Isn’t it nice when you feel like you’ve discovered something no one else knows about? It’s all yours and it makes it all the more enjoyable for it! I had one of those Cash in the Attic type moments when I was listening to the radio past the midnight hour. I was chopping between iplayer radio buttons and on BBC Radio 2 I heard this voice. It was such wailing lovelorn voice and with symbols and drums, trumpets and it has this teenagy achey sixties vibe to it, I’d convinced myself it was Lulu’s long lost sister.
I only caught it half way through but I got the name of the band, Two Wings and found out a London gig was a few weeks off and as fate would have it 10 minutes round the corner from where I work. That and the fact that they came from Glasgow, my home for 6 years, a place which has an amazing music culture, especially when it comes to guitar bands, meant I prebooked. Yes, that’s how much I wanted in on this.
I only caught it half way through but I got the name of the band, Two Wings and found out a London gig was a few weeks off and as fate would have it 10 minutes round the corner from where I work. That and the fact that they came from Glasgow, my home for 6 years, a place which has an amazing music culture, especially when it comes to guitar bands, meant I prebooked. Yes, that’s how much I wanted in on this.
My 8 quid bought me an intimate gig with a band that sounded very different from the 1 minute I caught. First up though was Doug Tieill, he was big like a tree and the vertical brown stripes of his cardi added to this. Tin Angel label buddy to Two Wings, Doug opened with an ethereal sounding low booming drums dream of a song, it reminded me a bit of Low but this did not last.
Doug’s songs are so varied I got a bit lost, from ska, to fifties prom night love songs then straight down to the farm with a country protest songs from the perspective of the cow. I think this song annoyed only because it followed his most beautiful. But saying that I could not stay mad a Doug for long because he got us mooing along eventually. I just wish he’d given me more of what came before. I just wanted to keep this ‘demon with a swan’s voice’ next to my bed to sing me lullaby.
Doug had a voice that reminds you of Jeff Buckley’s, and I don’t really like Jeff all that much but while Doug’s head nearly touched the ceiling of Betsy Trotwood’s cellar his voice ascended past the rooftops of Farringdon and took you with it. So being the greedy guts that I am I wanted more of that.
After Doug Tieill from all corners and hidden arches appeared the 5 members of Two Wings. I did not know names but now I do so Hanna (lead vocals) and Lucy (vocals) took centre stage. Hanna and Ben (guitar and vocals) started this band back in 2009. The sparkly top and 70’s flicks of Hanna made me feel somehow that this was her show, she knew what she wanted from her music and she was going for it. The song they opened with in which, they sung in unison instantly showed the Two Wings combined efforts would delight the audience no end. They are very technically skilled. From nowhere Hanna whipped out a recorder! The folksy Celtic elements of the next song and Ben’s voice and firm beat of the drums gave this a modern twist.
The rest of the set that followed varied from the first two songs and the band really showed what they could do. Without a doubt it is Hanna’s unique voice that is on display but without the other aspects of the band the soft floaty voice with its spectacular range would be lost.
I twigged similarities between Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks and I liked them but Lucy’s bare almost earthy sound did not go unnoticed. Her tone acted like the string to Hanna’s kite she supported her voice with her own. Ben’s intricate guitar twangs impressed as well as Kenny’s bass making me feel all fifties and retro.
Eikon is by far my favourite tune and I could sway like an angst-ridden teen to it for a whole weekend and still to listen to it for the rest of the week. Owen gave it his all on drums, he had an amiable smile between songs but as soon as he started drumming he was Donald Sutherland in the last shot of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This took a bit of getting used to. I guess it’s because you expect that intensity from a rock drummer but in contrast to the heavenly harmonies of Lucy and Hanna it was a surprise.
Two Wings were on form and the little crowd that gathered in the bowels of Betsey Trotwood did not know how pleased I had turned on Radio 2 at 1am on a Wednesday morning!
Two Wings's album Love Springs is out on the 30th of April. You can download Eikon for free on their website
Squeamish Nicola
Doug’s songs are so varied I got a bit lost, from ska, to fifties prom night love songs then straight down to the farm with a country protest songs from the perspective of the cow. I think this song annoyed only because it followed his most beautiful. But saying that I could not stay mad a Doug for long because he got us mooing along eventually. I just wish he’d given me more of what came before. I just wanted to keep this ‘demon with a swan’s voice’ next to my bed to sing me lullaby.
Doug had a voice that reminds you of Jeff Buckley’s, and I don’t really like Jeff all that much but while Doug’s head nearly touched the ceiling of Betsy Trotwood’s cellar his voice ascended past the rooftops of Farringdon and took you with it. So being the greedy guts that I am I wanted more of that.
After Doug Tieill from all corners and hidden arches appeared the 5 members of Two Wings. I did not know names but now I do so Hanna (lead vocals) and Lucy (vocals) took centre stage. Hanna and Ben (guitar and vocals) started this band back in 2009. The sparkly top and 70’s flicks of Hanna made me feel somehow that this was her show, she knew what she wanted from her music and she was going for it. The song they opened with in which, they sung in unison instantly showed the Two Wings combined efforts would delight the audience no end. They are very technically skilled. From nowhere Hanna whipped out a recorder! The folksy Celtic elements of the next song and Ben’s voice and firm beat of the drums gave this a modern twist.
The rest of the set that followed varied from the first two songs and the band really showed what they could do. Without a doubt it is Hanna’s unique voice that is on display but without the other aspects of the band the soft floaty voice with its spectacular range would be lost.
I twigged similarities between Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks and I liked them but Lucy’s bare almost earthy sound did not go unnoticed. Her tone acted like the string to Hanna’s kite she supported her voice with her own. Ben’s intricate guitar twangs impressed as well as Kenny’s bass making me feel all fifties and retro.
Eikon is by far my favourite tune and I could sway like an angst-ridden teen to it for a whole weekend and still to listen to it for the rest of the week. Owen gave it his all on drums, he had an amiable smile between songs but as soon as he started drumming he was Donald Sutherland in the last shot of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This took a bit of getting used to. I guess it’s because you expect that intensity from a rock drummer but in contrast to the heavenly harmonies of Lucy and Hanna it was a surprise.
Two Wings were on form and the little crowd that gathered in the bowels of Betsey Trotwood did not know how pleased I had turned on Radio 2 at 1am on a Wednesday morning!
Two Wings's album Love Springs is out on the 30th of April. You can download Eikon for free on their website
Squeamish Nicola
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