Upset, March 2016

TONIGHT ALIVE

upsetmagazine.com

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EDITOR’S NOTE Cynical is cool.

Being down on things is easier than daring to push towards the positive. That’s the world we live in - where social feeds and column inches casting scorn are the safe route, and actually aiming high and backing what you believe in feels like a risk. And Tonight Alive have no time for any of it.

This month’s cover stars are all about posi vibes. Their new album ‘Limitless’ is the sort of record that knows it may be pulling against the crowd, but does it anyway full of strength in its own conviction.

It’s the message, not just the music, that should ring loud here.

Any band willing to stand their own ground and divide the field like that deserve praise.

Plus, let’s be honest, more music videos need dance moves.

And hats.

Sx

IN THIS ISSUE RIOT 4. ALL TIME LOW 6. AGAINST THE CURRENT 8. ONCE UPON A DEAD MAN 9. THE USED 10. REAL FRIENDS ABOUT TO BREAK 12. THE GOSPEL YOUTH 14. SWERVE FEATURES 16. TONIGHT ALIVE 26. TACOCAT 30. MUNCIE GIRLS 34. BIG UPS 38. THE JOY FORMIDABLE RATED 42. TONIGHT ALIVE 44. SAY ANYTHING 45. HECK

46. BRIAN FALLON 47. IGGY POP 48. MUNCIE GIRLS 49. TRACKS OF THE MONTH LIVE 50. NECK DEEP 52. COHEED & CAMBRIA 53. TWIABP + MEWITHOUTYOU 54. THE FRONT BOTTOMS COMING UP 56. MILK TEETH 57. HANDS LIKE HOUSES 58. ON THE ROAD FESTIVALS 60. DOWNLOAD VS THE INTERNET 62. TONIGHT ALIVE

Editor: Stephen Ackroyd (stephen@upsetmagazine.com) Deputy Editor: Victoria Sinden (viki@upsetmagazine.com) Assistant Editor: Ali Shutler (ali@upsetmagazine.com) Contributors: Adam Elmakias, Amie Kingswell, Doug Elliott, Emily Pilbeam, Emma Matthews, Emma Swann, Giles Bidder, Heather McDaid, Jack Glasscock, Jade Curson, Jade Esson, James Fox, Jasleen Dhindsa, Jessica Goodman, Kane Hibberd, Kathryn Black, Kristy Diaz, Sarah Louise Bennett, Steven Loftin All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of Upset. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which Upset holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Upset or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally.

P U B L I S H E D F RO M

THE BUNKER W E LCO M E TOT H E B U N K E R.CO M

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RIOT

E V E RY T H I N G H A P P E N I N G I N RO C K

ALL TIME HIGH A L L T I M E L O W, G O O D C H A R L O T T E A N D A G A I N S T T H E C U R R E N T J O I N FO RC ES TO STO RM T H E U K . W E CAU G H T U P W I T H O N E O F T H E A R E N A T O U R S O F T H E Y E A R AT L O N D O N ’ S O 2 .

WORDS: ALI SHUTLER PH OTOS: SA R A H LOU I SE B E N N ET T &

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A DA M E L M A K I AS

onight is a big deal for All Time Low. A year after their run around arenas with You Me At Six, they’ve returned to London’s O2 Arena as headliners in their own right. Bringing fireworks, flames and their own runway with them, the band are aware that this tour could mark the start of a new chapter for All Time Low but none of that future promise gets in the way of the all-and-out delight the band find in the now. Even on the biggest stages, All Time Low are the same goofy kids they’ve always been and their wideeyed delight is infectious.

It’s a feeling mirrored from the off.

As Where The Wild Things Are is narrated across the room, Against The Current bound onto the stage and, despite the thankless task of opening the show, instantly look at home in the massive surroundings.

Kicking into ‘Running With The Wild Things’, it doesn’t take long for Chrissy Costanza to march down the runway as Dan Gow switches from right to left and back again and Will Ferri finds time to toy with his drumsticks, making the whole affair look effortless. The band have no right to sound this good, considering the time, the alien 4 upsetmagazine.com

surroundings and the unfamiliar crowd - but the likes of ‘Talk’, ‘Dreaming Alone’ and the recent charge of ‘Outsiders’ are made for grander things. The band sound polished but their ramshackle enthusiasm shines through. New track ‘Forget Me Now’ is even bigger, capturing the swagger of Foo Fighters’ ‘Walk’ while the band’s message, “We’ve felt like outsiders our whole lives. Being an outsider and taking an unconventional path is why we’re up here tonight,” resonates with the ever-expanding crowd. It’d be crass to suggest that Against The Current will be one day headlining venues like this, but there’s something undeniably special about the three-piece and, given the space,

If Alex can’t do the synchronised jumping thing, we’re sure Charlie is looking for another band.

they shine.

Tonight is Good Charlotte’s third show in as many years but from the opening montage of ‘A New Beginning’, it’s like the band has never been away. The likes of ‘The Anthem’ and ‘My Bloody Valentine’ still pack a punch while comeback track ‘Makeshift Love’ stands tall amongst their impressive back catalogue. Despite the weight of their history, the band still takes the time to welcome the newcomers. That sense of inclusion has always been at the heart of Good Charlotte and tonight, the underdogs are victorious.

From the promise that the band will “teach you about life and shit”, through ‘Dance Floor Anthem’s dedication to Jessie J (“We call her Jessica”) to the closing riot of ‘Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous’ alongside the demand “We want to see the biggest pop-punk mosh-pit the O2 Arena has ever seen”: for forty-minutes, tonight belongs to Good Charlotte.

“Alex, this might be the best night of my life,” offers Jack Barakat midway through tonight’s headline set. “No shit,” comes the reply. From the explosive opening of ‘Kids In The Dark’, the band set out to make this the greatest All Time Low show ever and eighteen songs later, there’s a good chance they’ve succeeded.

The band’s ‘Future Hearts’ album was written with the confidence, skill and desire for evenings like tonight and, brought to life, that blue-sky dreaming comes good.

All Time Low sound incredible but it’s not at expense of their playground antics with Alex and Jack bouncing off one another in song and in-between. There are moments of calm set alongside the reckless chaos with an acoustic ‘Therapy’ dedicated to “anyone who struggled with addiction. There is a way through. There is hope,” but for the most part, it’s silly business as usual.

Over a decade in the game and All Time Low are still reaching new heights but at no point during their two hour set do the band look like they’re reaching. There’s a comfort

B A C K S TA G E W I T H . . .

AGAINST THE CURRENT in the grandeur of tonight. “This is a dream come true,” the band offer. As the triple-threat encore of ‘Weightless’, ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ and ‘Dear Maria, Count Me In’ round off the evening, it’s not one that they’re going to be waking up from anytime soon. This is All Time Low at an all time high. The outsiders have taken over The O2 and they’ve never looked more at home. P

IN THE DEPTHS OF THE O2 A RE N A , W E CAU G H T U P W I T H AGA I N ST T H E C U R R E N T T O TA L K ‘ I N OUR BONES’, THEIR EUROPEAN HEADLINE RU N A N D TOU RI N G W ITH ALL TIME LOW AND GOOD C H A RLOT TE.

It’s been a few months since your last tour, how are you settling into life back on the road?

Dan: The first day was rough but we’re coming together here. There were a few little things the first day, but…

Will: You’ve got to get back on the horse, get that muscle memory back.

You’re first on tonight, what do you want people to take away from your set?

Chrissy: Hopefully after the show they want to go look us up, want to check us out and know more about us.

That’s ultimately the goal, just to win them over.

You’re touring with All Time Low and Good Charlotte, are you hoping to pick up a few tricks?

Will: All the tricks.

Chrissy: We were just at lunch and Benji from Good Charlotte came over.

He sat down and kept talking to us about all these things and it was really interesting to hear, especially

N K ! um H ReRCurrent’s aclboming.

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from someone like him. There are a lot of bands that are big right now but they’ve been in it for so long, they really know the ropes and have seen the industry change over the years.

Will: Both these bands are definitely huge influences and reasons why I play music today, especially Good Charlotte. I’ve had their poster on my wall since I was like, 5 years old ‘cause I got into them through my brothers and sisters. It’s kinda surreal playing and hanging out with them.

Do you approach these support slots differently to a headline show?

Dan: Musically there’s more to the headline shows, there’s production and we run the show but we go into every show with the same amount of effort and make them the best shows they can be.

Chrissy: Even the fans we already have, we want them to have the best show they can possibly have so they come back, and keep staying with us.

And you’ve mentioned that you’ll be playing some new songs on your ‘Running With The Wild Things’ headline run?

Chrissy: Yeah, we’ll be playing five new ones including ‘Outsiders’, ‘Running With The Wild Things’ and ‘Forget Me Now’ which we played for the first time last night. It was awesome.

Any worries about people filming the unreleased songs and putting them

online?

Chrissy: No, if we were worried about it, we just wouldn’t play them. Ultimately, it’s going to sound different on record. You’re not going to get the same effect on the recording and honestly, when we started playing ‘Outsiders’ before it was released, people would put it online and the crowd would know the words already even though it isn’t out yet. That’s such a great feeling. It means they’re making the effort, they want as much as possible and we can’t complain about that.

can do what you want.

Yeah, it almost seems like a follow-up to ‘Outsiders’.

Will: That was the goal when we were trying to pick the next song to put out.

That was a big thing and that one felt right, it’s the next call to arms.

Chrissy: ‘Outsiders’ was definitely a great transition from the ‘Gravity’ EP. ‘. ..Wild Things’ is a big statement.

‘Outsiders’ is a little smoother so we put that out first and now it’s like, this is it. Here we go.

And your album now has a title and a release date. Where did ‘In Our Bones’ come from?

Chrissy: ‘In Our Bones’ is one of the songs on the record but it’s two different things, the meaning of that song and the meaning for the album title. We just feel like, in our bones, this is what we do. This is what fuels us. This is what runs through our veins. This is what we do and it’s something we weren’t taught.

Obviously we picked up tips and tricks along the way but the general principle, we weren’t taught. This is just what comes naturally to us; it’s in our bones.

Obviously you’re playing the O2 Arena later tonight. Do you think one day you’ll be headlining venues like this?

Chrissy: Oh yeah, for sure.

Dan: That’d be awesome.

Chrissy: I have the mentality that if you say ‘I’m going to do it’, then you will do it. That’s my mentality so if people say ‘Do you hope that one day you’re headlining arenas?’ I’m like ‘Nah, I don’t hope it. I know it.’ We’re going to do it.” P

You released ‘Running With The Wild Things’ recently. What inspired that track?

Chrissy: It’s just your typical angsty, ‘we’re LI STENIN G POST not going to follow the same standards and meet that status quo’ type of song.

There’s the line “the standardisation of RUNNING WITH THE WILD the masses” and we don’t want to be THINGS standardised. We If Against The Current’s currency is gigantic pop rock are who we are and bangers, the much hyped three piece are already sitting that’s kinda it. That’s on Fort Knox. Well before the release of their debut what we were trying album ‘In Our Bones’, their latest may well just be the to inspire in our fans. solid gold bullet we’ve been waiting for. Infectious, This is the more immediate, loud and defiant - Against The Current sound angsty approach to like an arena-headlining band in waiting.

‘Outsiders’ which is Listen now on upsetmagazine.com. you don’t have to follow the path, you

AGAINST THE CURRENT

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be ve fin se yo In ca Busted ha going to he e is ars li e r e b a p y h p a a M .C lbum year. from new a y boy this apacitor a a bus that flux c eter. Just P s need eighbour haz. his n hought, C t

Oh. Nevermind. He found one. (See page 5 - Ed)

DEAD MEN WALKING

F

rom Busted, Brigade and Fightstar to More Dangerous Animals, Union Sound Set and beyond, the Simpson brothers are involved in a very different mix of musical projects.

Despite their busy schedules Edd, Will and Charlie, alongside old friend Simon Britcliffe, have formed a new band and it sees all four somehow breaking new ground.

Once Upon A Dead Man was only unveiled last month but it’s been on the cards for “a couple of years properly and in our minds for a lot longer,” explains Edd. “It’s been difficult to make it a more regular commitment, but a couple of years ago we said ‘right, let’s get together at least once a month and try and make some progress’.”

The result is ‘Concepts and Phenomena’, a jagged, buoyant and beautiful six-track EP. Written in Simon’s kitchen and Charlie’s loft, the record came together in “fits and starts” with no one having a defined role. “Everyone was bringing ideas in, it’s been a really organic process so to finally be here with the EP is really exciting.”

This group have a long and winding 8 upsetmagazine.com

history of playing music together. Once Upon A Dead Man sees them finally put it to tape. “It’s always been an intrigue whether we could do anything together that was any good. It’s lovely to have done it, to have taken time over it and made music that we’re all really proud of.”

The only criteria for the band was that it had to be different to anything they’ve ever done before, explains Edd. “We didn’t want it to sound like a Charlie, Edd, Will or Simon record. It took a long time to come to a place where we liked what we were doing and felt like we’d achieved what we set out to achieve in terms of finding something none of us had done before.”

“WE’D ALL LOVE IT TO BE THE START OF SOMETHING BIGGER.”

SI M PSO N S ASSE M B L E! E D D, WILL AND CHARLIE (PLUS T H E I R M AT E S I M O N ) H AV E JOINED FORCES. WORDS: ALI SHUTLER

All four members have loved all their new bandmates in their respective projects, but it “was challenging because there are times where you don’t agree and you think, actually these relationships are quite special and you don’t want to do anything to the detriment of them. It never got to that point but there’s that added pressure of the relationships being more important than the music.”

For all the risk, there’s also massive reward in Once Upon A Dead Man exploring their relationship through music. Will and Edd joined Charlie onstage during Fightstar’s recent gig in Manchester to play ‘Mono’ and “that was amazing. There is something incredibly special about it.”

With the band members in no danger of drifting away from each other (“I have to see those bastards all the time”), the release of ‘Concepts and Phenomena’ in a few weeks isn’t the end of their journey. It’s hopefully just the beginning. “I think we’d all love it to be the start of something bigger.” P Read more on upsetmagazine.com.

Once Upon A Dead Man’s debut EP ‘Concepts and Phenomena’ is out 1st April.

NEW AND USED

T

his year marks the 15th anniversary since Utah post hardcore band The Used formed. Battling with poverty, homelessness, addiction and death didn’t stop the band from achieving global success with six studio albums and gold and platinum certifications. Frontman Bert McCracken has come a long way since The Used’s bitter start, now residing in Australia with his wife and daughter.

His band have recently embarked upon a four-month long anniversary tour, where the quartet will play their first two albums in full over two nights, reliving the bittersweet memories that made the band who they are today.

And they have new material on the way too, says Bert.

Congratulations on 15 years of The Used! Has it flown by?

Yeah, time is very relative, so a long time and a short time, but so many good memories that we’re in a good place. We’re really happy to be where we’re at right now.

How do you feel when you look back on the self-titled album, and ‘In Love and Death’?

When you’re a teenager life is pretty

2016 I S A Y E A R O F BOTH O L D AND NEW FOR THE USED: A M I L E S T O N E A N N I V E R S A RY, AND WORK ON THEIR NEXT ALBUM.

self-centred, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You’re young and growing up and discovering who you are. I find so much more deeper meaning in them now, like ‘The Taste of Ink’ was about getting out of Orem, Utah and wanting to be a band. Having that dream realised, the song to me is now more about freedom and learning to live with what life hands you.

A lot of bands seem to dislike nostalgia, but you seem to really enjoy it.

I think there’s a big part of an artist that wants to celebrate new material.

People are so enthusiastic about old material, like “I love your first record!”

It kind of comes as a back handed compliment, like “I just put a record out three months ago!” I think a lot of bands get caught up in the moment and a little bit of pride and ego.

We’re trying to throw all of that away, and celebrate what exactly The Used is.

Recently you said that you’re working on new music, what can you tell us about it?

We love making songs that are listenable in a way that grows on you, and then it gets stuck in your head. We’re trying to make that kind of music for ourselves because I’m desperate for a

record that I need to keep on repeat.

I don’t have one, there’s songs from records that come out lately that I love, it’s mostly kind of pop music, but I love a good melody. I’m trying to create some kind of touching melodies, the ones that kind of break your heart instantly and give you goosebumps.

So is it sounding softer in comparison to your other records?

I guess soft is a really kind of nonapproachable word, but we do kind of write soft, tender, colourful, slower feelings… The Used have always been a horse of many colours, and it’s got a lot of really upbeat and downbeat times. The one thing people can expect is for it to sound a totally different level of real.

After the tour and the album do you have any other plans?

We have a good start on a good group of songs, so hopefully we have enough to have another writing session and then jump in the studio. Hopefully we’ll get something out at the beginning of next year. P

B-DAY WISHES This month The World Is A Beautiful Place release a brand new 7”, ‘Long Live Happy Birthday’. “They were actually written and recorded a while before [recent album] ‘Harmlessness’,” says guitarist Derrick ShanholtzerDvorak of the songs featured. “We have a large amount of unreleased material. Some of it recorded and not quite finished. We are constantly writing and demoing new material so I wouldn’t think of anything belonging to a specific period. Just a weird blob rolling down a grass hill slowly and grossing everyone out. No idea where it begins and ends, but very apparent where it leaves slime and kills flowers.” P

WORDS: JASLEEN DHINDSA.

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REAL FRIENDS IN THE STUDIO WITH...

A

cryptic status update on the Facebook page of US pop-punks, Real Friends, appeared on 26th January: “Soon.” Whispers began circulating (as they usually do) that they were up to something. More tweets began appearing. A video uploaded by their label, Fearless Records said to expect something from Real Friends in 2016.

And apparently it would be soon.

“Writing writing writing.”

“We’ve been a band for five years now,” bassist Kyle Fasel explains, “and it feels like we approached this next record knowing who we are as a band and we just went with it. It was like, let’s just write what comes out and this is what Real Friends is, you know?’” The band began in 2010 and have since produced six EPs as well as their full length ‘Maybe This Place Is The Same and We’re Just Changing’ in 2014. The songwriting was fast, producing one after the other in quick succession. This time, they decided to take some breathing space while

10 upsetmagazine.com

ILLINOIS FIVE-PIECE REAL FRIENDS ARE COOKING UP THEIR SECOND ALBUM. WORDS: JADE ESSON

writing. Heading out on tour allowed them time to digest new material for a couple of months so that when the band returned to the music, it was with “fresh ears”.

For the first time the band experienced pre-production, and they praise the way that producer, Steve Evetts, dissected their work and allowed them to see a different perspective to the songs. “He really helped us see relationships between certain things in the songs that we didn’t even think of, like how changing the kick and snare in the drum pattern can affect how hard the chorus hits you” says Kyle. “All the songs we went back to changed tremendously from what they were when we started”. Vocalist Dan Lambton adds that working with Steve “definitely helped get the best performances out of everyone and with what we want to do with this record.”

One thing that both talk passionately about is how the dynamic within the music have been affected by their songwriting. They cite one track in

particular, tentatively titled ‘Cinnamon Apple Crisp’. Kyle describes it as going “through different vibes, whereas before one song would have one feeling or emotion. No one will know what song we’re talking about when this comes out though, because it won’t be called ‘Cinnamon Apple Crisp’,” he laughs.

Another feature on this album that pushes Real Friends forward from their previous releases is the addition of lyrics being written by Dan - in the past only Kyle had been responsible for them. “It’s been really cool and exciting for me, because it’s something that’s a little different. In the past I kinda knew what’s coming, so it’s been more of a surprise and that’s really cool. Our lyrics blend well together - they’re not night and day,” Kyle enthuses, before concluding that “lyrically this album is a much better balance than past releases for sure.”

As well as working hard on the songwriting, Dan explains how he’s been working on improving his

NEED TO KNOW...

FROM PVRIS WITH LOVE

Our favourite monochrome three piece are set to release a deluxe edition of their debut album ‘White Noise’ this April. After completing a video for every track on the record, the package will come with two new tracks - the brilliant ‘You and I’ (see Tracks of the Month on page 49 - Ed) and ‘Empty’. performances to ensure the new songs sound the best they can. “I’ve been trying to vary my vocal performances to take advantage of the softer aspects of my voice that I haven’t taken advantage of in the past. If the songs feel more intimate, I need to convey that in my performance.”

Looking at the overall themes or messages of the album, Kyle feels that it’s simply the band falling naturally into the next stage of Real Friends. Dan muses over his concept of the album, stating: “You have this picture-perfect idea in your teens about what you want to do with your life and how your relationships with certain people are going to be, and then growing up and realising that it’s not at all how things work out. You can have this perfect life and be doing what you want to be doing, but there are gonna be certain things that aren’t how you visualised them. Certain people you look up to aren’t this grand monument, they’re just people like you. It’s seeing your perceptions of reality versus what it really is.”

In the meantime, they’ll be heading out on a tour of non-traditional venues, such as skate shops, retail stores and even batting cages in the States that they’ve named “the $5 tour”, with entry to each show costing - you guessed it - a mere $5. Kyle explains that the tour is very important to the band in that it almost takes them back to where they started. “It’s a reminder to ourselves

and the fans to just have fun with it. It’s also cool to mix it up and give people shows at a venue they wouldn’t normally go to.” Too true, Kyle. He points out some of the reasons Real Friends love to tour outside the US. “When you go far away and people really care about your music, it’s a really cool experience for us and we want to experience that more.”

DON’T PANIC

Frightened Rabbit are back and they’re bringing a new album with them. ‘Painting Of A Panic Attack‘ was produced by The National‘s Aaron Dessner and is out on 8th April. “Great songwriters touch a nerve, and I think Scott [Hutchison, vocals] really touches a nerve with these songs. This album is a step above anything he’s written before,” ventures Dessner.

COMING SOON

Twin Atlantic only released ‘Great Divide‘ at the tail end of 2014 but they’re already in the studio, working on a follow-up. “It’s probably our quickest turnaround on a new album,” frontman Sam McTrusty told BBC Radio 1. “It’s probably our heaviest record so far. It’s a lot more visceral and a lot more in your face. It definitely makes us feel like we’ve reinvented something in rock music.”

Dan continues.

“Music can transcend language barriers, like it doesn’t matter if you speak German or Dutch or French we come here and people give enough of a shit about the music to not care that it’s not in their native tongue, they still attach themselves to it and care about it just as much as any kid in the US. No matter where you are everybody can appreciate it, and we all come together. We heard from some kids in Japan that they would use our music and the music of our peers who spoke English to help them get a basic grasp of the language and that was so

fucking cool. I can’t put it into words other than it breaks all barriers, and shows that we all have a lot more in common than we might otherwise believe.”

2016 certainly looks full and exciting so far for the band. Following their $5 tour of the States, Real Friends will also be heading back to the UK for Slam Dunk in May, alongside Panic! At The Disco, Yellowcard and Mayday Parade.

And as for that album? “Soon.” P

ABOU T TO

BREAK

THE BEST NEW BANDS TH E H OT TEST NEW MUSIC

THE

GOSPEL YOUTH

B RI G HTO N-BASE D BA N D TH E

G O S P E L Y O U T H H AV E A N I N T E R E S T I N G T W E LV E MONTHS AHEAD OF THEM.

W

W O R D S : H E AT H E R M C D A I D .

hat happens when you’ve got a story to tell, and a dedication to doing so?

doing just that. The rise has been stark, their ambition clear, so as they stand at the edge of their latest project, it’s a fine time to chat to vocalist Sam Little about the road of the Gospel Youth.

Well, in the case of the Gospel Youth, after launching debut single ‘Kids’ in 2014, have shared stages with the likes of Mallory Knox, Deaf Havana and We Are The Ocean and are now embarking on a single-per-month challenge across 2016.

Let’s begin with the journey from ‘Kids’ to today. “It’s been a lot of fun,” Sam admits. “We’ve had a really good reaction to a lot of stuff. We had a bit of an issue with drummers but in terms of the members we’re in a good place now and we’re really happy to push forward to 2016.”

There’s almost a sense of inevitability when bands who lay it out there in songs connect with others and start to reach new people, and their self-dubbed “pop rock with a bit of soul” seems to be 12 upsetmagazine.com

As for the momentum, he adds, “I think we kind of just got lucky in a way. We’ve all been in bands before, The Auteur, Fleeing From Finales. We’ve all, I guess,

already earned our stripes from different places. So for us when we came together and started writing songs we already had, unbeknownst to us, a bunch of people who were already willing to listen and to share it. I guess we just got lucky.”

That sense of support from the start has been part of the band’s self-imposed musical challenge, with support of crowdfunding from those who have helped them get here, and anyone who’d like to jump in for the ride. They’ve opted to write and release a single for each of the remaining months of the year, starting with a ‘Resolutions’ / ‘DST’ double single in February. “I personally think it’s the best thing we have ever

“ W E WA N T T O M A K E M U S I C B E C A U S E W E H AV E S T O R I E S T O T E L L . ” - SAM LITTLE

“A single every month. Yeah. Good one!”

done,” Sam notes. “We have kind of found ourselves and the sound that we want.

We have found how we want to be doing things.

“With the double release, the idea is that we are going to be releasing a song every month for the next twelve months as almost a singles club, but a bit more interesting. They will kind of work like chapters. Each one’s going to be how a chapter of my life is.”

Crowdfunding isn’t new, but it remains an effective way of allowing bands like them to really take control of their music and work closely with their fans. It offers a freedom many other routes wouldn’t allow, and an experience they’re happy to remain flexible over. “There is the element of if ‘it goes up in flames, we will have to change something’!” says Sam. “But as far as it goes, we have got the opportunity to constantly change it and work with what people want. If we can offer more then we will offer more.”

The impact this approach has could dictate the route the band take from here on in - when your main goal is to make the music you want to make for people who want to hear it, the world of crowdfunding is your oyster. “It’s one of the reasons why we wanted to try it. As much as having a label is cool, for us we want it to be as skilful as we can.

“We don’t want to make music because we want to make money, or want to be known in every house in the UK. It’s because we’ve got stories to tell and we have been through things that, if they help out other people, that’s awesome.

At the same time, I guess it’s for my own sanity; it’s a way that we can give back to the people who actually share - we can really look after the people who really believe in this as much as we do.”

For the next year, what they are all about is documenting a musical journey of experimentation, taking life as it comes and then slapping it on a track. “Last

FACT FILE Band members: Samuel Little, Julian Bowen, Kev Deverick, Tom Aylott and Kurt Reynolds Hometown: Brighton (UK) Formed: 2014 Signed To: Speaking Tongues

year, I had a really bad stint of mental health and this is like an anniversary of getting through this last year. That’s what the start of this is about, and the opportunities from it.” There are also a lot of plans to tour, many of which remain under wraps. “We are basically just going to do as much as we can, try and get to as many places as possible play as much music as we can - tell all the stories that we have got.” P

ABOU T

THE BEST

BRE AK

TH E H OT TEST

TO

NEW BANDS NEW MUSIC

“W

e tried to be a doom band at the start but we fluffed that up a bit really,” laughs Swerve’s vocalist Mike Ball (no, not that one). Formed from the ashes of a hardcore band in the summer of 2013, Mike, alongside Liam Conroy, Ross Burns and Dylan Glenny came together with the shared desire “to mellow out a bit.”

“It’s a bit more palatable for my mum than the stuff I’ve done previously but yeah, it’s generally just a good atmosphere,” he explains of his new band. “We get together; have fun and just mess about. Sometimes songs come out, and sometimes they don’t.” Their

levelheaded approach is a doubleedged sword as sometimes “it can be a bit counterproductive. If you’ve got a two hour practice booked out and you end up playing some afro-beat rhythm for half the time, it’s not great.“ While their productivity might be a bit hit or miss, the end results are bang on target. After releasing a string of standalone singles, the band recently unleashed their first proper body of work in the form of a four-track self-titled EP. Released through their own Modern Needs Records, the EP soundtracks a band harnessing an anything-goes approach and wrapping it around gnarled moments of luscious escape.

Writing the tracks over a few months, the release was the result

of “just wanting to get something out there. We recorded the songs but didn’t know what to do with them. It made sense to just pool our resources and make it happen as a record because it just works together as a record,” explains Mike.

“They’re not all the same but it has a unifying element in there that I can’t really put my finger on. The stuff we’ve written since stands apart from them. ‘Swerve’ was just something to aim for really.”

There’s a swirling, spacious quality to ‘Swerve’ but before you drift too far in one direction, the lurking undercurrent forces a change.

From the buoyant ‘Afterglow’ to the swaggering, behind the head guitar solo of ‘Blue Sunset’, it’s a hypnotic, eclectic journey formed around “a literal mish mash” of everything the band listen to. “There’s obviously the shoegaze element and we’re just trying to mix things up by putting those solos in. I was listening to a lot of The Doobie

SWERVE W E L C O M E T O S W E RV E C I T Y.

WORDS: ALI SHUTLER.

Brothers, wigging out a little bit and I thought it would give the songs another element. The trick is to not be so outwardly verbose with it.”

Learning to communicate through song is a skill the band is fully embracing. Cathartic lyrics see Mike, “trying to be general but at the same time, be focused and put across one idea. I wanted to pin down relatable issues. I think a lot of it was about depression and anxiety and using that as a way of getting it out,” while the live show has streamlined their message.

“When we first got together I’d record guitars on guitars on guitars and we wouldn’t be able to even think about playing it live. Learning when to set the limit live has been really helpful in making more concise music.” Approaching ‘Swerve’ from a slightly different angle, the band spent more time thinking “about what serves the songs.”

to be something people listen to once. I want it to be worth a repeat listen.” In fact the only nerves come from the fact Mike’s bedroom is currently full of boxes of the record.

Swerve set up their own label Modern Needs Records to release their debut EP but “it’s not going to be the only thing we put out and we’re not going to be the only band on it. We were talking about doing a label before and the stars just aligned for us to do it now, both financially and with the material. It just made perfect sense.”

Despite the label being in its very early stages, it’s already changed how the band looks at the world.

“I’ve never thought about how to market your product before so it’s just understanding the cogs in the machine. The term business is really

loose but we basically never used to practice. We used to play shows and sound terrible. We’re getting together more regularly now.”

“I wouldn’t want to say we’re going for it more now but it has given us this focus. When you’re throwing songs into the ether, it’s not tangible.” The label “makes everything a lot more tangible and that gives us the backing. It’s not all front; we’ve got this record now.

We’ve got this collection of songs you can listen to and it feels like it’s all come together.” The band doesn’t have “massive aspirations” for either undertaking. They want to play a few more shows out of their Birmingham hometown, sell as many records as possible and have people enjoy it. “That’s what it’s all about. We’re going to see what’s what. We’re trying to write the best songs we can and if we get the opportunity to chuck in a wiggly solo, I’m happy.” P

Despite ‘Swerve’ being the band’s first proper release, they’re not worried about how people will take it. “I’d like people to listen to the record, dig the sounds and everything at first and then maybe revisit it and listen to what the lyrics are saying. I don’t want it

“Make a Michael Ball joke,” they said. A joke about a former Everton full back?

Humour; the Baines of our lives.

“ I T ’ S N OT A L L F R O N T. W E ’ VE G OT TH I S R E C O R D N O W. ” - MIKE BALL

FACT FILE Band members: Mike Ball, Liam Conroy, Ross Burns, Dylan Glenny Hometown: Birmingham (UK) Formed: 2013 Signed To: Modern Needs Records

TO N I G H T A L I V E A RE RE AC H I N G FO R TH E S K Y. WO RDS : A L I S H U T L E R .

P H OTOS : K A N E H I B B E RD.

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onight Alive are going to change the world,” starts Whakaio Taahi. “Everyone who leaves one of our shows is going to walk away and live a positive life.” After the longest break in Tonight Alive’s eight-year history, Jenna McDougall, Cam Adler, Matt Best, Jake Hardy and Whakaio are back with third album ‘Limitless’. Bold, daring and provocative, it sees the band put their positivity front and centre. In a few hours they’ll take to the stage of Barcelona’s Sala Apolo for the second date of a world tour (and somehow, their first show in the city). Halfway through the show Jenna McDougall asks the audience to put their phones away so she can speak to them directly. “You always have a say,” she tells the room. “Say it with me, ‘I always have a say’,” and the crowd follows her lead. It’s moving stuff. Leaning down to someone in the front row, Jenna asks for the Spanish translation to make sure everyone gets the message and before she’s had a chance to stand back up, the entire room is chanting “Siempre tengo algo quei decir.”

everything holding them back.

From their scrappy debut EP that offered ‘All Shapes & Disguises’, through the buoyant cry of ‘What Are You So Scared Of?’, and out ‘The Other Side’, Tonight Alive have always come loaded with reassuring messages of hope.

However, it’s on ‘Limitless’ that they finally cut the ties of

“I just want people to fucking hear it,” explains Whakaio from their dressing room. “I want people to understand what we’re trying to do.” Lifted from the album, there’s a worry the singles don’t make sense yet because of how removed they are from people’s expectations. “That’s frustrating and I’m an impatient person anyway,” he ventures. “I think people will understand when they have the whole album. We were very finished with ‘The Other Side’. We were very finished with what the band was at the time so this has been a complete rebirth of us, of

what we want to do as people and as what we want Tonight Alive to stand for. It’s such a progression.”

The band didn’t set out with a rebirth in mind though. Work began on their third album pretty much as soon as ‘The Other Side’ was recorded so within a month of that touring cycle winding down, Jenna and Whakaio went to a cabin just north of Sydney.

They wrote fourteen songs they believed would be their new album and when they showed the rest of the band, everyone agreed “this is great.”

They showed the “really punk rock” record to one of their team and the question was raised, “this is really good, but do you just want to do the same thing again?” “Jenna and I just looked at each other. Fuck.”

This sent Jenna and Whakaio “on this two year journey” that saw the pair engaged in numerous writing sessions.

“We started to broaden our horizons.

Jenna and I write everything together and if we don’t get an outside view, we’re just going to keep doing the same thing. How else do you learn?”

They went in with the approach that “maybe we won’t use this song but maybe we’ll learn something from this person. When we would write together after a trip, we’d always write an awesome song.”

“We got angry, but we got angry in-between ‘The Other Side’ and ‘Limitless’. We got angry on those songs that never made it onto the record,” explains Jenna. “There’s a heap of lyrics that I had to write. I went through my own self-therapy with things I was pissed off about.”

Listing the music industry, business fuck-ups and the world at large, Jenna was left with a choice. “Am I going to write about that and put that negative energy out into the world or not? I don’t want to live like that. I wanted to write a Rage Against The Machine album with Alanis Morissette vocals and that would have easily made me so happy, but that wasn’t the path for the band.”

It’s not a new perspective that’s given Tonight Alive this new direction. It’s the five-piece giving in to themselves.

“The reason it’s different is because we’re being true to ourselves. Let’s stop being afraid of everything we were writing, because we wrote heaps of stuff that didn’t make sense at the

19

start,” starts Jenna, before Whakaio adds, “We’ve always written songs that have been discarded because it wasn’t Tonight Alive. There were songs for ‘What Are You So Scared Of?’ and even the first EP that were left because we said ’this isn’t Tonight Alive’.”

“Who are we to say what Tonight Alive is and who are our fans to say that,” reasons Jenna. “It is what it is and we have to stop controlling that. We have to forget the word control even exists because you don’t have control. Just let it be what it will be.

In a lot of ways we wrote the record, but it also wrote itself. It was almost like this being that resisted every time we tried to say no or yes.

The record made the

rules, we didn’t.”

‘Limitless’ is the sound of a band fully realising who they are. In order to do that though, they first had to understand “what we were and why we were important to other people.”

The band asked, “what was it about our album that made all those people sing along and connect to it as they did? Once we figured out it was what Jenna was saying and the message she was portraying, we wanted to facilitate it in a way that more people could understand. I think with having drums and screaming guitars, it really allocates that towards a smaller group.

Now, anyone can listen to it and get Jenna’s message. They can understand it, not be afraid of it and accept it.”

There was a quest for space.

Inspired by a conversation with David Bendeth during a writing session that ended up with both Jenna and Whakaio “crying and trying to realise what we were doing,” the band swapped guitar for piano during the creative process and suddenly “everything became better and more inspiring.” This in turn led to Whakaio exploring his love for movie scores, in particular Hans Zimmers’ grand minimalism. “All the parts were so simple and so small but it sounded huge. To make something simple but still make it sound engaging and constant is the hardest thing in the world but that’s where my mindset was at the time. They were big influences, the small simple sounds.”

“But they each had their own voice,” continues Jenna. “They weren’t competing with each other and everything sounded very characteristic but theatrical.”

This considered space allows each moment of ‘Limitless’ to breathe, gifting it room to soar. Everything ended up in its right place, including the band.

“It was a journey of constant selfreflection,” Whakaio says of the past few years. “The hardest thing in the world is to look at yourself and say ‘my best isn’t good enough’ and then ‘what am I going to do about that?’”

“And be ok with that,” adds Jenna.

“Not complacent but accepting, then creating a solution.”

That desire to be better is obvious on lead single ‘Human Interaction’, but it’s a message that goes right back to the band’s roots. “That’s what brought us all

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together as people,” starts Jenna. “My friendship with Kyle and Cameron was based on that attitude they taught me as a 14-year-old. You’re lost but we don’t feel sorry for you. ‘How are you going to change your situation?’ That was really tough love as a teenager but that’s what we’ve built everything on. That’s why our songs constantly talk about that.”

Those relationships within Tonight Alive meant there was absolutely no resistance or hesitations about the band’s new direction and “that was a huge thing for us. Jenna and I were going off, doing all this stuff and growing but we would come home and they would all be so excited about where we were going. To have their support was really important.”

It also helped once they returned to David Bendeth to record the album.

“I love reflecting on that time,” offers Jenna. “There were so many painful moments, a lot of it was just unpleasant but big things happened every day. Realisations happened every day. It was exhausting how emotional it was because every day mattered. It really levelled you. It was intense but even just the lifestyle we had in New Jersey, I loved it.” The band lived in a family home, had their own car and every morning started with the band cooking before they went to the studio. Their time recording was less idyllic though.

“You can’t understand how hard it was to constantly beat yourself down in that place,” explains Whakaio.

“Twelve to fifteen hours of feeling like you’re not good enough and it was so emotionally and physically draining.

So many times we’d drive home and no one would speak.” Once back at base though everyone would chill out, smoke weed, eat vegan ice cream and watch videos together. ”It was so important that for all of us. What mattered was we were all together.

We just had to centre ourselves before the next day happened.”

to Tonight Alive was each other. “It’s everything,” exclaims Jenna. “The core of the evolution is that we are so solid as a group of people and we all know exactly who we are now. I think it can take until your midlife to realise who you are so we’re really lucky that we’ve had this fast track growing process as people. That’s totally affected our music because anything else would have just been us satisfying our high school, teenage selves or our fans.”

“I want people to take away whatever they need from ‘Limitless’,” Whakaio offers.

“If they need a really emotional thing to help them get through something or if they want something uplifting to help them feel better, I want this record to be that. We’re such bipolar people being Geminis and our album is such a wide spectrum of songs, I really feel like there’s something for everyone no matter what mood they’re in. I hope that they realise that and can take that away.”

empowering record because it allows freedom to find your place with the record, whatever stage in your life, or whatever person you are.”

In order to fully explore the empowering elements of their music, first Jenna had to “find my own sense of power. I really had to look at myself and ask what are my strengths and my weaknesses are. The lyrics are so reflective of where I was at the time, and I never want to feel obliged to help other people, but I do find it really important.

“And in that way, it’s an

“The album wouldn’t have been what it was unless we were really as low as we could go as humans and rise above,” Whakaio adds. “It’s ironic that the songs are so high, elated and stuff like that,” offers Jenna.“I think it takes you hitting the bottom to know what’s important to you and you can hear that in the music.” It turns out what was most important

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promote positivity and healthy living.”

“It’s a different time now,” Whakaio reasons, before Jenna expands, “It’s a time to live consciously and with good intention. Our record is the sonic reflection of that.”

I know it’s really important. I know we’re in a position where we really affect people but the way we do that is by me being honest and true and expressive in that way, so I try not to let anything dictate the direction of the lyrics.”

“It feels good to make a statement.

I want to provoke people. I want to evoke people. I want to challenge them. There are moments in life that you don’t enjoy at the time but you’re so grateful that they happened and it’s pretty cool that we can use our music as that platform.”

From the growing pains explored on ‘The Other Side’, ‘Limitless’ sees Tonight Alive explore “the adults that we’ve become by choice, the lives that

people we want to influence in a positive way. We’ve always been about hard love. We’re not going feel to sorry for someone unless they’re doing literally everything they can.”

No matter how much Tonight Alive grow and evolve, that punk spirit of just going for it rages on. “The whole thing about Tonight Alive is we promote positivity. We want people to be the best that they can be, do what they want and live their lives but we won’t feel sorry for those who don’t take that upon themselves. We hope that with ‘Limitless’ we give them the power to be able to do that. We’ve taken that on ourselves and we’ve got to live what we teach.”

“It’s funny how the rock stars of days gone by would encourage drink, drugs and getting fucked up while Tonight Alive

“Once you become conscious of small decisions you make in your life, like being a vegetarian or understanding your anatomy and ways of controlling your physical and mental health, you start realising you can make conscious changes that affect other people and your environment. Once you become aware, emotionally and energetically, you can become aware of all kinds of things that are huge and unfathomable.” That interconnected worldview is threaded throughout ‘Limitless’ and sees the band address the desire for a global shift in their music for the first time.

“We didn’t want to touch on to those things until we fully comprehended them.” Numerous trips around the world have expanded the band’s view, though, and now they feel comfortable with songs like ‘We Are’, which loudly and proudly declares, “They’re not going to change the world, we are.” It’s a unifying call to arms that reflects the community their live show crafts. The band are still learning but one thing they do understand is the people before them. “We’re not politicians, we don’t understand any of how that fucking shit works and we never will because we don’t think like that. However, we will promote positivity and we will be our own politicians, musically because we are in a position where all these kids are listening to us. What the fuck are we going to say? That song is literally about these kids coming to the show and listening to what Jenna has to say.”

“But you can apply it to any scale you want,” expands Jenna.

“I’m saying, ‘waiting on a miracle, thinking it will save us all’ and, ‘hoping if we close our eyes, we’ll make it all invisible.’ I love those lyrics because we always depend on somebody else to fix our problems. We also turn a blind eye to refugees, animal cruelty, poverty and all these things that don’t directly affect us but people are suffering all

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around us. For me, I don’t feel like I can make a difference physically yet but if I can sorta make a mental and spiritual difference to people in the way that they look at it, then eventually we’ll cause a shift in the way that we think. That’s all I want. I love that I can touch on that idea. I love the idea that our generation has power. The older generation and all the people in power have their own agenda and they’re stuck in an old-fashioned way of thinking. How can we trust the politicians when they are the people who got us into this situation in the first place? I don’t have the answers and I have so many questions.” But that doesn’t mean Jenna is going to stop asking.

The band believe that if you’re in a position of power, no matter how big or small, you have an obligation.

“If you’re in this situation where kids are listening to you, you have a responsibility. Whether you like it or not, you do and we’ve realised that and our responsibility to these kids is to promote a better lifestyle.”

“But I don’t feel obliged. I don’t feel like I have to be a role model and I don’t feel like I have to have responsibility,” interjects Jenna. It would be all too easy to ignore it but with everything, Tonight Alive is built on positive decisions. “It’s always going to be there over your head so I’m going to grab onto it and make something of it. That’s the choice I made and I’m happy for it. That’s how we found music and that’s what we loved about music.

It gave us that sense of belonging and understanding.” It’s not all world views and social politics though. “If it comes down to something really cool, I love when I hear people say they started a band because of you because that, to me, is the biggest compliment in the world. I started a band and I started to play guitar because of the bands I loved. If we can be that for someone, that means the world to us.”

work through.”

“There are so many corners to Tonight Alive,” ventures Whakaio. “Instead of a box, we’re a seven pointed star” - “I like that imagery,” smiles Jenna “and I think that’s because of the people we are.

We like all these different things.”

“That’s what we love about our fanbase. We’re not trendy people. We never had an image that people could attach themselves to. I always felt like we could relate to each other because I was never the cool girl. I always did things to try and fit in but I really like that about fans. They’re just real people who connect to an emotional expression.” It’s an everyone is welcome grounding that Tonight Alive want to

“I used to get really embarrassed about the fact that we weren’t one thing. That I wasn’t one thing,” says Jenna. “’Why can’t I always be pissed off and dressed like a grunge chick from the nineties?’ ‘Why can’t I be this one thing?’ But you’re just not, so stop resisting it. Accept that you have a lot of different things to say, a lot of different emotions to convey and you’ve got a lot of different images to

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expand on with ‘Limitless’. “The album itself is such a huge spectrum and why wouldn’t it be the same in our lives? This is a huge, bold statement but for this record, we just want to start our own genre because where do we sit? Where does Tonight Alive fit in?“ It’s a question they’ve always been asking themselves.

On ‘Limitless’, they have their answer.

From the defiance of ‘To Be Free’, through the shuddering ‘How Does It Feel?’ and upwards with ‘Power Of One’, there’s a sense of discovery.

Taking the unity of ‘We Are’, the closing flourish of ‘The Greatest’ sees the band realising that “I’m happiest when I’m surrounded by the best of my friends and that’s as simple as it gets.”

“That song is a about a handful of different things; finding your purpose in life, being satisfied with simple things, having everything you need and being so confident and grounded in where you are, nothing could ever take away your happiness or your peace of mind. It’s just about becoming, I don’t want to say a solid person but you’re not fragmented.

People can’t come and steal things from you, including your energy.

It’s dynamic and is just about finally being at peace in life, finding your purpose and knowing your importance.”

It’s such a powerful song for the band that, after hearing Matt’s drums under a rough demo of the vocals, they cried. Jenna has “never been moved by percussion before.”

Despite the

exhausting journey the band have been on, they’ve come out the other side ready to change the world. That starts now. “I am already thinking about how it’s going to be next time we’re in the studio and the type of freedom I want to experience in that,” explains Jenna. “When we were making ‘Limitless’ everyone was asking these questions and making these demands of us. Next time I think everyone’s just going to put their hands up in the air and say ‘we trust you. You can do whatever you want to do’. That’s exactly what I want to achieve as an artist.”

“Hopefully we do make another record after this because honestly, for me, if this doesn’t work, then there’s no point in it,” says Whakaio, for “the simple fact we’ve given it absolutely everything we possibly can. If it doesn’t work, I can’t do any better.”

“We’re pretty confident in it though,” reassures Jenna.

“We couldn’t have given it any more. I hope that people can understand that and really latch on to that. They’re good fucking songs. I think it’s the right time for us. We’ve spent so long getting our live show together that if it does take off, we’re ready. We are who we are and we will always give you that. It’s either going to work or it’s not. It’s such a risk.

What we’ve done is so risky, it’s literally make or break.

People are going to like this album or they’re going to fucking hate it.”

a statement and we’re not playing it safe. I love being controversial.

As soon as you don’t play it safe, people will talk but we’re doing this.

This is what we believe in and we’re okay with people not liking it. We’re okay with people having their own opinion.” It’s a record out to provoke yours.

The band never wrote a statement of intent for ‘Limitless’. A friend of the band told them, “Great art doesn’t answer questions, it asks them,” and it’s an idea Tonight Alive have taken to heart. From the reaching image on the front, to the affirming, compelling and emotional messages within, Tonight Alive “want people to look at this and think ‘I feel a human, earthly connection to this’. Where’s my place in this? Am I reaching or am I controlling? Am I lost or am I found?” Across the record’s ten tacks, Tonight Alive explore those questions.

Their journey’s end comes with the realisation that they always have a voice. They can use it to change the world. Now, it’s your turn. P Tonight Alive’s new album ‘Limitless’ is out now.

“I think that’s a really cool metaphor for who you are as a person,” offers Jenna. “I don’t want to be a people pleaser.

I don’t want to go into every situation feeling like I could be friends with that person.”

“If we did the album we wrote at the start, that would have been a people pleaser for the fans we already have,” continues Whakaio.

“But we wouldn’t have reached anyone else with this message.

We’ve taken the risk. We’re making

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WORDS: JASLEEN DHINDSA.

S

eattle surf-poppunk foursome Tacocat are set to release third album ‘Lost Time’ this spring.

It’s their best yet, in part due to the magical ears and fingers of producer Erik Blood, as drummer Lelah Maupin explains. “Recording with Erik was different, I wouldn’t say he was intimidating, but there’s this air about working with him. It was like he was a fifth member of our band with his influence and sound; the album wouldn’t be half as good without him.

It almost makes me feel like a fraud,” she laughs, “I didn’t do anything extra good or special, this other person who is genius, polished what I did into something way better.”

‘Lost Time’ is clearly a record Tacocat are proud of, not just because of the work of Erik, but also in how the band have developed as musicians, nearly a decade in. Yet despite the change, they still manage to be incredibly modest about their success in selfdevelopment. “The songs we’ve written for ‘Lost Time’ are better musically. As far as we’ve come as artists, it’s our best work. Every time we make new songs, I feel like events progress in a way. All the songs were written by us, but Erik definitely had a huge impact, I feel eternally grateful that we got to work with him. I don’t think the album would be as special as it is without him.”

While studio life has been tweaked for Tacocat, the subject matter of their well-loved toe-tapping, hand-clapping, bubblegum punk has shifted too.

“There’s a little bit of a darker tone. Our whole career has been light hearted, funny, and at times ridiculous, but I think this is the only album where there are more serious tones, which is great for us. We just want to grow and change with ourselves.”

Fear not - while doses of ‘serious’ may be found in the lyrics of ‘Lost Time’, the musical influences still happily span the various up-tempo genres of punk and pop alike. “I learned to play drums playing fast punk stuff, and then I tried to expand and become a more dynamic drummer. I was the drummer in this Taylor Swift cover band, it was really

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fun! Learning Taylor Swift songs taught me to play drums in a completely different way, and that comes through on the album for me.”

Lelah’s appreciation for all musical colours and creeds has been something that’s been with her from day one.

“Before Tacocat I wasn’t in a band. I’ve been in bands since, but before that I was a really big wannabe. I’d go to all the shows, and a lot of my friends were musicians or would go on tour, and I’d be like ‘Oh my God! If I could only be like that’. It was like a dream of mine. That was my life. If I could go to Portland and see a cool emo punk show, that was the best thing in the world.”

Her main inspirations are less surprising than the country-turned-pop star though. “My earliest memories of really giving a shit about music was Green Day, Nirvana and Hole. Later on when I was in high school I met Eric [Randall, guitar], and I didn’t really know anything until I met him. He would make me a burn CD every day, he was into emo like Saves The Day and Dashboard Confessional, and all of those bands, but also Devo and The Cars.”

The impact of those quintessential 90s bands have had lasting impacts on not just Leelah, but the other members of Tacocat too, with the band being aptly referred to as ‘90s revivalism’. “I was born in the 90s, and to me it was a really special time… before the internet, it was an innocent, special time, a really strange, angsty time. TLC were huge for me. I still listen to The Cranberries all the time, and I feel like they have a little influence on the album. Bree [McKenna, bass] was really into riot grrl stuff more than the rest of us, like Bikini Kill and Huggy Bear.”

Growing up in the 90s, but more importantly in the often cited grunge capital Seattle, is something very close to Lelah’s heart. “One time I accidentally went to a Macklemore show by myself a couple of years ago. He was doing two nights ago in the KeyArena and Sir-Mix-A-Lot was supporting. I was trying to meet my friends at a theatre in the Seattle Center, they were all going to see The Punk Singer and I got lost.

It was winter so it was really cold, and everyone was going to this show, and I kept getting asked every five minutes if I wanted to buy a ticket. Too much time had gone and I had missed half the movie, and I was freezing cold, so I bought a ticket. The guy selling the tickets sold me a weed brownie too which was cool, so I was really high by myself at the Macklemore show.

Macklemore is huge for Seattle, and is

probably the biggest celebrity to come out of Seattle since Kurt Cobain in the music scene for our city. I was feeling the vibe and thinking, ‘Everyone here is a nerd!’ Seattle is like the nerdiest city: Macklemore’s a nerd, Sir-Mix-A-Lot’s a nerd, and I’m a nerd!

That’s one of the things I love about Seattle, it’s just a city full of really smart nerds.”

But has the Seattle scene always been this way for Lelah?

“Things have definitely changed, the music scene has changed since when we first started playing shows.

There was a lot of bro energy, because we’ve always been at the punk shows with the punk bands. It’s always been really macho and heavy, and people smashing cans on their foreheads. We didn’t really know or care, it was like ‘Let’s all throw beer on each other!’ But now, that’s insane. The scene has shifted, more feminist and less aggro.”

While their home city may have changed since Tacocat first formed, the term still is ridiculed, often misinterpreted as misandry. “I sometimes forget. In my world it’s not, I live in this beautiful bubble where everyone is like ‘Feminism is the most important thing in our community today!’ We should all talk about it and educate each other, I forget that’s how a lot of people see it. There’s still so much education that needs to happen still. I feel like just being in Tacocat, talking about this stuff all the time, is how I got my feminist education. I wasn’t born this way, I’m from a small town in Washington where the word feminism is never used ever. The battle is about teaching people.”

Tacocat are often praised for their fun take on feminist issues. “I don’t see myself as a man hater, I would never yell at anyone, and I’m happy to be part of something I feel is a supporting the right point of view. I don’t ever want to be like ‘This is my opinion, and I’m right

“SeaTtle IS LIKE THE NERDIEST CITY” and you’re wrong’. When we started the band we were never like ‘Hey let’s do this’, it’s kind of what naturally came out of us. If we’re writing songs, what do we feel inspired by? As the years go on we feel like people expect this from us, like we have to write these songs, but that’s not what all of our songs are about.

Theres a lot of people who like Tacocat who are straight identified cisgender males, and I wouldn’t want to alienate those people, and maybe those people are the most important fans of Tacocat.”

And Lelah’s right, tackling feminist issues isn’t just what Tacocat write songs about, and ‘Lost Time’ explores a wider range of issues that aren’t just about cat calling or ‘surfing the crimson wave’. There’s some light-hearted material on the record, a song about girls who love horses which fans can expect the band to play live when they

hit UK shores this May: “We have a horse girl in the band [vocalist Emily Nokes], and she’d go muck stables for free so she could spend time with the horses for free. Everyone knows that girl, she read the horse books, and they usually had long hair and a pony tail and glasses. That song was spearheaded

by Bree and she did not back down.”

Lelah’s favourite tracks on her band’s new record take a more serious tone than the canter beat of ‘Horse Grrls’.

“We recorded ‘The Internet’ on our cell phones and I said to the guys, “This is the song we’re going to play on ‘The Late Night Show’ in the future.” I felt like it was really powerful and a hit. It’s important and topical, internet trolls are the worst people in the world. My other favourite is ‘You Can’t Fire Me, I Quit’. Every time that comes on, I can’t not sing along to it, and I think that’s

really special. It’s the only song that has a nod to country music, and I grew up listening to country. I know what it’s about, and it all makes me feel good inside.”

Good vibes all around then? The serious tones Tacocat explore on their new album are not a sign they’re boring adults now. There’s room for silly tracks like ‘Horse Grrls’, which has been the case for all of their records – it’s just part of their fun loving, down to earth personalities. But that’s ever more the reason to be more conscious on these new songs. Tacocat have matured as songwriters in lyrics and music, and ‘Lost Time’ is filled with tunes that have never been more relatable for their audience. P Tacocat’s new album ‘Lost Time’ is out 1st April.

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GIRL POWER M U N C I E G I RLS A RE D O I N G I T R I G H T.

WO RDS : A L I S H U T L E R .

P H OTOS : E M M A SWA N N .

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don’t know how anyone else does an album but we were perplexed,” admits Lande Hekt. “How do you get this many songs together?”

With a handful of Very Good EPs behind them, Muncie Girls set into the unknown with the goal of creating a full-length. There was no path to follow so the trio had to go their own way. Two years later and ‘From Caplan To Belsize’ is poised for release. Across ten tracks, the band cut to-the-point statements of intent with hopeful doctrines of change and lay them against a backdrop of buoyant punk. The highway isn’t for everyone.

“I’m a little bit nervous about responses but mostly excited,” continues Lande.

“Most people haven’t heard it yet so we’ll literally be finding out if people hate it or not. You never know, we might get hate mail and that is nervewracking.”

“I don’t think I’d mind that much,” says Luke Ellis with a shrug, before Lande double checks, “Hate mail?”

“As in, I honestly don’t care that much.

I’m super happy with the album. I’m proud of it and it’s just cool to get it out there.”

“It’s cool that it’s even happening because it’s been so long since we started writing, then we recorded it and there was a lot of just emailing with nothing really happening,” adds Dean McMullen. Muncie Girls aren’t a band who like to sit waiting for stuff to happen.

The trio grew up in Exeter, and forged bonds over gigs and collectives based at the city’s best-known venue, The Cavern.

Seeing local bands escape the confines of the area to go on tour, they set about following suit. They met more and more like-minded people and “basically just made friends with everyone.” The decision to make the jump from EPs to an album was a natural one with the band “wanting to do it properly rather than just put anything out. I’ve always thought that EPs are easily forgotten about. You think about all your favourite bands who became successful or popular and their EPs, you didn’t know about them. The only way you found them was if you discovered this rare record on Discogs or whatever. A first album is what you remember a band for.

We wanted to be careful about what we were doing and to make sure we liked it as well.”

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The first couple of songs for ‘From Caplan To Belsize’ were written two-anda-half years ago, with the rest following in sporadic bursts. “It wasn’t like, ‘let’s write this song then and by this month we’ll have that song done’,” explains Lande. “It’s finding that balance. Getting songs written in time but not forcing them,” continues Luke. “It becomes this random mix of songs coming out of nowhere over the course of two years.”

Not that you’d know it from listening.

“It’s been challenging to a certain extent.

We’ve enjoyed doing all of it but we’ve put so much into it. It’s taken so much effort. Now it’s finally coming out, there’s a real sense of achievement especially because we’ve done it; just the three of us. We’ve had our highs, we’ve had our lows and now we’re just enjoying it.”

‘From Caplan To Belsize’ is a wonderfully assured record but that’s a reflection of the band as individuals rather than a considered master plan. “We didn’t try and make a certain thing,” ventures Dean. “Lande wrote some songs, we put them together and they came out like that. We didn’t think too much into it.”

After years of playing together, the band just, “carried on from what we were doing before. We all listen to punk rock but our favourite bands are different.

Our musical influences are playing with friends’ bands more than anything else.”

The cohesion across their debut is borne from Muncie Girls’ comfort with one another. It’s felt in every note played and every word spoken.

The lyrics deal with everything from social politics and the state of the current government, to escapism and trying to find your place in the world. It’s a pointed mix but “every song is open to individual interpretation. There are a couple of political songs but mostly it’s personal,” explains Lande. “I wrote ’Nervous’ the year before the most recent general election and it was a total comment on the privatisation of the NHS. I really wanted to write a song where I’d be addressing politicians and David Cameron. That whole thing really upset me and writing a song was the only way to deal with that. I guess things that bother you are going to come out creatively.” Other songs were crafted as streams of consciousness to process the world around her but for the most part, “they just came out of nowhere.”

The political nature of ‘From Caplan to Belsize’, like the recording process and the band’s sound, is just a natural occurrence. “We’d never say bands should talk about certain things because

they have a platform,” starts Luke. “They should be free to do whatever they want because if bands felt like they had to do that, it would feel fake. It just comes out naturally in who we are and what Lande writes about.”

“We’ve never spoken about it. I hope they don’t mind,” she adds with a smile.

“I don’t know if we feel responsible but seeing as we have a certain platform, it’s definitely a good idea [to talk about certain issues],” Lande continues. ”We don’t have to do it and we don’t feel like anyone expects it of us. It’s just something we’re interested in. It’s all things we tend to agree on and they are important things to us, so it makes sense really.”

Despite the heady lyrical content at the heart of the record, it’s not a heavy listen. There’s hope, inspiration and a love for the scene that’s given Muncie Girls a voice. ‘From Caplan To Belsize’ encourages you to use yours.

It’s something the band did speak about because they “didn’t want to bum everyone out. We did try and resolve some of the complaints or moans that we write about. And also those two are positive people,” Lande starts, pointing at Dean and Luke, “So it made sense to put some hope into it.” That message is reflected in the title. Referencing a mental hospital from Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar’, the journey from Caplan to Belsize is one routed in getting better but there still being a way to go.

“I’ve always been a massive fan of songs with heavy lyrical content that sound super poppy and catchy. A lot of Lande’s lyrics, whether they are personal or political, do have serious messages behind them but as soon as we arrange them as a band, it turns out like a pop song,” grins Luke.

“It’s so classic,” sighs Lande. “I write them in my bedroom and it’s like, ‘oh my God, what have I written? This is such a doom anthem. Literally, what’s the point,’ but then I take it to the band and it always completely changes into something listenable.”

For every conversation about the world at large, Muncie Girls’ debut also looks at the band’s place within it. There’s a sense of finding yourself and not being intimidated by that. “With the age that we are, we’ve all felt the pressures of having to grow up. It’s such a privileged kids thing to say but it’s true. It is sometimes hard to find your place in life,” Lande says. “For me, it was a couple of years of not really knowing what I was doing or where I was working and trying to fit it all in. I was just super

confused.”

“We have those problems but it’s relatable to everyone because no matter what age you are, you still have those notions of ‘what the hell am I doing?

Where do I fit in’,” adds Luke before Lande sums it up as “existentialism.”

“Doing this band, we’re poor all the time and it does make you question ‘is there any point in what we’re doing’, but we love doing it so we carry on,” Luke starts. “We all just want to carry on doing it and part of that is probably growing the band a bit cos, y’know,” continues Dean. “It has to, to be able to carry on. We just want to carry on playing music and writing songs.”

“THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE.

IT FEELS RIGHT.”

The band have spoken about their future a lot but they still don’t know what they want to achieve.

“It’s a difficult question because we’re already super happy with our situation. Maintaining that is the priority. Doing bigger shows would be really fun but the shows we do now are really fun. It’s hard to say because we basically just love it. We have the most fun ever so it would be stupid to say we want to do other stuff. The way we’re going just feels so perfect and really legit. This is how it should be. It feels right. It doesn’t feel like we’ve made any bad moves so if it just continues, that’s awesome.”

Muncie Girls are going to spend the foreseeable future embracing the album release. Unsurprisingly, they’re just going to take everything as it comes. “If literally three people take something away from this record, that’s fine. That’s good,” Lande states before pausing. “Who knows. I don’t think any of it’s really that considered. We tried to put our personalities into it and we hoped for the best,” she adds before summing up both art and artist.

“It’s really scrappy. I just hope that people like it.” P Muncie Girls’ new album ‘From Caplan to Belsize’ is out now.

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LY DEFINITE M U B L A NEW BIG UPS’ H. F RUBBIS O E L I P ISN’T A WORDS: G ILES BIDDER.

e’re not a political band,” offers Joe Galaragga over a bowl of cereal during his pre-work shift at a coffee shop in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Big Ups, who are in the run-up to their next album ‘Before A Million Universes’, are a unique entity to a bubbling hardcorepunk scene on the East Coast of America. The quartet have a ferociously spiky outlook and blue collar charm. Their unspoken leader comes in the form of 27-year-old Joe.

“W

On the surface, they sound like a Fugazi-influenced new breed of punks. But it goes deeper. At times, their dynamic indie-rock weaves around itself in a way that could only ever sound like Pavement. Others - a face-to-the-wall, unforgiving Touché Amore - can make your brain hang off. Perhaps it’s easy to see why they’ve occasionally been mislabelled a political band.

There’s a palpable depth to all four: this kind of calculated, putrid energy, inspired by 80s hardcore bands like Minor Threat, is unpredictable and intelligent.

“We all met when we came here for school. We all went to NYU for a music technology course,” Joe says. “It happened gradually, I met them early on but after a while we started playing music together.” The band spent their formative years not on the road, but around New York. “We didn’t play a good show until we’d been a band for two years,” he states.

More recently, however, Big Ups’ ways began to change. Their touring schedule got heavier, the releases kept going and the capacities of their shows increased. The release of their debut full-length, 2014’s ‘Eighteen Hours Of Static’, marked a Dischord Records-sounding taste of post-punk. But while it made waves in some circles as a fresh new sound of familiar identity – something which brought Joe to punk as a teenager – the frontman feels that ‘Before A Million Universes’ is a more accurate reflection. “The lyrical content of the last album was all over the place because those were songs that weren’t written for an album. They were just songs that we had played at shows and it was like ‘oh look, there’s enough of them that we haven’t put on 7”s that could be an album!’”

For the follow-up, however, Joe saw a whole new side to his lyrics. His new-found penmanship became that of “an overall feeling of disaffection and angst”. “I don’t want to say it’s a concept record,” he says, “but there’s a loose theme of discovery and I was trying to write from that perspective, to make a lyrically cohesive record that deals with the self.”

‘Before A Million Universes’ twists and turns its way around rock, creating its own dynamic spectrum. Big Ups have never had a meeting, or definitive moment, of “this is our sound”.

When they’re in a practice room and writing something new, it either feels like a Big Ups song or it doesn’t – no matter what it sounds like.

“We like to try different stuff at shows, but you also don’t want to play a set that people haven’t heard any of it, otherwise you’re forcing them to watch your band practice,” Joe explains.

“This is what we want to represent, this is what we want to do.

I still love Dischord Records and all those bands, but I think it would be easy to make the same record twice. I want to do the stuff that feels right to us in terms of where the music wants to go and not give ourselves too many limits. I think too many limits would harm the process of what you can do.” “Limits” 36 upsetmagazine.com

is certainly not a word you’d put next to ‘Before A Million Universes’.

Much like the band’s thematic suggestions for the artwork, the album is an “expression of American individualism. This ruggedness, the sense of freedom, has always stuck with me since then as a world to aspire to - to be okay in your own body, and be okay with yourself. Even if you’ve started out in a society that doesn’t accept that or promote it.” The album was written slowly, Joe continues. The songs came together gradually, but they were keen to keep a raw sound. They gave themselves a deadline, before heading down to Joe’s home city of Baltimore, Maryland to record it over a week. The frontman’s teenage years there played a part of what he is, and what Big Ups are, today.

“I was probably in high school when I got into the Sex Pistols and Ramones, the gateway drugs if you will,” he explains. “The Ramones were sunny, but I wanted something darker. I wanted to get what was the most extreme.” Before long, he wanted to find something more experimental. “I remember being drawn to that sound but also seeing that as one dimensional, a lot of hardcore bands sound the same in structure, so from there I got into Fugazi. The first record I got was ‘Red Medicine’

“This is what we want to represent, this is which was a weirder, less anthemic rock record. It was way more experimental and I was just amazed by the sound of that record.”

what we want to do.”

“I don’t know if I would be making music like this if it wasn’t for being influenced by Crass, Fugazi or Minor Threat,” he continues. “You’re drawn to that sound because you’re drawn to the expression of the content; it’s like ‘these people believe what I believe’. It’s a mutual thing.” At 18, he got into going to noise shows. This influence was later honed when he moved to New York and formed Big Ups. “It’s is a tough place to live,” Joe says. “You have to fit into the groove to go about a life here. I don’t think people need to live so close together and work as much as they do, it’s a serious grind.”

And ‘Before A Million Universes’ is a tough record. It looks at rejection and dissatisfactions of modern society. The album title is from a Walt Whitman quote: “And I say to any man or woman, Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes.” Joe first heard it in high school while

analysing poetry in an English class. “My professor, he was great, one of the better things that came out of high school.

Looking at it word by word line by line and seeing how it all fits together.” With the album, Joe is now making full use of it. Politics or not. “I think it’s certainly political that it’s music within that genre but at the same time I don’t think the statements being made on there are pointed. It’s political in that it expresses dissatisfaction with modern life. It’s the effects of the emotions of something political, it’s more of a reaction to it.”

When it comes down to it, Joe and Big Ups have one thing in mind. “One thing I just want people to take away from the record, personally, is ‘I know there’s a better way, I just can’t say’.” P Big Ups’ new album ‘Before A Million Universes’ is out now.

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T H E J OY FO RM I DA B L E RET RE AT E D TO T H E I R T I N Y W E LS H H O M ETOW N TO C RE AT E N E W A L BU M ‘ H I TC H ’ A N D FO U N D I N S P I R AT I O N I N A N U N L I K E LY P L AC E .

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or a band who have had the “live side really at the core of things,” taking some time off is a hard thing to do, but sometimes it’s necessary. The Joy Formidable have just done such a thing and are returning with third album ‘Hitch’.

It’s the culmination of a break after a break-up and the need to take some time away from the road and touring.

There’s a definite change to the band: they have the same lustrously layered sound that hits you like a freight train, but it somehow feels more natural, more mature. “We wanted to make a record that felt alive and raw,” explains singer / guitarist Ritzy Bryan, “we wanted to try and capture what we are.”

WO RDS : ST EV E N LO F T I N .

Recreating this joyful sound is something not easily done. Their time off was mostly brought forth by the separation of Ritzy and bassist Rhydian Dafydd - though, truthfully, “break” is an overstatement. Sure, they were out of public consciousness for a while, but they were still focused on music. After returning back to their small hometown of Mold in North Wales, in order to get back to basics and find the romanticism in what they do, they set up their own small studio where they had none of their usual pressures or hassles.

“There’s something about when you’ve got a live room set up and you can kind of use it any time day or night,” Ritzy states with a fondness. “I love that side of it, there’s none of the usual pressure of having to go in as a band and you

haven’t got studio fees, all that kind of stuff. We had a lot of freedom to record when we wanted to, but that makes it kind of impossible to switch off for twelve months. But I think that’s what we needed, to be those three people in a room again without the live side, without any of the bullshit that sometimes arises in the industry, without any of the bureaucracy. It’s literally just been the three of us, we’d have no engineer, no producer up until the point of mixing with Alan Moulder, and I think that’s given us a lot of clarity.”

Despite the retreat, the band are quite good at being in the right place at the right time. The album artwork features what looks like a blood splatter logo forming the band’s name - the work of none other than critically lauded gonzo artist, Ralph ‘Fear and Loathing’ 39

10/10 dog = feature in magazine. It’s that easy, bands.

Steadman. “It’s a bit random,” Ritzy recalls. “We met his daughter in a pub in Mold! We fucking tried our luck and had a great conversation with Mr Steadman on the phone. I think it’s one of the most interesting phone conversations I’ve had. He played us some harmonica down the phone and then the following week we got sent some great artwork.

There’s actually some more artwork that’s going to feature on the record from him.”

Visuals are always a major part of The Joy Formidable’s releases, with covers often surmising the release’s entire mood. Their debut, 2012’s ‘The Big Roar’ held a self-contained attitude.

“Rhydian did the artwork so that was really natural, nobody knew the material better than him or me so it was a very natural connection.” ‘Wolf’s Law’ was the first to feature a prominent artist, Martin Wittfooth. “We were invited to his studios because we were fans, and just looked at the paintings that he kind of started. We got talking about his new exhibition and what it was about, the feel and sentiment behind it all, and it was really, really similar to the album that we were halfway through making.”

Challenging ‘the norm’ is also becoming increasingly important to the band.

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If you haven’t already seen it, their new video for single ‘The Last Thing On My Mind’ is full of half-naked and fully naked men, viewed “from the perspective of a heterosexual female gaze”. “First and foremost it was directed by what the song is about,” Ritzy explains. “It’s a track about a woman’s imagination. It definitely talks about women’s desire, a bit of carnal desire.

It’s not utterly random in its message either, the roots of it actually come from the song’s perspective to begin with… but we knew we wanted to make it ourselves, we’ve been working on a lot of film stuff at the moment.

objectification is right for either sex, but it’s certainly stirred a conversation, or revealed how sometimes we’re quite conditioned to see some things.” Noting that it’s not a one sided problem, she adds: “Men are represented very one dimensionally as well, you know what I mean? In terms of having some sort of power struggle, or that they have to act in a certain way and be the ones in control, the ones that are kind of ‘sex slave to female pop protagonist’. I think it’s a huge conversation to try and open up in one video.”

“In the months leading up to the video I kind of felt like every video we watched - and unfortunately you become more tolerant of seeing certain imagery of women in certain genres of music, but we were noticing it seemed to be happening with some of our peers, other guitar bands, the alternative bands. There was this random imagery of woman playing some kind of token eye candy role, and just like, fucking hell man, this is boring! There was definitely a moment of reacting to something we already knew was rife.

Currently in LA preparing for the upcoming tour, their most extensive in years, The Joy Formidable are ready to get back to being a live band. “It’s a long time to be living out of a suitcase but we kind of live and breathe for it,” Ritzy laughs. Following the longest break they’d taken from touring in six years, and having spent the past twelve months in North Wales, it was a necessary move. “It’s good to change things up. We definitely feel like we’re hungry for going back on the road now.” P

“We thought we’d turn the tables on it for a moment. We’re not saying that

The Joy Formidable’s new album ‘Hitch’ is out 25th March.

THREE TRAPPED TIGERS Silent Earthling

In Stores 1st April 2016 “TTT is at the cutting edge of contemporary music. Watch your fingers!� - Brian Eno The trio return with their long-awaited second album, combining shimmering sci-fi explorations, rich cinematic landscapes, pulsing electronics, mammoth riffs and pounding drums.

Pre-order on limited digipak CD or Gatefold 180g double vinyl from the Superball store and receive a signed art-print while stocks last: http://superball.tmstor.es

On tour in the UK from 17th April-10th May, full list of dates at www.threetrappedtigers.com A

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http://superball.tmstor.es

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MATT SKIBA & THE SEKRETS Kuts

RATED TONIGHT ALIVE LIMITLESS

Easy Life / Sony Red

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‘LIMITLESS’ BY NAME, LIMITLESS BY NATURE; TONIGHT ALIVE’S NEW ALBUM MAY SPLIT OPINION, BUT IT COULD TAKE THEM HIGHER THAN EVER BEFORE.

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egemite. That’s what the new album by Tonight Alive is. Sure to split opinion wherever it goes, our Antipodean chums are ploughing their own unique furrow now. Take it or leave it, with them or against them, you’re going to have Big Opinions regardless.

‘Limitless’ isn’t treading the safe path. Between 2013’s ‘The Other Side’ and now, Tonight Alive are transformed. Where the easy money was in sticking to a template, 90s pop, with its shimmering vistas and soaring posi-vibes are the order of the day.

That’s where the split begins.

Almost aggressively uplifting, much of ‘Limitless’ will fall either side of a very sharp barbed wire fence. Depending on how cynical

you are, much of the album could be an empowering statement, or one Minion short of a motivational image your Mum might share on Facebook. Just so we’re clear; the cynics have it all wrong.

In breaking their mould - and that of everyone around them - Tonight Alive are being braver than their peers. While they could have moved with the pack and picked up the casual plaudits that come to any band growing their fanbase record by record, they’ve done what any artist should; been true to themselves. That’s exactly what tips ‘Limitless’ from being an interesting but divisive experiment to a Really Very Good album. Once onboard, it’s a record of big ambitions and vast horizons.

Opener ‘To Be Free’, with its initial salvo of Auto-Tuned robot vocals, might be there to ease the listener into this brave new world, but

follow-up ‘Oxygen’ is like a cold ice bath. “Just let me breathe my oxygen,” sings Jenna McDougall over an sparkling ocean of mid-tempo pop rock. How you take lines like that will likely drive your whole outlook on ‘Limitless’, but once embraced they’re positively glorious.

‘Drive’ packs the sort of bangersand-mash brilliance of No Doubt at the height of their powers, while ‘How Does It Feel’ and ‘I Defy’ firmly kick into fifth gear, reminding everyone that Tonight Alive can still mix it if they need to.

Lazily labelled MOR with hollow sentiment, or heartfelt rock that isn’t scared to go to places others won’t - it’s all a matter of positivity and perspective. In rejecting the opportunity to live in the shadows of others, one thing is for sure; Tonight Alive set their own limits now.

Stephen Ackroyd

“Look into my eyes. Not around my eyes...”

THE JOY KILLSWITCH PLAGUE FORMIDABLE ENGAGE VENDOR HITCH

INCARNATE

BLOODSWEAT

C’Mon Lets Drift

Roadrunner Records

Epitaph

.EPIC, SOARING INDIE ROCK FROM THE TOP OF THE PILE.

. LOTS OF LIT TLE INTRICACIES BELOW A SCREAM-SOAR VOCAL BLEND.

.A BALLSY COMEBACK.

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It’s good for a band to have a ‘thing’.

Even better if that thing is the quality of their musical output. That’s where The Joy Formidble have it nailed. Their third album ‘Hitch’ may have been over three years in the waiting, but their bar for top drawer epic indie rock hasn’t lowered one bit. That trademark sound that made them a force remains as strong as ever. ‘Radio Of Lips’ sees Ritzy Bryan’s instantly recognisable vocal rides high on soaring guitar lines., while ‘The Last Thing On My Mind’ packs a fearsome groove as it smoulders on the edges of the dance floor. Though most of the tracks hit significantly above the five minute mark, ‘Hitch’ feels as immediate and fresh. The Joy Formidable still have it in spades. Stephen Ackroyd

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It’s a bit weird to have to prove yourself as the new guy in the band you were the original vocalist for, but Jesse Leach has been there, done that, got the commemorative shirt. ‘Incarnate’ is Killswitch settled in their new-old skin, and everyone going flat out. They admit that it took a bit of time to find their way, but opener ‘Alone I Stand’ doesn’t even hint at that, commanding within seconds.

There’s optimism in darkness, and they have a real defiance poking through.

Some layers can feel like one too many sprinkled on top at times, but there’s a lot going on. ‘Incarnate’ may have thrown up a few walls in the writing process, but they’ve evidently smashed them down and the result is massive. Heather McDaid

What’s evident from the off is that ‘Bloodsweat’ is meant to be played live; in all eleven tracks there is a level of mania and energy made for a crowded room full of sweaty punks. ‘Jezebel’ and ‘Saturday Night Shakes’ provide foot-tapping, hip-shaking hooks that are undeniably addictive; ‘Ox Blood’ throws a poppy melodic guitar line into the melancholic drums and vocals.

Nevertheless, ‘Bloodsweat’ is somewhat predictable; throughout there seems to be a heavy reliance on the haunting vocals and the odd good riff - ‘ISUA’ being a shining example. There are moments of brilliance, but they are too few and far between.

Emily Pilbeam

SAY ANYTHING I DON’T THINK IT IS

Equal Vision Records

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A GREAT SURPRISE. Blimey. Say Anything have gone and pulled a Beyoncé, haven’t they? Why “forego the dying art of the lead-up” and share their new album immediately? Well, as Max Bemis writes, to “[destroy] any notion of feeling blasé about music.” It all has that little bit of oomph about it, whether in attitude or the ambition of stretching what they do. This album is like Bemis and Friends, with Darren King (Mutemath) and Paul Hinojos (At The Drive-In) being just two of many names thrown into this mixing pot. This is Say Anything sort of winging it, making music as it comes. ‘I Don’t Think It Is’ is like that guest who turns up without warning, but brings one hell of a party in their wake. Heather McDaid

HECK INSTRUCTIONS

NPAG Industries

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THERE’S NO LIMITATION FOR THIS NOISY FOUR-PIECE. Heck’s long-awaited debut, ‘Instructions’ lives up to their hectic persona, and gives them the power to move forward. Following the name change, it was a fight or flight situation, and from the first clatter of drums and guitars on ‘Good As Dead’, it’s obvious they are putting up one hell of a fight. Matt Reynolds’ gruesome vocals are back with a vengeance, this time with scatterings of melody that weave in and out of their chaotic riffs. Arguably the most accessible track on the album, ‘The Great Hardcore Swindle’ is a ruckus of dirty guitars that lure the band into post-hardcore territory. For those worried about whether Heck could be as good on record as they are live: breathe a big sigh of relief. Emily Pilbeam

WHITE DENIM STIFF

Downtown / Sony Red

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You’ll be hard pressed to find an album that has as much energy and soul as this sixth outing from White Denim. ‘Stiff’ has something special, something that just takes a hold of you and doesn’t let go until you’re on your feet. From the moment the album kicks in with ‘Had 2 Know (Personal)’ this soul-shaking four piece fail to relent, each track is consistently full of life. A listening experience that will leave your mind racing. Steven Loftin

THE THERMALS WE DISAPPEAR

Saddle Creek

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On The Thermals’ latest offering, the Portland powerhouse of rock continue their quest of irreversibly catchy, gritty rock-pop. Hutch Harris, Kathy Foster and Westin Glass have made a righteous seventh album, seething with downtrodden optimism and numb adolescence. Produced by Chris Walla, formerly of Death Cab For Cutie, the sound of the record has a charming cathartic sense of singularity. An album that stands up in a catalogue of gems. Giles Bidder

CHEAP MEAT THE PARTS THAT SHOW EP

Hassle Records

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How many bands can start their pitch by claiming to be formed at a pub quiz hosted by Corrie’s former eco-warrior Spider? Rhetorical question - obviously only Cheap Meat. Anthemic and rising fast, there’s nothing crusty about this three piece. Title track ‘The Parts That Show’ crunches and soothes in equal measure, while ‘The Distance Between You And Me’ shows a maturity way beyond a debut release. This meat may not be so cheap after all. Stephen Ackroyd

HECK A SHORT Q&A WITH...

Guitarist Jonny Hall spares a few minutes right before a pre-band-practice swim (“because it’s winter, and that’s just the kind of crazy shit we do around here”).

You’re about to release your debut album what can you tell us about it?

It sounds like repeatedly mashing your head into a concrete slab, but in a good way.

You recorded at Cottage Road Studios in Leeds? How long were you there for?

All in all we spent 26 days there I think.

They had a trampoline in the back garden.

We spent most of our time kicking footballs at whoever was on the trampoline and pretending we were David Seaman.

Do you have a favourite song?

It’s hard to separate them: the album is intended to be listened to start to finish, and flows as such. There are some treats in there though. The last track (abbreviated as ‘i.STOLDii.BAiii.ATLAY’) is a monster of a track. It’s 16 minutes of the best music we’ve ever written.

What do you hope fans will take away from the record?

I hope they take away from it the same things as we do. It’s an outlet of aggression, a cathartic release and at the end of it only joy remains. Listening to music should always evoke some kind of emotional response. If this album makes you happy, great. If it makes you angry, go and use that anger productively and change something for the better.

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BRIAN FALLON PAINKILLERS

Island Records

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.RASPY, OLD-FASHIONED STORYTELLING. ‘Painkillers’ is a lighter version of Brian Fallon’s ‘other’ project, Gaslight’s usual rockier sound but with Americana influences still holding strong. ‘A Wonderful Life’ begins with twanging guitars and toe-tapping drums, ascending to joyful group vocals. It’s a safe option for a lead single but not even close to the best songs on the album.

Throughout ‘Painkillers’ the fragility of Fallon’s vocals mirrors the anguish of the song as he screams, “come on and use me up, oh don’t you love the way I drag you down?” It’s clear a huge effort has been put into the lyricism; each meaningful line has been thought out even more than the melodies they’re put beside, and it feels more like poetry than songwriting. There’s a charm and authenticity here, alongside some top quality songwriting.

Kathryn Black

BIG UPS BEFORE A MILLION UNIVERSES

Tough Love/Exploding In Sound/Brace Yourself Records

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CHAOS AND SOLITUDE COMBINE. ‘Before A Million Universes’ sounds like it could be a long lost record found deep in the archives of Sub Pop. First track, ‘Contain Myself’, sets the bar high with its dense layers of lo-fi bass and epic drumming coming together to create a piece of well-trimmed, primed to perfection rock: and the high quality continues throughout, particularly in ‘Meet Where We Are’ as Big Ups fluctuate between ambient rock, punk and grunge without sounding messy in the slightest. What’s really exciting is the way Joe Galarraga can consistently revolutionise his vocals, yet still exhibit the feeling of a tortured soul. The twists and turns, the beautiful moments of solitude and the brief chaos makes for a stunning record. Emily Pilbeam 46 upsetmagazine.com

DONNIE WILLOW INHALE. EXHALE.

Self-Released

eeee .RULES? DONNIE WILLOW LAUGH IN THE FACE OF RULES. Donnie Willow’s debut mini-album displays little by the way of restriction. It boasts angular guitar licks and seemingly bonkers time signatures on songs like the monstrous ‘Jagged Teeth’, offers up dynamic juxtaposition on every single track and doesn’t begrudge the audience a pleasant concept with the enveloping of the record with paired title tracks, ‘Inhale’ and ‘Exhale’. If they can crack a beaming chorus, they could be unstoppable. Jack Glasscock

BLEACHED

WELCOME THE WORMS

Dead Oceans

eeee .A BAND REINVIGORATED AND INSPIRED. Torn away from a broken relationship, escaping pressures through excesses, losing it all and starting from scratch; on

their second record, Bleached sound more vital than ever. On ‘Welcome The Worms’, the LA-based trio undercut the glamour of their home city to create something entirely more down to earth. Enticing chorus hooks and shake-your-blues-off rhythms act as the perfect gleaming contrast to the band’s dirty and distorted guitars, presenting straight up punk rock with an attitude as wilful as it is wayward.

This is Bleached at their strongest and most realised. Jessica Goodman

WINTERSLEEP THE GREAT DETACHMENT

Dine Alone Records

ee .AN ALBUM FILLED WITH BENIGN BACKGROUND MUSIC. You’d think on their sixth album Wintersleep would be able to expand and experiment with a sound beyond what is expected, but it’s not what is delivered here. Not that there’s anything immediately wrong with tracks like ‘Santa Fe’ or ‘Territory’, it’s just that they err on the side of caution. They’re perfectly well executed, but aren’t a thrill to listen to.

If a slightly worldlier Kodaline is what you’re after, then revel in ‘The Great Detachment’ all you like because that’s more or less what it is. Jack Glasscock

RORY INDIANA

SLINGSHOT DAKOTA

Self-Released

Topshelf Records

RULING CLASS CROOKS EP

BREAK

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.THE FOUR-PIECE SET THEIR BAR EVEN HIGHER.

.PROFOUND AND DELICATE.

In many ways ‘Ruling Class Crooks’ is a step up from Rory Indiana’s debut, ‘Empiricism’. It’s sharper, diverse and offers more than the immense riffs the band have become known for.

The title track sets the offering’s highfrenzy atmosphere within seconds.

Packed with fierce snares and snappy vocals, “Haven’t we played war? I lost my head in the game”, it delivers the same spitfire unruliness the Brighton rockers convey in their live shows. Pit ready, of course. ‘Burnout Behaviour’ and lead single ‘Leave Me’ turn the blaze of anger down just a notch. The odes to broken down relationships are still littered in tongue-in-cheek aggression. It’s their most solid EP to date. Emma Matthews

Slingshot Dakota are something of a rarity. Not-reallypunk-but-totallypunk; playing piano-driven indie pop songs, sitting somewhere between Tigers Jaw and Death Cab For Cutie. ‘Break’ follows a four-year gap since their last record, and it sounds like a heartfelt documentation of the band’s progression during those years.

Both thematically and musically, it is consuming, whole, and utterly gorgeous. It sounds like falling in love, with real, grown-up commitment to a shared life of making records. From the punchy melody of the opening notes in ‘You’, to the build and intensity of the keys in ‘Stay’, as satisfying as any guitar, ‘Break’ is a great piece of storytelling. Kristy Diaz

IGGY POP

POST POP DEPRESSION

Rekords Rekords / Loma Vista / Caroline International

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SOMETHING YOU WOULDN’T EXPECT. The first look at this supergroup - Iggy Pop, Josh Homme, Matt Helders and Dean Fertita - came with the track ‘Gardenia’. It’s a full on 80s-esque, sleazy flirt with a female protagonist, and also is a good descriptor for the majority of the album. Considering the sessions began with Pop sending Homme poetry and song ideas, they managed to develop this into an album that would befit Pop’s Berlin era, without seeming like a disastrous facsimile. This album isn’t for the fans of ‘Stooges’ era Pop. It utilises spoken word and slow, stomping drums twinned with thick bass lines instead of brash, fast paced punk. But it complements just where Pop is in his career now. There is no sense that this is throwaway, everything is crafted using the decades of experience and ideas Pop has collected. Steven Loftin

THE EXPLOSIONS THE KING SUMMER SET IN THE SKY BLUES STORIES FOR MONDAY

THE WILDERNESS

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS

Fearless Records

Bella Union

Speech Development

.THE SUMMER SET BRANCH AWAY FROM THEIR ROOTS.

.CREEPING ONE MOMENT, UNENDINGLY VAST THE NEXT.

.THE KING BLUES TRY TO GIVE THE STRUGGLE A FACE.

It’s been a whirlwind of a journey for The Summer Set. The five-piece’s last offering, ‘Legendary’, was labeled as the outcome of an identity crisis and their new release, ‘Stories For Monday’, was the album that almost wasn’t. From the get-go, standout track, ‘Figure It Out’ delves into the limits of creativity. “I’m a bit too pop for the punk kids, but I’m too punk for the pop kids,” sings frontman Brian Dales.

Dabbling in various themes, ‘All Downhill From Here’ is drenched in an 80s flair with piercing melodies and soaring lyrics, while ‘Wonder Years’ prides itself on its catchy pop sensibilities and boyband-like harmonies.

At times, the record curveballs back to the cheese factor of ‘Legendary’.

But where’s the harm in that? Emma Matthews

Effectively an intro track, ‘The Wilderness’ teases at new instrumental additions to come, mostly electronic. It’s unclear if EITS can pull this off initially, but five minutes in and you’re convinced by how much these new synths and electronics complement their often playful melodic nature. ‘Tangle Formation’ and ‘Logic Of A Dream’ bring much grander and emotionally involving trips eventually leading towards one of the biggest tracks of the album, ‘Disintegration Anxiety’. There’s sounds all across this record that could be right out of a sci-fi film soundtrack. EITS took you on some very grand and expansive journeys in the past: now they reinvent themselves and take you further, out into deep space and back again to the inside of your mind, all more cinematic than ever. James Fox

It seems The King Blues have come back to a world ready for revolution. And from the opening warning that they’re “back and pissed off again”, it’s a world that suits them just fine. The title track is vicious assault on the world at large and the people in power, while the confrontational rage of ‘Opposable Thumbs’ goes straight for the jugular. ‘Off With Their Heads’ is a brash, knee-jerk reaction to the past few years and at times, it seems caught up in its own fury; there’s no singular, unifying call to arms here and that’s where The King Blues rebellion falls down. Ali Shutler

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MUNCIE GIRLS

FROM CAPLAN TO BELSIZE

Specialist Subject Records

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UTTERLY ENGAGING. Muncie Girls aren’t ones for grand, sweeping statements so allow us.

Their debut album ‘From Caplan To Belsize’ is one of the most vital albums of the year. From the scene setting welcome of ‘Learn In School’ to the wistful freedom of ‘Red Balloon’ and beyond, into the darker recesses of ‘Gas Mark 4’ the band are charming yet challenging.

Throughout the record there’s an outsider mentality that explores the band’s view of where they fit into the grander scheme of things. Turns out the answer is with one another.

Unafraid to take on the world, the record tackles everything from free healthcare, sexism, and anxiety to heartbreak and uncertainty about their own future. Muncie Girls find their voice and, at the same time, so does a generation. Ali Shutler

TRACKS OF THE MONTH

BABYMETAL METAL RESISTANCE

earMUSIC

TACOCAT LOST TIME

Hardly Art

eeeee .ALL KILLER NERD ROCK WITH A BRAIN. With their third full-length, Tacocat demonstrate exactly why they’re your new favourite band. Their fun, feminist surf-pop-punk takes on new territories.

‘Lost Time’ sees their fun feminist surf pop punk take new territory: bigger, bolder, and more polished than the scruffy and hasty, but still loveable sounds, on 2014’s ‘NVM’. Tacocat flip a sugar-coated middle finger to those that misrepresent the cause, showing how feminism can be as much about fun as it is confronting issues.

Jasleen Dhindsa

eeee UTTERLY BIZARRE, BUT WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? Babymetal’s debut album was a sugarcoated burst of challenging vibrancy.

Gleefully skipping between the ridiculous and the fun alike it caused intrigue, discussion and excitement but now, one year later, they can’t get by on curiosity alone. It’s a good job then that ‘Metal Resistance’ takes the playful spirit of their debut and builds a daring, colourful world around it. Highkicking, arm-swinging and relentlessly daring, it’s sheer entertainment.

Wide-eyed and optimistic, Babymetal have caught up with their runaway momentum and grown into something that’s here to stay. Ali Shutler

WEEZER L.A. GIRLZ

Think you know what to expect from Weezer come 2016? Think again. All those snarky internet jibes just went out the window - Rivers has nailed it.

‘L.A. Girlz’ is undoubtedly the closest to the Blue/’Pinkerton’ sweet zone the band have come in well over a decade.

Coupled with the other new tracks from their upcoming White Album, it’s official.

It’s time to get excited about Weezer again.

PVRIS YOU AND I

.A LOUD REVOLUTION THAT’S SURE TO DIVIDE.

Membran

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After the runaway success of ‘White Noise’, you wouldn’t blame PVRIS for taking a step back to find space to regroup. Lynn, Alex and Brian have always played the game differently.

Atmospheric and chirping, ‘You and I’ still captures their film noir spirit but, instead of back alleys and bedrooms, it’s built for the stage. PVRIS have always had a rich, cinematic edge to their music but now it comes in glorious high definition.

Hacktivist aren’t quiet little wallflowers, content to keep their opinions to themselves. Political in the extreme, their brand of fast-flowing tech-metal quite obviously draws a line to Enter Shikari - to the extent that Rou Reynolds makes an appearance on standout ‘Taken’. Such robust statements, though, are rarely for everyone. For those with a strong enough stomach, Hacktivist might lead a revolution. Tom Jackson

.HAZY, DREAMY PSYCH ROCK WITH A CRUNCH.

WOAHNOWS

Psych rock. Shoegaze. Somewhere inbetween - over the past few years more and more bands willing to lock into a groove and surf the milky way have found success. Desert Mountain Tribe’s debut full length sees the three-piece in the kind of confident form that sets them apart from the competition. Stephen Ackroyd

Taken from a new 7” single, (out digitally now, physically on 1st April - Ed) ‘Mess’ is the sort of laid-back, lofi gem that keeps Woahnows so close to our hearts. Melodic but packing enough muscle and invention to raise the odd hair, it only goes to confirm one of the best underground talents on the metaphorical block.

HACKTIVIST OUTSIDE THE BOX

UNFD

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DESERT MOUNTAIN TRIBE

EITHER THAT OR THE MOON

MESS

LIVE

AFTER A 2015 OF UPS AND DOWNS, N EC K D E E P A I M TO P ROV E L I F E I S N ’ T OUT TO G ET TH E M AFTER ALL.

NECK DEEP O2 FORUM, LONDON

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Words: Ali Shutler.

Photo: Amie Kingswell.

he best part of two years showing the world that Britain’s new breed of poppunk is actually something finally worth shouting about, the anticipation surrounding a tour on home soil from Neck Deep is palpable. Although billed as a coheadliner with their American allies in State Champs, this long-sought-after run of shows is Neck Deep’s for the taking.

Ohio upstarts Light Years hold it down for the Northeastern emo province with a moodier, more mature sound befitting their burgeoning native scene. The hooks are huge and the choruses are hardly lacking in bounce, but their growth feels stunted by cheap humour between songs.

The gothic charm that Creeper inherently exude is seldom seen on a bill of this nature, but the calloushearted misfits were born for bigger things. The Tim Burton-esque majesty may take more of a backseat than usual tonight as the Southampton sextet cut their fangs in larger rooms, but their high-energy punk rock still works a sinister treat.

From the second they bound onstage to a teasing of John Cena’s—sorry, JOHN CENAAA’s—entrance music, State Champs’ set is a smackdown.

Something that their fun-loving frontman Derek Discanio takes several opportunities to openly admire is that

this is merely the New Yorkers’ fourth trip to Blighty, but as they explode into life with ‘Secrets’, the clamorous response that they are met with gives Derek full bragging rights.

“If you couldn’t tell from the big fucking sign, we’re Neck Deep…” – an introduction perhaps not necessary from lead singer Ben Barlow, aimed at a crowd clearly all here for the Wrexham quintet. In an instant, they have the presence of a band who will soon be headlining venues at least five times the size of the 2,300-capacity Forum.

Ben and bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans swap banter like a less profane Mark ‘n Tom, as a triple-bill of ‘Losing Teeth’, ‘Gold Steps’ and ‘Crushing Grief (No Remedy)’ swings in like an onslaught of two-steps and killer choruses.

It’s not until a unifying rendition of ‘A Part Of Me’ (with ‘MVP of the night’ going to Creeper’s Hannah Greenwood for providing backup vocals) that Neck Deep claw back that sincerity, and when they round off the evening with ‘Can’t Kick Up The Roots’, it feels like they literally hit it home.

All you need to do is look at Neck Deep’s globe-trotting itinerary for 2016 to know that this is now the real deal. They are still the snotty kids from a dead-end Welsh town at heart, but they’ll also be Britain’s next arena-filling export if the odds remain ever in their favour. P

COHEED AND CAMBRIA O2 FORUM, LONDON

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Words: Giles Bidder.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

s far as I see it, this band isn’t ours. It’s yours,” announces Coheed And Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez.

The band are finishing night three of three on their UK run following the release of last year’s ‘The Colour Before The Sun’ – and to a sold out London O2 Forum, songs from comic book scenes and sci-fi realms are witness to Coheed And Cambria’s remarkable cult following.

Hardly an easy job opening for two of the most influential bands of the last decade in progressive rock and posthardcore, Crooks make a fine effort of filling the room with their poignant hardcore-punk. Frontman Josh Rogers’ solemnly cathartic stage presence is enough to win over tonight’s crowd, a feat in itself given the line-up. Rogers’ repetitive “thank you”s don’t lose their sincerity.

The air of excitement to see Glassjaw 52 upsetmagazine.com

is reflected in the calming confidence of Daryl Palumbo and co., who tonight look at ease with themselves. The band are quick and to the point, launching into the peaks of their back catalogue spanning almost two decades. Before you’re ready for it, Daryl and the new incarnation of Glassjaw settle for the night.

Coheed And Cambria have rounded science fiction, comic books and shredding guitar licks into a lengthy and healthy career. In the wake of the release of their eighth studio album, their spirit remains untouched and nor does their following. “For anyone who’s been dragged along here by their friend,” Claudio discloses, “we’re a band called Coheed And Cambria,” before taking a trip into their next song. ‘Welcome Home’, ‘A Favor House Atlantic’, ‘You’ve Got Spirit, Kid’ are a warming reminder of their importance to riff-laden pop rock. An entity which they will continue to maintain in proportions as large as their songs. P

THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE + MEWITHOUTYOU THE HAUNT, BRIGHTON

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Words: James Fox. Photos: Doug Elliott.

wo of the standout records of 2015 coming together for a co-headline tour was always going to go down a storm, so there’s no surprise that The Haunt tonight is packed like sardines. Some might be curious as to why mewithoutYou aren’t closing the night, but they do get their own hour-long set which soon descends into frontman Aaron Weiss throwing himself atop the barrier-less crowd.

subdued songs. This does give a more variety and dynamic, but, as you’d expect, it’s that more post-hardcore sound that the crowd really go off to, making real connection, with fan favourite ‘January 1979’ met with lyrics screamed back and cheers upon its finish, and ‘In A Sweater Poorly Knit’ welcomed by a huge singa-long.

His performance alternates between acoustic guitar, vocal FX echoing through the room and spinning around the stage free with the mic hand-held, something that reflects their setlist – switching between their earlier more forceful material and their recent

It’s generally a good set, even a good portion of the crowd seem satisfied enough to leave already, which is a shame as The World Is A Beautiful Place & I’m No Longer Afraid To Die’s performance is something special – an upwards curve of musicianship and

tightly performed post-rock dynamic.

They start with ‘January 10th 2014’ and ‘Heartbeat In The Brain’, showcasing two of their best. The latter half of their set has some really special moments with the band dying to silence, crashing in like a meteor hitting impact, and then resolving back to silence. It’s impressive as hell. P

THE FRONT BOTTOMS KOKO, LONDON

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T

Words: Giles Bidder.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

onight is all about The Front Bottoms.

It’s been a year since they headlined the Garage here in London, and now they’re back at the theatrical Koko in Camden with hundreds of balloons ready to drop down on what could be one of the rowdiest crowds in the venue this year.

The rise of The Front Bottoms has been palpable - from the Old Blue Last via the Garage to this, the 1,400 capacity Koko.

Ticketholders have been waiting outside, some sat against the side of the venue under covers in the numbing cold, since well before four in the afternoon.

They’re a fan’s band and tonight, it’s a pure taste of sweet triumph.

Support comes in the form of Kevin Devine. Heavier than most would remember since his last jaunts, Devine, playing as part

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of a trio, gives a mix of Bright Eyes and Belle & Sebastian in his lyrics’ charming narrative.

Their intricate and incarcerating sense of collared post-rock is a well-worked grooving sound of structured cathartic indie.

After an inflatable ’T F B’ rise, the band casually walk on stage, and as frontman Brian Sella begins the intro to ‘Skeleton’, The Front Bottoms have already won. Their set is nothing short of a victory lap. What feels like a breeze but is more like a whirlwind in hindsight, tracks like ‘The Beers’ (featuring Devine), ‘Swimming Pool’ and ‘Cough It Out’ are songs these fans wake up to and fall asleep to. Brian’s lyrics live and breathe anecdotes and turns of phrase that feel fresh and vitalised in each song. Closer ‘Twin Size Mattress’ is a final fist-in-the-air of a memorable night. P

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WORKING WITH THE LIKES OF: AMERICAN FOOTBALL LONELY THE BRAVE DIET CIG THE HOTELIER AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR JAPANDROIDS CASPIAN NAI HARVEST JIMMY EAT WORLD WANT PUBLICITY FOR YOUR BAND?

PRESCRIPTIONPR.CO.UK

COMING UP

TH E S H OWS O N SA L E N OW

MILK TEETH + HEADLINE TOUR = WIN WITH A KILLER DEBUT

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hey’ve already dropped one of the debut albums of the year (yes, we’re confident we’ll still be saying that come December - Ed) - now Milk Teeth are heading out on their own UK headline tour.

Kicking off with a pair of festival appearances at Live at Leeds and Stag and Dagger over the May Bank Holiday Weekend, the band will then head on for dates in Newcastle,

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A L B U M O U T, N O W M I L K

T E E T H A R E TA K I N G T O T H E

R OA D O N T H E I R O W N T I C K E T.

Manchester, Nottingham, Tunbridge Wells, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Cardiff, London and Southampton.

That’s quite a lot of shows.

Having already been on a run round Europe at the UK with fellow Upset cover stars Tonight Alive this year, you can be sure Milk Teeth will be primed and ready to go. This is a band at the very top of their game. You’d be silly to miss out.

TO U R DATE S

APRIL 30 Leeds Live at Leeds MAY ger 1 Glasgow Stag and Dag 3 Newcastle Think Tank trol 4 Manchester Sound Con 5 Nottingham Bodega m 6 Tunbridge Wells Foru 7 Birmingham Rainbow Courtyard 9 Bristol Louisiana 10 Exeter Cavern h 11 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bac 12 London Barfly 14 Southampton Joiners

HANDS LIKE HOUSES HIT THE UK

H O W D O Y O U P L AY I N S T R U M E N T S W H E N Y O U ’ V E

G OT A SM A L L BU N GA LOW I N RO M FO RD FO R

H

H A N D S ? W H AT ? N O T L I T E R A L LY ! ? N E V E R M I N D .

ands like Houses have announced details of a spring UK tour, which will see them perform at a number of venues including London’s O2 Academy Islington this May and June.

The band’s new album ‘Dissonants’ was released last month. They’ll support it kicking off at Manchester’s Academy 3 on 25th May, finishing up at Bristol Exchange on 4th June.

“To our friends in the UK - we’re coming back,” says frontman Trenton Woodley. “Thank you for your patience while we put the finishing touches on the release for ‘Dissonants’; this

is the best album we’ve ever written and we wholeheartedly believe it’s worth the time, tears and total focus that has been poured into it to make it what it is. We can’t wait to sing them with you!”

T O U R D AT ES MAY 25 Mancheste r Academy 3 26 Leeds Key Club 27 Glasgow Ca thouse 28 Newcastle Uni SU 29 Liverpool Ar ts Centre Loft 30 Nottingham Bodega 31 Birmingha m O2 Institute

JUNE 01 Southampton Joiners 02 Cardiff Clw b Ifor Bach 03 London O2 Academy Islington 04 Bristol Exch ange

UPSET + RAW MEAT ALL-DAYER HITS LEEDS DINOSAUR PILE-UP? GOD DA M N ? T H E XC E RTS ?

H E C K ? B R AW L E R S ? L O A D S M O R E ? Y E P. T H I S W I L L B E TH E STU F F O F L EG E N D.

D

inosaur Pile-Up are returning home to head up an all day festival on 27th March. The band, who put out their ’11:11’ album last year, haven’t played in Leeds for almost six months and they won’t be short of friends.

Upset is helping stage an all-dayer so great it may go down in legend. Taking place at Belgrave Music Hall and Headrow House, the band will be joined by The Xcerts, God Damn, Get Inuit, Beasts and Vulgarians.

Fellow local lads Brawlers will also be joining the party alongside our friends in Press To Meco, Treason Kings, Fizzy Blood, Chambers, Kit Trigg, Keeper, and some DJ skills from Pulled Apart By Horses.

The all-dayer happens on Easter Sunday and promises to be “a big day full of wonderful fuzz and noise.” Tickets are on sale now.

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ON THE ROAD VISIT UPSETMAGAZINE.COM FOR THE LATEST TOUR NEWS.

BIG UPS MARCH 30 London The Lexington APRIL 1 Bristol The Louisiana 2 Birmingham Sunflower Lounge

BLACK PEAKS MARCH 31 Newcastle Northumbria University APRIL 1 Manchester Deaf Institute 2 Leeds Key Club 3 Glasgow King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut 6 London Borderline 7 Tunbridge Wells Forum 8 Nottingham Rock City Basement 9 Brighton The Haunt

Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett.

BRING ME THE HORIZON

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OCTOBER 31 London O2 Arena NOVEMBER 1 Bournemouth International Centre 2 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena 4 Birmingham Barclaycard Arena 5 London O2 Arena 6 Sheffield Motorpoint Arena 8 Manchester Arena 9 Glasgow SSE Hydro

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE NOVEMBER 24 Newport Centre

27 Newcastle O2 Academy DECEMBER 3 Manchester Academy 6 Birmingham O2 Academy 9 London O2 Academy Brixton

CROSSFAITH MARCH 16 Southend Chinnery’s 17 Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms 18 Brighton The Haunt 19 Cardiff Y Plas 20 Plymouth The Hub 22 Leeds Key Club 23 Reading Sub 89 24 Wolverhampton Slade Rooms 25 Liverpool O2 Academy 2 26 Manchester Academy 2 28 Glasgow King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut 29 Sheffield Corporation 30 Norwich Waterfront 31 London Electric Brixton

DEAFHEAVEN MARCH 13 Bristol Fleece 14 London Heaven

DEFEATER MARCH 14 Birmingham O2 Academy 3 15 Glasgow Cottiers Theatre 16 Manchester Star and Garter 17 London Scala

FOXING + TTNG APRIL 27 Manchester Sound Control 28 Glasgow Audio 29 Norwich Owl Sanctuary 30 London Borderline MAY 1 Southampton Joiners

FUTURE OF THE LEFT APRIL 15 Bristol Thekla 16 Norwich Arts Centre 17 Nottingham Bodega 19 Newcastle Riverside 20 Liverpool East Village Arts Club 21 London Electric Ballroom

MAY 12 Cardiff Club Ifor Bach 13 Manchester Night and Day

ISSUES MAY 24 Cardiff Y Plas 25 London KOKO 26 Manchester Ritz 27 Glasgow Garage

KNUCKLE PUCK MARCH 29 Southampton Joiners 30 Bristol Exchange 31 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach APRIL 1 London Underworld 2 Norwich Waterfront 4 Manchester Sound Control 5 Newcastle Think Tank 6 Glasgow Audio 7 Leeds Key Club 8 Liverpool District 9 Nottingham Bodega 10 Kingston Fighting Cocks

LETLIVE. APRIL 21 Manchester, Sound Control 22 London, The Dome 23 London, The Underworld 24 Kingston, Fighting Cocks

MODERN BASEBALL + PUP APRIL 22 Brighton Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar 23 Norwich Owl Sanctuary 24 Huddersfield The Parish 26 Glasgow Stereo 27 Liverpool Studio 2 28 Derby The Venue

MUNCIE GIRLS MARCH 8 London The Lexington 10 Exeter Cavern 11 Brighton Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar

NAI HARVEST MARCH 25 Sheffield Leadmill 26 Leeds Brudenell Social Club 27 Newcastle Think Tank

29 Manchester Deaf Institute 30 Birmingham Rainbow 31 Brighton Hope & Ruin APRIL 1 London Boston Music Room 2 Leicester Cookie

NECK DEEP APRIL 16 Southampton Guildhall 18 Newcastle University 19 Leeds Beckett University 20 Liverpool O2 Academy

OUGHT APRIL 19 Bristol Lantern 20 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach 21 Manchester Islington Mill 22 Glasgow Broadcast 23 Belfast Voodoo 24 Dublin Whelans 26 London Tufnell Park Dome

PVRIS APRIL 1 Brighton Concorde 2 2 Norwich UEA 3 Newcastle Riverside 4 Glasgow O2 ABC 6 Manchester Academy 7 London Kentish Town Forum 8 Cardiff Great Hall 9 Birmingham O2 Institute

REFUSED MARCH 22 Glasgow Garage 23 Manchester Academy 2 24 Leeds Stylus 25 Brighton Concorde 2 26 Birmingham O2 Institute 2

ROLO TOMASSI MARCH 24 Portrush Atlantic 25 Belfast Voodoo 26 Dublin Whelans APRIL 8 Hartlepool The Studio 10 Sheffield Picture House 11 Birmingham Sunflower Lounge 12 Cardiff Moon Club 13 Southampton The Joiners MAY 21 London Holy Roar All Dayer

THE SUMMER SET MAY 10 Bristol Thekla 12 London Scala 13 Birmingham Asylum 14 Leeds Key Club 15 Glasgow G2 17 Manchester Club Academy 18 Nottingham Rescue Rooms 19 Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

TELLISON MARCH 26 Newcastle Riverside 27 Leeds Wardrobe 28 Cambridge Portland Arms 29 Glasgow Bar Bloc 30 Edinburgh Mash House 31 Birmingham Sunflower Lounge APRIL 1 Manchester Sound Control 2 Bedford Esquires 3 Bristol Stag & Hounds 5 Guildford Boileroom 6 Oxford Wheatsheaf 7 London Garage

VANT APRIL 17 Bristol Louisiana 18 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach 19 Swansea Sin City 20 London Boston Music Room 22 Birmingham Sunflower Lounge 23 Sheffield Plug 25 Nottingham Bodega Social Club 26 Manchester Deaf Institute 27 Glasgow King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut 28 Newcastle Cluny

YUCK MAY 12 Norwich Arts Centre 13 Edinburgh Sneaky Pete’s 14 Glasgow Broadcast 15 Manchester Deaf Institute 16 Guildford Boileroom 17 Birmingham Oobleck 18 Brighton Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar 19 Bristol Exchange 20 Nottingham Bodega 21 Leeds Brudenell Social Club 22 Bedford Esquires 59

ON THE DOWNLOAD

ALL TIME LOW, GLASSJAW, MUNCIE GIRLS + MORE FOR DOWNLOAD 60 upsetmagazine.com

DEAF HAVANA AND THE XCERTS FOR HANDMADE Almost fifty new bands have joined Handmade Festival, which will take place from 29th April – 1st May in Leicester. The additions include Deaf Havana, Swim Deep, The Xcerts, Black Honey, Cassels and more. This year Upset will also team up with the festival as a partner - see you there.

FIRST HEADLINER FOR ARCTANGENT

American Football are the first headliner confirmed for ArcTanGent, 18th - 20th August, for their only UK show of the year. Also joining the bill are Toe, Sikth and Caspian alongside TTNG, Owen, Alarmist, Falls, Totorro, Alma, Town Portal, Anta, Floral, A WEREWOLF! and Exxasens.

D

ownload has added a bunch of bands to its line up this past month.

Death, Devil You Know, Buck & Evans, Scorpion Child, The Raven Age, Weirds, The Temperance Movement, The Shrine, The Wildhearts and more.

Following on from their arena tour, All Time Low will be returning to the UK to headline the festival’s second stage, playing just after Twin Atlantic. Glassjaw have also been confirmed for that stage and, after their recent shows, we can’t wait.

They join headliners Rammstein, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath with appearances from Deftones, Neck Deep, Billy Talent, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Beartooth, Architects, Milk Teeth, The Amity Affliction and Ghost also set for the weekend.

Upset favourites Bury Tomorrow, Muncie Girls and HECK also join the bill, along with Pennywise, Napalm

Download is set to take place from 10th - 12th June 2016 at Donington Park. Tickets are on sale now.

CAMDEN ROCKS REVEALS YOUNG GUNS & MORE

Camden Rocks will return this year for its fifth event, with Young Guns, We Are The Ocean and more confirmed to play. Taking place on 4th June, the event will visit multiple venues around Camden, with a line up boasting over two hundred acts.

SLAM DUNK ADDS MORE BANDS

Slam Dunk has added several new names to their already very good line up. The King Blues, Moose Blood and Yellowcard (playing ‘Ocean Avenue‘ in full) lead the way, with Gnarwolves, Shikari Sound System DJ Set, Northlane, ROAM, Mayday Parade, Cancer Bats and Hacktivist also confirmed, among others, for the 28th - 30th May festival.

61

Tonight Alive VS

THE INTERNET YOU GUYS SUGGESTED SOME QUESTIONS FOR US TO ASK ON TWITTER. WE ASKED THEM. HERE ARE THE ANSWERS. Dream collab?

Jen: I’d love to write with Damien Rice. I just love his music and his raw emotional expression. It just really affects me.

Whak: Chris Martin. That guy, him singing just touches you in a way.

Jen: He’s kinda in the same world as Damien. It’s his voice and it doesn’t sound like anyone else’s and also, they don’t tune their vocals at all.

Whak: Coldplay are so real. The first time we did a co-write with someone that was a ‘holy shit’ moment was Charlie Simpson. We didn’t end up using the song but I was such a huge Fightstar fan.

Because we lived in Australia, we didn’t even know who Busted were until I came to the UK. I just love Fightstar and we met him a few times and he’s such a lovely man.

Jenna and I did a writing session with him and his singing was just… I can’t tell you man. These people just have something that touches you and

they don’t mean to do it.

Jen: Their voice just melts you.

Best song you’ve ever written?

Jen: ‘Oxygen’.

Whak: ‘Oxygen’.

Favourite song to play live?

Jen: at the moment it’s ‘How Does It

Feel’, I freaking love playing that song.

The way that we made that video is the physical expression of what that song sounds like to me. the way I was moving in that video, I’ve never done that before. I’ve never even practiced it before the video, that song was playing like 100 times that day and all I could do was this weird shoulder, and crouching and stalking, strange movements. I really enjoyed it and what makes me even more excited is that playing it live, it does the same thing to me again. It’s really natural and I really enjoy playing it.

Cats or dogs?

Jen: Dogs.

Whak: Dogs.

Best snack to eat while listening to Tonight Alive?

Whak: I’m such a snack guy, I love snacks. Crackers.

Jen: Do crackers really suit us?

Whak: I love crackers.

What else am I going to say? Beer.

Jen: Beer isn’t a snack.

Whak: What snacks do you snack on then?

Jen: Like, gooey choc chip cookies. They’re not crunchy, they’re still soft in the middle ‘cos they’ve just finished baking.

Whak: I’ll have crackers and cheese. Brie.