Wed 15 Nov 2006
interview with mark
Source: antivirus review

Since The Brain and I began this adventure, Morning Bride have been one of our favourite finds, and we have been aching to interview them. We had a review planned and that was thrown out of the window thanks to us being ill and GODDAMNIT there are higher forces working against us, but HUSSA here at last is our Morning Bride Interview. After the interview you will find a list of all their upcoming dates, and dont forget to check our their myspace and their website www.morningbride.co.uk!

Hey!

Hello kids.

First we wanted to hear about how you guys came into being, as a band.

Well now, it's a long story, but I'll attempt an abridged version….. back in 2004, I'd written a clutch of songs which were intended for a fantasy band which had been playing, with increasing clarity, in my head for a while. Being in a garage-rock band at that point, I'd no outlet for them, but Tattooed John (Alabama 3 and organizer of the N16 festival's alt.country day) got wind that I was planning something, and kindly offered up a prime slot at that year's festival. This is, of course, after I'd assured him that I had a band to play them, which was a filthy lie.

But it seemed like the perfect impetus to get the fantasy band together - with two weeks until the show. Local musical friends filled in the gaps amiably, but it probably comes as little surprise to say that finding Amity exiled right here in Stoke Newington was the real inspiration. The show was actually pretty good for a prototype, and it set the stone rolling….. it took until maybe early 2005 for everything to fall into place, and the rest is mystery.

You're quite well known locally - I spotted a good few mentions of you in the N16 magazine, do you get recognized in the street or have groupies yet?!

For anybody unaware of the blessings and curses of our little incestuous community here in N16, it's a physical impossibility not just to be constantly recognized, but dragged into marathon drinking sessions with local comrades and freaks on an almost daily basis; lots of friendly piranhas in a very small pond.

Groupies? Well, let's just say it would be inopportune in present circumstances…..

What's the best gig you have played so far?

I can't think of any that haven't been enjoyable so far, but personally, I think our show at the Hanbury Ballroom in Brighton earlier in the year was the best. A beautiful place to play, a really good crowd, and we made some very good friends that night.

If you could work with any artist living or dead, who would you choose?

Oh lord. Well, Brian Eno springs instantly to mind, as he often does. Perhaps Eno and Rick Rubin should co-produce the LP. Otherwise, there may be too many to mention….

Your sound is very different to a lot of things that are doing well at the moment and yet everyone (particularly us!) loves you so, what do you think makes you so appealing?

Aw gee, thanks kids. If I was answering in a slightly pretentious fashion, I'd probably say that we exist on our own planet, resolutely unaffected by fashion, and I think it might be a beautiful place for people to visit, regardless of musical genres or allegiances. If I was answering after a few drinks, then I'd probably put it down to our undeniable collective genius.

You have some new faces I understand, Pete and Alexa, not to mention the departure of Fabio - big changes in Bridal camp!... How is everything all working out?

Well, it's working out just wonderfully, thanks. After a summer away in more exotic climes to reflect and reassess, we felt that, with an LP to record, new songs to play, and opportunities presenting themselves at every juncture, we wanted to really start doing it justice. You know, at least give ourselves a fighting chance of getting somewhere together.

And I really feel like we've got that that now - everybody is really passionate and committed, and suddenly together we're like a sack of puppies. Which is not necessarily considered cool for such harbingers of melancholia, is it….?

If you could play at ANY venue/festival/event - which would you choose?

Scarborough Castle would be wonderful. Have you seen the view?

Otherwise, how about any beach, in a warm country, at dusk, in summer, surrounded by lanterns.

You are starting recording your LP in November I hear, when do you hope to have that available by?

Hopefully very early in the new year. It'll be a late Christmas present from us to you, ok?

Both of the singles you have so far released sold out! Do you have plans for the next one?

Not as yet - we're just concentrating on making the album as great as we can for now. But there are certainly a couple of songs which are ripe for 45's……

What do you hope to achieve within the next 3 years as a band?

Apologies for being obtuse, but we don't really have a time frame - as long as it feels good and people respond to the music. So that could be more of a thirty-year plan. Regarding achievements, well we're really in it for the adventures and the experiences. As much random enjoyment and fulfilment as possible….

Where do you get most of the inspiration for your songs?

Nature, other people's lives, alcohol, the trials of day-to-day living, ex-girlfriends…. the usual…

What was the first song you wrote as a band?

So far, I've been writing the songs, but after I've thrown one in the ring at a rehearsal, it morphs and mutates into it's very own species, thanks to the input of everybody involved. And with our new line-up, there's much more opportunity for collaboration, which is kind of exciting….

Do you have a specific venue you always love to play?

The Spitz (Spitalfields, East London) is a favourite; really good people who look after you properly and care about the sound, and it's a perfect size and shape.

Tell us why we should all come and see you play.

Because you'll be profoundly moved by the experience, and that's really a pretty good deal for a few quid in this day and age.


As usual, we invited fans of the band to send us in some questions...

Buff Orpington:

You seem to be creating a small orchestra with all the bowed instruments that are appearing - do you need a conductor?

Just like our beloved #73, I'm afraid we no longer need such a person due to financial constraints, extremely uncomfortable seating, and a predisposition in mowing down innocent cyclists.

Where does Amity get her dresses from?

She has them made by local street urchins, whom we occasionally let sleep in the grounds of the bridal suite as a reward. Also, charity shops across the world - York, Berlin and Broadstairs have been kindest so far……

Are there any plans to tour outside London?

Absolutely. We're currently working out a tour of Sweden and Norway for the new year, probably February. We're also working on various offers from around the UK, and other European countries are looking good for the new year. 2007 is brimming with promise….

Anthony Elvin

Where does your name derive from?

Hello Anthony, how are you sir? It's a corruption of a species name of a flower, more commonly called 'Mourning Bride'; but that was frankly too goth/emo/black metal, hence our (hopefully) more positive and ambiguous spin.

I also have a thing for the pre-Christian earth Goddess Bridgit, very influential to our then matriarchal and green little island before we went and got all civilised…..she's also responsible for such words as 'Bride', and 'Bridlington' (the town where I went too school..).

Do you subscribe to any wedding magazines?

No. I steal them from doctor's surgeries, and secretly return them after carefully gluing photographs of our heads over every blushing bride.

Do you find bridal wear as arousing as I do?

Would you like to meet me in the cemetery at your convenience?

Tue 3 Jun 2008
live preview - Bonanza
Source: Bonanza

Fri 9 May 2008
LIVE REVIEW
Source: THE INDEPENDENT

Wed 5 Mar 2008
GREETINGS FROM ABNEY PARK, N16
Source: PLAN B MAGAZINE

Tue 4 Mar 2008
PLAN B LIVE REVIEW, FEB 2008 ISSUE
Source: PLAN B MAGAZINE

Fri 1 Feb 2008
Live
Source: ALTER STATES

Tue 11 Dec 2007
Live at Hot Burrito, Newport, Wales
Source: soundsnew.com

Wed 7 Nov 2007
live review

Mon 15 Oct 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: HERE COMES THE FLOOD webzine

Mon 8 Oct 2007
LIVE AT THE FAVERSHAM, LEEDS 2007
Source: RAWKSTAR.NET

Tue 2 Oct 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: 17 SECONDS webzine

Mon 1 Oct 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES - ALBUM OF THE MONTH
Source: soundsnew.com

Sat 18 Aug 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: NOIZE MAKES ENEMIES webzine

Fri 17 Aug 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: NET RHYTHMS webzine

Sat 14 Jul 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: THE WORD MAGAZINE

Wed 6 Jun 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: Song, by Toad webzine

Wed 23 May 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: SOUNDSXP.COM

Mon 21 May 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: PICCADILLY RECORDS

Mon 7 May 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: AMERICANA UK

Thu 19 Apr 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: ROCK N REEL MAGAZINE

Sun 1 Apr 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: N16 MAGAZINE

Mon 5 Mar 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: PLAN B MAGAZINE

Sun 4 Mar 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: FREQUENCY ONLINE

Thu 1 Mar 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: ORGAN MAGAZINE

Fri 2 Feb 2007
LEA VALLEY DELTA BLUES
Source: SUBTER.COM

Mon 29 Jan 2007
'TIME DELAY'
Source: Partly Porpoise ezine

Sun 28 Jan 2007
'TIME DELAY'
Source: indie-mp3.co.uk

Thu 11 Jan 2007
LIVE AT ALTER STATES, December 2006
Source: americana UK

Wed 15 Nov 2006
interview with mark
Source: antivirus review

Wed 15 Mar 2006
interview with mark
Source: essex chronicle

Mon 20 Feb 2006
LIVE AT WHAT'S COOKIN', 1st february 2006
Source: artrocker magazine

Fri 13 Jan 2006
live preview
Source: the gilded palace of sin

Tue 10 Jan 2006
'ISABELLINE' / 'REPLICA' by rob barnett
Source: music-news.com

Wed 14 Dec 2005
DEBUT SINGLE LAUNCH PARTY, 12th november 2005
Source: frequency

Mon 5 Dec 2005
LIVE AT RYAN'S BAR, 25th november 2005
Source: music-news.com

Thu 10 Nov 2005
'ISABELLINE' / 'REPLICA' by Richard Fontenoy
Source: N16 magazine

Wed 10 Aug 2005
LIVE AT THE SPITZ 18th july 2005
Source: spitz website

Mon 25 Jul 2005
LIVE AT THE SPITZ, 18th july 2005 by Lilly Novak
Source: Frequency