WILDFLOWERS ON TOUR WITH TOM ODELL!
EP ‘WILD AMONG THE FLOWERS’ OUT NOW!
www.wildflowersband.co.uk / www.facebook.com/wildflowershq
www.twitter.com/wildflowershq / www.soundcloud.com/wildflowersmusic / www.youtube.com/wildflowershq
Following on from their tremendously well received shows supporting the legendary Robert Plant in early September,
Wildflowers, are proud to announce they will be supporting Tom Odell on his sold out UK headline tour this coming
autumn. Tom has personally picked the band (Plant also personally picked them to tour with him) to accompany him
on his 16-date tour across the country. “We are so excited to be supporting someone whose musicianship we really
admire” says Siddy “He is a true singer-songwriter; incredible pianist and we really rate his lyrics (I rarely like anyone’s lyrics
post 1999, but you can tell he’s got some old influences like Dylan and Leonard Cohen). It’s pretty awesome that we are
doing the full tour with him and we’re really looking forward to spending time with Tom and the other support acts. It’s
very flattering that he loves our songs, and we are so appreciative for this opportunity”.
Wildflowers are a 4-piece band with a great vocal harmony sound that began in April 2012. Put together by Siddy
Bennett the 22-year-old former Bristol, and now Brighton-based, lead singer and chief songwriter. The band’s line-up
includes Siddy’s sister Kit Bennett on vocals, accordion and Hammond Organ, James Ashbury, Siddy’s long-term co-writer
on vocals, guitars, mandolin and banjo, and Kendal Sant on vocals, harmonica and acoustic guitar. Although Siddy fronts
the band, all four members have great voices, producing a sound that is at once beautiful and exciting.
Growing up in several West Country towns and also in France, Siddy and Kit were raised as nomads, always on the move,
living on boats, farms, in caravans and even on protest camps - the Bennett sisters have been strongly influenced both
musically and morally by their bohemian upbringing, and this is apparent in the carefree, Indie Folk-Rock sound that is
Wildflowers.
Siddy quotes Alanis Morrisette as a huge influence as well as The Eagles and Patsy Cline. But together Siddy and James’
are emerging as a brilliant song-writing team that is lyrically original and musically gifted. On this subject Siddy says…
“I don’t think anyone sings about heartbreak like Patsy and The Eagles, From the age of 7, I was addicted to their soulful
deliverance, then at 10, Kit leant me the Jagged Little Pill album and I was hooked. I knew the album word for word. I
truly believe her lyrics on that album have shaped me as a songwriter and as a person. “Girl Power” wasn’t the Spice Girls
for me when I was a kid, it was Alanis”.
A recent review called Wildflowers “The bastard children of Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles”. Wildflowers songs are filled
with great lyrics, tempo’s and harmonies, with a hint of the Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter scene of the late 60’s.
Catch Wildflowers on tour at the following shows. The bands debut EP “Wild Among The Flowers” is out now and is
available from ITunes and via their website - www.wildflowersband.co.uk.
56
1S
Friday, July 26, 2013
MA
Vag
MARTIN SIMPSON
4
By CHRIS
SWEENEY
Vagrant Stanzas
My Favourite Picture Of You
4
UNHAPPY events often bring
out the best in songwriters.
Texan country legend Clark,
known for L.A. Freeway and
Desperados Waiting For A
Train, returns with this
poignant love letter in song to
his wife Susanna (also a
singer), who died last year.
The title track centres on a
frayed Polaroid taken after
she stormed out of their
house 40 years ago. It serves
as a touching tribute to the
love of his life without being
too sentimental.
Elsewhere,
his weathered
vocals
are
framed
by
lovely waltzes
and understated
folk
THE
CRIMEA
4
arrangements
Square
Moon
to prove that
this particular
FROM
the ashes of Nineties
veteran
has The Crocketts
indie also-rans
still got it.Davey
SC
singer
MacManus
formed The Crimea and
despite working to set up an
orphanage in Johannesburg,
he has somehow found time
for their third – and final, he’s
announced the band are
splitting – album.
Inhabiting the melancholic
arena as The National’s Matt
Berninger of The National but
with more plaintive vocals, his
lyrics tell heartbroken tales of
thwarted love
and ambition.
Across the
22 tracks there
is sense of desolation and
loss, nowhere
more so than
on the spectral
Last Plane Out
Of Saigon. JS
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD pop
maverick Lorde is churning out
some superb stuff.
Her hot new single Tennis
Court is a bigger smash than
an Andy Murray forehand
winner.
It shot to No1 back home in
New Zealand and now it’s
coming out here.
Watch the video and listen to
it at facebook.com/lordemusic
In fact the budding young
musician, right — who fronts
up-and-coming band Wildflowers — was even encouraged to stay at home and
play her guitar.
Her parents raised her as a
nomad, so she rarely got the
chance to lay down roots and go
to classes.
She explained: “It was mad, we
were always on the move.
“Even now I get bored of places
as I’m so used to moving around.
“I went to about 17 schools by
the time I was 15 — we did
France, but it was mostly around
the West Country.
“My parents are quite bohemian.
My dad is a jazz musician so he’d
travel around. They never had a
set job — if there was work, we’d
go. Lots of the themes in my
songs are about that.
one 2 see
WE are more than halfway
through the festival season,
but there’s one worth sticking
in the diary — one right at the
end.
Loopallu takes place in
Ullapool, Wester Ross, on
September 20/21.
Announced so far is The
Enemy and Roddy Woomble.
For more information go to
loopallu.co.uk
Trapped
ONE2WATCH
GUY CLARK
one 2 hear
SEXY singer Siddy Bennett didn’t have a normal upbringing — her
parents weren’t even
bothered if she went to
school.
“Music was the only thing my
parents enforced, we had to do
piano. If we didn’t want to go to
school it wasn’t a problem but we
had to keep up with our music.”
The unorthodox strategy has
come up trumps.
Siddy’s music looks set to capture a huge audience — with Led
Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant
already on board.
The 22-year-old said: “I couldn’t
believe it, it’s taken me three days
to come back down to earth.
“He liked our stuff and got in
touch with this agent to say,
‘Get them to support me’.
“He’s only playing two
venues in the UK this
year and we’re the support act for both.
“I had a solo band in
Bristol for a few years.
“Then I moved to London to take this seriously and we built the
band around me. I
knew I’d be trapped
in Bristol, although
it’s a good city.
“But you have to
bring
the
companies and the managers to your
music — there
SF: As soon as we start it I
CJ: We are a different era.
RAUCOUS, sharp — and
You can’t recreate that indie feel it welling up inside. Peoliable to provoke a riot
scene from ten years ago.
ple say it sounds like The
every time they play,
You only formed in 2011. Do you Clash but, to me, it’s like The
believe fate or talent has played Troggs — dirty, mean rock ‘n’
Palma Violets’ debut
roll. It’s more 60s than anythe biggest part in your story?
album on legendary
SF: When I bumped into thing else we’ve done.
label Rough Trade is one Chilli
we had a meeting of What was it like touring with
minds. We hated everything Miles Kane, Peace and Django
of the most anticipated
that was going on in London Django?
of the year. Here,
because it all seemed fake.
CJ: We thought we were
JACQUI
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chats
to
We thought weknow
could do it Odell
wasn’t any of that in Bris- said: “Some
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She’s
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in Lambeth
and invited
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Right
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It’s
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did had
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called of
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And
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Tell us
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180?
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a sense “Iofheard
festival
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to Siddy
I just loved
fanbase
— these
songs
are my
something
building.
It’s totally
SF: the
We lyrics.
didn’t That’s
want why
some- the
give
you free
booze,
baseball
thing the
watered
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exciting being
with an dubbed
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Tomus wildflowersband.co.uk
sion into guitar music because
aside from a few decent bands
like Tame Impala and Pond,
it’s a barren wasteland.
How does it feel to be compared to The Libertines, The
Clash and The Strokes?
SF: The Strokes and The Libertines were both pretty good,
they had the right idea, but we
want a better legacy than
they’ve ended up with. It’s a
bit like walking a tightrope.
It’s difficult to stay on and
remain relevant. Somehow The
Clash managed it better than
those other bands have done
and that’s what we want.
What about the comparisons to
Carl and Pete?
SF: I don’t think
Pete and Carl. They
other, which is why
up. With us there’s
— and no smack.
we’re like
hated each
they broke
more love
how they wanted us to sound
and play.
But we knew what we
wanted — passion, anger, sadness, love, regret, hatred and
interesting guitar chords.
We just wanted it to seem
completely fresh compared to
all the other s**t around.
How did you team up with Pulp’s
Steve Mackey?
SF: That’s the brilliance of
being on Rough Trade. Pretty
much everyone there has either
been in a band or are managing one. They know everyone
worth knowing in the music
business.
Tell us about your track Best of
Friends?
CJ: It’s like (the Bacharach/
David classic) Walk On By or
Just My Imagination by The
Temptations to me. It’s concerned with growing up and
not getting what you want.
say Lohan, then you end up in
a golf cart driving to the stage
past Damon Albarn to get to
the stage where someone tells
you you’re playing to 3,000 people. Suddenly you think ‘What
the hell is going on here?’ So
it’s quite odd but I like it. It’s
addictive but knackering.
CJ: I don’t know how they
take to us. Everyone we speak
to seems cool, but when you
see all the s**t on TV and get
an idea of how big the place is
it does blow your mind. How
do you escape when you get on
each other’s nerves?
SF: We’ve got a band subscription to Goal! Magazine so
that keeps us busy on tour.
When we get bored we just go
off, get wasted and meet new
people, so it doesn’t become a
problem. I don’t think we’ve
ever had a serious argument.
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your guide now booking HHH
Download of the week
NAME: Wildflowers
FROM: Brighton
via Bristol
INFLUENCES:
The White Stripes
and Patsy Cline
PROFILE: Formed
in April 2012 by
21-year-old singersongwriter Siddy
Bennett, Wildflowers
are set to release
their debut EP on
Monday, June 24.
Wild Among The Flowers sees the band fuse punk
folk with contemporary rock and roll – with a dash
of country in there too.
The band is based around Siddy and her sister Kit
on backing vocals, accordion and Hammond organ,
plus long-time co-writer, guitarist and mandolin player
James Ashbury and rhythm guitarist Ben Johnsen.
The four-piece have just completed their first UK
tour, which included appearances at the Dot-To-Dot
Festival in Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham.
TRACK: Jeremiah
WEBSITE: wildflowersband.co.uk
SOUNDCLOUD: soundcloud.com/wildflowersmusic
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/wildflowershq
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/wildflowershq
EMAIL: [email protected]
NEXT GIG: Wildflowers play The Ancient Mariner, in
Rutland Road, Hove, on Saturday, June 22, from
7pm, and The Hope, in Queen’s Road, Brighton, on
Thursday, July 4.
n Want more music by local artists?
Visit theargus.co.uk/downloads
top five london
The Argus
Brighton
14/6/13
selling fast...
HThe Moody Blues, Brighton Centre, King’s Road,
Friday, June 21, £39.50, 08448 471515
HRon Sexsmith, St George’s Church, St George’s
Road, Brighton, Friday, June 21, 7pm, £18, 01273
606312
HAll Tomorrow’s Parties curated by Deerhunter,
Pontins Camber Sands, Friday, June 21, to Sunday,
June 23, £180 per person, www.atpfestival.com
HElvis Costello, Brighton Centre, King’s Road,
Saturday, June 22, 7pm, from £37.50, 0844 8471515
HThe Pitmen Painters, Theatre Royal Brighton, New
Road, Monday, June 24, to Saturday, June 29, 7.45pm,
2.30pm matinees Thurs and Sat, from £10, 0844
8717650
HPiL, Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street,
Thursday, June 27, 7pm, £25, 01273 709709
HRelative Values, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road,
Monday, July 1, to Saturday, July 6, 7.45pm, 2.30pm
matinees Thurs and Sat, from £15, 0844 8717650
HStrictly Confidential, Brighton Centre, King’s Road,
Monday, July 1, to Wednesday, July 3, 7.30pm, 2.30pm
Wed matinee, from £19.50, 0844 8471515
HLove Supreme Jazz Festival, Glynde Place, Glynde,
Friday, July 5, to Sunday, July 7, £100/£50 for all three
days, £50/£30 per day, www.lovesupremefestival.com
HTubular Bells For Two, Theatre Royal Brighton, New
Road, Monday, July 8, 7.30pm, from £19, 0844 8717650
The Hub
HAmanda Palmer And The Grand Theft Orchestra,
Cambridge
Concorde 2, Madeira
Drive, Brighton, Saturday,
July 13, 6.30pm, £17.50,
01273 673311
1/8/13
HHenry The VI Trilogy, Theatre Royal Brighton,
New Road, Wednesday, July 17, to Saturday, July 20,
various times, from £15, 0844 8717650
HLevellers, St Bartholomews Church, Ann Street,
Brighton, Friday, July 19, £21.50, www.seetickets.com
HPeter Andre, Victoria Park, Haywards Heath, Friday,
July 19, from £25, 01444 800045
HGentlemen Of The Road Stopover with Mumford
And Sons, Vampire Weekend, The Vaccines and
Mystery Jets, Convent Fields, Lewes, Friday, July 19,
and Saturday, July 20, £75, £20 camping,
www.gentlemenoftheroad.com
Social Media
facebook.com/wildflowersHQ
instagram.com/siddybennett
twitter.com/wildflowershq
Listen at:
youtube.com/user/WildflowersHQ
soundcloud.com/wildflowersmusic