[email protected] @NightshiftMag NightshiftMag nightshiftmag.co.uk Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 244 November Oxford’s Music Magazine 2015 Esther Joy Lane Esther Joy Lane“I never wanted to be a singer; my voice offended my ears” The local synth-pop queen talks synths and cats, travel and tattoos. Also in this issue: Introducing KANCHO! Oxjam, Kwabs, Johnny Marr, Metric, Sauna Youth and Liu Bei live. Plus, four pages of local releases, six pages of local gigs, two pages of local demos and a partridge in a pear tree. NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 NEWS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 OXFORD CITY FESTIVAL takes over the city’s venues again this email: [email protected] month. The third annual multi-venue events runs from the 23rd to the 29th November, featuring almost 100 live acts playing across nine venues, Online: nightshiftmag.co.uk including The Bullingdon, The O2 Academy, The Jericho Tavern, The Cellar and The Wheatsheaf. price plan available) can be got at Acts playing range from out of town guests John Otway and Peter & the www.truckfestival.com. This year’s Test Tube Babies, through veteran local performers like Denny Ilett Snr, sold out event featured headline sets The Mighty Redox and The Relationships, to rising local stars like Balloon from The Charlatans and Basement Ascents (pictured), The Aureate Act and Rawz. Jaxx. The festival has been organised by local musician and promoter Mark `Osprey’ O’Brien, who will take to the stage at the O2 on the 27th as part CORNBURY FESTIVAL 2016 of a six-band bill. has been confirmed for the weekend For full festival line-up, see the Oxford City Festival advert on page 23, of the 8th-10th July at Great Tew the Nightshift gig guide or the festival’s Facebook page. Estate. Details of earlybird tickets GAZ COOMBES AND FOALS will be online soon at www. Ben Walker (pictured with Covell) at 6pm on Friday 6th, ahead of their continue to fly the flag for Oxford cornburyfestival.com. This year’s – have made an EP of songs from show at the Bullingdon that night. with both acts recognised for event was headlined by Tom Jones, the film available to subscribers to major awards this month. Gaz was Razorlight and Billy Ocean. their Bandcamp page, with a full OXFORD CONTEMPORARY nominated for this year’s Mercury soundtrack album hopefully set for MUSIC are after musicians and Prize for his second solo album, YOU ARE WOLF headlines release in 2016. non musicians to join in with a `Matador’, while Foals won Best Irregular Folk’s Christmas special on Describing the writing and recording performance by Instant Orchestra Act In the World at the Q Awards in th Friday 4 December at St Barnabus process, Ben told Nightshift, “We this month. Inspired by the open- London. Church in Jericho. One of the most used the signature Candy Says access success of Scratch Orchestra, Huge Nightshift congratulations to inventive alternative folk artists in the sounds of Farfisa organ, harmonium, OCM are hosting a recital of both of them, and also a reminder UK, You Are Wolf – the stage name vocal harmoniser and percussion Handel’s `Messiah’ at the Weston that both acts began their careers of singer, musician and writer Kerry toys, along with Marc’s collection Library on Broad Street on Friday playing gigs in small local venues Andrew – mixes new and traditional of vintage keyboards and even an 20th November, as part of the city’s as complete unknowns. So go on, folk songs and birdsong by way of ethereal synth sound built from a Christmas Lights festival. Directed pick a few names out of this month’s elaborate loops and classical and recording of Juju’s voice to create by Radio 3 presenter Max Reinhardt, extensive gig guide and maybe go electronic instrumentation. She is a quirky soundtrack that suits the Instant Orchestra will allow musicians along and witness something very joined at the show by experimental Withnail-ish feel of the film. The film of all abilities – or no ability at all – to special being born. You’re welcome. vocalist Ben See, plus local singer also called for us to write original perform the piece, without rehearsals. Claire le Master, and poet George music in some more unfamiliar styles: Just turn up before 7pm on the night, ALL WILL BE WELL RECORDS Chopping. Tickets, priced £9 in a Gregorian hymn, a club anthem and with your instrument. To find out more release their first album this month advance, are on sale now from a jingle for a yoghurt advert. about joining in, email – a fifteen-track showcase of acts wegottickets.com. Visit www. “Charlie Covell, saw us play our [email protected]. on their roster. `Fall’ features irregularfolk.co.uk for more news. first London gig back in 2012. She’d contributions from eight Oxford started working on the script and SAFEHOUSE STUDIOS reopens acts, including Little Red, Huck, A wanted to use our song `Dead On this month after being closed to Reluctant Arrow and The String Arrival’ in the opening scene of booking while Foals wrote and Project, as well as acts from Reading, the film, but by the time the film rehearsed for their recent third album Wiltshire and beyond, including was finished in the summer, there `What Went Down’ and tour in recent surf-rock Nightshift faves The Pink were ten Candy Says songs on the months. The studio, off St Clement’s, Diamond Revue. The local label, set soundtrack.” and run by Paddox’s Kit Monteith, up by Little Red’s Ian Mitchell and is offering local bands a special £10 mainly specialising in folk and roots WATER PAGEANT AND per hour rehearsal rate throughout music, is aiming to help local artists BALKAN WANDERERS both have December. Call 07761 357 707 to on a not-for-profit basis with showcase new releases coming up this month. book your slot. gigs, help with pr and access to Water Pageant – stars of last month’s video makers, animators, illustrators, Oxjam – have their debut album AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into photographers and producers. `Outlines’ out on Glide Records, BBC Oxford Introducing every Their first Oxford showcase takes CANDY SAYS have written the while eastern European indie- Saturday night between 8-9pm on place on Friday 13th November at The soundtrack to a new film released folksters The Balkan Wanderers, 95.2fm. The dedicated local music Jericho Tavern, with sets from String this month. Burn Burn Burn, written release a new EP, `So It Goes’ out on show plays the best Oxford releases Project, Louise Petit, Stuart Clark and by Charlie Covell and starring Laura the 20th November. Both releases will and demos as well as featuring Sarah Lambert-Gates, All Is Well, Carmichael, Joe Dempsie, Alison be on CD as well as download, and interviews and sessions with local Huck and Ben Gosling. Visit Steadman, Sally Phillips, Nigel available at Truck Store. Reviews of acts. The show is available to stream www.allwillbewellrecords.co.uk for Planer and Jane Asher, is a road trip both next issue. or download as a podcast at more details. story of two women transporting their bbc.co.uk/oxford. friend’s ashes across the country in a TRUCK STORE host a couple EARLY BIRD TICKETS FOR dilapidated car, and came out at the of instore shows this month. The OXFORD GIGBOT provides TRUCK 2016 are on sale now, th, cinema on October 15 featuring ten Cowley Road record store hosts Bay a regular local gig listing update and already almost sold out. Next songs by the local band, as well as Area rap veterans Blackalicious on on Twitter (@oxgigbot), bringing year’s Truck will take place over the incidental music and jingles written Tuesday 3rd November at 6pm, ahead you new gigs as soon as they go weekend of the 15th-16th July at Hill alongside Marc Canham from former of their show at the O2 Academy live. They also provide a free Farm in Steventon. Tickets at 2015 local favourites Narco. the same night, while Kent folkies weekly listings email. Just contact prices (£79.50, with a £10-a-month The band – Juju Sophie Heslop and Keston Cobblers Club play the store [email protected] to join. A Quiet Word With overactive imagination in so many ways, I’m still she her primary inspiration? guys are all awesome and then there’s Nightshift, sad to have left there. Music played a huge part “Grimes is just a straight up goddess. She’s which I think is the glue that brings everyone in celebrating Scottish tradition at my school and definitely been a massive inspiration to me, I together.” many of these traditional songs fuelled my passion remember seeing her play `Genesis’ on Later… The latest reward for Esther’s work came in for music. The wistful folk melodies and historic with Jools Holland in 2012 and being a mixture September when she was picked to play Bestival tales of camaraderie, bloody battle and war seemed of terrified and completely infatuated. She was on the Isle of Wight – how was that? to strike a chord with me and it was actually one so good. It was actually learning more about “My manager Vez [Hoper] sent Rob Da Bank my of these songs – ‘Ye Jacobites by Name’ – that her personal journey though, that really got me music and he liked what I was doing so offered me was the first thing I sang and recorded, using excited and spurred something in me.