richardlee63

Solsbury Hill

On a recent staycation in Somerset, I took the opportunity to climb Little Solsbury Hill. It’s a flat-topped hill with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and the spa town of Bath in the distance. Now, since this is a music website and not a travel blog, you might ask why I’m putting pen toContinue reading “Solsbury Hill”

SHEAFS – Spectator

Sheffield is a city in the North of England, with an international reputation for making steel and the Artic Monkeys. It’s an interesting place to spend a day, but most people don’t make it past the gargantuan shopping mall ‘Meadowhall’. But I urge you to be there on Sat 25th September. You could spend theContinue reading “SHEAFS – Spectator”

Dead Venus – Lily of the Valley

Pop quiz hotshots! Name a Swiss rock band?…………………..Krokus. Well done. Yep, that’s about it though. It’s not that there aren’t more Swiss rock bands, it’s just they’ve not achieved international fame. Well that could all be about to change with Dead Venus. This awesome trio consists of Seraina Telli (vocals and just about any instrumentContinue reading “Dead Venus – Lily of the Valley”

Lala Lala – DIVER

Living in Lala Land Question: What would you get if you mixed ‘Beck’ with ‘Radiohead’, added ‘Suzanne Vega’ and then sprinkled some magic on top? Answer: Lala Lala. Lala Lala (aka Lillie West) is one of the most captivating artists on the music scene today. The Chicago based singer and guitarist creates songs that areContinue reading “Lala Lala – DIVER”

Stage Presence versus Stage Craft

Which is the most important, stage craft or stage presence? Stage presence can be defined as the allure or magnetism of a performer. The artist grasps your attention from the outset, and holds it throughout their performance. It’s said that someone with great stage presence can hold an audience in the palm of their hand. Continue reading “Stage Presence versus Stage Craft”

The Elephant Trees

I’m from Leeds, England. Born and raised. However, musical interests have taken me to recording studios from the Bahamas to Memphis, and I’ve seen bands play live from Berlin to New Orleans. As for music festivals, well let’s just say I’ve stood in more muddy fields than a Yorkshire farmer. Oh, and Bryan Adams onceContinue reading “The Elephant Trees”

CLEWS – Loveluck Omens

Lily and Grace are back with a belter of an EP CLEWS (aka Lily and Grace Richardson) are the most consistently illuminating songwriters on romantic culture. Their highly observant lyrics capture the detail of life in all its murky colour. They shine a light on the emotional turmoil of love and love lost. If theContinue reading “CLEWS – Loveluck Omens”

We Need To Talk About Howie

Howie Hill is one of the most creative and multi-talented people I’ve met in 30+ years of covering the music industry. He can play just about any instrument you throw at him (I’m sure he could get a tune out of a washing machine if you asked him to). As a photographer, he’s covered theContinue reading “We Need To Talk About Howie”

Lemon Drink – Demon Child

There’s an old saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. It’s used when people are trying to make the best of a bad situation. Lemon Drink’s debut single ‘A Song For You’ focused on making the best out of a bad dating experience. See what I mean, “when life gives you lemons…..” LemonContinue reading “Lemon Drink – Demon Child”

FRASE – Our Utopia

It’s Sunday morning and the coffee machine is brewing my first cappuccino of the day. The sun is shining through the angled shutters at my beach house here in Malibu, and there’s the smell of Pain-au-chocolat baking in the oven. Actually, none of that is true. It’s Tuesday afternoon, the rain is beating against theContinue reading “FRASE – Our Utopia”