The Other Woman Podcast: Nadine Shah

Nadine Shah

We gather at my tiny Hackney flat for this pod, minus two very important members of the team. Piney Gir had an Actionettes rehearsal she couldn't possibly miss and Stef Schadenfreude couldn't be with us because the showbiz she does as a living got in the way. She does however deliver one final rant as from now on she's ditching showbiz! Big news! Jude Rogers and Ruth Barnes are joined by broadcaster Kath Melandri (host of The Mostess) and Geordie via Pakistan/ Norway gloom-pop piano chanteuse Nadine Shah to talk Thatcher, our Lost Dame Heather Jones and more...

6 Music Introducing: Tanya Auclair & Nat Johnson and the Figureheads

Every week TOW plays two songs for the brilliant Tom Robinson on his BBC 6 Music Introducing show... here are our picks from this week's show: 


Tanya Auclair - Illiterate

How utterly compelling is Tanya Auclair? If you, like we here at TOW, are feeling a bit stupid for not having found her before - don't despair, we're blaming it on the fact that NOTHING this interesting ever breaks into the mainstream. NOTHING this interesting will get picked up by a major label, especially as Tanya Auclair is doing it all herself - her EP Thrum is up for grabs for gratis at her Bandcamp. Why isn't Jools Holland's production team all over this artist? She needs some late night BBC 1 exposure. Maybe one day... Tanya's already embedded in the London soul circuit having sung as part of the Goldsmiths Ensemble, in the choir for the brilliant Alice Russell and currently supporting producer Yult. More please!

Nat Johnson and the Figureheads - Margot

   Margot by NatJohnsonband


This has been a staple on the TOW stereo since Nat, former singer, songwriter and guitarist from folk-pop favourites Monkey Swallows The Universe, sent us the tracks. Sheer, indie-pop loveliness from the Sheffield five-piece. Their EP What the Heart Pours Into is out now on Damaged Goods. What are you waiting for?! Get buying!

6 Music Introducing picks: Adam & Alma 'n Hurray For The Riff Raff

Every week TOW plays two songs for the brilliant Tom Robinson on his BBC 6 Music Introducing show... here are our picks from this week's show:

Adam & Alma - Back To The Sea

   Back To The Sea by Adam & Alma

When asked to pick some SXSW bands for this week's Introducing show for 6 Music, TOW was bamboozled and slightly intimidated by the MASSIVE list of artists. Being a huge pendant and a bit OCD we feel that SXSW would be a wholly unsatisfactory experience as we'd never see all the bands!! Luckily for us, amongst the 'A' list, we found Adam & Alma, a young electro duo from Stockholm consisting of Ellen Arkbro and Johan Graden. Their EP Back To The Sea was released last year and we like it's woozey, lo-fi, laid back ambience and the captivating vocals of Ellen very much. Hope they had a lovely time.
 
Hurray For The Riff Raff - Take Me

   "Take Me" - Hurray For The Riff Raff by Loose Music

TOW is having a minor love affair with this band from New Orleans, Louisana. Alynda Lee Segarra is the voice and creative force behind the band and we can't wait to meet her when they land in London in May. The story goes that she she ran away from her home in The Bronx at the tender age of 17 and 'hopped freight trains' winding up in New Orleans, becoming part of The Dead Man Street Orchestra. HFTRR have self-released two albums, 2008's It Don't Mean I Don't Love You and 2010's Young Blood Blues. A self-titled disc of Alynda's favorite songs from those albums is released on Loose Music in Europe this week. We love it because it makes us want to go and sit by the Bayou on a hot, sticky, Louisiana afternoon... swattin' at flies and lazily watching the world go by.

TOW on 6 Music: Ghosts You Echo & Friends

Every week TOW plays two songs for the brilliant Tom Robinson on his BBC 6 Music Introducing show... here are our picks from this week's show:


Ghosts You Echo - Erika

 
This isn't the track we played for Tom, but it's the best video online of Vicky Wijeratne AKA Ghosts You Echo. TOW has been watching and listening to the young London-based singer-songwriter and producer since she contacted us back in 2009 with early tracks Blood Lines and Black Oil Steady Soil. We were hooked immediately! The spookiness and strength of her voice, the confident musicality and above all lovely melodies. Vicky's talent has been spotted by The Roundhouse in north London - they've signed her to Roundhouse Records and she releases her second single Lifeline today. We played Erika from the EP for Tom as it's been swirling around our head for days... can't wait to see where this bright young talent ends up.

Friends - Friend Crush 

  
This achingly hip and cool outfit hail from Brooklyn (where else) but they are doing the lo-fi, cheeky, in your face, indie pop thing distinctively and well. The quintet formed in September last year and played their first gig for lead singer Samantha Urbani's birthday party, then they played the highly prestigious CMJ showcase - it's easy when you know how! The brilliant the girls are put us onto this group and like us, they found the seemingly innocent lyrics slightly creepy... see what you think.

TOW on 6 Music - Mittens and Marina Gallardo

Every week TOW plays two songs for the brilliant Tom Robinson on his BBC 6 Music Introducing show... here are our picks from this week's show:


1) Mittens - Deer Park Mirage


This is the title track from Madrid-based Spanish indiepoppers Mittens' debut album released in May of last year. Gotta love that Spanish lilt when they sing in English - so so lovely. Thanks again to Francisco Javier (our portal into everything cool, indie and Spanish - he promises his own blog soon) who sent them over to TOW as a tip. For Spanish indie pop geeks Guillermo Farre is the man behind this project, also known as Wild Honey.


2) Marina Gallardo - Climbing The Walls


Again our thanks go out to Francisco. And then we had a look around saw that Wears The Trousers featured her a while back too. Sheesh, it's hard keeping up with the cool kids! Andalucian native Marina is two album's in and last year released Some Monsters Die And Others Return on Barcelona label Foehn Records. At only a minute and twenty seconds in length, Climbing The Walls is a gentle, mournful lament, which would send even the most tortured insomniac off to sleep.

Sharon Van Etten interview! Listen here:

New Jersey native Sharon Van Etten's album Epic was one of TOW's albums of the year in 2010. Every song as sad and as powerful and as heartbroken as the one before, with a strength and gutsiness that makes the hairs on your neck all-prickly. Sharon says her songs are sad, because she is happy - it's a cathartic process. Now we know if she ever releases an album of Happy House Hardcore remixes, it's a cry for help!

Ahead of a London date on 13 February and a two week tour with The National we caught up with SVE:



Epic is out now on Ba Da Bing Records.

Kyla La Grange - interview

The Other Woman's Ruth Barnes speaks to Watford singer-songwriter Kyla La Grange about her upcoming debut single Walk Through Walls/ Courage. From open mic nights at university to connecting with a generous producer through Myspace, it's a modern musical success story. However, the weight of the world hangs heavy on her shoulders: "My default mode is a bit sad, I think..." she says, but, "writing music has enabled me to cope with that."

  

Walk Through Walls/ Courage is out on Noir on March 1st.