you can play everything from table games to slots. The Inside Racing track is another way to take a well-earned rest from heists around the crime-infested neighborhoods of Los Santos. The first time you get there, the game will issue a blank check worth 5.000 chips, while the Cashier Services booth offers a daily dose of 1.000 chips that should satisfy even the most demanding customers.
If races are your cup of tea in Grand Theft Auto V, the sportsbook sounds like a good idea that works just like any other similar venue in the real world: pick a horse, watch the race completes, and take your winnings out. A proven tip would be to wager on the top horse, which eventually doubles the investment. Of course, no one can guarantee this outcome, so always place bets carefully. On the other hand, even a reckless punter can lose everything and still earn it back by robbing a store or bank – that’s what GTA is all about. Actually, both games for consoles favor punters.
While completing Fallout New Vegas in-game quests, you will get the most interesting task: instead of turning a regular punter into a big winner, your avatar will look for a ban from every single casino establishment in the game including Vikki and Vance Casino, Atomic Wrangler Casino, and Sierra Madre Casino & Resort. The reward system is also attractive granting Bon Vivant suite, Complimentary voucher, and The Tops High Roller Suite. The quest is complete after winning a predefined number of chips, which can be done by playing classic gambling games.
The Best Casino Game You Can Play
Arguably, The Diamond Casino & Resort version playable in GTA 5 Online opens doors of high-stake wagers replacing the original Vinewood Casino in Los Santos. This is a classy resort with an exclusive enhanced version content and VIP lounge areas, the Inside Track betting spot, and a gambling area. Punters can enjoy a multitude of gambling options including the Lucky Wheel, the Casino Store, an array of slot machines, and table games such as Three Card Poker, roulette, or blackjack.
Treated as a very important person right from the start, you can buy a $500-worth standard membership that enables all casino games including horse racing. Owners of the Master Penthouse will unlock three extras including Cleaning Service, Limousine Services, and Aircraft Concierge.
While spinning the wheel-of-fortune-like feature positioned in the center of the casinos’ lobby, there is a chance for Grand Theft Auto Casino punters to claim real money, RP, or casino chips. Bettors can also win a 10% discount for a random vehicle, a mystery prize, or a brand-new car waiting to be collected from the podium. VIPs can also take a daily bonus worth 1.000 chips, enjoy a drink, or purchase some clothes.
When it comes to slots, the game hosts a variety of themes including Diamond Miner, Fame or Shame, Deity of the Sun, Impotent Rage, Twilight Knife, Evacuator, and Republican Space Rangers. Players will enjoy betting options suitable for all experience levels as well as payouts ranging from symbolic to millionaire-making jackpots.
The Final Verdict
Built on different premises, Fallout and GTA have so many betting options that could easily distract you from main missions. The fact is GTA online hosts a more welcoming surrounding, but the other title also comes with more than an interesting idea of how to gamble and make some profit out of it. To pursue your career in video games that also cherish online casinos or at least their landline versions, we suggest you try the Red Dead Redemption video game and make money fast while completing tasks there. In any case, two worlds are closer than ever and it’s up to your ambitions whether to meet them in a historic, contemporary, or post-apocalyptic version of Vegas.
Movies based on casinos and gambling have been around since the advent of cinema. It’s one of those genres that makes good viewing from multiple perspectives. Most film buffs can probably name a dozen top-rated gambling movies, such as Casino, 21, Rounders and The Gambler. However, there are a few hidden gems that you may not have heard of.
Let It Ride (1989)
While many gambling movies have a dark and gritty edge, Let It Ride breaks the mold. This 1989 American comedy, starring Richard Dreyfuss, is centered around a regular gambler who typically loses. However, on this particular day, he wins every bet he makes. If you’ve had a bad day at the bookies, Let It Ride will give you the feel-good factor again. What to know more? Click here to read this Let It Ride movie review.
California Split (1974)
California Split is one gambling movie that you should have already watched but probably haven’t. It stars the magnificent George Segal and Elliot Gould as two gamblers that become friends. Segal’s character, Bill Denny, starts out as a part-time gambler, but he gradually gets hooked on the gambling lifestyle after befriending Charlie Waters, played by Gould.
After falling into debt with his bookie, Bill sells his possessions and the pair head to Reno to play poker, roulette and blackjack. Rather than spoiling the end for you, we’ll let you watch it to find out what happens next. The movie was directed by Robert Altman – a five-time Academy Awards nominee. Many critics feel that this is among his best early work.
Deal (2008)
If you’re a fan of Burt Reynolds, the chances are you’ve seen this 2008 poker-themed movie. Reynolds plays a retired player, Tommy Vinson, who takes a young up-and-comer (Alex Stillman) under his wing.
Both Vinson and Stillman have to deal with different family situations throughout the movie, but they continue their partnership with Tommy tutoring the younger player. After a bust-up one night, the pair split. Stillman goes back to his parents, and they agree to let him play in the World Poker Tour Championship. Vinson, feeling he has nothing to lose after his wife walked out on him, enters the same event. We’re sure you can see where this is heading – they both make it to the final heads-up game, but we’ll leave the climax for you to see yourself.
Bookies (2003)
Bookies is a comedy thriller about three college students who start their own bookmaker (bookie) business. Immediately, the business takes off – making the friends plenty of cash. However, their newfound wealth attracts the attention of two local bookmakers with connections to the Italian mafia.
One of the students comes up with a plan to eliminate the other bookies and put them out of business. After agreeing to a bet with them, the three students put all their money on the underdog in the belief that the mafia would rig the result. But did they? Who came out on top? This is a decent film and worth a watch to discover how it all ends.
Eight Men Out (1998)
While not an out-and-out gambling movie, Eight Men Out has a strong connection to illicit bookmaking. The film, with an all-star cast, including John Cusack, Charlie Sheen, and Christopher Lloyd, is based on the real-life events of the Chicago White Sox intentionally losing baseball’s World Series in 1919.
Despite being regarded as one of the best teams of their time, the Chicago White Sox’s players were unhappy with how much the franchise owner, Charles Comiskey, was paying them. A couple of local gamblers got wind of their discontent and told them that they could make more money by losing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
Although not every player agreed, the fix was on. However, several journalists soon felt something was amiss; then, the gamblers didn’t pay the money they promised to the players. Understandably, everything fell apart. In 1920, the men involved were tried and all banned from playing in the majors again.
God of Gamblers (1989)
With traces of comedy, drama, doubling-crossing and murder all combined, God of Gamblers is an action-packed Hong Kong movie featuring Chow Yun-Fat.
Chow plays Ko Chun, who is known as the God of Gamblers for his skill in winning a variety of different games. Unfortunately, after an accident, Chun loses his memory and a young gambler by the name of Little Knife takes him in. He soon learns of Chun’s remarkable gambling abilities and takes advantage of them. However, Little Knife takes pity on Chun and wants to help him restore his memory.
After another accident, Chun is back to his normal self. He has to go and play a poker game against the Demon of Gamblers Chan Kam Sing, who cheats by wearing a pair of special glasses. Chun eventually bets his entire fortune on the last hand despite knowing that his opponent is cheating. Does he have a trick up his sleeve himself?
The rapid pace of technological developments are being felt in virtually every aspect of our lives. This is also true of the automotive sector, with technology making our cars more secure. From airbags to anti-lock braking systems, technology has come a long way in making cars safe.
If you want to make your car safer, be sure to embrace the following top 8 technologies!
Vehicle Access With ANPR
You’re probably wondering what ANPR is. This acronym stands for Automatic Number Plate Recognition, and although you’ve likely never heard of it, you probably come across this technology all the time. This system scans and registers car number plates as part of access control or law enforcement systems. In busy parking lots, this technology is helpful as well with ANPR Access Control infrastructure helping to managing entry and exit of vehicles, as well as space availability.
How Does It Work?
These system use ANPR cameras at entry points to identify and read the number plate when a vehicle approaches. This camera will send the number to the access control unit for validation. If the number is valid, the unit will tell the entry barrier to open and allow the vehicle to enter. This makes your car more secure by preventing the entry of an unauthorised vehicles, and so reducing the risk of malicious individuals entering the parking area.
This technology can also be used for counting the vehicles in a commercial parking lot. Some parking lots will have space only for a specific number of cars. In these systems, the signal for opening the barrier also sends the signal to the control unit. The same is applied to the exit, meaning the associated count management system can keep track of the number of vehicles entering as well as leaving the lot. Therefore, the remaining space can be easily calculated and used to allow or deny entry to new vehicles.
Vehicle Self-Braking Systems
Self-braking is, of course, not a new technology. However, it has improved greatly in recent years. Of course, self-braking systems do not bring your vehicle to a complete halt. However, this system will come in handy in the event of loss of control, helping to keep you safe.
How Does It Work?
Self-braking systems work with sensors at the front of your vehicle. These sensors will alert you whenever your vehicle is approaching an object or a person. For example, when a person unexpectedly crosses the road in front of your vehicle, this system will automatically slow your car down.
Active Health Monitoring
You might be wondering where does health comes into the picture when it comes to cars. However, if you think about it, you need to be healthy to safely drive a car. This is what the active health monitoring technology will keep track of.
How Does It Work?
As you can probably gather from the name, Active Health Monitoring assesses the driver’s health metrics. It then tells you whether it is safe to drive or not. It works with sensors such as electrodes that are placed in places like the steering wheel and seatbelt. It will check your heart rate, blood pressure, glucose and other vital to check whether you are ok to drive.
Blind Spot Sensors
At times, even experienced drivers may be surprised by a vehicle in their blind spot. Blind Spot Sensors help you to avoid this issue, which can cause minor mishaps or even serious accidents.
How Does It Work?
Blind Spot Sensors work by connecting sensors to the car’s visual and auditory systems. They scan the vehicle’s blind spots and alert the driver as necessary.
Lane Detection
If you often drive on busy roads, lane detection technology will come in handy. This helps to prevent accidents by warning you when you drift from your lane.
How Does It Work?
Again, this technology relies on sensors. The sensors detect the vehicles nearby as well as the lane markings to alert you when you unintentionally move away from your lane. The most advanced systems using this technology can automatically correct the path of your vehicle.
Adaptive Headlights
This intelligent headlight technology will adjust the headlights based on the road. For example, when you drive on dark roads, it will give you better visibility by automatically increasing the lighting.
How Does It Work?
This technology works by automatically triggering the lights to make them brighter when needed. It will also adjust the light to a high or low beam based on driving conditions to ensure safe driving.
Driver Alertness Monitoring
When you drive long distances or for a long time, you can often feel drowsy. This can be very dangerous and may lead to accidents. This system will warn you immediately before it becomes too late.
How Does It Work?
This technology works by understanding your driving pattern. When you drift or if you suddenly slow down, it will immediately warn you with an alarm.
Final Verdict
Technology has come a long way and can even make you, your car, and your passengers safer. Of course, technology cannot replace good driving skills but it can undoubtedly make a difference and help to keep you safe and allow you to make your journey with complete peace of mind.
No matter the car, you’re still vulnerable to accidents on the road, and even if you’re safe in your car – you’re going to need to deal with the aftermath. Exchanging information, consider contacting a car crash lawyer, and checking in at the hospital just to make sure. You should always make sure to cover yourself if you’re ever caught in a road collision
Shady El-Hamus, director of De Libi, delivers an intense thriller in Forever Rich. Up-and-coming rapper Richie is on the verge of his breakthrough. In the days leading up to his most important show, he is robbed by a group of teenage thugs. As Richie pursues revenge and tries to save his reputation, he pushes himself harder and harder.
Robert Altman’s The Player may not be the director’s best-known film, but it’s a revered piece of cinema, especially among film critics – which is perhaps ironic, given the film’s story. Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) is an influential studio executive who becomes embroiled in the darker side of Hollywood when he ends up murdering a screenwriter; incidentally, this happens not long after Mill jokingly suggests that writers aren’t necessary for the creative process of making a movie.
Mill’s anxieties surrounding his work become heightened when he fears that the authorities are on to him, but the film explores his woes with a decent measure of humor and satire. By the end of the film, viewers will feel more connected to cinema, thanks to the film’s clever writing and the story’s apparent self-awareness.
Though the film is a satirical examination of the film industry, it also juggles crime, thriller, suspense, and romance. While it subverts the audience’s expectations about Hollywood, it also fulfills them – The Player is, after all, a Hollywood production.
While Altman is known primarily for projects like Nashville, MASH, and The Long Goodbye, films like The Player and his earlier California Split are among his somewhat underappreciated works. Here are ten of the most memorable quotes from The Player.
Griffin Mill: “Actually, we’re doing a movie right now, called Lonely Room, and Scott Glenn plays a detective much like yourself.” Detective Susan Avery: “Is he a black woman?”
Griffin Mill: “I was just thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the artistic process. If we could just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we’ve got something here.”
Griffin Mill: “This is a red wine glass. Can I have my water in a water glass?”
June: “What took you so long?” Griffin Mill: “Traffic was a b**ch.”
Griffin Mill: “No stars, just talent.”
Tim Oakley: “If I’m perfectly honest, if I think about this, this isn’t even an American film.”
Griffin Mill: “Can we talk about something other than Hollywood for a change?”
Griffin Mill: “Stop all the postcards.” David Kahane: “I don’t write postcards! I write scripts!”
Griffin Mill: “I would hate to get the wrong person arrested.” Detective Susan Avery: “Oh, please! This is Pasadena. We do not arrest the wrong person. That’s L.A.!”
Malcolm McDowell: “Griffin? Griffin! Hi, how are you? Listen, the next time you wanna badmouth me, have the courage to do it to my face. You guys are all the same.”
Place has always been important to Ailsa Tully, who grew up singing in a church choir in the Welsh countryside before moving to South London to study music. The singer-songwriter finds subtle ways of evoking elements from her childhood in her music, particularly on her new EP, Holy Isle, released last week via Dalliance Recordings (Gia Margaret, Francis of Delirium), which follows her 2018 EP Feuds as well as a string of promisingsingles. There’s a nostalgic, self-reflective quality to how she incorporates both lush vocal harmonies and field recordings into her brand of warm indie folk, whether capturing scenes of nature – gale-force winds, birdsong – or using the rumble of a washing machine to hint at a sense of domestic stress on ‘Sheets’. But even in this quietly mesmerizing, 17-minute project, everything in Tully’s work – from her vulnerable lyricism to her string arrangements and wonderful production flourishes – contributes not only to a distinct sense of atmosphere, but also serves to advance the emotional narrative that is woven throughout. Holy Isle is centered around a breakup, but it’s everything around it that gives the music its own sense of identity – one that can only grow with each subsequent release.
We caught up with Ailsa Tully for this edition of our Artist Spotlight interview series to talk about her songwriting journey, how she approached Holy Isle, and more.
How do you look back on your upbringing?
I grew up in South Wales. My dad was a musician, and he was really successful – he played with John Martin and had lots of his own projects, and he won the Eurovision Song Contest and did the music for a film called Gregory’s Girl, which at the time was a big deal. I think having him as a parent completely made me want to do it – I wouldn’t have chosen to make music if it hadn’t been for him. We played a lot together, and that really shaped my childhood because it was so much music, all the time – him playing in different projects and kind of pushing me to make stuff and to be involved.
What kind of memories come to mind when you think of playing together or the kind of music that you were exposed to?
We played like all the time in the house. And he would sing a lot to me when I was growing up – my first memory is of him singing to me in a bath. I can remember it so clearly – I must have been about three. And I think I quickly realized it made me use my ear a lot to kind of form melodies and to remember melodies, because later on in my musical life, I went more through a classical system of reading music and stuff, and I was like, “No, I can just listen to my dad.” Like he’ll sing it to me and then I’ll go, “Oh, great.” So you kind of get around things if you’re bad at them, and that shaped a lot to do with how I then approached music and why I was so terrible at reading music. But yeah, a lot of my childhood I was just playing kind of naturally together with him, and then getting more involved in classical music in my A-level years, and then turning away from that, which, you know, had to happen [laughs].
How did you decide to venture out into your own songwriting?
I was doing classical music and it just wasn’t what I wanted to do at all. And one day my dad said, “I think you should start writing songs, because I was about your age when I started writing songs.” And I was like, “Okay!” So I just did. [laughs] I wrote my first song, and it was really complicated. It had like three different sections, and it was about Dido and Aeneas because I was studying classics at the time. It was the most pretentious thing I’ve possibly ever written. And that was my first song.
Why do you think that was the kind of song you wanted to write?
I don’t know, I think I didn’t really understand then about writing about personal stuff. I’d been very much in the classical world, I hadn’t done any singer-songwriter stuff when I was about 16. I kind of wanted to, but I didn’t really know how to approach it, and so I needed to write about something else. I suppose it’s quite an emotional story, but I still didn’t really know how to make might make something of my own yet.
How did you open up into a more personal kind of songwriting?
That’s been a very long process for me. I feel like only recently, like in the last year, I’ve been able to be really honest in a clear way. Because I started writing and I was like, “I’ll just disguise everything with really flowery language and people won’t really know what’s going on.” Because I didn’t feel that comfortable, I suppose, with expressing myself in such an honest way. I think I was still trying to work out my voice as a musician and I was listening to a lot of people like Joanna Newsom, and her lyrics are incredibly intricate and complicated. And I think I was trying to go down that path because I was scared – I didn’t want to reveal my emotional self at that point.
That’s interesting, because another artist I interviewed recently also brought up Joanna Newsom in a similar context. So I’m wondering if, for you, there were any songwriters that showed you that it was okay to write in a more diaristic kind of way.
I was very influenced by Laura Marling, but I think she’s also one to use poetry and other experiences to create. I think maybe someone like Marika Hackman in her most recent work has been very direct and honest, and I suppose there were a few artists at the time that were making a transition from very folky to maybe a bit more like, “No, this is what I’m feeling,” more direct.
What was your approach going into your new EP, Holy Isle?
I suppose it is a breakup EP – which I never felt like it was, but it is, and it’s very transitional. Some of the songs, like ‘Sheets’ and ‘Holy Isle’ and even ‘Your Mess’, they’re really quite old, and it’s taken me a long time to get them finished. ‘Greedy’ is much more recent and it was quite a different experience creating that, because all the other songs I’ve been very much mindful of how they’re gonna sound in a live setting. I didn’t want to overcomplicate everything, but with ‘Greedy’, because we were not performing and I didn’t do it with the band and we had to do everything remotely, it was really fun to play with. And I felt like that process really informed how we’re going to think about production for the EP, and it’s going to be creating more of a soundworld than just thinking about how it’d be live.
Why do you say it didn’t feel like a breakup EP at first?
I mean, in hindsight, I can really see that it is, but some of the songs, they’re about my relationship, but there’s only one song that really is about letting someone go, and I think that’s ‘Holy Isle’. And weirdly, with ‘Holy Isle’, I wrote the song ages ago, about the relationship that I was in then. And then I just felt like it was never finished. And then when I went through my breakup a few months afterwards, I came back to ‘Holy Isle’ when we were going to record it, and all the lyrics just came about the breakup. And it was like I needed to break up to have this verse so that the song felt finished, and I think that’s why I felt like, “Oh, it’s a breakup EP.” You know, the song wasn’t about my breakup before but it was never finished until I had the breakup, and it was like all the pain that had been in the song before, it just made sense. Sometimes you have to go through that emotion and through that stuff in your life to make a song complete.
I wanted to ask you about that song specifically, because I kept listening to it and I kind of realized that shift. And it’s a bit surprising because there’s this slow progression to the song and it starts out really gentle and affectionate, and then just as the strings come in, there’s this tension. I was wondering, besides the realization that made you want to add that verse in, what was your thought process for having the tone shift like that, as opposed to maybe letting the song be what it is in the beginning and then writing another song about what happened afterward?
I probably will write loads more songs about what’s happened, but that song, it was very much about my relationship at the time and what we were going through, but like two years before, about being in this place. We were on holiday in [the Isle of] Arran and we had this conversation, looking over the bay, and Holy Isle is there – it’s like a Buddhist’s island where you go and have a retreat from the world. We weren’t there for that reason, but we were on the island, looking over the other island, and the place is really important to me because my family’s been returning to Arran my whole life, and my dad’s family were returning to Arran before that. I’m also named after an island off of Arran, the Ailsa Craig.
And we had this moment when we were looking over this other island, we were talking a lot about our relationship and what we were going through at the time, and that felt like it was was just so meaningful. I didn’t want to write a song that was all about, you know, we broke up and I’m really angry with you, because that’s not how it was. It felt like it was really nice to capture that moment and be like, the love you feel for somebody and how much they mean to you, that still exists when you break up with somebody. That can still exist as much as the pain. And I think that’s why it felt like it was important to have an overarching feeling, and it wasn’t just going to be like, “I’m pissed off, argh!” Because it is nuanced, what you go through in a breakup, and anything you go through in your life is nuanced – there’s not just one emotion. And I think that’s why ‘Holy Isle’ I felt so important, because it had all that meaning for me anyway, about the place, and then that part of our relationship, it kind of moved forward into this moment where I was like, “We’ve been through so much and it’s so hard that we have to break up, but I’m so grateful for what you’ve given me in my life.” And the cellos were like this big explosion of gratitude.
I really wanted to use the cellos because I’m cellist originally, and I wanted to make it kind of catching you off because it’s intense, you know, what you go through, and I wanted to evoke the intensity after that brooding kind of conversation. Because you go through that in a breakup, lots of conversations and things that feel quite like you’re kind of going ebbing and flowing through it all, and then there can just be these big [makes whoosh sound] moments. And that’s why it felt like I had to bring it all together in one.
I was thinking of the line “I wish I could make a mess/ And feel from my chest,” which is such a powerful sentiment to have at the start of the EP. What does that mean for you, to feel something from your chest?
I think being in a really long-term relationship, you have lots of expectations, and you become someone from being with someone else. And I think sometimes, you try to grow out of that, and you can’t. And when I broke up, it was like this moment where I was like, I can do whatever I want. It is like a kind of release, but also it’s quite painful – well, it’s very painful, but the other side of it is, rather than thinking, you’re leading with your emotions. And that’s what it meant to me at the time, just that raw, impulsive movement to your life.
But there’s also something kind of holding you back at the same time, right, because you’re imagining it – you’re wishing.
Yeah. So that was like the kind of brink of moving into that stage where you’re trying to weigh, Is this something that I can actually do? Can I actually break something to start again? So there’s a lot of tension in it, for sure, especially in the beginning.
And then with the final track, ‘Your Mess’, you’re kind of returning to that idea, but instead of making a mess, it’s more in the sense of being someone else’s mess.
Yeah. I’m just obsessed with mess. So, I wrote ‘Greedy’ after, because ‘Your Mess’ is quite old, and I was like, “Why am I always talking about this?” [laughs] I was at a point where I felt like, “Why am I always the one that has something wrong with me? Why am I always this problem that you have to solve?” And it’s not at all a slight on them. I think some people might think that I’m like “your mess,” you know, like you’ve made a mess, but it was like, “I’m a mess.” That’s kind of what it was about.
When it comes to the field recordings that you use throughout the EP, how conscious were you of wanting to include a certain recording when writing a song, or are you the kind of person who just records a lot in general, without necessarily knowing how it may be useful in the future?
Kind of both. I normally know with a song, if it’s been in a certain place, I’ll know what kind of sounds I want. But I do record a lot – I’ve made like the millionth recording of wind on the black mountains where I live, and where my parents live in Wales. I’m always collecting sounds, and that’s very useful because you can build up a bit of a library, but normally it’s because the song is in a place, and I really like thinking about like, when did I do this, what did it mean at the time, where was I? And I think that that feels really emotionally important to the song. I don’t know if that comes through to anyone else – obviously to someone else it’s like, “Oh, there’s a wave,” [laughs] but for me, it’s pretty important.
Do you mind sharing what some of your most recent recordings are that you might use in the future?
Yeah, well, this is a bit tricky, but my dad’s recently passed away from cancer. And I’ve been recording him – just like recording him talking or recording him playing. So, I think I’m going to use that in a body of work in the future, because he’s, you know, was such an amazing musician. We’ve done lots of little low-key recordings together, but that was very difficult, recording him trying to play again, and like practicing again, when he was losing the ability to do that. So yeah, very, very painful, but that’s my most recent recording.
I’m really sorry to hear that.
Thank you.
Have you found yourself revisiting memories from that relationship and the music that you shared together in your current work?
I think I will, but maybe a bit later down the line. Because the music for us was like a big bond. I think I need a bit more time before I can go back there again. But I will, and I’m going to hopefully use a lot of those little samples in future work, because it’s going to be – I feel I probably need to write an album about this. [laughs] I guess it’s a way of still playing with him, but not being able to. So yeah, we’ll come to that.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Baby Keem has announced that his new album The Melodic Blue will be released this Friday, September 10 via pgLang in partnership with Columbia. Keem previewed the record with the Kendrick Lamar collaboration ‘Family Ties’ last month, and has now shared another piece of music to accompany the announcement. Check it out below.
The Melodic Blue will follow Baby Keem’s 2019 project Die for My Bitch. In addition to ‘Family Ties’, the album will include the Travis Scott collaboration ‘Durag Activity’, which came out back in April.
Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this segment.
On this week’s list, we have the brand new single from Charli XCX, ‘Good Ones’, an infectious pop banger that sees her deviating from the experimental sonics of how i’m feeling now to embrace a more mainstream pop-leaning sound; Little Simz’ groovy, Afropop-inflected ‘Point and Kill’, the fifth and final single from her outstanding new LP, featuring Nigeria-born, London-based singer Obongjayar; Montreal band SUUNS’ patiently unfolding and expansive ‘The Trilogy’, from their new album The Witness; Silverbacks’ dynamic and propulsive new single ‘Wear My Medal’, their first for new label home Full Time Hobby; Thyla’s glossy and euphoric ‘Gum’, which leads their forthcoming self-titled debut; and a new song from Melina Duterte and Ellen Kempner’s Bachelor, the hushed and subtly unnerving ‘I See It Now’.
