Phil Wolvin 
The industry side of the music business is broken, with streaming giants raking in massive profits while paying little to emerging artists. For those not fortunate enough to be signed to a traditional label, funding has to come from the artists themselves. For many bands, this means being supported by “real” jobs, live performances, merch sales (shout out to Ryan from Foxglove who personally delivered my Christmas merch), and whatever comes in from streaming.
Bands are responding in inventive ways. Late last year, Bryony Dunn and the Forest launched a raffle to raise money for an upcoming debut album. Prizes included a wonderfully eclectic mix, featuring a living room gig, a signed merch bundle, a Dalliance Recordings bundle, a bespoke framed “The Forest” illustration by @yours_truly_jake_andrews, a tattoo voucher, a Pilates lesson, a beekeeping lesson from @leithhillbeekeeper, comb honey, and more. Altogether, the raffle raised £450 towards recording the debut album. Recording is planned to start in February, with a release later in the year.
Among the prizes, and what I would argue was the star, was an online drum lesson with Emma Taylor, the band’s drummer and perhaps better known for her social media work on her account Sounds_like_Emma, where she shares wonderfully irreverent and informative short drum videos.
It was through Emma’s Instagram pages that I first became aware of Bryony Dunn, initially as a solo artist, now possibly listed as B.G. Dunn. The songs that have stuck with me are Bookshop Boy and a cracking cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere. The new band is Bryony Dunn & the Forest, self-described as earthy 70s pop meets wild folk-rock revival. The debut single Forevergreen was released on 4th September, followed by the six-song EP Soft as Ash, released on 24th October.
The EP was produced largely by the band and recorded in a converted Welsh chapel on analogue equipment, helping them capture something close to the feel of their live show. It is a highly accomplished body of work and, to my ears, sounds like a band with multiple albums already behind them. Positive radio feedback and sold-out shows have since led to them being signed to Dalliance Recordings, alongside acts such as Francis of Delirium, Rowena Wise, lilo, and Hank.
Based in the South East of England, they have been building a strong live presence in and around London, including selling out The Lexington. They have also played festivals such as GuilFest, sharing the bill with the likes of Razorlight and KT Tunstall.
Back to the raffle. Wanting to support the band in their endeavours, I bought a few tickets and, in a delightful spin of a virtual wheel, won the drum lesson with Emma. Do I have drums? Err, no. In fact, the only drumsticks I had previously picked up came with chicken on them, so this felt like a challenge. Fortunately, I know a man with drums. I also invested in a practice pad and my first pair of drumsticks, so I wasn’t completely unprepared.
A basement in Rotherham…
In a basement in Rotherham on a Tuesday afternoon, I embarked on my first drum lesson. After getting set up with the Zoom technicalities, including finding the right settings so the drums weren’t muted as background noise, we established my level of experience, which was very little. We then worked on building a basic 8th-note groove. Basic does not mean easy when you are trying to move your limbs at the right time and they betray you in all sorts of ways, missing beats or adding ones that are not supposed to be there.
Throughout the session, Emma showed the patience of a saint, the confidence of someone who has seen it all before, and the empathy of someone who knows how hard it is to start out. By breaking things down into simple, manageable chunks, she was able to coax out something that did not sound too horrible. It turned out I was much better when my feet were not involved, and the subdivision exercise, moving through quarter notes, 8th notes, and 16th notes before returning to 8th notes, really suited me. Despite the usual beginner struggles and some post-session shin cramp, I left with a sense that progress was possible and that I could genuinely enjoy learning to play the drums.
Drummers who stole the show…
The experience has given me a newfound appreciation for the drummers up and down the land who hold everything together. These are a few moments I have enjoyed at shows over the last few years. No one hits the drums harder than Dom O’Garrow, who plays for the wonderful Issy Suttcliffe. The biggest contrast between loud and quiet came from Charlie Wayne of Black Country New Road. The drummer who did the most with the least was Sam Houghton from The Lavelles. Using mainly snare, hi-hat, and bass, he created a huge amount of variation. While the art of the drum solo may be fading, Nathan Shingler of Paradise Circus delivered a brilliant one at his farewell show in October 2024. New Paradise Circus drummer Christian Wolley, also a contestant in Young Drummer of the Year 2023, has stepped into the role and maintained the band’s high drumming standard, and I have really enjoyed all of their performances.
I will be looking out for an opportunity to see Bryony Dunn and the Forest live this year, and I will certainly be paying more attention to the drummers on stage. Will there be a new drum kit here in the near future? I can neither confirm nor deny that.
Bryony Dunn and the Forest can be found here: Instagram. The band are also appearing on a BBC Introducing live lounge on BBC Surrey and Sussex on Thursday from 8 to 10pm, and they would love people to listen in and text the show.
Emma Taylor can be found here: Emma Taylor (@sounds_like_emma) • Instagram photos and videos
Pictures, most likely, by Jack Merriman Instagram
Drums provided by Liam Higgs
Colin