Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/576901
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2015 This Week 31 'Art should be respected as a profession' A head full of music High-calibre 'shoegaze' singer-songwriter Neil Halstead will be performing on the island early next month. TEODOR RELJIC speaks to the British musician about his eclectic array of influences and reuniting with his fellow musicians from Slowdive – a legendary post-rock band that helped define the shoegaze sound This is your second time exhibiting together. What made you go for it again? After exhibiting together at MCAST we all took different paths to specialise on our pre- ferred subjects. We all decided to further our studies in some way or another, both locally and in- ternationally, while also manag- ing related part-time jobs. Sarah, Claudia and Leanne focused on obtaining a Masters degree – in Digital Arts, Character Anima- tion and Fine Art respectively – whereas Thea explored the field of Fashion Design while also working with marketing and visual merchandising. All these experiences helped in develop- ing our knowledge, ideas and our work in general. The idea of exhibiting together again has always been a goal of ours, and now that Vee Gee Bee has given us the opportunity to exhibit in their gallery in Valletta, it seems to be the perfect time to showcase how our artistic career has developed, individually and collectively. Having gone through an aca- demic process first – graduat- ing for a BA Hons. in Fine Arts at MCAST – how do you feel as a group of artists now? Did you learn new things away from the academic field, and have your ex- pectations as artists been met? The BA has served as a meta- phorical bridge to all of us. It has allowed us to gain a wide per- spective to the art scene by ex- perimenting in several different media, such as painting, drawing, sculpture, digital art and so on. It was a time where we could find ourselves, by going out of our comfort zones while also identify- ing our preferred media and tech- niques. Now, after having gone through individual experiences, this exhibition is giving us the op- portunity to come together as a group of collective artists and as- pire for future projects together. It would be too idealistic to say that it has been all plain sailing. The art world requires persever- ance – it's a continuous struggle as aspiring artists, both locally and internationally. However persistence is key. With a project like 'Ziffa' we aim to expose our work and put into practice all that we have learnt. What is the climate like for young, up-and-coming artists in Malta? Opportunities are vast and the industry is improving. How- ever earning a solid income just through art is challenging. De- spite this, opportunities in edu- cation are growing in Malta and so, with continuous self-develop- ment, one can sustain their stud- ies into an exciting career. On a similar note: what would you change about the local art scene? Rather than changing the local art scene, as artists we deem more important the appreciation of art- works, the conceptual thought, the time and dedication put into each piece. This approach could possibly change the art scene. On this note, we believe that being an artist deserves acknowledgment as a profession rather than simply a hobby. What's next for you? Well… winter is approaching and so naturally, it's the perfect time for 'Ziffa' to develop. And yes, hopefully it will serve as a breath of fresh air. Leanne Lewis From left: Leanne Lewis, Sarah Mifsud, Thea Vella and Claudia Chircop Thea Vella Claudia Chircop Sarah Mifsud What is 'shoegaze'? Originating from the UK in the late 1980s and peaking in the early 1990s, 'shoegaze' (or 'shoegazing') was a sub- genre of alternative rock that owes its name to sneering music journalists. Coined to describe the concertgoers of this particular milieu – who would not typically be seen dancing and jumping but with their heads down, gazing at their feet – it also refers to the musicians' frequent use of heavy effect pedals, leaving them gazing at their feet during gigs. The shoegazing sound is characterised by significant use of distortion, feedback, obscured vocals, and the melding of various musical elements to create an immersive "wall of sound". Often used interchangeably with 'dream pop', some of its most enduring practitioners are My Bloody Valentine, Chapterhouse, Ride, Lush and Slowdive. As perhaps one of the defining acts of the 'shoe gaze' movement, how would you define the genre, and its history… as well as your place in it? Gosh… I'm not sure I would define it really… Slowdive were grouped in with a bunch of bands but I suppose we always felt that we were just making our own kind of music, which was atmospheric, sometimes instrumental, some- times psychedelic, sometimes very noisy. We were making post- rock music be- fore they coined the term and I suppose we in- fluenced bands like Mogwai and Sigur Ros. We in turn were su- per influenced by Sonic Youth, The Cocteau Twins, Ar Kane, Pink Floyd, Can, Brian Eno, The Nuggets C o l l e c t i o n s , and the like. We would do shows with our friends in Ride and Chapter- house, Swerve- driver, The T e l e s c o p e s … I guess we all shared similar influences, particularly the six- ties garage and psychedelic ones, and grew up in the same area so I think that was partly why initial- ly we were all grouped together. From moody, atmospheric music to songs that incorporate country elements… in terms of commercial appeal it appears as though you tend to take the path of most resistance, not to mention that you boast an eclec- tic streak. How do you balance these varied influences in terms of your song-writing process, and what kind of approach do you take to the commercial side of things? Well, I like all kinds of music and like to explore those influ- ences so for me it seems the most natural way to create songs is to delve a little into everything. What has the reunion with Slowdive been like? It's been a lot of fun, and been lovely to renew those relation- ships with everyone in the band… you know, we were kids when we did this first time round and although we kept in touch, and would see each other over the last 20 years… actually being all together and touring again has been a great way to renew those friendships. Are you looking forward to performing in Malta? Absolutely! Not been to Malta before, so I will be doing some tourist stuff, and super looking forward to playing a show. What's next for you? I'm bouncing around working on stuff for the new Slowdive record, as well a solo record and material for a new Black Hearted brother album. My head is full of music right now! TEODOR RELJIC speaks to Sarah Mifsud, one of the participants of Ziffa – a collective art exhibition she's set up at Vee Gee Bee in Valletta along with three of her fellow MCAST alumni: Leanne Lewis, Thea Vella and Claudia Chircop, marking the second time the tight-knit group will be exhibiting their work together Neil Halstead will be performing at the Salesians Theatre, Howard Street, Sliema on Octo- ber 2. He will be supported by local folk-pop act Stalko. Doors open at 19:45. Tickets are at €16 and €20. Bookings: www.ticketline.com.mt. The concert is organised by HairyAmp Neil Halstead: "The most natural way to create songs is to delve a little into everything"