August 2016 #15 by New Roots Magazine

issue 15 august 2016

youth man the noisiest band in the uk

+ 2000 trees + krimewatch + happy accidents + muncie girls + puppy+ vales

A NOTE FROM THE TEAM It’s the start of festival season now and we’ve just been to 2000 Trees’ 10th year anniversary and what a fucking party it was. We’ve got the reviews on all the top bands you need to know about, on page 24 as well as interviews with Happy Accidents and Muncie Girls starting on page 36. Youth Man are on the verge of being one of the loudest UK bands around. We joined them for a good old chat about the current state of the EU, how they recorded their latest EP at a live show and why these three musicians are a must see live all starting on page 48. If you can’t get enough of our buzzy interviews then don’t worry as we’ve headed over to New York to speak to Krimewatch, a female fronted hardcore band, and London’s Cho Edwards from Vales. As well as our recurring, Why We Love, Uprooted, Grinds My Gears and Behind The Lens features. Thank you again for supporting NR.

Editor & Art Director: Isha Shah Sub-Editors: Arriana Corr, Amy Jones Contributors: Isha Shah, Arriana Corr, Ashwin Bhandari, Mark McConville, Alma Rdgl, Dominic Bevis, Megan McMillian, Natalie

Webb, Tim Andersson, Joshua Clarke, Courtney O’Flaherty, Dehbia Saber, Catherine Roberts.

Photographers: Isha Shah, Elliot McRae, Stephanie Evans, Alex Thornber Ryland Oehlers, Jubbi Schmoo (Georgia Rose), George Ogle, Bradley James Allen, Jack Hopkins, Call Me Killer, Angela Owens, Hannah Bowns, Elmore.

contents Highlights of the month news priyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s twitter highlights uprooted Grinds my gears q&a with krimewatch warped tour pro life tent behind the lens- bradley james allen 2000 trees review interview with happy accidents interview with muncie girls behind the lens- jack hopkins why we love jme youth man interview pbehind the lens- George Ogle interview with vales album/ single review ep reviews live reviews/ photos

4 4 9 10 17 18 20 22 24 36 40 44 46 48 55 56 62 54 68

pickS OF THE MONTH Dowsing, Ratboys, Losing Sleep and more added to Strugglefest 2016.

news

Pity Sex announce departure with co-vocialist/ guitarist Britty Drake. Bad Sign joins Black Peaks and Heck on co-headline tour. Expire announce split. Dry Heaves call it a day. Mat Kerekes (Citizen) announced brand new album titled, Luna & The Wild Blue Everything out August 26th. My Chemical Romance unveil a previously unreleased track from the forthcoming 10th anniversary edition of The Black Parade, titled, ‘The Five of Us Are Dying’. Enter Shikari have unveiled a thirty minute tour documentary, recorded by Alexey Makhov during their February tour. Turnstile announce four-song 7″ called Move Thru Me via Roadrunner Records. itoldyouiwouldeatyou are now signed to Failure By Design Records. Trophy Eyes release new music from forthcoming album, Chemical Miracle October 14, 2016 on Hopeless Records. UK Label, Big Scary Monsters are doing a pay-what-you-want sale on all of their Bandcamp releases.

#blacklivesma stop sayin #alllivesmat Photos by: Call Me Killer

atter. ng tter.

Celebrating 10 years in Philadelphia’s Electric Factory, This Is Hardcore takes on one of the biggest hardcore festivals in the world for 4 solid days. Saturday the 6th hosted headliners Gorilla Biscuits, one of New York’s oldest Hardcore bands. During their set, vocalist Anthony “Civ” Civarelli took some time to share a few words. He said, “In 2016 people still have to wear shirts that say ‘Black Lives Matter’. No shit. Brown, white, yellow, black, we all fucking matter. Everybody here matters. Do not let the media, schools, institutions, influence you. We are one family, one people.”

Sparking off on social media, as what Civ actually said proved to overload the feeds of many people’s screens. This is not to say that Civ is a racist, but by saying ‘all lives matter’ is simply wrong. Speeches between songs are usually something crowds love to hear, words that are meant to stand for something. They are to get people to listen, engage, inspired and to educate. No matter where Civ was coming from, or what he was trying to get across, he made one massive mistake. ‘AllLivesMatter’ was a twitter hashtag movement to block the voices of #BlackLivesMatter. Whenever black people speak out and share their stories, white people feel the need boycott this opportunity and get involved, thus resulting in the whole AllLivesMatter hashtag. Civ should have not started his speech of like this, nor should he have used this tag at all. There are some things that go without saying, but actually using a counter tag, when speaking about the oppression and suffering which black people still face is not acceptable. After a day, This Is Hardcore Facebook page made a post with a screen cap of Civ’s quote and stated: “He is a paragon in our community whose life efforts towards antiracism, vegetarian/ veganism, anti violence has been documented for almost 30 years. He has nothing to apologize for, nor anything to make up for. How you choose to interpret his words is your perspective, the song that followed is an anti racist song that is an anthem of antiracism.” Being vegetarian or a vegan does not mean you can’t be ignorant or say the wrong things. In this case neither of those things matter, although it can be argued that the band fell non-vegan shoes and jackets. The defence to Civ’s speech has just proved why AllLivesMatter was the wrong thing to say, as it caused a whirlwind of voices and not just from the people who don’t

have a platform, but the bands at the festival themselves. Power Trip made a bunch of tweets regarding their disappointment in Civ’s statement, as well as Rob Fish from Turning point giving a marvellous speech about how respect needs to be given to #BlackLivesMatter, and why we need to let them have their own platform. “To watch someone say black lives matter, and have someone recoil and give you some bullshit like all lives matter, cause it is fucking bullshit. If you’re a black male you walk around with a target on your back.” I am sure we all know that the band and the HC stand against racism and all the horrible things that are still active in the world, I mean Gorilla Biscuits have wrote songs about it, but this does not excuse ‘not meaning it in that way’. The worst part of this whole situation was probably the reaction HC fans responded in. Instead of understanding and support, they acted in anger and lashed out, supporting Civ and his views. As a while male with a very large platform, Civ has used his privilege for the wrong reasons, and in fact cause many more to believe ignorance. Although some sort of apology has been made, the damage had been done, and it took a bad choice of words to show that we really have not moved on, we really have not learnt anything, and people in any music scene are just as ignorant as the next. If you are in position of trust and power, then you really need to be careful what you say more than anyone. We know Civ did not mean to disrespect the history of black people, but people not meaning to do something doesn’t excuse the fact that they did. Words by Isha Shah

r.i.p Tom Searle It’s always a stab in the heart when you hear about the death of a person, and unfortunately on the 20th August we say goodbye to Tom Searle, a man who was so much more than Architects guitarist. Here is the following statement the band wrote on their Facebook page:

It is with unbelievable pain and sadness that I have to announce that at around twelve minutes past midnight on August 20th my amazing brother, Tom, passed away after over 3 years living with cancer. He was an incredible songwriter and guitarist. He was my closest and oldest friend. He was a funny, intelligent and sweet man and he leaves an enormous void in all of our lives. Many of you will be aware that Tom has been absent from various shows over the past 15 months and I can now let you know that this was due to various surgeries that he had to have to treat the cancer. When we left for our European Festival tour on June 2nd Tom was very unwell. He had been advised to stay in hospital to receive care but ultimately there was nothing that they could do for him and he signed himself out of the ward two days before we departed for Germany. Some of you might view this as reckless but this is the way Tom wanted to do things throughout his last year because he never wanted the cancer to get in the way of what he loved. He got on stage and performed his last two shows at Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park, which took him an incredible amount of strength but those are two shows that we will never forget. We had to cancel our European festival tour and US headline tour because on June 8th, in Luxembourg, Tom was extremely sick, we called an ambulance and he was taken into ICU. The following day he was placed into a medically induced coma and the doctors told us that it was unlikely that they’d ever be able to wake him. Five days later, against all the odds, he was awake again, and in a few short days following that, myself and Tom cancelled the air ambulance that was due to take him home and we got the Eurostar train home. Classic Tom Searle. He spent the last 2 months of his life fighting with everything he had to overcome the disease once and for all, and things appeared to be moving in the right direction, but in the last 2 weeks it suddenly took a turn for the worse and finally he left us.

I don’t know what will become of Architects. Me and Tom started playing in a band together when we were 13 and, really, Architects is just an evolution of the band that we started all the way back then, over half my life ago. To pretend that Tom wasn’t at the heart of everything that the band created would be to show a complete lack of respect to the amazing talent that he was. The band will never be the same and there is simply no denying it. We will 100% tour All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, there is no doubt about that. We will be going to Australia in a few weeks and we will be doing our UK and European headline tour in October and November. We hope that these shows will be an opportunity for everyone out there to show their respects to my wonderful brother. It won’t be easy for us to get on stage and play every night without him, but its something that we must do. We want to carry on, that is important to say, and we will strive to do so, but we will not release any music unless we truly believe that it is something that Tom would have been proud of. Whether or not we can achieve that is something that we will have to discover in time. The Martlets Hospice in Hove took unbelievable care of Tom in his final days. We were constantly blown away by their compassion and hard work and we feel hugely indebted to them for ensuring that we were able to make some amazing memories with Tom before he passed away. If you feel as though you’d like to contribute a donation to the Hospice in Tom’s memory then please donate on the Just Giving page that we have set up below. www.justgiving.com/thomassearle For now we need to begin to process what has happened. Myself, Sam, Ali and Adam will need time to fully come to terms with the loss of our brother and we hope that everyone out there will continue to respect our privacy during this terribly difficult time. Much love, Dan x

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Priyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Twitter Highlights @priya_ebooks may not be a world wide celebrity, but the young writer from the States has a hell of a lot to say, and as a woman of colour, her humorous voice, is something we all need on our Twitter feed.

o r p u

: G e N n I i R v U a T R A n E F m u t u A e h T , e k a n s , e r o h Fulls

10 Photos by: Stephanie Evans

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fullshore bad sign top song: ‘change’ - Illustrating huge nostalgia, the drums continue to pull us out to seas of memories before this is all bursting into a colourful, streamlined lead line that tears the audible sky apart and causes the rest of the song to fall beautifully into place around it.

2014- present Ben Bestwick – Vocals Darren Clarke - Drums Elliot Walett - Bass Luke Rainsford – Guitar Take yourself on a walk in early spring, sunlight falling through the trees and leaves tumble across the path, whilst you skip, Speak Low If You Speak Love vocals become softer, washed over with a melodic varnish of clarity and The 1975’s new album actually now features good songwriting, catchy melodies and has beautiful sounding words pronounced poetically, with lyrics that are sweet, heartfelt and honest… But even here you might hope to land only somewhere near the shoreline that is Fullshore’s dreamy open daisy field, audibly vintage aesthetic vision of pop. Fullshore’s first EP Change was released on 28th March 2016 and was recorded by Gavin Monaghan and mixed by Joseph Murray at

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Photos by: Stephanie Evans

Magic Garden Studios - bar their acoustic version of the title track ‘Change’, which was recorded and mixed by the band’s own Elliot Walett. Fullshore commented upon release of their EP, “These songs have been with us since the start and they mean the world to us.” And these songs have indeed seen Fullshore out pretty far to a number of shows performing with other West Midlands and more widely known UK pop punk groups. They’ve played shows with local friends in Beaumont, Homebound, All The Rest and Stay Gold, Best Years, Coast to Coast, Layover and Better Than Never. Fullshore have a 2nd EP (yet to be titled) scheduled for release later this year, which was recorded in July with Matt Heap. The new songs do still have fundamentally poppy roots but we can expect them to be ‘more raw and alternative with emo influences,’ says Bestwick, who also writes and performs for his own solo acoustic project, which on 16th July he released his debut 3-track EP for free with on Bandcamp, titled ‘But First We Live’. Words by Arriana Corr

top song: ‘slam’ – loud, obnoxious and everything you would ever ask for from Snake, Slam is the track that sums up the bands noise entirely. Thudding crashing’s from the drums and howling vocals that hold a great threshold of torture, the track is perfect for any new fans.

snake

2015- present Will- Drums Louis- Guitar/ Vocals There are bands you just need to see live before even listening to them and the two-piece, Snake from London are definitely one of them. With the departure of their previous band, the two brothers wanted to start something up again, something that was heavier than the two of the put together. “We had no expectations of what to make and no framework to fill so just set out to make some music,” Louis explains. Snake wrote and recorded their recent EP, Winter, last winter to explore the season’s bitterness. “The idea of winter being symbolic of an ending, being relentless, being hugely powerful and ruthless was really cool for us, it helped

us to make a record that tries to be powerful and bleak at the same time. The whole E.P is made of two notes, it was nice to set limits that made us think about what the instruments could do.” The guys already have plans on a full 15-track album, released over 15 whole weeks. Putting out their music free to download, there really isn’t any excuse why you shouldn’t already have the zip folder in your downloads by now. If you’re someone who loves hardcopies then you’re just going to have to see these guys live. Snake are in the process of just getting themselves out there and playing in front of new crowds every night, an ideal possibility of tour is something the duo are waiting on. Words by Isha Shah

Photos by: Isha Shah

The Autum 2014- present Damon Griffiths - Vocals/Guitar Alby Walbank - Guitar Lee Smith - Bass Thomas Gaskill - Drums/Vocals It’s been a good few years since the likes of Mallory Knox, Deaf Havana and Young Guns broke through to the mainstream, so it’s probably about time some new bands found their feet in this scene. Step up: The Autumn Ravine. The Kent based four-piece have a raw deal considering how much focus there is on breaking punk/emo bands at the moment, but their songs are powerful and emotive enough to stand up against the rest. Back in 2014 the band released their first EP The Garden of England, which is as strong of a debut release that you’ll hear from a British rock band. With soaring vocal lines and dreamy guitar riffs The Garden of England helped The Autumn Ravine break into the UK’s alt-rock scene. They followed this up last year with their in-

credible Bandcamp only single ‘A Little Sleep’ that would give even this country’s biggest bands a run for their money. The Autumn Ravine released their latest EP An Intrinsic Evolution earlier this summer and it’s packed full of sophisticated and intelligent alternative rock tracks. Throughout these five songs there is an overwhelming presence of melancholy and struggle but also sense that there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel. On the themes throughout the EP, vocalist and guitarist Damon Griffiths explains, “Materialism, ignorance and time being the most valuable commodity are areas we have tried to explore on this record.” Despite being sonically very different, The Autumn Ravine do retain a very similar mentality to so many rising punk bands, “Music is more than just an art form; it is a platform in which our opinions and perspectives can be heard.” In times of instability and economic uncertainty, that’s definitely something important for a new band to bear in mind. Words by Natalie Webb

mn Ravine top song: ‘Narcissus’ –Recent single ‘Narcissus’ is the standout from the band’s latest EP, showing off frontman Damon Griffith’s vocal capabilities during intricately put together verses, which build into their catchiest chorus yet.

what grinds my gears Stop Romanticising And Demonising Mental Health When something terrible happens, whether it’s terrorism or not, you will find a pattern repeating itself every time without fault : the news will pull apart the culprit’s mental health, and say they were unstable or depressed — or ‘worse’, had a personality disorder —, and in cases where the criminal is white and benefits from white privilege calling them a “lone wolf” , the media won’t shy away from saying they’re an “isolated crazy person”. This can be found in music on a much smaller scale : when Mariel Loveland from Candy Hearts spoke out about a dude allegedly assaulting her and he put online his version of events, she was called all types of names on social media, including the ever so common word to describe women who are angry, “crazy” — said dude even relied on her mental health to downplay her version of events. And to show a widely different, more male privileged-flavoured case, when Parker Cannon of The Story So Far falcon kicked an innocent fan, people came to his defence mentioning anger issues of his. These are prime examples of people spinning mental health to support their narrative. One moment it’s demonised and used against the person to downplay their arguments because they happen to have mental health problems, -and another moment it’s used to excuse dangerous behaviour.

It seems like non-mentally ill society sees mental health issues like a card they can use one way or another when it’s convenient and it shows in music scenes : when big artists — who may not have such a close relationship with their fans as Modern Baseball when a similar thing happened to them — cancel shows or tours due to issues like these (ex-1D singer Zayn Malik comes to mind, having recently canceled a live appearance due to anxiety), they’ll be entitled and think any amount of money can wash away a life-affecting illnessbut they’ll be the first ones to romanticise sad lyrics about killing yourself and unhealthy behaviour, which is a double standard and needs to end. We should start treating mental health issues just like physical ones and realise either extreme is dangerous. Demonising them is a really violent message to send to people for something that they can’t help, but calling mental health issues ‘beautiful’ doesn’t help either. Fortunately, bands like the aforementioned Modern Baseball are helping forward the conversation — their recent documentary Tripping In The Dark offers really useful insight on that front — and organisations like Punk Talks, who help offer free help to musicians and people who need it but may not be able to afford it while raising awareness are on the right track. Words by Alma R.

Photo by: Isha Shah

q&a with

h c t a w e m i kr ewatch m i r k ewatch m i r k

Photo by: Angela Owens

h h

KRIMEWATCH DOSENT HAVE ANY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, IS THERE A REASON FOR THIS, AND ARE YOU PLANNING ON GETTING ANY? EH: We have a Bandcamp if that counts. SB: We have personal accounts but have yet to find it necessary to make any for the band.

SOME OF YOU ARE FROM AJAX? WHEN DID KRIMEWATCH FIRST START AND WHY? EH: We started because I moved to NYC from Boston and had recently started playing bass. I wrote some songs and asked Shayne to play drums with me because she had been learning drums. We loved playing together and asked our friends Sean from Ajax and Rhylli to play guitar and sing.

YOU’RE FROM NY, WHAT OTHER LOCAL BANDS ARE THERE THAT WE SHOULD BE CHECKING OUT? EH: Claim and Rare Form are sick. Stuck Pigs from DC and Combined Effort from Boston, too. SB: Lion’s Cage just played their first show here recently and sounded great.

HOW IS THE NY HC SCENE, IN TERMS OF SHOWS AND BANDS AND COMMUNITY? EH: It’s relatively small and not super close knit, but I think it has grown and gotten tighter since I moved here 2 years ago. SB: I am a from New York, I second what Emma says. there are more female hc bands in the states than the uk, why do you feel that is? EH: I think when women see their female friend playing in bands

they feel more encouraged to do the same. It just takes a few people to start the wave. It’s great that people are paying attention to it now, but in NYC and in Boston there has always been a history of women playing punk and hardcore. SB: There is always this unwarranted and annoying novelty surrounding women playing hardcore or punk. There is a great sense of unity now amongst women in the scene which makes it a more welcoming environment to start playing in bands. YOU’VE PLAYED SHOWS WITH FIREWALKER AND I.C.E, BUT WHAT OTHER BANDS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THE STAGE WITH AND WHY? EH: I would love to play with Lowest Priority from Seattle. I’m looking forward to playing some shows with Fury in the fall. I’m also excited to play with G.L.O.S.S. Pure Disgust later this summer because I like all those bands. SB: I was really excited to play with Waste Management and hope to play with more solid hardcore bands in the near future.

YOU’VE ONLY RELEASED A DEMO, DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR FUTURE RELEASES? SB: We are writing new songs for a 12” EP which will be released on Lockin Out later this year. They are also releasing the demo on a 7”.

SOME OF YOUR SONG TITLES ARE IN ENGLISH BUT TWO ARe in japanese, ARE THERE ANY REASONS FOR THIS CHOICE? SB: Our singer, Rhylli is from Japan. When we were beginning to form we thought it would be awesome to have lyrics in both Japanese and English. Interviewed by Isha Shah

It’s no secret that Warped Tour has a tumultuous history with women, to say the least, but after they promised tot try and make their tour safer for young girls last year when they faced protest from bands on the tour and a huge number of people for still having known abuser Front Porch Step on their line up, there was a small hope things would get a bit better. However, just like it usually is in the rest of society, that hope was completely crushed when it came to light that Warped Tour had a ProLife tent this year ; and make no mistake, ProLife really means Anti Abortion. Not only is that disgusting, and we’ll get into why it is later, but what’s even weirder and really shady is the organisation isn’t listed on Warped’s ‘Non Profit’ page — which, in a way, traps people who can get pregnant into coming to a festival where they could run into a tent telling them they don’t have rights over their bodies. The Anti Abortion organisation, named Rock For Life, reaches record levels of grossness by hosting a poll with sticky notes at their tent, asking people when rights should begin for the foetus and spreading wrong information. Furthermore, they have been posting pictures of people on social media holding white boards with the reasons why they’re against abortions...and surprise, surprise, all of these people are cisgender men. That’s right — cisgender men who can’t get pregnant, who don’t have a uterus, giving their opinion on what people who do have a uterus and can accidentally get pregnant can and can’t do. If that wasn’t enough to fuel you with rage, the merch Rock For Life sells is equally disgusting : shirts saying “ALL LIVES MATTER”, which is a spin of the BLACK LIVES MATTER slogan used mainly by white people who feel threatened by the fact

Black people are fighting against racism. Not only is having that shirt design all sorts of offensive, it’s also very hypocritical : what about the lives of the pregnant people who may be in danger because they can’t afford to feed and care for a baby? What about the lives of the women who got pregnant after being raped and don’t want to carry yet another reminder? What about the lives of people with uteruses who simply don’t want children? Don’t these lives matter too, Rock For Life? And if you think we were only going to rip into Rock For Life here you came to the wrong place — Warped Tour, and namely Kevin Lyman, should be held accountable for this. After being asked why such a tent was present at Warped, Lyman responded on twitter : “Punk rock was about welcoming all points of view, you can make your own decisions, and opposing platforms and views are important.” Now, we may not be the authority on what is and isn’t punk rock, but what punk rock is about is opposing oppressive systems like capitalism and patriarchy, certainly not about ‘welcoming all point of views’ when that point of view is threatening someone’s rights. The fact the founder of Warped Tour seem to think women’s rights are debatable is, for a lot of people, the last straw, and it should be. Boycott Warped, don’t boycott Warped, we’re not here to tell you what to do — but question the credibility of anywhere who might be pretending to be a place for outcasts while they allow stuff like this. Words by Alma R.

continues to not care about women with Pro Life tent

Hi, I’m Bradley James Allen I’m a photographer / filmmaker from North Wales (Currently living in Germany).

behind the lens

I was watching a YouTube video one day that was made by a photographer called ‘Adam Elmakias’ and I got back into photography. Originally I photographed landscapes and people etc but after a two-year break I found my love in music photography. One of my first shoots in music photography was for a band called Climates that was at Corporation in Sheffield, from there they were happy with my photos’ so they asked me out on a few tours around the UK and very quickly into touring Europe which was amazing and awesome opportunity. My main set up for shows is a Canon 6D, 24105mm switching between that lens and a wide-angle 14mm lens. If I need to shoot sound at a show I will always use a Rode mic. A perfect set up would be a large stage, some smoke, nice white lights and some cool graphics, I didn’t shoot it but the recent BMTH stage set up looked perfect. When it comes to favorite bands to shoot, Letlive. has been top, apart from that I really enjoyed shooting Modern Life Is War recently. I find photography a good way to have fun and do what I feel is right. You also get a lot of down time and get to see really cool places for example I went swimming in a lake in Switzerland in August of last year, there was snow on the mountains but the water was warm enough to swim in. It was amazing! I like to shoot short films, I’m in the process of filming a bunch of different short films about different people’s stories that will be out soon. I’m totally stoked on that. Apart from that, I’ve shot a few weddings but that’s really hard and pressured work.

bradley james allen I want to be touring all the time, in different countries like America, Japan, Australia, that would be really cool! I have, to name a few tours I’ve been on, Blood Youth, Vanna, Trash Boat, Chunk! No Captain Chunk! and WSTR. It was good, you capture a lot more happiness on tours and you experience a lot more low points. People being a little depressed, people losing people whilst out on tour and so on. You learn to become a person who wants to either help people or just be there for them. You get to see a lot more of the people you tour with, like when they are at their lowest point in the day and not their usual self. In a way that’s how you become really good life long friends with people. Most people I’ve toured with I’m really good friends with, purely because we have been trapped in a van for five hours together. I don’t think you can ever have a bond with someone unless you have done that and toured with someone.

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Words and photos by Bradley James Allen

Celebrating their 10th year annive Trees festival in the lovely countr probably are over 2000 Trees. Here there, and if you were hopefully y 24

Photo by: Isha Shah

ersary, we spend our first year at 2000 ryside of Gloucestershire, where there eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who you missed out on if you werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you can re live some amazing moments. 25

THURSDAY milk teeth- 9/10 Milk Teeth have been slaying not just the UK, but Europe and the US by storm this year. Jumping on some outrageous tours with Turnover, Pianos Become The Teeth, Citizen and now announced to support Thrice, is there anything the Stroud punk band can’t concur? Playing a very very early set on the Thursday of Trees, the guys summoned every single body to The Cave, awaiting their much-anticipated set yet. Certainly winners of the best hair flicks, the band danced around the stage with such grace and balance to each song, causing the barriers to shake as the crowd followed. From playing at a smaller stage last year, the band have proven their growth as band, with a loud and interacting set. Words by Isha Shah

the xcerts- 8/10 Scottish rock band The Xcerts received a headliner reaction at 2000 Trees this year, leaving the trio speechless and mesmerised by the support and applause they received from the crowd. The band opened with, ‘Live like This’ the second track from their last album: There Is Only You, which was released in June 2014. As well as playing some of their older songs, the band also showcased a new song, ‘We Are Gonna Live’ which without a doubt received a positive reaction from fans. Frontman and vocalist Murray Macleod became overwhelmed at how the entire crowd sang back their lyrics in perfect unison. In addition to playing The Cave stage on the Thursday, the band also played an acoustic set in the Forest. Although it wasn’t the full line-up (just Murray and Jordan) the reaction and turnout was not affected. As well as playing their own songs, the band also played a beautiful acoustic cover of ‘Sowing Season’ by emo forefathers Brand New, and well as a cover of ‘The Drug’ by Weatherbox. The set ended with Macleod joining the forest crowd for Aberdeen 1987 which not only emphasised the beauty of the song, but really showcased the talent the band has.

frank turner- 7/10 In his own words “the not-so-secret” special guest overfilled the Axiom Stage on the Thursday. Prior to headlining the Thursday of the festival, Frank Turner also did a meet and greet and signing at the merch stall. Opening show with Eulogy, Frank had already managed to get the overfilled Axiom tent singing to their hearts content. No doubt that show 1922 went down a hit. The atmosphere during the set was pretty much electric, considering that Mr Turner even has a camp named after him at this festival. Frank later on Instagram also commented on how 2000 Trees was the “Best Festival in the World.” The second song during his set was ‘Peggy Sang the Blues’ which not surprisingly got a great sing-a-long and reaction. The entire crowd was singing and dancing along to Frank and his guitar, who was very much anticipated. Ending the set with ‘Get Better’ from 2015 album Positive Songs for Negative People, which received positive reviews from music critics, being the perfect closing song to his set. Words by Dehbia Saber

26 Photo by: Isha Shah

frank turner

milk teeth

the bronx

the xcerts

FRIDAY happy accidents

dinosaur pileup

the magic gang

muncie girls

Photo by: Isha Shah

Happy Accidents - 8/10 There is no better UK camping festival than 2000 Trees, offering some very small and new UK bands the chance to play their banger hitting music to a larger audience. Happy Accident’s are one of the lucky lot who are making us proud to be British. Playing a short set at the tiny Croft stage, the three-piece from London begin to bash out their latest creation, You Might be Right. Despite the small length of their stage, the trio attract an audience big enough to pack out the tent, leaving some to listen to stand on the outskirts, still gleaming with joy as the sun shines down at Trees.

Thrill Collins - 9/10 There’s something about late night entertainment that manages to bring everybody together regardless of how ridiculous it is. So after an afternoon and evening featuring the likes of Milk Teeth, Black Peaks and The Bronx what better to dance away the night to than covers band, Thrill Collins, in the main bar? The three-piece play guilty pleasures in a folk style like you’ve never heard before, whether it’s Will Smith’s ‘Fresh Prince’, Backstreet Boys’ ‘Everybody’ or ‘The Time Of My Life’ from Dirty Dancing, there’s not a still member of the crowd in sight. The only time disappointment sets in is with the realisation that Thrill Collins aren’t playing all three nights at the festival bar, but if you weren’t already in the festival spirit, everybody sure is now.

Crooks - 5/10 For so early in the afternoon, Crooks have drawn a fair sized crowd for their main stage slot but unfortunately something about their ambient rock doesn’t quite translate out into the field. It’s hard to tell what it is that isn’t working for Crooks, whether it’s the stage’s shoddy sound which doesn’t improve much throughout the day, or that their songs just aren’t built for this environment. It’s a shame as all five band members are visibly putting their all into their performance but what we receive sonically just doesn’t match up.

Mallory Knox - 7/10 Mallory Knox’s appearance across this year’s festivals is a peculiar one with no new material since the release of their second album in late 2014. Despite this, having so many catchy choruses made for big sing-alongs works incredibly in their favour throughout the summer months. The likes of ‘When Are We Waking Up’, ‘Shout At The Moon’ and ‘Lighthouse’ receive a massive reaction in terms of crowd participation, but sadly it is all a performance that we’ve seen before. Without bringing anything fresh to the table Mallory Knox’s set feels a little tedious despite the five-piece sounding as tight as ever.

TRASH BOAT- 9/10 It’s pretty hard to get a bad performance out of these guys, and with the their first ever full length released days before 2000 Trees, Trash Boat are just about to step up their jump game. From the very first moment that vocalist Tobi Duncan enters the The Cave stage, is the moment that the crowd greets him with screams and finger pointing excitingly. Showcasing their proudest music yet to a live festival audience goes down so well, that bodies are hurdling themselves over the barrier, in attempt to grab the microphone off Duncan. Watching this band grow over the past three years, and seeing them tear up their set at 2000 Trees is such a delight. So early on in the day, Trash Boat are prov worthy to tame wild festival crowds.

Twin Atlantic - 8/10 2000 Trees is the first festival Twin Atlantic have headlined outside of Scotland and after an hour and fifteen minutes it’s hard to question what took them so long. Weighing in slightly heavier on their second album Free, the Scottish four-piece perform a really eclectic mix of all of their material ranging from early single, ‘What Is Light? Where Is Laughter’. The live debut of new track ‘Ex El’ taken from their forthcoming album, keeping casual fans entertained and die-hards extremely excited. Bringing on The Xcert’s Murray Macleod for their performance of ‘Free’ there is a real sense of pride watching a great British band headline a festival of this size. Closing with, ‘Heart and Soul’ Twin Atlantic give their massive crowd the night’s final sing-along and with that, day two is all too quickly over. Words by Natalie Webb and Isha Shah

dinosaur pile-up 9/10 Normally UK festivals try to snag bands overseas, but not 2000 Trees. They celebrate the best of the UK, and with that celebration, they pull in Leeds’ very own, Dinosaur Pile-Up. Already packing out The Cave, the trio own the stage like it were their own, blasting their catchy music that makes heads bob along the barrier to. For a band that has been around for a while with not much of a following, the three-piece have finally made their stamp in the UK scene, currently supporting Basement on tour. The band deliver to every desire, with bold funky rhythms, dancing party riffs and vocals that get you singing along to every word.

Muncie Girls - 8/10 Muncie Girls were understandably nervous prior to their early evening Friday slot going up against Neck Deep over on the main stage, but frontwoman Lande Hekt’s earlier solo acoustic performance should have hinted that they had nothing to worry about. Opening with fan favourite ‘Respect’, it’s clear why the trio are one of the most talked about rising bands at the moment, with catchy choruses, fun guitar lines and much deeper themes to a lot of their songs. Hekt is so humble throughout and by the time final song ‘Gas Mark 4’ rolls around she’s thanked the audience a thousand times more than anyone else during a thirty-minute set this weekend. A likeable band with great songs and a positive message, what more could you ask for?

The magic gang - 7/10 Maybe Trees wasn’t the right festival for Brighton’s four-piece music for ‘body, mind, spirit and soul’, but the crowd stood so idly, it was almost as if they were waiting for a band set to kick in. No disrespect to the band, as musically they were slaying every note. With the silent reaction from the crowd, The Magic Gang gave The Axiom stage a weird presence. However the quartet played a solid set filled with soft and transcending tunes that put you in the right frame of mind for Basement, who were playing next.

Basement- 7/10 Crowd surfers and boozy sing-a-longs are probably not what you’d expect from British emo band Basement, but it certainly was what you got this year at 2000 Trees. The band played the Friday of the festival, alongside their UK tour with Dinosaur Pile Up, who were also on the bill this year. Opening with ‘Aqua Sun’, one of the tracks from their latest album Promise Everything, the band had already riled up the crowd full of excited fans. In addition to playing tracks from the latest album, the band also played many of their older songs from before their hiatus in 2012. Songs such as ‘Bad Apple’ and ‘Pine’ were played, giving the audience a sense of nostalgia and bearing them witness to how the band have grown. Overall Basement’s set this year at 2000 Trees was beyond great, enabling the crowd to dance, mosh and even shed a tear or two, in true emo fashion. Words by Natalie Webb, Dehbia Saber, and Isha Shah

30 Photo by: Isha Shah

SATURDAY Blackhole - 6/10 It’s tough opening up a stage on the third day of any festival. Everybody’s hungover, and chances are most punters have lost their festival programmes by now. Blackhole combat all of this by allowing frontman Richard Carter to run amok in the crowd for the majority of their set. Musically, the five piece’s performance isn’t outstanding but for the first band of the day, they’re entertaining enough. Playing tracks from their 2009 album Don’t Cry as well as their self-titled EP released last year, Blackhole’s erratic hardcore certainly gives the tent the wake up call it needed.

Tigercub- 9/10 Playing a stage way to small for their audience, Tigercub cause absolute chaos, so much so that they were called back for an encore. Brighton based, the trio let out way more than their appearance let on. Fun loving rock music took a hold of The Croft stage this Saturday. The band’s lack of speech was made up by the audience who had already decided their whole set list before the band could play the next song. The atmosphere and communication felt united, as the facial expressions of the three members on the stage told you everything you needed to know, everyone had a great time.

puppy- 7/10 New to The Axiom stage are London’s heavy metal newbies. With only two EPs released, the trio took the audience by storm with their cleverly crafted metal music that doesn’t fall under the generic modernism we call ‘heavy metal’. One of the great offerings this festival has is pulling crowds towards bands who people have never even heard of.

heck- 9/10 Can you really give Heck anything below an 8? It doesn’t seem to matter what show, what city, what crowd, Heck without a doubt will fuck shit up. Playing main stage at Trees was certainly a massive step up for the four fearless men. Taking up this challenge once again, Jonny Hall and Matt Reynolds get stuck in right in the middle of the field. It’s quite hilarious seeing these guys try and do their thing when all they have is grass and mud for another ten feet, but given a blank room and they will still manage to thrive. Trees were no exception as they started several mosh pits which Hall shredding in, wall of deaths, which Reynolds christened, and a hell of a noise that it could be heard from camp Turner.

While She Sleeps 9/10 The weekend’s final tent headliner is While She Sleeps and although it has been a long road for them to get where they are tonight, they are a band that were built for this. Watching the metalcore five-piece is something so powerful and the precision of which they play songs new and old is ever impressive. And if at any point you start to lose focus, a circle pit spanning the entire tent will very quickly grab back your attention. It feels as though everyone here is part of a cult, hanging on frontman Loz Taylor’s every word, following whatever orders he shouts out. The most commanding moments are during the big singles ‘This Is The Six’, ‘Seven Hills’ and closer ‘Four Walls’ when every single member of the audience is screaming along and it’s something absolutely incredible to watch. Putting in performances like this, it won’t be long until While She Sleeps are main stage headliners of festivals this size. Words by Isha Shah and Natalie Webb

Photo by: Isha Shah

terrible love

zoax

puppy

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Photo by: Isha Shah

grumbe bee

The Lafontaines- 7/10 Bringing a cool fresh and bouncy presence to the stage, and forcing a crowd which started off small during their early afternoon set to double in size, The Lafontaines are at home, playing a festival like 2000 Trees. They showcase classics like ‘Slow Elvis’, ‘Under the storm’, ‘Junior Dragon’ and ending on ‘Shark In The Water’. Songs that are just infectious, makes everyone have a dance. But mid-set, when Kerr’s mic is cut off. Things got a bit serious. “WE, THE SCOTTISH WILL NOT BE SILENCED.” Followed by chants, punches in the air of “FREEDOM” from the crowd. Throughout the rest of their set this carries on and even a match of tennis occurs between Kerr and a member of the crowd. Leaving everyone with a spring in their step and a great start to the afternoon.

zoax- 9/10

ash

Zoax stormed into the packed out Cave, with frontman Adam Carrol not staying on stage for long, he jumps off. The crowd parts for him immediately, grasping everyone’s attention and with the majority of the crowd following him outside, he interacts with those sat outside and wandering past - getting a bottle of whisky and almost causing a girl to drop her pizza. Carrol, once in the tent interacts with most of the crowd - one by one. Until returning to the stage and beautifully ending their set with ‘The Wave and Devil Dance’, getting the entire crowd to dance and leaving everyone wanting more.

Refused - 8/10

while she sleeps

The recently reformed Refused come on stage, to close the festival with a packed out crowd. With pit after pit and crowd surfers galore, even a gazebo got involved - ending in a tug of war between the crowd and security. Refused command you to be alive and go absolutely wild during their performance and everyone did just that. Throughout the performance the band address their hiatus and how for a very long time they didn’t want to get back together but music is worth more than life or death. Before bringing up the lack of female musicians at the festival and festivals in general, an important point which left everyone in the crowd walking away talking about it, Refused ended with ‘New Noise’, an absolute banger. Everyone comes into friendly pit to close the night with. Words by Catherine Roberts

while she sleeps

blood youth

happy accidents You were one of the first bands to play at 2000 Trees today, how was that? PC: It was really good. We’ve been saying that it was so much busier than we expected it to be. I was quite overwhelmed by it, in a good way. I was just looking up at the ceiling pretending [the audience] weren’t there. Do you get nervous when there’s a big crowd? PC: A little bit, I mean, I actually don’t think I was as nervous as I’ve been for some shows for some reason, it just hits me at random times. I feel like I was concentrating more and then making it feel a bit weird. NM: Yeah, it was the first time we’ve ever done anything like this. I was nervous this morning but thought I’m just gonna embrace it ‘cause this is something completely new and it should be fun. Would you have come to 2000 Trees if you weren’t playing? PC: Rich (Mandell, guitar/vocals) has come before, and maybe, because there’s so many bands that I like here. I’ve heard such good things, so yeah, potentially. I may have only just come for the Saturday though because leave is such an annoying thing because we all work full time. I guess we’re trying to use leave just to play shows but I don’t know. NM: It’s been very nice so far; I mean we only set up this morning. I would have liked to do the whole weekend. Yesterday would have been cool because The Bronx are playing but it’s been nice so far so yeah. Have you got any more festivals coming up? NM: Yeah, we’re playing Truck festival next weekend. That should be really cool actually. PC: I’ve been to that one before. They’ve got this giant Truck monster, so someone sits in this giant outfit of this furry monster thing; they’re just wandering around all day. I’m sure they swap people, I’d hope! I went in 2012 and I really liked it. I can’t believe I’m playing it! NM: Yeah, Truck’s the one that everyone’s been like “Oh you’re playing Truck!” and Phoebe speaks really highly about it. I don’t really know anything about it to be honest but it should be fun. Your debut album came out last week! What’s the reaction been like? NM: This is actually our first show since the album came out so apart from seeing friends and going “oh the album’s finally out, it’s really cool”. We haven’t kind of been out in the big wide world. PC: It’s kind of a relief. We’ve been sitting on it a little bit and it seems like good timing, I think it’s quite nice to have it out in the summer. It’s gone down really well, I’m quite happy with the general feedback. NM: There have been nice reviews and it’s been cool to read other people talking about it. PC: And some people hit the nail on the head, talking about what they interpreted the album as and it’s like “yeah that’s exactly what we meant!” It’s interesting to get a few varying opinions online on how they’ve interpreted it so it’s kind of fun just putting this thing that you did with your friends out there and let it roam. Phoebe, we couldn’t help but notice a reoccurring mode of transport throughout the visuals released around your album. Please could you tell us about the scooter that features in your music video for ‘Running’ and on your album cover? PC: I found it in a dump actually; I rescued it. I work in ecology and I was on site doing a survey one day and it happened to be a fairly derelict building site but there was also a little depot. They collected all the scooters from the parks from the last few months and they piled them all up and I was like “Can I have one?” and they were like “They’re all pieces of shit, mate,

Photo by: Isha Shah Photo by: Isha Shah

A week on from the release of their debut album You Might Be Wrong we sat down with Happy Accidents’ bassist Neil Mandell and drummer Phoebe Cross for a chat about their whirlwind of a summer.

but you can try.” I had a little root through and I found one that I thought I could salvage and I was like “I’ll take this one, thanks!” And then for some reason it’s made it. NM: It’s hit the big time. Who knew that scooters could have such a dark history? PC: Just WD-40’d it up and gave it a bit of love, cleaned it up, it was fine! Maybe that could be my next thing, a bike and scooter repair rescue centre. NM: Rich designed the album artwork and it was actually a complete accident that we ended up going for it. Rich was like “Look at this picture of Phoebe, shall we just make that the album cover?” I was like, zoom it down a little bit and there it is. PC: I’m quite proud of the cover. You Might Be Wrong is out on Alcopop! Records, how did you get involved with them? NM: We did a single last year called ‘Rather Not Know’, it was just a one off and we heard that Jack from Alcopop! liked it and I don’t know if it was us that got in touch with him or the other way round, but we ended up meeting him and it was really cool.

PC: It felt right. He was like “I’d love to put out your album” because we’d already booked in to record it at that point. Which we paid for ourselves, we saved up for quite a while but he’s been so supportive of releasing it for us and helping us with the band. And they’ve got some great bands on their label, I’d heard of them way before so it was really cool. NM: I’m very happy, it’s been great working with them so far. It’s cool to be on the same roster as other cool bands and it’s been fun. When you formed Happy Accidents, the three of you were based in Southampton but now you’re based in London; do you feel that’s helped or been a hindrance? PC: When I used to be in Southampton I remember getting National Expresses all the time up to London, so on the whole it’s made it easier for us to all rehearse more regularly and gig easier. NM: I don’t know, it’s a weird one. There’s a massive difference between there and London. A lot of the shows would happen in one venue called The Joiners and that would be the focal point of, “right we’re gonna play a show, it’s gonna be at The Joiners”. Then, come

to London and it’s much more open and I suppose it has its advantages and its disadvantages. It’s cool that you really switch it up, so a show in East London could be a completely different crowd from one you’d get in South London, for instance. But I think it’s cool, I like that it has a lot more space, there’s obviously a lot more shows that happen there. Just in terms of even living in London there’s so many more gigs. PC: There are so many more gigs to go to. We went to The Tuts single release party the other day. It’s quite nice just to do that. There’s a load of good venues although there’s also still a lot that are closing. NM: Another thing about London is that if you’re gonna be playing shows elsewhere, travelling is slightly better. If you’re starting in Southampton and wanna go up north it’s just that extra couple of hours. PC: Although, the M25 can be a hellhole, everyone knows that. You’re heading out on a full UK tour at the end of this month. PC: Yeah, how many dates are we doing? A solid week, I feel like. I guess that’s gonna be the longest we’ve done in a row. NM: Usually we just do weekenders with friends and stuff, but obviously we released the album so it’s a great chance for us to play as many shows as we can. We’re doing two shows in Scotland; I’ve never been to Edinburgh before and it’s gonna be sick. I’m really looking forward to that. It’s cool that we get to do a longer run because we’re gonna do Brighton on the same week. PC: I must say, touring in general is such a good way to see UK cities. We do tend to go to the town centres if we haven’t been there before but to just see random aspects of the cities. You stay with people that just chill there and they show you around. What else are you guys up to for the rest of the year? NM: We’ve got July packed out and we’re doing a couple of weekenders later in the year. I really want to go back to Europe. PC: Yeah we’re thinking of going back to Europe. With our album we’ve got shows with The Spook School up in Scotland. We’re near to confirming some shows with The Tuts. We might be trying to arrange a weekender with Fresh who are a fairly new band. Finally, are there any bands that we might not have heard of that you think we should check out? PC: Colour Me Wednesday, and then Harriet from Colour Me Wednesday is also in a band called The Tuts whose album is coming out soon, they’re really good, I saw them live for the first time the other night. Doe, who you’ve probably heard of. Don’t Die! Really new band, we saw them play with Pale Kids, Molar and Dirty Girl in Brixton and they’re a really new band, some are from Doe and some are from Fresh and another girl, I don’t know if she’s been in bands before. NM: The Spills are playing this weekend. I’m a big fan of a band called Osteros, and Milk Crimes, they’re really great. PC: There’s a lot going on at the moment. I think it’s quite a vibrant scene. Interviewd by Natalie Webb

muncie girls You’ve had a pretty crazy year so far. LH: We have, we really have; it’s been absolutely wild. Even just in terms of festivals, you’ve played The Great Escape, Download, Groezrock, and Lande, you played a set at Glastonbury as well, how does 2000 Trees compare to those? LE: At the moment, I am literally loving 2000 Trees. I’m not just saying that, it’s just such a nice festival, it seems like the perfect size, not too big but also has a cool line-up and the vibe’s really chilled. LH: There’s definitely a real sense that any kind of stupid behaviour isn’t really cool. What’s cool is just to be nice to each other and go and watch all the bands and that’s amazing. Even at Groezrock, which is a punk rock festival, really that should be a given, but it’s so not. Loads of people there, obviously amazing people but there are still some complete prats. LE: It’s also been really not stressful, some festivals, no matter how good the show is, everything around it can be really chaotic. But this has just been like “come on in, park your van, you’re playing here, see you when you need to play.” And that’s nice. LH: Totally, you don’t spend half your day driving around aimlessly getting lost. Is this the kind of festival you’d come to if you weren’t playing? LE: I’m thinking of coming next year if we’re not playing here. LH: But you’re not even a festival type person? LE: I don’t even like festivals! If we weren’t playing a show tomorrow I would. Lande, your acoustic set earlier... LH: Today, did you see that?! It was crazy. Who were all those people? I really couldn’t believe it; I was like “that’s just insane”. I honestly thought it would be 20 or 30 people that would stumble across it and maybe a couple of people who I knew were coming anyway. But it was great; I really enjoyed it. I was really scared because it’s a scary thing to do. When you’re used to playing in a band, playing solo is quite nerve-wracking but a couple songs in I got into it. You recently supported Anti-Flag on a few dates around Europe, was it crazy being on tour with a band like that? LH: It was surreal for sure. LE: Surreal was the best word for it, I think. They were my favourite band when I was 15 until I was 18 or something. Even when I first heard that they’d heard our band I was like “what?!” I can’t imagine them listening to my band and then they were really into it and then they asked us to do shows with them! LH: It seemed like a universe shift. LE: But they were really cool, they were really nice. LH: There’s always a worry, like teenage heroes would be kind of assholes, so we were like “oh my God, what if they’re horrible?” and obviously they were just so nice. It was quite busy, those kinds of shows are. They had loads of interviews and stuff but we did have some time to hang out. Are venues like Camden Underworld somewhere you thought it would be cool to headline one day?

Photo by: Isha Shah

LH: Yeah, we played there with The Menzingers and Tigers Jaw a few years ago. That was a really big show for us and I remember thinking “God this is terrifying and what the hell are we doing here?!” I actually didn’t think we’d ever headline there, even now. Even when everyone was talking about where the London show should be, I was like “obviously not, guys, please I don’t wanna do that, it’s too much” and they were like “oh go on it’ll be great” but I still don’t feel like it’s right. We’ll play it and if it’s good I’ll eat my words but we probably maybe should have gone for somewhere smaller but you’ve just got to do it I suppose. It’s still so scary. LE: When we played that show with The Menzingers and Tigers Jaw, we played at half 8 and it was fairly busy and I was like “holy crap, this is insane playing the Underworld” and now headlining Underworld is like Lande said, it doesn’t feel like it’s gonna happen but if it does happen they’re gonna cancel it. LH: I still feel like nobody’s gonna buy tickets and it’s gonna get downgraded somewhere. You know, you just get this apprehension. LE: The thing is, with our last headline show in London we did The Lexington and when that was decided I was like “we can’t do Lexington!” Before, we’d played The Lexington with the Smith Street Band and it was sold out for them and I was like “we can’t do that, it’s not gonna happen.” So I guess at some point you’ve just gotta push yourselves and take a risk. LH: But each time there’s a step up it still doesn’t feel like it’s gonna happen. Then at what point do you accept reality and be like “it did happen!” But I still think that tour might be really difficult. SO WHEN IT COMES TO CREATIVITY AND MUSIC VIDEOS, THE ONE THAT STANDS OUT IS ‘YOU OR NOT’ DO YOU HAVE AN INPUT IN YOUR MUSIC VIDEOS? J: Yeah, a little too much I think. It’s a little hard narrowing down the narrative and stuff like that. We like to have an input in everything we do: music videos, artwork, and the songs obviously - we try and get as involved as possible. It’ll just get cooler though, in a few years time who knows where you’ll be headlining! LH: It’s hard to say how things will happen but for us it feels pretty fast, but that’s what we’ve always wanted. When I wanted to be in a band when I was young it was like “someone will see you and then you’ll suddenly be doing all these mad shows” and then we were in this band like that’s not real! You basically play awesome punk rock shows and that’s just brilliant but things happen slowly and steadily, and it’s safe and nice and it’s comfortable. But when our album came out it’s like “no, it is like I thought it would be!” Everything happens really fast and it’s cool. What’s life been like since the album release? LE: We haven’t stopped. LH: We haven’t been at home at all. We’ve just been on tour. We’re basically living in our family and friend’s living rooms. I mean we’ve been doing that for a long time but this is just very intense. LE: I think it was really daunting at first when we started these tours in March. I remember before one of those shows we wrote down a calendar of all of the shows we have this year and we were like what are we doing? LH: I remember that, we had a have a moment away from each other like “oh my god is this really what our year looks like? Are we gonna live through all this driving? Are we gonna lose where

Muncie Girls might just be the most modest and humble band on the planet. We sat down with front woman Lande Hekt and drummer Luke Ellis at 2000 Trees to hear about how insane 2016 has been for them so far and what more the three-piece have to come. 41

we live, our home?” It was really scary. I remember thinking this can’t be happening, but now we’re halfway through. LE: And then when you do it, you just get used to it. You forget what normal life is like and then this is just normal, so it’s cool. We wanted to chat about one song on your album in particular, ‘Respect’. Lande, could you tell us what that song is about? LH: Yeah sure, to be honest, I’ve never really found proper words to say, I’ve always wanted to talk about that song on stage but when I played Glastonbury the whole vibe was to talk about the songs. So, I decided to actually write what it’s about and when I’d written it I sort of tried to remember it on stage. Basically it’s about the rise in lad culture and more specifically rape culture. Actually, the song is about how I felt when I started reading and finding out about this. There’s this book ‘Everyday Sexism’ by Laura Bates and I actually saw her doing a talk at the University in my hometown. It was amazing but it was really depressing. Obviously this problem is rife in all areas of society but she was talking specifically about universities because that was what was relevant and actually for my age group, that is what’s relevant. She was talking about groups of young guys, whether they would necessarily have those views, which I don’t think they would if they were on their own, but they’re spurred on by their peers. It’s like being in school, you don’t want to be the one to point out bad behaviour because you don’t want it to turn around on you and you don’t want to get called a pussy or whatever so you kind of go along with it, but the horrible reality is they set actual challenges to sleep with girls and set a point system. So this point system, she showed loads of examples and some of them were like “ten points to sleep with a fresher”, “fifty points if she’s a virgin and one hundred points if she’s not asking for it, or if she says no” and it openly used words like “rape”. And they actually all, as a collective group, encourage each other to take part in this, whether it’s to justify their own behaviour, I don’t know. The song is half bring this to conversation and make people aware of it but also just asking guys “is that really what you wanna do?” It can’t be, it literally can’t be. There’s certain parts of life where you realise that’s not right but the fact is there are a lot of things people do when they’re in a group of people and when you’re getting egged on to do it or they feel scared to speak up or stand up about it. A lot with girls as well, they’ll go along with it because they don’t wanna be the one girl that doesn’t. It’s like, join in with the joke otherwise you’re gonna get laughed at, so it’s that sort of thing. I could talk about that for hours but that’s what that whole song is about. I had to write that because I got so upset at the time and I’m not sure if I captured all of my feelings on it but that’s what the whole song was. Is it good to see other bands in this scene talking about similar issues? LH: Definitely, I think it’s cool. It’s good that people are speaking up about issues that either directly affect them or upset them, and things that really aren’t spoken about. If you try and bring that sort of shit up at university it’ll get so laughed at or forgotten, so it’s really important when people do have a platform with a social responsibility, or just an opportunity, to talk about stuff. If you’re just one person in a group of people you’re a real minority if you’re thinking that way. If people are listening to you because they wanna hear your music and you wanna say something like that, there’s no way they’re gonna say anything back to you because they’ll be outnumbered. Do you think Muncie Girls inspire other bands and other people around you to do the same thing? LH: I think so, but I don’t know. How would we know? LE: It’s really hard to know when you’re playing in the band what influence it can have on anyone. If you asked us, we wouldn’t

Photo by: Isha Shah

think we did but then I was chatting to someone earlier and we were having the same conversation where she was like “I think your band has had an influence on helping younger girls join bands and that sort of thing”. When you’re in it, it’s impossible to know if it is making any sort of impact. But if just someone hearing our record and having one thought about it, thinking “oh I didn’t think about that before, that’s kind of brought it to light” then anything’s good, anything’s better than nothing. LH: You can’t think of it that way either because it’s too overwhelming. That would be my absolute dream, to have an influence on people politically or just giving people confidence or whatever, but there’s no way I’d ever think that. Other than relentlessly touring, what else do you have planned for the rest of the year? LE: Basically relentlessly touring. We’re working on new songs but because we’re touring so much we try and fit time in to record but we have like four days off in between tours at the moment. That’s enough time to sleep and wash your clothes, you know? We’ve got September off but everything else is just full of tours until December so we’re just doing that really. Finally, are there any bands that you think we should check out that we might not have heard of? LH: There’s a band called Shit Present that I think are great. LE: Personal Best are a good band. LH: Doe. There’s a band called Molar, which are great. A band called Dirty Girl, equally great. There are so many good bands at the moment. There’s a good band from Exeter where we’re from called The Cut Ups, they’re really really good, you should check them out. LE: There’s so many! LH: Colour Me Wednesday. Martha, you must have heard of Martha? They’re good. Yeah, there’s so much good music and it’s so exciting. Interviewd by Natalie Webb

behind the lens

jack hopki My name is Jack Hopkins, I’m a 21 year old lad from Swansea. Now I live in Cardiff and have been for four years. I was firstly interested in how music videos were made, I was watching local bands videos and came across a company called Burning Chariot, mostly known for their work with Cardiff band Continents. I had travelled to Ghostfest in Leeds in 2011/2012 and met with the owner, Ben. I stated how interested I was in how Ben makes the videos look so cool. At the time I was 18 and currently working a full time job in Admiral. I asked how I could get involved; as it’s definitely something I wanted to start doing. I ended up buying my first DSLR, watched loads of tutorials online about shooting on location, at a concert and the post-production process. I helped him out on a shoot with When We Were Wolves, and within a month I was living with him in Cardiff and part of the Burning Chariot team, just like we are today. We specialise in post-production, visual effects and motion graphics. We’ve worked with some amazing bands such as Bleed from Within, Liferuiner, Continents, Carcer City, Odessa and many more. In terms of photography, along side my Burning Chariot work I started JXH Photography, initially to help learn the basics of how a DSLR works and advance my ability during shoot days. Within 6 months I had a full page feature in Rocksound with my good friends Hundredth, to see one of my photos in a mag available all across the country was massive to me as a 19 year old. Another big accomplishment of mine was Funeral For a Friend used one of my images as an album cover for their Hours - Live at Islington Academy. A band that I was a massive fan of growing up and it was brilliant to see them use it across all formats of Vinyl, CD and online use.

series f/4 lens. My flashgun is fairly basic but does the job really well; I’ve used some amazing cameras for videography such as the FS700, FS7 and Black Magic Cinema Camera, all which I am a fan of. A creative lighting rig is perfect; one of my biggest pet hates is constant red/blue lighting. It’s really difficult to fit the vibe of the band when very basic lighting is being used. I always try to portray the image of the band through my photography, so I try to keep my complaints at a minimum as most of their show is down to their decisions and the message they are putting across through their music. I want to help all bands get their message across and get people to see their talents in any way I can. I love the idea of capturing one single second of a whole set, but that one image could speak a thousand words. I only usually take any sort of images when I’m working. It’s strange because if I attend a show as an audience member, my phone doesn’t leave my pocket once and I just take in all aspects of the show there and then. I tour a lot with bands, I love creating tour diaries and being able to create a video with a story behind a bands travels. With Burning Chariot we still make music videos and lyric videos, so our creativity is never limited or capped, and with the diversity and the span of videos I get to be involved with, I feel very lucky. I would be lying to say I had a final goal. I take each job and opportunity as they come and treat them like it would be my last.

I now also shoot a lot for clothing lines, and most of that being Who Clothing, I currently have 3 available lookbooks for them so I love doing clothing lookbooks when the chance comes.

I’ve been on the road with mainly This Concept, a Cardiff based melodic hardcore band, and also some of my best friends but they took me out on both their EU tours, and both UK tours in the past two years. I’ve also done some travelling with Continents. I am currently prepping to head out on another EU run at the end of April with Lock and Key on their headline Peaceless across Europe. Which I am dead excited for!

I currently own a Canon 5d mark ii with a 17-40 L

Words by Jack Hopkins

ins BUCKETLIST BANDS: Metallica, City and Colour, Alexisonfire AND Underoath.

why we Whether you follow him on Twitter, listens to his music, or try to @ him, by now you should know who the three letters that spell JME are. With a super DIY ethically filled twitter bio, the 31 year old Grime MC, Producer and DJ is one with his tweets, sharing his every updates to the world, 140 characters at a time. Starting out by making his home crafted ringtones with Mario Paint on a Nokia, James Joseph Adenuga was a master for using technology to his advantage. But the reasons to love the Tottenham comedian aren’t solely based on his year 8 Cubase skills. JME proves to us that working hard to sustain yourself and claiming to be fully DIY is achievable, and most importantly realistic. It shouldn’t really be a shock to any of us that a child who lived in a council house, has grown up to be one of the most respected member within the general public, let alone the grime community. You don’t have to know every single fact about JME to understand and appreciate his existence, but by scrolling through his Twitter feed, you can learn a hell of a lot more than the basics facts on Wikipedia. Sure his music is pretty fucking great, but the real quality, which JME has mastered, is to just be himself. It must sound so simple and easy right? But when put on a pedestal whether you wanted to be there or not, it’s hard to act on and do certain things that are seen as bad for ‘role models’. Acting real and connecting with his ‘fans’ is something he keeps updated with, despite the fact he follows 0 people, man his timeline must be really dead. JME is often associated with members of BBK and the original grime scene as well as KSI, the artist has started up his own mobile company using Pas As You Go, called ‘Boy Better Know Mobile’. Now if that’s not impressive I don’t really know what is. His chilled out and humorous spin on life’s unfortunate events can pull anyone out the dark corners of your bedroom, as he takes nothing for granted and celebrates the gloomy side of the passing days. Much alike our beloved Snapchat king, DJ Khaled, JME is arguably the ruler of Twitter, now that the new Pokemon Go app is out, his lifelong ambition to catch be a Pokemon master is currently being fulfilled. Words by Isha Shah

love

J ME

youth

Being the loudest band is a little bit overated, bu their latest live creation, Wax will be heard 48

Photo by Elmore

h man

ut Youth Man are most certainly the noisiest. With for miles, not matter how loud the volume is. 49

“You need to be

able to be a little party with your body.”

Photo by: Elmore

With the trio being on their 3rd EP now and the media keeping us in the loop with Youth Man’s latest creation, Wax, the hype has never been more real. For a band who has countlessly claimed to be ‘loud’, the three-piece have just released their LOUDEST material yet. “I think the EP thing is just a matter of attention span,” Marcus Perks begins. “We like to write stuff and then record it soon as. We tend to write songs in groups. We’ll go through a phase of creativity and then record them all at once. We’ve never really sat in one place writing long enough to write an album. Thinking from more of a logical perspective and being a bit topical as well, there’s not that many people that have that much of an attention span for an album. People like to quickly pick something up and mess with it for a second, then put it back down again.” The band are doing something pretty organic, with no plans and full room for spontaneity, there are no limits as to what the band are going to come out with. Labelling Youth Man as ‘Loud’ has become a reoccurring pattern with online press, but how loud is Wax? “It depends on how loud you play it,” Perks laughs. “It’s definitely the noisiest, so it’s potentially the loudest. I think noisy is a better descriptive word.” If you’ve ever seen the band preform live then you will undoubtedly understand why the EP was recorded in front of a live audience. “We recorded it live specifically with the intention of reflecting our live show,” vocalist Kayla Whyte explains. Not only was it live, it was in a room with friends and family, complete with food and drink, like a real punk party.

“We set up a small party and recorded it. So much so that there’s a little bit on the record between two tracks where there’s a guitar being played, I assumed instantly it’s Kayla and Kayla assumed it was me but we’ve come to the conclusion it’s not either of us, so we think it’s Sam who was there generally taking photos and hanging around,” Perks says. With a band so unexpected as Youth Man, putting a large budget in their hands can only scream for endless explosions of excitement. Before Perks gets a bit too excited with the idea of having space ships and a rollercoaster in the set of one of their shows, he settles down with another drummer and just to get stunt doubles. “I reckon I’d like to pay the queen to come to the show. I’d pay Jeremy Corbyn to come too, Lennie Henry, Sean Bean. What we’re getting at is, I don’t think for the shows we’re rehearsed... It sort of just happens. So if we got paid or asked to make it more elaborate, I’m not sure it would translate in the same way as it does. If we had dance moves, you’d only come see us once. This is a thing where it’s like ‘smoke machines, big lights, yeah!’ But I feel like, if you need to put those in your show, how engaging is your show without that stuff? You need to be able to be a little party with your body.” The band have just wrapped up a UK headline July tour, including venues as big as Camden’s Roundhouse. Playing part of a festival weekender held at Camden’s biggest venue, art and poetry are also a part of Youth Man’s rota apart from the

show. “It’s a nice experience to play festivals and then play little tiny basement shows while you’re in a position where you can do all of that you’ve got the best of all. For me it’s exciting playing Ramsgate one night, then we go and play The Roundhouse and then the day after we’re playing the Crawford Arms. While it’s possible for us to play all different types of shows on the same tour, I think it makes for a more interesting tour from our point of view. Because we’re not just going to the same kind of places everyday,” Perks tells us. Touring for up-and-coming bands is something far more important than just putting out music, it allows people to intimately engage, and see for themselves who they’re listening to. It also can be a great way of slinging some merch and earning extra cash, but with recent events and the EU referendum things are changing for the worst. “I’m really sad that people don’t seem to understand, it’s paid work as well. We are knocked about for playing in a band but there are serious financial implications. With the EU referendum ending how it did, things are going to change for us and it’s quite scary to be in the dark and just not know the certainty of our future touring plans,” Whyte says. The band then go on to tells us the more in depth affects of the EU, and it’s not just bands who are at the forefront. “You have to also

Photo by: Elmore

think about not just the bands because for us, we all have jobs and it’s good that going to Europe and stuff doesn’t pay us much money so we can go over there, but we have a driver and stuff, and that’s his job, he’s a tour manager and he does that for bands all over the world. It’s those kind of people who are British who might not be able to get the same kind of work because bands in Europe might use somebody who doesn’t have to have all the extra paperwork, and stuff that might happen, from my experience of outside the EU countries. Those guys, their career’s are almost on the line. They’re the guys behind the scenes who deal with all the stuff you don’t get to see, no one really thinks about that. People ask the bands more what they think. I think as a musician it’s awful and like I said it’s going to be very difficult, but I think there’s a worse thing about it, it shows the disillusion and the lack of engagement between the government, the political classes and the working classes because I’m of the opinion that the reason that it happened is because people saw it as a way to rebel against the government by just saying ‘no’ to something they were proposing without actually understanding it... The amount of regrets they now have, just goes to show that even more, and that’s awful. You’ve got people who don’t feel like they can vote in a general election because they don’t get it because they’re all the same but then they feel like they can pull a country

“We recorded the

ep live specifically with the intention

of reflecting a live show.”

out of a very stable union, basically because it was kind of suggested to them as something where they could actually rebel against the government for a sec, it’s awful. People are making the direct connection between being in the EU and immigration, when it’s not, it’s really scary, and people are using it as a way of judging people’s intellect... I think personally, I felt bad after the general election, and I felt the same after this, because I keep myself in a bubble with my friends and my job and on social networking and, I always think that everyone thinks how I think, but this has opened up this side of social media that I haven’t seen in a long time. I kind of don’t agree with everyone saying ‘Oh, everyone should just get on a bit, and not actually moan at each other’ because I think it’s good to actually have a conversation. But what it has done, is it’s made people who aren’t directly my friends, who are commenting on other people’s stuff, that I can see, it’s made them say racially motivated stuff that I don’t think they would have said or felt they could have gotten away with.” Following from what Perks has said, there has certainly been a lot more hate and violent occurrences happening in the world, especially in London. They are taking the headlines by storm and people are being outwardly racist, rather than trying to hide it. “I’m worried, I’m legitimately scared that we have just tripped ourselves back in to the sixties, and I don’t want to worry, I don’t want to feel like anyone I know might be getting chased home. But that seems like it could be a distinct possibility at some point. Seeing people round the corner from me, and videos of

people in Solihull and stuff... there was this anti-immigration march and a load of guys decided to spend their Saturday standing at the side of the road with a thing saying ‘Immigrants Out, bla bla bla...’ Calling Muslims rapists and all this, and it’s like fucking hell, that’s all in the city that I’m from. I mean there are people in the city where I live, who are judging people on that basis. Whereas before, I’d been lucky enough not to witness it so close to home, especially on social networks and stuff, you kind of make your own little world, but if it’s creeping in to my own little world that I’ve made and curate myself online, then there is a much much bigger problem, because it’s come out of nowhere, and all the stuff I’m not seeing... Just because I think it’s a relatively new thing that people are saying on the Internet, it’s not, because it seems like it’s getting in to everywhere now. It’s scary; it’s a very dark and scary thing. I don’t know what’s gonna happen and that’s terrifying.” The media is also to blame for the sheer ignorance, but social media is now by far the worst cause when it comes to rumours spreading and finding your ‘news’ source online, because anyone can make it up. “Social media is just littered with articles from various websites and outlets, and newspapers. Now going on to Facebook, I don’t need to buy The Guardian, because every headline of the day is on my newsfeed somewhere. The Internet, those publications are a part of social media and how we form our identity on social media,” Whyte adds. “I think what people don’t take in to account is that our government and every government is a corporate entity

and they are there to make money for themselves, it’s a business and they’re not going to tell you stuff that’s going to effect their trade. Of course, they’re not, and they’re probably the only corporate entity that doesn’t really have to, that can get away with it. In the same way now as people are starting to question the ethics of companies and things, you look at tax avoiding companies, Starbucks, Bing, and Google where we’re constantly criticising these companies. Now, slowly we’re starting to realise actually we can criticise the government as well. It’s a corporate machine and it’s all about promotion and it’s all about sustenance of themselves and keeping their control. So, of course they’re going to control the press, of course they’re going to try and control the minds of the people to look at other things, because no one’s looking at them. Nobody’s looking at the fact that you’ve got a woman at the moment who’s looking like she’s going to be the Prime Minister of the country, who’s husband is a major shareholder, if not a director of G4s Private Security Company, so it’s not a coincidence then, that she wants to invade on... Our freedom, and she wants to be able to hold people suspected of terrorism in custody for a longer amount of time without charging them. Of course, because it’s worth more money to have more people in jails, it’s all a corporate business.” interviewed

Photo by: Elmore

Isha

Shah

behind the lens

george ogle My name’s George Ogle and I’m a videographer, photographer and journalist based in South London. I didn’t even see a live performance until 2010 when Bon Jovi played the O2. I eventually left that college and started a diploma course in Film & TV Production, and putting together my love for filmmaking and passion for music lead me to the wonderful guys in City Of Ashes who gave me my first major video project to work on. Realising that Film & Photography can go hand in hand in a lot of situations I decided to start self-teaching myself various aspects of photography alongside my video work and that became something I started doing more seriously too. When it comes to my photography work I like to capture atmosphere. Whether that be through the crowd’s eyes or simply getting a good mix of stage lights and the energy of the band on stage, I want to get across the atmosphere and general feel of the night. I want people who were there to be able to say “this sums up how incredible of an experience this was for me” and for people who weren’t there to get an idea of a band’s live performance through just an image, if you can make a person understand a band’s ethos and presence through your work then that’s a win right there. I do live music videography and photography because it’s where I feel most comfortable. Music has always been a big thing for me, and growing up with an interest in film making and with the enjoyment of live shows throughout my teenage years it only made sense to want to put two and two together and go from there. Seeing a lot of other photographer’s and videographer’s work online also

helped to inspire me a lot, in particular Elliot Ingham’s tour diary content for As It Is & Roam, and Ian Coulson’s photography work for a plethora of bands I’d gone and seen, it looked like a lot of fun and I wanted to be a part of it! My current setup is a Canon 700D with an 18-55m f/3.5-5.6 kit lens and a Neewer flash gun. As someone that has to work on a very tight budget I believe in making the most of what you have available, it’s the photographer not the camera. I’m always looking to improve my craft and for ways to push myself that little bit further. Experience is experience no matter how big or small a project is, so I take every opportunity I can and hopefully that’ll lead me somewhere eventually. I’d like to be at a point where I could comfortably live on doing film and photography. Even if that means living in a dingy one bedroom flat in the back end of nowhere getting sustenance from nothing but instant noodles, if I could say I do this for a living and I do it because I love it, I’d be perfectly happy. I tour with my good friends in City Of Ashes a fair bit, and the overall experience is very different to that of shooting a one off show. You get to know the band on a personal level and it becomes more than just a shoot, you learn the way the band works and can use that knowledge on the next day to further improve your work. You’re always on your toes, doing a project like a tour diary which means you’ve got to be on the look out for interesting things to film and judge when and when not to start rolling. If you miss a special moment then it’s gone forever but capturing it is golden! Words and photos by George Ogle

v a l e s we have a little chat with vocalist chlo edwards of vales, london’s loudest meldoic hardcore band, who are making quite the nosise. Aesthetically with Vales, there seems to be a lot to do with nature catharsis in human anguish, where does that inspiration come from? Writing lyrics has always been a way to make sense of my own emotions. When we wrote Clarity, I was using animals and nature to reflect how wild our human nature is. I also spent my early childhood in rural Wales playing in woods and fields and the rest of my life in Cornwall roaming beaches. I very much walk around in constant curiosity of nature and in my head I’m making metaphors and connections between us and nature. I’ll even stop my mates and be like “that’s a nice tree” and they will look at me like I’ve lost it. Even in the record I’m writing now (not Vales) these themes have made their way into my writing, it’s who I am.

What’s the best/worst show you’ve played so far in your career? The best show was in Florida at a show that nobody (not even the sound guy) turned up too. So we all got super drunk and swapped bands (with My Iron Lung) we improvised their set and they improvised ours. Or my serious answer might be HRX because it was recent and the closest to a high school reunion I’ll ever get. Reading might have been the worst because it was at the top of my life bucket list and I lost my voice, I was so sad. I felt like I was letting down my band. There’s nothing quite like feeling really embarrassed on a really big stage.

As someone who studies creative writing what are your biggest influences both musically and in literature? Musically, probably You Fail Me By Converge has had a huge impact. Even now I can’t put it on without wanting to write lyrics. It brings my emotions to the surface. I normally try to avoid listening to it these days because I know it’s gonna make me face something I’d rather keep down haha. I love libraries, I walk into them and go into sections where I know nothing about, and pick out books. For instance right now I’m reading a book about the human brain which I don’t understand a lot of, but it’s still inspiring me. It’s never been writers who have inspired me, but I’m inspired by words/ terminologies or a philosophy I’d never considered will catch my attention and I’ll start researching it. Through researching stuff it embeds into my head or I’ll write stuff down. Then I normally start turning that research into words

Photo by: Hannah Bowns

that will make me feel better.

Given the very open and heartfelt style of your lyrics do you find comfort in the fact that fans can relate to you in some way? Writing these two records really pulled me through the darkest times in my life. They really did save me, so when others say your record pulled me through I’m like ditto. I can understand completely. The lyrics in ‘You Fail Me’ have sorted my head out.

What would you say is your biggest achievement as a musician so far? Just doing it. I look back and at the time we were kinda taking advantage of the fact that we had time to tour,(no full-time jobs) money to record,(because we were living at home) people who wanted to record us, people who booked us, people who invested their time and believed in us. Vales is currently not very active and I’ve been doing other musical things, but I’m 27 now, it’s harder finding the resources to do all the things that Vales did is difficult. Especially living in London and trying to survive.

What can we expect from Vales in the future? We’re currently not doing anything, but we have to leave it open, it’s such a big part of us that we would like to come back to it and write when it feels right to do so. Everything we have done has been very emotionally charged. It has been a literal response to our life situations. It doesn’t feel right just to write music just for the sake of it. Or for any expectation someone has. My focus has been writing an electronic album over the last year, Ben’s a successful journalist and it’s just not the right time to write another Vales record yet. We have written songs though that will come out when the time’s right. I never screamed because I wanted to be in a hardcore band, I screamed because it made me feel better doing it. Right now I don’t feel the need to scream, I’m enjoying singing and using my voice as an instrument in a experimental way, and that’s where I’m at. interviewed by Ashwin Bhandari

ALBUMs

moose 8.5/10 blush It’s safe to say Moose Blood don’t need to be introduced anymore. Some would even go as far as saying their first album I’ll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time has already achieved classic status in what is widely referred to as Emo Revival. A common fear after such a strong debut is sophomore slump, when the album that follows is underwhelming and disappointing, but Blush is anything but that. Moose Blood are ever growing, but they’re also growing up, and they do a wonderful job of showing it with this release. The album opens with ‘Pastel’, which mirrors previous album opener ‘Cherry’s famous “don’t believe in growing up” line with vocalist Eddy Brewerton stating he is in fact doing so, and he’s “in no rush to slow down”. Their critically acclaimed single ‘Honey’ follows suit and could have been the obvious opener choice with its catchy chorus which is just what you need to get into an album — but when have Moose Blood chosen the easy route? ‘Sulk’ is what they do best -a potential huge singalong, but with more focus on the instrumental part of

the song, with a special place for the drums, which are prevalent on this album and add just that special something to make you realise something’s going on. Blush overall is an aerial and ethereal album that could be compared to Turnover’s Peripheral Vision in the best of ways, and though it might have less huge catchy choruses, lovers of cheesy lines will still find what they’re looking for with tracks like ‘Cheek’ and ‘Freckle’. Blush is so cohesive as an album that the way it comes together could be the only thing their detractors could find to say : a lot of emo album songs have trouble standing on their own when removed from the album. But overall, it sees the band the band moving away from being just “that cheesy emo band” — which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing to begin with — to truly grow up, and who said it was too early for them to release a coming of age album? This is definitely a release you’ll see yourself spending time with this year — and it’s a grower, too. Words by Alma R.

blood

Hopeless Records august 5th 2016

Synergy Records august 26th 2016

mat

60 Photo by: Ryland Oehlers

kerekes 9/10 Luna & the Wild Blue Everything Kerkes has done it all when it comes to musical projects. Frontman of emo band Citizen, forming a groovy hardcore band, Power Wrench and finally producing bittersweet solo lullabies, the lone artist has decided to take a leap into a full length, pursuing the softer side of his tuneful desires. Acoustic solo projects are not new to Kerekes, as in 2012 he quietly released a few songs that left us yearning for more. Two years later a demo was put out on Spotify, quenching our thirst for another two years until now. It’s not common that you’ll find a full album from a project so small, and unpublicised. So when Luna & the Wild Blue Everything was announced to be released, two mind blowing songs were released and the hype was back on. ‘The Clubs: The People’s Attention’ opens up a whole new side of Kerekes that we had not quite seen before. The track is a small pocket of his current band’s noise, exhibiting bold vocals and great suspense built within the guitars- it’s a little bit more than just

a guy and a guitar. The build up and anticipation is slightly let down by ‘Direction’, a predictable call. Although Kerekes has picked up more than just a guitar, the track is thicker, with a pattering drumbeat and some ghostly guest vocals. No matter how prepared you thought you were, ‘My Lucky #3’ without a doubt will blow you away, and still leave you feeling winded. The intro sinks into a Modest Mouse, Good News For People Who Love Bad News vibe, yet still with twinkling of the overpowering acoustics. Released alongside, ‘The Clubs: The People’s Attention’, it’s clear that Kerekes was in a similar stray mindset. The track shows off the artist’s more daring and experimental side to his solo project, and the possibilities that follow are looking pretty bright. ‘In Every Inch, In Every Mile’, ‘Bosque Verde’ and ‘Riding in Your Car’, fall similarly to the demos. While ‘From None’ and ‘The Means Of ( )’ carry the musicians ‘coming of age’ title. Two tracks that lift the

record from just being another album filled with sad acoustic songs, Kerekes has made it feel like a one man band. ‘Canvas’ is a bold and courageous track that could easily be playing in the background of a film when the leading character is on a timelapse of growing up and accomplishing their dreams. The album is a little more than just a release of thoughts; it’s an open release for everyone to share. Kerekes has purposely decided to not be so direct in his lyrics, but allow the listener to interpret as they please. Despite the storybook artwork and title, Luna & the Wild Blue Everything is Kerekes first composed expression. Words by Isha Shah

vanna all hell

Vanna have been slowly building their name and reputation and look to propel themselves even further into the public eye with their Pure Noise Records release All Hell. The record kicks off exactly like the last and comes roaring out the traps with Davey Muise’s gravel throated delivery and angst ridden lyrics. ‘Paranoia Euphoria’ brings a more melodic vibe to Vanna’s arsenal and is immediately catchier than most of what came before it. First single ‘Pretty Grim’ continues on in rowdy fashion with devastating tempo changes and a touch of southern groove. ‘Flower’ and ‘Lead Balloon’ sees the riff take a back seat to allow for the more vulnerable side of Muise’s lyrics to come to the forefront. One of the things that sets Vanna apart from the rest is that the clean vocals still have a rough edge to them and don’t sound as crisp or whiney as others.

However what lets this album down is that its all been done before. There is nothing new here. The album drops off and loses momentum in the middle with the exception of ‘Reaping a Whirlwind’ , cutting through with bite and attitude in abundance. If you’re a fan of Vanna then All Hell is fine but if this is your first taste then we doubt this will keep you coming back.

Words by Joshua Clark

6/10

ttng Disappointment Island Oxford born math rock legends TTNG recently gifted unto us their latest full length Disappointment Island, their first release completely written by the current members. Given their stature and influence in the math rock genre, they have a lot to live up to, due to previous releases such as Animals being staple albums in math rock. Without a doubt though, Disappointment Island lives up to these expectations and more. Everything you would want and love in a math rock album is here. Impeccable instrumentation throughout mixed in with catchy hooks and choruses with Henry Tremain’s emotive vocals make for an audibly pleasing cocktail of math rock/pop that even those uninterested in math rock would enjoy. Whilst throughout most of the album TTNG stick to their signature sound without venturing too far away, the album shows a clear progression from previous releases such as 13.0.0.0.0. There are a lot more catchy hooks in this release and the songs feel more like they belong together. The song structure throughout this album is impeccable, whereas it faltered a bit in 13.0.0.0.0.

Photo by: Isha Shah

The consistency of this album is also more than worth a mention; there are no tracks on this LP that could be considered bad, or even not as good as the others. Every song is an enjoyable listen from start to finish on this LP, which is something a lot of bands fail to do. The Collis brothers, as always, deliver some incredible instrumentals on this album, Tim with his guitar and Chris on the drums, and this LP is clear evidence towards how much they have both progressed as musicians since the early TTNG releases. The track ‘Destroy The Tabernacle!’ is a particularly interesting one and deserves a mention due to the fact it strays a lot more from TTNG’s signature sound than the rest of the songs on the album. It is more aggressive and has some really different musical progressions than that of the rest of the LP. Another stand out track that is worth mentioning is ‘Consoling Ghosts’. The song starts off with a melancholic, simple intro with

just plucked bass chords and Tremain’s vocals, and then the guitars and drums kick in in a really powerful manner, with one of the most encompassing guitar riffs on the album, which is sure to knock you back upon first listen. Tim Andersson

8.5/10

singles

fury

Paramount

Mat Kerekes

my lucky #3

Is there anything Mat Kerekes can’t do? Nevermind the two diverse, yet brilliant albums he has produced with his band Citizen, but his solo demo just proves that this man is capable of much greater things. Releasing two songs off an upcoming album, ‘My Lucky #3’ hits you with a Modest Mouse intro, setting a warm summery feeling deep inside. Not only has Kerekes vastly improved vocally as a solo artist, but musically, he has strayed away from the overdone, sad boy writing sad songs in his bedroom about girls he will never speak to. Words by Isha Shah

joyce manor fake i.d

Fury have released their debut LP titled Paramount on Torch bearing, Red Eyes Black Dragon of Hardcore record labels: Triple B records. Triple B have had some seminal releases in recent years, including: Freedom’s USA Hardcore and Stick Together’s self titled LP, along with a list of some integral hardcore acts like Shrapnel, Criminal Instinct, Sweet Jesus and many more... What does Fury’s debut LP bring to this star studded discography? Starting of with the first track, ‘Urgent’, it sets the standard for the rest of LP. An amalgamation of some NYC inspired riffs with Youth Crew – type disperses of energy. It seems that a major influence is 80’s hardcore but the production takes the initiative to tighten the song structures, which give this record an extra layer of accessibility. From that angle, you could say this record could open the ears of many new listeners to some classic hardcore bands. Fury’s strong suit in my opinion, is their lyrics: Each line offers insightful

and critical commentary that gives a new layer to how a listener would perceive “Fury”. Themes of philosophy and self worth dot the lyrics and offer some really introspective concepts. Assessing this LP for what it is I would say it’s a definitely a more prominent release to come from Triple B Records and will be notable part of their discog for years to come. My only criticism is that since it sonically refers back to a clear Hardcore influence, Fury don’t try to attempt anything original or outside the basic fundamentals of Hardcore, which isn’t something I expect from Hardcore releases but I would welcome and praise those aspects. Despite that I can still appreciate this record for its production and lyrics which are its intentional strong suits. Words by Dominic Bevis

7/10

bum, Cody will entail.

It’s been about two years since Joyce Manor released anything, and for us that’s two years too long. Their latest bit of noise is exactly what Manor fans need, filling the gap aching in their heart shaped tattoo. Taking a step back with the fast paced energy, Joyce Manor have released a short romantic taster of what their upcoming al-

Words by Isha Shah

Dinosaur Pile-Up Nothing Personal Finishing up their run of UK shows with Basement, the trio have just blasted out another infectiously catchy track, released from their recent album, Eleven Eleven. Emulating how loud and striking the band are live, ‘Nothing Personal’ captures that spark and energy with booming bass lines that are fuzzed out slightly to compliment the rugged yet soft vocals. Words by Isha Shah

Descendents Hypercaffium Spazinate The punk rock nerds that have now been together for nearly 39 years despite numerous line-up changes have finally dropped their 7th studio record. Having released some of the most influential records in rock music such as Milo Goes To College and I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, many of our favorite hardcore, emo, pop punk and even indie groups would most likely not exist today, if not for these records.

thus far.

Upon listening to this record in all its glory, it should be noted that due to frontman Milo Aukerman’s dedication to science, this is technically their 3rd comeback record, which of course can mean that at times cynics could assume that a band who have been around for so long would now be unable to produce decent content anymore. Rest assured that for the most part this is not the case.

On ‘No Fat Burger’ for example Aukerman comments on how he can’t eat any of the foods he used to eat due his doctor’s orders. ‘Limiter’ reflects how children have become medicated and dulled from the rest of the world, while pondering the question: “What ever happened to drug free youth?” With shorter tracks such as these, drummer Bill Stevenson really shines out with some ridiculously tight fills, and an almost piercing snare drum sound that bounces nicely into the mix.

Opening with ‘Feel This’, Descendents waste no time with long introductions or really pausing to take a breath as Aukerman likens overcoming heartbreak with a physical sickness, tugging at the heartstrings of milennials everywhere. It’s fast and kicks off the record nicely; accompanied by some of the catchiest bass lines Karl Avalrez has written

Arguably one of the biggest themes tying this record together is the gloom of adulthood, and while Aukerman’s younger self would be incredibly disappointed to find out he would one day indeed grow up, the elements of self awareness are a very nice touch on this record.

Some of the more straight forward pop punk tracks on this record such as ‘Without Love’, ‘Testosterone’ and ‘Fighting Myself’ contain the themes of self esteem and relationships while still managining to be relatable and angsty as hell. Descendents have

always been brilliant at channeling their insecurities into inclusive punk anthems, and these tracks are no exception. There are times on this record where the riffs start to become far too similar to other songs in their discography, and the track ‘Human Being’ is a somewhat half-baked attempt at making a song with a political message. Sadly, Descendents are not very good at pulling this off (listen to ‘Merican’ on ‘Cool To Be You’ for example.) Overall, Hypercaffium Spazinate is a delightful cornerstone in the band’s discography. It might not necessarily please new fans but for those who’ve been with them since the beginning, you will

7/10

crywank Don't Piss On Me, I'm Already Dead It’s a bit weird reviewing Crywank, because well you’re reviewing someone’s upfront, raw and personal emotions. Yes I have basically described music and what it’s made from, but James Clayyon’s previous releases are so exposed and sore that it almost feels like an invasion of privacy. Accumulating quite a collection, Crywank have helped us through some very dark nights alone in our bedrooms, with music that sums up every single mood one could possibly experience. ‘There All Is Aching’ and ‘I Am In Great Pain, Please Help Me’ recoils back to Tomorrow Is Nearly Yesterday And Everyday Is Stupid, a record filled with such self loathing, it’s hard to give it a full run without feeling numb. Make no mistake with Clayyon’s music being presented in it’s rawest of forms, as his lyrical ability to wrap words together and deliver-

Photo by: Isha Shah

ing each song to be filled with the same level of sensation as the next is something quite remarkable. Given the optimistic name ‘Love’, yet again fools our ears with its predictable bitter attitude to anything slightly optimistic. If you’ve been following the journey of Crywank now, the song titles should no longer surprise you, nor should the unpredictability of how the record flows, with no clear discourse. Although it is clear that Clayyon’s self loath has been embedded deeper within, explained on Facebook and displayed within this album, ‘Hate’ and ‘Me Me Me (Boo Hoo)’ are just two tracks which mimic this. Yet again we are offered a key into the wonderful and pessimistic mind of a crum-

bling artists thoughts and feelings, which can provide for an unsettling listen, but we wouldn’t have Crywank any other way. Words by Isha Shah

8/10

eps sunbather Everything That Went Away Corby sad punx Sunbather are back with their second EP titled Everything That Went Away. The band sit comfortably in the brimming DIY punk scene thats currently taking over the UK. ‘Dreaming’ immediately grabs our attention with its head bobbing rhythm and fuzzed guitars. The band slow it down a little with some shimmery guitar parts whilst the bass fills in the space left behind. Vocalist Aidan Coull’s delivery is fairly monotone and unadventurous but actually has a style that fits the mood of the music surprisingly well. ‘All For Show’ follows on this formula in similar fashion as ‘Reflections’ takes things down a few levels and is more direct and melodic in its ap-

proach. The guys very much wear their shoegaze influences and punk mindset on their sleeves. ‘Since Then’ closes things out in limp fashion as the guitar playing utilising bends and clutches of single notes that become a part of the melody in the songs becomes too apparent leaving a stale taste in our mouths. Another decent DIY band to add to the throng of young talent shining through in the UK right now.

6/10

Words by Joshua Clarke

Hellions Opera Oblivia New kids on the block from Sydney, Australia Hellions are back with their brand new full length record Opera Oblivia. The band have straddled a fairly hardcore line of sound up until now, so let’s see what this album has to offer. ’24’ is a grandiose opener with huge gang chants aplenty and subtle percussion hidden beneath the usual 5 piece set up. It’s these intricacies that peak our interest early. ‘Quality of Life’ is a little more straight forward in its attack with menacing, Hatebreed style riffin’ which leads into a PMA riddled chorus that just makes you feel good. There’s more menace to come as ‘Lotus Eater’ has these dark and sinister vibes running throughout its course, add in more monotone gang chants and the operatic element from the record title comes to the forefront. With that being said the gang chant chorus style does wear thin after a few listens. The

track listing is key to Opera Oblivia as the flow and story telling is a massive component to making this experiment work. Extended passages at the end of songs helps create a mood before the next song which once again helps the record to flow. ‘Nightliner Rhapsody’ injects pace into proceedings to make for a more memorable moment and to actually help differentiate the songs, as by this point a few of them sound too familiar to one another. Opera Oblivia makes for decent listening but stumbles over itself at times and retraces its own steps. A bold and ambitious effort that can just about be marked down as a success.

Words by Joshua Clarke

7/10 65

eps Sunsleeper stay the same

Keeping in with the art of emotion, the band naturally bloom. Their slow and steady musical purpose is unique, crossing the divide. It won’t put you into a dancing fit or make you gallop through the streets pumped up with adrenaline. But, it will make you think about life. And it may pull you back from the brink, it may fill you with a sense of hopefulness.

intertwines with the slightly haunting vocals. The vocals rise up throughout the sincere chorus. ‘Maple Drive’ starts with great drumbeat and guitar influence. It’s peppered with emotion and courage, although pessimism rears its head. Best ‘Friend Forget’ is soft and subtle, sombre in fact. It’s lyrically imaginative, creative in subject. The little guitar line runs through it effectively.

The EP is called Stay The Same. It begins with ‘Come Back Home’. The song opens with a healthy guitar riff that is develops well and

Sunsleeper are a band that have put out a record that is emotionally compelling. They’re ready to take on the world.

The sound of Sunsleeper has been drawn from depressive situations. Pessimism runs like wet paint, like tears streaming down a cute face. But their music is cathartic though, calm with a serious undercurrent bubbling. And with the band abstaining from imitation, they’ve created an EP that is accomplished and breathtakingly brilliant.

faux

Smacking you right in the face with the title track, ‘Inhale’ sets the record off to a joyace start. Faux are blessed with the unique ability to create an infectiously catchy pop song, without all the repetitiveness of three words. They play around with crashing crescendos and bouncy guitars, to create greater collision. Faux are a fun band, and fun bands are hard to come across these days, even when you’re living in a world where you get band page invites daily. ‘Nerves’ overcomes all anxiety, with its peculiar rhythm that’s forever changing in time to Lee Male’s reactions. Built with such complexity, the four-piece somehow make the fast rolling tempos

Photo by: Isha Shah

9/10

inhale

The British music scene is constantly being pushed to the forefront of the general public’s ears. Southampton’s four-piece are taking full advantage of this shove, with their brand new EP, Inhale, entailing their self-proclaimed ‘dirty pop’ noise.

Words by Mark McConville

calm down again, before picking things back up. Reminding us of their previous drive, ‘Shoes’, ‘Call’ starts the party off with a bouncy beat that makes you want to get up and dancing right away. Swimmingly’ is added to close the EP, a song we are all very familiar with, having been released 9 months in advance – and it’s the perfect goodbye for Inhale. As far as EPs go, they’re a pretty hard collection to master. As far as EPs go… While some leave you feeling quite incomplete, and others are packed to the brim, this EP delivers on both halves Words by Isha Shah

8.5/10

headrush I still feel how I did at 17 Southampton pop punk quintet Headrush will soon be gracing your ears with their debut EP ‘I still feel how I did at 17’. As the EP title suggests, these five tracks are a bundle of youthfulness throughout, and a lot of the lyrics will appeal to your inner 17 year old. The instrumentation is pushing no boundaries on the EP, but this is no particular bad thing as we’re left with an energetic mix of the pop punk that everybody loves. The vocals can be a little hit and miss at times, with some parts of songs leaving a lot to be desired, especially regarding clean vocals. However, the ‘harsher’ vocals on this release are a lot more enjoyable and work in much better harmony with the in-

strumentation. The first track ‘Moving’ is a stand out track, with catchy hooks and relatable lyrics, with some effective guest vocals in the build up half way through the song. The stand out parts of this EP are definitely the more aggressive sections, rather than the slower parts, as some of those drag out a few of the songs, which would perhaps be better left shorter and more aggressive. Self produced, the production on this EP is good but not great, and leaves a lot to be desired at times.

ment throughout the EP there are also some really catchy hooks and stand out sections. Words by Tim Andersson

Overall, this EP is a great start and first release for an up and coming band, and whilst there is some explicit room for improve-

6/10

middle distance Dahlia August has been one for many releases, and with some lingering with disappointment than widely anticipated, Middle Distance make up for all false hope with a second EP that fully delivers to alternative rock fans.

left to disintegrate with an outstretched guitar outro. The simplicity of its short life captures the bands attention to detail, something that is found among each song, allowing the next to be heard so pleasantly.

The chirpiness of ‘Coming Of Age’, once again brings that warm summer glow which previous EP, Losing Colour once blessed our ears with. Released a few weeks before Dahlia, with a remarkably warm music video, Middle Distance had planned to set the stage up perfectly for four dreamily crafted tracks to follow.

Although the EP lies very close with the last, Patrick Lewin’s vocals have matured and grown, allowing him to control his passion filled outburst that are found within ‘July’. As this particular song seems muted when it comes to the vocals hitting the music, it somehow levels out and works for an impacting finish.

The title track is certainty one for musicians with a short narrative; the song is

Dahlia deals with a mixture of heart-felt melodies that sweep you off your feet and

claws

transport you to your own personal memory well. With an EP so strong, Middle Distance have managed to pack 18 years worth of childhood memories that we all share so conflictingly, but can experience together. Words by Isha Shah

8.5/10

daydream

A female-fronted, four-piece surf-punk band, all of which have an intense obsession with Louis Theroux. On paper this sounds like utter madness but in practice this is what comprises the Norwich based group Claws, who have recently released their latest EP Daydream. Comprising of 4 tracks, the general theme running through Daydream is that of fun, summer vibes, yet with an underlying punk/ grunge level of influence running throughout. All the songs blend together very well

to create a unique sound for this EP that is slightly more polished than their previous releases, yet still manages to retain the right amount of a lo-fi sound to compliment the overall punk vibe you’d expect from Claws. This makes for a very solid overall listen that you’re guaranteed to leave on repeat and find yourself singing along to, especially with the standout track ‘Nobody’s Perfect’. Words by Courtney O’Flaherty

8/10 67

Live hotos in p

pretend happy

gn shy

wallflower

Photos by: Alex Thornber

yearbook + wallflower + gun shy + pretend happy the joiners, southampton 2.7.16

yearbook

wallflower

Live hotos in p

tuskens + coast to coast + seven stories high The Scene Club, swansea 31.7.16

seven stories high

tuskens

Photos by: Stephanie Evans

tuskens

coast to coast

seven stories high

Live

highlives

+ Fierce Morgan + Junior + Left Out + Goodbye The Sunset The Mothers' Ruin, Bristol 10.8.16 - 8/10

junior

left out

Photos by: Georgia Rose

fierce morgan

The constant red glow of the only light in the entire venue combined with sickly summer heat sucks away much of the life from Goodbye The Sunset (7/10) dulling what the pace ramping alternative pop rock outfit from Bristol are capable of delivering. They are dedicated though, throwing in unexpected atmospheric elements during a colourful and convincing performance of their latest single, ‘Horizons’. Over dazzling and dizzying twirling lead melodies, intense emotion during the chorus calls out a desolate but determined, “All I ever had was nothing…” Goodbye The Sunset far out-do anything they have on recording. Born out of enthusiasm and built up energy that rose up from boredom whilst recovering from injury, Left Out (9/10), perhaps well versed in such situations, keeps the now overcrowded attic space from noticing their discomforts. The entire room is left standing in fascination and intrigue throughout his intimate acoustic performance, fully captivated by his stories, openness, honesty and the curiously courageous strength of his melodies that hold strong over the simplicity of his more audibly threadbare approach to constructing a soundscape, as opposed to the other unmistakably ‘loud’ pop punk acts who are playing tonight. Left Out with his public excavation of his very personal deepest doubts, fears and hopes, painted using such modest and instinctive chords and lyrics, feels equally if not, louder. This enchanting spell is broken, but what Junior (7/10) do have is a good time. Their fill-in guitarist, Kyle (in place of Mark Andrews) seems excited to slam into positions, see-sawing back and forth, whilst the words, “I’m an open book, read one too many times,” tell a story from their old EP This Town Sucked Anyways. Junior also have a very enthusiastic, multi-skilled drummer (Si Martin) who beat-boxes an entire solo break before slamming back hard into his kit. Compared to Juniorland’s shimmering colourful production, vocals fall short in sweetness and clarity with muddied and blurred guitars that are not as distinctive or dynamic – it’s a messy mix. “It’s less than a Wetherspoons here,” Attard jokes about the cost of their EP, “Bristol’s expensive man,” and as if to illustrate the sorry state of financial affairs these musicians share, paper DIY hand drawn signs are sellotaped up the stairs in red sharpie that read “Pop Punk Show / £3”. Owen Cousins, who put on the show tonight, projects a throat tearing, “You’ll throw everything into it,” depicting his own devotion to music. Drumbeats rocket to where electrically vibrant melodies of Sheffield pop punkers Fierce Morgan (9/10) come to life. Higher notes from female vocalist Hope create harmonies that fizz with electrifying tension. During their last song, ‘Elders’ from their most recent EP titled Misanthropy, it is surprising how Fierce Morgan keep up the ferocious pace in this stuffed, hot and narrow, dark room. As soon as Highlives (8/10) have begun Liam Edwards (vocals) is jumping off the stage, giving a full-on performance while retaining his ear-candy breathy tone during huge hook rung opener off the band’s latest EP Misguided Youth, ‘Wake Me Up’ - with a chorus that challenges WSTR for catchiness and for relatability, they are beaten for sure, “Didn’t get to sleep until 4am!” Edwards yells softly, pacing around within the crowd with so much vitality that he fears he may fall down the stairs, quite ironically as he is singing, “I tripped and I fell…” But not once do Highlives falter as they burst beyond the confinements of the stuffy pub, performing as if they are at Warped tour. “I’m buying you a guitar that stays in tune for Christmas,” Edwards jokes during an unwanted guitar tuning gap. Heavier Four Year Strong style breakdowns show that this Bristol pop punk group can pull off the gnarliest chugs all the way to the sweetest melodies present in ‘22’, a song about being in debt as a musician, raising up thoughts of Taylor Swift and being strapped for cash, two accidentally recurring themes of the night as we look back to realise “Everything was red…” Words by Arriana Corr

Live hotos in p

the sun days

dinosaur pile-up

basement

Photos by: Elliot McRae

basement + Dinosaur Pile-Up + The Sun Days the haunt, brighton 19.7.16 basement

basement

the sun days

dinosaur pile-up

Live hotos in p

Photos by: Helen Messenger

THE WO

ONDER YEARS the dome, london 28.7.16

Live Merex’s treasure chest of plastic dinosaur toys sits casually alongside Colour Me Wednesday’s glittering vintage cutout decoupage handmade EPs and the various pastel coloured vinyl releases from Happy Accidents and Fresh. Before the music has even begun, you can tell lots of friends have gathered here today at Urban Bar in Camden, London. “I missed the sequencing button, which is the worst mistake, other than missing the drink to your lips,” laughs Merex. “This is our last song. Thank you so much everyone, this song is called Sink Hole,” states Myles (vocals and guitar). Have Mercy vibes trail across the honest rawness as he is closing his eyes so that every note of subtlety in the persuasive voiced vocals comes through with desperate expression and the whole room is staring. Slow drums beat between low lit candle glowing indie pop rock with synths bleeping cute and mathematically programmed in perfection of sound but so humanly triggered in delivery with incredible dynamics, harmonics and flow as every member is coherent even though this is the group’s first time playing with their new bassist, in grooves akin to The 1975 and Beach Weather with a dance floor drumbeat solo.

happy

+ fresh + colou

The urban bar, londo 15.7.16 - 10/10

Fresh, in contrast to the greyness outside weave a strawberry milkshake tapestry with a unique punky bite. Viper maple sweetness runs thick through vocals that soar but never cut open. “Thank you, we’re Fresh,” they end as every song had people screaming wildly by the door like they’re at a funfair and cuts off shorter than you’d expect. “Yeah, they were awesome!” Someone smiles widely as aromas of lavender and citrus fruits infuse the air with beachy Caribbean vibes. “It’s packed. It’s so busy in here. I love it!” Real crashy drums you want to believe in then come quickly and lace up Colour Me Wednesday’s sweet and poignant blue pop bubble that bursts into life as the three girls bounce in time. “You say it’s not hot in here,” a guy laughs, rubbing his glasses that have misted up. “Yeah, but it’s not sweaty hot,” the girl he is addressing says back. “I feel like I need a shower,” he laughs, as people around the bar are grabbing up DIY flyers for an upcoming Murderhouse show and using them as paper fans. There is no room to breathe, there are so many people standing so close. “You know when you’re surrounded by boys in bands?” Colour Me Wednesday propose before confessing, “Not anymore. We killed them.” As they play a song about being girls in a band, the drumbeat rolls summer days and cycling over a grassy hill into a room filled with giggles and people letting go for the fun of it, shaking their hair about. The DIY music scene is alive and well tonight – all the groups here tonight have a pretty intense following with everyone smiling and a group of about 15 girls and guys dancing with ponytails flicking and arms up at the front. Happy Accidents are throwing an awesome childishly innocent type of party in here for their album release show for You Might Be Right (1st July 2016) with what feels like ‘80s pop music, daises and rainbows converted into modern indie punk rock. The kind of school dance or perfect first date house party that you always see on TV and want to be invited to but never seems to happen, seems to be happening right now. You can tell the band loves it as much as everyone on the floor dancing and smiling to the sunny pop as they are all dancing on stage too and drop down at times submerged in their own musical world as the low light yellow fuzz captures a sunset atmosphere, with bubbling chat and people just being themselves without any pretentions or inhibitions. You can almost forget it’s 2016 and we just left the EU. It’s all sunshine and smiles in here at this party thanks to Happy Accidents, Fresh, Colour Me Wednesday and MEREX and all the people they have drawn up in here where everyone is feeling welcome and happy in a colourful bubble, forgetting the grey fog, mistakes, negativity and dreary buildings that stand out on the streets of reality outside. Words by Arriana Corr

Photos by: Georgia Rose

merex

y accidents

ur me wednesday+ merex

colour me wednesday

fresh