By Ashley Skye Watt

We have now seen Supa & Da Kryptonites perform on a variety of occasions to date, with every gig living up to their last and each one providing us with a night to remember! These guys never fail to deliver. Not only do they offer an incredible vibe when they take to the stage but also a unique and unforgettable array of catchy songs, performed with professionalism and oozing all kinds of talent. It for this reason we decided to arrange an interview with the lads to find out a bit more about their story and it was agreed that there seemed no better location for such a gathering as Nando’s!

First and foremost, we wanted to know how the band originated and how they have become what they are today. Although the boys originate from various different towns, they explain to us that Lochgelly is where they have dubbed their ‘HQ’. The band consisting of Jay Supa on lead vocal, Dean Mackie on Drums and vocal, Lee Soul Greenhorn on Bass, Scott Brydson on guitar and vocal, Dave Birrell also on Guitar and vocal and Matthew Edwards on trumpet told us They got together firstly as a group of friends, some of the boys were in a different band and Jay was working on his own music but they fell together when Jay and Dean met at a local skate-park. Jay tells us how he always had a vision for ‘Supa & Da Kryptonites’ but people he was working with before weren’t hungry enough to chase after their ambitions. One day he put it to the group, ‘we’re jamming, you guys are musicians and I’m a rapper, eventually we’re gonna get to the point where we’re socializing together, you’re gonna start playing music and I’m gonna start rapping along to it – its natural.’ And thus, Supa & Da Kryptonites was born.

Originally, Jay explains that as a solo artist he was one of the only rappers in Fife. This was at the time a struggle as there wasn’t a local ‘scene’ supporting that genre of music. He really had to work hard and pushed his music, getting Fife council to take part in creative rap workshops. It was at the point when the band came together that people began to take notice, it became easier to get gigs. For the first time Jay explains, I could tell people, ‘right we’re a live band, we play soul, we play funk, we play reggae and I didn’t even need to say hip-hop’.

From then the band coined the term ‘organic hip-hop’, after a radio DJ in London, who worked at Itch FM (one of the largest hip-hop radio stations in London with about 15,000 listeners a day) highly praised them for being ‘fresh’. He referred to them as an ‘organic hip-hop band’ and that is now a term the boys use to describe their genre. Dean adds that as there are so many of them and each of them has a different background, their tastes in music are extremely varied. This is partially what has led the band to develop such a mash-up of genres and ultimately such a unique, recognisable sound.

           Now the band feel they have reached a peak where they are settling, they have a strong six members who form a solid core and have began work with a media person, a DJ and are in the process of recording two music videos. The next step for the band is to publicise as much as they can, to be seen and to network. Dean tells us that they have never turned down a single gig they’ve been offered to play. It is this attitude that will see these hardworking lads go far in the future. They have only been together for ten months and have already completed twelve songs. A further fourteen are sitting ready to go which adds up to a massive twenty-seven songs in a very short space of time. The band laugh it off, ‘we don’t stop’ they say.

Each one of the members of the band is ‘power absorbing’ they all own the stage in their own way. In order to understand this you really need to catch a live Supa & Da Kryptonites set. Lee states that for him, although the music is a main goal, for him it’s all about the buzz of performing, he is most comfortable with a bass guitar in his hand. To see this guy on stage, rocking out alongside Scott, Lee, trumpet player Matthew, Dave on the cello and drummer Dean belting out brilliant vocals is to understand exactly how individual each corner of the stage is. Astonishingly it works perfectly!

One of the bands most notable songs is of course, My Love Fer Nandos. It was originally a throw away verse which became a song as the band were one song short when they were recording, they had nothing silly and never knew how popular it would become. The entire song was done in merely a couple of hours and recorded the next day. After that it was all about promoting the song, there were a few ups and downs but in the end the Dunfermline branch heard about the song and invited Supa & Da Kyrptonites along to hold this very interview with Voice Of Scotland, to get some photographs done and also to enjoy some free Nando’s! An all round success!

          We asked the band what their best moments as a band have been so far. Lee straight off named the stage invasion at the PJ Malloy’s Clutha gig, hosted by none other than Voice of Scotland and Eastwood. However, Jay also added that for him the boat party the band played at Loch Lomond was by far his highlight. With Scott agreeing that ‘it was like something out of a Jay Z video’.

So, what now for Supa & Da Kryptonites? We asked the boys what 2014 has in store for them. ‘World domination’, they joke. However, from this group of talented and passionate boys, it would certainly not surprise me. Aside from conquering the world, they reveal a year jam packed with gigs and travel. This begins with their CD launch at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh on the 6^th of March, Buskers in Dundee on the 7^th and The Green Room in Perth on the 8^th.  Then they plan on doing a home-coming CD launch the weekend after back in Dunfermline, therefore promoting their CD across four cities.

Lastly, the bands greatest achievement in 2014 is that they have been asked to play in the US at Colorado’s Hemp Fest in June. (World Domination could be on the cards after all?) The band conveys to us how important it is to them to make a good impression at this and to make a name for themselves. After all, who knows what it could lead to! If any of you have the chance to catch Supa & Da Kryptonites at one of their gigs before the boys go global then do so! I guarantee you a fantastic night that you’ll want to repeat over and over.

By Harsharan Hoonjan

There is definitely something mysterious, and contagious about this band, and their music.

Mickey 9s mysterious vocalist; is known for wearing his signature yellow hoody (sometimes with matching bottoms); a metallic costume mask; paired with the Mickey 9s T-Shirt. He looks loud and he is not the only one, David Arnott the bass player whilst not as vibrantly dressed sports an impressive, although currently tamed, afro

Masked man (Vocalist), David Arnott (Bass guitarist), Antony Paul (Guitarist) and Ross McGroarty (Drummer) make up the Glasgow band. The answer to how their image was constructed is symbolised in their video, ‘Find a Thing’. Their use of dress and props to get into character is consistent in the singles that follow. The music videos lure us into Mickey 9s journey and provide insight into their playful nature, and present a taster of what to expect during a live show. I was ready and looking forward to seeing the band play at Stereo Café Bar where the Post Orgasmic Sunshine Band were headlining.

Mickey 9s was the first act of the evening; the yellow suited masked man was umissible from a distance and he was not wearing shoes on stage, just very thick black socks. Antony, David and Ross however were,(wearing shoes that is) and the band was ready to entertain.  There was singing, dancing and some funky psychedelic sounds.

We were treated to the likes of ‘Icarus’, it has a cool bass tone which works well with the minimal but punchy vocals and sounds quite intergalactic.  Another of my picks is the song ‘Ammunition’, sung with angered tones, and such exuberance, it can force a person to march on the spot! ‘Find a Thing’ is sure to appeal to the dancer in us all, it will have you nodding in agreement, singing along and yes dancing too. The words: ‘If you listen for it, you will hear everything has a beat to it, you just gotta know how to dance to it’, have never been truer.  ‘Mickey 999’ will stick in your mind and yes their fans were calling out to them.

We could hear enthusiastic and happy gig goers singing: ‘Nana nana nana na, Mickey, Mickey 9s, Mickey Mickey 9s’ in between tracks. The audience appeared to reflect the band’s fun, playful vibe, especially those who were bouncing around. An entertaining, playful and jovial bunch, the lads from the band don’t hold back. The front mans consistent jumping and grand gestures was reminiscent of their videos and in particular those few moments captured at Glasgow’s Central Station where he is seen to be ‘Prancing around’, as one member of staff put it. Fun, banter, and original music was the perfect antidote to the Christmas party with a funk difference.

One of Mickey 9s fans, Susan, was more than happy to share with us how she went from uninterested to adoring the band:

“I was utterly uninterested; I just thought this is not my thing, white boy, afro, funk, nah you’re awright! They were playing at King Tuts a couple of years ago and a friend of ours was over from America who was a huge fan of music and knew King Tuts was the place for music. I was like: ‘We’ve got a friend playing tonight, we’ll take you’, you know playing the big shot. I went to see them and I was completely blown away, I adore them, they make me so happy, I remember Davie (David Arnott) saying after that gig, ‘You just kept grinning all night long!’ They just make me smile and they make me dance and I’m 42, I don’t dance, I don’t do dancing, I cannot not dance, I tried tonight, I thought I’m reasonably sober, and I thought I’m not gonna do it anymore, and I just couldn’t. You cannot fail to dance to them, they are the funniest and I mean genuinely funny, they make you smile, they make you laugh. They are the funkiest, most enjoyable band I know and I’ve seen an awful lot of live music and they are right now my favourite live band, I adore them!”

As a result of one performance Susan was  able to appreciate the spirit of a band who promote high energy whilst creating brilliant catchy songs, and dance worthy beats. Mickey 9s are unique and if you are at one of their gigs you may think your show ticket price was wrong…you may think you have been undercharged.  In fact, the whole package of song, video and live performances work so well together. They really have nailed all three; it’s something of a revelation. You might just find you need to see them again, listen to them again and buy their T-Shirt.  I just can’t get the Mickey 9s feeling out of my head.   Is that because they know how to kick the ‘fun’ into funk? …. I think so!

The lads are back at Stereo Café Bar on February 28^th for the Glasgow Weekender, get involved!

For more information and updates on the band, please click here:

www.Facebook.com/Mickey9s

Website

http://www.mickey9s.com

ITunes download link:

www.Itunes.com/mickey9s

By Harsharan Hoonjan

Sandy Powers; the cello player, the poet, the singer (amongst other talents), is an artist for sure. His musical creations on his debut E.P.  ‘Window Shots’ are something of a mind opener. Once I was sitting and listening to his songs I found myself wondering about the beauty of voice and guitar over everything else. It was as if I had been wrapped in the best musical blanket around. It sounds like music that has been carefully constructed to give ears the cosiest treat they’ve had in a long time.

Sandy from Kirkcaldy, Fife has dropped five tracks that are a reflection of the singer’s most creative efforts. I was hearing acoustic beats and I was hearing melody, rhythm and something else. I was hearing sounds akin to shadows, some echoing highs and lows and clapping tones that added another unexpected element to his songs. There was dimension after dimension to this mystical tale, and I was happily being guided by one of the best musicians I’ve heard this year.

The story is tenderly played out, there is an element of wonder as the final track ‘Untied’ closes, as  if to say the story has only just begun which indeed is a relief. The mystical element of the E.P. is the central thread which pulls all the tracks together.  This E.P. is easy to listen to yet I can imagine other listeners with a yearning for more. It certainly leaves you guessing and asking inquisitively:  ‘What was that?!’, and the words ‘Unbelievable and Wow’, spring to  mind.

‘Window Shots’ has really come through for Sandy, he should be proud of this one. I believe that in producing this E.P. the singer is breaking through some glass perhaps that of the proverbial glass ceiling.

Take a shot or a listen to ‘Window Shots’ the E.P. by Sandy Powers which is released by Bloo Coo Records and is out now!

http://music.bloocoorecords.com/album/window-shots

Check Sandy out too on facebook;

https://www.facebook.com/sandypowermusic?fref=ts

And on Soundcloud too;

https://soundcloud.com/sandy-power-music

by Vonny Moyes

It’s January, and for the good people of Glesga, that means the return of Celtic Connections; a miss-not in the musical calendar. Tucked in the midst of this festival of aural pleasure, perhaps no night was more anticipated by the indie-savvy than the Olive Grove Records Showcase in the belly of the Oran Mor, featuring a belting line-up from Randolph’s Leap, The Moth in the Mirror, Jo Mango, State Broadcasters, Woodenbox and dewy label babies, Call to Mind.

Openers Randolph’s Leap jump-start proceedings, delivering 10,000 volts of folk-pop optimism to the sizeable crowd. Their set meanders through the joys of insomnia, psychic powers, tree-lust and kitchen-sink existentialism. Frontman Adam Ross’s canny rhyming couplets and quirky vocals are underpinned by an eight-strong army dispensing graceful, feel-good arrangements, whilst wiring the rhythm section directly to your toes.

It’d be all-to-easy to lump them in with Belle and Sebastian, though there’s more depth to this happy rabble. They’ve got soul. This is a band with huge personality—the early stage time is a pity.

Gelid pop quartet Call to Mind are next up, and quickly dial the night back to the land of shoegazey introspection. Harking from the far north, it’s seems more than a little coincidental that there’s an almost Viking-like stoicism to their presence. Frontman Martin Ross evades our gaze, ensuring stage tetris sees his piano perpendicular to the curious crowd. Ross’s biting falsetto cuts through soaring melodies and icy harmonies, achingly reminiscent of icelandic post-rockers Sigur Ros. The songs are immersive, twinkly and tinctured with bold crescendos and elongated refrains, akin to Explosions in the Sky.

There’s a palpable nervousness to the performance, though flashes of genuine splendor catch you so often, the first-day jitters are easily forgiven.

Jo Mango and her band are next up, and are quickly cast ethereal calm across the room; a sort of nagging déjà vu that you once tumbled down a rabbit hole into a previous show (or did you?). They musical infantry assemble, side-by-side, facing out, armed with an arsenal of weird and wonderful noise-makers, before taking us in hand, to gentle, folksy delight. The warmth and clarity of Jo’s honeyed vocals skirt impishly over glockenspiels, harmoniums, harps and harmonies. The off-the-wall songs burst with musical craftsmanship. Steeped in poignancy, they feel almost lullaby-like, so much so the set feels sadly fleeting.

Playing their first full-band gig in a year are The State Broadcasters, Glasgow’s answer to transcendent Americana; moments in, it’s clearly been worth the wait. Their sound veers deftly from hushed introspection to folky anthemic sweeps, played on keys, cello, double bass, guitar and trombone. It’s orchestral without feeling crowded or showy. Atmospheric yet poppy, without ever seeming fey. Graeme Black leads the way vocally, with haunting harmonies from harpist Gillian Fleetwood and pianist Pete MacDonald. The songs tastefully pay homage to bygone heroes, whilst remaining unmistakably fresh.

Frighteningly accomplished musicians, there’s more than one Arcade Fire style switcheroo, which only adds to the eloquent performance.The Broadcasters harness that indescribable dynamism that makes great live music unmissable.

Following on was the much awaited return of indie fantasy-band, The Moth in the Mirror, making their first appearance after a lengthy two-year hiatus. Hipster apostles will be sure to identify the patchwork of Admiral Fallow/Frightened Rabbit/Arab Strap parts assembled here. Stacey Sievewright takes the helm, navigating the boys through a set of ferociously sad songs, delivering an able vocal performance, though the solemnity of the music seems to imbue itself in the band-members; it feels as if they’re holding back. The songs are troubled soliloquies delivered in equal parts hushed pleas and dogged-yet-tuneful screams, over scrabbling guitars, ghostly melodies and the fervour of a perfectly-synchronized double percussion section. They explore a capacious gap in jagged indiedom; a space where nervous energy would set them alight, but for some reason, the spark is missing, it limps along and not feeling quite the sum of it’s clearly talented parts.

Alt-folk rockers Woodenbox are last to the altar, somewhat diminished in number for the evening, but definitely not in sound. These are performers, in the truest sense. The driving beat of their opener infects the crowd, causing a ripple of tapping toes, fervent clapping and unabashed dancing. The funky folk numbers are delivered in surgically precise clacks and thrums, yet there’s a tangible wildness to them; a sense of something brewing underneath.

As frontman Ali Downer laments their final song, a full-blown stage invasion is encouraged and immediately ensues, with the Olive Grove family interwoven with punters, holding hands and pulling more shapes than Pan’s People on acid, it’s clear the night has been a triumph. They may be small, but the folks at Olive Grove have expertly divined the likability that elevates their signings above the usual indie-scene fare. There’s something special happening here.

– end –

By Neil Kerr

Another recent trip to what could be called my second home Dunfermline, and a visit to the fantastic live music venue that is PJ Molloys, led to an encounter with fast rising starlets Broken Boy. I have seen Broken Boy once before and, as always, I wanted to see them again before I decided whether to write a wee review. The first time I saw them I have to say I had my doubts, however following this second viewing my thoughts were rapidly changed to “what’s not to write about”, so lets start at the beginning.

I arrived at PJ Molloys early and was warmly welcomed by band manager Iain More, who introduced me to the three band members, two brothers Cameron and Stewart Black. Cameron playing bass and bringing banging lead vocals and Stewart slamming out some fantastic lead guitar and last but by no means least I met precision drummer James Hardy. After the intro I was privileged enough to watch the boys’ sound check which showed great professionalism for a band that is a mere sixteen months old and the sound that they demonstrated during the check left me hungry for more, if that was just a sound check, then their headline slot that night was set to be something rather special.

Before the gig began I had the chance to have a chat with the boys in PJs green room where again the lads made me welcome in their space and filled me in on how they all met telling me that the brothers have been writing music together for about two years now and decided it was time to get another musician involved. So, they put an advert on gumtree for a drummer, to which a bored student, who liked the bands that the boys had listed in the ad as their inspirations replied, the brothers liked his work and so the group was completed with the addition of drummer James.

As for their name, well that’s another odd but quirky story. How do you come up with a band name? No easy task if you ask me. What happened was Stewart had a list of names he liked for the band and one day while bored on a bus journey he added the names to his “dream Line up of bands” one at a time to see which looked and sounded best and he thought “Broken Boy looked more realistic in that sort of line up.” So he took his idea to band practice and put it to the others who clearly liked it and so Broken Boy was born.

Now a complete band and ready to take on the world, Broken Boy soon got to work on an EP naming the release “Haven’t Seen The Sun In Weeks”, the guys described this to Voice of Scotland as “the first bunch of songs we wrote together, the band was still pretty fresh then too, we had only played maybe three gigs together and then released an EP.” A brave move and a clever move too getting some of their music out there for people to hear before going to a gig, I think we all check a band out before going to see them these days. Having released the EP in April 2013 the trio have been working hard to progress musically and are now a tight knit outfit all getting along together and “bouncing off each other well when it comes to making music.”

Cameron and Stewart are the writers in the band generally although drummer James always gets his chance to change things for the better. Drawing inspiration from artists like Arctic monkeys, strokes and Kings Of Leon and life in general while writing about their feelings, girls, and fictional dramatisations of real life events which really comes through in their performance, you can feel their attachment to the lyrics and sense they are a real part of the bands’ lives.  Progressive is the word for these boys, they told me the track which best portrays their desired sound is their most recent release “She Said” although the one released previously to that Kilogram was quoted too, I personally suspect their best work will always be their next one.

Broken Boy released their single “Kilogram” in December 2013 and another single “She Said” on 27th of January 2014, and when asked if there is an album on the horizon they told Voice of Scotland “We are taking it a bit at a time, as it comes, we have a plan to have an albums worth of material soon in case we are really extremely lucky and someone pays for us to go into a recording studio.” I think an album from these lads would be a belter and a sound investment for that “someone” so here’s hoping they get that material in a studio soon.

As for live stuff Broken Boy are constantly writing and playing gigs and love playing in  PJ Molloys in Dunfermline and Non Zeros in Dundee. The lads even managed to play three gigs in two days recently which a great achievement. They hope to keep releasing new material and doing as many gigs as they can in 2014. Progressing their music and fan base is their main goal and from what I have seen so far, their focus and determination is sure to lead them to achieving that goal.

After our chat and a couple of great support slots from Megan D and Our Future Glory, Broken Boy took the PJ Molloys stage and showed us how it’s done, this band rock from the first note to the last beat of a drum. Their stage presence is remarkable and audience interaction has came on in leaps and bounds from when I last  saw them live on the very same stage, the last time I had to ask someone who they were because they never told us, a personal dislike of mine. This time however was much different we were immediately made very aware that something very special from Fife going by the name of Broken Boy was exciting our ears.

By the end of their first track the floor in front of the stage was packed with cheering dancing music lovers who were clearly lapping up the great tunes. By the end of their third track “Sweetheart” it was apparent to me that these lads are true to their word and will progress like wildfire, what a difference in them in the 2 months since I last saw them, it blew me away, they owned the PJs stage, constantly interacting with the crowd gathered to see them and responding well to the whistles and cheers of encouragement.

The Camaraderie of the band was clear during the performance too, the joy at the reaction of their audience driving their showmanship and stage presence to a new level with each track they played. Front man and bassist Cameron never faltered with his energetic moves and flawless vocal, the sweat on his brow a constant reminder of the hard work he was doing up there to please his fans. By the time they reached their penultimate track “Kilogram” the fans were worked into a frenzy chanting along with the song and bouncing around the floor in front of the stage while the lead guitar belted out the unmistakably unique Broken Boy riffs the sound completed by the bands perfectly placed gumtree drummer whose input was remarkable his every beat perfectly timed.

The boys completed their set with “She Said” which I will tell you more about in a moment, the gathered revellers loved it, they loved the whole set from the first beat to the last. The band left the stage rock and roll style, dropping their still echoing guitars causing a buzz through the pa an echo of the blazing set they had just ended, to chants of “we want more, we want more, we want more.” from the crowd. What a set, like I said before it blew me away this band will progress like wildfire so keep an eye out for them at a gig near you, not to be missed is an understatement.

Now the new single, released on the 27th of January 2014 entitled “She Said” really does encapsulate all that Broken Boy is, from the haunting opening bass line and vocal this track holds your attention. The haunting however is nothing other than an intro as just a few bars in the drums jump out at the listener brining on another of those unmistakable Broken Boy guitar riffs. The song is upbeat and positive even though it is, from what I can tell, all about the forbidden fruit of a love that was not to be. The band sure know what they are about and that is plainly obvious to me having had a chat with them. All they told me comes through clearly, not just in this excellent new single, but in all their musical achievements. If you like great music then buy some Broken Boy, You won’t be disappointed!

you can buy Broken Boys’ Music online from itunes, amazon, spotify and other good online music retailers.

Find them on facebook for all things Broken Boy here

https://www.facebook.com/BrokenBoyMusic?fref=ts

And check their soundcloud out too

https://soundcloud.com/brokenboymusic

By Harsharan Hoonjan

 On entering the grand hall that was the O2 Academy for Futures Fest 2013 (on 21^st December 2013), I was impressed by the size of the venue and the decor. Swathes of floating ivory fabric and a silver disco ball definitely set the ceiling apart!  I met with the band before the gig and after being welcomed with hugs from Nicola of Taylor Red, I instantly felt like part of the furniture. This would be a lovely way to end before Christmas. O2 Futures Fest was without a doubt an excellent platform for them and all the bands. It was also revealed that Taylor Red, were set to play five hours later than originally scheduled, I was prepared to wait, well it was Christmas and I had travelled to see them.  Throughout the evening the crowds amalgamated and then dispersed from the floor and into the other attractive spectator spots of which there were many.

A total of nine bands were set to play and I would be lucky enough to see seven, before Taylor Red.   Sergio Sergio was one of the other bands that piqued my interest; this was the band Taylor Red highlighted in their interview with me.  The band had immense stage presence; I particularly liked their track, ‘I Am The Moon’, a great song to get a feel for their instrumentation, their vocal range and their overall fierce gritty style. Brilliant set!

Five hours and countless great performances later, I was ready to see this Glasgow pop sensation in action.  Filled with a midnight blue hue, the stage was prepped for some red hot action when Bradley Smith, Chris Taylor Gavin Paterson and temporary drummer Hugh Cox adorned it. They took up their instruments and warmed us up; they sounded incredible which excited the crowd. However we were still anticipating one member’s arrival…

Several minutes in, she glided on like a screen siren in her chic red and black ensemble; it was none other than lead vocalist Nicola Taylor.  The line-up was now complete, the crowd beside the stage were screaming – inside I was cheering (a little!).

They were the most sophisticated band I had seen all evening, seconds in, the crowd, camera crew, photographers, locked onto Nicola and the rest of Taylor Red. The lead vocalist managed to project throughout the whole auditorium while filling the place with soul melting powerful tones.  Eyes on the stage, we were drawn in, track by track the band enveloped us with feelings of passion, perseverance, excitement and love.

Starting with ‘End Up Like This’, an amazing choice,  the song complemented Nicola’s impressive vocal range with the talents from the rest of the band from the outset..  This set the band up for an epic performance; I couldn’t wait to hear the rest!

The five piece continued to dazzle with ‘Let Go’ which is one of my favourites, the strong breaks and the pulse beats, empowered by ‘that voice’ creates drama and intrigue every time I hear it, it sounded better than I had ever hoped.  They were certainly worth the wait!

The song, ‘Fool With a Broken Heart’, was just sensational live, the rhythm, the harmonies, the track was just beautiful and heartfelt; softened out with superb work from bass, guitar, keys and drums. The song had Nicola MCing as well; showcasing her fast paced, sharp, rap style skills.

One of the two surprise covers was ‘Treasure’ from Bruno Mars. The performance by the band contained more depth whilst holding onto the original version’s dynamic, up tempo, melodic, soulful quality. It really revved everyone up, we were on tenterhooks! What was this band doing to us? Fantastic stuff!

Wake up Alone, was next, a sweet, pull at your heartstrings number. It’s empowering in its style, tender in its portrayal and gripping.  By this point several fans were commenting, one such comment, I received during the song was: ‘this is freaking awesome’.  Other members of the crowd said this was/the band are ‘just amazing, amazing!’

The second of the surprise covers mentioned in the interview was just that – surprising! Whilst the music video by Miley Cyrus created both controversy and P.R. dynamite, ‘Wrecking Ball’ was another track covered by the band. Suffice to say they did an outstanding job. Nicola Taylor’s intense vocals, backed with superb band synchronicity kept the song, powerful and edgy.

‘Chameleon,’ was their final track of the evening, a terrific encore to the set. A fabulous hearty song, funky energy, quirky and like most of the bands songs, full or rhythm and spirit.  If rhythm really is a dancer then this band will have you doing just that, over and over again.

What a performance! What a voice! What a band!

Taylor Red are certainly not afraid to flex themselves in various directions, whilst bursting out amazing melodies.  The band is warm, friendly and passionate about what they create and how they portray that musically. I enjoyed the different covers because it shows variety in the band’s approach to developing their style. It also shows confidence and commitment to keeping up with the latest distinctive voices, within popular culture. As a group who are going down the mainstream pop route, I believe this is an intelligent move.

I really wanted to see this band live and I did, I was impressed from the outset and they heightened my original expectations. It’s also a lovely feeling to know that yes, the band have now achieved well over 1,000 fans on Facebook.  Taylor Red I believe more people this year will realise you really are one red hot band! Definitely worth the five hour wait!

I look forward to hearing their name throughout 2014. If Futures Fest 2013 was anything to go by it is safe to say the Future is red, Taylor Red.

Have you heard their latest song, ‘Soul Smile’ yet? Listen to it here:

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/19593080?utm_campaign=a_public_songs&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=page_object_news_item

Please visit their page for continuous event information, new songs, covers and more.

Don’t let them slip off your radar! Like them here:

www.facebook.com/taylorredmusic

Additional links:

https://soundcloud.com/taylor-red-music

https://soundcloud.com/nicola-taylor-1

By Neil Kerr

There’s something special about The Mona Lisa’s, something different yet alluring. This Ballingry band is another one of Fifes’ finest new additions bringing us their “pretty rock and roll indie” music. Having only been a band for a mere eight months the sound created by this traditional five piece outfit is more accomplished than some bands with many years experience which impressed me the very first time I saw them a while back in Cabaret Volataire in Edinburgh, where they played a great set to an audience of young students who loved them and went wild to their sound. The guys, who knew I was going to that gig made a point of finding me when they came off the stage, which was a challenge as they had no idea what I looked like, however they found me and had a chat and I have to say, what a great bunch of blokes they are each and every one of them are fantastic guys and a pleasure to speak with.

That was just the first time I saw this great new band and I was Impressed, so impressed I decided to put their Debut demo “Wasted Time” in for our first ever Single Of The Week, and guess what….. They won it. So you guys clearly like them too.

Since then I have saw this band three more times and each time I have been quietly impressed by their enthusiasm, their drummer the excitable Cameron Gaudin Junior, starts “air drumming” about an hour before they go on stage, a quirk which I personally love and he is always first on stage when it is their time to be there. The rest of the band are equally enthusiastic if a touch more modest about it, a chat with these guys reveals their quiet enthusiasm and their want to please every audience that they play for.

One thing clearly apparent is The Mona Lisa’s aim to please, and please is what they do with their foot stopmin rock guitar riffs and their energetic frontman Kevin Murphy Junior, who proves almost impossible to photograph because of the rate he moves around the stage as he belts out his brilliant vocal, clearly consumed by the intent to give his all to the gathered music lovers. And the intent to please doesn’t end there either as the other three members of the band all do their bit with an equally addictive enthusiasm even though it may not be quite so apparent when watching their ice cool bassist Arron Graham, although for the keen eyed amongst you, his passion for what he does will be all too clear.

At another gig I caught the band Supporting Nick Mercer in a favorite haunt of mine, PJ Molloys in Dunfermline. Now this gig was just The Mona Lisa’s and Nick mercer, which in my opinion was a real mismatch of sounds, and brought in the wrong type of audience for the Mona Lisa’s genre, however the boys, as always, gave their all to the revellers that night belting out a brilliant set of their own music including, “Wasted Time”, “This time I’m no Fool”, “Devil In Disguise”, “I’m Not Done” which they have now released as their second demo offering, “Early Days”, “Pressure” and “Right All The Time”. These tracks are all unique in their own and allow the band to demonstrate their individuality as well as the two other guitarists, Blair Dow and Ally Galloway’s backing vocals and inspiring guitar skills demonstrating some great teamwork. In my opinion The Mona Lisa’s stole the show that night with their ability to own the stage and give everything they have for each and every song they perform.

After their set I spoke to some of the folk who never approached the stage but watched the performance from the bar area on a large screen and comments like ” Aye a braw sound like”, “We loved their energy” and “Shame they weren’t on longer” were amongst many good things said about The Mona Lisa’s from folk who said they had really came to see Nick mercer. A credit to the bands commitment to their work.

I have to say one bad thing about this band….. I just can’t get enough of them, so much so I am going to catch them again soon, next week in fact, where they will be part of an irresistable line up of acts all featured on these pages and I look forward to it too… Is that a bad thing? You decide once you have seen them, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Keep up the great work lads, and keep The Mona Lisa’s more than just “a cold and lonely lovely work of art.”

Check The Mona Lisa’s out for yourself with these links.

https://www.facebook.com/themonalisasband?fref=ts

https://soundcloud.com/themonalisas-1

By Harsharan Hoonjan

After his gig, I managed to catch up with Alan Clarke of East Coast Defector who had just come off from a superb performance as the night’s main act at 13^th Note Glasgow.

Hi Alan, thanks for chatting with me for Voice of Scotland!

Tell us a bit about the band, where you are from and how you formed?

Well I’m from a place called Inverkeithing in Fife and I moved to Glasgow many years ago and that’s where the name East Coast Defector comes from because I’m defected from the East Coast!

The guys in the band, the bass player Andy is my cousin. I went to school with Kevin so I’ve known him for a very long time and Albie the drummer works with Kevin.  Basically I had a bunch of Demo’s that I’ve had for a long time and just decided one day that we need to do something with it. The germ of the idea for our current band was when myself & Kevin chatted at an Eastwood gig about a Davie Scott and Norman Blake show at the very same venue….Carnegie Hall , Dunfermline, from there we started having practices and putting songs together.

This is where we are now.

Fantastic, I have to say, I really like your ‘Video Store’ song, it’s about a mum and dad meeting up?

It’s like one of these things you never see anymore, the video store and I just thought it was quite cute, the mum works in the record store we don’t have record stores anymore either. It’s a bit of a daft idea really!

‘Love in the Wrong Direction’ is a beautiful song, what was the inspiration behind that?

It’s funny that song, I was on holiday actually, with my family. We were over on holiday in America, there is a radio channel there called ‘Sirius XM’, one of the programmes was early 80’s electro pop, one of the other songs is The Hoff. I did a gig on my own at the Bean Scene, did a little thing with the Hoff on my little synthesizer and one of the girls that are here tonight, Claire, said oh you should do more of that electro stuff.

I was in holiday in America and I was listening to Depeche Mode and you know all the early 80’s stuff, it really sort of chimed with me. I thought I need to write a song like that, it kind of came from there. The lyrics Love in the Wrong Direction is maybe about somebody that I know who kind of was single and has very high standards and basically nobody is good enough for him.  It’s him at the top of a mountain, no compromising for him; it’s a bloke but could be anybody. It’s basically about somebody who has high standards and they can never find the right person. They are always looking in the wrong direction. It’s really cheesy but you know!

Talk to us about your last gig

This is actually our first gig as a band however Kevin, Andrew and I did a gig in Dunfermline about two months ago with the drum machine and us just playing the guitars. Albie has been rehearsing with us for just a couple of months, before that is was very informal. I’ve done solo gigs, I did one here a couple of months ago. The gig at the Bean Scene I roped in a lot of friends, Shouren (Alan’s friend) had to sing a song at the gig. When my voice went yesterday I basically had to phone Shouren and Rachel and said listen guys you have to help me sing these songs because I can’t sing them by myself! It’s all good fun.

 You certainly looked like you were having good fun!

Oh yea Shouren and I work together, I’ve known him for a number of years.

Has anything unusual ever happened at your gigs or during recording?

We always have a technical hitch! The gig at Dunfermline, the keyboard stopped working, the amp stopped working.  It’s quite funny, we’ve been rehearsing a lot for this and it all seemed to be going very well and then my voice went. It was a nightmare.

‘Oh sorry to hear that Alan’

*moving  swiftly on*

How long have you been singing and what are your long term goals for the band?

I’ve been in bands since I was in high school, when I went to Uni I played in a Jimi Hendrix cover band, I’ve played bass guitar in another band as well.

Been playing gigs in Glasgow as well but I have got a young family so gigs and that take a bit of a back seat but we have started to do it again,  so this is really our first proper band gig. I think the hope is to try and record something properly, a nice little record,  maybe look at trying to get a few more gigs, maybe play a gig in Edinburgh you know. I’d like to play at some festivals too.

We’re doing this for kicks and it’s just a bit of fun. We’re not gonna go on the X Factor, we’re not gonna change the world! We’ll play a gig once in a while for some of our friends and that’s pretty good!

Do you have any tips/advice for bands or musicians starting up?

If you’ve got an idea, just go for it, a lot of people are quite worried about will they be able to do this. It’s a bit weird, I had a minor midlife crisis recently and I realised you’ve only got one life. That is part of the reason why I said I really enjoyed doing music but I never really got off my backside and done it you know.

I finally thought you know something, I better get my arse into gear, then basically went on and organized the band and gigs so far. If you think you’ve got a bit of musical talent get on and do it. Write about what you like and what you know, don’t follow a trend or what is going on in the charts, write about what you find fun. Hopefully other people will enjoy that too.

That’s how Alan does it!

Thanks very much for that Alan!

East Coast Defector have a gig happening at The Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh, on the 15th of February. Doors  are open from 7pm.  Get along for a great night.

I look forward to seeing what happens next for East Coast Defector as well!

For more information including event updates and tunes please visit:

https://soundcloud.com/eastcoastdefector

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eastcoastdefector/175348939171968?fref=ts

By Neil Kerr

Having been invited to the Kingdom Cuts Christmas party this year was for me a very exciting prospect. Generally a gig for the musicians, bands and staff involved in the making of the excellent shows that the committed people there produced, I felt greatly honored to be asked to go along and join in the festivities. Kev, the organiser who asked me along had arranged a great line up of local talent from Fife to entertain us all. However this he told me was to be the last ever Kingdom Cuts gig, a shocker for me and everyone who has ever been a part of this superb initiative, giving new local talents a chance to be heard by 4000+ pairs of ears. Something as you well know I am passionate about. Such a shame, however Kingdom cuts was not going out the back door……

First up in the Echo Chambers Studio on the night was Talented singer songwriter from Kirkcaldy Sandy Power. The Young musician took the stage in his tartan santa hat and got straight to it introducing himself before striking up some great tunes. His acoustic set of a mix of covers and some of his own creations was rather good. One or two of his songs including “New Age” reminded me of the great Neil young, both in style and sound, The young musician carried on through his set,

pausing only to introduce his songs and tune his guitar. Sandy had the gathered musicians singing along to his great cover of Blur’s “Woo Hoo” and he treated us to some tracks from his upcoming EP to be released on CD 1st Febuary 2013. I think Sandy power who also plays cello for Our Smallest Adventures will be hearing from Voice of Scotland again in the near future so once you have downloaded his new EP, look out for more on him here. Check Sandy’s soundcloud out here https://soundcloud.com/sandy-power-music and his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/sandypower89?fref=ts

Next up to entertain our ears was a young musician I have been wanting to see for some time now, another singer songwriter, also hailing from Kirkcaldy, the very talented Darren Forbes AKA Forbes Acoustic. Now, not seeming that different to Sandy, Darren took the stage with his guitar and a harmonica but no hat. He also started by introducing himself, something that pleases me no end as a lot of musicians just take the stage, play and leave, leaving some folk wondering who the heck they were.

Darren cracked on with a set similar to sandy with covers and some of his own great tracks, his talent with a guitar becoming immediately apparent. His style was very much his own and he demonstrated a consistent ability to switch between vocal and harmonica to great effect. His set was a credit to him, well rehearsed and effortlessly performed. I think this young man will be around for a while. He has high hopes for 2014 and I think he will certainly shine as the year progresses. Again he will definately be hearing for Voice of Scotland again. Check him out on his soundcloud here https://soundcloud.com/darren-forbes-7 and on facebook https://www.facebook.com/darren.forbes.58?fref=ts

Now, the third band that Kev had arranged to grace the stage for the Kingdom Cuts Xmas party was a band I have seen several times before and, as yet I have not written anything about. It’s not that I don’t like them, nor is it that I don’t want to write about them, I do, and I will. However, and the band may hate me for this, I am not going to write too much about them here; as I am going to see them again next week and intend do take a full review from that gig.

 It was fantastic Fife band The Mona Lisas, Winner of Voice of Scotland’s first ever single of the week, I will say that every time I have seen them the setting just wasn’t right, although their performances have blew me away each and every time. They are energetic, and their well put together music is sure to please. Needless to say they rocked the stage at the Kingdom Cuts party Getting the whole room moving to their sound and they gave their all for the stars of the night, the Kingdom cuts legends. But like I say more on them very soon. Again check these guys out on soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/themonalisas-1 and on facebook https://www.facebook.com/themonalisasband?fref=ts

Last up for Kingdom cuts’ farewell xmas gig were another favorite of mine Supa & Da Kryptonites who, as ever were just brilliant, they have the power, the power absorbing Kryptonites that is. They engaged the audience and owned the stage from the out as always treating us to some fine tunes again though I am not going to say too much here as I have more coming on them soon and there is already something on our blog about them.

so while you wait for more. Check them out on our blog here  https://myvoiceofscotland.net/supa-da-kryptonites-were-lovin-his-nandos-too/ Or on their soundcloud here https://soundcloud.com/supa-da-kryptonites  and facebook too https://www.facebook.com/SupaKryptonite?fref=ts What more can I say other than the best things come to those who wait!

Kingdom Cuts will leave a huge gap in Fife’s local music scene, a gap that will be hard to fill, there presence will be missed by a good many musicians and fans alike. The shame is that as always in the music industry cash seems to be a major part of the end of this great promoter of local talent. If you don’t have cash you wont make it seems to be the norm across the industry which I think sucks, So much talent is never heard because it costs so much to record a CD and they just cannot afford it, which is why initiatives like Kingdom cuts are such a big help to new musicians, it gets them heard, and other DJs and radio stations listen to these things for sure, which spreads the word yet further.

However, thats it from Kingdom Cuts…… For now anyway, because with a wee bit of luck someone might just have boots big enough to fill the gap. Until then, Big Up to all at the legendary Kingdom Cuts to every person who gave their time to make it happen. We salute you all and wish you all the best with your future…. Keep in touch.

By Harsharan Hoonjan

Once you start listening to Louise Rutkowski, you’ll wonder why you have not investigated further into the depths of great female singers in Glasgow, perhaps even Scotland. I visited Louise’s website: www.louiserutkowski.co.uk

I was amazed but had no doubt as to why Louise was signed at 19 to CBS records. It was signing up to 4AD records that would create the spotlight Louise deserved though.  From there on in Louise began stunning music moguls and winning hoards of fans, establishing herself as a remarkable artist.

As soon as you listen to one of her songs online you too will instinctively want to read all about the singer’s life and music history in a matter of minutes!  It’s very natural for us to want to know more about musicians of this standard. I’m sure Louise is used to all this attention by now…

I was intrigued and wanted to see how Louise would sound live, would she be as mesmerising as she had been on my first listen? Luckily I was able to catch Louise playing at 13^th Note in Glasgow.

As soon as Louise took to the microphone the whole packed out room in that basement bar stopped dead, I had my answer.  We were all drawn in under a hypnotic spell. Louise’s voice was slow, powerful and emotionally charged. Everyone’s eyes and ears were fixated on the person behind the voice and that was just her introduction. Wow!

Louise performed an incredible 14 tracks from her impressive music library, with support from Martin Stuart Taggart on guitar and Villy Karagouni on keyboard. Tracks taken from This Mortal Coil, The Hope Blister and collaborations with Craig Armstrong (with Interscope Records*) and cover songs from Randy Newman exemplified the continued high quality and versatility of Louise as a strong musician.  From song one, ‘I Come and Stand at Every Door’ we were hanging onto Louise’s every word. At the end of track three ‘Hanky Panky Nohow’ the room erupted by way of cheers and slapping hands together with glorious smiles.

‘High’, one of Louise’s latest offerings is an up-tempo track which explored Louise’s full vocal range – all eyes and ears were glued to the stage! ‘High’ will feature on Louise’s upcoming album ‘Diary of a Lost Girl’, due for official release in February 2014.  ‘Tough Skin’, a delicious sweet number is a song by Chiara Berardelli (another beautiful singer and songwriter) who joined Louise on stage; Chiara played the keys whilst Louise sang her friend’s song. It was gorgeous to listen to and watch the pair work together, dulcet tones swept over me, what a real treat!

For more on Chiara please visit: http://www.chiaraberardelli.com/

‘Remember’ which Louise wrote whilst on a bus is another single taken from her album ‘Diary of a Lost Girl’, this oozed serene soul with skyscraper high vocals. By the end of this number, the crowd went wild with heartfelt admiration.

‘Go Louise!’ – chanted her fans.

Louise’s song choices covered  living and dying, being dumped, stalkers, emotional girls, kids as well as love. Louise’s performance portrayed a way of depicting musical messages with a raw, chilling authenticity. You would not think some of these tracks were covers as Louise takes them in and makes them her own. Through Louise’s sophisticated and soulful melodies and Villy and Martin’s support, the band made for a breath-taking show.

Amongst the crowds the ‘Team Louise’ boys who have been fans of Louise since her This Mortal Coil years described Louise’s quality:

‘Louise has the same quality of Annie Lennox and Kate Bush but she’s not like them, her quality is matched to that of them though, she’s up there! She’s just incredible!’ – Robbie and Pawel

Louise’s finished off her impressive set with; ‘I’ll be there’, a warm soothing song and ‘Listen She Loved Me’, from Toy Story 2, both Randy Newman covers. This was after members of the crowd wailed:

‘One more song!’

‘One more song!’

‘Two more songs!!’

It’s safe to say that Louise had us in a hypnotic trance from the outset, the close of her performance was no different.  Listening intently as she closed her set to epic applause and cheer. I’m sure we could have listened to her all night! I certainly could, It really was a stellar performance and one I am proud to have witnessed live in my original hometown of Glasgow. Louise Rutkowski’s talent and her continued creative ambition has certainly made me want to source out other female musicians I don’t already know about!

Thank you for having me Louise and I look forward to the album launch for ‘Diary of a Lost Girl’ next year!

For more information, updates and to pledge your support for Louise’s music please visit:

http://www.louiserutkowski.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/LouiseRutkowski?fref=ts

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/louiserutkowski