DIY, August 2014 by DIY Magazine

DIY

free / issue 32 / august 2014 diymag.com

huge

reading+leeds special paramore Vs chVRches the wytches childhood & lots more

GOES IT ALONE

diymag.com

GOOD VS

EVIL

WHAT’S ON THE DIY TEAM’S RADAR? Victoria Sinden

Deputy Editor

GOOD The thunder and lightning at

Latitude was something else. Who needs pyrotechnics? GOOD#2 diymag.com/superfood Sarah Jamieson

News Editor

GOOD It’s almost Reading & Leeds! It’s almost Reading & Leeds! See you down front; I’ll be the one singing along to Paramore that little bit too loudly. EVIL Saw the most humongous spider hanging out in my flat last night. Then it disappeared…

EDITOR’S LETTER Going solo isn’t easy. When all you’ve known is being part of a gang, responsibilities shared, your band mates at your back - taking the limelight on your own must be a shuddering thought. Even more so if you’re this month’s cover star Gerard Way. Few can lay claim to being the voice of a generation, but for many Gerard most certainly is. In My Chemical Romance he carried the flag for the outsiders who could inherit the Earth. Now he’s back, debut solo album ‘Hesitant Alien’ in tow. More lo-fi, pulling influence from Pixies to British pop, even for those new to his world of intense creativity, with his debut live show at Reading & Leeds this month it’s worth getting excited. Stephen Ackroyd

GOOD Death From Above 1979 were the perfect band. One album, one masterpiece. Their second, ten years on, comes next month. Spoiler warning: they’re still perfect.

“

QUOTE OF THE MONTH I like it. Even though it’s about masturbating.

EVIL Tell you what, haters. If

you don’t like a Weezer album since ‘Pinkerton’ that’s lovely for you. Some of us still have faith, and it’s about to be repaid. I know. I’ve heard.

LISTENING POST What’s on the DIY stereo this month? Jamie T - Don’t You Find

A comeback single without the unnecessary bravado, Jamie T’s mellowed out and honed his craft here, in the best way possible. Caribou - Our Love

Initially dubbed the mathematician of electronic music, Dan Snaith’s since found his heart with ‘Our Love’ - this latest record is easily his biggest yet.

Louise Mason

Art Director

GOOD We made a screenprinted

posterzine for Superfood. Pretty smug. EVIL Made photos of bands on racer bikes, doing handstands and with a London map - all I’ve ever wanted in one month. Need new aims. Jamie Milton

Online Editor

GOOD Röyksopp and Robyn’s

euphoric, three-hour blitz through two brilliant back-catalogues at Latitude. Perfection. EVIL Daniel Sturridge covering Sampha’s chorus in Drake’s ‘Too Much’ was, err, a bit too much for me. Emma Swann

Reviews Editor GOOD New Weezer imminent! It’s like Christmas, only slightly early. EVIL Four days in Spain and I didn’t pick up a single word of Spanish beyond ‘cerveza’. Shameful. EL hunt

Assistant Online Editor GOOD #R8 is now a proper thing, which should put a stop to me pitching articles about Rihanna’s long-awaited comeback every other day. EVIL Online Ed Jamie getting all sassy on his birthday and demanding things like ‘put my chocolate in the fridge’.

“

Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Reviews Editor Emma Swann News Editor Sarah Jamieson

CONTENTS

NEWS 6 L AT I T U D E

13 YOUNG GUNS 16 MERCHANDISE 1 9 # S TA N D F O R S O M E T H I N G 20 CHARLI XCX

NEU

24 GENGAHR 26 SPRING KING 29 YEARS & YEARS

30 REAL LIES

READING &LEEDS 3 2 G E R A R D WAY 4 0 PA R A M O R E V S CHVRCHES 4 6 P U L L E D A PA R T BY HORSES

4 8 D Z D E A T H R AY S 5 0 G N A R WO LV ES 5 2 T WI N AT L AN T IC 54 CHILDHOOD 58 DRY THE RIVER 60 THE DISTRICTS 62 THE WYTCHES

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REVIEWS

66 ALBUMS 74 L I V E

Art Director Louise Mason Head Of Marketing & Events Jack Clothier Online Editor Jamie Milton Assistant Online Editor El Hunt Contributors: Andy Crowder, Bevis Man, Chris Rickett, Dominique Sisley, Hayley Fox, Heather McDaid, Hugh Morris, James West, Joe Goggins, Joe Sweeting, Kyle MacNeill, Nathan Roberts, Rachel Pronger, Sophie Diver, Stuart Knapman, Tom Connick, Tom Walters, Will Moss Photographers Carolina Faruolo, Mike Massaro, Phil Smithies, Sarah Louise Bennett, SinĂŠad Grainger For DIY editorial info@diymag.com For DIY sales rupert@sonicdigital.co.uk tel: +44 (0)20 76130555 For DIY online sales lawrence@sonicdigital.co.uk tel: +44 (0)20 76130555 DIY is published by Sonic Media Group. All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of DIY. 25p where sold. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which Sonic Media Group holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of DIY or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally. Cover photo by Mike Massaro

LIVE NATION AND PARALLEL LINES PRESENT

PLUS VERY SPECIAL GUESTS

FINAL SHOW OF THE TROUBLE WILL FIND ME TOUR

WEDNESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2014

LONDON THE O2 TICKETMASTER.CO.UK // LIVENATION.CO.UK AMERICANMARY.COM

NEWS latitude 2014

atitude first-timers are in for a shock: this isn’t like any other festival. It’s an acknowledgement that’s gradually affirmed as the weekend develops. Old heads and fresh faces triumph in equal measure. Music concludes at 11pm, but there onwards the place comes alive in the furthest corners of its forest, with skyreaching trees shunning daylight by simply covering all-out hedonism. Latitude’s there for deck chaired families just as it is for glitter-faced post-exam teens. It’s difficult to see anyone not enjoying themselves. Even the security guards dish out high fives like there’s no tomorrow. Only the odd deranged punter decides to give the lake a go, before being promptly thrown out. They probably don’t regret a thing: this seems to be a festival for brilliant whim decisions. Bands chop and change their sets midway through. Jungle refuse to ditch their bomber coats despite the 30-degree temperatures. When lightning strikes, people cheer instead of turning away in fear and straight back to their tents. Here are the best moments of Latitude 2014.

diymag.com

Last-Minute

Lily Allen Triumphs

“I stepped in to .headline Latitude .and all I got was .this lousy t-shirt.”

ood laid plans go to waste. Booking Two Door Cinema Club as a headliner was supposed to be Latitude’s big move. Everything is relative, but in a world of rotating headliners, this was set to be a first bill topping role at a major UK festival. That’s something to celebrate. Or at least it should have been. One poorly frontman later and everything is up in the air. The bat signal is out for a replacement. Then up steps… Lily Allen? Replacing a reasonably chart leaning alternative act with a sort of alternative pop act shouldn’t be a big leap, and yet for some it felt it. Pay attention to the more negative corners of the internet and you’d have thought musical high robbery was afoot. Who knew Two Door were the band of choice for keyboard warriors? In reality, this was an altogether different gamble from the festival. A much bigger one too. Lily has the hits, sure, but bill topping an event like Latitude is a relatively new occurrence. In previous years it has flirted with pop, but usually the classic variety. As the definitive statement on the first night, there can be no doubts about it. It works. Not many pop stars can spend the majority of a headlining festival set dancing around a selection of fluorescent pink, light-up baby bottles. Then again, not many pop stars are Lily Allen. From her cover of TDCC’s ‘Something Good Can Work’ to the t-shirt of theirs that she’s wearing as she bounds on stage, she’s more than ready to pay tribute to the would-be closers. Needless to say, Allen is still an entity all of her own; irreplaceable in her own completely unique way. It’s no secret that she’s unafraid to speak her mind and be open with her audience. Synth-doused, pun-laden ‘URL Badman’ comes complete with a mid-song shout of, “Literally, go fuck yourself!” after sitting herself on the edge of the stage and giggling about having to turn around her monitor for ‘Littlest Things’. Honest, laid-bare but still hilariously witty throughout, there’s very little not to like. Compelling, passionate and down for a good ol’ time, her set is joyous. Plans? Who needs ‘em. (SJ)

Rudimental put in a surprise appearance Rudimental rise to the occasion as secret guests for Latitude 2014. The Mercury Prize-nominees and BRIT winners played before Editors and after Crystal Fighters on the main stage, bringing debut ‘Home’ to a fevered crowd. (JM)

Jungle floor Latitude with a showcase of their debut Jungle’s debut album is just out, which in turn has put the funk-leaning duo under the spotlight. Suddenly they’re being accused of not having enough variation of songs, or a dodgy marketing routine. None of this matters one jot today. They bring Henham Park to a disco rapture, complete with absolutely god-awful dance moves and a set that - despite recent criticisms shows genuine diversity. Long may the ‘Busy Earnin’’ adventure continue. (JM) 7

latitudE 2014

“Calm down! I’m not playing any Blur until the end.”

DAMON ALBARN

JOINED BY GRAHAM COXON FOR HEADLINE ENCORE

here’s a lot to be said for the power of a single song. An artist can be peerless, but if that talent isn’t deployed in a way that connects with their audience it will matter little. What they need are those rare occasions where everyone, from the casual observer to the hardcore obsessive, finds themselves on the same page. Damon Albarn has made a career out of finding just those sweet spots. For the first hour and twenty minutes of his set, there’s barely a flicker of recognition that this is the frontman of Blur. Songs are picked from all his other guises, from his recent solo album to The Good, The Bad and The Queen, Rocket Juice & The Moon and even Gorillaz; but not the one group which - being honest - is why most onlookers have turned up. It’s not until two songs from the end of the set proper that he finally gives way. A solo, piano led ‘Out Of Time’ feels like the pressure being let off, the electricity in the audience mirrored by flashes of lightning in the sky. In comparison, ‘All Your Life’ may be a gem in the Blur back catalogue, but it’s also a b-side. Closing a main stage performance with something that wilfully obscure would be a ballsy move, but it’s also one Albarn clearly understands. Returning to the stage for another (almost) lone

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sing-a-long for ‘End of a Century’, it’s fair to say for most artists this would be the pay off. But then we’re back to that idea of the single song. Because, while Damon Albarn’s cupboard of musical gems is stocked with many sparkling delights, one is shinier than the rest: ‘Tender’ has become an almost mythical beast. As bandmate and wingman Graham Coxon takes the stage, thunder claps and the sky starts to fall. Nobody is running for cover, though. It’s this moment the crowd will be taking back to their tents. The time that arguably a generation’s greatest talent showed once and for all - it just needs one song to win the day, and he’s got the best of them all. (SA)

WHAT’S GOING ON?

If there’s one thing Damon Albarn is never short of, it’s new projects. So obviously he’s got something fresh on the horizon. “The main thing I’m doing is a musical,” Damon tells DIY on site at Latitude. “A proper musical with jazz hands. I don’t think I’ve ever been that far away from [composer] Lionel Bart. The first song I fell in love with was his, and I love Oliver, it’s just brilliant. I still love it.” (EH)

Future Islands show up the competition

While Samuel T. Herring paces away and gets his vocal cords in gear, there’s a ruckus side of stage. Members of the last band on the iArena, Fat White Family, climb fences and curse at anyone getting within a metre’s radius. “Didn’t you see me just now? I was in the fucking band! Did you not fucking watch the stage?” one of them shouts. There’s such a difference between their definition of showmanship and that of Samuel T. Herring’s. The Baltimore trio pour everything into their set. Herring regales the meanings of songs before launching head-first into growled ecstasy: he looks every bit the showman he’s always been destined to become. That’s how to do it. (JM)

Rabbit. Rabbit.

Slow Club open the Obelisk Arena

The idea of opening the main stage at a festival feels like it should be one of the most daunting of all for a young band. In reality, as Slow Club can attest, once you get up there it’s plain-sailing. “We’ve had a lovely time, haven’t we Charles?” says Rebecca Taylor an hour or so after their set. Charles Watson agrees. “It was a wicked show, it was really cool.” And the size of the stage wasn’t too scary a prospect for the pair? “I think if you’re not used to them,” answers Charles, “they’re always a little bit daunting. Once you get on there, the sound’s always so good that they’re actually a lot easier than other shows! Everything works a lot smoother, so they’re fine. It’s just the bit before!” (SJ)

FIRST AID KIT sunshine

here’s something magical in the simplicity of First Aid Kit. “We just can’t stop ourselves from coming back!” says Johanna Söderberg. Latitude is the perfect setting for their picturesque brand of folk pop. For ‘King of the World’ she’s a vision of golden waves swirling the stage. Since 2012, the last time the sisters were here, there’s a new found confidence within the pair. Where folk singing siblings once stood, a glamorous polished duo return. Their set plays out like a love letter to their idols with glittering tributes to the likes of Simon and Garfunkel and Bob Dylan. ‘Waitress Song’ is a beautiful mix of

dazzle in the

Klara’s quiet folk melancholy and a momentous deluge of sound that plunges into the crowd as they sing together. The first majestic notes of ‘Silver Lining’ bring us grass-grazers to our feet. As the sun begins its slow descent, the mystical ‘Wolfmother’ sets a picturesque scene. Throughout each of their times at Latitude, the Swedish sisters have offered their mix of honeyed harmonies and unique Americana with all the right flourishes, but this time, there’s extra preen and polish. Maybe with an extra few naughty words thrown in for good measure; to that we say, “tak, First Aid Kit!” (SD)

RÖYKSOPP and ROBYN MASTER MAMMOTH SET

Royksopp & Robyn: strong contenders for the most OTT rendition of Kylie & Jason’s ‘Especially For You’ ever.

öyksopp and Robyn’s collaborative set has been given a lot of build-up, but anything lumped with a near-three hour slot might look like a marathon on paper. As it plays out, the headline show on the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage is less like a 27-mile back-burner and more like a relay. The baton’s passed on from act after act, each lap stepping things up a notch until the finish line doesn’t particularly matter. The Norwegian producers commence proceedings, Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland playing the role of bedevilled decksmiths to cap-sporting frontmen. Robyn’s entrance ups the anti, the Swedish singer morphing in shape and attitude. ‘Monument’ is a self-immersive beast of a song. It spans nine minutes on record and doesn’t let up on a single second here. That’s one side of the coin. The other is ‘Do It Again’, the title track on their first collaborative LP. There’s a DJ-centric encore that follows, but this is the peak. It’s the very reason these two artists are here tonight; a song that unites everything in one swift move. As it plays out, it affirms the length and the sheer ambition of this mammoth adventure the two are embarking on. (JM)

latitudE 2014 Broods continue their ascent

new bands

It’s in the Alcove that New Zealand’s next great hope Broods make their Latitude bow. In just their second ever festival performance they inspire awkward dance moves within a couple of tracks; confident swagger by the end of the third. This isn’t a home crowd either. From a child no more than a few months old in ear protectors to veterans with flowers in their hair - it’s doubtful this is what Broods are used to playing to. By the end it’s yelps and cheers for latest track ‘Mother & Father’. Whatever the setting, Broods are destined for the top. (SA)

at latitudE 2014

Gengahr cement their exciting reputation Gengahr’s brand of breezy pop will surely be haunting those in attendance at the Lake Stage for the rest of the weekend. Kinetic and vibrant, every track has the crowd nodding along approvingly. They’ve learnt a thing or two from those Wolf Alice support shows, as live tracks like opener ‘She’s a Witch’ dig deeper, and the band aren’t afraid to let loose with a moment or two of unadulterated jamming. You can easily get lost in all the major acts that Latitude has to offer, but Gengahr’s short but sharp set cements them as one of the most exciting new bands here. (TW)

MARIKA HACKMAN Spills The Beans

I think I better leaf right now.

Hampshire-born, Londonbased newcomer Marika Hackman spares a few minutes on site for a natter. On getting started… “I’ve been writing since I was really small. If I had an instrument in front of me it was sort of my natural inclination to just try and write a song on it. And then I started recording my own really bad demos when I was about 14 on GarageBand. I still use GarageBand actually...” On being in a school band with Cara Delevingne… “It was just like a stupid school band, covers of stuff when we were about 14. 10 diymag.com

Natalie Imbruglia, Sixpence None The Richer, all the classics! It was just a bit of laugh really. I still see her occasionally.” On her upcoming debut album… “Sonically it’s more stripped back in places, and it’s got a nice movement through the album. It’s dark in places but it’s also got more kind of optimism in it, but it’s also sort of more free... it feels like a development for me personally”. On what’s next… “The album is coming out sometime this year hopefully which is the biggest thing thus far in my career basically. And touring throughout the autumn; I’m sort of booked in until Christmas now.” (RP)

Childhood arrive with their sun-drenched debut album

Childhood on the other hand exemplify the summertime vibes with their whimsical psychedelia. The five-piece pace their mid-afternoon set rather pleasantly, intimately playing new cuts from their forthcoming debut album ‘Lacuna’ that effortlessly heightens the mood of the already incredibly sweaty audience. It really couldn’t have gone more smoothly for them. Hits such as ‘Blue Velvet’ induce some bloody lovely swaying, and new fan favourite ‘Solemn Skies’ only reiterates that Childhood are the go-to band for swirling summertime nostalgia. (TW)

Hozier dazzles on the BBC 6 Music Stage The sticky, pink-necked crowd are invited for a much-needed dip in the Mississippi. This boy from Co. Wicklow has had a taste of the Deep South and taken a big ol’ bite of vintage rhythm and blues: a wave of Americana flows through the set and his bluesy, wavering guitar riffs could cause a stir in Henham Park’s tumbleweed population. We may be in Suffolk, but Hozier’s sent us a postcard from the States. (SD)

Vaults wow on Latitude debut There’s an old cliche that separates electronic pop projects into two distinct categories. There’s those that get absorbed in their own wall of synth and fail to translate, and those that completely pull it off. When it comes to London trio Vaults, somehow this debate doesn’t remotely matter. Their whole performance is a celebration in textured, affecting songwriting. If this were in an auditorium, it’d close with a standing ovation. (JM)

The Bohicas bring fizzy pop to the Lake Stage

The tranquility of the Lake Stage is shattered, ripped to shreds and booted in the nethers by shiny black brogues. The Bohicas mean business. Crashing into ‘Where You At’ paves the way for a relentless set. The persistent wave of psychedelic guitar and Beatles-inspired harmonies quickly draws an eager crowd. Ferocious chants and gritty lyrics set the intense pace. The Bohicas will swagger away from Latitude with a spring in their step and a few extra fans under their skinny, leather belts. (SD)

Parquet Courts & Eagulls

clash brilliantly

unday at Latitude sees a ferocious showdown between two of the most exciting bands on the planet, as Parquet Courts and Eagulls take to the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage and the iArena respectively. Having the advantage of getting to play to a larger crowd, Parquet Courts cause moshing and crowd surfing aplenty, shredding through the best of their newest record ‘Sunbathing Animal’. If there’s one thing Parquet Courts have mastered, it’s certainly their craft, and by the end the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage finds itself reeling in sweat. “Can someone tell the other stage to turn it down?” says frontman Andrew Savage, ever the one to want to amp up the volume. “It’s probably the Eagles playing ‘Witchy Woman’,” bassist Austin Brown adds, jokingly taunting their opponents. Bringing their A-game over at the iArena, Eagulls respond by turning up the reverb and embracing their sludgy surroundings. Tearing through select cuts from their debut self-titled album, Eagulls’ atmospheric riffage ends up contrasting and complementing Parquet Courts’ urgency, providing everyone in attendance at both stages something to walk away excited by. There’s a reason these two bands toured together - they’re both equally bloody excellent. (TW)

Tame Impala hypnotise the crowds

Tame Impala take to the main Obelisk Stage to soundtrack a humid and stormy Sunday evening, and with a trove of psychedelia in tow, Kevin Parker and his band hypnotise the crowds into a complete trance from the very beginning. “You’ve got your own little utopia going on here,” says Kevin.”I love how muggy it is. It’s like being in Singapore or something. No other festival in the world has multicoloured sheep!” Tame Impala launch into stomping ‘Elephant’ and the lighters-in-the-air atmosphere of ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’, which seems to enclose the entire festival in a smokey orb of infectious arm-swaying smoke. From here on in they’re unstoppable. One band from Australia have seemingly flipped the whole world upside down, and on the evidence of tonight’s Latitude set alone, their trajectory doesn’t look like it’s in any danger of slowing down. (EH)

Atomic Bomb explode into life Beastie Boys’ Money Mark is buzzing around his synths, swinging his legs off the stage like a giddy schoolboy. Scritti Politti’s Green Gartside appears for joyous ‘Heaven and Hell’ dressed up like a Texas businessman with white stetson, shirt, tie, and shorts. “We’re going to bring a party to you guys, are you ready to party?” they shout. William Onyeabor may remain an enigma, but every festival needs the Atomic Bomb. (SD)

Circa Waves reflect on a busy summer

Liverpool’s freshest faces Circa Waves are midway through a busy run of summer dates that’ve already taken them to Glastonbury and across Europe. How’s festival season treated you so far? Kieran Shuddall: It varies from country to country. Sometimes you’re more well known in France than you are Belgium. And it’s bizarre when you see French kids singing your lyrics: “That’s not even your language!” They probably know more lyrics than we do. Joe Falconer: The response is so different - one week you feel like you rule the world, the next you realise you’ve still got a long way. (EH)

Eagulls frontman George .Mitchell, after being told they’re .clashing with Parquet Courts. 11

latitudE 2014

HAIM

CROWDS

CHARM THE

s there a band less suited to playing in a sudden downpour than sun-drenched Californian sisters Haim, they of the impossibly sunny soft rock stylings and beachy resistance-isfutile hooks? The fact that the rain holds off for the entirety of their energetic slot feels like it’s due to the sheer will embodied by Este, Danielle and Alana’s overblown, sometimes ludicrous power pop. Key to the sisters’ appeal is their witty, unpredictable stage banter, spearheaded by sweary Este, whose spectacular bass face triggers a tidal wave of copycat turns amongst groups of tripping teens in the crowd. The trio’s gauche charm and fizzing chemistry has helped them reach larger crowds more quickly than their debut, ‘Days Are Gone’, perhaps merits, but they bring so much power and conviction live that you find yourself falling for them all over again. When they call on you to punch the air, you do, and when they invite you over to their place for a massive house party, you’re there. The songs are scrappier live, losing a little of the shiny 70s throwback production that flirts with kitsch on record and sounding all the better for being a little scuffed round the edges. Tracks such as shimmying opener ‘Falling’ and catchy R&B groover ‘If I Could Change Your Mind’ sound funkier, tighter, more compellingly dance-y. A cover of Beyonce’s ‘XO’ is glossier but still enjoyably slinky, and the brilliant, irrepressible ‘The Wire’ remains the best song Fleetwood Mac never wrote. They end with a sweaty, airpunching ‘Let Me Go’, pounded out on drums, long hair flying everywhere. It’s an exhilarating sight. Come on everyone, party at Haim’s house. (RP)

“I can play bass and do jazz hands! I should be in Damon’s new musical.”

The Black Keys close Latitude 2014 Guitar and drums are two of the most simple elements when it comes to making music; it’s hard to believe the effect the two can have on one another. The Black Keys, Latitude 2014’s closing headliners, have come to learn all too well how great a couple they are. Making the massive appearance just a month and a half after the release of ‘Turn Blue’, the anticipation in the crowd is tangible as the band ready themselves for the stage. Lit up against the night, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney emerge to unexpected carnage in the crowd; their music might not seem like the most rowdy at times, but with the amount of bodies flying over the barrier, it feels like a fully fledged rock show. Diving headfirst into their musical well of bluesy garage rock, roars go up with every song. Their ‘El Camino’ cut ‘Gold On The Ceiling’ of course opens up the dance floor, but more unexpectedly, there’s the occasional mosh pit hiding within the Southwold scenery. Debuting a handful of new tracks along the way, the lulls are non-existent, as Auerbach swaggeringly leads his enamoured crowd. This set is more than just a festival slot; it’s proof that even the most intimate of projects can become bill-toppers. Two really is the magic number. (SJ) 12 diymag.com

NEWS

In The Studio:: young Guns.

If you’ve been waiting for the new Young Guns album, the band’s annual staring competition with an amp probably gives a hint as to why.

t’s been two and a half years since Young Guns last released an album, but now, with work almost done, they’re getting ready to unveil their masterpiece. Words: Sarah Jamieson.

“It was mostly a case of us taking some time wherever we were,” begins Young Guns’ frontman Gustav Wood. It’s been well over a year since the band decided to make a start on their third

album, but after a successful stint in the US, their initial plans were halted. When their last album’s title track ‘Bones’ hit alternative radio across America, the fivepiece became the talk of the airwaves, and a slew of tours followed. The band came up with a solution: to begin work just about wherever they could. “Our American label have a really great studio in the centre of [New York],” he continues, “so we thought we’d go out early. We did some stuff then and in San Francisco.” It sounds quite glamorous, but Gus assures it was more a means to an end. “Although it was written over time, here,

there and all over the place, it does feel cohesive,” he reflects. ”The record sounds like a real reflection of where we are in the band, and we sound supremely confident and, I think, like a band who has figured out what they want to sound like. I’m really excited about it.” The creation of their third album has seen them try to incorporate some new elements to the mix, too. “In the beginning,” the frontman admits, “we were struggling to write music that excited us because the things we were writing - or we felt we should be writing - were sounding like songs that could’ve gone on the last record. That wasn’t something that we were interested in doing at all, we wanted this one to be a separate entity. We definitely looked in different places for inspiration on this record.” It’s also going to be, the band hope at least, an opportunity for them to become less defined by their genre. “It’s never about not being in rock music anymore, it’s just about not being pigeonholed. I’d like to think that’s not our defining trait. I think we’ve managed to do that.” Young Guns’ third album will be released later this year via Virgin / EMI. DIY 13

T h e b a n d p l ay t h r e e D I Y P r e s e n t s s hows in the capital , with a few added extras…

irmingham gems Superfood and DIY teamed up this July and August for three DIY Presents shows in London. Following an earlier date where they literally brought the roof down (whoops), the foursome kicked off the run in The Social, before visiting the Old Blue Last - with a foam machine no less - and finishing at Notting Hill Arts Club. To celebrate the tour, DIY pulled out all the stops to produce a special, exclusive poster ‘zine especially for the occasion. The ultimate guide to the band, it runs across 16 panels, hand screen printed on high quality stock - one side packed with exclusive photography, interviews,

14 diymag.com

playlists, profiles and snippets, the other with a huge Superfood poster prime for hanging on your bedroom wall. Available in super limited quantities at each of the three shows, if you weren’t lucky enough to get your hands on one, fear not - you can read it all, as well as see exclusive additional photos and extras, at diymag.com/superfood. We’ll be giving some away online too, and if you’re lucky enough to win one we’ll also throw in a spiffy DIY tote. Isn’t that nice? DIY

Photo: Carolina Faruolo

Superfood and DIY takeover London

no pain, no gain

NEWS IN BRIEF

IN THEIR HONOUR Foo Fighters will headline the London’s Invictus Games closing concert at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park later this year. Taking place on Sunday 14th September, the bill also features Kaiser Chiefs, Ellie Goulding, Ryan Adams and, er, the Military Wives Choirs. Tickets for the concert are priced at £49, available now.

Frank Iero’s guitar insulted his shirt and got what it deserved.

Fr ank Iero has put up with a lot over the pas t f e w y e a r s , a n d i t ’ s i n s p i r e d h i s s o l o d e b u t. Words: Sarah Jamieson.

emoralising, destructive; pain is often a driving force behind creativity. For Frank Iero, the former guitarist of My Chemical Romance, if it weren’t for a debilitating illness his debut solo album probably wouldn’t exist. A longtime sufferer of digestive issues, the guitarist had a severe turn for the worse in 2012, as his former project was winding down to a close. He soon turned to music to help, after his doctor recommended writing a diary to chronicle each of his episodes. Before he knew it, he had instinctively begun work on first solo offering with his incredibly personal - and aptly-titled - ‘stomachaches’. “This sounds so terrible,” begins Frank, who will release his full-length under the guise of frnkiero and the cellebration, “but there was a part of me that really thought I might actually be dying so, I need to kind of leave something behind almost… That sounds terrible and morbid, but it was, for some reason, where my head went.” No stranger to hard work, ‘stomachaches’ might mark his first official solo effort, but it’s not his first foray outside of the bounds of My Chemical Romance. Joining the New Jersey five-piece from the now-defunct Pencey Prep, he embarked upon another side project in 2009, Leathermouth, before showcasing his first solo material in 2013. However, his condition soon pushed for other creative outlets. Setting up a makeshift studio in the basement of his family home, he began working during the night as a means of simply trying to overcome the pain. Unsurprisingly then, Frank is more than a little nervous about unveiling it to the world. “It’s a very personal creation so when it comes time for other people to hear it, or see it, or experience it, there’s this natural reaction to pull it back and not let anyone have it. I try to fight through that because I feel like if I’m gonna do this, and if I’m gonna be honest, I can’t hide from fear of what people may think. I feel like that’s the point. The idea was that, if I went through all that pain, I might as well put it out there.” frnkiero and the cellebration’s debut album ‘stomacheaches’ will be released on 25th August via Hassle Records. DIY

TRICK ME Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke is releasing a new solo album, titled ‘Trick’. Due for release on 13th October through Lilac Records / Kobalt, it’s the first record to follow on from Bloc Party’s 2012 effort ‘Four’ and his first solo run, ‘The Boxer’, which came out back in 2010.

WARE-ING ALL Jessie Ware is slowly but surely unveiling details of her second album. Having already aired two tracks – her album’s title track ‘Tough Love’ and ‘Share It All’, as written with Romy from The xx – she’s confirmed a series of world tour dates, including two in the UK, alongside plans to release the sophomore record later this year.

A TASTER SESSION Ahead of their forthcoming second album, Brighton band Tall Ships have confirmed plans to play a run of intimate October UK dates. With the follow-up to debut ‘Everything Touching’ anticipated for later this year, the band will play Manchester, Bristol, London and Brighton across this autumn.

NEWS

Let Me Entertain You T Merchandise have been a hype band, a punk band and everything else under the sun - now they’re giving the finger to “arty” types by entering their “pop” phase with new album ‘After The End’. Words: Jamie Milton, Photo: Carolina Faruolo.

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his time last year, all eyes were on Merchandise, a Tampa, Florida group who’d been together since 2008 and in some strange collision of events, were suddenly being hailed as the saviours of punk. DIY Weekly cover stars, magnets to label attention, these underground heavyweights were being exposed to a whole new world. They responded by playing buzz gigs, touring for months and then deciding - like anyone else would - to become a completely different band. New album ‘After the End’ - the group’s first on 4AD - is said to be a different chapter, with 2013 EP ‘Totale Nite’ being the final knockout blow for the old Merchandise. There’s reason for this - they’ve picked up new members (Chris Horn on keys and sax, Elsner Niño on drums) and they’ve seemingly ditched the distorted howl of previous recordings. Now these five musicians are calling themselves a “pop” band, which seems a stretch when it’s being applied to doomy rock‘n’roll songs capable of bypassing the six minute mark. Still, frontman Carson Cox insists that he doesn’t feel like there’s an “an easy definition” for this marked departure. And when a record’s packing songs as

hard-hitting and straight-to-the-gut as lead track ‘Little Killer’, perhaps they have a point. Choice didn’t come into this marked change, according to Carson, “in the same way that for some people having a kid’s not a choice, moving somewhere’s not a choice.” The new record was self-produced in the same house closet space as all the band’s previous LPs, but it benefits from a fuller sound, one capable of striking arenas and festival stages instead of stagnating in sweaty bars. “Now it’s about stating an idea clearly,” says Cox, who admits that “when you make lo-fi music it’s easy to hide all your mistakes.” Once staples of a Tampa scene, it’s apparent that Carson sees his band as completely far removed from their past. “There’s lots of people who’d prefer us to never make music again, but they’re not in the band so it doesn’t really matter,” he quips. A flick through their back catalogue prompts a lifetime’s worth of “sold out” or “out of print” notifications, and this is partly why they signed to 4AD - it was a logical decision to go with someone who could distribute their records. “I don’t see bands as property, whereas most people do,” he says. “We’re nobody’s property anymore. It’s for anyone. You can find it on Spotify. You can hear it on the BBC. It’s for a genuine audience, a genuine listener. The music I grew up loving was super direct. I’d rather it be a direct thing than something coming with instructions.

TURNING POINT

Merchandise realised they could ditch “lo-fi” for bigger things when they first played Primavera in 2013. “We got to hear ourselves in this big way, this really loud way,” Carson remembers. “I hadn’t heard my vocal live in a long time. For me, we had a choice of pretending we were still making lo-fi music even though our lives and music had changed. Or we could try to state something clearly.”

“THE PROBLEM WITH MUSIC IS THERE’S NO NERDS; THERE’S NO WEIRD OS ANYMORE.” Cars o n C ox

“I don’t wanna repeat a lot of old motifs,” says Carson, referring to the underground status and crate-digging attitude that might’ve been lumped alongside Merchandise when heads were beginning to turn last year. “I don’t expect everyone to look at ‘After The End’ under a microscope. I think it’s for entertainment. I’m getting something from my art, but if we’re not entertaining, it’s not worth a damn. We can’t just say we’re artists and make something that says nothing. That’s the problem with most modern art; it says nothing and it’s literally all concepts that nobody cares about.” At one stage when describing the new record, Carson stops to say he could speak in more “callous” or “outrageous” terms, and almost apologises. But he’s constantly engaging in conversation. ‘After The End’ is “more to do with vibration and light” than music or lyrics, he says. “I kind of want the words to melt into the music. I don’t want it to just be this thing that’s looked at separately or looked at as language.” It sounds fanciful, maybe “outrageous” enough for his own standards, but there’s something about Cox that picks him apart from other frontmen. “The problem with music is there’s no nerds,” he winds off. “There’s no weirdos anymore. It used to just be freaks. Now it’s just another motherfucker.” Carson Cox isn’t just another motherfucker, that’s for sure. ‘After The End’ could be considered a debut, in some senses. It’s the first Merchandise release to be met with international expectation, and it’s a record waving goodbye to an old era. Not that Carson and co. are ashamed of their initial years (“We had so much help from the labels that put us out before,” he says), but they’ve had to break free from subcultures in order to become a better band. Carson compares it to the death tarot card. “It never really means death,” he says. “Whenever I’ve had it, it always means change. For sure, there’s so many growing pains in change and it can feel like the end. But sometimes it’s good to push yourself to the end.” Merchandise’s new album ‘After The End’ will be released on 25th August via 4AD. DIY

NEWS

Perfume Genius is back with details of his new, third album ‘Too Bright’.

et to follow up his 2012 effort ‘Put Your Back N 2 It’, Perfume Genius’s forthcoming effort ‘Too Bright’ is due for release on 22nd September through Turnstile. The new eleven-track album comes led by ‘Queen’; a crazed, outpouring of noise that departs from the striking balladry of his last full-length. It’s almost proggy in its directions, linking together bellowed-out vocals with sky-reaching synths. The record is also set to feature PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish, and was recorded alongside Portishead’s Adrian Utley. The release will come alongside a visit to the UK, where he will play three dates ahead of the album’s unveiling, with an additional five shows scheduled in November. Check out the dates on diymag.com. DIY

Shine It Bright

Everything will be alright.

eezer have announced plans to release a brand new album, ‘Everything Will Be Alright In The End’, this autumn. Their tenth studio record, as produced by long-time collaborator and the producer of both the ‘Blue’ and ‘Green’ self-titled albums, Ric Ocasek, is set for release on 29th September here in the UK via Island (and through Republic the following day Stateside). Last month, the band gave fans their first real taste of their new full-length in the form of ‘Back To The Shack’. The airing of the record’s first single came after it had

Weezer Return

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been viewed widely online following its live debut on the Weezer cruise earlier this year, before being featured in a Weezer Wednesday update last month.

The four-piece have also been dropping hints here, there and everywhere during their weekly video updates; keep an eye out for more soon.

Weezer have various live dates arranged in the US throughout the summer and through the remainder of 2014. DIY

FIRST SUPPORTS ANNOUNCED FOR

#STANDFORSOMETHING TOUR 2014 Three support bands have been announced for Dr. Martens’ forthcoming six-date #STANDFORSOMETHING Tour, in association with DIY.

resh from unveiling five of the headliners to appear on this year’s Dr. Martens #STANDFORSOMETHING Tour in association with DIY, we’re now proud to unveil the first handful of support acts. With We Are The Ocean, Tonight Alive, Eagulls, Los Campesinos! and Funeral For A Friend already confirmed to take over cities up and down the UK, DIY can now officially announce that Arcane Roots, Only Rivals and Johnny Foreigner will be joining in the chaos too. “It’s gonna be amazing,” reveals Only Rivals’ frontman Stephen Arkins, who will be playing ahead of previous tour mates Tonight Alive at Newcastle’s Cluny 2. “After the All Time Low tour we weren’t sure when we would see each other so it will be great to reconnect and play together again. They’re a great band and such lovely people.” Elsewhere, at The Flapper in Birmingham, Johnny Foreigner will be reconnecting with longtime pals, Los Campesinos! “We’ve been good friends with those folks since the days we had to buy our own footwear,” jokes the band’s Alexei Berrow, “but being in a band is the worst for socialising, so it’ll be awesome to hang out again.”

THE DATES 04.10.14

Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND TBC

11.10.14

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

EAGULLS TBC

25.10.14

The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool

WE ARE THE OCEAN

&Arcane Roots 22.11.14

The Flapper, Birmingham

LOS CAMPESINOS! & Johnny Foreigner 05.12.14

Cluny 2, Newcastle

TONIGHT ALIVE & Only Rivals

Alongside We Are The Ocean, who’ll be hitting up The Shipping Forecast in Liverpool, will be rock trio Arcane Roots, and they’re already looking forward to catching up with them in such an intimate environment. “We met We Are The Ocean at one of the first festivals we ever played,” explains frontman Andrew Groves, “and became better friends at each event since. “They also played with us at the Muse stadium dates last summer which was a defining moment for us as a band so we’re excited to see them again and catch up! Smaller venues really give us the chance to really be amongst our fans and rock out with them in the crowd, the energy is amplified so much in a smaller setting that they are always memorable, if not a bit sweaty and bloody!” The remaining three support bands - as well as details of that all important London date - will be revealed shortly. Keep updated at diymag.com/ standforsomethingtour2014 and drmartens.com/standforsomethingtour for all the news and line up announcements. Tickets are on sale now. DIY

WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR, ANDREW GROVES?

“Since day one we’ve only ever wanted to be the best band that we can be, to focus on improving both as musicians and as friends. That’s the most important thing.”

WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR, STEPHEN ARKINS?

“We stand for genuine music, no gimmicks. We play music we love and hope that other people will as well. We’re just four guys who love writing and playing.”

WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR, ALEXEI BERROW?

“Truth, justice and the American dream.”

NEWS

With her new album, Charli XCX is looking to inspire a new gereration of music fans. “I wrote this record for girls,” she tells El Hunt. “I want them to feel a sense of empowerment.”

IN THE STUDIO: CHARLI XCX

harli XCX’s drawn out trajectory to reach the point she’s at now has been a skew-whiff paper aeroplane flight. Along the way there’s been some sneaking off to gigs at illegal rave parties, a few single releases, an EP, and a pair of albums; all of which largely crept under the mainstream pop world’s radar. Two infamous pop songs that took over charts worldwide followed. Thanks to the latter, Charli XCX’s name has become almost synonymous with the word ‘feat’. Now she’s ready to hack through the associations and stand alone. “Oh my god, dude!” enthuses Charli. “It’s so exciting. It feels like it’s such a long time coming. Being a featured artist is great, but it is nice to finally have a song of my own that people really care about. I’m an artist as well as a writer, so it’s good to be appreciated.” The song she’s referring to is ‘Boom Clap’, the first cut from her forthcoming album of brash, bratty anthems that storm precociously into the room, spitting out bubblegum onto the beery floor. “I need to find a way to describe it,” says Charli, “it’s not pop punk but it’s pop with a punk edge. Oh I don’t know,” she laughs. Prior to recording this studio album, Charli explains, she was working on a punk album in Sweden. Following the unprecedented and massive success Icona Pop enjoyed with her song, ‘I Love It’, punk was the most obvious middle finger she could jab in the direction of

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“I GENUINELY DON’T GIVE A FUCK.” CHARLI XCX

the “bullshit that really doesn’t matter.” The pressure, at one point, Charli admits, almost got to her. “I went a bit crazy,” she admits. “I just started over thinking things and I needed to not give a fuck. When I sit there and try and craft things – which is what it was becoming after ‘I Love It’ – I feel worried. I’m still young, but after [second studio album] ‘True Romance’ I was worried about being cool. I was getting a bit caught up in all the bullshit that really doesn’t matter. I removed myself from it and went the opposite way. Now I genuinely don’t give a fuck, which is awesome, very liberating.” Charli XCX is a chaotic presence. She’s slightly scatty, very sweary, and not afraid to speak her mind. Charli XCX, in fact, is everything that a media-trained, perfectly preened pop star is not. “I’m not the classic pop star,” she agrees. “I’m very scruffy and late and messy.” A little like Tai Fraiser – the role she took on in the Clueless inspired video for Iggy Azalea collaboration ‘Fancy’ – then? “Yes!” she snorts. “Tai is cool, Tai’s the shit! I’m literally on a photo shoot right now wearing someone’s old boxers, no bra and a San Francisco t-shirt. Yeah, I feel like I am the Tai Fraiser of the pop world, and I think girls need that. I wrote this record for girls, and for everyone on the planet with a pussy.

“RIVERS CUOMO WAS LIKE, ‘WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE WEEZER SONG?’ I SAID ‘BEVERLY HILLS’. HE WAS LIKE, ‘OK, I HAVE AN IDEA…’” CHARLI XCX

“I want them to feel a sense of empowerment,” she adds. “I feel like this record is very feminine, and I remember when I first began writing it I wanted to write an album that I would’ve been obsessed with when I was 14. I would love to see a punk revolution, and loads of 14-year-old girls with shaved heads. I would love for girls to be able to celebrate this record.” Charli expands on exactly what kind of empowerment she’s

talking about, and given all the questions she’s had in the past about whether she feels angry or bitter that Icona Pop ‘stole’ her song, it seems an especially personal gripe. With pop music in particular, “it feels like there has to be one top female,” she sighs. “There’s this idea of women beating each other down, which I don’t think is very progressive. I don’t think it’s something that female pop stars really give a shit about, but feels like there’s this weird myth that’s being spun around us, that we all fucking hate each other, just,” she laughs, “because we all have vaginas. It’s something that I feel is being spoken about a lot more, but it’s not vanishing quickly. There is a wave of highly intelligent female artists coming through that run their own careers, rocking the boat. I think it’s cool that people like myself and Lorde are shaking shit up.” Shaking shit up comes in many forms for Charli XCX. Whether it’s ensconcing to Sweden to scream out rowdy covers of Snuffed By The Yazuka’s ‘Allergic To Love’, or then deciding to start her record again from bare foundations, she now has the freedom now to write anything and collaborate with whomever she likes. Having previously turned down another of those notorious ‘feat’ spots with Christina Aguilera in the past, Charli has been able to work with somebody who is a far better fit for what she’s about; Rivers Cuomo of Weezer. “He is such an interesting guy,” she gushes, “‘cause obviously he comes from a completely different world to me, but he’s just so interested in pop music. It was pretty cool to sit in a room with him and write a song, I never thought that it would be possible but when I found out he was really in for that idea I was so excited by it.” One song from the forthcoming record takes more than a cue from Weezer’s ‘Beverly Hills’, she adds. “It doesn’t [sample it], but [Rivers] was just like, ‘What’s your favourite Weezer song?’ I said ‘Beverly Hills’. He was like, ‘Ok, I have an idea...’” This new record is Charli XCX’s most confident and self-assured yet; the signs certainly point that way. The time and space she has had to develop as an artist, although frustrating initially, might just be her secret weapon. “I feel like this record, of anything I’ve ever done, is most me,” Charli explains. “This feels right, everything about it feels perfect. I’ve grown in confidence. I know now that I can write a hit song, and I feel like I’ve come into my own. I just wanted to make a consistent but next-level pop record, and I didn’t want to just make something that would be, like, a cool, safe record.” She’s officially moved on from being just Feat. Charli XCX, and in a sly nod to her breakthrough song, she adds, laughing, “I wanted to do something where people might not love it, you know?” Charli XCX’s new album will be released later this year via Atlantic. DIY

NEWS

FESTIVAL PREVIEWS

Elsewhere at Bestival. .. SAM SMITH

BESTIVAL 4th - 7th September

hen it comes to having fun, nothing can quite compare to the idea of hopping on board a boat and heading to a desert island for a few days of music-fuelled madness. That’s at least sort of the case for Bestival, if you try to forget that the Isle of Wight actually has a population of over 100,000 people... and the boat’s a ferry. That aside, and with a fancy dress theme of ‘Desert Island Disco’, there’s nothing stopping the masses all going a bit loco; in the best way possible, of course.

For this year’s event, organiser Rob da Bank has had no holds barred: having celebrated their tenth birthday in style last year, the weekender is looking stronger than ever as it heads into its second decade. Take headliner Foals, for example, who have dominated the festival circuit in the last twelve months with their massive-sounding brand of indie-rock. They’ll be making one of their biggest live appearances so far when they close the main stage in a triumphant sea of riffs, and it’s set to be glorious. Elsewhere, Rob has managed to secure the tremendous Outkast to play one of only two shows over on our shores during their comeback run, making their set unmissable. If their performance at last month’s Wireless was anything to go by, they give as good as they get, and they’ll have the crowds shaking like a polaroid picture in no time at all. Other highlights are set to include the return of Beck, who will be airing his wonderful new album ‘Morning Phase’ for the first time in the UK so far, the incendiary Disclosure, who will undoubtedly bring the house down with their huge electronica, before the unmistakable funk sounds of Chic featuring Nile Rodgers close proceedings. Best get your grass skirt packed and ready because this lot won’t be hanging around to start the party, and no one wants to be missing out. DIY

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Fresh from dominating charts with his debut album, Sam Smith’s stock is at the highest it’s ever been. His performance will be a joy to witness: just think of the sultry jams, his incredible voice. Plus, with Disclosure on the bill, you never do know what could happen when it comes to ‘Latch’...

LONDON GRAMMAR

They may have hit a spot of unlucky illness and cancelled shows recently, but fingers are tightly crossed that London Grammar will be back up and running again in no time at all. After all, what would Bestival do without Hannah Reid’s gorgeous vocals to soundtrack the sunset?

TUNE-YARDS

It’s no secret that Tune-Yards is brilliant. Off-kilter but entirely on-beat, Merill Garbus will be returning to our shores this September, and if her recent ‘Nikki Nack’ shows are evidence enough, her Bestival set is guaranteed to get everyone dancing. The only question left is, how on earth will she dress up?!

FLOW FESTIVAL

8th - 10th August Finland is growing to be quite the musical hub. Whether it’s thanks to its breathtaking scenery, its current musical exports, or just the fact that their festivals are growing larger and better every year, it’s definitely becoming one of the places to visit in the summertime. This year’s Flow Festival is proving just that, with its incredible line-up bursting with artists from every genre. Not only will the likes of Outkast, Blood Orange, Jungle and Janelle Monáe all be flying the flag for sassy funk on the line-up, there’s going to be a good dose of brooding electronica coming from the likes of Bonobo, Darkside and Jamie xx at the event too. Elsewhere, Canada’s Mac DeMarco is sure to cause some sort of chaos, while the likes of Little Dragon and MØ will almost definitely start a dance party or two. Even the newest additions to the event – which come in the form of Skrillex and Jessie Ware – are going to be unmissable. Get the ol’ clashfinder out now, because at this rate, there’ll barely be time to sit back, relax and take in your Finnish surroundings. Then again, who needs those when you can have all that music to choose from? DIY

FESTIVAL

NEWS LABELLED WITH LOVE The list of dates has been announced for AIM and Club Fandango’s autumn gig series, Labelled With Love - find them on diymag.com. Keep an eye out for the line up too, curated by independent labels such as Kissability, Sunday Best and Bella Union.

ARCTANGENT

28th - 30th August Last year, ArcTanGent got off to one hell of a start. Inviting some of the biggest names – 65daysofstatic and Fuck Buttons to name a couple - in post-rock to join in the fun, they managed to establish themselves as a Mecca for the genre, and this year, they’re back for more. If you’re even close to calling yourself a math-rock or instrumental fan, this Bristol weekender has something for you. 2014’s edition of the event will be playing host to the likes of Russian Circles, This Will Destroy You, God Is An Astronaut and maybeshewill, as well as old favourites Tall Ships, Jamie Lenman and many more. DIY

FESTIVAL NO. 6

5th - 7th September If idyllic surroundings and a peaceful atmosphere are high on your list of priorities when it comes to a weekender away, Festival No. 6 is exactly that. Based in the beautiful Portmeirion, it’s an event that openly bills itself as ‘a festival unlike any other, in a place like no other’ and honestly, they’re not in the business of telling lies. It’s not just the location that’s worth a visit; with a line-up like theirs, Festival No. 6 is also offering up some of the finest musical performers this summer. Whether it’s Beck, who’ll be visiting our side of the Atlantic for the first time in a long time, or London Grammar, who will undoubtedly wow crowds with their spacious but intense debut offerings, there’s something for everyone. The likes of Kelis, Pet Shop Boys, Jon Hopkins and Temples will also be heading to the Welsh weekender, making it one way of the best ways to celebrate the end of summer. DIY

MAS MAS Cate Le Bon has announced plans to host and curate her very own festival. Taking place on 28th August in West Wales’ River’s Edge, Ceredigion, her Mas Mas production will feature performances from herself, as well as Perfume Genius and Sweet Baboo.

SIMPLE THINGS Bristol one-dayer Simple Things has announced new acts for its 25th October bill. Liars lead the way, with the experimentalists bringing their ‘Mess’ record to a line-up that now also features How to Dress Well and Rejjie Snow. They join headliners Caribou (who opens the Friday night party) and Mogwai.

SOUTHSEA DIY is once again teaming up with Southsea to bring some of our favourite bands to Portsmouth. Joining the likes of Fear of Men, Mazes, Happyness, Slaves and Menace Beach, are Pulled Apart By Horses, DZ Deathrays, Flyte and Brontide. Southsea takes place on Saturday 20th September. 23

NEU

Gengahr

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engahr don’t exactly look rattled - they’re relatively pristine, considering but they’ve just come out the other side of an insane couple of months. In this time, they’ve played Glastonbury, ruled the UK showcase festivals and toured with two of the country’s most exciting new bands, Wolf Alice and Superfood. On any jaunt of that billing, the average group would be making up the numbers. Not Gengahr. Catch them at these early summer gigs and they’d be luring flocks towards the front of the stage. Something in their curious psych rock - left-of-centre but undeniably universal - speaks on a big level.

Av o i d i n g legal disputes with New Yo r k r appe rs , touring with the UK’s best new bands Gengahr’s first s t e p s h av e been anything but subdued. Words: Jamie M i lt o n , P h o t o : E m m a S wa n n .

“I think it’s really, slowly, building up to something now,” confesses Felix Bushe, frontman of a band who only have three demos to their name, despite managing to build up the excitement equivalent of a group on the verge of world domination. He cites early recording sessions back in October 2013 - the band’s first experience in a studio - as the first collective inkling that they were onto something. “Obviously something good was going on at that time - they all came out pretty great.” They heaped five songs up on SoundCloud under the guise RES, only to swiftly cull the full set of recordings in order to save one or two for a special

to have some prolonged legal battle with a New York rapper or we’d pick a new name and crack on. We went with the easier option - we were never gonna win that anyway, to be fair.” Live, they mimic a grizzlier beast than the soft specimen introducing itself on record. Guitarist John Victor is already being spoken about in hushed, cautious terms as the country’s next great guitarist. His floppy fringe certainly speaks on a Jonny Greenwood-sort of level, but the way he wrestles with his instrument on stage - it’s like it’s an extra limb, one that ought to get removed in an operation. Comparisons to psych heavyweights Unknown Mortal Orchestra are already ablaze “We take it as a compliment,” says bassist Hugh Schulte - and they’re even being introduced to new music by way of far-fetched contemporaries. “Someone compared us to Woods the other day. I’m completely new to them, and it’s nice,” enthuses Hugh.

Behind the scenes there’s the odd whisper that on their recent jaunt around the country, Gengahr were the designated party-starters, not Superfood or champions of raucousness Wolf Alice. “It was good, wholesome fun,” says Felix with a smirk. “Nothing too shady went on…” Still, if antics are being played up to an extreme, these guys do share a certain 90s-obsessed kinship with their tour buddies. “We’re of the 90s,” the frontman “ I t ’ s r e a l ly, states. “The first thing s l o w ly, b u i l d i n g u p we really got into would’ve t o s o m e t h i n g n o w.” been the 90s bands that are F e l i x B u s h e re-emerging in some form or another.” This doesn’t occasion. “I think we just worried feel like a re-emergence, though. we might never write a good Their strange melding of psych song again,” Felix jokes. and grizzly rock‘n’roll isn’t of the average ilk. ‘Fill My Gums With Shortly following an initial flurry Blood’ is a song in part devoted of attention, they had to call to Luis Suarez, Hugh jokes. quits on the RES name. “We had Already the four-piece stand to make a decision really,” they out as a band bloodthirsty for remember. “We were either going more. DIY

NEU

Spring King

Ta r e k M u s a i s g e t t i n g m o r e p r o l i f i c by t h e s e c o n d, w i t h n e w E P ‘ D e m o n s ’ s e t t o b e f o l l o w e d s w i f t ly. W o r d s : N at h a n R o b e r t s , p h o t o : P h i l S m i t h i e s .

F TITLE ‘Demons’ LABEL Transgressive / ParadYse RECORDED Summer 2014 PRODUCER Tarek Musa RELEASE DATE 8th September TRACKLISTING 1. Can I? 2. Better Man 3. Demons 4. I’m Your Only Friend 5. Let’s Ride

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our months might not seem like a long time to bridge releases for an everyday artist, but Tarek Musa’s thinking otherwise when it comes to Spring King. The Manchester-based producer/drummer/vocalist released a debut single (‘Mumma’) back in March, took his band on the road for showcase festivals like Liverpool Sound City and The Great Escape - then it was back to the studio. The reason he started the project falls down to Ty Segall (“I was like ‘Fuck’, completely blown away”) and he shares his idol’s prolific spirit. Next year he hopes to get not one, but two albums out into the world. “We get very bored very quickly. We always wanna make new sounds,” he says. Without getting too carried away, first on the agenda is new EP ‘Demons’. It arrives a good year on from the emergence of scrappy, early Spring King demos, distortion epitomised. Tarek claims that over time, material’s become more “poppy”, with a “garage pop” aesthetic linking together these wild, crazed songs. It’s a boundless set of recordings, possessing all the energy of a pack of

hyenas gone days without prey. It’s the same when the band play live, where the four-piece collectively threaten to jump off stage at any moment. “Our eagerness and impatience comes across,” Tarek admits, when it comes to the gigs. “You wait around all day to play 30 minutes and then smash it out. I think we’re all vented up with energy, ready to go,” he says, admitting that “I’ve thrown up on stage in the past.” The band “don’t know how to pace ourselves”, by their own admission. That’s of no detriment. Lead track on the EP, ‘Can I?’, explodes into life from the get-go. Tarek tends to record most of the parts himself initially - then he invites members into his bathroom-turned-studio, where each individual will “bring their own flair” to a recording. This group mentality is holding them in good stead - already they’re getting a rep as one of the most exciting live bands in the country. Now it’s a case of translating that energy into thrashing recordings and a lifetime’s supply of releases. DIY

photo: Carolina Faruolo

NEU

NEWS

LIVE REPORT

Lil’ Respect

BANKS collaborator Lil Silva has announced a new EP, ‘Mabel’. It’s out 4th August on Good Years. BANKS features on two tracks - the rest showcase Lil Silva’s newly enhanced ability to make himself the focus of everything he’s putting his name to. Check out the lead, title track on diymag.com.

Lock it in London trio Vaults are releasing a new single, fresh from appearing at Latitude 2014. On their latest, they prove they don’t have a sellby-date. Their already timeless trip-hop/pop has shown its hand with debut ‘Premonitions’ - new track ‘Lifespan’ continues the band’s graceful waltz into infinity. It’s out 1st September.

D. D DUMBO London, Chat ’s Pal ace

liver Perry likes to mess around. He’ll fiddle with loop pedals, tiny percussive parts, wood instruments, for about the first quarter of every song. It’s a little like watching a kid play with toys for the first time. Out steps a beat, somehow, and off Perry goes. Then the serious business takes place. 12-string guitar lines - initially fragments, curiously piercing notes form in completion and rise above everything. They sound half like something coined in the depths of the Australian outback (not too distant from his small Victoria town), half like an ingenious leftover from Bon Iver’s cabin sessions.

At Chat’s Palace, he makes his debut London headline appearance, ahead of shows supporting Daughter and fellow Aussies Tame Impala. There’s a feverish anticipation, but there’s also space for these sounds to float within - and that’s the important part. ‘Tropical Oceans’, a single from last year, doesn’t take long to get into gear. Oliver’s vocals are confident enough in any environment, but they’re almost the least important aspect, here. It’s more interesting to just stand there, imagining what exactly goes on in that mind of is, and how exactly he operates this formidable machine. (Jamie Milton)

Absorbing the rays London psych weirdos Sun Machine have just got odder: new single ‘Tamaho Hitman’ cosies up with the idea of expanding horizons, trying new things, but it doesn’t forget to pack a killer chorus, the kind best saved for festival chants and en masse celebrations. Listen on diymag.com.

Shedding blood Self-professed disgusting distortion addicts Bloody Knees have announced details of a new EP. ‘Stitches’ is out 25th August on limited vinyl, and arriving headed up by ‘Daydream’, a blow-your-socks-off return that gives credence to the fact that these guys played the Lock Up Stage at Reading Festival this time last year. 27

NEU

RECOMMENDED

BLESSA

N o t h i n g ’ s s t a n d i n g i n t h e way o f Sheffield’s sweetest-toothed

Sheffield’s Blessa are quick to say that although most bands coming from their city are looking for escape, they have nothing to escape from, “save, except, our jobs - and we’re not really into writing a song such as ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’, although that didn’t do the Arctics any harm!” If chart success isn’t the aim, then making something sweet, genre-defying and melodically true is definitely a key part of their musical manifesto. Combining hazy melodies and basslines that break the heart, debut EP ‘Love Is An Evol Word’ ought to be their springboard into bigger and better things. Personal circumstances in-part hindered the creation process; singer Olivia Neller falling ill led to delays in recording her vocals, and several tracks were scrapped entirely as they didn’t meet their own high expectations. Eventually they found their eureka moment. (Joe Sweeting) LISTEN ‘Unfurl’ FOR FANS OF Fear of Men

Deers

Liu Bei

Deers are hilarious. They’re best friends from Madrid, raised in a community where “everyone’s a musician.” Their backstory is mindblowingly complicated, involving at least three ex-boyfriends and half a dozen best friends, all somehow connecting Carlotta Cosials and Ana Garcia Perrote, the duo who first started the group. In a video for debut single ‘Bamboo’, they parade around city streets like nobody’s watching; the energy of it all is enough to win over the sleepiest, most passive casual listener. (Jamie Milton)

Liu Bei’s grand, epic introduction isn’t short on confidence, and it sees the newcomers dressing up what’s essentially a power ballad in the emperor’s new clothes. The trio is led by a guy called Richard who has a ‘successful’ background in penning scores for adverts. His attention’s since turned to being in a band full-time, giving atmospheric rock his utmost attention. They just put out a single on Transgressive imprint paradYse ‘Infatuation’/’Atlas World’ is out now. (Jamie Milton)

LISTEN ‘Bamboo’ FOR FANS OF The Black Lips, drinking beer out of a dumpster

LISTEN ‘Infatuation’ FOR FANS OF MONEY

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Kult .Country. Having undergone a handful of makeovers - the first incarnation of the band was “really raw, really angry, really political” - Kult Country are now poised to become the latest Sways Records graduates to make a mark outside their hometown, Manchester. After a few years of relentless gigging, the band are readying their debut record, produced by MJ from Hookworms. “Half of it’s a collection of our early stuff,” they claim, “and the other half is newer songs. There’s ripples of where we’re going, and echoes of where we’ve been.” (Joe Goggins) LISTEN ‘Trembling Moon’ FOR FANS OF MBV, walls of noise

Years&Years T a k e s h e lt e r - t h i s U K t r i o h a v e h i t t h e i r s t r i d e . W o r d s : J a m i e M i lt o n , P h o t o : M i k e M a s s a r o .

t can take mere minutes or a good couple of years, but any new band hoping to get anywhere needs to experience their eureka moment. Years & Years had whittled away and honed in on a sound that best suited their desire to build great, galloping pop songs out of electronics. After months perfecting this process, shit suddenly got ‘Real’.

The trio found themselves on the receiving end of hundreds of thousands of plays, all on the back of their breakthrough single on Kitsuné. This wasn’t easy to take in, especially for frontman Olly Alexander, a verified internet and new music addict. “My friend was like ‘What’s Hype Machine?’,” he recalls, after seeing ‘Real’ top the online charts. “I’m like, ‘You don’t understand!’” ‘Real’ was the beginning of a new chapter for the band. Coined in speedy studio sessions, it gave the three of them a new sense of purpose. They realised they could pen songs quickly, load them full of hooks and unveil them to the world with a click of a button. These days they’ve a quick means of road-testing things: “We play our demos to our drummer, and if he does his fist-pump, then we’ve got a winner,” jokes Michael Goldsworthy. Olly renders most Years & Years songs to be a puzzle. “I always want to fix it, but the longer and harder you try, the more broken it gets,” he says. The process usually involves Emre staying in that dark, windowless space of his, presenting ideas to the band, while Olly and Mike apply something they might have been working on in their spare time. “I only really play piano. I have no technical brain, at all,” claims Olly, while Emre dryly states: “I spend my time in a room.” Together, they’re already thinking about a debut album. “If you want to be a musician, who doesn’t have the dream of making an album?” Olly says. “The process of a band, well most bands, is you’re always writing. You always have a lot of material. Whether it’s gonna end up on an album or not, I don’t know. And we’re not taking a chunk of time by saying ‘Finish the album in three weeks’. Personally I’ll feel relieved when an album’s finished, and I can look at it and go ‘That’s a Years & Years album that we made’. It’s hard to grasp.” Years & Years’ new EP ‘Take Shelter’ will be released on 19th August via Polydor. DIY

This spring, Years & Years were crowned (de facto) kings of the showcase new music festivals, ruling over Liverpool Sound City, Live at Leeds and Brighton’s The Great Escape. “It went loads better than I thought it was gonna be,” says Olly. “It was really good to break out of that and realise actually we can play in places that aren’t London, with people coming to the shows and enjoying it. We’re always happy when anyone’s at a show, and if by the end they look like they don’t hate you, then it feels good.” DIY

NEU

Real Lies

C h a m p i o n s o f t h e i n - b e t w e e n , R e a l L i e s s ta r t e d o n t h e o u t s k i r t s a n d t h e y i n t e n d t o s t ay t h e r e . W o r d s : J a m i e M i lt o n , P h o t o : P h i l S m i t h i e s .

he three that make up London trio Real Lies used to live on the outskirts of their chosen city. They were on the fringes, seemingly stifled but equally lured in by the bright lights that existed just miles away. When they arrived, individually they were confronted with bands that meant nothing to them. “The London scene has been a disgrace for the past fifteen years,” claims Tom Watson. The very thought of being a part of this apparently going-nowhere movement, even as a bit-part, “would have absolutely disgusted me,” agrees Pat King. “It was never our intention to be in a band.” Even today, the three of them don’t have specific band roles. Guitars and electronics entangle, with Kev Kharas obsessing over loops or barely-there samples before applying lyrics that, when executed, walk a tightrope between spoken word and melody. He cites one of Pat’s loops (for ‘North Circular’) that reached up to 2,000 plays before it even became a song. “I let it sink into my brain. That was the ambient noise I was hearing wherever I went,” he remembers. Some of the trio’s songs were coined on a whim. Others took two years, going back to early days where Tom and Kev took residence in a permanent party house by a reservoir. They describe the place as “artless”, anything but a “music house”. One night, the music was being played so loud that a chancer climbed through Tom’s window and stole his laptop, containing a recording of new song ‘Dab Housing’, which was finished on the very same day. Hence why it took so long for some of these recordings to come to light. “At no point did we sit down and give ourselves a band name or decide to release what we were making,” says Tom. It was only when they finished debut ‘Deeper’ that they decided to share something, instead of keeping this spare hours project to themselves. “We spent about a month worrying about it and arguing about it,” Tom remembers, but eventually it saw the light of day, backed by a Rollo Jackson-directed video. This clip brings together house party footage, plus snippets of London itself, from the morning commute to the ghostly hours. It’s a song - and video - that doesn’t cosy up with any defined thought or emotion. Real Lies are the kind of bunch that prefer to exist in the in-between. Kev sums it up by saying: “It’s important to have that ambiguity with what you do. If music doesn’t sit in a grey area between three different emotions it might as well be written down.” DIY

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LITTLE LABEL

Neu takes a look at the record labels responsible for breakthrough releases, big or small.

HOWLING OWL

AUGUST 2014 IN

EPS August represents both the winding down of festival season and the first sign that releases are busying up for the second half of 2014. This month, a handful of (relatively) familiar faces make good on their promise with some of the year’s most exciting EPs. We’ve picked out three of our favourites, below.

Astronomy y There For U

One-man musician / producer extraordinaire Astronomyy has set up his own label, Lunar Surf, for this debut release. It follows on from a handful of promising smooth pop tracks, plus one hell of a debut gig, supporting London Grammar at Brixton Academy. It’s out now on glossy 12” vinyl. FOUNDED: Summer 2011 KEY RELEASES: Oliver Wilde, ‘A Brief Introduction to Unnatural Light Years’ (2013), GuMM, ‘Lionheart’/‘Windswept’ (2012) Hooting from a Bristol bedroom and beyond, Howling Owl is barely into its baby steps, but already it’s combining a smart-small ethos with exciting artists on a frighteningly regular basis. They began with tapes and zines, but they’ve since moved into LPs, full-lengths and enough screen prints to satisfy a local gallery’s thirst for decades. Can you think back to a specific release that stopped you in your tracks the first time you heard it? The first time we heard Oliver Wilde. We were friends with him already but he was very quiet about his music so we had to use sneak tactics. Five seconds into ‘Flutter’ and we knew we were the luckiest label in the world. What was the founding ethos for Howling Owl? Everything we do is a reaction to today’s clickthrough culture. We invest all of our time and energy into every Owl related activity which we hope can be felt through our artwork, design and the shows we put on... and that people will stop for a second to appreciate something real. What’s been the most exciting moment in Howling Owl’s history? Hearing Oli’s second album [‘Red Tide Opal in the Loose End Womb’] on air all day as BBC 6Music Album of the Day was pretty special; that kind of accolade doesn’t usually happen to haphazard imprints like us. That and selling out the Arnoflini art gallery for our New Year / New Noise show. That felt like a massive step up. Next year’s will be even bigger. If you were to start again completely from scratch, what would you change? Absolutely nothing. DIY

B e n ja m i n Clementine Glorious You

Here exists a name still giving faith to the belief that one performance on Jools Holland can make a huge impact. Benjamin Clementine’s stirring piano-led songwriting aims straight for the heart, and on new EP ‘Glorious You’ he builds on debut ‘Cornerstone’ with more a explorative, sometimes good-humoured take on his own fascinating backstory. It’s out 25th August on Virgin / EMI.

M O KO Gold

Showcasing the other half of debut ‘Black’, Moko’s returning this summer with her second release. The first showcased snapping, in-your-face trip hop. This one’s more inclined towards the charts, with big names Two Inch Punch, Kwes and Chase & Status all sharing production creds. It’s released on 24th August.

diymag.com

As the frontman of My Chemical Romance, .Ger ard Way.

seemed to have it all . A fervent fanbase, a band with

purpose and a nice line in tabloid baiting brilliance.

But as that came to an end, the nex t chapter required

something altogether riskier.

Words: Sar ah Jamieson, Photos: Mike Massaro.

cover

t all began with a guitar. My Chemical Romance first came to life when the band’s frontman, their leader-inwaiting, picked up a 90s Fender Mexican Stratocaster in his parents’ basement and wrote their very first song. Twelve years on, as the band were finally drawing to a close, it was that same Lake Placid Blue guitar that Gerard Way turned to.

It’s safe to say that Gerard was stepping into the unknown. For the best part of a decade-and-a-half, he had graced stages around the world, kicking and screaming, sweating and bleeding his way to the most dizzying heights of popularity. He had taken his band out of the dirty basements of New Jersey, tracked down the souls of 1000 evil men, led a deathly army and become his very own superhero. With each of their albums came a new era for the band, and with every new concept, legions of fans would follow. Then, one day, My Chemical Romance became just too big a monster. “It had,” agrees Gerard. Sat in the basement of a central London hotel, he looks a little different to the last time he was on UK soil. One of the last great accolades of the band saw them headline Reading & Leeds Festival just over three years ago, but gone is the flame red hair and leather jacket that he boasted during their ‘Danger Days’ performance. He’s traded it in for a messy mound of blond locks (for the time being, at least), blue jeans and some beaten up Converse. He looks relaxed, ready for things to set in motion once again, unafraid to admit that the next part of his life began at the end of his last. “There was a large part of me that wanted to escape that bigness, which I came to terms with over time. I learned to accept that it had grown to that and to love it for what it was, despite how big it had gotten. I came to peace with that part, but at the beginning of the break up, for sure, I was trying to escape this largeness.” By the time the band called it a day back in March 2013, they had sold over four

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million albums worldwide, climbed to the top of the charts and headlined festivals on both side of the Atlantic. Their incendiary brand of punk rock – visceral but somehow eloquent, morbid yet enamouring – proudly blurred the lines of niche and mainstream, all the while taunting critics with its moments of bombast and flair. With the release of their third album ‘The Black Parade’ they had grown bigger than ever; they felt unstoppable, a force to be reckoned with in their gothic military uniforms, but when touring drew to a close in 2008, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. “I don’t know how much of a secret this is,” offers Gerard, “and I don’t think it is, but when we finished ‘... Parade’ and we had finished the touring, I didn’t want to do it anymore. That was a nice ending point for me. It was an extremely high note, I had said all I’d wanted to say. There was nothing more for me to say under that umbrella of My Chemical Romance.” Somewhere along the way, his priorities had changed. With the band growing up and beginning to settle down with their wives and children, he had bigger responsibilities than his own artistic urges. As the project grew, drawing more and more people into the mix, there were less opportunities to walk away, and more depending on him than ever before. “You know, you try to be responsible,” he explains. “You’re becoming an adult and so you think one of those things is, ‘Well, I’m gonna be responsible. We’ve all got mortgages and families now and the right thing to do is to stay in this.’ Then you start thinking about the crew that you help; they work with you and that’s how they make their pay cheque. It gets bigger and bigger. It becomes that machine and then you don’t want to turn your back on anybody, not a single person. So, you go against yourself, you go against what feels right, to ‘be an adult’.” Having closed the door on ‘The Black Parade’ almost six years ago now, things soon became quiet in the MCR camp. The band – guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro, along with Gerard’s bassist brother Mikey – spent time being husbands and fathers, settling in to that new period of their lives. That was until September 2010 at least, when the notoriously catchy, gloriously cartoony trailer for ‘Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)’ burst onto the internet. The band were back, reborn as superhero rogues in a post-apocalyptic land, another concept album firmly in their grasp and another

touring schedule spanning way out into the future. “As a human being you have to understand and deal with the process, not just run away from it,” Gerard reflects. “I wasn’t running away from the bigness, but I wasn’t happy doing it anymore, and it’s not what I wanted for my life anymore. It’s not the kind of father I wanted to be, or husband, or artist for that matter. It’s not who I wanted to be any longer. To go against what your inner-self is telling you - to go against the art like that - and keep grinding it and keep trying to milk it and make it work - not the guys, but me personally - that didn’t feel right. So, everything from the end of ‘...Parade’ to the end of the band just felt like I wasn’t being honest with myself. It was doing serious damage physically and mentally over that time.” It took the release of fourth album ‘Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys’, their consequential 7” collection ‘Conventional Weapons’, and a performance at New Jersey’s Asbury Park to shake Gerard into action. It admittedly took a while to sink in – as he later went on to explain in a closing letter to fans – but soon enough, he knew that their time was up. “You know,” he muses, “I think being an adult is not necessarily running away from things, but it’s doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. You have to be honest with yourself. I think that’s how you end up with a lot of really unhappy parents, who raise unhappy children that don’t want to be around them. I’d rather make a quarter of what I made in MCR and have [his daughter] Bandit grow up and say, ‘My dad was awesome. He had a great time making art. He loved life, he loved looking at life through a lens, he taught me how to look at life.’ I would much prefer that to, ‘Yeah, I kinda see my dad. He drives a Porsche, he doesn’t talk a lot. He’s on the computer a lot. Sometimes he writes comics but not really.’ I was just so unhappy with where I was at, that’s the way it started to become.”

t was time for Gerard to pick himself back up again. With the band laid to rest and his mind finally at ease, he was able to turn to that guitar – the same one he had written ‘Skylines and Turnstiles’ on twelve years previously, the same one he had introduced in his closing letter to fans – and start over. “I knew I would,” he states, without a

“There was a large part of me that wanted to escape.” Gerard Way

cover

flicker of hesitation. “I just didn’t know what it was going to be.” At first, the frontman had set his sights on forming a new band. Immediately inspired, he “started cooking up art, and trying to visualise the kind of instruments” they would need. It grew more and more ambitious as his imagination ran wild. “I realised, you’ve gotta take ownership over yourself . You’re not gonna start a band because that’s not gonna work out for you. You’re pretty uncompromising so don’t put yourself in a position that’s based on compromise anymore.”

As the release of Gerard’s debut solo album creeps ever nearer, he gives an insight into the innerworkings of a handful of tracks

Millions

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

If there’s a song on the record that is about me processing me being part of a large money-making machine that maybe made me feel trapped, ‘Millions’ feels like that’s the one. It was the first one I wrote. It definitely feels like my internal struggle with being in a large rock band. Sonically and musically in a lot of ways, to me it’s very late-Britpop. It’s very Supergrass, it’s very 60s pop which I love.

Action Cat

It started with just wanting a song called ‘Action Cat’. In my head I said, ‘Well, that would be a great song; what would ‘Action Cat’ sound like?’ So, I picked up a guitar and I was like, ‘’Action Cat’ would sound like this’. We started to chase the way that very early Misfits stuff sounded, like ‘Static Age’. I kept saying, you know, the drums have to sound like shit. I was like, ‘No, I wanted to kick drum to sound like it’s a thumper hitting wet cardboard!’ And ‘shit’ wasn’t a bad word in the studio; I didn’t want it sound bad shitty, I wanted it to sound great shitty. It was a sonic experiment, and the lyrics are very abstract, but at the same time, it feels like they’re about starting over which is a very direct thing.

Zero Zero

That’s another one where I knew that’s what I wanted the song to be called, and the statement ‘I am zero, zero’ was really important to me. Like, I am completely zero-ed out; I am nothing and that’s great. I am back to nothing. It was like a declaration of being nothing, with no aspirations. DIY

diymag.com

The birth of Gerard Way’s solo career was as simple as that. It was an opportunity for him to explore the paths untrodden by his former project, all the while looking at things through a different pair of eyes. He didn’t even have a concept in mind, for starters. “When it became a solo thing…” he pauses to think. “Visually there’s a concept but there’s nothing that’s a concept about the album. That’s the first time I’ve ever attempted that; it’s not a concept album at all. It’s nice; it’s a lot more varied because of that. I know My Chemical Romance was very varied, but this feels more so. “A lot of it was completely blind flying and I loved it,” he enthuses. “It was extremely free. It was sitting with a guitar at a mic and just hitting record, and being like, ‘Alright, let’s hear it back. Okay, let’s do this.’ The opening track of the record was literally just me grabbing my brother’s bass, because it happened to be there, and just playing and building off that. I would do that, and then I’d say, ‘Okay, I’ll take the guitar now. Open me a new track.’ There was just layering and layering and layering and then we’d say, ‘Let’s get some drums on.’ It was really free. It was just grabbing stuff.” Not only was it the first real chance for Gerard to be behind the guitar on an album - “when you’re in a band with two really amazing guitar players, you feel weird to wanna play guitar” - it also presented him with the freedom to roam his own, more personal influences for inspiration. “I got to go extremely deep. I knew that if I wanted to make a song that was going to sound like The Jesus and Mary Chain, it could really go that far. When you’re in a band, everybody has a fingerprint and that’s what makes that band special. When it’s just your singular fingerprint on it, you find that you can go

deeper with it.” While My Chemical Romance had lurked at the heavier realms of his tastes – from Iron Maiden to Misfits – his new album became a place to explore. “[It has] everything from shoegaze to Britpop, and it’s a very British album. Everything from fuzz rock to noise rock, to experimentation, to Berlinera Bowie and Iggy stuff. I’ve distilled it into some other thing, and there’s a thread of that throughout the record, but I went deep into my influences.” Writing the album, dubbed ‘Hesitant Alien’, also allowed for the former frontman to gain his own sense of closure. Having spent over a decade in a band as notorious as My Chemical Romance had become – no one’s forgetting their infamous dalliance with the British tabloids any time soon – the time away, and the songs he wrote, saw Gerard face up to his own personal dilemma: re-discovering his place in the musical landscape. “Definitely each song is its own thing this time. They’re all connected by a sense of alienation and the idea that figuring out where I fit into music was realising that I don’t exactly fit into music, and that’s kinda how I fit.” He laughs, “that’s my role; my role is to be myself and super-unique and not worry about how I fit in. Not in an outsider, rebellious way, but in a celebratory way, saying ‘I’m different, this is what I do, and there’s nobody that does this like I do it, so I’m gonna be the best me I can be.’” That’s not to say that Gerard believes it’s plain sailing ahead. There’s always the fear of the new, fear of the unknown, of what could come next. That’s something he’s having to face head on. “Yeah, there’s a fear attached to it,” he agrees. “You have nobody to turn to and say, ‘Is this any good?’ You have nobody to turn to and say, ‘Do I look alright?’ That’s all gone, so you have to really believe in yourself. There’s a good fear

Finding emo.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of it was completely blind flying, and I loved it.â&#x20AC;? Gerard Way

cover

“Everything that’s the right thing to do is extremely hard.” Gerard Way

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that comes with it and there’s a bad fear, and that’s the unknown: ‘Is it gonna work? Are people gonna like it? What am I doing? Why did I do this?’ All that bad stuff, it creeps in!” he laughs. “It comes from a place of fear. Everything that’s the right thing to do is extremely hard. It should be fun, but it should be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, next to having My Chemical Romance break up.” There’s also the question of his future audience. With My Chemical Romance fans ready and waiting for new music, there’s no shortage of people who’ll undoubtedly give the record a listen, but who is it that’ll stick around? Have their tastes grown to match his, or will they move quickly on? More pressingly, who from outside those boundaries might raise an eyebrow for the ex-frontman of a band who were stuck with a label that’s been more than difficult to shake: who exactly is going to care? “I think I’d like to reach…” he begins, before pausing. “Uhh, it’s weird. I don’t want to…” he trails off, before starting afresh. “I really respect the My Chem fans so it would be nice to carry on the journey with them, but I think it’s gonna go how everything else goes. You’re gonna have a group that likes it, a group that doesn’t like it, and a group that’s very indifferent to it. I do think that because of the influences of the record, maybe some of the sophistication of it, it will appeal to people maybe closer to my age, or in their early 30s at least. “I know I would listen to this record, and that’s not to say I wouldn’t listen to My Chem records, but My Chem

was very different. When we did something in My Chem, it was all gut and psychology. This time, with this album, I was very conscious in my influences and I chased them down very hard. I started to make the record that I wanted to hear, that I wanted to go into a store and buy. It was important for me to bring fuzz pedals back into music. I had a mission this time and it was a sonic one. My Chem had a very socially-driven mission, and now this was, ‘No, I’m gonna get fuzz pedals on the radio. That’s my goal.’ I think audiophiles will like the record a bit more. We got Tchad Blake to mix it; people who are really into mixing will know Tchad’s work very well. Then, Doug [McKean, the album’s producer] and I experimented so much with the tones, so I think people that maybe didn’t like My Chem would like this… “I think it’ll get a fair shake,” he concludes. “What they feel about it after they’ve listened to it, I won’t know, but I definitely feel like somebody will go, ‘Alright, we’ll I’ll try this dude out and see how it goes.’” As for the reaction he hopes the album might provoke, it seems to be the mantra that he himself is trying to follow. “I just hope they take away that…” he pauses one last time. “Just to be free, and just to do what you’re feeling, to not over think it. To take the risk, and do the hard things.” Gerard Way’s debut solo album ‘Hesitant Alien’ will be released on 29th September via Warner Bros. Records. DIY

Ready To Start

Gerard Way is planning to kick his solo career off in style, visiting Reading & Leeds to give his UK fans a glimpse of what lies ahead. The only question left is, what exactly should we expect? “Well, originally, I was going to play guitar and sing live. That was actually the first thing and then, it was another one of those things over time where I was like, ‘It’d be nice for one or two songs, but I don’t think people wanna see that if they’re coming.’ We had some rehearsals where I tried to play guitar and sing and confidently, I could do it, it just didn’t feel right. I didn’t think an audience wanted to see that. “The energy that I have when I’m in a live setting, it’s a bit wild and kind of uncontrollable so trying to put that behind a guitar didn’t work. I felt like I was fighting it, like I just wanted to take it off and smash it and then sing. And that’s not good! So, to my band, I just said at one point, ‘No I’m just going to sing live. I have to do my thing or I’ll just feel trapped’. I was never meant to be a guy with a guitar singing live.” And as for starting things off at Reading & Leeds? “We have a history with it! It feels good to be in England kicking it off no matter what. My Chemical Romance had built up a tradition of doing that, since ‘...Parade’, we always did it and I probably will always start here. “It was also very important for me to be in that tent. I have a buddy out here and we were talking about it, and I told him at one point, ‘I’ll see you in the tent next year’ because I just wanted to be in that tent so bad. It feels good to be playing really early in the morning too, and really kicking things off.” DIy

reading &leeds2014 Gerard Way isn’t the only amazing act making an appearance at this year’s Reading & Leeds Festival. Across three days there’s everything from chart-baiting pop punk to hyper cool blog darlings. Over the next 26 pages you’ll find some of the very best.

Paramore CHVRCHES‘ Lauren Mayberry and Paramore‘s Hayley Williams go head to head prior to their appearances at Reading & Leeds.

ne’s the current royalty of pop punk; the other’s the esteemed heirs to the throne of electropop. They’re both fans of one another’s work and they’re both set for standout performances at this year’s Reading & Leeds. While Paramore are still riding high from the release of their self-titled fourth album, Chvrches have spent the last year garnering critical praise and dominating the US, and all off the back of just one record. Now, as Paramore gear up to headline this year’s festival, Chvrches are climbing their way up the line-up with a high profile slot on the Radio 1 / NME Stage eagerly awaiting them. While on the outside, the two bands may seem like they live within opposite sides of the musical universe, they have more in common than might be first assumed. What better time to quiz Hayley Williams and Lauren Mayberry, and discover – despite what some people may think - just how similar the inner-workings of the two bands really are. Hayley, Paramore are currently out on the

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CHVRCHES Monumentour. How have the shows been? Hayley Williams: I have no clue why we never did this tour before now. The fans that both us and Fall Out Boy share are incredible and the fans that we bring to each other’s shows are amazing as well. It’s nice to see that two different bands can exist in what is essentially the same scene without any sort of fan rivalry. And the tour really is an event. It feels big which we are all really proud of. Lauren, Chvrches just got to play a couple of sets at T in the Park: how did they go? Lauren Mayberry: T is probably our ‘local’ festival compared to other things we’ve been doing so it was nice to be able to take some friends with us, and be back in your own bed afterwards! We played three shows in the end - the gig we were scheduled to do, a BBC Introducing guest spot and standing in for London Grammar on the Sunday so we definitely saw some different sides to the festival, but it’s a festival we all grew up with so it means a lot. You’re both now gearing up to play at this year’s Reading & Leeds. What do you enjoy about festivals in general? What sort of challenges do they throw up? Hayley: We grew up on the Warped Tour and pretty early in our touring career we were able to make it over to the UK to play some festivals. So I guess I feel pretty at home on a festival stage. I love the challenge of keeping the attention of people who aren’t fans, and I love the prospect of winning them over! So, do you think it’s important to tailor your live show? Lauren: Festivals mean you play in a lot of different environments - indoors, outdoors, daytime, night time - so

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LAUREN VS HAYLEY

hat do you think of the supposed lack of women in more hardcore music? Is it that there are a lack of female performers, or is the industry not supporting or promoting them? Hayley: I can’t be sure if there actually is a lack... I know for sure that there are a lot more young girls fronting or playing in bands in our scene than there were when Paramore first started touring. That was ten years ago. If there truly is a lack... It starts with us as individuals. We have to encourage girls at a very young age that they are capable of being exceptional. For whatever they show real interest in, the passion we foster within young girls must be stronger and louder than the voices that tell them they aren’t good enough. And then we need to take it a step further and make sure we aren’t holding girls to a different set of skill levels than we hold boys to. I’ve never once wanted to hear anyone say, “Oh yeah, Paramore are great for being a girl band.” To me, it’s more of a life issue really, not a music industry issue. You seem pretty active on social networks. How important is that to you as a means of communication with fans? Paramore fans are pretty hardcore too - do you think the online ‘street team’ has been valuable to you guys? Hayley: We got our Myspace before we ever got a real tour. I’m not sure Paramore as a whole could function without some sort of online networking platform. We just really love the instant access to the people who are supporting us. It’s become even more important now that we are at a point where we can’t be at merch after every show or hang outside before doors open. The Street Team is proof that people still want community even in the “hide-behind-the-screen” Internet age. That community comes to life at shows and that’s where you really start to understand how valuable the online stuff actually is. Your vocal range is IN-CRED-IB-LE. What are your tips for singers, in terms of strengthening and maintaining their voice? Hayley: Thank you! Never stop doing some type of vocal lesson, which is essentially just a really good warm-up. Even more important is the warm-down! Pretty much, just do your warm-ups backwards... Moving down the scales instead of up. Simple but so so important! Also, voice-rest is crucial when you’re hoarse but no one can ever get me to shut up so I just have to make do. DIY

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you need to tailor your set slightly depending on that but it’s always been important to us that our live shows be just that - live. I think there can be a tendency for some electronic bands to do a glorified playback party instead of a gig but, because of the musical background we come from, we want to play as much of it live as humanly possible, for the benefit of a crowd but also for our own enjoyment. The fourth band member is still Ableton though. Hayley: It’s important to find balance between a big explosive festival type set, with singles and big songs and then also to show your older fans that no matter how high you may make it onto a bill you haven’t forgotten the songs that laid the foundation to where you are now. As for your set itself, what’ve you been able to explore within it as the stages have gotten bigger? How do you think you’ve changed and developed it over the past couple of years? Hayley: It’s gotten to be a lot of fun working with different types of production. We were always the band that just came with a backdrop and our instruments. We liked that approach, we were inspired when we saw that Rage Against The Machine once played at a festival and they needed nothing but their logo behind them to rip the faces off of what seemed like a whole country worth of people. With this album, we’ve tried a lot of new production elements. Jeremy always mans the production ship. He comes up with most of the ideas that people see at our shows. We still keep it pretty streamlined, we aren’t a super flashy band... but it’s really been fun to try new things in the show. Lauren: We’ve all been in bands for quite a long time

so playing gigs is what we’re best at, but it takes time to figure out what the live dynamic of each band is and we’ve definitely become more comfortable over the past two years. People will always have opinions on things and, when we first started out, people would say, “Why doesn’t the singer dance more?”, “She should smile once in a while.” Despite those things being casually sexist. Does anyone ever say that Thom Yorke should smile? I don’t think so. People want you to fit the mould of what’s ‘expected’ of an electro band, and for me specifically, what’s expected of a femalefronted electro band. But if those things already exist, what’s the point in us doing a bad pastiche of that to please other people? You can only be the truest version of yourself, and that has always been important to us. What’re the most important elements of the live show for you? Lauren: The sound, us working together as a band to deliver a good show, and the people who have come to it. We’ve all been the guy who played a gig where there were probably more band members on stage than there were people in the crowd, and I don’t think that experience ever leaves you. Hayley: The most important element of anyone’s live show should be that it is, in fact, a live show. I don’t like when a band sounds exactly like their recordings but I don’t like when a band can’t pull off their songs, either. We work our asses off to impress the hell out of people coming to see us. Just as important is the ability and the desire to connect with the people who are supporting us. That means that it’s important we’re connecting with the songs as well. So every show is a little different in terms of emotion, execution, and

“We work our asses off to impress the hell out of people coming to see us” Hayley Williams

even little things like stage banter. How much of a challenge is being the frontperson of the band? Have you noticed your own self growing into the role as the band has grown? How has the journey been to get where you are today? Hayley: I am definitely more comfortable now with my role in the band than I was at 15 or 16 years old. It’s helped that I’ve just gotten older. The thing I learn every day is how to balance projection and connection... Like, when we play a really big show I want to project my whole self from stage all the way to the very last person in the very last row, but at the same time, it’s important that I don’t let the stage performance get in the way of real connection with people at the show. That’s far more personal and more valuable than saying something cool or being a “rockstar”. Lauren: For me, it’s a development. As in all aspects of life, I suppose we are constantly learning and evolving and it’s important to me that those things happen in their own time, rather than forcing yourself and just doing impressions of other people. I have been told that my stage patter is that of an uncomfortable best man speech at a wedding. But it’s my uncomfortable best man speech patter, so at least it’s

HAYLEY VS LAUREN

loved your editorial for The Guardian about internet misogyny. I’ve experienced this more than I like to admit over the last 8 or 9 years and I really felt empowered by your words. I’m just wondering what happened for you after it went viral? Did you notice any change in either yourself or your interactions with fans? Lauren: The response we got from fans, other musicians and the media was very positive - to our faces, at least, I’m sure there were negative things said but I haven’t hunted for them. That was very encouraging because, although to me it seems like a completely legitimate thing to bring up, we hadn’t been a hugely political band in the public’s eye up until that point. For me personally, I think it was in one way a relief because I had been silently dealing with it all behind closed doors so there was something cathartic about being able to do something positive in what was ultimately a negative situation. And also by that point I was so tired and pissed off that doing something felt good. It has also made it slightly easier for me to feel like I can be myself in the work that we do. You have such a cool voice. Even when I saw Chvrches live I was really impressed with your pitch and your tone. Razor sharp! Which singers or vocal performances in particular have influenced your style up to this point in your career? Is there anything vocally that you want to do differently for the next album? Lauren: Thank you! I think that two years of touring has definitely helped in terms of confidence and general strength but that has also opened up vocal possibilities which probably didn’t exist when we were making the first record, because I wasn’t singing ‘professionally’ at that time. It will be fun to try different keys and ranges, and continue to experiment with the idea of using vocals as instrumentation as well as melodic lines. In terms of influences, I love listening to as many different kinds of singers as possible and trying techniques you hear. Fiona Apple, Debbie Harry, Tracy Chapman, Corin Tucker, Regina Spektor, PJ Harvey, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst... Lastly, you’ve been able to gain momentum and credibility, pretty much simultaneously, all during the course of your first album! Do you guys have any plans, goals, fears, or any particular thoughts on what you’ll do next as a band? Lauren: I think for us the most important thing is to keep doing what we feel is right and focusing on a second release. As long as you feel like what you’re doing is true to what you believe in, then that can’t be wrong. DIY 43

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“Does anyone ever say that Thom Yorke should smile? I don’t think so.” Lauren Mayberry

genuine. There is a certain amount more pressure when you are identified as ‘the voice piece’ of the band, but a lot of that is outside perception, and Chvrches is a team game. You’re also both now part of trios; how do you think being such a close unit affects you as a band? Hayley: It’s crazy to get older with Jerm and Taylor ‘cause at this point, we’ve all been friends for like 13 years and we’ve been on the road for ten. When we became a three piece, our friendships became simpler almost out of necessity. We had to relearn what we had in common, what we loved about each other, what we didn’t... So the basis of our “rebirth” as a band started with laying a new foundation of friendship. Lauren: I think for us, it’s the perfect number because there aren’t too many personalities involved that you can’t get things done and it’s easy to communicate. It’s also always been important to you to do things on your own terms: to remain seen very much ‘as a band’. Whilst it has present many challenges along the way, why’s it so important to maintain? Lauren: Our initial fears about that kind of thing were mainly informed by my background in media, as well as having been A Girl In Bands for years. When we first started out, we definitely noticed the media’s wish to separate me from Iain and Martin, and present ‘Chvrches’ as one person and that’s never something we were interested in. It wasn’t a band masterminded by two men with a female singer to sell

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the songs - it was a group pursuit - and it was important for us to establish that from day one so that we could be represented as accurately as possible. Maybe some people thought we were being pigheaded at the beginning but I don’t really care. I think it’s important to have as sure a sense of yourself, and what you want to do as you possibly can and people will always try to manipulate that. And it’s a lot harder to backtrack from a place you don’t want to be than never go there in the first place. Hayley: I don’t really think of it as maintenance as much as just sticking true to what we are, no matter what image the media tries to paint or if I do a feature on a song without the guys. It’s important to remember that this started in a basement with a bunch of kids who loved music that wasn’t popular... We needed the outlet and we needed each other. It could never be just me, just Jeremy, or just Taylor. Finally, you’re going to be playing fairly high profile slots at this year’s Reading & Leeds; are you looking forward to it? Lauren: We played Reading & Leeds last year, so it’s nice to be there again, one year later, with an album out so that people might know more than just the singles. Hayley: I’m nervous, man! But so excited and so ready. We still have to rehearse a lot of extra songs cause the set is going to be even longer than the set we’re playing right now on tour! We haven’t fully ironed out all the details yet but we’ll make it worthy of a top spot. DIY

are wolf alice

ready to win reading and leeds?

Festival Essentials with

Catfish and the Bottlemen

1 Your best mate! Always take your best mate!

It’s essential! Don’t get paired with brothers who don’t look out for you and leave you for dead at a Craig Charles DJ set.

2 Brownies! I’m sure you’ll agree that this needs no explaining.

3 Sausages! But keep them to yourself. Just take

a pack of Walls, man. If someone starts revving up a BBQ and you turn around with a bag of sausages, you’ll go down an absolute storm! DIY

Who are you looking forward to seeing,

Bipolar Sunshine?

“I play Reading on Friday which is the same day as SBTRKT. So looking forward to hearing his new stuff live, that will deffo be a great watch! I’d also like to catch Catfish and the Bottlemen, I’ve known these guys for a while and it’s nice to see them doing so well. If I was going to be at Reading all weekend I would make sure I went to see Cage the Elephant, Schoolboy Q and Die Antwoord.” DIY

There’s always one band at Reading & Leeds who set the festival alight. Trust us, this year, it’s going to be Wolf Alice.

eading & Leeds is special for all sorts of reasons, but one echoes loud and strong when it comes to breaking through, the Festival Republic stage is a special place. Long established, even though it’s one of the smaller tents, when the stars align - usually mid way through the afternoon - it provides the perfect platform for the next big thing to really show how to start the party. Have doubts? Its alumni reads like a who’s who of the last decade of

music. Franz Ferdinand strutted their way into our hearts there. Foals showed that, underneath their math rock, one day they’d be back to take the Main Stage. Arctic Monkeys caused riots, and only a couple of years ago Alt-J graced its confines on the way to the Mercury. This year, there’s no doubts about it - it’s Wolf Alice’s turn. “This is our first time playing,” bassist Theo Ellis ponders, seemingly unfazed by the pressure. “We’re well excited, we’ll probably do backflips or something. Maybe it’s because people have had a chance to have a few drinks,” he muses. “They’re well up for it then.” Oh, Theo. If only you knew what’s about to come. DIY

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“We’re r e a dy to

take “W

Back on the Reading & Leeds main stage, Pulled Apart By Horses return more confident than ever. Words: Tom Connick, Photo: Emma Swann.

e’ve always been quite fast-paced as a band,” states Pulled Apart By Horses drummer Lee Vincent, in possibly the understatement of the year. He’s commenting on the band’s past two years in the shadows – a breather completely at odds with both the non-stop touring schedule and frenzied post-hardcore they were previously renowned for. “We just got to the point where we were in a position where we could take some time off and actually take our time with writing a record, which was not a position any of us ever thought we’d be in,” he continues. “So we decided, ‘Let’s not go on tour for a year and a half and take all that time to write a record’. Hopefully people will think the results are worthwhile. If not, we’re kinda… fucked,” he laughs. Touching down in their hometown of Leeds for rehearsals ahead of the band’s remaining summer schedule, Lee is itching to get back on the road. Declaring their run of dates this spring “one of the most fun tours we’ve ever done”, he’s looking to the summer with eager eyes – particularly their return to Reading & Leeds’ main stage. “Yeah, y’know, fireworks!” he jokes when asked if there’ve any surprises up their sleeves, “I dunno, I think the extent of our theatrical plans are that we’re gonna get a new backdrop! Any time we get asked to play Reading & Leeds it’s a massive thing for us, and we did the Main Stage a few years ago, so for them to ask us back after we’ve pretty much been out in the wilderness for a year and a half was really kind of them. They still clearly have faith in us, so it’s really nice.”

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Reading & Leeds’ Main Stage will make a suitably grand launchpad for the four-piece’s future, as they gear up for the release of aforementioned third full-length ‘Blood’ this autumn. But despite

“it needs to sound fuckin’ raw. ” Lee Vincent

The Godfathers Of Rock There’s no denying that the influence of Josh Homme, and his fellow bandmates in Queens of the Stone Age has travelled far and wide. After all, not only did Homme take fellow headliners Arctic Monkeys under his wing when they ended up in the desert just a few years ago, but the band’s music is still inspiring new fans to pick up their guitars and turn their cabs up to eleven. Few acts can compare to their Reading & Leeds attendance record.

2000

their schedule beginning to gather pace, this isn’t quite a return to the madness of the old Horses – ‘Blood’ is an altogether more gloomy affair, with early singles prompting the phrase ‘stoner-rock’ from all angles. “It’s an old cliche, but you’ve got to interest yourself first in the music you’re playing,” says Lee on the change of tone. “It wouldn’t have made us happy at all to go and make another ‘Tough Love’. It’s that thing where we’ve been playing at one hundred miles an hour for the first few years of our life. We definitely wanted to play around with some more brooding, mid-tempo stuff. “I think it’s the record we’re all the most in love with, it’s definitely my favourite Horses record. We wanted to make it more melodic, but not lose that intensity. Even when we’re playing slower stuff, it needs to sound fuckin’ raw – like it’s being played with meaning.” An early glimpse at this ethos’ influence on ‘Blood’ came in the form of recent single ‘Lizard Baby’ – a three minute sludge-fest of a track, with a title that references

writer David Icke’s assertion that the royal baby is… er, a lizard. Lee explains the reference; “It’s kind of synonymous with bands doing things for attention, and to make their way ahead in the world in maybe not the most honest way. And that kind of ties in with the hype around just a little baby being born – the whole world goes crazy, and it’s just a couple who had a kid. It’s just all about the chaos of it I guess.” Integrity is something Pulled Apart By Horses have always prided themselves on, but with ‘Blood’ the band finally felt ready to take a few extra steps. Releasing the record on their own label, Best Of The Best Records, is a fitting end to a production cycle that saw the most hands-on Horses yet. “This is definitely a record where we feel like we’re ready to take a lot of control over things,” Lee continues. “I think it turned out better for it.” Pulled Apart By Horses’ new album ‘Blood’ will be released on 1st September via Sony/Red. DIY

Making their debut appearance at Reading & Leeds, the turn of the millennium also saw Queens of the Stone Age play not one, but two sets.

2005 Their first showing since the release of ‘Songs For The Deaf’ and ‘Lullabies To Paralyze’, 2005 also marks their debut on the Main Stage, sandwiched between The Coral and The Killers.

2009 Josh Homme appears on the Main Stage with Eagles of Death Metal, and the BBC Radio 1

/ NME Stage with a surprise appearance from Them Crooked Vultures.

2010 Homme et al open proceedings for the shambolic efforts of Guns N’ Roses on the Main Stage.

2014 Having returned stronger and darker than ever with their brooding effort ‘...Like Clockwork’, 2014 marks the perfect time for the band to finally close the event. Having established such a legacy, there’s no better place for them to step up to headlining duties. It’s going to be one hell of a show. DIY

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AUSSIE INVASION For 2014, DZ Deathrays are upping their assault on Reading & Leeds. Words & Photos: Emma Swann.

Deathrays come to Reading & Leeds with brand new album ‘Black Rat’ in tow. Well, we say brand new, but the record has already been out in the pair’s – that’s vocalist / guitarist Shane Parsons and drummer Simon Ridley – native Australia for some time. “It’s not ideal,” admits Simon of the enforced delay. His band mate is a little more philosophical. “I thought it was a big deal,” Shane says, “but it happens so often to Australian bands that it’s expected. It just means that we’ve done our tour in Australia, and now we can focus on the UK and Europe too.” The new record follows not only debut album, ‘Bloodstreams’, released back in 2012, but also winter 2013 stop-gap single ‘Northern Lights’, which as Shane explains, was their way of apologising for album two taking a little longer than they’d planned. “We wanted to record the album last year,” he says, “but we didn’t have the songs ready and we were trying to sort a producer. Once you stop touring, it’s hard to get back and get that momentum again, so we really wanted to get new music out and back on the road again.” With producer Burke Reid (who’s also worked on fellow Australian Courtney Barnett’s debut full-length) in tow, the pair decamped to a studio just outside Sydney at the beginning of this year. “We wanted a quick turnaround,” says Shane. ‘Black Rat’ was released in both Australia and the US back in May, just a few months after they began recording in January. “I think we’re going to try and do the same again for the next one.” Before that, of course, comes the small matter of touring. And with touring comes dealing with reluctant travellers. “It’s funny,” Shane laughs. “In the UK, as soon as you announce tour dates, there are people complaining that you’re not coming to your town. It’s like literally 40 minutes away, you could get a train or whatever! We get it in Australia, too, because we’re not playing Newcastle or whatever, and I guess it’s three hours away but that’s not far in Australia. Or America either. And both are not as bad for it as here!” The duo play the BBC Radio 1 / NME Stage on Saturday in Reading and Sunday in Leeds – something they weren’t previously aware would make them miss Blink-182. “Naaahhhhh,” they both cry. “I missed them when they did the Australian run!” “I’d love to see Blink,” muses Simon. Shane agrees. “Yeah, it’d be awesome.” They are, however, excited about their own set. “Yeah!” Simon enthuses. “Last time we did it was so much fun, and this time I guess we know a little bit of what to expect.” “We’re doing a bigger stage this time,” Shane adds, “we’re now in the one The Cribs played last time we were there.” DZ Deathrays’ new album ‘Black Rat’ will be released on 18th August via Infectious Music. DIY

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TOP POPS OF THE

“THERE’S BIGGER THINGS TO COME.” Lower Than Atlantis are hoping to rock Reading & Leeds with their new, selftitled album. Words: Tom Connick.

ike Duce is a man of simple pleasures. Tucking into a fry-up in the café next door to his band’s self-built studio, the Lower Than Atlantis frontman has one desire in life: “I just want to play and write music, that’s all I wanna do.” Of course, it’s not always that easy, and few bands have been subject to quite as much industryrelated stress as Lower Than Atlantis. After the label campaign for 2012’s ‘Changing Tune’ didn’t quite hit the mark, the band were given an ultimatum – face a second album under the label’s control, with little to no promotion; or take the next album’s advance and leave. True to form, they handled the proposition in the most straightforward manner. “We took the money and ran,” Mike states, a note of relief in his voice. This no-bullshit approach will come as little surprise to existing Lower Than Atlantis fans, with Mike’s lyrics in particular renowned for their pragmatism. But as the band

took a step back to recover from the blow they’d been dealt by their first tentative steps away from DIY culture, they looked inwards too. “Lyric-wise – before, every song’s been kind of like reflective and I’ve spent a long time getting it right, and then the meanings get lost. With this album, it’s very much the case that on first listen, you hear what I’m saying, and they’re pretty loose, so people can take away from it what they will.” The self-titling of Lower Than Atlantis’ fourth record is more than just an aesthetic choice - it’s the clearest indicator of the band’s intentions to date. “A lot of people are saying that if this album doesn’t blow up and we don’t get massive, then we’ve gotta call it a day,” concludes Mike when quizzed on the band’s future plans. “I don’t give a fuck – I don’t need validation from some strangers who come up with these numbers.” Forthright ‘til the end - Lower Than Atlantis are still doing everything on their own terms. Lower Than Atlantis’s self-titled new album will be released on 29th September via Easy Life / Sony Red. DIY

Touché Amoré guitarist Nick Steinhardt runs through his ultimate Reading & Leeds playlist. Architects - These Colors Don’t Run In 2012 we and Architects went out together with Rise Against in Europe. This is the song they sound checked with daily, well before the record came out. Still one of the funniest / best groups of people I’ve been on tour with. The Neighbourhood - Sweater Weather I love the mix of styles that progress throughout this song. An incredibly strong and memorable chorus. SBTRKT - Pharaohs The world would be more productive if this groove was woven throughout everyone’s lives. Twin Shadow - Here Comes The Sun I’m a huge 4AD nerd so this naturally fell my way. My favourite performance at FYF Festival 2012 in LA. Disclosure - White Noise (Feat. AlunaGeorge) Been a big fan of AlunaGeorge since their EP on TriAngle Records, which naturally drew me to this song. Every Time I Die - In The Event That Everything Should Go Terribly Wrong A big influence on me musically in my formative years in bands. This track was a total oddball on the record, proving that diversity and atmospherics can work well to break up an overly heavy record. Jimmy Eat World - Blister In 2009 we recorded a cover of this song that will never see the light of day. Find the full playlist on diymag.com. DIY

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SECONDS WITH… OF MICE & MEN

Drummer Valentino Arteaga spares a few minutes ahead of the band’s headline spot at Reading & Leeds’ The Pit. Hello Valentino, how are you? I’m doin’ well just chillin’ out at Warped Tour in Cleveland, Ohio. Are you planning anything special for your Reading & Leeds sets? We’re really excited to be playing new material, so that will be really special. Have you been to the festival before? This will be our first time and we couldn’t be more excited! You’re playing the Lock Up/Pit tent, is there anyone else on that stage you’d especially recommend people to go see? Issues, Woven War and Crosses. Who are you most looking forward to seeing yourself? Our fans! If you could book any band at all to headline the festival, who would you choose? Rage Against The Machine ‘cause they’re one of the best bands on the planet. You’ve just released your new album, ‘Restoring Force’, how has it been going down with festival crowds? The new material has been going over great! ‘Feels Like Forever’ has some of the loudest crowd singing of any song we play. What have you got planned for beyond Reading & Leeds? We just announced a tour with Linkin Park in November that goes through some UK and European markets, so come see us again soon! DIY

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ROUGH

READY

Gnarwolves up the ante, finding their way onto the Main Stage. Words: Sarah Jamieson.

or Gnarwolves, the road to Reading & Leeds has been long and fun-filled. Having made their debut appearance at the festival just twelve months ago, when they opened the Lock Up stage at midday on Friday and still managed to have people fighting to make their way into the packed tent, they’re now set to take on something bigger. “Main Stage, yeah!” exclaims guitarist and vocalist Thom Weeks from the back of a van, where they’re on the way to play yet another show. Are they prepared? “I don’t know, I can’t remember… I watched Mastodon on the Main Stage in like 2006 and that was pretty cool. They’re pretty huge now, aren’t they!? I dunno though... It’s gonna be fun, isn’t it? No matter what.” Having built their reputation up from playing show after show, the trio have become more than well known for their brand of ruckus-inducing punk rock. Last year, they managed to shake off the cobwebs – and hangovers – of punters with singalongs galore when they opened up the Lock Up. Now though, with a massive stage on the horizon, it’s proving more than a little difficult to get their heads around.

LOCK UP STAGE / THE PIT

PICKS

Rock’s newest darlings Neck Deep choose their must-see acts.

THE WONDER YEARS

“It’s well scary! It’s such a crazy thing to have to do.”

We did a tour with those guys a while ago and they put on an awesome show and always have a huge sing along. Plus their record ‘The Greatest Generation’ is amazing.

ARCHITECTS

They always tear up the stage with their riffs! Been a huge fan for years and if you like your heavier music then you don’t

wanna miss em, plus they won Best Album at the Kerrang! awards this year.

ISSUES

We just did all of Warped Tour this summer with them and it was incredible watching them all the time. They have awesome stage presence and kids go wild for it. I think they will have a massive response and will blend a lot different types of fans together. Heavy catchy party tunes. DIY

Thom Weeks “Yeah, I don’t know what happened there really!” Thom ponders, thinking back to their set last year and how far they’ve climbed up the bill. “I dunno who let that happen, but it’s worked favourably for us! Otherwise, I’m literally putting [this year’s set] in the back of my head because it’s well scary! It’s such a crazy thing to have to do and it’s so out of our comfort zone. I don’t think it’ll sink in until the day, but we’re having a little practice at the Blink-182 show [in the Tipsport Arena, Prague], as that’s in a big room too. So, I’ll do that, and then I’ll think about it from then onwards!” Their slot at Reading & Leeds will also mark the real introduction of their debut album, due out this September, which sees the band really embracing the challenges of bettering their songwriting. “We were genuinely terrified in the few weeks leading up to the recording that we weren’t gonna have enough songs to write a record, but then we did and it was great. We’re really proud of every single song on the record as well. “We thought about what we were doing a little

bit more than we have done in the past. We’ve concentrated on trying to write really good songs, and just had a little bit more time to learn how to write songs together. We were just trying to get into the groove a bit, while learning how to play with each other, and how to sing and stuff! It’s better in that sense. We didn’t have to rush – and we’ve never not had to rush before – and that shows in the recording quality.” With their self-titled full-length now ready and waiting to go, all that’s left is for them to do is turn on their amps, plug in their guitars and win over those thousands of people who’ll be waking up bleary-eyed on the first day of Reading & Leeds. So, the final question is, how many crowd-surfers do they expect to see coming over the barriers that day? “Crowd surfers?!” laughs Thom. “I’d like to set some kind of world record, probably. I think that’s possible, isn’t it?” Gnarwolves’ self-titled debut album will be released in September via Big Scary Monsters / Tangled Talk. DIY

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Twin Atlantic aren’t too good at attending festivals; but they’re great at playing them. Words: Sarah Jamieson, Photo: Emma Swann.

Divide&Conquer

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diymag.com

aving spent the last six and a half years on the road, it was with their debut full-length ‘Free’ that things began to fall into place for Twin Atlantic. After its release in 2011, a slew of headline tours, festival appearances, a Gold certification and soundtracking a free fall from space followed, and the Scottish four-piece finally found themselves playing to the audiences they had always hoped for. Now they’re back with a second album, ‘Great Divide’, but they’re set to change things up a little. “The best part of the build up for me,” begins the band’s frontman Sam McTrusty, “is knowing that there are still songs on there that will catch people off guard. We know the cards that we have up our sleeves, so that’s the exciting thing. From the beginning we were always talking about, ‘What type of song do we not have in a headline set?’ That was a starting point for writing songs. We had a billion ideas for a riff, a piano part, a drum fill that could maybe be a song. We scrapped a lot of good ideas because they already existed.” If anything, this album was written to really transform their live show. Having spent almost half a decade playing across the country, when the venues began to get bigger, crowds began to get rowdier. The band realised it was time to inject some fun into their sets, as well as adrenaline. “We learned from the last time that we go out and play these songs every day,” offers Sam. “Obviously we knew that was gonna happen, but the reality of it is that we want to have fun. I think rock music can be taken too seriously, and we found that doing all of our shows for the last album, the people that came wanted to have a party. It was a celebration almost, because we’d taken baby steps to get to the environment where we could put on an actual show. I think we were really excited by that, and that’s why there’s all of these directions. We were filling in the gaps of what we’ve always wanted to do on stage, I think.” It was also an album inspired by the shows themselves. Readily admitting to writing the majority of the album in the back of their tour bus, McTrusty is adamant that you just can’t remain unaffected

by playing to thousands of people every night. “I could’ve come off stage and hated a gig, and been in a really frustrated mood and then the next night, it could’ve been the greatest feeling I’ve ever had,” he offers. “And not just during the shows; there was meeting people during the day and stuff. We were doing things like meeting a 40 year old guy from Aberdeen who had got the petrol can [from the artwork for ‘Free’] tattooed on him and told us the story of why he got it, before playing a fucking sold out show in a big room in Aberdeen… All those things, you’d have to be a stone to not absorb some of it, and I mean, a lot of it was from the sub-conscious because I was so tired. I only started playing guitar at the back of the bus because I couldn’t get to sleep. Then, I’d get really into an idea and I’d be fucking exhausted, but the words would start coming out. A lot of it is probably from a more honest place, because I wasn’t filtering it in the same way that I would if I’d been sitting at home.” Twin Atlantic have always been a band with something to say, at the heart of things, and that honesty is something that spills into the album’s message. It’s a fairly

simple one, too. “Ultimately, it’s just to - it’s so cliche to say - just be yourself. I know that’s pretty naive to try and live like that, but I guess that’s what it’s kinda inspired by. That’s where it all stems from; this one stems from us trying to find our feet with everything that was going on with the last album, and spending all that time away from home. All of that happening, whilst we were becoming men. I don’t know if I’m a man yet,” he stops and gestures to Ross, “you guys definitely are, but I’m trying. That’s what it’s all built upon; our experiences.” Twin Atlantic’s new album ‘Great Divide’ will be released on 18th August via Red Bull Records. DIY

A LESSON IN..

FESTIVAL SURVIVAL Twin Atlantic are here to give you a heads up on how to survive festival life... or, er, not. Sam: Fuck, I’m a bad festival-goer man! Ross: Er, don’t go too hard on Friday because you’ve got a long way to go. That’s kinda standard though. Sam: I would also say, if you feel sick, just do the two finger tango. Just get it out, man! The vomit, not anything else… Genuinely, I’ve been at festivals and felt kinda sick and it’s really ruined the rest of my day, whereas if I’d just pulled the trigger and made myself sick, I’d have felt so much better. I wish I’d done that at more festivals! And also, when I first went to T in the Park, it rained really, really heavily and I went home. I came back the next day, but I just wish I had stuck it out. I regret that I didn’t experience it to the fullest. Sam: My mum camped at T in the Park last year. What with me being in the band and us talking about it all the time, she was watching it on TV and then started reading interviews and would see things about festivals. So, she was like, ‘Oh I regret never doing it’, so she did it last year. She came back fucking sunburned and covered in mud! My mum had the shakes, she’d gotten so fucked over the weekend! My mum lasted longer than I did. DIY

Camping it up:. .Twin Atlantic. 53

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CHILD’S

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anic shouting and pointing lasers in each other’s faces might not be how you picture a band recording an album in the studio, but for Childhood, it’s the new norm. The London-based four-piece release their anticipated debut LP ‘Lacuna’ this August, and it’s clear that the journey is just as vivid and vibrant as the album itself.

“It was about getting everyone into this super creative, don’t-give-a-shit mindset,” excitable frontman Ben Romans-Hopcraft says on the band’s studio antics. Recorded “basically in a day” with the go-to alt-pop producer Dan Carey, ‘Lacuna’ is a rich, brightly-coloured album that has as much a summertime shimmer as it does light shades of melancholy. Those hooked from

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pl ay

.Having been one of the .highlights of Reading .& Leeds 2013, Childhood .are back and this year .they have a debut .album in tow. Words: .Tom Walters, Photos: .Emma Swann.

the sound of their first woozy single ‘Blue Velvet’, or even the more recent psych-driven ‘Solemn Skies’ will feel right at home on ‘Lacuna’, an album that’s as much doused in radiant sunshine as it is pale moonlight. While it definitely has a distinctive summer sound, Ben doesn’t necessarily consider Childhood strictly a band who provide seasonal anthems. “I think it’s just one of those inane things that comes out of writing music for certain reasons,” he explains. “For me, I never made music that I really wanted to hear before I was in Childhood, you know what I mean? There’s a little bit of melancholy in it, but it’s not really too sad - it leans to a more ethereal quality for me

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reading &leeds2014 rather than a sad quality. It’s a pretty breezy album in many respects.” It all starts with ‘Blue Velvet’, a song that’s become a massive fan favourite ever since it emerged as the band’s first single in 2012. Two years on, Ben is just as chuffed about that track as he was the day he wrote it. “I actually love it!” he proclaims. The song was originally recorded back when they were a three-piece, but on ‘Lacuna’, it’s meatier, grander - it’s more of a fully-realised vision. “This time we played it live and got some new textures involved,” Ben continues. “We love the song, and it felt like it would be good just to kick off the record with what we thought was our instant classic! It’s good to go to a familiar place to start something new, I think.” Another huge tune in the history of Childhood is ‘Pinballs’, a track that took everyone by surprise when it emerged at the beginning of the year. A sprawling seven-minute psych-pop jam, Ben is highly enthusiastic when he talks about that song’s ultimate influence on ‘Lacuna’. “For better or worse, when you see us live, we tend to go off on one, and I think it was inevitable for us to put out a track like ‘Pinballs’,” he says. “There are so many bands that do the same kind of thing as us, and me personally I can’t listen to a certain sound for that long. The main vibe was just complete intensity at all times that’s what we tried to portray.”

With festival season well and truly in swing, Childhood have been preparing themselves for bigger stages this summer. Having completed a short run of UK headline dates back in spring before heading out on a tour supporting Interpol which has only just wrapped, Ben is confident in his band’s ability, even if it means being a bit more ‘mature’. “I’m a massive Interpol fan so for me, it was like seeing celebrities,” he bashfully states. “They’re really chilled, humble people. They’re not constantly throwing beers around the dressing room and stuff,” he laughs.

when they opened the BBC Radio 1 / NME tent, and closed the BBC Introducing stage last year. “I got to hang out with bands that I liked all day, eat catering and get really pissed,” he divulges - whatever hazy memory remains is clearly a fond one. “We’re playing quite high up on the Festival Republic stage this year, so I feel like maybe we should take it a little more seriously rather than drinking vodka at six in the morning like we did last year!” Childhood’s debut album ‘Lacuna’ will be released on 11th August via Marathon Artists / House Anxiety. DIY

The band return to Reading & Leeds this year too, having already played the festival

“Maybe we should take it a little more seriously than last year!” Ben RomansHopcraft

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Let’s Dance

MØ

This year’s dance line-up spanning across the whole of the Reading & Leeds weekend - might just be the most diverse yet. Headliners come from completely different corners of the globe as well as musical spheres, and acts the average punter might consider all-out pop make an appearance in the tent. We’ve picked out some of the highlights from across the weekend.

FLUME

Aussie Harley Streten’s rise to the top has pretty much come out of nowhere. One minute he was selling millions in his home country, with plenty to do on these shores, the next he’s jumped the queue to headline the Sunday night of Reading. The bloke’s just 22, for crying out loud. Someone tell him to slow down.

On paper it might seem an odd match, former punk Karen Marie Ørsted winding up in the dance stage with foot-stamping, progressive pop. But live she’s a different beast. Up in the face of anyone who dares get near, she’s constantly enlivened, throwing shapes that might not have even existed until now. Recent collaborations with Diplo and Major Lazer cement this brilliant crossover into dance.

L XURY

Best buds with Disclosure (and signed to their label, Method), West London producer Lxury - aka Andy Smith - has built quickly on the success of debut ‘J.A.W.S’ (which also comes produced by Disclosure). He’s an early billing on this year’s line-up - expect this to be the first of many appearances in the dance tent.

BON DA X

Production duo Bondax are barely past their teens and the DIY Class of 2014 alumni are making big inroads. Ahead of releasing ‘Bondax & Friends: The Mix Album’, they’ve added to their live set-up, bringing in special guests from all sides. Expect this to be one of the liveliest sets of the weekend.

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“We’ve worked our way up” Dry the River have made their way up the bill and on to the Main Stage. Words & Photo: Emma Swann.

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ry The River’s slot on the Main Stage at Reading & Leeds this year is, as frontman Peter Liddle describes, the realisation of a “lifetime ambition”. The fourpiece are local to the southern leg of the festival, “so everyone’s always had ‘Main Stage Reading’ as a milestone.” “And we’ve slowly built towards it,” his bandmate, Matt Taylor adds. “We started out on the Festival Republic stage, then worked our way up the NME/Radio 1 stage, and slowly over the years towards being on the Main Stage – and this year they finally let us!” The band come to Reading & Leeds with second record, ‘Alarms in the Heart’ in tow, the follow-up to 2012’s ‘Shallow Bed’ released the Monday following the festival. “It was a long and arduous process,” bassist Scott Miller explains, almost laughing. “It hasn’t been easy. Sometime around February last year, we thought ‘Yeah, let’s get in the studio and record this album’, thinking we’d be finished by about May. This August it’ll finally be out!” In the time between starting and finishing work on ‘Alarms in the Heart’, the band and violinist Will Harvey parted ways. “When we started out we were going for that folky sound,” Matt explains, “with more acoustic instruments, and the violin really fit in with that. And more and more, on the new material we’d been writing, we were using keyboards a lot more. The direction we were going down was perhaps less what he was trying to do. Sometimes these things just happen.” ‘Alarms in the Heart’ was recorded between various studios in Iceland and later in London. “We spent some time in Iceland

and came home with something we thought could be an album, but we weren’t quite happy with it, it wasn’t where we wanted it to be. So we then spent a few months that summer, all the way through to November in different studios in London tweaking what was there.” Matt continues. “Once we’d decided what we’d done in Iceland wasn’t completely perfect, we didn’t know when to stop!”

Fantasy Festival

With an appearance at Glastonbury under their belt already this summer, “low-key” might not be the right term for the few dates Dry The River will play in the first two-thirds of 2014, but they have been picky about where and when they’ve opted to play new material. “The audiences haven’t heard any of them before,” muses Matt, “so it’s that awkward thing ‘cause you know that people want to hear songs they might recognise, but at the same time we’ve got this opportunity to start playing the new ones. After four years, 400-odd shows of playing pretty much the same material every night, it’s exciting.” Of course, by the time they head out on tour this October, that won’t be a problem. “Fingers crossed!” Matt laughs. “I think some of the new material lends itself better to a bit more of a singalong atmosphere. Some of the songs are more uptempo, we’re hopeful that it’ll get people moving their feet a bit. Dry the River fans have a habit of just [he nods his head slowly]. Our songs are quite slow, quite melancholy. Or at least those on the first album are, it’s not exactly stuff you can dance around to. There are a couple of tracks on the new record that will get people moving.” That wasn’t something that hindered the crowds in India, when the band played a trio of dates late last year. “It was a real experience,” describes Peter. “We played Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi.” “They’re into a really diverse type of music,” Scott adds, “Jon and I went to Sonisphere, and that was more heavier music – bar this year, those bands don’t rock up at Glastonbury and go down that well. But in India Meshuggah headlined the festival and the crowd were going wild, and then those same audience members were watching Dry the River and going wild for us!” Matt interrupts. “London audiences could take a few tips from India.” Dry the River’s new album ‘Alarms in the Heart’ will be released on 25th August via Transgressive Records. DIY

BBC Radio 1/NME Stagers Temples ponder their dream festival line up.

THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION

There’s problems already because The Mothers of Invention have been booked to open the festival, which is in danger of making everything else obsolete. Those who were lucky to arrive early enough get treated to just about everything off of ‘Freak Out!’ and a special live-improv of ‘The Return of The Son of Monster Magnet’. It goes down really well.

AMON DUUL II

They were originally booked to headline but wanted to leave before teatime, Amon Duul II do the dirty and upstage Zappa improvising, without actually playing a recognised song. Someone hears Archangels Thunderbird in there, but can’t be sure.

NICK NICELY

Having not really played festivals before, it’s a genuine treat that Nick Nicely has agreed to play. Unaware, he plays singles ‘Hilly Fields’/’49 Cigars’ first and then takes everyone on a journey of his thenunreleased back catalogue. It’s by far one of the most sophisticated performances of the day, but only around 400 there.

IVOR CUTLER

Over on the spoken word stage, Ivor Cutler is trying out his latest work ‘Velvet Donkey’ (1975) on everyone. It’s going well until ‘Life In A Scotch Sitting Room’, when a few start muttering and people at the back can’t quite hear.

ALEXANDER SKIP SPENCE

With all sorts going on elsewhere, over in the acoustic tent Skip Spence is having some reverb trouble with his guitar. An impromptu performance, so we can expect special one-offs of just about everything he will play.

EDGAR FROESE

In the twilight of everything else, Edgar Froese is up next, so everyone can enjoy the sun setting. People will be disappointed that it’s not Tangerine Dream, but that’s not really the point. He’ll mainly play excerpts from Aqua and end the set with an extended version of NGC 981. It sounds fantastic.

PINK FLOYD

The 68-71 set goes really well, then Syd turns up making everything better. They all grow old together and live happily ever after. DIY

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The Districts the Essential New Band To See At Reading & Leeds The Districts are the kind of live band capable of winning over any crowd, however stubborn. Words: Jamie Milton.

ow Philadelphia-based four-piece The Districts stand out in a busy bunch of exciting new bands, not because of online hype or a kick-starting buzz track this is all based on word-of-mouth. Last time they came to the UK, their bluesy Americana took over showcase festivals like Brighton’s The Great Escape. On record - self-released debut ‘Telephone’ landed them a deal on Fat Possum - they stick to self-imposed limits. Live, they’re a completely different force. Frontman Robby Grote admits that it’s been “pretty wild”, getting such an immediate and positive response to their first UK shows. “Playing overseas is really strange and exciting - we don’t really have a concept of how our music is faring over there while we’re on our side of the Atlantic.” Robby’s fully prepared for what awaits at Reading & Leeds. He cites Nirvana, The Cure and Thin Lizzy as bands who conquered these festivals, but at the same time “it’s much more of a separated, distant thing,” he says, having grown up in the US. “While it has much more history than Lollapalooza

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or something, it’s more surreal since it’s been a festival you’d read about that wasn’t necessarily prominent in our lives.” Their heady ascent to the present day came about after two solid years of gigging and sticking to a DIY approach. “I’m really glad we started from scratch,” says Robby, “because I think we developed a real pride in our identity as a band. [But] I don’t think there was ever a conscious decision to be DIY, I think doing stuff yourself is often a side-effect of just giving a really big shit about what you’re doing.” Already The Districts are at the stage where, if all else fails, they can fall back on a loyal fan base; one that’s seen them grow from the off. Recently their van was broken into following a show, but the response has been insane. Fans have donated cash in support of the band raising enough to re-purchase stolen gear. “We were really worried because we weren’t sure how we were going to afford a lot of the upcoming touring, and it’s been so amazing the help people have given us,” says Robby. “It’s been really, really humbling.” All gear kept intact, the big next step is an eventual new fulllength on Fat Possum, tentatively due out in early 2015. First on the agenda is Reading & Leeds, festivals that could easily claim these guys as future heroes. DIY

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From playing to fewer people than you can count on one hand, to some of the world’s biggest festivals. It’s The Wytches’ time. Words: Hayley Fox.

The Wytching Hour

Photos: Emma Swann.

“I

t’s just like a thing I wrote down in a book at school once… you know, when you’re young and you think what you’re doing because it comes from your heart. At the time you think it’s the realist, purist thing ever.” The Wytches frontman Kristian Bell explains the nostalgia behind the title of his band’s debut album, ‘Annabel Dream Reader’. Though this sentimental anecdote may sound pretty serious, the band don’t take themselves too seriously. The trio - completed by bassist Dan Rumsey and drummer Gianni Honey - have been touring extensively, with support slots for Pulled Apart By Horses, Blood Red Shoes, Superfood and Parquet Courts, in preparation for their album release. This year, The Wytches have also taken to the stage at SXSW, Field Day and The Great Escape, such experiences that Dan describes as “milestones”. Flying the flag for British music, the band played SXSW among the likes of Royal Blood, Drenge and Temples. “We’d already signed an American deal, we just went there for the crack really,” admits Gianni. “Kristian had loads more stuff to do, he had to do lots of press. He was getting thrown in cabs, we felt sorry for him, but he had a bigger workload.” “Look what Gianni got!” an excited Dan cuts in. Gianni lifts up his sleeve to reveal a cartoon-ish tattoo of a pint on his upper arm inked at SXSW. “I was completely sober!”

“We’ll probably just be on tour forever.” Dan Rumsey

As far as touring goes, they’ve formed a bit of a love/hate relationship with it, even though they are a band who excel in a live setting. Dan says: “We’re pretty much back on tour until December now we’ve had a few weeks off. We’ll 63

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reading &leeds2014 probably just be on tour forever.” Kristian and Gianni are quick to have their say. “I can’t be on tour forever, I’d lose my voice,” says Kristian. “I’d lose my mind!” quips Gianni. They agree touring can be stressful, especially when they’re told to do a ‘Disco Load Out’. Whether this means loading out before a club night, or dancing while you’re on the way to the loading bay, they still haven’t worked it out. But you can tell they’re all grateful for the opportunities they’ve had so far. They spend a rare day off from tour either sleeping at home or travelling to the next city. On the last day of the Pulled Apart By Horses tour in Cardiff, they went to the Natural History Museum and explored the mammoth replicas and fish skeletons. Dan perks up to offer some brotherly praise, “I really enjoyed that day with you guys.” The Wytches formed when Kristian and Gianni moved from their Peterborough hometown down to Brighton to study music at university. Gianni explains, “Uni was so we didn’t have to get jobs. Then we advertised for a bassist and Dan was the only one to apply.” Funnily enough, Dan made the cut and they started gigging a month later with their first show at Brighton’s Pav Tav. “We only had four songs and we just went fucking mental. We just started trashing everything to, like, four people,” remembers Gianni. With Kristian’s love of tape recording, they embarked on creating the album in analogue at Hackney’s Toe Rag Studios. Following the lead of artists who’ve recorded there like Tame Impala, The Cribs and The White Stripes, the record sounds warm, with a rich, gritty agenda exhaling through. Done in five days, half of it was written by Kristian when he was just 17. He co-produced it with Bill Ryder-Jones, The Coral’s former guitarist, who gave them lots of tips. ‘Annabel Dream Reader’ carries nods to all their influences. When asked about who inspired them growing up, a heap of artists including Black Sabbath, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Bob Dylan and AFI are all thrown on the pile. Going to gigs when they were young also had an effect on their desire to be in a band. “I hated being in the audience, I just wanted to be onstage to the point where I wouldn’t enjoy a gig,” Dan admits. 64 diymag.com

“We advertised for a bassist and Dan was the only one to apply.” Gianni Honey

On the album, tracks like ‘Digsaw’, ‘Wide At Midnight’ and ‘Robe For Juda’ all go full-pelt with lingering, moody atmospheres. Alongside them stand tracks like ‘Fragile Male’ and ‘Weights & Ties’, which plod along at a more toned down pace. Kristian sums up this balance, “I have a lot of inspiration from obnoxiously heavy music and a lot to thank from soft music, and I feel like I’m neglecting all my inspirations if it’s just the one track.” While it’s hard to define The Wytches’ music with a genre, the term surf-doom - which Kristian “used once” to describe the music - seems to have been

chucked around a lot. “It’s because you get those really really obscure genre titles where you just might as well listen to it instead of explain it,” he says. The term does sum up their sound, made interesting through the hypnotic riffs and drowning vocals. Kristian continues: “It wasn’t like, ‘I’m going to start this mad surf doom band’. But I guess you could see the sense in it because we love doom…” Though they used analogue equipment for the album, they still use some modern technology within the band. Dan picks up his tinny and uses an app on his phone to asses the calorie count, something he’s been doing for approximately two days. “I’m allowed to have 936 more today, in a can of beer there is 215”. Later on, they’re showing off some of their recent Snapchats, which seems to have evolved into a hobby, drawing extra, ahem, additions onto the images. Dan, being the butt of several Snapchat-based jokes, protests, “It’s stupid. I have free texts, I don’t need Snapchat.” Between feeling intrigued about the unique title, ‘Annabel Dream Reader’ and a dazed rush surrounding the rugged music, confirmed with a confident, raucous live show. The Wytches are continuing to push forward, winning support. “The only thing we wanted to achieve [with the album] was documenting so many songs, which nothing had been done with yet,” states Kristian. “I think we’ll think more about what we want to achieve on our second one.” The Wytches’ debut album ‘Annabel Dream Reader’ will be released on 25th August via Heavenly Recordings. DIY

Clash DECIDER Confused about who to see at Reading & Leeds this year? You’ve some tough decisions to make. Thankfully, Bombay Bicycle Club’s Ed Nash is here to help.

FRIDAY

Slaves vs Drenge Drenge! The loudest two piece since Death From Above 1979.

Vampire Weekend vs Warpaint Warpaint are the most beautiful band in every single way. I went to see them a couple of months ago and fell completely in love. I’m a huge fan of Vampire Weekend but they can’t compete with that!

saturday

sunday

Gnarwolves vs DZ Deathrays

Klaxons vs The 1975

I don’t know either of these bands, I’m pretty out of touch with new music! I’ve got to go with Gnarwolves as they have the best name. In my mind they are a bunch of real angry, hairy surfer dudes.

I don’t like sex, chocolate or girls... It’s gotta be Klaxons.

The Hives vs Crosses I have always wanted to see The Hives. They have been killing it for over a decade!

Queens of the Stone Age vs Palma Violets Queens of the Stone Age are the best rock band in the world. The last time I saw Queens play, Josh Homme stopped the show and demanded that the sign language interpreter tell the crowd to “go fucking mental”. He made her do it six times! It was one of the best things I have ever seen.

Dry the River vs Royal Blood We toured with Dry the River a couple of years ago. They are a great band and a lovely bunch of guys. I haven’t seen them in quite a few years so it would be good to see how they have evolved!

Papa Roach vs Clean Bandit Papa Roach without a doubt. ‘Infest’ was one of the first albums I owned, and ‘Last Resort’ was the first song I learnt on guitar. My 11-yearold self would be so angry if I went to see Clean Bandit.

Blink-182 vs Disclosure Both have a likelihood of depressing me. Disclosure will remind me of how old I am, whilst Blink-182 will give me a good look at what I will most probably become... A middle aged man who tells fart jokes. I would probably go with Disclosure, at least I can dance my worries away.

“My 11-yearold self would be so angry if I went to see Clean Bandit.” Ed Nash 65

A D U LT JA Z Z / B A S E M E N T JA X X / B E N JA M I N B O O K E R / B I L B A O B B K L I V E / T W I G S / G L A S T O N B U R Y / L U K E S I TA L - S I N G H / O W L J O H N / M E R C H A N D I S E H O R S E S / R OYA L B L O O D / S L E I G H B E L L S / S P O O N / S U M M E R C A M P / T I N

On their debut album, the Brighton two piece take it

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ROYAL BLOOD Royal Blood

(Warner Bros.)

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leven is one louder than ten, so said Nigel Tufnel. The more the number goes up, the more extreme the volume. Common sense, right? So how exactly do we explain Royal Blood? The two piece may be svelte in terms of number, but when it comes to noise they’re surfing a soundwave straight out of the hellmouth. Yet where a bit of a good old fashioned racket usually means an underground rather than mainstream concern, over the past twelve months Royal Blood have exploded. In an era where rock on the radio has found itself staring longingly at arenas by becoming ever more epic, often risking sharing a student bedsit full of Coldplay’s disguarded pissy mattresses, they’ve led the charge by going back to its glorious roots. Thumping, sleazy blues, mile high riffs, a mighty crunch that could turn a skeleton to dust; far from reinventing the wheel, Fred Flintstone’s car has been painted with go faster stripes and fitted with nitros.

C H I L D H O O D / D R Y T H E R I V E R / D Z D E AT H R AY S / E U R O C K E E N N E S / F K A / N O S A L I V E / JA C K W H I T E / PA R Q U E T C O U R T S / P U L L E D A PA R T B Y T H E PA R K / T H E G A S L I G H T A N T H E M / T H E W Y T C H E S / T W I N AT L A N T I C

TRACKLIST 1. Out of the Black 2. Come On Over 3. Figure It Out 4. You Can Be So Cruel 5. Blood Hands 6. Little Monster 7. Loose Change 8. Careless 9. Ten Tonne Skeleton 10. Better Strangers

up to twelve. Even with a debut album, their ascent has been so steep the opening salvo feels like a premature greatest hits. ‘Out Of The Black’ remains an incendiary calling card - a roaring, snarling Godzilla levelling sky scrapers at will. ‘Come On Over’, a pulsing engine of oil and metal, retains its stature too, while ‘Figure It Out’ brings a touch of the funk, rolling and strutting into a high risk of headbanging whiplash. There are fresh delights too. ‘You Can Be So Cruel’ has a delightful hint of the Homme to it, cruising the desert in a way the Queens of the Stone Age main man would no doubt approve of. ‘Blood Hands’, ‘Loose Change’ and ‘Careless’ all have echoes of an augmented Jack White, the former as close to

a ballad as a band can get while taking everything to its loudest point. ‘Ten Tonne Skeleton’ is the deal maker, though. Mike Kerr yelps like a banshee, Ben Thatcher beats the living shit out of everything in sight - this isn’t a cooler than thou indie band masquerading as something heavier; Royal Blood can mix it. As a flash of their credentials, it’s waved right through. For what feels like eons, anyone with more than a passing interest in rock music - proper rock music - has not-so-quietly been praying for a saviour. A homegrown concern who might have a chance of punching through to prove that Britain can still raise hell. Their faith is rewarded, Royal Blood will save us all. (Stephen Ackroyd) LISTEN: ‘Come On Over’, ‘Careless’

reviews

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DZ DEATHRAYS Black Rat (Infectious)

From 2012’s ‘Bloodstreams’ to the mainstream, ‘Black Rat’ is essentially DZ Deathrays’ debut with sunglasses on – the party just hasn’t stopped. It’s sexy and patient, but, in addition, loud and all-up-in-your-business in the most mis-matched Aussie pairing since the Minogues. Throw in some shrill falsetto, a few ‘oh baby’s and more repeated refrains than a parakeet with OCD and what you’re left with is near 40 minutes of slow and sweaty seduction executed exquisitely by weeping guitar. (Chris Rickett) LISTEN: ‘Ocean Exploder’

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ADULT JAZZ Gist Is

(Spare Thought)

Without a doubt an audacious first effort, Adult Jazz have lovingly crafted a record of intriguing, ear-catching pop music on ‘Gist Is’. Those unable to get their head around its own internal logic however will find themselves stonewalled listening to it is a bit like eating huge mouthfuls when trying new food instead of taking a few bites, and the end result feels just as bloating and discomforting as that process in itself. On the other hand, those already hooked by their irregular melodies and sharp, focused instrumentation will certainly find a few gems to latch onto. (Tom Walters) LISTEN: ‘Am Gone’

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A brave first -step. eeee

FKA TWIGS LP1 (Young Turks)

Visually there’s nobody else like her. And there’s a reason that FKA Twigs’ career under the spotlight started - successfully - in front of the camera as a backing dancer in videos. But ‘LP1’’s self-explanatory title is explicit in stating that this record’s all about the songs themselves. Tahliah Barnett is someone who demands control. Her tracks might enjoy production credits from Paul Epworth, Dev Hynes and Arca, but most of ‘LP1’’s process saw her learning and developing techniques that she could apply on her own terms. Lyrically, too, everything’s happening on her watch. She’s the focus. Clarity is shunned for something more confounding, more intoxicating. Dead ends, rough edges - it’s a fitting debut. Especially so, given that at points it sounds like Barnett’s throwing every inch of her upbringing into an album at once, that she’s as nonplussed as the rest of us as to what’ll emerge from the melting pot. ‘LP1’ is not perfect, but anything this expressive and personally vital rarely is. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Two Weeks’

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TWIN ATLANTIC

Great Divide (Red Bull Records)

Landing over three years after the release of Twin Atlantic’s debut album proper, ‘Great Divide’ was introduced with huge intentions: ‘Heart and Soul’ was a bold move, veering further into pop tendencies than they ever had before. Luckily, their second record boasts more than anticipated on first glance. Take the live anthem-inwaiting ‘Brothers and Sisters’ and its spine-tingly bridge at the 2.40 mark, or the bolshy, carefree swagger of ‘Fall Into The Party’. Granted, this isn’t the album they were expected to make, but it does provide them the opportunity to round out their resume. If anything, being predictable is never fun and Twin Atlantic know it. (Sarah Jamieson) LISTEN: ‘Oceans’

Q&A

Frontman Brian Fallon talks ‘Get Hurt’ with DIY’s Sarah Jamieson.

A more nuanced -approach. eee

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM Get Hurt (Virgin EMI)

On their fifth studio album, it appears The Gaslight Anthem have finally decided to move on from the soul inspired punk rock for which they are known. Changing direction is always a dangerous move: the band could have emerged triumphant, proving their credentials as more than just the Springsteen imitators they are still viewed as by some, or it could have been a disaster. Perhaps predictably, the answer lies somewhere in between. The more reserved approach adopted throughout much of ‘Get Hurt’ makes the album less instantly memorable and less easy to relate to. Given time there’s every chance that the subtleties and nuances of ‘Get Hurt’ could mark it out as being every bit as good as anything the band have ever done, but on first impressions it doesn’t have the same impact. (Stuart Knapman) LISTEN: ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin’

For this album, you’ve said you drew inspiration from the albums of some of your favourite artists that were originally a bit of a curveball in their careers. Why? Because what else would you do after four records of making the same kind of music? There was nothing left to do: it was either stop, or do something different. You can’t just keep doing the same thing. It wasn’t so much necessarily a choice of whether to do something different, it was just as though we had to. You’ve also said you read a lot more, and played around with more instruments. Was the making of this album somewhat of an education for the band? Yeah. Even with instruments, I was taking lessons and trying to learn how to play different things. Just seeing what would stick; I wasn’t really chasing anything in particular. With the lyrics, I was reading books as I just wanted to put as much as I could inside my head so that that would come out. DIY

reviews

Gloriously -kaleidoscopic. ee

LUKE SITAL-SINGH The Fire Inside (Parlophone)

As the repetitive, and unexpansive nature of ‘The Fire Inside’ grows apparent, or rather, fails to grow, it becomes hard to imagine Luke Sital-Singh’s debut album having any sort of lasting, meaningful impact beyond its strongest stand-out tracks, like attention-grabbing early number, ‘Bottled Up Tight’. Seemingly lacking in any kind of driving furnace, it’s hard to get behind songs about heartache when they come packaged as copy-paste polite campfire sing-alongs lacking in any sort of emotional investment. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Benediction’

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BENJAMIN BOOKER

Benjamin Booker (Rough Trade)

Benjamin Booker starts off where label mates Alabama Shakes’ 2012 southern-blues extravaganza finished. Opener ‘Violent Shiver’ channels Chuck Berry, with Booker seemingly pitching a convincing case for a name change to Johnny B. Goode. Colourful blues guitar flourishes intersperse thick, simple riffs in a track that keeps the exhilaration short and sweet. And then there’s Booker’s voice. Like Tom Waits after smoking three packs of Marlboro Reds before lunch, his rusty drawl and swampy guitar riffs go together like peas and carrots. (Will Moss) LISTEN: ‘Chippewa’

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CHILDHOOD Lacuna (House Anxiety)

Being a kid is pretty awesome, and sometimes a hefty slice of nostalgia goes a long way. Ever since Childhood floated their way in to view, their swoonsome melodies and acid-washed vibes have offered an alternative to bawling over long-gone Lego structures. Ben Romans-Hopcraft and co have, rather fantastically managed to create a body of work as catchy as it is woozy. ‘Falls Away’ tumbles down a spiralled staircase of lush melodies. ‘As I Am’ bounces in a glittery chorus that never gets lost in the fuzz. This isn’t ‘Lacuna’ in the sense of lacking something, or being empty. Instead, it’s an escape from the world – either to past memories or to future adventures – and a empty pool ready to be filled. (Kyle MacNeill) LISTEN: ‘Solemn Skies’

Fragile, boisterous, screaming and wailing. eeee

THE WYTCHES Annabel Dream Reader

(Heavenly)

Is there a more perfect debut album than ‘Annabel Dream Reader’ in 2014? It’ll be a hard-fought battle: the Brighton trio’s brand of scuzzed-up, scream-filled facemelting rock is a ball of contradictions in the best possible way. They master both loud and quiet – often within miliseconds of each other, Kristian Bell’s vocal shifting between fragile, shrill and full-on blast with terrifying ease. “Every day’s a bad dream”, muses Bell during closer ‘Track 13’, and while at the end of the record, this lyric does a pretty good job of summarising the whole lot. ‘Annabel Dream Reader’ is, for the most part, permanently on a knife-edge. Dark, gloomy, angsty, melancholic – it delves in and out of them all. At once fragile and boisterous, screaming and wailing, kicking at walls then curled up against them, ‘Annabel Dream Reader’ is far more accomplished than a debut should be. (Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘Weights and Ties’, ‘Gravedweller’

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SPOON

They Want My .Soul (Anti-)

Spoon’s sound is distinctly theirs, because it has been perfected over time. But ‘They Want My Soul’ is in a slight catch 22. It’s exciting to hear a band so resolutely in their zone, but on the flipside it doesn’t offer anything remotely new, and that’s the opposite of exciting. ‘Rent I Pay’ is a safe opener - it might be the sound of these New Yorkers wrestling with odd time structures and whatnot, but that’s for their own entertainment. The songs are strong: ‘I Just Don’t Understand’’s jazz bar mood-changer, ‘New York Kiss’’ emotional farewell - but Spoon can be better than that. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Rainy Taxi’

reviews

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SUMMER CAMP

Beyond Clueless OST (Moshi Moshi)

While this sort of thing is not new for Summer Camp, somehow applying it in the context of a film soundtrack, the duo’s music is given a new depth in both sound and meaning. ‘Beyond Clueless’ is also far darker than any of Elizabeth and Jeremy’s previous outputs, which more often than not focus on shimmering summery pop nuggets. This is an album that doesn’t celebrate teenage culture, but exposes the cracks in its facade. Brooding, sparse, often Lynchian electronics add to the feeling of condemnation, all polished with a thoroughly cinematic sheen. In short, it proves once and for all there’s far more to Summer Camp than just sunshine and lollipops. (Will Moss) LISTEN: ‘Weak Walls’

Their most -diverse to date. eeee

PULLED APART BY HORSES Blood (Sony/Red)

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OWL JOHN

Owl John (Atlantic)

The moniker Owl John has given Scott Hutchinson an opportunity to explore themes and textures he would not otherwise have been able to within Frightened Rabbit. There are signs of the songwriter we already know – ‘Two’ offers a recognisable plucky-yet-morose indie rock, and ‘Sounds About Roses’ is a raw and sarcastic anecdote on the perils of romance. ‘Owl John’ is, however, a mismatch of styles, moods and tempos. There is little cohesion and each song feels like a thought or idea alone on the record – like a collection of B-sides or rarities. That’s not necessarily bad - it’s an interesting insight into a accomplished musician’s repertoire. (Hugh Morris) LISTEN: ‘Ten Tons of Silence’

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Following on from the success of their 2012 follow-up ‘Tough Love’ - which showed once and for all the longevity of the band’s hardcore-influenced sound Pulled Apart By Horses’ third full-length is light-years away from the music heard on their early single releases. The pace lessens, but ‘Blood’ is a dynamic album which allows a band used to screaming their lungs out the ability to better deliver their sound. Atmospheric moments are allowed to creep and build as the band push through their most diverse work to date. Pulled Apart By Horses are now more accessible than ever, but the Yorkshire four-piece will manage to keep fans both old and new on board. (Andy Crowder) LISTEN: ‘Lizard Baby’

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MERCHANDISE After The End (4AD)

They’ve only -just begun.

Every showy move on Merchandise’s part gives the impression that they feel like one of the biggest bands in the world. ‘After The End’ is their first album on 4AD. When they’re not chugging out numbers that aim straight for the gut, they’re still perfectly happy to bask in sweeping walls of noise. Then comes the title-track; a doomy, amphitheatred work of gross ambition. If the rhetoric around this record was about severe change, this is the rabbit in the hat. Merchandise aren’t one of the biggest bands in the world, but on this dramatic penultimate track they sound capable of reaching that level. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘After The End’

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DRY THE RIVER Alarms in the Heart

(Transgressive)

‘Shallow Bed’, Dry the River’s debut, was tightly held together by an intensity that just about kept itself in check. ‘Alarms in the Heart’ is noticeably more reflective in tone, delving through a wider spectrum of emotions than previously, the follow-up fittingly representative of a band who finally stopped after three years of touring to take stock of their situation. Single ‘Everlasting Light’ even shows a meatier side. Cathartic it may be, and perhaps not representative of the album as whole, but the track is a clear focal point, a confident statement that when they want to, Dry the River can be an enviable force to be reckoned with. (Bevis Man) LISTEN: ‘Vessel’

BASEMENT JAXX Junto (Atlantic Jaxx/PIAS)

Given the current influx of Jaxxindebted newcomers, a fresh LP from Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe seems like an opportunity for the house genre’s elder statesmen to show these fresh-faced imitators a thing or two. But alas, ‘Junto’’s flaws, much unlike 2009’s forward-thinking ‘Scars’, are the fact that it is lagging behind rather than leading the pack, playing catch up with the duo’s own supposed pupils. By Buxton’s own admission, their seventh album seeks to “unite people” and some cuts do hark back to the giddy unabashed pop and massconnecting floorfillers of yore. Sadly many of its disparate parts miss the mark. (James West) LISTEN: ‘Power To The People’

live franz ferdinanD

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ith mountain tops and rugged scenery stretching as far the eye can see, one could be forgiven for thinking that proceedings should begin with something a little more serene. At first, there’s something ever so slightly strange about watching Parquet Courts in the Spanish sunshine. Yet, as they settle into their slot, it becomes all the more clear that this is just how they’re meant to be watched. Later, the reaction Franz Ferdinand get, stepping out onto the stage to the chords of ‘No You Girls’, is indescribable. You’d think this was more of a One Direction affair; and it’s brilliant. Following suit on the excitement scale, Phoenix begin just as a new day creeps in. There’s nothing stopping crowd members from hoisting themselves up onto nearby portaloos to get a better view of Thomas Mars and co, and luckily, the French gang give as good as they get.

-Basque-ing in it. the black keys

It’s no real surprise that Bastille are in the business of attracting huge crowds, but the sheer speed at which punters appear in front of the Main Stage on Friday is quite a feat. There’s even some triangle-throwing for good measure, just going to prove that this four-piece have stolen yet another festival’s hearts, and all with a few good ol’ fashioned ‘woah ohs’. As the sky darkens and the crowd again begin to gravitate towards the Main Stage, there’s an indescribable level of anticipation in the air. If anyone’s qualified to break down that barrier, it’s The Prodigy, who have no qualms with piercing the darkness via their customary sonic terror. Later, adorably ramshackle and only looking somewhat out of their comfort zone playing this late at night, South London fourpiece Palma Violets blitz through an assault of their modern guitar anthems in what feels like a perfect blur of drunken dancing and playful expressions.

bastille

Bilbao BBK Live Photos: emma swann

Kobetamendi, Bilbao

Emerging on stage, for once without his trademark green parka jacket – understandably, too, thanks to the evening’s beautiful sunshine – Skaters’ Michael Ian Cummings works quickly to ignite the spirits of their crowd. Even without a couple of guitars, which were lost somewhere in transit, the band sound commanding and accomplished, with their punk rock ethos bleeding through. Throwing in a special cover of The Ramones’ ‘Judy Is A Punk’, dedicated to the late Tommy Ramone, their set is a well-rounded showcase. With headlining slots scheduled at festivals across Europe, The Black Keys have grown to be a little larger than just the guitar-drums duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, but their garage-rock, blues-infused roots are still firmly in place. While the Main Stage closes its doors for the last time, it’s up to MGMT to bring Bilbao BBK Live to an end. Crowds spill out of the designated area and stretch back into the main arena, all desperately trying to get a glimpse of Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. An unbeatably excited cheer goes up as those ever-so recognisable chords of ‘Time To Pretend’ kick in, and it’s enough to make even the most cynical of viewers crack a nostalgic smile. (Sarah Jamieson)

LIVE

pixies

ld heads and fresh faces treat Glastonbury 2014 exactly the same - like it’s the biggest moment of their lives, a celebration that might never be matched. Every headliner performs with the awareness that this isn’t just any other set. Arcade Fire give the most genuine, hairraising show of their lives. Win Butler has the impression of someone trying helplessly to control a storm, while brother Will doesn’t stop jumping and howling under a disco ball for two hours straight. Metallica arrive with tongues placed firmly in cheeks, bringing shameless fun to a crowd that wholeheartedly welcomes their disputed arrival. They prove that any band belongs on Worthy Farm if they treat the occasion with the required mentality. Festival-closers Kasabian welcome in the most flare-friendly, up for it crowd, with the masses wearing

Photo: lilian ginet

Un chien Eurockéen.

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Presqu’île de Malsaucy, Belfort

EUROCKÉENNES

Photos: matt richarson

n electrical storm is in full swing. The French have also just lost their World Cup game, and the downpour makes it hard to tell which football-shirt wearing punters are crying, as opposed to those who are just drenched. The torrential volumes of water crashing down from the sky don’t dampen Pixies, though. The sight of thousands of festival-goers howling ‘Debaser’ and ‘Where Is My Mind’ from beneath umbrellas is something to behold. There is a mass exodus towards Metronomy next, with material from ‘The English Riviera’ being a particularly apt fit for today’s extremely British display of weather. Saturday brings sunshine, along with JUNGLE; a band so immediately likeable that their greatness smacks in the proverbial gob like a first time tasting halloumi. Schoolboy Q, meanwhile, wins the coveted prize for most excitable crowd. Not only do the audience apparently know every single word to every Schoolboy song, but they’re also up on every bar of label-mate Kendrick Lamar’s ‘m.A.A.d City’ and there’s more surfing going on in the crowd than there is anywhere near the water. (El Hunt)

Lads (and lasses) on Tor.

merchandise that has the wrong date printed on its front - in the end, they couldn’t care less, as Leicester’s rowdiest embrace their big moment. Jack White looks like a man on a mission as he blitzes through solo numbers and White Stripes classics, collapsing onto stage gear in the process and only becoming more enamouring in doing so. On the festival’s biggest stages, countless acts are making their debut - St. Vincent pulls out every trick in the book; rolling down stairs, stealing punters’ hats, so caught up in the magic of her first appearance that she looks capable of anything. Wolf Alice admit their nerves from the beginning, but as soon as they start playing these anxieties fly straight out of the John Peel Stage, giving further momentum to their relentless charge. There’s a clear difference in how debutants deal with their big shot. Dolly Parton showcases her own new mud-centric song, with the biggest crowd of the festival warming to a country star in a surreal, often hilarious anecdotal and musical extravaganza. Her set follows The 1975, who at points sound like they’re playing to two backing tracks at once, with drums mistimed and guitar solos barely breaking out of first gear. Dolly’s follow-up set might be cheesy to the extreme, but its professionalism makes the wine-guzzling antics of those preceding look like complete pretenders. Any band incapable of playing to a rhythm shouldn’t be let out of the rehearsal room, let alone given free roam of the Pyramid Stage.

Lana Del Rey’s had years plagued with accusations of being shoddy live, but they don’t show up here. Parquet Courts shouldn’t be able to pull it off either - their set’s delayed by storms and by the time they hit the drenched Park Stage, the setting couldn’t be further away from the sweaty, dimly lit basement venues they excel in. Somehow it doesn’t matter - their scuzzy Brooklyn-bred punk is vital here, bouncing into life from the off, new album ‘Sunbathing Animal’ being showcased almost in its entirety. Courtney Barnett and George Ezra are ever-present. Secret sets are their lifeblood as far as this festival goes, and they stand out as the most talked-about new names when everything eventually dies down. Jungle make a similarly huge impression - don’t bet against ‘Busy Earnin’’ becoming a genuine anthem as festival season progresses. Percussive, frenzied, funk-laced to the extreme, they dress their early afternoon slot in late night club attire. Apart from the half hour delay and ever-present threat of a sludge armageddon to wipe out everyone on site, Glastonbury fights off hitches with complete triumph. Headliners were baited with criticism before this festival, but they use sniping attacks to their own advantage. New names battle nerves and conquer on almost every occasion, and even legendary acts play like their lives depend on it. It’s difficult to imagine this ever changing. Glastonbury remains the place to prove a point, and this year it was the festival itself that had the biggest say. (Jamie Milton)

GLASTONBURY Worthy Farm, Pilton

LIVE chvRChes

T IN THE PARK Balado, Kinross

inross is set to lose an institution after 2014, with Scotland’s prime festival T in the Park moving over to Strathallan Castle as of next year. Luckily, alongside the #byebyebalado hashtag to celebrate this farewell, they’d also racked up quite a bill for Balado’s final hosting duty. Charli XCX takes to the stage in scorching heat, warming things up further with her array of infectious pop ditties. From ‘Black Roses’ through number one smash ‘Fancy’ with Iggy Azalea, she and her bandmates get one hell of a summer party started. In contrast, in the dark tented realms, Drenge play to a humble and growing number, flaunting the aggressive power a mere duo can possess. Their grungy

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T obviously doesn’t stand for t-shirts, eh Biffy?

twang resonates with those looking for some rock amidst the pop paradise. Haim haul a large crowd with a string of their big hits and solid covers, including Beyonce’s ‘XO’ and Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well’. Royal Blood’s sound proves a powerhouse, reverberating off all possible nooks of the Tuts tent. Chvrches follow suit, charming their way through electro hit after hit, smashing ‘We Sink’ and ‘The Mother We Share’. Lauren raises smiles with her usual quirky stories, this time involving being hit with a piss-filled cup while watching Green Day here over a decade ago. “The moral of the story,” she smiles.

Photos :Sinéad Grainger

temples

“Don’t throw piss at people.” When it gets a little bit darker, it’s clear who the Friday rests on: Biffy Clyro. “I am going home,” sings Simon Neil as they launch into ‘Different People’, a fitting sentiment as they soar through a severely overdue homeland headliner. Their frenetic energy makes it a sheer delight to watch them pull endless quality from their arsenal, with floral pyjama bottoms the mere cherry on top. Ten times at T in the Park, and with as much pyro and fireworks as the stage could likely handle, it felt like the set they’d been building toward for years. By Saturday afternoon, the home setting may have already swelled to bursting point with pride at their musical exports, but there’s more to come as Twin Atlantic’s steady rise is really put into perspective. Playing to their largest audience yet, their blend of primarily 2011’s ‘Free’ and upcoming ‘Great Divide’ is not only a showcase of how far they’ve come, but that they’re constantly evolving into bigger and better things. Pharrell Williams, however, doesn’t seem to notice that it rained his entire set, proclaiming, “Do we have the power to make it rain again, Scotland?”. It runs like a greatest hits album of a handful of artists that he just happened to be along for the ride on, Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ and ‘Happy’ topped off one of T’s most enjoyable moments.

Passeio Marítimo de Algés, Lisbon

NOS ALIVE

Sunday sees Bastille play a set that capitalises on the sun, the energy and the celebration of Balado’s final soiree. It’s a party, and Dan Smith is happy to join the fans in their euphoric stupor, with sing-alongs ahoy. It’s a feeling that continues through the day as Franz Ferdinand test Scots’ vocal chords through ‘No You Girls’ and ‘Do You Want To’. Fans are so well versed in their back-catalogue that every opening strum is met with ridiculous excitement, so much so it’s a wonder there’s any energy left fifteen tracks in. Then, it happens. The final ever main stage performance at Balado, and the crowds are there in droves to say farewell. “T in the Park, I’ve missed you,” mumbles Alex Turner, almost flirtatiously, as Arctic Monkeys rock up. Swaggering on stage, they launch into ‘Do I Wanna Know?’, following soon with ‘Arabella’, featuring a random hat tip to Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ in its midst. Bring it on, Strathallan! You’ve a lot to live up to. (Heather McDaid)

n the more intimate Heineken stage, Temples are one of the first acts to play, perfectly coiffed and blasting through a shamelessly catchy set which sends the writhing crowd into a frenzy. By the time Arctic Monkeys are about to assume their headline slot, it seems like the whole festival may have popped along for the show. A leather-clad Alex Turner arrives on the main stage to the screams and wails of Portuguese teenagers, delirious with excitement. It’s all well and good, but perhaps less so if you’re due to start at the exact same time on the other side of the site - which Kelis is. Rounding off the weekend, though, are long awaited headliners The Libertines. As the crowds wait with baited breath for a potentially shambolic reunion, both Pete Doherty and Carl Barat are on impressive form. Aside from an awkward Otis Redding cover and a few scrappy starts, it’s as if the last ten years never happened. Their set ends with a five-song encore and a bit of a cuddle - something that makes a few audience members so emotional that they decide to jump into the nearest bin. (Dominique Sisley)

LIVE

Hammersmith Apollo, London

JACK WHITE

or a man with such a strict obsession with colour, Jack White is one hell of a chameleon. The stage set may be entirely blue – even if coincidentally, so are the lights in the lobby bar area – but this is a crowd ranging from young children on parents’ shoulders to white-haired women; of t-shirts emblazoned with Smashing Pumpkins’ Zero, The Orwells, My Chemical Romance, the weekend’s Glastonbury Festival and even defunct Sheffield noiseniks Wet Nuns, to take a small sample. Jack White is a man who’s as at home covering Hank Williams as he is Metallica, Kanye West – or as tonight’s snippet shows – The Dead Kennedys, fitting in a touch of ‘Holiday in Cambodia’. Obviously, then, switching between his own solo material, songs recorded by The White Stripes, or those from The Raconteurs or The Dead Weather is as instinctive as breathing in or out. ‘Hotel Yorba’ is given its now customary hoedown treatment allowing it to fit in seamlessly alongside ‘Temporary Ground’ from this year’s ‘Lazaretto’, while ‘Ball and Biscuit’ and ‘Icky Thump’ remain angst fuelled-blasts of thrashing guitar. ‘Steady, As She Goes’ has become an old friend surprisingly missed, surpassed only in surprise by ‘Hello Operator’ getting an

airing. This isn’t a ‘Lazaretto’ tour, not even a Greatest Hits set; it’s ‘an evening with Jack White’. His band cocooning him in the centre of the stage, he flits from member to member, interacting in different ways; the vocal duets with violinist Lillie Mae Rische; the calland-response with drummer Daru Jones; the occasional interrupting of Fats Kaplin’s theremin. Setlists still appear arbitrary, White whispering in the ear of each – completed by keyboardist Ikey Owens and bassist Dominic Davis – to dictate the next song. In a week when arguably the most powerful man in the British music industry is boasting of the album’s demise, it’s not the inevitable ‘Seven Nation Army’ sing-along that’s tonight’s highlight (though the violin riff of ‘High Ball Stepper’ more than rivals that for post-gig chants), the thrash of ‘Sixteen Saltines’, or even the idea that Mariah Carey was once invited to perform backing vocals on a White Stripes song. During ‘I’m Slowly Turning Into You’, an ‘Icky Thump’ album track, a record frequently cited as indicative of The White Stripes’ demise, Jack White stepped back from the mic. The crowd sang every single word back. That, George, is the power of an album in action. (Emma Swann)

Photo :David James Swanson

Why so blue?

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SLEIGH BELLS

Village Underground, London

leigh Bells are loud. They’re gloriously loud. They’re earblisteringly loud, and it’s incredible. Taking to the London stage for the first time since the release of their last album (it really has been a while, guys) the band’s intro music seems somewhat quiet at first. It’s only as they crash headfirst into opener ‘Minnie’ that it becomes apparent they just hadn’t actually plugged in yet. Filling the cavernous Village Underground with sound is no mean feat but for this duo (who tonight come complete with two extra live members for good measure) its seems effortless. Alexis Krauss dances around stage – all leather jacket, fingerless gloves and studs – as her long hair whips back and forth to the beat, and she plays the definition of cool. Delving deftly through their back catalogue, the gloriously noisy renditions of ‘Bitter Rivals’, ‘Kids’ and ‘Infinity Guitars’ sound massive, before ‘Sing Like A Wire’ kicks in with a breakneck force that’d be impossible to recreate on record. By the time their set draws to an all-too-soon close with ‘A/B Machines’, their mission is complete: Sleigh Bells have laid waste to our eardrums, but in the most satisfying way. (Sarah Jamieson)

ULU, London

PARQUET COURTS

Masters of their craft. “Y’all should hear what they say about us,” jokes Parquet Courts’ Austin Brown, after feigning surprise at the rowdiness of this particular London crowd. Whoever ‘they’ are, ‘they’ are, of course, thickly laying on the praise. Parquet Courts’ discography is nothing if not enviable; last year’s ‘Tally All The Things That You Broke’ as near-perfect an EP as they come, sandwiched between equally impressive debut ‘Light Up Gold’ and most recent release, ‘Sunbathing Animal’. And ‘they’ will definitely be just as enthusiastic about the Brooklyn four-piece’s live status, too. After the Mazes-Veronica Falls mashup that is 60s psych-indie-pop newcomers Ultimate Painting, and the darkly magnificent thrash fest of The Wytches have been and gone, the headliners’ postpunk racket is taught as hell.

Veering constantly and consistently between frantic, immediate and intense with impeccable ease, Parquet Courts’ gorgeous Strokes-meets-Wire cacophony delights both crowd-surfers (including one Jack Cooper) and chin-strokers (the audience is mostly male; and of a certain age at that) at once, with the extended wigout that accompanies ‘Into the Garden’ seamlessly melting in to the mayhem of ‘You’ve Got Me Wonderin’ Now’ that causes bassist Sean Yeaton to delve in to the audience. “Just wanna say to the house security,” yells frontman Andrew Savage, after the first of the crowd-surfers are dragged out, “we can hold our own up here. But if you’re gonna bolt up,” he quips to the audience, “you’d better be more entertaining than us.” Not likely. (Emma Swann)

Straight A’s for the noise rock pair.

Photo :emma swann

Photo: carolina faruolo

INDIE DREAMBOAT Of the Month

DOMINIC GANDERTON Superfood FULL NAME Dominic Charles Ganderton. I’ve got a saints’ name as well, Roch. At school I had to pick a name, and I didn’t take it very seriously and was just looking through in year five or whatever it was, and was like, yeah, Saint Roch, patron saint of plague victims, that’s me! FAVOURITE COLOUR: Pastel green. DRINK OF CHOICE Rum and ginger beer. BEST CHAT-UP LINE I’ve never had to use a chat-up line! I’d probably just go over and mumble. FAVOURITE CITY: Berlin.

DIY

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