We're in the papers!! Click on the image to read the story in The Guardian about our single Jackie Weaver's Kicked Him Out!
Thrillled to bits to announce a collaboration between myself and the living legend that is THE Jackie Weaver from THAT parish council zoom meeting!
A week from start to finish, we've made a track which we hope will put a smile on your face!
Jackie Weaver's Kicked Hiim Out is being released on 15th March on all the usual platforms.
You can pre order it here! https://helefonix.bandcamp.com/track/jackie-weavers-kicked-him-out-ft-jackie-weaver-and-joe-rose
Lovely of Clash Magazine to feature the track too! Left field electronic tapestries https://www.clashmusic.com/news/jackie-weaver-supplies-the-vocal-for-this-new-electronic-track
In case you're curious, here's some background:
What made you decide to say yes to the idea from Helen? Not many women coming towards the end of their working lives have the opportunity to try something different – still feel true to their values and also feel safe. Helen offered me that opportunity and I took it!
What was it like hearing your voice on a pop song? I felt it connected me with a world I had never felt part of – a world of creativity.
What are you hoping will be achieved by it’s release? People will see that you don’t have to be old and dull to be passionate about local government – we can get involved and have fun along the way.
Imagine Helen’s surprise when the ‘woman of the moment’, Jackie Weaver, took the time to respond to a tweet she’d made, in which Jackie was tagged. Was this a spoof account perhaps? Or did it have someone else handling it? Surprising, it was neither of these. The two started messaging. Helen had an idea. What about writing and producing a fun track with Jackie’s vocals articulating her ‘trade mark’ comments and somehow weaving in those of the male protagonists. Would that work? She’d never attempted anything like this before. But Jackie was game.
Within five days of talking about the concept, they had a finished track. Initially Helen had to find out what sort of music Jackie liked and what was important to her sonically so she could create an arrangement and backing track which Jackie would be happy to be featured on/associated with.
Helen also wanted to ascertain how the track might help support those issues close to Jackie’s heart and work out how they could incorporate that. You will no doubt hear this reference, about the campaign ‘Make A Change’, half way through the track. Make A Change is about encouraging greater diversity and more accurate representation in local councils. (*more on this below)
Once Jackie had approved the demo track, Helen’s husband, singer Joe Rose, was roped in to perform the remaining catchphrases.
One of the interesting things about this single is that everyone involved is ‘middle aged’. Jackie and Joe are both 62 and Helen Meissner is 54. Not the usual demographic for a new pop trio! “It’s not the sort of thing people our age usually embark on and that is half the fun” says Jackie.
Not one to let age stand in her way, Jackie Weaver gained her degree in Person Centred Counselling in 2017. Joe is better known locally as local accountant John Froggett and Helen didn’t start making music til she’d turned 54 last summer. None of them like conforming to stereotypes and collaborating on this track has been great fun, a smooth ride and a hugely positive experience.
Just goes to show what happens when an idea is acted upon, met with a favourable response, and delivered.
“Jackie Weaver’s Kicked Him Out” by Helefonix (ft Jackie Weaver and Joe Rose) is being released on 15th March. It is a completely ‘home grown’ independent project without any involvement from a record label.
In a week independent artists Mogwai made the #1 spot in the album charts, is the scene set for another independent release to sail into the charts??
Further reading and quotes from Jackie
*Jackie feels that women in the public eye respond to a perceived need to ‘glam up’ and provide an airbrushed version of themselves and their lives. Where in actual fact, what goes on in the real world is much more low key and natural. It’s vitally important that everyone is encouraged to participate in local decision making, whatever their background, age or ethnicity, to be able to provide councils at every level which are representative of their constituency. She is a passionate believer in the Association of Local Council’s campaign ‘Make A Difference’. To find out more about this please click here: https://www.nalc.gov.uk/news/entry/1602-nalc-launches-a-new-campaign-to-promote-2021-local-elections
Thank you to all these lovely publications for featuring our track