Message to Bears is a one man band from Bristol, UK with music that can make you sentimental and dreamy, or just happy and at peace. Jerome Alexander, the talented multi-instrumentalist behind Message to Bears, just released his latest album "Folding Leaves". Read on to find out why messages from strangers can be important for song writing and, of course, where you can see a Message to Bears gig soon.

E&M: Your latest album was just released. What was the most exciting part of the creation of this record?

JA: The most exciting part for me was probably whenever a new track came out of nowhere after a period of writer's block, or when I tried one simple new idea (sometimes by accident) that completely changed a song for the better.

E&M: Being a one man band, I imagine it takes a while to put together and conceptualise the different audio tracks that go into a song. Do you have a clear idea of the outcome when you sit down at the start?

Can music have a national identity? If so, then maybe the 'Danish' style would be best captured by the slightly sinister, yet beautiful melodies of the Copenhagen-based duo Leap Over Light. Whether it's because they're Scandinavian or just very talented musicians - Leap Over Light are a great European band, and they've created a special sound which you must check out! Find out more about them in E&M's interview with singer Julie Aagaard.

E&M: How did the band come together?

J.A.: Lennart and I have known each other forever. We started back in the day in a really, really bad high school band. After that, we worked together for quite some years as a songwriter team - but always on different projects. We surfed around in a lot of different musical styles. But two years ago we decided that it was about time that we too do our own thing. So we did!

E&M: Do you ever get in fights because you don't agree on which direction to take with a song?

Time to introduce a band that does not fit into any category and yet is often compared to bands as great as Radiohead or Muse! Gazpacho from Oslo, Norway have created a fascinatingly unique sound and use lots of unconventional instruments. The perfect band for rock fans who are looking for more than the many all too similar indie albums. Read on to find out what the six guys from the band think about making music with childhood friends and which European country has the most dance-crazy audiences.

E&M: The band was formed by childhood friends. What does it mean to make music with people you've been so close to?

Gazpacho: It means we can be ourselves in the writing process. It also means that after 6 studio albums (and we've just finished the 7th) we quickly understand each others' tastes when writing music. It's easy to say 'this won't work' or 'this person won't like this riff' in the process of creation, so we can quickly get to a point where we discover a gem (for Gazpacho purposes) as we understand each other completely, even without talking. It's like having a family. That's why we can write a studio album in a weekend (as we have done with the newest album).

E&M: You've already played plenty of gigs all over Europe. How do tours inspire your music?

Following on from the Wired in special review by Heart editor Marta, I thought it'd be great to interview the guys from the Barcelona-based band Manel this week. If you wondered how Kenneth Branagh has inspired their songwriting or how artists deal with the empty feeling when you start a new album from scratch, read on!

E&M: You are already very successful in Spain. How do you plan to conquer the rest of Europe?

Manel: Well, we are not really planning to conquer anything. Actually, we never did. Four years ago, when our first album came out, we hadn't planned or expected that it was going to be this succesful. We were happy because we liked those twelve songs and that was all... Now, if we play in Europe and somebody wants to see us, it's amazing, but we don't have a master plan.

E&M: Your two albums have very interesting titles (translated to English "Europe's best Professors" and "10 Miles to See a Good Armour"). Can you explain how you came up with them and what they mean?