BAND FORMATION: Kieran Shudall, second from left, started off alone as Circa Waves, before deciding to recruit members for his band when his songs started getting noticed.


By Geoffrey Rowlands


When is a band not a band? It happens so often in the music business. A talented multi-instrumentalist will record tracks on his own but use a collective rather than an individual name. In the case of Kieran Shudall, he chose Circa Waves.
“I’d been in loads of bands around my home city of Liverpool but none had ever become successful. I suppose I still had a kind of band mentality even after I decided to record songs alone. That’s why I didn’t want to release anything under my own name.”
When interest was shown in his music, unlike most artists in a similar position, 27-year-old Kieran opted to recruit other musicians and put together a live band.
“I didn’t want to be just a studio artist or perform concerts on my own using backing tapes. I guess it’s that band mentality again but I wanted to be part of a proper band.”
Kieran met bassist Sam Rourke and drummer Sian Plummer through mutual friends and found guitarist Joe Falconer working as a stage manager at the 2013 Liverpool Sound City music and arts festival.
“The band came together in days. This was shortly after one of my songs was played on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 show. It was the pressure of having industry bigwigs taking an interest in my work which made it imperative for me to form a band. I needed musicians to play my songs for the record label A&R men.”
Their earliest shows were more like rehearsals. The band didn’t even perform as Circa Waves.
“We were billed under pseudonyms like Malkovich Malkovich or Wet Wet Wet Wet. It was a good thing too because our performances were terrible. The first gig was a total disaster. Most of our stuff broke down. We had to borrow amps and various pieces of equipment from the other band on the bill.”
Unsurprisingly, Circa Waves found it difficult to build a fan base.
“Our performances improved and we did rehearse properly but we kept playing under assumed names. This meant anyone who might have seen us under one name wouldn’t know when we were playing again because we’d adopt some other name.”
After finally admitting to their true identity, Circa Waves found themselves performing to an ever growing group of genuine fans. The A&R men were still among the audience with the band eventually signing to Virgin Records.
They released a number of singles and EPs, most of which can be heard at (no www.) soundcloud.com/circawaves
But the year to date was filled with a solid round of touring and festival performances all aimed at presenting their brand of indie rock to a widening audience. The hard work has certainly paid off with their debut album, “Young Chasers,” shooting straight to number ten on the UK chart.
“We’re absolutely delighted. When you think of how few fans we had relatively recently, it’s amazing that so many people are now interested enough in our music to actually buy the album.”
The year hasn’t been perfect. Sian Plummer left the band being replaced on drums by Colin Jones.
“We were sorry to see Sian leave but there was no big fall out and we wish him well. Most of our fans already knew Colin through his work as our sound check technician. Asking him to join us was a very easy decision.”
Pleased as he is by their album chart placing, Kieran hopes for singles success during 2015.
“We’ve yet to have a single in the top 75. That’s what makes our album sales all the more surprising and pleasing.
“Getting a big hit single is our next goal. The ironic thing is that I’ve been criticised for just writing singles. I think of my work as songs, not singles or album tracks, but it would be nice if one of them could match the chart success of our album.”


in
brief

Led Zeppelin

Music legends Led Zeppelin recently released a 40th anniversary deluxe edition of their sixth studio album, “Physical Graffiti.”
As with the band’s previous deluxe re-releases, “Physical Graffiti” has been newly re-mastered by guitarist Jimmy Page. It is accompanied by a disc of companion audio recordings featuring previously unreleased music relating to the original album.
The second disc contains seven tracks. One of these is an early mix of Trampled Under Foot, which is listed as the song’s original working title of Brandy & Coke.
The band has enlisted media and technology company Interlude to create an interactive video for Brandy & Coke. This can be viewed at www.ledzeppelin.com/video. It allows fans to explore the building pictured on the cover of “Physical Graffiti” and enter all of the 16 windows to witness the events taking place in each room.

Walk Off the Earth

Canadian indie quintet Walk Off the Earth have been together for nine years. They made their name by posting covers of hugely successful pop songs on YouTube. Each member is a multi-instrumentalist and their work often attracted interest for the use of uncommon instruments.
The band recently released Rule the World, as the lead single from their forthcoming second major label album. The official video is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukigjUvwAR4
Their cover of Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know was a hit in numerous countries but Red Hands is Walk Off the Earth’s only original song to achieve significant chart success.
Their 2013 album, “R.E.V.O.,” was a big hit in Canada. All but one of the tracks can be heard at www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAtRYEUh-Gc&list=PL4ASfUQlOSw5-U5xjVxfnZF-jza4Xg0RK
The missing song is the album title-track. This is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfe_QBN0SBg

Jimmy & The Revolvers

It’s just over two years since Jimmy & The Revolvers played their first concert as a full band. Last year, they were described by Mojo magazine as a “Liverpool quartet who channel golden-period Merseybeat with lashings of harmonies, strum, rattle and roll.”
This is just one of numerous reviews bestowing abundant praise on Jimmy Moon, Kurt Riley, Jay Rehm and Ash Michael. See if you agree by checking out the tracks posted at (no www.) soundcloud.com/jimmyandtherevolvers
An official video has been made for Whistle For My Love. This is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVyDNPg6LSo
Other live performance videos can also be found on YouTube.

Tame Impala

Cause I’m A Man is the second track, and first official single, released by Australia’s Tame Impala from their forthcoming third studio album, “Currents.” The song is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyEB2AEqHxc
Let It Happen was made available as the first track from the album just days before the release of Cause I’m A Man. This song can be heard at www.youtube.com/watch?v=odeHP8N4LKc
There is no word yet on when “Currents” will be released. But Tame Impala’s first two albums are posted on YouTube. Their 2010 debut, Innerspeaker, is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS93SXk951k
The 2012 follow-up, Lonerism, is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=49_f4lWOeFE&list=PL6RGMW9bKToOJTf6y7ZWn3r3weaqC5VlG

The National

American indie band The National have just released Sunshine On My Back as a one-off new single.
It is the band’s first new material since their 2013 critically acclaimed sixth studio album, “Trouble Will Find Me.” The song was actually recorded for possible inclusion on the album but did not make the final cut.
Sunshine On My Back can be heard at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Axr6d6G1DU
It is available as a free download to anyone who purchases The National’s documentary film, Mistaken For Strangers, from www.mistakenforstrangersmovie.com