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Q&A with Uk-based guitar trio SEN3

UK-based new genre-hopping guitar trio SEN3 have emerged from London’s melting pot. The band create a compelling wide-screen soundworld that’s rich in melody and emotive harmonies, contemporary beat-culture and heavy riffs.

The SEN3 adventure started in 2012, when guitarist Max, drummer Saleem, and bass player Dan met at a live music night in Shoreditch and felt almost instant chemistry. They quickly started a jam band who navigated between Hip-Hop, Jazz Fusion, Funk and 70’s rock, organically developing their sound solely through playing together.

What are some of your earliest memories of music?

Being 8 years old having guitar lessons at school and hating it ha!

Listening to Nat King Cole in the car with my mum 

Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?

We meet up improvise either freely or around some kind of template. Most of the material is put together and tested live on gigs. We don’t really come to the table with finished songs we each bring a different element and mesh it together to create a unified sound. We find the best stuff happens when we are playing freely and ultimately having fun. This tends to happen when we take a risk and try out some new unrehearsed ideas in front of an audience. We used to have a few residencies around London that we’d use as writing sessions eventually fully finished tunes came out from these performances. For us we come up with the best stuff this way – you can always tell if something is working in a live show more than in a rehearsal room. Sometimes things don’t work as well as we thought and then we go back to the drawing board. With enough trial and error we ended up piecing together the songs in a way we think works the best for an audience.

Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?

We love making new music and getting in the studio but we are definitely a live band at heart – we love playing live and taking an audience with us on a journey. We always dig in more live. There’s an energy you get on a gig that you don’t get in the studio.

What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?

Hard to pin that down to one thing. We are genuinely blown away that people come out to these shows and show us support. We started this band to have some fun and play out some ideas without any real preconceived plan. It means a lot to us that people keep coming back for more !. We recently played a sold-out show at Pizza express soho it just shows how far the band has come since we started this to have a laugh playing some ideas in a pub. We are really proud of this.

If you could put together a radio show, what kind of music would you play?

A mixture Psychedelic 70’s jazz-rock,  Indie and minimalist electronic music

Name five artists and their albums who would appear on your radio show

Four Tet – There is love in you 

Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon 

Mahavishnu Orchestra – Inner Mountain flame 

Madvillain – Madvillainy 

Joy Division – Unknown pleasures 

What would you like to achieve with your music? What does success look like to you?

We want to travel the world with our music and meet new people in places. We’d love to play in Japan!

One last thought to leave your fans with?

We are always working on new material and taking our sound to new unknown territories – album III is coming soon!

Follow SEN3 online 

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter |  Spotify

Interview with singer/songwriter Ang Low

Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Ang Low defies easy categorisation, with the exception of one, effortless talent. With a golden voice, his is a story of constant discovery and change. From military brat and choir boy to petty thug and rejuvenated all-soul icon du jour, Ang Low has seen it all and bought the outrageous t-shirt.

See our exclusive interview with him below

What are some of your earliest memories of music?

I always have had music present. From hearing my mom sing at church or trying to create a rock band at 12. I was always interested in how music gave you feelings.

Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?

My songwriting process is always different. It could start from a nagging melody in my head.. a few chords on the piano.. or just a lyric I’m trying to find the right mood for. I do like to always get other producers to help me arrange after the template is laid down so I can primarily focus on songwriting and recording.

Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?

Great question. Both have areas I’m addicted to. Studio work gets me lit because it’s like you’re lost trying to find your way out and the song is the exit. You’re always searching for a vibe or lyric or melody… it’s intoxicating like a drug or as a puzzle. Performing tho is like good familiar sex. I already put the work in to make the song… it’s practised and tuned. The only thing I’ve got to do is come lay down with it and marinate in it.

What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?

I got a response on a video the other day from this young girl saying that one of my songs had really helped through some tough situations in the past. She wrote she had been a longtime fan and always used my song to get over stuff. I’ve never thought about my work helping people like that. I mean it’s just a song I thought. But it’s so much more for others sometimes. It’s a great feeling to know that I am part of something artistic that’s bigger than me.

If you could put together a radio show, what kind of music would you play?

pop, r&b and jazz all zzay

Name five artists and their albums who would appear on your radio show

Well first of all… I’d have myself as the first guest lol cause I’m dope… Ang Low (UP),  then maybe… Frank ocean (orange), Jazmine Sullivan (lions tigers and bears, Robyn (Konichiwa) and Adele (19).

What would you like to achieve with your music? What does success look like to you?

My goal with my music is to consistently connect with the everyday person. Being an artist means I’ve chosen to sacrifice my regular life for art and eventually I hope to get a little time back. Success means better connections with family and friends and most of all understanding myself better.

One last thought to leave your fans with?

It’s ok to fall down… you always get back UP.

Follow Ang Low online 

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website | Soundcloud | Spotify | Youtube

Interview with Singer/songwriter Scarlet Parke

Singer, songwriter, business owner, and boss, Scarlet Parke is a lighthouse for dreamers. Driven by an inexorable force to create, persevere, and grow through her trauma, Scarlet’s music will make you feel every feeling. 

She leaves no topic unturned and brings you into her world as a best friend and secret keeper. Outside of music, Scarlet is a rampant advocate for local artists and empowering their success via her company, Parke Ave. Parke Ave is a networking app that focuses on curating opportunities for local/unsigned artists via events, playlists, and local business partnerships. 

What are some of your earliest memories of music?

Sitting alone in my room when I was 8 trying to sing every single Christina Aguilera run perfectly.

Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?

Every song starts differently. Sometimes a melody will pop into my head and sometimes I’ll hear a beat and freestyle lyrics but it’s definitely not something that happens when I think about it too much. Most of my songs are drafted as voice memos from random moments of inspiration.

Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?

Performing. Hands down! Before I was ever a songwriter, I was a performer. I’ve always loved acting, dancing, and being a total ham.

What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?

I performed at a High School and when I announced I would be singing my song ‘Fallin’, one of the students asked if she could come sing with me. I brought her up and she sang the entire song perfectly! She told me she had been singing it everyday and wanted to sing like me. My heart melted.

If you could put together a radio show, what kind of music would you play?

I would play local pop, R&B, hip-hop, soul and funk. Anything that people gets people moving and feeling good.

Name five artists and their albums who would appear on your radio show

Sam Lachow – Lady Sunday, Dave B – Sweetest Thing, Archie – Bad Bitch, Macntaj – Trappy Gilmore, Zahara – Delicate

What would you like to achieve with your music? What does success look like to you?

I want to be a pillar of inspiration for those coming from less than ideal circumstances. I want to inspire people to persevere and chase their dreams.

One last thought to leave your fans with?

Subscribe to my Youtube for a free sticker xo

Follow Scarlet Parke  online 

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | SoundCloud

Interview with singer-songwriter mp.oxford

Singer/songwriter mp.oxford had built a universe with personal texts and where melody is everything. He creates a sound that, together with his unmistakable voice, slowly crawls under your skin. 

Through his music, he wants to express the snapshots of everyday life from trivial feelings to experiences that leave a mark. He wants to paint these images as vivid as possible, so everyone who closes their eyes and listen can relate.   

See our exclusive interview with him below:

What are some of your earliest memories of music?

The earliest memory is within my family. My dad introduced me to music at an early age – He even bought me a drumkit, which I never used actually. But the clearest memory is me and him driving in his Fiat just playing his favourite Danish artists. It just stuck with me.

Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?

I just looked at my memos. 533 recordings. I start with the melody or maybe a cool chord I heard in another song. Then I just do a quick topline and usually, the words I do can be used as a concept cause its right off the back of what I’m feeling at that moment. It should be that natural I guess. Then I put a lot of hours with producers getting the sounds and my ideas right.

Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?

When I’m in the studio and creating new stuff – I have this idea in my head. If I can picture myself doing the songs live – then I know I got something good. It starts and ends with connecting with people. So I always look forward to interacting with audiences.

What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?

Imma keeps it simple with this. I once played some of my music to this guy who was a friend of one of my friends from Copenhagen. He hadn’t heard any of my songs before. He just looked me and said: “I don’t a lot about music – But I believe in the words you sing” – For me that’s is biggest compliment, cause that is exactly how I wanna feel when I’m listening to an artist. Props to that guy. 

If you could put together a radio show, what kind of music would you play?

Easy. I would do a total mix. It would be named something like: “Have your heard this?” Just be a public service kind of Discover Music on the radio. Play some different songs from different genres and maybe get people to see that there is so much good music out there, they haven’t listened to yet. Just for an example. Fall 2018 I discovered Tierra Whacks ‘Whack World’-video on Youtube. The whole album in one video, because the songs are only a minute long. But they are all fire! Now she’s on Beyonce’s Lion King-album. It’s amazing. Or when I first heard 1975 from the UK playing the Itunes Festival back in 2013. Now, look how big they are. 

And that would be the point of my radio show. People sharing music that they just discovered but are not necessarily a big name in the industry.

Name five artists and their albums who would appear on your radio show

Frank Ocean ‘Blonde’, Kanye West ‘College Dropout’, Jordan Ward ‘Valley Hopefuls’ Lido ‘Everything’ and The 1975 ‘The 1975’

What would you like to achieve with your music? What does success look like to you?

The biggest hit in the world – Of course. Well, that would be nice. But just get recognized for the work I do. That people interact and vibe with my music. Like the guy, I mentioned before. If some people get a feeling out of the words and instrumental of the songs – Then I’m all good. That’s the kicker right there. I mean – that’s the way it should be if you ask me.

One last thought to leave your fans with?

It’s gonna be a good year guys. Hope you enjoy this music! Thank you for your time.

Follow mp.oxford online 

Soundcloud | Instagram