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TEAM CPWM
WHAT'S INSIDE
MANAGEMENT Tony Ereira tony@cpwm.co
NEWS 04 MAY 2021
MAGAZINE Andrew Benge andy@cpwm.co
LONG READ 06 WOLF ALICE 14 BLACK HONEY 30 SQUID
LABEL Scott Lewis scott@cpwm.co DIVERSITY EVENTS Emily Marlow emily@cpwm.co WOLF ALICE COVER Jordan Hemingway
IN FOCUS 18 LAUNCHPAD 24 IS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY TRULY INCLUSIVE? AWAY FROM THE NOISE 17 SOPHIA AMATO 27 JACK IN WATER 34 LOU HAYTER
BLACK HONEY COVER Laura Allard-Fleischl
SPECIAL THANKS
in no particular order... Ellie, Joel, Ian, Lily, Warren, Izzy, Janelle, Phoebe, Rachael, Abi, Paul, Sophia, Tasha, Ash, Jon, Whiskas, Emily, Liv, Christian, Kay, Stasi, Maya, William, Caoilfhionn, Bree, Louis, Ollie, Lou, Nisa, Katie, Joey, Steve and everyone else who took the time to tell their stories and helped make this happen.
DIGGING DEEPER 22 QLOWSKI PHOTO BOOTH & ART WALL 20 POLICE CAR COLLECTIVE 28 STONE TOOLBOX 14 PAUL ALLEN MORRIS / MASTERING YOUR CRAFT 5 QUESTIONS 11 PHOEBE ΔXΔ 23 KAY GREYSON 33 CAOILFHIONN ROSE 36 WHITE FLOWERS
SMALL PRINT
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NEWS
MAY 2021 Hi everyone and welcome to our next issue of 2021. Here at CPWM we announced our new album ‘Side By Side’ landing next month from a bunch of brilliant female, marginalised gender and LGBTQIA+ musicians. We’ve released singles so far from Jamaal Monarch (cracking video for that here) and The Elephant Trees (part of our recent Liverpool Sound City Guesthouse takeover/stream), with more to come soon. We also released our second 7” of the year - a stunning split from Sunflower Thieves (part of our brilliant stream with Independent Venue Week and In The Morning Lights earlier this year - here) and LENU. We’ve also announced our first ever Record Store Day offering - a version of ‘A View To A Kill’ from Terry de Castro landing on June 12th. We were fortunate to receive some funding from Arts Council’s Culture Recovery Fund which is really helping us to get back on track with lots more activity in the months ahead. Thanks to this we are ramping up lots more stuff - news to come in the weeks ahead, inc. our first ever podcast! Thanks as always for your support - please get in touch if you see something you love or want to contribute. Take care everyone, Tony
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A SERIES OF PODCASTS COMING 18TH MAY 2021
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WOLF ALICE 6
Despite a maturing sound, the friendship and fun that generated albums one & two still sit at the heart of ‘Blue Weekend’s creativity - something every emerging artist should remember; make music that you want to listen to and do it with people whose company brings you joy. 7
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They say writing album two is the hard part, but when you’ve won the Mercury prize for that difficult second release, you could argue that (even with the title of ‘greatest music released over a whole year’) the third still causes the real stress. It seems ludicrous that a band with a discography and reputation like Wolf Alice could ever worry about these things, but they do, (Ellie) “a lot of people ask if we felt pressure after the success of Visions of a Life, and yeah, we probably did - we were all alone in our houses, trying to write and overthinking all the songs.” So, they took a few steps backwards, to where it started; friendship, booking a week for themselves together, in an Airbnb in Somerset, (Ellie) “It was kind of poignant for us because it reminded us that we're in a band because we have fun together. We aren't a machine that churns out songs. We have to come together, chill out and have a laugh and something good will come of it.” One of the most endearing things about Wolf Alice has always been the friendship because it’s relatable they recently posted a picture on Twitter of their photoshopped heads on the bodies of the cast of The Office, which probably came from a group chat; friendship is an important part of being in a band because you spend a silly
amount of time in close quarters, (Joel) “My mum came to watch us play the new songs because she gets so buzzed off that kind of thing, and she was like ‘I have no idea what you guys are talking about half of the time’ and she knows us quite well. I think we just have these little in-jokes and ways of saying things that only we understand. That's just what happens when you literally live in a tin can with someone for so many years.”
"THERE IS A KIND OF FEELING THAT IF I SHOW PEOPLE I CAN’T DO THESE COMPLEX, MORE ‘ROCK’ THINGS, THAT IT WOULD BE LETTING DOWN, NOT JUST NOT MYSELF, BUT A WHOLE GENDER." - ELLIE ROWSELL It’s not just important because you spend so much time together, but because you have to bear your soul by showing your art to each other, often before you’re even sure it’s any good, “I always remember listening to a Song Exploder with Phoebe Bridges, where she said that sometimes your joke ideas are actually your genius ideas. I think that when you're starting, often you've got an idea and you present it as a joke because 9
you're insecure.” (Joel) “Yeah, like when you send a track over and you just write ‘lol’ in the chat and really it’s like ‘I actually love this piece of music that I've sent.” (Ellie) “I really recognise that in myself even now, so always listen to that joke. Take it seriously, sometimes... Often, with things that scare me, I just kind of go on autopilot. I'll just be sitting at the computer and I'll tell myself to just send it. If not, I'll overthink it. But, I think a good indicator of if something is good, for me, is if I return to it. If I'm not listening to it then no one else is going to. If you find yourself being like ‘I really want to listen to that song I wrote yesterday’ then that's a good indicator.” This approach has been taken with Blue Weekend - the group just wanted to write music that they were listening to, and what they were listening to was cinematic-funeral-playlistworthy-walking-down-thestreet-like-you’re-theprotagonist tunes, (Ellie) “I was listening to a lot of Christine and the Queens - it's very melody focused and you want to sing along to all the little backing vocals. I don't get that so much with rock music, so for me, I was more leaning into really melody-driven and vocallydriven writing, whereas once maybe I shied away from that because I wanted to be in a rock band.
(Joel) “Me and Ellie watched them at Glastonbury and I remember being blown away. I went to watch The Streets and couldn't get in so I came back, watched Christine and the Queen's, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
section. The general drum sound of the album hints at neo-psychedelic influences - several drum fills taking the listener somewhere close to Innerspeaker,
(Joel) “I feel like I've listened to Tame Impala since I was a baby - I love Pond Leaning more into the artas well. There's definitely pop side of her musical a few bands like that, that interest and evoking Kate have always been massive Bush nostalgia with tracks influences on us. I love Ty like ‘How Can I Make It Ok’, Segal’s drum sounds as well. was initially something Ellie To be honest with you, I didn’t want to do because of was just trying to pretend I fears of playing straight into was in Black Sabbath, but the hand of the weirdos out also trying to pretend I was there who still perpetuate in the Beastie Boys doing gender roles, Sabotage, trying to blend those two things together. (Ellie) “There is a kind of That was the only thing that feeling that if I show people was going through my head.” I can’t do these complex, more ‘rock’ things, that For drummer Joel, though, it would be letting down, the highlight of the album not just not myself, but resides in Rowsell’s lyrical a whole gender. That is a prowess; the way she treads problem that comes with the line between relatable not having equal numbers and creatively conveyed, in one area of music. with lines such as ‘Would we Maybe I didn't realise that ever have tied the knot?/ I was thinking that until I Well how long is a piece of had some hindsight, but, string?’ in the penultimate it's ridiculous, you should track, No Hard Feelings, obviously not be afraid of makes for great writing, that.” (Joel) “I don't even lift And the lyrics in the second a finger in that song, single ‘Smile’ support this: recording-wise. I could ‘I ain’t ashamed in the literally walk off-stage for fact that I’m sensitive/I the rest of my life, while believe that it is the perfect we play that song, and adjective... I am what I am just watch it from the side and I’m good at it\And you and I would be so happy don’t like me? Well, that because it's my favourite isn’t fucking relevant.’ It’s lyrics, I connect to that the Yuk Foo of album three song so deeply. Joff does - a heavier, highlight with this sort of Arthur Russell a spat-out top-line and delayed baseline and it has a Beastie Boys drum solo this Mellotron part in the that is only one of many middle that just, I would reasons to be impressed never have thought that up, by Blue Weekend’s rhythm it really surprises me. It's Words by Lily Fontaine
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nice to be in a band and still be surprised by listening to things. I think I just returned to that so much. It's my favourite set of lyrics Ellie's ever come up with; I adore it.” For Ellie, though, it’s noticing the bands’ sonic development that she’s proud of, (Ellie) “I feel like it's so cinematic and mature. I still feel like the four of us are our silly, 21-year-old selves. I don't see all the changes, but, when I listen to that I'm like - whoa. We’ve still retained that we're just four silly people, but we've got this very mature, romantic side.” Even though the Wolf Alice sound has matured, the friendship and the fun that brought us ‘My Love is Cool’ is still at the heart of ‘Blue Weekend’s creativity, and that’s something every emerging artist should remember; make music that you want to listen to and do it with people you have a good time with; don’t be afraid of stereotypes; don’t be afraid to ‘wear (your) feelings on (your) sleeve, it will ‘serve (you) better than to swallow in a sedative’. BLUE WEEKEND will be released on 11 June 2021 via Dirty Hit and will be available on all DSPs, vinyl, CD, and cassette. Tickets are now on sale for their January 2022 UK and Ireland tour.
Photography by Jordan Hemingway
5 QUESTIONS
PHOEBE ΔXΔ WHO ARE YOU?
Hi… I’m PHOEBE ΔXΔ… I’m not good at introducing myself unless I get on a roll...
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I’m an artist, producer and songwriter from East London. Going to play a show at Omeara, London on the 24th of June which I am very excited about…
WHY DO YOU DO IT?
I’ve always used writing music as an outlet because it gives me the chance to communicate something directly… indirectly... melodramatically or so cryptically that it stops making sense. Thankfully it doesn’t have to. I do it partly because the only other thing I’m decent at is cooking but mainly because I feel stuck if I’m not creating something. I feel trapped thinking rationally. And I’m not good at the whole ‘be logical’ thing, unfortunately. In some sort of sad way, I like Words by PHOEBE ΔXΔ
over-analysing my feelings and escalating them into audible movement and lyric. The influences to make music are also too powerful - production and the malleability of sound are things I can’t leave alone for too long. I just always want to be part of a universal conversation.
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?
You’re asking me what is going on in my world but truthfully I have no idea. We are in such a transient set of feelings at the moment. The world feels strange and like we are all waiting for something bigger. So I’ve been in a weird cycle. But to go deeper, I’m feeling a creative awakening at the moment and I’ve entered a space where I’m producing what I want and not setting limits. I also keep thinking about running away and living in a cabin in the woods but I’m not getting into that.
WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC?
I think the hot topic SHOULD be 11
female producers. Even now that there’s some word it’s still not enough. It’s time to empower female producers, writers and performers and lift them up. Where are they on the line ups? Why aren’t young girls being encouraged into engineering and production? Why aren’t we taught we are just as skilled to be behind the mixing desks and those so highly commended production credits? There are incredible women doing incredible things in music and the lights are in all the wrong places. It’s argued that not enough women are interested but it’s simply because the role models out there aren’t championed enough. We’re not given the safe space to be interested. I have an EP coming out on the 30th of April called Wisdom Teeth Pt.1 which is strange and exciting. I should probably tell you my Instagram @iamphoebeaxa.
TOOLBOX
MASTERING YOUR CRAFT WITH PAUL ALLEN MORRIS
As we all anxiously await our return to normality on May 17th, it’s strange to think that it’s been nearly a whole year since Toolbox came to fruition; for the past 12 months, we’ve made it our mission to provide you with the best tools and advice from industry professionals, assisting you at home in honing your skills during one of the strangest times of our lives. In an edition that feels almost full circle, we called up Liverpool-based producer and musician Paul Allen Morris to gain a different perspective on recording and releasing a single, as well as nabbing some budgetfriendly software alternatives that’ll make your pursuit of
a career in production that little bit easier. With 10 years of production experience under his belt, and a hand in the record label and secret location event Keep It Cryptic, there really is no one better to reach out to for this month’s edition. EXPLAIN THE PROCESS FROM RECORDING TO RELEASE, JUST SO OUR BUDDING PRODUCERS HAVE A BIT OF A BETTER IDEA It’s entirely dependent on the way I’ve chosen to write the song. Once an idea is complete and all the parts are fully written I aim to have it released in 2 months; 12
this gives me one month to record, produce and master before I send it through distributors to Spotify and other streaming platforms. Ideally, you want to allow a month between the upload and release date to allow your distributor to hit the right playlist algorithms. "I’M A BIG BELIEVER IN BUDGET EQUIPMENTYOU ABSOLUTELY DO NOT NEED TO SPEND MONEY TO MAKE GOOD MUSIC." I always start with drums. I
use samples and midi drum kits with lots of layers to cut out lengthy and expensive studio time. I then track bass and guitar directly, percussion, synth and any other little bits then finally vocals. At this stage I bounce the clean stems with no processing- I do this as a sort of checkpoint so I can start a different mixdown from scratch at any point. WHAT BUDGET FRIENDLY SOFTWARE AND EQUIPMENT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR BEGINNERS? There are lots of ways you can get software for free illegally these days (which you should definitely not search for on any torrenting sites or pinch from your mates’ hard drivewink wink). I use Logic Pro, but I’m constantly browsing for free plugins by up-andcoming developers; free amp software for guitar is getting ridiculous these days and they’re all just a Google search away.
I’m a big believer in budget equipment- you absolutely do not need to spend money to make good music. For my own project, HARKS, I can list all the equipment I used in our new single on one hand, not including the instruments: my MacBook, interface, a cheap dynamic microphone and a cheap condenser Words by Abi Whistance
microphone. I didn’t even have to leave my armchair to record any part of it! "'HOW DO I MAKE MY GUITAR SOUND LIKE IT’S BEEN THROWN FROM A BUILDING?’ IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE SEARCHES I’VE DONE." WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE OR KNOWLEDGE DO YOU WISH YOU’D KNOWN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED? Tailor your social media to teach you, unfollow all those people who make you selfconscious and start following music production tips pages and saving posts - you’ll be surprised how big of an impact this truly has.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF A SONG IS DONE? Once I’ve settled on a mix I’m pleased with I try to take a couple of days of no listening, then a day of trying every possible speaker and set of headphones before I master the track. If the mix sounds good on all of them, mastering is easy and only takes a day or so. Just make sure it’s nice, full and loud, without peaking. The hardest bit sometimes is accepting that it’s done and you don’t need to change anything else; always remember that every day you wake up the world’s a little different to yesterday and you will feel differently about your song every time you listen. Just get it done, bounce it out and upload it- then open a new project!
HOW DO I GET A GOOD MIXDOWN? The best way to learn how to get a good mixdown is to use your ears and Google. Nowadays there is no question too specific for the internet.
‘How do I make my guitar sound like it’s been thrown from a building?’ is one of my favourite searches I’ve done for a song. 13
For production enquiries, email Paul Allen Morris at paulallenmorris@gmail.com. For pedal enquiries, message @staticstomps on Instagram. You can also keep up to date with announcements for Keep It Cryptic’s secret location parties by signing up to their mailing list via their Instagram @keep_it_cryptic.
BLACK HONEY The fierce, independent Brighton band that's changing industry attitudes... one bop at a time. 14
A wonderful brew of vividly illustrated heroes, villains, neo-noir American movies, fabulous vampires, nuns, a drag queen Jesus, a 1950s-inspired Holy Mary... all drenched in analogueinfused colours and a speck of Tarantino-influenced fairy dust: Black Honey's second album "Written & Directed" is quintessentially Black Honey - but taken up a notch...or a few notches, for that matter! Not even a Zoom call could dampen band leader, Izzy B Phillips' aura of pure rock 'n' roll hustle. The band is very much Phillips' passion project - and their sophomore album - the anthemic, badass poprock "Written & Directed" - is a culmination of Phillips' and Black Honey's drive to prove that they're here to stay. Sophomore albums are universally acknowledged as migraine- and anxietyinducing projects for artists who are trying to show the world that they're more than just a one-hit-wonder. However, was this the case for Black Honey? Phillips replies, "I think expectations were lower than in album one. I would say that we had our tricky second album moment during album one, anyway. So album two felt like a release, or some kind of weight lifted, I guess. It felt really good, you know?!” This self-assuredness is a key component of Black Honey's music and visuals. However, while the band's visuals are something that every alt-rock fan knows them for, Phillips reveals that they're very much an afterthought - "In terms of the visual side of things, like, I just find good shit and I bring it in. We don’t really think about it. We don’t spend a lot of time on the visual side when compared to the sonic elements." When it comes to the
songwriting process itself, Phillips is very much the leader of the pack, with her bandmates contributing by seeing the overall picture, and by adding the bits and bobs that ultimately, gave "Written & Directed" its rich, stadiumworthy sound. Guitarist Chris Ostler took the helm when it came to horn arrangements, while bassist Tommy Taylor got down to the album's nittygritty.
"IN TERMS OF THE VISUAL SIDE OF THINGS, LIKE, I JUST FIND GOOD SHIT AND I BRING IT IN. WE DON’T REALLY THINK ABOUT IT." The bands' efforts were further amplified by the involvement of industry powerhouses such as Royal Blood's Mike Kerr - who cowrote the lead single "Run For Cover". Was it difficult for Phillips to let other songwriters in, especially for a project that's as important as a band's sophomore album? Phillips immediately asserts, "I think different people need different things. For me, it was a really big breakthrough in terms of the creative, having to take down the barriers of feeling vulnerable and being able to explore this vulnerability with other people who are really good at what they do." She continues to explain this statement by giving the following example, "Writing songs with people is like sleeping with someone. The first time is always a bit clunky and awkward; it takes time to get good at it and to really be vulnerable in that situation and be exposed and feel comfortable and enjoy 15
it.” It's safe to say that Phillips is no stranger to collaborating with high-profile songwriters. She also had the privilege of working with five-times Ivor Novello Winner Cathy Dennis, who's known for writing Britney banger "Toxic" and Kylie Minogue's noughties earworm "Can't Get You Out Of My Head", as well as Ellie Goulding and Rae Morris collaborator Jim Elliot. I pose the question of whether there's still a certain kind of stigma when seeking to collaborate with people from the pop world when you're primarily associated with the alternative scene. Phillips immediately refutes this mindset, saying, "Now that Iggy Pop’s done the On the Beach ad, there isn’t really (the notion of) “selling out”. For me, the goal’s always been the same... we’re always gonna be pop writers." She passionately states that to be punk isn’t to be anti-pop; punk is pop. According to her, they’re just different incarnations of the same thing. "We work with pop people all the time, even on album one...even before that!" Moreover, Phillips sees Cathy Dennis as a "landmark" and as someone she aspires to be like one day, as in addition to being a multi-hyphenate artist, Dennis is also an entrepreneur. Despite the good vibes at the studio, the song that they wrote isn't on the album...but there's a chance we might hear it at some point. “We think we’re gonna re-approach it," she replies when I ask if we should expect a Black Honey single penned by Cathy Dennis on our Release Radar soon. "There’s something about it that’s cool for sure!” Having two badass women collaborating to take over global ears is, undoubtedly, a
much-needed breath of fresh air, especially when misogyny and gender-based harassment still plague the music industry, and the lack of gender balance on music festival lineups is still a very real issue. Is a female-identifying individual on stage still seen as a political statement in 2021? "I don’t see it as a political thing!". She emphasises that she didn't get into music "to correct the wrongs of rock 'n' roll". However, she admits that "you get into it and it’s almost like this horrible, deep well of everything I’m learning as I go on this journey…it all gets harder and worse…the more I’m learning about it, the more I’m seeing the injustices." When it comes to gender balance and festival lineups, Phillips says sarcastically, "I mean, festivals, man, I don’t know what they’re thinking at this point! I have this weird suspicion that they know something that we don’t … like, if you get women to headline festivals you won’t sell any tickets…there must be a reason!" Phillips also stresses the importance of intersectionality when it comes to festival lineups, and that industry people should be more aware of issues such as ableism, sexualities, race, and so on. She continues, "The whole construct of rock music is white, straight men music. It’s almost like expecting a cultural paradigm shift in festival bookings.” She recognises the influence that bands like hers have on the UK's music scene especially at a grassroots level - in instigating change. "What we’re doing from the grassroots upwards, is hopefully building a future for some more girls and queers and people of colour in rock music to explore that space," Phillips says. "For me, it’s fucking boring to go and see four white men on stage moaning about their Words by Janelle Borg
problems. Like, I wanna go see Since Phillips aims to be a multi-faceted artist like Cathy someone who’s original.” Dennis, I was curious to know: What would a Black Honey, The notion of femininity in full-length movie look like? rock music, the female vs male gazes and the concept of This was clearly one of Izzy Phillips' favourite questions! intersectionality also inform Black Honey's visual direction. "I would like it to be a The album's overarching visual collaborative affair between Wes Anderson…maybe aims to apply the feminist film theory of the female gaze Tarantino writes it…and Wes Anderson and Stanley Kubrick in a grindhouse, Tarantinodirect it. It’s gonna be shot inspired, retro rock 'n' roll on film. It’s gonna be an kind of way. The beauty lies action thriller with Hammer in the fact that the music B-movie narratives," she says videos manage to convey the lyrical theme without directly breathlessly. "There’s gonna be an all-female cast, with like revealing what the lyrics are intersectional characters… really about. This results Maybe Samuel L. Jackson in an aesthetically pleasing comes for a bit….maybe concoction that features several interesting characters, there’ll be Paul Danno.” such as a caravan of sassy She wraps this storyboarding blood-sucking vampires in "I exercise up by casting the Love The Way You Die," and movies' leads: "The main a black, drag Jesus, a team of Hell's Angels and Izzy as an women will be Angelina enlightened nun in "Believer". Jolie...if we could time travel, maybe like 60s Babs could be in it. Then, I guess All of these elements led Uma Thurman (it would be to "Written and Directed" inappropriate not to put her peaking at No.7 on the in a Black Honey film), Drew Official UK Album Chart and Barrymore, some like sick securing the No. 1 spot in black women can be in it too. the iTunes UK Album and The leading roles will be (for) the UK Independent Chart trans, black women.” - truly remarkable feats for an independent band. And if Black Honey could These achievements are all testament to the band's work perform anywhere in any era? "The first one would be Andy and their hunger to succeed, Warhol’s Factory in the early despite an industry that 60s – late 70’s with like the favours mainstream artists Stones, Dylan…in New York," and major labels. "It’s one of them things, like – we fucking she says. "And then the other did it!" she asserts. While this one would be… we would go to the dinosaur age, and we do-or-die attitude continues would play like, on top of a to inspire other independent mountain or a volcano, and artists, Phillips assures me that it's not as easy as it looks play a gig to an audience of dinosaurs." like from the outside, "I think it takes more than just a top While we're a few centuries ten record to move the dial away from time-travelling, culturally and I think bands Phillips' convincing words and like us are the start of doing attitude make me envision something like that." She a Black Honey music video insists that big cultural shifts that exudes a stone age chic are needed to ensure that meets Pulp Fiction vibe. independent, self-funded Hands down - 100% bad-ass, artists get at least a quasiand 100% Black Honey! equal shot at becoming as successful as peers who are signed to big labels. 16
Photography by Laura Allard-Fleischl
AWAY FROM THE NOISE
SOPHIA AMATO CREATING ART IN THE AGE for positive and radical change. OF AQUARIUS
Spending the last few years between London and New York, I’ve been working on a body of work crossing genres of soul, electronic, and jazz. Following my latest single, ‘Seven Sad Sins’, I’m excited to share my debut EP next month.
Making music through a year of lockdown, isolation and boredom has been somewhat cathartic and frustrating. We’re living through what Chinese Astrology call the Age of Aquarius. A ripe time for new beginnings, breaking patterns, and an opportunity Words by Sophia Amato
For me, the importance of physical and mental health has taken priority over the hustle of running around the city and I’m assessing my contribution to what’s in need of urgent change around us, environmentally, politically and socially. I think as an artist it’s important to celebrate the collective. Creating a community, I believe, is where the magic happens. This applies outside the studio, too. We’re seeing a new focus on community, and spotlighting under 17
represented voices. I hope this isn’t a trend but in-fact a deeply conscious necessity in moving forward. Here are some voices and platforms that have been assisting my journey: Sonya Renee Taylor, i_weigh, The Club Hub, unclimatechange, Russell Brand, Janaya Future Khan, Lena Dunham, ckyourpriviledge And for those wanting to hear more, my EP ‘Glorious Mess’ will be out next month. And I have a headline show at the end of the year which I’m so looking forward to. Date coming soon.
The programme that offers opportunities and support for emerging artists and music professionals in the Yorkshire region. Launchpad started as a branch of Music:Leeds in 2018 and since then has gone on to support over 60 artists & 20 Projects across the Yorkshire region. Each year, two open calls are held and the successful applicants receive a variety of opportunities including; tailored industry advice, funding towards recording or towards their project and/or live opportunities, as well as promotion through Launchpad’s digital channels as well as their partners. The first round of 2021 opened for applications in mid April with a deadline of Monday 17th May. Launchpad are on the lookout for the next cohort of talent to work with, who could benefit from the programme. It is open to artists, projects and people building careers in the industry, working in any genre or context, where they haven’t had support before. Samuel (Whiskas) Nicholls,
Creative Lead for Launchpad said, “We are incredibly excited to open applications for our open call for artists and projects at a time when it feels like many emerging artists and individuals have hope and are planning to build the next step in their careers. To have such a range of partners throughout Yorkshire, brings hope that we can have an impact on growing the music sector across the whole region.” Launchpad has two strands of support; Launchpad Artists and Launchpad Projects. Launchpad Artists supports bands, musicians, producers, rappers, solo acts and anyone who is creating and performing new music. Some of the artists that Launchpad have worked with include Dead Naked Hippies, In The Mornings Lights, Chiedu Oraka, Galaxians, English Teacher, NikNak and Faux Pas. One to one advice sessions act to directly support the development of artists and is tailored to individual needs and creative/career aspirations. 18
It acknowledges a need to empower artists with the skills and knowledge to navigate a career in music. Sessions with Launchpad advisors cover management, releasing, songwriting, live, production and much more. Live opportunities are offered in partnership with relevant regional promoters, venues and festivals to aid the development and profile of Launchpad Artists. So far this has included Launchpad artists performing as part of ‘Live in the Square’, a 13-act all-day line up in Millennium Square coordinated by Music:Leeds. Other events have seen artists perform at Live at Leeds, Tramlines, Inner City Electronic, Yorkshire Music Forum, Long Division Festival, World on Our Doorstep, Black Music Festival, Jazz Leeds and a series of online ‘Virtual House Gigs’ throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Live opportunities this year include Jazz re:freshed, Skipton Town Hall, Noisy Villages, Howard Assembly Room, Barnsley Live, Sensoria Festival and filmed sessions with Taboo amongst others.
Recording support sees artists funded through a variety of professional recording projects. This has included funding towards mastering an album, producing and mixing a single, coordinating live filmed sessions and more. As always, support is tailored to the individual needs of the emerging artist or band. Chiedu Oraka Chiedu Oraka is the sound of a new northern working-class England. In a city filled with guitar centric music, Chiedu is the pioneer of black music in Hull. Inspired by his older sister’s battered hand-me-down CD's, which included the likes of 2pac All Eyez on Me, Mase’s Harlem World and the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill; these influences enabled Chiedu to cut his own path with his lockdown collective into a UK scene mostly dominated by London based artists. His sound can be described as “UK Rap based music commentating on Northern street and party culture” With support from the likes of Toddla T (Radio 1) and Sian Anderson (BBC 1Xtra) as well as press features including The Guardian, i-D, BBC Newsbeat, The Quietus, Mixtape Madness, GRM Daily & RWD Mag the six foot seven Yorkshireman is making an impact in the UK grime scene. Launchpad have helped Chiedu with campaign planning, live agencies, merchandise, PR and radio. Chiedu was awarded the MOBO Help Musicians Fund after Launchpad advised him on his application. English Teacher English Teacher (formerly Frank) was conceived at some point in 2016 after front-woman Lily set up a bedroom studio in her attic at Uni and attempted to combine her love of poetry and post-punk and neo-psychedelia into music. She met the other members of the band in 2018 and Frank was born. Recorded onto 8 track reel-toreel tape across two Hyde park bedrooms, Frank’s DIY debut EP 'Valentine' explored different types of love; not only for your Valentine but for your art, your idols, strangers and yourself - through
a dreamy, metaphor heavy frame. With a change of name to English Teacher, the band are going from strength to strength. Launchpad have advised English Teacher through the release of their two 2020 singles and they were selected as grantees of the PPL Momentum Accelerator Fund after being supported to apply. Following their grant, the Launchpad team continued to support the band as they took advantage of the funding to record their new single. They have now signed a record deal with Nice Swan Records and signed with a major booking agent. Launchpad Projects is for emerging music industry professionals who are building a career in the music industry, but NOT as a music creator or performer. This includes those wanting to work in music management, events, record labels, publishing and more. This support was added to the Launchpad offer in 2020 and so far 20 projects have been formally supported with many more benefiting from informal advice sessions. Elephant Arch Records With advice and funding support from Launchpad, Sheffield record label Elephant Arch Records announced their project aimed at giving a platform to unsigned and underrepresented artists in South Yorkshire (Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster). Their call out was for local musicians ready to take the next step in their journey and who identify as either LGBTQIA, female or people of marginalised genders, deaf or disabled or from Black, Asian or other minority ethnic backgrounds. Sable Radio
which helped them to develop ReSound, a mentorship and training programme designed to be a full introduction to radio broadcasting, sound engineering and live event production to provide a path into creative careers in Leeds particularly for non white people. The participants of the programme will be paid to work with at the Sable Radio studios, learn basic technical skills, help with broadcasting and work on upcoming projects. As well training the participants will be supported by a range of music/ arts professionals that will mentor them sharing their experiences and providing insights to a wide range of careers and the pathways towards them. As well as the mentorship each participant will receive £1000 to produce a project with Sable. Launchpad is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Partner, an accolade given to organisations working at the frontline of talent development in the UK, supporting a broad range of individual music creators across different music genres and UK regions. PRS Foundation’s Talent Development partners are selected for the quality and range of opportunities they offer in their region and the year-round impact their work has on the music creators they support. Launchpad is a regional partner of the PPL Momentum Accelerator fund and has connections with a number of organisations such as distributor AWAL, Awesome Merchandise, as well as a host of venues, festivals and promoters. Launchpad also partners with Welcome to Yorkshire and Leeds United through partner Music:Leeds to share regular playlists to a combined audience of over 352K.
Sable Radio is an online radio station broadcasting 50+ monthly shows to 70,000+ listeners. Alongside their radio programming, they run DJ, radio production and sound engineering workshops, host live music events and produce podcasts.
Applying for Launchpad is straightforward and is done online either in writing or by video/ audio application. Applications guidelines and FAQ’s can all be found on the website and the team are always on hand to offer advice should you need it.
Sable Radio received advice from Kazim Rashid and funding support
www.launchpad-music.com
19
THE POLICE CAR COLLECTIVE
PHOTOBOOTH
POLICE CAR COLLECTIVE PRESENT: POLICE CAR COLLECTIVE
THE LET GO / ARTIST
ADFAIL / VISUAL ARTIST
WE’RE FRIENDS, REMEMBER?
DO YOU REALLY DIE WHEN YOU LIVE ONLINE?
JOEY BURCHAM / PRODUCER
DIGGING DEEPER
QLOWSKI THERE’S A QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN PESTERING US FOR A WHILE: WHAT FUTURE?
At the end of 2019, we were looking at the coming year with so much hope and excitement. We were getting ready to record our first album, then flying to America for SXSW and many more gigs ahead of us back in Europe. But Covid-19 happened. Everything fell apart. No need here to remind anyone of what the past year has been like. After more than a year of lockdowns and forced stillness, everyone’s craving for normality. A question arises, what ‘normal’ we want to go back to? What kind of future do we want? Words by Qlowski
It would be so naive if we sustained that before March 2020 everything was ok. Not even a bit. Inequality, exploitation, systemic racism rooted at every level of our society (no matter what bullshit that report says), rampant sexism and discrimination, unruled and unaccountable policing, unemployment, the housing crisis and growing homelessness, youth mental health crisis, environmental crisis and the list goes on. It was all already there. It all stank already. So, where do we stand? What’s our role as artists? The story we are trying to tell with our new album is a story of frustration, hopelessness, commiseration, and personal 22
daily struggle. But also a story of faith and utopia. We dream of a community of musicians and artists, opposed to an industry of competing individuals. We believe in solidarity as the guiding force towards a fairer future, and it has to start in our very own circle. You might say we are just dreamers on the fringes, and yes, these are just songs. But the future is for us to demand, now! Our first album ‘Quale Futuro?’ (What Future? in Italian) is out on June 4th via Maple Death Records and Feel It Records. It will come with a 28 pages zine, in which more than 20 artists and friends contributed with images, poems and short essays. Photography by Patrick Smith
5 QUESTIONS
KAY GREYSON WHO ARE YOU?
My name is Kay Greyson. Despite popular belief it’s not my real name, but it’s the name I rap under.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a rapper and a writer. I make hip hop music that is heavily influenced by current US Hip Hop but brings some of my own UK flavour to it. BC (before COVID) I was a prolific live performer but now I mostly write lots of music, sing in my room and practice my basketball skills. I will do until the government sets us free again!
WHY DO YOU DO IT?
It sounds cliché but I’ve always made music. My Dad is a musician and has been his whole life. So when I decided that I wanted to Words by Kay Greyson
do the same I had lots of support and it didn’t seem like a weird choice. In my house growing up, music was always playing and now I have my own house music always plays there too. So, making my own music just feels like the right thing to do.
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?
Right now, I am writing a lot. I am putting together a project to release very soon and I can’t wait to put out a body of work. Releasing music is a nervewracking but really fun experience for me. I can’t wait for more people to hear what I’ve been working on other than just me and my friends.
WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC?
My music taste is all over the place; I listen to rock from the 23
’70s, folk from the ’60s, whatever was going on in the ’80s, etc., so I always feel a little behind the times with music. For example, my current obsession is Fleetwood Mac, I haven’t been listening to much else for the past year or so! Outside of that, I can’t deny my current favourite is James Blake with his new-ish project ‘Before’ and Chance the Rapper with his new track ‘The Heart and the Tongue’. They are amazing. Right now, I’m just waiting for a new Childish Gambino album. ‘Out of Time’ out now on Soul Kitchen Recordings, available on all streaming services. Music video available on YouTube. Preceded by Paris EP available on all streaming sites. New project coming summer 2021. Photography by Orianne Elliot
IN FOCUS
IS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY TRULY INCLUSIVE? WITH MAYA KALLY
Human beings are intrinsically hierarchical. Through years of practice we’ve developed from parent/child hierarchy to tribal leaders, headteachers, CEOs, MPs, and governing bodies. However, alongside our growing population and increasing technological advancements, the idea that one person, one city, one country or eventually one world holds more significance and power over another, is becoming increasingly dangerous to uphold. Our norms and values have led to societies whereby discrimination based on gender, religion, class, ethnicity and sexuality is unfortunately extremely common. As a consequence discriminatory words and actions have seeped into every aspect of our society, including the music industry. Recent UK music studies analysed the industry's
food chain, highlighting its unhealthy fixation on hierarchy and devastating lack of representation throughout the music industry. However, is this also the case for non-profits and social enterprises like Come Play With Me? It’s clear that the music and entertainment industry still has a very long way to go when it comes to equal representation and inclusivity. Similar to society, the music industry is disproportionately made up of white, straight males, who are carelessly controlling both behind the scenes as engineers, producers, booking agents, publicists, Music PR’s, artist and tour managers, composers and songwriters, as well as in the spotlight as singers, musicians, DJs and MCs. This overwhelming bias is no coincidence and it’s 24
certainly not a testament to the skill, intellect, and talents of white, straight males over all other music professionals throughout the field. For example, although black, trans women are represented least throughout the music industry, this doesn’t mean that they are incapable musicians, engineers, or tour managers, it simply means that they are given fewer opportunities to succeed, often being pushed aside in lieu of a white man. This is the result of our elitist, discriminatory society, which works to create an unfair advantage for a specific group of people, giving this group a helping hand throughout all fields of life. Which is not only affecting the music industry but as we’ve seen in recent events, largely impacting all members of the world. So perhaps we should begin
giving our seat up to people who are not often seen on stage, in rehearsal rooms, on panels, or in the seat of a CEO or governing body and ask ourselves why we see so few and in many cases no black, female, non-binary, trans, disabled, working-class or queer prime ministers and presidents? Is that truly so radical, or is it that we’ve been brainwashed to believe that cis-males are the only people within society who should hold positions of power? Tony Ereira, the founder of Come Play With Me goes on to say, ‘I think the idea of platforming other people is important… Even as a white (almost) 50s male, I roll my eyes when I see a panel chaired by a white 50s male… not to say my demographic doesn’t have lots to say - but we’ve had plenty of platforms to say it over the last few hundred years, whereas others haven’t!!’. The most recent 2020 USC Annenberg music report reiterates the music industry's troubling gender imbalance. Analysing artists, producers, songwriters, and other creators across 900 top songs in the last nine years and reporting that ‘across 2012 to 2020, women comprised a total of 21.6% of all artists, 12.6% of all songwriters, and 2.6% of all producers’. The report also addressed the latest decline of female presence in the music industry, showing that between 2019 and 2020 ‘female artists fell from 22.5% to 20.2%; female songwriters decreased from 14.4% to 12.9%; and female producers declined from 5% to just 2%’. However, as bigotry sweeps through most of the music industry, not everyone is happy to comply with these statistical declines in inclusivity. Many social enterprises push for more diversity in the workplace and thus throughout wider society. Since their 2015 launch, Tony
Ereira has strongly believed that ‘everyone deserves the same access to opportunities’, as said in a recent interview, ‘’We all know that is not true in life…..and life chances are hugely shaped by the family you are born into, along with your own protected characteristics. But as the world seemingly becomes less tolerant and hate/intolerance becomes more prevalent (LGB Alliance, #alllivesmatter, #notallmen) usually through poor education - I am convinced more than ever that what we do at CPWM, along with many excellent partners, is vitally important.’’
"THE NINE-YEAR STUDY THEY FOUND A ‘180:1 RATIO OF NON-WHITE FEMALE PRODUCERS TO WHITE MALE PRODUCERS." Whereas, for Black, Asian and minority ethnic music industry professionals we saw an increase of 11.4% throughout entry-level music positions, as shown in the UK Music Diversity report. However, despite the increase, Black, Asian and minority ethnic musicians and industry professionals continue to be over-represented throughout lower career levels and under-represented in senior positions. This means that they are much less likely to work in higher career levels with better wages, making up ‘42.1% of apprentices or interns, but only 19.9% of senior-level executives’ according to the 2020 UK Music Diversity report. This begs the question, is employing minority groups and ensuring they work in lower regarded positions merely a front to seem inclusive without tackling 25
the real issues? Unimpressed by the lack of opportunities for people of marginalised genders and ethnicities, the founder of Annenberg Initiative and leader of the annual music report, Stacy Smith, said in an interview, “Women producers — and particularly women of colour — are virtually erased from the music industry”. This is especially true when researching female producers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, as across the nine-year study they found a ‘180:1 ratio of non-white female producers to white male producers’. These startling statistics are drastically affecting the younger generation, as girls are continually deterred from ever stepping foot into the music industry (also known as the 'boys club'), especially throughout the music tech, instrumental, and management world. This is mostly due to peer pressure and lack of representation. These industry statistics on race and gender are unsurprisingly affecting all aspects of the music industry, with well-known festivals such as Reading and Leeds, Wireless, Glastonbury, Green Man, Coachella, and Slam Dunk all being criticised for the lack of women representation on stage. Shockingly the 2021 Reading and Leeds festival lineup featured only 20% of female artists on the whole bill, whilst Glastonbury festival has had only two women headliners since 2007, Adele and Beyoncé, and the 2018 Wireless festival line-up featured only three female acts across the whole threeday festival. This is despite female artists not only drawing in some of the largest festival crowds, as Billie Eilish displayed at Glastonbury 2019 whilst performing to around 40,000 audience members. Wellknown female artists such
as Nicki Minaj and Rihanna are also securing more hit songs than their well-known male counterparts like Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran. Which is enough evidence to believe that the lack of female representation on festival line-ups is not talent-driven but gender-driven. Therefore, it is no surprise that all of the previously mentioned festivals are either owned or organised by white males. Alongside the industry’s issues surrounding race and gender, many argue that the music industry can be an oppressive place for the queer community, "The music industry was hugely, violently homophobic. It just was never about the music. It was about trying to fix myself so other people would feel comfortable around me," said by the 51-year-old Billy Porter about their earlier music career. Though sadly it seems that not much has changed since Porter’s music career, as musicians Hayley Kiyoko, Sam Smith, Lady Leshurr, and many more speak out about their struggles with the music industry as queer artists. During an interview with i-D, Hayley Kiyoko spoke about past chats she’s had with record labels, saying that they asked her to ‘Tone down’ her queerness, to which she replied, “There’s no toning that down because this is who I am and this is what I experience. I can’t change that.” Unfortunately, record labels have a long history of not supporting the LGBTQ+ community, often valuing profit over the artist's well-being. It’s often the case that if an artist isn’t going to ‘pull in this many fans because they’re gay, the record label is less likely to support them’, as said by Lance Bass. Along with industry homophobia, many LGBTQ+ artists struggle with audience bigotry, whether in live concerts or online abuse. Words by Maya Kally
Regularly fearing it will deter listeners and pigeonhole them as a queer artist, as Kevin Abstract pointed out in an interview, ‘I don’t want to be a queer icon – I want to be an icon’.
"I DON’T WANT TO BE A QUEER ICON – I WANT TO BE AN ICON" - KEVIN ABSTRACT
Touring as a queer artist can also be both dangerous and life-threatening, especially when performing in countries with anti-gay legislation and beliefs. It’s no coincidence that two out of three queer artists on Come Play With Me’s upcoming podcast, Connected Sounds, have said that it’s not always safe to perform songs about being queer, even whilst performing in supposedly liberal countries. Many queer musicians and industry professionals are still being targeted by homophobic hate groups. Tragically, this was the case for the Russian singer, Zelim Bakaev, who is said to be the victim of Chechnya’s gay purge. A growing number of Chechen people are being abducted, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered due to their sexual orientation. Sadly Zelim has been missing for 3 and a half years. These ongoing and horrific examples of homophobia are the reasons Come Play With Me feel so strongly about organising LGBTQ+ events, to celebrate, humanise and create a platform for censored voices, experiences, and songs. Our queer CPWM events include 26
Colour Me In, an all-day festival celebrating a completely queer line-up, LGBTQ+ The Music, a series of queer panels which have previously featured John Grant, Amy Lamé, Mykki Blanco, Debbie Googe, Emmanuel Vass, Sadie Sinner, and many more talented queer artists and industry professionals. Our most recent queer event includes the upcoming CPWM podcast, Connected Sounds, featuring queer musicians from around the world speaking about whatever the heck they want to. Coming soon… ‘’The NME once called me 'blue-eyed soul' when I'm mixed-race Indian’’ Come Play With Me is also in the process of launching Come Platform Me, a series of events to develop and support women, people of marginalised genders and LGBTQIA+ promoters, and is releasing their Side By Side compilation with five out of the twelve artists identifying as queer. We are also planning a similar compilation album later this year to showcase some of the most exciting Creatives of Colour making music regionally. As well as continuing the weeklong event, Women and People of Marginalised Genders in Music and CPWM’s singles club which has recently released the track, Limón, by the nonbinary artist, Straight Girl and ‘Love's A Joke, I’m The Butt Of It’ by the queer, Mancunian artist Jamaal Monarch. All of which are mentioned in the CPWM magazine, where you’ll read articles written by musicians for musicians (and music industry professionals). Throughout CPWM’s magazine, writers and musicians speak openly about music, race, gender, regional music, mental health, queerness, environmentalism, disabilities and so much more.
AWAY FROM THE NOISE
JACK IN WATER COOKING AND FOOD...
My name is William Clapson and I make dramatic alternative music under the artist name Jack in Water. I am releasing my debut album ‘You Don’t Feel Like Home’ later this year and the next single ‘If I Cared’ comes out on the 7th of May. The album is all about childhood and coming to terms with that period of my life. It’s like a coming of age filmed but in the format of a melancholic, drama-filled set of songs with lots of piano, strings and harmonium. One of my favourite things to do to relax and to take a break from music and work in general is cook (and eat obviously). I have always been obsessed with food and the Words by William Clapson
way it brings people together, whether it is just to eat a meal on a Sunday, or whether it is preparing a celebratory meal together annually. Food is obviously essential to survive but different cultures throughout time have made it so much more than that. I think the way humans eat food is an example and reminder of how much we really do care about life and each other. Now that I spend most of my time in Spain I am currently trying to perfect my Paella recipe. It is not traditional by the standards of Valencia as my wife and I eat a predominantly plantbased diet. However, I have adapted it and am beginning to improve it every time I make it. I love to approach 27
specific dishes like this. It is very different from music in the sense that you make something, you share it or eat it yourself, then all you have is the memory of it and the recipe to hopefully make something as good or better next time. In reality unless, you are a factory each time you make it, it will be different. I love that. My mind is filled with memories of meals I have had and the people I have had them with. There is something so fulfilling and meaningful about cooking for people you care about and being cooked for by someone you care about. For me, it is one of my favourite acts of love and therefore try and spend as much time doing it as I can. Photography by Francisco Ubilla
ART WALL
STONE Like many new young bands, Liverpool band STONE’s introduction to the scene has been less than conventional. Dropping their first track ‘Leave It Out’ shortly before national lockdown, STONE’s rite-of-passage experience of playing live shows was cut short. Instead, they spent the year creating - dropping several new tracks including 'Keep Running' and 'Fuse'. The band have curated a series of images from their first 12 months together.
01 THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN MARCH JUST AFTER THE FIRST LOCKDOWN WAS ANNOUNCED, WE DECIDED THAT FOR OUR OWN MENTAL BENEFIT WE SHOULD STILL GET TOGETHER AND WRITE, MANY SONGS THAT YOU WILL BE HEARING IN THE NEAR FUTURE WHERE WRITTEN AND DEMO’ED DURING THIS SESSION…
Like many new young bands, Liverpool band STONE’s introduction to the scene has been less than conventional. Dropping their first track ‘Leave It Out’ shortly before national lockdown, STONE’s rite-of-passage experience of playing live shows was cut short. Instead, they spent the year creating - dropping several new tracks including 'Keep Running' and 'Fuse'. The band have curated a series of images from their first 12 months together.
02 WE HAD DECIDED TO CASH IN OUR ONE WALK A DAY WITH A STROLL THROUGH THE WOODS, ITS FUNNY HOW YOU APPRECIATE WALKS LIKE THIS WHEN ITS THE ONLY THING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
STONE are Fin Power (vocals/guitar), Sarah Surrage (bass), Elliot Gill (lead guitar) and Alex Smith (drums). The band will play a hometown headline gig at the Arts Club loft in Liverpool on Saturday, November 20. Keep an eye out for new music from them this year. @ stoneliverpool on Instagram.
03 THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN OUR PRACTICE ROOM DURING A WRITING SESSION, BIT OF A GOOFY ONE BUT STILL BEING ABLE TO MELD MINDS AND CREATE MUSIC REALLY DID ALLOW US TO POWER THROUGH THE LOCKDOWNS.
04 DURING LOCKDOWN FIN HAD ACQUIRED A SIDEKICK, MOSA. SHE’S PRONE TO A GOOD BARK OR TWO BUT SHE’S GOOD AS GOLD. THANK F*CK FOR MOSA!
03 THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN OUR PRACTICE ROOM DURING A WRITING SESSION, BIT OF A GOOFY ONE BUT STILL BEING ABLE TO MELD MINDS AND CREATE MUSIC REALLY DID ALLOW US TO POWER THROUGH THE LOCKDOWNS.
05 THIS SHOT IS FROM OCTOBER, BACK WHEN WE “THOUGHT” THAT THINGS WHERE GETTING BETTER. IT WAS THAT TIME WHERE YOU COULD GO OUT IN A GROUP OF 6 AND HAVE A DRINK. THINGS WHERE A LITTLE MORE OPTIMISTIC THEN VS WHERE WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP.
STONE are Fin Power (vocals/guitar), Sarah Surrage (bass), Elliot Gill (lead guitar) and Alex Smith (drums). The band will play a hometown headline gig at the Arts Club loft in Liverpool on Saturday, November 20. Keep an eye out for new music from them this year. @stoneliverpool on Instagram.
SQUID A debut album filled with surprising and experimental alternative rock called for us to sit down with alt rock outfit Squid to have a chat about inspirations, experiences and future plans. 30
Bristol-based alternative rock five-piece Squid launched themselves on our radars with the release of one of their first singles ‘The Dial’, which was followed by explosive and undeniably Squid-sounding track ‘Houseplants’. The band made their mark and created their sound which is at all times very Squid but at no point something we have heard before. The band is now getting ready to release their debut album ‘Bright Green Field’ which is due for release at the start of May! The perfect time for us to sit down (via Zoom) with Louis and Ollie, two fifth of Squid. We talked about inspiration, recycling songs and sounds and swimming before having to get on stage.
Pretty saving grace I think.
what do you think drove that success mostly?
"WHEN YOU CONSIDER IT AS A JOB, YOUR COLLEAGUES AND THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH FORM A GREAT COMMUNITY, THERE’S A REAL SENSE OF DEMOCRACY”
Ollie: We worked really hard, we were all working jobs and would go straight from our jobs to gigs in the evening, then a few hours of sleep and back to work. It was a constant hammering away at it. Louis: The amount of time that we played music together, before any of that music was ever released, was probably a longer duration of time than the amount of time that we have been releasing music. The recognition is kind of secondary but has a big impact on how we go about things.
- LOUIS BORLASE When and how did you get together as a band?
Ollie: We all met at university in Brighton, the Hi Ollie & Louis! Could you five of us were massively into briefly introduce yourself as music and we just ended a band? up playing together. It was just a fun pastime, then Ollie: I’m Ollie, I play the things snowballed a bit. We drums and sing. Louis: I’m then grew up a bit more Louis, and I play the guitar and dispersed across the and sing. Ollie: We are two country, some of us went fifths of Squid, Louis: I to London, that definitely would describe our sound helped. Now we got to a as not really having a single point where we can move description I guess, there’s to Bristol and have a nice quite a lot of space for change and redevelopment. time. Louis: Distance means Ollie: Quite restless in sound nothing when you have Zoom! and genre. What did your past year look like as a band? Have you been able to get together at all? Louis: We’ve been really lucky because we live in Bristol, and we were able to get together to do the album. More recently we were able to find a studio we could get set up in, all our friends, family and flatmates have been safe which meant we were able to meet up and write music together.
What have been your biggest achievements of the past few years?
Louis: A big one is End of the Road and playing the big stage, seeing that particular stage and seeing relatively small bands that were really impressing us. There is something about those relatively big names, we played the festival in 2019 and seeing friends and family there was a bit of a tear-jerker. Ollie: It was pretty X-Factor. Louis: Just a few more than three judges… Ollie: For me I guess it’s being on the same label as Aphex Twin, being In what way did it help that part of the band was based signed to any label. Having dinner next to Thurston in London? Moore. Louis: That was so Ollie: You’re always meeting frustrating though, because new people that are in music you couldn’t turn around circles, and gigs are so much and say hi… more readily available for What is your favourite thing up and coming bands in about being in a band, London, which is a shame! It was definitely being at the except for having dinner right place at the right time next to Thurston Moore? for us. Louis: The fact that when you consider it as a job, your You have been growing colleagues and the people massively as a band ever you work with form a great since your first release, 31
community, there’s a real sense of democracy and everything is about equal values. Your manager is being your friend, and that is so important. Ollie: I second that! Have you got any fun tour stories or things you have been through with fans? Ollie: There was a group of people at Green Man that had knitted squid hats, and the tentacles like dangles down, that was really fun! Louis: There was also the time when we played at a festival on an island in the Netherlands, called Into The Great Wide Open. It was nearing the end of summer and we had about half an hour until we had to get on stage so we ran to the sea and swam and then when we came back we were still kind of wet, that gave quite some adrenaline. Which one of the many festivals you have played is your favourite and why? Ollie: It seems like such a long time ago now… I want to say something different to End of the Road. What festivals have we played again? Louis: Glastonbury was one of the big ones, that was a hard one to get your head around. Ollie: The Great Escape was also up there, it’s a sort of industry festival and it’s always night being in Brighton. It was like a big nostalgia trip. What can we expect of the upcoming album? Ollie: A big melting pot of stuff for new fans, stuff for old fans, more experimentation, quiet parts, loud parts, fast parts. It’s a big mission statement I think, and what we want Words by Laura Rosierse
to continue doing. Louis: Collaboration also plays a big part on the album, before we didn’t really work with any other musicians and now we got in Louis from Black Country, and ‘Narrator’ has got Martha (Skye Murphy) on it. Also this kind of working in a collaborative sense is new for us. You have a group of musicians coming in, writing and performing their part and leaving again. That moment felt quite mystical, we might not see them again for a little while. What are your expectations of the album? Ollie: I didn’t really think about it until we got it all back and mastered, we then just started fine tuning everything and we hadn't seen each other for three months. We just went into this manic hyperness and didn’t really stop and think about what would happen once it was done. Louis: There was quite a sentiment of not knowing when we would be able to go back to making music, we were riding a big wave of uncertainty which also got us really excited. Ollie: We wanted it to sound like a big step up as well, and make a statement. What kind of statement?
forgetting about this album and getting started on the next album. Louis: It’s kind of a relay race, I can’t even remember where I put the test pressing. I think I’ve got a very different version in my head, of the tracks from before they were mixed and sometimes I listen to that and then I remember it’s not mixed yet. Ollie: But we are very excited about the album coming out! Do you have any heartwarming stories to end the interview with? Louis: It was the first time we played quite an intergenerational festival and we were meeting fans afterwards and one of them was a mom and her son and the son had a book on the Ice Age or the Bronze Age, he asked if we could sign it! We did and he was so happy about that, it was nice realising that someone so young was excited about that, maybe even too young to understand some of the songs and what they are about. Ollie: Wasn’t that Nadine Shah’s nephew? She ran over to me and was like “You have to sign my nephew’s book!” The debut LP "Bright Green Field" is out 7th May on Warp Records.
Louis: You can’t stop us! Ollie: Mostly like a scale of ambition. Louis: I don’t think we’re very good at recycling, we work with generating new ideas. What are your plans for once the album is out? Ollie: We are pretty eager to write loads of new music which is really exciting when we are not touring. We are almost excited about 32
Photography by Holly Whitaker
5 QUESTIONS
CAOILFHIONN ROSE WHO ARE YOU?
My name is Caoilfhionn (pronounced Keelin) Rose. Rose was my Irish Granny’s name. My Granny Rose bought me my first piano when I was a child and I am really grateful for that introduction to music. I am a singer-songwriter and musician from Manchester. It has been a great place to be creative, there seems to be endless corners of Manchester’s music scene to explore and it is always growing and evolving.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
For most of my life, I have been writing songs and making music. I started learning to play the piano when I was 8 years old and I’ve always loved making up tunes and writing lyrics. The sound-world of Words by Caoilfhionn Rose
the music I make is somewhere between folk and jazz with hints of psychedelia and ambient tones at times. I love lots of different kinds of music which I try to reflect in the songs I create.
WHY DO YOU DO IT?
Music feels like an old friend sometimes, it has lifted me out of some ruts, allowed me to wallow a bit and also made me feel really good. It has enabled me to travel and meet and collaborate with some amazing people. Making music fills me with excitement and drive, I’m a sensitive soul and music has always been there for me.
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?
I’ve just released my second album with Gondwana Records called ‘Truly’. It has felt really 33
positive sharing music again, even though I wasn’t able to do an album launch or any gigs with my band, it’s still been exciting and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.
WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC?
I’m starting to see gig announcements and tour dates pop up for later in the year. I’ve really missed gigging and going to see live music. I’m looking forward to things slowly opening up and hearing some wonderful musicians play I’m looking forward to getting out there performing and going to gigs again! My new album ‘Truly’ is out now on Gondwana Records available on my Bandcamp page and at all good record stores. Photography by Emily Dennison
AWAY FROM THE NOISE
LOU HAYTER that I also love the other arts too. I’ve been Hi... I’m Lou Hayter and going to galleries since I’m a musician and DJ I was a small kid with from London. It’s hard my parents. Growing to remember what I do up in London I’ve been outside music cause I so lucky to have the pretty much have music best art shows around on 24 hours a day. It’s my me all the time. I take job and my hobby / way it for granted a bit but to relax. I sometimes most cities don’t have wonder what I would the access that we do do if I had to choose a here. Modern art and second career and I’m pop art / op art are my totally stumped. But favourites. when I thought about it more I remembered The last thing I saw that GALLERIES AND INTERIORS...
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really affected me was the Bill Viola at the Royal Academy. I went with my friend Tom Furse who is a musician too and we sat in there for ages, it was an immersive womb-like audio/visual show. We also saw the Nam June Paik show which was inspiring for music video ideas. I like how galleries can change how you feel when you come out the other side. Whether it’s to inspire
you or sometimes just to calm you down because they are tranquil and you can switch off from the world in there and be present for a while. In lockdown I managed to see the Michael Clark show at the Barbican too which was weird cause everyone had to distance from each other but also so nice to be back in that environment. I also like and collect mid-century furniture and interiors. Sometimes I study who all the furniture is designed by, maybe that’s something I would do. Or try to write TV shows. I have a plot line for a show that I sometimes work on,
but going into writing the detailed script is fascinating to me. I think TV shows are amazing at the moment, how the writers build up characters so well. "I SOMETIMES WONDER WHAT I WOULD DO IF I HAD TO CHOOSE A SECOND CAREER AND I’M TOTALLY STUMPED."
cats, I still love to make music to relax. I’ve been writing new stuff and experimenting and having loads of fun with it. My debut solo album is coming out in May so I’m also working on getting all that ready. It’s been finished for a while and I love it so I’m really excited for people to finally hear it. Lou Hayter’s debut album "Private Sunshine" is out May 28th on Skint Records.
So apart from the usual things like walking in nature, yoga, meditation, long baths, hanging out with my
Words by Lou Hayter
Photography by Alice Kunisue
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5 QUESTIONS
WHITE FLOWERS WHO ARE YOU? We are White Flowers, a band from Preston made up of Katie Drew and Joey Cobb. WHAT DO YOU DO? We make music, but we feel that White Flowers has evolved into a more multidimensional world that incorporates artwork and visuals that we make. All the elements feed to into each other and draw influence from a wide variety of music, art and films. WHY DO YOU DO IT? We’ve both always been compelled to make art and music since we were young, and we don’t fully know why… Words by White Flowers
it’s one way of dealing with chaos and attempting to make some kind of sense of it. WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW? We’ve been working on new music, new ideas and starting to prepare for gigs returning. We’re looking forward to getting back into our rehearsal space as soon as it re-opens and finally getting songs ready to play live again. WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC? There’s a lot of interesting and exciting new music coming out now that sounds very fragmented, dislocated and anxious, a reflection of the time we’re living in. We also feel that due to the way the 36
music industry has changed and how much harder it is to start out, artists have to be a lot more creative with how they go about what they do. A lack of money also means more creative freedom, as there’s not much to lose. Our debut album, Day by Day is out June 4th via Tough Love Records and we’ll be playing a series of socially distanced shows in the run up to its release, starting late May. Full details and tickets can be found via our Instagram @whiteflowersssss or Twitter @wwwhiteflowers.
Photography by ???
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