Featured IPO CD Artists: Nick Frater, The Shudders, The Carvels NYC, Sue Hedges
Featured IPO CD Artist: Nick Frater
IPO Vol 22 CD Song: “Sunshine After Rain”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start! “Sunshine After Rain” opens my new album Full fathom freight-Train, and feels like a good intro to what this new album is about…and yes, that is a real theremin, which turns out to be much, much harder than it looks to play!
2) If you could spend the day with any artist who is no longer living, who would it be, and why?
I’d like to go for dinner and a night club with Paul McCartney and Faul McCartney, both during the summer of 1966 in my home town of London. We know who wrote the better songs, but who was more fun? That’s what I want to know! They probably both ordered scrabbled eggs, for continuity.
3) Same as question 2, but for any contemporary/living artist.
I would love to make a track/record with Steve Drozd and Richard Carpenter…can you imagine!? I can, and frequently do! How long are we calling ‘a day’?? I work pretty quickly so reckon we could knock out an album in 24 hours.
4) What has been the most inspirational moment of your musical career thus far? (can be from either the perspective of performing yourself or of seeing someone else perform)
Growing up, I was steered from the path of playing brit-pop in pubs, by a couple of very good music friends, showed me a far more interesting musical world. In the process, I was given a copy of Wondermints Bali and Baby Lemonade’s Discovering Music. Through a very weird twist of fate I’ve had the enormous pleasure of playing with both Baby Lemonade/Love (keys for the farewell Forever Changes UK show) and collaboration with Darian Sahanaja.
5) What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival/CD?
I’ve spent a lot of time in Liverpool doing music, but playing ’that’ stage, at ’that’ venue was obviously a huge bucket-list moment! 2019 was my first and wish I’d gone before…so many excellent bands and an audience totally into this sort of music.
6) Where can people who love your song on the IPO CD go to get more of your music and/or find out when and where you’re playing?
nickfrater.com. You’ll find videos, music, 180g vinyl/CDs, and links to all my under-used social media places. Come and say hello!
Featured IPO CD Artist: The Shudders
IPO Vol 22 CD Song: “Sorry”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
Tim: “Sorry” is the first song on our most recent album No Angels in the Slipstream and, for me, one of our most accessible upbeat tracks. It’s a great pop song.
Dan: I think we chose the song as it has an IPO feel about it. Power pop with hooks and quirks.
Liam: Because Jim (drummer) had a vision while in the toilet at band practice.
Jim: Liam’s right!
2) If you could spend the day with any artist who is no longer living, who would it be, and why?
Tim: Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse. He was an incredible songwriter but I also felt his recording methods were very unusual and original. I’d love to have been able to see his creative process first hand.
Dan: I generally don’t have much desires to meet artists past or present, I guess Frank Zappa or someone who was quite innovative with their musical style. Alternatively someone like Johnny Cash or Lennon, someone so prolific they are written into, not only music history but actual history.
Liam: Roy Orbison. Great songwriting and That Voice.
Jim: Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the late 60s/early 70’s in the Laurel Canyon….
3) Same as question 2, but for any contemporary/living artist.
Tim: The Posies. Vocal harmonies are part of our sound as The Shudders, but no-one does them so well as Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer. Spending a day watching them work on their vocal arrangements would be incredible. From a band point of view, Neil Young is a key influence that draws us all together, so perhaps he would be a better choice!
Dan: Alive, probably Neil Young or Bob Dylan, both inspirational lyricists possibly would reflect in conversation.
Liam: Lindsay Buckingham. Steal some more licks.
Jim: Neil young. Eddie Vedder, Peter Gabriel. Believe your art and do what makes you feel good.
4) What has been the most inspirational moment of your musical career thus far? (can be from either the perspective of performing yourself or of seeing someone else perform)
Tim: So many to choose from! The first time people sang along to our songs, stepping onstage at a venue like the Cavern Club or the Borderline…..
Dan: Most inspirational part of my musical career is having spent most of my adult life rocking out tunes with my best guys.
Liam: Playing the Cavern!
Jim: Many many things. That’s why we play in a band, I remember seeing live music for the 1st time. Even though I realised later I wouldn’t make any hard cash from doing it, I knew I wanted to be in a band.
5) What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival/CD?
Tim: IPO has given The Shudders the opportunity to play one of the most iconic venues in the world (The Cavern Club in Liverpool), but also to be heard by hundreds/thousands of true music loving people. It’s so great to be involved in something that is purely about the music. On a personal note, it’s also given me the chance to watch and hear loads of amazing bands and meet some fantastic people.
Dan: The atmosphere at the Cavern has always been amazing on IPO no matter what day or time, one of my favourite festivals.
Liam: Playing the Cavern!
Jim: The fact that I’ve got to play the arched Cavern bit, I’ll remember that!
6) Where can people who love your song on the IPO CD go to get more of your music and/or find out when and where you’re playing?
All: You can find The Shudders at www.theshudders.co.uk or on all the usual social media and music websites – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, etc.
Featured IPO CD Artist: The Carvels NYC
IPO Vol 22 CD Song: “Everything With You is a Travesty”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
“Everything With You is a Travesty” is one of our stickiest songs and David Bash says it’s his favorite!
2) If you could spend the day with any artist who is no longer living, who would it be, and why?
Recently we lost Kim Shattuck (The Muffs/Pandoras/Coolies/White Flag/Pixies) one of the greatest garage pop artists/songwriters of the last 30 years. She was a genius, taken from us far too soon. Kim was our dream producer. If we could spend a day with Kim in the studio, we would do whatever she told us to do!
3) Same as question 2, but for any contemporary/living artist.
This is a tie between Dion DiMucci and Ronnie Spector. Can we spend a day recording vocal tracks with both of them?
4) What has been the most inspirational moment of your musical career thus far? (can be from either the perspective of performing yourself or of seeing someone else perform)
Lynne: “Career? That’s rich! Over the summer I had the chance to see Darlene Love perform, and I cannot stop thinking about what an inspiration she is. At 77 years, not only is she stunning to look at – her voice sounds like it has not aged one day since she recorded her iconic number one hit “He’s a Rebel” in 1962!”
5) What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO
Festival/CD?
We’ve met some amazing folks including our friends The Hell Yeah Babies who we adore and intend to play many more shows with in the future.
6) Where can people who love your song on the IPO CD go to get more of your music and/or find out when and where you’re playing?
The double 7-inch vinyl EP Everything With You is a Travesty is available from the Get Hip webstore. Please support! https://www.gethip.com/site/store/carvels-everything-with-you-is-a-travesty-double-single
The Carvels NYC just signed to Die Laughing Records! News about new/upcoming releases as well as upcoming events can be found on our website thecarvelsnyc.com
Featured IPO CD Artist: Sue Hedges
IPO Vol 22 CD Song: “I Know Now”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
I feel putting a song on the IPO CD enables me to reach an audience that perhaps I wouldn’t have access to otherwise. The reason I chose the song I did is that I feel it shows my vocals and song-writing skills in the best light. The title of this song is “I Know Now” and was originally on my album, Strong. On that album, it has a contemporary and upbeat feel. However, the version on the IPO CD is much slower and has a bluesy feel about it. I’m hoping to put this version on my forthcoming album Songs in a Different Light, which contains 6 of my own songs that I’ve recorded previously on other albums, but they are arranged in completely different ways to the previous recordings, and 6 new songs.
2) If you could spend the day with any artist who is no longer living, who would it be, and why?
I’d like to spend the day with Tony Davies. He was in the Liverpool folk band ‘The Spinners’. I met him when he was alive on numerous occasions at a place in New Brighton on the Wirral (U.K.) called Fort Perch Rock, an old Napoleonic fort that was host to many ‘Merseybeat’ events back in the day. I used to rehearse there regularly when James Burton, Elvis’s guitarist would play in the U.K. and I would back him on vocals and keyboard. Naturally, rehearsals would get stressful sometimes, as we wanted the performance to be the best it could be for James. Tony was always there in the breaks, calming me down and making me laugh and relieving the pressure. We would chat about his time in The Spinners. It was only since he passed away, that I actually discovered he also had a love for jazz music. I like a bit of ‘trad jazz’ myself so I’d like to ask him what his influences were in the ‘trad jazz world’ and how he got into it. It would have been interesting, but as things stand, many questions will remain unanswered. Oh well, too bad. I would give anything just to hear him say to me one more time “I love it when you sing the Blues”.
3) Same as question 2, but for any contemporary/living artist.
I’d like to meet Jerry Lee Lewis. I know there is a lot “not” to admire about him, but the two things that I admire about him are his brilliant piano playing and his resilience. Everything that life threw at him he just never gave up. He was a big influence on my piano playing when I was a teenager. I’ve been to Sun Studios in Memphis which was a dream come true for me! I’ve performed with his bass player Ray Gann at Jerry Lee’s Club and I’ve also shared the stage with his sister Linda Gail, but, the cherry on the cake for me would be to meet the man himself.
4) What has been the most inspirational moment of your musical career thus far? (can be from either the perspective of performing yourself or of seeing someone else perform)
I think one of those moments has to be, walking into HMV, one of the major record stores in Liverpool. My second album had not long been released. I was heading up the escalator and as I entered the room upstairs, one of my songs started playing over the PA. I was overwhelmed!
5) What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival/CD?
I love the fact you get to perform and hang out with bands and artists from all over the World and I’ve made lasting friendships with many of them. The latest IPO in Liverpool was a particularly memorable one for me. On the Friday night, Jeremy Morris from Kalamazoo played lead guitar on my set at the Cavern Club. Then I stayed on for his set and we were joined by The Seasongs, a band from Madrid. We then headed over to the Cavern Pub, where I backed Jeremy along with The Seasongs. Then Jeremy and I shortly after joined in on The Seasongs own set. There is a video of us on YouTube performing “Spirit in the Sky”. This is the whole reason I love being associated with IPO, when you get memorable nights like that one.
6) Where can people who love your song on the IPO CD go to get more of your music and/or find out when and where you’re playing?
My music is available to stream from all major digital platforms such as Amazon and Spotify. You can also ask your Amazon or Google device to play songs by Sue Hedges. Gig info can be found on my Sue Hedges Facebook page.
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