Upset, May 2016

IN OUR BONES

‘’full of absolutely huge songs’’ – UPSET MAGAZINE

OUT MAY 20TH

WEEZER

upsetmagazine.com Editor: Stephen Ackroyd (stephen@ upsetmagazine.com) Deputy Editor: Victoria Sinden (viki@upsetmagazine.com) Assistant Editor: Ali Shutler (ali@ upsetmagazine.com) Contributors: Amie Kingswell, Corinne Cumming, Danny Randon, Emma Swann, Emily Pilbeam, Heather McDaid, Jade Esson, James Fox, Jasleen Dhindsa, Jessica Goodman, Jonathan Dadds, Kathryn Black, Kristy Diaz, Lucy Wells, Martyn Young, Ryan De Freitas, Sam Taylor, 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

IN THIS ISSUE RIOT 6 A N DY B LAC K 10 T H E H OT E L I E R 11 I N TO I T. OV E R I T. 12 R E C R E AT I O N S 14 P V R I S 16 P U P

58 ISSUES 60 PIERCE THE VEIL 61 HESITATION WOUNDS 62 NOTHING 63 ARCHITECTS 68 CAR SEAT HEADREST 69 TRACKS OF THE MONTH

ABOUT TO BREAK 18 MOTHER FEATHER

LIVE 70 PVRIS 72 BLACK PEAKS 73 WOLF ALICE 74 WEEZER 75 CHVRCHES

FEATURES 22 WEEZER 30 AGAINST THE CURRENT 34 MODERN BASEBALL 38 LONELY THE BRAVE 42 ISSUES 46 WHITE LUNG 48 NOTHING 52 BABYMETAL RATED 56 AGAINST THE CURRENT

COMING UP 76. ON THE ROAD FESTIVALS 78. 10 YEARS OF SLAM DUNK VS THE INTERNET 62. SLEEPING WITH SIRENS

EDITOR’S NOTE Cards on the

P.22

table, there’s a very real possibility Weezer may be my favourite band of all time. At the very least they make the top five. As far as I’m concerned, every time someone tells me to check out a band because they sound like Rivers and co., they’re treading a very fine line.

It’s rare I agree.

But being a Weezer fan isn’t easy.

Ever since discovering them via a Windows 95 installation CD (seriously, the ‘Buddy Holly’ video was on there), I’ve been onside, defending them at length against the ‘everything since ‘Pinkerton’ is crap’ lobby. Of course, anyone saying that is talking rubbish (‘Maladroit’ is a brilliant album, for a start), but finally with the ‘White’ album we’ve got another unarguably brilliant Weezer record. And they’re on the cover of Upset. x Dreams come true.

S

RIOT

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

PAINT IT BLACK

A N DY B I E RSAC K F O U N D E D B L AC K V E I L B R I D E S W H E N H E WA S J U S T A T E E N A G E R .

T E N Y E A R S A N D F O U R A L B U M S L AT E R , H E ’ S G O I N G I T A LO N E - W E L L , S O R T O F. W O R D S : H E AT H E R M C D A I D .

“P

art of the reason I listened to Bruce Springsteen as a kid was not because I thought he was writing about me, but because he wrote about himself and I related to him.”

This is at the core of what Andy Black does. His job is to write honestly, without pandering to the perceived duty to inspire people - that would be disingenuous.

The fact many can connect to the work he does is just history repeating itself in a sense; a music fan finding an affinity with someone laying it bare in song.

Debut album ’The Shadow Side’, his side-step from Black Veil Brides, is packed with these moments that make you feel ready to take on the world, wrapped up in a dark-pop parcel. Life can throw a lot at you, but you can overcome it; the world can’t keep you down.

“I think that when I’m writing, regardless of what I’m writing about, the feeling that I have is essentially [that mantra] at all times. That’s what music represented to me. I came from a town of about 2,000 people with one stop light and I was told that nothing I ever wanted to do, I would succeed in. I was a little chubby kid that no girls ever talked to, I had little chance of becoming an internationally known rock star. Music was my escape and my belief system.

Whether I’m trying to or not, I have this inherent feeling that music is uplifting, it makes you feel victorious, and that makes you feel like you can take on the world.”

This manifests itself in many ways, and the gear shift from harder rock has allowed him to try something new. “One of the reasons for doing this is that I wanted to be a bit more, not honest, but a little bit more open,” he says. “I feel there is honesty in anything that anyone writes, but to be more open about context and giving people a more insight to how I feel about things.

“That just comes from the music. When you’re writing a hard rock song, the kind of passion just rides up

inside - that’s just the nature of the music, what lends itself to what I do when it comes to Black Veil Brides. The more melancholic, or even the happier pop-based stuff on this record, emotionally, it just hits me in a certain way.

“Whether it is writing about ‘Beautiful Pain’, that is about the death of my friend Chris Holley, or even about my relationship with my girlfriend [now wife, fellow musician] Juliet Simms - writing about being in love for half a decade, the problems you may face, but the happiness that you ultimately find in a song like ‘Paint It Black’, it’s a very personal outlet.

“I think what’s interesting is that I played a few songs for my parents when I went home, and I didn’t talk to them about anything really. I just wanted them to hear it. One of the things that my mother said is, ‘Oh, you’re really opening up.’ I didn’t really think about that until she said it, and I suppose I am in many ways. I’m talking more directly about things involved in my life instead of shrouding them in metaphor.”

It became the perfect time to explore the kind of music that soundtracked his formative years and not just the realm he’d found himself in. “Part of what I discovered over the last couple of years is that if you asked me my top ten favourite records of all time, I wouldn’t put a single metal record in there. If you asked me when I was 15 years old what kind of bands I listened to, they were punk bands or goth bands or new wave bands, everything between Dropkick Murphys, Alkaline Trio, the Sisters of Mercy. I never owned an Anthrax record, I never owned a Megadeth record, I never owned a Slayer record - that was never anything that interested me when I was young.

“I got into that type of music because of meeting [Black Veil Brides bandmates] Jake and Jinxx and CC - they loved to play it. I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we combined my love of melodic punk rock and new wave and put it in the context of this double kick guitar solo madness?’ But part of me always yearned to make a record that was like those influences.

Over the years, I have felt a deep love for bands like Slayer and Pantera because I had found something that I really enjoyed in it. That’s why any music we make in Black Veil Brides, it’s not that I am being disingenuous, it’s that I discovered that music a little later in life.

“I’ve always wanted to make a record that when I was 15 years old, if you asked me what kind of record would you make when you are 25, this is the record I would have thought. In that way, the influences range mostly from things that were influencing me at my most formative stage - anywhere from Bruce Springsteen to Depeche Mode.”

Andy worked with an near-endless string of quality creators throughout the making of ‘The Shadow Side’. “One of the things about not having a band is that you don’t have a group of people to bounce ideas off of, and you don’t have guys to play all the instruments,” says Andy. There’s two ways to go: do it electronically and have someone play it as you 8 upsetmagazine.com

“I REALLY THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LIKE IT. YOU KNOW, I TRIED MY BEST.” wrote it, or bring in people to collaborate. He went for the latter.

“Having Travis Barker come in and play drums - part of the joy of it is I go, ‘Here’s the song, what would you do on it?’ and you have him do a take, and we go ‘maybe do it like this’, and that’s really how we do a lot of the instrumentation. Other people like Quinn Allman from The Used were intrinsically involved with the guitar writing.

He would come in and start playing something and that would wind up being a song I’d write a melody over.

“Part of the fun of doing something this way is that although it can be an isolating situation when you’re doing something in a solo capacity, we had so many cool people around, it didn’t feel that way at all. It felt like having a new band to work with every day. The single ‘We Don’t Have To Dance’ came from working with Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy. I had never met Patrick prior to that day; he came in and we both really hit it off and the single came from a conversation that we had about things we just mutually hated, and just kind of laughing about things. We just started writing things down

and riffing it and it just came together.

“I had never done that before, where I just sat with someone I had a kindred spirit feeling with and just wrote in that way.

Some of the songs, I would just sit down and try to get some stuff off my chest, and others that were about personal situations in my life that I don’t think I could have written in a collaborative way. But there’s others: the song ‘Louder Than Your Love’, I wrote with Gerard and Mikey Way and that song wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for Gerard coming in and saying ‘I have this idea, let’s roll on this’. It’s all different, but what I guess is the surprising element, is how much fun I had doing it.”

The record has been sitting with Andy for a few months before release, and he’s had time to live with it, and feels perfect, in his own way, about everything on there. “Listening to this record, I feel this is the best representation of how my solo project is going to be, and I really think people are going to like it. You know, I tried my best and I’m really proud of it.” P Andy Black’s album ‘The Shadow Side’ is out 6th May.

9

T H I S M O N T H , T H E H O T E L I E R , I N T O I T. OV E R I T. AND ROZWELL KID TEAM UP FOR A TO U R SO G O O D, I T S H O U L D R EQ U I R E A L I C E N C E .

THE

HOTELIER

ver the course of their first two albums, 2011 debut ‘It Never Goes Out’ and 2014’s ‘Home, Like Noplace Is There’, The Hotelier explored what it means to grow up. They dealt with the anxiety of youth, making your own way in what can be a pretty daunting world; how to figure out who you are, and what you want to do with your life.

The Massachusetts band return this month with the latest chapter.

“I feel like the more you learn about life and the world, the more you end up feeling like you don’t know,” says frontman Christian Holden of ‘Goodness’, the next instalment in The Hotelier’s story. “And I think that may be an ‘engaging with wisdom’ sort of thing – learning to understand that we don’t know certain things. Maybe that’s what we’re learning.”

One thing’s for sure, they’ve a knack for writing lyrics that resonate. Fans

10 upsetmagazine.com

of The Hotelier are definitely fans of The Hotelier. “It’s possible that there’s just so many words that it’s bound to connect with somebody,” Christian muses.

“But I’m not sure. I mean, when I’m making music, I’m making pieces and elements of it that I would have wished to have when I was growing up listening to music. So maybe that was effective – maybe I was able to make something that other people were also longing for in music. But maybe it’s also that music is strange and complex, and people have different emotions toward different things.”

Either way, Christian’s not remotely worried about how their new material will be received. “I think there’s enough stuff that The Hotelier had done prior, that it feels familiar. It doesn’t feel like we’re trying on new shoes, it feels like we’re wearing them in, if that’s the metaphor. So yeah, I don’t tend to worry about it too much.”

Looking ahead to the UK dates with

TH E H OTE L I E R RETU RN TO UK SHORES WITH A NEW A L B U M I N T O W. W O R D S : S A M TAY L O R .

Into It. Over It. - and their “buds” Rozwell Kid - Christian says it’s a pairing that came about naturally.

“What happened was we were booking this tour for ourselves,” he starts, “and it didn’t really work out the way we wanted. Evan [Weiss] was asking us if we wanted to do the US tour that they’re on now, actually, and we were like, ‘We’ve already got plans to go to Europe, but do you want to meet up with us there?’

“I’m looking forward to seeing buds that I met the last time we were here – I mean, the UK was really fun and exciting the last time but right now I’m in Switzerland and seeing it for the first time, then we’re going to Italy, and Austria and Oslo… So this half of the tour is really exciting, there’s more mystery. I think that all the shows in the UK are going to be really really good. I’m really excited for them, and excited to play this new set that we have and perform the new songs.” P

INTO IT.

OVER IT.

nto It. Over It. have been creating music for almost a decade. Third album ‘Standards’ sees main-man Evan Weiss tread new waters to create a truly honest record that’s only going to push the band towards further success “Recording to tape and working with [producer] John Vanderslice has completely changed my perspective when it comes to creating art and what it means for music to be exciting again,” states Evan, when quizzed on the recording process. “It’s honest. It’s real.

It’s tangible.”

And from the first twinge of the acoustic guitar on opener ‘Open Casket’, Evan’s notion is proven true. Everything from the natural guitar sound to the direct, no-nonsense lyrics, feels right.

“It’s an infinite landscape of knowledge to begin to experience,” he continues.

“It will never sound dated. I am going to have a very hard time retuning to the use of computers when it comes to IIOI-related material in the future.”

As well as taking a step back into the past by recording straight to tape, Evan decided to completely cut the band off from society for a whole month while recording, allowing them to escape from the constraints of modern society. He’s quick to proclaim it liberating; they “were able to make writing music our only priority,” he explains. “I wish I could live like that every day of my life.”

Something they did keep the same however, was being “intentionally unprepared”. “I have approached nearly every record I’ve ever done this way,” Evan admits. “After making over 100 IIOI songs, I knew what was important to have beforehand and what wasn’t; I know what my strengths and weaknesses are. It also allows us to explore countless ideas and directions.”

“Now that the record has been released Stateside, most of my

nervous excitement / anxiety is gone and I can just focus on being excited to play these songs for people,” he continues, looking ahead. “It is certainly interesting to see how European crowds react to the record versus US fans. It’s absolutely a different landscape and audience when it comes to taste and style. UK and EU crowds are apt to being way more patient and polite, but also far more critical. There’s a higher level of expectation.” P

ROZWELL KID

J O RDA N H U D K I N S LO O KS A H E A D TO

T H E B A N D ’ S S U P P O R T S L O T. W O R D S : S A M TAY L O R .

So, you’re touring soon with Into It. Over It. and The Hotelier - are you fans?

We met the Hotelier on our first USA tour with The World Is a Beautiful Place... and we’ve been friends ever since. We just toured with Into It. Over It. for the first time in December, and they are the nicest people.

This is your first time playing the UK - is there anything you’re looking forward to experiencing while here?

This may sound lame, but I am very excited about turning on a television in the UK and watching Channel 4. Lately, I’ve been into watching Channel 4 on YouTube: a lot of Travel Man and Gadget Man and catching up on the Big Fat Quizzes from recent years.

I N T O I T . O V E R H E R E . E VA N W E I SS H AS RE AC H E D A HIGHER LEVEL. W O R D S : E M I LY P I L B E A M .

What can people who aren’t familiar with your band expect from your live show?

We pride ourselves on a highly energetic, finely-tuned live experience. We’re having a blast, and we want everyone in the venue to have just as much fun as we are.

What one thing makes you think ‘that was a good show’ at the end of a performance?

All that really matters is we had fun and tried our best. P

“I

WA N T TO

LOOK

SAM DUCKWORTH’S SHEDDING HIS FORMER MONIKERS, AND IN THEIR PL AC E I N T RO D U C I N G R E C R E AT I O N S .

W O R D S : S A M TAY L O R .

t just 30-yearsold, Sam Duckworth is already a veteran of the UK music scene, having released a nearcontinuous stream of material under both Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly and his own name for over a decade.

Following a recent bout of ill health, and a nagging feeling that he was outgrowing his previous monikers, he’s now started something new: Recreations.

“It dated pretty quickly,” he explains of his former title. “It served me well, but it got kinda tiresome trying to explain the band name to people. I think some of the early records are very much a snapshot in time for many people. Having a nostalgic name isn’t handy when the world is stuck in a throwback loop, I want to be looking forward.”

12 upsetmagazine.com

FORWARD” More than that, he’s keen the statements within those songs don’t lose their impact under rose-tinted spectacles. “Be it racism, institutional corruption or being paid a fair wage for a days work, it’s important to me that these subjects feel current,” he says. “By being tied to a nostalgic feeling, I felt like certain elements of my live show lost their ability to translate the sense of conviction I have for the subjects I sing about.”

see if there was anything I missed.

“I’d enough songs to have a mixtape, an EP and an album. I like to keep my songs sounding very true to their first moment of inception. I think with a debut it needs that freshness and openness as a singer-songwriter. It wasn’t easy making the record, as it’s very much a new beginning but also a continuation. Finding that balance personally, was key in being able to make the right album.”

His first Recreations offering came in the form of EP ‘Digital Ghettos’ earlier this year, swiftly followed by album ‘Baby Boomers 2’. The sessions were sparked from an unlikely place: ’Pipedown’, a song he released for Record Store Day 2014, on a wrestling mask of all things, ”felt like a song that could be revised,” he says. “I felt like it was the beginning of something very exciting and it served as one of the lynchpins for the record.

“I strive for continual improvement,” Sam continues. “I think in any machine, be it a team or a mindset, it’s important always to try and work out why you got somewhere, what worked and how to do it better next time. I feel like this is my most cohesive record and that is a major victory for me. I’m enjoying making music again, as opposed to leaning on it like a crutch, joy is something that has returned too.”

“I had a solid five tracks that I kept going back to, but it felt like the other five would be really difficult. I spent months writing and revising and then one weekend, ‘Zones 9&10’, ‘Lifestyle Concept Store’, ‘Digital Ghettos’ and ‘Red Spex’ all just kinda fell out of me. Suddenly it felt like the record had shape, and then it was a case of trawling back through the archives to

“I’d like to think that anyone who likes elements of my previous work, will find this soundscape easy to transition into,” he adds. “I think it sounds like a new beginning, but also has elements of familiarity. I’m extremely proud of it.” P Recreations’ debut album ‘Baby Boomers 2’ is out now.

MIRROR IMAGE PVRIS ARE A BAND WITH A V I S I O N . E V E RY S O N G ON ‘WHITE NOISE’ NOW C O M ES W ITH A VI D EO. T H A T D E S I R E T O C R E AT E A N D E X PA N D L O O K S S E T T O G ROW AS THE G ROUP LOOK TO A L BU M T WO. WORDS: ALI SHUTLER.

14 upsetmagazine.com

ore than writing great songs, PVRIS have created a world to accompany them. Dark, brooding and electrifying, the series of music videos that accompanies every track from their debut album is a bold statement from a band who don’t know how to do anything less. As you’d expect though, it’s something they had to fight for.

“We are obviously on a label and you have to work with what they give you,” starts frontwoman Lynn Gunn. “We were initially only confirmed to do three videos with [director Raul] Gonzo but ever since day one, before we even got confirmed to do that first video, we were brainstorming ideas for every video on the record. Eventually we started cheating the system and sending videos to the label saying ‘we filmed this video guys, here you go’.”

They needed support, and they got it. “Gonzo is amazing, he can literally make something out of nothing. He was really passionate about what we’re doing and he was kind enough to agree to do every video for every song,” explains Lynn. “We’d just bust them out at every chance we got.

We’re incredibly stoked we got to do all the songs, especially on the first record.

We’re really excited for the future and to see what happens. We definitely want to go above, beyond and a little bit better. We want to make it evolve and grow. We have a lot of ideas right now for the next record, but we can’t give away too much,” starts Lynn. Less than four minutes in and she’s already teasing album two - if we didn’t know any better, we’d say PVRIS are very excited about the future.

In the end, the band had to do a video for every song on ‘White Noise’ because of “the mirror at the end of the video, and how it shows a scene from the next video. You can’t just end it right there because it’s already telling a story. It’s like reading a book, getting halfway through and then throwing it out,” explains bassist Brian MacDonald.

“A very scrambled but kinda cohesive book,” adds Lynn.

“We weren’t sure if we were going to be able to follow through with all ten, so we kinda created a story as we went along. With the next record there’s going to be much more of a…”, she starts before interrupting herself. “I don’t want to give too much away, get people’s hopes up and then put some absolute bullshit out.”

“It’ll just be Teletubbies dancing around,” laughs Brian.

Despite the visual element at play with the creative process, it will never overtake the importance of great songs. “At the end of the day, it’s music first. That’s the focus but to be able to expand on that, create a completely different element to the band and then incorporate that into what we’re doing is really fucking fun and really, it feels great.”

have threaded recurring objects throughout their narrative and it’s something they want to expand on alongside the community-driven teasers, giving fans a glimpse of what comes next. “I think that’s really cool and interactive. It’s something we want to really start to try doing more. Make it more interactive, make people think a little more, drop clues and open up their minds. We kinda did it with ‘White Noise’ but we want to expand on it. It’ll be fun,” they promise.

instead there’s nothing but mutual respect. “The two of them are like, ‘yeah, whatever you want to do. They’re open to ideas and working with what we want to do,” explains Brian.

“Their ideas are great too. They don’t mind if we have ideas and vice versa.

I don’t think there’s ever been a point where Gonzo has said ‘let’s try this’ and I’ve been like, ‘Fuck no!’ It’s always something that really enhances and complements what we want. We’d come to him with a brief idea and he’ll completely go off with it, bring it to life and make it ten million times better. He can make something out of nothing. With ‘Holy’ we literally had a white wall and that was one of the most fun videos. It feels really good to have a sick creative team working with us. They really help bring everything to life.”

“WE HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS FOR THE NEXT RECORD, BUT WE CAN’T GIVE AWAY TOO MUCH…”

The mirror has become an integral part of PVRIS’ aesthetic.

From the front cover of ‘White Noise’ representing the self-reflective nature of the record as well as the distorted view you have of yourself through the video for ‘St Patrick’ where it acts as a portal to go from one thing to another to the closing shot of each video, teasing the next, there’s a constant reminder that there’s a bigger story at play. Lamps, televisions, hairdryers, baseball bats and umbrellas, PVRIS

Between producer Blake Harnage and Gonzo, PVRIS have a creative team behind them that sets them up nicely for the next step. It’s a comforting excitement that means they can really start thinking bigger, “and the fact they’re so stoked on working with us and are passionate about it as much as we are, makes it really fun because they trust us and we trust them.” There are no disputes or petty power struggles,

As for the future, PVRIS aren’t going to kill off their aesthetic and return, a la the 1975, doused in rainbows and tie-dye.

“It’s something to be discussed but I think it’ll be expanded upon. The band is very dark and the music is very dark, especially on the next record.

I’m not going to give away too much, but it’s very…” Lynn pauses. “There’s a lot of things I’ve been saying where I’m not sure if I should be saying them,” she laughs, before carrying on where she left off. “I think we’ll elaborate on that darkness a lot more but there will be new elements brought in for sure.

It’s hard to tell right now but we’re thinking about it.”

Not that the band have much time to stop and collect their thoughts. After their UK tour, they head to Europe and the US for more of the same ahead of a summer of festivals and radio shows. “We don’t get our first break until August and it’s not even 100% that we’ll get that, something might come up,” says Brian.

“And then I think we’re supposed to record in September or October. That’ll be nice,” insists Lynn. “We’ve got a cool spot picked out and for me, writing is really relaxing. It’s nice downtime. It’s hanging out with Blake and these guys every day. I’m definitely more excited to do stuff in the future now because I know how much we can pull strings,” she grins as the bold get bolder. P 15

DREAM OVER

PUP’S NEW ALBUM SEES

T H E B A N D G R O W I N G U P, B U T T H AT D O E S N ’ T

MEAN THEY’RE HAPPY A B O U T I T.

ou want to know if I’m still a prick?” snarls Stefan Babcock. “Well I am. And you’re not going to change me,” he adds with a knowing smile. Defiant, accepting but frustrated, ‘Old Wounds’ isn’t the only track from ‘The Dream Is Over’ that sees PUP pissed off.

“I don’t want to sound too worldly

HE WHO SMELLED IT, ETC ETC.

because I’m only 28 years old, but my experience thus far is, you don’t stop growing up,” explains frontman Stefan, currently at home, enjoying a rare moment of calm before the album’s release. “I feel like every year of my life, I’ve learned something new about who I am and my relationship with the world. On the first record [2014’s self-titled] a lot of the themes were about confusion, uncertainty and nostalgia about youth. This record, although I’m still confused, I’m less so than I used to be. I’m coming to terms with who I am as a person and being a little pissed off about it but acknowledging that this is just life. There are still ways to enjoy life

WORDS: ALI SHUTLER.

and offer something to the world even if it’s not as you imagined it to be.” That harsh reality is the bloody, beating heart of ‘The Dream is Over’.

It’s a record of change, of personal growth and of disappointment in the way life works out, but there’s also resilience. A will to life.

Written in stops and starts every time Stefan, bassist Nestor Chumak, drummer Zack Mykula and guitarist Steve Sladkowski had a week or two off from their near-constant time on the road, the band would, “come

home, bang out a few songs, go back out on the road, come home, reexamine the songs we’d done, bang out a few more,” and continue.

Going into the record there was the realisation that, “this was the first time any of us were writing music that we knew was going to get heard.

No matter what, people are going to hear these songs,” but the band did their best to block that out. They didn’t worry about an audience on their first album, they just “made the songs we wanted to make and tried to make a record that we would be proud of. We succeeded in that and it did well for us, so why change the game plan?”

PUP have always been about gut reactions and rolling with the punches.

They didn’t expect anything to come from their first album beyond making a record for each other, their friends and maybe playing a show in their hometown of Toronto but something about it connected. “I’m the most surprised person in the world,” offers Stefan. “I guess I was writing about a lot of themes that hit pretty close to home for a lot of people. I was talking about a pretty universal experience for people my age, but I’m not entirely sure. I’m more shocked than anyone else that it went so well for us.”

For ‘The Dream is Over’ Stefan looked back

on the past 18 months. “I recognise that we’re all living a not-so-normal life. We have an unusual lifestyle and I appreciate that, I make sure I don’t take it for granted.

There was a lot of reflection on what we’ve done, what we’ve accomplished, the good days and the bad days. Like everyone else in their twenties, we also have this uncertainty about the future and a nervousness about that plays into the songs as well.”

“WE DEVOTED OUR ENTIRE BEING TO THIS RECORD.”

Worrying about the future fed the band’s desire to look back. “I felt like I airquotes ‘grew up’ when I was twenty and decided what I was going to do with my life,” starts Stefan. “I’ve revised that opinion since. I feel like the process of growing up becomes you figuring out which expectations you had for your life are real and which are bullshit. It was realising the true nature of your life. There’s a lot of disillusionment on this record. Kids are told they can do anything they want to do if they set their mind to it, they have all these lofty ambitions but eventually you hit an age where those things just aren’t going to happen. Maybe they’ll happen someway, but not in the way that you had hoped they’d happen.”

There’s a brutal

realism to ‘The Dream Is Over’. The idea that “you just have to learn to be adaptable with your dreams” is present throughout, but there’s still a raging hope. “You realise that things aren’t going to turn out like you anticipated but you can still find ways to be happy and do the things you love. That’s part of the challenge of growing up.

The real challenge is accepting your situation, accepting your skill set and just trying to make the best of what you have and have a good time doing it. That’s where I’m at with my life.

I always have dreams, they’ve just shifted over the years.”

“I’m confident in what PUP is,” he reasons. “I mean, all the four of us can do is our best. I can’t control whether people connect with the record or not. All I can say is the four of us have made the best record that we could have, and we’re proud of it. Hopefully it’ll connect with people so we can keep living this weirdo life. A lot of people have said they’ve connected with specific songs or specific lyrics and they’ve realised they’re less alone than they thought they were. I think it’s done the same thing for me. I really put myself out there with our songs and when I see that they’ve connected with people and there’s some sort of shared experience there, it feels really good. It makes me feel a little less pissed off.” P PUP’s album ‘The Dream Is Over’ is out 27th May.

17

FREE ALBUM! GET YOUR FREE ALBUM!

SLUTFACE CENSORED

Norwegian pop-punk quartet Slutface have changed their name owing to “social media censorship” meaning they have been “shut out of certain opportunities”. They’re now called Sløtface, and have a new EP due 27th May.

T H E F A L L O F T R O Y H AV E G O T Y O U A P R E S E N T. I S N ’ T T H AT N I C E O F T H E M ?

The Fall of Troy are giving away their long-awaited new album ‘OK’, the follow up to 2009’s ‘In the Unlikely Event’.

Writing on their website, the band explain: “This album represents hope; that things can be different, that the past doesn’t have to always weigh on the present. We give this album to you now for free, because we know that you deserve it.

“Rather than try to squeeze every penny from people who have given us opportunities beyond our wildest dreams, we wanted to give you a gift, for all the gifts you’ve given us over

the years.

“If you would like to support us further, you can do so through donating what you see fit, or by purchasing a vinyl or merch bundle. We look forward to seeing you this summer.”

You can download the record now at thefalloftroy.com, and pick up the 12” from 15th July via record label, Big Scary Monsters.

They’ve also announced a world tour (like, a proper world tour not a Radiohead world tour) with Tiny Moving Parts supporting across the UK and Europe. P

TOP TWEETS

Will Gould (@willghould), Creeper

Stranger in kebab shop always insists on talking to you, always works in the music industry and always wants to advise you on your career.

18 upsetmagazine.com

BEARTOOTH ARE BACK

Beartooth have confirmed details of their new album. The follow up to 2014 debut ‘Disgusting’ is called ‘Aggressive’, and is due for release on 3rd June. Listen to the title track now at upsetmagazine.com.

YOUTH MAN PLAN NEW EP

Following on from the announcement that Youth Man have signed to Venn Records, the band have unveiled brand new track ‘Fat Dead Elvis‘; it’s lifted from their ‘Wax’ EP which is coming 1st July. Listen now at upsetmagazine.com.

WHAT ARE THEY ON ABOUT NOW?

Chris Webb (@chrismilkteeth), Milk Teeth

Can literally see a guy on a hover board vaping. Is this the world we wanna live in?

Mark Hoppus (@markhoppus), Blink-182

#NationalSiblingDay Here’s my brother Gene who we haven’t seen in years since he moved away we miss you call me.

ABOU T TO

BREAK

THE BEST NEW BANDS TH E H OT TEST NEW MUSIC

MOTHER FEATHER nn Courtney is the voice and soul of Mother Feather, a self-proclaimed “pop cock rock” band hailing from New York City. Despite having been around since 2009, they’re only now releasing a full-length debut, the self-titled record out later this month via Metal Blade Records. This may come as a surprise to some, as the band are anything but metal. “We’re not a metal band, we’ve never been a metal band,” Ann explains. “Bryan Slagel [founder of Metal Blade Records, who gave Metallica their first break back in 1982] knew exactly what he was getting into. Metal Blade does primarily put out metal, but they do also put out hard rock, and it’s pretty exciting to be at the farthest end of the spectrum, because we stand out immediately, as many YouTube comments have pointed out.”

just an authentic fan of Mother Feather.

It’s really exciting and cool, I’m glad to be the black sheep and the underdog, and that actually gives me a lot of fire in my belly.”

Mother Feather grab your attention before they’ve even started playing, but the abundance of eyeliner, glitter

NO ONE DOES STYLE AND

AT T I T U D E Q U I T E L I K E T H I S

FIVE-PIECE, STRAIGHT OUT O F N E W YO R K C I T Y. WORDS: JASLEEN DHINDSA.

response is from fans, and how much things mean for them. It’s turned into a bigger responsibility.”

“MOTHER FEATHER SONGS ARE 100% TRUTH.”

“I think it’s great and it’s sort of metal in a way,” she continues. “One of the biggest themes of metal is being an outsider, and so it’s sort of ironic isn’t it that by not being metal, we’re the outsiders. I think it’s interesting how everyone thinks Bryan is doing something so subversive, but really he’s

20 upsetmagazine.com

and latex that form the band’s look is more than a simple aesthetic. “I started the band because I felt there were all these sides of me that didn’t have a place to exist and thrive. It was kind of a high bar I was setting myself, and I still have to rise to that bar. I have to be physically well to do these shows, I have to be strong, and limber and it’s vocally very challenging. Now, I realise that Mother Feather has become bigger than me. I’ve seen how pure the

The album largely comprises material from the band’s previous two EPs. “Even though the songs represent work that was done over a number of years, they’re still absolutely relevant. There’s definitely a connection between all of the songs, I guess the connection is me, and my heart that is bleeding through all ten tracks.

Sometimes they’re feelings I’m trying to remember again.

I think there’s a lot of angst in these songs, and they’re kind of a key for me to unlock a lot of powerful feelings.”

The angst and power of Mother Feather wasn’t a chance decision however, as Ann explains. “I wanted to have a rock band. I knew I wanted riffs, I wanted it to be a guitar-based, heavy band. I was thinking about pop music when I wrote a lot of these songs, but I had a guitar to write them. The guys in the band, Chris [Foley, guitar] Matt [Basile, bass] and Gunnar [Olsen, drums], bring a lot of classic rock influences too, especially

Matt and Chris, their background is stuff like Kiss and AC/DC. They’re just so studied, I write these songs that I think are pop songs, and then they come through the filter of the band and come out as something else.”

The theatricality of Mother Feather is something that’s always been a part of Ann’s life. “I became a musician in NYC. I came here to study theatre and to go to university, but I always made music. I became disillusioned with acting right at the end of my college education which was terrifying. It was in my senior year of college that I picked up a guitar that belonged to my roommate Lizzie [Carena, keyboard and vocals], and just spat out a big batch of songs. The whole thing grew out of that experience.”

After discovering music was what she was meant to do with her life, but before Mother Feather was even a thing, Ann fronted Ann Courtney and The Late Bloomers. Yet the project seemed to be in a different world to the one she’s living in now. “There was a period in my life where I thought it was cute to be self-deprecating or to hate myself. I think I grew up, and also it was making me sick to sing these songs about how I hated myself. You can repeat something enough times that you start to believe

it. You can create something until you become it.”

Despite the pressures of living in New York City, be it downtrodden peers or the living expenses, Ann persists and thrives in the city that never sleeps. “I’ve been in New York since 1999. When I moved here I was a student, I grew up overseas and moved around every few years. I didn’t really have a place that was my home, and I didn’t really have anywhere to go back to when I first moved to New York. It was the first place I chose to live myself. It was an absolute thrill when I first moved here. I didn’t want to close my eyes for fear I’d miss something.”

Ann hasn’t just found a home in NYC, but also in Mother Feather, who she says is not a façade, but the real her.

“Mother Feather songs are 100% truth, it’s all from my heart. I never wanted to sing anything on stage that’s not true.

Sometimes the songs I’ve written to inspire myself or pump me up, are still truth. It might not be truth on a Tuesday morning when I wake up in a bad mood or something, but it’s all straight from my guts and heart.”

She’s hopeful that this honesty will resonate with new fans when her band embark on the Warped Tour across the

FACT FILE

Band members: Ann Courtney, Elizabeth Carena, Matt Basile, Chris Foley, Gunnar Olsen Hometown: New York City (US) Formed: 2009 Signed To: Metal Blade Records Did You Know? The band formed as a reaction against the romanticisation of self-deprecation, with the ethos: “Quit crying and be awesome.”

US this summer. “I’m really excited about meeting and making new fans, and meeting some new Mother Feathers.

The kids are sworn devotees, and I’m just completely excited to meet a lot of young people who are in their prime.

The best time to discover music is when you’re a teenager. The music I listened to when I was a teenager is still the stuff that fucks me up the best,” she laughs. Mother Feather are shamelessly authentic and sincere, and they don’t care who knows it. P

MOTHER FEATHER GOT ODD LOOKS WHEN THEY WENT TO TESCO EXPRESS AFTER THE SHOW.

kingsoft

theworld EV E RY T H I N G W I L L B E A L R I G H T I N T H E E N D, T H EY SA I D. B U T W I T H T H E I R W H I T E A L B U M , W E E Z E R U N D E R E S T I M AT E D . N O W T H E Y ’ R E BAC K O N TO P O F T H E WO R L D. WO R DS : ST E P H E N AC K ROY D.

I N T E RV I E W : A L I S H U T L E R .

P H O T O S : E M M A S WA N N .

T

he truth is, if you had a pound for every time you were told a band sound like Weezer, you’d be both very rich indeed, and still have only really heard one band that actually sound like Weezer. They’re unique.

Not only is their sonic delivery harder to ape than many believe - it’s not just being able to plonk any harmony over a guitar part, y’know - but no other band has to face the same hundred foot wall of extreme opinions.

Face it, everyone has something to say about Weezer, and those thoughts, they’re not subtle. They’re caricatures of an original notion, bloated and grotesque from countless repetitions, dragged forth at every turn. Those still in nappies when ‘Pinkerton’ dropped are quick off the draw to proclaim it the last good thing the band did. More than a few may not have even listened to it; not properly, at any rate. It’s just one of those echo chamber cries that bounce around the internet.

It’s also, crucially, a load of old bollocks.

The truth is, every Weezer album between then and now contains at least one great song. Yes, even ‘Raditude’. In fact, they mostly pack a few. ‘Green’, ‘Maladroit’, ‘Everything Will Be Alright In The End’ - they’re genuinely good albums. But hey, never let that get in the way of a snappy tweet.

And in that, the truth comes out. Weezer fans [yep, massively guilty - Ed] are defensive. They’ll fight you for the honour of their heroes, all the time praying that eventually they’ll drop that record that will prove them right; that the glory days aren’t over, that the California Kids are still capable of being the best of the best.

And then, out of seemingly nowhere, came the ‘White’ album...

“W

e currently have 72 on Metacritic, I think the last album was maybe 74 but,” Rivers Cuomo looks up from his phone. “Oh, 73. 73 based on 23 critics and as far as the user ratings go, which is just fans, not critics... yeah, it has 8.6.”

The rest of the band may claim to not pay that much attention to reviews, but it’s clear their frontman does. Last night, they played a storming show at London’s Brixton Academy. They don’t make it onto UK shores that often (“Reading & Leeds was the last time we were here. I remember thinking ‘wow, these shows went over really well.

I’m sure they’ll ask us back next year.”), but when they do the reaction is rarely anything but euphoric.

24 upsetmagazine.com

“It’s cool to see people singing lyrics that aren’t a single,” enthuses drummer Pat Wilson. “I remember that happening on ‘Pinkerton’ and that was my first clue that something unusual was going on, ‘cos people knew the words right away.”

And there it is - the long ball, dropping over the shoulder, waiting to hit the back of the net. The nuances may change depending on who you’re talking to, but Weezer’s latest album is - in some people’s eyes at least - being proclaimed their best since that one. Others still hold a soft spot for its two successors too, but whatever way you approach it, it’s most definitely a turning of the tide.

“I saw a really good debate between these two guys this morning about the ‘White’ album and how it fares compared to older material,” recalls guitarist Brian Bell. “Even the guys’ criticisms of the band over the years, they both really loved Weezer. Not every single album is particularly going to be your cup of tea, but we’re still growing and changing and trying new things and at the same time maintaining what’s great about Weezer right now. I think we’ve got a couple good albums in a row here.”

P

art of the reason ‘White’ works so well is it feels to have a theme. In fact, according to the band, that’s down to their new management. “We tried something new,” Brian admits, “which was trust somebody. They were the ones that suggested the Bach theme. Thought about it, like really heavy thinkers.”

“It got us to focus and it got us to write a bunch of songs with that in mind and that made it a thematic record. A cohesive record.”

But while the band may have been thinking of classical composers, it’s another of their influences that rings loudest. The ‘White’ album is definitely a West Coast record - Californian sun, sea and surf - and under those conditions there’s only one band that comes to mind. ”I think in our first bio we put words not to describe Weezer,” Brian explains. “One of them was ‘fun’. Of course the press picked them up and used those words for everything. It’s all they used. How do you describe a sound? It’s really hard. We said Beach Boys with Marshall stacks. We always had that sound in mind. Now in 2016, as evolved musicians, we can start to sorta tap into that ‘Pet Sounds’. ..”

“They were a big influence on me in my most formative years as a songwriter,” Rivers expands. “I remember when I was 21 or 22, right when Weezer got together. I went to the local used record shop in Santa Monica with the intention of buying a classic album that was going to be a huge influence

“A S A N A R T I S T Y O U WA N T T O T R Y C R A Z Y NEW THINGS.” - RIVERS CUOMO

on me and my writing for Weezer. I flipped through all the records and I narrowed it down to two records. One of them was ‘Led Zeppelin’, the other was ‘Pet Sounds’ by The Beach Boys. It was almost a coin toss but I ended up going with ‘Pet Sounds’, and I really came to love the melodies and the chord progression and the emotion on that record. It has to be one of the biggest influences right when Weezer was starting out.”

It’s not as if that influence has ever gone away - those trademark harmonies are still the band’s de facto calling card - but for a while they found themselves sharing a bed with other, more contemporary influences too. Over the last couple of albums, though, they’ve come back to the fore. It’s not that Weezer have rejected modern music, but more that what they had in the first place is timeless.

“On the one hand you don’t want to alienate your audience, who are very much listening to records that were created in the past,” Rivers muses. “They love you, and any kind of change is going to be difficult for them, but at the same time, as an artist, you want to try crazy new things and throw out the rule book. Those are the two different poles, pulling us in different directions when we’re in the studio. It’s an ongoing conversation going back and forth, trying to figure out the best way to move forward and press the most pleasure buttons for everyone.

“I think everyone involved has both of those poles inside them, but if I had to separate us on paper, I think the two strongest proponents of each side were Jake [Sinclair, the album’s producer] on the one side who was very much coming from the position of growing up with Weezer, and then on the other pole is probably me who doesn’t even remember what happened yesterday let alone last album, and is just so excited to be coming up with some crazy weird new thing.”

Weezer songs themselves may sound effortless, but in fact there’s a method to their inception. “Every song is different,” Rivers explains.

“I have a pretty big toolbox of different techniques I use for writing.

I have stockpiles of ideas, lists of titles, lists of lines - I’ll have lists of ‘this will be a good first line for a verse’, ‘this would be a good line for a prechorus’, that sort of thing.

“Everything’s all tagged and categorised and of course, I’ll have topics I want to write about, concepts I make

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“WE MAKE OUR OWN UNIVERSE.” - P AT W I L S O N

“I THINK I MIGHT MIX IN SOME SWEARS.” - RIVERS CUOMO

notes of, if I overhear someone overuse a cool phrase. I can go on social media and read people’s descriptions of themselves - sometimes they have catchy little slogans to describe themselves. Maybe I’ll see something on someone’s t-shirt. I’ll go through my journals and highlight cool lines. I have giant stockpiles of ideas so when I go to write a song in the morning, I’m never lacking material. There’s always something to work with.”

“As someone who is writing most of the songs from the beginning, one big change is realising micromanaging is not the way to go,” he continues. “Especially with this record. We made a point, each of the guys would go off with Jake and work on their parts without me around. Even with the best of intentions, if I’m around, I’ll have my own reaction to the idea as they’re coming up with it, even if they haven’t had a chance to work on it yet. It’s better if they can go into their own space and really be creative without any pressure from me.”

“I

like that word, legacy,” muses bassist Scott Shriner. “I think about it all the time. We were doing a television show a couple of months ago, and I was playing this keyboard part. I’m not a keyboard player, and I was thinking ‘man, someday my kid can be grown and see this. I can’t shame the family - I’ve got to pull this off’.

“You just never know how long music is going to last for. Or where it’s going to go or who is going to pick it up, but I like the idea of a legacy. Leaving something, doing something historic and making a little bit of a mark in the process. We’re doing something together. The power of the four of us is greater than any individual here. It’s fucking cool.”

“We make our own universe,” Pat exclaims, with Rivers agreeing: “We were never part of a scene.”

“I’ll never forget this moment, when I entered the ‘Blue’ album recording session, the first thing I saw on the door at Electric Ladyland - it said Weezer World, and I knew that when I opened that door I was stepping into something.

Wayne’s World was around at the time, I think it was a play on that, but as soon as I stepped into that room, this is a whole universe. It really is.”

It’s a universe that other bands want to join, even if it’s near impossible to keep orbit. This summer, Weezer go on tour with Panic! At The Disco - a pairing that’s both a little strange and makes perfect sense at the same time, Brendon Urie’s slick, chart-friendly rock possibly even opening up Weezer to a new generation of fans.

“I’ve known [Brendon] for ten years or so,” Rivers explains.

“We go to each others shows, that sort of thing. We interviewed each other and it took us a while to get into a groove because his brain is moving 180bpm and mine is going about 55bpm, so we sorta came together a little bit but man, he’s fast.

“I just keep hearing how amazing their crowd is,” he continues. “How open-minded their crowd is and how much they love music. Every band that Panic! has brought on tour with them over the last couple of years has gone on to be

really successful” “Yeah, we’re going to be the first to put a stop to that,” interjects Pat. “I think it’s going to be a really interesting mix,” Brian offers, “because Weezer fans are super intense and passionate about music so it’s going to be a good night.”

F

ew bands reach ten albums. Heck, many don’t even make it past one in the cut-throat world of 2016.

Most, by that point, have a template - not just a sound, but a hard and fast expectation that each record will sound like the last. Not Weezer though.

They have their identity, sure, but they’re always looking to try new things.

Word of a ‘Black’ album has already got out - a follow up to ‘White’ that will drop in a year - though if ‘White’ takes off commercially “we’d continue touring that album and we’d put the black album on hold,“ Rivers says. While there’s every chance that will happen, as it stands the band plan to decamp to the studio at the back end of the year to start work.

“It seems like we were on the right track,” Rivers says. “I’ve been furiously working on the next one, writing tons of songs, probably these guys have too. Our audience trust us now and I think we have a little more leeway to be more experimental on the next record.”

Yep, there’ll be no sitting back.

“There’s always an element of one album being a reaction to the previous one. The reaction to the ‘White’ album has been so positive, it’s really confirmed a lot of where we wanted to go anyway. I think it’s going to be more adventurous, experimental, a little less traditional - but I think the audience is ready to be challenged a little more now.

“I think I might mix in some swears,” he cautiously muses. “I might! I might try, we’ll see how it goes. Darker, more adult themes.”

That’s Weezer in a nutshell. Their most critically-lauded album in over a decade, and they’re flat-out refusing to just do the same again. They’ve had twenty years of people telling them to ‘just make another ‘Pinkerton’’, so why would they change now? And besides, ‘Pinkerton’ was supposed to be a musical anyway.

“That was wild,” Brian recalls. “I remember when Rivers showed me the concept and, oh my god, we were characters, it was unbelievable but then it morphed into something else.”

Would the reaction have been as euphoric to Weezer: The Musical? “That’s why you don’t read those things because it doesn’t do you any good at all,” Brian sighs. “There’s nothing to get from it that’s positive.” P Weezer’s self-titled ‘White’ album is out now.

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YO U N G + RELENTLESS D R E A M I N G B I G A N D W O R K I N G AT I T E V E R Y D AY , A G A I N S T T H E C U R R E N T H AV E A L W AY S B E L I E V E D I N T H E M S E LV E S . T H E I R D E B U T A L B U M ‘ I N O U R BO N E S ’ W I L L M A K E YO U A B E L I EV E R AS W E L L .

WORDS: ALI SHUTLER. 30 upsetmagazine.com

“I

always forget we only put our first EP out two years ago. What we’ve done since then is crazy,” starts drummer Will Ferri.

Following on the heels of ‘Infinity’’s release came the ‘Gravity’ EP and now, written amidst a couple of world tours and constant levelling up, Against The Current are set to drop their debut album. Confident, heartfelt and bubbling with excitable charm, it captures the trio looking skywards. It’s been a wild ride so far and ‘In Our Bones’ is only going to turn up the crazy.

What began in third grade with Will linking up with guitarist Dan Gow was cemented in the summer of 2011 when, after a rotating cast of others, they met vocalist Chrissy Costanza via mutual friends. “It was always just like pulling teeth before. It was Dan and I doing everything and it shouldn’t be like that. It felt like we were forcing other people to be a part of it and it was just unnatural.” That changed with Chrissy. “She’s just an amazing lyricist and that’s great. Say what you want to say and mean it rather than me force-feeding shitty lyrics to some kid singing in our band,” continues Will. “It felt great. It felt like everyone was doing something and not just filling in space. That was really important.”

“I was pretty awkward because I’d never been in a band before and I didn’t know these guys,” adds Chrissy. “They had their way of doings things set up already,” but it was a perfect fit. “I guess it worked because it’s just kept going.”

Working around school, Against The Current hit the ground running. “We did the most we possibly could with what we were given but we always wanted to do more.” They played a handful of local shows and battle of the bands “to get our bearings. I remember we had to write a song the night before our first gig because we only had three songs and it was too short,” laughs Will in disbelief. From there, Against The Current went online. Reacting to the world around them, the band could tap into an international scene and throw the doors open to anyone who wanted in. After that, they “went back at it for real. We got most of the awkward stage out before anyone knew anything, before we put out any music.”

“I think it worked out well because when we actually did start doing things, we were finally ready for it,” explains Chrissy.

Against The Current are confident but never cocky.

They carry a blue-sky dreaming with them, which is grounded in the reality of hard work. When Chrissy says backstage at the O2 Arena, “I have the mentality that if you say you’re going to do it, then you will do it.

People say ‘Do you hope that one day you’re headlining

“I don’t know if we were thinking about being like, an international sensation but we definitely knew we could do a lot,” ventures Will. “We just thought it was going to happen,” starts Chrissy.

“That it’s just what we’ll do. We’re going to make music and we’re going to be big at it.” While they never sat down and discussed these dreams, there was a shared expectation for Against The Current. They looked up and saw other bands doing well so why couldn’t they do it themselves? “The reason we’re so comfortable being thrown into this crazy world is because we always aspired to be living it,” says Will. “We’ve learnt so much from reading about peoples lives in this industry and soaking up any information that we can from the outside that it was a seamless transition; living it rather than just thinking about it all the time.”

Originally planned as a third EP before FBR came knocking (‘Runaway’ and ‘Roses’ were both written with that in mind), ‘In Our Bones’ is the result of five years’ hard work. “Listening back to it, we learnt what Against The Current can actually be like,” reflects Will. “I knew we could do it but actually hearing it for real, knowing we can go in this direction and emote these emotions, it’s crazy.” From the open window escape of ‘Running With The Wild Things’ through the “we’re born to be electric” sway of the album’s title track and the revenge fantasy of ‘Forget Me Now’ until the wildfire sparkle of ‘Blood Like Gasoline’, ATC’s debut takes everything the band have worked towards and solidifies it.

Dreams are brought to life as the group proudly rallies for acceptance, attitude and empowerment alongside a big sense of self-belief and even bigger songs.

“We just became better songwriters in general,” continues Chrissy. “Especially working with [outside] songwriters because we learnt so many different ways to go about doing the same thing ultimately. We just focused on a lot of these really intricate subtleties that we never really had time to focus on before.

We got really deep into it.”

“The way most of them think about it is, they’re trying to take your ideas and elevate them,” starts Dan, before Will continues. “I think if you don’t have your head on straight and you don’t have a voice, it’s so easy to come out of those

writing sessions and realise that the songs make you feel nothing. We’re lucky to have had pretty much none of those experiences.“ “You also have to be able to tell them, be able to be really honest and say this isn’t us. This isn’t going to work for us, we need to do something different,” adds Chrissy.

Despite a constantly expanding pool of opportunities, the band have made sure they never lose themselves in the hype and empty promises of the world around them.

‘Wasteland’ - the last song written for the album, and one of Chrissy’s favourites - shines a light on how “you’ll get fed so much bullshit being an artist.”

Comparing the industry to a drug trip with changing faces and slurring phrases, Against The Current know that if they’re not careful, “you’ll wake up one day and everything will be gone. Your career will be destroyed. You have to stay grounded and you have to stay sober.”

“WE”RE CHASING OUR DREAMS”

arenas?’ and I’m like ‘Nah, I don’t hope it. I know it.’ We’re going to do it,” you believe her. This self-belief isn’t a new look that’s come off the back of signing to Fueled By Ramen or a by-product of their global audience. It’s something that, since the summer of 2011, has always been in their bones.

Trying to write as much as possible, the band ended up with around forty songs before trimming it down to the twelve that make up ‘In Our Bones’.

“Every song is different, every song has its own story and stands alone,” explains Chrissy. “The album itself is very true to us. It was definitely hard to cut it down but by the end it was clear that yeah, this is the right track listing.” Despite the diversity, “they all sound cohesive because they all come from a genuine place. It feels like it’s coming from all the different sides of one person.”

Taking the songs to “the next level” and expanding on their previous work, ‘In Our Bones’ is another step up from a band constantly on the rise. “We always want to be getting better. We always want the next release to be our best one. It’s just our natural drive.”

“We’re chasing our dreams non-stop right now because it’s what we want. It’s exactly what we want and we’re going to relentlessly go after it. We’re driven by our passion for music and to make this work. I think anyone can look up to that and resonate with it. We’re getting rewarded to be who we are,” says Chrissy,

taking that confidence and putting it front and centre. “Writing music and touring is really natural for us so to be able to do this, and it be our life, it doesn’t get better than that.”

Against The Current cut the established with the daring: from YouTube covers and self-released EPs to the dynamic anything-goes-as-long-as-it-feels-right attitude. Despite the snark and the raised eyebrows, Against The Current have stayed true to themselves. As much as ‘In Our Bones’ is a celebration of that, it’s also there to inspire others to do the same. ‘In Our Bones’ is “about being strong. Knowing you’re special and you’re meant for something,” while ‘Brighter’ brings ATC’s motto of, “you can start any day. Never say it’s just too late. Every day you wake up, go after it,” to life.

“We try to be good role models, but we’re just genuine,” says Chrissy with a smile. “We are who we are. We’re good enough people that you could take us home to your parents. But we still try to be cool.” P Against The Current’s album ‘In Our Bones’ is out 20th May.

MODERN BASEBALL S AV E D M Y L I F E T H E I M P A C T O F M U S I C C A N O F T E N F E E L O V E R S TAT E D ; B U T F O R M O D E R N B A S E B A L L , T H E I R N E W R E C O R D A N D T I G H T- K N I T G R O U P O F F R I E N D S H A S H E L P E D T H E M B AT T L E T H R O U G H S O M E R E A L LY D A R K T I M E S .

T

W O R D S : R YA N D E F R E I TA S . P H O T O S : C O R I N N E C U M M I N G .

he six or so months at the end of 2015 weren’t easy for Philadelphiabased four-piece Modern Baseball; what wasn’t clear at the start of the year however, was just how dark things had become in the lead up to new record, ‘Holy Ghost’.

Before knowing details, it’s crucial to understand how the Modern Baseball dynamic works. Songwriting duties are split between vocalists Jake Ewald and Brendan Lukens, who both bring songs to the table that they’ve worked on separately and so are, inevitably, coloured by their own separate experiences. That’s why the things the band – those two members specifically – went through are so vital to this record. ‘Holy Ghost’, from its title to its alarmingly frank lyrical admissions, is the direct product of those struggles.

Or, as Brendan puts it, “For the first time ever, it’s not just about girls.”

Speaking about the album in the downstairs of a pub in Camden the night before their biggest UK show yet at the sold-out Electric Ballroom, spirits

are understandably high. However, that doesn’t prevent Jake and Brendan being every bit as forthcoming in talking about their struggles in person as they are on the album.

“I wrote my half of the record mostly about my grandfather dying,” Jake explains. “My family kinda fell apart in the aftermath of that. I would get halfway through writing a normal song about going to school or riding my bike or something, and I’d realise that in the second verse I ended up writing about my grandfather. I realised that the reason it kept coming up was that I never really processed it. When it happened I didn’t really talk to anyone about it. But then as time went on and I was writing songs, I was forced to think about it and the fact that when he left, everything fell apart.”

“That’s where the religious imagery comes in too, because there’s so much religion in my family. My mom’s a minister, my grandfather that died was a minister, my other grandfather’s a minister, and my sister is studying to be in the ministry. It seemed like the whole time my grandfather was sick and when he passed away, all this holiness was actually a substitute for dealing with the problems in my family. So it’s about

religion as being this thing that I don’t see as a good thing or a bad thing, but something that can cloud a situation.”

As Jake speaks, his band – completed by bassist Ian Farmer and drummer Sean Huber – are transfixed on his words, offering him reassuring smiles and sympathetic nods as he speaks. Fifteen minutes ago the band were uproarious with laughter, unanimous in the joy found in each other’s company and now they’re just as united in a far more sombre moment. It’s a simple stream of gestures, but it speaks volumes for the strength of the unity within the band.

It’s that unity in fact, from the four people sat around this table, as well the MoBo family’s more peripheral figures, which helped to avert the most tragic of circumstances.

In the recently released ‘Tripping In The Dark’ documentary (which takes its name from lyrics on ‘Holy Ghost’’s title track), it was revealed that at a particularly low point in August last year, Brendan made his way onto the roof of his house with thoughts to end his life. Thankfully, he found himself back downstairs after a “really stupid, really basic” text from Jake and a phone call to Cam Boucher of Sorority Noise – the band that not only

35

“BE HONEST WITH YO U RS E L F; BE HONEST W I T H YO U R FRIENDS.” play as support for Modern Baseball at the aforementioned Electric Ballroom show, but also act as a key support figure in Brendan’s life.

Looking around at his band and taking a deep breath, Brendan is as blunt as he can be about the situation: “Modern Baseball saved my life. I’ve said it before to press, I’ve said it before to my friends and I’ll say it again to everyone; these guys saved my life.

Speaking in the documentary, Brendan reveals that moment was the culmination of a stretch of time spent drinking heavily and hiding the then undiagnosed mental illness that he suspected he had from everyone around him. Hitting rock bottom also served as the push he needed to get help. Later that month, just weeks before the studio time they had booked to record ‘Holy Ghost’, the band announced that they’d be taking time away from touring in order to allow Brendan to recover.

“There was a lot of drinking, a lot of smoking weed and a lot of cutting,” says Brendan. “It was getting to a really bad point and I personally needed the time off to get a lot of my shit together - and the band fully had my back. We had to cancel some shows that would’ve been great, but instead of being a thing where

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they were like, ‘you fucked us over’, they just said, ‘take the time you need and we’ll see you when we see you’.”

“In August I admitted myself into a program that was set for my bipolar disorder, my severe manic depression, my alcoholism and my marijuana consumption. It was supposed to be for three weeks, but it went on an extra week and a half and finished three days before we finished the record. I saw these guys for the first time afterwards – people were coming to visit me, but I mean the first time we were able to hang out – the day we started recording.”

Going from a semi-isolated treatment program straight into a recording studio isn’t an easy transition, but Brendan knew it was coming and had been writing music in preparation.

“They were checking in on me while I was there, like, ‘Hey, where you at?

How’s songwriting going?’ It sucked, but hey, we got there! Once we got into the studio, it was awesome. It definitely helped clear my head, too. Looking back at it now, most of the things I wrote about were straight up confessions. I think getting into that studio was just such a big moment for us as a band. Us as friends and us as a band.”

“It was a really good vibe, too,” Jake continues. “It was so new and in the moment for us that you got to have that ‘woah, I really like this’ feeling. We always get that when we’re playing new songs, but to get that feeling while we were actually recording was so great.”

It comes through on the record, too.

Despite ‘Holy Ghost’’s heavy subject matter, the sheer enthusiasm of the band and how stoked they are to be playing together again is at the core of how every song sounds. Brendan might be despondently singing, “I’m a waste of time and space,” on the verses of ‘Just Another Face’, but when the choruses roll around, the band’s energy emanates from every note and you can feel just how eager they are to start playing. It’s a special, impossible to manufacture thing.

Through it all, things seem to have worked out in the end. Prior to this album, Modern Baseball were a band on the cusp of something great. Now, having grafted their way up from DIY house shows to venues like the one they occupy tomorrow, having cultivated a fanbase that appreciate them for the honest, heart-on-sleeve songs they write, and having recently fought through some of the hardest battles they’ll hopefully ever have to face, they’re sitting around a table cracking jokes and basking in the knowledge that they’ve delivered on that promise.

For all their struggles, the band are more at ease with themselves, their music and its place in the world, too.

And it’s not just exorcism of their own demons that drives the band to be so open in their lyrics. “I think our view on it was that if we can do this, hopefully people listening would feel able to be this honest,” Brendan concludes. “If we can talk about our shit – all this darker shit - to everyone, then hopefully they’ll be able to see that they can talk openly to their friends too. If there’s any one thing to take away from this record, it’s that honesty is so important. Be honest with yourself; be honest with your friends.”

Producing an album at all under such trying circumstances would’ve been admirable. Producing one as good as ‘Holy Ghost’, however, is nothing short of miraculous. P Modern Baseball’s album ‘Holy Ghost’ is out 13th May.

M AT T E R OF FACT

LEAR. E P E R F E C T LY C T H E B R AV E A R LY E N O L , O W T AT T E R S .

WITH ALBUM EV E RY T H I N G M N LOFTIN. WORDS: STEVE

‘T

hings Will Matter’. Certainly a statement true of life, and a more than apt title for the second record from Cantabrigians Lonely The Brave. Having found success with ‘The Days War’, which reached Number 14 in the Official Albums Chart, the band are seeking to continue this triumph. Fuelled by the tribulations and experiences their debut brought, in the sessions for ‘Things Will Matter’ Lonely The Brave ensured they unlocked every one of these moments and poured them into their next move.

Following their initial time in the spotlight, they gained both critics as well as fans. “People were really kind about the first album which is great, but I think after we’d sort of been chewed up by the industry, spat out and then got back into it. You know, you get a bit of a harder skin,” explains drummer Gavin ‘Mo’ Edgeley. “We’re not a cocky or boasty band that would ever expect anything easy, or on a plate you know, we’re all like pretty sensitive individuals… We didn’t really look at the first album and feel like we had to emulate it in any sort of way.”

Lonely The Brave are, in a word, epic. Large soundscapes

“WE JUST HAD TO G ROW UP .”

40 upsetmagazine.com

lay a canvas for singer David Jakes to roar above. “I think with our sound and where we are as musicians, you’re always going to know it’s us. It’s not a 100% complete departure, but… we just had to grow up and sort of plough on through the industry, settle down and write a record that we were happy with.”

“We’ve all kind of been through the mill, had personal things going on, that have been quite bad,” he says, touching on their frame of mind. “Personally for me, the last two years while we were writing and touring and stuff I was basically I was out five or six nights a week, not looking after myself and partying pretty hard; and had the death of an ex-girlfriend which hit really hard, and I’m sure it’ll all come out through the album.

“On the other hand it’s just given me a life that I could never have expected, you know, just being able to sit

in a van and drive around Europe and play shows and things like that. It’s a really bittersweet album because I’ll remember it both ways. Everybody has those experiences and we’re as bad as the next person when it comes to dealing with our problems in a way that is ultimately quite bad for yourself, but you come out the other side of it and you’re still here, what more can you do?”

and do that because we are just a bunch of normal dudes that just got really lucky. We’ll always go out and meet people, because they pay money to come see us, which is absolutely mind-blowing for us. We’d be nowhere without those people who buy records.”

Of course, there’s little that makes musicians more vulnerable than baring all on record. “Initially you just hope that people like it, if they do that’s going to be amazing - and if they don’t… it’ll just be something we’ll have to deal with, I guess,” Mo starts. “You put yourself up there, don’t you? You put your best choice of songs out there. That’s your legacy. Half of me is like, ‘fuck what anybody else thinks!’ The other is like, ‘I hope they like it’.

But that’s natural!”

It’s moments like these that make a band go from good to great, showing they can withstand anything thrown at them - and proving to their fans that they are worth believing in. It’s this ethos that stands so clearly within ‘Things Will Matter’. “It’s just everything does matter in the end, no matter if you think it doesn’t, it’s - you know - everything in life. All your family, and everything like that, are at the forefront of your mind. That’s our thinking really: learning that everything does matter even when you think it doesn’t.”

Lonely the Brave’s album ‘Things Will Matter’ is out 20th May.

Track selection is no small task. On his favourites, Mo offers: “‘What If You Fall In’, which is quite progressive for us. There’s that one, and there’s another one called ‘Jaws of Hell’ which has been kicking around for quite a while, which I was really glad made the final cut and I did actually have a little cry in the car a while back when I was listening to that.” As for the process itself? “I think we had about 15 songs, or maybe 16, for the record. 10 or 12 I was like, ‘Please let that make it!’ Luckily everyone was on the same page.”

With their tour imminent, one thing is for certain - Lonely The Brave aren’t quick to forget the loyalty of their fans.

“After every single show, all of us go out and meet people - and it’s not really for any sense of gratification, it’s to thank people for coming. It’s important for us to go out

41

E D MA

IGNORE T H E H AT E R S, ISSUES J U S T WA AREN’T S N T TO G R ELLING O O W , S AY S UT - THE VO CA L I S Y T TYLER CA RTE R. WORDS: H E AT H E R M C DA I D.

TO

LAST

I

ssues were the band on everyone’s lips following their self-titled debut, and rightly so. But buzz doesn’t last without reason, and vocalist Tyler Carter is all too aware of that.

Aptly-titled follow-up ‘Headspace’ sees them pop back up from under the radar after working out how they want to take on the world for round two.

“There’s always a lot of pressure, especially when the first record does well,” begins Tyler. “You think you’re on top of the world, but just as quickly as you rise, you can certainly fall.

People don’t really understand that, so they just shit out another record and expect ‘oh, we are popular, so it’s good’. But you really have to up your expectations, you have to up your standards, you really have to expect people to have high hopes. That’s why they call it the sophomore slump.

“We definitely have had a lot of pressure on our shoulders as far as delivering something better and something bigger and just new. I think that because we had so much time to revise and to really work on the record for a year, we were able to meet those expectations for ourselves and for the fans. It took a lot of revision, like we’d realise a song wasn’t good enough so we’d cut it - that’s something that’s really important when making a comeback record, making a record that is going to top your debut and really take it to the next level.”

Time is the recurring factor, a luxury of having more to really whittle every element of Issues down to its finest potential. “We wrote the last record in like a month and recorded it in three weeks,” he explains. “This time we spent a few months writing starting with jotted ideas. When we were touring, we were writing in the back of our bus. We approached it differently by everyone working harder and practicing more.

“We hit the music in the same place

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we did our last album because we felt like, honestly, this works: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I think at the top line, collaboratively it came out a lot better than our last record, just down to everyone spending really quality time with themselves and really evolving and I think that’s what set us on the next bar.”

In ‘Headspace’ the dynamics have changed - they keep pushing themselves for greater heights as they themselves grow and mature, and they’re unapologetic about it. “Our influences are completely different from what we were influenced by a couple of years ago,” Tyler continues. “People might call us sell outs, some might say we are just trying to appeal to a commercial audience - that’s not true. Obviously, we want to grow, and we would like to do bigger tours and make more money and support ourselves in the future because, it takes more money to be able to do this for a living, and to make music for people, but we have to be able to survive as well.

“It’s more than just the commercial aspect, it’s about growth. We evolve in our talents and take it more seriously.

We know people are going to call us sell outs just because we have the softest, poppiest, most singy-songy track of our whole career on this album. But we also have our heaviest, darkest, most anti-singing song of our career on the album too. So, people who get their panties in a bunch maybe haven’t listened to the whole record.”

When it comes to what peppers the songs, from pop to their ‘heaviest yet’, it’s another case of going all in.

No half-arsing on any front. “We just went into the studio and we just started with these more open-ended universal lyrics,” says Tyler. “At one point or another, we were like ‘Look, if we are going to tell it, then we have got to tell it all’. We take inspiration from that to go full-on with it and really make it a point to tell the story and paint the picture and do it whole hearted.”

Take ‘Yung and Dum’ for example: its roots seem to have been in an entirely different creative ballpark

to begin with and, bit by bit, brought over into their world, and the plot they weave is one that everyone can pick from. “It’s kind of like a country song,” he notes. “We wrote it like a country song and kind of transformed it into an Issues song. The lyrics are feel good, windows down, big city, big country. Being young and staying forever young, you know the Bob Marley kind of forever, holding on to your youth and having fun before you get to the point where you want to settle down and start having families.

It seems like a lot of us, when we are young, we always are like ‘I can’t wait to be 21 and buy alcohol and drive and go to rated R movies’ and just grow up and have fun; when we get older, we all can relate and all we want to do is wish we could be young for a day again, wish we could just go back in time and relive it and know what we know now back then. That’s one of our favourites.”

‘Headspace’ is Issues taking the hype head on, levelling up in the process.

So what does the album say about this step in their journey? “I think it really just tells the story of our band,” he says. “You know, we weren’t just an overnight success. A lot of people might see that we came out of nowhere - we really do have a cult that we have created over the years.

The new record will top the last record, which topped the EP, which topped the demos.

“I think that you can look at where we come from and people can see the growth. People can really say ‘I’ve been listening to them since they were this and since they sounded like this’, and they can see how far we have come and how far we plan to go. It says that these guys are determined to be something revolutionary or legendary.

“That’s not the main goal - we just want to create music that’s innovative and that’s a record for each one of us.

That’s the creativity behind it, making a bunch of things that shouldn’t make sense, make sense. I just hope people see that that’s the statement there and there’s no limitations.”

Issues’ album ‘Headspace’ is out 20th May.

“J U S T A S Q U I C K LY A S YO U R I S E , YO U CA N JUST MAKING SURE EVERYONE HAS NOTICED IT SAYS BUMS ON THAT SOFA THINGY.

C E R TA I N LY

FA L L . ”

FEELS

LIKE

H E AV E N W H I T E L U N G ’ S ‘ PA R A D I S E ’ I S A N E C L E CT I C M I X O F C O L O U R F U L S T O R Y T E L L I N G B U T T H E M O R A L I S A L WAY S E N J OY M E N T. WORDS: ALI SHUTLER.

W

hite Lung are very aware of the world around them. They know that feeling content is bad for songwriting, they know that in rock, being accessible is a dirty word and progress is frowned upon but to hell with that. White Lung know that you’re going to love ‘Paradise’.

“The last record [‘Deep Fantasy’] sounds pretty anxious and bleak and it’s hard to keep writing those kinds of songs without repeating yourself,” starts guitarist Kenneth William. “[We] had to move on to other stuff or it would be recycled junk.”

“Agreed,” adds frontwoman Mish Barber-Way. “You cannot keep writing the same record over and over and over and over and over and over. “ Following on from the bleak uncertainty and raging fire of 2014’s ‘Deep Fantasy’, the band’s next step is a record that’s just as brash, just as cutting but exists in a world of multi-coloured beauty. It taps into something guttural and necessary yet is very much a 2016 record. When White Lung talk, people listen and ‘Paradise’ sees the band at their most articulate.

Going into the studio with four songs finished and nine months of ideas on Kenneth’s iPhone, the record was “created by hacking up all those tiny pieces and rearranging them into full songs.”

“I spent about two weeks straight on vocals,” explains Mish. “I had a big book of lyrics going in, but the actual songs came together in the studio. This is how we have to write. We aren’t four people in a room doing songs start to finish. We don’t have a permanent bass player,” she adds. “I write pretty schizophrenically. I wanted to create good mental images with my words. Some songs are about five different things,” and all of those are chosen “the same way you decide to focus on any topic: because it interests you. My mind races around,” and ‘Paradise’ takes it all on. ‘Kiss Me When I Bleed’ is a “poor, white trash fairytale,” about a little rich girl falling in love with a garbage man, while ‘Below’ is inspired by a quote from academic Camille Paglia about glamorous women and “feminism’s failure to acknowledge that beauty is a value in itself, that even if a woman manages to achieve it for a particular moment, she has contributed something to the culture.” ‘Paradise’ is instinctive and full of pride.

“We took more risks writing the songs and it’s less consistent stylistically,” explains Kenneth.

“We upped the production level. We made the vocals the focal point instead of burying them under noise and chaos,” continues Mish. “We got hip to the fact that our songs should be mixed big, bright and clean. We tapped into our strong pop sensibilities and were not afraid to flex the

muscle. We treated each song differently in both production and style.”

“It’s a great album,” she continues. “Our songwriting has only become better. I don’t really care about negative reactions. I’m not a masochist. I have enough things to worry about in my life like house payments, bills and maintaining my relationships than worrying why some troll hiding behind a screen name doesn’t like our new album as much as the last one. I know I did the best job I could.”

As personal, heartfelt and to the bone as ‘Paradise’ is, “This album is not really about me,” Mish explains in the Q&A led by St. Vincent’s Annie Clark that came alongside the album’s announcement.

“Of course, I wrote some songs about my own life.

Mostly love songs. I wanted to be earnest. For me, it’s so much easier to write lyrics with cynicism, snark and spite then to genuinely write about being happy. I had to challenge that. But moreover, this record is a collection of other people’s stories I wanted to retell. There isn’t a lot of anger on this album. It’s colourful, bright, cotton-candy, oversaturated, neon signs and glitter… just paradise.”

Everything about this version of White Lung is about rejuvenation and hacking at the established order of things.

“Annie likes our band and has been very supportive.

When it came time to do a press release, I was hesitant to do a flowery, boring release. I get those every day from bands and they are a snooze.

I asked Annie to interview us because she uses her guitar in an odd, similar way to Kenny. I wanted them to talk about guitar. A Q&A between musicians is far more interesting to read then some puffed-out press release. I am very happy she took the time to do that for us.“ Four albums in and White Lung are determined to keep it exciting. They’re confident about the release of ‘Paradise’. “We’ve been playing the new tracks live and they sound great. People will like the record.” And while they’re aware of that audience, they’re not letting it effect ‘em. “If people don’t like the direction we chose for this, that’s fine.

Our old records still exist.”

“I want people to have a good time,” says Mish.

“I don’t think that it’s a depressing record and hopefully what we put together is exciting for people to listen to.“ “I don’t think there are really other bands that sound like ours,” adds Kenneth. “Lars [Stalfors, producer] was good at bringing out what sets us apart and putting it front and centre.” At the forefront of White Lung is enjoyment and ‘Paradise’ sees them embrace that. As Kenneth explains, “I want people to sing along and feel something that makes them want to drive faster.” P White Lung’s album ‘Paradise’ is out 6th May.

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THERE’S

G N I H N OT LEFT

TO

LOSE

I F YO U T H I N K YO U ’ V E HAD A COUPLE OF BA D YEARS, WA I T U N T I L Y O U H E A R N OT H I N G ’ S S TO RY. WORDS: JESS GOODM AN.

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t seems as though Nothing have always had a shadow looming over them. It echoes through their music, and it hangs heavily in the title of their latest album. But for all the turmoil they’ve faced, the Philadelphia outfit stand steadfast. ‘Tired Of Tomorrow’ may be seeped in strife and confusion, but much like the band, it bears its scars with no apology.

“There’s seemed to be a cloud following over the band’s head, or my head, even, forever,” frontman Domenic Palermo mulls.

“As far as the band goes, it’s always kind of had this vibe to it where anything that can go wrong will in fact go wrong, without a doubt. But we just take it in our stride.” With chaos surrounding them, the group turn to creativity, finding and forging resilience.

“Everything that we do reflects on what we’re going through,” he conveys. “We take a blank canvas and look at everything going on in our lives and use that to write the music itself.” More than just an outlet for inspiration, Nothing use their music as a way of dealing with the world that surrounds them. “That’s why people back it so hard. They know it’s coming from a legitimate source.”

The record has been in the works since debut album ‘Guilty Of Everything’ hit shelves in 2014. But it wasn’t until after a postconcert attack brought everything to an abrupt halt that the band ventured into the studio. “Someone tried to rob me after we played. And I didn’t comply,” Domenic cautiously explains of the incident. “So five guys beat me up pretty bad. There was no one around, so it kind of went on for an absurdly long time.”

Rescued by his tour mates and rushed to hospital, the injuries he sustained not only kept the band off the road, but left them miles away from home. “I had a fractured skull, a fractured orbital, couple of fractured parts of my lower back, nineteen staples…” he lists. “And I had a swollen brain, so I couldn’t really fly home for a few weeks.”

Prevented from performing, the group continued to compile the songs that would form the foundation for their second album.

“I went out to Big Sur, ate a ton of pain medicine, and started to write,” Domenic shrugs. “I was hanging out on the beach, walking around the woods, and just being high, trying to get my life back together.”

Diving straight into recording after six weeks of touring, emotions continued to run high. “I don’t care who you’re around for that long: it could be your mother - though your mother might be worse than anybody,” he chuckles, “but you’re going to start getting irritated by them.”

Having “rewrote everything from top to bottom”, the group found strength in their creativity, and the end result is a snapshot inside the lives and minds of the shoegaze punks with the world raging around them. “The songs that we did keep from previously began to take a whole new shape and meaning. It’s a more blatantly honest version of itself,” Domenic interprets of the record.

“We went through so much shit together it felt quite inspired,” he reflects, “but we also felt like we were waiting on death row.

It had a very grim vibe to it. Not just mentally, but also physically from the pain that I was dealing with. Everyone’s morale was in a hazy place, so it started to come through when we were doing the record. Everything changed after that.”

Everything was about to change. Having signed with Collect 49

“ L I F E C A N T R Y T O B AT TER US D O W N A L L I T WA N T S , BUT THE RECORD’S COMIN G O U T. ”

Records for the release of the album, Nothing were shocked to learn that the silent investor behind the label was Pharmaceutical price-gouger Martin Shkreli. “It was a Wednesday evening,” Domenic recollects.

“A friend who was HIV positive reached out to me asking ‘is this the guy that’s involved with your label?’”

Shelving the release was the only decision the band could make. “It wasn’t even a question in my mind,” the frontman asserts. “I wanted to wait for Geoff [Rickly, Collect label boss], but ultimately I knew that I don’t want to be a part of anything like that. I wasn’t going to put out something that I literally bled making compromised by something like this.”

Returning to Relapse Records (who released the band’s debut album in 2014), ‘Tired Of Tomorrow’ was back on track. “We know that trouble is always walking at our footsteps,” Domenic expresses. “As soon as we signed to Relapse and everything seemed to be good, Nick’s [Bassett, bass] mother passed away suddenly. They found her face down in her apartment. She’d been there for about four days. Then literally two weeks after that they found my father on the side of the road, dead in a puddle.”

With all odds stacked against them, Nothing stand strong. “It’s a continuous thing for all of us, but it’s a continuous thing for everybody,” Domenic articulates. “The circumstances are a little bit weird considering that it keeps happening to us, but this isn’t an isolated incident, this is happening to everyone, everywhere. At the end of the day we just try to laugh at the utter absurdity of everything that life is.”

With their heads held high, the band are determined to take whatever the world throws their way. “We’re used to it at this point, and I’m not surprised by anything that happens,” Domenic imparts. “That’s just how we deal with it. Life can try to batter us down all it wants, but the record’s coming out, and it’s going to do good. Who knows what’ll happen after that?”

Strength against adversity is a key component in ‘Tired Of Tomorrow’. “I was really adamant about trying to move away from the more black and 50 upsetmagazine.com

grey pallet that we stuck with before, and trying to use brighter colours,” the frontman states. “The record is still pretty sombre and lethargic, but sometimes colours speak that too.”

‘Tired Of Tomorrow’ owes its vibrance to the studio that brought it to fruition.

“When we did ‘Guilty Of Everything’ we were using pawn shop guitars and the shittiest fucking pedals,” Domenic groans. “This time the studio we recorded in was this fucking beautiful, immaculate place with a giant piano and the most insane soundboard ever.”

“I got to use everything that I’ve always wanted to use,” he enthuses. “Being able to sit there with three musicians in a string section that is undoubtedly way more musically talented than you, but have them listening to you and playing at your league and to your music…” he trails off in amazement. “I could see myself – if I have the opportunity – getting more and more into that, loosening the knot on everything that we do and trying to progress.”

Thrilled though the band may be about expanding their horizons, they’re not all that sure what it means for their live show. “We’ll probably just get drunk and play all these really pretty songs on the record really terribly, and then everyone will think we suck live,” Domenic laughs.

“We have some plans. Things progress.

We’re going to not be as cheap.”

Every decision Nothing have made on the run up to ‘Tired Of Tomorrow’ has been characteristically bold, from their instrumentation right down to the album artwork. The title painted across a New York rooftop is typical of everything the album name represents.

“I chose that roof,” Domenic proclaims.

“We did the record cover ourselves in Brooklyn. I wanted to show that monotony, the everyday grind of being stuck in this square peg of a city block.”

Like the multi-story buildings that adorn the artwork, ‘Tired Of Tomorrow’ is an album of many layers. “It has so many different stages to it,” the frontman illustrates. “I feel like the album is as close as you can get to watching a

documentary about four dudes who literally were just being pulled apart by everything.”

It’s appropriate then that the album release is accompanied by a six-part documentary detailing the albums creation. “That was something we talked about before any of this shit happened,” Domenic reveals. “It was supposed to be just an in studio doc, but Don [Argott, director] was following us around pretty much from the hospital on, through the studio, then through the Collect thing, and the Relapse thing, then eventually the deaths… That kind of just wrapped it up. It was funny that he had been there and he happened to wind up picking up a lot of this stuff, so we figured it was interesting enough to release.”

With no holds barred, ‘Tired Of Tomorrow’ is a very real portrait of Nothing at their most candid. “You start to realise that you’re an important thing to somebody,” Domenic contemplates, looking back on how far they’ve come.

“There are people this means a lot to, and they feel like they’re a part of it.

After a while I felt more responsible for things.”

With their new album finally imminent, it’s full steam ahead for the Philadelphia outfit. “This thing is so far behind where I should be right now that I’m already thinking about the next record,” the frontman teases. “I really just want to get this out, and start working on the next thing again. I want to keep pumping stuff out until people don’t want to fucking hear us any more. Then I can crawl back into the hole that I came from and disappear.”

The cynicism – or indeed, realism – with which the group view the world is very much a part of who they are. With their latest effort they make no bones about the turmoil that they’ve faced. And why should they? ‘Tired Of Tomorrow’ encapsulates everything that builds us. In the face of a daunting tomorrow, Nothing remain resolute today. And sometimes that’s all you need. P Nothing’s album ‘Tired of Tomorrow’ is out 13th May.

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DEATH TO FALSE T H E D E B AT E I S O V E R . W I T H ‘ M E TA L R E S I S TA N C E ’ I T ’ S C L E A R T H AT B A B Y M E TA L A R E H E R E T O S TAY . T H E Y ’ R E N OT D O N E B R E A K I N G D O W N B A R R I E R S Y E T, E I T H E R .

WORDS: ALI SHUTLER.

THERE ARE T WO STO RI ES ABOUT WHERE B A B Y M E TA L CA M E F RO M ...

One is that producer Key Kobayashi formed the band around Suzuka Nakamoto in 2010 alongside Yui Mizuno and Moa Kikuchi to blend sugar-coated pop with the weight of metal after realising that metal, as a genre, was only getting older. The trio was a subgroup of Japanese idol band Sakura Gakuin for a while until Suzuka ‘graduated’ at the age of fifteen and Babymetal branched out alone.

“ARE YOU SURE IT’S A FOX? IT KIND OF LOOKS MORE LIKE A DOG.”

The other story is that many years ago The Fox God blessed three girls with the potential to become heavy metal guardians. Each of the girls, Su-Metal, Yuimetal and Moametal, has their own power to help them achieve this while Kobayashi acts as The Fox God’s messenger. A Power Rangers ‘teenagers with attitude’ sorta deal.

Whichever one you choose to believe, it’s clear that babymetal are here for a reason. Heck, both stories could be true. What started off as a song you’d share because you couldn’t quite believe what you were hearing quickly developed into something more. There were festival appearances, headline shows and a hyperactive debut album. Curiosity and questions slowly grew into excitement about where they’d go next. Two years on from ‘Babymetal’, the band released ‘Metal Resistance’ and it justified all that talk. Charting on both sides of the Atlantic as well as at home, the band also pulled off a confident headline slot at London’s Wembley Arena to kickstart a world tour that would eventually wind up at the 55,000 capacity Tokyo Dome. More than that though, ‘Metal Resistance’ is a great album. Debates about authenticity don’t mean much when a band is fully committed to entertainment and inspiring a good time. Call them what you like but Babymetal are here to stay, and it’s not their origins that are the big talking point anymore.

53

“We’ve grown so much and in so many different aspects,” begins Moametal.

“We’re taller than before,” she adds with a grin shared by Yuimetal and Su-metal.

It’s two days before ‘Metal Resistance’ is released on what the band, and their fans, have dubbed International Fox Day. It’s a day that will also see “the new Babymetal revealed to the world.”

But before all that, the trio are sat on a sofa in a West London hotel, calm, collected and in good spirits ahead of the upcoming whirlwind.

“The reaction to the first album was more than we expected,” starts Yuimetal.

“People really liked it so obviously we weren’t sure if we could beat that with our second album. We weren’t sure if we could surpass the first album but after listening to ‘Metal Resistance’, I realised that this album is a good one.

I’m confident people will like it.”

“Our first album sums up Babymetal,” offers Su-metal. “On ‘Metal Resistance’, we challenge so many types of music.”

Their remit widened, Babymetal rolled the dice with their new album. Change is scary, especially when you’re already toeing all sorts of boundaries. “For this album, we really challenged ourselves to try new things and new genres,” explains Yuimetal. “We’ve also grown a lot since our last album. I hope the fans will be able to get that through this album, that they can really understand what has changed with Babymetal.”

But it’s not just Babymetal who have changed. Their scene-straddling stance, though looked at with a raised eyebrow, has kicked open a door to a world normally ruled by the old guard. They’ve become a gateway to the alternative.”

“I’m very happy to hear that Babymetal is a stepping stone for people who have never listened to metal before,” starts Yuimetal. It’s a path all three of them know well. “If I wasn’t in Babymetal, I might not have been exposed to the music that I’ve been exposed to today,” reasons Moametal. “There wouldn’t have been any other way for me to.” It’s an education the band want to share. “The fact we’re able to do this is something we’re very proud of. I hope we can continue to do it in the future.”

In a bid to introduce more people to their world, Babymetal have once again gone against the current. “Metal Resistance is a phrase that symbolises what Babymetal have done since we’ve been around. This album will amplify it even more,” explains Moametal of the band’s decision to fuck with traditional 54 upsetmagazine.com

genre lines.

“I’m aware Metal music has a lot of dark elements and people write about things they’re unhappy with or not satisfied about,” starts Su-metal. “Babymetal has a different approach.” The band wants people to, “feel happier and feel like they can overcome anything,” when they listen to their music. “That’s something that’s important to us. That’s probably why Babymetal sounds and appears the way that we do,” Su-Metal offers, giving means to the madness. Going against tradition though also meant the band had to once again step outside of their own comfort zones.

“On this album, we tried a lot of new things so it was difficult at times. There’s a song (‘The One’) that’s recorded all in English, which was a big challenge for us. I realised speaking in English and singing in English are two very different things,” explains Su-metal.

For all the mystery and culture clash that comes with being a Japanese band in Europe, the fact a majority of their lyrics are in another language should present a huge obstacle for Babymetal. But then again, the band have never really been one for barriers.

“When we were younger,” starts Moametal, “much younger than today,” she quickly adds with a laugh. “We’re still young but when we were much younger, for us the world outside of Japan only existed on TV and in films. It was something that was very far out of reach.

We didn’t think it would be someplace we would ever be but obviously, we’re here today. Knowing that we have fans so far outside of Japan is an amazing feeling for us but we hope we can reach out to more people across the world. “ There’s a grand vision to Babymetal and, among songs of time travelling bubblegum and mosh pits on commuter trains, there’s a desire to bring people together with their music. “In the beginning we didn’t think we were capable of doing something like that but going abroad and performing concerts all over the world in front of people who have never seen us before, we realised that language is not a barrier for us,” explains Yuimetal. “It doesn’t matter if we can’t speak the same language. We can interact and communicate through our music. After travelling, we’ve realised that we are capable of uniting the world.”

It sounds lofty but a quick look around Wembley Arena a few days later sees a room full of people allied under the Babymetal flag. There’s an undeniable

connection that goes beyond simple curiosity. From queuing for 36 hours and flying halfway around the world for a single headline show to taking kids to their first ever gig, people respond to Babymetal like few bands ever demand.

“The only reason would be that we’re doing something no one else is doing,” offers Su-metal. “We’re very proud to be the only artist in the music scene doing what we’re doing and that’s probably the biggest reason people are reacting in the way that they are towards Babymetal.”

Despite the brazen confidence in which they carry themselves, there’s still an uncertainty to Babymetal. Big dreams with a dash of fear. Yes, the band have grown into a movement but there’s a human element within it. “Why we’re doing what we’re doing today is because we hope to be as influential as Metallica or Bring Me The Horizon but we’re not sure if that’s possible. There are a lot of things we’re unsure of. We don’t know whether we can do it but it is something we do hope we can be,” dreams Moametal. “One day.”

“Something we’ve always said from the very beginning is that we want to create a new genre of music that is called Babymetal,” adds Yuimetal. “It’s something we’re still working on right now but hopefully it’s a goal we can achieve.”

As for what’s next, “only The Fox God knows,” the band chime in unison, smiling, self-aware and in on the joke.

Further mentions are met with grins and knowing looks but as for its intentions; Yuimetal has “no idea because we do not dictate what the Fox God does. But I hope one day I’ll meet the Fox God and I’ll ask him or her,” she promises.

“I feel that Babymetal is a band that is doing something very special,” starts Sumetal. “It’s very unique to the genre and to music in general. We’re very confident in what we’re doing and I feel like we’ll continue to do what we’re doing without being influenced by anything else.”

Say what you like, Babymetal aren’t backing down. Their origin isn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things when their future, while unwritten and unpredictable, is racked with so much potential. One thing that’s certain though is you can’t manufacture a reaction, and that’s exactly what Babymetal inspire. P Babymetal’s album ‘Metal Resistance’ is out now.

D E S I L A E R E “WE’V WE ARE CAPABLE OF

UNITING THE WORLD”

RATED AGAINST THE CURRENT IN OUR BONES

Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic

eeeee BIG. VERY, VERY BIG. Against The Current know their way around a great song. From the soaring introduction of ‘Infinity’ (from their debut EP of the same name) to covers of Taylor Swift, Adele and Paramore, the band have a history of surrounding themselves with big ol’ anthems. ‘In Our Bones’ sees them go massive.

From the relentless bounce of ‘Running With The Wild Things’ through the Top of The Pops shimmer of ‘In Our Bones’ until the reflective sway of ‘Demons’, Against The Current’s debut album is full of absolutely huge songs. Chart-bothering, arenadominating but never losing themselves in the scope of the record, the band are twelve for twelve but every hit is different.

There’s always been an element of cherrypicking to Against The Current but on ‘In Our Bones’, they full embrace that fanciful magpie attitude. There’s a little bit of everything to the record but every outsider element has been taken in and made theirs.

And despite the dynamic mix of influence, 56 upsetmagazine.com

POP OT IS N TY IR A D D! R WO ATC’s voice shines through.

‘In Our Bones’ isn’t just a collection of great hits though. Every song has something to say. There’s the indulgent grin of ‘Forget Me Now’, the selfempowering cry of ‘Brighter’ and the conflicted inner struggle of ‘Demons’, all of which tackle a different side of the twelve-sided die. Tied together with conviction, Against The Current aren’t afraid to take anything on.

The most surprising thing about ‘In Our Bones’ is how intricate it all is. We were expecting big and catchy but the delicacy in which the songs snake their way around your heart and throat is something new. And it’s a look that suits Against The Current. Balancing selfcontrol with self-belief and amplifying it with a defiant, this-is-who-we-are attitude, Against The Current might not fit in a box but that’s fine. ‘In Our Bones’ goes bigger than all of that. Ali Shutler

BAND OF SKULLS

MOTHER FEATHER

BMG Recordings

Metal Blade Records

BY DEFAULT

MOTHER FEATHER

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Brimming with immediate ferociousness, the return of Band of Skulls is not to be ignored. Flowing between aggressive blues - of the kind Jack White would tip his hat to - through to fully-formed powerpop, it’s impossible not to be hooked straight away, as opener ‘Black Magic’ kicks in. The filthier the album gets, the more alluring it becomes. ‘Killer’ starts with a stalking guitar line that suddenly rears up into an almost shrieking state.

Singer and guitarist Russell Marsden has an air of sleaze twinned with danger in his voice and lyricism, but it’s when Emma Richardson’s vocals enter the mix that there’s another dimension added. If Band of Skulls continue on this trajectory there’s no stopping them. Steven Loftin

While Mother Feather are in your face, their debut album is composed of exuberant and uplifting good vibes.

Comprising the band’s pair of EPs alongside two other new songs, their selftitled debut is a pure head-banging affair with staggered riffs and attitude fuelled, emancipatory lyrics.

They’re not afraid to show their softer side either. ‘Mirror’ has twinges of country pop with a killer hook and wavering riffs, ‘Beach House’ is a bonafide summer indie power pop track and ‘They Torn Down The SK8 Park’ brings the album back to fuzz territory. Ending with the massive ‘Egyptology’, a track about a hedonistic after party, Mother Feather have produced an record that’s well worth the 7 year wait.

Rock hasn’t been this unapologetic and self-assured in years. Jasleen Dhindsa

G! NIN WA R G H T Y N AU S !

BIT

THE HOTELIER GOODNESS

Tiny Engines

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Opening with a spoken word piece, it’s clear from the very start that The Hotelier are up to something a bit different on ‘Goodness’. Given the praise heaped upon the band when they released 2013’s ‘Home, Like Noplace Is There’, that’s something of a surprise. Where its predecessor was a tsunami of intensity, ‘Goodness’ is more akin to the flow of a river - a much more constant, graceful record to drift along with. Rather than pummelling the listener either with heavy, screamed sections or the sheer weight of the subject matter, the challenge of ‘Goodness’ and its total lack of that heaviness, is that it has to find new ways to be brilliant. In its sheer scope and mindfulness, it does.

Vocalist Christian Holden’s lyrics take a conceptual and explorative turn as they work around the themes of love and discovery - a stark contrast, it’s worth noting, to the previous album’s fixation on rage and loss. Whether singing of an elderly woman’s “88 remembered loves” on ‘Piano Player’ or the abstract, fragmented imagery of ‘Opening Mail For My Grandmother’, Christian relays every line with a knowing ‘there’s more to this’ nod.

Instrumentally there’s a flexing of creative muscle, too. In a band, the notes you don’t play are every bit as vital as those you do. It’s halfway into second track, ‘Goodness Pt. 2’ before you ever hear vocals, drums, bass and guitars being played in unison – but it doesn’t take long to notice that the purposefulness of this approach actually adds more to their sound than it takes away.

‘Goodness’ isn’t just great; it’s also brave. Nothing would’ve been easier for The Hotelier than to come back, force some screams, tell some sad stories and accept their position as the ‘emotional rollercoaster’ band.

Instead they’ve proven that there’s more to their game, delivering an album that doesn’t just expand on the identity they’d previously built, but that elevates them to a whole new plain entirely. Ryan De Freitas

57

EAGULLS

YAK

Partisan Records

Octopus Electrical

ULLAGES

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The Cure. Best get it out there early.

If you’re reading anything about Eagulls’ second album, there’s virtually zero chance you’ll be avoiding that comparison however the band feel about it. The dark, alt-pop shadows of Robert Smith and co. loom large over ‘Ullages’, and it’s glorious. Not a re-tread or lift, it’s instead the deepest of sincere compliments; in a sea of similar, throw-away peers, all of a sudden Eagulls sound at least somewhat like a band for the ages.

From opener ‘Heads and Tails’, the Leeds five-piece are taking a quantum leap.

Their edges not exactly smoothed, they’re a different force. More deliberate, more considered, and twenty times more effective - there’s every chance this is the marker for something special. ‘My Life In Rewind’ could be a classic 80s indie gem, the kind of timeless eipc upon which still standing counter-cultures were born. We may live in a different, more throw away time now, but with a record this strong you’d not bet against it. Stephen Ackroyd

58 upsetmagazine.com

ALAS SALVATION

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Yak’s reputation as one of the most exciting live bands around didn’t come by accident. Utterly unpredictable, reliably ferocious and forever teetering on the edge of chaos, their impulsive nature frontman Oli Burslem as likely to use a nearby wall to jam his guitar up to as end up atop the braying masses in front - was one unlikely to transfer successfully to tape.

And yet, ‘Alas Salvation’ nails it. Relenting only for (relative) slowies ‘Roll Another’ and ‘Take It’, the trio’s debut is deliciously deranged from start to finish. There are nods to doo-wop (‘Doo Wah’), and psych, via the classic English eccentricity long associated with the same era (‘Smile’).

But, like that on-stage fervour, it’s a pulsating beast, all blistering proto-punk and motorik rhythms via a quick nod to the glitchy, grimy guitar sounds most loved by Jack White on the title track.

A cacophonous beast of the very best kind, Yak’s debut doesn’t just deliver on the band’s early promise, it’s, in Oli’s own chanted vocals, “victorious”. Lucy Wells

TWIN PEAKS

DOWN IN HEAVEN

Communion

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The third effort from Chicago-based Twin Peaks sees them approach their raw, DIY sound with a hark back to The Rolling Stones’ ‘Exile on Main Street’, with its companioned vocals and natural blues sound. The five piece have the sensibility to not lose any of the natural, rawness that comes with being a lo-fi band and instead build upon it, with harmonies and choruses that create a thick enough sound to touch upon being almost, dare it be said, professional.

The quieter moments, that are purely so by tempo rather than viciousness to the sound, are tender and emotive, showing that they can go from righteous and riotous to cool, calm and almost collected. Twin Peaks continue on a streak that sees them evolving into an entity that has the capacity to be bigger than they are, especially if they keep the solid foundation that makes them great and simply build up around it. Steven Loftin

ISSUES HEADSPACE

Rise Records

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Whatever lab they spliced Issues in clearly deals in some out there experiments. On their 2014 self-titled debut they already proved themselves, making palatable dishes from weird and wonderful contrasting flavours. With their difficult second album, they’re still showing no signs of easing up. Nu-metal bass lines injected with fatal doses of funk, guttural roars next to slick, sun kissed vocal licks, their cut and shut take on welding metalcore to chart-bothering R&B may be unconventional, but it’s certainly effective.

Take the delightfully titled ‘Yung and Dum’, switching from gritty assault to melodic, soaring jam on a sixpence, it’s defiantly counter culture but, in the same breath, fearsomely current. It’s there where Issues find their strength. While peers may talk about pushing the boundaries, ‘Headspace’ truly lives in 2016 - crossed channels of the dark basements and sparkling vistas, they drag heaven to hell then tag along for the exchange trip too. Stephen Ackroyd

3OH!3

CLIQUE

Fueled By Ramen

Topshelf Records

‘Night Sports’ is the 3OH!3’s fifth album, and first since signing to Fueled By Ramen earlier this year. Don’t get your hopes up though, despite now being label mates with Against The Current, Paramore and Panic!, their latest opus is everything you’d expect from a band who had their prime creating 00s electro pop rock classics.

Often embarrassingly cringey with tracks like ‘My Dick’ and ‘BASMF’, being fun and having a good time might be at the heart of whatever it is that 3OH3! do, but it seems that they’ve forgotten how to create cheesy guilty pleasures, instead now just writing tracks that are plain awful. There are, believe it or not, some positive points on the album, with twinges of PBR&B on ‘Freak Your Mind’ and ‘Claustrophobia’ a la The Weeknd, but at the end of the day it’s a shame.

3OH!3, like their peers Cobra Starship and Metro Station, had a thoroughly enjoyable niche going. It just should have been left to die with the 00s.

Jasleen Dhindsa

Why do all the good bands come from Philadelphia? OK - maybe all is a bit far - but still, it’s punching well above its musical weight. From The Wonder Years to Modern Baseball, Tigers Jaw to The Menzingers, it seems more great acts hail from the city than not. Clique more than make the cut too.

With their second album, the quartet know their game inside out. Melodic, emotive indie-rock - they play it perfectly. Scattered with questions of self-doubt, motivations and a potentially futile existence, all the while delivered through discordant melody, they’re a band that fits perfectly.

‘Usage’, with its opening statement of “I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me,” may nail it best. Like their peers, Clique connect to a whole generation of confused, introspective not-quite-adults, trying to make sense of the hand they’ve been dealt.

With ‘Burden Place’ we may not find the answers, but at least we’re not alone.

Stephen Ackroyd

NIGHT SPORTS

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BURDEN PLACE

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ANDY BLACK

THE SHADOW SIDE

Island Records

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You’ve got to hand it to Andy Black.

He’s opted for a solo project so as not to muddy the Black Veil Brides waters with his own experimentation. Gone is the warpaint, guitars are traded for string sections and keys, but the sky remains the limit.

“I’d rather fail than never try,” he declares in the latter half of the album, one of many relatable themes that ground his foray into lavish production and grander music in reality. ‘The Shadow Side’ is defiance - living through the bad to reach the next bit of good to hold on to.

Luckily, these personal battlecries switch from the soaring tales of ‘Homecoming King’ and ‘Broken Pieces’, to anti-social party anthem ‘We Don’t Have to Dance’ and summer tune ‘Louder Than Your Love’. He has a knack for the infectious and cinematic, telling a story with quirky flourishes that soon highlight why this wasn’t a BVB project. It’s also allowed for some greats to throw their hat into the creative ring: Patrick Stump, Travis Barker, Gerard and Mikey Way, to name but a few.

Andy Black tells tales of hope and defiance, wrapped up in a dark pop package. It feels huge, but it speaks to the every day. Heather McDaid

59

FANGCLUB BULLET HEAD EP

TIGER ARMY ••• V

Universal

LunaTone / Rise Records

It takes less than a minute of Fangclub’s new EP to tag the three piece. Grungy, 90s riffs over a throbbing pop heart, they’re a deafening feedback loop of leather and amp stacks, with a sugary sweet edge.

Opener ‘Bullet Head’ plays the template perfectly - guitar, then drums, then vocal gymnastics all deployed before hitting the first verse, and even that sounds like a chorus. Velcro has fewer hooks. ‘Loner’ is a lazier, more lilting take - a muscular slacker-pop gem - but everything Fangclub do still has that instant stickability. The over-driven ‘Psycho’ is enough to summon the spirit of Kurt, without ever feeling like a cheap retread, while closer ‘Role Models’ chugs with steely determination underneath its refrain of “I don’t care about that”.

Magpies of the discordant melody, Fangclub may not reinvent the wheel, but they’ll certainly take the leather seats.

Stephen Ackroyd

Bringing a pure and just downright catchy sound, not too dissimilar to previous efforts, ‘V’ is everything you could want from a Tiger Army record.

Rolling drums, thumping upright bass and crunching guitars open the album while Nick 13’s vocals bring a pureness to the mix. Throughout the 13 tracks, we’re taken through what is certainly an emotional experience, aided by the use of strings and falsetto, but the rawness that captures at the start is somewhat forgotten as the album progresses.

‘Knife’s Edge’ is the closest we get to recreating that initial shock, and it’s defiance is somewhat upheld by follow up track ‘Devil Lurks On The Road’, but ultimately the calmer aspects overrule.

Definitely a pleasant listen, if nothing more than a romantic soundtrack. Steven Loftin

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PIERCE THE VEIL MISADVENTURES

Fearless Records

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Took you long enough, didn’t it lads?

The wait for Pierce The Veil’s fourth album has been on the lengthy

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side. Expectations raised, dashed, then raised again; we’re at the point where, like a chef locked in the kitchen for hours on end, what’s served up needs to be pretty damn tasty. Thankfully, it is. ‘Misadventures’ isn’t just Pierce The Veil; it’s the very best version of everything they could be: a perfected, finely toned crack team, blasting out of the gates in spectacular fashion. ‘Dive In’ sounds like a pedigree stallion, held back

I T ’S UT A B O DY O B LO E !

M TI

and primed to explode out of the traps. ‘Flowers & Fading’ and ‘Bedless’ show a slower, more deliberate side, while ‘Texas Is The Reason’ is worthy of Officially Certified Banger status.

To say ‘Misadventures’ was worth the wait might belittle the years of anticipation, but in a high stakes game, Pierce The Veil just cashed out big. Stephen Ackroyd

HESITATION WOUNDS AWAKE FOR EVERYTHING

H E S I TAT I O N W O U N D S P R O V E

6131 Records

T H E Y ’ R E M O R E T H A N ‘J U S T

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A N OTH E R S U PE RG ROU P’.

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

HANDS UP

“I

don’t think I have the great confidence to be this political songwriter, but there have been so many great bands over the years in punk rock, like Strike Anywhere, Propagandhi, Anti-Flag.

Bands like that who are so eloquent and say all the right things. This is me in a way trying my best to stand next to them, but I don’t know if I could fully achieve that.”

Hesitation Wounds have something to say, it’s just taken them a while to find the time to say it. Between Jeremy Bolm of Touché Amore, Jay Weinberg of Slipknot, Neeraj Kane and Stephen ‘Scuba’ LaCour, finding just the week to get together and create took until Summer 2015. But once they were in the same place, they looked around and found the media-driven, politically evolving world seeping into their lyrics.

“The four of us all ended up having some free time,” explains Jeremy. “Jay, our drummer happened to be coming up to California so we figured we should use

that time wisely. We got some rehearsal space and made a record in about a week, but the actual recording process took a couple months because Raj happened to break his arm in a motorcycle accident, so it took some time to get guitars done.”

But what was it they were hoping to achieve? “We recorded a 7” in 2012, and that was written in sort of the same way on the spot.

We all talked about different influences we would like to put in the band. Older bands such as Deadguy or Unbroken, things like that. We just hashed up those ideas, and from a lyrical standpoint I wanted to focus on a social commentary as well as a personal outlet.”

“I don’t consider myself a political spokesperson,” he continues. “When we were writing this record there was a few things that were really under my skin and I needed to sort of get my feelings out. The song ‘Hands Up’ is about gun control in the US and how people use race. It seems that there’s always excuses made for white people and it’s

HARDCORE HEROES UNITE FOR SOME GOOD OLD - FASHIONED FURY. Sparks are flying from end to end of the American political spectrum right now, and in the midst of disillusion and discordance, Hesitation Wounds’ debut album pours a jerrycan of petrol all over them. Spawned from an impulsive writing session between members of Touché Amoré, The Hope Conspiracy, Trap Them and Slipknot, this is a meeting of furious minds with a fair few bile-fuelled words to say about a smattering of socio-political concerns.

The bulk of ‘Awake For Everything’ slams with red-raw aggression and seethes with political venom, but it’s the sporadic, more daring moments that makes Hesitation Wounds less of a flash-in-the-pan side-project and more of a fully-functional war machine. Danny Randon upsetting to see how our government does nothing about it.”

The record is due soon, but the band’s plans relies on a serendipity of sorts between four opposing schedules. For a while, at least, Hesitation Wounds will live solely through their album. “I hope it’s a cathartic experience. I hope people hear some of the things we are trying to say, or if you like the sound of an extra aggressive, catchy record, whatever it is, I hope you’re into it. It’s very different to anything I have ever released, and I know I stand behind it.” P 61

REAL FRIENDS

THE HOME INSIDE MY HEAD

Fearless Records

eeee You may think you already know Real Friends. Solid, heartfelt pop punk; all emotive statements and rising hearts - a swelling plea to tug on the emotions with a salty sweet coating. And - yeah - fair enough, you’d be right, but that doesn’t stop them having a knack for it.

‘The Home Inside My Head’ knows its strengths - and that’s massive bangers with serious feelings. On ‘Empty Picture Frames’, even the elongated ‘woahs’ are charged with bitter stabs. The sparse guitar and vocal opening of ‘Mokena’ does the same; its final kick in - complete with the lyric “I’m fucking up and getting over it” - fully expected, but no less effective.

Real Friends know who they are. It’s not a case of staying safe and keeping within the lines, but rather being experts at their craft. Some albums push the boundaries with their sound - high stakes experimentation never sure to connect. ‘The Home Inside My Head’ deals with something far more primal. It makes you feel. Stephen Ackroyd

TINY MOVING PARTS

NOTHING

TIRED OF TOMORROW

Relapse Records

CELEBRATE

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.SHOEGAZERS SCALE STAGGERING SONIC HEIGHTS.

Big Scary Monsters

It would have been easy for Benson, Minnesota’s Tiny Moving Parts to make another wistful math-emo record.

The precedent set on 2013’s ‘This Couch Is Long and Full of Friendship’ would have undoubtedly worked again.

However, on their third record, they have truly gone all out. ‘Celebrate’ is relentless, with every song a potential single. From the huge guitars and opening chant of “Nothing’s ever good enough!” it sounds full, no longer hanging on an intricate guitar lines and awkward teenage poetry. The real difference comes in adding the ‘putting massive hooks in every song’ string to their bow. Sure, at times it’s a little overearnest, but that is entirely forgivable when the positivity is this tangible and genuine. ‘Celebrate’ is a statement of intent; the record Tiny Moving Parts were destined to make, their technical ability becoming the least interesting thing about them. Now, the songs speak for themselves. Kristy Diaz

How do Nothing manage to craft music which is so lackadaisical in composition, but so intense in atmosphere?

After trudging out of an avenue which has led them through both insult and injury, ‘Tired Of Tomorrow’ sees the Philadelphian four-piece take their shoegazing wares to breathtaking levels of sonic astonishment.

From the blindsiding swell of ‘Fever Queen’ to the psychedelic swaying of ‘Our Plague’, there is an intoxicating depth of clarity to Nothing’s second album that never contradicts their heart-wrenching noise; the dark and distorted chords spiral elegantly in tandem with lush and lucid charm.

‘Vertigo Flowers’ is remarkably upbeat for Nothing’s brooding standards, pumping the brakes on the 90s throwbacks to look slightly further ahead to less-wistful alt-rock tones.

It’s a sentiment that’s only revisited once on ‘A.C.D. (Abcessive Compulsive Disorder)’, but the leaner choruses work to euphoric effect.

Domenic Palermo still has a swarm of demons to purge with his lyrics, and while exorcising such intense bursts of emotion would have most people shredding their larynx through gritted teeth and teary eyes, Palermo’s gentle cooing proves all the more invigorating.

A beautifully delicate and heartbreakingly poignant record, ‘Tired Of Tomorrow’ is a bullseye shot to the most tender of feels, and indisputable proof that Nothing are worth something far more than a place in your hearts. Danny Randon

ARCHITECTS eeee

‘Phantom Fear’ screams, “no love. No unity,” while ‘Deathwish’ sees them just wanting “to watch the world burn.”

Instead of closing remarks though, ‘All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us’ is the start of a conversation.

‘All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us’ is a statement dancing with duality.

Carrying the instant hit of apprehension and uncertainty twisted around the possibility for unlimited freedom, it’s a dance that underpins the entirety of Architects’ seventh album.

Taking on the state of the world, Architects have left themselves nowhere to hide with this record. That pride, that unwavering belief in their cause and the confidence that goes with it sees the band at their most visceral and their most engaging.

They want the spotlight. The eleven tracks make you ask questions while the music maintains every element of escapist majesty.

Heavier and more frustrated than they’ve ever sounded, the follow-up to ‘Lost Together//Lost Forever’ sees Architects carry on down that path.

For all the anger of ‘All Our Gods…’, there’s also beauty. From the neverending scope of ‘The Empty Hourglass’ to the vocal samples of ‘From The

ALL OUR GODS HAVE ABANDONED US

Epitaph Records

THE ARCHITECTS COAT AND JACKET RANGE 2016 WAS WILDLY SUCCESSFUL.

Wilderness’, Architects’ have created a tightly-woven tapestry of colour and texture. There are no jarring moments where they try and lighten the mood or inject some positivity, it’s much more subtle than that. There’s no black or white, right or wrong. Everything’s up for discussion.

And that’s where ‘All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us’ comes into its own.

Unforgiving and merciless, yet inspirational and hopeful, the record, like Architects, balances more and more as it goes on but the intensity never wavers. Progressive but not losing sight of who they are and cohesive yet unafraid to step outside the world and cast a critical eye in, Architects are hyper-aware. If this is the end of the world, then at least we’ve got each other. Ali Shutler

RECREATIONS BABY BOOMERS 2

Xtra Mile Recordings

eeee

WHITE LUNG PARADISE

Domino

eeee “There’s this really stupid attitude punks have where it’s somehow uncool to become a better songwriter,” claims White Lung’s Mish Barber-Way in an interview with St. Vincent’s Annie Clark that accompanied the

PUP THE DREAM IS OVER

Side One Dummy

eeee From the opening hop of ‘If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will’ it’s clear that PUP’s second album is rooted in what they know. Songs about drinking

announcement of ‘Paradise’. If that’s true, then the band are going to have to get ready to take on a few haters pretty damn soon.

An incendiary ten tracks is exactly what we’ve come to expect, but this time around there’s something else.

Take ‘Hungry’, the first song from the album to appear online. It’s definitely White Lung, but it’s also bigger - more mature - and in the best way possible.

‘Kiss Me When I Bleed’ wrestles and writhes as ‘Narcoleptic’ sounds anything but.

While the songwriting may have moved on, the energy hasn’t. With sparks and smarts, that’s enough to make White Lung a special band indeed. Stephen Ackroyd

(‘DVP’), home (‘Pine Point’) and life on the road are delivered with the same breakneck energy that caused such a stir on their self-titled debut. But ‘The Dream Is Over’ isn’t more of what’s come before. Despite their reluctance, PUP have had to grow up fast.

Gone is the rose-tinted reflection of the past and in its place, unease. That’s not to say PUP have given up hope.

‘The Dream Is Over’ stands tall, tongue firmly in cheek. The ten-track blitz is

It very much felt like the end of an era when Sam Duckworth announced he was retiring Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. The soundtrack to an unsatisfied generation, the music carried a nostalgia not held by many others.

Now reborn under a different moniker – Recreations – the new album ‘Baby Boomers 2’ is a progression.

From the opening beats of ‘Lifestyle Concept Store’ through its subtle synths and calming electronics we’re asked, “whatever happened to the places where we had our first embraces? Where did all the decent venues go?” The message of the record is clear from the outset: one of protest, and a sentimental nod to old memories. Everyday lyrics and an easy to listen to sound make Recreations accessible and welcoming, but there’s enough variety to keep the sound contemporary and exciting. Throw away your nostalgia and start looking to the future because ‘Baby Boomers 2’ is leading the way. Kathryn Black

unrelenting but every moment is to the point and drenched in purpose.From adjusting to the realities of hopes and dreams to learning to live with flaws, if there’s one thing PUP have figured out, it’s how far they can go.

Pushing at the walls of their sound and aiming skywards, PUP’s venomous mix of abrasion, melody and adventure sees ‘The Dream Is Over’ run riot from start to finish. And it’s gloriously entertaining. Ali Shutler

MODERN BASEBALL HOLY GHOST

Big Scary Monsters

eeee

With the triumphant return of the godfathers of their scene, Weezer, it’s a more interesting time than ever for Modern Baseball to re-engage their wistful and introspective take on emo, pop punk or whatever you want to call it. ‘Holy Ghost’, the Philadelphiabased quartet’s third album, sees a change in approach. The endearing self-deprecation that we’ve all grown to know and love is still very much apparent. The lyricism is both earnest as well as witty thanks to both Jacob Ewald and Brendan Luken’s gift to turn a phrase. Yet you can’t help but notice a distinct lack of laughter and jokes that Modern Baseball have used to cut through that melancholy over the last two records. That omission gifts the existential element of the album an opportunity to take a darker tone. It’s less of a celebration of adversity that finds comfort in the relatable and much more an exploration of one’s own turmoil, which is compounded in the lack of interchange between vocalist Ewald and Luken. Instead they choose to split the record in half, exacerbating their isolation and commanding the record’s tone. It’s ironic, given that this is the first Modern Baseball album that’s had the direct influence of an external source in the form of producer Joe Reinhart, that it’s the most introverted they’ve ever sounded. Jack Glasscock

PINKWASH COLLECTIVE SIGH

Don Giovanni Records

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From spacey, whirring opening track ‘NO REAL WITNESS’, to the Placebolike alternative grunge vibes of ‘SPACE DUST’, PINKWASH’s full length debut LP is a full throttle statement of fuzz fuelled punk that’ll distort your ears and mind. Though at times repetitive, there’s no denying that ‘Collective Sigh’ was recorded upon a dark emotion that even the most experienced musicians wouldn’t be able to tap into. PINKWASH have created a refreshing and cathartic declaration of political punk without the anger. There’s no room for conceited facades here.

Jasleen Dhindsa

AMERICAN HI-FI -

AMERICAN HI FI ACOUSTIC

Rude Records

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Recording an acoustic take on an album of more than fifteen years’ vintage may not be the most obvious commercial or artistic move for American Hi-Fi, but that doesn’t mean it’s a fruitless one.

Their self-titled debut comes from a different, simpler time - but with a toned down, stripped back edge, there’s new joy to be found.

Turning riffs into slightly quieter riffs, it’s refreshing to realise ‘Flavor Of The Weak’ is still a banger for the ages in whatever form it takes , at the very least. Stephen Ackroyd

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MY FAVOURITE TRACK “My favourite track from this record is ‘Say My Name’… for now. Most of the tracks on this album are aggressive and heavy musically and lyrically but this song is hopeful while still sticking with the breakup theme that runs through the record. Musically it’s sweet and poppy but it’s still got an edge to it when the chorus kicks in and lyrically I really liked the idea of asking the person you love but can’t be with right now to say your name. There’s a sadness in the lyrics but ultimately I think it’s a sweet, romantic song.” Jessica Boudreaux

SUMMER CANNIBALS FULL OF IT

Kill Rock Stars

LONELY THE BRAVE THINGS WILL MATTER

Hassle Records

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‘Things Will Matter’. That’s the statement Lonely The Brave are putting front and centre of their second album. But then of course they are. In a sea of similar Brit-rock, the five piece have an edge. A feeling of tangible, real world texture - a sincerity without ever feeling overly earnest - that marks them out. Take the slow burning, layered atmospherics of opener ‘Wait In The Car’. Where others would use brawn, LTB use brains. When muscle is needed, like on ‘Black Mire’, they’re packing more than enough to settle any scrap - a confident, driving determination standing strong in a current of swirling guitars.

Conventional bangers simply aren’t Lonely The Brave’s style. So while ‘Rattlesnakes’ may be anthemically huge, ‘Diamond Days’ or ‘Tank Wave’ are equally happy to take a more considered, cerebral approach.

It’s this that marks them out as something special. A great British band with a great British rock album.

Stephen Ackroyd

GO STAND IN THE CORNER AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE DONE.

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.CONFIDENT AND ASSURED. Feisty, frantic and fun: Summer Cannibals’ ‘Full Of It’ is short and brilliantly formed. Fronted by cool-as-anything powerhouse Jessica Boudreaux, they might be following in the footsteps of Kill Rock Stars alumni Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney, but they’re treading their own path.

From the immediate impact of ‘Go Home’ to the brooding, building ‘Just A Little Bit’, the band want to be noticed and, with songs like this, why the hell not? ‘I Wanna Believe’ has a gnarly, skulking 90s

sound, and strong, simple chords that make resisting a little mosh nigh on impossible; a juxtaposition from the powdery vocals of ‘Say My Name’.

Given their namesake is a Patti Smith song, the rock and roll sound isn’t surprising. A band that wouldn’t be out of place on a festival line up forty years ago, Summer Cannibals are continuing to make bold, driven rock music in a whitewash of sub genres and over-complicated production.

‘Full Of It’ charges from start to finish while ‘The Lover’ takes its time berating a love interest, all spitting vocals and moody guitars.

Drawing on punk sounds, ‘Make Up’s thrashing drums and racing riffs pave the way for accusative lyrics and an energy that shows no signs of stopping, until the grunge and darkness of ‘Fallen’.

Summer Cannibals’ fuss free songwriting and old school sound have already won over plenty of fans, and ‘Full Of It’ll be no different. Kathryn Black

WEIRDEST CLARK KENT EVER.

W I L L T O L E D O I S TA K I N G H I S P R O J E C T C A R S E AT H E A D REST TO TH E N E XT LEVEL. WO R D S : M A RT Y N YO U N G .

“IT FEELS LIKE A NEW BEGINNING”

T

hroughout history there have been countless legendary figures who have arrived fully formed into the world, a burst of musical brilliance, passion and creativity instantly illuminating rock’s wide spectrum. Sometimes though, musical geniuses take time to seep through to mainstream consciousness, you never quite know which enigmatic visionaries are lurking out there. That’s where indie rock’s new hero Will Toledo comes in.

available had been writing and recording for years, however, Toledo’s musical rise has been staggeringly quick. The process of creating songs by himself came at an early age. “I was always writing and recording growing up on the limited equipment that I had,” he explains in a slow, measured drawl from his home in Seattle. “I got a guitar in middle school and started writing and recording on that as soon as I knew how to play it.”

Will, who records as Car Seat Headrest, has been an underground best kept secret for years establishing a formidable Bandcamp back catalogue of self-produced, self-released albums that would make even Bob Dylan seem work-shy. His slow burn success has been born the old-fashioned way through word of mouth and sheer rippling excitement. Having caught the eye of legendary US indie label Matador, Will is now firmly establishing himself as a cult hero ready to transfix a musical nation with his first studio recorded release ‘Teens Of Denial.’

Will’s admitted preference to staying in writing music rather than partying with his peers in college allowed him to build Car Seat Headrest gradually, all the while creating his own selfmythology. He was influenced by the likes of REM’s Michael Stipe in a mysterious approach to his early lyrics and songs but, as music became more of a career and Car Seat Headrest bloomed into a proper project, his songs and writing became more literal, all the while growing in prominence.

“I kind of moved off that cryptic model the same way REM did. It’s not super sustainable once you start becoming more of a personality,” he drolly comments.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that a man with such an array of music

Car Seat Headrest’s rise is a very 21st Century one that suggests the

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CAR SEAT HEADREST TEENS OF DENIAL

Matador

eeee For someone who’s age is younger than that of most of the records his sound channels, Car Seat Headrest’s Will Toledo does more than an excellent job at keeping the garage rock sound alive. Brash guitars and powerful chord sequences show this young talent is more than just a flash in the pan.

With as much angst and boredom as melody and compositional qualities, Toledo manages to flirt between spokesperson and somebody with a guitar just having a good time. With almost as many albums under his belt as his age, and little sign of slowing down, this is one 23 year old who is far more talented and smarter than we’ll ever be.

Steven Loftin

traditional model of a musical career has perhaps changed forever. Will Toledo is ready for the challenge though. “There’s always something lost but when you enter a new phase you need to lose some things. I was getting a little stale with the pattern and social milieu that I was in,” he begins.

This is infusing Car Seat Headrest with a whole new energy. “I see people referring to ‘Teens of Denial’ as my debut album, while that’s obviously not true there’s an element of truth in it that it’s definitely something fresh and feels like a new beginning.” P

SW E ST U ET FF!

WE’LL GIVE YOU HARRY, AND THAT’S A PASSABLE LUNA LOVEGOOD, BUT YOUR RON AND HERMIONE ARE RUBBISH.

TRACKS OF THE MONTH MOOSE BLOOD HONEY

You can keep your comparisons to Brand New and the rest - with ‘Honey’, Moose Blood have returned with their own distinctive voice.

Out of the bedroom and onto the party, the first taste of ‘Blush’ sees the band thinking bigger. The polish only makes their charm that much more obvious and despite the accelerated rise, none of that first love has been lost in the process.

This is a track you’re going to bee keeping in your heart and gut all summer long.

LETLIVE.

GOOD MOURNING, AMERICA

Gunshots ring out as a choir starts chanting before Jason Aalon Butler takes the lead. Letlive. are back

and they’re not messing around.

From the opening whisper to the groove-heavy conclusion, ‘Good Mourning, America’ takes the bile, frustration and anger that letlive. have always channelled and dresses them in finery. Instead of snarling and shouting, the band toy with dynamics and in doing so, have created a first cut that tackles big issues in an accessible, digestible manor. And that’s punk as anything.

YOUTH MAN FAT DEAD ELVIS

The out of shape Elvis impersonator propped against the bar might think that the latest track from Youth Man is shit, but this isn’t for the old guard. ‘Fat Dead Elvis’ is doused in anxiety and unease about the future but that isn’t going to stop the band hurtling towards it. The second track lifted from their ‘Wax’ EP sees Youth Man twitching with a nervous energy. However their

attitude, their voice and the level at which they now operate at couldn’t be any more assured. It still cuts to the bone but there’s now more to Youth Man than aggression. There’s beauty, charm and a killer groove.

YUNG

UNCOMBED HAIR

It starts off jogging down the street, flickering lampposts and endless highways, but when Yung’s ‘Uncombed Hair’ kicks in proper, it takes you half a world away. Gruff vocals and searing melody sit amidst an attentionbeating musical constant as the disorientating scale of the song does battle with the diary confessional. Despite everything going on around it, the heart of the track remains pure and unhindered.

‘Uncombed hair’ was born from a harsh reality and that’s impossible to escape from, no matter how far you run.

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LIVE PVRIS O2 FORUM, LONDON Words: Ali Shutler.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

G R A N D T H E AT R E A N D A D E S I R E F O R A G O O D T I M E , P V R I S TA K E T O T H E FORUM

T

hree hundred and fifty seven days ago PVRIS played a one-shot headline show at The Barfly in Camden. It featured everything that makes the band so exciting but Lynn Gunn, Brian MacDonald and Alex Babinski kept looking at each other as their horizons expanded faster than they could.

‘Let Them In’ was abandoned ‘cause the equipment wouldn’t work and the demand for an encore was met with the admission that the band don’t know any more songs. A lot can change…

A year on the road and being under near-constant focus throughout has shaped PVRIS into a formidable live band. But we’ve already seen that. Slam Dunk, Reading, their arena tour with Bring Me The Horizon and beyond, the band know their way about the stage but tonight is about more than great songs played well.

As the oncoming storm of ‘Smoke’

washes in, the antique mirror on the backdrop is lit up with blocks of white and grey. From here on out every song is reflected above.

PVRIS have the ability to transport a room to another world and, from the red-eyed warning of ‘Fire’ through the drawn curtain intimacy of ‘Only Love’ to the name in lights illumination of ‘You & I’ this enchantment is finally given the gateway it deserves. The vision realised.

Dancing between light and dark, the band are full of confidence and for good reason. There’s an instinctual bond between them, a trust that doesn’t need eye contact, which means the trio can focus on the crowd before them.

Smirking, snarling and unafraid to ask questions twice, Lynn, Brian and Alex know how to get the very best from a room. Mobile phones light up the space like “an ocean of weird fishes” during ‘Ghost’ before Lynn asks for them to be put away for ‘Holy’. “I feel like everyone’s very fixed on their phones. They’re not fully fixed in the moment,” she explains ahead of changing the lyrics to reinforce her wishes

with a grin.

Despite the grand theatre of the evening, PVRIS haven’t lost any of their electric energy. ‘White Noise’ is an album of playful experimentation and tonight is no different. During K. Flay’s support set, all skipping vocals, thundering beats and constant movement, Lynn jumps on stage to play the drums for no other reason than she wants to. There’s concentration across her face and a wide-eyed smile to match before she disappears, leaving K. Flay space to continue her free-flowing, joyous bounce. That desire for a good time continues into the night, from the cracked skip of ‘Mirrors’ until the all-out euphoria of ‘My House’.

“A year ago, we did not think we would be playing in front of this tonight,” Lynn explains, gesturing to the heaving capacity of the Kentish Town Forum. This is their world now. The horizons are still expanding rapidly but it’s under their instruction. The vision is fully formed and PVRIS are at the forefront, constantly breaking new ground. P

BLACK PEAKS THE HAUNT, BRIGHTON

Words: James Fox. Photos: Amie Kingswell.

C

an you think of many UK rock bands that are as impressive as Black Peaks right now?

2015 saw them push to the national level after rising out of Brighton, a city that also produced metal goliaths Architects and Black Peaks show promise to go just as far. 2016 really is theirs for the taking. Yesterday their debut album ‘Statues’ was released and their tour culminates tonight with a hometown show which feels like a celebration of everything they’ve achieved so far.

Prefixing them, Palm Reader’s metallic hardcore wastes no time in unleashing moments that are perfectly undanceable by design with straighter sections that sound hugely heavy live, all channelling the likes of Norma Jean, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch and Poison The Well. This band have their sonics down to a tee and anyone here who still doesn’t understand why this band have steadily gained attention for the past few years gets a 72 upsetmagazine.com

firsthand experience in why.

Sound swells for the headliners’ arrival, married to a long instrumental breakdown introduction that leads to ‘Crooks’ and Andrew Gosden’s mammoth bass tone rumbling beneath. ‘White Eyes’ lets the band stretch loose and give a full a taste of their white hot musicianship, whilst its longer instrumental section sees vocalist Will Gardner storm around the stage to strobes. His vocal versatility is one of the most notable things about the band, switching between searing falsetto screams and deep growls and more for ‘Set In Stone’.

‘Say You Will’s vast refrain sees the band at their most crushing (one fully naked individual escorted from the venue by security certainly agrees) and later we’re given ‘Drones’, one of their best album tracks where Black Peaks truly embrace their progressive spirit.

New track ‘Desert Song’ could be their most commercial composition yet but they soon switch sides as Jamie

Lenman of Reuben fame happens to be around to work wonders with his signature style all over the ending breakdown of album closer ‘To Take The First Turn’.

The ending of ‘Glass Built Castle’ kills it but there’s time for one more with ‘Saviour’ – written back when they went under their previous name Shrine – providing a truly stunning finish. If you want an example of UK rock owning it in 2016, this is it. P

WOLF ALICE O2 FORUM, LONDON

Words: Ali Shutler.

Photo: Jonathan Dadds.

W

olf Alice do things at their own pace. The steady climb in the build up to debut album ‘My Love Is Cool’ took steely nerves while the decision to tap the breaks and takeover The Forum in London instead of jumping from a sold-out Brixton Academy to something larger reeks of a band staring expectation dead in the eye and smirking. Tonight is the fourth and final night of Wolf Alice’s residency and once again, it sees the band savouring every moment. The curtain-twitching intro is majestic and, slipping into ‘Your Loves Whore’ and ‘You’re A Germ’, sets the pace.

The likes of ‘Fluffy’ and ‘Lisbon’ see

the band throttle their instruments like their lives depend on it but falling into the reverb-laden landscape of ’90 Mile Beach’ or the sparkling reflection of ‘Blush’, Wolf Alice take all the time in the world.

Tonight isn’t about meanders or slow-builds. The intrigue comes from their handbrake turns, dead stops and sudden forward dashes. The audience hangs on every shudder. Backed by a twinkling backdrop dancing across ‘My Love Is Cool’s glittering front cover, the band transform ‘The Wonderwhy’ into a snarling, off kilter pop song while ‘Storms’ is full of blurry, big city swagger.

“That’s so cool,” smiles Ellie, addressing the people who came to multiple nights of the tour. “It makes

us feel so much better onstage to see our friends.” It’s a poignant note as Wolf Alice are still a man down. Gengahr’s John Victor does an outstanding job filling in for an injured Theo but the bassist’s absence can be felt. There’s a slightly slanted onstage chemistry tonight but that only makes Ellie, Joff and Joel work harder, their snarls more ferocious. Even missing a limb, Wolf Alice are still more dynamic than most. After all, back in their home town, tonight is a family affair. P

BABYMETAL SSE WEMBLEY ARENA, LONDON

Words: Ali Shutler.

Photo: Taku Fujii.

A

s the video screens welcome Wembley Arena to Metal Resistance Episode 4: Reincarnation, the funeral march of ‘BABYMETAL DEATH’ rings out. The four-piece Kami band then launch into its chugging breakdown before a grandiose temple. We’re less than five minutes into the show and it’s already utterly bonkers.

Celebrating the release of ‘Metal Resistance’, an album that shows both their growth and their

potential, Babymetal are kicking off a world tour with their biggest European headline show yet and the message is clear: the novelty is over, they mean business.

“Unchartered roads, that is the path to overcoming the past,” explains the introduction to ‘Roads of Resistance’.

The band stand, once again effortlessly conducting proceedings, their position is clear. Wembley won’t see anything else like this for a long, long time. The past is over and Babymetal could just well be A New Hope. P 73

WEEZER O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON, LONDON

Words: Ali Shutler.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

Y

ou can say what you like about Weezer (most people have) but in their twenty-four year history, the band have crafted a veritable arsenal of incredible songs. At Brixton Academy, their first UK show in five years, they ransack it.

The sunshine opening of ‘California Kids’ leans straight into the hammering chime of ‘My Name Is Jonas’ and from here on out, not one corner of Weezer’s ever-expanding legacy is left unturned. ‘Red’, ‘Blue’, ‘White’, ‘Green’ and near-enough everything in between is represented.

Every moment feels like a hit. The band huddle together as the looming march of ‘The British Are Coming’ rings out before the all-out abandon of ‘Pork & Beans’ sees them looking up.

Weezer are constantly on the move but the audience is backing them at each and every step.

The ‘White’ album has been out less than a week but already the likes of ‘Do You Want To Get High?’ and ‘King

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of the World’ have found their place in the hearts and minds of the Weezer diehard. W’s are thrown up for ‘LA Girlz’ and even ‘Thank God For Girls’, - White’s most divisive moment – is met with total joy. Weezer look at ease on stage and that feeling is reflected within the room. The capacity crowd embraces, rather than dissects and debates, the different flavours of the band and it makes for an exciting show. Rivers, who has wholly believed in every era, punches the air as ‘Back To The Shack’ explains, “I had to go and make a few mistakes so I could find out who I am.”

Weezer are adored. From midnineties B-side ‘You Gave Your Love To Me Softly’ to ‘Raditude’’s ‘(If you’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To’ the band inspire devotion and for good reason. They know their way around a song. Despite the ever-shifting face of Weezer, the heart of the band has remained true. “We are the small fish,” sings ‘King Of The World’ as Weezer and their audience find a common understanding. “We swim together.” P

AGAINST THE CURRENT KOKO, LONDON

Words: Ali Shutler.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

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fter four weeks of Running with the Wild Things around Europe, Against The Current take to London’s KOKO to bring the tour to a close. “Last time we were in London it was a dream,” starts Chrissy Costanza towards the end of the evening.

“I don’t even know what to call this because it’s completely surpassed it,” she adds. And she’s right. Armed with a handful of new songs from their debut ‘In Our Bones’ and a clearer idea of just what Against The Current can be, Chrissy, Dan and Will take to the stage Queens and Kings of all The Wild Things.

“The thing with our album,”

explains Chrissy, “is that it fills in a lot of blank spaces in Against The Current.” Five songs from the record are aired tonight and each one shows off a different side. The opening of ‘Running With The Wild Things’ is brash, energetic and – now finding its groove live – enables more play in the vocals while ‘Brighter’ is a huge statement of intent.

Individually the fourteen tracks that the band play tonight are all undeniable bangers but threaded together as part of an ongoing narrative, they show off just how diverse and daring the band are.

Their ideas are wild things. It’s what’s made their journey so far so exciting, and makes what comes next even more so. P

CHVRCHES SSE HYDRO, GLASGOW

Words: Heather McDaid.

Photos: Jade Esson.

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side from the many references you’ll hear about Glasgow’s Hydro being compared to a spaceship in appearance, it’s a venue that now stands as a symbol for mighty hometown successes. If a Scottish band grows to headline the venue, it means you’ve done something out of this world.

CHVRCHES put on a show that pays testament to that occasion, with a triumphant set that pushes the Hydro’s LED capabilities to the

max. The big stage feels like home, with Iain Cook and Martin Doherty making the most of their cubed podiums as Lauren Mayberry leaps, skips and birls her way around with abandon, her voice piercing through to the rafters in magnificent fashion.

When it comes to live shows, CHVRCHES are defiant in how they grow with the venues they inhabit, but still chat as if they’re amongst a select group of friends. With fists in the air and inhibitions left at the door, it’s a party, pure and simple. P 75

ON THE ROAD VISIT UPSETMAGAZINE.COM FOR THE LATEST TOUR NEWS. 10 Dublin 3arena 12 Newport Centre 14 Brighton Centre 15 London SSE Wembley Arena

ANDY BLACK MAY 10 Sheffield Leadmill 11 Newcastle University 12 Glasgow O2 ABC 14 Birmingham O2 Institute 15 Cardiff Tramshed 16 Manchester O2 Ritz 18 Brighton All Saints Church 19 Portsmouth Pyramid 20 London Koko

ALLUSONDRUGS MAY 19 Hull Adelphi 20 Doncaster Vintage Rock Bar 21 Leeds Brudenell Social Club

ARCHITECTS MAY 27 Brighton Concorde 2 28 Brighton Concorde 2

AS IT IS MAY 13 London Underworld 14 Southampton 1865 16 Plymouth Hub 17 Bristol Fleece 18 Swansea Scene 19 Carlisle Brickyard 20 Newcastle Academy Ii 21 Aberdeen Tunnels 22 Glasgow King Tut’s 23 Sheffield Leadmill 24 Manchester Deaf Institute 25 Liverpool Arts Club 27 Nottingham Basement

BRING ME THE HORIZON OCTOBER 31 London O2 Arena

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DIET CIG THINK IT’S IMPORTANT YOU KNOW WHAT SECTION OF THE MAGAZINE YOU’RE READING

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

DIET CIG MAY 19 London The Bussey Building 24 London Dalston Victoria 25 Birmingham Hare & Hounds 30 Leeds Range Life

FUTURE OF THE LEFT MAY 12 Cardiff Club Ifor Bach 13 Manchester Night and Day

GNARWOLVES JUNE 15 Kingston, Fighting Cocks 16 Tunbridge Wells, The Forum 17 Swindon, Level 3 18 Bridgend, Hobos 19 Cannock, The Station

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

MOOSE BLOOD OCTOBER 3 Birmingham O2 Institute 2 4 Glasgow Garage 5 Sheffield O2 Academy 2 6 Cardiff Y Plas 7 London Koko 8 Manchester Academy 2

PLACEBO DECEMBER 2 Glasgow Sse Hydro 3 Leeds First Direct Arena 5 Manchester Arena 6 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena 8 Birmingham Barclaycard Arena

SWMRS MAY 19 Kingston The Hippodrome, Room 2 22 Glasgow Broadcast 23 Newcastle Think Tank 25 Southampton The Joiners 26 London Old Blue Last 28 London Upstairs at The Garage

YAK MAY 11 Birmingham The Rainbow 12 Sheffield Bungalows & Bears 13 Glasgow Stereo 14 Manchester Deaf Institute 15 Leeds Brudenell Social Club 17 Reading Purple Turtle 18 Bristol The Exchange 19 Leicester The Cookie 20 Southampton Joiners Arms 21 Oxford The Bullingdon 24 London Dingwalls

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

The new EP from Sorority Noise — It Kindly Stopped for Me is available everywhere on vinyl, cassette & digitally now from Topshelf Records.

Tickets for Sorority Noise’s autumn UK tour are on sale now!

04.10.16 - Newcastle, UK @ Think Tank 05.10.16 - Glasgow, UK @ Hug & Pint 06.10.16 - Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute 07.10.16 - Nottingham, UK @ Bodega 08.10.16 - Leeds, UK @ Key Club 09.10.16 - Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds Bi 10.10.16 - Norwich, UK @ Epic Studios 11.10.16 - Cambridge, UK @ Portland Arms 13.10.16 - Bristol, UK @ Exchange 14.10.16 - Brighton, UK @ Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar 16.10.16 - Milton Keynes, UK @ Craufurd Arms 17.10.16 - London, UK @ Dingwalls

Get tickets at topshelfrecords.co.uk/snuktour

Also available from TOPSHELF RECORDS:

MOCK ORANGE

Put the Kid On the Sleepy Horse CD / LP / CASSETTE / DIGITAL - MAY 20, 2016

THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE Long Live Happy Birthday

CLIQUE

NAI HARVEST

CD / LP / CASSETTE /DIGITAL - MAY 27, 2016

AA 7” / DIGITAL - OUT NOW

Burden Piece

Jelly / Just Like You

7” / CASSETTE / DIGITAL - OUT NOW

New releases coming from Happy Diving, Special Explosion, Solids, Ratboys, Del Paxton, Slingshot Dakota, Enemies, Hey Mercedes, Field Mouse & more.

tsr-store.com topshelfrecords.co.uk

DUNKIN’ DECADE

TEN YEARS OF SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL

SLAM DUNK ‘16

NEW FOUND GLORY

You headlined in 2010 - how was it?

I do remember Slam Dunk 2010, although I think I remember more about seeing friends than the actual show (but that’s not a bad thing; most of our UK shows are insane, and they all sometimes mash into a blur as to which one was which, but I know it was a great show!). I remember that it seemed like everywhere I looked there was another band member from a band that we had toured with, whether it was Alkaline Trio, Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals, Fireworks — you name it — and this year is shaping up to be much of the same with friends of our all over the bill!

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E N Y E A RS I S A LO N G T I M E FO R A N Y T H I N G , BU T T H I S Y E A R , S L A M D U N K C E L E B R AT ES A D ECA D E O F W H AT H AS B EC O M E O N E O F T H E M OST I M P O RTA N T F EST I VA LS O N T H E CA L E N DA R .

N OW H E L D OV E R T H RE E O N E- DAY L EG S I N T H E N O RT H , M I D L A N DS A N D SO U T H , Y E A R BY Y E A R T H E B I L LS G ET B I G G E R . T H I S T I M E RO U N D, T H E RE A RE N E W N A M ES , RET U RN I N G H E RO ES , A N D EV E N A N E W B I RM I N G H A M V E N U E W I T H I TS V E RY OW N A I RP O RT. TO C E L E B R AT E , W E C H AT T E D TO SO M E O F T H E BA N DS P L AY I N G S L A M D U N K 201 6 A BO U T T H E I R E X P E RI E N C ES A N D E X P ECTAT I O N S .

Is there anything you can tell us about your set?

It’ll be what you have come to expect from a NFG show — super high energy throughout, lots of crowd interaction, and maybe some special treats — although the setlist isn’t gonna be easy to pick for this one! Besides we have to put on a good show because there’s so many other great bands playing before, during, and after our set and we want to make sure everyone goes home remembering the amazing New Found Glory show from Slam Dunk 2016!

What would you say to convince any music fans not yet attending that they should pick up a ticket?

That’s easy… this will be YOUR ONLY CHANCE TO SEE NEW FOUND GLORY IN UK/EUROPE IN 2016! That should have gotten your attention, right? Now, go get a ticket and come celebrate 10 amazing years of Slam Dunk with New Found Glory!

SLAM DUNK ‘16

YOUNG GUNS

You’re playing Slam Dunk again this May. Are you looking forward to returning?

Absolutely! We haven’t played this festival since our very first time in 2010. It’s awesome to see how the festival has grown over the years, that it still continues to attract really good artists and is always so popular year on year. To be part of that is an honour and we’re really excited to play music, new and old, to our fans again!

What is it about Slam Dunk that makes it so important to the UK rock scene, do you think?

I feel that since the start, the festival has been really good at exposing new and emerging artists within the rock scene, giving bands the chance to reach out to new audiences. Giving these new bands a chance to perform their music in front of a Slam Dunk audience is a chance for them to share their music and grow. Not only is it great for new artists, SD always strive to book the best artists from the scene as a whole. Each year, the bill seems to go from strength to strength, but this year in particular is huge.

SLAM DUNK ‘16

BEAUTIFUL BODIES You’re playing Slam Dunk for the first time…

Oh Yes! I’m very excited to be playing Slam Dunk. I really enjoy festivals like Slam Dunk that bring a variety of bands together. Plus getting to visit the UK again always makes me smile. Tea and a beautiful people all around.

Is there anyone on 2016’s line up that you’re especially looking forward to seeing?

Of course! I love live music more than anything. I am excited to see Panic! At the Disco for the first time.

What would you say to convince any music fans not yet attending that they should pick up a ticket?

If you like the idea of going to a festival without the hassle of camping and bringing everything in the world with you, this is the kind of festival you’ll like.

More importantly, the lineup this year speaks for itself surely? Stop faffing and get a ticket, it’s gonna be a great laugh!

SLAM DUNK ‘16

AS IT IS

You played last year too - how was it?

Hands down, Slam Dunk is my favourite UK festival. Most of us have been attending Slam Dunk since 2011, so being on the bill last year was enormously surreal. We’re just as excited to be coming back, if not more so!

How have things changed for the band since you last played?

We’ve played A LOT of shows since then; we racked up a total of 175 shows just last year, so I like to think we’ve significantly improved as performers since last year’s Slam Dunk. We’ve also started writing our next record which I’m ridiculously excited to finish!

What would you say to convince any music fans not yet attending that they should pick up a ticket?

Slam Dunk is always one of the highlights of my year, and if we weren’t playing, I’d sure as hell still be there a fan of so many of the bands that are playing this year. If you’ve never been, this year is better than any other to start.

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BASEMENT JOIN TRAMLINES

Basement and Black Peaks are among a bunch of new additions for Tramlines, which will take place from 22nd – 24th July in Sheffield. Other new confirmations include Moon Duo, Shining, Little Comets and Teleman.

BIG WEEKEND BOOKS BIFFY

PREVIEW

Radio 1’s Big Weekend has confirmed a new batch of bands, including Biffy Clyro, Wolf Alice, Chvrches, Panic! At The Disco and Twenty One Pilots. The event will take place in Exeter from 28th – 29th May.

THE GREAT ESCAPE T H I S M O N T H , I T ’ S FA R F R O M G E T T I N G BO RI N G BY T H E S E A .

You’d be forgiven for thinking Brighton’s annual festival of new music The Great Escape was just about indie acts. You’d be wrong, though. There are more than a few 10/10 Very Good Rock Bands playing on the South Coast from 19th - 21st May.

SWMRS

FRIDAY 20TH MAY, THE HOPE AND RUIN (8:30PM) With the cracking ‘Drive North’ under their belt, and Beats 1 supremo Zane Lowe joining the chorus of hype, it’s about time SWMRS capitalised. Expect industrial quantities of fun.

DILLY DALLY

FRIDAY 20TH MAY, THE HAUNT (8:30PM) Of course, when we tip three bands, two of them will clash. Still, Dilly Dally are too good to ignore. Just don’t expect much personal space.

MUNCIE GIRLS SATURDAY 21ST MAY, THE HAUNT (7:30PM) They’ve released one of our albums of the year (yes, it’s safe to say that in May - Ed), Muncie Girls are not to be missed.

READING & LEEDS GETS BIGGER

Reading & Leeds has added over seventy new names, including Tonight Alive, Black Foxxes, Frank Turner, Coheed and Cambria, Good Charlotte, Milk Teeth, Thrice, HECK, Beach Slang, SWMRS, ROAM and Giraffe Tongue Orchestra.

FORT FEST MAKES FIRST ANNOUNCE

Fort Fest has made its first line up announcement, led by Lonely The Brave. The event will take place from 2nd – 4th September at Scald End Farm in Bedfordshire. Other acts confirmed include Grumble Bee and Cheap Meat.

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Sleeping With Sirens ’ Kellin Quinn VS

THE INTERNET

YO U G U Y S S U G G E S T E D S O M E Q U E S T I O N S F O R U S TO A S K O N TW I T T E R. W E A S K E D T H E M. H E R E A R E T H E A N S W E R S.

If you could be any Disney Princess which would you be and why?

I asked my daughter and she said “ugh dad, you can’t be a princess.” “Boys can’t be princesses.”

Who in the band tells the worst jokes?

Honestly me. We all have our own sense of humour, but our assistant Jake aka @worstdudehiphop is the funniest kid I know... So he’s pretty hard to top.

What’s your best advice for someone who wants to start a band, and do what you do?

Work hard, write a lot of songs, tour in a van, and earn every accomplishment you get. You’ll appreciate what you do more that way.

to I can’t wait to leave. I’m all about real people, because that’s how I was brought up. And no matter where our band goes, I’d much rather be in some hole in the wall dive bar, then schmooze it up with people that think status makes them better than other people.

After ‘Live and Unplugged’, how do you feel about all the reactions? Was this a fun album to do?

It was a blast to make! I love this record, it gives you an unpolished insight to the type of band we are.

There are so many sides to this band most people don’t get to see. I’m glad we have a record like this to add to your album collection.

How do you deal with all the fame?

What is fame? I’m a normal dude, I don’t go to famous peoples parties...

And if I’m ever forced

“IF YOU’VE ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS KELLIN, WHY DO WE ALL HAVE TO STAND HERE?” “BLOODY HELL. DON’T START THAT AGAIN.”

How did you guys choose the songs that are on the new album?

We chose the ones we felt would flow well together, keeping the mood mostly positive.

What’s your favourite part of touring?

It might sound cliche, but honestly our fans. If it weren’t for fans showing up at shows, I’d already be at home writing songs for other people. Or for some solo act that doesn’t ever tour.

They still love what we do, so we do it for them.

What is the most dreadful board game in your opinion? Why? Monopoly. That game takes forever, and it’s super boring. It’s 2016 let’s do away with it. #sorry. See what I did there? (Another board game reference.) Told you I was the worst at telling jokes.

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