November 2026 Newsletter
WE REMEMBER THIS….
It all seems a bit surreal now but when Hollywood A-Lister Cate Blanchett was looking for somewhere to record her ‘Climate of Change’ podcast series she chose The Premises. We like to think she was craving some of that grit and glamour of Hackney Road but no, it was because we’d built Europe’s first (and even now, only) solar powered professional recording studio.
Starstruck? Us? Well, not quite so much after two series of the hit podcast and Cate, plus production crew had become Premises regulars. One day she stopped me in the corridor and asked, ‘Have you ever had royalty here?’ Er, not the kind you mean, Cate, but feel free... Then it became clear, Prince William had been booked in. Soon the royal protection squad were casing the joint, staff were brushing their hair, shining their shoes and ironing their dress uniforms. Of course, the man himself turned up in jeans, sweatshirt and loafers and loped up the stairs to Studio A. Neil Goody, chief engineer, recalls: “ William was a pro, they were in and out within the hour and to this day, one of our mic stands still has a little ‘W for William sticker on it.. so keep an eye out for that next time you’re in recording.”
Not every day here is like that one but... well, you really never know who you might bump into at the Premises.
OUR BIG 40TH ANNIVERSARY BASH!
On Saturday night, 10th Oct, Premises held their 40th anniversary wingding, hullaballoo, hoopla, gala, partaaay! Music was played, food was partaken in Hogarthian excess, drinks were imbibed, dresses were tight and make up was caked on, and that was just Oscar the studio cat.
This party in particular was very special as it was a joint effort, in spectacular colour, with our friends at Folded Wing, producers of many ground-breaking radio shows. who curated Studio One with a mixture of bands and DJ sets, including Makeda Krish and Karl Bras on the decks, Christ-Stephane Boizi with some of London’s hottest young jazz players, Richard Spaven, drummer du jour who also popped up to A to record a live set there, Nick Essa and the Fifth Foundation and Katie Puckrik, spinning her luxurious and decadent set of Yacht Rock. Yes, we have staff members on camera dancing to Steely Dan.
The effervescent ideas machine that is Karen Pearson, director of Folded Wing, mused on her long-term relationship with Premises, which started with her Red Bull Music Academy nights at Cargo. “Premises is where it all started for us in 2008 with Tony Allen, Ty and Baaba Maal, a beautiful connection. The joint anniversary party felt like four weddings put together. I’ve never seen so many smiling people in one place.”
And then at the halfway point, we were presented with a sumptuous meze spread, lovingly prepared by Nural and Ali from the Cafe. Nobody left hungry!
Studio two was notionally compered by your correspondent, though most of the bands and DJs started playing before I could introduce them, figuring I would wang on forever, as is my wont. They included our own luscious, pouting international master of all trades Santi, who played under the name Who Stole The Cat, a banging electronic project. Following Santi was great singer Alistair Eddy, who was followed by the highlight of the night for many: Clive Brown’s Urban Sound Gospel Choir.
The atmosphere was electric. Clive, in his bright red coat, commanded the audience and his choir with a frantic, dramatic flair. It's fair to say three quarters of the audience gave up all their sins, forever. Then we had a jaunty set by Will Jutton and the Let’s Go band, whose first LP was recorded here by our own Ula. Then it was the mighty Floss on the decks and a free for all hop on the stage kinda thing.
Up in Studio A, we had Richard Spaven again in a live recording for Soweto Kinch’s ‘Round Midnight’ radio show, followed by the psychedelic Natsuma, and Lebanese Blonde, a post punk duo. Then Kamran Khan, who has just released his debut LP, I Came From Nowhere and Nowhere is Where I am Going. Later on we had Endless Mow (aka our very own George) who got everyone into club mode with his DJ set. We are happy to report that no cops or ambulances were called, no fights, at least, none that we lost, and no neighbours in flammable nighties stuck their heads out their windows to shout, “Oi! Shut it!”
Huge, huge thanks to all our incredible staff who worked so hard, planning, organising, bar keeping, food serving, stage management, sound mixing and of course, clearing the place up at 3am ready for another day of business as usual.
Photos above by Sally Hossack. Lots more photos over here plus a short film of the party by Rob Humm of Soundcastle Media
We've been enjoying the soothing, sweet sounds coming out of the rehearsal room rented by Eaves Wilder, who combines a lightness of touch with a sort of lyrical ferocity with broad vocal reference points (and I do mean broad, as she sounds not quite like any of em) to 10,000 Maniacs, Kate Bush, Kristin Hersh, Tori Amos, and Julianna Hatfield, the last one in particular in terms of capturing the innocence of childhood. The contrast between her youthfully pitched, dulcet tones and the wilderness of her nature themed lyricism works beautifully in capturing the contradiction of what young people dream of, and the reality of, in Eaves’ case, thinking about the M25 and hanging out in Finsbury Park.
There is rhyme and reason for this.
“I love Finsbury Park a lot. I recently made a song using the sounds and frequencies of a favourite tree. As for the M25, there was a song on the record called that but it became something else. I think the tension on the album, between where I am and where I wanna be, being stuck in a rainy city, and yearning for somewhere bigger. and simpler and sunnier, wouldn’t have happened if I actually grew up on the Great Plains. Whatever I have, I always yearn for the opposite. As soon as we were filming The Great Plains and I’m on the moors freezing my butt off I was like sod this, I do not wanna be a cowboy.”
And does writing come in a creative rush, or do you treat it as a nine to five?
“I try to be disciplined about writing every day, and I kind of have to even if I don’t want to. If I go too long without writing I turn into a massive bitch, or like a rain cloud that can’t rain.”
Eaves Wilder’s album Little Miss Sunshine (Secretly Canadian) is available in shops and all streaming platforms.
WHO'S BEEN IN?
Oooh it’s been a busy October which is the way we like it. With... Ilma, Home Counties, Dexys Midnight Runners, Oliver, Folded Wing, Chris the Jungle Drummer, The Live 45s, Goldie, `Fatima Algadiri, Fossils, Constance Power, Reality, Alex Howard, Jocelyn Brown, Shelf Lives, Casey McQuillen, Jas Kayser, Michael Gentry, Lurine Cato, Alfie Friedman, Singing Bowie, Gavin Vincent, Ian Latham, Midnight Til Morning, Mark Fry, Abdul, Marie Dahlstrom, Charlie Bubbles, Monique, Duke Street Big Band, Mark Fry, Robert Fleming, Nathan Gibson, Dignity of Labour, Liz Chapman, Paul Winterhart, Hackney Roads, Dermot Henry, Beth Orton, Vula Malinga, Edith Turner, Renell Shaw, Helena Walsh, Jas Rivers, Mosaic, Daniel Casimir, Melody Fusion Tribe, Years Between, Toby Gad, Harrison Sands, Nubya Garcia, Sultans of Spine, Chinchilla, Talia Rae, House Gospel Choir, Aruba Red, Hannah Peel, Ella Nox, Hotwax, BBC, Going to Granny’s, Lust Ritual, Horrifix, Luke Harney, Simon Neilson, Broxton 100, Maia, Iman, Solitaires, D3LTA, Howard Gardener, Do It With Soul, Bedlam, The Irene Taylor Trust, Astrid, Clara, Khakikid, Sam Gotley, The Blue Dogs, Hadwin, Matt Felix, Not My Wife, Dixy, Luminara, Sylvie, Mike Lindup,`Horrofix, Simon Neilson, Guildhall, Isobel Waller-Bridge, The Party, Jonah Walsh, Luminara, Odeal, Chloe Slater, Sam Bryant, Girls of the Internet, Black Lounge, Business as Usual, London African Gospel Choir, Boy Kill Boy, Laura Mvula, Death Boy, Red Light, The Rotting Corpses of Enfield, Richard Spaven, Kloyd and many others.
AND FINALLY...
