September 2016 #16

issue 16 september 2016 canadian special

Montroze

h it w r on tou

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A NOTE FROM THE TEAM Most local DIY bands find it hard to break away from their hometown, let alone another country. This issue we are hopping on the road with Bristol’s Montroze to share their crazy tour adventure in Canada, alongside good friends from Calgary, Coming Out Swinging. This feature is sure to give you a real insight as to what it’s like to be on the road in a completely new place, and the myths and truth of tour.

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As part of our Canadian special, we have various interviews from various DIY bands all over the state, from Alberta or Ontario, from pop punk to metalcore, we’ve got you covered when it comes to the next Simple Plan or Billy Talent of the maple leaf country.

As well as all of this, this 140 page issue is packed with a special feature on the West Midlands pop punk scene, Arctangent festival and Fort Festival.

Interviews with Backpack Records and a brand new feature on Curb, part of The Real Junk Food Project.

We’d like to give one final thank you to every single person who helped contribute and support New Roots in any way, we appreciate you all.

BRB X

Editor & Art Director: Isha Shah Sub-Editors: Arriana Corr, Natalie Webb, Charys Newton

Contributors: Isha Shah, Arriana Corr, Mark McConville, Alma Rdgl, Dominic Bevis, Megan McMillan, Natalie

Webb, Joshua Clarke, Courtney O’Flaherty, Charlie Hill,

Photographers: Isha Shah, Stuart Peach, Snaprockandpop, Alex Thornber, Ashlea Beverley-Rose, Nathan Daniel, Marcus Dick, Georgia Rose, Nathan Heffernan, Stephanie Evans, Sarah Lockwood and Mark Kidsley, Jonathan Bell

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contact us Facebook: NewRoots Twitter: @NewRootsMag Instagram: @newrootsmag Email: newrootsmag@gmail.com Photos by: Isha Shah

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4 9 10 17 20 24 28 30 38 40 41 44 46 48 ON TOUR WITH MONTROZE & COMING OUT SWINGING 50 q&a with CALLING ALL CAPTAINS 62 q&a with from the frontline 66 curb: the real junk food project 68 fort festival photo spread 70 backpack records 76 behind the lens- marcus dick 78 boston maNor album review 80 album/ singles/ ep reviews 82 house show special photo spreads 92 live reviews 106 west midlands pop punk special Highlights of the month/ news priya’s twitter highlights uprooted 10 things i learnt on tour q&a with alone i walk q&a with youngbloods behind the lens- bradley nathan daniel arctangent festival review interview with Kamikaze Girls Q&A WITH MARISSA Kiernicki WHAT GRINDS MY GEARS behind the lens - isha shah storm the wall productions why we love avril lavigne

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pickS OF THE MONTH G.L.O.S.S. Break up, R.I.P.

news

The Wonder Years announce a UK tour with Tiny Moving Parts and Pup in Jan/Feb 2017 Brand New are playing The Devil And God Are Ragining Inside Me in full on their UK tour.

The Cavern in Exeter burns down.

Muncie Girls release a charity track for The Cavern, Stick To Your Guns release a brand new EP, Better Ash Than Dust.

Fall Out Boy reveal a short film titled Bloom.

Turnstile stream their brand new EP, Move Thru Me in full.

Trash Boat reveal a 2016 tour diary.

Turnstile announce four-song 7″ called Move Thru Me via Roadrunner Records.

Bolt Thrower announce break up.

Alcopop Records announce their very own boat show on 9th October, celebrating 10 years of indie.

WSTR announce new album details for Red, Green or Inbetween 20th January 2017.

Petrol Girls release music video for ‘PHALLOCENTRIC’ ahead of album release, Talk of Violence.

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the tuts assa at Undercover

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aulted r fest

On the 19th September The Tuts were assaulted in Brighton at Undercover Festival. A security guard forcefully prevented Nadia from entering the stage, despite the fact she had just played on the very same stage and had an AAA pass.

It seems that the band entered the festival pumped and ready to play, but due to their disappointment at what they found, they were treated rudely. Taking to social media, they posted the full story about what happened below.

“Basic requests for a room to get changed (office, or even a cupboard) were laughed at. We were told we were not “prestigious” enough to have such a luxury. Keep in mind it was a small festival with plenty of empty rooms, and we were playing the main stage (not that this should even factor in!). Anyway we didn’t let this bad start kill our vibe as we just love playing festivals and were excited to see The Selecter.

At the end of The Selecter’s set, as you may know, we always jump on stage. So we walk to the side stage area to get ready for that. Disclaimer: we had played the same stage just a few hours earlier, we had wristbands and the whole crew knew who we were and we had interacted with all of them a number of times (it was hard to miss The Tuts - the only young people there, in matching outfits, with 2 members of colour). Nadia just STANDS at the side of the stage and waves to the drummer who acknowledges her and encouraging the stage invasion.

At this point Nadia hadn’t even set foot on the stage yet because it wasn’t the right part of the song. Suddenly, a large male crew member who worked at the festival grabbed her body and started to throw her away from the stage yelling aggressively. She was gripped by both arms, it was an unprovoked attack with an unnecessary amount of force used on a small woman. The fracas attracts the attention of Harriet and Beverley who rush over, trying to free her from this violent male. Harriet is grabbed by her back and thrown into the railings. Not only was Nadia ‘dragged’ away from the stage

but this man tackled her with no justification.

Very quickly more security get involved. Instead of listening to what happened in the first place their instinct was to all physically restrain Nadia because she was emotional and completely traumatised by what had just happened. The male security and the festival organiser were very quick to make the situation about them and showing no concern for our well being and safety - It felt like their empathy or concern was being blocked by their egos. The festival organiser Mick Moriarty screamed at us “YOU HAVE 5 MINUTES TO GET OFF MY FESTIVAL”.

Shortly after, a huge male member of security grips Nadia by the arms followed by two female security who take Nadia off the premises. All we wanted to do was get our equipment and leave but we were left stranded in the car park crying in shock. Shortly after we called the police and reported the whole thing.

We are yet to find out the name of the crew member who instigated this physical violence.

No one should have to wake up with bruises down their arms from being manhandled.

The problem is WE ARE NOT SAFE AT OUR OWN GIGS. Not just because of the physical violence that crew members or security will VERY quickly resort to. But unless we have a white male as an eye witness, our accounts or experiences will never be listened to or taken seriously in the moment. We’ve noticed a considerable difference in the way we’re treated at gigs depending on whether we bring a male crew member or tour manager with us. Does that mean we have to have a man with us at all times to ‘protect’ us from other angry men?

As you know, this is not the first time this has happened. The first attack was on Nadia in 2012 at the Brixton Windmill fuelled by racism and misogyny. This attack, although it may not be racist (who knows) we have to analyse WHY these older white men (full of rage) so quickly switch to body tackling a 5” 2 woman of colour at her own shows. THINK about that.”

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Creeper Send Their Fans On A Ghost Hunt Most people in the scene are now familiar with spooky Southampton band Creeper. Well, this month they’ve taken their gothy glamour to a new level with a viral campaign that set the internet alight with dozens of theories.

But it’s more complicated than it may seem.

Let’s start at the beginning. The night after Creeper played Leeds Festival, the band’s Twitter account was deleted after they stated that they thought it was being hacked. When it went back up, a couple of tweets were posted: One with a phone number (023 8000 0376, if you fancy calling it yourself) and another with a website, whereisjamesscythe.co.uk.

This website is real and it’s all about the disappearance of the ‘James Scythe’ individual, complete with a Missing poster, news articles about said disappearance, and even photos of the ‘crime scene’. You’ll also find a podcast about paranormal folklore and urban legends around Southampton, during which Scythe tries to debunk and explain The Stranger and The Callous Heart, which are both regular characters in the Creeper universe.

This is why their fans believe the band are setting up a concept album, and they’re most likely right.

You’ll find other episodes on the SoundCloud page that the podcast is hosted on, but sadly they’re all just static noise, although they’re all named after famous myths and urban legends, sometimes diving into the paranor-

mal — Scythe’s job is to investigate those things.

Quickly after that, the band’s Facebook page posted missing posters for all of their members.

It’s worth noting that all of their individual social media accounts are down as well, so as of today they’re still ‘missing’. The phone number we mentioned earlier now has a new message when you call it. A deep, creepy voice informs you that, “On October 2nd 2016, we’ll die holding hands”. Maybe a single release date? Or it could be an album announcement? We don’t know but we’ll keep our eyes peeled.

Just when you thought the conspiracy couldn’t get deeper, Creeper sent their fans on a literal treasure hunt around their hometown last week with clues planted all over Southampton and more and more Scythe related emails. This posed more questions than it answered, but you can’t deny this has been planned carefully. The hype around the band was already growing bigger and bigger, but this is arguably the most exciting thing they’ve ever done.

So what now, you ask? Well, at their recent appearance at Butserfest, the band came on stage wearing ski masks and told their fans “You still haven’t found him.”

So where is James Scythe? We don’t know, but we can’t wait to see the endgame this leads to.

Words by Alma R.

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Priya’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.

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o r p u

: G N I R U T r A o E i F n u J d n a s e n o k c i s , penthouse

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Photo by: Snaprockandpop

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penthouse penthouse

bad sign top song: ‘dreamer’ - You can have this song on for repeat for the whole day and still not get bored of it.

Matching its name perfectly, the track is a beautifully composed masterpiece, taking you off into a daydream trance. The chorus gives off an old school Lower Than Atlantis vibe that is something we all secretly crave.

2015- present Sam Shepherd - guitar Matt Thom - guitar Ben Schulze – drums/vocals Charlie Winzar – vocals/ bass Small town bands have never been more dominant than they are right now. Kent of course is not your first search when it comes to finding your next obsession, but Penthouse will certainly get you hooked from the very first line.

“We just wanted to write music we enjoyed playing opposed to what we thought other people expected from us. Since we’ve become Penthouse we’ve been around for a year.”

After a year of collecting thoughts, the four guys recently put out their first EP, Solemn. Recorded at The Clubhouse Studios in Tunbridge Wells Forum with Ricky Beetlestone, the band knew their music would be in safe hands as they previously allowed Beetlestone to record past releases. “With his recent move into the new studio we didn’t have any second thoughts on where we wanted to record it. Ricky really pushed us with this record and we had to pull a few late nighters to get some of the vocal tracks done but it was all totally worth it.”

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Photos by: Isha Shah

Solemn was an EP which was recorded with various influential inputs. “We just try to write riffy/catchy punk rock songs. Foo fighters/Citizen/90s and early 2000s grunge/rock music are the kind of bands we all listen to.” Showing very clearly on the EP, especially with ‘Black Shoes’ - a heavily inspirational grunge track.

Although Penthouse have waited for this special release, they have been playing a fair few shows, including house show appearances around Southampton. “The most memorable show for us so far was probably the first house show we played in Southampton. It was the first time we played with other bands in the ‘DIY punk’ scene and I think people really liked us, which is always cool. We love playing in Southampton, it’s probably our favourite place to play. We’ve got a couple shows coming up, one in London in October (I think) and one in Orpington in November.”

The guys have already started writing new material for the next release, well ahead of schedule. They just want to play as many shows as possible over this and next year. Penthouse have also released some limited cassette tapes available on their Big Cartel, courtesy of Beth Shalom Records.

Words by Isha Shah

top song:

‘i dont exsist – Who can resist a song with such a strong intro that spreads its infectiously catchy beat throughout?

Taken from their recent EP, The Red Line, the song is a perfect opener for what SickOnes have to rage about.

sickones 2015- present

Ben Curd- vocals Charlie Jones-west- guitar Andy Wrintmore - Drums

After their very first practice in a bubble wrapped attic, the original three-piece just knew their combined energy was going to start something major. “Our first official show was 8th or 9th January 2016; we didn’t know what to expect from ourselves but the set didn’t even last 10 minutes and Ben back flipped off the sound desk, no lie.”

The Volition EP was the first public release from the band, and the impulse energy to get it out there is reflected on each track.

Despite the band’s rush to play shows and be known to local promoters, they also managed to bang out two complimentary music videos to get the ball rolling. SickOnes waste no time in the past, as they’re constantly taking action in the present, with their second EP already released. “Before we’d even finished EP one, the second release was already being written. In true SickOnes fashion, speed is what we’re about. However, we took longer writing the songs and really tried to write them from a ‘how would this go down live’ mentality. This would eventually become our newest four tracks – The Red Line. We worked with producer/ engineer Ben E Turner and recorded it in less than two days at SpaceWolf Studios.”

Musically the trio is into a variety of stuff that has worked in

their favor when it comes to mixed bill line-ups. “There’s a good opportunity for playing to people that would never normally see you. We’re a hardcore punk band and some people don’t enjoy that but our live show normally has something that’ll entertain everyone...” (Our NR house show involved Ben getting in a fridge).

Although variety is key, the band seems to have a cohesive collection of stepping stone influences. Drummer Andy Wrintmore has been brought up on a solid base of classic rock like Nirvana, Dead Kennedys, Alice In Chains, Black Sabbath and Iggy Pop, whilst guitarist Charlie Jones-West listens to everything from Extortion & Infest to BadBadNotGood. “Leading up to the recording of The Red Line, I listened to a lot of Show Me The Body & Death Grips. 80s hardcore pioneers, Ian Mackaye and Henry Rollins should be mentioned by any frontman playing punk/ hardcore in the 21st Century,” vocalist Ben Curd says.

The band just want to keep up momentum, whether that being playing shows, writing or just keeping it real, you can always expect SickOnes to be doing something. With strong connections already made with American bands, the guys are planning some interesting stuff in the near future.

“Just come see us live, it’s always crazy. Stuff breaks, Ben scales things, Andy breaks bits of his drum kit. We’re just trying to play super rowdy hardcore, injecting modern sounds into an old school mentality and keeping humble. DIY ‘til we die.”

Words by Isha Shah Photos by: Ashlea Beverley-Rose

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Junior 2014- present Guitars/Vocals - Matt Attard Bass/Vocals - Mark Andrews Drums/Vocals - Si Martin Junior may have a young sounding name but they have been around and making tunes since early 2014. And even if the songs sound youthful and bright – this pop punk trio also prove to be making music that is mature and impressive, organic and explosively cinematic. The Welsh trio have played shows with Chunk! No, Captain Chunk, Trash Boat and Boston Manor to name a few, showing the kind of talent they are capable of smashing out against upon stage.

Think ‘90s cartoons in your bedroom – but the music encompasses both your memories looking back fondly and makes the childhood dream of jumping inside the TV screen to be inside the exciting adventure world of your favourite shows come to life in full colour. Junior don’t mess around and they take you to places you’ve been and those you’ve only dreamed of with innovative pop punk that is fresh but doesn’t forget to shout out to all the best bits of all your old favourite songs.

This band sounds accomplished. Now they are living up their impressive sound with getting their name out there. The in-

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stant Junior come on, you want to be throwing a massive party or have them blowing up the speakers at your favourite club. It won’t be long before this happens, we predict. With Junior’s latest single having received so much attention, they are no longer a pop punk band that people will be asking about – they will in months and years to come, be that pop punk band that everyone is talking about and partying to. Hold it to us if we’re wrong.

Even since their last sugar sweet and polished yet bright and delightfully throwback to Good Charlotte and early Blink-182 pop punk album JuniorLand (2015, produced by Drew Lawson of Steel City Studios in Sheffield), the group have even further established a strong and coherent sound, like they have been working towards this music for a long time together.

Whether or not all the attention Junior has received over this last week or so has been due to Sean Smith from The Blackout’s name rising up back from the depths of wherever it got buried…

One thing is clear - Junior do not need anyone else to make fun pop punk music that is of competitive and courageous quality.

Undeniably delicious hooks and beefy choruses, iced with something to smile about in every song, crowns them a place at the top of UK pop punk - Which nobody at the moment is really in a comfortable enough position yet to fight them for.

Words by Arriana Corr

top song: ‘Fall To Pieces’ – Junior dropped a video for their latest single ‘Fall To Pieces’ just a week ago featuring Sean Smith of The Blackout, and it’s already had over 10,000 views. Rightly so - this song is a killer and 100% bounce ready and the video is... well, let’s not spoil it.

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10 THINGS I LEARNed ON TOUR

1) You don’t have to be dirty on tour; the myth about

not showering for days with no clean clothes is so not true. Tour can be super comfortable and you don’t have to smell like last night’s show.

2) You better stock up on food because buying snacks at your new favourite place, service stations, are pretty pricy. I mean, $2 for ONE apple? Make sure you stock up because you always get cravings for something that isn’t a bag of “chips”.

3)You spend almost 80% of the time in the van, so

you’ve got to be comfortable. Shotgun a seat and guard it with your life; after all, you don’t want to end up in a really uncomfortable position on a 24-hour drive. Sleeping in the van isn’t actually that bad; tour certainly isn’t glamorous but it isn’t grim either, it’s a nice mixture, like going to a festival but always being warm at night.

4) No one knows what a toilet is, you have to say “restroom”, and there are PLENTY of them in pristine condition. Man, they do keep their hygeine standards up high.

5) Eat when you can wherever you are. Being a veggie on the road is pretty shit, let’s face it. When you’re only surrounded by meat dominated fast food chains all you can order is fries and hope they do some sort of veggie burger. It’s better to eat anything when you can; you never know when you’re going to eat again. Trying to be healthy on the road can work if you have a good stamina and are well prepared, but realistically it’s not a priority.

6)You don’t get fed at venues; the promoters don’t

provide any meals so don’t starve yourself expecting a grand meal to be provided just before your set.

7) Everyone is SUPER NICE, and I mean super nice. Out

of service bus drivers even have signs on the window saying “SORRY out of service”. Drivers even apologise to YOU for j-walking. What a lovely country.

8) You can never have tooooo much music. Thinking we were over prepared we ended up listening to Shane’s pop punk playlist three times over, I think it was even on repeat at one point. So download every single Beyoncé album and you’ll be sorted.

9) Even if you think you won’t get homesick, you will

when you’re away for a long period of time. Keeping busy and being around some talented people makes everything better, and you can truly escape whatever it is you left on hold at home and really enjoy yourself.

10) You honestly don’t need more than two pairs of shoes. I made the mistake of brining five, and I don’t even know why because I only wore one pair for the WHOLE three weeks. Packing light is really important, especially if you want to take some things back home and not be charged at the airport.

Words by Isha Shah Photo by: Isha Shah

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the best of

Alexisonfire Despite being named after the worlds only lactating contortionist stripper (you learn something new everyday) the 5 piece have made quite a successful career for themselves. The band went on hiatus in 2012 but have since made several appearances on the festival circuit and have just announced a tour of Australia & New Zealand for January 2017. The appeal and rise of the band is down to the sheer brilliance of being fairly hard to place into any one genre, melding hardcore with punk, rock and lacing it all with venom and melody has made for one of the best back catalogues our world has to offer, with 2006’s Crisis being the jewel in the crown.

The three pronged vocal attack of live wire frontman George Petit makes for stark contrast when the angelic voice of Dallas Green fires in the melody, whereas Wade MacNeil, now spending his days in Gallows sits somewhere in the middle with his raspy, gravel throated style.

The live show never faltered and only got better with dancing madman Chris Steele throwing shapes and his bass all over the stage with Jordan ‘Ratbeard’ Hastings sitting back on the drums keeping everything tight. No matter what the members of Alexisonfire do after or in between the band, it won’t leave quite the legacy that this has.

Words by Joshua Clarke

billy talent Billy Talent have been around since a lot longer than you think they have, like seriously some of you probably weren’t even born.

Originally named Pezz, Ben Kowalewicz, Ian D’Sa, Jon Gallant and Aaron Solowoniuk got together in 1993! However the band had to legally change their name as it was already in use by an American band, so they changed it to what we know now, Billy Talent.

There has been no line up changes in the 23 year stint of the band but currently Solowoniuk is taking a break after a Multiple Sclerosis set back, with Alexisonfire sticksman Jordan ‘Ratbeard’ Hastings sitting in.

The bands latest release Afraid of Heights was their fifth and only the second to have a conventional title. The previous effort, Dead Silence was the first to not follow suit of I, II, III. Once again never really fitting into one scene or genre the bands sound consists of infectious rock riffs, punk snarl vocals and a powerhouse rhythm section that once they get in the pocket create pure magic. Never flashy and incredibly humble, this is a band who know who they are and where they sit in the realm of rock music.

Words by Joshua Clarke

counterparts Melodic hardcore outfit Counterparts hail from Hamilton, Ontario and started off in 2007. The band has gone through several line up changes over the years but frontman and vocalist Brendan Murphy as remained a constant. Murphy’s openly vulnerable and personal lyrics are one of the reasons why the band have gained such a massive following, the disdain at his world and of others around him resonates with listeners on a deeply personal level. Four albums in and the band are going from strength to strength, even though long time guitarist and main songwriter Jesse Doreen has recently departed. With doubt hanging over the prospect of a new record we can take solace in the fact that the guys are still booking shows and are even coming back to the UK this winter with Expire, Landscapes and Knocked Loose.

Words by Joshua Clarke

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Photo by: Isha Shah

canada Devin Townsend Devin Townsend is one of heavy metal’s greatest modern day guitarists. He’s an inspiration to thousands and thousands of aspiring guitarists around the world and he also happens to be Canadian. Townsend’s style is pretty eccentric to say the least and is the sort of music that you’re either really nerdy about or not into at all. So sort of like marmite; either you love him or you hate him. He does, however, certainly appeal to those who love quirky, weird and complex progressive metal.

Since the 90s, Townsend has delved in a number of music projects. Mostly he records as a solo artist and the Devin Townsend Project.

Unlike many progressive metal musicians who just play around with technical riffs and experiment with music technology, Townsend does all these things but somehow manages to keep everything cohesive and tight nipped. And as well as being a mesmerising musician he’s also a fantastic story teller and his abilities for telling tales are shown at their best in the 2010, Ziltoid the Omniscient, which was recorded as a solo album. This is a concept album about an extra-terrestrial being, Ziltoid and it tells his story of travelling to planet earth.

There are far fewer guitarists more adventurous than Devin Townsend and his eccentric progressive guitar style will have him remembered for decades. His new album with the Devin Townsend Project, Transcendence, will be out on the 9th September and has so far released 2 ambitious and flawless singles, ‘Failure’ and ‘Secret Sciences’ which show how much his sound has matured over the years.

Words by Megan McMillan

purity ring This electronic synthpop duo are as mystical and magical as they are badass. Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, since 2010, debut album Shrines (2012) tripped steadily onto the jewel album, Another Eternity (2015) crowning them above mountains of competitive electronic music artists coming out of Canada. Megan James’ haunting raspy pixie voice, is enchanting in every song’s soft melodies and supple chords, casting a luring spell that pulls you into lullaby dance floor grooves. Corin Roddick conjures up darkly stirring beats that with their feather soft tunes and slick, minimalistic production whisk anyone away into a fantasy land of clouds. In a strange old fashioned style tangled in a futuristic universe, constructed by poetic and otherworldly songs, that open the doors to what can only be found within the realms these two have created.

Words by Arriana Corr

lights Ever since her bright electropop shone its way across the valleys of the internet in 2008 with her debut single ‘Drive My Soul’, Canadian singer-songwriter/ producer, Valerie Poxleitner - more widely known as her comic-book superhero musician alias: Lights, has brought back the power to pop with an angelic voice and strung together tales of fantasies, epic adventures and many wonders that act as metaphors for the rocky terrains of relationships and life’s many battles that can be won. Her most recent album Little Machines (September 2014) after the birth of her and Beau Bokan’s (Blessthefall) daughter Rocket, took off into spaces around the world, featuring the coffee shop soundtrack famous single, ‘Running With the Boys’ - winning this Canadian synth pop princess and legendary WOW player, artist and proud mother, the Juno Award for pop album of the year (2014).

Words by Arriana Corr

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alone

As part of our Canadian special, we are bringing you so winnipeg. We had a quick chat with local boys Alone I W brother Pascal Courcelles (Drums/Vocals) and 20 Photo by: Isha Shah

i walk

ome of the most talented artists in the beautiful city of Walk, consisting of Franky Courcelles (Vocals/Guitar) d newly added Cody Dangerfield (bass/ vocals).

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F: “There were really good bands that definitely helped us get to where we are, Bleed America was one of them. Every time we were at a show they motivated us to get better and better and to do more. Not to be like them but to find our own path and explore in our own way, as they did. It will be rare that you see a musician that you haven’t met before or that you haven’t become friends with or that one of your band members doesn’t know, or something.”

be more motivating for other artists, for people who have been told to give up on their selves telling people not to give up on their dreams.

So I think that this album is pretty important for this reason. Honestly, my biggest influences are for one nevershoutnever, I’ve loved them for the last, who knows how many years. But then also, some you wouldn’t expect, such as Suicide Silence or Bring Me - the heavy stuff helps me to find things within myself and helps me to create.”

P: “We co-wrote this new album whereas I just wrote the drum parts on all the other stuff we did. But having your hands on writing the material and lyrically doing things. I never really wrote words to anything - until this last stuff. I enjoy lyrics from everybody’s music, but I can’t say I aspire to try and write like this guy, because I don’t know how to and I don’t think I ever will.

I kind of wrote how I felt and how it came out to me. I didn’t have music when I wrote the song; I kind of just hum things in my head when I wrote the song. I just thought of words and lines and it just builds from that for me personally. But I’m sure you write way differently than I do.”

F: “That’s why I like listening to such heavy music, because it’s such a contrast. I never try to write like them, I just find my own inner piece in their music, you know? But I don’t try to write like anyone, I just write for myself. That’s probably been one of the biggest things that has kept me going. On one of my walls, I used to have this big chalkboard and it used to say, “Don’t write for them, write for yourself.” So I would just go by that. So whenever I was feeling down or something and I was like, oh I have to write a song… I would think, no I’m going to write something for myself, not what people want to hear.

If they’ve followed me this far, what’s stopping them following me in the long run?”

Is there a strong sense of community over there?

What does AIW mean to you on a personal level?

Franky, when you started AIW it was a solo project, why did you decide to make it a full band?

F: “Well, I guess when I first started off Alone, I did it essentially just so that I could make all the decisions needed to create my crap and I didn’t need to worry about what other people thought and I could just do my own thing. But over the years I started to notice that my energy wasn’t showing as well as it initially did at the start.

So we decided we’d try a full band show and it went really really well and everyone’s energy was wild. So I asked these dudes to join Alone I Walk.”

Would you ever play as AIW solo?

F: “I’d never play Alone I Walk solo again. It’s been full band for the last 3 months of shows.

I’m realising that I was alone. Thinking back, I was alone and it was awesome. But once I brought my friends and family with me to join my adventure, it became a lot more lonesome, being alone on stage.”

You’re from Winnipeg, are there any other hometown bands worth checking out?

P: “The scene is so connected but it’s very hit and miss. At times, you go to shows and they’re just bangers, everybody’s there, you know everyone - and it’s great and other times, when just no one cares. I think that’s one of the reasons we don’t play here maybe as much as we should. The touring experience is better, we like being in new cities. When we do play here, on the occasions that we do, we always have good turnouts. Maybe that limits what we do here, but when we do play here, people want to come see us. It’s an interesting city to play.”

You’ve just finished recording an album, where do your main influences draw from?

F: “Actually this one kind of breaks away from the usual thing I guess… This is the first album that I wrote with more than just myself, so I had my brother Passcal involved in the writing process of the lyrics and the music. So, how I would normally write, is if something was going wrong or if something was happening, I would write about it. I found all my older albums had a dark feel. And for this new album, we wrote it to

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Photo by: Isha Shah

F: “What Alone I Walk means to me, is… just like happiness I guess. I’ve never been as happy as I am now doing what I’m doing.”

P: “To me it’s kind of like - it’s been a shift, so it’s what I’m putting my life into and around. To be there for the progression of doing certain things.

I’ve kind of invested in a sense, it’s my life. A lot of people go and hang out with friends. We stay home and write music.”

F: “Our average Saturday night is just us with beers recording demos for another album or covers that we want to record in the studio.

We’re never just out getting hammered or doing stupid shit. We’re always trying to progress when we have time off.

P: “I enjoy just doing what I love instead of going and doing stuff and just being like oh yeah that was a good time - one night. I’m at this point in my life where, I just want to sit down and write music and invest my time into the craft I love. It helps that we’re brothers. So, you can get drunk with your best friend and do progressive work.”

Interviewed by Isha Shah

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dian Canaecial sp

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youn

ngbloods

While Canada may be dominated by acoustic guitars and country music, Lethbridge’s Youngbloods are keeping the punk/hardcore scene alive with their energetic music that is sure to get you moving. We chatted to Kyle Hogan (Vocals), Jessie Goodfellow (Drums) and Tyler Holt (Guitar/Vocals).

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Could you explain briefly how/ when Youngbloods formed?

TH: We all knew each other through different local bands, and when all the bands fell through we decided to put some stuff together to see what could happen – the next thing we knew Youngbloods was formed.

You’re from Alberta, what’s the scene like over there for punk/ hardcore bands?

JG: Not to sound ungrateful for our scene, but it’s garbage honestly. It comes in waves – it’s either garbage, or it’s less garbage.

KH: It’s hit and miss. It depends where you play really. Lethbridge can either be really good, or really distant. Calgary, when it’s well-promoted, has always been a lot of fun. But regardless, we always have a good time.

TH: It all depends on how hard you want to work.

You’ll always get what you give. Put in the time and effort, and you create an awesome show; don’t and you’ll pay for it.

Do you get a lot of local shows happening, like a sense of community?

KH: It depends what you’re into. There’s a lot of folk and classic rock here, but in terms of our “genre” if you want to call it that, there’s not a ton.

JG: Feels like everybody loves the idea of community, but it’s almost always about self-gain. No matter how many times you play a show, it often feels like a competition.

TH: The feeling of community seems to be slowly coming back, but not without effort. It sometimes feels like our grave was dug for us before we got here. We’re trying to pave the way for everyone to be able to dig themselves out and bring back the community.

You’re currently not signed, has it been a pushback in making progress with the band like booking shows?

TH: Absolutely not. The fact that we aren’t signed just pushes us that much harder to break the stigma of just being another local band. It makes us work harder to be known. As an independent band, there is no such thing as setting the bar too high, because it’s our own expectation.

KH: No it hasn’t, because it’s given us the freedom to do things how we want, and when we want to do them. Having said, we’re not against being signed if the offer feels right.

When it comes to musical and lyrical influences, what bands/ factors in life can you relate to the most?

KH: Definitely Amity Affliction and Divine; Misery Signals, Stick To Your Guns, and Four Year Strong.

Adversity definitely influences my writing more than anything else.

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JG: Blink 182, Four Year Strong, Amity Affliction…

TH: It’s never a dull moment in YB. From the negatives to the positive we deal with everything as a family. Youngbloods is our chosen family, it’s why we choose to keep going, and it plays a lot into what we write. Writing has never been a struggle for us because we always take what’s happening around us and turn it into music.

You’ve played a few local shows, what places have been most memorable and why?

TH: The opportunity for us to play our first arena show at our local venue – The Enmax Centre has probably been the most memorable, and also the best time we’ve had on stage. It’s also really nice to go from playing larger venues like that to more underground, intimate venues, because the amount of work that locals will put into smaller gigs shows a lot about our community’s revival.

KH: Enmax, definitely. That show really made us feel a sense of pay off as far as our hard work goes. Really cool to be seen by a totally new spectrum of people. We also opened for GOB earlier this year at a local pub, and that was obviously incredible too.

JG: The enthusiastic shows - that’s when you feel like people really appreciate the work you do.

Without those kids, it would be totally pointless to do what we do.

Where In the world would you like to see yourselves playing over the next 3 years?

JG: The world – everywhere. Obviously the UK would be incredible because some of the greatest and most influential punk bands have come from across the pond.

TH: Anywhere that’s willing to have us. Would be nice to branch into the States, and it would be really awesome to hit Eastern Canada, the UK and also Australia. It seems like all of my favourite bands seem to come from those places.

KH: Europe – that would be a life changing experience. I’ve heard nothing but great things about European music crowds.

What are your upcoming plans for the band?

TH: Finishing our first full-length album, which will be out by the end of the year. Along with that comes everything that follows a new album release. A new foundation to work with means new shows, new tours, and meeting new people to come along with us for the next steps.

KH: Finishing our album is definitely number one. Planning to tour next year, prepare for the next chapter of Youngbloods and keeping the writing train rolling.

JG: Releasing this record and making sure people hear it.

Interviewed by Isha Shah

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behind the lens

I’m Nathan Daniel, 20 and firstly picked up a DSLR at the age of 18, without having any particular interest in photography beforehand.

What essentially kick started my venture into the world of photography is my University degree. I chose to study Media Production at the University of Lincoln after undertaking an A Level in Media Studies, predominantly enjoying any practical modules that I undertook. I started photographing for local online music publication Midlands Rocks, alongside Take A Shot, both of which I’ve shot a lot of cool bands for.

I’ve done a few promo shoots and a few smaller local shows, amongst other studio work, portraiture and wedding photography. I’m really at the stage now of portfolio building and making an attempt to establish myself (which I guess is really an ongoing process, but there we go).

I’m now at the stage where I’m about to graduate (hopefully) from University, shoot as much as I can and earn as much money from my part time job at Tesco as possible to fund my move to Canada in October.

Last summer, I invested in a Canon 6D, which I absolutely love, alongside a Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 and a Canon 430 EX II Speedlite. That’s really served me well so far and because of my free access to kit from uni, I’ve been lucky enough to give a whole range of lenses a go and particularly enjoyed the Canon 16-35mm f2.8 USM L – so, I decided to grab one of those second hand last week and am yet to give it a spin!

nathan daniel

I’ve loved every gig I’ve shot in Nottingham’s famous Rock City, just as much as I’ve loved every gig I’ve been to there. The lighting always seems to be just that little bit better than other venues for the gigs I’ve shot, and I guess I just have a bit of a soft spot for that place anyway. As for my favorite bands to shoot, I’d definitely say A Day To Remember were up there – all the members were just so dynamic and it was really my first experience with a band actually playing up for the photographers, so that was cool. There was a lot of CO2, a lot of confetti and the lighting was absolutely on point. To make things better, I didn’t actually know I was shooting the gig until doors – I’d been doing a video interview with one of the support bands beforehand and hence had my camera, and then got told as I was going into the gig that I had a photo pass, so I just thought, “fuck it, why not!?” and ended up coming out with some of my favourite shots.

I just absolutely love the unpredictability of it. I know that’s something that some photographers hate, but it really does keep you guessing and keeps things exciting. It makes getting the perfect shot just that bit sweeter, too. It’s the whole “blink and you miss it” kind of thing. Aside from that, there’s the element that you’re getting to go to concerts for free (or better, if you’re lucky) and that you’re even going to them in the first place.

It’s one of my favourite things to do, with or without a camera.

I’d like to think that for the short time I’ve spent with a camera, I’ve covered a fair bit. My biggest ‘achievements’ to date are photographing two weddings, which is quite a responsibility and I was surprised with the quality of results I got. It’s something that I’ll look to venture into a little more after I travel and currently have two booked for this summer, before I leave. I’ve done a lot of still life and product photography in a studio and have become pretty comfortable in that setting, but I find it gets very boring very quickly. I’ve done a bit of travel and landscape photography, some candid shots with animals and then a range of group and individual portraiture – but not quite as much as I’d like.

As for video work, I’ve shot an experimental piece for a street dancer, a live music highlights reel, a golf documentary and a couple of short films. They’ve all turned out at least okay and I’m pleased with a couple of them, but I much prefer still photography. There’s less to worry about!

I think my main goal is just to be at the level where I know that I could request to shoot a show, and be granted access to it straight away. It’s by no means the reason that I do it (otherwise I probably wouldn’t), but I’d love to be able to earn a reasonable income from it. I think that being a touring photographer would be great fun, and I’d like to think it’s kind of like being in a band without actually being able to play an instrument. It’s just a really cool way to travel.

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Words by Nathan Daniel

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THIS IS our second time at ArcTanGent, and we really ca everything noise-rock festival. With previous acts incl MONO, And So I Watch You From Afar and 65daysofstatic 30

Photo by: Snaprockandpop

an’t get enough of this beautiful math-rock, post-rock and luding Russian Circles, This Will Destroy You, Fuck Buttons, c, it’s really hard to resist the temptation to buy a ticket.

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TOE -9/10 You know what I hate... When a band doesn’t embrace the more expressive and emotive side of their music during a performance, like they don’t want to embarrass themselves or as if they’re above being theatrical. You know who doesn’t do that? Toe. Toe are a Math-rock band which is a very rudimentary style of music but they have so much dynamic fluidity that runs through their music, they pull it off so perfectly live. I think that’s because of how they compose themselves as individuals during a performance. There’s genuine hesitance with their movements like they’re trying to hold something back incase it effects the performance. From my perspective this was extremely captivating seeing 4 really talented people use as much of their energy as possible, like for the song ‘I Dance Alone’ where you feel this resurgence as the snare drum comes in with everyone on the stage moving in sequence.

Toe a few thing and expressive is certainly one of them, they put on such an amazing show and they don’t pander to a certain era of their discog which makes them timeless.

Rolo Tomassi 8/10 Rolo Tomassi are unique in the sense that there’s a real aura of professionalism that comes from their performance. I had never seen them before but I know how much touring they have done to construct a certain work ethic when it comes to delivering a live show.

Eva Spence embodies a kind of fluidity in her performance which all the band members share but no one really “rocks it” like Rolo Tomassi’s front woman. Though I can say it’s entertaining to essentially watch someone do their job really well, this was the first band I caught at ArcTanGent, and so this was the first band to set the bar. And the bar they did set, like a traditional rock band performance but with the band jumping all around the stage, a cohesive set list full of a mix between their 4 full lengths, in summary a legit display of exertion through tight, dynamic mathcore.

I’ve seen Rolo Tomassi describe their live performances as something to enjoy when you don’t listen to Rolo Tomassi and you can really understand that from seeing them. I’d recommend seeing the band in a live setting to really get what Rolo Tomassi are about. They have a good connection to their audience and they really slay the stage.

Intervals 7/10 Intervals are a well co-ordinated mish-mash of progressive metal and that “Djent” sound that seems to be a pretty good deal to that whole part of the technical metal scene. This show could be characterised by the main guitarist Aaron Marshall demonstrating the necessity for both his vocal mix and opinion of musicians getting paid with his mic test: ‘Dollar bills, dreams I have of having a sustainable income’ which certainly made an impression on me as I was wondering would that quote reflect on their performance as well as their line-up consisting mostly of members of Plini? Apparently not, as it seemed to all come naturally to the band as if it was just another rehearsal.

High energy and an impressive display of instrumentation from each member individually, with attention to detail to each of their tones, although I wouldn’t expect anything less from a progressive metal band.

Eventually the set blends together with various idiosyncratic displays of performance but nothing that strayed

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Photo by: Snaprockandpop

too far from the fundamentals that Intervals put in place when they stuck the first chords but despite that... it was enjoyable, very much so. You could really respect how the live setting came together for Intervals, how many practices it took for each member to be in sync with one and other and what made each part of their performance reflecton each member; spotlighting each ones talent to make it feel not contrived at all but seeing it totally flourish.

Heck 9/10 I never listened to Heck, didn’t know what they were about, never really interested me at all but then I saw Heck in a live setting and it explained everything for me.

Heck’s live performances feel as though you sign a release form before you enter the show because every moment of their audience interaction feels slightly threatening but that’s a good thing.

The feeling of urgency is essential for the kind of show that Heck wants you to feel that you are a part of. The high energy makes the scenario more fitting as opposed to if everyone was just absolutely emotionless, although thinking about it I’m imagine how fitting it would be if everyone was just trembling in fear... I suppose that works too.

There was a few really memorable moments from this show: The singer standing on the crowd while the crowd was also holding up his mic stand. The band made a walkway out of the crowd and started performing outside the tent, I can imagine how oblivious some passerby’s would be, which makes it more hilarious. The second half of the show was spent with 2 of Heck’s members somewhere in the crowd but with the PA’s pumping what you would expect if they were on stage. The display of disregard and control isn’t anything new for Heck, they appear as an organised mess if an organised mess was something like a bunch of trash balancing one hundred feet above the ground on a giant pillar.

If you like crazy shows where you could get a face wound from a surprise guitar headstock you would probably really enjoy Heck. They go hard.

Owen 6/10 Owen is the solo project of Mike Kinsella of American Football. His music is like a suburban coffee shop embodied.

Just one dude and one acoustic guitar playing music that comes from the foundations of American Football. He’s got a bunch of studio albums under his belt and alot of shows too, so how did his ATG performance compare? To summarise it felt as quaint as can be with the very minimalistic set up and banter-filled interaction with the audience.

I’ll tell you what, the single best highlight of this set didn’t come from the musical performance but from Mike Kinsella asking if anyone has a beer he could have and someone replying with “Do you want some Ket?” to which Mike replied with “Ket?” A magical moment to add to the extremities of ArcTanGent, indeed. The performance though was abit lack luster. He played some memorable singles off his solo discography and a few others, I think though the charm of this show was how improvised it felt. I could imagine Mike Kinsella walking on stage not knowing what he was going to play, just what his guitar tuning would allow; which seemed to be the line that this show followed. I still found the set to be entertaining but for other reasons than seeing Mike Kinsella playing the greatest hits.

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Photo by: Snaprockandpop

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 10/10 Literally one of the best live shows I’ve ever witnessed. Everything about this set was almost perfect, what surprised me the most is how much better the songs sound live compared to the already fantastic studio versions. The real highlight of it all was the rhythm section in ‘Mladic’ which was this repetition of grooves through this drone-y, distorted sequence accompanied with strings that seemed to generate all the theatrical imperfections within the song, it was sonically incredible and it never stopped. This set clocked in at one hour and thirty minutes and I probably stood in the same place for at least 40 minutes just in awe of everything that was happening. The textures between each layer of music enriching this massive sound that just seemed to build up as restlessness. Anything I could describe would not do the experience justice; it honestly goes beyond any expectations of any concert, purely just as an experience. Make sure you bring a deck chair.

Spaceblood - 7/10 This set was particularly interesting because the majority of their set time was spent around a skit Space Blood had made about the current stance of Britain after leaving the EU complete with a set voice over directing the whole thing and a Boris Johnson wig. A cool display considering the crowd seemed to have kept to themselves about such a liberal statement which must have been gratifying for Space Blood, some would even call it “ballsy”.

But besides that the band was very on top of things: spewing out so much on stage charisma and confidence. It was like the whole festival stopped for them as they had something to convey with their set. Really funny and entertaining.

The whole skit centred around some kind of “universal space committee”, the UK becoming part of it and then the guy that was supposed to resemble Boris Johnson in the skit got out his guitar and started shredding with the rest of the band, which was hilarious. What took away from this set though was not Spaceblood’s sound but their concepts that tie into their music, I wish I got more invested in the music but there’s nothing wrong with getting on the comical end of the spectrum for a band.

TTNG 7/10 To start off with TTNG’s set was filled with math-rock and modestly inspired energy that summarises TTNG’s live performances. A healthy dose of their discography dotted around the set with an energetic crowd to compliment the aesthetic of a TTNG show. Seeing the display of talent that the band offers is a quaint and enjoyable experience, reminiscent of a live lounge band but the festival scenario still gives an entertaining output.

Singer and bassist Henry Tremain exchanging banter between him and the audience was an unprecedented highlight of charisma that makes the show that much more enjoyable. An audience screaming “Dicks out for Harambe” only for him to offer a reaction of dismissal was quite entertaining.

The track that stood out the most was ‘26 is Dancier than 4’ which was definitely their most energetic display. It seemed at this time the crowd and the band co-operated to bring the performance together which is what I expected from a band that consoles all three of their members to be extremely dexterous and flexible with their instruments, which holds value from a critical stand point but doesn’t bring much to visualise from the crowd. Gives a overcompensating band practise type of feel. Though I would say the instrumentation was very tight and satisfying to watch but overall is the most of what you should expect from a TTNG show..

AMERICAN FOOTBALL - 8/10 American Football having recently announced a new record marks the end of a post-reunion era of the Band where they would tour constantly playing the back catalogue again and again.

Americans football’s ArcTanGent set though, held no signs of any new material. In my eyes it was the last set American Football played before they would go on to reinvent their set list with new material.

If you have seen American Football after their reunion in 2014 before, you have seen this set before: Starts on 5 Silent Miles makes it all the way to Never Meant with some delayed trumpet interludes dotting the intermission between set changes. Though to anyone that hasn’t seen American Football one word to describe it is “melancholy”.

4 dads playing teenage music sounds less than legendary but these guys really own their influential title. The visuals compliment the autumnal aesthetic of the music so vividly and I say this because there was no backdrop for the music. It felt like they were creating an image for the stage with just their presence, which might seem like a ridiculous point to make but listen to their self titled and try to imagine these guys playing that without creating some kind of vibe. It’s an amazing thing to witness; it creates feelings of nostalgia and sentimentality upon hearing this music.

I’d say to anyone if you haven’t seen this band catch them on their upcoming tours in promotion for their upcoming record, it really is an experience.

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MeWithoutYou - 6/10 MeWithoutYou at ArcTanGent was a unique set as you had these Post-Hardcore juggernauts in a live setting that felt as if it didn’t do them justice. Their guitars sounded dampened by the live mix which was disappointing as well as the vocals that seemed over-exaggerated sonically; like it had a reverberated tone with delay on top of it, which didn’t compliment the singers shouting very well from the PA’s but that’s not up to the band. They gave an energetic and personal performance where you could tell each member was possessing a certain role in their composition through their individual energy, the drummer was a spectacle of this: he was so mechanical with his performance but at the same time it could be described as emotional.

Although I felt as though I would probably appreciate this band more in a dusty venue with some absolute nerd for the sound guy, but this performance fell abit short for me but I am sure others certainly enjoyed it, just from the influence this band has alone.

And so I watch you from afar - 8/10 I ended up watching these guys not knowing what to expect, I heard their music before and I got a really abrasive vibe from the songs I heard and I would assume in a live setting I would get excited. But I wasn’t totally looking out for them, in fact I stumbled onto the side stage and checked them out briefly only to stay a while because it was abit of a spectacle to say the least.

This band performs at a standard that I could only describe as a “150kg bench press”.

The grooves in ‘Beautiful Universe Master Champion’ felt heavy and crucial because of the bands reaction and energy from their attention to their performance. It was a kind of set you could really respect because you see the band enjoying themselves but getting all their playing pitch perfect, as if they were in rehearsal. While the audience was having an amazing time jumping around and really going for it, which contrasted with how the audience reacted to most of the bands at ATG, something really cool to see.

The kind of charisma ASIWYFA have in the melodies alone of their music really represent the live side of the band and would be something I’d definitely recommend checking out just from seeing this performance.

La dispute- 7/10 La Dispute shows have a certain type of vibe where the audience is a big part of the show, like any kind of show in the hardcore scene though at ATG the crowd’s reaction was a lot more conservative which gave La Dispute more of an opportunity to excel with their stage presence. What the band held in terms of performance was Jordan Dreyer posing a stance over the crowd as if to let to queue them into the typical crowd responsibilities of a La Dispute show. It worked to effect on tracks like ‘King Park’ but the set was neatly divided between softer songs and the more abrasive parts of their discography with a lot of room to work with in between.

Though despite this lee weight of track listing the set felt very short, but short with a real burst coming from the band. I’ve seen La dispute two other times and I feel as if can see their progression and maturity showing in their live performances as wel,l which is good to see as it complements the ethic of their writing as well.

Words by Domic Bevvis

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Photo by: Snaprockandpop

And So I Watch You from Afar

enemies

heck

rolo tomassi

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Kamikaze G

The 5-track EP, SAD was birthed at a very specific period in Kamikaze Girls life. “I was having a lot of mental health issues. I’d had problems with anxiety and depression growing up but the last two years, I really struggled with multiple problems. When we started writing I was maybe in the middle of this particular rough patch and the band ended up being my main outlet for venting about it.” The art work pictures their good friend Vicki, who is a strong female figure that the two-piece thought best emulated their EP. Having been a promoter in Brighton and putting on some great DIY/ Punk shows under the name of ‘Femrock’ and ‘O’Sister’, Vicki celebrates women in music and she’s also one of the strongest people the band know, so it was a delight for her to be a part of Kamikaze Girl’s music.

The duo also recently released a music video for ‘Stiches’, a track that explores the underlining conflict in yourself and trying to over come this. “ It was about anxiety towards being settled. I went from being super settled down to now being completely the opposite in the space of a year so I guess I’m definitely dealing with it. Have I overcome it? I’m not so sure. Right now I don’t live anywhere. I sleep on friend’s sofas when we’re not touring. If I was to ever get back into more of a routine and be settled in one place I’m not sure how I’d cope with that. We’ll see.”

Mental health is something a lot of punk bands have been addressing throughout their music, but it now seems like the taboo that used to come with having an open conversation has finally been knocked down. However this is not to say that this hasn’t had the

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opposite affect? “We didn’t intend for the record to be called SAD initially. It was going to be called Ladyfuzz, which is one of the tracks on there. We’ve always been very conscious about glamourising mental health issues if and when we choose to talk about them, we try and make sure anything we put out doesn’t make it ‘cool’.”

A certain trend with popular punk and DIY bands is to label themselves as #SadBoys or genre as ‘sad’, which instead of addresses the issues, it glorifies and has now been used as a marketing tool.

“For us SAD is more about people dealing with their mental health issues and accepting that it takes time and it’s tough but that’s okay, you can’t make a full recovery straight away as I’ve learned.

The whole #SadBoys thing to us doesn’t mean much. It is what it is. There’s a lot of people that will listen to sad music and a lot of artists that will market themselves on the fact they write sad songs, just as some artists will market themselves as writing upbeat stuff; there’s just as many fans for happy music as there is sad music.”

When it comes to live shows, Kamikaze Girls fail to show anything but vitality. “Our music is quite energetic, and our live shows are known for being quite unpredictable and frantic. As a two-piece in the early days I was very aware and nervous about just being up at the front by myself with no other members and Conor at the back. If we have the choice we choose to set up next to each other, but normally the venues we play aren’t often big enough to do that, so we have a lot of making up to do on that front. We never really plan what happens in our live show, it’s all just done on stage communicating

Girls

Kamikaze Girls wants you to know that it’s ok to be sad. The riot grrrl duo consist of vocalist and guitarist Lucinda Livingstone and drummer Conor Dawson, who spent some time with us to chat about their brand new EP, sad. to each other, or playing something a certain way that the other one of us will pick up on. If one of us isn’t locked in it doesn’t work.”

Although Kamikaze Girls are a UK band, they’re signed to a Belgian and American label. “We didn’t set out for it to be this way but it was just the right people we wanted to work with at the time. Both labels were super enthusiastic about the record and both labels had great people that we trusted with it. I’m really happy with how everything went and Bearded Punk / Wiretap Records are the nicest of people!”

This tie-in with the EU has also given the guys more than they bargained for. Being educated about the latest EU referendum is something a lot of musicians have to be aware of and have to teach themselves in order to progress as a band. “I have never been a political person ever until the referendum kind of forced me to pull my head out of the sand and do some research. Up until that point I had never voted and was very uneducated about the whole thing. Conor was the complete opposite. Through friends and reading up I forced myself to learn about the EU Referendum and what my vote counted for. For the first time I voted for something political this year and I really do believe it was the right thing to do. I think perhaps social media is a blessing and curse for stuff like this, as people can read a lot of things that aren’t true and comprise a false idea of the issues at hand. At the same time a lot of people were posting very informative information on there. In a way it’s almost overwhelming, like there’s too much information to go off and I can totally understand how it can be confusing as well. It’s hard to know what publications to trust and

which are writing impartially and honestly and not just for click-bait.”

When it comes to person beliefs and labels, your hometown can really have a long last impact on you for many years to come. For Nicola, growing up in Hull where most of the local shows were Hardcore gigs, it was common to be surrounded by the straight edge community. “I was straight edge until I was 23. I’m 25 now. When I went to new cities I didn’t always get that normality and people just thought I was stupid or weird. Some people get offended when you tell them you don’t drink as well which boggles my mind. My choice to be straight edge in the first place stemmed from that lifestyle, but also because I told myself I liked my head to be on my shoulders at all times, always in control. That’s not necessarily a good thing for me 24/7. My choice to stop being straight edge when I was 23 stemmed from being a very nervous and shy person. If I started a new job I couldn’t socialise well, if I played a show I wasn’t great at relaxing and talking to people after, if I went to a party I would probably leave as soon as possible. These are all terrible reasons to not be straight edge, but I overthink a lot of things in social situations and being able to have a drink and relax really helps with that. I respect anyone’s choice to be straight edge or to not be. I can see it from both sides and I understand why people make those decisions. As it stands now I’m not drinking much at all, I just play it by ear these days.”

Words by Isha Shah

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dian Canaecial sp

Marissa Kiernicki

Could you tell us a little bit about where you’re from and why you started singing and playing guitar?

“I’m from a small town called Oakbank, Manitoba. I started singing in grade six. Not many knew about it because it was not common for someone my age to be interested in music at that time. It was the known thing to play sports instead of being an outsider which was listening to music and writing music. I always felt insecure that I was interested in artistic aspects so I played a lot of sports throughout middle school but I really did not enjoy it. I only did sports really just to make new friends. In grade 8 I realised that I only really wanted to pursue music.

I took a piano but I realized that it wasn’t my thing at the time. But then in highschool I took up guitar and ukulele. I started playing shows about 2 years ago. Just at little coffee shops and stages wherever I got the opportunity. “ Is there a decent music scene in your hometown? What’s it like for acoustic musicians?

“Winnipeg is a great outlet for musicians. No matter the genre, everyone is very welcoming.

Hence, that is why I opened for pop punk bands even know I am indie-folk. I love playing for those kind of shows because it opens up the crowds that show interest in me. I find it neat that people just enjoy music just because it makes them feel something, no matter the genre.”

Have you played anywhere outside of Canada?

“I haven’t played outside of Canada. But I would absolutely love to. I’m only 18 so I think I have a lot of time to do so. “ When it comes to writing music, what aspects of life or music inspires you the most?

“Writing music has always been an outlet for me to express my mind without pointing fingers. Sometimes my songs just flow out of my mind without meaning, and within a few months I have a direct meaning. My writing is mostly subconscious thoughts. I sometimes write about stories- when a special person inspires me or if I am appreciative of their presence. I have gone through a lot of heartache and I sing a lot of sad and sappy songs. Because I find it beautiful when people can relate and I can be a voice that someone can connect to.”

Interviewed by Isha Shah

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Whilst we were on the road, one of our treasures we picked up was Marissa Kiernicki, a young beautiful indie-folk singer and songwriter.

what grinds my gears #sadboys need to not exsist If you brand yourself or your band as a #Sadboy then please just do yourself a favour and take your hashtag and unfollow me. Using mental illness to brand your band is not a marketing tool, nor is it cool or fucking edgy.

There has been a great deal of taboo when it comes to speaking out about mental health in the past, but in the twenty first century and certainly 2016, that taboo has been broken and speaking out is more common than you think. It’s great that we have progressed in the very slightest to be able to speak about something that is beyond our control, it really is, but there is no need to use that to brand your band and music as sad.

First of all being sad is ok. What’s not ok is to constantly wallow in your sadness, inflicting your mood onto other people, because you truly can not stand the sight of someone else to be happy. Yes you can write sad mu-

sic, and sound sad, but using the social construction to benefit your band is just shady.

People who choose to stay in the damp corner of their bedroom, despite getting help or taking advice, choose to stay there because it’s the only time they don’t have to face the real world and can get attention from others from. I am not saying that being ‘sad’ is for attention, but those who constantly want to be sad are.

Your genre is not ‘sad’, nor is your aesthetic, because sad is not one, no matter what Tumblr taught you, so can we please cut this bullshit and stop with the whole #Sadboys #staysad shit and just write and play music that doesn’t have to be branded with an illness to thrive?

Words by Isha Shah

Photo by: Isha Shah

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behind the lens

isha shah Hi, I’m Isha Shah and I’m a student in Southampton currently studying Popular Music Journalism. Photography has always been something that I’ve been interested in from a very young age, despite never having enough money to own my own equipment or even take a class on it. It was only about two years ago when I bought myself my first camera, a Canon 70D, and I have used that with a 50mm, 35 1.4 and 11-16 2.8 ever since.

Since my first show, I used to carry around a shitty little digital camera and spend the whole time trying to take photos, I knew I wanted to be the person in front of the barrier able to shoot from any angle, rather than getting my digital thrown about in the crowds. I was blessed being surrounded by talented people who I met at college and at shows that have assisted me with their knowledge of photography and I’ve essentially learnt everything I know through them. Without Johnny Foncesa or Elliot Inhgam, I wouldn’t have got far.

It’s hard to pinpoint my favourite band to shoot or venue to shoot at, as they have all been pleasurable, even the ones with a single spotlight. The Roundhouse, Electric Ballroom and The Dome all in London have to be my favourite, just because of the lighting and positioning of the bands. I regularly shoot shows at The Joiners in Southampton, Camden Underworld and The Old Blue last, and have shot some of my favourite bands there. When it comes to photographing bands, I try and go for acts I haven’t yet been able to snap, but there are always some bands I will never get tired of snapping, like: Roam, Creeper, Heck, Zoax, Everything Everything and the whole of the UK hardcore scene. Any band that brings the right amount of energy and keeps you on your toes are the best to shoot and the UK is filled with so many, it’s hard not to go to every show they play.

Despite shooting shows on a regular basis and not getting paid for any, I still persist simply because I enjoy them. I’ve spent two years mainly shooting small shows, which I have found to be the most rewarding; none of this three-song business. The main drive for me is capturing a specific moment of time through a personal viewpoint. You can have ten photographers at one show and every photo will be different, that’s the art of it.

Currently I am straying towards doing more fashion,

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portrait and promo photography. In my travels to Scotland, Canada and New York I have tested out my city and landscape shots that have also turned out pretty well, and I find a great thrill in shooting new styles. Being on tour is something I definitely want to do full time. My first tour was this summer and it was in another country. The thought was slightly terrifying but when I got there and had a camera in my hand at every moment, I was at my peak. The threeweek experience was a very long one, as most of the time was spent in the van, but the photos I treasure dearly are those behind the stage and when others were caught off guard. Shooting shows is a whole other field than shooting on tour. You are forced to spend every waking moment with these people and showcase the ride with just a few pictures, and you are the narrator of the journey. Going on tour also pushed me to be more experimental with my video work and editing skills. You are expected to produce something everyday, so you can constantly be learning whilst going through a trial and error experience.

I guess that’s what I want to do in life. Sure, I have loads of goals that I want to complete, but I feel like listing them would be pointless. As soon as you complete one, another one you would have never thought about arises. Working for a band or label and getting to tour with a few close friends is what I see myself doing in the next few years. Seeing young creatives already live this dream just pushes me forward into reaching this goal, as I know it’s totally achievable. However, I don’t just want to be shooting rock music. Breaking into mainstream music, shooting acts like Grimes, Beyonce, Kayne West, JME and grime artists featured in ID and Vice is something I really want to have a go at, as well as maybe working on the set of films and being a cinematographer.

The only downside to photography is that sometimes it doesn’t matter how good you are or how hard you work, you need to KNOW people and really know people. Most of the time you don’t get paid and it’s hard to think that it’s going to go anywhere, but persistence is key. You need to just keep at it and not settle for the small jobs, aim high and aim big and if you really want it that bad, I strongly believe you can get it, no matter how few people you know.

Words and photos by Isha Shah

BUCKETLIST BAN

Jason Derulo, Marilyn Mans Sum 41, Radiohead, Brand Ne

NDS:

son, Beyonce, ew and Grimes

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2014 was the year that sparked Shane Tasker to initiate Storm The Wall Productions - a solo project that now shares its huge success with fellow band mate, Cody McManus.

Starting this exciting project a year into their musical endeavors as a band (Coming Out Swinging), one of their original pursuits was recording music as an independent project on the local music scene. “We didn’t know how to access a lot of the content that come along when putting ourselves together as a DIY band, so we got thinking that it’s definitely something that’s needed on the local scene. It’s an outlet for those services and those resources, not only for bands but also for local businesses and entrepreneurs, so they can grow and develop their projects from an idea to a game plan. We help them onto a projected path towards where they need to go, so that’s kind of where Storm The Wall started.”

It wasn’t until 2015, that McManus decided to join the STW team, choosing to take the project to new heights. “I guess we have started taking it a little bit further than just a DIY small band’s first record,” McManus tells us. “There has been a lot more graphic design work and then just bigger audio projects, like the demos we started out with.”

Tasker takes great pride in seeing the progression of the twoyear-old endeavor developing with other creatives who can also lend their skills. “While we were on tour with our band over the last couple of weeks, a client that we’ve been working with released an EP on iTunes. Super cool to be cruising as a band and listen to music you’ve been working on.”

While the duo are constantly getting stuck in with novel bands and obligations to fulfill, McManus tells us how the simple joy of helping someone can have a long lasting affect. “It’s almost like we become part of that band. We take on a client from the very beginning stages, just like we did when we were 17-18 years old – and we help them make and design the logos. We help them with the release, all the digital marketing aspects, as well as the next album to keep them going.”

There is such a huge network that you are always bumping into the same people and while you’re watching yourself grow you can also watch those you have helped mature. “I’d say we are a pretty strong hub within Calgary and within Alberta

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as far as services go for any bands, businesses, and entrepreneurs to give them a bit of a start up to get them where they want to be with their goals. It’s really cool; it’s been a fun time.

Recently finishing his degree in digital audio and recording, McManus has been in college for four years but already has landed a job he loves doing and sees a strong future with Storm The Wall. “Everything I’ve done through school is exactly applicable to what we’re doing audio-wise. Even in the music industry, the classes I’ve taken on how to present yourself as an artist, as an engineer, as a producer, managing bands... Everything I’ve studied is so applicable to everything we’re doing. And it’s so helpful to be able to do that in my hometown.”

Storm The Wall may be made in Canada but that doesn’t limit the guys from branching out and working with international bands. “’Storm The Wall Made in Canada’ is a branding statement that we’ve recently been getting rolling with. Just to reinforce we are proud to be a Canadian company, but that definitely doesn’t tie us down to a home base. We had the opportunity to get out to the UK last November and expanded our network out there. We’ve made tons of new friends out there; we’ve started working with clients based out of the UK on graphic design projects and on audio projects. A lot of the stuff we’re doing does jump into the digital realm. It does become business that can translate internationally.

There doesn’t necessarily need to be a physical communication.”

Most of what STW do is entirely digital and with the 21st century constantly evolving, it makes Tasker and McManus’s job so much easier, as they can simply work from the comfort of their own home whenever they want to. However there is an urge to get back into the studio and travel to various towns to get their work done. There really is no limit for the duo.

“I’d say over the last year, Storm The Wall has dipped our toes into the pool of working with more international clients. Really excited to keep that going, anyone out there who’s looking for work on some new things? Always looking for new things. I think we‘ve always talked about being that benchmark – bringing in a project and getting them to where they see their goals being met. From a music standpoint, that’s always been working with a band until a record can take them on to a label or be supported in some kind of way by management outside of Storm The Wall. The goal would be to take on people who are just looking to start up and get them to a place that they’ve always wanted to be with their project.”

Words by Isha Shah

“I think we‘ve always talked been that benchmark bringing in a project and getting them to their goal.”

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why we

love

A staple in pop culture of the noughties, the epitome of teenage angst and hailing from the glorious Canada. This is Avril Lavigne, a woman that most became acquainted with from her debut single ‘Complicated’ and along with it came the iconic quote of “dude, you wanna crash the mall?”, which already gave the world a taste of the anarchic, punk messages that Lavigne aimed to uphold and present through her music, albeit in a more pop-based and easily-accessible form than her more rebellious punk predecessors.

As time went on Lavigne hung up her baggy jeans and fingerless gloves and waved goodbye to ‘SK8R Boi’ in favour of hot pants with fishnets for the days of ‘Girlfriend’, before progressing to corsets, latex suspenders and miniskirts for ‘Hello Kitty’. Not much being left of her days as the princess of punk, except for her shaved side of head acting as a reminder of the past, thus leading some to believe the conspiracy theory that these are in fact not the same Avril. The theory alleges that the real Lavigne died in 2003 and was replaced with a lookalike that Lavigne previously hired to imitate her during publicity events, hence the stark changes in style. Although this is something that can neither be confirmed nor denied, one thing that can certainly be acknowledged is that, regardless of whether it is still the same Lavigne, she has managed to stay firmly grounded in the alternative crowd throughout. This includes both her legendary marriages to Sum 41 frontman, Deryck Whibley, and Nickelback frontman, Chad Kroeger, in addition to the subsequent divorces from them. As well as this Lavigne has even had her side of her head shaved by the legendary Marilyn Manson, as having been long-time friends, they thought “why not?”

When not spending time with her all-star friends and family, or being rumoured to be dead and replaced, Lavigne then manages to make space in her busy schedule for a myriad of other activities. This includes representing her beautiful Canadian nation at the Winter Olympics and even recording a cover of the Spongebob Squarepants theme song for the promotion of the film. This is of course in between dabbling in her work with acting and philanthropy.

Overall Lavigne’s career has been a landmark in terms of the pop-punk scene, turning her into a household name, despite having started so long ago and yet still manages to remain relevant to today’s pop culture, making her one of our favourite Canadian celebrities that we just love to love.

Words by Courtney O’Flaherty

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on tour with

Montroze

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Photo by: Isha Shah

New Roots jump on the road with two extremely talented pop punk bands, Coming Out Swinging and Montroze, for three weeks of endless shows, cliff diving and out door showers.

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“you just gotta get out there and play a new city every night”

Going on your first tour all the way across the world without even knowing the bands fully is something I never thought I would have been able to do. I was living in the moment, and the moment is where I always want to be.

If there is one thing I have learnt from taking a leap and throwing myself into the unknown it’s that the outcome is what you make of it. Setting off on my first solo journey at Heathrow on the 15th July was the first step into a career I so longingly wanted. I had never got the Megabus alone, let alone fly to another country, yet here I am, already 6 hours into my 9 hour flight to Calgary, where I will soon be greeted by frontman Shane Tasker and guitarist Nic Sgaggi

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of Coming Out Swinging.

Being my first tour, there is nothing I can really compare this to, other than a fresh perspective of what it’s like following a band across Canada and back. Most of the time is spent in the van, so you’ve really got to be comfortable. Thanks to bass player Cody McManus, we had our van pimped out with a TV bigger than my own, an XBOX, bed, pillows and beach balls. It’s the small things that truly make the difference when you’re on the road, like being able to catch some sleep even if you’re squished against three other people. Coming back to the UK, I don’t think I can ever complain about the four hour drive to Sheffield on the £1 Megabus anymore, because if you want to get somewhere in Canada it’s about a 12 hour drive, or 38 hours to Toronto, if you’re feeling mad like us.

This is my personal insight of tour, and it is heavily based around

a photographers view. It’s always the most interesting view when it comes to playing a different city every night, because you’re the one that tells the story. The person behind the lens is the narrator on tour. You look at a photo, and within the first three seconds your mind has already conceived what is happening and how the subjects feel just by having a quick sweep of a snap. As glamorous as we may make it out to be, tour is either rough or Hollywood. The best part of capturing natural moments is the art of getting the past, present and future story across from that one specific moment in time.

My initial experience started off as being pretty invisible. Gigs are one of the most sociable places - if you look like you’re in a band.

On the very first day I did experience a level of ignorance, assuming that I was just “following some guys around”, but this was a oneoff occasion. Most of the time is spent watching the band you’re capturing, waiting for the right moment, being on guard 24/7. It’s

definitely hard when you’re just stood there, feeling unimportant, getting ignored by others, but it’s kind of expected to be ignored, I mean, people are there to watch the bands at the end of the day.

The first few shows were pretty hard and adjusting to doing this every night was something new for me. Hygiene and personal space is something that’s talked about negatively on tour, but I can say for a fact that it’s not a hopeless case. You are able to wash your clothes, change them, have a shower or a wet wipe one, and feel clean. Most of the time you feel pretty gross and tired and sweaty but after a few days it doesn’t really bother you. As we were traveling to Eastern Canada and back, most of our time was spent in the van, and for a 15 seater it felt pretty small with eight of us inside.

My favourite part of constantly being on the road was exactly that, traveling between different cities, time zones, and scenery. There’s

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a LOT of time to get to know the people you’re going to spending the next two weeks with, and it’s the type of ‘getting to know’ that goes beyond, “what’s your favourite colour?” When you’re put in a situation where you have to see the same people every single day no matter what, you learn far more than you can than with some of your close mates. At home you get to escape that, you get to go home, you get to cancel plans, you get to sleep, you get to do whatever. Tour is a great way (if you’re with the right people) to make some life long friends, or to realise how much you really dislike certain things. Lucky for me, I got to share it with seven guys who all taught me some valuable life skills.

Every single one of these people, as well as the other new faces I met along the way were so unique, yet came together on stage and performed as one. There were things I was worried about before tour, like “won’t you get bored of hearing the same band play the same set every night?” but that never even crossed my mind. Each night was completely different from

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the last: different crowd, city, vibe, sound and position. So no, you never do get bored seeing the same seven people perform on a totally new stage every night. In fact, it’s pretty thrilling.

From the moment I parted ways with the seven bright faces that still gleam with bright sparks behind their tired eyes, I instantly felt hollow. When you spend long periods of time with the same people, you start to grow a close bond, a routine that seems normal only to those bodies that are within the tiresome vehicle. Going on tour is so much more than just playing shows and trying to break even. Montroze and Coming Out Swinging have not only given me the opportunity to explore Canada, but to truly see it from all seven points of view, and that is something far more unique than any holiday could ever offer.

Words by Isha Shah

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sam chard

cody mcmanus

Riff Lord by night and one liner wonder by day, Sam is THE guy when it comes to those very long late drives.

Seen as the ‘dad’ of tour in a sense, we wouldn’t have made the journey without him. Being the first ever trip to Canada, the guys tackled each obstacle as it came with great triumph, and when the weather got a degree warmer for us Brits, Sam would be there shirtless with his one liner of the day, “Sun’s out, guns out.” As tour went on, I found Sam to be the one who was always prepared, sensible and ready for his third Subway of the day. He made sure that everyone was hydrated, feeling well, and most of all having a good time. Without the Riff Lord we probably never would have stopped at a Subway ever again.

All Cody wanted to do was pa ed, but you could always cou Seeing the fun side in every o on doing over night drives, t the brains, we were lucky wi moment, Cody was on the jo

jake matthews First of all, Jake was drumming for both bands every night, which was fucking mad, what a machine man. If there was food in sight, best believe that Jake was already opening the door, or sitting comfortably in the back seat with his bag of food we always mistook for a bin.

nic sgaggi For a Canadian, Nic sure loved to try and do British accents too often and failing so badly he sounded Australian (how does that even happen?). Nic’s chilled out and ‘we can do whatever’ attitude is what kept the balance when deciding the most important stop of tour, where to eat. Towards the end we couldn’t stop him from cracking jokes and making everyone laugh with his accents, songs and Canada vs. the UK challenges.

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Ben curd

arty and fart. The latter happened far more regularly than expectunt on Cody to put a smile on your face no matter the situation. opportunity, Cody brought life to the long drives, and would insist topped up with a fuck load of coffee. Sensible and the man with ith the van not breaking down, but if there was ever a concerning ob, ready to fix any broken situation.

Meeting someone who is so at peace and chilled out about literally everything has been quite refreshing, and when you’re on tour someone like Ben is exactly what you need. After our first trip to Walmart, and leaving with two boxes of dates, Ben was set for the road ahead. A free spirit who is constantly doing flips and jumping off things, the whole journey has been an absolute delight with the young gush of energy that Ben emulates.

jason bishop Skipping the three day drive to Toronto, we met Jason at his snazzy little hotel right by the airport before we successfully squeezed seven more of us into his one bedroom suite. If you love puns then you’d love to be on the road with this guy. Proving that the front man rumours about load-ins are correct, Jason balanced out everyone. (He did most load-ins lol jk.) Filled with cheesy puns, always spraying some positivity, and, I guess, fuelling our entertainment, Jason is puntastic.

shane tasker You ask Shane anything and his answer will be ‘absolutely’. If I had a dollar for every time Shane said ‘absolutely’ we’d be able to fund the whole tour. There is so much more to Shane than coffee, vaping and sleep; he is the guy that makes everyone feel instantly warm and welcomed. You could have a conversation with him about anything and not feel judged or worrying about being told that “you’re wrong” despite having a different opinion.

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We’re bringing you even more pop punk from the other side of the world, but this time we’re showing you what Edmonton Alberta has to offer.

Hailing from the same state as touring buddies Coming Out Swinging, Calling All Captains talk to us about their local scene and their biggest show to date, Warped tour!

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Could you explain briefly how/when you formed?

And you see the same hardcore music fans out at every show, just stoked to be there haha, which is really cool.”

“CAC formed in early 2014. We were all playing in different bands previously and were kind of connected through the music scene in one way or another, and when the project first came together and we were looking for people it was just good timing. Everything kind of fell into place and we haven’t looked back since”

You’re currently not signed and a DIY band.

Has it been a pushback in making progress with the band like booking shows, running social media, merch, recording, etc.?

You’re from Alberta, what’s the scene like over there for pop punk bands?

“It’s actually pretty decent! We’re fairly active in the scene here, both playing and attending shows, and when bigger bands come through they’re often surprised at how well the shows do out here.

The scene has suffered a little over the past couple years, but it’s definitely picking up again.”

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“Well… yes and no. It would be great to have a label helping us with opportunities for tours/shows and licensing and things of that sort, and maybe a little financial support for marketing, but ultimately we don’t rely on anyone but ourselves. We’re used to running everything ourselves, and we work hard to reach our goals. Having a label behind us would probably only make us work harder.”

Do you get a lot of local shows happening, like a sense of community?

When it comes to musical and lyrical influences, what bands/factors in life can you relate to the most?

“Yeah absolutely. There’s shows almost every night of the week, and lots of kids going out to support all different genres of music.

“Our writing mostly reflects personal experiences and low points in life haha - those times just seem to bring out the artist in you.

As for influences, we have fairly diverse tastes between the 5 of us and they change all the time, so pretty much anything that inspires us. Just to name a few: Trophy Eyes, The Story So Far, Knuckle Puck, Trash Boat, Hillary Duff.”

You’ve played some sweet shows, including Warped 2015 I believe? How did that come about and how was that in regard to the local shows you play?

“Yeah actually we entered the Ernie Ball BOTB that year, it was kind of a long shot but we decided we would enter the competition super early and pushed it really hard and hope for the best, and while we were out on tour across Canada, in Barrie, ON at the time, we got notified that we won. I think we were one of the only Canadian bands to get a US date, so it was pretty amazing. And the show was crazy, we lucked out and had a really good time slot, and the weather was perfect, and there were no other big pop punk bands playing during our time slot, so we had a big crowd by the end of our set. It wasn’t even comparable to a local show haha, not even close. The whole experience was very surreal.”

Where In the world would you like to see yourselves playing over the next 3 years?

“We have been really wanting to tour the UK and Australia, so those are our next short term goals. We’ve only played a couple shows outside of Canada, so we’re hoping to be on a much more international level within the next few years.”

What are your upcoming plans for the band?

“We’re recording a couple music videos in the next 2-3 weeks, and are working on putting our next release together. We just got back from tour over the summer so playtime is over haha it’s time to get back to work now haha thanks for having us.! Just want to send a huge shout out to all the people that continue to go out and support local music. All your favourite bands started out local and wouldn’t be where they are without you, so thank you! Hope to see you all in the UK very soon.”

Interviewed by Isha Shah

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on the fron We caught On The Frontline support our touring bands when they played Edmonton and were instantly blown away by them; we had to have a chat about how their music began. Speaking to guitarist and keyboardist Catherine, bassist and vocalist Bernard, guitarist and vocalist Mike and drummer Ryan about garage shows that the UK envy.

could you tell me a bit about how you formed and when?

C: “Right after high school I just wanted to form a band, I guess with my friends, over the years people would leave, we kicked people out... But right now, the current lineup: I met Bernard in university, and same with Ryan, who just joined the band, then Mike, I added online, who is the second oldest member of the band - and Jared the singer through high school, who joined shortly after Mike joined.”

You brand yourself as an alternative rock band. do your music influences follow that?

B: “Yeah, I’d say so. I feel like those terms are so thrown around. So often it’s very hard to term what’s alternative and what’s pop punk I guess you could say? Have you heard of a band I, The Mighty?

And a band called Conditions? I would consider those alternative rock, compared to pop punk, that has the heartbeat in the drums.

Paramore’s albums are very on the fence between alt and pop punk.”

C: “I feel like we draw from a lot of those styles of music, and we can’t really set ourselves out to be pop punk or pop rock, so we

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call ourselves alternative rock.”

When it comes to writing lyrics, do you all write them together or is it one person?

C: “Mainly the singer Jared but sometimes we will collaborate and practice together, but yeah, it’s mostly Jared.”

B: “Yeah we are all in the same room when it’s being written, like Jared, he has his notebook and he’s showing us stuff while he’s doing it and it’s like, “What do you think?” And it’s always like, “Yeah!

That’s awesome”. It’s very free and collective” Are there any bands or artists that you look up to for having a certain writing style for lyrics?

B: “The Story So Far. (All laughing) C: “I feel like for you it might be Paramore, just like, I, The Mighty and Conditions that we mentioned before.

R: “For me it would be A Day To Remember or Northlane. Those lyrics are really incredible and speak to me.”

So you guys are from EDMONTON, Alberta. Do you want to tell me a bit about the scene there

ntline

- Are there a lot of bands or a lot of shows?

R: “Heavily metal.”

C: “There’s a lot of metal bands.”

B: “There’s a lot of rappers. A lot of punk stuff. It’s pretty cool. I guess the scene that we’re in I guess the bands that you see here, this guy owned a production company he called it race fist productions. He had a huge thing a few years ago, he had a bunch of bands and that’s how we all know each other. That isn’t a thing anymore, but those bands are still there like Calling All Captain and Coming Out Swinging, they were all part of that. So there’s that kind of scene and there’s other groups that have been in it longer. Bands that just have more of a rep than us.

Which is pretty cool. Have you ever heard of Misery Singles? Misery Singles is a metalcore band and their roots are from Emertin. I feel like that’s where a lot of the metal comes from in Edmonton. They just played a show on the weekend here, it was packed full of older people like 30 year olds. I was like wow, this is cool, this is like all the old dudes coming back and reliving their nostalgia. Yeah, the scene is healthy.”

So could you give us a few local-ish bands that we should be checking out?

B: “You should check out Norelle, Norelle is a really sweet band…”

C:” Royal Tusk. Vorca?”

M: “The Most of August.”

Where are your favorite places to play?

B: “Well we’ve only played in Edmonton and Calgary. My personal favourite show of ours was when we played in a garage at an all ages show at a house. It was packed, it was sweaty, it was moist and everything. We played one of our songs, and the reception we got was insane.

People were going nuts, people were jumping.

Bernard: Everyone was getting pretty dirty, it was awesome.”

So are house shows a big thing over there?

B: “Yeah, it is. Most of them or all of them are all ages.

More important because most of them or all of them are all ages. I had a massive revelation when we played that show: These are the kids that will continue playing music and continue playing shows. These are the kids that are gonna be like, “Man do you remember that house show when I saw that band? That’s why I play music, that’s why I want to play music!” Those shows are so important because bands can play all ages shows and kids that can’t go to bars can witness that for the first time.”

B: “I just want to say how cool the scene is. It’s a very healthy scene, with Calling All Captains and Coming Out Swinging. It’s blowing up for sure. Edmonton’s been like a sleepy - not on the map kind of place, as I was growing up.”

M: “We have like a new arena, new buildings popping up everywhere and new bars and venues. So the scene is just getting bigger. And it’s really a welcoming community. Every time I play with any of those guys and see them it’s like, “What’s up!” I can’t walk down the street without seeing some of the guys that I go to shows with, and they’ll be like, “Are you going to this show or the next one?” That’s the image for Canadians.”

Interviewed by Isha Shah

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CURB

“Years ago I started going through supermarket bins after learning about waste and meeting some people who did it abroad,” Libby Russell, one of the many dedicators of dumpster diving tells us. “I was obviously shocked about the immense amount of food wasted, the food I was getting on one night from one bin could feed me and my friends all the time.”

The young 22 year old’s passion didn’t just spark from diving into bins, but studying art at university. “When I was at uni I started making art about it and it became a very large part of my work, eventually Louiza Hamidi and I collaboratively started Food Waste Café. This was installation art based usually in art spaces such as galleries in which a café was set up and table service was provided, except all of the food was from bins and out of date, and no money was involved at all. The piece was also performative on our part but largely about the social interaction and conver-

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Photo by: Isha Shah

The Real CHANGIN

sation that took place about waste while people were there.”

Russell’s expression often makes people ponder, and question their outlook on food and how we value it and the use of money within capitalism. Evoking Curb from The Real Junk Food Project was the next sustainable step forward, as it now consists of a group of people who are really dedicated to what they do. The main aim these people have is to end food waste. “It’s ambitious but the level of waste is see is totally unnecessary. In the process of this we want people to reconnect with food and have a different relationship and understanding of its value; one that’s not purely monetary. I consider Curb to be a form of socially engaged and politically charged art.”

Since Curb had registered as a CIC, they had to keep on top of accounts, insurance, data interception, social media, newsletters, emails and so on. This enabled them to monitor how much food they were saving and where it is coming from. “Put-

l Junk Food Project, NG THE PATH OF FOOD.

ting all that data into spreadsheets is a task we’re getting pro at. We collect food officially from quite a few places and we sort it and distribute it and, of course, we go dumpster diving.”

How does such a wonderful and self-sufficient thing operate must you ask? Well Curb is run by unpaid volunteers, who are intercept edible food from anywhere that’s wasting. “The pay as you feels basis is open to any group of people through stalls, events and café takeovers. Many people ask us if we give food to the homeless or poor and some even feel they shouldn’t take food because they’re not needy enough. We give food to anyone, we do not consider a social division between people, everyone needs to eat and there are some, for example, working full time and not eligible for government help, who are still living in food poverty. There’s too much waste, you’re seriously making our job easier if you take some food.”

There may be no end goal for Curb or point where they have reached their full potential, as it’s an ever-growing project. A café space is something that the collective are already looking at. “It’s pretty hard to find a space with a kitchen in the city centre that Curb can afford, which is a shame considering there’s so many disused building but we’re working on it. In the next few years I’d love Curb to have a café space where it would be possible to distribute way more than we currently do. We’d like to have regular cooked food and also a place that people know would be open at a certain time and come and collect groceries. This would make it so much easier to shift large quantities of food. We ask everyone to help us achieve this.” With Russell’s positive and persevering attitude towards her strong belief for Curb, it’s clear that we can probably see this dream become reality in the not so distant future.

Words by Isha shah

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70 Photos by: Stuart Peach

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the xcerts

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Photos by: Stuart Peach

s Arcane Roots

Arcane Roots

cheap meat

foes EMPIRE

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grumble bee

INME

NEW DEVICES

THE HYENA KILL

74 Photos by: Stuart Peach

PRESS TO MECO

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All things independent and DIY are always the most successful projects in the UK, and for 21 year old Jørgen Øksby, who runs his very own record label, success has already been sustained for a while.

Starting his very special label just two years ago, Øksby originally came to study in London, before deciding to drop out of university and dedicate his time to the label. With a lot of traveling, Øksby is on the move again to Berlin, in hope that his finances will be warmer to him in Germany.

But what made Øksby want to start the label in the first place?

“During the first month of university, some older students had a project where they started their own record label and the uni supported it pretty well. My friend Joe and I took that as an opportunity to start our own label and be funded by the uni. We were completely wrong about that,” Øksby laughs. “But we started it anyway. I have always played music myself, but realized when I turned 20 that it would probably just be a hobby for me. I wanted to still be involved in music and thought I could help bands that I love to reach a bigger crowd. So starting a label was a good start, and now after just one year of being properly active, I have released and worked with many of the coolest bands and labels in many parts of the world.”

Backpack Records is a label closely associated with emo bands, but they have released more math-rocky, dreamy, noisy and grungy bands too. “I have always loved hardcore, and I haven’t released anything for different reasons, but I saw a really good band this summer, which I’m really exited to release soon.”

As well as the label, Øksby has organized his very own shows. “I have organized some shows in the past that were Backpack related, but it was mostly when it was only After Words who were signed to the label so it wasn’t like a Backpack Records event.

My friend Matyas is an assistant promoter at a venue in London now so there will be some upcoming Backpack shows soon.”

With a tone of UK bands on the verge of becoming something big, Øksby sends us some recommendations of who we need to check out, which include Lightcliffe, Redwood, Drawstring, Don’t Worry, Modern Rituals and Chain of Flowers. Also mentioning the two current UK bands on the label, PLASTIC and Chrysalism.

For Øksby the most important goal for Backpack Records is to be as personal as possible with bands, cus-tomers, supporters and everyone that becomes takes part of the label in any kind of way.

“I have not really bought something from a label in a while, but what I missed when I started buying rec-ords was the personal connection with the company you support. So I try to give something of myself to every person that comes my way.”

Running a label in the twenty first century can be a pretty hard job, especially when technology is con-stantly advancing. There is always that scare that no one wants any psychical copies anymore as let’s face it, everything is online and online for free, so why even bother with vinyl’s and cassettes? “I was once in central London, waiting for a friend and a lady came up to me asking what would become popular in 2016 for her survey. I answered that cassettes would become the next cool thing people would start to buy. A week later, I saw around 3 articles saying that cassettes were becoming popular and stores starting to stock cassettes. I’m pretty sure it didn’t have anything to do with what I said, but it was funny to see those articles a week

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backpack records

after I answered that survey.” Øksby seems to be pretty head strong about the uprise in cassettes, despite the awful sound and cheaper product, the aesthetic around tapes seems to be taking the public by storm, and getting a head start on delivering to the audience is something Øksby has already overcome. “I sometimes wonder if there are still people buying physical products, and it really is. It is still important to grab people attention though. That’s why my 5th release was released on a wooden USB disk. Michal from Chrysalism and I were discussing what to release his EP on, and thought that putting it on a USB would be fun and different!”

can’t listen to it because my phone and computer is too old. I love listening to vinyl and always buy vinyl of my favorite albums!”

Even the way we consume music has changed, and YouTube is no longer our favorite provider anymore. Instead smaller companies such as Bandcamp seem to have taken over our web browsers, as most small UK bands put out their music for free. “Bandcamp is my favourite streaming service ever. Spotify is good, but it’s really annoying when a band only release music on Spotify and I

Thanks to everyone that has been a part of this label this past year, have weird and cool stuff coming up! Thank you Isha/New Roots for this interview, you are amazing at what you do and enjoy your little break! ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR BACKPACK.

It’s not just Backpack Records who are trying to make their mark in the UK scene, but many many others who Øksby cares to share with us. “Open Door Records are my number one favorite, always treat me well and release the coolest bands. Don’t Care Records from London and Don’t Trust The Hype Recordz are amazing, check out their releases if you are into the heavy stuff. Homebird Records and Beth Shalom Rec-ords are some great UK labels.”

Interviewed by Isha Shah

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behind the lens

marcus dick

Hey, my name is Marcus Dick and I’m a live music, editorial and portrait photographer based in Reading! My love for live music photography came from when I used to attend a local youth club which had small bands from the local college & schools come down and perform in the evenings. Around that same time, I had chosen to start studying photography at school and was given my first DSLR. My current set-up for live gigs is usually my Canon 6D with a 24-70 f2.8 L lens, or my brand new Tokina 16-28 f2.8 ultra wide lens. I also have a little 40mm pancake lens as a behind the scenes lens or whenever I’m trying to be discreet. I also carry around a Canon 1000F 35mm SLR (which uses my EOS lenses), and I’ll hopefully be adding a Mamiya RB67 medium format film camera to my bag as well!

My favourite bands to photograph right now are my friends in Clockwork, a tech-metal band that I’ve known for years now, and TesseracT. The guys in Clockwork have always been super friendly and carry round portable strobes with them for their live shows, activated by their vocalist by pressing a button on stage. Their lighting has always been hard to shoot but the getting rewarding images from those always make me feel great! TesseracT are also my next favourite because of what an experience it was to shoot them! I got to shoot them down at London KOKO and their lighting was AMAZING, their performance was outstanding and their interaction with both the photographers and crowd just made the atmosphere of the gig 100 times better than what it already was (which was pretty good).

I shoot live music photography because of the passion and drive that it gives me. It’s hard to explain.

There’s a level of intimacy of photographing musicians doing what they do best and that’s what drives me. I also love the atmosphere, hundreds of people all together to enjoy music and have a great time. It’s amazing to be a part of that, photographing pure passion.

I usually shoot a fair few portraits outside of live music photography, as well as branching out into automotive photography as well. Portraits are so fun to shoot because, again, there’s that level of intimacy that you can capture out of someone. Not only that, but shooting live music can be quite stressful down to time constraints.

With portraiture, you usually don’t have to worry about time and you can usually enjoy yourself a fair bit more just taking things slow and taking some awesome photos. Automotive photography came as a recent thing that I’ve started doing, a few friends of mine brought some new cars and asked me to take photos. It’s actually quite fun, so I’m hoping to do that a little more!

As a photographer, my main goals in live music photography are to be able to be in a position where I can travel internationally, shoot practically everyday and see my work in print. I love getting my images printed! I’d love to be able to just go out on tour with a band to somewhere that I’ve never been before, that experience of being somewhere completely new can be quite exciting and I’d love to experience that.

I’ve been witness to photographers almost having their gear broken by security who’ve lost their temper for some reason. I’ve hears so many comments about photographers ‘’ruining a live show for getting in the way’’.

We’re aware that we are sometimes in the way and we try our best not to be, it would be nice if people were a little more patient. Because as busy working photographers, we’re very grateful for people who are patient.

Words by Marcus Dick

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79

ALBUMs

boston

9.5/10

be nothing.

With three EPs under their belts, Blackpool’s Boston Manor are still the most consistently pleasing band in the Pop Punk & Emo scene; managing to slap together a collection of fast, unapologetic and harsh break up Pop Punk bangers such as ‘Dirty Kitchens’ yet still provide the same gritty passion in newer, sadder, a tad more reserved and more mature sound with 2015 single ‘Trapped Nerve’.

Now a year on the quintet’s eagerly awaited debut album Be Nothing has only supplemented their drive to untie from the docks of modern day Pop Punk and push out a canal boat decorated vibrantly with a surpassingly unique sound. To hear, a still considered, underground band amalgamate such a somber yet bitter sound with track ‘Broken Glass’ then straight after hit us with such a hauntingly instrumental and melody in ‘Kill Your Conscience’ on a debut album provides a great deal of solace, dauntlessness and just depicts how fresh Boston Manor really are.

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Furthermore, for the Northern quintet to still be able to maintain an undoubtedly suitable, story based lyric style is beyond incredible; as snappy track ‘This Song Is Dedicated To Nobody’ holds extreme similarities to Debut EP (Here/Now)’s uplifting song ‘All Tight’.

Be Nothing is an album to naturally captivate the musical ideas of any smaller bands or artist within the Pop Punk & Emo scene, an album that follows all the right paths and fills all the nooks and crannies of an ever developing and changing scene, yet displays to be no challenge for the musical attitudes, an almost commendable stubbornness and an authentic self-reliance Boston Manor have brought with this album and the way they play their music. Be Nothing will only be the start of what more Boston Manor can bring to the table, it’s onwards and upwards from here for the Blackpool lads.

Words by Billy Young

n manor

pure noise Records september 30th 2016

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the fairweather band meow By merging indie rock, folk and punk together, The Fairweather Band has blended together something that is not only interesting, but also unusual. With the use of different guitar solos as well as different types of vocals the album the band have been able to create something unique to them as well as the world by just being different.

Songwriter/lead vocalist/guitarist, Rory Matthews, has created cleverly written lyrics with great use of metaphors, whilst being able to mix in addictive guitar licks and bass guitarist/vocalist gives smooth harmonies to give a different vibe per track. Throughout the album are tracks that are either under two minutes or just over that two minute mark, which follows the work of The Minutemen’s ideology of song-writing. It’s unusual, but something that grabs your attention and makes you stay to listen to the full depths of what

they were able to create.

The album was released September 2nd and the band has just finished a U.K tour and received a fantastic response from it all.

“Meow” follows some vibes from their self-entitled E.P, which was released in 2014, but it also shows that mixing three completely different genres of music works out in the end.

Tracks such as ‘Nosebleed song #1’ and ‘A Broad Definition Of Success’ give your typical rock/indie guitar solo’s as well as drum beats and vocals that make the tracks two of the best songs on the album. The track ‘Stop Calling’ starts of with a smooth guitar beat that slows

down the album from the rock feeling and allows for a more personal and slow song, something unique to the band.

Words byJosh Abraham

8/10

casey Love Is Not Enough Causing quite a stir in recent times is South Wales based quintet Casey. Bringing themselves and their fans together with passionate live performances and vulnerable lyrical content, this band have the ingredients to achieve success in a short period of time.

‘Bloom’ kicks off Love Is Not Enough and is one of the more aggressively executed tracks on the record, whereas ‘Darling’ deals in a slow build that leads into a euphoric explosion. The song unfolds in a beautifully dream-like state that has us whispering along to Tom Weaver’s excruciatingly open and vulnerable lyrics, which are one of the main reasons Casey have such a dedicated fanbase already.

Even this early into their career they’ve received numerous comparisons to melodic hardcore heroes Being As An Ocean, due to the spoken word style sections that Weaver laces into the songs as well as the guitar playing and Casey’s overall vibe. This comes

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to a head when guitarist and clean singer of BAAO, Michael McGough brings his angelic tones to ‘Ceremony’.

The emotional weight of the record is at times unbearable as Weaver bares his soul, ranging from delicate singing, to spoken word, to outright screaming his heart out.

The intricacies in everything involved in Love Is Not Enough keeps us interested and invested, and we think you will be too.

Words By Joshua Clarke

8/10

Dinosaur Pile Up

singles

eleven eleven

drawstring

'school'

If you couldn’t get enough of their EP overload, then watch out for the emo pop duo from Kent’s album. Drawstring are teasing us with their fresh and vibrant reformed sound in ‘School’, a sweet teenage splutter.

It’s hard to believe these guys ever take a break, constantly filling our ears with the sweet reminiscence of a high school daze.

Words by Isha Shah

big bug 'AUTOMOBILE'

It’s riffs galore from British alternative rock outfit Dinosaur Pile-Up. Their new record Eleven Eleven is a masterstroke when it comes to musicianship and guitar trickery, and by utilising such energy and skill, the band have created a sound that is pleasing and highly sought after. The chug of the guitar, the beating of the drums, and the quirky vocals all combine effortlessly. The choruses are also all seamlessly produced with a swagger arresting enough to connect with the listener. It’s a marriage made in heaven with a rock sound that gets people up and out of their seats.

However beneath the overtones of great guitar work, there’s an underlying presence of negativity. The band work so hard at spreading their pain as well as their talents, orchestrating stories of pill popping and obsessions. Depression also lingers, like a horrible dream that becomes reality. The lyrics are dark and searing, like a hot stove burning to connect with a cold hand. Dinosaur Pile-Up know how to sing about personal issues that they have tried to combat. It’s not all about sex drives and entertainment, drugs and sunk-

en eyes. It’s about not pulling the wool over the presented problems.

Eleven Eleven is a stark record too.

Opening song, ‘11:11’, starts with an empowering riff that compliments the subtle vocals well. The track elevates as the guitar gains influence, and it’s a solid beginning to an opus that doesn’t lose power. ‘Friend Of Mine’ holds a stupendous chorus that scatters the lyrics like confetti. The guitars ring true, intertwining with the strong vocals. ‘Anxiety Trip’ reflects the true grittiness of the album. The dirty guitar lines are impressive beside the eye-opening wordplay.

It’s a revealing contribution that hits harder than a brick to the skull.

Dinosaur Pile-Up have put out a great effort with their third record. It’s a revealing and dark trip of despair.

Words

by

Mark

Mcconville

8/10

IAlthough the trio have played this song many times live, this is the first live broadcast of Big Bug’s infectiously catchy banger, ‘Automobile’.

Matched with an extravagant music video that’s filled with light hearted humour and a love for swanky cars, the pop three-piece have yet again filled our ears with classic sugar pop beats and pounding vocals.

The band has a high level of playfulness which strongly resonates in their music, allowing anyone to enter this happy land.

Words by Isha Shah

turnstile ' FUCK ME BLIND (GIVE)' FTurnstile are a band that are never going to let anyone’s feet rest. Their very presence causes every atom in your body to get up and move to their electric energy. Taken from their recent EP, Move Thru Me, the American hardcore band just seems to know how to manipulate fans old and new. Straying towards their older grooves with this EP, the band are constantly challenging modern hardcore music and taking each song back to their roots, infusing the post and present, their music is truly remarkable.

Words by Isha Shah

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Against Me! Shape Shift with Me With the reshuffle of band members, Against Me’s last album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues was seen by some as a swan song of the four-piece punk act. Against Me are back at it again and stronger than ever before with their latest release Shape Shift with Me. Continuing on from the prominent themes of Transgender Dysphoria Blues, Shape Shift with Me however this time, focusing on love and relationships from the stance of a transgender person, as vocalist Laura Jane Grace said, “There’s been an infinite amount of records talking about what love means from a cisgender perspective. I wanted to present the trans perspective on sex, love and heartbreak.” Third track, ‘Boyfriend’ illustrates just this, the chorus shouting out “You treated me like a boyfriend, just some fucking boyfriend.”

The frustration and sound of betrayal in Laura’s voice cuts deep, where you can almost feel the pain she feels. This then continues into the single track, ‘Crash’ which whilst

the subject is quite sad, the overall tone is uplifting and may take the place of Against Me’s bounciest song which is bound to get a good reception live.

Don’t believe that Against Me have lost their punk edge, songs like the opening track, ‘Provision L-3’ and ‘Dead Rats’ are aggressive and completely in your face once again demonstrating they’re still the bearing the flag of punk-rock and are no doubt going to cause mosh pits to ensue on their live shows. Whilst some message boards may say that Against Me are losing their edge and rawness of a band, the four-piece are determined to prove people wrong whilst providing an alternative perspective on love and relationships that almost no other bands have done, which

could be said to be the most punk they’ve ever done before.

Words by Charlie Hill

9/10

The Dillinger Escape Plan Dissociation And now, the end is near…The Dillinger Escape Plan are releasing one more album before they gracefully duck into the shadows away from the public eye and devoted fans.

Dissociation doesn’t feature any mention to the bands impending split as vocalist Greg Puciato said it wasn’t really apart of his headspace, so what we get isn’t a love letter to the band but another go at them making a unique sequence of music.

‘Limerent Death’ brings the bark and bite backed by power and punch rather than the blistering and headache inducing technicality that guitarist and songwriter Ben Weinman has become known for. The weird and wonderful interludes that were on Ire Works make a return in the form of ‘Fugue’ whilst ‘Low Feels Blvd’ has Calculating Infinity vibes running through it and has a trademark lounge jazz section that you never know is coming. ‘Surrogate’ speeds through at break neck speed with one of Bil-

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ly Rymer’s best performances for the band.

You could cut and drop any tracks on this record onto any other Dillinger album and it wouldn’t feel out of place, thats not to say the songs aren’t original or brilliant, cause it’s The Dillinger Escape Plan, they are obviously are brilliant.

But the jewel in the crown is the ending title track ‘Dissociation’, electronic based it swells and pulsates with Puciato’s voice soothing and sitting on top. The melodies and vocal lines he uses really push this song into stratospheric territory. Its broody, bold and downright beau-

tiful. God bless The Dillinger Escape Plan, pioneers, fearless and revolutionary.

Words By Joshua Clarke

8/10

Brightr

year one

‘We’ opens the album brightly in typical sunny Brighton-based emo / pop-rock / punk acoustic singer songwriter, Brightr style, (like Brighter, but with a missing ‘e’).

Not one moment of his ever-dancing shifting rhythms are cast in shadows: instantly uplifting, constantly swiveling and transforming. This UK based DIY solo artist sounds larger than life in such intimate recordings of afternoons we can imagine spent tied to a guitar and dreaming of more distant shores.

What might have become the present day reincarnation of nevershoutnever, can be found among the carefree sensibility of the skillful and truly original, very personal songwriting style. With his storytelling, this-is-how-it-goes type words that seem to come straight from the heart, spilled out effortlessly – that provide pop and mellow beauty to acoustic punk rock, tangled up in more somber colours of maturity from experience and influence that appears to seep in from the likes of City and Colour and Speak Low If You Speak Love.

Catchy, breezy, unpredictable and just what anyone needs to add a touch of lightness

to any day. The air and space that seems to drift above the earthy, ground solid recordings and soft-spoken yet at times gravelly vocals, with added notes of xylophone twinkling like stars across ‘Alright, Okay’ makes for music that sweeps across entire landscapes of dynamics: Over pounding and sloping drums that sound like the tide gushing out and away from the shoreline, that bring more emotion and atmosphere.

The songs are award winning in originality, melody rich in content and catchy happiness dances with a rhythm that brings each one to life, both on the notes of the guitar and the vocals – which can be heard lovingly circling around each other, giving you plenty of chances to bop along or tap your feet or clap: never one defeating the other.

The incredibly attentive but never once overworked production, in places showing almost threadbare, demo quality guitars laying down a comfortable carpet to the more slick and carefully crafted instrumental and rhythmic elements, which pick the lower tones up, and really adds special harmonies, drive and touches to allow these stunning songs to shimmer and run forwards to their

full sky-high potentials.

The running time of the whole album barely reaches 35 minutes, but each song feels like it’s just the right length, rolling into the next like they were made to be together, telling a story, piece by piece, hand in hand. The entire release flows from one moment to the next beautifully, never a dull moment and always alive and full of beautifully blossoming melodies and unexpected moments of change.

Year One will keep even the most attentive listeners on their toes, as they are dipped into an alternative universe of shade and light that bounces beautifully above waves of life, that feels more personal but also more inviting and indefinite – more open to interpretation, than a family album or diary torn open. It seems to sail itself out to sea and bring itself home again multiple times, drawing on and spilling out captivating and blissful moments of acoustic ventures, that openly invite all who hear them to come along and let go of any woes or concerns and enjoy life for what it is in the moment.

Words by Arriana Corr

9/10

penthouse It’s fair to say that grunge, emo and punk have completely dominated rock music throughout 2016 and nearing the latter stages of the year it’s becoming increasingly tricky for new bands to stand out and make their mark across the scene. Well, for most new bands, that is. Since January the band formerly known as Doubt have been performing under the moniker of Penthouse, and their first EP under this shiny new name is called Solemn.

Reflecting the title, there’s definitely a sincere and melancholy aura surrounding this EP but it’s pulled off so effortlessly that there’s nothing to be sad about. Opener ‘Chuck’ is the only track on that resembles something you might have heard before from one of Penthouse’s peers, but even so, the backing vocal screams during chorus add a real unexpected depth to the song, and having a guitar solo that manages to not come across as self-indulgent is definitely a feat.

solemn

It’s uphill from here with the catchy ‘Drive’, a song that seems to have bowled straight out of an American punk band’s garage met with their distinctive British vocals, and speedy punk whirlwind ‘Heatwave’. The drum patterns do become a little repetitive by the time track four, ‘Black Shoes’, comes around but amongst everything else it’s really not a big deal.

The real show stealers are the final two tracks ‘Dreamer’ and ‘Love Drugs’. ‘Dreamer’ weaves through progression and buildup like it features on a record from one of the universe’s biggest rock bands. Then the final song crashes back down to earth with hints of what a band like Hildamay could have become and guitar lines that sound as though the four-piece have punked up Hole’s ‘Celebrity Skin’. With a beefy instrumental section jammed in the middle ‘Love Drugs’ is sure to be a centre-piece in Penthouse’s live set, and if it isn’t it damn well should be.

The getting lost in the punk/grunge/emo/ whatever-this-is-this-week void isn’t a problem for Penthouse on this EP and if Solemn is anything to go by, it shouldn’t be a setback going forward either.

Words by Natalie Webb

9/10 85

eps redwood blood moon Post ambient Redwood are sweeping you off your feet and taking you to a deserted paradise where you dreams can run wild.

We are coastally caught up in our busy lives that we forget that there is music that exists to transport us a new haven.

Title track, ‘Blood Moon’ softly awakens us to a place we’d never want to sleep in.

Their beautifully ambient aura can awake any person, with its tranquil rhythm that softly eases back out. Keeping vocals to a minimum, ‘Yellow Light’ picks up for all empty echoes, where the vocals reach their full potential. The contrast between the two tracks doesn’t come as sharp surprise, as tension is built to allow the listener to grow with the music.

Redwood are evidently becoming a band that you never realise you need until you’ve caught sight of them. The five-tracked EP may very well be too short in breath but the perfect beginning to the bands new chapter.

‘Haunted’ has a very juxtaposing title to what the song delivers. In fact it’s one of

puppy Puppy are a difficult band to pin down to just one sound, on one hand there is clear and distinct influences of heavy metal yet at other times can go more alt rock. Vol.II is the result of this melting pot of genres altogether. Opening the EP off to a tremendous start is Entombed, clashing the guitar tones of Around the Fur Era Deftones with the classic metal vocals more similar to the likes of Ghost. The debut song ends with a crushing breakdown that rivals much heavier bands in their fields.

Go on further to the slower song, Warm and the sound drastically changes into a more of an indie-rock sound. Before the EP’s launch, vocalist and guitarist, Jock Norton declared that “Here we wanted the lines to blur even

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Re d w o o d ’s most beautifully harmonised pieces.

In just a short year, the guys have upped their game significantly from Rain, a much more energetic and fast paced outlet. Although Blood Moon has a stronger consistency in theme, their previous material held a certain spark that was relighted in the last track.

Once you’ve heard Blood Moon, you’ll begin questioning how you went so long without this utopian EP. Words by Isha Shah

8/10

Vol.II further” and that’s precisely what the band has done in Vol.II. As mentioned at the start of the review, it is impossible to pin down Puppy to one particular sound, one moment they’re displaying their alt-metal grooves in Entombed, the next moment the chorus sounds like it’s come straight from a heavier-Weezer. Without a doubt, Puppy are one of the most interesting and unique bands to come out of the woodwork in recent years, and it wouldn’t be jumping the gun to say that you’ll be seeing a lot more of them soon.

Words by Charlie Hill

8/10

safeside

blossom

This EP is full of beautiful melodies and fast paced riffs to keep you listening, with vocals similar to the likes of Don Broco, You Me at Six and Decade. It’s certain that there’s something in here for everyone’s ears to be pleased with. This Essex based band are very easy to listen to and it is the kind of music you listen to when you want to reflect on life.

you proud to stand your ground as who you are today.

“You pulled me in and threw me out again,” hits home to anyone who has experienced heartbreak from a one-sided or dead-end relationship, breakup or rejection and feels set back or put down due to this, during ‘In My Place’. But this track doesn’t let you stay sad about it - it makes you let go and see what has happened clearly now looking back, the guitars like ocean waves rushing above your head. With layers of vocals that really rise up at the end of the song, this all helps to wash out old emotions and make

‘Framework’ is so carefree yet catchy, with a chorus where vocalist, Frank Yates, clearly enjoys looking back to a time of frustration, now that he has worked to move past it - “I’m so sick of this, of this shit!” are the words, but you can hear a smile underneath it all. The happiness of this track seems to go hand in hand with the lyrics and tune, reminding us it’s okay to invest time in developing a carefree attitude in life where we are so commonly plagued with worries.

The songs are well structured and clean sounding with many changes in sound throughout each track. In all, Blossom showcases a great piece of work and shows the time and effort that has been put in to mak-

ing it.

Words by Arriana Corr & Brandon Hart (Failure Is An Option)

7/10

ryan sparow shadows If you’ve ever wandered through a new unexplored bustling city market alone to find a quiet place in nature, then you’ll know a little bit of what it’s like to discover Ryan Sparrow’s blissful blend of acoustic folk.

‘Bird in the Rain’ is like a steady flowing river of questioning the nature of life that bursts into wild colours at the end of the track as electric guitars and drums under the folk flow of the track make you want to be at a huge open field covered in mud and clapping along with 1000s of people – the EP starts off on a very strong foot and feels festival ready. ‘Fall’ is a romance song so heartfelt and the fluttering guitar melody notes cradle a subtle sadness and happiness of accepting things as they fall – throughout like dappled rays of sunshine reaching you through the clouds as you walk onwards alone.

Shadows shape-shifts and shines into an abundant trove of the melodies. The last song – ‘Hazel Eyes’ feels almost cinematic but in a romantic and humble way. The only

disappointment on this EP is the production - it does not do Sparrow’s voice justice throughout the EP but particularly on ‘Fall’ where perhaps the sound was attempted for particular effect, but it ends up just sounding muffled and dulling the life and subtleties out from the vocals.

If you are familiar with his live performance you would know that the sound on this EP does not truly capture the sheer beauty and haunting enchantment that Sparrow’s live performance delivers – but it is so beautiful and enchanting nonetheless.

The songs shine through with their ambient notes and poetic lyrics holding you hostage.

Sweet guitar melodies uphold the songs like tapestries of light, are spun around the treasures that Sparrow unfolds. Unfortunately in places these are not given enough

amplitude or room to breathe in the mix, causing them to become a little lost – but at other times the strings sing out perfectly and take you away to a place where your heart can open up and light can come in.

Words by Arriana Corr

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James Leese The Four Portrait James Leese, the singer songwriter from Stafford, UK commented on the release of his work, “This EP is dedicated to the lives of four people who taught me a lot of the core values in my life and that in some cases true love does exist”. The piano and strings that feature on the tracks dance as uplifting notes of bliss gracing over the threadbare and comfortingly soothing Dallas Green (City & Colour) type vocals Leese is so adept at. These guest performances in addition to the recording, mixing and mastering of the entire release were completed by Elliot Wallet of Fullshore - which gives the songs a really homecoming, warming feel to them as you can tell Wallet and Leese worked closely together to make the music.

Leese is a very talented songwriter capable of telling the stories of others as in some of his other best work he has written songs about movies depicting with conviction and emotion the lives of those he has never even met. All of these stories he tells with transparency of the narrator but he never fails to engage us well and truly into the worlds they have created. Every strum and

small talk The second ‘Barebones’ kicks in you know you are in for a steep ride, ‘Heavy Gloom’ and ‘Roam’ by The Story So Far come to mind. “As I try to deny all of the habits I keep,” is a brutal self-reflection. The title song and effective introduction to the EP continues to depict sleepless nights, feeling stuck inside your own mind and just wanting to escape it all. The entire track keeps you on the edge awaiting the twists and turns. For when you want to forget about life but it won’t even be so kind to let you sleep, this song is there you.

‘Headaches’ depicts painfully accurately what it’s like to struggle with nerves that hold you back from saying what you really mean, by messing up your words or just stopping you from feeling able or wanting to talk at all. The lyrics show how the words you end up keeping inside your head can build up inside, causing you headaches, having to deal with them alone. It’s a hard hit home for anyone who suffers with anxiety - but also acts as a progressive cathartic release encouraging self acceptance - as it depicts the struggle and the divide between the frustration of wanting to be able to overcome the anxiety up against the comfort that can be derived from doubting

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harmony between the chords of his guitar and his worn out but instantly likeable voice is put together elegantly.

The continuing motif chorus explaining that this is a simple love story on the outside and that love at its core is pure and true and simple but the stories surrounding it and created by the power of it are what are complex – ties the two songs – Part 1 and Part 2 of the same song respectively ‘A Tale For Two Lovers’, together.

It’s hard to walk away from this mellow EP without feeling some change in your heart and not wanting to look back to it at least once more and there are 3 extra B-side songs that come with the EP on download or purchase. The melodies are catchy but in a relaxed way and will make you want to sing this in times where you are in need of

comfort. The Four Portrait EP reminds us with real stories that true love is undying and persists despite whatever life throws at it.

Words by Arriana Corr

9/10

Barebones you will ever be able to do this – because fearing failure of overcoming what you wish to overcome, encourages only further anxiety. You begin to question whether you’re better off just accepting you will always be the way you are and learning to deal with it.

‘Permanence’ is to the point relatable to anyone who has ever felt alone and unable to stop or take a break, whether it’s from bad habits, work, loneliness, shutting yourself away from the world, addictions or life itself. “There’s a point on this hill, where I don’t have the guts to go. But courage is all I know, it gets real lonely,” with guest vocals from Luke Rainsford (Layover) haunting echoes creep outwards as the song leaves you isolated from even yourself and makes you go to question who you really are at the end of it all and when you are well and truly alone.

On release of the EP, the band commented, “Barebones is the result of sleepless nights, local shows and new friends, these songs mean the world to us and we hope

that you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed writing.“ Birmingham (UK) pop punk/ emo 5-piece, Small Talk are now disbanded – Kyle Siviter (Guitar), Tom Devonshire (Drums) and Jack Kelleher (Guitar) have gone forward in recent months however to reform a new yet-to-be-named pop punk band, expected to be playing shows in the west midlands as soon as early 2017.

Words by Arriana Corr

9/10

fullshore Everything That Went Away Bright, dreamy and breezy dancing acoustically atmospheric indie pop planted deep in the earth of bedroom demo drums played with studio precision. Blurred and dipped in honey, sunbeam residue moments of bliss blossom open, now scattered with notes of early morning dew as subtle layers of acoustic guitars and lead lines shine upwards above soft sunlight vocals sung by Ben Bestwick. These touch an eternally blue sky and speak instant truths that are at once startling and comforting.

“I wanna see you happy tonight,” and “But it’s not fair of me, to do this to you and myself,” are the words that continue to flow softly over title track, ‘Change’. These lyrics clearly portray innocent wishes and wise reflections on a romantic but simplistically constructed version of events without any superfluous drama or extraneous details and content, which makes the sweet melodies instantly more relatable and re-listenable.

Composition is minimalistic and accurate throughout the band’s collective of subtle and gentle pop rock. From every note plucked as light as a feather over words about falling in love for the first time (‘First

Love’) and how you think it will last forever, to the guitar melody lines that run entire rivers (‘Change’) through the faded polaroid picture of kisses shared in a park on a sunny day (‘Chic’) that this music captures, it feels as though the artists have deliberated for days over creating a careful watercolour portrait of sound with attention to every subtlety and detail. But not once does it does this come across as over produced or unnatural.

Thematically the approach to cherishing past events in a beautiful and respectful manner whilst letting these memories and feelings softly go into this ethereal air beyond life as it is changing now and forever is refreshing and uplifting and makes these songs a delight to revisit, as life is always going to be changing for us all.

The dedication and time that has gone into creating something as dynamically soft and soothing and lyrically simplistically perfect and pure as Fullshore have introduced us with this first EP is evident in their artistic modesty and ded-

icated application of skill and good intent present throughout Change. This angelic photo album of rustic indie pop swaying in and out of dreamy bliss and tearful subtle respects to past versions of oneself is not to be missed.

Change travels beyond the scene and time it was created it under – it is modest, honest, and as a result, feels timeless, classic and undemanding yet possesses instant charm – the beauty of the melodies is so graceful and gentle, it’s impossible not to fall in love.

Words by Arriana Corr

10/10

Everyone & Anyone Throwing Change In Wishing Wells How often is it that you feel taken back to 2009 – and for good reason? ‘Apathy’ and ‘Hanging On A Cigarette’ hit you face first with instant charm that harks back to a time when Italy’s NOTIMEFOR (who’s vocalist features on the debut Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! album - Something For Nothing) had people dancing all over the world, broadcasting from their MySpace and YouTube accounts online. Everyone & Anyone mix Avril Lavigne – The Best Damn Thing (2007) style kickass confidence boosting melodies with the more feisty and untamed mannerisms of WSTR, Neck Deep and Blink-182. Old-to-new pop punk is painted in every year from 2001-present – from the most dramatic and in your face to the songs that will tear you apart.

‘Apathy’ –brings us a 2016 re-constructed edition of ‘What’s My Age Again’ with its catch-line, “I’m all fucked up at 23, yet you get by so easily…” Echoes that resonate within an ongoing generation of youth that are stuck still firmly to pizza, ‘90s cartoons and refusing to grow up. But what Every-

one & Anyone (Rhyl, North Wales, UK) also bring to light here, over the top of fearlessly jump-starting chords - is that this collective attempt to escape responsibility and adult-life in general may be because they feel that they are struggling with progress when facing up to the harsh realities of life, more than most ‘normal’ people who may make out to be coping fine, or at least a lot better. Let’s face it - adult life is not what we were sold as kids. Admitting it forms a song that can help release of built-up self-shame and doubt and is a small but sensible and respectable step for modern pop punk.

Rob Grey’s vocals get the revival party started – stapling Throwing Change In Wishing Wells together as romantically as he does furiously. If you’re drunk or alone at 2am and crying about it – here is your chance to sing as classic pop punk crashes headfirst into something that sounds much more like the recent trend for UK’s heavier pop punk’ with more gnarly and gritty pop

punk growls. Classics ready to be relived like they were yesterday are made all new again and blended up from the past to the future of pop punk sounds. Throwing Change In Wishing Wells is explosive and robust and may not be a game changer but it’s definitely a good start.

Words by Arriana Corr

7/10 89

layover

Clarity

Performed and composed with aggressive honesty: punk that is both raw and humble. Layover get angry about how negative people and experiences influence you, but ultimately focus on positive self-improvement efforts - working with what you’ve got to move onwards and upwards in life – all delivered by an honest voice you would be hard pressed to ignore the meaning and emotion behind. “I’ve been try’nna be better than I’ve ever been…” is the opening chorus line to start ‘Pigments’, the first single and midway point of the band’s 2nd EP Clarity: to summarise the atmosphere of this band’s current attitude and how strongly it shows in their music.

Immediately relevant although personal messages regarding life lessons and relationships with yourself, others and the world around you, burst open in these rapid escapes from the loudness of silence in your head, fabricated and numbed by a world so absorbed in itself it loses touch with reality. Layover are that sharp and harsh reality, that we’ve all been missing.

The British punk music comes to life, as if the band is right in front of you – one that is not afraid to speak their minds.

Trying to be a better person and move away from negativity and people who neg-

atively influence your life, seems to be a key element to the themes of these songs, debut single from Clarity ‘Pigments’ beginning with, “Just because I’m broke, doesn’t mean I’m broken,” which is optimistic, but realistic.

The lyrical style of Rainsford allows his personality and strong character to show through with many tongue in cheek jokes and puns as well as just plain thoughts shouted out loud, like: “I’ll pick myself back up!” Determined strong will, alongside utterances of admitting personal weaknesses, but as a building point to work with or move on from - not making excuses to feel sorry for yourself or waste time getting down about them.

Layover’s music is the unlikely combination of fearless and humble. Fast, aggressive, angry and violent, yet equally honest, emotional, accepting, to the point, fun and definitely loud, but not without moments

of quiet to spare. Alive with tangible personality from Rainsford’s choice of words and how he says them, to the raw edge of every chord attuned with glassy shards of definition and crash of rhythm that cuts through the colourless but bright clarity of the production, from a perfect start to the finish line.

Words by Arriana Corr

9/10

ben bestwick But First We Live “This is my first ever solo release. Each song was written about individual love stories within my favourite TV show, Game of Thrones. All characters or quotes mentioned belong to that franchise,” explains Ben Bestwick of his debut solo EP, that has recently been described as ‘fan fiction’ in the form of music – but not in the way you would expect. With such delicately delivered vocals and finger plucked guitars, But First We Live gives intimate insights into 3 very different romance stories.

Produced by Liam Radburn and featuring instrumental input on cello and percussion, the EP is a beautifully coherent collaborative creative effort of serene acoustic melodies. Soothing lullabies float gently beyond boundaries of reality with storytelling words that do depict the characters and their hardships and experiences of love, but not in an expected TV show reconstruction kind of manner. Bestwick really creeps under the skin of the characters from this fic-

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tional universe and makes them come to life in a fragile and tender way that sounds personal yet mystical.

Every word falls effortlessly as snow with emotions of subtle sadness and longing inhabiting every so often within the soft vocal tone characteristic of Bestwick as made known by his performance in Fullshore. Careful attentiveness seamlessly laces up a dedicated performance, making this EP a beautiful listen from start to finish. But First We Live may be written about characters from a fictional world, but it sounds as if every note has come from Bestwick’s own heart.

This is an EP that anyone could enjoy whether they are familiar with the franchise and story the songs are based on or not. Destroying boundaries of reality and fiction and seamlessly connecting them to create a themed musical theatre experi-

ence is not something easy to master and here it has been done so charmingly. Enchanting and effortlessly romantic.

Words by Arriana Corr

9/10

bath tub

Mud Valley

Track one – ‘Get In The Bathtub’ is only explainable with one word - glorious. It’s mind boggeringly intense for an intro to an EP. It will knock you off your feet and set you up for the awesome songs to come.

‘This Song Is About’ is like hearing Good Charlotte for the first time. Although it is like other punk tracks it is completely unique, there is no else’s material to which it can be compared with and do it justice, oh there’s also a great surprise about half way, enjoy. Worcester’s own best and craziest, colourful pop punk quartet don’t stop with the surprises as ‘Endless Love’ might make you expect a typical punk love song, but boy would you be wrong - it’s a song that you won’t just connect with but will bring memories back and really make

evertim

you think; classic punk track. ‘I Don’t Like You Anymore’ is best summed up as sum41 meets Horrid Henry. It’s fun, awesome and brings out that inner kid in us all waiting for the time of our lives.

This song is a blast, so let’s rock out and dance to this one. Four Year Strong time travel to be on ‘90s cartoons to capture the sound of Mud Valley’s delightfully childish and tremendously chunky breakdowns and riffs. Sugar sweet and sour spat vocal hooks that summon up thoughts of The All-American Rejects and apple bubblegum plus Blink-182-esque gnarly bass lines that are all underlined by bold, driven drumming define the sound of this solid debut. Bathtub are on fire - and laughing whilst they’re at it. This EP is fun, fun, fun and well - surprising. It’s much

more then punk - It’s a party in the form of a digital download, don’t miss this one.

Words by Brandon Hart (Failure Is An Option)

9/10

Learn To Swim

“Introducing me, my own worst enemy,” like P!nk from ‘Don’t Let Me Get Me’ from 2001’s Misundaztood follows on from a dreamy half-sleeping lazy guitar melody that sucks you into the beautifully conducted layers of chaos that are to follow.

Halfway through the 2nd track and debut single from the EP, ‘Second Bite’ distorted crunchy guitar fuzzes up your brain with pedals making a comfortably thick warm melody. In the style of Underoath’s classic album, They’re Only Chasing Safety an extended vocal outro is overlayed after dropping down into scream breakdown, which bullet fast drums pin down - “Every poisoned person I know, I wanna let them go!”

Then happy go lucky sounding Taking Back Sunday starts up the track ‘Extreme Phil Shaw’ - but State Champs power drives it forward without all the commercial perfection smoothing out real human unsual touches, and the Brighton pop punk outfit show their lighter side amongst all the shadows as they cheer “woo!” over an emotional tangle of guitars and deep lyrics that reach into self despair and disagreeing with the status quo. Breakdowns always feel so fresh along the ride of this EP and surprise you every time but all the

overlapping melodies keep the beat going. You don’t ever get bored for even one second with this fast progressing and insanely varied EP. Yet it all holds together with a distinctly remarkable and unique style of sound that can only be pinned to Evertim.

The start of closer, ‘Outlook’, at first captures the sound of early Avril Lavigne’s darker material and then opens up with a bouncing bassline and twangy notes of sunshine guitars feeling almost like a dancey country tune mixed with emo punk vocals and guitars that then take the track by full hold taking you back to 2001 with The Used as Alex Tuck screams “Can’t stop these panic attacks!” after complaining about not being able to look after oneself properly – the song captures the up and down struggles with trying to have a better approach to life whilst trying to keep your problems to yourself because you feel that in the greater scheme of things they don’t matter so much. The honey warm swing that carries some of the sweeter melodies crashes so calmly into the starry sky opening wave crashing catchy chorus that ends the track.

Pure power, intense choruses, true punk

emo bite but not ever without a surprise twist coming up in the next 10 seconds.

This EP is hard to believe it’s a debut. It will make Evertim’s mark on the alternative rock scene a firm one as these few songs demonstrate such a versatile and sturdy talent that crosses many genre boundaries. Learn To Swim shows that Evertim already possess extreme unity, boldness and have produced a weighty treasure of uniqueness in such early days they are bound to go far, but this EP is likely to remain a classic to look back on with pride and fondness for years to come.

Words by Arriana Corr

10/10 91

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house sho

The summer is the time for all to kick back and enj er, so what’s better than spending an afternoon at a landed you with three amazing but diverse shows to here are the three shows that we 92

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ow special

oy the beautiful but unpredictable British weatha show? We’ve gone a bit DIY crazy this summer and o get you ready for the winter’s gigging season. So e’ve had the time of our lives at.

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middle distan + splitsville + penthouse + pet library + aidan coull southampton 14.8.16

pet library

aidan coull

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penthouse

splitsville

penthouse

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middle distance

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middle distance

splitsville

penthouse

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violet mud

violet mud

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crywank + Grant Sharkey+ Dave Miatt + Kristianne Drake southampton -10.9.16

crywank

Kristianne Drake

Dave Miatt

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Dave Miatt

Kristianne Drake

crywank

Kristianne Drake

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Grant Sharkey

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Live

pinegrove A ‘Six-headed Pinegrove’ rears its many skulls at tonight’s packed out Southampton show. Between self-conscious witticisms about tuning his guitar, Evan Hall characteristically guides the well-oiled machine through tracks from their breath-taking debut LP Cardinal and earlier works.

Despite his small frame, Hall holds a powerful voice that desires to escape him with every note, but he manages to maintain control when delivering lines about heartbreak, loneliness and maturity well beyond his years with charming delicacy. Hall’s reaction to not being able to hear his voice over the crowd singing the words back to him is genuine and heartfelt on particular fan favourites such as ‘New Friends’ and ‘Over My Shoulder’.

Each song flows into the next like water. There is a sense of fluidity and precision that can only come natural to those who have mastered their art, which each member of Pinegrove manages to execute perfectly. It was clear to the audience that everyone on stage just knew each other, which made for an atmosphere that enveloped the entire crowd to willingly lose themselves in.

A new song stirs things up nicely as the collective knowingly smile to each other in recognition of the excitement on all the faces across the room. Smooth, country elements expand the depth of influences Pinegrove draw from proudly front and centre in the midst of their more electric material.

Tonight is a perfect showcase of how and why Pinegrove are so deeply adored. Complex song writing is passed off as simplistic, on stage personas that are filled with ease and the band are so relaxed, it’s like the stage is their natural habitat.

As the evening draws to a close, the night is a successful landmark in the band’s first tour across the UK. Delivering a powerful sound that holds the attention of everyone that comes into contact with them, it’s hard not to see why fans across the country and beyond thrive upon Pinegrove’s honest storytelling and sincere beauty.

Words by Josh Jones

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Photos by: Alex Thornber

pinegrove + the fairweather band + shy boy thejoiners, southampton -11.9.16

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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. lightcliffe “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.

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.

drawstring

“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 epona 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

108 Photos by:by: Georgia Rose Photos Isha Shah

merex

drawstring + lightcliffe + epona the fiddler's elbow, london 25.8.16

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Live

thrice + milk teeth + greywind The Forum, London 28.8.16 - 9/10 It’s been four years since Thrice last played a headline show in the UK and it just so happened to be right here in Kentish Town’s Forum. That’s the beauty of Reading & Leeds Festival warm-up shows. But before the main event, two bands set to make their R&L debuts this weekend are primed to set the night in motion.

Openers Greywind are, in essence, an exciting new band and could very well be Ireland’s answer to PVRIS. Siblings Paul and Steph O’Sullivan, along with their band, rattle through a string of ambient pop-rock songs. The foundations are set for this two-piece, not to mention Steph O’Sullivan’s soaring strong vocals but they do seem to have a severe lack of real stage presence.

Maybe it’s the venue being larger than they’re used to, or simply down to nerves, but one can only hope they’re able to nip this in the bud over the next few months.

Milk Teeth have picked up some impressive support slots this year, which really helps showcase the four-piece as not just another new punk band.

As soon as they strut on stage Becky Blomfield commands the room and has everyone hanging on her every word. Milk Teeth may not be the typical band for this crowd to lap up but their brash angsty punk is nothing but entertaining as they play through cuts from their debut album Vile Child.

It’s rare that a band as deep into their career (nine albums deep, to be precise) as Thrice receive such a positive reaction to new material as the quartet are greeted with tonight. By opening their set with ‘Hurricaine’, the first track from their latest album To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere, they sure seem to know what they’re doing. From hereon in Thrice’s set is a relentless onslaught through fourteen years worth of glorious post-hardcore.

What’s exciting about Thrice is that they manage to keep the momentum going for an entire 90 minutes despite numerous slower tracks scattered throughout their setlist. One of the standout moments was the roar as the band play the opening riff to recent single ‘Blood On The Sand’, a standout from the latest album, and the room chant word for word back at frontman Dustin Kensrue. The Forum is electric as Thrice close on the stunning ‘For Miles’ before storming back for their encore with the massive fan favourite ‘The Artist In The Ambulance’. The show closer comes in the well-known form of ‘The Earth Will Shake’ and if it weren’t for the heat the room would surely welcome additional songs on top of the hour and a half we’ve already been granted. It’s a dazzling return from one of the rock world’s most modest exports.

Words by Natalie Webb

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The Gospel Youth

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state champs Photos by: Stuart Peach

tate champs the gospel youth + water canvas the underworld, london -24.8.16

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Live

citizen + Big Jesus Sticky Mike's Frog Bar, brighton 24.8.16 - 7/10 Brighton’s Sticky Mike’s Fog Bar has been hyped up to be one of the best venues in the south coast. However it seemed like tonight was not a great date to choose for Citizen’s short run of shows, before they hit the massive stages at Reading and Leeds Festival. Ideally a non-barrier show would not have a barrier, but due to many bad choices, a tiny metal rail separated the crowd from the band, remarking in frontman Mat Kerekes to comment. “It feels like we’re in a jail or something, why is this railing here?” His point was very valid as the dark gloomy room was filled with bodies that could easily push over the limp rail.

It’s very unusual for line-ups to only consist of one support band, yet presented with just Big Jesus, the crowd seem unready for their loud punk rock blasts that the speakers confuse for noise. Cooped up in such a poorly lit room with terrible sound is always a downer on the overall show, however luckily for Citizen this doesn’t seem to matter.

With a strange atmosphere lingering in the first two songs, the Michigan five-piece seemed to distract the audience’s eyes with their witty humour and communal arms, outstretched welcoming feet to move forward. For a band who has already been on a short UK tour in January, it was expected but not hoped that the band would play a set filled with new album tracks. To everyone’s shock, Citizen sparked off with a very quiet intro is ‘Sleep’, a track that ordered mouths to move.

Despite most fellow Citizen fans already camped up at Reading and Leeds festival, Brighton pulled out a decent turn out, ignoring the fact that it was a Thursday night, the band banged out several Youth hits, whilst dipping into newer material, Everybody Is Going To Heaven.

‘Yellow Love’ plays and the hot sweaty room calms down a little says while body sway and Mat Kerekes gently touches your heartstrings with his delicate whispers. Citizen’s performance lacked the energy they once performed in the summer of 2014, however they managed to make themselves sound flawless in Sticky Mikes Frog Bar’s awful sound.

Words by Isha Shah

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marissa kiernicki

alone i walk

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alone i walk montroze + coming out swinging + Marissa Kiernicki the park Theatre, winnipeg 26.7.16

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frank carter + elegies + broken teeth + astroid boys

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+ blood youth + fourth gate + the temple + dead harts +

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fourth gate

the temple

elegies

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dead harts

bad sign

blood youth

astroid boys

broken teeth

mathletics

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WEST MIDLANDS POP PUNK

SHIPWRECK RECORDS PRESENTS A ONE OFF MAGAZINE SPECIAL IN ASSOCIATION WITH NEW ROOTS. Words by Arriana Corr, Design by Georgia Rose

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Photos by: Nathan Hefferman, Sarah Lockwood, Stephanie Evans

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