Come Play With Me / #011 / SEP2020 by Come Play With Me CIC

SPECIAL DIGITAL EDITION

COME PL AY WITH DECL AN MCKENNA T HE JAPANESE HOUSE

THE BIG MOON / HANNAH GRACE A N O T HE R S K Y / D R E A M N A IL S / FA NN Y A ND E R S E N NEW PAG ANS / JE ALOUS OF T HE BIRDS / C OL D YE ARS D E AT H B E L L S / G IR L S IN S Y N T HE S I S / T HI S I S N A M A S T E HYY TS / HONE Y JOY / ANNIE TAYLOR AND LOTS MORE... BEHIND THE SCENES AND UNDER THE SKIN OF ALL THINGS MUSIC

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WHAT'S INSIDE

TEAM CPWM MANAGEMENT Tony Ereira tony@cpwm.co MAGAZINE Andrew Benge andy@cpwm.co LABEL Scott Lewis scott@cpwm.co DIVERSITY EVENTS Emily Marlow emily@cpwm.co

SPECIAL THANKS

...and in no particular order Warren, Declan, Ella, Callum, Tasha, Fanny, Camilla, Naomi, Louisa, Ian, Amber, Declan, Lucy, Sarah, Janelle, James, Lyndsey, Sarah, Jenni, Ailbhe, Nat, Jules, Iris, Megan, Hannah, Tom, Elise, Natasha, Lins, Gini, Christian, Adam, Rachael, Sam, John, James, Will, Remy, Lily, Ross, Finlay, Louis, Fraser, Abi, Chris, Harley, Amy, Lily, Catrin, Max and everyone else who took the time to contribute and helped make this happen.

SMALL PRINT

Come Play With is printed by Mixam. Copyright Â© 2020 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email the publisher at andy@cpwm.co. Printed in the UK.

04 NEWS / SEPTEMBER 2020 06 DECLAN MCKENNA 12 ISOLATION INNOVATIONS 14 FANNY ANDERSEN 17 JEALOUS OF THE BIRDS 18 FAVOURITE THINGS / PHOTO BOOTH 20 THE JAPANESE HOUSE 23 DREAM NAILS 24 BRIGHTON / NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH 26 PRESSING PAUSE / INTROSPECT 28 BEING A MUM AND ROCK MUSICIAN 31 AILBHE REDDY 32 TTRRUUCES / PHOTO BOOTH 35 HONEY JOY 36 HANNAH GRACE 39 THISISNAMASTE 40 HOLDING YOUR NERVE IN THE MUSICAL MULTIVERSE 42 ZURICH / NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH 44 HYYTS 46 WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM, THAT'S WHAT I'M NOT / INTROSPECT 48 GIRLS IN SYNTHESIS 49 DEATH BELLS 50 THE BIG MOON 53 COLD YEARS 54 BUILDING YOUR OWN RADIO STATION 56 CONTINUING TO BLOOM 58 ANOTHER SKY THIS ISSUE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

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NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2020 Hi everyone. Hope you are all well and thanks as always for checking out our magazine. Hope you enjoy it - all feedback appreciated! Here at CPWM, like everywhere, plans have been massively disrupted in 2020. A lot of the musicians we work with managed to record from home (like a bunch on our Come Stay With Me album) but many others needed to hold off waiting for musicians and studios to become available to use. All of them have been struggling a lot financially and/or mentally with the lack of live music they’ve been able to do. So for that very reason, we’ve thrown a lot of our efforts into making our magazine full of lots of relevant, interesting content. As soon as it’s possible, we are also planning to bring the magazine back into its traditional print format! We’ve been light on 7” singles this year so far but have a brilliant one coming up before the end of the year and another in early 2021. There’ll also be a very special album release coming from us in November (around the same time and with the same theme as a film about a secret agent) and there’ll also be another compilation album coming from us in early 2021. We had an inspirational LGBTQ The Music panel event earlier in Sept ("Should I market myself as a queer artist…..or keep it quiet?”) which included Mykki Blanco, Sadie Sinner and Mickey Dale from Embrace. The video can still be seen on our YouTube or Facebook pages. We’ve got an interview lined up with the legend that is John Grant on the 29th September and our annual celebration of women in music, HerFest will be going ahead in some way in November. Thanks for all your support - we need it as do many of the artists we work with. Hang on in there everyone. Tony & the CPWM team.

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DECLAN MCKENNA 6

When your first shot lands you firmly in the stars, where do you go from there? Declan McKenna proves down was never an option and neither was staying put. 7

When Declan McKenna was introduced to the world as a bright young and opinionated talent five years ago, his debut brought him hurtling into the limelight and labelled him the protest artist that is now a household name. Like any young person finding their identity and eager to break away from the labels allotted to him, he knew his next body of work had to reinvent the politically minded indie artist that he had come to be known. In Zeros he has truly knocked this out of the park, transcending his MO. with a vibrantly experimental record and lyrics to match his maturing mindset. Please welcome to the stage: Declan McKenna 2.0.

crisis. It is a cause Declan is particularly passionate about and he performed during the extinction rebellion protests last year. “I wanted to make a record that touched on all the ways that we are destroying the world and each other and how our progression and growth can lead us into a scary place. As we move into the future and into a world that is progressing faster than ever before, what challenges do we face?”

"THE IDEAS OF DESTRUCTION AND THE THREATS THAT WE POSE TO OURSELVES AS HUMANITY ARE RIGHT IN OUR FACES AT THE MOMENT..."

When describing Declan McKenna the phrase ‘Voice of a Generation’ is never far from your mind. It is an expression that is often allotted to the musician, and while it is a great epithet to have and well deserved, it is something he has difficulty accepting. “I think it’s just a way of describing a politically minded young person.” He reasons, “My art has always been about allowing it to be what it wants and not restricted by being a political artist.”

“I carry some of the same ideas that I was trying to get out in the first record but I am also aware that I am going through a constant change of what my art and being a musician means to me.”

Declan feels no pressure to live up to this image however the political charge in his writing remains an integral blueprint to his art and appears to come as naturally to him as breathing. “I just try and reflect the world as honestly as I see it and use my art in whatever way I am drawn to.”

For Declan, this can mean adopting a more reflective tone, re-imagining the triumphant protests in 'What Do You Think About The Car?' “I don’t try to present the narrative in a particularly positive way and I think that separates myself from the labels adopted from the first record.”

Zeros articulates the frustrations of modern life, calling into question the shallow nature of the digital age and holds us all accountable for the state of the world. The lyrics advocate action to be taken against the climate

While the shift is subtle as the record still crackles with a confident bravado, the uplifting melodies are conjoined to serious subject matters. The gear-shift is clear as narratives feel focused and the observations thorough. 9

Zeros has society’s problems under a microscope and we are left finding the roots of the issues are often closer to home than one would care to think. Despite the record being years in the making, it feels as though through 2020’s array of political ordeals and tragedies, we are experiencing many of the concerns established in the album in real-time, almost as if in direct response to the current and ever-changing climate. This is a testament to Declan’s keen eye for the pressing issues of the time. “I think now the state of the world has made the concepts in the album feel a lot more real. The ideas of destruction and the threats that we pose to ourselves as humanity are right in our faces at the moment and it shows it is something to be taken seriously. We put ourselves in dangerous situations by constantly needing more while disregarding other things that are important. I think that does tie into the record a lot and so it feels fitting at this time.” “I think the world is going to change dramatically after this and hopefully we can learn some lessons from it. It feels like a taste of what the future might hold and I feel like people are maybe realising how much is achievable.” Like many musicians, Declan has spent lockdown connecting with fans at home through social media and on live streams. In fact, by some happy chance, Declan is live streaming as I write this. It provides a mellow ambience as I type. While keeping up virtual communications has its benefits, Declan finds these meetups leave him lacking. “There have been opportunities to connect

and get excited over the new music which is cool but it’s not as rewarding as getting out there and playing shows. That is what tends to make the more challenging parts of the job worthwhile.” While being a firm believer in staying safe through the pandemic, the idea of a more isolated existence becoming the new norm raises concerns for Declan, “We pose ourselves risks that we must consider going forward. We have to take into account how working from home and not interacting with people can affect us in the long term.” Again we are privy to his impressive foresight as he articulates just this fear in his latest body of work, proving once again to have his finger well and truly on the pulse of societal issues. Declan uses a character by the name of Daniel throughout the record as a way of personifying the issues he sheds light on. On many occasions, Daniel retreats within himself after getting knocked down. The Internet provides us all with a tantalising escape from reality making it tempting to pull back as Daniel does. “Daniel is someone who strives for something different and he may be accepted or end up in a darker corner. That’s the worry with the Internet right now. There are so many places for people to go when they are pushed away. That’s scary and is something that everyone can connect with in some way.” Declan saw the recording process as the perfect opportunity to thoroughly push the boundaries of what was expected of him and expand his identity as a musician. The first curveball came in the form of recruiting Jay Joyce to join the project. The Nashville based producer is better known for country records than working with Words by Ella Cockerill

British indie artists and Declan was proud of coming up with this unconventional match. “I don’t think anyone from my label or management would have thought of putting Jay Joyce’s name to me.” He laughed, “It was a combination I was very excited about because it felt fresh and unexpected. We are worlds apart in many styles which I think is when things can be the most exciting.” Joyce is perhaps best known for Cage the Elephant’s Melophobia, a highly experimental album and essential to any discerning indie fanatic’s collection. It was this record that first sparked Declan’s interest in the producer. “I had been listening to Melophobia for the first time in a while. The energy is so good and was exactly the kind of thing I wanted to do with Zeros. I wanted to push the energy and the live band and make that the forefront of the record. There’s something direct and urgent about it and that tied in well with the world I was creating.” Working in Nashville was a far cry from his childhood bedroom where the masterpieces that started it all were born. The extra sets of hands left Declan free to focus more on the creative side of things, exploring new ideas and road testing instruments. “Everything just flowed so freely all of the time and new ideas could be done and dusted within a couple of minutes of vocalising them. I was working on trusting my impulses when recording and going with the takes that just felt right and not necessarily the perfect ones.” Working with Jay gave Declan the chance to pin down his evolving art style and the result is a sound that not only fills the space established in his early career but expands 10

upon it. Long gone are the days of Declan McKenna the lone musician, as working in Nashville was also the first time recording with his band. Declan’s voice lights up as he puts into words what it means to finally have that solid group around him. “It’s a nice thing to happen because I always wanted a band like this and to be around people who I could collaborate with as well as be mates with. I’m very grateful for that.” The lucky bunch was chosen from auditions held in a selection of music schools in London. Finding the right people for the job was a painstaking process as being a part of a band that he could really gel with was just as important as musical talent, if not more so. That careful sourcing has clearly paid off as this band has such a natural chemistry one would think they have been lifelong friends. “It’s nice to feel that we are in it together and a part of something that has carried us for the last few years. It feels good to have that in a band, we’ve all grown as one and were finally able to work on a record together.” Assembling his team was a milestone that further marked the start of a new era. Now Declan McKenna is not just one person, but a collective of young and enthusiastic musicians with a forwardthinking and passionate leader. What may have begun as a solitary fifteen year old armed with a loop pedal and lots to say now embarks on chapter two, this time among friends, and the only way is up. The new album 'Zeros" is out now on Columbia Records.

THE INDEPENDENT

DORK

NME

DIY MAGAZINE

EVENING STANDARD

Q MAGAZINE

IN FOCUS

ISOLATION INNOVATIONS

It is obvious that the UK music scene has recently been shaken unfathomably and continues to be in a constant state of flux every day that the COVID-19 pandemic exists. Beyond its substantial economic worth, reported at almost ÂŁ5 billion in live and recorded sales, advertising and distribution, the UK music industry is a thriving cultural mixing pot of vital innovation and growth. Live performance is still taking the brunt of the damage, but recorded music has also been affected and the ramifications on individuals at all levels of the industry are still very much being felt. At this time of writing the UK government have acknowledged live performances relevance in part response to the #letthemusicplay campaign with a combined ÂŁ1.5 billion

arts funding package. This could prove to be a lifeline for areas of the industry struggling but ultimately will only keep their heads just above the water. Throughout the past few months of the pandemic there have been many smaller victories that show the adaptability and resilience of our industry. It is these innovations have the power to act transformatively on new normal for our musical lives.

From the get-go it was clear that both physical and digital media would need to work 12

together to play a part in how the music industry will cope with isolation financially, creatively and mentally. It has been inspiring to see the breadth of responses on all levels of the industry. There is a strong focus on musical communities coming together and whether it has been organising a street concert via WhatsApp after watching Gareth Maloneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Great British Home Chorus live streams or donating to Pxssy Pandemique Festival it is clear that this hard time is bringing people together to create great music and movements. There have been a variety of live streams ranging from sell out sets of Laura Marlin playing alone in Union Chapel to quirky home sets from innovative promotions companies like Under Wraps who have embraced the bedroom

aesthetic to allow insight into artists creative lives and raise money for grass roots venues around the UK.

The scope for live shows has been brought into sharp relief and its horizons have been broadened. There is now a need to engage more actively and immediately with audiences through new technologies. There is a trend in bands focusing more on visuals and communication via streaming and social media platforms as a new way to generate interest in their music. It is causing a shift to more thoughtful and interactive digital communication and the building of a new relationship between musicians and their fans. It has however placed smaller artists in the difficult situation of wanting to provide for their fans while needing to earn a living without a big budget or following. It is hugely important to support these smaller artists who might be struggling by buying their merch, music, holding out on live show refunds and just generally engaging with their content.

Alternatively, larger artists are managing to innovate into spaces previously closed to the music industry and subvert the narrative of where music performance can exist. A good example of this would be Travis Scott’s Fortnite concert which as much as it frustrates me to admit, coming from outside of that generation, was a surreal Words by Callum Ritchie

spectacle to behold. Scott pulled over 30 million viewers with an all-out game feature bending, merchandise grabbing collaboration with Epic Games which hit at exactly the right time and will be used as a trend setting marketing example for the years ahead. There is definite room for

more innovation within these festival environments especially with the growing presence of AR and VR technologies in music and design tech industries. Some companies have begun capturing festivals in VR but we’re yet to see a large-scale successful integration of a music and VR experience. If done correctly using a more stripped back video game engine format this could become an exciting and scary alternative for the live music experience. WITCiH (Women In Technology Creative industries Hub) are exploring these ideas using radical academic research from all sorts of lateral fields related to music to explore the boundaries between live sounds and the visuals using coding and other music technology in innovative ways. In the meantime, in person alternatives to more intimate live music experiences are popping up over the UK. Car concerts and socially distance indoor venues have mostly proved themselves non cost efficient and cemented the ‘true’ live music experience as irreplaceable. Wild Fields is the first socially distanced outdoor festival and explores the idea of pod partying with up to six people in the 150-acre fields of Norfolk. It is due to take place later this September and seems to be affordable as well as boasting an impressive lineup, it’s definitely a format to watch going forward. 13

Streaming now counts for up to half of record music’s revenue. It has been changing in new and exciting ways of lockdown with new platforms such as Twitch, TikTok and Instagram TV cashing in and expanding using by monetising these more intimate experiences with features like reactions, live chats and sticker features. Bandcamp stands up tall and proud as a platform for radical adaptability and a champion of the musicians by waiving artist fees and taking part in various fundraising initiatives. This has allowed artists some flexibility in terms of a record and release format. Meanwhile Spotify can be seen to fail miserably to prove its loyalty to artists on many fronts lead by the rampant comments in poor taste from their CEO, Daniel Ek. It is more important than ever that consumers carefully consider the platforms they use in regard to how they treat content creators and how they are owned by as third parties continue to shape the way we consume music.

It will take a long time for real long-term change to shift something as multi-faceted as the music industry. With the relative monopoly of large companies at the top applying pressure to return things to ‘normal’ in terms of live and recorded music, it will be hard to implement quick innovation. For now, though it is interesting enough to observe the constant creative spirit of music as measured against the ever-shifting nature of technology.

Main image by Gooding Photo / @gooding.photo

FANNY ANDERSEN Describing her music as â&#x20AC;&#x153;honest, unapologetic and rawâ&#x20AC;?, Norwegian pop artist Fanny Andersen has been making a name for herself in the industry - partly due to her aversion to filters, and love of creating a contrasting pop melody. 14

Once upon a time, positively looking at things was far from easy for Andersen. Unfortunately, she went through a bleak period in 2018, with her ex-relationship and management. This was shortly after the buzz she’d created with her punchypop hit ‘Kids’. Some may have let an experience like that destroy them, but not Anderson. She turned her despair into art, tangibly, into the form of her latest tracks, ‘Wake Up' and ‘Complicated’. This also signalled the beginning of a working relationship, with collaborators such as Olly Burden (The Prodigy). Working with Burden, she found it “amazing! I have worked a lot with him since doing ‘Wake up’. I think we did ‘Wake Up’ nearly a year ago. We’ve been working loads since, but that was the first session. It was such a great start to a great working relationship. Straight off the bat, we kind of clicked and it’s been amazing. He’s incredible and such a good person to have in your life, musically and he's helped me and guided me. Also, as a person to talk to. We’ve become really close. So yeah, it’s been great!" Naturally, working with new people also brings new experiences and a different way of doing things. "How they work kind of always affects me, and I don’t have a specific way of working. I go into the studio and kind of follow their lead. I can have so many references, usually I’m like, "how do you like to work?" To kind of see if that evolves me, as I don’t feel like I’m at the finish line with my songwriting. I always want to evolve and I find that by following their lead and how they like to do a session, it kind of gives me an insight.” It's both a logical and natural approach to creating music. Since Andersen created her breakout track 'Kids' in 2016, she has evolved her process and learnt many lessons since then. Her biggest one yet was

learning to trust in herself. "I don’t think I did that when I did ‘Kids’, at all. I mostly listened to the people around me. I was very young and very new. I didn’t really know what I was doing, or what was going on when all of that happened. Then I was just living in it.

"NO ONE CAN TELL YOU HOW TO DO IT, LIKE YOU CAN’T CALL YOUR MOM ASKING ABOUT A RECORD DEAL." No one can tell you how to do it, like you can’t call your mom asking about a record deal, you know. She would be like, "I don’t f***ing know." It’s not a relatable thing you go through. I think you have to figure out everything for yourself and be on top of it. I think the biggest lesson that I learned is trusting my gut, and what I think, like if I love this song I’m gonna f***ing fight for it. Stuff like that. Integrity. Yeah, I think that’s the biggest lesson I learned." Honesty is an attribute which Andersen highly values. Despite confessing that 'Wake Up' was a culmination of everything she found difficult to talk about, she is rightly proud of the result. It is her self confessed, "most honest track yet." Her writing is as natural as herself. “I would say that I always write stuff down, from day today. I usually have an idea for a title. I have this notepad with over a thousand titles. However, I never know what the concept is at the beginning. I can be like, ‘I can feel like there is something there’. You know, I mean it’s strange. I just don’t know what it is yet and know it could be really good. I was on 15

the plane to London. I go on the 7:50 am plane to London and I go straight to the studio from the airport. When I woke up that morning, I was like, 'f*** I hate waking up this early.' Then I was like, ‘I don’t want to wake up’, in my head. That was a cool phrase. So, I kind of wrote that down without having an idea of what it was yet." "When I went into the studio, I kind of realised what it should be about. Just because I was in a bad headspace and I wasn’t 100% if you know what I mean. When I write lyrics like that, I want them to be simple, not overdramatic. Not too ‘metaphorical’ like, ‘it’s raining on me and my life is a dark cloud’. You know what I mean. I want it to be straight to the point and kind of funny. It’s not a funny song but it’s meant to feel light. The first phrase is ‘Isn’t it tiring having to wake up every day’, which I think is kind of a funny way of saying ‘I hate my life’. So, that’s my approach to writing and it comes very naturally. I don’t really have anything other than maybe a title. I kind of work from that in the studio, feeling the vibes of production. That’s how I write the best music.” It isn't surprising that the music video for 'Wake Up', also portrayed the same candid quality as her music. It was the brainchild of Andersen and her best friend Alvin Santos. "He did the directing and I did codirecting. I was the one finding all the clips and sending it to him while he was editing. We wanted it to feel chaotic and we wanted it to be aesthetically beautiful. That was the vibe of the song. It’s hiding that kind of chaos that’s inside. With the cutting, it was easy to cut lots of stuff happening really fast, as we wanted it to represent the chaos going on inside when you’re having a s*** time. But yeah, I love being as involved as I can, in everything that I can."

Following on from 'Wake Up', Andersen is set to release her forthcoming single, ‘Complicated’. “One of my favourite songs. There’s been a lot of back and forth with it, but it’s such a great song. I remember when I wrote it years ago. It was the first song that I wrote, that kind of made it click for me. When it was done, I was like ‘oh’, as I had been writing music for like 2 years at that time, maybe 1 and a half years. But, I feel that was the first song I wrote, that I was truly, truly so proud and excited about. I loved it straight off the bat, so that song is very special to me. It’s about a complicated relationship. There’s no more to it than that."

a dream come true. So, I’m going to change it to Tove Lo. I love her. I think she’s incredible."

“How it came about was, like I said I can write stuff down and titles. I’ve done that with this one as well, where I had this argument with a guy as well, who I was having a thing with. He said: ’well this is too complicated to me’. Being the psychopath that I am, though, ‘that’s a cool concept for a song’. Our relationship was him saying this was too complicated, and then I kind of took that message to the studio. I was like, 'I’m going to make a song out of this'.”

While discussing her dream collaboration, it's interesting to note her beginnings in music, highlighting how far she has grown as an artist. “I’ve always been singing, I wasn’t good… at the start. My brother is always saying that growing up with me was a nightmare because I sang all the time. Then, I went to music school in Norway. There was this guy producing music and we started making music together."

By now, Andersen has created a signature style of using contrasting pop melodies with realist and potentially dark lyrics. “It normally just happens but I love a good contrast and I don't think I realise it myself. But, you can just see it with ‘Kids’. It’s a sad f***ing song, over this upbeat like party song. I think I like the idea of people dancing to my sadness. It’s something that really, I keep doing without even realising." All artists have their dream collaborations. Despite naming genre-blending artist, Frank Ocean at first, it was also changed to Swedish-pop artist, Tove Lo. "She would be a dream. She’s an amazing songwriter and just being able to be in the studio with her and see how she writes. That would be like, f***king Words by Camilla Whitfield

"I THINK I LIKE THE IDEA OF PEOPLE DANCING TO MY SADNESS. IT’S SOMETHING THAT REALLY, I KEEP DOING WITHOUT EVEN REALISING."

What some may view as cliché, others would view as refreshing - to have an artist who just wants to live to produce their art. This transparency is present throughout her work. "The music that I felt was honest was when I first listened to Tove Lo. Just because she was singing about whatever she wanted, without it being raunchy, about being drunk and having sex with random guys. She's tearing down this idea that people in pop should be polished and sexy. Listening to Tove Lo made me understand and realise that I had never related to pop before. I want to be honest. I want to make people feel okay about what or who they are. No one is perfect, like this idea and everything is just fake. I never want to be fake. I always want to be real. I want my lyrics to be real. I want the way I present myself on social media, on stage or whatever, to be real, like no bulls****. Not like this picture-perfect pop, virgin singer. Do you know what I mean? Maybe, it’s not necessary with the virgin at the end but it’s this idea.”

A poignant thought, and one which has become more prevalent in our society As well as her forthcoming of influencers and social single 'Complicated', media. Further bolstered Andersen also has an EP on with the tradition of women the way. “It’s about being singing exclusively about the lonely, I would say is the main aforementioned topics. It’s an subject of it. Having a hard aspect which Andersen is set time." to change, by creating music wished she could have While everything seems to be she listened to while growing up. beginning to fall into place, "That’s like the goal isn’t it? you may wonder what future be able to make something goals Andersen is aiming for. "I To that you wanted yourself to had many goals that I wanted be able to listen to when you to achieve, like when I was were a kid!" a kid and you have dreams. I remember doing Vill Vill ‘Wake Up’ and ‘Complicated’ Vest, a huge concert thing in are available to listen to on Norway once, and I realised all major streaming services. that having those goals are important. However, just being able to live doing music, being able to write music and do it for a living. Is that super cliché? That’s my dream, being able to work with music producers, writing music every day, travelling, doing concerts. That’s the dream." 16

AWAY FROM THE NOISE

JEALOUS OF THE BIRDS THE SUNDAY PAINTER...

For most of my life I’ve flitted between one creative practice to another; writing poems and fiction, recording music demos in a bedroom studio, making short films and stop motion animations, sketching in crisp white notebooks, trying analogue film photography and so on. But I had no idea when I started painting two years ago that this medium would impact me more profoundly than the others Touring the UK and US pretty consistently as Jealous of the Birds over the past couple years has given me the opportunity to visit art galleries and exhibitions I just wouldn’t have seen otherwise in Northern Ireland. Those by Picasso, Maar, Basquiat, Rothko, Van Gogh, Krasner, Goncharova, Words and painting by Naomi Hamilton

Cézanne and others. Instead of having a vague idea of certain artists or paintings-- the kind we get from flicking through coffee table art books -- I was now having some kind of dialogue in person with them. Being receptive to the visual language of painting made me feel like a tuning fork just struck. My natural inclination when I see an art form I admire is to try it out for myself. I wanted to use this language in my own way, and so began my journey into being a kind of Sunday painter. There was a time when I first moved house that I had more raw canvases lying around than items of furniture. There’s a painstaking quality to painting that’s both frustrating and cathartic. You don’t get good fast, and many of my first paintings are testaments 17

to that. Every piece is a slow negotiation between the lessons you’ve already learned and the shortcomings you’ll undoubtedly face in the process. Because of this, I’m never more pissed off than when I’m painting. It teaches me to grapple with patience, humility and reinforces the joy I pull from making something out of nothing. Any creative process is only ever truly exciting when you’re met with some level of resistance. You need to feel the effort necessary to make a breakthrough. That’s what painting is for me: an endless mental figure-8 to set the neurons firing. Jealous of the Birds’ new album ‘Peninsula’ is out September 18th. www.jealousofthebirdsmusic.com

PHOTO BOOTH

FAVOURITE THINGS

01 NAOMI / JEALOUS OF THE BIRDS 02 ANDREW BENGE / EDITOR / PHOTOGRAPHER 03 ADAM AND DANIEL / HYYTS 04 JOHN / GIRLS IN SYNTHESIS

THE JAPANESE HOUSE Soft synth pads, clicky drum beats and vocal samples warped beyond recognition, Alt-Pop singer/songwriter and producer Amber Bain talks about collaborating with Justin Vernon, raising a baby chick and the daunting prospect of socially distanced gigs. 20

From Buckinghamshire, Greater London, The Japanese House have glided their way from bedroom produced dream pop, to arena support slots and international recognition. Named after a house owned by Kate Winslet that Amber stayed at on a family holiday in Cornwall, the project title was chosen in the hope of avoiding gender becoming a defining factor of how the project was perceived. After releasing her first music in 2015, The Japanese House began as an ambiguous presence on the alternative pop scene. A lack of band photos combined with androgynous vocal effects led to speculation that ‘The Japanese House’ was a side project from The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, rather than the brainchild of a nineteen-year-old Amber Bain who was still finding her feet in live performance. Now twenty-three with five EP’s and a debut album under her belt, Amber seems to be navigating the complexities of success with a great deal of ease. "I recorded in his studio ages ago and a producer that I work with also works with him. I think I just played him the song when we were hanging out at his Airbnb." Amber is talking about her recent collaboration with indie-folk goldsmith Justin Vernon on ‘Dionne.’ 80’s pads, choppy arpeggiators and swirling leads make way for Amber’s heartbreakingly honest lyricism and Justin Vernon’s iconic falsetto: "I know it’s not very sexy when somebody loves you this much and knows you

this well - but it’s the way it is." Amber sings over floaty synths and rigid beats. The honesty and vulnerability that Amber manages to achieve with her lyrics are reflected in the way she speaks:

"HOW YOU FEEL OR IDENTIFY IS NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IF YOUR BODY IS READ AS FEMALE." "To be honest, when I first got it, I had absolutely no idea what he was saying." She laughs. "But I could actually just ask him, like ‘what are you saying?...' His voice just kind of carries itself." "For ages, I’d been trying to finish that chorus and then he sent a version over... It's basically just about realising that you’re not over something, which I guess is a lot of the themes on that EP." It’s not all been about making music for Amber this year though, the lockdown has provided the time to pursue other interests after she hatched and raised a baby chick while streaming live updates to her 137,000 Instagram followers. "It was an intense experience," she recalls. "The chick is now living with my dad, little sister and step mum... I just felt bad for it living on its own, it’s gone to live with the other chickens now and it’s obsessed with my little sister who’s seven." 21

"Towards the end of lockdown, it was bleak," Amber remembers the last few weeks of July. "It’s weird because this is the longest I’ve been for years without going on a plane. I remember being like ‘Oh god, I never wanna go on a plane ever again and now I’m like ‘Wait... What!? I’m not going to be going back to America until the end of next year?’ That’s kind of scary!" The new EP ‘Chewing Cotton Wool’ released on Dirty Hit Records, showcases two brand new tracks ‘Sharing Beds’ and ‘Dionne (Feat. Justin Vernon).’ It’s set to be released on vinyl on the second of October and also holds the two previously released tracks ‘Something Has To Change’ and ‘Chewing Cotton Wool.’ "I think that was a sort of goodbye to that segment of my life and I think that’s probably why it works as an EP." "It’s basically about realising... I think when you come out of a really long relationship, the first few months are shit and then you sort of ride this wave of being like ‘maybe I’m okay... maybe I’m fine now, that is about realising no, everything’s not fine, you can convince yourself of anything but you are still in the same place." The artwork for the record caused controversy after Instagram removed the image for nudity just days after the post had been created, raising questions about the censorship of women; particularly those

that feel as though they don't fall into a specific category on the gender spectrum. "How you feel or identify is not taken into account if your body is read as female." Amber wrote in a recent Instagram post. "I kinda guessed they’d take it down." She emphasises that it was never meant to be controversial. "All the meaning to the artwork, much like when you’re writing songs. It’s kind of assigned to it after you've done it... at first I just really liked the image, I think it’s just a really nice pleasing image to look at." It’s not the first time Amber has captured the artwork for her music, despite not having an outward passion for photography. "If I’m completely honest, I’m not really into photography at all. I think it’s probably more of a control thing, wanting it to be my expression rather than just picking a random persons picture or whatever, I think I like the fact that it’s all coming from one place." Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of The Japanese House is how they translate her intricately produced studio material into a live context without losing any of the vulnerability they convey on record. Whether you were lucky enough to catch The Japanese House at her humble beginnings in a sold-out 150 capacity venue or you discovered them supporting The 1975 at your nearest arena, her ability to make the performance captivating on an intimate level remains the same. "I don’t think I really change when I’m playing smaller venues to bigger venues. I Words by Declan Vink

think it’s kind of a universal thing, most of it is just really hard stuff to play, so actually just trying to do it right is ninety percent of it... If I’ve got that down everything else will be fine... Those things are never really a conscious thing, I see reactions and feed off energies."

Amber’s much anticipated follow up is in its early creative stages. "I’m writing the album now, I’m going to be recording it at the end of this year... I think it’s gonna be a couple of months of recording and writing the last bits of it and then hopefully next year it’ll be out at some point."

"I DON'T WANT TO DO A LOCKDOWN ALBUM, FUCK THAT..."

Although lockdown has given Amber time for introspect, there hasn’t been much in terms of inspiration. "I don't want to do a lockdown album, fuck that." Making it crystal clear any thoughts on creating an album inspired by a pandemic.

"I kinda want to play shows as soon as possible but I also don’t really want to do the whole socially distanced gig thing. Maybe I’ll regret saying that. The whole socially distanced gig thing actually scares me, like performing to that will be really difficult... It’s taken me a long time to figure out how to be on stage so I think it’d be really difficult to reconfigure that stuff, I’m not really a born performer."

"I think as it’s easing up and I’m able to see other people and not repeat the same day I’m definitely feeling more inspired. Hopefully, that’ll lend itself to actually writing an album." With each record taking a slightly different turn to the last, it’s hard to predict what The Japanese House’s second album will sound like, but one thing is for certain, Amber isn’t slowing down any time soon and with plans to gig and another album already in the works it looks like The Japanese House are here to stay.

Recorded at Bon Iver’s log cabin, the shimmering melody fuelled debut album co-produced by George Daniel (Drummer for The 1975) and BJ Burton The EP 'Chewing Cotton (Producer for Bon Iver & Wool' is out now on Dirty Hit Charli XCX), was released in Records. early 2019. ‘Good At Falling’ cemented Amber as an artist in every sense of the word after releasing a music video they'd shot with long time girlfriend Marika Hackman after their break up, creating a sensitive and tear-jerking masterpiece by reliving her heartbreak in front of the camera. 22

AWAY FROM THE NOISE

DREAM NAILS TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF... My name is Lucy and I’m the drummer of London-based, queer, feminist punk band Dream Nails. ‘You lot don’t seem very punk!?’ is a sentiment we often hear on tour and it makes us curious - what does Punk look like? To these folks, typical punk behaviour clearly does not consist of pre-show lunges and Lucozades, nor kicking back afterwards with a Sleepy Tea™ and a charcoal face mask, but we leave the cocaine and Jack Daniels for the posers and the pissers. We’ve got work to do, and we need to be on the top of our game to do our message and politics justice. Aside from this, caring for yourself is Punk. Looking after your body, mind, soul and spirit is Punk as Fuck. We’re not interested in the

outdated notion that erratic, TV-out-the-window, burnout behaviour is cool or aspirational. Get a life! These nasty excesses are a bastion of the old boys club of punk, one that is self-destructive and individualistic. We care about each other, our communities, our peers, the world - and to do this most effectively, we gotta look after ourselves! Exercise is a particularly empowering way of taking care of yourself, and the reasons we do it have nothing to do with the patriarchal beauty standards we firmly eschew. Our recent single, ‘Jillian’ is a homage to queer US home-workout icon, Jillian Michaels, as two of the band discovered strength training through her ‘30 Day Shred’ DVD’s. The song (as well as being an absolute banger) encapsulates our attitude to 23

exercising - it’s about finding strength on your own terms, in your own space and within the capabilities of your own body. We want people to blast it during their workouts and revel in the heady rush of self-acceptance and endorphins that make you feel strong in ways beyond the physical. So, a message to anyone tempted to chuck a TV out the window anytime soon: chuck on our new album instead, roll out a yoga mat, stretch it out, and do something sweet and good for your beautiful bodies! Dream Nails’ self-titled debut album is out on 28th August 2020 on Alcopop! Records (UK/Euro) and Dine Alone (North America). Their headline UK tour is scheduled for March 2021. Photography by Marieke Macklon

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

BRIGHTON

INTRODUCTION I first visited Brighton while I was on tour with my band, back in November 2018. Like anyone else who visits Brighton for the first time, I was mesmerised by the vibrant colours that characterise the city, the diverse individuals from all across the globe that identify as "Brightonians", the quaint local cafĂŠs and the winding Lanes brimming with a menagerie of Bohemian shops.

suffered immensely because of the socio-economic impact of Covid-19. In this article, I aim to shed light on the small businesses that are doing their very best to save Brighton's compact music and artistic industries from eternal collapse.

SMALL POND Located in the heart of the city, Small Pond serves as a community and hangout place for Brighton-based bands and musicians - in addition to being a fully-fledged rehearsal When I eventually moved to space, recording studio and Brighton in 2019, I got involved label. During the lockdown, in its music scene, and my Small Pond launched a love affair with this city hasn't successful crowdfunding stopped ever since. Like any campaign that prevented other music capital around it from closing down. As a the globe, Brighton has "thank you", the vibrant space 24

at 27 Castle Street has just launched a "Free Rehearsal Scheme" that Brightonbased artists can apply to, supporting the community even further. instagram.com/smallpond RESIDENT BRIGHTON This independent record shop in Brighton's North Laines is undoubtedly a Brighton staple. In addition to stocking the latest releases from the UK's top acts, the guys and gals at Resident go the extra mile and are always ready to give a helping hand to the most promising Brightonian artists. Despite all the restrictions, Resident continues to support the independent music scene

RADIO REVERB Brighton & Hove's not-forprofit radio station that www.resident-music.com gives a voice to local DJs with a passion for advertPLATFORM B free, speech and music A hip radio station that allows programming. The folks at eager youngsters to practice 97.2 FM continue to support their DJing skills in front of an local artists throughout actual radio audience. During this challenging time. Send these difficult times, Platform your music to one of Radio B has continued to recruit the Reverb's friendly DJs, and you most eager emerging DJs to can rest assured that your broadcast from their homes music will find the home it and showcase the sickest cross-genre tunes without any truly deserves. inhibitions. www.radioreverb.com www.platformb.org.uk

customers. Fortunately, the Bookshop's online shop is well-stocked with feminist literature, making selfisolation a little less lonely than it would be without a spot of Maya Angelou before bedtime.

THE HOPE AND RUIN This grassroots music venue and pub is the cornerstone of Brighton's live music scene. In the pre-COVID era, the "Hope" featured live music, regular poetry nights, and legendary club nights. Unfortunately, like a lot of music venues around the UK, the Hope has faced a lot of problems and also launched a crowdfunding campaign, backed by Music Venue Trust. Thankfully, the Hope has recently reopened its pub and eatery area, and punters can enjoy its craft beers and excellent vegan food in a safe and secure environment.

THE COWLEY CLUB Not just any bar or music venue - it's a self-described "radical, libertarian social centre". It's run entirely by volunteers and aims to provide a safe space for all the alternative, left-leaning activists and bright minds of Brighton. This bona fide punk club used the Covid-19 lockdown to perform some maintenance and has just reopened (in a limited capacity, of course!). Become part of the community by paying a membership fee of only two quid, for a lifetime guarantee of cheap booze, punk music and a chosen family of radicals.

and continues to "make your world sound beautiful".

www.hope.pub PLUGGED IN BRIGHTON A DIY music blog run by Christopher Hibbert - or "Pop Art Chris". Chris used to review gigs in a quasireligious manner; fortunately, COVID-19 didn't stop Chris from following his passion for local punk music. Chris has now turned his attention to records released by local acts and continues to produce quality reviews even in the worst of times. www.pluggedinbrighton.com

Words and main image by Janelle Borg

MARWOOD BAR & COFFEE HOUSE This quirky bar and cafeteria is a local artist hangout that's known for its coffee, hospitable staff, mouthwatering cakes as well as its mishmash of furniture and decor that all in all, create a very inspiring and welcoming vibe. During the lockdown, Marwood continued to support the local community by starting a delivery service, ensuring that you never ran out of booze and snacks during the most depressing and apocalyptic era our generation has ever encountered.

thefeministbookshop.com

www.cowley.club

SOFAR SOUNDS BRIGHTON The Brighton chapter of Sofar Sounds has also found a way to bring their signature, intimate gigs to every screen. www.themarwood.com With the motto "keeping live music alive during the THE FEMINIST BOOKSHOP lockdown", Sofar Sounds An independent bookshop and Brighton has hosted a couple cafeteria that's currently open of live-streamed gigs that by appointment only. Like a enable virtual audiences lot of other small businesses to support Sofar artists by that have encountered a lot donating directly to them of hardships in 2020, The during the live stream. Feminist Bookshop had to find a way how to survive, instagram.com/ without endangering its loyal sofarsoundsbtn 25

INTROSPECT

PRESSING PAUSE II HOW ONE DECISION REDIRECTED MY FUTURE

Looking back at our lives, it’s difficult to see our struggles for what they really were. Often, as soon as we’re out of the dark and back into the light, we develop instant amnesia of the intensity and toxicity that we have just faced. Whether as a coping mechanism response to great trauma, or simply an incessant lust to forget the adversity we’ve recently faced, quite often we shrug our shoulders, pick ourselves up, and mutter

quietly, ‘well, it wasn’t that bad’.

if quite damaging. After being diagnosed with HIV late last year, my fight has Some hills, however, leave been one of love and loss, you out of breath long and I’m simply grateful after both the insufferable to be able to stand here climb and ultimate descent today, a little bruised, but back down to reality. It can thriving. take weeks, if not months for your charisma, charm, As a writer who has and character to return; it somehow stumbled can feel as if the old you into a career as a music is on hiatus elsewhere, journalist, I’ve often still up in those clouds, romanticised the events perched out of fear for of my life. Heartbreak, what lies ahead; at least since discovering sexual the old is comforting, even attraction, has always 26

had an irresistible allure. I didn’t mind jumping from fire to fire, as I never stayed long enough to get burnt, and if I did, I could simply dust the ashes from my clothes into words on a page. We churn up emotions, us writers, and it is our sheer duty to charge head-first into danger, and quite often disaster, because… we need it. As long as we feel something, it doesn’t matter if we lose the battle because we’re playing the long game. Now, having unprotected sex with a stranger isn’t exactly an admirable quest, but, if you look at the other factor that affected that one fateful evening wherein I’d catch HIV (forced into an open relationship, urged to ‘try it, James, and see if you enjoy it, because I know I am’-my ex-partner) then perhaps you’ll realise that the only reason it hasn’t happened to anyone who has unprotected sex is, well… it could have, is my point. I presumed that if you were willing to have sex with somebody unprotected, that you were in control of your health… little did I know, my one-night stand was hiding his diagnosis from me. It’s just one of those things. It hit me like a tonne of bricks, of course. A stint in hospital later and it took a month and a half after being discharged to find out exactly what had happened to me… and then came recovery. I took a few months out of work because this wasn’t Words by James Hawkridge

your average heartbreak… this was a betrayal. And some wounds cut too deep to bounce back from immediately.

"BEING DIAGNOSED WITH HIV LATE LAST YEAR, MY FIGHT HAS BEEN ONE OF LOVE AND LOSS, AND I’M SIMPLY GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO STAND HERE TODAY, A LITTLE BRUISED, BUT THRIVING." To be fair, it forced me to address a lot of issues in my life that I had been neglecting. I had been using drugs recreationally for some time, with the motivation being ‘young’, and ‘reckless’... I was (and am still) in my prime, so why not make some mistakes while I can? Time out from the chaos that had fast become my routine allowed for an entire system reset, including an overhaul of bad friendships and a neglectful partner. When I emerged from my chrysalis, I had taken a new form entirely.

became an armour against adversity, a badge of honour that I proudly wore at first privately, and now publicly; a common fact to colleagues, artists I interview and anyone who follows me on social media (@jayhawkridge). Not only is it humanising, allowing for an instant deeper connection between me and, for instance, a music singer who feels unsure of sharing sensitive information, but it is a vulnerability that immediately disarms anybody I come into contact with. If I can share something so intimate, I soon find that sensitivity is returned two-fold, allowing for deeper relationships. To say I am grateful for my diagnosis is perhaps a little jarring, but to say that I have taken something that could have broken me and fueled it into one of my greatest strengths is hitting the nail on the head. To understand somebody else you truly need to first know yourself, and I’m getting there. My relationship with me has never been truer, to the point where my selfrespect is elevated, my faith in fate is redefined, and I can now stand here and say I would not wish for things any differently. I have more trauma to attach lyrics to, more stories to share with those in my industry, and a clearer empathy for the heartache which is needed to create art. In my career, I’ve never felt stronger.

I managed to return to work slowly, but surely. When your career depends upon diving deep into your emotional psyche it can be hard to understand and process your inner core onto a page if you don’t recognise who you are, and I think I was losing sight It’s all experience, of myself pre-diagnosis. remember. Having an HIV diagnosis 27

IN FOCUS

BEING A MUM AND ROCK MUSICIAN WITH LYNDSEY MCDOUGALL OF NEW PAGANS

Lyndsey McDougall, vocalist of the Northern Irish band New Pagans, proves that you can be both a mum and a rock musician. With their latest track ‘Yellow Room’ Lyndsey and her band want to tackle the silencing of motherhood and postnatal depression in the music industry and give young, parenting musicians a voice, particularly in Northern Ireland. ‘Yellow Room’ is based on Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper, which

has been identified as an important piece of early American feminist literature. The story deals with motherhood, mental health, and the feeling of being lost. As a musician, mother and mental health advocate, Lyndsey can identify with the imagery of the short story. "I had read it when I just had my first baby. A friend of mine has given it to me. I don’t know what she was thinking, because it is quite dark and it’s kind of a Gothic horror 28

story. Somehow, I found it really comforting. When we started to write the song, I started to realize that I was using bits of the narrator’s angst and that sort of space that you’re in as a mum, at the start, when you don’t really know how to negotiate this new thing. So, the song is based on that, and it’s definitely based on those feelings of, not necessarily postnatal depression, but that sense of nearly being alone in the world with this new person to look after."

Postnatal depression is a type of depression that many parents experience after having a baby. As described by NHS England, it is a common problem, affecting more than one in every ten women within a year of giving birth. When parents suffer from this illness, it is important to seek help as soon as possible, because with the right support most parents make a full recovery. National organisations such as PANDAS and APNI provide information and help for parents in need. While support has become widely available in England, Scotland and Wales, the situation is still difficult in Northern Ireland, which is why Lyndsey and her band highlight the need for a specialised parent-andbaby mental health unit.

parents with PMH needs. Some think that postnatal depression is less severe than other types of depression, while in fact, it's just as serious. Another myth is that postnatal depression only affects women, but research has shown that up to one in ten new fathers suffer from the same conditions. Unfortunately, these myths often cause parents to feel too anxious or embarrassed to seek help.

I think we’ll get there, but women have to take the rule in this." Recently, there have been more conversations about mental health in the UK music industry, but issues around postnatal depression, or parenthood in general, are still met with silence. This is also something Lyndsey has noticed while working in the industry.

"We just started New Pagans when I found out that I was pregnant. The "BEING A MOTHER first reaction of a lot of people around me was HAS MADE ME FEEL ‘oh well, that’s the end REALLY EMPOWERED of the band’, you cannot play in bands anymore. AND INTERESTED. But they didn’t mean it. I’M SO MUCH MORE You know, it’s that whole unconscious bias thing. It is INTERESTED IN THE coming from our society. I POLITICS OF THE thought that too, and then "In Northern Ireland we I started to think about COUNTRY AND THE have a different health Kim Gordon and all the FUTURE..." system than in England. We other women– there are don’t have any mothera lot of mothers in music, and-baby units here. So, it’s just that it’s hidden. In if a mother is suffering her book Girl in a Band, from a really severe "I think it’s because we Kim Gordon says that she postnatal depression, and – mothers and pregnant has always hated questions she needs specialist care, people – are being told like ‘you’re a girl in a she actually ends up in a that, if you feel like this, band, how does it feel?, normal psychiatric ward you’re meant to tell or, ‘you’re a mother in a and the baby is separated somebody, but at the same band, how does it feel?’. from her. Some of us are time there’s that fear, too. She hated it, because campaigning and trying to Because you could have women are trying to be figure out how we can get your child being taken away taken seriously, and they this policy changed and from you. There’s a fear, are trying to not just come get those mother-andso women are not really under the umbrella of baby units. But all we can talking about it. And an being a mother. It doesn’t do really is talk about it, embarrassment. Hopefully, have to define you. I think and it really frustrates me. as we progress as a for me personally, I want As women from Northern society, we will get better to be able to talk about Ireland, we can really at talking about it. You it, because, although it identity with Gilman’s short know, one in five women doesn’t define me, I don’t story, because the narrator and pregnant people will want to be ashamed of it. is so lost in that book. suffer from postnatal Being a mother has made She doesn’t have a voice depression. It goes from me feel really empowered really." really mild to completely and interested. I’m so extreme, severe cases. much more interested in Societal stigma and It affects a lot of people. the politics of the country myths about perinatal So, it should be something and the future, because mental health (PMH) we can easily access I have a girl and a boy, conditions have resulted information about. And we and I want them both to in misunderstandings should talk to other people be brilliant humans. Also, and a lack of support for who’ve gone through this. I want other young girls 29

who are musicians to know that it doesn’t have to be a choice. " Mothers are made invisible in the music industry, especially in rock music, although there have been quite a lot of mums in bands such as Patti Smith, Brody Dalle, Corin Tucker, and Ani Difranco, just to name a few. Lyndsey encourages women to take the lead and push for positive change in the industry. "In the creative industry we have this notion that you need to make that choice. And don’t get me wrong, it’s really difficult. Motherhood is tough, but I think as well that we have this opportunity as musicians to push past that a little bit and to value being a mother. I think you can be creative, and you can have a good career as a mother. But I also think that we need to fight a little bit harder for certain things. There is a motherhood pay gap and all those things. And in the workplace, we need to challenge people if they say things to another woman or a person who is pregnant. We are getting penalised for that, and that’s wrong. I think we need to fight against the system that is telling us that you cannot do it. They suggest that we are under value and that we don’t belong there anymore. You know, we need to be very careful and not let anything slip past."

childcare onto the mother and offers no financial support for self-employed fathers or same-sex partners. Consequently, women are more likely to stay at home while men get on with their career. Such a system sustains gender stereotypes and prevents equality in the music industry. Being both a rock musician and a mother herself, Lyndsey has come across some of those stereotypes. "I think it’s ridiculous that what is always pushed in each country, each region, is young male rock musicians, who are a bit too cool, and they smoke and drink. I think there’s this really awful trend, and it’s just been there since I can remember, of this young male rock star. We need that, but we also need something else. And to take out the voice of mothers, which we have done for generations, is just ridiculous. We are actually losing a lot of wonderful pieces of art, music and literature. Why would we do that?" Women are widely underrepresented in the music industry, particularly on senior levels. This means that record labels and recording studios are mostly run by men. In 2017 Warner Music UK revealed that the top quarter of their roles in terms of pay are split 30.2% and 69.8% in favour of men.

"I think the scene in Northern Ireland is very Being a parent and a healthy in bringing new freelance musician at the musicians on, which is same time is definitely brilliant. But I think at the not an easy task. PRS level of label managers for Music report that there needs to be more the current system of women. That’s definitely Maternity Allowance for not equal at all. And if self-employed musicians women are in there, they’ll places the entire burden of make the decisions that Words by Sarah Mengede

are good for other women. With that we would all be more aware of what women and mothers need. So, I think that we need women on that level before things start to get better." Besides New Pagans, Lyndsey runs the blog Màthair, which provides a platform to discuss ideas and experiences connected to motherhood. Using her voice and her music to make motherhood and mental health more visible, Lyndsey is an important role model for younger musicians and paves the way for a more inclusive music scene in Northern Ireland. "You know I’m 36 now, I have two kids, I have nothing to lose. I love playing music, but I want to make sure that I do it in the right way. Because I don’t want to change or be something that I’m not. I think that’s very important. And if that’s all New Pagans will ever do, if we just inspire few young or older girls, or women, to go and write some music and put it out there, then that’s me happy, you know." New Pagans have been nominated for Best Single and Best Live Band at the 2019 Northern Ireland Music Prize and were named on Hot Press’s ‘Hot For 2020’ list. Also, their previous releases have been supported at Radio 1 and Radio X. Their latest single "Yellow Room" is available on all major platforms.

AWAY FROM THE NOISE

AILBHE REDDY

ON PODCASTS... My name is Ailbhe Reddy. I'm a singer-songwriter from Dublin. I'm releasing my debut album 'Personal History' on October 2nd, I've released 3 singles from it so far 'Time Difference', 'Between Your Teeth' and 'Looking Happy'. So check them out! Music is my main hobby but when I need a break from that I love delving into the world of podcasts. There is such a wide variety of topics to choose from, I travel solo a lot and podcasts are a great way to keep boredom at bay while queuing for an airplane or sitting on a train or driving across the country. I first got into them through the gateway podcast 'Serial' in 2014. I had never even opened the podcast app until a friend recommended it to

me! I've listened to a lot of podcasts about true crime or the justice system in the US, Ireland, UK and Australia. Some of my favourites (other than 'Serial') are 'Red Handed', 'In The Dark', 'Teacher's Pet'. I religiously listen to 'The High-Low' hosted by Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes, and 'The Rewatchables' hosted by Bill Simons.

I really love Amy Schumer's podcast '3 Girls, 1 Keith', it can be completely hilarious nonsense on one episode and the next episode can be a really enlightening interview with Michael Moore. Schumer made her name in comedy but is a very clever interviewer, she puts her guests at ease and makes the listener feel like they are learning alongside all the hosts of the podcast. I 31

would definitely recommend it. I listened to the first season of 'In The Dark' on a 5-hour drive two years ago and it completely blew my mind. The host, Madeleine Baran covered the case of a missing child from 1989. She covers everything from the family heartache to police incompetence, to the broader repercussions in that community as well as American society. Really incredible journalism which won her a Peabody Award. Thanks for reading my 'Away From The Noise' segment! Keep an eye out for 'Personal History' which is out October 2nd and available for preorder now!

PHOTO BOOTH

TTRRUUCES The Story of Sadie and Syd, the 2 characters of our Opera. TTRRUUCES is a band started by Jules Apollinaire and Natalie Findlay. The first album just came out, on June 28th. It is an Opera of 11 songs immersing the listener into a fictional universe and the story of 2 lost souls ( Sadie the Sad Girl & Syd the Lost Boy) who meet on the quest for a new drug that throws them in a life-changing, mind-altering journey. Every track will have a Video, and they’ll all connect into one final movie of the Album. The TTRRUUCES Drug, supposed to expand your mind, show you the world without physical limitations, and help you achieve true happiness. Sadie and Syd meet looking for that drug, lead by the Bad Kids, they find it, drop it, and it throws them in a massive Bad Trip. They come out of it changed and inseparable. 01

01 TTRRUUCES INTRODUCTION 02 NAT & JULES, the masterminds behind TTRRUUCES who imagined, wrote, produced and performed the record 03 SADIE, THE SAD GIRL, and her real life shape (Liza Molnar) She is 17, lonely, depressed, fan of old rock'n'roll 04 SYD THE LOST BOY, and his real life shape (Basti Robert) he’s in his early 20s, a party animal, living without goals or passions a life of constant debauchery 05 SADIE AND SYD animated by Callum Scott Dyson, this is the moment they first meet 06 SADIE AND SYD animated by Malvalien, later in the story, at the end of their glorious Road Trip for the song I’m Alive

AWAY FROM THE NOISE

TRYING NEW THINGS...

HONEY JOY

My name's Megan. I'm from Honey Joy. I picked up my camera again after 10 years of not using it. Prior to that I'd used it for about 8 weeks in college before dropping out the class, I think it's because I was rubbish at it? My dad had given me his canon AE1 35mm Analog camera. He never used it and I think he gave it to me in the hope it would keep me out of trouble? It didn't work. It just meant I was a little shit who liked taking photos. As a teen navigating the ongoing diagnosis of depression with no idea how to express things I was really drawn to portraits. Particularly photojournalism and street photography because they have this ability to powerfully capture human emotion and circumstance. It's people in their truest or most vulnerable forms. I was drawn to people

like Donna Ferrato: she spent her life as an activist exposing domestic violence In the US through photography and then there's Martin Parr who's ability to capture the quirks of ordinary life so well you're left with a reassurance that we're all weirdos trying to make it through. So 16 yr old Meg may have sacked off photography in 8 weeks but I carried the love through to my late 20s which is where I found myself signed off from work having a depressive episode that was as bad as when I was first diagnosed. Being an adult with responsibilities and feeling the super bad feels was a totally new thing to Navigate. I wasn't leaving the house or bothering to shower. During this time by beautiful coincidence I found my dusty old canon and it sparked this little nugget of intrigue. Anyway,long story short, it got me out the house and it started the ball rolling for recovery. Since then my 35

camera is always round my neck. In a poetic world I would have nailed my skills and used it for some sort of good. Instead I spend too much time trying to find discontinued, expire film to shoot that gives poor (read: discoloured, light leaked and great) results. I also can't shoot a good portrait but I just love it. Since then I've dived into other things I've loved but too scared to do-through fear of doing badlylike roller skating and climbing. I do both badly but taking on something that makes you feel stupid and that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much to learn is actually the best feeling. The band are super supportive and we've used a photo of mine for the cover of our next album which is being released 4th September on Everything Sucks Records.

HANNAH GRACE Powerful lyrics and a soulful voice makes her a force to be reckoned with. With her debut album "Remedy" nearly released, she speaks about her music, her love of cooking and feeling at home in Nashville. 36

You might not recognise Hannah Grace by name, but you certainly know her music. Her cover of 'Praise You' was the backing track for the Lloyds Bank advert. She has featured with artists such as Gabrielle Aplin. At 27, this Welsh singer’s debut album being released later this month, it is time for her to be in the spotlight.

with her single 'Wasted Love', which Grace released earlier this year. She describes this song as a "letter to her past self."

"WORKING WITH SO MANY MORE WOMEN AND MORE FEMALE PRODUCERS AND WRITERS IT'S REALLY FEELING LIKE THAT A COMMUNITY IS GROWING."

You can tell when she feels passionate about something whether it be her music or her love of cooking - you can hear the smile in her voice through a phone line, and much like her music it is infectious. Her voice clearly The song was written shows who her musical by Hannah and two inspirations come from. female co-writers, Bre Kennedy and Jessica "I grew up listening to all Sharman, during Hannah’s sorts of music." She said. first visit to America, in Noting her favourites Nashville, Tennessee. including Ella Fitzgerlad, "I feel when you're let Billie Holiday, and Hozier. down in relationships or When talking about her friendships or anything songwriting influences you’ve given your all to on her debut album, and sometimes when that “Remedy”, she says that ends, like abruptly or in a Carole King and Joni really painful way, it really Mitchell’s style had a big feels like all that love and impact on her work "They positive energy was just always wrote kind of wasted. It could or should storytelling songs, but also have gone to someone things that were personal else or it should have been to them was what really kind of wasted away on inspired them, which kind someone that didn't kind of inspired my lyrics and of maybe appreciate it what I decided to write enough or will kind of use about. And I write about, it." you know, everyday life, what’s happening around Writing her album wasn't me and about people close the only thing that Hannah to me and all of those did on her trip in Nashville, things impact my writing." when speaking to her This can be seen in detail about Music City you can 37

hear through her voice how much she loved being in a city full of different musical influences: "being there was very surreal. I really felt like I was at home, although I had never been there before." Although some of the songs on the upcoming album have already been released, Hannah is keeping her favourites close to her chest before the release of the LP. "I have two favourites actually. The opening and closing track on the album." She revealed. "I’m very excited for them to come out and when the people listen to the album the first thing they hear and the last thing they hear are my favourites." Although she added the finishing touches to a few of the tracks during lockdown, having most the album done before, it allowed Hannah to explore and fall in love with being a fan of music again: "I feel like I’ve really fallen back in love with listening to music for the sake of it. I feel like before lockdown I was so busy, I would have to find time to listen to albums and stuff. Obviously listening to music and doing music is so much part of my day that actually listening to it as a fan is quite hard." It’s not just finding new music to listen to that's kept her busy during lockdown. The free time

has allowed Hannah to find a new love: running. "Its definitely been a distraction from, like normal life, something that I've surprisingly got into because I definitely wasn’t an exercise person before, but I really enjoy it, just listening to a podcast whilst doing it. It’s a new found love for sure."

the past few months, cooking and baking has been a welcome distraction, "baking and cooking is definitely something I do to get away from life," she said. Her passion for cooking and baking really shines through as she speaks about her vegetarian, trying to be vegan, diet and her love of Italian food, With her podcasts of stressing that she loves choice ranging from Fearne pasta. "Food is definitely Cotton’s Happy Place and my second love after music her manager’s podcast for sure!" on the music industry it helps her escape from Signed to Gabrielle Aplin’s the craziness in the world. independent label, Never Hannah’s other found love Fade Records, surrounding is food and cooking, "I just herself with strong female love food!" She laughed. writers and producers is clearly an important issue Like most people during for her. "The feminist Words by Elise Kennedy

movement in the music industry has just been growing and growing. For me personally, working with so many more women and more female producers and writers it's really feeling like that a community is growing. It's growing not just within kind of female communities, but also leading into just the wider community with guys as well. And how it all starting to feel like from my perspective, like it's getting more equal, which is what is really exciting and really amazing." The debut album 'Remedy' is out 9th October.

DIGGING DEEPER

THISISNAMASTE

PERSONAL MENTAL HEALTH... Hey, I’m thisisNAMASTE and I’m a Singer/Songwriter and proud Scottish Lass.

also scared knowing that the stigma around mental health problems might lead people to think differently of me. Thankfully, I finally sought help and after a few years of therapy, I am in a 10 years ago I moved to much better place. It has London to study my passion led me to become super for Music and it was the best move I’ve ever made. I learned passionate about mental a lot about music in that time health awareness especially in younger people. but I’ve learned a hell of a lot more about myself too. When I was younger, I had Like lots of us, I’ve had ups no idea what the term and downs but it all came to mental health meant. No one a head when I was about 21 when I started suffering badly really spoke about anxiety or depression or any other with my mental health. mental health illness’ for that matter, especially in I was on tour with Rita Ora school. That's why, when at the time as her backing vocalist and I never told a soul I was presented with the on that tour about what I was amazing opportunity to tour around schools in the UK as an going through in my personal artist and perform my music life. I was embarrassed that alongside speaking about my I was struggling to cope with experiences of mental health, my mental health and was I was delighted. 39

In 2019, I started doing the Schools Tours. In between performing, I spoke about my own struggles with mental health, what helped me and also things they could do if they were feeling overwhelmed. It’s been so amazing to see the reaction of so many of the kids and the appreciation from them that they aren’t alone. There is no need to feel ashamed if you are struggling. My main message is that there is SO much help out there and there is no need to try and cope alone as I did for too long. Speaking up to someone is the first step to getting help and if I can be a tiny part of helping one young person reach out and speak to someone about their troubles, that makes me feel so happy.

DIGGING DEEPER

HOLDING YOUR NERVE IN THE MUSICAL MULTIVERSE WITH LINS WILSON OF MAGICK MOUNTAIN

Live music... Those two words have a different meaning now to a few months back, when CPWM first asked me to write an article about my experiences of last minute fillins for bands I love, support tours organised on a week's notice, and a call to play at the Brudenell the day of a show (to name a handful of my gig-based calls to action). At the time they asked, I was on a five week tour around Europe / UK, filling in on guitar and bass for Blood Red Shoes. They urgently needed a replacement for their regular session player to play five of their eight week tour, I was to take over from Ayse Hassan (Savages) who was doing the first part. Yes, I did have a fan girl moment meeting her! Through mutual friends and a few coincidences, BRS got

in touch and within a few days of rearranging work and other gigs, I was all in. I had three weeks to learn the set at home, travelled to Brighton for two days of rehearsal, then wouldn't see them again until I flew to Barcelona, where I would watch them open for The Pixies - the night before I would be doing the same thing in Madrid. Steve BRS commented on my Northernness, cracking on where a lot of people might crap themselves. Performing to 3000 Pixies / BRS fans after I'd played the songs less times than I could count on my hands was definitely nerve-wracking, but after a couple of shows (including one in an 8000-cap Bull ring!) the nerves seemed to dissipate. I trusted my autopilot and years of experience 40

being on stages with many different bands, including my own band, Magick Mountain. In fact, it took me that tour to really see how many unspoken skills you really do need as a touring musician â&#x20AC;&#x201C; technical, interpersonal, physical and mental strength, knowledge of gig / touring etiquette and not to mention being able to get your shit off stage in ten seconds before you get shouted at by a grumpy stage manager. I've always felt comfortable on stage, so apart from when there's any technical difficulty, I feel present, sometimes just watching my hands do the work while taking in the alchemical moments of us musicians performing together, connecting with a room full of other

sweaty human beings. I just don't think you can beat it as a profound collective experience, as fan or as a performer

where there are inequalities in the industry relating to gender, race, sexuality, socio-economic background, location and more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I think it's important for us to share So I go out of my way for our experiences so that we these experiences, even when can fight for change. Ironically they can be as challenging as UK music is a massive global they are amazing. The nature export, so there's no reason of the live music industry has we shouldn't be able to earn meant things happen intensely well from what we do, we and at lightning speed have a live scene that brings there's a lot of pressure on audiences here from all over emerging and mid-level artists the world. Before global (and their touring crew) to pandemics at least. be at their best for nights or weeks on end, with a lot of travel, little sleep, often coupled with financial or "I GO OUT OF MY personal difficulties. With WAY FOR THESE such a romanticised version of 'rock n roll' infiltrating our EXPERIENCES, EVEN musician-minds, along with the constant echoes of 'it's WHEN THEY CAN BE not a real job'...it's really tough as a musician to say AS CHALLENGING this IS my job, I deserve to get AS THEY ARE paid for it and I deserve to be able to look after myself. AMAZING." It's both incredible and tough to tour, the highs of a great show mixed with pure exhaustion or mental health One positive I've seen struggles. Back from tour, amidst the current crisis juggling writing, recording, is that conversations are rehearsing, releasing and what starting to open up, we've I call 'Band-min' alongside all seen musician / crew day jobs to pay the bills, is incomes, venues and festivals constantly more than full time hanging precariously by a work. Sometimes I get paid thread, so it's forced these to make music, like the BRS conversations. Sadly I've seen tour or the odd recording studies saying many feel they session, but a lot of the time will have to give up working I don't. I'm determined to in music altogether. Seeing make music my living, it's grassroots venues closing certainly not impossible, but their doors, permanently in it would be helpful if building some cases, is totally gutting. an income from music wasn't Music is such an important so complicated. Overworking and unique sector, where has played a big part in what's art meets (or often clashes led to my own chronic health with!) commerce, where skills issues and I've hit burn-out and talent ought to thrive 4 times in my working life. not constantly be in fight or When we think about our flight mode. We're starting value and worth as artists, to talk more frankly about members of society and what is needed to save our human beings, I wish that it music industry, and the live didn't have to mean 'earning industry playing it's own part a living', but it does. What in a complex and (outdated) does that even mean anyway? ecosystem. As much as I stand Earning a right to really live?? with everyone who plays their And us Brits aren't so good part in the delicate balance about talking about this stuff, that is live music, without where there are complex artists first and foremost issues and judgements around there is no industry, so they making an income in from must be supported. Creating creative work. Issues that music can't be left to only are even more apparent those who can afford to do it. Words by Lins Wilson / Magick Mountain

We can't let the gap between mid-level and headliners grow even further apart, and we need to keep supporting grassroots level artists and venues more than ever. Let us all use this time to find new ways and to fight for better representation, from performers at 50-cap shows all the way up to having 'a seat at the table'. As artists, a community and an industry we are resilient. What we bring to people can be an genuine lifeline, we build communities and make life worth living. So F anyone who still says this isn't a 'real' job. Anyway, back to the kinds of shows we need to keep alive. I feel fortunate that I thrive on a bit of last-minute-ness in terms of learning tunes and heading up on stage, because at the end of the day, I love it. I love being part of the touring gang, getting to live different experiences every day and meet new people. For me that's meant my old band Mother Vulpine opening for Eagles of Death Metal at London Astoria as part a full UK support tour (for anyone wondering, we cheekily asked their agent if we could open the Leeds Met show, then ended up on the full tour after the main support pulled out. Always be cheeky!), joining Menace Beach on their 2015 ten-date Euro tour, jumping in the van with Pulled Apart by Horses to play bass at The Village Underground supporting The Bronx (didn't even have a practise I don't think?!), and more recently when Nath (Brudenell) called up my band Magick Mountain to open for My Vitriol the same day. There's definitely a lot of winging it (or feeling like I am!), but pushing out of your comfort zone definitely makes you a better musician. Just make sure you're always nice to people. So yeah, I miss gigging a lot, but I'm also kind of grateful for a bit of a rest from the madness. I really hope that when we no longer have to miss it, live music can be better than it was before, on AND off stage. Photography by Anton Coene

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

ZURICH

INTRODUCTION / ANNIE TAYLOR Annie Taylor’s slick, sludgy riffs are not exactly the first thing you think of when you think of Switzerland. Despite their (slightly) tongue in-cheek assertion that they love The Alps, chocolate and cheese, the four-piece hailing from Zurich seem to a truly global proposition. Their effortless blend of grunge, psychedelia and surf rock creating tracks that blow you away with the crunching sounds, but draw you in with the soaring hooks. The band’s debut album Sweet Mortality (out now via Taxi Gauche Records) was forged in their native city, so its DNA

is infused within. Here’s some of their favourite spots in Zurich.

LIVE MUSIC In Zurich we are quite spoiled when it comes to live music. There are many artists who make a stop in the city on their tour. Some venues are right by the river, where you can go swimming in the summer before the show. Others are located in 42

the vibrant nightlife street 'Langstrasse', where there are many bars, clubs and restaurants. STUDIOS & RECORDING If you want to record with vintage gear- David Langhard from “Dala Studios” is your man. We recorded our album with him at the “Dala Studios” and really enjoyed the welcoming vibes and competent skills of David. At his studio you will always find something that you have never seen before: could be vintage gear, LP’s, weird books or something in his vintage bike collection. And biggest

plus: There are two cute cats living there, which are always looking for love.

BEST FOOD In the 'Langstrasse' there are many restaurants that offer incredibly delicious food. Since the lockdown, the street has become a bit more bohemian, because there are more tables in the streets, which looks actually quite nice. Our favourite restaurant for Fried Chicken and Cauliflour is the "Exer". If you don't like fried food, there are Tibetan Momo's

nearby, which they offer with meat, vegetarian or vegan. If are hungover, you can enjoy a wonderful brunch at "Kafi for dich”.

BIKING First thing to do when you get to Zurich: Get a bike! It’s the fastest and easiest way to get anywhere! SWEET SPOT In summer it can get really hot in the city. We are very blessed to have a beautiful lake with super clear water

Words by Gini Jungi / Annie Taylor

to swim in. Swimming in the Limmat river is definitely one of the coolest things about Zurich. Along the river there are many great spots to jump in and float for a while. So if you ever come to Zurich: come in summer! GUITARS This basement filled with vintage guitars is not an official shop, but the owner convinces with his quality outstanding guitars and expertise. The owner Wädi is a super guy who collects rare and vintage guitars. But beware, whoever enters this cellar is guaranteed to leave with a newly acquired musical instrument. Let me know when you are visiting Zurich and I will take you there! Main photograph by Piet Alder

DIGGING DEEPER

HYYTS SOCIAL SUPPORT THROUGH MUSIC...

Hi! My name is Adam. I’m from Glasgow and I’m in a pop band called HYYTS with my best friend Sam.

Like most musicians, I’ve had 341 day jobs with most of them having the official title of ‘terrible bartender,’ but the last and best normal adult job I had was for a wonderful company called Centrestage who are based in a little town called Kilmarnock on the west coast of Scotland. The job involved providing social support through music to men inside

Kilmarnock prison as well as at a drop-in centre on the outside for vulnerable adults where people could come for anything from a guitar lesson to a cup of tea.

"I CAN’T TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF WONDERFUL, TENDER, GENUINELY LOVELY GUYS I MET IN THAT PRISON..." The company was started by two of the best 44

people I’ve ever met (Fiona McKenzie and Paul Mathieson) who believe that music and the arts can bring people together and make genuine change in people’s lives regardless of their age, ability, past history, economic background, anything! I agree with this idea. I also believe that the government and the institutions that are in place to support and guide people have failed them and left millions of people broken and alone. For example, coming into contact with the foster care system makes you far

more likely to end up in the men in that prison even prison system. though they happened just a few miles down the road The good news is that from the protective bubble people like Centrestage that I grew up in. and other amazing companies exist (Vox We had a three hour choir Liminis, Nordoff Robbins, on a Wednesday where to name a few,) and the guys could choose are genuinely making a any song they wanted and difference where the we’d all have a big sing. institutions that are Surprising song choice supposed to are failing. aside, (for some reason big scary looking men love Ed I can’t tell you the amount Sheeran,) the thing that of wonderful, tender, stuck with me was the joy genuinely lovely guys I that these guys displayed met in that prison and I when they were allowed to honestly believe that our just have fun and were told choices, even bad choices, that they were welcome are a signifier of the life somewhere and good at that we’ve been given in something. the first place. I had a good upbringing so the need for The saddest part is I don’t me to make bad choices think they’d really felt that was practically nonbefore. existent; I couldn’t believe some of the things that It is our responsibility as happened to the young the people who haven’t Words by Adam Hunter / HYYTS

had to endure things like this to do whatever we can to help the people who have- no matter how difficult or complex it is. Stay educated and aware of what’s going on just outside your door and don’t be too quick to judge someone who’s made a bad decision because the chances are, in their shoes you probably would too. Thanks for reading, love you all loads. For more information on Centrestage see the website www.centrestagemt.org.uk

Photography by Kamila K Stanley

INTROSPECT

WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM, THAT'S WHAT I'M NOT I remember that a couple of the guys were dressed like New Romantics. Elaborate, with makeup, big jackets, and bright colours. It wasn’t the kind of club where you’d expect to see people dressed like that, but then, none of the clubs where I did my undergrad were. The nearest queer club was in Oxford. This was at Propaganda, the indie night that gets run up and down the country. The music there was, understandably, very male. My second year seemed to be defined

by the fact that Arctic Monkeys played wherever you went, alongside indie club staples like ‘Mr. Brightside,’ and ‘A-Punk.’ Music, especially in clubs, is something that’s designed to be a kind of communal experience; a room full of people collectively losing their minds when the perfect song comes on at the perfect time. But that feeling of community can be naturally strained if you’re drifting in-between different ways of moving through the dance floor, different ways 46

of responding to songs that feel like they’re never quite yours. I don’t know what those two new romantics were called; I don’t think I was ever introduced to them by name, or even had more than one or two conversations with them. I knew them that way that everybody knew people on dance floors in campus towns, through a friend. They were in my university’s LGBT+ Society. I met a few people through it who

ended up among my closest friends, but most people there just drifted in and out of my life as I drifted in and out of theirs. Even the queer spaces were difficult to navigate; hearing people talk about identity in ways that felt uncharacteristically binary immediately meant that I’d only ever be able to have one foot in those rooms; just as I’m sure some people there thought I had one foot in the closet. Queer culture is a strange thing. It’s something that can be entirely defined through stereotypes, especially when you’re in a place where anything you might call queer is a train ride away. Once a term, the campus would have an LGBT club night at the union. It was called Glitterbomb (I think), and the music was exactly what you’d expect: girl groups, Kylie, and 80s cheese. Whenever these nights came to campus I’d go to them with some friends – telling someone about this over text prompted them to ask what are you? – but, like Propaganda, it was a place where I would feel out of sorts. Glitterbomb and "Props" were both about adaptation, finding a way to be in a space in a way that wouldn’t make me seem like too much of an outsider. The question wasn’t so much one of belonging, but of reclamation; how possible would it be to listen to songs that are anthems of heterosexuality like ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ or songs by bands like the Spice Girls, and find a way to let them become mine. It’s a question that I’m still asking, that this essay is asking. Words and artwork by Sam Moore

At uni, I’d be called one of the guys, but I’d also be called one of the girls sometimes. As always, the truth lay somewhere in between the two. The thing that was most interesting about those communal spaces – campus bars, clubs in town – was the idea that my designation would change depending on who I was out with; if I went to "Props" with friends from my classes, I’d be one of the boys; if I went out with other people, I’d be something else. It reminds me – as a lot of things do – of something a guy I knew through the Uni’s LGBT+ society said to me once: “bi guys are only gay until a girl shows up.”

"THE QUESTION WASN’T SO MUCH ONE OF BELONGING, BUT OF RECLAMATION; HOW POSSIBLE WOULD IT BE TO LISTEN TO SONGS THAT ARE ANTHEMS OF HETEROSEXUALITY?" Lacking queer spaces that felt appropriately open, the challenge is to somehow make your own, even if they’re a microcosm of the options that are far away. Sometimes this act of reclamation is easy; the heavy metal nights I’d go to with queer friends most Monday nights would sometimes play songs by Judas Priest, and that sense of contradicting and also belonging came very naturally: that the ostensibly 47

very masculine, aggressive Judas Priest were one of the queerest bands you’d ever hear on a night out. Other times it’s more difficult and is about finding a way to create the community that these spaces, and this music, can sometimes lack. About going to the wrong place, but doing it with the right people. Queerness and music are difficult to reconcile sometimes. Music is such a constant, formative experience that it can lead to surprise about the kind of things you like, as if it’s impossible to like Madonna and The Strokes simultaneously, with one being an example of a band in a very male-driven indie rock revival, and the other very much being seen as a kind of gay icon. Even something as broad as disco and late-90s/early 2000s dance music can feel locked behind a door where identity is the key. There’s a scene in Queer As Folk where the characters sing the Divine song ‘You Think You’re A Man.’ That show is the only place I’ve ever heard that song. Glitterbomb had a narrow conception of queer music, and "Props" didn’t really reckon with the idea of it at all. These are spaces where I spent a few more nights than I should. I’m not a natural clubber, but there was obviously something about them that kept drawing me back to them. I like to think, after a while, they had become places where I belonged.

DIGGING DEEPER

GIRLS IN SYNTHESIS

THE ARTIST / AUDIENCE BARRIER...

I’m John, the bassist, and one of the shouters, in the Londonbased punk/post-punk etc etc band Girls In Synthesis. We’ve been playing live since the end of 2016 and our shows are physical, very energetic and, I think, unique. We even used to play on stage. No, seriously. I’ve used to feel that the pedestal-like nature of a band performing to an audience on stage was a necessity and also watched people use it as a status-reminder. Over the last few years, our stage show has developed into an allencompassing, unique spectacle which I feel has laid some important groundwork. The stages. Often full of shit, old gaffer tape, other bands’ setlist (and once, a pair of their fucking pants), broken cables and the smell of stale beer. They were our stages. But they weren’t. They belonged to 3-4 bands a night, 7 nights a week, 4 weeks a month… the stage was where all the magic happened. The audience stared up in amazement. Stared down at their warm cup of Carling, then fucked off home.

During one of our early shows, we had the telepathic decision to abandon the stage, and make a bit of fuss in the crowd. This may not seem like an epiphany worth writing about, but it started something. From then on, we started the set on stage and then, at a certain point in the show, took the mics off the stage, planted them firmly in the crowd and played the rest of the show from there. Instantly, the atmosphere changed. People reacted in exactly the opposite way you’d think they would; they loosened up, became more animated and everyone wanted a bit of mic time. And so they should. The shows became theirs as well as ours. The audience became performers. Someone once said that we were a ‘socialist band’. I don’t think that was meant politically, things aren’t as clear cut as that. I’d like to think that they meant we level the playing field between the artist (us) and the audience (them) and make it about ALL of US. We’ve played around 80-90% of our shows this way (we had to admit defeat at Brixton Academy, 48

which was a sad day…) and often to the detriment of what we can hear sound-wise. But you can’t argue with the results. It’s become a big talking point with regards to the band and how people view our performances. And I’m not pretending this has never been done, it’s an old cliché really, isn’t it? Breaking down the barrier between the band and the audience. Hippy bollocks. But it feels like we’ve actually succeeded to some degree, and in a way that maybe others haven’t. It’s made the shows POP. Could every band perform this way? Absolutely not. Should every band? Probably not… depends on what you want to achieve. I’ve seen pictures of confused guitarists milling about in the audience like they’ve lost their way to the toilet, so I’d say have an intent in why you want to interact in that way. The frightening aspect is, how our performances will fare with COVID, social distancing and the amount of sweat I’m covered in one song in. We might have to go back to playing on stage. Now there’s a thought…

Photography by Bea Dewhurst

5 QUESTIONS

DEATH BELLS WHO ARE YOU?

We’re Death Bells, a rock band. WHAT DO YOU DO?

As a band we generally write songs, figure out visuals for everything, drive a lot and play shows around North America. WHY DO YOU DO IT?

Music’s the only thing that makes sense. The connection it drives is overwhelming.

We’re talking about gearing of COVID-19. That’s the up to write the next album. important thing that’s really affecting our craft right now, and needs attention sorely, because it "I THINK ANY doesn’t seem like this virus STREAM NEEDS TO is leaving us anytime soon.

EITHER BE HIGHLY INTERACTIVE OR BEAUTIFUL TO WATCH."

WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC?

We’ve been having an ongoing conversation about shows, liveWHAT'S HAPPENING NOW? Not a lot. Thankfully we’re streaming, and how music taking a bit of time to relax. can continue in the midst 49

It’s a tough one, because we don’t want to do anything by half-measures. I think any stream needs to either be highly interactive or beautiful to watch. The interactivity thing is a bit out of reach for us, so we’re going to try and stream something beautiful soon.

THE BIG MOON Guitarist Soph Nathan, tells us about making a music video separately-together, doing things differently on their second album, and being inspired by and unable to listen to anything other than Janelle Monรกe. 50

Guitarist Soph Nathan, tells us about making a music video separately-together, doing things differently on their second album, and being inspired by and unable to listen to anything other than Janelle Monáe. For many, the common denominator of the past six months has been adapting the way we work - often involving the lo-fi escapism of Zoom’s green screen feature. The Big Moon’s lockdown music video for ‘Why’, directed by Jonjo Lowe and filmed with each band member separately under social distancing guidelines, employed a green screen to bring the quartet to the same moon-bathed beach. It is the creation of this, and indeed their entire Sophomore album ‘Walking Like We Do’, where piano and synth dominate over the usual guitar-driven sound, that act as proof that this disruption to the norm can yield results. "We had all the meetings about it on Zoom and we kept trying out green screens. I guess it's kind of surreal... going off... creating a story in your mind. It’s fitting for what’s going on now. The original idea was to do it from our homes because it was still quite early on in lockdown but we ended uptaking turns to go into a studio. We had all gone in separately, done our bits in front of a green screen and then the director pieced it together. It’s really strange; we all saw the video and still hadn't seen each other. Jules was in Bristol and the others were all in three different parts of London... I was a bit nervous because it was the first thing I’d done but it was super nice to get back into it."

The track has this growling guitar riff that shows up in its second verse and stands out against the keys at the singles core, "..classic Jules guitar line. In the video, the director suggested that I played it because it worked out shotlist-wise. We were all just like, no, it's the most Jules line, Jules has got to play it. I think Jules made a conscious effort while writing to break-out of what she would normally do. It defaults to just go to the guitar, but she got her old flute out that she hadn't taken out in ten years or something, which is on a couple of songs, like 'Barcelona'. We all decided to be less tied to what we'd normally do and to think about it as a studio thing and figure out how to do it live after. Jules plays it live, I play bass on that song and Celia who normally plays bass plays keys."

"WE ALL DECIDED TO BE LESS TIED TO WHAT WE'D NORMALLY DO AND TO THINK ABOUT IT AS A STUDIO THING AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT LIVE AFTER." Alongside creating the music video, the band have also dedicated time in lockdown towards raising money for organisations they care about. The whole band have been writing out and emailing personalised tabs and scores for musician fans in return for PAYF donations towards the UK 51

anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust. Jules and Celia have also been offering one-on-one music lessons to fans via Zoom, with proceeds going to Girls Rock London:an organisation for girls, women, trans and non-binary people with the ‘aim to demystify music-making, challenge gender inequality in the music industry and build participants’ self-esteem and confidence,’ "Jules started doing some guitar lessons to raise money for the Trussell Trust and then C got involved with Girls Rock London. I heard their name and I was like - Yes. I'd really love to get involved with one of their camps once everything is back to normal. I’ve been writing a lot of tabs for people - I think I was a bit nervous to teach people but I might take the leap. I think I would be alright if it was in person instead of over Zoom." The Big Moon’s recent charity work holds similarities with that of Janelle Monáe, whose donations have supported women, LGBTQ, minority and veteran-owned small businesses under threat during the pandemic, as well as the coronavirus inspired charity Project Isaiah, who have helped to feed those in need. An inspiration to Soph, she explained how, among others, the artist’s latest album sound tracked her lockdown, "I've been listening to Janelle Monáe's 'Dirty Computer', on a loop like I can't stop. I really enjoyed it at the time but I've just got stuck into it. I don't know her, she's not my friend, but what she seems like as a person, her music and her subject matter; she's amazing and I find it very inspiring. Crazy classic life is my top favourite at the moment, "I actually haven't listened to much new

stuff recently; Dream Wife's album - it's got a lot more gentle moments on it than before. Normally they’re, not heavy, but high energy. Also, Aldous Harding is just a constant for me for the past year. I love the way she sings and it's very headphone-y, or for incredibly loudspeakers. We've got very thin walls in my house and there's about seven of us living there. I've got to keep it down, but Aldous Harding is a favourite throughout the house so it's sort of free rein."

February and March, The Big Moon’s October headline tour has now been rescheduled for March 2021, starting in Glasgow on 1st, taking in Newcastle, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Cardiff, Brighton and finishing up in London for their biggest headline show to date on 10th March at The O2 Forum.

"..That's like the next big thing we've got to look forward to if it can go ahead, which probably will be fine by then. I'm looking forward to going Some music should be listened to gigs for sure. I can't imagine to loud and most music is it now because I'm not even meant to be listened to live. It’s going to places with groups of that return to playing for people people, so a gig is so far off in that the band are now waiting my mind. But, I think it's going for. Following recent support to be so exciting and freeing tours with Pixies and Bombay when people feel safe and Bicycle Club, and their own run comfortable to do that again.. of headline dates through late Jules has been writing, which

is exciting, and I’m excited for when we can all start practising together again." Not only touring, but just being in the same room as each other for long enough to play music might seem far-off in the future for the quartet, but when it’s safe to get within a metre of each other again, the band has so much to look forward to. In the meantime, there’s always the option of virtual escaping to a seaside in space. The new album "Walking Like We Do" is out now on Fiction Records.

Words by Lily Fontaine

Photography by Pooneh Ghana

CURRENT ARTISTS

THESE ARE THE ARTISTS WE'RE WORKING WITH, LISTEN + FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY

IN THE MORNING LIGHTS

CHANTE AMOUR

STRAIGHT GIRL

SUNFLOWER THIEVES

LENU

VAN HOUTEN

Open Spotify App > Search > Camera > Scan

5 QUESTIONS

COLD YEARS WHO ARE YOU? We are 4 guys from further north of the wall than you've probably ever been (read: Aberdeen, Scotland), playing punk tinged rock and roll.

feeding you it as hard as you can. We aren't here to single handedly change the world for good, but if we can be just a part of it then we can sleep at night a little easier.

an appetite for the music we're making.

WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC? Where to begin. The current state of Brexit Britain, the astronomical wealth divide, WHAT DO YOU DO? WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW? the disingenuous and racist We play live shows louder than We dropped out debut album, undertone perpetuating Queen at Live Aid (we've had Paradise 4th September so it's our society from the top it independently confirmed) a super important and exciting down. Trump. The continued and offend Brexiteers on the day for us. We delayed the crackdown on peaceful daily. release of the album due to protests across the US by the global pandemic back unmarked federal agents. The in May, so it's been a long fascist flag being flown for the WHY DO YOU DO IT? time that we've been sitting first time since 1939. Oh, and It's easy to sit around and on these tracks waiting to Breonna Taylor's murderers moan about the status quo, are standing next to someone the place and life you're born share them with the world. So it's been really special, the in the queue at a grocery into and current political or support we've had throughout store somewhere (probably social norms. Or you can put the whole campaign is pretty not wearing a mask). The list yourself out there and shove goes on, it's fucked up. the bullshit right back at those overwhelming, it's really affirming to know that there's 53

Photography by David Doullo

TOOLBOX

BUILDING YOUR OWN RADIO STATION WITH LEEDS DANCE COMMUNITY RADIO

Finding a worthwhile gap in the radio market can be tough; with the demand for tailored radio seemingly taking a nosedive with the closure of local stations by Bauer Media, it’s hard to think how pulling together airwaves could ever create something in such high demand again. Yet new Leeds-based station LDC has carved its own place already, despite their first broadcast only being in June. A dance music collective filled to the brim with DJs from all walks of life, it’s impressive to see how in the midst of a global pandemic,

something that serves the local community so well can be created.

"DON'T BE AFRAID OR TOO PROUD TO ASK FOR HELP, YOU’LL REGRET IT IF YOU TRY AND TAKE ON THE ENTIRE PROJECT..." I sat down with Chris Tate, one of the founding members of Leeds Dance Community radio to see how he did it, and what 54

advice he’d offer to budding radio creatives. YOU WANTED TO MAKE LDC MORE THAN AN ONLINE STATION, SO APPLIED TO GET A LICENCE FOR FM- WHAT’S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FM RADIO TO YOU?

"I grew up when the local radio stations were in their prime. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing their branding, their PR girls or a roadshow. Radio 1 (BBC) were just switching over their AM transmissions to FM so there was a lot of excitement whenever a new service came to the

FM band and that interest has remained ever since. FM has been around for years so is reliable, a solid performer, relatively cheap to get the music from the studio and into your radio and sounds great! Everybody has an FM radio somewhere (kitchen, car, phone, etc.) and knowing that you can reach a lot of people and offer them something different is very satisfying." WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WANTING TO SET UP A STATION?

"Firstly, don't do it unless you really are driven by a love for radio. Make sure the decision makers are all on the same page. Realise that one person can't do everything and accept that you’ll need to get a lot of people on board to help. Have a realistic time frame in mind and double it- it’s a lengthy process to get everything up and running."

Words by Abi Whistance

WITH THAT IN MIND, WHAT PROBLEMS DID YOU ENCOUNTER WHEN SETTING UP THE STATION AND HOW WOULD OTHERS AVOID THEM?

the listeners."

"Untold amounts of red tape and hoops to jump through! Have a clear understanding of what external companies, authorities, legalities that you are likely to encounter. If you’re not sure on the legalities, hire someone ASAP. Don't be afraid or too proud to ask for help, you’ll regret it if you try and take on the entire project and miss vital steps that sets you back!"

"Reaching out to friends and putting the word out on social media is always a good start. It’s best to have built connections within the industry before you tackle building a station though, it makes the whole process a lot easier. Try and recruit people you know will be reliable if you’re wanting to build a solid schedule."

IT’S EASIER TO SET UP AN ONLINE STATION- WHY REACH FOR FM?

"Don't give up. It’s hard work and will feel like an impossible task, but once all the pieces fall into place everything should begin to run smoothly, and you’ll have a functioning station you’re proud of."

"Easy isn't as rewarding! There’s something so accessible about FM radio and I think people are coming round to that idea more so now, if you have the opportunity and means to do so I think it’s important to offer both to

HOW DO YOU FIND LOCAL ARTISTS AND DJS, AND HOW DO YOU GET THEM ON BOARD?

ANY LAST BITS OF ADVICE?

For more information see their website www.ldcradio.co.uk

IN FOCUS

CONTINUING TO BLOOM WITH SUNFLOWER THIEVES

Here at Come Play With Me we like to offer budding artists the opportunity to have their music heard, produced and released on a vinyl record at a professional level. We pride ourselves on providing a strong, consistent support platform for artists and producers alike – no matter how far along in your musical career you are. We know that producing a record can often be out of budget for up and coming artists. Being a musician doesn’t come cheap – it’s hard work and a hell of a commitment. The cost of making an album and producing physical copies can also be quite daunting if it is coming out of their own pocket, and, without a large label behind them this is usually the case. Which is why we have our panel of judges carefully shortlist a selection of talent sent to us by your submissions and

recommendations. Unfortunately, we can usually only select two artists per single, and, as much as we would love to, we can’t pick everyone that enters. But although it can be disheartening to put your hard work out there to be critiqued and not be selected the first time around, we want to encourage you not to give up. Many of the artists we work with have applied multiple times after taking the time and feedback to refine their track and come back stronger than ever. The Leeds-based dreamy FolkPop duo, Sunflower Thieves, are a prime example of why you should keep pushing on and strive to reach your goals. Sunflower Thieves consist of best pals, Amy and Lily, who grew up together and are heavily influenced by strong female musicians including Lucy 56

Rose, Phoebe Bridgers and The Staves. They focus their music around tight vocal harmonies and ethereal sounds. "We’ve always been encouraged to be creative and musical, having been surrounded by friends and family who were involved in music, and through growing up in a vibrant, supportive artsy community." Says Amy. "We began performing at open mics together back home in Derbyshire to build our confidence before being booked for local events and festivals. When Lily was planning to move to Leeds, we had to decide whether to carry on writing and performing together or to leave it there… as we knew it would be a big commitment whilst we were in different cities. We worked really, really hard at writing and gigging for those two years, and it’s been so rewarding now we’re both in Leeds and writing more than

ever!" Sunflower Thieves have attended a number of our previous Come Play With Me workshops and events over the past few years and decided to send in an early demo of their single, ‘Hide and Seek’, for submission. "We were a little worried that it wouldn’t be developed enough to show the song’s full potential or the standard we were then working at, but we were really keen to be considered so went ahead with it." Explains Amy. The duo carefully planned out their submission and discussed how the opportunity would benefit them, focusing their application around their achievements to date, as well as areas they could improve with the help of CPWM. "We had a couple of weeks from when we found out about the opportunity, and the handin deadline, which gave us a good motivation to get both the written application and a song submission ready to be handed in. We knew there would be a lot of high standard entries. But we used this to motivate us rather than put us off." Sunflower Thieves also told us how they found the application process accessible and used it to think about how they as musicians will come across to potential audiences as well as the judges, and what their goals are in the industry. "Often when we’re writing or booking gigs and festival slots, we’re not consciously considering the future and where exactly we’d like to be in a year’s time or whatever. We’re just enjoying the process and working hard to create opportunities for ourselves, which is great, but it’s important to know what you want to get out of all that hard work, especially when you’re applying for an opportunity like this, where the CPWM team need to be able to understand where you’re heading." Amy believed that the Words by Harley Young

application also allowed them to reflect on all their past achievements that they had made to date, and how they had done so off of their own backs – this is useful when being asked about promotional plans.

"THIS DEFINITELY GAVE US A BIT OF CONFIDENCE IN REAFFIRMING THAT WE HAD LEARNED A LOT AND ACHIEVED SOME GREAT THINGS." It can be difficult to acknowledge your success sometimes and recognise it for what it is. A success. Something that you should be proud of and use to push your music in the right direction. "This definitely gave us a bit of confidence in reaffirming that we had learned a lot and achieved some great things. We’re making positive headway with the project." Says Amy. Due to safety restrictions and everything that’s currently happening with Covid-19, this time around we were unable to go ahead with a live judging panel, so instead, we emailed Sunflower Thieves to congratulate them on being selected. "We weren’t together when we got the email but as soon as I’d told Lil we’d got it, we instantly started discussing all the bits we’d need to get sorted. It was super exciting for us as we’ve been discussing the idea of a vinyl release for a while and just haven’t managed to afford or justify it yet! It’s also super cool to be involved with another Leeds artist in the release." Sunflower Thieves admit that they felt much more confident with their submission the second time around, having had 57

the time to progress and gain so many more experiences under their belt. By this point they had familiarised themselves with CPWM as a label. We also like to rotate our judging panel each time to create a fair and varied audience. Naturally, different people have different tastes, and, what might not spark something in one person, might be recognised by another. "We actually got to hear a bit of the feedback from the panel after we’d been selected, and there were so many lovely, positive comments, but obviously we weren’t everyone’s first choice - you can’t be to everyone’s taste. With a slightly different panel each time, you have more of a chance to get your project in front of more people who will love it." Explains Amy. "It’s making a huge difference already to us as a DIY project, having such driven, friendly people discussing our ideas with us, working to help us achieve our ideas and being excited about our music." Sunflower Thieves have released three singles so far, and although they each differ a lot from each other, they are definitely beginning to find, refine and develop their sound while creating a recognisable name for themselves. "We are so excited to access the support Come Play With Me are offering. If, when the application process rolls around, you have something that you feel represents you, and that you would like people to hear, let people have the chance to decide for themselves whether it’s a winner, rather than deciding for them that they won’t like it. If you’re proud of something, show it off - apply with it."

Photography by Olivia Ferrara

ANOTHER SKY One of the underground music sceneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important spokeswomen Catrin Vincent talks us through old vocoders, hiding her face, and female representation in the music industry... 58

Friday 7th August saw the London four-piece release their long-awaited debut album I Slept On The Floor. Beginning with their 2018 debut fourtrack release Forget Yourself, holstering dreamy textures of highlights such as The Water Below, they continued to impress through to last year’s heavenly Life Was Coming In Through The Blinds EP. They have now produced one of this decade’s most forcefully elegant albums and this conversation unearths some of the truths and experiences surrounding the creation of I Slept On The Floor.

asked me the other week what the album was about. I have spent time over the course of these interviews realising that it is about my hometown, my childhood, and things I find difficult to talk about.”

One thing that has been more apparent in recent years is the music industry’s discrimination of female artists. Another Sky have a 50/50 male, female split in the band which could have made touring and gaining exposure much more difficult for them. Speaking on the subject, Vincent voices that, “I didn’t find that it had an immediate effect on me. There were probably opportunities that we weren’t given without us "IF I COULD NOT knowing. When we were at university there were LOOK AT MY a lot of female singers so FACE AGAIN THAT it sort of seemed normal but when we started in WOULD MAKE ME the music industry, it quite obviously became HAPPY..." an issue.” She continued on the subject, talking about how glad she is the band ended up the way it Catrin sounded joyous has. She said, “I find that despite preparing herself bands with female singers for an afternoon of quick- have more of an issue. I’m fire 15-minute interviews not sure why. I couldn’t that she had experienced imagine being in an allthe tiring after-effects male band though, I feel of before. Since they had like I would feel weird in not long released their that situation. We didn’t debut album, it meant they deliberately plan for the had been tangled up in a band to have that split but lengthy press campaign. I love it. I couldn’t imagine Vincent said, “It was harder the band being any other than I expected. As the way.” lyricist in the band, a lot of what I write and sing This led the conversation about are things I can’t onto the problems in the put into words.” She music industry and which continued to say, “The one stood out to be the press campaign for the most pressing. Vincent album has meant I’ve spent viewed these problems as a lot of time talking about needing equal amounts of these things. Someone help to resolve. She spoke 59

saying, “It’s not just a single pressing issue. There are many issues in the industry that have just as much importance as each other. Female representation is one of them but then there’s the Black Lives Matter movement that has surfaced in recent months too.” Those appear to be the ones that are gaining significant traction at the moment, however, she mentioned that “Music can be too much about money as well. There is this class system in the industry that means artists from impoverished backgrounds are being denied opportunities that other artists are being granted because of their class and that’s just how the industry works.” She offered a bittersweet spin at the end of her answer, voicing that, “It would be great for that to change but we just have to continue and keep going through it all.” Following this, their debut album was mentioned, more specifically the influences and structuring on the title track, I Slept On The Floor. Speaking about the album’s influences, Catrin mentioned, “All of the album's influences are specific to each member and appear subconsciously. There are so many sounds on there that it wasn’t anything specifically that influenced it.” Manipulating the human voice is something that has come to be sought after in recent times with artists like Bon Iver and The 1975 making a commercial success out of it. Speaking about this, Vincent said, “For the title track, I found an old Roland vocoder in

a charity shop. It was one of the last things they had. I wanted something with a vocoder on the album ever since I heard Imogen Heap do it. The same with Laurie Anderson and Bon Iver. Justin Vernon has this amazing custom built vocoder called The Messina I think? I wish we could build something like that but this Roland we found was great. I’m really happy with the way the album turned out though.” Releasing something as huge as a debut album is a big deal for any artist. There is so much that goes into PEAKES its release and plenty of incredibly hard work that has to happen in the years between starting the band and releasing the debut album. When asked if she wished she had

done anything differently since starting the band, Catrin responded saying: “This will be different for each of us. I think the others will say they wouldn’t change anything because that got us to where we are today. For me musically, everything came out exactly how I expected. The music was good enough for us and that’s all that matters.” When it came to things she would change, it was not about the band but more the personal troubles that surround a career in the music industry. “The only thing I would say is preparing myself for this GIRLI online persona that gets created as you become more exposed as an artist because you can’t control it. One thing I will say is we made an effort to hide

our faces in the beginning and it would have been cool to keep that going. But we started playing festivals in the daylight so it became hard to keep up. If I could not look at my face again that would make me happy.” She finished by mentioning, “I also just hope that my voice can sing for not only myself but for someone who is not white, or is not from a working-class background.” You can buy and stream Another Sky’s debut album 'I Slept On The Floor' from underneathanothersky.com right now. MALI HAYES

Words by Max Lilley

Photography by Parri Thomas

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