Billboards: Video

Check out this video of yours truly singing 'Billboards' which will be on the new album.



Tamara Parsons-Baker from Henry Stead on Vimeo.

Billboards

The Common Room Review

Check out this neat review of The Common Room music weekend by Tom Jowett.  Huck and the Handsome Fee played on the Sunday and enjoyed a great weekend of live music at the Jericho Tavern. 

The Fee have also just had some rather exciting news about a gig we're playing in February. More news to follow in the New Year.

The hardest thing about being in a band is naming it.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat... and, with two practices under our belts, the new band is burning to start gigging. The way things are going I think we will be ready by March. 2010 has been a year bursting with music and definitely the best fun so far. Joining Huck and the Handsome Fee and hopping over the pond for our US road-trip tour was an experience I'll never forget. I recorded my solo EP with Humphrey in Martin's Studio 101, and then finally formed my own band. Sounds pretty busy already and I've not even got onto all the great gigs like: supporting Simon Armitage (article here), and Borderville at the Jericho Tavern - Caroline Bird, Yo Zushi and Ute at the Isis - and Ulysses Storm at the Cellar; The Fee headlining London Poetry Systems' April show at the Jam Factory with Laura Dockrill and Luke Kennard; and our fearsome US launch show with Undersmile. Oh, and Glynn Maxwell at The Vaults. So many great bands, poets and artists - racking up the memories! The EP, including artwork by the darkly brilliant Elisa Muliere, will be ready for the start of 2011 to kick-off what I hope will be another year of hard work, exciting times, and plenty of plenty of music.

Gigs this month:

16th Dec: SOLO GIG: I'll be playing at the Brickworks. They are featuring architecture work by Christine Murphy and Christine Murphy, Iris Michailou, Widget, Adrian Buckle and more.

17th Dec: Huck and the Handsome Fee will be supporting Undersmile's album launch at the Bully with Desert Storm and Komrad.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me thus far and have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

T x

The First Rehearsal

So, the new band had its first rehearsal on Friday and it couldn't have gone better, especially considering I hadn't even heard two of the members play before.  I was in a few bands at school and I love being in the Fee, but I've never had my own band playing my songs. For some reason I'd always seen myself as an acoustic solo artist and, despite secretly craving a band, I always ended up joining other people's rather than starting my own. Friday felt like the beginning of something special. I feel really lucky because not only are the band all grimly talented, but we're also having loads of fun with the songs.  'Real Bad Lover' is one of those songs in which you can really let yourself go and explore the building chaos of a pretty warped story, bringing in some slightly sinister cabaret sounds into the mix.  It contrasts dramatically with 'Hang My Picture', which is soft for the most part, but then gently builds to a huge sweeping sound that snaps back down in an instant.  Each member has a real style of their own - but what's great is that we all seem to be able to mould these together without steering the song away from the story I'm telling. Such a sensitive bunch of mercenaries! We've got another rehearsal next week and I can't wait, I have such a good feeling about this.

New Song: Hany My Picture

Just a quick note to let you know that 'Hang My Picture' from my new album of the same name has just been uploaded to myspace.  The album is due to be finished ready for release in the new year. Enjoy!

Listen here.

New EP and more...

Things are steadily coming together for my new solo ep and new band.  Elisa Muliere has been working hard on the artwork for the ep which will be entitled 'Hang My Picture'. Once the artwork is finishedthe disc will go into production, and an album launch will follow. I can't wait!

The members of my new band have been chosen and the first practice booked, now all I need is a band name. Tamara and the Hurricane has been suggested after the famous NOLA cocktail and, just as powerful but less popular, meteorological hiccup, but I think I'm back to the drawing board on this one. Suggestions welcome and greatly appreciated! Answers on a postcard..

Huck and the Handsome Fee  have finally rediscovered their feet after the America trip. We played our first gig back in Oxford last week at the Cellar for Halloween. Undersmile (link) played a juggernaut of a set and we are very pleased to announce that we will be supporting their new album launch on 17th December. The Fee will shortly be expanding its sway over Manchester and London, so watch this space!

Oh, and here is a nice blog by the southbank centre with a review of my song 'Lover' which I played at The Jericho Tavern in support of Simon Armitage.

Nawlins

New Orleans.  Oh how we miss you with your stormy cocktails, haunted houses and howling horns. After watching ZZ Top and Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers in Dallas we drove all night (9 hours) to reach NOLA.
Hell, we can sleep in the day and, by golly! "we've got a gig in 12 hours?"  Tommy, Bat and Henry took shots of powerful hyper-caffeine juice, and Huck and I rolled in and out of consciousness making sure everything was in order. "Yerp! Argghh." We crossed the Eads Bridge as the sun rose. I rubbed the half sleep from my shrew eyes, looked out and saw that we'd finally made it to "The Big Easy". 


Central New Orleans feels massive when you first arrive.  We trudged to our first gig at Checkpoint Charlie's (at least the beer was cheap) I felt I'd never find my way around this place.  But little did I know, it was yet another grid city, and I do love my grids. After a day it was a pleasure to be able to walk everywhere instead of drive for ages just to have breakfast.  We were nicely settled for 5 days in NOLA and there was gumbo to be munched and beer to be drank.  It was like a vacation on vacation. 


Shouts of "Who Dat!" bounced around the french quarter. "Who is that?" We pondered... It wasn't long before a busty, blonde bar maid explained that it was the chant for The Saints, the local football team, who had a game that weekend. The response? "Ain't Nobody!" of course, and we joined in all the way to the next bar. Well, when in Rome...


The Hurricane's flowed and we found ourselves squished into The Spotted Cat for a bit of swing-time. Little did we know but we were in for a treat. I  asked a fellow punter for a light. By a stroke of luck it was Mr Mike Menke - and he informed me that the band about to come on was Davis Rogan (of "Treme" fame) and his amazing band.  It was a "totally awesome show, man WHO DAT?" Well, it would be after a night full of Hurricanes. The evening rolled into the morning and all I remember is ending up in some rock bar playing pool whilst Henry and Tommy snuck pickled gherkins into Bat and Huck's beers. "Cheers!"

The Circle Bar was a fantastic place, situated on the only round-a-bout I saw in America. The atmosphere was warm, friendly and quite rowdy.  There was a smattering of fine bands and it was shaping up to be a great gig, our final one in NOLA. The crowd seemed to like us and even danced to Christine. I didn't know it was possible. We were followed by one of the best bands I've seen for ages, Agent Ribbons. Our new pal Mike came along to see us, and recorded the whole thing too - so be prepared for The Fee's US sessions coming soon to a Woolworth's near you.

So how does one top of all that before flying to New York? Well, an afternoon in a swamp feeding marshmallows to alligators and an evening listening to traditional jazz in Preservation Hall seemed like a good idea. "Argh, big lizards playing trumpets!"