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The Official Charts Company have revealed the top selling albums of all time and legendary band Queen have made Chart history. Queen’s 1981 Greatest Hits album has sold more than 6 million copies – which means that one in four British households own a copy! Queen’s original ‘best of’ collection features the classic tracks – Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust & We Will Rock You.

Queen’s guitarist Brian May said “Great news, AMAZING news from the Official Charts Company! …I just want to say thanks to everyone who has supported us through the years, we hope to continue to serve you.”

Roger Taylor, Queen’s drummer also commented “Wonderful. Who would have thought it! And all due to the Great British public. Thank you. A great honour!”

I guess it proves that this album is the definitive Greatest Hits album. 33 years after it’s original release the British public are still buying it – several thousand copies per week during holiday seasons like Christmas. Digital downloads of the album are also raking up – with 124,000 downloads to date.

Queen also take the Nº10 spot with their Greatest Hits II, released in October 1991, just a month before Freddie Mercury’s tragic and untimely death.

In second place – though almost a million copies behind Queen is Gold – Abba’s Greatest Hits. In fact, it was The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band that was in second place but Abba pushed them to third place last year – probably due to the incredible success of the film and theatre productions of Mamma Mia.

The Official Top 10 selling albums of all time

1. Queen – Greatest Hits (Another One Bites the Dust)

2. ABBA – Gold: Greatest Hits (Take a Chance on Me)

3. Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band)

4. Adele – 21 (Rolling in the Deep)

5. Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (Morning Glory)

6. Michael Jackson – Thriller (Beat It)

7. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon (Money)

8. Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms (Walk of Life)

9. Michael Jackson – Bad (Bad)

10. Queen – Greatest Hits II (Kind of Magic)

To see the Official Top 40 biggest selling albums of all time, visit the Official Charts website: www.officialcharts.com

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An interview with Paco Osuna.

Paco Osuna, Spanish DJ/Producer and International Ambassador of techno/house, is admired for his constant striving towards creativity and innovation, while still keeping his music intelligently deep, dark and minimal – just the way we like it!

Not only has he played at major international events such as Sónar, WMC, Tomorrowland, Monegros, he’s also won countless awards and has been nominated ‘Best Artists’ & ‘Best Techno DJ’ multiple times. Over the years, Osuna has been involved in some groundbreaking projects that you might well have heard of:

– Club4 – Osuna’s very own conceptual club in Barcelona, which was set up in Feb 2006 with Christian Smith, Marco Carola and Adam Beyer, and has seen the likes of Richie Hatwin & Carl Cox hit the decks and smash the floors!
– Mindshake – Osuna’s very own label, which has become one of the most talked about labels in the US, and certainly has a solid roster of up-and-coming artists to look out for. The label’s aim is to provide the world with a “first-class experience in contemporary electronic music culture”.
– ENTER. – Osuna has become a key figure and resident DJ at ENTER., the most sought after event in Ibiza. Masterminded by Richie Hawtin, under the brand and concept “Music. Sake. Technology. Experience”, ENTER. paves the way to “a crossroads of experience”!

As we enter 2014, Osuna is currently in the studio, putting all of his good vibes and artistry into a new album.

2013 has been a fantastic year for you – what has been the highlight?
Personally: definitely the birth of my son. To become a father has always been a dream for me.

Professionally: it’s been a highlight to see the trust and faith clubs and festivals all over the world have in me! Thanks to that, last year I played a lot more gigs than in previous years; I played in over 25 different countries and shared booths with some amazing artists whom I really respect.

The best moments though have been through Club4, the evolution of my agency B4Bookings and my Mindshake label, which have all done really well and have been the highlights of 2013.

You closed the 2013 Monegros Festival in the middle of the Spanish desert at sunrise. What was the most surreal part about it?
I have to say that closing Monegros was something very special for me. It’s a bit of a second home for me and I was conscious about the importance and the responsibility of closing a festival like that, and so I had prepared for it in my head for months. Every single moment of the gig was planned, from the beginning to the end.

The most surreal part about it was that a few days before Monegros I dreamt that the music went over during my set, and it actually happened to the artists that played before me. So I was really really nervous before I started playing!

Can you tell me a little bit about your residency at ENTER.?
Being part of ENTER. has been a great experience in every way. It means working with a great team and with people whom I have a very good relationship with. Even though the brand is all about Richie Hawtin, I live and love it like it were mine and I feel very much a part of it.

What made you choose to become part of ENTER.’s development? Was it thanks to Richie Hawtin and the people involved, or was it more to do with the concept behind it?
It’s a combination of all those things really. I’ve been working with Richie since 2006 both on his label and sharing booths… He is like family and is a person I’ve always admired and with whom I work with very well. We both think and act similarly when it comes to work and we know the importance of innovating musically. Also, we have a very transparent relationship and I can tell him very honestly what I think. It’s great to be part of a project in which the innovation in music is essential, because this is one of my strongest beliefs and it makes me feel very much a part of ENTER..

You have won a series of major prizes over the years and have established an important name for yourself worldwide. How does it feel to be regarded as the international ambassador for techno music in Spain?
It’s funny, because I don’t feel like the ambassador of techno music in Spain, I’m a DJ who plays all over the world and who exports his music to other countries. I feel proud to be part of the techno scene in Spain, but I don’t feel like I’m its most important asset. However, it’s nice to know that some people think that! Really though, what motivates me most is to continue to learn and improve.

Music is subjective. No doubt, your music touches people’s souls in different ways and a new story is told each time. What are the stories you communicate through your music?
I have a very personal style. I describe myself as the DJ who makes the party! My music is made to dance to. It’s lively music that makes people move. All my music is based on this idea, and I always try to improve it by adding new sounds and effects that connect with people and give them something new and special. The main thing is to be coherent with my style and with the moment. I communicate a different story depending on the country, the club, the moment, the duration of the set… Every gig requires its own story.

You’re a pioneer for music, always looking for innovation. How has your style evolved over the years and what were the key moments and reasons behind these progressions?
My style has evolved according my evolution as a person. My interests and preferences are not the same as they were 20 years ago. Also, I’ve always tried to take advantage of the developments in technology in order to create my own style. The key aspect in the evolution of my style is that I’m constantly searching for new ways of expression.

When you were first starting out, what were your driving forces and your greatest fears? If you had one piece of advice to give to young upcoming artists, what would it be?
I’ve always believed in myself and I know that with effort and hard work anything is possible. Since I started DJing, I’ve been very tenacious and I’ve always given my best. But it’s true that there is always the fear of not connecting with people while I’m playing. The best tips I can give to young artists are: work hard, be honest and never stop learning. You have to be patient and always be faithful to your principles and beliefs. Also, it’s very important to respect and love this profession and never forget that music is your best tool to express yourself with and to connect with your public.

Mindshake records – your label, your baby – is all about believing in young talent. Who are the ones to look out for? What’s the most exciting thing at the moment?
John Lagora, Lorenzo Bartoletti and Fer BR are three names to look out for without a doubt.

With regards to Mindshake, the most exciting thing at the moment is that it’s developing its own sound that allows people to identify the label.

What are your plans for 2014? What do you look forward to the most?
During January and February I’ll be in the studio, working on my new album. To produce is something that I really love and lately it’s become almost a privilege. It’s the best way to start the year, with new material for my upcoming gigs. From March, my plans are to keep sharing my music with people all over the world. Great events are waiting for me, like the Winter Music Conference, Sonar, ENTER. parties in Ibiza… I’ll be playing again in clubs and festivals that I adore and I hope to visit new ones and learn as much as possible.

Thanks Paco! Congratulations on the birth of your son! We look forward to hearing what’s coming next! ☺

Paco Osuna chose our #SundaySessions this week. Listen to them here.

For more information, follow Paco Osuna on:
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Daft Punk and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were the big winners at 56th Grammy awards held last night in Los Angeles.

Daft Punk dominated the awards with five total wins including Album of the Year for ‘Random Access Memories’. The first general category win for a dance-orientated album since ‘Saturday Night Fever’ soundtrack won it back in 1978. They also won ‘Pop Duo’, dance / electronica album and engineered album, non-classical…it was quite a memorable evening for the non-speaking, helmeted pair!

Pharrell Williams of course, shared in their wins and was also named Producer of the Year, non-classical. “Dude, on behalf of the robots, thank you, thank you, thank you…They want to thank their families, and of course, the incredible Nile Rodgers” said Pharrell. Performing live on national television for the first time in 6 years Daft Punk performed alongside Pharrell, Nile Rodgers and Stevie Wonder playing a fantastic medley of Get Lucky, Freak Out (Chic) and Another Star – it was one of the best ever performancea at the Grammy’s. When the camera swung out into the crowd Ringo Starr and Yoko Ono could be seen geeting down to the groove – as could Taylor Swift for most of the evening..

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis followed closely behind Daft Punk with four wins, including Best New Artist, Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance – a win that did not go down very well with the hip-hop purists who stated that “Thrift Shop” broke on pop radio. “Macklemore said about “The Heist”. “I want to say we made this album without a record label, we made it independently and we appreciate all the support.”

Lorde surprised everyone by beating Timberlake, Perry, Sara Bareilles and Bruno Mars to win Song of the Year for “Royals” – the youngest artist to win in a general category (aside from Best New Artist). “This is the one thing I didn’t expect the most about tonight, so thank you so much,” said Lorde.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6OVxPiZQDc
This Grammy ceremony will forever be remembered for a marriage of 33 couples – straight and gay, presided over by Queen Latifah. The marriage ceremony took place, very appropriately, duing the performance of “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – a song that talks about attitudes to homosexuality. Queen Latifah was only told about being a commissioner a couple of weeks before the ceremony: “It’s something that I took very seriously,” she said. “I had to be sworn in as a commissioner by the state of California. I think these couples should be celebrated tonight … to have your wedding in front of a million people is really momentous.” Then, to top it all off, just as Queen Latifah pronounced the couples married, Madonna swung open the doors of the stage and sung “Open Your Heart”.

The Beatles had a steady presence throughout the show. Paul and Ringo performed ‘Queenie Eye’ from Paul’s ‘New’ album and Ringo also sung ‘Photograph’ (his Billboard Hot 100 Nº1 back in 1973). The Beatles celebrate the 50th anniversary of their arrival in the US with a special show to be aired on CBS February 9th. Paul McCartney won the Rock Song award for ‘Cut Me Some Slack’ with Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear.

There were other veteran stars that won prizes – Led Zeppelin took home the Rock Album award for ‘Celebration Day’ – their first-ever Grammy and Black Sabbath won Metal Performance, their second Grammy, for ‘God is Dead?’

There were many memorable moments to report – and one of them has to be Pink flying 100 feet above the audience with no safety net.

Another was Katy Perry who gave a brilliant performance of “Dark Horse” turning the stage into a goth party – with real flames, plenty of thunder and lightning and dancers galore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpJ1npMCyqE

GENERAL
Album Of The Year: “Random Access Memories” — Daft Punk
Record Of The Year: “Get Lucky” — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
Song Of The Year: “Royals” — Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
Best New Artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

POP
Best Pop Solo Performance: “Royals” — Lorde
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Get Lucky” — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
Best Pop Vocal Album: “Unorthodox Jukebox” – Bruno Mars
Best Pop Instrumental Album: “Steppin’ Out” – Herb Alpert
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “To Be Loved” – Michael Bublé

DANCE
Best Dance/Electronica Album: “Random Access Memories” – Daft Punk
Best Dance Recording: “Clarity”– Zedd Featuring Foxes

ROCK
Best Rock Performance: “Radioactive” — Imagine Dragons
Best Rock Album: “Celebration Day” — Led Zeppelin
Best Metal Performance: “God Is Dead?” – Black Sabbath
Best Rock Song: “Cut Me Some Slack” – Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear, songwriters

ALTERNATIVE
Best Alternative Music Album: “Modern Vampires Of The City” – Vampire Weekend

R&B
Best R&B Performance: “Something” – Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway
Best Urban Contemporary Album: “Unapologetic” – Rihanna
Best R&B Album: Girl On Fire – Alicia Keys
Best Traditional R&B Performance: “Please Come Home – Gary Clark Jr.
Best R&B Song (A Songwriters Award): “Pusher Love Girl” – James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)

RAP
Best Rap Performance: “Thrift Shop” — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “Holy Grail” — Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake
Best Rap Album: The Heist – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Best Rap Song: “Thrift Shop” – Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)

COUNTRY MUSIC
Best Country Solo Performance: “Wagon Wheel” – Darius Rucker
Best Country Album: “Same Trailer Different Park” – Kacey Musgraves
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “From This Valley” – The Civil Wars
Best Country Song (A Songwriters Award): “Merry Go ‘Round” – Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)

NEW AGE
Best New Age Album: “Love’s River” – Laura Sullivan

JAZZ
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: “Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue” – Terri Lyne Carrington
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “Orbits” – Wayne Shorter, soloist
Best Jazz Vocal Album: “Liquid Spirit” – Gregory Porter
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: “Night In Calisia” – Randy Brecker, Włodek Pawlik Trio & Kalisz Philharmonic
Best Latin Jazz Album: “Song For Maura” – Paquito D’Rivera And Trio Corrente

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC
Best Gospel Album: “Greater Than” (Live) — Tye Tribbett
Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance: “Break Every Chain [Live]” – Tasha Cobbs
Best Gospel Song: “If He Did It Before… Same God [Live]” — Tye Tribbett
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song: “Overcomer” – David Garcia, Ben Glover & Christopher Stevens, songwriters (Mandisa)
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: “Overcomer” – Mandisa

LATIN
Best Latin Pop Album: “Vida” – Draco Rosa
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: “Treinta Días” – La Santa Cecilia
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano): “A Mi Manera” – Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea
Best Tropical Latin Album: “Pacific Mambo Orchestra” – Pacific Mambo Orchestra

AMERICAN ROOTS
Best Americana Album: “Love Has Come For You” – Steve Martin & Edie Brickell
Best Bluegrass Album: “The Streets Of Baltimore” – Del McCoury Band
Best Blues Album: “Get Up!” – Ben Harper With Charlie Musselwhite
Best Folk Album: “My Favorite Picture Of You” – Guy Clark
Best Regional Roots Music Album: “Dockside Sessions” – Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience

REGGAE
Best Reggae Album: “Ziggy Marley In Concert” – Ziggy Marley

WORLD MUSIC
Best World Music Album (tie):
“Savor Flamenco” _ Gipsy Kings
“Live: Singing For Peace Around The World” – Ladysmith Black Mambazo

CHILDREN’S
Best Children’s Album: “Throw A Penny In The Wishing Well” – Jennifer Gasoi

SPOKEN WORD
Best Spoken Word Album: “America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren’t” — Stephen Colbert

Beyoncé and husband Jay Z opened the ceremony with ‘Drunk In Love’

COMEDY
Best Comedy Album: “Calm Down Gurrl” — Kathy Griffin

MUSICAL THEATER
Best Musical Theater Album: “Kinky Boots”

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: Sound City: Real To Reel
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: “Skyfall” – Thomas Newman, composer
Best Song Written For Visual Media: “Skyfall” from “Skyfall”– Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)

COMPOSING/ARRANGING
Best Instrumental Composition: “Pensamientos For Solo Alto Saxophone And Chamber Orchestra” – Clare Fischer, composer (The Clare Fischer Orchestra)
Best Instrumental Arrangement: “On Green Dolphin Street”– Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): “Swing Low” – Gil Goldstein, arranger (Bobby McFerrin & Esperanza Spalding)

PACKAGE
Best Recording Package: “Long Night Moon” – Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds
Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package: “Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition)” – Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney And Wings)

NOTES
Best Album Notes: “Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered & Expanded)” – Neil Tesser, album notes writer (John Coltrane)

HISTORICAL
Best Historical Album (tie):
“Charlie Is My Darling” – Ireland 1965
“The Complete Sussex And Columbia Albums”

PRODUCTION, Non-Classical
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: “Random Access Memories” – Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta & Daniel Lerner, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Daft Punk)
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: Pharrell Williams
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)” – Cedric Gervais, remixer (Lana Del Rey)

SURROUND SOUND
Best Surround Sound Album: “Live Kisses” – Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney)

FIELD: PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL
Best Engineered Album, Classical: “Winter Morning Walks” – David Frost, Brian Losch & Tim Martyn, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
Producer Of The Year, Classical: David Frost

CLASSICAL
Best Orchestral Performance: Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4 – Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra)
Best Opera Recording: Adès: The Tempest
Best Choral Performance: Pärt: Adam’s Lament — Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor (Tui Hirv & Rainer Vilu; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Sinfonietta Riga & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; Latvian Radio Choir & Vox Clamantis)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Roomful Of Teeth – Brad Wells & Roomful Of Teeth
Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Corigliano: Conjurer – Concerto For Percussionist & String Orchestra — Evelyn Glennie; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
Best Classical Vocal Solo: “Winter Morning Walks” – Dawn Upshaw (Maria Schneider; Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough & Scott Robinson; Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
Best Classical Compendium: Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik — Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Best Contemporary Classical Composition: Schneider, Maria: Winter Morning Walks — Maria Schneider, composer

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM
Best Music Video: “Suit & Tie” – Justin Timberlake Featuring Jay Z (David Fincher, video director; Timory King, video producer)
Best Music Film: “Live Kisses” – Paul McCartney (Jonas Akerlund, video director; Violaine Etienne, Aron Levine & Scott Rodger, video producers)

An interview with Hillary Capps and Anthony Farina.

New York based singer/songwriter, Hillary Capps, and producer/songwriter, Anthony Farina, are buzzing after having just released their very first full-length album The Wishing Forest a few days ago. While Hillary’s fairy-like voice lends itself perfectly to the albums’ classical jazz and pop influences, she conveys a horizon of emotions with an utmost sense of honesty. The catchy melodies, enthralling lyrics, tight musicianship and running theme of “wishing”, fills the album with a range of moods and colours that originate from Hillary’s childhood and take us on a spellbinding journey across time, into the mysterious and secret land of a child’s hopes and dreams. 

2013 must have been a very busy and exciting year! You’ve just released your first album on the 21st of January. How did it all start?

Basically, we picked up where we left off with the ‘Maybe in the Morning EP’. We learned a lot from that record; it gave us a sense of what we wanted to do next and how to go about it. We continued writing new songs while we were promoting the new EP and got to a point where we had enough new material, that was all very cohesive and focused, to make a new album. From there, we saved up, did our research on when and where to record and who we wanted to involve, and went into the studio in June 2013.

Anthony, you produced and co-wrote the album. You play the guitar on the record and live on stage. How did you guys get together to co-write the album and what’s the song writing process like?

Hillary and I have been working together for over 3 years now in multiple musical endeavors. She’s the type of singer and person you dream to work with because she’s extremely positive and on top of that, an incredibly skilled vocalist. You just know she’s going to nail it every time. She also has such a unique timbre and innocence to her voice that you can’t help but to smile when listening.

For me, co-writing and producing this album all in all was an incredible and humbling experience. We had great musicians on board and we wanted to keep this record sounding organic and natural. We wanted to bring back the days when synthesizers weren’t always blaring in our faces and get back to our roots – good songs, engaging lyrics, and live instruments. The tracks are very personal to us but we also wrote songs people could relate to. There always seemed to be a presence of love, or lost love, longing or desperation, and I think Hillary does an amazing job at strongly conveying these emotions. We’ve all been in moments where we are elated or devastated and we wanted to connect with our audience. In terms of the writing process, we’re constantly challenging each other. I’m extremely critical and I tend to write fairly quickly. I feel that being in the moment is important to the process and creates an honesty in both the lyrics and the pacing. I will basically bring an entire song to Hillary and say, “What do you think?”. We’ve been known to duke it out during the process (not physically, ha) but when we work through it, songs like “New Melody” come about and it just so happens that it’s the single for the record. Also, coincidentally we both wrote a ukelele/voice song a few weeks before recording that ended up starting and finishing the record. This release sounds great and I’m very proud of it. Looking forward to touring and getting these songs out there this year!

The album was mixed by Michael Brauer and Ryan Gilligan at the famous Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, and mastered by Eric Boulanger at the Mastering Lab LA. What was it like to have such talented and respected people working on your tracks?

The music industry is a crazy thing. We feel very grateful and lucky to have had Michael and Ryan on the project, but it didn’t actually start out that way. We spent a long time researching who would be the right person for the mixes and collecting contacts. We finally found someone who seemed like a great fit and was interested in the project and we went into the studio thinking he was the guy for the job. After we had everything recorded, the arrangement fell through, which was so disappointing and discouraging. It was hard to see at the time, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because that engineer ended up recommending Michael and Ryan at Electric Lady. They made the process so smooth and easy for us. And they just got it. They really understood the songs and the vibe we were going for. They translated everything we had in our heads seamlessly, and took the recordings we had done at Vinegar Hill Sound (in DUMBO Brooklyn, NY) and really brought them to life.

Earlier this year you released two singles from New Melody and Pop Star, as well as a music video for Pop Star. How would you say the response has been?

The response has been great so far! It’s very exciting. The “Pop Star” video was recently premiered on ARTISTDirect, a very well received online media entertainment company that gets thousands of views per day. The video was featured on their home page for a week next to artists like Katy Perry, Eminem, and many more. Both “Pop Star” and “New Melody” have been featured on popular blogs and in magazines several times. People look forward to hearing those songs at our live shows now, which is pretty cool. Excited to get the rest of the songs out there soon!

Hillary, you chose a captivating title for your album, The Wishing Forest. Is there a story behind that?

Yes. The title appears in the song “Storybook” on the album. The line in the song goes “Give me your hand, follow me down the wishing forest, and dream as you please, here everything is at it seems…”. The Wishing Forest is actually a real place in my Dad’s backyard in Vermont. I’m not sure when the tradition actually started or when it was dubbed the wishing forest, but when I was little my Dad used to take my sister and me into this specific cluster of trees, and we would pick a spot and make a wish. I found that a common theme throughout the album was wishing for things, in one way or another, so the title seemed like the right choice.

The album is lively and showcases a whole range of interesting moods and colours. It’s both musically and lyrically captivating. Who would you say are your greatest influences?

Hillary: I have a lot of musical influences in both pop and jazz especially. Sara Bareilles is a key influence of mine. Adele, Ingrid Michaelson, Maroon 5 and Norah Jones are as well. I would also say The Beatles and Ella Fitzgerald.

Anthony: I’m kind of all over the map. I really enjoy Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Frank Sinatra, The Police, Michael Jackson, etc. As to the contemporary Pop world, I’d have to agree with Hillary – Sara Bareilles is probably my favorite female songwriter out there right now.

Throughout your musical journey what would you say have been your biggest challenges?

The biggest challenge that almost any artist entering the music industry encounters is exposure – getting seen and heard. With the support of our PR company, specifically our publicists Amanda Pelletier and Beatrice Bugnosen, we’ve been able to get our work out there on a bigger level than ever before. But there’s still a long journey ahead. It’s all about being patient, persistent, and gradually growing and building it up.

What kind of advice would you give to young upcoming artists who are striving to succeed and who want to stay true to themselves?

There are always going to be people who believe in what you’re doing, and people who don’t. Not everyone is going to love your work or be on board with it. It doesn’t mean that you’re doing anything wrong, it just means you need to find the people who do believe in it, and surround yourself with those people.

Do you have any exciting plans for this year? Will there be a tour?

Yes! We are planning to play at SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas this March. We also plan on doing a selection of showcase dates outside of New York in cities like Buffalo, Nashville, Atlanta, and LA over the summer.

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years time?

Hopefully doing the exact same thing we’re doing now, on a bigger scale! In 5 years we would both like to be touring the US and Europe and making records full time. 🙂

Hillary Capps and Anthony Farina chose our #SundaySessions this week! Listen to them here.

Follow Hillary Capps on 
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An interview with Tinariwen by Tej S. Haldule

The Sahara’s most revered band, Tinariwen, was at the Jaipur Literature Festival recently to play to a large and fascinated crowd. Rock veterans of the best sort (PopMatters recently called them the ‘greatest band the world, bar none’, sentiments that have been echoed across the globe), Tinariwen are an ensemble collective from the deserts of Africa and have been operational for decades.

Creation 5 spoke to them on the eve of their performance.

1. The history of your origins is very interesting indeed. Could you tell us a little about where you and your music come from?
Our music comes naturally from our traditional culture. Tinariwen’s founders discovered the guitar and brought it to the desert, and we learnt to play by ourselves, with traditional rhythm and tunes serving as our natural inspiration. Also a big motivation was explaining our geo-political situation, as we were in exile over this period.

2. With Tinariwen being a rotating ensemble of troubadours and musicians, do you find it difficult to really define yourself as a band in the traditional sense of the word? Is a band how you classify yourself so it becomes easier for Westerners to relate to your group ?
Tinariwen is the representation of the modern aspect of our culture, and also the speakers for our population, now in all the world. Since the band exists for more than 30 years now, during its story many musicians took part in the team occasionally. But since we began to tour in the West, the set up is almost the same, two experienced members and four from younger generation.

3. You are known for your outspoken political activism, like your recent statements against the coup in Mali – one of your members has even been detained at airports, internationally. Do you think, as popular artists, that you’re obligated to take up issues you believe in?
Tinariwen is always looking for a peaceful solution to their population’s situation. The music and lyrics seem to make people happy to hear of life out in the desert, to discover how much we love our way of life. Of course, like everybody else, we have to be concerned about the evolution of our world’s situation.

4. What can we expect from your upcoming LPs? Would you say Tinariwen as a project is satisfied with it’s sound, or is there room for experimentation on future releases?
For this new album, we recorded in the Californian desert – our own Sahara was not secure enough for our crew. Emmaar means the heat of the breeze, it is a metaphor about the situation in our lands… the tension before the war, the revolution.

We invited some of the musicians we met during our many tours to contribute to the previous album. It is always a pleasure to meet some musicians, with the experience and sensations that arise when they have a meeting with our music, we have some great fun!

5. From herders to exiled rebels to poets, the musicians in your band have fascinatingly slipped through an assortment of roles. Is it not difficult to balance lives of such distinct passions?
When you live a moment from war, you are looking to find peace without arms. That’s why our arms are the music we make. Also the opportunity arises to speak with various media, to find a reasonable way to build a future society. But since it’s surely against world interest in a way, we cannot follow the money making direction of our spirit…… we all have to wake up for humanity, for our children!

6. As your band-leader Ibrahim Ag Alhabib has stated in previous interviews, you are notoriously unaware of the modern music scene. Have you chanced upon any electronic music over the course of your travels? What do you think of these sounds?
Of course we listen to a lot of electronic music. Sometimes we try to imagine and understand what the people like about this style and these sounds – often, it portrays the dark and industrial sensibilities of an urban society. This helps to create an ambience and color the spirit.

7. What do you have in store for the JLF audience? Are you customising your set to Indian sensibilities in any way?
We will prepare a set list to give a new Indian audience a glimpse of all of what we are with our music. As to understanding lyrics, that will take longer. We hope people will be curious enough by the end of the set to look at our albums or website about what we are singing. Our show will go from tradition to modernity, with the ancestral spirit underlying it always.

8. How did you hear TV On The Radio’s music, and what about it appealed to you? Tell us about your collaboration with Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone on your last album.
We met Kyp and Tunde at the Coachella Festival a few years ago, and the idea to invite them to the Sahara desert was born! Their simplicity when living in these circumstances was wonderful, and the whole situation was an amalgam of experiences… they play music with heart and spirit.

9. You have been widely acclaimed over the past decade. Do you ever read what the critics have to say about you, and does it matter?
Of course we are always curious to hear what critics have to say, they help us understand what the audiences feel about our music!

Tinariwen’s sixth studio album, Emmar, releases this February.
Imidiwan Ahi Sigdim from their new album Emmaar:

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