Category Archives: Blog

Behind the music: Subterranean Street Society on ‘BLEEP’

While the band’s previous albums were created during an extensive process, ‘BLEEP’ was written and recorded in one year. This time the songs were written with the entire band to focus on the energy of the ensemble. The result is an up-tempo folk-grunge album, the album release tour starts in March in the Netherlands, followed by a UK tour in May.

Single ‘BLEEP’ is the title track of the album and also the last song the band wrote. It was created in the studio and was recorded live on an 8-track tape recorder. The song is musically and lyrically tough, uncompromising and thus pushes the boundaries of comfort. ‘BLEEP’ mainly asks the question: “Who determines where the boundaries of freedom of expression lie?“

Singer Louis talks about ‘BLEEP’: “The title track from Subterranean Street Society’s upcoming album ‘BLEEP’ is a song about modern-day censorship in a digital age, where the big tech canons have taken total control of our public discourse. It retells a story about “Rocking In The Free World” by Neil Young, who removed his music from Spotify because he disagreed with Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan’s views on the COVID-19 vaccines. In this tragic-comic story, we are left to wonder where the line of free speech is drawn, who the gatekeepers of truth truly are, and if self-censorship will become the new cancel culture.”

Introducing the Industry: hmv Newcastle

Breaching the barriers of the wider music industry, I decided to initiate conversations with local change makers, get to know hmv Newcastle supervisor Ritch, and read the entire interview on Music For The Misfits.

What is your role at hmv Newcastle, and what do you do besides working at hmv? “I’m a supervisor at hmv and also plan, organise and promote all the in-store events especially the Live & Local activities. Besides hmv, I can usually be found at a gig or two every week, the cinema or the best role of all, being a dad to my daughter.”

When did you start working in the role you’re in now and what inspires you to keep going? “I’ve worked for hmv since July 1999 and played a part in the events for a long time. When #hmvLiveAndLocal began in 2019 I jumped at the chance to run things.”

“A great source of inspiration has been working with the local artists. When hmv launched its own record label (1921 Records) one of my own nominations was chosen, India Arkin. Since then I’ve been even more eager to continuing helping artists where I can.”

What do you think of as the strengths of your local music scene? “We have such a wonderful community that takes care of each other. GIGCO is essential for the scene and is growing all the time. Ben and Matt have such passion and it’s great getting to work with them. Promoters such as Shin Gigs along with us having so many venues around for people to perform. You really could go to a gig every night of the week. I’ve made some amazing friends through the music scene too!”

Highlight on… Local festivals

The north east is positively vibrating from the musical endeavours taking place on nearly all of its corners, with this blog post being dedicated to its local musical all-dayers.

Darlington

Last Train Home

Durham

Little Lindi
Northern Kin

Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne Festival

Middlesbrough

Twisterella

Newcastle

Aelius Alternative
Marrapalooza
Northern Electric Festival
Northern Pride
NOVUM Newcastle

North Shields

A Stone’s Throw
Coast Fest

Stockton

Stockton Calling
The Gathering Sounds

Sunderland

Kubix Festival
Monument Festival

Introducing the Industry: Indie In Town UK

Interested in performing live as a grassroots musician and in the process of reaching out to local promoters? Don’t skip Indie In Town UK, these London-based promoters offer a healthy dose of indie gigs and make sure all performing artists are well cared for! Read the entire interview on Music For The Misfits.

Hi! Could you introduce yourself and what you do, what does a day in your life look like? Jelle: “My name is Jelle, and I’m a music manager and concert promoter. Together with Marieke I organise an indie night called Indie in Town in London. We also host events in Amsterdam and are starting to branch out to Berlin. A day in my life is usually a lot of emailing and calling people. During the day I work at the office of the management company, and in the evenings I have time to discover new bands, advance shows, or spar with Marieke.”

Marieke: “My name is Marieke and I do several freelance things. I mainly work with independent labels and distributors, but I’m also a photographer, content creator and work at live shows. Together with Jelle I organise Indie in Town events in London. A day in the life looks like: do a bit of work, get a coffee, go for a walk or run errands, do some more work, eat food, go to a gig, do my Duolingo.”

Could you introduce Indie In Town and what the organisation does? Jelle: “I started Indie in Town with my twin brother Thom about 8 years ago. We promoted by-monthly gigs in Amsterdam where we booked three new indie bands, a DJ and an art expo. Now that I moved to London we promote gigs in Amsterdam and London. This way we can get British bands a platform in the Netherlands and Dutch bands a platform in London.”

Marieke: “What Jelle said! Here in London, we’ve had some line-ups with all UK bands, but we were very passionate about getting more Dutch bands to come and play at our events. So collaborating with Dutch Music Export was a great way to make that happen.”

What and or who inspires you to do what you do as Indie In Town? Jelle: “It’s always really exciting to meet new artists and get to know them better. We always meet up with the bands in the weeks before the show to shoot a promo video, and that really helps forming a connection with the bands. We’re there on the night and I cook for everyone. It’s a lot of fun to discover new bands and make new friends.”

Marieke: “I definitely think we’re good at adding some Dutch hospitality to our shows, making sure there’s some food and drink for the bands to enjoy, meeting them before the show so we can get better acquainted. We actively promote the gigs on social media, and we bring mini stroopwafels to the gigs for the crowd to enjoy. So it’s small things that make Indie in Town shows a bit more special, I think. And I’m really glad we can help Dutch acts play more shows here in the UK, because Brexit has definitely made that more difficult and more expensive.”

What do you think makes Indie In Town successful and how do you make sure it stays successful? Jelle: “I think the connection with the artists makes it successful. We really want to treat artists better than they usually get treated. We hope to grow to venues that are a bit bigger (400 cap maybe, we’re at 150 now), but we don’t have to make any money doing this. It’s really a passion project.”

Marieke: “I think it has been great trying out different things with our events last year, to see what works best and what we like to improve on. I really like the small community that’s starting to take shape as well, with our friends coming to the shows, the past bands that have played at our shows, friends of friends. Some of our friends also put on their own gigs, so who knows, we might do some more collabs in the future.”

Highlight on… Independent promoters

It was about time for a highlight on north east-based independent promoters, who take the financial risk to put on live events and help promote the bands they believe in.

456 Live
Afterlight Management
Canny Queer Collective
eastside events
F54
KU Promotions
Pillar Artists
Portions 4 Foxes
Shin Gigs
The Kids Are Solid Gold
Tyne + Queer
Wandering Oak

Behind the music: Subterranean Street Society on ‘Stop Trying’

This song is an ode to the little overachiever inside all of us, about how easy it is to get stuck in the loop of “becoming” something or someone, instead of enjoying the old impossible “being” which the moment so famously advertises.

As a child of the 90’s lead singer Louis looks back: “Growing up, I remember being asked in school by grown-ups about what the plans for my future were, what did I want to become? When the obvious answer of a 12-year-old kid was a professional football player, I was told that this was not a serious answer, that I had to think about the bigger picture.”

‘Stop Trying’ is a commentary on the systems in which we place our lives. Is it worth fitting into or should we redirect our effort towards changing the framework first?

Behind the music: Benedict October on ‘Beautiful Way To Die’

Together we grieve, on Benedict October’s heart-wrenching alternative pop ballad ‘Beautiful Way To Die’.

‘Beautiful Way To Die’ is best described as the turning point on Benedict October’s new album ‘And then the ocean’. “It was written in the week my father died. The song describes the scene and mood in that week. Autumn 2020, COVID-19, a newly built house, a family and a man who wasn’t ready to die yet.”

“My father always had this dream to build his own house. When he was 68 he was finally given the opportunity to do so. He was already a little sick at that time. After undergoing heart surgery in January he was slowly recovering from it that spring. Or at least that was the plan. At the same time he was working on his dream of a new house. One where he and his loving wife could live for at least another 10 years with a garden with flowers and a big table for family dinners with grandchildren running through the garden.”

“In the year the house was built he got more and more sick. One day I was working in the studio on new music when my mom called me to tell me dad had been hospitalised. A month going back and forth between home and the hospital followed. He didn’t want to give up, and got a little cranky. Who wouldn’t? As long as he was fighting, we were fighting… But what can you do?”

“After a month in the hospital he wanted to go home. He wanted to go to the house he built and die in peace at a place where he felt safe. It took less than 24 hours before he passed away. My mom, sister and I were sitting around the bed holding his hands. It was 3.30am when he shared his last breath with us, in the living room of his own built house. At that moment I saw one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. As if someone pulled away some grey thin overlay sheet from all the way down to his toes, all the way to over his head. It was as tragic as it was beautiful. It was a beautiful way to die.” 

Track by Track: underthepropaganda’s ‘AY!’

‘AY’ opens with ‘Don’t Stop With Me’, which addresses the challenge of moving forward and not getting trapped in memories of a past love. It reflects one the importance of progressing, even when it’s difficult, under a psychedelic and aesthetically languid sound. ‘No Longer Friends’ was inspired by the painful reality of losing friends as we age, the song captures the transition from a close relationship to becoming strangers again. The cheerful air of pop guitars masterfully contrasts with the rawness of the song’s narrative.

An anthem to individuality is single ‘OBEY’ which comes with a captivating video. The single questions traditional life and encourages challenging social norms, celebrating the courage to be different, under a calm but forward rhythm and immersive soundscapes. ‘This Morning’ deals with the daily struggle of facing routine when going through a period of sadness, highlighting how obligations can feel overwhelming, through a curious invitation to dance and embracing lament.

A cheerful and simple tribute to football and its chants is ‘¡OHOH!’ capturing the energy and passion of the sport! ‘Lento’ explored the band’s personal experiences with anxiety during the pandemic, describing how everything seems to move more slowly in those moments of crisis, following the line of lo-fi guitars and danceable yet melancholic rhythms.

On ‘Quiero Colarme’ the band talks about the difficulty of romantically connecting, reflecting the frustration of wanting love but being unable to fully experience it, a song that was created in collaboration with Salares. ‘Tanto Tiempo’ represents tenacity and perseverance, focusing on the importance of not giving up, despite repeated rejections and obstacles being in your way. The closing statement of the album comes in the form of ‘wait!’, reflecting on nostalgia and the memory of a past love, thematically linked to the opening song but from a more melancholic perspective. And with that, underthepropaganda comes full circle and have created a concept album standing out from the crowd by sounding honest, passionate, and timeless!

The music and lyrics on ‘AY!’ where created by underthepropaganda, with contributions from Sofía Pilar. The album was primarily produced by the band with Cristobal Cornejo, with the participation of Nicolás Vargas. ‘AY!’ was recorded in various studios and locations, with mixing by Cristobal Cornejo and mastering by Francisco Holzmann. With collaborations from various artists on instruments, choruses, and lead vocals. Album art was created by Javiera Leal and Matías Quintanilla, with promotional photographs by Maite Carrasco.

Behind the music: Benedict October on ‘Lovestruck’

Berlin-based, Dutch genre-bending alternative pop artist Benedict October is back showcasing another side of his musical abilities on his brand new single ‘Lovestruck’. On ’Lovestruck’ Benedict October paints such a vivid picture that it makes us feel like we are on the dancefloor his mother entered when his father first saw her, while he was sitting at the bar with his friends.

The single is taken from his upcoming album. ‘And then the ocean’ is Benedict October’s second LP, a stubborn and daring album different to grasp at first. He moved from Amsterdam to Berlin and has done his utmost to create a new and, above all, unique sound. And it’s worked. It is hard to pinpoint exactly who inspired ‘And then the ocean’, its subjects are more personal than ever, even more so then what Benedict initially had in mind. The death of his father has made a hefty impact on the artist as well as the album, resulting in bouts of big and theatrical sounds and songs. At their core, however, they remain small and vulnerable pop songs that are full of hooks and mesmerising choruses.

Aelius Alternative Music Festival

On Saturday the 6th of April multi-venue all-day music festival Aelius Alternative will make its debut across five stage in Newcastle city centre!

A limited batch of early bird tickets have now been released and are available from sofarsounds.com, half of these have sold out already. Once the early bird tickets have sold out, regular all-day tickets will be sold at £17. There will also be a limited batch of all-day + afterparty tickets available at £20, these allow entry to the entire festival, as well as the official Aelius Alternative afterparty at The Globe!

Aelius Alternative aims to highlight and support grassroots artists, venues, and businesses and does so by offering them a stage and a platform. Our line-up has now been announced and can be found here!