Chased by a little baby duck.

I'm sorry, I just can't handle this.

It's just a walk in the park and look who starts following me....

Posted by Wave 105 on Friday, May 29, 2015

St. Barths Here We Come

Romance Exists: "First Kiss"

thinking spring: part deux

thinking spring

Fast Forward to 2014

 

 

 

From Top to Bottom, L to R

1. Meghan Farrell, portrait, photo. Abby Wright

2. Eye Love You Ring,  14k Yellow Gold and Black Onyx

3. Jaws Shark pendant, Sterling Silver

4.  Meghan Farrell, portrait, photo. Abby Wright

5.  Forever After ring rendering

6. Eye Love You Pendants

7. Meghan Farrell, portrait, photo. Abby Wright

8. Eye Love You Ring

9. Flight Bracelet in 18k yellow vermeil, and Beat Bracelet in 18k rose vermeil

10. Collection of rings, MF and Vintage Filigree Ring

11. Locked Lips Ring, 14K Yellow Gold

12. Meghan Farrell, portrait, photo. Abby Wright

13. Just Love sticker, found in NYC October 2013

14.  Meghan Farrell, portrait, photo. Abby Wright

One on One: Flynn Wheeler of Taxes

Taxes' Back of the Car Collection has an epic, worldly composed sound with hints of beat and synth reminiscent of a song from an 80's soundtrack. When I stumbled upon the project several months back I was pretty taken aback-- for the overall composition and sound was unlike anything I had ever head before.

Australia born and bred composer Flynn Wheeler is the sole force behind Taxes, and officially released his EP back in October this year. I had a chance earlier this month to ask him about life, love, and his music- read more below!

MF

What instruments do you play?

Flynn Wheeler

I started on the piano, then moved onto clarinet and saxophone for about 10 years, but my main instrument is guitar.

MF

Your earliest memory with a musical instrument?

FW

Chipping the piano key with my tooth when I was about 3. Turns out mum was right about running in the house.

MF

How has your upbringing and where you have grown up impacted your music?

FW

My two oldest brothers played the clarinet and the saxophone respectively, and I kind of just wanted to do everything they did so I got into them as well. Also my Dad was a drummer and singer in a band which meant there were always instruments and stuff lying around to play with.

I grew up in Canberra, which is a fairly small city designed for public servants – there isn’t much to do there except play music or smoke pot. Music was the free option.

MF

Can you talk a little about your songwriting process?

Do you write the lyrics before or after you write the music?

FW

It really depends. I will always write the music before the vocals, but a lot of the lyrics are adapted from some stuff I’ve written down at some other time when I’ve been trying to sort my head out.

MF

What sorts of things do you draw inspiration from in your work?

FW

Musically I generally hear a song and want to write something that makes other people feel the way I felt listening to that. Not quite plagiarism, but certainly inspiration. Lyrically it is always personal experiences. I like to try and write so that the meaning is crystal clear but the subject is indecipherable. It is the only way I feel I can be truly honest, and that is all I ever want in lyrics.

MF

How did the "Back of the Car Collection" come to be? What would you say is the driving inspiration behind it?

FW

I have played in bands for a long time, and being a collaboration there has always been a compromise when it comes to authorship. These were the first songs I really allowed myself complete authorship to. I wanted to write the songs that I have always wanted to listen to but hadn’t heard yet. I went back to the music that destroyed me and made me feel. I have a playlist of those tracks, it’s about as hard to get onto that playlist as the moon.

MF

Three albums that impacted your life:

FW

DJ Shadow – Endtroducing

Blink 182 – Dude Ranch

The Strokes – Is This It

8 Favorites: Flynn of Taxes from meghanfarrell on 8tracks Radio.

MF
Eight songs you couldn't live without?

FW

Too hard, I’m going to change it to 8 of my favourite rock/pop songs…

Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Say It Aint So – Weezer
Vapour Trail – Ride

To Here Knows When – My Bloody Valentine

The Modern Age – The Stokes

King Of The Rodeo – Kings Of Leon

D’yer Mak’er – Led Zeppelin

Marquee Moon - Television

MF

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

FW
The person I would love the most

MF

Film you could watch over and over again:

FW

I’m embarrassingly obsessed with Jurassic park and Harry Potter. As in the DVDs are wearing out...

MF

What do you recall to be the first song you ever wrote?

FW

A song called ‘Sporadic Feelings’ with my friend Dave for a band called Polarmoose. It turns out he ripped all the lyrics from songs by The Ataris.

MF

Artists you admire?

FW

Cormack McCarthy.

MF

The most important thing about music is:

FW

Truth

MF

 Your last "oh my god" moment

FW

When I realized I owned a cat

MF

 Every day I:

FW

Struggle

MF

 What do you wish to accomplish with your music?

FW

Truth

MF

If you weren't a musician you'd be a/an…

FW

 …paranormal investigator.

MF

 Your most recent memorable dream:

FW

Partying for two days straight

MF

 The most difficult lesson you have had to learn?

FW

Don’t put yourself in a situation where you have to lie or keep secrets.

MF

A piece of advice you have for artists:

FW

Create what is simultaneously good for you and your audience.

MF

Does music tell a story?

FW

When Springsteen sings it does.

MF

 Do you plan to tour?

FW

At the moment it is just me, I need to put together a band, but yes touring is absolutely on the cards. I am planning on doing a small tour around Germany in February 2014.

MF

Hidden talent:

FW

I can solve a Rubik’s Cube

MF

Favorite lyrics:

FW

L.A. Woman

MF

Where and when do you look for inspiration?

FW

Where – great art from great people. When – Whenever I need it/always.

MF

What do you think is the most important thing about songwriting?

FW

At the risk of sounding like an echo of myself, truth.

One-on-One: Bat and Ball

Bat and Ball is like a dream: undeniably hypnotic, mysterious, and enchanting...  and upon a first listen of the band's first single when it was released a mere month ago, I was completely floored.  For such a young band, "We Prefer It In The Dark" is everything you want out of a song: set to a mindfully engaging beat, layered with a perfectly syncopated melody, and soulfully stirring vocals.   A recipe for perfection and that sounds like a lullaby of a love song, the song has been a keeper on pretty much all of my playlists ever since!

If it's one thing I'm convinced of, it's that this quintet is pretty much set to be the next big thing. And I'm completely in love.

British born and bred, the brother-sister fronted band (Abi and Chris Sinclair) have poured their hearts into their debut EP for a few months, which is set to be released on October 14th!! I of course couldn't help but jump on the opportunity to ask them a few questions about life, art, and their process and inspiration!

Soundcloud
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube


 

Soundcloud

www.facebook.com/batandballband
www.twitter.com/batandballband
www.youtube.com/batandballband

MF

How did you start writing music?

ABI

When I was small, I used to sing constantly--making up my own little tunes and lyrics all the time! They were pretty bad!  So when I started to learn the guitar,  I remember I would just sing and try to put some chords underneath it. Writing songs quickly became something I truly loved doing.

MF

Where are you from? How has this impacted your music?

CHRIS

Abi and I are from Plymouth [England] but we moved to London for University. As a musician, London has a lot to offer-- however, it is just as overwhelming as it is stimulating! 

I think we still sincerely both draw a lot of inspiration from our youth in Plymouth: Being surrounded by sea and moorland... the sound of seagulls crying... the warships in the Dockyard blowing their foghorns... These things just stuck with us and  I would say, definitely influence our music today.

Moving to London brought us closer together musically-- and of course, we met the rest of the band there!

MF

What do you recall to be your earliest memory with a musical instrument?

ABI

Our Great Grandma was a piano teacher... I think Chris and I got some lessons from her when we were very young!  I got scolded a lot for banging the keys, which I of course thought was much more fun. I still can’t really play the piano now, but I love trying.

 

MF 
Can you talk a little about your songwriting process? Do you write the lyrics before or after you write the music?  

ABI

Our writing process is not something that is set and fixed-- it's always different! Sometimes we write together and other times, apart. But for the most part, the chords and melody usually come first... and then we to try fit the lyrics to the melody. On many occasions, Chris will write a verse, then will show it to me-- and I write the next one. We try to interpret and follow on from what is already there! But we never fully explain our songs to each other. 

MF 

Can you talk a little about everyone involved with your band, its development, etc? How did you all meet? How many band members do you have? 

CHRIS 

There are three additional members of the band: Harri, Jamie and Ed.  All of us met at Goldsmiths University, where we studied music together! Prior to meeting those three, Bat and Ball was really just an experiment. We had recorded one song-- just the two of us-- which was cool, but we really wanted to push our music forward! Bringing in the rest of the band was a natural development. We always wanted to be a live band and the others brought what we were doing to life. 

MF 

What sorts of things do you draw inspiration from in your work?

ABI

I take inspiration from my own everyday experiences, characters in books, my favorite artists, people watching, and my cat.

MF

What about any specific artists you admire?

ABI

I have been obsessed with Ryan Adams for years; I swear I have everything he’s done, including the heavy metal stage! I love Patti Smith for her music, spoken word and poetry. PJ Harvey is also a huge favourite of mine- she refuses to define herself. She taught herself piano for an album and it’s all amazing. 

CHRIS

At the Drive In.

MF

How did the song "We Prefer It In The Dark" come to be? What was the driving inspiration behind it?

ABI 

"We Prefer It In The Dark" was one of the of the first songs that Chris and I wrote and recorded together-- and this was before meeting Jamie, Harri and Ed. It started as a simple song on the piano. We both wanted to make a song that was driven by the melody, but also step out creatively with a driving, fragmented beat. We recorded it during a daylong studio session in Plymouth PMC studios. It was like research really, but it was something that defined our sound.

MF

Why the name "Bat and Ball?"

CHRIS

That's a funny question--- We can’t really say! But it makes a lot of sense to us. We like alliteration. People still ask ‘who is Bat and who is Ball?’ 

MF

What was the driving inspiration behind the forthcoming EP We Prefer it in the Dark?

CHRIS

It’s about fear. It is unconfessional but secretly sometimes confessional. 

MF 

What are your future plans with the band? Touring? An Album?

ABI

We have our debut EP We Prefer it in the Dark being released next month on the 14^th October and our launch gig at Madam Jojo’s on the 15^th October. From there it’s more shows, more places and more songs. 

Adriel Denae: Put down your phone, get off the computer, and live in today.