Music Monday - Jodie Marie

Jodie Marie

 

 

 

Jodie Marie is an exceptional performer from Narberth in Wales whose debut album "Mountain Echo" garnered critical acclaim from all corners of the music press and delivered a number of radio hits in the shape of "I Got You" and "On The Road", and saw her tour with artists as diverse as Will Young, Nerina Pallot and Ben Howard.

Jodie has been in the studio, working on the follow up album, expected late Summer 2014.

Questions for Jodie Marie

 

1 – Your journey started aged 16 when a cover song CD of yours was sent in to a B&B in Wales, can you describe how the journey has been for you?

 

It has been amazing! When I was 14 I recorded some songs in a local recording studio, I did it just to get me gigs in and around Pembrokeshire. I didn't know at that point that that cover CD would be the start of my journey working with the likes of Transgressive Management, Decca Records, Bernard Butler, and Ed Harcourt!

My dad had been plumbing in a local B&B in Wales and Jean Cory, (the lady who ran the B&B), told him that there was a music scout from London down to soak up some local talent. So we handed this CD to Roy Langley who listened to it and brought me to London to work with Bernard Butler in Edwin Collins' studio. I was still doing my school exams but I carried on in school until I finished my A Levels, the same time as I was going back and forth to London to work with these amazing people.

From then on, I started creating my debut album, Mountain Echo, and releasing that through the iconic Verve label, Decca. Since then I've toured the album and I am now finishing up my second album which I'm hoping to release in the next year. It's been a bit of a whirlwind since the beginning, almost like it was unreal at first, you never know what could come next! I can't imagine doing anything else other than writing music and performing.

 

2 – When you started working on your songwriting you spent time with Bernard Butler, how was your experience of working with him and what was the most helpful part of your work together?

 

I started writing when I was about 11, nothing more than poems really, it wasn't until a few years later when I had to write for my music course in school that I actually finished a full song!

I went to Bernard with a few of my own songs when I first met him, like Single Blank Canvas and Numb off of my first album, Mountain Echo. We then wrote some songs together based on the styles of songs I'd already played to him of my own. I love working with Bernard, I think he's an incredible musician and producer. I was only 16 when I started working with him for the first time, I was pretty nervous about the whole experience, but he was so friendly and easy going that I soon relaxed enough to play and write in front of him.

Writing with other people really stretches you as a songwriter. I found that before I ever wrote with anyone I had one way that I would go about writing a song and I often faced writers block. Since writing with other people, I've learned other techniques of writing and how to look at things differently in order to avoid hitting a brick wall. I think the most helpful part of writing together was building my own confidence in my writing. I'd never shown anyone my songs before working with Bernard and I didn't think they were particularly that good, but he gave me confidence in myself and my songwriting to keep creating music.

 

3 – Described as part Carole King and part Joan Baez, but with a phenomenal sound that’s very much your own, do you find comparisons with such historically celebrated acts daunting or does it spur you on to keep pushing yourself forwards?

 

I like to take it as a massive compliment, it can be very daunting though too because I've listened to the likes of Carole King and Joan Baez since I was a child. I never thought that people would compare me with some of my own heroes! I get driven to work harder on my music to better myself all the time when I'm compared to amazing artists like these. They were all very unique in their own careers and I like to think that that's what I'm trying to do with my own music too.

 

4 – You also worked with Ed Harcourt and sadly the news of his good friend Mark Linkous’s death came through whilst you were working, did you find this affected your songwriting at that particular time at all?

 

It affected the writing session in a big way. Although I didn't know Mark Linkous personally, it was devastating news. Ed was really good friends with him and you can imagine how he must have been feeling. I remember asking him if we should re-arrange the writing session for another time but he really wanted to keep on writing. We decided that we wanted to write something together that was sad, yet beautiful and that's how the song, Mountain Echo was formed. That's the beauty of music, you pour your soul into it, it's almost like a type of therapy.

 

5 – You’ve supported the likes of Ben Howard, Will Young and Nerina Pallot on tour, what have these experiences been like and have you picked up any advice from people you’ve toured with that has been of help to you?

 

I love touring, I think you meet the most incredible people. Every tour is different, I think the biggest lesson you learn on the road is about yourself. It's quite a surreal experience, especially once you've finished a tour and go back to your day to day life. I've learnt so much from supporting these artists, but what I really like is that everyone I've supported has their feet firmly on the ground. They play music because they love to do it, but at the same time, they're still human like everyone else and that's one thing that should be remembered.

 

6 – Speaking of Nerina Pallot, I was lucky enough to witness your beautiful performance at her Christmas show and was amazed that there was such a wisdom in your songwriting and you have a voice which belies your years, is this something that has surprised others?

 

Nerina's Christmas show was a really beautiful evening, it was really nice to come and support her 2 years after I originally went on tour with her. She's a brilliant artist that engages with the audience and takes the time to get to know her fans. I even met several people who had seen me support her 2 years previous and had lovely chats with them!

My family have always said I'm an old head on young shoulders, a few people have said the same thing, I just write about experiences that have happened to me, maybe it's the truth and honesty in my writing that comes through. I've been singing live since I was 7 and trained classically form the age of 6, I think that's really helped with how to use my voice and look after it.

 

7 – When you play live do you always play your own material or do you sometimes throw in the odd cover version?

(Personally, ‘I can’t make you love me’ by Bonnie Raitt, is one of my favourite songs ever and I would love to hear you cover that!!!)

 

I Can't Make You Love Me is a beautiful song, I sang that once with another big Bonnie Raitt fan, it was such an amazing moment, I'd love to play that again!

I love to throw in a few cover songs into my set. To name a few, I've played the old folk song (which Joan Baez sang), Silver Dagger, Fire and Water by Free, Guilty (Bonnie Raitt's version) and many more! I think it's great to play a few covers in a gig, you can put your own version out there and also it shows a lot of people what music you like to listen to, the history to your own songwriting, and where you're coming from as an artist.

8 – Which artist / artists have inspired you most?

 

I listen to a lot of different music so the list of people who have inspired me could be a bit too long haha. My biggest inspiration though is Bonnie Raitt, one of her albums is my comfort blanket, the honesty in her music is truly amazing and I've always aspired to write and deliver a song in the way that she does. Other artists who have inspired me are people like Joan Baez, Free, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Aretha Franklin, Elmore James, Jeff Buckley, Karen Dalton, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke…to name a few!

 

9 – Is there one song that you wish you had written / recorded yourself, and why?

 

Love Has No Pride. Bonnie Raitt recorded this on her 1972 Give It Up album. It was written by Libby Titus and Eric Kaz. It is the most stunning song and it makes me well up every time I hear the Bonnie Raitt version. The hurt and desperation in the lyrics is so obvious, it's an art to put such strong feelings in to words and make the listener really feel it. I think everyone has a song that they feel could have been written about them, this one for me, really is just that.

 

10 – What can we expect next from the fabulous Jodie Marie?

 

My plan next is to get my second album released in this next year. It's all recorded and ready music wise, but I need to get the artwork done and start promoting it. I wrote all of the songs, bar one, on my own and co-produced it too. It's a very honest and heartfelt album and I can't wait to tour it and show everyone what I've been up to.

Having witnessed the beauty of Jodie Marie’s voice in person I can honestly recommend her to anyone looking for female singer/songwriters that are both mature in songwriting and vocal range. It’s been a pleasure being in touch with Jodie to get some questions answered for the blog and I cannot wait to hear more from her.

 

 

 

 

Links for Jodie Marie

 

Website - http://www.jodiemarie.co.uk/

 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JodieMarieMusic

 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/JodieMarieMusic

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JodieMarieVEVO

 

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/jodiemarie

Writers Wednesday - Michael Linford

Michael Linford

 

 

Born in Boscombe, Dorset in 1977. I have always had a passion for 3 things, books, music and people. Having worked in music retail for 10 years I was able to immerse myself in music both at work and at home which was a joy. My other interest being people and helping them, I eventually moved onto carework and have spent the last 7 years looking after the elderly and troubled, both in their own homes and now as the supervisor of a large care home. I am a fully qualified hypnotherapist and am currently training to be a counsellor.

Having had aspirations of being a writer since very early in my life, I started to write poetry as an outlet for various issues I have suffered from throughout the years, such as depression and I finally put over 400 poems on my blog in 2011.
Throughout my life, music has always provided an inspiration, a support and a soundtrack to my life and I have always been interested in different people and their musical taste, so in the summer of 2011 I came up with the idea for my debut novel, Music for the end of the world, and this novel combines both my love of music and my passion for human emotion.

Music for the end of the world was released in December 2012 and has an average of 4.8 / 5 from Amazon reviews.

 

A huge thank you to the lovely Author ‘Tara Reid’ for providing the questions for me to answer on this filler blog! I promise to find some more interesting authors for the next Writers Wednesday feature!

 

Questions for Michael Linford

1 - How do you manage working (day job), writing and running a healthy and active blog?

After I finished writing my second novel, I decided to take a break from writing whilst I figured out my next step with getting it published. In this time I decided to launch a blog to help try and promote creative people across different genres, from music right through to performance artists. When I started the blog I worked nights and had 4 days a week off so it wasn’t too difficult to fit everything in, but in the last couple of months I’ve changed jobs and now work 5 days a week with just weekends free, so it has been more of a struggle but I’m finally enjoying all areas of my life at long last.

I might find it impossible to keep up with the blog when I’m writing again, but I’ll give it a good go and can always encourage others to pick up the running of it if needs be. I believe that people need a promotional platform for their creative outputs, especially one that is free and comes from the heart of someone who loves all aspects of creative minds, so I wouldn’t ever want to finish the blog altogether.

2 - Do you plan your writing projects or just blurt it all out and then jiggle it around to fit the purpose?

To be honest it’s probably a bit of both really. I come up with the original idea and have a rough outline of where I want the characters to start from and end up, so it’s the middle of the story that I then try to let it weave itself in my mind. I won’t force anything out with my writing and have a tendency to just play around in my mind with the characters and the basic idea, letting them come to life in my subconscious and tell me their own story. When the story starts to invade my daily life to the extent that I need to get it out of my head, that’s when I write the story on paper and give my brain some peace, hoping that what comes out makes some sort of sense!

3 – If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?

 

 

I never knew what I wanted to do with my life really but when I look back at my time at Junior school, I showed interest in writing back then for a prolonged period of time, especially children’s books, and really wish I had carried on nurturing that train of thought at a much earlier point in my life than I eventually did.

The only non-writing advice that I would give myself is to believe in yourself more and when people want to run you down and try to make you feel like nothing, keep your head held high, be true to yourself, and do your best to show them that their negativity won’t stop you from doing anything you want to.

4 – What advice would you give others wanting to write a book but unsure about where to start?

 

That’s a tough question for many reasons but I’ll break it down into 2 parts to put it as simply as possible.

With regards writing, my best advice is just to write as much as you can and not think about editing or anything else. Just let the words flow and see what comes out. Another bit of advice that I hear from many people is to make sure you would want to read the book you write because if you wouldn’t, how could you expect anybody else to?

With regards publishing, to be honest I haven’t fully decided what the best option is yet. I’m in contact with a lot of writers through the internet and just as many people say to go down the route of self-publishing, as do the people that say get it to a publisher and use the traditional routes. In my honest opinion as long as it’s professionally proofread, edited, designed etc… then whether you use a publisher or not you can still have a wonderful looking book and can remove a lot of the trouble that comes with having to attract publishers.

The main pitfall of going it alone is the promotional aspect of getting the book seen by people but if you can conquer this, then the world’s your oyster!

5 - What have readers got to look forward to in the future from Michael Linford?

Well, my second novel ‘As the wolf howls’ is written but needs to undergo a lot of editing and checking before it sees the light of day. It couldn’t be further removed from my debut novel ‘Music for the end of the world’ if I tried. It is very much myth and magic and incorporates another part of me that not many people get to see, the spiritual side that has always been interested in both Tibet and Native America.

Other than that, we’ll have to wait and see! All I will say at the moment though is that once I’ve spent a bit of time in an airport later this year, I’m hoping that my third novel will be well into the planning stage at least!

It all depends if anyone wants to read more of my words I guess? J

 

 

Links for Michael Linford

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/michaeljameswriter

 

Website – www.michaellinford.co.uk

Twitter - https://twitter.com/cupidmagicpoet

Blog - http://www.cupid77poet.blogspot.com

 

Music for the end of the world (Buy on Amazon) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-End-World-Michael-Linford/dp/1780034938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399404500&sr=8-1&keywords=music+for+the+end+of+the+world

 

 

Music Monday - Thomas McConnell

Thomas McConnell

 

 

Since March 2012 when Thomas first started on Liverpool's open-mic scene he has toured the UK with China Crisis, Ian McNabb & The Vinyls. He has also opened up for Steve Cradock, Ian McCulloch & Ian Broudie, The Pretty Things and The Real People. His most recent EP, "Worried About Thomas McConnell" was released in August 2013 to critical acclaim. His eclectic sound is influenced by Rock/Pop of the 20th century in particular, The Beatles. He plays all his own instruments on recordings, writing and arranging every part.

Mojo Magazine featured Thomas & Ian McNabb's cover of The Beatles', "All I've Got To Do" in their August 2013 issue and attached CD, "We're With The Beatles". A video of Thomas performing Paul McCartney's, "New" the day the song was released was shared by Paul himself on his official Facebook and Twitter pages. The story was featured in the Liverpool Echo and led to him meeting and being recognised by Paul at his BBC Radio 6 gig/Q&A in October 2013. Recently, he has become one of the youngest musicians to be endorsed by Hofner Guitars.

Questions for Thomas McConnell

 

 

1 – You only started on the open mic scene in Liverpool in 2012, are you surprised by how quickly you have become well known?

 

 

Well I don’t really know how well known I am to be honest so, on the one hand I’d be really surprised if I was thought of as well known. On the other hand, I’d obviously want people to remember my music or a lot of what I’ve done so far would have been pointless.

 

 

2 – Having opened for acts such as Ian McCulloch and Ian Broudie, have these experiences helped you as a songwriter or performer, and how?

 

 

I wouldn’t say it’s helped my song writing because it’s more direct things than gigs which influence that but it’s helped my performance, definitely. Playing in front of bigger crowds gives you more confidence to be a better performer (when it goes well…).

 

 

3 – Your 2013 EP ‘Worried about Thomas McConnell’ was all over the internet around the time of its release, were you surprised by both the momentum it gained and its wonderful reception?
 

Yeah, it was surprising and very cool when people started making their own “Worried About Thomas McConnell” pictures. It was my hope that people would but I wasn’t really expecting them to and the fact that it was well received just made all the effort feel worthwhile I suppose…
 

4 – With so much young talent appearing weekly within Liverpool, can you see a return to the days of the Beatles, when Liverpool was a major force in the world of music?
 

Well that’d be really cool but I don’t think music works that way anymore. Because of the internet the whole world is an online city with millions of talented people trying to push their work so I don’t know if one place could become a major force anymore.
 

5 – Your cover of the Beatles ‘All I’ve got to do’ with Ian McNabb, made the Mojo cover CD for the Beatles special, just how much did that mean to you personally as a fan of the Beatles in particular?
 

Yeah it meant the world to be asked by Ian to do it because it was the first thing that was going to go out on a major national publication with my name on it and the fact that it was to do with The Beatles just made it even cooler.
 

6 – Can you sum up in words just what it was like to have Paul McCartney share your cover version of his song ‘New’ with the world over the internet?
 

Unbelievable, I still can’t really believe all that happened. Although it was a cover, to have your musical performance validated by the person that made you want to be a musician fills you with confidence to say the least…
 

7 – How did your endorsement with Hofner guitars come about?

 

 

Basically, a fan of mine mentioned me on the Hofner facebook page in a comment about their favourite songwriters and the guys at Hofner looked me up and gave me a message with the offer. I’m over the moon about it.

 

 

8 – If you could perform at any music venue in the world, where would you choose and why?

 

 

I can’t really think of anywhere specific. I always get a buzz when I find out I’ve played somewhere that The Beatles or a Beatle did. In fact, when I play in a new town, I always look up where they played to see if it’s the same venue or nearby. I suppose I’d choose anywhere they played.

 

 

9 – What would be a necessity for you on your dream tour bus?

 

 

A steering wheel.

 

 

10 – What can we expect next from Thomas McConnell?

 

 

In a few weeks I’m supporting Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze who’s one of my biggest influences so I’m very excited about that. Also, I’m currently working on a new EP which will hopefully come out in the summer and planning more shows throughout the year!

Be sure to check out Thomas McConnell as he continues his assault on the music business, we wish him all the very best in the future and I am certain to be seeing more of him soon. With talent like he has there really is no need to worry about Thomas McConnell.

 

 

Links for Thomas McConnell

Website - www.thomasmcconnell.co.uk

Facebook - www.facebook.com/thomasmcconnellmusic

Twitter - www.twitter.com/mcconnellsounds

Soundcloud - www.soundcloud.com/thomasmcconnell

Bandcamp - www.thomasmcconnellmusic.bandcamp.com

Crafters Sunday - Cannibalized Cuties

Cannibalized Cuties

 Jessica of Cannibalized Cuties

I had always collected plush and loved vintage fabrics and patterns I just never thought about putting the two together. It happened one day in my then small San Francisco studio apartment. Armed with scissors and a sewing needle I began what is now my passion.

Having since moved to Los Angeles I have a bit more space and have grown in my designs and am always continuing exploring different ideas. I take a lot of joy in looking at my fabrics and making sketches that make my beings come into this world. All my items are one of a kind, nothing has been prototyped or reproduced I feel each beast has its own personality and life.

One of my favourite hobbies is thrifting for vintage fabrics particularly I am interested in the funky styles of the 1960's and 70's.

I also have a passion for photographing the decayed and things that may not seem beautiful at first glance often are the most beautiful. Putting things together that may not at seem to fit at first or recognizing the beauty in times passing captures my eye and heart.

Questions for Cannibalized Cuties

 

1 – When and how did you first get the idea to start making your creations?

In the year 2005 I had looked around me and realized I had collected a lot of plush! So not knowing what to do with it all I started to cut them apart and sew mismatched limbs and heads onto mismatched bodies. Then I slowly started teaching myself to sew and as I got better I started making entirely my own creations.

2 – All your creations are magically unique, do you ever worry that at some point you’ll run out of new ideas?

 

No I don't really worry about running out of ideas. My inspiration comes from a place with in me. I don't ever use patterns.

 

3 – What has been your favourite of your creations so far and why?

 

Captain Crabby Pants is my favourite creation because he's the first one that I used the different facial features on. He's also the first one I did with the ears down on the side like they are.

 

 

4 – What would be the most challenging piece for you to create and why?

 

Actually things that are very furry are the hardest thing for me to create with. Simply because my sewing machine jams up at any hint of fur so I have to do it all by hand. It is the same if I want to add any suede or leather to an item.

5 – What advice would you give to anyone that’s starting out in crafting and wants to make a go of it?

My advice would to use a lot of good tag words to be found on the web, be very visual about what you have made and describe it as fully as possible. Also give the dimensions. But the best piece of advice I have to aspiring crafters is to never give up. Sales may not come right away but that doesn't mean your work isn't good. Keep at it and as long as you love it your right where you should be.

 

 

A big thank you to Jessica of Cannibalized Cuties for taking the time to talk to me and I look forward to seeing more of her curiously magical creations over the next few months!

 

 

 

 

Links for Cannibalized Cuties

Etsy -  https://www.etsy.com/shop/cuteandcreepy

Tmblr -  http://cannibalizedcuties.tumblr.com/

Blog - http://cannibalizedcuties.blogspot.com/

DeviantArt - http://cuteandcreepy.deviantart.com/

Website - http://www.cuteandcreepy.net/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cannibalized-Cuties/122154297820807