Biography
The sound of Cake For Lily is a meeting of heart and head: wistful lyrics set to melodies that juxtapose interludes of lush orchestration with stripped-down, wintry folk. It's a collaborative effort calling on the skills of local musicians, artists and photographers, working around a core duo of vocal and string.
The project is the labour of love of Midlands lad Kieran Binnie who, despite his multi-instrument proficiency, was sixteen years old before he first picked up a guitar. It was the summer of 1998 and, fuelled by a love of REM and the heady joy that comes with GCSEs being over, he borrowed a beat-up old acoustic off a mate and immersed himself in tablature. The guitar wasn't in the best of shape: the bridge had been cut down inexpertly by hand so that the strings slipped occasionally, giving a “crappy chorus effect” at inopportune moments and there was a big gaping hole in its side, but after a bit of perseverance he had “Find The River” down.
A classically trained violinist who had spent much of his youth in county orchestras, Binnie is also proficient in tuba, mandolin and lap steel guitar. His musical career had a few false starts, including as guitarist with Radio Free Europe - who played one gig before collapsing in what he describes as “a complete lack of drug-fuelled acrimony” before becoming a founding member of Yorkshire folk-rockers Ryan Shirlow & the Bloody Marys.
It was here that Binnie cut his musical teeth as violinist, backing vocalist, percussionist and guitarist and also tried his hand at composition; earning himself a co-writing credit on live favourite “Sympathy”. Although the original lineup disbanded in October 2003, Binnie's violin playing appears on “D-Flowered”, from 2005's Demonstrations full-length.
He and Jon Gibbins met and became friends through the University of York's BandSoc. Gibbins started to play guitar aged 16 as a result of Michael J Fox's performance in Back to the Future, and had performed with Fly-By Karma in his native Devon before taking up a place on a Music Technology & Electronic Engineering degree at the University. While at the University, Gibbins became very involved in sound tech work at various campus music events as well as vocals and guitar for the Cream-inspired 70s power rock band Mr Tickle.
It wasn't until 2005 that the pair collaborated. Inspired by artists such as Ryan Adams, Binnie had been working on a couple of acoustic tracks (“One Step From Summer”, and “Hospital Blues”) and, minus a vocalist, asked Gibbins if he would like to contribute. It was from these beginnings that Cake For Lily emerged, named after Binnie's second cousin.
Says Binnie:
“I wanted to do something with plenty of texture, to write very pretty and lush songs with layers. But also songs that could be quite simple - that would stand up if you stripped them back to the bare essentials.
“I also wanted to do something that could be presented differently on a live stage than on CD - that variety could make things exciting for the audience, and for us. So on the record we're layering up guitars, strings, vocal harmonies, mandolin, lap steel, Hammond organ; and live we're restricting ourselves to what the two of us can play at any one time.”
One of the most notable aspects of the Cake For Lily ethos is its emphasis on community participation. The band have benefited from the input of local musicians for various tracks, and promo photography was provided by Stephen Millard. NYC-based artist Ridgely Schantz is providing cover art for a future release, while Yorkshire graphic designer Jas Bhachu has created t-shirt designs.
Cake For Lily cut their first track together on 19th October 2005. “One Step From Summer”; a wistful, lovelorn dreamscape set to music subsequently rising to #54 on the Soundclick alt.county chart and received promising feedback from record producers in Crete and the Netherlands.
The band are currently recording an EP in deepest Yorkshire, enlisting a host of local musicians including classical singer Phillipa Thomas, percussionist Ashley Ward, and a string quartet, while finalising tour plans and plotting an acoustic revolution.
Written by Lisa-Marie Ferla.