As the last Christmas plate is washed up and the scraps of wrapping paper are sorted and carted off to the recycling bin for another year, we’re all looking for something to keep our festive flame alight, and we’ve got just the thing. Sadly this year’s Joyzine Advent Calendar was cut short (as explained here) but that means we have loads of brilliant songs still to share with you over the coming days to lighten the trudge towards the new year.
As with all of out songs this year, if you enjoy them we’d love you to consider supporting the excellent work of First Timers Fest in creating opportunities for people from under-represented backgrounds to learn an instrument, form a band, write some songs and get onstage, by making a donation here.
Today’s track comes courtesy of long term friend of Joyzine Mikey Georgeson (David Devant & His Spirit Wife, Glam Chops, Mr Solo, The Civilised Scene) and a new collaboration, The Middle People, with Portuguese painter and musician António Olaio. The duo released their debut album Revenge of The Killjoys in September, which was accompanied by an exhibition of paintings and printed works made in response to the album. We have a track from the record for your delectation today.
We caught up with Mikey to find out a little more:
Who are The Middle People?
Antonio formed ironic techo-pop group Reporter Estrábico in the 1980s, inspired by psychedelia and the visual language of Pop art. Like Mikey, calculated nonsense pervades his practice; polysemy marks his images and the short texts that can accompany them. Like Antonio, Mikey who formed the art-school pop-happening David Devant and his Spirit Wife, is an academic and known for his performance-based presentations. Both artists are also painters who place their work in a personal context of improvised commitment to the contingent melody .
Tell us a little about your track
‘Hello John’ is in a sense a call to an androgenous Father Christmas as the bringer of the mysteries of adulthood “hello John now that mummy’s gone shall we meet on mother’s Day?”
Christmas songs – love ’em or hate ’em?
I believe in Christmas songs and as a member of Glam Chops feel I have been into the Tabernacle of the Christmas hit making community. My faith in the power of Christmas songs is immutable.
Download ‘Hello John‘
Make a donation to First Timers
The Middle People: Bandcamp
Mikey Georgeson: Website / Instagram
Catch up on all of this year’s Advent Calendar Tracks so far:
1: Piney Gir – Reindeer
2: Gabriel Minnikin – Said Information
3: LOUD WOMEN ft. Smallways, Butterknife, Daddy Issues, Witch Spit, R.U.B, Vipersnatch, Worm Girlz, Lady Lazarus and Stabbitha & The Knifey Wifeys
4: First Timers Fest ft. Gay Skeleton Club and Skutterfly
5: Goo Records ft. Jopy, The Stanford Family Band, Owners Club and The Roebucks
6: Dead Horse – Historic
7: Gemma Rogers – Never Have I Ever
8: Umarells – Closer
9: MJ Hibbett – Moshi Twistmas
10: The Indelicates – Mom Is Waking Up (acoustic)
11: The Fades – Caca (BBC 6Music Session)
12: West Midlands – Totally Killing The Community Clinic
13: Subliminal Girls – Mid-December
14: How To Swim – Soul One
15: Forming – You What
Festive Finale: Stuffed Foxes, One Big Family + Maps & Muir
Advent Extra: Prismatiqk – Hannah & Gabi
Advent Extra: Electric Pets – Stumblin’ In
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