Gabrielle Aplin - English Rain

The British songstress had her first No.1 Single with her cover of 'The Power Love', used in the John Lewis 2012 Christmas Advert. Over the past few years Gabrielle gained a huge online following after publishing acoustic covers and released her first 5-Track EP in 2010. She since toured the UK and Europe, meeting fans after every gig expanding her army of loyal followers wherever she went. Earlier this year she supported Ed Sheeran on his Australia/New Zealand tour after being invited along via text message by the Acoustic King himself.

First single from the album 'Please Don't Say You Love Me' shows her melodic tones and word phrasing to perfection. 'Panic Cord' edges closer towards the sort of pop music we're used to hearing, while other tracks such as 'How Do You Feel Today' and 'Alive' prove why she really is the indie-folk princess.

It's notably refreshing to hear an album with every single song written by the artist. I had the pleasure of watching Gabrielle soundcheck at The Electric Circus, Edinburgh, in July last year. Her voice was so effortlessly powerful and she seemed like a sweet, down to earth girl. This album deserves every success and I'm sure it won't be long before Gabrielle Aplin is a household name and a national treasure.

Published in Vista Magazine June/July 2013

A Melodious Hug From Lewis Watson

The best way to sum up Lewis Watsons' latest EP 'Another Four Sad Songs' would be fourteen minutes of pure loveliness. I'm pretty sure the man could make Gangnam Style deep and beautiful, fortunately, he doesn't have to as not only does he have the wonderful voice, but writing talent too. Within only hours of its release 'Another Four Sad Songs' reached #2 in the Singer/Songwriter iTunes chart and #18 in the main top 100, also charting in Australia and USA.

The EP opens with the beautifully written 'Once Before', illustrating Lewis' effortless vocals. A simple love song with a real meaning anyone can relate too.

Following that is the first single from the EP. Straight into the lyrics "sink or swim, hold your breath and just dive right in, ride the wave, just ride the wave far from where we came". It's one of those songs that puts into words what every girl wants to hear from her boyfriend. You probably won't be able to stop yourself trying to harmonise in with the chorus, we all that need someone to will hold onto us for dear life. (This one is a Mummy Lauren favourite too).

'Lamplight' is next, a haunting Bombay Bicycle Club acoustic cover. Highlighting the poetic lyrics "these scattered flashes of delight, they can't help but sway your mind". 

The last track on 'Another Four Sad Songs' is 'Even If', an incredible song you could imagine being as massive as a Coldplay hit and Chris Martin performing it to thousands. Although I'm sure it won't be long before Lewis is singing it to his very own hoards of fans. The message being 'I can't run away from a big mistake', explaining that apologies aren't always enough. 

Having had the pleasure of interviewing Lewis back in July, I admire him for being so genuine and remaining humble and loyal to his fans as his music career continues to snowball. When it's cold and raining outside, snuggle up with a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate and lose yourself in his soulful heart melting music.

Another Four Sad Songs and the prequel It's Got Four Sad Songs On It BTW are out now on iTunes

Down at the Apple Tree with Nina Nesbitt

Ahead of her King Tuts gig on the 17^th May, I was lucky enough to go backstage to catch up with one of my favourite musicians of the moment, singer/songwriter, Nina Nesbitt. On entering the young star’s dressing room I noticed a small fridge containing a pint glass of milk, bizarrely, lit up like the Crown Jewels. Nina had no more clues than I did as to why it was there.

On the 23^rd of April Nina released her EP ‘The Apple Tree’ with five original tracks which fans went mad for. She reached number 6 in the album chart on iTunes and is still, one month later, number 5 in the Singer/Songwriter chart. I asked how she reacted to it’s success, “I thought it was quite funny to be honest, I didn’t really expect it to do that well, I was just putting it out there for fans to hear the music. Then, it charted. It’s just weird, but I’m really grateful that loads of people have bought it, it’s cool.”

The talented 17 year old now has over 16,000 twitter followers and Sold Out her own headline mini-UK tour. “It’s a bit crazy,” she smiles, “a year ago I played my first gig in Manchester. Since then it’s escalated really fast but it’s great, I’m really grateful that I’ve got loads of followers and people coming to see the gigs.”

Along with the positive, there is also the negative. There’s lots of internet ‘trolls’ out there, sending hate for no apparent reason. After supporting Ed Sheeran on tour a rumour spread that they were an item, promting abuse from many of his young fans. Nina tells me, “I think I’ve been quite fortunate with the number of people that send me abuse, I get about 1 or 2 every month but it can be pretty deep, they don’t know me at all. If they knew me, I don’t mind them not liking me but I find it quite odd when people say ‘I hate you’ or make up things like ‘you’ve stolen my boyfriend’ because I’m not dating Ed Sheeran. I don’t know why anyone would hate me if they don’t know me, it’s weird.  Fair enough not liking my music but when they send me stuff I do get quite angry and have to laugh at them, my fans are really supportive as well.” Her fans don’t let the trolls off lightly and as Nina says herself, it’s better just to ignore it.

I asked Nina her highlight gig to date, “I had a really good gig in Denmark supporting Ed Sheeran and usually as a support act you get about 50% listening and then the rest coming in and chatting away, in Denmark it was like pin drop silence. For The Apple Tree they were all singing along and I loved that gig, it was nice to know that there are actually people that don’t know you that do listen because most people aren't bothered if they don't know your name. Or in September last year I had my tenth gig at the Glasgow SECC, it was Jim Gellatly from Clyde1 that had asked me to play and it was just two songs at this arena, just me and my guitar. It was crazy, but the crowd were really good there.” Although, after her sold out gig in King Tuts, Glasgow, that night, she posted on her Facebook, “That was my favourite gig I've played, thank you GLASGOW! It was crazy to hear you all singing back the songs word for word that I wrote in my room a few months back.”  

I first met Nina at the Young Scot Awards last month when I was reporting and she won an award in the Entertainment category. She told me how much it meant to win as other stories were so inspirational. “I’m so grateful to have won an award like that. It’s so important that I’ve got support from Scotland and it’s great I think because that’s where I’m from.”

For her tour she plays an acoustic set with either piano or guitar, “I’ve brought in a trigger pedal which triggers beats off behind me and I think when my album comes out I would think about getting a band, I’m not really wanting to get the standard four piece band though, I’d like something a bit different.”

“I think quite a lot of people’s parents would hope they’d go to uni but I’ve always been quite a strong willed child “, she laughs, “and my parents know that once my mind made up about something, it’s what I’m going to do. They’re great and really supportive, it’s good that they understand music is a career because some people don’t think it is.”

“I’m writing with Elliot aka Example, over the summer. We need to find a date that we’re both free but I’m really looking forward to writing with him. At the moment I have a lot of tracks for the album but I’d like some cool co-writes on it. I think our song-writing style is quite similar even though our music is quite different.”

A couple of times I asked Nina about designers or coveted items but she seems to have little interest in the latest designer must have but much prefers to mooch about in vintage shops.

“A mansion and a swimming pool,” she chooses as something she’d love to buy but couldn’t justify spending the money on, “but I couldn’t afford that anyway!” she laughs. (Although she will be able to soon as her success continues!)

Nina’s had an immense amount of airplay for an unsigned artist. Jim Gellatly plays her single ‘The Apple Tree’ every Sunday and Radio Scotland have added it to their playlist, in fact my granny was telling me the other day how she’d heard Nina’s “lovely voice” on the radio. She has also found herself a big fan in Fearne Cotton and is in fact her ‘Big Thing This Week’ which means she’ll be played on Radio1 everyday. “It’s definitely a really important part of music, radio play, it’s really weird to hear it on the radio. All of the Scottish stations have been really supportive as well, it’s amazing.”

When I ask how she came to song-writing she tells me she loved to write stories when she was 5, when she was 10 she picked up keyboard and started putting the stories to music. Two years ago she taught herself guitar and that’s when her songs developed.

I asked about her music video influences but she struggles to tell me one she wishes was hers. “To be honest I don’t watch a lot of music videos but most these days seem to be girls dancing around with no clothes on,” she sighs. Nina has spoken out before about her disapproval for people stripping off to sell records, The Guardian were supposed to be writing about the ‘Up and coming star Nina Nesbitt’ but instead decided a porn pop star was more important, proving her point perhaps.

Just like me Nina is not a fan of camping and mud, which would explain why she hasn’t been an avid festival goer. However, as a playing artist it’s a different story. “I’m excited to be doing some pretty big festivals this year.”

The interview concluded with Nina and I posing for photographs which took longer than anticipated as the camera was on video setting. Luckily, Nina isn’t the diva type and laughed about it.  

You can purchase both the 'Live Take EP' and 'The Apple Tree' from iTunes now!