So Young Issue Fifty-Two

Issue Fifty-Two

Also inside: The Voidz Nilüfer Yanya Amyl and The Sniffers Man/Woman/Chainsaw untitled (halo) Divorce Honeyglaze bed Blood Wizard Hank

GEORDIE GREEP

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If this summer’s festival season was the celebration of the

With new records on their way, we’re thrilled to welcome

year that came before, Autumn’s new releases and hectic

Amyl and The Sniffers, Honeyglaze, Nilüfer Yanya, Man/

tour schedule leaves us with no choice but to focus on

Woman/Chainsaw and Divorce back to our pages. Here

the here and now. One artist with no intention of looking

for the first time, we touch base with LA’s untitled (halo)

back is Geordie Greep, the former black midi member is

ahead of their UK visit this year and London’s Hank who

delivering ‘The New Sound’ via his new solo project, an

have been sharing stages with notable names and have

album which moves away from feelings of repetition and

recently released their debut EP ‘Twist Grip’.

works within a stricter set of rules. We speak for the cover feature.

Completing this issue alongside an interview with Nottingham’s excellent Blood Wizard, we speak to

Issue Fifty-Two is full to the brim with conversations

Tyler Bainbridge, the man behind NYC’s most respected

that span household names, like Julian Casablancas, as

recommendations newsletter, Perfectly Imperfect. Having

we discuss the new record from The Voidz, through to

celebrated our tenth birthday at The George Tavern earlier

Japanese newcomers, bed who are breaking the norm and

this year, we speak to iconic landlady, Pauline Forster

sticking two fingers up to the standard practices expected

about the venue’s history and future. We talk village life

from artists in their home country.

and Oasis reunions with Fashion designer, Sam Nowell and self-taught Irish painter, Peter Doyle gives us an insight into his practice.

4 Man/Woman/Chainsaw Just Play It Better 9 The Voidz I’m Just A Normal Guy Man! 15 Sam Nowell Village Life Ideal 19 Geordie Greep The New Sound 25 Perfectly Imperfect Curators 30 Amyl and The Sniffers Let it out, buddy!

36 Blood Wizard BIG FISH 41 The George Tavern In Conversation with Pauline Forster

45 Nilüfer Yanya Distilled 50 bed Rising Beyond Japan 53 Hank A Pint of Guinness and a half 57 Peter Doyle Togetherness 61 Divorce There is no Perfect Place 68 untitled (halo) Is The Verve Britpop?

72 Honeyglaze Real Deal

After playing the live circuit nationwide, in various

With our current line-up it’s only been two years. I

venues, drinking dens and dancefloors Man/Woman/

remember hearing of other bands doing 100 shows in a

Chainsaw are releasing their debut EP, ‘Eazy Peazy’ on

year. The joy of this whole thing is playing the shows.

Fat Possum. Musically flirting with the histories and sounds of big band music, pop and post-punk entwined

How do you think playing live has influenced your

with their orchestral-soaked cacophonies. Man/Woman/

music?

Chainsaw learnt their sound by playing it live, reacting to audiences and in that organic relationship to understand

V: We didn’t even really have a set in the first few shows

what works. Paired with the joy and happiness they

we played. A song would be nearly done and playing it

receive from playing live; this collaboration of live

live would tell us what we need to do to it, or it would just

learning and loving playing has allowed for the creation

be a shit-show. Lately, we don’t really do that, probably

of a unique and wholly enjoyable debut project. A subtle

because there is more of us and we are better.

confidence comes across, desiring to move their music in a different direction from the commonly placed

B: There is a middle line to be found though, where

comparisons. Trusting in their instincts and abilities,

sometimes you have to get it out there. A song that sounds

with a lyrical versatility, in part due to the number of

like your opus in your room can just be terrible live.

songwriters, which traverses a multitude of subjects; both personal and universal. Friendship is an important aspect

You can have the fundamentals of a song that’s

of Man/Woman/Chainsaw, and many in the future will

recorded and then be more adventurous live.

want to be a part of their gang, joining in the fun of their school trips.

V: That’s fun. But I don’t like it when it surprises me, I’m like, what the fuck are you doing, we did not agree on this.

How did ‘Eazy Peazy’ come into existence?

B: Sorry.

Billy: We had songs we had accumulated over a big period of us figuring out how do to the thing. Fat Possum has

V: I’m not dissing you. A level of improvisation which is

been a really great label and it has felt right.

nice.

Vera: I think the music itself though wasn’t to do with

B: Back in the day there was a lot more of not knowing

waiting for anything, they were just songs that we played

what is going on but now I think it’s tighter.

live. It was never supposed to be a collection, a project.

V: We’ve obviously heard our own EP having recorded it.

A key point when I hear about you is how many live

I think you tend to play it more like the recording because

shows you’ve played.

now there’s an ‘official’ version of it.

V: I wouldn’t even say we’ve played a crazy amount of

Why the trio of singers, because it is rare to have that

live shows.

many singers; what effect does that have on the lyric writing and music?

B: 120?

B: Often the person who wrote the song has the most to V: You’re the one with the list.

say initially about who’s singing.

Words by Teddy Maloney, illustration by Zsófia Győrfi

4

V: I hadn’t really thought about that. Maybe we should

B: Not really, it was wanting to be in a band and have

branch out a little bit.

some fun and still is.

B: I’ll be happy to sing some of yours if you want to sing

V: It’s like a job that you don’t get paid for now. I will

some of mine.

be like, ‘I can’t believe I have to go sit in a car for eight hours.’ Then, I think thank fuck, I’m so lucky to get to

V: I don’t like your ones… I’m joking.

play to people in pubs.

B: Nice.

B: At first, the goal was to play the Windmill. Now the band is a unit, we do have bigger goals even if the process

V: I find it so strange when you have one person singing,

is still the same.

then you switch to the next person and next person. I feel like I’m at an open mic, but you’ve got a backing band. I

Listening to your music it is chaotic, experimental,

like it to feel collective.

imaginative but feels modest. Did that come naturally or was it an active decision?

B: It’s an instrument, an arrangement. We will have three people sing because we want to get as much sound as we

B: Just serve the song. There is no point in having all this

can out of the people on the stage.

flair and crazy sound if the song isn’t good at the core. We figured this out as we wrote the EP, but if the lyrics aren’t

How do you translate the intensity and passion of your

saying anything with no through line then it doesn’t hold

live shows into your recorded music?

onto you in the same way.

B: We definitely wanted to track live. That was a definite

V: I still think we have some learning to do on the less is

intention of the project because it just saves time and the

more front. Sometimes it doesn’t all need to be going, but

sound keeps.

sometimes it does and it’s very good.

V: We are so embarrassingly shit at tracking compared

B: Another gem that Daniel had in the studio, ‘If

to everyone else. Twenty million takes to do everything.

everything is loud, nothing is loud.’ Which hadn’t really

Daniel Fox who produced it was very good, his advice

occurred to me.

was …

V: I knew about that one.

Both: Just play it better.

B: Yeah, Vera knew about that one.

V: Oddly is was quite like, ‘Oh yeah you’re right’. He also ‘Grow A Tongue in Time’ is more delicate and refined

told us to ‘let the spirit of rock move us.’

than some of your other songs. I was curious, is that a Both: Which we did.

signal at a direction you may head towards?

V: I say this all the time, but; we are just really good

V: Tongue is actually quite old. I remember writing it on

friends. So, it didn’t feel like a job. It just felt fun, which

the train to school and finishing it that evening at home. I

translates live and hopefully onto the recordings.

sent it to Billy, he learnt it, then we played it together the next day. It was one of those ones that just came out.

B: On tour it feels like a school trip.

Has your understanding of Man/Woman/Chainsaw changed through the many iterations, the reason why you do it?

5

Man/Woman/Chainsaw

B: Sometimes we will be really tempted to go big at the

V: The C10 route. I like that route.

end of a song, or go really big to quiet, but with that one was such a good song when stripped back. It’s intense but

Playing alongside many exciting and established

builds and holds tension.

groups; what residual benefit occurs from sharing the same stage?

V: I also think when we first started playing that song, it was the first time I started singing. I started off with a lot

B: I think they’re just nice. Vera was saying this the

of shouting and talking like everyone who does post-punk.

other day, it’s funny because you presume that big artists or people that you’re “competing” with are going to be

Do you see yourselves as part of a musical tradition

unfriendly but actually they’re all really lovely.

born out of London – with the obvious names and comparisons – in the last few years?

V: I, for some reason, assume that everyone’s going to be a prick, which is a really bad assumption to have. But at

B: We grew up on it, obviously we were teenagers when

Green Man, they had us do the podcast with Lime Garden.

that stuff was happening. It was the thing that we aspired

They were also playing Manchester Psych Fest and we

to but that moment is kind of gone. We are looking at a

went to see them, and their music was really good. And

lot of music with big bands over the last 50 years, not just

that’s when I was like people are so nice.

the last 5 years. The stuff that came out in the last 5 years wasn’t just looking to its own scene.

100 Club, London Headliner – Why Halloween?

V: I liked post-punk, but I never got really into it. I like

B: It’s a great venue, it’s historic. And, it’s fun.

going to the venues that would host those kinds of gigs. At my core I really like pop music, I listen to Katy Perry.

V: We can put cobwebs in places.

Sorry there’s a loud party bus going past my flat

B: There’s probably already cobwebs in the 100 club.

window.

What can we expect going forwards?

V: That’s fun.

B: More shows, bigger shows, better music. I mean that’s B: We should do a show on a party bus.

always the plan. Basically, it’s all we can hope for. Keep having fun. Vera, penny for your thoughts?

V: That would be gas, I’d fucking love that.

V: I don’t know what to add. I just like it in the pubs.

B: What route would we do?

@petit.crickets

6

The Voidz

Although Julian Casablancas needs no introduction, perhaps his band The Voidz might.

Returning with his third album, titled ‘Like All Before You’, Julian blends an acoustic alchemy of Synth Pop, Metal, Dub and Post-Punk to deliver a cyber-futuristic genre-bender.

Joining me from a Los Angeles rooftop equipped with witty anecdotes and a surprisingly cheeky disposition (I know what you’re thinking, and no I didn’t get the wrong guy!), my conversation with Julian was everything I’d ever dreamed of as a life-long fan.

9

Words by Leo Lawton, photo by Cheryl Georgette

How are you, Julian?

I was talking to a ten-year-old boy who I used to babysit the other day and I asked him what he would ask a rockstar if he only had one question. He replied,

Hangin’ in there. How are you?

what shoes does he wear when he goes on stage?

Not bad. That’s a nice view for an interview.

Did you tell him that it was a stupid question? Just Hmm, there’s a play on words hiding in there somewhere.

kidding, it’s a brilliant question! Hmm, they must be made of Italian leather. No, I don’t know. Shoes? I don’t know, I

What time is it over there?

have several pairs.

It is… [long pause] ah, nobody knows. I’m gonna say

Pairz with a ‘z’ right?

7:26, but that’s a guess. A wild guess.

Woah, low blow man! Low fuckin’ blow! Sorry for the sirens by the way, at least they’re saving lives. I’m starting to think they’re coming for me. [Julian positions his hands to mimic a megaphone] “YOU ARE SURROUNDED! WE KNOW YOU’RE UP THERE!”

Nah, it’s actually 6:15.

PM or AM? Can we talk about the record a bit?

Are those the first and only interview questions? Are we done? 6:15pm man. Well, it was great chatting, and

Yuh.

I hope you got what you needed. Oh, please send me the transcript. [Employs generic news reporter voice for comic effect] “Some say it was AM, some say it was PM. There were rumours that it was past 7pm but eventually it was confirmed by a source on the ground that it was indeed 6:15pm.”

Speaking about The Voidz in the past, you’ve said that the band has given you freedom to explore different styles of music more fluidly than your past endeavours.

From Synth Pop, Dub, Metal and Post-Punk, this new album displays a very broad sonic palette. Tell me a little more about the specific influences?

Umm, well I think I’m influenced by everything I’ve ever really listened to. In a more pronounced way, things that I have consciously told my brain to accept as things that I like and value. I think that that is probably just a general, generic truth for most art or creative stuff. So[oooo], perhaps not the individual thing that you were seeking, but accurate, nonetheless. I’m just a normal guy man!

11

The Voidz

I picked up a couple of eighties references across the album. On ‘Flexorcist’, the drum pattern sounds a lot like Prince’s ‘Kiss’, whilst the outro sounds like The Human League’s ‘Together in Electric Dreams’. Were either of those songs on your mind?

Prince is always nearby. The other one not so much, although I think we thought of it. Yeah, it was one of several influences I guess on that specific song. I love Human League, so I suppose that was an accident. Or at least I wasn’t in on that. Maybe Jake or Jeff or whoever was playing that outro was.

The main drum break on ‘Prophecy of The Dragon’ sounds just like Madonna’s ‘Burning Up’. Are you a fan?

There are several drum breaks on that track. Originally it was a drum machine that Beardo programmed, so that was the start of it. Then we added the salt and pepper of eighties Hip-Hop. Almost like an alternate Metallica, Run DMC collab or something. Hip-Hop drums and metal guitars. Not said, or consciously, but I guess in hindsight I’d describe it as such.

It’s a brilliant example of the way you mesh, or collage different elements together on this album.

That’d be a great name for a musical genre. “What kind of music do you play? Umm, it’s like Mesh”.

I wonder whether there’s a name for the genre inspired by the way you programme your vocals on this record and have done since your 2013 collaboration with Daft Punk on ‘Instant Crush’. It’s almost like you’re conducting an ironic pastiche of auto-tune that you don’t hear in pop music.

It was slightly born out of the Lo-Fi boomboxes of Parisian rickshaws playing Algerian auto-tuned Pop. That’s where it first caught my ear. But I’ve been overanalysing vocal melody harmony for a long ass time, and I think I’ve learned that the power of melody lies in sharp or flat note singing, whether you’re Lou Reed or a Broadway Singer.

12

Most melodies sound good without auto-tune, but with

Songs like ‘All The Same’ and ‘When Will The Time

auto-tune they sort of come to life. It allows you also

Of These Bastards End’ are clearly interested in these

to come up with different ideas which you wouldn’t

powerful, shady, authoritarian figures that still manage

otherwise. I like it as a tool. In ‘Flexorcist’, auto-tune

to rule our societies. With a general election coming

really served the melody so that it pops in a crispy way,

up in the states, how do you feel about Trump and how

for example. Others I can tell that it wouldn’t be the vibe.

close he is to being re-elected?

On the flip side of it, sometimes a producer will tune a As much as Kamala seems like a more pleasant person

note, “correct” it, and it’ll lose the magic it had before.

socially, I don’t see a difference between the two Why do you think it makes sense in The Voidz to play

candidates. The war between the billionaire gang and

with vocal effects and vocal delivery so fluidly?

humankind is the same one that’s been happening for ten thousand years. Both parties here in the US are the

The Voidz is exploratory. If I’m singing something I can

billionaire gang. Are we going to come together and ever

sing it in different registers, high, or low. If you’re singing

figure out how to evolve from a tribal dynamic to a large

low, what kind of inflection are you using? Some people

societal dynamic, while being able to neutralise deception,

sing with different accents. When you sing high, are you

which so far, we have not figured out how to do. Serial

going to scream? There are so many different styles, and

killers roam in the shadows easily, and it’s been that way

within that there’s subtle tuning. On top of that, there’s the

forever.

tone, there’s volume, which will control how the energy of the song is going to be transferred. The most important

We’re about to run out of time, but I wanted to ask a

thing is that you don’t over produce. I think when they

couple quick questions before you go. Favourite album

recorded ‘Billie Jean’ they did one hundred vocal takes

of this year so far?

and ended up using the first one. It’s always the first or the The Beak> record is really good. Quite an enjoyable listen

last that’s the best. The end.

all the way through.

Is that theory applicable to how you record in the studio generally? Do you tend to get your vocals down

Favourite current British artist?

on the first take or do you agonise over them a bit more?

I just heard black midi broke up right, and that Fat White Family might be following suit. Do the two semi-fallen bands count as one?

That’s the thing. It just depends. Some things happen really fast, and some things you labour over.

Lastly, do you feel more freedom to make more daring music with The Voidz than you did with the Strokes?

Was it a deliberate move to obscure your vocals and lyrical narrative using auto-tune effects?

Not really, but I couldn’t really do it with The Strokes. I No, it was more about decorating. You know, the character

could probably strong-arm it, but I just don’t think there’s

in your play is delivering a speech. Is he on a podium, is

the same environment with The Strokes. In The Voidz,

he wearing a black robe? Is he dressed like a clown? Does

everyone is a very respectful craftsman - it all evolves

he speak acoustically or through a megaphone? These are

organically. I’m going with the flow of both bands, and

all just creative options which are borderline limitless.

don’t want to fight against the stream, so to speak.

That’s what art is. You’re putting everything through your filter to deliver your message in the most effective way possible. You want to make it inspiring to your fellow men. Or whatever your goal is. Get rich?

13

The Voidz

We caught up with the exciting designer to talk nostalgia, New Order and The North.

How would you describe yourself and your practice?

My work is a way for me to communicate themes that were present in my childhood, growing up in an anonymous northern village. It’s a love letter to a village life ideal, hopefully sitting somewhere between traditional folk costume and customs, and the contemporary customs that happen every day in the village.

I’m always trying to be honest with what I produce. It comes from something I’ve lived or a reference I feel I can align myself with. I’m sure it sounds obvious but there’s a lot of things out there that lack sincerity or any kind of integrity.

Hailing from Lymm, a village just outside Manchester, self-taught designer Sam Nowell is navigating the fashion

Who do you have in mind when designing? Do you feel

world with homegrown, autobiographical honesty.

like you have a certain kind of customer?

First known for his tongue-in-cheek repurposing of mundane items into clothing pieces, often working with

I don’t necessarily have anybody in mind but myself when

salvaged fabrics and referencing themes that defined his

I design. It’s all very personal, autobiographical. I’m very

upbringing in the northern English village. Nowell has

grateful that it’s been able to resonate with as many people

now collaborated with the likes of Wimbledon, TATE

as it has. I’d like to think the people who buy and support

and Depop. All alongside launching several collections

my work can relate to the themes and the graphics. It’s all

including most recently, ‘FETE’, a love letter to village

very nostalgic and there’s references from a wide range

life.

of sources, from bits of popular culture to obscure rural motifs.

Originally studying Architecture at the University of Liverpool, Sam grew weary of the unrewarding process

Do you remember when you were first exposed to Art

and looked elsewhere, “I don’t have any formal education

or Music, in a meaningful way that resonated with

in Fashion, having taught myself how to sew on a friend’s

you?

sewing machine when I was in my first year at Liverpool.

I was bored of drawing buildings that were never going

I can remember being sat in the back of my dad’s car and

to be built and needed something more gratifying. I ended

being mesmerized by his New Order CD’s. I used to get

up using this sketchbook we were given to draw clothes

really bad motion sickness and remember just tracing the

whilst in lectures and on the bus back to my halls. I’d go

outline of the blue splodge of New Order’s ‘Best Of’ CD,

into charity shops or on eBay and find the most fabric I

I can still trace it now if I close my eyes. I think being

could for the cheapest price and then take it home and

that young and connecting these artworks to the sounds

start cutting it up. That’s how it all started really. Then I

that were coming out of the car stereo really influenced

wanted to be taken more seriously as a designer so started

me, later being obsessed with everything Peter Saville and

working within collections instead of one-off reworked

Factory Records, to the point of having the logo tattooed

bits. Here we are now.”

on me.

15

Words by Josh Whettingsteel

You’ve worked with Wimbledon twice now, are there

Words, phrases and sayings always find their way into

any other brands in particular you’d like to collaborate

my work and I think work really well thematically in

with or design for in the future?

my practice of attempting to comment on northern or British rural life. Growing up listening to the likes of

Working with Wimbledon was really special. I’d love

Kate Bush and Morrissey who are masters of using

to do stuff with Umbro, I always have done. Barbour &

music as a medium for storytelling, I was obsessed with

Baracuta too. I’d love to do something with Cath Kidson,

that, fascinated by that. I loved the idea of pulling from

which probably sounds a bit bonkers, but come on.

different mediums and working them into your own thing.

Thinking about it now, it’s really the basis for my own

How do you want people to feel when they are exposed

work.

to your work?

What’s been the main challenges of starting your own I want it to evoke northern English youth culture while

brand?

neither romanticising it nor sneering at it. That’s as The main challenge was that first step. I always tell people

concise as I can get that answer I think.

that. The first time you have to show your ideas to your Does music influence your work in any way? If so,

friends, then the internet. Its fucking daunting, it’s a very

how?

vulnerable thing to do. The references are obvious and the quality of what you’re putting out isn’t where you want

Oh massively. Lyrics will run round my head or be

it to be. But it’s so important to keep at it. I had really

scribbled into my sketchbook. Sometimes they’ll be

talented friends who were photographers and filmmakers

written onto shirts or serve as a basis for something I’m

and artists who could never make that first step, and never

making, or be the soundtrack to a show or a campaign.

went on to be what they wanted.

17

samnowell.com

That’s the single biggest challenge for anyone I think, the recognition and the money and the support will always come, but in that moment right at the start, you’re all by yourself.

How has growing up in and around Manchester influenced you and your work?

I think it’s a feeling of determination and drive that’s maybe not necessarily particular to Manchester, but more The North in general, and those frustrations from being in those anonymous surrounding areas that’s really spurred me on. It’s a constant chanting of the words “nothing will happen until you make it happen” that has always been there for me, and I think is a familiar feeling for Northern creatives, where the spotlight isn’t as bright as it is for those from London. I say that with no resentment, and reading it back I’m sure it looks that way, but please don’t mistake it for that.

How do you feel about the brothers reuniting? Get tickets?

Hahahaha I didn’t!. It’ll be a wild experience for anybody going, not sure it’ll be Knebworth, or maybe it will.

Always love that quote from Liam about only playing two gigs at Knebworth saying how stupid it was, and that they should still be playing it now.

Who’s your favourite new band?

Splint. 100%. Manchester band with a really industrial sound that I can’t quite describe. There’s this real feeling of frustration from them, something I always love from a band’s sound.

What are you currently working on? And what can we expect to see from you in the near future?

I’m working on a couple of bits and bobs to close the year out. Nothing too nuts. Next year we’re working towards another show, there’s a few ideas bouncing around the studio - mainly screenshots from This Country.

@samnowellstudios

18

Within days of announcing the split of black midi,

Have you seen any good films so far this year, Geordie?

Geordie Greep spread news of a debut solo album, ‘The New Sound’. Whilst many fans took to X and Reddit to

I enjoyed the two Yorgos Lanthimos films [Poor Things,

console each other in a time of sonorous grief, Greep was

Kinds of Kindness], partially because my friend Jerskin

preparing an antidote for his fans’ suffering in the form of

Fendrix scored them. Did you hear about how that

his debut single ‘Holy, Holy’.

happened? Yorgos Lanthimos just emailed him saying that he was a fan and asked whether he would be interested

“It’s had the warmest reception yet”, he tells me

in scoring his film. He thought it was a joke, so he

before expressing his frustration at his previous bands’

investigated further, and it turned out to be the real deal.

divisiveness (as you’ll read later). For a musician who can

It’s pretty nuts, considering Jerskin only had one album

produce such a beguiling alchemy of different styles and

out which was rated, but didn’t do much. It’s easy to put

genres, Greep needed to move away from the constraints

an album out nowadays which goes into the ether.

which a rock band contains in its structure. It made perfect sense on this album, therefore, to travel to Brazil in search

Do you think that’s particularly pertinent today, or has

of numerous musicians each with their own distinctive

it always been the case?

flare and instrumental mastery. Indeed, this crosscontinental, big-band concept demonstrated on ‘The New

To get to number one in the 70s, you had to sell like a

Sound’ is set to shatter the walls of those small venues in

million records. Now, you have to sell maybe ten thousand

South London which Geordie grew up playing.

physical copies. So, the scale has massively shifted. If you put something out in the 70s and it bombed, it still

Whilst ‘The New Sound’ has no ear shattering feedback

sold maybe forty thousand copies. The top guys today

or the industrial, frenetic clang associated with a black

are living off what unsuccessful artists lived off then. It’s

midi album, it sounds fuller, or more sublime; written

practically impossible to make money in music these days.

for theatre halls brimming with the hustle and bustle of a

Either you fluke it, or you just accept that it isn’t going

cosmopolitan city; able to wedge itself into all the tight,

to be your primary source of income. Back then the small

under-the-table spaces where legs shake, and frivolous

guys could scramble together a living but now you can’t.

hands wander. “I want you to put your hand on my knee/

That’s why I like Jerskin’s story with Yorgos Lanthimos,

Will that be alright?”, Geordie narrates in ‘Holy, Holy’. It

there’s still hope.

really is hilariously revolting stuff.

It’s a bleak landscape for sure. Have you ever been Grinning as I remove my headphones and raise my

approached or praised by someone surprising that you

eyes from the pavement to Geordie’s front door in

admire, like Jerskin Fendrix?

North London, I ‘KNOCK LOUD’, as instructed by a handwritten note. Geordie greets me with an unexpectedly

Not in any crazy way to be honest. There have been

shy yet welcoming hello and offers me a cup of coffee

people who I think are great who turn out to be fans, like

before inviting me into his living room. Upon crossing the

Steve Albini. He wrote numerous times online that he was

threshold, I’m met with a plethora of LPs (filed by genre

really into black midi. We ended up recording with him,

rather than a-z), and DVDs stacked like a teetering Jenga

which was surreal. It never became a normal thing, and

tower dangerously close to its tipping point. Then, my first

even afterwards it was bizarre.

attempt at polite conversation…

19

Words by Leo Lawton, illustration by Lacortei

Steve Albini saw himself more as a technician, the

That sounds very much like Dan Carey’s praxis. Is that

person who made sure everything was plugged in, and

what attracted you to him when looking for someone to

set up correctly. Not your typical creative director,

produce your debut album with black midi?

Rick Rubin style producer, right?

Definitely. I remember Dan saying that no one would care There was no bullshit, he was exactly how he came across

whether the hi-hat was too loud, or too quiet. He said that

in interviews. He is someone who I listened to loads

the specific levels of each instrument in a track

growing up, so I was a bit nervous meeting him. After our

weren’t what made it a good song or

first take I asked him what he thought, and he responded

not. I really agree with that

with “I didn’t notice any technical imperfections.” That

point of view. People

was his line. He didn’t give an opinion about anything. In

often over-mix

the control room he would only listen to the drum track

songs to the extent

and one other track just to check that everything was

where they no

working. He didn’t have any interest in the song, but I

longer sound

think he liked it! He was a once in a generation kind of

like songs. It

guy.

may sound like a well

I read that he never took royalty credits either, only

put together

ever accepting flat fees?

thing, but not a song.

He didn’t take shit. He could have charged a lot more. I

Working

think his daily rate was $800, which is a fair whack of

with Dan

money but considering the number of great records he’d

was a great

worked on, it’s fucking nothing. One thing he told me

experience and

which I’ll always remember was that if a record is taking

he’s a nice guy,

longer than two weeks to complete, something has gone

but I haven’t

wrong.

worked with him since. I wonder

You recorded your new album ‘The New Sound’ with so

what it’d be like, I

many people that it might appear from the outside that

don’t know.

it could’ve taken more than two weeks to get down.

Yeah, fair enough. From the first to the last song recorded, it was about nine months. But the difference was, we did it in chunks. Between each stint at the studio, [Producer] Seth ‘Shank’ Evans and I would record overdubs at one of our houses. The actual recording sessions only took about nine days in total. That was necessary because we

How do you feel about your debut,

had touring commitments with black midi. Also, I had to

‘Schlagenheim’, in retrospect?

find all these musicians. With my future albums, I want to make it as small as possible, even to the extent where I’ll

I think it’s good. People still like it. I think it still sounds

mix it the day after I record. The Jazz label ECM records

unique for the time. Back then, there were a lot of bands

had a great philosophy whereby the record label owner

doing this whole South London thing, trying to sound

produced every album. They would record an album one

like The Fall or whatever, and I think that album sounds

day and mix it the next.

separate to all of that. A lot of people thought it was crap, and a lot of people liked it, but at least it had its own little thing going on. It’s still doing ok.

21

Your forthcoming solo album will be your fourth studio

This record sonically references several different

album. Each one of your albums are very distinctive

styles of music, from Latin to Samba, Prog to Psych.

from the last. With that in mind, how do you feel about

There are clear nods to Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, and

those first wave fans who’ve stuck around over the last

Associates. Tell me about how it was written?

seven years.

Every song I write starts as a pastiche of another song, Yeah, it’s cool! It’s good that they got into the

or a style. With black midi, we always made a conscious

first one, despite it being rough round the

effort to blur the lines of that, to rough it up and make

edges, a bit all over the place.

it crazier. What ended up happening, or what I thought

Importantly though, it

anyway, was that all our songs started to sound the same.

set the tone. For

It didn’t matter whether we started with a Tango pastiche

my money, this

or a Waltz pastiche, they would all sound like this blurry

latest track

mish-mash messy thing. With this album, I knew that the

which I just

humour of the songs would make more sense if the music

put out, ‘Holy

was stricter. I was confident that my vocals were what

Holy’, has had

would make the album sound original.

the warmest reception yet.

Is humour the main objective of the album? I laughed out loud multiple times listening to it.

Yeah, and even with black midi I was always trying to make it funny. It wasn’t quite being taken that way, and a lot of people were even saying that it took itself too seriously. I would say well it’s meant to be funny, and clearly, they just don’t get it. In actuality, if people thought it took itself too seriously then it was probably a fault in the music; we weren’t making the humour clear enough. With this album, I wanted to make the intention as clear as possible. Humour in conjunction with some form of drama, or emotional response. Those two

My fear surrounds this notion that

elements work well together. That’s the essence of ‘The New Sound’.

someone could be more of a fan of a band than a

Often people try to dissect your lyrics or attempt

fan of the music, right. I’ve

to access some form of semantic link between

never understood that, when people get so obsessed with one

each line/verse. Are you someone who listens out for words in music?

thing that they can’t open their ears to other forms of music. That feels like anti-music to me.

I never listen to lyrics; I find it exhausting. Some people say that they can’t listen to a song unless they like the lyrics. I find that strange. For a lot of the songs on this album, I came up with the lyrics on the day. Not for every song though. Lyrics can make music better, but for me it’s about the music.

The songs paint very detailed pictures of these sordid

Does it stroke your ego when people react to your

characters who have promiscuous, fervent desires.

music in such a positive way like that?

They seem like stories which you must have come up with beforehand.

It’s one of them things. It wasn’t always like that. There was a point when black midi was a very divisive band.

Yeah, I knew what the punchline of each song was going

There was a period when everyone was like “these guys

to be, and then it was about working back from there. I

suck, these guys are shit, this is terrible”. What happened

never have anything fully mapped out, but it’s just about

quite a lot was that people would say “ah, the drummer is

putting together different verses and bridges which I have.

good, but the rest of them are crap. The singer is terrible,

With ‘Holy Holy’, I came up with the entire song whilst

what’s he doing.” We just trusted that what we were doing

watching La Dolce Vita in the cinema. Within ten minutes

was cool and kept going. Almost every magazine gave our

I had the riff in my head, and then halfway through the

debut a lukewarm reaction and criticised it for trying to

film all these children are having religious apparitions

be too clever, but said it was basically crap. Then, when

whilst chanting “holy, holy”, and I knew that was the

the third album came out, they all said it was good, but

hook.

clearly not as good as the first album, which was a modern classic. It was like what the hell!

None of the riffs on this album are challenging, everything is silky smooth and satisfying, quite unlike

It can’t have been easy to be in the firing line of the

your previous music with black midi.

press.

That’s the thing, keep it simple. That way, if you do

Everyone took it differently. We got into this straight

choose to do something crazy, it sounds way better. There

from school. I’m blindly optimistic, and I think maybe

is only one technically challenging part on the album

some of the others were a bit caught off guard when it

which is at the end of the instrumental title track ‘The

all started to happen. It was strange, but if you’re doing

New Sound’. In black midi we’d just do that all the time. I

music, that’s what you want to happen. I find it odd when

noticed this thing happening where the ‘muso’ guys would

people get funny about their fans or people coming to

pick apart a black midi song and discover that it wasn’t

your shows. It’s what you sign up for, you know. If you

that technical, and they were right, it wasn’t. But then

want to get a job, get a job. Some people complain about

the people who just wanted to listen to something nice

fan behaviour, I know I’ve done it. Ultimately though you

dismissed it and just thought it was way over their heads.

can’t complain, people are paying to see you play.

In the end no one was getting that much out of it.

When you went to music school, did you know how Did you watch Justin Hawkins from The Darkness’

tough it was going to be to make a career out of playing

video reacting to ‘Welcome To Hell’? He picked out all

music?

your riffs which was amazing to watch.

I didn’t know what I was going to end up doing really. I I loved that video, and he came across a great guy. I like

knew I wanted to make my own music; I had this drive.

The Darkness because their tunes are well put together,

It’s not that you want to make it work, it’s that you

and he’s a great singer. It’s not trying to be trendy, just

must make it work. It’s not even a question. Of course,

doing its own thing. All that Thin Lizzy stuff going on

there’s a lot of luck involved, and mostly a fair amount

with the guitars. Nothing wrong with that! That video was

of meeting the right people, but it’s healthy if you’re a

great though, he was right on the money.

young musician to have the attitude of keep going, keep practising. They say it’s a gamble, but so is everything.

23

Geordie Greep

Set up by Tyler Bainbridge, Alex Cushing and Serey

Now with their own site and community building app

Morm just over four years ago, the Perfectly Imperfect

in tandem, Perfectly Imperfect has been branded as a

newsletter initially engaged friends and rising creatives

rebellion against the algorithm, and whilst that may be

(ranging from musicians, actors, comedians, writers,

true, our take is that Perfectly Imperfect is the culture

podcasters and beyond) under the mantra of ‘cool people

fanzine for the digital age, placing curation and fanship at

like cool things’, and interviewed them for their life

the heart of every post. You may have come for charli xcx

recommendations.

or Kylie, but you’ve left with Chanel Beads, Been Stellar and MJ Lenderman.

With guests to date- there have been hundreds- including the likes of charli xcx, bar italia, The Dare, Anthony

Social media and its algorithms have strangled the impact,

Fantano, Mac De Marco, Lizzy Goodman, Model/Actriz,

readership and purpose of medium sized websites (not

Frost Children, Narduwar, Fcukers, Margeaux Labat

least, in music journalism), and in response, Perfectly

and Kylie Minogue, Perfectly Imperfect’s taste travels

Imperfect has committed to curation and trusted their

the breadth of alternative pop culture, but without the

guests to deliver the goods via a platform which is

predictability that can come hand-in-hand with campaign

genuinely worth visiting daily.

focused press articles. With Perfectly Imperfect, you’ll receive a succinct snapshot into someone’s world via

It’s been four years since you started Perfectly

recommendations that span products, music, movies,

Imperfect. Would you mind talking us through the

activities, foods, bars, fashion brands and lifestyle habits.

beginnings of it all?

What could have been an easily accessible, instantly

Yeah. So we started the newsletter four years ago. I was

gratified, buzzy instagram account with swipeable

still living in Boston, Massachusetts, and I was still

short-form insights into (now) celebrity lives, Perfectly

working as a software engineer. I had just gotten a job at

Imperfect opted for Substack, the mailer-come-blog

Facebook, which, you know, felt important for my career

platform which directed their impressively well curated

or whatever. But immediately, when I started working

recommendations directly to your inbox.

there, I was like, this sucks, it’s draining me. I need to do something that keeps me engaged and interested and, you know, something I can be passionate about.

25

Words by Sam Ford

We got involved in the music scene in New York,

There’s people that have started newsletters or like other

which was 2022, I met this guy, Blaketheman1000. He

similar recommendation style platforms that are way

introduced me to all these people, Frost Children and The

more successful on Instagram because you can just swipe

Dare and really let me see that there was like a music

through all the content, you don’t have to go to some

scene forming in New York. I met Harrison (The Dare)

website. Generally those are pretty short and I’m not a

like months and months before ‘Girls’ came out and

big fan of lists with no context. I don’t care that you like

he texted me a ‘Girls’ mp3 file at a bar, just like “hey

a movie. I care about why you like the movie. I think that

you gotta check out this like funny song I made”. And I

colour is really important.

thought it was really cool that people were sharing mp3sit didn’t seem like that was happening that much anymore

With everything so accessible now, and with our

and I was like, shit, this song rules. I was seeing Frost

awareness and scepticism of influencer culture at an all

Children play live and seeing a lot of these bands play

time high, is genuine curation and tastemaking more

live. And I realised that there was something happening.

important and heavily desired than ever?

In 2023, I got laid off from Facebook, which was a

I think in some ways platforms like TikTok have allowed

blessing in disguise because I used that severance money

for personal expression in a way that it’s never been seen

from the layoff to start to build this whole app myself. I

before where you now have like all these TikTokers who

got sick of tastemaker culture and all that kind of stuff, so

are like, here are the five songs that I listened to in the

I wanted to just build a platform where people can share

last week. And that is, it is personal curation, but it’s very

their own music taste. Everyone has their own little taste

easy to end up in a certain algorithm that only shows you

bubbles so I wanted to make a place where people could

a couple people that curate music. So even though it’s

connect with each other over mutual interests.

coming from an individual standpoint, you’re still seeing the same viewpoints because you’ve fallen into some

Perfectly Imperfect now serves as an essential

algorithm that decided you like Dean Blunt or whatever.

curatorial voice, opting for long term, consistent trust

And now you’re only getting people that are similar to

over the short term heat from one off critical takes.

that, which is great if you only like to listen to one kind

Was your intention to always create a platform that sits

of music, but with personal curation, in the way that we

between press and community, and why Substack over

do it, I like to think that you’re getting really spontaneous

the quick and easily consumable wins of social media?

moments to discover things that aren’t so driven by your own personal algorithm, you’re seeing people are really

The goal was to share, shed the light on an individual

dynamic and have lots of different interests.

through what they like. Because in 2020, I was starting to feel like everyone was talking about the same things

The most special thing about Perfectly Imperfect for

and everyone had the same algorithms and everyone

me is that trust in taste, which is ultimately just faith

was engaging with the same musicians. I wanted a more

in yourself. I know it’s different now, but the wheels

organic way to get like a glimpse at what someone likes,

started turning off the back of just championing things

and learn about different films or music or even just how

you liked right?

they like to go through life just through the format of recommendations. But I wanted to try to approach it in a

It’s kind of like a meta recommendation in itself that

way that was a little bit more expressive of a person rather

we’re saying like, we think you should care about this

than just like you should buy these shoes or you should

person. And I guess that kind of started from feeling like

watch this Hulu series. We have recommendations that

people that I thought deserved coverage or were doing

are like, you know, going for a walk after you eat or you

something interesting weren’t getting the right kind of

know, calling your mom or something. You learn about the

love. whether it’s just on social media or from traditional

person.

music journalism.

Perfectly Imperfect

26

I think it’s increasingly difficult to balance growing

Do you think there’s an unfair expectation on artists to

something. Like, we got a comment the other day that was

be complete or wholly original right away?

someone talking about how they missed when we did more people they didn’t know. And I think it’s really important

I think so. I think it almost feels like the more adventurous

to try to keep that in check as we try to grow things and

you try to appear with your sound, the more prone to

we’re getting people like Clairo and, uh, Alexa Chung. A

those kinds of accusations you become. Like all the singer

big part of our role is to still tell you about people that you

songwriter style music, like no one’s really going to give

might not know about already.

you shit because you sound kind of like Joni Mitchell or something. Like I think people can get off the hook

Is there also a side to you that’s also just ambitious for

depending on genre, but if you are trying to advance a

it to be huge?

genre or reinvent something, I think that’s when those kind of accusations start rolling in that you’re ripping off

Yeah, I mean, I never thought I would have had someone

this niche artist.

like charli xcx on Perfectly Imperfect. I was a huge fan for most of my adult life. I didn’t know that that was going

You know, at the dawn of post-punk or whatever, people

to happen, but I was always pursuing that knowing that it

probably heard bands like Joy Division or something and

could happen. I think people start projects and they’re not

then they did rip them off, but I guess the internet wasn’t

ambitious enough and will often give up before you can

a thing back then. So when they were finding out about

actually get it to the point where it can grow.

these newer bands, like they were less famous, and they felt like they were a part of something and contributing to

*we venture into a conversation about a guest that

something that was happening live. The internet kind of

cannot be mentioned yet and land on the topic of

flattens everything and makes everything seem accessible

people calling out imitation and how evolution of

to everyone, so people don’t feel like they’re discovering

what’s come before is called out unfairly in pop music

something niche anymore. Like it’s already there for

and with the unmentioned artist in particular…*

everyone. If it does feel like yours, it doesn’t feel like yours for very long.

…you’re seeing that same stuff with Harrison (The Dare) and LCD soundsystem and all those. I really think people are just incapable of recognizing genre and evolution. Like people can bring their own special sauce to something and it makes it just as exciting and interesting. Every time I hear someone groan about how much The Dare sounds like LCD Soundsystem it just hurts me inside.

I’m like, You wouldn’t be saying Fontaines D.C. sounds like Joy Division or something, you know, like somehow it’s okay in guitar music but any other genre seems to be like ‘no, that’s that artists thing’. Rather than everyone’s making music, everyone’s inspired by people and are evolving sounds in different ways. Like the whole Indie Sleeze revival thing, I feel that has been such a missed opportunity. I feel like a lot of the music, like The Hellp or something, I feel like they’re doing something new, but it’s being packaged in a way that makes it feel like nostalgia bait.

27

Perfectly Imperfect

From the gritty, sweaty confines of Melbourne’s dive bars

Before then, however, So Young had the opportunity to

to sharing stadium stages across the globe with some of

talk with the band via video call and delve deeper into

the biggest names in music, Amyl and The Sniffers have

their creative process, the inspiration behind the album,

undeniably carved a unique path in the music industry.

and the incredible journey that has brought them to this

Their rise to prominence from Bandcamp obscurity is a

point.

testament to how the former housemates have been able to capture their infectious energy and utilise their raw talent

You’ve been touring extensively over the last year,

and passion through unwavering dedication to their craft.

playing to bigger and bigger crowds and alongside

Now, with their third album, ‘Cartoon Darkness’, the band

some of the biggest names such as Foo Fighters and

has reached a new pinnacle of their artistic evolution.

The Smashing Pumpkins. The recording process itself,

Recorded in Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in L.A., the album

taking place in L.A., sounded like a bit of a rock ‘n’ roll

digs deeper than might otherwise have been expected

daydream. Despite all the excitement, the album still

to reveal the yearnings and frustrations that only these

feels firmly grounded and relatable. What’s the key to

uniquely modern times are capable of igniting. As such,

maintaining your balance between the thrilling and the

the band can be heard to venture into more introspective

playful whilst also exploring some bigger philosophical

lyrical territory, exploring profound philosophical themes

and personal themes?

and personal narratives amidst the confusion of a political landscape that seems to be falling headfirst into the abyss.

Amy Taylor: I feel like staying grounded is not something any of us are consciously doing. I think we’re all kind of

In between their relentless touring schedule, the group

like “it is what it is,” and it’s special, but lots of people

found moments of respite to gather and write new material

have this life. We’re not up in the clouds with it, I guess.

that would eventually shape their latest release. Beyond

We’re excited, but we’re not delusional… I wish I was

their fast and furious riff-centric sound, the album also

more delusional, but I’m stuck in reality.

sees the four piece embrace a broader sonic palette to accommodate the more melancholic moments on the

How did the writing of the album come about? Was it

record. The album’s debut single, ‘U Should Not Be

mostly written on the road or did it take place in the

Doing That,’ showcases lead vocalist and lovable live wire

studio?

Amy Taylor’s defiant attitude towards critics, while the subsequent release, ‘Chewing Gum,’ hints at the album’s

Bryce Wilson: Maybe it was nine months or something

more contemplative themes.

of last year. We had a big window where we were all together in Melbourne and had access to a studio that our

To celebrate the launch of the album, they get ready to

manager built. So in between every tour we would cram in

embark on yet another highly anticipated string of tour

as much time as we could get in the studio doing real kind

dates in the UK, Ireland, and Europe.

of crappy, scratchy demos and trying to get as much audio as we could.

Words by Ed Sargent, illustration by Zoé Maghamès Peters

30

We wanted to be as prepared as possible for when we

Gus Romer: I mean, personally, just fucking both. I’ve

could get into the actual studio in L.A., so it was a lot of

never really thought about it like that, but give me both,

mucking about in these tiny little windows that we had in

okay, I don’t know fucking to really pinpoint one or the

between tours overseas.

other.

Amy, you’ve been quoted saying that “everything is

Declan Martens: I think for me, I like thinking a lot, you

such hard work. Everything is heartbreaking, but

know? So if someone offers me a question that allows

everything is beautiful.” Would you say this has been

me to continue that thought or continue thinking, then I

your way of looking at the world for a long time?

really appreciate that. Then asking my own questions, you know?

A: For me, I feel like during this whole album process there’s been so much in the world going on. Between

B: Yeah, I feel similar. I also think no one’s asking the

the elections in America and the fucking genocide in

right questions often, though, and there are people putting

Palestine, and a lot of right wing governments getting in

it right in front of you and shoving it down your throat to

coupled with potential climate change and the confusion

an extent. So, yeah, it’s kind of a balance.

of AI, yeah, I feel like it’s really heartbreaking. But it’s heartbreaking because it’s beautiful. It’s because we like

A: I think it’s funny that a journalist asked that question

what is good about the world; it’s heartbreaking when

because that’s such a journalist way of thinking, but I kind

bad things happen. I feel like everything’s just an uphill

of agree with what the boys are saying. A lot of people in

slog in a lot of ways. I think everything’s super fun, but

music are rebellious by nature. If they’re told too much

there’s not much that’s light-hearted, so I guess it’s kind

what to do, then they might rebel against something that

of touching on that.

they actually never intended to, but it’s just because of their own, um, problems. They’ll choose to rebel against

Would you say the album is more optimistic or

the action. I do love when people speak in binaries, even

pessimistic?

if those binaries are just an assault of their ideas, because it’s super clear cut. I feel like we’re kind of more vague.

A: I think optimism without pessimism is stupidity, so I

I really like stuff that’s more subtle and satirical and

feel it’s optimism, while also being aware of realism. I

less directional because it gives you more space to think

guess because I feel like optimism without depth… It’s

about it, rather than being spoon-fed. Sometimes the

just airheadedness. It’s positive, it’s optimistic, in spite

audience is spoon-fed and so you kind of lose the ability

of it all, or maybe because of it all, because what else is

to critically think, and you need to be. I’m kind of talking

there, you know? There’s a strength in optimism.

about politics, I guess. But if you can’t even critically think in amongst your own… we’re left leaning, so among

When it comes to music (or any art, for that matter)

some left leaning people, you should be able to critically

do you prefer works that persuade others of a strong

analyse a song and take your own from that.

opinion or those which encourage deeper thinking through posing questions?

31

Amyl and The Sniffers

But in saying that, I do love a lot of bands who are just

The softer songs take a little bit more time to figure out

kind of like “fuck this…” I’m like, “yeah, fuck that!” I

how they’re going to be performed as a band. So now,

like Cardi B, you know, “I got a wet ass pussy.” I’m like

with this album, we were able to write more in the studio

“fuck yeah!”

where we could develop songs across multiple demo stages. In the studio, we were able to work on those softer

You’ve mentioned the fact that people are spoon-fed

songs a bit better.

information. In the age of the internet, people are just constantly bombarded with opinions that are not their

B: I feel like one of the biggest influences was not

own; it’s people just shouting stuff at you…

necessarily a band or a musician or anything, but access to some really quality gear in the studio. Maybe just

A: It’s interesting because I feel like social media is

what we’ve absorbed from being on tour as well. For

the halfway point between the computer world and the

me personally, there wasn’t any one band or anything

human world; the computer world speaks in binaries

specifically that led us anywhere, but we did have the

only, ones and zeros. It’s interesting that the way that

mindset of leaning into stuff that we haven’t really

humans interact with the internet is trying to be as binary

unlocked entirely yet.

as possible, like something’s good or something’s bad, or something’s popular or something’s unpopular. I think It’s

It’s been suggested that the album is one in which

kind of funny. It’s almost like we’re trying to speak the

you “wrangle with ideas.” To me, however, the

computer language without even thinking about it.

album doesn’t sound like someone working through something. It sounds more decided; an expression of

Sound wise, there’s a lot of diversity on this album.

the way in which you are approaching these issues; a

There’s the stuff that’s hard like ‘It’s Mine’, but there

demonstration more than an exploration.

are some really tender ones as well, such as ‘Bailing On Me’, a beautiful song that sounds like it almost belongs

A: I agree. I don’t think I’m necessarily working through

on a Clash album. There’s some acoustic guitars.

stuff. It’s more like the final decision. It’s like I’ve worked

There’s the song ‘Big Dreams’ which includes some

through it and this is what I’m telling I’m going to do

nice piano accents at the end as well. Were there any

about it. Even with ‘Doing In Me Head’, It’s like I’ve

influences around you that brought on this dynamic

already decided that I’m sick of ignoring the fantasy, like

diversity? Or was it a case of the lyrics themselves

I’ve already decided everything, which is kind of funny

pointing you towards this musical accompaniment?

because I actually don’t feel very decided in a lot of ways.

I feel like making a decision is my way of dealing with

D: With the sort of softer songs like ‘Bailing On Me’ and

stuff, because you can “um” and “ah” about a million

‘Big Dreams’, they’ve always been within us, like when

things, or you can just do it. I’m a doer rather than a

we did ‘Caltex Cowgirl’ and ‘Knifey’, but I think in the

feeler, so it kind of makes sense.

past we’ve been very live performance-centric with our writing; we try to write for “how’s this going to go on the set?” sort of thing.

@zzoemape

32

What are you most proud of about the album?

We ended up in bloody Dave Grohl’s studio being recorded by a producer on a Neve desk that recorded

G: I’m proud that it’s fucking over and we managed to do

bloody Nirvana and Fleetwood Mac and stuff. When I

it. We all banded together. We did it. We didn’t fucking

think about that, I’m like “oh shit.” I’m proud when I look

kill each other or anybody else.

at the massive picture, you know, zoomed out 1000 times kind of thing.

A: We don’t want to kill each other, you just want to kill us!

A: That’s a good point. It’s not the actual process, but just like the whole lineage. Getting there, because it’s like

G: More importantly, I didn’t kill a certain few other

little pieces that all add up and then, you know, get us to

people outside of the band. Everyone made it out alive,

where we are, sort of thing.

that’s what I’m most proud of.

The thing I like most about the album is that it Is it usually quite an intense experience when you’re

explores all these different things. It hits hard yet it’s

recording together?

tender in other places. But overall, I do think it is really defiant; it’s hopeful, it’s compassionate, and it’s sympathetic. Is that something that you hope listeners

A: Come on, Gus! Let it out, buddy!

will take away?

G: Let’s just say I fucking hate recording. I fucking hate it. I haven’t enjoyed any recording experience I’ve

A: Yeah, that’s exactly right. I also hope that they can

ever been in. It’s not my cup of tea. I tend to get pretty

have fun and be light-hearted as well, you know. That’s

aggressive and negative at times, and really sad as well.

not to say I want people to be ignorant. I guess what I was

You know, I’m a fucking big ol’ bowl of emotion. I’m a

saying before about optimism and pessimism; it’s not that

sensitive guy under this big, tough exterior.

I want people to ignore any activism that they might be able to help with, or stop trying to help people who need

D: Let’s look into that…

more than them. I just want people in general to have fun and be light-hearted, be silly, and remember to laugh.

A: Yeah, are we just gonna move on from that or what?

Every now and then not to take everything seriously, switch your brain off and just be a dumbass for a minute

[All laughing]

as well as think about stuff.

D: How do you follow that?!

B: Be a conscious dumbass.

[Declan rejoins]

[All laughing]

A couple of people have touched on how we’ve explored

Was that the alternative title for the album?

a softer element with some songs, and I guess I’ve always known that it was in us to do that. So I’m proud of that,

G: That’s what Bryce says when he looks in the mirror.

that we were able to… I don’t want to use the word experiment… It’s more like, I’m proud that we explored.

B: Jeezzzz

B: I feel similar to Declan in the fact that we’re not, you

G: Hey, we’re laughing, guys. We’ve just got to remember

know, a bloody one trick pony playing two chords for a

to laugh.

minute and a half every album kind of thing. But I think what I’m most proud of is the fact that we actually got there in the first place, you know?

33

Amyl and The Sniffers

While Blood Wizard might still be a new name to many,

It was like 2022. At the start of the summer I was like,

its figurehead Cai Burns is resembling something of

“Okay. I’ll book an album recording session at the end of

an old head these days. Spending the best part of 10

the summer and I’ll just write an album over summer.”

years working the indie-rock circuits, whether that be

Then months went by and I hadn’t written any songs yet.

from his teenage years in his native Nottingham with

I’d spent the money on these sessions - I could only afford

boisterous punk-rockers Kagoule, or more recently, with

three days. I wanted to have a real studio experience. So

the sweetened, spindly indie-folk of pencil, Cai is a man

I was panicking at that point, on GarageBand, demoing it

who, in his own words, is “addicted” to music and its

out. And we only did three or four practices because I was

making, with no means of slowing down. If anything, he’s

having to drive back to Nottingham to rehearse. Everyone

only grown stronger and more enlightened in the face of

was feeling the pressure. Literally the band practice before

an often fickle industry that’s already served him his fair

we went to record, I remember having my head in my

share of pit-falls and successes.

hands, on my knees, thinking, “what have I done?” Then we went to the studio and it came together really well

Musing together over a drink at The Ivy House in

when we were there! It felt like it could have been a bit of

Nunhead, tangential chats about Nicolas Cage, our

a tragedy.

respective home-plumbing woes - Mine, toilet; his, shower - and the hidden subtexts in Nightmare on Elm

What are you most proud about with how it turned

Street 2 eventually crystallise around Blood Wizard’s

out?

excellent new album ‘Grinning William’. In spite of the gruesome blood-stained grin it takes for its artwork, the

I’m mostly just proud of the sound quality we managed

record is an astonishingly succinct, sensitive and nuanced

to actually do! Before, I don’t think I’d ever had the

amalgam of shoegaze, alt-folk, grunge, post-punk and

experience of doing it - maybe this isn’t the right word

psychedelic pop; a comforting patchwork quilt of all the

- “legitly”. It’s always been sessions every now and

styles and tastes Cai has accumulated over an increasingly

then, a bit more DIY. This one is a weird mix of the

storied musical life.

two. The first half of it was as professional as I’ve ever experienced. The engineer of that studio - a guy called

Even though Blood Wizard is effectively your solo

Kristoff - has clearly not left that room for like 15 years!

project, the new album feels like a band put it together.

I’ve never seen someone edit drums on the fly, without

It sounds like a rock record!

looking at the screen, and his hands are like [taps table furiously with fingers]. But then I recorded the vocals in

It does, doesn’t it? I think the project’s been undefined in

the same room we were drying our clothes in, in a house

that sense. We’ve danced around a little bit, but definitely

share. I’m glad it all sounds relatively polished, even if

with this record we operated more as a band. I still sit

a lot of elements are pretty janky. I think once you’ve

there and write all the demos, that doesn’t really change.

a good drum sound, that’s the illusion of an expensive

But with this, we had such a short time to do it, so it had

album!

to just be way more open in the way it was recorded.

I think you have a weird relationship with anything that You only had three days in the studio right?

you make. There’s parts of it I was frustrated with for a while but I think I’m over it now. Now we’re playing it in rehearsal, it’s given me a new love for the whole thing and there isn’t anything I dislike about it.

Words by Elvie Thirlwell, illustration by Laura García Sánchez

36

What I enjoy most about the record is that it feels as

Since you’ve been a musician for this long, how would

if there’s always something new around the corner.

you reflect on where you are now?

There’s some heavier leaning stuff, the folkier songs, the psychedelic elements… I like how it’s able to

My relationship with it has been turbulent! When we first

transition through all of these styles while retaining a

started, I was pretty young. [Kagoule] started to gain

singular personality throughout.

traction while I was in college, and I didn’t go to Uni because of that. Looking back, it was all very fast. I don’t

One thing I was frustrated about was like “have I put

remember making decisions. There were a lot of decisions

too many ideas here? Why can’t you pick just one thing

made for me. At that point, my whole identity was like,

and just do that!” But then I thought about it, and that’s

“I’m just this musician”. And the times I struggled with it,

one thing I like to hear in other people’s music, to be

I very much attached my sense of happiness or self-worth

surprised. With this, and the future stuff, I’m embracing

to my perceived success of this project. It was exciting

what I liked the most as a teenager, leaning back into

at first. Then it got unhealthy. I started [Blood Wizard]

some heavier guitar music. For a while, because I was

with the idea that I wanted to have a bit of a different

doing Kagoule and Blood Wizard as a bit of an overlap, I

relationship with it, take it less seriously, and do things

was like, “oh that’s my heavy project, and this is my softer

in my own time. Obviously it’s evolved to the point now

project” Now Kagoule has kind of come to halt, I couldn’t

where I do have to take it a bit more seriously, but I think

actually help it. I tried to keep it folky, but I was there [in

I’m in much more of a level headed position to be doing

the studio], I had a Les Paul and a Marshall Amp and I

that.

was like “okay, this is getting heavy!”

Being a musician can really suck sometimes. It’s a hard I wanted to talk about the imagery of the album. The

thing to keep going. Every saving I funnel into this thing.

music videos for the ‘Imaginary House’ EP were way

It can sometimes be like “like what the hell am I doing?”

goofier, but there seems to be a darker horror influence

Then at the same time, there’s moments where it’s like

now. You’ve got this horrible/amazing cover of a

“Yeah. This is incredible.” I’m still addicted to doing that

bloody mouth. It feels like you’re actually living up to

I guess. I can’t seem to shake it.

the Blood Wizard name now.

What does success for Blood Wizard look like at the I think I’d agree. It’s always been fun/problematic being

moment?

called Blood Wizard, in the sense that the name’s this, and the music’s that. Before it was maybe a bit more goofy, a

Because we sat on the album for a year, it feels like a

bit more fantasy, where now, I’m trying to reel it in a bit.

success that it’s even out there! And even more of success

And it’s more my taste now. I love horror films. I love

is that people are responding really well. As far as goals

heavy music. It’s nice to explore that a bit more. Adrian,

go, I’ve got my tick list. A KEXP session! But if I don’t

our drummer has done every video. On ‘BIG FISH’, one

achieve them, then whatever, I’ve ticked quite a few of

of our friends Isaac, he made a documentary about moss in

them off already. With this record, I just want it to be

Scotland. I let him roll with it. Let’s get dark and mossy!

successful enough to do another one really. I’d love to go

We went to Tenerife to do one for ‘Grinning William’ as

play it in some other countries. I’d really like to play some

well. There’s a volcano there. It’s got this thing where the

festivals. I’ve not super crazy expectations for it…

landscape changes from woods, to sand, to black rock.

You can do a video that looks like you’ve been to all these

Just a KEXP session then.

different places, but you really travelled 10 minutes.

A KEXP would be real nice, thanks!

You’ve been making records for like 10 years now.

I only know you from Blood Wizard, I only realised yesterday you made your first album in 2015.

37

Blood Wizard

In 2019, after over a decade of campaigning, the name Pauline Forster hit the headlines after she won a landmark court case securing the future of the iconic East London music venue, The George Tavern.

These days Forster keeps a lower profile, ‘I’ve quietened down a lot,’ she says. Yet, as a landlady, Fine Artist, and full-time messiah of indie music, she achieves more in a day than I might in a month.

However, we found time to chat over several blisteringly

So, I left home at 16 and started a handmade leather goods

hot days in August, and on top of the agenda was her

business because I had lots of leather clothing left over

favourite spot to swim. A toss- up between the lesser

from the ‘60s when it was fashionable.

known and not entirely legal Shadwell Basin, or a casual dip in London Fields Lido.

I was making bags, belts, waistcoats, and purses. I would hitchhike up to The Kings Road and down to The Worlds

With the ‘swimming business’ over and done with Forster

End and sell them in this shop called Gandalf’s Garden. In

imparted the unrivaled anecdotes of a life lived to the

my mid-forties, I sold the business and paid my mortgage

fullest, both in and around East London’s best-loved music

off to finally become an art student. I did the Tate Modern

venue, The George Tavern.

when it opened and that introduced me to London.

At the age of 53 I sold the house and came here looking

Can you tell me a bit about The George prior to your

for somewhere that was non-domestic to live and work.

ownership?

I saw The George in an auction catalogue and I fell for it straight away.

Well, first off in the 1600s the pub was a coaching inn called The Half Way House, parts of that remain on the

Can you tell me more about your stint at The Tate

North side of the building and there’s an old vaulted

Modern?

tunnel beneath the pub which heads East.

As an art student in Gloucester, I saw a smashed mirror During that period, there was a famous seascape artist

in the street so I got my van and picked it up. Then I

who lived in Stepney. He was called Robert Dodd, and he

mirrored a dustbin because I was going through a lot of

painted his largest painting, ‘Glorious Battle of the 5th of

inner turmoil and it was a place I could put all my ‘head

June,’ for the dining room of The Halfway House. It’s now

rubbish’ in and reflect it. It was tongue-in-cheek.

in the Greenwich Museum.

Then I had the idea to mirror a car. So I went to the The previous owner was a footballer named Dennis

scrapyard and this guy found me a beaten-up Ford Capri.

Sorrell. Around that time, a friend of mine went in for a

I mirrored it and the number plate was ‘Dog On’ which

drink and said the Kray Twins were having their wake

reflected as ‘No God.’

there. It was a suited-and-booted affair, with black overcoats and polished shoes. That crowd all thought they

I intended to take it to London and unofficially tie it into

were gangsters, and every Sunday, there would be a big

something major. When I found out the Tate Modern was

singalong with this pianist called Joe the Fish.

opening it spurred me on, I knew I was going to do it there.

What led you to set down roots at The George?

When we got there security just waved us in on the Well, I lived in the Cotswolds, where I brought up my

ground. They saw me coming and thought it was all

five boys. When I left school, I had no qualifications. I

official - I was so lucky. I slept in the Capri for three

seriously wanted to go to art school, but they wanted me

nights facing the entrance of the Turbine Hall. Almost

to pass English, which I failed three times.

immediately the press came down and surrounded me, asking for interviews and taking pictures.

Words by Issy Wetter, painting by Jonathan Madden. Prints available from maddenlondon.com

42

People brought me food and money and even prayed for

We had some quite famous people coming down there.

me. It was quite extraordinary. In the middle of the night,

Pete Doherty was always there, John Cooper Clarke was

they would look in the car and say things like ‘I wonder

around, plus Tracey Emin and all that lot. I-D Magazine

what that plate means?’ - Meaning the one I had just eaten

did a whole issue at The George and Nick Knight shot it.

my food off.

We would put on themed nights. A Dada night based So how come no one removed you?

around the art movement and a ‘Moth Ball,’ when The George got riddled with moths and we all wore moth-eaten

At first, they wanted to avoid causing a fuss in front of the

clothes. Another time I brought my bed into the bar for

press. They even sent down a menu on the first night. But

a performance called ‘Dreaming For Change.’ So people

soon they started getting tetchy.

would come in and my bar staff would say ‘Pauline’s dreaming for change, you can join her.’

Eventually, security smashed the doors in and pulled me out. I had a pair of leggings on and a vest, no shoes, and

Sometimes it can feel like London has lost its

nothing in my hands, and they just dumped me in the

spontaneity.

street and left me there.

Then I saw the lorry take the car and it was off. They’d

It can. It’s a bit like when I dragged the plank, did I tell

taken my power away - For a minute.

you about dragging the plank?

Do you feel hopeful about the future of Independent

No!

Music Venues?

I did a performance called ‘Dragging the Plank’ for 12 I do, but the overheads are very expensive. You’re paying

hours starting from The George. I came up the escalator in

for sound engineers, equipment, security, licensing, and

Canary Wharf and they [The Police] came swooping down

insurance. Last year, our electricity cost 36k, and it went

on me saying ‘You’re not allowed to drag planks.’ It was

up from 12k in just one year. Insurance is also roughly

Christmas time and some people thought it was a reference

12k, and there’s only one company that will insure small

to Jesus or that I’d confused Christmas with Easter.

music venues because they’re so precarious. I’ve been A very polarising plank then.

going for 21 years, and it was easier in the old days.

For a few years, we had some amazing nights on the 1970s light-up dance floor that Duran Duran enjoyed a weekend jam on.

43

The George Tavern

Yeah. That stuff is really interesting to me, people’s

If you could take over the nightclub attached to The

reactions, seeing what’s acceptable and what’s not. It’s

George, what would your plans be for it?

also just a bit funny. So anyway I thought I’d give the Tate Modern another go and I went down into the turbine

I want to restore it. It would be wonderful to get it going.

hall with my plank and suddenly it was like ‘You’re not

A jewel in the crown of East London.

allowed to do that.’

Do you miss it, living at The George?

Bet you got deja vu.

I do miss it. But when I go there it’s like going home.

Yes. I got chucked out of the Tate Modern (Again) then I took my plank on the number 15 and went back to The George. I always feel a great sense of achievement when I do something like that. I think to myself that I’ve still got 2 legs and 2 arms and I still like to do things and I don’t know what I’ll do next.

How can we continue to support grassroots venues?

By going. Support all the bands - Nobody wants to go to a gig where there are half a dozen people. The more the merrier, if you get a big crowd the atmosphere is great and everybody has an amazing time. Keep coming, buy a drink or a pizza and a T-shirt because I’m still fighting more battles with developers.

Also, the money from the door goes to the promoters and musicians so it’s helping keep the culture alive. London benefits so much from these grassroots music venues which make it a cool city and we’ve lost so many already..

maddenlondon.com

44

Beloved London indie-artist Nilüfer Yanya made her musical return this year by means of her third record, ‘My Method Actor’, an explorative and expansive collection of tracks that stays true to her signature sound whilst boiling it down to the essence of itself. In a process that she later refers to as “distilling”, ‘My Method Actor’ saw Yanya retreat into a period of music-making with her longtime collaborator, Will Archer and very intentionally decide to craft the album between just the two of them, this process inevitably gave room for experimentation without fear of judgement and without any danger of influence. What was left in ‘My Method Actor’ was a lovable next chapter, from the quietly vulnerable ‘Binding’ to the addictive folk tones of ‘Just A Western’, ‘My Method Actor’ sits in the place it’s made for itself so comfortably that it’s futile to doubt its authenticity.

Only a few weeks on from her album release, Yanya called me early the day before beginning a long period of touring to consider how exactly she got to ‘My Method Actor’ and where it’ll take her next…

What are you up to this morning?

I went to pick up my outfits for tour that my friend made because I’m leaving tomorrow. We did some custom pieces which is really fun…

Oh that’s so exciting! That’s nice that it’s your friend as well - do they have their own label?

Yeah, she’s got her own brand called SELASI, she does photography as well so she’s always working on a bunch of things. We’ve been friends for a long time and we’ve always wanted to do something together.

That’s so cool! Congratulations on ‘My Method Actor’, what have you been up to around the release?

45

Words by Amber Lashley, photos by Molly Daniel, illustrations by Holly Thomas

I literally haven’t stopped moving. The week before the album came out we did a run of instore shows in record shops around the UK, so we’ve literally been on tour already! It was really nice - and then the album came out and we just kept going.

This is now your third record, would you say you’re more familiar with the process of making an album now?

Yeah, a lot more familiar! I’d also say this is the first time I feel like I really took it seriously – not that I didn’t take the others seriously – more in the sense that we really set it up in the correct way. With the other albums I seemed to just fall into writing, everyone would be like “that’s ok you’re an artist!”, but there’d be no structure or plan. So this time it was really cool to be working with more of a vision - a plan. It wasn’t over the top either, I was working with Will Archer who I’ve been working with over the last three records. On the first album we did some covers and interludes together, on the second album we did about 70% together, and this time we said “let’s work on it just us two and let’s be really intentional about it”. So that made it more serious in a way. I was able to give it the attention it deserves too, in the past I’ve had to be touring or playing a lot of shows at the same time, or it was covid!

Also, for the first time I had my semi-own-studio on some of the days. I just feel like I focused a lot more, it feels like a first record in a way, kind of starting again with everything I’ve learned.

Is there anything that stands out to you as being an effect of that increased focus?

I think it distilled it in a way. One of the things I’ve been learning about the way my ideas work is that I try to put a lot of ideas into one thing, you can do that, or you can distil it and run with the strength a good idea can give you. You can stretch it out and try to make it work as long as possible - I think that comes from a place of more confidence and security in your ideas.

It must be really refreshing to have a moment to fully

That’s probably the biggest difference on this album but

focus in on something. You’ve been working with Will

it’s just kind of the way we ended up working together,

for a while, so I’m assuming you’re very creatively

we got into a flow, which is cool because you get given

comfortable with him. Did you have an opportunity to

that idea and then you can keep adding things to it. We

experiment with anything new in the making of this

could’ve written like five songs together and left it at

album?

that, I could’ve added my own five songs or worked with someone else, it still would’ve been good but it’s great to

I feel like it’s all quite new, we kind of went off the back

elongate, stretch it out and see where it takes you.

of the last things we’d made for ‘Painless’, we used them as a blueprint for these songs. I mean, we didn’t say that

You were saying you had your own studio space this

at the time, but we were often referencing “oh, it’s kind

time too, so beforehand, would you mostly write at

of like this or that”. This album is more playful with

home?

structure though, we’re more playful with the ideas, and in Yeah, Will has a studio as well so I’d work with him there

pushing them to their full potential.

sometimes but a lot of the time I was home. I started Was there anything from your previous projects that

‘My Method Actor’ that way actually, it’s tricky though

you wanted to keep consistent, or maybe something

especially when sharing with people, you don’t feel as

that you now consider signature in your sound?

safe to let go. It’s nice to be able to try something loudly without worrying that someone’s coming home. Also,

I think guitar. To me, they still sound like rock-guitar

everyone else goes to work or has a workspace, I’ve never

songs, it’s always going to feel that way, with either a

actually given myself a space to work…

guitar or something that’s string equivalent. I’m really bad with genre but I’d be very surprised if I made something

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

that didn’t somehow fit into that world, I mean, never say Literally just going on tour for the next few months, we’re

never.

going to head to America, and then we have the UK and You’re right, there has definitely always been that

EU tour. It’s all going well so far, and depending on what

baseline guitar, but is there anything about the music

happens I might do a bit more writing then or just try

now that isn’t how you expected it to be?

and see my family, but I’m working for like two months straight! It feels like it’s already started as well. I haven’t

Yeah! With the way me and Will wrote the album I wasn’t

been doing my normal things, I haven’t had a routine,

actually writing any of the music side of it, I was doing

that’s how I know tour has started!

the melody and the lyrics, which is kind of weird? I never saw myself being that kind of artist! It doesn’t have to

Do you have a way of keeping yourself together while

define you and I don’t have to see it in a negative way.

you’re touring?

I was doing a Reddit Q&A yesterday and someone was like “yeah, it’s on the credits, you’re not credited on the

I try and think of things to do while we’re driving a lot,

instruments” and I was like “yep!” It’s weird to read

so I’ve got… oh my god, I actually don’t have a lot of

actually. I still think of myself as a guitarist and musician,

books ready right now, but I’ve said I’ll get loads of

but the way it turned out, I loved all the ideas that Will

books ready! I want to do a bit of learning, I’m still trying

showed me. His ideas just blew me away and I’d be like “I

to learn Turkish, it’s a lifelong goal. I might go see my

can’t really top that but I can add something else to it that

family in December too so that’ll be a nice thing to work

will really make it my own”.

towards.

47

@madebyhollythomas

For many people, disillusionment leads to ennui and

Unapologetically and refreshingly confident about their

inactivity. For bed it dramatically drives them further.

goals and aspirations for the future, whatever bed want,

Hailing from Tokyo and Osaka, this four piece are set on

bed will get.

reversing what they see as Japan’s trapped popular music circuit. There is no longer a pressure for these seasoned

It’s interesting that your first ever album release was

musicians - Une (vocals), Joneu (guitar), Shinji (bass) and

a live album - something quite rare for a band to do -

Shun (drums) - to pander to an industry that drains artists

what was the intention behind this?

of their personalities and as a result has stagnated the progress of Japanese music on a world scale. Reflecting

UNE: We want to release our first studio album when it’s

on ‘an industry structure that has not been significantly

the perfect time - sometime in the distant future where

updated since the 20th century’ and the ‘narrow range

it can reach beyond Japan. Bed is different from most

of cultural education’ given to their country, bed want

Japanese artists who can’t even organise a live show

to single-handedly take on the burden of reversing this

if they don’t release an album. We don’t need to rush

history, as they believe no one else is up to the challenge.

ourselves with the ‘conventional wisdom’ of what an artist should do. In the Japanese music industry, albums are

Whilst bed have openly denounced ‘saccharine’ J-Pop

reduced to promotional tools for gigs/tours, and in order to

and rock, this doesn’t equate to a rejection of these genres

accumulate as many of these (gigs and tours) as quickly as

altogether. The four-piece are still very much enchanted

possible, low-quality albums are made at short intervals.

and inspired by such music, and this love can be heard

From the beginning, we decided to free ourselves from

throughout their dynamic shows that flit between heavy

that stressful hamster wheel. To do this, we have to create

rave basslines and silence, English and Japanese, total

opportunities. At this stage, that means live gigs. If you

crowd immersion and isolation. However, what’s different

generate enthusiasm there, it becomes word of mouth and

is how they bring these styles to new audiences.

works as promotion.

When we interviewed NYC’s Fcukers in a recent edition, they spoke about the need to transcend the limitations

SINJI: At the moment, we won’t tear our hair out creating

of live gigs - bed feel the same way. Taking Shibuya’s

a dedicated marketing-specific listening product aimed

clubasia by storm, bed constantly curate what seem to

at getting on playlists (the usual routine that artists are

be incongruous lineups of DJs and bands that ultimately

required to follow in the Japanese music industry). The

‘converge as harmonious chaos.’ These nights are

essence of bed’s music now lies in its live expression.

about ‘feeling pleasure with pure, physical, dopey yet

The songs we are currently releasing, including the live

frivolously entertaining music.’ In this way, bed are

album you mentioned, are just positioned as a soundtrack

creating their own culture in a landscape that restricts

to reflect on the frenzy of our live shows. In other words,

them from their full potential.

the intention is different and we will move into the ‘first album’ production phase as soon as it is ready.

Words by Poppy Richler (Translation: Mami Kondo Hartley), illustration by Mamo Kawakami

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There’s very little information about you online,

That’s how we see it. bed is based in the Tokyo club

though there is a reddit thread pronouncing you as ‘the

scene amongst techno and bass music DJs. The parties we

most interesting thing happening in Japanese music

organise, such as ‘bedroom’ and the free admission rave

right now.’ Based on the history of modern Japanese

‘uzu’, bring together cool acts and their fans who believe

music, why do you think this person has said this about

in nothing but musical frenzy, transcending the boundaries

you?

of techno, hip-hop, ambient, psychedelic and more.

UNE: The best example is that we were chosen as

Incidentally, we perform with a very orthodox rock band

the support act for Fat Dog’s three city Japan tour in

format: drums, bass, guitar and vocals. Picture a weekend

December. Of course it’s common for Japanese bands to

in Shibuya, Tokyo, after 2am, peak nightclub time - a floor

open for overseas artists, but they’re often billed as the

packed with a chaotic crowd. On stage there’s a four-piece

underdog who got the gig on the basis of pulling power

band. Interesting, don’t you think?

and label politics.

Very interesting indeed. I’ve heard that you don’t This has been the norm until now. Now, when you hear

speak at your shows. Assuming this is true, is there a

that ‘bed will be accompanying Fat Dog on their Japan

purpose behind it or do you just find yourselves more

tour,’ it naturally makes you feel as if you’re on equal

comfortable in silence?

billing. I hope you understand the difference.

UNE: When we started bed, we decided to base everything bed has the rare potential to kill it on the big stage

on how we feel and what we see as cool. From this point

with Fat Dog who is ‘the UK’s current next big thing,’

of view, I dislike the MCing that Japanese musicians do on

even though bed is at best ‘rising stars of the Tokyo

stage. In previous bands, I felt obliged to speak on stage.

underground.’ Of course it’s strictly true that we’re the

In bed, I don’t do anything I don’t want to do throughout

support act, but I think we’re the first band in Japan that

the shows (the shows being the most liberating moments

makes you expect something new to happen there; a

of my life). If there’s silence between songs at our shows,

synergy that has never been seen before.

it’s part of the performance and is considered to be a meaningful silence.

No matter what kind of musicians we encounter, you know we can step up to the plate. Small venue or big venue,

SINJI: If you were watching a film, you’d feel

alternative rock or classic rock. Cool or funny. Classic

uncomfortable if every time a chapter ended, a character

or contemporary. In Japan or in international markets. Of

in the film looked at the camera and thanked you for

course, there are bands that are ‘better’ or more talented in

watching. Or what if in the next scene they explain what’s

something specific, but I don’t know any other band that

going to happen, or they shed a tear and tell you about

has the all-round strength bed exudes. I like bed more than

their personal history? We prefer to communicate with the

the guy who said that in the Reddit thread, so I’m going

audience without words, and we think speeches are rather

to say it loud. We know the secret of the recipe and we

counterproductive. You’ll understand all this if you see us

don’t want to reveal it all here, because there are people in

live!

Tokyo who want to steal it.

Your video director TROY says he likes to include SINJI: Most bands in Japan dream of being part of the

concepts of fear in his videos for bed - something

existing J-pop industry structure. Or they want stardom

particularly evident in ‘Kare Wa’. Your music is very

only within the exclusive villages of hardcore, metal, emo

dramatic and mirrors this adrenaline - do you see fear

and the like.

as something more psychological or physical? And how does this manifest in your music?

51

bed

UNE: I think awe is a better word than fear. Do you get the nuance I’m talking about? It’s more like an encounter with the unknown as opposed to horror. If this feeling could manifest in music, it would be bed trying to swallow everyone up in a mass of sound.

SINJI: When fear takes over, the body should be so weak that it can’t stand. Conversely, awe has a dynamic energy we are more like that.

You’re often referred to as a ‘rock band’ - what does this mean to you and who symbolises this music apart from yourselves?

UNE: Here in Japan, ‘rock’ and ‘band’ have degenerated as a subculture over the past ten years or so. They’re now perceived as lame terms. This is due to the low quality of rock and band culture, but also to the rise of hip-hop stars and pop idols with high quality performances and branding in the mainstream.

On the flip side, I imagine that now is the time for a cool, strong, rock band with genuine charm and a touch of humour, to emerge and counter the music scene - it could be possible to turn everything upside down. We want to carry this burden ourselves and expect bed to rise beyond Japan. We believe in overestimating ourselves.

I can’t think of anything other than bed when it comes to a scale that big. All the great rock bands for me in the past and present were all alternative and never more than Galapagos (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s mostly beautiful).

A lot of the time mainstream music is associated with the death of ‘cool’ - because of this, would you say you’d rather resist reaching this place?

UNE: There should be artists who become mainstream dwellers without losing their coolness. In fact, most artists’ coolness is already dead before they set foot on that ground. bed has decided from the start that wherever it goes, it just won’t die.

SINJI: Exactly!

@mamokawakami

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Gracing the world with their debut EP ‘Twist Grip’ just last month, London’s Hank are a spectacle. A tasteful mix of noise and shoegaze melted together by a five-piece of musicians breaking their burnout with tunes directly sourced from their hearts, and most importantly their tastes.

Coming together at the tailend of the lockdown, the band has been through multiple lineup changes and some of the tracks have been completely rewritten. ‘Twist Grip” is ultimately the culmination of that change, with the band unafraid of sharing their abstract instrumentation and releasing emotions that had previously been burrowed.

With the rest of the band preparing for their tour supporting Crows next month, I sat down with lead singer Lola Stephen at midday on a hanging autumn Saturday.

In a way, the perfect setting to discuss their EP; a record built on finding the extraordinary in the darkest places.

I think it’s best to address this before we start, where does the name Hank come from?

My auntie had this giant cat called Hank when I was a kid, and the name has always stuck with me. It seemed like a funny name for a cat and I wanted to carry that essence into naming the band.

Lots of acts will claim that their band name embodies their sound, does the name have any connection to the music at all?

I think names and band names are a tricky subject because in this case the name just came and we all liked it, there really wasn’t much thought that went into it at all it came very naturally which sort of represented how we came together.

53

Words by Peter Martin, artwork by Marco Pini

Honestly, I’m a big fan of band names that are literally

Did the change to the London scene intimidate you?

just one word…

I felt it a little at the start when I didn’t know anyone, I I imagine some people will think it’s shit but I think it’s

found friends by going to gigs. Everyone sort of felt that

better than a super long band; I’m a graphic designer so

same kind of mutual fear but when we came together it

whenever I see them my first thought is “How’s that gonna

become nice.

fit on a poster”. Also when bands have song titles that are like 3 lines long it feels like it’s spoiling the themes of the

Let’s talk about your debut EP ‘Twist Grip’. You have

song a bit, I like to be mysterious.

a lot of versatile musical ideas going on, what other artists were you listening to when writing it?

What experience did you have coming into the formation of Hank, were you in the music scene back

The songs in the EP came together over two years and as

in Dundee?

a band, we’ve gone through multiple influences; it’s only right that we state the obvious in My Bloody Valentine,

I wasn’t really in the Scottish scene but I moved to Perth

The Breeders and Sonic Youth but also lyrically I was

after university and I was in the music scene there and

inspired by Fiona Apple.

that showed me camaraderie because everywhere else I’d been to felt a bit disjointed. That’s probably because

What part did the harsh guitar sounds play in your

I’m from Dundee where there are not really any music

side of the songwriting?

venues. Edinburgh was mostly full of students wanting to go clubbing and many venues have shut down. Perth has a

I just really love loud and ‘horrible’ guitar noises. It

very close-knit talented music scene where everyone was

scratches a part of my brain to the point where if I need

nice to each other.

to concentrate I’ll put something harsh on to drown out any other thoughts I have in my brain. Going back to My Bloody Valentine and how they tend to start their albums with this wall of guitar noise, we definitely wanted to emulate that on our opener ‘Angel Says’.

54

The vocals throughout the EP contain a duet element

I think we tend to get quite self-aware performing and

which beautifully contrasts the instrumentals

we still have lots of nerves, but ultimately yeah we’re

throughout, at points were you using those twin vocals

having lots of fun, especially when you lean into it. I

to illustrate the narrative of your lyrics?

love everyone in the band and it’s a joyous experience to perform with them.

I just really liked the dynamics of a male and female voice and the contrast between the two, Hank’s gone through

Next month you’re joining Crows on their UK headline

many changes as a lineup. I think in the songs with that

tour, how are you feeling about it?

element, the lyrics are quite abstract so I don’t think the vocals play a part in telling the narrative, but more just to

I’m excited, It’s lovely to bring these songs to other

heighten the sound.

places. I’ve toured before but with other bands, driving, selling merch, everything but performing, so it’s cool to

The song that’s stuck with me the most from your EP

finally get up on the stage and perform ourselves. I’m glad

is ‘DYLM’. It’s such a raw and personal song. Did you

we get to experience it.

struggle with putting it out?

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

So much, I find it so hard to be vulnerable, I hate talking about anything. I think that song had lots of lyric changes

Drink a pint of Guinness and a half!

throughout the struggle. The hardest bit is performing it; Why specifically Guinness?

being in such a small community and having to perform that track in front of your ex’s friends is so scary. It’s the hardest song because I’m completely honest throughout

I think it just hits the sweet spot for all of us, definitely

it. Aside from the rest of the EP I’m trying to be abstract

helps with being self aware on stage for all of us. To be

lyrically.

honest I wish we didn’t have to. I kind of wish we had a handshake or something but nah it’s just a Guinness.

It’s always nice to take such an awful experience and come out the other side having benefited creatively…

What about a Post-Show ritual?

Absolutely, I was going through a rough breakup and I

We’ll have a chill and catch up about what went well and

felt I needed to capture that moment as it was happening.

what didn’t, then another Guinness.

Now being so far past it I’m really glad I did write it and release it because I’m really happy with the track.

Especially Charlie’s guitar part.

You just performed your first ever headline show at Third Man Records’ Blue Basement, how was it?

We really enjoyed it! It was our first show performing as a 5 piece and we had a great reception, lots of lovely faces in the crowd. We played one the next night in Brighton which was also amazing. Definitely riding off of that high!

With the EP release and everything getting a bit more serious, is it still fun?

55

@ggskips

Self-taught Irish artist, Peter Doyle’s trajectory over the last few years has been unavoidable. His dream-like figurative portraits of those around him emphasize his distinctive point of view. We’re admirers here at So Young and with an LA solo show on the horizon it felt like a good time to catch up with Peter and delve into his painting process, talented friends and inspiration.

What inspires you to start a piece of work?

I draw inspiration from a lot of things. My work being mostly figurative I am inspired by the people around me.

I tend to work from photographs now as it gives me more time to look at the subjects and a better idea of how I want the work to be laid out on the canvas What’s your routine like? How do you begin your painting process?

I tend to work at odd times in the day really, There’s no set routine of a 9-5 although I do like to work in the morning then take a break around lunch time and go for a walk, grab a coffee. Maybe have a poke around for some ideas or look through pictures of what I’ve been working on that week/morning. I have my studio in my house so I find that suits me well when I have one of those quiet days and the guilt sets in. I can jump back to it at anytime!

57

Peter Doyle

Do you remember when you were first exposed to Art,

Would you say there is one theme, however vague, that

in a way that resonated with you?

runs through all of your work?

I’m sure I was brought to the national gallery in Dublin by

My work consists mostly of people in various

my folks. But nothing really had a lasting impression until

surroundings. I’m pushing it back more and more at the

I was older. I was into that old New York style graffiti, I

moment to just be focused on the subjects at hand. There

watched a documentary called “style wars” that changed

is a theme of togetherness throughout.

how I thought about the graffiti/fine art co-existing.

When I got to be in my early twenties or so I was looking

Your work has been used across several music

at painting and its practises a lot deeper. I wanted to

campaigns but does music influence your work at all?

start making work on canvas so I had met a pal in a pub in Dublin who had a storage space. Cleared it out and

I do listen to music a lot while I’m working. I also have a

starting making work on canvas.

monthly show on NTS I have been doing for some years now. So when I’m not painting I’m finding music for that.

Are there any questions you’re trying to answer in your

Last winter in Dublin I painted a lot of jazz club scenes.

work?

Piecing together old photographs and personal pictures.

That was some of my favourite work. So yes. It does

Well, I like to make my work have a feel of movement.

influence work from time to time.

The work itself is very much about the present moment and the people I capture within that. I find I do plaint

What are you currently working on? And what can we

scenes mostly of people in a not so fully formed room or

expect to see from you in the near future?

context, but it is totally up to the viewer to see what they feel from the work. There’s no one answer that comes to

I will be starting work on a solo show in Los Angeles.

mind for me anyway, I just enjoy painting them this way.

And a few more bits scattered around.

How much of your personal experiences are in your paintings?

As the works do involve myself and from the pictures I am taking while out and about I would say a lot of it is personal experience. And how I see things in that time.

Whose work do you admire and why?

I’m pretty lucky in this regard as I have friends doing some great things. To mention a few I would have to say I love the work that Fontaines D.C. Eimear lynch, Ewen Spencer, Simone Rocha, Mattea Perrotta, Domino Whisker and George Rouy are making. That list can go on and on.

I have a lot of admiration for anyone doing what they love to do. And in those people I named above that really shows.

@peterjrdoyle

60

By virtue of quietly working away over the past couple of

That big tangle of emotions seems to be what so many

years, Nottingham’s Divorce have managed to find their

people love about your music…

own distinct voice within the bustling guitar scene. With their sonic palette often wandering into warm and folky

Tiger: We try to be direct and straight from the heart and

territory, they’re perhaps more aligned to stateside forces

it’s always served us well looking back on our previous

like Big Thief and Soccer Mommy than anything closer to

releases so that’s something we’ve tried to carry forward.

home.

It’s human nature to have that sort of darkness and beauty in there at the same time.

Catching up with So Young over a call from their respective homes, vocalists Tiger Cohen-Towell and

The humour is really important in our writing as well,

Felix Mackenzie-Barrow are all smiles as they instantly

like the darkness doesn’t come through in a super direct

start discussing the response to their new single ‘All

way. I think because we kind of make fun of ourselves and

My Freaks’ - a raw and instantly disarming ballad

‘All My Freaks’ is a really good example of that, there’s

that instantly pulls you into their world as their vocals

definitely self-mockery across the whole album.

intertwine over mainstage grandeur.

F: A lot of the imagery throughout the album is “The response has been everything we could have possibly

fundamentally pretty absurd. I think part of that comes

asked for,” says Cohen-Towell. “It’s funny, I think people

from growing up in the Midlands, like there are elements

will begin to realise that the lyrics are actually quite dark

of that inherently in us as people and it’s resulted in

even though we wanted the sonic kind of palette to be very

something funny, eerie and strange.

warm.” They say it’s a fitting first taste of the full album ‘Drive To Goldhammer’ which will drop early next year.

Do you think that Nottingham identity comes through

“The whole record is kind of like that as you begin to peel

in the album then?

back the layers and dive in deeper.”

T: Definitely yeah, I won’t speak for everyone but I think How are you feeling to have the first single of the

we’re all very proud to be from the Midlands, specifically

album out in the world?

the East Midlands, which I think has its own very strong identity but it’s different when you’re a teenager growing

Felix: It’s a reflection of our mindset of the last couple

up there.

of years in this band. We have so much love in our hearts as people and so much warmth as a group, but it’s a

F: You aren’t really aware of that identity at the time

complicated world. So it’s been really lovely to see the

because it’s not something that has a lot of national

response and I’m glad people have received it with open

weight. You grow up wanting to get out and escape

arms.

because thinking life is elsewhere and scenes are elsewhere. When you’re younger as a musician, I think there’s a feeling that you have to get out.

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Words by Rhys Buchanan, illustration by Cameron JL West

T: I think this record is very reflective of the fact that the place that you’re from does just inherently stay with you and you find it everywhere.

That attachment to home almost grows stronger once you uproot…

F: There were things I hated at the time, like some of the attitudes that are a result of some pretty backwards ways of thinking because of deprivation over the decades. I guess it’s this pent up anger that ends up fueling a pretty toxic environment at times. When you move away your perception of home is recoloured though and you can see the warmth and humanity.

T: There’s definitely a duality to it, nothing’s as simple as ‘people are horrible’, sometimes the good things take precedence, everybody has the same problems and there is no perfect place. It’s a messy thing, and I think it almost comes through like that in the record.

The last few years have been really busy for you guys, I guess you’ve had a lot to learn touring around Europe and beyond which cuts through in the single…

T: That was written just after we signed our record deal with Gravity. We’d just been to the Universal Building and it was everything kind of that we’d ever dreamed of as small town kids who wanted to be musicians. We just couldn’t believe it.

F: It was amazing but we had to be honest with ourselves in the midst of the elation in that it felt like the beginning of the journey. It’s like, ‘okay, this is now my opportunity to prove myself and try and make something that’s sustainable’. I feel like we’ve done that with the album, we’ve made it on our own terms and we’re so proud of it musically.

It seems like you’ve managed to make a record completely on your own terms…

@cameronjlwest

64

F: Yeah we didn’t want to put any pressure on ourselves

Divorce were born from a time when the UK guitar

even though it’s this life affirming career milestone in a

scene was quite suffocating with snarky confrontational

weird sort of way. It was kind of an organic next step for

bands, do you feel like outliers or part of a wider

us.

community?

T: It helped that quite a few of the tracks were written

F: It was fairly conscious when we started the band that

before we got a record deal. We always knew we were

we were a bit bored by that kind of angular punk stuff that

going to spend a good few years fucking slogging away

often felt like it lacked feeling.

at it before we got into a realm where people were taking notice. Signing a big record deal wasn’t part of the plan.

T: That whole scene was too cerebral and it just didn’t

I think we were old enough and aware enough not to lose

interest us. We weren’t interested in making music that

our heads. We saw it as a chance to do music full time.

felt like it didn’t allow a full range of emotion.

F: But we didn’t want to then use that opportunity to make

F: Maybe in some ways it’s held us back at times, not

something that wasn’t ours. We’re very grateful to Gravity

chasing like what is super in and super cool. I think it

for allowing us the creative freedom to create on our own

probably makes us feel a little bit better about ourselves

terms. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer bunch of people

though because we’ve managed to stay true to ourselves

to work with.They were so open to all of our ideas, this

and that’s so important.

album is all us which we’re really proud of.

Is there anyone that you guys do really look up to in You guys have always seemed pretty focussed on

terms of their journey?

your own lane - is keeping the blinkers on important especially when it comes to the idea of genre?

T: It would be Do Nothing who are obviously right on our doorstep and we’ve even managed to steal one of their

F: Yeah, we wanted to find space in the things we do

members. They are honestly, like incredible songwriters,

and we’re still learning. I think we found more nuance

you can’t fake that level of emotion. They’re real

and space in the songs on this record, which is important

songs and they’re not trying to be cool so they’re a big

because we’re very excited people with a lot of ideas. All

inspiration for us. We looked up to them massively when

four of us creatively contribute to tracks in a big way.

we were starting out and we still do.

T: Our producer Catherine Marks was such a help in

You guys have had so many big moments on the

streamlining things, she kept telling us to calm down

journey so far, I guess it’s about just enjoying it with

and was really honest with us. There was still room for

an album safely in the tank?

experimentation but having that extra voice enhanced the T: It’s so easy to get lost in the chaos so it’s important to

experience massively.

look around and realise how everything is going. It’s just F: And I think ultimately you should be having fun when

about sticking to our guns now, we’ve made a crazy album

you make a record and you can hear that in the listen.

and we want to travel around the world with it. Being able

You should be experimenting as you go and making tough

to go really, really far away is a big bucket list thing for

calls, but also just like fundamentally listening back to the

us because we are just like so I don’t know. There’s no

mixes and thinking they’re amazing.

kind of financial success that could replicate the feeling of people hearing your music halfway across the world.

65

Opposite, Photography by Flower Up and Rosie Sco

In an age of hyper-visibility, untitled (halo) are a band

Jay: For me, I didn’t really listen to music much growing

that intentionally lingers out of focus, enveloped in a

up. Not until I stole my cousin’s CD collection that was

haze of intrigue. Their music feels grainy and nostalgic,

strictly made up of Madonna and Limp Bizkit CDs.

yet sharpened with an edge that cuts through the blur.

An enigmatic trio drenched in shadows yet imbued with

I know you met through mutual friends, but how did

radiant, effervescent sound stands out as L.A.’s answer

you all realise that you all fit into the same creative

to the allure of 90s bands like Sneaker Pimp or Bowery

space? And at what point did this feel like it was

Electric, as well as modern acts like bar italia.

something real rather than an experiment?

Blending elements of shoegaze, slacker rock, and

J: I think we all value each other’s judgements on

experimental indie, untitled (halo) creates something that

aesthetics, whether it’s visually or audibly. There are

echoes with the past while carving out its own distinct

things that are unspoken and that are based on trust. It

identity. Cut up and pieced back together, woven from

probably all felt real when the fear settled in.

haunting soundscapes and visually striking, melancholic imagery. untitled (halo) draw inspiration from film,

A: I think it was after we made ‘el prado freestyle’. That

art, and the ghostly remnants of early 2000s internet

was the first song we ever tried and even the first take at

subcultures, casting their Southern Californian roots into a

anything we ever did as a band. That was the first thing

sprawling world that defies easy categorisation.

and it was actually a freestyle.

As they prepare to embark on their next chapter—fresh

J: Some of the best stuff we make is like within the span

off a tour with DIIV and ready to perform at Pitchfork

of an hour.

London—they hint at the release of new music, but refuse to give too much away. Beneath this veil of mystery

Jack: It started to feel real when they started hating on

lie three talented individuals, Ari Mamnoon (Bass/

Reddit.

Vocals), Jack Dione (Guitar/Vocals), and Jay Are (Drums/ Production) who share a deep creative synergy, each

You mention visuals, and I find that you are a band

contributing their own unique flair.

that has a very strong visual identity. You tend to keep yourselves a bit mysterious and out of view.

You all grew up in California; I am curious to know as to what kind of role music played for you whilst

Jack: I think that the other things are usually more

growing up?

interesting than ourselves.

Ari: Yeah, so me and Jay both grew up in LA County,

A: We are just doing what feels natural to us. We all share

and then Jack grew up in Orange County. So all Southern

similar tastes in visuals and create things together that feel

California. My older brother actually showed me Blink

authentic to us.

182 when I was in elementary school, and he was a teenager at the time. I think that’s when I kind of realised

J: To be honest, I’m just trying to recreate the feeling of

how much I liked rock music.

being elusive on Tumblr in 2010.

Words by Will Macnab, illustration by REN

68

I don’t know what it is, but personally, I definitely get

Going on tour with DIIV must have felt like a huge

this kind of Beach House, Victoria Legrand feel from

moment for you. How was that whole experience? Was

your lyrics. Who are the songwriters you actually look

there anything that surprised you about life on the

up to?

road?

A: That is so funny—Beach House was my favourite

A: Oh, the DIIV tour was incredible. Definitely the

band growing up as a teenager; they might still be. ‘Teen

highlight of our summer. The DIIV tour was the highlight

Dream’ is probably one of the most iconic albums for

of summer. I was surprised at how much we laughed and

a teenage girl growing up in Southern California. Soo-

didn’t actually hate each other. We had too much fun,

Young Park of the band ee also has created some of the

actually.

best lyrics. In one of our band’s favourite songs, ‘Retrace’, he says, “Fuck that scene if it’s up to me.”

Jack: I love Austin, Texas.

J: Organ Tapes is my favourite singer-songwriter. And

J: For me, the sense of utility being openers for a touring

then I’d have to say that Panda Bear is also a close second.

band. Everything felt so cyclical and scheduled in such a way that it became easy to get used to.

Animal Collective (Panda Bear) are great! I do love the new Jamie XX song he’s on, ‘Dafodil’. Lyrically,

Are there any places you’re especially excited to

you seem to deal a lot with struggle, regret, and

perform for the first time?

vulnerability. Do you ever feel a conflict between being open and protecting your personal lives?

A: Definitely! We have some shows with The Hellp in November in LA. We are performing at Pitchfork London

Jack: I’ve been struggling with my regret and

on November 9th along with some other EU dates. We

vulnerability.

play in Belgium on November 3rd at Botanique, Berlin November 5th at Urban Spree, and Paris on November

A: I don’t think we ever shy away from sharing about our

14th. Plus, we also have more music out very soon, and

personal lives. Some of it is real, then some of it is made

definitely have some stuff coming up that we are very

up, and that is my favourite part about writing lyrics.

excited about!

And how important is it to maintain that sense of

J: There’s new music coming soon, and different avenues

rawness within that?

to come that aren’t just a record or an EP.

J: Every lyric gets written about 1,000 times in a notebook

I have watched a couple of your live performances, and

before it makes it into the session. That rawness is nulled

I noticed that you quite often open with ‘Supersonic’.

to a pulp before it ever even hits you.

I also read that there is a Stone Roses voice memo floating about somewhere. So, if each of you were a

One band I do see you get compared to a lot is Bowery

Britpop/Madchester band, who would you be?

Electric. Could you ever see yourselves making these big, drawn-out soundscape tracks?

A: Honestly, I don’t listen to much Britpop at all, but I feel like I would have to say Oasis.

A: Yeah, actually we made a song called ‘Oblique Butterfly’, which went from a 2-minute demo to this

Jack: Is The Verve Britpop?

extended version on the EP. We locked ourselves in a garage and ended up blowing out our PA trying to translate

I think they were towards the end, but definitely still

this song live because the guitar was so loud.

Britpop!

J: You guys don’t fuck with Suede?

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untitled (halo)

In true fashion for Speedy Wunderground-aligned bands,

The first thing that I noticed about ‘Real Deal’ is

London indie rock trio Honeyglaze burst into the limelight

that it’s a lot more raw and direct from the word go.

in a flash. There wasn’t a huge build-up of anticipation for

I wanted to know how early on into the process of

their debut album, rather it was out in the world not long

writing and recording you realised that it was going to

after murmurations of their name began to spread. While

be drastically different from from the debut.

it was positively received and for good reason, it wasn’t quite the album the band had been itching to release to the

A: We definitely wanted to be more ambitious with it.

masses as their statement of intent.

I think it definitely helped to do that when we changed labels and we had the prospect of not working with Dan

All the while, they were hard at work cooking up a batch

Carey. It just meant that we could record in a different

of songs that would eventually become their second LP,

way to the first album with a new studio and new

‘Real Deal’. Sonically more adventurous and not created

producer.

in quite so much of a flash, the band afforded themselves time to explore things that Dan Carey’s lightning-quick

Y: The first couple songs we wrote for this second album

process didn’t allow for.

were songs like ‘TMJ’ and ‘Real Deal’, which I would say

There’s always been a sense of rawness to Anouska

aren’t that drastically different to the debut, but once we

Sokolow’s lyricism, but it’s dialled up on this album, as

wrote ‘Don’t’ and ‘Hide’, or one of the songs that’s a bit

are the amps.

more gritty and in your face, I feel like that would have influenced our perspective on the whole album.

Catching Sokolow and bandmates Yuri Shibuichi and Tim Curtis as they meet for lunch (Yuri has a ‘smokey salmon’

Tim: I think it all comes from letting loose and not being

omelette, Noush goes ‘classic cheese’ omelette and Tim

so focused. On the first album we had that a little bit,

opts for croissant), they were kind enough to shed more

but we were always trying to minimise stuff so we didn’t

light on the process of creating their latest record which is

easily get bored of playing the first verse more than a

out now via Fat Possum.

couple times. It was all about two minute pop songs, because we didn’t have a lot of time to just jam.

There’s a lot of boxing imagery through the album artwork and the video for ‘Don’t’, so I wanted to ask

How was it working with Claudius on the record

you each what your boxing walk-on music would be.

having a lot more breathing space than you might have had with Dan Carey who likes to get an album done as

Anouska: I think I’d go on to something goofy like Barry

quickly as possible?

Manilow. It’ll throw people off and show them that I’m a Y: They’re quite different characters. I feel like with

nice guy.

Claudius everything is very considered, in terms of Yuri: Silence would be pretty cool - no music, just walking

deciding what guitar tones or what drums to use. There

straight into the ring.

was a lot more time for those parts of recording, whereas in Dan’s studio there’s a set bass amp and two guitars

A: If you lose after that then it’s really awkward.

picked for you.

Words by Reuben Cross, illustration by Mélodie Hojabr

72

A: Dan definitely has that sort of mindset “do it and let it

A: ‘Don’t’ had a really long intro - it was quite similar but

go”, whereas Claudius sits and figures out what you want

I feel like we rewrote the middle sections almost like ten

to get. That was really nice because we’d never really

times.

had the opportunity to actually make our own production decisions before.

Y: With songs like ‘Hide’, you’ve added a lot of things which we possibly couldn’t have played in the demo

I know that with the first record a lot of the lyrics were

because you’d need more people to play those parts.

written without any real intent of it being heard, and

Maybe ‘Pretty Girls’ is the most changed.

this was done with making an album in mind. How did you adapt your way of lyric writing to work better in

Yuri and Tim - I know that both of you are quite

this way?

involved with other projects as session musicians, live performers and producers. I wanted to know what you

A: I don’t think I’ve changed my songwriting technique

get from Noush’s songwriting that you don’t get with

that much, but I think for this album it was a lot more

other people that you work with.

considered. I’d leave stuff for a while and come back to it instead of writing it once and that would be it. The

T: I was actually thinking about this this morning.

album as a whole has themes and ideas that are repeated

Sometimes people ask “so does she write the songs or do

throughout. Lots of the songs on the first album were

you guys write the songs”, and I’m like “how could we

written when I was about 16, so you’re obviously gonna

write these”. They’re songwriter songs, I can’t imagine

have a very different mindset and idea of what you want to

even musically writing what we wrote together. It’s way

say to people.

bigger than all of us, and I think the songwriting is just complete.

How different was the process for this in terms of it being more of a three-person effort when generating

A: I told him to say that.

ideas?

Y: I think Noush’s songwriting is at a level of committing A: I still wrote all the lyrics, but I think I was writing

to simplicity, but before your words you know how the

parts and arrangements a lot sparser than I did for the first

song flows and it’s really simple but effective. There’s

album because I knew I was writing them for the band.

a lot of songwriters who do that as well, but comparing

Yuri and Tim would add to the songs, and I had that in

songwriters that I’ve worked with recently, that’s

mind as I was writing so I think I wrote a lot less strictly.

definitely a key factor in Noush’s songwriting that I think is a superpower.

T: There were more equal parts before where you’d write the song. With ‘Female Lead’, you sent a demo to a group

I heard that ‘Don’t’ is heavily inspired by Destiny’s

chat in lockdown and then we just arranged it within a

Child’s ‘Bills Bills Bills’ - are there any other nuggets

day. It stayed exactly the same for a year until it was

of inspiration you think people might pick up on?

recorded. Now it might take more time to write it, and it’ll take even longer to mess around with all the different

A: There’s a vocal melody that I stole from The Golden

ways you can arrange it.

Dregs’ ‘Nobody Ever Got Rich’ somewhere.

As a result of that, which songs would you say underwent the most change from initial demo to final product?

73

Honeyglaze

T: There was an intro to ‘TMJ’ that I stole from Talk Talk too and then decided I need to stop just stealing stuff.

I changed several parts to not have as many references unfortunately.

You’ve got a lot of dates coming up - how different are things in terms of the live show compared to when you were first starting out?

A: More pedals! It’s true that we’re trying to be more ambitious with our live show, it’s harder as a three-piece though because we’re constantly trying to figure out ways to not sound like a three-piece.

T: There’s more tunings, more pedals, and more random tech additions.

Y: It’s definitely a machine with moving parts. When you think about our first gig at The Windmill, you guys just went for the simplest setup possible. That’s what it was like a couple of years ago. I also think more people coming to our shows now compared to when we started means the pressure is even stronger now.

T: If you put detail into your music, you do it because you like that and you enjoy it. I think the idea of surprising people or playing with the mood is exciting.

A: That’s why we’re all gonna start wearing banana costumes on stage.

Is there anywhere that you’re going to be going for the first time that you’re particularly excited about?

A: We’re going to Berlin and Cologne.

Y: We’re going to that tiny country - Luxembourg!

A: Yeah that’s gonna be great. We’ve done the UK a lot.

T: All the Germanic countries basically.

@melodiehojabr

74

Editors Sam Ford

Josh Whettingsteel

Writers

Artists

Teddy Maloney

Kalisha Quinlan

Sam Ford

Leo Lawton

Josh Whettingsteel Ed Sargent

Elvis Thirlwell Issy Wetter

Amber Lashley Poppy Richler Peter Martin

Rhys Buchanan Will Macnab

Reuben Cross

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Josh Whettingsteel Zsófia Győrfi Sam Nowell Lacortei

Zoé Maghamès Peters Laura García Sánchez Jonathan Madden Holly Thomas

Mamoru Kawakami Marco Pini

Peter Doyle

Cameron JL West Flower Up Rosie Sco REN

Mélodie Hojabr

Cover Photos

Stills from ‘Holy, Holy’ Video by Ethan & Tom

Photos for Collage Cheryl Georgette Molly Daniel Adali Schell

Jackson Bowley

Kalpesh Lathigra