SNACK Magazine: November 2021 – Issue 33

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CONTENTS WHAT'S ON

P8

Scottish Alternative Music Awards – Howardena Pindell: A New Language Life's A Dream – Cop26 Fringe – Unsweetened Conversations

INTERVIEWS

P20

Broken Chanter – Molly Payton – Callum Easter – SHEARS Linzi Clark – Wils Wilson – Brickwork – Charlie Roy

FOOD & DRINK P38 Food & Drink News – Beetroot Soup Recipe

LGBT+ P42 World AIDS Day – The (Not) Gay Movie Club

REVIEW P46 Lloyd's House – Brickwork – C.F. Peterson – Charlotte De Witte Broken Chanter – Hen Hoose – Lunar Vacation – Jennylee Louis Seivwright – Linzi Clark – The Story of Looking, Sweet Thing

WORDS P54

CREDITS Editor/Sales: Kenny Lavelle Sub Editor: Leona Skene Food and Drink Editors: Emma Mykytyn and Mark Murphy LGBT+ Editor: Jonny Stone Design: Julia Szekeres Cover photo credit: Stephanie Gibson Sales: Philip Campbell To advertise in SNACK hello@snackpublishing.com 0141 632 4641

SNACK is a supporter of the global Keychange movement.

Disclaimer: Snack Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of this magazine in part or in whole is forbidden without the explicit written consent of the publishers. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content of this magazine but we cannot guarantee it is complete and up to date. Snack Publishing Ltd. is not responsible for your use of the information contained herein.

Hello and welcome to issue 33 of SNACK, This month sees the COP26 juggernaut crash through Glasgow and many of us are finding it difficult to work out how we feel about it. Every one of us has played a microscopic but nonetheless key role in the nudging of our climate to, and possibly already past, the edge of multiple dangerous tipping points, and the events away from the core of the conference seem like a great opportunity to listen and learn. Climate change, like COP26 hitting your city, can seem like something out of our control, that it’s something that’s happening to us, rather than because of us – those boomers and multinationals, eh?

But, although the main decisions are out of our hands, it’s what we can do collectively around the periphery that will inform future attitudes and therefore put pressure on those who ultimately hold the fate of our planet in their hands.

We’re not experts in climate change, far from it, so we’ll be engaging with events on the fringe to listen and learn from those who are. Then perhaps when the dust has settled, we’ll be part of a more informed citizenry, ready to move and persuade in the new direction necessary to avert the worst that climate change threatens. We’ll be sharing with you our experiences, and as many opportunities to get involved and learn as we can, via our website and social media channels. As with everything worthwhile, it’s a community effort, so let us know if there’s anything you think we should be highlighting via climate@snackmag.co.uk.

What’s in this month’s mag? I’m sure you’ll find your way around.

Kenny Lavelle Editor

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WHAT’S ON GUIDE SCOTTISH ALTERNATIVE MUSIC AWARDS Saint Luke’s, Glasgow – 27th November The Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) is back for its 12th annual celebration of grassroots Scottish music, championing the best of the nation's emerging artists whose talents have shone over the past 12 months. Voting is open now with fans being asked to vote from a total of 28 of Scotland’s best new artists. Be there to see the winners announced at an exclusive live ceremony at Glasgow's Saint Luke's on Saturday 27th November 2021. Acts playing on the night include TAAHLIAH, Union Of Knives and LVRA. Swim School, Rachel Aggs, Andrew Wasylyk, AiiTee, and Bemz, amongst others, are all up for awards. See you there.

AiiTee

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NEºN Various, Dundee 10th till 13th November Under the theme ‘Wired Women*’, NEoN is looking to address the digital gender divide and highlight the contribution of female and nonbinary artists in shaping the digital and technology-driven arts sector.

Highlights include Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle presenting a series of digital collages ‘Assuming the Ecosexual Position: The Earth as Lover’, which asks what’s sexy about saving the planet? Elsewhere, Padmini Ray Murray will present a game world in Gathering Multitudes: A Bag of Stars, an interactive environment centred on the idea of data trust and data commons using the garden or seed bank as a metaphor. People will be able to interact in the space and upload items to make plants and trees grow – a kind of collaborative online world-making.

E-MOTION, BETA VERSION from Fannie Sosa looks absolutely essential. Sosa is creating a new digital consciousness for the WIG (White Institutions Guide For Welcoming Artists of Colour and their Audiences). Taking the form of seven creatures found on the shores of the Black Atlantic, this piece is made with the intention of answering questions that people might have about inviting artists of colour to a white institution. neondigitalarts.com

Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle

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What’s on Page 9

LIFE IS A DREAM

THE LANDING HUB

Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh: 29th October till 20th November Lyceum are back with Pedro Calderón’s Spanish Golden Age play, Life’s is a Dream, their very first live production since 2019. With its exploration of what is real, what it means to be awake and what stories we believe, the play finds itself perfectly in tune with current times.

Sustainable Glasgow Landing, 220 Broomielaw – till 14th November

It explores the story of Prince Sigismund (played

by Lorn MacDonald) who, released from imprisonment, emerges into society to discover a new and intensely confusing world. This overwhelming experience provokes a tailspin of greed, resentment and anger that sees him quickly re-incarcerated, convinced by his jailors that his day of freedom was all just a dream.

Image credit: Aly Wight

The play was translated by Jo Clifford and features a brilliant cast including BAFTA Award-winning Lorn Macdonald (Beats, Bridgerton, Mouthpiece, Trainspotting, This Restless House). Last but not least, it’s being directed by the brilliant Wils Wilson.

Read our interview later in this month’s mag.

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The Landing Hub is being billed as a vibrant, welcoming space where the climate and social justice movements meet the arts. Audiences of all ages are being invited to connect, share and dance as they host local and international collaborators for an exciting programme of screenings, workshops, performances, talks and parties. All events are free to enter and wheelchair accessible, some are bookable. One highlight looks to be Grace of the Sun, a large-scale art piece by Robert Montgomery made using the Little Sun solar lamps.

Measuring 11 metres by 5 metres the giant solar powered light poem will illuminate every day at sunset. The solar lamps Little Sun produces provide power to many of the 600 million people living without electricity in the Southern Hemisphere.

After their installation in Glasgow the lights will be donated to Little Sun’s work on the ground in SubSaharan Africa. Little Sun has already brought solar light and power to over 3 million people on the African continent.

HOWARDENA PINDELL Fruitmarket, Edinburgh 13th November till 2nd May Howardena Pindell’s first public solo exhibition in the UK. Writing in the 1980s Pindell, after researching the demographics of artists represented in New York museums and commercial galleries, described the overwhelming whiteness of exhibitions and the exclusion of artists of colour as all but tokens, and stated: I am an artist. I am not part of a so-called ‘minority’, ‘new’ or ‘emerging’ or ‘a new audience’. These are all terms used to demean, limit, and make people of color appear to be powerless. We must evolve a new language which empowers us and does not cause us to participate in our own disenfranchisement.’

The exhibition tracks the development of Pindell’s artistic language from the 1970s to now. Pindell has made beautiful, abstract paintings by spraying paint through a hand-made, hole-punched stencil, making intricate, complex paintings that layer paint with collaged paper circles, thread, glitter, powder and sequins. The exhibition brings together a significant selection of her work in the hope that we might all be able to respond to her urgent call for change.

A Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh production

29 October - 20 November 2021

" In this strange world you're the only one I like."

Li f e is A Dr E a m

Detail of Parabia Test #4 Courtesy of the artist

TICKETS 0131 248 4848 | lyceum.org.uk #LifeIsADream

Royal Lyceum Theatre Company Ltd is a Registered Company No. SC062065, and Scottish Charity Registered No. SC010509 Design MadeBy.DO

What’s on Page 11

UNSWEETENED CONVERSATIONS

THE TEMPEST

Glasgow Women’s Library till 27th November Glasgow Women’s Library has teamed up with The Beniba Centre for Slavery Studies and The Necessary Space to present Unsweetened Conversations | (bush) Tea Services, a collaborative, interdisciplinary pre-recorded conversation in contribution to the CoP 26 Fringe Programme.

Tron Theatre, Glasgow till 13th November One of the last plays that Shakespeare wrote and undoubtedly one of his most admired, The Tempest – dreamlike, surreal, magical, romantic and cruel – will be Tron Theatre Company’s first piece of work on the main stage in its re-opening season.

Working with a cast of eleven Scottish-based female/female identifying actors, this movementbased version of The Tempest capitalises on the extraordinary atmosphere of the Tron’s strippedback main auditorium. In a play about the exploitation of male power and greed and the colonisation of other lands and their indigenous inhabitants, the exclusively female voice subverts the interpretation, bringing new energy and nuance to the play’s language. tron.co.uk

Image credit: Joe Connolly and Jamhot

The public is invited to view the recently recorded discussion throughout the CoP 26 in the Welcome space at GWL and on their website. It will also be screened amongst a host of artworks at the Pipe Factory on Sunday November the 7th. The filmed discussion explores colonial memories, shared transatlantic histories, ecological crises, alternative farming practices, spirituality, living apothecaries, extractive economies, the Black Atlantic, ScottishCaribbean connections and potential futures. womenslibrary.org.uk

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Howardena Pindell

Exhibition.

13.11.21 — 02.05.22

Organised by the Fruitmarket, Edinburgh in collaboration with Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge and Spike Island, Bristol

Supported by Howardena Pindell, Text, 1975, ink on paper collage Courtesy of the artist and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York.

Photography: Christopher Burke Studios

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JOAN EARDLEY: A CENTENARY OF LIVES AND LANDSCAPES

THE GREAT WESTERN & THE GREAT EASTERN

Glasgow Women’s Library: till 12th February 2022 Joan Eardley (1921-1963) was one of Scotland’s most expressive twentieth century artists. To celebrate the centenary of Joan’s birth, Glasgow Women’s Library is exhibiting five striking artworks on loan from the University of Edinburgh Art Collection. These five pieces vividly capture Joan’s attraction to the raw power and realism of people and place. Woman in St Marks (1949) was inspired by her time in Italy, while Girl and Baby and Back Street Bookie (1952) paint a picture of the people of Glasgow’s east end, where Joan became a familiar face, finding community and renting a studio. In contrast, January Flow Tide (1961) and Cornfield (1963) evoke the ever-changing land and seascapes of Catterline on the north-east coast, where Joan painted until her untimely death.

13th November (Glasgow) & 27th November (Edinburgh) These sister festivals are a great opportunity to catch up with a bunch of the bands you’ve been missing over the last year or so. Highlights of TGW include Anna Meredith, Arab Strap, Tracyanne & Danny, Cloth, The Ninth Wave, Kaputt, TAAHLIAH, Pretty Preachers Club, Pocket Knife, and Callum Easter – Stuart Braithwaite and SHOOT YOUR SHOT will also curate stages.

TGE shares a couple of acts with its Glasgow counterpart plus BEAK>, Field Music, Sacred Paws, Anna B Savage, Free Love, and more.

Joan Eardley: January Flow Tide

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What’s on Page 15

(EN)COUNTERING CRISIS + REMAKING FUTURES Komplex Gallery, Glasgow: 5th till 28th November (en)countering crisis + re:making futures is about understanding the crisis of the present, past and the future, creating vocabularies for us all to live well together.

For COP26, this selection of work at the subterranean Komplex Gallery (Victoria Road, Glasgow) is an exploration of issues related to the particularities of economic growth dependent / dominant societies, extraction, climate change, imperialism, capitalism and the impact this has on our relationships with natural environments and each other. Members of Repository of the Undercommons (RotU) use imagination, experimental sound, sculpture, text and textures, to ask what and who do we lose? What and who gains? What ways can art be made / done / consumed if it must? The collection reflects the artistic and eclectic talents of Nosheen Khwaja, Chris Manson, Fadzai Mwakutuya, Nalini Paul, Jamie Temple, Roman San Roman and Anton Vasiliadis (Verbena Blue Collective).

STAG & DAGGER Various venues - 13th November (Glasgow) & 14th November (Edinburgh) With the The Great Western running on the same day; Glasgow’s going to be busy on the 13th. Stag & Dagger has been doing the rounds for a wee while now and it’s always a good day out. This year they have Billy Nomates, Black Lips, Carla J Easton, Working Men’s Club, Indoor Foxes, Jeshua, Book Klub, Nova, Lemon Drink, Sulka and loads more besides. Who’s playing which city?

Best check out their website for more info.

undercommons.co.uk

Komplex Gallery

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Discover Glasgow in 21 stops!

Following our short break during COP26 we’re back from 16 November with departures every hour!

Scan to book

Book now at citysightseeingglasgow.co.uk What’s on Page 17

FESTIVE FIFE Truly embracing winter is one of life’s great pleasures and Fife has plenty of reasons for you to get out and about, and make it a season worth remembering. So wrap up warm, get your fancy new hat and scarf into action, and get yourself to Fife for magical family events, Christmas markets, and seasonal concerts which are sure to get you feeling festive.

TEASSES ESTATE Dare we say it? Christmas is just around the corner.

Fife’s local food and craft markets are ideal for picking up special and unique gifts for your loved ones. Teasses Estate Christmas Market in Ceres is happening on Saturday 4th of December where you can expect food and drink stalls, music, and storytelling in their wintry walled garden. If you’re feeling crafty, Flora Alba will be running wreath making workshops too. The market will be open from 11am till 4pm.

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CHRISTMAS FAYRE The quaint fishing village of Crail makes an excellent day trip, with its charming cobbled streets tumbling down to the miniature harbour, which is sheltered by cliffs and surrounded by historic fishing cottages. Don’t miss the Crail Christmas Fayre at Crail Community Hall on the 4th and 5th of December which will feature a range of different stalls filled with unique and creative presents from local producers. There’s Christmas cake decorating and other Christmassy crafts for the wee ones too.

WINTER FESTIVALS

CEILIDH

We can’t think of any better way to make it a winter season to remember than enjoying some feelgood, festive music. Dunfermline Winter Festival is an exciting new event taking place from the 12th to the 20th of December which has been created to bring exceptional music to Dunfermline’s outstanding venues. There’s Christmas Carols, of course, plus a healthy dose of jazz, classical and swing music, too.

If you’re feeling a bit chilly, you’ll soon warm up by having a dance and a nip of whisky at Forgan’s Weekend Ceilidh in St Andrews! The ceilidh takes place every Friday and Saturday night from 10.30pm and features traditional Scottish dancing and live music.

Supported feature

If you’re looking for festive fun for the family, the Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline will be transformed into a sparkling winter wonderland for their immersive event ‘The Magic of Christmas’ which will take place from the 4th till 19th of December.

Embark on an adventure to the North Star, journey through a super-sized advent calendar and pay a visit to Santa in his Grotto.

LIVE SHOWS A Scottish Christmas just simply isn’t complete without a visit to the panto! The newly refurbished Kings Theatre in Kirkcaldy are hosting ‘Ya Wee Sleeping Beauty’ from the 1st of December till 16th of January, a magical new stage show starring Billy Mack as Dame Bev Park.

FOOD MARKET Eat, drink and be merry at the popular Bowhouse Christmas Food Market in St Monans which invites some of the best local producers, distillers and designers from Fife to showcase delicious local food, drink and crafts. Their next market is taking place from 10am till 4pm on the 11th and 12th of December.

What better way to get into the Hogmanay spirit than to have a night out watching the most famous bagpipe band in the world? Unless you’re scared of fun. Are you scared of fun? The Red Hot Chilli Pipers will be performing a festive fusion of both traditional and contemporary anthems at the Alhambra Theatre in Dunfermline on the 30th of December.

To find out what else is on over the winter period, visit welcometofife.com/events Visit Fife Page 19

BROKEN CHANTER We all know live music is back, and with album cycles gearing up again, it feels as though things are moving forward. These are still precarious times, though. But thankfully, there is always music to play us through it, helping us to better understand what is happening around us.

SNACK caught up with David MacGregor from Broken Chanter to talk about teenage dreams, comfort zones, playing live and, of course, pop music.

You last spoke with SNACK in June 2019.

Have you been up to much since?

Nah, just cutting about the house! That’s frightening.

It feels like a long time, but equally, not long at all.

I’ve lost the thread of time.

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The first record came out and then four and a bit months into it, the campaign was truncated by the pandemic. I know the biggest tragedy of COVID-19 is hardly my album promotion stalling.

I did the same thing as everyone else, felt quite anxious, worrying about vulnerable relatives.

But once you fold that into my everyday thread of anxiety, I had to think about what to do next.

I started doing ambient and instrumental EPs, to make sure I was creating something. It was important to keep making music, and have people connecting with it.

Streaming shows wasn’t for me. One of the big things I like about live shows is the interaction. I did one for [Glasgow record label] Olive Grove and Tiny Changes, a very good cause, but after that, I sacked it off. I wasn’t interested in livestream shows as I didn’t think it was enjoyable for me, or presented myself in the best light for an audience.

How was the recording process for the new album?

At the end of August / start of September 2020, I started sending demos to Paul Savage, who produced the new record. We talked about doing the second Broken Chanter record together before the first one hit the shelves!

The first demos were called Shotgun 1 to 5 because Paul threatened me with getting his producer shotgun out, because I was procrastinating and hadn’t sent him anything.

What was great was the COVID restrictions eased, so we could go into [Broken Chanter and now also Franz Ferdinand’s drummer] Audrey Tait’s unit to practice. We were a few metres away from each other, working up the demos, and for the first 45 minutes a day, we’d just be chatting. It was the only social interaction we were getting outside of our households.

Were you more excited about the social aspect or working on the songs?

A little of both! As the album coming out seemed so far away at that point, and no one knew what was going to happen, the social side was really important.

I think the first thing I bought was the Fuck The Curfew EP by Mogwai. The idea that this was happening down the road from me was genuinely exciting.

It makes it real, doesn’t it, seeing local people do what you want to do?

Absolutely. It was quite inspiring, the DIY approach that Kid Canaveral [David’s former band] took. We weren’t very good at the start, but we got better.

We thought, we can wait for others to release this, or we can do this ourselves. By the time we put the first release out on our label Straight To Video Records, we were competent musicians and much better songwriters.

That teenage interaction with Chemikal Underground, and going to those early Fence gigs, made us think there was no point in waiting.

In those early days, we managed to plan and organise releases, and tours that broke even.

Mainly by being canny about who we worked with and sleeping on floors or in hotels that don’t register on the star rating scale, but we decided to do it ourselves until someone bigger or more competent did it for us.

Provisionally I had a tour in England lined up for November but after all that ‘Freedom Day’ patter, we moved it back to spring of 2022. When you look at the cases in England right now in midOctober, I think that was a good move.

I wasn’t comfortable taking other people across the border. If I want to cross the Tweed and catch coronavirus, that’s my prerogative, but I couldn’t ask that from my band.

It was great to work with Paul. I’ve been a big fan of Chemikal Underground since I was a teenager.

All photo credits: Stephanie Gibson

Music by Andrew Reilly Page 21

Your new album, Catastrophe Hits, seems poppier and more engaging than the first Broken Chanter record.

I’m often told I don’t sell myself enough, and I think there’s maybe a West Coast of Scotland attitude about how you shouldn’t get ideas above your station. I love Glasgow, but there’s almost an invisible hand on your shoulder saying, ‘don’t get too wide.’ That’s not from my upbringing, it’s just self-promotion doesn’t necessarily come naturally to many people from the central belt of Scotland.

I’m trying to say I am proud of it, this is really good, please listen to it. I’m not saying I’m the world’s greatest musician, as that is easy to prove otherwise. But it’s a great record!

It’s a pop record; it’s less introspective than the first Broken Chanter record. I love that record, I loved making it, it’s a great album, and I pushed myself out of my comfort zone on it. I’m very proud of it. It was melancholic because, while we never announced it at the time, I knew Kid Canaveral was over. Deep down, we knew it was over but didn’t want to say, perhaps to soften the blow, so there was a sadness to it.

With Catastrophe Hits, I knew it was going to come out at a time when people were out and about more. I wasn’t going to release it until that was the case, and I didn’t want a record entirely reflecting on the pandemic. There will be a time to relive all that, but it’s not now. It’s still happening. It would be hopelessly self-indulgent to be so inwardlooking again with everything that’s going on. It’s not all nihilism; there is hope on there. We need to organise and kick back against the calamity and cruelty being dished out by disaster capitalists and sociopathic populists the world over. snackmag.co.uk

Both of the leading singles have been musically upbeat and poppy – do you think they’re representative of the album as a whole?

Definitely. There is more upbeat stuff on there, but there’s also atmospheric and electronic stuff. I’ve not abandoned the sound from the first album; I’ve developed it and focused the electronic stuff to the songs I used to write in the past. I like songs that are upbeat on the surface, but the lyrics make you think ‘I hope that singer is getting the help they clearly need’.

There’s nothing wrong with pop music. I’ve always described the music I make as pop music to some degree. It would be disingenuous to say I was making music that I wouldn’t be bothered if nobody heard.

You’ve played a few live sets recently. How have they been?

Any local or newish bands on your radar at the moment?

Good, yeah. I was quite nervous, to be honest. The first gig back was supporting Poster Paints in The Poetry Club in Glasgow. That’s a wee venue and it was sold out. 120 people. I was a bit apprehensive having that many people in the same space as me during a pandemic, never mind playing in front of them!

I loved Poster Paints. Si Liddell and Carla J Easton are lovely folk whose music I admire. They’ve put together a great band, and for my first gig back, that was a really nice show.

It was 20 months between shows for me and I was thinking, ‘can I still do this?’ Of course, when the first song was over, I’d had a bit of daft patter with the audience, and it was great. I loved every minute of it, and it was so good to be on the stage.

I’ve played the CCA recently too, and you feel the rust falling off.

You’ve got Edinburgh and Glasgow shows in November. All set for them?

I can’t wait for these shows - they’ll be a full sixpiece band set. I can’t wait to make that much noise in public again. We’ve been rehearsing for some time; it takes a bit of work to coordinate diaries! It’s been a good laugh. We work well together, but we’re all mates too.

I’d also say Kim Grant, who was in their live band - the stuff she has released as Raveloe of late, it’s fantastic. I’m really enjoying the stuff she has been putting out. The Man of The Minch album, that’s a glorious, shimmering pop record. I must admit, when I’m preparing for a record coming out, I become really myopic, focusing on that.

For 2022, how busy are you looking to be?

I want to have nervous exhaustion by April! There’s a lot of lost time to make up. I can’t wait to play the Irvine gig. It’s been rescheduled three or four times, so fair play to them for persevering. We will get on that stage in front of the good people of Irvine!

Then in February, I’ll be in England and Wales, and that tour will continue with more Scottish shows in April. After that, there will be solo or duo shows in the Highlands and islands of Scotland. I’m keen to get out of the central belt and play shows around the country. I really love playing in smaller, odder venues across the UK that other people consider out of the way. How can something be out of the way if folk live there?

Catastrophe Hits is released on 29th October on Olive Grove Records and LNFG. Broken Chanter play Edinburgh Summerhall on 6th November and Glasgow CCA on 19th November

All photo credits: Stephanie Gibson

Music by Andrew Reilly Page 23

MOLLY PAYTON Molly Payton returns with her new minialbum, Slack, created remotely from New Zealand. The London-based 20-year-old continues to collaborate with producer Oli Barton-Wood after the success of 2020’s Porcupine, alongside Grammy-award winning producer Jimmy Hogarth and songwriter Benjamin Francis Leftwich.

Lindsay Corr grabbed a few moments with Molly to find out more about her maturing sound, as she offers even more of herself in this selection.

The first single ‘You Cut Me So Much Slack’ was almost on your last EP Porcupine. Is that why you chose it to launch Slack?

In a way, yes. It did feel like a bridge between the two projects. Sonically it has the edge that Porcupine had, but meaning-wise it fits in more with Slack, as it's more self-reflective and revolves around those same themes of growth out of loss. snackmag.co.uk

Porcupine focused on friendships and relationships, often placing blame on others, while Slack explores reflective responsibility for your own actions and faults - was this a natural progression for you and were you always planning to take this direction on the next record?

Not at all! Honestly, I didn’t even realise where Slack was going until I was almost done writing it, I was just in a different stage of my life than I was when I wrote Porcupine. I lost someone who was a big part of my life, went through a break up, and then moved back into my childhood home for eight months in New Zealand. I also went to therapy for the first time and took a deep dive into my anxiety and depression and where it all came from. I think all of that mental upheaval really changed my songwriting. I used to write to communicate with the people around me, and now writing is like I’m learning how to communicate with myself.

You ended up being back home in New Zealand for a lot longer than you thought, with the COVID-19 restrictions - did this have any impact on the record’s sound or focus?

Absolutely. Being back in my childhood home and around my family and my best friends again was so emotionally settling. It really allowed me to just sit and think about the last couple of years and figure myself out a bit. I also met my boyfriend when I was back there, and we wrote 'While You’re Driving' on the album together. That song just felt like the perfect reflection of where I was at the end of that time in New Zealand. It’s full of love and excitement for the future and I think it announces the kind of energy and joy I want to bring into my music going forward.

Did you record remotely from New Zealand, and how was that process?

Yes! I was in New Zealand and my producer Oli Barton-Wood was working from London, which is a 12 hour time difference, so we’d record from 10am to 8pm and then he’d wake up at 7am his time and work all day while we were asleep. It meant we were doing 24 hour days between us, and we were knocking songs out so quickly. It was actually the most productive I’ve ever been in the studio.

You have a very distinctive voice that grabs the listener, which partners with your skill for storytelling lyrics - how does your process work?

That's so kind, thank you. I wish I could tell you I had a set algorithm for songwriting, but honestly it's completely random. I do tend to have a backlog of lyrics, as they come to me the easiest, and I write a lot of half-songs that I revisit later and finish off.

Usually I’ll just be singing something random to myself and then be like “shit that's nice!” and run off to my guitar and try to turn it into something real.

Photo credit: Lewis Vorn

There’s key elements of your sound on this mini-album, yet there’s an evolution, too, with some euphoric beats and anthemic hooks.

Do you find your sound evolves naturally as you put melody to lyrics - do lyrics influence melody?

It really depends on the song. Songs like 'Honey' and 'January Summers': I'd come up with a hooky melody and then write lyrics to fit into that; but then ones like 'While You’re Driving' and 'When Skies Were Always Blue' were definitely lyrics first and then figuring out how to emphasise the emotion in the lyrics through melody.

Do you have a favourite track from this new collection? Which one, if any, has changed the most from concept to final recording?

'While You’re Driving' is probably my favourite, I love how much energy that song has. I think the best song songwriting-wise is 'When Skies Were Always Blue' though, and that's the one that changed the most from concept to final recording.

It began just with me on the piano and ended up with that huge full band ending. I love how big we got that song sounding.

Are you looking forward to getting back out to live venues to share the new songs with an audience?

God yes. We played the mini album live for the first time last night and it was so fun. I really wrote these songs for live shows, so it was awesome for that to finally actually happen.

Slack is out now via The Orchard orcd.co/mollypayton

Music by Lindsay Corr Page 25

CALLUM EASTER

Callum Easter is an artist both unpredictable and impulsive, a multiinstrumentalist who thrives on a sporadic approach. Soulful, bluesy, folkled and yet indie, he’s an artist who feels comfortable outwith the mould, affected by where he is in the present. His soulful up-tempo second album System is out later this month on Moshi Moshi / Lost Map, following last year’s Green Door Sessions EP. Like his acclaimed debut album, which was released on Lost Map Records in 2019, System was recorded largely alone in Callum’s Edinburgh studio.

But he’s moved away from the poignant reflection of two years ago, with a riff-ripping, frenetic and soulful foray into madness.

Callum spoke with SNACK about his trek forward in sound and about keeping himself on his toes.

What can we look forward to from System?

It doesn’t hang about as much: it’s pretty straight to the point, so it’s a different kind of experience from Here or Nowhere. snackmag.co.uk

Photo credits: John Mackie

And ‘What You Think’ is very different from a lot of the accordion-heavy tracks of the last LP. Are you dropping your accordion for the new album?

There’s a lot more guitar on it – the accordion album was just a reflection of how I was doing the songs live. But I can play these new songs on accordion as well. I think with the next album, I’ll figure out how I am going to play it live before I do it. I’m always just recording different instruments that are not very straightforward to play live.

System is more up-tempo, and I’ve been playing a few live shows, which have featured guitar and accordion. It’s just different versions. I have been putting the accordion through a guitar distortion pedal, which kinda helps. I’m my own worst enemy with that; I’m always doing it differently with each show. It keeps me on my toes.

And what has it been like working with Moshi Moshi to produce this record, moving away from Lost Map? It’s not that noticeable as far as my process, because I do all the mixing and production myself.

It’s still just me in the studio.

And I suppose there is quite a bit of overlap between those two labels?

Yeah, because Lost Map are still involved in the release, I mean I speak to Johnny Lynch a lot.

You recently performed at Hidden Door. But will there be a whole spell of gigs alongside this release? When and where can we look forward to seeing you perform live?

So far I’ve got Newcastle and Manchester lined up, and I’m just figuring out things as far as Glasgow and Edinburgh [since announced as Lost Map’s Christmas Humbug, Summerhall in December] and London, but it’s in the works.

What are you listening to right now that's inspiring and influencing your music at the moment, that you would urge others to pick up and listen to?

It’s not that I don’t like that question, it’s just that I’ve just not been listening to much at the minute. She’s an older artist, but I’ve been listening to Jessie Mae Hemphill a lot. I like the approach, just trying to capture the sound of a room.

System is out on 19th November 2021, via Moshi Moshi Records Music by Keira Brown Page 27

Image Credit: Trisha Ward

This is your second EP released since the start of lockdown, is there a difference on what people can expect?

SHEARS Edinburgh-based SHEARS has been a shining light as lockdown has lifted, with the bright pop of her latest EP, Mind In Decline, following on nicely from the darker tones of her debut, When You’re Around, released in the heart of lockdown. Now, as we head towards another, hopefully less restricted, Scottish winter, I chatted with the singer about the new EP, music as therapy and the effects of being thrust into the public eye at a young age.

What's your feelings on Mind In Decline?

The tracks weren't thought of as one body of work initially, but they all come under an umbrella of mental fragility over lockdown and it just seemed to work.

Mental fragility is a predominant theme on the EP. Has making this been a sort of therapy?

Yeah, absolutely. It's a total therapy. And it's escapism as well, but just being able to get your thoughts down through lyrics or through sounds is a release. If I'm feeling rubbish, I go and work on music for an hour and I feel better again. It's the only thing that makes me feel better. snackmag.co.uk

I'm in a different headspace than I was last year.

I wanted to write something a little brighter after lockdown and I'm kind of still heading in that direction. Before it was all darkness and space, and big vocals, and then I was like you know what?

I'm just gonna, just gonna take it back a little bit, let's just do something a bit lighter. I think going forward there’s a bit more opportunity to move, dance a little bit.

You talk about it being a bit lighter in sound, but the EP seems to draw from negative emotional themes, how do you feel that fits together?

The EP last year was very much these are all my frustrations, I'm just going to shout them out.

Whereas this one I'm looking at somebody else being really positive and asking, why am I not like that? It's moving away from just showing all your frustrations, it's going how do I become a more balanced and healthy individual?

It’s hard to talk about your past without mentioning the following you had when you were younger doing covers on YouTube, how did that success translate into the expectations of releasing your own material?

Nowhere near the same expectations. I was just really happy to be releasing something that was mine. That feels like a whole different lifetime. It gives you the experience of people seeing you and commenting, giving you all their thoughts all the time and messaging you. I had to turn off my Facebook messages because I got so many unsolicited dick pics, like every single day. And I was just like, I can't do this anymore.

Mind In Decline is Out Now Music by Iain Dawson

Image Credit: Bovine

LINZI CLARK Paisley’s Linzi Clark, of electro-pop duo DRIFT, releases her debut solo album All I Have Now on the 5th of November. It’s a real bittersweet and heartfelt LP, with deep and emotional concepts, all in a singer-songwriter vibe. Think Lucy Dacus meets Stevie Nicks, perhaps.

SNACK caught up with Clark ahead of the album's release for a chat about bringing the album together during lockdown, and choosing a favourite child.

How did the album come about; what did you want to get from it?

I wanted to have full creative control over it. I wanted to be self-indulgent: this is a thing for me.

I was in a bit of a weird rut with this album – I didnt know which route to go down. I posted a little clip on my Instagram story of one of the songs, and that’s when Bovine, the album’s producer, messaged me to see if there was a recording of it anywhere, rather than [directly] asking if I wanted to collaborate. I said, 'hey there’s not a recording, but do you want to record a full album for me?’ He got roped into a full year of working on this album, which I feel kind of bad about.

So how did it work for you, producing an album remotely over lockdown?

Honestly, it worked really well. I think part of why there weren’t any issues with it was that we just seemed to be totally in the same zone with the visions for the songs. We didn’t really need to explicitly communicate too much on what we wanted it to sound like.

If you had to say, what genre would you label the album?

I would say it’s traditional songwriting, a sort of folky 70s feel to it, with a bit of a modern twist – without making it sound too cool [laughs]. Sad 70s!

Out of the tracks on this LP, which one’s your favourite?

Oh! This is when I feel pure guilty. I like different ones for different things – but I think the one I always go to is my next single, ‘Moments Gone’. I like how much it just feels like a song for everyone.

It is a personal song, but I feel like it has a sort of singalong feel to it. It feels like there should be a crowd. No pressure for people to learn the words [laughs]. But it’s got that feeling of togetherness about it. And I just love the pace of it. I think it’s got the drama, and there are cool chord changes.

There’s personal parts for me, but then there’s little tongue-in-cheek parts. I just think it’s a good allrounder. And every time it comes on I’m like ‘Ooh, yeah! I like it.’ It’s funny because my dad did the backing vocals – it’s so nice to hear his voice on the track.

All I Have Now releases on the 5th of November

Music by Dominic Cassidy Page 29

WILS WILSON After a life of confinement, a man is released into the ‘real world’ for a day. He finds life overwhelming and terrifying, and quickly descends into chaos. Soon, he’s reincarcerated, wondering whether his day of freedom was all a dream.

These days, staging a play about re-emerging from a period of social isolation seems like a no-brainer.

But Life is a Dream, which hits the Lyceum stage this autumn, was actually programmed pre-pandemic.

SNACK sat down with director Wils Wilson to chat about the play’s continued relevance and the untapped wealth of European plays.

Can you tell us a little about the background of the show?

It’s a classic Golden Age play from 1635. When it was written, you would go for the whole evening and that would be your entertainment. So we keep joking in rehearsal that it’s like a whole evening of television. It’s got everything!

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It’s got this dramatic, philosophical main story about a prince who’s locked in a tower because of this terrible prophecy. I think in a modern play, that would be it. But because it’s got the whole world in it, there’s a clown character, and a plot about a woman who has been left by her lover, coming to seek revenge on him. Because it was written for everyone to go see, it has this knack of appealing to every bit of yourself. We all want to be moved by the wonder of the universe, but we also want to have a laugh, and we also want to kill our betraying lovers! So it’s a really satisfying, rich, three-course meal.

How has the play being written 'for everyone' influenced your staging of it?

When we did some filming at Christmas, we built this floor over the stalls, and that’s still there. We’ve got this big, open space, with seats at stage level, and we’re also using the balcony. So it’ll have a kind of immediacy and intimacy for the audience – and also a kind of democracy. In-the-round is a very democratic way of staging a play, I think.

Nobody gets ‘the perfect view’ because there isn’t one; there’s just multiple different views.

I have to ask, how does it feel doing a show about someone who comes out of isolation, now? It feels like the Lyceum saw the future.

It’s so strange that it feels so pertinent! But I think in a good story, you’ll find a resonance, and that’s what’s happened to us with this. It just kept on feeling more and more like the play to do right now.

Also it’s treating it in a poetic, allegorical way. It’s not a play about lockdown. So that’s even better, that it’s not literal. It allows your mind to be really active, for you to make your own links. My note to myself is: just tell the story really, really well!

The play is translated by Jo Clifford. How has it been working with her – the absolute legend?

It’s been amazing working with Jo. It’s a brilliant translation – it’s so clear and full of emotion and passion, and she loves the play. It’s been fantastic.

The first thing we did was we sat together, and over the course of about three days we read the play to each other. And we just fell in love with it.

I want to chat a little about that original play – because I’d never really heard of it! And I just wonder about your view on why these classical plays in other languages aren’t so well-known over here.

How’s the rehearsal process with the cast been so far?

Well, they’re absolutely brilliant, for a start. Getting the right people in the room is such a huge part of any production, and the dark art of casting is not always recognised. We’re just so excited to be in the room – and a little trepidatious! But you really do get back into the zone really quickly. That energy – just the excitement of being back at work has been lovely.

The other side of it is that we’re just hoping to get away with it without any illness in the cast. We’re doing everything we can, but we have to be fatalistic and prepare as much as we can. Having said that, if I had to go on stage on the first night and go, ‘We lost the last week of rehearsal because of this and this’, I think the audience would be behind it. Because we’ve all gone through this time, we’ve all had those situations where – the best laid plans, you know? So cross your fingers for us!

Life is a Dream is at the Lyceum Theatre from 29th October till 20th November

Photo credit: Simon Murphy

I just think we go to Shakespeare. We don’t have to translate Shakespeare, and it’s such a massive part of the culture. It’s probably a bit of that cultural arrogance as well, in Britain – we don’t always look. The minute you look, there’s this big wealth of European literature.

It’s a great credit to David Greig [Artistic Director of the Lyceum], because it’s not easy for theatres to programme it – you know, ‘Should we do Romeo & Juliet, or should we do Life is a Dream?’ [laughs].

It takes a very special type of Artistic Director to say, do you know what, we’re going to do Life is a Dream.

Wils Wilson Theatre by Katie Smith Page 31

BRICKWORK: A BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARCHES When The Arches closed in 2015 the place was notably close to many artists' hearts. It wasn’t only the people of Glasgow who were distraught at the legendary venue’s closure; from DJs like Carl Cox to actor Robert Carlyle and playwright Kieran Hurley, many wellknown names voiced their concern about the closure of one of Glasgow's most iconic and internationally renowned locales.

KI: When The Arches closed, I wrote a blog that George Spender [publisher at Salamander Street] read. He contacted me and asked me to write this book. And then, around about the same time, we were having a Death Disco Zoom reunion, which was one of the clubs that we used to both work in and go to. In the breakout chat, I mentioned that I'd been asked to write it, and David was pretty gutted.

Brickwork: A Biography of The Arches is the first book to emerge about this venue. It’s written by two previous staff members, David Bratchpiece, who worked within the venue for fifteen years, and former Arches’ press and publicity manager, Scabby Queen author Kirstin Innes.

DB: Yeah, yeah. I had already been jotting down some ideas and thinking, maybe I'll write a book about The Arches. When Kirstin said that, my first thought was that there was no point in me carrying on. But I did think Kirstin was the ideal person to do it. I messaged her the next day, saying, ‘Look, I've been writing. I've been jotting down some memories and stuff like that.’ What I was writing was more of a personal memoir of what The Arches meant to me. Eventually, Kirstin said, ‘Look, you want to jump in, and we'll both do this?’ And before I had even finished reading the message, I said, ‘Yeah, of course.’ And it was just a perfect way forward, wasn't it?

You have written a book which is about the history of a Glasgow institution, The Arches.

What inspired you both to write this?

KI: We both worked at The Arches, me for not a very long period – just for two years. David here was one of the longest-standing members of staff, I think. Did we work out that you're the secondlongest ever Arches staffer?

DB: I think it was the third longest. Podium finish.

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KI: Yeah. We just got on really well when we worked together. And even though that was years ago, I was confident that we could work pretty well together on this as well.

Brickwork considers the venue since it was opened in 1991 by Andy Arnold. Is it a chronological journey through what the venue became?

KI: It’s a chronological journey from start to finish.

Right from its rough and ready beginnings. People working around the clock for no money, as it was their passion.

DB: Yeah, and to it snowballing into the sort of cultural behemoth it became.

We did a lot of interviews - there's over 60 contributors to the book. It's really the people who made The Arches, telling the story in their own words. There's very little editorialising from us in there.

You worked with indie publisher Salamander Street. Did they give you the full freedom of how you wanted to structure the story?

KI: Yep, absolutely. George and I had had some discussions, and I said, right from the start, that I thought it should be an oral history. The story that we're telling in this book isn't one person's story to tell. There are different ways of telling all these different stories. There are so many more people’s stories that could have been included. Carl Cox is there, he’s a good example of the famous DJs they got. But then we've also got memories from the punters and the bar staff and everybody who kind of put the whole thing together. And not just the famous people, not just the artists; the sum of its parts.

DB: Carl Cox was great, because like he says himself, whenever he came to play there, it was considered an event, you had to be there. He's very aligned with the place. He was a Patron of The Arches for years as well.

Image credit: Andrew Perry

The title, Brickwork: was the intention to allude to the number of people that came into The Arches and played their part?

KI: To be honest, I think brickwork was a phrase that I used back in the day. My job was communications for the artists. I think brickwork was just the title that I'd use a couple of times, and that just sort of stuck.

The bricks are important as well. Andy was given a brick by the Board as a leaving present.

And what has the industry's response been like so far?

KI: It’s been overwhelmingly very positive. There was just something about that place and that time, the different factions of music or different fads that kind of come and go. There was something about that place, and the people who encountered it, and possibly something to do with the fact that most of the people who were encountering it were in their twenties. We were a very, very, young workforce when I worked there, apart from the directors, who were over 30. It's got a huge place in people's hearts. You know, I feel pleasantly confident that we've done it as much justice as we could.

DB: Yeah, I'd agree. One thing that excites me is the wide range of people who would go there all the time, from clubbers to some quite lofty art directors, who have been dying for something like this to come out.

KI: I love the cover, by Niall Walker. It very much encapsulates a sort of hands-in-the-air abandon which sums up The Arches.

Brickwork: A Biography of The Arches is out on 4th November, published by Salamander Street

Books by Keira Brown Page 33

CHARLIE ROY

It's an intensely emotional read, one which feels personal to you. Is that the case, and, if so, was it difficult to write?

I have had my struggles with depression, have selfharmed, and as is the way of things, many of my friends have had their mental health struggles and some have had difficult home lives. I have friends who have alcoholic parents, and friends who have their own problems with alcohol. I have lost a friend to suicide and have close friends who have lost siblings far too young. I didn’t take any of their stories - those are theirs to tell. This all coalesced into the first draft of The Broken Pane. Writing it was very hard at times. and it’s hard to explain how it flowed. It felt cathartic, like Tam was there with me, urging me on to tell her story.

So far best known as a regular on the Scottish poetry scene, Charlie Roy is the author of The Broken Pane, a debut novel which focuses on similar themes as her poetry, including women’s lives, mental health, and family.

It’s an emotional and honest novel, with an impact that stays with you long after you finish the last page. SNACK caught up with Charlie Roy, eager to learn more.

It was re-reading the drafts that I found harder. By then I knew Tam and Bugs, and I was more than once tempted to just erase a scene to spare them going through it. I felt awful for what I put them through!

Why did you want to write The Broken Pane?

I am very interested in writing about mental health, and that of women in particular. I was thinking about domestic violence and abuse, the effects of alcoholism and domestic violence on children as they grow, and how that might meet the intersection of memory and self. It was imperative to me that this should not be salacious or voyeuristic. What is told has to be important to the plot. I want the reader to know Tam, for her to be tangible and real, so I had to show what she had lived. I wanted to treat her and her brother with respect, with kindness.

Most importantly, while I was not looking for an easy ‘happy ending’, I wanted to find a positive resolution, show hope that Tam could heal even though she had been through hell.

In my twenties, I had decided to write a young adult/fantasy trilogy and, while I didn’t have the story, I did have a character - a young woman whose mother is gone and whose father who is struggling to cope, and who is left to care for a brother. I was very interested in who she might be... and then I shelved it, became a teacher, started going to poetry events, and writing and performing my own work. When I became pregnant, I stayed home a lot more, and at this point I ‘met’ Tam. I really didn’t want to write YA any more at all. I wanted to write Tam’s story. I had to. Initially, I didn’t intend for anyone else to read it. It is not my story, but it was one that I felt compelled to tell. snackmag.co.uk

Were there certain themes and ideas that you felt you wanted to investigate, and how did you approach writing about them?

It concerns the secrets and lies that are often used to make sense of family life. Did you learn something about your own, and yourself?

All families have secrets and lies. Sometimes they are essential. Often, I believe, one person has good intentions but has found these have unintended consequences - I think Nana’s story in particular demonstrates this. She was caught between the laws of the time, the expectations for young women, limited opportunity, and bad luck.

More often than not, just as we polish an anecdote for our friends, we tell ourselves our own view of events, of family lore. I have two young children and something as simple as their age means they understand what we do and will remember what we do differently. Writing The Broken Pane has made me aware that in many ways I am the author of their lives. Not exclusively, of course. I want to make sure they have great chapters, and when the days aren’t so good we take time to stop and talk about why.

You create many memorable characters, but this is Tam's story. Were you clear from the beginning how it would unfold, or did she surprise you?

Thank you. Both! I knew I wanted to tell the story of a young woman who had really been through it all and found the strength to find hope. I knew what the big, key events would be and was clear on that from the outset. Initially I tried to tell the story from several points of view, all centred around Tam – we heard from Nicky, Nana, Ange, Lou and even Mick. It didn’t work. It was stilted and repetitive. So I let go of that and spent time with Tam - my husband jokes that I would hang out with my imaginary friend! I let her tell the story. I tried to make her go straight from her discovery at Nana’s to search for Ange, but it wasn’t right - she wouldn’t let me! She needed to run away, to start healing, before she could go and look for her mother.

Image credit: Ryan McGoverne

At one point I wasn’t sure she was ever going to be ready!

You're perhaps better known as a poet, and this is your debut novel. How do the two forms of writing differ?

I love stories that illuminate the human experience - from microfiction to sprawling multi-book epics.

Stories in songs, films, or TV; photos & paintings that tell me something about how others understand the world. If a story is well told in whichever medium, whatever the genre, if it helps us to understand each other then I enjoy it. Aligned with that, I love telling stories, exploring other understandings.

When I find a story I need to tell, I try to choose the best form to achieve that.

Having written The Broken Pane, do you have another novel planned, or is it too early to say?

Yes! I have several ideas. My brain is a bit like a computer with too many open browsers. However, one of them is really starting to take shape. I know my main characters, the big beats. I just need a clear week to press go. It is about memory, self, how we build ourselves, and I’m also interested in how we connect to others – how that sense of connection can sometimes anchor us, and sometimes weigh us down.

The Broken Pane is out now, published by Leamington Books

Books by Alistair Braidwood Page 35

The Reading Rooms

WHERE'S THE DANCING? This song is not a new one, but is one we play more often now, and louder. It goes like this.

‘Where the fuck can we put a club night on?

Oh God, where are all the underground venues?’

It’s not rocket science to acknowledge the relationship between self-discovery and club culture. If you’re reading this article, I’d bet all £10 in my bank account that you, or someone you love, has had a deeply intense experience in a sweaty club as some mad music, only previously heard in your wildest dreams, pumps through the high-grade speakers and changes your life. But the continual rise of student accommodation and office blocks, combined with the COVID pandemic, are killing the places – and the people – that provide the party.

Finding new frequencies that annihilate fear in your brain, via dancing, is a rite of passage. Leaving behind your school playlists or office radios and stepping into the club to hear genres unserved elsewhere can be a spiritual experience.

Photo courtesy of Andy Barton, Headway / Missing Persons

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Hosting these parties, so you can share the joy such times have brought you with a new set of faces, is part of the cycle. Yet the unfair, unfortunate deaths of adored and financially accessible venues like Studio 24, Flat 0/1, The Art School, The Reading Rooms, and The African Arts Centre (and that’s just a list from recent years) are making this an impossibility.

Losing so many places in this way is a travesty at face value; more appreciation for grassroots venues should be hoped for at any time. But – without sounding like a conspiracy theorist – why is it always the places playing against-the-grain genres that pay the price?

Unless you are a slave to intense techno, soft house or mediocre, pop-tinged EDM, where can you go partying in Scotland on the regular? Where can you discover yourself? Where do you find your tribe,and where do you get to experiment with the clothing, decor, and subcultures that come with loving a particular genre of music? Even if you are down to float through the kind of mediocre, mass-produced nights you’re not actually keen on just to beat away our good friend FOMO, you can probably expect to come away from the club having had your arse groped – at absolute best.

Understandably, venues left in the shit by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic – of which there are many – need to regain their financial security every way they can. The last few places able to offer cheap or non-existent hire fees before the pandemic are now asking for £200+ to hire the same spaces during a weeknight, let alone a weekend; completely fair for the venue, less so for those hoping to provide some alternative nightlife to Scotland's cities.

It’s a particularly unfair situation for so many of those in Scotland who’ve grown up in tiny towns with one awful, sticky-floored “nightclub” playing questionable 90s rave tracks to entertain us. When you’ve been dreaming and longing for escape and hedonism, as is standard young adult behaviour (and this has been amplified significantly by the pandemic), the last place you want to end up for a night out in the city is a carbon copy of the hometown venues you’ve been trying to run away from, just now featuring more expensive drinks, and less familiar faces.

What’s left are spaces, if you can afford them, that’ve been booked out months or even years ago.

So you can plan your club night now, and actually put it on in 2025. Or, you can choose a venue so fresh and/or exclusively underground, that unless you’re close chums with the bar manager’s best mate’s sister then, sorry pal, you won’t be getting in.

The result, as ever, is more and more young people forced literally underground; to illegal, unstaffed ‘venues’ where accidents and drama are more likely to happen than ever; especially when parties are hosted by young teams being denied the opportunity to explore this side of their lives in a secure way, due to lack of accessible venues.

Safe places to discover yourself on a dancefloor shouldn’t be served with a side portion of danger.

It’s not just the hopeful promoters, bookers and DJs of tomorrow who are downtrodden. So many nowdefunct venues used to let you decorate the space how you wished, to tie into a theme of the night, leading to collaborations with art collectives that boosted both of your skills, visibility, and thereby chances of creative work. Have you ever been fully underwater as you’ve got down to afrobeats? Or in a rocket ship blasting to space powered by some hand-built sound systems as you throw your body around to some jungle? Wouldn’t you rather be in a space where true care has been applied to every little detail?

Don’t get me wrong, there’s still incredible collectives running club nights across the country that are pushing boundaries continually. But having one night a month where the vibe is just right, versus knowing that Glasgow’s Garage is open 365 days a year, and you may see the problem.

Add into the mix that Dundee’s V&A is currently housing an amazing exhibition examining nightclubs and clubbing culture in Scotland. The exhibition biography reads: ‘​​Scottish club culture is built on an ethos of DIY attitude, togetherness, humour, and a tightly knit network of DJs, clubs and promoters’ – and the ignorance toward anything not mass-produced feels laughable.

So: here is my plea. My call to arms. Who will take the risk? Who will surrender some creative control of a club to a younger generation? Who will make space for those with new visions of parties and what to play to keep you shuffling till 2am? By now, you’re not just doing us a favour – you could be saving a whole generation of ravers.

Clubbing by Phoebe Inglis-Holmes Page 37

FOODIE NEWS EDINBURGH Bunker bar on Calton Rd (below the Black Bull) has relaunched with a new look and DJs playing a range of music until 3am, such as Scottish techno label Zimp Recordings who will have their Christmas party on 11th December. A number of craft beers from Tiny Rebel are now stocked, with Estrella Damm and Beavertown Neck Oil the main draught choices. A range of rums and gins, plus champagne and cocktails, are also available.

Named after the timber stalls that lined the Royal Mile in medieval times, Luckenbooths, from the Bon Vivant Group, recently launched at 329 High Street. They are open everyday from 7am until 11pm for brunch (pancakes; porridge; smashed avocado and poached eggs etc.), and dinner (haggis and swede pie; sticky tempura cauliflower, Moving Mountains burgers etc.). luckenboothsedinburgh.co.uk Vegan & veggie vinyl store and bar restaurant Paradise Palms at 41 Lothian Street have a new cocktail and mocktail menu for winter. Look out for Szechuan Slipper, a short, peppery twist on a Japanese classic. Buckfast Daiquiri, their most wellknown and popular cocktail, is still on the menu.

Booking is recommended. theparadisepalms.com

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Seafood street food experts ShrimpWreck have now relocated to Portobello Promenade, where you can munch on items such as fish finger sarnies, crab mac and cheese, or buffalo shrimp. They’re open Wednesday - Sunday from 12 noon - 8pm. shrimpwreck.co.uk

GLASGOW Delhi Darbar in the north of Glasgow have opened Namaste by Delhi Darbar in the St Enoch Centre, next to the new Vue cinema. Promising a fresh take on Indian cuisine, the menu features many twists, like Bombay mix with dried pawpaw as an ingredient, masala fries, or New York style cheesecake with malai kulfi (cardamom flavoured ice cream). namastebydelhidarbar.com Lobo has opened at 758 Pollokshaws Rd in Strathbungo, where Gnom was. Open Wednesday–Sunday from 12 noon–10pm, there is a regular and vegan menu, both with Mediterranean-influenced dishes, such as blue cheese and spinach croquettes, Pedro Ximenez and raisin puree, or fried gnocchi, wild mushrooms, pumpkin, hazelnut pangrattato, and mushroom ketchup. loboglasgow.co.uk

PRODUCT Rora Dairy, an award-winning Scottish yogurt producer who have a small dairy farm in Aberdeenshire and make all their yogurt with live cultures, are now taking on the big names as they are now available to buy in selected Aldi, Morrisons and Sainsburys supermarkets across Scotland. roradairy.co.uk Ruth Jones has teamed up with Stuart McPhee to release their new hard seltzer brand, Twisted Sisters Drinks. The alcoholic carbonated water drink is made with vodka and flavoured with fruit. Flavours in the Twisted Sisters range include blueberry and elderflower, coconut and lime, and rhubarb and ginger. Available online and in bars in the Aberdeen area. twistedsistersdrinks.com Twisted Sisters

Social Bite

Port of Leith Distillery have released a white port as part of their journey towards making a new whisky. Partnering with Portuguese company Martha’s Wines, this port has been developed so that the casks will eventually be used in the production of Port of Leith Whisky. The drink has vibrant orange, citrus and honeyed aromas, alongside lemon, apple, and subtle hints of vanilla and almonds on the palate. leithdistillery.com Crafty Distillery has relaunched their multi-award winning Hills & Harbour Gin in a new bottle that reduces environmental impact, along with a stopper that is also a reusable drinks measure.

The overall glass weight has been reduced by 30 percent compared to their previous design and to competitors’ bottles. craftydistillery.com

Social Bite is launching an exclusive partnership with the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2020 and Edinburgh local, Peter Sawkins. As part of Social Bite’s brownie delivery service, Peter has designed a limited edition brownie box with two delicious new flavours, which is on sale now. All proceeds made from the boxes go towards Social Bite’s mission to end homelessness in Scotland. social-bite.co.uk

Hills & Harbour Gin

Food and Drink by Mark & Emma, Foodie Explorers Page 39

BEETROOT SOUP

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Soup season is here again. Colder days and darker nights mean that we crave some warming and comforting food. Soups are not only a hug in a bowl, but are cheap and quick to make. A soup can be made out of most spare vegetables - I’ve not tried to make one out of lettuce yet! But anything like cabbage, parsnips, cauliflower, and peppers are all perfect for making soup.

You could whip up a whole pot of soup in about half an hour, enough for lunch, dinner, and some for the freezer.

METHOD

Beetroot is in season just now, and is a budget way of getting more vitamins and keeping warm. The carrot sweetens up the earthiness of the beetroot, with ginger giving it some extra warmth. We also like a dollop of horseradish sauce on top for a bit more of a kick.

▌ Season with salt and pepper.

The recipe serves four people.

INGREDIENTS ▌ 1 large onion, chopped

▌ Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan. ▌ Add onion and fry until soft. ▌ Add the beetroot, carrot, and ginger. ▌ Stir. ▌ Add the stock.

▌ Bring to the boil and then simmer. ▌ Reduce the heat and simmer until the veg is tender. ▌ Blend until smooth. ▌ Serve with a dollop of horseradish for some extra warmth.

▌ 3 medium beetroot, peeled & diced ▌ 1 large carrot ▌ 2 large carrots, diced ▌ 25g fresh ginger, peeled & grated ▌ 1litre vegetable stock ▌ Oil for frying ▌ Salt and pepper for seasoning ▌ Horseradish sauce for garnish

Food and Drink by Mark & Emma, Foodie Explorers Page 41

WORLD AIDS DAY World AIDS Day 2021 falls on Wednesday 1st December, and sees a worldwide campaign to unite in both the fight against HIV/AIDS and the protection of those living with the virus.

This global initiative provides a powerful platform to reinforce that much is still to be done to eradicate it, as well providing financial support for research and recovery following the COVID pandemic. Becoming involved is easy and can be as simple as sharing a link on social media to donate to the National AIDS Trust, visiting their site to learn more about their work, and of course showing solidarity with those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their allies. And 2021 is as crucial a year as any, as our world navigates its way out of dire circumstances.

The pace of progress in reducing new HIV infections, increasing access to treatment, and ending AIDS-related deaths is slowing down, but figures are still troubling: in 2020, 1.5 million people across the world were newly infected with HIV, while 680,000 died from AIDS-related illness. World AIDS Day is the perfect time for us to improve these stats and raise much needed awareness about HIV, as well as encouraging meaningful dialogue that ends the stigma of the virus. We are being challenged to #RockTheRibbon with our community and be an HIV ally.

In February of this year, audiences were stunned

by Russell T Davies’ successful series It’s a Sin, bringing the HIV/AIDS epidemic back into public consciousness. A blistering, heart-breaking saga, It’s a Sin captured both the overlooked personal stories behind the AIDS crisis projected in the media and the denial that will undoubtedly resonate with many in our community: refusing to put too much weight in the virus’ severity or its consequences, demonstrating reluctance to be tested for fear of the result. The series is ultimately a tribute to both those who died and those who survived a horrific era, but hopefully it has introduced a new generation to the role HIV/AIDS still plays in 2021.

The UNAID Programme Coordinating Board contend that ‘Ending the AIDS epidemic is more than a historic obligation to the 39 million people who have died of the disease. It also represents a momentous opportunity to lay the foundation for a healthier, more just and equitable world for future generations.’ And in acknowledging this, they set a target that is both challenging and attainable: By 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status.

By 2020, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy.

By 2020, 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.

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This was an ambitious target, made more challenging by the COVID pandemic. Almost 59% of people living with HIV globally had suppressed viral loads in 2019. However, achieving the 90–90–90 targets results in a minimum of 73% of people living with HIV having suppressed viral loads, so the global target for the end of 2020 was not met.

Inevitable disruption in HIV treatment caused by the practical nature of a global pandemic led to additional AIDS-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa, with reduced medical collections increasing by 20%, and patients living without antiretroviral medicine for upwards of 60 days and abandoning their medicine courses due to a lack of sustaining food.

However, a global effort to plot the future course of the HIV response has been developed to set interim objectives for 2025 that need to be achieved to reach the 2030 HIV Sustainable Development Goals targets, placing greater emphasis on removing societal and legal impediments to service delivery, and on linking or integrating the provision of services needed by people living with HIV. It is frustrating when scientific advancements become futile when government policy and bureaucracy serve as barriers to their benefits. While the target may not have been met, progress has still been made; what this should startle us to remember is that HIV/AIDS remains a prominent issue as our world evolves over time.

So, as a new World Aids Day beckons, ask yourself how you will get involved and sustain the fight to end HIV. Of course, financial contributions are imperative in supporting the initiative, with donations ensuring the work towards stopping new HIV transmissions by 2030. But money is also needed to bolster ongoing campaigns that fight the stigma against HIV/AIDS that somehow still exists and to support HIV rights regarding the law.

And there’s no more symbolic gesture than buying and sporting your Red Ribbon! This iconic symbol showcases your allyship and commitment to HIV/ AIDS prevention. And they’re super cute.

Visit National AIDS Trust online and peruse their delectable range of ribbons for sale. I myself have the glittery one, because of course I do. This year they have also created a virtual red ribbon, which you can download and attach to your email signature, change your profile, or place in your window.

You still have a few weeks to organise an event of your own; pull together all your resources, family and friends and raise money. It’s a good excuse to make plans with people you may not have seen much this year! The momentum of showing solidarity with those with the virus and working to find an end to it must be sustained.

Donate generously to the National AIDS Trust and facilitate their work to finally see the end of HIV/ AIDS; and if you haven’t done so recently, be sure to develop the habit of having routine HIV tests and take part in making HIV/AIDS a thing of the past.

LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 43

In the eternal search to find underrated movie classics that have captured the hearts of queer audiences for decades, even if they don’t appear on movie publications’ ‘quintessential queer cinema’ lists, I am proud to say people approach me with their all-time favourites in the hope they receive the adulation they deserve. This month, I was challenged to view a film I had not only never seen but one that’s adapted from a board game – a subgenre with which I am shamefully unfamiliar. After all, between Ouija, Dungeons & Dragons and Battleship, it is quite the challenge to find a movie that has made the tricky transition from the board to the big screen.

However, one film stands out as a cinematic masterpiece, one so outrageously camp and ludicrously inane that it transcends the others: 1985’s Clue, the adaptation of Cluedo that absolutely no one asked for. So while Clue is far from a queer movie, its frenzied fusion of farce, goofy dialogue, and camp sensibility certainly make it gayer than Brokeback Mountain, and a natural fit in The (Not) Gay Movie Club. And I can honestly say I have never seen anything quite like it. snackmag.co.uk

CLUE YOU ARE INVITED TO A MURDER...

Tim Curry stars as Wadsworth, the butler of a New England mansion, who is responsible for hosting six anonymous strangers one stormy night in 1954.

Their names correlate beautifully with the famous characters from the board game: Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mr. Green and so on. However, it quickly dawns on the guests that they have been lured there as part of a nefarious blackmail scheme.

One catastrophe leads to another, and before you can say, ‘What even are the rules for Cluedo?’, murder most foul has been committed and everyone is a suspect. Will Wadsworth get to the bottom of it? Well, it’s not as simple as you may think.

The film’s gimmick is that it has three alternative endings. Upon release, theatres varied them for each screening. You are absolutely exhausted by the end of Wadsworth’s investigation.

There are few actors with the camp credentials of Tim Curry. Look at the CV: Pennywise, malevolent bellboy in Home Alone 2, Gomez Addams in the much-maligned straight-to-video Addams Family Reunion, Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island…the list is exhausting. But his most iconic role is arguably Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In response to the question ‘Is there anything the man can’t do?’, one could potentially suggest subtlety. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. In the film’s crescendo, he displays perhaps the most physically extreme, hysterical performances I have ever seen, revelling in every moment as the murderous puzzle is revealed.

And he is in fine company. Helping Curry chew the scenery are comedy legends Michael McKean, Christopher Lloyd, Martin Mull (Principal Kraft from Sabrina!) and, of course, camp icon Madeline Kahn. She threatens to steal the show on multiple occasions as the gothic femme fatale Mrs White: I believe the film’s funniest moment is her ‘monologue’, delivered upon being accused of murder: ‘it-it- the f - it - flam - flames. Flames, on the side of my face, breathing-breathl- heaving breaths. Heaving breaths... Heaving…’ I urge you to find this on YouTube. Anyone in search of their next drag costume need look no further.

The commitment the entire cast demonstrates is what makes Clue so impactful: we see a group of performers leaning into the outrageous camp and lunacy of it all, loving every second, and the giddy indulgence is infectious. And Lesley Ann Warren as Miss Scarlet, a vampy, wise-cracking madame, looks phenomenal. We gay-gasped when she revealed her outfit.

However, one could contend that a cast is only as good as the script bestowed on it, and Clue certainly delivers. The dialogue is gloriously goofy, to the point one could consider the film the neglected cousin of Airplane!

No double entendre is overlooked, and there are some barbed jokes that feel vaguely political, which gives the film a fun satirical edge. Suffice to say the film underperformed financially and critically upon its release (a general prerequisite to all our movies, frankly), which is disappointing: the film is smarter than many may give it credit for, even if the premise is bizarre, the acting is high camp and…I mean, who asked for this movie?

As with most of our choices, Clue isn’t explicitly queer. Granted, upon viewing I was dreadfully concerned there would be a spanner in the works: that there was a queer character in the movie.

After all, Michael McKean’s character Mr Green is on the surface a closeted D.C. State Department employee blackmailed over his homosexuality – he is revealed, however, in one of the endings to be straight, an undercover FBI agent putting on an act. Gasp! t’s interesting, for one, to see the derision and disgust with which Mr Green is treated by his straight counterparts, or the glee with which he announces, ‘I’m going to go home and sleep with my wife!’ in Ending C, negating any possible indication he may well be a friend of Dorothy. But we have to remember this was released in 1985, slap bang in the middle of the Reagan era and in the AIDS pandemic’s early days: anti-gay sentiment was rife, and alas ,whimsical capers adapted from board games were no exception.

So what lesson can we take from Clue?

Absolutely nothing from the plot itself, of course, except for perhaps not trusting anyone you meet at a New England mansion party in the 50s.

Perhaps the lesson is in taking a chance on a movie maligned by critics but adored by audiences. Films like Clue find new life in future audiences who love them for what they are – outrageous, unashamedly camp gems. So, if you have any recommendations, I’ll be in the observatory…with a candlestick.

LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 45

Track by Track: Lloyd's House Lloyd's House Lloyd Ledingham first came to our attention as the bassist in the intriguing indie three piece, Supercloud. We concluded the review of their EP with the words ‘we can’t wait to see what they do next’.

So, they promptly split up. However, at least two of Supercloud’s former band members have gone on to form solo projects and Lloyd’s House is Mr Ledingham’s moniker for their lo-fi, bass-led project.

None of the lo-fi-ness (should that be lo-finess or lofiness, or is it lofinessity?) is faked, although it’s not entirely evident on opener ‘The End of the World’ since the ride cymbals and the cleaner bass in the mix sound pretty professionally mixed.

There’s a chorus that will drag you back to this song repeatedly, but it’s also a great way to introduce the idea of multiple bass tracks forming something more melodic than you might be used to.

Boasting a pre-SMS-era truncated personal adjective in the title, also used by Sonic Youth, Bis and Uresei Yatsura, ‘Count Yr Lucky Stars’ has a pleasing, quiet, falsetto chorus that feels like a musical trepanning (if trepanning was actually a good thing instead of, you know, barbaric). snackmag.co.uk

If there’s a signature sound on the album, it would be bass chords being played through a bedroom amp, and ‘Grouch’ just allows its two-chord verses to take over the lead and the core of the song. It has a swaying swagger, best suited swaggering after midnight on an empty street that was specifically designed to be swaggered on.

I’m not sure if I’m missing a couple of layers of irony, but ‘Diss Track’ appears to do what it says on the tin, and just moans about someone. The line ‘you came into my life with arms wide open’ appears to show a chink of a hopeful reprieve from a teenage whine, but it comes crashing straight back into vindictive anger. It’s a better song than it is a sentiment.

The album was almost entirely recorded and mixed through means of Lloyd’s own, so I’ve no idea about the source of the descending, flute-like whistle that dances throughout ‘I Got Milk / I Got Things to do’ but it sits so perfectly with the yearn in Lloyd’s compressed vocals that it’s hard to imagine the song without it.

Due to the inherent lo-fidelity (THAT’S the word I should’ve used instead of making up all those silly words earlier), a lot of this album translates better through headphones than a big speaker or amp.

‘Talking’ embodies this more than any other track, with the first 50 seconds an intimate, atmospheric tune, before it’s invaded by descending keys and what sounds like either a sample of a distressed cat or a person mimicking said state of distress in a cat.

‘Freebird III’ thankfully shies away from incorporating its Lynyrd Skynyrd namesake, and instead picks out an almost Krautrock vibe, which blossoms with additional elements as it goes on.

I’ve always thought that restraint is a key part of songwriting, and it’s refreshing that the song keeps its groove.

displaying a fragility not reflected by the scuzzy lower frequencies. Closer ‘A Hundred Dogs’ veers from its quiet beginning to a cacophony of nightmarish cymbals, fighting through tape saturation.

There’s no point pretending Lloyd’s House is for everyone – clearly not everyone appreciates an understated, honest, reflective, home-recorded bunch of songs with such an intensely personal outlook as the listener gets here.

I don’t think there are any guitars with more than four strings on the record and it’s all the better for it. The balance between maintaining your lo-fi cool and stretching your pop instincts is never easy to hit, but if ever a record were to have found that elusive sweet spot, Lloyd’s House may have cracked it on their first fully-fledged attempt.

Lloyd’s House is out on 26th November via Corkscrew Records

Recent single ‘Eddie’ feels, thematically, like the central sentiment behind the record. Although self-determination and the actualisation of sexual identity form the album’s core message, the overall feel is of affirmation of outright personal identity.

The hushed, over-too-quickly ‘Foe’ is two minutes of a swampish dream which gives way to ‘Gavel’, which is like the state between the former’s dream and being fully awake. Emily McNally’s vocals form a neat counter-element to Lloyd’s voice.

‘Ripper’ is the rockiest song on the whole album, mainly by virtue of using a lead bass tone so overdriven and compressed that it mimics the effect of an entire punk band on its own. Still, though, something of Lloyd’s personality comes through,

Image credits: Mirrin Hegharty

Music by Stephen McColgan Page 47

BRICKWORK

C.F. PETERSON

This is the first comprehensive book that has focused on The Arches from its humble beginning as the still potential location for an art space, to becoming the venue that it famously became. The book is the product of a collaboration between David Bratchpiece, who worked in various roles at The Arches for fifteen years, and, author of Fishnet and Scabby Queen, Kirstin Innes, who was for a while the press and publicity manager for the venue. This book throws me back to those gigs: the smells, the bass, the unkempt undergroundness of it all. Nostalgia. It offers an uncompromised flavour of the Glasgow art scene during its reign, whether it was the nightclub, the theatre, the creative hub, it was one of the most significant and pivotal venues in Scotland.

Book: The Purified C.F. Peterson’s debut novel, the critically acclaimed Errant Blood, was published back in 2017, with some comparing it to the work of Iain Banks. Four years on and the follow up, The Purified, is now with us, but time has not lessened Peterson's barely suppressed anger at the state of the world. While this is a thriller, and a genuine thrill at that, themes include nationalism, anarchism, land ownership, rewilding, and nuclear testing in Scotland. But what lifts this above most other genre novels is the writing itself.

The Purified doesn’t give up its secrets easily.

Peterson manages to introduce both characters and plot with great care for the reader. While the influence of Banks is still clear, there is more than a hint of Agatha Christie this time round. These are not comparisons given lightly, but are an indicator as to the quality of The Purified.

This title begins in 1991 with Andy Arnold moving into the space and chronologically follows the development of the venue until its closure following a drug-related death in 2015. Throughout this biography David and Kirstin collaboratively interviewed an impressive number of staff, artists as well as some of the regulars, to allow the venue to resurrect and become alive again.

Impassioned accounts take us up to its demise in 2015; it perhaps would’ve been great to get more on where it might have gone had it not closed.

However, reading these personal and passionate accounts you come away feeling immersed in it all, and it’s near impossible not to hear those chants of HWFG whilst you read along.

Brickwork: A Biography of The Arches is out on 4th November, published by Salamander Street Keira Brown

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The Purified is out now, published by Scotland Street Press Alistair Braidwood

CHARLOTTE DE WITTE

BROKEN CHANTER

EP: Asura For those who have kept pace with Charlotte de Witte’s pandemic livestreams, be they from her balcony, a castle, or even a racetrack, this EP brings some more than familiar tunes and moments to the comfort of your own home. The title track is close to the ‘Return To Nowhere’ material, blending a Gregorian feel with modern beats.

Album: Catastrophe Hits One of the finest traits someone can have is to be uplifting and happy for others, even when all around appears to be turning to shit. Catastrophe Hits by Broken Chanter might be an album created during the pandemic, but it's not an album mired in these times.

‘Soma’ lives up to its name, tearing away at the start before switching to a brazen and glitchy meander across its 7:30 length. All the tracks on the collection hang around without overstaying their welcome. Closer ‘Stigma’ perhaps even leaves the best to last, skipping through with indecent haste and purpose.

Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can hear these tracks again in their natural habitat, but as we make the most of life right now, it's better to have more techno than less; and we’ll always take Charlotte’s.

Asura was released on 8th October on KNTXT Andrew Reilly

The blistering start offered by ‘Dancing Skeletons’ sets the tone, and we’re off and running as much as the track’s video. People need pop music and a belief that things are going to get better – one of the themes bubbling throughout the record.

For those of who enjoyed the act’s debut album, there are still moments of reflectiveness and thoughtfulness, but on the whole, there’s a lot more fun. Given what we’ve all been through, combining thoughtfulness and optimism is probably the best stance to have, and you’re perfectly at home with the slices of triumph and catastrophe found here.

Catastrophe Hits was released on 29th October on Olive Grove Records and LNFG Andrew Reilly

review@snackmag.co.uk Page 49

HEN HOOSE Album: Equaliser The cream of female and non-binary Scottish music come together to create a dream collaborative album. Founded by singer/songwriter Tamara Schlesinger, aka MALKA, the cheekily-named Hen Hoose is a new collective and production house of female and non-binary Scotland-based artists making music for TV, advertising, film, etc in order to redress the gender imbalance which still exists within the music industry today.

Hen Hoose

From the gorgeous, bittersweet opener 'Monochrome', by indie legend Emma Pollock and composer Pippa Murphy, to the gospelinflected hip hop call for 'Revolution Retribution'

by Amandah Wilkinson and Jayda Puren, through to Elisabeth Elektra and Susan Bear's electro pop 'Hush Hush' – which initially seems sweet, but is really a spiky plea for autonomy – the album is pretty much flawless.

There is not one weak link, but the best tracks here are when certain artists venture out of their usual sonic comfort zone and collaborate with those who make contrasting sounds. This is evinced by folk queen Karine Polwart teaming up with aforementioned pop goddess Tamara Schlesinger for the jittery folktronica track ' These Are The Nights'; Admiral Fallow's Sarah Hayes and Pippa Murphy's cinematic ballad 'A Change In The Light'; and Beldina Odenyo (aka. Heir Of The Cursed) and Inge Thompson's shivery, absolutely bewitching 'Burn It All', a marrying of their respective styles of avant-pop and folk. With such an assured, accessible debut, Hen Hoose can go anywhere without ruffling too many feathers. It's a wonderfully eclectic mix of genres and moods.

Equaliser is out on 5th November Lorna Irvine

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LUNAR VACATION Single: Where Is Everyone?

The final single to be released ahead of their debut album, Lunar Vacation’s ‘Where Is Everyone?’ is a chilled-out gem of a song. With a melodic bassline and ethereal vocals, the track explores a relationship where two people are too different to make it work, despite their best efforts and intentions. If the rest of the album follows suit it will be a standout debut.

‘Where Is Everyone?’ is available to stream now.

Lily Black

JENNYLEE

LOUIS SEIVWRIGHT

Single: Newtopia News that Warpaint will return to these shores in May 2022, with a new album in tow, has helped lighten the mood and tone, but Jennylee has doubled-down on the band’s feelgood factor.

Warpaint bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg impressed with Right On!, her debut solo record back in 2016, but on ‘Newtopia’, she’s bristling with breezy optimism.

Single: Wonderland Aberdeen producer Louis Seivwright’s heartpounding RnB number ‘Wonderland’ explores themes of lust, reflection, and determination.

Tantalizing trap rhythms ensure constant headbanging throughout AMA JANE’S sentimental and provocative vocals, and Chef’s verse has a fiery ethos of progress and optimism.

‘Wonderland’ is the title track from Seivwright’s upcoming new album, and if this is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat.

It’s the sort of timeless pop that is very much also now, by which of course means it sounds like 80s bands echoing the work of 60s greats. The welcoming shuffle beat and underplayed vocals create a soundscape that laps like the waves.

There’s a tinge of sunshine, ideal to warm our bones as we move towards the darker months.

The solo guitar does enough to keep you awake and, as the song fades out with Jennylee intoning that she’s still trucking, I’m more than delighted that she is. Roll on next year.

‘Wonderland’ is available to stream now Joe Rosenthal

‘Newtopia’ was released on 20th October on Jennys Recordings Andrew Reilly

review@snackmag.co.uk Page 51

LINZI CLARK

THE STORY OF LOOKING

Album: All I Have Now Over the last year, of which so much has been wantonly forgettable, some of us have managed to stand above the slow drudge of lockdown, lock ourselves away and culture conceptions of quiet beauty. Linzi Clark is one, and with her soulful, folky debut All I Have Now, she has produced something quite timeless.

Film At the very beginning of The Story of Looking you find yourself in bed with filmmaker Mark Cousins.

Under his duvet he talks about the act of looking, just before revealing that tomorrow he will undergo a cataract surgery that could very well impact his own ability to see. The non-fiction film becomes an offer to spend this last day together thinking about ‘our looking lives’.

The album’s ten songs gently lead you down a tender path into the burning stomach of emotions that seem to have inspired Clark from the inside out. The instrumentation is primarily a simple set up of acoustic guitar, piano and sparingly played drums, tastefully produced by Bovine to allow Clark’s comforting but naturally varied delivery to shine through.

While there are definite nods to greats like Kate Bush and Regina Spektor, there are also sprinklings of Elliot Smith to be found, if you’re looking. Listen closer, and understated but powerful lines have echoes of a certain Aimee Mann.

Lyrically, the album is lovingly poetic but remains down to earth; lines are simply presented, but a deep dive is there for the taking if you care to pause.

All I Have Now is out now Peter Clarkin

Photo Credit: Bovine

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As a film thinker and historian, this setup could be just trappings created so Cousins can dissect his appreciation for cinema. And like some of his best work, the journey does give viewers accessible entry points into film appreciation. His narration meanders through movement, colour, and light, looking at classics like The Wizard of Oz and charmingly describing how colour makes the film what it is.

But The Story of Looking is also personal. It’s concerned with more than just how, challenging the viewer to consider why we look. Is it about voyeurism? Is it about power?

Ultimately it takes the viewer to a positive place.

As the narrator himself hesitates to leave his flat on the eve of the operation, so does the viewer begin to examine their relationship with the outside after so many months of lockdown. It describes looking as an opportunity, a privilege. There’s a world out there waiting to be focused upon with the energy only your eyes can give. ‘It is so easy to see, but what do we do with this seeing?’

The Story of Looking is available to stream on the GFT website until 16th December Sam Gonçalves

SWEET THING Film 90s and noughties indie movies hold a special place in the hearts of many. Films such as Jim Jarmusch’s Down By Law and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs rewrote the book on independent cinema, and were hugely influential, creating a thriving scene. Unfortunately the scene is not what it used to be, but there are still gems that pop up here and there. Described by Tarantino as ‘the most powerful film I’ve seen in years’, director Alexandre Rockwell’s Sweet Thing is one such pearl, and has the feel and aesthetic of old times while tapping into a modern depiction of adolescence.

Rockwell is an old hand at this type of cinema, as he began directing in the early 90s with such wellregarded movies as In the Soup. He cast his son and daughter as the leads in Sweet Thing, a sister and brother trying to escape abuse and neglect, yet finding peace and youthful exhilaration through the moment.

Billie, (Lana Rockwell) named by her father after Billie Holliday, is a quiet and thoughtful early teen.

Her brother Nico (Nico Rockwell) is younger and more wild. The two have a close relationship.

They live with their father Adam (Will Patton), an alcoholic, and hardly see their neglectful mother Eve (Karyn Parsons). Things go awry and the two run away, with their new friend Malik (Jabari Watkins) in tow.

There are profoundly beautiful performances, especially by Lana Rockwell who is the melancholy yet joyous heart of the film.

The use of music is inextricably linked to the movie's themes. The spirit of Billie Holliday appears to Bille throughout, and her music haunts the pure corners of the picture, guiding Billie through moments of darkness and light. Billie sings, quite beautifully, Van Morrison’s classic song ‘Sweet Thing’ at various intimate points in the story, and a live version is played a couple of times. The song speaks of the purity and innocence we all remember from youth, that the kids in this film experience, despite their hardship. They grasp those moments when they are free of trouble, knowing they must experience the beauty of life.

Rockwell shoots most of the movie very close in, and as the viewer comes to know the characters this technique creates an intimacy most films of this type yearn for. It would be nothing without the fantastic performances, and no one puts a foot wrong. While there is a hint of over-egged artistry here and there, and the penultimate plot point is a little forced, Sweet Thing is a rare, enrapturing film that emanates pure emotion.

Sweet Thing will be released on Blu-Ray, 15th of November by Eureka!

Martin Sandison

The film, shot mostly in black and white, contains some wonderful memorable images. Adam drunk in a panda suit falling on the pavement is particularly great and easy to recall. These images are not just there for show. They are hard-wired to the characters and a wonderfully written script that speaks of hope within degradation.

review@snackmag.co.uk Page 53

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SHOWER PHILOSOPHER I was in the shower and called to my partner “I need a towel!” and she came through and handed me one and I said ”You know, part of what makes life so beautiful is that we don’t know when we go and we don’t know where we go. That kind of forces your hand a bit doesn’t it? Makes you smile when you don’t want to, look for clouds where there aren’t any, appreciate being even when you ache.

Can you imagine how the dynamic would shift if we did know?

People would be checking out far more often.

Like, say if you knew where you went and who you would see and when you would see them again, people would be leaving before their time because they wouldn’t fear the prospect of nothing” and she said “I can’t handle this right now, I’m far too fucking hungover for this.” and I said “That’s fair, thanks for the towel.

By the way, are you getting the door when the takeaway comes?”

David Linklater

Pollokshields says

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