Featured IPO CD Artists: Secret Friend, Darling BOY, Carol Pacey & The Honey Shakers, Matt Purcell, Slim Loris
Featured IPO CD Artist: Secret Friend
IPO Vol 21 CD Song: “Castaway”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
I chose “Castaway”, which was probably the most conventional song on my latest album, The Divorce Album. The lyrics for “Castaway” aren’t depressing like many of the other songs on the album, and the arrangement is fairly straightforward pop. However it’s not the best version of “Castaway” on the album. Sam Robson’s version is much better than my own.
2) Which 2-3 ’60-‘90s artists do you admire most (and why)?
Squeeze was my generation’s Beatles. They were the band which inspired me to begin writing music. I remember, age 16 or 17, buying Sweets From a Stranger at Tower Records and riding home on the bus with my classmate Jimm McIver – we both became transfixed from simply reading the lyrics on the album sleeve. We hadn’t even heard the music yet, and already were were blown away with the album! That moment was pivotal for both of us – we both got serious about writing music soon after that, and we haven’t stopped.
Harry Nilsson perfected embedding a very sophisticated and black sense of humour into a lyric yet still make it accessible to everyone. He also showed that you shouldn’t ever stick to a formula and always try to be original, that it’s always better to chase new musical ideas no matter how arcane, and make the entire process challenging as well. Music gets boring if you just keep repeating yourself, or if all you do is imitate others.
Phillip Glass creates some of the most emotional music I’ve ever listened to. Whether it’s the grandiose “Satyagraha” opera, the “Qatsi” film trillogy, or even just a solo piano, it always chills me to the bone. Anyone who dismisses his music as repetitive or soulless isn’t really listening.
3) Same as question 2, but for contemporary artists
Red Velvet and MAMAMOO are a couple of my favorite K-pop girl groups. I absolutely love them! In fact, the only music I listen to these days is K-pop. Most people know K-pop just from a few music videos, and it’s quite easy to dismiss all K-pop as ephemeral or even bad. Unlike a “real” group, their backing tracks are pre-recorded, most of the groups lip-sync their performances, and the videos are bright, colourful, overtly sexualized and bombastic. But you have to get past all that – there is so much that can be learned about the professional practice of creating mass appeal pop music from K-pop. Essentially, K-pop distills the best of contemporary western pop music formulas, adds some Asian sensibilities, incorporates amazing vocal talents and producers, which reshapes it all into something novel and exciting. It’s not unlike how the Beatles or the Stones were inspired by Motown and the Blues and created something totally unique. A better comparison might even be ABBA. And fun fact, a surprisingly large percentage of the biggest K-pop hits are co-written by Scandinavians. The legacy of ABBA lives on via K-pop!!
If there’s any musical genre even more obscure and more conservative than Power Pop, it’s probably acapella. Although I’m not a singer, I really appreciate the joyous feelings created purely by the human voice, and I’ve learned a lot of music theory from acapella as well. Perhaps the best contemporary group out there is Accent, each vocalist is also a talented arranger, and they have a heaps of music videos on YouTube which you should definitely check out. I was very fortunate to have one of their members, Danny Fong, appear on my latest album The Divorce Album.
4) What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival//CD?
I’m not a performer so I’ve never appeared at an IPO Festival. I’m a relatively older musician with zero interest in fame or fortune, however I’m very pleased to be given the opportunity to support emerging artists via the CD.
5) 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?
Website: https://secretfriendmusic.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/SecretFriendMusic/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/SecretFriend
Featured IPO CD Artist: Darling BOY
IPO Vol 21 CD Song: “Waste My Days”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
A man came to me in a dream, on a flaming pie, and told me “You shall put ‘Waste My Days’ on the IPO CD, with an A….”
2) Which 2-3 ’60-‘90s artists do you admire most (and why)?
The Who, The Beatles, Oasis. Unrepeatable, unmatchable, unquenchable. In that order. Easy.
3) Same as question 2, but for contemporary artists
Everything Everything are one of the most inventive bands on the planet.
Gerry Cinnamon will change everything over the next year.
Henge are simply one of the most bonkers, genius, original bands I’ve ever, ever seen.
4) What has been your most rewarding (and/or humorous) artist-fan interaction to date? (Can be with you as artist or as fan)
My mother will be reading this so I’d rather not say!
5) What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival//CD?
David’s passion for music is inspiring and infectious and as rare as unicorn hair. I love the man and I love what he stands for.
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?
www.darlingboymusic.com is very much the place to be, kids.
Featured IPO CD Artist: Carol Pacey & The Honey Shakers
IPO Vol 21 CD Song: “Oh Heart Where Art Thou”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
I wanted to showcase a song that we do not play live, but deserves a listen(!) as well as showcase local horn talent, Danny Torgersen.
2) Which 2-3 ’60-‘90s artists do you admire most (and why)?
This question is nearly impossible to answer, but my answer is Violent Femmes, Counting Crowes and No Doubt because of their style, lyrics and energy, respectively yet interchangeably.
3) Same as question 2, but for contemporary artists
If you mean what is currently played on the radio in 2019, sadly I do not have many to list as I do not listen to mainstream radio, but I do admire the tenacity and style of Lady Gaga and Pink.
4) What has been your most rewarding (and/or humorous) artist-fan interaction to date? (Can be with you as artist or as fan)
I will forever appreciate any human who appreciates one second, one word of anything I created; an amazing gift any fan gives to any artist. My most rewarding artist-fan interaction is when fans sing and dance at our shows; priceless.
5) What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival//CD?
IPO brings people together who want to hear great music, whether they are the bands or the fans. It was thrilling to finally submit a track to the IPO CD and in our case, celebrating the 10-year IPO [Phoenix] anniversary.
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?
We are on the major social media sites as well as we maintain our own website, www.carolpaceyandthehoneyshakers.com
Featured IPO CD Artist: Matt Purcell
IPO Vol 21 CD Song: “No Way Forward”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
Well I asked a very knowledgeable person which song he would like on the compilation, and trusted his opinion. Thanks David Bash 🙂
2) Which 2-3 ’60-‘90s artists do you admire most (and why)?
The Kinks, The Beatles are two of my favorites, with so many great songs. When I was 13-14 years old and just starting to play guitar, I would listen to best-of albums of both The Kinks (double album collection) & The Beatles (Red Album) & and it was the songwriting on those that gave me musical direction.
3) Same as question 2, but for contemporary artists
Cast & Jimmy Coburn
4) What has been your most rewarding (and/or humorous) artist-fan interaction to date? (Can be with you as artist or as fan)
I supported Steve Kilbey of ‘The Church’ in Victoria (Australia) about 4 years ago now, and played harmonica and sang on his song ‘Under the Milky Way’, which is one of my favourite songs, and something that I couldn’t have really dreamed of ever doing.
5) What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival//CD?
I really look forward to IPO Liverpool, you have to really be at your best, there are so many good bands playing at it, and of course I love the Cavern Club & Liverpool in general, also the audience is really enthusiastic which makes it fun, I have met so many cool people from the bands that have played also, and keep in touch, its gear, fab.
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?
I released my album Silverman on vinyl last year, it is available at Rough Trade, Tower Records and online at my band camp page.
Featured IPO CD Artist: Slim Loris
IPO Vol 21 CD Song: “Hideaway”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
We had just released a new EP called Wild and Untamed and recorded a music video with director Jonas Hong-Soo Eriksson for the song “Hideaway” so it felt natural to chose that song for the IPO CD as well.
The video can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ7ZfiGphTU
2) Which 2-3 ’60-‘90s artists do you admire most (and why)?
The Beatles – I grew up with my dads Beatles collection and their music have stuck with me ever since. Simply the greatest band.
Blur – Love the Britpop era in general and Blur in particular. They have a playfulness and will to experiment I really admire.
Al Green – The greatest voice in my mind.
3) Same as question 2, but for contemporary artists
At the minute:
Slaves – No bullshit attitude and straigt to the point brilliant songs.
Sleaford Mods – They have managed to find a unique sound wich is somthing to admire in it self and a great one at that.
Frank Ocean – Greatest voice of today and always does his own thing
4) What has been your most rewarding (and/or humorous) artist-fan interaction to date? (Can be with you as artist or as fan)
A few years ago we went on a tour to the UK. Since we were completely unknown there we were a bit worried about playing to empty venues but it ended up being quite a lot of people showing up and many who had listened to our music before hand and really seemed to enjoy our 80 mins set of original music. The gigs we did in Gloucester and Sowerby Bridge were especially good and we still keep in contact with some of the people that came to those gigs.
5) What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival//CD?
IPO for us stands for great independent music and people who are passionate about their art and that’s something to be proud of being associated with.
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?
http://slimloris.com/
https://open.spotify.com/album/7B0a8DSoL3D29W4Jjw66EM
7) When will you next perform at an IPO-festival?
Slim Loris will be performing at this year’s IPO-Liverpool as well as IPO-Stockholm.