#when she releases a new version of the album for a limited time and then another one and then another one

[sparksflys]

Oh my god 🤦‍♀️

[satoshi-mochida]

Rhythm game Gunvolt Records Cychronicle announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC

Gematsu Source

Inti Creates has announced Gunvolt Records Cychronicle, the first rhythm game in the Azure Striker Gunvolt series. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam on February 15, 2024 for $14.99, and can be expanded with downloadable content packs. It will also be playable at Tokyo Game Show 2023, which will run from September 21 to 24 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

In Japan, a physical edition will also be available for PlayStation 5 and Switch for 5,280 yen. A limited edition will also be available for 9,980 yen, which includes the Gunvolt Records Cychronicle Instrumental Album (35 tracks, three discs), drama CD (one disc), and an acrylic stand. Pre-orders for either physical edition include an A4 clear file.

Get the details below.

■ What is GUNVOLT RECORDS Cychronicle?

GUNVOLT RECORDS Cychronicle is new rhythm music game starring the songstresses of the Azure Striker Gunvolt series, Lumen, Lola, and Luxia singing music from the series’ rich history. Players will time their button presses to a barrage of notes along two different lanes to earn high scores. The dual analog controls sync with the characters dancing in the 3D backgrounds for a fully immersive experience. GUNVOLT RECORDS Cychronicle will release digitally for $14.99 USD, with downloadable content packs also available to expand the game’s track library.

■ Game Features

A New Rhythm Experience Where You’re In Sync with the Muses

The notes flowing from the top of the screen come in various types: push the buttons to Tap Notes and Hold Notes, and move the sticks with Flick Notes and Slide Notes. When you’re flicking in eight different directions and sliding in arcs on the analog sticks, your movements will synchronize with the dancing divas in the background, just as if you were dancing along with them.

In addition to gamepad controls, the Nintendo Switch version will feature an optional touchscreen mode as well.

Includes a Sound Player with Full Length Vocal Tracks

All included tracks and planned downloadable content are selected from the vast library of acclaimed vocal tracks from the Gunvolt series, including tracks used in the series’ five games, CD-only releases, and Gunvolt animated feature. Players can listen to any of the music included in the game freely in the in-game music player. Use the included repeat and playlist functions to create your own listening mix!

The Muses Add Their Charm and Elegance

The Muses, Lumen and Lola, alongside The Djinn, Luxia, dance with enchanting movement and provide their voices for a complete experience. Should repeated misses cause you to fail a song, their Anthem abilities will revive your run, allowing players of any skill level to enjoy the rhythm gameplay without worry.

Cast:

The Muse, Lumen (voiced by Megu Sakuragawa)

The Muse, Lola (voiced by Mayu Mineda)

The Djinn, Luxia (voiced by Rico Sasaki)

Scenes from the Series Create a Nostalgic Musical Journey

In addition to the music videos of the songstresses, songs can be played featuring gameplay footage and scenes from the Azure Striker Gunvolt series.

Different songs will feature various gameplay videos, giving series fans a nostalgic look at past experiences, and new fans a look into the games where the enchanting singers made their debuts.

■ Characters

“The Muse” Lumen (voiced by Megu Sakuragawa)

A popular, down-to-earth virtual idol affiliated with the Sumeragi Group. Lumen frequently puts on virtual concerts as part of her idol life.

“The Muse” Lola (voiced by Mayu Mineda)

Normally a flying battle pod who controls a multitude of tiny machines in combat, Lola also transforms into a humanoid Muse form. She uploads her own songs to the internet where she takes on the identity of the virtual idol known as The Muse of Hope.

“The Djinn” Luxia (voiced by Rico Sasaki)

The manifestation of the mysterious girl Layla’s powers, Luxia performs as the ATEMS organization’s songstress. She has a free-spirited personality, and tends to throw concerts without warning according to her own personal whims.

■ Key Visual

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery. Visit the official website here.

Announce Trailer

English

Japanese

[heartsleevemag]

Indie supergroup boygenius releases cyclical new EP, "the rest"

by Cassidy Byrnes

The boys are yet again back in town. Last Friday, indie trio boygenius released a new EP, the rest, after their astounding, widely accredited full-length album, the record. With their 2018 debut EP, boygenius, many of us assumed it would be their first and last outing as a group. But now, in 2023, we are all swimming in the sorrowful rock sounds of both the record, released March 31st, and the newly released EP, the rest.

I want to mention the significance, to me and to other fans, of releasing an EP rather than an extended or deluxe version of the LP. While I assume that the rest is composed of songs that were meant for the record, I think it’s wonderful to acknowledge, as an artist, that that album is complete. After listening to the rest an extraordinary amount of times, I can tell boygenius also believed that it was deserving of its own independent release because, like the record, it tells its own stories with its own conclusions. That’s not to say that I’m not a sucker for an extended or deluxe album (Taylor Swift, for example, can have all of my money), but understanding when a project is finished is something really special and noteworthy.

“Black Hole” starts off this EP with a staccato piano and an entrance of vocals from Julien Baker, where she is describing a night spent on a porch smoking cigarettes. Then a rhythm line comes in along with a more chaotic piano beginning to drown her out. Then enters Lucy Dacus with a smattering of nouns and adjectives that seemingly have no connection to Baker – but I’d like to imagine they are sharing a phone call where they are discussing these things, “Sometimes, I need to hear your voice,” Dacus concludes.

Dacus also brings us into the next track “Afraid of Heights.” This track has a very light acoustic feel with some steel guitar, until the final 40 seconds where a steady bass line joins and increases the gravity, making you really take in the story that Dacus weaves. Throughout the track, she describes a relationship with someone who pushed her to her limits: “I know I was a disappointment / Know you wanted me to take a risk / Not everybody gets the chance to live / A life that isn’t dangerous.” She has this amazing ability to make the listener believe everything she’s telling them, almost like they lived it themselves. The chaotic nature of the relationship and the slow, explanatory narrative by Dacus gives the song extreme emotional depth. They even snuck in the word “entropy," which seems to be the perfect encapsulation for this relationship.

We haven't heard a lot from Phoebe Bridgers yet, the third member of boygenius who is known for her wispy vocals and brutal lyrics, but the third track definitely showcases both. Opening with a humming harmony from the boys, “Voyager” pushes the audience into a story led by Bridgers; “It’s a hundred and three in the Valley / Blacktop is meltin’ on our shoes.” She tells us about a relationship that has ended, that was seemingly romantic but toxic all at the same time, and Bridgers still feels some sort of possession over them. This groundless notion is what drives the track – one moment she is reminiscing about spending the day in bed with this person, and the next she’s telling us that they “stepped on the gas” and asked her if she’s ready to die. While I hope that’s figurative, it gets the toxicity of the relationship across without it slapping the audience in the face. The production of the track is very minimal, with a plucky guitar line and the harmonies of Baker and Dacus.

“Powers” ends the EP and lets us hear from Baker one last time, where she is questioning her origins. Baker discusses her “powers” and where they came from with a sort of disdain, even relating her existence to a cockroach. This track’s lyrical allegories are great and the harmonies from the other boys offer a nice place to land, but the majority of the production, to me, was a little lackluster. But, again, the final minute of the track offers an undemanding trumpet solo accompanied by some strings which is a delicate way to lay the EP to rest (haha).

The entirety of this EP seems to be a conclusion of sorts. Each song is discussing the end of something and the acceptance that often accompanies endings, giving the title, the rest, a whole new meaning. The exceptional thing is that all of these tracks blend perfectly into the next; even the closing track blends right into the opener. Listening to it the first time, I was questioning where one song ended and the next began. I can only hope that this cyclical feeling was purposeful and that the boys, like this EP, will likely end but will begin again.

[natromanxoff]

Daily Mirror - April 22, 1992

Credits to Roberto Macchi.

RICK SKY’S THE LIMIT WITH THE STARS AT THE FREDDIE MERCURY TRIBUTE

THE SHOW WILL GO ON

QUEEN are to reign again… but under a new name.

Remaining members Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon last night revealed they want to continue working together.

Drummer Roger confirmed after the tribute to Freddie Mercury: “There are projects in the pipeline, but we won’t be called Queen.

“It wouldn’t be right to use the name without Freddie.”

Guitarist Brian added: “Queen died with Freddie, but there is the rest of us. We’ve already proved we work very well together and there’s no reason why we can’t do so again.”

He admitted lying about Freddie having AIDS last year.

“We felt no guilt about protecting Freddie,” he said. “We told everyone the group wouldn’t tour again because we didn’t feel like it, but in reality Freddie was too ill."

Brian said the star-studded gig at Wembley Stadium was very important to the band.

“It was our way of saying goodbye to Freddie. We needed to lay him to rest in our own minds so that we can move on," he said.

• QUEEN are to release THREE new albums, including one recorded in Switzerland before Freddie's death. There will also be a Live At Wembley '86 album and a five CD box set featuring rare and unheard songs from their long chart career.

[Photo caption: BRIAN May gave Lisa Stansfield (pictured arriving at the gig) a hug after her version of I Want To Break Free, and told the Lancashire lass: "You were marvellous." Bob Geldof (pictured balow with Paula Yates) paid Freddie a real floral tribute — by wearing a yellow and green sunflower patterned suit.]

[Photo caption: ROYAL TREATMENT: Roger with Debbie Leng and Brian with Anita Dobson]

Tears from sad mum

FREDDIE'S mother Jer watched the tribute to her son with tears in her eyes. She got Freddie started on his musical career. Freddie once admitted: "If it wasn't for my mother I wouldn't have been a musician. She made sure I studied the piano.”

The late singer's ex-girlfriend, Mary Austin, who inherited a large part of his multi-million pound estate, also watched the proceedings, with Brian May's girlfriend, ex-EastEnders star Anita Dobson, and Roger Taylor's girlfriend Debbie Leng.

• LIZA Minnelli was one of Freddie's idols. But it was touch and go whether she would make the big event.

Said a source: "She came despite a lot of other commitments. She was marvellous." Dazzling Liza certainty perked up moody Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose at the post-gig party. The outrageous star gave up sulking at a comer table and joined Liza in a bop to the Stones’ Brown Sugar.

• GUNS N’ Roses' behaviour left concert organisers fuming. The bad-boy rockers refused to rehearse with the other stars or even stay at the same hotel.

A source close to Guns N’ Roses said: "The band were worried about security. If they appeared cold towards other stars it was because, frankly, they were in awe of some of the other big names."

• MILLIONS of fans almost missed the last part of the Freddie tribute. Council officials had imposed a strict 10pm curfew on the concert and were about to pull the plug when it ran over time. Fans would have missed the last four songs, including the all-star finale. But quick-thinking BBC producers persuaded them to let it continue.

[putschki1969]

Keiko’s Room #34 Live Broadcast Birthday Special with Hikaru!

Ohhh! This was a lot of fun. Keiko started by singing “Yoru no Uso to”. I think I preferred the version from her fan club event but it was a neat intro. She got a huge Sabon adventcalendar with bath and body products. Looks fancy and costs around €100. Also, I am noticing that Hikaru is wearing her Kalafina pinky ring (just like Keiko always does). Dammit, I think I will have no choice but to buy it when I am in Japan (even though it’s currently quite expensive T_T). LOL at Hikaru wanting to introduce herself b some people might not know her. Keiko is like, “there’s literally no need since everyone knows who you are XD” They gathered a ton of questions but they barely got through any of them. Seems like Hikaru is still a big fan of potatoes and chicken whereas Keiko is all about red meat (and zero carbs as we all know). They started talking about potatoes because fans keep posting potato emojis instead of clapping emojis (it’s a joke among those who regularly watch Keiko’s Insta Lives where she once mistook the clapping emoji for a potato). As expected there is some anime talk but Hikaru hasn’t had much time recently to watch anything new so she doesn’t really have any good recommendations for Hikaru. They talk about what sort of animal they see each other as. Hikaru describes Keiko as squirrel and Keiko chooses a seal for Hikaru. When asked about each other’s favourite song, Hikaru says “Hitori Janai Kara” and it seems like Keiko’s favourite song in Hikaru’s album is “Ambient Border”, quite unexpected. I am so excited to hear it live during the Dec 17 event! Hikaru also confirmed that she will be wearing her stage outfit which will 100% kill me :P

Keiko and Hikaru did a handful of Kalafina acappella covers. BANZAI!

Signal

intermezzo

Fantasia

ARIA

Keiko Announces 12th Digital Single!

On Wednesday, Dec 7, her final digital single of the year will be released. The title is 天邪鬼/あまのじゃく (Perverse)! Please look forward to it!

Keiko Announces 3rd studio album!

Release date： 2023/02/08  Title：CUTLERY The album is set to feature a total of 10 songs, including Hitori Janai Kara, Alcohol, Yoru no Uso to, KIRAI. and Close to you.

Limited CD+Blu-ray Edition  AVCD-63417/B～C  14,300円 CD＋Blu-ray＋Analog Disc＋Photo Book Blu-ray bonus content: LIVE Session at Amazon Music Studio Tokyo Analog bonus content: Close to you, Alcohol

CD+DVD Edition  AVCD-63418/B  5,280円 CD + DVD DVD bonus content: LIVE Session at Amazon Music Studio Tokyo

CD only Edition  AVCD-63419  3,520円 CD

Store Specific Tokutens Other stores: Postcard [A] , Tower Records: Postcard [B] , HMV: Postcard [C] , NEOWING: Postcard [D], Rakuten Books: Postcard [E] , Seven Net Shopping: Postcard [F] , Animate: Postcard [G]

FC shop 　　 ① [AL+Blu-ray+Analog] *First Press LE:Bonus: "Making of video" viewing rights 　　 ②【AL+DVD】:Bonus: "Off-shot photo" [A] (L version) 　　 ③【AL】:Bonus: "Off-shot photo" [B] (L version)

Keiko to hold her first Solo Billboard Live!

【Live Title】KEIKO Billboard Live 2023 “CUTLERY” K009～012  2023/3/17 Billboard Live Yokohama 1st Stage Open:17:00 Start:18:00 2nd Stage Open: 20:00 Start:21:00

2023/3/24 Billboard Live Osaka 1st Stage Open:17:00 Start:18:00  2nd Stage Open:20:00 Start:21:00

[kokiafans]

KOKIA updates: February 2024

Below, I have summarized KOKIA’s recent announcements and messages. As explained here, this will remain the style of updates for now. I cannot make any promises about a quicker schedule for now. Unfortunately, that means a lot of this information is quite late. My sincere apologies and thank you for your continued patience.

Once-in-a-lifetime meetings tour

KOKIA had her first performance in her Once-in-a-lifetime meetings in Yokohama on February 4. In her blog entry of February 12, she looks back on it fondly, mentioning it lets her give back to her fans after 25 years of support. The red brick warehouse is also a place she'd hit her limit in a performance over a decade ago, when she wasn't feeling well. The memories are bittersweet, as the audience spontaneously started singing for her at the time. Thankfully, she felt much better this time, although she is a bit nervous for her upcoming performances, as there are so many still to come. She's determined to see them through and make them the once-in-a-lifetime meetings to fit the title of her tour.

In a quick news entry of February 2, KOKIA mentions how the members page has updated for fan club members only pre-sale tickets for the Sapporo and Nagoya performances.

General ticket sales for the special Tokyo performance started on February 10, as noted in the news entry for February 9. The performance is scheduled for May 25, opening at 15:15 and starting at 16:00, at the Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall.

The news entry for February 16 announces a pre-sale of tickets for the Nagoya performance on September 7 for Sunday Folk members. The pre-sale ran online from February 23 to the 26th, and through the newsletter from March 1 to 4. General ticket sales start via other ticket agencies on March 8. The links are in the entry above.

The second entry for February 16 is dedicated to the Sapporo performance on July 6, which will be held at the Sapporo City Clock Tower Hall. Tickets went on pre-sale on February 20/21, and general ticket sales start around march 4 (depending on the agency). All links are in the entry above.

Other performances

On February 7, KOKIA had a radio appearance at 15:00 (she announced it on the day itself in her news entry), at FM Setagaya's 'Afternoon Paradise'. She also quickly promotes this on her Instagram and shares behind the scenes photos later.

In her blog entry of February 22, KOKIA talks about her Harmony for Ukraine charity concert performance. The entry was written beforehand (with the actual performance on the 25th), with KOKIA writing about rehearsals a little. She posts several photos on Instagram later, thanking everyone for their support and hanging out backstage with artist Nataliya Gudziy.

On February 26, in both her news and her blog sections, KOKIA talks about an upcoming performance at her private studio 01073 house on June 22/30 (four performances total). It's another performance in an already busy year, but she wanted to do a different concept for this. She won't announce this concept, but she does tease she's currently working on a new album... Tickets are available February 29 onward, using the service TicketPay. The atmosphere will be homely, as she's performing in a small place.

Finally, in her news entry for February 26, KOKIA announces that a live registration of Yuki Kajiura's Kaji Fes 2023 will get a Blu-ray release, available on May 29. There will be multiple releases: one is a limited made-to-order box version, including the recordings for both days and exclusive merchandise. The other two releases are separate Blu-rays for each day. KOKIA performed on day 2.

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Amy Lee on the moment Evanescence shockingly beat 50 Cent to the Best New Artist Grammy in 2004: "I had my shoes off when they called our name"

Amy Lee has discussed the famous moment Evanescence shocked the world by beating 50 Cent to 2004's Best New Artist Grammy

Evanescence singer Amy Lee has discussed the legendary moment the band beat hot favourite 50 Cent to the Best New Artist award at the 2004 Grammys, in one of the category's biggest ever upsets. Rapper 50, who had released his chart-smashing debut album Get Rich Or Die Tryin' the year prior, was widely favoured to win the award.

On the night of the ceremony, however, which took place on February 8 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Evanescence beat out 50 (real name Curtis Jackson), as well as fellow nominees Fountains Of Wayne, Heather Headley and Sean Paul.

“I was pretty sure that we weren’t going to win, at least not Best New Artist," Lee explains in an exclusive interview in the new issue of Metal Hammer, out this Thursday. "I thought for sure that would be 50 Cent. We were 100% the dark horse. I felt like, 'People don’t know who I am'...I’m a 21-, 22-year-old kid, trying to dress up like a grown-up and I had my shoes off when they called our name. I don’t normally wear heels. They’re very uncomfortable.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Lee talks about the challenges Evanescence faced in their early days.

“The fight for credibility was the most frustrating in the beginning," she notes. "It was the mentality of labels to tell, especially newer artists, that they need to have writers. I fought for way too long after the success of [2003 debut album] Fallen to say I can write my own music. I constantly had to fight off men that were like, ‘No, you want me to do it? You want this guy to do it? You want my friend to do it?’ And the reason that they wanted them to do it was because that’s where the money was. That’s where the power was. Everybody else wanted to be able to say they did that when I did that. It took a long time to get respect for being a creator and not just the frontwoman, the pretty face standing in front of the guys doing the real work.”

“Some of it was surreal. Concerts went from clubs to arenas in a couple of months," she says of the band's unbelievable rise to fame "There was a lot to be excited about, but there was a lot of hard stuff going on in the background. Not just drama about what we were doing, but also my brother [Robby, who died in 2018 following complications with epilepsy] was sick, and it was a scary time to be out on my own. And I did, in a lot of ways at that time, feel alone.”

Evanescence walked away with two Grammys at the 2004 awards, also bagging the win in the Best Rock Performance category. You can read the full version of Amy Lee's interview only in the next issue of Metal Hammer. Keep an eye on Magazines Direct(opens in new tab) for access to a limited amount of online copies when it goes on sale on Thursday (April 27).

[swordarmsaxelegs]

Hi :) I was tagged by @macleod to be a part of this chain. Here's my top 5 songs on repeat (in no particular order)

Shinedown - What a Shame

Shinedown is one of my favourite bands of all time and this song is from my favourite album that they released. It was hard to narrow it down to just one song of theirs to include in this list, so I thought about a recent playlist I've been listening to and decided that this the one I have been most likely to loop out of all of them.

Shinedown is pretty mainstream among metal/alt-rock fans, but if you're not familiar with them or even if you're not usually a fan of those genres then I recommend checking them out. Some of their songs on this album kind of border country territory. I have also listened to some of their more recent post-grunge stuff and think it's a bit pop-y, so I'm sure there's something everyone would enjoy.

Vansire - Metamodernity

I don't have much to say about this one. A girl I had a crush on once used this song as background noise in her Instagram story. I'm not sure anymore if I like this song because of her or if I like her because of this song. All I can say is that there was a couple of months where I would only listen to this.

Tom Cardy - Level Clear!

I haven't been able to get enough of this song since Mr. Cardy posted it four months ago and it is embarrassing. If you're not familiar with his work, Tom makes silly musical videos for Tik Tok and YouTube. I love his videos, he's very creative and entertaining, but this song has no right to go this hard.

Allie X - Old Habits Die Hard

I could probably list Allie X as a top 5 artist on repeat. She was my introduction to the synth pop genre and I think her music is consistently great. I picked this song specifically because it's a lot of fun and one that I'm always excited to hear when it comes on shuffle. As for an album I would recommend, most of her songs that I listen to come from Collxtion, No 1. This song in particular appears on two albums, but I haven't personally listened to the newer version of the song. I'm sure it's great, though.

System of a Down - Aerials

I am very sorry to include this one in the list, but it would be wrong of me not to. One time I was listening to this song so much that it started to become a problem for me. I would try to sleep and this song would be on loop in my brain. I tried learning all of the lyrics so I could sing it to myself because I read that songs get stuck in your head because your brain likes to see things through to the end, but then that just made it worse. I didn't even play this video before sharing it here because I'm scared that if I do it will happen again. This is absolutely one of my all time favourite songs and also I would like to start a conspiracy that System of a Down songs are so weird because they're trying to lock us into a trance.

As a bonus, I was thinking of including Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box because there was a period where I would listen to that song a lot, but I figured everybody on Tumblr can probably say the same thing and I had to limit this to only five songs.

I haven't been very talkative on here since I came back a few years ago, so I don't have anybody to tag in this. If you see this post and think it would be fun to participate then feel free to share your own top 5 and tag me in it :) Maybe it could turn out to be a way to make some new friends on here :D

[sinceileftyoublog]

Black Belt Eagle Scout Interview: Expanding My Vulnerability

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Katherine Paul began the Black Belt Eagle Scout set at Pitchfork with whispered singing. As “My Blood Runs Through This Land” progressed, the song a standout from their third album The Land, The Water, The Sky (Saddle Creek), Paul’s singing transformed into a wail, albeit muted by her own guitar distortion and Camas Logue’s mighty drums. Fittingly, Paul’s voice never seemed like it was at the center. It was there, telling her stories, but always equal in sonic and emotional importance to her surroundings. Sometimes, the neighboring elements were symbolic, like the guitar solo of “My Blood Runs Through This Land”, “emulating [her] ancestors running,” as she told me at Pitchfork. (Paul is Coast Salish/Swinomish, raised in the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in LaConner, Washington.) Other times, they were perhaps coincidental, as when she sang about being “engulfed by beauty” on “Don’t Give Up”, right as her singing was overwhelmed by the swirling of Logue’s drums, Nay Wilkins’ bass, and Claire Puckett’s guitars. No matter what, the set was a masterclass in tension and ultimate expressiveness, the songs exponentially louder than their studio versions. With every repetition of “Need you, want you” on Mother of My Children’s “Soft Stud”, the guitars bellowed with mammoth force, the crowd whooping in approval. It was breathtaking.

The Land, The Water, The Sky is inspired by Paul moving back to the Swinomish Reservation on which she was raised, as well as her metaphoric personal journeys. The record contains love songs of varying recipients: her surroundings (“Nobody”), her immediate family (“Spaces”), her local queer community (“Sčičudz (a narrow place)”). This time around, she worked with some notable collaborators on the record, like multi-instrumentalist Takiaya Reed of excellent Melbourne doom duo Divide and Dissolve, who co-produced the album, and Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum, who sings on “Salmon Stinta”. Though Paul played many of the instruments on the record and certainly led its expanded instrumental palate, its instrumentation and production was not a one-person affair like her previous two albums. Many artists find working by themselves intimidating; in contrast, for Paul, opening herself up to other musicians in this way was a key part of her growth in confidence. Ditto for playing live. “I have a really amazing band,” Paul said. “We’ve grown so much...for most of the year, we’ve been on the road non-stop, so we’ve learned how to work through certain sounds and passages together.”

Paul and I sat outside the festival press tent (as JPEGMAFIA boomed in the distance) to discuss The Land, The Water, The Sky, playing live, her writing process, and Divide and Dissolve. Read our conversation below, edited for length and clarity.

Since I Left You: You have three albums already and a somewhat limited set time. How do you decide what songs to play at a festival?

Katherine Paul: I really wanted to play a lot of the new album, but also bring in some of what I felt are the heavy hitters from my previous album. [Songs] that make the set flow. I tried to put some of the new singles in the set, and some that are the favorites in the previous albums. Since you’re playing to a lot of new people, too, something that keeps the energy up.

SILY: I definitely felt that with what you chose to play. I had never seen you live and wanted to come in green, so I didn’t watch any videos, and your set was definitely louder than I expected, in a great way. There was a lot of play with dynamics and catharsis and release. Are you feeling those emotions on stage?

KP: Yeah, I mean I feel like we kick it up a notch, and I like to rock out. For this show, I played on an amp I don’t normally play out of, and I loved it. I kind of want to get one. I love playing loud guitars. [laughs]

SILY: When you play live, do you find yourself in a similar headspace to when you wrote the songs? Are you trying to channel on stage what inspired you to write them in the first place?

KP: I think about what they mean to me, which is maybe a similar thing. I think about why I play certain parts. When I play “My Blood Runs Through This Land”, the guitar solo is supposed to emulate my ancestors running. It’s raw and beautiful. I think about that and put my feeling and playing into those thoughts. I like to make a connection to what the song means to me when I play it.

SILY: On the record, you did a lot of the instrumentation yourself. Do you find adapting the songs to the stage, with a full band, just as rewarding as writing and recording them in the first place?

KP: I’m still learning. That’s what I’m realizing. Sometimes, my natural instinct is to play them how they sound on the recording, but lately, I feel like I want to put a jam in there. [laughs]

SILY: You played “Don’t Give Up” right before playing “Indians Never Die”. In interviews around the release of Mother of My Children, you were talking about “Indians Never Die” and the idea of always taking care of the land. When you sing on "Don’t Give Up”, “I was only seventeen, I was only seventy,” is that a similar sentiment?

KP: “Don’t Give Up” has a lot of writing about my mental health and taking care of myself, having that knowledge that we’re still growing as people and trying to figure things out, whether we’re seventeen or seventy. That’s what those specific lyrics mean, but I think that could tie into, by taking care of myself, I’m taking care of the connection to where I’m from.

SILY: I also like the phrase on the song, “engulfed by beauty.” It suggests being almost overwhelmed by nature, and it works with the heavy reverb of the music.

KP: Yeah. Being swallowed by it.

SILY: Have you gotten to see anyone else at the festival?

KP: I got to see snippets here and there: Vagabon’s one and a half songs, Weyes Blood, Big Thief, yaya bey. I wanted to see Julia [Jacklin], but I couldn’t. Her set was so short. There was a lot of running around, getting food, getting situated.

SILY: Do you like the new Divide and Dissolve record?

KP: I haven’t heard it yet. I’m waiting for the right time to listen to it. I know it’s out, and I want to listen to it when I’m at home on a walk. When I heard the previous record, I was just gutted. So I want to listen to this one walking around in the woods or something.

SILY: Apart from the specific stories and changes in your life that inspired The Land, The Water, The Sky, is there anything else unique about it as compared to your first two records? And how is it a continuation of them?

KP: There are still those glittery sounds within the pop genre that pop up. The uniqueness comes with expanding my vulnerability as a songwriter, having different people play on it. It shifted my perspective of what my songwriting can be. Before, I was more afraid to take risks and do different things, but now, I feel better about it--almost encouraged.

SILY: Are you the type of songwriter always writing, or do you have to set periods of time for you to sit down and do it?

KP: I definitely have to set time aside to do it. I have so much going on in my life. [laughs] It’s hard to always be writing.

SILY: Is there anything else upcoming for you?

KP: I’m working on a mini tour documentary with Evan Atwood, who did the photo [on the front cover of] the album. We’ll have some live recorded versions and filmed versions on the songs. This coming winter, I’m just going to write music and figure out what’s next.

[aijamisespava]

Favorite Songs From Each Country! Part 26/37: Greece!

Yes, we all know that Greece and Cyprus are essentially best friends, giving each other 12 points almost ever time (and then they only give Cyprus 4 points this year? Crime.). But Greece had a killer top 10 streak that went from the 2000s into the 2010s, and a qualification streak that went on for a little bit longer than that. They dominated the 2000s, even boasting one of the most iconic winners in recent Eurovision history!

Favorite Entry: We don't have to go that far back to find my favorite Greek entry. Only bouncing back a year to Amanda Tenfjord's "Die Together" from 2022. I follow a lot of Eurovision YouTube channels to learn more about Eurovision since I'm so new, and considering where I live, my sources are a little more limited. One of the channels (Mr. Eurovision if you wanna look them up) has "Get To Know" videos on some of the artists announced before National Finals, doing their best to catch up when the Eurovision rush picks up. That's where I learned about Amanda's upcoming song being a breakup ballad. I love breakup ballads (what also helped was that I was also fresh off the release of "Red (Taylor's Version)"). And when the song came out, I was not disappointed and it shot right to the top! I still love the song, despite having listened to her album and "Die Together" ranking 4th there. But I think that's a good thing, because she could have sent my top 3 off the album and still have been my winner. *Needless to say, I'll be posting the "Die Together" Spotify link that connects to the album, def give it a listen. I feel it's underrated because it came out the same night as "Midnights" and even I overshadowed it.* RANK: 8th in 2022 Grand Final/PERSONAL RANK: 1st of 40 Countries

Thoughts on 2023 Entry: So, with 2022 being my winner, that would mean that Victor Vernicos and "What They Say" would be my host entry had I been in charge of Eurovision. And I FEEL LIKE SUCH AN A-HOLE about how I feel about this song. I forgot about it. And I feel horrible because his voice is excellent (which at 16? He's got a great career ahead of him). Also, I fell upon the lyrics to the song...and it being about having anxiety? It's incredibly relatable? And not in the "haha same" way? Luckily, I've interacted with this group of people who had the same winner as I did and "What They Say" gets a lot of love over there, along with some other songs that were kind of underrated in the contest. RANK: 13th In 2023 Semi-Final 2 (30th Overall)/PERSONAL RANK: 33rd of 37 Countries

[handsofdarkness]

WITHIN TEMPTATION Releases New Single 'The Fire Within'

Dutch heavy rockers WITHIN TEMPTATION have released a new single, "The Fire Within". The band stated about the track: "Back in 2019 we wrote 'The Fire Within', but it's never made its appearance on an album. However, to brighten up your festive December mood some more, we've decided to release it as a standalone song! Enjoy!"

Speaking to Riff X's "Metal XS", WITHIN TEMPTATION vocalist Sharon Den Adel elaborated on how "The Fire Within" came together. She said: "We recorded it during corona times. And we release it now for the game with IRON MAIDEN, [our collaboration with] the 'Iron Maiden: [Legacy Of The Beast' mobile] game. This is a song that didn't make it for the next album. So we like the song, but it has a different kind of vibe to it. And it's about keeping things real. 'The fire within' [is] the thing that drives you, the thing that you feel the most. That's what the song is about."

"The Fire Within" seven-inch single features both the single version and instrumental version of the track. Due on January 20, 2023, it is available for pre-order as a limited edition of 666 individually numbered copies on orange-colored vinyl at the WITHIN TEMPATION music store.

In recent years, WITHIN TEMPTATION shifted its focus from releasing albums to releasing a series of singles, enabling the bandmembers to indulge themselves in their creative processes thus delivering freshly inspired music. The group has released "Entertain You", "The Purge" and "Shed My Skin", singles that have all thrilled their fanbase, had great critical reception in Europe, peaked in the Top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator charts and topped the official German charts. In July, WITHIN TEMPTATION also released the official Jeb Hardwick-directed music video for the band's most recent single, "Don't Pray For Me". It was the fourth single of the band's independent releases and will lead up to WITHIN TEMPTATION's next studio album.

In an interview with Barbara Caserta of Linea Rock, Den Adel spoke about WITHIN TEMPTATION's new approach to making its music available. She said: "We already decided before we had the pandemic to do it this way. A lot of music scenes already do this — music genres, actually — but in the rock [world], we still do a lot of the traditional way of releasing albums. And we just wanted to try this out. And then the pandemic happened, and everybody started doing the same thing. Which is a good thing, because you live in the moment and you write something and you release it… So this is really how we feel at the moment, and it's what we re reflecting with our music, I think. It's a good thing."

Regarding the differences between recording and releasing singles and concentrating on making full-length albums, Sharon said: "We put a lot of time extra now into every single, where normally this is the maximum of singles that we release, and we're gonna release more. So I think there's more time spent to it. But it's scattered all over a time, so it's really sometimes difficult to get back into the flow of writing again; that's the negative side of it. So it has its positive and negative sides. And with a whole album, it takes sometimes two years when you've written a song that it finally gets released, and it already feels outdated sometimes. So now it's really [easy to give each track] a fast release."

This past August, Den Adel told EMP about the WITHIN TEMPTATION songwriting process: "The thing is we've been around for such a long time that we try to be inspired by new bands that we hear and implement it with our own kind of sound and try to stay updated with the sound that is sounding more modern nowadays and what is more 'in' nowadays. Not to be going along with new sounds but something that sounds refreshing and inspiring to us. And that keeps us going and makes it fun for us to make still music. We've been around almost for 25 years, even longer — now I really feel old — but, anyway, you need it; you need to evolve. So there's no formula, but it's more every time looking what inspires you. And it can be anything."

WITHIN TEMPTATION's last album, "Resist", was released in February 2019 through Spinefarm Records, the specialist hard rock label of Universal Music Group.

"Resist" featured guest appearances by PAPA ROACH's Jacoby Shaddix, IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén and ARID's Jasper Steverlinck.

[jonathantaylorthomas]

There are four options, as far as I see it:

1. Two shows in every city. One night is Lover through Midnights, songs she’s rarely, if ever, played before in a live setting; the next night is Taylor Swift through Reputation, including “vault” tracks. This option is unfortunately unlikely because double the shows in one city means fewer cities overall, or else she would be out on the road for years.

Multiple times per week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

2. The setlist is post-Reputation songs only, i.e. songs that were released after her last tour. This has its advantages (it would ease the traffic jam of options, and fans would know in advance that they won’t hear “The Story of Us”) and disadvantages (no “The Story of Us”). But the Taylor’s Versions of Fearless and Red, and whatever else comes out before (hopefully) next year, are cheat codes of sorts. Songs that appeared on the original album would be off limits, but “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” “Message In a Bottle,” “I Bet You Think About Me,” the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” (the highlight of every set), etc. are fair game because they’re technically “new.” I think this is the most likely option.

3. She chooses one fan to pick the setlist in every city. “What would you pick, Josh?” Thank you for asking! This is my dream 20-song setlist:

1. “State of Grace”

2. “Cruel Summer”

3. “Mr. Perfectly Fine”

4. “Cornelia Street”

5. “I’m Only Me When I’m with You”

6. “Blank Space”

7. “Delicate”

8. “All Too Well (10-Minute Version)”

9. “Style”

10. “Love Story”

11. “You Belong with Me”

12. “Death By a Thousand Cuts”

13. “Mirrorball”

14. “Exile”

15. “Happiness”

16. “Champagne Problems”

17. “The Story of Us”

18. “New Romantics”

19. “Message In a Bottle”

20. “Shake It Off”

Now, before getting mad at me because I grouped together the folklore and evermore tracks as an acoustic suite and left out “Sparks Fly”… and “Enchanted”… and “Holy Ground”… and “This Is Me Trying”… and “The Last Great American Dynasty,” you should know: 1) I’m mad at myself, and 2) it’s really hard trimming 200-plus songs down to 20. No setlist is going to have every song you want to hear, unless…

4. Every show is five hours long.

[greensparty]

Stuff I'm Looking Forward To in September

Summer's over and now it's Back to School month! In addition to Labor Day (Sept. 4), 9/11 (Sept. 11), Rosh Hashanah (sundown on Sept. 15 to nightfall on Sept. 17), First Day of Fall (Sept. 23) and Yom Kippur (Sept. 25) here is what's on my radar this month:

Movies:

Stop Making Sense

I guess you could say I've written a great deal about Jonathan Demme's brilliant Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense (for proof, read here). Demme, in his prime, captured the Talking Heads in their prime as they performed over the course of 4 nights in Hollywood. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of those concerts (the film was released in 1984), A24 is re-releasing this legendary film in IMAX on 9/11 before a wider 4K remastered release in Sept. (my review and coverage coming soon!).

Dumb Money

Director Craig Gillespie has done some interesting work based on true stories (i.e. I, Tonya and last year's limited series Pam and Tommy) and now he's doing the movie version of the Gamestop becoming the hottest stock on Wall Street. Opens 9/22.

Drive-Away Dolls

I was a huge fan of the Coen brothers, but after The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, they began working solo. After Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth, I'm excited to see Ethan Coen's solo feature, an action comedy about inept criminals, which is his wheelhouse! Opens 9/22. [ NOTE: This has since been moved to 2024, awaiting exact release date ]

Flora and Son

John Carney has very quietly become one of the best directors of the now. His last feature film Sing Street was my #1 Movie of 2016. Now he's back with this Sundance hit, which once again is about musicians. Can't wait! Opening in select theaters on 9/22 and then streaming on Apple TV+ on 9/29.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

It is very rare that a short film makes my Stuff I'm Looking Forward To list, but when it's director Wes Anderson adapting Roald Dahl, like he did with the adaptation of The Fantastic Mr. Fox, it makes my list! This short premieres on 9/27 on Netflix.

The Kill Room

It's a Pulp Fiction reunion with Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson starring in this thriller, which also stars Thurman's daughter Maya Hawke. Opens 9/29.

Music:

Speedy Ortiz Rabbit Rabbit

It's been five years since the last Speedy Ortiz album, which makes this new one super exciting. Album drops 9/1. (Review to come).

Courtney Barnett End of the Day (music from the film Anonymous Club)

Last year I caught the documentary Anonymous Club about one of my favorite musicians to emerge out of the 2010s Courtney Barnett. Now the instrumental music score that she composed for the doc is getting a release. Album drops on 9/8. (Review to come).

Will Butler + Sister Squares Will Butler + Sister Squares

Will Butler was a vital part of Arcade Fire and before he left the band in 2022, he had already done some great solo albums. He released his first solo album Policy in 2015 and it was just as good as some of Arcade Fire’s albums. I named Policy my #2 Album of 2015 and I was lucky enough to see him live in 2015 just before the album’s release (read my review here). His 2020 album Generations was the next best thing to an Arcade Fire album during that time. Now he has a new album with his new group Sister Squares dropping on 9/22 (Review to come).

The Breeders Last Splash 30th Anniversary Edition

Last month marked the 30th anniversary of one of my all time favorite albums ever, Last Splash by The Breeders (read my remembrance here). To celebrate the band is doing a tour and also releasing a 30th anniversary edition dropping 9/22!

The Replacements Tim Let It Bleed Edition Box Set

I out and out love The Replacements and their 1985 album Tim is considered by many to be their best. Now the album is getting the box set treatment with an Ed Stasium mix of the album, outtakes and concert recordings. Album drops 9/22 (Review to come).

Wilco Cousin

A Wilco release is always a high priority for me. I’ve been lucky enough to get to review the band’s Ode to Joy and Cruel Country albums as well as this year's Record Store Day release Crosseyed Strangers and they certainly are one of the greatest American rock bands of the last 25 years. Hands down! This new album is said to be a return to their early 00s rock sound. Woo hoo! Album drops 9/29.

Conventions:

Collectibles Extravaganza

The team that run the Northeast Comic Con, which I've covered a lot in the past, have a collectibles show at the Boxborough Regency in Boxborough, MA from Sept. 30-Oct. 1. Always a fun time!

[black-arcana]

WITHIN TEMPTATION Shares 'The Fire Within' Music Video

Dutch heavy rockers WITHIN TEMPTATION have released the official music video for their new single, "The Fire Within". The clip was filmed during the band's recent "Worlds Collide" European tour with EVANESCENCE.WITHIN TEMPTATION stated about the track: "Back in 2019 we wrote 'The Fire Within', but it's never made its appearance on an album. However, to brighten up your festive December mood some more, we've decided to release it as a standalone song! Enjoy!"Speaking to Riff X's "Metal XS", WITHIN TEMPTATION vocalist Sharon Den Adel elaborated on how "The Fire Within" came together. She said: "We recorded it during corona times. And we release it now for the game with IRON MAIDEN, [our collaboration with] the 'Iron Maiden: [Legacy Of The Beast' mobile] game. This is a song that didn't make it for the next album. So we like the song, but it has a different kind of vibe to it. And it's about keeping things real. 'The fire within' [is] the thing that drives you, the thing that you feel the most. That's what the song is about."

"The Fire Within" seven-inch single features both the single version and instrumental version of the track. Due on January 20, 2023, it is available for pre-order as a limited edition of 666 individually numbered copies on orange-colored vinyl at the WITHIN TEMPATION music store.

In recent years, WITHIN TEMPTATION shifted its focus from releasing albums to releasing a series of singles, enabling the bandmembers to indulge themselves in their creative processes thus delivering freshly inspired music. The group has released "Entertain You", "The Purge" and "Shed My Skin", singles that have all thrilled their fanbase, had great critical reception in Europe, peaked in the Top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator charts and topped the official German charts. In July, WITHIN TEMPTATION also released the official Jeb Hardwick-directed music video for the band's most recent single, "Don't Pray For Me". It was the fourth single of the band's independent releases and will lead up to WITHIN TEMPTATION's next studio album.

In an interview with Barbara Caserta of Linea Rock, Den Adel spoke about WITHIN TEMPTATION's new approach to making its music available. She said: "We already decided before we had the pandemic to do it this way. A lot of music scenes already do this — music genres, actually — but in the rock [world], we still do a lot of the traditional way of releasing albums. And we just wanted to try this out. And then the pandemic happened, and everybody started doing the same thing. Which is a good thing, because you live in the moment and you write something and you release it… So this is really how we feel at the moment, and it's what we re reflecting with our music, I think. It's a good thing."

Regarding the differences between recording and releasing singles and concentrating on making full-length albums, Sharon said: "We put a lot of time extra now into every single, where normally this is the maximum of singles that we release, and we're gonna release more. So I think there's more time spent to it. But it's scattered all over a time, so it's really sometimes difficult to get back into the flow of writing again; that's the negative side of it. So it has its positive and negative sides. And with a whole album, it takes sometimes two years when you've written a song that it finally gets released, and it already feels outdated sometimes. So now it's really [easy to give each track] a fast release."

This past August, Den Adel told EMP about the WITHIN TEMPTATION songwriting process: "The thing is we've been around for such a long time that we try to be inspired by new bands that we hear and implement it with our own kind of sound and try to stay updated with the sound that is sounding more modern nowadays and what is more 'in' nowadays. Not to be going along with new sounds but something that sounds refreshing and inspiring to us. And that keeps us going and makes it fun for us to make still music. We've been around almost for 25 years, even longer — now I really feel old — but, anyway, you need it; you need to evolve. So there's no formula, but it's more every time looking what inspires you. And it can be anything."

WITHIN TEMPTATION's last album, "Resist", was released in February 2019 through Spinefarm Records, the specialist hard rock label of Universal Music Group.

"Resist" featured guest appearances by PAPA ROACH's Jacoby Shaddix, IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén and ARID's Jasper Steverlinck.

[appears]

M(A)DE IN JAPAN

It's Ayumi Hamasaki's birthday on October 2 and we're extending the celebration in true ego-maniacal, splashy celebrity fashion, by drawing out the festivities for an entire week! Each day I will briefly discuss a totally random item chosen (not by me) from my Ayu collection. Prepare for praise, disappointment, and controversial opinions backed by love and respect as we take a casual look back in this blurry snapshot of her career. Happy Birthday to our Party Queen, Ayumi Hamasaki!

As of this writing, it has been six long years since Ayumi Hamasaki released an original studio album. Her last release of any new material was an EP put out four years ago. The empty space in between is the longest that she has gone without releasing new material, though we did get a few digital singles (in my opinion, the best of these was "23rd Monster," a surprisingly aggressive and energetic track worthy of Secret or GUILTY-era Ayu). It will be interesting to see if, considering the passage of time, the new album she has scheduled to be released this fall (but looking like it will be winter) will jolt Ayu out of the rut she has gotten into, and which this album has on full display.

To begin with, no singles were released to promote the album, an abrupt turn that began after 2010's triple-A side L. That single effectively switched the knobs off on a faucet pouring regular and rapid single releases, of which there were anywhere from 5-7 a year at the peak. The average eventually fell and then came to an end when only one physical single was released in 2013, followed by two final singles in 2014, the very last of which was Zutto... / Last minute / Walk. Interestingly, no digital singles were released in support of the album either; instead, the album was announced Beyonce-style, dropping abruptly onto the exclusive AWA Japan streaming site in 2016, and released physically on CD one month later. Many of the songs follow what is now a familiar template for Ayu fans: a gleeful mix of exuberant hard rock mixed with arena-sized ballads and tempting outliers -- songs like the joyous, techno-infused "Summer Love," followed by the trance-inspired "Many Classic Moments," one of many Tetsuya Komuro-penned covers Ayu has recorded in her career, this one originally a hit for globe. While the two make a nice set, they really do embody the term "outliers," especially on an album that is purportedly making a statement about nationhood and identity.

Consider the amazing opening track "Flower," with its harmony of traditional elements and very modern electronic influence. It's an exhilarating launch into an album, but one that loses steam as we get to the Timothy Wellard-written tracks like "You Are the Only One," or the hackneyed "Mr. Darling." It really speaks to the lack of focus that plagues many of Ayumi's late-career albums, from the kitchen-sink excellence of ones that insisted on reaching as wide an audience as possible with running times into the obscene, to even shorter ones like these that opt for a comfortable brevity. Despite the lack of vision and novelty, though, it's still an Ayu album and is still produced by some of the greatest mixers and engineers that a company like Avex can afford. It sounds amazing, with a high quality production value that makes even listening to the most melodically annoying songs pleasantly tolerable. I wouldn't say this album is as good as the surprise that predecessor A ONE turned out to be, but it's perfectly fine if your expectations are accordingly realistic and modest for an artist on her seventeenth album in the eighteenth year of her career.

This album was released to streaming before being released physically in five different versions: 2 exclusive Team Ayu editions with either a Blu-ray or 2 DVDs, limited edition CD+DVD and CD+Blu-ray editions, and a regular CD-only edition. Each version has different cover art, none of which are great and like many of Ayu's recent releases, feature a pretty bland, neutral-toned head shot. The Team Ayu editions, available exclusively to fan club members, included additional footage of the LIMITED TA LIVE TOUR at Zepp Tokyo along with music videos from three of the tracks. Limited edition BD/DVD editions included only the three music videos and their short making-of features.

While at the point that this was released I was pretty fed up with the same old sound from Ayu, it admittedly has a few really solid songs on it, and while more Ayu is never a net negative, it's nice to see her scale back on the many useless interludes that have marred many of her older albums, even if that's due to her diminishing status in the industry or loss of unlimited permission in the studio.

Based on the few singles and the short EP released since this album, I don't think that Ayu is interested in evolving as an artist anymore. Accepting that has been tough, but I tend to focus more on what she's able to do within her chosen space now (and we might not like it, but she’s sort of earned it, right?). It doesn't let her off the hook, but rather, alters the equation I use to judge the music by both heightening certain thresholds (melody, style, production, vocals) and lowering others (personal expectations, novelty, comparison to her previous work). And as always, I never close the door on the chance to be completely blown away or delightfully bemused, certainly not by an artist who once had the ability to do both easily. I might come off like a cranky, disgruntled fan at times, incapable of appreciating anything new, but far from it -- I am immensely excited for the new album and look forward to it in all its beautiful, flawed glory.

Happy birthday Ayu, and thank you for eighteen years of some of the most wonderful music I have had the privilege to listen to, critique, praise, dislike, and love!

[scotianostra]

The second of our Birthday Girls today, many happy returns to the honey-voiced Eddi Reader, can you tell that I like her?!!!

Eddi, born born Sadenia Reader on August 29th in 1959, has been around several blocks, musically speaking. A native of Glasgow, she has been well known and loved here for years. Oddly enough, Reader jumped right into her performing career in the early ‘80s by travelling throughout Europe with a circus troupe. Shortly after, she decided to settle in London and become a session vocalist.

Her choice proved fruitful as her book soon filled up and she landed work with the Eurythmics, the Waterboys, and Gang of Four. None seemed like the right setting for Reader. Then she found her place in the spotlight with Fairground Attraction. The band’s debut, First of a Million Kisses, hit the British charts in 1988, along with the single “Perfect.” Reader gained a good bit of recognition, both critical and popular, and was able to launch her solo career from that platform, although it did not happen immediately.

Her solo debut, Mirmama, saw daylight in 1992 and found Reader’s lovely pipes wrapped around some fine tunes. Although it was a limited release, it caught the ear of the folks at Warner Brothers, who followed it in 1994 with her self-titled album. This second effort included more Reader originals amid the slick production.

Despite touring in its support, she still managed to contribute to recordings by Thomas Dolby, Liberty Horses, and others. When things didn’t pan out with her major label, Reader returned to her independent roots and issued Candyfloss and Medicine in 1996 and Angels & Electricity in 1999, all the while perfecting her brand of smooth acoustic folk-pop.

Finding herself with yet another musical home, Compass Records re-released both Mirmama and Angels & Electricity in the United States and allowed Reader the chance to put forth her most organic offering to date with Simple Soul in 2001. Seventeen Stories: The Best of Eddi Reader and the all-new Driftwood arrived in 2002, followed by Eddi Reader and my personal favourite, Sings the Songs of Robert Burns in 2003 and Peacetime in 2007.

2008 say Eddi make a foray into film with an appearance in Me and Orson Wells, the following year she commemorated the 250th anniversary of Burn’s birth with a deluxe version of his songs with additional songs to add to the original. That same year she also put out new music in the form of her ninth studio album, Love is the Way.

Save for a live record, which appeared in 2010 Eddi took a long break from the recording studios, returning in 2014 with Vagabond. There was only a slightly lesser gap between albums with her 12th studio record appearing in 2018, Cavalier, which was recorded in Glasgow. This year she brought out her new album Light Is In The Horizon

In 2021 Eddi announced she was to celebrate 40 years in the music business with a UK wide tour that included 10 Scottish shows, that is before the Covid virus came calling, the shows had to be rescheduled , they kick of in a few days time, the first gig being at Greenock  Beacon Arts Centre on September 1st, followed by 6 more Scottish gigs, then dates in England and Wales before returning north in November  for three concerts the last being at Aviemore  Macdonald Resort on December 5th. In 2013 the tour continues with 5 dates in Ireland.