COME PL AY WITH ORL A GARTL AND L AURAN HIBBERD
PIP BLOM / FUR / COLD YEARS / MIL AN RING N AT I O N O F L A N G U A G E / M A R I A N A S E MK IN A CHELSEA CARMICHAEL / FRANCIS OF DELIRIUM TA R A L ILY / NII X / K IL L S BIRD S / S N A K E E YE S S A IN T KO C HI / A NN A V IN C E N T / M ( H ) A OL AND LOTS MORE... BEHIND THE SCENES AND UNDER THE SKIN OF ALL THINGS MUSIC
PICK ME UP FOR FREE OR BUY PRINT COPIES ONLINE / #017 / NOV2021
WE’RE HIRING! MAG AZ INE A S SIS TA N T If you are interested in the music industry, journalism, creative projects and marketing.
This role has been made available thanks to the Kickstart Scheme via Universal Credit and is for people 25 or under receiving UC (please only apply via your work coach if you fit the criteria). Deadline for applications: 8th December 2021. Full details can be found by clicking the link or scan the QR code findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/7178780
2
TEAM CPWM
WHAT'S INSIDE
DIRECTOR Tony Ereira (he/him) tony@cpwm.co
LONG READ 06 ORLA GARTLAND 24 LAURAN HIBBERD 36 PIP BLOM
MAGAZINE Andrew Benge (he/him) andy@cpwm.co LABEL Eva Davis (she/her) eva@cpwm.co ARTIST DEVELOPMENT Scott Lewis (he/him) scott@cpwm.co DIVERSITY PROJECTS Antonia Lines (they/she) antonia@cpwm.co DIVERSITY EVENTS Lily Sturt-Bolshaw (she/her) lily@cpwm.co
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH 14 MARIANA SEMKINA / ST PETERSBURG 28 COLD YEARS / ABERDEEN THE KIT LIST 18 MILAN RING 40 FUR TOOLBOX 22 CLUE RECORDS / PITCHING TO A LABEL INDUSTRY EXPERTS 31 LILY STURT-BOLSHAW AWAY FROM THE NOISE 11 TARA LILY 20 NIIX
SPECIAL THANKS
DIGGING DEEPER 27 SNAKE EYES 34 ANNA VINCENT
and in no particular order... Katie, Cheri, Camilla, Jenny, Steve, Laura, Hannah, Stasi, Simon, Paddy, Sarah, Bree, Liv, James, Katrina, Warren, Scott, Abi... all of the artists, other contributors and everyone else who took the time to tell their stories and helped make this happen.
PHOTO BOOTH & ART WALL 12 FRANCES OF DELIRIUM 32 KILLS BIRDS 42 NATION OF LANGUAGE 5 QUESTIONS 17 CHELSEA CARMICHAEL 35 SAINT KOCHI 39 M(H)AOL
SMALL PRINT
Come Play With is printed by Mixam. Copyright © 2021 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.
NEWS 04 NOVEMBER 2021
ORLA GARLAND COVER Karina Barberis LAURAN HIBBERD COVER Andrew Benge (@andrewbenge)
THIS ISSUE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
Click or open Spotify App > Search > Camera > Scan
NEWS
NOVEMBER 2021 Hi everyone! Thanks for picking up a copy of our magazine and checking out what CPWM is all about. We’ve released a bunch of singles over the last few weeks from Adult DVD, Bad Idea & Josephine Sillars. Expect a few more from artists we’re excited about in the New Year along with a bunch of 7”s that have taken a lot longer than we would have liked to get pressed! We’ve had a batch of excellent shows recently including Witch Of The East, Otis Mensah and one with Girls Can Play Guitar feat. Sun Kissed Child. We’re bringing Sink Ya Teeth to Sheffield in December and have a hook-up with another excellent Yorkshire promoter, Bloom Sessions, just before the holidays. In January we have our annual event to celebrate women and marginalised genders in music ‘I Know A Place’ at Brudenell Social Club 28th January - to be followed by a very special gig in partnership with those lovely folks at Independent Venue Week. As we head towards the tail-end of a very challenging year, we wish you all wonderful festive seasons. Be there for each other as always as there are bound to be some bumps on the road for all of us as we try to slide in and enjoy some kind of normal holiday. See you all in 2022, rested and ready for a ton of more amazing music! Big love Tony & the CPWM team
We can only carry on doing what we do with the support of good people like you. So if you like our releases, magazine, mentoring, gigs or events please see the link below for ways you can support us and get lots of exclusive goodies! PATREON.COM/CPWM CPWM SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
Click or open Spotify App > Search > Camera > Scan
W
cpwm.co
@cpwmco
@cpwmco
@cpwmco 4
5
ORLA GARTLAND 6
Orla Gartland’s debut, Woman on The Internet, is a reassuring lesson in knowing we’re not unique in our worries. But despite the Irish songwriter’s insistence we’re all the same, her gift for wry storytelling proves she really is quite special. 7
To read the full version of this magazine you can buy print copies delivered direct to you from our Bandcamp or support us via Patreon for even more exclusive goodies! Just click on the links below:
8
“I remember feeling like, 'Musicians cannot catch a break,’” Orla Gartland says, exasperatedly against the backdrop of what looks like a Swedish plywood sauna but is in fact her studio room. The Irish songwriter deserves the respite really. She’s spent the last two weeks on the road finally performing her long-awaited debut across the UK. But heading back out on the live circuit hasn’t exactly been plain sailing. Gigs have been shuffled after original venues closed (some even burnt down!) There are watertight COVID rules to adhere to and, as Gartland is recollecting, the drama of the full band’s gear being stolen from outside their Travelodge in Wembley. “I got a message from the band Keane saying, 'Do you want to borrow any of our backline?' and I was like 'Why has this post reached more than my album?' This is not the post I needed Keane to see!” she says with a baffled laugh. After the last couple of years the music industry has had, it’s a welcome gesture of solidarity. Not to mention a rare demonstration of how social media can bring us together rather than leaving us riddled with anxiety. The online world has always been a welcoming one for Gartland who posted her first guitar-based originals on YouTube in the final years of school, after a childhood set against the soundtrack of traditional Irish folk. But when she uprooted to London post-graduating and became aware of her
peers’ trajectories, the platform’s sheen began to wane. “You pour all your time into making videos and doing covers but there came a point where I was like, ‘I want to be good.’ I would rather be good with less people around than a huge audience and no substance to my project.”
"I SHIED AWAY FROM WRITING ABOUT THIS STUFF FOR SO LONG. I FELT LIKE ‘JESUS, WHAT CAN I ADD TO THIS THAT ADELE HASN'T ALREADY SAID?" It’s unsurprising to hear then that since moving to British shores seven years ago, Gartland remains an entirely independent artist, wearing every hat from social media manager to label boss setting up her own distribution company, New Friends Music. Her early intentions of seeking the paved gold streets of the Big Smoke and signing a deal because that was “what most people were doing” were dashed though when confronted with a peek behind the curtain. “Until that point, I'd never even seen a record deal. I didn't know what the inner workings of it were. I was shocked at how not artist-friendly that piece of paper was. The idea of handing over these years and years and years of building people and relationships to 9
someone else just didn't sit right with me at all.” For Gartland, it’s a fullscale outfit with a firm handle on the production, press, and visual aspects of the project. The latter is an element she’s been tapping into during the run-up to the release and in the absence of gigs, faced with a schedule repeatedly in flux. Rather than riffing Reels on Instagram, the songwriter poured herself into art direction - from the pastel-hued press shots to a recent string of meticulously crafted mini-films for singles ‘Zombie’ (Wes Anderson meets The War of The Worlds) and ‘You’re Not Special, Babe’ (synced dance routines with a traditional mime troupe). But even multi-talented musicians are susceptible to comparison syndrome as she remembers her reservations around focusing on heartbreak in last year’s fivetrack EP, Freckle Season. “I shied away from writing about this stuff for so long. I felt like ‘Jesus, what can I add to this that Adele hasn't already said?’” So, when it finally came to pulling together the album, there was no way that Gartland was sharing the limelight. “I didn't want to give anyone else that airtime. It was such a big moment for me that I'd waited for and worked towards for close to a decade that I was like, ‘I don't want to sing all these songs and they remind me of some random person.’” "Woman On The Internet" then, instead, is part internal
journaling exercise and part social commentary urging us to face the (perhaps, difficult) realisation that we’re not unique. Something that should only bring us closer together, Gartland reasons. “Not in a bad way, in a way that's meant to make you feel less alone. The reckoning of the patterns and chaos of your life is a universal thing. You are anyone on the internet.”
life for whatever reason. The one profile that you find yourself gravitating towards even though you know it’s not particularly healthy. Gartland considers this in former single ‘More Like You’ as she questions “Where'd you get that confidence from? / 'Cause you wear it like a coat / All this feeling second best / It's got me by the throat / That I've been obsessing in the worst way”.
everyone that we don't expect any less.”
But then if the last decade has taught Gartland anything, it’s that you shouldn’t be distracted by others around you and instead set out to forge your own path. The very nature of the digital realm means that programmes and platforms are constantly being optimised and adapted (hello, Meta rebrand) so She insists there is an the songwriter is sticking interesting duality in there to what feels authentic to "OBVIOUSLY, I NEED too that can help us figure her right now. As she sings out what really counts as on album opener and aptly TO TAP INTO THE we continue to grapple with titled, ‘Things Thatprint I’ve To read the full of this magazine you can buy INTERNET FORversion our love/hate relationship Learned’: “Don't compare MY JOB. IT'S NOT withto cyberspace. The our Bandcamp your face to the faces, copies delivered direct you from or other support virtual self we curate into a it's not worth it / Take up all AS EASY AS ME us via Patreoncarefully for even more exclusive goodies! grafted grid. The the space, even when you FLINGING MY PHONE real self that longs to break think you don't deserve it.” IN THE SEA." free of its online trappings. Just“Obviously, click onI the needlinks to tapbelow: And so, two days after her into [the internet] for my band’s van was broken into, Intimate indie number job. It's not as easy as me Gartland is back on stage ‘Pretending’ explicitly flinging my phone in the sea. in Brighton with borrowed references the record’s I also accept that I don't gear, a broken voice from muse as Gartland have the energy to keep on the super flu doing the enters a relatable, top of it to the point that rounds, and not even a and uncomfortable, I'm not spending time on bra to her name (cheers, social situation falsely music.” robbers). Because whilst we complimenting a person’s might all spend far too much outfit and professing to After nearly two years of time seeking out a dopamine “knowing that band”. being forced to create hit from those likes, nothing “Smoky brown eye shadow / connections online, this pull beats the sweaty-faced I learnt it from a woman on from the online portal has intimacy of real human the internet / All the people only heightened for those connections. “[It's] such a over there / I'm so fucking in the creative industry, as simple thing to hear your self-aware / It’s exhausting”. Gartland reflects. “There songs back,” she beams. “I Ironically given her emphasis is an unbelievable pressure had to make them in such a on the fact we’re all the as an artist to churn out test tube and all usual road same, Gartland’s gift for wry content constantly. It moves testing was gone. Thank storytelling proves she really so fast. I released this God, they work live. It's too is quite special (babe). album in August. It's two late now!” months later and I already Through the record, we feel pressure to be putting "The Woman On The find our songwriter dancing more music out. It is totally, Internet" is out now via New around this faceless Wizard relentlessly endless,” she Friends Music. of Oz character. Someone says, with an air of sadness. to turn to when you can't “We're so used to bags turn to someone in your own and bags of content from Words by Cheri Amour
10
DIGGING DEEPER
SHAUNA AWAY FROM THE NOISE
BEING AN ADRENALINE JUNKY...
Hi I’m Tara Lily. I’m a Jazz singer/musician from Peckham working with electronic RnB and rap production. I studied jazz at conservatoire. The first song I dropped was ‘who saw who’ produced by grime rapper/producer Jammer BBK. My debut EP ‘Lost In London’ just dropped on Motown UK records. The EP is a mix of cool jazz, RnB and rap production. It was made before and during the lockdown. I would say it is a continuation of my original twist of classic and street but more developed and includes two reworked jazz Words by Tara Lily
TARA LILY standards, ‘Blue In Green’ and ‘Sentimental Mood’. The context for ‘Lost In London’ is about being young, about mad deep relationships and getting lost in that, it’s also about being lost in music and not having a place in any genre. Away from the music industry, my hobbies are normally quite high energy things. I have been diagnosed with ADHD, and I’m an adrenaline junky and so I always need my next hit. I enjoy playing poker, last minute traveling, boxing, dancing and toxic relationships. Outside of that I enjoy cooking, mostly traditional food (VERY hot Bengali curries). Taking my dog for long walks in the woods 11
where I can cut off from the outside world. Starting books on various subjects (music, art, politics), but not always finishing them and having long baths. I still play piano in my spare time but more traditional jazz or classical pieces for ‘relaxation’. At the moment I am learning Debussy’s ‘Arabesque’. I am also always exploring for my next body of work in whatever experiences, feelings or art I am immersed in during the time. So my debut EP ‘Lost In London’ is OUT NOW. Check it out and hopefully see you at a show next year. Love. Tara Lily. Xxx
ART WALL
FRANCIS OF DELIRIUM I am Jana, I'm the singer and songwriting in the band Francis of Delirium. I've kept little journals throughout my life, mainly because it was very much encouraged by my mom to draw and create from an early age. She's an art teacher so there was always art around the house. It's mainly something I just do for fun, making art is really just something I do for myself. I find it's a good way to process and reflect and find inspiration. Most of the time in order to like a song and feel connected to it I need to have some sort of visual attached to the track otherwise it sort of just floats away. Now that I've realized that, I've tried to be a bit more proactive and draw while working on a song in order to stay connected to it for longer, which means more sketchbook drawing and
painting etc. All that being said all the things that I'm showing here have nothing to do with any songs I've written. I also just genuinely enjoy going to museums. That's one of my favourite things about traveling for music. The best part is the actual show, but the second best part is that if we have some extra time in a city and it's a cool city they often have really good museums I can go to. My drummer and bassist hate museums so it's a nice little decompression thing for me to go and do on my own and it keeps me inspired. Generally I tend to only really like more modern stuff, like 1890s-2000s. I recently 12
made the mistake of going to the National Gallery in London and it was mainly old old stuff which was ok, but not
great. My favourite artists are people like Egon Schiele, Chaim Soutine, and Basquiat, all of the sort of disfigured and distorted stuff I really like and is something I tend to try and emulate.
Francis Of Delirium will be touring the UK in February 2022. Keep upto date at francisofdelirium.com
Words and illustrations by Jana Bahrich
13
Main photograph by Andrew Benge
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA WITH MARIANA SEMKINA
INTRODUCTION
Hi to all readers, my name is Marjana Semkina and I write songs about pain and death and drowning, what is basically expected of every Russian. I write these for my band Iamthemorning and also my solo project under the name of Mariana Semkina spelled differently so it looks more familiar. I moved from Russia to England last year in Tier 4
lockdown (worst timing but bureaucracy forced me to) with the help of Arts Council England and since then I've been living by the sea writing songs about drowning, death and pain because that stuff can't just be left behind when you leave. I have released two EPs since, one with my band last December and a solo one, titled Disillusioned, that was just out in October. Here's something about my home town Saint Petersburg which I miss dearly (especially the ability for Russian people to heat and insulate their homes!?
BANDS & ARTISTS
Russia has such a versatile music scene and it's such a shame it's so hard for Russian artists to get any attention 14
outside of the country - I’ve been there so I know what a struggle it is, it's not enough to just be good, you also have to be lucky... and know English pretty well, which isn't always the case with musicians. Off the top of my head some of my favourites are Aquarium, Fleur, Ongkara, Echoes and Signals (I even wrote a song with them for one of their albums), Aesthesys, Theodor Bastard, Walking Across Jupiter,
Closeyoureyes. And of course all of the classical composers of the past which our country is so proud of.
STUDIO AND RECORDING
It's been quite a few years since I’ve recorded in Russia, but we have always recorded strings/orchestra in St Petersburg's Lendok. Originally it was established in 1932 as a film studio and it's still operating as one with an added bonus of wonderful sound recording facilities (a lot of movie soundtracks are recorded there), a concert venue and some rehearsal spaces. I love the atmosphere, it's located in the historical part of town next to Mariinsky Theatre and people around are always very friendly and interesting - same as the staff that work at the studios!
VENUES & HANG-OUTS
St Petersburg is truly the "drinking capital" of Russia. The variety of bars and clubs is truly remarkable and they all have their special character. There are a few main "bar streets", Rubinshteyna, Zhukovskogo and Nekrasova and there the party never stops. One of my most favourite hidden places that even locals don't know about is a little underground "speakeasy"-type of a bar called Cabinet. It has a dress code and if you show up dressed inappropriately you'll be given a black cloak to blend into the atmosphere of the place better. A tarot deck serves as a cocktail menu and all tables are actually poker tables with a separate bartender serving at each one and
they are always very happy to engage in an intellectual conversation. It's not an easy place to find because it's deliberately hidden but it's definitely worth the effort. Among my other favourites are "Gypsies & Jews", Bekitzer, Brunch Garage, Dead Poets. Wonderful places to see are also New Holland and Golitsyn Loft - those are little creative clusters filled with bars, cafés and various little shops run by local creatives.
LGBTQ+ SCENE & COMMUNITIES
Sadly, this is where Russia becomes a bleak place. It's simply dangerous to be a queer person there and most of LGBTQ+ community members leave the second they see a chance to relocate to a more friendly and supportive place. If they don't, they have to keep quiet and lay low and hope that no one will target them. Last time I posted a photo from UK Pride to my instagram feed I started getting death threats so... not a fun place to be.
RECORD LABELS & PROMOTERS
Several promoters whose gigs I keep visiting when I'm in Russia are Infinity Concerts, Delta Mekong and Booking Machine. If not for these three concert agencies I don't think Russia would ever get a chance to see a lot of heavy bands and medium-sized artists - and it's very often that these people work for the sake of their love towards music and they lose money on the gigs they organise because sometimes it's just hard to make people attend shows. But they keep doing it anyway and I hope they'll never stop - their work brings something very special to the lives of all heavy gig attendees in Moscow and St Petersburg. 15
HISTORICAL FACTS
Well, this… I can go on about forever. St Petersburg is a very special place with a very special (albeit grim) history and I'd never find enough time to tell you about all of the remarkable things that happened there. I really shouldn't attempt to briefly tell you about the Siege of Leningrad but I guess if you speak about historical events this is the first one that comes to mind and it's an unimaginable horror, which leaves a mark on anyone who ever really lived in the city. Leningrad was a very significant city during the revolution and also imperial times, it produced a big part of Soviet industrial output and was an important military port so it was specifically targeted by Nazis in WW2. The siege lasted for 872 days and according to different sources the loss of lives could be somewhere between 650k and 1.2 million. Only 3% of those deaths were due to bombing and military action, the rest of 97% died of hunger and illness. The city was completely cut out from the rest of the world and all sources of provision so people that couldn't evacuate had to starve (some even eating their pets... which also led to terrible consequences because no cats = a lot of rats and we all know that can't be good). There were rations of food given out to people that totalled in about 300 calories a day per person and mostly consisted of bread which half of the time was cooked with
some inedible ingredients. It also happened to coincide with a couple of coldest winters in decades (I’m talking -32 cold) so in addition to the total lack of food and fear that you won't survive the night because the bomb will land on your house it was deadly cold. There wasn't enough food so people had to burn anything that'll burn to warm up. At some point around 100k people were dying a month and it was pretty difficult to deal with the amount of dead bodies, they were lying everywhere on the streets. The radio was working everywhere around the city and people listened to warnings of incoming bombs and when no one was talking to them, there was a sound of a metronome clicking through the city centre, sending everyone a message
that the radio isn't broken, it's just quiet, but they can rest assured it'll be there when they will need to be alerted of anything. Even now the city administration plays the sound of the metronome around the dates connected to the siege. This is something no one in the city will ever forget because the consequences of those 872 days were too heavy to ever shake off. Leningrad got the title of the first official "Hero City" of Russia and both Anna Akhmatova and Dmitry Shostakovich lived through the siege and a lot of their masterpieces were based on the terrifying experience. And I also have to add - despite the horrors, people were really trying to keep up some resemblance of normality of life and even the theatre was still operating, because one thing that Russian people
Words by Marjana Semkina
16
really valued and held on to help them keep sane was art.
RECORD SHOPS
My favourite one and a good friend of my band is Phonoteka - a wonderful little gem in the city centre, run by true music lovers. You will always find a good conversation, some coffee and wonderful records in this one. And sometimes even Iamthemorning gig tickets!. You can keep upto date with all things Mariana at: linktr.ee/ marjanasemkina
5 QUESTIONS
CHELSEA CARMICHAEL WHO ARE YOU?
I am Chelsea Carmichael - I am a saxophonist and composer. I'm from Manchester, grew up in Warrington, and live in SE London.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I play and write music which includes jazz and improvised music. I also play in other bands, collaborate for one-off projects, educate, and generally get involved with musicality and art in as many ways as I can.
WHY DO YOU DO IT?
I think the 'why' has changed throughout the years, and I'm reaching a much more enlightened place with that now. Foremost, I do it because I love it. There are some seriously hard things about being a musician these days but being able to play creative music, and exchange energy in the way that we do on stage, with other musicians and audiences, on a regular basis, is something so unique to this craft and is something I give thanks for all the time. I'm trying to renegotiate my relationship with my ego when it comes to approaching my technical ability and improvement Words by Chelsea Carmichael
on the instrument. I really appreciate excellence and want to be excellent - and I'm so inspired by it, but now I'm looking at the reasons why I want to be excellent at what I do. Essentially from my perspective, when we get in front of an audience the music is for them - and we play in the hopes that someone connects with the sound and it provides healing, and/or joy. And we enjoy the process of giving in that moment. So I also do it because I want to be good at it - and to continue to strive towards excellence so I am able to heal better, provide joy better, and give better. All these things are concepts and not definitive definitions, and I'm comfortable with my own interpretations of those concepts
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?
I'm currently on tour with Theon Cross at the moment out in the EU - we are just coming towards the end of the first stretch and then back to London for a couple days before the next leg. I'm about to release a record too - my first release is coming out next week so I'm preparing myself for what's to come once that is out in the world. I'm playing a lot between now and Christmas with various different 17
projects, gigs, and bands - and I absolutely love the variety of that. I am also lecturing/ workshopping/educating at a couple of universities right now - and I'm really enjoying that at the moment. I'm also in the process of setting up a new music residency, and in the beginning stages of mapping out a commission for a UK jazz festival - there's a lot going on right now but I am feeling fulfilled.
WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC?
There might be 'hot topics' but I don't subscribe to them or acknowledge them as I don't base my music taste on fads, what is fashionable, what other people like/are talking about or what's 'in'. I stay in my own lane, like the music I like, and have respect for what others are doing.. "The River Doesn't Like Strangers" is out on 22nd October and I really hope people enjoy it. We are working on some dates, so sign up to Native Rebel Recordings mailing list, follow them on Instagram and Twitter, and I'll be updating my own website too - my first announcements for all things is on Instagram so follow me there. It's about to go down. Photography by Adam Jalloh
THE KIT LIST
MILAN RING INTRODUCTION Milan Ring is an Australian singer, rapper, guitarist, producer, mix engineer and mentor at the forefront of Sydney's R&B scene. On December 3rd she releases her debut album I'm Feeling Hopeful on Aussie tastemaker label Astral People via [PIAS]. The album features contributions from fellow artists including the UK's own Che Lingo, Chicago singer and rapper Jean Deaux, and fellow Aussie artist BLESSED. Milan Ring meticulously curates each and every aspect of the creative process, from the first chord struck on the guitar to the final mix. She has worked in the studio with artists including SZA, DRAM, Chance The Rapper's group The Social Experiment, BJ The Chicago Kid, The Avalanches, Cosmo’s Midnight and more.
on stage just in case, but she ended up just kicking back and enjoying the sunshine whilst Creamy did all the work. (Picture by Ken Leanfore.)
FENDER STRATOCASTER AM PRO II
My baby Creamy was a new gift from Fender earlier this year! She’s smooth and sings sweetly and I love the updated whammy bar which only needs a gentle press to create the pitch bends I love to do. This picture is from my first time performing with her outside the iconic Sydney Opera House. I had slight worries about using a new guitar without much time to wear her in, so I had my tried and true loyal ol’ Strat with me on a stand 18
ROLAND RC-505 This loop station is the main workhorse on my live shows. It has my backing tracks, so I can drop sections of songs and samples, as well as create live guitar and vocal loops, mixing them on the fly. I’ve had her for 5 years now and she is still going super strong - well actually come
to think of it I definitely fried one unit from a power surge at a show whoops - but this is the replacement! It is MIDI linked with an RC-202 for extra vocal loops. Pictured below is a BOSS FS-6 footswitch to control the looper, and my Roland GT-1000 guitar effects unit.
STUDIO PROJECTS T3 MICROPHONE When I landed my first publishing deal this was one of my first purchases. I was in LA and went to a bunch of different music shops around Hollywood, trying out numerous mics, I ended up with this Studio Projects T3. It is a vacuum tube mic based on a 1950s design, and they are made in California so it seemed fitting to buy a locally made mic! It has been the sole mic used on all of
my releases since 2014. She is super warm but still with clarity in the high end and she probably knows me better than anyone in my life ha!
BOSS DR 880 DRUM MACHINE I like to credit the beginnings of my production to this drum machine. In my teens, before I had a laptop or any production software it was my first exploration of making beat loops and with the inbuilt bass, recording little bass lines that I could play the guitar along to. It is an old classic with some dated drum kits but there are always some little gems, many of which have made their way onto my songs. It sits on the left of my desk always ready to go - I like being able to just quickly tap something out and go with the
flow, to avoid getting stuck on a midi grid, scrolling through hundreds of different snares on hard drives. Plus it is nostalgic!
DIMARZIO GOLD GUITAR LEAD Yes I know, it’s just a lead, but it’s the shiniest gold lead that I have ever seen and I love it. I found it in a guitar shop in January this year right before I was about to do my album cover shoot, so it is seen cascading on the floor of my album cover, and it’s actually just a really good quality lead that I use every day. (Picture by James Evans) The debut album "I'm Feeling Hopeful" is out on the 3rd December on Astral People via [PIAS].
Words by Milan Ring
CLICK OR SCAN THE CODE FOR DETAILS 19
AWAY FROM THE NOISE
NIIX IDIOTS GUIDE TO SURVIVING A HORROR FILM...
I’m NIIX (nɪks; Ancient Greek: Νῠ́ξ, Nýx, nýks, 'Night'), goddess of the night. When I’m not lurking in the shadows or bathing in the light of the moon, I’m making electronic pop music with infusions of club, inspired by the likes of SOPHIE, BABii and Shygirl. What’s also very on-brand is my ever-growing, and some might say quite strange, obsession with horror films. There’s nothing like dimming the lights down low, pouring a glass of red and scrunching up on the sofa, armed with the cat, a cushion and, ideally,
some company to hide behind when those spine-tingling moments strike. Like the rest of the world, I became hooked on Squid Game, which led me onto other Korean blood-curlers; The Wailing (a masterpiece!), I Saw The Devil (straight up bloodbath - not for the faint-hearted) and Memories of Murder (*spoiler* they never actually find the murderer - 132 minutes of don’t bother).
stayed on the brain for weeks - Midsommar, It Follows, The Witch, Get Out… Or if we’re talking sleeping-with-the-fairylights-on-for-3-months, it’s gotta be the classic Paranormal Activities for me. But of course, the 70s/80s staples (terrifying then, pretty hilarious now) such as Nightmare On Elm Street, The Shining, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween etc.etc.etc. are, and always will be, in a realm of their own.
It’s hard to pinpoint the horror film to beat all horrors, as which route do you go down - classics or modern? It has to be said, there have been some pretty breathtaking films over the past decade that have
I’d like to think that after a fair few years now of yelling and shaking fists at the protagonist, who nearly dies several times but due to sheer fortune narrowly escapes, has racked me up a fair few tips and tricks
20
of how to avoid the zombie, the demon, or the psychopath who just won’t give you any personal space. And so, I offer to you my Idiot’s Guide To Surviving A Horror Film:
be a very obvious precursor to your death. Stop staring at your reflection and take a look at what’s going on behind you. Also don’t bend down to brush your teeth.
1. TURN THE LIGHTS ON Seriously, why does no-one ever do this?
5. HAVE A BACK-UP CAR (Why does the key always seem to fail in the ignition when you’re being chased?)
2. NEVER SPLIT UP (Unless you either don’t particularly like the person, or they’re being long and you could do without anyway) 3 SHUT THE CURTAINS AND LOCK THE DOOR Is there someone lurking outside your gaff, like in ‘The Strangers’? Or a weird replica of your family, like in ‘Us’? Then jeez, what are you doing? Get your face away from the window! 4. MIRRORS Could be handy, could also
6. MOVE OUT Oh, your house is haunted? Then er… just leave? 7. TURN AROUND It’s always behind you!
murderers attack? No one. Nope, not a single wee soul. 10. CHARGE YOUR PHONE Again, why do phones always die at the exact moment you need them? Keep ‘em charged honey. Get that old sturdy Nokia 3310 out and add your trustiest contacts only. And so, there we have it. My idiot guide to surviving a horror film. Go forth and slay yee demons, I believe in you!
8. DON’T GO IN THE BASEMENT Seriously, this never ends well. Hear a noise? Ignore it. Ignorance is bliss.
On Friday 3rd December NIIX is releasing ‘I: The Remixes’ EP, a collection of reworks of her debut ‘I’ from five of the most talented upcoming producers of the North West.
9. AVOID REMOTE LOCATIONS Sure, a cabin in the woods with your love interest or pals may seem like a cute idea in advance, but who’s going to hear your scream when the
In the meantime, catch NIIX DJing at Melodic Distraction Bar on 27th November for Cartier 4 Everyone, and follow @iitsniix on all channels to stay up to date.
Words by NIIX
Photography by Andrew Benge
21
To read the full version of this magazine you can buy print copies delivered direct to you from our Bandcamp or support us via Patreon for even more exclusive goodies! Just TOOLBOX
click on the links below:
PITCHING TO A LABEL WITH CLUE RECORDS
shared HQ to talk about how [the release]? best to pitch to a record label, and what they’re looking for in bright young talent.
As we round up artist toolbox for this year, we felt it necessary to ends things the way we started- with a record label. Clue Records has been a staple in the Leeds music scene for nearly a decade now, releasing some of the best loud and local artists across the city. I caught up with label mastermind Scott Lewis at Clue & Come Play With Me's
We were getting this young audience, but they weren’t the one’s buying records- it was the 6 Music dads giving WERE THERE ANY UNEXPECTED HURDLES WHEN us money, not the kids, so it was hard to identify our actual YOU FIRST STARTED CLUE? customer base. “I think for me it was I tell you what, MCPS too. It’s connecting with an audience a tax that you have to pay and understanding who when you press a record and they are - I just thought oh, trendy kids will like this [song] to be honest, I’m still not sure on it now- but I pay it!” because it’s cool but how do you then get them to hear WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR 22
WHEN SIGNING ARTISTS NOW THEN? “The music- that’s it really. Well, they’ve got to be sound and people I get on with too- it’s not one of those where their music is good but they’re arseholes because that just won’t happen [on Clue]. A good belief system and ethics too - or if they don’t have that then being a bit aloof is just as good!”
WHAT ABOUT TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE WITH FLEDGLING BANDS? DOES THAT MATTER? “I’m about getting there early and giving them support. Helping to pick the right producer and bouncing ideas is all part of it- a raw live thing can be just as good as a decent demo.”
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR A BAND’S FIRST RECORDING SESSION? “Demo it loads, share it with us and we’ll work out the right people to pair with you. Oh, make a Spotify playlist too. Full of stylistic influences and stuff you like so we know what sound you’re going for production-wise.” Words by Abi Whistance
shit and it’s giving me a headache?’ And he said no it’s mint, take a paracetamol and we went from there.”
HOW DO YOU PREFER PITCHES? “Dead simply and not too much fluff and all that. I want a hello, maybe a bit of research about the label to show that you know what you’re on about and maybe use my name- a personalised email definitely cuts through quicker.
WHAT’S COMING UP ON CLUE? “We've got a huge project with The Wedding Present called 24 Songs where they're releasing a brand new 7" single every month of 2022, their first brand new recorded And tell me why you think music in ages & an anniversary this label is a good fit. Is it a certain release we put out for of sorts from The Hit Parade singles club which they did you or a show you saw from 30 years ago. We've a brand us? Something like that- I new single from Bored At suppose flattery is a start! My Grandma’s House in early 2022, then we have YOWL’s Then, just a link to a track album and Van Houten or two on Soundcloud or YouTube and leave it alone. If I recording one at the minute hear something I like I’ll do the too for next year. research myself. Oh, and Team Picture are working on some stuff, and I don’t need to see or hear we’ve just signed a new artist anything else, I just need the on the label!” feeling that it’s mint.” Stay up to date on Clue
WHAT ABOUT THE FIRST TIME YOU GOT THAT FEELING? “Allusondrugs sent us a demo years ago and I listened to it over and over to the point where I got a headache.
Records’ releases via their website: cluerecords. com and Listen to Clue artists: smarturl.it/ ClueRecordsReleases
I had to send it to my mate and ask him: ‘Is this mint and I’ve just got a headache, or is it really 23
Main photograph by Victoria Wai
To read the full version of this magazine you can buy print copies delivered direct to you from our Bandcamp or support us via Patreon for even more exclusive goodies! Just click on the links below:
LAURAN HIBBERD “Who the f*** is Lauran Hibberd?”, is a question you may find yourself wondering, especially after noticing her stage backdrop, although the 24-year-old is keen to tell her story in her own words. 24
The slacker-pop musician could perhaps first appear to be far from her home on the Isle of Wight, but this couldn’t be further from the truth - as any witness has observed, her true home is onstage. Sitting in her tour van while she’s on the road with The Vamps on their Cherry Blossom Tour, she starts: “It is to stop other people from asking the question. I'm a very selfdeprecating kind of person. I guess on a tour like this, when perhaps I'm out with a band like The Vamps, maybe their audience probably wouldn't have heard me before. I guess I'm kind of taking the p*** out of myself really. It’s like, ‘You don't know who I am but let's just have fun anyway.’ That's sort of the point. It’s to make a statement about no one knowing who I am.”
rough idea of the track list and I know what it's gonna be called.”
"I LIKE TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING I DO STINKS OF ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO LOVE OR HATE IT, BUT KNOW THAT IT’S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD DO."
Due to the personal nature of her lyrics, each track reminds her of people she has known. “In ‘How Am I Still Alive?’, for example, I wrote very specifically about a drummer that I used to know and I've never met anyone with a character kind of like him. Yet every time I sing that song I think about Dedication to music has this guy and it's kind of funny always been part of her because he's a bit of a nerd. brand. Instead of going into You wouldn't stop on the sixth form, she got 3 A* equivalents at Platform One street and look at this guy College of Music in Newport. for more than one second, She notes: “The Isle of Wight and you'd never think about him ever again. But for some is great. It's a lovely place reason, I was like, ‘There's to grow up. Not ideal for a musician, as you can imagine something fascinating about but we do a lot of travelling. this weird guy.” I think it's kind of become Perhaps verging on too a good talking point. personal, Hibberd did Everyone's like, ‘You've come from the Isle of Wight question the release of her typically tongue-infor this?’ I'm like, ‘Yeah, I cheek track, ‘Old Nudes’ know. Dedication’.” however, it was luckily fine. Revealing she sometimes There’s already a debut wonders if it’s too far or album release to follow her specific, she says: “I'm successful EP, “Goober”. definitely sometimes trying “I'm working on my debut to just go around details a album, which is super little bit, to not have anyone exciting. That's kind of like a big cloud hanging over me knock on my door and be like, ‘Yeah, can you remove in a really good way. It's like that please?’” a pink fluffy cloud hanging over my head, so I'm very Her vivid imagination acts excited. I kind of have a 25
as a starting point for merch designs and music announcements. Never one to do things by halves, she announced the tour for her “Goober” EP with a spoof weather report. “I think personality-wise, I like just goofing about and not taking myself too seriously. I like to make sure everything I do stinks of me. I want people to love or hate it, but know that it’s something that I would do. I definitely try to inject personality across all platforms. I'd much rather people remember me for something. I always like to put a fun spin on stuff.” Her outlandish music videos have long become a staple in the Lauran Hibberd experience. “I normally come up with a really drastic million-pound idea for a video and end up having to do it on about £1000. I think that's the beauty with some of the videos like the ‘Never Looked So Cool’ idea. I wanted it to be me underwater and I wanted to hire our whole leisure gym/pool and fill it with marshmallows. We’d be lying on lilos and just kind of running around in that. It obviously didn't become that but it did become an underwater style video, so I did manage to incorporate that. I always have stupid ideas.” Her favourite yet was for the ‘Hoochie’ video. “I was like a cool girl. I bought a burner phone and put the number at the bottom. When the video went out, I used it to answer the phone and text people back. It was a really fun and interactive thing. I think that's been my favourite one so far.”
Records and her latest track ‘Charlie’s Car’, on the radar for Spotify’s ‘the locker_’ and ‘Shockwave’ playlists, Hibberd has the world at her feet. If she had a dream musical day, those who know her wouldn’t be surprised by how she’d spend it. “I’d probably wake up in bed next to Rivers Cuomo from Weezer. Give him a kiss. I’d go and make breakfast with Avril Lavigne. Have a chat with her. I’d go into my studio session with Suzy Shin who is my producer now. I'd have to spend the day “At Reading, someone came with her in the studio and up to me and said that they “Wolf Alice watched our set then maybe hang out with listened to my song ‘Shark Pixies in the evening. Maybe at Reading and Leeds and Week’ and it helped them Toout read the full version ofsothis magazine you canwith buy printat get drunk Yungblud that was weird. Because come to their family. night. Then, I'd to play obviously we watched them Bandcamp Icopies thought that was really direct delivered to you from our orlike support Wembley that night. Just to and were like, ‘Wow, it’s inspiring and again, just Patreon forAlice’. evenWemore exclusive finish goodies! it off.” Wolf saw them weird to meus in avia great way, that I could have that sort of afterwards and they were An artist who shares like, ‘Good set’. There's impact on someone.” everything through the definitely a couple of Just click on the links below: moments that seem unreal.” authenticity of her music Her honest and relatable and interview answers, tracks such as ‘Shark Week’ there’s still something she’s She’s previously clearly resonate with her never been asked. “No one collaborated with Lydia fans and ‘Sweat Patch’ is no ever asked me what my Night from The Regrettes different. Centred around middle name is.” If you were on her satiric-ballad ‘How drug culture and alienation wondering, it’s Amélie just Am I Still Alive’, which from peers, Hibberd has like the French film. As well boasts almost 1.5 million become more open with as having the same name as streams on Spotify alone. how she feels about things. the lead, they both share an She already has her next She states: “I used to just dream collaboration in mind. affinity for sharing joy with make up an excuse or others and celebrating the “I'd love to collaborate whatever or got myself out mundane in every day. Just of the room really fast. Now, with Yungblud right now. I stream Hibberd’s music or hadn't seen him live until I I'm very much like, ‘I just better yet, make your way to like coke zero, it’s my jam’. I was at Reading and Leeds. her live show to experience I watched him twice both think I've learned just to be it first-hand. times and it blew my mind. myself and be okay with it. I feel like it really inspired People are really accepting You can stream her a lot of the time. I think that my performance. I kind of “Goober” EP on all major met him and had a brief everyone I've met has been streaming platforms and chat. I just really, really like really nice. I've been quite everything he stands for. I'd purchase a vinyl copy from lucky so far. I’ll hit you back her website. Keep your eyes love to do something with when I’ve got some horror peeled for her forthcoming him for sure.” stories. I’m sure they’ll debut album in 2022. come.” Standing up for others and both being creative freeBoasting a fast-growing spirits means they’d likely be and dedicated fanbase, it’s well-matched. not surprising that Hibberd Recently signing with Virgin has already had a host The clear connection between Hibberd and her fans is palpable. It’s something that naturally still leaves her with disbelief. “I'm just surprised anyone cares, a lot of the time. I have endless time for anyone that buys a ticket to one of my shows because that's what it's all about as that means I can keep doing my job. It's amazing when you hear people who say, ‘You've helped me get through this, this and that’.”
Words by Camilla Whitfield
of support from famous faces such as Yungblud, as well as Radio 1 DJs Clara Amfo and Jack Saunders. There’s another perhaps unexpected fan that’s stuck out to her. “Weirdly the other day, Scouting For Girls messaged me. I don't know if it's necessarily cool but I'm into it, like growing up with the Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging, sort of film days. He was like, ‘Just loving your sound’. Literally, 9-year-old me would have absolutely done a front flip of excitement.”
26
Photography by Andrew Benge
DIGGING DEEPER
SNAKE EYES VEGANISM...
We are a 3 piece grit pop band based in Brighton, uk, comprised of Thomas Brooker on the drums, Nicole Gill on the bass and backing vox, and me (Jim). I sing and play guitar. We’ve been friends for many years in various other bands and began releasing music as snake eyes peak lockdown in 2020. Things have been on the up and up ever since. We are proud that, as a band, we can say that we are all vegan. It's something that we feel is more than just a dietary requirement and more of a lifestyle. This is not something we do to seem cool, this is about treating animals correctly and attempting to save our planet. Simple as that really. I feel, at this point, it’s pretty common knowledge that, other than air travel, animal agriculture is one of the main causes of global warming and as people who Words by Jim Heffy / Snake Eyes
rarely fly, it’s the least we can do to do our bit. I personally would never harm an animal so would never expect someone else to do it for me. When it’s now so easy to walk into any supermarket and buy meat alternatives, it feels like a no brainer. As a touring band, we make sure we’re doing all we can to save on waste. No bottled water on the rider, no plastic cups in the dressing room. It might sound silly but if you’re playing night after night in a different city and you’re being given crates of water and cups, it's a senseless waste really. We've finally been able to get out in the world and tour in 2021 and it’s been incredible to meet people who have been listening to our music through lockdown and really touching to hear how they discovered us. Hearing that they listen to it with their friends or children has been a highlight. It's magic! I'm very much excited 27
for the year ahead but we will always try to tour in the most environmentally conscious way that we can as a DIY band. It's the people in power who have the ability to make real change but we don’t feel that’s an excuse to sit back and do nothing. If we all did our bit, the world could be a beautiful place! We’re not a bunch of party poopers and like to have a good time as much as the next person, just doesn’t have to be at the expense of an animal or our big blue planet. Our new record “The Lovehate Mixtape” is out worldwide on the 19th November so be sure to give it a spin. Peace and love. x
Photography by Georgia Penny
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND WITH COLD YEARS
big influence on us as a band even now as we move away from our hometown where we cut our teeth.
little quieter on the music scene here, but there are still some artists from around here making waves.
Ross Gordon – Guitar / Vocal Finlay Urquhart – Guitar Louis Craighead – Bass
INTRODUCTION
We are Cold Years, a punk rock band hailing from Aberdeen in the Northeast of Scotland. Despite often being a pretty cold and dark corner of the world, there’s a lot of cool stuff around this little city. It’s tough being a band from around here, due in no small part to its geographical location which adds hours and sometimes days at the beginning and ends of tours. But being from – and often trying to escape – this remote corner of the UK has had a
We all played in many bands throughout the years in Aberdeen, and were surrounded by a vibrant music scene growing up here. We were pretty lucky to have grown up in an era when many of the biggest bands in the UK were rising through the ranks and playing packed out shows in some of the small venues here; we’ve all got stories of times we supported bands who are now headlining festivals and headlining stadium tours and that was pretty inspiring for us as kids. In recent years it’s been a 28
BANDS & ARTISTS
Gerry Jablonski & the Electric Band. Blues titans. Gerry has been doing it for years. Probably one of the tightest live bands I’ve ever seen. Excellent show, excellent player, excellent band. gerryjablonskiband.co.uk Dude Trips. Sad boi pop punk legends. These guys write
great songs, and there’s some real depth to them. They have a great following here and regularly sell out the Tunnels venue. They tour the UK a lot, so keep an eye out. dudetrips.co.uk Van Sleep. FFO Catfish and the Bottlemen / Suede. These guys are GREAT live. They’ve been kicking around a couple of years and are always coming out with fresh new tunes, and they are always a riot live. facebook.com/ VansleepOfficial
VENUES
Tunnels. I would need a lot of hands to figure out how many times we’ve played this venue. It’s a key location in the city to see music. The sound there is INCREDIBLE, and when it’s sold out, the atmosphere is indescribable. As well as a live music venue, Tunnels hosts some of the city’s most popular club nights. There is a huge electronic music scene here spearheaded by club nights and promoters such as Let It Bleed, All Night Passion, Rare, Majestik, Rhythm and Bohemia who all regularly host club nights at Tunnels and promote equality, safety and a LGBTQ+ friendly environment
Lemon Tree. Slightly bigger cap than Tunnels, it’s a great venue. It’s clean, safe and has a great bar! Stage has plenty of room, and the sound system is great. Supported many bands there over the years, but it’s really a venue STUDIO & RECORDING you’d want to headline when Captain Toms. If you’re a band you’re big enough. or an artist in Aberdeen, this is where you will rehearse Café Drummonds. Old-Skool or record your music. Tom’s venue that has seen many been doing this for over 30 great bands perform there years and is a key pillar in the over the years. A key part of musical community. A kind Aberdeen’s nightlife located and generous man, who’s on the iconic Belmond Street. dedicated his life to music in The load-in is a hassle, having the City. A fantastic rehearsal to climb up which often feels and recording space, with like an endless set of steps. incredible facilities and a But it’s totally worth it. warm welcome. Without Tom, Aberdeen would not have a music scene. He’s responsible for so many successful bands He also runs his label, Fat Hippy Records, out of the studio. We wrote and demoed the vast majority of our first 3 EPs (Mile Marker, Deathchasers, Northern Blue) and debut album (Paradise) HANG-OUTS at this studio. We’ve spent The beach. Whether you’re more late nights than we’d like going for a run, walking your to remember in that studio dog, or catching a movie, the room, and owe Tom a whole beach offers it all. The views load of thanks for putting up are spectacular, even on a with us over the years. stormy day. All of us spent our youth there hanging Words by Cold Years
29
out drinking beers, having parties, or just grabbing a tan (rarely). We’ve shot music videos there. It’s a really cool spot, with some really cool restaurants. Hazlehead Park. Perfect place to go on a sunny day for a park beer. It even has this creepy old maze that’s fun to get lost in. So many childhood memories locked in one place. You even used to get festivals there during the summer prior to Covid.
RECORD LABELS
Fat Hippy Records. Captain Tom’s Indy label. We released Deathchasers through them a few years ago. Incredibly fair and supportive label ran like a family. It’s been a fantastic launchpad for so many bands to get their music out and continues to sign many bands which will go on to be successful. fathippyrecords.co.uk
HISTORICAL FACTS
Aberdeen used to be known as the energy city because of its booming offshore oil industry. That industry is thankfully now in decline. The Aberdeen area has the largest number of whiskey distilleries of any whisky producing area in Scotland
The Dominican friars (known as black friars) arrived about 1221. The Carmelite or white friars arrived in Aberdeen in the late 15th century.
The name Aberdeen probably comes from the word "aber" (meaning mouth of the river) Don. Aberdeen was probably founded by the 8th century AD as a fishing settlement. However, by the early 12th century Aberdeen had grown into a town. One sign of this came in 1136 when the burgesses (merchants and craftsmen) of Aberdeen were given the right to charge a tithe (a tax of one 10th of all goods) on ships entering or leaving the harbour and by then it was a busy little port. Exports from Aberdeen included salted fish, hides, and wool. In the 12th century, some of Aberdeen’s inhabitants were immigrants from Flanders (roughly modern-day Belgium). They would have spoken French. During the Middle Ages, the people of Aberdeen lived by fishing or by weaving and dyeing wool or by working leather (some of them were skinners, tanners, glovers, and saddlers). The church was very powerful in the Middle Ages and its presence was everywhere. St Machar’s Cathedral was built in stages in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The 14th century was a troubled time for Scotland. However, according to tradition, in 1306, the people of Aberdeen helped Robert the Bruce by entering the castle and killing the defenders. Later the town’s motto became Bon Accord, which was the password on the night the castle was taken. Robert the Bruce rewarded the people for their loyalty to him by granting them one of his hunting forests. The revenue from the forest went into a common fund.
INSTRUMENT SHOPS
Kennys Music. Formally the famous R&B Music, this store has a great selection of affordable and premium guitars, basses, keyboards and drums. Located on the Green, it’s a great shop with some really helpful staff. RamJam Music. This is the place to go in Aberdeen for ANYTHING guitar related. I love this place. I could spend hours in there. Located on Crown Street, this small shop has everything. The staff are super knowledgeable, and they even do servicing repairs on amps and guitars. This superb shop always has an incredible selection of amps, pedals and guitars. Thoroughly recommend checking them out. ramjammusic.co.uk
RECORD SHOPS
Cavern Records. Our mothers and fathers bought records from this store, and we continue to buy them today. Located on Belmont Street, this tiny little hideaway is a hidden gem. Maindinvinyl. I love this place. It has such a diverse selection of vintage and modern records, and is a true testament to the fact that buying records in a store is far better than buying them online.
During the Middle Ages, there were friars in Aberdeen. (Friars were like monks but instead of withdrawing from the world they went out to preach). The Trinitarian friars (known as red friars because of the colour of their costumes) arrived about 1211. 30
Cold Years are touring throughout December and brand new single ‘Home’ is out now.
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
LILY STURT-BOLSHAW WHO ARE YOU?
Hi, my name’s Lily, I am one half of Sunflower Thieves, I have too many jobs, I’m vegan and I really love fruit pastels.
WHAT ARE YOUR JOB TITLES?
As well as being in the band I also do live sound engineering, repping, production/songwriting and I work for Come Play With Me on events, social media and magazine.
WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL?
Being a live sound engineer means I make people sound good when they’re on stage. A rep is basically an artist liaison/ stage manager so you go out and buy the rider for bands, make sure they have what they want for the day and make them feel welcome in the venue. As a producer/songwriter, I write songs with people and then work with them to build the sound they want on their tracks, so whether it’s adding new sounds or manipulating sounds they already have to make them sound Words by Lily Sturt-Bolshaw
even better, I do that kinda stuff basically. And then finally with Come Play With Me at the moment, I’m kind of the event's facilitator so I am helping first-time promoters put on gigs, giving them artist ideas, contacts to venues, that kind of thing. Then with the magazine, I help Andy choose who we’re going to have doing which features and I make and schedule all the posts on socials.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO IT?
Live sound and repping I got basically by forcing my way through the crowds of men doing the same jobs haha! Just by putting myself in front of people and saying "Hi I do this too please will you hire me". Also having male allies and friends who were already in those venues and positions definitely helped, they were able to recommend me to people who hadn’t met me yet and the rest is history! But honestly, there was a lot of perseverance and proving myself. CPWM - I applied through the Kickstarter Scheme and yeah I’m a 31
delight so here we are. Production/songwriting - I produce and co-write all of Sunflower Thieves stuff so I just decided to branch out and see who else would like to work with me.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHERS?
Back yourself! You’ve got to believe in yourself, I didn’t for ages and when people asked me what I did for work I’d never say I was a sound engineer, even though I did it every other day, I just didn’t feel qualified enough but actually once I started believing in myself it got much easier to get work. Also, ask questions, I always ask questions even if I think it might make me look stupid, it’s so much better to ask and learn than to just do it wrong. Thanks for reading n stuff x Find me here: linktr.ee/ lilyameliasb Photography by Olivia Ferrara
To read the full version of this magazine you can buy print copies delivered direct to you from our Bandcamp or support us via Patreon for even more exclusive goodies! ART WALL
Just click on the links below:
KILLS BIRDS WITH NINA LJETI
that, and a lot of this artwork ended up being used as the single/LP artwork for our forthcoming album, "Married."
I'm featuring artwork that I made for Kills Birds over the last year. During quarantine, I started painting and drawing again. I've never been confident in myself as a visual artist, but I find it helps me cope with my anxiety. My goal was to explore ways in which I could translate the music of Kills Birds into a visual arts medium. What you see here are some examples of
I was born in Bosnia in 1991. In 1992, a civil war broke out. My father, a Muslim in the military, helped us flee the country and eventually we settled in Canada. I grew up in the city of Windsor, an industrial town that shares a border with Detroit. As a kid, I was into punk, emo, and hip hop music, and I find that a lot of my artistic sensibilities stem from those genres of music. In addition to singing in Kills 32
Birds, I am also a director, and I've done videos for artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Wallows,
and Crowded House among others.
And finally, you'll see a little animated film I made to coincide with the Married album promotion. It's my first animated film ever and I drew each frame by hand! So I'm really proud.
I included the official artwork for our single "Glisten", our LP Married, the alternate artwork for our single "Rabbit." The "Ow" and "Linger" artwork are some of the first pieces I created to coincide with singles and outtakes from our first LP.
You'll also see a photo collage of the Neve 8028 console that we recorded "Married" on. Back story: We were fortunate enough to gain access to Dave Grohl's studio 606 for a week to record our second album. Dave acquired the Neve 8028 from the now defunct studio, Sound City. That console is historic: it's recorded artists like Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, and Weezer. Words and illustrations by Nina Ljeti / Kills Birds
Our album "Married" came out on the 12th November. Be sure to take a listen. <3 You can also catch us on tour with the Foo Fighters in December. We'll be in Europe in 2022. Hope you like the art :)
33
DIGGING DEEPER
ANNA VINCENT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND THE MYTH OF YOUTH...
I’m a singer and songwriter from London. Until now, I’ve always been in bands, but during the pandemic, necessity prevailed and I ended up writing and recording an album at home.
In the process, I’ve had to consider how I present myself as a solo artist. Being in a band felt safe, but now I’m ‘Anna Vincent’ and there’s nothing and nobody to hide behind. These songs are the most honest and personal I’ve ever written, so it felt right that I should also be honest about who I am. Part of that includes embracing the fact that I’m now in my thirties. Age is a scary thing for a woman in music; there’s this myth that you need to stay young and beautiful Words by Anna Vincent
to stay ‘marketable’, and we are constantly defined and confined by that little number. I’ve been in bands since I was a kid, but even then I was already aware of the ticking clock. As the years passed, that ticking became a deafening clang, and every time I’d do an interview, or meet a manager or a label, I’d brace myself for the inevitable question. Initially, I thought I could just be vague about my age; change the subject when it arose, re-write my own history to edit out large chunks of my life. But that started to feel very hollow. All those adventures, triumphs, mishaps - and all that music - are what made me who I am as an artist, and I wanted to be able to celebrate that, not hide. 34
The music industry is a very misogynistic place, and there is such a fetish about youth, and such a taboo about ageing. Of course there are young musicians who create incredible work, and we all understand the magnetism of this, but there’s something ghoulish about that obsession too. Youth is not a talent in itself, and age brings with it experience, perspective and a whole lot more to write about. We’re young for such a brief moment in our lives, so why shouldn’t we champion music which reflects and speaks to us at every stage of the journey? ‘Under the Glass’ comes out via Ultimate Blends on 29th October 2021 with a headline show in London at The Waiting Room on 1st November. Photography by Max Bloom
5 QUESTIONS
SAINT KOCHI WHO ARE YOU?
and that felt like a bit of a bad decision.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am in the process of writing new music. I think the plan will be to put out another EP early into next year. For me this new EP is musically all about realising dreams and is really going to be reflective of that sonically, which is something I am really excited about. I hope to push myself in terms of arrangements and instrumentation outside of what I have been able to achieve so far and hopefully it’s going to turn out to be something special!
I am Saint Kochi a musician living in East London! I make music! I built a studio in the basement of my house over the first horrible lockdown and wrote and recorded an EP in it... much to my neighbours dismay.
WHY DO YOU DO IT?
I think I have played music for as long as I can remember, its always been a big part of my life. I stopped making it and didn’t pick up a guitar for a few years as I felt a little disillusioned about the music industry as a whole, but kind of realised that I was just stopping doing something that I loved out of spite maybe Words by Saint Kochi
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?
WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC?
Probably a boring one but streaming. I think the 35
streaming platforms have been amazing for opening up the industry and putting a lot of control back into the hands of artists, there is a real route to fans and a more honest experience from that perspective of how we all consume music on some levels, but it's still a shitty deal for an artist and I think creativity can end up being a little stifled because people simply don’t have the resources to make or realise what they have the capability of making and that needs to change!. Listen to my current “Saint Kochi” EP and follow me on Instagram for updates on how the next EP is coming along. Photography by Sam Hiscox
To read the full version of this magazine you can buy print copies delivered direct to you from our Bandcamp or support us via Patreon for even more exclusive goodies! Just click on the links below:
PIP BLOM Dutch indie quarter Pip Blom are a passionate and musical bunch that have been taking over Dutch and UK scenes by storm. I talked to the band about their 'Welcome Break', touring postBrexit and the past eighteen months... Onwards and upwards! 36
Now that the restrictions in the Netherlands have somewhat lifted, venues and festivals are slowly starting to open up again and Pip Blom have seized the opportunity to play indoor festivals and grace the Dutch stages again. A combination of time on stage and time in the studio is exactly what Pip loves about being an artist, “what I’ve come to realise, in 2019 both were very isolated, it was just playing live and then just recording an album. What I like about that is the combination of both and the diversity of being in a band. You make so many great memories, you’re on the road with friends and it is so special to be able to do that and to have a lot of fun all the time!” Recording an album in lockdown isn’t for everyone and it wasn’t the ideal situation for Pip Blom either, luckily they were able to and were inspired by their ‘Welcome Break’, “I wrote ‘Welcome Break’ after we toured a lot in 2019 and we were home after quite an intense period, I wasn’t sure if I was able to write again because I hadn’t written anything new in quite a while, but it was very exciting to write new stuff because eventually, the old stuff gets a bit boring…” It was quite literally a ‘Welcome Break’, “it was a weird break because we missed a lot of the social stuff, I would usually visit my nan more often or hang out with my friends and because of the lockdown it wasn’t the break I had envisioned but we still managed to make the album!”
While she speaks, we see her eyes light up and she gets more animated the more we talk. Creating music because of a passion for music is truly at the heart of Pip Blom. “I started writing music because I loved going to gigs. I remember seeing Parquet Courts for the first time live around the release of their first album and they were so energetic and I just wanted that too. To be able to play live and travel the world and make music together, that’s what sparked my interest. To me, making music and being in a band is one of the coolest things there is, and the more people we reach the longer we will keep being able to do this.”
"IT IS WAY MORE EXPENSIVE NOW TO TRAVEL TO THE UK, ESPECIALLY COMBINING BREXIT AND COVID, IT’S ALL QUITE COMPLICATED." “I am very nervous about people’s reactions to the album but at the same time, I don’t want to put too much pressure on it, because I don't think that helps anyone. I think it’s important not to put too much pressure on what you’re doing!” The music media absolutely loves Pip Blom, and their no-pressure-policy might just have something to do with that, “when we play live we try to have as much fun as possible, each to their own, but I personally 37
love seeing bands that enjoy themselves. Lots of UK bands look very ‘cool’ when they’re on stage but that’s not us, we’re very outgoing and enthusiastic and I hope that translates to the album and why people like us.” Pip Blom are presented as a Dutch band, but they almost spend more time in the UK. Is there a clear difference between the two countries and do Pip Blom get the best of both worlds? “From the beginning of us being a band we played shows in the UK as well as the Netherlands, it was very much our focus from the start. But what could be difficult for other Dutch bands is that hospitality and fees are very different in the Netherlands and the UK, it’s a lot tougher in the UK. In the Netherlands we are used to a fridge full of beer and a good fee, so going to the UK is quite difficult as it feels like you start at the bottom again. The music scene in the Netherlands also wasn’t as vibrant back when we started and we kind of fit into that British identity. Indie rock isn’t such a big thing in the Netherlands, so playing both countries is very fun and different, but it’s hard to pinpoint the difference.” That British sound and identity would have also contributed to the band being invited to the National Lottery-funded Revive Live tour which was organised by Music Venue Trust. It was an honour for Pip Blom to be asked to be a part of the tour, and talking about the importance of funded tours, we discuss its fine line between enough and
the name Good Sad Happy and helping others doesn’t just shine through in the way Bad. I haven’t been listening they work with other bands, to a lot of music recently, because when I'm making Pip Blom have also created their own online community music it sometimes gets a bit much in my head. There’s of fans in the form of a also an endless list of Dutch membership area on their bands people should check website. Wondering how to out, such as Rats on Rafts, get all your fans together, Steve French, KIEFF, The talking to each other and being able to share exclusive Klittens…” Some more content such as travel vlogs solid advice. The idea was to end the interview on a and unreleased demos? A high and speak about some membership is your way to go! “What I really like about of Pip’s dreams, but she’s The band are currently set the bar pretty feasible our membership area is a residing in the Netherlands sense of community, it gives for herself. “I’m terrified of but will soon get back on collaborating with anyone people a more personal the ferry for more shows that I look up to, but we did insight. On Facebook and overseas, which hasn’t support The Breeders on Instagram, you have to be been made any easier for their tour and that quite ‘pretty’ andmagazine it doesn’t To read the full version of this youEurope can buy print musicians, thanks to Brexit… was an absolute dream come truly reach the people that “It is way more expensive copies delivered tolike you from our true, I would or lovesupport to support would to know what we Bandcamp now to travel to the UK, direct them goodies! again! I would love to are likeeven as people!” especially combining Brexit us via Patreon for more exclusive support Parquet Courts, and COVID, it’s all quite or join Fontaines D.C. and I It’s not just the fans that complicated. You also have would also really like to join to get a carnet (a carnet is a swoon over Pip Blom, the Just click on the links below: Franz Ferdinand on one of temporary export document band truly seem to have their tours through South gotten the entire music that is used primarily for America, they’re also so professional equipment) for journalism industry on their knees and there’s not much sweet and they’re a very all your gear, and it takes cool bunch of people!” the band can do wrong. you a day extra to get into Right, we’re aiming for a Pip’s tips for bands that the UK and an extra day to South American tour with would like to follow in their leave, which is very timeFranz Ferdinand and let’s say footsteps: “Find out what consuming. We have only the album is going to blow you like, what you want to travelled in and out once the roof off the industry do, be honest, real and and it was so chaotic! None of the people working at the personal, and don’t try to be once again because they’ve worked hard for it and their the next cool band.” Solid border really knew that we enthusiasm and hard work needed to have our carnets advice. should be rewarded! stamped… But it isn’t going to stop us from travelling to Since most of Pip’s the UK as it is such a big part friends seem to be in ‘Welcome Break’ is out now of our market, but for bands bands, we need a list of on all digital platforms and recommendations that that are starting out that available on vinyl January receive the Pip Blom want to go to the UK it will 21st 2022. UK in-stores in stamp of approval! “I really definitely be a big hurdle.” Jan 2022 then a headline like Dutch band Personal UK tour from 7th February Trainer, they were with “We have been getting a 2022. us on tour two years ago lot of messages from other and they are a very cool Dutch bands and we have and energetic band! I also all been trying to help always recommend Micachu each other and are sharing & The Shapes, especially information. Hopefully, in a year or two it will be getting ‘Jewelry’, they are not active anymore but they easier when it’s all settled.” did release an album under That sense of community too much. “I think it is very important to have funding in the music industry, although I have to say that too much funding sometimes creates laziness. In the UK you really have to like working in the music industry, because it’s not easy money, but especially now with COVID funding is important to keep it going, but there’s a fine line...
Words by Laura Rosierse
38
Photography by Erik Smits
5 QUESTIONS
M(H)AOL WHO ARE YOU? We are M(h)aol, an intersectional feminist postpunk band based out of Bristol, London, Dublin and Cork. We originally formed in 2015 after being *heavily* influenced by the Punk Singer and then went on hiatus for over three years. We are releasing our debut EP on the 29th of this month. WHAT DO YOU DO? A slightly vague question but I’m Róisín, I am the lead singer. I write the lyrics for the songs but not the music. Connie, Zoe, Jamie and Sean take the lead on the music. Overall, it’s a very symbiotic process in which one or some of us will bring an idea and then we’ll all riff on that. Words by Saint Kochi
WHY DO YOU DO IT? That’s a BIG question. Personally speaking, I am not a musical person at all and M(h)aol is the only band I’ve ever been in. It continuously feels like being part of something very special that is also wildly out of my comfort zone. I think it’s important to have music out there that is explicitly political, we definitely wear our beliefs on our sleeves.
space for women and people of marginalised genders. Means a lot to us for obvious reasons.
We have our debut EP ‘Gender Studies’ coming out digitally on the 29th of October, we are playing Bristol at Rough Trade on the 1st of November, Glasgow at the Hug and Pint on the 2nd, Manchester at the Talleyrand on the 3rd and London at the Shacklewell Arms on the 4th. WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW? Then we’re playing Dublin at So much!! We’re all coming the Workmans Cellar on the together in two weeks to write 12th. Physical release of the more music and rehearse for EP will be out 14th January our tour which I am so excited 2022. We’ve also got so many for it. exciting things in the pipeline its insane. WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC? Live music becoming a safe 39
Photography by Susan Appleby
THE KIT LIST
FUR INTRODUCTION Hi my name is Josh and I’m one of the guitarists and songwriters in the band FUR, from Brighton. We make music that marries a mutual love for 60’s/70’s songwriting and production with the more modern influences that we grew up with.
ROLAND JAZZ CHORUS 120 AMP The JC-120 has been my dream amp since an early teen infatuation with Robert Smith.
Not exclusive to The Cure, the amp is used by so many of my favourite artists like David Byrne and Slowdive to name a few. About 6 years ago I managed to buy an old JC-120 online and had to drive up to London to collect it. On arrival, I knocked on the door to the address I had been given and was greeted by a friendly old man and his equally old dog who was no less friendly. After playing it for a while he proceeded to tell me about the history of the amp by showing me a photo album of pictures of his time as a roadie for The Pogues who used the amp on tour. He was so friendly he even ended up giving me a discount as he could tell I would take care of it. It’s roughly 40 years old and weighs a tonne but it’s still going strong. 40
FENDER STRATOCASTER GUITAR I got this guitar on a risky “pay nothing for the first 6 months” deal in 2019 just before our UK and Asia tour because I didn’t have a guitar reliable enough for touring. It was really thrown in the deep end in that sense and it wasn’t set up properly so I hated it up until we recorded our album and the studio guitar tech transformed it for me for which I am eternally grateful. What I
love about these guitars is the versatility and range of sounds you can get out of them!
TOUR ESSENTIAL: HUEL If there’s one thing that is certain when it comes to touring, it’s that you can guarantee at some point you will be feeling worse for wear in some unfamiliar service station. Stationed off a monotonous motorway by a town that you’ve never heard of and are likely never to hear of again. In this situation, it’s very easy to succumb to the overpriced meal deals or even the promise of redemption via the grease of fast food, as I have
done so many times in the past. The real answer to your woes is Huel. A bag of magic sawdust-like goodness that when combined with water gives you a shake that gives you everything your body needs, keeping not only you healthy but also your bank balance. Allowing you to shake off the worst of late nights and play each show like it was the first day of the tour.
TOUR ESSENTIAL: BOOKS I’ve always enjoyed reading ever since I could remember, very much anything I can get my hands on from fiction and poetry to non-fiction and
autobiographies. It’s a perfect hobby to have considering in reality, being on tour is 90% traveling to a show or sitting around waiting to play one. Thinking about it I’m surprised then that every time I take a book with me I barely make a dent because I always end up having such a good time with everyone. Maybe I’ll have more luck in 5 years’ time when we all hate each other’s guts and don’t speak. The book pictured is “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong which has to be the best book I’ve read so far this year and highly recommend. Our debut album "When you walk away" is out now and you can catch us on tour in November. furband.co.uk
Words by Josh Buchanan / FUR
A SERIES OF PODCASTS FEATURING KINDNESS QUINN CHRISTOPHERSON CHARDINE TAYLOR-STONE SELF ESTEEM DENAI MOORE ERIN RAE TOM ASPAUL
41
PHOTO BOOTH
LIVE CONCERT PHOTOS ON FILM, POST-LOCKDOWN WITH NATION OF LANGUAGE Presence" was released last year and even though we did everything ourselves, it ended up becoming successful to the point we asked what we should do with the money which was easy - make another album of course. Hi, we are Nation Of Language from Brooklyn, made up of myself (Ian Devaney), my wife Aidan Noell, and our friend Michael Sue-Poi. We’ve been a band for quite a while, and after releasing the odd single we thought it was time to make an album but there was no way we were able to afford it. So Aidan and I decided to get married and instead of registering for gifts, we asked people to put money towards studio time. Our first album "Introduction,
"A Way Forward" came out at the start of November, and we were even able to tour properly for the first time with most of the dates in the US selling out. We’re touring the UK for the first time in January including Leeds, and we can’t wait. 42
We released our debut album in the spring of 2020 and as a result never got to have that joy of taking a new album out on the road. We decided to take that time to record our second album, and are now fortunate enough to be on the road in support of both records. Getting to experience live
music alongside our fans and go out to shows has been such a spiritual boost, so we wanted to share what these early days back have been looking like for us. We really like the limited nature of film - you only have so many shots you’re willing to take at each event, and a lot of times they don’t work out, but sometimes you get something that you never intended. That element of surprise and being open to any result is an appealing way to approach photography and we feel it captures something of the essence of live music itself - spontaneity, surprise, a little bit of magic.
LP2 “A Way Forward” is out on the 5th November. Instagram: @nationoflanguage Twitter: @notionofanguish nationoflanguage.com
Feature photography by Ian & Aidan Devaney
43
Main photograph by Robin Laananen
COME PL AY WITH L AURAN HIBBERD ORL A GARTL AND
PIP BLOM / FUR / COLD YEARS / MIL AN RING N AT I O N O F L A N G U A G E / M A R I A N A S E MK IN A CHELSEA CARMICHAEL / FRANCIS OF DELIRIUM TA R A L ILY / NII X / K IL L S BIRD S / S N A K E E YE S S A IN T KO C HI / A NN A V IN C E N T / M ( H ) A OL AND LOTS MORE... BEHIND THE SCENES AND UNDER THE SKIN OF ALL THINGS MUSIC
PICK ME UP FOR FREE OR BUY PRINT COPIES ONLINE / #017 / NOV2021
