Interview: On The Deck live music sessions with Harry Tremlett
A group of musicians and filmmakers are launching a new live music session named On The Deck in Southsea.
On The Deck will be a concise and comprehensive approach to documenting and promoting the diverse wealth of musical talent Portsmouth and Southsea have to offer, comprising the organisation of the live sessions and the recording, editing, and sharing of videos of the performances.
I interviewed Harry Tremlett, spearheading member of the On The Deck sessions and guitarist for local alternative band Blackfoot Circle.
What is On The Deck all about?
Where to start! Maybe a year or so ago, I had this idea to try and do some kind of live music sessions in one of the local Southsea bars. It has taken some time to develop this idea and find the right people to take this forward but we now think we are ready to get started.
After meeting a guy called Josh and sharing the idea, we could see that we both had the passion and expertise to make the live sessions happen.
We are a new startup and we want to incorporate elements of what makes Southsea great and bring them all together. We will be working with musicians on records, videos, and live sessions whilst trying to get local businesses to help us along the way. This way, it’s all very fresh.
We are bursting with ideas at the moment with where we would like to end up. I guess that our goal is to be able to cater for people’s needs whether that is recording audio tracks or filming videos for artists and businesses all over the south coast.
Which local musicians will you be working with for On The Deck?
We have just shot our first session with Megan Linford, and she was absolutely great. Really well-rehearsed, and what a voice she has for someone so young! She comes across years beyond her age so we are really excited to have gotten that video out.
We filmed the session with Megan in Al’Burrito, who have recently renovated their bar, and it looks incredible. If you haven’t, check it out if you’re ever wandering down Albert Road.
The influx of people wanting to do sessions has been excellent. We hope that we can work with as many musicians and bands as possible.
Our next session, which we are very excited to shoot, is with Paddy Taylor. He is a really down-to-earth guy, who’s first single has been in the Top 40. We are shooting something very special with him, which I can’t say much about, but it’s definitely something worth waiting for.
What’s your background in music and film?
We have a bit of a team here — I have always been in bands since a young age, maybe since I was 14? I’m 20 now and I play in Blackfoot Circle. We released an EP back in February called Modern Heartbreak, and are working on new releases currently. Everything with the band is ticking along nicely — again, I can’t say loads about the future, but it’s all very promising!
We also have Josh Johnstone, who is heading the film side of things. He’s studying Entertainment Technologies at the University of Portsmouth. Having gained most of his experience and camera skills from shooting sports, it will be a new challenge to rise to, to be shooting music sessions.
There is also George Regan. He is a singer-songwriter who has played various shows in Southsea over the last year. He’s also plays bass in local band Electric Arms who are currently working on writing a new EP.
Which venues will you be working with?
The great thing about our city is that there are some really innovative, modern, and exciting businesses and events popping up all over the place. We want to work with all of them if we can!
We are trying to promote not just musicians and bands, but also local businesses and events. Whether this means shooting in their shop, or wearing a T-Shirt — we are open to all these ideas. Southsea has so many things going for it and we would like to do our bit to help put it on the map!
What do you love about live music in Portsmouth?
Live music is amazing in general, isn’t it? There’s nothing like being at a live show and feeling that kick drum hit you in the chest — it’s exciting, but sometimes seeing a quiet acoustic act can have just the same effect.
In Portsmouth, both ends of the spectrum are well-covered, and you can watch someone different almost every day of the week. With venues like The Wedgewood Rooms and Little Johnny Russells, it’s all available. There’re some really up-and-coming bands here, too, playing shows all across the UK and Europe.
Keep up to date with On The Deck’s live sessions through the project’s Facebook page »