Bristol Live // OSHUN by Bristol In Stereo

M a y. 1 8 | 7 6

BRISTOL LIVE LIVE & NEW MUSIC MAGAZINE

OSHUN J A PA N E S E B R E A K FA S T

DOGEYED

WA S U R E M O N O

RELEASES, LISTINGS & MORE 1

facebook.com/o2academybristol twitter.com/o2academybris instagram.com/o2academybris facebook.com/o2academybristol youtube.com/o2academytv twitter.com/o2academybris instagram.com/o2academybris youtube.com/o2academytv

Wed 2nd May • SOLD OUT

Fri 1st Jun

Tue 2nd Oct

Gomez + John Smith

Broken Social Scene

Glenn Hughes

Sat 5th May

Tue 5th Jun

performs classic Deep Purple Live

Je Suis Disco ft Jocelyn Brown, Nicky Siano, Red Greg, Jamie 3:26

Courtney Barnett

Fri 5th Oct • SOLD OUT

Sun 17th Jun

Jorja Smith

D’Angelo

Sun 14th Oct

Tue 10th Jul • SOLD OUT

The Breeders

Tom Grennan

Mon 7th May

Brothers Osbourne Wed 9th May

Jungle Sat 12th May • 10pm - 3am • over 18s

The Festival Of Light Mon 14th May

Nadine Coyle Tue 15th May

Machine Head

Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana

Tue 24th Jul

Thu 25th Oct

Goo Goo Dolls Mon 20th Aug

Skid Row Mon 27th Aug

The Used Sun 2nd Sep

Fri 18th May • RESCHEDULED DATE

Oh Sees

Cash

Fri 7th Sep

A tribute to the Man in Black Sat 19th May • SOLD OUT

Rita Ora Mon 21st May

DMA’S Fri 25th May

BA1 Records Showcase

Fri 19th Oct

Steve Earle

Wed 18th May

Guns 2 Roses Fri 14th Sep

Darius Rucker Mon 5th Nov

Leon Bridges Thu 8th Nov

The Decemberists Sat 10th Nov

Killing Joke Sun 11th Nov

Blackberry Smoke

Xavier Rudd

Sat 17th Nov • SOLD OUT Sun 18th Nov

Fri 21st Sep

The Cat Empire

The Smyths Sun 23rd Sep

Jose Gonzalez & The String Theory

Sat 1st Dec

Heaven 17 35th Anniversary of The Luxury Gap

Sat 26th May

Sat 29th Sep • SOLD OUT

Tue 18th Dec

Dot To Dot 2018

Halestorm

Clutch

Wed 30th May

Mon 1st Oct

Wed 19th Dec

Public Image Ltd

The Magic Gang

Bjorn Again

O2 Academy Bristol ticketmaster.co.uk

2 2

Frogmore Street, Bristol BS1 5NA • Doors 7pm unless stated Venue box office opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 4pm

ticketmaster.co.uk • seetickets.com • gigantic.com

o2academybristol.co.uk

May • 2018

11| 05 | 18

01| 09 | 18

ROSE DIVE

NOEL GALLAGHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HIGH FLYING BIRDS

- HY-BRASIL -

20| 05 | 18

PEACE - SWX -

30| 05 | 18

SAM BROCKINGTON - THE LOUISIANA -

14| 06 | 18

FOSSETTE

+ PAUL WELLER + ORBITAL + GOLDIE & THE ENSEMBLE - THE DOWNS -

19| 09 | 18

LOST HORIZONS - THE FLEECE -

- THE LOUISIANA -

19| 10 | 18

ASH

26| 06 | 18

KIEFER SUTHERLAND - KOMEDIA, BATH -

| 18 10|S07 OLD

OUT

THE BREEDERS - O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

- SWX -

D SO 17| 11L| 18 & 18|11|18

OUT

THE CAT EMPIRE - O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

04| 12 | 18

BUFFALO TOM - THE FLEECE -

A L L T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E F R O M

SEETICKETS.COM - GIGANTIC.COM

The Gallimaufry

Snazzback

Thursday

Afro-funk and psych-jazz

3 May ~ Snazzback Originals Completely original works.

17 May ~ Global Groove - Scandinavian Peninsula

Performing works by Esbjorn Svensson Trio, Jaga Jazzist and Tord Gustavsen.

31 May ~ Snazzback Scrapbook Fully improvised set.

thegallimaufry.co.uk

PARQUET COURTS, P12

It’s gonna be May. Shameless Justin Timberlake references aside, May sees Bristol hit peak awesome-ness with Dot-to-Dot and all manner of long-awaited tours – several of which we’re shouting about here. Gracing the cover are the world-creating OSHUN, two women taking their mix of East Coast hip hop and deity soul into outer space. Kezia Cochrane talks to them about the ‘oshuniverse’ and all that’s held within. Elsewhere, Japanese Breakfast – the gal behind one of my favourite records of the last twelve months – tells us all about the transition from album one to two, playing her biggest show ever at Coachella and of course the band’s stop at Thekla this month. Harriet of Bristol’s Dogeyed also pops in for a long overdue chat surrounding their amazing new EP and Live Ed, Jon Kean, chats to locals Wasuremono, currently killing 2018 with a Maida Vale session, a critically-acclaimed album and more. All this plus tons of May releases, great guests and our longest listings ever. Loki Lillistone Editor-in-Chief

Sales: loki@bristollivemagazine.com Ed-in-Chief Loki Lillistone / New Music Ed Christian Northwood / Live Ed Jon Kean / Release Ed Lor Nov / News Ed Ross Jones

GUEST PICKS:

12 14 20

W H AT ’ S N E W ?

24 26 28 37

DOGEYED

39 40

DEAR DICK

41 62

LIVE LISTINGS

D O T T O D O T F E S T I VA L

J A PA N E S E B R E A K FA S T COVER:

OSHUN

WA S U R E M O N O NEW RELEASES BRISTOL BECAUSE:

COLSTON HALL

I N C A S E Y O U M I S S E D I T:

MØ

THOUGHTS:

RE: HARRASSMENT AT G I G S .

Guest Picks

This month:

The Regrettes One of the best things about booking Dot to Dot is that we can have a band blow our minds in Texas at SXSW, and a few months later have them playing for us on the other side of the world. Here are The Regrettes, an LA punk band with riffs and melodies of competing catchiness. Still very much in their teens, the fourpiece have already toured with the likes 8

What our pals are into this month.

by Dan Roberts, Dot-to-Dot.

of Kate Nash and Deap Vally. They’ve also clocked up an impressive fanbase following the release of singles ‘Come Through’ and ‘Hey Now’, both of which feature honest, unabashed lyrics about the challenges of life so far. You can hear influences from 60s garage, such as The Sonics, and Motown artists like The Temptations, all the way to more modern references like Hinds. Backed by everyone from Noisey to Vogue, we’re indescribably excited for their trip to the UK this month.

Easy Life In a similar vein to last year’s recommendations of Cosmo Pyke and Yellow Days, Easy Life are a hazy five-piece, this time from Leicester, who are making waves following the release of their debut mixtape Creature Habits. Hotly-tipped and rightly so, they combine hip-hop beats with jazzy guitar chords and introspective lyrics, together with the odd bit of brass. On standout track ‘Pockets’, singer, Murray, talks about the struggles of life as a musician – and it’s as honest as it is satirical. We hope they bring their sausage dog to Dot to Dot!

Men I Trust Montreal’s Men I Trust have been releasing music since 2014, but only recently have they been getting the recognition they deserve. Clocking up over six million views across their tracks on YouTube, the band epitomise chilled out, catchy indie. They can count some impressive names amongst their fans, including Belle & Sebastian, who they are touring the US with this summer. Seminal blog Gorilla vs Bear named ‘Tailwhip’ as song of the year in 2017 and, with more releases and dates planned for 2018, we think they’ll continue their thoroughly deserved rise. Dot to Dot is a highlight of the year for fans of new music, taking place across Bristol on Saturday 26th May.

VOTED TOP FESTIVAL BY BBC 6 MUSIC LISTENERS

THE GUARDIAN

THE TIMES

16-19 AUGUST. BRECON BEAC�NS, WALES

THE WAR B FLEET B KING GIZZARD �N DRUGS FOXES THE LIZARD WIZARD &

J�HN GRANT B GRIZZLY BEAR B DIRTY PROJECT�RS THE BRIAN J�NESTOWN MASSACRE � THE BLACK ANGELS PUBLIC SERVICE BR�ADCASTING � ANNA CALVI � CATE LE B�N MOUNT KIMBIE � FL�ATING POINTS (S�LO LIVE) � J�HN MAUS J�AN AS POLICE W�MAN � THE LEMON TWIGS � TELEMAN C�URTNEY MARIE ANDREWS � BAXTER DURY � KEVIN MORBY CURTIS HARDING � TAMIKREST � SUSANNE SUNDFOR J�HN TALABOT � SIMIAN M�BILE DISCO (LIVE W/ DEEP THROAT CH�IR) ROLLING BLACK�UTS C�ASTAL FEVER � WYE OAK � JANE WEAVER KING TUFF � ALEX CAMERON � PH�EBE BRIDGERS � TUNNG KELLY LEE �WENS � BO NINGEN � BEAK> � CHASTITY BELT HMLTD � GOAT GIRL � SWEET BAB� � A HAWK AND A HACKSAW XYLOURIS WHITE � LOST HORIZ�NS � LUCY DACUS � SHANNON LAY BOY AZ�GA � PICTISH TRAIL � MARL�N WILLIAMS � THE KVB � OMNI DUDS � SNAPPED ANKLES � JADE BIRD � SNAIL MAIL � AMBER ARCADE CHARLES WATS�N � IDER � ED DOWIE � HALEY HEYNDERICKX BAS JAN � SEAMUS FOGARTY � JUANITA STEIN � SACRED PAWS JIM GHEDI � SORRY � STELLA D�NNELLY � WESTERMAN SPINNING C�IN � GROUP LISTENING � FENNE LILY � HAZE ADWAITH � ACCU � SOCK � BUZZARD � AADAE

10 WILD LANDS �F LAUGHS, LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, FAMILY ADVENTURE AND MUSIC TICKETS �N SALE NOW!

GREENMAN.NET 10

What’s New?

Fresh tales from the BLM radar with:

Christian Northwood New Music Editor

Pip Hall You don’t need a huge studio to make huge music anymore; you probably already know that. All you really need is a laptop – and that is all Preston-native Pip Hall used to record her incredible new single ‘Fire’. It’s so polished and breathtaking, however, that it seems impossible to have been created in a grey box. Pip creates stadiumsized dream pop, with shimmering synths and

languid guitars drifting alongside her soothing vocal. The teenager (yes, teenager) recently signed to My Little Empire Records and has begun to show the wider world just what she is capable of – even catching the ear of Huw Stephens. What makes Pip so special though, is not just her beautifully-hypnotic songs, but the angst and fragility that lies within. ‘Fire’ lays that fragility bare, with Pip explaining that the track is about her “battling [her] own thoughts and criticising [herself] for the most insignificant things.” Intricate and personal, Pip Hall is the kind of artist that you’d like to hold close, but with songs this special, it’s hard to keep quiet about it all. Fire

ppip.bandcamp.com

Haze

PHOTO: ROWAN ALLEN

With their brand of sharp, spiky post-punk, Haze join the ranks of acts who are currently keeping Mark E. Smith’s fire burning bright. Currently spread between London, Bristol and Oxford, the band bring a chaotic energy, pushing razor-sharp guitars up against deadpan yet unhinged vocals. Like many of their contemporaries – such as LICE or Shame – there’s a cool calculation to the band’s sound beneath the noise, and first studio single, ‘Ladz Ladz Ladz’ puts the male ego in its crosshairs as blunt lyrics land a knockout blow. Combine this all with a raw, intense live show and it’s only a matter of time before you’re converted to Haze’s cause.

Ladz Ladz Ladz

If you like your pop dark, intricate and moody then you’ve come to the right place. Zelah – who formed in Bristol but are now based in London – combine expansive instrumentation with emotive, breathtaking vocals in their perfectly-shaded alt-pop output. The trio claim modern monoliths such as Sigrid and Banks as inspiration and their influence is felt on the reverb-haze that lies heavy on every track. Most importantly though, Zelah excel at catching your ear; their songs dragging you in with infectious guitars, glitching drums and brilliant choruses. Just give new single ‘Wide Awake’ a spin, it’ll be in your head for days. Wide Awake

sc.com/hazeband97

Zelah

fb.com/Zelahmusic

Get more new music from Christian every Monday via Tracks of the Week at bristollivemagazine.com 13

JAPANESE BREAKFAST W.

Rhys Buchanan p. Ebru Yildiz

“This is a real job now...”

t’s been a while since Japanese Breakfast first shared the ballads made in her remote Oregon family home with the world. Last year’s second album, Soft Sounds From Another Planet, pulled her expansive beauty into a new, spacier dimension. I caught up with Michelle Zauner to discuss her output so far and the upcoming Thekla show. “I’m so excited to be coming back over,” she says. “We normally come when it’s quite cold and miserable out so it will be nice to come in May when the weather is a bit different.” There will be fresh wind in their sails after performing a huge set at Coachella too. “I guess we’ll be more confident from that, playing something like Coachella really makes you realise this is a real job now.” The band are aware that it’s an entirely different discipline to playing their own shows, though. “It’s a totally different experience because there’s always a sea of people when you play a festival and the setlist is shorter, so you have to play the more in-yourface, up-beat material. Whereas, at a club gig, people are there just to see you so it feels like you have to bring a different, more intimate show. So they’re kind

of different muscles to flex really but I enjoy both.” Touring as a whole has become slightly more manageable for the band since their second album. “It’s gotten easier over time,” she says, “I used to do a lot of DIY touring so there was a lot of sleeping on couches, and things have gotten a little more professional over time. So, it’s definitely become a lot easier to just enjoy.” Michelle is enjoying the luxury of choice when it comes to the live show now. “It’s really exciting to have two albums of material that people know. We’ve incorporated one song that hasn’t been released as well so it’s cool to see how people respond to songs they know and songs they haven’t heard before.” The shift in sounds across the two records so far has also proven interesting in the live setting. She continues, “It’s been great to see people respond to Soft Songs From Another Planet because I feel like it was a little more mellow and melancholy so maybe it took longer to sink in. Psychopomp was so vulnerable yet so in your face, that it was quite easy to attach yourself to in a way.” Like with most musical endeavours, the first two records came together under quite different circumstances. “I had no expectations for the debut, I thought maybe I could convince a small label to put out some copies and I’d sell them in the next ten years,” Michelle explains. “It took about a year really; I was doing what I wanted and chasing my own sound. Anything was a possibility and there was no ticking clock of a label waiting for something.” She says the next album was a much more impulsive beast, “For Soft Sounds... we got signed to Dead Oceans and had a month to 15

“I went into both [records] without anticipating what a live band would sound like; I set no boundaries.”

complete the project, so we did it in one studio and it was a very concentrated process.” Although they were drastically different experiences, the processes did share an outlook on arrangement: “I went into both [records] without anticipating what a live band would sound like; I set no boundaries. 16

We could just be very playful and that was the environment that I wanted to have. I feel like that was conducive to creating some special material.” Recording the debut in her hometown was also a big factor in the development of the sound we hear today. Michelle gives this some thought before explaining, “I think

Psychopomp there, deer would just pass by the window and it was a really idyllic place to write that record. It was also such a lonely, suffocating experience in a way. It was a huge part of the landscape the album.” If you listen closely to the records, you can hear the sounds of nature nestled within them. Michelle explains this is important for the overall atmosphere. “You can incorporate any sound into a song and make it fit if you want to. There’re so many ways to elevate music that goes beyond guitar, bass and drums. That’s something I really like to explore in my music and I want to do more of.” Now, though, the focus is simply on making the dates ahead as enjoyable as possible. Michelle says, “We’re going to have a diverse range of songs from across our two records, to make the most of it. There’ll be lots of energy – expect to see four happy Americans bouncing around.”

growing up in the Pacific Northwest was really majestic but also very lonely. It’s this rainy, grey expanse that’s populated by so much beautiful nature. I grew up in a pretty small town, my parents’ house was in the woods outside of the city and they have a house at the bottom of their property.” She remembers fondly, “I wrote the majority of

Japanese Breakfast plays Thekla on 16th May, with Soft Sounds From Another Planet out now on Dead Oceans. 17

YOUR

MUSIC CAREER STARTS HERE

COURSES

GUITAR • BASS • DRUMS • VOCALS • SONGWRITING MUSIC PRODUCTION • MUSIC BUSINESS • EVENT MANAGEMENT MUSIC JOURNALISM

STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES UNRIVALLED CONNECTIONS TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY EUROPE’S MOST CONNECTED MUSIC COLLEGE

BIMM.CO.UK/BRISTOL

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a responsibility as women to remind our sisters of their power.â&#x20AC;?

cover:

OSHUN

adiant beacons of the Oshuniverse, Thandi and Niambi weave textured layers of soulful hip-hop, transporting you to celestial, intergalactic realms where self-love and feminine power abound. “The Oshuniverse is the land of sweetness,” Niambi explains, “it’s in the tenth dimension which means it exists in space where possibilities are infinite. We have the ability to create, manifest the reality we see fit as a community, as a family, as a society that is sensitive to women, to its mothers, and sensitive to sweetness. So it’s kind of this imaginary space but it’s not. It’s a space that’s very real that we bring to hip-hop, that we bring to the world,” she adds. Named after a goddess, spirituality is very much the guiding force behind everything that they do. “Oshun as a deity, as an energy, as a spirit, was just very prevalent in our lives when we started to create together.” Thandi says, “We had just moved to New York, were at a very important age where you transition

K e z i a C o c h r a n e P. E b r u Y i l d i z

from being a girl to becoming a woman and we were just really trying to create our lives for ourselves without our parents in this new city and the energy of Oshun was very grounding for us both. It allowed us to remember the spaces that we came from, the culture that we came from and affirm us in our growth. Then the thought came to mind of calling ourselves OSHUN and it just made so much sense.” Emphasising the importance of being in tune with spirituality Niambi expresses, “We’re spiritual beings having spiritual experience and so it’s really important just for our physical, emotional, spiritual, holistic wellbeing. A big part of that is acknowledging where we come from, acknowledging our ancestors and participating in the roads that they have paved for us and continuing to create space for them and honouring them for creating space for us”. Intrinsically intertwined is this celebration of femininity within 21

OSHUN’s music. “We both come from homes and families that are very matriarchal in a lot of ways,” Thandi articulates, “and we were raised and grew up to know our power as women. Obviously it’s easy to feel diminished in this world as a woman but I think the both of us have just been very clear that women are so powerful.” Continuing this, Niambi adds, “We have a responsibility as women to remind our sisters of their power so they can realise their power as well. So the reason that we’re able to exist firm in this is because, like Thandi said, these are the spaces that we come from but they’re not always affirmed in their divine femininity.

We’re standing here to represent that, to hold space for that – to remind people”. They’ve recently released Bittersweet vol.1, a record that emits positivity, exudes sensuality and offers grounding influence. “We play with a lot of intergalactic, outer space, universal themes.” Thandi says, “so just embodying the energy of us as a group, OSHUN being from this land, or this universe essentially known as the Oshuniverse. Bittersweet... is kind of our introduction into the world of the Oshuniverse, of our journey, of our travels to earth and that’s pretty much the theme of the entire album.”

Describing the writing process, Niambi states, “We create in a very tight nucleus. Thandi, myself, and Proda, who’s kind of our honorary third member, we all bring ideas to the table and then we lock ourselves in the studio and just vibe. We just create and we all add some seasoning here and there, add some ingredients into the pot and then we put it in the oven together”. Alongside their sonic vibrancy, OSHUN channel a distinctive visual aesthetic drawing “influence from Afrofuturism and artists that came before us” as well as their contemporaries and their deity namesake. “We play with a lot of ethereal, outer space visual themes,” Thandi details, “a lot of bright colours because Oshun is bright and sweet. Her main colour, the deity, is yellow so we like to play with that palette and then also bright pinks. And Proda, aside from the musical things, he’s also our graphic designer so it’s a lot of his personal genius too.” The serenity that the two of them project through their music is omnipresent in their everyday lives: “Everything with us is very holistic, mind, body, spirit and space. Our space is a huge reflection of us,” they emphasise. Considering the self-care practices they implement to maintain this grounding, Thandi reflects, “It’s really easy to wake up to fifteen text messages coming in as soon as you open your eyes and be like ‘alright I woke up one minute late I have to jump on all this stuff right now’. But taking that moment, those ten minutes to be like no, let

me think about what I want to do today, what I want to manifest and just take time to really breathe so I can go into the workspace with a clear mind, that’s super important.” And those are undoubtedly wise words to take heed of amidst the freneticism of modern living. OSHUN play The Fleece on 15th May, with Bittersweet vol. 1 out now.

DOGEYED “There’s never a thought of feeling embarrassed or feeling shy about what I say. People see if you’re playing something that you aren’t into and you don’t actually feel what you are saying. They can tell straight away,” Harriet Elder offers as we discuss the personal sentiment behind the music of her Bristolbased three-piece, Dogeyed. Releasing their first EP with Specialist Subject this month, the group evidently share the label’s spirit; a diehard determination to present something real, something that captures the heart 24

of someone’s personality through their own experiences. Throughout our conversation, Elder is modest, praising her bandmates, Tim Rowing-Parker and Jonathan Minto. She’s by no means afraid to share her thoughts, however, and has a vibrant spirit that shows most when discussing the craft she explores. This duality encapsulates the emotion behind Dogeyed’s music. Having originally written and demo’d tracks on her own, Dogeyed became a trio when Elder sought to perform the songs within a group. Already friends with Rowing-Parker and Minto, a seamless coming together led into the band we

R o s s Jo n e s

“The older you get, the better songwriting gets because you can be more honest… It’s a natural thing.” find today. The result is a fluid and tight live group, and one that now very much prefers a collaborative effort. “I’ve always seen it as a full-band thing, and perhaps I didn’t really have much confidence or faith in myself and I didn’t really think anyone else would be that into it,” Elder explains. “When you’ve got two other people involved who both have fucking incredible ideas you’d be an idiot to say ‘I’m doing it this way’. It makes it so much better.” A trio since late last year, the group have since prepared their aforementioned debut EP, one that was recorded at Joe’s Garage, a studio that sits beneath the Exchange. They’ve done well to capture

the intimacy you can hear live, balancing a minute scratchiness with understated melodies, all moulded by Elder’s grasping delivery. “When I sing it, I really really feel it, and so the abrasive way it sounds is a reflection of how I felt when I wrote it,” Elder explains. “I probably would’ve been more inclined to yell all the time, honestly. It was Tim that told me that I needed to just kind of chill a bit. Maybe that was a confidence thing as well, being afraid of being soft.” It can’t be exaggerated just how wellnurtured the songs feel. Yes, they possess a rawness, but if you take the beautiful chorus line of ‘Dry’ for example, they also exude real sentiment, showing just how emotionally impactful Elder’s words can be. When I ask if her lyrical frankness is indicative of her personality, Elder is once again welcomingly open: “I’m very direct and straightforward, so that’s what comes out when I write. I’ve been writing for a long time, so it’s something that I suppose the more chill you become with yourself and the older you get, the better songwriting gets because you can be more honest… It’s a natural thing.” Dogeyed are one of Bristol’s most relatable groups. Their desire to just share their experiences and feelings is endearing to the listener, yet for them it’s simply inherent. Harriet sums it up well as she paraphrases the message behind ‘Dry’: “I’d like those that listen to feel like they aren’t on their own, and to know that everyone feels the same – we all feel shit and we all feel good sometimes.” Dogeyed’s debut EP Throw The Bones is out this month, with them supporting The Spook School at The Lanes on the 9th.

WASUREMONO

debut album, an album launch at Rough Trade Bristol, a Maida Vale session, a BBC 6 Music interview and a sold-out London show: to cite the words of a certain Mr Mercury, “is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?” What it actually constitutes is just Wasuremono’s year so far, and we’re not even half-way through. Jon Kean met the Bradford on Avon four-piece to get a measure of how crazy 2018 has been. W.

Jon Kean

We sit amidst a huge array of kit at the band’s base, The Wilderness Studio. Whatever we either sit upon or around had been dropped there at 0300 that morning, upon returning from playing the Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston, London, the night before. Despite their heady escapades to the big smoke, the gruesomely late finish, bassist Phoebe Phillips having ‘misplaced’ her car in the massive Westfield multi-storey car park and keyboard wizard, Madelaine Ryan having had to rouse herself not long after going to bed to tend to needy chickens in Frome, they are on unnaturally genial form as we talk through their recent upward trajectory. For four mere mortals, they have fearless creativity, a collective spark and boundless enthusiasm. They have a conviction in what they do and a pleasantly-surprised gratitude for anyone who buys into those endeavours. As Phoebe says about the previous night’s show, promoted by Parallel Lines, “It’s odd, going to London and people turning out to see you who aren’t your mates or aren’t your family. When we get a big crowd, there’s still a disbelieving sense of, ‘Who are you? What’s your agenda?’” The agenda has clearly been shaped by that pivotal moment when they received a summons to record a session for Steve Lamacq on BBC 6 Music. Lead singer and guitarist, Will Southward, sums it up thus: “It initially happened live on air. He said, ‘If you’re listening, get in touch. We want you to do something on the radio.’ We’ve still got the follow-up email. It’s all in caps, so it looks like one of those spam emails. But it was genuinely Steve Lamacq personally inviting us.” Big industry cheese wants you to play live for his show – happy days, surely? How about having just two weeks to be radio-ready? “We hadn’t played two of the

new songs off the album live before, that we were playing at Maida Vale,” admits Phoebe. “We hadn’t rehearsed them enough even to play a normal gig, so the pressure was really on.” Drummer, Isaac Phillips, adds with sibling solidarity: “We rehearsed our tits off in that fortnight. It’s changed our approach to the live setting to a whole new level. Now we’ve taken that attitude and formula for preparation and applied it to our other songs and it really works. We can now take our older songs and instinctively look at making them rejuvenated and better.” Yet Madelaine’s overriding memory of Maida Vale was blank terror and “the massive, long silence that you have to have before you play. The cameras are ready and the red light goes on. You have to wait for twenty/thirty seconds before you start, but you stand there and realise you’ve forgotten how to play. And how to count to twenty.” And with all of the overt success crammed into the first third of 2018, what effect has this apparently-unfeasible run of successes had? Madelaine says, ”We’d been used to writing to industry people and pushing for gigs, but now we’re in a positive place where people are coming to us.” Will is much more tongue-in-cheek: “It’s turned Isaac into a massive prick.” In the immediate future, they headline this month’s Nightbus at Mr Wolf’s. I ask what they’re looking forward to most. Isaac declares “Noodles.” They’re already laying down ideas for album number two. Will lives in a permanent state of creative hope: “There’s always the next ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ around the corner.” Wasuremono play Nightbus at Mr Wolf’s on 19th May, with their album Something Left Behind out now. 27

New Releases

Records cut, pressed & out this month.

Courtney Barnett Tell Me How You Really Feel Milk! Records | 18.05

Courtney Barnett lives up to the title of her second solo album with a collection of songs more assertive and direct than we’ve seen from her before. Where previously her songs were littered with a casual Lou Reed-style sing-speak and allusions to imposter syndrome, her second album is one of more confident and straightlysung songs, untangling the complications of interpersonal relationships. 28

‘Hopefulessness’, the album opener, sets a sonically-dark tone with dissonant guitar riffs jangling over lines like “your vulnerability is stronger than it seems / you know it’s ok to have a bad day.” ‘Help Yourself’ offers solutions in its sunny Meat Puppets-influenced chorus, insisting that, “darkness depends on where you’re standing.” She comments on those around her with skill, every song feeling strong and assured. This assurance, however, somewhat undermines the charm of being let into an artist’s life, as in ‘Depreston’ from her first album. These songs are good more than they’re charming, making Barnett’s former vulnerability, which played so sweetly over the roughness of her guitar, somehow harder to find. Zander Sharp

ICEAGE BEYONDLESS Matador | 04.05

Iceage’s creativity has always prioritised emotion. With new album Beyondless, they find their most evocative form of expression yet. The intricate, subtle musicianship that’s woven into their work is the result of a decade of consistent creative graft, their intentions as a group never comprehensible and all the better for it. ‘Showtime’ sways under a screeching, erratic saxophone before enveloping itself into an ecstatic cabaret of social commentary, constantly providing the unexpected. The balance of romantic restraint and energetic urgency makes the record feel tenacious, full of liberated feeling yet meticulously considered, knowing how best to be impactful without sacrificing any sense of vitality or effective poeticism. Their best yet. Ross Jones

BEACH HOUSE 7 Bella Union | 11.05

Bands named Beach House should only release new albums in May, just when the glory of spring is *looks out of window at crap weather*… never mind. Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand’s seventh album addresses societal concerns and individual pressures. This underlying social conscience makes for an curious combination, considering Beach House’s penchant for submerged vocals. The thing with 7 is that their dream-pop gauze feels more like a thin film of drizzle than a shimmering heat haze. ‘Dark Spring’ and ‘Pay No Mind’ start encouragingly, but by the time you get to ‘Woo’ and the lyrics “I want it all / But I can’t have it,” you’ll share the sense of frustration. Jon Kean

WAND PERFUME Drag City | 25.05

Wand’s latest EP feels more like a CV than anything, with each track following the last by saying, “wait, ignore that, and have a listen to this instead.” The LA band have put out a 30-minute release spanning from a sort of psychedelic jam band feel, to tracks that fall squarely in the category of indie pop. Openner, ‘Perfume’, is something of a red herring; drum-driven and distorted, it promises a gristly listen. But it’s soon followed by ‘Town Meeting’ and ‘The Gift’, gentle tracks with clean, Thom Yorke-like vocals. Though the EP is uncomfortably eclectic, each song seems a strong promise that they are brilliant live. Zander Sharp

TUE.01.MAY.18

SAT.12.MAY.18

MON.21.MAY.18

THU.03.MAY.18

SUN.13.MAY.18

MON.21.MAY.18

FRI.04.MAY.18

TUE.22.MAY.18 WED.16.MAY.18 SAT.02.JUN.18

FRI.04.MAY.18 WED.16.MAY.18

THU.24.MAY.18 TUE.05JUN.18

SUN.06.MAY.18 THU.17MAY.18

FRI.25.MAY.18

MON.07.MAY.18

SAT.19.MAY.18

SAT.26.MAY.18

FRI.11.MAY.18

SUN.20.MAY.18

TUE.29.MAY.18

SUN.11.JUN.18

THEKLA

LIVE LISTINGS The Grove East Mud Dock Bristol BS1 4RB theklabristol.co.uk | thekla.club F L theklabristol | I X theklabris

alt-tickets.co.uk • gigantic.com • bristolticketshop.co.uk

MONDAY 14TH MAY

TUESDAY 1ST MAY

ZEKE

CONAN & MONOLORD

+ THE HIP PRIESTS

WEDNESDAY 16TH MAY

WEDNESDAY 2ND MAY

SOLD OUT

WE ARE SCIENTISTS + THE PALE WHITE

JAPANESE BREAKFAST

+ FEAR OF MEN FRIDAY 18TH MAY

THURSDAY 3RD MAY

WE CAME AS ROMANS + ALAZKA + POLARIS

THE RAILS + SUNNY OZELL SATURDAY 19TH MAY

NINE BELOW ZERO

FRIDAY 4TH MAY

PROTOMARTYR

+ RATTLE

SATURDAY 5TH MAY

SAM BROOKES

SUNDAY 20TH MAY

NECRO MONDAY 21ST MAY

ISLAND

+ CRISTOF VAN DER VEN

TUESDAY 22ND MAY

SUNDAY 6TH MAY

MOON HOOCH

+ DIZRAELI

SPECTOR SATURDAY 26TH MAY

MONDAY 7TH MAY

SEUN KUTI & EGYPT 80

DOT TO DOT FESTIVAL THURSDAY 31ST MAY

TUESDAY 8TH MAY

PINKSHINYULTRABLAST

WILDWOOD KIN

+ TVAM + INSOMNICHORD

SATURDAY 2ND JUNE

FANTASTIC NEGRITO

WEDNESDAY 9TH MAY

INME

+ TIGRESS + BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE THURSDAY 7TH MAY

THURSDAY 10TH MAY

GANG OF YOUTHS

+ KING NUN

FRIDAY 11TH MAY

WEEDEATER

TOM CLARKE (THE ENEMY) SUNDAY 10TH JUNE

+ ASG

SATURDAY 12TH MAY

CHALI 2NA & KRAFTY KUTS SUNDAY 13TH MAY

THE MAGIC NUMBERS

LAURA VEIRS

+ AMAROUN

SUNDAY 24TH JUNE

RICHIE KOTZEN WEDNESDAY 27TH JUNE

CW STONEKING

+ PENELOPE ISLES

JOHN MAUS ADDENDUM Ribbon | 18.05

Seeing Addendum as an album title is like seeing ‘A.O.B.’ on a meeting’s agenda. Should you expect wise afterwords or garbled afterthoughts? That the tracks are leftovers from Maus’ 2017 release, Screen Memories, with two others that date from 2003, only increases the trepidation. Sounding like a mix of OMD and Bauhaus, the songs have the experimental feel of

someone playing about with exciting new technology decades ago. If you were told this was a session from 1979, you wouldn’t bat an eyelid. Add a quirky John Grant/Stephin Merritt twist to the songwriting and you’ll either welcome Maus with open arms, or leave out some cheese and a sprung trap. Jon Kean

CHVRCHES LOVE IS DEAD Virgin Records | 25.05

After two successful albums, Scottish electro-pop trio, CHVRCHES, have changed the pace for their third instalment – moving to the US and teaming up with pop powerhouse Greg Kurstin to create Love Is Dead. The album is filled with the usual mix of heavy pop hitters and slow-burning gems, but it’s the influence of Kurstin on Lauren 32

Mayberry’s already fearless songwriting that truly triggers the magic here. From the infectious ‘Never Say Die’ and swooning ‘Miracle’ to the explosive ‘Get Out’ and ‘My Enemy’ (ft. The National’s Matt Berninger), CHVRCHES have broadened their horizons and in doing so, delivered their bravest work to date. Mustafa Mirreh

DOGEYED THROW THE BONES Specialist Subject | 11.05

Throw The Bones surges with sheer, visceral emotion. Melodic tenderness melds with bursts of furious, crashing urgency as Harriet Elder conveys her potent and affecting lyricism, work that’s unashamedly earnest in its vulnerability. Dealing with heartbreak and voicing deep-rooted anxieties, the tracks are imbued with melancholy, yet equally with a certain radiant strength. Since beginning recording under the Dogeyed moniker in 2016, Elder’s been joined by fellow Bristol music stalwarts Jonathan Minto and Tim Rowing-Parker, and her abrasive-yet-soft vocals now soar amidst a fusion of shimmering, reverb-infused melodies and fuzzy, grungy tenacity. It’s a record of incredibly pure and raw, aching emotion, making for an impressive debut that leaves a lasting impression. Kezia Cochrane

PUSHING DAISIES TAKE ME BACK TO THE LIGHT Self-Release | 11.05

Bristol emo-rock quartet, Pushing Daisies, have lived through grievances, mental health struggles and negativity in recent months, but nothing has held them back from their musical aspirations. Following on from their 2016 debut, Stay Sad, the band return this year with Take Me Back to the Light, a seventrack release that expresses the highs and lows of the past two years. Opening track ‘Fears’ blends impressive pop-rock melodies with nostalgic lyrical efforts, while lead single ‘Picture Frame’ steals the show with an emotive pop-punk effort addressing the effects of death on those we love. ‘Night Masquerade’ and ‘Luxury’ close the album with nods to post-punk intensity. Kelly Ronaldson

TT LOVELAWS Caroline | 18.05

TT is the pseudonym of guitarist-vocalist Theresa Wayman, of downtempo mainstays Warpaint. Sparked by a desire to create more personal work – inspired by touring and motherhood – Theresa produces here what she simply couldn’t before. While many influences are consistent with Warpaint – like the dirge-y, slow-paced and sleepy vocals tracing electric guitar melodies – Lovelaws differs through its experimental production and use of eerie, unusual sounds. The album has a commendable flow, all the while steeped in Theresa’s trademark distressing chords. Lovelaws is for Warpaint fans seeking surrealist vibes, with any rockier moments eschewed for sleep-inducing, layered episodes. Eloise Davis

JON HOPKINS SINGULARITY Domino | 04.05

Space: the final front-ear… No, not a spelling mistake, but a whimsical segue into the concept of Jon Hopkins’ new album. Singularity focuses on the relationship between Earth and the vastness of the cosmos. For something with the scope of the entire universe, it feels a little unrealised, although you could argue this mirrors the subject matter quite accurately.

It’s essentially a concept album, one that fits it’s own brief perfectly, but that without the context of its theme, falls a little flat. It doesn’t have the same organic picture book quality of previous outings, instead playing like a Gatecrasher compilation from the early 00s, including the third disc of ambient comedown remixes. Tom Belshaw

SKATING POLLY THE MAKE IT ALL SHOW El Camino | 11.05

Oklahoma step-sisters Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse have certainly proven themselves as a force to reckon with since the inception Skating Polly, and nine years later their reputation is still standing strong. This month marks the release of the duo’s new record The Make It All Show. Teeming with post-punk melodies and infectious 34

hooks across the board, the album boasts some of the most impressive vocal work from the band to date. Highlights, however, come in the form of grrrl-punk favourite ‘Classless Act’, the raw intensity of ‘Little Girl Blue and the Battle Envy’ and the haunting atmosphere of ‘Flatwood Strings’. A strong effort from some experienced songwriters. Kelly Ronaldson

LA LUZ FLOATING FEATURES Hardly Art | 11.05

You can’t help but feel that the mystique, sunshine and dreams of Los Angeles are something of a cliché when they’re divulged through music these days. Although for La Luz, there’s an air of authenticity on their honey-sweet third album, Floating Features, which brings such influences crashing to the fore. There’s a joyous and golden swagger around tracks like ‘Loose Teeth’, packing guitar flourishes even The Shadows would be proud of. Certainly a band going at their own speed, nothing is hurried on this effort, as prettier tracks like ‘The Creature’ make themselves known. It’s a solid third from the LA dream rockers; an album you won’t regret picking up. Rhys Buchanan

RUN LOGAN RUN THE DELICATE BALANCE OF TERROR Self-release | 04.05

Bristol-based instrumental duo, Run Logan Run release their full-length debut The Delicate Balance of Terror this month, blending experimental drumwork with spiritual jazz in an evocative and mesmerising masterpiece. Influenced by a combination of classic rock and a selection of infamous jazz legends, saxophonist Andrew Neil Hayes and percussionist Dan Johnson work together to create a dynamic range of sounds – and the results are truly impressive. An album expressing the concept of man vs. technology and their influence on each other, The Delicate Balance... is compiled of hypnotic soundscapes and pounding beats, resonating with just about every emotion that the human consciousness is capable of. Kelly Ronaldson

CUT WORMS HOLLOW GROUND Jagjagwar | 04.05

Cut Worms is wholeheartedly sticking to his vintage and spirited approach with this debut album, a release that ties together any loose ends and proudly proclaims, ‘this is what I am’. There’s a simple joy in throwback lovesick ballads like ‘Don’t Want To Say Goodbye’ which could have rolled straight out of the seventies, and while this record doesn’t gain any new ground in terms of style, it has all the hallmarks of an artist comfortable in his own skin. It’s the kind of deftly-penned music with the power to instantly lift your mood – and is certainly a debut worthy of your attention. Rhys Buchanan

BRISTOL BECAUSE... City chat with our fave people.

Matt Aitken, Promoter

When did you first move to Bristol? Um, around the time of my birth – and I’ve lived here all my life. You do the maths! Yet I’ve always felt very Scottish; my Dad is from Paisley, just outside of Glasgow, so all my holidays as a kid were spent up in the freezing Scottish cold.

Who’s your top Bristol artist at the moment? At this point the band Scalping seem to have a bright future and I’m excited to see where they go next. They are doing something different from a lot of bands in Bristol and the live A/V show is nice and suffocating (in a good way). Poisonous Birds are pretty rad too.

What are your favourite eats around town? At the moment I’m really into Dela in Easton and their Scandinavian fare – they’re really hitting the spot. But my absolute favourite was Katie and Kim’s Kitchen in Montpelier. It was gutting to see it close in January.

What’s your favourite thing about the city? Bristol is just so well situated - it’s got great connections with other cities but

just as important, it’s so easy to reach the countryside of Devon and Cornwall or deep Wales, as well as having incredible green spaces like Ashton Court... I love city life but I need to see the green and hear the birds.

And your least favourite? Grey skies and seagulls! They are multiplying, getting more and more brazen by the day, and it’s only a matter of time before they take over. Where do Seagulls go to die? You never see a dead one...

What are you excited about with the upcoming redevelopment and Colston Hall Presents programme? The transformation of the venue is going to be great for the city – not only in terms of bringing the existing historical spaces back to their former glory, but also opening a third late night gig venue in the former cellars. While all that’s going on we’re still programming gigs around the city. Coming up we’ve got HMLTD with Scalping at The Station (11/5), Sam Evian at Rough Trade (19/5) and Born Ruffians at Exchange (6/6).

June sees Colston’s final main hall show, with CH Presents ramping up from this month. The venue is set to reopen as normal from summer 2020.

Dear Dick The best bad advice for your musical problems... Dear Dick, I need some help staying motivated on my morning run. How can I get the platelets pumping?

Nile, Redcliffe For those of you who haven’t given up on your flabless fantasies and allowed the wheels of resolution to keep revolving, kudos. Everyone else gave up on their unattainable goals on January 31st, whereas you keep on pushing. Your love of routine may suggest an underlying mental health disorder, but at least you can just about make out some abs, if you’re in the right light. Here are some choice tunes to keep you on track… Chicane ft. Bryan Adams - ‘Don’t Give Up’ Written while holidaying on the White Isle of Ibiza, Adams was found jogging around the hills of San Antonio, trying to find his luxury villa, with the chorus of this UK top 40 hit his mantra. He was picked up by the British trance producer in a rented Renault Twingo, and the rest is history.

Blazin’ Squad - ‘Flip Reverse’ Maybe you jog around the park, or just stick to the city centre bus lanes, but whatever your route, it can get a little repetitive. Take the squads advice and ‘Flip Reverse It!’. Written for the largest member of the collective for this exact reason. Not sure what all the references to anal sex are about though. Slayer - ‘Raining Blood’ Two words… joggers nipple. Google it. That’s real exercise.

Do you have a question? Email dick@bristollivemagazine.com