Arguably the centre of the Universe has to pass through Liverpool at some juncture; nothing else really can ever explain the abundance of musical talent that comes out of the city. Even those that have to live away from their beloved home still find that the passion for bringing new music into the world an overriding and natural part of the laws of attraction. Even for those based outside the sphere of arts in their daily life seek solace in it and for Karmamoi’s Joline Forshaw this is especially true.

Transformation happens because it must and even after having the pleasure of knowing Ms. Forshaw for a number of years and talking about music at two in the morning, it is a heartening prospect to witness the flowing of artistic endeavour in one dedicated to science. As the new lead singer with the Progressive Rock band Karmamoi, Joline Forshaw brings her band to Liverpool on Thursday 19^th March in support of Lifesigns. I was able to catch up with Joline ahead of the night at Zanzibar and reflect on the state of Progressive Rock in Liverpool and her thoughts of playing in her home town for the first time.

On behalf of the band, you must be immensely proud to be playing in Liverpool.

JF: “You have no idea! I didn’t ever expect to get a gig in Liverpool, I’ve really worked hard to get this gig with Lifesigns, they are a very well respected band and to have us with them has made us really proud as well because obviously John Young is from Liverpool, he’s the singer, keyboardist and project manager for Lifesigns. I’m a fan of the band anyway and I’ve been talking to him for about two years, as us Scousers have to stick together – that sort of thing and I joined my band and I asked him whether he’d ever consider us as a support band and then I found out about the Liverpool gig and he said would you like a Liverpool singer as your support band so that’s how we got the gig. So yes, we’re very proud, so it means all my family and friends get to see me play and it also means I get to play my home city which I made up with. It hasn’t got the biggest prog scene in the world!”

That’s the point isn’t it? As good as Liverpool is for its music, the one genre that never seems to go down too well is prog!

JF: “However, Anathema sold out the Anglican Cathedral didn’t they? It was literally jammed packed. So it’s really odd when you’ve got bands like Anathema, Antimatter and Alternative 4 – all prog-based from Liverpool yet nobody seems to want to play here, there isn’t a big prog scene here yet some of the really good bands in prog are from here, it’s really odd.”

However, those that enjoy it do get it don’t they?

JF: “A lot of people travelled to Liverpool as well to go to that gig last week so it’s really odd. I think though prog is having a resurgence as well and there is potential and we do have some people going to the gig and it will be good. I didn’t think we’d actually get to play Liverpool so it’s really, really nice that so early into my career with the band that I’m actually getting to come home so to speak.”

Didn’t you just recently do Italy as well?

JF: “We went over to Rome and it was the gig to introduce me to the fans kind of thing and it went down really, really well. I got some fantastic feedback from the audience like even after it had finished, they kept coming up to me and saying you are exactly what Karmamoi needed because I’ve got a lot of energy onstage and people were saying that my voice was very good and stuff like that so it was a major confidence-booster. As you know, I’ve always had a problem with stage fright, that’s the reason I took singing lessons for me it was a final confirmation that I could sing onstage and that I’d finally got over the fear as well. Going to Rome was it was really nice as we went to their existing fanbase with me as their new singer and it went down really, really well and we did some T.V. stuff there as well which was good.”

Congratulations on that because I was keeping up with that and it was heartening to see, it really was.

JF: “It was a fabulous experience, I finally got to meet all the guys in the band as well as I’d just been working with Daniele here really and I feel now that I’ve got a bit of an Italian home now, I really do. They’ve welcomed me in and it’s fantastic, they are really great guys.”

You have already released one single haven’t you?

JF: “We’ve done one with me on it, we’re on our third album but we’ve released one called Sirio which is our first single with me and then we’re in the process of recording our second which is really nice and it’s the first one that I get to write the full lyrics for – on the first one it was just one line. It’s a great song, anyone I’ve played the demo to has given really positive feedback, we’ve got some advice from friends on that one as well, so it’s good!”

Again, it seems very odd that you’re from Liverpool and you’ve got all this wonderful talent if I may say with everything that you do and I’m surprised that you have time to fit it all in and that is meant with the greatest of respect!

JF: “Music is my balance! My life is so science-based and I am a creative person and I felt a bit starved and overwhelmed when I was just doing science so actually for me it’s brought me back some happiness, it really has. For me, music is not about finance, I have a job – so to speak, for me it is purely about the love of it and so for me it has brought back the balance in my life and I’m very happy now.”

Nobody could doubt your passion, your love of music if they’ve seen you bounce so much at gigs!

JF: “I suppose! Music is my life, to be able to create it now as well as listen to it has completed me.”

I hate to bring your cousin into this, as he had so much space in Liverpool Sound and Vision recently (laughs) but do you think this sort of things runs in genes and in families? Your cousin Phil Hartley is one of the busiest people in Liverpool at the moment!

JF: “Yes! How many bands can that guy be in and run a record label and to all the other stuff. He’s ridiculously busy and immensely talented and he’s actually coming to see us which is nice and he’s given me some advice as well which is great. His sister though is also a singer and a drummer and her full time job is music so it quite possibly does run in the family!”

I’m pleased because knowing like I do and watching your progression over the years and fulfil this musical experience as I said earlier is heartening.

JF: “It’s been really fun and I have to say, that I don’t think I’ve had any negative experiences during it which is great. I’ve had a lot of negative experiences in the past and actually music is the one thing that hasn’t done that to me, it really hasn’t and I feel like I’ve found something that’s making me genuinely very happy. When I write something and sometimes you think oh that’s crap but when I write something that I really love then it makes me feel all warm inside and shiney! It’s great, I love writing and working with the guys, they send me their music and I think wow, this is amazing and I think am I good enough to write their lyrics? I just listen to it then and let the music tell me what it’s about. I let the music give me an emotion and when I get that emotion, that’s what I write about, I don’t just stick lyrics on it, I let the music that they’ve written tell me what it is about. The next song that we’re doing – Martes which we’re releasing in the next month or so, it’s been put off a bit as we had to write a full acoustic set and learn it for this gig so it’s kind of put the single off a month because we didn’t get the chance to finish it but we really wanted to do this gig because it was important, so the single will be slightly delayed as a result.

When I listened to the song Martes, it gave me a feeling of grief but also happiness, it was weird. The way that I’ve written it, the verses are about the grief, the loneliness and then the chorus comes up and it’s about being with the person that you’ve lost in your dreams and that’s what the music told me. That’s how I write; the only time I write lyrics first is when I write them first. I’ve written a few songs on the album, I’ve started them and I’ve done the first melodies and I’ve given the guys the chords and I’ve written the lyrics and my own vocal melody first. I don’t know what they’ll come up with as I’ve only given them piano chords, so we’ll see where they will go! I decided from the start which way those songs will go. One’s about narcissism and the other one is about loss and basically this album, every song is about an emotional journey, it’s like an emotional journey into the soul, that’s the concept of the album and every song is a form of emotion.”

I can’t think of a better way to describe prog though! Isn’t that the exact point, it’s the emotion that it comes from within to enjoy prog?

JF: “I’m a massive Steve Wilson fan to the point I met him a few days ago after waiting in a queue for hours when I met him and it was ridiculous. I was shaking so much I could barely say anything and the only conversation we had when I met my musical idol was about my name which was silly. I couldn’t think of any questions! Every song that he writes, the whole band are all Steven Wilson fans – that’s why I think we’re all on the same page, some people like this, some people like that but the one band that we’re all into and we’re all driven by is Porcupine Tree and Steve Wilson’s solo stuff so that means we have a point of reference and we all love his stuff and it’s all very emotional. My favourite song he’s ever done actually is about a serial killer, however, I love that song as it’s so enraged. I’ve written a song about narcissism and that inspired me about him is that he has the ability to get the personality of the person across and that’s something I’m hopefully working towards, I’m not there yet but I’m trying to be able to take the band on an emotional journey but I want to put the story in their heads. I’ve listened to a lot of Steve Wilson stuff and to find out how he does it, he’s an amazing songwriter and obviously if you find a great songwriter, you need think about what it is that makes you love their stuff and I love the fact that he puts those pictures in your head – I’m working on that now, he just inspires me.!”

Karmamoi’s album is due out in late summer and is called Solitary Binary System and Martes will be released sometime next month. Karmamoi are playing the Zanzibar supporting Lifesigns on 19th March.

Ian D. Hall