Author: birminghamreview

Words & pics by Ed King 

“I can’t make the same record twice.”

I’m talking to Lucy Rose about her new album, Work it Out, which is set for release in mid July – the lead single, ‘Our Eyes’, scheduled for 3^rd May. It’s about four hours before she gets on stage at the Birmingham Institute, in the last leg of an 18 date tour with little time off, and there are concerns between the lines.

“It’s been kind of ups and downs in places,” explains Rose, describing the past fortnight on the road, “because we’re playing nine new songs in the set. So it’s not just two or three, as you’d imagine – just putting out the feelers; at least half the set is new.” And with tonight’s count at gig No14, how have the audiences responded so far?

“Manchester was really good,” answering without pause, “it’s always good. But there have been a few gigs that have been unexpectedly brilliant – Cardiff was great. And Leeds was really good fun as well.

Then sometimes, like in Liverpool, it feels a little bit like the audience is waiting to see. It’s more of a challenge; I’m going to play a load of songs you don’t know, and you guys are going to make up your mind about them. But I guess that’s what you have to do as an artist, to evolve. Something different is always a bit risky.”

The curse of a good first impression. Like I Used To came out in September 2012, and despite “rejection after rejection when we were trying to get signed”, Columbia’s unfettered release of Lucy Rose’s home recorded first album was a clear success. The modern British Folk scene claimed a Harvest queen, and Rose’s subsequent gig schedule went to work cementing a loyal audience for her 11-15 track debut.

The last time I saw Lucy Rose, at the Institute in May 2013, there were already new songs on the set list. But the move off the stage and into the studio, and away from the “nuclear bomb shelter” (underneath her parent’s house) where much of Like I Used To was recorded, required the right producer. She would end up with Rich Cooper in her corner for Lucy Rose round two.

“It was really good,” describes Rose, “he’s (Rich Cooper) done a lot of engineering on records at British Grove (recording studios) and I think I was the first properly produced record that he’s done. He absolutely nailed it. I love the production on my next record. I think it’s great; he’s definitely got a style.”

The lead single, ‘Our Eyes’, is a clear step away from the acoustic ballads of Like I Used To. What can we expect from the rest of Work it Out?

“There’s nothing on the first record that’s even remotely similar to this new single (‘Our Eyes’) it’s got synths on it, and I guess it’s more Pop than some of my more acoustic stuff. It’s definitely less Folk and more Indie, but I don’t know if it’s a fair representation (of Work it Out) because a lot of the songs are really different on this record.

We’ve got piano ballads, I’ve still got acoustic ballads, then there’s some really rockin’ electric guitar mental songs like ‘Cover Up’, ‘Cologne’ and ‘Sheffield’. There’s even one called ‘Like An Arrow which is almost Country, so it’s a big mix of music. But I haven’t over thought it; I just sit at home, write music and whatever comes up comes up.”

And with a few years of recognition under her belt, alongside the opportunities/pressures that a major label can bring, what was the writing/recording process like this time around?

“It was very different,” admits Lucy Rose, “I guess when it came to Like I Use To I just wrote a load of songs and when I was happy with them, I recorded them. It was good because I had all the control and could say ‘yep, I’m happy with this album going out the way it is,’ but it was tough to keep trying at something when no one in the industry is remotely interested in what you’re doing.”

Less of a problem now, I suspect. Although it’ll be nearly three years between albums one and two; did the pressures ever turn into demands?

“I felt it (Work it Out) was done a while ago,” tells Rose, “ and wanted to release it. But my label kept saying ‘it’s not done, it hasn’t got strong enough songs on it yet, you need to keep going.’ And I was completely against doing co-writes; that was out of the question, I hate the thought of it. So then it was really down to me.

Then there was about a month where I just couldn’t write anything. I felt I was writing for all the wrong reasons, or I was writing to try and write ‘a hit’, and that was just not going to work. At that point I didn’t know what was going to happen.” The double edged sword of creative control; how did you break the deadlock?

“I went back to writing songs just for myself, at home. One of them was really slow, probably the slowest one on the record, and I thought this will never go on the album, but when they (Columbia) heard them they were like ‘that’s the shade we needed, that’s the light and the shade.’ It was tough, but in the long term great; I got pushed way harder than I would have pushed myself if I wasn’t on a major. And the record wouldn’t have had some of my favourite songs on it.”

We talk a bit more about the trials of ownership, nearly being trampled by a miniature Shetland pony, and the precarious business of moving jam jars across country. Then it’s time to end the interview; a sound check is imminent and two Twitter winners are eagerly waiting outside to claim their 5 minute prize.

I love Like I Used To, but remember feeling, when watching her last set, that an even brighter evolution was set to come from Lucy Rose – the line I landed on being ‘if this is the Lucy Rose of studio albums future, I’m keen to hear more.’  And I’m genuinely excited for the 13^th July release, with the behind the scenes graft making it all the more tempting; is she happy with her sophomore result?

“There were a couple of really tough conversations whilst putting this together,” explains Rose, “like when the label wanted me to co-write something. I did one or two sessions and I really hated it. Everything about music that I loved wasn’t in that room.

I had to come to terms with the fact they might drop me, but they supported me on it and said ‘we genuinely believe you’ve got it in you, but you’ve got to work really hard.’ And now it’s done I do feel immensely proud to have gone through that, to get the record I needed to get. It was interesting to see how far I could get pushed, to the point where I didn’t even care if I’m not a ‘successful’ musician. I thought, this is not what it’s about.”

Then, in one of those rare and perfect endings, “…even if it flops and no one likes it, I stayed completely true to myself and didn’t compromise. So at least I can sleep at night.

For a Birmingham review of Lucy Rose’s gig at the Institute on 25^th Match ’15, click here

Lucy Rose is set to release ‘Our Eyes’, the lead single from her sophomore album – Work it Out, on 3^rd May. Work it Out is set for release on 13^th July.

For more on Lucy Rose, including online purchase points, visit http://www.lucyrosemusic.com/

Words & pics by Ed King

The Courtyard is covered in cables. I walk through The Rainbow fire doors into a squall of mic stands, monitors, guitar cases and flex; the furrowed brows of sound engineers directing people and equipment one way or another. I am obviously not in Young Kato.

Floating around like busy islands, the five members of Young Kato are unpacking (or possibly packing, I’m not ‘technical’) their tour kit and setting up for tonight’s gig. I look around and recognise Joe Lever’s face and Tommy Wright’s hair, the latter tiptoeing through the obstacle course to extend a hand over the carnage. “It’s all our pleasure, we love doing things like this.”

Young Kato formed in 2011 and have spent the past four years gigging, touring, appearing on the odd TV show or festival stage, then gigging some more. Tonight is “day five, or six..?” in an 18 date UK tour – which started out in Cardiff, “a tough place if you’re not sitting pretty on radio play listings or you’re not a local band,” and culminates in “the home town show for us” at Gloucester’s Guild Hall on May 2^nd. The day after the Gloucester finale sees the duel release of their debut album, Don’t Wait Tomorrow, and the LP’s lead single, ‘Children of the Stars’. It’s a busy time for Young Kato.

“It’s been great because we’ve got a good mix of old and new,” explains Tommy Wright – about the set list for their headline, album promoting tour. “But we do say on stage, ‘thanks for your patience with the new songs’. We’re a band who likes to craft hooks and melodies, and grow toplines as much as we can, because that’s kind of the way in which we write music. We like it to be a communal thing, for people to get involved.”

Young Kato are arguably a home spun success, with their constantly extended arms of social media and live shows nurturing an audience who are not afraid to join in. But on the cusp of eleven new tracks being released, how have their established supporters responded?

“We understand when people are at a gig and the band are playing a few new songs, if you don’t know them, it can take a while to get into,” says Joe Lever, “but people have been coming up to us after the gigs and saying ‘I loved the new songs’, and ‘I can’t wait for the album’ which is what it’s all about at this stage I guess.

“We released that (Sunshine EP) last summer, the end of August/September, and we’ve not had a chance to see it live in the way which we’d like,” continues Wright, “we did a support tour and a few sporadic dates, but we’d never actually played it to a headline crowd. Then we walk out (in Cardiff) and on the first verse of ‘Ultra Violet’ people are singing along. We’ve never had that feeling before.

Young Kato’s debut album, Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow, is an unashamed summer soundtrack in the making. Gloriously ‘Balearic’, as copywriters would once have proudly declared, its lead single is even called ‘Children of the Stars’. Somebody get perfecto on the phone. But what steered a band, who were busy being born in the early 90’s, towards an homage of the second summer of love?

“We didn’t write the album as a whole collectively,” says Wright, “we didn’t think all the tracks would intertwine, we just wanted eleven big songs. The biggest songs we could write by six lads from Cheltenham; a big, Pop feel, 80’s kind of thing.

It wasn’t like a concept album, each song we approached with a different mindset. So with ‘Children of the Stars’ that acted as a bit of a time portal, where we could go back and be children again – that’s the vibe that we went for with that.”

“We’ve been working on it for 3-4 years now,” adds Lever, “so our song writing and understanding of music has come on a lot since the first song we wrote. I was probably about 16 when we wrote ‘Drink, Dance, Play’. Now we’ve all got older, listened to different music and broadened our influences – which I guess reflects on the album.”

Recorded in stages, from the initial 70% to a final six day writing bender in “what can only be described as a shed, in an abandoned golf resort in Devon,” Young Kato’s debut album will be reassuring news for a patient fan base. And with Dan Grech commandeered to produce, having worked across the board from Lana Del Ray to Moby, did the band have a specific direction in mind once they started recording?

“We actually have three different producers on the album,” tells Wright, “Dan Grech was that first 70%, so there’s six songs on the 11 track album that he recorded. Then we went with Paul Stanborough who had been shadowing Guy Chambers through the whole Robbie Williams thing. He has a great ear for Pop music; we wanted to write mature songs but with that Pop feel to it so we found it worked well with him.”

And producer No3? “At the last minute we wrote a song called ‘Runaway’ and we felt there was only one person we wanted to record it, Peter Miles. He’s done lots of alternative acts, bands we know and love; with his authentic feel we thought we’d get something brilliant out of it.”

Embarrassingly for my ego and ears, after listening to Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow a fair few times, I didn’t notice the change of hands – a swing/miss Tommy Wright seems happy I made. “It’s good that you don’t realise it,” says Wright, “in a way, as we wanted it to be one whole journey. We know all the little details they (producers) have individually, but it’s great that you as the listener didn’t realise.”

Time is catching up on us; Young Kato’s tour manager comes into the room needing to “cut down the guestlist. It’s going to be a busy one tonight.” The rest of the band follow suit and names start being suggested, saved and shelved – with Joe Lever’s home town becoming a more prominent point of discussion. Once again, the Young Kato machine grinds into action.

I sneak in a final question about life beyond the tour. “We’ve been confirmed for Kendal Calling,” says Tommy Wright, “and the Isle of White festival – which confirmed yesterday. We just want to play as much as possible.” A reassuring statement from a band with an already full calendar.

But with the sound, feel and ambition behind Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow, a strong festival summer feels more like the turning point for Young Kato. “And our agents are still working,” continues Wright, “hopefully, tirelessly, to get us as many (festival gigs) as possible – especially with an album out. We’ll play any festival that comes our way.”

Not a bad idea lads. And I leave Young Kato staring at lists on a computer, wrestling with one of the more positive problems you can encounter on tour.

Don’t Wait ‘til Tomorrow is set for release on 3^rd May 2015. For more form Young Kato, visit http://www.youngkato.com/