DIY, February 2022 by DIY Magazine

DIY ISSUE 115 • FEBRUARY 2022 DIYMAG.COM

WWW.SAMFENDER.COM NO. 1 ALBUM SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER OUT NOW 2 DIYMAG.COM

Alice’s new gig as the face of Rentokill was perhaps a curious choice.

February HELLO

Question!

When a teenage Syd first emerged as part of Odd Future, she was known as Syd tha Kyd. What would Team DIY's nicknames have been, were they to have joined their own buzzy youth collectives? SARAH JAMIESON • Managing Editor While I have been (not so) fondly referred to as Jammie Dodger in the past, I'd very much ditch the biscuits and go with Saz Jam instead, thank you very much. EMMA SWANN • Founding Editor I have somehow never had a nickname that’s stuck (or not been a generic, one-size-fitsall insult). So I’d have to default to being a mononymous Emma. At least Dave has shown us bog-standard names can actually work... LISA WRIGHT • Features Editor Unfortunately my name

has always leant itself to either nicknames of the less flattering variety (Mona Lisa) or ones involving '90s footballer Ian Wright (Google him, kids!). I can only thank the heavens that my schoolmates were too stupid to realise that a mere one letter shift could turn Lisa Wright into Losa Weight. LOUISE MASON • Art Director Louise Mason, face like a basin. Not buzzy just factual. ELLY WATSON • Digital Editor Because I love Charli XCX just as much as I love puns on my name, let’s go with Ells Angel.

Editor , s Letter

Hello there readers! Now that January is officially behind us (hurrah!), we are thrilled to be back and introducing you to our first new issue of the year. This month, we’re welcoming the incredible Syd to our cover for the first time, as she puts the finishing touches to her brand new solo album ‘Broken Hearts Club’. We caught up with The Internet star from her home in LA to retrace her formative steps, delve into the backstory of her forthcoming album, and discover what other projects will be keeping her busy this year. Elsewhere, we reconvene with longterm DIY faves such as alt-J, Metronomy and Bastille; talk to Alice Glass about her deeply personal new record ‘PREY//IV’; and get first word on new music coming from Sunflower Bean, Foals, and loads more. Now, if that’s not enough to keep you going ‘til Pancake Day… Sarah Jamieson, Managing Editor

Listening Post

PILLOW QUEENS - LEAVE THE LIGHT ON There's every chance most of the Irish outfit's own listening material comes from the other side of the pond: this second full-length is all sweet melodies, soaring choruses, unambiguous lyricism and a fair smattering of jangly guitars. THE MYSTERINES - REELING Proving there's truly nothing better than massive pop choruses filtered through glorious noise, the Liverpudlians' riff-heavy debut is a shot of adrenaline and then some. Noodling introspection, be gone. BRIGHT EYES - FEVERS AND MIRRORS After the Conor Oberst-led outfit announced the first part of their 'Companion' series for May (they'll be releasing EPs of new recordings alongside re-issues of their albums), what else to do but stick this turn-of-the millennium gem on.

ISSUE PLAYLIST Scan the Spotify code to listen to our February playlist now.

C o n t e n t s

News

NEU

6 Sunflower Be an 1 0 Foals 1 2 Jockst rap 1 3 Bloc P art y 1 6 Hall of Fame 1 8 Sam Fender

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20 22 24 26

REVIEWS

Lo la Yo ung Fo lly G ro up Hello 2 0 2 2 M is o E x tr a

5 6 Alb ums 6 9 E P s , E tc

36 44 Metronomy

Shamir

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Alice Glass

Bastille

Founding Editor Emma Swann Managing Editor Sarah Jamieson Features Editor Lisa Wright Digital Editor Elly Watson Art Direction & Design Louise Mason Contributors Alisdair Grice, Bella Martin, Ben Tipple, Chris Taylor, Cordelia Lam, Dave Beech, Eloise Bulmer, Elvis Thirlwell, Felix Rowe, Fiona Garden, Grace Medford, Ims Taylor, Jenessa Williams, Joe Goggins, Louisa Martin, Max Pilley, Patrick Clarke, Phil Knott, Rhys Buchanan, Will Richards. For DIY editorial: info@diymag.com For DIY sales: advertise@diymag.com For DIY stockist enquiries: stockists@diymag.com

All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of DIY. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which DIY holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of DIY or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally.

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alt-J

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AlbumS of 2022 Sunflower Bean

FOUR YEARS SINCE THE RELEASE OF ‘TWENTYTWO IN BLUE’, THE NEW YORK TRIO HAVE LEANED INTO A MORE DIY AESTHETIC THAT’S DEFINED WORK ON THEIR EXPERIMENTAL, GENRE-SHUNNING THIRD ALBUM. Words: Will Richards. Photos: Crista Simiriglia.

unflower Bean revel in the fact that you’ll never quite be able to pin them down. Since the 2018 release of second fulllength album ‘Twentytwo In Blue’ - a glistening collection of shimmering balladry and classic rock crunch - they’ve gone down’n’dirty on the fast and furious 2019 EP ‘King Of The Dudes’ and turned to huge, all-out ‘80s pop on loved-up 2020 single ‘Moment In The Sun’. By the time they returned once again in October 2021 with hipshaking, hard-riffing single ‘Baby Don’t Cry’, the message was obvious: second guessing where this band will go next is futile. Just enjoy the ride.

“We’ve always prioritised experimenting and having fun, and trying things with our music,” bassist and vocalist Julia Cumming tells us from her New York home. “I don’t think that’s super common, as most people like to have their space and stay there and ride it out for as long as they can. But with us, we’ve been collaborating together for a really long time and each have our own tastes and styles, and the way that comes together is Sunflower Bean. The experimentation never comes from us not knowing what to do - it’s just us expressing ourselves as artists.” “We let ourselves do what we want as a band at this point,” drummer Olive Faber adds. “We weren’t saying to ourselves, ‘Oh, ‘Twentytwo In Blue’ sounded like this, let’s make 12 more of those songs’. No, we wanted to make a stripped-back, power-pop record (‘King Of The Dudes’) and then a sugary-ass pop song (‘Moment In The Sun’). We’re just letting the songs be what they are.” A lot of this newfound wisdom came from the enforced break in touring that the pandemic thrust

upon the band after year upon year of non-stop travelling. “The stage has always been our home,” Julia says, admitting that losing that part of the trio’s identity was a tough one to adjust to. “Or for us, being a DIY band, it doesn't even have to be a stage. It just has to be a room with amps, your gear, a PA and people. And that's it. That's where our heart is, and it’s a big place of competence for us. When we’re on stage, we don't have to explain anything. People don't have to say, ‘Who are you? What are you doing?’ We just say, ‘This is it. This is the show. This is Sunflower Bean. You're in or you’re not’.”

“This is a group of songs about hedonism, culturally and personally, and the sugar of life.” – Julia Cumming

“It couldn't be a more different lifestyle, to spend your teens and your early twenties playing 150 shows and taking 50 flights a year to literally being stuck in the same neighbourhood for two years,” guitarist Nick Kivlen picks up. “We've all had a lot of time to grow and do different things, and I've also made a lot of friends who don't even know me as a musician. They don't know anything except the last few years of my life, and wouldn't get the impression that I spent the last five years before that just being gone all the time.”

he new beginnings that are set to define the band’s upcoming third full-length album also permeated its recording process. While before, they would get the songs as tight as possible in rehearsals before heading into the studio, this time around the pandemic saw Olive learn home recording and spearhead demo sessions at the band’s studio space in Long Island, before adding extra sprinkles at studios in Greenpoint and upstate New York as well as at the legendary Electric Lady. “I hate being in recording studios most of the time,” Nick says. “The moment you get in there, you’ve already paid a ton of money to be in there, there’s so much equipment that nobody knows how to use, it’s overwhelming and creates this tension. But in our home studio we’re just hanging out and trying things, and not beating ourselves up about wasting 30 minutes trying something that doesn’t end up working.” Olive says that her learning how to record during lockdown has lessened the cogs in the wheel from songwriting to finished production, making the new record “the most directly Sunflower Bean thing we’ve ever done. Because the touring machine stopped, it let us develop as artists in a way that we haven’t before, which I’m extremely

AlbumS of 2022 on the

‘Gram grateful for. The whole process was so much more direct.” Nick adds: “We were able to go and run and work quickly and not have to worry about annoying stuff like walking down a flight of stairs into a live room and plugging into four different amps and moving the mics around. We had something that worked and were committed to doing it.” He also explains that the new process led to their soonto-be-announced album being more “bombastic”. “There’s not as much clutter on this record,” the guitarist adds, “and it’s a little bit more stripped down, but everything that’s happening is happening to the maximum.”

hese epiphanies are also reflected in the album’s lyrics, which all three members worked on together. Julia explains: “A big part of Sunflower Bean is interpreting the world around us through our ideas and through our humanity. This is a group of songs about hedonism, culturally and personally, and the sugar of life. It’s about the way that we take that in, and what it makes us do - whether it makes us do things we regret, or take chances and fail. There’s a lot of real sadness and failure that becomes resilience and a feeling of, ‘I don’t care what anyone thinks’. I don’t care what people think we should be doing, or what people think we should sound like.”

“It’s about finding the right kind of nourishment in your life,” Nick continues. “There’s a longing for real substantive meaning in your life, while also being bombarded with all the luxuries and commodities and fast pleasures of modern life, while [also] searching for something that gives you the context of a reason to live beyond all the [material] things that we’re given.” This lyrical intention to branch away from what’s cool or what’s not - what we’re told we need and what we actually need - runs tandem with the band taking their business into their own hands in recent years. Recording largely on their own, Sunflower Bean have actively been breaking out of cycles they realised were unnecessary and holding them back. “We were never really a genre band or a band that had a certain pastiche,” Nick says. “I was speaking to close friends who haven’t heard our new album yet, and asked them what they think it’s going to sound like. They all said, ‘We have no idea, because you guys have gone in so many different directions’. That’s our strength as well as a wildcard that we’ve never adhered to a strict sound.”

These days, even yer gran is posting selfies on Instagram. Instagran, more like. Everyone has it now, including all our fave bands. Here’s a brief catch-up on music’s finest photo-taking action as of late.

Yard Act have really been monopolising the musical discourse of late. (@yardactband)

“Everything that we’ve done has led us to this point,” Julia nods. “We’ve tried to learn from everything that we’ve done in the past in order to create the most experimental and, I think, exciting music that we’ve ever made.”

When you have to work your shift at the call centre in the day, and be a badass pop juggernaut in the night. (@breerunway)

FKA twigs: such a gem she even cries diamonds. (@fkatwigs)

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www.icea.se

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AlbumS of 2022

Foals

AIN’T NO PARTY LIKE A FOALS LP7 PARTY, AS THE NOW-TRIO GEAR UP FOR AN ALBUM AIMED AT HARNESSING THE HEDONISM OF LIFE ONCE MORE. Words: Lisa Wright.

“I think the level of party in some of these songs has never been seen before from us.” - Yannis Philippakis

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e’re not saying that Yannis Philippakis is some sort of crystal ballgazing clairvoyant, but by the end of Foals’ 2019 two-part opus ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost’, the band were documenting an imagined apocalypse that would soon become a lot more tangible. “It’s a kind of out of body experience where you’re leaving behind all the mess; there’s a sense of inescapable fate to it, where you’re wanting to pass on into a place that’s away from all this,” he theorised to DIY back then of closing track ‘Neptune’, approximately six months before leaving behind an all-too-real communal shitshow was at the top of the world’s to-do list. For Foals, however, their go-to reaction was to once again look forwards. As despair and confusion reigned supreme around them, the band recongregated, deciding to make a follow-up that would be fuelled by the desire to embrace what would come out the other side. Bunkered down and looking towards Album Seven, their MO would be to create the soundtrack for a reunited world who’d made it through the wilderness and were now firmly up for some good times.

it still feels like there’s vitality and purpose to the three of us making music together, so as long as that’s there then we’ll continue.” And if funk-strutting 2021 single ‘Wake Me Up’ is anything to go by, then Foals look set to fully come good on their promises of exuberance, excitement and some seriously hefty vibes. Coming out of a double album that tackled weighty end-of-days themes via a combined 20-track expedition, the singer states that their impetus this time round was to veer left and make something more straightforward and lean. “We tend to contradict ourselves in some ways from record to record, so we’d talked about trying to strip it down and write something that was really concise and cohesive and simplified; we were talking about dance music basically and we wanted to really marinade in the more ‘up’ side of the band,” he explains.

“There are different ways to dance on a dancefloor, but the main thing was writing music that was uplifting in some way.” - Yannis Philippakis

“When I was daydreaming when we were writing, I was imagining people coming together at a club or at a festival, and I wanted to engineer the music so that it was for full physical potential - to be played live and for it to be raucous,” Yannis enthuses. “There’s a riotous element to this record I think, and an ecstasy to it. “I think the level of party in some of these songs has never been seen before from us. I think it’s gonna be the Foals record you can put on and it will just decimate the party you’re at, in a good way.” Foals themselves are now a party of three. Though keyboardist Edwin Congreave’s departure was only announced after a celebratory headline set at London’s All Points East last summer, the band’s forthcoming release was written entirely between Yannis, guitarist (and now keyboard player) Jimmy Smith and drummer Jack Bevan. “I think it’s fair to say that the musical nucleus of the band has always been the three of us,” the singer notes, “and we’re definitely not enjoying losing members but

“Not all of the songs share the same funk or ‘80s bassline vibe [of ‘Wake Me Up’]; there are a couple of tracks that share DNA with it, but overall the record is full of energy. There are different ways to dance on a dancefloor, but the main thing was writing music that was uplifting in some way.”

Having spent a lengthy time in their London writing room attempting to create their way into a more positive place, away from the “grey heaviness” that was all-pervasive, now 2022 is when Foals get to see if their predictions will come true once again. With a massive rescheduled UK tour including four sold-out nights at London’s Olympia finally kicking off in April, and a summer of festivals ahead of them, it’s the perfect time to unleash a record steeped in boisterous, communal fun. “What propelled us to write the type of songs that we’d written over the past year was this feeling that, between the three of us, we can conjure up an imaginary reality through our songs for a number of hours in the day,” says Yannis. “And then at the end of that, these songs will endure and they’ll be real pieces of optimism and sunshine and fun that will then interact with the world when it reemerges. It was therapeutic for us to write like that and it was fun, but we also knew that at the end of it we’d have a document of this time when we were waiting for the world to be able to come and be a part of it.”

SONG WARS!

FKA twigs vs Grizzly Bear Of all the words in all the world, sometimes artists just plump for exactly the same ones. But which of these identically-titled songs is technically, objectively the winner? Ready, set, FIGHT!

THIS MONTH:

FKA TWIGS VS GRIZZLY BEAR Two Weeks FKA TWIGS Year released: 2014 How has it aged? Pretty impeccably. twigs’ first hit, and the lynchpin of 2014 debut album ‘LP1’, feels like the springboard from which her career as an avant-pop trailblazer has jumped off. What’s it saying? Across the song, twigs is “higher than a motherfucker, dreaming of you as my lover” and telling this prospective lover, not so subtly, that “I can fuck you better than her.” Not too much reading between the lines is necessary here. Banger rating out of 10: 8. It features one of the most instant choruses twigs has written.

GRIZZLY BEAR Year released: 2009 How has it aged? Under a misty haze of nostalgia, it’s hard to tell. Along with hits by The National, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Vampire Weekend, ‘Two Weeks’ is one of the defining hits of the post-Strokes New York scene in the late ‘00s. It still sounds perfect to us, but maybe that’s just a hopeless longing for the past talking. Ask a teenager. What’s it saying? In its opening lyrics, Ed Droste sings of the “routine malaise” of a relationship in danger of falling apart. By the end, we’re left to decide ourselves whether they worked it out or went their separate ways. Banger rating out of 10: 9. Sure, it’s a swaying indie-pop ballad not a pop powerhouse, but it’ll define a night out at the indie disco regardless.

RESULT Grizzly Bear take the biscuit, with mourning a disintegrating relationship seemingly winning out over the potential of a future one. Not sure what that says about us…

NEWS

he only sure thing about Jockstrap’s forthcoming debut album - due later this year - is that it will be unpredictable. The duo of Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye, former classmates at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, beguiled audiences with stunningly inventive EP ‘Wicked City’ in 2020 and its accompanying remix EP ‘Beavercore’, melding sweetly nostalgic vocal melodies with mutant, mutinous electronic production. In the eighteen months since, they’ve signed with Rough Trade and been locked away in their laboratory, crafting their first full-length release. “We said at the beginning that we wanted it to be like ‘ABBA Gold’ and ‘Yeezus’,” says Taylor, with a typically subversive glint in his eye. “I’m interested to see what people will think of it, because we don’t even know what WE think yet,” adds Georgia. “We can say that you’ll be able to put the whole record on and dance the whole way through, though.” That’s certainly the indication that comes from their one Rough Trade single to date, ‘50/50’: a glitchy banger that maintains their trademark sense of surreal chaos,

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AlbumS of 2022

Jockstrap SIGNED TO ROUGH TRADE AND READYING THEIR DEBUT, THE ECLECTIC, ECCENTRIC WORLD OF JOCKSTRAP IS WIDENING BY THE DAY. Words: Max Pilley. Photos: Rosie Marks.

“We said at the beginning that we wanted the album to be like ‘ABBA Gold’ and ‘Yeezus.” - Taylor Skye

but brings hardcore club energy to boot. The recording process was complicated by a period of enforced separation for the duo, as Taylor moved back to Market Harborough during the pandemic, while Georgia stayed in London. For two people who were used to living “within seconds of each other” at university, it presented a challenge. “We weren’t listening to the same music and we were less on the same page, it was a weird time,” he reflects. As if being part of one zeitgeistdefining group wasn’t enough, Georgia is also the violinist in Black Country, New Road, who release second album, ‘Ants from Up There’, this month. “It’s always been hard,” she says of splitting her time between the two projects, “but it’s cool, it exercises two different things. They’re very much different worlds: being in the front [for Jockstrap] and in the back [for Black Country, New Road], it’s nice. Whatever it is, it works.” And if last year’s shows are anything to go by, Jockstrap will be ones to watch this summer. “We played loads of [the new album] on the tour we just went on and we have a gauge of what people think,” says Taylor. “I reckon there are a few festival bangers in there, it’s exciting.”

AlbumS of 2022

Bloc Party DIGGING INTO THEIR DARK SIDE, THE LONDON LEGENDS ARE BACK WITH A SIXTH ALBUM THAT EXPLORES THE UNDERBELLY OF THE HUMAN PSYCHE. Words: Elly Watson. Photos: Burak Cingi

hen Bloc Party returned last year, announcing sixth album ‘Alpha Games’ with stomping lead single ‘Traps’, you might have quickly checked your calendar to see if it was 2021 or 2005. An indie banger harking back to the band’s breakthrough years, if you thought the return to the heavier sound of days gone by was an indication of what to expect from the record as a whole, however, Kele Okereke wants you to think again. “The first song [‘Traps’] has that driving energy, but I think there are lots of different facets and lots of different sides to the record,” he states. “I think we all thought that if we were gonna make a record, it had to have the potential to blow our socks off.” The ideas for the album started forming pretty much straight after the group had finished touring 2016’s ‘Hymns’, but those well-known “unforeseen

circumstances” resulted in the band - completed by OG member Russell Lissack, and newer additions Justin Harris and Louise Bartle - revisiting and refining the album over the last few years. Taking inspiration from the fractious world around them, this has manifested in an output that Kele admits is “quite dark”. “There’s a lot of conflict in the music,” he explains. “There’s a lot of people fucking each other over, people lying to each other, people manipulating each other. That is a kind of direct response to what I was seeing; we actually saw that happening all over the world in the last few years. It was quite an ugly time, and I think that has played into the music.” Evident from opener ‘Day Drinker’, the song explores the rivalry between two brothers and the idea that, for someone to be dominant, someone has to be subservient. Kele describes ‘You Should Know The Truth’, meanwhile, as one of the darkest things he’s ever written, detailing its exploration of “living with

“There’s a lot of conflict in the music: a lot of people fucking each other over, people lying to each other, people manipulating each other.” - Kele Okereke

deception in relationships, and the cruelty that comes from not being honest with the people closest to you”. Taking the listener on a journey starring the characters living in his head for the last three years, Kele pinpoints the core of ‘Alpha Games’ as being about how people act in extreme situations, with melancholic closing track ‘The Peace Offering’ marking a full-circle moment. Bookmarking the album’s story arc from “anger and intensity to cold distance”, it ends a return from a band who are still determined to keep treading previously untouched ground, even six albums in. “To me, it doesn't really feel connected to anything that we've done in the past,” he concludes. “I think that's a good thing, really. If the band is to succeed, it needs to become something else. It needs to forge a new identity.” ‘Alpha Games’ is out 29th April via Infectious / BMG.

NEWS

have you heard ?

DENZEL CURRY Walkin

WARPAINT Champion

Denzel Curry is everywhere. Collaborating with Glass Animals, appearing on League of Legends soundtracks and even taking part in a career-defining two part EP series with producer Kenny Beats, his exuberant sonic evolutions are reflected in a series of characters he embodies every album cycle, and contributes to his justified global buzz. ‘Walkin’’ is no different. Pairing Denzel’s swagger with an old school East Coast rap twist, this is certainly the most ‘Nas’ Denzel has ever dared to sound. All is calm before a smooth beat switch-up in the latter half of the track, taking on a more contemporary trap cadence with sprinkler hi-hats and thudding 808s. Accompanied by the Tarantino-esque western visuals of director Adrian Villagomez, Denzel is so deep in his element, it’s impossible to fault his untameable creative vision. (Alisdair Grice)

Warpaint’s fourth album ‘Radiant Like Me’ was created with the band spread out over continents, but even thousands of miles couldn’t come between one of the most inter-connected bands around. The four-piece’s voices swirl around one another as the track slides towards a psychedelic, danceable conclusion. “We are all in this together,” they say of the song’s meaning, adding that “life is too short not to strive for excellence in all that we do.” Mission accomplished. (Will Richards)

REX OR ANGE COUNTY Keep It Up Opening up with an orchestral flourish that sounds more in keeping with old school black-and-white Hollywood movies than alt-pop tracks, the first new material from Rex Orange County is still a Grade A hit. Built around a charming message of encouragement - “Keep it up and go on / You’re only holding out for what you want” - ‘Keep It Up’ sparks up the same kind of giddy but nostalgic enthusiasm that Vampire Weekend so effortlessly manage; all while serving as a wonderful introduction to the singer’s next chapter. (Sarah Jamieson)

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THE SMILE The Smoke CHARLI XCX FT. RINA SAWAYAMA Beg For You Having teased their collab for ages, long-time pals Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama have finally delivered the goods with new track ‘Beg For You’. Sampling dance hit ‘Cry For You’ from Sweden’s September, this shimmering bop from two of pop’s leading tastemakers is a bewitching, dance floor-ready treat. And with Charli and Rina’s vocals bouncing off of each-other with hypnotic results, the ear worm melody of the chorus will undoubtedly be going around in our heads for weeks to come. (Elly Watson)

Where debut offering ‘You Will Never Work In Television Again’ introduced The Smile - the new project spearheaded by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood - as a vehicle for the most visceral, antagonistic sides of its creators, ‘The Smoke’ is a far more restrained, subtly ominous beast. Sparse, loose-limbed and comprised solely of Yorke’s falsetto, a circular, spidery bass line and puttering dry drums, it spins an eery, tale made all the more uncomfortable by its minimal ingredients: “Don’t mess with me / As I die in the flames / As I set myself on fire”. (Lisa Wright)

THE NEW ALBUm

GIVE ME THE FUTURE

OUT NOW 15

NEWS

HALL FAME OF

KENDRICK LAMAR – GOOD KID, M.A.A.D CITY A decade on, Kendrick’s breakout second album remains one of the greatest narrative-led rap opuses of its day. Words: Will Richards.

ver 68 minutes, Kendrick Lamar became a star on 'good kid, m.A.A.d city'. In 2012, the Compton rapper was fresh off the release of debut ‘Section.80’, which received positive reviews and hinted at bright things. It was on this second album, though, that Kendrick truly introduced himself. It’s a record that told the story of where he came from, but, vitally, also where he wanted to go next.

storytelling ability, 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' also saw Kendrick flex his muscles as the superstar rapper of a new generation. Whether it’s the deeply emotional, sombre bars he raps on ‘Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst’, ‘m.A.A.d city’’s vicious, punchy verses, or the smooth, poppy shots at chart success on ‘Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe’ and ‘Money Trees’, ‘GKMC’ showed he had it all in its locker, and opened up the world to a new star of the genre.

Though the album stands on its own as a “Everybody sit your bitch ass down and listen THE masterpiece of the 2010s, its narrative arc to this true motherfuckin’ story told by made even more sense in the context of Kendrick Lamar on Rosecrans [Avenue, its follow-up - 2015’s boundary-shaking, Compton],” he raps to open ‘The Art Of revolutionary ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’. After Peer Pressure’, thrusting you headfirst putting his past demons to bed and into the narrative that defines the telling his troubled but triumphant story, album. Across its hour-plus length, Released: 22nd October 2012 Kendrick went on to make music integral he tells stories of being drawn into Key tracks: ‘Backstreet Freestyle’, ‘m.A.A.d to American culture, with the song gang culture and the struggle to get city’, ‘Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst’. ‘Alright’ adopted as the unofficial anthem out, losing loved ones to gang violence Tell your mates: If you want the full tale of the Black Lives Matter movement in and being stuck in perpetual cycles of told in order, make your own playlist: subsequent years. This was a rapper who, crime. chronologically, the album’s story having finally broken away from his past, begins on track four, ‘The Art In much of 'good kid, m.A.A.d city', Lamar could become a true leader, both musically and Of Peer Pressure’. refers to himself as K.Dot: a persona used to beyond. As he sings on ‘Hood Politics’, he went highlight the troubles in his life and the bad paths “from Compton, to Congress.” he sometimes ended up taking. By the end of the Despite all that followed, with Kendrick entering the 2020s as the album, he makes the transition to become Kendrick, a man most critically-acclaimed rapper alive, it was 'good kid, m.A.A.d and an artist ready to break beyond the borders once set up around city' that first truly revealed the extent of his talents to the world him. and thrust us into his wonderfully, vividly real stories. It was, and As well as a narrative masterpiece that highlighted his one-of-a-kind remains, the making of a master. DIY

FACTS

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the new album

WHERE MYTH BECOMES MEMORY WITH THE SINGLES CLOAKED, DRIP & CLOSER OUT EVERYWHERE FROM 4TH FEB ON LP, CD & DIGITAL PRE-ORDER: BECOMESMEMORY.COM

“Another truly original triumph.” 17

NEWS

DIY in deep

DIY In Deep is our monthly, online-centric chance to dig into a longer profile on some of the most exciting artists in the world right now. And having released one of 2021’s most celebrated albums, there are few people currently turning more heads than Sam Fender.

Game-changing second album ‘Seventeen Going Under’ kickstarted overdue conversations around suicide and abuse, turning the North Shields boy into a bona fide star in the process. In 2022, he’s taking the message all the way to Finsbury Park. Keep reading for an extract, and head over to diymag.com/samfender to peep the full feature… Words: Will Richards.

HOMETO sam fender GLORY

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WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT IN MY SONGS ARE VERY, VERY NORMAL ISSUES FOR NORMAL PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY.”

OWN

t’s a very special moment for a songwriter,” Sam Fender told his followers on TikTok in a video posted to his account back in November. “I’m honoured that ‘Seventeen [Going Under]’ has resonated with people in that way.” The video in question came in response to a groundswell of posts from thousands of children, teenagers and young adults, co-opting a line from the title track of the North Shields singer-songwriter’s second album to spark long-overdue conversations around abuse, depression and hardship. “I was far too scared to hit him, but I’d hit him in a heartbeat now,” he sings, reflecting on the teenage years where he didn’t have the capabilities to fight back against those who wronged him and his loved ones, or the capacity to truly understand himself. Online, the lyric has been used by people telling stories of being unable to exit abusive or toxic relationships, and of family troubles and teenage traumas that have stayed with them. In many of the videos, the subjects filmed themselves crying (“I was far too scared to hit him”), and then again, more composed, from the other side of the trauma (“But I would hit him in a heartbeat now”). In a lot of ways, it’s a reflection of Sam’s own journey from pain to acceptance. In the comments of his video, he points fans towards helplines, resources and information surrounding domestic abuse. Speaking two months after the release of ‘Seventeen Going Under’, he says the response has been “bizarre and incredibly heartwarming,” and has made him feel very vulnerable. His songs have undeniably elicited a fierce reaction, and are creating tangible change; if Sam is feeling exposed, it’s because there’s nothing within the brutal honesty of this game-changing album to hide behind. “I was writing about my mother, who's worked for forty years of her life, who fell on hard times and got fibromyalgia, and had mental health struggles,” he says. “She was forced by the DWP [Department of Work and Pensions] to prove that she was fit enough to work even though she wasn’t, which subsequently made her more ill. That was my struggle as a teenager because I was understandably not old enough to be able to do anything about it, which is where a lot of my frustration and anger comes from and why I'm such a fierce hater of the Tory party. “A lot of kids on TikTok that are sharing the song, some of their stories are about domestic violence or overcoming other traumas, and I think a lot of these traumas have been born out of the struggles and hardships that have come from the last 10 years of austerity and the pandemic,” he continues.

“What I’m talking about in my songs are very, very normal issues for normal people in this country. More often than not, a lot of kids will hear the lyrics and be like, ‘Oh, that kinda reminds me of what's going on in my house right now’.” Reflecting on the line that has become the lynchpin of the song’s success online and otherwise, Sam says: “The vast majority of people who've had bullying throughout their life have got that feeling. That never leaves you - a feeling that you weren't tough enough or you weren't man enough. They’re toxic ideas, but that’s what we’re led to believe, isn’t it? I’m not singing or writing anything particularly complicated or intelligent, it’s just honest, and spoken like someone who isn’t a fucking scholar, do you know what I mean?” he says before an extended pause. “I’m from North Shields.”

ince emerging with debut album ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ in 2019, Sam Fender has always been a songwriter who sings unapologetically from the heart. On early single ‘Dead Boys’, he reflected on the spate of male suicides in his local area that “nobody ever could explain” and gained the nickname of the Geordie Springsteen for his saxophone-boosted instrumentals and lyrics that dreamt of breaking out of small-town misery. As with many debut albums, ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ featured songs from across the first period of Sam’s life as a musician, some from many years ago. As such, the album felt like an unfinished portrait of him as an adult songwriter, with glimpses of greatness but a lack of cohesion. “I knew the [reaction to the] first one was going to be mixed anyway,” he reflects now, “because all the songs on there were written when I was 19, and I wasn't even into them. There are some tracks on the back end of ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ which I really, really could have done without. I was naive and young, and I was convinced otherwise that would be a good idea for the moment. So that's just the way it was.” However, coming into ‘Seventeen Going Under’ - a more interconnected, dynamic collection written over the last two years - he says he was more forthright with his choices, and able to “put [his] foot down” after the success of his debut. The writing of this second record also coincided with Sam going to therapy for the first time, and the self-acceptance and understanding gleaned from the process helped him look backwards to his childhood and find out how he got here, why he is the way he is, and what he can do to banish the old ghosts and keep moving forwards positively. “‘Seventeen Going Under’ the track was the first one that I wrote, and became like a key that opened Pandora's box,” he says. Read the full feature on diymag.com/samfender. ‘Seventeen Going Under’ is out now via Polydor. DIY

“Everything at the moment that I fucking love is about girl power.”

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LOLA YOUNG Meet the 21-year-old South Londoner injecting openness and honesty back into mainstream pop. Words: Sarah Jamieson. Photos: Louise Mason.

or Lola Young, 2021 was the year that everything changed. Not only did the 21-year-old South Londoner continue to expand her musical repertoire with the likes of ‘Ruin My Makeup’ and ‘Fake’, but in the latter half of the year alone, she opened up for Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy in a slew of huge venues across the UK, became the voice of last year’s John Lewis Christmas ad, and nabbed a spot as one of the three shortlisted artists for this year’s prestigious BRITs Rising Star award - a title that’s previously launched the stratospheric careers of Adele, Sam Fender, Florence and the Machine and more. “It’s hard to process,” she admits of the last twelve months, sitting down to chat before things get underway at her DIY photoshoot. And it’s little wonder that such hefty achievements are still taking a while to sink in: the John Lewis advert featuring her cover of Philip Oakey’s ‘Together In Electric Dreams’ has had almost three million views on YouTube alone. “From my perspective, it’s been an incredible experience. It’s something that I’m really proud of and the year has been a massive turning point for me,” she nods. “Even six months before I got nominated for the Rising Star, it would never have crossed my mind that I’d be nominated. So yeah, it’s amazing but I can’t quite comprehend it…” While, to the outside observer, Lola may seem like a fairly new name on the scene, the truth is that she’s been working towards this goal for years. “It was always the case, to be honest,” she explains of her lifelong draw towards music. Having started to pen her own songs at the tender age of 11, she soon set her sights on a career in songwriting before a stint studying at the infamous BRIT School - whose previous alumni include the likes of Amy Winehouse and FKA twigs, to name but a few - saw her begin to refine her intensely personal, soulful offerings, and turn her hand to performing them too. “I wanted to be a songwriter for a while, but then I started to realise if I was just to do that, how content would I be? I could make a bit of money and live a nice life, but how comfortable would I be knowing someone else is singing the song that I‘d written?” she questions. “The majority of the songs I have out, and have written, are super

personal. They’re the kind of songs that, if I was to hear someone else singing them, I’d be like, ‘Ooh no, I can’t deal with that!’” Since the release of debut single ‘6 Feet Under’ back in late 2019, Lola’s marked herself out as a singer with not only an incredible voice, but an intense focus on honesty and openness. While her 2021 single ‘Woman’ came accompanied by a stark and powerful video exploring the female form in which she featured herself, last year’s ‘After Midnight’ EP saw her plotting out differing states of mind over the course of one evening; transforming from confidence and swagger through to vulnerability and anxiety. Even outside of her music itself, she’s been open about her struggles dealing with the effects of a recent vocal surgery (“It was absolutely horrible”), and already wants to explore themes of mental health in her future projects. Clearly not one to shy away from her own experiences, that stance is perhaps shown best in latest single ‘So Sorry’, a track that’s arguably her most traditionally ‘chart-friendly’, but that still subverts the idea of classic songwriting tropes by pointing the finger at her own flaws. “Everything at the moment that I fucking love is about girl power,” she admits, “but ‘So Sorry’ is also about being a bit of a brat, and a bit of a bitch. The first line is basically ‘I’m toxic as fuck’, and it’s about owning the fact that we all have insecurities and of being able to express those as a part of being vulnerable but also being strong. That’s a massive part of what I want people to take away from my music: to understand that music is an outlet but it’s also about being able to consume and learn.” While she readily admits that ‘So Sorry’ is musically more of a step out of her comfort zone (“It’s different for me but I’m really excited as I wanna see how people react to it”), she’s keen for her debut LP to act as a fully-rounded introduction to all facets of her as an artist. “The album I’m trying to make sounds a bit retro and it’s influenced by quite a few bands,” she nods, naming The Cure, Radiohead and Fleetwood Mac as particular influences. “With this one, I just wanted to be able to announce myself, say, ‘This is who I am and this is my sound’. This is my place in the industry, musically, you know?” DIY

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FOLLY GROUP

Folly Group. A decade too late for their Avatar audition.

“Everybody says they’re fans of all sorts of music but we know we actually are.” - Sean Harper “I’ve never been remotely interested in music whose primary selling point is the technicality of it,” declares Folly Group’s singing drummer Sean Harper. “It does nothing for me. It doesn’t grab with that unwordable charismatic thing that just draws you to something.”

Making primal, dance-indebted post-punk, Folly Group are cribbing the best bits of the genre and reinterpreting them in their own image. Words: Lisa Wright. Photo: Alex Waespi.

An impressive multi-tasker himself, leading the London quartet through a a burgeoning canon of tracks that take the primal, rhythmic intensity of Canadian collective Crack Cloud and filter them through a fraught, British lyrical eye, it’s an attitude that marks Folly Group out from some of their more jazz-oriented Brixton Windmill peers. Though the band - completed by guitarist Louis Milburn, bassist Tom Doherty and percussionist Kai Akinde-Hummel - clearly aren’t lacking in instrumental smarts, the predominant mood of 2021 debut EP ‘Awake and Hungry’ and next month’s follow-up ‘Human and Kind’ is one that dredges itself up from the gut rather than merely from the head.

“I don’t really want to assign intention or meaning to something that’s quite primal, but it would be nice if people felt they’d seen [at our show] something slightly unusual or striking, or something that had an uncommon atmosphere. For everything that we do that sounds quite raaawk,” Sean grins, flexing some comedy devil fingers, “we try to offset it with something from a completely different place and put them in the same song. Everybody says they’re fans of all sorts of music but we know we actually are.”

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Putting out their first early moves in the summer of 2020, Folly Group - the product of various old friendships that finally yielded musical fruit when three quarters of the band moved in together and decided to put pen to paper - have been flexing their diverse tastes from the off. “The emphasis on the rhythm section that’s so prevalent in postpunk really enabled us to also explore influences from dance music that, prior to this project, were just things we were fans of rather than directly influenced by,” explains Sean. You can see it in the early remixes the band released of their own tracks, offering up a dance flipside to the originals’ guitars, and in the raw, percussive chants that populate new track ‘I Raise You (The Price Of Your Head)’. Recently, they’ve even caught the ear of the king of indie-dance hybrids, Metronomy’s Joe Mount, who signed the band to his new publishing company and enlisted them to guest on recent collaborative EP ‘Posse’. “Thankfully this isn’t the case anymore, but we were initially taking three days to brainstorm replies to Instagram DMs - ‘Fuck, it’s Metronomy!’” Sean reenacts, “so we’re not oblivious to how big a deal it was…” Though Joe might have been the first big name to see the sparks of potential written all over Folly Group, you sense he won’t be the last. DIY

NUHA RUBY RA

RECOMMENDED

Dark poetry from the South London underground.

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Full of bristling intensity and hypnotic magnetism, a Nuha Ruby Ra live show is unlike any other gracing the UK’s stages at the moment: part haunting gothic textures, part post-punk instrumentation, it’s the singer’s uncompromising presence, however, that’s the key. Having already supported the likes of Fat White Family, LIFE and more (as well as nabbing a spot on our Hello 2022 bill - see p24), she’s wrapping more and more audiences under her singular sonic spell by the day. LISTEN: Last year’s ‘How To Move’ EP is an often-menacing introduction. SIMILAR TO: The lovechild of Siouxsie Sioux and Björk.

PRIESTGATE Lucky Number’s dreamy new signees. Hailing from Yorkshire, and newlysigned to the label behind Dream Wife, Sunflower Bean and more, newbies Priestgate craft cinematic dream-pop that seems plucked straight from a coming-of-age film score. Like other labelmates Walt Disco and HMLTD, the five-piece sprinkle their atmospheric pop songs with gothic undertones, marrying euphoric hooks with darker lyrical stories. What’s not to love? LISTEN: Upcoming EP ‘Eyes Closed For The Winter’ is destined to be a dazzler. SIMILAR TO: Widescreen tunes made for big sing-alongs.

HONEYGLAZE Some musical TLC from the exciting South London trio. With only three songs out in the world, Honeyglaze have already managed to get a large number hypnotised. Driven by vocalist Anouska Sokolow’s crisp vocals, the South London trio originally started as the singer’s solo project before bassist Tim Curtis and drummer Yuri Shibuichi completed the lineup. Now, the three-piece create compelling and enchanting alt-rock bound to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. LISTEN: Keep an eye out for their forthcoming self-titled debut album. SIMILAR TO: Your new fave Speedy Wunderground signee.

PRIMA QUEEN GROVE The ethereal but fuzzy group led by best friends Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden.

While it might be over two years since the release of Prima Queen's debut single 'Milk Teeth', the group seem more than happy to prove that slow and steady does indeed win the race. A perfect blend of warm and ethereal sonics, their most recent track - and debut for Nice Swan, released late last year - 'Chew My Cheeks' is a gorgeous offering; it's little wonder they caught the attention of The Big Moon, who've since taken them on tour and produced the track, natch. LISTEN: ‘Chew My Cheeks’ is delicious. SIMILAR TO: Julia Jacklin and Lucy Dacus are just two of their influences.

Queer, genre-fusing bangers from Bristol. Teaming up with Neu favourite Lynks for last year’s ‘BBB’ - aka Big Bad Bitch Grove’s chosen pairing made perfect, gleeful sense. Like their mask-wearing pal, the musician makes proudly queer music for the club, revelling in playful lyrics like the two-fingers up punchline of ‘Ur Boyfriend’s Wack’, and meshing together jungle, electro and whatever else they fancy to soundtrack it at the time. Debut EP ‘Queer + Black’ exemplifies the direct embrace of identity that populates everything Grove does. LISTEN: Recent EP ‘SPICE’ is the latest gem in the crown. SIMILAR TO: Club music with real personality.

After a year away from the familiarly sweaty confines of The Old Blue Last’s upstairs room, last month saw us return with four more nights of buzzworthy new artists - here’s how Hello 2022 went down. Words: Alisdair Grice, Lisa Wright, Sarah Jamieson. Photos: Emma Swann.

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Chrissi

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First up are South London’s Nukuluk. Helmed by covocalists Syd and Monika, there’s an unease to the way their tracks rattle between the two - Syd a more controlled lynchpin; Monika’s rap verses seeming to dredge themselves up from the core of his being (never have we seen someone deliver a classic hip hop brag while looking so thoroughly despairing). Joey Maxwell and his band are then an immediately confident proposition; he’s a naturally magnetic performer capable of hyping the crowd from the off, like the current crop of US pop boys reimagined through the lens of someone who’s clearly listened to a LOT of Jamie T in his time. Tonight’s trooper award undoubtedly goes to Chrissi, who’s either just chain-smoked 300 cigarettes or is holding on to the last threads of her voice before illness takes over (it’s the latter). Chatting easily with the crowd and pausing ‘Back In The Day’ to deliver a definitive set of “fuck yous” to her ex, you imagine this is what it might have been like to watch an early Adele gig; effortlessly likeable and hilarious, with vocals that still pack a punch even when suffering, that unmistakeable je ne sais quoi is out in full force. The evening is closed out by Miso Extra (see p26 for more on her). The hype right now is tangible (a cursory sweep around the room turns up a host of industry types with their metaphorical notebooks out); fusing her English and Japanese dual heritage with multi-lingual lyrics and beats that draw from the musical histories of both, it’s an intoxicating mix that fills recent singles ‘Adventures of Tricky N Duke’ and ‘1013’.

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From the off, it’s a full house for Heartworms. Led by steely ringleader Jojo Orme, theirs is a set that simmers with pent-up rage, the hypnotic surface only occasionally being broken by Jojo’s scorched screams. Legss’ set of twitching, swerving tracks prove they’re a taut machine of a band. And while dark sonics may be the thread that ties tonight’s acts together, as soon as Nuha Ruby Ra hits the stage, it’s clear she’s a very different prospect. While the stage is draped in red - matching her floor-length trench coat - and doused in strobe lights, she quickly transforms the room, waving and stalking her way through a set littered with throbbing tracks from last year’s ‘How To Move’ - she's commanding and captivating. Grandmas House then show themselves as the perfect band to round out a night of ferocious live music, the likes of ‘Feed Me’ and ‘Always Happy’ are gloriously frenetic, while their blistering set is proof of just how exciting a band they are.

Manchester’s Mewn might not The be the most bolshy band, Umlauts but they do create a more mature kind of confidence - singer Daniel Bluer helming a set that nods to the sweeping, emotional crescendos of Arcade Fire crossed with a sort of earthy Elbow-ness. Contorting and punching his way around the tiny portions of stage not filled by the six other band members, KEG's Albert Haddenham spends their 30 minutes lyrically lambasting Michael McIntyre one moment and seemingly speaking in tongues the next; musically, it's yelping, loose-limbed indie-art-punk fun. ‘R&B’ might be the song that already clearly has a fanbase in the room tonight, the front rows jumping gleefully to its antsy rattle, but Class of 2022 stars English Teacher have many more tricks up their sleeve: a new track that takes a more Hole-esque ‘90s route already sounds massive. Midway through The Umlauts’ set, co-vocalists Annabelle Mödlinger and Maria Vittoria Faldini stand gleefully making throat sounds as rattling percussion and propulsive, dark synths abound around them. Hailing from across the continent, The Umlauts embody a sound that’s rooted as much in the dark corners of German nightclubs as it is in the more avant garde end of south London. It could present as cold or inaccessible, but instead it’s heaps of fun. Modern Woman

Nuha Ruby Ra

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Never settling for a moment, Robbie & Mona's opening set conflates the dynamism of hyper-pop with the delicate calm of Eleanor Gray’s voice, resulting in an unexpected introduction to the Hello series finale, but a welcome one that transfixes the crowd. Glows is the percussive output of Felix Bayley-Higgins and GG Skips of Sorry. Skirting somewhere between ambient noise and hardcore electro-house, these two stark silhouettes mix and meddle their tracks onstage, only really leaving two breathers throughout the whole set, creating a suffocating tension in the room. Modern Woman's sparse, experimental folk, meanwhile, spans generations of sound, Sophie Harris’ stunning trills controlling and leading the movement of each track, while multi-instrumentalist David Denyer utilises a plethora of homemade instruments to bring a sometimes caustic element. The moment Porij then step on stage, the room fills with ear-to-ear grins. During the bouncy ‘Ego’, vocalist and keyboard player Eggy deftly comes to the front and fully embraces the words being sung right back. Guitarist Jacob seduces the crowd with his reverb-heavy, spacey licks, proving a veritable hand on the fretboard. The set is teeming with bops; even to any previous non-fans it’s the perfect recipe to round out an eclectic night.

All the buzziest new music happenings in one place.

PRETTY POLY Recent Class of 2022 inductees English Teacher have announced details of their forthcoming debut EP ‘Polyawkward’ - due 22nd April. Preceded by slowbuilding new track ‘A55’, the five-track release comes ahead of DIY’s rescheduled Class of 2022 tour where the band will be supporting fellow Yorkshire brethren Yard Act this September. Of ‘A55’, singer Lily Fontaine says: “Writing the lyrics for ‘A55’ was a cathartic exercise after waking up with The Fear the morning after the night before - reflecting on the rise and fall of the ego as it became affected by what I put in my body, I hoped that putting it down in verse would make the embarrassment all worth it.”

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BUZZ FEED

PLAYLIST

Every week on Spotify, we update DIY’s Neu Discoveries playlist with the buzziest, freshest faces. Here’s our pick of the best new tracks:

MERCY MERCY ME Dirty Hit-signed Londoner Viji is set to unveil third EP ‘Cali’ on 11th March, following 2020 debut ‘Are You In My Head?’ and last year’s ‘Suck It’. Having previously debuted the title track, she’s also given newie ‘Mercy’ by way of a taster, which she explains was inspired by The Strokes. “I was writing it as if you’re sitting there laughing at the world ending,” she says of the song. “People want atonement, but you’re not going to give it to them. You’re just having a great time like, ‘I’m not here to give you that’.” Listen to ‘Mercy’ over on diymag.com.

MILO CLARE ELECTRIC CONNECT The best debut singles offer up a clear point of view, an immediate window into an artist’s world, while simultaneously dangling the carrot for a whole wealth more to come. Enter 23-year-old Londoner Milo Clare, whose opening gambit ‘Electric Connect’ - a lush, heady mix of Tame Impala psych and warm, woozy neo-soul ticks all those boxes and then some. Oozing with rich, enveloping production and topped off with the kind of heady guitar solo that sounds like being rocketed up to the giddy stratosphere on a free love machine, it’s an introduction that begs for more.

DORA JAR LAGOON With last year’s pop-tinged, altrock ‘Digital Meadow’ making way for forthcoming new EP ‘Comfortably In Pain’, latest single ‘Lagoon’ finds California’s Dora Jar marrying jazz-infused piano with pop sensibilities. Exploring the thoughts of a lonely mermaid as she searches for love, it’s a hypnotising creation; groove-along backing and tender vocals collide, as she delicately sings about the deep emotions felt by her watery heroine: “My love is a lagoon, too deep to be known by you”.

FLOWEROVLOVE I LOVE THIS SONG It might seem a little meta to offer up a track titled ‘I Love This Song’, which was written with the sole purpose of, well, declaring just that, but with its warming, slacker vibes and sparkling synths, it’s hard not to feel the same about flowerovlove's latest offering. Created in her "tiny studio" in Notting Hill and tinged with rose-coloured nostalgia, there's something rather enchanting about the simplicity and intimacy of the track, and its message alike.

PIGLET ‘OAN’ Fresh from supporting Porridge Radio on their recent tour, the latest from piglet - the project of Belfast-born Charlie Loane - is a woozy, disorientating thing, from its purposefully skewiff title (like ‘own’, but not), via its accompanying upside-down video to its crashes of clashing noise in the chorus. There’s something of the Xiu Xius to the way piglet combines the delicate and the disarming; it’s not always a comfortable listen, but there’s something raw and vulnerable here.

FAMILY VALUES Colchester newcomers Anorak Patch will also be releasing their debut EP in April, this time on the 29th. ‘By Cousin Sam’’s lead single - the titular ‘Cousin Sam’ - is out now and marks a brooding, grunge-inflected introduction to the release from the young quartet, all aged between 15 and 18. “The EP is a new direction for us musically,” say Anorak Patch. “It has more extremes; some parts of songs can be very intense and others can be slow and calming; hopefully listeners like it. The running order of the EP is important - we think it adds to the overall experience. It starts and ends with two powerful and emotional songs, and in the middle is something lighter and more accessible… It’s full of twists.”

Want to stream our Neu playlist while you’re reading? Scan the code now and get listening.

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Miso Extra Miso Extra flung open the doors to

inclusivity and empowerment with Fusing debut single ‘Adventures of Tricky N her Japanese Duke’ last summer: “Welcome to and English heritage an alternate reality / Open door into her own unique kinda policy / Full of peace and ‘Misoverse’, with only a musicality”. The words carried handful of singles out in the an extra majesty as she flickered world, Miso Extra is already between Japanese and English, fusing her dual heritage against a stepping up as an inspiring palette of hip hop percussion with new voice. Words: Rhys abandon. Buchanan. Photos: Emma Swann. Across the two tracks that followed, Miso made it clear that the project is about seeking out fluidity and exploration - something she finally set about realising around the first lockdown in 2020. ‘Deep Fried’ packed the smooth bass of Thundercat with moody R&B textures, where ‘1013’ brought in a jaunty accordion that threw back to hip-hop’s defining classic ‘Madvillainy’. But it was her bilingual flow that stood central in solidifying her as one of the year’s most exciting new prospects.

She calls this unique space ‘The Misoverse’: a world that expands beyond the confines of genre. “It came about when I really struggled putting into words what kind of music I was making,” she explains over Zoom. “It ties in with the idea that music is many things to people - and many different things contribute to elevating that experience. It’s the whole mentality of me as an artist and what I’m trying to create; it’s about being inclusive and open to interpretation; it’s a creative multiverse.” Born in Hong Kong to a Japanese mother and English father, it was inevitable that Miso was going to proudly share her heritage through her art. “My mum has always raised me with a pride of being Japanese and taught me to really embrace that side of my culture,” she says. “A huge part of that is actually being able to speak Japanese. I’m proud of the fact I’m able to occupy a dual space and it’s in my DNA. You’re forced into not being one thing and that translates into other aspects of your personality.” Her upbringing doesn’t just pulse through the music, but through her whole identity. In photoshoots and live shows, Miso has been donning vintage

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Japanese football shirts embroidered with her logo and traditional illustrations. Her social media posts often come in Japanese - inviting you to reach for the translation tools and dig deeper. It’s no wonder she’s also labeled her music as ‘umami for the ears’ - a word that loosely translates to a state of perfection where different ingredients come together. If that’s the case, she’s been slurping gleefully at the bowl. It hasn’t always been this easy. Growing up a child of dual heritage brought up challenges when she moved to England and went to school in Buckinghamshire. “The biggest thing you want to do is fit in,” she says, before pondering on the thought. “A lot of children growing up in Western cultures have been ostracized, even by their packed lunch. I would take in onigiri, which are these rice balls, and people would be absolutely disgusted by it - but now it’s actually kind of cool; it’s trendy to have sushi.” Though she’d dreamed of being an artist from a young age, when her earliest memories included singing karaoke and recording to a cassette recorder, Miso was held back by a lack of tangible role models. She asks the pressing question: “How many Asian artists could you name that aren’t from recent history? It’s incredibly daunting for you to want to get into music, and have your parents worrying about how their child is going to succeed if there’s nobody else they can measure that level of success to.” It’s something that’s bled into the ethos behind Miso Extra. “It’s why ‘The Misoverse’ is a world I wish I had growing up, where I can be all of these things and allow other people to feel like they can embrace different aspects of their upbringing in one place,” she explains. “At a young age, I had to find alternative inspiration and was forced into finding a scrapbook of role models and ideas to put together and live from.”

“I’m proud of the fact I’m able to occupy a dual space and it’s in my DNA.”

Is there a sense of pride in seeing Japanese artists like Rina Sawayama dominate more mainstream spaces by embracing their identity? “Anyone who is portraying an authentic version of who they are is a role model,” she says. “It gives me a lot of hope going into the future.” Miso attributes this movement in recent years to the wider attitude of her generation. “It’s as if people have grown up being picked on and now the frustration has bubbled up to the surface, like, I’m gonna be loud and proud.” It’s this gateway to culture, community and ideas that’s made Miso Extra such a vital and promising new voice - something she’s set to build upon in 2022 with a debut EP on the horizon. “I’d love for people to listen and enjoy it without having to read too deeply into it, but then for other people to broaden their understanding of Japan and vice versa to England,” she nods. “You’re going to find something new every time. It’s marrying all of these little different things together to make this whole firework display.” DIY Miso Extra plays DIY Alive, which takes place in London on 23rd and 24th April. Head to diyalive.com for details.

Hitting The

Heart Brakes Having made her name as part of game-changing collective Odd Future, Syd Syd’’s early career was categorised by both innovation and controversy. These days, she’ she’s prioritising the former and kicking the latter to the curb, with a second solo album - ‘Broken Hearts Club’ Club’ - that embraces redemption and creating your own narrative. Words: Grace Medford. Photos: Phil Knott.

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“I

t’s part of my daily routine,” says Sydney Loren Bennett - known to the world as simply Syd - sparking up a fat blunt with a grin. It’s 1pm in Los Angeles, and she’s sitting on the floor of her apartment, the brim of her baseball cap pushed back off her face, wearing large headphones with one ear free so that she can hear the room around her and not just our conversation. The writer / producer / DJ / frontwoman for GRAMMYnominated supergroup The Internet is gearing up for the release of second solo record, ‘Broken Hearts Club’, and when we speak, the album is in its closing stages. “It’s finished on my part,” says Syd. “Now we’re just making sure that everyone else involved is happy with it.” Syd began work on the follow up to 2017 solo debut ‘Fin’ towards the end of 2019, not long after closing out a world tour with The Internet. “It was just love songs on love songs on love songs,” she says. “Then life took a turn, and I didn’t wanna listen to the album anymore…” The “turn” Syd is referring to is the break up of her two-year relationship, which ended just as the pandemic hit and the world went into lockdown. In the aftermath, she “didn’t wanna make music, didn’t wanna write, didn’t wanna do anything”. The songs she

did write at the time were so “bitter and ugly,” she explains, that she eventually trashed them. “I’m sure my audience can relate to the bitterness of being dumped, but I just couldn’t go out like that! Those songs didn’t feel good, and for me, everything has to feel good.” However, being trapped at home turned out to be a blessing in disguise, forcing Syd to deal with her pain rather than trying to write through or escape it. She took eight months out to heal watching TV, working out and enjoying the fruits of her labour. She had started seeing a therapist towards the end of her relationship, and continued those sessions right up until the time she began seeing her current girlfriend a year later. “I realised I have depression,” Syd explains now. “I spent so much time thinking it came from somewhere deep, maybe something that happened, and my therapist made me realise it might just be the wiring. I might just need medication, like people with asthma need an inhaler. No one had ever put it in perspective for me that way.” She found a psychiatrist she liked - a Black woman, as is her therapist, she notes with a smile who got her onto a prescription that worked for her. Between the two of them, Syd made so much progress her therapist suggested taking a break because she’d run out of stuff to talk about. “I still have my moments,” she says. “But I’m able to snap out of them a lot quicker.”

When Syd eventually resumed writing, she was, she says, able to approach her feelings about the break up from a much more genuine place, resulting in her most vulnerable record to date. “On ‘Fin’, I was flexing so hard. I had a lot to prove,” Syd confesses. But when she took the album on tour, she was surprised to find that her audience preferred her slower, more emotional material. “They didn’t really care about my flexing like that. That influenced this album a lot, because I let go of trying to prove something to somebody.”

‘B

roken Hearts Club’ chronicles a romantic relationship from its beginning to the end. Boasting a stellar line up of producers including frequent collaborators Nicky Davey and Steve Lacy, rising talent Brandon Shoop, and GRAMMYwinning legends such as Troy Taylor, G Koop and Darkchild, the record is more stripped back than ‘Fin’, letting the negative space speak as loudly as the instrumentation: classic ‘90s R&B piano, crisp modern drums and sexy funk guitar riffs. Syd alternately makes full-bodied use of her voice - that impossibly smooth, melting caramel tone - or exhales it, delicately, floating fragile above the beat. It’s a beautifully measured album, reflective of the intentionality and purpose with which Syd approached its creation. The eight-month period of healing that preceded the completion of ‘Broken Hearts Club’ is the longest intentional break Syd has taken from making music since 2008 when she first emerged into public consciousness as part of Odd Future, the hip hop collective founded by Tyler, The Creator that also kicked off the careers of Frank Ocean and Earl Sweatshirt, among others. Syd grew up in Los Angeles

“Everybody wanted to talk to me about being gay so they could accuse me of being in the wrong for being part of Odd Future.”

with parents who loved music, and an uncle in Jamaica who owned a recording studio and produced the 1991 hit ‘Mr Loverman’ for Shabba Ranks. She took piano lessons but never practised at home. Midway through high school she enrolled in a music academy, but was still to find an instrument she enjoyed playing enough to stick with until she got her first laptop at 14 and discovered she could record using GarageBand. Engineering was different than playing piano, “because for one, it wasn’t just me,” Syd says. “I was recording someone else, I was facilitating. I’m a team player at heart, I like collaborating and playing my position.” She started out recording her neighbour, who she refers to as her “big brother”, and became obsessed with making the results sound better. Within a year or so she had turned her parents’ guesthouse into a studio and was advertising her services on MySpace, making $15 an hour. Syd’s attention to detail quickly established her reputation as the best engineer in the area. “Everybody left my studio with better-sounding rough mixes than from the dudes. Everything was coming out of there distorted, and I had a clean sound. Next thing I know, Tyler was at my doorstep.” Tons of aspiring artists passed through Syd’s guesthouse studio at that time. GarageBand had “changed the game” and there were loads of high school-aged kids running with a crew and making their own music. But Syd recognised a kindred spirit in Tyler and the rest of Odd Future. “Tyler was the only person around who operated like I did, where we knew the

goal and we weren’t just doing it for fun,” she recalls. “We were having fun doing it, but we all took it seriously, and we were all on the same page with it.” She became the Odd Future engineer and DJ, her studio their de facto headquarters. “Shout out to my parents, because Odd Future would not be a thing if it wasn’t for my parents trusting me with that space.” The group spent two summers in that studio, a single set up with just one mic, working every day and sleeping over at night. “Whoever got there first was making beats that day,” Syd remembers. “Left Brain would make five beats at a time, then someone would come ask if I could record them and I’d be like, ‘OK, when Left Brain’s done… I got you’. Nobody was fighting. Those were really good times. Especially before everything took off, before we made money. It feels like a lifetime ago.”

yd has been visible as a Black, gay woman for her entire career, but when she first met Odd Future she “was not gay”. Not gay, or not out? “I wasn’t gay,” she says. It was a “confusing” flirtation with a friend that led her to realise that, as she puts it, “I could get used to dating girls… this is kinda dope!” There was no big coming out moment, she continues. “I just started dating girls and acted like, ‘What, you didn’t know?’. But in reality, it was very new to me. It was

Syd: The Story So Far 2008

Sydney Bennett joins Odd Future as Syd Tha Kyd, the collective’s in-house engineer, producer and tour DJ.

2009/ 2009/ 2010:

Odd Future quickly emerge as a dominant new force in hip hop, landing magazine covers, festival bookings, major label record deals, and their own imprint Odd Future Records.

32 DIYMAG.COM

2015 The Internet add wunderkind producer Steve Lacy to the line up and release their third album ‘Ego Death’. It is nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2016 Grammys.

2011 Syd forms The Internet with fellow OF alumni, Matt Martian. They soon establish themselves as one of the most exciting neosoul/R&B groups of the decade.

“I’m an ‘artist’s artist’. I get to walk around and be myself, and I don’ don’t feel like I have to flex for anybody.”

2018 Drake casts Syd in his ‘Nice For What’ video alongside stars such as Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross and Tiffany Haddish.

2017 Syd officially drops Tha Kyd from her name and releases debut solo album ‘Fin’. The record’s more commercial sound receives rave reviews.

2019 Time magazine includes Syd on its 30 Under 30 list of influential people within the field of music.

2022 Syd returns with the dawn of ‘Broken Hearts Club’.

happening while we were up in that guesthouse during those couple of summers.”

Real Syd gives us some pearls of wisdom, cribbed from

Syd on fame:

There’s pros and cons. There’s having the face card and being able to get in certain places. But then if I go to a music venue in LA for an R&B show, I know I’m gonna get looked at a lot. So it’s putting blinders on and trying not to make too much eye contact with people, because eye contact for me is really vulnerable. It’s a huge exchange of energy.

Talk more than a decade in the limelight.

Syd on the fulfilment she gets from music:

Stepping into her sexuality gave her the confidence to start dressing in the relaxed, androgynous fashion that landed her in Louis Vuitton’s F/W 2019 men’s collection campaign. As a child, she had only been allowed to wear “boys clothes” when she played basketball. The shift in style caused a rift with her mother, whose negative commentary on her presentation led to her staying out late, not wanting to come home, sparking a confrontation about the hours she was keeping. “She’s not homophobic at all, but she had dreams like we all do, and part of her dream when she was younger was having two daughters,” Syd says. “It’s not a secret; she told me this. It was hard to watch me dressing in boys’ clothes.” The honesty shared between mother and daughter ultimately brought them closer together. “It was different times back then,” Syd shrugs. “Now she doesn’t care. She realised I was able to help the world by being myself.”

It was a long time before Syd was able to fully own that influence on the world. During Odd Future’s Every time I try to stray into like, hurtling, breakneck ‘Maybe I’ll try day trading, maybe rise to fame, the group I’ll start flipping trucks’, I always courted controversy come back to music. There’s nothing for their lyrical content, as fulfilling for me as making a great which was laden with song or a great album. Even if maybe misogynistic, homophobic one year I put out an album and I language. Syd, the sole don’t go perform it, it’s fulfilling female member, found putting out music. Especially herself singled out by when it reaches long and critics who questioned her far. involvement with the collective, and scapegoated by the rest of the group who pointed to her as proof that the critics had got them all wrong. “It’s interesting looking back on it,” says Syd. “Everybody wanted to talk to me about being gay so they could accuse me of being in the wrong for being part of Odd Future. I was on the defensive all the time. Everybody was trying to find a way to make me the bad guy.” While the boys of Odd Future were being evaluated on their talents alone, Syd was unable to escape being viewed through the lens of her gender and sexuality, then lambasted It’s scary at first because, when you’re for not conforming to a driven person and you stop being expectations. She wasn’t productive, you feel like, ‘Oh lord, I’m even 20 years old. The gonna end up broke and this is how it’s experience made her gonna start’. My therapist was like, reticent to step up and ‘You really think taking six months represent her community, off is gonna stop you ever being especially at a time when productive again?’ And I was like, such representation was ‘Dang!’ She’s helped me put a scant in itself; when she lot of stuff in perspective. and Matt Martians broke off from Odd Future to form their neo-soul /funk band The Internet, her determination to be viewed as an artist first and everything else second was evident throughout all the interviews she did at the time. These days, however, she is much happier to stand in her identity, much happier with the narrative that surrounds it.

Syd on slowing down:

34 DIYMAG.COM

“It isn’t, ‘This is the gay girl from Odd Future… the homophobic rap group’ anymore. It’s like, this is Syd from The Internet. And Steve Lacy from The Internet. And they’re both gay!” Syd says. “That’s the only difference. I never wanted to alienate the [LGBTQ] community.”

dd Future is now effectively defunct as a music group, though the members are still in and out of each other’s lives, actively supporting each other’s projects and occasionally popping up in the credits of them. The impact that hustling group of teenagers had on pop culture endures however, from the generation of artists influenced by their sound to the clothing brand that carries their donut logo. “My first time in Bali, we rode past this skate shop on the way to the villa from the airport and it had all the major logos on the side of the building,” Syd says, listing them off. “Nike, SB, Oakley, Vans… OF.” She pauses as though it’s still sinking in. “I was like WHAAAAAAAAT? Like… I own a piece of that. It’s so weird.” In March of this year, ‘The OF Tape Vol 2.’, the group’s only album release, will be ten years old. Syd is currently renovating the “special” guesthouse studio where they recorded their early projects. Did she know then that, a decade later, her life would turn out the way that it has? “Yeah I knew,” she says without hesitation, before laughing. “Honestly, I thought I’d have more money, if anything…” There’s still plenty of time to make bank, though the means and the methods are rapidly diversifying. Syd is a prolific collaborator, contributing features on tracks for artists as varied as Disclosure, Lil Uzi Vert, Mac Miller, Little Simz and Zayn, but she has previously been vocal about her desire to write and produce for other artists, something that has so far proven more difficult than it should be for a GRAMMY nominee. It’s possible that there is still some lingering Odd Future-related stigma. “It affects Tyler more than me, but there’s definitely a stigma,” says Syd. “He wants to do what Pharrell did, which is what I thought I wanted to do. I realised I’m gonna do my own version of it, and he’s BEEN doing his own version of it, but he might not see it exactly like that. He’s been able to big brother a lot of artists out here, which makes him better off, I think.” Part of the stigma, Syd says, is that Odd Future developed a reputation for “controlling the creative” because they were so protective of their brand; “We didn’t let people in,” she says. It’s not an entirely inaccurate assessment. She revised her goals as a producer after realising she didn’t want anyone recording anything on her beats that she considered trash, particularly as she wouldn’t have the heart to be honest with them about it. She thinks she will only produce for herself from now on. She also prefers to write with artists than for them, although when given the opportunity to craft a track for

"On this album, I let go of trying to prove something to somebody." Beyoncé, the fact that the queen herself wouldn’t be present was no deterrent. “This was The Lion King, so it wasn’t done how I imagine she does her albums,” says Syd of the writing camp which produced ‘OTHERSIDE’. She describes wandering the halls with Nicky Davey, listening to what everyone else was creating and trying to conform, before settling on the gorgeous piano instrumental that underpins the track. “They did us the favour of letting us hear her version of it before it came out,” she says. “They invited the three of us to the studio and they played it for us and we all sat there crying. It was an epic moment.” The next frontier for Syd to conquer is film. She will co-star in and write the soundtrack for an asyet-unannounced feature length movie produced by Lena Waithe’s production group Hillman Grad. Syd is co-writing the script, which is based on a treatment by her manager, but she is tight-lipped about the identity of her writing partner, whose name she can’t reveal yet. The story is “a metaphor for art, the artist, the consumer…” says Syd. “Who owns the art, who does the art belong to, and who is entitled to the art? It’s a really beautiful story, and I’m really excited to see it come to life.” Although her break up was devastating, it’s clear that Syd couldn’t be in a better place right now. She is happy and settled in her new relationship and looking to buy a house; with new doors

opening up for her professionally, she even graduated from therapy. And having previously worried that slowing her relentless pace would immediately result in going broke, she has learned that, after almost 15 years in the business, as part of two of the most influential groups of the decade, her legacy is pretty secure.

be myself, and I don’t feel like I have to flex for anybody. I get to work with who I want to, because everybody knows who I am; everybody who matters has heard something. I love where I’m at in that sense.” DIY

“I’m grateful with my position,” Syd says, brandishing her joint and exhaling a plume of smoke. “I feel like I’m an ‘artist’s artist’. I get to walk around and

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I’ve always thought that pop music is for teenagers, and I’ve always thought that I make pop music. So if what I do doesn’t interest those people, then I’m not doing very well.” - Joe Mount

36 DIYMAG.COM

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Something about what I do means that I’m still around and people are still interested.” - Joe Mount

fter two decades spent crafting addictively wonky, leftfield floor-fillers, Metronomy’s seventh album ‘Small World’ is restrained, downtempo and often melancholy. For the first time, electronics have been relegated to make way for sombre acoustic guitars and gently emotive piano pop. Its front cover, a photograph taken by Joe Mount’s mother in the ‘90s of some lush gardens near their home in Totnes (grounds that have since faded into disrepair) invokes the warm glow of nostalgia. In short, it’s something of a curveball.

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For Joe, however, this shouldn’t come as too much of a shock. “I feel like I’ve cultivated an understanding that you shouldn’t necessarily expect anything from a Metronomy album stylistically,” he counters over Zoom from a French hotel room. From their transformation from the frenetic electro of 2008’s ‘Nights Out’ to the expansive conceptual pop of its successor ‘The English Riviera’, and then again into a driving, psychedelic soul project on 2014’s ‘Love Letters’, the group have always been prone to a change in direction. Nevertheless, he admits, although “it probably won’t surprise people that it’s a bit different, the kind of different that it is might be unexpected.” As well as making use of a gentler and more emotive sonic palette, however, there’s a confessional aspect to Joe’s songwriting on ‘Small World’ that he’s never really explored before. “I remember the first time that I felt this weight on me / I was only fifteen,” he sings on the reflective ‘Things Will be Fine’ for example: a line inspired by his teacher’s decision to show a teenage Joe Raymond Briggs’ harrowing nuclear disaster animation, When The Wind Blows. “They talked about how, if there was a nuclear war, Plymouth would be hit because it was a massive naval base and everything around us would be disintegrated,” he recalls. The ‘weight’ he sings about “is that feeling that no one is in control of anything, that everything is just chaotic and terrifying.”

lthough he’s wary of pinning ‘Small World’ to the pandemic, it’s perhaps no surprise that it was written during the tumult of lockdown. Joe spent it with his wife and two young sons. Naturally, his children would ask questions, “and you’re like, ‘Yep! This is normal, don’t worry!’” he laughs. “You realise the amount of times in your life that your parents must have had to act fine when they didn’t have any clue as to what was going on.” The last few years also saw him reflecting on his age; he’ll be 40 this year. “I was aware that I’d be

Introducing the new book in the beloved children’s series: Five Go Write Some Indie Hits.

coming out the other side of this [pandemic] older than I thought I would,” he says. He’d think about the future of Metronomy, too. “I’d be thinking to myself, ‘Well what do you want to do for the rest of your life? You’ve spent 20 years doing this thing, do you want to spend the next 20 years doing this thing too? Is Metronomy the thing that will define you forever?” The answer, of course, was yes. However, with that commitment came a reassessment of just what kind of artist Joe wanted to continue to to be. “It feels to me like I’m entering phase two of my career in music, and a part of that is me wanting to be a bit more open about who I am,” he says. It’s why ‘Small World’ ended up being so personal. “It’s more consciously written about me, whereas perhaps other albums were a bit more vague in terms of what they were about.” The songs that do engage with the kind of universal, youthful pop themes of old - like the sweet and groovy ballad ‘Right On Time’ - he explains “are getting harder and harder to write”. “It’s basically about meeting someone and falling in love, and the last time that happened to me was 11 years ago! I suppose now, it feels a bit like, come on, start writing about something that’s true...” Yet ‘Small World’ also proves that honesty and maturity need not mean dullness. Lead single ‘It’s Good To Be Back’ is breezy and buoyant, made more charming still by its kitschy video in which the band endure an experience part-Groundhog Day, part-Dora The Explorer. Nor has Joe abandoned his love of pure pop. He’s always been open about the importance of staying relevant with successive generations; not too long ago, he said that the minute he stops seeing teenagers at the front of Metronomy shows he’d consider calling it quits. “I was being serious,” he doubles down now. “I’ve always thought that pop music is for teenagers, and I’ve always thought that I make pop music. So if what I do doesn’t interest those people, then I’m not doing very well.” And so, in order to navigate any potential conflict between his focus on pop and the maturity he’s exploring on ‘Small World’, he’s found a way to explore each in different ways.

he ‘Posse’ EP, released last September, acts as the first in a planned series in which Joe provides slick and catchy beats for newcomers like Biig Piig, spill tab and Sorry. Because he’s collaborating with young people, he says, it’s a genuine connection to that kind of music. “I make music as Metronomy and I also produce, and if you’re a good producer, you’ll work with up and coming artists. Through working with other people you can vicariously have that connection and it’s totally legitimate; it’s not me pretending I’m a young person, it’s just working with exciting young people. Collaborating with other people, that’s how I can still feel relevant.” Whereas before, the kinds of beats exhibited on the ‘Posse’ EP might appear on a full-fledged Metronomy

38 DIYMAG.COM

RADIO LADIO Joe recruited Porridge Radio’s Dana Margolin for a track on Metronomy’s latest. He explains how ‘Hold Me Tonight’ came about: ‘Hold Me Tonight’ is a wilfully nostalgic song. It came from a place of just wanting someone to literally embrace you, that feeling of wanting to be hugged. I thought it would be brilliant to bring in a female voice, and so I approached Dana [Margolin] from Porridge Radio. At first I liked the idea of making this song that has one kind of direction, that doesn’t really change, and she just did the complete opposite of what I was expecting; she turned it into a really, really sad song! It should have been obvious that’s what would have happened. What she put into the song was her reality, a true feeling. Even though the song is a fiction from my point of view, she was able to make it about her, and that’s why I like it so much.

“It probably won’t surprise people that it’s a bit different, the kind of different that it is might be unexpected.” Joe Mount record, now he’s holding back in search of coherence. “Anything energetic and fun, I’ll keep that for other stuff, and anything that feels leaden will now be Metronomy,” he jokes. Far from leaden though, ‘Small World’ is an emotionally-rich album that exhibits Metronomy at their most coherent; there’s a flow and a mood to the songs here in the same way that ‘Nights Out’ brimmed with the pent-up emotion of crap provincial nightlife, or ‘The English Riviera’ with faded seaside glamour. “I feel like it’s ‘true’, it has a simple and clear identity which is very important,” Joe nods of their new album. It says a lot about his status that, ultimately, despite ‘Small World’ being perhaps the most dramatic switch-up of his career, it’s not remotely jarring. The loyalty and trust that he’s built up through sheer longevity - Metronomy standing as one of the few survivors of their generation of indie bands who can still sell a meaningful number of tickets while maintaining critical acclaim - means that it’s not that much of a risk. He remembers his self-consciousness early on when he heard Erol Alkan playing his manic early single ‘You Could Easily Have Me’ at formative London electro night Trash. “I thought, ‘This is awful compared to the other stuff he’s playing’,” he recalls, “but what I didn’t realise back then is that that sound is a uniqueness.” Today though, he has no imposter syndrome (“There’s luck, but there’s also decisions that you make”) and is entering ‘phase two’ with confidence and poise. “Something about what I do means that I’m still around and people are still interested.” Sometimes when he’s on stage, he’ll even stop to smell the roses. “I’ll look at the crowd and think, ‘Why? What is it that you like about this?’ But to me, that’s just something magical.” ‘Small World’ is out 18th February via Because Music. DIY

AFTER MORE THAN HALF A DECADE IN THE POP LIMELIGHT,

MØ

HAS BEEN EMBRACING THE POWER OF SAYING ‘NO’.

FLIPPING EHT SCRIPT

ON THIRD ALBUM, ‘MOTORDROME’, SHE’S STEPPING OFF THE WHEEL AND WALKING AT HER OWN PACE. WORDS: CORDELIA LAM.

40 DIYMAG.COM

G N I P P I L F GNIPPTHE ILF E H T TTP I R C S PIRCS

espite her global success as a titan of modern pop and EDM, MØ - or Karen Marie Ørsted Andersen, when she’s not busy dominating the charts - is perhaps surprisingly humble. She clasps at her heart and smiles sincerely when reminded that she is, in fact, a genius pop songwriter. “I’m not good at giving myself compliments,” she blushes. “I always focus too hard on working. I definitely try to make pop music that has personality, as there’s just so much of it out there - the secret with pop music, though, is that you can’t make things too complicated.” So MØ keeps it simple. “If we fall in love, can we make it stick?” she asks in her signature rough trill on ‘Brad Pitt’, a lead single from just-released third LP ‘Motordrome’. She finishes out the pop couplet: “Sing me any song, baby, it’s a hit / I’ll keep spinning around for you, spinning around for you.” Built on a foundation of her favourite ‘80s bass and inspired by the bleach-blonde angel face of Pitt in Meet Joe Black, the concept, rhyme scheme and heavy guitar riff fell into place “totally intuitively,” MØ recalls, “without any overthinking. That combination of elements makes for the best pop songs.” MØ burst into the mainstream in 2015 at the helm of a burgeoning new format for pop music: high-altitude EDMinspired tracks for mass audiences, fronted by a DJ act and defined by a distinctive female vocalist. She led the charge with Major Lazer and DJ Snake on 2015’s ‘Lean On’, and followed its feverish success with ‘Cold Water’ (another Major Lazer collaboration) and a Snakehips feature, ‘Don’t Leave’, in 2016. With her signature rasp and clear, precise high notes, MØ gave these ubiquitous songs their off-beat, infectious texture, cementing her own place in the altars of mid-2010s pop history simultaneously. These days, MØ is grateful for those years of collaboration, but concedes that they challenged her artistic self-image as well as her health. “I felt split between being a featured artist and a solo artist,” she explains. “Doing features forces you to up your game you get this freedom to perform and be someone else within your collaborator’s universe, and to do that, you need to hone in on the essence of yourself to bring to the table. ‘Lean On’ got so hot, and I was super eager to do more collaborations, but at the same time, I was scared of losing a connection to myself as a solo artist. It was difficult to focus through all the hype - it just went really fast.” The success swept MØ into a manic few years of non-stop

work. “I was touring, writing music, working in the studio, going to meetings, doing promo, needing to be constantly online... I love my job and the variety of it, but at that pace and for that long, it became too much for me as an organism.” A speight of panic attacks would soon bring her back down to earth from this stratospheric success.

Ø’s latest album, ‘Motordrome’, is named after the wall of death where motorcyclists race in circles around a cylindrical container, held in place only by centrifugal force and the life-ordeath need to keep going. Unsurprisingly, the album was born from burnout. In the music video for ‘Live to Survive’, a bandana-clad MØ dives forth into a flashing, glitterball motordrome, where she performs loop after death-defying loop around the iron walls of the spinning cage. This motordrome, this wall of death, was the image Karen’s mother used to describe life as MØ - “Just go, go, go, without being able to stop.”

“I’D RATHER FAIL WITH SOMETHING I BELIEVE IN, THAN SUCCEED WITH SOMETHING THAT’S MEANINGLESS BUT GOOD FOR BUSINESS.”

Taking that first step out of the motordrome, the singer explains, was terrifying but necessary. “When you have insecurities, as we all do, it’s hard to stay calm when your business colleagues keep reminding you that you need to stay relevant. That need feels even more urgent for new artists today, but I’ve learned that the thing you must assign the most value to is your own creative flame and energy,” she says. “It’s easier said than done, especially when the wheels are turning, but I do believe that finding real meaning in your work is the only engine that will fuel you to keep going. I’d rather fail with something I believe in, than succeed with something that’s meaningless but good for business.”

On her latest, MØ has channelled this creative flame into depicting an elaborate, fatalistic wasteland. “The album feels like waking up at ground zero, where everything you knew to be true has been destroyed. It’s a new time with nothing to lose. You can only dig inward, and try to build something new.”

INSIDE THE MOTORDROME

MØ lets us in on some of the specific ideas going on behind the album’s bighitters.

‘KINDNESS’ ’Kindness’ is a tribute to my fans and my loved ones. It celebrates community and how soulwarming that can be. When I was going through bad, anxious periods, I forgot what it felt like to be held and supported by my loved ones. I was so caught up in my own loop for so many years, but opening up to my family and friends and seeing them show up for me every time was everything. It was important for me to say thank you on this song.

“I’VE LEARNED THAT THE THING YOU MUST ASSIGN THE MOST VALUE TO IS YOUR OWN CREATIVE FLAME AND ENERGY.” Losing everything and rebuilding from rock bottom is a recurring theme on the album. Writing ‘Live to Survive’, MØ says, marked a turning point in her journey out of darkness. “It was the first song where I felt able to turn sadness and defeat into energy and power. To feel like I’d hit the bottom and I could go right back up from there.” The SG Lewis-produced track, a pulsating blockbuster disco inferno, is the sonic equivalent of speeding towards flashing lights on a motorcycle. “Watch me! I’m back on my feet,” she chants over the heaving bassline, “ready for the century.” Closer ‘Punches’ presents a similar thesis of strength. A jubilant shout-fest reminiscent of an anime title sequence or Grimes’ ‘Kill V. Maim’, it reminds us to “roll with the punches” rather than struggle ceaselessly against the things we cannot control.

‘YOUTH IS LOST’ In a lot of my older music, I’ve had a tendency to be very nostalgic and to fixate on this idea of holding onto youth. ‘Youth is Lost’ references that theme but from a different perspective of wanting to move on from that time and that feeling of being stuck. We can still be young at heart, but having moved on from the past.

'BRAD PITT’ ‘Live to Survive’, ‘New Moon’ and ‘Punches’ are all about this mentality of, ‘I accept the shit that was hard, but I am still here and I’ll get through it’. This connects to the universe of ‘Brad Pitt’ which, although is more light-hearted as a love song, also speaks to this feeling of wanting to believe in something, of wanting to be hopeful.

“WHEN YOU’RE TOTALLY BROKEN DOWN, IT’S A CHANCE TO COME BACK EVEN BETTER.” 42 DIYMAG.COM

The theme of renewal and second chances is especially vibrant on album standout ‘New Moon’. A witchy and euphoric dance track, it banishes fear, hurt and past injustices to the rearview mirror and looks forward to celestial revival. MØ tells it straight on the song, declaring unabashedly, “I’m not that somebody that you used to bully,” while allowing lyrical allusions of past experiences in the music industry to hover in the background. “It’s disguised as a break-up song, but really it speaks to many experiences I’ve had over the years where I was not treated right,” she explains. “Little drops became an ocean, until one day I just woke up and felt so trapped, so mad. “The song also recognises that I have been part of that system; that I played along by not fighting it hard enough at the start,” she nods. “There’s a conflict there – blaming myself, but also needing to forgive myself for not speaking up when I knew something didn’t feel right.” Inspired by “dystopian and fantastical flavours” in building the universe of ‘Motordrome’, MØ believes that, sometimes, one world coming to an end presents an opportunity to build a new one. “When you’re totally broken down, it’s a chance to come back even better,” she smiles knowingly. “Only when you have accepted your own vulnerability can you step into your true power. I want people to know that we can be so powerful, if we just allow ourselves to be.” ‘Motordrome’ is out now via Columbia. DIY

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What does Shamir sing at karaoke? ‘Hooves Like Jagger’ of course! Ba boom tish.

Occult Hero With seven albums already out in the universe, you should know by now to expect the unexpected from Shamir. On eighth album ‘Heterosexuality’, the singer is reinventing himself all over again. Words: Elly Watson.

ne glance at the album cover for Shamir’s forthcoming eighth album ‘Heterosexuality’, and it’s hard not to be drawn in instantly. Decked out in horns and hooves, the Phillybased, Vegas-born, genre-crushing artist appears as a modern-day Baphomet; a figure, he admits, that he even sees a bit of himself in.

“It’s a figure that is so easily and quickly demonised,” he explains, “and I feel like that in a lot of ways, just being in my Black queer body. I often feel like people see me as if I’m half-animal, halfhuman.” That Shamir could shoot in a surprisingly full park in complete Baphomet get-up and not notice that much difference says it all. “The stares that I got were not unlike the ones I get every day, without the horns and hooves,” he recalls. “They’re not negative, it’s kind of like a weird awe, like I’m an animal at the zoo.”

The latter, an industrial-leaning hypnotic number that erupts into howls of “I’m not cisgender, I’m not binary trans / I don’t wanna be a girl, I don’t wanna be a man”, has seen an overwhelming reaction in response to its release. So much so, that it’s even taken Shamir back a bit. “I was like, ‘Oh Lord, everyone is gonna hate this’,” he laughs. “But it’s resonated so much with the people who have heard it. It’s so weird because I feel like I’ve gone into this more serious sound and everyone is [often] like, ‘We want the fun Shamir back!’ But everyone likes all the moody songs on this record. What do you want?!” Elsewhere on ‘Heterosexuality’, the dream-pop-infused ‘Caught Up’ and upbeat ‘Marriage’ mask themes of emotional baggage and feeling luckless, while ‘Abomination’ sees Shamir return to rapping, shouting out Tracy Chapman while delivering cutting political commentary. “I was like, ‘Yo, I feel the urge to rap over this. I feel a lot of trauma tied to rapping for myself. I just want to make you aware that this is something that I’m working through’,” Shamir recalls. “I think I worked through a lot of things while making this record, and it felt very healing.”

“There’s this weird stereotype that queer people who are living out are just automatically absolved of all the trauma that comes with queerness.”

The vision of Baphomet (the occult deity worshipped by the Knights Templar) originally came to Shamir around three weeks after finishing up his 2020 self-titled seventh record, and resulted in a slight spiralling on Twitter. “That happens sometimes,” he smiles. While he had no plans for new music at that moment, he kept the idea of the Baphomet aesthetic in the back of his head - “I just knew that I would look fucking sick in horns and hooves!” - and two days later producer Hollow Comet hit him up, in a moment Shamir describes as “divine intervention”.

The pair have crafted a thrilling record that arrives seven years after Shamir made his debut with ‘Ratchet’, and two years since his critically-acclaimed self-titled LP. Crucially however, though ‘Shamir’ received such positive reactions, the singer made sure not to crudely attempt a similarly itch-scratching follow-up, instead prioritising creating something “honest and truthful” above chasing that same reception. The result is ‘Heterosexuality’: an album that explicitly explores Shamir’s queerness, while also acknowledging trauma. “I think anyone can relate to it on an empathetic level,” he notes. “You kind of can apply it to literally anything. Like, ‘Gay Agenda’ is not just about queerness, ‘Gay Agenda’ is about being yourself. ‘Cisgender’ is not just about transness, it’s about the friction that we all feel with gender.”

Acknowledging his trauma from the outset, even when the first vision of Baphomet appeared to him, Shamir knew that the self-professed “dark moment” that followed was something that he was determined to address. It’s evident throughout the lyrics of the record, as he ends ‘Father’ with the statement, “I’m finally ready to go at it alone”; ‘Stability’, meanwhile, finds him letting go of toxicity, proclaiming “It’s the only life I get”. “I guess I was kind of grappling with this queer frustration, you know what I mean?” he muses. “And I think there’s this weird, not-true stereotype that queer people who are living out are just automatically absolved of all the trauma that comes with queerness.” Nearly a decade on from his dancey landmark hit ‘On The Regular’, ‘Heterosexuality’ finds Shamir diving deeper than ever. It is, he admits, his favourite creation - something he’s never said about his previous seven outputs. “But they’re all my babies!” he emphasises. This is the favourite child though, yeah? “Well I will say, every other baby was unplanned, but I still love them! But this baby was planned, and made with love and intention.” ‘Heterosexuality’ is out 11th February via AntiFragile. DIY

FUTURE “This album, I love it and it’s kinda bonkers…” Dan Smith 46 DIYMAG.COM

INTENT ON EXPLORING SOCIETY’S RAPIDLY-CHANGING RELATIONSHIP WITH TECHNOLOGY VIA ESCAPISM AND DREAMING, THE LATEST ALBUM FROM CHART-TOPPERS BASTILLE IS AMBITIOUS IN EVEN MORE WAYS THAN YOU MIGHT EXPECT. Words: Sarah Jamieson. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

And yet, with their latest ‘Give Me The Future’, the quartet have found a new rabbit hole to dive down. Following on from that “loosely conceptual” last album - which followed the events of a house party, unfolding with the curtains closed while the apocalypse kicked off outside - their newest sees them attempt to turn the focus away from present-day politics and doomy current issues that permeate our thoughts. Instead, they looked to their fascination with technology for a new kind of freedom. “After ‘Doom Days’ I felt like it got so bleak…” Dan admits, a couple of weeks into the new year and a week into promo for their fourth record. Despite the album being designed to shut out the horrors of the outside world in favour of one brilliant euphoric night out, the modern anxieties that the record was so focused on avoiding still managed to creep in. “We tried to end that album on a moment of positivity but…” he trails off. “This time around, we were like, ‘Right, Album Four, let’s chuck aside loads of the rules we’ve weirdly set ourselves’. There was a real sense within the band and our team that this would be a nice point to try new things and go in a slightly different direction. Maybe try to make a positive record…” Quickly, Dan began to immerse himself in his love of science fiction, instead looking to explore “escapism, via memory, dreaming, technology - all of these different things”. Inspired by a show he saw at the Edinburgh Festival based around a comedian’s experience of maladaptive daydreaming (“For him, it was a subconscious way of dealing with trauma; it’s a real testament to his skill in what he does that he managed to make an absolutely hilarious hour-long show out of that topic”), ‘Give Me The Future’’s

premise began to take shape. “As someone who’s really interested in escapism and distraction, the show really affected me and I couldn’t stop thinking about that idea,” Dan reflects. “‘Doom Days’ was really quite an introspective record in that it was about all of this change in the world happening outside, all of these apocalyptic things happening, but shutting the curtains to them and focusing on what’s happening within the room. This album was very much about going inside your head and using technology to go absolutely anywhere else; the arc of wanting to get away from something, and being able to do whatever you want, then over that period of time the realisation that maybe there is something to be said in being more present in the real world.”

n preparation for Bastille’s latest, Dan began to revisit some of science fiction’s more iconic moments for inspiration, but he didn’t need to cast his mind back to the past for too long. It’s perhaps ironic that, during the making of an album aiming to explore our relationships with technological advancements, our lives would, almost overnight, become so much more dependent on them. Despite beginning work on ‘Give Me The Future’ prepandemic, the album’s themes became all the more prescient as our lives were forced to halt, our social interactions becoming more dependent on Zoom and social media than any other medium. “All of our relationships with technology and isolation and apps became massively amplified, and were so much more entrenched in every single corner of every single thing we do,” Dan says. Even he couldn’t have predicted how poignant the album’s themes would feel after the past two years. “Our generation - and those after us - are living through the internet spilling out into the real world in so many ways; we see it in politics, in people’s relationship with the truth, so many things.

NOSTALGIA

“I

n our music there’s a real preoccupation with escapism,” begins Bastille frontman Dan Smith, dropping what’s arguably a rather large understatement. Just take a quick glance at their discography to date for proof; from the Lynchian ode of debut EP ‘Laura Palmer’ through to the mythology that wove its way through ‘Bad Blood’ via the hedonistic distraction that permeated 2019 third album ‘Doom Days’, the sentiment is pretty clear for all to see.

“You hear stories all the time of people using a dating app and they’ll have edited their photo so much that they then don’t feel that they can meet up with the person they’ve matched with as they know it’ll expose how different they look,” he continues. “[Technology has] completely fucked our relationship with ourselves and other people - [but] sometimes in amazing, positive ways. That’s a point within the album; there’s so much that’s amazing

GIVE ME THE SCI-FI As you may have guessed, Dan Smith is quite into his science fiction… So naturally we asked him to elaborate on some of the sci-fi he was most inspired by when making ‘Give Me The Future’. Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses [This looks] at the atrocities of the past and imagines what the future could’ve been like had things been different. So much in science fiction is about imagining how things could be - positively or negatively - and either trying to avoid or manifest them. Margaret Atwood I love Margaret Atwood’s relationship with science fiction. Her books are insanely readable, as well as the ideas they have. I remember reading the Blind Assassin when I was a kid, and it’s huge but jumps forward and back in time a lot.” George Orwell’s 1984 We were going back almost as far as Orwell or Metropolis. 1984 spoke to what the future could look like under levels of authoritarianism because it’s criticising what they saw at the time. Janelle Monáe’s ‘The ArchAndroid’ In terms of creating a world and a concept and talking about different versions of the future, this album is a really amazing example. Minority Report On the basic tech level, the film Minority Report which is probably 20 years old now? - at the time had driverless cars, targeted advertising, and touch screens floating. We’re beyond all of those things. Reality is weirder in so many more ways.

and community-building, unifying and empowering in loads of these advances, but equally they are corruptible, and can be corrupting and divisive. Not to sound like someone who’s awake all night worrying about the state of things, but these are just the realities of the world we live in, and if you step back from it, it does feel like a fucking insane science fiction movie.”

et while some familiar worries and anxieties may have inevitably crept into the band’s fourth record, ‘Give Me The Future’ still marks a change in attitude for the quartet themselves. Though their previous three full-lengths have followed some of Bastille’s own self-imposed rules (“What the title should be, what the artwork looks like, the fact that I need to write everything…”), this time around they decided to open up the process.

“This album was very much about going inside your head and using technology to go absolutely anywhere else.” - Dan Smith

“I fucking love writing with other people, but it’s just a really different process for me,” the frontman admits, referencing his recent collaborations with the likes of BRIT winner Griff that have been external to the world of Bastille. “Part of the process of the album was saying, if we’re gonna change it up, why don’t I just bring in parts of that world into Bastille’s and see what happens?” It’s this more open door policy that led to the band working with songwriting royalty Rami Yacoub (who penned ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’, no biggie) and Ryan Tedder. “The idea was to have loads of different brains on it. With Ryan, I guess the thinking there was, here’s a guy who’s written with everyone from Adele to Beyoncé, he clearly knows what he’s doing: he was a fresh pair of ears for us.” Even actor and performer Riz Ahmed appears on the record, his mid-album spoken word track ‘Promises’ tugging the glitchy, soaring ‘Plug In…’ gently back to earth. “It’s one of my favourite bits on the album; the track takes you from the heightened frenzy of ‘Plug In…’ and he grounds it back down,” notes Dan. It’s arguably this fresh sense of ambition that makes ‘Give Me The Future’ all the stronger. While it would’ve been easy for a band like Bastille to continue following their solid recipe for pop music (it’s done them well so far, after all), it’s the album’s more unexpected moments Riz’s poem, the quiet intimacy of ‘No Bad Days’, the Daft Punk-echoing album opener - that offer up a more distinct version of what Bastille look like ten years on from their debut. “This album, I love it and it’s kinda bonkers,” Dan concludes, on what he’d like the album to stand for in the long run. “It starts with you plugging in, and you fly off into all these other different places, but at the end, it grounds you and brings you back into the room. I think the point is that all of our relationships with technology and the future are nuanced and complicated. But you also need switch the fuck off, and try to enjoy whatever situation you’re in as much as you can.” ‘Give Me The Future’ is out now via EMI. DIY

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Wrestling a sense of identity back following her deeply troubled time in Crystal Castles, Alice Glass’ Glass’ solo debut ‘PREY//IV’ finds the singer finally in control of her own destiny.

SMAS

Words: Jenessa Williams.

“Crystal Castles WAS. Alice Glass IS.”

Every survivor’s journey is different, but in tweeting such a statement in December 2021, it became clear that Alice Glass was ready to place her stake in the ground. With ‘PREY//IV’, her long-awaited debut album, she is the guardian of her own rebirth, laying her story down in one place. “It’s a cliche to say that it’s cathartic to write music when you’re going through something, but it really was,” she says. “It's a pretty emotional record; the process was very time-consuming. I wasn’t really planning on it being an album, but this cluster of songs really encompassed the time period. Hopefully, people hear them.” To be heard is all that Alice has really asked for. After eight years as part of electronic duo Crystal Castles, she quit the band in 2014, citing unspecified professional and personal grounds. In 2017, bolstered by the #MeToo movement, she summoned the courage to issue a statement against her former bandmate Ethan Kath, accusing him of various psychological and physical abuses, detailing the degree to which her life and contributions were controlled under his eye. “I was getting used to a way of living that was really hurting me a lot,” she says today, summarising things plainly. “I knew that my situation sucked, but I think I was a little bit closed off to the industry, because there was always this person speaking on my behalf. It's kind of isolating, especially in the music industry; you can't throw a rock without hitting a creepy predator, and that predator is usually going to be more

powerful than me. So with everything, the lawsuits, it was a rude awakening.” The lawsuits she is referring to are the ones that were first served to her in December 2017, suing her for defamation and conspiracy. Kath denied all abuse claims against him and continues to do so, including the testimonies of other women who have since made similar allegations. His case against Alice was dismissed in court by the following February (as was a later appeal), but the swirling torrent of hatred aimed at her by Crystal Castles fans and angry opportunists alike took much longer to dissipate. “Everything I did, it felt like there was a lot of people that wanted me to crash and burn and kill myself,” she says. “It’s horrible, especially this picking of sides, because people label you a liar for attention and that’s that. Seeing all these fans that you've met in person now harassing you online… It's just like, I don't know… surreal...”

or anyone who grew up in the noughties, it goes without saying that Alice Glass has long been a star. A microcosm of the fucked-up Tumblr cool that capitivated young millennials, she was an icon of the Skins generation, topping cool lists and raising awe for her whiskey-chugging, stage-diving antics. It’s painful to realise that she was merely a teenager herself, joining Crystal Castles at the age of 15 and instantly coerced into the fabrication of ‘enigmatic’ PR folklore. “There was that whole thing of, ‘Oh, it was a mic test’,” she says, recalling the infamous origin story of her ‘Alice Practice’ vocals. “No, it wasn't. Everything was

GLASS

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HING THE “In the music industry, you can't throw a rock without hitting a creepy predator, and that predator is usually going to be more powerful than me.” “Definitely not!” she laughs. “I just did this radio show where I played a Babyshambles song, 'Fuck Forever', which I’ve loved for years. I really like Ariana Grande too, the vocal tone on some of her songs. I don't really like major chord music, you know? Nothing too happy. But the perfect mix is despair, sprinkle a bit of hope in the chorus, and then back to despair again.”

an allegory; how we met reading to the blind and all this fucking bullshit. None of it matched up; how could I be this fucking feral creature but also be playing hundreds of shows a year all over the world? It just didn’t make any sense. It was hard to keep up, so it was easier to back down.” The more her ‘damaged’ onstage persona was praised, the further Alice retreated. “When I was crowd surfing, I wasn't trying to, like, be hype and have fun,” she nods. “Honestly, it was more that I was a bit suicidal that whole time, and it was like, fuck it. If anybody wants to… I don't know. That was my mentality.” Like a feeling of having nothing to lose, we suggest? “Yeah, exactly. I mean, I was around a bunch of dudes that were all like, at least 10 years older than me, where everybody treats me in a really weird way. It was not very pleasant.” With the internet abuzz with a so-called ‘indie sleaze’ revival, Alice’s own feelings of nostalgia are understandably complicated, but she remains proud of the musical contributions she made to Crystal Castles and her subsequent growth since. Though ‘PREY//IV’ definitely makes use of the cathartically-dark narrative and ethereal electronics with which she has become well known, a distinct melodic knack shines through her newly-undistorted vocal, breaking down the notion of any ultra-hip pop snobbery.

Nowhere does hope hit harder than on recent single ‘FAIR GAME’. Working closely with Jupiter Keyes (previously of HEALTH), she uses spiky synths to reclaim manipulative sentiments once aimed at her by Kath (“Where would you be without me / I’m just trying to help you”), stating them slowly in order to remove their sting. “It sounds silly now, but when I first left and started to talk to a therapist, she said that he treated me as if I was in a cult,” says Alice. “You stay in a situation like that because your self esteem is crushed, but then ironically, the only thing that could make me feel like I was worth anything was writing music and performing. I didn't think I was going to put it out at all, but Jupe was like no, you should. It was SOPHIE's favourite song too; SOPHIE was going to remix it. I wanted to do it in respect for her.” Given Alice’s previous brushes with online trolls, her nervousness was more than understandable, but the response was overwhelmingly kind. “People started writing me back; people who had been gaslit by similar phrases and could relate to it. So now it's like that song doesn't really belong to me anymore. And it feels good.” As ‘PREY//IV’ meets the world, Alice is determined to hang onto that good feeling, enjoying the sensation of being completely at her own helm. “For years I just accepted that my artistic contribution was just going to be music, never talking about my personal life,” she says. “I think a lot of people got used to that. If you like a band for a certain amount of time where the front person doesn't really talk, it's a different feeling completely when she starts talking about things that make you uncomfortable. This time, I just want more humanity to be seen. More humanity, and less aesthetics.” ‘PREY//IV’ is out now via Eating Glass. DIY

CEILING

ALT-J HAVE SPENT THE PAST DECADE TROJANHORSING THE MAINSTREAM, AND WITH THE DAWN OF THEIR FOURTH STUDIO LP ‘THE DREAM’, THE TRIO ARE STICKING UP TWO FINGERS TO THE NAYSAYERS AND CELEBRATING THEIR CURIOUS NICHE WITH GUSTO. Words: Lisa Wright. Photos: Fiona Garden.

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“FUCK YOU, I’LL DO WHAT I WANNA DO,”

repeats the chant at the cathartic pay-off of 2017 ‘Relaxer’ album track ‘Hit Me Like That Snare’. Though it took them three albums to shout its clarion call quite so loudly, it’s an attitude that’s always seemed to be at the heart of what alt-J do. They’re a massive, arena-selling band who average approximately 1.5 typically ‘radio-friendly’ songs per album; a group who somehow manage to woo festival headline slots of pissed punters with songs full of Gregorian chanting (‘3WW’), binary code (‘In Cold Blood’) and lusty geometry (‘Tessellate’). Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton and Thom Sonny Green still clearly aren’t sure quite how they got here, but here they stand: about to release their fourth album, this month’s ‘The Dream’, as one of the UK’s most successful bands. “I think one of the weird things is that we always thought we’d be one of those bands that would never garner anything except perhaps critical acclaim; we thought the best we could hope for is for the slightly left of centre, indie [people] to really like us and for no one else to have ever heard of us,” muses Gus over a pint and some chips as we hole up in a Shoreditch boozer following today’s neon photoshoot. For a short while it looked like that could be the case. A decade ago, the band - then augmented by original guitarist Gwil Sainsbury - picked up the 2012 Mercury Prize for their debut ‘An Awesome Wave’: an award that tends to cement a more leftfield path rather than indicate a crossover to the centre. But move to the centre they did. Their following album, 2014’s ‘This Is All Yours’, topped the UK charts and reached Number Four in the US; ever since, alt-J have been A Big Band. And yet, across all their records, there’s been a steadfast sticking to their esoteric guns despite evidently being quite capable of throwing up the occasional more straightforward banger (‘Left Hand Free’, ‘Breezeblocks’) should they so wish.

“If we think we’re writing a hit we won’t slow the brakes on it, but equally we’re not ever trying to write one.“ - Joe Newman

“I don’t think we have a manifesto when it comes to songs we write; we’ll embrace a hit if we see one coming, and if we think we’re writing a hit we won’t slow the brakes on it, but equally we’re not ever trying to write one,” Joe explains. “With ‘Left Hand Free’, we knew we were writing something that was a bit of a curveball [for us], so if someone came up and was like, ’‘Left Hand Free’’s my favourite song’, then we know they’re not really a fan of the band… “With the new single ‘Hard Drive Gold’, I think we felt it was a hit, and we like it when they spring up out of nowhere and you catch it when it happens,” he continues before chuckling: “It reminds us that we could make a lot of money if we wanted! There’s a lot of adverts that would want this!”

Mr. Tidy

n ‘The Dream’ - written and recorded across the past two years at their new east London studio base - any concessions to what would traditionally occupy a high-priority return from an arena-headlining group are just as absent as ever. Yes, ‘Hard Drive Gold’ shimmies along on a bassline that’ll likely get stuck in your head for weeks, but it’s also a lyrically wry track about cryptocurrency, populated with a shout along chorus (“Don’t be afraid to make money, boy!”) that’s both a cheeky comment on capitalism and an inevitable sing-along festival moment: classic alt-J. “If you write a song that you feel strongly about and it’s more in line with the greater world of commercial music, then it’s the best of both worlds because you know that it’s gonna fight the good fight for you in terms of filling seats and that’s great,” Joe reasons. Elsewhere, meanwhile, it’s business as usual - by which we mean a 12-track crawl through the furthest regions of the trio’s eclectic tastes and flights of fancy, featuring harpsichord trills and opera singers on ‘Philadelphia’, recorded sounds of a passing crow and, on ‘Walk A Mile’, a cross between Southern blues and a barbershop quartet. “All of us have quite interesting tastes in music and interesting backgrounds,”

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says Gus. “When I was at school, I was in a barbershop group and it’s only on our fourth album that I thought, oh I’ll see if my barbershop background could work on something.” “He did two tours of Thailand!” Joe chips in. “We were called The King’s Barbers. I was 13,” Gus nods sagely. “But the point I was trying to make is we’re still coming across things in our backgrounds that feel like they’ll be cool, and [we’re still getting to] the outer limits of what our possibilities are. Maybe a lot of bands come together because they all love the same music; we kind of came together in spite of coming from really different backgrounds, and that does tend to create a lot of sparks and magic in the cauldron.” Strange sparks and magical alchemical moments are par for the course across an alt-J release. “I would defy anyone to predict what sort of music we’ll write on the next album,” says Joe. “I just don’t think we’re predictable, so it feels good to me that we’re still somewhat marginalised but also…” Objectively very successful, we offer? “Objectively successful,” he acquiesces, “but inevitably that comes with sneers by a lot of people that think that success equates to something less authentic.”

In recent years, alt-J have come to find themselves whipping boys for a certain type of indie snobbery. “Certain newspapers on the left of the spectrum really really fucking hate us,” shrugs Gus. “It’s just the opposite of what we thought would happen. It’s the whole punching up thing: people see us as a fair target because we’re successful and I guess that’s fair enough. They’re not punching down if they slag off alt-J.” It’s something that evidently bothers them. Having started the band aiming squarely for more leftfield quarters, and having stuck to their guns throughout, they’re obviously justifiably uncomfortable being seen as having somehow compromised themselves. “I think it’s always frustrating, inevitably,” nods Joe, “because in the cold light of day, you look at your body of work and you say, ‘That’s the best I can do’. So it’s a process you have to come to terms with that the best you can do is not only not good enough for others, but people actually take the attitude where they enjoy not liking it. It can be difficult, and it’s a daily thing to contend with - not worrying and not getting upset about it. But it takes up a small part of your brain.” “Every day…” deadpans Gus.

In every band, there needs to be a realist. In alt-J, it turns out it’s Gus. Gus: I’m always really conscious of the band’s purse strings. They call me The Janitor. Joe: He earths ideas, but you need someone to keep you grounded. I’ve had ideas that I haven’t talked to you about because they’d just be too difficult. Gus: You wanted a male Sikh choir on one track. And I feel like maybe the cheerleaders on ‘Deadcrush’ were a bit of a bust and flush - we got a whole load of cheerleaders to come down and do some pep and almost none of it got used. Joe: I had an idea where I wanted to recreate some local advertisement for Planet of the Apes in the 1960s that never happened. [Sings] ‘Popcorn and soda, that’s what we eat and drink / When we watch Planet of the Apes’ - that was the advert I made up. You have to do a lot of groundwork to realise an idea, and sometimes if you’ve got better ideas you just put them first. Gus: The budget was limited on the first album; we ordered the set menu on the first album with the house wine. But by the third album, we were down the bottom of the wine list.

“People see us as a fair target because we’re successful. They’re not punching down if they slag off alt-J.” - Gus UngerHamilton

egardless of any negative external forces, however, inside Camp alt-J, things seem better than ever. Conceding that ‘Relaxer’’s relatively short eight-track length was due to looming deadlines and unavoidable time constraints, their purposeful pause that followed at the tail end of 2019, coupled with the time afforded to them by the pandemic to create its follow-up, has meant that Joe, Gus and Thom are brimming with enthusiasm for being in their band once more. They’ve decorated their new space with a collection of limited run tour posters, collected from their worldly travels (“Of you or of other bands?” we ask, innocently. “Of us - fuck other bands!” Joe and Gus retort in complete synchronicity), and they’re dreaming typically big of their future plans. “Have you seen the place where The Beatles wanted to do that gig in Get Back?” Gus asks excitedly when questioned about any remaining ambitions. “We should do that!” Apologies in advance to whoever now has to book a show at a crumbling amphitheatre in Libya. Though three albums’ worth of touring and promo had left them desperately in need of a break before work could start on ‘The Dream’, at no point did any of the band even consider the idea of making the break more permanent. “He’s choking at the thought!” Gus pipes up, as Joe splutters over his chips next to him: “I’ve just got a

very sensitive gag reflex for salt!” And even though the trio are due to toast the 10-year anniversary of that life-changing debut in May of this year, they’re truly just not that arsed about doing anything except revelling and embracing the present. “When I read other musicians saying what I’m about to say I roll my eyes, but I’m gonna say it anyway: I really think this new album is better than that one, and it’s not outside the realms of possibility that this album could go on to be more successful and better regarded than ‘An Awesome Wave’,” says Gus. “So I’m more excited to think about ‘The Dream’ this year. I’m so grateful for everything ‘An Awesome Wave’ has done for us, I mean, crikey…” “Crikey!” snorts Joe, at his bandmate. “You’ve got to keep in that he said that…” “BUT,” continues Gus, “this new album is more important to me at this point in my life. Back in 2012 we were the most important people in each other’s lives, and now we have partners and children and pets and we’ve grown into our own personal lives. But our musical chemistry is really in a honeymoon period again. This album feels like we’re musically in the first flushes of romance.” ‘The Dream’ is out 11th February via Infectious. DIY

Interpretive Art Over at DIY HQ, there have been a lot of discussions as to exactly what ‘The Dream’’s artwork depicts. Can you enlighten us, guys? Gus: It’s a man in the shower. Joe: It’s not a man in the shower. Gus: It’s not NOT a man in the shower. Joe: It’s an otherworldly being raising its head towards the sun with a cascade of something… smegma… Gus: It’s by an artist friend of ours called Joel Wyllie, who Joe grew up with, and he went to the RA and is a great artist. It’s not directly linked to the album, but it’s a bit unsettling, a bit ambiguous, so it relates to it. So it’s not a sort of abstract scrotum? Gus: Fuck. Does it have a general ballbag aura…? We’ll leave that one up to you, chaps.

You can’t help but feel that it’s all one broken brick away from tumbling down, which is exactly why it plays out with such delicate urgency.

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Years & Years Night Call (Polydor) 

Mitski Laurel Hell (Dead Oceans)

When Mitski Miyawaki vanished off social media and declared a New York City gig her last back in 2019, it came as a surprise to say the least. ‘Be The Cowboy’ had achieved the unlikely, breaking Mitski into the big leagues on her fifth full-length release. It also spurred an unexpected leap into social fame, dominating across TikTok in late 2021, inciting a global resurgence of her lengthy catalogue. The haunting juxtaposition of ‘Nobody’’s showtune melody and emotionally crippling lyrics broke generational boundaries, lasting long beyond the buzz around the 2018 release. But Mitski was done. Whether due to, or despite mainstream success, her relationship with the often-turbulent music industry had begun to crack. Reportedly struggling to find enjoyment or catharsis in her work, she removed herself from the limelight and called it a day. ‘Laurel Hell,’ an album that simultaneously never should have been but also one that feels entirely inevitable, soundtracks her selfimposed fall and her climb back up. Even as she sings of heartbreak, it’s impossible to shake the notion that her candid lyrics extend beyond interpersonal relationships. Her struggle, frustration, and despondency instead feel aimed at herself and the craft she has honed brilliantly over the past decade. When she sings “It’s been you and me since before I was me” on the eerily choral ‘I Guess’, it presents as an ode to music above all else. “I guess this is the end,” she offers, as if referring to her separation from her art, pondering “I’ll have to learn to be somebody else.” The battle over purpose runs throughout ‘Laurel Hell’. Lead track ‘Working For The Knife’ opens with a brutal examination of the loss of creativity. The heartbreak is altogether more crushing, even when placed against the upbeat backdrops of ‘Should’ve Been Me’ and ‘That’s Our Lamp’, both excellent companions to the jarring emotions of ‘Nobody’. That ‘Laurel Hell’ exists only because it almost didn’t gives it its power. It provides the space for her mastery of songwriting, and Patrick Hyland’s understated yet orchestral production places Mitski in a realm all her own. She finds her voice in loss, an involuntary yet necessary response to throwing in the towel. But there’s an ever-present tentative undercurrent, one that highlights the fragility of her return. The light at the end of the tunnel is flickering at best. You can’t help but feel that it’s all one broken brick away from tumbling down, which is exactly why it plays out with such delicate urgency. (Ben Tipple) LISTEN: ‘Should’ve Been Me’, ‘I Guess’

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alt-J

The Dream (Infectious Music / BMG) By their very nature, alt-J are leftfield, travelling through time at the same pace as us, but slightly detached. There’s no pressure to reinvent the wheel. Fourth album ‘The Dream' has the same relationship to reality as its predecessors, however alt-J have more offbeat storytelling fodder at their disposal than ever before: true crime obsession, crypto fanaticism and insidious corporations are just a few of what’s reflected on the record, all through a fun house mirror of stratospheric soundscapes. Their tangentially psychedelic weavings of music and lyrics more poke and prod at the contemporary psyche than challenge: ‘Hard Drive Gold’’s tongue-in-cheek jibes at crypto bros come dressed up in a Beach Boys B-side sound; pseudo-cautionary tale ‘The Actor’ leans perhaps a little too much into its story and ends up feeling a little Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas sensationalised. The most unusual, but most impactful moments are where alt-J go for timeless: ‘Get Better’, the record’s most unadventurous in sound with just an acoustic guitar strumming isn’t typical alt-J, but its intentional simplicity is shattering. Similarly, ‘Walk A Mile’’s crooning chorus is a little more sonically intriguing, but still quietly unsettling with its trudging orchestral interjections. ‘The Dream’’s strength is in packing not just alt-J’s usual futuristic twist, but a heavy side serving of nostalgia too. It’s a perfect, subtle, and unpretentious combo. (Ims Taylor) LISTEN: ‘Get Better’

“My criteria was that it had to make me move and dance and feel good. The only time I was getting to move during lockdown was when I was making music,” explained Olly Alexander to DIY of ‘Night Call’ - his first Years & Years release as a solo endeavour. And though musically, the project feels no less vital and sparkling due to its diminished numbers, companionship is evidently something that’s been playing on Olly’s mind as well: yes, ‘Night Call’ is record that celebrates the joyous power of the club, but underneath almost every pulsing beat is a barelyconcealed ode to getting your rocks off in some form too. Sex is hardly a new topic for the singer-turned-celebrated It’s A Sin actor. But where, on 2018’s superlative ‘Palo Santo’, there was complexity and subversion written through his relationship with the subject, on ‘Night

Call’ both the melodies and the lyrical missives are more direct and to the point. On the album’s title track he’s “vibin’ on your dial tone, one thing on my mind”; ‘Intimacy’’s stripped back beats soundtrack yearning to tie a partner to a four-poster bed, while ‘Muscle’ is a lusty lip-lick over bassy synth pulses. A horny soundtrack of the the Great Global Hook-Up Drought of 2020/1, the steamy ‘Crave’ is both the record’s highlight and thematic signpost. Audibly influenced by the ‘80s pop soundtrack that had been filling his head around the making of It’s A Sin, however, musically the album is always taking your hand to the dancefloor rather than leading you straight down to the dungeon. Lead single ‘Starstruck’ was such an irrepressible pop gem that Kylie Minogue hopped on for a remix, while opener ‘Consequences’ sounds like if Michael Jackson was a regular at G-A-Y. Throughout, keys shimmer, the production is bright and sky-facing, with an emphasis on synthetic beats. It makes for an album that’s unsubtle and all the better for it - after all, who gives a toss about subtlety after the last couple of years? (Lisa Wright) LISTEN: ‘Crave’

A horny soundtrack of the the Great Global Hook-Up Drought of 2020/1.

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Shamir

Heterosexuality (AntiFragile) Vegas-born Shamir has never been one to sit in a box. Breaking through with debut album ‘Ratchet’ in 2015, the multi-instrumentalist quickly parted ways with the sound that made him. A turbulent split with then-label XL, and subsequent battles with his mental health, saw Shamir release six studio albums across four years. Each presented a different facet of his creativity, underpinned by candour and an innate need to experiment. ‘Heterosexuality’, Shamir’s first to delve into his queerness, truly breaks the mould. “You’re just stuck in the box that was made for me,” he offers with both spite and vulnerability on the industrial-laden opener ‘Gay Agenda’. It sets the tone for a record that actively looks to dismantle labels. “I’m just existing on this god forsaken land,” he affirms on ‘Cisgender’, “you can take it or leave it, or you can just stay back.” It cements ‘Heterosexuality’ as an empowering acceptance of trauma largely imposed from the outside. The record bounds between unfaltering self-belief and fundamental pain. The hauntingly spiteful ‘Cold Brew’ gives way to the comparably joyful ‘Marriage’. “I’m married to me,” he exclaims, “I’m sorry to break the news that I’m taken.” At first glance contradictory, together they secure the notion that you don’t have to be fixed to be happy. In style, Shamir mirrors his stand against the conventional. The furious ‘Abomination’ sees him rap with an otherworldly blend of power and gentleness. Across the record, the industrial tones of the opener part way for sultry R&B and indie guitars, all pulled together by Shamir’s emotive falsetto. It provides space for a poignant message, one that supersedes outdated expectations. The queer community remains raised on trauma, and hope can only be found by facing its effects head on. With resounding beauty, ‘Heterosexuality’ deconstructs social norms through a powerful freedom of self-expression, yet also acknowledges this pain and struggle. “Things that give us life makes us question if we can take it anymore,” he laments on closer ‘Nuclear’ before defiantly concluding, “but we put up anyway.” (Ben Tipple) LISTEN: ‘Gay Agenda’

The record bounds between unfaltering self-belief and fundamental pain.

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Metronomy Small World (Because)

The latest in a wave of ‘not-a-lockdown-album’ lockdown albums comes courtesy of main Metronomy protagonist, Joe Mount. Befittingly, it’s Metronomy’s most pastoral record for a while, a cap that fits well. In contrast to 2019's meandering ‘Metronomy Forever’ - a solid set of bangers with perhaps one too many noodling synth interludes - ‘Small World’ is a lean, stripped-back affair. ‘Life and Death’ is a low-key opener, tackling big themes and small pleasures with characteristic optimism and playfulness, to a woozy, laid back piano. ‘Right on Time’ evokes Steely Dan, with its punchy strings, loungey vibe and close harmonies, in turn recalling fellow wonky pop ‘00s survivors, Field Music. Elsewhere, echoes of Badly Drawn Boy on ‘Things Will Be Fine’ deftly tread that line between sentimental and slushy. Porridge Radio’s Dana Margolin does her best Robert Smith on ‘Hold Me Tonight’ - of course a fantastic thing. Joe’s naïve vocal delivery and habitual impression of slightly blagging it belie the dexterity and studied simplicity of his craftsmanship. He hasn’t lost his knack for a great pop hook, as demonstrated by the bubbling synths and snappy 808s on ‘It’s Good To Be Back’. It certainly is. (Felix Rowe) LISTEN: ‘Right On Time’

Metronomy’s most pastoral record.

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Black Country, New Road Ants From Up There (Ninja Tune)

News of Isaac Wood’s departure from Black Country, New Road coincidentally hit right in the middle of writing this review. With that in mind - him having cited “the kind of sad and afraid feeling that makes it hard to play guitar and sing at the same time” - to point out it’s his vocal turn that elevates ‘Ants From Up There’ to truly special status without context might now read a little trite. And yet… that’s just it. Sure, the group have channelled their unquestionable virtuosity into serving the songs second time around - a violin lick there, a sax solo there, a woodwind intro just because they can - but it’s Isaac’s ability to convey the emotion in the lyrics that’s the apex of the record. With more than a few shades of Win Butler (a seven-piece collective of multi-instrumentalists means that’s not the only Arcade Fire nod that could be made, no doubt), a fellow Isaac, Brock of Modest Mouse, and even a little of early Maccabees-era Orlando Weeks, he possesses the strength to project his words, and simultaneously a faltering vulnerability that makes them believable. “Don’t eat your toast in my bed,” he sings, in a lyrical turn that has echoes of Joe Newman’s crisp packet, but somehow comes across oddly beautiful. Or the sprawling, twelve-plus minute closer ‘Basketball Shoes’, in which the group’s affinity for time signature switching teams up with Isaac’s pained delivery to compete with any midwest emo favourites. And if all this description sounds strange for a band who, through to and beyond the release of last year’s Mercury-shortlisted debut ‘For The First Time’, gave the distinct impression they’d give Mary of nursery rhyme fame a run for her money in the contrary stakes - well, yes. There are choruses: ‘Concorde’ is almost earwormy, ‘Good Will Hunting’ definitely so, to the point follow-up number ‘Haldern’ seems to pack in the instrumental deep-dives as a knowing wink of compensation. There’s a warmth that pervades the whole collection, from the old-timey vibe of ‘Chaos Space Marine’ through to the filmic piano of ‘The Place Where He Inserted The Blade’. And even on that count, it’s a smart turn: if sonic antagonism was their MO previously, what better wind-up for devotees of the discordant than a slathering of pleasurable melody? It won’t be quite as divisive as its predecessor - not least because this iteration of Black Country, New Road has ceased to exist before it’s even been heard - but ‘Ants From Up There’ might yet win over those stifled by hype first time around. (Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘Bread Song’

There's a warmth that pervades the whole collection.

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MØ

Motordrome (RCA)

Perhaps most instantly recognisable as the voice behind global club smashes ‘Lean On’ and ‘Cold Water’, ‘Motordrome’ sees MØ fully establish herself as a solo artist in her own right. Devoid of any guest features, her third studio album instead embraces her dark-pop sound, from the ballad-adjacent ‘Goosebumps’ to the euphoric pop powerhouse ‘Live To Survive’. Named for the circular motor racing tracks, the album celebrates breaking out of a set routine. Fittingly accompanied by a reinvention of sorts, it places MØ at the centre of her own career. A self-affirming fierceness runs throughout ‘Motordrome’, bookended by the opening mantra of kindness over everything else and the closing resilience of rolling with the punches. “It’s a brand-new day,” she sings, “teaching me to be bold”. This confidence bleeds into each of the album’s ten tracks, at once pop-ready but with a distinctive edge. Less dancefloor filler, the songs are instead destined to soundtrack sunsets and latenight parties. Each provides three minutes of pop prowess, a driving beat pushing the vocals forward. “I think I lost a little bit of myself over the years without really knowing it had happened,” the singer recently told DIY. Having taken some time away, reinforced by the isolation of recent global developments, on ‘Motordrome’ she returns fresh and reinvigorated. No longer simply living to survive, MØ is having fun being herself. (Ben Tipple) LISTEN: ‘Brad Pitt’

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Bastille Give Me The Future (EMI)

Welcome to Dan Smith’s dystopia. Electro-pop juggernauts Bastille have lost their boyish charm in their latest eschatological instalment ‘Give Me The Future’, swapping it for cynical future-gazing, dark hooks and synth wave influences that paint a sinister picture of disenchanted millennial apathy. 2019’s ‘Doom Days’ marked the inception of the group’s increasingly apocalyptic themes, moving away from the delightful playfulness of their first record ‘Bad Blood’. ‘Give Me The Future’ dives deeper down the rabbit hole and sees Dan predicting a post-human landscape, occupied by sentient machines, rioting and VR-obsessed humans. Bastille’s choral, digestible power pop DNA is present, but grittier than usual. Dan muses about the woes of modern life in ‘Thelma + Louise’. ‘No Bad Days’ is a proud, raw example of moody electro-pop with an endearing robotic effect on his voice drawing attention to the building of buoyant beats, interrupted by a slick and queasy piano lick post-chorus. Yet, the record expresses a curiosity towards the potential of future tech without ever explicitly detailing what outcomes they fear and why. All ‘Plug In...’ offers is a droll list of these upsetting inevitabilities: “Maybe AI is the Messiah” indicating a somewhat surface level analysis of the concept that actually has potential to give this album some heft. This futurist angle lends itself to Bastille’s arena presence, and will translate to a prodigious live show with racing lights, pyro and loaded confetti cannons. However the concept’s narrative is lost in Dan Smith’s ineffable desire to turn each track he touches into a yearning love song. Orwell wrote zealously of unrequited love in dystopian settings, but with the undercurrent of socio-political upheaval, thundering authoritarianism and the fear of stepping out of line ever present, it gave the story impact. Dan simply forges a love story and drops loose references to dystopian literature to create significantly less impact. (Alisdair Grice) LISTEN: ‘Thelma + Louise’

Albums

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King Hannah

I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me (City Slang)

Liverpool duo King Hannah fling themselves into sweltering dust-bowl deserts on startling debut ‘I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me’ - a narcotic, seductive adventure of squelchy Mazzy Star psych-blues, Portishead-ing trip hop and rainy-day folkishness. Possessing very little in the way of treble, ‘I’m Not Sorry...’, sets its stall of mercilessly rumbling rib-cages with thunderous lolloping beats or squalling solos, keening lysergically across psychic dimensionalities; it’s a one-way journey of itching suspense - a midnight bus ride towards guaranteed oblivion. King Hannah’s skill is to gather tremendous energies, without resorting to simple resolutions - numbers like 'All Being Fine’ or ‘Big Big Baby’ rock perniciously, teetering on the tense edge of eruption. The smokiness of Hannah Merrick plays a major role too, plundering Tess Parks or Hope Sandoval for all their tense, bewitched ethereality. To leaven the oppressive mood, there’s subtle cuts of humour sneaking beneath the murky heaviness: the childlike refrains of “hell yeah” chirping on ‘Go Kart Kid’, or the sprinkle of a joyfully dumb lyric - “I don’t know the name of big film stars / I know Steve Carrell though” - add an ingratiating touch. It’s all cunningly understated and masterfully paced throughout, yet for closer ‘It’s Me and You Kid’, King Hannah cannot resist letting loose, delivering a conclusion that says “Hello, we’re here now, and we’re not going anywhere.” (Elvis Thirlwell) LISTEN: ‘Foolius Caesar’

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Cate Le Bon Pompeii

(Mexican Summer)

The tumult of the last two years can sometimes have us wondering how differently certain records might have sounded were it not for the world having been turned upside down. ‘Pompeii’ is one of them; over the course of a colourful career, Cate Le Bon’s songwriting has often been defined by the physical world; indebted to a sense of place, or to objects, like the ceramics that inspired 2013’s ‘Mug Museum’ or her experiences at furniture school, which were in the background of 2019’s ‘Reward’. Lockdowns meant that Cate could not make ‘Pompeii’ in the kind of exotic location she’d imagined - Chile, maybe, or Norway - and nor could she bed herself in at the new home that she had purchased in the Joshua Tree desert. Instead, stuck on the wrong side of the Atlantic at the outset of the pandemic, she returned to her native Wales, writing much of this sixth solo album in a bedroom in Cardiff. Accordingly, she turns away from environmental inspiration and towards deeper themes; religious ideas, as well as a sense of impending doom, pervade, while musically the record feels like a creative rummage through her record collection, using the infectious groove of the bass as a foundation and marrying to it diffuse influences, like ‘80s-inflected synth-pop on ‘Cry Me Old Trouble’ and ‘French Boys’ or soft swells of brass on ‘Moderation’. It makes for a quiet reinvention in the face of adversity, with Le Bon as stylistically light on her feet as ever. (Joe Goggins) LISTEN: ‘Cry Me Old Troubles’

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Rolo Tomassi

Where Myth Becomes Memory (MNRK) For all you could write about the specifics of Rolo Tomassi’s sound - about the thrilling clashes of ideas that have defined their five records to date, and that means there are so few frames of stylistic reference for them - surely the highest compliment you could pay them is that they’ve consistently sounded as if they’re impatient to outdo themselves at every turn. Forever taking concepts that shouldn’t meld well with their post-hardcore fundamentals, they make them sound like logical conclusions - having Diplo produce their debut album, backing themselves with majestic strings on ‘Grievances’, and painting the arena-worthy panoramas of ‘Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It’. That album feels like it represented something of a breakthrough moment for the Sheffield outfit in 2018, and 'Where Myth Becomes Memory’ is perhaps their first record to feel like a genuine continuation. That isn’t to say that new territory isn’t explored in the kind of intrepid fashion we’ve come to expect - ‘Closer’, an epic paean to hope, might be their gentlest moment yet, while ‘Drip’ finds room for both punishing guitars and piano-led anthemics - but the album is scored through with the same smoothness of transition as ‘Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It’, between Eva Korman’s vocals, which both scream and soothe, between the brutality of the guitar work and the prettiness of the more reflective moments, and, most crucially, in the emotional equilibrium they find, somewhere between cold fury and quiet optimism. Another truly original triumph. (Joe Goggins) LISTEN: ‘Closer’

Q&A 2018’s ‘Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It’ saw Rolo Tomassi received as rock royalty. So how do they plan to follow it? Eva Korman and James Spence explain to Ims Taylor.

The band are split across continents, with Eva based in America and the rest of the band spread over the UK. What was putting together an album through that level of geographical separation like? James: Some of the songs were written just after the previous record had come out, but then the most intense period of writing happened during the pandemic because there was just nothing else to do. We write separately anyway. We’re not the kind of band that needs to be in the same room to make music happen anyway. Eva: It worked for us, in that sense, because in the absence of being able to play shows we could focus our energy into writing. I hadn’t played a single song with the band before going into the studio to record the vocals! We never do that! But I don’t feel it was a hindrance, because we really took our time and really went into every song before we went into the studio. Things that could have been an inconvenience gave us more attention to detail and made us more thorough with what we were doing. You’ve managed to squeeze in a couple of shows already - what was it like, then, translating the new stuff to a setting where you’re all playing together after that? James: It felt a bit self-conscious! We only played the singles, so there’s still a lot we need to work on, but it’s gonna feel really good. ‘To Resist Forgetting’ is a really hard and heavy song, and we definitely

had a live setting in mind writing that. But ‘Almost Always’, my favourite song personally, is the one that poses the most challenges in terms of playing it live. But we’ll relish that when it comes to it. Eva: We are quite meticulous with planning our setlists to make sure that the flow is right, so we put a lot of thought into that. So I hope there’s nothing that will stand out particularly. It must have been exciting – if not a bit nerve-wracking – following up ‘Time Will Die…’ given how well that one did. How did that impact the process ? James: We wanted to make a record that sounded different. With anything we do, it’s quite natural. There aren’t big conversations where we say ‘We’re gonna do this, these are the aims of this record…’, we just individually take what we liked from the last one and especially what worked live. That’s when you really get an idea of what a record is about. We’ve just been pushing the extremes further than we did the previous time. We distil the elements of what makes us, us even further each time, so it becomes a more focussed version of itself. We didn’t just wanna write ‘Time Will Die...’ part 2, we wrote a better version of it but a version that’s different too. The heavy stuff is way more intense, and then there’s more minimal piano elements and Eva sings more than on any previous record. It’s a really balanced one, and we all wanted to push the balance further.

Albums

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Dashboard Confessional All The Truth That I Can Tell (Hidden Note / AWAL)

The title ‘Here’s To Moving On’, a lead track from this eighth Dashboard Confessional album, might show a thematic look to the future from Chris Carrabba and assorted collaborators, but it’s likely the nostalgic tint across ‘All The Truth That I Can Tell’ that’ll prove its key quality for most. You don’t need to have followed the group across their two-decade lifespan to predict where both melody and rhyming pattern will go at any point, or just when another fist-to-chest moment will arrive. ‘Sleep In’ has the requisite attention-to-trivial-detail recalling of a past romance; ‘Southbound and Sinking’ is an attempt at Springsteen driving rock; ‘Sunshine State’ there to remind us Chris is, in fact, a Florida Man. The self-titled closing track is a sprawling five-and-a-half minute vague epic. How this translates depends on your level of cynicism: it’s either aural comfort food, or all just a bit, well, obvious. It’s written to a formula for sure. But it’s one that’s served them well, nevertheless. (Bella Martin) LISTEN: ‘Southbound and Sinking’

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Alice Glass PREY//IV (Eating Glass)

Haunted music box twinkles; punishing industrial throbs; glitching, limit-pushing electronics. Before you even begin to dissect the lyrical content (not-so-spoiler alert: it’s bleak) of Alice Glass’ solo debut, there’s little that makes for easy or comfortable listening within the claustrophobic, unsettling world of ‘PREY//IV’. It should come as little surprise both to fans of her work in Crystal Castles - the early ‘10s flag-bearers of the ‘indie sleaze’ era that’s found itself somehow back in the cultural lexicon - and of those who’ve followed her story since leaving the group in 2014, later accusing bandmate Ethan Kath of continued sexual, physical and mental abuse. ‘PREY//IV’ does not shy away from Alice’s story; instead, its imagery is violent and visceral, with portraits of isolation (‘PINNED BENEATH LIMBS’) and self harm (‘BABY TEETH’) riddled throughout an album defined by a sort of constant itchiness, a wish to rid itself of trauma by occupying it so fully. Much has already been made of the lyrics to ‘FAIR GAME’, which repurpose direct quotes from Kath - “I’m so embarrassed for you / I’m so embarrassed for us”, but the scars of the relationship are to be seen all across the record. You just hope that ‘PREY//IV’ has gone some way to exorcising them. (Lisa Wright) LISTEN: ‘FAIR GAME’

The Weeknd Dawn FM (XO / Republic)

If the overriding mental image of The Weeknd’s all-conquering ‘After Hours’ is that of the dizzying illuminated surroundings of ‘Blinding Lights’’ visual counterpart, then ‘Dawn FM’ - essentially a conceptual counterpart to that record - would probably be found careering through an endless, fluorescent-lit road tunnel. It’s a masterclass in mood creation. Abel Tesfaye’s skill in fusing ‘70s and ‘80s funk-adjacent sounds into 21st century pop canon is nothing new, but here, between the spoken-word interludes courtesy of Jim Carrey and Quincy Jones, the smooth synths of ‘Here We Go Again’, or the sci-fi dystopian touches of ‘Every Angel Is Terrifying’, it’s so spot-on as to imagine Max Headroom could interrupt at any given moment. And the car we’re in is headed to Hawkins, Indiana. While ‘I Heard You’re Married’, complete with period-feature fade out, has a damn good go at slow-paced banger, the jewel in ‘Dawn FM’’s crown is undoubtedly single ‘Take My Breath’, which channels Giorgio Moroder via Daft Punk, pulls itself out and back in like an extended ‘80s 12” mix, and yet couldn’t have been recorded and released by anyone else. (Bella Martin) LISTEN: ‘Take My Breath’

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Big Thief

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You (4AD) Recorded across four sessions, with four engineers, in four different locations - woodlands, canyons, mountains - and whittled down to a stillmammoth 20 songs from a possible 45, the whimsically-named ‘Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You’ represents a high water-mark in many a great band’s career - the dangerous double-album; the delicate place where abundant creativity aligns with brazen experimentalism, and any misstep risks dreaded accusations of self-absorbed indulgence. Far from being a bloated filler-fest however, the ethereal gorgeousness hugging ‘Dragon New...’’s entire breadth and depth indicates a group undoubtedly at the peak of their powers. Preserved in that Dylan-esque weltschmerz coming naturally to a group five albums-deep and adaptable enough to record in all conditions - (‘Certainty’ was tracked by candlelight on tape machine powered by a mini-van, to name just one example) - here, Big Thief dive deep into the campfirecosiness of the American-folk tradition, where sepia-toned fiddles and acoustic guitars take precedence over noisome amplification. Its balladry is eiderdownsoft, pretty as sunset pink; Adrianne Lenker’s fluttering vocals, earth-bound as a sparrow’s chirp, dust off the cobwebs from the closets of memory, enrapt in rarefied, heart-rent emotion. Offering the odd lo-fi rocker as an occasional snack - Adrianne wailing the title of ‘Love Love Love’, provides cool electric relief - ‘Dragon New...’ is largely an epic of intimate, stripped-back proportions. Put simply, it’s a masterpiece. (Elvis Thirlwell) LISTEN: ‘Certainty’

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Korn Requiem (Loma Vista)

If 2019’s ‘The Nothing’ marked a reinvention of Korn’s age-old sound, then ‘Requiem’ is their evolution. Doubling down on their expansive electronic influence and pop sensibilities while remaining faithful to their nu-metal past has paid off, creating a far-reaching and fertile landscape in which ‘Requiem’ occupies and blossoms within. The record pulses with sonic drop-outs, sharp screeches, lumbering riffs and a buzzcut delivery. Korn are anew, and ‘Requiem’ sees them fearless, no longer managing a balancing act with imprudent collaborators and instead embracing what made them famous to begin with. Impressively, their 14th studio album is teeming with riveting hooks: “I should've been good, I should've been down, I couldn't let go, what could I do?” in lead single ‘Start The Healing’, comes reinforced with coarse vocal layering and a thunderous sense of purpose. Unbound by time restraints and the typical intensity of recording, the band let the tracks develop naturally over a number of months, creating space for each to breathe and take on their own identity. ‘Let The Dark Do The Rest’ conjures up the pace and theatrics of a vivid slasher soundtrack, where Jonathan Davis’ gravelly words fade inside each other among a bounding trawler of down-tuned groove filling the negative space. The outfit channel scratchy metalcore tropes on ‘Lost In The Grandeur’; stark evidence that Korn have their finger firmly on the pulse. Following the lead of Limp Bizkit’s late 2021 release ‘STILL SUCKS’ and coupling with the hype from a wave of newer, female-forward artists (Wargasm, Nova Twins, even Rina Sawayama), ‘Requiem’ appears in the midst of a transportive wave of nu-metal revivalism. ‘Requiem’ has the potential to introduce Korn’s comprehensive mythology to new ears as they continue to pioneer experimentation in a sometimes stagnant scene. (Alisdair Grice) LISTEN: ‘Let The Dark Do The Rest’

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Johnny Marr Fever Dreams Pts 1-4 (BMG)

On solo record number four, Johnny Marr has set the dial to ‘epic’. Everything is done on a monumental scale, and his grandiose statement gets off to a cracking start on the bold electro clash of ‘Spirit Power and Soul’. The guitars are muscular, invariably drenched in chorus, though standout ‘Ariel’ bridges the gap, with classic breezy tones set to a nagging synth groove. The majestic ‘Rubicon’ recalls an apocalyptic movie soundtrack, taking cues from his film scoring with Hans Zimmer. There's nothing quite as immediate as ‘Playland’’s criminally-overlooked ‘Easy Money’ - though ‘Sensory Street’ comes close, with its sleazy vibe and fuzzy synth hook, loaded with swagger. Johnny Marr is indie’s ultimate wingman; unstoppable when attacking from the flanks as a gun for hire. But his greatest strength exposes his Achilles’ heel. As a guitarist primarily, he thrives with a worthy vocal adversary to spar against - You Know Who (obviously), but equally Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) or the Jarmans. Taking centre stage vocally, he loses that dueling dynamism. His mighty axe is demoted from a thrilling counterpoint to playing second fiddle. He’s created a colossal wall of sound here, purpose-built to soar. Yet his perfectly serviceable croon is not quite strong enough to carry it across 16 long tracks. If only he’d given ‘Lightning People’ to Liam Gallagher, it might well have been the soundtrack of the summer. Moments of greatness are plentiful, but ‘Fever Dreams…’ shines brightest when Marr lets his guitar do the talking. (Felix Rowe) LISTEN: ‘Ariel’

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Animal Collective

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Time Skiffs (Domino)

Lady Bird

Once upon a time, on

(Alcopop!)

a high street far, far away, you couldn’t escape the sounds of Animal Collective blasting out of every Urban Outfitters or Topshop. The Baltimore 20-somethings, and their maximalist experimental pop, were synonyms for hipster. But now, over 20 years since they first started, and 6 years since their last studio album, eleventh effort ‘Time Skiffs’ eschews the dense, agitated soundscapes that made ‘Centipede Hz’ and ‘Painting With’ a testing listen for even the most ardent Animal Collective fan in favour of something more meditative. There’s still plenty going on - boings and bleeps leap out of nowhere like an ambush by a didgeridoo. But ‘Time Skiffs’ is a transcendentally beautiful record that still feels like it belongs as part of their discography. “Treating everyday as an image of a moment that's passed”, the band harmonise on lead single ‘Prester John’. ‘Walker’, an ode to the late Scott Walker, opens with Panda Bear singing, “Go and take a load off / Put the baggage down”. ‘Prester John’ twinkles like a journey through the stars, while ‘Car Keys’ elicits the vibe of a gentle psychedelic trip. Closing track ‘Royal and Desire’ brings the record into land with shimmering guitars and some of the band’s most delicate harmonies. If anything, it’s those harmonies that are the standout here. Better than they have been in years, there’s an undeniable connection between these four men, forged over years of playing, writing and noodling tunes out together. For some, this might be too tame. An album full of ‘Bluish’ rather than ‘Fireworks’. But for others, that means it’s the most accessible. (Chris Taylor) LISTEN: ‘Walker’

The debut full length from Kentish trio Lady Bird removes the need to imagine how Shame would sound if fused with the Britpop genetics of Oasis and Blur; ‘WE’ bludgeons home a hard-rocking set of straight-talking, stateof-the-nation garage-punk serrated with scissoring riffage and righteous kilter - a streak for a saucy Noel Gallagher shred or power ballad sluices things up nicely. And, as if Sleaford Mods had conscripted a fresh-faced Damon Albarn to join their waspish ranks, most distinct in Lady’s Bird’s arsenal is the verbose shout-singing of vocalist Don Bird; he strains every vocal chord in choiring to disenfranchised youth the country over. He spins kitchen-sink yarns of bleak prospects and unjust poverty to proffer yet another harsh reminder that this nation of ours might be totally, totally fucked. There’s some skeins of hope drifting through the cracks though: the title track, as the token acoustic leveller, preaches the power of the communal spirit, and how, with compassion we may drag ourselves out of the mire. Alongside these, there are a few causes that hardly seem worth getting wound up about. The strangely impassioned observation that kids are getting their iPhones younger these days (‘Little Bubba’), or the unclear wrankle with what many see as a highly respectable and modern haircut (‘Mullet’) somewhat underplay Lady Bird’s otherwise virtuous intentions. (Elvis Thirlwell) LISTEN: ‘Guided Hesitation’

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Foxes

The Kick ([PIAS]) It's been five years since we had a Foxes album. In contrast to the Zoom collaborations that bore it, ‘The Kick’ is a celebration of everything that brings people together, in which is found a deep dive into the fun textures and irresistible melodies that fill up dance floors and incite communal singalongs. Hidden behind those sonics, however, are lyrics about heartbreak, loneliness and longing. The title track opens with the line “sometimes you break down,” but soothes with its sugar-rush chorus, telling of how music can heal with all evidence provided. ‘Growing On Me’ celebrates how sometimes it just takes one person to pull you back from the edge, flush with crunching bass and clipped drums. Towards the end of the record, things get a little more hopeful. ‘Forgive Yourself’ is a reflection on self-love, while ‘Sky Love’ borders on anthemic, complete with insistent bass. Foxes’ return comes with a purpose: ‘The Kick’ doesn't try to run or distract from feelings of loss and loneliness, instead it faces them head-on while celebrating the joy of being with others through it all. (Eloise Bulmer) LISTEN: ‘Sky Love’

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Spiritualized

Everything Was Beautiful (Bella Union) Following a nifty series of reissues (most notably of 1997’s seminal ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space’) and now, the onset of their 10th studio album, it’s safe to say all is rosy in the camp of Jason Pierce. Suiting this retrospective air, the artwork for ‘Everything Was Beautiful’ homages that ‘90s classic, depicting a package design for a dispensary prescription box, some recycled symbolism, and, for vinyl enthusiasts, six actual ‘pills’ for buyers to consume. While referencing one’s own iconic record might appear an unwise move, ‘Everything...’ nevertheless provides a handful of moments to vindicate such bold self-referentialism. Utilising 11 studios, 30 different musicians, with Pierce himself playing 16 instruments, he’s clearly sacrificing none of that deliciously overblown pomp and swagger here, none of that ubiquitous bliss, not one brick from those enchanted fortresses of magisterial noise so synonymous with his work: opener ‘Always Together With You’ reprises that tear-jerking psych-ballad Spiritualized execute so well, while penultimate epic ‘The A Song (Laid In Your Arms)’, fires Lazer-Guided guitar melodies exorbitant enough to disarm the pernicious procession of time and nobly wind back the clocks via one too many chewy Stones-inspired country numbers in-between that are tricky to digest. There’s just enough on Everything to ingratiate fans both new and old. (Elvis Thirlwell) LISTEN: ‘The A Song (Laid In Your Arms)’

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Yeule

Glitch Princess (Bayonet)

‘What makes you uncomfortable?’, yeule asks in ‘Flowers Are Dead’, and it feels as if the whole of second outing ‘Glitch Princess’ is an exploration of these boundaries. They take the record’s questioning to its very core; through electronic soundscapes and weaving, introspective melodies (as well as of course, surreal SFX and 8-bit disruptions), they seem to be interrogating the human - or inhuman - condition. Identity is the key focus, beginning with the voice-noted, carefully enunciated personal delineation of opener ‘My Name Is Nat Çmiel’, a shy, stilted introduction to the multifaceted artistic persona of yeule. Though the opener is perhaps the most obvious, but least explorative, introduction, the rest of ‘Glitch Princess’ thumbs through a filing cabinet of yeule’s guises - from the gentle slacker-pop vibe of ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty’ (one of the album’s more conventional offerings) to the unsettling layers of ‘Friendly Machine’. There’s nothing about the album that’s easy or comfortable to listen to, but it’s so meticulously constructed and so raw across each fragment of existence yeule lays out that its most perplexing moments become its most moving. (Ims Taylor) LISTEN: ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty’

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Beach House Once Twice Melody (Bella Union)

Beach House have always been about invoking a mood. And when they hit the sweet spot here on eighth fulllength, the multi-part, 18-track ‘Once Twice Melody’, say, on ‘Pink Funeral’, they’re truly magical. Glissando harp-like synths and sweeping strings set to a glitchy beat evoke a gothic Danny Elfman score remixed. It’s utterly enchanting and oozing class. They’re also really, really great in small doses, and that’s still the case too. The duo’s latest is a competent, polished set that retains the ethereal, otherworldly dreaminess of their earlier work, yet loses the rawer, vintage qualities that gave them such individual character. While 2009’s landmark ‘Teen Dream’ evoked an old, dusty ‘45 jazz record fronted by Nina Simone set to drum loops, ‘Once Twice Melody’ adopts a shoegazey wooziness that washes over, with a synthwave influence injecting an ‘80s electro feel. Victoria Legrand’s vocal style has moved on, from its deep and husky soul inflections to a whispered, hushed, higher pitch. They've mastered their craft totally, but the result is inherently less distinctive. ‘Runaway’ sees them at their most direct and poppy, while ‘Masquerade’ is a genuine final-third highlight. But typical of Beach House, each track generally tends to blend into the next, trundling along with little variation in pace or dynamics. Even when the drums are positively pounding, they are set back too far into the wash. It’s a lengthy 18 tracks (one of which, appropriately titled ‘Over and Over’, exceeds seven minutes) - whether that’s pure bliss or nauseating comes down purely to personal taste. The impatient will find ‘Once Twice Melody’ a tad wishy-washy, but for those who persevere there’s still a lot going on beneath the waves. (Felix Rowe) LISTEN: ‘Pink Funeral’

Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard Backhand Deals (Communion)

Now the most common and most widespread UK bird of prey, the Buzzard is ubiquitous with power, predation... and ‘70s glam rock? The Cardiff rockers lean on nostalgia and the swelling emotions therein to deliver debut album proper, ‘Backhand Deals’, bursting with intentional bombast and flirtatious sarcasm. Kicking off with ‘New Age Millennial Magic’, the Buzzards dive straight in. It’s socio-political commentary drenched in sardonicism, and bursting at the seams with electric fervour. Vocalist Tom Rees imparts his wisdom with humour: “Like a poor old cow has to graze all day, just to stay alive but ends up slaughtered anyway, it’s tragic.” ‘Crescent Man vs Demolition Dan’ is the common man’s anthem, complete with stabbing guitars, jubilant singalongability and finished with indulgent duel guitar solos and exuberant harmonies. Drummer Ethan Hurst is both talented and entertaining, always keeping his sticks up, prepared for the gleeful attack of ‘Demolition Song’, the bouncing thud of ‘A Passionate Life’ or the salacious sway of ‘On The Kill Again’ at any one time. Tom levels up from enthralling vocalist to playful narrator, lending his thoughts about the wiles and woe of modern life, like the critical ‘Conformity’s the function of celebrity” in ’Good Day’. His lyrics are sharp and biting, but the pace of each track never gives you quite enough time to digest it. Each track is succinct, with only the slow dance number ‘Yourself’ breaching the five minute mark. A masterclass in reinventing ‘70s rock for a ‘20s audience, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard are a captivating oddity. (Alisdair Grice) LISTEN: ‘Crescent Man vs Demolition Dan’

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Mom Jeans Sweet Tooth

(Many Hats Endeavors)

Q&A The sprawling ‘Once Twice Melody’ finds Beach House taking advantage of an extended gestation period to wander down as many rabbit holes as possible, they tell Joe Goggins.

How did you end up making a double album? Victoria: Making this record was a three-year process that preceded the pandemic; over that length of time, you’re going to end up with a pretty expansive amount of ideas. I think we both found ourselves in a very open place in our lives, and we had zero desire to nix anything that we liked. Alex: In the past, whenever we had ten or so songs, we’d say, “great, we have an album, let’s go to the studio,” and then the album would become a time capsule of that moment. This time, we just kept going, casting a wider and wider net. When people around us said they liked an idea that we weren’t sure about, we listened, and saw those songs through. It kept growing and, eventually, became this family of songs, this world of its own. Are the four separate chapters of the record supposed to work as selfcontained, standalone EPs? Victoria: Those groupings of songs - they definitely speak to each other. We wanted to

pace the journey into the forest of this record, because it’s a vast 18-song world. Alex: They definitely each have vibes - a character of their own, for us as the creators, anyway. There’s a flow and a meaning moving through each chapter. It feels like there’s a lot of firsts on the album; a lot of areas you haven’t explored before, and a lot of choices you haven’t previously made, like putting live strings on some of these songs. Is that something that just emerges from giving yourselves more time and space? Victoria: There are definitely things we’ve always wanted to do - strings being one of them - and it wasn’t the right moment, because the song wasn’t calling for it. Alex: If there’s premeditation in the way we write, then it’s in terms of feeling. We never say, “let’s make a song with this type of drum beat, with that type of bass line, with these strings.” It’s always more intangible; it’s more like, “how can we make a song that feels like running through the rain?”

Mom Jeans’ third album, ‘Sweet Tooth’, is something of a departure for the four-piece. The lyricism is still very much heart-onsleeve, but this time their influences have shifted, drawing more from early-'00s pop-punk and emo. The result is a much fuller sounding record, more optimistic also, bringing to mind bands such as New Found Glory, Yellowcard, or The All-American Rejects. Rather than emulating, however, they succeed in imbuing that era with their own sense of understated emotion. ‘Something Sweet’ is a bright-and-breezy opener that features the best guitars on the record. Follow up ‘What's Up’ is straight out of the Blink-182 playbook, and is a perfect example of what's to come. Of course, those who prefer the band's more DIY emo roots might balk at a more produced, poppier sounding record. They'll also likely balk a little at the lyricism, which feels much more on the nose than previously. There is a chance that lines such as “If you just put your hand on top of my shoulder / I'll miss my friends but we can grow older” might be tongue-incheek, but even then it feels somewhat trite. 'Hippo In The Water' is an early highlight; its gang vocals and brass inject some early vigour into the record and providing a future live highlight for sure. ‘Anime Theme Song’ is another, harbouring a poppy urgency. ‘Sweet Tooth’ is a bold step in a new direction that will feel a little too familiar to those of us somewhat long in the tooth, but is otherwise an upbeat offering from a band proving they're not just one trick ponies. (Dave Beech) LISTEN: ‘Hippo in the Water‘

Albums

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Laundry Day We Switched Bodies (Warner)

Up-and-coming New York popsters Laundry Day, still fresh from high school, can already vaunt an impressive resume. Tour dates with Clairo and The 1975 fulfilled, three albums already in the can, the deliverance of their fourth full-length ‘We Switched Bodies’ raises their stock yet higher still. Recorded with Brockhampton’s Kevin Abstract and Romil Hemnani alongside veteran rock producer Brendan O’Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam), this major-label debut more than satisfies its blockbuster credentials. Opener ‘How Did You Sleep?’ demonstrates the group’s constellation-gaze perfectly: stealing in with sugary finger-plucked strains, glowing harmonies layer up, the mandate is given - “Tonight, I can do whatever I want” - and the song catapults into coruscating guitar wrangles rending technicoloured holes in its very fabric. It’s an apt, neon-kissed marker for what’s to follow: a button-tight record of sumptuous pop for 2022. There’s no click, tick or shimmer, no texture or transition that hasn’t been scrupulously laboured over with the finest of toothed combs. While twinkling starlit balladry remains the order of the day for much of the set - ‘Don’t Blow Yourself Up’ or ‘ Listen To Me When I Say’ will doubtlessly summon teary seas of waving lighters in years to come - it’s those finer details - the pixelated hip hop fantasia that introduces ‘Blübe’, or the jabbering acoustic ramshackles of ‘Little Bird’, which inject those chef’s kisses. Nutrient-abounding like an algae-green smoothie, ‘We Switched Bodies’ is fresh, is hot, is now. (Elvis Thirlwell) LISTEN: ‘Blübe’

RECO MMEN DED Missed the boat on some the best albums from the last couple of months? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Absolute (behind the) scenes! Peep behind the curtain while Laundry Day were getting ‘We Switched Bodies’ ready.

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Yard Act The Overload

There’s absolutely no way you could have missed this one tbh, between billboards literally on every second phone box, and them being metaphorically on Top of the Pops. Henry and Etai in the booth at American Studios. It was so cold in there.

Sitting at the board makes us feel cool. Working through the chords of ‘Connect 5’.

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Willow Kayne

Sawyer waiting for his next vocal take surrounded by the Henson Studio tapestry that’s always on Justin Bieber’s Instagram.

Running through ‘Listen to Me When I Say’ in the live room at Henson Studios.

Us and our mood board we put up at Pulse Studios for the last week of working on the album. You can see the original mock-up of the album cover covered by a Fender box logo sticker.

Playground Antics The Ivor Novello-winning newcomer’s stellar debut EP showed us she can rap, sing, and write a damn good tune.

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Spector

Now Or Whenever Delayed? Or timed perfectly for fashion’s indie sleaze revival? Your call.

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ière

black midi

GUSTAF

live

wooze Floating a

MALOX

POHODA FESTIVAL 7.—9. JULY. 2022

Poil

B al m in gP o i n t s T ig er

WWW.POHODAFESTIVAL.SK

Airport Trenčín Slovakia

Albums

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White Lies

As I Try Not To Fall Apart ([PIAS])

White Lies’ tenth anniversary tour for debut ‘To Lose My Life…’, in late 2019 may have represented a reckoning for the band. On release in 2009, that record went to Number One in the UK, ultimately going gold; after a quick-fire 2011 follow-up, ‘Ritual’, underwhelmed, it feels as if the band has trucked along steadily, staunchly indebted to their influences and still steadily firing out soaring choruses, but never hitting the heights of their first album, either. While it’s hard to imagine the trio ever undergoing a wholesale reinvention, this sixth LP feels like the most vigorous reshuffling of their pack to date. By opening with a song agonising over mortality, ‘As I Try Not to Fall Apart’ directly references ‘To Lose My Life…’, but where ‘Death’ was a brooding anthem, ‘Am I Really Going to Die’ is remarkably poppy, recalling Franz Ferdinand with its funk-inflected guitar. While there’s a throughline with some of their more recent output - the nods to synth-pop remain myriad, especially on the title track - there’s room, too, for new territory, both lyrically - ‘I Don’t Want to Go to Mars’, a rebuke to Bezos, Branson and Musk, is unusually political - and sonically, as on the groove-driven ‘Blue Drift’ and atmospheric slow burn of ‘The End’. ‘As I Try Not to Fall Apart’ is a subtle evolution for White Lies - progress, after a while spent spinning their wheels. (Joe Goggins) LISTEN: ‘Am I Really Going To Die’

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Gang of Youths Angel In Realtime (Warner)

If the Sydney exports hadn’t made it clear enough yet that they now consider London their collective home, the juxtaposition of penultimate track ‘Hand of God’ with closer ‘Goal of the Century’ might just do it; if the humour is accidental on David Le’aupepe and pals’ part, it’s poetic all the same. ‘Angel In Realtime’, the outfit’s third full-length, is centred on the life of the frontman’s late father; in strippedback centrepiece ‘Brothers’ we learn there isn’t much he didn’t lie about to his children: he’s a full decade older than they thought; born in another country; not the son of a German Jewish woman. But it’s not a bleak collection: ‘The Kingdom Is Within You’ and ‘Forbearance’ owe much to ‘90s dance euphoria, while ‘Tend The Garden’ sneaks in a little ‘70s soul to the group’s largely driving indie-rock sound. And when things do turn towards the solemn - as on the first half of ‘Unison’ - it’s Matt Berninger’s baritone that springs to mind. David’s own booming vocal sits somewhere between The National frontman, and on the record’s soaring moments, eerily close to Bono. It’s easy to see why Sam Fender took the outfit out on his recent UK arena jaunt, possessed as they are with heartfelt songs based in place and time, with a few fist-to-the-chest moments. (Louisa Dixon) LISTEN: ‘Angel of 8th Ave’

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Los Bitchos

Let The Festivities Begin! (City Slang) This long-in-the-works debut record from Londonbased, internationally-assembled quartet Los Bitchos feels as if it might be arriving at precisely the right time. Anybody who’s caught them live before now will already understand a couple of the group’s central tenets; one, that their global lineup feeds into their purely instrumental sound, with everything from Latin American pop to Anatolian rock thrown into the pot. The other is that they take their thematic cues from the book of Andrew W.K., proudly wearing their hard-won party band credentials on their sleeve. With Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand handling production, the band have gloriously captured on record the irresistible vibrancy of their gigs, running at a similarly scintillating pace through a relentlessly diverse range of influences; psych and surf on ‘Try The Circle!’, synth-inflected disco on ‘Las Pantera’, classic punk on closer ‘Lindsay Goes to Mykonos’. What’s crucial is that ‘Let the Festivities Begin!’ never feels like a case of throwing all of these different textures at the wall to see what sticks; instead, the sounds of everywhere from Turkey to Peru to Argentina are wound carefully together on the maddeningly catchy likes of ‘FFS’ and ‘Change of Heart’, before being relayed with exhilarating gusto. There will be few debuts this year that feel like such glorious exercises in musical technicolour; for it to arrive as we emerge from two years of confinement makes it feel all the more vital. (Joe Goggins) LISTEN: ‘Lindsay Goes To Mykonos’

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The Districts Great American Painting (Fat Possum)

For album five, The Districts have turned their gaze outward. And, with a great deal of time for gazing at Rob Grote et al’s disposal, that ‘The Great American Painting’ is even more sonically expansive than the Pennsylvanian outfit’s past work seems almost inevitable. At its grandest, the likes of ‘Outlaw Love’ and opener ‘Revival Psalm’ look to insert themselves among radio big-hitters: there’s more than a hint of U2 to the former’s subtle earworm. Similarly, ‘Long End’, and the slide guitar of the otherwise also-ran ‘White Devil’ do well to reflect the pastoral surroundings in which the record took shape, Rob having based himself in a cabin in Washington state (because, what else would you do in mid-2020?). A record filled with driving anthem ambition would, one might think, suit setting, title and subject matter (largely musings on the disparate state of the United States), and were it not for the overly jangly ‘Hover’, or the vacuous, synth-led mid-00s throwback ‘I Want To Feel It All’, they might well have done so. A mixed bag. (Louisa Martin) LISTEN: ‘Outlaw Love’

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Q&A ‘Angel In Realtime’ sees Gang Of Youths’ frontman David Le’aupepe grapple with his late father’s life - including embracing his Samoan identity. Bassist Max Dunn explains how the band were also able to reflect the theme in sound.

You’ve incorporated indigenous sounds, recordings, and fellow artists on the album; how did you make this happen? We’ve been so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people who’ve been a part of the album. Our friend Peter Hutchings who co-produced on a couple of tracks initially introduced us to David Fanshawe in 2019. David Fanshawe travelled to the Pacific Islands in the late 1970s and recorded a stunning and important collection of indigenous musicians and singers. This discovery was massive for Dave who was on a journey of really connecting in some ways for the first time to his Samoan heritage. We ended up working a number of the samples into the record working alongside Fanshawe’s incredible family that have survived him. We also travelled to Auckland in 2020 to record a number of amazing Pacific Island and Māori musicians. Simon Matāfai and the Auckland Gospel Choir, Taonga Pūoro musician Shane Mcclean and the Anuanua Drummers from the Cook Islands were all involved. To have their leadership and talent generous contributed to our project, was more than we could have imagined.

Are there any particular contributions you’re especially excited about, or proud of? Shane Mclean, a magnificent Māori man and musician actually wrote part of the bridge section of the track ‘Spirit Boy’ and performed it on the record in te reo Māori. One of the most beautiful moments I’ve been lucky to witness in the band was watching him perform that. With the album title also a reference to the area of Islington, what’s your link to it? We lived there for 3 years! All in a massive house with our wives and girlfriends. Nine of us! Our time in Angel contributed tons to the record. ‘The Angel Of 8th Ave.’ was actually recorded in part in our house on St Peter’s St. And what are your favourite aspects of it? All of it really. I love the [pub] Earl of Essex. We all loved the feeling of Angel, as outsiders we really felt like we were experiencing the leafy, beautiful, magical, iconicness of London. We went to our buddy Anneka’s cafe all the time.

EPs, etc.

Coming Up

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NewDad Banshee (Fair Youth)

Where previous EP ‘Waves’ paired abstract emotion with languorous rolling passages of roomy indie, ‘Banshee’ sees NewDad explore drifting textures and post-punk sensibilities. Julie Dawson’s brisk and heady delivery tamps each track with a soft layer of velvet. Relatable, and minimalistic, every word is talk-sung with intention, and hides an untold story behind its gossamer veil. You can feel the imprint of Pixies on ‘Say It’, with its restless pace and hushed phrasing, bubbling into a quick paced, nearly-frantic anthem. “I’ve been fucking up, messing around, I wanna feel right, but it’s too late now,” she utters delicately on ‘Spring’, a track that beams and glows with sprightly energy before settling in a lyrical lament of the reality of loneliness.‘Thinking Too Much’ is the standout, spiralling into an airy arpeggio-filled fury and subsequently crashing back down to earth with spirited hi-hat taps and a buoyant bass rhythm. ‘Banshee’ feels like an inevitable ascension of a band that is so acutely aware of their own gifts, it’s impossible to not be drawn in. (Alisdair Grice) LISTEN: ‘Thinking Too Much’

 FONTAINES DC SKINTY FIA The Dubliners are firing out full-length records here, there and everywhere. The gang’s third in as many years will be out on 22nd April.

JACK WHITE - FEAR OF THE DAWN The first of the Third Man emperor’s two albums scheduled for 2022 - the other, titled ‘Entering Heaven Alive’ set to hit shelves in the summer is released 8th April.

WET LEG - WET LEG The buzzy Isle of Wight duo - and Class of 2022 stars - unleash their debut on 8th April.

KOJEY RADICAL REASON TO SMILE The star-studded debut from the Londoner will be out on 4th March.

FKA twigs 

Sea Power Everything Was Forever (Golden Chariot)

Trying to pin down Sea Power has always been an exercise in futility. Even now that they’ve dropped both the ‘British’ and their on-stage dancing bear, ‘Everything Was Forever’ shows the group have lost none of their ambition or quirk. The U2-aping pomp of later albums has been stripped back to their own brand of epic that made albums like ‘Open Season’ so special: reflective, rousing, and morbidly fun. Admittedly, things don’t get off to the best start, opener ‘Scaring At The Sky’ being a largely forgettable, somewhat lethargic ballad. But fortunes quickly change as the stomping drums of ‘Transmitter’ lead into the oddly beautiful ‘Two Fingers’. ‘Fire Escape In The Sea’ builds the luscious ‘WhirlingIn-Rags’ from their BAFTA-winning ‘Disco Elysium’ game soundtrack out into a fully-fledged pop song. A moment of contemplation that makes the perfect companion to the later ‘Lakeland Echo’. ‘Folly’, on the other hand, feels like a late-era New Order belter; dark, rumbling, embracing pessimism. “And when the end is near / Bummed out, you just don't care”, they sing. For a band already well-versed in dramatic tunes about ice shelves and floods, it feels like the ultimate “oh well, might as well dance through the apocalypse” moment. A new, refreshed Sea Power with a creative mind still firing on all cylinders. It might not feel as fresh and exciting as ‘The Decline Of...’, and we know the Sea Power formula well by now, but their trademark pop-rock melodies still have the power to exhilarate. British Sea Power is dead. Long live Sea Power. (Alisdair Grice) LISTEN: ‘Folly’

Caprisongs (Young)

“I made you a mixtape,” opens FKA twigs early on ‘Caprisongs’, as if to hammer home the notion this 17-track release is not, in fact, an album. And not being the follow-up proper to 2019’s much-lauded ‘Magdalene’ is ideal: we find a twigs experimenting not with, say, textures or song structure, but with dipping her toes into the mainstream; trying things on for shits and giggles. In that vein, a relaxed self-awareness runs through the interludes: the lack of Dua Lipa collaboration ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’ is referenced on ‘pamplemousse’; on ‘which way’ she attests “I’m not the rockstar’s girlfriend, I am the rockstar girlfriend… Like, I’m not the accessory.” Sitting somewhere between say Beyoncé’s auteur-like use of collaborators on ‘Lemonade’ and how Grimes’ ‘Art Angels’ saw the contrary Canadian flex shimmering, glossy pop nous, ‘Caprisongs’ has twigs throwing out hooks left, right and centre; ‘oh my love’ is an ultimate earworm and glorious pop moment, while ‘meta angel’ could easily slip into PC Music-branded shoes. Throughout, twigs skips between styles. There's the Pa Salieu-featuring ‘honda’, the Shygirl-starring, dancehall- referencing 'papi bones’, and ‘darjeeling’ - a team-up with Jorja Smith and Unknown T which interpolates Olive’s 1996 dance hit ‘You’re Not Alone’. Yet still, she maintains her musical curiosity, such as on the choral-infused ‘minds of men’, or vocal effect breakdown of ‘lightbeamers’. That there’s a contribution from the world’s most-streamed artist is almost lost among the noise, but that The Weeknd’s turn on ‘tears in the club’ blends in on this release probably just proves the only reason twigs hasn’t yet topped the charts is because she hasn’t yet wanted to. (Bella Martin) LISTEN: ‘oh my love’

IT’S YOUR ROUND

A big inter-band pub quiz of sorts, we’ll be grilling your faves one by one. Now brought to you via Zoom!

THIS MONTH: PHOEBE GREEN Where: Her flat in Manchester. Drink: Coffee (from her new Christmas coffee machine)

General Knowledge

SPECIALIST SUBJECT: Jonas Brothers

Before they were called the Jonas Brothers, what was their band name going to be? Sons of Jonas. Yes! How do I know that?!

What was the name of their first ever single? Fuuuck… ‘Mandy’? Yes! Released on 27th December, 2005. What a time.

Who is the Jonas Brothers’ bodyguard? Big Rob. I met him! Nick Jonas was in Les Mis on the West End and I went up and got a selfie with him. Correct!

In Camp Rock, the Jo Bros play three brothers. What is the surname of their characters? Oh my god! They’re actually brothers in Camp Rock? It must be Gray. Correct. I fucking love that film.

What is the nickname of fourth Jonas Brother, Frankie? Bonus Jonas, obvs. Correct! And that’s a solid 5 out of 5!

5/5

What nationality was Pablo Picasso? I wanna say Spanish or Italian? Spanish? Correct!

It’s a joey. Fuck!

What is Spotify’s most streamed song ever? Ooh. I feel like I saw In rugby, who a TikTok about this won the Six the other day. Can Nations in 2021? I have a clue? I have no idea. Sport does Fairly modern not exist. Who even plays artist… Ginger… rugby? I have actually no Ed Sheeran? Not ‘Shape idea. My head is empty. of You’, surely not? It was Wales! It is!

A baby kangaroo is known by what term? I know this, I do know this. Isn’t it in Bambi or something? It’s the same word as another baby animal, right? I thought I knew this!

FINAL SCORE:

What is the capital city of Canada? Toron… No, no it’s not. It begins with an “O”, but I have no idea. Ottawa. Well that wasn’t what I was thinking!

7/10

2/5

Verdict: “The first two Jonas Brothers albums were emo.”

Phoebe Green plays DIY Alive, which takes place in London on 23rd and 24th April. Head to diyalive.com for details.

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DIY

DIY & OVAL SPACE PRESENTS...

DIY

23- 24 April 2022 APPEARING ACROSS THE WEEKEND…

SATURDAY HEADLINE

SUNDAY HEADLINE

in conversation

BABY DAVE CARO d CHILLI JESSON CHRISSI DELILAH HOLLIDAY FRÄULEIN GROVE JESSICA WINTER MALADY MILO CLARE MISO EXTRA NAIMA BOCK REGRESSIVE LEFT SAM AKPRO SPOORT SPRINTS SWIM SCHOOL VLURE Many more artists to be announced. Plus workshops, Q&As, demonstrations and more. Multiple Venues, East London Tickets on sale 15th December via Dice, See Tickets and TicketWeb

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DIY, February 2022

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