KicFm.com

Roll Deep join us for some deep conversation

From 22nd January 2012

London's music collective, Roll Deep, are set to return in January with their new single Picture Perfect, the first cut to be taken from their forthcoming album due out April next year.

The new single Picture Perfect features the newest addition to the group, singer Tania Foster, (who also appeared on Roll Deep's 2010 smash hit, Green Light. Juxtaposing ravey synths and a dirty b-line with an infectious chorus and anthemic hooks, this first cut from Roll Deep's forthcoming 2012 album, is as much of a certified club banger as it is a chart topper.

Ready to shine in 2012, members Brazen, J2K and Tania join us for some deep conversation. Here are 3 things that I've taken from the interview.

1. I have a strong name. Kenny Mach is Roll Deep certified and I'm officially bad-ass.

2. Mini Exclusive #1 - The album title is revealed to us!

3. SUPER Exclusive #2 - There's a lot of love for The Backstreet Boys and I was treated to a mini Roll Deep Remix of Everybody.

Enjoy. Roll Deep are full of laughs and Picture Perfect is a tune. Go buy it!

How would you guys describe your sound?

J2K: It's like it's always been since Roll Deep have been signed since 05. It's always been kind off experimental. We kind of always try and push the boundries with the music. I'd say experimental to sum it all in one word.

So, Picture Perfect is the new single, tell us about that. How did it come about?

Tania: We heard the backing track, loved it. All of us got in the studio , started writing to it and it literally just begun like that. Recorded loads and loads of stuff, decided that it should be the next single, did it, went to Marbs and recorded the video, woohooo! Oh yeah! It was wicked, good times.

Tania, you're the newest member of Roll Deep. You're the only girl, was that intentional for the group?

Tania: I don't even think it was probably intentional to have a girl in the beginning, but it just kinda happened. I was on the track, (Green Light) ended up doing the tour with the lads and a year and a bit later, I'm still here.

J2K: She made herself comfortable, took her shoes off and put her feet up.

Brazen: She's just lingering like a bad fart!

Tania: Out of order! This is what I have to put up with all the time!

So, you've got a new album coming up, around April. I've been having a dig around and I cannot find the title of it, is it still a secret?

Mini exclusive!

What can we expect from the new album?

Tania: Diversity. Loads of different styles, different elements. Dance, a bit of ska-ish reggaeness to a track, some slow, some fast, a little bit of grime, literally everything.

J2K: It goes through the motions on the album. We got some stuff to say so we get more expressive on some of the tunes, not everything is like a dancey, upbeat, club thing. There's all varieties on there man, something for everyone.

Going a bit light hearted now, what are you musical guilty pleasures?

Super exclusive. You have to check this out...

How deep do you roll?

J2K: I don't know if I can say it. It's a bit explicit. 10 man deep.

Brazen: We roll deep enough.

- For the next 30 seconds I have no idea what was going on.

What is your favourite biscuit and do you dunk?

J2K: I definitely slam dunk it. Erm, a good dunk biscuit is a rich tea.

Tania: Mines digestive and I don't dunk. I like to keep it firm, hard, {J2K: Oh yeah, I hear you) and crispy.

J2K: If it's not dunking, it is a lemon poof though.

Brazen: His biscuit choice is immense, have a listen.

What is your ideal sandwich? We're talking about what kind of bread you want on there, what kind of filling?

J2K: A Subway sandwich. Hearty italian bread, steak and cheese, sweetcorn, a bit of bacon. You don't know the bacon. Southwest sauce, obviously.

Tania: Mine would be crusty white bread with hot camanbert with hot caramalised onions.

Brazen: Mine would be...(J2K: Rivita)...What! That is so dry! Hear this, plain white bread, probably like Hovis or something, butter, I want stuffing in there, Christmas stuffing, cranberry, turkey, roast potatoes. (J2K: roast potatoes?) Slam that. Trust me, do that yeah. Best sangwich, ever. J2K: Bare carbs on carbs on carbs.

Tania: And the fact that you call it a 'sangwich,' not a sandwich, but a 'sangwich.'

Brazen: Ain't it got a 'g' in it?

Have you seen the film Man On Fire?

Brazen: Wicked film, Denzel is my favourite actor.

J2K: I think I have but I can't recall it.

Tania: Haven't seen it.

Can I join Roll Deep? What would my name be? My full name is Kenny Mach.

Brazen: Kenny Mach, that's a good name! Is that your actual real name? That's a good name, Jeez! That's a strong name you know.

J2K: You could just use that you know, sounds good enough!

Tania: Yeah that's good!

Kenny: Does that qualify for a bit of Roll Deep?

J2K: You're good with that, you might get an entry pass for one of the shows.

Check out the official video for Roll Deep - Picture Perfect

 

Goldfinger - Slam Dunk Festival Birmingham

From 18th June 2011

Less Than Jake, Goldfinger, Anti Flag and 13 other bands came to Birmingham for the cosy Slam Dunk Festival at the HMV Institute. With bands performing across all three floors it was a mission navigating through the crush of people. I wandered between the stages seeing some great performances and generally taking in the festival-like atmosphere.

Being a slight masochist, the highlight of my day was watching Set Your Goals - not because of the performance but because a crowd surfer was dropped at the front of the stage. Unfortunately for him the event staff didn't notice. Fortunately for him, he wasn't injured and became slightly famous for those few minutes.

As well as random injuries, Slam Dunk Birmingham has some great music coming from Anti-Flag who brought their political rock back to the West Midlands. In these dim economic times, Anti-Flags music becomes more and more relevant. A fact the crowd seemed to appreciate. Their set ended when Pat Thetic climbed into the crowd, reassembled his drum kit in the middle of the floor and played the last few songs. A great performance that set the bar pretty high for the next band Goldfinger

Goldfinger remind me of the pop/punk/ska days of my youth. I spent many a night bouncing around to Superman and their cover of 99 Red Balloons (both tracks definitely worth a download). I was worried that they wouldn't live up to my expectations. I had the opportunity to interview them just before they took to the stage and to say i was nervous was an understatement. I'm pleased to say the band were a lot of fun to watch. I found myself bouncing around once more reliving my childhood. In the battle of the drum kits, Goldfinger threw down the gauntlet by setting theirs on fire in the middle of a well welcomed stage invasion.

Less Than Jake wandered onto the stage slightly depressed because they couldn't set their drum kit on fire. Never the less, Less Than Jake were amazing live.

I'd seen LTJ a few times before so I spent my time with laptop rapper MC Lars who was showing off his own record label (Horris Records). MC Lars has a very quirky style mixing literary reference with popular geek culture. He's an acquired taste very similar to Marmite; you either love him or you hate him. I think he's a breath of fresh air. Too many rap songs these days are about bangin' shorties, making money and cappin' people. There aren't enough about Moby Dick, Emo Music and Volvos. Performing with Weerd Science, MC Lars was his usual post-modern DIY laptop rapper. I definitely recommend.

Slam Dunk Brimingham was a great little indoor festival. I've got no time to write about bumping into Sam Duckworth (Get Cape Wear Cape Fly) or the terribly confusing toilets in the HMV Institute.

Here are my final scores:

Anti-Flag 7/10
Goldfinger 8/10
MC Lars 7/10
By Jamie Powis

 

The Blackout

From 18th June 2011

 

Edwina Hayes 06/02/2011 - Marrs Bar, Worcester - Gig Review

From 8th March 2011

We've all been asked the question at one point in life - "What's your favourite song of all time?" Most of us would struggle to answer; it is one of those questions you just want to get right.

I am one of those people who can answer. Edwina Hayes - Feels Like Home.

So when she agreed to an interview, to say I was excited was an understatement. This was special.

If you've seen the film 'My Sisters Keeper' you'll know it's a serious tear-jerker. You'll remember 'the beach' scene, you'll remember the disagreeing family, who reconnect through love and you'll remember the emotional song in the background - Feels Like Home.

This is where many people; including myself, discovered the unmistakable voice of Edwina Hayes.

In a warm, simplistic venue lit by candle light, I was already captured by the atmosphere. From listening to her successful album 'Pour Me A Drink' it was clear how Edwina wanted people to hear her music - stripped back with just her guitar and her seductive voice - and that's exactly what she did.

It was her first gig of 2011 and a very excited Edwina announces she now has two CDs! With the new album available now from her website and iTunes, we were treated to new material. Titled 'Good Things Happen Over Coffee' this album is an extension to 'Pour Me A Drink.' Once again it is intimate, meaningful, with simple, powerful acoustics and an angelic voice that sends you to another world. The room is completely silent, as we wait to embrace the stunning voice of Edwina Hayes.

Due to an absence of a local support act, Edwina graced the stage earlier than scheduled, which allowed her to release a display of raw talent from both her solo albums. The acoustic melodies and the purity in Edwina's voice compliment each other perfectly and forms the love and intimacy felt by the audience.

Many of her songs are sad, all performed to perfection. It's haunting and leaves you almost speechless. You can really feel the emotion behind every word. I found out in the interview that most of the songs Edwina has written are from her life experiences and it shows. Every single word sang; you see and hear the sentiment and passion which can only be real.

A song I'd like to highlight is the Leonard Cohen cover from 'Good Things Happen Over Coffee.' I asked Edwina what her favourite song to perform was, to which she replied "It changes all the time, but at the moment I really enjoy playing Famous Blue Raincoat" - which is incredibly captivating.

'Season Of Love' is another beautifully written song from 'Pour Me A Drink' inspired by a humorous chapter in Edwina's life. Who would have thought something so beautiful was churned from humour!

On a personal note, my highlight of the night was the rendition of Randy Newman's 'Feels Like Home' - Written by a musical genius and interpreted by another, a woman full of life and emotion. My all time favourite song was personally dedicated to me by Edwina, and it will be a moment I'll never forget. Words cannot describe the feeling running through me when I heard this song live.

With a pure, comforting voice and meaningful lyrics, there's a very bubbly Edwina to balance the performance. She shared stories about the inspiration of her songs, many of them amusing and you see that behind the heartfelt emotion, there's a wonderful person, bursting with joy.

It was my first time seeing Edwina live, and it felt like I've been attending her gigs for many years. I certainly will be.



Kenny Mach

www.twitter.com/kenny_mach

February 2011

 

Twenty Twenty

From 23rd February 2011

Coming Soon

 

The Xcerts

From 23rd February 2011

Coming Soon

 

Neil Buchanan Art Attacks His Ideal Sandwich!

From 26th October 2010

We chat to our child-hood hero-turned-rockstar, Neil Buchanan!

He 'Art Attacked' his ideal sandwich and we find out what he's done with his iconic red jumpers!

Enough said. Check him out http://www.marseilleonline.co.uk

 

Miss Davina Lee

From 26th October 2010

We catch up with Miss Davina Lee.

When mooching around their myspace, the bands 'antler' image stuck in my head! I had to find out what that was about :-) Check the out the interview!

http://www.myspace.com/missdavinalee

 

Underground Festival

From 30th September 2010

Ben from Hear No Musical Evil headed up to Gloucester to interview a shed load of people! Keep checking back here!

 

Amanda Morra - She does an awesome British Accent!

From 30th September 2010

The lovely Amanda Morra was in the UK performing her latest single 'Kisses' at London Fashion Week!

We caught up with her during The Random Returns broadcasting live from Wolverhampton - Listen again to the interview!

She dunks, has a mean ideal sandwich and does a great British accent!

Check out her latest single right here.

 

Pulled Apart By Horses - Offically Not Named After The Bob Geldof Song!

From 24th September 2010

Pulled Apart By Horses rocked a basement in Birmingham. Review coming soon but the interview is up right now!!

 

Jason Manford

From 22nd September 2010

Jason Manford talks all things Football Manager with Jamie. He's also pretty funny! He sold out the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton and we were lucky enough to grab a quick word.

Listen to the interview again by clicking the Jason Manford link. 8 Out Of 10 Cats would :) http://www.jasonmanford.com

 

Dave Spikey

From 22nd September 2010

IN ONE!!!!!!!! Dave Spikey chats to KIC about his tour

IN TWO!!!!!! Kenny gets angry that he hasn't seen 'Man On Fire'

IN THREE!!!!!! In Wolverhampton!!!

(These are all Bullseye references by the way)

www.davespikey.co.uk

 

Zebrahead

From 22nd September 2010

All the way from California, Zebrahead stopped off in Birmingham for a huge European Tour. These guys were cornered by Adam and Dom from The Monday Megamix.

To find out more log onto: www.zebrahead.com

 

Stephen K Amos

From 22nd September 2010

During Indefinable, Stephen gives us a little call to chat about his stand up in Wolverhampton

Will Jamie have a dunking competition with him? Well, the lovely KICFM gang managed to get up on stage, give him a few packets of biscuits and a copy of 'Man On Fire.'

Click the link to listen again to the telephone interview.

 

Lucy Porter - I always wanted to be an indie star

From 22nd September 2010

Want to know Lucy Porter's favourite biscuit? And does she dunk?

Does she like Man On Fire?

Listen again as Jamie finds the answers. Recorded outside of the Little Civic in Wolverhampton, Jamie manages to drop his question and record a bin lorry going past. What a complete pro!

www.lucyporter.co.uk

 

Imogen Heap - Jason Derulo Pays My Mortgage

From 22nd September 2010

On a tiny stage, filled with keyboards, an overarching LED tree and other strange contraptions, Imogen Heap clambers to the front of the clutter holding a wine glass filled with water. She runs her fingers round the lip of the glass resonating an eerie tone that captivates the audience. Almost like magic, she sits at her piano and manages to craft a song from that constant ethereal drone.

It's something you might expect from the Grammy award winning Imogen Heap. She takes loops of random sounds and molds them into songs. She's a well respected artist who has vast and committed fan base. She has over a million followers on twitter but this hasn't translated into massive commercial success as she teeters on the edge of the mainstream. After having a chat with her, this fact didn't seem to bother her. She commented that the success of Jason Derulo's sampling of "Hide and Seek" was brilliant because it "pays her mortgage" allowing her to keep making the music that she loves.

I was a little worried about how Imogen's music would translate to a live performance. Her songs are a complete mesh of vocals intertwined with random sounds that create a vivid soundscape. I was pleased to find her live performance kept the qualities that make her such an individual artist. She darted across the stage tinkering with bells, synthesizers and random childhood toys to create the celestial feel of her albums. She was joined by musicians who also played a myriad of weird and wonderful instruments like drums, cellos and a throat bass (Oh yes, I said throat bass).

The evening culminated with Imogen donning shades and rocking out with a keytar but these moments weren't the ones that truly stood out. She shined when her music was completely stripped back. Her performance of "Half-life" was a perfect and particularly beautiful example of this. This, already emotionally charged song, was made even more haunting by Imogen and her piano taking centre stage. I would have liked to have seen more of this in her performance.

Watching Imogen Heap was a very special experience that I would I recommend to everyone. She has the ability to loop innocuous sounds to create a rich texture of electro-pop and the skills to play piano and sing beautifully. Truly amazing 8/10!

www.imogenheap.com/

By Jamie Powis (Birmingham Academy)

 

Frank Turner - I Have About 50 Children

From 22nd September 2010

Campfire Punk Rocker Frank Turner gave us so many reasons not to be an idiot when we interviewed him in Birmingham.

http:/www.frank-turner.com

 

The Parlotones - Reached Number 1 in the....Wine Chart!?

From 22nd September 2010

South Africa's finest rock band open the World Cup Ceremony in June 2010 sharing the stage with The Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys amongst many others!

Kenny caught up with the face of South Africa's KFC (yes it's true) in Birmingham where they supported Ash. They talk about biscuits, Man On Fire and find out how they reached number 1, in the wine chart? Rock and roll!!

www.theparlotones.net

 

Tinie Tempah - Kenny almost Passed Out

From 22nd September 2010

Kenny was so excited he almost passed out!

Tinie Tempah is hip hops newest superstar with 'Pass Out' being the biggest selling single by a UK artist this year. The 21 year old Londoner topped the charts for two weeks and sold over 350,000 copies.

Tinie's uncompromising underground sound is back with his second single 'Frisky' He keeps mixing underground beats with witty and insanely catchy lyrics. Will there be way to stop him storming up the charts. (It's released 07/06/10)

KIC was lucky enough to grab an interview with Tinie at the Rainbow Warehouse in Birmingham. Listen out for the slightly awesome people he wants to collaborate with.

www.tinietempah.com By Jamie Powis

 

Tenny Ten - He's 'Swaggnificent'

From 22nd September 2010

Tenny Ten is the latest talent to be unearthed from the UK urban scene and even more importantly he was born and raised in Wolverhampton. With a stylish swagger and ear catching hooks Tenny Ten is going to push British urban music to the next level.

We all know that Wolverhampton isn't necessarily the nicest place to live. With street violence escalating, Tenny managed to escape by focusing on his music. Tenny is a down to earth guy, he's been touring around local schools, inspiring people to use their talents for something good. He's wants to help his community and that's something KICFM really respects!

He grew up in musical family. His Mum sang backing for Culture Club and UB40 while his Dad played keyboard for Thin Lizzy. Two genres poles apart from his MCing but he said they've both helped him develop his own style.

Tenny Ten releases his 'Swaggnificent' debut album '2010shot' on 10/10/2010. Buy it and support some awesome Wolvo talent! Look at www.tennyten.com

By Jamie Powis

 

Two Door Cinema Club -

From 22nd September 2010

KICFM managed to grab a quick chat with Two Door Cinema Club a couple of hours before they played the Birmingham O2 Academy. We talked about touring and making their first album.

To find out more about Two Door Cinema Club check out their official website www.twodoorcinemaclub.com

 

Keith from We Are Scientists - Robin Hood is Boring Now

From 22nd September 2010

LJ from Random Returns was lucky enough to interview Keith from We Are Scientists. LJ snook backstage at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall to get an exclusive interview. They chatted about the bliss of mixing egg with cheese while hating on "Man On Fire"

Who are scientists? Find out here: www.wearescientists.com/

 

MC Lars - Part of the iGeneration

From 22nd September 2010

Post Modern Laptop Rapper MC Lars spat some bars with Adam and Dom from The Monday Megamix. They caught MC Lars at the O2 Academy in Birmingham touring with Zebrahead. Wondering what laptop rap is like? www.mclars.com

 

Liam O'Kane

From 22nd September 2010

Liam had a chin wag with Ben from Hear No Musical Evil and recorded some fantastic acoustic tracks at the KIC studios in Wolverhampton.

 

Elizabeth Lowe - You Never Stop Learning

From 4th June 2010

Ahsan from The V and A Show gets chatting to actress Elizabeth Lowe. She's preforming in the stage show "Lieutenant Columbo Prescription: Murder" based around that old 60s TV show. It's a must listen interview if you're thinking of getting into acting!

Dirk Benedict plays Columbo and you might know him from the cult show A-Team and Battlestar Galatica

PRESCRIPTION: MURDER is at The Grand Theatre , Wolverhampton.

 

H.I.M - Have A Few Beers, Sing-a-long And Dance To Some Of The Best Catchy Rock Songs You'll Hear

From 26th March 2010

I hit Birmingham at just after 5 o clock and after a quick search of the shops I headed down to the O2 Academy not expected the fanfare that followed... as I arrived the line went from the front doors to the side entrance to the back and winded down the road a minimum of a thousand must of already been there 3 hours before the first support had come on. Needless to say with this thrive of people, despite the miserable weather, had laughter and musical debate flowing and kept the atmosphere buzzing all the way until I was inside the venue. HIM had to go off early due to the Propaganda club night but HIM, as always, endured and played a 17 song set list essentially made up of their greatest hits (despite it being the new album promotional tour).

Dommin were up first though and in my personal opinion they were poor, the music sounded very samey and trying to go very dark and gothic when in reality they seem to not have that image down. The crowd reacted warmly to them and there was the usual fanfare of screaming girls that seem to follow bands from Kerrang magazine. Overall there was some dancing and kept the buzz going.

After what seemed like an age, due to my ankles killing me, HIM finally came out to a HUGE fanfare the whole room turned into a wall of noise and generally stayed that way for the whole night, as the rest of the night entailed sing-a-longs on EVERY song; everybody had at least one of their favourites played. The sound of the band itself was fantastic. Ville rarely missing a note and doing his usual on stage ramblings that nobody understands due to his Finnish accent.

There were minor sound issues throughout the set and twice during the final encore (The Funeral of Hearts) Ville stopped singing to berate the sound tech and insist that the hi-hat audio problems were ironed out. It was heartening to see that he cared so much about our enjoyment of the sound quality, especially since it was the last song of the night and the crowd were clearly oblivious to any technical hitches.

The gig overall was very good but it felt like something was missing... the stage show was very static. HIM chose to pretty much stand on the spot very much the opposite of the lively HIM I saw touring with Kill Hannah at the Wolves Civic. I will say though the sound makes it all worth while and if your hitting the Download Festival this year be sure to check out HIM! Have a few beers, sing along and dance to some of the best catchy rock songs you'll hear. Despite the haters of the band they are still going strong.... mainly proven by the bus being swamped by about a hundred strong legion of HIM fans hoping to see a glance of the band at the end of the show before they high tailed it out of Birmingham.

Setlist:
Like St. Valentine
Right Here In My Arms
Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly
Heartkiller
Join Me In Death
The Kiss Of Dawn
Katherine Wheel
Poison Girl
Buried Alive By Love
Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness)
Your Sweet 666
Wicked Game
Scared To Death
When Love And Death Embrace


Encore:
Soul On Fire
Love, The Hardest Way
The Funeral Of Hearts


By Craig Griffiths

 

Chris T-T - Unfeasibly Fussy About The Hyphen

From 22nd March 2010

On Monday morning I had never listened to a single song by Chris T-T, a musician from Brighton. I arrived KIC (Shameless plug to 12-2 on Mondays www.kicfm.com/shows/mark) to be asked whether I want to complete an interview with Chris at the O2 academy in Birmingham. This of course was very exciting as I hadn't been to the new Academy yet and the interview meant I'd get to be nosey around the dressing rooms and get in for free. You can never say no to free music.

Well what can I say, the new venue is superb, far less grubby than the last one and the backstage area wasn't too bad. Chris T-T was playing the Academy 3, the smallest of the academies and confessed during my interview that it probably wouldn't be too busy. He wasn't wrong with about 40 people having the privilege of watching him play through his album. Unfortunately, because I'd had a long day starting with my radio show I could only sample 4 of the songs but I must admit that I really enjoyed them. Put simply, Chris is a Musician who loves writing songs about things. He says his influences come from Springsteen and American Soft Rock, and UK Folk Music.

The reason he is touring at the moment is that he has a new album out: Love Is Not Rescue. This one is far more personal than his last few and he admitted during the interview that he had attempted to make an album without an agenda, be it political or other. The first single from his new album, Nintendo, came out two weeks ago and you can sample that below. Also you can hear the interview with Chris below Nintendo. Bare in mind that this is the unpolished version and the full one will be full or KIC fms and the such!

Hopefully you'll see what a genuinely nice bloke he is and enjoy his music while you are at it.

By Mark E Faulkner

 

Imogen Heap

From 17th February 2010

Grammy Award winning Imogen Heap had a little chat with KICFM during her UK tour. We managed to catch up with her on her tour bus parked in the mean streets of Birmingham. Are you wondering who Imogen Heap is? Well, you'll recognise the song 'Hide and Seek' as it's sampled in Jason Derulo's 'Whatcha Say'

Does she like Jason Derulo's version? Does she like 'Man On Fire'? How heavy is a Grammy? Find out all this and more! Hmmmm Whatcha' Say? What Did She Say?