Tag: interview

Layabout Black Bass Player And Co-Creator Greg Price Talks With EP About The Creation Of A New Musical Genre Born In The Land Of Pirates

January 19, 2021

Greg Price is a man on a mission. Also known as Layabout, the vocalist and bass guitarist from South London is making music for a new generation. With co songwriter Pharaoh Black and vocalist Robyn a new genre is being created in a place steeped in the history of some of the most famous Pirates. Punk Reggae is a genre that takes the legacy of Jamaica’s rich history of trade and anarchy and unleashes it in musical form. Not trying to be anything old but with respect of the past, not trying to be something other than a new music for an ever changing world but forged in the culture of Jamaica but with a hint of South London swagger. I was lucky enough to chat to bassist and co creator of Layabout Black about this new adventure and found him to be knowledgeable, hopeful and creative. A polite savage making music to transport you to a different place. Enjoy.

Raul Malo, Lead Singer Of World Famous The Mavericks, Talks To Essentially Pop About ‘En Español’, The UK Tour And The Incredible Christmas Single ‘Happy Holidays’

December 21, 2020

The Mavericks, the Miami band famous for being able to cross so many boundaries between Americana, Country and Rock’n’Roll have this year added a new string to their multiple CMA and Grammy award winning bow. They have released a record entirely in Spanish. ‘En Español’ is quite simply The Mavericks in Spanish and is such a tour de force that it landed at #22 in the UK indie chart, #6 in the UK Americana chart as well as topping Billboard’s Latin Pop Album Chart. This incredible album is produced by the irrepressible lead singer Raul Malo with long time collaborator Niko Bolas, who has produced such greats as Neil Young, Prince and Sheryl Crow.

Shirley Klaris Yonavieve Edwards, Known As SKYE, Talks With Essentially Pop About The Amazing New Record ‘Goodnight Songs For Rebel Girls’ And Her Part In It

December 7, 2020

SKYE is probably best known as the lead singer of the iconic Morcheeba but recently she has embarked upon a new initiative. She has joined forces with a collection of incredible female vocalists on an album to accompany, or rather complement, the stories from the books ‘Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls’. The books are a wonderful collection which highlight remarkable women and their extraordinary lives. Empowering, moving and inspirational stories are made all the more powerful by the addition of the incredible illustrations by sixty female artists from around the world.

Rising Star Katie Kittermaster Releases ‘ Every Breath You Take’ And Answers A Few Questions For Essentially Pop

November 29, 2020

Katie Kittermaster is a singer songwriter from Kent who has recently been making real waves. This year would have been a very busy one with live dates a plenty in her own right and as a supporting act for some substantiated names in the industry. She toured with a recent interviewee of mine, Lucy Spraggan, and is about to release her new single, a cover of the classic ‘Every Breath You Take’. I was lucky enough to be able to ask her a few questions about what she’s been up to, the single and the sumptuous backdrop of the video to accompany it. Katie’s version of the song comes from a different place to the original and works beautifully. 

Six Quick Questions With Dublin Band Wild Youth

November 26, 2020

Wild Youth are, in their own words, “one of the hottest Irish bands to emerge in recent times” and they’ve certainly established themselves as a name in their homeland, and are making great strides across the globe, with a view to world domination. Their most recent single, ‘Through The Phone’, was released earlier this month, and comes with a pastel-coloured music video, where they get creative with paint on an 80s era rotary phone.

Essentially Pop Gets To Chat With Sacha Puttnam Who Is To Release ‘Spirit Of Cinema’ On November 6th

November 4, 2020

I’m a self confessed lover of soundtrack music. The first vinyl I ever bought was the soundtrack from ‘A Fistful of Dollars’ and ‘For A Few Dollars More’ by Ennio Morricone. That led to ‘Great Western Film Themes Collection’, and ‘ The Good, The Bad & The Ugly’, and I was hooked. These days I have over 150 soundtracks on vinyl and a majority of these are Morricone. So, when I got the chance to chat with Sacha Puttnam: classical musician, soundtrack composer and rock keyboard playing son of legendary movie producer Lord David Puttnam, it’s hard to underestimate my excitement. Add to that the fact that he is just about to release a stunning collection of reimagined soundtrack music from some of his father’s greatest films, which unsurprisingly number among some of the greatest films ever, and you may still underestimate.

Glastonbury Repeat Performer, Lucy Spraggan, One Of Our Brightest Stars, Chats About Her New Single, ‘Flowers’, And A Personal Relaunch

September 25, 2020

Without any doubt, Lucy Spraggan is one of our brighter stars. Anyone that can release 5 albums in the past 9 years with an exciting sixth on the way early next year, play world famous Glastonbury twice, with this year’s third appearance sadly postponed, has certainly stood the most important first test for any artist, the test of time. That she should be more excited now about the future than feasibly at any time before, looking forward to a record she thinks might just be her best proves she has so much to give.