MP3 The Akibas - Tree of loving soul

New album from Devon founded ex post facto popsters recorded at London's fabled Toerag studios

11 MP3 Songs
POP: Far-out Shake Folk Rock

Tree of loving soul Songs


Details:
We are a female fronted band from Devon in the UK and have just ruined our second album "Tree of loving soul" at London's fabled Toerag studios.
Line-up on the latest album is Melodie Jones: vocals, Clanger: guitars and bass, Kordian Tetkov: drums, Lance Lightfoot: keyboards, Huw Akiba-Jones: songs and production, Miles Heathfield: guitars, Mark Diacono: bass and Richmond Harding: backing vocals.
This album has been a long time in the making, two years to write and six months to record with many trips between Devon and Hackney, taking advantage of the many fine indian restaurants in Stoke Newington. We were so happy to record at Toerag with its armoury of vintage amps and equipment, all noise, hissing and hums are purely intentional.We really try hard to focus on songwriting and feel. Check out the demo versions of "Hard Times Again" and "Twenty Centuries Away" on our website. The band are currently rehearsing and writing the next opus so there should be some dates soon. We are up and running on i tunes now too, many thanks.

The Akibas
Tree Of Loving Soul (Lovely Aichan Records),
www.theakibas.co.uk

From Devon, The Akibas are a female fronted, folk-rock outfit, with the slightest of country twang tucked away in the mix. Their second album, Tree Of Loving Soul (Lovely Aichan Records), was recorded in East London's fabled Toerag studios, and is a thoroughly engaging hybrid of chug-a-long rock and pristine female vocals. The latter come courtesy of Melodie Jones, who possesses a voice which exemplifies the blemished purity that we've come to expect from our roots divas, though their presence has hardly been fashionable or even noticeable since their 70s heyday; Sandy Denny dead, Linda Thompson, apart from her recent comeback, struck silent and Anne Briggs, long retired and still hating the sound of her own voice. Not that The Akibas share a whole lot of common ground with those hallowed folkies. The band, led by Huw Akiba-Jones - he contributes songs and production, but doesn't play or sing - appear to owe more to the basic rock 'n roll urges of the Velvet Underground than the delicate cut 'n thrust of classic English folk-rockers like early Fairport Convention or the more traditional, though slightly naff, Steeleye Span. It's also worth noting that throughout the 11 songs on Tree Of Loving Soul, they consistently combine accessible tunes with songs that lodge in the brain for longer than is technically healthy. Works for me, and although they're seriously difficult to pigeonhole, well worth tracking down. Rob Forbes