Exclusive Interview with Bipolar Sunshine

Amidst the biting chill of the winter air lies a perfect and comforting reminiscence of summer in the form of Bipolar Sunshine's new EP. Formerly known as Adio Marchant, the Manchester-based vocalist oozes raw talent and has a lot to offer. 

After a number of years as 1/4 of the Ska-influenced band Kid British , he went solo last year, releasing his first EP 'Aesthetics' back in June. A jam-packed summer saw him playing Latitude and Loveboxfestivals, as well as working with and touring alongside Bastille, Rudimental, The White Lies and The Courteeners. With your first listen, his tracks exude a smooth and rich tone, his haunting lyrics are sway-worthy and his live performances are encapsulating. After seeing him at the iTunes festival back in September, his potential shone and his set left me wanting more.

Marchant has a promising future as his increasing fan base gush over his music on Twitter- his new EP 'Drowning Butterflies' coaxes us in with it's Electronic soul, as we fall in love with his caring nature in 'Love More, Worry Less'. The EP ups tempo with the hauntingly addictive 'Drowning Butterflies', its luscious beat makes it incredibly difficult not to press repeat. His third track in the collection hypnotises the listener as he talks about being charmed by a lady who is clearly 'Trouble'.

Touring with acclaimed British Band Rudimental in February and with his own UK headline tour kicking off at the end of March,I managed to ask Bipolar Sunshine a few questions about his sound, his dream collaboration and what he has planned for the rest of the year.

1. I love your name, what was the thought process behind it?

"Cheers thanks! I wanted to create something that allowed me to write in any style I wanted without feeling that I had to stick to any particular genre, that was the main reason behind it. "

2. Growing up, what genres of music or artists influenced you?

"My mum played a lot of early lovers rock reggae records and The Carpenters so that was my first influence music-wise, then growing up I went from acid house to garage to indie and hip hop."

3. Your Aesthetics EP was based around nature, what inspired your Drowning Butterflies tracks? 

"Still be awake after a wild night out and in the midst of that coming down feeling..."

4. If you could describe your sound in 3 words,what would they be ? 

"Post-modern, distinctive, vibrant."

5. If you could duet with any other artist, alive or dead, who would it be? 

"Michael Jackson... don't really know how the duet would work, I would be happy to play the triangle in the session ha!"

6. When you aren't making music, what can we find you doing? 

"Reading, somebody got me the new Morrissey book and of course watching Man City play football."

7. I love your fashion sense too, who are your favourite labels at the moment? 

"Sandro... Agi and Sam, Dries Van Noten."

8. What is next for you after your tour with Rudimental? 

"I'm going to be doing my own tour which should be ace, also going to play a few shows in America for SXSW… it's festival season after that which I hope to play lots of shows and just enjoy the ride..."

You can buy tickets for Bipolar Sunshine's UK Tour Here 

Listen to his Soundcloud here

Warning: Fangirling Ahead! Jake Bugg at the O2 Brixton Academy

For me, there's nothing I love more than listening to the haunting indie folk creations of  singer/songwriter Jake Bugg. At the tender age of 17, he was scouted to play a set at Glastonbury where he was given a contract at Mercury Records. Two years later and with the release of his second album next month, Bugg is going from strength to strength. After seeing him at Benicassim in July and iTunes Festival in September I managed to get some tickets for his autumn tour. 

From nick-intl.mtvnimages.com

Last Wednesday I headed over to the cosmopolitan district of Brixton, where I went to queue up for the gig that took place at the O2 Academy. Unlike the festival goers and casual music listeners I had encountered at the previous two gigs, there were only a handful of girls as enthusiastic as I was to queue. Our blatant fangirling paid off however when as we sat queuing, Bugg walked past us and casually waved. Much giggling ensued before we all managed to get up and run after him to say hi and tell him how excited we were to see him play. He was nice enough to pose for a couple of pictures too, what a gem. 

                                      From pbs.twimg.com

As venues go, the O2 in Brixton is great due to its small size and sloped floor which means the stage is visible from almost anywhere in the venue. I was pleasantly surprised with the hugely talented warm-up acts that began with Italian-English singer Jack Savoretti followed by Tennessee basedHoneyHoney who provided some much needed Country fun. 

From www.standard.co.uk

For those of us desperate for new music, Bugg didn't disappoint, beginning his set with There's a Beast and We all Feed it, the first track on upcoming album Shang ri La, one that screams intelligence with the line "When my sister suffers/When my mother cries/All I wanna do is look in someone's eyes…here's a beast eating every kind of beauty and we all feed it." 

Kingpin, Pine Trees, new single Slumville Sunrise and the delicious What Doesn't Kill You were also performed, giving us an idea of how magical the new album will be!  

His fine tuned, focussed and authentic performance would not have been complete without Lightning Bolt, Two Fingers, Country Song, Broken and one of my favourites, Seen it All and he definitely created an electric atmosphere. For someone only 19 years of age, his songs contain a huge capacity of life experience and as live acts go, he is by far my favourite. Although some tend to criticise his so-called lack of showmanship, his humble and unassuming air only adds to his charm. 

 His music is a lovely break from the ego-centric, sexist chart music manufactured superficially, written and churned out by a team of people.

I can't wait to see him in February! 

Beyoncé's New Single 'Grown Woman' is Leaked

Currently on the set list for her Mrs Carter world tour, Grown Woman is one of the most highly anticipated of Beyoncé's singles to date. The tune was first heard after the release of Pepsi's latest commericial where the megastar is seen with several versions of herself in a dance-off. 

A full version of the latest single was released by Inside The Studio on Soundcloud, and it lives up to it's hype. The song is full of sass and was reportedly produced by Timbaland.  It has clear African influences, as two thirds of the way through it is dominated by voiced acapella percussion and island rhythmn. A feast for the ears, this infectious tune will be a massive hit and I cannot wait for a video and official release. 

(above: Beyoncé performing Grown Woman live)

The song is taken from Mrs Carter's upcoming untitled album and was reportedly written by The-Dream. Although it is a different sound to Beyoncé's traditional r'n'b, it is fresh and is sure to be a huge success. 

The Mrs Carter Show: Beyonce at the O2 Arena 1st May 2013

Queen of pop Beyonce Knowles arrived in London this week for her current tour 'The Mrs Carter Show' and I was lucky enough to bag myself some tickets back in February! Having seen the singer perform before (I sat in the audience for A Night With Beyonce at the Fountain Studios) I knew she wouldn't disappoint. 

On Wednesday I queued up with friends at around half three in the afternoon, which is a perfect time to go-  we were behind the hardcore hobo-esque fans who had camped out overnight for a prime spot, but in front of the casual queuers. 

After the doors opened at six-thirty, we implemented our plan of action as to where we wanted to position ourselves in correspondance to the stage (you have to be like this in the cutthroat concert-goer world) and managed to be five rows from the front of the main stage. 

The support act of the night was the impressive R&B singer Luke James, who sang infectious tunes like "I Want You" and definitely warmed the crowd up with his sultry singles and rose-giving. 

With a wonderfully heart-pounding introduction video before her entrance, Beyonce is seen in Elizabeth I- esque clothing before bursting on the stage to perform the ever- popular Run The World  and fist-pumping and leg-kicking her way through End of Time.

For Get Me Bodied and Baby Boy, she donned a beautiful black encrusted leotard with sheer cut-outs, finished off with  a cute bejewelled baseball cap complete with cat ears. 

Mrs Carter continued to woo the crowd with Schoolin' Life and Why Don't Love Me?  before placing herself on top of a piano to belt out 1+1 in a dazzling midnight blue jumpsuit. 

The show continued to blow the audience away as Beyonce flew across to a B-stage, situated in the middle of the arena where she mingled with the crowd, inviting them to sing along to Irreplaceableand Survivor.

Next came the much anticipated Crazy In Love and Single Ladies (seen above and below) in which the singer adorned a baroque leotard as she gave the world famous track a Southern remix. 

The star finished the night with unreleased track Grown Woman, which possessed an African theme, along with Halo; heart-felt and emotional, it was a perfect closure to a perfect gig. 

What I love about Beyonce, is her genuine nature, the fact that she interacts with the crowd, belts out infectious numbers and projects an undeniable emotional presence. 

Despite the large number of costume changes, the audience was always entertained by short artistically-obscure videos that distracted us for just the right amount of time. The underlying themes of British regalty and the influences of Africa also intertwined with some '50s pizazz made for a unique visual experience. 

I can't wait for her next album and would definitely go and see her for a third time. I salute you Queen B!

(All photos are mine)

Justin Bieber Disgusts his Fans by Turning Up to His Concert 2 Hours Late

Prince of Pop Justin Bieber sent fans into a frenzy when he revealed he would be playing at London's O2 Arena for four nights this month. However 'Beliebers' were extremely let down when the Canadian singer arrived to his first show last night two hours late. 

                             From i.telegraph.co.uk

As thousands of excited fans descended on the Greenwich venue last night, eagerly anticipating the moment they would see their 19 year-old idol in the flesh, they were no less than disgusted when Bieber decided to show up at 10.35pm, a mere 25minutes before his set was due to finish. A large majority of his fans were under the age of 16, so were accompanied by extremely agitated andunsatisfied parents.  Many took to Twitter to express their anger at the 'Beauty and the Beat' singer's "disgusting behaviour". Others on the social networking site claimed the singer did not apologise and "what he did last night was really arrogant". 

                             

                        (above: empty seats at the O2 last night)

Because he had such young fans and the event had taken place on a school night, many parents were forced to leave the event early as their children were tired and disappointed. In addition, the last train from the venue was at 12:15am and with pressure to leave from the warnings of Transport For London, a majority of fans missed some, if not all of the show- the set was also cut down by half an hour to conform to time constraints.

                                   From 2.bp.blogspot.com

Bieber was supported by actor Will Smith's son, 14 year-old Jaden and Carly Rae Jepson followed. The O2 claimed Jepson would be on until 8pm and Justin would appear half an hour later, but he never showed. By 9:30pm, sources claimed that booing began and fans became extremelyrestless. For those who paid more than £60 for a ticket, many are expected to demand refunds.

There was no reason given as to why the star was so late for his performance, and the Official O2  Arena Twitter account simply posted "Justin Bieber is now on stage and apologies for the lateness of his show" at 11:36pm. 

This Afternoon he tweeted: 

From i.dailymail.co.uk