Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight

August 2008: Spotlight on... Kaya

contact@liverpoolacoustic.co.uk (Graham Holland) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:01:01 -0500

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #4

August 2008 - Kaya

1. Balloon In A Cactus Field

2. Demon Woman

3. Sick Champagne Waltz

4. Fairytale Blues

Download the show for free
(right-click to download)

Or listen online

Kaya works hard, plays hard and bites hard, but isn't a very hard person at all.

Growing up thinking she was weird she prefers quirky these days, but still isn't very easy to put in a box. (That's where the biting comes in).

She started chewing her violin bow at 5, and still chews on instruments every time she gets an urge, which isn't very often anymore. And it's not the violin at all - the guitar is what she'd pick these days...

Originally from Norway, she's made Liverpool her home since 1999 and has become a well-know name on the local scene playing venues like Barfly, Zanzibar, Magnet, and her residencies at Metro, Dragon and the famous 3345 Parr Street Studios. All of this has lead her to play with people like Brett Anderson (Suede), Cherry Ghost, John Smith, Liam Frost and the Slowdown Family, The Wombats, The Sonic Hearts and pretty much the rest of the Liverpool scene and never tires of a good gig experience!

She sings and writes songs but sounds very different from most female singer/songwriters with a dynamic output that can blow your socks off. She's had reviews like "an extraordinary vocal talent" and "the perfect balance of warm, charming and light-hearted and serious, powerful and mesmerising" and was BBC Liverpool’s unsigned artist of the month for July 2007

She has finished recording her album "Balloon in a Cactus field" which is released on the 22nd September with Ultimate Fake Music and her first single "Meat Market Special / The Sick Champagne Waltz" was released in May last year and sold out.

Now she is finally ready for world domination....

Just let's see if the world is ready for her!

Reviews

"An outstandingly talented Norwegian/Scouse songwriter, Kaya's output is hard, constructed melodicism delivered with an extraordinary vocal talent."
Order, BarFly Magazine

"A driving riff, top class production and Kaya's outstanding vocals make this track easy on the ear, but don't let that fool you, there's a message in there about self-respect and knowing who you are."
Rough Trade

"I can honestly say that this girl is in the first division of the first league of champions in her craft. "Meat Market Special" is cocky and charming, spiritedly and energetic, dynamic and original and "The sick champagne" waltz just happens to be all of that and oh my God how the hauntingly chilling strings opening makes this song so much more!"
International Online Music

"Both as a musician and a person, Kaya strikes the perfect balance. She is warm, charming and light-hearted in the gaps between songs and serious, powerful and mesmerising when it comes to the rendering of her music."
Pollen8

"Music of this calibre can burst your heart with its inviolate beauty (...) one of the most compelling, complete and classy acts that you're likely ever to see (...) these are real songs performed by an artist deserving of a wider stage. The widest stage. Magnificent."
Drowned in Sound Magazine

"The best female rock singer in Liverpool."
Sakura, rockphotographer.net

"Vulnerable, raw and excellent! (...) This is definitely one of the musical highlights of the Summer. Kaya glows on stage."
(Frontpage and full page) Fremover (Norway)

"Huge vocal extravaganza, dynamic songs at their best."
www.Glasswerk.co.uk

"The acoustic guitar and Kaya's voice are the only instruments needed to give the song the intensity that only a gifted vocalist and musician could achieve."
Uneathedtreasures.co.uk

Thank you to Kaya for making her music available for the show. You can find out all about her at

Website www.kaya.no

MySpace www.myspace.com/kayaherstad

Facebook profile Kaya

Facebook group Kaya Music

Ultimate Fake Music www.ultimatefake.co.uk

Look out for news of her album launch in September.

Kaya hosts the weekly Metroacoustic night at Metro Bar on Victoria Street, and the monthly Acoustica night at 3345 Parr Street. See her MySpace profile for more details.

Also, from Saturday 9th August, tune in to BBC 1 and vote for Liverpool’s Sense of Sound Choir. You’ll see Kaya bobbing up and down at the front!

If you get the chance, please support your local artists by emailing them, joining their mailing lists, leaving them comments, going to their gigs, and buying their music direct from them where possible.

If you’d like to suggest a local acoustic musician to be featured on the show then email contact@liverpoolacoustic.co.uk or use the ‘contact us form on the website.

The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is produced and presented by me, Graham Holland, on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic website at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk While you’re there you can sign up to receive the News and Reviews blog posts by email. Just put your email address in the box on the frontpage – it’s as simple as that, and we promise we won’t spam you.

The theme music is King of the Faeries by Andrew Ellis from his cd midnight on the water itsafrogslife.net/andrewellis

You can find me on the Internet at grahamholland.co.uk

Why not go to itsafrogslife.net/podcast and listen to the It’s A Frog’s Life Acoustic Podcast, a fortnightly acoustic music show featuring some of the best, podsafe acoustic music from across the whole of the UK.

July 2008: Spotlight on... Tony Kehoe

contact@liverpoolacoustic.co.uk (Graham Holland) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:25:57 -0500

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #3

July 2008 - Tony Kehoe

1. Polite But Insincere

2. Paper Wings

3. You've Got To Give Back (To Get Out Of Here)

4. A Week On Monday

(all songs from the CD It's No Coincidence)

Download the show for free
(right-click to download)

Or listen online

SIX YEARS AGO, Tony Kehoe found himself with a little time on his hands and to keep those hands occupied, he started to play the guitar. Having being writing poetry, prose, and short stories since he was a small child he immediately began to write songs. After about six weeks and learning about as many chords, he was out gigging, doing his first performance at Heebeejeebies in Liverpool and from there he hasn’t stopped since.

LIKE MANY PEOPLE, he loves to read, watch movies and listen to music and has yet to find a favourite in any of these genres as he finds it is a constant process (his tastes can change with the turning of the radio dial).

IN CINEMA HE APPRECIATES Ingmar Bergman, Bogart, Cagney, Audrey Hepburn, Sergio Leonne while on the music side of things he enjoys Motown, Zappa, Miles Davies, World Party, Delta Blues and The Kings of Convenience. In literature he considers Captain Corelli’s Mandolin to be a modern day classic whilst loving C G Jung and Margaret Mitchell (Gone With The Wind) amongst many others. He thinks Grayston Ellis is fabulous in modern art and in theatre he admires Stephen Berkoff.

HE WRITES SONGS FROM personal experience, entwined with his love of art and entertainment which is always in a state of constant flux.

TONY HAS no formal education to speak of, but has travelled the world applying his trade as a joiner and of late has managed to stay in one place long enough to produce two beautiful daughters one aged five and the other almost one year old. He was born in Liverpool and that is where he now lives.

IN ADDITION TO his MySpace page you can also hear his songs at http://www.aplaceinbetween.com/

ALL OF THE SONG featured on this show can be found on his debut album entitled It's No Coincidence. If you'd like to buy a copy then drop Tony an email for details. kehoesongs[at]yahoo.co.uk

ALL OF TONY'S SONGS have been co-produced by the multi-talented Paul Robotham at Fynk Studio http://www.fynk.co.uk/

CONTACT Tony Kehoe

MySpace myspace.com/kehoesongs

Email kehoesongs[at]yahoo.co.uk

BUY the CD It's No Coincidence direct from Tony.

Weight In Gold

IF YOU GET THE CHANCE, please support your local artists by emailing them, joining their mailing lists, leaving them comments, going to their gigs, and buying their music direct from them where possible.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUGGEST a local acoustic musician to be featured on the show then email contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk or use the ‘contact me’ form on at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk While you’re there check out the diary section for lists of dates, and details of one-off and regular acoustic gigs and events in and around the city of Liverpool.

THE LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC SPOTLIGHT is produced and presented by Graham Holland grahamholland.co.uk on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic website.

GRAHAM ALSO PRESENTS the It’s A Frog’s Life Acoustic Podcast itsafrogslife.net/podcast a fortnightly acoustic music show featuring some of the best, podsafe acoustic music from across the whole of the UK

THE THEME MUSIC is King of the Faeries by Andrew Ellis from his cd midnight on the water itsafrogslife.net/andrewellis

June 2008: Spotlight on... Ragz

contact@liverpoolacoustic.co.uk (Graham Holland) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:24:49 -0500

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight

June 2008 - Ragz

Live shots by Steve GJ
Press Shots by Plast-c

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC SPOTLIGHT
AUDIO SHOW #2
June 2008 - Ragz

1. Oh, Oh
(live at the Drift Bar in Portsmouth)

2. End to Ends
(home recording)

3. Mosquito Man
(from the EP Little Stings)

4. Breathe (live)
(from the EP Little Stings)

Download the show for free
(right-click to download)

Or listen online below

WITH HER RICH, SUSTAINED VOICE, skilled musicianship and gorgeous, occasionally dark, tunes, Ragz has gained many fans and favourable comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Bat For Lashes amongst others.

ORIGINALLY HAILING FROM a tiny, forest-surrounded town in the south east of Norway, Ragz first came to Liverpool to study music at university, but quickly realized that she'd rather be out gigging than inside reciting.

SHE HAS SINCE cemented herself into the musical folklore of her new home and developed her craft on stages across the UK , including Liverpool Academy, Manchester Academy and the Borderline in London , supporting the likes of Vijay Kishore, David Ford, Marissa Nadler and Ian McNabb.

THE LIVERPOOL-BASE SINGER/SONGWRITER kicked off 2008 with her first fully-fledged EP, 'Little Stings', and a national tour to support its release and is now soon to record her first album.

'Little Stings' was recorded in Liverpool's famous Parr Street Studios, used by everyone from The Coral to Coldplay, and features 7 of her best songs so far, including live favourites 'Breathe' and 'Mosquito Man'.

IT WOULD SEEM the time has come for her career to set a new course upon the release of these songs to love to, cry to and most importantly - live to.

'Siren with star quality.' - Jade Wright, Liverpool Echo

'A crowd hushing voice & enchanting songs' - Richard Twine, L*A*W*M

'A talented musician on the cusp of international stardom and her fan-base is ever-increasing.' – Nerve magazine

'The songstress is breathing new life into her craft with the rest of us looking on in amazement. A great girl and a fine composer ladies and gentlemen' - International Online Music

CONTACT
Website www.ragzmusic.net
MySpace myspace.com/ragzmusic
facebook group

BUY the EP Little Stings
[CD Baby] [News From Nowhere]

DOWNLOAD the EP Little Stings
[Sound][iTunes]

May 2008: Spotlight on... Alun Parry

contact@liverpoolacoustic.co.uk (Graham Holland) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:23:03 -0500

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight

May 2008 - Alun Parry

(photo by www.themusicsnapper.co.uk )

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC SPOTLIGHT
AUDIO SHOW #1
MAY 2008 - ALUN PARRY

1. Woody's Song
(from the CD Corridors of Stone)

2. I Want Rosa To Stay (live)
(from the CD Before The Band: Live and Solo)

3. You Are My Addiction
(from the CD Corridors of Stone)

4. True Love Of Mine
(from the CD Liverpool 800: True Love Of Mine)

Download the show for free
(right-click to download)

Or listen online below

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND...
...imagine if Woody Guthrie joined The Jam. That is the sound of The Alun Parry Band. Referred to by the Liverpool Echo as "a Merseyside folk God", Alun Parry is one of Liverpool’s foremost acoustic based performers and songwriters. His music is best described as gritty folk rock laced with social observation.

BUSKING BEGINNINGS
Alun started off as a humble busker in Bold Street with a guitar that wasn't even his (borrowed not nicked!) His aim was to buy a guitar of his own which he eventually did. He still has it to this day though it's a bit warped now. If anyone remembers a scruffy youngster bellowing John Lennon's Power To The People while stood opposite the side entrance to Central Station - that was him. All that effort didn't go to waste though as he was later named Merseyside Busker of the Year.

RECORDINGS
His 2006 album Corridors of Stone received widespread critical acclaim. Liverpool 800: True Love Of Mine was released in 2007 to mark Liverpool's 800th Birthday. The CD is a six track collection of new, original songs celebrating the people and city of Liverpool.

INDEPENDENT BY CHOICE
Alun is an independent musician by choice, which means he has no label other than his own. His two studio CDs and a live CD are available to buy from Al's website, and all of the songs are available for download too.

BUSKERNOMICS
Al uses a system he likes to call Buskernomics - this means that Alun suggests a price for each CD, but it's up to you how much more or less you pay. You can even, if you want, download them for free - the only condition being that you don't sell them on. For more information visit www.parrysongs.co.uk

THE ALUN PARRY BAND
Although initially solo he now only plays with The Alun Parry Band. This consists of Al on vocals and guitar, Chad Draper on bass guitar, and Howard Northover on drums. Additionally, when they can make it, he's joined by Gina Le Faux on fiddle and mandolin, and Barry Briercliffe on backing vocals and tambourine.

LIVE MUSIC
As well as being a prolific songwriter and performer, Alun has also been heavily involved with the Liverpool acoustic music scene. Alun was the driving force behind the late lamented Acoustic Slice, a weekly acoustic showcase held at the legendary Parr Street Studios at their 3345 venue and which was named as Liverpool's number one acoustic night. He is also the organiser of Payday Playtime at The Casa, and he previously ran the acclaimed Second Friday at The Pilgrim.

THE FUTURE
Alun is keeping himself busy, as always, and has a number of gigs already booked for 2008. As well as festivals in the UK and Denmark, he'll also be involved in events that proudly showcase his energy as an activist and and as a grass-roots musician with a keen social conscience. Today, 1st May 2008 he's playing the May Day 'Rock Against Racism' gig outside the Liverpool Law Courts, on 26th July he's playing the 'Peace and Ecology' day in the bombed-out St Luke's Church, and in September Alun is organising the Liverpool Working Class Music Festival www.workingclassmusic.org.uk featuring acts such as Chumbawumba, Dick Gaughan, Leon Rosselson, Roy Bailey, Attila The Stockbroker, Tracey Curtis, Chanje Kunda, Claire Mooney, Al Baker, and (of course!) The Alun Parry Band.

CONTACT
Website www.parrysongs.co.uk
MySpace myspace.com/parryal
facebook group

Welcome to the spotlight!

contact@liverpoolacoustic.co.uk (Graham Holland) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:12:42 -0500

Every month the Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight will single out an acoustic artist or group based in or around Liverpool. They'll get the chance to tell the world all about their music and bask in the glory!

If you'd like to be featured here then let us know by using the contact form on the main website at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk