Issue Twenty-Eight
Also inside: The Cribs deep tan For Those I Love Hollow Sinatra Priestgate Malady PREGOBLIN Yard Act TRAAMS
‘The Evil Within’ by Matija Bobičić
We’d have expected this issue to be looking back on
In New York and Portland via Wakefield, The Cribs
festival highlights and waxing lyrical over new finds but
are getting over lawsuits and preparing for the release
no, the pandemic continues and bands are having to adapt
of their new album. Ryan and Gary jump on Zoom to
to a new world. The write, record and tour cycle is well
talk about how they’ve made their most “Cribs” record
and truly on hold. Goat Girl are back and there’s no doubt
yet. In London, deep tan are looking to build upon the
that in normal circumstances they’d have been taking over
excitement that surrounded their early singles. Following
venues across the UK and beyond. The four piece have a
their latest release, we check in with them to chat David
new member and have just announced their second album
Attenborough, writing over Zoom and the importance of
‘On All Fours’. We spoke to the band at Lottie & Rosy’s
magic. Staying in the capital, Pregoblin do their best to be
house via Zoom to discuss the writing process, Dan Carey
funny and give us a few details in between following the
and subverting expectations.
release of latest single ‘Gangsters’.
TRAAMS returned this summer with nine minute epic
Is the most exciting new music coming from the north?
‘The Greyhound’. They blow off the interview cobwebs
Leeds’ Yard Act make a decent case for it. With new music
and talk us through their return, realising who they are
on the horizon we gave them a call to discuss building
and hearing themselves in other bands. Somewhere near
your hype in a lockdown. Malady and Priestgate are bands
Atlanta, Hollow Sinatra is making sounds as intense as
we’ve had our eyes on for a while. They’re gearing up for
they come. New EP ‘Rapture’ should be seen as one of this
their next releases so we got in touch to get the details. To
year’s must listens. We give him a call to discuss the evils
round us off, Dublin’s For Those I Love have one of the
of American politics, Radiohead and our data!
more complex stories inside our pages. We get to know David Balfe and how his loss and his surroundings have
The inimitable Chrissie Hynde joins our Artist Series this
shaped his music and the person he’s become.
month and we chat to Welsh designer, Adam Jones about reappropriating Bar Towels.
3 Yard Act Fixer Upper
27 Adam Jones One Man’s Trash
7 Goat Girl Sad Cowboy
32 PREGOBLIN Gangsters
12 TRAAMS The Greyhound
36 The Cribs Night Network
15 Malady Wheel Of Fortune
39 Hollow Sinatra False Prophets
20 deep tan deepfake
44 Priestgate NOW
23 Chrissie Hynde Artist Series #8
45 For Those I Love I Have a Love
Forget watching for blue moons, I can’t recall ever hearing
That’s what I’ve always been most interested in anyway,
a debut single as good as ‘The Trapper’s Pelts’. Following
being in the studio – I’ve always been into records and
comes the searingly acerbic ‘Fixer Upper’, and there we
recording, trying to find the best representation of what
have it – Yard Act have cemented themselves as one of the
your songs are. I’m also really into the idea that it doesn’t
most exciting bands on this green earth, with a level of
have to be the same live as it is on record – people know
anticipation for their music that major labels routinely pay
your songs from listening to them, but then you can
through the nose to try and create. Not bad for having only
reframe them however you want, and people will still
played three gigs, ey?
connect with them even if they’re different versions.
Musically it’s all super stripped back (indeed, their debut
You initially started off envisioning your project as
single was recorded when ‘we weren’t even a band yet!’)
something quite scrappy and guitar led, but it’s evolved
– with lithely twisting basslines, almost metronomic drum
into something more groove driven. What influenced
beats prominent, and guitars as abrasive as a northern
this change of direction? A change to the ethos behind
wind on southern skin adding the grit. Smother this
Yard Act?
combination with a wry style of lyricism that is genuinely unique – a rarity amongst the wave of post-punk bands
I think initially, in a completely cynical way, I saw the
they ‘trojan horsed’ their way to prominence through –
post-punk thing having a resurgence and I just thought
and it seems as though the Leeds-based act are poised to
‘oh, I can do this!’ – it felt like a good way to push
go stratospheric.
words out. You see when something’s catching peoples’ attention and is almost a fast-track to getting people to
We caught up with vocalist James Smith to discuss their
notice what you’re doing? I’m always up for that, when
new singles, character-driven narrative, and the thin line
you see an opportunity you should go for it, because
between humour and comedy. Forget the hype, just bloody
you can always reframe it later. That’s not to say you’re
listen to them.
bending on your principles because I love all the classic post-punk bands, I love that sort of music, but it quickly
Without having that natural process many guitar bands
becomes very homogenised and uninteresting. It’s having
go through of playing live endlessly before blowing up,
a resurgence at the moment but you can already see a lot
COVID-19 has meant that your first two singles have
of those bands involved keen to distance themselves from
made you one of the hottest bands having only played
the label, because it’s just a loose framework. I think
live thrice! What’s that like?
we’ve definitely intentionally trojan-horsed our way in off the back of that. But the catalyst for our rapid shift
Yeah, alright! I think it just makes you focus on making
has definitely been lockdown, because we started writing
the songs as good as they can be, without being able to
remotely on computers and pushing things really fast –
lean on a live performance to make up any failings. I think
when you’re writing a demo on a computer instead of
the live side of things is very important, but it can be a bit
playing it live for three minutes, you just loop four bars,
of a smoke and mirrors thing for bands, where they’re ace
which shifts the groove in itself. George [drummer] is a
live but it doesn’t quite translate onto record. Everything
machine and just plays that way anyway, so it really suited
we do is based around crafting the best recordings we
and became very exciting very quickly.
possibly can.
3
Words by Dan Pare, illustration by Glary Wu
‘Smoke Interval Ian’ by George Mitchell
It’s always been about just doing what we’ve wanted, but
Music is the only art form where authenticity and being
also realising that you want people to be there to connect
yourself seems to be the pinnacle of what it’s about, and
to what you’re doing. Now people are listening, we’re
I’ve never really got on board with that.
going to ruin it all with dead weird shit!
All the people who say this and bang on about being real all fucking love David Bowie – music isn’t about that, it’s
Could you tell me about the themes and ideas that
about performance and masking things, presenting ideas
went into creating your next two singles, ‘Peanuts’ and
and filtering them through different formats. Just saying
‘Dark Days’?
things as they are can be great and does work, but not all the time! You have to find different ways to present
‘Peanuts’ is about listening to other people and accepting
things. Once you’ve written a story, you only realise
that their reality is not their own. It’s framed in the
afterwards what it’s about, what your thought process was
sensibility of a woman pretending she has a husband,
at the time – but if you were to take that realisation and
and then her mate killing her husband with peanuts even
really literally spell it out on a page it wouldn’t be that
though he’s imaginary. But it’s more about the divide
interesting. It’s escapism, but entirely rooted in reality.
between people nowadays, who can only see their own
Any fantasy isn’t completely made up, it’s always a mirror
viewpoint and can’t see the other side of the argument.
to human problems and emotions. What’s always driven
The algorithms behind social media mean that the more
me with this band, and coming back to the narrative thing,
you engage with one viewpoint, the more it’s fed back
me being me is completely fucking boring, so me being
to you. Whether you’re right or wrong isn’t the point,
other people is a better way of telling it.
because no one is exposed to the other sides’ view, almost creating two different realities. Only you know what’s
Your lyrics are scathingly on the nose, but also quite
going on in your own head – you can question stuff, but
humorous. Is that something you’ve consciously tried
you’re responsible for your own actions – you should
to add, or something that came naturally?
show some empathy, and try to understand why people see things a different way. But also, maybe you shouldn’t, just
I take a lot of care not to make it comedy, but I think
do what you want, I don’t care. I don’t want to tell people
humour is how I’ve dealt with every issue in my life, and
what to think, and that’s something I’m pretty firm about,
I feel very lucky that’s how I’ve always dealt with stuff. If
regardless of song topic.
we can’t laugh at things, we don’t fully understand them. Someone on twitter the other day said we were like Mark
I wrote the first verse of ‘Dark Days’ really fast, off the
E Smith meets The Mighty Boosh and I was like; ‘ah fuck,
back of these demos I was sent. It uses the same character
they’ve completely missed the point.’ But if you put work
from [first single] ‘The Trapper’s Pelts’, selling stuff out
out into the world, you need to be responsible for it.
the boot of his car, but was more generally just written in the middle of lockdown when everything was really depressing, I wove a shout out to Tribe Called Quest in the chorus because I felt it harked back to a more innocent time, except the lyric is almost inverted. Your songs are very narrative driven, with an emphasis on specific characters. What is it about this characterexplorative nature of lyric that particularly interests you? I think it’s about escapism.
Yard Act
6
When it comes to Goat Girl, you can believe the hype.
Ellie: Initially we wrote a lot of songs and were just trying
Their politically conscious lyricism and catchy yet
to work with them. But I don’t think any of us really liked
abrasive tunes — never restricted by genre — make for
them so we just grabbed them and kept a couple, reworked
an invigorating listen, a reminder that music can be more
them and then we went away to the farm. For the first
than entertainment, and act as a documentation of the rage
couple of months we were just warming up.
of a generation. When our future children ask us what we thought of Brexit or the Conservatives gaining power yet
Lottie: Yeah I think initially, it was about us getting used
again in 2017, perhaps there will be nothing more apt than
to writing and collaborating together, I don’t think we did
telling them to put on Goat Girl’s debut and let the raw
that before as much. [On the last album] someone would
anger sink in.
bring a song and we’d add our own parts but it never felt like it was created altogether from the same place. I think
On their new album, ‘On All Fours’, the group show
it took a while to adjust to the way we’re doing things
themselves yet again to be great documenters of our
now.
time. Trading punk directness for a more psychological complexity, the girls look at the impact of modern living
Holly, was it easy to find your place in the band from
on our individual psyches, including mental illness, ever-
the beginning?
present misogyny and the racist guIer press. With the addition of new bassist Holly, who joined the band after
Holly: Yeah, it was weirdly easy — I didn’t find it
Naima Jelly left in 2018, the band zoom called from Lottie
difficult at all. We just seemed to get on really well. We
and Rosy’s house to discuss the new album as well as
started playing together and we didn’t really know how
writing together and subverting expectations.
it was gonna go, if we would start writing together or whatever, but when we started jamming and it just felt
So it’s been pretty crazy for you guys these past two
natural.
years since the release of your debut. When did you start writing the material for the new album?
I’d met some of the girls beforehand but we weren’t like proper mates or anything but we’d bumped into eachother
Rosy: It was kinda when Holly joined, wasn’t it?
before. There were lots of odd occasions — I bumped into Rosy a couple of times at the Great Escape and
Holly: I started playing gigs with you guys in like
the Windmill, at just random gigs. And then Lottie and
September of 2018 but we were touring a lot then so I
I ended up having a lot of mutual friends — my ex-
think it was probably 2019 like at the beginning. We went
boyfriend works at the Windmill doing sound and he also
away to a farm for like a week which was really good.
knew Ellie’s boyfriend and stuff like that. So it was just inevitable, I guess.
Rosy: We were practising at Ellie’s mum’s house in her garage quite a lot of the time, so we wrote a lot of it there and then a lot of it on the farm. It was more like we did a lot of jamming and then we had time to turn that into more structured songs.
7
Words by Eleanor Philpot, illustration by Geoffroy Pithon
You returned to working with Dan Carey again for this
because there’s always something that you want to change,
one — does he often feel like the fifth member of Goat
you don’t want it to be final. It’s nice having someone
Girl?
there to tell you, ‘no, this is it!’
Lottie: When we record with him, he very much involves
Lyrically this album looks inward rather than
himself in a good way, it’s a balance of being involved but
outwards, focusing on the psychological cause and
also letting us do what we want. Like we’ll be working
effect rather than literally describing the political
in just a single room and that in itself means everyone is
landscape? Was that a conscious decision?
involved in the process of it. Lottie: I think that comes from just developing and going Ellie: With his production it’s not like he’ll just go into
through loads of different things. I feel like personally I
Logic and then put all these effects on after, it’s very
was going through a lot of shit in my own head and that
much live. He’ll be putting one of the guitar amps through
makes you internalise it more and see things in a different
a microphone that’s going through a crazy pedal and then
way. And from that the language changes and matures...
at the same time be manipulating synths sound live in the
I suppose the lyrics before were an immediate reaction
room. It’s like he’s playing live with us, it’s not like he
to something, where these are more of a processed,
does all these effects in post production or anything.
thoughtful approach to everything.
He also had a big part in the pre-production like we’d do
Ellie: And that’s what growing up is as well, isn’t it?
lots of rehearsals and he’d come along and lend us a drum
Taking time, even in everyday life, to not get angry
machine so we could work to a click which we’d never
straight away but think about things more, y’know? To be
done before. We were also using synths and a trigger.
like ‘oh, maybe I could see it from this way’ or a different perspective. There’s a lot of that on this album, and it’s
Lottie: It took quite a long time to work out how it would
probably reflective of where we are as people at this stage
actually be. It was fun just arranging everything and
in our lives, where we’ve all been through quite a major
putting it to the click, and working out where we come
transition in some way.
within that and working out which effects would suit which amp and which effects would suit what guitars or
Ellie, was it a little intimidating performing and
the placement of everyone in the room. I think we spent
recording ‘Anxiety Feels’? It’s so different to
maybe like a day, or two days, figuring all that stuff out
the band’s other songs in terms of its emotional
while we were in the studio. So yeah, the pre-production
vulnerability and how stripped back its
was just as important as the actual recording.
instrumentation is. I guess there was no hiding with that one…
Holly: We didn’t think we were ready to record an album. We thought that we still had loads and loads to do and
Ellie: Yeah it was! It was even more scary to just show
should write loads more songs. And then when Dan came
it to Goat Girl as that song feels very personal and felt
and listened to the demos we had he was so confident,
like it was too personal to be played in a band situation
so he was quite instrumental in it being what it is now.
where it becomes someone else’s. I think [I felt that way]
Because we would have kept going and changed things if
because I had doubts about it being self indulgent or like
it hadn’t been for him going ‘let’s do it now, you’re ready.’
too about me kinda thing.
Lottie: We were at that point where we were being like
But it’s actually very relatable. And it changed quite a lot
slightly too pedantic about the songs and trying to perfect
from my original demo - I feel like it was really cradled
them - which I think we achieved in the end really - but
by the rest of the band. And the guitar that Lottie put on
like we would have kept going with that,
it, I would never have thought to do that, and it just adds such a lovely layer.
9
Goat Girl
All of the harmonies are so nice and make it so rich as
Rosy: Yeah, there are bits where there are like little easter
well.
eggs, where you’ll hear our voices at the end of a song. You won’t hear it on the first listen but after you listen to
Has it encouraged you to speak about your mental
it again and again it becomes clear.
health more openly? The combination of the album title, ‘On All Fours’, and Ellie: I haven’t always been like that but I felt like talking
the album art where people look like they’re stripped
about it openly has helped me, because part of the issue
of their skin makes me feel really uncomfortable…
with my anxiety was the fact that other people don’t know about it and I’m trying to hide it. Through that process it
Lottie: It’s thematically dark but it’s visually bright and
just expands eternally, until I feel like I’m gonna explode.
colourful as well, it’s almost like a literal word painting in
Letting the people I’m close to know about it has helped
a way. It’s what the songs were creating for us as we were
ease the fear, because I no longer have to worry about
writing — these very weighty things that we’re talking
people being able to tell if I’m nervous - they know
about mixed in with jazzy chords or something that will
anyway, so it’s fine.
uplift the listener in some way, this constant contrast. I feel like the artwork really does sum up the music really
Something that I love about this album and all the
well. And that also came from the artists listening to the
music you guys make is how it always surprises
album loads and loads of times, thinking about the world
me, like the weirdest shit will come out of nowhere.
that we were describing, and these strange characters that
‘Badibaba’, for example, is such a sugar sweet pop song
exist within it.
and then this crazy, terrifying synth just completely throws the listener off. Is that always your intention,
My boyfriend Toby and his brother Aidan designed the
to subvert the listener’s expectations?
cover art. They were in this living room for like a month just solidly painting and it was nice, it went through like
Rosy: It’s funny you should mention those synths because
loads of different stages, anger and happiness. At some
I remember specifically when we were mixing it being
points they were excited and everything felt possible and
like, ‘are they too horrible and loud should we turn
then sometimes they were like ‘I hate this shit’ but at the
them down?’ and everybody was like ‘no!, they’re fine!’
end it shows all of that, all the emotions that were felt.
They’re so weird and come out of nowhere.
And it was really nice to see it forming and be a part of that.
Ellie: The ending always had that doomy sort of feel, which gives kind of a release to the rest of the song,
Ellie: And it’s also quite obscure as well, like particular
which is upbeat and chirpy and then it just progresses into
lyrics are literally depicted in the artwork.
this weird hole. It acts as a relief from everything else in the song. It takes you away into a new space, I like the
Lottie: ‘On All Fours’ is just related to loads of different
idea of the listener not being constantly comfortable and
things as well, initially it was based on the simple idea
settled.
of a goat on all fours and then obviously it has the connotation of on all fours being sexually submissive but
Holly: I remember with the bit at the end as well, we
then in being submissive you can have control over that
knew it went on too long, but instead of trying to cut it
too… but then we were also thinking of it as like this
down to make it comfortable we decided to leave it. We’d
creature itself on all fours that was exploring this world
definitely left some weird rough edges in on purpose —
that we had created. Initially it just clicked with us and
we didn’t want to polish it to the point where it had less
now we’re going back and trying to understand it.
character.
instagram.com/geoffroypithon
10
TRAAMS It’s all too refreshing to see the faces of TRAAMS once
It’s motivated us in the writing stages.
again, albeit in their dimly lit Chichester rehearsal room by way of a fuzzy zoom call. The three-piece are back
Stuart: We’ve been working on ‘The Greyhound’ and a
and making some of their most compelling music to date,
couple of other bits for a while. It’s been quite liberating
with ‘The Greyhound’ arriving back in August as a soaring
because when we finished our last live show three or four
nine-minute epic, reminding us just what we’ve been
years ago, we knew we were going to take a hiatus, we
missing since they pulled on the brakes.
didn’t put a cap on it though and I think loads of people thought we were going to break up. We always knew
The track packed all the unique traits we’ve come to love
though, we just kept our heads down and the reaction to
about the band, a sense of grit and angst, the aching vocals
being back with this track has been lovely.
of Stuart Hopkins and an unfaltering sense of discovery Do you think there’s a renewed freshness given the fact
and impulse.
you’ve had a break? We waste little time in getting the conversation underway, reminiscing on shows and line-ups which now feel like a
S: I think going away for that period and then coming
lifetime ago, it’s hard not to feel a burgeoning excitement.
back helped, where bands had obviously seen us when they weren’t even bands was quite a nice thing. It almost
How does it feel to be back in the fold guys?
flipped it around and now we’re back in the mix a bit. It was nice to come back because we wanted to as opposed
Leigh: It’s fallen into place quite quickly, we hadn’t really
to it being something we had to do. It was nice to all go
been doing anything this whole time, we’d been off as a
away and then come back and say, do you want to do more
band. We’d been talking loads about when and what we’re
rather than having people breathing down our necks.
going to do. I don’t think we’ll feel like we’re back until we’re gigging again. It’s just nice to get in a room again
L: I think when we took a break we needed a break and
and write without having to rehearse live sets, it’s purely
there were things happening that meant we had to take a
writing. It gave us a bit of a kick up the ass having the
hiatus. We met up a few times and got drunk and had fun
song out as well. It reminded us people are listening still
but also spent a long time thinking about what we were
and there was such a nice reaction to it.
going to do next because the third album is proper.
Words by Rhys Buchanan, illustration by Jenny Zych
12
S: We got lucky with the first two, the first one was more
Not that there isn’t a place for blunt stuff but I like things
like a big collection of songs and the second was a bit
read in different ways because it makes it a bit more fun.
more of an album. For the third we knew that we couldn’t
In the early days with ‘Grin’ you’d go online and you’d
just come back with something that’s a bit hotch-potch.
see people had written the lyrics out completely wrong.
We met up in the pub and talked a lot about what we were
Nobody can ever work out what I’m saying anyway, I
going to do next. Our next bit of material was almost just
remember we played a show and someone came up to us
ruminating in the background.
saying ‘Flowers’ was about a submarine, I was like what the fuck are you talking about? I love that though, there’s
Was it quite an impulsive decision getting in a room
always a place for a story.
together and coming up with ‘The Greyhound’? What informed the decision of releasing three songs in a string?
S: It’s been laid down in parts over a period of time, weirdly it’s been a work in progress for ages. We laid down the basis for it not long after the break and we had
S: It’s because they were done and we were super pleased
some ideas for it. We wanted a saxophone in it and we
with them. We just wanted to dip back in and start it up
played a show with Lewis (Black Country New Road)
again, it seemed natural. Those were the three that we
before, so that was always part of the plan. That stuff just
knew would be coming out. If they went out we knew
bubbled along and it was more the other stuff that we’re
we would have to follow them up and we couldn’t just
working on at the moment which we’re ruminating on.
disappear again. We sort of did that with ‘House On Fire’
I think having such a nice reaction to that track made us
but that was always going to be this little thing we did,
realise who we were, it’s almost a bit of a confidence
I wondered if people would get it at first but in a way it
boost, now we really fucking know what we do well so
informed the way we did our current batch. We recorded
we’re doubling down on that a little bit.
it with Theo Verney and we had the luxury of time, so we dropped in and out and fucked around on it, it sort of
In a sense it’s a bit of a statement in itself coming back
guided our process now.
with that nine-minute giant? It’s interesting that the scene has moved on but you S: I think in the past we’ve always got caught up with
remain such a valued force with the same sense as
doing lots of gigs and at the moment nobody can so it’s
before?
sort of forced our hand. We would have been playing shows by now and we wouldn’t have gotten away with
S: We’re quite lucky because we’ve come back and that
putting the track out without doing a handful of shows.
scene of guitar music is probably stronger than it was
Obviously I completely feel for everybody who can’t do
before. It feels like it’s been bubbling along but now all of
gigs at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be any let up
a sudden it’s like there. We’ve never been a massive band
with it and that really fucking sucks, but selfishly it’s been
anyway, but I’d listen to stuff and I’d hear us in it. I’m
quite liberating to concentrate on the writing.
not trying to be a dick because we rip off fucking loads of bands anyway, it’s not like we’re the most original band
From a lyrical perspective - there’s a sense of
ever. It just feels like we might make sense at the moment.
claustrophobia in there again? S: I keep it close really but I think it’s all there and I think it’s ambiguous enough to take what you want from it. It’s not completely random bullshit.
13
TRAAMS
Paul Waak
Malady Malady are a band who acknowledge the value in time.
It’s a release you’ve been referring to as “non-
Presenting their first release in over a year as a home-
committal”. Is there pressure in being a ‘word-of-
demo, the London based quartet chose to embrace the
mouth’ live band whilst unsigned?
gift of patience and drinking lemon-water over fearing the prolonged unknowns of ‘filling time’ with space and
PJ: The single for us, is a signpost as to where our sound
noise. Stay true to yourself and make the most out of what
could be in the future despite it being early days. We
you have. Go for a walk. Life’s too short to do anything
don’t feel pressured but a lot of bands do make their noise
otherwise.
through live gigs... I don’t think we’re a ‘Black Midi’ type band where you have to see us to get us.
Your lockdown release ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ “basks in the absurdities of life.” Do you think the cyclical
C: Their live thing is our studio thing. It’s each to their
nature of being in a band helps you put tangibility to
own, but the thing that gets us going is what you can make
absurdity?
with time outside of a rehearsal setting. It’s taken a long time but it’s been necessary.
Charlie: Malady deals with the same things ‘everyday life’ deals with but less mundane. Music as a whole is good for
You questioned whether “new subcultures successfully
dealing with the everyday but it becomes more enjoyable,
exist in today’s age or are they all rehashes of
empowering by shifting it away from mundanity.
subcultures from the past?” As a ‘Windmill band’, what does the idea of romanticised subculture mean
PJ: It’s been hard to keep the habits from before going.
now and at a time where physical association with a
I don’t think we’d have put it out if it weren’t for the
scene is almost non-existent because of lockdown?
current situation - we were supposed to record our first singles but that got pushed aside. It had been a year since we’d released anything so we had to do something to update where we are. You’re sorta as good as your last release I suppose…
15
Words by Al Mills, illustration by Lucia Lenders
verything moves to uickly to gestate an ave time to becom a thing”.
PJ: Everything moves too quickly for a subculture to gestate and have time to become “a thing”. Before it’s even had a chance we’re on to the “next thing”. Influence and culture is much more fragmented, there isn’t really the tribalism there once was- you’d be situated within a narrow community because there wasn’t access to as much external influence. Do you not think that’s a glorification of being young? The easiest way to understand youth culture is sometimes through past comparisons... C: To an extent. We played a gig where a review compared us to ‘Bloc Party’, ‘Smashing Pumpkins’ and ‘The Pixies’; because we have a black singer and female bassist. PJ: I’ve never really considered any of those as influences… C: I do think there’s an element of genuine ease in comparisons but you need a bit of both. How far do you need to look before it becomes revivalism? Do you just need to pick up a guitar? PJ: It’s what you do to push the past forward. If you’re not adding to anything then you’re slipping into revivalist territory. The margins are narrower now because there’s access to external influence outside of your community. Your track ‘Famous Last Words’ plays with the idea of legacy. Has the meaning of legacy changed for you with all this ‘time-off’ and space to live as normal people outside of a band? PJ: We do need to keep the ball rolling but even having time to just go for a walk in the park is so important. There’s all these whispers of Lockdown Part 2… and with the rule of six too, I do feel like we need to get on it as soon as we physically canwe want to release an EP next year and a video for our next single. It’s been a long time so it’s good to prepare for possibilities- you’ve got to make do.
‘The Midnight Shopper’ by Matija Bobičić
deep tan When an image of a person becomes so engrossingly
L: We had dwarf hamsters which had babies, and one of
imprinted that it’s near impossible to distinguish
the babies had babies with the dad and so the mum went
identifiable ideals from idealistic illusions, that’s, when
and started eating them all… I was made to deal with it
you know you’re in the deep end of social ambiguity and
and growing up Catholic as well, I ended up in the garden
so it almost goes without saying that 96% of Deep Fakes,
with this huge cross full of dead hamsters names.
are porn. C: Did the mum kill them because she knew the dad was Tackling desirable subversions in a world of “post-truth”,
having an affair? Lions do the same- if a female lion gets
Hackney’s deep tan find creative ambience between the
with a lion from an outsider pack the alpha male knows
fictitious fine lines of superimposed surrealism, and
instantly.
‘real-world’ consent; so much so that the trio have spent the majority of prep for their latest single ‘Deepfake’,
David Attenborough saved my lockdown...
trying to prevent YouTube from removing their blatantly catechistic content offline due to “community guidelines”
L: I work at an audio book recording studio and David
restrictions.
Attenborough came in, I saw the back of his head and it was the best moment of my life… he was there a week
Having spent the last six months, like the rest of us, living
and only ate cheese sandwiches. Also, he’s in his nineties,
within the unascertained fear of current circumstances,
would record for eight hours and never pee…
deep tan’s innately graphic and ambitiously driven disorient of ethereal escapism and worldly existentialism
Has Covid helped create a space for you to commit
is as deceptively metaphorical, as it’s substantially
more to each other and your relationship as a three
inspired and wholly, unmatchable.
piece, than you have a band?
We may well be heading back towards a second no man’s
C: We had listening sessions where we’d drink together
land but stick with deep tan and you’re guaranteed an
with Zoom open but I have absolutely no desire to write
escapism.
music over Zoom. When the internet lags, it lags.
Celeste: I’m surprised none of us have fallen down the
Will self-discovery be faster in the future now we’re all
lockdown pet route...
so attuned to having time to reflect?
Lucy: I have two guinea pigs now! Ronnie and Renee,
Wafah: These times are funny because there is self-
they’re not technically mine but they live under the
discovery, but it’s traumatic and that’s not talked about
stairs…
enough. Everyone’s pretending it’s not as scary or as stressful as it is and they’re pushing through, but there’s
C: My housemate went to an exotic petting zoo for her
no process.
birthday and she said you can have Guinea Pigs that look like Sphynx Cats... they’re furless and called ‘Skinny
L: It’s literal dystopia and you hear people talk about
Pigs’.
having epiphanies or whatever- that puts pressure on you to feel the same.
Words by Al Mills, illustration by Ludi Leiva
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C: Our news feeds are epiphanies, horrible news outside
I really like early Foals but I know what I write can’t
and then banana bread. I didn’t make one loaf and I’m
sound like them. What makes a band good is their magic,
proud of it.
when it works it just works because it’s a relationship.
How can you plan for the future when forced to be in a
L: I’ve always viewed being in a band as being in a
bubble?
relationship and if It ends, it does feel like a breakup.
W: You just do things yourself and learn to not rely on
Is there a catharsis to embracing surrealism?
other people. L: I definitely find being in this band cathartic. Even with C: We’ve had conversations about working an external
the shoots we do I get to wear things I normally wouldn’t-
soundcard into our writing process. Our producer lives
its dress up, but still a part of me. There’s boxes you put
in Brighton so if a lockdown comes in, it would put a big
yourself in for different projects- I’m in four bands and
roadblock in us being able to move forward. If we can
it’s a lot. There’s not a surplus of drummers going around
produce ourselves, even if they’re “just” demos… that’s
especially when people want female drummers.
new freedom. Do you get asked to play a lot because you’re a female I’ve been really struggling with keeping tabs on time-
drummer?
it’s isolating not being able to follow routine and it scares me. Has deep tan, and the structural realism of
L: I think so. I get asked to do a lot of queer things as
being in a band helped keep you grounded within your
well. Mostly people who ask are within my friendship
day-to-day existences?
groups but with bands that are predominantly female or queer... the specifics of having a female drummer is what
C: Since lockdown ended and we could jam together,
they’re after.
it’s been the nicest thing for us to tap back into our own alternate universe. You’re processing even if you’re not
W: It’s a specific energy, that’s why we wanted you to join
actively processing. L: A specific female anger. Do you think there’s a sense of conventionalism within your message of ‘Constant Inconsistencies’? Maybe all
Is that something you then need to play in-to? Can you
art aspires to be unpredictable…
ever just be three women in a band.
W: If it works, it’s you. I don’t think that someone can
C: I really don’t think any of us consciously feel a need to
pretend to be something and then also have it resonate
fit into that. When we talk about what we’re going to do,
well. When you’re so true to yourself it’s interesting,
we talk about our influences but our influences aren’t all
that’s what makes something unique.
female.
C: To be a young person now, being raised on surreal
W: Putting people in boxes is not the one. I understand
memes- for me, is manifested music. Black Midi, with
why people do it but it’s not a thing. When we wanted
their roots in ‘math rock’ and unexpected traditions is a
a female drummer it’s because we felt a certain calling
strange formula you just want to hear more of. I wish all
towards a fit. We sensed an energy and went after it.
music was like that, but there’s a lot of predictability in music.
C: Female energy and leather coats.
W: There’s a lot of need to fit into a mould- for radio play,
W: Go to Princess May Road for your leather coats that’s
for easy listening…
what I say.
21
deep tan
paulwaak.de
Whose work do you admire and why? Vincent Van Gogh. I love his paintings. I’m not all that up on artists. I don’t really understand installations very well, but I loved a light installation I saw at the Mass Moca museum in Massachusetts. It was like walking into an acid trip. I understood that one. I need to start going to galleries and museums. I got waylaid by touring in a rock band for 40 years. Now I’m more focused on painting. In the eighth edition of our Artist Series, we’re delighted
How did lockdown affect your creativity?
to collaborate with Chrissie Hynde. Having been waylaid by touring in a rock band for 40 years, Chrissie is now
I just kept painting. It changed the way I do music though
focused on painting. We particularly love her monogram
as I started doing it over the phone with my guitar player.
works, one of which we’ve used for our collaboration.
That was a new approach which opened possibilities... I
“I did a few monograms and this one was of my close
enjoyed that.
friend Ingrid Newkirk. She started, and still is the head of What role does music play in your painting? Or do you
PETA.”
see them as completely separate parts of your life? We caught up with Chrissie ahead of the launch of our collaborative t-shirt to talk art, lockdown and her favourite
I paint in silence and it’s very solitary. It’s a meditation
new band, who she discovered at a Julian Assange protest.
I guess. Music is different as I work with people and in front of an audience.
What’s your earliest memory of Art? Who’s your favourite new band? I can only remember drawing on sheets of paper with the girl next door on their garage floor, pictures of horses.
A London punk band called WE ARE One. I only saw
We were about 6 years of age. I don’t remember any art
them once at a Julian Assange protest. North London band.
particularly, my mother had some wire sculpture wall hangings in the house when I was little. Signs of the
What are you working on currently and what can we
zodiac.
expect to see from you in the near future?
How do you go about starting a piece of work?
I’m writing songs for a new album. And painting. Painting is my main gig now.
I buy a pre-stretched canvas and use oil paint. I don’t often have a plan, I just start painting. Tell us about a typical working day in your studio… Sometimes I start painting just after I wake up. My studio is a room in my flat. Or any time really. I live alone so have no distractions. Sometimes I’ll get on a roll and do 2 in a day. Sometimes I start one late in the day. Once I start I don’t stop till I’m done. Although once in a while, the next morning I might see something that’s bothering me and go back to it. I’ve learned to do that.
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shop.soyoungmagazine.com
‘Monogram III’ by Chrissie Hynde
Like all great artists, Adam Jones finds beauty in the mundane. And growing up in Welsh community centres and dodgy pubs there was no shortage of dreariness around for him to romanticise and collage within his subconscious. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and Adam Jones’ ethos is a testament to that phrase. With Punk sensibilities Adam reappropriates bar towels and pub signage into sense memory triggering collections that stand right at the forefront of fashion in 2020, whilst offering a knowing wink to the old man pubs we all secretly love. We caught up with Adam ahead of the launch of his next collection.
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Who do you have in mind when designing? Do you feel like you have a certain kind of customer? I honestly don’t have anyone in mind when designing, my clothes truly are for anyone and everyone, but I know I have two audiences, those that are old enough to remember the references and the graphics and those who are too young to remember and it’s so fresh to them. Is there a brand in particular you’d like to collaborate with or design for? I am so up for collaborations, if they make sense, I would love to collaborate with a denim brand or a shoe company, to work with people who have a specialised skillset that could broaden my range. Maybe Dr Martens or Levi’s, or something really obscure, maybe TFL. Does music influence your work in any way? If so, how? Music doesn’t really influence my work weirdly to be honest, I’m too old to keep up with the new, so I just listen to Patti Smith and Grace Jones, Gil Scott Heron, Nina Simone, on repeat. What’s been the main challenges starting your own brand? To begin with, it was juggling a full time job with starting my own business, which I have now managed to balance, but it is hard, especially when you enjoy going to the pub as much as I do, but I guess that’s research right? There are challenges every day, but I love what I do so I find a way to overcome them, there is always a different way of doing things, which I have learnt to embrace, to be flexible.
Where do you do most of your designing?
How has growing up in Wales influenced you and your work?
You would think in the studio, but that’s where the making happens, I don’t tend to sketch really any more, or have
It is definitely a big inspiration looking back, something
the time to do it, ideas just come to me on the bus, on the
I probably did not realise at the time, as I was that moody
tube, so I am designing all the time in my head, usually
teenager who resented living miles from the nearest shop
on my commute, and I just jot down my thoughts in my
in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by old people with
phone on the go.
nothing to do but walk the dog.
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Words and illustration by Josh Whettingsteel
Found imagery plays a big part in your work, how much does fine art and collage influence your practise? My work is basically a collage of things that have gone before, mashed up into something new, I am obsessed with collage in its’ many forms, from a paper collage which Is something I used to always to do as a teenager, to Rauschenberg’s 3D collaging of materials. What can we expect from you in the near future? I want to branch out into homewares, I would love to do some sort of art installation or hold a kind of immersive experience, and I want to continue collaborating with other creative people.
Looking back to my upbringing is something I have been doing more and more as I get older, remembering time in the dodgy pubs and community centres, the local characters, the Welsh heritage and iconography, it’s the drabness of the place in a way, the discolouring and fadedness of everything there, if that makes any sense, everything is a bit worn but that’s because Wales is full of life, places are being used.
Like all the best power couples, PREGOBLIN are unified
The other side to the song reflects upon not being able
visionaries dripping in morbid glamour. Formed in the
to pay rent - how has this affected you personally?
tempestuous circles of South London via an unpleasant upbringing in Portsmouth, Alex Sebley and Jessica
Jess: I’ve never been able to afford London rent. If it
Winter bonded over talent, trauma and a pull towards the
weren’t for my uncle giving me a good rate, I’d still be in
unsavoury. Both have led illustrious lives and projects, but
Portsmouth…praise be to Uncle John.
it’s as a unit that they really dazzle. Following on from the shimmering groove of their immaculate debut single,
You’re both from Portsmouth, do you think that has
‘Combustion’, the duo have proven rather competent at
had any formative influence on you?
penning a substantially theatrical pop song that’s both sumptuous in tone and bitter in taste. Take their latest
Jess: Yes, we are both deeply traumatised from it so
release, ‘Gangsters’, for example; a Spaghetti-Western
express that through our music.
indebted piece of sprawling subversion landscaped by firearms, leisure wear and tinned food. PREGOBLIN are,
Alex: It made me gay for sailors.
if anything, beautifully unconventional. Are there many external characters that inhabit your Hi guys. You’ve stated how ‘Gangsters’ is partly about
music or is it mainly self-reflective?
the idolisation of gangsters and outlaws - are there any in particular you revere?
Jess: We feel like in PREGOBLIN it isn’t about us necessarily at all. Songs may start from a personal
Jess: Madame Moustache is iconic to me. She
experience but it’s more about the feeling/culture we are
unfortunately died on an overdose of red wine and
representing than the people behind PREGOBLIN.
morphine but she played a wicked game of blackjack and Alex, you’ve said writing ‘Combustion’ made you
had great style.
realise that this is what you wanted to do with your life. Alex: Ned Kelly. I met Frankie Fraser once.
What ignited that feeling?
Words by Harley Cassidy, illustration by Łukasz Golędzinowski
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bobicicmatija.weebly.com
a million before and after we wrote ‘Combustion’, I thought well, we must be worth a billion now. That song received such a positive reception upon release. What’s the best feedback you got from it? Jess: I was at a club night, it came on and I saw all these people dancing to it. I read a review of one of your gigs where you were described as ‘like watching two people drunkenly submerged in karaoke’, which is actually quite beautiful. How do you think you complement one another? Jess: I love being on stage with Alex, we do get a bit silly. Our characters have come out, we are way more confident since all the touring and I really feel that when we get live musicians back on stage with us, it’s going to be wild. Alex: Yeah, we both have a similar sense of humour. What are your favourite musical partnerships? Jess: I like Jane and Serge. Alex: Me too. What’s it like watching how eachother works in the studio? Jess: Can be amazing and can be the most infuriating but I guess that tension helps us make the spice! Alex: Really horrible and annoying because she hates me but she can smell that billion that I mentioned earlier. There’s a chain of musicians that you work with in the group - how do the others feed in to what you two create? Jess: There’s a culture that we all belong to. We all are a bit incestuous but in a great way.
There’s a culture that we all belong to. We are a bit incestuous but in a great way.
Alex: I realised me and Jessica were worth at least
The Cribs 2020 was meant to be the year The Cribs made their
Gary: The start of this year was amazing, because we’d
glorious return. Having been driven to near breaking point
finally dealt with all the business and contractual stuff that
by the two years of legal battles over the ownership of
honestly had been festering for years without us realising
their own music and the sheer mental challenge that it
it.
possesses, the Jarman brothers were once again ready to dive in head first, as they always had done. With Covid-19
Ryan: Two years of litigation will make anyone want
having taken its toll, they return perhaps not in the way
to just walk away and fuck it off. It’s not just a case of
they expected, but still remain as captivating and vital
it being something that happened to stretch out for two
as ever. As Gary and Ryan explain from their homes in
years, it’s working everyday and being stressed out about
Portland and New York respectively, their new album
something and that happens to stretch out for two years.
‘Night Network’ is their most candid and timeless moment yet.
Gary: It’s psychologically damaging, it’s more like a divorce really. When people talk about divorces it’s
How have you been, how have you been handling these
more like that because there is an emotional investment.
last few months?
You’re at odds with somebody that you’ve obviously had a relationship with. It was hard to not be scarred by it, so
Ryan: Where I’ve been in New York it’s just been really
taking it as a whole, battling over the work you’ve created
weird, I’ve essentially been locked down the entire time
that you’ve got an emotional attachment to, and then
because my neighbourhood was the epicentre of pretty
having to view it through the prism of business is really
much the whole thing. The numbers are down here, but
demoralising, it really can crush your spirit.
that’s because it’s still essentially lockdown, so life hasn’t It feels quite pertinent that you essentially get to now
felt the same for some time here now.
do this all on your own terms? Gary: Ry has a different experience to everyone else really, because New York being as dense as it is - and the
Ryan: I think after the last couple years and having to
fact that the Queens borough was affected as it was - his
deal with so much business stuff, if we were trying to do
relationship with what’s going on right now is a much
absolutely everything by ourselves and try to be musicians
more immediate and present sort of thing. I don’t think
as well, the two things aren’t cohabitable, they don’t work
Ry would mind me saying, even though New York is
together.
recovering now, he’s still traumatised by what happened at the start of it, so it’s harder to reintegrate into some
It could affect what you do creatively in that respect?
sort of normal situation. Honestly it’s been the same for everyone, a year of adjusting to a shitty situation.
Gary: You don’t want that to be superseded by the hustle. Honestly we’re not self-promoting personalities anyway.
Having to adapt to this thing that we don’t even know
That’s another thing in this media age where the people
how it’s going to change itself?
who are self-confident and are the best self-promoters are the ones that have the advantage.
Words by Ross Jones, illustration by Francesc Estrada
36
That was never really the personality of musicians, a lot
Gary: It would certainly be nice to think so. All of my
of artists were uncomfortable people who were using their
favourite songs and lyrics are ones which you can ascribe
art to express themselves, now it’s like people have no
to your own personal situation and make them yours - and
problem expressing themselves whatsoever, and their art
so being too pointed or blunt is something I try to avoid.
is just an element of their self-expression, or at least that’s the facade I would say.
Ryan: Obviously, this record was recorded before this situation we all found ourselves in but we did discuss
It’s all become more about being a brand than a band?
whilst we were writing how we really don’t want this record to be anything other than just ‘music’. It’s actually
Gary: They’re mirror kissers you know, that’s what the
been kind of tough to write during the pandemic, a lot of
song is about. Obviously I think it’s important that people
people have assumed that all this time will be beneficial
take pride in what they do, but The Cribs weren’t really
to write but I just can’t find the inspiration to write at
a vanity project, it was a coping mechanism for living in
the moment. The only experiences and feelings I’ve had
a small town in a pre-internet era, that was the way you
recently have been awful ones and not in a romantic way,
expressed yourself, to take your mind off things and it was
and if there’s no romance, there’s just no music.
your vehicle to hopefully get out of that. Obviously that situation is quite antiquated now in a lot of ways, but that
Now that the record is here, it feels like a bit of a
used to be the motivating factor for most bands, especially
victory lap for everything that’s happened, and a nod
working class bands who didn’t necessarily have the
to the future. What have you guys taken personally
prospects or the footholds that people who didn’t need to
from making this record, now that it’s here?
do it had. Ryan: Personally, I really fell in love with the sound of ‘Night Network’ already to me feels like a timeless
the band again. The sound is in-built, and on some records
Cribs record - I suppose first and foremost this
we’ve tried to go in different directions or subvert it, so I
record for you must have been a real necessity to
really fell in love with the simplicity of a good simple riff
make to survive - but when it comes to it, was it still
and good lyrics and keeping the songs short. With Dave
instinctual?
Grohl as well, he gave us some context on stuff, because when we played with those guys we had one foot out the
Ryan: It was actually totally instinctual. The material to
door essentially. Nirvana are big heroes of ours, so by the
me felt a lot fresher and how we imagined the band to
time we got to his studio to record these songs, everything
be when we first started out, because we had been taken
just felt like it was about the music again - I really loved
off that treadmill of tour, make an album, tour, make an
the sound of what we made instinctively again. I just think
album. The music we were coming up with was how we
if there’s one record that we’ve made that I really want
always intended it to be in the first place. There was also
people to hear, it’s this one. That’s how I feel about it.
something about us writing it in the UK, it kind of has a more English aesthetic to it - and I think that’s purely
Gary: For me more simply, it made me realise how much I
accidental, but I think it’s interesting that being it was all
love The Cribs and how important it is in my life.
written in Wakefield it did recapture some of that element. The tender fascinations that fill the record embrace that timelessness - it’s those surreal notions of love and sentiment that I feel people need right now, it almost provides a sense of escapism through resonance in a way?
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The Cribs
paulwaak.de
HOLLOW Sinatra Atlanta-based Hollow Sinatra seems to thrive on
I really think there is nothing else that I’m meant for,
subverting and exceeding expectations. Whilst early
making music feels like a purpose, something I have that
singles were catchy and easy-going, new EP ‘Rapture’ is
I didn’t really ask for – I wasn’t raised to be a prodigy or
one of the most spine-wrenchingly intense of the year.
whatever but the music came into my life, and now I’m on
Weaving a genuinely insane smorgasbord of Jungle,
a journey that will take me wherever it takes me. I guess I
Industrial techno and indie-anthemic guitars into an
kind of manifested it as being a joyous journey that comes
avant-garde masterpiece darker than the night sky, we
with a lot of artistic integrity, and keeping that integrity
as listeners are assaulted with a certain righteous fury
is something I’ve always wanted to maintain from the
that can only come from having no limits, musical
beginning, just being true to myself and making honest art.
or otherwise. As quickly as he genre-hops, Hollow Sinatra’s willingness to bin any and all political and
Without music, I think I would be very depressed – it was
religious hegemony in pursuit of his art shines, leaving
a thing that kept me stable, it was like a friend. I didn’t
us with a piece of work as beautifully considered as it is
have too many friends in High School, so it was the only
transgressive.
thing I could rely on, that doesn’t leave me, that I can grow with, a lot like a relationship. Music has worked
With a maturity and verbal eloquence belying his youth,
better for me than every relationship I’ve ever been in,
we caught up with Hollow Sinatra via Zoom to discuss
honestly. I realised I have nothing to fucking lose, so why
the EP, the cyclical evil of American politics, and his
not give all I have – even if I have nothing to gain, it’s just
borderline fanatical love of Radiohead.
about doing something because I can, you know?
What inspired you to start the Hollow Sinatra Project?
I know Atlanta primarily as the home of super dirty trap music. How has growing up around there
I’ve been making music for three years now – I first
impacted the music you make?
started as a Soundcloud rapper! Just messing about in High School, with no idea what I really wanted from it. I
I actually live in the country, about 30/40 minutes away
just fell in love with it a year or two ago when my friend
from Atlanta, but go there two or three times a week just
Ricardo put me on to a lot of really good bands, I picked
to talk to people. But I actually live in the deep, racist-
up some instruments and learned guitars, bass, drums and
ass country of Alabama, particularly Paulding County,
how to engineer, so am just continuing it now.
Atlanta – confederate flags everywhere, huge Trump fans everywhere, which is interesting to be aware of. I actually love the country so much, but there’s ignorance everywhere.
39
Words by Dan Pare, illustration by REN
It’s really interesting experiencing that ignorance and
As I say, it’s all a cycle – for example, as an African
then going to the city of Atlanta to see the different sides
American, seeing Samuel L Jackson or whoever putting
of life. But the racism is nothing really that shocking to
out another slave movie just feels like retracting, not
me – the American code seems to be watching something
moving forward – we know what happened, the Jews
happen for a bit, then sweeping it under the carpet. It’s
know what happened in the holocaust – it’s past being a
like if you know the enemy, and you know their game, and
meaningful point and just becomes promotional, a surefire
what they do, then nothing surprises you.
way to make some money! What they’re doing to a culture, an entire generation of people, is commodifying it
From this side of the world – and this isn’t to say we
and manipulating them. It’s really romanticised but I think
don’t have our own problems here – America seems
it’s pretty evil, personally.
like an incredibly intense place to be at the moment. I know Atlanta specifically had a lot of rioting and the
What inspired the new EP?
like. Have you been affected or involved with any of that, and do you have any thoughts you’d like to share?
A lot of it came through conversations I had with my friend William – we try to think about things that are
I went to one riot – it was very interesting, there was a lot
going to happen from a trigger from other things, and the
of energy, a lot of people that had really good intentions
probability of different things happening. The entire EP
and really had something to say, as far as the racial tension
was made a week before quarantine before all this stuff
goes – but my mind towards that is that racism is so
even happened, and me and William were able to see the
institutionalised, so embedded in American culture that
lyrics, a lot of the themes, realised in reality – because
until human beings realise that the superficial hierarchy
it’s obvious! As far as the music goes, watching a lot of
that exists is something man made, so we should have
Radiohead and Patti Smith live videos, trying to copy their
complete control over it – but we don’t understand that
mannerisms – I got my swagger from Thom Yorke, he has
even giving the energy to go to these riots and give these
the most swag of any lead singer that I have seen in my
issues prominence sets us in a loop, a recurring cycle.
life, he’s got such charisma and loses himself in the music
If I see a flame, I’m not gonna put more wood on the
completely. I’m more influenced by Radiohead and Thom
flame! It’s just all ignorance, and we shouldn’t be giving
Yorke’s live aspects rather than just implanting the music
it attention – we should have evolved past this! Obviously
they record into my music per se, because I have so much
we should learn from the past and everything, but we
respect for them I know that if I were to take influence
forget that nothing is new. Things are going to continue to
from them it would have to be something new. Fucking
happen – we think the world is going to explode, going to
Muse, Coldplay – all respect to those bands, use a similar
end, but everything has happened before multiple times,
formula but don’t have the magic. I’ve had exes who don’t
it’s going to happen again. I feel like the prominence
like Radiohead – and they’re my exes for a reason!
race is taking in the presidential running shows that it’s something that’s ‘ok’ to be promoted, almost a distraction. We should be more worried about our fucking data, tech companies using our data to invade our power and create algorithms to control our behaviour. Things like that have a huge influence on the riots and whatnot – if you are interested in the riots, it becomes all you see, all you think about, and becomes inescapable. It’s like a fig tree – you’d be psychotic to think a fig tree would produce apples, and equally if you recognise who the enemy is, you’re not surprised when they are as they are.
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Hollow Sinatra
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Priestgate Hailing from East Yorkshire, indie types Priestgate
Sadly it’s just one of those things, I can’t wait to get back
arrived seemingly fully formed with the release of their
on the road. Good things come to those who wait...right?
meticulously crafted debut offering, ‘NOW’. Released during the throes of a summer that we all thought we’d
What were the circumstances that brought Priestgate
never quite see, the single was all towering glacial synths
together as a band? And who or what inspires you all
coupled with a sky-kissing chorus belying the group’s
creatively?
humble beginnings. We caught up with Rob from the band to find out what’s next for the quintet.
Our drummer Bridie and lead guitarist Connor live in the same village, they’d been jamming with each other for
Your recent single ‘NOW’ seems to rejoice in the
awhile, I’d been having a hard time so decided I needed
realisation that those around you can also have their
a reason to get off my arse and do something. Priestgate
moments of revealing that they too are flawed or can
was that reason, for some reason they let me join; I’m still
make mistakes just as big or insignificant as your own
not sure why. As cliche as it may sound we all inspire each
from time to time. Did you come to realise this facet of
other in a weird way, there’s a lot of tough love between
the human condition solely on your own as an artist or
us, we all push each other to be the best we can be. All of
did you collectively come to find liberation and solace
us want the same thing.
as a group through this song’s subject matter during the writing process?
You’re from the rather small town of Driffield, nestled just on the fringes of the music hubs of Leeds,
I guess it’s something we all face as individuals. Making
Sheffield, Hull and York. As a band, do you think it
mistakes that is, there’s no running away from them - it’s
would be easier to live in one of the cities listed above
something I realized on my own, I spent so long seeing
or do you prefer the benefits of being able to dip in and
mistakes as this really big deal. ‘NOW’ was a way of
out of the various musical eco-systems that all of these
telling myself to move on from that and learn from them.
larger towns and cities currently boast?
You released ‘NOW’ during the Summer months as the
Living in a city would have it’s benefits that’s for sure, but
nation started to rise from the slumber of lockdown
I’m proud to say we’re a Driffield based band. Nothing is
to enter some of its public spaces again. How has the
too far away, the beach is up the road and I don’t need to
reaction been to that track? And how have you coped
worry about paying £6 for a pint. What’s not to love?
without being able to showcase this single in the live setting now that it has been made available for all to
What does the future hold for Priestgate?
hear? We’re in the middle of writing our debut EP at the minute The reaction has been heartwarming to say the least, we’re
so I guess that’s what the future holds. More music, gigs
all extremely grateful for the support we’ve received -
and whatever else gets thrown our way. I don’t think
never in a million years did i think we would be releasing
normality will ever be what it once was, hopefully people
music in the middle of a global pandemic but here we are.
have learned to appreciate the little things in life.
Not being able to play it live has been really tough.
Words by Sammy Clarke, illustration by Cameron JL West
44
FOR
I
For Those I Love, the personal project of Dublin native
At that stage, I don’t think I was thinking about how
David Balfe, delivers in solitude. It provides a stunning
cathartic it would be, and I don’t think I was thinking
perception of growing up in a working-class environment
fundamentally what sort of representation of vulnerability
in North Dublin, the power of friendship, unity,
it was going to be. I was explicitly beaten into a habit of
communication and creativity. It’s a harrowing listen.
this is what I’ve always done, and I’m not willing to let
It’s also utterly euphoric, embracing the human condition
this monumental thing in my life change what I’ve always
for all its faults, anxiousness and utter beauty. It’s a
done. So really it was more representational of second
remarkable record, amplified by loss, ostracisation and is
nature, it was and still is the natural response to every part
vital in the responsibility it holds when expressing grief
of waking life, to sort of re-engage with it and re-represent
and illumination. It’ll be hard to find a record that will
it, instead of trying to analyse whether it seems to be the
grab you and wrap around you so tightly this year.
best method to dealing with the difficulty of grief. Also I think because so much of the record was dealing with
Let’s delve straight into the record, it’s such a bruising,
and reflecting on the loss of a best friend - and so to the
brazen and honest piece. I suppose first and foremost,
feelings of so many people in my friend group had - it
did the opportunity to find catharsis and enlightenment
would’ve been dishonest for me or it would’ve been an
through creativity outweigh the vulnerability in
acknowledgement of some sort of worldly defeat if we just
exhibiting yourself in such a candid and personal way?
say we won’t do this anymore.
45
Words by Ross Jones
THOSE Love
What’s also so striking is the way you’ve combined
but dance music as a bedrock to the background noise
the accessibility of electronic dance music with your
of my friendships is really really tied to nights spent
candid lyricism - to you was that a way of striking a
driving around. They would be really really long nights
balance, or is it more simply a nod to comfort and the
that we’d spend driving around, expressing ourselves and
exuberance of music?
talking about all these different creative ideas and we’d make plans, but they’d be at this bedrock of electronica.
In some ways it’s reflective of accessibility. Not musical
So I think looking back at first on the best way to reflect
accessibility for the audience but creative accessibility.
that love that we shared together, the most immediate
I was making this record in my ma’s shed every day and
sound to go to was probably reflective of what it was that
late through the nights, because I needed that. So much of
played in the background that we built most of our verbal
that sound comes from the tools that were on offer at the
connection over.
time, and I didn’t want to ignore that. I don’t want to make it out that it was super conscious, that it had to be this type
Dublin, for me, prominently illustrates itself
of music. When it comes down to the sound, dance music
throughout the whole record, but in quite a universal
has played a really funny backdrop to my friendships -
way, I suppose from a personal stand-point, did it allow
and I think this comes across pretty clearly on the record,
you to reflect and reevaluate upon those moments in
and it perhaps something I’m only just realising and really
the city you grew up in?
thinking about now,
For Those I Love
46
We - myself and my immediate group of friends, those that I had been growing up with - we grew up in a very working class north Dublin and I think there were a lot of limitations that we felt unconsciously and there were a lot that we felt in a more expressed way. Through our education it was pretty clear what was expected of us and it perhaps wasn’t grand as what some other people would have had placed on them. But I think through the creativity, it opened us up more to interactions and experiences with people from different class backgrounds. I think as we got older and started to experience a wider Dublin and started to meet middle class people, upper class people, people from totally different backgrounds - where we started to see the tangible differences in our lives and our outlooks - it really reinforced our identity and the odd separation that there is between a twentyminute drive through Dublin. So I think our experience and expression of Dublin and our identity as working class people from Dublin became more reinforced and more important to us the wider our experiences and our social circles got, the more clearly we could see the differences. I think this record represents mine and my friends identity as working class Dublin people, but it looks at it also through that lens of equality that sticks with you and haunts you even as you progress through your life. I think that’s pretty par for the course when people start to grow older and their life experiences open up a little bit more. I just didn’t really find that it opened up everything down to a more unifying playing ground, it just felt more alienating, because it makes you realise even when things become more on par, your background and the things you experienced growing up, and the lack of, still kind of ostracises you.
47
We’ve spoken about how the friendships we hold
It’s the inability or lack of comfort of showing weakness.
inform and inspire us into the people we become, but
I think for a lot of people vulnerability on its own is not
are also something we don’t voice our appreciation
an option - because there needs to be support systems that
enough for. Do you feel there’s a changing tide in the
lift those who need to express that vulnerability. I think
sense that young men as a whole have become more
you have to remember for a lot of us, a working class
open in their love and respect for one another?
Dublin is still a very violent place - and that sense of loss is so spread across so many of our lives, so many of
I think I do. I think the way I’ve often thought about it is
friends have fallen victim to the drug trade, violence, i’m
it’s more to do with the echoes of archaic maleness that
not even talking about the mass issues of addiction that
have still reverberated through our lives, from our parents
perpetrate across our community, I’m talking strictly about
and our peers and just how much that has affected us
the violence of that drug trade. It’s to do with the almost
growing up and how it really shouldn’t of, but how drastic
innate violence that perpetrate some of our working class
it’s been for us to to reappropriate our understanding
communities. They still echo and we still feel them, and
of how what it means to show vulnerability and what
to show weakness is still to open yourself up to being
it means to ask for help. I think these things are so, so
the victim, and that kills me. That’s still so painful to
insidious, because that desire to ask for help in those
observe and experience, because I do believe that showing
moments of vulnerability can be informed not just from
vulnerability should be seen as showing braveness. But for
your parents and peers lack of asking for emotional help
so many people that can’t be experienced.
but it comes down to your da not asking for directions because they are like “no fuck this I can figure this out”.
Photos by Faolán Carey
48
Artists
Josh Whettingsteel Holly Whitaker Matija Bobičić Glary Wu
Editors Sam Ford
Josh Whettingsteel
Writers Sam Ford Dan Pare
Eleanor Philpot Rhys Buchanan Al Mills
Josh Whettingsteel Harley Cassidy
George Mitchell Geoffroy Pithon Jenny Zych Paul Waak
Lucia Lenders Ludi Leiva
Chrissie Hynde
Łukasz Golędzinowski Francesc Estrada REN
Cameron JL West Faolán Carey
Ross Jones
Cover Photo
Printed By
Photos for Collage
Sammy Clarke
Ex Why Zed
info@soyoungmagazine.com
Website
Holly Whitaker
Alex Loveless Faolán Carey
Art Direction
www.joshwhettingsteel.com
www.soyoungmagazine.com
Special Thanks
News
Harley Cassidy
@soyoungmagazine (Twitter)
SoYoungMagazine (Facebook) soyoungmagazine (Instagram)
Jack Reynolds Jamie Ford Ross Jones
Cameron JL West
