Gemma Hayes Discusses Her New Album and Touring

Following the release of her new single Palomino boundary pushing Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes is to commence a tour of UK & Ireland, kicking off at The Globe, Cardiff on May 14. The nine date run will see the maverick alt-folk musician air tracks from her acclaimed 2015 album Bones + Longing at the shows.

Bones + Longing is now the Tipperary native’s fifth album and the third to be released on her self-established Chasing Dragons record label (along with former albums Hollow Of Morning in 2008 and Let It Break (2011)).

Andy Howells recently put questions to Gemma.

Bones + Longing is your fifth long player in 13 years, how do you feel you have progressed since your debut release?
For me creativity doesn't necessarily go in a straight line or in forward motion. In some ways the naivety of the first album was closer to who I am as an artist than anything else I've done. However life experience has enriched my work in my opinion. What I'm very content about is the marriage between the fresh, naive approach to my new album and the weight of the emotions and subject matters I sing about.

Can you give us some background on how you approached your new album and what inspired it?
I didn't want to labor over it too much as sometimes it knocks the freshness out of it. That was number one on my priority list. So I chose lots of first vocal takes as they were the ones I felt most. It's hard to pin point what inspires me. It's life really. I wanted my album to be quite varied in soundscapes, so going from acoustic to loud chaos, folk to electronics to rock. Life is varied.

Tell us about your new single Palomino.
Well it's a song about a horse!;) It's a song about a girl on a horse rescuing a boy from being bullied. It has a plodding rhythm and a nursery rhyme style melody which is not what I usually do. I'm really into it for that reason. It's a new approach.

What have you enjoyed most about putting Bones + Longing together?
Working with (producer) David Odlum. I enjoy his company in the studio. He is incredibly talented and good fun to be around. We always go on such intense creative journeys together. He gets what I get, if you know what I mean.

You've defied genres by releasing songs in various styles from folky ballads to lo-fi rock pop. Do you enjoy having that freedom within your work?
Yes I do. Music represents different aspect of who I am, different moods and life experiences. No one is just one mood or one aspect of themselves. Music has always been about expressing and celebrating that.

You're also touring with the album, do you enjoy playing live?
I enjoy it when I'm in the mood for singing and performing. I wouldn't be a natural entertainer … so it's something I have had to work at through the years. I love it now.

What's been your best live experience?
I can't think of any one in particular but I love that moment when it all comes together and everyone is locked in to the moment of the performance, including the audience.

What can fans expect when you play your Cardiff show?
Well, it will be loud and quiet at times. I'll be playing songs off all my five albums with my new four piece band. It will be our first gig together !! So I’m dead excited.

Finally what are you enjoying listening to at the moment?
I've been listening to some Bombay Bicycle Club songs off their new album and also rediscovering the Blue Nile.

• For more information on Gemma Hayes visit her official website

The Christians Celebrating 25 Years In Music - Garry Christian Interview

Ahead of tonight’s gig at The Globe, Cardiff, The Christians front man Garry Christian talks to Andy Howells about their 25th year in music.

The Christians soulful pop harmonies and intricate synth sounds were a mainstay of the British pop chart during 1987 and 1988. The Liverpool ensemble’s hits Forgotten Town, Ideal World, Words and Harvest For The World set them apart from the manufactured pop and soft rock acts of the era.

Garry Christian the lead singer of the band believes their individual music style helped give them an appeal that has spanned 25 years. “That’s why it stands up today,” he says. “That’s why people come and see us –because in a way we’re timeless. If you listen to Forgotten Town it’s got that big snare and reverb you don’t hear on today’s records.It is of its time, but the actual songs when we do them live, they just stand up today they’re great.”

Garry, his brothers Russell and Roger and It’s Immaterial Keyboardist Henry Priestman united in the mid 80s to “get a tape together” before signing to Island records. The band took its name from Garry and his brothers’ surname as well as Henry’s middle name. Their self titled debut album reached number two in the album chart and was followed up a year later with their second album Colour, both of which have just been reissued to mark the bands 25th anniversary.

Fans can expect to hear these classics as well as their version of The Isley Brothers Harvest for the World when they play The Globe in Cardiff tonight. “I really kind of sweated over doing that,” confesses Garry about Harvest for the World. “The Isley's? How do you take it away from THEM? But we did and I’m really glad we did it really.”

Garry is looking forward to a return visit to Wales. He said: “Me and Wales are kind of connected, because when I was a kid my mum had a kind of caravan bungalow in Blaenau in North Wales. I love Wales.”

The UK tour will culminate with an appearance at The Isle of Wight festival and the release of a new album Speed of Light. “It’s all sounding great and I’m really proud of it,” said Garry, who is still passionate about music and excited about the festival. He said: “We’re looking forward to that and not only just to see Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and Bruce Springsteen. “There are a few acts I want to see, so we’ll do our gig and get off to see them.”

• This interview by Andy Howells was published in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on May 25, 2012.