The Empty Page

It's always nice when you find a virtually brand spanking new band that sounds like they've been together for years and producing a focused and polished sound. Just such an eventuality is the case with The Empty Page (which it wont be as I've got more to say, otherwise it'd be a short review) from Manchester.

With that in mind Ralph had a quick chat with Jim of The Empty Page with a view to finding out what's driven them to forming the band to bring us their version of 'fuzzy 90's Alt Rock'.

Ralph: The Empty Page sound like a well established band despite only having formed this year, have you all played in other bands previously?

Jim: Yes. Kel and Giz both play in a long standing punk rock band called Obsessive Compulsive and have toured the UK, Europe and America. 

I was the drummer in Boddickers and before that I drummed in LAP (Life Among People) for seven years touring the UK - mainly Scotland. Kel also works with Ginger Wildheart sometimes, some recordings, some live stuff.




Ralph: What's the glue that binds The Empty Page?

Jim: We've all been mates for years and we come from the same musical background. Music comes first, second and third for all of us. We also have a penchant for bad puns.

Ralph: Studio perfection or getting out there live?

Jim: Live is where it's at. We've been trying to recreate our natural 'live' sound in the studio too, oldschool style, more or less recording live and not trying to achieve perfection. There's beauty in imperfections. A lot of stuff is way too cleaned up nowadays, not a lot of soul in that.





Ralph: Pizza or Falafel?

Jim: Both. And sushi. And tacos. And curry. We really like food!

Ralph: Happy with the Manchester scene or will The Emptly Page be looking further afield?

Jim: The Manchester scene is always changing. It's always evolving and it's a great place to find new music of every flavour. We love Manchester but would never restrict ourselves to one city or scene.

Ralph: You're US influenced, do you prefer the American 'fuzzy' sound?

Jim: We all like all kinds of music but there's a definite influence with this band that comes from the early 90s American fuzzy alternative scene yeah.  We love loads of British bands too though, Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division, The Smiths and PJ Harvey.

So there you have it, a new band that has all the hallmarks of having been together as a tight unit for years. Don't miss out on listening to the Ancoats Sessions EP and with that in mind, Ralph's spinning a track next Sunday on his Radio KC Indie Show (5-7pm). 

Y'all should take the chance to catch their assured, driving sound at their next live show - so get yourselves to The Crescent in Salford, Manchester on June 26th!

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.