Rosie Bans

If you were a fan of Sophisti-pop back in the 80's when bands ranging from Swing Out Sister and Prefab Sprout to The Blue Nile and Everything But The Girl ruled the charts, then you're going to love Identify Yourself; the debut album by young, flame-haired Glasgow songstress Rosie Bans.

The album is funded by Creative Scotland and it's ethos falls in line with that of Ralph's Life regarding mental health awareness. 

Rosie Bans states - "I have a strong desire to increase awareness of mental health and write about my own experiences. The album has four key themes; relationships, where you live, mental health and bullying."







Rosie Bans opens with Instincts, a funky pop track with drum grooves by Bren Neil (Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers), exploring the internal dialogue about not ignoring the red flags at the start of a new relationship. 

The sultry Home is her love song to Scotland and has a strong folk-pop feel, lifted by the lush layers of Scots fiddler Jack Smedley (Rura). 

I Won’t Fade Into The Shade has shades of Kate Bush with it's story about her being bullied in school for 'being a ginger' followed by the intoxicating Bloodline; blending the Sitar and piano, is a heartfelt ode to her Grandfather who was an immigrant from India.


There are many instruments on the album but, the most impressive is the voice of Rosie Bans as it draws the listener in from first track to last before demanding you hit the replay button and listen all over again. 

Not being averse to a bit of jazzy pop Ralph's playing the lead track Instincts for your listening pleasure on the Radio KC Indie Show this Sunday from 5-7pm so remember to tune in on rkc.noip.me Internet Radio.

Madness and the Film

Madness and the Film aren't your typical band.  The duo, David Breeze from London and Caroline Gorman from New York City, formed in the summer of 2012 when David moved to New York.  He met Caroline through a mutual friend,  and "madness" ensued, which resulted in the subsequent 'Scrapbook' EP downloadable now on Itunes and the debut single release of 'London Town'.

There are a few different factors that might seemingly prohibit the pair from working together including the fact that David, 31 years old, is nearly double the age of Caroline, who is 16 and yet the two work effortlessly together, constantly spouting out new ideas.  Although they had only met a handful of times before deciding to form a definitive band, David and Caroline wrote more than 10 demos, which eventually had to be sliced down to 4 tracks for the EP.  Such is the dynamic between them the first track, entitled 'London Town' was written only 6 hours after first meeting one another.

It's a cleverly written, melodic alt/pop track with a great blend of harmonies and strong musicality.  Modern day alternatives to the Cocteau Twins and Everything But The Girl with a sprinkling of My Bloody Valentine for good measure.

While the music flowed seamlessly, some logistics and technical factors proved to be challenging.  In fact there was a time when the duo nearly packed it all in, as David’s American visa ran out and he was forced to pack his bags and return to London.  But due to belief in the band, Caroline and David pushed forward with Madness and the Film.  The EP was meticulously crafted, fleshed out and recorded at Raw Recording Studios in New York.  



Literally working an ocean apart after David’s return to London, the duo managed to collaborate on new songs as well as plan for the release of  the Madness and the Film debut EP.  Elements of pop, rock, indie and folk with an artistic edge are all infused in their music and image.  With the recently released EP and plenty more songs in the works, the duo is eager to garner a fan base and establish a net of support.  With musically and lyrically strong 'pop' tracks like 'London Town' it wont be long before we'll be seeing more from them on both sides of the Atlantic.