In Conversation with Amanda NG (August 2009)

In Conversation with

Amanda NG

August 2009

Done live at Dukes 92, Castlefield, Manchester

A little background:

Over the years doing Setting Sun, when possible
it has being good fun to revisit acts
and do follow up interviews with them somewhere along the case.

Amanda NG, a talented young singer songwriter from
Manchester but originally from a land far far away who
mixes elements in her sound off dreamy piano ballads
with jazzy pop to name but two things contacted me about
nine months after we first met and asked me would I like
to do a second interview with her for Setting Sun.

After seeing her do an enjoyable gig in Manchester just
before that, I said yes straight away and this interview
happened a few weeks later.

The interview was as straightforward as interviews
can be, and I had a good natter with Amanda.

For more information on Amanda go to her myspace
page which is:

http://www.myspace.com/amandafoxylady.

Thanks Amanda as always!.

Cheers.

Andy N x.

. .

Interview with. Amanda N.G. August 2009.

SETTING SUN

GREAT TO SEE SINCE THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE
YOU HAVE NOW AND YOU HAVE STARTED PLAYING
LOTS OF GIGS - HOW HAVE THESE GONE SO FAR?

AMANDA

Stressful! Due to some unreliable musicians. But
so far, so good. I'm in the middle of organizing
some more gigs. The last gig gave me a lot of confidence.
Last time we spoke I hadn't done many but after the
last gig, I want to get out there and do lots more.

I've also recently done my first photo shoot at
Prohibition and.

General Store, Manchester.

You can see the pictures at.

http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.terra-preta.nl/blog/foto-shoot-amanda-in-manchester.

And on my myspace page at: www.myspace.com/amandafoxylady.

Also, my web site is being built at
the moment.

SETTING SUN

How did that go?

AMANDA

It went brilliant and took 13 hours
to complete the shoot. Now I can't
wait to do some more.

SETTING SUN

I WAS AT YOUR GIG AT MANCHESTER
ACADEMY 3 RECENTLY, CORRECT ME
IF I WAS WRONG BUT WAS THAT YOUR
FIRST GIG SINCE THE ROYAL EXCHANGE
IN 07? 08?

AMANDA

2008.

SETTING SUN

I REALLY ENJOYED IT. THOUGHT
BOTH OF THE GUYS BACKING YOU
REALLY ADDED SOMETHING
TO YOUR SOUND. HOW DID YOU
MEET RICHARD (KEYS AND SAX)
AND KIKI (GUITAR)?

AMANDA

I first met Richard at university
and he's like a little brother to
me. Kiki (Guitar) I met more recently
because of un-reliable musician
who let me down just two and a half
weeks before the gig. So I went
to a guitar shop in Northern Quarter,
found his number and met him the same
night. Happened to find out he was a
session guitarist who had played
for a number of bands in Spain.

SETTING SUN

EVEN BETTER. TAKE ARE BOTH
OF THESE GUYS NOW SIGNED
EXCLUSIVELY TO YOUR BAND?

AMANDA (Laughs).

Yes.

(Setting Sun laughs).

Richard is the most important
element of my kind of sound.

SETTING SUN

YOU COULD REALLY HEAR THAT
AT THE GIG WHEN HE REALLY
KICKED IN WITH THE SAX…
AND WHEN I HEARD KIKI I
THOUGHT OH S**T THIS GUY'S
A REALLY GOOD GUITAR PLAYER.

(Amanda laughs).

IT ALWAYS MAKES A MAJOR DIFFERENCE
I THINK TO YOUR SOUND WHEN YOU HEAR A
GOOD GUITAR PLAYER. HOWEVER IN YOUR CASE,
I THINK THE SAX IS MORE UN-USUAL
CERTAINLY AS IT REALLY BUILDS SOMETHING
DIFFERENT INTO THE SOUND. HOW DID THE
GIG GO FOR YOU CONSIDERING IT WAS
YOUR FIRST SINCE THE ROYAL EXCHANGE?

AMANDA

It went amazing - I was not nervous
at all in contrast to the Royal Exchange.
I think that night at the academy they
say we had about 100 or maybe 120 people
there and I wasn't even nervous. I just
tried to give it my best.

SETTING SUN

I KNOW NOW YOU'VE GOT A DRUMMER WHO
COULDN'T DO THAT FIRST GIG.

AMANDA

He was in Canada!.

(Setting Sun laughs):

SETTING SUN

THAT EXPLAINS WHY HE COULDN'T
DO THE GIG. I KNOW HE IS GOING TO
JOINING YOU FOR LIVE SHOWS
ETC. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR
DRUMMER, SAM?

AMANDA

I met his girlfriend randomly
at a restaurant that she is working
at and she introduced me to him.

SETTING SUN

OUT OF YOUR LIVE SET AT THE
ACADEMY, ARE THE DRUMS GOING TO
BE QUITE PROMINENT?

AMANDA

Depends.

SETTING SUN

OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST TWO
'DEEPEST EMOTIONS AND
'UNFINISHED BUSINESS' WERE
THE FIRST TWO FROM YOUR MANCHESTER
SET ARE MORE PIANO BALLADS.

AMANDA

Those two may well have soft drums.

SETTING SUN

HOW DID YOU FEEL THE SONGS ARE
NOW SHAPING UP NOW YOU HAVE
THE BAND BACKING YOU?

AMANDA

I think it's great as they have
had added much more atmosphere and
entertainment to my performance,
it is an important element that
cannot be missed and makes it more
enjoyable for the audience and us.

SETTING SUN

I KNOW FROM THE LIVE SET THERE WAS
ONE TRACK I HADN'T HEARD BEFORE
'UNFINISHED BUSINESS' -CAN YOU TELL
US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT
TRACK?

AMANDA

Well - to be honest it isn't
about one particular person - it's
for everything and all the possibilities
with somebody where sometimes where
maybe the situation or the timing isn't
right. It's a song, which sums up the
same reason that would trigger all the
old memories for myself, and I can share
with the world.There is too much
unfinished business.

After listening to this, you might
think that I wrote this because I was
heartbroken but it’s really not the case.
Most of the time the situation may not
allow us to be together.It is just something
that can apply to a whole host of
situations.

SETTING SUN

IT WAS NICE TO SEE A RANGE OF MATERIALS
FROM UNFINISHED BUSINESS TO THE MORE
POPPY STUFF ON THE SET SUCH AS WHAT
IS LOVE..., IS THERE ANY CHANCE YOU MAY
DO A HARD ROCK SONG TO GO WITH IT?

AMANDA (LAUGHS).

I haven't done one of them yet. Would
be a challenge certainly.

SETTING SUN

I'M JOKING SERIOUSLY - DO YOU THINK
YOUR MATERIALS ARE MOVING INTO SEVERAL
DIFFERENT CAMPS OR TERRITORIES?

AMANDA

Definitely… Unfinished business is
for example a piano ballad as is
Deepest Emotions. I then move to
My love, My life that is more
upbeat and so on.

SETTING SUN

IS THERE MORE STYLES YOU WOULD
LIKE TO TRY NOW YOU HAVE THE
BAND SUPPORTING YOU?

AMANDA

I would like to mix Jazz
with pop and indie rock.
Should be fun.

SETTING SUN

CERTAINLY WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH
A GOOD GUITARIST SUCH AS KIKI, IT
WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO GIVE
HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY
ONCE IN A WHILE.

AMANDA

I totally agree. For example,
he created a fantastic solo
for Unfinished Business.

SETTING SUN

LAST TIME I SPOKE TO YOU, YOU
WERE HOPING TO GET THE ALBUM DONE
BY THE END OF LAST YEAR - HOW IS
THAT LOOKING NOW WITH THE BAND A
LSO IN PLACE?

AMANDA

Better than I expected because
as a person I am more determined
to show the world what I can do
creatively and obviously, as I am
getting a little older and a
little bit more mature, it
is a case of doing it now
or never.

SETTING SUN

HAVE YOU GOT MANY MORE NEW
TRACKS ON THE GO ALSO?

AMANDA

Unfinished business is a new
track and there are three or
four more new tracks on the
go also.

SETTING SUN

LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING
THEM. GIGS ARE CLEARLY THE NEXT
STAGE FOR YOU THEN?

AMANDA

Basically - having played at
Manchester Academy 3 I was
delighted with my and my
bands performance as well
as the audience's reaction.
I was delighted with all of
it. Now I want to do lots
more gigs.

I have lots of plans for the
future. I want to write more
songs and do lots lots more gigs.