Strings ‘n Things #22- Sofa King

Here again to fill the blog-shaped hole in your heart, today on Strings ‘n Things the fidelity is lo but the bar is hi- it’s the sumptuous sounds of Sofa King

As a straight, white, male in a band in Birmingham, UK, I think that it is safe to say that there are plenty of straight, white, male bands from Birmingham, UK. Which is also to say that as a whole, our indie scene is pretty cis male heavy. I do not mean that as a slight against the aforementioned groups, but let’s not pretend that it’s a well-rounded gaggle of rockers. But things have been changing- slowly and surely. From the likes of Grl Gang Brum and Brum Girl Skate providing platforms for girls and other marginalised genders in cultural communities where they have been otherwise under or even misrepresented, or the efforts of promoters such as This Is Tmrw, Supersonic and Kaleidoscope to host more gender-balanced line-ups, it feels like the days of Birmingham’s music scene being a boys’ club may, fingers crossed, be numbered. But smashing patriarchy is one thing- making art that stands on its own feet regardless is another. With Sofa King, Dianne heavily blurs the lines between her art and her own existence- they have a symbiotic relationship, as does that of the best artists and their work. Her discography does not sound exclusively contemporary- there’s a heavy hypnagogic pop influence, and a retro futurism that could have you mistakenly believing you’d stumbled upon some forgotten gem of the mid 2000’s Paw Tracks roster, or some Todd Rundgren deep cuts. It almost feels underwhelming to get the skinny on her guitar equipment- throughout her work it’s the gorgeous, modulating synths and kitschy keyboards that take the centre stage- with latest release Don’t Let the Capitalists Win calling to mind the lo-fi musings of Grouper and Panda Bear, but with a heavy dose of existential dread in mix. It’s the kind of work that makes you ask “who is this individual and what the hell is going on in there?”- which is exactly what our fair city needs in the golden era of Foals-lite festival fodder. So see this more as a chronicle of Dianne’s humble beginnings rather than a deep dive into her djentiverse- and then go drink up her discography with untethered thirst.

Talk us through your guitar history from your first to your most recent.

“My very first guitar was some kind of nylon string acoustic, I was so young at the time I definitely had no idea what I was doing so just ran round the house hitting out of tune strings until I lost it somehow (or confiscated, but I’ll say ‘lost’ as it’s nicer). Then I started playing drums and decided to become a rhythm section, baby, and begged my parents for a bass- which is probably why I feel like bass is my spiritual home. Then a series of basses followed, culminating in a Japanese Fender Precision from the 90’s (now sold) and a Japanese Mustang which was originally white but is now sort of an orange/red colour, as well as a custom-built bass with a humbucker. In terms of six-strings, I returned to the nylon acoustic, and then my teenage desire to make noise drew me to an Epiphone SG and then a Fender Strat (white on white, baby) both of which I still have. There are others, but the one that I let go and miss most is a Westone, which was just the loveliest lil’ shredder I ever did use.”

Who inspired you to pick up guitar, and who inspires you to keep on playing today?

“My Dad introduced me to The Clash, which is a very Dad thing to do, like falling asleep in front of football or mowing the lawn. They’re the band that I most closely associate with early memories of wanting to play the guitar specifically. Rinsing London Calling over and over, and thinking how cool Paul Simonon looked on the artwork, I think that’s where it all started, but then childhood memories are hard for me to grasp onto.

In terms of continued inspiration, a handful of modern artists are important to me when it comes to pushing guitar into new territories of sound and its role in songwriting. Cate Le Bon and Aldous Harding are in there for their use of tones and melodies specifically inherent to guitars, whilst other influences like Connan Mockasin and Kirin J. Callinan take guitars and bring in new textures and sounds to turn them into something they’re not- without it becoming a gimmick.”

Tell us about your music, and how you approach your guitar playing within the context of it.

“I don’t even know what to say about my music anymore- it’s sort of a desire to push out in all directions at once. I guess what I’ve put out there generally falls into to that dreampop/synthpop area, with a gothic bent bringing the danger, and with a tendency to favour rhythms over melody. Guitar has usually occupied a textural space- very rarely being at the forefront of anything. Sometimes it hits that link between harmony and rhythm- like a bass in the upper registers. I think my approach is less ‘melodies and riffs’, and more ‘harmonies and rhythms’.”

What setup are you currently running, amp and pedal wise?

“I tend not to use amps outside of a live situation! I like the sound of DI’d guitar best- it feels more honest, plus there’s always the option of running it back through an amp always being there if I need it. On those rare occasions where I am on stage playing guitar, I run stereo into a Fender Vaporizer and a Roland JC-40 (or, if I’m being lazy, just stereo into the Roland). Pedals are a whole lot more important! The chain currently runs:

Boss TU-3 > Boss PS-6 > Danelectro Cool Cat Metal > Digitech Digiverb > Rat clone > Boss PH-3 > Boss DD-7 > Earthquaker Devices Rainbow Machine > Electro Harmonix Neo Clone, and a compressor sometimes if I feel like adding a pedal that doesn’t do anything at all.”

What’s the one pedal that you couldn’t live without?

“The Neo Clone from my current setup, it just adds nice texture and can do a whole lot with just a knob and a switch.”

What’s your current main guitar, and why so?

“Probably the five dollar nylon string guitar I found in an op-shop in Warrandyte- you can’t play any higher than the 8^th fret but it sounds real nice. It’s easier to pick up and pick out chords and intervals that I like. I need immediacy because I will balk at the slightest sign of a hurdle.”

Are there any other local guitarists you particularly admire?

“Rose Davies fucking shreds, I feel very blessed that she has been playing with Sofa King, far too talented to be wasting time with my dinky little tunes. Matt Jenkins (Tremorsz) is tight as hell- he always seems to know exactly what he wants out of a setup. Thom Edward (God Damn) knows exactly what heavy means, more deeply than anyone I know. And you gotta give it up for Scott Abbott (Table Scraps), dude built a Flying V -Strat, crazy bastard.”

If you could play any venue anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be and why?  

“The Tote Hotel in Melbourne because people are actually allowed to go to shows in Australia! Fuck our government. Fuck Boris.”

Where can we find your music?

“It’s all available for free on my bandcamp, and then the usual Spotify, Apple Music, etc. Trying to figure out if I can get it off of Amazon Music.”

Strings ‘n Things #21- Matters

Let’s not even bother with the COVID-19 jokes. Your favourite blog on the Bham scene is back on your screen- and this week we’ve got one of the city’s most forward-thinking guitarists to spill his techy, midi-synced secrets- Stuart of Matters.

Due to generally being people about town, there was a fair bit of buzz around Matters before they even started. I vividly remember standing on the stairs of The Sunflower Lounge for one of their very earliest shows- it was the kind of ‘holy shit’ moment that stuck to the sides of your skull past their last note, past closing time, past the hazy taxi ride home, past the slurred recounting of their brilliance endured by my girlfriend before bed, past the hangover the next morning. In fact the moment never really passed at all- a few years on and they’re still incessantly vital feeling- a real shot in the arm for Birmingham’s independent music scene. And the reason why- they’re not simply yet another a guitar band. They make art that is best experienced in their multi-media live set- combining their head-expanding electronica with a visual show that transforms any toilet venue stage into a raving feast for the senses. Stuart’s approach is more akin to that of sound designer than riff merchant- weaving dissonant & distorted between the bludgeoning bass and wild LFO oscillations of Brid’s monstrous Moog Sub 37 (often supplemented by any number of other synth devices all synced up to the same clock source). There’s something dystopian to their sound- an unsettling urgency that reminds us we can’t outrun what we’ve got coming our way. Anyway, enough doomsday prophecies; let’s get electric!

Talk us through your guitar history from your first to your most recent.

“I started on an old acoustic. Following that I borrowed an electro acoustic, plus a small amplifier. I have no idea what make/model, but I accidentally discovered overdrive with those. From there I had a Squier Stratocaster and a solid state Peavy Bandit. I still have the Bandit! As I had no one to guide me, and the internet didn’t exist, I was sucked in by numerous terrible guitars – an Ibanez with a floating tremolo, a Les Paul-shaped Stagg, some Dean thing, and generally a whole bunch of stuff that never stayed in tune. I went to an older Squier Telecaster Custom for Das Bastard – it did a great job. In Them Wolves I used an Eastwood Airline Map, and then for Matters I moved to an Eastwood 3P before finally ending up on my Revelation RJT-60 bass VI.”

Who inspired you to pick up guitar, and who inspires you to keep on playing today?

“I really can’t say that anyone inspired me to pick up the guitar in the first place. It was an accident. I wanted to play an instrument, and as we had this old two-tier organ in the house I started organ lessons. Obviously I was the coolest child in my primary school! After a few years a kid from the next street attempted to smash my skull in with a rock, but I protected my head with my right hand and he smashed that instead. That put a stop to my organ lessons and I was granted access to the aforementioned acoustic in the loft- seeing as I could just about hold a plectrum. 
When we started Matters we were inspired by Suuns, Holy Fuck and The Field– especially the aforementioned’ s live set up. I’m always really impressed by Daniel Fox of Girl Band. Jamming with Brid (synths) inspires me to keep pushing myself.”

 
Tell us about your music, and how you approach your guitar playing within the context of it.
“We make, for the most part, instrumental electronic music. We sit on the dance/electronic side of things. I would have hated the idea of this band when I was a thrash metal loving teenager! When Matters started I was approaching it very differently to how I am now- for the first release or so it was much more ‘rock’ guitars with synths, but since switching to the bass VI, the music has shifted. Our single ‘Hannah’, was the start of that. I will always find it a challenge to be a guitarist playing techno/trance/dance, especially when it comes to not repeating myself or sticking to a formula. I enjoy that though.”

What setup are you currently running, amp and pedal wise? 

“It’s a lot of Boss, and I’m not sorry! GLX bass EQ> Boss SD-1 > EHX Attack Decay > TC Electronic Sub ‘n Up > EHX Blurst > Boss MD-500 > Boss DD-500 > Boss RV-500.
My modulation, reverb and delay are all midi clocked to Brid’s synths. 
My amp is a Roland JC120. Big and clean. It copes with the highs and lows of the VI really well.”

What’s the one pedal that you couldn’t live without?

“The Boss DD-500. I know that are other pedals out there that offer midi connection, and the ability to write patches using pedal to computer hook up – but this is the one I use. It has never failed me.” 

What’s your current main guitar, and why so?

“My main guitar is my bass VI, which is a Revelation RJT60-B. I’ve had it for a good few years, and initially started using it just to double up on some of my regular guitar parts in the studio. After those first couple of releases we wanted to take the band in a different direction, and I found that using only the VI gave me the sonic shift I was looking for. It is a cheap guitar- £140 at the time. The intonation isn’t great – but we feel that helps us keep the organic sound we have. It sits really well with Brid’s synths. I wouldn’t swap it with anything.”

Photo probably by Sam Wood!

Are there any other local guitarists you particularly admire?

“Anyone that is creating their own style and place has my admiration, and there are many in Birmingham- Anna and Meesh from Dorcha to Adam and Thomas from Hoopla Blue, Kaila from Youth Man/Pretty Grim/Blue Ruth. We are soon releasing a track that features Kaila.  I spent years standing opposite Greg Coates when we were in Das Bastard and Them Wolves – big sound and great riffs.”

If you could play any venue anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be and why?

“Given the current situation, I would be very happy to play The Hare and Hounds tomorrow!”

 
Where can we find your music?

“We put a lot of effort into making our own videos, so it’s always nice when people find us through our Youtube channel.
Other than that it’s all the usual– bandcamp and Spotify.“

Gearholics Anonymous #4- Martin

We’re chomping at the bit to re-open again once lockdown lifts on Wednesday! We don’t know about you, but we’re dearly missing being thoroughly surrounded by the objects of our affection (family be damned). Last up in our gear-itis chronicles is the main man himself- Martin.

What’s your first memory of realising you might have more than simply a passing interest in guitars?

“My first memory is receiving a plastic Beatles guitar in cream and red (with matching black plastic Beatles wig) when I was about 5 or 6. It was the size of a Ukelele with four nylon strings. After that, it was Top of The Pops circa 1972 seeing Mick Ronson with David Bowie doing Starman.”

What was your first electric guitar and amp?

“A Top Twenty made in Japan in red sunburst- £16.50 from Musical Exchanges in August 1973 – when they were on Broad Street. Gary Chapman sold it to me (my Mom, that is). Next was an Avon Telecaster copy that had been stripped and had the edges of the body painted white. First amp was a beige AC15 from circa 1960, which I wish I still had! I swapped it for a Sound City Concord because the latter was louder (but sounded like a tray of cutlery being thrown down a fire escape).”

Who were the primary influences on your gear and technique during your formative years?

“In no particular order- Mick Green, Wilko Johnson, Mick Ronson, the Quo, Hank Marvin, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, Brian May.“

How many guitars do you currently own?

“Currently, including all the shop stock, about 300!”

What’s your biggest gear-related regret?

“Letting the aforementioned AC15 go, and also a ’77 Telecaster Custom that I sold to buy Christmas presents a long time ago.”

Desert island time- one guitar, one amp, one pedal…

“Strat, an AC30 and my Ibanez Super Tube Screamer“

Why that particular guitar for your desert island choice?

“A Strat because you can do most things with it, and it has a tremolo. It’d probably be my Tokai Silverstar in Olympic White with rosewood board, big CBS headstock & four bolt neck- all stock, no mods.”

You win the lottery and may make one gear-related purchase only…

“It would have to be an early 70’s blonde Telecaster with maple neck. Not too heavy though, please!”

Impart some wisdom to fellow gear hounds…

“If you want to cut through playing live, dial back the gain on your amp/pedal, use the mid control on the amp and don’t have too much bass. Also, practice with a higher action than you would usually prefer- it will sound better and make you play better. Always stretch your strings when you change them. Buy good quality leads and patch leads if you use pedals!”

Gearholics Anonymous #3- James

What’s weirder- that this writer is finally interviewing himself, or that is has taken this long? Burning questions be soothed- here is my own long-awaited tell-all.

What’s your first memory of realising you might have more than simply a passing interest in guitars?

“I was always an obsessive child- firstly it was sharks and dinosaurs, then skateboards, so it figures that I’m now down this particular wormhole and have been unable to crawl out. I vividly remember using the library computers around age 12/13 to join the Ultimate Guitar forums, trawl through Musicians Friend, and gather any titbit of info I could about Kurt Cobain’s equipment. The gear used was always intrinsic to the music made by it for me, right from the beginning. There was something about it that elevated its user- like a transformative appendage.”

What was your first electric guitar and amp?

“A totally classic combo- the ubiquitous Squier Affinity Strat (full thickness body, small headstock) and a Vox Valvetronix 15 amp. That amp served me well for many years, the Strat I never really gelled with. I broke the high e within 10 seconds of handling it…”

Who were the primary influences on your gear and technique during your formative years?

“Like so many I started on a cheap classical guitar and would pick things up by ear. By the Way was big and I was mad on RHCP, but it was the s/t Nirvana greatest hits compilation that blew my tiny little brain. Hearing that for the first, second, eightieth time was a truly mind-altering experience. I bought a Nirvana tab & cd book from a music shop in Stamford and went to town. Soon after that, it was Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains who got me into playing more riff-based stuff, as well as Master of Puppets. I only really developed my own ‘voice’ around age 19/20 when I started getting into more ‘indie’ stuff, alternate tunings etc. There is nothing more exciting that hearing music that makes you want to redefine your own approach. I love intertwining players- Verlaine/Lloyds, Kokal/Wayman, Moore/Ranaldo, but also hate the logistics/egotistical strain of being in a band with another big-headed guitar player, so I’ve drawn my own style heavily from Ira Kaplan, Roger Miller, J. Mascis et al. I couldn’t afford any additional gear until I was about 21, so you could say I’m making up for lost time.”

How many guitars do you currently own?

“The lowly number of 4, plus an acoustic and a bass! 2 p90-equipped Tokai LPs, my Marr Jaguar, a G&L ASAT (Esquire), 80’s Greco P-bass and a folk-sized acoustic. I’ve had lots come and go- from Jazzmasters to Jacksons, but I’ve not the space or finances to justify stuff hanging around sadly. However, the ones I’ve currently got are the result of years of playing different guitars and knowing exactly what I want in a recording setting. And I’m also having a Champagne Sparkle Jaguar with Firebird pickups built which has me just a little, tiny bit bursting with anticipation. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to having my own signature model.”

What’s your biggest gear-related regret?

“Mainly offloading stuff simply to pay bills- but the one that comes to mind is my ’72 Fender Musicmaster. It was a dog but was ever so charming and sounded absolutely fantastic. You could wriggle the neck around in the pocket, and it was a truly utilitarian piece- stripped to the wood and with just one neck pickup (which was supposedly a prototype SD, but it sounded very much like a late 60’s Strat). Gaffa-tape “strap locks” and all. I wrote all my early Mutes stuff on it- much like a Tele it was free of fancy distractions and just encouraged you to make music, rather than play rock riffs (Les Paul), do dive bombs (anything with a trem) or make atonal nonsense (Jaguar 3^rd bridge techniques). Sadly, Musicmaster prices are going the way of the Sun so it looks like I will have to scrounge a little longer before I may get another. I miss it very, very much.”

Desert island time- one guitar, one amp, one pedal…

“My Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar, a RAT, and a Fender Princeton (preferably a ’68 drip edge Silverface with a Ragin’ Cajun speaker to increase the volume whilst handling pedals like a beaut). That could do so much- verb n trem for surfing, cranked up amp for crunching, maxed-out RAT for burning.”

Why that particular guitar for your desert island choice?

“My Jaguar is an odd guitar- not ideal in many ways (no sustain, plunky, pokey and sometimes shrill) but it reacts superbly to any and all pedals and is practically indestructible. The Bareknuckle pickups are super low output, so it seems to impart less of its own character and let your pedals and amp do more work- it’s malleable. I use a lot of stupid tunings and the Jag just handles them all without going out of wack or anything. I’ve thrown it across stages, ripped off the strings, repeatedly bashed it into amps for 5 years now and it’s had nothing more than a fret dress in the cowboy-chord area.”

You win the lottery and may make one gear-related purchase only…

“For investment purposes I’d go with a CBS Strat, but for my own personal enjoyment I’d probably go with some kind of ’65-’66 Jaguar. Preferably Burgundy Mist with dots & binding and a matching headstock. I’d have to play a few to make sure it was the right one- the pickups vary so wildly between examples! I played a ’71 Jag in Brighton once that had the most sonorous, sweet, bell-like neck pickup I have ever heard. It was magical. But the bridge pickup was a flaccid, weedy piece of crap… so I’d need to go hunting.”

Impart some wisdom to fellow gear hounds…

“Do not be afraid to steal, mix and match- whether it be gear, techniques, pedal order etc. Every truly “original” player has generally stolen from many places to develop their own sound- whether that be from imitating other guitar players or attempting to emulate the sound of other instruments entirely. S-, steal unashamedly in principle and attempt to distort the influence in practice. And never, ever buy anything with a Floyd Rose.”

Strings ‘n Things #20- The New Righteous Mood

After what feels like an eternity away, we’re back in the saddle with another unmissable edition of the world’s premier blog for all things ever. And it is with unbridled joy and furious anticipation that we welcome one of Birmingham’s most charming new groups- the slacker-rock-worshipping doll faces of The New Righteous Mood

The faces in TNRM should be familiar to anyone who has been kicking the shit around our most beloved indie venues for a while now- with guitarist/vocalist (and visual artist) Tommy Greaves causing all kind of ruckus with the briefly-burning-bright wonderboys Wide Eyed & Gleam, and even adding a touch of class to The Twang for a short while. Drummer George is a multi-instru-mentalist, previously providing lush ambience as guitarist in the late Prayers, whilst guitarist/vocalist Huw was also the tub-hitter in the aforementioned Gleam. My how these guys get around- but despite their musical promiscuity, they all seem to have really hit their strides in TNRM. Drawing their primary inspiration from the post 9/11 NYC bloom of notably looser indie rock, you can place their sound firmly in the camp of The Strokes, Parquet Courts, Vivian Girls et al. Melodious and gleefully free of most technicalities, the likes of ‘Sleep Walker’ may not be earth-shatteringly complex, but they’ve been crafted with a nose for hooks and soothing, sonic satisfaction. Like chocolate fudge cake. Their debut EP A Few Righteous Tunes is out now, so wolf it down ever so quick and then join us as we float away on the river of riffs.

Talk us through your guitar history from your first to your most recent.

Tommy: “My first guitar was a Hohner classical, acoustic but my first proper electric was a Musicman Axis Sport which I still have. I’ve bought and sold so many that it’s hard to keep track, but a few of my current favourites are my American Professional Jazzmaster, Jazzmaster 60’s Roadworn, a 90’s Rickenbacker 330 and my trusted modded (and pretty abused) Classic Player Jaguar.”

Huw: “I started with a really rubbish Argos classical guitar when I was 10 but a few years later got myself a Fender 50’s ri Telecaster which began my love of all things Fender. These days I play a Telecaster Custom– can’t beat that bridge pickup twang.”

Who inspired you to pick up guitar, and who inspires you to keep on playing today?

T: “I started playing when my Mom and Dad wanted me to get a hobby as a kid- as I didn’t play any sports and just drew on my own most of the time. When I first started I pretty much exclusively listened to Hip-Hop, so playing definitely opened up my musical tastes. Favourite players growing up were Marr and Shields. Lately I love Max Kakacek’s playing in Whitney, and the sounds the guys in Fontaines D.C get.”

H: “Probably play guitar because of my Mom- she’d play Beatles songs to my sister and I as kids and we’d try to play/sing along. I was obsessed with Johnny Marr and Peter Buck growing up, but recently I’ve been inspired by Bill Ryder Jones and Buck Meek.”

Tommy with Huw’s Tele.

Tell us about your music, and how you approach your guitar playing within the context of it.

T: “I tend not to think about it too much within my own art. Generally when I try and do something like a certain artist I like I end up getting a bit stuck. My Bloody Valentine definitely inspired me to use pedals to create sounds a guitar isn’t usually responsible for.”

H: “TNRM is a pretty guitar driven band, we formed with a love of bands like Guided By Voices and The Strokes– both bands whose sound relies on two interweaving guitarists. Tommy and I are both pretty busy players, so finding a way to compliment each other’s contributions is always fun to figure out.”

What setup are you currently running, amp and pedal wise?

T: “Guitar: Fender AP Jazzmaster , Fender Roadworn Jazzmaster

Amp: Fender Blues Jr with a Celestion Vintage 30

Pedals: Colorsound Fuzz Box, MXR Sugardrive, Maxon TS, EHX Hog, Boss DM3, Earthquaker Devices Rainbow Machine, EQD Transmisser, Boss RV5.”

H: “Guitar: Fender Telecaster Custom

Amp: Marshall Origin 20 or an Orange TH30

Pedals: EHX Soul Food, Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive, Death By Audio Fuzz War (revoltingly fun), Boss DM-3, EHX Holy Grail.”

What’s the one pedal that you couldn’t live without?

T: “If I could only take one pedal to a show it would definitely be a DM-3.”

H: “That Boss DM-3 is nearly always providing some slapback.”

What’s your current main guitar, and why so?

T: “Both my Jazzmasters. After playing a Jaguar for so long I thought that was the guitar for me, but after playing JM’s long enough I found myself far more at home on them.”

H: “The Fender Telecaster Custom I bought off Tommy. The mix of the wide range humbucker in the neck and the twang of a Tele bridge pickup really does it for me. I’m in the market for a short scale like a Mustang or a Lead II next.” 

Huw with Tommy’s Tele. Not confusing at all.

Are there any other local guitarists you particularly admire?

T: “I’d say Aaron Buckell who plays for the also very talented Robert Craig Oulton, and James Attwood of Hunger Moon. Both are very tasteful guitarists who makes it look effortless.”

H: “I really enjoyed watching the guys from Brain Food when we played with them. Some serious guitar chops in that band!”

Where can we find your music and see you play next?  

H: “Fuck knows.”

T: “Our music is up on all major streaming platforms. Best place to check it out is Spotify so we can appease the algorithm. As for lives shows, that’s a touchy subject!”

Strings ‘n Things #19- Victories at Sea

It’s a Friday and that can only mean two things here at The Little Guitar Shop- #1 Rob’s 4-day weekend is already underway and #2 it’s time for another Brum strummer to give up the goods on the cutlery they use when dining at the table of rock.

Anyone who’s more than a passing ghost in the Birmingham muso world will have undoubtedly have been serenaded by JP at some point- he is not only an infinitely supportive champion of local up and coming bands as part of promoters This Is Tmrw, but has also been pulling on the strings of our blackened hearts for nearly a decade now with the much-lauded Victories At Sea. They’re cinematic, panoramic, gothic, fantastique! Fittingly, JP’s sound is a dense, swirling, modulated mass of arpeggios and ocean-sized chords- a beautiful union of the shoegaze and post-punk influences that have stirred him since those halcyon days of the 90’s. And it’s clearly hitting the mark both at home and abroad- the band have toured Europe with the likes of Editors and recently released their 2nd LP through Gentleman Records to deserved acclaim. Lose yourself in ‘Follow You’ below and then dive in with us.

Talk us through your guitar history from your first to your most recent.

“Around 11 years old I was lucky enough to be bought my first guitar, a Tanglewood acoustic- nothing fancy but it’s still a treasured possession that fires out a heavy output of my ideas, guess it’s my ‘go to guitar’ still for getting what’s in my head late at night onto paper. Couple years later I made the classic purchase of a Rockwood Strat copy in glorious sunburst with a Laney amp. No idea why I bought a Strat copy as I’ve always hated the shape (take that Clapton), but it was cheapish and I could pay it off monthly like a positive debt. That did me much good service in my first couple of college bands before I smashed it up at a gig in Aberystwyth in my wannabe JJ72 days- pretty sad I did that now. After that I went through a many terrible purchases (Epiphone Riviera, couple of Epi Les Pauls) but I’ll cut to the king: The Fender Telecaster Custom ’72ri, all black and absolutely my favourite guitar ever! That did me good for a few years until it was stolen in London after a soundcheck, which I’m still mourning. I’ve never been one for replacing like for like- it was like losing a cat and replacing the poor sod with another- the personality was lost. It was also uninsured, but luckily in the preceding months I’d acquired a white Fender Telecaster Deluxe as a back up. I never took to it much until VAS began in 2010 when it really fitted and has since become my number one (though on occasion it does get bullied out the way by my Gretsch G5420T, which is a lovely problem to have). Other than that, there’s a Fender Jaguar Special HH which is pretty spikey when it wants to behave, and an Olympic White Fender Mustang.”

Who inspired you to pick up guitar, and who inspires you to keep on playing today?

“I’ve no shame in admitting watching a video of Def Leppard live and seeing Steve Clark rock out ‘Switch 625‘ pretty much sealed my wish to play guitar before I owned one or knew how to play. Him and Angus Young- guess that’s what happens when you’re 9 years old. After the Nirvana years, and Oasis phase, 1997 was probably my key year in developing some real direction to build a style of my own. Radiohead/Blur/The Verve is my kinda gig- those three bands that year meant a lot. Been a few years since all that but Greenwood/Coxon/McCabe are my primary triangle of magical influences, add in Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant, and more recently Bill Ryder-Jones.”

Tell us about your music, and how you approach your guitar playing within the context of it.

“I suppose it’s ‘hopeful misery at the smalltown disco’ soundscapes we make- the odd pop song, odd Mogwai moment, odd acoustic moment of brittle anxiety. I have a terrible live-guitarist-ability dampener which is having to sing at the same time. It’s been an ongoing battle for years- repeatedly it’s challenged whether I actually enjoy playing guitar live as I’m simply not proficient enough to play blind. It pulls me in directions of absolute hit-and-miss, as I’m equally precious of delivering the songs vocally. But I like to think there’s an edge in bending the truth and sometimes it can be very rewarding just to hammer the thing and not worry about precision, after all no one I’ve really ever admired played perfectly. So I approach live playing as a release, and no one’s significantly told me off yet. “Flukey” is probably a better word but, there’s heart there. Recording though- sit me down, let me explore, get it right, take time, try it out, then fall in love with it. The last album writing/recording cycle was so so good for that- I fell in love with playing guitar again.”

What setup are you currently running, amp and pedal wise?

“In VAS at the start I was ridiculously blasting a stereo signal out via a Marshall JCM900 4×12 and Fender DeVille in front of 20 people- what a pain to commute those were in days without being in a van! But now I am perfectly happy just with the DeVille- when it heats up and the Tele goes in it’s the warmest brick I’ve used, heavy when it needs to be and tidy as much as it needs in the gentle times. Recording the record though, we threw a load of amps together, albeit mainly our producer’s not my own! Blackstar, Ampeg bass amp, Fender Twin- that was a glorious week. Pedal-wise I admit I’m not hugely adventurous. I reckon there’s guitarists out there who would grimace at my simplicity but I seriously have no qualms with mainly using BOSS- they are solid and in the chain are as fun as anything (though I do have a shopping list for Death By Audio and EHX when I get the finance together). It’s all about reverbs and delays and fuzz, the RV5, DD3, DD6, BD2 and (though borrowed) CE5. There’s an EHX Holy Stain in there for extra reverb out of the delays for the ‘Exit’ moments and a tremelo option and a RAT which has made a return after years of neglect to boost the choruses. I’d love an original silver/black EHX Micro Synth in there if I could find one that was functioning at less than half a grand- that would probably see a return of the Marshall though, for dynamics.”

What’s the one pedal that you couldn’t live without?

“I don’t believe anyone who says otherwise but it’s the TU3 or equivalent digital tuner. I’m the worst ‘by ear’ tuner’ going- I shiver to think about early bands when I didn’t have one! I can probably at worst cope doing a show with the minimum of a TU3, DD3 and RV5 if some baggage handler decided to chuck my board onto the wrong flight.”

What’s your current main guitar, and why so?

“Fender Telecaster Deluxe- it survives being thrown at the ground for the most part, great tone and loud, it’s a joy to play and looks kinda nice.”

Are there any other local guitarists you particularly admire?

“Stuart Tovey of MATTERS, James Brown of Mutes is a brutal guitarist, Ben and Mike of Boat To Row interplay really well, Thomas Edward of God Damn, and Thomas Hewson of Hoopla Blue.” 

Where can we find your music and see you play next? 

“We released our second album Everybody’s Lost And All I Want Is To Leave six months ago on Netherlands’ based Gentlemen Records, pre-that there’s our debut album and two EPs out on Static Caravan. There’s a few vinyl knocking about out there but all pretty much gone, so Spotify it, YouTube, all the rest! As for playing live, in these times who knows! Our Euro shows have all been postponed until at very least Spring next year ,which would be effectively a year since the album came out! It’s all crazy but it’s important we get through this time together in well and working order- so for now it’s writing and writing at home remotely, maybe a gig before the end of this year if the pandemic allows, it’s hard to plan but we’ll do something somewhere sometime and we sure won’t take any of it for granted ever again.” 

Strings ‘n Things #17- The Devil & Saint Joseph

Whilst we’re some way off of post #666, we’re still bringing you the devil and the details today, as six-string-sinners-in-arms Joseph Frascina and Billy Beale bear the stains on their souls from the cold comforts of Warstone Lane Cemetery.

There’s being ‘committed’ and then there’s being committed. Even in his days screaming the slaughterhouse-blues with dearly-missed quintet The Hungry Ghosts it was clear that Joseph Frascina does not do things by halves- a prolific visual artist , compelling weaver of stories, and a damn fine dresser, Frascina’s music is the soundtrack to some reality of his creation- a morally bankrupt and bloodthirsty America where killer is king. There’s a vicious undercurrent to The Devil & Saint Joseph’s material that calls to mind the unrelenting violence of a McCarthy novel- but with an apocalyptic bent that suggests barren highways and endless horizon distorted by the cruel heat of a getaway Summer. The interplay between Frascina & Beale is architectured with a murderous purpose- bedraggled bass and snaking leads skirmish against the hauntological heartbeat of an old drum machine, whilst the trio remain coolly-detached from their myth-making behind aviator shades. With both guitarists being firm devotees of vintage and rare gear, you can bet there’s some drool-worthy pieces being packed here. You’ll have to wait until live shows return to get the full picture- right now the group are just tidying up their first release. But that’s enough from me- let’s pass the proverbial microphone over to the criminals in question.

Talk us through your guitar history from your first to your most recent.

Joseph Frascina: “The very first one was a very cheap classical guitar, a 3/4 sized that I had when I was 7 years old.”

Billy Beale: “Was that like an Argos job?”

J: “Yeah, from a catalogue.”

B: “Classic”

J: “I switched to an Epiphone Les Paul and then an old Danelectro U2, then a 60’s Silvertone 1448. That’s the one with the amp in the case. Then another 60’s Silvertone, a 1487 which is my current main one. It has a built-in speaker and was designed so that it could be plugged into an amplifier and played like a “normal” guitar (which is how I use it), or you could use the internal battery-powered amplifier. It has an incredible sounding gold foil pickup. I’ve also found an old 60’s Kay parlour guitar that is black with a white scratchplate with a musical note design, and a 1937 Kay Kraft resonator with a Schireson Brothers cone. It’s a National “lawsuit” guitar where they were making necks for National, but they branded them “Kay Kraft” and sold them under their own name. So it’s basically a National Havana but branded as “Kay Kraft”.”

B: “Joe there, showing off his knowledge of old American brands! My first one, my parents got me a cheap DeArmond M65 from Sound Control in Brum. Not a great guitar, it was really heavy and sounded bad. Luckily my Dad had nicer guitars so I was always playing his ’94 American Strat whenever I could. I had an Epiphone SG when I was a teenager, then got into Teles and now my main ones are my Firebird and my parts Tele. Those are the ones I play out. I’ve been lucky to have a few cool sixties guitars sort of fall into my lap, mostly thanks to my proximity to The Little Guitar Shop. Like the ’66 Mustang I used to have, my ’66 Epi Caballero and this ’65 Firebird. There was a cheap Vintage-brand 12 string acoustic I played a lot when I was younger. That’s at my folks’ so my younger brother’s playing it lately. And I’ve got my Grandad’s old resonator that’s only really good for bottleneck slide, but it’s a bit mysterious. I need Joe to research the manufacturing history for that one.”

Who inspired you to pick up guitar, and who inspires you to keep on playing today?

J: “I can’t remember exactly who inspired me to pick up the guitar, although I’ve always been around the big sixties/seventies record collection of my parents, which also contained a lot of blues and country, so definitely some music of that era inspired me. Robby Krieger’s playing on The Doors’ records which were constantly being played at home made a big impression as did the hypnotic, expansive, world-devouring fingerstyle playing of John Fahey and James Williamson’s wild guitar on The Stooges’ Raw Power which cuts like a chainsaw through that beautifully erratically mixed album which would always get me moving as a child, high on sugary treats. What really cemented it for me was Jack White, in particular the ‘Fell In Love With A Girl’ video on MTV. The Lego video. That clicked with me immediately and that made me want to make all of the music that I’ve made since. I very vividly remember watching that at an impressionable young age and thinking “this is incredible, this is the sound”. It’s the combination of unpolished rawness and pop immediacy that I love in music.”

B: “The person that inspired me to pick up the guitar most was the person that gave me a guitar, my Dad. The stuff that I was into early on was mainly Nirvana, but Dad being a big Clapton fan got me into blues, deeper into the different players, styles and subgenres. My uncle Paddy was always fronting bands around Brum when he was younger. If anyone remembers The Velvet Texas Cannonball, that was Pad on the mic. Nowadays, I’m a bit obsessed with Ty Segall, and the acts associated with him. He seems to make music with the same alchemical elements that I would draw from, but I lack the inspiration, talent and work ethic.  I love Nile Rodgers’ playing, I’d love to be able to play like Nile Rodgers but… I can’t! He’s too good. I can do a good Dick Dale impression, though. That comes in handy.”

J: “I think you and I both are very influenced by old American blues and R&B artists in our playing and listening choices. That’s something we both share.”

B: “Yeah, we’re both trying to attack that music in a way where you can clearly see the influence, but it’s coming at it from somewhere new.”

Tell us about your music, and how you approach your guitar playing within the context of it.

J: “The inventiveness of the writing in our band arose from a situation of compromise which necessitated me needing to fulfil the twin roles of rhythm guitar and bass guitar in the band, so I restrung my Silvertone 1487 with heavy gauge baritone strings and tuned it down to B. The signal is split between a guitar amp with heavy tremolo and reverb, and also shifted down an octave into a bass amp. It’s kind of a Spaghetti Western baritone/bass sound. The writing, from a guitar perspective, has emerged from essentially bass lines, which is different from previous approaches in other musical projects. That’s the basis of most of the tunes.”

B: “It gives the songs an uncanny feeling where the sound is kind of familiar-yet-unfamiliar at once, because it’s this thing that’s not guitar nor bass nor even a baritone, really. It’s its own thing. Although stylistically, I am predominantly a sort-of blues player, I see the guitar as broadly textural. It’s about choosing when to play melodically, or rhythmically, or just noisily, or some combination. Just trying to make the best sound for the song, the best noise for a given situation.”

J: “We should say something about the music.”

B: “Cinematic.”

J: “Country noir. Very influenced by everything from Ennio Morricone’s Spaghetti Western soundtracks to Angelo Badalamenti’s work for David Lynch mixed with the dark electronic drum machine driven sound of Suicide and The Kills. The songwriting itself is quite “pop” in terms of structure and delivery. Gothic Americana, really.”

B: “It’s soaked in old surf rock and psychedelia. There’s a lot going on in there!”

What setup are you currently running, amp and pedal wise?

B: “Pedals – fuzz, wah, something wobbly like phaser or univibe, overdrive, delay

Amp – “I’m lucky to have found a ’73 Fender Vibrolux from TLGS and an old seventies Traynor YGM-3, and it’s lucky I know Johnny Brelliot to keep them running. He is an absolute wizard with amps and he’s taught me a lot about them.”

J: “Pedals –  I use a Zvex Super Hard On  to split my guitar signal between a guitar amp and bass amp. On the guitar side I use a Catalinbread Valcoder tremolo pedal and JHS Superbolt which are on most of the time to get that vintage Supro tone and a JHS Angry Charlie or Russian Muff for distortion and fuzz. On the bass side I use an old big box Electro Harmonix Octave Multiplexer which has a really cool wonky synth tone. And also – not for guitar, but it’s cool – I use a Death By Audio Echo Master for vocal delay.”

Amps – for guitar either a 1975 Vox AC 120, which is so heavy it makes you cry even to look at it, or an old tweed Fender Blues Deville although I’m looking for something lighter, more portable and a Wem Bass Dominator.”

What’s the one pedal that you couldn’t live without?

B: “I’m not married to any given pedal, I’m always changing them up. I love a good fuzz, I always like to have a fuzz under my foot. Most recent favourite is a one-knob silicon fuzz face variant from Brelliot.”

J: “Similarly, my setup has changed radically over time.”

B: “Your favourite is that tremolo.”

J: “Mine is the tremolo. It’s on continuously. It’s a Catlinbread Valcoder, it replicates the Valco tube tremolo. And also the old Octave Multiplexer to get more low-end from the bass amp.”

B: “That’s my answer. Joe’s octave pedal.”

What’s your current main guitar, and why so?

B: “The ’65 Firebird because it’s light, it’s got a nice neck and it sounds really good.”

J: “Mine currently is the Silvertone 1487. The only person I’ve seen with one is Howlin Wolf in a photograph, which is fine by me! I think it’s from 1965. That’s strung as a baritone. But for regular guitar playing it’s the Silvertone 1448 which has the original case with a built-in valve amp. I love how it was made with such a sense of thrift – using excess stock from other departments of the Sears and Roebuck catalogue that it was originally sold through in the 60s – using bathroom sealant for the binding, tabletop formica for the scratchplate and lipstick tubes for the pickups which give it such an incredible sound – the name Silvertone seems almost poetic to me as the tone has a shimmering, silvery quality. It’s black with a sparkle finish to boot so it glistens like the night sky.”

Are there any other local guitarists you particularly admire?

B: “Joe from The Devil & Saint Joseph.”

J: “Mine has to be Billy from The Devil & Saint Joseph.”

Where can we find your music and see you play next?

J: “Well we’re in the process of making a record but in terms of shows – who can say in these strange times that we find ourselves in.”

B: “Shoot a flaming arrow into the sky at 3:03am and we’ll come play.”

Strings ‘n Things #15- Hannah & Matt (Tremorsž)

We’ve gone with another double-trouble feature for our 15th post. Hang onto your butts- it’s Hannah & Matt from Tremorsž

 

Collaboration is always the sign of a creatively kickin’ scene, so it’s particularly nice to be doing a few of these two-headed posts- even moreso in the wake of this season of self-isolation. Hannah, an accomplished and locally renown visual artist in her own right, has just added another string to her bow by joining the gargantuan God Damn on keys, as well as usually tripping out with local psych queens Mount Pleasant. Anyone who’s met Matt aka Uncle Dad knows he’s a force to behold, and is yet another multidisciplinary artist. If you’ve come to this post expecting Strats, Dumbles and transparent tones then be gone, goon- this is all about the dirt. Singles ‘Dog Song’ and ‘Taghut’ are only the start- but they bleed through your buds with a both a claustrophobic intensity and knowing sense of self-deprecation, as though the BJM and Butthole Surfers had a big, gross, preemptive acid-casualty of a baby whose first word was a dirty one.  Anyway, shake off the dust with some Tremorsž and then let’s get gnarly.

 

Talk us through your guitar history from your first to your most recent.

Hannah: “I started learning guitar on this really old crappy acoustic Kay with a flowery scratch plate and the kind of action only a Mother could love. When I realised that I was never going to progress on a guitar with a warped neck I treated myself to a Seagull folk-sized acoustic. I kind of fell into playing guitar in a band and inevitably needed an electric, so just used Jakob’s random old 60’s Teisco guitars that are dotted around the flat for a while. For my birthday Jakob surprised me with a beautiful pale blue Revelation 12-string which I use for my other band Mount Pleasant. More recently for Tremorsž I’ve obtained the pseudo holy grail of drone basses- an 8-string Hagstrom H8-II (more on that later).“

Matt: “My first guitar  was a gnarly gloss black Stagg SG with a Bigsby on it. When I was a young whipper snapper I was absolutely obsessed with AC/DC and would regularly lock myself away slamming out riffs through headphones. Following this I ended up getting an amazing Hofner Galaxie reissue which ended up being my main guitar for a good few years, and around that sort of time I got into pedals and a whole host of shoegaze bands. At the time my dream guitar was a Fender Jaguar, which  inevitably I got- like everyone else in a band in Birmingham at the time! I still have this guitar to this day and it’s had a few changes to it- such as swapping the tuners out for some vintage white-button ones and getting some custom, Burns-esque Tri-Sonic pickups handmade by the lovely people at Creamery Pickups. It is still undeniably may favourite guitar as it’s the guitar that made me want to take this stuff seriously! My guitars used in  Tremorsž are: Gibson SG Special fitted with a Dusenberg Les Trem II, an Ed O’Brien signature Strat fitted with a sustainer pickup for sweet, sweet dive bombs, and more recently an ESP Bill Kelliher Sparrowhawk.”
Who inspired you to pick up guitar, and who inspires you to keep on playing today?

Matt: “First and foremost my wonderful dad, Alan. I have very fond memories of watching him playing guitar when I was younger and then trying to replicate it by scraping my fist on the strings (well I got there in the end didn’t I, Alan!?!). Following this I would say a good blend of Angus Young, the big bois from Korn and, worryingly to some people, a whole host of Metalcore/Emo bands around at that time (not naming names, don’t make me).

The people who inspire me to play guitar today however are pretty much my mates who are really f**king good at slamming the strings; best buds Liam and Jakob from Brain Food and Connor from Bad Girlfriend. All really really satisfying to watch and listen to, go check them out!”

Hannah: “For me my first flirtation with wanting to play the guitar was through my old housemate, Joanna of Yassassin. She used to shred loads while we lived together- she just has crazy amounts of dedication and she just looks so happy when she does it. Another inspiration that springs to mind is my old bandmate Corey Bowen– he played really pretty jazz chords and psych pop stuff that I really loved.

The local riffdogs that wanna make me play today and are forever keeping me on my toes:

Dianne, Sofa King, is my musical soul mate. Whenever we write together we just don’t stop laughing, and most of the time I’m laughing at how much of a genius she is // Jakob (Tremorsž/ Brain Food)- he is the person that switched that light on for me and made me want to really get better at guitar. I really admire his attention to detail and his tone // Kristina Grigaite is a very, very creative and beautiful player- she gives me butterflies watching her // Liv (Monastery/ Mount Pleasant) is such a shredder- she inspires me constantly and she showed me how fun it is to just make everything L O W and chunky // Matt (Tremorsž, SPCBYS)- I am just in complete awe of he just knows everything. And he taught me about stanky notes // Thom (God Damn) is insane- he is like the little devil on your shoulder that’s just like go on I dare you, but with music. I also feel like he should enter some kind of riff contest?”

 

Tell us about your music, and how you approach your guitar playing within the context of it.

Both: “Our current band Tremorsž started off as a bit of fun, we pined to be in an OTT Stoner/Doom band, ala Bongzilla, Bongripper, Sleep… but it ended up being so much more. We feel that we’ve refined the sound now and would like to be known as a ‘poser metal’ band. We take influences from the likes of Electric Wizard, Thee Oh Sees, Acid King, OM and, erm, Korn?”

Matt: “I’m all bass and mids, baby. I want you dirty people to feel sludgy grunts in an audible format from my guitar, the thicker the grunt, the better. Like homemade custard or gravy when you put twice the recommended amount of granules in.”

Hannah: “Matt and Jakob told me to tell you that I have a really unique style and it’s hard to put into words.”
What setup are you currently running, amp and pedal wise?

Matt: “I’m currently running:

Korg Pitchblack mini > Dunlop 105Q Bass Wah > Keeley Fuzz Bender (can’t beat that sweet sweet 15dB bass boost) > Earthquaker Devices Tone Job > Earthquaker Devices Grand Orbiter > Death By Audio Micro Dream > Keeley Mag Echo– all into the front end of an Eganter Tweaker 40 head with a big ol’ dirty Marshall 4×12.”

Hannah: “I’m currently running:

Korg Pitchblack > Electro Harmonix Bass Soul Food > Electro Harmonix Russian Big Muff reissue > TC Electronics Tailspin vibrato, all into an old Trace Elliot head and Ampeg 4×10 Cab.”
What’s the one pedal that you couldn’t live without?

Matt: “EARTHQUAKER DEVICES TONE JOB!!!! It makes everything you play sound good. This was the end of the line in trying a load of console preamp/ boost style pedals, and it left me with a big hefty grin on my face. High gain? Low gain? No gain? Makes it all sound good. Please get one, you won’t regret it.”

Hannah: “The TC Electronic Tailspin vibrato. I have had this pedal for ages and it’s so cheap, but it just sounds unreal on bass! I have only just added it in to my bass rig, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to use it for everything now.”
What’s your current main guitar, and why so?

Matt: “My main guitar and possibly one of my nicest guitars is my newest purchase for Tremlords- the ESP Bill Kelliher Sparrowhawk in a gorgeous Khakiburst. It’s pretty much a spooky reverse Firebird kitted out with Bill’s signature Lace Sensor pickups, (all passive baby, no EMGs), that seriously punches your preamp section. It’s big bodied and ready for big shreds with a neck to die for!”

Hannah: “A few months ago I was shopping on Reverb.com and eBay, looking to get a really old school metal looking bass, and I ended up on the darker side of the musical instrument internet. So I ended up buying a Hagstrom 8-string bass to compliment the 12-string Burns that Jakob uses in our band. There’s something about the octave-drone sound it produces that just really sings through fuzz pedals, and aside from that it looks so beautiful, and I really wanted something short scale to make the transition from guitar to bass easier.”

 

Photo by Sam Wood- again!

Are there any other local guitarists you particularly admire?

Matt: “There’s this guy that busks in town with an African-stringed instrument who sings stuff to people like “I hope you have a good day”, “You’ve put a smile on my face” etc. This one time he was singing “Hello pretty lady” and accidentally said it to me as (I assume) he thought I was a pretty lady. That’s when I knew I’d reached my prime.”

Hannah: “Baby Tyler (Clark our drummer’s baby). He can’t play anything yet, but check him out in a few years!”
Where can we find your music and see you play next?  

Both: “You can find us on Spotify at TREMORSŽ we’ve recently re-released a rework of our first recording ‘Dog Song’ and it’s the poser metal anthem no one asked for- crank your speakers up and give it a whirl!”

Strings ‘n Things #14- Jakob Cusp (Brain Food/Tremorsz)

We’ve past our baker’s dozen of blog posts now- and the fact that we’ve nowhere near scratched the surface of Birmingham’s endless pool of talent just goes to show how thoroughly healthy the scene is right now. Pandemic shandemic! Today we’re making time with a true shining star of the more recently emerging, multi-disciplinary psych scene- Jakob of Brain Food and Tremorsz.

Anyone who’s been lucky/foolish/stubborn enough to float around the Birmingham ‘indie’ scene for the past decade or so would surely agree when I say it has become a far more inclusive, optimistic and kind place. And that is in no small part due to the increasing crossover between the visual and musical arts- of which the monthly night Kaleidoscope has become instrumental in facilitating. Showcasing live music and local artists under one roof on the first Thursday of each month- for free! My Friday mornings have never been worse, frankly- the night has fast become a true institution of the cities nightlife, and the Brain Food ménage have been a big part of making it happen. And lucky for us, they also happen to be a talented, oddball bunch in their own right- with Jakob providing an ethereal, reverb-soaked backdrop to singer Liam’s rootsier delivery (more on him forthcoming). But like any true creative type, Jakob is a man of many talents- skating, painting, and also rocking rather hard in the relatively new riff-merchants Tremorsz (again, watch this space). So feed your face with some Brain Food below, and then jump with us into the catacombs of Jakob’s music box.

 

 

Talk us through your guitar history from your first to your most recent.

“My first guitar was a glossy red Ibanez Destroyer! It was £40 from Cash Converters and I got it around 7 years ago. I’d originally bought a bass and was jamming with my mate Clark (now drumming for Tremorsz) however my mate Will (bassist, Brain Food) picked it up and was a natural, so my hand was kind of forced to pick up and learn guitar. I then got myself a Squier Affinity Telecaster which I’ve never really got on with and still never really play to this day. I think I had an Epiphone SG, Squier Strat and a small handful of 70’s Teisco/Kay guitars before treating myself to a proper Fender Strat (which is actually a bit of a relic of it’s own). I also have a vintage Burns Batwing which I got recently, and a Burns Double Six, which is my main guitar for Tremorsz.”

 

Who inspired you to pick up guitar, and who inspires you to keep on playing today?

“First of all a big shout out to my Mom who, as an original 70s skinhead punk, influenced my taste in music massively as a kid, losing her was my whole reason for ever wanting play music – I love you forever X

I remember watching my friend Tubes’ band Silvershores playing at the Adam & Eve (RIP), I was about 19. They’re very psychy/shoegazey and I was into a lot of the usual teenage, indie-kid kinda stuff at the time- 2000’s indie and electronica, Britpop, classic rock and what have you. I remember watching them using loads of effects and just doing the classic delay oscillation/feedback at the end of their set and thinking ‘I’m going to start a band’ – the rest is history! Today I look up to Thee Oh Sees massively- watching John Dwyer’s play style develop from lo-fi, garage thrillers into full-blown prog-rock 25 minute epics is really inspiring. It just goes to show that you really can teach an old dog new tricks, and keeps me pushing myself out of my comfort zone. His new group,Bent Arcana, are really exciting- John’s really flexing his ability to play jazz guitar too which is great listening for me as a jazz lover.”

Tell us about your music, and how you approach your guitar playing within the context of it.“Brain Food is very much psychedelia. Lately we’ve been exploring a lot of jazz elements. Myself and Will didn’t actually play our instruments prior to starting the initial project with Clark (Liam joined shortly after, Clark left and we had a few drummers before luckily landing on my childhood friend Connor), so the duration has been nothing short of a learning experience for us both, which I think has contributed to a more genuine and organic sound. However, being a natural left-hander who plays right-handed, I don’t think I’ve made things as easy for myself! Most recently I’ve taught myself how to play piano with some help from my wonderful partner Hannah (of Mount Pleasant, Tremorsz) and applied this to synth/keys for Brain Food- exploring new chord variations & flavours like diminished, augmented, 7th and 9th chords, and exotic scales like the Ahava Raba to really push our sound into unchartered territory. Tremorsz are pushing for a heavier sound, which is a great outlet for me- downtuned guitars, 12-string for that droney sound, high-gain set ups –  it’s early days yet but I’m really excited to see where this project takes us!”

What setup are you currently running, amp and pedal wise?

“Brain Food: 1993 Fender Strat -> Vox wah -> Korg Blackout tuner -> Boss Wazacraft BD-2W (always on for extra cronchy cleanish tones) -> Proco Rat 2 -> MXR Classic 108 fuzz(dialled in ‘waspy’) -> Earthquaker Devices ‘The Depths’ Vibe Machine -> Boss RE-20 Space Echo -> Earthquaker Devices ‘Levitation’ Reverb -> Fender 1973 Silverface Twin Reverb

Tremorsz: Burns Double Six (tuned to C standard) -> Vox Wah -> Danelectro Wasabi Distortion/Boost -> Behringer SF300 -> TC Electronic Alter Ego x 4 -> Death By Audio Reverberation Machine -> TC Electronic Spark booster -> Egnator Renegade 65

Tonally, I’m dialled in to chase and occupy high end scratchiness for both bands.”

What’s the one pedal that you couldn’t live without?

“The Boss RE-20- hands down. It’s such a versatile pedal- I use it for everything live and during production, and I love the hold function on the tap tempo, or “MASH” as I like to call it. I really hope to one day own a proper space echo unit for studio use. Hell, I might even use it live if I ever get my hands on one!”

What’s your current main guitar, and why so?

“I can’t put my Strat down! I bought the Burns Batwing to replace it, however the Strat just outperforms it in every way. There’s a big air of mystique around these 1993 MIK Fender Strats- apparently they were made in the Korea factory shortly before a chunk of operations were moved to Mexico, parts-wise they’re very standard but there weren’t many of them made, and they’ve always been a hot topic of debate on guitar forums.”

Are there any other local guitarists you particularly admire?

“Loads! My Brain Food band mate Liam McKeown is one of the best to have ever done it (tricky to learn from however due to his unique upside down, reverse strung set up – but an absolute pleasure to play with), Matt Jenkins aka Uncle Dad of Tremorsz has taught me a lot in our short time playing together, other local heroes like Scott Vincent of Table Scraps, Connor Boyle of The Cosmics, Thom Edwards of God Damn, Steve Baker of Black Mekon, Connor Hemming aka Con Dwyer of Bad Girlfriend (big time rippers), Brandon Robinson of Exhaler, Kaila Whyte aka Blue Ruth (previously of Youth Man), Tubes, Dianne Burden aka Sofa King,  Rob Oulton aka Robby O’ Rock, Hamish of Hamer (Leeds based but had to mention), Jack Younger of DOXA and previously Mother’s Earth Experiment, as well as Mark Roberts of DOXA and previously of Mother’s Earth too, Liv Gardner and Josh Sellis of Monastry (keep an eye out for these absolute shredders), James Brown of Mutes, Kit of Pretty Vile aka Brum’s answer to Ty Segall and last but not least my partner Hannah Al-Shemmeri of Mount Pleasant and Tremorsz is just an all around inspiration and support. There’s too many to mention, sorry if I’ve missed anyone!”

Where can we find your music and see you play next?

“You can find Brain Food’s 2nd EP as well as Tremorsz first 2 offerings on Spotify. Live show’ are yet to be figured out as I’m sure you all know but I’m itching to get out there. Some exciting live sessions are currently in the works for both bands, and I’m in the studio 24/7 recording EP3 with Brain Food, as well as some fresh singles and potentially a first EP with Tremorsz – I can’t spill too much at the moment regarding Tremorsz; all will be revealed very soon, keep ’em peeled!”

 

Strings ‘n Things #13- The Novus

It’s probably fair to say that a lot of us are missing live music right now- audience and performers alike. And there’s fewer Birmingham bands that were tearing it up with as much unbridled ferocity than The Novus.

The best bands create their own worlds and dare you to pay a visit- and its this relentless pursuit of being ‘the whole package’ that have made The Novus one of the most dropped-names at various venue bars around town since 2019. Everything about them is unashamedly theatrical, boisterous, and charged with a dystopian electricity that only the depths of the second city could nurture. From hosting wild, over-capacity shows in secret locations to getting spins from the taste-maker Steve Lamacq, this is a band that is gleefully growing at an alarming pace- all the while driven by the song-serving principles of guitarist Thomas Rhodes. Knowing when to pummel on a fat, dirty riff or instead when to pull back and let frontman Connor take centre-stage is crucial to the dynamic of the band- it’s what makes their relentless rock and roll so damn irresistible. So strap in and sit tight whilst Tom takes us on a ride to tone-town.

 

 

Talk us through your guitar history from your first to your most recent.

“I’m a self-certified guitar addict so over time I’ve had loads come and go. My first ever electric guitar was a little Epiphone Dot ES-335 in sunburst- which was a great guitar but as a young 11/12 year old lad, the neck was huge on it, so I sold it and traded it for a Mexican HSS Fender Strat and that’s my most played guitar to this day. Then there was a period where I bought a bunch of real crappy guitars, took them apart, wrecked them and left them alone, like old Chinese copies and Yamaha Strat rip-offs. But my second proper guitar my parents bought me for my 18th birthday. I found a local luthier called Jamie Davey who makes guitars for Status Quo amongst others, who custom built me a Telecaster-type guitar which is just amazing! I adore it and has got the most amazing flame maple neck. Since then I’ve picked up a Gretsch Electromatic Jet with a Bigsby, and just recently found myself a Hofner Galaxie in a cherry red which I’m playing a lot at the moment- it sounds really great fuzzed up.”

Who inspired you to pick up guitar, and who inspires you to keep on playing today?

“Initially my parents brought me a little classic guitar when I was about 7, and I just couldn’t hack the science of a guitar- my hands and brain couldn’t compute which was a deterrent for quite some time! But couldn’t help still gravitating towards the guitar through my sheer love of music, so I kept at it. Eventually I had the most amazing guitar teacher, who was a great blues player and Beatles addict. From thereon he was the drive for me to be able to play like him, which carried through until getting in my first bands from age 11. These days I do it because it’s the best way to express myself,- to convey my ideas and thoughts to the world through song. I’m also a huge Hendrix and Frusciante fan, so learning Hendrix and RHCP songs regularly carries me through when the guitar loses its little bit of shine.”

 

 

Tell us about your music, and how you approach your guitar playing within the context of it.

“The music that we play in The Novus has two different approaches from a guitar point of view- its either hugely riff-based, wherein the riffs are the primary focus of the song, or vocally-leaded wherein the guitar doesn’t feature so prominently . Riffs are my favourite- there’s nothing more liberating being in a punk band and bashing out a riff where you can see people physically feel the motion of the sound through their bodies! But in regards to “vocal” songs, I play more atmospherically with effects to enhance the vocals as best as I can.”

What setup are you currently running, amp and pedal wise?

“I’m fortunate enough to be endorsed by Blackstar, so currently I play a HT Club 40 Mkii, which has an amazing Vox-like jangle, but a bit more low end and beef that I always found that AC15s lacked. In regards to pedals, first always straight into a Korg tuner, the most important thing! Then from there, an Electro Harmonix Mono Synth, into a Dunlop Cry Baby Mini, into a Boss DS-1, into a TC Electronics Spark boost. Then I have a Russian Big Muff copy, into an old Akai Flanger, Electro Harmonix Nano Clone which is great. Then I use two delays- a Dr Green Waiting Room set to a constant slapback, into a cheap little Tone City Tape machine, and it all ends with a Electro Harmonix Holy Grail reverb.”

What’s the one pedal that you couldn’t live without?

“Either the Spark, which is always on pedal and works as an amazing preamp, or the Dr Green Waiting Room which is also always on- I love the way a constant slapback delay just slightly thickens out my sound and makes me sound like a Tarantino film.”

What’s your current main guitar, and why so?

“I go between two. My Stratocaster is my #1 because it’s so reliable, and I can chuck it about and beat it up. It thrives under those conditions and has never failed me. But then there’s my Telecaster- which is a gentle soul and needs love and care, and I would never dream of throwing it around the way I throw the strat around- but it cuts through a live mix so well. I always record with my telecaster, but I try to be more considerate about how often I play with it live .”

 

 

Are there any other local guitarists you particularly admire?

“There are multiple amazing players in Birmingham who all deserve credit! But I really admire Daragh from The Pagans SOH, the way he plays funk is insane and I’m very jealous of how talented he is. I also love Leo from Flares, he’s a good mate of mine and has no right to be so good at such a young age. I admire our producer Gavin Monaghan from The Magic Garden studio endlessly- he’s not necessarily just a guitarist because he seems to play everything insanely well, but he has played a bunch of guitar bits on our new stuff. But that’s just a few people, we’re a lucky city to have an abundance of talent.”

Where can we find your music and see you play next? 

“You can find us everywhere, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube mainly. We have got an insane project in the works at the moment but I can’t say too much, just know there is a possibility that there will be some big news soon!”

It seems the band may be gearing up for a secret show in September, so keep ’em peeled and join their mailing list