LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL
Previews {MUSIC}
LACH Antifolk set from New Yorker transplanted to Edinburgh / nightly showcase of local bands
Having brought his Antihoot night to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time last year, New York’s antifolk originator Lach (it’s pronounced ‘latch’, which Scots might find counter-intuitive) has found himself a new home. The man whose seminal open mic night The Fort discovered artists like Beck, Regina Spektor and The Moldy Peaches is in Edinburgh to stay. ‘The first time I came to Edinburgh I remember looking up at those big white houses on Ramsay Gardens,’ says the singer-songwriter, ‘and I got this strange sense of déjà-vu, like I hadn’t been here in real life, but I had in a dream.’ This isn’t, it seems, just a summer flirtation: Lach’s sixth album Ramshackle Heart, recorded in Cornwall with Neil Halstead of Slowdive and Mojave 3, was released last month through Edinburgh’s Song, By Toad label.
‘I met Matthew [Young, Song, By Toad founder] last Festival,’ laughs Lach. ‘I like his spirit and his abrasively discerning nature. It’s been like a Tolkien dream for me so far, who knows whether I’ll stay for six months or twenty years.’ He’s sleeping on Young’s floor while he looks for a flat. This year Lach performs two Fringe shows; The
Waitress, the Walls and the Weirdos is his own set, named after characters he’s used to playing for at the end of the night, while Antihoot will focus on local talent including Thomas Truax, The Last Battle and comedian Keira Murphy. ‘One of the Antihoot’s goals this year is to bring Edinburgh back to the festival, where it belongs,’ he declares. ‘Do you feel left out or like a misfit in August? Then come to the Antihoot, ‘cos you got a home.’ (David Pollock) ■ Lach’s Antihoot, Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 4–29 Aug, 12.30am, £12 (£10); Lach: The Waitress . . . , Cabaret Voltaire, 220 6176, until 29 Aug, 8.45pm, £tbc.
BEN HOWARD Folksy Devonshire singer-songwriter who surfs
Songsmith and West Country surfer dude Ben Howard, 23, has been building up a word of mouth fanbase over the last two years. His folksy guitar sound initially attracted Mumford & Sons singer Ben Lovett’s label Communion, a fitting home for his debut EP ‘The Old Pine’. A core guitar sound is enhanced by his cellist/ backing singer India Bourne, and Chris Bond, who plays double-bass and drums.
Ben’s style of high register warblings has drawn comparison to Tim Buckley and Nick Drake, especially with current single ‘The Wolves’, and he has also been likened to John Martyn and Jack Johnson (don’t let the latter put you off though).
He’s now signed to Island Records and has a debut album ‘Every Kingdom’, out on 3 October.
What are you up to today? We’re in Landaaan! I’m getting driven through West London somewhere. I have live sessions with XFM and Radio 2 today.
What influences your songwriting? Absolutely everything really. I’m quite an honest songwriter. I write from personal experience, which is probably the easiest way to write songs, from stuff you’ve done; you don’t have to be that imaginative, just about emotions you’ve felt and people you’ve met.
How are you feeling about your upcoming tour? It will be about two and a half months in a row, but we do it because we love music live. It’s quite exciting rather than daunting. Are you looking forward to playing Scotland? I went to Edinburgh for the first time and it’s a beautiful city, I’d like to spend a bit more time there for sure. And Glasgow’s really cool, I’m actually seeing a girl from Glasgow at the moment, she’s promised to take me out to some of the crazy clubs and bars. (Lalita Augustine) ■ Cabaret Voltaire, Blair Street, 220 6176, Mon 8 Aug, 7pm, £8, part of The Edge Festival. He returns to play King Tut’s, Glasgow on 31 Oct.
F E S T I V A L 4–11 Aug 2011 THE LIST 57