Every year X Factor is my guilty pleasure, something to look forward to as the weather draws in – a comforting combination of manufactured spats, OTT styling and dance routines and rubbish songs. And it may be over for 2011, but I couldn’t resist seeing what my trusty twitter followers could come up with by way of illustrations…. was Amelia Lily so popular to draw because of all that pink, and what to make of the fact that runner up cutie-pie Marcus is totally unrepresented? Who knows: it’s never quite obvious who will do well out of the X Factor: scroll on and enjoy!

Amelia Lily by Karina Jarv.

Misha B by Karolina Burdon.

Kitty Brucknell by Stephanie Brown (FAIIINT)

X Factor’s Johnny by Ashley Fauguel.

Amelia Lily by sarahjaynedraws.

Pick n Little Mix by Rhea Babla.

Amelia Lily by Veronica Rowlands.

pic n mix by Chris Sav.

Kate Nash by Avril Kelly

I’m not sure how many of you are (or should I say were) familiar with the Fashion Business Club, but for those who aren’t, the FBC acted as London’s member’s only fashion networking event group. Headed up by Courtney Blackman and Alison Whelan, it boasted a growing membership within the fashion community, interviews with likes of Laura Bailey and Sarah Curran and a partnership with Vogue.com. Due to it’s impressive success over the last five years, they have now rebranded…meet The Industry.

Kate Nash by Claire Kearns

Kate Nash by Sandra Contreras

Although the name has changed, the event is still held in the Swarovski Lounge once a month (at the slightly later time of 5pm) and it was, as usual packed out with retailers, PRs, editors, journalists and insider experts. For it’s inaugural meeting, there was an enthusiastic and lengthy question and answer section at the end. The interview between singer Kate Nash and her stylist, Rebekah Roy was relaxed, interesting and compelling to listen to – the interviewee attributes this to being interviewed by a friend: ‘you get to speak about things that you care about – I remember getting hot in the open q & a section because I was talking so passionately about something’ Nash comments.

Commenting on the female presence within the music industry, she explained her style as being one which reflects her personality both in her performances and her day to day life. Her intelligent comments on the nature of current successful female performers and the music business’ preoccupation with more sexualised women within the industry really struck a chord – why is it that record sales are largely dominated by those that are sexy by definition and not much more?

Kate Nash by Sumi Senthi

I was struck by how frank and honest Nash was about both the music industry and her opinions on fashion – it was refreshing to hear her honest answers throughout the session and also to find out that she used to work in Nando’s!

A playground for all ages, The Secret Garden Party boasts a reputation as a festival where you can temporarily seek refuge from the hassles of real life and indulge in a few days of crazy creativity in a temporary community where a surprise lurks around every corner.

In my estimation, The Secret Garden Party is the closest you can ever get to Wonderland without reading Alice Through the Looking-Glass (It even has croquet). Held in the Cambridgeshire countryside just outside Huntingdon, this festival occurs on the grounds of Abbots Ripton Hall, home of Lord de Ramsey. These days the festival is a pretty badly kept secret and as many as 26,000 people attended this year, compared to the more petite 1000 or so that partied there back when it was begotten in 2004.

The grounds, as well as the festival goers, function as an impromptu art exhibit with fancy dress encouraged and contributing to the surreal ambience. Although marketed as both an arts and music festival, the lack of well-known bands means that more often than not the attendees are lured to the festival on the premise of the experience itself.

Illustrations by Lilly Allen

Festivals rest in the perilous hands of the weather and although our entrance to the festival was marked by the rain, an ominous start to the weekend, it was hot enough by Friday that we could mosey to the lake and go swimming with hoards of other eager beavers, desperate to wash off the glitter and UV paint from last night’s exploits. The lake is a vital part of the festival atmosphere, not only because you can swim and row across it, but because there is also a temporary stage in the centre that you can only get to by boat. This stage, in the shape of a dragonfly, was burnt on the Saturday night.

Blondie, illustrated by Sam Parr

This is a festival where you go with the flow, whether you choose to follow the trail of glow sticks being left by a person in the distance in the hope that it leads you somewhere, or you want to sit in front of the sand stage and relax burning marshmallows on the bonfire. Each festival experience is unique and as well as being handed some snacks by someone in a Kindness Initiative tabard we were approached by someone who presented us with a piece of paper reading “switch off your alarm clock”; SGP is a hands-on festival if ever there was one.

There are an impossible number of things to do. They say that curiosity killed the cat, but this is a place to satiate your interest, taking advantage of what’s on offer, whether that is life drawing or an introduction to fetishes: in a tent filled with pillows where you are required to take your shoes off at the entrance and a small make shift cinema (complete with popcorn). Forming just a sample of the odd attractions on offer, you’re guaranteed never to be bored. Other more mainstream activities to pep you up during the day include miniature golf and yoga. If you want to watch someone in a wasp spray costume chase a bee around, or throw paint at people you don’t know in the annual paint fight, then this is the place to do it. With so much on offer its impossible to sample everything in one visit and this festival will undoubtedly leave you wanting more.

We got more than we bargained by watching mud wrestling, the climax of the show being impromptu nudity as well as a Mission Impossible style drop for items located in the mud pit. We also checked out Shitfaced Shakespeare, a performance of Romeo and Juliet for which the actors are completely and utterly trollied. Both of which made for unique experiences.

We were totally sheltered from the real world here: with no plug sockets, the news of Amy Winehouse and the Norway massacre filter through the crowds with shock, reminding us that we have to go back to our lives on Monday.

Married to the Sea, illustrated by Nicola Ellen

The majority of bands playing at SGP are relatively unknown and reading down the list makes me feel suddenly lacking in hipster knowledge. There are big names, too: Leftfield, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Mystery Jets and of course Blondie. We watched rising stars like Cosmo Jarvis and relative unknowns like Married to the Sea, wandering through the various stages in search of the best tunes. But mostly, we weaved in and out of the tents soaking up the atmosphere, picking up the phone of the random call box that lets you talk to strangers somewhere else on the festival and being glad that we were lucky enough to get tickets.

Cosmo Jarvis, illustrated by Rosemary Kirton
.
There is more to SGP than the music. This is the festival to end all festivals and has a certain je ne sais quoi that other festivals fail to achieve. If you want to dress up as a different animal every day then this is the place for you. It’s an art gallery with its visitors welcome to become part of the exhibit. The Secret Garden Party is one of the few experiences in life when the reality of the festival will no doubt outstrip your expectations.

All photography by Jessica Cook

This album gives us a telling insight into the workings of James’ mad professor mind, where musical fusions are created with a lightness of hand, and somehow, all the ingredients seem to come together seamlessly. Given that James blends electro, synth experiments, garage rock, a soupçon of shoegaze and a touch of dream pop, it all could have ended terribly, but somehow the tracks glide smoothly along; almost as if the musical DNA of the above styles was always destined to be mashed up.

It’s also telling that James’ most recent abode has been Cologne, Germany. The album has an unmistakeable electro/experimental and minimalist influences that puts the listener in mind of Kraftwerk. I had thought that Kraut rock is kraut rock, but apparently, there is a further genre of German rock that mixes traditional hard rock with dance-like keyboard parts called Neue Deutsche Härte (NDH): ‘New German Hardness’ (there you go, your fact for the day) and this album reminds me a little bit of this (but without the NDH Satanic imagery). Pleasingly, there is a beating heart beneath the shiny, futuristic contours of this album. Newly released single “Clouds Over The Pacific” is soft and fuzzy and layers delicate female harmonies over a nimble plucking of a guitar string ( or could be a harp), which in turn is layered over a wall of synth sound. James Pants is kind of loopy (and that’s the album I’m talking about, not the man), but I like it. Songs like These Girls, Alone and A Little Bit Closer are the type of tracks that give you a second wind when you hear them in a club (or field) at 2am and go crazy to the beats that sound like they have a bolt of electricity running through them.

If you need a clue as to how a collusion of styles and genres has been weaved together so artfully with ne’er a foot out of step, look no further to the unconventional life of its creator. James is the son of two Presbyterian ministers from an American backwater called Spokane, and his non-conformist journey has taken him from being a teenage DJ for a black nationalist rap group to a multi-instrumentalist with fans and collaborators ranging from Flying Lotus, Zane Lowe, Erol Alkan and XL’s new teen hip-hop internet sensation Tyler The Creator. His backround gives me a further understanding of this album. Only a man who can straddle as many different worlds and cultures as he does – and be wholeheartedly accepted – could make an album as diverse as this without losing any authenticity.

Montreal Festimania commences on July 7th with Montreal Completement Cirque which will curate 18 days of contemporary circus acts, then between July 11th-13th the Just for Laughs Festival presents comedy in many forms, from one man stand up shows to themed evenings. Zoofest between 14th-31st July showcases more risque comedy alongside cabaret and avante garde story telling.

The Osheaga Arts and Music Festival between July 27th-31st features more than 60 groups – including Owen Pallett, Arcade Fire, The National, Robyn, Jimmy Cliff and Pavement – performing across five outdoor stages.

Osheaga 2010. Photography by Susan Moss.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’ll be in town during the first week of August in time to see bits of the Fantasia International Film Festival, which runs from July 14th-August 7th showing ground breaking international genre cinema.

Ceremonial headdress by Owisokon Pauline Lahache. Photograph by Franois Bastien.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’m also looking forward to the Montreal First Peoples’ Festival between August 2nd-9th, which focuses on a contemporary First Peoples’ perspective in the arts seen alongside ancient connections to the land and spirit, and the Montreal Fashion and Design Festival from August 3rd-6th, showcasing everything design related, from graphic arts to architecture and fashion. And you know how I love a good catwalk show…

Montreal Festimania is being promoted by Youtube sensation Merton, who visited London, Paris, Toronto and New York virtually via Skype. Passers-by were urged to enter a colourful tent and once inside Merton invited them to come to Montreal with his inimitable improvised songs. In each city Merton offered a Golden Lanyard VIP trip to Montreal for a couple of lucky people, but fortunately there is still a pair of these Golden Lanyards left to be won on Montreal Festimania’s Facebook page.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The contest is open until June 9th and anybody from England, France, the USA or Canada is eligible to win. I say jump on in – what the hell are you waiting for? A free, all expenses paid trip to Montreal plus spending money. Hello!!! What’s not to like. Maybe you will be joining me in Canada this summer?

As with all the best new music discoveries, my introduction to Laura Hocking and The Long Goodbye began with snippets from light-hearted conversations. By the time that three separate friends, (whose judgement I value deeply) had announced excitedly that they were off to see her play, waxing lyrical about her delicate voice, gorgeous harmonies and all-round One To Watch-ness, I couldn’t resist it any longer. Cut to a few Sunday nights back where I found myself in the top room of the Old Queen’s Head in Angel. So it seemed, did a lot of people; the room was packed – always a good sign! On Saturday night they take this heady brew to Deptford, where they will be playing at the consistently excellent Folie à Deux. The wonder and magic of standing in a converted dairy shed whilst hearing the best of the new alt:folk scene never abates. Laura Hocking and The Long Goodbye describe their sound as ‘folk-tinted freak pop’, which sounds alright by me.

I saw your set at the Old Queen’s Head; I thought it was wonderful, you have a new found fan in me! How did you find the night? 
Thanks! It’s always a nice place to play – the gig was put on by a band we’re friends with so most people knew each other and were into similar music, which makes for a good show. I like the decor in there. Sometimes mid-song you’re faced with yourself in a mirror, which is disconcerting. 

For the uninitiated, can you describe your music? 
 Best description ever came from Jon, who composes music for films. He said it was like biting into a cream cake and finding a razor blade. We call it folk-tinted freak-pop. 

Your Myspace lists a truly expansive and diverse list of influences, and I’m especially intrigued by Expressionism, Edvard Munch, David Lynch, Ingmar Bergman. What is it about expressionism that appeals to you?
Ha, I wrote that a while ago, I haven’t thought about it in a while. I’m fascinated by dark, uncomfortable, macabre things. Expressionism seems to access that place in a person where anxiety and vulnerability meet with violent creativity. Those artists create weird worlds which express their individualism in a ferocious and inventive way, but they also capture elements of human experience that we can all recognise. It rips the scab off of life for you, and I like that. 

 You also mention that your EP is based on “love, anxiety, devastation and renewal”. Do you find writing and performing your songs to be a cathartic process, and has it helped you deal with emotional setbacks?
Writing is always cathartic for me, but the material is not directly about my life. It’s often about all the things I would like to say to people, but don’t have the guts to. So most of my songs are ‘to’ people, rather about them, but I like to hide that message inside a story. It’s a trixy thing to do, I get a kick out of it. If the person wants to find the message, they will.
Writing and performing do help you deal with other parts of your life, because they give you something bigger than yourself to think about. For me, song is bigger than anything.

You are – as yet – unsigned. Do you find it a struggle to do everything yourself (marketing, distribution etc) or do you relish the freedom of being able to navigate your own path? 
It’s been a huge joint effort between me, my band, and our various friends who’ve put together things like the cover design and the website. We’ve really put our heads down and really pushed hard on this release. It’s a hard learning curve, I feel like I’m being schooled and it is quite humbling, but I want to understand how the industry works, and how far we can get under our own steam. It’s going bloody well, we’re more than halfway to selling out our physical stock.
In terms of marketing, music fans are what really count – people who love music and want to support artists and spread the word are a PR force to be reckoned with, and that’s what’s helped me the most. 
     
Your interests outside of performing: this is when most people say something like “long walks, hanging out with friends”, but you say that you have learnt to brew beer and have written an opera?!  I’m not sure what I’m most impressed by…  First, could you give me some pointers on home brewing, and then could you tell me a little more about the opera that you have written?
The formula for a beer is thus: steep something (could be ginger, nettles, elderflower or grains) in hot water for a few hours. Strain. Add lots of sugar. Cool. Add beer yeast. Sterilise a large container  (like a  5l water bottle) pour it in, top with an airlock (at it’s easiest, this can be a balloon over the neck), and leave for about 10 days. Taste with interest. My current brew is quince wine. You can brew anything, but beware of coconut milk…the fat makes it explode. 

The opera is something me and Dan (violinist) worked on together. It’s a translation and adaptation of La Serva Padrona by Pergolesi, a comic operetta from the C18th. I’m writing the libretto (lyrics) and he’s doing the instumentals. It’s like a musical version of Fawlty Towers. We want to stage it, so we’re looking for a space we can use for free. 

You mentioned that you are originally from West Yorkshire.  Do you miss life up North? I lived in Cornwall as a child and deeply miss the open skies, the countryside, the friendliness of locals, the pace of life – but that could be just me!  -  how do you find being a transplanted Northerner in London?
More than anything, I miss being alone in the countryside. I used borrow a neighbour’s dog and walk for a few hours across fields, and not see anyone at all. I don’t think that the North is necessarily friendlier than the South, but people definitely show their emotions more in public – one person can be having a big moan to their friend on the bus, and other passengers will chip in. In London, many people have their Tube face on all the time. Pubs are friendlier in the countryside. Curry is hotter in Bradford than in Brick Lane. I love meeting other Northerners in London. I get all giddy, like a puppy at the park, and out come my northern vowels.     

What are your plans musically in the next year?  I hope to hear about more songs and more live dates!
I have a lot of studio time ahead of me, with about 15 songs which are ready to be demoed out an arranged. I’m lucky that some very talented people have offered their time and resources to work on songs, which I’m grateful for. When a good proportion of them are in the shape I want them, I’ll be looking to release through a label. It’s quite a flirtatious thing to try and arrange – I’ve had interest from several sources but until the songs are ready it’s difficult to talk in concrete terms. 
There will always be lots of live shows in London, I’ve been offered some gigs in California and New York, so I plan to go there next summer. But more than anything I want to get back to the North and play there. 

Where can we find out more, and get hold of your music?
http://laurahocking.bandcamp.com   – as the place to buy music
www.laurahocking.com    - my website
www.facebook.com/laurahockingmusic –  as the best place to network, find gig details and sign up for the mailing list
@laurahocking – my twitter cos I <3 talking to people on there!
 
You can catch Laura this Saturday 30th April, along with Mary Hampton and Nick Mulvey at Folie à Deux in Deptford.

Illustrations by Georgia Coote, you can find her work here, and here, and follow her on Twitter here.

Original photographs by Anika Mottershaw and Holly Falconer.

Cults are a New York duo with a 60s guitar pop sound. Their debut album is out in May and I can’t wait. Go Outside has transported my moods from dreary, coffee needing blah, to jigging around on my wooden seat, dancing with the cat, joy. The harmonies are pure dream pop. Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin first posted three songs last spring anonymously on a Bandcamp account and have since received great support from the likes of Gorilla Vs Bear and NME. They’ve also supported Best Coast among others.

Could you introduce yourself please?
MF- He’s Brian Oblivion.
BO- She’s Madelline Follin

Could you describe your music?
On the surface it’s girl group inspired, bedroom pop, upbeat and uplifting but beneath that lies murkier realities. We wrap sinister tales in a sugar coated shell.

Why the name ‘Cults’?
BO- I think that the most startlingly beautiful things in life are pretty but desperately flawed at the same time. Cult leaders are a fascinating example of this so I guess our name came about is a result of this fascination.

Where are you both from? And where do you live now?
MF- We’re both from California, I grew up in San Francisco and Brian grew up in San Diego and we moved to New York together to go to film school.

How have these locations influenced your music?
BO- I suppose growing up in California we were tied trough our local history to some of the world’s most notorious cults. Charlie Mansion and his “Family,” spend a lot of time in LA and were responsible for Sharon Tate’s murder there. Jim Jones set up shop in San Fran, David Byrne’s Children of God were roaming California too. The inspirational, moving speeches that appear, ghost-like, behind our music are taken from speeches made by these guys. New York provided us with independence and the creative space for us to start making music in.

How did you get together…?
BO- By complete chance. Madeline’s brother is in a band that I was tour managing at the time, and she happened to be in San Diego the night they were playing. Then we did this drive from San Diego to San Francisco to pick up Madeline’s stuff. We were playing each other music from our iPod collection, and discovered that we loved all of the same stuff. Cults grew from there.

You are upbeat and 60s in your sound, are you particularly interested in ‘past pop’?
MF – Our sphere of musical influence is pretty diverse, we’re not bound to one particular era or genre. We’re as interested in and as influenced by The Wu Tang Clan and hip-hop as we are rock n’ roll or music from the 60s.

What’s the inspiration for your music?
BO- A lot of our songs are about what we’re going through right now – the fear of growing up and facing adult responsibility. These kind of fears are inspiring. Fear is what makes people join cults in the first place – wanting to escape competition and success and be a part of something bigger, communal. We also want to live our own lives with our own schedules and expectations, so in a way this band has become our own cult.

How do you create ‘your’ sound?
BO- Its spontaneous and real. We’re not sound technicians, we made our first track in our apartment. I layed down some demos and Madeline started singing along. You can suck the life out of a song by making it perfect and we never want to do that.

Do you write your own music?
MF- Our album, like our original demo is self written, self- produced.

What are your musical backgrounds?
BO- I’ve been in bands since I was 13, including a Slayer covers band.
MF- My stepdad owns a studio and I’ve sung on an Adolescents record – there was even a song I did with Dee Dee Ramone singing as well. But for me it wasn’t a big deal, Dee Dee was just one of my stepdad’s friends.

Did you expect Go Outside to be so massive?
MF- Not at all. Most people didn’t know the first thing about us when they heard that track.

Is it true that you actually want to keep an aspect of mystery around yourselves, which is why we don’t know very much about you?!
BO- Absolutley. Bands have become way too handy at promoting themselves. It cheapens the music a bit. It’s like Coca Cola or some brand. There’s nothing left to ponder if it’s all filled in – you can just consume it and throw it away.

But do you foresee yourselves coming to the UK more; perhaps the festivals this summer?
MF- Totally ! We love the UK. You have some world class festivals going on that we would love to get involved with. There is a great vibe here.

Do you enjoy touring? What’s it like for you?
BO- Yeh it rocks. It’s always nice to see witness the way fans receive you music at first hand.

What do you see as the future for Cults?
Unlike many of our historical counterparts ours will have a happy ending!

Cults tour dates can be found here. Go Outside is their first single, out on Columbia Records.

Alex Winston’s music is the sort that you drive around listening to in the summer. Aha! And look outside, it looks as if spring has popped along to say hello, with a candy pink blossom hat. So today is the perfect day to start listening to Alex, if you haven’t already. The American plays drums, piano and guitar, and comfortably bestows on us a voice that can just as easily sing 60s styled poppy, girlie tracks, as well as slow ballads. It’s high and utterly, unashamedly, feminine and pretty. Predominantly she is fun, flirty pop. Like the modern day soundtrack to Grease, with glorious helpings of Grease spirit and bubbly style. However her music can’t be defined as simply as that, there are sounds of Arcade Fire, Lykke Li, PJ Harvey and Feist in there… diverse indeed. But oh how it works. Her EP is out now on PIAS records.

Could you introduce yourself please?
Sure. I’m Alex Winston…
Where are you from and where do you currently reside?
I’m from Detroit, but recently moved to the lower east side of Manhattan.
What sort of music do you create?
The fun kind.
Do you write it yourself?
Yes, I write everything myself.

What music/artists/eras influence your music?
I’m a big fan of Motown…The Supremes, Martha Reeves, Smokey Robinson, Little Stevie. Being from Detroit, its hard not to have a huge appreciation for it. I’m also a fan of early Rock and Roll stuff like Chuck Berry, Elvis and Little Richard.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Things I read, things I watch, relationships, other artists, good people, shitty people.
What’s your music background?
I started playing guitar and taking opera lessons when I was 10. I played in different bands all throughout high school and have been writing songs since I was around 14. My dad is a musician and pretty much taught me everything I know.

Illustration by Gemma Smith

What instruments do you play?
Guitar, Piano and Ukulele…I toy around with a million others, but those are my main instruments.
What can we find on your EP?
Six songs I’ve written over the last year or so. Some from when I was living in my dads basement back in Detroit, and some newer ones from here in New York. Its been a really transitional time for me, and I think you can hear that in the mini album.
Do you feel free to create the music you wish, or is there pressure to be ‘mainstream’?
There has never been any pressure to be anything other than what I am. Luckly when you write your own music, its easier to control the direction you go in. I also work with a great group of people who are interested in what I produce, not what they could morph me into.

And tours, what are the like for you?
I love touring and I love traveling. Right after high school I opted out of college for the opportunity to tour the US and I absolutely fell in love with the lifestyle. Now, I’m ready to expand and play all over the world. There is so much that I’d like to see.
How do you relax?
I sit in bed with thai food and watch music documentaries. I’m just about to watch the Lemmy one right now!
Do you enjoy being in England?
Yeah I love it. Its really becoming a second home. I feel like I’ve spent more time in the UK than in NYC in the last few months, and I can’t say that I mind it!
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Hopefully doing the same exact thing that I’m doing now. I’m not trying to be a super star…just want to be able to perform and write on a steady basis for as long as possible.
When can the UK see you? Festivals planned at all?
I know I’ll be touring over there in May and hopefully doing some festivals as well. I’ll be there whenever you guys will have me!

Tour Listings can be found here.

When you have the radio on all the time, it’s inevitable that you will discover new things. I discovered Rebekka Karijord when I was baking a Nigella Lawson chocolate cake for my boyfriend. The notepad next to the radio was left heavily smudged with chocolate as I scrawled her name down before it left my thoughts and sailed off onto the ‘wish I could remember island’. If you are fond of a female artist, piano notes and heart felt lyrics, you might like Karijord too. She’s smokey, delicate and sounds as if she is singing only for herself. The audience a dark blue mist, she is alone on a long boat sailing along the river of her thoughts, with only the midnight blue sky comforting her. Karijord disarms you almost on her first note. Her own honesty is just off uncomfortably raw. Perfect.

Rebekka Karijord was born in 1976 to two artists. Although born in Norway, she moved no less than 17 times before she hit the age of 18. She composed her first song at aged three, recording her fist demo with her own written songs, when she was eight. She began learning the violin and piano from five years old and started composing in English at 12. Later she attended the Norwegian Musical Theatre, Academy of ballet and the Royal Academy of Acting in Stockholm.

Her family are Swedish, and she feels as if she is both Norwegian and Swedish, but it is inevitable she would feel slightly confused after moving constantly from birth. However she eventually set down solid roots in Sweden’s Stockholm, after releasing two albums; Neophyte and Good or Goodbye, and travelling the world. Karijord wrote and recorded ‘The Noble Art of Letting Go’ in various locations around the woods and city of Stockholm. There is no denying the heartbreak and fear in the notes.

Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Rebekka made a statement years ago, saying she never just wanted to be able to sing beautifully, her desire has always been to project a story as well. This she clearly does with every song in ‘The Noble Art Of Letting Go’. As I pottered around my kitchen, the wind whipping up outside, I felt the ache of understanding, empathy and sadness. We all know that facing our buried ghosts and hidden distresses is what we should do. But when unguarded in a safe place, to hear a song that brings these buried thoughts to the surface without warning, is a shock and a liberation. Perfect for seeing the leafless back of winter and sitting within spring’s rebirthing attributes. Getting the self ready to make a whole host of mistakes to mull over when the clouds darken again.

Wear it Like A Crown, The Noble Art of Letting Go and Paperboy are three of my personal favourites from the album. The former two are serious, full of high, slow notes and the piano- soft, cantering and adding the necessary punctuation. They are both centered very much around rejection, fear and following the heart. In contrast to the piano’s melancholy, Paperboy’s harp is as light as cherry blossom. Yet, like all the tracks there is heartbreak in the lyrics. Parking Lot is a jumpier song, depicting love, hopes and dreams – RECKLESS LOVE – as horses being unleashed and spinning wheels. Fitting and excitable, it spells a desired destruction.

Fellow Nordic singer, Ane Brun joins Karijord for the final track on the album and another of my favourites; Morning Light Forgives The Night. Here they sing so tenderly, it’s as if listening to petals fall. The harp and strings compliment their high, ethereal voices, as they wander off into the distance. A calming end to the album that stays with you. Similar to the end of a film leaving you stunned. Or when something has happened that you’re unsure whether to welcome. It leaves your mind ticking over, revelling in the change you can feel you’re on the brink of.

Although it all sounds relatively melodramatic, Rebekka Karijord’s album is in fact refreshing and very enjoyable to listen to. Her voice is light enough to carry the heaviness of the words. It’s worth your pennies. Her album is available now on Lil Facit.

Spring officially starts the first day you can run to the corner shop without a jacket, and that was a couple of weeks ago now. Soon it will be summer – the prime season for hitting the road, whether it’s for city breaks, festivals or far-away backpacking. So we’ve put together eight songs (and a bonus track) for getting on the road – each interpreted by an illustrator. The first half of the list is fitting of a road trip, for singing loud out of open windows, but it also works as a soundtrack for the Gatwick Express, as is more often the case for me. While the destinations make it worthwhile, the travelling itself can be a chore – meaning the second half has some more meditative tracks. These are for turbulent airplanes, or when you’ve been driving too long – they also work for hungover mornings on freezing buses or delayed flights with no end in sight. (If all else fails, try AC/DC.)

As this piece is a virtual illustrator-palooza, music videos have been omitted to curb the length, but click on the song names for the full YouTube experience. So without further ado – here’s the Amelia’s Magazine Spring 2011 Vagabond Soundtrack!

Illustration by Wanni

Squeeze: Tempted
This is the song Winona Ryder and Janeane Garofaldo sing in the car in ‘Reality Bites’ – a film about being young and not knowing what to do with your life (I may have worn out a video tape once upon a time). The song is about packing up your essential belongings and taking off: ‘I said to my reflection, let’s get out of this place’ … yes let’s do that.

Illustration by Claire Sells

Madonna: Express yourself
Ah early Madonna – the badass years. I’ve been listening to her again lately since the rise of Lady Gaga (who I do appreciate). Madonna doesn’t have a particularly amazing voice but oh my does she want it bad. You can hear it in this song, and in ‘Vogue’ and ‘Material girl’ too – and when she sings not to go for second best … well Madonna we would never, not when you say it like THAT.

Illustration by Karina Yarv

Rolling Stones: Brown Sugar
You can’t sing along to a Rolling Stones track but that’s not the point – you just shuffle your shoulders and shout along at the chorus. There are several ‘better’ Stones tracks but I think this is my favourite one (okay so it’s tie a with ‘Gimme shelter’). Mick’s practically shimmying out through the speakers with the energy of it.

Illustration by Sarah Matthews

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Fortunate son
I love Creedence, The Dude (The Big Lebowski, you know) loves Creedence, and my dad loves Creedence, judging from the pile of records from his hippie days. Either way, the beardy fellas of CCR remain underrated. ‘Fortunate son’ is one of their more ‘Summer of Love’-sounding tracks, coupled with anti-war lyrics that makes me want to wear dip-dyed clothes with flowers in my hair.

Illustration by Laura Godfrey

Jimi Hendrix: Highway chile
He’s quite poetic, Jimi Hendrix, and there’s something almost happy-go-lucky about ‘Highway chile’. It’s an ode to life on the road – I like this one when I’m travelling above the clouds and can do nothing but sit idle as the plane hurls forward. ‘Woodoo child’ is probably the better track, but it’s too much for when you are forced to sit still.

Illustration by Sanna Dyker

America: A horse with no name
This song is for jetlagged stopovers in boring airports with bad food, when you’re so tired your body aches but you can’t sleep. America and its simple logic will soothe you: ‘The heat was hot and the ground was dry but the air was full of sound.’

Illustration by YesGo!

Death Cab for Cutie: Soul meets body
Listening to the wonderfully named Death Cab for Cutie when travelling alone is almost like having someone talking to you – because all their lyrics are excellent. Not everyone listens to the lyrics of music, but with Death Cab it’s practically a crime not to: ‘Cause in my head there’s a Greyhound station / where I send my thoughts to far-off destinations / so they may have a chance of finding a place / where they’re far more suited than here.’ … paints a picture, doesn’t it.

Illustration by Romain Lambert-Louis

Björk: Immature
This little ditty from saga-queen Björk only contains one line of lyric (it loops, but yes really), and it’s an excellent one. It’s a wall of sound, this song, without any of the scratchiness of the rest of the album (the wonderful ‘Homogenic’). It brings to mind dark Scandinavian forests, the smell of pine and blowing bubbles.