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Coming soon... Music The gig scene withClare Robinson

Opportunity to get intimate with Laura Marling in Devon

‘This is the next part of ourstory and we’re loving it’

SCOTTISH pop-rockers Texas areheading back to Plymouth Pavilionsthis autumn to promote their newalbum Jump On Board.

Written and produced by band stalwartsJohnny McElhone and Sharleen Spiteri inLondon and Glasgow, and mixed by CraigSilvey (Arcade Fire, Florence & The Ma-chine, Noel Gallagher), the upbeat recordis the perfect antidote to these ratherworrying times.

Due for release on April 21, the albumboasts recent single Let’s Work It Outwhich was playlisted on Radio 2 and had avideo starring footballer Thierry Henry.

Having sold over 35 million records withthree number one albums, seven top tenalbums and 13 top ten singles, Jump OnBoard looks set to continue their im-pressive chart success.

“When music’s in your DNA, what’sgone in will come back out,” says Shar-leen. “Jump On Board has references, ofcourse, but it’s an up-front, mod-ern-sounding record.

“We feel refreshed. We definitely had agreat time making this record. It’s time tojig it all up. It’s like a new beginning. Thisis the next part of our story, and we’reloving it.”

Te x a s ’s debut album, Southside, wentGold back in 1989 and the huge first single,I Don’t Want A Lover, launched formerhairdresser Sharleen as an iconic singerin the mould of Chrissie Hynde and PattiSmith.

Fourth album White On Blonde, re-leased in 1997, was the group’s first num-ber one. It has been certified six-timesPlatinum and has sold 1.65 millionc o p i e s.

Sharleen knows her audience andd o e s n’t mess with the band’s winningformula on the new album, which deliversa familiar mix of tuneful rock.

Asked by the Daily Mail whether shechecked out the competition at the Brit

Awards, she reportedly looked baffled.“Why would I go to The Brits?” she said.

“It means nothing to me.“I look at young bands and I feel sorry

for them because their music is soldthrough streaming and you can picktracks out like you are at a buffet bar.

“People download songs, not whole al-bums, so it’s tough for young bands to touran album.”

She was equally dismissive about ap-pearing on major TV shows.

“Going on Strictly Come Dancing orThe X Factor costs a band a fortune.

“It’s about £30,000 to go on Strictly andabout £100,000 for The X Factor becauseyou pay for the whole production, thelighting, the staging.

“You will sell records but it’s all aboutmoney. I’d rather do a festival, wheret h e re ’s a real connection to the audiencewh o ’ve come to see you.”

But at almost 50, how much longer doesshe want to continue?

“For as long as I can still carry it off,”she joked.

“Madonna, Debbie Harry, ChrissieHynde are still doing it. I know all three ofthem.”

Her friendship with Madge began aftershe requested that Stella McCartneybring Sharleen to dinner at her house.

“She was a lot of fun and is brilliantlysarcastic. I love a woman who can dosarcasm well.”

Just weeks ago, Sharleen got engaged tochef Bryn Williams, whom she has beendating for the past ten years.

She has a 14-year-old daughter, Misty,from a previous long-term relationship.

“Life is good. I’m nearly 50 and I’mtouring with Texas. I’m getting marriedfor the first time, when loads of people myage are either getting divorced or are ontheir third husband.

“I love my job and I don’t need to worryabout anything.”

When & Where: October 7, Plymouth Pavilions

Sharleen and the boys heading back to Plymouth

TEXAS

Texas inaction atPlymouthPavilionsback inNovember2013

LAURA Marling will play an in-timate sold-out solo show at theExeter Lemon Grove on Sunday topromote her critically-acclaimednew album.

It was recorded in LA in late 2015,and produced alongside US mu-sician-producer Blake Mills(Alabama Shakes).

Semper Femina is Laura’s sixthstudio album in a little over nineyears, addressing questions of howsociety views sexuality and genderbut without seeking to providedefinitive answers.

The title comes from a Virgilpoem, the full quote being ‘Va r i u met mutabile semper femina’, whichtranslates as ‘woman is ever afickle and changeable thing’.

Its loose lyrical thread stringstogether her keen, freshly observed

take on womanhood, and whatLaura describes as a particularly‘masculine time in her life’.

She said: “We ’re accustomed toseeing women through men’s eyes,and naturally that was my inclin-ation to take some power over that,but very quickly realised thepowerful thing to do was to look atwomen through a woman’s eyes.

“I don’t need to pretend it’s a manto justify the intimacy, or the wayI’m looking and feeling about wo-men. It’s me looking specifically atwomen and feeling great empathytowards them, and by proxy, to-wards myself.”

A rich and enriching work, therecord is a typically mature andraw listen by one of our most tal-ented and prolific musicians.

It follows the success of Laura’s

recent Podcast series, Reversal OfThe Muse.

As an exploration of femininityin creativity, the collaborative pro-ject opened up an important con-versation around whether the lackof feminine presence in the studioenvironment would make any dif-ference to the creative outcome.

With no ulterior motives, nor anypre-conceived expectations, ROTMwas as much about the conver-sation created than expecting aconclusive answer.

Guests included Haim, Karen El-son, Vanessa Parr, Dolly Parton,Shura, and Emmylou Harris.

Laura also made her directorialdebut with the video for openingtrack Soothing – inspired by aseries of vivid dreams she exper-ienced while making the album.

She said: “I found it quite stress-ful, but that’s in my nature. But Ifound it one of the more easy, cre-ative things I’ve ever done.

“To give my lucid dreaming qual-ity to this, which is where I get a lotof imagery from, was an amazingexperience. It was fun, really fun.”

So does the multi-talented starever think about what she would’vebeen if she hadn’t been a musician?

“Yes, I think about that con-stantly. I would have always hadmusic in my life, but I think Iprobably would have been a chef.

“I could see that being a fun wayto make money, if I didn’t have to bethe head chef of a restaurant –t h at ’d be scary.”

When & Where: March 26, ExeterLemon Grove

PEOPLE who have a connec-tion with or affection forMaker Heights are invited toa Tea Dance tomorrow af-

ternoon at the Kingsand Com-munity Hall.

It’s partly intended as a big‘thank you’ to everyone who sup-ported the recent initiative for theretention of the Barrack Buildingby the Rame Conservation Trust(RCT), and it is partly to get peopleinvolved with Maker Memories, aproject that runs in conjunctionwith Plymouth Museum and His-tory Centre, which is recording andpreserving photographs, film andaudio memories of the many schoolchildren who enjoyed time there,often as their only holidays awayfrom home.

The RCT has been working hardfor nearly 20 years to conserve andrestore the Barrack and Garrisonbuildings and surrounding fieldsand woodland at Maker so the her-itage and history of the area is notfo r g o t t e n .

And in 2016 Maker with RameCIC was set up in order to ensurethat community assets and spaceswhich promote music and the artsare preserved in the area.

To date the CIC has raise over£10,000 towards repairing the Bar-rack building.

Over the past 20 years, Maker hashelped artists and musicians flour-ish, amid its breath-taking land-scape, providing studio, workshopand performance space as well ashosting the much missed MakerSunshine Festival.

Tomor row’s Tea Dance willbring the two worlds together asmusicians involved with Makerwill provide music to evoke nos-talgia from a bygone era.

“We decided that we had to forma swing band for the occasion,”says session drummer Geoff Lea,who relocated to the area fromLondon a couple of years ago, spe-cifically because of the strong mu-sic scene here.

Geoff has performed with all

manner of musicians in Londonand contributed drums on EdS h e e r a n’s previous album.

“We wanted to get away from thecity but not somewhere so remotethat there was nothing happening.

“We chose this part of Cornwallas there is so much quality mu-sicianship here and we loved theartistic set up at Maker.”

The swing band will comprise ofAntimatador members JacobKodicek on keys and Dan Hillmanon brass, plus Tom Stubberfield onb a s s.

“Our last rehearsal was sound-ing great,” continues Geoff enthu-siastically, “it’s going to be a lot offun.”

Recently there has been a lot of

change at Maker with the previousRame Conservation Trust opting todispose of many freehold assets to aprivate property developer, caus-ing a huge amount of upset.

However, a new board of Trusteeshas now been appointed and theyhave retained their leasehold landat Maker including most of thecampsite and the Nissen hut com-plex which houses the Canteen.

The new enthusiastic team arelooking at ways of taking the siteforward successfully.

Looking back is also important,however, and Maker Memories willfocus on capturing the rich anddiverse stories of Maker that existin living memory, including storiesof attending Maker Camp as a child

for school holidays, a scheme ori-ginally set up by Lady Nancy Astorwhich ran through to the early1 9 8 0 s.

Those in the mood are invited todon gladrags and join the partytomorrow afternoon. Either danceto this wonderful swing band orsimply drop by, enjoy the music andshare memories over a cream tea.

The event, which is completelyfree, will be made possible by agenerous donation from the Corn-wall Council Community Chest ofCouncillor George Trubody.

All donations go towards restor-ations at Maker.

When & Where: March 25, midday to5pm, Kingsand Community Hall

Tea Dance tothank all thesupporters ofMaker HeightsClare Robinson finds outwhy Maker musicians areplaying at special event

Music news

Four chances tosee Jonathan GeeTHERE are four chances to seepianist Jonathan Gee, MarcusVergette and Andy Trim whenthey hit the region this week.

Known in the UK for his workwith Tim Whitehead, Tony Kofi,Pharoah Sanders, and DavidMurray, Jonathan is involved inprojects throughout Europe andrecently packed out Jazz At Lin-coln Center in New York, andRochester International JazzFestival with his US band.

The trio will be playing musicfrom his acclaimed albumDragonfly plus some WyntonMarsalis, Thelonious Monk, andwell-known standards.

When & Where: March 25, GlobeInn, Chagford; March 26, StLawrence Chapel, Ashburton; March27, Bread & Roses, Plymouth;March 28, St Ives Jazz Club

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