Interview with King Eider!

Hello People,

So the other day I was listening to a band doing a 

session for BBC London, I was captivated by their

combination of folk and rock as well as their

brilliant use of the violin and horn.

King eider are a five piece 'Edinburgh-based folk-blues band'

who use three part harmonies to create haunting and 

atmospheric music. They have been compared to the soulful

acoustics of Ben Howard and the foot stomping wildness of Arcade Fire. This is one of their latest songs 'Drink Me Dry'

And so I did what I do with bands that I listen to and love;

I got an interview with them!

Without further ado here is my interview with...

King Eider

1. Could you introduce yourselves and your instruments?

Reuben Tighe - Vocals,Guitar, Harmonica

Sam Chapman - Vocals, Drums,

Lucy Frankel - Vocals, Violin

Josh Casali-Bell Linemann - Vocals, Keys, Horn

Sam Palmer - Bass Guitar

2.Who are you influenced by and how did you discover 

your "sound"?

Our influences span a spectrum of genres and decades. 

Lucy listens to a lot of traditional country and bluegrass. 

Reuben takes influences from his mothers CD collection of 60's blues and rock and roll. Sam brings in more modern influences 

such as Arcade Fire and The Wild Beasts. We share our music

taste so that all of them influence our music 

to some degree.

3.When did you form as King Eider - what made you choose 

the name?!

We formed Early 2012, and were originally named "Zopa and the Shakes" (after Reuben's middle name). After deciding a name change was in order, we decided on King Eider. We were in an ale pub drinking a beer named "YellowHammer", (also the name for a bird native to the UK) and decided we liked the name. Since this was already a popular band name, we decided to research all other UK bird names. It transpires that the King Eider duck is a bird which migrates to the lake district every year, which is home to Reuben, Sam Chapman, and Josh, so the name seemed a good fit!

4. Describe your music in five words.

Hmmm....

5. What is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to

you before/after a gig?

Some one from the front row recently took his top off and 

attempted to lactate onto Lucy's shoes. That was pretty weird,

and somewhat aggressive...

6. State a fact that people don't know about you.

Two of us have Science PHD's

7. What are the top 4 songs on your playlist right now?

Wild Beasts - this is our lot

The Whitest Boy Alive - Islands

Supertramp - Bloody Well Right

Grizzly Bear - Ready,Able

8. What is the first album you remember buying?

 The first album which really had a musical impact on me was Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, self titled album. Peter Green still remains a big influence on me, the man is a genius.

9. Modern or Vintage Clothing? 

 No clothing is best.

10. What are you plans for the future?

After making the most of our album release, we intend to 

record a 4 track EP. We have been working on some new material

which we are excited to record, and intend to release it

some point early next year. Stay Tuned!

If you like the sound of King Eider then you can head to their

website here and check them out.

So long for now,

Poppy xx

Urban Perk #3: Street-Feast @ Lewisham

Hi Everyone,

I'm sorry for the lack of posts recently but

my summer holidays started yesterday so I

should have some more time on my hands to

post now.

Last weekend was spent at the

lovely Latitude Festival in Suffolk.

I'll be posting about the festival once my 

photos are developed!I saw so many great

acts from headliners; Lily Allen and

 Bombay Bicycle Club to under-the-radar bands

like Spring King and Parquet Courts.

So keep a look out!

Today I wanted to tell you about another

perk of living in the city which is
Street Feast London who have various feasts
around new and upcoming locations in London.
I recently went to one in Lewisham (which I have
been told is now nicknamed 'Newisham'), it is set in
the abandoned 1950s Model Market which is
rough and rustic.

To get in, you're probably going to have to queue for a
while, unless you get there quite early.
Upon entering the market you are greeted by a walkway of run
down records shops, dry cleaners and takeaway branches
but when you look in you can see that they are being
 occupied by passionate foodies...

Smoke swirls out from SmokeStak BBQ where I swear they
serve some of the best ribs in London! On the menu there 
is smoked beef or pork ribs - although they are quite 
pricey you get what you pay for in quality and
even quantity! The shop itself has plaster walls,
a make do seating area, an open kitchen and a very
lovely order taking lady. I highly recommend!

Afterwards, I found this place called Yum Bun.
I had heard of Yum Bun from a breakfast show and
was happily surprised when I saw them at the feast
- the food looked incredible and simple too!
Yum Bun are famous for their soft steamed buns with a 
selection of fillings: pulled pork, fish, chicken, salmon or 
mushroom. 
Theses beautiful buns are great as a light snack
and are perfect for munching on the street.
 I ordered the Pulled Pork bun and it was amazing; the bun
light and fluffy whilst the pork sweet and tender!

Not only does it have great food and drink but a lovely

atmosphere too! There area few eating areas which are located

in shabby shops decorated with make-do furniture. However,

the main eating place is right in the centre of the market

complete with a bar, loud music, fairy lights and even

a TV! 

And just to top off a wonderful evening, there are a variety

of desserts to choose from. I chose the brownies from

the South East Brownie Bar who had a great selection of

flavours; Peanut Butter, Oreo, Mojito and loads more!

With the help of the friendly Brownieman I was able

to choose 5 miniature brownies to go; Oreo,

Salted Caramel x2, Mojito and Peanut Butter. 

And they were absolutely incredible!!

So, if you're looking for something to do or you're

feeling hungry head to Lewisham's Model Market for 

some lovely food, people and music. 

Street Feast is open from 20th June to 27th September

every Friday and Saturday from 6pm till late. 

Click here to visit the Street Feast website

Happy Feasting,

Poppy

Win a Pixies Screen Print!

Hey Everyone,

So, I was recently given a screen print of 

The Pixies' Doolittle album and thought that I 

would make a competition out of it! 

I have created the competition through 'Rafflecopter'
so there's no spam or dodgy stuff (:

Here is a picture of the poster:

The background is an olive-blue colour and

has been printed with matte gold paint.

A brilliant poster that will look good in any office or

home - if you don't like it your parents might? 

About Doolittle

Doolittle was The Pixies' second album and was released in

1989 on 4AD. It went on to chart at #8 in the UK album 

charts and received brilliant reviews from 

critics and magazines. 'Debaser', 'Here Comes Your

Man' and 'Mokey Gone to Heaven' were all released as singles-

 it was The Pixies' first album that had a major impact 

on the charts and the music industry. 

The competition will start at 6pm tomorrow so if you'd 

like to enter follow this link to my facebook page 

where you can enter:

Click here to enter!

Good Luck,

Poppy x

Part I of Interview with The Majority Says

Hi All,

Here is Part I of my interview with The

Majority Says. You may not have heard of them before

but you might recognise them from the Lidl christmas

ad jingle "All these little things"

(http://youtu.be/APe7pHiWhnI)

1.Could you please introduce yourselves and your instrument? 

 We’re the Majority Says, I'm Axel, I play the bass, Timo plays the keys, Jonathan and Emil plays

 the guitar and Mathias the Drums. As you may know, Hanna does the lead vocals, all of the 

guys try to sing as much as we can as well, making nice 

harmonies and such, you know.

2. Where do you call "Home"? 

For now I think we all call Sweden home, something tells me we always will, we love getting back to 

Sweden, but we also like being on tour of course, Germany is a favorite.

3. What inspired you to name yourself "The Majority Says"?

Actually we just wanted to have a cool name, no real story behind it. We wanted a name that s

tarted with ”the”. Later we’ve found out if you puzzle a bit with the first letter in our first names 

you’ll get ”THE MAJ” Which is kinda cool.

4. How long have you been a band/known each  other?

Together, in this setup we’ve been playing for about 3 years, but some of us have known each 

other since we where kids, Jonathan and Emil have been playing together since 

they where about 12 years old.

5. Where do you find inspiration for your songs? (My favourite is Run Alone)

We find inspiration in many things, many of the songs of our upcoming album are about being 

from a smaller city, relations, being young and such things. We get inspired by

art, music, films & nature.

If you would like to hear some of Majority Says'

sound, I have uploaded a video of their song

"Run Alone"

Her soft voice, their harmonic, male voices and the

sounds of electro-pop form a wonderfully catchy and

uplifting song. A delightfully perky piece, go on- 

give it a go...

Love,

Poppy x

Ps. Part II will be available soon

Part I of Interview with "Great Caesar" x

Hi Everyone,

I really am sorry that I have neglected my

blog so much, no excuses!

I just wanted to say a quick well done to Naomi 
the winner of the Barry M nail varnish giveaway!!

I will be doing another giveaway in a few weeks,

so keep a look out.


Today I have for you Part I
of an interview with Great Caesar! A
bit of background info about them for those of you who
have not come across them before: Great Caesar are
a six piece chamber-rock band who currently reside in New
York. Their most recent single is "Don't Ask
Me Why" which can be found here!

Great Caesar Interview Part I

1. Could you please introduce yourselves and your instrument? 

(I say this because its so difficult to track down any info on Great Caesar :D)

John-Michael Parker (vocals, guitar) 

Adam Glaser (bass)

Tom Sikes (trumpet)

Mike Farrell (guitar)

Stephen Chen (saxophones)

2. Where do you call "home"? 

New York City! We've lived here for about 3 years now and love it, despite how dirty and hectic 

it is all the time.

3. How did you think up the name "Great Caesar"? Is there a reason why you chose it? 

It's a line from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar;" Decius says it just before Caesar is murdered by the conspirators.  We've all found something meaningful in that play since reading it in high school, 

and that line has stuck with us over the years. It's pretty unique too, if a little hard to spell.

4. How long have you been a band/known each other? 

Actually, we've played music together since we were teenagers, as most of us are from the same 

hometown in Connecticut. 

5. Where do you find inspiration for your incredible songs - especially "Don't ask me Why"?!

As we continue to grow up and try to make sense of our lives and relationships, those feelings - and reflecting on how those feelings change over time - are a big part of what we write about. With Don't Ask Me Why we wanted to write about having big dreams and taking the leap of faith to realize them. We found inspiration in the film "Moonrise Kingdom," music by Beirut and Arcade Fire, and famous figures like JFK and MLK. And actually, we found a lot of inspiration from the high-school students John-Michael worked with as a mentor who had big dreams of their own. Inspiration is everywhere!

Great Caesar 

I will post the second half for you 
on Friday! 

See you then
Poppy x

Ps. Urban Perks from this point onward will be a
music and places-to-see in London kinda blog. Thanks for the
support :)

Awesome Idea #6

Hello All,

Have you had a good week so far? 

(I know I have!)

So today I wanted to show you another Awesome

Idea, I saw this and just thought it was 

very cool and extremely clever:

I think its very clever of the designer

to incorporate the idea of imperfections 

into a piece of simple design. 

Usually, design is very clean, smart and elegant, 

so I thought that this was a great twist on 

that perception. 

This weekend, I'm finally going to the photography

exhibition at the Natural History Museum!

Plus, I might be hitting Brick Lane again - which would 

be awesome! It means I can show you this 

beautifully hidden gem on Brick Lane.

All will be unveiled...

Love always,

Poppy Valentine x

If I Could Pick Any Song...

It would be....

She's Got You High by Mumm-Ra

(also featured in the film 500 Days of Summer)

I love his soft, raw voice and the repeating harmonies

that soar throughout the track. The lyrics are 

genius. Sounds a lot like The Beatles (at the

end) in terms of harmonies and tune, but also has a 

underlying hint of The Kooks. Perfect.

I'm very excited to tell you that within the next

few posts I will have an interview with Great Caesar 

for you (I uploaded their song on the last "If 

I Could Pick Any Song..." post)!

If you don't know them already check out 

their song "Don't Ask Me Why" - it's one to watch. 

Love always, 

Poppy Valentine x

New Look Mini-Spree

Afternoon Everyone,

I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long I have

been so busy with homework and I haven't had 
my laptop to post from! 

I wanted to post a video of a tour of my room
but the format isn't compatible with blogger,
so I won't be able to! :(

However, I did just go on a mini-spree and
bought a series of items I'm very happy with!
(All from New Look) 

 

White Boxy Shirt £14.99

Black Gingham Skirt £9.99

Round Frame Sunglasses £4.99

Black Tie Dye crop top £12.99

Star Product: 

Blush Rose Garland £3.99

I love the Rose Garland because it's so easy to wear 

yet it looks effortlessly hippie-like. You

can buy them in a variation of styles, colours and sizes

so they're perfect for everyone and every outfit. 

I would encourage you to purchase one if you're hitting 

the festivals this spring/summer! ;)

Have a lazy Sunday! 

Poppy Valentine x

Awesome Idea #5

Hi Everyone,

I know Sundays can be depressing, so I 

thought I would sprinkle a little bit of 

awesomeness into your day. 

It's like the 80s!

I know it's only one little idea but I hope

it brightens your day just a teensey bit!?

Oh and just a quick question - if you have

any advice or ideas on upcycling old furniture

please comment in the box below, I'd love to 

have a chat! 

Have a Happy Monday,

Poppy x

Redecorating (again!)

Hey Everyone, 

Just wanted to show you some pictures of my room.

I was redecorating yesterday (my version of therapy)

by adding some pictures and rearranging my stuff.

I bought some lovely mini prayer flags and stuck them

between to adjacent walls to create a cosy little atmosphere

in the corner where my desk is.

I also stuck some 7" vinyl in a 3x3 group on the

wall to add some colour and texture - it looks so cool!

Finally, the quote I created from pages of Q music

magazine. The quote is from a song that I posted 

on my blog a few days ago ("Don't ask me Why"

by Great Caesar). 

If you have any cool ideas or pictures of your

DIY decorating - feel free to comment below :)

Have a happy thursday,

Poppy Valentine xx

The BRIT awards :D

Yay!!

Poppy x

If I could pick any song......

It would be......

"Don't ask me why" by Great Caesar

This song will make you feel amazing by the end. 

It's uplifting, moving and powerful.

So please click Play (please!).

Poppy Valentine x

The Liebster Award

Hello All!

I am very happy to tell you that I have 

been nominated for the Liebster award by Emm,

for a link to her blog click here.

Here are Emm's questions:

Q)5 Words that define you?

A)Bubbly, Smiley, Weird, creative, Sarcastic(!) 

Q)Why did you start blogging?

A)I started blogging because at the time I was in love

with fashion and I was looking for a new hobby and then

I found it......Blogging.

Q)What is your favourite type of post (to read and write)?

A)I love posts about music that have loads of 

videos or posts with cool cartoons! I like reading 

tutorial posts for hair and creative projects. 

Q)Has blogging changed you? How has blogging influenced you? 

A)Blogging has definitely made me grow up

quite a bit, I've found the type of fashion and music I like. When I started as a Blogger I knew nothing about 

myself but blogging has helped me to find my 

creative side! 

Q)What do you think of your blog, and is there anything 

you would like to change from it? 

A)I'm really comfortable with my new clean look and it looks 

more professional and modern than before. Although I would 

like to have more of my own picture edits and to gain

some more followers/readers.

Q)Your style icon?

A) I love Twiggy's make up and hair but if we're

talking about clothes then I would have to say Emma Roberts.

Her fashion is effortless and really simple-and her 

new haircut is super cool! 

Q)Do you watch YouTube-What do you go to YouTube for?

A) I use YouTube for music. That's all; searching

up new artists, sourcing ideas from music videos and 

keeping up with new songs from artists I love.

Q) Your current favourite song? When you listen to it

do you listen to the music, or the lyrics?

A) My favourite song at the moment is Youth by Daughter.

I usually listen to the lyrics (they tell stories!).

Q)Last movie you watched and how was it? 

A) I watched this weird but wonderful film called The Royal Tenenbaums (a Wes Anderson film), it has really cool style and music - I thought the film was great!! 

Q) Best kind of cake, ever!

A) ANGEL CAKE!! It is amaaazing - you HAVE to try it!!

Q) LAstly, what do you think of Valentine's Day?

A) A bit cheesy, slightly cute but a bit of a rip - off?!

(That took a while!) 

Now here are my nominees: 
Runs With Scissors
Style and Beauty
Soph's Blog
Glow Getter
Live*London*Love
That Delete Button
Fashionaholic
The Simple Life of Fashion
My Life Box
"You get the Picture"
Beat of the Beauty

So, there you have it my 11 nominees! If you are one of the nominees then here are the rules: 

1. Link the blog that nominated you for the award
2. Choose 11 bloggers to nominate who have less than 200 followers
3. Answer the 11 questions (below) given to you
4. Let the people you have nominated know that you have done so 
5. You can't nominate the person that nominated you
6. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate to answer

Here are your questions:

• What is your favourite song at the moment, and why?
• Paste a picture of your favourite photo? 
• What would be your ideal Friday night in e.g. a sleepover, a movie, etc.
• If you could go anywhere in the world on Holiday this summer where would you go, and why?  
• What is the wildest thing you have ever done?
• What achievement are you most proud of?
• What is your favourite thing to blog about? 
• What is your favourite childhood memory? 
• What book are you reading at the moment, do you like it? 
• Name your favourite food.
• If home is where the heart is, then where does your heart lie? 

Okay, so there's your challenge! Hopefully it won't take you too long. 

Have a lovely evening and feel free to follow - I need

to get the amount to at least a 10! 

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day! 

Poppy Valentine x