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BALANCING THE BOOKS AND THE BAND

By Joe Reeves ⋅ December 10, 2007 ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

BEING A STUDENT AND A SUCCESS: ELLE S’APPELLE AND INDICA RITUAL

University is a breeding ground for talent. Whether it is literary, scientific or musical, the coming together of young, eager potential never fails to produce great things. To a fresher arriving for the first time in a city like Liverpool, the possibilities on offer can seem daunting – I know they did to me. Whether you’re here to get your piece of paper and get out into the real world, or here to make of it what you can, there is always an opportunity to stretch yourself. Particularly in the case of Liverpool, the music scene is a decent place to start stretching. From the small town teenager looking for an identity to the confident, frustrated musician looking for some kindred spirits to develop potential into product, the wealth of club nights, venues and promoters leaves you with no excuses for just sitting down and talking about it. Or does it?

To most, it is a question of priorities. There are times when university can be straightforward and everything runs smoothly, but as with all things in life, there can be times when it’s difficult to find a balance. When I first came to the city I joined several bands. I’d heard great things about the musical affluence of Liverpool and I wanted to be part of it. Things went well at the beginning but as I started to get more deadlines and shifts at work, I began to understand the complexities of commitment. How do you decide what’s better for you in the long run? Missing rehearsal to finish that essay or sacking it off and dedicating yourself to something you enjoy that could potentially be fruitless? To help me understand what tricks I missed and if I was just a gutless, idle stereotype, I spoke to some people who have it figured out. Elle S’appelle and Indica Ritual both have members who combine university, work and music with a dedication that puts most students to shame.

I met Lucy, the voice and keyboards of Elle S’appelle after their sound check at Bumper for their music week performance. She has an air of assured confidence which surprises me considering the fact that she’s a third year student who presumably has a lot on her plate. I’d heard the band recently on BBC 6 music where Steve Lamaq had made them his band of the week, pretty good going for a group that formed in February of this year: “Yeah, we’ve been really busy in the last few months, I’m never here, every week we’re in a different city”. So how do they manage to balance uni work with this hectic schedule? “Well I study popular music at Liverpool University, and I do miss quite a lot but because of the nature of my course, the tutors understand”. I can imagine that’s quite an advantage; it would probably be quite different if you were studying law or business for example. “Yeah, and it has helped me in other ways too, I’ve definitely got a better understanding of the processes and framework of the music industry through studying popular music”. So when you are here, and you’ve got time to work, how often do you practice, and do you prioritise music or uni? “We usually practice three times a week. Music takes priority for me, although I really enjoy my course and I hope to finish it.”

Although Lucy’s first priority is music, you can hardly blame her. After all, how many people would turn down the opportunity to make a living out of what they love doing? The commitment required to keep doing both is an admirable trait, as I could see myself dropping out at the first chance of musical success. This is an issue I put to Indica Ritual, who were sharing a stage with Elle S’appelle at Bumper the same evening: “Success is hard to define, in reality it’s a gradual process which you have to work at.” Four of the five members of Indica go to university in Liverpool and most of them have jobs on the side to help pay the bills. So they must be pretty busy, each balancing these commitments? “We practice at least twice a week and gig on average three times a month – although we’ve got a tour coming up in February so we’re going to really busy soon. We don’t practice nearly enough though, especially around exam time.” So where do they rehearse? From what I’ve heard it can be a real financial drain, having your own space with the freedom and time to work out new songs. “We’ve got a room at Elevator on Dale Street which is £440 a month. That’s one of the reasons we have to have jobs, to have the freedom of our own space and not pay hourly, which can put you under unnecessary pressure”. I suppose it helps that Liverpool has such a vibrant music scene, there’s got to be plenty of opportunities to play live, which is really the best part of being in a band: “That’s true, Liverpool has got so many decent venues and a really lively scene which always helps, when you compare it to places like Sheffield, Manchester or London where everything is spread out and there’s no real focal point”.

What I’ve learnt from speaking to Elle S’appelle and Indica ritual is simple, if you are willing to put the time and effort into your music and your studies then the balance will work itself out. After all, if you come to University with potential, be it academic or musical, and you work hard at both, the result will be a natural process where you realise what you want to do gradually. This process, of course, is helped enormously by being a student in Liverpool because as we all know, it’s a proven breeding ground for talent…

Elle S’Appelle are playing the Carling Academy on the 21st December. www.myspace.com/ellesappelleband

Indica Ritual are playing Zanzibar on the 27th December and Korova on New Year’s Eve. www.myspace.com/indicaritual