Katty Heath

November 2012

Katty Heath, 37, a member of Nottingham band Spotlight Kid and one half of the duo the Herb Birds, explains how she has ended up in the Dutch version of The Voice

I WAS born and bred in Cambridgeshire but came to Nottingham in 1993 to study Contemporary Arts at the Nottingham Trent University.

I’d grown up listening to old rock n' roll, country, the Beatles, the Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, etc. My parents aren't musicians but they are music enthusiasts. My dad collects old records and they still go and watch live bands.

I started learning piano aged ten and I loved singing, dancing and acting in school plays and drama groups.

As a teenager I became interested in indie music and started singing in bands.

After graduating university here I studied music industry skills at NCN (then known as Clarendon) and at Square Centre recording studios, where I also volunteered as a studio assistant.

I’ve been involved with numerous music projects during my time in Nottingham, the main ones being: Bent, Spotlight Kid and The Herb Birds.

Tee Dymond and I celebrated 15 years of The Herb Birds at a special event at The Approach in May. We met at university and started singing together at the open mic nights at The Golden Fleece, then we became professional and have played most of the drinking establishments in Nottingham, as well as lots of weddings and parties. We had residencies at Snug lounge, Southbank Bar amongst others.

I worked with Bent (Nail Tolliday and Simon Mills) for ten years. I was their live vocalist and featured on their third studio album, Ariels. We toured internationally and supported Scissor Sisters, Orbital and Faithless.

Spotlight Kid started as a collaboration between myself and Chris Davis but has since developed into a six-piece, recording two albums and playing Glastonbury on the BBC Introducing stage.

I've done a variety of jobs over the years including at the Orange Tree, Ice Hockey UK (I'm a big Panthers fan) and Nottingham Playhouse.

Since last year I’ve been living on a house boat in Amsterdam.

I met my Dutch boyfriend, Cas, whilst working in a ski resort in the French Alps. Cas is a chef and has worked on tours for Katy Perry, Arcade Fire and Sade.

Over here I babysit, work in a cafe, teach English, teach piano and I also volunteer as a co-host for a radio show.

I had seen The Voice of Holland on TV and my boyfriend's family encouraged me to enter in March.

I had to go through two tough selection rounds (singing a capella in a room in front of a panel of producers and vocal coaches) before I even made it to the ‘blind auditions which were aired on TV in August. It was terrifying.

In our teams of 16 we then had to battle against a team-mate to get through the next round and I won, singing Madonna’s Frozen. That was aired on TV last month.

Now I’m preparing for the live shows. The first one is on November 9.

A film crew spent a day in my home and also followed me to work for The Voice of Holland - Real Life, which airs on Wednesdays between the singing shows.

I would love to get through to the final stages but the competition is tough. I am one of the oldest contestants so experience should be on my side, but nothing can prepare you for the pressure of performing on a TV talent show. I never used to get stage fright but nerves have got the better of me recently. I think it's because it means so much to me to achieve some success after years of hard work and struggling.

I'm hoping that the TV exposure will lead to some exciting new collaborations in Holland.

My ultimate dream would be to have my solo efforts topping the Dutch charts... and in the UK, of course.

Watch Katty on The Voice of Holland at www.thevoiceofholland.com.You can also follow her on Twitter: @kattyheath.

Little Star, a collection of songs, will be available on Spotify and iTunes from November 15.

Nottingham music 2011

December 2011

DESPITE a consistently rich local music scene, chart success has been, to say the least, disappointing. You have to go back decades to find the last time a homegrown band or singer made any impact on a national or international scale.

And even then it’s hardly credible: Su Pollard, Paper Lace, erm, Alvin Stardust. It’s perhaps only sixties blues rockers Ten Years After who you’d really want to shout about.

There have been others but the connections to the city start to hang by a thin thread. Stereo MCs moved to London before they were Stereo MCs. Ditto Tindersticks. And yes there was that bloke from Air Supply... it’s hardly Madchester.

But this year has seen a real change in the fortunes of our music scene.

Even The Guardian wrote about it with the feature: “Nottingham’s music scene: soon to be heard?”

“The most exciting thing about the successes of 2011 are the implications for 2012,” says Mark Del, a champion of local music who set up Nusic to promote Notts artists.

“With Dog Is Dead, Jack Bugg, Natalie Duncan and Shide Boss all signed to majors I predict at least one top-ten album and maybe even that hallowed number one.”

He adds: “I think girl power will continue. There’s a growing momentum behind Nina Smith and Opie Deino. And I will be dumbfounded if Ronika and Harleighblu don’t make some serious moves in 2012.”

Following all the names familiar to local music fans are the new kids, such as Kappa Gamma and Kagoule, who won the chance to support Dog Is Dead at Rock City last weekend, plus Great British Weather, Frankie Rudolf, Rob Green, The Bystanders, Saint Raymond and Boots Booklovers.

Says Mark: “There is a lot of talent in the colleges and cul de sacs of suburban Notts.”

He concludes: “2012 will quite simply be the most incredible year of all time for the Nottingham music scene. Sorry about sitting on the fence there.”

Here are the ones to watch...

DOG IS DEAD
AT the weekend the South Notts indie quintet played a headline show at Rock City at the end of a year that has seen them sign to Atlantic Records (the home of Bruno Mars, Plan B and Ed Sheeran), support Bombay Bicycle Club on their UK tour, play major festivals such as Latitude, Bestival and Leeds/Reading, get airplay on Radio 1 and despite the free Burberry clobber look scruffy at Milan Fashion Week. A follow-up to their debut single for Atlantic, Hands Down, is expected within weeks, with the album due in the spring, following a headline UK tour.

JAKE BUGG

THE 17-year-old from Clifton was another major label signing for Nottingham this year, snapped up by Mercury Records, who flew him to Nashville last month to record his first single for the label. His single Someone Told Me was playlisted on Radio 1, he was at Glastonbury for BBC Introducing and last week he opened for Example at his sold-out Rock City show. Jake, whose influences include Donovan, Don McLean, Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. continues his residency at the Glee Club from January 13.

SAM BEETON

HIS song Under The Fence was played on Radio 2’s Graham Norton Show – twice! And yet he’s as yet unsigned to a major label. Instead the 23-year-old from Carlton has been self-releasing his music through his own Record Club, which has over 2,000 paying subscribers around the world. And he’s continued to model for Burberry, hanging out with the likes of Paul Weller and Kanye West. He will release Under The Fence as a single on January 9 – and a Radio 2 playlisting is imminent.

RONIKA

SHE has been dubbed “the Madonna of the Midlands” with three EPs this year of 80s-influenced dance pop that has earned her attention from the Mirror, the NME and the Guardian who described her as “destined for pop greatness in 2012”. This year Ronika, who lives in Carrington, has played Madrid and New York. Her next local gig is at the Bodega on March 23.

SPOTLIGHT KID

ANOTHER band self-releasing material – their second album Disaster Tourist came out in the autumn – and yet they earned a slot at Glastonbury, were playlisted on Radio 1 and had the Guardian writing about them this year. And they’re one of only a few bands in the UK making music rooted in the “shoegaze” movement of the early 90s.

LIAM BAILEY

STARTED the year at the head of the pack contributing vocals to the Chase & Status Top 5 hit Blind Faith, while already signed to Polydor Records. Prior to that the Beeston soul man had released singles on Amy Winehouse’s Lioness Records label, 2am Rough Tracks and So Down, Cold. But after just two singles, You Better Leave Me and It’s Not The Same, he and Polydor parted company. The album, Out Of The Shadows, which he’d recorded with Salaam Remi (producer for Lauren Hill, Nas, Amy Winehouse), was never released.

But Liam’s not finished just yet.

His single When Will They Learn? was played on Radio 1 just last week. He’ll be at the Bodega on Wednesday for Soundhism’s Christmas party, 9pm-3am.

NINA SMITH

THE 25-year-old released her debut EP this year, Lonely Heart Club, a collection of acoustic soul/pop tunes. Lead track I Won’t Forget You was played by Tom Robinson on BBC 6Music and on Absolute Radio. A dance remix of Lonely Heart Club by Kumarachi had a few airings on BBC 1Xtra. Nina has also supported Finley Quaye and Alesha Dixon this year.

She says: “It’s been a great year for us. We’ve seen so many acts get signed, perform on the festival circuit and get, well deserved, national recognition. For me supporting established acts, getting national radio play and receiving great press for my first EP has made it a wonderful year. Bring on 2012!”

Nina joins Liam Bailey, Royal Gala, 1st Blood and others at Soundhism at the Bodega on Wednesday.

NATALIE DUNCAN

LIKE Bailey, moved to London before being signed to Verve Records, the home of Jamie Cullum, DJ Shadow and Diana Krall. She was featured on the BBC 2 three-part series Goldie’s Band: By Royal Appointment, in which the drum’n’bass star put together a band of unsigned musicians to perform for Prince Harry. This week she started work on her debut album.

SHIDE BOSS

AFTER winning Channel 4’s Hollyoaks Unsigned Music Show, a spin-off of the teen soap aimed at finding Britain’s best new talent, the 22-year-old was signed to Karman, part of the Sony group.

“We entered the show on the last day with no real aim but to get our song It’s Alright out there,” he says.

His debut EP, Ni Sohniye, a mix of pop, R&B and Asian beats, is out now on iTunes.

Spotlight Kid

 October 2011

AFTER earning themselves a slot on the BBC Introducing Stage at last summer’s Glastonbury Festival, Spotlight Kid were on the way, picking up a distribution deal for their debut album and a booking agent for their next tour.

Not only that, the band were playlisted for a week on Radio 1. But that’s not all it’s cracked up to be, says singer Rob McCleary.

“We were inbetween Beyonce and The Wanted at one point,” he laughs.

“I listened to those shows every day that week and after an hour I’d lost the will to live.

“We felt like we’d infiltrated the masses a bit but I don’t think the Radio 1 audience is our audience at all.”

Still, Radio 1 airplay for an unsigned band is impressive.

“Yes, it looks good on your CV.”

The reason their music doesn’t sit well with R&B divas and boy bands is because Spotlight Kid have a sound that is rooted in the shoegaze movement of the early 90s, under the influence of bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3 and Lush.

“Our only worry with that is that the younger ones won’t know what shoegaze is anymore,” says Rob.

“It was around in the 90s but there are very few bands playing that sort of music today.”

He’s not altogether happy with the label.

“We use a lot of reverb and a lot of delay but we write songs. There are verses and choruses, something that the original shoegaze bands were never interested in.

He adds: “Our ambitions are massive. I want to see us in the charts.”

And they’ve being doing it all by themselves. They are yet to have a record deal, releasing their next album, Disaster Tourist, on their own label. Major distributors Pias are on board to ensure it’s widely available and both the album and tour are being backed up with regional and national PR.

“We’ve paid for it all ourselves,” says Rob.

“We’re looking at management next. We’re taking our time with it. We had a long and boozy night with the Joy Formidable and they said we should be patient and not lose our integrity.

“And it’s important for us to be big in Nottingham because if you can’t break your own city, you’re not going to break another one.”

He’s aware of how healthy the competition is in Nottingham.

“Ronika’s in the NME every week, Dog Is Dead were in the NME last week, Jake Bugg is signed to a major label, Swimming are doing great things, Frontiers are supporting Jane’s Addiction... it is really strong right now.”

Rob was a member of alt-rockers Model Morning and electronic dance band Bent, as was singer Katty Heath, who is also one half of the Herb Birds. Drummer Chris Davis was in 90s nearly-rans Six-by Seven. It was Davis and Heath who recorded the first Spotlight Kid album, Departure, five years ago.

“The rest of us only joined a couple of years ago so it feels quite new,” says Rob, who admits that Model Morning split because “it wasn’t happening for us” (although Model Morning’s one and only album has recently been made available as a free download on Bandcamp).

The rest of Spotlight Kid are Karl Skivington, Chris Moore and Matt Holt.

“I didn’t realise it at the time I joined the band but I soon found out when I tried Googling it,” he says of the band’s name which is taken from a 1972 album by Captain Beefheart. “It was Chris’ idea because he’s a bit of fan but Beefheart was way before my time.”

Limited-edition copies of the Disaster Tourist album will be available to buy at the gig, as a download from Monday October 17, and as a CD from November 14.

Spotlight Kid, I Am Lono, Richard Warren

The Bodega, Pelham Street

Friday October 14, 7pm-10pm

£6, 0845 413 4444

www.thebodegasocialclub.co.uk