THE LAKE POETS: DEMO « The Northern Line

The Lake Poets: Demo

“That you can’t look me in the eye, I can live with. That you are acting like a child, I can live with. But that all you seem to do when I’m around is cross your arms and wear a frown. Your a man why can’t you act like one?” (Friends. The Lake Poets)

The Lake Poets are Martin Longstaff a young lad from Sunderland. We caught him recently at the Mitchell Museum/Winterhill Transmission gig at The Head of Steam in Newcastle. On that night he gave us a 3 track demo to have a listen to. Well, we’ve listened and we love it. On the night I compared Martin to a young Roddy Frame and Kelly Jones. Well these two both bear out but also two singer/songwriters that many may have missed. Rodney Allen a sort of west country Billy Bragg from the 80s. Who released at least one album on Subway Records. (“Happy Sad” SUBORG 2) His songs all revolved around lost loves and teenage angst. he went on to find fame in The Blue Aeroplanes. Ken Sweeney, who recorded under the moniker Brian, released a superb album on Setanta (Records not the TV station) in 1992 called Understand (SET LP M4). It contained a hauntingly beautiful track called Don’t leave me behind. Now whether or not Martin has heard either of these two I don’t know but thats who I thought of listening to his demo.

First track is called Windowsill and was recorded live as part of the Tunstall Hill sessions. Lyrically it is like someone talking to the listener. This Martin uses to great effect on the second track, my favourite; Friends. Now by the title it is about a so called friend of Martins but could equally be about a lover or as I thought at first, his father. This bearing of the soul style puts him up there with Martin Stephenson. Harmonies are added by Matt Stalker. The song gets in your brain and refuses to leave. I found myself singing it the other day and couldn’t remember what it was until I returned to the demo and realised that this was the song stuck in my head. Third track How do you love me? is, in my opinion, the weakest of the three. There is a fourth song (piece of music) at the end which may be called Retrograde Mercury Notwithstanding. Think of the intro to Dream Time or Music for the last couple by The Jam (Both on Sound Affects 1980) it is one minute and 47 seconds of stangeness and just as it seems to be going somewhere it ends! This is maybe a little insight into future recordings. I hope so. Overall a great start and I look forward to hearing more and to seeing The Lake Poets in the live arena again. Go to his myspace and you’ll find a cover of Bob Dylans It ain’t me Babe. Great choice of song and great delivery.