29 August 2011

Fresh Meat Monday - Adam Holmes and The Embers



Would you care to introduce yourself?

Collectively we are Adam Holmes and The Embers. Individually we are 2011 Radio 2 Folk Award nominee Adam Holmes on guitar/vocals and songwriting, Shifty on guitar/backing vocals, Alex on bass and Jaff on drums/backing vocals.


How would you describe the music you make?

Contemporary semi-acoustic folk/pop with a hint of Scotland is as good a description as any of the music. Lyrics? They're all about girls.


How did you start out making music?

Adam's been hanging round Edinburgh folk pubs and clubs since he was about nine and saw some great singer/songwriters over the years at close quarters, so as soon as he got a guitar he started writing his own songs, and in fact his very first song I Can't Be Right is on our new EP. After his Radio 2 award nomination earlier this year he decided that he needed a band to give the songs more dimension and through various twists hooked up with three crusty older guys.


What process goes into the way you write songs?

Adam writes all the songs, mostly on the guitar, and the chords, melody and key lyric ideas usually all come at the same time. After that he brings them to the band with a rough idea of rhythm or style then everyone throws in their thoughts about an arrangement, comes up with their own parts, bashes it around a bit and that's it.


What can people expect from your live shows?

Adam's really snazzy stage jacket for one thing, but musically, a bunch of catchy, uptempo happy/sad songs about girls mixed in with a bunch of catchy, downtempo happy/sad songs about girls. Visually, at the moment it's the jacket and Jaff's Keith Moonisms and bandana unfortunately.......but we're working on it.


What are you all listening to at the moment?

John Martyn, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams


What can we expect to see/hear from you in 2011?

We've got loads of good stuff going on just now with some really well connected folk (that includes you too Lloyd!) and it's just a case of keeping it all moving forward. Amazing Radio have picked up on Fire In The Sun (one of the songs from the EP) and we've getting regular plays and great support from their presenters, particularly Jim Gellatly and Charlie Ashcroft. Likewise Folk Radio UK have been great to us and we've just finished a live session for them which will be on their website in the next couple of weeks plus Janice Forsyth took a punt on us as a new, unsigned band and gave us a play aswell. Basically though it will be pushing the EP through gigs, publicity and PR for the next few months and then we're into the studio again to record another set of songs.




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