MUSIC REVIEWS
BY DIANE TREMARCO
ORIGINAL BANDS...
Diane Tremarco has been involved with
music since the age of 14. A successful
career as a musician led to her owning
and running the Buz Magazine for
eight years. Unfortunately, a chronic
illness meant that Diane could no longer
perform and so she kept her hand in
running a weekly music column in the
Wirral News. Now, each month, she will
share the latest music news alongside
recommendations and reviews in
Wirral Life.
Send your stories to: [email protected]
NEW SIGNINGS...
I am totally blown away by the glut of
talent we have on our shores. Everyone
talks about the 60’s being a magical era,
did you know that there are hundreds
of good quality original bands out there
today? Each month, I'll be putting the
spotlight on an original band.
This month, I had a short interview with
Jess Stanley, the drummer with heavy
metal band 'Ashen Reach'. The band have
recently toured Russia supporting 'Bullet
for my Valentine' and have undergone a
lineup change. They are now firing on all
cylinders and ready for their next adventure.
Jess is 20, by day she works at Heaton’s in
Birkenhead (very rock ‘n’ roll).
When did you first become interested in
drums?
I would have been around 12 when I first
started music lessons at school; I then had
private lessons and managed to progress to
Grade 5.
So, who was your biggest influence.
You won’t believe it, but my interest in
drums came from family nights playing
Rock Band. Me and my brother Jack would
fight over the drums and Dad and sister
Isabelle would do the same with lead guitar.
Mum took the job of singer – they were
great times, we had so much fun. It’s like
Ashen Reach really, we take our music very
seriously, but we have real fun too. We are
a family.
Charlotte Jones is a 19-year-old singer/
songwriter currently signed to Big Condo
Records, a label in Liverpool.
She studied music at LIPA Sixth Form
College from 2016 – 2018 and with the help
of Royzy Rothschild, her manager, Lotty is
hoping to make 2020 her year.
Visit www.facebook.com/reallottymusic/
for more information.
62 wirrallife.com
Do you have a favourite piece of kit?
(Laughs) no, I am not a gear head like the
boys. In fact, I have been using the first kit
I was bought for years. I am starting to look
at equipment a little closer of late. Dad and I
went to buy a cymbal recently. A Paiste 900
series crash from ADC Drums in Liverpool.
Do you write music at all?
The band writes collectively; we all have an
input and really bounce off each other.
What’s next for Ashen Reach?
We are heading to the studio in October
to record our next single. We will record
two tracks and select one at the end of the
session. We are also recording an album
in February next year so there are exciting
times ahead.
Jess was a joy to talk to, she was grounded,
dedicated, passionate and so, so happy.
If you want to check the band out…
https://www.facebook.com/ashenreach/
STOP PRESS...
Always up for a challenge, Henry Priestman
is currently straying out of his comfort zone
co-writing songs for a new musical 'Looking
for Jim' (set in a Leeds care home) written
by John Beck (Grammy winning writer of
Corinne Bailey Rae’s Put Your Records On).
You can catch Henry at West Kirby Arts
Centre on 28th September; the last two visits
in 2017 and 2018 were both sell outs, so he is
hoping to make it a hat-trick!
Visit: www.facebook.com/henry.priestman.3