Issue Forty-Six
Sheer Mag A. Savage Hotline TNT UNIVERSITY Borough Council Man/Woman/Chainsaw Oscar Browne Malice K HONESTY YHWH Nailgun
richie-culver.com
With festival season in the rear view mirror, touring season is well underway. One band blowing packed out rooms away with off-kilter, alt-country infused indie rock, is New York’s Geese and they’re on the cover. The band are quickly following their recent album ‘3D Country’ with a partnering EP titled ‘4D Country’. We catch them midway through a European trip to chat Toby Carverys, lost Reggae songs and if there’s a case to be made for the Keytar. No stranger to So Young is Andrew Savage. The Parquet Courts frontman has a new A. Savage album titled ‘Several Songs About Fire’. Via Paris, where he’s in the process of moving to permanently, Andrew tells us all about how his lyrics give people a chance to meet the refined version of himself. Brooklyn based Malice K has been a favourite of ours for the last year, and his new single ‘PHD’ via new label home, Jagjaguwar provided us with the perfect moment to reach out. We discuss the impact of Olympia, Washington, Kurt Cobain and falling asleep to white noise in the Deathproof house. It seems highly likely that this issue has presented our debut visit to Crewe, and we have UNIVERSITY to thank. Speaking from a bedroom, one of the UK’s most exciting new bands tell us all about the XBOX playing you’ll find on stage during their shows, the influence of Emo (the good stuff) and how you don’t have to seek the game to find it.
We once thought that Philadelphia’s Sheer Mag were one of punk rock’s biggest casualties. Fortunately for all, they’re back and they’ve signed a deal with Third Man Records. Finding themselves between a new single and re-issues of everything to date, Sheer Mag accepted our call to chat politics in songs and waiting it out for the right label partner. Leeds collective HONESTY have had music in the works for a couple of years now. Featuring familiar name, George Mitchell (So Young Artist Series collaborator and once of Eagulls), the group have just shared their double A-Side new single. In their first ever interview, we discuss the Leeds sound and how HONESTY all came together. London folk artist, Oscar Browne is on the verge of releasing his debut EP ‘If Only’. He gives us a few moments to tell us all about it and the London artists he’s most excited by right now. Back to New York, and recent obsession YHWH Nailgun are releasing new music and about to head off on tour with Geese. Bored and embarrassed by the music myths of the city, and keen to make their own mark, their own way, the four-piece tell us about the project. Hastings trio, Borough Council have only a single to their name, but as one of their mum’s can vouch for, they’re about to record some more with Speedy Wunderground and Dan Carey. We chat inside.
New London outfit, Man/Woman/Chainsaw are over 70 gigs into their young careers already. Starting around the age of 16, they’ve been getting it wrong to get it right with a revolving door of members for a couple of years now. On the eve of a milestone headline show, we reached out to get the early scoop.
DIY champions, and recent Third Man signings, Hotline TNT are one of the leaders of the new shoegaze movement. With new album ‘Cartwheel’ on its way, we gave Will Anderson a call to chat touring, Jack White and field recordings. We also chat with Rosie Evans, the ‘High Fantasy’ designer who’s recently dressed both The Last Dinner Party and The New Eves.
4 Geese More Chutzpah
31 Sheer Mag Queen with a Four-Track
9 A. Savage Several Songs About Fire
36 HONESTY Reverse Engineering
14 Malice K One Way Ticket to New York
40 Oscar Browne Ye Olde Pop
17 Rosie Evans High Fantasy
43 YHWH Nailgun Castrato Raw
21 UNIVERSITY Emo and Xbox
50 Borough Council Can I Jump in the Car Too?
26 Man/Woman/Chainsaw A Serious, Unserious Band
53 Hotline TNT Cartwheel
Let’s get one thing clear; if Geese’s ‘3D Country’ is
Now that it’s all out and you can reflect properly, how
surpassed in quality by another album before the end of
do you think it has gone?
this year, then it’s going to have to be something special. Having had a few months to digest the controlled chaos
Cameron: Well, I think my worst fears were confirmed.
that effortlessly floats between prog rock, art punk and
No - it’s been great, and I can sort of feel the vibe around
alt-country like it should be an easy feat, it’s hard to not
the band shifting. There’s a lot of excitement and energy
be bowled over by the impressive levels of ambition that
where there wasn’t any before. It feels like we’re saying
the album has on display from start to finish.
what we mean to the audience now in a way that wasn’t so much the case before. It feels more authentic to ourselves,
However, it appears that writing perhaps one of the most
and I think people can tell and I think people like that.
exhilaratingly fresh rock albums in recent years wasn’t
That’s all I could really ask for. It’s amazing.
quite satisfying enough for Geese to call it a day for 2023. In the wake of their rightfully lauded second album ‘3D
Have there been any personal highs in terms of praise
Country’, the New York band swiftly opted to follow it
you’ve received? Anything that was far nicer than you
up with a companion EP titled ‘4D Country’, showcasing
expected?
a handful of other songs that originated from the same Gus: Yeah, seeing people sing along at shows has been the
recording sessions.
highest form of that. Having already spoken to frontman Cameron Winter prior to the release of the album, the band seemed far more at
Dom: I would have to agree with that.
ease talking over all of the finer details we weren’t able to discuss, and having the rest of the band together for
G: I guess I never expected that that would be the response
the interview (Gus Green on guitar, Dom DiGesu on bass,
that we’d get from a crowd, but seeing that among
Max Bassin on drums and Sam Revaz on keytar) meant
everything that we’ve done up to this point feels great.
there was plenty of room for the band to share a non-stop I think a lot of people have praised the record for
barrage of inside jokes.
how brave it was and how you mixed a lot of different As the band made their way through the streets of
sounds for it - you’ve likened the process to being like a
Brussels on their tour bus, between admiring buttresses
kid in a candy store. I wanted to know if there anything
on buildings and riffing on the idea that it’s home to
that you considered off limits when making the album?
mythic actors Kurt Brussels and Brussels Crowe, the band set aside a short while to reflect on the ‘3D Country’
G: We did try a lot of failed ideas. We had different
era, discuss the highs and lows of touring the record and
musical stylings that we thought would work and just
debate whether the keytar deserves amnesty.
didn’t make the cut.
It’s nice to have you back for round two. I want to start where Cameron and I left off last time because we had a chat a few months before ‘3D Country’ came out.
Words by Reuben Cross, illustration by Nurit Gross
4
C: I don’t think we went into it saying “alright, we’re not
C: Foster hates a lot of things, though. Foster is a hateful
going to do this”.
guy.
G: The only thing we wouldn’t do was what ‘Projector’
G: I always want to try those ideas though, because
was.
sometimes they turn out really crazy. We all thought ‘Jesse’ was terrible when we were first recording it, and
C: It was more a case of trying not to backtrack. It had
now we play that song every night. I feel like that reggae
to be some shift away from what we were doing before.
style song could have been that just, it just wasn’t ever
I think we encountered a lot of borders to what we were
recorded.
willing to do, but we didn’t set them beforehand. Like, I really wanted to do this song that sounded like a reggae
M: It would have been the greatest song Geese ever
song. I wanted to explore it and everyone else in the band
recorded, end of story.
really did not like it. It’s interesting you say about that being your take D: I liked it.
on ‘Jesse’ as well, because that’s now coming out as part of ‘4D Country’, which you’re billing as an
C: Well, now they like it. History is absolving me because
accompanying EP to the album. What was it about
it was a good song. There’s certain things we took more
those four songs and the extended version of ‘3D
interest in ultimately, I guess.
Country’ that felt different enough to warrant being on a separate extra record?
Can I ask what the rest of the band’s issue with reggae is?
MB: The thing they all have in common is that they all once were on the record and now they are not, and that
D: I liked the song. I remember what he’s talking about.
kind of gave it some sort of thread. At every point that we had each one of those songs, it felt like it made a lot
C: Not at the time you didn’t!
of sense, but then we would kind of change around how we arranged the songs or we recorded a couple more and
Max: The song would be on the fucking album if everyone
everything just started not fitting as well. But as I said,
in this band was praising it at the time like they are now.
they were supposed to be on the record at one point.
Foster genuinely hated the shit out of the song.
G: They were all recorded during the same sessions as
On the ‘Projector’ tour, everything was just really fucking
most of the rest of the record.
loud, but now it’s more tuned in to where everyone needs to play very quiet for one part, so that the next section,
M: It felt appropriate to release it as its own thing,
when it gets big, it’s really big.
because I don’t think those songs feel like they could exist outside of the ‘3D Country’ scope - maybe one or two of
G: We can’t rely on all of that extra instrumentation that
them could, but it felt right to release them.
we recorded, so it is a lot more of a dynamics game.
C: Gotta make a little more money, you know.
M: Yeah, it’s more of a bare bones thing and about how everyone plays their parts. I think it’s also more
You’ve been on the road for a while now touring ‘3D
performative because we have to pick up a little bit of the
Country’, and what I noted when I saw you is how you
slack.
made such a dynamic record translate so well to a live setting. How did you go about making it all work for
G: It’s just freaking fun, too, which is how we wanted the
a live show - what obstacles have you faced and what
record to sound.
things do you want to keep adding to the live show in future?
M: The songs still feel very fresh when we play them, so that’s a big plus.
M: I mean, there is a lot of extra stuff on a lot of these songs, and I think the last time we toured, the solution was
Is there much room for you to change things up on the
that we used in-ears for a little while and were able to cue
fly when you’re playing? Do you ever improvise off of
samples because we were all staying on time. That filled
each other?
out a lot of stuff then, but I think just trying to make it so everything sits the way it’s supposed to, if that makes any
D: Me and Max do a lot if we’re hitting a groove in a
sense. We use restraint when we’re supposed to, so when
specific way or I’ll hear something that Max does. We
there’s supposed to be a big release it feels as big as when
recently started doing more stuff like that. We’ll extend
it’s recorded.
certain sections like the ‘Cowboy Nudes’ middle part or the ending of ‘Low Era’. M: It’s mostly fills though, rather than like jamming on a part or something.
Photo by Kyle Berger
C: It’s more like there’s specific moments for it that are
Yeah, you’ve been playing with some of the So Young
pre planned into the set, but it’s a pretty set in stone way
favourites recently.
that we do things. If we’re going to do anything crazy, M: We played with Humour last night, they were great.
improv wise, we discuss it beforehand.
Super, super sweet guys. G: Yeah, it’s like, “wouldn’t it be cool if this happened?” G: Seeing Folly Group’s show multiple times over is a lot D: The songs have been evolving since the record came
of fun too. Their music is really dense too, so I like that I
out, because we’ve been playing them for three years now,
got to see them so many times.
so parts that we recorded maybe two years ago, I know, at least for myself, I’ll be like, “oh, I could have done this
It was also quite interesting to see that you’ve added a
here”, so I just started doing it. It’s like having a new part
keytar for this tour - I feel like a lot of people diss the
that builds upon what was recorded.
keytar as an instrument so I want to hear the Geese collective defence for why it should be treated with more respect.
On top of what Gus mentioned about the audience singing along, what other things have been highlights of your tour?
Sam: You have mobility, which you don’t have with a regular keys player. You get to look way cooler. You
M: The place we played last night in Brussels was
look like you’re kind of playing a guitar, even though it’s
crazy. We played at this big outdoor garden thing called
definitely not a guitar. I like the challenge of sonically
Botanique, in like a big rotunda - like a very tall, probably
trying to achieve that and working with my very rinky-
50 foot ceiling room.
dink setup, but it’s also definitely an upgrade from my setup last year, I think. It’s just more fun, and I think it’s more reflective of the energy we have as a band.
G: Lafayette was awesome too. As far as the strangest things that we’ve seen or have happened, we just saw a
G: Does it make you play differently?
crazy group of about 30 bikers that looked exactly the same in Brussels. Between that and the venue that we played last night, we have actually seen quite a few bits of
S: For sure. I’m thinking more melodically. I’m rarely
interesting things here.
ever playing chords because it’s definitely a one handed shredding type thing. It’s just more fun. That’s all I can
M: This is a not safe for work thing, but we saw something
say about it.
kind of insane in Glasgow. I can bite my tongue, I don’t D: I think the keytar shreds, man.
have to say it, but it was insane. If you want to know, just ask me, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
C: I love Sam, but I have no defence for the keytar. I I’m assuming you’ve had quite a little bit of time to
think it sounds good, but I have no defence for it as an
take in a bit of culture, because I noticed that Cameron
instrument in general. I think we pull it off and I think
enjoyed visiting a Toby Carvery, which is a big part of
Sam’s an exceptional player, but if another band were to
UK culture. Any other main takeaways from Europe
have a keytar, I would probably mercilessly make fun of
that you would love to be able to bring back to the US
them.
with you? So what you’re saying is it’s the person behind it that’s making all the difference?
C: Hell yeah, Toby Carvery, free healthcare, nice roadside stations. Your outlets are pretty cool over here; they’ve got more power, more thrust, more chutzpah. The bands are
C: It’s Sam that makes it work.
better over here as well.
7
Geese
Rounding things up, what are the plans for the future
S: Thank you, bro. I’ll remember that.
after the 3D & 4D Country era? I imagine that you’ll G: If you’re a good player, then yeah, there’s no reason
probably be having a bit of a break after such a long
why the keytar shouldn’t sound awesome.
tour, but where do you go after an album like this?
S: My keytar is also a javelin that I can throw at anyone
G: No breaks. Sleep is for the weak. No, sleep is
who’s anti-keytar, that’s the main function.
awesome. You just don’t have time for it.
M: Let’s just say if you hate the keytar, don’t stand in the
C: Where does Geese go after 3D Country? Well, we’ve
front row at a Geese show.
already done 4D Country, and if the pattern holds, let me tell you, you may have a fifth dimension coming your way
Speaking of violence - Max, you’ve met your demise in
to a country near you pretty quickly. I’m not announcing
a couple of the recent music videos, and I don’t know
5D Country, but I am saying that we are definitely going
why people keep killing you off. Have you thought
to release it.
about how you can exact your revenge on the rest of the band?
What does music in a fifth dimension sound like?
M: Well, when they’re asleep, I’ll pick them off one by
C: It actually sounds a lot like the album we just released,
one and just kind of play stupid like [puts on comedic
just pitch-shifted up and then played backwards. But in all
voice] “whoa, it wouldn’t be me,” even though it is me.
seriousness, I think we’re going to try and make a better
I’ve risen from the dead twice now. Little known fact, it
album after this one, and then we’ll hopefully play it
hurts. Dying is fine, but to be resurrected, that shit hurts.
before a live audience of adoring fans and make a shitload
I’ll go to great lengths for art, but I don’t know if dying
of cash so we can finally buy a sailboat. That’s the plan.
again is on the cards. Maybe next week.
@nurit_gross
8
A. Savage – singer-songwriter, Parquet Courts vocalist
How important was collaboration across the project as
and guitarist, painter, and lucky for us, a So Young regular
a whole?
– recently released his second solo record, ‘Several Songs About Fire’, through Rough Trade Records. Surrounded
That’s a good question, I wrote the lyrics for that song
by Modern Nature’s Jack Cooper, Cate Le Bon, Euan
on Thanksgiving Day last year. We had our Thanksgiving
Hinshelwood, Dylan Hadley, and caroline’s Magdalena
Meal at John Parish’s house, I had made us take the day
McLean, the album was recorded and produced by John
off that day even though there were only two Americans
Parish, mostly at his home in Bristol, in the latter half of
- me and Dylan Hadley, the drummer. So the spirit of
2022.
collaboration was definitely in the air! We were in the thick of recording, it was the middle of the week, and
Where his 2017 debut solo record, ‘Thawing Dawn’,
we were seeing each other make something every day.
tended to look outward in its musings on love and
I have a bit of a tradition of penning a little poem on
interpersonal relationships, ‘Several Songs About Fire’
Thanksgiving every year, and I was having a lot of
instead turns inward, contemplating those periods of
feelings about how lucky I was to be making this record
liminality that life inevitably hands you. When discussing
with these musicians who believe in what I’m doing and
the nature of a solo record, Savage told me that a great one
took the time out to help me, people that I care about a lot
can distil someone’s “emotional tone into forty minutes
and feel very fortunate to be around. So the whole song
of music”, and ‘Several Songs About Fire’ does just that.
comes from a sense of collaboration I guess.
From ‘Hurtin’ or Healed’s heartfelt opening address to the “Hollowed face stranger” in the mirror; to the intimate
I’m always interested in whether or not artists feel the
back and forth of harmonies in ‘My my, My Dear’ and
impact of writing or recording retreats, do you think
‘Mountain Time’; to the bossa nova-esque percussion
putting the record together in Bristol bled into it at all?
underlying the album’s closer ‘Out Of Focus’, Savage’s sophomore record is a tonally and instrumentally eclectic
I don’t know how much the few weeks I was in England
exploration of the emotional landscape, centred by his
influenced the music or recording, but where I’m from in
artfully candid and earnest lyricism.
Brooklyn - it’s being swiftly gentrified - but it’s like the hood you know? I didn’t know this about Bristol but it
Two weeks prior to the record’s release, Andrew called me
has a pretty deep hood, and we were staying in the thick
from his current base in Paris, France…
of it in probably the worst bnb of all time. Like an actual criminal situation bnb. It was the sketchiest circumstances,
How are you?
there was a mysterious owner, the stairs didn’t have carpeting on them and had exposed nails sticking out of
Not bad. I’m in a place with a lot of children, but I’m
the wood - I’m not even making this up. The backyard
hiding in a room where they can’t access me.
was filled with trash and so was the front stoop, so I guess that was influential in getting us to leave the fucking place
Wonderful, I was rewatching the music video for
and get to the studio at 9am every day. There was also no
‘Thanksgiving Prayer’ earlier and realised that the
coffee machine, so we were just like let’s get the fuck out
track itself talks a lot about the nature of collaboration.
of here, it was freezing too.
9
Words by Amber Lashley, illustration by Yinuo Shao
Well, I guess that would force you to focus.
I was listening to a lot of different solo artists to try and acquaint myself with what makes a great solo record. I
It really did. I always edit lyrics when I’m making a
think a successful solo record distils someone’s emotional
record, all of my time when I’m not playing an instrument
tone into forty minutes of music. One that I was going
is editing, so I did a lot of lyric editing in that place in
back to was ‘Colour Green’ by Sibylle Baier, it’s a
the freezing cold. At that time it was blizzarding too and
wonderful record of her just playing guitar and singing.
this place had no heat, so I was real ye olde style with my
I think that any song should be able to be distilled down
feather quill, editing lyrics in the dark and cold.
into one instrument.
The full old English experience.
Distilling things down puts a lot of weight on lyrics, obviously, it’s subjective from song to song, but how
You can’t be too comfortable playing rock n roll and that’s
key is lyricism for you?
a fact. Pretty key because my voice is really upfront in the In what sense?
music - I consider myself a lyricist before a musician. It’s where I can express myself the best and it’s where people
Not that this record is capital ‘R’ rock n roll, but I think
find me the most compelling. I’m not always the most
part of the nature of rock n roll is the discomfort and
articulate person and sometimes I get into trouble or put
agitation. One of my friends once said that you can’t play
my foot in my mouth. Sometimes I feel like as a human
rock n roll on a full stomach, and I like that.
being, I am just holding on for dear life and trying to feel normal and understood by people. With songwriting, it
I like that as well, that makes sense. What have you
just comes way more naturally than being a human being
been up to in the lead-up to the release, are you in New
does to me. It’s a safe area for me where I feel quite
York at the minute?
comfortable expressing myself, which I don’t always feel comfortable doing. Truth be told, I don’t know if people
No, I’m in France. I’m attempting to move to Paris, I’ve
are really interested in meeting me, but I’m happy for
just got to figure out what the next step is.
them to meet my songs.
Is there a particular reason you’ve landed in Paris?
I know what you mean, words can be a really imperfect thing. I saw a quote from you saying “this album is a
The really particular reasons don’t really have anything
burning building, and these songs are things I’d leave
to do with Paris, rather that it’s where I have a lot of
behind to save myself”, which made me think of the
friends, a network, and support, which makes emigrating
same thing. I could probably talk for hours, but then
to a new country easier. I’ve been touring as a musician
ultimately leave those words behind, because it’s so
for about seventeen years now, so I guess I am somewhat
hard to articulate yourself ‘correctly’...
comfortable outside of my comfort zone, that’s something I think touring musicians often have as a quality. I kept
That’s why I get so into the editing process of being a
one apartment in Brooklyn for twelve years, so throughout
lyricist. With any line of any song, I’ll write it three or
all of Parquet Courts that was where I came home to, now
four times, you can’t do that when you’re just talking
I don’t really have that but that’s fine! That’s definitely a
to somebody! You can do it when you’re texting with
lyrical theme on the record, the idea of searching for what
somebody, have you noticed that people seem to be more
a home is, or what the next home is.
afraid to talk on the actual phone these days? I think it’s because we’re at a point now where real-time interaction
On the record…you had a bigger band this time
with somebody is this very vulnerable thing - you can’t
around, what kind of influences were you pulling?
edit, you have to think of a reply on the spot, and then you have to own whatever words come out of your lips.
11
A. Savage
That was just normal human functioning for most of history until recently, and that’s why people are more comfortable living online I think, because you can edit what you put out into the world. I appreciate the ability to edit in songwriting, I can write a song and express myself just as I’d like to. It has to work well enough alone on the page by itself before I apply it to a melody or something, you can give a new flavour to what you’re saying if you spin it with the right melody. With what you were saying about people meeting you versus people meeting your songs, ‘Several Songs About Fire’ is introspective and personal, so surely in a sense, people are meeting you? Yeah! They’re meeting me, but they’re meeting like an artistic rendering of me. Just like in a painting, I do several sketches and drafts of something before I put it on canvas. They’re meeting a very considered version of me, but also a very pure version of me, it’s the one I’d prefer to be out there. It’s strange that the two seem to contradict each other! Yes, it is an edited and considered version, but does that make it more or less of a true reflection? If you know what I mean… I do, it makes people really interesting too. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet people I admire, songwriters and musicians. You go in with this idea of who they are through their art, and sometimes you meet someone and you’re just in awe of their normalness, that they’re just another person you know. I still get that feeling sometimes when I meet people because I associate them so much with their art. It’s basically a window into a person’s brain. Yeah, this record is kind of a window into a year or two of my life you know.
@noranimation
12
Within the heart of Olympia, Washington, the whispers
I tried messaging him, but I knew there was no way he
and tales of its musical history are still spoken. A place
was gonna get back to me. So I messaged somebody he
where the riot grrrl movement once ignited, where the
was tagged in a bunch of pictures with, “I love what you
undulating tides of the late ‘80s and ‘90s indie, grunge,
guys are doing. I paint these shirts, if you guys want
post-hardcore, and anti-folk scenes converged and thrived.
one”. He got back to me immediately and was up for
That energy is something that will never be lost and has
it, so I bought a ticket to their Seattle show and headed
infected the world of Malice K (Alex Konschuh).
up there. I introduced myself: “I’m that weird guy that was messaging you, and I have these shirts for you and
A multi-faceted musician who creates his own dishevelled
nascar.” So we go backstage to meet him, and I give him
surreality. Having found his footing with the LA
his shirt. The set was so much fun, I felt really inspired. I
collective, DEATHPROOF, Alex now finds himself in
went back home and recorded an EP in a week; all these
the embrace of New York, signed to Jagjaguwar. With a
songs came out of me. I sent it over to the guy, who ended
commitment to an old-school ethos and individuality, he
up being nascar’s manager, Myagi, who also ran the entire
introduced himself with a Brooklyn showcase that featured
DEATHPROOF group. I sent him this EP and asked if I
3,000 hand-drawn frames for his video ‘Complicated
could be a part of it. I was so fucking embarrassed I turned
Dreams’. Now, in the middle of working on his third
my phone off for a week. Eventually, I worked up the
album, Alex joins us for a quick call to talk about what’s
courage to check, and he said yes. Next thing I know, I’m
been going on.
flying out to LA, moved into the DEATHPROOF house, and finished the ‘Harm or Heck’ album.
Hi, Alex, how are you doing? What was living in that kind of environment like? I’m good. It’s my mum’s birthday, so I’m back in Olympia. We just ate at one of my favourite breakfast
It was crazy. Everyone was really embracing me and
spots here, New Moon Cafe.
showing me a lot of love. The house was always full of people, like 25 at a time; people were constantly coming
Happy birthday to your mum! Malice K is an
in and out. There’s also a bunch of gang affiliations with
interesting name; tell me what that’s all about.
some people there. I’m just a guy from Washington, you know? I’ve had my own share of difficult situations in
Years ago, I went travelling with some friends in Arizona.
life, so it wasn’t something that I couldn’t handle. I didn’t
Everybody was giving themselves these desert nicknames,
have a room, just a pile of clothes that I would turn into a
and I was wearing a poncho the entire time, so Malice
bed wherever there was a free spot. I would find a blank
Poncho became mine. It sounded a little silly to me, so, as
radio station, put headphones in, and turn it up all the way
I joined DEATHPROOF, it felt right to change to Malice
because of the noise.
K. Christ, that sounds pretty overwhelming; was that a How did you get yourself into working with
reason for moving out?
DEATHPROOF? Well, after a year and a half of doing that, trying to make a I had a lot of ambitions to be a painter, and I was making
name for myself, I ended up moving to New York. Myagi
my own T-shirts. A friend sent me a video of nascar aloe,
set up this live-streamed show for me and nascar during
and I thought it was the coolest thing that I’d ever seen.
the pandemic.
Words by Will Macnab, illustration by Sara Priorelli
14
After the show was done, the people who filmed it came
Down on State Street, Elliot Smith used to record there.
up to us, “That was the best thing we’ve ever seen, and
Four blocks down is Kurt Cobain’s old house. I went to
that was amazing.” I was taking it all in and nodding
school with the daughter of the old Nirvana drummer.
before I looked up and realised they were just talking to
Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney came from here. Olympia’s
nascar. After that, I was kind of on the brink of things;
an extremely working-class town, filled with a lot of
my hair was super thinned out, I was stressed out, hungry,
artists and weirdos, because there’s nowhere to go. It’s a
tired, and cornered into having no idea if anything was
special place.
going to work out. I moved out of the DEATHPROOF house and went back home. They wanted to raise the rent
Being frequently compared to artists like Elliot Smith
to a ridiculous amount. I can’t go backwards, and I’m not
must be quite an intense statement. How do you feel
going back to the floor. It turned out there were a tonne of
when people draw parallels?
people in New York that were watching that livestream, because somehow, 20 minutes after finding out about
It’s important that I always remember that it’s not my
rent, I got a call from this guy in New York. “Hey, I work
responsibility to see myself as other people see me. I
at this label. I saw your set, and we loved it. We want to
thought that there was something wrong with me and that
have you out to discuss a record deal.” So, they bought me
I didn’t feel the same. A year into it, I realised that’s really
a one-way ticket, and I’ve been there ever since. I didn’t
not my problem. I think it’s cool that somebody gets to
even end up signing with that label.
experience that feeling, but I don’t know how much it resonates with me.
I love the energy in your music, how it traverses from punk/grunge to alternative-folk tracks. Is that a
Tell me about the showcase you had.
product of your influences, or is there more of a sense of putting out what is going on in your head?
Yeah! I spent half a year or more creating this music video. It felt like a waste premiering it online, having
It’s a bit of both. I don’t really have a premeditated feeling
people click and watch my video in the midst of millions
that I want to express. ‘PHD’ just came from the fact that
of others. It felt disrespectful to myself after working so
I really liked that song, ‘Body’ by Megan Thee Stallion. I
hard on it. A friend of mine, Billy, had recently opened up
try to pick up the guitar and act like I’ve never played it
a record store, and it was completely vacant. So, I had a
before. The feeling of the song will kind of present itself
premiere there. We decorated the place like a living room
through what I’m playing. I’ll be exploring a sound or
area. All the individual hand-drawn stills and polaroids
different ideas about how I see myself or the world. Then
used were hung up. We found this giant old TV for free
I’ll have all these snippets of songs that I’ll find hindsight
out in Jersey, where we had a three-way headphone
or the wisdom to define those parts of my life.
set. People had a remote, so they could watch it as they wanted. It was insane.
Who do you look up to, songwriter-wise? You’ve spoken in the past about the looming dangers of AI art; was this, in a sense, a protest against that?
Kurt Cobain is a huge influence. Artists who may have some sort of alter ego in their performances. I grew up in Olympia, so by default, my whole town was influenced by
I’m not really setting out to actually change anything. It’s
Hole and Nirvana.
more of a silent protest, internally against algorithmic and AI art that’s coming up more and more, and people
There’s a huge history with Olympia and the grunge
revolving so much around the aesthetics of Instagram.
scene, right?
That’s a difficult thing to deal with in itself, but equally difficult to go without. So many opportunities come from
Right where I’m sitting, this building here is where
social media; we live through it completely now. It’s the
Modest Mouse used to record before they were big.
gateway and the downfall of everything, all at the same time.
15
Malice K
“Rosie Evans is the eponymous ‘High Fantasy’ luxury
Rosie has recently been working with So Young
fashion label, creating one off and small runs of
favourites, The Last Dinner Party and The New Eves and
anachronistic historically inspired fashion, following the
is set for an exciting year, so we thought we’d catch up
ethical practise of upcycling old textiles and materials.”
and dig a little deeper.
Rosie grew up in a seaside town in South Wales, and
Who do you have in mind when designing? Do you feel
because of a chronic illness didn’t go to high school full
like you have a certain kind of customer?
time, only going in for textiles and art classes. After graduating UWE, Rosie found the industry really difficult
It’s difficult because I don’t necessarily design every piece
to break into and kept going back and forward from
for myself, but it’s always something I want to see exist
London to home after internships and jobs that never
in the world. Beyond standard market demographics of
led to a career. During the beginning of 2020 she had
age and gender, I know my customers are after magic and
started making and posting pieces on Instagram to keep
nostalgia in their day to day life. My friend said ‘it’s like
her creative side busy while working. When lockdown hit
they all want to live in Rosie Evans Land with you’
she lost her job at a studio and decided to move back to Wales, where she started building on her small following
Is there a brand in particular you’d like to collaborate
and selling pieces through Instagram. Since then Rosie has
with or design for?
been working at it full time, made the move to Brighton and moved the brand into her studio space, as well as
I’ve been really lucky in my career that really early on
showing at fashion week the last two seasons in London.
I got to design two corsets in collaboration for Bethany Williams, who’s brand I’ve adored for years. It was
Stocked globally around the world and worn by artists
wonderful to get to work with such a warm and supportive
such as Griff, Josie Mann, Paloma Mami, Poppy Ajudha,
team and validating me as a designer. In uni I was
alongside her regular collaboration with 2021 BFC Vogue
obsessed with Eckhaus Latta and the way they played
fashion design winner Bethany Williams.
with fabric, Mimi Wade and Charles Jeffery for their commitment to their aesthetics. In proper dream time I’d love to collaborate with a heritage brand like Laura Ashley or McQueen, but it’s probably a while off now.
Words by Josh Whettingsteel
What is your creative process like? From concept to reality… For each new collection I basically start immediately after finishing the previous one, I’m really bad at taking down time and not being busy. The concepts are a bit abstract in the beginning, this SS24 was inspired by 1980s fantasy films, so I started by collecting images and watching loads of old tv and films to gain an idea of the feel. Fabric sourcing is a huge part of the design process, because I predominantly use second hand textiles the fabrics often dictate the designs, I go to carboot sales and junk shops a lot to look for interesting materials and then think about how I can incorporate them into a wearable piece. After I have designed and made a few pieces I go back to the mood boards and see what’s missing, for the most recent collection I’d been looking at the mythology of the greenman, and we had a lot of pieces separated by colour, so we made a big multicoloured vest top with a greenman knitted into the front to tie in the separates. Does music influence your work in any way? If so, how? It’s funny as I only listen to music on the way to the studio, or if we have lots of interns in, most of the time there’s a podcast playing, or we just chat with each other. But it does end up being a big part of the styling and show production, I make the show playlists from music that has been floating round while I was designing. This year I’ve been working with The Last Dinner Party and The New Eves, dressing them for shows, and getting to work with artists who weave their aesthetics into the performance has been really fun. What’s been the main challenges starting your own brand? Sadly money, I’m really lucky that I’m at a stage where I feel more stable with how much is coming in, but it’s not enough to expand the business or afford another full time member of staff. Even if we could afford to expand and begin working with factories it’s hard to find anyone who could work to such small minimums.
12
Where do you do most of your designing? Usually at my studio desk, in my diary, I get stressed out with the formality of planners and calendars, so any day that doesn’t have a meeting written in I add in designs. I’ve got into a bad habit of just designing in pencil too and adding the colour in my head afterwards. As we use second hand textiles, I often have to design on the spot, as there’s not enough of the fabric to make a full piece, we have to get creative with patching in other fabrics and pattern cutting. Could you explain the ‘High Fantasy’ concept. I’m sure it’s been used before me, but I came up with it while trying to write a business plan for fundraising. It’s a merge of High fashion and fantasy costume, which is basically Rosie Evans as a brand. It’s also like saying ‘Fairytale but you’re high’ which is another good descriptor. Found imagery plays a big part in your work, how much does fine art and collage influence your practise? I think of the mood boards we make for the collections as collages in themselves, as it’s less about the individual photo and more about the general atmosphere they create. I tend not to look into fine art as much anymore, as I get a lot of inspiration from old photographs and films, I really like the texture and atmosphere that comes with old photos. What can we expect from you in the near future? My SS24 collection is just about to be launched, and there’s a short film we created for the collection. And I’m working on a new short film with a director that I cannot wait to get started on, I’ve always wanted to direct so it’s crazy getting to do it with my brand. And next collection I’m hoping to be back to showing at London, there’s so many ideas I have and people I want to work with for it, it’s going to be a big leap into Rosie Evans Land!
@rosieevansonline
20
Blooming in the confines of a bedroom in Crewe - fuelled
Joel: Yeah great news! The good thing with having a label
by spliffs, Xbox, and Monster Energy - UNIVERSITY’s
is that they handle, like, business and shit; we can just
outlook feels authentic and organically grown.
write music and mess around.
Unadulterated by the social pressures of needing to conform to any scene - in Crewe, there basically isn’t any
Z: We get to chill out and get stoned all day.
- this quartet have, from their relative isolation, cultivated a singular and refreshing rawness that has seen them court
J: Because you’re doing something you like, it doesn’t feel
the favour of Transgressive Records and hit the billings of
busy. It’s only really meetings that make you feel busy.
major tastemaking festivals across the UK and Europe. Ewan: When you have to be up at 11… Their first big recorded statement, debut EP ‘TITLE TRACK,’ lands in November. An emotional clusterfuck of
J: …That sucks.
rapturous punk and breakneck indie, it’s indelibly infused too with the complex melodic yearnings of Midwest Emo.
I wanted to mainly talk about Xbox…
While visibly cringing at the thought of that ‘e word’, UNIVERSITY are yet blazing, passionate champions of
*general celebration*
(in their eyes) the genre’s criminally undervalued heroes: “I’ll happily sacrifice our success if people just know
J: We’re on it right now.
Nouns.” was the sort of sentiment expressed more than once during our meeting.
Z: Just started on Skyrim again. Still in Helgen, you know what I mean? It’s still early.
Speaking to So Young for their first interview, a slimy green poster of ‘Undead Nightmare’ in full view on the
I saw you at Green Man and everyone was like, “this
wall behind them, we learn that, while the music industry
dude’s just playing Xbox on the Stage!?” I’m interested
might not be the game they’re playing, Skyrim oh so
in the first time you had the idea of doing this. What
definitely is.
were the sound engineers thinking when they looked at the tech spec?
Without further ado, meet Ewan (Bass/Synth), Zak (guitar/ vocals), Joel (drums) and Eddie (Xbox 360. Really.)
J: [Sound engineer’s] will get the sheet where it’s like, Ewan, bass/synth, guitar, vocals, stuff like that. Then
How are things going with the band at the moment? It
they’ll see [Eddie’s] name and it’ll say “N/A”. And they’ll
seems like a busy time. You’re playing festivals, you’ve
ask weird questions like “What’s it mean by N/A, what
signed to Transgressive; you’ve got an EP coming out…
are you gonna do?” And they see us hauling a TV in… But it’s what we do at home. If you’re gonna try and perform
Zak: It’s a lot slower when you’re actually in it. All this
music that you play in your house every single day, it’s
stuff’s happening. At the end of the day we’re still broke. I
‘how do you make it so that you can…
feel upset about it. Z:…so it feels at home. There’s good news though, right?
21
Words by Elvis Thirlwell, illustration by Cameron JL West
J: It helps with being nervous. If [Eddie] is there, then
You could even interpret us playing those games on stages
it’s just calm, it’s chill, it’s no longer a serious endeavour
as, like, social commentary for short form media; attention
anymore, it’s just hanging out with your mates again.
spans. We never thought of that sort of stuff.
Well, people like it so…it works. We never viewed any of ourselves as frontmen, or It does work! You’ve got this aggressive music, and
anything like that. So it’s like, we want somebody else.
Eddie’s playing Bully, where there’s this kid beating up
Plus [Eddie] writes all the music. He plays the games and
schoolboys.
just thinks of shit and then he tells us to write it and then we go and figure it out. He’s the creative genius. We’re
J: When we go to the festival circuit, we’re quite
just his puppets. Sorry to break the illusion.
introverted. So we don’t really talk to a lot of people; we’re quite ‘to ourselves’. Especially when we’re doing
The word I want to talk about now is ‘intensity’.
the aggressive music that we’re doing: we don’t want
Musically. It’s intense. Lyrically, emotionally, it’s really
people thinking we’re nutcases, so we’ve got the guy
intense. I’m listening to ‘Notre Dame Made of Flesh’,
playing xbox…
and I want to cry. Is this sensory, emotional and sonic overload something you’ve always wanted to bring out
I found it weirdly moving in a way because I spent like
in your music?
a lot of my teenage years just playing Call of Duty. E: It just sounds cool. Intense music just sounds fucking E:..we all did!
sick! And it’s really fun to do.
For me, I think it’s interesting how it relates to the
J: I think a lot of it stems from our influences as well. A
music. You have a lot of angst and emotion in there,
lot of bands would say they were influenced by the local
and having these games on stage which bring you back
scene around them, but because we didn’t have that there’s
to a very angsty time in your life…
no one else to sort of look at and go “we want to do that.” All the bands that we looked at, especially at the time of
E: I think nostalgia is a big part…
writing ‘Notre Dame…’, were very aggressive in nature. Not metal bands or anything like that. Bands where the
J: I feel like the nostalgia lens - It’s never something we
melodies can push through but the aggressive nature only
really looked at intentionally. We didn’t realise how much
reinforces the melodies that you’re creating.
people would really like it.
23
UNIVERSITY
Bands like Hella, Nouns, Guitar Fight from Fooly Cooly.
No worries, it’s just gonna go in print…
Speaking of influences, I was looking up emo bands
E: you will listen to it and instantly find us less
this morning because I didn’t really know much too
interesting.
about them.. I found this band Cap’n Jazz and I was like, “oh I see where you guys are coming from now”.
Finally, I want to talk about where you’re from and what brought you guys together. From the outside,
J: Yeah, it’s just fucking sick man. Plus it’s like, there’s so
there’s not a notable music scene in Crewe. What was it
much good stuff that isn’t in ‘The music lexicon’. When
like being a young band, being where you’re from?
you said ‘emo’ then part of me and of everyone in this room went like [pulls expression that suggests ‘cringe’].
E: It’s just shit. There’s nothing to say about Crewe.
We’re all quite massive fans of the genre, but when you google it, it’s like…Busted, Paramore, My Chemical
J: There’s no venues here. We’ve only played here once.
Romance. They’re good bands, but it’s like some of that
That was it. We used to hang out here. Get Stoned. Watch
90s emo stuff like Sunny Day Real Estate and Cap’n
Videos. Drink Monster. Go Play. Do a gig occasionally.
Jazz… Next level stuff! It’s ridiculous how it doesn’t
Then all this shit happened around us, it was very weird.
show up when you search up ‘emo’. It’s fucking insane.
No one from here does anything, so you’re telling me that
Like the band Nouns. They had a massive influence on our
guys from Crewe can be in a band and do festivals? It’s
music. Their album - ‘WHILE OF UNSOUND MIND’ -
like no, it’s not happening! The music game just sort of
which we just love and listen to do death…
came to us. We didn’t even play Manchester. We’d only ever played Stoke and Northwich before anyone showed
E: …Best album ever made!
up. We didn’t seek it out. We weren’t sending emails to labels or anything.
J: I’ll tell you now. ‘Ants from Up There’ was not the album of the year last year, it was Nouns’ new album. But
Z: We just got found and that’s it. There was no seeking
no one’s heard it. And it’s ridiculous because if people did,
out the game. It was just luck. Ridiculous, stupid luck.
I imagine it would absolutely blow music apart. But don’t tell anyone that, but because that’s our special source.
J: We were just playing songs and having fun. It shows that you don’t have to seek the game to find it. Unless you’re crap.
@cameronjlwest
24
With tongues firmly in cheek, the six members of
None of us have read the book but we thought let’s start
Man/Woman/Chainsaw celebrate the release of their
a band based off that. Then lockdown hit and we were
third single, ‘What Lucy Found There’, on Friday
very bored so we spent a lot of time in bedrooms playing
13th (October) at The Windmill in Brixton. Aside
music.
from displaying their tendency to pepper moments of seriousness with a wry glint of the eye, it’s a moment
Ben: I didn’t play guitar either. We bought a 303 synth
which marks the first release to sonically reflect their
because I couldn’t play, still can’t really... Then lockdown
move from a collective of interchangeable musicians and
came and I thought guitar looks more fun. Billy and I were
instruments to an experimental art-rock six-piece with a
shit so we got Vera in.
melodic trademark of keys and violin. The turn towards a more tempered musicianship is not going unnoticed.
Vera: We were all at school together.
From capturing the attention of Steve Lamaq and NME, to making their way onto festivals including The Great
Billy: It was a music school so it was very easy to
Escape and Mutations, word of their distinct sound and
rehearse. When we started sixth form we started doing
exhilarating live shows is beginning to spread. Their
gigs. We did a year and a bit playing as a four piece and
performances froth with vibrance and limitless energy,
we had tons of mates who played random instruments so
infectious even when watched online. Interviewing all
it’d be like, ‘Oh, you play trombone? Come for a couple
six of them was no different and if their young age of
of shows!’
18 is to be commented on at all, then it’s to say that it’s most apparent in their eagerness to gig, their pursuit of
Ben: Our cast of ever-revolving musicians switched in
unjaded creative freedom, and above all, the adamant
January.
determination to have fun. Billy: Now it no longer revolves. Lola: Sorry if we’re a bit chaotic coming on here. Ben: And the violin and keys make it… Billy: It’s everyone’s first day of uni. V: More interesting. Everyone plays guitar. How was it? How was the process of songwriting as an everClio: Kinda boring actually.
revolving group of musicians?
Billy: Half of us aren’t going to uni. Emmie’s doing a gap
V: At the beginning it was Billy, Ben, and I that would
life. I’m doing a gap year-ish…
write the songs and then we’d slap parts on top of it. It’s much nicer now because we can actually write for six
Yet all six of you are in the band. How did that come
instruments.
about? L: The switchover from four to six was tough, it’s taken a Billy: Ben and I were in a film club in year 10. Ben
few months to figure out where we all fit.
wasn’t a musician at this point but there was a book on the shelf of essays on feminism in horror films called ‘Men, Women, and Chainsaws’.
Words by Natalia Quiros Edmunds, illustration by Melinda Ureczki
26
Billy: There’s about ten instruments and six voices so
In your debut single ‘Any Given Sunday’ there’s a
there’s a lot of stuff to work with.
lyric, ‘a song comes on and suddenly you’re six again.’ Is a sense of nostalgia central to how you approach
V: Where are you getting ten instruments from?
music?
Billy: There’s drums, guitar, bass, synth, keyboard,
Billy: I think all music is about memory. A lot of the stuff
violin…
I write is about bringing you back to being a kid. Like ‘Sports Day’ and bits of ‘What Lucy Found There.’
V: That’s six. V: I get what you’re saying but that’s also so funny Billy:…loud guitar, quiet guitar, loud bass, quiet bass.
because that was like last week.
The book the band is named after, Men, Women,
Billy: We’re still young of course, and I’m not trying to be
and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film
super artsy or sentimental about stuff but it just comes out
(1992) by Carol Clover, argues that slasher films align
I think. There’s lots of change going on, you know? But I
viewers with the female victim who ends up defeating
mean of course, we’re still pretty fucking childish.
her oppressor. Have the themes of horror, cinema, and feminism influenced the band musically or otherwise?
Ben: I think the majority of our comedy is that we don’t know any wiser.
Billy: If they have it’s a coincidence I think. Billy: There is no wiser, Ben. Ben: I hate horror films. I don’t want to sweat while I eat. Your first gig was at the Amersham Arms on 19th Billy: We try to go cinematic with our sounds and how
October 2021. You’ve since played over 70 shows across
we arrange but we’re not going for film soundtracks.
the country?
Although we’d be very down if anybody out there wants us to score a film.
Billy: 75 as of yesterday, I keep count.
L: Like horror and comedy entwined.
Ben: But we were so bad.
V: A new score for Sean of the Dead.
V: A good 40 of those 75 shows were probably shit.
Your humour is often commented on by journalists.
Bi: What was fun about those gigs was that we were finding out how to do it and we would do whatever. We could write a song and play it the next day or make stupid
Billy: A lot of our songs start as jokes.
songs that are shoutouts to friends and keep them in the V: It’s a really good starting place because you’re not
set for three years. We try and keep that same ‘fuck it,
too attached to it. If you’re writing something that’s your
have some fun with it’ thing when we’re writing now,
heart and soul, it can be hard to perform and you feel
that’s what we like about Chainsaw.
embarrassed to share. In 2021 you would have been 16, how has the Ben: There’s not enough fun in crappy loud guitar bands
experience of playing live changed?
like ours. We try not to be moody. V: We’re not scared of being kicked out of the venue now!
27
Man/Woman/Chainsaw
Billy: Yeah, being able to stay in the venue and be seen as
Billy: It’s everything. But I can’t lie, the most fun I have
a serious…
is in the rehearsal room. Of course, it’s affirming to do gigs but the most fun is writing, messing around, and then
Ben: As a serious, unserious band.
when we get stuff right and it clicks for the first time.
Billy: And it’s good to surprise people with us being better
So what now?
now. V: I just want to gig as much as possible. Ben: I very much couldn’t play guitar for the first year of Chainsaw.
L: It hurts my body so much but it’s worth it.
Billy: I’m going to step in here and say it sounds like he’s
V: Lola bled on her drum kit yesterday.
being modest, and he kind of is because Ben is brilliant at guitar in Chainsaw, but also…you started learning in year
L: I had a massive gash in my hand but you don’t notice
10? And then we just chucked you in the deep end.
until after. There was blood splattered all over my snare drum.
Ben: The first year of Chainsaw I was just making noise and playing barre chords and I still do but it’s nice to now
Billy: We had a run of gigs where I lost my fingernail. I
be able to do the melodic stuff a little bit.
had to go home and really change the way I play.
Billy: Making noise and playing barre chords should be
V: I mean you did play by just rubbing your hand.
our bio. Billy: We now live off OPI nail strengthener. What have you loved most about the process? L: My grandma eats raw jelly cubes, apparently it thickens C: The band is the first time in my life where I’ve enjoyed
your nails.
performing violin. I grew up doing classical music and that shit is stressful as fuck. I’m so grateful to Chainsaw,
You’ll be handed them at gigs.
it’s completely spun around my perception of violin. V: Now that I would really like. L: To be honest, all of it feels crazy. That people actually want us to come and play.
@ureczkimelinda
28
Sheer Mag have always been sceptical of a quick ascent
Tina: Each record is different – the last one was an
to fame. Upon the release of their debut EP in 2014,
interview with me, but recently Matt’s been taking the
the band were rapidly met with a handful of record deal
reins.
offers. Suspicious of the contractual fine print, they politely declined and continued to run all things Sheer
Are there any topics you still reserve for yourself?
Mag in-house. Evolving from Philadelphia’s underground punk-rock and hair metal communities, it’s unsurprising
T: I don’t think so. The last record was more concerned
that a DIY ethos still sits at their core. Gaining credit
with that deeply personal subject matter which we felt
for raucous live gigs and praised for their unabashed
was explored fully. Now we’re concerned about personal
political commentary on Trump-era America and social
experiences and everyday feelings people can relate to –
injustice, their reputation continued to grow. From selling
partying, friendship, meaningful connections.
pro-choice posters at shows, to raw lyricism lamenting the pressures of female body image in society, Sheer Mag
That’s clear in your latest single ‘All Lined Up’ – an
made their stance on these issues clear. Their message
ode to late night bars and high stakes pool games. With
to the listeners? Get on board or find musical refuge
politics defining so much of your early material, why
elsewhere.
the subject switch?
Fresh from their musical hiatus following sophomore
K: The Trump era took over our first few years as a band.
album ‘A Distant Call’ in 2019, the five-piece are back
Everyone in the group was so dialled in with what was
with a new single, and surprisingly, a record deal with
going on, and that will always be a part of Sheer Mag.
Third Man Records. They’ve also departed from politics
Lately, it feels like everyone’s been hitting each other over
(for now). Instead, this new chapter sees Tina (lead
the head with the same conversations. Because of that
vocalist), Kyle (lead guitar), Matt (rhythm guitar), Hart
we decided to just focus on being a great rock band with
(bass) and Evan (drums) exploring more universal affairs.
songs that span wider subjects. Who’s to say we won’t
Remaining consistent in their 70s classic-rock soaked
return to politics, but by now people know where we
riffs, they’re focusing their lens on friendships and
stand, and it almost felt as if we were just preaching to the
social life. These changes may seem surprising based on
converted.
how adamant the band were about their career decisions six years ago. Or was that the press simplifying their
On the subject of ‘being a great rock band’, I can’t
motivations in print? Perhaps it’s best to hear from the
help but recall one of your interviews in 2019 where
band themselves.
you said there was ‘no good rock music around.’ Clickbait quotes like this one can’t be trusted at face
Has Philadelphia changed since the last time you
value, but in 2023 how do you reflect on this in relation
released music?
to the current state of rock?
Kyle: Philly’s still going strong – it feels like there’s a
T: What I really meant was that radio rock at that time
million bands around. The DIY scene has always thrived
was different to what any of us grew up on. We’d turn on
and still is.
the radio and hear some weird pseudo-stadium rock. Your words get jumbled when you do interviews a lot of times.I
Tina, on the last record you described Matt
definitely don’t think there’s “no good rock music”, I just
‘interviewing’ you about intimate subjects to inspire
think that successful rock music is very different to what
himself lyrically. Is it still the same?
it used to be.
31
Words by Poppy Richler, illustration by Amy McPherson
K: We don’t want to name specific bands, but at the time it
I’ve never been afraid. I’m living life in this body and
felt like the genre lacked inspiration. But that’s changing
I’ve found that being a real person that talks about real
– lately I’ve been seeing more great rock bands taking that
problems makes life easier.
step into the mainstream like Turnstile. We don’t sound like them, but that step is great for rock bands everywhere.
For so long you were against signing with a label. Why did you decide to finally sign with Third Man a few
Rock and punk do seem to be heading into the
months ago?
‘mainstream’ again. In the UK, it’s very exciting to see female bands spearheading this movement – Picture
T: In the beginning, we only had four songs. We had no
Parlour, The Last Dinner Party and Lambrini Girls for
idea people would respond so well and it was amazing. We
example. How does this compare to Philadelphia?
didn’t send those songs to any secret society to make us popular, but all these labels were going crazy and asking
T: As far as society’s penchant to over-encourage men to
us to sign away our life. We didn’t know what was going
do things, Philly’s always been really inclusive.
on, who we were as a band and didn’t feel comfortable with the possibility of getting exploited.
And as a self-identified punk-rock act, what do these terms mean to you as a band?
K: After our debut album came out, there were articles saying that ‘Sheer Mag will never sign.’ In 2017 it felt
T: We all have our own individual ideas of what it means.
like a different industry – loads of new bands were being
For me, I embrace vulnerability. We don’t shy away from
swept up into a fervour and letting the industry define
things we care about, whereas a lot of people try to be too
who they were. It runs away from you and the next thing
cool and as such lack honesty.
you know you wake up hating the band you’re in and you have no relationship to who you are any more. Maybe
K: When we started the band, I had a clear conceptual
we could’ve signed something and gotten bigger earlier,
idea: a modern punk-rock band with a real old school
but would we still be here 10 years later? It’s hard to say.
emphasis on melodies that hark back to a different time.
Retrospectively, it was the right decision.
Imagine Queen but it’s a bunch of people in a basement with a four-track demo recorder. I was obsessed with
Our decision to finally sign came when we felt that we
combining different musical worlds. Whether that’s punk
needed a bit of a push. We wanted to see the band grow
or not, that’s what I set out to do.
further and I felt like that wasn’t going to happen on our own. It reached the point where we didn’t want our music
What melodic things did you bring back specifically?
to suffer as a result of being so busy doing all the logistics ourselves. So we reached out to Third Man. The stuff
K: We’ve been labelled as ‘power pop’ and that’s
we’ve been writing recently is some of our best music yet.
absolutely true. Starting out, some of our biggest
That’s confirmed our decision as a smart one and I’m glad
influences were power pop garage bands from the 70s
to have waited as long as we did.
like The Nerves and The Shivers. A lot of people also said that we sounded like Thin Lizzy. It’s funny because I was
And look what happened! It was a mutual coming
actually trying to rip off Tom Scholz from Boston.
together – Third Man’s Ben Blackwell said he was ‘beyond honoured [and] humbled at your decision to
Tina you mentioned vulnerability earlier. Have you
reach out. Alongside re-issues of your earlier catalogue
ever felt that a subject is too tender to be treated in a
on the label, a new single usually hints at incoming
song?
fresh music. Are you able to disclose more specific details?
T: I’ve never felt that way. Even with the most vulnerable of topics on ‘Cold Sword’ about my abusive father and
K: We’ve been instructed to be very vague for now…
‘The Right Stuff’ about fat shaming. 33
Sheer Mag
Records
The Debut Album from
Folly Group 12/01/2024
35
Words by Eve Boothroyd, design by UNCANNY
2020 brought a huge period of shifts, blowing apart the
J: It’s been a long time coming
traditional live scene and band dynamic and opening spaces for deconstruction and seemingly endless
How do you select those two tracks to be the first ones?
experimentation. It was out of this that four musicians, all extensively experienced in their respective careers, from
G: ‘TUNE IN TUNE OUT’, that’s probably the first song
former Eagulls frontman George Mitchell to producer
where, we really understood what we were doing
Matt Peel, began a new collective. The resultant project, HONESTY, is a veering and fluctuating experience,
M: That was always the one that I thought would be a
borrowing details from an array of genres but producing
really good introduction to the band. Obviously, Imi’s
something truly unique and new.
become a really big part of the band now. So it’s good to have one with her really strong voice on it. And then one
A few days before the release of their astounding and
with George’s voice really strong. That is just a good sort
intriguing double A-sides ‘U&I’ and ‘TUNE IN TUNE
of, “this is who we are”. The two tracks covered that.
OUT’ we spoke to them about the journey that led to this moment, the paradox of being a ‘Leeds Band’, and the
J: The HONESTY starter pack *laughs*
odds of a prize trip to space. How did you end up working together? How did you Hi, how are you doing?
form?
Matt: Hey *laughs* they’re coming up the stairs now, I
G: Well I stopped working with my old band. And then
can hear them singing
[Matt] Peel got in touch with me, and asked “do you want to come into the studio, we’re doing a new project” or
Josh: Hello!
whatever. And then it just went from there didn’t it?
George : *singing* Jesus gave us the water of life
J: Me and Matt had been working on loads of sort of catalogue music together and we’d also been in a band
How you feeling about the double single coming out?
together. And you’d been sending out demos [to George]. And then Matt kind of brought the two things together.
M: Yeah, super happy, we’ve been working on it for ages...
The stuff we were already working on was kind of going
super hard graft for ages
down the same route as HONESTY. And then George added that final piece.
36
G: We sort of consciously knew from the start that we
G: Yeah *laughs* like reverse engineering
didn’t want to be a band. We were very into the idea of not having egos and there being not just one singer and things.
Does that make you feel nervous to take this material
It should be more of a collaborative effort
to the live shows - if it’s sort of a reversed process?
J: That’s kind of how Imi got involved as well. We sent
G: No, not all. It’s took us a while to get it all working
her some tracks to work on, and she helped shape those
right live, and it sounds really, really good live. So we’re
tracks in a really special way
confident with it. We played a show, when was it? Last month?
What was that like from your perspective Imi? M: August, was it? Yeah, yeah, we did Deershed Festival Imi: It was great. It came at a really good time because the
as a little bit of a tryout thing
lockdown happened so I wasn’t really doing as much of my own music. It was really nice to get involved musically
It’s all great venues that you’re playing. I saw you’re
with a project again. There was a lot of back and forth
playing Huddersfield, which is actually where I’m
recording vocals from home and then occasionally going
from.
into the studio. And then, I think it was last year, that kind of became part of the project
J: Oh really? Yeah I love The Parish, it’s a great venue!
You obviously all have a lot of history working in
Yeah it’s brilliant! So for a project that’s so different
music, did that teach you any lessons in approaching
to everything that you guys have done before, is there a
this project?
standard songwriting approach?
M: Yeah, big time. That’s kind of a lot of the point of it
G: It does vary a lot. Sometimes Peel could come up with
really. I guess I make a lot of records, so I see a lot of the
something or do something at home and bring it in, but it’s
same patterns that people follow. It’s cool to try and do
just whatever feels right
something that’s a little bit against those patterns. I think it’s good having... even if we just, say, stuck with all the
M: I just think when you start trying to do something
guest singers that we’ve used, like the guest vocalists...
that’s, at least to some extent, free of tropes, it’s quite
Even, that’s really cool, because you’re forced to make the
tough. It just immediately becomes really hard to do
music slightly different for each person, you’re forced to
because you’ve got these rules in your head about not sort
just look at it in a different way
of sounding conventional.
G: Not being stuck in the one formula that you usually
J: A lot of it is just us sat here in this room, tweaking
tend to end up with in a band situation. You do one album,
minute bits of music, for entire days at a time. Looping 30
and it’d be one style, and then you’d have to wait until the
seconds of tunes, or the kick drums in the right place until
next album to do something a little bit different. It’s not
the textures are right or whatever. Going over and over
being penned in and being able to just be as creative as
and over and grinding away at it
you can be and not have to throw away things Do you think that being Leeds based and being in J: I feel like the usual band thing is, you know, you get
that scene, do you feel like you’re part of a wider
together in a practice room and you do loads of gigs and
movement?
stuff. And to kind of do it backwards has been really good G: I mean, even with our old bands I don’t ever feel like it was part of the scene. I don’t know, I’ve never really felt that way.
37
HONESTY
J: It never felt like we were. You know, we never refer to
I: Yeah, this has always been my approach to vocals, I
ourselves as like being a Leeds band
always sing random stuff like mainly around vowels. So I’ll know that I want it to be around a particular shape on
G: None of us are even from Leeds really, we sort of just
a particular note, or in a phrase. A lot of the time, there’ll
live here
be words that kind of pick up, but it’s kind of like my own made up language. So then, all the rest of the guys
J: There’s nothing in the music that would mean it was
are really supportive in trying to get some of the actual
tied to any kind of geographical location, I think
lyrics to mean things rather than my made up language. *laughing* you’re the translators of my language
G: But then again, that is a pretty like Leeds thing, isn’t it? Because Leeds has never really had a certain sound.
J: I wish we could just leave it in your language
Whereas say Manchester has got a sound or Bristol. Leeds
sometimes. There’s something about having that vocal
has just always been this weird... but you know what
on the tunes where you’re like “what the fuck does this
I mean it’s like Sisters of Mercy or whatever and then
mean?” which is actually kind of even more beautiful
you’ve got all the house music stuff that happened here.
than when you do know what it means sometimes? Yeah,
It’s like you wouldn’t describe Leeds as a certain look or...
maybe we’ll go full blown Sigur Ros or something
it’s not baggy or whatever is it’s just...whatever happens I guess my final question is what your hopes are for the
happens. Yeah maybe we are a bit Leeds
reception of the first two tracks. Maybe that freedom to do whatever you want is Leeds M: Just... Grammys J: *laughs* we’ve come full circle there. G: Aren’t we gonna win the World Cup as well? Yeah, so what about the track ‘U&I’, did Imi write the lyrics for that or was it collaborative?
J: We want to be the first band to win the World Cup, that’d be great. You know, Nobel Prizes. A Mercury award
G: We just chipped in all together writing that one
but the prize is that we actually get to go to Mercury?
M: Imi’s got this amazing vocal that sounds like it’s got
Definitely the prize now…
words, but there’s no words. Just doing sort of *laughs* speaking in tongues type stuff
M: But we do have big ambitions for it. I’d like it to be big enough that the live shows can be really great.
G: It’s like working out the crazy puzzle
@uunnccaannyy
38
We all love folk music. But no one loves it more than
During our correspondence, the folk-head answered my
multi-instrumentalist Oscar Browne, who is determined to
multitude of questions focusing on new releases, musical
revive the genre within the present day, all while adding
memories as well on his current songwriting process and
a little alternative spice. Boasting a growing following
lyrical genius.
and influences ranging from Nick Drake to Ben Howard, Browne’s upcoming debut EP ‘If Only’ is bound to pack a
Let’s talk about your upcoming, debut EP ‘If Only’.
punch. A blend of traditional folk and modern influences,
What’s your favourite track on the EP and why is this?
Browne’s nostalgic sound shines through modern, rosetinted lenses, destined to imprint itself across your playlist
The track I’m most proud of is ‘You & I’. I think the lyrics
recommendations.
sum up what the EP means to me. It was also a track that me and the others in the band very naturally came up with
Following a jam-packed year, in which Browne racked up
an arrangement for together.
an impressive repertoire of live performances, supporting the likes of Prima Queen, ‘If Only’ follows single releases
Congratulations on the recent release of the single
‘Cut Me Off’ and ‘Never Quite Right’, the former the
‘All or Nothing’. How would you describe the track,
introductory track from the new EP.
whether that be lyrically or otherwise?
The leaves are turning brown and cups of tea are as much
For me, the track represents and brings to life a moment
of a necessity as water. Whilst your ‘On Repeat’ playlist
of realisation. ‘All or Nothing’ represents a time in your
might be dominated by the star-studded cast of Bon Iver
life when you are no longer caught up in the problems
and Hozier, Oscar Browne’s delicate vocals provide that
you once had, free to move forward in your life and look
warming hug of a jumper you really need this changing of
towards the future.
the seasons. We’ve all seen your Vinted basket. Dreamy harmonies and touches of brass reverberate through my
Talk to me about the artwork for ‘If Only’. How does it
headphones as I sit planning the interview, transporting
connect to the EP itself?
me to some vast open landscape, where the ocean laps delicately against the sand. ‘If Only’ is an autumnal kiss,
The artwork wasn’t particularly planned as such, I just
warming on a frost-bitten morning commute.
knew it had to be something simple. Inigo Blake took the photo down in Seven Sisters in London. There was
Currently based in South East London, but not forgetting
torrential rain at the time alongside extremely intense
his North London roots, I had the pleasure of catching up
winds, which we were battling through.
with Oscar ahead of ‘If Only’’s release on October 20th.
Words by Neve Dawson, illustration by Lauren Cory
40
In this sense, the weather in hindsight was a form of
In terms of the wider music scene, who would you say
pathetic fallacy in a way and seems to me now totally
is your favourite artist at the minute?
fitting for the EP, which explores a spectrum of different There’s some amazing people based in London currently.
emotions felt by all at different times in their lives.
Tapir!, Clara Mann, and The New Eves are just a few. What were your earliest interactions with music and
The talent of London does not stop there, however. In
how did they shape the music you’re making now?
terms of live gigs, I recently saw contemporary Irish folk band Lankum, who originate from Dublin and without a
I remember crashing about on a drum kit with my dad
doubt blew me away with their award-winning vocals and
when I was about 5 years old. The first guitar that
powerful sound.
I received many moons ago, was one that I got for Christmas on which all kinds of crazy sounds were
You’ve recently been on the road with Prima Queen
played and experiments made. When I was 14 I became
and Gently Tender. What did you learn whilst you were
obsessed with Nick Drake’s music and haven’t stopped
supporting those bands?
listening since. I’d say the main folk-based artists who have influenced my guitar playing etc. would be John
I learnt a lot being on tour with both bands. The main
Martyn, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, and Martin Carthy.
thing that inspired me whilst on tour with Gently Tender
In relation to the genre of my music, people can call it
and Prima Queen was the sheer number of people who
whatever they want as it definitely spans across different
came to the gigs around the UK and were genuinely really
categories. I adore a wide variety of different folk artists/
into the music. It’s easy to get stuck in a bubble and
musicians. Personally, however, I would summarise it as
pattern in the Big Smoke so it was refreshing to see many
Ye Olde Pop.
new faces singing lyrics back in the crowd, simply there for a good time and to appreciate the music.
How does your songwriting process work? Do you Looking ahead, what are you looking forward to with
always base them on personal life experiences?
the rest of the year and heading into 2024? Currently and especially with ‘If Only’ and past tracks, I’d say all my songs are based on personal experiences and
Without a doubt, I’m looking forward to performing at
past feelings I have dealt with. In terms of moving forward
more and more live gigs. I currently also have a lot of new
with my songwriting, however, I am trying to approach
ideas floating around my head, which hopefully I can get
writing tracks from a different perspective, placing a
written down and eventually recorded, bringing some new
different light on things and representing a different voice.
releases in the near future.
41
Oscar Browne
MITSKI THE LAND IS INHOSPITABLE AND SO ARE WE OUT NOW
water made us streaming october 13 lp/cd october 27
YHWH (pronounced Yah-Wey) Nailgun, are a four-
Saguiv: Yeah, the video game is real life now.
piece from New York. I’m very aware of how dull that description sounds to you reader, but one thing I’ve
Z: I think it’s a porn type thing also.
learned whilst speaking with this band is their music aims to live outside pre-explained definitions of ‘genre’ and this
J: There’s something sexual about it for sure. Ah it sucks
idea of a ‘scene’ more generally. This motivation partly
so much. Cringe culture in general I just don’t understand.
explains why they rarely conduct interviews. Well, here’s your exclusive. The scoop if you will.
Sam: Just for the record, Leo, it doesn’t make any of us
Here are four guys who, as their drummer says, “like to
horny…
derail things”. YHWH Nailgun exist to tear down rather than add to any pre-existing cultural movements. A
I don’t think it’s filtered into the UK yet.
revolution without many decipherable words… J: I could see Louis Theroux interviewing some of these Where in New York are you all based?
people. We all love him.
Zach: We’re in Ridgewood, Queens. I live with Jack also.
What other parts of British culture are you guys into?
Saguiv: I live two blocks away from those guys.
Sam: I grew up listening to British music. I’ve never been to the UK but feel like I have an abstract image of the UK
Sam: It depends on what you constitute as important but to
informed by all the media I’ve consumed growing up.
me, New York is the capital of the world. It definitely works the same the other way round. I’ve Zach: Although the problem with New York is that there’s
always liked the idea of CBGB, The Chelsea hotel.
this new trend where people set up twitch streams so that
Neither of which exist anymore.
people can pay them to do NPC video game emotes. Have you heard about this Leo?
J: The people who hold onto that nostalgia in New York are like, unbearable. It’s crazy how they just haven’t
No, please enlighten me.
advanced at all.
Jack: It sucks.
Z: There are also those old guys who go around saying “New York hasn’t been the same since the Strokes”.
Z: It’s kinda scary, I saw this video recently of these guys live streaming on the street, facing the wall of a building
J: I don’t really understand the whole indie sleaze
just emoting uncontrollably, and making money from it.
movement. I get why people want to play music and have
Seeing someone in real life doing it is so upsetting…
fun by trying to imitate a band like the Strokes, but I feel like they are doing it to party rather than to contribute
So, kind of like playing real life Sims characters?
anything new. I feel like if you’re gonna play music why not bring something new to the table?
43
Words by Leo Lawton, illustration by Eleanor Young
Saguiv: Yeah, it’s definitely a party and fashion scene.
Z: I can’t speak for everyone but for me, I’m always trying
New York is historically a city where people come to
to get past the point of understanding what it is that I’m
innovate so it’s ironic that a scene which is so unoriginal
trying to do. The space which I’m trying to access is that
gets so much attention.
area where you feel the music but don’t have any thoughts about it. A large part of my writing process is pointing
Your guys’ music is undeniably different, so how do
out things which you already have a name for and then
you cultivate that in a city so saturated with imitation?
going over them with things that you don’t understand. Mystifying it.
J: We spend a lot of time in rehearsals finding different, So, the less sense it makes to you the better?
abstract paths and advancing in all sorts of ways. Of course, there are types of music which we are taking a lot from, like Hip-Hop for example. But ultimately our goal is
Sam: We like derailing things, it’s not so much giving less
to keep our music interesting for ourselves and so it often
sense to it, but about feeling it in your body. We don’t
needs to be original.
want to make music that you can cerebrally pick apart or process, we just want to put music forward that you can
Z: It’s not so much like trying to sound like nobody else,
feel. Having said that, we do care about communicating
it’s just about trying to build something for us which
with our audience.
feels like it’s from right now. For me, it’s important to feel close to whatever the source is, instead of trying to
Z: It’s not about it not making sense for us because we
approximate a vibe by reviving something. There’s no
all know what we’re doing, but about trusting those
fashion involved in what we’re doing. A lot of people
instinctive sounds and ideas which you haven’t yet got
will say to themselves, “Ok, we want a grungy vibe so
words to understand. I’m always trying to get past my
let’s sound like Nirvana”. What I’m excited about is the
internal monologue. It’s a nice process in the band.
possibility of being the ‘next thing’. J: I don’t want to sound like a douchebag, but it is just How do you achieve that accolade?
very easy to write songs when we come together as a combined soul. We’ve all been playing for a long time
Saguiv: I think by focussing on the bandmates themselves
together now, and we’ve invested so much emotion into
rather than anything external. When we’re writing, we’re
it. We could all write each other’s parts. In our practise
only pulling from each other.
space, which I fucking hate by the way because my keys stand has to face into the wall, I still know when changes
Sam: Writing songs is easy. Because we all believe in each
are coming. We’ve put a lot of time into creating this
other and the project, things tend to emerge pretty quickly.
telepathy between us.
What comes out isn’t diluted by any external influences or feeling like we need to capture a specific vibe, it just
So, you’re less worried about trying to say anything
happens. Once the mechanism is in motion, it’s like
in particular, rather, the band is a celebration of the
throwing up or something.
strong collaboration between the four of you?
Saguiv: We’re all looking at the same point of the horizon.
Z: I think the music means something for all of us, but we don’t put any pressure on directing the meaning in
You guys seem very aware of artistic aesthetics and
any particular way. Sometimes songs will make sense six
gauging what people might like to say through their
months down the line. This happens a lot, we don’t intend
music, so what is YHWH Nailgun trying to achieve in
for anything but over time that intention will become
that sense?
clear.
Saguiv: Just trynna show people a good time!
45
YHWH Nailgun
Saguiv: We don’t want to tell people how to feel about it either. There’s not an explicit emotion to everything, and people react to the songs very differently to each other. Sam: I like when people project their own meaning onto our music. Our abstract, conceptual ideas might read really directly to some people and less to others. Some people hear a totally different style of music that we weren’t even aware of before. Drummers will come up to me and say “ah, you’re taking from this musician” etc, musicians which I’ve never even heard before! I’m like “yeah, I guess, whatever you want!”. How did black midi’s crowd react to your music when you supported them a few times in Florida? Saguiv: Their crowd is amazing. Sometimes in support slots you’re gambling as to how much the crowd will actually engage, but they reacted really well. It felt like it was our show, not to take away from the fact that it was a Black Midi show. We didn’t feel out of place with their crowd at all. Jack: And we loved Florida! Tell me about your new single ‘Castrato Raw’ Sam: We love it, and we’re very excited for people to listen to it. Yeah, that’s all I really have to say about it… Zach: It has a chorus, which is nice… Saguiv: It’s the most normal song in terms of structure. It doesn’t really mean much if I had to pick it apart… J: It’s my favourite song we’ve put out so far, I think. Sam: It makes us so happy to play it. J: I grin ear to ear when we play it. Z: I feel the exact same way about every other single we’ve put out. I can’t wait for people to like this music. My mom likes it…
@itseleanoryoung
46
One More Thing The Debut Album from
16/02/2024
Scratching the surface of emerging Hastings three-piece,
There’s no real scene or many people our age, so if there
Borough Council, you might expect to find a scrappy-go-
are bands playing it’s not generational. I was rehearsing
lucky group of lads who know a thing or two about guitar
today with a guy called Anthony Moore who used to be in
music. Delve in deeper, what you actually discover is a
a band called ‘Slapp Happy’ and he’s in his 70’s. There’s a
wholesome family unit who find the joy in life through
venue called ‘The Piper’ which is pretty good.
nature, healthy living and most poignantly, each other. T: There’s a lot of musical spirit! Whilst it’s limited, when We caught up with Haydn, Tom and Joe to discuss lifelong
a project does rear its head, people rush for it.
friendship, roly-polies and how Dan Carey came to hang It’s great that you’ve managed to work the mechanics
out with their mum.
of a small-town to your advantage. Now, can you tell us Firstly, can you tell us where the sonic love affair of
more about your debut single, ‘Prescribed’?
‘Borough Council’ began? T: Our process of writing tunes usually starts with the Joe: Me and Haydn are brothers. We’ve been making
three of us in a room, playing upon ideas that Haydn’s
music together for as long as we can remember. Haydn
conjured up.
taught me how to play ‘Let It Be’ in our Dad’s old attic. Then Tom and Haydn met at school and have been making
H: I wrote a demo that doesn’t sound anything like the
music together ever since.
finished product. When I’d finished it, I spilt water all over my laptop and lost everything, so we had to start
Tom: We feel like it’s our most streamlined project yet,
again. This was weirdly a good thing, as it meant we then
both musically and as a unit. The three-piece seems to
re-recorded the track all together. It’s loosely about bad
have ticked a lot of boxes for us.
habits and trying to separate yourself from that. In the first line I reference Voltaire, who advocated for the separation
Haydn: We like minimalism as a sound. You don’t have
of the church and state, which is a loose metaphor for
too much or too little, it’s just the right amount.
needing that separation. We also sing ‘I want my body now’, which is about recalling yourself.
In a sense, are you trimming the fat? Meat and two veg.
With this sentiment in mind, can you prescribe any top tips for a happy and healthy life?
T: Yeah! It provides a kind of limitation that pushes us sonically. If there was another member, it would take
H: I’m baking bread at the moment! I can show you the
away from the sketchiness of Haydn jumping between
bread I’m proving in my cupboard.
two instruments. It’s a certain energy that just wouldn’t be there if we had more people.
T: Keeping fit. I do a lot of cycling. I love my mountain bike.
As a Hastings hailing unit, what does its music scene have to offer?
J: I do like a bath. More so, the running of the bath than the bath itself. I stay in there for about 4 minutes.
H: Excuse the term being a big fish in a small pond, but as there aren’t many bands here that would be considered
Wholesome living indeed. You’ve been widely labelled
left-field it’s actually spurred us on. It feels a bit like the
as krautrock, but also Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost
wild west.
Control’ immediately sprung to mind. Words by Laura Pegler, illustration by REN
50
Where exactly do you take your influence?
H: Yeah, it’ll be part of the next Speedy Wunderground ‘Single Series’. He came to see us at ‘The Cavendish
J: Joy Division for me for sure.
Arms’ and we hit it off. After we played, he asked if we wanted to go to the studio that night. As there were
H: Someone said we sounded a bit like ‘Can’ and ‘Faust’.
train strikes on, it was our mum who then drove us all to
I don’t really know much ‘Faust’, but I think they’re the
London. Dan said, “can I jump in the car too?”, so he got
grandaddy’s of krautrock in Hamburg.
in the back with us - it was hilarious! We were having a go on his synths whilst Dan was chatting to our mum about
T: I think the krautrock feel in that tune stems more from
lord knows what. It was a bit of a daze.
my love of a motorik beat. Beyond the band, as I sense we share sensitive souls, can you let us know what moves you?
H: I feel more influenced by bands at the moment. Fontaines D.C. for example, the mood of the music and Grian’s vocals reignited my personal love for guitar music.
H: That’s a beautiful question, I can feel myself going
Also, I’m wearing a band tee of ‘The New Eves’ who are
down a rabbit hole of so many different things. I’m trying
super exciting.
not to say my girlfriend or the TV.
As well as championing new artists, can you tell us
T: Jon Hassell’s record ‘Last Night the Moon Came’ is just
about the new indie label you released on, ‘Bath House
crazy. I feel very emotional listening to that. Recently, I
Records’?
cried listening to John Maus’ ‘KEXP’ because I discovered his brother (also his bandmate) had died. I’m a huge
J: ‘Bath House Records’ is run by our older brother,
fan of the show ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ and
George!
sometimes the closeness I have with that show makes me feel quite intense.
So, the family affair continues? H: Me and my girlfriend recently went to a caravan in J: He’s been doing it for a couple years now. He writes
Winchelsea. I’d say nature is a broad statement, but we
music and produces for a few acts. He does it in an old
were running on the beach like kids. We were playing with
bath house in Sydenham, so the name came from that.
driftwood, finding squid eggs and I was doing roly-polies down the hill. It was just beautiful. If I lose connection
It’s nice that you not only like each other, but can work
with that side of me, that’s what moves me in reverse.
together too - a rare find in a family. Peace and quiet is so underrated. T: It’s a good dynamic. The fact that everyone - minus me – is related, means that when it does get political it’s over
J: In London, I find there’s constant noise and mayhem.
like that. There’s no real filter. Events just unfold as they
When you do get that moment of silence, it’s quite hard
would at home.
to appreciate it. I would say recently, thinking about my parents moves me a lot.
With the first single out, you could say the future’s a blank canvas - what’s next?
H: I’m the same! This is going to sound mushy, but when I think about my brothers - sorry Tom - Joe and George
H: We’ve written a lot! We’re working with Dan Carey
and how much I miss them because we live in different
in October, which will then be set for release next year.
cities, that proper gets me. The men in our family are all
When the new year hits we’re gonna be all guns blazing.
connected through music.
So, Dan Carey’s producing the next track?
51
Borough Council
Will Anderson, the architect and driver behind Hotline
That’s really nice. One thing I really liked in the PR
TNT is an icon of DIY music. After starting out in
that got sent around was a description of you as the
Vancouver based Weed, over 10 years ago, he has become
“Hotline TNT founder and architect”. Architect feels
a catalyst for a number of grassroots music scenes. It’s an
apt. Does it feel like you’re building this project from
ethos that is close to his heart.
the ground up?
After recently signing with Third Man Records for the
It definitely is, you know, Will’s project. From time to
release of Hotline’s second album, ‘Cartwheel’, you’d
time and at different points of the project, it’s been more
expect that ethos to be challenged. At the end of the day,
of a collaboration. But if you’ve been following the band
everyone needs to make money to survive.
at all, you can tell that the line-up has changed so many times.
With Will however, the record deal has done nothing but strengthen his commitment to the music community and
So, it’s very much Will’s project but for this record,
his DIY projects. Providing the means to continue and also
in particular, you sought out two collaborators: Ian
producing one of the albums of the year. ‘Cartwheel’ is a
Teeple and Aron Kobayashi Ritch. Do you feel the need
record that distils the essence of all the relationships you
to have somebody to bounce ideas off?
build over a lifetime into a vapour that swirls around your That was kind of a new idea. In the past, I had worked
psyche.
alone. So this project started out pretty much alone. The Shoegaze revival or not, Hotline TNT’s second album
first LP, ‘Nineteen In Love’, was all recorded in deep
will demand to be listened to and continue to grow the
lockdown, so there was no choice but to do it all myself.
community around Will’s creative projects. Will joined me
I had somebody mix it remotely, but we didn’t work in
over Zoom to try and help us build a picture of the world
the same room or anything. There was no songwriting
behind it all.
together.
As a musician, you’ve been through many different
Specifically with Ian, we got into a room together and
scenes and lived in lots of different places. Do they all
I pretty much made him: “Hey, I’m going to show up at
fit into what we can hear on ‘Cartwheel’, or is it more
your house and we’re going to make this record together!”
of your recent history? I love that. Locked him in a studio and be like: “We’re I would say it’s fairly recent, but it still covers a lot
going to make this.”
of ground. A lot of the songs were written on our first European tour and overall a lot of Hotline songs are about
Pretty much, yeah! I was like, “We’re doing this whether
moving through the world and meeting people in different
you want or not.” He got some really good ideas out of
places and carrying on relationships that are long distance.
me. He really pushed me, and pulled me, to make the songs that I think are some of my best.
53
Words by Sachin Turakhia, collage by Josh Whettingsteel, photo by Sara Messinger
You released your first record, ‘Nineteen In Love’ in a
Wow, I didn’t realise! On ‘Cartwheel’, there’s a track
very DIY fashion. Because you’re now signed to Third
called ‘That Was My Life’, which has lots of recordings
Man Records, are you settled with that decision and
in there. Are they real voicemails that you picked up
feeling more comfortable with balancing the DIY ethos
while on tour?
and the need to make some money to live on? That was a field recording. I don’t want to give too Yeah, I think honestly, Third Man is, you know … I’ve
much away but we were in our practice space before
got to be careful how I say this, but I think Third Man is
our first Euro tour last year and we overheard these two
easy for some people to make fun of. Or see it as the Jack
guys talking about their own tours. I just loved the way
White label or something like that.
it sounded and just pulled out my phone and started recording them. I asked them afterwards if it was okay and
His name always follows the label, right?
they gave their consent to put it on the album.
Of course. He’s had mainstream success, massive
The final thing I wanted to ask you about is your
mainstream success for many years. But, once you dig in,
[NBA] Zine that you do, called ‘The Association.’ Are
I think Third Man is really a perfect fit for what I’m trying
you going to be able to keep that going with all your
to do. They’re very artist-friendly. I mean, Jack is an artist
touring during the basketball season?
and has been his whole life. I haven’t met him or talked to him personally, but I think it does trickle down to the
That’s going to be hard. It’s already been hard. I mean, it’s
whole business of the label.
hard even when I’m home. I put out the issue and feel like I can chill for a little bit and then two or three weeks have
By and large, it’s been a really good fit and I really like
gone by and I’m like, “Oh shit, I got to make another one”
working with them. We all knew when this relationship
because I’m supposed to do it every month.
started that it was not going to be a YouTube and physicalonly release. That was fine and I was ready for that switch
I’ve missed a month here and there, but I have to think
to happen.
of stuff to write about. Because it’s definitely about basketball, but with stuff in, like my personal life, the
They’re definitely very supportive of me, maintaining
scene in New York and punk shows and I have to think
my vision as an underground, which isn’t the right word
about it pretty hard when I’m doing it. That’s a labour
anymore, more like very grassroots and very involved in
of love. But it’s maybe more labour than I can do all the
my community of DIY music. I don’t think that’s really
time. So we’ll see how it goes with the touring.
been too affected by Third Man. With all of your creative endeavours, are they all part You’re going on tour next week in the US and you also
of the same outlet or do you treat them as very separate
come over to the UK in November. Have you done these
entities in your life?
big long stretches of touring before? No, they’re all related. I’m not very good at keeping them We’ve done a lot of long U.S. tours. That is nothing new
separate. Because I have the zine at the merch table and
for me. We did a month in Europe last year and we did
the website is the gathering point of all these projects. I
a month this year, both of which were the hardest tours
do a stream of myself playing video games too and it’s
we’ve ever done for sure. This year was really hard. They
all related. It’s all part of this persona. It’s all part of this
were both hard, honestly, but also amazing. Just in terms
thing that a small but dedicated group of fans seem to have
of, I never thought I would get to do that. It was a life goal
attached to. Maybe it’s growing with this new record? I
of mine to get over there and tour outside of the States.
don’t know, we’ll see.
And that’s really where we met my Third Man too.
55
Hotline TNT
Fronted by Charles Hayward (This Heat, Camberwell Now) Out on 12” vinyl, CD and Limited Concrete Edition (Vinyl cast in 2inch concrete slab, must be smashed to be heard) 17th Nov 2023. Also out on The state51 label:
BLUE BENDY ‘Mr. Bubblegun’ NEW SIGNING
Single out 10th Oct. Album coming soon
BINGO FURY ‘Power Drill’ NEW SIGNING
Single out now Album coming soon
INDEPENDENT MUSIC HOUSE
Record Label • Atelier Products Factory Sessions • Collective Distribution
THE NID TAPES ‘Electronic Music from India 1969-1972’ A mind-blowing trove of tapes discovered in a cupboard in Ahmedabad
HOTEL LUX The state51 Factory Sessions Live from The state51 Factory, on 12” Vinyl
ALSO OUT ON THE STATE51 LABEL
LEGGS • Better Corners • Scrounge Lou Terry • AGAAMA • Grove
Editors Sam Ford
Josh Whettingsteel
Writers Sam Ford
Reuben Cross
Amber Lashley Will Macnab
Josh Whettingsteel Elvis Thirlwell
Natalia Quiros Edmunds Poppy Richler
Eve Boothroyd Neve Dawson Leo Lawton
Laura Pegler
Sachin Turakhia
Printed By Ex Why Zed
Artists
Josh Whettingsteel Richie Culver Nurit Gross Yinuo Shao
Sara Priorelli Rosie Evans
Cameron JL West Melinda Ureczki Amy McPherson UNCANNY
Lauren Cory
Eleanor Young REN
Cover Photos
Website
Photos for Collage
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