Tuesday, 26 September 2017

Interview with Loud Lights
Here’s an interview with Tereza and Jimi from the band Loud Lights about the bands origins, music and future.
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How did you get started with music?
Jimi: I started playing guitar in upper secondary school when I was 14-15 years old. After about a year of playing I joined my first band and played with them for five years or so. We played trash metal. Since then I’ve been involved in different band projects. Along with my first band, Loud Lights has been the longest lasting project.
Tereza: Since elementary school until I was about 16 years old I’ve been singing a lot. I also used to play piano. Here in Finland at the age of 21 I got more into drumming and band playing. I used to play drums in punk band called Shaking Legs. Samira was a singer in the band.  
Jimi: Samira also started playing guitar at 15.
Tereza: Yeah, she was in lots of different bands. Punk bands mostly.
What kind of music inspired you?
Jimi: When I was really young I was mostly into rock and hip hop. When I started playing guitar I was listening to a lot of 90’s grunge rock bands and heavy metal. Since then my taste has become more diverse.
Tereza: When I was a young kid I found some of the nu-metal bands really interesting. Not so much anymore, though. *laughs* I was into the grunge rock bands as well.
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Photo by Merita Berg.
Could you tell me about the origins of Loud Lights? How did you get together?
Tereza: At the time when our previous band Shaking Legs came to an end we wanted to do something different. Samira and I still wanted to continue playing but the punk style didn’t really feel like our own anymore. Samira asked Jimi if he would be interest in playing together. This was the first band where we felt like doing something a bit more… ambitious I guess.
Jimi: I had been jamming with Samira at the time before forming Loud Lights so we were kind of familiar with each other already.
When did you start playing together?
Jimi: We started playing in the autumn of 2014.


Tereza: In fact, we started as a four-piece band. In the beginning we actually had a bass player for about a year. Then she left but we decided to continue anyway. It’s better this way, I think. We are all really close friends.
Jimi: Yeah, I just acquired some technology to make up for the lack of bass player. *laughs*
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Photo by Maya Sharabaty.
How would you describe the sound of Loud Lights? What are your influences?
Jimi:  Well, our sound could be described as a mixture of post-punk and psychedelic rock. It’s hard to name any direct influences.


Tereza: I think we have a pretty good idea of what we want to sound like.
Jimi: Yeah, it has become more and more clear to us.
Do you write your songs together?
Jimi: I usually come up with the riffs and the main melody lines. Then we just jam and play around with it. From there everyone can express themselves however they feel like. It’s not like I’m going to control Tereza’s drumming for example.
Tereza: Yeah. Of course we share ideas and talk about them together as well.


Jimi: Also some songs are just born out of our jam sessions.
Tereza: Samira has complete freedom with lyrics.
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Photo by Mohammed Mustafa.
What’s in the future for Loud Lights?
Tereza: I think we’re building our reputation mostly in the underground scene. I don’t see us selling out stadiums or anything like that. Our next major step is probably going to be an album release of some sort.
Jimi: Yes. We recorded three songs in a studio recently that we are hoping to release soon at least in a digital format. Also we are working on a music video in the near future. Next year we’ll be on a hiatus, though, because of Tereza’s exchange studies. We’ll be working on some new songs with Samira in the meantime. We are probably going to do some duo gigs as well.


What are your expectations from the EXCITE –project?
Tereza: We are hoping to get visibility so that more people are aware of us. Hopefully we get a bigger following and also more gigs. It would be great to play abroad as well!
Do you have some closing words for your fans and audience?
Jimi: Follow us in social media and come to see us play!


Tereza: Yes! The audience really makes a huge difference when it comes to the energy in the live shows. The more people the better!


You have the opportunity to hear Loud Lights play on October 5th in Bar Passion as part of The Lost in Music –festival.



Loud Lights’ links


Text and interview by Akseli Takanen

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FROM BUSKING TO RECORD DEAL…
Teenage singing sensation is first act to release single on new Belladrum label after wowing festival boss on the street.
@Daily_Record
This article was written in the @Daily_Record referring to Tamzene. The 20 year old artist from Scotland that is captivating audiences with her voice.
Finland will have the opportunity to hear her on October 5th at Passion Baari, as she will take part in Lost in Music Festival in Tampere. http://www.lostinmusic.fi/home
@lucilewis
Here, an interview with Tamzene, about her childhood, inspirations and experiences as a young artist.
How did you got started with music?
I actually started playing the violin in primary school. It just became an option to take up music lessons, and I really wanted to do it just because it sounded fun. I really loved singing in all of our music classes anyway. So I took up the violin and then shortly after I took up the piano as well.
I was always singing. It didn’t really become a thing until I moved school and there was a lot of people doing their own thing there musically, and I started singing with some more people at Gordonstoun’s School. And I started recording for fun and stuff, and then started writing, and that was when I was about 14.


@InvernessPhoto
What music, albums or artists do you remember from your childhood?
Well, my mum played all these fantastic voices. She gave me a Roberta Flack CD to play to fall asleep to. That was a big one. I thought her voice was just absolutely stunning. And a lot of Aretha Franklin. She loved that kind of music, that kind of soulful music, those voices. My stepdad played a lot of Beatles, like every Beatles album, and also a lot of jazz music which is nice. I never quite got into jazz, but it just develops your ear I guess, without you even noticing. Eva Cassidy as well. My mum and I would sing to Eva  Cassidy every car journey.
www.tamzeneallison.com
You have musical theater background. Tell me about that.
It was just kind of an option at Gordonstoun. They had this incredible performing arts department, and so first of all I took drama. I took theatre studies as a subject. I felt that that really grew my confidence in terms of being on stage and auditioning for shows. It wasn’t that easy, but I liked it and I wanted to be comfortable on stage because I knew I wanted to perform music. I think it was great for confidence. Great for singing. Because a lot of the songs are quite hard, so I had to master these quite big parts and that was just a confidence boost, because when you perform and people like it, that’s a really good feeling.
You have participated in collaborations and songwriting workshops. Have you learned something from those sessions?
So much. I want to do more collaborations. I think it makes better pop music often. Sometimes you write a song and you just want it to be how it comes out. But most of the time for me, a second listening just highlights where the song could be stronger. It was hard at first my first ever songwriting workshop. You feel very vulnerable, you’ve never opened up your song to that kind of criticism before. But I’m really comfortable with it now, and I think you’ve got to be open to these things if you want to be the best songwriter you can be, because it is so much nicer to have a different perspective.


Could you tell me about your music and inspiration for composing?
I guess it’s like soulful pop music. They’re original songs although they’ve been reworked with my producer.  They are about my experiences as so far a young girl. I am quite a positive person. Most of my songs are pretty cheery, so not too many heart breakers in there! They are pretty happy songs, they’re about people.
@tamzene
You’ve been getting good reviews for playing in festivals. How has the festival scene been for you?
It’s been so cool. And this year is the first time that I did get to play a bunch. I love it! I think the festival crowds are so cool and so unique.  Most of the ones I played, people didn’t know who I was at all, except from my local one, Belladrum. So you get people wandering in and if you manage to captivate them, I think it’s really special. They’re all rooting for you. I loved the ones on the Western Isles. I played the Hebridean Celtic festival which is on the Isle of Lewis and Tiree Music Festival which is on the isle of Tiree. And I’d never been to either of these western isles before. They were so gorgeous and it’s like the whole island comes to the festival. It just feels like it’s a real  community vibe. Going to sweden was pretty amazing as well because it was just great to experience a swedish festival.


@tamzene
Which other countries have you traveled to perform?
That’s actually my only one other than America for MUSEXPO. Sweden is the only one so far, and Finland upcoming!
@thisisadp_houdi
Regarding Finland, what do you know or what do you think when you hear Finland?
I don’t actually know a lot about Finland at all, which is really shameful. I’m going to have to do some research before I come. But anybody who’s ever gone, they say it’s beautiful and they say it’s friendly. Those are the two things. I’ve heard after asking people, so I’ve got no doubt it will live up to that. But I’m hoping to find out a bit more.
TAMZENE’s links
Manager/Contact:
Dougie Brown


Text and interview by: Carlos Portilla 2017

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TAMK pushing young talent abroad with the EXCITE –project

TAMK Media and Arts programme cooperates with EXCITE in organizing a show as part of The Lost in Music –festival.

The EXCITE –project (Exchange of International Talent in Europe) is a collaboration between eight organizations from nine European countries with the goal to exchange young musical talent across the European borders. 11 upcoming bands are given the opportunity to play at European showcase festivals where they can gain valuable experience in playing abroad while also reaching out to new international audiences. 

  


More about the EXCITE –project from excite-music.eu.


The Lost in Music 2017 –festival will be the main stage for EXCITE Finland Event in Tampere. The annual festival celebrates upcoming talents by including a large number of new and upcoming artists from all genres for music lovers to discover. The wide range of both Finnish and foreign acts ensures that there is something for everybody to look forward to whether you wish to find new artists, dance or enjoy the live music with the whole family. The Lost in Music –festival is organized for the 10th time and it takes place 5. – 7.10 in different venues at the heart of Tampere city center. 



Further information about the lineup, the venues and the schedule from lostinmusic.fi.

TAMK Media and Arts programme collaborates with The Lost in Music –festival in organizing TAMK Presents EXCITE –evening on October 5th in Bar Passion where music fans have the opportunity to enjoy the live shows of three talented artists: a young singer-songwriter Tamzene (Scotland), an energetic electropop duo Sam & Sky (Norway) and a powerful rock trio Loud Lights (Finland).

      
TAMK is a key partner in The EXCITE Finland Event.

The Lost in Music –festival and EXCITE are not only excellent platforms for educating, promoting and supporting the talents of these young artists but for also the students participating in the production of the event. TAMK Media and Arts programme encourages and supports students in reaching out to the field where they have the opportunity to share, improve and expand their skills and knowledge in a real life environment. Collaboration with The EXCITE –project and The Lost in Music –festival allows TAMK students to be involved in every aspect of the event production from early planning to the day of the shows and after. Projects like these give the students practical knowhow and experience of working outside the school in a meaningful environment.   

With the lead and guidance of TAMK teacher Harri Karviainen (lecturer of music business, copyrights and event management) a group of students is taking care of the EXCITE Finland Event production: Carlos Portilla (producer), Marcus Mittilä (audio/logistics), Antti Hyytiäinen (audio), José Montaño (marketing), Akseli Takanen (media), Maria Mikrhaylova (visual designer) and Sylvia Barasa (master of ceremony).

The TAMK Presents EXCITE –evening takes place in Bar Passion at Tullikamarin aukio on October 5th from 20:00-23:00. The event is free of charge.

Links:


Text written by Akseli Takanen

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Saturday, 9 September 2017

A FUTURE IN MUSIC

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Marcus Tikkanen works as a songwriter at a Dutch company called Roseville Publishing, which is a joint publishing fund between songwriter Radboud Miedema & Strengholt Music Group. He has a author-publisher agreement with the company and has for example co written the new Lucas & Steve – Up till Dawn (On the Go) song which made it to the Dutch top40 #2 and has sold platinum. Other songs that Tikkanen wanted to mention by Radboud Miedema are Lost Frequencies feat. Janieck Devy – Reality and Alle Farben & Janieck - Little Hollywood that are known worldwide.

Tikkanen started his career back in 1998 with playing the guitar as a hobby. He played in several bands until 2011 when he lost his faith in it and wanted to give up. In 2014, he decided to give music one more chance and applied to TAMK for Music Production study path. After being accepted into the university he gained interest in the business and professional side of music and deciding between focusing on being a producer or a composer/songwriter he chose to go for the latter.

“I wanted to see for one last time if music could offer me a future as a professional.”

The turning point for Tikkanen in his professional career was in 2015 when TAMK offered a chance to travel to the Netherlands to participate in a co-writing session. During this week, he got to know someone who knew Radboud Miedema who after hearing Marcus’ music gained interest in him. It still took a lot of work to convince them but it was still a game of luck. Tikkanen said that he happened to be at the right place at the right time but still it was because of his own hard work that he has gotten this far and landed the contract.

Studying at TAMK has been an eye opening experience for Tikkanen. He emphasized especially the possibility to use the facilities that are available for the students. You have to be active yourself and use everything you have at hand and this school provided the chance to use professional equipment and studios. Tikkanen also praised the teachers and the school in general for being so flexible with balancing his studies and career. He said that without them this would not have been possible.

“If we wouldn’t have these facilities available I would have had to record in a closet.”

Working as a professional in any creative field is challenging and competitive. That is why, especially in the beginning, you should seize every possibility you come across and try to make as many connections as you can. You can never know where it will end up leading to and each chance can make it or break it. Hard work mixed with a bit of luck pays off in the end.


And now once more enjoy this piece that has been co written by Marcus Tikkanen!

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