BBC Introducing blog - Ally McCrae

Rock solid advice from Twin Atlantic and Lower Than Atlantis

Ally McCrae Ally McCrae — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:03:01 +0000

Last week was Radio 1 Rocks, where British rock was given the mighty platform its current front-runners deserve, and I spoke to a couple of the bands taking part to see what advice they have for the future heroes of the scene.

Almost all acts that were part of the week on Radio 1 got there through the grind of building a local support, spreading that over the UK with gruelling toilet tours (not literally, of course), then a couple of lucky breaks supporting bigger acts to finally hit the mainstream - magazine covers, label support and sessions on Radio 1.

Twin Atlantic and Lower Than Atlantis are two bands that put in a shift to get to where they are now, to say the least...

Mike from Lower Than Atlantis told me: "Don't give up! There'll be some times where you'll be like 'why are we putting ourselves through this?' But if you really want something and work hard enough, it'll happen. We're the proof!"
Wise words.

Sam from Twin Atlantic added: "Be yourself. You can only measure success against your own feelings and aspirations. There's no more room in the music industry for any more phonies. Make music for yourself... whatever that means to you."

Which as a Radio 1 DJ is advice I couldn't agree more with. Nobody wants another watered down version of a successful band - boring. The real excitement is in invention, ultimately you'll have way more pride in that. Anyway, by the time you got yourself together, the mainstream would have moved onto something else and you will be left with no identity! There are enough Mumford & Sons cover bands in the world.

You may think your music doesn't fit in, or is 'hard to define' - embrace that, and make that the next big deal.

Watch and listen to highlights of Radio 1 Rocks here and catch me on Radio 1 every Sunday with Jen Long.

And don't forget to upload your best tracks and beats.

Been There, Done That, Lost My T-Shirt... with Alt-J

Ally McCrae Ally McCrae — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:16:18 +0000

If you are a new artist looking to make it BIG or dare I say it, make a career or even money out of your music then you've no doubt realised already that you have to be in for the long haul. You already know there are no set paths to getting where you want to be, in fact you may already have experienced some of the pitfalls of being a young artist.

I'm using this blog to pester as many new artists that have made it into telling us what they wish they hadn't done on the way to the top. You know... so you don't have to.

It's fair to say Alt-J have had a pretty meteoric rise to prominence this year, and rightly so as their debut album is a stunner - intricate, subtle and devilishly addictive. Although it's been a mad year for them, it doesn't mean they haven't paid their dues and... learnt a few lessons along the way. I met them literally moments after they'd played a super secret acoustic set on the BBC Introducing Stage on the Friday of this years Reading festival, live on Huw Stephens Radio 1 show no less. I think I probably shattered any post-set elation by taking them back to when things were less glamorous and asked them for some tips of what not to do as a young act trying to progress...

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So piece for advice number one from them was don't play in London (unless you are from there obviously). Sage advice as not only is the price of a round of drinks on the more expensive side but add a van, food, accommodation and the odd congestion zone charge - suddenly a glittering London date on your tour poster isn't so appealing. If the timing is right, in that you have dominated your home area, got some nationwide label, blog and possibly radio interest, then it is totally worth it, if not, maybe best to hold off.

You can't beat hometown support and create some real hype around your music and live show - then promoters from London may well be coming to you, to get you on the right shows, supports and showcases they put on.

Time a show in the big city correctly in the career of the band, and someone else will pick up that horrible bar tab.

Ally McCrae presents BBC Introducing with Jen and Ally every midnight on Sunday heading into Monday.

Ally McCrae in Carlisle - Day 2

Ally McCrae Ally McCrae — Thu, 12 May 2011 12:59:21 +0000

Hi, thanks for clicking through to my little blog. I’m Ally McCrae, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland (Radio 1 every Sunday night 12-2 - check it!) and I’m here in Carlisle to host the BBC Introducing stage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Before that, BBC Introducing has invaded Carlisle’s favourite venues to host three fringe gigs with some of the best unsigned and undiscovered talent from this neck of the woods.

Wednesday night saw our second gig here (read my report on Tuesday night’s opening acoustic night, which turned into a bit of a rammy) so it was time to crank things a bit louder and show off some of best in Carlisle’s rock, indie and pop acts.

The venue for tonight’s show was the brilliant Brickyard in the centre of Carlisle, which in my mind is a proper gig venue: it's dark, it reeks of beer, the bar staff are all well cooler than me and oh yeah, the sound system is huge.

So, for the second night running we already had an amazing crowd queuing up way before the doors opened (it’s just how we roll... haha!). First up, four lads from Barrow-in-Furnace called Audio Conspiracy took to the stage and were a brilliant way to get things started. Sounding like the rockier side of the Editors and with lead singer Phil Hampson sharing the kind of intensity, persona and charisma you would expect of someone who’d been gigging for decades, I think they made a lot of new fans tonight. Big up.

Next onstage was a power of pop-punk from The Alleys. Turning up for sound check still in their school uniforms, you’d be forgiven for wondering what was coming up, but from the minute they struck the first riff they had the Carlisle crowd with their arms in the air and had me wanting to get back into crowd-surfing. I definitely heard girls screaming for the drummer.

Speaking of the Carlisle crowd, I hope the rest of Radio 1 realise what is in store at the weekend for them; I get the feeling the Cumbrians are a wee bit excited about it. Everyone is so damn friendly, coming up and saying hey, screaming and generally going nuts for the acts - there was even a brilliant lady who dressed up, wrapped in a set of fairy lights. Need I say more?

]]>Defiantly not at school anymore were our third band for the night. In fact, one of them said to me before going onstage “I don’t think these kids will have even heard of dance music”. True, some of the crowd were still in nappies during the mid 90s but that didn’t stop them loving Vanya. They had a really interesting sound, fusing an obvious rave culture influence from a bank of keyboards, synths and computers with distorted guitars, driving bass and a pounding live drummer; it was a awesome to watch them make the already roasting, packed venue a little bit sweatier.

Finishing off the night was (for the second night running, Carlisle) an act and a crowd reaction I will not forget quickly. Looking into our headliners Promo Girl before the gig, I noticed they were proudly a pop band, they had supported The Wanted and had been on Britain’s Got Talent. Now I love music from across the board but it has been a while since I kept my finger on the pulse of TV talent shows and the Top 40, but Promo Girl actually blew my mind.

I could barely be heard when I went onstage to introduce them, over screams from a crush of young girls down the front (all in homemade Promo Girl tees!), and once I welcomed them onstage from there on in the stage was theirs.

Dressed immaculately, with a fine array of haircuts and glittered face-paint, the five young lads were so comfortable in the image and music they were portraying that there’s no reason they couldn’t become (as I fairly excitedly tweeted) the new pop kings and give JLS a run for their money.

What a night - Carlisle, you are a dark new musical horse and I like you.See you tonight at Conrete on Lowther Street!

Follow Ally on Twitter @allymccrae

Find out more about our Fringe gigs in Carlisle this week

Click the image to download a full sized flyer (PDF, 215kb)

Ally McCrae in Carlisle - Day 1

Ally McCrae Ally McCrae — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:05:20 +0000

Hallo! I'm Ally McCrae, I present BBC Introducing in Scotland on Radio 1. I'm going to be invading this blog for the next few days, because BBC Introducing has hit Carlisle in the build up to Radio 1’s Big Weekend on Saturday and Sunday.

BBC Introducing has its own stage at the festival, showcasing some of the most exciting emerging artists from all over the country, but in the days leading up to it we are taking over some of Carlisle's favourite venues with some of the best unsigned talent from the area.

Now, I had no idea what to expect, having never been to Carlisle, but a queue round the corner before the doors even opened on our first night was an alright way to kick things off!

The plan was to ease into the week gently with a nice wee night of acoustic artists in The Calva Bar in the grounds of the University of Cumbria, but by the end of the the night, the uni's crowd had sweated, danced and drank the (ludicrously cheap) bar dry. Not exactly easing in.

First up, Carlisle’s Laura James and the Lyres took to the stage to give us a set of folk-tinged indie pop. They are based around singer Laura James who has been performing since the tender age of 14. She possesses some really delicate vocals and was a really engaging front women to watch in the Regina Spektor/ Joanna Newsom kind of way.

She and her band are heading out on a tour of the North of England in the summer, at night playing in proper venues but by day they have a flat-bed trailer, which they intend to just ride around town centres playing and causing a nuisance.. Go here to find out more.

]]>After Laura I welcomed to the stage an immensely talented 16-year-old girl called Evie Plumb who, with her opening lines silenced the entire room. She sang and played the keys with a confidence that I definitely lacked when I was 16 (I was to busy hiding behind a fringe and crying into my Papa Roach hoodie).

Her tracks were down the Katie Melua route of pop and the crowd were hooked. The way she captivated and held the attention of the audience was something to be admired - especially when the beer was so cheap.

The cheap bar might go some way to explaining why our lovely BBC Introducing tables were rammed out of the way for the last act of the night, because for the whole of the next set, the same crowd who had been silenced just 30 minutes earlier by Evie went off in a bit of a folk-dance frenzy. I felt like I was back home, at a proper Scottish Ceilidh.

The band causing the kerfuffle were Room Full of Owls, a 6-piece made up of students from Liverpool who all live together (awww) and really looked like they were enjoying every second of playing together. Imagine a folk band losing their drummer and being joined by Dave Grohl (in his QOTSA days) to beat the living daylights out of the kit, plus female vocals, strings and a driving bass and you might get the idea. A special mention has to go to the unassuming violin player, who turned into a demon on the bow upon taking the stage and drew the biggest cheers of the night. I was blown away.

So thank you, Calva Bar in the University of Cumbria - brilliant start to BBC Introducing's time in Carlisle. I now have no idea what to expect tonight at the Brickyard…

Stay tuned for more reports from Carlisle from Ally tomorrow and Friday.

Follow Ally on Twitter @allymccrae

Find out more about our Fringe gigs in Carlisle this week

Click the image to download a full sized flyer (PDF, 215kb)

Meet Ally McCrae - new presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland

Ally McCrae Ally McCrae — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:05:21 +0000

As you might have heard, there's a changing of the guard over at BBC Introducing in Scotland and Wales on Radio 1. Our good friends and musical gurus Vic Galloway and Bethan Elfyn are leaving Radio 1 and will be sorely missed.

Picking up the baton this coming weekend are Ally McCrae and Jen Long, so I thought it would be a good idea if they introduced themselves. Today you'll hear from Ally, tomorrow, Jen. Over to you, Ally!

Richard

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Hello! My name is Ally McCrae and this Sunday I will be kicking off the brand spanking, new-look BBC Introducing in Scotland show and I cannot WAIT!

Every week we will be showing off the finest new Scottish talent around, and right now, there are a whole host of musical treats to be getting excited about north of the border.

The news got announced on the 2nd of November that I would be taking over the show from Mr Vic Galloway, a hero of mine, and someone I listened to a lot in those early teenage years when you start discovering that there is music being made outside the top 40. With his excitement, passion and energy it was hard no to get enthused about the Scottish music out there. So, being asked to take over the show from the man is an honour and I salute him.

After being asked to do the show, I had a couple of weeks of thinking to myself, "Really?! Radio 1? Kidding me on aye?!" Once that passed, it was game time with rehearsals and preparation. Now I just want Sunday night to be here already. We have some incredible undiscovered acts with some real belters lined up to burst into the New Year.

So - who am I?

Well, I'm 23, 6' 6" and I graduated from Stirling Uni in 2009 where I ran the student radio station Air3 (BIG UP!) for a couple years and occasionally studied for a Film & Media degree. After graduating I moved to Glasgow, gave up on sleeping and started up an online video blog of adventures with new Scottish acts with my good pal, focusing on live music and the fun you can have with it.

I am a keen follower of the beautiful game, my team being St. Mirren (or 'a diddy mob' as some would say in Scotland). In true 'awkward-round-the-room-introduce-yourselves' fashion, here's a weird fact about me: as a child I used to spend my weekends performing children's Punch and Judy shows in public at fetes, gala days and birthday parties.

Thanks, Ally! Now for a bit of quickfire musical interrogation...

Which Scottish acts are you most excited about playing in 2011?
Akira Kiteshi - www.myspace.com/technoirbeats
Sevententh Century - www.myspace.com/theseventeenthcentury
Debbie Kate - www.debbiekate.bandcamp.com
Young Fathers - www.youngfathers.net/
Dananananaykroyd - www.myspace.com/dananananaykroyd

What were your top 5 gigs of 2010?
Frightened Rabbit & Admiral Fallow at the Barrowlands
Jimmy Eat World at the Brixton Academy
Dananananaykroyd at the Glasgow Oran Mor
Young Fathers at Belladrum festival
Pensioner at a tiny pub in Inverness

Do you have an all-time favourite gig venue?
Glasgow Barrowlands. World class hot-dogs and friendly cloak-room staff.

First ever gig?
Less Than Jake as part of some massive gig in the SECC, I think I was roughly 12 and I snuck out of my parents house, thinking I was the big shot.

First album you ever bought?
Aqua - Aquarium. Not even ashamed. I remember my older brother abusing my tastes and saying 'you only buy pop-tastic singles…' so the only logical thing to do was to buy an Aqua album

Don't miss Ally's first show this Sunday night at midnight on Radio 1 in Scotland