FemaleFirst speaks to Shelly of British folk/Americana band Red Sky July in an exclusive interview all about the band, their forthcoming new album and more.
How best would you describe Red Sky July as a band?
Red Sky July is part Folk part Americana a little bit of country, a little bit of pop - a complete mixture of all the music we love.
When did you realise music was the industry for you?
My mum said when I was four I used to do shows for all the neighbours. To be honest I never thought I'd do anything else.
What is it about music that you love?
It's something that you feel, sort of unexplainable in words. When I hear something I love it manifests as a proper physical reaction my whole body goes weird! Music is a life force for all the members of Red Sky July if we didn't have it in our lives we wouldn't be happy.
Can you tell us about the creative process behind your forthcoming album 'Shadowbirds'?
'Shadowbirds' came out of a lot of things that happened to us as a band in the last few years. Our guitarist Ally was very ill 5 years ago and the whole album is the fear, the hope, love, the aftermath really. The writing of this album was excellent therapy and much cheaper!
If you could work with anybody going forward, who would you choose to work with and why?
We would all like to work with T Bone Burnett as a producer and Rick Rubin would be a dream too. I think the role of a good collaborator / producer is to try and make you do the things you do in a different way. I like to produce, we all do for that matter but it's necessary to try new things with new people, even if it's not what you know and wouldn't be your first choice of approach. Our producers Ross and Michael at Rocket Science (Glasgow studio) certainly helped us do that.
How would you say you've evolved as a group and artists since your formation in 2009?
I think you continue to learn and change as a band. We go through new instrument phases, it's the autoharp at the moment and also using a harmonica as a sort of organ pad sound. It's fun and experimental, in the Red Sky July studio there's nothing that is out of bounds. We've definitely all become closer as people too, as you share a lot of strange moments together that no one else would understand. We know what we are all thinking just by one look, we are all strangely bonded together for better and for worse!
Who wears the pants in the group?
Equal pant wearing for different things, Charity and Ally would say I'm the bossiest in the studio, I call it passion but they would use other words! Charity definitely wears the pants on photo shoots and how we look. Ally, well he wears them every day he's like Silent Bob - doesn't say much but when he does we all listen.
What should we expect from you going forward, besides the record?
Lots of gigs up and down the country then the third album, we've already got it bubbling away.
Red Sky July's latest single 'Lay Down Your Love' is out now. New album 'Shadowbirds' is released September 15.