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Post by stellar on Jul 23, 2010 11:44:16 GMT
Here's hoping that 'one more UK festival this year' is Reading and Leeds. Not that I'm going or anything but would be great for LAR.
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Post by rougevelvet on Jul 27, 2010 11:05:59 GMT
www.musicradar.com/rhythm/steve-hewitt-love-amongst-ruin-has-my-best-ever-drum-sound-266071?cpn=RSS&source=MRRHYTHM(spot the new bassist!) Steve Hewitt: Love Amongst Ruin has 'my best ever drum sound'Former Placebo man returns Rich Chamberlain, Tue 27 Jul 2010, 11:08 am BST Songwriting drummers are far from anything new, but they seem to be cropping up all over the place of late, a fact shown in the regular rotation new albums from former Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows and ex-Placebo tub thumper Steve Hewitt have been getting on the Rhythm stereo. We recently caught up with Steve who filled us in on how his new band - Love Amongst Ruin - came about, his move upfront and the heartache involved with handing over drum duties. How did the band come about?"After I was unexpectedly ejected from Placebo I got in touch with an old friend of mine John Thorne who was the bass player in Lamb. It all started as a project with no exact goals, but I spent the next year-and-a-half doing recording sessions, using the break-up as a platform of writing songs." Is the album all new material or did you have a few older songs that you revived? "It was all new material. All of the songs on the record were the first ones I came up with. There's no mass of material, the first ten songs we wrote we put on there. In that respect it's a very honest record." How did you go about choosing a drummer?"I played all drums on the album, then I went to Keith Yorke, a good friend of mine who I've known for 20 years. We play quite similarly really, so it made sense for him to come in. Nobody in the band has been auditioned, it's all about the vibe. It's turned out they're all great musicians." Has it been difficult to hand over drumming duties?"Of course. I miss it dearly. I spent 20 years playing the kit. I still play for demos and maybe for the next record. Me and Keith are cool about sharing drum duties for recording. I'm still going over that handover. I miss it live. It started as a project and now I'm like, 'S**t, I'm fronting a band, that wasn't meant to happen!'" Is it strange to suddenly be up at the front of the stage?"It's very life affirming to do something you never expected. It had never crossed my mind that I'd be singing in a band. It just happened." Did you try anything different when recording drums for the album?"I always play drums as a writer. This isn't a drum album, the drums are there to help the song along. Looking back on the album, I suppose some of the drum tracks could be more developed, but they do what they do, really, just let the track breathe. "On the production side I had the freedom to get the songs how I wanted them. I didn't have to fight against two other guys, which was always a bit of the case in Placebo. We'd do a great mix and then Brian would say, 'Right, let's turn the vocal right up'. I think I got the best drum sound, better than any Placebo record." What set-up did you use in the studio?"I used my white Yamaha Maple Custom, which sounds fantastic. Cymbals were all Zildjian A Customs." What's coming up for the band?"We've got Sonisphere, which will be our fourth show, in at the deep end! Album is released on 12 September and then we go out on tour on 25 September."
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Post by zee on Aug 2, 2010 9:34:28 GMT
U-Bahn Music NewsSteve Hewitt from Love Amongst Ruin, and not only Part 1
Last Friday we had a phone conversation with Steve Hewitt, a frontman of Love Amonst Ruin. We finally managed to find out what is behind the name of the band. It does not have anything to do, as we expected, with a poem by Robert Browning's "Love Among the Ruins" (a very nice piece of poetry, for those who are interested: quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/Love_Among_The_.htm .) It reflects a state of Steve's soul when parting with Placebo. And besides all the "decent names' were already taken.
When asked whether it was hard to leave the secure area behind the drums and face the crowd, and whether the role of the singer makes it very difficult replied that indeed gave the first. Steve originally wanted to put someone else with better vocal skills in front of the microphone, but the band and recording the album showed that, in fact, is doing quite well. This was for him the path to self-knowledge. There is still much to learn about yourself. What then is his way of composing? Writing music is not something new for him, he helped in the end write songs for Placebo with Brian Molko, playing guitar. For him it's a form of self-therapy. Self-therapy group with a wonderful team where he managed to maintain the ideal balance between experienced musicians, and fresh blood. ubahnmusicnews.blogspot.com/2010/08/steve-hewitt-o-love-amongst-ruin-i-nie.htmlI tried to translate this with Google Translate as you can most probably tell... if anyone can do it better, let me know! *keeps looking for a volunteer*
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Post by rougevelvet on Aug 2, 2010 10:43:31 GMT
Thanks, I saw that and half tried to read it and then gave up. Figured it was mostly what the had posted as their fb updates though
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Post by poetress on Aug 4, 2010 17:33:24 GMT
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Is
New Member
sexual chocolate
Posts: 1,128
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Post by Is on Aug 4, 2010 17:57:26 GMT
poetress - i tried to copy this^^^ to LAR LJ but it was an epic fail - i managed to get Steve photo to post but it was ginormous - (not that that is a bad thing) so i gave up -i suck w/ posts maybe you, Zee or Kate can work you magic and share this with LJ peeps
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Post by poetress on Aug 4, 2010 18:46:58 GMT
^tis done as a link, rather than copied, but it does the job... poetress x
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Post by stellar on Aug 7, 2010 11:14:36 GMT
Full text of interview at screamingtarts.com Some very good questions and interesting answers. 20 questions with... Love Amongst RuinFormer Placebo drummer Steve Hewitt talks to us about fronting his new band Love Amongst Ruin. 1. So aside from yourself, who are Love Amongst Ruin and what does each member do within the band? Donald Ross Skinner plays guitar, provides backing vocals and 'guidance'. Keith York tells me that he provides rhythm & mayhem (drums). Steve Hove plays wicked guitar. Laurie Ross is our classically trained cellist, keyboard player and backing vocalist. Teresa Morini is our newest member and she plays bass and electric upright bass.
2. How did you all meet and come to form a band together? This band is formed entirely of people that I already knew or people that were recommended to me by friends. I've built a really talented band this way, I can't wait to get started on the second album, everyone has some great ideas and I'm looking forward to building on them.
3. How does your music differ from that of your previous band Placebo? Well in the studio it differed because I had the final say on what ended up on the record, Donneye was very helpful in the production department but if we came to a point that a decision needed to be made it - it didn't have to be a democratic decision. As far as the songs are concerned this is a much rockier sound, the vocals are less fragile and the sound is darker and punchier.
4. Were you worried about taking up singing duties? At the start I was, it's a big change from drumming but the more we play and the bigger the shows get the more my confidence builds. There's no doubt that I can do this now, the only question is how far can it go?
5. Have you always wanted to be a frontman? No, I always wanted to be a drummer, at heart I will always be a drummer. But this front-man thing is a lot of fun, you can really feed off that vibe from the audience. It's amazing how much different it feels, I mean you are on the same stage as you were before but that subtle change from the front to the back is massive in terms of your perspective.
6. Who has influenced your vocal style? Robert Smith and Thom Yorke.
7. You still play drums on the album. Has it been difficult to hand over drumming duties to Keith for the live shows? I won't lie I miss drumming at gigs, but I will do it for other projects like Polaroid Kiss. I could have been a 'singing drummer' I suppose but really I always feel that they let the audience down, you can't give your full attention to either activity so it all ends up a bit shit. Keith and I play in a very similar style but he's cheeky enough to take my patterns and throw in his own embellishments, it works well and the audience get their moneys worth.
8. Speaking of the shows, you’ve played a few low-key dates thus far. How did they go? I suppose they were low key in some ways, but if you had been in the room at Barfly or Scala you would have been blown away by the atmosphere, the sound and the terrific interaction between LAR and the fans. We never played a UK gig before Barfly in May and only one other gig ever (Eurosonic in January) but somehow all those people at the front knew the words to all those songs. One song in and the whole band just looked at each other and we were like 'F**k yeah, this is going off'.
9. What was it like taking centre stage for the first time? Terrifying - no toms, no snares no cymbals, nothing to sit behind. There I was right on the edge of a very small stage and there not two feet from me are all these people looking you right in the eye and expecting so much. Thankfully we just killed it - it was a great show, super loud, sweat dripping down the walls and everyone just going nuts. Your confidence builds quickly when you find yourself in a situation like that.
10. Were there a lot of Placebo fans in the crowd? Oh yeah, there were and I think there always will be. That's great, I spent twelve years writing, recording and touring with them. You build relationships with a lot of people over that sort of time and it's brilliant when they follow you to a new project and embrace it with the sort of enthusiasm that we have received.
11. What has their reaction to your new material being like? It's been well received, very well received. Obviously it's a different role from the one that they are used to seeing me in, but I get the feeling that are digging the vibe.
12. You’ve just announced a full on tour for later in the year. What can the people reading this yet to see you live expect? Well for one thing we will be loud. This is a full-on 6 piece rock band and everyone likes to play at 11. Having said that we've got a lot of layers, harmonics and unexpected dynamics in our songs too. I recommend you buy a ticket and come to one of the shows, you won't be disappointed. We will be all over Europe and the UK from September through November.
13. You achieved huge levels of success as part of Placebo. What are your hopes and aims for Love Amongst Ruin? Bigger, better, faster, more.
14. You play Sonisphere this weekend, on a bill that also includes Placebo. Will you be hooking up with your former bandmates for a catch up? I'm pretty sure they were glad to see that I wasn't playing on the same day.
15. Are there any other acts on the bill you’re eager to check out? I wish we had been there on Saturday I have the greatest respect for Rammstein, I've hung out with them before and they are just top lads. Sunday we will try and catch Iggy Pop and of course Maiden. I've been drinking with Eddie before and he's real party animal.
16. Who are your favourite bands at the moment? Love Amongst Ruin. Seriously though I feel like I've been in bit of a vacuum for a while, so busy getting my own stuff released that I haven't had much time to hear anything new. It's actually one of the things that I'm looking forward to during the up-coming tours - a chance to listen to some new music while we are on the road. We are going to play musical Russian Roulette with our iPods.
17. The debut album comes out next month. What can you tell us about it? I can tell you it rocks and that the response to it has been very positive from the people that have heard it. There is a lot of good stuff on there and I think it is far removed from that usual - two singles and a few filler tracks - formula as you get on a lot of albums these days. There isn't a weak track on there, you'll get your money's worth.
18. Are there any common themes running through the album? Obviously, this album was written as part of a process to move me on from injustice and pain. It's a common theme throughout the album.
19. Which are your two personal favourites on the record and why? I dodge this question as much as possible. Any artist will tell you that there is a relationship between them and their work that is similar to a parent child relationship. You love all your children and you don't pick a favourite. They are yours and they were all created from love.
20. It would be great if you could wind up the interview by giving us a short track by track guide to the album, briefly explaining what each song is about... So Sad (fade) This is about failing relationships, things that you can't save. Alone I suppose I wrote this to describe the desolation that you feel if you lose a job or a lover or a friend. There will always be a place in your heart that's empty now. Running Lyrically this is about recovering from a bad situation, moving on and ending up in a much better place. Musically it is about a stomping beat that Jon Thorn and I laid down. The upright bass and the drums on here create a massive throbbing sound. Heaven & Hell We can all choose which path to follow and we should understand that these paths ultimately lead to one of two destinations. Come On Say It Sometimes, people do things to you, things that have a negative impact on you and you have no idea why they did that. That can be very frustrating, it can taint your view on people in general. This song is a one sided conversation with a coward / protagonist who won't respond, trying to find out the reason they treated you that way. Away From Me I've got a friend that was made unemployed during the recent (current?) recession – he told me the whole album helped him get through some tough times, but especially this song. It's about a negative and unexpected change in your life that you were completely powerless to do anything about. Blood & Earth This is from a forbidden-love, strange-fruit perspective. I was thinking of Neil Young's 'Southern Man' and hanging trees when I wrote this. Truth A reminder to us all that whatever lies you tell, however you spin the facts of the case in the end the truth will find you. After years in a relationship together you still have all this inside knowledge about that relationship and what happened. When you part ways it's all still inside - It's a warning to politicians and other bad people the world over. Home This is our gothic-disco track. Every album should have one, here is ours. This is all about that worker / boss relationship – someone thinking that they are superior to you and not understanding that it's your hard work that got them to where they are today. We end our sets with this at the moment and it's a real balls to the wall rocker, lots of screaming and frantic beats. Love Song This is the first song that I wrote for the album. It's for my wife and it's also very special to me because my daughter Emily sings the backing vocals.
The band release their eponymous debut album on September 13th.www.screamingtarts.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2066
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geo
New Member
Dream on, Kid
Posts: 1,030
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Post by geo on Aug 7, 2010 12:21:21 GMT
I'm really intrigued by Come On Say it, now.
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atheles
New Member
So say we all!
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Post by atheles on Aug 12, 2010 17:46:29 GMT
I'm really intrigued by Come On Say it, now. Exactly!
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Post by rougevelvet on Aug 21, 2010 12:20:46 GMT
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Post by peteur on Aug 21, 2010 12:24:36 GMT
^bloody hell, i never knew that- i lived in high wycombe for about 7years!!!!!!!!!
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Post by peteur on Aug 21, 2010 16:41:28 GMT
ROCKSOUND issue 139- comes with free CD featuring LAR- 'Come On Say It' (the album replacement for 'Bring Me Down'. 2 page spread with words imposed over band pic (sorry cant get that on here- technophobe). Interview with the Hewitt.....
'Obviously shit went down with Placebo and I had the choice of either spending my time in the pub or in the studio' laughs Steve Hewitt when asked about the decision to front his latest band, Love Amongst Ruin.
Having burst onto the music scene in mid '96 when he rejoined Placebo replacing Robert Schuktzberg behind the drum kit. Steve spent 11 years touring in one of the most successful rock outfits of the 90s/00s before eventually splitting with the band in 07. A decision that was cited on personal and musical differences. 'I think Placebo got too fucking serious. It wasn't enjoyable and Brian got more and more controlling. It just wasn't fun anymore' he admits.
And in a move that could be described as risky or inspired, depending on your view point, Steve decided to move away from his roots to create Love Amongst Ruin, a "much rockier" outift. 'Part of me was really scared to do it and the other part was telling me I had to do it. In the end I suppose I just bit the bullet. I believe that you need a crisis to vehicle what you write about and for me to start writing, leaving the band was the perfect experience to produce something that had meaning' And every one of the 10 tracks on the bands self titled album has the crossover appeal oh 'honest' lyricism and 'brutal rock', something Steve aimed for after the issues with songwriting in Placebo.
'I was always writing with Brian, but I suppose he tried to convert whatever was being said to (fit) his emotion and a lot of my stuff got covered in dust. What was said was projected through him, but this time it's definitely all through me. The song 'So Sad' is probably the hardest rocking song on the album and i really enjoy playing it live. Plus I can remember all the lyrics live' he laughs. Wrenching between fragile tales of loss and hook-filled rock choruses, Steve seamlessly makes the transition from sticksman to vocalist.
Recorded over 4 weeks in the summer of 08, the album was self produced, for the most part anyway... 'I produced the album along with Donald Ross Skinner, who's playing guitar in the band. That was great because I had control. and I didn't have to fight with Brian or Stefan which I enjoyed. By this point I know what I'm doing when it comes to mixing and producing. I did a lot of that with Placebo, usually when Brian or Stef disappeared two thirds of the way through the record and left me to finish it' he says, with what RS assumes (and hopes) is dry humour.
The debut is inspired by a bad break-up, but what's emerged is an album of driven rock melodies to be proud of- and for Steve there's something more fundamental which he has rediscovered. 'I'm back to a place I can enjoy this. The whole point of being in a band was just to have fun and I can do that again' he states.
Just call it triumph over adversity
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Post by poetress on Aug 21, 2010 16:52:55 GMT
Im sure this has been mentioned elsewhere, but there's a nice 2 page piece in Rock Sound. The picture is soooo pretty I tried to scan it but apparently my scanner is broken I may get a new scanner tomorrow if the £30 printer/scanner deal in Sainsburys is as good as it looks at first glance.... Oh and the free cd has 'Come On Say It' poetress x
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Post by peteur on Aug 21, 2010 17:45:45 GMT
^haha Sam did you not see the post above yours- silly girl also in same issue of ROCKSOUND is a small album review..... 'Love Amongst Ruin' could be considered somewhat of an accusatory middle finger to Steve Hewitt's former band mates Placebo. Stepping out from behind his drum kit for an exercise in catharsis through confessional, you've got to wonder who exactly Hewitt has in mind when he vents "I don't like what it takes to be you. How did you become this desperate human?" on So Sad. Despite the obvious emotional baggage on display, Love Amongst Ruin reveals itself to be an intelligent, complex and confident effort that's delivered with an energy and determination that seeks to redefine Hewitt as a credible artist in his own right'
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