Sarah
Where are you
from?
I’m a born and bred Essex girl…but don’t let that put you off! I
come from a little town called Maldon on the coast…famous for it’s
sea salt, its ‘Battle’ - when Brithnoth and his Anglo-Saxon crew
gave the Vikings a good battering, and Edward Bright - ‘The Fat
Man of Maldon’ – who, legend has it, weighed 40 odd stone and
could fit 7 men inside his coat! See…there’s more to Essex than
meets the eye!
How & when did
you start singing?
I think my family will agree I’ve always been at it. Many a time I
was sent to my bedroom during Sunday lunch for singing at the
table, and my siblings and I would take turns to sing each verse
of terrible 80’s power ballads in the car on long journeys (my
poor parents!). I sung at school and with my dance school during
childhood/teens and then went to full-time performing arts college
for 3 years in 1997 where I received my first formal vocal
training.
How did you
meet the others?
When I left college in 2000 I recorded a demo of pop covers, which
I intended to send out to music industry etc. I was asked if I
wrote my own stuff – which I didn’t – but I thought I’d give it a
go and wondered why it had never occurred to me before! I don’t
play any instruments so I started to experiment by writing
lyrics/melody over random pieces of instrumental music I came
across. I knew I couldn’t gig, play or do anything with these
songs as they were so I found Dave through a mutual friend. It
started out as a ‘me’ and ‘him’ thing but soon became a definite
‘us’! Simon came along a year or so later and then Liz made
herself indispensable recently too! I’m chuffed to bits to have
found such a cracking bunch of people to work with who also happen
to be sickeningly talented ‘proper’ musicians!
What are your
major influences?
I know as a singer-songwriter it’s an unspoken rule that you
should reel off ‘Dylan, Joni Mitchell…’ and the like when asked
this question but I’ve got to be honest…I wasn’t really ‘educated’
in that sort of stuff until recently and still have a helluva lot
to catch up on! My youth had more of an ‘Elton John, Lionel
Ritchie, George Michael, Billy Joel, Phil Collins, Sting…’ kinda
vibe - I was a definite 80’s child! I think ‘Jagged Little Pill’
by Alanis Morissette was probably the first album I heard which
made me feel like writing. These days I’m inspired by people such
as Sarah McLachlan, David Gray, Jeff Buckley, Tracey Chapman,
Damien Rice, KT Tunstall…
Your first
record?
Back to that recurring 80s theme again…maybe something by Wet Wet
Wet…yurgh!
Most played on
your ipod?
AloneMe…obviously!…or anyone mentioned in my ‘influences’ answer.
I’m a happy girl but I do like my music depressing, full of misery
and suitably angst-ridden!
Hob Nobs or
Jaffa Cakes?
What kind of a question is that!? Can I have a JaffaNob please?
Fave Food…
Oooh, don’t get me started! You’re talking to a professional
chocaholic here. I’m not too fussy about what I eat but a good
night out for me definitely consists of a good meal with family &
friends as opposed to a boozy night clubbing!
Film…
I’ve recently watched ‘This Is England’ and ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’ by
Shane Meadows which left my jaw on the floor so I’ll certainly be
searching out more from him. Sod the massive budgets, special
effects and Hollywood bling – give me a slice of gritty British
stuff any day. ‘Films’ not ‘Movies’ please!
Book…
I recently read ‘Tokyo’ by Mo Hayder which had me well and truly
hooked. Again, not for the faint hearted but a cracking page
turner.
Treat…
A good nights sleep with no alarm clock at the end of it!
Holiday…
My most memorable holiday to date was in Egypt – half of the time
spent sightseeing in Luxor (including a hot air balloon ride
across the Nile – wow!) and the rest over by the Red Sea for
snorkelling & serious relaxation. Highly recommended!
Dave
Where are you
from?
Mostly the Peak
District in Derbyshire but I’ve lived all over the place. The
Essex countryside is now home.
How & when did
you start playing?
My whole family
were in Brass Bands so I got a cornet shoved in front of me as
soon as I was big enough to hold it (at about 3ish). The cornet
got neglected when I discovered drums & guitars in my mid teens.
How did you
meet the others?
Sarah heard my
solo album and approached me to do some co-writing by leaving a
demo at a gig I was playing back in 2000. We started working
together properly in early 2001 and haven’t stopped since.
Simon was a
happy accident. We did a showcase gig in London, he was in the
house band, he liked our stuff, we liked his playing. A few months
later we got brave enough to email him with the offer of no money,
but lots of potential!
What are your
major influences?
In
approximate
chronological order… James Shepherd Versatile Brass, New Order’s
Blue Monday, Iron Maiden’s Somewhere in Time album, Metallica’s
…and justice for all & ‘Black’ albums, early Alice in Chains,
Manics' The Holy Bible album, Nick Drake, Neil Finn, David Gray,
Finn Booth.
Your first
‘record’?
I had lots of Shakin Stevens & Brass records when I was little, but the first I
can remember buying was Status Quo 12 Gold Bars.
Most played on
your ipod?
I don’t have an
ipod, but if I did - Crowded House, David Gray, Idlewild, Manics,
Faithless, Miles Davis, lots of
70s reggae & dub, plenty of Cuban stuff – Buena Vista, Ibrahim
Ferrer etc...
Hob Nobs or
Jaffa Cakes?
Jaffa, unless
I’m in a dunking-in-tea mode.
Fave Food…
Vegetarian
Pasta & Pizza
Film…
Star Wars or
Buena Vista Social Club.
Book…
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by
Richard Bach. An inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. Letter to Daniel
by Fergal Keane.
Treat…
Good red wine or real ale,
Fairtrade milk chocolate, digging up potatoes I planted myself and
eating them on the same day.
Holiday…
Hills, trees,
fresh air, no TV, plentiful supply of local real ale.
Simon
Where are you
from?
Born Stone in
Staffordshire, raised in Bedfordshire, lived in London for 14 odd
years and now living in Colchester. To be honest, I don’t know
where I’m from.
How & when did
you start playing?
When I was 8 at
Mary Bassett Lower School. My teacher was Fred ‘Bunny’ Austin and
it got me out of Maths. So that’s…err… two years ago now I think
(although that’s arguable).
How did you
meet the others?
Doing a dep for
a drummer who I had depped for many time and (still) never met
called Greg Leopard, at West One Four in West London. It was for
The Original Songwriters and I was in the house band that backed
about 15 artists every month. Most of them were ok but on this
particular Monday, there was a really good duo. They must have
been good as everybody in the band wanted to do more work with
them. Thankfully, it was only me they got back in contact with.
What are your
major influences?#
Trevor Horn,
Ennio Moricone, the Beatles, drum machines(!), synth stuff like
Jean Michel Jarre and Kraftwerk, the Art Of Noise, Propaganda, ABC
(basically anything Trevor Horn touched), Quincy Jones, Bob
Clearmountain…
Your first
record?
I’m very proud
of it being The Smurfs with The Smurf Song. That was the first
single and my first album was Over The Top by Cozy Powell, with
him jumping over his drum kit on a rally bike on the cover. Ahh!…
macho drum and bike posturing. Bless!
Most played on
your iPod?
I proudly don’t
own an iPod. I would only have one if I felt the need to say ‘ooh,
look at me, I’ve got an iPod’ (which I think is the reason most
people buy them). I really don’t need one. Having said that, I am
getting into Mac computers now. I have been a pc user since day
one, but having used Macs over the past few weeks, I think it’s
the way forward for me, not for everyone, but for me at the
present time.
Hob Nobs or
Jaffa Cakes?
Jaffa Cake
Sandwich – one Jaffa cake between two Hob Nobs. Plus one cup of
black coffee. Yum!
Fave Food…
Difficult one,
as I really enjoy my food. Generally, a nice curry, nothing strong
(don’t like the whole macho/hot curry thing) but something like a
veggie korma or similar with saag aloo, peshwari nann and a pint
or two of Cobra. Ideally from the curry place at the bottom of
Colchester High Street (cant remember the name – sorry).
More
specifically, my wife Nat’s haloumi, yam and roasted pine nut
salad, which I (incidentally) had last night for the twentieth or
so time. Never get tired of it. Beautiful. That with a chilled
glass of ’77 Puligny Montrachet or if not, Sainsbury’s Pinot
Grigio.
Film…
Cinema Paradiso,
Ice Cold In Alex, Powerqattsii or Amelie. The first to cry to, the
second to entertain on an afternoon off, the third to make me feel
insignificant and the last makes me feel good about the world.
Book…
The Way Of The
Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman, the Complete Sherlock Holmes by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick
Forsyth. Strangely I like books by people I know I really wouldn’t
like or who I know are/were complete and utter… errr… difficult
people.
Treat…
Beer, wine,
Nat’s cooking, buying drums and studio gear, and copies of Sound
On Sound to read in the loo.
Holiday…
Last one was my
honeymoon so that was rather special, but New York and the East
coast of the USA was fabulous. There are soooooo many places I
would like to go – Japan, Australia, the whole US, Arctic,
Antarctic… oh, I don’t know… SO MANY.
Liz
Where are you from?
I was born in Hornchurch, and have lived most of my life in
Essex. I
now reside in Leigh-on-Sea with my flat mate and her cat Honey.
How & when did you start playing?
I started playing the piano and cello when I was 8 and then
the flute when I was 10. After university, I decided to take up
bass guitar and I have recently started learning the acoustic
6-string guitar.
How did you meet the others?
I can’t really remember. I do remember seeing Sarah and David
playing at the Headgate Theatre in
Colchester in 2002 and thinking “Bloody hell, they’re good…gits!”
Then when I was doing a slot at St. Anne’s Castle, Dave asked
me if I would do some piano session work for them and it all went
on from there really….at least I think that’s what happened.
Something along those lines anyway…
What are your major influences?
I don’t know…I’m not very good at this Q&A thing am I? I
listen to lots of different styles of music and as I’m classically
trained I’ve only ever really played classical music on the piano,
cello and flute. I do have a rather shameful love of cheesy pop
music though…sorry!
Your first record?
It’s a toss up between a Kylie album or a James album…it was
so long ago, it was literally a record, as in vinyl. When I first
started getting into music, I used to play my parent’s record
collection, which consisted of Motown and Beatles records. Hence
my love for anything with a good melody.
Most played on your iPod?
I don’t own an iPod nor any kind of MP3 player. I’m a
teacher, I barely get paid enough for food let alone extravagant
musical devices ;o) The CD in my stereo at the moment is the new
Cherry Ghost album as I’m going to see them soon. I saw them
support The Magic Numbers a while ago and have been hooked since.
Hob Nobs or
Jaffa Cakes?
Hob nobs every time.
Fave Food…
Scampi and Chips…yum! I also love stir-fry’s, rice dishes,
pasta and of course, a staple for all women (and men I suppose)
chocolate!!!!!!!
Film…
Difficult question! I love films. I adore films! To name a
few of my favourite:
The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,
Chungking Express, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and
Bridget Jones’ Diary to name a few.
Book…
I’m currently reading ‘Harrry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows’. I’m a bit of a Harry Potter fiend! I’m one of these
extremely sad people that read books over and over again…
Treat…
My ultimate treat is waking up late, eating a massive cooked
breakfast and going for a nice walk by the beach in Leigh, then
coming back home to watch a film with an endless glass of wine.
This is an ultimate treat when I know that I don’t have to go to
work the next day.
Holiday…
I have two holidays that really stick in my mind as the best
holidays of my life. The first one was in
North Italy, a
little village in the mountains called Bagnone, with my friends.
One of my closest friends is half Italian and we stayed at her
grandparent’s apartment. We basically slobbed by the river side,
drank home made wine, ate pasta and ice cream and stayed up late
on the balcony playing cards. I still look dreamy eyed and content
when I think back on that holiday.
The other holiday is when I went to
Australia by
myself for a month. I travelled up the East Coast, went into the
centre for a bit, popped down to Melbourne and back to Sydney. It
was such a great experience and did everything a holiday should
do. I felt revived, like a new person with a clear fresh
mind…that’s when decided to do my masters…oh dear!
|
