Author Archives: Gareth Williams

Latitude 2017: Bessie Turner

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We chatted to Essex singer/songwriter Bessie Turner before her performance on the Lake Stage on Friday.

Her style is an eclectic pastiche of her musical heroes; she is influenced as much by MIA as she is Dionne Warwick. Yet it is her own uniqueness – in both her personality as well as her music – that sets her apart as an artist and performer. Her voice rings with a soulfulness that floats like a cloud; wistful, effortless and above all charming.

Bessie released her debut single Big Sleep in April 2017 to critical acclaim. You can find out more about Bessie on her official Facebook page.


Latitude 2017: Ben Ward from Superglu

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We’ve been tracking Manningtree’s finest, Superglu, for some time now and we’re hoping they go onto greater things – judging by their storming performance on the Lake Stage on Friday, anything is possible.

superglu

Before coming to Latitude, SuperGlu release their brand new single Simmer Down’ via Antigen Records in April as a highly anticipated taster for their forthcoming EP Fig’, released later this summer.

Earlier this year, SuperGlu performed multiple official showcases at SXSW 2017 in Texas, including Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq’s showcase at the British Music Embassy.

We chatted to drummer Ben about the band and what they’re currently up to.

You can find out more about the band by keeping an eye on their official Facebook page.


Latitude 2017: Bruno Major

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One of the many endearing things about Bruno Major is that he doesn’t seem to have any idea what a powerful and emotionally searing singer he is.

Ask Bruno about his guitar playing though and, sheepish grin out of the way, he’ll wax lyrical about an instrument he first picked up at the age of seven, and which has seen him through good times and bad, triumphs and false starts, ever since.

It comes as no surprise whatsoever to learn that Bruno studied and mastered jazz guitar – studies that saw him earning a living as a session guitarist from the young age of 16.

Gareth chatted with him just before his performance at the Lake Stage on Saturday.

You can find out more about Bruno on his official Facebook page.


Latitude 2017: Marcus Foster – Seramic

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A first for Phoenix FM as birthday boy Gareth interviews birthday boy Marcus!

2017-07-16 353 Gareth with Seramic

We caught Marcus just before his perforamnce at the Sunrise Arena on Sunday.

Seramic is Marcus’s new project. Combining his visual and musical sensibilities, it’s an exciting space for him to blend his many musical influences into one place. Drawn to immediate, joyful rhythms and chest-swelling choruses, he combines his love of legendary singer-songwriters with fresh, piercing electronic sounds and experiments with the hip-hop approach of sampling. A sound that The Sunday Times has dubbed “Prince meets D’Angelo meets Tom Waits meets Joe Cocker. Foster intends “the music to be forward-thinking, to be present. The way I see it, I’m never going to make a better soul record than Sly and the Family Stone, or make a funk record that’s better than Funkadelic’. The most important thing for any artist is embracing change.

You can find out more about Marcus on his official Facebook page.


Latitude 2017: Black Thorn

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Sheffield band Black Thorn – Joel, Adam, Jack and Josie – had a chat with us just before their performance on the BBC Introducing stage on Sunday.

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They also related a tale of mistaken identity at one of our own local festivals!

You can find out more about them on their official Facebook page.


Sunday Breakfast Show 05/03/17

Every Sunday, join me, Gareth Williams from 7am through till 10am for an early morning look at the news, entertainment and sport.  They’ll be songs from the first hour to sooth tired bodies and minds, but by 10am I want you dancing around your kitchens!

*Public health warning - show may be sluggish until I've finished my second coffee 
if I've been out on the Saturday night (I didn't know 7am on a Sunday existed until 
the start of 2017)

GWFirstShow

Every week we play out a “Sunday Song” – a song featuring the word Sunday anywhere in it (lyrics or title) or performed by a band such as the Sunday’s.  To suggest a song for the list, tweet me at https://twitter.com/GWPhoenix

This week’s Sunday song was Sunday Morning Call by Oasis

 


Sunday Breakfast Show

Previous Sunday Songs –

26/02/17

This week’s Sunday Song – Sunday Sunday by Blur

19/02/17

This week’s Sunday Song – Sunday Girl by Blondie

12/02/17

This week’s Sunday Song – Church on Sunday by Green Day

05/02/17

This week’s Sunday Song – Pleasant Valley Sunday by The Monkees

29/01/17

This week’s Sunday Song – Sunday 29th by Bent

22/01/17

This week’s Sunday Song, chosen on Twitter by @LauraPayne9 is Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning by Bon Jovi

15/01/17

This week’s Sunday Song – Sunday by Bloc Party

08/01/17

The first ever Sunday Song – Easy by The Commodores