One of my assignments at uni was to interview a new and up and coming band and then do a short profile on them. I chose to do my friend's band Courtesy of My Thinking.
Enjoy!
Reading’s answer to The Skatalites – just without the dreadlocks.
The city of Reading is more than just the home to one of Britain’s greatest music festivals; it’s the home of up and coming ska band Courtesy of My Thinking.
The sextet originally started out as a four piece, but being a ska band typically means you need a brass section. Most of the bands COMT listen to “have a healthy brass section, so we wanted one.” After a couple of suggestions were passed around saxophone playing Stephen joined, and then a few months later Beckie Apley came along with her trombone to add a little feminine touch. Now that the band is set with the “integral” part of their sound they have “more musical options to choose from.” Their songs have “more conviction, more power and the melodies are fantastic.”
The boys and girl of COMT have all recently left college. Most of them are now on their gap years and are travelling around the world, but Stephen has chosen to go straight on to Oxford University to study Law. The band is used to balancing out work and play as bassist Laurence Beveridge thinks “being in a band probably helped our social lives back at school. It was just another excuse to go out!” However, with lead singer Guy Peggram away in Kenya the guitarist and brains behind the lyrics and music, Ed Crystal, believes “it’s going to be best to put the band on hold [as] people travelling is obviously a difficulty.”
As many of you are aware the US hit TV series Glee has brought Journey back in style. To many people it is debatable as to whether the corny youngsters have improved the song Don’t Stop Believin’. The members of COMT claim the original is the greatest track of all time, they say “the best thing about Glee is Journey is back on the radio, the worst thing though is Glee’s version is back on the radio.” Perhaps the band could do a ska cover and therefore stop the radio from playing whiny teenagers singing a track they probably don’t even know.
Despite being a new, up and coming band they have already been inside the confines of Keynote Studios, who boast an impressive list of clients from Amy Winehouse to John Mayer. The band discovered how “knackering” a day at the studio can be and how there is “a lot of sitting around”, but regardless of this they “loved it” and have been back to embrace some more.
When asked which band they would most like to support they answer with someone completely unexpected: Peter Andre or The Pussycat Dolls. Maybe a ska version of Don’t Cha or Mysterious Girl is on the table for the members of Courtesy Of My Thinking!
www.myspace.com/courtesyofmythinking.com
Sunday 28 March 2010
Thursday 11 March 2010
Monday 8 March 2010
Marina and the Diamonds
This is mine and my friend Matt's idea for Marina and the Diamonds' album The Family Jewels. This was a uni assignment but I thought I'd share it with everyone!
BBC Channel Faces The Music
Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC, has revealed plans to close 6 Music radio station by the end of 2011, after a review of the BBC’s digital services.
The review was officially unveiled by Thompson at a press conference at BBC Television Centre yesterday (March 2). However, there was a leak of the proposals last week, which provoked outrage from listeners and the music industry. Lily Allen has been one amongst many musicians who have criticised the BBC’s decision. She said: “It will be awful if they do decide to close BBC 6 Music, and I hope the backlash they’ve received so far will make them think twice…”
Dave Newton of We Got Tickets tells IQ that the BBC decision is “very short sighted”, particularly with the role it plays promoting unsigned and new talent. “It gives the opportunity to nurture and develop breaking talent,” he adds. “For unsigned acts in a certain genre…6 Music will be a loss.”
Ultimately it will be the BBC Trust that takes the final view in the autumn following a 12 week public consultation. The closure of 6 Music will save the public broadcaster around £6million (€6.6m) from its annual £3.6billion (€4bn) license fee income.
Thompson also has plans to axe the Asian Network and cut down on spending on its websites by 2013. The BBC is says the new strategy will ensure they “do fewer things better”, but broadcast workers’ union Bectu predicts a loss of up to 600 jobs, and has already warned of industrial action.
The review was officially unveiled by Thompson at a press conference at BBC Television Centre yesterday (March 2). However, there was a leak of the proposals last week, which provoked outrage from listeners and the music industry. Lily Allen has been one amongst many musicians who have criticised the BBC’s decision. She said: “It will be awful if they do decide to close BBC 6 Music, and I hope the backlash they’ve received so far will make them think twice…”
Dave Newton of We Got Tickets tells IQ that the BBC decision is “very short sighted”, particularly with the role it plays promoting unsigned and new talent. “It gives the opportunity to nurture and develop breaking talent,” he adds. “For unsigned acts in a certain genre…6 Music will be a loss.”
Ultimately it will be the BBC Trust that takes the final view in the autumn following a 12 week public consultation. The closure of 6 Music will save the public broadcaster around £6million (€6.6m) from its annual £3.6billion (€4bn) license fee income.
Thompson also has plans to axe the Asian Network and cut down on spending on its websites by 2013. The BBC is says the new strategy will ensure they “do fewer things better”, but broadcast workers’ union Bectu predicts a loss of up to 600 jobs, and has already warned of industrial action.
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