Case Study - Let's Eat Grandma
One of the most exciting and rewarding things about working in music education is watching young musicians and bands develop and grow…and go on to do brilliant things. A good example of this is a young duo called Let’s Eat Grandma....
Writing about their appearance at this year’s Norwich Sound + Vision Festival (NS+V), John Robb from respected music blog Louder Than War said:
“Lets Eat Grandma are stunning. In a new band field of blokes and guitars doing the indie thing it takes two 15 year old girls to set the standard…. eccentrically brilliant and original beyond their years [they] stand out from the surrounding pack with originality, stunning songs, captivating vocals and addictive dark melancholic drone music.”
LEG and CMELet’s Eat Grandma are Rosa and Jenny, both aged 15, from Norwich. We first met the girls in March 2013 when they came along to our Youth Music funded Songwriters’ course at The Garage. The girls are a whirlwind of over-excited energy with a huge enthusiasm for expanding their musical universe. They signed up for pretty much everything we had to offer, from singing tasters and featured artist sessions to music video making. They regularly attended weekly supported rehearsal sessions which we deliver as part of our Accelerator project which supports young musicians aged 13 to 18.
The girls describe themselves as “a quirky, experimental young duo consisting of two mad music enthusiasts who met aged four while crayoning abstract pictures in a reception classroom.”
“We create atmospheric music,” they explain, “using vocals and variety of different instruments including saxophone, mandolin, percussion, guitar, recorder, drums, harmonica, ukulele, cello and keyboard effects. Entwining other aspects of the arts into our music, such as stage theatre, costumes, wacky hairstyles and personalities is also part of the act.”
Let’s Eat Grandma refuse to be constrained by any genre or musical conventions. They say: “We are influenced by music in general – our music not one single genre. Our style is abstracted from many different sources and we also incorporate aspects of our personalities, interests and opinions; with topics featuring fairy tales, tree houses and chimpanzees … for example a fascination with the unconscious mind has lead to a composition involving the kazoo, the harmonica, the triangle and unnerving screams.”
Formal music education hasn’t always suited their experimental style , so CME’s user-centred approach was ideal for the band. “Community Music East has been the biggest help for us – encouraging, friendly, dedicated – particularly when schools are less understanding (our response to music has puzzled teachers and been labelled musically ‘incorrect’ on a few occasions). But CME has clarified that we are not (entirely) insane with the way we create music, supporting us and offering us some fantastic opportunities to really get going with our music.”
CME tutor Alan Southgate who delivers on our Accelerator programme says: “Of all the young artists I’ve had the pleasure to work with, Jenny and Rosa, from Let’s Eat Grandma are perhaps the most uniquely talented. Their approach appears haphazard and unconventional at first, but spend some time observing their creative process and it’s clear that both girls tap into an unselfconscious, unrestrained kind of genius. I assume – and I think they would agree – that this is the result of having been life long friends. The way that they explore new instruments and musical ideas retains the innocence and intensity of small children at play. I’ve never come across anything quite like it before – mesmerising and magnificent.”
First gigsOne of their first gigs was at the NS+V Young People’s Showcase at Epic Studios which we organised as part of Young Norfolk Arts Festival in June 2013. They played it fairly safe (for them), playing (mainly) guitars and including some (delightful and beautifully arranged) covers in their set.
By the time they played NS+V Young People’s Stage in at The Garage four months later they had gained the confidence to bring their other instruments to the stage and most of their set was originals. Their first encounters with sound engineers was an education for all concerned. “Can I have more ankle bell in my monitor please,” isn’t something engineers hear every day.
Let’s Eat Grandma at a live video making session at Epic Studios 2013
Live at The Waterfront June 2014
The band organised their own gig at The Birdcage with other Accelerator bands, hand drawing tickets to give the attendees. They took part in the Music For Youth festival in Norwich, where the mentors were blown away by their kooky set, and they were invited to play the national festival in Birmingham.
It wasn’t long before they caught the attention of record labels and managers, and the the girls have recently recorded their much anticipated (and yet to be named) debut album which is due for release next year on Hand of Glory records.
The girls confirm that it’s their unique friendship that helps them create their music. “There is a curiously odd brain connection between the two of us, and strangely very often we know what the other person is thinking. It interests us that we are frequently mistaken for twins, and it seems our minds do work on the same wavelength. This becomes incredibly useful when creating music – as we may as well be one person with two brains (for creating ideas), four hands (for expressing them), and four feet (yes, we do also play the piano frequently with our feet).” This we have to see!
Let’s Eat Grandma play their first London show on 5th December supporting former Stereolab singer Laetitia Sadie.
Dig That Treasure! Presents: Laetitia Sadier + Jane Weaver + Let’s Eat Grandma Cafe Oto, 18-22 Ashwin St, Dalston, London, E8 5th December More info
https://www.facebook.com/thelegofgrandma
Words: Clara Wiseman – CME Projects Manager Photos: Sarah Ann Corlett, Mark Wernham for CME