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June 2005 March 2004 November 2003 May 2003 March 2003
"since my last proper update alots happened in my life on a personal and a business level. the personals i won't bore you with but suffice to say a few years of turmoil seems to have bottomed out and things have been on an even keel for a while now, thanks to a new and positive force in my life… so fingers crossed i can maintain some sort of equilibrium in coming months. Musically, i have been slowly coming round to a place where i may begin to write and record again. since i moved and i've been in a rented flat, it's been mentally a struggle to consider setting up a studio and gear, cos the place is pretty small and i just haven't felt like its really a home, but recently thanks to someone close to me (you know who you are!!) i have been getting the urge to play and write again, so if i can somehow get into a studio one day , or even for a week, i think i could come up with something pretty awesome as there's been alot going on up there!! the label i run, bella union, has been a revelation for the past 18 months really with laura veirs, explosions, the dears, the czars, midlake etc all having done exceptionally well, and with new Bikini Atoll, new Art of Fighting, Decoder Ring and others, i couldn't be more happy with things creatively. naturally the cocteaus situation was a big headache and once more i felt fairly helpless as the old behaviours of mid 90s seemed to return and i was stuck somewhat in the middle again, and i even rehearsed all my basslines and spent about 2 weeks relearning a bunch of stuff, so yes it was a bit of a blow to say the least but hell all cocteaus fans out there know that anyway, so... maybe it was always a bit optimistic to think it could really happen. since that all blew up, i went to Austin for SXSW but spent the whole week in bed with flu which was foul, but i gave up smoking and drinking which has been pretty cool and getting myself healthy-ier. still adore chocolate though!! i have a production i have been unable to do until now, but thankfully the band have been delaying their schedules to try and fit in with mine and now we have finally fixed a time to do it which is very exciting. they are called Helene and i start soon. just set Bella Union up in USA properly which is gonna at last mean that american fans can actually find some of our music!! for the first time in 7 years, the label will be as well set up as it is in Europe now. with 4 of our albums appearing in the top 50 lists in Q, Uncut and Mojo last year, it is only right that we have presence in USA with so many of the bands coming from there. also any bands / labels out there who are interested in me mixing/producing your stuff, i now, and thankfully as i got fed up with being ripped off, have got a manager, alan cowderoy at sanctuary producer management. i am excited that my last job, producing the UK band the Duke Spirit, entered the UK Top 40 Album Charts last week, so good luck to them and check it out if you have time...www.dukespirit.com… what else? that's about it..will be updating this more regular.." "
-Simon Raymonde
Since my last report, I have been a busy boy. On production side, I have been working with a
new young band from Liverpool called The Open, who among other influences, exhibited a
strong liking for the Moon & The Melodies! They release their first single Close My Eyes this week on Loog Records.
Straight after our month in Wales together at a wonderful studio called
Bryn Derwen, I moved back to London where I remixed the new single from the new
Domino signings the Archie Bronson Outfit, a superb dirty blues kinda thing which this
week went into the UK singles charts! hooray for them.. a fine bunch as well as a brilliant band.
In January I returned to Wales to produce another new band, the fantastic
Duke Spirit, a five piece of star quality. It was a memorable month
and one that spawned 13 new songs for the album, yet
to be titled. Tonight I have just completed the mixing on the album and we
hope to get a single out for them before May. They, like the Open have been
raved about in all the UK press and it will be interesting to see
what happens for them next. Gigs with The Rapture, The Vines and a forthcoming
tour with the great British Sea Power will reinforce just how cool they are.
The label has been blossoming too these past months and we (Bella Union)
are in the delightful position of having great records out there with bands
touring their asses off to support them. EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY,
LAURA VEIRS, TRESPASSERS WILLIAM, BIKINI ATOLL, GARLIC, have all been playing
shows across Europe and the hard work is paying off for them all.
Violet Indiana's album Russian Doll is gonna be out soon and I
know Robin has plans for as much touring as he can manage this year, so
fingers crossed for that too. New releases are in the offing for
two new Denton-based bands Midlake and Mandarin, and finally we look forward
to welcoming from Halifax (Nova Scotia!) the great JOSH MARTINEZ.
A slight deviation from our previous releases in that Josh comes
from a background of rap and hip hop, though his superb album Buck
Up Princess will I hope find him and us new fans across the musical divides.
Once again thanks to Leesa for having the patience to attend to
the site for me and keep you informed with my albeit erratic updates.
-Simon
Sorry it's been a bit like a ghost-town here of late and I am gonna change all that right now... ok latest news ...well personally I have never been so busy with the producing lark.
Since the Clearlake album earlier this year, I have been to Barcelona for a month working with a Spanish band called Heike, then the mini-album by The Duke Spirit 'Roll, Spirit, Roll' was done ( NOW OUT AND GOING DOWN A STORM I MIGHT ADD!), then came new Loog signings The Open, who are brilliantly talented, we had a week to do an EP in a lovely studio in Henley-upon-Thames run by the drummer of Jethro Tull, which was a blast. This was followed shortly after by a full and rather heavy month in North Wales with The Open again doing album tracks. With the band now off on tour soon with The Duke Spirit, it seems there is a bit of a weird coming together going on. Then no sooner had I got back then I was off into the studio again with new Domino signings The Archie Bronson Outfit who are also a tremendous bunch and a brilliant band too! I am a lucky boy, I really am. In December and January I will be off again to do the Duke Spirit album which I am really looking forward to so I will give you more production updates soon after that I suppose.
So as to the magnificent Bella Union... well the fruits of the past years signings are coming to bear fruit.... what a few months we have...(though there are always some let-downs, the recent releases of Garlic and The Faraway Places have for some reason not quite had the impact we all hoped though I still reckon them both to be tremendous albums..)...so coming very soon is the hugely-anticipated Explosions In The Sky album 'The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place' and the press reactions so far have just been incredible. Similarly but perhaps with more support at radio, the Los Angeles band Trespassers William have been picking up load of plays with the 'Vapour Trail' single from the 'Different Stars' album which will also be out soon. then this week we will see the arrival of unknowns MIDLAKE. Now remember this name because I think one day soon....well anyway.. With no record out yet, I have had the most amazing reactions to this band, and they arrive here from Denton, Texas on Friday to play the famous French music festival Les Inrockuptibles (www.lesinrocks.com) and then over to the UK for some of their own shows. I will post dates up on site as soon as I can get a minute. Then they go to Spain at the end of the month for the Wintercase festival.
So then into early next year and the amazing UK band Bikini Atoll will be unleashed on you all. Recent live shows have illustrated their power and glory and soon you will know why. 'Moratoria' will be out early 2004. News just in today is that Violet Indiana have put finishing touches to the new album and it should be out in the spring of 2004 with a single to precede it. The second Bella Union release for Seattle's Laura Veirs Carbon Glacier will be out February too, and then new releases from Josh Martinez, from Halifax (Nova Scotia!!), Mandarin from Denton, TX and then Midlake will round off the first quarter of 2004. I am so excited about all this stuff.
-Simon
Been writing a column now for Logo Magazine since November 2002 and it's been getting more difficult for the raging cynic in me to lie dormant, and of late i have been letting the monster out of the cage a bit more frequently....if you cannot buy the magazines where you live you can see an online version at www.logo-magazine.com and my pieces can be found in the Features section writing under the heading The Insider.
In March I went to SXSW 2003 and found some wonderful new bands for the label, Mandarin , Explosions In The Sky, and Midlake, all to be unleashed later this year and early next. Strangely they all hail from Texas. It is not deliberate.
I have been working more on production with City Rockers band The Duke Spirit which is becoming a great relationship. We get on so well it is a bit scary.
There is a NY band called Edison Woods who have a cd out now that I contributed some bits and pieces to. Produced by Mark Van Hoen.
I met Mark Eitzel recently and thought he was brilliant feller and can thoroughly recommend you all seek his stuff out. He is a superb songwriter and as the founding member of American Music Club has been a hugely influential figure who is now writing some of the most poignant songs I have heard in a good long while.
Dirty Three have just returned home after some of their most explosive shows in years,culminating in their headline show at Shepherds Bush Empire in London on May 12th with support from Cat Power. It is a true privilege to work with people that talented and driven.
Devics are completing their European jaunt, in support of their increasingly sought after album The Stars At Saint Andrea. These were their first dates with drummer Scott MacPherson ( Elliot Smith) and all reports from around and about have been about how mesmerising the shows have been. Thanks to them for all their hard work and driving 30,000 miles in 3 weeks!
More news to follow round a bit quicker next time....
Simon
Been a busy few months. Working with a fab new band called Duke Spirit. Theyare on City Rockers (The Warlocks, Felix Da Housecat, etc), a fine UK independent label. The band are a four-piece fronted by the ridiculously talented Liela. She has without a doubt one of the sexiest motherfuckin' voices since Billie Holiday first gave me a hard-on! The music is raw, but melodic, dark but sexy as fuck. I like them. Alot.
Trying to plan out Bella Union year. With the fav Guthrie release, super Devics, glorious Laura Veirs debut, I thought I would cope, but we have the Jetscreamer album, followed by The Faraway Places, Josh Martinez, Josh T Pearson, The Czars, Trespassers William, and then god knows what else. It is racking up
