Sing-Sing

Sing-Sing split at the end of 2007 but following is the press release for the last album which came out in 2005.
Lisa O'Neill and Emma Anderson, otherwise known as Sing-Sing, unleashed their second album entitled 'Sing-Sing and I' in 2005. Drawing on such diverse influences as folk-rock, heavy metal hammer-ons, a bit of Motown drumming, and just out-and-out pop, 'Sing-Sing and I' carries the distinctive Sing-Sing sound but, probably due to the extensive American touring, the songs are edgier, favouring guitars over the electronic samples that dominated debut album 'The Joy of Sing-Sing', whilst retaining Sing-Sing's trademark lyricism - personal and observational but still combined with a charm and wit.

The 'difficult' second album has legendarily been a challenge to bands. In Sing-Sing's case it was problematic for reasons other than the usual songwriting dearth. For Sing-Sing, it was just getting into a position where they could make an album.

Lisa and Emma had survived many punches since their inception in 1998 - lesser bands might have given up the ghost much further back down the line, but not these two women. There was never any doubt about in their minds that what they were doing was good, so, when push came to shove, the old adage, ‘If you want to do something properly, do it yourself', was applied. Four years after the release of their acclaimed debut album, the duo is ready to unleash their second album 'Sing-Sing and I', on July 11th.

Emma, the adopted daughter of a former army major and explorer, spent the first years of her life growing up in unconventional surroundings. Her father was the secretary of the Naval and Military Club in Mayfair and Emma lived in a flat overlooking Piccadilly in London until she was 14 years old. In 1988, during her college years, she and some friends formed a band called The Baby Machines which turned into a band called Lush. Lush signed to 4AD, put out 4 albums, graced the pop-charts and toured the world until tragedy struck in 1996 with the suicide of their drummer, Chris Acland, and Lush was over. It had been eight fantastic - but also hard - years and Emma was ready for new challenges. She had a batch of songs but no one to sing them so she put feelers out.

It was her friend Bunny who told her about a singer/songwriter called Lisa at her animation company who had contributed to an album called 'Morning Light' by Locust but was looking for a full-time collaborator. Emma had said album, stuck it on and was immediately impressed with Lisa's contribution. It also transpired that Lisa was the girlfriend of her then boyfriend's flatmate and they had actually already met! The double connection was too much to ignore... they met and hit it off at once.

Lisa O'Neill also had an atypical childhood but in a different way. Her parents had been very young when she was born and during her first few years in Manchester, she was surrounded by 1970s rock, English folk and psychedelia before upping sticks and moving to Montreal. There, she not only had to immerse herself in disco, but also learn and speak a new language. It was when she came back to London she started getting back into live music and bands. However, even though Lisa had not spent a lot of time recording her own material, her connection with Locust (real name Mark van Hoen) was to prove vital as Mark went on to provide Sing-Sing with the sound that would carry them through the years.

Sing-Sing's first few years are characterised by frustratingly travelling from pillar-to-post with labels. Singles came out on Bella Union, Fierce Panda and Sanctuary Records until the album The Joy of Sing-Sing was released on Poptones in October 2001 to very favourable reviews ("A supernova in indie's imaginary universe of perfect pop, for sure. Don't let this pass you by. (****)" David Stubbs, Uncut October 2001 whilst Ian Gittins in Q said in the same month, "A plaintive and persuasive debut that promises much (***)". LA-based Manifesto Records the released the album in North America the following year and Sing-Sing embarked on two US tours that took in SXSW in Austin and CMJ in New York. However, both record deals were only one-off licenses for that album so when all the promo was over, the girls found themselves label-less. They had been through enough label machinations for one band-lifetime so it was time to take matters into their own hands: Why not take start a label and sell the records through an online shop direct to the fans?

Autumn 2003 and Sing-Sing went back into the studio to record three new songs with Mark Van Hoen using their personal savings to fund the sessions. Furthermore, due to a fortunate chance meeting in a local Indian take-away, producer/mixer Alan Moulder (NIN, My Bloody Valentine, The Killers, The Duke Spirit) agreed to mix two of the tracks, 'Ruby' and 'A Modern Girl'. The EP was a risk but apart from supplying the patient fans with four brand-spanking new songs, the main purpose of the resulting 'Madame Sing-Sing' EP was to sell it through their online shop in order raise money to fund the second album. For another band, the risk might not have paid off but all went swimmingly for Sing-Sing.

Just one month after of going on sale, the EP had raised enough money to pay the girls back and to enable them to start recording again. This was achieved not just by sales but also by the overwhelming generosity of the fans - some donating even as much as £200 apiece. The girls were not only amazed but also truly humbled. People that they had never even met were sending in money so they could carry on producing music that they wanted to hear.

The latter part of 2004 saw Emma and Lisa back in Mark's studio laying down eight more tracks for an album to be released on their own Aerial Records. Alan Moulder also reappeared to mix the first single Lover. 'Sing and I' is the resulting album. With six years of being in this band behind them and all the highs and lows that that has entailed, this album is a culmination of hope but more importantly gritty perseverance.

'Lover': This song is not autobiographical in any way. Emma was just playing around with words whilst describing a fictional lover!'Come, Sing Me A Song': On the surface, this track sounds like a love song but it is actually about fame and the current obsession with celebrity.'Mister Kadali': Lisa lives in an area of London with a strong African community and she gets many ‘spiritual healer' cards through the letterbox. This song is about her fantasies of what one might do for her. The band then contacted Mr. Kadali who adlibs over the track. It was an eye-opening session.'A Modern Girl': This song Emma wrote about how difficult is can actually be to deal with living in the 21st century and questioning if a woman's lot has actually become so much better. She wonders how pressures to marry and have children have actually changed at all.'Ruby': Lisa was drawing up a horoscope for a friend's new baby girl Ruby and the song is about predicting the future.'I Do': Many of Lisa's friends were heading up the aisle and this song questions the need for marriage.'Going Out Tonight': Emma wrote this song with the words ‘I'm going out tonight' originally to describe a fun night out. However, whilst making the album, Mark's wife had an awful experience where she passed out after only consuming one glass of wine beforehand. She was convinced she had been drugged and Emma and Lisa changed the lyrics of the song to a night out going horribly wrong due to the same reasons...'Unseen': This is about a stalker fan's fantasies and their becoming a little too close for comfort'The Time Has Come': Emma wrote this song about finding it time in her life to make decision about whom to keep and who to edit of her life.'When I Was Made': This is about the circumstances surrounding Emma's birth.'A Kind of Love': Lisa wrote this a long time ago for a lost Lovers Rock album she recorded with The Mad Professor. She thought it would be interesting to resurrect it and see if the songwriting would stand up to the change.

Also on the CD is an animated promo video of 'Lover' directed by Bunny Schendler (the same Bunny who was instrumental in bringing Lisa and Emma together in the first place) and animated by Jonathan Hodgson both BAFTA nominated and winning respectively.