andPOP » john legend

Fink’s Journey To The Top Not Revolutionary, But It Works

Emma Renda — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:02:03 +0000

Fin Greenall, more famously known as UK singer-songwriter Fink, tours in a bus just like every other mid-level musician out there.

But if it were up to him, his ultimate tour would go a little something like this: roaming through the English countryside or vast stretches of North American highway on a motorbike, with the rest of his band and gear following in a van behind him. Granted he lifted most of the idea from biker-metal band Slayer, Greenall can’t be blamed for inventing a rock star fantasy to give an edge to his gentle acoustic guitar-wielding persona.

He muses for a moment about the very bad-ass nature of such a tour, blithely tallying the unpleasant logistics involved. But Greenall isn’t about to let a stiff behind and a few bugs in his teeth cramp his style.

“The problem with fantasies, the reality is that they’re a bummer,” says Greenall. “Sometimes you gotta go, ‘Well yeah, in Easy Rider those bikes look pretty uncomfortable. But you still look pretty fucking cool when you’re driving down the street.’”

It seems an unlikely way to start an interview with the angel-voiced tenor from Brighton, England. Yet Greenall somehow morphs the motorcycle daydream into an allegory for his music career, and ultimately, his life.

“You have to find the balance between what is doable and ‘Actually, that would suck,’” Greenall tells andPOP. “I wouldn’t be doing music at all. [People said] ‘Dude, you’re not going to be able to do it.’ And I said, ‘Well, fuck it. I’ll do it anyway.’”

That was almost nine years ago when he released his mellow groove debut, Fresh Produce. His next release, Biscuits for Breakfast in 2006, was the first in what would become a trio – so far – of his signature acoustic sound. Sort of Revolution, his next installment with the legendary Ninja Tunes label (home of Kid Koala, among others), dropped worldwide Sept. 8.

Greenall’s career began with some casual DJ gigs throughout England, which eventually boosted him to cult-level celebrity status. He started to produce dance tracks, then began penning songs for other musicians before he decided to take on a few of his tunes himself. “It definitely wasn’t the plan. I was working with other singers and songwriters as a writer,” says Greenall. “I worked with this chick Amy Winehouse who was right out of school. She was just awesome, mind-bendingly brilliant.”

Amy Winehouse isn’t the only household name Greenall can list on his resume. He actually co-wrote John Legend’s single, “Green Light” featuring Andre 3000, a favour which was reciprocated by Legend co-writing two songs and adding guest piano on Sort of Revolution. During his studio days, Greenall remixed songs for Nina Simone, Elbow, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Robert Belfour. He has toured endlessly throughout the United Kingdom – notching roughly 300 dates with his band, bassist Guy Whittaker and Tim Thornton – and has opened for the likes of Massive Attack and Zero 7, as well as appearing at a number of major musical institutions, including London’s Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall in NYC, and most recently had a gig at BBC’s Maida Vale studios.

The decision to pursue his own career was an offhand one, which he pitched to Ninja Tunes and got the go ahead, to the point of being signed on as the label’s first singer-songwriter.
“It was like, ‘Damn, I wish I’d done this earlier,’” says Greenall. “But I didn’t have the life experience or the baggage, I needed something to write about.”

Despite being almost a decade into his solo career, Greenall says he is still trying to work out what it all means.

“My first battle was whether or not I wanted how I feel about stuff on record,” says Greenall.
But Greenall isn’t exactly shy, just cunning. Although his lyrics are never entirely direct, Greenall doesn’t avoid candid subject matter. He describes his approach to song-writing as a retreat back in time where he relives the moment that triggered the idea for the song in the first place. Often it means disappearing into a dark hole for days on end if the content is particularly sensitive.

Sometimes it means legwork, in the case of “Six Weeks,” when a girl Greenall was involved with dropped the infamous “L” word and he didn’t know how to respond.

“It’s a situation that everybody’s been in and I wanted to write a song about it, because [Bob] Dylan hasn’t done it and he’s pretty much done everything else,” says Greenall, with a chuckle. “I asked my mates and I asked my girlfriends. I said, ‘I’m not in love with her yet, what should I do?’ And they said, ‘Pretty much you’ve got a month maybe. If she’s not worth having, she’ll leave you.’”

It’s not exactly a love song, but Greenall’s deep coo and lullaby melodies give every song of his a romantic touch.

The album’s first single, “Sort of Revolution” is a six-and-a-half-minute acoustic epic that reads like a mild protest song and actually flows like a ballad. Rather than pointing fingers, Greenall is extending his hand to the disenchanted around him, suggesting a revolution is not only possible but imminent. (”We come so far, there’s no going back/ All this time we’ve been running from it/ Where we are and where we’re going to / We’ll organise a Sort of Revolution.”)

“Most songs, the idea happens whenever. It takes a couple of minutes to go, ‘I love that, I must remember that,’” says Greenall. “Lyric writing happens in spurts. I have to be ready to catch it when it comes out. With enough whiskey and marijuana, it will definitely happen.”
As for the music, Greenall uses a minimalist’s blend of acoustic guitar and lush vocal harmonies to round out his track lists, and often a dash of synth probably out of habit. “Walkin’ in the Sun” even features a gospel choir, while “Q & A” is backed by a vague beat-boxing riff.

His sound is diverse but accessible – like a Damien Rice demo set to the soundscape of Thom Yorke’s Eraser. It’s sparse, but with the touching lyrical charm, it’s no wonder Greenall is still in demand after three albums of this kind.

After spending the month of August at his home in Brighton playing sporadic gigs through Europe, including several musical festivals, Greenall is about to embark once again on the road. With Sort of Revolution now in record stores worldwide, he has scheduled an extended tour of the UK, France, Germany and North America to promote it. Despite the stretches spent on a tour bus – rather than his whimsical two-wheeled mode of transportation – Greenall says being overbooked is a good problem.

“It’s good to be busy, it’s good to be in demand,” says Greenall. “The weirdest thing is that we’ve already put so much time, effort, money, blood, sweat and tears and we’ve only just begun. We’re a quarter of the way through. We have to get our energy back, we’ve just started and that is a bit terrifying.”

Mstrkrft’s Right To Party

Emma Renda — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:07:49 +0000

How many people does it take to shut down a New York City block and cause a riot? Two, provided they are armed with a synthesizer, drum machine and a discography under the guise of Mstrkrft.

It’s true, Toronto’s electro-house darlings were slated to play a club in NYC two weeks ago and oversold the venue so much that more than 2,000 hipsters were stuck in line outside. But the hype surrounding the DJ duo drove the mob into frenzy, inciting a riot that was eventually quelled by the NYPD itself.

“It was a pretty proud moment that we double-sold the club and had a street in New York City closed down, even if just for a few hours,” Jesse Keeler, one half of Mstrkrft, tells andPOP. “The fact that that’s happening … that takes a long time to build.”

Mstrkrft was born in Toronto in 2005, storming clubs and parties with their take on the burgeoning electro-house trend. After dominating the GTA scene, the duo made up of Keeler and Alex Puodziukas (otherwise known as Al-P) stepped up their game.

First came the singles “Easy Love” and “Work on You” before an official LP, “The Looks,” debuted in July 2006. Then came the tours: Canada, North America, the world.

Mstrkrft exploded into the hipster consciousness with a force stronger than any drum machine could muster. Though the initial burst of Canadian recognition was partially aided by Keeler’s history as the bassist from underground dance-rockers Death from Above 1979, Mstrkrft is a rather different species.

“We’re just making music. We’re not working with band instruments but it’s the same song-writing process,” Keeler says. “It’s like, ‘Hey, I’ve got a riff’ – it’s not for a guitar, but a synthesizer. A drum pattern idea but a drum machine, not a drummer.”

Without using samples, Mstrkrft compose all their original music, but they caught some high-profile attention based on their remixes. Along with a handful of Canadian acts like Metric, Buck 65 and Chromeo, they have been approached by some of the biggest names in the biz such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, John Legend and Justice. And their remix of “Bounce” by N.O.R.E. is currently spinning as a club anthem across the world, with real potential to become a smash that lasts all summer long.

Keeler offhandedly mentioned being asked by U2 recently to remix a track (though Mstrkrft turned it down), and detailed a brief struggle with a Britney Spears track he and Al-P accepted but couldn’t master.

“A lot of times we say yes to something and try it for the wrong reason and realize after that it was dumb,” Keeler says. “Like with Britney Spears, we worked on it for a week. It was something we both really liked. But sort of listening to it more critically we realized all we used was backup vocals, and had included like five lines of her whole song. So we told them that we gave up.”

Keeler says it depends on vocals, such as the tantalizing yowl of Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O. But hits – real, jaw-dropping, hip-shaking hits – can come from any genre.

“We were asked to do a remix for the All American Rejects. Even still to this day, honestly, I heard the song and thought, ‘Oh my fucking God, it’s going to be a huge club anthem!’ And then when they sent us the song, they had changed their mind,” Keeler sighs. “The song they sent us was just absolutely useless. We tried, but we were so disappointed. We tried for almost a week again and gave up, but the music we made in the mean time became part of another one of our songs.”

Keeler wouldn’t give away any specifics about the tracks he mentioned, but it doesn’t seem like a state secret. He’s just nonchalant.

He admitted to being somewhat jaded, what with tours that have carried Mstrkrft through every major city around the world in front of the hippest crowds at the even hipper venues and festivals. They are playing several major summer music festivals, including being a main DJ act at Lollapalooza, and have club gigs booked straight through to November.

“We’re pretty much always on tour, for the last while, and like I say, it’s tiring,” Keeler says. “It’s not really anywhere near accurate as to just how tiring it is. Exhausting doesn’t sound like the right word either.”

Being on tour as Mstrkrft is different than most other bands on the road, because being a member of Mstrkrft doesn’t mean performing for the audience; it means throwing a party for them every single night.

“That’s an experience very different from other types of music. It has an express purpose. It’s right in the name, it’s there for dancing. If that’s not accomplished, then it’s a failure,” Keeler says. “No amount of press or publicity or whatever can make people do anything on the dance floor than they would with their feet as it’s happening. People don’t dance with a sense of obligation.”

But it comes with the trade, and Keeler certainly knew what he was getting into. He DJ’d throughout Toronto before forming DFA1979, and when he returned to his roots behind the tables, it was on the advice of a friend’s mother. As he says, she told him to find the one thing in life he would do for free, and then figure out a way to get paid for it.
So far, so good.

“It’s really rewarding,” he says. “Anyone who does what we do and has a bad attitude and complains needs to go spend two months at GM putting bumpers on cars to get a sense of what it is to really work. We get paid to do what we love.”

Keeler doesn’t take his career lightly, though. He admits he and Al-P have already started writing tracks for their third LP, although recording can’t get underway until they return to their Toronto studio. (Incidentally, their original studio at Moss Park was sold in a condo deal so they moved literally across the street to a new location that is still under construction.)

Though it’s light-years away from the 9-5, Keeler and Al-P still bust their ass on the regular to give their adoring fans the party they expect.

“The dance party audience is as much a part of what’s happening as what we’re doing,” Keeler says. “It’s not like a rock show where five people can show up. With a dance party, it doesn’t matter how good you might play – if it isn’t a party it’s not right.”

Coldplay, The Killers Get (RED) For AIDS Relief

Eva Lam — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:49:59 +0000

Several of the world’s top music acts are helping to launch the digital music magazine RED(WIRE), an extension of the activist organization (RED) that was co-founded by Bono.

U2, Coldplay, the Killers, the Dixie Chicks and John Legend are among those contributing exclusive songs to the initiative

Proceeds from subscriptions will benefit HIV-infected people in Africa. Appropriately enough, the magazine will kick off on Dec. 1, the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day.

Subscribers will pay $5 a month for a new issue of RED(WIRE) every Wednesday. Besides an exclusive song from a major artist, each issue will include a spotlight track from a lesser-known musician, a non-music feature that may include video or photography, and an update on how their donations are being used.

Among the featured tracks are Legend’s take on Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” and the Killers’ collaboration with Elton John and the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant on the Christmas song “Joseph, Better You Than Me.”

Subscribers can also send two free issues to friends, with the promise of a reward if they join RED(WIRE).

“Artists are already saying, ‘I want to give you a track for those people who brought friends in,’” (RED)WIRE founder Don MacKinnon told Billboard. “That’s the biggest idea: using social networking to actually change the world in a unique way.”

Theo Tams Crowned Canadian Idol

andPOP Staff — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:42:14 +0000

After a seemingly never ending two hour finale, Theo Tams of Lethbridge, AB was crowned the sixth Canadian Idol.

Theo was named the winner after a nationwide vote, with Mitch MacDonald of Port Hood, NS named runner-up.

The evening was filled with over-the-top performances from the Idol castoffs and revisiting of old favourites (Theo performed “Sweet One” and Mitch sang “I Love This Town” again).

Jully Black was finally given her rightful praise after being a sidekick to Ben Mulroney all year. She performed for the first time on the show, easily the best of the night.

To top the night off, musical heavyweights John Legend and Mariah Carey also performed. After the confetti had fallen, Theo fought back tears after being announced the winner. “I want to thank Mitch who has become a great friend. Thanks so much,” said Theo.

Theo Tams’ first single “Sing” will be heard soon enough across Canadian airwaves.

Canadian Idol Recap – And Then There Were Two

andPOP Staff — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:28:07 +0000

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Canadian Idol is ending, but whether or not if it’s a good thing, well, I’ll let you decide.

On tonight’s show, Theo Tams and Mitch MacDonald square off in one last attempt to win the votes of the Canadian public before one is crowned the Canadian Idol on Wednesday night.

Theo and Mitch will sing three songs; their own choice, the judge’s choice and the potential winner’s single.

After banter with the judges, Ben brings out the top two, who flew to New York this week to work with John Legend.

After a coin toss, Mitch decided to go first, a questionable move as Theo will now be closing the show. After a session with John Legend, where Legend tells Mitch to control his tone, Mitch MacDonald sings “Paris” by Gordie Sampson.

“What I really like about the performance of that song, the dynamics. Really good job,” says Jake. “I think it had a lot to do with the dynamics of the emotion in it which you portrayed beautifully,” says Sass. “There’s certain things you did with that, that I think are really good. At your best, you do compare favourably to Paul Simon. On the other hand, your signature scoops are a little obnoxious around the edges,” says Zack.

Finishing out round one, Theo Tams chooses “Good Mother” by Jann Arden. Theo ends on the ironic line “I’ve never wanted anything so bad.” “You did a really good job with that. You sing so well,” says Farley. “While I thought it was convincing, I could feel a lot of nerve,” says Zack. “I actually sat here listening to that ‘Wow, this would sound great if you were just singing acapella, that’s how good it was,” says Jake.

Mitch MacDonald is back with his potential winning single, “Where We Begin.” “It’s really refreshing for me to hear you sing loud for so long,” says Farley. “I like your voice when you sing loud. The fact is that your tone is consistent to when you sing quiet and loud. You represent a Mitch lifestyle and I think that’s a valid option,” says Zack. “For me, you didn’t [sell] that song. I don’t think you’re wedded to that song yet,” says Jake. “I think everybody here might agree, how could anyone not love you?” says Sass.

Theo Tams performs his second song; his potential winning single called “Sing.” “You used every trick you had in the book. While it wasn’t as unique as you’ve done, you could’ve sold snow to the Inuit with that,” says Zack. “I don’t know if you put that in yourself or they gave you the song that way, it works for you. Songwise, same as Mitch’s song. Neither are my favourites,” says Jake. “That, to me, was a killer, killer performance,” says Sass. “You just do it well. You’re singing through a prism and all this colour comes out of the other side,” says Farley.

Performing his last song selected by the judges, Mitch MacDonald sings “If” by Bread. “Tonally, it worked for you. The last note, you hit it the way it was meant to be hit,” says Jake. “I thought you did a beautiful job with that song,” says Sass. “If you got flaws and you make it to the finale, those flaws are virtue. The tone was perfect,” says Farley. “I see in your eyes that you don’t think that was your best performance. From top to bottom on this show, were you to be the next Canadian Idol, we’d be proud to have you,” says Zack.

Ending the show with the judge’s pick “I Want To Know What Love Is” by The Foreigners is Theo Tams. “Although that wasn’t my favourite arrangement of that song ever, you still sang it like the pro that you are,” says Sass. “I wasn’t blown by the arrangement off the top, but you can’t go wrong with anything you do,” says Farley. “It’s hard to differentiate between singing something as an artist and singing something that you’re in a competition to win. You’re the best male vocalist we’ve ever had on the show,” says Zack. “It’s going to be a matter of taste. And people have to vote on the one that they like, not who was better tonight,” says Jake.

And that’s a wrap. The two-hour finale, where Theo Tams or Mitch MacDonald will be crowned the next Canadian Idol starts Wednesday night at 8 p.m. EST with performances by Jully Black, Hedley, John Legend and Mariah Carey.

John Legend Releases Sophomore Album

Adam Gonshor — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 01:11:54 +0000

Early indication is that John Legend’s second album, “Once Again,” will not succumb to the sophomore jinx, and it will likely end up in the top five of Billboard’s album list when the chart is released next week. It may even crack the top three.

Whether or not it is as successful as his Grammy-winning album, “Get Lifted,” Legend says he is very excited to release the new material.

“It represents a growth for me, an expansion of my musical sound and my lyrics,” he told andPOP at the One x One event in Toronto. “I just felt like this album shows me growing up a little bit and I’m excited for people to hear it.”

Legend worked with A-list producers like Kanye West, Will.I.Am and Raphael Saadiq on the album.

However, unlike “Get Lifted,” “Once Again” only has one West-produced track and relies heavily on Legend’s voice rather than in-studio work.

John Legend – Save Room

andPOP Staff — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:29:41 +0000

Watch the new video for “Save Room,” the first single off “Once Again,” the latest album from John Legend, due out Oct. 24.

Windows Media
Real
Quicktime

And check him out on tour!

October 26th – Washington, DC – Hilton Washington
October 27th – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata
October 28th – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
October 30th – New York City, NY – Nokia Theatre
October 31st – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head
November 4th – Boston, MA – Avalon
November 5th – Washington, DC – Cramton Auditorium
November 6th – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
November 8th – Detroit, MI – State Theatre
November 9th – Chicago, IL – Riviera
November 10th – Minneapolis, MN – Quest
November 13th – Boulder, CO – Fox
November 14th – Salt Lake City, UT – Harry O’s
November 16th – Los Angeles, CA – Wiltern
November 18th – San Francisco, CA – TBA
November 20th – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
November 21st – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
November 22nd – Phoenix, AZ – Celebrity Theatre
November 24th – Dallas, TX – Gypsy Ballroom
November 25th – Houston, TX – House of Blues
November 27th – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
November 28th – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution / Hard Rock
November 30th – Atlanta, GA -Tabernacle
December 1st – Charlotte, NC – Tabernacle
December 2nd – Norfolk, VA – Norva

Mariah, Kanye, John Legend to Perform at Grammys

andPOP Staff — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 12:47:41 +0000

The first few big-name performers for the 48th Annual Grammy Awards were announced today. Headlining the event this year are Mariah Carey, Kanye West, and John Legend.

The three artists lead the nominees’ list with eight nods each, including album of the year for Carey (”The Emancipation of Mimi”) and West (”Late Registration”). Legend, meanwhile, is up for best new artist and best R&B album for “Get Lifted.”

The Recording Accademy added that other performers will be announced at a later date.

The music industry’s biggest night of the year is scheduled for Feb. 8 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The awards will be broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. EST.

John Legend, Lauryn Hill Team Up

Adam Gonshor — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 14:42:30 +0000

John Legend’s dream came true, as he has released a song with Lauryn Hill.

Legend met Hill when he played piano on her breakout track “Everything is Everything,” but their voices had never been recorded together until he released a remix of “So High” last week.

Hill raps for about a minute to start the song, then she alternates singing verses with Legend.

This is Hill’s first recorded material since her MTV Unplugged album in 2002.

She has been working on a new album for several months. No release date has been set.

Legend also released a video for “So High” this week, without Hill.

John Legend, Ciara to Play Rochester MusicFest

Adam Gonshor — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 14:00:08 +0000

Some of hip-hop’s top artists– past, present, and future — will perform at this year’s Rochester MusicFest on July 16 and 17.

Boyz II Men, John Legend, Ciara, Faith Evans, Common and Brian McKnight are just some of the artists who will play over the weekend.

Bands will take the stage at 1 p.m. on both days at Genesee Valley Park in Rochester, New York, just a 3-hour drive from Toronto.

Tickets (adults: $32 for one day or $49 for 2 days; children: $10 or $17 for 2 days) are available through Ticketmaster.

The festival is offering ringtones of the performer’s songs on its web site, rochestermusicfest.com.

Rochester MusicFest 2005 Schedule

Saturday, July 16:
1:00 ? 1:45 PM Battle of the Bands winner (Rochester)
2:00 ? 2:45 PM Nina Sky
3:00 ? 3:45 PM Jagged Edge
4:00 ? 4:45 PM 112
5:00 ? 5:45 PM Ciara
6:00 ? 7:00 PM John Legend
7:15 ? 8:30 PM Boyz II Men

Sunday, July 17:
1:00 ? 1:45 PM Battle of the Bands winner (Buffalo)
2:00 ? 2:45 PM Fatty Koo
3:00 ? 3:45 PM Raheem DeVaughn
4:00 ? 4:45 PM Lyfe Jennings
5:00 ? 5:45 PM Common
6:00 ? 7:00 PM Faith Evans
7:15 ? 8:30 PM Brian McKnight