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HELLO.
Once in a while, you’ll get a band who step up a level. They might have been brilliant before, they could have been bang average, but something will click that sends them shooting forwards at such velocity they break through their glass ceiling and send everything else scattering. It’s fair to say there was nothing average about Black Peaks on their debut album campaign - they were already lit up like an Xmas tree by that ‘saviour of modern rock music’ glow. And yet with their second full-length ‘All That Divides’, they’re unrecognisable. Every idea is developed, every sinew tensed and strengthened. Finally making it to their first Upset cover, anything feels possible. Prepare yourselves for something special.
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Upset Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Scribblers Alex Bradley, Dan Harrison, Dillon Eastoe, Jamie MacMillan, Linsey Teggert, Rob Mair, Steven Loftin Snappers Corinne Cumming, Frances Beach, Jamie MacMillan, Jennifer McCord, Ryan Johnston, Sarah Louise Bennett Cover photo: Jennifer McCord P U B L I S H E D F RO M
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RIOT 6. READING & LEEDS 6. BRING ME THE HORIZON 8. FALL OUT BOY 10. WATERPARKS 12. MIKE SHINODA 14. PANIC! AT THE DISCO 16. MILK TEETH 17. SWMRS 18. JOYCE MANOR 22. LA DISPUTE 24. ALKALINE TRIO 26. FATHERSON 27. ABOUT TO BREAK TOUR 28. THE JOY FORMIDABLE 30. CURSIVE 32. AGAINST THE CURRENT
ABOUT TO BREAK 34. DEAR SEATTLE FEATURES 36. BLACK PEAKS 44. GOOD CHARLOTTE 48. DILLY DALLY 52. THE DIRTY NIL 54. ESTRONS REVIEWS 56. BLACK PEAKS 58. JOYCE MANOR 59. DOE 61. GOOD CHARLOTTE TEENAGE KICKS 62. BLACK HONEY
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EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN ROCK
READING THE ESSENTIAL REVIEW
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BRING ME THE HORIZON are back! Back!! Back!!!
B
ring Me The Horizon have thrashed and fought for this. Their journey has constantly been an uphill one and even when they seemed on top of the world with ‘That’s The Spirit’, they had their naysayers.
At Reading, they play their first live show in well over a year. Before they take to the stage though, there’s a deafening, excitable tent-wide scream that just seems to run and run. It’s a goosebumpinducing moment of celebration, a vocal burst of joy for a band who mean the world, despite constantly changing the rules of it. Opening with a song that’s only been out for a few days would be a bold move for many, but for Bring Me The Horizon, it makes perfect sense. 6 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
‘Mantra’ is already golden, bringing together fun, fury and frenzy in a swirling burst of play and intent. This is meant to be the start of something new and BMTH have never been ones to mince their words. Bring Me are known for aggression. Even the polish of ‘That’s The Spirit’ came hand in hand with physicality on a huge scale. Today though, the first moment of command comes from Oli asking for hands in the air as the sway of ‘Can You Feel My Heart?’ drifts through the tent. It’s less about destruction, and more about connection. The chaos of ‘Happy Song’, the rampage of ‘Antivist’, the dance of ‘Follow You’, the known tear of ‘Sempiternal’ - every song is a moment to connect. ‘Drown’ was always
the moment Bring Me The Horizon looked up; now, as Oli charges to the front row to bridge the gap, it’s an act of tenderness. ‘Mantra’ might be the next step for Bring Me The Horizon but there’s more going on than just a sonic jump. The band are (still) on up but that bond with others is more important than ever. As fury and frustration turns into a need for belief, Bring Me The Horizon are assembling their cult. They’re raging for unity. P
ALKALINE TRIO
Alkaline Trio are back with brand new album ‘Is This Thing Cursed?’ p.24
THE JOY FORMIDABLE
After a difficult third album, The Joy Formidable are back from the brink. p.28
NEW SONG, NEW ALBUM, NEW TOUR - IT’S ALL GOING ON FOR BRING
ME THE HORIZON
The wait is over - Bring Me The Horizon have finally debuted a brand new track, ‘Mantra’, and details of their new album. The new music followed weeks of teasing, with enigmatic posters, a really quite disturbing phone line, and an invitation to start a cult. Standard stuff, really. Their new album, ‘amo’ is set to arrive on 11th January 2019. Produced by the band’s own Oli Sykes and Jordan Fish, it’s already one of the most anticipated records of next year. Oli says of the release: “‘amo’ is a love album that explores every aspect of that most powerful emotion. It deals with the good the bad and the ugly, and as a result we’ve created an album that’s more experimental, more varied, weird, and wonderful than anything we’ve done before.” Bring Me are set to blow out the cobwebs on a huge UK and European ‘First Love’ tour this November, including two nights at London’s Ally Pally. The details are: November 23 Birmingham Arena 24 Leeds First Direct Arena 25 Glasgow SSE Hydro 27 Cardiff Motorpoint Arena 29 London Alexandra Palace 30 London Alexandra Palace DISRUPT THE NOISE 7
READING READING Q+A
PETE WENTZ
talks Fall Out Boy, Lake Effect Kid and wanting to score more films The O2 show earlier this year, you did ‘Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down’ back to back with ‘Immortals’ - it felt like you didn’t mind how people had found you, you were just happy they were there. Yeah, we’re at the point where we have to blur that stuff. Your entry point... for me with Metallica, I got into Metallica on the Black album, but I think a lot of people will be like, I got into them when they were thrash. We don’t ever want to be the band that’s trying to appease absolutely everybody, but at the same time, we understand that God bless, we’re headlining a festival, a giant festival. I want to play a set where people are like, ‘Dude, you missed it! You weren’t there!’ I want to play that set.
Fall Out Boy have never been ‘the cool band’.
No, and I’m completely okay with that because I feel like you like the music that you like. When you’re young like a junior in high school, you like the music that you like, just because you like it. You go off to college or university, and at least for me, you listen to the music that you’re supposed to like. Then you go into the real world, and the real world is cool but it also kinda sucks, and you want the music that you liked because it’s like a warm blanket. I think we can represent that band for people.
You’ve just dropped you Lake Effect Kid EP, what was the thinking behind that? When we were writing ‘Young & Menace’ there was a b-side to that, which was ‘Super Fade’, and 8 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
FALL OUT BOY belong at the top of Reading Festival we were like, I don’t know there’s not really a place for this song, it references Chicago. We had this old song that referenced Chicago that we’d never finished, we’d never figured out - why don’t we go back and figure that out? Then Patrick wrote this futuristic one which became ‘City in a Garden’, and we were like, why don’t we do this little pack together?
Last time you were in the UK you were starting ‘Young & Menace’, have you started playing around? Are you going to revisit stuff that didn’t make it on ‘M A N I A’?
We haven’t started. It’s rough when a band has been doing something for fifteen-twenty years because the inspiration can start feeling regurgitated, so I wanna do something a movie score or something that puts you completely out of your comfort zone. There’s nothing on the books yet, but something like that. Something that just by virtue of doing it you have to take a different perspective.
How aggressively are you going to pursue that? I feel like Fall Out Boy sits in a weird sweet spot that’s somewhere between Napoleon Dynamite and Drive, and like, those are two really weird movies. There’s no one who makes movies like that - apart from Wes Anderson, and he’s not knocking down our door to score a movie. It’s such a weird spot; it’s got to be the right thing. I know our kids, and our band are so weird, it’s gotta fit a really small area. P
F
all Out Boy have been here before. They’ve been here a whole bunch, actually. They’ve been pushing at the very top of Reading since before the hiatus. Last time they were here, they shared the spotlight with Biffy Clyro, and they came out swinging. Throwing everything at it (flames, fire artists, fireworks and the kitchen sink) it was a declaration of war. Tonight though, for the very first time, they’re outright headliners. It’s a moment years in the making, and from the off, the band are determined to have fun with it.
Opening with a no-frills ‘Thriller’, the band let their love letter to the believers do all the talking. It’s a beautiful moment, drenched in history and trembling with importance but still, Fall Out Boy are here to enjoy their evening. Pete Wentz power-slides down the sloped stage, sticking the landing but shooting Patrick a look telling him he’s never doing it again. That childlike sense of adventure, of anything goes, of chasing what feels right has been a Fall Out Boy staple since the off. MANIA’ has seen them embrace it. Tonight puts it up in lights. After ‘Thriller’, the band lean into the greatest of hits. They’ve soundtracked a generation, and every colour of their red, blue and purple rainbow is allowed to shine. ‘Phoenix’ rolls with multicoloured licks and a flame-thrower bass, ‘Irresistible’ sets off fireworks onstage and off while ‘Sugar, We’re Going Down’ (“the song that first brought us to Reading”) roars with excitable, energetic buzz. They dance between moments of excess (A cover of ‘Beat It’), sincerity (“Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy) and everything all at once (‘Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea’). Blowing up, surviving then redefining The Scene, Fall Out Boy have endured and innovated. Tonight, there’s a legacy playing out on the Reading Main Stage, but Fall Out Boy are too busy having fun to notice. “We’ve been here forever,” declares ‘Centuries’. They’ll be here for another forever if tonight is anything to go on. They might be the biggest band of the day, but to the crowd before them, there’s a sense of ownership. Of belonging. Of intimacy. It feels special, because it is. P DISRUPT THE NOISE 9
FRIDAY
In a year of blokey headline choices, there’s an aptness to
Petrol Girls
READING Q+A
WATERPARKS How was that on the Main Stage? Awsten: It was fucking great! Geoff: It was seriously the coolest thing I’ve ever done. You were here two years ago, how did it feel compared to that? Awsten: It was cool. I was looking out to the left, and there’s a giant pit there. Fuck yeah, cool. And looked out to the right, and there’s three giant pits over there. Awesome! OK good, it’s going well! Yeah, it was awesome. Otto: Also, Geoff was here this time. Geoff: Yeah, I didn’t make it last time, I broke my hand. How’s it been since ‘Entertainment’ came out? Have you had a chance to breathe? Otto: No. Awsten: We’ve been touring, we’ll be doing it the rest of the year too. What have been your highlights? Awsten: We’ve been to a lot of places that we’ve never been before. That’s all been really interesting. We haven’t not headlined in a year, until now [supporting Sum 41 in Europe]; you’ve got to try a little harder. What else does 2018 bring? Awsten: European tour. Then a headline American tour. Then an Australian tour. I tell you, if you’ve got a Bar Mitzvah, we’ll play it! P 10 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM 10 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
being one of the first bands to tear down the Pit Stage, and this year’s Reading. “This song is about the female orgasm from the perspective of a werewolf who wants to burn down the Houses of Parliament and everyone inside,” singer Ren Aldridge exclaims before they power through ‘Restless’, one of many tracks that put the world to rights. Some bands wait a lifetime to play the Main Stage of Reading. For The Regrettes, that opportunity has come much, much earlier than most. They’re grabbing it with both hands, though, delivering a banger run filled with attitude that sits apart from the otherwise boydominated Friday line-up. On the strength of today, expect them to be back, and much higher on the bill when they return. Arriving from Perth, Australia with the hype of a Pete Wentz collab under their belt before they’ve even released their debut, The Faim exude confidence. From the first song, frontman Josh Raven demands more from the audience, getting hands in the air and commanding the stage like a pro. With the world at their feet even at this embryonic stage, The Faim aren’t afraid to aim high. Backed by a giant sign that introduces Waterparks as ‘God’s favourite band’, the Texas trio are a natural fit for the Main Stage with their
infectious poppy hooks that ring out with bold confidence. The crowd light up the moment they arrive, and Waterparks refuse to relent; from the stage real estate they spin and jump to occupy, to the bubbling anthemic standards - everything feels ripe for their taking. Currently riding the lush, open road rock of ‘Hold On To Your Heart’ as far as it will carry them, The Xcerts blast through Reading with a set that, although short, hits all the sweet spots. Having spent ten years searching, the trio have found their place with their blend of riffing rock and 80s cheese, and they shower the Pit Stage with Tom Petty-indebted choruses and Springsteenian romance. Preparing to wrap up the ‘Eternity In Your Arms’ era, Creeper have once again returned to Reading; road-tested and ready, they’re dying to prove how much they’ve grown since they last played two years ago - you know, when they also mysteriously disappeared. There are no such shenanigans this time around; instead, we’re gifted a nononsense, straight up Creeper set that delivers on all fronts. Today is The Fever 333’s third gig in three days, but there’s no hint of exhaustion. Appearing with a bag over his head in front of a white sheet, Jason Aalon Butler raises his fist before the curtain drops, and a wall of protestors join him. Asking questions about gun violence, racism, pent-up frustrations and your own ability to effect change,
PRESENTS
T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E AT M Y T I C K E T. C O . U K
READING Q+A
MIKE SHINODA Hello Mike. How’s the summer been for you? It’s been good. At the beginning of the touring for ‘Post Traumatic’, I was going on stage completely by myself; it helped me get a sense of what I needed next, so I added two more musicians on stage. The three of us, it’s been fun. We hit our stride about a week ago. A lot of this tour was you figuring out what to do live? And also there was an element of connecting with the fans. The number one reason was to say thank you to them for being so supportive over the years, but especially this past year. These shows are celebratory; I want people to have a good time. ‘Post Traumatic’ was written like a diary. Have you carried on writing since you released it? I haven’t written very many songs, but I’ve been writing a lot of instrumental music. I’m keeping as many doors open as I can, just to feel out what’s the best fitt. Are you still trying to work out where you’re going next? I do have shows and stuff going on, but I don’t know. I could write more solo music, or maybe the band does some stuff together? Although we don’t have any plans at this point. I might write and/or produce with some other artists. I’m busy, but also just a lot of experimenting and figuring it out. P
12 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM 12 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
the band are confrontational and make no apologies about it. Back at Reading in support of their more ‘mature’ effort ‘Going Grey’, The Front Bottoms always bring the party when they play live and an early evening Reading set is no exception. Beefed up with a keyboard and violin player, The Front Bottoms sound BIG now, but not at the expense of the ramshackle charm that has won them so many devoted fans. Kicking off later than the advertised time, when La Dispute finally get going, they give it their all. With Reading branching out from its traditional rock roots, La Dispute provide a welcome shot of hardcore to the Friday proceedings; the Michigan quintet are a well-oiled machine, firing off riffs with pinpoint precision. When they’re at the top of their game, they’re hard to deny. Tonight is Underoath’s debut Reading performance, and given this year saw the release of their first album in nearly a decade, it seems fitting to keep this new chapter ablaze with a performance made to tear down The Pit stage. Tonight, this band
who have been going for nearly two decades are finding new opportunities and confidently seizing them with clenched fists - all while sounding fresher than ever.
SATURDAY
You know what a good antidote to Saturday morning hangovers is? Pop-punk. Trash Boat have returned home from Warped Tour, and swiftly take up their well-earned spot on the Main Stage, bringing fast-paced energy to wake up the early crowd. The thick richness of their sound cuts through the air of Richfield Avenue as frontman Tobi Duncan bounds about the stage. Brimming with confidence, Trash Boat have all the makings of a Reading mainstay. Making the flight over from Los Angeles to treat us to some thrashing emo rock are Teenage Wrist. The quartet open with a spacious verse of gently picked guitar before launching into the headbanging riffs that dominate the set. They aren’t helped by an erratic PA system, but by the third song, their prowess is steamrolling over the technical glitches. A spot on the Dance Stage for Now, Now feels like their rightful home. Floating around dancing beats and ethereal synths, their return to form is quietly tucked away to a small crowd, but they
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PANIC! AT THE DISCO know how to throw a party 14 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
T
welve years ago Brendon Urie was knocked out by a bottle when Panic! At The Disco played the Main Stage. Whether it was an attack in the war on emo, people appalled by their Radiohead cover or simple misplaced exuberance, it was the moment Brendon became part of Reading’s history. “It was the happiest I’ve ever been,” apparently.
Tonight, top of the bill and of the world, he finally does it again. From an opening sway that quickly bursts into ‘(Fuck A) Silver Lining’, Brendon knows he’s made it. The set weighs heavy on the second coming that started with ‘Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die’. From the flame laden ‘Miss Jackson’, the arms aloft ‘Hallelujah’ and the shimmering ‘High Hopes’, Panic! put their pop foot forward. Choruses dialled all the way up; this is a performance purpose-built to delight. It’s still full of weirdo heart and bubblegum aspiration though. From the trip of ‘Nine In The Afternoon’, the want of ‘Mona Lisa’ to the everythingon-red lean of ‘Dancing’s Not A Crime’ and ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ sheer indulgent smirk, it’s a night dedicated to excess and dreams. There’s that cover of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ performed because, “It’s one of the best songs ever written”; the “anthem of acceptance and pride” that ‘Girls/Girls/Boys’ has become, backed by slogans reminding you that “your voice is power” and before ‘Victorious’, the message that, “you’re not just important to me. You’re important in general.” As ‘I Write Sins’ plays out, flickers of the circus ringleader from the video appear on screens behind Brendon. It’s a reminder of the journey, the growth and that this isn’t that band anymore. Everything changes, and that’s good. Anything is possible, and that should be celebrated. Good job Panic! At The Disco know how to throw a party. P
fill every square inch of the tent. Bass rumbles and raptures, while melody marries perfectly as Cacie Dalager swirls about the stage. A band who have returned from their self-made isolation, ready for the fight ahead, Now Now look to be making waves once again. There’s something happening over in Australia. Chase Atlantic, the latest exports to create a fever amongst the masses, have all the stylings of a band ready to take over. In the dark of the BBC Radio 1 tent, taking to the stage to rapturous applause, the three-piece waste no time in proving they’re deserving of such a welcome. If they keep stoking the world around them as much as they do the crowd this afternoon, there could be big things ahead. Jetting in from Melbourne, Ecca Vandal brings bundles of energy and bags of attitude to the Pit, splicing processed hip-hop beats with punk power chords in a startling but engaging cocktail of noise. It’s a concoction that can feel confusing at times, with the electronic elements sometimes clashing too starkly with rock instrumentation, but if Ecca Vandal can hone in on a fitting formula, she has the opportunity to carve a unique niche for herself. Not ones to neglect a sense of occasion, Tokyo’s Man With A Mission take to the stage sporting their customary matching wolf masks. The Japanese outfit really are on a mission, waking up the Pit with their self-described hybrid of “hardcore rock and dance pop”. They’re a phenomenal live unit, performing with complex DISRUPT THE NOISE 15
READING Q+A
MILK TEETH Hello Milk Teeth. How are you feeling about playing Reading? Becky: A bit nervous. I only get nervous ‘cos my mum’s here. Anytime a parent is here it throws me off. My stomach feels like someone is squeezing it. What’s next for you all? Becky: We’ve demoed some new songs. I’m crazy excited. I don’t know enough to tell you when it’s going to come out but soon, hopefully. It’s going to be a fulllength album. We’ve demoed four maybe singles, but I’ve got loads in the brain. Will Em be part of that? Is this forever? Em: I’m just going to say you don’t marry someone after a couple of dates. We’re seeing how it goes. We might hate each other. We don’t. We categorically don’t. It feels like no matter what happens, this band doesn’t give in. Becky: It’s not been the best year. The only thing that will stop this band now is if someone dies. We’ve been through so much over the five years and anything that’s been thrown at us, we’ve carried on. Or tried to. We pick ourselves up, re-piece ourselves, and carry on. It’s all you can do. P
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arrangements with consummate ease. After howling through Reading, they’ll surely have a lot of people queuing up to join the wolfpack. There were a lot of questions when Mike Shinoda was announced for Reading. This place grew up on the music of Linkin Park, and despite not playing here in fifteen years, their influence has been felt across every line-up since. The loss of Chester Bennington meant something to most of the people here, and Mike has been dealing with it in public. His set is a hyperactive, excitable blend of stadium-ready anthems and bedroom outpourings. Songs written when Mike was in one of the biggest bands in the world sit next to ones crafted when he wasn’t sure of anything. A piano version of ‘In The End’ is raw, breaking hearts and healing wounds. There’s hope, inspiration, joy, sadness, loss, comfort, pain and everything in between. Canadian punks Sum 41
provide a reminder of where Reading came from. The mosh kicks up dust, Dave Baksh finger taps furiously on his guitar, and Deryck Whibley strums and sings with the same vigour as the band’s early 2000s heyday. With the clouds for once effing off into the distance, Mike Shinoda joins the band for a rendition of Linkin Park’s megahit ‘Faint’. It’s a touching moment. There are very few bands as exciting as Black Peaks. There, we said it. It’s impossible not to be captured by a live show that’s as unhinged as it is studiously worked on. You can feel the drive of their performance as Will Gardner looks about his crowd, one of the largest The Pit has seen all weekend. Crafting his every move, he cements his status as a future iconic frontman. Since opening the main stage in 2012, Deaf Havana have gone through different forms, and arrive at Reading having released ‘Rituals’, a well-executed pop reinvention. Backed today by a choir as on the new record, the Hunstanton rockers take nothing for granted, grasping every opportunity. The only gripe is Scott Mills’ pratting around in the choir, knocking over a mic. Hardcore mainstays Beartooth are all about bringing the chaos to their late night Pit Stage appearance. With the tent pretty much at capacity, there’s rarely a moment that the crowd remains static. ‘Bad Listener’ bring outs a new carnal sort of mayhem from the baying throng, and the more subdued moments lead to
rapturous explosions. “Fuck Papa Roach! Fuck Papa Roach!” That is the clarion call blared out of the PA as the California nu-metal veterans take to the Pit Stage. With Kendrick Lamar on the Main Stage, there’s a busy crowd, spilling well out of the tent and into the chilly Saturday night. Papa Roach bring their A-game; singer Jacoby Shaddix hurdling the barrier and stomping across the audience. They don’t let up for an hour, pounding out relentless metal and ear-splitting vocals.
SUNDAY Black Futures aren’t holding
anything back. Ten hazmat clad figures line the front row of the stage, two holding an emblem and flag aloft, signalling that this set contains far more than just a bunch of songs. This is where noise and worlds collide to form a gathering that, even without the good grace of the outside onlookers, could blast straight through any conventional ideas. It isn’t easy playing the Main Stage at 1pm in the pissing Sunday rain, but The Joy Formidable could hardly give less of a damn, running on stage and tearing into Welsh language opener ‘Y Bluen Eira’ with gleeful abandon. ‘Cradle’ and ‘The Greatest Light’ are blasts from the past while ‘The Wrong Side’ finds the band on steady footing as they gear up to release new album ‘AAARTH’. One band who refuse to be dampened by the pouring rain are Ontario punks Billy Talent, who give the Main Stage all the energy they’ve got. The soggy crowd give a fair amount back, with a decent number turning out to headbang and shout along with Canadians. They air a few tracks from recent release ‘Afraid of Heights’, but the biggest cheers are reserved for early 00s hits, ‘Red Flag’ and ‘Fallen Leaves’. Sunday’s secret set on the Pit Stage is snagged up by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. “I love the smell of Reading in
the morning,” Frank snarls. The moment ‘Juggernaut’ erupts to life, all traces of calm are eradicated. The last show of the ‘Modern Ruin’ era - the band are set to record the follow up asap, he reveals - the powerhouse that they have become feels unstoppable. Behind the scenes, it’s been an almost impossible year for Milk Teeth. Tours have been cancelled, members have left, but somehow, they’re still standing. Today at Reading is their third show back. Em from Nervus joins them on guitar, and from the moment they kick into ‘Nearby Catfight’, there’s a carnival celebration throughout. Powerful, memorable and wickedly fun, today is a welcome return from one of the brightest bands around. Long may they shine. There aren’t many bands like Black Foxxes left at Reading. Guitar, bass, drums, vocals - there’s a purity to it. From the moment they launch into ‘Husk’, Black Foxxes burst into life. Exciting, mesmerising and cinematic, they sound massive and crystal clear. Edges polished, there’s an honest, relatable beauty as they sing songs of daydream escape, ambitious adventure and heartbreak abandon. Having already performed on the Dance Stage earlier in the day, Birmingham’s Scarlxrd comes back for more on In The Pit. Introduced by his DJ and hypeman, he bounds onstage and tears straight into a choice cut of his now trademark trap-metal. Scarlxrd’s screamed vocal is blood-curdling, and the fever his music generates is undeniable. Get this guy back to Reading next year; he’s a superstar in the making. P
READING Q+A
SWMRS
Hello Max and Cole, you’re properly back! Max: We’re back. It’s been so long, but we worked [debut album] ‘Drive North’ so heavily so that when we came out with new stuff, people would pay attention. People like the new song, we like the new song, it feels good live. Cole: One of my main goals as a writer is to confuse and frustrate critics. The only critical thing was this one person who said ‘This new song is an absolute trainwreck’, and it is. That’s the point. The record, is it done? Max: It’s being mixed. We’ve done our job. Cole: The guy we made it with is a fucking crazy person. Max: A legend. His name is Rich Costey. He’s done Muse, the new Death Cab record. He worked on ‘Renegades’ by Rage Against The Machine. What inspired the record? Cole: A lot of the music is about our insecurity. I don’t think we’re a punk band, but that’s our favourite type of music. People want us to be a punk band and have this moralistic approach to making music, and that weighs down on you. All of a sudden, we’re working with a big ass corporation to make an album. There was a lot of internal conflict, in terms of man, how do bands do this? We sold our soul, and we’re still broke. Max: We do it because we love it. P DISRUPT THE NOISE 17 17 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
The
MILLION question... Words: Linsey Teggert.
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“Produced by Converge’s Kurt Ballou” probably weren’t the words you expected to accompany Joyce Manor’s new album, right?
DISRUPT THE NOISE 19
F
or a band that have always been firmly classed as ‘poppunk’, there’s not a great deal that could be filed under pop-punk on Joyce Manor’s new record, ‘Million Dollars to Kill Me’, and frontman Barry Johnson is the first to admit it.
“This record doesn’t really have any pop-punk on it!” he agrees. “There’s a track called ‘Friends We Met Online’ that’s probably the most pop-punk, but even that sounds more like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and more twee than pop-punk.” The California four-piece’s previous record, 2016’s critically lauded ‘Cody’ also steered the band further away from their pop-punk roots, yet the tag still sticks. Perhaps it’s the fact that the majority of Joyce Manor songs are still short-sharp sucker punches that barely pass the two-minute mark, but largely it’s because Joyce Manor have always embodied the honesty and sense of connection that is associated with the genre. “I hated being classed as poppunk at the beginning of the
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“IT’S HARD NOT TO DRIFT INTO A LIFE OF BEING A WEIRD RECLUSE” band,” states Barry. “I was 24 when our first record got popular, and I didn’t want to be pegged as this ‘pop-punk’ thing, but by the time our third album, ‘Never Hungover Again’, came around, I’d flipped back the other way, and it stopped bothering me. “I like pop-punk, and I feel like we do something really interesting within that medium, as opposed to wanting to be a straight-up indie-rock band, which I feel is a boring world to exist in. Things that are boring are celebrated there for being sophisticated when they’re not that fun to listen to. We sit somewhere between a fun indierock band and a sophisticated
pop-punk band; not too serious but not too light-hearted. I like where we fit.” Given that it’s hard to pinpoint Joyce Manor’s sound these days, it makes sense that they chose to work with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou on ‘Million Dollars to Kill Me’. Though Converge are an overtly heavy band, there are so many nuances within their experimental sound that it’s impossible to pigeonhole them. ‘Million Dollars to Kill Me’ came to life in under two weeks at Kurt’s own GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts. “Converge are a very different band to Joyce Manor, but in
some ways, we’re very similar,” explains Barry. “Converge don’t fit neatly into any one genre, they pull from different worlds, from hardcore and metal to post-rock. We don’t fit neatly either, you can hear a lot of different sounds in our music, whether it be punk or Britpop or more college rock stylings. “We’re obviously not as hard to label as Converge, we’re kindred spirits in the sense that we don’t fit into any one thing. Kurt has a very Steve Albini style ethos; he’s just a great engineer, extremely knowledgeable and an insanely fast worker.” ‘Cody’ marked a more serious Joyce Manor, largely dealing with the concept of growing up and Barry turning 30, and ‘Million Dollars to Kill Me’ continues along this path, exploring the responsibilities that come with growing up, particularly maintaining relationships with loved ones. “It’s similar to ‘Never Hungover Again’ in that it’s about relationships, and how everything in life naturally wants to dissipate or move towards entropy. It’s about how much work it takes to keep things together. My relationship with my girlfriend had its problems during writing this record, and it still does now,” explains Barry hesitantly. “We split up shortly after the record was announced, and now when the songs are put out, and I listen back, I think, ‘Oh shit, this is so clearly about what was about to happen’. “Man when she heard these songs she must have felt like I was writing a letter to her about the relationship falling apart. I didn’t realise it was obvious at the time; it’s kind of embarrassing.” “When I was younger it was so much easier to maintain friendships,” he continues. “Now as I get older, it’s hard not to drift into a life of being a weird recluse. I’m a difficult
individual! I have to remember it’s hard to deal with me and I’ve got to not be shitty to people around me, or I’m going to be alone. I’m dealing with that a lot on this record: wanting to be by myself a lot but not wanting to be lonely! It’s tough.” Though Joyce Manor aren’t ready to ditch the short, snappy songs yet, the new record sees them play with the different tempos that they experimented with on ‘Cody’. Even longtime fans of the band will be surprised to hear the album end with two much slower tracks, ‘Gone Tomorrow’ and ‘Wildflowers’. While known for their fastpacing, ‘Million Dollars to Kill Me’ never feels like it switches gears too abruptly, with every song feeling like it’s in the exact place it should be. It’s the sound of a growth and a sense of possibility that indicates a future where Joyce Manor will still be relevant for a long time to come. “Nothing is ever deliberate with this band or my creative process; I just let what happens, happen, then ask myself if it’s really from my heart. “Earlier on, when we finished a record, I’d be so overly enthusiastic about it and think it was the best thing I’d ever done, then a week later I’d think it sucks and feel so anxious. Now I have a clearer sense of what needs to happen and when it’s right and when it’s wrong, and it’s not the end of the world if people don’t like it. “I’m happy to take Joyce Manor as far as it can go, but also happy to stay at the level we’re at, or even become a smaller band if that’s what happens. What I do have control over is working hard to make something the best it can be, playing the best I can live, and maintaining that special connection we have with our fans.” P Joyce Manor’s album
‘Million Dollars to Kill Me’ is out 21st September.
BUSINESS CLOSED
Paramore have announced that they’re (temporarily) retiring ‘Misery Business’ from their live show. Hayley Williams revealed the news as the band closed their ‘After Laughter’ era with a mini-festival at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. “Tonight we’re playing this song for the last time for a really long time,” she explained on stage.
BLINK PULL SHOWS
Blink-182 have cancelled a handful of shows due to Travis Barker’s ongoing medical issues. The band pulled dates include a headline set at Riot Fest Chicago, the Surf Ranch Pros World Surf League, and their mini-tour with State Champs, Seaway and American Authors. “The past few months have just sucked as I have been sidelined just waiting for my doctors to clear me so I could get back on the road and perform with my band,” Travis says in the statement.“Unfortunately, the risks associated with drumming are still too great. I am doing everything I need to do so I can get back on the road as soon as possible. I want to thank my fans, family, friends and bandmates for all the love and support.” DISRUPT THE NOISE 21 21 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
DEEP CUTS MUSE NEWS
Muse have confirmed that they will release their new album ‘Simulation Theory’ on 9th November. ‘Simulation Theory’ will be released in three formats, with loads of bonus tracks, including alternate reality versions, acoustic versions, acoustic gospel versions, instrumentals and remixes.
YOUR FAVOURITE BANDS’ FAVOURITE SONGS
LA DISPUTE Bradley Vander Lugt delves into La Dispute’s 2008 debut album ‘Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair’ to pull out some of his fave tracks it’s being re-released this year for its tenth anniversary.
FALL DOWN, NEVER GET BACK UP AGAIN SPACE + XMASTIME
Wolf Alice have announced they’re going to end the year with headline shows - one in Manchester and two nights in London, in support of their second album ‘Visions of a Life’. Find the dates on upsetmagazine.com now.
E-MALES
Jeff Rosenstock and Chris Farren have announced a new album under their Antarctigo Vespucci guise. ‘Love In The Time Of E-Mail’, which will drop on October 26th via Big Scary Monsters. 22 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM 22 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
This is perhaps our first foray into a more delicate side of LD. I recall doing the foot stomps under the stairs in that tiny home studio (we never quite got that cavernous sound I had in my head at the time). The clap “raindrops” halfway through the track existed before the lyrics, so it was a nice surprise when Jordan tied a simple sonic texture into the story. This one was only played only a handful of times live, until we reimagined it in 2016 for [documentary] Tiny Dots.
LAST BLUES FOR BLOODY KNUCKLES Easily our favourite lesser known track on ‘Somewhere…’, it was written as the second movement in a trilogy of songs (with New Storms for Older Lovers and Sad Prayers for
Guilty Bodies). The musical themes throughout the piece pair closely with the story, which is a technique we’d expand upon on Wildlife. I remember being really into Fragile by Yes at the time and listening back now it’s fairly obvious some of that influence crept into this one.
THEN AGAIN, MAYBE YOU WERE RIGHT
I had completely forgotten about this song until we worked on new mixes, and rightfully so - it was the last track written for the record, and made up of many discarded pieces from earlier in the writing process (we called it the “recycling bin” at the time). I remember Adam drew small pictures next to the different parts so we could easily try different arrangements of said parts. We did a lot of song pairings for this record (we’ve never really gotten away from this) and the title is a response to the final line in the song ‘Damaged Goods’, “You were wrong.” P La Dispute’s
tenth-anniversary edition of debut album ‘Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair’ is out 9th November.
A
lkaline Trio have returned; new album ‘Is This Thing Cursed?’ finds the Chicago three-piece with a renewed vigour after an extended break - in part thanks to Matt Skiba’s secondary home in pop-punk giants, Blink-182.
So how does Matt go about switching between one of the most upbeat bands in the world, to penchants of the macabre and emo? “It’s just me, and the darkness,” he considers. “That’s my worldview, [but] I think I’m one of the nicer, happier people you’ll meet because I spend so much of it in the dark.” Having a chat with Matt while Alkaline Trio are on tour in the US - tonight they’re in Pittsburgh, “Andy Warhol’s birthplace” - he’s quick to delve into the wealth of influences that run deep throughout the band’s new record. The first glimpse into ‘Is This Thing Cursed?’ came from the surprise drop of ‘Blackbird’. A barreling return to form, it’s a romance rooted in Cold War and spy plane metaphors - specifically, the Lockheed SR71 Blackbird, a highly classified military aircraft operated by the United States Air Force up until the late-90s. “I’ve always had a fascination with war history, but especially the balls on spies. Trade-craft and espionage are wildly fascinating to me. It’s sexy, and it’s dark. At least from my viewpoint. “When you’re involved in it it’s probably very dark. I don’t know how sexy it is… I don’t think it’s like the movies.” Building these worlds and stories, these huge narratives and characters, be it for Alkaline Trio or Blink-182, sees Matt immerse himself in songwriting, focussed on a singular vision. 24 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
“IT’S LIKE LORD OF THE FLIES; PEOPLE START KILLING AND EATING EACH OTHER” “It’s the same thing when you ride a motorcycle or drive race cars,” he explains. “You have to think about what you’re doing and only that. The rest of the world kind of melts away. “[Whether] it’s racing or golf, or anything where it’s just you and a pencil and a piece of paper and a guitar, or you and a golf club, or you and a motorcycle… anything where there’s a similar headspace you get into because of what you’re doing. “There’s not some guy racing Isle of Man going, ‘I wonder what my wife’s doing right now?’ as they’re hitting a corner at 150 km per hour or whatever it is. They’re thinking about that corner. When you’re writing a song, it’s like, if it inspires a third person perspective I get into that character’s headspace.” Delving into everything from literature, cinema and art, to everyday experiences; there are little snippets of all sorts littered throughout ‘Is This Thing Cursed?’. ‘Goodbye Fire Island’ is a particularly interesting cut, inspired by the disastrous Fyre Festival; a ‘luxury’ event - which Blink were initially booked to play that saw a lot of people with a lot of money briefly stranded in the Bahamas. “I took that and made it into this dystopian survival island,” he reflects. “Basically like Lord Of The Flies; people start killing and eating each other, with no one there to rescue
them, and they’re burning their money to stay warm.” He’s a big fan of vivid, cinematic imagery. “There are probably three or four references to [American filmmaker] Stanley Kubrick films,” he continues. “Kubrick’s take on The Shining very heavily influences the cover art. More recently we have a lot of The Shining-based art, based on the films, but also we’re enormous Stephen King fans. “I think you want to take your influences and make them your own. The red phone [on the album cover] is, obviously to me, the ‘oh fuck’ phone that people have on their desks. The nuclear phone. It’s the Batphone; it’s the ‘oh shit’ phone. Having it on the cover, it has this Kubrickian feel to it. It isn’t something explicitly taken from the book, in the case of The Shining there isn’t a phone, or whatever the case may be, that just influences it.” That darkness is a truth that the band have always lived by, and it’s given Matt a greater understanding of himself. “It’s cathartic, so you aren’t putting it on your fellow man or woman, you keep that shit where it belongs,” he muses. “You don’t need it till you need it.” P Alkaline Trio’s album
‘Is This Thing Cursed?’ is out now.
The curse
of
Alkaline Trio Words: Steven Loftin.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
’S
NEW ALBUM SUM OF ALL YOUR PARTS Fatherson have just dropped their third album, ‘Sum of All Your Parts’ - the Glasgow boys fill us in on their latest record. ‘SUM OF ALL YOUR PARTS’ IS OUT 14TH SEPTEMBER
‘Sum Of All Your Parts’ is our third studio album which comes out this September. We are super excited to release this into the world. I think it will turn some heads with regards to the direction we have taken with our band - we’ve moved into some new and interesting places which I hope everyone will enjoy. THE RECORD WAS RECORDED LIVE AND IN ORDER.
When we went into the studio to track this record, we had spent so much time in the rehearsal room that it only felt natural to set up in a similar way at the studio to replicate the live 26 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
atmosphere that shaped a lot of the songwriting. Choosing the track-listing in advance meant we could record the whole thing in order which allowed us to be a little more creative with blending the songs together to make the whole record feel like one cohesive piece of music. THE ARTWORK FEATURES EVERY SONG
We worked closely with our graphic designer friends to create something new and memorable for this album. We felt strongly that the song titles should take pride of place on the front cover - we really want people to listen to every song on this record, so it makes sense to push every song as hard as the album title. COLLABORATION RUNS THROUGHOUT THIS RECORD
We were extremely lucky to get to work with so many talented
people throughout the process of making this album. Claudius Mittendorfer (Weezer, Franz Ferdinand, We Are Scientists) produced and recorded the album which was an absolute joy - we had been a big fan of all his work so to make the whole record with him was really cool. We don’t want to give too much away, but there may be some guest appearances and curveball moments on this album that people won’t expect. WE’VE A UK AND EUROPE TOUR FROM 2ND OCTOBER
Touring is the lifeblood of this band. We all thrive on stage playing live - it’s just the best way to enjoy music. We are very excited to play these new songs to people and take this new record to as many places around the world as we possibly can! P Fatherson’s album
‘Sum of All Your Parts’ is out now
FIND OUT WHAT YOUR FAVE BANDS TAKE ON THE ROAD. THIS MONTH...
HAGGARD CAT
Haggard Cat are on the Upset About to Break Tour this October and November. Dora (The Explorer)
Without her, there would be no riffs. She may just look like a guitar, but to us, she is so much more; yes, there are other guitars in the world, but we could never leave home without her. She has completely changed Matt’s personality (he now thinks he’s Hetfield)
Chris
The third member of Haggard Cat. He holds us together, he lifts us up and most of all he hates being sat on (just don’t try it).
Cruisers
Now don’t get us wrong, we suck at skating but having these boards to nip around town super quickly is a must! (Plus you can fake being dead cool.)
The Van
Our noble steed and for 75% of tour, our home. She doesn’t look like much, but she’s as reliable as a pair of old boots. (Please don’t break.)
The Box of Mystery
Who knows what secrets it holds? I certainly don’t, but it always comes along for the ride!
Say hello to some of our fave new bands - Bitch Falcon, Drones, Haggard Cat and InTechnicolour. As the nights draw in, and festival season comes to a close, the bands - they hit the road. As touring season starts up again after a summer of field based fun, we’re getting ready to join in, with the About To Break Tour. Featuring two of our favourite new bands - Bitch Falcon and Haggard Cat - we’ll also be joined by the magnificent InTechnicolour and Drones on select dates. It’ll kick off in Cardiff on 31st October, before calling off in Bristol, Brighton, London, St. Albans, Nottingham, Milton Keynes, Lincoln, Leeds, Leicester, Chester, Manchester, Glasgow and Dublin. Tickets are on sale now.
October 31 Undertone, Cardiff November 1 The Fleece, Bristol +& 2 Electric, Brighton +& 3 Boston Music Rooms, London +& 4 The Horn, St. Albans +& 5 Bodega, Nottingham & 7 Crauford Arms, Milton Keynes & 8 SU, Lincoln +& 9 Temple of Boom, Leeds +& 10 Firebug, Leicester +& 11 The Live Rooms, Chester + 13 Night People, Manchester 14 The Garage, Glasgow 16 The Bowery, Dublin + w/ Intechnicolour & w/ Drones DISRUPT THE NOISE 27
The
wrong side
After a difficult third album, The Joy Formidable are back from the brink. “We were shouting and screaming for about a year,” they explain.
S
ince releasing their sweeping second full-length ‘Wolf’s Law’ in 2013, Welsh trio The Joy Formidable have had a bit of a rough time of it. In between labels in the UK, and putting in the hard yards touring the States, the North Wales natives decamped back to Mold in 2015 to record
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Words: Dillon Eastoe.
the more sombre, reflective ‘Hitch’. That album was soaked in the strains that were weighing heavy on the group after eight years of relentless hard work. Now, energised by a burst of creativity and the grand surroundings of the Utah wilderness, The Joy Formidable are back with their fourth album ‘AAARTH’, a
more concise record that leaps out of the speakers, grabs you by the scruff of the neck and hurls you into a world of colour and chaos. “This album is really a transformative one for us,” bassist Rhydian Dafydd explains. “We wanted to catalogue a different chapter in our lives, and this one definitely did that. There was
“THERE WAS SOME PERSONAL STUFF GOING ON; TRAUMATIC STUFF”
some personal stuff going on, which I won’t go into but it was traumatic stuff. We needed to shed our skin.” ‘AAARTH’ (named for the Welsh word for ‘bear’) harnesses the primal natural and human energies that have always provided inspiration for the band and traverses terrains that encapsulate the many faces of The Joy Formidable.
With swirling rockers (‘Dance of the Lotus’), soaring anthems (‘The Wrong Side’) and the stately arpeggiated piano of ‘Absence’, this is a record that blends different tones to create a dizzying mural of sound. “It’s almost pieced together like a collage,” explains Rhydian, who has had a hand in the band’s visuals since their early days. “That was with the lyrics as well; there’s a stream of consciousness. We often look to nature for symbols for what’s going on internally.” The album is arriving on a new label, Hassle Records, taking some of the strain the band shouldered in selfreleasing ‘Hitch’, which was hit by distribution issues that had some vinyl orders arriving a year late. “Oh god yeah, that was very painful,” Rhydian recalls. “What makes it frustrating is when there’s stuff out of your control. We were shouting and screaming for about a year. So we shared the fans’ frustration, we were really, really disappointed.” “It definitely shaved about a year off our lives I think, that whole debacle,” vocalist Ritzy Bryan sighs before perking up. “I feel like we’ve found some kindred spirits there, which we haven’t always found in the UK. It’s nice working with people who are tuned in, and they’re passionate about this band. And they’re not imbeciles!” Tearing their hair out in frustration at the industry,
overcoming internal tensions and shaking their heads in disbelief at the state of the western world, The Joy Formidable’s response is their most cohesive and wellrounded release yet. ‘AAARTH’ packs into its eleven tracks everything we’ve come to love about TJF along with much more. There’s a vitality, a presence and an earnestness to these recordings which is hard to ignore; it doesn’t do harm that the songs are being performed by three musicians at the top of their game and totally at ease with each other. “It’s almost pushing yourself to be in the now,” Rhydian offers by way of summing up the intent of the record. “Isn’t that so important? We’re in such an age of anxiety, and anxiety comes from thinking about the past and the future too much. I suppose you’ve got to have some aspect of that but its so important to be in the now as well. And have a sense of hope as well, there’s always hope,” he adds earnestly. “It isn’t all doom and gloom, and the media might try and paint it as bad all the time, but there’s a lot of good things to be shouting about as well.” Rarely ones to do things quietly, The Joy Formidable are back on steady footing and ready to roar back into the spotlight with their most evolved album to date. P The Joy Formidable’s
album ‘AAARTH’ is out 28th September.
DISRUPT THE NOISE 29
Indie-rock stalwarts Cursive are back with their first album in six years. With society falling apart around us, it’s a suitably vitriolic reaction to the state of the world. Words: Rob Mair
GREAT DECAY
C
ursive’s Tim Kasher has a problem with cellos. Not in how they sound or what they bring to the party, but more with the baggage that’s associated with the words ‘Cursive’, ‘cello’, and ‘The Ugly Organ’. It’s been fifteen years since the Nebraskan indie-rockers last used a cello on an album, despite the critical and commercial success of ‘The
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Ugly Organ’. Since then, Cursive have dabbled in brass (‘Happy Hollow’) and keyboards (‘Mama, I’m Swollen’ and ‘I Am Gemini’) to significant effect. But the cello has remained off limits. Until now. Cursive’s eighth studio album, ‘Vitriola’ has been labelled as “a return to form” – something that does a massive disservice to the group’s last three vastly different but equally-merited albums. What it is, however, is
a return to a previous style, characterised by the atmospheric cello; at times haunting, at others purposeful and driven. Naturally, such a decision to work with strings again was not an easy one for Tim, guitarist Ted Stevens, bassist Matt Maginn, and returning drummer Clint Schnase. “The cello is such a huge decision for us that we didn’t make it lightly,” considers Tim. “It took us a long time to decide
whether or not we wanted to use it. There’s kind of a stigma to it, and there’s a certain old-school attachment to ‘The Ugly Organ’. And also, we don’t want to feel like we’re being redundant.” The decision is one that is far from redundant, instead reflecting Tim’s ear for what is needed when. On ‘Vitriola’, the cello works. On ‘I Am Gemini’, it might have felt out of place, while on ‘Happy Hollow’, and the brass-heavy likes of ‘Big Bang’, it would have sounded bizarre. While Tim has difficulty pinpointing what makes a Cursive song a Cursive song, this album, in particular, feels like the band reacting to their surroundings, rather than simply examining the human condition. And, while Tim struggles to see ‘Vitriola’ as
a political album per se, it is undoubtedly informed by the current social and political climate. “I’m still trying to fight the idea that it’s overtly political,” considers Tim. “I feel it’s more like an emotional gut response to what we’re all experiencing, and that is less political. “My take on it is that the early edits of this record were far more on the nose and just like a deliberate attack on the current administration, and I kept just rewriting or reworking everything until I could get it to a place where it was more what I termed ‘show and not tell’. Like, this is what we’re thinking, this is what we’re feeling, and this is what we’re experiencing, without having to outline it.” Cursive are not a band to release a record for the sake of it. Tim’s acutely aware of the band’s legacy (cellos or not), and ‘Vitriola’ respects that by building on what’s gone before. “We often talk about how careful we’ve been with the catalogue, and we certainly cannot be blamed for just slinging records out,” laughs Tim. “We always do a record when we feel that it’s right and when we feel energised. And now’s the time where we think we can contribute to the catalogue.” Now also feels like the right time to consume a Cursive record. Birthed into a chaotic world, Tim’s wry and caustic lyrics are the perfect accompaniment to the challenges society is facing, refracting them through allegory and storytelling, like that of a wandering minstrel of yore bringing news from a troubled, distant land. It sounds fantastic – but the real devil is lurking in the detail… P Cursive’s album ‘Vitriola’ is
out 5th October.
BOYLESS GENIUS
Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus have teamed up for a new project called boygenius. The newly minted band will release a self-titled EP on 9th November via Matador.
CREEP ON CREEPIN’ ON
Creeper are offering up “one more callous night in the city” with a one-off London show. The band - who also put in sets on Reading & Leeds’ Main Stage a couple of weeks ago - will play Koko on 1st November.
PUPPY ARE THE G.O.A.T.
Puppy have (finally) announced their debut album - ‘The Goat’ will be released on 25th January, via Spinefarm Records. They’re already previewing it with a brand new single, ‘Black Hole’. You can check that out streaming on upsetmagazine. com right now. DISRUPT THE NOISE 31 31 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
T
he last time we spoke to Against The Current was at last year’s Reading Festival. Fresh from a Main Stage performance, they were already looking towards album two (“We had threequarters of it done, then we wrote some more songs and suddenly, it’s different”) but we’ve had to be patient since. There was a taster of new music during their arena tour with Fall Out Boy, and the double single drop of ‘Strangers Again’ and Almost Forgot’ but now everything is unveiled. Chapter two
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has opened. The ‘Past Lives’ era has begun. New songs, albums, tours - it’s all go, so we interrupted Chrissy Costanza’s first rehearsal for their upcoming shows to find out more. Turns out we’re not the only ones excited.
Hey Chrissy. We’ll start at the beginning. Why call this album ‘Past Lives’? We felt like every single song on the record encapsulates one of those key, formative moments in your life. Everything is about either an emotion or an experience that is one of those building blocks for you as a person.
Sometimes when you look back at experiences that are so significant, you almost don’t recognise yourself in them. When I look back like, four years ago, I can’t believe it was me in that situation but I know the story as if someone told it to me. It looks like it’s someone else and you’re looking in. It’s one of your past lives, almost.
Did you have a vision for the album going in?
Not particularly. We thought we were going to be quick about it. We thought we were going to write a few songs, get the record done and try not to do what we did on ‘In Our Bones’,
Against The Current are about to return with their second album. We called up Chrissy Costanza to find out more. Words: Ali Shutler.
which was write a ton of songs. We ended up writing over forty for this record as well. But that’s okay. In terms of sound though, we knew the direction. It was inspired by ‘Wasteland’, off ‘In Our Bones’.
Tell us about ‘Personal’.
It’s about the experience I had with my friend Julius passing away in September 2016. The song is pretty complicated, it’s pretty intense lyrically but it sounds nice. We were in the middle of Japan when it happened and I received a bunch of missed calls from my mum, which was strange ‘cos she knew I was in Japan
and she knows about the time differences. When I got the chance back in my hotel room, I Facetimed her. She was just like, ‘I don’t know how to tell you this, but Julius passed away’, and I was stunned. I didn’t know what to feel and the past two years has just been a rollercoaster of emotions. I wanted to find a way to put that into words.
Who is ‘Past Lives’ for?
What I want people to take away from it is that you will have so many experiences that build you and that define you, but you don’t have to put so much weight on some of them.
There were so many times in my life where things felt like the be all and end all; that breakup, that relationship, losing that friend, coming to this realisation about myself, or that bad period in my own head, they felt like everything. And they were everything at the time but looking back on them now, it’s like looking back on a past life. That’s a really great thing. You can always start over, you can always be someone new. You can always change, you can always grow, you can always learn. You can always be better. P Against
the Current’s album ‘Past Lives’ is out 28th September.
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GOUGE AWAY THE BEST NEW BANDS. THE HOTTEST NEW MUSIC.
WANT A NEW BAND CRUSH? CHECK OUT THIS LOT! >>>
Debut album ‘Burnt Sugar’ is equal parts urgent chaos and fun, with seductive riffs aplenty. It arrives on 28th September, with the band touring the UK with Culture Abuse from 17th October.
Coming to you from Sydney, Australia, it’s alt-rock bunch Dear Seattle. Frontman Brae Fisher introduces his band.
GRETA VAN FLEET
Squealing Southern rock that tackles fresh starts, love, integrity, adventure, revolution, and truth - life, basically. Debut album ‘Anthem of The Peaceful Army’ is due 19th October.
Hi Brae - who are you all, and when did you first meet?
Dear Seattle is made up of Lachlan Simpson (guitar), Jeremy Baker (bass), Josh McKay (drums) and myself. We’re an Australian, selfdeprecating, alternative-rock band who just wanna write honest music that people can relate with. We pretty much all met as a result of starting the band! I knew each of them through friends of friends and heard that they played each of their respective instruments. So in starting the band, I basically just hit them up and got them in for a jam. We’d met sparingly before that, but the real friendships began with the band.
What was the music scene like in the area you grew up in?
All I can say is that it was a bit odd. We all come from a place called the Northern Beaches, just north of Sydney, and it’s what people like to call the “Insular Peninsula” because basically everyone knows everyone. It’s hard to get to, and there aren’t many people, so the music scene was really just whatever trend was going at the time with the locals, whether it be metalcore (thanks Parkway), hardcore, reggae, Brit-rock, whatever. We grew up playing youth centres and the occasional house-show. A damn good time, but so weird in the same vein.
How did you make the move from being a few guys making songs at home, to playing shows, teaming up with record
VALERAS
These teenagers have a knack for alt-rock bangers; latest single ‘Painkiller’ is catchier than a snotty winter cold. They’re touring all over with King Nun from 13th November.
“MORAL OF THE STORY: DON’T BE A LAZY SOD, KIDS” labels and stuff? We just stuck at it and kept trying to better ourselves with every song. We’ve been through a couple of genre changes over the years, and the only reason for it is that we wanted to stay up to date with what we love. Musicians’ tastes change, and if you’re not writing the kind of music that you’re in love with, or interested in at the time, it’s not going to hit people the way you want. Having said that, don’t fucking trend hop.
Can you remember the first song you ever wrote together? It was called ‘Our Agreement’, and to be honest with you I still really like it. The song was like a cross between post-rock and screamo, and I feel like it served its purpose and place in our band’s timeline. Having said that, I am far more excited by the stuff we are writing now.
What’s your new single ‘Maybe’ about? ‘Maybe’ was written in my head one day when I was sitting and daydreaming at a pub with two of my mates talking over a couple of pints. I had been unemployed for the better part of the last 18 months and was living off my savings, watching it whittle down to nothing week by week, but showing very little care about it. I would do nothing
all week, basically just waiting for my working friends to finish their days so we could all grab beers and/or hang out. It got to the point where I would sit there daydreaming while my mates gave the rundown of their work week and just think, “Oh yeah, maybe something will pop up for me soon”, but it was a completely empty thought, I didn’t want anything to pop up, and so I did nothing about it. Before too long it all hit me at once, the whole, “What in the actual fuck are you doing with your life?” and I just felt like absolute shit and I hated it. Thankfully, that thought finally kicked the drive into me to try and fix it. The song is basically a summation of that whole period in my life! Moral of the story: Don’t be a lazy sod, kids.
Tell us a secret about yourself? I once pissed my pants in grade 3 because class had just come back in after recess and I was too scared to ask the teacher to go to the bathroom. She was notorious for losing the plot when kids didn’t go to the bathroom during break. I then proceeded to mop up the piss on my seat with my brother’s sports jacket, and to this day I am pretty sure he still doesn’t know about it. P Dear
Seattle’s new single ‘Maybe’ is out now.
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Divide It’s not all been plain sailing for Black Peaks, but with their second album ‘All That Divides’ they’re a band reborn, ready to drop one of the best British rock records of 2018. Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Jennifer McCord.
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+ conquer
B
lack Peaks had it all figured out. After an initial stop as a three-piece instrumental band, Joe Gosney, Liam Kearley and Andrew Gosden teamed up with Will Gardner, changed their name from Shrine and set to work writing a debut album. Their aims were simple. They wanted to make music like their favourite bands. They wanted to hit the road like their favourite bands. If they dared to dream, it would be to one day share stages with their favourite bands. Black Peaks were still a secret when ‘Glass Built Castles’ arrived. Savage, sincere and sparkling, the track instantly caused a fuss. Interesting but accessible, it shoulders a darkness but makes
room for light. It felt exciting, dangerous, and fresh all at the same time. From that moment on, plans quickly fell apart, and the group felt their way forward. “Everything was a guess,” starts Joe. In the years that followed, Black Peaks didn’t stop. ‘Statues’ was released, a hulking, brooding fairytale of a debut record, and the band toured relentlessly. They played Wembley Arena with Deftones, toured Europe with System Of A Down and turned heads at festivals all over. It was everything they ever wanted. “But it left us in a weird place,” admits Joe. “Instead of winding down, it got more and more intense until it just finished. A couple of us went home ready to write. A couple of us went home
maybe not wanting to do the band anymore.” “It was to do with pressures, things going on at home and having not stopped properly for a very long time,” continues Will. “I was exhausted. There was so much going on; I couldn’t sleep. Mentally I was in a very bad way at the end of it. All of us weren’t in the strongest position financially, individually or mentally. “It was such a battle the last two or three weeks of that European tour. We were doing the most amazing things, supporting System of a Down and Mastodon, but some of those days I just couldn’t handle it. We had no idea how to; we’d never done it before. I was so tired and needed to spend time with my family.” DISRUPT THE NOISE 37
“It was a crazy, unique situation coming off the back of it,” adds Joe, “because you realise the fragility of it, the fragility of everything the band is. I got home, I was tired, but I’d just had the most incredible time. “I was ready, and I wanted to go out and make more music, but you realise, all the amazing things that happened were because there were four of us making that thing work. In an instant, if all four people aren’t totally invested, then it’s no more.” When the band returned home, they agreed to not talk about Black Peaks for a while. They needed to find themselves outside of that crazed, relentless beast. It didn’t last long. What is it with this band and plans? Liam and Joe started jamming pretty much straight away, trying to stick ideas together, go through everything they’d already written and sketch out what came next. “There was this frustration ‘cos not everyone was there,” Joe explains. “It sounds stupid, but you want everyone to be in the same room.” “I just couldn’t. I wasn’t well,” Will picks up. “[I needed] six weeks to sort my head out. For me, it was never ‘this is it’, [the end of the band]. I was never on that side of the fence.” He was never going to walk away; he just needed some room to breathe. “I was so wrecked. Getting back to reality was even more difficult than touring was. At home, my insomnia was even worse; my anxiety levels were through the roof. These guys were amazing, though. Liam and Joe were like, we understand, take your time. I saw loads of doctors and eventually, things calmed down.” Things were different for Andrew, who was offered a job as a luthier. He’d always built guitars alongside the band, and now, in true Black Peaks style, he
“GETTING BACK TO REALITY WAS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT THAN TOURING WAS” decided to chase that dream with everything he had. “If that’s what you have to do, you go and do that man,” smiles Joe. “There are no hard feelings, and it’s amazing for him. I just hope he’s happy.” Dave Larkin is now part of Black Peaks and has been for over a year now. It’s not just the line-up that’s completely different though; there’s a new energy. “It’s really fun,” bursts Will. “I look forward to all of it. Sometimes you need that space to realise what a great thing it is, and how lucky you are. If you’re so involved and so deep inside something, sometimes you don’t even know what it is anymore.” There’s always been a camaraderie within Black Peaks, but new album ‘All That Divides’ wants to spread that connection around. Perhaps that unity is inspired by their years on the road. Maybe that need for common ground is a reaction to a world determined to tear itself apart. Or it might just be that Black Peaks know how important friends are, now and always. Whatever the reason, ‘All That Divides’ is a fiercely united celebration of bridges over walls. Uncompromising, it finds the band comfortable in their skin and determined to stand tall. “This is the thing we wanted to make,” promises Will. “It’s heavier in some places; it’s catchier in others. Some of it is more accessible,” he laughs, “some of it is probably less accessible.”
It took a lot of practice to get here. The band are precise, unruly perfectionists, even if what they’re trying to capture is always changing and never wholly known. Of course, there was a plan for album two. The band were already thinking about it before they released their debut. But because it’s this band, “it changed a lot,” offers Joe. “Initially I wanted to write eleven, to the point, concise songs. An album of Black Peaks singles. The more we got into it though, we realised that wasn’t going to happen. The second track lasts seven minutes.” ‘All That Divides’ came from a lot of creation. “Because ‘Statues’ took so long to put out, we did a lot of writing back then,” but it sounded the same, he says. The band didn’t want to tell the same story twice so over a couple of years; they chipped away writing over forty songs. “We wrote some good songs that were amazing in their own right,” starts Joe, as Will argues that “they would have been fine” - but Black Peaks are aiming higher than that. “They just didn’t fit into this collection of songs,” Joe continues. “We’re such an albums band, it all has to flow and be this collection of music from that period. There’s a bunch of stuff that didn’t make the cut. It was a couple of years of writing stuff, then these guys chucking it in the bin.” “You’re King Bin though,”
laughs Will. “We’d finish a song in rehearsal and we’d be so psyched on it, then Joe would say ‘Guys, I’m really sorry but I don’t think this is it’. And that’s it. We could fight it, and we did, but the next time we played it, we knew he was right. There were songs we’d spent a whole year working on, straight in the bin.” They tried songs that sounded nice and a bit like Fleet Foxes, they experiments with Drop B aka the heavy metal tuning - and they wrote some poppy stuff. There was a whole song in 4/4, and it sounded like pop-punk meets Queens of The Stone Age. “I had that going round my head for a week. I really didn’t want to let that go,” sighs Will. “Maybe that pop-punk EP will come out after all,” he winks. They quickly realised they weren’t that band. “We know who we are now,” Joe continues. “We’re quite comfortable with being a heavy band, and we’ll always do that in our own way. We’ll never be heavy for the sake of being heavy. It has to serve a purpose.” A month before they were due to go into the studio, they went away to a millhouse in the countryside for a few days. They had all their gear set up, the means to record inspiration at a moment’s notice, and were getting drunk every night courtesy of a very well-equipped wine cellar. 40% of the album was written and put together there. After years of grinding, piecing things together, pulling them apart and trying to be so meticulous about everything. “A lot of it came down to us being in the right place, as four people and vibing together,” Joe explains. “We probably chucked away some cool shit before we got there but only because we weren’t in the right mindset to make those songs what they needed to be.” This record is bigger than four friends stuck in a van, though. It’s bigger than dreams gone
“THERE WERE SONGS WE’D SPENT A WHOLE YEAR WORKING ON, STRAIGHT IN THE BIN” awry. “[It’s] our response to what we’ve seen over the last two years. We’ve taken it all in,” starts Will. “It’s everything we’ve absorbed; it’s all the horror, amazement and disbelief at everything that’s happened around the world and to us.” ‘Statues’ was yellow brick roads, second stars to the right and glass built castles. Songs like ‘White Eyes’ saw the band open up and share bits of themselves but lay hidden in all the mad stories and wriggling excess. ‘All That Divides’ doesn’t hide. “It’s more real than the last one,” explains Joe. “Lyrically, it’s a story and a statement of what we’ve collectively been through.” “Shit has gone a bit mad,” says Will. ‘All The Divides’ tries to find a way through. ‘Slow Seas’ was inspired after seeing the Calais Jungle, the refugee crisis and how not a lot seemed to be done about it. “Where are the heroes?” it pleads. “Where’s the humanity? Too many places cower in fear.” It’s something the band had spoken about between themselves, sharing outrage, shame and disgust in private but with this record, they wanted to be heard. “We’ve got the opportunity to open some people’s eyes and maybe do some good,” offers Will. “It’s not saving lives, but maybe we can encourage people to just fucking talk to each other. “Everything is going mad. People are being indoctrinated
by the far right; there are fascist newspapers like The Sun turning into this disgusting propaganda machine that’s saying all this hateful stuff and stirring up trouble and division.” “All the stuff we want to talk about, now it feels like we have a valid opinion about it,” continues Joe. “Maybe for the first time, we’re not scared to talk about it. Why not use any sort of platform we’ve got to talk about real shit rather than float over the mountain?” It’s a record that attempts to face the bright side, and if it can’t find one, it tries to create one. It says, “let’s turn this around. Let’s try and fix a lot of this stuff, if we can.” It starts with ‘Can’t Sleep’, a song about anxiety, insomnia and feeling like “everything is fucked.” By the time it gets to ‘Aether’, it finds space. “It’s all about breathing and imagining a world where, for a minute, there are no anxieties about this stuff before it decides I will not lose faith,” Will explains. “We can come together, and we can fucking do this.” Black Peaks know pressure all too well, and you’d think they’d be getting reacquainted as the release of ‘All That Divides’ grows closer. Their debut album made people sit up and take notice, and now that audience is desperate to see what comes next. On top of that, the band have signed to a new label, Rise Records. “They’re the yes people. They’re so supportive,” grins DISRUPT THE NOISE 41
Will. “We get these crazy ideas, and they either say ‘that sounds awesome, let’s do it’, or they make it so it works.” Black Peaks aren’t worried, though. “The record is done, there’s nothing we can do about it.” “We went through the worry in March,” explains Will. “We’d been sat on the record, and nobody else had heard it. Management are telling you it’s great, but you’re still asking, is it?” “You manage expectations, that’s another thing we’re learning,” Joe continues. “We can only do the things that are within our power, so we’re not letting things that we can’t control worry us. All we can do is get in the room and play music.” That idea is what first drew Black Peaks together, and it’s what they’re holding dear as the march forward. They’ve never said the wanted to be the biggest band in the world. “We just wanted to write some tunes,” says Will. “Playing with the big boys? That’s never been our vibe.” But still, the gang hardly shied away from it. They’ve grabbed every opportunity with both 42 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
“WE’VE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN SOME PEOPLE’S EYES AND MAYBE DO SOME GOOD” hands and held onto it with everything they are. Years ago, before all the relentless chaos, Black Peaks said they wanted to take this band as far as it could go. Today, they say the same thing. But it feels wholly different. “We’ve been on some really inspiring tours the past couple of years,” starts Joe. “We want to be as good as those bands. It almost pisses me off that we’re not that good. But there’s a long road to get to where these bands are. “We want to take this band as far as it can go. Who knows where that is? But I think we’ll
know when it’s time to bin the whole thing,” threatens King Bin, looking at Will. “Stop saying those words,” he protests with a grin. “We’re not there yet,” promises Joe. “We’re still working it out.” “The music for us comes first, over everything,” adds Will. “Face it; we’re not relying on our looks, are we? We’re still hungry for it all. “We’re guessing our way through,” beams Joe. “If we appear to be getting it right some of the time, that’s awesome.” P
Black Peaks’ album ‘All That Divides’ is out 5th October.
REGENE game
The
ERATION
Firmly back in the saddle, Good Charlotte are ready to take on the big issues with new album, ‘Generation RX’.
T
wo years on from their 2016 comeback album ‘Youth Authority’, Good Charlotte have returned with the powerful, emotionally raw ‘Generation RX’. With much of the album based on subjects as meaty as the Opioid crisis, the loss of musical icons and battles with ghosts from the past, it is a huge world away from the breezy pop-punks of old. Upset caught up with Benji and Joel Madden in LA to find out more. You came back from your hiatus a couple of years ago with ‘Youth Authority’, what are your thoughts on that record now? Benji: I love that record man, I
really love it. We went through a period where my brother told me on a few different occasions that he was never doing Good Charlotte ever again. He felt that it was our baby, that it had gotten us out of poverty and rough situations and it was time to take it back. It’s provided for our families, y’know? We came into the industry as little lambs… young, innocent, kind of green. We’d never even been on an aeroplane before our first record deal! Joel: When you are young, you don’t know that you have a choice. You don’t give yourself permission to be in control. And
Words: Jamie MacMillan. I sometimes think young people don’t give themselves the credit that their instincts are good, that they know more than they probably think. Benji: We didn’t have an education, no parents around us. We didn’t have anyone older around blocking for us or being a bodyguard for us. But when we came of age, we turned from little lambs into fucking wolves; we stood up for ourselves. We said everyone can fuck off; this is ours. It wasn’t about business any more. We took all the merch offline for five years, closed the website and took control back. Joel: I didn’t even know what it meant to be in Good Charlotte when we put ‘Youth...’ out. I don’t think we had any expectations; we just wanted to put the record out. It was kinda nice to ease back in, put it out and promote it. Touring it was limited to special shows, it all had almost a nice boutique feel to it. Because everything is now controlled by us, it’s re-defined the band for me.
‘Generation RX’ is a really honest, emotionally raw album. It almost feels like a whole new band. Was the songwriting a cathartic period? Benji: On this record, we just
tapped into that real pain, that real fucking emotion where all of our lives were shaped. Joel: We are hindered by this world being so cynical, a world
where sometimes people want to grab a piece of your personal life and present it as something it’s not. It forces you to put a persona out into the world to protect you from people getting to know who you are. You edit yourself to protect your family. When making the record, I had to remove that whole part of my life and create a safe space to just let it all come out. Benji: When we went into the studio, the reason I wanted to produce it was because I felt that the only way I would get what I felt we needed from Joel was the safety of a private studio. Just me and Joel in there. Being as real as shit. We are able to be vulnerable together. I don’t want to be dramatic and say I wouldn’t be alive today without Joel being there, but it’s probably true.
The music world has lost some true icons over recent years. Tracks like ‘Shadow Boxer’ are reminiscent of Linkin Park, was that a conscious decision? Joel: For me, yeah. Personally,
there’s been a lot of death and loss over the last couple of years. Some people everyone knows, and others are more personal. Chester [Bennington] passing away really affected me because you always wish you could have said something to someone, and you didn’t get the chance to. That really stays with you. Lately, I just say everything to everyone now, I’ve learned that you may DISRUPT THE NOISE 45
never get another chance. I was such a huge fan of Linkin Park, and I never expressed that [to him] because, sometimes, as artists or just as people, you play it cool or hold it back. I regret that. I found myself going back through all of their albums, and feeling inspired and wanting to get some of that feeling on this record. It’s the only way I know how to pay someone a tribute.
“WHEN WE CAME OF AGE, WE TURNED FROM LITTLE LAMBS INTO FUCKING WOLVES”
It feels that an awareness of mental health and the need to speak has been really growing recently, lots of bands are now talking and singing about it. Joel: Yeah, and I don’t think
that’s just a trend. It’s new territory for a lot of people, so they’re exploring it, and it’s all coming out. I think the more bands that do that and are fearless about being vulnerable, the better. But also the fans man, those who depend on music to help with their feelings, or escapism. This genre as a whole really tends to captivate people who struggle with their own self-esteem and self-worth. Benji: As kids, on our first few records, we were just so unconscious, we weren’t even aware of ourselves or what we were writing. We were just going and rhyming words, and thinking “I don’t know why, but it feels good to get this shit out”. And we didn’t even stop to make sense of it. But if I go back to songs on our first album, they’re about depression. Songs on our second album, they’re about alienation and inner struggles. I was just puking out this pain, this angst. And I found a way to do it sarcastically, or comically.
Are songs like ‘Leech’ going to be hard to perform live? Joel: That’s a good question, I
think there’s a big difference in being alone in a vocal booth and then being in front of thousands of people laying bare your innermost fears and insecurities.
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You got Sam Carter to sing on that song, how did that come about? Joel: That was my dream
come true, he’s just the best. I kind of revere Architects as a band. Joey Simmrin at MDDN is their manager, and we were just shooting the shit one night as ‘Leech’ wasn’t finished. We didn’t know what to do at the bridge; it was the very last bit on the record. Joey knew that we wouldn’t ask Sam, but he sent it to him, and he jumped on it. Benji: When I first played ‘Leech’ for people, my face was red because that shit is so real. But I’m getting more comfortable with it, and I think I’m getting okay with it because, y’know, Sam Carter felt it and loved it. That gave me a little more confidence with it. Joel: I love his voice. I believe that Architects are blazing trails, one of the most important bands in this business. They are doing it for a higher purpose than just trying to be successful.
Is there anyone you haven’t worked with that you would love to? Joel: I love Oli [Sykes] from
BMTH, I would love to put him on a record. I love Chase Atlantic, artistically how they work is really interesting to me. Frank Carter is one of my favourites. Frank and Sam Carter are two of the greatest frontmen in rock music today.
2019 brings a huge tour, including an Ally Pally show… Benji: Ally Pally is gonna be
exciting. We’re gonna bring a show there that we’ve never brought anywhere before. It’s more about making the night special than anything else. Joel: We don’t tour a lot these days, so when we do we wanna make it special. It’s about creating something special that makes people say, “Man, I’m glad I spent my money on that show”. P Good Charlotte’s album
‘Generation RX’ is out now.
THE NEW ALBUM
In Stores 12 October Featuring Disconnect and Stigmata CD • Digital • LIMItEd edition coloured vinyl
Available to pre-order now
Catch Basement on tour • November 2018 16 NOV – Manchester, Club Academy 17 NOV – Leeds, Stylus • 18 NOV – Glasgow, Garage 20 NOV – Birmingham, O2 Institute 2 • 21 NOV – Southampton, 1865 22 NOV – London, O2 Forum Kentish Town 23 NOV – Bristol, SWX
BasementUK.COM
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After their debut, Dilly Dally were in a state of turmoil and nearly called it a day. Thankfully, they didn’t - and with their second album they’re taking us all the way to ‘Heaven’.
sent
Words: Ali Shutler.
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‘S
ore’ was a whirlwind of a record. Carrying Dilly Dally, once all teenage dreams, buddy tattoos, desire and fury, around the world and into the spotlight, it wasn’t so much a debut album as a force of nature. Wide-eyed, and driven by the excitement for the new, its energy was contagious. Then it stopped.
“We disappeared for a second there,” grins Katie Monks. “It’s ‘cos it had to be natural. It had to come from a genuine place so we, in that Dilly Dally way, took our time with it.” Now the band are back, alive and kicking. They almost weren’t, though. Towards the end of touring ‘Sore’, everything got too much. Their friendships began to splinter, victims of a gruelling, relentless tour schedule and a world in turmoil. There was a darkness weighing down on the band. “Me and Liz [Ball, guitar] started this band so it could be a backbone for our lives, anything else could happen, but we would always have Dilly Dally. Suddenly Dilly Dally became a question mark, and I felt like the ground fell from underneath me at the same time the world felt like it was crashing down on us. There was chaos all around.” Taking a break once their many touring commitments were done, Dilly Dally returned home to try and make sense of what was going on around them and between them. Katie tried to find her answers in music. “As soon as we were done touring the first record, I was writing a new one. There was a lot in question about the band. At first, I had the mentality of okay; I’m just going to write this by myself. A hundred hours of new material later and no songs I realised, oh yeah... I’m going 50 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
to need some help structuring these ideas.” So Katie turned to her friends, and that’s where ‘Heaven’ was created. Not a place on earth, but a coming together of mates. “Because there was a good chunk of time when we weren’t sure if the band was going to happen at all, that when we were all in a room together, there was this feeling of let’s not take this for granted. It’s really special and magical that we’re all here and we all want to be here, so who cares what anyone else thinks? Who cares if anyone else even likes this record? Let’s just make this from the heart, for ourselves.” Not simply surviving, but thriving, ‘Heaven’ is the bubbling, vibrant, beautiful next step for the band. Exciting and surprising at every turn, there’s a feeling of amazement at every swinging twist. “We were in a place where we ready to shed The Pixies comparisons, the Courtney Love comparisons and even the Toronto music scene narrative. None of that mattered anymore. Let’s let Dilly Dally in. If we were to try pulling from some of these other genres or inspirations, what would be that quality that makes it still a Dilly Dally song?” The answer is unspoken but painted across the record. ‘Sore’ wanted everything all at once, ‘Heaven’ is happy to be still standing. “’Sore’ did exactly what we wanted it to do, it reached all the right people, and we worked our arses off. We saw a big chunk of the world. That record was, ‘Hey, look at us over here. Pay attention to us, yelling, being loud and obnoxious’. “I’m not angry anymore on this one, but still I’m acknowledging pain, darkness, sadness and the rest of it. I’m definitely more at peace with things, it’s true. I’m not trying
to fight it anymore. It became too big. It became bigger than I realised. “This record, because of everyone who was listening, we felt like we had to do some digging inside our souls and come out with some art that could help people.” The end result is a brutally direct album of encouragement and assurance. A hand on your shoulder and one pushing you forward. “When reality sucks you can turn to art to try and make things beautiful again and now here we are. We’ve got this whole new album that we all dreamed up, made happen, and inspired each other to do. “Now we’re going to go out and share it with other people. They’re going to cheer, have fun and every once in a while we’ll get messages from fans saying how the band got them through a dark, fucked up time and jeez, what more can you ask for in life? This record is for everybody. It’s for people who are ready to acknowledge that there’s dark shit in this world and inside them. “I had this moment the other day where we were at some festival, and this band was playing, and they fucking sucked. I just turned to Ben and was like, y’know; this does feel like the world is so fucked up now that if you’re not going to acknowledge it in the art that you’re making, you better be making some incredible art. It’s not the time for half-assed pop songs right now. You’re either trying to help people, or you’re good at your craft and doing something that’s sonically phenomenal. “I know Dilly Dally isn’t a political band necessarily, but the intent with this album is to help uplift people. At a time where it feels like there’s no hope, we want to try and tell people there is some.” P Dilly
Dally’s album ‘Heaven’ is out now.
“IT’S NOT THE TIME FOR HALFASSED POP SONGS RIGHT NOW”
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Volume up
Yes, The Dirty Nil have a new album. Yes, it’s great. But did you hear about the time they saw a load of ants...? Words: Steven Loftin.
S
narling imagery of the Grim Reaper and skulls aside, The Dirty Nil’s second album proper ‘Master Volume’ offers up a raucous good time.
“[It’s a] humorous reflection upon an otherwise morbid subject,” suggests singer and guitarist Luke Bentham. The record was partially inspired by the Canadian trio’s time on the road with debut record ‘Higher Power’, which arrived back in 2016. “Not exclusively, but it’s certainly [influenced by] all the touring that we’ve done, and seeing all these mangled car wrecks at the side of the road,” Luke explains. “You see them so often, and these disfigured metal, charred things lying beside the highway, wherever we’re driving, and we used to come to the inevitable conclusion that that could be us very, very easily because of how much we’re on the interstate system throughout any given year.” If it’s the world they think awaits them that often inspires a band’s debut album, the followup is usually informed by what they find once hitting that open road. “Adjusting to a life of pretty much constant mobility, and the instability that comes with that, you’re bound to have a lot of trial by error and fire along the way,” Luke muses of his new, more worldly lifestyle. “It’s a double-edged sword because it sucks when you’ve got eight hours in a van to reflect upon what’s going on in your life, what you’re not exactly happy about; but in a positive way, it gives you some fodder to write about.” The boys spend a lot of time these days in dark and dirty motels, so much so they have a song dedicated to them; ‘Super 8’, named after the US chain. “We’ve had a few interesting experiences at those
“IT’S TAKING DARKER STUFF AND BY HOOK OR BY CROOK TURNING IT INTO SOMETHING POSITIVE” establishments, Luke laughs. “They’re all the same, but unique at the same time. “One time we were staying at one in Dallas, Texas. This dude was knocking on our door throughout the night, and police sirens were going off - going into the parking lot all throughout the night. “We woke up in the morning, and I saw this trail of ants going past our door. This place was one of the biggest motels I’ve ever seen, we followed this trail of ants, and it must’ve been at least 500m long - it was just a highway of ant activity. “It’s funny little moments like that; when it becomes a normal thing in your life to stay at a Super 8. We’ve been there so often, it affords you a chance to reflect on the less savoury parts of your life. I guess that song is all of those feelings distilled into a two-and-a-half minute banger.” Knowing that they aren’t alone in this grimy world of cheap motels and mangled car wrecks is a blessing, too. “Our peers in the rock’n’roll world are all going through the same thing. It’s always nice to meet up with people and get to talk about these things because it’s just a part of our existence that I never really considered before touring. It’s hard to make things work, and you’ve got to find very specific relationships with people to make being away eight months out of the year a
sustainable arrangement, you know?” Of course, this plethora of scrapes and hijinks means that it’s near impossible to cram everything going on into just one album. “It’s hard to distil all these experiences into ten songs, but it’s funny going through all of these things and attempting to try,” he says. Putting The Dirty Nil’s riotous spin on it is, of course, all a part of the fun. “It’s taking some darker stuff and by hook or by crook turning it into something positive; turning it into something bouncy message and trying to have fun, basically. “It’s just always fun from my point of view to give it a little bit of grin, even a creepy grin. That’s always been music that turns me on, like Pixies, and... I don’t know, insert another thousand bands here. Music that can do it that’s just not one thing. I like things with some different shades going on, and different things that work, but things that bounce and that makes you want to move around.” And that’s precisely what The Dirty Nil have created: an album that’s filled to the brim with rioting rock tunes that, while they may contain some death and darkness, it’s impossible not to get swept up in the sheer joy of. P The Dirty Nil’s album
‘Master Volume’ is out now.
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CAMERAS With their much anticipated debut album finally on the starting grid, Estrons are ready to make a noise. We catch up with frontwoman Tali Källström to find out more. 54 UPSETMAGAZINE.COM
Your debut has a great title - ‘You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough’ is one of those lines everyone wishes they could come up with during a break-up. What’s the story behind it?
It did originate from a line I used after a break-up, but it’s actually a lot more than that. Saying the line out loud made me realise that everything and everyone is relevant to their own situation, so it’s a comment on that and how we should all just do our best to accept it.
A big part of growing up is recognising when a situation or relationship is bad for you, isn’t it? I don’t even know what bad is anymore. I grew up
quite unconventionally with many complications around me and lots of conflict and moving around. I never feel bad about it though; sometimes I feel grateful sometimes I feel angry. But life is a series of emotions, and they make you who you are. Every day I learn something small, sometimes even subconsciously.
Do you find writing or singing about life’s shitty moments helps give you control over them, and perhaps the courage to change things for the future?
It’s definitely a good therapy when you’re feeling something, but actually, I find it makes me
as far as the tracklist went. We always wanted the album to be a snapshot in time, a memoir to the last few years we’d spent writing and playing together. We wanted it to be a journey, and that never changed.
Other than getting the album out, are there any milestones you’d like to hit over the next few years? We really would like to tour more internationally and reach the people we haven’t seen or haven’t met yet. For me, the majority of my family still live in Canada, and they’re dying to watch my band live. That would be a dream come true.
Have you continued to work on new material since finishing the album? Actually, yes. There are quite a few demos that we’ve been developing, and we plan on going away after the tour and getting them finished.
feel even more out of control. Often the best way of at least appearing in control is pushing those emotions down; we are all taught to do it. Music is when you let yourself go out of control. It’s admittance. It’s when emotions come to life.
If it weren’t for music, do you think you’d be as open with how you feel about things? Fuck no.
So what was the process like putting together the album, did you sign a record deal then begin properly, or did the album come first?
The album came first. We wrote it over the past few years, so we had plenty of time to grow the sound and realise more about who we were and what we wanted to sound like and wanted to say.
What do you think Estrons will sound like on album two? Did you come up against any unexpected challenges while recording, or firming up the release plans?
Absolutely. A lot of hard work and many unexpected challenges. Luckily the release date didn’t get pushed but we learnt a hell of a lot from the process, and it makes it all the more special to us. I guess you could describe it like having your first child.
Were there any songs you thought would end up on the record, but ended up not quite fitting? How did your initial ideas evolve?
We did scrap one song after recording it. Sometimes you need to hear it to know whether or not it’s going to fit and this song was quite new and a bit of unexpected suggestion for me
Different. I think with the set up we have we will always sound like us, but I’m expecting it to sound a lot softer in the soft bits and a lot harder in the hard bits. We’ve learnt a lot about ourselves in the past few months, as musicians for one. I’ve felt many many things also, so expect a lot of fucking feelings.
What else are you lot up to at the mo, there are loads of tour dates, aren’t there? We’ll be doing in stores around the album release and yes, the tour. There will be more releases. I’m feeling pretty nervous actually. I’m going to write a song about it. P Estrons’
debut album ‘You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough’ is out 5th October.
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Rated_ THE OFFICIAL VERDICT ON EVERYTHING
** ALBUM OF THE MONTH **
B BLACK PEAKS
ALL THAT DIVIDES RISE RECORDS
e eeee TL;DR... BLACK PEAKS WERE ALREADY ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING BRITISH BANDS. NOW THEY’RE LEADING THE PACK.
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lack Peaks broke through with the help of radio play. Sure,
they said yes to every opportunity, pushed themselves to breaking point to spread ‘Statues’ as far as it dared to dream, and were backed by a brilliantly robust collection of screaming bangers, but the door breaking down came via the airwaves. And so, it verges on ridiculous that second album ‘All That Divides’ doesn’t have a single track that’s written with that instant glamour in mind. There’s only one song that’s over in less than four minutes, the thrashing, flailing roar of ‘Electric Fires’, and at no point do the band look at ‘Going Pop’,
a view that more and more bands are taking with every new release. Black Peaks have always done things their own way though. From the anxiety riddled opening of ‘Can’t Sleep’, the band’s second album takes the expected difficulty and toys with it. There are moments of shining, mass hysteria. Big choruses and bigger conviction, but there are also times when the band go fully off the deep end. Weird, wonderful and winding, ‘All That Divides manages to feel concise in loads of wonderous chaos. Excitement is king. The band take the loud/quiet dynamic that tumbled through ‘Statues’ and push it to each and every
THE DIRTY NIL MASTER VOLUME eeee
The Dirty Nil aren’t concerned with proclamations about where rock music sits in 2018. They’re not bothered about trends, shifts and cultural resonance. They know what they’re here to do, and it’s designed to be played loud. In a cloud of their own vicious toxic feedback, ‘That’s What Heaven Feels Like’ opens up big and goes in twice as hard, strutting tall on hundred mile high riffs. ‘Please, Please Me’ is a two and a little bit minute thrash of raw punk energy, while ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ and ‘Evil Side’ keep the pace as measured as they’re able. There’s no space for questions in The Dirty Nil’s world - only glorious, unhinged noise. P
Stephen Ackroyd
PALE WAVES
MY MIND MAKES NOISES eeee
edge. They fill in the blanks with new textures, new colours and reckless adventure. This isn’t an album of extremes. This is an album that does it all, while still feeling dashing and dangerously close to the edge. The band can swing with such heavy hits because there’s a comfort in who they are. They’re never trying to be anything else. Rather than the escape that ‘Statues’ so relentlessly offered, ‘All That Divides’ is a record that deals in the horrid everyday. Angry at the state of things, moved by the lack of empathy and feeling alone surrounded by selfishness, Black Peaks bellow unity from the rooftops. It’s not a political record, but it does dish
out the blame. There are songs inspired by the refugee crisis, government indecision and the general, terrible state of things. They’ve never been afraid to be heard but this time out, the band have found their voice and have reason to use it. Rather than dwelling in the mire though, Black Peaks want hope. They need it. After a tour cycle that almost ate the band alive, the power of caring for others is fresh in their minds. On All That Divides, it’s held up like a beacon. A call to arms entwined, it’s a record of struggle and resistance. It doesn’t have the answers, but it knows they’re out there. It wants to find them together. P Ali Shutler
They might look like a bunch of goths, but Pale Waves prove that great pop music can come from the shadows. From the shimmering brilliance of their breakthrough smash ‘There’s A Honey’ onwards, they’re a band that can carry the hefty buzz that’s been foisted upon them, and then some, ‘Red’ thumps with the immediacy of a jack-hammer, while ‘Noises’ is a self-aware, self-doubting anthem. It’s closing track ‘Karl (I Wonder What It’s Like To Die)’ that will have the real impact, though. A step away from everything that comes before it, it’s a track of such emotion and honesty that it’ll live in the mind long after the music comes to an end. P
Stephen Ackroyd
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DILLY DALLY HEAVEN e eee
Dilly Dally’s ‘Sore’ was a raging burst of frustration and desire. It was on fire, and it was brilliant. Follow-up ‘Heaven’ is more centred. Self-help and radical realisations, the band don’t just find their voice, they want to scream from the mountaintop. From the breaking dawn snarl of ‘I Feel Free’, it’s an album full of spray paint love. Big, bold declarations erupt from within, repeated until they’re believed and held aloft for the whole world to see. There’s a weight behind every ray of positivity, hard-fought and richly deserved, as the band comfort and encourage. For all the new though, ‘Heaven’ still feels like Dilly Dally. It’s still magic. It’s still unfiltered. It’s still brilliant. P Ali
Shutler
HYPOPHORA DOUSE e eee
Rock music isn’t ‘in’ right now. That’s what the running narrative of genre-shifting summer festivals and chart studying boffins claim. In truth, the UK’s heavier underground is in fine fettle - something which Hypophora show in winning style. Comparisons to Marmozets go way beyond the presence of a firebrand female vocalist - the fourpiece pack the same short of essential, constantly fizzing energy which is sure to see them thrive. Some things never go out of style. P Dan
Harrison
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Growing old sucks.
remains an irreverence Compared about the likes to the of ‘Up The freewheeling Punks’ and excitement of ‘Friends We Met youth, there’s Online’ that nothing more rivals the Kanye crushing West namethan knowing dropping ‘Fake you’ve found ID’ off 2016’s MILLION DOLLARS your place ‘Cody’. TO KILL ME in the world, There’s also EPITAPH eeee forgoing a wistfulness DID YOU KNOW? THE continued selfto much BAND ARE TOURING THE discovery for of ‘Million UK IN NOVEMBER a comfortable Dollars…’ as rut. Joyce Manor Five albums deep and grapple with the implications California’s Joyce Manor remain of ageing at the expense of their wide-eyed protagonists of that wilder younger days. “Is it true youthful exuberance. Sure, you knew I’d miss you, back they’ve found a comfy niche when we were little kids?” asks of sorts – two-minute pop Johnson on opener ‘Fighting song bangers that dissect the Kangaroo’, and it’s a moment human condition – but vocalist that sets the tone for the album. and lyricist Barry Johnson’s Tellingly, for all this talk of world-building and story-telling ageing, there’s not a jot of continue to elevate Joyce Manor world-weariness to be found in to exceptional new highs. the belly of ‘Million Dollars…’. ‘Million Dollars To Kill Me’ is no Instead, Joyce Manor continue exception. to wring every conceivable Much of ‘Million Dollars...’ emotion from every frayed focuses on ideas of growing sub-two minute pop-punk song, older; friendships, money, making it yet another excellent relationships and more. Always addition to their exceptional sincere, there nevertheless canon. P Rob Mair
JOYCE MANOR
A SHORT Q&A WITH
ESTRONS
YOU SAY I’M TOO MUCH, I SAY YOU’RE NOT ENOUGH e e ee Digging their heels into the dirt, Estrons argue ‘You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough’ with their debut album. They’ve spent the last two years purging demons and electrifying spirits on the road and that energy fizzes through this record. On it, the band are always running. Towards or away, it’s never quite sure but it never lets up. That doesn’t mean Estrons have simply stuck to that same path ,though. The stories told are personal, torn from diary pages and dark thoughts, but there’s tenderness, there’s reflection and there’s the resolve to never change for anyone but themselves. P Ali Shutler
ANNA’S ANCHOR EVERYBODY’S WELCOME eee
Armed with just a guitar and a passport, Limerick’s Marty Ryan has travelled the world playing to everybody
and anybody who’ll have him. Sometimes at short notice, sometimes with the caveat that he has to be at work first thing Monday morning, it’s a work ethic that should be admired – and it’s allowed him to hone his craft perfectly for second album ‘Everybody’s Welcome’. Sincerity shines, and Ryan’s an instantly likeable narrator, spinning yarns about smalltown living or life on the road with understated charm. A charming raconteur with a head full of songs, it’s a celebratory experience, and, as Ryan says, everybody’s welcome…P Rob
Mair
DOE
GROW INTO IT eeee Doe’s debut album found the band at ease with one another. The songs, rough around the edges but glinting all the same, were resilient, angry and optimistic, delivered with an arm-around-theshoulder and the safety of friends. ‘Grow Into It’ sees the band stomp into the unknown. ‘My Friends’ dances on the edge of control, all triumph and ebbing time while ‘Labour Like I Do’ twitches and repeats, dipped in honey, broken glass
Your second album ‘Grow Into It’ is imminent - how have you lot grown since your debut? Nicola: I think we’ve grown into our sound since the last album and are a lot more at ease with the type of music we’re writing. Also, I’ve learned that you need to actually sit down and spend time writing lyrics in advance rather than winging them in a last minute panic at the studio. You’ve said you want the album to be the antithesis to cliche male bands wanting to stay young forever, do you have any tips for embracing adulthood? The real world is a bit much at the mo. Jake: Remember that it’s okay to not know what the hell you’re doing. I feel like none of us ever really know, and people that say they do are full of shit. Are you happier now than when you were teenagers? Nicola: Yes. There were nice things about being a teenager, but mostly it was stressful. There’s this widely accepted idea that the best years of everyone’s lives were as a teenager - people romanticise that period and accept their current situation as not being as good, how depressing is that? Jake: I’m happy that I’m not a teenager anymore, does that count? Honestly, though, you might have less to care about when you’re a teenager, but you don’t have control over your own life just yet which can be incredibly frustrating. P DISRUPT THE NOISE 59
and fizzing frustration. Lacing every call to arms with unwavering belief, the band aren’t just another voice in the bubble. They’re leading the charge, breaking down walls and adventuring. They might be exploring pastures new across the record, but every step up, out and forward is sure of itself. P Ali Shutler
THRICE PALMS e e ee
For their tenth album, Thrice have created a monument to their own relentless need to evolve their sound and executed it perfectly. In ‘Palms’, bubbly synths, sprawling electronic soundscapes and even the odd harp counteract the driving post-hardcore power that has become second nature to the Californians. The constant pushing of their boundaries is what has made Thrice so special over the last 20 years, but since their hiatus, they feel less shackled by an almost primal need to be different. Now, the changing of direction flows with much more freedom. The bar is raised again. P Alex Bradley
WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS THE MORE I SLEEP THE LESS I DREAM ee
Edinburgh’s We Were Promised Jetpacks have always excelled in moments of quiet contemplation and frenzied emotional excitement. And, while the loud/quiet, fast/ slow dynamic is as old as time, the driving urgency with which Adam Thompson and Co attacked the likes of ‘Quiet Little Voices’, ‘It’s Thunder and it’s Lightning’ and ‘Sore Thumb’ ensured WWPJ were smart protagonists of an overly-
familiar sound. Sadly, ‘The More I Sleep…’, while retaining the group’s exceptional dexterity, never really thrills to the same extent, often fizzling but rarely exploding. Songs swell and build rather than ignite and combust, and while it means much of ‘The More I Sleep…’ is taut and tension-filled, it’s also shapeless, devoid of the thrilling and punchy peaks and vertigoinducing troughs of their earlier output. There’s terror in the tension, but it’s also frustratingly patchy, saved by the occasional flash of inspiration. Not quite soporific, but not a jolting eyeopener either. P Rob Mair
BLACK HONEY BLACK HONEY eeee
Black Honey. Even the name drips off the tongue, summoning up murky images of sweetness mixed with a persuasive, seductive dark side. And so it is with their longawaited self-titled debut album, a record that takes their previous tendency of sounding like an undiscovered Tarantino or Morricone film score and gives the it one hell of a shiny mirrorball-powered pop upgrade. The likes of ‘Crowded City’ and
‘Baby’ offer up a more vulnerable side than has been seen before, but it is in the final third of the album that Black Honey once again put their feet down on the accelerator and shoot into the night. After the gentle surf rock vibes and irresistible melody of ‘Dig’ drifts into the vibrancy of ‘Just Calling’, the epic ‘Wasting Time’ rounds off a superb debut that instantly nags for a repeat play. P Jamie MacMillan
THE JOY FORMIDABLE AAARTH eeee
It’s been a long road for The Joy Formidable. From North Wales to London, out to Maine to record their second album, back to Mold where it all began to make ‘Hitch’, a strained and personal record characterised by slow-burning tracks. Now vocalist Ritzy Bryan spends her days off hiking the Utah wilderness, taking inspiration from flora, fauna, and the vastness of America’s outback. Those grand surroundings have yielded ‘AAARTH’, a collage of colour and creation that darts between the different facets of The Joy Formidable’s repertoire. It’s an album that sees them back DISRUPT THE NOISE 60
on solid footing and reenergised to take on the world again. P Dillon Eastoe
FATHERSON
SUM OF ALL YOUR PARTS eeee Having made a name from emotive lyrics and sweeping arrangements, Fatherson are sounding more playful on their third effort. That isn’t to say those wide-open choruses have disappeared, but the window dressing is somewhat different. ‘Oh Yes’ is a lightersaloft singalong that would make Coldplay jealous, while ‘Charm School’ ramps up the energy after a more laid-back middle section with a crunching guitar assault that would have their compatriots in Biffy nodding approvingly. Having diligently built their following over the past six years, Fatherson are masters of their own destiny. P Dillon
Eastoe
CURSIVE VITRIOLA eeee
Never ones to shy away from big ideas and grand visions, Cursive’s ‘Vitriola’ is an album preoccupied with the faltering world we find ourselves in and the human reaction to the circumstances that have taken us to the precipice. Ultimately, this is Cursive’s album of defiance; a reflection of the dystopian worldview refracted through Tim Kasher’s mind and transformed into something grotesque. It’s failing society writ large, and while it’s a sobering listen, it’s also Cursive’s finest moment since 2006’s similarly caustic ‘Happy Hollow’. P Rob Mair
Good and lyrically. Charlotte As Joel return for Madden the second screams time since “Alone inside, their lengthy I wish that I hiatus, but could die” at rather than its crescendo, attempting it is both to retread haunting, the glory of harrowing GENERATION RX their youth, and a fitting MDDN / BMG this time tribute to his eeee they are friend and DID YOU KNOW? THE VID FOR ‘PRAYERS’ RAISED delving into hero. MONEY FOR REFUGEES subjects of Thankfully, a far deeper respite and darker from the nature. With mental health, enveloping darkness comes in
GOOD CHARLOTTE
the Opioid crisis, mass tragedy and the death of musical icons, this is at times a world away from the bright and breezy pop punk of the past and at times feels like an entirely different band. By looking deep into themselves, they have reenergised and rediscovered a fire that burns even brighter. The very nature of these themes lend themselves to an edgier mood, and it goes without saying that it is a heavy listen at times. While ’Self Help’ sticks closely to their classic sound of old, ‘Shadow Boxer’ leans more into a heavier, angst-dripping sound that is reminiscent of Linkin Park both stylistically
the form of an ambition sound forged again with producer Zakk Cervini who, alongside Benji, helps the band to juggle different styles without it ever feeling messy or disconnected. ‘Cold Song’ may as well turn up in a package marked “arena use only” so perfectly crafted is it for a lighters and phones in the air moment, while the closing ‘California (The Way I Say I Love You)’ ends with an optimistic message that darkness always fades into light eventually. 22 years down the line, ‘Generation RX’ may be the best album that Good Charlotte have made yet. P
Jamie MacMillan
WITH...
BLACK HONEY
Everyone has those formative bands and tracks that first got them into music and helped shape their very being. This month, IZZY from BLACK HONEY takes us through some the songs that meant the most to her during her teenage years.
NIRVANA - SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT
This song spoke to me as a teenager and has basically been the soundtrack to my entire life on the road. Nirvana is the thread that ties black honey together. This song just makes me wanna sing and fight and fuck in one big explosion.
T. REX - COSMIC DANCER
When I was depressed, I loved to dance around at railway stations drunk to this in a kinda Billy Elliot ballet way.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE KILLING IN THE NAME OF
I remember being so floored by the rawness of this one felt like it was existential.
PINK FLOYD - WISH YOU WERE HERE
My dad gave me his 12 string guitar, and this song is basically the textbook twelve string tune. The line “were just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year” spoke to me even in my young teens.
MARILYN MANSON - TAINTED LOVE
I was so in love with this song cause it felt like such a reaction to all the boring RnB style songs that we’re exploring sexuality at the time. Once I realised it was a Soft Cell cover my mind was blown once more.
WHITE STRIPES - SEVEN NATION ARMY
Jack White is my favourite guitarist to this day. I have him to thank for introducing me to Robert Johnson and all the old delta blues musicians.
BLONDIE - CALL ME
I mean, what a classic. Blondie is probably the most important blueprint for the creation of Black Honey.P
Black Honey’s self-titled debut album is out 21st September.
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