ISSUE 2
TASTE IN MUSIC
joesef LORDKEZ • MOA MOA • UMI • YARD ACT
£4 / $ 6
LICKS MAGAZINE
ISSUE 2 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to LICKS. Spring has sprung, the clocks are forward and with whispers of festivals waiting around the corner, normality seems that little bit closer. What better way to celebrate than to present two of the most exciting breakthrough talents from the UK; South London’s Josie Man and Glasgow’s Joesef as our cover artists. We are equally delighted and pleasantly surprised to provide them both with their first magazine front covers. Our writers have been busy at work overcoming troublesome internet connections and zoom timeouts to interview some of the best emerging and independent artists from the UK, Ireland, North America and South Africa bringing everything from pop, R&B and UK rap to indie, punk and soul. We have also taken the opportunity to highlight another three increasingly important causes: Choose Love, We Make Events, and Help Musicians. Their continued hard work in supporting refugees, fundraising for out of work gig crew, and providing mental health support for musicians, is imperative and inspiring so please take some time to check out, and support their great work. So, welcome to our tricky second album of an issue. We promise that we haven’t gone too experimental. Let us know if you like what you see and keep your eyes peeled to our website and social feeds for real time articles and interviews. We will see you again for another print this summer. Jack Parker Editor-In-Chief
LICKS TEAM CHIEF-EXECUTIVE-OFFICER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
WRITERS
Jacqueline Scripps
Jack Parker
Callum Crowe Chris Prentice Dan Flood Jack Parker Jenny McDowell-Langford Katie Hubbard Laurence Kelly Lily Blakeney-Edwards Ruari White
BUSINESS DIRECTOR
EDITOR
Richard Hannan
Dan Flood
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN
CONTRIBUTORS
Meghan Weale
Aaron Watts Tallulah Webb
COVER PHOTOS
Reuben Bastienne ( Josie Man) Nathan Dunphy ( Joesef)
LICKSMag.com | LICKSMag@gmail.com | @LICKSMag LICKS Magazine is published by permission of Select Music Group LLC and is governed by the State Law of Travis County, Texas, USA. All rights reserved. All material copyright © 2021. This publication cannot be reproduced or sold in any form, whole or part, without the express permission of LICKS Magazine.
ELDER ISLAND FRESH OFF THE RELEASE OF NEW SINGLE ‘PURELY EDUCATIONAL’, LICKS WRITER LAURENCE KELLY CAUGHT UP WITH KATY SERGEANT, DAVID HAVARD AND LUKE THORNTON FROM ELDER ISLAND. THE BRISTOL-BASED TRIO’S SOPHOMORE EFFORT ‘SWIMMING STATIC’ IS OUT ON 28TH MAY WITH AN ADDICTIVE MINI-GAME, A SUITE OF VIDEOS AND MORE TO BOOT.
For those unfamiliar with Elder Island, how would you describe your sound? KS: “Genre-melding, experimental pop.” DH: “Yeah. It’s kind of like abstract-pop. We take many influences from all sorts of genres so it all bleeds into one thing. Whatever music makes us feel the most— even if it’s a heavy dancy beat or a laid back groove. If we feel something from it, we’ll turn it into a pop track.” Your new album ‘Swimming Static’ is out next month. How did you come to that title? KS: “The name was tough! For ‘The Omnitone Collection’, we had a strong, early concept. With this album, creatively and thematically, we floundered a bit. We were LICKS MAGAZINE
so wrapped up in the music, we didn’t really look at it as a parcel. The name was more reminiscent of what has been a very static year which felt like it embodied all the concepts in there.” What can fans expect from the new record? KS: “There’s a bit more darkness—probably a testament to the times but also a lot of light too. It’s a lot of exploring, we were sort of expanding and pushing and experimenting way more because we had the time to do so. You can see we were looking to try new things and test ourselves. Because of that focus and time, you can tell it’s insular.” Interesting. So, what new things found their way onto the record?
LT: “All of it really. We approached it with a blank slate and came away with lots of ideas. We knew from the previous tour that we wanted to get back into the studio to see what we could come up with. And it was a new creation in all senses — different tempos, chords — very open and free with it. We experimented with new gear, and people playing new instruments rather than sticking to their lane. We’re very good at adding and adding and then working our way back.” Take us through your writing process. LT: “We’d press record for an hour, two hours or whatever, eventually ending up with fifty of these different length creations. Then we picked the ones we wanted to work on, some were easy and some
“WE WERE SEARCHING FOR THAT SHIRLEY BASSEY MOMENT” took us three months of writing it before we could start producing it — like ‘does that bridge need to be there?’. Katy and Dave spent a lot of time writing on piano which was annoying because Katy would sound amazing in the recording, and then we’d have to destroy it and make it sound fat.” You created a mini-game for your new single ‘Purely Educational’. How did that come about? DH: “There were lots of things we tried to incorporate into the artwork like the old Beatles Sgt Pepper game ideas and the card game felt a lot like what we were doing in our spare time anyway.” KS: “Memory is a theme in the album. There is a tenuous link there with remembering small parts of time. A memory was consolidated in a song and the song was consolidated in a symbol. So it was like accessing those memories. Probably sounds like madness!” If ‘Swimming Static’ was used to soundtrack a new film, what film would it be? DH: “I’ve got ‘The Fast and the Furious’ in my head.” KS: “I watched ‘Citizen Kane’
recently so I’d maybe go Orson Welles but just the trippy stuff with The Rock starring.” DH: “‘Embers’, the first track on the new album, is our attempt at a Bond theme. We were searching for that Shirley Bassey moment.” Are there any venues you’re itching to play? LT: “I’d like to play Colston Hall in Bristol, that would be cool. But it’s not called that anymore is it? They renamed it The Beacon after the BLM protests.” DH: “They’ve gone fifty million pounds over budget or something during renovations so it’ll be a while before we can play there.” Are there any other venues in Bristol that you’d like to give a shout-out to who might’ve struggled in recent times? DH: “The Louisiana was always a really important one for us when we started. It was the first show that felt like our headline show. It’s not a big venue—around 120 cap—but the amount of bands we’ve seen there over the years starting out and playing there. I remember seeing Metronomy there back when I was at university.”
KS: “They had lights on their chests and it was so lo-fi!” DH: “Half the show didn’t go ahead because the stage is so small and, with everyone jumping around the room, their laptop kept cutting out halfway through every track. That venue was really important— it gave us the kick to want to keep playing music live.” KS: “The Exchange is another one—they book a real broad range of music. They’ve also launched a Patreon page with The Louisiana to help raise funds to keep them open. I also love the Trinity Centre—it’s very community-based.” DH: “When we put ‘Seeds in Sand’ out, we supported Khurangabin there which was very inspiring. Then within a year and a half we were headlining our own show there! The amount of dub nights I got absolutely lidded at there is crazy.” •
Elder Island’s new album ‘Swimming Static’ is out on 28th May 2021. Words by Laurence Kelly Photos by Nic Kane
You can donate to the Louisiana at patreon.com/exchangelouisiana.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
#WeMakeEvents is an international movement to highlight the live event sector’s urgent need for support from government to survive the COVID-19 crisis. Our focus is to secure government initiatives to help get the industry back up and running whilst providing support until it can fully return to work. #WeMakeEvents
LICKS MAGAZINE
LORDKEZ After experimenting with neo-soul, hip-hop and R&B, South African lordkez has fun on new Hyper-Pop EP.
do as an artist. I want to make feel good music.”
You’re about to bring out your third EP ‘Juicebox’. Does it feel like you’ve released a lot since your debut in 2018? “If I had it my way, I’d have brought way more music out. As soon as I make a song, I want to release it. But I’m learning there is a time and place for everything. It’s a good thing, though. With each EP I discover more about myself.” How did this new EP come together? “I’ve had these songs for a while, but they didn’t fit with the sonic of my last release, ‘Charcotta’. They better suited their own cute little package. It has been annoying having these songs there ready to go with no one listening to them besides me. There is
something about each song where they share a similar texture. So, I decided to bring them together in a neat little box. I like bringing out lots of different sounds. I don’t want to be just in one genre. It was necessary for me to go in this different direction to grow as an artist.” Which artists are your biggest influences? “I listen to a lot of India.Arie, Erykah Badu and Amy Winehouse. I’m inspired by the truth in their art. Those artists tell you what’s up. Especially India.Aria, her music has a powerful hold over me. I feel like I learn more about myself through her music. With the other two, their music is soothing, healing and takes you to another dimension. Ultimately, that is what I want to
Words by Jack Parker
How do you feel each record compares? “My first EP ‘Revenge Season’ was me coming up and showing listeners what I was going through. ‘Charcotta’ was me claiming who I am and what is mine. It was deeper and it took more from me. Whereas ‘Juicebox’ is more fun.” When can we expect an album? “I’m excited to start the process on my new album. I’m not there yet though. For now, I’m excited for the world to get back to normal. I want to see new things and hear new sounds.” •
Photo by MoTheCreative
lordkez’s latest EP ‘Juicebox’ arrives on 30th April.
JOESEF LICKS MAGAZINE
JO ES EF Not many artists can sell out an iconic venue such as Sneaky Pete’s without even releasing a track. Such was the buzz swirling around Glaswegian singer Joesef he even managed to sell out two more “victory laps’” in the lead up to first single ‘Limbo’. We sat down with Joesef to discuss his hard-nosed Glasgow influences, collaborating with Loyle Carner and shitting himself over his much anticipated debut.
Who were your earliest musical influences? “Music was always on in the background growing up. My mum would put tunes on first thing in the morning. The house was never silent. Between my Mum and two brothers, it was just chaos. “I was always soundtracked by The Mamas & The Papas and Al Green. Big, lush, old-school sixties music. I’m thankful to my mum for that. It’s set me up musically. In my teenage years I started listening to a lot of hip-hop, from the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, and my brothers were mad for Biggie and 50 Cent. They’d be off smoking weed and listening to Biggie and I’d be in the back, twelve years old, just dancing around. That was the making of my taste.” How much of that has seeped into your own music? “I am definitely still in love with big, crunchy drums
from hip-hop. When I listen to a track, the first thing I go to is bass and drums. I love pop music as well. My Mum would cater for the cool shit but only thrown in with the fucking Spice Girls. She loved Enrique Iglesias for a wee bit too. That was a bad time.” Can you remember when you first start writing? “I was a late bloomer. I didn’t properly write a song until I was 18. I wasn’t trying to do music, no-one from my area does. You’d feel embarrassed even sitting and trying to write a song because you’d just feel like an absolute prick. But, I met my management at 18 and started writing whilst still working in a bar. I didn’t get my hopes high, but I think that’s just a Scottish thing. “There was one song I wrote when I was in my sixth year of school, about how everyone in my year at school knew what they wanted to
do, except for me. I was such a waster. It was called ‘Potential’. I was so proud of it at the time, but I bet it sounded fucking terrible. But, funnily, the theme of not knowing what I wanted to do still stands.” Did it take you a while to find your sound, or did that come naturally? “I definitely had to throw some shit against the wall. I made a six-and-a-half-minute song and my manager was like ‘this isn’t Pink Floyd, mate’. It took a bit of time to get used to structure and flow, but writing songs has been quite easy for me. Throughout life I’ve been one of those cunts who picks something up, but then puts it back down and moves on quickly. Since I’ve been writing music though, it comes quite naturally, thank fuck. If I feel like shite, or I’m a bit hungover, I’ll knock a song out. But if I sit down and try, then it won’t usually work. I’m not a cowboy, it’s just
LICKS MAGAZINE
how it works.” To date, you’ve self-produced all your work. Is that something you enjoy? “You can definitely take more chances. If you’re sitting in a room with someone you might be apprehensive about trying to hit that high note and sounding like a dying cat. When you’re on your own, you have the freedom to just go for it. But, on my new tracks, I have been working with a producer. It’s been good because they can push you when you’re getting complacent vocally. I’m usually a control freak but it’s good to collaborate sometimes.” Can you remember the first time you sang in front of a crowd? “Aye, it was at an open mic night. I went with my mate, who is my manager now, and we were going to cheer on a friend of ours who was performing. We’d been boozing since 3 pm. I’d had about ten pints, I was fucked. I stepped up, took the guitar, and sang ‘California Dreamin’ by The Mamas & The Papas. I must’ve been slathering all over the mic, but people seemed to like it. My friend said ‘wow, you can really sing!’ Not much came of it until a year later when that friend came back to me and said they wanted to be a music manager and that they’d manage me. “Fast forward a year and we’re at King Tuts LICKS MAGAZINE
playing a sold-out show. We’d not even put out any music.” That must’ve been surreal. How did you feel going into that show? “I was so fucking nervous. My manager is always cool as a cucumber, and I saw him just before I stepped on stage and even he was nervous. It was terrifying, but it was electric. I blacked out, but adrenaline just takes over. That happened a few times at the start. We went back again and did a few sold-out shows a few months later as a wee victory lap, which was class. “When we sold out SWG3, which is one of the bigger venues in Glasgow, I made an effort to take it all in more. I’ve settled down a bit now, no longer letting the nerves take hold.” You must be excited for live music to return? “My god man I cannae fucking wait. Right now I would go to anything. If someone said there was a DJ set at the opening of a Poundland, I’d be right there. I’m buzzing to do festivals. We’ve got the UK tour at the end of the year, then the European tour will be scheduled after that. I’m going to be on tour for a long time, but I’ll take it. “We just sold out the third night in London too, which is class. I never thought I would sell out a show in London, never mind anywhere else, and I’ve done it a few times now. I won’t
“ T H E R E IS AN ATTITUDE IN GLASGOW. IF THEY LIKE S O M E T H I N G, THEY LOVE IT. AND IF THEY HATE SOMETHING, THEY F U C KING HATE IT.”
ever take it for granted. I’ve been to gigs and spending my hard-earned cash to go and see somebody was a big deal for me. The fact that people are doing that for me is pretty cool.” Loyle Carner featured on ‘I Wonder Why’ from your most recent EP, how was it working with him? “Aye it was amazing. Me and my mates have been fans of his for ages. I was obsessed with ‘Not Waving, But Drowning’. It was my manager’s idea. He said ‘Loyle Carner’s voice would sound great on this’, and I was like he’ll never be up for it. Anyway, my management sent over the track and he sent a voice memo back of him rapping over the top of it. “You’d think I was getting murdered the way I was screaming down the flat. He is sound as fuck, though. A real gentleman. I’ve supported him since, I still cannae believe it.” Who would top that, the dream collaboration? “Tyler, The Creator. I’ve loved him since Odd Future. Fucking ‘Yonkers’ way back in the day. I remember watching the video for that, terrified but loving it. His lyrics and the instrumentals are amazing. Absolutely love him. So, if you’re reading this interview Tyler, give us a call.” You’re from the east end of Glasgow. How much has the city influenced your music? “There is an attitude in Glasgow. A way that everyone is. If you’re a prick, someone is going to tell you that you’re a prick. Everyone is so passionate about life, but at the same time everyone cannae be arsed. If they like something, they love it. And if they hate something, they fucking hate it. They can smell the bullshit, too. Which has encouraged me to be honest in my writing. I think that means I’ve not been too shy to talk honestly about cer-
tain subjects. I think that makes for the best music.” What can you tell us about new music? “Nothing, ha! Stuff has been written. There’ll be an album at some point. Feels like I’ve been working towards it my whole life. “The pressure is definitely on with that but I trust my instincts. I want to enjoy it and I’m excited. I promise it is going to be a belter, but I am terrified. I’m trying to play it cool but I am fucking shitting myself.” •
As we wait for the debut album, you can catch Joesef on tour in the UK this Autumn. While tickets last! Words by Jack Parker Photo by Nathan Dunphy
moa moa F R ES H O U T OF THE STUDIO WITH ACCLAIMED PRODUCER C H A R L IE A N D REW, MATT TAYLOR ( DRUM S) AND CONNOR FOW E RA K E R (G U ITA R) OF INDIE-PSYCH OUTFIT MOA MOA JOIN US TO R E F L ECT O N COLLABORATING AND LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN.
Having only established moa moa in 2019, how have you found emerging in a lockdown? Matt: “We’ve actually existed as a band longer in lockdown than we have out of it. We are lucky that we are top-heavy in the sense that James [Ratcliffe, singer and guitarist] writes the vast majority of what moa moa does. It’s frustrating because there’s less pay off - there’s lots of love but it’s confined to social media. We have managed to be productive though!” Connor: “It’s double-edged because there’s no expectation for us, so we could have waited for it to just blow over. We spent a lot of 2019 getting our shit together for that explosive year, but it just never happened. There were some blessings in disguise as it gave us time to reflect and rehearse, but ultimately it put the industry on pause.”
You self-produced both of your first singles, so how has the introduction of acclaimed producer Charlie Andrew impacted your work? Connor: “James has been a prolific writer and producer and, as moa moa has grown, we have introduced more of a sense of collaborative work – but it’s always good to get more ears and opinions. Not only is Charlie great, but he also has the CV to back it up. There are five of us, and we tend to overthink, so he helps us streamline our parts.” Matt: “Within an hour, I just knew he was so good. We wholeheartedly trust him to help us, he is certainly now a part of things.” Your songs are quite complex, so how do they translate to live performances?
Bass, guitar and drums. Dan [Byrne, bassist] and James have some extensive pedalboards, and some of the weirder sounds will come from that. Dan has this incredible pedal that does a bit of everything, it’s amazing. Sophie [Parkes] plays sax and sings, so more natural classic stuff. Everything else is from my corner. We do as much as we can without triggering, despite how vast the arrangement is.” What can we expect after lockdown? Matt: “The live aspect will be a big focus, so lots of that. We’ve only really played about four gigs, so that number needs to go up if we are to call ourselves a legitimate band! More exciting releases, too. More moa baby!” •
Connor: “We wanted to have the organic part of a band.
LICKS MAGAZINE Words by Callum Crowe
Photos by Lidia Huerta
Expect new moa moa tunes and live shows in the not too distant future.
E LLI E DIXON XO N ELLIE Q u i r k y, s e l f- p roduced and pouring with p e rs o n a l i t y, UK indie-pop artist Ellie D i xo n t a l ks u s t hrough home-shot videos a n d t aki n g to Ti kTok.
New single ‘Sucker’ is about cringey past crushes, what inspired that? “I was hitting brick walls with lyrical content. Some of my best friends found an old diary of mine, I came out of the bathroom and they were poring over an entry where I was like ‘I’m so in love, I can’t bear it!’. I was about 13. I had completely forgotten about it, and it was a feeling of total cringe. Benee’s ‘Supalonely’ brought that back into my consciousness, and I wanted to go completely dramatic with it.” You’ve been busy between the release of ‘Sucker’ and the music video last month, what’s the response been like? “It’s been amazing. When ‘Space Out!’ was released, I was emailing people desperate for a blog review. This time on release day there were already reviews out. That growth has felt very organic.” You created the video by yourself, what was that like? “It was super ambitious. Firstly, I worked with a choreographer over lockdown
without ever having met. One of my best friends, Sophie, helped me film it. It was so cold, we could only film outside. At night. In February. We were only shooting for an hour and a half at a time because my hands would go numb.”
“My singing grew in parallel with my producing, and that’s now the core of who I am as an artist.” How did you first get into creating music? “I studied music at GCSE because I loved production, and I was offered free music lessons. I picked singing to gain some confidence, and I was terrified. I refused to sing for my parents for two years, but I slowly came out of my shell. My music teacher was Sam Smith’s old vocal coach, and she was incredible. My singing grew in parallel with my producing, and that’s now the core of who I am as an artist.”
You have a big TikTok following, has that been a useful platform as an artist? “Having that audience increase naturally spills over onto all your other platforms. And as soon as you have some big numbers attached to what you’re doing, industry people take notice. Instagram is still my go-to, because there’s a certain level of interaction you can have with people. But, in terms of content, I default to TikTok because it has the most attention and traction.” What are your next big goals? “The first landmark on the horizon is getting my EP out. It’s the culmination of everything I’ve developed in lockdown. It’s my fourth EP but feels like my first. It is who I am.” • We eagerly await Ellie Dixon’s fourth EP which is expected this summer.
Words by Jenny McDowell-Langford Photo by Holly Dixon
A LB UM RE VI E WS 4.0 / 5
BLACK HONEY
4.2 / 5
Written & Directed Words by Katie Hubbard “Disinfect the disaffected” is the rallying cry from Brighton’s Black Honey on their newly released sophomore album ‘Written & Directed’. Influences including Tarantino films, 50s Hollywood, rock, indie and pop are combined to create a smorgasbord of badass pop-rock songs. Described as an “action movie with female identifying protagonists” by frontwoman Izzy B Phillips, ‘Written & Directed’ showcases the group’s visual abilities in addition to their sonic ones with frequent cinematic references throughout. Oozing with attitude, Black Honey prove they are a group determined to create on their own terms. Standout tracks include ‘Run for Cover’ and powerful, yet timely, ‘Disinfect’.
3.8 / 5
NASTY CHERRY
The Movie Words by Ruari White
PIXEY Free To Live In Colour Words by Lily Blakeney-Edwards The latest offering from emerging artist Pixey takes your hand and pulls you into a world of Liverpudlian references and fizzy pastel-pop. Sprinkled with undoubtable charisma, opener ‘Just Move’ places the listener instantly in the middle of her organised frenzy. With a surge of electrics, and booming vocals, the track is reminiscent of a hazy dancefloor, tempting you with its colour until you can’t help but follow the tracks commanding title. As the album continues, you can see Pixey’s range of musical influences. Though very much grounded in pop, there are layers of different genres in each track, creating an array of soundscapes to get lost in. ‘California’ uses disco-inspired guitar motifs, giving the whole track a laid-back West Coast feel. The showstopper, ‘Free To Live In Colour’, is purely psychedelic, blossoming with hazy guitar riffs and swelling synths from the outset. Pixey’s vocals lull above, moving the track along until it explodes into an allencompassing daydream of a chorus. Her variation in all tracks is noticeable, yet Pixey manages to bring everything together by letting her personality shine through.
In spite of its name, Nasty Cherry’s third EP ‘The Movie’ ditches the band’s Hollywood glaze in favour of more ambitious and experimental alt-pop. The writing is both sharper and more nuanced than what we’ve seen before which is reflected best in ‘Her Body’, a track which confronts the reality of cheating through breezy synths and fluorescent vocals. The versatility present in stronger tracks somewhat overshadows dreamier, lo-fi instrumentals in the third act of the EP, however a desire to be braver in sound and subject matter results in an EP fans both old and new will enjoy. LICKS MAGAZINE
4.1 / 5
4.0 / 5 UMA The Moth & The Dove Words by Jenny McDowell-Langford
Barcelonian artist Uma has released her second EP via Slow Dance Records, gifting us the ultimate relaxation soundtrack. ‘Bring Me The Mountain’ opens the EP with an intensely captivating bassline, and the first guitar licks are immediately revealing of Uma’s Spanish influences. When described separately those two components seem oppositional, but they combine perfectly to create a sedative effect. Uma’s voice is beautiful and compelling, and the softly sung lyrics add an extra level of intimacy. Second track ‘Nebula’ is the cornerstone to this EP. Reminiscent of Glass Animals’ ‘Zaba’, it delivers an eccentric and otherworldly atmosphere. It’s a stylish mix of soft Spanish guitar, bossa nova and electronic techniques swirled together into a dreamy pop single complete with ambient bird noises. Uma’s writing is subtly complex, it takes true skill to create a song as gorgeous as Talking Walls with its transcendent melody. ‘Black Bees’ features Lucy Lu, also on ‘Bring Me The Mountain’, and the pair complement each other’s vocals brilliantly, balancing out the powerful instrumentals. The EP closes with ‘Even When She Knows’, a stripped and understated track where Uma’s emotive delivery really shines, leaving the listener with a sense of total calm. ‘The Moth & The Dove’ is both ethereal and beautiful, conjuring up images of late summer nights and broken hearts. A must listen.
DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979
Is 4 Lovers
Words by Callum Crowe
Jesse Keeler and Sebastien Grainger dropped into 2021 with a wall of noise blowing ear drums worldwide with screaming bass riffs and thundering drums. Produced to sonic perfection, the LP transitions from raging punk energy, to slow melodic grooves. While the latter might initially feel deflating, particularly when compared to how chaotic previous records have been, it’s what elevates this album to being the duos boldest venture yet. The intricacies of the tracks do suffer if played through smaller speakers, so do yourself a favour and play it loud for the true experience.
4.2 / 5 OCEAN WISDOM
Stay Sane
Words by Chris Prentice
It seems important to note that Ocean Wisdom’s first album on his own label, Beyond Measure Records, is his most complete piece of work to date. It further highlights his undoubtable skill on the mic whilst incorporating a greater variety of lyrical content which tackles issues such as mental wellbeing, personal relationships and racism. Providing music for a variety of moods and emotions, Ocean mixes up his style and flow constantly, without sacrificing the attitude and musical ability, which has put him right at the top of the UK rap scene. Expect the infectious hooks, aggression and style that we have grown used to whenever Wizzy picks up the mic.
A LBUM REVI E WS
WHERE TALENT GETS NOTICED
amazing.radio LICKS MAGAZINE
RYAN NEEDHAM, BASSIST OF THE LEEDS-BASED LEFTIES, TALKS US THROUGH THEIR BEGINNINGS, CREATING DEADPAN DEBUT EP DARK DAYS, AND LAYING DOWN ROOTS THAT WILL LIVE BEYOND JUST MUSIC.
How did the band come together? “I moved to Leeds around 8 years ago, and met James [Smith, singer] at a house party. We got chatting and hit it off quite quickly, although I soon found out that he had been going around slagging off the band I was in at the time! “I ended up needing to move in 2019, and James immediately offered up a room. We both had free time in the evenings, and that’s where the band came about – quite naturally.” Your tracks are rooted in minimalist rock. Were you always drawn to this genre, or did it come later on? “We started on drum machines at first. We were going for a super lo-fi style, guided by vocals. But as soon as we met the other guys, they offered their ideas up and that shaped the style.
“James did spoken word beforehand, so that appeared in our sound quite early on. He’s amazing at it. When ‘Peanuts’ got played on the radio, it surprised us so much – there’s a full minute of him just talking on the track.” Has not playing live affected your writing process? “I think as we start playing live again, our writing will evolve a bit more organically, which hasn’t really been happening.
“We’ve got so many important goals focussing on society” “If we were thinking more about playing it live we maybe wouldn’t experiment as much. I quite like when a track sounds slightly different live, it gives it a new feel. Kind of like what The
Streets and Gorillaz do. It’ll be exciting to see how they translate to the stage.” What are your goals for this year? “We’ve got so many important goals focussing on society, not just music. We’re looking to do more with the label we’ve set up. Working with other artists or maybe releasing some spoken word under it. “We’ve also been working with a charity, MAP, who provide a tonne of resources for local creatives. We ran an auction with them recently, and we’re looking to tie the label in to that as well. “But, we’ll just have to see what occurs. It will be a weird time coming out of lockdown. Some things will change, some things will stay the same, but I’m sure it will be boozy Britain for a while!” •
Words by Lily Blakeney-Edwards
To find out more about MAP Charity and their Hope Foundry project please visit mapcharity.org
YARD ACT
LICKS MAGAZINE
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH
Behind The Scenes looks at the movers and shakers working in the music industry who are making a positive impact on our beloved emerging artists. Where better to start than with Amazing? With radio stations thriving on both sides of the Atlantic, the Amazing team have big plans to expand further into live music, curation and video content, creating a one-stop-shop with the artists’ needs at it’s the centre. We sat down with CEO, Paul Campbell (left), and President of North America, Shelby Kennedy (right), to get the inside scoop.
QUIETLY AMBITIOUS
It’s been an exciting few years for you stateside. When did you decide to first expand into the US? PC: “In late 2012, it became apparent that we needed to take the Amazing brand to America. I settled in a pattern where I went to America every other week, for the intervening five years which was pretty good for the jetlag. We have been using that time to steadily develop our radio brand in the US. “Now, we have a small number of US DJs as we’ve been selective in our approach and we are delighted with who we’ve brought on board. I’m excited to say that we will continue to grow the number of DJs and programmes we have in the states. It’s been fantastic to use this platform to give UK musicians the opportunity to be heard on the radio in America, and vice versa.”
LICKS MAGAZINE
MORE THAN RADIO
It is wonderful to see the CMJ brand revamped. What are the plans moving forward? PC: “Before Lockdown, we were planning to bring back CMJ Music Marathon in New York for October 2020. But when COVID 19 hit, we quickly decided to turn this into an online festival which refreshes every three months. Each online stage is named after a New York music venue and hosts an array of artists (Moonchild Sanelly, Nayana Iz, PVA to name a few). We’ve seen a heart-warming response to the whole thing with great feedback from the artists who have been involved and plenty more who have reached out to see if they can be on the bill. “The next step, when we are allowed to, is to bring live concerts back to the CMJ brand. Every one of which will be recorded and livestreamed. Then we can take the live events on the road as we expand from New York.” SPREADING THE GOOD WORD
You’re also planning to enter into A&R services. What can you tell me about this? SK: “We’ve been working on a new service called ‘Triple A&R’ which stands for ‘Amazing Artist Awareness Report’. The purpose of these reports will be to bring awareness of Amazing artists to industry executives who may want to have them on their radars. The whole point in finding great new music is to pass it on. Having the pleasure of working with so many great artists, we want to share them with the world. It’s important that were selective with this, though. From my experience of introducing artists to labels, most people show up for those meetings when you’re not in there every week pitching any act.” THE PERSONAL TOUCH
What is it that Amazing is able to uniquely offer to artists? PC: “Everything we do is about creating more opportunities for artists to grow their careers and earn money from their trade. If artists choose to sell their music through Amazing, they will keep one-hundred per cent of the money. Listeners can also pledge money to artists. Plus, a subscription with us is half the price of Soundcloud and we give our artists everything that they offer with the added benefit of additional promotion and radio coverage. We are able to add a personal touch, too. Any artist that replies to one of our emails will receive a response directly from me. It is important to get that connection so we can best understand what they value, and what they don’t value.” SK: “I only joined the company recently, but I’ve known about Amazing for almost 10 years now. It’s special how the company has built a relationship with emerging artists. And with what we can now offer these artists, we’re ready to go to the next level with them.” NEXT ON THE MAP
What’s next in the Amazing Journey? PC: “We’ve got our eyes on Scandinavia next. The music is great there and they seem to speak better English than we do. Beyond that, we are looking at having a Spanish language programme in the US and expanding from there to Latin America. There is also Australia and Japan which we’re having conversations about. Our ambition knows no bounds. Now is the time for us to make a splash.” YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON AMAZING’S SERVICES, AS WELL AS THE BEST NEW MUSIC, BY CHECKING OUT AMAZING.RADIO
VIC SANTORO
LICKS MAGAZINE
South London’s Vic Santoro is not a rapper; he’s an artist. Channelling his story through music is just one string to an impressive bow with a resume of acting, directing, producing and public speaking. Not content with sitting still, Vic approaches each creative effort with the same passion and determination to hone his craft, develop his art, and tell his story. His unique take combines a talent for narrating unique experiences with an ability to draw an audience in through emotive, personal connection. It’s through this his achievements in film, outreach and music have found their success. LICKS writer Chris Prentice caught up with Vic on the release of the first instalment of a three-part mixtape, and his journey from writing bars at school, to the BAFTA stage.
ON BEGINNINGS: “Music is something I fell in love with from a young age. It’s an art, and one that I found my identity through, so it’s something I wanted to keep developing. It was something I wanted to do, but I wanted to do it the right way. Perfect the art. I think you have a responsibility to create something that the audience can subscribe to, but also about being true to yourself. “I’ve found that you can’t just write music. You’ve got to read more, watch things, have conversations with people, that’s how you grow. It’s not just sitting in a room writing over and over. As I grew as a person, and grew as an artist, I knew this was what I was meant to do.” ON THE SCREEN: “It just so happened that ‘Blue Story’ was written by a friend of mine, Rapman, that grew up in my borough. By that point, I’d already made an impression through my debut role in ‘Intent 2’ so I got a place in the film, which obviously took off. ‘Gun No.6’ was a project that took shape as we made it. We had the concept for the documentary and it came
to life as we were filming it. Nobody could foresee what was going to happen, like I’m not even an actor – and all of a sudden I’m on stage at the BAFTAs. “So far though, it feels like I’m being typecast. I’ve not really been able to gauge and understand my full acting capabilities because a lot of the roles I’ve had fall into method acting and things I’ve experienced. I’d like to explore different roles, and see what I can achieve.” ON PUBLICLY REFLECTING: “I’m a person who cares about representation and purpose. My passion has always been to tell my story. I felt that if things worked out for me out here, that I owe it to my community to go back and say ‘I grew up in this environment, I was here, and this is where I went’. I’ve been booked to go back to schools, prison, and the House of Commons to talk about it. It’s been an amazing experience. “Going back to the prison was very special for me. One morning I saw a guy who was doing time when I was. He saw me and was like ‘what, you’re back?’ and I said, ‘yeah but to do a talk’. The expression on his face was
LICKS MAGAZINE
like ‘really? That’s possible?’. For me, that’s the reason to keep going. To show what is possible.” ON ‘PAIN: GLORY DAYS PT. 1’: “I’ve been working on this project for three years. The concept of ‘Glory Days’ was something that I came up with whilst I was in prison. I always wanted to tell my story through my work, but I wanted to make sure that I’m actually in front of people to share it. I don’t want it to fall on deaf ears. “I’ve found my sound. ‘Glory Days’ is me. Whether you’re listening to the songs or watching me on Instagram live, it’s the exact same – the message doesn’t change. There’s a consistency in the art. “I’ve got my family involved too. When I recorded ‘Therapy’, I said to my cousin, Junior, this chorus is yours. He didn’t expect it. I put
him in a situation where his back was against the wall like, this is the song – if you can do a chorus to it then it’ll make the project, and just left it with him. So I went out for a smoke, came back, and it was done. And on ‘Heal My Soul’, that’s my little brother, Brenzo, on the feature. When I went inside he had to be around five or six years old. To come out years later and he’s on a project with me, it’s crazy.” ON CHANNELLING: “When people hear my music, I don’t want them to listen to it, I want them to feel it. When a rapper writes they focus on the wordplay, the metaphors, making something for the listener to catch on to like a sick rhyming pattern. As a channeller, you don’t have any of those thoughts. You don’t think about the audience. What you’re saying comes from somewhere different. You’ll find in the EP that I write the way I talk. I don’t swear at all, and that’s not
“I’M IN A TRANCE. I’M CHANNELLING MY E X P E R I E N C E S , A N D T O B E A B L E T O D O T H AT Y O U H A V E T O B E AT A P O I N T I N Y O U R L I F E W H E R E Y O U U N D E R S TA N D W H O Y O U A R E .”
LICKS MAGAZINE
because I’m sitting there like I don’t want to swear, I’m in a trance. I’m channelling my experiences, and to be able to do that you have to be at a point in your life where you understand who you are. You have to allow yourself to feel, and articulate those emotions.”
“There will be an album, some of the music is recorded already. To anyone who’s been listening to the mixtapes and is feeling it, the album is on a whole other level. They’re going to be shocked at the kind of music I can make. It will show everyone where I’m at now, after all this, and showcase how much I’ve developed – musically and in myself.” •
ON THE PROJECT: “Everything about ‘Glory Days’ - the artwork, the pictures, the settings, the font that’s being used – it all has a purpose. There is no randomness. Everything you’re seeing is directly linked back to the story, and that’s what makes it art.
‘Progression: Glory Days, Pt.2’ is out now with the third part of Vic Santoro’s mixtape trilogy expected in June.
“There is synergy across all the work, and once everyone has the full mixtape, it’ll be clear for them to see. Part one is quite reflective, honestly speaking about different situations and how they’ve impacted me. Part two is how I got over that. Part three, for me, is the best part because it’s actually how my life is right now. So, I’m walking the listener through the whole journey. It’s like at the end of a film, you celebrate because you want the protagonist to win - and I want everyone to celebrate with me. I’m taking people through my pain, my progression, so they can completely understand the journey. I want people to be able to get to know me. I’ve never been in a rush to release, to become established, I just want to build a relationship with my audience, and for them to get to know me.
Words by Chris Prentice Photos by Yushy
LICKS MAGAZINE
JOSIE MAN Despite growing up shy, unassuming and “kind of weird”, Josie Man as an artist delivers self-assured confidence. The rising queen of identity-pop preaches self-love, and honesty which brings you into a world of colour and positivity. Now, the London-based artist has shown another string to her bow with stripped-back, emotive new single ‘Little Space For Me’. We caught up with Josie to chat car trip anthems, Justin Bieber heartbreaks and her upcoming sophomore EP.
When did music first come into your life?
it was great to live it through someone else. But I was very girly growing up. I’d listen to “I think growing up it was something that me Beyonce and Rihanna. My parents would play and my family listened to as like a bonding artists like The Bee Gees and Stevie Wonder. thing. We’d be on family trips, we used to have The house was full of music.” a big Chrysler for the six of us, and putting a CD on in the car felt like the most fun thing in How did you shape your sound? the whole world. It would normally be one of those kid pop CDs where kids would sing cov- “I never thought about what genre I fit into. ers. Then it came to actually doing it myself. I All I knew is that I loved writing about things was quite a shy, kind of weird child growing up that I loved. I still do to this day, it’s the only always hiding behind things. But, when I start- thing that I can write about. I can’t write ed singing people would want to listen to me about things that I don’t feel. So, I used to and I wasn’t shy to do it. always write about how much love there was in my family. I was obsessed with my family “I was probably about 13 when I started growing up, so they were always on my mind.” singing. My dad goes to work really early in the morning, so goes to bed quite early, and would ask me to sing to him. It was kind of like How has it been for you since you released a little practice then in the dark to get over my your debut in 2019? nerves..”
“To be honest, I find it surreal that people are listening to me. On my first release, ‘Colours’, Who were your early influences? I told myself that this is not going to be like the Justin Bieber story. You will not blow up over“I was obsessed with Avril Lavigne. I thought night. I’m just excited by the fact that people she was so fearless. I was never like that, so have listened, and been so nice.
“I stripped it back, no drum beat or electronic sounds. There are some songs that are better left raw and untouched. This is one of them.” “I love the relationship I have with my fans. They’re always asking me for advice. And I’m the kind of person who wants to share something that’s helped me with everyone. It feels good to be able to help. It feels like a safe space, which is nice to have because the world is a scary place. All I want is to be able to help people.” Your new song ‘Little Space For Me’ is out now. What can people expect? “This song is just a piano and a vocal, with just a couple of harmonies at the end. It’s about my Mum and Dad. There are four of us siblings and, growing up, you realise that life is hard. I find the fact that they made space for us to come into their life amazing. It’s quite emotional. When I originally sent the demo to my team it felt like it was ready to go. I didn’t want to add too much. That is why I stripped it back, no drum beat or electronic sounds. It felt right to have one vocal performance the whole way through the recording so we could capture the heartfelt emotions. There are some songs that are better left raw and untouched. This is one of them.” What can you tell us anything about your up coming EP? “There is one song that is really sad, which is unlike me because all my songs are normally happy. I wanted to put this in there because I want people to know that it is ok not to be ok. I hope that people can resonate with it and feel less alone. “Overall, I think the next EP is a more adult version of me, than my last EP, the result
LICKSMAGAZINE MAGAZINE LICKS
of doing a lot of growing during lockdown.” Your live career was just starting before the pandemic. Are you excited to get back on stage? “Yes! Live streams have been weird, talking to the camera with no response is so strange. Singing live is the thing I love to do most. There is something about singing to people that I find so much fun. “I have only played one show so far, supporting Beabadoobee at Omeara. People didn’t have a clue who I was, but it was great. She is amazing. She is a modern-day Avril Lavigne. Such a rocker. I love that about her, I’m here for it.” What excites you most about the future? “Freedom. Going on holiday with my family, I’m very excited for that. I’m working on a podcast which is going to be about tattoos. I love tattoos and how they can document a time of your life so I’m working on that with someone from my production team. It is going to be a lot of fun Words by Jack Parker Photos by Reuben Bastienne
Josie Man’s new single ‘Little Space For Me’ is out now with an EP expected this summer.
LAURAN HIBBERD
BEST
U.K. & I RELAND
TOW N
LICKS MAGAZINE
In partnership with our good friends at distributor CD Baby, Best In Town spotlights promising, regional talent from across the UK and Ireland. Expect to see these faces extending their local fame to the national stage.
8 8/8 9 London, England The duo, inspired by the eighties, create a retrospective yet brilliantly fresh sound. The band released their debut EP, ‘Hit Me’, in the midst of lockdown and they are gearing up for more releases this year.
KI T T I Glasgow, Scotland This singer-songwriter’s soaring vocals and unique lyrics demand attention, making comparisons with Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu and Alicia Keys easy to see.
A L EX LLEO Worcester, England Working alongside producer Sahil Ansari, Alex Lleo is used to creating earthy tones and reverberant moments. Their songs encapsulate the raw, live, electric energy of musicians collaborating in one room.
D EAT H C ULT E L ECTRIC Cardiff, Wales With their own unique blend of hyper-distorted alternative rock, the 4-piece’s latest string of tracks thrills with chaotic vocals and fuzzed out guitars.
BEST IN TOWN
TE ST CA R D GI R L Manchester, England The Mancunian singer’s knack for lo-fi synthwave and indie-folk songs has made it hard to believe she only started writing and producing music last year. There is a lot more to come, especially when she can deliver her spine-tingling harmonies in person.
K AI SH A Brighton, England Malaysian-born Kaisha is certainly one to watch. Futuristic neo-soul, jazz-esque breakdowns and pop grooves can all be heard in her growing catalogue of music.
LICKS MAGAZINE
I D EST ROY Bristol, England The party punk trio released their debut album ‘We Are Girls’ in February. A record drenched in serious attitude. Make sure you catch one of their riotous gigs when live music returns.
CONCHÚR W HIT E County Armagh, Northern Ireland Influenced by the likes of Father John Misty and Big Thief, Conchúr delivers a dream-like surrealism in his music storytelling. Tracks from his upcoming EP, ‘Dreamers’, mixed by Matt Wiggins (London Grammar and Glass Animals), will be released each month between now and June.
BEST IN TOWN
L I SSY TAY LOR Stoke, England A Stoke girl and song writing graduate from Manchester who spent her teenage years in the USA has created her own unique sound, balancing the dark and dreamy with indie-rock charisma. Expect an anthem from upcoming single ‘Quiet Rage’.
D EJA London, England Pop, R&B artist DEJA is the voice of real talk; getting the respect she deserves and having her needs met. Her original songs are as cathartic as they are addictive.
STRANGE BOY Limerick, Ireland T H E WH I T E LA KES Oxford, England This four-piece have been rolling out indie-pop tunes since 2018. Taking note of the relationship between music and mental health, their latest track, ‘This Generation’, will make you want to put down your phone screens and have a dance.
A 1000-year-old poet channelling through the body of a young man from Limerick. Strange Boy combines hip-hop and Irish traditional music, the old and new cultural influences dominant in his country, with a sophistication that will have you swearing this genre always existed.
BEST IN TOWN
UMI
THE CALIFORNIA-BASED ARTIST TALKS PILGRIMAGING TO SHANGRI LA, TAPPING INTO SOUL AND COMING ALIVE ON HER LATEST PROJECT. How do you feel finally having ‘Introspection Reimagined’ loose in the world?
You’ve got an impressive team of artists for the project. How did they all come together?
“Extremely excited. It’s been my passion project for the past year. I want the people listening to feel the energy that I’ve been feeling for a while about it.”
“It started with me and my friend Mia Garcia, who is my guitar player and was the Musical Director for this project. We sat together and listened to every song and came up with references of how we wanted to reinterpret them. We thought of all our friends who played instruments. Everyone who played on this project is a soul mate of ours. We all got together in San Diego actually and jammed out for a week, coming up with the arrangements for each of the tracks. And then, the following week, we came back to LA for more rehearsals and then off to Shangri La where we recorded the whole thing in four days. Which was crazy.”
How did the idea for the project first come to mind? “I’m inspired by the feeling you get when you listen to music and every sound you hear is touched by a human being. That feeling was really inspiring to me. Then, when the pandemic started, I began listening to a lot of soul music from artists like D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, and finding a lot of peace in their music. I was with my friends and I was asking, ‘Why aren’t artists today making music like this? Why do we always have to go back in the day to experience that sound?’ And that’s really what sparked the idea.” LICKS MAGAZINE
That must have been an intense four days right there. Where did that idea come from to make the record big and funky and fun? “Mia and I had spent a lot of time together over the summer taking road trips and doing shrooms. Those memories were sound
“NOT BEING SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WERE PERCEIVING ME MEANT I WAS ABLE TO SING FREELY.” tracked by soul and funk music and it made us want to bring that back. I feel as an artist like I’ve listened to a lot of this music growing up, but I know a lot of people haven’t been introduced to this genre.” What was it like to record at the famous Shangri La studios? “Oh my gosh, that place is magical. You step in, and it feels like you’ve entered a portal into a different dimension. It is right by the beach and there’s all this nature around. That makes you feel grounded and connected to earth while you are there. It was a blessing to be able to sing in that space. I felt like I was just dreaming for four days. “Some days we were there until 4 am just going, going, going and encouraging each other when we were tired. You’ve got to preserve the magic in this room. We’d tell those who weren’t recording to come and dance with us while we were jamming to build the energy.” You’ve stated that this is the first time that you’re letting yourself sing. What was different about this record?
career by utilising a live band and having that as a motif in my future music. “It’s the mistakes and the imperfections that are important. On ‘Pretty Girl Hi Reimagined’, for example, we were using a piano that was slightly detuned and you can hear the sound of the pedal of the piano. These are all the sounds that technically you want to mix out. But it’s what gives it character. “I definitely am not the same person that I was when I started this project. I think I’m more of an artist now. I’m more confident in my voice and in also directing other people after composing for the first time. I’m going to take that into my upcoming album. It’s seventy percent done. And the sonic theme is indie/R&B. That is all I can say!” •
The soulful ‘Introspection Reimagined’ EP is out now. Words by Jack Parker Photos by Vince Aung
“That was a result of the studio. At Shangri La there was a big live room for everyone to record in, but I had this hidden back booth to record the vocals in. Nobody could see me; they could only hear me. Even the lights were turned off. When you’re at Shangri La, you can’t give seventy percent. You have to go all the way. I remember meditating at this point and getting myself into a frame of mind where I felt like I was letting go. Not worrying about hitting the high notes. Not being self-conscious about how people were perceiving me meant I was able to sing freely. I had let go of that pressure of being judged. No longer was I observing what I was doing so much. I was just being in it.” After experimenting with a new sound on this record, do you think this will carry forward into your future projects? “This experience opened me up to how much I wanted to use live music on the album. I think that element will continue on in the rest of my LICKS MAGAZINE
WE BELIEVE THAT
MU S I C M I N DS MATTER 0808 802 8008
If you work in music and are struggling to cope, contact us.
musicmindsmatter.org.uk | helpmusicians.org.uk
Registered Charity No.228089 | SC04625
LICKS MAGAZINE
I S S UE 2
TASTE IN MUSIC
ELDER ISLAND • ELLIE DIXON • VIC SANTORO LICKS MAGAZINE
£4 / $ 6