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

My Top 5 Books to Read for All Ages

Hi there, 

In the spirit of World Book Day I thought that I would 

give you a list of my top 5 books to read

this weekend, which is what I usually do if

I have some extra time.

The books I have chosen are suitable from 

13-100+ (although it is a matter of being 

interested in the topic of the book)

Let us begin.....

1.The Book Thief

This book is absolutely

amazing! It is narrated by death and although this 

may sound very daunting it is as light as

a marshmallow! Death follows a girl called Liesel

who lives in Germany at the brink of WWII, who 

is obsessed with books. A beautifully written book

that you'll never forget. On the plus side, the film 

has just been released! 

2.The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

At first, I struggled to connect with this book,

I felt that it wasn't headed anywhere and I didn't

like it very much. But then the plot became clear 

and the message too! Harold Fry is a retired man

who becomes bored with his routine, so when he 

receives a letter from an old friend he sees it as an

opportunity to do something new (and maybe even slightly

heroic!).

3.Paper Towns

Another quoted-filled and quirky story from best 

seller John Green. Everyone may be reading 

The Fault In Our Stars but this is well-worth

the read. Q is a high school student on the verge of 

graduating and after a night of fun-filled pranks

with his next door neighbour (Margo), he finds himself

searching for clues to her disappearance. But the

Margo he is searching for is not the one 

he expected. 

4. On The Road

A story of two men who travel across America

in search of knowledge and experience. Together

they experience the ups and downs of life and

freedom. The wonderful passages show Kerouac's 

love and passion for America. If you want a taste of 

freedom and self understanding, then this is one for you.

5. Birdsong

It 1910 and Stephen Wraysford has arrived in Amiens to 

stay with the extravagant Azaire family. Unexpectedly he falls for Isabelle, the unhappily married wife of Mr. Azaire but

WWI arises and causes their relationship to end. 

The story follows their separate lives throughout and after

the war. But will they ever find each other? 

I hope you find one to your liking! 

Love,

Poppy Valentine 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

A Song for the Weekend...

Hey Everyone,

I'm so glad it's finally the weekend! I'm

very excited because on Sunday I will be going to 

The Breakfast Club cafe with a few of my friends.

I've never been before but I have heard that 

their breakfasts are legendary!!

So hopefully you'll be seeing some photos 

of that soon enough.

But for now, I'd like to tell you about a 

song I have been listening to for the past week 

or so, it's extremely delicate and precious to

me. It tells the story of three generation of men.

Each single for a different purpose based on the 

society they are growing up in. 

And without

further ado, this is "Blood" by The Middle East.

I really hope you like it! 

Until tomorrow, 

Poppy Valentine x

New and Upcoming Artists #FourFavourites

                                               

NEW UPCOMING ARTISTS:

These are my top artist discoveries of the year (so far), 

take a look:

Banks

This singer has a soft, R&B inspired voice, 

if you enjoy Lorde and Lana Del Ray, then this 

is definitely one for you. As well as having a 

stunning voice, she has also featured on many 

magazine front pages for her dark, mystical 

beauty. This is her new song "Waiting Game".

Amber Run

This band are relatively new and unheard 

of, I found them a few months back with their 

song "Noah". Their music is filled with harmonies, 

soaring choruses and preppy beats. For the lovers

of Mumford & Sons,I guarantee you'll love them! 

This is their new single "Heaven".

Warpaint

Warpaint are an emerging band that are

lined up to play all the big festivals this

year (including Coachella!). This all girl

Indie Rock band are releasing their self-titled 

second album this year. So, here is their latest 

single "Love is to Die".

Luke Sital-Singh

He is an absolute star; Luke Sital-Singh 

has been compared to the likes of Ben Howard

and Jeff Buckley. His songs are filled with

slow melodies, beautiful lyrics and delicate 

notes. He is one to watch in the new year! 

Please take a look at all these amazing artists, 

you might find one you like? 

Have a lovely weekend!

Until the next post, 

Poppy Valentine x

Music to my ears.....

Hia Peeps,

As you may have noticed, one of my previous posts had a 

slightly different layout ot all the other ones - this 

means that I've posted from my mobile (for some reason 

it doesn't let you edit font, etc?!) 

Moving on, I have started to create Songlists; once a week I'll scan a list of 5 or 6 songs to a post - these songs will

 be my pick of the week!Let me know if you 

find something new?!

Here are two: 

Week 1 ^

This Week ^

(TIP: Click to enlarge if font is too small!)

Hope you're all wonderful! 

Poppy Valentine x