DIANE TREMARCO IN AWE OF …
I have always greatly admired fellow musicians and creatives and I am thrilled to be able to tell you about those I know well and those I have recently discovered . Please take a look at my Instagram profile for more of the artists I am in awe of .
JULIE CAMPBELL
MARK SEBASTION D ’ LACEY
Back in the dim and distant past that I refer to as my youth , I was invited to watch a band called Now Here This . I had never even heard of this band but walked into a venue with an incredible atmosphere , it was electric .
The lead singer of the band and the only one I watched for the entire show , was Mark Sebastion D ’ Lacey . What a talent . I watched in awe that night not knowing that we would develop a friendship and end up playing the same venues .
Mark is a true character and a born entertainer . In my opinion he was destined for much bigger things than the Wirral circuit , but Lady Luck never gave him that break . He is passionate , talented and a lovely guy . Over the years he has reinvented himself a fair few times , always progressing , always looking for a new direction .
Lockdown has been difficult for many people but for Mark , he turned a dark , depressing situation on its head and came out with two albums worth of material , three new ventures and a new character . Enter stage left Sebastion and the Poor Valley Marauders .
I caught up with Mark recently and asked him to tell me about his latest venture .
“ At the beginning of lockdown , in a bizarre set of circumstances I ended up alone , in student accommodation in Manchester while my girlfriend was unfortunately elsewhere . There was just me , my phone and a guitar in a tiny room . I struggled at first , I don ’ t mind telling you but as time went on my creative juices started flowing and I began writing . Once I started , I couldn ’ t stop . The songs were very different to anything I had written before , but it felt right . As lockdown eased , I realised I needed to form a band as these songs were not solo songs , the group began to take shape .
By the end of the second lockdown , I had two albums worth of band songs and an album full of solo material . I bought an iPad and loaded up Garage Band . It became clear after a short while that I had outgrown my software and I promptly bought a Mac and Logic .
A split with my girlfriend led to an offer from a friend to rent a small room in his warehouse , which I accepted with gratitude and put together a studio . As word got out , it fast developed into a commercial enterprise . The beauty is that now I have an income four days a week , I no longer need to perform covers in pubs . I can instead showcase my own material like I did at Christmas at the Philharmonic Dining Rooms and boy does it feel good !
Sebastion and the Poor Valley Marauders are an Americana band , and our music covers blues , soul , country , very Southern State based . I took the 30 or so songs I have written and whittled them down to a set and then I had this idea of it being a theatre show too . A live band will play the songs and take you on a journey through the American States featuring music from about 1919 - 1940 , the show will be called American Epic .
There is so much happening right now and I couldn ’ t be happier .
My studio - ‘ Fleur De Lis Studios ’ will have a record label ‘ Fleur De Lis Records ’ running hand in hand with it from January 2022 ”.
It was great catching up with you Mark , I think this is your time . I sincerely hope that your musical projects bring you everything you are hoping for .
If you would like to catch Mark out and about , he will be at the Bootle Festival with the band on the 4th of July from 6pm . On 27th , 28th and 29th July you will find him performing solo at The Philharmonic Dining Rooms with support from Helen Downy . Lastly , on 30th September - there will be a live stream show / documentary of the band to celebrate the launch of their first single . Check out Facebook for more details .
Sebastion and the Poor Valley Marauders are Adam Danger Lewis , Simon Jeacock , Alison Crawford , Victoria Goulding , Angela Inkson , Ben Parkinson and Johnny Larson with occasional appearances from , Brian Murphy , Gaz Gaskell and Ian Pierce .
Facebook : Mark Sebastion D ’ Lacey
Artist Julie Campbell has always been interested in art history .
She has painted and sketched since a child . It was the encouragement of several artist friends that contributed to her life changing decision to return to adult education and gain a degree in Fine Art at Wirral Met . A course that she would recommend to any budding artist . After completing her Degree , she had the privilege of working alongside students to assist in their studies at degree level .
Her main art practice is painting and the artwork she creates is inspired mainly from nature and the estuary on the Wirral , though she also has a passion for the mountains in Scotland . Her works of art are often full of energy and strong mark making . She enjoys being playful with a range of media which is chosen as the painting resolves itself . She is on a continual journey to find new expressions of the methods to use within her work . The use of quick , gestural mark making convey a sense of energy that explore the construction process .
She is proud to be a member of West Kirby Arts and has exhibited with the group on several occasions .
Her artwork can be found in local galleries and has also sold internationally . Currently her artwork can be found in The Barn in Heswall and on their website . She has been an artist taking part of the Wirral Open Studio Tour for five years , sharing studio space with fellow artist Linda Edward .
Instagram : juliecampbell . art
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