“Someone just got me a shower radio. I guess there’s no better place to dance than a slick surface next to a glass door.” Jerry Seinfeld
As a lifelong bathtub and shower singer, I can relate to some extent, but it’s been pointed out to me that my not so mellifluous tones can shatter glass at 40 paces, so these days I confine my watery warbling to some song you’re meant to sing two verses of while you wash your hands to de-germ them. Now Happy Birthday is standard but boring, as is the ABC alphabet song, though I tend to forget the lyrics after H or so…of course, there’s been a survey about this sorta thing. What’s your go-to hand washing song, now the season of lurgies is just around the corner? Best answer wins a bar environmentally friendly soap.
STAYING GREEN IN THE ENERGY CRISIS Our energy costs last year were over £36k so we’re looking at ways to survive the coming winter whilst also making The Premises an even Greener place to create music. There’s our pioneering solar powered recording Studio A of course and now we’re looking to invest in a second PV system to power the rest of the building. What can musicians do? Maybe take a look at the Music Declares Emergency and Julie’s Bicycle websites, which are chock full of ideas to make your musical enterprise more ecologically sustainable.
APPEAL OF THE MONTH
Delighted to hear that Premises’ regular Roella Oloro, with her jazz collective The Diasporan Queens picked up two prizes from the Seven Virtual Jazz Competition – including Roella’s arrangement of Patrice Rushen’s L’espirit De Joie, and the Innovation Prize, which will culminate in a performance at the Milan Jazz Club Ferrera. Her year at Berklee has been jam packed, doing a full complement of courses, all night recording sessions, playing in her own bands and others as well as running and rehearsing her own 17-piece big band. Now Roella is seeking funds to complete her Senior Year at Berklee, to which she has a full scholarship but this doesn’t include room, board and medical expenses. We know it’s been a tough year financially for many of you, but if you can, please chip in to Roella’s final year fund.
WE HAVE A WINNER!
Last month we ran a competition to have one of your songs set to film in Studio One. The response was overwhelming and the quality of submissions, very high indeed. We know everyone says that but we really mean it. It was very difficult to choose the artist and song but we do have a winner, a relative newcomer, 18-year-old Gabriel Lord-Baptiste. His song I Am The Enemy fizzes with rapid fire lyrics expressing the struggles and big questions young people face, post Pandemic. Gabriel is a singer, songwriter, rapper, musician and producer from North London. He’s a member of Tomorrow’s Warriors and has recorded with Laura White, Vula, Mista Jam, and Cherise, as well as playing with Jazz Jamaica at the Jazz Café. “I love discovering different styles and genres of music from 80s synth to neo-soul to new hip hop beats,” he says. “During lockdown, I focused on producing my own material on Logic and have just finished producing my first EP, which will be released later this year.” Film-maker Sheridan Serafin is going to shoot the video in Studio 1 here soon and we’ll bring you the result in the next newsletter.
WHO’S BEEN IN?
Among many others last month, we welcomed… Jocelyn Brown, Sona Blue, Death Valley Yacht Club, Jon Hopkins, Finn Lomax, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Spencer Kelly, Fi McCluskey, Jazz Jamaica, Boy Bleach, Liberty Church, Tomorrow’s Warriors, Pain and Bad News, Tom Platts, Laura Mvula, Biig Piig, Jake Shears, Emeli Sande, Vula, Elephant Kind, Albion, Trigger Fish, Maverick Sabre, Dan D’Lion, The Staves, Scritti Politti, Manifest, Say She She, Celeste, Seaforth, Self-Esteem, Jarvis Cocker, Metamoprhic, Subjective ft Goldie, and Cleveland Watkiss, the Handsome Family, Joyce Sims, Ezra Collective as well as old friends Cymande (above, with Neville Malcolm 4th from right, back on the mend after his recent bad accident.) And last but not least, Joanna Lumley recording in Studio A (“Dame… and don’t you forget it, sweeties!”)
PREMISES RADIO TOP FIVE If you’ve not yet tuned into Premises Radio why the heck is that? If you’re reading this, you’re probably on it, plus you’ll be in some esteemed and eclectic company. We know bands don’t like being categorised by genre, and we think our playlists reflect that weird and wonderful mix that you might overhear when you stroll down our hallowed corridors of aural delights. Just like a REAL radio station on actual radio, or Wireless for those of you who speak in an affected manner, we have our Top Five Tracks of the Month. All as good as each other, so no ascending or descending order. Here they are:
Cleveland Watkiss. Red Gold and Green
Fontaines DC. Jackie Down The Line
Hannah V ft Shystie and Pepper Rose. No Limits
TIEKS. Sunshine
Tony Kofi. Ruby my Dear
AND FINALLY….
