Name: Barcodes by Making Marks (band) in Prog Kool Summer 2016
Duration: 4 min 7 s
Description: Produced and mixed by Simon Throught and Giles Barret in Soup Studios, East London. Out soon on Fika Recordings. Debut album out September 2013.

Prog Kool Summer 2016

MAKING MARKS
A Thousand Half-Truths
3rd February 2013
LP / CD / DL

Making Marks’ debut album A Thousand Half-Truths is a collection of heartwarming pop songs, touched with Scandinavian cool. Blending sweet male and female vocals with a lush soundscape filled with jangling guitars, buoyant drumming and textured synth lines, the Norwegian quartet have a real knack for melody and a keen ear for rich instrumentation.

Making Marks formed in Oslo in 2012 and are made up of Ola Innset on guitar and vocals, Nina Bø on vocals and keyboards, Marie Sneve on bass and Jørgen Nordby on drums. They’ve gigged with the likes of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Asobi Seksu, Allo Darlin’ and Marit Larsen, and have toured extensively around Europe and the USA, including appearances at SXSW.

They recorded a number of tracks for the album at Soup Studios in London, with Simon Trought and Giles Barrett. It was their influence that saw Paul Rains from Allo Darlin' playing lap steel on the song “Barcodes” and this led to Making Marks supporting Allo Darlin’ in Europe. The rest of the album is recorded in Oslo with respected indie producer Sjur Lyseid, who has worked with the band in various guises over the years.

A Thousand Half-Truths as an album is one of tensions – both resolved and unresolved. Making Marks initially planned to go down a folk/country musical path, however they soon realised that indie came more naturally to them. Yet, the tension between the country and the pop still remained, with folky melodies echoing the extended harmonies of The Carpenters, whilst their propensity for banjos, ukuleles and harmonicas faded away to leave the band sounding more integral and functional. This left them with a set of quietly confident, melancholy country songs as played by an bubbly indiepop band.

There is also tension between the lyrics and soundscape as well as between the warm, dreamy, more life-affirming songs such as "Lemon Sheets”,“Flying High Forever" and "Forgive and Forget"; and the political, critical and often pessimistic approach of "Like Spinning", "A Thousand Half-Truths", Barcodes" and "Ticket Machine".

If you do the sums, A Thousand Half-Truths equals five-hundred full truths. Yet songs are just songs – they can tell you something about life but just a glimpse at a time, revealing only half-truths but in the end perhaps that’s all we need.

Making Marks - Barcodes

Making Marks - Uten En Tråd

Allo Darlin’ are set to release their eagerly awaited new album "We Come From the Same Place" this October. The third full-length recording from the much loved Anglo-Australian four-piece is made up of smart, beautiful pop music, with lyrics that resonate with experience and melodies that chime, echo and soar.

The album combines the eagerness, urgency and immediacy of their 2010 self-titled debut with the contemplation, sophistication and ambition of their 2012 follow-up "Europe," and yet it goes beyond either both sonically and in the songs. It was written at a time of considerable change for songwriter Elizabeth Morris, a time during which she fell in love, moved to Italy and got married - not that that seems to have hindered the songwriting process, as Elizabeth explains, "So many things have happened since I first wrote the songs that make up this album, it's difficult to remember back to where it all began. The songs were written very quickly, during a period when I found writing songs very easy, whereas I often find songwriting very difficult. Some of the songs were written so fast I can't even really remember writing them. The songs were a joy to write, and writing them made me feel better about lots of things."

If the songs came quickly the recording of the album was a more considered process, with the band first testing out the new material at a series of small shows – christened the Compass Shows – in North, South, East and West London. They then returned to their spiritual home of Soup Studios, where they recorded their first album, to work with their long-term collaborator, producer Simon Trought. The intention was to capture a more instinctive and fluid live studio sound and to play as well as possible while the red button was on, a different approach to the more piecemeal recording of their previous two albums. Or as Paul Rains put it, "We've used three years of touring to try and get some of that sweat and grime and togetherness and sweetness and anxiety onto a record."

One of the themes of the new record is new beginnings and things drawing to a close. "Nothing feels the way it did before and I am grateful for that", sings Elizabeth on "Crickets in the Rain", a song written after her move to Italy and which she describes as "anti-nostalgia". Built along the same lines is the gorgeous "History Lessons", of which Elizabeth says, "I guess at some point I became a bit tired of everything seeming better in the past, from music to relationships to buildings to societies. We're a bit obsessed with it and it can become overwhelming. We don't live in the present. This song is trying to express that frustration."

Among the highlights of the album is "Bright Eyes", a duet with guitarist Paul Rains. Elizabeth again, "I wanted to write another duet, but the only problem with doing that is that when you play live it's very rare that the person you recorded it with can be there. So I thought it would be great to write a song with Paul singing the other part. I love Paul's singing and I wanted to hear him do it more, so it's quite selfish really!" Another standout is the Twin Peaks-referencing "Half-Heart Necklace", based on a true story from Elizabeth’s hometown. "There had been some murders, and this girl who was my age was missing and presumed killed. It turned out she had been hiding for years in her boyfriend's cupboard, and she was charged for wasting police time". 
 
Other notable tracks include the rollicking "Kings and Queens", inspired by a show they played in the USA with their friends and kindred spirits The Wave Pictures, and "Romance and Adventure", originally earmarked for a film soundtrack and written in response to a challenge from Paul to write a pop song in a minor key. Bass player Bill Botting sums up Elizabeth’s remarkable songwriting ability by saying, "The key to Elizabeth’s songwriting appeal is that she’s so adept at pinpointing certain ideas and moods; leaving one city and finding a new one and realising that beginnings and endings have a lot in common."

Allo Darlin’ were formed after Australian Elizabeth Morris arrived in London and bought a ukulele from the Duke of Uke shop in Shoreditch. She began writing music and was soon joined by fellow Australian Bill Botting (bass), Paul Rains (guitar), and Michael Collins (drums).  Their debut album attracted many plaudits including being named No. 2 record of the year by online retailer eMusic, and a glowing 1,200 word essay by Robert Forster of The Go-Betweens in the Australian critical magazine, The Monthly. Their second album "Europe" scored 8.1 on Pitchfork, was made USA Today’s Album Of The Week, and garnered praise from Uncut, Q, NME, The Quietus and The Guardian. It was also named Rough Trade Shop’s Album Of The Month, where it went on to become the biggest selling album of the year. The band have been playlisted at BBC 6Music and have recorded sessions for Lauren Laverne, Marc Riley and John Kennedy (XFM), as well being Steve Lamacq’s personal pick for BBC Introducing. Their releases to date, along with their joyous and effervescent live shows, have seen them build an intensely loyal and ever-increasing fanbase.

The truism is that third albums are difficult beasts, but by remaining true to themselves Allo Darlin’ have side-stepped the pitfalls to produce a wonderful record - thoughtful and exciting and exquisitely played – that will please their existing army of fans and newcomers alike. On first reading the album’s title may seem enigmatic, but from the very personal nature of Elizabeth Morris’ finely drawn vignettes to the more universal connections between the band and their audience, its meaning will be obvious to all who fall under the spell of this magical band.

"Breezy rom-pop brilliance." 8/10, NME

"Classic indie pop... doesn't rewrite the formula for wistful bedsit charm as much as show that it can still be carried out masterfully." Pitchfork

"A masterclass of modern cult pop." The Guardian

"Terrific, witty and heartfelt, like a less moody Belle & Sebastian." The New York Times


Allo Darlin' - Romance And Adventure

Out now on Slumberland Records (N & S America) and Fortuna Pop! (ROW).

iTunes: http://smarturl.it/wcftspitunes
LP/CD: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/278


Allo Darlin's new album "We Come From The Same Place" combines the eagerness, urgency and immediacy of their 2010 self-titled debut with the contemplation, sophistication and ambition of their 2012 follow-up "Europe," and yet it goes beyond either both sonically and in the songs. It was written at a time of considerable change for songwriter Elizabeth Morris, a time during which she fell in love, moved to Italy and got married - not that that seems to have hindered the songwriting process, as Elizabeth explains, "So many things have happened since I first wrote the songs that make up this album, it's difficult to remember back to where it all began. The songs were written very quickly, during a period when I found writing songs very easy, whereas I often find songwriting very difficult. Some of the songs were written so fast I can't even really remember writing them. The songs were a joy to write, and writing them made me feel better about lots of things."

Among the highlights of the album is "Bright Eyes", a duet with guitarist Paul Rains. Elizabeth again, "I wanted to write another duet, but the only problem with doing that is that when you play live it's very rare that the person you recorded it with can be there. So I thought it would be great to write a song with Paul singing the other part. I love Paul's singing and I wanted to hear him do it more, so it's quite selfish really!" Another standout is the Twin Peaks-referencing "Half-Heart Necklace", based on a true story from Elizabeth’s hometown. "There had been some murders, and this girl who was my age was missing and presumed killed. It turned out she had been hiding for years in her boyfriend's cupboard, and she was charged for wasting police time". 
 
Other notable tracks include the rollicking "Kings and Queens", inspired by a show they played in the USA with their friends and kindred spirits The Wave Pictures, and "Romance and Adventure", originally earmarked for a film soundtrack and written in response to a challenge from Paul to write a pop song in a minor key. Bass player Bill Botting sums up Elizabeth’s remarkable songwriting ability by saying, "The key to Elizabeth’s songwriting appeal is that she’s so adept at pinpointing certain ideas and moods; leaving one city and finding a new one and realising that beginnings and endings have a lot in common."

The truism is that third albums are difficult beasts, but by remaining true to themselves Allo Darlin’ have side-stepped the pitfalls to produce a wonderful record - thoughtful and exciting and exquisitely played – that will please their existing army of fans and newcomers alike. On first reading the album’s title may seem enigmatic, but from the very personal nature of Elizabeth Morris’ finely drawn vignettes to the more universal connections between the band and their audience, its meaning will be obvious to all who fall under the spell of this magical band.

"A masterclass of modern cult pop." The Guardian

"Terrific, witty and heartfelt, like a less moody Belle & Sebastian." The New York Times

Allo Darlin' - Bright Eyes

December's despair is countered by the turning of the sun, the prospect of longer days brings light....

SUNTURNS are a Norwegian super-group devoted to Christmas, featuring members of Making Marks, Moddi, The Little Hands Of Asphalt, Monzano and Einar Stray Orchestra.

The new Sunturns album Christmas II is not a normal Christmas album. Consisting of 10 original Christmas songs and one Ramones cover, five of Oslo’s finest singers, musicians and songwriters join forces once again to portray their take on Christmas. The songs, inspired by everything from My Bloody Valentine to A-ha, sung both English and Norwegian, delves in to Christmas, combined with family fights, death, emptiness, an amateur tennis champion, expensive beer, the axial tilt, shopping malls, nostalgia and forgiveness. Shimmering guitars, snow filled piano lines, gentle strings, springy vocals and dynamic drums - all steady conducted by Sunturns’ very own Sjur Lyseid in the producer’s seat.

While 2011’s debut was full of humorous, festive charm Christmas, Christmas II is a much darker and more adult affair. The bands’ all along gravitas is clear throughout: the sound is more mature, more electric and tighter. Having written none of the songs on the first album, youngest band member Einar Stray can claim credit for half the Christmas II songs, while Ola Innset has successfully written his first Christmas songs in Norwegian.

The album was recorded in the summer of 2015 deep in the woods of Sweden in the legendary Silence Studio, with guest appearances from Ofelia and Hanna of the Einar Stray Orchestra providing string accompaniment. 

The Axial Tilt is the first track taken from the album, reflecting on the eventual parting of December’s despair as the sun finally turns and the days start to get longer.
Would You is released as a single on October 31st, just as the lonely and desperate winter nights draw in as you reflect on your teenage emo self.
Sunni is a piano ballad that evolves in to a post-rock tune about meeting a girl called Sunniva, and is the final single taken from Christmas II, released on the 21st of November.
And all good Christmas albums need a murder ballad about an amateur tennis champion in Bergen, right? [Mount Kenya]

Sunturns consist of Eivind Almhjell (Psyence Fiction/Monzano), Jørgen Nordby (Moddi/Making Marks), 
Sjur Lyseid (The Little Hands Of Asphalt), Ola Innset (Making Marks) 
and Einar Stray (Einar Stray Orchestra/Moddi). 

The band christened themselves Sunturns, harking back to the pre-Christian celebrations marking the winter solstice; the point the dark Norwegian days start to fall back and give way to the light.
The seasonal band formed back in 2011, under the direction of Oslo based label Spoon Train. They immediately recorded and released their debut album Christmas to rave critics among Norwegian press, and went on tour in Norway and England to spread their somewhat different Christmas gospel. With both serious and humorous songs about many of the holiday’s backsides, the album became a hit record amongst indie fans both in Norway and abroad. The single The Sun Turns was listed on Norwegian radio station NRK P3’s official Christmas list and has been played heavily every December since. Sunturns’ come together once a year for an annual Christmas show in Oslo, and is for many a dear festive tradition.

New album Christmas II is released on vinyl, alongside 2011’s album Christmas on vinyl for the very first time, in a double LP package in a gatefold sleeve, including a download code of both albums. 18 original Sunturns tracks and covers of Low’s Just Like Christmas, Swearing At Motorists’ Losing Mine and The Ramones’ Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight) make up this double album package.

Christmas II

The Axial Tilt

Sunturns - The Axial Tilt

Second single from ELVA debut album "Winter Sun", out on Tapete Records on April 19th 2019!

Preorder "Winter Sun" here:
CD/LP https://shop.tapeterecords.com/elva-winter-sun.html
DL https://elva.bandcamp.com/album/winter-sun?label=892897274&tab=music

More information on https://www.tapeterecords.de/artists/elva/

Elva – Ghost Writer

Produced and mixed by Simon Throught and Giles Barret in Soup Studios, East London. Out soon on Fika Recordings. Debut album out September 2013.

Barcodes

Making Marks (band)

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