Music review of 2012

December 2012


WHEN Jake Bugg’s debut album shot straight to the top of the chart in October, denying Leona Lewis, Mumford and Sons and others the coveted spot, it was the crowning glory on a year that has seen unprecedented success for homegrown musicians.
Even without Jake, there were more record deals, TV appearances, radio plays, award wins and national press than in any other year.
Among the names helping throw a spotlight on the city were Dog Is Dead, Natalie Duncan, Sam Beeton, Indiana, Harleighblu, Shide Boss and RAM1.
And then there was Jake, just 18 years old, scoring the first ever No. 1 album by a Nottingham musician or band.
Added to that, the Clifton boy toured the US and Europe with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, made the cover of the NME, had relentless plays on Radio 1 and appeared on Later With Jools Holland. And he’ll be joining Emeli Sandé, Adam Ant and Paloma Faith for his annual New Year’s Eve Hootenanny on BBC 1.
He sold out the Rescue Rooms last month and has already sold out his Rock City show in February.
West Bridgford indie band Dog Is Dead released their major label debut album, All Our Favourite Stories, also in October, after which they embarked on a headline tour of the UK and picked up an Artrocker award. During the year they had numerous plays on Radio 1 and appeared at 25 festivals over the summer including T in the Park and Leeds and Reading.
Next year they’ll be venturing into Europe and the US.
Jake Bugg wasn’t the only Notts musician to appear on Later With Jools Holland this year. Natalie Duncan, who was raised in Lady Bay and The Meadows, made such an impressive debut on the show in November, that fellow guests, Muse, invited the 24-year-old jazz and soul singer to open for them at the iTunes Festival in London.
Her debut album, Devil In Me, received widespread acclaim, with the Sunday Times describing it as “one of the greatest debut albums of the year”.
In recent weeks she’s been hanging out with Dionne Warwick at the MOBOs and appearing on Terry Wogan’s Radio 2 show.
The station also aired self-released songs by folk pop musician Sam Beeton earlier in the year, with Graham Norton playing Under The Fence and The Storyteller, after which the 24-year-old from Carlton appeared on BBC 2’s The Review Show.
Natalie Duncan was just a guest at the MOBOs but reggae musician RAM1 was there to potentially pick up an award. 20-year-old Ramone Williams from Top Valley had been nominated in the Best Gospel Act category, although sadly he missed out this time.
But there was an award-win for Notts in October at the Asian Music Awards, where Shide Boss, 24, from Basford took the Best Newcomer gong.
And let’s not forget those locals hitting the charts as part of pop groups, such as Jay McGuiness corr from The Wanted.
The Farndon singer, 22, a graduate of the MADD school in Carlton, was at the Capital FM Arena with the group as part of a sell-out UK tour in February, after which they cracked the US with their single Glad You Came reaching No. 3 in the chart.
Their EP, The Wanted, hit the top ten in the US and Canada.
Joel Peat, the 20-year-old Ravenshead guitarist with pop/rock quartet Lawson, saw their debut album, Chapman Square, hit the Top 5.
And 2013 is looking promising for two of our ladies. In recent weeks Indiana, a 25-year-old from Long Eaton, who was an unknown name until her first gig in April, has signed to Sony, while 20-year-old city-based soul singer Harleighblu, was snapped up by Brighton-based independent label TruThoughts.

Natalie Duncan on Later with Jools Holland

IT was terrifying. I don’t mind admitting that I was really scared, really nervous about the whole thing. I was panicking for two days. We were supposed to turn up at the studio at 5pm and right up until then I couldn’t talk to anyone.

I was just drinking honey. I was in a honey bubble. A bubble of paranoia and fear.

When we got there at 5pm we did a soundcheck and had make-up done. Even the soundcheck was nerve-wracking for me.

I did meet Jools Holland in a corridor before the show and he said he liked my album and that he was going to play it on his Radio 2 show. Which was really nice.

The room itself is much smaller than it looks on telly. Everyone is so much closer together than you think but that was actually less intimidating. I’m not sure why. There did seem to be a bit of a family vibe and everyone was quite supportive of each other.

The Beach Boys were really friendly, especially Mike Love. He was hilarious. He kept talking to me throughout the whole filming, just talking away about how I should sing Etta James.

And he was very disparaging about Public Image Ltd, which I found hilarious. But that really put me at ease.

If everyone had loads of attitude or was really distant it would have been a lot more nerve-wracking for me.

I spoke to The xx briefly just to tell them I liked their stuff. I didn’t speak to Muse. I could have done but I’m a bit shy anyway so I wasn’t going to just walk over to them and say “Hey Muse, great gig guys”.

We started filming at 8pm and that’s what you’ll see on BBC2 tonight. I did Sky Is Falling for that.

For the live show that was seen on Tuesday night I did Devil In Me - you’ll see that again tonight. The Friday show is basically a repeat of the live show plus extras.

I don’t think Sky Is Falling went as well as Devil In Me because I was a lot more nervous doing that.

For the live show it was hard to sit there and wait while I watched the Beach Boys, PiL, The xx and Muse perform before it was my turn. But I think it would have been worse if I was first. I remember thinking “please not me, please not me...” when he started the show.

In a way everyone else warmed things up before it was my turn. The way I look at it is that the Beach Boys, Muse and PiL were my support acts.

I was at my mum’s the next day and that’s when I watched it back for the first time on iPlayer. Some of the close-ups weren’t very good but I didn’t hate it and that’s always a good sign.

I didn’t see anything that stood out to me as a mistake.

I find it quite weird watching myself anyway but it was nice to watch it back.

I really did enjoy the whole experience. Even though I was quite nervous and found it quite overwhelming, it was exciting.

Natalie Duncan’s debut album Devil In Me is out now. For more about her go to natalieduncan.com.

Natalie Duncan

July 2012

IT isn’t so much a case of when Nottingham’s army of rising music stars will hit the charts, but who will be first. Dog Is Dead have been gathering pace with every single they release for Atlantic and much is expected of their debut album in October.

This week Jake Bugg’s latest EP, Taste It, shot in to the iTunes Top Five, which was coupled with the news that he’ll be touring the US with Noel Gallagher.

Meanwhile, 80s dance pop revivalist Ronika continues to pop up in the national press for her own music and collaborations with the likes of Herve and Mylo.

And then there’s Natalie Duncan.

This week her debut album for Decca, Devil In Me, was released.

And the reaction to it has been overwhelming.

“Just might steal the crown of Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black as the soundtrack to heartbreak” (Express); “One of the greatest debut albums of the year” (Sunday Times); “An extraordinarily expressive voice” (Q magazine).

Not bad considering Devil In Me is a “soft release” – put out by the label with little publicity to see how it is received.

“I’ve been nervous about it,” admits Natalie, who grew up in West Bridgford and The Meadows.

“But yes I’ve had some good reviews. The single won’t be out until September so it won’t be until then that my songs will be on the radio. And I’m supposed to be playing on Jools Holland’s show around then as well.

“I haven’t had it confirmed yet. It would be ridiculous if that happened.”

That’s also when Natalie will likely tour the UK proper but she has been performing regularly of late, including shows at the Bodega and Nottingham Contemporary.

“To be honest I didn’t think that my voice was very good,” she says of the latter, which was a showcase of Notts talent featuring Liam Bailey, Nina Smith and others.

“I was screaming at Nina Smith and Chris McDonald when they were playing and forgot that I was actually going to be singing after them,” laughs the 23-year-old.

“Everyone else said it was really good and the crowd where really nice. I listened to it afterwards and it wasn’t as bad as I thought.”

She moved to London two years ago, after an appearance on the BBC 2 programme Goldie’s Band: By Royal Appointment. The drum’n’bass star scoured the UK for young talent to perform at Buckingham Palace in front of Prince Harry.

“I knew already that I was really camera-shy so I was nervous about that but the actual experience was amazing.

“We became almost like a family overnight and for that reason it’s the best thing I have ever done.”

As well as landing a record deal after the show, she also featured onGoldie’s single, Freedom.

“Goldie is just a big ball of energy, like a bouncing ball. He is really in your face. Sometimes I found that he was quite crazy but he has a heart of gold. No pun intended at all there. But he’s a little bit like a massive child.”

It was her record label who encourage her to move to London.

“And at my job in Nottingham they were saying ‘you can’t keep taking time off for your music’! So I had to choose.”

That was Road To Recovery, a Nottingham-based charity.

“They help people with psychosis become part of society again. I’d teach them music.”

So she made the move but Natalie is no fan of the capital.

“London is too fast. I’m too lazy to live in London.”

She adds: “I won’t always live here. I don’t know if I will move back to Nottingham, though.”

Natalie was actually born in Croydon, moving with her family aged three to West Bridgford. They lived on Ella Road and she went to Lady Bay School but when her parents split up she moved to The Meadows with her mum.

It’s then that something happened which was to have a long-lasting effect on her. Something that would lead to depression and cast a shadow over her music.

“There was one particular incident but I wouldn’t want to talk about it. I don’t mind talking about the fact that I have been quite depressed and that a lot of my music stems from that.

“The songs on the album are revealing but I don’t think they’re that autobiographical. There are clues to good and bad things that have happened to me. You have to read the lyrics and work it out.”

Music had already become a big part of her life by the age of five when she began to teach herself to play the piano.

“But my technical ability doesn’t really reflect that amount of years,” she admits.

“I’ve never had lessons and I probably don’t practise as much as I should.”

After school she studied music at Clarendon (NCN) college then immersed herself on the Nottingham music scene.

“That really gave me the confidence to go out and do my own songs.

“Once you get a taste for performing you just don’t want to stop.”

The album was produced by Grammy winner Joe Henry and recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios near Bath.

“The setting was idyllic; I had my own cottage. Although there was a swan on the lake and I don’t like swans. I didn’t really know this until I recorded there.”

When she returns to Nottingham she sees her mum, while her dad is a regular at her gigs.

“He is a massive music fan,” she says.

“We have a relationship based on him coming to my gigs. It’s always been like that.”

Is there a boyfriend?

“I’ve been single for two years now, which sucks.”

Perhaps it’s because she is too busy becoming a music star. There just isn’t the time...

She laughs: “I would make time.”

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.