Second Person

(Mark) Spreading the word. Quietly.

2008-12-02T11:19:00.002Z

Marketing isn't the first thing one thinks about when dreaming about making an album. You think about the music, what you're going to have on the front cover and maybe what kind of biscuits you're going to have in the studio...wait, the studio. Ok, where are we going to get the money to record this album? In the past a record deal was your only option but now there are many more ways of doing this. Fans pre-buying the CD and sharing of the income from the album (through Sellaband) was how we financed "The Elements" and (if all goes well) it'll be how we finance our new project "The Lemon Tree".

When you've made your album how do you get people to hear it? We already had a fan-base by the time we released The Elements, one that had grown by word-of-mouth, people had listened to Chromatography and they'd told their friends. It wasn't a huge fan-base but enough to raise the target $50,000 on Sellaband.

Things have changed a great deal in the music industry over the last decade, it used to be that a record company would throw money at something and seemingly if they threw enough: the artist would become successful. Nowadays record labels are throwing millions at projects that only sell 800 copies and there are countless places people can go to find new music - it's almost impossible to know about them all, let alone try to control them - as they once did with the record stores. It seems like the major labels are having to shout even louder now just to be heard at all.

So, in this over-saturated, decentralised media marketplace, how does a small band from London get heard above the racket of everyone screaming as loud as they can?

The answer is we don't. We wouldn't be heard, and even if we could why would we want to be? As music lovers in our own right we certainly don't want to be shouted at, and the kind of people who listen to our music don't like being shouted at either.

It takes me a long time to trust a band enough to buy their music, trust they are are going to deliver something truly great and trust that they are going to keep delivering good music. Like most music lovers I've been burnt. I've trusted a magazine review paid for by a major record company that's told me that "this album will change my life" and it's not delivered. For many of us it's hard to trust the radio, TV and music magazines anymore - so where do we turn? To our friends. My friends know the music they like and can tell me honestly if they think I'll like something - and often they are right.

How do we get people to tell their friends about us?

We take the time to make the best music we can make, the way we've been working for nearly 7 years. We spend a great deal of time on the details, the little things that people DO notice and really appreciate. We make the music we want to listen to. We tell our friends, and our mailing list, and if they like the music - we leave it up to them to tell people.

We try to make great videos, again, concentrating on the little details that make something special. We use these videos not as an advertising tool, but as separate pieces of art for our own enjoyment and that of our friends.

We've tried "professional" industry management, we've tried PR people, neither worked for us. We don't like the way the old model of the music industry worked but luckily it'll have eaten itself up in five years. From the countless meetings we've had in the last few years we can see that there are very few people who seem to know what they're doing right now. So until we meet someone who comes up with a better way of spreading the word about Second Person - we're going to work in the only way we know how. If you make good music, and you give people access to it, they'll come to you.

If you shout at people they will stop listening to you. We're not going to shout and we are going to do things our way.

(Julia) Scotland the Brave

2008-08-26T22:10:00.006+01:00

So, we get in the car and drive up to Scotland. Just because we can.

Eight hours in the car playing incomprehensible version of Twenty Questions, and eating things from M&S. Arrive in Collington, where we are shown some quite incredibly bountiful hospitality from the gorgeous Maceachen family.

Why are maps in Scotland not waterproof? Come to think of it, why did we not print up plastic flyers? By 4pm on our first day there is so much rainwater everywhere that I have to throw my ballet shoes away and buy a pair of boots. Lunch at a cafe called Petit Paris, or similar - delicious. A guitar-playing comedian does impressions of 'women from around the world making love' in between verses of 'Twist and Shout'. Collect Neil and Angus from the station, and then everyone is too cold to go on thrusting damp flyers at Swedish tourists, so we get in a taxi and go home. I go out for supper with my friend Jill, a genius PhD lady; we go to the Nile Valley Cafe, for five kinds of mashed garlic. Later some form of comedy show. I do not sleep much, as is often the case before gigs.

Day of gig dawns more clear and we sound check at 9am. Painless - in fact, perhaps better to sound check at this hour? Like arriving on time for double Chemistry on a Tuesday and feeling smug about it. Venue is church converted into theatre. Sound bounces off the stone. Afterwards, we go on a long expedition to find fried breakfast foods. I go to an exhibition of Scotland and Impressionists, and later see my friend Nick Thomas in his show, NewsRevue, for which I have to run in bare feet across Bristo Square, nearly missing the beginning. It is brilliant.

Dinner in a restaurant near the Roxy; we don't realise there's a special Fawlty Towers show going on and end up eating 'backstage' while Sybil and Basil set fire to Manuel and shout at the diners. I order raspberry sorbet as both appetiser and dessert, for some reason. Exhausted by about 9.30pm, and we end up going onstage close to midnight, but the adrenaline invariably kicks in.

Gig is great. Especially 'The Kitchen', of which I am increasingly fond. (I am planning my own cookery show, which will be about how to provide proper snacks for bands, with complex carbohydrates and balanced proteins, so that they don't go and buy samosas and things with hydrogenated vegetable oils from the shop next to the rehearsal studio.) I stay up until about 6am, which is rare for me - Edinburgh too exciting, too vital, to sleep through.

(Julia) We played at the Proud Gallery on Tuesday...

2008-07-24T11:41:00.002+01:00

...in support of the Big Issue. The Proud Gallery is a converted horse hospital in Camden Stables Market; walking in felt like being fifteen and looking for a lava lamp and a Metallica poster, or being seventeen and looking for oversized white vintage flares to customise with a marker-pen (yes, yes, I was very eccentric, also my school didn't have a dress code, so it was entirely possible to turn up wearing nothing but a PVC catsuit and a pair of wings. I didn't, personally, but I did have a collection of kimonos, top hats, tailcoats and bow ties, and they were mainly sourced in Camden..)

We felt very honoured to be asked to play, met some lovely people, and enjoyed ourselves very much. Next gig is the Vibe Bar on the 31st with Temposhark. Looking forward to that one too..

(Julia) Lyrics to 'Fire' from 'The Elements'

2008-07-24T11:40:00.001+01:00

I used to play with matches
When I was very small
Legends of wolves and witches
I memorised them all
So many nasty stitches
So many jagged blades
I tidied up the pieces
I tried to mend my ways
But he came right out of nowhere
Like an unfamiliar tune
Sat down upon my armchair
And opened up my wounds
I put up no resistance
So insistent was desire
But one of my addictions is
I used to play with fire

Do you
Do you have a light
Do you have the time of day
Would you
Would you save a life
If you had a life to save

How sweetly we collided
Just like two meteors
For days he did as I did
Mixed drinks and metaphors
Oh so much phosphorescence
We added spark to spark
I should have learnt my lesson
Already broke my heart

And I said

Do you
Do you have a light
Do you have the time of day
Would you
Lend your light to mine
Do you want to come and play

I engineered the chaos
I burnt the fortress down
Who knew about the lives lost
Who took a body count
In my act of supplication
I asked him for his help
But I was an imposition
I had to ask myself
I had to ask myself

Do you
Do you have a light
Do you have the time of day
Would you
Would you save a life
If you had a life to save
To save

(Julia) Lyrics to 'Wood' from 'The Elements'

2008-07-21T12:17:00.002+01:00

You try to multiply your speed by time to get your distance
But you don’t see the wood for the trees
An experiment with existence
Is showing up anomalies
You see the day dissolve into the morrow
And the slow growing of your second skin
Adrenaline begins in the marrow
And then intoxicates your oxygen

Count one to a hundred and then you are ready to go

What do you know
What do you say
We have an acid chemistry today
What do you get
What do you like
We have a savage energy tonight

I’m not the light outside of the window
I’m not a damsel in distress
I’m not the gold at the end of the rainbow
And I am not a lost princess
Are you my love, my landlord, my lawyer
Are you the one I build my world around
Or are we wrapped in black paranoia
Ready to attack and take each other down

Exactly like Alice in Wonderland now when we grow

What do you know
What do you say
We have an acid chemistry today
What do you get
What do you like
We have a savage energy tonight
What do you say
We have a savage energy today

Oh my dear it’s dark in the dungeon
This is where my demons dwell
A sign says beware of the dragon
But you don’t attend it very well

Who was it who said that it’s better the devil you know

Oh ain’t it so
What do you say
We have an acid chemistry today
What do you get
What do you like
We have a savage energy tonight
What do you say
We have a savage energy today

(Julia) One of my favourite poems

2008-07-19T11:11:00.000+01:00

The Silver Swan

The silver swan, who living had no note,
When death approached, unlocked her silent throat;
Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,
Thus sung her first and last, and sung no more.
Farewell, all joys; O Death, come close mine eyes;
More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise.

Orlando Gibbons

(Julia) A Haiku Poem...

2008-07-17T17:11:00.002+01:00

Interesting day
Unexpectedly unfolds,
And liberates us.

Self-sufficiency
As an idea, itself, is
Uncomplicated,

And yet - to maintain
A sense of autonomy
Is not so easy.

We tried. Compromise
And promises and earnest
yearnings to make good

Overtook us all;
Things we never understood
carved out chains to bind.

Then the day came in
To make peace, one hand outstretched.
Clement, cautious, kind.

(Julia) Gigs, past and future.

2008-07-14T16:53:00.004+01:00

We've just finished a run of gigs at Pizza on the Park, basking in the loucheness of the soft furnishings and allowing our egos to be delicately nourished by the burgeoning crowds. Apart from one night where some football teams had the temerity to be playing against each other on television, we performed to pretty much full houses. I'm told the pizzas are very nice. As a nervous performer who has discovered very few permissible foodstuffs (those that do not overfill the stomach or irritate the throat pre-singing), I never partake. I am always starving by the sixth or seventh song in the set. Pret a Manger does a very nice selection of honey and fennel-coated nuts; these go down a treat.

There is something satisfying about returning to a venue every three or so weeks. Not just the restaurant manager and staff doing a fairly convincing job of looking thrilled to see us, but becoming accustomed to the sound and the set-up and growing more confident in the space. Or such is the hope. Personally I take comfort in my increased skill at finding the venue without ending up at Victoria Coach Station, still plugged into 'Overcoming Stage Fright' and other classics on my iPod pre-performance playlist.

Here are all the songs we played:

Another Girlfriend
Gone Fishing
Come to Dust
The Alphabet Song
The Kitchen
Unretractable Facts
Days Number Themselves
Spilt Milk
Four Leaf Clover
Too Cold To Snow
Wood
Fire
Story With Only 2 Characters
Divine
Giant Steps
Paper Umbrella
Senseless Sentences

..and maybe some others which I've forgotten.

No more Pizza on the Park for a couple of months - partly because we developed an expensive habit of going to the Lanesborough Hotel for overpriced cocktails after every performance. We'll be back there in September, if they'll have us.

In the meantime, Mark suggested (and it was inspired) we 'go East for the Summer', so that is what we'll be doing, starting with The Proud Gallery in Camden on the 22nd July (East of Centre), then the Vibe Bar on the 31st July (Brick Lane, genuinely East), and then the Regal Room on the 2nd August. In Hammersmith.

(Julia) Thoughts on IndigO2 &c.

2007-11-03T12:28:00.000Z

Some good things about the IndigO2 gig last week:

the space
the sound
the fact that we narrowly avoided the ammonia leak at 'Disney on Ice' at the O2 which happened the following day
the dressing rooms
the team at the IndigO2 (incl. Tony and Dale, mentioned in post below)
the people who came to see us

Some good things, generally:

fireworks: sound and vision extravaganzas happening everywhere
fig-scented candles
cowboy boots
walking in parks

Some not so good things:

falling asleep after the first half of 'Don't Look Now', and waking up before the second half of 'Manhunter', resulting in a very strange viewing experience.
the fact that there is nothing of interest, ever, in newspapers.

(Julia) Thoughts on the Bedford gig this week, and gigs in general

2007-09-14T12:15:00.000+01:00

My first ever gig (age 18) was at the Kashmir Klub in Marylebone. The venue no longer exists in that incarnation which is a terrible shame, as it brought together music and silence and appreciation and drama and atmosphere in a unique way, and is much missed. It was a series of dimly lit caves and a small open space with tables and Italian food and a good deal of cigarette smoke which wrapped itself around you. My memories are predominantly of an enveloping dark which allowed the music to kind of glow inside it. I have the recording of my first ever performance (a Thursday night, solo, only one song, in C sharp minor, some maudlin girlie elegy or other); I was shaking so mcuh when I played that my voice is barely audible on the cd. I fell in love with the Kashmir Klub and for a long time could always be found there, sometimes playing, other times not.

Tony Moore ran the nights there with this incredible passion and dedication, and when he moved to the Bedford of course we (as Second Person) played there. He and his fantastic team were nice enough to let us film our live DVD there two years ago, and it was an omission on our part not to have played there since, because when we returned on Tuesday we realised it's pretty much second to none in terms of ambiance and sound. My mind always goes a bit blank after gigs for some reason, but that same enveloping dark, and peace, and small lights flickering on tables, and the way the audience really listens - all the things I remember from the Kashmir - they are all there at the Bedford. We will certainly not leave it another two years before playing there again. Massive thanks are due to Tony and to Dale Hanson who engineers the sound so exquisitely.

(Mark) Thoughts on MTV playing "Wood"

2007-09-07T03:07:00.000+01:00

There are a few things that you dream about as a young musician, one of those is hearing your song on the radio for the first time and another is being played on MTV. The channel in those days was way of life, something you watched as a lifestyle choice and, more importantly, a massive stamp of approval "this band is big news!". It had the power to make and break bands and the stadium bands of the early 90s have a lot to thank MTV for. Things have changed a lot since then, more and more music channels have sprung up and websites like YouTube have delivered people more choice than ever. MTV itself no longer plays music videos - it's become an entertainment channel, but it does operate a number of MTV branded channels that do still play videos. To be played on any one of these channels feels like an amazing achievement...I would say something to tell the grandchildren about, but I fear an explanation of what MTV (and indeed TV) was would be required before getting a response from them at all.

Since we are described as "Post Trip-Hop" MTV have decided to put us where Trip-Hop is traditionally played - The Club Chillout sections on MTV Dance. We'd never considered our music "dance" but actually this is great, it's a testament the cross-over nature of what we're doing. The next step is to actually cross-over on to MTV2, VH1, and the other music channels...easier, apparently, than moving the other way. What is even more amazing about this is they chose a video we wrote and directed ourselves.

"Bands should stick to making music and leave the other stuff to the people who are actually good at it." This is something I was told only a few months ago, there is some truth in this but we'd be very happy to be the exception. Let's see how things go over the next few months.

(Julia) Paradiso, Amsterdam on 16th Aug 2007.

2007-08-20T20:59:00.000+01:00

Amsterdam is an intricate puzzle of elegant buildings and canals, trams that threaten to run you over without a sound, cyclists that sit perfectly upright as though they're astride gymkhana ponies, and the best breakfasts in the world. The American Hotel, resplendent in Art Deco extravagance, where we sat and watched the world going by. And the Paradiso, the most magnificent of all, where we said we'd play one day, not knowing that day would be so soon.

The evening of the 16th August was an amazing orchestra of believers, each with his or her own story and individual passion, the SellaBand guys, laid back and super-efficient at the same minute, promising to make each event more exquisite than the next, and artists as variegated and colourful as the proliferations of tulips along the banks of the canals. Siren-singers, suited instrumentalists, vocal acrobats and songsmiths took to the stage in turn. We stood on that beautiful stage and watched the light change colour against our skins and played for dear life until our blood ran hot and cold and there was nothing left but feedback from the guitars. Those moments are always over too soon. We'll be back one day...

Musicians: A word about the limitless talents of the musicians who joined us onstage - Jay Phelps, Milo Bird, Jessi Maryon-Davies, and Neil Athale. There's never enough time to adequately sing (no pun intended...) their praises during the brief pauses between songs, so: Jay's lyrical and inventive trumpet melodies spelt out gorgeous punctuated lines which wove themselves around the vocals like melted toffee. With crunchy bits in. Milo generously took some time to come play with us, though busy working with the excellent Daniel Ward-Murphy, who also played that night. Despite the difficulties of the sound onstage, he lent his exquisite, sinuous, elegiac cello sounds to Wood - just as he did for the recording of the same song. And it was wonderful. Jessi comes to play with us when she can - an incredibly gifted classical pianist, she makes time in her schedule to add her own delicate and textured interpretations of the songs to the sonic mix. It really wouldn't be the same without her. And Neil - well, Neil has played with us on and off for many years now. We adore him for his attention to the detail of the music, professionalism, inimitable sense of humour... we could go on. But it would be embarrassing. Suffice to say we're extremely grateful to the people who devote time and energy to helping us realise the music in a live context. SP loves them..