The Oxford, UK-based pop band Jonquil has gone through some major changes over the past year. The most notable of which is downsizing from a seven piece into a quartet. Recently, I had the chance to ask guitar player Robin McDiarmid a few questions about where the band is now and their upcoming album release.

Dan Cordie: Could you share with us a little bit about how your lineup change has affected your forthcoming album?

Robin McDiarmid: Losing the three members last year made us really reconsider what we were doing. We could either replace them all and keep going for the same type of effect or use it as an opportunity to go somewhere new. We went for the latter and put three into one. I think the music has ended up clearer as result of it. Even with the best of intentions, we would sometimes end up fighting for space. It’s also meant we had to think differently. Before the others left, we’d been playing together for so long that we knew what exactly how to play with each other, which meant we really had to switch on and think differently when we changed into a four piece. We hope it helps it to come across in a new way as a result.

DC: How has your recording and writing process evolved since you formed the band?

RM: The start of Jonquil was pretty much just Hugo experimenting in his bedroom. From that point obviously the band started to form but we kept going with the bedroom recording. The songs from the early recordings tended to be built layer by layer on the computer. When we started writing the EP, One Hundred Suns, we thought we’d try writing like a normal band, all plugged in and thrashing things out in our basement until we were happy with the noise we were making. Whilst we enjoyed the energy that process brought to the songs we thought that for the new album, Point Of Go, we’d write and record it somewhere between the studio, the bedroom and wherever we could rehearse. Fingers crossed it makes it a little more considered as a record as well as having that little bit of studio sparkle.

DC: What has been the greatest challenge with the recording of your new material?

RM: The time frame! From the first writing session to the end of recording it didn’t span much more than about six weeks. It was probably exactly what we needed though, It felt like we were on countdown but it helped us to focus.

DC: Can you let us know about some of your greatest influences in general and on the new album?

RM: We all have pretty divulging influences between us; Chic, various shameless 80s synth feel good records, Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate, but we’ve also really been appreciating things like Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon, artists who could deliver timeless and just beautifully crafted songs, even if we haven’t ended up sounding anything like them.

DC: Have any of the new tracks been played live yet? If so, how have they been received?

RM: We’ve aired three or four of the new songs at the live shows so far, other than some early errors remembering song titles people seem to be getting on with them, thankfully.

DC: Do you have any surprises in store for your album launch show in London?

RM: We’re going to play Rumours start to finish, without interruption.

DC: Will you be embarking on a more extensive tour, possibly internationally, following the album dropping?

RM: Yeah, and we’re pretty excited about it. First stop is at SXSW and onto some other states in March. Then back to the UK and then on and into Europe, which we’ve been pining for as we have some incredible memories. So we’ll pretty much be flogging that horse till it whimpers.

DC: What feelings do you want people to experience as they listen to Point of Go?

RM: We didn’t set out for a specific mood, but hopefully people will feel less cynical about things by the end of it. If not, it’s only an hour of your life so you can throw it away and go back to feeling morose afterwards.

DC: Where do you hope to be as a band by the end of 2012?

RM: If by the end of year people will still let us write songs, release records and play shows we’re not going to complain.

Be sure to catch Jonquil out on the road in support of Point of Go.

From our friends at restorm: I Am Harlequin music is epic indie pop with an electronic twist. Singer/songwriter and producer Anne Freier was born in East Germany, towards the end of the GDR regime. Her influences range from classical music, particularly the Russians of the 20th century (Prokofiev, Rimski-Korsakow, Rachmaninoff), to the advanced choir arrangements in Stephen Sondheim musicals, as well as Kate Bush, Rickie Lee Jones, Grace Slick and Joni Mitchell.

Her music is defined by progressive structures, quirky lyrics and innovative arrangements. I Am Harlequin music is epic indie pop with an electronic twist.

Here is a cut from I Am Harliquin's new single, The Liberty / The King's Daughter

I am Harlequin - The King's Daughter by I am Harlequin

When Anne is not at work on I Am Harlequin, she can be found working on a chaos of scores and scripts. But she admits that the bulk of her time is spent on writing new material for I am Harlequin.

I Am Harlequin live consists Jonathan McKemey – Drums, Daniel Lea - Violin, Keys, Electric Guitar, BVs, Lloyd Musto - Percussion, BVs, Jonny Hoyle - Keys, BVs and Cai Garcia - BVs, Bass

There's a lot to like about Scott Bartenhagen. When I first saw his performance of "Delta Fog" (see video below), I was struck by his haunting voice and dextrous guitar playing. It was immediately apparent that he's a talented musician, as further as evidenced by the fact that the NorCal native has already scored a spot on the Rawkblog and TwentyFourBit unofficial South by Southwest showcase in Austin next month. But what's interesting about Scott is not the steady build of buzz around him, but the fact that he is completely unlike any other singer/songwriter you or I will probably ever meet. For starters, he eschews self-confessionals for evocative imagery and science fiction. He's a meticulous lyricist, but he doesn't consider himself to have that "particular songwriting fuel" because he's a generally happy guy. When we spoke on the phone a few nights ago, I learned a host of other surprising things about him that have transformed me from a casual appreciator to a bonefied Scott Bartenhagen enthusiast, and I can't wait to see him live in Austin in a few weeks. Read on to find out what else sets him apart from other singer/songwriters of his ilk, and be sure to scroll down for a free download of "Delta Fog" at the bottom of this post.

Laurel Kathleen: One thing that struck me about your performance on "Delta Fog" was how well you play the guitar. Most singer/songwriters seem focused on utilizing the instrument as an accompaniment to their voice, not as an equally expressive part of their music.

Scott Bartenhagen: Thank you! Wow, thank you. I consider myself a guitar player, first and foremost. I love jazz, and many finger-picking styles. That’s something that I’m really interested in. An educator that I had at one point that was important in my development told me ‘No matter what you do, just try to be really good at it’. Guitar is very important to me, and because I’m so passionate about it I will improve. And hopefully that will become apparent...

Delta Fog-Scott Bartenhagen from Scott Bartenhagen on Vimeo.

Hurray for the Riff Raff are not your average folk band, and the story of how they came to be is certainly everything but. Alynda Lee Segarra was a 17 year-old girl fascinated by punk rock and the world outside of the Bronx in New York. She ran away from her aunt and uncle's home and traveled the country via freight trains. Finally stopping in Louisiana, Alynda found a place to call 'home' in New Orleans. She made ends meet by playing washboard in a group called Dead Man's Street Orchestra before eventually creating her own band. Alynda, Yosi Perlstein, David Maclay and guests combine a contemporary soft-rock and soul sound with the timeless folk of Bob Dylan and The Band. Alynda shared some of her fascinating story with me.

Kristina Villarini: What artists did you listen to growing up, and how did they influence your pursuit of music?

Alynda Lee Segarra: Growing up I was obsessed with 1950s musicals. As a kid, around ages 5 to 10, I would watch “West Side Story” and “The Wizard of Oz” repeatedly. I would learn all the words and try to imitate the singing, as best as possible. Especially with Judy Garland, I worked really hard on capturing her pronunciation and tone. There is something so warm and clear about her voice, it's very strong and yet it doesn't overdo her “smoky” sound. She goes right for the song and doesn't overplay anything. I recently understood how much that helped me.

Later, I got into punk rock of course, being a little weirdo. I loved the energy of the shows and listened to a lot of Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill. She made me love women before I understood I did too. Before I was too shy or scared to say I was a feminist I was singing along to “Rebel Girl” and when I got older and fell into folk music I found inspiration in all the greats: Odetta (Holmes), Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, Bessie Smith. I sang a lot of Bessie songs when I was a street performer. They're great to belt out, they taught me how to be powerful. Growing up, I stayed away from the classics like Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Neil Young, etc. I wanted to listen to more women, and I'm glad I did. It made me search. Only recently did I start to really get into those guys and now I feel I can fully appreciate it, with my own background. I can learn from them now. It's really exciting.