SNACK magazine: Issue 44 – October 2022

Taiwan

Theatre

Black

Pony

Leyla

Poster Paints

Ramesh

Eyve Madyise

News

Halloween Peppers

(Not)

Movie

Festival

Film Festival

Spanish Film Festival

Megan Black

Evie Waddell

Cuts

Spaceships Over Glasgow

Aoife Nessa Frances

Gerber

Slim Wrist

Nushka

Boogie

Story of Art Without Men

Bemz – Big Joanie

Sampa

Great

Picking

CREDITS

Lavelle

Sub

Leona Skene

Delmage

Food

Drink

Emma Mykytyn and Mark Murphy

LGBT+ Editor: Jonny Stone

What's On Editor: Natalie Jayne Clark

Film Editor: Martin Sandison

Joanna Hughes

of

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herein.

Hello and welcome to SNACK issue 44,

It seems the magazine is at that age where milestones zoom past ever more quickly. That we've only just begun, but we've also been doing this forever. Can you relate?

How to celebrate 4 years of SNACK? Championing some of the cream of Scotland’s independent artists seemed like a good way to go, so we’ve done just that. Yes, yes… that’s just what we always do. Inspired, huh?

Poster Paints, Cloth, Megan Black, Eyve Madyise, Dead Pony, and Evie Waddell share this month’s front cover and there’s interviews with all of them cooried neatly within this month’s covers. It’s a cracking clutch of grassroots Scottish talent, no doubt, and there’s loads more to discover besides. As always, the whole team has done themselves proud. In this issue, I’m particularly fond of the way themes and strands unfurl and intersect – have a dig through and see for yourself. Anyways, thanks to everyone who has contributed to the mag in any way over the past 4 years: readers, writers, editors, designers & illustrators, advertisers, friends, family, the lot. There would be no SNACK without you.

Enjoy your October and we’ll see you next month.

Kenny Lavelle Editor

GALOSHANS FESTIVAL

Various locations, Inverclyde and Greenock 21st till 30th October

With Halloween coming around again, there are few better ways to celebrate than by going ‘galoshing' (an Inverclyde-area term for the Scots custom of ‘guising’). Galoshans Festival is inspired by this term and now celebrates its eighth year. Taking place all over the Inverclyde area, the festival will deliver some gleefully ghoulish performances, in keeping with the thin veil between the living and the dead. But it's all family-oriented, too, and very much rooted in the community, standing as an antidote to Halloween's increasing commercialisation.

Previous years have included artists as diverse as Orkestra del Sol, Kayos Theatre Company, No Nonsense Theatre, Dr Brown, Paul Bristow from Magic Torch Comics, and many others.

The street parade is always a colourful, vivid event featuring a plethora of international performers.

This year, RIG Arts and Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock (among others) have collaborated with Glasgow arts organisation Feral, who make good on their promise ‘to explore the extraordinary in the everyday’. In their curation, they promise Galoshans’ most ambitious year, with ’an array of artistic experiences that have a surrealist take on traditional folklore and myth’.

Selected highlights include lovably bonkers children's theatre-maker Mamoru Iriguchi’s interactive work The Tallest, which invites kids to explore vertiginous heights with crazy costumes; choreographer Rob Heaslip's vibrant, wildly dancing Strawboys, Ashley Peevor's The Lost Opera, with strange, sculptural figures stalking the streets; and some Ghost Caribou deer illuminating the night sky, thanks to Thingamajig Theatre and their beautiful creations.

With creative workshops, street art, storytelling, and many more interactive events on offer, it's an exciting alternative to tooth-rotting sweets, dad jokes, and smelly pumpkin carving.

galoshansfestival.com

Lorna Irvine

The Lost Opera - Ashley Peevor

Ghost Caribou - Thingumajig Theatre

KEEP IT LIT WITH SCOTLAND'S STORYTELLING SHOWCASE

Edinburgh, and various 14th till 31st October

Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022, a showcase of traditional storytelling that hosts 240 events, is anchored at Edinburgh’s Scottish Storytelling Centre but will be spreading stories across the city and throughout Scotland. This year’s theme –Keep It Lit – offers both a symbolic fire to gather around as well as a motto to pit against the recent years of disruption, emphasising the importance of sharing stories to ease inner woes.

Tradition gets a shake up this year, with plenty of topical themes to get your teeth stuck into, from gender identity to the climate emergency. The opening event, Speak Out the Other, blends voice and music to navigate the belonging, becoming, and ‘otherness’ of queer identities that permeate Scottish myth. It’s the first in a commissioned ‘Interpreting Scotland’ series around contemporary discussion points examining how Scotland shapes its sense of self.

A Fairie Tale reimagines folk classic Thomas the Rhymer by exploring Scottish race and gender identities through a mediaeval-inspired landscape, while in Fàilte Gu BSL/Welcome to BSL HOH/deaf musician Evie Waddell, who we had the pleasure of interviewing for this issue, examines the relationship in Scottish culture between Gaelic and BSL.

Language, landscape, and identities are celebrated through Transgressive North’s ambitious project Map of Stories, with multimedia performances highlighting the rich and diverse heritage of Scotland. It features some of the country’s leading storytellers, and for those who love Halloween, Female Powers: Fairy Queens and Witches offers ancient ballads and stories from folk music duo Pictism and storyteller Stuart McHardy.

Festival Director Donald Smith says: ‘We are responding to the cost of living crisis with 145 free events, reducing ticket prices, offering a uniquely generous Festival Pass, and keeping a specially commissioned digital programme to provide worldwide reach for those who cannot or choose not to travel. Everyone is welcome at our hearthside.’

sisf.org.uk

Lindsay Corr

Photo credit: Neil Hanna

CROCODILE ROCK AND A NEW LIFE TOUR

Various Locations, Scotland

24th September till 5th November

If you were a teen stuck in the arse-end of naewhere, then you’ll relate to Crocodile Rock. Even if you weren’t, you too would have felt the pressure when all of sudden everyone was incessantly asking what you were going to do when you left school, like the protagonist of this show, 17-year-old Steven McPhail. He’s dragged away from languishing by a dazzling drag queen who shines a light on the hitherto unrealised possibilities of life. Be reinvigorated by not just the story, but the original music too. A New Life follows a couple who have got it sorted, supremely successful careers and all, then Jess finds out she is pregnant. People have been having babies forever…they can definitely continue living their full and fulfilling modern lives with a wee person in tow, surely? andyrmcgregor.com

MACARTS THEATRE

Galashiels

1st October till 1st December

‘Prolific’ does not do bassist and composer and best-name-haver Jah Wobble justice –he’s featured on albums from the likes of The Cranberries, Primal Scream, Sinéad O’Connor and Björk, and you have the chance to see his band Invaders of the Heart display decades of music mastery. It was a sold out run last time –make sure you grab your tix early. There’s also Weegie Hink Ae That, an eclectic mix of snappy and spirited sketches and songs of Scottish culture from The Weegie Boys.

MacArt are continuing their pilot gigs too with Incubator Sessions, a space to support upcoming musicians. This time you’ll have the opportunity to see and laud Zenith, Yaris, and Cameron & Amber. Peatbog Faeries take the toe-tapping delight of traditional sounds and blend it with the fist-pumping of dance floor tunes to create a mesmerising concoction you cannot stay still to. Stanley Odd will galvanise with their astute lyrics on topics from witches to parenthood to perfidious politicians (and more!) to present a celebration of ‘universal outsiders’. Check out their full listing for more – myriad and magical. ticketsource.co.uk/macarts

Weegie Hink Ae That

STUNTMAN TOUR

Various Locations, Scotland 23rd September till 15th October

Either you are excited that they will never ever stop making Marvel films as long as you shall live, or you checked out after the second Iron Man movie and have accepted that the cinema will always be choked with gutsy gory cheesy heroes – either way, this show will shed new light on the links between violence and masculinity for you. This show ‘investigates the emotional and physical impact that action-hero models can have’ and promises ‘outrageous stunts’. Performers David Banks and Sadiq Ali lend their first-hand queer experiences to this stunning, stunt-laced show. linktr.ee/superfanperformance

QEUH PHOTOGRAPH DISPLAY

Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow

22nd September till December

Photographs span the 1970s till present day; you’ll want to spend time with each one. It is fascinating seeing shop displays and hospital settings and footie games throughout time. Alan Dimmick, former Glasgow porter and now nationally renowned photographer, has captured the awesome everyday wee moments, more fascinating than any grand event. Not only did he once work in these halls, but his father was a neuroscientist in the very same building, and his mother and sister worked at other hospitals in Glasgow. It’s a new exhibition and is part of the ongoing Animating Public Space programme which ‘aims to offer high-quality and international and contemporary art in Glasgow’s primary healthcare settings, providing hospital users space to rest, reflect, and recover’. alandimmick.com

Proud protagonist Chris’s condition has worsened to a point where she must ask for help – but assessor Ralph is here to prove she is fit to work. The play that asks the question: ‘if you are capable of killing and disposing of a body, can you really call yourself disabled?’ There is a socially distanced and mask-wearing performance on the Friday.

traverse.co.uk

CARTOGRAPHY OF CARE

Edinburgh Palette, Edinburgh 8th till 29th October

An ‘emotional atlas’ that features work from artist mothers from across the globe and from across disciplines, centering on themes of care, body, domestic spaces, journeys, and more. There will be a series of drop-in creative workshops along with the exhibition, suitable for all abilities and ages, for you to tangibly engage with the art and artists and yourself. spiltmilkgallery.com/exhibitions/ cartography-of-care

Windsor Cafe Hyndland - 1979

DON’T. MAKE. TEA.

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh 5th till 8th October

Initially due to be shown in 2020, this exploration of disability and the benefits system is more pertinent than ever.

Photo

credit: Alan Dimmick

TAIWAN FILM FESTIVAL

Summerhall and Everyman, Edinburgh and Online

15th till 20th October

Chief curator of the festival Liu Kuan-Ping said: ‘People think of Asian cultures as collective cultures…We want to show people that being unusual is not all that bad’. There’s a series of short films with stories about things like: waking up dead and observing your own family grieving (Can You Hear Me?); being kidnapped and the role of ‘bias and misjudgement’ (Siren); and routine being disrupted by the appearance of strange new figures (Where Am I Going?). When The Dawn Comes is about Chi Chia-wei, the first person to come out as gay in Taiwan publicly, and someone who has been an activist for decades, with public stunts to improve education. There’s also films of romance (through parking tickets…), diamond heists, not fitting into the mainstream, and much else besides. All available online, and each with its own in-person screening. taiwanfilmfestival.org.uk

SLUG IN A MUG

Made in Stirling, Stirling

October 8th

This adorable book is all about confidence and cottage life, written by speechwriter Laura Westring and illustrated by Jon Bishop. Westring’s extensive speechwriting and public speaking experience across the world joined together with her son’s imagination and they used stories to ‘relieve the stress and social isolation of pandemic lockdown’. This book, and its associated workshops and resources, is a community endeavour, raising money to provide free children’s activities held at creative hub Made in Stirling. sluginamug.com

AINADAMAR

Theatre Royal Glasgow and Festival Theatre Edinburgh October and November Ainadamar, meaning ‘The Fountain of Tears’, has its Scottish premiere this year. This show combines flamenco and opera to present the searing life and words of playwright and poet Federico García Lorca, who was eventually killed for his anti-fascist stance and open homosexuality. scottishopera.org.uk/shows/ainadamar

CCA, Glasgow

19th till 20th October

Experiments and oxymorons and aliens and metamorphoses and puppets…these pay-whatyou-can evenings of multiple shows have it all!

I am finding it difficult to paraphrase the advertising for this whole thing, so enjoy my selections of quotations. The Rats of Woolpit are ‘alien rat bastards with yeast infections’ who root aboot in our rubbish to imagine and take on aspects of our society. Ecdysis is from Shrek 666, which ‘incorporates non-human/ human embodiment through transpecious, transdisciplinary, hybridisation’. Hairy Monster says: ‘a large vagina enters a room and bites a very boring man. HORROR IS BORN!’ Let’s Play A Game is about the body as a powerful asset, ‘however utilising this asset too obviously will result in ostracization, dehumanisation, incarceration, and deletion…can you walk this delicate tightrope?’

cca-glasgow.com/programme/buzzcutdouble-thrills-with-rhubarb-festival

HELLSANS

Waterstones, Glasgow and Lighthouse Books, Edinburgh

13th and 20th October

One half of the creators of The Inklusion Guide, Ever Dundas’ second novel is a dystopian hellscape where only one single font is allowed — most experience ‘bliss’ when they see it, but a section of society are allergic to it — and horrendously persecuted. Not only is the premise cool, but the first two parts of the book can be read in either order, which alters your experience of the narrative.

linktr.ee/EverDundas

The Rats of Woolpit by Brawk Ward and Esther Splett

CENTRAL SCOTLAND FILM

DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

Macrobert Art Centre, Stirling

3rd till 7th November

The ‘father of documentary’ John Grierson was born in this city, and this festival of non-fiction and documentaries is quite the curation. Over five days, films of all ilk of themes will be featured. They accept submissions from anywhere in the world ‘on all subject matter’ and have two awards to be won!

macrobertartscentre.org/centscotdocufest

PUSH THE BOAT OUT

Summerhall, Edinburgh

4th till 6th November

A whole host of poetry’s A-listers and sweethearts swell this year’s poetry programme – a dream for poetry groupies everywhere. Friday night culminates in a show that is a heady mix of poetry, dance, music, and DJ-ing, hosted by the unfailingly charming Kirstin Innes and featuring Janette Ayachi and Emma Snellgrove’s SISTER_

SIREN, Anthony Anaxagorou, Stuart Murdoch (Belle and Sebastian), Arusa Qureshi, and Iona Lee. Saturday night has Honey Farm, Omar Musa, Niques, and jayda & houseplants for a ‘riotous’ and ‘raucous’ evening. Take the Monday off work, because you’ll not be resting this Sunday — a double bill from Hannah Lavery and Michael Mullin, Leyla Josephine’s new work In Public/In Private, a takeover from Victoria McNulty and her writing group, plus ‘genre-defying’ Hen Hoose rounding off the evening.

There’s also cool combos throughout the fest: a cocktail night, each tipple told alongside a new tale; poetry walks; gaming and poetry; Living Rent and literary mag Gutter Magazine; Scottish mythology and maps (with Hollie McNish!); and a feature together of both the Welsh Laureate and Scottish Makar. Don’t miss Joelle Taylor, recent winner of the prestigious T. S Eliot Prize!

pushtheboatout.org Aberdeen 21st till 23rd October

TAKE ONE ACTION FILM FESTIVAL

Though Take One Action is an Edinburgh-based charity, their film festival isn’t exclusive to the capital. In Aberdeen they’re showing some belting films, including Jumana Manna’s Foragers.

Foragers

Manna weaved fiction, documentary, and archival footage together to document how Israeli legislation, veiled as environmental conservation, has deemed the foraging of certain traditional Palestinian foods punishable by fine and even imprisonment. On the subject of the importance of flora, high on your to watch list should definitely be The Mushroom Speaks, to further delight in plant power.

The lineup also includes Menelik Shabazz’s first feature Burning an Illusion, which will be followed by a discussion about anti-racism and Black activism in Scotland today with actor and writer, curator and organiser Daniella Faakor Damptey and layla-roxanne hill. There’ll also be pay-whatyou-can showings, including Sit In on October 10th.

glasgowfilm.org

HAIL, THE DARK LIONESS

Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama

University of Glasgow East Quad

1st October till 6th November

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

GLASGOW FILM THEATRE

Every Monday evening 3rd till 24th October

For BHM this year GFT has partnered with the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) and The New Black Film Collective. The lineup spotlights the experiences and work of inspirational Black people and people of colour, and the relationship between music and activism. The programme kicks off with Harriet, Kasi Lemmon’s chronicle of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and her journey to become one of America’s most iconic heroes. After the film, acclaimed poets Courtney Stoddart and Yemurai Chaza will perform, making an electric start to the month’s programme.

This free outdoor exhibition of striking black and white self-portraits is visual activist Zanele Muholi’s way of ensuring ‘that the next generation will be able to draw on a diverse – and queer – archive of images for visual reference: a document to see themselves in and feel represented.’ Muholi’s work engages in the politics of representation, and expresses that ‘by exaggerating the darkness of my skin tone, I’m reclaiming my blackness, which I feel is continuously performed by the privileged other’. The result is a series of photographs that will stop you in your tracks, and make you want to brave several visits to Glasgow University’s freshersfilled cloisters just to witness their majesty again and again.

#THEAFROWEGIAN PRESENTS MIXED RACE AND SCOTTISH

Beacon Arts Centre Cafe, Greenock

Part one: 8th October

Part two: 15th October

For those who don’t know, #theafrowegian is a platform created to encourage a nuanced debate about race in Scottish culture. They are hosting two talks, the first with artist and activist Kim Simpson – whose photographic exhibition Girls and Mothers, a celebration of families with mixed ethnic backgrounds, is exhibited at the National Portrait Museum – and Mark Agbi, founder of the African Caribbean Society, discussing how art can be instrumental in anti-racism. The second is an exchange between jazz singer and actress Suzanne Bonnar and musician, writer, and filmmaker Matt Hickman (Brownbear), as they track their experiences growing up in Scotland in different generations.

beaconartscentre.co.uk

SHADES: BLACK AND QUEER CABARET

Macrobert Arts Centre: 7:30-9:30pm, 13th October

Fruitmarket: 6-7pm, 15th October

Revel in pure Black queer joy with a night of storytelling, drag, opera, pole dancing, and poetry. You’ll be in safe hands with the sensational drag performer Rhys’ Pieces, as they lead you through an evening of the mind-altering soprano stylings of Andrea Baker, soul-soothing poetry by multi-hyphenate Briana Pegado, and a bodybending performance by pole dancer Kheanna Walker.

And if you thought it couldn’t get any better, it’s pay what you can and it’s on in both Stirling and

AFRICAN AND CARIBBEAN PEOPLE IN BRITAIN: A HISTORY

University of Edinburgh 13th October ,5pm–6:30pm Hakim Adi, the first historian of African heritage to become a professor of history in Britain, is hosting a free talk about his new book African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History. Adi demonstrates the oft untold stories of African Roman legions and Black Tudors, debunking the idea that Black migration to the UK began with the Windrush. Ketuch Bento, Lecturer in Race and Decolonial Studies at Edinburgh Uni, will lead the discussion as Professor Adi chronicles how African and Caribbean people have been part of the fabric of the UK for a very, very long time.

EDINBURGH SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

Edinburgh Short Film Festival is back! From 28th October till 13th November, over 70 titles will be shown at Summerhall and Filmhouse.

Each day will focus on a program of short films tied together with a theme or characteristic. From country spotlights with Scottish and Italian short film strands, to broader themes like ‘Epiphany’ and ‘Journey’, and even a whole collection of stop motion shorts; , there is a huge range to fit everyone’s viewing desires.

Not sure what to see? Here are some of the wee films that have caught SNACK’s attention.

Stop motion comedy An Ostrich Told Me the World Was Is Fake and I Think I Believe It is said to have pushed the boundaries of its animation style as it pulls you into the character's realisation he’s actually made out of plasticine.

If you’re looking for something darker, The Criminals is a drama thriller that won the Special Award for screenwriting at Sundance Film Festival 2021. For a bit of homegrown talent, you can watch Too Rough, an emotional drama starring up-and-coming Scottish Actor actor Ruaridh Mollica. Or, if documentary shorts are your thing, When Mom is Gone follows a father and his six children after they lose their mother.

Amongsts well as all the films on display, there is a free budget filmmaking workshop on Saturday the 29th. And, d with tickets for each short film strand only £6/£8, you don’t have to break the bank to go see some fantastic creative content from Scotland and beyond.

edinburghshortfilmfestival.com

Morven Mackay

EDINBURGH SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL

1st October till 4th November 2022

The ESFF is back for its ninth year, and will be showing a plethora of fantastic Spanish films throughout October across Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Stirling. Wondering what to see? SNACK suggests:

The Volunteer

Nelly Reguera’s new feature (nominated for Best Spanish Film at Málaga Film Festival) poses questions about saviourism and colonial guilt tied in with the altruism of volunteering in refugee camps. The Volunteer follows retired doctor Marisa (Carmen Machi), who yearns to continue being useful, so volunteers her services to a Greek refugee camp. She quickly discovers that care is not high on the priority list.

The Volunteer

My Way Out

Izaskun Arandia's directorial debut in feature film

My Way Out chronicles the last three decades of legendary London trans club The Way Out. Club owner Vicky Lee and clients share how The Way Out has been very much a way out; the safe space has not only been instrumental in overcoming abuse, rejection, and mental health struggles, but also provides a place to revel in the joy of being their authentic selves.

Josefina

One Sunday, lonely prison officer Juan (Roberto Álamo) musters up the courage to approach lonely Berta (Emma Suárez), mother of a prisoner. Afraid she’ll shirk away from him because of his position as a prison guard, he takes on a false persona: a fellow parent visiting his daughter, Josefina. Javier Marco’s debut feature deals with the quiet drama of loneliness, and finds comedy in characters waiting for life to happen.

Josefina

The Cover

Secun de la Rosa’s The Cover a is a real treat for those who believe that the world is made better with every romcom-musical that enters it. Dani (Àlex Monner), like many young people, struggles with inner conflict. He wants to pursue a life of music, but is terrified of failing like his old man. Then, he meets Sandra (Marina Salas), who emboldens him to follow his dreams. Last year The Cover won the Goya Award for best original song, and Feroz Award for best comedy in 2001, so you’re in for a belter and a giggle.

Lara Delmage

DEAD PONY

Fresh off the back of the release of their EP War Boys, and even fresher off the back of their debut London headline show, SNACK chats to Dead Pony in a cramped tour van (well, car). They’re still buzzing and gleeful in spite of a long and eventful few days: perhaps they’re running on fumes, or perhaps the energy is resultant of a revitalising pride in their recent success and impending ascendency?

So the EP’s been released and gig’s been smashed – how does it feel?

Anna Shields: We’re very pumped and I think the EP’s been well received. We played all the new songs at the gig on Wednesday and it went down so well. It’s just so nice, eventually having these songs out there.

Blair Crichton: It’s a cool process. We were buzzing about the songs ages ago when we wrote them, but then kinda fell out of love with them for a long period of time when we were hearing them over and over, but obviously no one else was, so it gets weird. But now it’s really great to see how people interpret and enjoy the music we wrote ages ago.

What was the creative process for the EP?

Anna: ‘War Boys’ and ‘Bullet Farm’ were inspired by Mad Max: Fury Road, so we wanted to emulate or replicate that universe and channel it musically.

Blair: In terms of recording, I’d been producing music for a while but had never really considered myself good enough to do the Dead Pony stuff, but we recorded it on our own at 45 A-Side Studios in Glasgow and I ended up doing a few mixes. When we listened to them we all kinda thought, ‘Right, that’s releasable!’, so we just did it that way.

The cover artwork for the EP and singles really capture the riotous energy.

Anna: I’ve been making clothes for a while but we thought it’d be cool to have a gang feel, so I decided to involve my clothes-making with the band and create artwork that we could keep and wear and others could replicate and feel part of a gang.

What’s next for Dead Pony?

Blair: A nap at the hotel!

Anna: Aye – after that just gigging, touring and making music.

War Boys was released on the 27th of September via LAB Records

POSTER PAINTS

Poster Paints came about as a collaboration between beloved musicians Carla J Easton and Simon Liddell, who have been operating in the Scottish music scene for years as part of TeenCanteen and Frightened Rabbit respectively. Working remotely during the 2020 lockdown, they’ve produced their eponymous, brilliant, debut album of ecstatic, jangling guitar pop. We talked about how the album came about, over a massive stack of hot pink vinyl waiting for their signatures in Glasgow’s Monorail Music.

Congratulations on the album – on pink vinyl!

Carla: The vinyl delays have been crazy lately but somehow the universe is on our side!

Serendipity seems to play a part in your story – you said you met by accident?

Simon: Carla was playing with The Vaselines and I was working with them on a few shows, then I played guitar for her solo thing, a few shows prepandemic.

Carla: When we met we very quickly worked out that Simon’s dad and my mum know each other –but we met through Eugene [Kelly] and Frances [McKee].

Simon: I started sending her stuff just after the lockdown started. I think a lot of folk were doing that, trying to support creative outlets, but I wasn’t really looking for a band. I asked Carla to do vocals for a track I’d made for a friend’s short film. It’s on the album as well. Because it was fun and easy, we started recording more.

Carla: It was a totally different co-writing thing from anything I’d ever done before – Simon would send over these tracks and then the lyric content would be a response to how the track would present itself: rather than sitting down and deciding ‘today we’re going to make a sad song’, it was a response to each other. We weren't really writing for anything other than fun, which was quite nice.

Did you use these creative constraints to start songs off?

Simon: Like the [card-based creativity tool] Oblique Strategies? Yeah, putting rules in place gives you a different path to the same outcome, but even so it’s about the route.

Carla: For me, songwriting-wise – I’d get a song from Simon that had this structure and as a writer I kind of follow that classic songwriting ‘verse, chorus, bridge, chorus’ thing. Maybe it’s [Simon’s] theatre background but they’re quite cinematic and didn’t follow those structures. I think that allowed us to come up with stuff that we wouldn't have if we were sitting in the same room together. That’s made for some of the more interesting stuff on the record, like ‘My Song’ or ‘Circus Moving On’ – they’re quite weird structurally but there’s an element of freedom in doing that.

Did you release ‘Number One’ as a flexi disc?

Carla: It was a postcard.

Simon: We put out ‘Number One’ just to test the water. Any time you start co-writing with someone you have a point where you kind of go, artistically, ‘Oh, wait a minute. I think we're on to something here’, and it becomes more focused on the idea that it could be an album, that it could get released. So I think, just putting out ‘Number One’, it sounded like a seven-inch single.

Do you think it’ll change how you work in future?

Simon: It's a weird one, because you don't want to bang on about how straightforward it is and how much you can do at your home studio. Because you still love studios, studios still need to be there, and there’s lots that you can take from depending where you are and what you're looking to do.

Carla: But then you could say that we managed to do what we did with the album because of working with producers and engineers who've been supportive in allowing us to learn in that environment. Any time I was doing a vocal, even though I'm singing into my wardrobe, I was thinking back to what producers and engineers told me before about where to stand and what to do. Simon: Yeah. We wouldn't have made that album without having years of studio experience between us, between everyone on the record, really.

Carla: I think there was a lot of pressure on artists to produce during lockdown. Like, you have stopped, now you can write; you can produce, so you must produce. But it never felt like that. There was never a deadline to finish anything either, which was good. I'm making a solo album right now and there's actually been parts where I've just been like, do you know what? I'm just gonna redo those vocals at home because I can take my time and do it in the comfort of my bedroom and feel more relaxed, or there's bits that I've recorded at home that I'd be like, ‘Oh, I need to redo it in the studio’ but it actually captured the performance already. That to me is more important than what equipment it was captured on. I think that's what's so great about the Poster Paints album. It sounds live, almost. It sounds like you're in a room together, but none of us ever were.

Poster Paints is out on 14th October via Ernest Jenning Record Co. & Olive Grove Records

EYVE MADYISE

EYVE – singer-songwriter and biological scientist Eyve Madyise – is a Zimbabwean artist based in Glasgow whose multi-genre approach to music is informed by Zimdancehall and Urban Groove, as well as her own experiences as a queer Black woman. She performed at COP26 with Musicians In Exile and is working on the EP Beyond The Sky Isn’t The Limit, with support from the Scottish Refugee Council. She took some time to speak to us about her upcoming collaboration with visual artist Veronica Petukhov at CCA as part of Cryptic Nights.

Beyond The Sky Isn’t The Limit is a tremendous title.

Where did that come from?

As a Black woman I was always told that there’s places I can’t go, that there’s things I can’t do. I can’t be loud, I can’t complain too much, I can’t cry, I can't go for the goals that I wanted to – be a doctor, be in the military, stuff like that. The things that I’m told that I can’t do don’t make any sense. These are people’s assumptions, things that society has set as a standard. I can’t go anywhere I want to, but I can do anything I want to as long as I put my mind to it. Beyond the Sky Isn’t The Limit means to me that it’s ok to go for things that we can’t see. Fear is always going to be there but it’s determination that matters the most.

You performed as part of the COP26 event in Glasgow last year. How was that for you?

It was the first big event that we had performed at as a group – I don't know how I would have done it by myself. It was a great opportunity. The director [of Govan orchestra The Glasgow Barons], Paul MacAlindin, arranged it through Musicians In Exile and we were one of the groups from Glasgow that was picked to perform. There’s so many elements to your music; I can hear bits of dancehall, bits of electronic music – how would you describe yourself as a musician?

I like to mix the genres of my music – I don’t like being confined! I like to be free to express myself without worrying about judgement or about fitting into a certain box, so for me as a person it’s more about exploration. My music is about acknowledging the life experiences that I’ve gone through and growing strong from it; not making them seem like failures, but lessons. It’s about strength, and growing.

How does your work as a scientist feed into what you do as a musician?

I am studying biological and physical sciences – I want to do biomedicine.

I’m still trying to figure that out! In my art it's about the parts of the brain that are lit up by the performance. I am aware that the amygdala is the part of the brain that gets excited but it’s also that part that gets the negative emotions. From my performances I want to light up that positive part of my brain, I’m still trying to figure out how best to integrate that into my music.

You’re working with the visual artist Veronica Petukhov. How did that come about?

Veronica had done some work with Sonica (as part of youth music programme NextGen). I got to see them doing an event at Room 2. Their visuals are so colourful and amazing and I am a colourful person, so it’s a good match!

What can we expect from the performance at Cryptic Nights?

It’s going to be a surprise - there will be a lot of mixed emotions. For me it’s about the journey I’ve had as a musician and as a queer women of colour. It’s going to be good!

Cryptic Nights: EYVE and Veronica Petukhov is at CCA, Glasgow on Thursday 13th October. cryptic.org.uk

There’s no shortage of great new artists from West Lothian, but Megan Black is one of the most bewitching. SNACK caught up with Megan to find out more about an act hailed as one of the finest young singer-songwriters working in Britain today.

How was your summer?

It’s been quite a shift! It's been great going from doing nothing to doing a lot all at once, which has been quite a shock to the system. Meeting new people and getting to play gigs in places I've never played before is just unreal. So, yeah, it's been really good. Busy, but good.

MEGAN BLACK

Your debut album, Deadly Is The Woman, came out in April – how do you feel about it now?

A lot of it now feels quite subconscious to me. Looking back on the album I think ‘oh young Megan, what was she like?’

It’s quite hard to listen to some of the songs, but equally it's rewarding to put it out there and have people relate to the stuff I’ve spoken about.

There are things I’d change. It got to the point where recording the album, [I said] I can't change any more. I can't afford to record any more guitar parts and whatever else, but I'm glad it's out there.

Photo credit: Iona Morrison

And I like my fanbase. I’m not saying it's massive, but I feel I’m attracting the right people for my music.

You write about some big topics that connect on a personal level. Have fans come to you with their story in relation to their songs?

Yeah, it's been really interesting. I had one person who reached out to me about ‘Sweet Bisexual’.

I feel like coming out is a big enough deal for people. Depending on your circumstances, you’re maybe losing friends or family members. When I came out as bisexual, I had all these other things to deal with. Almost like it's unacceptable. I heard ‘we can handle you being gay’, so I wanted to push back at that.

I had some negative experiences, and that’s not right. I still love people; I still want connections. There's been a few others, but that's the one that kind of resonates with me the most.

Your visual imagery as a performer and in your artwork is striking – how important is the overall package of what you do?

The way I dress is a form of self-expression. If any of my neighbours ever read this interview, they’ll say, ‘She does not look like that half the time.’ I’ll go to Tesco in my pyjamas. Honestly, I couldn't care less, but when performing, there’s a way of stepping into a different being.

Presenting myself visually helps me, and I feel it’s the best representation of myself as a performer. I do change my look a lot, though. I get bored doing the same thing.

You're a massive champion of women, and under-represented groups in the industry. What does the Scottish music scene need to do to move forward and support minority groups?

We're beginning to see some changes, which is great. I feel the best way to actually do that is to give those who aren't represented more of a spotlight. I'd much rather hear of a disabled artist's experience of working in the music scene from someone who actually has a disability and is working in the music scene. I don't know how we do it, but I think that's the best way for it to be genuine and authentic.

What’s next for you?

I’ve been awarded [a grant from] the NextGen Fund, as part of being a young musician in the UK. That's going to go towards my record, and I’ll release an EP within however many months it takes. I’ve found what resonates for me as an artist, but I want to challenge myself. This new project will allow me to release something different, maybe a bit out there.

Read the full interview at snackmag.co.uk

Deadly Is The Woman is out now

Megan Black plays Audio in Glasgow on 30th October

Photo credit: Brone Murray

Glasgow twins Rachael and Paul Swinton, better known as Cloth, are experts at creating songs of minimal movement that, paradoxically, move you. After a COVIDenforced break, during which time they built their own studio, the duo are now back with their stunning new Low Sun EP, soon to be released on Mogwai’s Rock Action Records.

After the critical success of your debut, how does it feel having new music ready to put out into the world?

Rachael Swinton: I think because there's been a bit of a gap since we last put out music there are a few nerves attached to it, but everything we've released so far has had a really good response. I’m probably more excited than nervous.

The Low Sun EP feels more intimate than your debut. Was it a conscious effort to make something even more introspective and emotive?

Paul Swinton: The EP came out of a slightly more fraught place.

The debut [2019’s Cloth] featured songs that we'd been working on for years. This one we wrote during lockdown, so it was obviously a really bleak time in a lot of ways for a lot of people. And I think that definitely made its way into the music. There was a stronger introspection and an examination of how we were feeling in response to not just the pandemic, but other stuff that was going on at the time.

Being twins with a passion for music, was there an inevitability to the fact you would make music together?

Rachael: We've always played together. We went through a heavy metal phase, and went to the pure pop end. Then we had a bit of a break from playing together when we were at uni. When we graduated we picked it up again and spent a couple of years just writing. I remember it as a period of consciously trying to create a sound that I felt was something slightly different. I always wanted our music to have a bit of an edge, something interesting or special about it in some way.

It’s not like a bigdeal

Does your familial bond bring more harmony than it does tension to writing and recording?

Rachael: I'd say we are really close and that brings about clashes, but we are also on the same page a lot of the time as well.

Paul: It works because there is a little bit of disparity in musical taste, which can bring different things to the plate. Although there won't be any qualms about shooting each other down if we bring some shite ideas to the table.

Paul, as you write the majority of the lyrics, do you write through a different lens, or more universally, knowing that your sister will be singing them?

Paul: I write for myself but because Rachael and I are really tight, I know the sort of things she will and won't sing. We're on a similar wavelength when it comes to imagery and language. We read a lot of the same stuff, and have a similar way of thinking lyrically. Rachael writes lyrics as well and she wrote the majority of the lyrics for 'Sidecar', which slots in really nicely with the songs I wrote for the EP. But I think on the whole I am just kinda writing for myself and whether Rachael likes it or not [laughs] she has to sing it.

There is a dusky, dream-like feel to a lot of your songs that puts me in mind of late nights when the world is still a little blurry. I wondered whether this is something you think about when writing?

Paul: I think mood is extremely important to our songs and our songwriting. I always like to think about things visually. The EP seems to me to have a slightly more overcast, bleak quality, and I mean that in a good way. I love a lot of bleak music. But having that cohesive mood across a body of tracks is really important and that's at the forefront of our minds.

Given the themes of connection and fear of loss throughout the EP, do you consider yourselves quite guarded for fear of the pain that can come from loss, or are you more likely to take risks?

Rachael: As I've gotten a bit older a slight cautiousness has crept into how much I put myself out there and launch myself into things.

Paul: Generally we are private people, but there's also a sort of impulsiveness that's important when you embark on a career in the arts; you need to be a little reckless and go for it. We both really value meaningful connections whether that's with friends, family, or loved ones. For me, it's the thing that informs most of my lyrics, and makes you want to keep expressing yourself through music. We’re not closed off: we’re cautiously impulsive.

Rachael: Yeah that's it, cautiously impulsive.

Low Sun EP will be released on 7th October via Rock Action Records

LEYLA JOSEPHINE

Leyla Josephine is a screenwriter, scriptwriter and poet, with a background in working with communities including as 2020's Schools writer-in-residence for Edinburgh International Book Festival. The artist has been developing her first collection of poetry, published by Burning Eye books this autumn. In Public/In Private will focus partly on the outer and inner life, how you dress, how you are perceived, relationships, sex, and connecting with other people.

Leyla chats to SNACK about her approach to writing and compiling the collection, the heft of avoiding imposter syndrome, and the themes prevalent in In Public/In Private.

Your first collection of poetry is being published by Burning Eye; you must be elated about this achievement.

Only recently have I felt that sense of pride, because I think it's been such a slog, and it's been a real challenge. I've had to face a lot of inner demons around capability, demons telling me ‘That’s shit.’ So that's been quite tricky. But yeah, I'm getting to the point now where I can see it. Other people have read it, which is great. And I’m getting some feedback and starting to feel a little bit more confident about it. But at times it has felt almost too hard to go on, if that makes sense. I was wanting to throw the towel in at points.

Well, thankfully, you didn't. And the title stands out: In Public/In Private. What inspired this, and what’s the concept behind the collection?

I came from a performance background where I was encouraged to discuss a lot of autobiographical stuff on stage. So my practice has really been about taking things that are considered shameful or taboo and bringing them forward with the hope of diluting them. By making it less intense people can connect over it, but this can come with a cost. I've been very vulnerable and exploited my own situations, my own experience.

Within this collection, at all points, I was really thinking about what I am seeing and why I am seeing it. I think a lot of the poems are about loneliness, and how I’ve always really put myself out there, or the way that we put ourselves out there to connect with other people.

And how did you filter which poems would make the collection and which wouldn’t? I’m sure that was no easy task.

For me, it's instinct. I know some writers will have other things that they go for. But for me, I always just listen to that inner voice and what it's telling me, and just trust it. I've been a poet for ten years, and I've only really been writing page poetry for the last four or five of those years. So there's been a lot of work that is never going to be documented in that way; it just exists in the ether now. I did a live album, Archive:Live! a few years ago, which means some of the poems have a life in that way. I'm always thinking about the form and what the best way to tell the story is. With the book I needed to think about how my reader, my audience, the people I'm connecting with are going to be digesting this work.

You're back at Push the Boat Out for its second year. What can we expect from your event and what gave you the inspiration to get involved with the fest?

I think it's so exciting that we have a festival like this in Scotland. It will be my first time reading from the collection in this country.

In Public/In Private is out November 2022, published by Burning Eye. Leyla will be touring the book with a whole host of Scottish dates in November, including Mull, Ayr, Glasgow, and Edinburgh’s Push the Boat Out festival

Marilena Vlachopoulou

by Keira Brown

RAMESH MEYYAPPAN

LA PERFORMANCE

How do you rehearse a play, have an argument, put on a performance, and get your point across – all without audible dialogue? Many are so used to communicating through the spoken word that it may seem impossible to imagine an alternative. But in the world premiere of La Performance, devised and directed by the Tron’s artistic director Andy Arnold, we’re taken into a totally spoken word-less world.

In a production inspired by 1940s French cinema, we witness two performers rehearse and perform, arguing when things go wrong – and blurring the line between fiction and reality, character and actor. Ahead of the show’s opening this month, SNACK spoke to one of the performers, theatre-maker and actor Ramesh Meyyappan, about his unique process and approach to creating visual, accessible work.

Hi Ramesh! I’d love to start by learning a bit about you. What brought you from Singapore to Glasgow?

Actually, I moved to Liverpool first. I completed my BA degree at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts twenty years ago, and at that time work opportunities came naturally in the UK and across Europe that I didn’t expect. My wife is Scottish, so it was her who eventually brought me to Glasgow – I’ve now been here for 16 years. The rest is history.

You talk about how, as a deaf performer, you communicate visually, and create a visual theatrical vocab for each work. How has that applied to La Performance, both in terms of the process in rehearsals, and the piece itself?

I have always created my own work using different visual elements for each production. Of course, this depends on the narrative style, and how that influences the visual elements I choose.

I want to make the narrative as exciting and accessible to mainstream audiences as possible, featuring universal themes that apply to both deaf and hearing audiences. That is why I use visual language to communicate – to deaf and hearing audiences, but this also applies to different ethnicities, languages and cultures.

So, tell me about La Performance. Why should people come and see it?

Why not?! Actually, it’s the first collaboration between the Tron and the International Visual Theatre in Paris.

Although Andy Arnold has directed me before, this time we’re developing an entirely visual piece that doesn’t need to mention that I’m deaf. The language is entirely visual. This is a development of that exploration that we had – creating a communication style between two characters that is only made up of visual elements, an exploration of a visual theatrical vocabulary. That’s reason enough.

Can you give me some insight into what the devising process has been like on this show?

Before we got into a ‘room’ with Andy he had already scripted his ideas, but ensured that we understood it was just to act as a guide to our exploration. The script gave us an overview, a starting point to explore the story we wanted to tell: the relationship between these two ‘performers’ and how that plays out visually.

Much of the process in ‘the room’ has focused on looking at the language: the theatrical and visual language that would apply. This part of the process is interesting – even though Emmanuelle [Laborit, the other performer in the show and IVT’s artistic director] and myself are both deaf, our performance styles are and continue to be quite different. Emmanuelle has used a lot of sign in her performances – French sign language – while I’ve avoided signing. So much of the process allowed us to find the language that would suit our characters rather than our individual selves, and finally marry these to create the performance.

Talk to me about the intersections of cultures and art-forms happening in this show.

As Emmanuelle is French and the original story, which is based on a film, is also French, for me it feels ‘French’. Then there is the consideration of Pantomime, which feels quite gestural and big. However, from a personal perspective: given that there are two deaf actors, we cannot ignore the deaf cultural influence, and I think this is evident in the language of the piece – that it is visual.

It all sounds brilliant. What’s next for you after this show?

I am working on my new production, Love Beyond. As a deaf person who has been involved in making theatre for over twenty years, I’ve always aimed to explore a visual theatrical vocabulary to ensure my work is entirely accessible. Love Beyond will continue this exploration. I have never intentionally attempted to highlight deaf issues, but I feel this may now be an opportunity to talk about deafness and illness – specifically, the performance will look at dementia from a deaf perspective.

La Performance is showing at the Tron from 12th till 22nd October tron.co.uk

EVIE WADDELL

Evie Waddell is a Gaelic and Scots singer, clarsach player, and fiddler, as well as being a contemporary dancer and step dancer. Evie is deaf/Hard of Hearing and focuses on weaving BSL into her traditional Gaelic and Scots songs. SNACK caught up with Evie to discuss her upcoming multimedia show, Fàilte gu BSL, showing at the Scottish International Storytelling Festival on 16th October.

Evie, could you tell us about your show?

‘Fàilte gu BSL’ in English means ‘Welcome to BSL’, and the project is for hearing and d/Deaf audiences. It’s a welcome for d/Deaf people to traditional Scottish Gaelic culture, which often hasn't been accessible to them, as well as an invitation for hearing people to engage in BSL. The focus is on these two minority languages that have a real richness to them, and the performance shares Gàidhlig stories and songs and Scottish dance in a fun and accessible way.

Why did you make Fàilte gu BSL?

I just wanted to explore these two languages and these identities of mine: the Gaelic language, and being deaf in one ear. I'm working with a cast of myself, dancer Francesca Till and musician Katie Allen, and it's a chance for us to explore both our deaf identities and Scottish identities. Working with the Gaelic theatre company Theatre Gu Leòr was my first time mixing these two languages and I found it really healing. This was a year ago, and we were meant to go on tour, but then the pandemic happened.

Could you tell me about the process of making the show?

Sometimes it was pretty confusing, working in all these different languages. Especially because not all of us could speak the same languages. Traditional music is an oral tradition and that's quite difficult, so I wanted to make the performance more visual, with a projector and the dancing, lighting, and signing.

Signing really helps me connect more to the stories I'm singing; you either become the characters, or you're talking about a character and placing them somewhere different. By physicalizing it, I feel more engaged with the songs and the stories I'm telling, the motions of them, and I feel more present with the visual and sound imagery. Some of the music is off my soon-to-be released debut EP – so it’s a sneak preview!

Tell us about your deafness, and how it relates to your music.

I learned traditional music growing up, and when I became completely deaf in one ear at the age of 11, it changed how I partake in music. Large groups are difficult. Lots of being a d/Deaf musician is about the communication and the planning, even before you get to the music part. Not everyone is so deaf-aware, so I have to be kind of picky about who I work with, who I think can communicate with; if they can speak clearly, if they remember to face me. It’s just nice if I'm working with people that I don’t have to constantly remind to repeat themselves.

What would you like people to take away from the show?

Gàidhlig is a part of Scottish culture, and d/Deaf people need access to it. Some of them want to know more about it! The idea of blending deafness and music: lots of people think 'How?' and 'Why?' But there definitely are ways and lots of deaf people do enjoy music; it’s a spectrum. After watching the show, I hope that hearing people are inspired to engage more with d/Deaf culture and language; I hope I’ve connected with everyone in some way. On 16th October there'll be a workshop for both d/Deaf and hearing people to try out some things like [traditional working folk song] Waulking the Tweed, step dancing, and learning a bit of a Gàidhlig-signed song, and there'll be an interpreter at the workshop.

Fàilte gu BSL/Welcome to BSL is at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, on 16th October. The main event is at 8.30pm, with an earlier workshop at 1pm scottishstorytellingcentre.com

FOODIE NEWS

EDINBURGH

One Canon

1 Canonmills

Edinburgh, EH3 5HA

Family-owned bar and eatery One Canon raised funds in August and September to install a pizza oven. As a result, they have a brand new pizza menu with delights such as ‘Fromage-A-Trois’ (three-cheese pizza) and ‘5 A Day’ (red onion, green pepper, sweet drop peppers, mushroom and jackfruit). Pizzas can be made vegan and weekly specials will also include vegan options. onecanonmills.com

Edinburgh Cocktail Festival

Edinburgh Cocktail Festival returns from 7th till 14th October with 120 bars across the city taking part. Buy a wristband for £5 Signature Cocktails at participating bars and free entry to the Cocktail Village, where 21 pop-up bars are serving £5 cocktails, plus live music, DJs, street food, and masterclasses.

You can also enjoy access to ‘Prestige Cocktails’ at award-winning venues with your wristband, as well as access to their ticketed programme of events and experiences. edinburghcocktailweek.co.uk

Bothwell House

21 Bothwell Street Glasgow, G2 6NL

Bothwell House has now opened where Grill on the Corner was on Bothwell Street. Offering starters such as smoked mackerel rillette, sambousek (crispy filo filled with spiced potato, pea & mint, duqqa, chilli sauce) and whipped feta. Main courses include Marrakesh vegetable curry, spiced falafel gyros, and Lebanese fried chicken. bothwellhouse.co.uk

GLASGOW

Glasgow Vegan Festival

Glasgow City Lacrosse Club

Haggs Road, Bellahouston

G41 4RD

The Glasgow Vegan Festival will take place on Saturday 8th October from 10:30am till 4:30pm. There are more than 60 stalls attending, including The Sly Fox, who are offering falafel wraps, ‘faux’ gras, marinated tofu, wild garlic hummus and cakes, whilst VDogs will be selling their range of vegan hotdogs. Glasgow-based Ellis Gin and Hidden Lane Brewery will be selling a selection of their gins and bottle-conditioned beers respectively.

veganeventsuk.co.uk/glasgow-vegan-festival

Food options include vegan bacon rolls, salad bowls, sandwiches, bagels, and ciabatta, with fillings such as ‘The Vegan’ (hummus, artichoke, mushroom, crispy onion, lettuce, avocado and chimichurri) and ‘Nae Fuss’ which is simply cheese and ham.

offtherailsglasgow.co.uk

Off The Rails

1a Dundas Street

Glasgow, G1 2AH

Off The Rails is a welcome replacement for Caffè Nero across from Queen Street railway station. The cafe offers hot drinks, cakes, and food to eat in and take away.

Farina

1377 Argyle St, Glasgow, G3 8AF

Following the closure of Baffo, across from Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, a new Neapolitan-style pizza and pasta restaurant has opened in the same space. Farina, meaning ‘flour’ in Italian, have eight pizzas, eight pastas, antipasti, focaccia, bruschetta, sides and desserts, including soft serve ice cream on the menu.

farinaglasgow.com

ABERDEEN

Common Sense

New Union Terrace Garden

Aberdeen, AB10 1DF

Common Sense is a community and arts-focused coffee house and bar in the newly regenerated heart of Aberdeen city centre. The venue, open from 8am till 8pm, provides a variety of food and drink offerings, including takeaway and pretheatre. Suppliers include Two Raccoons Winery, Burnside Brewery, and Wark Farm Pies. common-sense.co.uk

They have also released Lenzie tonic, mixed specifically to complement their gin. Affordably priced at only £2.95 for a pre-mixed cocktail and £1.25 for the tonic solo, you’ll want to get your paws on one, either online or at Billingston’s next to Lenzie train station (114 Kirkintilloch Rd, Lenzie, G66 4LQ). lenziegin.co.uk

PRODUCT

Lenzie Gin G&T - £2.95

The award-winning gin maker Lenzie Gin have released ready-to-drink cans of G&T, perfect for parties or picnics.

The Hebridean Baker:

My Scottish Island Kitchen - £26

Coinneach MacLeod, The Hebridean Baker, follows up his debut release with My Scottish Island Kitchen. His new book has a fresh selection of recipes, stories, and photography from the Outer Hebrides. MacLeod uses local produce to showcase Scotland’s extensive larder and brings us flavourful dishes with a story to tell. Available to buy now. hebrideanbaker.com

D!p dips - £5.50

Hailing from Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, D!p was born from Hogmanay musings about the incredible selection of dips and salsas easily available in US grocery stores that haven’t made the leap across the Atlantic. Developer Teresa Collie drew inspiration from some of her favourite songs for the initial flavours: ‘Papa Don’t Peach’, ‘Tequila Little Time’ and ‘Rasp-beret Chipotle’. The dips go well with nachos and sandwiches and can be used as burger toppings. dipclub.co.uk

Pollokshields says

Barney’s Beer - Peach Sherbet Sour - £2.50

Local to Edinburgh? Then look out for Peach Sherbet Sour in bottle shops and bars in and around the city, as Barney’s Beer have taken their Sherbet Sour and dosed it with delicious, fresh peach to create a light sour ale. barneysbeer.co.uk

Support our work by setting up a monthly donation at www.pollokshieldsfoodpoint.org

HALLOWEEN PEPPERS

This is a recipe that you want to look awful. No, really. For Halloween, the more squashed and misshapen the peppers the better, because you want it to appear at least a little creepy. There’s no point trying to be pristine and proper, so, first-time chefs – get ready.

To make this recipe even more simple, we used a ready-made pouch of mixed grains we picked up in a supermarket. In its place, you could use quinoa, puy lentils, rice, or a combination. No rules, just whatever you have available or fancy. Add your replacement when we add the grains. You can also add whichever, and as many, vegetables as you wish. Sliced mushrooms and courgettes are especially good here. Add some cheese or chopped herbs to the top for extra flavour, and embrace Halloween with these vegan/vegetarian stuffed peppers. For extra ghoulishness there is an optional ‘blood’ red sauce.

METHOD

Cut out the face in your peppers, saving the remnants for the stuffing.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.

Over a medium heat, add oil to your pot. Then add the chopped onion.

Cook for 2–3 minutes until the onion is soft.

Add the grated carrots, pepper remnants, and any extra optional veg to the onion mix. If you want to add extra veg like courgette or mushroom then add them now.

Stir well.

After 2–3 minutes add the grains and stir well.

Place the empty peppers onto a baking tray or casserole dish. We found a casserole dish is better at keeping the peppers upright.

Stuff the peppers with the onion/grain mixture.

Optional: add a slice of cheese, or add some chopped cubes of cheese to the top of your mixture.

Place the lids on top of the peppers.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges of the peppers are brown.

If you want to add some creepy ‘blood’ sauce to your recipe, now is the time to cook it.

Add olive oil to a pan over a medium heat.

Add onion and cook until they soften.

Add garlic and cook for two minutes.

Add the tinned tomatoes: if whole ones, give them a good mash with your spoon.

Stir in basil.

Simmer for around 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced to a thick enough pouring consistency.

Taste the sauce and season with additional salt & pepper.

Remove the peppers from the oven and serve either on their own or with a dollop of ‘blood’ sauce.

INGREDIENTS

1 (220g) pack of chosen grain(s)

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, grated

4 peppers

2 tbsp olive oil

Optional veg

For the ‘blood’ sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans of tinned tomatoes

½ teaspoon dried basil

Salt & pepper to taste

HOCUS POCUS

Nothing fills my black heart with joy more than sitting down for the Halloween edition of the (Not) Gay Movie Club. Said joy is followed swiftly by the anguish of picking a film that fits our criteria – a camp classic with queer sensibility but no specific queer characters or storylines – from the films I gleefully watch all year round, not just the season of the witch. Speaking of which, this year’s pick is a much-beloved classic, celebrating its highly anticipated sequel on Disney+. I will admit, my relationship with Hocus Pocus is somewhat spotty: I watched the film as a child, most likely with my Halloween-enthusiast aunt, but so long ago that my memory of it was sketchy at best. It was my duty, in the name of journalism, to revisit the film in the harsh, cruel light of adulthood to see if it is truly the camp classic it is touted to be, and whether it earns its place in our illustrious (Not) Gay Movie Club.

As is often the case for NGMC entrants, Hocus Pocus was something of a flop on its release: panned by critics and a blockbuster disappointment, the movie really found its footing in the home media market and TV syndication, where each year a new batch of kids would discover it in the build up to Halloween. The Sanderson sisters, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, hunger eternally for the youth of Salem in a desperate bid to restore their beauty and live forever. In present day Salem, new kid Max and his sister Dani accidentally resurrect the witches on Halloween night, and must find a way to prevent the sisters from wreaking more havoc on the town. Camp shenanigans ensue.

Of course, its principal cast is what elevates Hocus Pocus, each witch boasting a loyal gay fanbase in her own right. God knows how they convinced Bette Midler to take part, but Hocus Pocus without Winnie Sanderson is a reality I simply do not wish to contemplate.

Image Courtesy of Buena Vista Walt Disney

SNACK’s affinity for the Divine Ms M. is welldocumented; one need only flick back to our deep dive into the marvellously stupid Big Business to see how significant an impact she has made to pop culture. For most queer viewers of this generation, Hocus Pocus was their first exposure to Bette Midler; so consider the film their gateway into the glorious world of a true all-singing, all-dancing phenomenon. Then there’s SJP, in a role that is, upon viewing as an adult, much funnier than my foggy memory gave credit for. She simultaneously acts the fool and delivers the ghoulish glam I imagine every closeted gay boy wished to embody. And finally, Sister Act’s scene-stealing Kathy Najimy completes this wonderful coven, makeshift hoovercum-broomstick in hand. The chemistry amongst the trio is infectious and core to the success of the film as a whole.

So, Hocus Pocus features no queer characters, and aside from our three leading ladies, there is seemingly little else that marks the movie as explicitly built for the gays. Yet the premise of the film is definitely more nuanced when viewed as an adult, especially regarding male sexuality, which is surprising given the movie’s intended demographic. A virgin is required to break the spell and stop the sisters in their tracks, and it falls on poor Max to bear the brunt of that responsibility. Sensitive and innocent, Max subverts the archetypal teen hero often found in cinema, and virginity – often used to deride a character – is actually crucial to saving the day. And besides, what queer person wouldn’t want to be a Sanderson sister? Trash talk those around you while you choreograph a dance number, revel in the glamour of being what is essentially a witchy drag queen, and complain about how youth is wasted on the young? Sign. Me. Up.

The gayest, greatest moment of the film is of course when the divas deliver ‘I Put a Spell on You’ to curse all the adults at their Halloween party.

It is the girl group we never knew we needed, and Ms Midler especially is in her element. My one gripe? I want more: if you have Midler up to bat and down to clown, why aren’t there 80 other songs for her to sing? The film’s maestro, Kenny Ortega, is a renowned musical movie director, so it feels like a huge misstep to not capitalise on what is arguably the film’s biggest asset.

And there are some solid performances from the weans. Omri Katz does a stellar job as Max, and a highlight is when Thora Birch asserts to the pretend cop that her brother is a virgin, much to his humiliation. But for every Thora there is Jay the bully, who is so dreadful it feels like you’re watching a Saturday Night Live parody sketch. On that more critical note, Hocus Pocus definitely does not deliver as powerfully as ghoulish classics of the same era: Death Becomes Her, Addams Family Values, and Elvira Mistress of the Dark all tower above HP in regards to presenting an inventive plot with razor-sharp dialogue and camp aesthetic. Hocus Pocus may misfire on all three criteria. Oh no; my membership card will be revoked now, won’t it?

Listen, is Hocus Pocus actually any good? I’m not totally convinced it is the perennial classic it is often made out to be. But does that really matter? Our eternal quest to find the gayest non-gay movies and celebrate them unabashedly often conjures up diamonds in the rough, movies that hold little technical merit but lots of heart and meaning for their audience. For many, it isn’t Halloween until they’ve watched Hocus Pocus.

I guess the real question is: which Sanderson sister are you? Of course, I like to imagine I am Sarah, but let’s be real: I’m Mary. And the sooner I accept that, the happier my life will be.

The debut album by Edinburgh’s Amateur Cult seems able to leave a deeply personal and individual impression on those who hear it. Like a reverse Rorschach test, its varying soundscapes and moods left a very visual imprint on my brain and that visualisation of the soundscape will inevitably be a unique internal inkblot to each involved listener.

It’s also hard to write about this record and avoid using the much-loathed, often-misapplied, and difficult-to-properly-agree-on-a-definition neologism of Hauntology – a term used both in political philosophy and in music discussions with varying intentions from varying users. I quite like to use the term to define that spooky feeling generated by interactions with the popular media of the relatively recent past. You know, videos of Noseybonk; public information films and post-war cartoons and the eerie vibe they give off. I much prefer using the term (probably wrongly) in that manner rather than referring to any sort of solid political philosophy or using it specifically to music that was better described with the later term ‘trip hop’.

Amateur Cult, despite drawing on various contributors, is essentially a moniker for Alastair Chivers, previously of False Bliss and DTHPDL.

The band’s first long playing release, conceived and written during lockdown, is a journey through the human relationships we all share with our phones, bank accounts, general existence in modernity and, to quote directly from the press release, ‘the perceptions we have manufactured through social, mass and political media’.

Opener ‘Synthetic Communications’ is really a chaotic, bleepy, 80-second intro before recent single ‘You Be You’ kicks in. A rattling drum machine opens into a droning singalong that sounds like Gary Numan if his batteries were running out. The synth trumpets that pop in from the two-minute mark make a decent fist of stealing a relatively thief-proof show.

The only other previous single, ‘The Ritual’, still resonates with all the impending sense of doom that I felt when first hearing it a few weeks ago.

Track by Track: Amateur Cult

The Mirrored Pattern

It is grounded in more context as part of an album, but it still pounds the claustrophobic bones.

Next track ‘Ashes’, featuring MC TH!NK, revolves around a bouncing three-note synth riff but it’s the delivery of TH!NK’s rhymes that lifts the track into something that sticks out from everything else on the record. Lines about skyscrapers and the slums of empires really help paint a fantasy city – part futurist, part half-remembered grimy past – within which all of these sonic skylines exist.

With a fantastically suitable title, ‘Hipporealism’ is just one or two characters away from having the same name as an Adam Curtis documentary. Huge synth pads rise like audio searchlights throughout the track and it’s not hard to imagine the aforementioned Mr Curtis talking over the top of this about mass hysteria as visuals show an East German tug-of-war competition from 1983. The bit where live drums join in over the top of the drum machine is an exhilarating highlight.

‘Memories of an Empire’ sounds like a haunted 8-bit game from the early 90s coming back to haunt its ex-player who has moved on to more modern and slick gaming experiences. I will be having nightmares involving being chased by Psycho Fox and Mario, soundtracked by this, for years to come.

‘Everything Will Be OK’ seems an inappropriately titled song as it’s a short instrumental that conveys precisely none of the reassurance suggested by its name.

By contrast, ‘Fire and Full’ starts off as if it’s going to be a low-tempo dirge only to sprout a snare-heavy, frantic beat and blossom into something eminently dance-friendly. The outro, with its competing stylophone synth lines sliding and fizzing around, is among the most hopeful sounding minutes on the whole album.

The most obvious sign that the album was written during lockdown is the sea shanty stylings of ‘Sigh with the Sea’ (remember when that was a thing for about ten minutes? It was dreadful – let’s never allow that again). The repeated, slightly worrying refrain of ‘we bury what we find’ and the Blade Runner synth that dominates the second half of the song are just enough to save this from being too close to that awful shanty trend.

‘Final Battle with the Boss’ might get overlooked in the running order, which is a shame. The clarsachstyle clean strings that pick out the original melody over drums that almost stray into big beat territory have just the right balance of disparate elements to produce something truly original. Not breaky enough to sound like it belongs on a Ninja Tunes compilation while fitting into the prevailing unsettling mood.

Closer, ‘The Mirrored Pattern’ recalls the impending doom vibe of ‘The Ritual’, with the pounding, broken drums being interrupted by the most inopportune piano notes conceivable.

Occasionally nightmarish with plenty of aural curiosities, this isn’t going to be a record for everyone. You won’t be popping it on for light background sounds when your parents visit. However, what Chivers and his co-conspirators have pulled off is a debut album that paints cerebral pictures for its listeners. Whatever the intention was, the effect is to be slightly overloaded with things that both belong to the recent past and an imagined near future. It’s a monorail ride across a burning, industrial sunset over ever-changing street-level vistas.

The Mirrored Pattern is out 28th October on Armellodie Records

TED KESSLER

Book: Paper Cuts

It feels somewhat meta to be reviewing Ted Kessler’s Paper Cuts : a reflection on his career with the British music press, the education it has offered over the years, as well as the home it’s provided for many music enthusiasts with nowhere else to go. Structured anecdotally but mostly a love letter to press, notably the NME, this book gives a riveting insight into other elements of Ted’s life; growing up in France and being brother to Interpol’s Daniel Kessler feature in this tale. A deviant with little interest in school and academia, Kessler masterfully pulls us on a journey alongside some of the iconic stars he interviewed: Happy Mondays, Manic Street Preachers, the Gallagher brothers, Mark E Smith and Paul Weller, to name a few. Giving a conceivable account of working for magazines like NME and Q during the 90s and then into the noughties, Kessler navigates the changes in management behaviour as well as those of readership and staffing.

For any music fan or arts journalist, Paper Cuts has music-journo drama weaved throughout the chapters, as the reader gets a grasp of the life of a journalist like Kessler as he moves from rookie to senior. Kessler uses his capacity to write riveting long-form music journalism and pulls together wickedly hilarious tales that have the same fall guy taking the brunt every time: himself. Written with the pace and focus that we would expect from Kessler, it’s a brilliant example of comic storytelling that will encourage you to while away a weekend. With a tongue-in-cheek tagline ‘How I Destroyed the British Music Press and Other Misadventures,’ we are, however, prepped and ready for this. Kessler pulls us in and has us hooked, which explains the longevity in his music journalism career.

Find time for this ruckus of a read; it should sit on your bookshelf with your old NME copies.

Paper Cuts is out now, published by White Rabbit Books

Keira Brown Book: Sea Fret

DILYS ROSE

For far too long the short story has been seen by some as a lesser form of fiction. The novel is considered the pinnacle for a writer, and recently the novella has had a welcome renaissance, but the shorter form is often underrated and overlooked by readers. However, at its very best, a short story collection can give you the greatest insight into a writer, allowing for multiple and disparate characters and themes which would make little sense in one story – no matter how long. James Kelman, Janice Galloway, William McIlvanney, A.L. Kennedy – there are arguments to be made that their short fiction shows these writers at their best.

Dilys Rose’s latest collection of short fiction, Sea Fret, is one of the finest I have read for some time. The stories work both individually and as one, with Rose managing to imbue them with a rare empathy and humanity.

She captures the awkwardness and interest of travelling with strangers in ‘Are You Sure You Want To Talk To Me?’; a one-sided rivalry between writers is played out in ’Signed Copy, As New’; thoughts of sweet revenge are pondered over a single fag break in ‘SmokeLong Story’; reality versus a mythologised facade of working in the food industry is made clear in ‘The Blue Beyond’; and important words remain unsaid between mother and daughter during the deceptively complex act of buying a coat.

The majority of these stories have women as their central characters and concern friendships, family, work, health, travel, tears, and tumult, from a wide range of ages and backgrounds. These are warm and truthful tales of everyday people and their lives, beautifully told, sometimes over a page or even less. Sea Fret works as the perfect introduction to the writing of Dilys Rose, but it is so much more than that. It’s a reminder that great short stories, such as those in Sea Fret, deserve to not only be read, but rightly lauded.

Sea Fret is published with Scotland Street Press

Alistair Braidwood

STUART BRAITHWAITE

Book: Spaceships over Glasgow

With a key focus from the offset on the relationship between Stuart Braithwaite and his father, the last maker of astronomical telescopes in Scotland, there’s an intimate storytelling approach to Spaceships Over Glasgow, the memoir of Mogwai’s frontman. Published by White Rabbit Books, it delves into the history of one of the most loved and innovative post-rock bands of the past three decades.

An avid Cure fan with little interest in school, it becomes obvious that Stuart was destined for the heady life of making and performing music. Each gig he attended was added to the highlight reel of his childhood. Discovering bands like Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and The Jesus and Mary Chain, and attending seminal gigs that many of us could only dream of (one of which he attended dressed as a young girl with long hair, to compensate for his baby-faced features), it was clear where Stuart’s priorities lay.

After Stuart formed Mogwai, along with friends Dominic Aitchison and Martin Bulloch, the band released their first single, 'Tuner/Lower', in 1996. Championed by the legendary John Peel, the band went from strength to strength, but with many hedonistic slips along the way. Although entertaining, this is not where the best bits of the memoir can be found. Stuart’s warmth and ability to regale, as he delves into his past with what’s clearly a vivid fondness, is what makes this biography. And I would go as far to say that you don’t need to be a Mogawi fan to enjoy this one; simply a reader on the hunt for a gorgeous story with humour, pathos, and a love of music. There is no shortage of these throughout Spaceships. A love letter to more than rock and roll, Stuart encourages us to appreciate those gigs we’ve been moved by, life-changing or not, and this is what allows a pathway into Stuart’s life.

Spaceships Over Glasgow is out on 29th September by White Rabbit Books

Keira Brown

KATY HESSEL

Book: The Story of Art Without Men

Katy Hessel, historian, presenter, curator, and creator of Instagram profile @ thegreatwomenartists, has ambitiously written a comprehensive introduction to the many women artists that have long been forgotten (and mostly barely even discussed) with The Story of Art Without Men. Recognising that if we think back to the canonical artists of history, names such as DaVinci, Van Gogh, Dali all spring to mind, Hessel has compiled a structured title that outlines the ground-breaking and revolutionary women of the art scene who barely got a look in.

Hessel introduces readers to the glittering Sofonisba Anguissola of the Renaissance and Harriet Powers in nineteenth-century USA, as well as some of the more well-known surrealists like Leonora Carrington and the work of the Glasgow MacDonald sisters, Francis and Margaret. It’s incredible just how much you will have your sense of art history overturned, and you’ll most likely want to revise that canon again with more than just a handful of women artists. From the Cornish coast to Manhattan, Nigeria to Japan, this is the history of art as it's never been told before, and with a snapshot into the artists that didn’t just sell their works once reaching the age of 80 (there’s a section on the Guerrilla Girls that you definitely shouldn’t miss), but have made vital movements and notable changes to the direction of art future.

Despite being told via a narrative and most likely best read this way, The Story of Art without Men is a tome you can dip in and out of with ease, as it’s structured chronologically and geographically. With a glossary and index at the back, Hessel has delivered a real treat that will add to your understanding of art.

It sheds an all -important light on where some iconic paintings actually came from, often not the initials on the painting; Hessel highlights instances of women creating some pieces attributed to the work of men. It’s certainly opened my eyes further to more than Emin, Bourgeois, Kahlo, Carrington, Eardley and Hepworth.

The Story of Art without Men is out on 8th September, published by Penguin

Keira Brown

AOIFE NESSA FRANCES

Single: This Still Life

Following lead single ‘Way to Say Goodbye’, Aoife Nessa Frances unveils another track from her forthcoming second album Protector. ‘This Still Life’ sees the Irish singer-songwriter continue to explore the balmy dreamscape of her debut, filling the hazy, humid track with indistinct vocals, languid guitar, and fuzzy synths, creating a feeling of unhurried daydreaming and perfect stillness.

‘This Still Life’ is out now. Protector is out 28th October via Partisan Records

Zoë White

Photo credit: Cáit Fahey

NUSHKA X DA ARCHITECT

Single: Come Around

With a creeping microtonal bounce, this single from the Bahrain-born musician is a giddy, twinkling pop song about the strength of found families, with the self-assured swagger of the coolest kids in the room. Smart and dextrous lyrics and a rolling dip of beat that are a whole lot of fun to be around and definitely not to be messed with.

'Come Around' is out now

Chris Queen

EP: Deux Pleasure

Funky and energetic, the Edinburgh-based duo’s latest track isn't just a toe-tapping banger: it also centres on a deeper sentiment, turning depression into pleasure. Despite this, ‘Pleasure’ remains a mood-lifting song – it gets into your bones and really makes you wanna boogie.

Deux Pleasure was released on 30th September

Daisy Cassidy

CLOTH

EP: Low Sun

Those who believe twins can communicate without speaking will find much to love about Cloth. It’s not that the duo indulges in cryptophasia, but they do so much with so little. The four-track EP never hurries or loses its sense of itself. Minimalist vocals, sometimes whispered, layer over measured musical backing. There’s a sense of creeping paranoia throughout, but never vulnerability or fragility. Opener ‘Old Stories’ ends forcefully while the rhythm of ‘Lucid’ leads you to the edge of somewhere you’re not sure you should be. ‘Low Sun’ and ‘Sidecar’ maintain the impalpable tone without repeating or dropping the mystique. Low Sun is out on 7th October on Rock Action Records

Andrew Reilly

DEAD PONY

EP: War Boys

Some bands struggle to capture their power in the studio, but not here. War Boys brings the Dead Pony live experience to your home, and it’s not wiping its feet when entering.

‘All Dressed Up For Nothing’ pauses for breath amongst the barrage of ruthless lines, vocally and sonically. It’s no ballad, but in relative terms, amidst the high-octane assaults, it’s a change of pace.

On an early release, the phrase ‘Abba meets Ash’ sprang to mind for Dead Pony, which still rings true on War Boys. At six tracks, it’s an exhilarating bundle overflowing with melodies, harmonies, and energy.

War Boys is out now on LAB Records

Andrew Reilly

FAZERDAZE

EP: Break!

This upcoming EP is the artist’s first project in five years. ‘Break!’ explores the idea of breaking down and beginning the healing process. With fuzzy guitars, a stellar chorus, and big messages, this is the best modern approximation of 90s grunge pop.

Break! Is out October 14th

Daisy Cassidy

BEMZ

EP: Zidane

After a triumphant summer enriched with crowdpleasing festival sets and formidable acclaim, the ever-humble Glasgow-based rapper Bemz has released a remix EP of his single ‘Zidane’. The EP hears Bemz’s skilful lyricism mixed onto five tracks, each with their own distinctive sound and featuring exciting names from Scotland’s underground music scene.

Photo credit: Andy Low

The EP opens with the original ‘Zidane’, which proved a firm favourite amongst fans, before DJ, producer, and Eyeangle Records label head Liam Doc sets the scene with his ‘Heeder Tae The Chest Mix’. This euphoric club-ready reimagining of the track comes before the bouncy garage-tinged remix from Roose, while SENGA takes ‘Zidane’ into a darker and grimier territory.

Bemz is no stranger to the effortless amalgamation of rap and dance tunes; he joined forces with Aberdeen rising DJ duo t e s t p r e s s and rapper Chef on the highly charged ‘M4 Freestyle’, taken from the SAY Award shortlisted EP M4. t e s t p r e s s then take their turn on the EP with the ‘Zidane (Headbutt Mix)’, an undeniably addictive 6-minute dance tune, before the record culminates with Sonedo’s acoustic version. This stunning final track demonstrates the scope of Bemz’s vision, and the EP as a whole is a testament to Scotland’s diverse and creative music scene.

Zidane was released on 23rd September

Aisha Fatunmbi-Randall

GREENTEA PENG

Mixtape: Greenzone 108

There’s a theory – promoted by Giusseppe Verdi – that tuning an orchestra to 432Hz rather than the standard 440Hz is beneficial for the psychic health of the listener. It is, so it has been claimed, the frequency of the universe. Making reference to the teachings of Pythagoras and 17th-century physicist Joseph Saveur, the ‘Verdi A’ is apparently instilled with a gamut of spiritual healing properties, meaning its use is popular amongst artists who embrace the philosophical.

Greenzone 108, the latest mixtape from Psychedelic Soul artist Greentea Peng, is tuned to 432Hz; the number 108 deriving from Hindu and Buddhist traditions representing the temptations en route to Nirvana. All this is to say: she’s not your average soul singer. Bearing influences from the bass echoes of Studio One reggae and Erykah Badu’s nu-soul of the 90s, the mixtape is a lush, luxuriant balm of rich and shimmering soul vocals over jazz-tinged R&B: warmth and calm and comfort, a glorious soak in Peng’s meditative energy.

Not to say that it’s all peace and love up here; ‘no one can judge me harder than I judge myself’ she sings over a pointed bassline reminiscent of 90s Cypress Hill. There’s a battling power, a sense of strength gained thorough resilience and a defiance that turns itself into a pep talk.

‘I can’t relate, it’s lucky I’m not full of hate’ she says, with the heavy implication that we really wouldn’t want to find out what would happen if she was. Her rhymes come with a righteous, pointed precision, her strength drawn back to the revolutionary ire of roots reggae and hip-hop’s conscious age. It’s music you’d stumble across in a tent in the wee hours of a music festival, leaving with a new purpose in life. The mixtape is a sumptuous halfhour that leaves you healed and invigorated and yet with a warning to ‘beware the fuckery’.

Greenzone 108 is out now

Chris Queen

SHAMIR

Album: Heterosexuality

Prolific Nevada avant-garde artist Shamir Bailey knows that the best pop may be delivered with a strut and sparkles, but it's even more exquisite when it juxtaposes melancholy with majesty.

As it is with Heterosexuality, the boldly titled seventh album. From the crunchy beats of opener 'Gay Agenda' where the nonbinary artist asks not to be labelled, to gorgeous, twangy noir ballad 'Reproductive' that really showcases his soulful countertenor vocals, Heterosexuality is pop that defies reductive genres, fitting the avantpop sensibility in lieu of something more accurate. That voice, as with the best singers, is a gloriously expressive and elastic instrument.

It's an unflinching thing, this album. It stares back, but is subtly confrontational. In the swooping cinematic track 'Cisgender', Shamir declares in falsetto: ‘I don't want to be a girl, I don't want be be a man’, a simple riposte to anyone asking him to pick a side in order to make them ‘comfortable’. But it's 'Abomination' that most resembles his earliest work, distorted hip hop reclaiming slurs while denouncing the rise of the right-wing ideologies in contemporary America.

This is pop turbocharged with emotion, intelligence. Whatever your pronoun or preference, it's an immense statement of intent. On the strength of this, it seems that Shamir won't be pop's best-kept secret for much longer. A future Björk collaboration surely awaits.

Heterosexuality is out now on AntiFragile Music

Lorna Irvine

BIG JOANIE

Album: Back Home

Stephanie Phillips, Estella Adeyeri and Chardine Taylor-Stone make up Black punk trio Big Joanie. Thanks to their incendiary, legendary gigs, they have steadily built up a massive following. Produced and mixed by Margo Broom, their second album, Back Home, draws from a wider sonic palette than their 2018 debut, Sistahs, and is all the richer for it. It's complex too, vacillating between moods and textures. Although there's a nod to no wave, new wave and post-punk artists like Ut, The Go-Go’s, and Throwing Muses in the more crunchy, anthemic songs like 'Taut', 'In My Arms' and 'What Are You Waiting For', it's the pared down tracks that are most resonant and moving. Churning opener 'Cactus Tree' is as spiky as the title would suggest, 'Count To 10' is little more than sparse percussion and vocals, and 'Confident Man' has a nagging synth pulse and eerie undercurrent that is just beautiful.

Phillips’ guitar weaves spellbinding, chiming shapes against Taylor-Stone's zig-zagging drums and Adeyeri's slinking bass, and her warm, folky vocals tease out the others' lovely call and response backing vocals.

These gorgeous harmonies really suit the low-key lyrics, which are often subtly devastating, taking on emotional manipulation, an uncertain future, aspirations, and their place in the world. Above all, the variety in pace and tone keeps the listener on their toes. Introspection suits them.

Back Home is out on 4th November via Daydream Library Lorna Irvine

Wasylyk’s compositions capture the same starkness of Cooper's photos, taken while exploring coastal regions of some of the world's most extreme environments. ‘Truant in Gossamer’, with its slow, eerie build of rasping strings, strikes an Atlantic chill into your bones. Elsewhere, as on the sumptuous

‘The Confluence’, with its twitchy jazz bass line and comforting piano key melody, Wasylyk slicks his own colour over the subject matter, peering at the warmer worlds behind the snapshots. It is a beautiful riposte to a stunning collection.

Hearing the Water Before Seeing the Falls is out 25th November. Pre-sale available 28th October

Craig Howieson

ANDREW WASYLYK

Album: Hearing the Water Before Seeing the Falls

Andrew Wasylyk is a tireless soul. A man whose cup is seemingly overflowing with ideas, and an artist in the truest sense of the word: someone who distills the world around him into his medium, so that we can all share his aural interpretation of the things that touch our souls. Barely a year on from the release of his last record – the SAY Award longlisted Balgay Hill: Morning In Magnolia –Wasylyk returns with the seven-song suite Hearing the Water Before Seeing the Falls

Marking his second release for the Clay Pipe Music label, the record is a commissioned response to The World’s Edge exhibition by American contemporary landscape photographer Thomas Joshua Cooper.

Photo credit: Ajamu X

SLIM WRIST

Album: Closer For Comforting

Closer For Comforting, the debut from Slim Wrist, is a stripped-back album which kicks off simple and leans more into conventional synthy-sounds in the back half.

The marriage of the vocals and instrumentals work together so well: each part of the puzzle of Closer for Comforting tells the same story, written the same way but in different languages. When put together, the effect is beautiful.

The lyrical content on this project is rich. Fern Morris’ vocals spin a yarn that captivates on each track, and while songs like ‘Amends’ and ‘Mothering Tongues’ are all bangers, the vocals are at their most powerful in ‘Threads’. The layering of vocals presents a solemn, hymn-like energy. The opening lyrics (tie me up in knots/leave me hanging) convey the tough subject matter, despite the dreamy sounds. The motif of picking at these threads, as each party pulls one and eventually leaves each other hanging, gets into the give and take of caring about someone a great deal. This track has the pay off-for the name of the album, as ‘closer for comforting’ repeats in the background.

Closer For Comforting is a funky, dreamy album, perfect for a sun-soaked picnic or driving off into the deep, autumn sunset.

Closer for Comforting is out now Daisy Cassidy

CINDYTALK

Album: Subterminal

Cindytalk have been a mainstay of Scottish experimental music since their early collaborations with Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil. 1984’s Camouflage Heart is one of the great early Goth albums, with its soaring, eldritch instrumental sections and drums from future Bad Seed Mick Harvey. Their continually evolving music has marked them out as one of the pioneers of the Darkwave and Industrial sounds of the late 80s, through Detroit Techno in the 90s and into a much more abstract form of electronic music since the turn of the millennium. They’ve collaborated with a diverse range of artists such as Alasdair Gray, Thurston Moore, and Ohio techno collective ele_ mental.

Now fronted solely by Cinder, Scottish artist and remaining member of the original lineup, Cindytalk have released Subterminal, a continuation of the field recording-based work of 2021’s Of Ghosts and Buildings. Here Cinder continues to push her sonic experimentation into ever more conceptual territory.

The four pieces of music across the album go on a journey into the dark, with the crepuscular click and swishes of opening track ‘See Seer Seek’ setting the paranoid tone with an unsettling minimalism and the constant tingle of being watched. ‘Where Everything Sparkles and Shines’ plunges deeper and darker, an oppressive lull of somnambulant weight that jitters everytime it seems about to settle. It sets up the complete psychic break of the aptly titled ‘Systems Are Spiralling’; a fulsome reverberation of bass signals a collapse of logic, the tight restraint of the austere atmospherics collapsing into delirious entropy.

Finally; ‘We Fly Away With The Birds’ lifts the piece out of the gloom with a literal trill of birdsong and a hopeful, redemptive swoop of strings that feels like a chink of light growing through the gloom.

Cinder talks about her music as ‘poetry of noise’. This is very much a complete piece, each movement feeding and flowing into the next and taking the listener into an exploration of the tenebrous corners of the shadowy self.

Subterminal is out on 21st October on False Walls

Chris Queen

BOOGIE BELGIQUE

Album: Machine

Eclectic, textural, and atmospheric, Belgian jazz/ trip-hop outfit Boogie Belgique make a longawaited return with their fifth record, Machine. The Brussels-based group, founded in 2012 by producer Oswald Cromheecke, have become known for their intricate, layered grooves and creative use of big band samples. The pulsing dance beats, experimental edge, and blend of old and new sounds are all present on Machine.

But the record is less reliant on retro samples than the band’s earlier work, often looping a simple sweep of strings or a flutter of woodwind rather than fully orchestrated passages. The result is a set of sleeker, dreamier tracks than the rich, bombastic melodies on 2016’s Volta or the cheery Charleston rhythms of the group’s second record Time for a Boogie

After the cool, shimmery opener ‘Avenoir’, the band slips into the effervescent groove of ‘Pepper’s Ghost’. ‘Risk’ samples some vintage strings, swooning over a boxy beat and icy piano, before fading out with interwoven strains of trumpet and clarinet, while ‘Tales of Old’, with its wavering woodwinds and distant vocals, has a foggy mystique to it.

On ‘Wonder’ and ‘How Deep Is the Ocean’ the band revitalise old crooner songs, whereas, in a more subtle nod to the past, ‘Mercury’ is backed by the soft crackle of a record.

But the band saved the most daring tunes until the end. Penultimate track ‘Admiral’ takes on an ominous, militant tone with its abrasive ostinato, before ‘Machine’ closes the album with a tingling guitar outro.

Machine is out 14th October

Zoë White

A.O. GERBER

Album: Meet Me At The Gloaming

There is a comfort that comes with company. A reassurance felt from a hand to hold or shoulder to lean on as we face the darkest of nights. Often, though, our most confident moments come when we step out alone; grateful for the help we have had along the way, but filled with a courageousness to face the fears we all inevitably have to meet.

A.O. Gerber’s debut Another Place To Need was swathed in a familial homeliness. A solo record, yes, but one that yielded an almost community-like spirit. On her stunning follow up, Gerber seizes control to build on that steady platform. Meet Me At The Gloaming is co-produced with Madeline Kenney and finds Gerber daringly comfortable as she flits from the crunchy folk of ‘For’ to the indie pop bliss of ‘You Got It Right’. All this while lyrically navigating how to avoid slipping into the cracks of a fractured past. Gerber bravely removes any blinkers to her personal history for a critical self evaluation of the acts that make up her story so far.

It’s good to have friends you can rely on, but on Meet Me At The Gloaming Gerber shows that sometimes we also have to take time to ourselves, to look within and find some peace so that we can confront all that lies ahead: alone, if necessary. Meet Me At The Gloaming is out 14th October

Craig Howieson

POSTER PAINTS

Album: Poster Paints

One of the most essential roles music plays in everyday life is fuelling escapism. Being able to roam without leaving home is more important than ever, and Poster Paints offer dreamlike sounds in a nightmarish world.

Carla J Easton has long been in the pop trenches, curating and compiling new sounds that pay homage to heroines and heroes. Now, paired with Simon Liddell’s lush and layered backing, there’s a hopeful and hopelessly optimistic album that feels perfectly on point for these times.

The swooning and soaring moments are frontloaded but the delicate finale should see you return time and time again.

Poster Paints is released on 14th October on Olive Grove Records and Ernest Jenning Record Co.

Andrew Reilly

SAMPA THE GREAT

Album: As Above, So Below

Poet and rapper Sampa The Great looks home to her Zambian roots with her greatly anticipated sophomore album, As Above, So Below. This album marks a new chapter in Sampa’s anthology and is her first release of new music since 2019’s ARIA Award and Australian Music Prize-winning debut album, The Return, which made her the first musician in its 15-year history to win the latter award twice.

Immediately we are introduced to the African influence that carries us through the album, as the opening track begins with the resplendent, mystical sounds of the Mbira (thumb piano). Sampa tells of ‘demons coming’ before a spoken word outro in Bemba, one of the native languages of Zambia.

Musically, too, the album sees Sampa connect with her home and culture, which differentiates from her previous work. The record features collaborations with Southern African creatives, as well as executive production by award-winning Zambian producer Mag44. Zamrock’s influence is rife amongst each track, with central track ‘Can I Live?’ featuring the iconic Zamrock band W.I.T.C.H paving way for Sampa’s powerful vocals and lyrics that question the path of artistry. In ‘Mask On’, a sample of a Zambian nursery rhyme forms the bedrock for Sampa and Joey BadA$$’s resonating notions of disappointment in the representation in the music industry. Lead single ‘Lane’ follows with a woozy vibe and synth bass before a breathless, fierce verse from Denzel Curry. These are just three of several eclectic international collaborators, with other names including Kojey Radical, Angélique, Chef 187, Tio Nason, and Sampa’s own sister, Mwanjé, who features on the triumphant ‘Never Forget’.

‘Let Me Be Great’ rounds off the album with a symphonic declaration of the album’s widereaching message to be yourself. Spiritually revitalised, As Above, So Below is a manifesto of self-validation, womanhood, pride, and joy told through Sampa Tempo’s memories of Africa. The album hears Sampa poised with a more matured and reassured voice as she reaches a poignant moment in her life and journey as a musician.

As Above, So Below was released 9th September via Loma Vista Recordings

Aisha Fatunmbi-Randall

FLUX GOURMET

Film

A great filmmaker must love creating new worlds. When British director Peter Strickland landed with his sophomore feature, 2012’s Berberian Sound Studio, his clarity of vision hinted that he may join heavy-hitters like David Lynch who excel in transporting viewers to an alternative cinematic reality. The 2014 follow-up, The Duke of Burgundy, solidified this; it was a work of enrapturing dark beauty. His new film, Flux Gourmet, presents a blackly comic and typically bizarre world, and though this world leaves room for more laughter, it is arguably his most extreme, absurd film.

Stones (Makis Papadimitriou) is a journalist tasked with documenting the residency of a collective who are researching the combination of cooking and sound. He has a big problem: acid reflux and wind that grows more hellish hour upon hour. As the group, led by Elle (Fatma Mohamed) start to quarrel, their performances become more and more extreme. They begin to involve Stones and his gastrointestinal issues in their studies, allowing for as many fart jokes as boke-inducing horror scenes.

The head of this bizarre bunch is none other than Gwendoline Christie, in a part far removed from her strong, deep portrayal of Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones. As Jan Stevens, her playfulness, charisma, and sequence of cool hats is the rock of the film's ensemble cast. Mohamed adds intensity as Elle, and Asa Butterfield is the comic relief as collective member Billy.

Strickland balances the drama and humour of the characters' day to day lives with the intense weirdness of the collective’s performances, and herein lies his originality.

This is shown perfectly in a scene where Stones and the collective walk through the Gothic gardens as psychedelic music plays in the background. The scene is at odds with Stones’ solemn narration in Greek, the subtitles detailing his suffering at the hands of flatulence. It’s hilarious, yet deeply unsettling.

Like Strickland’s previous work, Flux Gourmet is heavily influenced by 60s and 70s horror exploitation cinema. However, the director’s technical command of the medium – always in service to the story and characters – and black sense of humour make his films much more than mere homage. Flux Gourmet is no exception, and if you have a strong stomach and a love of the macabre, here is the film of the season for you.

Flux Gourmet opened in select cinemas on 30th September Martin Sandison

IS IT ME

Film

Welcome to SNACK’s new feature where we spotlight our favourite Scottish short films! There is so much energy, innovation, and creativity at work in Scotland’s film industry, and much of it goes into creating shorts rather than features. We want to provide a home for Scottish short films and filmmaking talent at SNACK. We’re kicking off our first SNACK Short with Is It Me, a short that showcases all the qualities we love about our nation's visual poems: arresting visual language; mood-setting soundscape; heart, humour, and charisma.

Body dysmorphia is something I knew little about before seeing Chris McGill’s short documentary about Emma Russer. She is a bio drag queen; a performance artist who identifies as a cisgender or non-binary person who was assigned female at birth and who dresses up in an extravagantly feminine, camp way. She has body dysmorphia, an anxiety disorder relating to body image. In just under 10 minutes (the film’s running time is only 9.45) I felt enlightened and moved, as well as impressed by the visual style. It’s one that adds tons of atmosphere through naturalistic lighting and compositions that empower the film's subject, and also links to film movements of the past.

The lingering shots of Emma dressed up in inventive and surreal drag costumes are hugely evocative, and reach back to underground movies like those of the New York film movement of the 70s. Emma’s candid and confident narration sheds light beautifully on her condition, expressing that she feels uncomfortable in her own skin to the point of losing sight of herself.

She dresses up and hides her face, feeling more confident when controlling the way others see her. We follow Emma selecting clothing to make her costume for a club night, and she goes into the origins of her condition as a child and the support and love she experiences from her mother. All of this while retaining a keen, self-deprecating sense of humour; the short is peppered with Emma’s comic charm, which lends depth that isn't forced.

The graceful and sympathetically framed compositions speak of a director growing in skill and maturity. McGill has been working as a freelance film-maker for some time and his previous short Crypsis is also well worth seeking out. Is It Me was officially selected for the BFI Flare and Fantasia Festivals, was featured on BFI Player, won the personal narrative award at the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival and was shortlisted for a Grierson Trust Award last year – fitting accolades for a powerful short. The final shots of Emma dancing in a club are evocative images of empowerment, ending a short film that resonates long after the credits have rolled.

Is It Me is available to watch on snackmag.co.uk

Martin Sandison

SNACK BITS

October. It’s a peculiar month. Some take impetus from cooler temperatures and darker nights; others feel the year is starting to wind down.

This has also long been an excellent month for new music. Unis are back, summer festivals and big outdoor shows are over, and there’s so much more taking place. This is why, even though it’s what we do every month, SNACK Bits is doubling down on the great new Scottish music around us.

So much so that we’re already regretting wasting so much time on this intro; let’s get to it.

The Blue Parrot Backpackers Hostel EP by Frankie Morrow is delightful. It has that woozy and hazy feel which is perfect for autumnal days and sheltered nights. It’s a good collection, but the measured manner of most songs means the moment where it all takes off is much more impactful. We’ll leave that track name as a surprise, so it doesn’t wholly take the magic away when lift-off occurs.

With a Glasgow gig on the cards for late November, you have enough time to familiarise yourself with the folky smoothness on offer.

Hopefully, it's just for the evening and not a bloody coup, but either way, they have Spyres and Fauves on hand to assist them.

The band have been on social media worrying about what songs they need to drop from their setlist, but they’re still releasing new tunes! ‘Mercy’ should be with you now, and its driving guitars, pleading (and pleasing) singalongs and big finish mean it’ll likely go down well on the night and most other occasions.

We now interrupt this round-up to bring you the latest edition of ‘Have you listened to SHEARS yet?’ ‘Neighbourhood’ is another low-key electro smash, upping the infectious pleasure the artist has bestowed on us in recent months. Do yourself a favour: stick them together on a playlist and have yourself a party.

Taking us in a completely different musical direction is NEEV with ‘Seawall’, which is charming. It's lazy to say you can allow the strings to wash over you, but it’s an apt description. Also, where NEEV picks up the pace is rather refreshing: the ideal (shortterm) antidote for anyone who has made the mistake of engaging with the news of late.

And talking about Glasgow gigs in November, Declan Welsh & The Decadent West are taking over the Barrowlands Ballroom.

If you need a bit more to soothe you, and no one would blame you if you do, Emma Miller’s ‘Meet Me On The Lake’ beckons. It’s got a darker edge, turning words of love, when written down, into something more haunted yet pleasant.

An activity which is haunted and unpleasant is DIY, and this next band is billed as a Glasgow DIY supergroup. Sadly, Hound aren’t a band hailing from the big B&Q in Darnley, but with ‘Take Off’, they’ve nailed that American power-pop punk vibe. It’s fun, uplifting, and lasts about as long as my enthusiasm for building a bookcase or wardrobe.

‘Bad Dream’ by Josephine Sillars has the disorientating feel the song title deserves, the repeated mantra swirling around alongside piercing stabs and shuffling rhythmic steps. It won’t be out of place on a Halloween playlist, or your normal listening cycle. Just like the ‘Monster Mash’.

The Dale McPhail McPhailure album is going to split opinions, but in serious times, there’s occasionally a need to take things lightly. Sure, it's twee, but it’s wholesome, even on challenging topics, and it has that country twang which is as at home on the West Coast as self-deprecation and Vitamin D deficiencies. Also, even if it’s not for you, at least one person in your social circle thinks this is the best music they’ve heard all year.

Lewis McLaughlin’s Rollin’ On EP is ideal for those who like their Scottish folk singers to have a warbly voice and a hazy feel. The repeating steel guitarlike licks take the title track to a higher level. For those who want their music to be understated with electro glitches, the Slim Wrist album Closer For Comforting should make pleasant listening. ‘The Soft’ is beguiling, and ‘Threads’ is anthemic without breaking out of a casual stroll. To be honest, this album feels like a grower, so give it time over a few listens.

Alexandra Shrinivas serves up ‘A Woman and Her World’, a jazzy interlude showcasing plaintive vocals and a wish list to make this world less tiring. Alexander Romance returns quickly to SNACK Bits with ‘Never Alone’, and it’s an intriguing one, feeling fast and slow at the same time while also being neither. It's worth a listen or two, though. As is the Wurlitzer-infused ‘Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi’ from Logan’s Close, who are bringing arch personality back to pop music.

The Whim single ‘Scrolling’ features more soft rock than a sweet shop on the Royal Mile, bringing a 70s and 80s vibe to a modern problem.

Pizza Crunch is also very popular in the West Coast, although the band is yet to live up to the billing of the greasy, beige wonder. Mind you; an actual pizza crunch never tastes as good as you’d imagine. ‘Young Excitement’ has an Undertones feel, which is never a bad thing, and ‘Romanticised Past’ has a glorious 80s flourish. There are some slower moments on the EP, which will no doubt connect with some listeners, but for many, their presence will only reinforce how energetic the band are when they turn up the tempo. So, something for everyone there.

And hopefully, there’s been something for everyone with SNACK Bits this October. You don’t need us to tell you there’s great music coming out in Scotland every month, but we’re more than happy to do so. Have a great one, add layers to your daily wardrobe, and we’ll see you in November.

It was my first time bramble picking when the tight, tart red fruits popped black. I started impatient, yanking loose the pinched pursed berries surprised when they yanked back. I glance at his full tupperware stained with spag bol kisses full of glossy black pupils And I want him to teach me but am too proud to ask. I watch as, gently, he twists them loose changing the lightbulb without replacing it. He got so good he could tell they were ripe with a look they’d fall into his hand with a wink and he’d pop the best ones in my mouth And we take turns to suck the thick, maroon juice off each other’s fingers stained to bruised with berry blood and sticky strings of saliva.

Lara Delmage

Been in the office all day dreaming of something super? Is your mind wandering to bigger, better, and tastier things?

Our PFTP initiative is a way to give back to the community. Every week, we make and donate pizzas to those in need all across Edinburgh. You can very easily get involved just by eating our pizzas!

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