INTERVIEW: Megan Evans of Deer Shed Festival

It’s been a while since I attended a festival… Obviously, there were so many cancellations throughout the last couple of years due the pandemic, and I missed out on 2019 as I was busy hosting my own (well, my wedding which I aimed to be as festival-like as possible). So, this year I was desperate to find one that was as lovely as possible and suited my needs of being perhaps a little older than the average festival-goer without missing out on any of the best new music. Sadly, the last festival I went to in 2018, and my favourite ever festival experience – Indie Tracks – did not survive Covid, and so I was looking for a replacement; something equally as inclusive, chilled-out, family friendly, and of course hosting plenty of amazing female and non-binary bands and artists. And then I came across Deer Shed… And I cannot wait to attend for the first time next month!

A festival with a real family-friendly focus, whilst hosting an incredible range of exciting new artists – as well as an array of comedy, spoken word, literary and theatrical shows – it seems like the perfect fit.

We caught up with festival organiser Megan Evans to talk more about Deer Shed’s roots, its ethos and inclusive line-up, some of the most special Deer Shed moments of years gone by, and more… Have a read below, and have a listen to our special Deer Shed 2022 playlist , featuring some of our personal faves who’ll be playing at the festival, at the bottom of this feature!

Hi Megan! 2022 will be Deer Shed’s 12th year – congrats! Can you tell us a bit about what Deer Shed is all about, and how it all started out?
Thanks! Deer Shed was started by our founders Kate & Oliver after they struggled to find a festival environment that was right for their kids but that didn’t compromise on cool and interesting music and culture programming for them. So, thats very much the goal of the festival – to create a festival environment that is accessible and exciting for all ages and groups, whether that’s families with kids of any ages or groups of adults with no kids in tow. Our family friendly festival content doesn’t look down on or condescend  and our music line up (we like to think!) is about as current and exciting as it can be. We’ve found it really works though it can lead to some funny situations, especially challenging our comedians to deliver PG sets to families who are unafraid of some audience interaction…

What strikes me about Deer Shed and makes it stand out against other festivals at the moment is the good gender balance of the line up – was there an intentional and specific decision to do this, or does it just naturally pan out that way?
We’ve strived for a 50/50 gender line up for years now which, while we’re mindful about achieving that, we also feel has happened very naturally and organically. Our focus is becoming more about looking at our line ups from a point of view of how inclusive, diverse & neurodivergent our performers are, both across the music line up and the arts and comedy. Gender parity of booking is something we have to be aware of, but it naturally also happens as our wish list each year always has more female and non-binary artists than male. Like everyone, we can always do better though and we still have work to do to making sure the line up across the board is as inclusive as possible. It’s something the whole festival industry has to be aware of and do better at. It’s no good saying that there aren’t enough female headliners or that its hard to find female headliners, that’s just lazy booking in my opinion. As festivals we have the ability to put our faith in artists and make them headliners – we’re not powerless in this situation.

Over the last 11 years, you’ve hosted some amazing bands and artists including Anna Calvi, Adult Mom, Sunflower Bean, Big Joanie, Ezra Furman, The Go Team! and Honeyblood, but has there been a particular set that stands out for you as a personal highlight over the years? 
There are so many! So if I’m allowed a few…
Kae Tempest headlining Saturday night as the rain started to come down was incredible, it was so atmospheric and beautiful… like it was meant to happen. School of Seven Bells is another highlight. We always say Deer Shed is a great place to discover new bands and I was just in my infancy of working for Deer Shed back then, this band just nailed it and I remained a loyal fan ever since. Their final and last album Ghostory was stunning. Anna Clavi headlining in 2019 with that album was amazing – the lighting and sound is one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to and god the guitar playing is mesmerising. Ibibio Sound Machine, when we did a massive flash mob with the audience to ‘Give Me Reason’, was one of my highlights of the last ten years; audiences young and old had learnt this dance routine for this specific time in front of the main stage. Joan As Policewoman – I love her! When she came to Deer Shed and headlined the Lodge Stage I was completely star struck. Honourable mentions also for Lone Lady and She Drew the Gun.

And this year you’ve got some GIHE faves playing – Self Esteem, Nadine Shah, Denise Chaila, Billy Nomates, The Lovely Eggs and CMAT… Curating such awesome line ups must be a lot of work – how do you normally go about it? Is it all based on bands/artists that have got in touch with you over the year? 
We always have a wish list each year and we try to see as much as we can live. We’ll often head down to Leeds to the Brudenell or head to over other festivals or city based new music events like Great Escape to check out some of the artists we’re keen to bring to the festival. We keep a very close eye on new music being released and like to think we’ve developed good relationships and reputations with booking agencies whose rosters we rate. Really though, it always comes to what an act is like live, that’s where you can find some of the real gems. 

And for any upcoming bands/artists looking to apply for festivals next year, do you have any tips? 
More generally I would say spend your time reaching out to the right people in the right way rather than blanket emailing everyone in the world – find the festivals where artists you love are playing, work on a pitch and keep going! Festivals get a huge amount of unsolicited submissions, don’t take it personally if you don’t hear back!
Specifically for Deer Shed I would say email us (after July!!!) –  we can’t always reply to emails, but we are planning to launch an emerging artist comp for our 2023 event, so keep you eyes peeled. 

There seems to be a definite focus on making the festival as family-friendly as possible – what inspired the idea to do this, and stand out from other festivals in this way? 
We have always said that the festival should have the cross-generational appeal of a Pixar film, so we would say we are more of a festival for everyone, but especially if you’re a music fan and have children. The festival is for music fans but there’s so much other programming to get involved in and watch which is specially curated for families, everyone should have a great weekend! 

Do you feel much has changed over the last few years in the music industry’s treatment of new artists, particularly female and non-binary artists? 
Yes and no. It’s good that this has been identified, and organisations such as Key Change are in place to make noise and create positive changes in the way people of marginalised genders have been treated. Though the industry itself has a long way to go, agents along with promoters and festivals have to work together to make sure there is a connection and progression of acts across these areas. We all have a responsibility for this – there’s no excuses to not address these issues and create a more equitable and representative space for our artists. 

Finally, as we’re a new music focused site, are there any particular new bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
For artists playing at Deer Shed this year, I would say: Kobi Onyame, Brooke Combe, Mickey Callisto, Balimaya Project, CMAT, The Bug Club, Cortney Dixon, Beija Flo, Bess Atwell, CVC…  Outside of that, more generally, I’m really loving Lynks, Kills Birds, Taahliah, Bicurious, GUSTAF, English teacher & Dreya MAC at the moment! 

Massive thanks to Megan for answering our questions – we can’t wait to have the most wonderful time at Deer Shed festival next month! Deer Shed this year runs from 29th – 31st July in Baldersby Park North Yorkshire. Find out more information and get tickets at their website.

Listen to our special Deer Shed playlist here:

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Guest Blog: FES Break Down Their Top 5 Essential Pieces of Guitar Gear

Having just released their debut album, With Regards From Home, Leeds-Peterborough band FES have previously received acclaim from the likes of Guitar World, BBC 6 Music and Noizze, and have also wowed crowds at festivals such as Portals Festival and Bad Pond, and supporting LA duo Standards on tour.

Reflecting on themes of grief, loneliness and front-person Pollyanna Holland-Wing’s identity as a young queer woman, with the new album FES showcase their knack for delivering fuzzy, swirling riffs, creating quirky math-pop melodies with a catchy punk-pop energy. With its slick, scuzzy, emotion-rich anthems, With Regards From Home is sure to propel FES further into the stratosphere of music fans’ hearts.

To celebrate the release of the album, we spoke to Pollyanna about her love of her guitar equipment and the five favourite pieces she used on their 2017 single ‘Inside Out’. Read more below and watch a new, awesome ‘play along’ video of Pollyanna playing guitar to the track at the bottom of the feature…

For so many years I’ve always had to borrow equipment. It wasn’t until we started on ‘Inside Out’ that I started my own collection of equipment. It’s been a long journey getting our sound right and finding budget friendly equipment that still has a lot of oomph behind it, but I think I’ve nailed it now!

Marshall DLS 20
I really believe the amp is the most important part of my core guitar setup. I think you can plug a rubbish guitar into a great amp and you’ll be alright. But a great guitar into a crap amp will do you no favours. As well as sounding great, I needed an amp that was going to be slim and light to carry- my Marshall is just that! To help get my sound for ‘Inside Out’, on my amp I have the bass turned to 10 o clock, the mid at 12 and treble at about 1. I love a crisp clean sound from my amp that’ll rock a punch, but I believe it’s important to let the actual bass take charge of that low end. There’s no need to let our sound get muddy.

Stratocaster Guitar
I’ve always been a Tele girl for the most part and I think I even use one for the studio version of ‘Inside Out’. That middle pick-up sounds great on record, and I have no regrets! However, since then I’ve come to love the classic Strat. I can’t go back now! I love the total uniqueness and variety in tone. ‘Inside Out’ uses the middle pick-up which I find has the perfect balance in bass and treble alongside my amp. I think they’re quite complementary of each other. However, being in a three piece it’s imperative to still achieve those big sounds. The Strat definitely takes the cake over the Tele in this regard!

5 Ages Walrus Overdrive Pedal
Okay, so I believe I used the Fulltone OCD in the studio, but damn do I wish I used the ‘5 Ages’. This pedal just can’t be beaten in my eyes. I just love the versatility of it! It has five different types of overdrive which has been so handy when double tracking guitars in the studio. I used to swear by the Fulltone OCD but like many others, I fell out of love with the company and frankly the Ages does everything the OCD did but with so much more flavour. My personal favourite mode to use is the 3rd mode with the gain turned up to 12 o clock. I find that although I pretty much always have the overdrive switched on, I don’t like the sound to get too muddy. In ‘Inside Out’ there’s a lot of chord progressions and chord voicings that are important to not get drowned in overdrive. The major seven chords hold so much emotion in them, I can’t let them get lost.

MXR Micro Amp Pedal
This pedal is great! I don’t use it often but that doesn’t mean it isn’t as important as all my other equipment. I use it for the breakdown at 2:16 in ‘Inside Out’ to thicken out the sound. Like I mentioned earlier, being a three piece it’s important we sound as big as possible with the limited musicians in the band. Utilising pedals is our best bet at doing so. The MXR is straight to the point with one stomper and 1 big dial to control the gain. Bish bash bosh!

Walrus SLO
Gosh, this pedal is so dreamy! The thing I love about the Slo is the added low octave that it adds to reverb tails. This again comes in handy when wanting to create bigger sounds, but I find that it’s not too overbearing. Whilst some reverbs can sound like a huge cathedral, the Slo adds colour without losing itself in massive swirling worlds of reverb. I use this setting live just after the breakdown at 2:42 in ‘Inside Out’.

FES’ new album, With Regards From Home, is out now via Small Pond Records.

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Track Of The Day: ARXX – ‘Couldn’t Help Myself’

Following acclaim from the likes of Diva Magazine, John Kennedy, BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders and BBC 6Music’s Steve Lamacq for previous singles such as ‘Deep’ and ‘Not Alone But Not With You’, Brighton’s ARXX have cemented themselves as firm favourites with the release of their brand new single.

A swirling slice of honey-sweet pop, ‘Couldn’t Help Myself’ is a positive reflection on the freedom that can come from a break-up. Complete with the fizzing energy and empowering, gritty drive that we’ve come to know and love from the duo, a colossal anthemic musicality builds alongside the sassy allure of Hanni’s vocals, oozing a danceable, joyous vivacity as colourfully catchy hooks flow.

An immaculately produced pure pop banger, ‘Couldn’t Help Myself’ once again showcases ARXX as a band consistently honing and developing their sound to create the freshest, most addictive of tunes. Impossible to pigeonhole into one genre, ARXX continue to impress us with everything they do and remain one of the most exciting bands I’ve ever come across.

Of the track, Hanni explains:

“‘Couldn’t help Myself’ is a brutally candid reflection of a relationship gone wrong.  The exclamation of  “It’s not me, it’s you” epitomises the joyful fuck you spirit of the song.  This song is for; those times when break ups are a good thing,  forgiving yourself and getting rid of toxic relationships and for unashamedly just having fun.”

‘Couldn’t Help Myself’ is co-produced by Black Honey’s Chris Ostler and Tommy Taylor, with mastering from Katie Tavini. ARXX are releasing this single through Share It Music, raising money for Gendered Intelligence.

We can’t wait to catch this new single live when ARXX headline our night at Shacklewell Arms on 22nd July, alongside Lusa Morena and an incredibly exciting (currently secret) main support! Tickets here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Rosie Powell

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Five Favourites: Miss Leading

New Zealand born songwriter, producer, poet and activist Miss Leading has now shared her poignant new single ‘Woke‘. Having spent five years living in Scotland, she recently moved back to New Zealand where she founded the Eastern Sound Collective – a network of musicians based in Wellington with the aim of supporting and connecting Asian artists.

A response to the virtue signalling that permeated much of society during the Black Lives Matter movement, ‘Woke’ showcases Miss Leading’s knack for combining a sparkling, soulful musicality with a gritty social awareness and poignant sense of urgency. Watch the deeply stirring new video for ‘Woke’ here – of the video, Miss Leading explains: “The symbol of haircutting is that of ‘a thousand tiny cuts’, that accumulation of constant prejudice and its impact. It is also about pulling back the nice dressing to reveal something that makes people uncomfortable.”

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the release of ‘Woke’, we caught up with Miss Leading to ask about her “Five Favourites” – five albums that have inspired her the most. Read about her choices below:

Green Day – Dookie
Dookie was the first CD that our parents did not pick out. I think my sister only bought it because all her friends had said it was cool. She will attest to the fact that she has never liked punk. But I was instantly connected, the fast drum lines and the lyrics that fed the soul of a shithead teenager who didn’t connect with the constraints of the adult world imposed upon them. We sat there with the CD cover insert in hand, reading and singing along with the lyrics all afternoon until we knew every song by heart. I loved the secret track ‘All By Myself’ – a gift hidden for those who left the CD on play.


Jill Scott – Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 
I remember hearing ‘Love Rain’ on the radio and thinking “what is this?”… It was poetry and jazz and contemporary and sexy – “We made better than love we made delicious”. When I lose direction about where to take my music and poetry, I always return to this album. Each track is a story that glimpses into Jill’s everyday life. Her ability to blend spoken-word with beautiful vocals is seamless. I hold this as an aspiration to work towards in music-making.


Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
Singers that I will use to practice to are Aretha Franklin, Doris Day, and Amy Winehouse. Amy is undoubtedly one of the greatest singers of my generation. She knows where to place power in a line and where to let it just sit. True to jazz vocals, she plays with how a word should sound using her voice as an instrument. The more I dive into Back to Black, the more I realise how much of a lyrical genius Amy was too. Her stories of infidelity, addiction, use of swearing and slang, or named references to brands and objects stamp her music as a portrait of a period in time. This style pays homage to the boundary-breaking writing that jazz has always had a part to play. I try to think about this when I’m writing songs – “how do I want to bring my listener to the time and place I am in right now, and what language will I use to do this?”


We Were Promised Jet Packs – These Four Walls
I am not exaggerating when I say that I moved to Edinburgh because my favourite band lived there. What better way to pick a new place to live than one where you know there will be good music. And I am a big-time fan having seen them play in Toronto, Boston and all over Scotland. I love all of their albums; as musicians, they continue to develop and change in a way that their audience can move with them. The instrumentation of their music carries you through a full tide of emotions with fantastic build-ups that pull right inside you. Adam’s lyrics use beautiful metaphors and imagery that allow the listener to try to decipher what it may mean to the writer or let it be their own story – I’ve always related ‘Quiet Little Voices’ to how I feel about my nieces. I’d like to make music like this but haven’t quite figured out how. The album starts with ‘Thunder and Lightning’, which has gut-wrenching lyrics, but the music features the pretty tones of a xylophone and the final lines “I’m leaving!” brings a sense of liberation. The album finishes with ‘An Almighty Thud.’ A quiet song, beautifully written with words that seem to be a metaphor for vulnerability, perhaps fears of failure and imposter syndrome, which is relatable to most artists, if not most people. Good songwriting like this, the kind that you can enjoy on first hear and then as you look closer draw you in more are rare and why I will always be a WWPJP fan.

Noname – Room 25
Taken from this album, the track ‘Self’ is 1 minute 34 seconds of perfection. This piece says what it needs to say and leaves you to think about it. Noname’s cadence and words are unapologetic. Her style doesn’t over-perform or try to fit other people’s rhythms. ‘Self’ was the first time I’d heard the term “pussy” used to demonstrate feminine strength. “My pussy wrote a thesis on colonialism. In conversation with a marginal system in love with Jesus” – this line is gold. I loved seeing her perform live at SWG3 in Glasgow. Although a serious rapper, she is charming and isn’t afraid to show her enjoyment and have fun on stage with her audience.

Massive thanks to Miss Leading for sharing her Five Favourites with us! Listen to ‘Woke‘ here, and watch the affecting video below:

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