ON TRACK: RED SKY JULY ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS
Red Sky July play live at The Stables in Wavendon this week (December 8).
The trio are husband and wife Ally McErlaine (from the multi-million selling band Texas) and Shelly Poole (formerly with Alisha's Attic), and former model and musician Charity Hair.
Five years on from the release of their debut long-player and Red Sky July – who have tucked away support slots with Sheryl Crow, 10CC and Beth Nielsen Chapman – have returned with the new release Shadowbirds.
It's a return to form in that it boasts the lush harmonies, craftmanship and alt-country deliveries that fans have come to love them for.
The Wavendon date pulls the curtain on a hectic couple of months of road action.
In a collective effort, the band tackled our On Track questions...
The song that first awakened your musical senses
(Ally): Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie. It is all about being in a band so when I heard the song for the first time, when I was about 10 years old, it made me want to be in a band.
Physical or digital - how do you take your music?
(Ally): Both. I still love a physical vinyl for the artwork, but I mostly buy and keep digitally now
The first time you thought 'Music - this is the job for me'
(Ally): When the Texas manager first handed me an envelope with sixty quid in it – it was my first pay packet, and I thought 'Amazing, £60 for playing the guitar!'
Your best on stage memory...
(Ally): Jamming with Buddy Guy in Chicago
And the worst gig you've ever done
(Charity): A festival in Inverness when our flight was delayed, so we had to run on stage with our coats and hats on and none of the guitarts were working
What made you take up the guitar?
(Ally): My dad played banjo and guitar so there was always guitars in the house.
When Channel 4 first started they showed the Woodstock film and Alvin Lee from the band Ten Years After does some amazing playing. That's when I thought that playing the guitar was really cool. I got my first amp and electic guitar when I was 11 from a supermarket and would play along to Bowie and Zeppelin to teach myself
Which one song by another artist do you wish you'd have written
(Shelly) Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell
And one - by yourself - which holds special significance
(Shelley): Here Then Gone on our new album. It's about finding my husband Ally not breathing In our house, following a massive brain aneurism
If you could step into the shoes of another musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
(Shelly): I'd have a go at being Prince for a day. I would like to go into his studio to check all his gear out and write and produce a song while I'm him
Are there any current musical influences that you might look to
(Shelly): We always love what Bonnie Prince Billy and Band of Horses do, but I do listen to everything in every genre to keep up for when I'm a jobbing songwriter
And any genre of music that you simply can't stand?
(Shelly): None of us can think of a genre that we can't stand, but Ally did just say dad rock is a bit dull now!
Finally, plug your tour...
(Shelly): Good songs, an intimate performance and every night a different set
