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CRANBERRY PROMOTIONS PRESENTS.The LocarnosLosMunichZoido

06.05.2010THE PERFECT 5TH£4 | £3 (w/ student id)

The Locarnos

Oh you know, Taunton’s only indie supremes; quintessentially English pop.

Los

Raw riotous topped cooly by the dulcet seduction of grrrrrl dominance.

Munich

Anthemic and heartfelt guitars from Brighton.

Zoido

Deck-doyen, prepare for aural dissipation.

who’s that then?

The Perfect 5th opens its doors once more for Cranberry Promotions and its revelers this Thursday May 06. Want to know what the extra special touch is? Every band performing is strictly unsigned, no labels, no bullshit just sweet,

soul & music. Here’s the artistry ready to wow, delight, please, charm, offend, engage, love and hate...

drink me & read me

There's nothing wrong with being a hedonist. Yeah, there might be an election going down but right now at this moment, let's not worry about piecing the fragments of broken Britain back together, let's let loose intemperance,

immoderation and dance ourselves to a new Prime Minister. As the polling stations shut and our individual votes are tallied up, why wait staring into the dark and soulless eyes of Paxman, tapping our fingers like we're in Orwell's 84: do something. Descend upon the Perfect 5th this Thursday May 6, see new bands, old bands and cavort to the early

hours. Then go home, go to bed, wake up to Jeremy Kyle and your brand new government. Even if the outcome means conservative-rule, just remember the night before, nurse your hangover and get on with it, pleasure-seeker.

As aforementioned, this is unsigned band’s night. Although we’re knighting the event solely to the hard-trying musicians from around the country- there’s nothing amateur about it. See and listen for yourself.

in me

Word to the Wise......KILL THE KING RECORDSInterview......LOS

Mix Obsessions......ZOIDOInterview......MUNICH

Admiration Explanation......THE LOCARNOSArticle......FUCK SIMON COWELL

Profile......CLARE TWOMEY, CALLUM BLAGG, OLIVER JAMESComment......INDIGO EARTH, TAINTED ORANGE

Review.......03.04.10

LosMunichZoido

The LocarnosRichard Spackman

Clare TwomeyCallum BlaggOliver JamesIndigo Earth

Tainted Orange Rosie BurnettPaul RosserJames Davis

Nicholas BurmanDeclan McAlisterCatherine Twomey

Kirsty Macleod

thankyou

Brought to you, pieced together and loved by Erin Kubicki

We're beautifully kind here at Cranberry; proffering page upon page of online high living- but although gratification is forefront we can also deliver some straight talking, essentials. We may not be qualified to dish out the advice

ourselves; but we've found someone who is. Meet Richard Spackman, sitting at the top of his very own self-started label, Kill The King Records, he's got the content that need listening to.

Unsigned bands: take note.

What would make you sign a band?Obvious talent. A clear distinction of what they want and where they want to be, what they want to become. It's all well and

good making music but if you have no aspirations to aim higher then there's no point in getting involved in this business.

Who would you avoid? I'd steer clear of obnoxious or arrogant people or anyone that would generally be hard to work with, there is so much new talent

about that working with these difficult types of people isn't worth the time and hassle.

Why do bands stay unsigned?Many bands decide to stay unsigned because its easier and cheaper for them to produce all their music themselves, home

studios and home recording equipment is readily available these days at very reasonable prices.

Is it such a good thing be signed? Is it worth it?Being signed is not the be all and end all, many bands flourish from doing everything themselves and with the online

community helping make bands huge, like Owl City and Arctic Monkeys, it's making things a lot easier for bands to get noticed and get big.

How do you pick who gets signed up?Picking bands can be quite hard, especially when first starting a label, obviously bands would prefer to sign with larger labels as

they have the most obvious benefits, but this is not always the case, the same amount of publicity and recording opportunities can be had with much smaller labels. With this in mind its best to try and find acts that will be easy to work with and have a

distinct talent. At the end of the day you want to make things easy for yourself as well as for the artist in question.

take it from the label’s lips

How should bands 'get noticed'?Pester pester pester. There is no point in sending emails to labels or commenting on their myspace page, to get noticed you need to pester, get hold of contact numbers and ring them, try and meet them, at least this way it shows you are truly interested and show a willingness to give the label what they want, because at the end of the day, a label just wants something they can sell

and make money from.

What can your label to do help our unsigned jongleurs?At the moment, Kill The King Records is offering free recording and promotion; all I ask is that if i am promoting the bands

they help promote me.

Is the industry keeping kind to new bands or is it harder than ever to get signed? I think things have stayed the same: true talent gets signed and true talent does well. Labels still have the same procedures

about signing artists so the fundamental aspects are the same. At the same time hundreds of new labels are sprouting up so it's just swings and roundabouts.

If you could pick any of the signed and sealed heavyweights out there; who'd it be? White Lies, hands down.

So there you have it unsigned boys and girls; to get a foot on the first rung: have talent, pester and don't be a dick.

If you're eyes are tired, wide open since you woke up at 5am for work, hard and earnest, to make money, money that'll be spent on equipment, travel, food for your band- then here's 5 condensed tips on what to

avoid if you want that contract.

a Bad Attitude

a Lack of Commitment

Being Talentless Know you are good before you go to a label and try to get signed.

Time WastingIf the label needs you to do something, do it, it is in your best interest.

Acting Arrogant You may be good but there are hundreds of other bands out there just as good, if you piss the label off there

will be another band just as talented waiting to fill your shoes

To prove we're not making this shit up, spieling it from some Dummy-know-how book; here's Kill the King Record's latest bands to sign the line.

The Cold Harbour http://www.myspace.com/thecoldharbour.

Blood Feathers http://www.myspace.com/bloodfeathers.

Find out more at http://www.myspace.com/jumpstartpar and http://www.facebook.com/pages/SwindonHigh-Wycombe-United-Kingdom/Kill-The-King-Records/141813892699?ref=mf

The Cold Harbour. Photo by Adam Grey

LOS? WE ARE LOS I don't like girls with guitars. You might blame that on my jealous nature but I'm a woman scorn by watching a

burgeoning plethora of female-fronted outfits- so sickeningly bad my Spice Girl luster has been stripped leading me to take my place at the kitchen sink screaming for a chauvinistic revival. Feminism is rubbish. But there's always

exceptions to the rule, beautiful debarments restoring those leopard print 90s sentiments. For me, my girrrrrrl band heroics: YYYs, The Kills and now, Los.

Set firm into the latest Cranberry line-up is Los, dangerously addictive and unnervingly alive. Burning with raw intensity, Los are the unsigned band that need to be listened to and they know it. If there's ever a band to screw over

the long-lasting distaste of unsigned groups and woman-led material than Los smugly fit that standard.

"There are plenty of bands jumping on the 'scene' to try and get their 5 minutes of fame. We're not after fame or fortune, rather a long term career writing music so to do that and lay the foundations of a band with longevity, you have to ignore what's in the charts and what trends are sweeping the nation and concentrate on being different. One promoter once said to us just before we went on stage...'Well so far we've had an 80s punk band and a 90s rock band' and I replied 'What are we then?' He said 'The future': He couldn't place our sound at all or pigeon hole us." And that's their secret as told straight from the lips of Los' number one lady: Helen Sargent: they're different. Along with Chris Hamilton and Dan Hale; they're the bassless braverity who will undoubtedly leave you weak at the knees, bloodied and excited.

"Playing live is what we're most proud of. We never record anything in the studio that can't be done (well) live and in our new recordings we've tried to create a really raw, live sound as feedback we were getting is that the intensity and energy of the live show wasn't apparent on the recorded tracks. Equally, the live show will always be better than on record as that's what we love the most. My favourite live moment is when we played in the back room of a pub in Lincoln- it looked like my Grandma's front room with patterned carpets and curtains. No stage, we just played in the corner and everyone sat round neatly and watched us go mental."

Inheriting praise from radio's heavyweight's their fiery schmaltz is deserved. Myspace favourite, Ba

Ba Ba, already has BBC6's Tom Robinson drooling hyperboles. Yes, Helen has the seductive audacity, the ridiculously powerful albeit attractive voice, but it's not (just) the venus-spell that's casting critics to real out their finest metaphors; essentially, it’s their songs. "When we write, we scrap anything that sounds familiar and often try to avoid anything too predictable. We actually make it harder for ourselves by not imitating other bands or sticking to any one genre but we've always wanted to try and create a new sound that stands out from the rest. We'd hate to be a band confined to only writing within the boundaries of a genre that they've chosen whether it's punk, emo, metal or grunge. But it does mean when we write songs, the canvas is completely blank and finding new ideas without using a formula or template can sometimes be difficult."

With a set-up that is just waiting to be stickered with White Stripes labels; the Surrey-based band avoid the comparisons. So what if they don't have a bassist? I've heard they’re all pretty boring anyway. "We spent most of 2008 searching for a reliable bassist and after about 4 different ones, we decided we would would work better as a 3 piece. I got the Moog in early 2009 to incorporate some bassier sounds where we felt they were missing and we've never looked back. It works better in so many ways, the song writing is easier, there's more room in the van which means we can travel more, sleep in the van and live, you can hear each instrument really clearly. We make a lot of noise for a 3 piece."

It's noise patently, but it's provocative grunge noise that sweetens the ear- a woman's touch at the crux: "Often the sound man will make assumptions that I'll have a girly, weak voice and then have to turn the mic right down when I start singing in soundcheck. I have quite a strong and gutsy voice and don't use or play on my femininity, I ignore it."

Los , despite their screaming abilities, are still unsigned; but

their obvious passion isn't flouted by the ladder up. "It is incredibly hard work to do it all yourself in the way we do. From setting up and running a studio, recording and producing all our own music, screen printing our own artwork (CD cases, T-shirts, Posters), booking all our own tours, releasing our own music, building beds in the van. There's not enough time in the day to do everything we want to do along with our day jobs so we'd love to have a label on hand to help us

out. It does seem to be about luck in the industry - right place and right time - so we just try to be in a lot of places a lot of the time - gigging constantly - it's all you can do at this stage."

Still not sure you want to see them this Thursday- despite my heart-pouring confessions that I fucking love this band-listen to Los: "We give everything we have to each performance. It's a very intense 30 minutes that will swallow you up and spit you out again."

New Single 'The Cow' is set to be released this June tagged with a UK Tour.www.myspace.com/wearelos

dear noise, love zoido

BON IVERFLUME

I love this song because it reminds me of how close I’am to my own mother. And that a mother’s love is something that should be indestructable.

LOU REED PERFECT DAY

“You made me forget myself, i thought i was someone else someone good.” This is one of my favourite lyrics. Whether the song was about his wife or heroin, it’s nice left open.

THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA TO BUILD A HOME

I was introduced to this song by a girl who I care for greatly. I love the sound of the opening piano chords. The song gives me chills everytime I hear it. The song shows so much innocence in love and relationships yet it seems to

remind you that nothing is permanent in life.

The XXINFINITY

The XX got me through my thesis- what more can I say.

BLOC PARTY WHERE IS HOME?

This song links to ‘To Build A Home’. Life is a mere blink in time and no one knows why we are here, but the one big question is‘where is home?’

Somerset-based mix-pro, Zoido, has been busy, shifting and shaping our local unsigned cellestials and then we go and ask him to do just one more thing. Name his top 5 songs. He might be a DJ but he’s no beat-head So here it is,

the (diverse-emotional-thought about) soundtrack to Zoido’s esxistence.

For most unsigned bands, living in the shadows would be the antithesis of achievement or maybe just a bit twilight-twinged creepy but for Munich stalking silhouettes, ruminating the scene- is how they've become. They're clued up and have the sophisticated sound to prove it. 2010 is a new era, they've stepped out of the darkness and up from the underground and are now readying for the spotlight. Based in Brighton, their anthemic swathes and well-crafted,

mood-sulken tunes are ready to move into grittier more well received paths. This is Munich.

Whether it's a compelling step towards innovative reportage or just plain lazy journalism; we're leaving Munich to blather. Soak in their (keys/guitarist James') outlook.

this is munich

Munich on... SongwritingWe're always trying new methods of writing. It'll be myself, Stu or Slade that usually has a part, melody or a whole song to look at. Then we throw it into the melting pot in the rehearsal studio and see what comes out. We always have a sound, feeling or journey we want to achieve or create with each track so there will be directions we will explore. I'm really looking forward to sinking my teeth into some new orchestration software soon which will prove interesting. I think we'd like to do some non-human-contact, over the internet work one day like U2 too. But probably wont be funded by Blackberry.

Munich on...the Brighton SceneThere is a little "scene" in Brighton, but its generally a bit self appreciative and seems to be powered by Brighton Institute of Modern Music bands. Which personally, I find awful. People being taught to become 'rock stars', no thanks. We're not too interested in becoming part of that. I don't think Brighton is as culturally diverse and artistically driven as people are led to believe... We wonder how long can it dine on the success of Skint Records in the 90s. Any new, emerging talent in Brighton has a generally tough time to get noticed. There are some really good bands and artists like The Agitator, Dark Horses, High Rankin, Rob The Rich, but there aren't many platforms to be able to create a scene which we would be proud to become a part of.

Munich on...LondonI think we're all pretty happy being in and from Brighton, but London seems to be a pretty essential part of the 'success' process, at least at the business end. We're happy to put in the miles on the M23 and our pennies into the pockets of the lovely people at Road Chef.

Munich on... Home TownsWe're all originally from Worthing which is a little Satellite town down the road from Brighton. It is home to a plethora of diverse and intriguing businesses including Weatherspoons, Poundland, Lidl and a newly refurbished Yates Karaoke Bar. The Ordinary Boys, Roy from Eastenders and Leo Sayer are among its finest exports.

Munich on...Band Names I had this reoccurring dream that we changed the band name (from Maura Kincaid) to Munich. I had this dream about 3/4 times at

which point I mentioned it to Slade in passing. He thought it was a good name but we kept it to ourselves for a bit and forgot about it. Then one morning my girlfriend at the time woke up and said: "I had this really weird dream last night that you changed you band name to Munich!” I was slightly freaked out by this act of the subconscious given that I hadn't mentioned the name Munich to her once! Anyway, I thought it was co-incidence and got on with it. Then a couple of days later we did a show in Brighton at which a load of industry came down from London to see us. The show went really well and afterwards we were having a chat outside with one of the agents that had come along. We all turned around to say goodbye only to see a bus stop right next to us, on the side of which there was a huge, lit-up poster which just said ‘Munich’ in 5ft lettering. At that point i got the message and the name change had to be made. No-One could ever pronounce Maura Kincaid anyway.

Munich on...InspirationsWe're inspired by so much it’s difficult to give main reference points. We love artists like Spiritualized,Trail Of Dead, Bright Eyes, Flying Lotus, The Verve, UNKLE, Maccabees, Health, Radiohead, Converge, Yeasayer, Mogwai, Burial. Labels like Brainfeeder, Warp, XL, Fiction, Parlophone, Saddle Creek and i've got a little penchant for Lilly Allen too. But doesn't every right minded male?

Munich on...FashionStyle; you either have it or you don't. I don’t think you can, or would want, to force it or even think about it too much because it would just become a transparent, contrived layer on top of the band that would just get in the way of people being receptive of the work. Some of us are into fashion and design and if some people relate to that in addition to the music, then that's cool. I think it's important and great for musicians if you are using it as part of your art or it is a reflection of your being and lifestyle. Madness, Grace Jones, The Flaming Lips, Soulwax, Lady Gaga, Prince... Slipknot. You get the idea. But we're not overly fussed.

Munich on...AchievementsBiggest achievement to date is performing at Glastonbury from winning the a Q Magazine competition. Winning the public vote to go to the final by such a big margin was probably the most flattering part of it all. It kind of gave us hope that if our work makes it onto a national level and received by the general public, it could be well received... at least we

hope so! Then walking onstage at Glasto to 30 people and walking off stage with 1000 people cheering and calling for encores. It doesn't get much better than that. Amazing crowd, amazing experience.

Munich on...Alternative Careers.Stuart is a dab hand with a pair of scissors, Slade is good with guttering & fascias, Tom is a programming whizz and Josh should be a Calvin Klein model. My only talents lie in music, but if anyone ever need a haircut, guttering job, or a computer program written for them then drop us an email. Unfortunately Josh's body is not for sale...

Munich on...The FutureThe future is looking really great. We've finally found a stand-up, decent, hardworking friend in our new manager Adam and we've got an EP in the pipeline due to be released after the festival season. We're releasing an EP later in the year and we'll tour the UK and do some University shows to support that. So hopefully we'll get some decent time doing both this year.

Out of the gloaming Munich are set to be big, reinstalling Editors’ remorse with Verve-like sentiments. Their stern approach to songwriting gives a graver meaning to seriously good. See them this Thursday May 6. Perfect 5th.

Twitter

www.twitter.com/thisismunich

Facebook

www.facebook.com/thisismunich

Youtube

www.youtube.com/thisismunich

hometown pleasures: the locarnos

As a promoter there’s always a list of criteria by which you either consciously or unconsciously judge a band. Songs, style, character, charisma, work ethic, the list is virtually endless and in my opinion complete

bullshit. The only way you should judge a band is by going to a gig, watching them play and then chatting to them over a pint (and maybe a few shots of tequila). Luckily enough this is the exact formula I have used for booking every act on this Cranberry Promotions event (6/5/2010 @ The Perfect 5th). At some point over the past year I have been lucky enough to watch The Locarnos, Munich, Los and Electro Zoido all play, with

each one of them proving to be extremely entertaining by putting on exceptional and varied live performances. No band has done this more over the past year than The Locarnos.

I first met Taunton’s pioneering young Indie hopefuls at Glastonbury Festival 2008. They where set to headline the BBC introducing stage on the Sunday evening, competing for audience numbers with The

Verve, Groove Armada and Manu Chao to name but a few. After a successful Vodka-fuelled evening with The Locarnos on the Saturday, I had decided to give the lads a go and watch them ahead of their

competition. I was all set to swoon away what was left of the festival by singing along to fan-favourites such as ‘Bat Girl’ and ‘Lucky Strike’, but unfortunately various intoxicants got the better of me and I ended up

spending the rest of the festival laying in a ditch somewhere. Shame on me.Although my experience at Glastonbury wasn’t one of my finest hours, it did give me fresh motivation to go and watch The Locarnos at the very next opportunity, and it was so worth the wait. The Locarnos are one of those bands who seem to have it all; good looks, style, stage presence and songs you’ll find yourself singing along to in the shower. Add to this the fact that since 2008 they have improved further, going from strength to strength through the introduction of new drummer Tom Howarth and a brand new set of songs altogether more mature and unique than their previous efforts. From a promoter’s perspective they are the perfect band to book, as you can be fully assured that whatever crowd turns up on the night, they will always leave having

been thoroughly entertained. Plus, you can buy Locarno-themed Y-fronts. Good job lads.With their average age barely past 20, these lads have the musical world at their feet. So prepare yourself for

a night to remember and come see what all the fuss is about at Cranberry Promotions Presents… The Locarnos.

How do you define your home? For me, for Taunton: it’s the smell of Shout, it’s the quiet wanting to leave as you finish the M5, it’s the delectably dirty Tucker’s kebab but the one jewel, the one definition to make Taunton worth it,?

The Locarnos. Although just seeing off 20; they’re the unwilted core to Taunton’s music scene. Headlining this Cranberry Promotions event- their our regional treasures- and we’re patriotically proud. Here’s Paul Rosser, the man behind the bookings and just about everything else associated with Cranberry, to tell you why they’re top of the

bill.

www.myspace.com/thelocarnos

“I WANT SUCCESS & FORTUNE; BUT I DON’T WANT TO FUCK SIMON COWELL. WHAT do I

DO?”

There's nothing as doleful as the sad scene of your guitarist scraping the bottom of the piggy bank till fingertips are bloody; and for what? A bus fare to your latest show? A replacement plectrum? A chomp bar? Forget the coppers and set your eyes on the silver and gold. Nicholas Burman tells us what's wrong with current standings and what our bright, young- and unsigned- things can do to get out of the

musically impoverished gutter.

Are you a ‘musician’? Looking for: fame, fortune, a career in music? Are you: a girl; a girl that looks a bit like all the other girls on TV; someone that doesn’t care about creative output; looking to wear almost nothing; prepared to talk

about your favourite colour or which member of JLS you fancy to the T4 presenters? If you are any or all of the above step right up, we (the music industry) are happy to sell your soul for a career which will last for one festival

season and then we’ll move onto the next pretty face. Sound good? Wicked, you just need to pass the X Factor auditions first.

This may seem like a cynical view on the music industry, but, unfortunately, it’s pretty much how it seems to be at the moment. If you are a non-drama school looking boy or girl making music which has some sort of innovation,

interesting quality or credibility prepare for a life of torment and ignorance from major label A&R men. Labels such as EMI (currently £1.75 billion down a year) used to sell millions of pop records to the mainstream market; in

supermarkets for high prices, earning them lots of dosh, most of which would be transferred into the pocket of the people there, and a bit would go into new indie bands. Unfortunately that’s all gone tits up since the dawn of the

download. Illegal downloading accounts for around 95% of all downloads, and of course a majority of these are of the big pop artists which appear on TMF nightly. Not that they necessarily feel the pinch that much, Cheryl Cole will still be making a pretty penny for Cowell and co, but just not enough for that to filter down into the laps of the indie

bands. And in any case, Cowell most likely knows nothing about music or music fans.

So what can you do if you’re in a band? If no one’s going to sign you, there’s no point, right? Wrong. Instead of thinking that labels are some joyous nirvana of brilliant music muso’s, think of them as a bank where people with

skinny ties work. It seems, as the music industry shrinks, so too must the way non-commercial bands operate. Start thinking of your band as a small business, a small business which makes very little money for the first couple of

years of its life (the same as all enterprises) and start investing in yourselves with your own money. Readily available and ok-priced technology makes it easier than ever to get quality recordings together; social networking sites make the necessity of a PR manager or A&R men and booking agents less of a necessity. You can even produce your own merchandise. It might be an idea to get one person out of the band to help you out with a view to grow, but failing

that get the sober member of the group to make sure everything’s sorted. For £20 on a site such as CDBaby you can get your tracks up on Spotify, Amazon MP3, iTunes etc. No hassle of needing a label…

Getting into the music industry and maintaining some dignity is still feasible. When that band went on Dragons Den

looking for minimal investment from an individual instead of looking for zealous A&R men, they set the tone for how the music industry was changing in a way that wasn’t as laughable as their music. It’s up to you – you can queue

up with the other sheep for an X-Factor audition or become a one-band business.

unsigned1. not bearing a person's signature

ʌn'sain-edMusicians parade their unsigned woes unashamedly; there's dedicated nights, endorsed television stagings, they've even got this very zine wiping their unsigned tears from their unsigned cheeks- but what about the photographers?

The designers? The illustrators? Each with equal dexterity, they're still trying to get a signature, reaching for the next commission and here at Cranberry we know it. So, whilst our unsigned bands are in recess re-applying the mascara,

reciting differential lines for the next label; we give you three young talents: the unsigned and unsung artists from Taunton town.

WHO?Clare Twomey, 20, Illustrator GROUNDINGS?Taunton via Bournemouth Arts Institute (studying BA Illustration)WHY DO YOU DO IT? I enjoy the freedom it gives an artist - you can use collage, photography, fashion, print-making, graphic design etc. It's really flexible and current illustration is really exciting. It can be used in so many different contexts depending on your style.WHY ‘YOU SO SPECIAL?I think it's difficult to be so original, contemporary illustration is so broad and you are constantly influenced by other artists. I'd say that i like intricate line work and patterns but that is by no means individual to me as an artist.WHO ARE YOU IN LOVE WITH?I love the mural work of Charlotte Mann and the quirky characters of Julia Pott.WHERE ARE YOU NOW?I'd say I have a way to go before I get truly comfortable in my work. I'd love to have the same motivation as illustrators who have built up a huge portfolio of work but I think that kind of mindset comes with practice.IF YOU DIDN’T DRAW; WHAT WOULD YOU DO?I'd learn an instrument and join a band.WHY FROWN?I miss being told exactly what to do. Illustration is so broad that its difficult to settle on one idea before you get excited by the next project.FUTURE INTENTIONS?I'll take it as it comes. Plans are for adults.WEB HOME? claretwomey.blogspot.com/

Clare Twomey

illustrator

Callum Blaggdesigner

WHO?Callum Blagg, 20, Fashion DesignerGROUNDINGS?Taunton, SCAT...next footing KingstonWHY DO YOU DO IT?My first memory of being fashion conscious I suppose is from when i was around 4 or 5. I had a huge dressing up box and i would play circus with my sisters, also my mother would always make my costumes for school plays and things I thought she was amazing. Then later when i was at secondary school i was quite fascinated by how the overseas students dressed, their style was completely different to all the English kids and I thought they looked really cool. That's when I first really started to take an interest in the way i dressed myself; I would always looks at street snap websites and I started to buy fashion magazines, but even then I actually wanted to study film and dreamed of directing music videos. It wasn't until I got to college that I really realised I wanted to focus entirely on fashion so i dropped out and started a textiles course at somerset college.HOW ARE YOU, YOU?Each collection is quite different and i don’t like to pigeonhole myself, what i will say is often like my work to be quite sexual. Sex is definitely a theme that crops up a lot even when i don't always initially think it will. i guess sex is always there in the background.WHY ‘YOU SO SPECIAL?I feel it would be quite arrogant of me to say I’m different from everyone else, as I don't know everyone else or what they're doing. In fashion so much has been done that even if i did think I was doing something completely new sooner or later I'll probably find it's been done before, but hopefully I'll have approached it at a different angle to others. I don't know... IF NOT FASHION, THEN WHAT?If I think i would rather stick with fashion, although I'm still interested in film and i would like to combine the two. In fact at the moment I’m planning a film about attraction as part of my final exhibition. WHY FROWN?I don't like how difficult it is to get someone to give you a chance in the industry, but i guess that is to be expected. People seem to automatically assume you're rubbish before they actually look at your work and that's frustrating- being pushy in a way that doesn't just irritate people is hard. WHO’S YOUR GUILDING LIGHTS?It would take me forever to list my inspirations, especially as I’m still just a student finding my feet. I try not to rule anything out and just keep and open mind, so yeah anything and everything really. At the moment, like I've said, I'm working on a project about attraction. I really want to make something that is really sexy. It's proving quite difficult; I’ve been looking at classic heart throbs ,wealth, flowers (in particular Araceae as i like how they are really phallic) and also taking the word quite literally and trying to use magnets in my work. I've designed this top, along the shoulders instead of actually being stitched together there are very thin magnetic strips which hold the seams together, i quite like how it will make the wearer quite vulnerable, i think vulnerability is something that a lot of people find attractive. FUTURE INTENTIONS?Like any other fashion student, I want to work as a designer, whether that's starting my own label or designing for someone else's. Who knows what the future holds, i just want to have the freedom to work in my own way.

(Picture of Callum in own design based around pandrogeny)

oliver jamesphotographer

WHO?Oliver James, 17, PhotographerGROUNDINGS?My mother's womb, also known as Somerset, Unremarkable England.BUT WHO ARE YOU REALLY?The next Messiah, not really though, I guess I'm just an amalgamation of all the THINGS in my life - my darling mothers, Billie Holiday, Victorian Muscle-men, six sisters, Germany and those photographs. WHAT DO YOU DO APART FROM TAKING PHOTOS?Make girls cry, work in a greasy spoon and go to college - I'm such a good citizen it stings.WHY DO IT, PHOTOGRAPHY?I have an envelope of about thirty photographs consisting of birds feeding at a makeshift feeder in my garden - taken by a nine-year old me. They were taken with the family's Canon 1000F (the camera that's probably responsible for your baby photos). I've always had a thing for birds. In primary school I used to sit at the window during the lunch hour identifying and tallying all the finches, tits and sparrows that landed on the tree outside while all the other boys had fights and got sand in their eyes - I was even bullied for being "Birdboy". Before I reminisce myself to death I'll just say - my mind has always functioned visually; photography allows me to exercise my mind. WHY ‘YOU SO SPECIAL?I'm just a boy with a camera. I'm sick of these characters with stinking rich parents who see a good photo on flickr, decide they're future lives in photography and have daddy buy the latest in camera technology - seriously kids, let us paupers sing.WHO’S YOUR MUSE, WHAT’S YOUR INSPIRATION?I'm shit at sticking to one field. A couple of months ago it was nature - I shot one of my favourite sets with a fox-masked model in a sunny little river - and now my inspiration has stemmed from Barbie and the Mcdonald's Cartoon Family and stuff that is naff/sparkles. Fuck knows what field I will be eating by the time you've read this. I've never been compared to any particular artist but I certainly admire the likes of Mario Testino and Annie Leibovitz.WHAT IF YOU’RE CAMERA BREAKS, WHAT WILL YOU BE?A worm.WHY FROWN?The burning jealousy that photography creates, I'm rarely satisfied with what I take and then I scour the internet to find photographers younger than me producing flawless photographs and I want to shrivel up and die. The rush is never healthy either. Anyone confident enough to deem themselves a photographer has aspiration and that aspiration is always going to be the very tip-top - one is more likely to succeed at growing a fifth limb than reaching this level.GOLD MEDALS SO FAR?I shot the Bombay Bicycle Club recently, if that's an achievement? Other than this my achievements include staying in college and pleasing my mother.IF SOMEONE WAS TO PICK UP A CAMERA FOR THE FIRST TIME; WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM TO CAPTUREYour sisters, or just your family, they won't always be there but you have the ability to immortalise them...no matter how many times they shout at you to stop flashing in their eyes...IS THERE SOMETHING YOU HAVEN’T TAKEN A PICTURE OF BUT WOULD LIKE TO ONE DAY?Males - my 'folio is saturated with tits it's not even funny.FUTURE INTENTIONS?Move to Berlin and set-up a home, see if anybody wants me! I'm not a glory hunter, nor am I seeking world-domination through photography, I just want to grow-up without forgetting the ones who have shaped me.WEB-HOME?www.facebook.com/olivermichaeljames

versusTo some the M25 bound for LDN is this glistening, yellow brick road paving the way to courage, a brain and well, a record deal.

But does that exist? Does where you are determine how you do? We've tracked down two (unsigned) bands from two towns to see if location is essential to raking in the ears and dolla.

TAINTED ORANGETaunton

INDIGO EARTHLondon

The pursuit of forte, skill, artistry; the journey to being good takes years of painful, sweat-fractured months for most bands; breaking tooth and nail to reveal their sound but for Indigo Earth- it hasn't seemed easier. They're wavering their mystic melding of warming pop and eloquent folk- which took what? weeks to conscript- into the faces of every other confused and guttered band. Do love their lionhearts- but is their boldness down to the capital injecting them with its vigor?

Tainted Orange: too young to be so talented, too talented not to be left unwritten. Diverting rhythms overfold onto epic capability; Tainted Orange itemize blissful chaos. Basically, strip my crowded words: they're fucking good. Bed rocked in the overcast and unfulfilling Taunton, is there much hope for this ridiculously fresh-faced band?

We're in London. Where else better for an unsigned band? It’s meant to be the place to be when music is your ambition. It's brilliant. There’s amazing venues, people who want to hear new things, and opportunities, everywhere. London is such a buzzing place to be, you can’t help but want to be part of that buzz.It’s ‘better’ being London than say Taunton in the sense that you can reach a much wider audience, and have the chance to make contacts with people who simply don’t live in Somerset. However, I would say that Taunton has its advantages when it comes to promoters – in London 9/10 promoters seem to be out to take advantage of you, for example asking you to ‘pay to play’ and bring ‘x’ many people to your gigs ‘otherwise we won’t book you again’. This is something you learn about and avoid though – you just need to look in the right places. In many respects it is the better place for an unsigned band like us to be for the reasons I mentioned above, but there is so much competition here.Just because we’re in London it doesn’t mean its any easier to get noticed, its just as unlikely as anywhere else, and will require the same amount of hard work and determination. Not to mention being in the right place at the right time.I don't think it matters where you are to how 'big' you get but I think there are elements of where you are geographically that can aid you in the road to success.

Amy Wilson, Indigo Earthwww.myspace.com/indigoearthuk

There are limited places to play in Taunton. There's only one venue which is solely a music venue, any other gigs we get we get are in pubs or one-off gigs in places which don’t take music that seriously. Some people have helped us though. A voluntary group called Live’N’Up have given us opportunities ever since we first got together and have kept the music scene in Taunton alive, Richard Sparkes at “The Studio” who has been recording us ever since we began and The Perfect 5th venue are also very supportive of the local bands. The standard in this town has always been high- it has really pushed us to keep improving. We've developed alongside bands of our own age and we’re constantly inspired by each other. We’ve achieved things musically that we may not have achieved if our network had not been so close. However, our audience in this town is limited and the only new people we can reach by continually playing in Taunton are younger generations. I think it has been a good to start in a small town; it allows you to improve until you reach a standard good enough to move into a city. I think it does matter where you are. In cities you’ll have a much bigger audience as there are no doubt far more people. It’s very hard to create interest in London if you live in Taunton, unless you’re willing to travel far and often. It’s also much harder to break into a city scene if you are not from the city as venues will assume that you won’t bring an audience.

Luke Brown, Tainted Orangewww.myspace.com/taintedorange

REVIEW

Archimedes

Another band justifying the hype around the Bristol music scene are Archimedes who’s experimental alternative sound was a real live treat. As a live act the trio are extremely well rehearsed and this comes

across on stage with an charismatic and lively set.

The Naturals

Bristol was recently voted the music capital of the UK and with exports such as supremely talented The Naturals it is not difficult to see why. For young guys their music has massive amounts of maturity and is extremely well crafted indie music. Reminiscent of Foals, the band combine catchy and unique guitar riffs with a lot of bass, complimented all the while by excellent vocals. A real eye opening live experience, big

things to come for sure.

The Supernovas

The Supernovas hailing from London are considered to be a band to look for in the future. With an energetic and enthusiastic live act, they certainly justify all the hype surrounding them at the moment. The high tempo Weller-esque songs combined with some light hearted on stage cockney banter signaled a very likable and talented bunch of lads. As mentioned n the previous issue I hold their track ‘Ace Face’ in very high regard

and it is fair to say was the highlight of solid set.

Marcus Gauntlett

Marcus is one of the most hard working producers on the dance scene with countless remixes and releases to his name. The hours of work have created a force to be reckoned with an absolute storming live set, which

kept the crowd bouncing,. A much under appreciated DJ, more people need to see this man in action.

La Luka & Krausey

Gathering a reputation as one of the premier live acts to see in the South West, La Luka and Krausey once again delivering their original blend of dub and grime with heaps of enthusiasm. What sets them apart as such a great live act is the ability to hype up the crowd with their boundless energy and crazy moves, the

music ain’t half bad either.

Remember it or not; innately we all knew the last Cranberry-run night was the best yet. I’d even go as far as to use the word jollification. Fuck it. Go crazy. But if you’re wanting a bit more of an explanation, a chance to recall those cider-tarnished memories then here’s James Davis. He was there, had fun, then wrote about each of the bands and

DJs that contributed to the errr yeah, jollification.

adieu