words in edgeways with nina nastasia

Nina Nastasia is not known for her exuberance. Watching her onstage can often be an uncomfortable experience where restraint presides, fingers miss their intended strings and words to the crowd are mumbled and trail off. It can of course be said that a degree of reservation can allow an artist to focus energy on inhabiting songs with intensity and poise, but I've always felt that with Nina it tied her down and, from a spectator perspective, visibly and audibly seemed to frustrate her.

Given this, you can imagine my surprise when at the Camden Roundhouse a new Nina took to the stage, one that had swapped her restrained, nerves-led routine for a warmer and far more gregarious setup. From giving away a sweater she bought that did not fit ("I can't resist a bargain!") to telling stories about clowns and hairpieces, Nina was tipsy from between-song whiskeys and up for some fun.

The setup at the Roundhouse was not its usual 3000 capacity 'in the round' style but a smaller area built in the circle, candle-topped tables filling the space directly in front of the stage. Stepping out from a wide curtain of twinkling stars Nina took to the stage with 'The Very Next Day', her voice light and precise, her gaze fixed, the first line a cappella. You could almost hear the wax drip.

A powerful 'Late Night', dedicated to "the brother I never had", was followed by 'I Go With Him', one of the highlights from The Blackened Air, sung with such measured intent it was almost frightening. Her voice was a weapon, lingering over each word, stressing out syllables and again fixing the audience with a firm gaze all the while. The image of Nina as a more self-assured deliverer of her sad, sober songs began to settle. 'I Write Down Lists' was detached and somehow desperate, the words underlined by roughly striking the strings harder than we are used to, replacing Jim White's prominent percussion on most recent album You Follow Me as though it were never there.

At one point she shouted to the lighting operator, whom she appeared to know by name, "Anders, I want you to do that Las Vegas-style lighting!". Elaborating a little further for the sake of the audience, "I want you to circle round and round the room with the spotlight and just pick a table". Anders promptly follows command and settles on a table. "That wasn't quite how I imagined it," she laughs. "How fucking horrible is that! It's one of my worst nightmares to be pointed out at a show!" A strange and somewhat insightful exercise, it was as though attention-shy Nina was exacting a little revenge on her ever watchful audience.

Normally far too troubled by the show at hand, there was even time to address the unfortunate attendees of her last London gig. "I want to apologise to anyone who was at my Union Chapel show. I think I played for something like 20 minutes. Virgin Airlines lost my guitar and then...well...my pants were down. Well, my skirt should I say! I did want to give everyone their money back...but..."

Fan favourites 'Stormy Weather' and 'Ugly Face' ensured no refunds were necessary tonight, despite it being clear that Ms Nastasia was becoming rather intoxicated. "As the glass gets lower my tuning gets worse!" she exclaims at one point, receiving rapturous applause. The normally icy indie starlet was later so wobbly she was rendered unable to find the gap in the curtain resulting in a hilarious, fumbled exit. Loud applause again. It gave her an edge and a boldness that enhanced rather than detracted from the music.

Only minutes after the show, in a corridor behind the stage, I lurked around while Nina fluttered around a giddy rabble made up of friends and label staff before being guided off to somewhere quieter to the calls of her partner Kennan Gudjonsson: "Are you going to blow him, Nina?!" 

It was clear that the interview was to be a rather light-hearted experience; the general atmosphere was more like being behind the scenes with a travelling circus than with a woman whose music has been described as being able to "suck the air out of the room." As we sat in front of the mirror in a tiny dressing room strewn with shoes, bottles and bras, outside of the door the party continued, dotting our conversation with muffled whoops and bangs. Trying not to face the mirror, we reflected on the show that had just passed.

"I'm sorry for not doing this [the interview] earlier, only I was busy being sick," she laughs. "But yeah, I really enjoyed tonight, it went well."

I mention that I'm looking forward to seeing her again at the Green Man festival at the weekend. "I haven't done a lot of festivals," she says. "Primavera I really loved, it had a really beautiful atmosphere. All Tomorrow's Parties was really fun, I like how it's set up. You can see everyone playing, and you're not separated from everybody. Sometimes it's harder because the crowd are walking around, especially playing solo.

"I think that the Dirty Three did an amazing job of curating, it was amazing. I loved it! Their lineup was fantastic. I fell in love with Margaret Mary O'Hara, I thought she was great. Also that band [Psarantonis] from Crete, they were amazing. Everyone was drunk, it was like a Greek wedding!"

Would Nina ever curate her own if asked? "That's a good question but I don't really know anything about music! I know a lot more about music than I did, but..." She pauses. "I'd have to think about it. It seems like it would be a pain in the ass," she laughs, "a nightmare actually. I don't know if I would! I would be pretty intimidated."

Something about the Nina Nastasia I sit inches in front of gives the impression that a long journey led to where she is now. Thoughtful pauses punctuate careful sentences, defying the expression of her lyrics and the haze of the whiskey. We backtrack a bit and ask how this all came about. "It was an investment," she admits. "We tried anything we could just to make records and go on tour with a big band.

"We got in a lot of trouble actually," she says, smiling broadly. "It's gotten a lot better but there were times when it was super super hard and we were really struggling. We had full-time jobs. We wouldn't pay our rent just so we could make a record. There were several times when we had to do a tour and we had to make, like, 30 grand in a week and it was so stressful."

It seems that even the challenge of raking together $30,000 didn't put this earthy songwriter off course and the "investment" did not run to ruin. "Well, we always found a way somehow. I think we went as far as borrowing from the mob one time. We paid it back. You have to always pay it back. So, yeah, that's how it works."

The money talk led us to the subject of the latest Volvo car advert for which Nina lends the soundtrack. I explain that I had a genuine what-the-fuck moment when 'Our Day Trip' came flooding out of my television speakers in the ad break during 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'. She smiles. "It was kind of cool, It had the video with the donkey in it!"

"Actually I was asked to do a car commercial when I very first started, which would probably have saved me a lot of that debt, but I wasn't interested in doing that kind of thing and, well, y'know. This time it was good enough money and I was just like 'fuck it, it will make my life easier'. I'll tell you, it was a hell of a lot more fun than saying no!" she laughs.

On the topic of Nina showing up in unexpected places, I mention that I really liked 'The Matter', her collaboration with Bryan Hollon, aka Boom Bip, mainly known for his remix work. "He called and was interested in doing a collaboration, but I'm not much of a collaborator when it comes to writing something. I don't really feel comfortable doing that. He sent me some music but I didn't really have the time to figure anything out, which was really awkward."

"It was was a beautiful piece of music but it was really long," she laughs, "and I thought, what can I talk about for that length? So he said you can give me anything, just give me a song and I'll do stuff to it. I had 'The Matter' written already so I gave him it and he did all that stuff over the top of it. It was really fun!"

Perhaps Nina's best known 'collaborator' is Steve Albini, one of indie music's most notorious knob twiddlers, responsible for the sound of PJ Harvey's Rid Of Me and Nirvana's Nevermind. "He's a really lovely person," she says, nodding slowly.

"Kennan and myself were trying to figure out who we wanted to work with. We were listening to records that he recorded and it was exactly the sort of approach we wanted. He's really great at recording everything live. I'm a real pessimist and feel like I can't possibly do anything, but actually he is really accessible. We sent him a little cassette tape and it turned out to be a good choice."

The noise level outside the door increases and Kennan bursts in looking a little worse for wear: "Oh, I'm sorry! Is there any more ice?" he asks, tearing a chunk off a Sainsbury's breadstick. "I'm going to need this! Go back to what you were doing!"

As he staggers back out of the room Nina smirks, and in that weary tone often reserved for those we cherish yet chide says, "He's driving to Brittany in a few hours."

I look around the room, thrown off course for a moment. It seems that the tight space we are occupying is not too dissimilar to the room in which Nina writes, back at home in New York. "I was just thinking I would really like to have a separate place for writing - right now it's the bathroom of my studio apartment - but there's no such thing as something cheap. So for now it's the bathroom, and let me tell you it's getting really small. It was fine for a while but now I can't wait to get out of there!"

Despite a large body of songs hewn out of the fabric of communication, conversations gone awry and arguments lost and won, writing is not, however, a subject that Nina can easily put words to, even in the boozy relaxation of the dressing room. "It's always funny to talk about that kind of thing. There is a particular time in my life when a lot of things I've written have come out of but...I don't really know what to say..."

Perhaps it is easier to say it on record. "Well, I'm working on a new record. It will be with a band. I definitely have people I want to work with...the drummer from The Blackened Air [Jay Bellerose]. He's super busy so I'm just going to have to find a time when he can do it. Also a friend of mine, Paul, we're trying to work something out."

I point out that she has quite a few songs, like the lovely 'Albert's Song', that she often plays but has not released yet. "Yeah, there are a lot of songs floating around that haven't made it onto a record. I just have to see what I have and what will fit."

I suggest a Peel Sessions release, in particular the session with Tuvan throat singing group Huun-Huur-Tu. She laughs uncertainly. "That was a mess! I don't know if I would put that out! But yes, I would like to release one eventually, I'd have to sift through them."

As the noise outside of our underwear-strewn cell becomes almost unbearable, Nina's eyes flit from me to the door. I figure it is time to go. A warm kiss later I free up this engaging yet detached, awkward yet funny songwriter just in time. As I get up from my chair there's a space age ringtone and then, "Hey, where are ya? Noooo, shit! Don't leave! Shit! Is there a bar or something?"

* * *

Chris Catchpole

'Untitled'

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Speaking of great items, their Xbox 360 looks cool and really affordable. I think I could purchase one maybe when I have the money! Their site is really fun to browse because it even has some product reviews which would mean they are guaranteeing you only the best quality products they have. Check them out!

I know I'm changing this an awful lot, but I've settled. My special review will be the album "We Are "IOSYS"", from the band IOSYS.

Well, IOSYS isn't a band, per se. They're a dōjin circle/musical ensemble from Sapporo, Japan. They mainly work with remixes of music from Touhou games, as well as dōjin games. They only release their music through conventions and dōjin channels, so it's a real trial to find their music. Some of their music is absolutely CRAZY, and is really popular in internet circles, so you can hear quite a bit of them on YouTube. If anyone can tell me where to find their music, I'd be really greatful, but as it stands, I only have one album, so that's what I'll be reviewing. However, this won't be the usual kind of special review: They'll be a bit more regular than a normal special review would be, so they won't count as the special review of the month, and they won't be appearing once a month either. However, I can't review them regularly, so they'll be randomly ordered and sporadic to make up for that. As such, Perfume's Complete Best will most likely still be the "Special" Special review.

Side note, I'm looking for the album "Yggdrasil's Toybox" or "Toybox of Yggdrasil", I'm not sure which it is. But it's an album with music based off of the game Etrian Odyssey, which I'm a huge fan of, so if anyone can tell me where I can get it, I'd be really greatful!

I have a review that I've already finished, but am waiting to post, so expect that today! This time it's definite!

We want to make it known that we do not personally know LaDeana Michelle. All we know is that we love her voice! We are now new fans and we love her Keep your Faith song she did for Barack Obama! Here it is from YouTube:

Now, for the reason we posted this.....

Here is LaDeana Michelle singing the Star Spangled Banner! This is a download link to the song:

LaDeana Michelle Singing The Star Spangled Banner

Thanks for listening!

Vicki, Camie and Traci

interrupting yr broadcast: kamila thompson

With her brother Teddy riding high in the album charts after years in the commercial wilderness, dad Richard receiving drooling, insensible praise for his summer festival appearances, and mum Linda still basking in the critical reception for last year's Versatile Heart, Wears The Trousers thought it was high time we caught up with one of our earliest interviewees, Kamila Thompson. It's been three years since we last spoke to the lady with the bright red lipstick and enviable bloodline, and surely that album is long overdue? Sacha Whitmarsh tracked her down to find out what's been keeping her...

* * *

We're at The Troubadour in West London. It's the ultimate live music pub. Sweltering, cavernous basement? Check. Peeling posters on wall for gigs here years ago from bands now playing Wembley? Check. Guy at the bar complaining a little too aggressively that there's no draught bitter? Check. It's the kind of claustrophobic place where even the most militant smoker is probably secretly relieved that no one is allowed to light up.

By way of a reminder that it is 2008 and not 1978, Kamila Thompson quietly picks her way through the crowd onto the stage in spangly leggings and fuck-me heels. There's a quirkiness to her. She has her setlist safely written on her wrist and probably keeps her guitar picks in her hair. While she gently strums a stunning, pink acoustic guitar, she is unexpectedly and intriguingly surly on stage, delivering her mournful tunes in a beautifully deep, brooding voice. A drunken woman rocks like a weeble on her barstool, laughing too loudly and talking, mostly to herself. We can't hear the music very well but we're English so we pin our hopes on a hard stare and a firm clearing of the throat doing the job of shutting the woman up. Polite but futile. Thankfully there's an American in the audience who is willing to break the code and tell her to zip it. Kamila goes one better; suddenly confrontational she snaps, "Is there something you'd like to share with the room?". Deeply satisfying, that attitude.

Tonight she plays a collection of cynical tales of heartache from her forthcoming album Love Lies. As she sneers into the microphone it's clear that in these songs love is most definitely something to be despised and disguarded. The excellent ‘Stormy' eerily begins "There's a dark night falling outside / come and have a look with me", and her vocals are as menacing as the storm itself. There is slight respite with the more upbeat ‘Little Boy Blue', but still the focus is on the pain of longing and parting. Love is firmly in the past tense.

Kamila is probably as early in her career as the other acts playing tonight, but has an air of confidence which somehow sets her apart from them. Her background might have done something to instil that confidence. Daughter of folk legends Richard and Linda Thompson and friends with musical marvels like Martha and Rufus Wainwright and Sean Lennon, it seems inevitable that she would follow the same path and start writing and performing herself.

Comparisons with her parents are inevitable. Yes, Kamila was the child who had just been born when Richard left, resulting in Linda's well documented emotional and behavioural nosedive. Kamila was largely brought up by her grandmother in the early years. She talks cheerfully of her childhood although alludes briefly to spending "lost weekends" with her father. She gives a slight shudder as she recalls the melancholy of divorced parents syndrome: weekend visitations to your home that isn't really your home. Perhaps not unconnected, there's something far more ‘of the night' about Kamila's songs compared with her parents' more straightforward folk. 

One of her newest compositions is painful in its pessimism, lamenting "Oh world, why you wanna break my heart?" It's beautifully painful, though. In fact, lines like "All that I found, when the rainbow hit the ground, was dirt / and now I feel so let down" make her outlook quite addictive. Listening to this track I'm reminded of how early Smiths songs made us all want to indulge in and gorge on our misery, not pull ourselves up out of it. Kamila's just on the Keats and Yeats side of the cemetery gates, I guess. Even ‘Nice Cars', a song about her mother which has a great sense of humour, is sung like a sad love song. Its affection is bittersweet.

We meet one sunny Friday afternoon, both of us slightly worse for wear, I ask whether Love Lies is, as the title suggests, an angry tale of heartache. She's slightly elusive in her response: "Maybe it's because I'm in one of my pragmatic phases but I do think it's hard to see the point...or maybe I'm still slightly singed by the last...". She trails off, then starts again: "I think I don't have many positive views on love. I'm sure it's lovely, but it just sort of smacks of dependence to me. Someone's always going to get hit by a bus and then where are you?"

Okay. Despite all this, she actually comes across as quite a positive person. "I think there's really silly, verbal diarrhoea Kam, or this really intense Kam. I oscillate wildly between "Oh look babies! Oh babies are so great" to "Oh god, children! Who has children?"

Love Lies is produced by Martha's husband Brad Albetta and it's laden with celebrity credits. Guest musicians include Martha, of course, Sean Lennon, Steve Schiltz from New York band Longwave plus Matt Johnson on drums. Oh, and Teddy and Richard Thompson, naturally. There are undoubtedly huge benefits to such connections, but I wonder whether they bring extra pressure with them? Is there an element of competition amongst all of you? Kamila's response is nothing but positive: "Maybe it's just ‘cos I'm the youngest of the batch but I certainly don't feel like I'm in competition with them. They're very supportive of what I do and they're great, we all hang out, get drunk and sing songs round the proverbial campfire. I'm very inspired by them; I love their music, especially Martha. It's just so nice to be able to hang out with people whose music you really love and it's nice getting to talk through things with them, use them as sounding boards."

And although she believes her parent's career won't derail her own, she knows there are down sides. She says of Sean Lennon, "If he was just some kid he'd probably get better press. I think [it's hard] when your parents are that famous - I mean his dad was like Jesus, basically, as far as a lot of people are concerned! And Jakob Dylan, he made a good record, he's a good musician, but if you're Bob Dylan's son you might think ‘hmm, maybe I'll just be a lawyer'. Then again he is the best looking person I've ever seen ever so if I was him I would have just sat around being really good looking saying ‘yep this is what I'm gonna do with my life'."

As our hangovers kick in, our conversation strays all over the show, but with every erratic twist and turn in subject matter, Kamila's stories always include somebody famous, at some point. The list is endless, believe me. I ask her about touring with Sean Lennon. "I don't remember how I met Sean. I met him independently of everyone else, at a bar or a party somewhere. I was in New York and his support act pulled out and I think we'd seen each other the night before and he was like ‘quick, get on the tour bus!'"

Amazingly she's not at all blasé to the thrills of it. She talks excitedly about working Matt Johnson: "He used to play with Jeff Buckley. He's like my favourite singer, ever. He was the person I was most excited about when he came into the studio. I got really dorky around him but he was a really sweet guy."

You've probably heard Kamila before. She sings on Martha's recent album: hers are the hauntingly deep, chocolatey backing vocals low (naturally) in the mix on 'Jesus & Mary'. "I remember going into the studio to do one of the sessions on Martha's album with Rufus on a track that didn't end up going on it. And Rufus went ‘So, just sing this note ‘Ahhh' (really high screech) and I was like, ‘oh God!'. I think I just naturally like singing lower. I like writing more maudlin stuff".

She also performed on stage during Martha's star-studded show at London's Royal Festival Hall back in May, which I wrongly assume was a terrifying experience. "I have very specific nerves about performing," she says. "I don't get nervous about doing a show so much, but sometimes one thing'll make me nervous, like if there's someone in or if it's contingent on me doing well, or if my mum's within a five mile radius."

So is her mum's presence more intimidating than supportive? "It is a little because she's a musician, but also ‘cos she had such trouble with her own stage fright [Linda suffered from 'hysterical dysphonia', a sort of über-stage fright where your vocal cords tighten so much you can't make a sound]. She couldn't sing for, like, 15 years or something. So she gets super nervous watching us and you can just tell she's in the room ‘cos there's a big cloud of nerves! But also, of course, I want her to pat me on the back...

I don't get nervous. I'm sort of fine doing bigger stuff. You can't see people's faces. If I'd had a cup of coffee before I went on I might have got spooked. I can't do coffee after one. Sends me into complete caffeine anxiety. I love tea. And I can sometimes have a coffee in the morning. I need to do everything at once, and I can't do anything because of that. For somebody whose body is so not a temple it's amazing the effect that caffeine has on me!"

She's seen a lot of the world already but talks about wanting to see more, Japan and China in particular. She's got tons of connections in New York and also lived in LA: "When I was 19 I lived there for a while. I lived there for nearly a year. In stints. I was going out with a guy there and I really wanted to be there and I had a...I was going to say I had a gap year but I didn't. I just spent a lot of time when I should have been at university in LA. The fact that I retrospectively think I had a gap year should be adequate indication of how much I put into my studies. Hmmm. California is great. Everyone's having a really great day and they want you to have a really great day too. I love that, and I don't care if it's insincere. I love it! But it grates on me slightly, as a grumpy English person." 

For now she's just happy being in sunny London. "When the sun comes out here, you just immediately have a great day...it just makes you happy. I love all the girls - it's just slightly warm and everyone's out in their hotpants and bra tops. I used to be such a nature bunny when I was a kid but now I'm not. North London even feels too rural. Too much heath! I would, at this point in my life, go mental if I moved to the country. It's not for me yet."

Kamila's next step is to put a band together and hopefully do some more dates around the UK. I ask her whether her aim is to keep doing small shows or try and get a big support slot to see the world and play to larger audiences. "Supports are great. So long as you get a good match, they're great. You just get a room full of people who are predisposed to like you, if it's been well thought through. I love supports and you don't have the stress of being the headliner, and it's generally loads of fun. But I see those as a route to having bigger headlining shows.

"The bottom line is I'll do what I'm f-ing told! TGI Fridays you say? 6pm slot? Six-year-old's birthday party? I'll be there!"

* * *

Sacha Whitmarsh

Interview for DigForFire.tv

There are positives to agreeing to such work for no remuneration, beyond the occasional cost covered that is. Connections mean everything in the music industry - it's an old but true adage that it's not what but who you know - and it's possible that whoever is brought in by DiS will worm their way into the industry successfully. Past employees proper have gone on to run labels and work at management companies, and earn a crust, so the idea that DiS can be a stepping stone is a valid one. Here's hoping the trend holds true for me.

Also, if you're truly into music in its myriad forms, the material you'll be exposed to will be like a dream come true. Without working within the industry there would be loads of favourite bands I'd have missed: of the right now, that's acts like Nadja, Pyramids and Calories. On the downside, those rose tints will soon turn a shade of grey, as it's easy to become a cynic, sceptical of every act's motives. You will question ties with particular companies, and develop something of a competitive streak: in the world of online music coverage, first is everything.

There's no such thing, really, as an online exclusive unless you chase it - provisions from PR companies exist as exclusives for seconds, minutes maybe, as blogs x y and z link to your site, or simply lift the relevant code. It's a 24/7 deal - during my two-year full-time tenure at DiS I never switched off - even on holiday, on a hillside in Scotland, I was taking calls about the booking of a DiS gig, and organising for writers to attend certain gigs. It takes a determined mindset to make it in music journalism, in terms of editorial/full-time positions, and most interns will fall by the wayside at great speed. Friends of mine have caved in, and they've gone into such roles with plenty of experience. It can simply be too much for many.

Also, interns demand a lot of time from employees proper - I was always reluctant to take them on as DiS consumed almost all of my time per day, except for a 30-minute stop for lunch. I didn't have time to show whoever came in the ropes properly - their experience was delivered in drops rather than rivers, and as such thumbs were left to twiddle. Whoever goes into DiS to help out should expect to do this, unless the idea is to truly strip back the content on the site to but a few news stories per day, and perhaps one feature and one review.

There are interesting points made by former DiS writer and current in-house NME bod Ben Patashnik on the DiS 'advertorial' piece, accessible here. I agree with much of what he says, but it is very rare for anything substantial to come from an unpaid placement. If the successful candidate really mucks in, above the call of duty, they may find their place in a shrinking industry. But most people just want a few free records and a name on their CV.

The point? Don't walk in blindly, I suppose. From the outside looking in the idea of writing about music for a living must seem phenomenally attractive, but once that thrill subsides it really is Just Another Job. It has perks, but so do all positions - just depends on what constitutes an appealing bonus in your book. Be prepared for the hard grind, the toil and what feels like the weight of the world to be heaped atop you. But trust me too when I say: it'll feel amazing when you make that mark and the rewards come your way (and I do not mean monetary ones - if that's what you're after: wrong business for you!).

BTW: I have never done an unpaid internship outside of university, where it was part of the course, and strongly advise those not living with parents/those who can cover bills to not do it. It will drain your reserves, emotionally and financially, and chances are that nothing will come of it (certainly not enough to repay what you put in). If you're still keen (I do recommend it to students with financial support), you know where to go.

Further reading:

Eikongraphia

'Ask the experts'

A proper pros and cons article

With the High Def vs. Blu-ray format war is over, Blu-ray has decisively won the standard for high definition. Hence, Sony is now on a mission to creating $200-$300 ( P8,200 - P12,300) affordable Blu-ray DVD players by 2009. For this year, Playstation 3 (P15,000 or up ) still holds the most affordable Blu-ray DVD player that you can find in our market - Here's one reason to get the PS3 this year.

With the PS3 prices going down, plus the upcoming releases of the most awaited games (MGS4, Gran Turismo 5, Street Fighter IV) and the numbers of 3RROD piling-up on Xbox 360s console, Playstation 3 will definitely get Filipinos to make the big jump to the Blu-ray caravan this year. I, for one, am definitely hunting now for the best PS3 deal across Manila, these searches also includes retail stores, Tipidpc.com, sulit.com.ph and ebay.ph. For those people planning to stay-at-home and enjoy movie marathons instead of the usual summer vacation, try checking the Blu-ray experience and be amazed on its clarity and sound quality. Although the Blu-ray movies are a little bit pricey as of the moment, I’m pretty sure that its just a matter of time these things will drop prices.

Hence for this summer, the Playstation 3 is my choice as the all-purpose entertainment console with features that extend beyond the realm of gameplay. Although it is a bit pricey at first, but when you start comparing its cost to a stand alone Blu-ray DVD player, I think it's worth the purchase.

Jonathan Yu is the Marketing Officer of the top Apple retailer in the Philippines - PowerMac Center.

CUTLINE: Kwang Ho Sohn takes a smoke break while creating his angelic sculptures adjacent to his tailor shop Aug. 26 in Nashua. Sohn had moved from Keene four years earlier and has been acclaimed by his work.

BACK STORY: Kwang Ho Sohn has been making angels for a little under a decade. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, an acclaimed fashion designer, he turned his sights to the States and concentrating his soul to plaster and copper mesh life-sized creations. His angels are unique and has been acclaimed by magazines and press. However, Sohn is quite quiet about raising attention to himself and his creations. He says he's in it for himself and amid the 42 produced is more interested in reaching his goal of 100 and creating a museum dedicated to his collection.

TECH SPECS: f/2.8, 1/30, IS0 1250, 22mm

THOUGHTS: I met Sohn when I was passing downtown in my car to see his museum-like tailor shop. I had passed by his shop hundreds of times but didn't actually stop until a few weeks ago on Aug. 8. I found out he was a shy, hard-working, wonderful Korean man with a gift and passion for creating with his hands. Originally a fashion designer, he makes angelic creations that people all over town come to see. I was pleased when I saw this shot. I had about three smoking shots from this take and really liked the complimentary colors involved. In the end this was used in the closer for my still slideshow.

THOUGHTS ON THE VIDEO (posting later): I wasn't quite certain how this production would all lay out in the end. To be quite honest, after reviewing the images with Don, my editor, he was pleased with the images but not sure about the audio. My microphone's cord busted during the first take and I had to scramble for a quick interview on Wednesday. Luckily I was able to come up with a solution despite me not having an ounce of b-roll to show for it. I had to listen to the track about five times before I could grammatically decypher all that was said. In the end I think his broken English adds to the unique nature of his character and his creations. Such a wonderful man. I'm honored to have told his story.

Issue of Sept. 5, 2008

Most parents of young children share the common experience of the stressful morning rush to the school bus and the after-school challenge of getting everyone’s homework done. But Jessie Fischbein, a mother of three from Far Rockaway, has never driven a carpool or attended a parent teacher conference, and her children have never spent a day in the classroom. Outside their home, that is.

Fischbein homeschools her two older children, Sarah, who is technically entering eighth grade, and Chana, who is going into second grade.

“I was never planning to do it, I think I actually fell into it,” said Fischbein, describing how she became involved in homeschooling.

Fischbein was originally hired to teach a friend’s child who was “very inquisitive and curious,” she recalled. “It was just so much fun to follow his mind and how he learned and I thought it was a nice way of learning.”
From there, the group expanded to include her daughters and several others. At one point, there was a second teacher, a friend of Fischbein’s who was helping out. Eventually, the other children matriculated into the regular school system, but Fischbein decided to continue educating her children on her own.

“I started by teaching my own children how to read and every year we just keep going and building from there,” she said.

Other homeschoolers, such as Rochel Leah Itzkowitz of Elizabeth, NJ, originally sent the first six of her eight children to school and later decided to take them out for several reasons.

“I started homeschooling in 2003, because we had a lot of kids in school, the teachers weren’t always that great and the kids came home with tons of homework,” Itzkowitz explained. “On top of that, it was very expensive and we just didn’t feel that it was the only way to go.”

Prior experience working as an assistant teacher helped Itzkowitz decide that she was qualified for the task of homeschooling.

“If a veteran teacher trusted me to teach the kids in school, apparently I can handle it to some degree,” she said. “But, I wanted my kids to know that there had to be schedules and responsibilities, with books, tests and homework. We’re not ‘unschoolers.’”

The Itzkowitz’s living room has been cleaned out and converted into a classroom. The morning is dedicated to Hebrew subjects, loosely modeled on the curriculum of local yeshivas. Secular subjects are studied from an English curriculum provided by the Calvert school, including lessons, homework (incorporated into the lessons), reviews and tests, which are mailed away and marked by an outside authority. The students receive grades and transcripts that allow them to move up a grade each year, like a regular accredited private school.

For the older kids, the lessons amount to what can be compared to independent study, with Itzkowitz acting as a proctor to guide them and explain anything they can’t grasp on their own, while she spends more time teaching the younger children.

Fridays are more relaxed, and are often dedicated to home economics, arts and crafts projects and trips.
Fischbein has a more laid-back style of teaching. When she first began, she felt that her daughters needed an organized schedule, making sure to cover each subject for equal amounts of time. But now, “every year it gets less and less structured,” she observed. “As time went on, I realized there are just a few things I need to stay on top of...Everything falls into place with a little more time or extra tutoring.”

There is no homework and no tests. Fischbein explained that she teaches her daughters, one on one, at their own pace from a curriculum that she created, focusing more on subjects which interest them at different stages of their education.

“Some years we can work more on one subject than another subject and leave it for a different year when they would be more inclined or able to do it,” she said.

For Judaic studies, Fischbein teaches her own curriculum and the girls completed sefer Vayikra this summer. This year, she plans to cover Bamidbar and Devarim. For secular subjects, they follow a math curriculum from fourth to eighth grade and take books and readers out of the library for English. Science is taught almost completely through hands-on experiments, complemented by field trips to museums and workshops.

“I had my daughter read Rashi for a rabbi at one point, like a bechina to see where she was at, but the secular studies I don’t really worry about,” Fischbein elaborated. “They take a standardized test at the end of every year to show that they’ve completed a year’s worth of secular material.”

Though they are happy to homeschool, both Fischbein and Itzkowitz concede that it is a disadvantage for their children in terms of their social lives and ability to foster relationships.

“They have expressed interest in going to school, more for social reasons, and they sometimes miss that,” said Itzkowitz. She explained that since they did attend regular school for several years, they still maintain relationships with friends from there, and to stay connected, her son attends the hockey practices of the team at his former yeshiva.

“Most people ask about socialization,” said Fischbein. “It really hasn’t been a problem until more recently. As her [Sarah’s] friends began going to school, she has more of a dearth of friends now, and friends moved away so it’s harder for her.”

The Fischbeins also belong to a homeschooling network called LIGHT, Long Islanders Growing at Home Together, which organizes outings and workshops for homeschooled children and their parents to participate in and discuss their mutual experiences.

Though she does have friends, Sarah has expressed a desire to attend high school next year, and according to her mother, has said that she wants to “hang out with 10 girls every day all day.”

“But, if she doesn’t like it, she can always come back home,” said Fischbein.

Well, I have to say that I’ve had some very interesting responses to the piece I wrote regarding my colonoscopy.

A friend of mine told me he could not believe I had written about it and printed it in the paper — “Clearly you don’t really know me,” I responded. My poor husband is thoroughly convinced that there is now nothing this community does not know about me and a couple of people asked me, tongue in cheek, how I was feeling.

One person I saw told me that her husband had his first colonoscopy the same week I had written the article and was feeling a bit down about the entire procedure until he read the paper and was able to really laugh. I was very happy to hear that — sometimes, you just have to laugh and I like to find the humor in anything I can.

The most interesting response, however, was from my editor, Mayer, who said, “Who knows, Miriam, maybe writing about it will get someone else who has been pushing it off to go have one.” I had not thought much about his comment until I ran into a woman I know.

When I first saw her, she looked at me a little askance and since she is someone who really has seen it all, I could not imagine what the look was for. “That was a pretty interesting article you wrote the other week, Miriam,” she said. “Oh, about the colonoscopy?” I asked and she said, “Yes, but aren’t you too young to be having one?” No, I responded, as it was not my first, calling myself a ‘repeat offender.’

She then looked at me sheepishly and said, “I’ve never had one — I’ve been avoiding it.”

Shocked, I told her she needed to just get it done. “You don’t think I know that?” she replied. “You don’t think I keep hearing that from my doctor?”

I listened to her fears and concerns about the procedure, all of which were entirely legitimate, but regardless, I told her what she already knew — she had to just do it.

Mayer’s comment rang in my ears. Over and over again I could hear his voice in my head, repeating that — what would now seem to be — clairvoyant line. So on my way out of the office, I went back to her and wrote down my cell number on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

“Call me,” I said, as she looked at me, a bit stunned. “I will walk you through it, I’ll help you finish the drink and I’ll take you the appointment — but you need to do this.”

She smiled and we talked a couple of minutes longer and then I had to go.

“The offer is real,” I added, as I said good-bye and closed the door behind me.

Who knows? I’ll take her and maybe she’ll take someone else one day. Stranger things have happened. And while this town may seem a bit claustrophobic at times, there’s something to say for a place where everybody knows your name.

MLW

By Ayala Cohen

Issue of Sept. 5, 2008

You can hear profanity everywhere these days: in the office, at the supermarket, on the train. The other day I heard a mother say some unmentionable words at the playground, in front of her two-year-old and four-year-old. I used to approach people who were cursing and ask them to please cut out the language because it offended me. But the foul language has become so pervasive that I’ve basically given up.

The work environment is especially rife with bad language. During my first job in Manhattan, I was shocked at the type of language that I heard coworkers using regularly throughout the business day. When my colleagues saw me wincing at their language, they did try to curb it a bit in my presence (being known as the religious girl does have its advantages sometimes), but I still overheard plenty of loud phone conversations that were laced with obscenities. Over the years, the language around the office seems to have gotten worse, and mostly coworkers don’t even bother to restrain themselves in my presence.

Even the nation’s role models have adopted this form of coarse and crude language. Celebrities and sports figures regularly mouth off in front of the cameras, forcing the television censors to cut the entire interview or to bleep out whole streams of consciousness to avoid fines from the FCC. (Incidentally, certain words that used to be prohibited on television are now allowed.) A local New York news anchorwoman recently had to apologize to viewers for saying a choice word after she mistakenly thought she was off the air. Video of her gaffe was popular on YouTube for days afterward. The U.S. military is not exactly known as a bastion for refined language, hence the expression “swearing like a sailor.”

But our politicians have been getting in on the act as well. Vice President Dick Cheney, before he was vice president, was known to spew certain four-letter words at his political opponents on the Senate floor. His spicy language did not prevent him from being selected as Vice President. Furthermore, President Bush had an incident in July of 2006, where he expressed his frustration in a vulgar way during a summit with fellow world leaders. His unguarded comments were picked up by an open microphone and overheard by gleeful journalists.

What ever happened to the old courtesy of “I would never say such words in front of women and children?” I don’t see many men practicing such restraint these days. And the women are just as bad. I’ve heard women saying things that would make a sailor blush. Didn’t their mothers ever threaten to wash out their mouths with soap for using such language? Apparently not. That practice probably went out with the horse and buggy. These days the emphasis is on freedom of expression, even at the expense of anyone who is forced to overhear those expressions.

What exactly is wrong with using profane language? The dictionary defines the word “profane” as “characterized by irreverence or contempt for G-d or sacred principles or things; irreligious.” Many curse words are actually blasphemous in nature, especially the ones that include the name of G-d.

But the other definition of profanity is the one that I’ll elaborate on here. The secondary definition of profane is “common, vulgar.” Using foul language degrades us to the level of commonness and vulgarity. Lacing a conversation with curse words reveals a poor vocabulary, or sheer laziness in finding words to describe frustration, annoyance and anger. The English language does not lack descriptive words. Rather people who constantly use profanity lack imagination and creativity in their choice of words.

Finally, expressing yourself with four-letter words is a very infantile form of expression. Imagine if I went around all day saying words like “cocky, doody and pishy.” People would either think I was insane, or that sadly I never progressed past the maturity level of a five-year-old. The same principle applies to cussing. An adult who has a potty mouth seems to the world like an overgrown baby.

As we send our kids back to school, I make my case for clean language. Please guard your tongue and be careful in your choice of words, especially around children. Kids will repeat anything you say; kids will repeat anything you say. You wouldn’t want your children to wear dirty clothing or carry a rotten lunch into school every day; do you really want them bringing vulgar words into the classroom?

Ayala Cohen is Media Research Manager at Johnson & Johnson, wife to magician Binyamin (Ben) Cohen and mother of three.

Issue of Sept. 5, 2008

A recent New York Times article posed the following question to the gold winners at this year’s Olympics: Where do you go once you’ve got the gold medal? What next after you’ve managed to hit the dream? The same question, albeit in a non-sporting context, could be posed to Morris Smith, a 51-year-old Lawrence resident and former head of the Magellan Fund.

The answer in Smith’s mind seems to be: only upward.

“I’ve never viewed it as a peak,” he said during a recent interview, conducted over the phone while he was driving. “From the perspective of managing money, I accomplished my goals. It isn’t the end-purpose in life. There are a lot of other things out there.”

Smith took over the Magellan Fund in 1990 from Magellan Fund stalwart Peter Lynch. Under Lynch’s tenure, the fund had become America’s premier mutual fund, shooting up from $20 million under management to $13 billion. During Smith’s two-year tenure, the fund nearly doubled in value to $20 billion.

Smith retired in 1992 to focus on, as Wikipedia puts it, “a religious lifestyle.”

After his retirement, he spent a few years learning in Israel and returned to New York in 1999. He gets up every morning at 3:30 a.m., learns for most of the day, does some outside consulting work, and spends time with his five children and his grandchildren (he says it’s a lucky day when he gets a nap).

He was also involved in Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s $30 million financing agreement, helping to arrange low-interest, tax-exempt NYC Industrial Development Authority bonds, which paid off $7 million in old debt and will guarantee cash flow during the school’s construction.

Smith’s proudest public accomplishment since leaving the Magellan Fund is The Torah Conferencing Network, a system of sites that transmit 50 to 60 shiurim every year by popular lecturers like Rabbi Yissacher Frand, Rabbi Yisroel Reisman and Shira Smiles. The shiurim are made available to local organizations for a fee; a fee that, thanks to a move from satellite to Internet technologies, is steadily decreasing. Since its inception five years ago, the network has driven down cost from $125 for an hour of programming to roughly $9 per hour.

“I think that someone who’s interested in growing can do it on a global network,” Smith said.

He credits the success of the network — which, unlike most non-profits, is safely in the black — to a dedicated and hardworking staff. Lectures are now being broadcast in over 90 sites, including Amsterdam, Australia and South Africa, with 10 sites just in New Jersey. Average programming for the network runs to 20 hours per month and, according to Smith, is constantly expanding.

In conversation Smith exudes a sheepish sense of self-examining modesty. He says the most valuable lesson he’s learned is to stay focused on a single goal, be it at the top of a financial empire or in a Beis Medrash. In terms of other goals for the uber-financier-turned-global-Torah-network-executive?

“I just try to be as good a person in this world as possible,” he said before cutting the interview short to pick up his mother before Shabbat.

Issue of Sept. 5, 2008

A barbeque pool party for women held in Woodmere last week raised funds for Hachnasat Kallah in memory of Shari Siman-Tov, who passed away several years ago after battling breast cancer.

The event was held by the Ner Sarah fund, an organization run in Siman-Tov’s memory by her daughter, Ariella Siman-Tov, of Woodmere, and her friend, Lisi Stahler, of Lawrence.

An earlier event, a pre-Shavuot bake sale at the Siman-Tov home, raised nearly $10,000 for scholarships for young women who wish to study in Israel. The Ner Sarah fund also sponsors a weekly Sunday night shiur at Congregation Sharei Emuna, on Peninsula and Oakland Avenues in Cedarhurst.

To receive an e-mail notification of the next shiur speaker, topic and time, send an email request to NerSarah@NerSarahProject.com or go online to www.nersarahproject.com.

Donations in Shari Siman-Tov’s memory can also be sent to the Shari Siman-Tov Memorial Fund at Chai Lifeline, 151 West 30th Street, New York, New York 10001, attention Mr. Samuel Zaks.

woman will be woman: Minister Hisila Yami (L) may be gossiping something with Sita Daha (wife of PM) during an launching of ABC television.

interrupting yr broadcast: rose kemp

It's fair to say that ornithology is not my strong suit. I couldn't tell a sparrow from a skylark, a chickenhawk from a Peregrine falcon. I would, however, like to think I could distinguish between a crow and a magpie. How shaming to discover I had failed to do so when discussing the amazing artwork for Rose Kemp's staggeringly good new album Unholy Majesty, out this week. One for embarrassment, two for oh boy. Luckily Rose is just about the nicest lady you could wish to meet so we quickly shrugged that off and got into the nitty gritty of what really counts: the music.

From fey folk maiden to genre-mashing rock vocal powerhouse in just three albums, Rose Kemp's bloody-minded determination to succeed on her own terms has been remarkably effective. She may not be the discerning household name her parents once were – Rose is the daughter of Steeleye Span legends Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp – but integrity-wise she's our new hero. Talking to her you just know that Rose lives, breathes and, quite possibly, eats music. For breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's in her blood. Unholy Majesty is an album of awe-inspiring breadth and artistry, taking in everything from intense doom metal to simple piano balladry, absorbing some progressive rock along the way and still leaving room for the occasional flourish of Celtic folk.

Simultaneously tough and tender, straight-talking and oblique, Rose is a fascinating woman, an inspiring creator and a good laugh to boot. She's on tour from next week. Read the interview, listen to the songs, and buy your ticket with haste.

* * *

The new album, Unholy Majesty, seems to be surrounded by much darker imagery than A Hand Full Of Hurricanes. Did you deliberately set out to make a heavier record this time?
Yes is the short answer. I'll elaborate! I had been working on my guitar sound a lot over the past year or so and when I was happy with it, it was time to make an album and not before! I have heard Burning Witch and Iron Monkey now! After that there was little chance of me being able to stay where I was musically. It deeply affected me. I had discovered horrible and harrowing music, made for the purpose of healing, pleasure and satisfaction, and it was what I had been searching for, for so long.

I love the photo of you on Myspace with the Kiss-style makeup! Is it liberating to be able to amplify the darker aspects of your personality?
Kiss-style. Ha ha. Any music I have ever done has been mostly or completely on my terms and so I am very free and fulfilled with all that I create. I stopped drinking and started eating properly, and I don't smoke anymore, and last year I rediscovered my first love and discipline, Cecchetti ballet. So I can feel my childhood creativity is slowly growing back along with my brain cells. In the past I only ever wore make-up with a large dose of irony on the side, but now I see it as something to do now that I have few vices and I use it to make things a bit more clear for my audience, and likewise for people who aren't familiar with what I do. It is the only time I have ever looked like I sound.

Tell us about the album artwork. The image of the crow and the blood is striking to say the least. Who drew it?
Erm *cough* it's erm...that's a magpie! It's awesome isn't it? I love it. The boldness and the intricacies of the record were captured really well I thought. Glyn at Scrawled Designs did all of the artwork, he is known as a rock poster artwork guy mainly but he is a very clever illustrator with good design sense too. The imagery on the inside cover is of a crow and a dove separating because it was thought that, in ye olden days, that was what a magpie was made from.

This is slightly old news, but I couldn't find any info online so here goes. What provoked your drastic change in direction after Glance? 
I didn't really cite a change of direction after Glance. If Glance had been produced the way I was suggesting at the time it would have sounded more coherent in the time line and Glance would have been the departure from the a cappella album before, you see? Still, rarely does anything go quite the way you plan and even rarer is the timing right in musical matters! It has been about 8 years since I recorded Glance so there is bound to be many changes, or one would hope so anyway. If I were still making the same records, I would expect you to call me up on it!

A lot of your songs seem to progress through several complex passages, almost like movements. Do you think this shows something of your prog influences?
Well, I listen to a heck of a lot of prog so I would suppose so. I was hoping it would rub off on me one day! Actually, truth be told, I've always just liked messing about with the concept of ‘the song'. Most people alarmingly just stick to what people were doing in the '60s, which gets on my wick frankly. I am massively inspired by bands who do various types of 15-minute instrumental epics, but am personally still happy to keep finding my own way and letting their sounds rather than their structures seep in to what I do.

There aren't many women out there fusing folk and metal influences into the kind of catchy, arty rock you're making. Who do you consider to be your peers?
I wish I knew, then I could do what everyone else in the world does and get a support slot on tour with them, get them to champion me and sign to their label and appeal to exactly the same fans and sell records and be able to make a few more albums! My advice is, don't do what I've done. Just copy someone else bar-for-bar and then ask them if you can support on their world tour, get a deal with their label, and Bob will indeed be your uncle. DO NOT CREATE, IT'S BAD FOR BUSINESS!

Are there any other women emerging from the Bristol underground scene we should be aware of?
Erm...erm...Rozi Plain has just made a cute album for Fence Records.

Who would win in a loop pedal war between you and KT Tunstall?
Ha ha. Funniest question yet. The only dignified answer to that is that I hope we would both be fighting using a more worthwhile piece of equipment! I only ever used mine for multi-layering vocals because arranging vocal harmonies is one of my lifelong passions and I didn't have any other singers to take around with me on tour (it's tricky to find flight cases for them). I WOULD NEVER use it to beat percussion in to ‘recreate' a ‘band' sound, the whole overuse of the ‘one-man band' element has not aged well! I have found a way to get round the no singers thing now though, more news on that next year. I would like to think I would be the winner of a vocal duel, however!

For Unholy Majesty you worked with Biffy Clyro producer Chris Sheldon. What did he bring to the project?
He brought organisation, good use of time and telling me when we had the take and against my instincts that I should stop singing now! Frankly he is just completely fabulous darling! That's what he would want me to say! He just makes everything sound amazing. I wanted to work with him because he just gets that sound without losing the sound that me and the band spend every waking hour perfecting. Man is a legend. End of.

Can you tell us a bit about the first single, 'Nanny's World'? What's the inspiration behind that?
'Nanny's World' partly refers to the so called ‘nanny state' that the current government have handed to us, what people often gloss over is that we took it, we lapped it up. We love health and safely, when it suits us, but when it doesn't, well, that's a different story! Also it encompasses things such as the phrases which are a device to make people uncomfortable. I had no idea anyone would want to use it as a single! It is also partly about my own family break-up following my parents' divorce and the fact that my heart will always belong to the English countryside. It is about many, many different things.

Having listened to the whole album, I have to say that ‘Flawless' really stood out. To have such a powerful piano ballad in the midst of all the anger and energy really worked for me. Is this song very specific to you or do you think women in general come under too much pressure to conform to a certain appearance and lifestyle?
It is really about the music business, or rather the direction it took when TV finally realised a few years ago that ‘the kids like music' and simultaneously the major labels started going down the pan, and so the sheer amounts of pointless, but clean, tripe we are fed on TV and radio now is frankly sick. The song is just a very heartfelt, very simple song that is arranged to be accessible so everyone will know that I don't want to be clean and easy and Disney and indie-straight-tie-clean-shirt-car-advert or glockenspiel-acoustic-pointless-nonsense. It's just a final statement to everyone in the business who has ever pushed me to conform to some safe ideal of a saleable woman figure and said it's for my own good, or "everyone will like you better this way", or "you can't fight the way the business is" etc etc etc. 'Flawless' just very simply and very quietly says, "OK, that's fine but I don't want to work with you and I don't want any part of what you call music".

‘Vacancies' is also an incredibly powerful, punishing song. Your vocal is so strong, it sounds as if you're actually dredging the sound up right from your bile duct. How did you learn to manipulate your voice like that?
I am so glad you asked that. I am really pleased with the level of EPIC we managed to get into 'Vacancies' in all of the arrangement. Also, I have been working my bile duct off these past couple of years expanding my breath capacity and my range by warming up properly every day and exploring the resonance my body can actually create. I also cite giving up smoking and drinking and writing beyond my capabilities all the time. It's the same mentality as buying a dress that's obviously too small and saying "I'll lose a bit more weight and get into it by summer". The only difference is, I have to be able to sing/play whatever piece it is by the time I next go on stage! I constantly push myself. As you know, I have never been one for slouching around in an ill-fitting plaid shirt pretending I don't have to try and it all comes naturally, because this kind of thing very clearly doesn't. It comes through practice and guile. I'm so glad you noticed!

Do you have any particular favourites from the album yourself?
'Wholeness Sounds' and 'Vacancies' and 'The Unholy'...and 'Dirty Glow', and the intro to 'Flawless'. It's fair to say I am ecstatic with the whole thing you know? I am very pleased with how it all came out. Sheldon hadn't heard a lot of the tracks when we started the first day with him tracking at the studio so all of myself and the band's pre-production paid off!

You seem to be completely in your element when performing live. How does it make you feel to be able to convey the passion in these songs with such energy?
It makes me feel like a living, breathing, transient being with a purpose! It is my gift and I am glad there are those who delight in receiving it.

What are you planning for your September tour? Any surprises in store?
Well if I told you about it now, it'd be a rubbish surprise wouldn't it!

* * *

Alan Pedder

Maybe when I start doing Etsy full time, I'll have more time to do it again... :D

voice on the verge #18: saint saviour

listen to Saint Saviour on Myspace

Things you think you don't need but really you do: (1) the world's biggest teapot; (2) a McCain–Palin fridge magnet; (3) yet another cover of Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'. Bear with us on the last one. Better known for parading around stages wearing various spangly outfits and looking terribly relevant glamorously pouting with a keytar as lead singer of The RGBs, Becky Jones has come over all tremulous and sensitive for her debut solo single, out this week on iTunes and as a limited edition 7-inch vinyl. Originally conceived as a choral arrangement and toured around London's independent cinemas upon the release of Anton Corbin's 'Control', the much-praised cover hits all the right buttons. Matching Charlotte Martin in the earnestness stakes, it's undeniably beautiful but, to these ears, is actually bettered by the original tracks, 'Fallen Trees' and 'I Like To Hide', also on the single. Saint Saviour's agitated trilling works gorgeously in these understated, ghostly songs and mark this solo project out as one to watch. Speaking of watching, check out the video for 'Fallen Trees' below and acquaint yourself better with Becky as she answers our questionnaire...

* * *

What were you like at school?
I was a painfully shy weirdo kid who lurked about the back of the sports hall smoking.

What did you listen to when you were growing up?
Jimi Hendrix, Dire Straits, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Carole King, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye, The Pogues, Lauren Hill, Dr Dre, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, The Sex Pistols, A Tribe Called Quest, Eurythmics.

Who was your childhood idol?
My childhood hero was Doogie Howser. Deffo.

What did you want to be until you decided to become a musician...if you ever did ‘decide' that is!
I really wanted to be a fashion designer. I had books and books of my designs and I don't have a clue where they are. Dammit.

What would you be if you weren't a musician
Having seen the fashion industry first hand, I'd run a greasy spoon.

Who was the first person/band you saw in concert?
Supergrass, and I was blown a-way. Big time.

What would you tell your 18-year-old self if you could go back in time?
Chill out!

What's the biggest guilty pleasure in your record collection?
I don't feel any guilt for anything I've got really, but I do have to double check my company when stuff like ‘La Danse Macabre' by Saint Saens comes on. I have a lot of ‘diverse' stuff on my iPod. I've never listened to anything really embarrassing. Tell a lie, I have every Thin Lizzy album ever, but I inherited them. Honest.

Tell us about your favourite instrument...
My favourite instrument is my piano. A very, very special person gave me an old electric one about four years ago and I taught myself to play with their encouragement. He borrowed it back for a gig and broke it, then bought me a whole new one. It's taught me how to really immerse and express myself in music because now I have the controls. There are extremely few greater pleasures in my life than sitting, closing my eyes and singing a tune with it.

Do you have an instrument you'd still like to learn? What's stopping you?
I would absolutely love to be a good producer and get to grips with the software I use. I'm working on it, but I tend to think it's better to focus on being great at one thing so it's going to take a bit of time!

Which artist would you most like to work with - your dream collaboration?
I'd probably die of shyness and it's impossible to choose one person so I reckon Patti Smith and Anthony Hegarty, and if there's room, Leonard Cohen, to cheer things up. And the backing band would be Depeche Mode.

What's the worst job you've ever worked and what was so bad about it?
I cleaned toilets in the Ericsson building in Guildford. Everything was bad about it: it was in Guildford, I was a skint music student with no music career. That was the darkest two years of my life.

What are your views on feminism?
It's being used and abused!

What are your pet hates?
Teenage boys who walk down the street holding their bits with their hand inside their trousers. I HATE that, and WHY do they do it?? Also people who put loads of useless info on internet forums.

What's your biggest fear?
Realising I'm not very good and I've worked all this time for nothing.

What was the last good book you read and how did it affect you?
The last book I read was ‘Kill Your Friends' by John Niven, and it made me look like a nutter on the tube as I laughed my pants off. I also lost a lot of sleep due to paranoia. Read it!

What's your tipple?
Vodka and grapefruit, which sadly doesn't tend to grace my riders very often!

What kind of person would have sex to your music?
Someone with a very open mind, or clinical depression.

If you chanced upon Aladdin's lamp what three things would you wish for?
Everlasting energy, to fly without being scared, and the ability to do stand up comedy.

How are you most likely to die and what would you want written on your headstone?
I'll probably be smothered to death in my sleep by the sheer number of tiny dogs I'll own when I'm a mad old lady, and on my headstone will most likely be written, ‘Here lies Becky Jones, what the f**k was that all about?'

* * *

Alan Pedder
photo credit: Tim Brown 

'Fallen Trees'