Band of the month - August 2010
Our band of the month is Ashdowne
Ashdowne are:
Lee Wakeling (Lead guitars/vocals)
Andy Kempin (Guitar)
Ben Hepworth (Bass)
Kev "Gripper" Groves (Drums)
Artsin: Tell me about Ashdowne. How long have you guys been together and how long have you been playing?
Ashdowne: Been together for around five years but playing on the scene a lot longer in several different bands.
Artsin: Do you all come from Leicester/shire?
Ashdowne: Yes we sure do
Artsin: Can you remember your first gig? What was it like?
Ashdowne: As a band it’s a bit of a blur really.
Gripper [drummer]: My first gig was at the Rank Taylor Hobson social club in Leicester. Just a hand full of punters turned up. Guess some things never change [laughs].
Artsin: What has changed in the band since you first started to play?
Ashdowne: The songs have definitely got stronger and the band now play a lot tighter.
Artsin: So what would you say is your current style of music?
Ashdowne: Think we’ve been labeled as Anthemic indie rock.
Artsin: Who in the band writes the songs?
Ashdowne: Well it’s kinda collective but Lee and Andy come in with the blueprints.
Artsin: How do you write songs? Which comes first - the lyrics or the music?
Ashdowne: Music, then melody then lyrics.
Artsin: What other bands have been an influence on you?
Ashdowne: Budapest, John Mayer, Joni Mitchell, Morning Runner, Xenamania, Brooke Fraser, Counting Crows, Hendrix and early Guns and Roses.
Artsin: Have you played support slots with any other, bigger bands?
Ashdowne: Yeah, we managed to blag a support with Morning Runner and The Subways.
Artsin: Have you played any festivals? Which ones and which in your experience was the best?
Ashdowne: Yeah, we were lucky enough this year to open the main stage for Glastonbudget 2010.Over the three festival days we also played a live acoustic set for the BBC and finishing with playing the Showcase tent … loved it! We’ve also got Summer Sundae just around the corner, we’re on the Sunday at 1pm on the Musician Stage[ wink wink!]
Artsin: Which gig stands out in your mind most over say the last year or so?
Ashdowne: A gig in Corby were we ended up playing in someone’s conservatory – very bizarre!
Artsin: If you had one wish, which big band would you most like to play with?
Ashdowne: U2 Artsin: What do you like most about that band?
Ashdowne: there’s nothing not to like about U2 and they are awesome live.
Artsin: Lee, you’re the lead singer in the band. Do you model yourself on any one singer that you admire?
Lee: Not really but I guess I admire great front men like Bono and Bowie
Artsin: Gripper, you’re the "daddy" of the group. Do you keep these guys in line?
Gripper: Tooooo right! Them za crazy lot … Only kidding. If I’m the “Daddy” then how come it's always me who’s having to hoover the mass of biscuit crumbs up from our rehearsal studio floor?. The guys just can’t seem to find their mouths.
Artsin: I bet that's not true when they have a pint in their hand!
Gripper: No really, we all have an equal say in what goes. It's a chemistry that seems to works well for us. Saying that, I guess I tend to be the one who does most of the phoning, emailing etc. for gigs and generally networking with other bands which suits me just fine with being a ‘people person’.
Artsin: Have any of the band members played in other bands, before Ashdowne?
Gripper: Here’s a few I’ve played in ... Will Disley, Walking Under Ladders, Shatterproof Chin, The Deadlight Spiral, Mike Pruden (Blues), Findley Webster, Ska-boom, Godfather, Double Cross ... as well as many more including various sessions and depping jobs.
Ashdowne: Yeah, but none worth mentioning as we’ve not been about as much as Gripper.
Artsin: On your Myspace it says you won "Battle of the Bands"; which one was that?
Ashdowne: Leicester Halftime Orange
Artsin: Have you considered going for things like Original Bands Showcase or Surface Unsigned?
Ashdowne: Yes, we’ve just done OBS in May 2010 which has now given us the chance to play this years Summer Sundae Festival. Have we already mentioned (Musician stage 1pm Sunday 15th Aug) [laughs].
Artsin: What advice would you give to all the young bands out there trying to make it?
Ashdowne: Know it's a little clichéd but guess all we can say is just follow your dreams, work hard at it and believe in yourselves. By the way, if anyone’s got any better advice we wanna hear it too!
Artsin: I guess you have played in pretty much every venue in Leicester. Do you have one that you call home, one venue that you like most?
Ashdowne: The Looking Glass on Braunstone Gate.
Artsin: There's a lot happening on the Leicester music scene these days. What do you find most exciting about Leicester?
Ashdowne: This time last year many bands/artists feared the worst after the closure of a few Leicester venues. A year on and it seems to have gone a ‘full circle’. Everyone’s talking about the new 02 Academy, due to open soon, which will hopefully open a few doors for local bands/artists enabling them to build on their profile. Also new venues such as The Sound House, Sub 91 and the Auditorium are also going to play a vital role in kick starting the local music scene. Saying that, let's not forget about the venues that have always been here for us doing their bit week in week out ... The Musician, The Shed, Looking Glass, The Donkey, Sumo etc. Leicester’s ‘buzzing’ at the moment and is full of some true talent just waiting for the chance to be heard.
Artsin: Finally, what do you think of Kasabian?
Ashdowne: You got to give them credit. They’re a damn site better than ShowaddyWaddy ever were! Kasabian are ‘MASSIVE’ now and totally unstoppable. Those boys have definitely helped to put Leicester back on the map. Not only that, we feel it’s given many of our local bands a much needed “glimmer of hope”.
You can see Ashdowne at the Summer Sundae Festival on Sunday 15th August.
Listen to Ashdowne's tracks on MySpace.
Previous Bands of the Month
The Manhattan Project, Backline, Messini Assault, Beat Club, The Utopians, Breek, Subdude, Full Circle, Forty More Autumns, Razmataz, Smoking the Profit, The Heroes, The Truth, The Chairmen (Oct 08), Kids in Cars (Nov 08), Formal Warning (Dec 08), The Steptoos (January 09), The Pennyhangers (February 09), Project Notion (March 09). Skam# (April 09), Shortwave Fade (May 09), The Waits (June 09), Kill The Batman (July 09), The Fazed (August 09), Autohype (Sept 09), Weekend Schemers (Oct 09), AstroManiacs (Nov 09), Azidify (Dec 09), Kicking Habits (Jan 10), Drive by Disco (Feb 10), The Stiggz (March 10), Iziggy (April 10), Third Time Lucky (May 10), Neon Sarcastic (June 10), Silent Resistance (July 10).
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