Bwani Junction – and so she thinks

Radio show – again! July 12th

admin — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 20:48:34 +0000

Summer summer summer time.

Tripwires – Shimmer
Robinson – Waiting On Cinderella
Bwani Junction – Papa Candy
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Nightwater Girlfriend
Speedy Ortiz – No Below
French Cowboy & The One – You Wanna Sing
Sky Between Leaves – Sky Between Leaves
Night Flowers – Single Beds
Telegram – Follow
Tape Waves – Wherever I go
The Dirt Tracks – Kaleidoscope
Algernon Doll – Anti Them
Joyland – Whitebait

Thoughts & Rhythms – July 12th 2013 by Francesca Baker on Mixcloud

Bwani Junction share new songs

admin — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 19:20:32 +0000

Sat on Exponential’s roof top, on a windy July evening overlooking Mayfair, I have a chat with Bwani Junction, (left to right)Dan Muir (Lead Guitarist), Fergus Robson (Bassist), Jack Fotheringham (Drummer), and Rory Fairweather (Front-man) and ahead of the release of new single Papa Candy. Having patented their own exhilarating strain of something that could be described as ‘fusion funk’ or ‘skewed indie’ or ‘leek wielding’ (according to Rory, not me) or ‘Afro-Scottish’ their sound is always infectious, bristling with vigour and passionately delivered.

Having been playing together since the age of 11, meeting at school, they have grown together, and their sound has evolved with them. Papa Candy does sound like more ‘grown up’ track, evolved and matured with its rocky vibe and bolshy spirit. As much as lyrics like ‘the milkman is on fire’ can be. But then when one of the best band of all time can chat sing about ‘Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come’ they are in pretty good company. It’s nice chatting with boys. Not an insipid limp way, but the genuine buzz as they bounce of each other, chatting about their week and revisiting old stories is contagious and inclusive. They make each other laugh and they make me laugh.
A good ninety per cent of reviews or articles on Bwani Junction will use the words ‘Vampire Weekend’ as an adjective to describe them. I put this to them , and without exception they all roll their eyes. ‘I don’t get it’ says Dan. I mean the first album was all…’ and he knocks out a crisp rock melody. It’s probably something to do with the almost tribal beats that underpins the songs, no doubt influenced by Bhundu Boys, the Zimbabwean band that Gordon, manager/bantering badger/general father figure (both literal in the case of Rory and metaphorical for the rest) used to manage.
Papa Candy is out on July 14^th, but as yet there are no crazy plans to support the single launch. Previous single Two Bridges famously saw the band playing on the Forth Bridge. Jack reveals that ‘we thought about playing the Eiffel Tower, it has to be somewhere higher, bigger and better. Someone, who should probably remain nameless suggests that the band mimic Muse and play in space. ‘That would be high!’
Gordon, having been quietly sipping his birthday beer throughout suggests that the best option would just be to get high. Whilst I am pretty confident the band had not partaken in any substances today, they are certainly a band looking to have a good time. ‘What’s the point otherwise?’ asks Rory. ‘Get out of your own arse’ says Dan.

One band they do respect and who are certainly not stuck up any rectal pipes are Little Comets, one of only many that Bwani Junction have toured with (The Vaccines, M, and Tribes amongst others this year). ‘They are everything that we aspire to be as a band. Tight, passionate and great lads.’ This is a very brief snippet – the actual raving about the Geordie band takes up at least ten minutes and I have to remind the guys that we are here to talk about them.
But what comes across in their testimonial is the importance of having a good time, enjoying being in a band rather than seeing it as a chore, and the belief that they have something worthwhile to deliver with their music. One of the bands they would love to support is The Rolling Stones, partly out of respect for such longevity, but mainly to ‘see if we could keep up and party with a bunch of seventy year olds.’

They envisage themselves still being in the game in at least twenty years, or at least that is when they promised me that they can reveal the real story behind the name of their new album due out this autumn, the name of which I do know but have been sworn to secrecy about… Full of brave bold storytelling and tongue in cheek lyrics, the songs, that they treat me too previews of, are wildly colourful and glisten with brilliant funk fusion.
Kindly put up by the company I work for, ad network Exponential, the interview takes place on our office balcony with a view of London, a fact that impresses the band. Dan is particularly enamoured, as is Jack, asking as he cracks open another beer ‘I love this space. Can we come and work here?’ ‘Sure’ I offer up ‘you can be our house band.’ ‘I’ll be your doorman, this place is awesome.’
Tempting as it is to have Bwani Junction knocking around the office, please, stick to the music guys. You do it so well.
New single Papa Candy is out on July 15th on the band’s own Aksatak label.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvA5v6Q6MIo&w=560&h=315]

Leefest – movers and shakers!

admin — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:14:09 +0000

Ordinarily I wouldn’t think that a weekend couched somewhere between Croydon and Bromley worth spending my time on, let alone writing about for all to read. But Leefest 2012 – that’s different. Well deserving of its accolades and praise, this genuinely is one of the best festivals in the country, which, when there are 450+ running, is a big deal.
Having resigned myself to the fact that none of my festival experiences this summer were to be accompanied by anything resembling heat and summer, we cracked on, drink in hand, exploring the many stages and surprises that this 2500 capacity festival manages to pack in, some key highlights below…
We were pleased to see Bwani Junction on a bigger stage than our roof (see the videosfrom The Great Escape for more…), their reggae beat rock teasing the sun out from behind the clouds and their track Civil Wars again standing out as one to go big and make them that ‘Glastonbury institution’ that NME have predicted.
Of course, I made a beeline for Slow Club, and Rebecca and Charles did not disappoint. Playing material primarily from second album Two Cousins, interspersed with their deadpan Sheffield banter they seemed to be having as much fun as the crowd, and thoroughly deserving the response they received.
Radlands is starting to embed itself in the audience consciousness now, Mystery Jets will be pleased to have seen when they took to the stage on Saturday night. Of course it was Two Doors Down and (Half In Love With) Elizabeth that lit things up even further, from the pretty blazing level Blaine and the boys set.
Having seen the band a few times this year we didn’t stay for the end, but checked out Ghostpoet, an artist whose track Lines has been spinning round my head for a while now, but I’ve never made the effort to explore further. His unique style spanning spoken word and melodic music made the stage feel intimate, and was a real highlight.
So, another year, another success. Usually one wants to wish for ‘bigger and better’ things for something they love, and the organisers of Leefest are likely to be searching for a larger site – let’s just hope that with starry success they remember where all the best things start – the back garden – and keep in mind their motto – ‘You, the movers and shakers of our generation. You, think freely, think differently. You, provide the inspiration, the motivation. You, make things happen.’
Here’s to next year.
Check out the video of the weekend here!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p51tgy470g]

IAH Rooftop Sessions present…Bwani Junction @ The Great Escape 2012

admin — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:15:25 +0000

It was a beautiful Friday afternoon when the 4 lads from Edinburgh rocked up on our rooftop to play a couple of acoustic numbers. Even stripped back the harmonies on tracks such as Civil Wars and Roots to Deep made the hairs on your arm tingle! An awesome band who are definitely going places! Cheers lads.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SHW6oTqACk&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcbv3Q29Eu4&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UytTZwX4Mec&w=560&h=315]
Check the photos out below (click on a thumbnail for the full-size gallery)

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Win tickets to Leefest!

admin — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 12:51:25 +0000

When parents go away for the weekend and fail to leave explicit instructions dictating that their loved children ‘must not throw a festival in the back garden’, events such as Leefest are inevitable. Having evolved from its 2006 roots as a party in the garden with seven bands, the not for profit festival in Bromley returns on June 29^th-30th with one of the best line ups of the summer.
Slow Club, Mystery Jets and Summer Camp all incite squeals of delight whenever I see/hear/think about them, and are reason enough to make the epic half an hour journey from London, even were it not for the whole raft of other acts, including Tom Williams & The Boat, Scotland’s sunniest export Bwani Junction (check out the videos from The Great Escape Rooftop Sessions), the Long Blondes esque Lets Buy Happiness, synth pop via CasioKids and Distiller signings Sound of Guns.
The music line up is amazing, but if you want to go beyond that, there’s visual art from Screen Social, a live curation of Inc magazine and a showcase of musical scores from The Sound Of Film and a glittery whirlwind of magical fun courtesy of Wonderland. A whole batch of stuff proving why the festival has been praised by The Guardian and won accolades in the UK Festival Awards, for being small but perfectly formed.
If you want a taster of what’s in store, check out the playlists that Leefest have kindly pulled together for you.
Tickets are like, mega good value, at only £57 for the weekend, and profits support Kids Company, making it a more than worthy way to spend the weekend. Or you can try and win a pair with It’s All Happening – simply tweet ‘Can I party with you @IAH_music at this year’s @Leefest?’ by midnight on June 15^th, and we will pick a winner at random! Good luck!