C86 Show - Indie Pop

Rachel Mayfield in conversation with David Eastaugh

rachelmayfield.com

https://rachelmayfield.bandcamp.com

Rachel Mayfield is a singer, writer and mixed media artist from Birmingham, UK.

In the 1990's she formed and fronted Indie Rock band 'Delicious Monster' being hailed by the NME as a "Goddess of Indie Rock' and as 'exciting, unpredictable and dangerous as a ten legged Tyrannosaurus. The band received critical acclaim for three top ten singles and one album placing them at the forefront of the cultured Indie Rock scene. Since then she has diversified into Solo albums, Film and Art installations while continuing to develop creative collectives.

In 2015 her short film 'All Lovers Could Be Love' from 'Venture of Belief' featured in the BFI love season with Poetryfilm.org.

October 12th 2017 saw the release of Rachel Mayfield - "Winter of Desire" in a Digital format through Iron Man Records, Birmingham.

In 2018 Rachel Mayfield began a monthly Radio Show for Brum Radio called "Truth To Material," a free flowing monthly diary of ideas, events, artists, music and conversation.

On 4th March 2018 Rachel Mayfield – Transports Of Delight was given a Digital Release on Iron Man Records, Birmingham.

James Smith - The Nightingales - in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://uknightingales.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-laugh

The Nightingales are a British post-punk/alternative rock band, formed in 1979 in Birmingham, England, by four members of Birmingham's punk group The Prefects. They had been part of The Clash's 'White Riot Tour', recorded a couple of Peel Sessions, released a 45 on Rough Trade and, years after splitting up, had a retrospective CD released by US indie label Acute Records.

Described in John Robb's book on 'post punk' Death To Trad Rock as "The misfits' misfits" and comprising an ever-fluctuating line up, based around lyricist/singer Robert Lloyd, the Nightingales enjoyed cult status in the early 1980s as darlings of the credible music scene and were championed by John Peel, who said of them – "Their performances will serve to confirm their excellence when we are far enough distanced from the 1980s to look at the period rationally and other, infinitely better known, bands stand revealed as charlatans".

The Rosehips were an indiepop band from Stoke on Trent, UK. They were together from 1986 to 1989.

Ian Cooper & Paul Hammond - Ultramarine - in conversation with David Eastaugh

Ultramarine are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1989 by Ian Cooper and Paul Hammond. Their work blends elements of techno, house and ambient music with acoustic instrumentation, the influence of the 1970s Canterbury scene, and other eclectic sources.^[1] They are best known for their 1991 album Every Man and Woman Is a Star, reissued on Rough Trade the following year.

Mike Gallo - 20/20 I n conversation with David Eastaugh

20/20 was an American power pop band based in Hollywood, California. They were active from 1977 to 1983 and reunited during the mid-1990s to the late 1990s. In the mid-1970s, Steve Allen and Ron Flynt played together in Tulsa. Allen and Flynt were graduates of Nathan Hale High School, and both attended Oklahoma State University, where Flynt earned a degree in music.^[2] Allen decided to move to Los Angeles in 1977 after fellow Tulsa natives Phil Seymour and Dwight Twilley met with success. Once in Los Angeles, Allen met with Mike Gallo (singer/songwriter/keyboardist/drummer), who had already conceived of the idea and name for the band (after having spent time in the UK). Gallo first started writing with Allen, and later auditioned Allen's friend from Tulsa, Ron Flynt, for 20/20.

George Henderson - The Puddle & The New Existentialists - in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://thenewexistentialists.bandcamp.com

The Puddle are a New Zealand rock band originally formed in Dunedin in 1983 by George D. Henderson. They had a mini-album, a live album, a studio album and a single released on New Zealand independent record label Flying Nun Records between 1986 and 1993. The group has continued to exist since then, with several line-up changes and periods of inactivity. Since 2006 the group has released four albums on Dunedin independent record label Fishrider Records.

Cos Chapman - Rude Mechanicals - in conversation with David Eastaugh

http://www.rudemechanicals.co.uk

https://www.coschapman.com

High Tide - Tony Hill - In conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.bluematterrecords.com

Allmusic author, Wilson Neate, stated this of the group, "High Tide had the muscularity of a no-nonsense proto-metal band, but they also ventured into prog territory with changing time signatures and tempos, soft-hard dynamics, multi-part arrangements, and even some ornate faux-Baroque interludes".

High Tide made their first recordings as the backing band on Denny Gerrard's album Sinister Morning. Gerrard returned the favor by producing their first album, Sea Shanties, which was released in October 1969. Though it met with a scathing review in Melody Maker, reviews in the underground press were universally positive, and sales were just enough to convince Liberty to give the green light to a second album.

Jarboe in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.thelivingjarboe.com

Jarboe described herself as "obsessed" with Swans since hearing their first album, Filth (1983). She came into contact with Michael Gira and attended the band's practice sessions before, after several auditions, joining as a vocalist and keyboardist and debuting on Greed(1986). Prior to Swans, Jarboe's musical background had consisted of training as a jazz and choral vocalist.

James Brown in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Animal-House-James-Brown/dp/1787477908

In 1985, James Brown was a contributor to the alternative newspaper Leeds Other Paper. In 1986, following work on his fanzine Attack on Bzaag, Brown was hired as freelance features writer for Sounds; from there he soon joined the magazine NME. In 1991, Brown became the manager of Fabulous, a rock band composed of various NME journalists. After leaving NME, he wrote features for the Sunday Times magazine.

Derek Moir - This Poison! - in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://preciousrecordingsoflondon.bandcamp.com/album/pre-017-this-poison-john-peel-session-301187

From Perth in Scotland, This Poison! released two classic late 80s singles on the Wedding Present’s Reception Records and that was it. Apart from this stunning Peel session, featuring four songs that never saw the light of day on vinyl during the band’s lifetime. “Rip-roaring stuff!” said John Peel, and he wasn’t wrong. Package also includes download codes, sleeve notes from Derek Moir and a set of postcards – among them one from the great man himself sent to the band, a must for any Peel devotees. 

Simon Barber - The Chesterfields - in conversation with David Eastaugh 

New album - New Modern Homes

https://thechesterfields.bandcamp.com/album/new-modern-homes-2

The Chesterfields are an English indie pop band from Yeovil, Somerset, England. Hardcore fans tended to refer to them as "The Chesterf!elds", with an exclamation mark replacing the "i", following the example of the band's logo.

The band was formed in summer 1984 by Dave Goldsworthy (vocals, guitar), Simon Barber (bass, vocals), and Dominic Manns (drums), joined in 1985 by Brendan Holden (guitar).^[1] Early recordings included contributions to the Golden Pathway tapes, that captured the West Country music scene of the time, such as "Stephanie Adores" and "The Boy Who Sold His Suitcase", the latter with a female lead singer, Sarah.

Gilbert Gabriel - The Dream Academy - in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Dream Academy were a British band consisting of singer/guitarist Nick Laird-Clowes, multi-instrumentalist (chiefly oboe, cor anglaisplayer) Kate St John, and keyboardist Gilbert Gabriel. The band is most noted for their 1985 hit singles "Life in a Northern Town", "The Love Parade" and their 1985 cover of the Smiths' song "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want", which was featured in the John Hughes film Ferris Bueller's Day Off in 1986.

Dante Gizzi - Gun - in conversation with David Eastaugh

Gun are a hard rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The band currently consists of brothers Dante Gizzi (lead vocals) and Giuliano "Jools" Gizzi (guitar), along with Paul McManus (drums), Andy Carr (bass) and Tommy Gentry (guitar). Starting in 1989 with Taking on the World, Gun have released seven studio albums, three of which have made the UK Top 20, and had eight UK Top 40 hit singles. The most successful of these was a cover of Cameo's "Word Up!", which reached the top 10 in 1994. 

Susan Stenger - Band of Susans - in conversation with David Eastaugh

Band of Susans was an American alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1986 and active until 1996. It originally consisted of Robert Poss (guitar/vocals), Susan Stenger (bass/vocals), Ron Spitzer (drums), with Susan Lyall (guitar), Susan Tallman (guitar), and Alva Rogers (vocals). The band would undergo several permutations over the years, usually involving three guitarists. Poss, Stenger, and Spitzer were the band's core members throughout its duration. They originated in the New York noise rock scene, but due to their layered guitar sound were sometimes seen as the American counterparts to the UK shoegazing bands and also drew influence from modern experimental composers Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca. 

Neil Taylor - C85 a new compilation on Cherry Red - in conversation with David Eastaugh 

3CD collection pre-queling NME’s huge selling C86 compilation. Featuring the best of the burgeoning indie scene from 1985. Including tracks from The Jesus And Mary Chain, The Stone Roses, That Petrol Emotion, The Woodentops, James, Del Amitri, The Housemartins and many more.

Following the success of the three-disc compilation, ‘The Sun Shines Here’ (which documented the roots of Indie Pop from 1980-84), the prequel to C86, C85 combines “name” bands with many obscurities making their debut on CD. Several acts on C85 would eventually feature on that NME’s C86 collection: Primal Scream, The Wedding Present, the Mighty Lemon Drops, etc, who all had singles released in 1985.

Steve Lake - Zounds - in conversation with David Eastaugh

The band were formed around the nucleus of Steve Lake from Reading, Berkshire and evolved from a number of jamming sessions with other musicians and friends in Oxford, taking in influences from the Velvet Underground to the Sex Pistols. The band began performing gigs in 1977/78 with a line-up of Steve Lake (vocals/bass), Steve Burch (guitar) and Jimmy Lacey (drums), adding Nick Godwin (guitar)^[1] at their second gig – adopting the name 'Zounds', chosen from a dictionary by Burch

Mick Blood - Lime Spiders - in conversation David Eastaugh

Book - Lime Light

Australian punk rock band which formed in 1979 with Mick Blood on lead vocals. He was later joined by Tony Bambach on bass guitar, Gerard Corben on guitar, Richard Lawson on drums, and David Sparks on guitar. Their debut studio album, The Cave Comes Alive! was released in June 1987 and reached the top 60 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Their most successful single, "Weirdo Libido", was released in January that year and reached the top 50 on the related Kent Music Report Singles Chart. In April its music video was the first ever shown on Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV music series rage. The track was used on the 1988 feature film Young Einstein's soundtrack. The group disbanded in 1990 and in 1999 Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, noted they had provided "raucous sound mixed screaming vocals and wild, fuzz-tone guitar riffs to arrive at a mutant strain of acid punk that bordered on heavy metal". Australian punk rock band which formed in 1979 with Mick Blood on lead vocals. He was later joined by Tony Bambach on bass guitar, Gerard Corben on guitar, Richard Lawson on drums, and David Sparks on guitar. Their debut studio album, The Cave Comes Alive! was released in June 1987 and reached the top 60 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Their most successful single, "Weirdo Libido", was released in January that year and reached the top 50 on the related Kent Music Report Singles Chart. In April its music video was the first ever shown on Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV music series rage. The track was used on the 1988 feature film Young Einstein's soundtrack. The group disbanded in 1990 and in 1999 Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, noted they had provided "raucous sound mixed screaming vocals and wild, fuzz-tone guitar riffs to arrive at a mutant strain of acid punk that bordered on heavy metal". 

Keeley in conversation with David Eastaugh

KEELEY was formed in 2020 by former Session Motts singer, guitarist and songwriter Keeley Moss.

New single - “Where The Monster Lives” is the second single from the album, and continues Keeley’s quest to memorialize Inga-Maria Hauser, the teenage German backpacker who was murdered in Northern Ireland in 1988. Dedicated to Inga-Maria Hauser, the murdered teenage German backpacker that Keeley has steadfastly memorialised in song and spirit for the past five years. 

Read The Keeley Chronicles for more info. 

Dunstan Bruce - Chumbawamba - in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.aiiy.co.uk

Chumbawamba formed in Burnley in 1982 with an initial line-up of Allan "Boff" Whalley, Danbert Nobacon (born Nigel Hunter), Midge and Tomi, all four previously members of the band Chimp Eats Banana, shortly afterwards joined by Lou Watts