Upset, September 2019

** Plus ** Mallory Knox, Curse These Metal Hands, The Murder Capital, Oso Oso, Black Futures, Cultdreams + loads more

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September 2019 upsetmagazine.com

ROAM PVRIS Sleeping With Sirens Knocked Loose

NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

CHASE

AT L A N T I C Hitting the Big Apple in search of the future.

SEPTEMBER 2019 Issue 47

HELLO. If you’re a regular reader of Upset - and why, I ask, would you not be? - you’ll know we’re fans of rock bands that try really hard to be more than just rock bands. Not that there’s anything ‘just’ about the louder arts, obviously, but Chase Atlantic have horizons that are both ambitious and farreaching. Their latest album, ‘Phases’, sees them explode into a universe that echoes some of the most invigorating, genre-fluid music on the planet.

That’s why we were delighted to hop over to New York last month to catch them at a sellout headline show and find out exactly where they’re heading.

It’s another rammed month elsewhere. We’re previewing Reading & Leeds 2019 with the returning PVRIS and some of our other favourite bands playing the August blow out.

There’s Sleeping With Sirens.

There’s Knocked Loose. There’s basically everything. Enjoy!

S tephen

Editor / @stephenackroyd

Upset Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Scribblers Alex Bradley, Beth Casteel, Dan Harrison, Eleanor Philpot, Jamie MacMillan, Jasleen Dhindsa, Linsey Teggert, Martyn Young, Rob Mair, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Elliott Ingham, Gabe Becerra, Jordan Mizrahi, Patrick Gunning, Sarah Louise Bennett P U B L I S H E D F RO M

W E LCO M E TOT H E B U N K E R.CO M U N I T 10, 23 G RA N G E RO A D, H A S T I N G S, T N34 2R L

All material copyright (c). All rights reserved.

RIOT

FEATURES

4. READING + LEEDS 10. 2000TREES 12. BLACK FUTURES 14. CURSE THESE METAL HANDS 18. CULTDREAMS 20. NORTHLANE 22. OSO OSO 24. PULLED APART BY HORSES 26. GRAYSCALE 27. MILK TEETH ABOUT TO BREAK

30. CHASE ATLANTIC 38. ROAM 40. SLEEPING WITH SIRENS 46. FIELD MOUSE 48. KNOCKED LOOSE 52. THE MURDER CAPITAL 54. MALLORY KNOX REVIEWS

28. DUNE RATS

62. DZ DEATHRAYS

58. SLIPKNOT 59. EZRA FURMAN 61. PRESS CLUB TEENAGE KICKS

Riot_ EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN ROCK

Reading

+

Leeds

Setting themselves off in unstoppable motion, spacepunks Black Futures are going from strength to strength. p.12

Summer is nearly over, which means Reading & Leeds 2019 is here!

With some of our fave bands set to descend for a bank holiday weekend of great music and ‘stuff’, over the next few pages we’ll get hyped with some of the very best of the bunch.

Words: Ali Shutler.

At the end of the cycle for ‘All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell’ PVRIS’ Lynn Gunn felt defeated. “I felt disappointed in myself and was excited just to have time off to re-evaluate things,” she admits.

After the runaway success of their debut album ‘White Noise’, ‘All We Know Of Heaven…’ took all that promise and expanded on it. Flecked with colour and confidence, the record found new extremes for the band to explore and continued their march to the

4 Upset

THIS MONTH IN ROCK

Conjurer and Pijn have come together to create Curse These Metal Hands - a positive force in metal. p.14

After a banner 2017, Oso Oso is back with a record perfect for lazy summer days. p. 22

top. From the outside, PVRIS wanted to take another crack at continued to drench themselves it.” Lynn might have ended the in success. touring cycle for ‘All We Know Behind the spotlight though, Of Heaven…’ down, but she “I had a lot of vocal issues the knew she wasn’t out. “I was very whole tour cycle for the last excited to have time off to start record. Having to deal with that working on new music.” while you’re touring is difficult.

“I’ve taken zero breaks since I felt like I couldn’t fully deliver that cycle ended,” she grins. what I wanted to or perform how “Things have been very hectic, I wanted to. I’m incredibly hard very scattered and crazy, but on myself, so that doesn’t make it’s been good. We’ve been very any of those situations easier for productive.” So, business as me ever. I was pretty bummed usual then. to still not be in the place that I There’s been meeting with wanted to finish.” labels in London, New York and The LA, writing album, raw, sessions on vulnerable both sides of and dealing the US as they with explore new emotional collaborations turbulence and dealings in real-time, with real life, LYNN GUNN saw Lynn wherever share thoughts and fears she possible. Health issues have was still working through. “It been dealt with; their team helped to be sharing it,” she has recalibrated, and they’ve starts, “but at the same time, moved to a major label. “It was those vocal issues meant it was a whirlwind of a year off. But really hard to be present during at the same time, it was good. our performances. I couldn’t As busy and as hectic as it was, fully dive in with the crowd, and I feel like I was able to tap into you feel like you can’t have that some calmness. It felt good to equal exchange with everyone. recharge.”

I got really in my head about it You can hear that in the first and found it hard to connect deep breathes of comeback for a while. I had to evaluate my single ‘Death of Me’. A song relationship with performing Lynn wrote when she was because it can be very stressful “interested in somebody that I and high pressured, and that felt could potentially hurt me just built up over time and took emotionally. I’ve been right its toll.” on that edge with somebody, This isn’t a story about giving and it feels like they could up, though. Sure, “a lot of things break my heart, or it could be just didn’t go as planned,” but the complete opposite and be the band were determined to great. And I want to take that get it right. “We felt like we risk. That’s how I step into most needed to take a step back, start things. Relationships, creative over and rebuild things. We endeavours or anything, I

“A LOT OF THINGS JUST DIDN’T GO AS PLANNED”

Upset 5

Riot_ always want to step in fully. I never want to aren’t the only nods to Eden while the hold back. I’ll dive in and deal with it later. focus has shifted from straight lines and It’s an all or nothing mentality that only imposing architecture to something a lot bites me in the butt sometimes. It might more earthy, grounded and communal. Put be something in an artist’s brain where, your pinboards away, though. when you when you’re close to danger or “There are a lot of references to the any emotional chaos, there’s excitement occult, divination and Tarot in the video. ‘cos you know even if this gets completely Those are things that have influenced messed up, I can make something out of it.” me and bring me a lot of joy. It felt cool to That new energy is also there in the feature those things in a video.” And that’s excitable stomp of ‘Hallucinations’. Written all there is to it. “I feel like a part of me has two years ago, around the same time as been seen now. I haven’t felt scared to share ‘Death Of Me’, it was initially pushed to it before, but I didn’t feel ready. I’ll try to one side as nothing special until they find ways to incorporate them in the future, teamed up with producer JT Taylor who where it feels appropriate, but I don’t want was adamant about bringing it back and to box us in or limit things.” working on it some more. “I put blind faith Keeping things open is something PVRIS in us bringing it to something that I felt are keen to do this time around. The video excited about,” and it paid off. for ‘Death of Me’ kept changing but “that’s Inspired by a book on hallucinations that one of the things where you have to roll was given to her by a fan, the song explores with the punches. Any weird circumstance the divide between belief in spirituality or limitations, you have to lean into that.” and science. “There’s a It’s why they’re not hard line between the rushing into album three. two and people aren’t “I say we have about five open to considering solidified, guaranteed the fact they might be songs we want to want to co-existing. They don’t release over the next year need to be completely but we’re still putting an separate. That book album together.” Lynn can’t pulled that thought out say what the plan is, “I don’t of me further because, want to make any promises with hallucinations, just yet, but we’re planning there’s the belief that to release a lot of music this they’re your brain year. Whatever form that is, LYNN GUNN recreating something I can’t say. We’re just trying that’s not there. But to get the best songs we can. there’s the alternative theory that your We want to push to improve and push to brain is tuning in to something that you get better and better. I think there’s a lot of can’t see in any other situation. I like the really great songs in the works, but I want dichotomy of well, which one is it? That’s to keep pushing it as much as possible. how I feel about a lot of things to do with We’re trying to find a good balance of the supernatural and the occult.” releasing music but also taking our time These two glimpses of chapter three still with it. We have enough in our back pocket sound like PVRIS, razor-sharp and laced right now to be sprinkling it out while we’re with glistening grit, but there are new still working on more stuff.” horizons in every direction. Their first two PVRIS always had a vision for their albums saw them treading through the band. Right now, though, it’s in a state of darkness, looking out. These songs dance flux. And that’s just fine with Lynn, Alex with the light. They’re focused on things and Brian. They want their band to stand the band enjoy. We don’t want to alarm for “anything, as long as you just do it anyone, but they’re fun. proudly and feel good about it. And like, And that seems to be driving force don’t be an asshole,” grins Lynn before behind this era. PVRIS have always told pausing. “We’re just not focusing on that stories with their music and the videos. right now. We’re focusing on making good Little hints to a wider world alongside loose music, putting it out and having fun with threads to pull at, follow and tie together. it. Hopefully, if people can take something On the surface, the video for ‘Death Of Me’ from that, if they can have fun with us, is the same. Serpents and forbidden fruit that’s all that matters.” P

“WE FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO TAKE A STEP BACK, START OVER AND REBUILD THINGS”

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Reading

+

Leeds

The Faim

Hello Josh, how’s your debut album coming along, all good?

Nearly done?

It’s been a very long, stressful, emotional and intense process but we wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s at the very final stages of finishing; we’re all so proud of how far we’ve progressed as a band in such a short space of time. There’s a level of honesty I found within myself in these songs that I didn’t think I could find without the obstacles we’ve faced.

How have you found your time in the studio?

The studio is always a funny thing. You could spend 18 hours grinding out ideas and come out with absolutely nothing or go in for 30 minutes

and finish an incredible song everyone can be proud of. We wanted to put our best foot forward, so we made time to record whenever we could. It’s been an on and off process in between touring for the last year and a half. It’s been a very intense process for all of us, but I feel like having our mental and physical comfort zones constantly challenged really brought out a rawness within ourselves that poured into these songs. It’s exciting to see songs we wrote right after tour and songs from years ago be a part of the

album. It’s a testament to the sonic and concepts direction we want to take.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at Reading & Leeds this year?

I’d love to see EVERYBODY perform not just because I’m a fan, but you learn so much. I love being able to see the unique ways musicians express themselves through music. But Foo Fighters are a band I would never skip out on seeing. Nothing could stop me from seeing that band if I had the chance. P

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Leeds

Hot Milk Hello guys! How are you doing?

Jim: We are currently in the studio writing some lil tunes, and over-hydrating because Han has been for like five wees in the last hour!!!

Dream State Hello CJ! How’s your debut album coming then?

In terms of writing and recording, it’s all done and dusted. It has been a whirlwind of an experience, but a wonderful one and we are so proud of what we have achieved.

Have you settled on a title?

We have indeed, it ties up the last two years quite well, we think everyone will understand it once they spend time with the album.

Which of the Reading & Leeds headliners is your fave this year?

Foo Fighters, because I love them. They write bangers, and I feel that music the most.

Do you have anything special planned for your set?

We are in the process of developing our live act now, nothing set in stone, but plans are being made yes.

What else have you got coming up?

DROPPING OUR ALBUM AND LOTS OF OTHER THINGS. P

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Have you guys been travelling for festivals much this summer already?

Jim: Yeah we have been doing a fair few, Slam Dunk, Download, The Great Escape and more so we’re well seasoned with a quick load-in and load out now!

What was the last festival you went to as a music fan, not because you were playing?

Han: You’re gonna laugh, Creamfields hahaha. I love a bit of house every now and then!!!

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at Reading & Leeds this year?

Han: Machine Gun Kelly who I’ve never seen before!

Be good to catch up with the Faim guys, and I wanna see Yungblud. I put on his first ever London show, so it’s been cool to see him grow since then and hopefully see him smash the Main Stage. P

Stand Atlantic Hello Bonnie! We hear you’re now officially a four-piece, how’s that going?

We are! Miki has been touring with us for so long we forgot he wasn’t even an official member! It was definitely time to make him part of the family officially, because he is.

Have you guys been working on new music together at all?

Always, baby!

Which of this year’s Reading & Leeds headliners is your fave?

Gonna have to give it to The 1975 I think. Just got a soft spot for ‘em and probably the only artist on that list that I’ve listened to the entire discography of, haha.

Who would you like to see step up to headliner status next year?

The Band Camino, please.

What else have you got coming up?

More touring and then maybe something spicy towards the end of the year that I can’t say. P

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Festivals

Words: Alex Bradley. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

2000

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One of the most respected festivals on ‘the circuit’, 2000trees is a home for everything alternative and loud.

We made the annual pilgrimage. Here’s some of what went down...

quickly burst into flashes of raw power as they show off the post-rock brilliance of new album ‘Nest’.

Meanwhile, Dream State’s CJ makes it clear from the get-go, “The more you give me, the more we’ll give you,” and the early afternoon crowd do not After being stranded in let them down. Pulled Apart By Champagne, France, until the Horses have been pretty quiet early hours of the morning, Milk Teeth make it to 2000trees just in of late, but their performance at Trees is a timely reminder of their time to tear it up over at The Cave brilliance. The Leeds lot blow stage. Squeezing as many party away any cobwebs pretty sharpish punk numbers into half an hour as possible, the trio prove why the with a quickfire one-two of ‘V.E.N.O.M’ and ‘Hot Squash’ in a festival has become an annual set that barely lets up for a second. event for them in recent years.

Having somehow slipped under Playing over on The Axiom as the 2000trees radar for 12 years, part of Jamie Lenman’s ‘Lenmania You Me At Six make their first II’, Conjurer bring all the riffs appearance at Upcote Farm one in a blistering set. The metal to remember with the perfect Midlanders rip through their headline performance. While standout debut album ‘Mire’ with being no strangers to the bigger tracks like ‘Hollow’ and ‘Choke’ stages, the festival headline slot turning on a dime from sludgy presents a different opportunity build-ups into angular, thrashy, but one they took with both hands riffs much to the delight of the as they flicked through hits from masses lining the stage. all 15 years of their back catalogue.

An accomplished Main Stage Rolo Tomassi put in one of the performance from Brutus follows standout sets of the weekend as they continue their ascent over at a packed out Cave, while up the 2000trees billing. The Gouge Away smash it. The Florida Belgian trio revel in stretches of noise rock outfit have spent a long atmospheric wonderment that time hotly tipped as one of the best “hidden gems” on the line-up, but there’s nothing underground about their performance.

Having worked their way up the Trees line-up in the last few years, Vukovi’s Main Stage

slot feels like coming of age for the Scottish rockers. Later, with latest album ‘Fixed Ideals’ backing them, Muncie Girls also take a step up thanks to huge sing-a-longs to ‘Jeremy’, ‘Picture of Health’ and ‘Clinic’.

Aussie trio Dune Rats serve up one of the most entertaining sets of the weekend. Packing in a whopping 14 songs into their half an hour tine slot, they riff through punk odes to getting drunk and high with the crowd relentless in their surfing over the barrier. In return, they only ask for a picture of everyone giving the middle finger to send to their Mum back home; a small price to pay.

Dressed in their matching boiler suits and running out to the frenzied, swaggering, sound of ‘Moto-Pop’, Frank Iero very quickly wins the day at 2000trees.

Continually swapping masks from ‘The Future Violents’ to ‘The Patience’-era Frank, they rifle between ‘I’m A Mess’, ‘Young and Doomed’ then back into ‘World Destroyer’.

Deaf Havana bring the curtain down on 2000trees with an accomplished headline performance. Having topped the festival back in 2015, the return isn’t just a measure of how far Deaf Havana have come in recent years but also the festival itself.

With lights, lasers and a pink neon symbol as their backdrop, they nail it as they belt out the bubbly, part-gospel, pop anthem ‘Sinner’, and in turn bring the festival to a feel-good close. P

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FUTURE PROOF Words: Steven Loftin.

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Setting themselves off in unstoppable motion, spacepunks Black Futures are going from strength to strength. With their debut ‘Never Not Nothing’ due out at the end of August, and having just completed their inaugural Download set, guitarist and singer Space and percussionist Vibes tell us what’s what.

How’s it going, how was your set?

Space: It was good, man. We had a great time. We got weird, and we got in with the people, and Download was amazing.

Your live show has been growing since you first appeared, how do you account for that in a festival setting?

Space: I’m pretty horrible to be around a little while before the show, if I’m brutally honest.

I usually go quite meditative and quiet, and that sounds maximumly pretentious, but it’s what I gotta do. I’ve gotta stop being me for a little while and just kind of brood. I have to summon the dread, and then run away from the dread, towards the joy.

For the crowd, and yourself, a healthy amount of fear, and the expectation that anything could happen over the next half hour it’s where I wanna be.

Vibes: I’m not as broody as this one, I manage to smile a little bit at least. I’m the ‘cheery’ one.

And you’ve been out with Frank

Carter - how was that?

Vibes: Our main goal was just to get the crowd hyped for Frank Carter, and we were quite happy with doing the job to be honest, and so was Frank!

Space: His fans are fantastic, they really took to us and were super welcoming. It felt like, with a frontman like Frank Carter who we love so dearly, and the whole band, we don’t have to worry about stepping on his toes in any way. He’s gonna come out and level the place, and so we can be as extrovert and as crazy as we like knowing that it’s creating the environment for him to come out and be Frank Carter.

Let’s move on to the album how has it been taking what you’ve built so far and moulding it into this first chapter?

Space: For us, it was always an album we wanted to start with, and so the ethos and the world of Black Futures grew from the very first song, we had it all in our minds. We’d created this world that we wanted the music to exist in. We felt we were making a lot of music and producing a lot of records for other people, but we’d come back to Black Futures, our safe place, whenever we felt like real existential dread and at odds with the world around us, which so many of us feel at the moment.

It was a cathartic record in a way, but we wanted to build something that was reaching out - inviting people in, to join us on the fringes of wherever the fuck we are.

It features some tracks that you’ve previously released, how did you go about the rest?

Space: There are a couple that have been written post us singing to Music For Nations, where the album was done in our minds, but we were doing shows for the first time, and really developing, and just wanted to go back in. There was some stuff that we wanted to get out. So some of it got written a little bit later, which was nice.

And you close the album out

with the same song that plays you off stage, which is super self-referential.

Space: If you’re gonna write a song called ‘Power Drunk’, the name of the band has to be the chorus right?! Even just to feed our black humour, we’re not taking ourselves too seriously there, but that song is definitely about using humour to cope with the world. Using that wry, British humour, that self-deprecating humour to make sense of shit a little bit. It came out super annoyingly catchy, as well! I was so excited about the song. I sent it to my sister, and she called me up: ‘Fuck you, man! This is so annoyingly catchy’. So I would just call her up and sing it at her and then hang up - like in the middle of the night.

How are you feeling now that the statement piece is in motion?

Space: Excited for it to go out and be its own entity, for people to interact with it and for it to have its own life away from us. Our minds are already in expedition two, so we’re ready for it to be out in the world, doing its thing.

How about on a personal level, with the existentialism that helped create it all?

Space: We like to think of ourselves as positive nihilists, so we’re always trying to put a positive spin on nothing. Black Futures came about because we’re a little bit obsessed with ideas about the future. It’s infinitesimally vast, if you can dream up an idea of the future it could potentially happen, but very statistically low. Just the idea of it is fascinating, and so now we’re looking forward with a little less dread and now dreaming up worlds to change, and influence our own predicament and spurt as much love, and empathy and good vibes as possible. P

Black Futures’ album ‘Never Not Nothing’ is out 30th August.

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All hands

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While loads of genres are collaborating at every given opportunity, it seems to be taking rock and metal a little longer to embrace the concept.

Conjurer and Pijn, however, have come together to create ‘Curse These Metal Hands’ - neither a band nor a singular album, it sees the pair team up for a record of epic proportions.

on deck.

Words: Steven Loftin.

“We were like, are we Pijn and Conjurer, or are we Curse These Metal Hands? I think we’ve settled with ‘we are Pijn and Conjurer playing Curse These Metal Hands’ …whatever that means!” explains Conjurer’s guitarist and vocalist Dan Nightingale.

Upset 15

Riot_ “A lot of that is semantics,” Pijn drummer Nick Watmough agrees.

“We weren’t sure how to package the thing; is it a new group, is it two groups playing together?”

Specifics aside, the two came together in something of a happenstance. “Pijn approached us and said there was meant to be this thing between [record labels] Holy Roar and Big Scary Monsters where it’s pitting band against each other, collaborations, and things like that,” Dan says.

“It was [only] meant to be for ArcTanGent last year. For whatever reason, Pijn ended up approaching us and just saying ‘Yeah, no one wants to do it with us, will you do it?” He continues, laughing. “We had no idea what we were getting ourselves in to.

It was just like, ‘Yeah, let’s see how it goes. We can always get in a practice room, and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work’.”

Somehow culminating in a recorded album, from its formation to now, Curse These Metal Hands is an idea that’s spiralled out of control. Beginning with a “’Hey do you maybe want to play a weird set at ArcTangGent?’”

As Nick puts it, to “essentially forming a new, weird, pseudo band, writing and recording an album and having it come out.”

“And the fact that it’s not gone south, and it’s gone really well and exceeded everyone’s expectations is amazing.”

Elaborating further, Dan says: “People talk a lot about music process, we’ve just become really bringing people together and close and understanding that ‘oh all that stuff, and sometimes it you like this kind of stuff too’, can seem tacky when people say we’ve all just mingled, and it’s that, but it’s become, I almost not. It’s cliché want to use the for a reason, word ‘lovely’,” he and that’s very chuckles. much what Together this project has they’ve created been. an album that, “It’s been while only NICK WATMOUGH us all going, consisting of what can we four tracks, is an do that neither of our respective impressive thirty-one minutes bands can get away with? In that long. They’ve brought together

“THIS IS THE MOST FUN THING WE’VE EVER DONE”

16 Upset

the very best of Conjurer and their new-born brutality, and matched with Pijn and their explorative and expansive mindset.

Bestowing these upon each other and the result is as exciting as it is complicated. “[Pijn are] free-flowing - very post-metal, post-rock, long expansive soundscapes and stuff, and Conjurer are very ‘DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH!’, very bash you on the head sort of thing,” comments Dan. Sound aside, the ways of each bands working couldn’t have been

more opposite. Conjurer create songs step by step, picking apart each facet, curating notes to fit in the right spaces. “The four of us go away, we’ll write whatever bits we have, we’ll tab it up, and we’ll email each other,” Dan explains.

Pijn, meanwhile, are as you’d expect a band who craft soundscapes that feel like a journey around the musical spectrum. “I think for us it was quite natural, but I guess because the whole ethos of Pijn is supposed to be that. It’s more of a collective than a band,” Nick nods

to the collaborative side.

“A lot of that is semantics because we’re still people playing rock music in a band setting, but we’ve had a lot more of a collective, revolving door policy.

Some shows we’ll have four members and some we’ll have seven, so even the band itself, for us, is semi-collaborative and open for outside ideas.”

Indeed, the project they’ve come together to create is expansive. A combination of both bands strengths, but the most crucial element is what

they’ve taken from each other particularly for Dan and Conjurer.

“I know after doing all this stuff it’s made me look at Conjurer’s new material in a very different light,” he admits. “It’s made me think about how I want to approach that stuff in a different way. It’s all been very, very strange but ultimately very positive.”

He’s specifically noting the Pijn way of free-flow, collaborative thinking, something Nick jokingly assumes when he enquires as to what Dan mentioned. For him, and the other members of Pijn, it was a more resolute point.

“There was a point when we were recording the album, that this is the most fun thing we’ve ever done. We’ll probably all then go back to making our very, very serious punk faced metal bands and have no fun again. But it’s a weird kind of island of ‘this is really wholesome and joyous’ it was great.”

And with some sage words for any other alternative bands who might be in two minds about whether or not to slide into another’s DMs, they have this to offer.

“It just goes to show that if you take a punt on these things; if bands do just hit each other up and be like, let’s give it a go,” Dan reasons. “If it’s bad, you don’t have to do it, and if it’s great then, wow!

That’s why we’re surprised and how well this has gone. It’s turned out much better than we thought it would, and now we’ve recorded it, and we’re putting it out.”

And as for Nick’s point of view: “There’s only ever anything positive, and I think it’s weird that metal and rock are the only genres to not.”

“Pop songs - every other song has got ‘featuring somebody else’, hip-hop, every other genre is people coming together and collaborating, and it’s all the better for it. I don’t know why heavy music is stuck in its way of repeating the same thing over and over. It seems daft to me.” P

Pijn and Conjurer’s album ‘Curse These Metal Hands’ is out now.

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Everybody

Hurts Words: Linsey Teggert.

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Cultdreams’ second record ‘Things That Hurt’ is a work of reflection and reinvention. It’s the sound of a band who have grown in confidence, both personally and sonically. Shedding their previous identity has allowed the duo to widen their scope, which has resulted in an album that’s bigger in every way.

know what you’re doing with your equipment and your songwriting, it’s going to sound way better.”

Given the hugely accomplished finished product, it’s hard to believe that ‘Things That Hurt’ started its life over WhatsApp conversations, with Lucinda and Conor living in separate countries.

“Conor lives in Belgium, and we essentially wrote the whole record over WhatsApp,” explains Lucinda. “I’d just got back off tour with Nervus, it was Christmas, and I didn’t have anything to do so I started demoing a few ideas “The new band name definitely Conor and myself had had the last suits our new material more, and I time we saw each other, which was think you sort of reinvent yourself four months prior. I turned these every time you make a new record,” into songs, and we sent stuff back says guitarist and vocalist Lucinda and forth with Conor doing noodly Livingstone. “We’ve decided we’re guitar demos on a little pink going to change the band name Fender kid’s guitar.” for every single When it came record now,” to recording, jokes drummer Cultdreams Conor Dawson. returned to Leeds “Though I think to work with Bob our label Big Cooper, who Scary Monsters also produced would probably the ‘SAD’ EP CONOR DAWSON murder us!” and their debut “The album ‘Seafoam’. With less majority of people have been pressure the second time around, very supportive, but anyone who they found themselves with the says our old name was cooler… freedom to experiment. Fewer is wrong,” adds Lucinda. “We time constraints gave them time wouldn’t expect everyone to to breathe rather than hammering understand it, but hopefully out the same instrument five days it might better someone’s in a row. understanding about what is okay The decision to not hold to use culturally or not. If not, they anything back is reflected in shouldn’t listen to us anymore, and ‘Things that Hurt’, which at that’s fine.” times is so much bigger than its There’s a sense of liberation predecessor that it feels positively at play throughout ‘Things That cavernous. The Riot Grrl influence Hurt’, and that’s in part down to and fuzzy shoegaze sonics are the duo becoming more selfstill present, but Cultdreams assured in their abilities. “We’ve have embraced soaring post-rock got to a point where we know what aesthetics. There are also some we’re doing and what we want our killer riffs, like the sludgy, downrecords to sound like, and we’re and-dirty opening of ‘Repent, in a place where we can make it Regress’. happen,” says Conor. “We had Praised for their bold, the confidence to take a few more unflinching explorations of serious risks, and it was about knowing issues such as depression, sexual how to take those risks. If you want harassment and misogyny on to do something ambitious but ‘SAD’ and ‘Seafoam’, ‘Things That don’t know how to do it, you’re not Hurt’ is no less hard-hitting. “For going to pull it off, whereas if you me, lyrically, I’m proud for saying

“WE HAD THE CONFIDENCE TO TAKE A FEW MORE RISKS”

everything I wanted to say without making anything into a metaphor to mask what I was saying. I think I’ve done this in the past, but this time everything is much more straight up,” says Lucinda.

Matching the broader scope of the sound, this record sees Lucinda take a step back from herself, reflecting upon what has passed.

“A lot of the lyrics on this record are a reflection on either things in my personal life, or seeing outside of that. It’s fair to say that half of the record is about dealing with grief and loss in different ways and realising how that affects your life.

Though I feel like it’s more outside of my own head this time, and a lot of the feelings of grief and loss can be applied to our political climate and the country we’re living in.

Brexit is a huge loss for us, and it’s worrying being in a band that lives in two different countries.”

The first single released from the new record, the sublime ‘We Never Rest’, features guest vocals from Katie Dvorak and David F. Bellow of The World Is A Beautiful Place…, who Cultdreams have previously toured with. “More people should get their mates to sing on things!” laughs Lucinda.

“It’s so nice, and then when you play festivals together you can all sing on each other’s songs!”

Without a doubt, these collaborative efforts and the sense of community Cultdreams share with other bands has made them stronger, particularly the bond they share with Nervus and Milk Teeth. “I like that I joined Nervus and Em joined Milk Teeth because what’s happened is our three bands have become conjoined forever in this amazing supportive way,” says Lucinda. “I feel like my confidence has grown just by hanging out with Nervus and playing shows with them - Conor and myself are quite awkward people, but they’re making me feel more confident on stage. It’s been really nice to feel so loved and supported. There’s only ever going to be good things to come from that.” P Cultdreams’

new album ‘Things That Hurt’ is out now.

Upset 19

Riot_

Everything you need to know about...

Northlane’s

new album ‘Alien’

Billed as the most personal statement of their career, Northlane’s fifth album ‘Alien’ has landed. Vocalist Marcus Bridge lets us in on some behind-the-scenes titbits from the studio.

The instrumental side of ‘Alien’ was tracked in Western Sydney in the same studio that Hollow Existence was recorded. The

vocal tracking took place at Electric Sun Studios. On top of Discoveries being engineered there, I have a lot of history with the place, having recorded there with a previous band almost ten years ago.

The vocal break leading into the final breakdown of ‘Talking Heads’ was taken from a live performance late last year. We

tried tracking it in the studio, but it didn’t feel natural. The take you hear on the record came from a live performance while trialling the song in Europe and captures that breathless, raw energy that

20 Upset

the part needed. Also in ‘Talking Heads’, after the first chorus, the guitar is pitch-shifted lower. In order to get even more weight and clarity behind the pitch shift, we recorded those guitar parts through a bass cab.

The chorus you hear in ‘Bloodline’ today was actually the first version we wrote but selfproducing a record means you can try whatever you want, for better or worse. In this case,

we just confused ourselves. We wrote 10-15 different versions of the chorus with alternate lyrics and melodies, but they never felt right. Almost 18 months later, we reverted to that original chorus.

It taught us to trust our instincts and not over-think things if they

feel right.

During the ‘Alien’ recording sessions, we stayed in the Airbnb from hell. There was black mould

along the skirtings and this damp smell that you couldn’t escape.

We complained at the end of our stay, but the owner tried to turn it back on us saying that “no-one else had ever complained and that we didn’t clean up after ourselves” which we most certainly did.

Once or twice a week, Josh [Smith, guitar] would cook dinner for everyone and take a special request from each of us. One night I asked for seitan

buffalo soldiers, and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. He made some crazy stuff during our time in the studio; the man can cook! P

Northlane’s album ‘Alien’ is out now.

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Riot_

Radiation Long Beach, NY’s Oso Oso seemingly came from nowhere to dominate many end of 2017 lists thanks to the wonderful and lyrically-dense ‘Yunahon Mixtape’. Now, Jade Lilitri is back with ‘Basking In The Glow’, a quietly infectious, piercingly heartfelt album that is perfect for those lazy summer days where the radiance never entirely fades.

22 Upset

Words: Rob Mair.

Vibes

Fate works in mysterious ways. Just ask Jade Lilitri, the softly-spoken brains behind New York’s Oso Oso. Before the initial low-key release of 2017’s excellent second album ‘The Yunahon Mixtape’, he was booking a tour that could well have been Oso Oso’s final stint on the road. Then ‘Yunahon’ hit the right ears and what could’ve been a farewell swansong became a victory lap.

“You know, I’m a little bit older and a little bit more tired,” he considers, with a nod to his previous life as part of indiepunks State Lines. “I was actually thinking that maybe, after that tour, Oso Oso would just become a recording project – like I’m sure I’d keep putting out EPs and albums – but perhaps only tour once every three years.

“But once we put it out, it started gaining interest from different areas. My friend said ‘I’ll press it for you on vinyl if you want’. Then journalists and bloggers started to get into it via Twitter. Like we got this Fader interview, and there was a Pitchfork review and stuff like that. That all happened so fast.”

In many ways, the digital landscape has proved to be a great leveller for music, making things much more of a meritocracy than they have been for the last 30 years. Good music will always find a home, and this is the world in which ‘The Yunahon Mixtape’ was delivered. First self-released digitally just three days after it was finished in January 2017, it quickly spread via word-of-mouth, ultimately finding its way onto numerous end of year lists.

In this case, fortune favoured the brave, rewarding Lilitri’s faith in the album and belief that it was worth waiting for the right opportunity to come along.

“I guess, initially, I felt like any interest that was there wasn’t really strong interest,” he says. “Maybe it was a little bit of a defeatist

attitude, but I was also kind of five months. Understandably, betting on myself; like ‘OK, this Lilitri finds himself ruminating record is good’. I definitely felt on every decision he made when like we could do something with committing ‘Basking In The Glow’ it, but with the previous records, to tape. the interest was low in terms of “I definitely feel like this inhow many records we’d sell, and between time is rough,” he laughs. the fanbase was smaller. I guess it “With ‘Yunahon’, we finished it and kind of felt like there was no way to then just put it out. There was no prove that the record was worth it.” time to second-guess it and think In hindsight, it was a ‘well, maybe people aren’t gonna fantastically shrewd decision. like this’.

An original vinyl pressing on “I’m super proud of this record, Seal Mountain sold out almost and I’m definitely excited about it,” instantly, while the increased he continues, “but there are days profile allowed him to make the where I wake up and don’t like it jump to respected independent as much as I did the day before. Or Triple Crown for a much larger there are days when I wake up, and pressing run. Once again, it is I love it more than ever.

Triple Crown who provide a home “And maybe it can be rough for for the equally stunning follow-up, the listeners too,” he considers.

‘Basking In The Glow’. It’s a suitably “Maybe you hear a single, and you delicate return, awash with pastel like it, but it’s from a band that shades and bathed in cerulean you’re not too invested in, and you blue skies. It exists in a post-emo listen to it for about a week or two, world – the same space occupied by but then you forget that the album the likes of sensitive is supposed to come indie rockers Death out because it doesn’t Cab For Cutie or The come out for three or Shins, where every four months.” song serves as a Not that Lilitri snapshot frozen in should be concerned.

JADE LILITRI time, beautifully‘Basking In The Glow’ realised and expertly-scored. is an assured follow-up to one of Just like these acts, there are indie-rock’s most outstanding plenty of through-lines between moments of the last five years.

Oso Oso’s records, marrying ‘The Whereas last time there was a Yunahon Mixtape’ and ‘Basking plot and narrative – a response In The Glow’ together and making to the novels and films Lilitri it feel instantly familiar, but was watching at the time – here ambitious enough that it isn’t a everything stands alone, more re-tread. Everything feels brighter autobiographical and personal, but and cleaner, and when it needs to no less rounded. It’s ‘The Yunahon push into overdrive – like on lead Mixtape’ in microcosm yet painted single ‘Dig’ – it does so with gusto. with bolder strokes.

Such ambition might have felt “I hate these songs I sing, this out of place on the more intimate empty drink, do I even give a ‘Yunahon Mixtape’, but here it feels fuck, well, I don’t know,” he sings triumphant. on ‘Basking In The Glow’s title Not that such strides sit too track, still in possession of that comfortably with Lilitri. With underdog spirit that permeated ‘The Yunahon Mixtape’, Oso Oso ‘The Yunahon Mixtape’. Once quietly released it to little fanfare again, when these songs reach almost as soon as it was finished. receptive ears – and there are now The upside of this was that it left plenty more out there – it should Lilitri with little time to dwell on assuage any lingering doubts Lilitri his creation. With ‘Basking In The has over yet another gorgeouslyGlow’, they wrapped in February, defined collection of songs. P Oso Oso’s album ‘Basking In The meaning he’s currently had to live Glow’ is out now. with it for an anxiety-inducing

“I WAS BETTING ON MYSELF”

Upset 23

CRAZY HORSES

Riot_

Words: Alex Bradley. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

You have to go back to December 2017 to find when Pulled Apart By Horses last went on tour. There was a time when the band seemed to be touring constantly as they cut their teeth supporting the likes of Glassjaw, Biffy Clyro and Muse and then playing headline shows in sweaty hotboxes all around Europe in later years. But, bar the odd festival appearance here and the odd one-off show there, its all been pretty quiet from the Leeds lot recently.

But that’s about to change.

In late September, Pulled Apart By Horses will return with 14 small, undoubtedly raucous, shows around the UK and Ireland as they test out new material ahead of their upcoming fifth album.

“We love punishing ourselves,” beams singer Tom Hudson, itching to get back to headlining shows. “If you’ve not got a fucking vein popping out of your head and bleeding tonsils at the end of it then you’ve not done your job properly.”

According to bassist Rob

24 Upset

Lee, the plan for the tour is to play “a few off the first album, a few off the latest album ‘The Haze’ and then concentrate on new material.”

So far, the only new track given an airing is the lively sounding ‘Is This Thing On?’ which got its debut at 2000trees but other than that, this is unchartered waters for Pulled Apart

By Horses; thankfully the theory behind touring the new songs first makes perfect sense.

“We have done it in the past loads where you end up just writing a bunch of songs,” Tom points out.

“Before you really know them, you record them and start touring them, but with the next album, while we are still recording them, we were like ‘let’s just get out there and play them’” Heading into the shows, the band have an album’s worth of songs as demos ready to go, but they also claim to be “on a roll” so aren’t limiting themselves on the new ideas they have to test out. What’s helped that creative process is not recording demos on their phones anymore as now they have their own studio to work in.

Rob describes the

studio as “nothing fancy” but music. with “a decent collection of Tom says: “I think, if anything, mics and gear”; the bassist has with ‘The Haze’ it was let go of all been engineering as well as that shit and get in a room and do playing and, while he says they what we want to do.” could record the next album “The new stuff we are doing themselves, he seems hesitant to that now is a continuation of want to juggle both roles. that same vein. Since ‘The Haze’ Regardless of the plan for we have been through all sorts eventually recording the full in terms of management and in album, the studio, new demos terms of getting a raw deal with and the upcoming tour are all shit, and we have been spat out part of Pulled Apart By Horses of the other side and gone ‘right, taking control again and getting we don’t really have anything to back to basics. worry about’ and just gone in a It all stems from their 2014 room and wrote some music.” album ‘Blood’. Released on Sony From those experiences, and breaking Pulled Apart By the UK Top 40 Horses weren’t Album Charts, going to be on paper defeated and in things didn’t taking a more DIY look too bad approach they’re TOM HUDSON but the reality all a tighter was very group and much different. happier, and that’s reflected in “It was a dark period without the music they’re making. getting too heavy about stuff,” After all, they’re no strangers Rob admits. “I don’t think we to doing it on their own. even realised at the time did “The first demos we did, we we?!” just paid a mate £50 quid to just “And that was just individual record us in a fucking pub. We personal shit that had built up. take it in our own hands,” Tom But, at the same time, we had this points out, while Rob adds: “We cushion of - I wouldn’t say a lot of weren’t one of these bands that money kicking around - but a lot started out immediately, and all of record deals and management of a sudden got a load of fucking and people like that around us. attention and money thrown at A lot of people saying ‘this needs us. It took us a while and building to be a hit’ or ‘you need a chart it up and scraping by so there was album’.” that love for it that went in at the Despite the difficulty, they start, and that’ll never go away, faced recording that third record, and we’ve learnt from that.” the band look on the bright side It’s fair to say they’ve come a too. “It’s really interesting that long way in ten years and thanks you can sense from an album to the experiences they’ve had, the mood that the band was in at they’ve set themselves up for the time. Even if you listen to it another ten years. and go ‘fucking hell, we sounded “Everything is a learning miserable at that point’ at least curve, and you are gonna get a bit it’s kind of honest.” worn around the edges from all Learning quickly from that of that, but it’s good,” concludes album, the return, ‘The Haze’, Rob. was lauded for how free and The results of that learning expressive it sounded with the curve will be released around the four of them keen to continue New Year but the first place, the that feeling in their new album best place, to hear them is live. P Pulled Apart By Horses tour the despite continuing to struggle UK this September and October. with the business side of making

“WE LOVE PUNISHING OURSELVES”

Upset 25

Riot_

Philly pop-punks Grayscale upped sticks and moved to Austin, Texas to ruminate on life in all of its extremes.

The result, new album ‘Nella Vita’, is quite possibly their grandest piece of work yet. Lead vocalist Collin Walsh tells us more.

Hey Collin, what’s ‘Nella Vita’ about then?

It touches on quite a bit. ‘Nella Vita’ is a collection of stories that represent life’s incredible shift between vibrancy and darkness.

There are songs about love, sex, grief, drugs, death and everything in between. I wanted to capture all of the beautiful feelings we experience as humans, good and bad.

It’s the only way I know how.

Writing is the vehicle I feel most honest and comfortable with when trying to express/articulate my feelings. I have a bad tendency to hold in how I feel. I’d like to

Are there any topics you’ve touched on that were particularly hard?

Quite a few actually. I went really deep into trying to understand the perspective and decisions of some people I’ve known in my life – almost like method acting, but with thought. It had me thinking differently and constantly searching for answers in an unsettled mental place, to the point where I felt sort of “stuck” outside of myself. Additionally, I touched on the death of one of my family members in multiple songs from multiple points of view; his name is Tommy.

You’ve got some huge pop moments here, were you looking to take the album more in that direction, or is it just how it panned out?

Just how it panned out. Dallas and I love modern pop and hip-hop as well. Whether it’s the instrumentation or the vocal melody, I think our joint love for pop becomes clear throughout ‘Nella Vita’ in quite a few tracks.

A lot of acts seem to be looking to pop these days, what do you think the genre is doing especially well at the moment?

The simplicity and catchiness of pop is what makes it the most popular style of music in the world. When you look at the history of pop music, you’ll find that repetition and well-placed/ well-timed “moments” in the songs are what makes them so memorable for years to come.

There really is an art to ‘less is more’; people often don’t realise how well pop songs are meticulously calculated to stay in your head.

Would you still describe yourselves as a rock band?

That’s a great question. I do.

However, I think the term “alternative” might be more fitting. We’ve never been hung up on what genre people define us as; we don’t really care much about that at all. We definitely don’t consider ourselves a pop-punk band, but I suppose that’s the fun part – letting people listen and try to figure it out. If we write music that makes it hard to put us into one category, I think that’s a good thing. P Grayscale’s

album ‘Nella Vita’ is out 6th September.

Shades of grey

Words: Sam Taylor. Photos: Jordan Mizrahi.

It feels pretty heavy, what attracted you to writing about life’s difficulties?

think I’m a good communicator, but I suppose I’m less open than I should be when it comes to my own thoughts and feelings.

nothing,nowhere. and Travis Barker have teamed up for a new EP. ‘Bloodlust’ will be released on 20th September via DCD2 / Fueled By Ramen, with lead single ‘Destruction’ streaming now. nothing,nowhere. explains: “Travis has been a huge influence on me my whole life. He is the reason I became interested in tattoos at a young age and was also one of the main reasons I decided to start learning how to play instruments. Working with him was some of the most fun I’ve had making music. it was just an organic process, it reminded me of hanging at a friend’s house when I was younger and just creating to create.”

Selfish Things have announced their debut album, ‘Logos’. “I want people to know that there is strength in your faults,” says frontman Alex Biro of their new material. “It’s just as important to suffer as it is to find moments of joy and happiness. Darkness and light need one another.” The fulllength is due on 29th September via Pure Noise Records, preceded by new single ‘Hole’ - have a listen on upsetmagazine.com now.

27 UPSETMAGAZINE. COM

FIND OUT WHAT YOUR FAVE BANDS TAKE ON THE ROAD. THIS MONTH...

MILK TEETH

Dino, the dinosaur van mascot from Italy.

They’re the ultimate tour companion.

We made them a cape out of a Lindor wrapper.

White Reaper’s ‘The Worlds Best American Band’ is on the stereo at least once every tour. We get to watch them at Reading & Leeds and are super excited.

Ever had to pack for a tour?

You’re gonna be spending weeks in a small, intimate space with several other smelly people and - for hours a day, not a lot to do.

You’re gonna need to be prepared.

That’s why we’ve asked our fave musicians for tips. This month, Milk Teeth let us inside his tour suitcase.

Sarah’s “depression cookies”. Europe do these biscuits that are like chocolate BNs. The best ones are called Captain Rondo. Sarah, who does our merch always has some in the van / by her bed for midnight snacks when she’s sad. They are very comforting and delicious.

Some form of baby wipe or kitchen roll for when somebody inevitably does a big sick.

A decent selection of beverages in every flavour to put in the drinks crate for long drives Milk Teeth play Reading & Leeds from 23rd-25th August.

Upset 27

THE BEST NEW BANDS. THE HOTTEST NEW MUSIC.

WANT A NEW BAND CRUSH? CHECK OUT THIS LOT! >>>

DUNE RATS

PROPER. Newly signed to indie faves Big Scary Monsters, New York trio Proper. have just surprisedropped a new album. It’s very good.

Aussie boys Dune Rats have already scored a Number 1 record at home, and with a new album on the way, they’re set to soon make their mark on the UK. Words: Alex Bradley.

THE CHATS Another band out of sunny Australia - with the mullets to prove it - The Chats are racking up fans with their hilarious and super-relatable punk.

Aussie trio Dune Rats are here for a good time, not a long time.

The garage punk band aren’t plotting to be chart-toppers or world domination but just to have a good time and a cold beer.

Their new single ‘No Plans’ is the first single from their upcoming third album which is due early next year. Guitarist Danny Beaus, drummer BC Michaels and bassist Brett Jansch brought one of the most entertaining shows of this year’s 2000trees and gave us low down on what makes Dune Rats tick, and how to make fish soup...

First off, what is a Dune Rat?

Danny: It was a name given to us by our mate’s dad who always wanted us to get out and do stuff, and we’d always be out in the sand dunes smoking bongs and drinking beers and flirting. And he’d always say ‘catch a wave you bloody Dune Rats’. And when we were first coming up with a name, everyone just said ‘that’s a fucking horrible name’, and then it just stuck.

How did you guys come to meet one another?

Danny: We all worked in a fishing co-op. A fishmonger. Brett was on one of the boats. We were the weighing and scaling station.

Just drinking heaps of beers, hanging out, scaling fish and weighing them up and then thought, ‘fuck could probably play in a band’. Did a couple of nights, quit our fishing jobs and went on Centrelink [benefits] - so you can thank the Australian government.

You literally started at the bottom with the fish guts?

BAKERS EDDY New Zealand-formed bedroom punks Bakers Eddy arrive this summer with new single ‘Can’t Afford It’ - a tune inspired by cheap lentil bolognese. Yum.

“WE TRIED TO WRITE DEEPER SONGS, BUT WE JUST REALISED THAT THEY BLOW”

and take Brett: Yeah!

Can making a themselves good fish soup seriously as though. It’s much as they haddock and want, but cod. they’ve got that Danny: The covered. trick is honey.

I remember my You’ve got to mate’s Dad a few get all of it years ago; when though. The we were starting BRETT JANSCH sweetness... to get a bigger, honey. he was like Brett: Sumac, paprika, honey, ‘why don’t you just try and have a salt, soy, chilli, tomato. Habanero cause or do something’ and I was or grim reaper. like ‘we never started this to be a

Your new album is due early next year, how do you approach making “an album” rather when most of your songs are sub-3 minute singles?

Brett: It’s just 12 of those. If we were to make songs longer than 3 minutes, that would be the end of us, I reckon. We just spew out an idea, and the song is that.

Danny: There is a huge part of the world today where they get nine writers on a song, and they’ll write the lyrics, verse, riffs, and you can tell that’s how it’s composed. So I guess when that brain fart of that song exhausts itself then we just slap it down, but we have got some fun shit on [the new album].

Brett: I think we tried to write deeper songs, but we just realised that they blow.

Danny: There are bands who have that covered. Adele did a pretty good job. Celine Dion. Who’s the new guy? Lewis Capaldi, he’s funny.

So the point is to just have fun then, right?

Danny: It’s well within everyone’s right to be outspoken politically

cause or a spokesperson’.

Our spokesperson is for cunts to come and have a good time, listen to a band and enjoy themselves, and not have to get preached to.

You should also be allowed to play music just for the fucking fun of it. Spit on each other.

Get your small penises out or whatever - on stage, not in the crowd.

Do you ever think about the longevity of doing that?

BC: I think we have already surpassed whatever we were going to do so anything else is just a bonus.

Danny: We are in the cream section. You’ve got that milk, and then there’s that cream. Basically, you’re a bit stale.

Danny: Hahaha! Pasteurised.

Then you can get back to the fish guts?

Danny: Yeah! There is plenty more waiting?! Plenty more fish in the sea... for now, until global warming, you fucking dogs. Oh! We are politicised! That’s why bands do it; it’s a rush! Taking on big fishing industries. P

Upset 29

Heaven

and

back 30 Upset

Chase Atlantic are going places. And so are we. Heading over to New York City for a huge headline show in support of their brand new, future baiting album ‘Phases’, we discover a band revelling in their own creativity.

Words: Ali Shutler.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

Upset 31

“Nobody’s ever said to us that we’re going to amount to nothing. No one’s ever said that we can’t do this,” starts Christian Anthony before Mitchel Cave breaks into a smirk. “And if they come up to us now, it’s too late. They missed their chance. We’re here now, in this room, about to play the biggest headline show we’ve ever played.

Sure, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not the biggest thing in the world, but for us it.”

and feel like this growth is normal, but it’s really not. Natural progression doesn’t really happen this rapidly; we’re not part of that blow-up culture. We haven’t got hype around our name, and we haven’t caused controversy.”

They’ve just worked hard, fast and honestly.

“We certainly haven’t been one of those bands that’s just blown up overnight with one hit or something,” continues Christian.

“It’s been a long, hard road. Maybe we’ll still have that breakout moment, but what we’re doing now is working for us. So we’re just going to keep doing it.”

“If we keep at it and keep working, eventually we’ll have 100,000 people at a show,” adds Mitch with a look in his eye that means you wouldn’t bet against it.

Their music demands attention, They’re not alone in that belief. building worlds as it goes while their Tonight Chase Atlantic play a soldfanbase is dedicated but welcoming. out show at New York’s Webster Hall Laura Sanderson has been touring for 1300 people. It’s the second to with Chase Atlantic for the past five last date of a 5 week, 29 show tour weeks, and tonight, she could be built around new album ‘Phases’. headlining based on the reaction Their parents have flown out from her skate park pop receives. She’s Australia to see them. become one of them. As for the Nine months ago the band were Chase Atlantic, their live show in the city for a show at the 499 barely fits into the venue. capacity Gramercy Theatre. They’ve The production is “larger than spent most of the time since out life, but we wouldn’t change it. It’s of the spotlight, not about money or the working on that cost,” reasons Mitchel. new record but “If we wanted to make still, everything’s money on tour, we’d gotten bigger. It’s just put up a banner the same story and play the songs in everywhere they front of that.” go. “Everything’s Instead, they’ve got doubled, some an ever-shifting flurry things have of lights, video screens, tripled, it’s crazy. co2 cannons… the We’ve only been works. You could take touring America it into a room much for two years CHRISTIAN ANTHONY bigger than this one, really,” continues and it wouldn’t get lost.

Mitchel. “These “We want to make shows are so much bigger than it an experience. You go to a limited anything we’ve ever done. Even amount of shows in your life,” so when we’ve supported other bands, why not make them the best they it hasn’t been at shows this big. It can be for your audience. “The feels very surreal. It’s felt like a long shows that we’ve seen that have process, but in retrospect, it’s been inspired us the most are the ones quick. that have the most impact. ‘I will “It’s easy to become complacent remember this forever because it

“WE HAVEN’T JUST BLOWN UP OVERNIGHT, IT’S BEEN A LONG, HARD ROAD”

32 Upset

was actually very cool and it wasn’t just me going to see an artist that I liked’. It’s that extra mile that differentiates a show from an experience.”

Last year saw the band at the tail end of an eighteen-month stint on the road. “That was the biggest investment of our lives,” Mitch continues. “There are not a lot of artists out there that are willing to make that kind of commitment - and we made it by mistake; we accidentally committed to that many shows.

“We weren’t told we were playing that many shows. If we were, we would have said no,” promises Christian. “I’m just thinking about us sitting at home in Silver Lake all those years ago with some A&R guy, having never played a show and calling my parents and telling them ‘this guy says we’re going to play Madison Square Gardens next year’. And we believed him.” But no, it doesn’t happen overnight.

“You’ve got to put in the work, and you’ve got to go year by year.”

“And we did put in that work,” beams Mitchel. “Even if it was by accident.”

Despite the leap, this run of shows has felt “so comfortable,” Clinton Cave explains. “I can’t remember the last time we did feel uncomfortable onstage though. Maybe it was a big festival like Bonnaroo or Reading & Leeds where there’s like, 10,000 kids. That’s when it’s scary because it’s not your show.”

Plus, the Chase Atlantic computer loves to break at festivals.

“You have to prove yourselves at festivals,” adds Mitch. “From the shows we’ve played on this tour previously, it led up us being assured with a sold-out crowd this size. If this were the first night of the tour, we’d be freaking out. We don’t really need to prove ourselves here.

They’re singing every word.

We’re not winning the crowd over,” because they’re already on the same side.

Upset 33

There’s an ambition to Chase Atlantic. They come from the generation of kids who were told they could do anything they wanted, but not how. They’ve had to find their own way forward, crossing boundary lines that have worn down by the likes of Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco and Paramore. “It’s just how has culture shifted. It’s cool to be pop now. The musicians that came before us set that tone.” They share the same sort of fanbase that’s made superstars of Billie Eilish, The 1975, Twenty One Pilots and Waterparks, all bright colours, belief in their gang and unpredictable next steps. They sing without shame of issues of the head and the heart. They’ve got nothing to hide.

“I guess the next venue we’d play here is the PlayStation Theater and then I guess it’s Madison Square Gardens,” Clinton offers, which causes Christian to remember: “I had a dream last night Jay-Z came and gave us a million dollars just to keep playing Madison Square Gardens.”

34 Upset

“It’s an enticing offer, but it’s really not worth it,” adds Mitch.

Sorry, Jay. It’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of things when they’re moving so fast, but Chase Atlantic aren’t gazing skywards.

The next thing can wait.

“We’re not going to approach this show thinking, we’re going to do better next time,” promises Mitch. “I will remember this show for the rest of my life, forever and always. We’re sitting here like we expected this to

happen, but we absolutely didn’t expect it to happen. At all. When we saw these rooms getting booked, we thought if we get 400 people in the room with us, that’ll be good. We saw Webster Hall, and it scared us. But now it’s sold out.

“It’s important to appreciate the shows and really get a deep involvement with them.

You’ve got to try and hold on to the memories you make here because you never know what’s going to happen in the next six

months. It’s just really important to really grasp the moment. Seize the day. Carpe diem.”

“Seize the fish,” smiles Christian.

Written about their lives and drawing aesthetic inspiration from the film The First Man, ‘Phases’ is an album about space.

Kind of.

“That’s a great movie, and the sound design is just crazy,” offers Clinton. “The emptiness of the soundtrack, it felt like we were stuck in that spaceship as well. It felt like we were shooting for the moon and anyone can die, which is a bit like what we’re doing, but hopefully, we don’t die. We were just very inspired by that, but we didn’t want to make it tacky. Space can be tacky, so we tried to do everything around space without really mentioning the word.”

“It’s not like we’re singing ‘I’m going to go to the moon, you’ll never see me again’,” Mitchel reflects. “It was more of an aesthetic thing to bring it together rather than let’s make an album about space.” “’Phases’ is “the first time we’ve ever intentionally made a body of work. It’s not just a collection of songs we decided to put together. The EP was conceptualised, but we grabbed the songs that we thought were going to work best and our debut album, that was just every song we thought was good plus what our record label was telling us was good. That was also three years of writing.”

‘Phases’ took six weeks.

“There’s never going to be a right time to make an album.

The wrong time is the best time because that’s when everything’s going to be as honest and as raw as possible.

There’s no dilly-dallying or waiting for the right songs to

come about. You have to commit to the process and just do it.”

The album “is open to interpretation,” explains Mitchell. “The whole thing. We’re not exactly honed into what our message is when we make music, it’s a creative outlet. We’re predisposed to creating music with such a broad interpretation because we really have no agenda.”

people time to figure it out.”

It’s been the same for Chase Atlantic, but it feels like things are falling into place.

“We’re always growing,” explains Christian. “The music is always growing, and the fans are growing with us. We mature, and some of the lyrical content becomes more personal, but we’ve always been an honest band. It’s definitely changed in a unique direction this time though.

It’s a step forward, but it keeps that true authenticity of what Chase Atlantic is.”

“WE’VE NEVER BEEN A PREACHY BAND; WE DON’T REALLY HAVE THE ANSWERS TO ANYTHING” MITCHEL CAVE

“[The title] is bold and vague enough for it to be interpreted in every kind of way. Phases of the moon, phases you go through in life. Creating a body of work is a phase. Everything in life really is a phase that you go through, it changes you, and you evolve.”

“At first I thought I was boring, but now it makes sense,” adds Clint. “It took me half an hour or so to get it. ‘Phases’ is one of those albums that will grow on you. At first, it’ll seem different or not what everyone was expecting, but you’ll end up loving it. You’ve just got to give

While they were still in school, Mitchel

and Christian were in the X Factor formed band What About Tonight that saw them support One Direction, and the pair did covers on Youtube, exploring their voices and what it’s like to show different sides to yourself. That world was never for them, though - too many expectations and not enough freedom.

The Cave brothers, who grew up studying jazz and classical music, would continue to use the platform to explore sound, voice and direction. After reconnecting with Christian, Chase Atlantic formed in 2011.

The band has never been about

Upset 35

grabbing the spotlight or making sure the camera is focused on them, though.

“It’s nice to perform, but I’ve always just wanted to make music. It’s a safe thing.

You sit behind a computer and write songs,” starts Mitchel, as Christian admits: “I forgot we had to tour. We just never toured when we first started out.”

It was never about being seen.

It was about being heard. An outlet to work through storms in head and heart, Chase Atlantic was always an outward-looking vessel, driven by the hope that they’re not the only ones feeling this way.

‘Don’t Try This’, the EP released at the start of the year, is an aggressive, boisterous freefall that sees the band try to hold themselves together with excess, escapism and attempts to numb the pain. “Here’s an EP about drugs with the disclaimer, ‘don’t try this’.” The title is a warning that it doesn’t work, so ‘Phases’ sees them out to find another way.

A brighter way.

“We’ve never been a preachy band,” says Mitchel. “We’re not trying to give a message or push an agenda politically, emotionally or anything like that. We don’t really have the answers to anything. We have no resolution to the issues that we deal with in the music. We’ve got no idea. Music is our creative outlet. It’s all very personal and anecdotal.”

“We’re telling people how we deal with things, not necessarily how they should deal with things,” adds Clinton. “We’re telling people we go through the same stuff they do without telling them what to do about it. We’re just sharing what we did or didn’t do right. We know we can’t offer a resolution. We’re still trying to figure it out for ourselves.”

“And that’s what works as well.

People don’t necessarily want a resolution, they just want to know that there’s someone else out there going through something similar to them. Sometimes

36 Upset

“WE’RE LIKE AN ANGSTY, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION CLUB THAT PEOPLE CAN JOIN IN WITH WHENEVER THEY LIKE” CHRISTIAN ANTHONY

relating to someone is enough for you to feel like you know how to deal with it.”

“We’re like an angsty, anxiety, depression club that people can join in with whenever they like,” adds Christian.

“But we like to make catchy music,” reasons Mitchel.

When was the last time you heard a song as infectious as ‘Angels’ with the lyrical bluntness of “I’m starting to get anxious, nobody told me I’d be lonely when I’m famous”?

“Obviously I’m not famous, I should change the lyrics to semisuccessful,” grins Mitchell. “It’s important, I think, to have that little bit of depth and personality to it. Let’s have that honesty, but let’s make it sound cool.

“Everyone can resonate with a simple, realistic lyric. We don’t try and conceptualise the lyrics by pushing a message or an

agenda. A lot of UK music is very politically-based right now. Look at Yungblud, he’s talking about The Man and parents not always being right. It’s a very pushy, forward-moving culture. We feel bad because we don’t have the mentality to be like, ‘ok, we have something to tell you so listen up’. But that’s the beauty of Chase Atlantic. It’s just direct. There’s no beating around the bush.”

Throughout ‘Don’t Try This’ and ‘Phases’ there are references to drugs and addiction. It’d be easy to accuse the band of being a bad influence, but you’d be underestimating just how smart their audience is. They’re not going to start shooting up with diamorphine just because it’s mentioned in ‘Heaven & Back’.

With the world crumbling around them, a band mentioning it in a song is right down the list of reasons kids might be using

opioids.

“We’re not condoning drug use. I mean, there was a whole EP called ‘Don’t Try This’,” offers Christian. “’Heaven and Back’, ‘Stuck In My Brain’, all the ones that have overt references to drug use are always going down a negative path. It’s never positive.”

It’s never glorified, just echoed as a sad fact of being young and alive.

“People act so surprised by it. It’s not like Marilyn Manson hasn’t been doing it for the past 34 years, or The Beatles did it way back when. Everybody’s been doing it, we’re just talking about it directly.”

That attitude is one of the reasons they’ve forged such a connection with their audience.

Their music offers an escape, but painted with the unashamed everyday, their struggles with anxiety, depression and general feelings of hopelessness are given very real weight.

“It sounds cliché, but I guess the music itself is the drug we’re giving out. It’s the experience of escape. Fans pick up on that, they

say the drug is Chase Atlantic, which is cool.”

“People have our lyrics tattooed on them, or they tell us that they connect with what we’re singing about,” says Mitchel.

“That’s always been a thing people have told us. And we’re still surprised by it; we didn’t anticipate it, we didn’t plan it out.

We’ve always just had the notion to succeed, and I guess we went out on a limb by being as honest as we could. But it worked, and it keeps working.”

‘Phases’ is a lonely record.

It sounds isolated. “It’s complicated, but I’m in the mood to spill my brains to you,” admits the first proper track ‘Angels’.

Alone and losing signal, it’s desperate to hold onto some sort of connection. ‘Phases’ wrestles with it all. Losing faith but keeping belief. Wanting to be left alone but knowing that’d be the worst. Panic attacks, anxiety and a fear of the future, it’s a record about feeling abandoned but hoping, deep down, you never truly are.

And live, that energy changes completely. Chase Atlantic are so excited by it all, they can’t help but shout the words. “See, I would give my soul away not to feel this,” admits ‘StuckInMyBrain’.

“Struggle with it every day, it’s like an illness. I just sit and lie awake, I’m on some real shit.

Looking for a great escape, I might jump off a building.” A song very blatantly about depression, live it erupts.

“It’s very rewarding to hear people sing lyrics like those back in a way that they weren’t intended to be sung,” offers Mitchel. “The whole room is singing it and seeing that, it’s like standing in front of a mirror and talking yourself down from a panic attack. The fact is we shouldn’t be smiling when we’re playing that song, but we are. It’s therapy in itself to be able to say how you’re feeling on a record, and then have a whole room of strangers sing it back to you because they understand you,

that helps.”

“Being able to go out, play music and connect with people, that’s what keeps us inspired,” starts Christian, who wants people to take “whatever they want” from their music. “We will never tell people how to perceive us. Or how they should think of us. It’s all up to them.”

The power is in their hands, and there’s no end in sight.

“You get more confident with experimenting because people are still listening. People are still coming to shows. We’re always growing into our own shoes as musicians. If we want to make 80s music, we’ll make 80s music. If we want to make like a trap song, we’ll make a trap song. We don’t want to box ourselves in and have people say ‘oh, I was disappointed in this record because I expected this from you’. If we just show our diversity now with our first and second album and show people what we can do, no one can really come back and lecture us about how we’ve changed.”

“I’ve got no idea where we’re going to go next though,” grins Mitchel. “We honestly don’t know, and that’s the beauty of it. We have no idea musically what’s going to happen next, and that keeps us inspired. If you know what you’re going to do, you’re limiting yourself already. We have no idea what we’re going to do next, and that’s the fun of it. We’ve made twenty instrumentals on this tour already, and that can all be conceptualised into a new body of work if we wanted. Or we could take 5 of them and put them into an EP. There have been multiple off days we’ve had this tour where we’ve pulled up at the hotel, and we’ve sprinted into the hotel to make some music. It’s just fun to create. And it’s therapy for us.

I just want to prove what we’re capable of in the most authentic way. It’s never going to stop.” P

Chase Atlantic’s album ‘Phases’ is out now. They tour the UK this November.

Upset 37

Smile Wide

Words: Steven Loftin.

Photo: Elliott Ingham.

It never hurts to be ambitious.

Everyone wants to make a mark on the world, and you definitely can’t blame ‘the bands’ for wanting to step their game up on each new album, trying to find that ‘thing’ that’ll make them stand out. For ROAM, their third outing into the world, ‘Smile Wide’, is just that - an ambitious approach into becoming a band with a sound rather than “just another pop-punk band, or another band doing that thing,” as vocalist and guitarist Alex Adam puts it.

awareness and start to pick up the pieces and what it is that you need to take control of your life, to make yourself feel better. That’s the main journey of the album.”

Unafraid to get into the ins and outs of what happened, he continues: “We’ve been messed around by management so many times. [We] had to fire [them] because there were just absolutely rinsing us for the things we didn’t need, and spending all of our money.”

While the situation was far from ideal, the one thing it did bring upon ROAM is a unity in the new material Alex was piecing together for ‘Smile Wide’. “Everyone had a bit of this feeling in them, whether it had materialised in the rest of their lives or not,” he explains.

While ‘Smile Wide’ may be built “This record, to me, feels super from this centrally focused idea, personal because there are some it also stems from another facet of deep references, but in the same both being in a band, and life itself way, everyone in the band relates, - control. which is a rare thing.”

“There were a Trying to put all of lot of things that I this into a record that wanted different felt representative of for myself,” Alex the ROAM Alex and explains. “I wanted co. wanted was the a lot of change most natural part. in my life, and I Heading out to “the realised that the middle of nowhere” things I wanted deep within Austin, changing weren’t Texas, the band, with necessarily things the help of producer I could change at Machine (Lamb of that point. There ALEX ADAM God, Fall Out Boy), was a lot of career set to work piecing stuff, money stuff a new sound together. One of the - issues that affect everyone. It was real catalysts for this decision was very much an ‘Oh shit, I’m going retrospective upon their current to work as hard as I can, but there back catalogue. are some things that are out of my “The first album [2016’s control’.”

‘Backbone’] for us was us trying Many of these thoughts to be something, and I don’t know appeared once Alex found himself that it necessarily came across some respite from the world of that well because I do think it was ROAM, and a moment to breathe. a little disingenuous,” he admits.

“There are some things that you don’t realise until you sit down and “I love those songs, but listening think about it and go ‘shit, I’ve been back now it doesn’t feel like us as people.” taken advantage of here’.

“Maybe it was us as people at the “I was like, I’m not totally secure time, but now it doesn’t feel like in my life, which is fine, but there’s that. And the second album [2017’s not a lot I can do about it. That’s ‘Great Heights & Nosedives’], I the thing that got to me, and that’s think that was a really solid album, where a lot of the emotion in the but to me, it felt like it maybe was songs comes from. You get that

“I SENT THE ALBUM TO MY GIRLFRIEND, AND SHE TEXTED ME LIKE, ‘ARE YOU OKAY?’”

just ‘of the time’, I don’t know that it’s necessarily the most original album in the world. I think it’s a great album, the songwriting really stepped up, and I’m proud of it, but you could’ve probably put a different vocalist on it, and no one would’ve questioned it.”

Which is where ‘Smile Wide’ finds its confident approach; it’s ROAM finding their feet. Going forward, Alex wants to “be listening to a band that’s just come out and be like, ‘oh they’re ripping off us!’

Rather than just another pop-punk band.” It’s these assertions, with heads held high, that show ROAM aren’t going to take anything lying down.

“Yeah, it’s cathartic, but it’s not been dealt with entirely yet,” he says of the fallout from the past couple of years. “The weirdest thing is I didn’t know I felt like that, and then I sent the album to my girlfriend, and she texted me like, ‘are you okay?’ She listened to the lyrics and was like, ‘what’s going on?’”

“It’s not anything super over the top serious, but when she said that I read back through it with fresh eyes, because I didn’t realise when I was writing them that’s how I was feeling, and that’s how it came out.

I know that sounds super cliché and like, ‘Yeah man, it just flowed out’, but it was just writing lyrics to me.”

One thing none of this makes ROAM, however, is naive. They’re astutely aware that music will drain you of everything if it gets its claws into you. “I mean, I love it, but there are so many things with that lifestyle that are uncertain,” Alex pauses reflectively.

“That brings this feeling, and obviously everyone feels it to a different extent, but it comes with the lifestyle. There’s huge uncertainty. [It’s] like playing the lottery every day of your life and never winning, but always being like ‘Ooh, we’re close to winning this time!’ It’s just the way it is.”

Fingers crossed ‘Smile Wide’ is the winning numbers, then. P

ROAM’s album ‘Smile Wide’ is out 6th September.

Upset 39

How it feels to be lost...

Words: Beth Casteel.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

It’s been a whirlwind few years for Sleeping With Sirens.

After signing with major label Warner Bros. Records and releasing fifth studio album ‘Gossip’ under their newly-inked deal back in 2017, it looked like they were in an enviable position. However, not everything was as it seemed...

The album run lasted a just over a year, a time in which they had to not only deal with the constant pressures of life on the road but some inner demons that could have

Upset 41

potentially put them on hiatus.

They were riding high, yet also at a low point going into their next album, ‘How It Feels To Be Lost’, which saw another label jump to Sumerian Records.

The record in and of itself marks a new era for the band, who spent the better part of this recording process trying to figure out where they should go next.

According to the band’s vocalist, Kellin Quinn, trying to determine what they needed to do as a collective, and individually, was necessary.

“It’s natural to evolve because you’re growing,” he explains. “Our band has grown up with our fans, [the] spotlight and stuff like that.

That was one of the initial reasons this record turned out the way it has; a huge part of me was coming to grips with that and dealing with getting older and finding out who I am. A lot of people get that opportunity behind closed doors, but I’ve had to figure that out in the spotlight.

“Figuring out like, do I still want to do this when it comes to making a record and touring? If I do want to do this, I need to give it 100 per cent. I felt like I was letting go of the wheel in the last few years. It was kind of me taking that power back, understanding my faults and my strengths and just building upon it.”

He continues: “I’ve evolved a lot. Just being honest when it comes to music is what’s going to make a great record; that’s been our evolution, just being honest and making the best work out of that.”

Coming off an album cycle that had a lot of ups and downs meant this recording was one for the books. The process was made easier by their manager’s office doubling as a recording studio, so whenever they had the time to fly out to Los Angeles for a couple of weeks, they’d book the flights and go.

“It made it nice,” Quinn reflects, “because we could go to the studio for a couple of weeks

42 Upset

and then we could go home and listen to the songs and decide if we thought it would make the record or to see if we needed to go back and do solo. We did that a couple of times until we got all the songs we wanted.”

The songs that the five-piece eventually arrived at were on the heavier side, a decision that came from experimentation.

The band can play to a whole slew of genres, whether it’s the “pop acoustic stuff” that Quinn dabbled in when he was growing up or guitarist Jack Fowler’s love of trying a little bit of everything.

The key to creating a record this time around was finding what style suited them best.

“We wanted to go in there and play to our strengths this time,” Quinn explains.

“Whenever we came up with a riff that seemed pretty heavy, my initial thought was, ‘How do we make this heavier? Let’s try it’.

“People have always talked about us being heavy. I never really considered us a heavy band,

but this record was a statement; like, ‘Okay, if you want a heavy Sleeping With Sirens record, we’ll give you one’. And it was a lot of fun to do.”

During ‘How It Feels To Be Lost’’s production, the band made headlines with a tweet was posted by Jack, teasing that they had been working on music reminiscent of a 2012-era Sleeping

wanted to give fans, new and old, a nod to other bands from that era.

“One thing that we were joking about was we would call [this record] ‘Modern 05’ because we grew up on The Used, Underoath - bands like that. So there are little cases on the record that you’ll have to listen for, but we put musical parts in there that are very like classic, core sound things, like old school sounding breakdowns.

“I feel like some of those moments were special to me, so I wanted to bring those back for a new set of ears. One of the things that happened with music around the time we started kicking off, there was this uniform sound that was going on; where there’s like these breakdowns, but they’re like chugs, pick up parts or whatever.

But the things that I loved from older albums were interesting heavy parts. So, we included that in there, and that is what works.”

While bringing back a modern version of the 2005 scene, that doesn’t mean they’re tackling this album the same way bands, including themselves, have done

“IF YOU WANT A HEAVY SLEEPING WITH SIRENS RECORD, WE’LL GIVE YOU ONE” With Sirens sound.

The statement, Quinn is quick to explain, wasn’t entirely inaccurate, though it also wasn’t something they had initially envisioned. Rather than releasing an album reminiscent of their 2010 debut ‘With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear’ or their follow-up, 2011’s ‘Let’s Cheer To This’, they

in the past. This record is more cohesive than previous efforts; whether it’s the constant back and forth between heavy lyrics paired with the breakdowns, to the song titles and album name. It’s all a working puzzle, which is something that took a lot of time to achieve.

Unlike some of their previous endeavours, this album has a keen focus on the flow of each song.

According to Quinn, rather than putting tracks that don’t match up next to each other on the record - he uses their fourth album ‘Madness’ as an example, which featured ‘Kick Me’ soon followed by ‘The Strays’ - they made sure they kept

things clean and uniform.

“Prior to this album, it’s always been like, ‘Let’s do as many songs as we can’,” says Quinn, “and

still have heavy music to them, and that was very important to us. This record is very much in line with what we were thinking.

Getting a group of three or four songs and just building on that. Then for song titles and album titles, those came later.

“Jack has always wanted to do a self-titled album, he’s like, ‘Dude, this has to be a selftitled album’. For me, I always like naming it. If you do a body of work, I feel like it deserves a name and that’s why I think the name ‘How It Feels To Be Lost’ definitely reflects the songs, the lyrics, the sound and all that stuff.”

Opting to take the time to look

“I WAS FORCED TO OPEN UP BECAUSE I WAS STRUGGLING WITH INNER DEMONS”

44 Upset

that’s the collection of songs, where this one is very thought out.

This album is pretty cohesive in that there are a couple of [softer] songs on the record, but they

into how each song flowed into one another musically, thematical issues also came into play. This record deals with a lot of darker, and heavier, lyrics, which grew to be something that took Quinn some time to figure out.

“I was forced to open up because I was struggling with inner demons, like drinking or whatever,” he explains. “This is the first record I have ever done where I haven’t had any drink or anything like that. It allowed me to deal with a lot of shit that I was going through.

“That’s something I’m very happy with because when you can get honest with yourself and you can [deal with] the thing you’re going through, whether it’s hard or you think that people are going to judge you, that’s the best music.

I feel like a lot of people can’t say how they feel, and it’s up to us to kind of express that so that they can listen to it and go ‘this is what

I needed to hear’. I think that’s something this record does very well.”

With this record so personal to Quinn, there’s a clear take away that he wants fans to have after listening to it: they aren’t alone.

“The name of the record, ‘How It Feels To Be Lost’ is a very real thought that happens with a lot of our fans and a lot of people in general. When you’re feeling depressed, or you’re feeling anxious, do you feel like you’re by yourself and you’re dealing with this by yourself?

“I think this message we’re trying to get across is that you’re not dealing with it by yourself and you have people, whether you know our band, speaking our songs to you or the people that are at shows that are like-minded with you. We want to build and keep continuing to build a positive community for people to come and feel accepted and feel

like they can be themselves.”

Once ‘How It Feels To Be Lost’ is officially released into the world, the band’s 2019 plans will mainly be touring, but Quinn also has a future project idea on his mind...

“One thing that I thought would be cool, [is something that] one of my favourite bands [Linkin Park] has done. They put out that re-animation record where they got ‘Hybrid Theory’ and they took different spins on all those songs with guest vocalists. That’s something I’d love to do with this record, go and reapproach these songs, maybe have some of my friends lend their voice to those songs and change it up a bit.

“I don’t know when I’d have time to go into the studio to do that, but that’s something I’ve been thinking about doing for this record. It would be really cool.”

P Sleeping With Sirens’ album

‘How It Feels To Be Lost’ is out 6th September.

Upset 45

“Everyone is full of shit and it’s super funpressing” 46 Upset

was your headspace like at the time?

Rachel: We started writing and arranging it with purpose about a year ago, spring-summer 2018.

Before that, I was not sure we were going to make another album and slowly wrote some songs that were just for myself over the course of two years.

Putting energy into creative things was difficult for a long time. The state of the world just felt like chaos every single day.

It still does. I don’t remember exactly when we decided to make the album, but once we did, I think having that outlet helped me process things in a way that I had been missing.

Did it come together easily?

Brooklyn and Phillybased indie-rock group Field Mouse are back with their third record ‘Meaning’, an album that sees them scrambling to make sense of the world around them.

Rachel Browne (vocals, guitar) and Andrew Futral (guitar) reflect on ‘the state of things’, and creating music out of chaos.

When did you first start working on the album, and what

Rachel: Once we decided that we were going to make another record, certain things fell into place nicely, mostly in the writing process. Andrew and I work really well together, and this was by far the most fun I’ve had writing songs, which is saying a lot. Much of it we did Postal Service-style because we live in different cities now.

Andrew: Personally, I would say nothing about this was easy because we decided to do as much as we possibly could with as little resources as possible. We spent a lot of time on crazy things like a ten-part choir arrangement, and then when the time came for mixing, we were like “let’s keep that REAL low in the mix.” Did we need to do that? Should we not have added more guitar parts than we have guitar players in our actual band? Is that for us to say?

Probably, but it’s up to you.

How was your time in the studio?

Rachel: We worked in a few different places! Drums were recorded at Headroom, where we recorded our last album. Kyle Gilbride engineered those, and for most of the guitars and bass tracks, we worked in his personal

studio out in Delaware County, PA. I engineered most of my own vocals at home in my office, and we recorded the keys in my kitchen for some reason.

Has writing this album made you feel any better about the world?

Rachel: Writing and sharing what I’ve written always makes me feel more connected to the world, if not better about it. I think it would be nearly impossible to feel better about the state of the world right now.

Andrew: HA! I don’t think an album could help that. I think every day I feel less and less of a connection to culture and other people. I think everyone is full of shit and it’s super funpressing, which is a combination of fun, depressing, and a third word with no meaning or spelling.

Were you able to find any of the answers to your questions?

Rachel: Not really. There are a lot of questions that I think are just unanswerable, at least right now.

I certainly was able to find a place of peace in the process of writing these songs, though.

Do you have any idea what you guys are going to musically explore next?

Andrew: What’s the genre where you don’t regret all your life choices? The idea of spending any more time away from my wife and children doing music than I already do really fills me with dread, but then I remember I am actually a single, childless man in my 30s and I briefly feel better.

Honestly, the best part about being a parent is not having kids.

Being able to see my own future in their theoretical eyes shows me my only true chance at a life beyond my own, and it’s really beautiful, or would be, if, you know... P

Field Mouse’s new album ‘Meaning’ is out now.

Upset 47

CLEAREST

BLUE

Words: Steven Loftin. Photos: Gabe Becerra.

48 Upset

Back in 2016, Knocked Loose came through like a runaway freight train with their debut album ‘Laugh Tracks’. Along with it occurred a thunderous earthquake of ambition and promise, the likes that metal/hardcore hadn’t heard for years.

With such defying power, everything seemed within their white-knuckle grasp, but where would they go next? Well, deeper into the subconscious of singer Bryan Garris. Enter, ‘A Different Shade of Blue’.

Speaking with Bryan over the phone, he’s very

Upset 49

reserved. A quiet muller, becoming the antithesis to his Knocked Loose persona who puts a savage voice to the ferocious sounds the band create.

“I’m very, very excited for people to hear what we’ve been working on,” he begins with a drawl. “If people liked ‘Laugh Tracks’ they definitely should like this.”

Being a band with such promise on their shoulders was never a part of the plan for Knocked Loose. But Bryan, along with guitarists Cole Crutchfield and Isaac Hale, bassist Kevin Otten and drummer Kevin Kaine, aren’t ones to shy away from a challenge.

The follow-up, ‘A Different Shade of Blue’ explores precisely what that titular sentiment states. It’s a walk through the last couple of years of Bryan’s experiences of loss.

This approach was an inevitable outcome because, for Bryan, writing is “very therapeutic.” He uses this platform to explore the innerworkings of his mind. Mostly waiting to see what bubbles out of his subconscious, before putting pen to paper and seeing just really how he’s feeling.

“I try to get a lot of things off my chest that I’m not necessarily comfortable talking about to just anybody. Everything is very self-reflective and personal to me. I don’t write about stories or politics; it’s all very much for my own, personal feelings.”

Bryan doesn’t particularly delve into the ins and outs of these elements, but he does openly admit ‘A Different Shade...’ deals with “personal loss, whether it be friendships or people passing away. Anything I’ve been through since ‘Laugh Tracks’ came out.”

Does this mean that when this self-reflection occurs, he uses it as an opportunity to better himself going forward?

“I definitely feel that I grow from it. I’m very grateful for the opportunity that the band has

50 Upset

given me to get these things off my chest because otherwise I wouldn’t have said them,” he mulls.

“Sometimes things come out that I didn’t know I wanted to talk about. I think the best thing an artist can do is be honest and not worry about how people are going to react; sometimes that’s scary, but that’s what I try to do.”

Exposing himself for all the world to see and understand before Bryan’s even had a chance to do that himself, is courageous.

It puts him in an even more vulnerable position - one that he wasn’t quite aware of until it started happening.

“It was really surprising,” he says. “I didn’t think, before

writing the lyrics, that it was going to let a lot of people in.

That was definitely weird for me to get used to; people knowing a lot about me, and asking questions that I don’t know if I was prepared to answer.”

Before any words were committed for ‘A Different Shade…’, there was a pressure looming. Bryan wasn’t “getting usable lyrics until we went into the studio to record,” he confesses.

“I was starting to get stressed out about deadlines, and I wanted to make sure that whatever happened I was happy with it. But once we were actually in the studio, everything started to flow out naturally, and I

started to write a song a day.

Whether I kept them or not, I was still getting a lot of content, and everything started to flow into place.”

It was a similar situation for the rest of the band.

“We had to take a step back and write for us. We needed to make a record we wanted to make and had to get out of our head about it,” Bryan explains. “We were getting to the point of overthinking. We just had to ignore it and write what we liked writing before we worried about what people would think.”

Piecing ‘A Different Shade of Blue’ together was an altogether different experience compared to the live setting they used for

too scared to try in the past.”

Since growing bigger than their scene in Kentucky, moving to the next chapter was another easy decision, but one that required focus on remaining just who they are.

“It stemmed from a personal desire to experiment more,” Bryan states. “We didn’t want to write the same record again because we thought that formula might get boring.”

Boring is certainly not a word associated with Knocked Loose.

‘A Different Shade…’ is a no holds barred affair. It capitalises on everything ‘Laugh Tracks’ brought, and drags it down into the murky darkness filled with chugging guitars and maniacal, demonic screaming.

Not for one moment do you hear any breaking in the formula, even if that promise they rose with a couple of years ago was “a huge surprise” for the five-piece.

“I don’t think any of us thought it would get as big as it did. Everything is still constantly surprising us, but it helped keep us humble. We were just so grateful for the opportunities we were getting, and we wanted to make sure we weren’t taking advantage of anything. Because of that, it’s helped us keep a level head because we still don’t know what to expect going forward.

‘Laugh Tracks’. This is Knocked And in the supremely Loose entering the realms of nonchalant way that decisiveness, only Bryan can say making every it, his views on being move to be as branded one of the dangerous and as most exciting and brutal as possible. genre-driving bands “It’s been for hardcore is one interesting over that’s integral to the past couple of the DNA of Knocked years to see where Loose; Knocked Loose “No, I don’t can exist without necessarily think changing what we’re reinventing Knocked Loose is,” anything. I just think he says. “There’s we’re playing the BRYAN GARRIS so much we can do stuff we like to listen without changing to, and what we want to hear.” the integrity of the band. On P Knocked Loose’s album ‘A this record, we tried a lot of new

“SOMETIMES THINGS COME OUT THAT I DIDN’T KNOW I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT”

things that we would have been

Different Shade of Blue’ is out 23rd August.

Upset 51

Feeling Words: Martyn Young.

Photo: Patrick Gunning.

Fades

The Murder Capital are a band for whom ambition knows no bounds. Barely two years into their existence and the quintet from Ireland have found themselves skyrocketed from the smallest stages of suburban Dublin to an ever-expanding audience, transfixing people young and old with a brutal yet tender punk assault that marks them out as something special.

Frontman James McGovern is the band’s magnetic focal point, and it’s his brooding mystery that provides the lifeblood for The Murder Capital’s dark and twisted world. “We’re trying to capture the complete range of the human experience,” begins James as he sets out The Murder Capital’s mission statement. “We’re trying to incorporate all the things that we experience as young men. In that sense, it can be quite broad.”

There’s a degree of complexity and nuance when you try to analyse the human condition, but it’s a challenge that they embrace on debut album, ‘When I Have Fears’. They have a fiercely uncompromising commitment, and you can hear that throughout the album’s channelling of the bleakest emotions and our most primal reactions.

“The overarching theme is a journey to understanding grief and coming to terms with losing someone,” explains James. The suicide of a close friend in Dublin both gave the band their name as well as inspiring the philosophy that runs throughout everything they do. “It’s about learning to empathise with yourself. For me now, I can look back on it with a bit more clarity.”

It’s a record that challenges and subverts expectations; for example, the way ‘More Is Less’ explores religious conformity and ‘Slowdance 1’s’ murky waltz with the shadow of death. These are grim themes for a grim time.

The music that The Murder “He really cleverly understands Capital create is powered by people’s psychological needs,” a real sense of intensity and says James. “He communicates propulsion. At their most with each individual member energising on thrilling tracks like differently to always get the best ‘For Everything’ their rhythmic out of them artistically. It was a post-punk assault courses through joy to converse with him about life your veins. There’s also a sense and art.” though that they have infinite The album they created is raw, directions they could move in. brutal and incredibly powerful.

There are elements of industrial “We recorded it all to tape live. It and electronic rock that seep in, was always the idea that it would suggesting The Murder Capital be a living, breathing record. It ultimately see themselves as more wouldn’t be polished. When I listen than a punk band. to the record now, it really feels like “We’ve already bought all the a sentient being.” synths for the second album,” In their literary and artistic says James. “We don’t confine inspirations, The Murder Capital ourselves to any idea of what we have lofty beliefs about what a should sound like,” he continues, band can be and the power that as he explains their desire to not be they can hold. They aren’t the only pigeon-holed. ones coming out of the thriving As much as the twisted, grisly punk scene in Dublin, but there’s underbelly of the human psyche a certain allure to The Murder is central to the band’s writing, Capital that makes them stand they recognise that it’s important out. They’re equally charming, to temper the disconcerting and bleakness with just thrilling. One thing the right amount of that’s for sure though light. It’s something is that they mean they do masterfully every single thing throughout the they say and do, right album, especially down to the last drop on the rousing of sweat on stage. highlight ‘Don’t “The things that Cling To Life’. we’re trying to say JAMES MCGOVERN and the things “To just focus on the dark in certain that we’re trying to situations can be short-sighted, or communicate, none of it is a joke,” withhold you from understanding says James, conscious of people on a deeper level,” emphasises who may try to deride the band James. “If you explore the light, for being joyless or overly earnest. then you can understand the dark The Murder Capital aren’t trying to in a different way. It was important tell you how to live your life. Their to expose hope.” music and all the dark-hearted For such a relatively new band intensity that goes into it is here to The Murder Capital have created magnify and allow you to explore a stunning debut statement. The your own thoughts and feelings sound is filled with power and and come to your own conclusions. propulsion, while the words “were “I’m not here to convince written as poetry originally,” anyone to like what we do,” says reveals James, offering up a James confidently. “That’s not my stirring resonance. job. We’re not here to say you need Much of the visceral sound to understand this or you need to is down to the influence of be affected by this. You either are, esteemed producer Flood, who was or you aren’t. I don’t put too much responsible for similar gloomthought into people who don’t get rock masterpieces like Nine Inch it. I don’t care.” P The Murder Capital’s debut album ‘When I Nails’ ‘Pretty Hate Machine’ and Have Fears’ is out now.

Depeche Mode’s ‘Violator’.

“I’M NOT HERE TO CONVINCE ANYONE TO LIKE WHAT WE DO”

Upset 53

Words: Steven Loftin.

Imagine the feeling of a project you’ve poured your blood, sweat and tears into for years slowly begin to fall apart.

You’ve pushed yourself to the limit and explored your most profound creativity. There’s no doubt that this level of self-sacrifice means that when an unravelling starts, it holds even more paralysing fear. When Mallory Knox’s previous frontman Mikey Chapman announced he was leaving last year, for bassist and now-vocalist Sam Douglas, along with guitarists James Gillett and Joe Savins, and drummer Dave Rawling, the future seemed to collapse. But even before then it was tough times.

54 Upset

“It was important for us to know know what the future would be,” he what the future might be,” Sam admits. clarifies the last couple of years for “It came down to the decisions the band. “We knew even if Mikey of us as individuals if this was still had stayed, we’d have been leaving for us. I know that the other three Sony anyway, [who] we’d done our jumped at it straight away, but it did last two records with.” take me a couple more months to Turning to their management to see if my heart was truly in it, so but put the feelers out, it wasn’t soon that did come down to how difficult before they were snapped up by A I’d found it being in the band at the Wolf At Your Door to put out their time. It was a bit of a tricky one.” self-titled fourth record, but with a The day the news of Mikey’s home for their future endeavours departure broke, Mallory Knox, sorted, it still didn’t fix that looming as it remained, decided to release news. “We knew we still had a a new song, ‘Black Holes’. “We future, that was the main thing for could’ve just given people the news us. Without that, I don’t know what that Mikey was leaving and not the future of the band would’ve following it up with something, like been.” let the news twirl and linger around The journey leading to that but we wanted to try and get rid moment was one that was of that talking point as soon as we tortuously drawn out, creating even could by releasing new music,” Sam more angst for Sam, along with the clarifies. “We always knew we were rest of Mallory Knox. going to write a new record.”

“I think, honestly mate, Mallory Understandably, the initial was a tough time for about twelve reaction from many to the band’s months even when Mikey was in vocalist leaving was one that the band so that just made it worse.” assumed Mallory Knox were done He pauses with but the creative force a contemplative hadn’t actually gone breath. “Mikey had anywhere. been making those “The thing that noises for a long gave us all the belief time, and it all just that we could still do kind of came into it because creatively, fruition when we I don’t think Mikey were touring for would mind me ‘Wired’ in Europe saying-” he pauses. with Simple Plan “He was the odd one SAM DOUGLAS and Enter Shikari. out. He probably “It was two contributed the least separate tours, and it was the at times. Sometimes he would come weirdest thing; we’d spent so up with something amazing, I’m not long wanting to play to crowds of saying he didn’t, but you know at two-thousand, three-thousand, the end of the day, all he had was a in Europe and here we were doing microphone. it, and it all just felt so fucking “We all have instruments pointless anyway because we knew and contribute that way, and he’d be leaving.” songwriting has always been my Add on top of that a van crash thing - Mallory Knox has always the band had in 2017, leading to been an idea that I’ve brought to the a somewhat understatement of table; with every single song, it’s “everyone [being] miserable. We always been that way, so nothing were burned out” - Mallory Knox changed. If anything it made me not were due a respite. “I reckon we overthink it as much because when would’ve taken about six or nine I wrote a song, I would have Mikey months out anyway because it in mind, and try and figure out how wasn’t that great in the band but would I make it sound as good for with Mikey leaving it was even him, how would it suit his voice.” worse then because you didn’t There’s undoubtedly an

“IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE MIGHT BE”

56 Upset

unchained element to self-titled.

It’s raw; focusing on the “grittier, heavier side” of things, when before Malloy Knox were aimed toward a “scene-y” kind of sound, but it also feels murkier. Like there’s a catharsis coming out of Sam’s songwriting, something that needed to be said, and it’s certainly more prominent with each and every listen.

“I think that’s maybe what I did with our last record. I tried to force the issue a bit more, and tried to write that big hit that would take us to the next level or that song that I thought other Mallory fans would want to hear again. This time around, there was none of that, I just thought fuck that I’m going to write the record that suits me in this record right now at this moment in time, and what will be will be.”

Which is what self-titled has culminated in. It’s Mallory Knox entering a twilight zone that they never saw coming but have made the most of, and plan to keep on for as long as possible. The future can be unforgiving and filled with surprises - and not always positive. But it’s led to Sam being more focused, but ultimately a realist.

“When you say it’s out of our hands, it’s so true. This fucking industry is so out of our hands; it’s insane,” he says, getting audibly more animated. “The only thing that we’ve ever really been in control of is the creative side. We’ve been a band for ten years, and no one has a license to carry on doing it forever, and we very much know that from how the last few years of our band has been.”

“One minute you can be playing to four-thousand people, and that time next year your singer says he wants to leave, and nothing’s certain anymore. You have no control of the outcome at the end of the day is making the best record that you can, and the best record that is for you, and see what that does for you.” P

Mallory Knox’s self-titled album is out now.

Upset 57

Rated_ THE OFFICIAL VERDICT ON EVERYTHING

O

n Slipknot’s sixth outing, expectations are high. The lead up to ‘We Are Not Your Kind’ has been littered with calls for the band to return to ‘Iowa’ levels of heavy, and it seems they’re not too far from it.

SLIPKNOT WE ARE NOT YOUR KIND e eeee

58 Upset

Where on previous efforts the opening track has often been an atmospheric torture device, grabbing listeners by the throat and forcing them into the band’s headspace, here ‘Insert Coin’ is a glimpse of a grander picture, a vast expanse that begs for exploration.

Lead single ‘Unsainted’, with its Rolling Stones ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ style choir beginning, is something of a diversion from ‘WANYK’’s immersive derision into utter

chaos, and moments of intensity like ‘Spiders’, and ‘Liar’, with its guttural call of, well, “Liar!”

It’s not a completely clean sweep; the last few tracks clock in at over six minutes apiece, though their pay off is worth the wait. ‘Not Long For This World’ finds itself a redux in the brutality, while the haunting opening of ‘Solway Firth’ brings everything to a close with mammoth force. From the warning alarm sample to the vicious guitar attacks, percussion from Clown and the powerhouse of Corey Taylor’s voice; it’s a rush through every era.

Slipknot have always come out on top with anthems for the disenfranchised, and ‘WANYK’ could quite possibly be their most cohesive and immersive chapter to date. P Steven Loftin

BLACK FUTURES NEVER NOT NOTHING e eeee

From the chaotic and full-throttle ‘Love’, to the uplifting, glaring sun in the desert spirituality on ‘Karma Ya Dig?!’, ‘Youthman’ and ‘Trance’; Anarchic electro punks Black Futures construct a vision of the future which tackles both everything fucked up and everything beautiful at the same time. ‘Never Not Nothing’ is an album filled with songs that are stand-alone Herculean anthems, that together tell a tale of something completely extraordinary and out of this world.

Buckle up as it’s going to be a bumpy ride that’s well-worth the nausea. P Jasleen Dhindsa

CULTDREAMS THINGS THAT HURT e eee

Cultdreams take on a more guitardriven and lo-fi approach with the ten tracks that make up their second record, ‘Things That Hurt’. With raw and emotional lyrics guiding the haze of the music, they offer up a real depth; almost as if the duo are giving you a personal insight into their minds, and it’s really something special. ‘Things That Hurt’ shows the band’s growth over the past two years while also maintaining the charm and introspective nature fans have come to love. P Beth Casteel

PIJN & CONJURER PLAY...

CURSE THESE METAL HANDS e eee

After the darkness, comes the light.

That’s how it goes, right? While Pijn and Conjurer may best be known as two of UK metal’s brightest talents,

but as they join forces they’re burning with a brilliant, uplifting glow. That’s ‘Curse These Metal Hands’ - a record that feels saturated with positivity and a sense of wellness. Opener ‘High Spirits’ is nine and a bit minutes of enriched, but fascinatingly compelling music. Often delicate, occasionally even downright beautiful, it’s still metal too. At a time where everything feels so bleak it might just collapse around us, these metal hands are raising up. Rejoice in the good vibes. P Dan Harrison

DZ DEATHRAYS POSITIVE RISING: PART 1 eee

Everything’s getting larger for one of Australia’s hardest working bands, DZ Deathrays. Now a trio and with not one but two new albums on the way, ‘Positive Rising: Part 1’ is befit with a sound that shows not only a maturing but an evolution of that riotous energy that’s given them their notoriety. Building themselves into DZ Deathrays 2.0 has brought with it a directness that creates wailing moments

amongst those that you can bury your head deep in. It’s fun, at times brash, often DZ-boundary pushing, but most of all it’s filled with heart. Let’s see what round two brings, then. P Steven

Loftin

EZRA FURMAN TWELVE NUDES eeee

In the world of modern guitar music, Ezra Furman has become the voice for the misfit, the outsider, and the heavily misunderstood. His confessional lyrics, which often detail his personal struggles with mental health and gender identity has allowed many to finally feel seen.

‘Twelve Nudes’, a love letter to the punk genre, is full of pain, passion and fervour, except this time it’s aimed outward instead of inwards. The punk influences (including late Memphis icon, Jay Reatard) have not only inspired Furman to lay down some of his heaviest tracks yet, but also acts as a political call to arms. ‘Twelve Nudes’ is everything you could want from an Ezra Furman punk album. P Eleanor Philpot

Upset 59

Rated_

FIELD MOUSE MEANING eee

There’s something about Field Mouse. It was there on 2016’s ‘Episodic’, and it’s back in force on their latest album, ‘Meaning’. From the shimmering, propulsive ‘Heart of Gold’, there’s a certain something to a band that are more than comfortable in hazier, more dream-laden climes. Sitting against a deliberate lyrical disconnect of lyrics about “more or less the end of the world”, insomnia and mayhem, ‘Meaning’ is an album driven by a lazy day chaos engine of opposing poles. Self-described by vocalist and guitarist Rachel Browne as a “liferaft”, Field Mouse are floating on with purpose. P Stephen

Ackroyd

GENDER ROLES PRANG eeee

Gender Roles have taken their sweet time in getting to debut album time. A testament to what can happen when a band are given the time and space to grow and develop away from the mainstream, ‘Prang’ is an exciting blast through the world of a group well overdue this moment of recognition. They were never short of a riff or two, but here they’ve levelled up. Adding a subtle edge to the grunge foundations, track after track hits home. A blast of fun from start to finish, ‘Prang’ is only the beginning. P Jamie MacMillan

GRAYSCALE NELLA VITA eee

It’s the season of alternative/emo bands breaking free from their status quo and looking toward poppier pastures, and fair play to Grayscale,

60 Upset

they’ve done it with a complete surety that makes you wonder if this is where they’ve belonged all along. They still retain the same emotional anchorage, but they’ve sought out a multitude of ways to convey their feelings culminating in sun-drenched reverb and rich electro-pop elements. It’s a fantastic evolution. P Steven

Loftin

KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD INFEST THE RATS’ NEST eee

In dropping new album ‘Infest The Rats’ Nest’ only four months after the sunshine sixties psychedelia of ‘Fishing For Fishies’, Aussie rockers King Gizzard demonstrate their gift for sonic metamorphosis.

Influenced by the band’s respective teenage obsessions with 80s thrash metal, the new album combines haunting flutes and sexy solos with deep, dark heavy riffs - making for a thrilling rock’n’roll romp through intergalactic dimensions. P Eleanor

Philpot

KNOCKED LOOSE A DIFFERENT SHADE OF BLUE eeeee

It’s been a little over three years since Knocked Loose’s debut album ‘Laugh Tracks’, with its unique blend of hardcore and metal, cemented the band’s place amongst the best. With follow-up ‘A Different Shade Of Blue’ they’ve once again produced what will inevitably be one of the year’s top releases, airing the group’s grievances through daring riffs, agonising vocals and deeply personal lyrics. P Beth Casteel

MALLORY KNOX MALLORY KNOX eee

There’s more to a band than simply a name. 2019’s vintage of Mallory Knox isn’t the same one that was to be found on their previous full-length, 2017’s ‘Wired’. Losing a frontman doesn’t just mean a quick replacement job. As bassist Sam Douglas steps into the vocal

booth, they’re reborn as something altogether new. Heavy on the riffs and driving directly into the realm of garage rock, Mallory Knox mark 2 isn’t aimed at arenas at all costs like so many of their peers. This is a band built to get up close and personal, and for the better too. P

Stephen Ackroyd

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS BE GOOD eeee

There’s never been much light to be found in the work of punk rock lifers Off With Their Heads.

Delivering stern lessons of self-flagellation, their output has often been as bleak as the winters of the American mid-west they call home. ‘Be Good’ ultimately doesn’t change that – Off With Their Heads are still a thoroughly miserable bunch – but the theme of self-improvement runs throughout, making it an album of penitence and acceptance. It’s an affirmative break of light that heralds the start of a bold new chapter in the life of one of the Mid-West’s most enduring punk acts. P Rob Mair

but here it feels rapturous; as if all the small wins recounted by Lilitri amount to something far more significant and valuable. P Rob

Mair

PRESS CLUB WASTED ENERGY eeee

Last time out, they claimed they left their hearts in the suburbs, but Melbourne’s Press Club are powered by something much more instinctive than a bloodied, beating organ, and on ‘Wasted Energy’ such strong emotions boil to the surface. “I keep on pretending I am getting better,” sings Natalie Foster on ‘Separate Houses’, after an exhausting and passionate explosion of rage and pent-up anxiety. And on it goes, Foster firing from the hip before taking a step back in the more pensive moments of ‘Wasted Energy’. Throughout, it’s consistently thrilling with frenetic, anthemic choruses dragging every song to delirious highs. P Rob

Mair

OSO OSO

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS

Delivering a suitable follow-up to 2017’s outstanding ‘The Yunahon Mixtape’ was never going to be easy. While ‘Basking In The Glow’ is a more intimate return and provides a stark glimpse into Jade Lilitri’s often conflicted psyche, it also matches the level achieved by its lauded predecessor thanks to some unflinchingly honest lyrics and gorgeous arrangements. It’s an album that provides an uncompromising self-portrait of the artist’s struggle with their craft and their challenge in navigating the world around them. In lesser hands, it could have been maudlin or trite,

After catching some flack for their evolution away from the post-hardcore sound of old and into poppier territory, Sleeping With Sirens have found a way to appease all of the naysayers while not backing down from their corner. A brutal edge immediately shows itself with ‘Leave It All Behind’, casting its eye towards a moderated version of nu-metal while Kellin Quinn does what he does best in hanging high above the brutal onslaught with his melodic vocals. A return to form, it would seem that ‘How It Feels To Be Lost’ is the platform

BASKING IN THE GLOW eeeee

HOW IT FEELS TO BE LOST eeee

Sleeping With Sirens needed to address all that’s followed them over the years. P Steven Loftin

THE MURDER CAPITAL WHEN I HAVE FEARS eeeee

Sixty seconds. As eerie guitar wails emerge as from a fog, making way for the thunderclap explosion of bass and drums that ushers in ‘For Everything’, sixty seconds is all it takes to know you are in the presence of something very special in one of the most exciting intros to a debut album for many a long year. “I am the underworld, the one you want to leave,” warns James McGovern, his voice swelling like a preacher admonishing a troublesome flock.

The Murder Capital may have arrived as if in a flash of lightning, but all the evidence is pointing towards that this is a band here for the long run. P Jamie MacMillan

TROPICAL FUCK STORM BRAINDROPS eeee

Like Dr Strange on a particularly wild shroom trip, ‘Braindrops’ is so out there it can barely be seen from planet Earth. One glance at the cover art is enough to see that everything, possibly including several kitchen sinks have been thrown into the second album from Melbourne’s Tropical Fuck Storm. Set in a dystopian world where monkeys will kill you for looking at their coconuts (almost certainly a metaphor for something, BUT FRANKLY WHO KNOWS?), at times it feels like a lovely dream before drifting into a nightmare soundtracked by John Carpenter. If you can tune into the right frequency, this may well blow your mind. P Jamie MacMillan

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EVERYONE HAS THOSE FORMATIVE BANDS AND TRACKS THAT FIRST GOT THEM INTO MUSIC AND HELPED SHAPE THEIR VERY BEING. THIS MONTH, LACHLAN EWBANK FROM DZ DEATHRAYS TAKES US THROUGH SOME THE SONGS THAT MEANT THE MOST TO HIM DURING HIS TEENAGE YEARS. WITH... DZ DEATHRAYS’ LACHLAN EWBANK FRANK ZAPPA My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama

I first discovered Frank Zappa through the ‘Strictly Commercial’ best of album. Little did I know just how bizarre his music got.

I love how Frank created his own style of playing and had no boundaries. An amazing guitarist. A great composer.

DEVO Gut Feeling

‘Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!’ is one of the best debut albums I’ve ever heard. They’re such an important band. ‘Gut Feeling’ is one of the stand out tracks for me. Love that guitar line and the build-up.

PJ HARVEY Big Exit

I think ‘Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea’ was the first PJ Harvey record I heard. ‘Big Exit’ is the opener from that, and I just love that the first thing you hear are these huge guitars. Every song on this album is brilliant.

GRINDERMAN Get It On

A great opening song for their debut album. I love it when Warren Ellis comes in with the hihat/maraca hits, and that guitar tone is brutal.

NIRVANA Scentless Apprentice

HUGE. DRUMS. BIG. MOOD. I love how raw and in your face this sounds. I listened to so much Nirvana growing up, it definitely has had an impact on the way I play guitar and write music.

RADIOHEAD Paranoid Android

I remember listening to ‘OK

62 Upset

Computer’ on family road trips.

‘Paranoid Android’ stood out because of the film clip; we used to watch Robin growing up. Such a bizarre cartoon.

great live band too! (Yes I finally saw them live...

SONIC YOUTH Cross the Breeze

Another band I discovered after missing them at a festival (sorry, Falco). In a weird turn of events though I ended up playing football with them in a park and ended up seeing their sideshow. ‘Travels With Myself and Another’ was the first album I’d heard and since then I’ve been a huge fan.

Crazy to think that ‘Daydream Nation’ was released in 1988.

Sonic Youth were a big influence to me. I love the shift in moods on this song.

SOUNDGARDEN Spoonman

Soundgarden introduced me to weird time signatures and guitar tunings I had no idea about. They always had such good recordings, but I was really blown away when I saw them live.

MUSE Hysteria

I discovered Muse after they played a festival I went to. I didn’t even see their set. This was the first song of theirs that I heard.

How good is that damn bass intro!

After that, I had to work back to their debut album. So many hits on their earlier albums. Such a

FUTURE OF THE LEFT You Need Satan More Than He Needs You

IDLES Mother

I discovered Idles when I saw that they supported Future of the Left.

This was the first song I heard of theirs. They have such a huge sound which only got bigger on the second record. I missed their tour, but I hope to see them one day. A great band with a great message. P

DZ Deathrays’ album ‘Positive Rising: Part 1’ is out 30th August.