muff album review halloween playlist lonely vacations interview enjoy at rebel lounge photo essay a night in poem jake and nolan article ghouls n ghosts art halloween in atlanta photo essay lala lala album review spirit of the beehive, pile, donors photo essay hellogoodbye album review mac demarco album review
Hey. Thanks for reading Goth Grrrl. As both a musician and a writer, after one show in particular when I experienced the cruel and blatant sexism within the local music scene, I did not want to push my experiences aside, and instead, wanted to create a platform for other females to share their experiences. Although our main focus is around females in the industry, we also seek to spotlight underground musicians and artists, with an emphasis in the local scene. Thank you for supporting us goth girls. Sara Windom editor in chief Kiera Riley writer
additional contributors this month: mia gilling, olivia meredith if you would like to contribute, submit your work to swindomm@gmail.com
Two years after their self-titled album premiered on bandcamp, Muff has debuted their newest creation, Go Gently, a 6 track EP. With a single pluck on the guitar, followed by a crash of the drums and the electric voice of Rachel LaCoss, Muff starts things off with a familiar track, “Follow,” which had its own personal release in 2016. Based out of Austin, Texas, the four piece band recorded Go Gently at the nearby Fire Station Studios. The sound Muff was able to attain at the studio is outstanding, with balanced, professional quality, the tracks still had the perfect blend of grunge noise to them.
One after the other, the songs began to feel like a puzzle, all pieces fitting together, blending into a single image rather than completely separated objects. It was easy to forget if you were listening to “Summer Silk” or if it had already faded into “Make Tracks,” a component I found rather charming. Shreds reminiscent of the Jesus and Mary Chain, and bass and drum rhythms alike garage rockers Ovlov, an instrumental track titled “Bodensee” finished the album up on a feeling of warmth and nostalgia. Already, the Austin based band is teasing a great future album. by sara windom
by kiera riley
How did Lonely Vacations begin? Lonely Vacations started our freshman year when we met up to play music and see if anything would come out of it. Baily ended up writing a song...The song wasn’t really the style that either of us wanted to work on, but we realized we loved working together so we decided to start Lonely Vacations. What is like being a part of Gluestick Collective? Gluestick Collective is a cool idea because it centralizes the college music
first and Thomas comes up with the instrumentation second, or the other way around. We try to keep the songwriting process natural and not forced, we don’t really have scheduled writing times, we just try to work on music consistently and if a good idea emerges we run with it. How do you translate what the two of you have written into a full 6 piece live sound? Thomas teaches guitar parts to the guitarists but they are free to make any stylistic choices they want.
“I’ve been really immersed in this scene for the past year, but it only took me a week to realize this place is a total boys club.” scene while supporting small artists. We became involved with Gluestick because it was started by some of our friends who we had met through attending shows. What is your songwriting process like? Baily primarily writes lyrics and melodies while Thomas fleshes out the instrumentation. The songwriting process happens one of two ways. Either Baily writes lyrics and melodies
per frustrating. It’s great to be in a city that loves live music because we always have opportunities to play, but Nashville (and especially the college scene) can quickly get oversaturated. It can be difficult to draw the same crowd of friends/fans every single weekend, especially when there are so many shows on any given night. Because you are in such a saturated market for music, how do you try to set yourselves apart? As a band we always try to be honest. Our ‘brand’ is just that we’re kids in college having a good time, and we want people to join in on that good time by coming to our shows and listening to our music.
We work hard to make sure none of the guitar players are playing the same part at the same time unless it’s for emphasis. Our bass player is extremely dynamic and knows exactly how to serve the song without being overpowering, so we just let them do what they want. Thomas hits drums good.
What are your end goals? Our end goal is play music and have fun, and we’d say we’ve already reached that goal. We’re not against recognition, we obviously want people to listen to our music and attend our shows, but we’re not actively seeking out any type of fame. After college we’re all going to get ‘real people jobs’ but we’d love to keep playing together because we enjoy it.
What is it like being a band in “Music City”? Being a band in Music City is super cool and also su-
Baily, what is it like for you being a frontwoman in a male dominated scene?
LONELY VACATIONS It can be really really frustrating. I’m sure it feels like every woman says this, but that’s because it’s true. I’ve been really immersed in this scene for the past year, but it only took me a week to realize this place is a total boys club. I constantly feel like I have to prove myself and pay way
more dues than any other artist. Thomas is incredibly talented and does so much for Lonely Vacations sound wise, but I manage the band, book our shows, handle our finances, schedule practices, send emails, and basically everything else involved with the business aspect of Lonely
Vacations.
Are you pursuing any new projects in the future? We have an album coming out on November 16th! And a release party on the same day at Relik Vintage. by sara windom
live at rebel lounge
enjoy
With the help of his brother Fletcher Shears, and girlfriend Ashley Rose Calhoun, Wyatt Shears toured as Enjoy this summer, playing old hits and newer fan favorites. This was the second time the Shears twins took on Phoenix’s Rebel Lounge, two months earlier touring as The Garden. photos by mia gilling
a night in by sara windom
an interview with steven spears of
LOVE RAMONA
“Basically it’s a collective for any kind of art.”
What is Love, Ramona? Basically it’s a collective for any kind of art. Like, music, fashion, graphic design, whatever. I just want it to be a place a bunch of people can release art under and collaborate together on stuff. Like, graphic designers with musicians, and film people with performance art people, whatever, I just want to make a place where a good deal of art is coming from and make it diverse as hell. Some Brockhampton type shit except instead of one band it’s several. I guess it’s kind of like a label, but with absolutely no commitment other than to release stuff under Love, Ramona when you want to or when more than one person in the collective worked on it together. When did it start? Basically, Ramona [his landlord] thought we should use the studio for other artists and make a label, and I was like, ‘Nice idea,’ and I wanted to pay tribute to all the shit that house has been through and she’s seen, and make an art collective based around her because she loves music and painting and anything with art. What are the standard roles within Love, Ramona? The process is either someone writes something or has something they want to collaborate on and bring others in or we all sit down and work on something new together.
Describe the recording process of Senhora Disco. Is there anything you learned from this process? Senhora Disco was me, Ryan Browning, Kent Osborne, Nathan Kreatschman and Will Chiles. Nathan made the beat and basically said, ‘Hop on it,’ so we all got nice and drunk and wrote some bars over it. Then Will ended up coming in randomly with his awesome guitar part, and we basically had it put together. Poor Nathan spent more time than any of us on it mixing though. Will more like this be released? Hopefully soon, we’re adding some tracks put together by Nathan and Jerry Bennet that are more electronic and would add even more diversity to it. What projects do you have lined up? Right now we have Leroy Smacks and Mom... I’m Drunk, but I’ve been talking to some photographers and graphic design people, so hopefully we can get some videos and visual art soon. Mom... I’m Drunk is working on an EP, and Leroy has some songs we still gotta put out. What do you have lined up for the future? At the moment we’re working on live sets for Mom... I’m Drunk and our first EP, which will be about 4 songs. by sara windom photo by olivia meredith
It was the start of a new calendar year for elementary school students, causing parents to flood classrooms with their children, and as one first grade teacher introduced a new student to the bunch, she sparked a bond that would last a lifetime. “Class, this is Nolan McDowell. He just moved here, and will be joining our class. Can everyone say hi?” As the classroom filled with the ear-shattering greetings of six year olds, one student, Jake Monger, made eye contact with McDowell from across the room. “You should be friends with him,” Monger’s mother whispered to him. Reluctantly, Monger eventually complied with his mom’s request, and he and McDowell were friends for the year. However, class schedules tore the two apart until their freshman year of high school. Meeting for the second time in gym class, the two began talking again. When it came up that McDowell had a Spotify account one afternoon, an idea for sharing music was born.
“I let him use my spotify account, and he would play me songs, because you know how with Spotify you can only use one device at a time?” McDowell explained. “So he’d choose the songs from his phone and play them at my house, and I’d be like ‘Oh yeah, I like this song.’ We’d just share music like that, and that’s how we actually became friends.” Their bond over music did
not stop there. After the two found out several peers were trying to start up careers as rappers and musicians, they decided to take a similar route. “There were just a bunch of people that were making these raps, and they were just getting really serious with it, so we wanted to make a song and say the exact opposite things anyone would say… It was just so bad,” said Monger. Rapping over a Lil’ Wayne beat, the duo quickly released their first song, “I’m Cool,” to Soundcloud, creating what would eventually turn
into the alt-pop hybrid that is Jake and Nolan. Although “I’m Cool” has since been set to private, their second track ever made, “All Dogs Go to Heaven” still remains up, and is quite popular, with nearly 3,000 plays. Starting out, the group wrote with simplicity and a hint of sarcasm, but are currently moving away from their roots to cover more serious topics. “We’ll never take it too seriously,” said McDowell. “We just kept making stuff as a joke and then we were like, ‘Wait, this is cool.’ Then we slowly started making it more and more serious.” In addition to more mature lyrics, McDowell and Monger’s roles have changed within the band. Originally, McDowell would stick to making the beat, and Monger was responsible for rapping overtop of it. “Now for a lot more songs, Jake is making the whole beat, where before, it was mainly just me. So now the roles are totally mixed and it’s actually even for all parts of the song,” said McDowell. This new approach to their recording process is shown for the first time on their EP See You Later, which dropped back in August. This album was a collaboration, combining the lo-fi beats of Jake and Nolan with the indie artistry of fellow musician and longtime friend, Jack Pfeffer. “[We] have been good friends since early on in elementary school. And we’ve always had a love for music, and now since we all are making
music… it only seemed natural to make a collaborative album. For the first time, it felt natural and free to be in the studio with other people,” said Pfeffer. The idea of a collab album was always in the works, but was truly put to life when Monger and McDowell traveled to Minnesota, a place Pfeffer currently calls home. Adding the guitar, bass, drums, and writing skills Pfeffer possesses to Jake and Nolan’s usual mix, the boys, filled with a newfound inspiration, recorded the entirety of four songs during their four day stay. “We watched Prince’s movie ‘Purple Rain’ before making any of the songs, and then we went to Paisley Park where he lived and created. It sounds nothing like Prince’s music, but his energy inspired us,”
said McDowell. After, they flew back to Arizona, and put their final touches on the tracks. “We each make music for fun so it was just another thing to do together,” said Monger. “I think we want this sound to forever represent the week we spent in Minnesota... and maybe some people can relate it to their own life when they hear it.” See You Later and Last Summer, the boys’ new single, have both debuted on Grape Jelly Records, a record label they and Pfeffer run together. “I mean, we do it that way [release DIY] because it’s the only way we can, really,” said McDowell. “It would be cool to stay completely independent for as long as we can, because then we don’t have to
worry about other people taking what’s ours.” McDowell and Monger seem to be doing just fine on their own, too, as they were just shouted out on Bandcamp by the Symposium, and are in talks of opening up for the band for their Arizona dates. Just before the bandcamp shoutout, Jake and Nolan made their first dollar off of the music sharing platform, and have just partnered with Sweeteez, a nearby cookie business. “They think I look like Bob Saget, so they gave me a ton of
free cookies,” said McDowell. As for Jake and Nolan’s future in music, they plan on releasing more tunes soon. “The next song we’re gonna put out is sleep related, I might have said too much,” said McDowell. Right now, you can stream Jake and Nolan on soundcloud, bandcamp, Spotify, and iTunes. by sara windom photos by sara windom and kiera riley
by sara windom
atlanta halloween
film by olivia meredith
atlanta halloween
If I had to translate the entire feeling and message of Lala Lala’s sophomore album, The Lamb, into one single event, it would be riding public transit. Seated and leaned up against the smooth plastic siding, my eye guides along the skyline. The opening beat of the drum thunders in conjunction with the train. Beating into a building cadence, sweet somber vocals continue to raise tensions. In one breath, the monotonic lull flares into clashing chants, underlined by simple chords and an easy-tofollow melody. I watched out the window as my headphones conjured up the next song. Keeping pace with steady drum beats, my thoughts become rhythmic. I slip into a state of reflection as the album continues on. It builds. Songs cascade into one another and create a general feeling of strength, independence, a heightened spirit. The first song and first single of the album, “Destroyer”, immediately grabbed my attention. As someone who sulked while listening to West’s debut album, Sleepyhead, I felt my own sentiment transition in step with the newest album. Lillie West integrates her signature instrumentals into a matured songwriting style. The Lamb represents a period of growth. West renders this clearly through her lyrics and intonation on the record.
Songs like “I Get Cut” reel out this theme of maturation and revelation as West croons, “I get cut with every touch, you come by and soak it up.” This specific song chronicles West’s experience sleeping through a robbery. She sings in the third verse, “I bought a bat to keep me safe at home and I'm so lucky that I'm never alone.” This experience stands as a pivotal point on the album. West continues the symbolism of the bat in her music video for Destroyer. The composition of the video mimics a home movie as West stalks around a family fun park, hits baseballs in the batting range, and messes around in a photo booth. Technicolor imagery of smashed fruit, crashing waves, and airborne confetti contribute to feelings of nostalgia and contemplation. In one scene, West holds a mirror in Lake Michigan and quickly lifts it to literally reflect upon herself. In this way, West is able to portray overall themes and purposes in creating The Lamb. West mends her relationship with her past experiences and uses them to her advantage in a show of strength. The power of this album builds upon the momentum of Sleepyhead as West continues to assert her strength on the D.I.Y. music scene. Since the release of The Lamb, Lala Lala toured with indie monarchs, Mothers, and is now touring with Why? across the U.S. and Europe. by kiera riley
LA LA A L
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the lamb
10.12 // the east room
spirit of the beehive, pile, and donors perform in nashville 1. Rivka Ravede of Spirit of the Beehive enchants the audience with hypnotic bass lines and vocal harmonies. 2. Spirit of the Beehive’s “Can I receive the contact?” chants among the crowd as Zack Shwartz, vocalist and guitarist, rips it up on his synthesier. 3. Revede switches things up on her pedal board in preparation for their next tune. 4. Rick Maguire, vocalist and guitarist for Pile gets animated through the set as he sings and leaves his heart on the stage. 5. Bassist Matt Connery plucks away at notes, building up for a breakdown. 6. Releasing the madness of that buildup, Maguire screams into the microphone to set a unleashed feeling of craze. 7. Gabriela Herrera, singer of the Nashville band Donors opens up the evening with growls and a voice of anger. 8. With a deep, electric grunge sound, bassist Kathryn Edwards knows just how to achieve Donor’ s signature style live. 9. Herrera lets it all go as the night progresses and their set nears an end. photos by sara windom
Five years in the making and Hellogoodbye has finally released the blood rushing, heart gushing letter of pure devotion that is S’Only Natural. The instant eager fingers so delicately place the needle to the record, one is met with a delicate avalanche of violins playing one of the most enchanting tunes of all time. Though only a minute in length, “Honeymoon (Overture),” the first track on the album, transports you back to the early 1900s, an age of romanticism and simplicity, ultimately leaving you yearning for more. Yearning is something fans of Hellogoodbye have mastered throughout the years. Besides touring old hits in 2017, the band has stayed relatively silent ever since Everything is Debatable debuted in 2013. Drop-
ping clues on Twitter and sneaking seven singles out before S’Only Natural burst through airwaves in full on Oct. 5, Hellogoodbye built up quite the anticipation surrounding the album, and one thing is clear: they did not intend on disappointing. Jumping forward 60 or so years in time, next we are introduced to the meat of the album, all of which possesses the magnificent era of the ‘80s. Funky basslines ripple through the mix as disco synth and hand claps blend together to create the epitome of a flawless groove soundtrack. Perhaps one of the most charming characteristics of Hellogoodbye is their ever evolving sound. At first, they were the voice of emos everywhere, later shapeshifting into indie rockers for Would it Kill You? After
that, they put on their electro synth hats, and the best part? They do not fail. Each album, while completely different, still remains just as impressive and personal as the last. Perhaps this is due to how layered their songs become, each note is palpable, and you gain a sense of how much time
they put into each track. Or maybe it is Forrest Kline’s silky voice that never ages. Whatever it is, it is working, and they cannot stop putting out hits. Leaving us on the most stunning song, “Honeymoon (Forever),� Kline sings of love that will last forevermore, and you may just fall in love yourself. by sara windom
A bang, a spark. Your vision is foggy, confusion and shock sets in. A haze of cigarette smoke clouds your vision. You hear twangy guitar to your left, a soft falsetto to your right. In a quick flash, he is standing in front of you. Humbled, quiet, but smug. His old acoustic enchants, his dirty shoes entice, and the gap in between his teeth seals the deal. You’re under his spell. Mac Demarco is a household name. No matter what genre of alt you fall into, there exists a pretty sizable chance you have some kind of encounter with Mac’s music. His guitar riffs could be picked out of a lineup, the low level grain of his recordings have yet to be replicated. Some have gone as far to hail Demarco as the “king of indie music.” Though his kingship has yet to be confirmed by the artist himself, the title is not far off. Since his start in 2012, Demarco has perfected the lo-fi, bedroom pop sound. The most clear example of this is in his demos. As the most raw form of his music, these tracks often exemplify the spirit of independent artists. His newest collection of cuts and recordings, The Old Dog Demos, is no different. The reel includes the rough versions of album favorites like “One More Love Song” and “A Wolf Who Wears Sheeps Clothes,” but is primarily a compilation of lost tracks. Like the many demo reels that came before
it, these unreleased songs characterize Demarco’s musical signature. His unmistakable strumming patterns build on one another, creating a symphonic dreamscape for listeners to fade into. What sets the Old Dog demos apart from his previous demo records lies in This Old Dog itself. Something shifted with the release of his 2017 album. Though it was evident that the songs contained the same wistful soul of 2 or Salad Days, the production seemed to be heightened. Instead of the original grit and echo seen in his earlier albums, Demarco seemed to aim for a more polished sound in This Old Dog. For many fans, the last two albums signified a shift from an underground sound to a more mainstream audience. This is not to say this lessens the value of his songs. A production shift under the pressure of newfound success is to be expected. But, it often creates a longing for the authenticity of the first albums. This is where the true beauty of the demos come in. By releasing new instrumentals and full length songs in a familiar low quality, Demarco speaks to the nostalgia felt by older listeners. Throughout Demarco’s career, he always seems to hold true to his roots through these honest, humble recordings. Equally, if not more, captivating, Old Dog Demos creates a sentimental, simple listening experience for new and old Demarco fans. article by kiera riley artwork by sara windom