Issue Seventeen
IDLES Courtney Barnett Matt Maltese Hotel Lux Hinds Boy Azooga
Issue Seventeen takes us into festival season with Courtney Barnett on the print cover. We catch her in the midst of a European tour to chat about her artwork, the new record and trusting in the moment. Bristol’s finest, Idles take our call to chat about signing to Partisan Records, the communities behind the new record as well as the joys of touring the world with your mates. Flying over to New York, we talk to Bodega who have quickly become one of the most promising guitar bands around. Having recently recorded with Parquet Courts’ Austin Brown, we chat to them about the process. In the capital, Hotel Lux have released another testing single in ‘Daddy’, we met them at the pub to dismiss their ‘working class hero’ tag. Manchester carries a weight of history and we spoke to one of their modern leading lights, Spring King, about how the world needs a positive
Denmark’s Iceage have released a new record called
‘Beyondless’, we dug into the record and touched on why the world doesn’t need anymore hardcore records. You’ll
do well to listen to any decent radio station and not catch Cardiff’s Boy Azooga. They invited us backstage to talk
bass lines. Matt Maltese has swapped the lonely keyboard for a full band and thrown on his pink suit. We get heavy
and honest about his new album ‘Bad Contestant’ and the struggles of being a full time musician. To finish, Hinds released their second record ‘I Don’t Run’ in April and
it was only right that we sent them some Qs to catch up.
As always we introduce you to some of our favourite new sounds in Who Are You? Look out for quick chats with
Fontaines D.C., Mellah, Yassassin and more. Plus, Georgie
Jesson puts the industry in it’s place as Instant Shit returns.
spin.
3 Hotel Lux
27 Boy Azooga
8 Courtney Barnett
29 Who Are You?
12 Iceage
31 Spring King
15 IDLES
33 Instant Shit
19 Matt Maltese
36 Latitude Festival
25 Lice
37 Bodega
26 Confidence Man
40 Hinds
Daddy Was a Bad Guy
Tell Me How You Really Feel
Beyondless
Colossus
Bad Contestant
Exhibition
Confident Music
1,2 Kung Fu
Get To Know
A Better Life
Fruit and Flowers
Here Comes the Summer
Endless Scroll
I Don’t Run
Opposite, So Young Illustration Competition Winner, Anna Rupprecht (Solange)
Hotel Lux ‘Daddy was a bad guy/His hands upon my thigh’. So
We were looking for a way to expand our sound, from
declares vocalist Lewis Duffin on Hotel Lux’s newest
our first two singles, and because of the music HMLTD
single, Daddy, successfully inhabiting status as both
produce, he seemed like a clear way to do that. They’re
the bands’ most refined offering to date and yet their
great songwriters, they really think about every part of the
most decidedly radio unfriendly. Originally hailing from
song- we learnt a lot from working with him. We weren’t
Portsmouth, it is the quintet’s willingness to eschew the
lazy songwriters before, and maybe we just preferred a
conventional in pursuit of uncomfortable reality that truly
rawer sound on the first two singles, but it wasn’t what we
sets Hotel Lux apart from many of their contemporaries.
wanted to exclusively do anymore. Now we’re going to try
With a sound best described as The Stranglers fronted
and put together an almost dumbed down version of that, to
by Mark E. Smith, their music evokes a certain twisted
find a sweet spot in the middle.
cynicism that seems to both rage and glory at the quasidystopian actualities depicted within the universe of
Flicking through a couple of other pieces that have been
Duffin’s vocals, as he alternates from apathetic drawl to
written on you, there seems to be a real fetishization of
guttural growl. Having recently toured with the likes of
sorts around the idea that you are the ‘working-class
Shame, and with a host of larger headline gigs under their
cult heroes’ in a group of super middle-class bands. Is
belt (most notably London’s Moth Club), it seems the
this something you embrace?
particular brand of post-Brexit-punk practised by the Lux is No, it’s horrible! A lot of my lyrics are telling stories about
just getting started.
experiences particular to the working-class, because that The new single, ‘Daddy’ contains some fairly heavy
is my reality- but I certainly wouldn’t want the band to be
lyrical imagery- could you elaborate on the inspiration
paraded and defined as just a product of that. ‘Class’ is
behind the song?
a weird one. The whole fetishization and glorification of being working-class is so boring, especially when it’s just
So near Portsmouth, there’s this place called Paulsgrove.
not who you are. But the fact the ‘working-class’ nature
Around 2001, there was supposedly this halfway house set
of my lyrics comes up in every fucking interview I think
up for people who’d been in prison for stuff like sexual
means we should move on.
assault- it’s quite a rough place anyway, but the locals found out about these ex-offenders living there and there were
In a lot of your lyrics, there is a sense of anger and
genuine riots, in this tiny place, in a protest about them
injustice- is anger important as creative fuel to the
living there. I also always loved Shane Meadows [This is
band?
England] and Alan Clarke, these directors talking about terrible, real, things. It’s about confronting these subjects,
Anger is as important as love and everything else. I don’t
not wanting to sugar coat or shy away from discussing
like the concept of bands refusing to play love songs
them.
because ‘that’s been done’. So have fucking hate songs! But as a band, we’ve done the writing about despair, and we
I was surprised to see that Duc from HMLTD produced
now want to create stuff about the positive parts of negative
‘Daddy’- how did this pairing occur?
emotion- the hope etc. But I guess the music you most connect with reflects your mood, and that extends to what you write. So maybe I’ve just been angry too much!
3
Words by Dan Pare, illustration by Bo Matteini
So Young Illustration Competition 3rd Place, Alva Skog (Aretha Franklin), opposite, 2nd Place, Eunjoo Lee (Bjork)
Courtney Barnett
When we dial in to the call, Barnett picks up first ring.
The record, a tight 10 track blast, boils down the thickly
She’s been waiting on the conference line, bopping along
layered metaphor of her first album and shows the
to “kind of jazzy” hold music and getting ready to play in
perennially creative Australian at her most emotionally
Utrecht, part of a European stint in support of her second
direct.
album ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’.
7
Words by Rob Knaggs, illustration by Jean Jullien
Gone are the intricate set pieces of “Sometimes I Sit…”, in
Was that something you were conscious of when you
their place carefully turned tracks that feel more open than
were writing?
anything she’s done before. In short - it’s a banger. We got on the line with Barnett and chatted about the album, her
I wasn’t majorly conscious of it. I was writing with no
artwork and what’s been going on at ‘Milk!’.
intention and what came out came out. I’m not too sure… It was a lot more as it happened. Just trusting in the moment.
To kick off, the artwork on this new record is very
I didn’t have a solid plan or things to kind of address. I only
different from anything you’ve done. You do it all
became aware of the songs as they became more final.
yourself right? Now the record’s out, have you been surprised by any of The last couple of albums I’ve been drawing while I’ve
the reactions to it?
been writing a lot, in tandem. As kind of the writing process. I do little pictures and little sentences here and
I’m always interested in what those interpretations are. But
there in my books and it all comes together when the album
not surprised. I think I’m pretty open to it, so whatever
comes together.
people feel or think I think that’s the correct response even if it’s not what I intended.
This time I wasn’t really drawing anything, but I’d been taking lots of photos. I was doing this series of self
I hear you went out to rural Australia to get the album
portraits, while I was writing each day at the desk. I had all
together. How did you find that change of space?
this polaroid film. So I was shooting each day at the desk. So the image was one from that series, and I think it just
Oh yeah it was beautiful. It wasn’t that rural I guess. Just
had this really, I don’t know, this strong sense to it. I liked
sort of a country town away from the city. It was great. I
how it was awkwardly cropped and a little bit too close and
think it was just nice. I tried to really remove myself. The
not really what you would want for an album cover.
whole writing process I tried to bounce around and put myself in different environments, and use different tools
There’s this kind of look in my eyes that, I don’t know,
to see how if affects your brain and how to break those
could kind of be interpreted in many ways. So I thought it
patterns of working the same way.
was perfect for the album and the album title. I was in another state. I was away from my house, my It’s seems very raw...
friends. My phone had actually just broken, so I couldn’t really go and scroll through social media or whatever.
Yeah well it’s pretty real I guess. And even the treatment of
Which was quite good, quite liberating for a writer. Not to
the photo, it was. I didn’t Photoshop anything on it. I just
be so distracted. I have a big response to the environment
scanned it, and laid the text over it. And that was it.
and my surroundings. It was really peaceful. To sit by this little lake, that had frogs making so much noise. It was kind
You don’t seem like the kind of person who’d be too
of therapeutic.
worried about Photoshop... It feels like you can hear that sense of contentment on I don’t often really do it, every now and then if there’s some
the album on the last track [Sunday Roast] particularly,
weird mark on my face in the photo I might ask for it, if it’s
it feels very peaceful and optimistic.
really big and weird. But not often. This was straight up. Which I like, I like the honesty of that. It goes in tandem
Oh yeah. Well actually I wrote the majority of the song
with the album.
when I was 13. But that last part I wrote recently.
The record itself seems to follow suit. It’s very direct. There aren’t so many of the set pieces or characters from the first one.
www.jeanjullien.com
8
Is that something you do a lot, picking up tracks from
The other thing we wanted to talk about was your record
when you were younger?
label ‘Milk!’, talk us though the ethos and why it came together.
A lot of it was new-ish I guess. There were only a couple of bits that were really crossovers, that song. And ‘Help
I started it just to put out my own music. And then started
Yourself’. With that track, the drum and bass line I came up
putting out friend’s records because we were doing shows
with when I was 15 or 16, and the main melody.
together. And it was an easy way to put out music and promote shows and build it into something bigger. With
I mean I think that I always treat song writing like that.
more bands, more understanding and professionalism. It’s
Songs travel along until they’re finished, I’m not too
cool, it’s a real honour to be able to help great songwriters
bothered about when they start or when they end. It’s just
share their music. I just feel like there’s so much going
whatever works. All the lyrics are new. But the music still
on in the world of music and the internet, that it’s easy to
holds some sentiment. Nostalgia you know?
become completely lost in that. It’s nice. We’ve built this really incredible community of people who love great music
Does that mean album three is already starting to bubble
and are really open to experimenting and exploring.
up? Do you have that tycoon streak, do you want to see it Uh. Nah. There’s always songs that I’m working on over
grow into a massive thing?
time. But I haven’t started thinking about anything else. I just keep on writing you know. I won’t get round to actually
I’ve never wanted it to be like anything else. We’re lucky in
thinking properly for a little while.
the last year or so we’ve got a warehouse we can work from and a couple of friends working for us. But I’ve never had
Did you have a view of what you wanted to do with the
an intention of making it a kind of huge, you know, thing. I
album. Was there a template you were working to, or
like how it is. I like the honesty and smallness of it.
something you knew you wanted to do going in? You seem to be playing bigger and bigger stages these No, not really. I wasn’t sure what I was doing. Or what I
days. How have you found it? It seems like the other end
wanted to say or how I felt. I guess that was the first part of
of that spectrum from Milk and the small, community
it. Figuring out how I was feeling and what I was thinking
feel.
about. It became kind of obvious through rambling about the same kind of things.
Different sized festivals and shows all carry different energy and I guess different meanings and all that stuff. But it’s
Now that it’s released and there’s nothing you can really do
such a privilege to be able to do that. To play songs to
about it. I’m released. But up until then I was pretty much
people who are there to come and see you. At the end of the
tinkering about with it every day.
day, it’s singing songs on a stage.
Seeing Parquet Courts working with Danger Mouse, do
Thanks for chatting with us. A final thing, are there any
you have any urge to do that superstar producer album?
bands coming up you think we should be keeping an eye on?
Whatever works works. We tend to carry so much weight on that stuff and I mean, I think that if the relationships
There are so many bands I love at the moment. All the Milk
good and the musical understanding is good then it’s a
Records bands are great. We’ve got Loose Tooth on tour
great thing. But if you just want to hire a really big name
with us at the moment, they’re incredible. There’s a band
and spend lots of money and hope that that’ll make a good
called RVG from Melbourne. Totally Mild, Laura Jean,
thing, then that’s not good. But if all of the intention is good
Sampa the Great. There’s just heaps of good stuff coming
then sure. But yeah who knows.
out of Australia.
9
www.jeanjullien.com
Angelique Heidler
Iceage Copenhagen’s prodigal sons have returned from a hiatus
I read somewhere that this album felt part of a
spanning four years- and judging by the direction the world
‘necessary process of pushing into something new’- and
has tilted in since their 2014 opus ‘Plowing Into the Field of
on each record you put out, you can feel an almost
Love’, they have emerged at the perfect time to soundtrack
tangibly necessary evolution. Is the need to strike out for
some form of cataclysmic event. New album ‘Beyondless’
new ground something important for the band?
provides the logical continuation to the glorious melodrama of their first three albums, seeing the band continue their
Yeah, I think that’s the only way we can remain interested
path away from the abrasive industrial punk of their early
in music. There’s nothing in it for me if I just rely on some
work and into a more refined realm that conjures the
sort of comfortable territory I’ve done already. I don’t want
feeling of playing Russian roulette at an upscale dinner
to put out some watered-down album I’ve done before once
party. A joyful bacchanal scaled to fit true extremities of
a month. We scrapped a bunch of alright songs from the
emotion, an immersive experience which owes more to the
album because it didn’t seem it was adding anything new
narcotic sleaze of ‘Exile on Main Street’ than the Germs,
to the repertoire. It’s kind of why it took us a while to write
‘Beyondless’ still causes adrenaline to come screaming
another album, because the first stuff we wrote after [2014
down the spine like volts from a cattle prod. We rang up
LP] ‘Plowing Into the Field of Love’ just sounded like a
enigmatic frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt on a sunny day
continuation, without adding that new element that would
in Copenhagen in an attempt to understand if not quite ‘the
give it any reason to exist out there. We wouldn’t want to
method behind the madness’, then at least the inspiration
put anything out there that doesn’t feel it has anything to
behind Iceage’s timely rebirth.
add. There’s already enough noise out there, it’s not like the world needs more hardcore records.
The album title ‘Beyondless’ (taken from Worstward Ho, a piece of Beckett prose), suggests both transcendence of
Growing up ‘in the spotlight’ so to speak, having
infinity and, literally speaking, less than anything. That
released your first album when you were 18 to real
seems reflected in the mix of humour and sorrow in the
fanfare, has there been a pressure to maintain a
album. Can you tell us anything about the inspiration
particular musical course?
that went into putting it together? Pressure’s never really been a factor- we’ve never been of Composition wise, we made it because we felt some sort of
completely pleasing nature, in terms of audience or press.
spark, some inspiration -you start by just staring at a blank
And I haven’t really been that interested in satisfying
piece of paper, clenching your brain like a damp piece of
anyone but ourselves with the creative process- bringing
cloth to wring out ideas and seeing what comes out. It’s
random multitudes of people’s hypothetical opinions of
informed by life experience, by the life you’re living, trying
what you’re working on feels like constantly banging your
to capture what’s changed since the last time you did it,
head against the wall endlessly. Off the first album, we
and you have a desire to showcase your perverse sense
were able to get out there and tour- none of us really had
of creativity. Humour wise I’ve always had a tendency,
much going on for ourselves, we never really planned to
even when dealing with quite a serious matter, to have this
do this, but had nothing else holding us, so just went with
twisted sense of humour that tries to corrupt things, to see
it. It wasn’t for a few years that music revealed itself as a
what I can get away with.
meaningful life pursuit.
Words by Dan Pare, illustration by William Davey
12
So Young Illustration Competition 4th Place, Katja Gendikova (Kate Bush), opposite, 5th Place, Alice Wietzel (Stevie Nicks)
It’s about time So Young got around to speaking to Idles.
Obviously their values hit home with you then?
In a sense though we’ve chosen a very good moment. The band have just announced that their new record ‘Joy’ is on
It all just changed really quickly when I spoke to Tim
it’s way later this year and have dropped the devious and
Putney who’s head of the label. He just blew my mind.
overwhelming first single ‘Colossus’. Anyhow, Joe Talbot
He called me super late because he’s in New York and we
bluntly puts it, “We’re glad you jumped on our fucking
just ended up talking for two hours. He was fascinating
bandwagon because we love the magazine.” Calling Joe
and very passionate. Every conversation I’ve had with him
an interesting speaker is a massive understatement, so
since has been as inspiring and magical. It’s basically given
we didn’t ask him all the obvious questions about their
us a morale boost in the sense that they were speaking our
whirlwind last few years, what it was like meeting Dave
language. They were reading our art, listening to our music
Grohl and all the rest because that’s a story which has
and getting it. They said, we understand your messages
already been written. Instead, we got stuck into the future
and want to help you translate that outside of the UK to
and where the hell this titanic band are headed for next. (I
the rest of the world. Everyone we’ve met in the label has
can assure you it’s not an iceberg).
been earnest, hard-working and interested, that’s what we’re about. It’s just felt like we’re part of the family and I’m
Your transition into Partisan seems to have been
more than happy to welcome them into our family as well.
amazing, tell us about the move?
It’s been a very quick thing because we had the second album set in terms of artwork, themes and songs. We had a
It kind of happened rather quickly really. We were looking
couple of hurdles along the way but we got through them.
for a label for quite a while to give us the platform we
It’s all a bit of a blur but now we’re on the other side with
needed and nobody came about so we cracked on on our
an album in our hands. It’s a beautiful thing.
own. Then we had Partisan approach us and by that point I was like, we don’t need a fucking label, what’s all this bullshit. So I was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing, I wasn’t bitter or anything but I was just self-aware enough to know that we were doing fine on our own. I didn’t want to sacrifice all our hard work by signing with someone who just wants to jump on our backs at a time when we’re finally doing alright for ourselves.
15
Words by Rhys Buchanan
How did you approach the second album then? There was a pressure at the start. There was quite a few songs we scrapped because I reflected on the lyrics. I realised I’d fallen into the trap that I was in before the first album, which is where you’re just writing shit to please other people. When people respond to your music, you’ve got more of a gauge: what they like and don’t. I became too self-aware and was thinking about what I was writing too much. So I went back to square one and unlearnt what I’d learnt from the first album. My approach was to be as naive as possible and it worked. The songs came thick and fast and it was a lot easier to write than I thought it would be. The thematics came very quickly because my daughter died so I wanted to build on that as I did with the first album. One thing they seem to have offered is the stepping
I’ve always stuck to my ethos of being as transparent as
stone into America…
possible with my lyrics. Obviously it was a lot harder than the first album because it was a lot harder to deal with
Yeah weirdly it was never in my periphery vision to go to
anyway. It was a point in my life where I realised I could
America and try and do it over there. I was worried about
either go back to addiction and destruction or I can change
my tone of approach which I thought was very Britain-
my life around forever because of something catastrophic.
centric. There’s an air of unease and political confusion in
So it all came in at the same time and the album just came
our country and I didn’t realise it was so apparent over there
very quickly.
as well. There’s a need for honesty in music and popular culture as much as there is here. There was a lot of hungry crowds and a lot of warm receptions and intelligent people. We met so many wonderful characters out there that made us feel like we were at home. The show in Brooklyn was like doing a show in Bristol. That goes across the board, our music has a tone of visceral energy that is an amalgamation of honesty and hard work. I think there’s a gap in popular culture in America and Europe for that. I think people are bored of pretension. In a time where there’s no believable meta-narratives knocking about, people seek honest fat old men who are shouting about stuff that’s interesting because the world around them is not perfect.
Illustration by Josh Whettingsteel
16
So it’s about channeling that grief into the right places?
I guess you’ve picked up a community because of that honesty as well?
It’s all about reflective grieving where you use the trainwreck that you’re in to a pragmatic gain where you utilise
I think the reason why a lot of people have connected with
the people around you who care for you. You share your
us as a band is because they see themselves in us. We’ve
feelings and build slowly as opposed to quickly. The first
not put ourselves on any sort of mystical platform. Anyone
album was very explosive grief that happened. This time
can be an Idles. Anyone can start a band, work their ass of
around I couldn’t rush it because I knew if I rushed my
for eight years and get to where we are. If you work hard
grieving process I’d be in danger of imploding and turning
at something for nearly a decade then you’re going to get
into a violent monster. So I took things slowly and spoke
good at it at some point. If you work hard and you’re good
about my feelings a lot more than I was comfortable with. I
to people then you’ll get somewhere. The whole notion and
had to be vulnerable to the people I cared about and to the
ethos of our art is about transparency. Most of the stuff that
songs. The songwriting process was a lot more bruising but
you get bombarded with in magazines and on television are
a lot more freeing afterwards. The lyrics are very simplistic
not real. That’s not how normal people look. Photoshopped
and childlike in a way and I wanted there to be an innocence
people are not normal. Normal people have stretch marks
to it. That shows you can be strong and vulnerable at the
and depression and they’ve got addictions. Showing that
same time. The whole album is based around that period
and trying to get that out into popular culture so people
really. All my lyrics will be based on what I’m going
don’t feel shit about themselves is what we’re all about. I’m
through at that point. I’m sure it will change when I start
not trying to make out I’m fucking John Lennon, I’m not
writing long ballads that nobody wants to listen to.
a working class hero but I’m not interested in projecting anything but the truth through something that sounds
You’ve had such a turbulant time with life and an
fucking sick. We’re just hungry. With this album we’ve
exciting time with the band - how important have the
done what we wanted. We had real fun with the music so
band been in coping?
we can enjoy expressing the crappy part of life. It’s about enjoying the bruises and sharing it with a community. The
They’ve been paramount really. I spend a lot of time with
more fun you have, the more people will look inside the
them. They’ve been very patient and they’ve been a good
windows of that lock-in and want to join the party. We are
ear and shoulder to cry on. They’ve worked really hard for
so privileged to be able to play to people and travel the
this tour and this album and everything that’s around us.
world with our mates. Anyone who does that and tries to
They’ve stuck their necks out and worked their asses off.
look aloof is a cunt. It’s not something you should be aloof
They’ve evolved with me to be slightly more soft around the
about because trust me it doesn’t last forever. It is the best
edges so that I can lean on them. I think beyond the band
feeling on the planet without a doubt.
all the people in my life have been vital to my partner and I getting through what we went through. This is what the
Idles play Latitude Festival on Sunday, July 15 - BBC
second album is all about. It’s about looking around you and
Music Stage.
learning to love yourself by projecting all of this shit onto people to reflect. The band and the process of being in a band has been a life-saver once again. That’s the point of art and music as such, it’s the best way to survive catastrophe in your life (beyond paramedics and shit). As an emotional catastrophe, expressing yourself is the way to save yourself from all sorts of horrors.
Matt Maltese Matt Maltese’s debut album ‘Bad Contestant’ is about to
Probably the defining thing is that I feel the most
be released, and So Young got in touch to talk to him about
comfortable I have felt with my music since I started,
it... to talk about the usual stuff: how it sounds, how it feels,
so I suppose that gives a sense of consistency because I
how he feels about how it sounds. Matt is funny, but mostly
have an album written/recorded with the same headspace-
Matt is honest, both with himself and with his audience. On
which is definitely what you want, I think.
answering these mundane questions, you come to realise that Matt is lucky to have the means to even release an
You’re right about consistency, the album and you’re
album- and he knows it. If you can survive, if you can make
live shows feel a lot more streamlined, like a narrative
music and stay afloat, then quite frankly, you’ve made it. Of
within a narrative. And for you, personally, when you
course, Matt is doing more than just surviving, he’s finally
listen to your album, what does it feel like or sound like
arrived in a suit of pastel pink and he’s got the confidence
for you?
to back it up- but he is so much more than the heartbreak kid. He’s playful, brave and totally aware and I think he’s
I’ve tried to make a point of not listening to it too much
the absolute pinnacle of a what a modern songwriter should
since we finished recording, I quite like the idea of leaving
strive to be. Totally unafraid and totally in tune.
it behind in a sense. I think the main feeling I did have was that I’d been pretty open with myself. It was important that
You supported Baxter Dury recently in Paris, how was
the comedy didn’t override the sentiment the whole time
that?
and so I was happy that I didn’t let the comedy get too much in the way and there was a part of me that was still
Yeh I did, with Jarvis Cocker djing- ridiculous- it was
vulnerable on the record. It feels honest, it really feels like
fucking weird doing soundcheck and then hearing Jarvis in
me, but I also love the input from Jonathan Rado [Foxygen]
the background just like “me monitors a bit fuzzy”. But he
and Alex [Burey], and the soundscapes they created, I really
watched my set and stuff, it was mad, really cool.
enjoyed that part of it aswell.
You’ve been making and recording music for 2 or 3 years
Are you scared of getting to a point where you might
now, which is a long time, but it kind of feels like you’ve
dislike the album? Is that why you like to leave it
just arrived. With the last few singles you’ve released
behind, in the moment?
you’ve found your sound, your aesthetic, and for want of a better word, your ‘brand.’ Is it creatively conflicting to
I mean sometimes; there are songs from a year and a
feel like everything has got to be in this particular tone,
half ago now which I just don’t like. But I keep trying to
or this particular colour palette?
remember that I feel the most comfortable with this record than I have with any other piece of music, you know,
I guess I don’t think about it too much because I’ve changed
straight after I’ve recorded it.
a lot in the past, or I still feel like I could change. It’s nice that people feel like I’ve arrived to something, but I don’t
So how do you think that your relationships with your
necessarily feel like that. In a year, I don’t know what songs
songs change over time? Especially considering a lot of
I could be writing or what kind of colour palette I could be
them sound highly specified and anecdotal.
using…
19
Words by Georgie Jesson
Illustration by Johanna Walderdorff
I’m not sure, but it’s definitely specific to each song. Most
but having the band is just a great extra support. And I just
of the time I’ll just have an enjoyable nostalgia with them
feel better being around people on tour, it sounds simple,
because (I know this sounds really corny) but it’s like
but even that just makes the whole experience a little bit
reading your diary. But, then there are times when you
more of a joint thing rather than some indulgent journey of
recognise that person less and less. You know, if I was
the self, fuck that. I feel lucky, at the start I couldn’t even
feeling sad at a particular time in the past, I can access that
imagine myself with a band just because of the nature of
sadness later but I’ll never be in that place again, and I
the songs I was writing, or the fact that I wasn’t playing
wouldn’t have that kind of naivety of heartbreak. Or, if you
to that many people and financially there’s no way I could
finally come to an understanding of things, you can’t really
support a band.
have that epiphany moment ever again. There are some songs which don’t feel that different each night, but there
On finance, money and music is so fucked at the
are other songs which are very situation specific, and it just
moment, and as an artist that I would consider
goes hand in hand with how you have evolved as a person.
successful, do you feel like you are reaping the rewards of that hard work and that outward success?
This sound that you created with Rado and with Alex is unique and fantastic and feels honest but is still stylish…
I think it’s hard to know because obviously I don’t know
Was it important for you to remove yourself from
exactly what it was like before. I feel privileged enough that
London to get this sound?
I can live in a room in London and afford not to have to get another day job and just do music. I don’t make a lot more
I think my time with Rado in LA and at Alex’s out in
money than that, and I think a lot of musicians get angry
Purley, which always feels way out of London, I felt like I
at that, you know, they expect some perks but I think I get
could like myself a bit more. You feel less covered by self-
enough perks. I get to go on tour. I know a lot of people feel
loathing and thinking about what other people are thinking
cheated but I definitely don’t feel cheated. There are a lot of
of you, and I also felt like I could be a lot more playful. It
things that do cheat you, like streaming for example, there’s
seems like people are scared to be too playful in London,
so much dark shit going on between streaming and record
and I’m not sure if that is even a justified emotion because
labels which isn’t talked about but you know, I had a record
there are a lot of playful artists here- it’s not a miserable
label that would pay for the recording of this album so who
town- but it does feel like there’s something of a weight off
am I to get angry?
when I’m around Alex and Rado who I respect so much. You’re being playful with each other and it feels like that’s
I suppose everybody’s looking back like ‘Oh twenty
okay because it’s about us and it’s about this room and
years ago…’
my relationship with that person and nothing else kind of matters. That sounds intense, but I think I make the best
Yeah ‘oh twenty years ago I could have had all the gak
music when I’m not thinking about what people think of me
in the world and a studio for five nights and its like yeah
or what people think that I should do next, because those
ok, but that’s not the reality anymore. I think there are
things do hinder your total ease of mind and freedom and
issues that have arisen because there isn’t loads and loads
they definitely hinder your playfulness.
of money. You know all the acts living in london and getting signed are mostly middle class and are able to get
And how do you feel that your album translates onto
signed because they have the advantage of already living
the live shows? How is it with the band and what do you
in London. I’m lucky that I’m a southern boy who came to
think it brings to you?
uni, had a student loan so that I could live and all of that. There are definitely issues and complexities in the industry
I think it’s good because its a step towards what recording
concerning money and the money available to artists but I
the songs was like, and it creates a little world around it,
definitely wouldn’t play my own violin, its a lot harder for
like having people to play off and things to play off. Playing
lots of other artists.
just me and the piano for such a long time was really good but I still felt quite vulnerable,
21
Matt Maltese
I know you’ve had some offers, like big advert offers, do
I suppose I have a heightened sense of troubles of the heart
you ever feel torn? From when I knew you before you’ve
because I don’t have to worry about when my next meal
definitely loosened up, so to speak- there were certain
is gonna be on the table. And I’m very aware that that is
mainstream territories that you wouldn’t go near to
a flaw of the white male singer songwriters, we’re always
which you’ve allowed yourself a bit of leeway with.
thinking about our feelings all the time. But a lot of the time it’s good to recognise that it’s okay for me to talk about my
I think so. I mean there are still certain things I definitely
feelings and feel like I have to hate myself for it. But that is
wouldn’t do because of who I am. But there are sometimes
just a trope of being aware of your position, like of course
situations where you can think that you’re also getting
you are going to feel guilty about it.
something out of the man rather than the man is just trying to get something out of me. I haven’t had an offer yet where
But don’t you think that this is so recent? I can’t
I’ve thought, shit I’m really gonna have to sack off a lot
imagine songwriters thinking about this subject after
of my values and take the money and I’d like to think I’ll
post- punk, you know, 10 or 15 years ago? Franz
never be in a position where I’d have to do that. I’ll always
Ferdinand and the Wombats certainly weren’t thinking
remember, looking back, how shit it was for me not being
about it. It’s something that came along with the Fat
a musician, and so that often helps me come to terms with
Whites, who put everyone on their toes.
certain things. I agree, but I think a lot of it is even wider than the Fat But I think people are more forgiving now, I think
White Family, it’s about having such an awareness of
with the new fluidity of genre the underground and
everything because of the internet. Now, it’s far easier to
overground crossover a lot more and we give artists a lot
see other things and not just read the Reading Chronical and
more leeway.
believe that that’s the world. And for me, moving to London was huge for me, I saw so many different types of poeple
Yeah, and I think people’s opinions of selling out are a
and places that you just don’t see when you’re from a home
lot less skewed. People need to understand that if daddy’s
county or whatever. But I do think it’s a good thing. I don’t
money isn’t there and if you want to be a financially
think that anyone should hate themselves for whatever
independent artist you are going to have to change your
situation they were brought up into because that isn’t gonna
ideas of what you would and wouldn’t do. Sounds a bit
move anything forward, but we need to be conscious and
like I’m being Mr. Reality here, but you lose abit of your
aware of it in everything we say and do.
idealism as you get older. These ideas of class and privilege you talk about also feel prevalent in your music at times. We are all so aware of ourselves and our privilege, and the amount of reverse snobbery that is occuring at the moment is just something that we can’t seem to step away from. Have you ever had an experience in a song where you wanna touch on something political and find that you have to check yourself rather than allowing that lyric to be free? Probably, yeah. I can’t think of any specifics but there’s definitely situations where you’re faced with checking yourself. I’m someone that is very aware of their situation and I try to stay away from those age-old punk sentiments like ‘it’s fucking hard being on the grind’ because I know that that’s not my life.
www.johannawalderdorff.com
22
Lice Bristol has birthed a lot of great things: cider that gets you
Perfectly spearheaded by Alastair’s songwriting, his lyrics
drunk after one sip (It’s called ‘Exhibition’ and it’s from
take on misogyny, xenophobia, and pretty much all of the
the Cori Tap in Clifton if you’re interested), Big Jeff head
hate we’re now dealing with in this post-Brexit Britain shit-
banging at the front of gigs, and, of course, up and coming
fest we now find ourselves in. Predominantly inspired by
self-professed “satirical art punk” four-piece LICE.
satire, he weaves in inspiration from writers and comedians to create thought-provoking songs that brilliantly snarl atop
Originally meeting at university after an ad stating a
the post-punk backing.
“guitarist and drummer looking for singer willing to do and say horrible shit”, the group - made up of singer Alastair,
Dropping their double-EP in May - via Idles’ Joe Talbot’s
Silas, Gareth and Bruce - have been championed for their
record label - ‘It All Worked Out Great Vol. 1 and 2’ fully
balls-to-the-walls live performances and scuzzy rock
solidifies the band as one of the most exciting that Britain
stylings.
has to offer at the moment. It’s brutal and brilliant, creating a raw and expertly chaotic offering that you can’t help but get excited about. Even more so after a sip of ‘Exhibition’.
25
Words by Elly Watson, illustration by Josh Whettingsteel
in a while. Creating their unique bops, the lyrics glisten Excuse the obvious line, but if you were in Confidence Man
with Janet’s stories of past loves, be it shitty boyfriends or
you’d definitely be confident too. The Aussie dance-pop
romantic interests, to make some fiercely relatable dance
group have had one of the greatest years that we’ve seen,
songs.
wowing the masses with their captivating off-kilter pop and culminating in the release of their critically acclaimed debut
Already making a name for themselves, Confidence Man’s
record ‘Confident Music For Confident People’ which has
sugar sweet melodies have resulted in them being tipped
had us dancing along non-stop ever since it dropped earlier
for greatness left, right and centre, and they’re showing
this year.
no signs of slowing down. Currently on a worldwide tour spanning Europe and the States before returning to their
Made up of Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Clarence McGuffie
home down under, they’re bringing the party to everyone
and Reggie Goodchild, the group came together after stints
and it’s a guest list you’re gonna want to be on.
in other bands to form their otherworldly pop gang who, side note, all have some of the greatest names we’ve heard
Confidence Man play Latitude Festival on Friday, July 13 - The Lake Stage
26
Boy Azooga Having drummed in various bands around Cardiff over
Do you try and work your songs around bass lines then?
the past decade, Davey Newington stands on the brink of releasing an album through his band, Boy Azooga, that’s
Yeah definitely, especially with ‘Face Behind A Cigarette’ I
been in the pipeline for almost a decade. June 8th will see
had the bass line and I just thought I’d decorate some stuff
‘1,2 Kung Fu!’ released into the wild and we chatted to
around this bass line now; while ‘Loner Boogie’ I gave
Davey about his move from the drum kit, his love of Kevin
myself a rule where I was just gonna write a song on one
Parker and the album’s prominent bass lines.
string so the whole riff I wouldn’t let myself use the other strings on the guitar so that again started off as bass line.
As it’s been so long in the pipeline, has the album got a theme to it?
How do you feel when you hear your songs on the radio?
I was more thinking about it in the way of a mixtape, which
I’m super flattered that people are playing it; it’s definitely
sounds quite cliche but I just wanted to put a record out that
underestimated, the power of the radio, because I don’t
was influenced by the bands I was into at the time. A couple
think people would be coming to the gigs if they hadn’t
of the songs come back on themselves on the record, I really
heard the songs on the radio. When we did The Magic Gang
like The Avalanches and the way both their records feel like
tour it’s really lame but I got choked up, we played the
a proper journey and the music ebbs and flows. It’s stuff
Electric Ballroom on the last night of the tour and there was
that with repeated listens you’d notice, it’s really thematic.
this kid and he had a Boy Azooga t-shirt and he ran to the
There’s definitely themes on the record but they’re not
front, screaming the words of ‘Loner Boogie’ to me and I
really intense, I wasn’t too conscience of it being a concept
just thought I was that kid! I used to go see The Cribs and
record it was more like I knew how I wanted it to be rather
Foo Fighters and I’d always be at the front so I was thinking
then just a collection of songs.
this is really weird but I honestly think that wouldn’t happen if we hadn’t had the radio plays and we’re really
The bass lines on the album are very prominent, was it
grateful for it.
weird coming from the drum kit picking up a bass and having it be a huge part of the album?
We’re entering festival season so which festival are you most looking forward to playing?
It was yeah, like I did drums first and then the guitar when I was about 12 but I didn’t really get into the bass.
That’s really hard, Green Man was the one I dreamt of playing and I go with my girlfriend every year. I’d played
Bass is apparently the uncool instrument…
drums with Charlotte Church and her pop dungeon she did and we played at Green Man and that was sick but I needed
Exactly, but it’s also the most badass one and the one that
to do it with Boy Azooga and we hadn’t really jammed or
affects people the most. I was kind of late to it but Kevin
anything yet. Last year we got asked to do it so we opened
Parker was definitely a huge inspiration in that because his
up the Far Out Stage and that was insane.
bass lines are unbelievable and it’s clearly thought out, it’s not just a random part.
Boy Azooga play Latitude Festival on Saturday, July 14 - The Lake Stage
27
Words by Callum McCormack, illustration by Joe Gamble
WHO ARE Alaskalaska
Mellah
Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and
Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and
about the music you make?
about the music you make?
We are Lucinda, Fraser, Gethin, Joe, Calum and Fraser
My name’s Liam I’m from Forest Hill SE23, I make pop
(yeah, we got two). We all live in London but are from
songs about death and war.
different places originally - Wales, Merseyside, Norwich, Birmingham. We make music for dancing and kissing and
Can you tell us the story behind one of your songs?
crying to. People have labelled it ‘art-pop’ but really it’s just whatever we feel like making together, inspired by lots
The latest release from my new EP is called Numb. In short
of different things.
it’s about inequality.. I believe people are inherently good but for whatever reason, be it fear, apathy or whatever they let injustice wash over them.
29 37
Fontaines DC
Yassassin
We’re Fontaines DC, we’re from Dublin City. We make
Can you tell us something that you collectively hate?
music that involves two guitars, a bass, a drummer and a lyricist. Our influences include The Dubliners and Girl
Rude sound engineers
Band. What’s special about where you’re from? Has it inspired Can you tell us something that you collectively really
your music?
love? London teaches you to be thick-skinned, unrelenting and We all have a profound love for the Sherlock Holmes
inclusive. I’ve always tried to inject the same attitude when
audiobook reading by Greg Wagland. His reading in
making music.
particular is what sends us to sleep most nights. (This is sincere).
Emerson Snowe My name is Jazz, but I perform under the moniker Emerson Snowe. I grew up in a small town in Australia called Townsville. I moved to Brisbane when I was seventeen. The project has had a heap of incarnations — as I’ve grown, the music has grown and changed as I have. I don’t have a live band, the current set up is myself with a thirty minute set recorded onto a tape that I play in a cassette player and basically karaoke the vocals over the top.
Lady Bird We are Sam, Joe and Alex, from regal Tunbridge Wells and we make something like punk music. What led you to form a band? A particular happening or a mutual love for a record or sound? A Grand Don’t Come For Free definitely was a big influence. The way the story resolves with a really deep revelation, but could just as easily be taken as face value commentary or just top tunes.
30
Spring King Two years on from the release of their debut record, the
I feel like on this record we have a lot more moments where
Manchester four piece return with another riff filled mosh
I wish now in retrospect we had a bit of a break because the
pit inducing record, ‘A Better Life’, due to be released on
new live set is just gonna be ridiculous; it’s just non-stop
17th August. We sat down with drummer/vocalist Tarek
with a couple of little breaks here and there.
Musa and guitarist Pete Darlington to talk about what to expect from the band’s second album, how the band has
Tarek: I think this time around we wanted to bring the
changed it’s approach since the release of ‘Tell Me If You
manic nature of the live set into the recording a bit more
Like To’ and why Pantera and Papa Roach helped shape the
to try and capture that live energy. I think the first record
new record, kind of.
was a bit more of a studio record but this time round there’s more voices on the record and there’s more harmonies by
Are there any new influences that have come in to this
the band and it’s been more collaborative. Songwriting wise
record?
I think it captures the live sound which is something we aimed to do and it’s definitely upped the energy across the
Pete: For me personally I was listening to a lot of heavier
record; we all need to get pretty fit in order to pull it off
music, not that you’d be able to tell necessarily, but bands
every night.
like Pantera and System of a Down, not because I wanted to make guitar sounds like that but I wanted to get an idea
How do you feel this record has changed the band’s
on how they put riffs together and I think ‘Animal’ was the
sound?
first time where we captured the new energy that we wanted to capture and the guitar lines are influenced by the heavier
Tarek: It’s definitely a much more defined and crafted
stuff I was thinking about at least.
sound, I think the songwriting on this record is way above the first and it reflects the maturity that we’ve developed
Tarek: For me I was listening to a lot of heavier tunes as
over the past few years. I think we’ve achieved something
well when we started writing this record, maybe not as
that when we were in the writing room maybe none of us
heavy as Pantera but indulging in the old days of listening
expected we would have done, it’s a really good moment
to the likes of Papa Roach and Foo Fighters, but then I was
for us because it’s something I didn’t think we’d do and I’m
still also listening to the new Arcade Fire record and a lot
really proud of it.
of pop music so my head was kind of a mix of both worlds. It was like trying to keep it heavy but also doing something
Are there any specific ideas you wanted to express?
that’s quite catchy; I like writing songs that are poppy and Pete: The overall thing that we wanted to get across was
hooky but heavy.
that the world’s in a strange place, there’s a lot of negative Your live shows are always manic, did you see that as a
shit going on and there’s a lot of bands writing about that in
priority when writing the new record?
an angry way but we wanted to flip it on it’s head and take all that negativity, write about it but try to present it with
Pete: When we write a lot of the time I’m thinking about
a positive spin on it, in a kind of idealistic way. It was like
how it’s going to translate live, if it’s going to be worthy of
the world’s fucked but here’s a crazy positive record that
a mosh pit.
you sing a long to, jump to and have a good time and lose yourself in.
31
Words by Callum McCormack, illustration by REN
In the 2008 Economist round-up it was revealed that Virgin
divide. Money is spent and deals signed only on those acts
EMI was spending up to £200,000 a year on what is known
already at the top, acts who are secure, reaping the rewards
as ‘fruit and flowers’ solely for its West London offices- the
of their 0.0015% cut of their healthy online plays. And,
special kind of fruit and flowers that needs to be shipped all
while there has been a burst of rebellious DIY, do-it-anyway
the way here from Columbia. This reveal came at the same
creativity in the underground, these artists can barely afford
time as the music industry’s demise (or the second wave
to shift their gear from one venue to the other, let alone
of its demise): not only were CD sales down lower than
afford rent, afford to tour, afford to live. And thus, the mid
ever before due to streaming, but streaming numbers were
2000s left us the juicy legacy of one-album-wonders and a
dropping due to the rise of illegal downloading. Finally,
growing pile on the indie landfill.
a fuckery that the industry could not afford. Bosses were replaced, million pound homes sold and once successful
So where does the indie underground stand in 2018? The
artists dropped instantly and unsympathetically: it was
post-Fat White’s era is alive and writhing with anger and
music or the business, and business was chosen.
filth as the post-punk fungus grows, and continues to grow. It’s originators, the ones that seem to have sewn the seeds,
Music became cautious, safe, pallid, audiences became
the ones that go by the name of Shame, have rocketed
uninspired and Nicki Minaj was on the cover of NME. We
to the top without a look back. They’ve toured the world
were whining that no one was making good music anymore,
topless and brought back a hint of that old school, dirty rock
but that wasn’t the case- no record companies were taking a
n roll- a little bit of that fruit and flowers. They even made
chance on music. No interesting, expressive or even slightly
it onto prime time television-Tuesday evening with Jools
left of field band was worth the risk as the industry entered
Holland.
a precautious and dull period of risk assessment and damage control. What this has left us with is an extremely counterproductive but simultaneously creatively conducive cultural 33
Running parallel to this we have Hotel Lux, a band who sing of a despairing British Dystopia not dissimilar to Shame’s. And yet, Hotel Lux’s masterfully crafted new single ‘Daddy’, a tale of abuse told from the perspective of a child who must pay for the way their daddy is ‘so inclined’, is not allowed to be played on BBC radio. Having been picked up by DJ Huw Stephens, it was not given the go ahead by the bosses on top because of its, and I quote, ‘tone’. Smells like a load of bollocks. Big, swinging, low hanging bollocks. How does the BBC decide who its riskier acts are? What particular type of debauchery or disdain gets the appropriate amount of airtime? Is there not enough room? No, there is not enough money. Not enough money to be spent on more than one band that might be a little bit naughty, so probably best pick the more lucrative option and leave the paedophiles in peace for the time being. The point is, no one is risking in music because no one is risking the money, and this is pushing the underground further underground, creating tiny microcosms of albeit incredible creativity and craftsmanship, however, it ultimately leaves us with an echo chamber, reverberating the same messages back to the same ears, meaning no real impact is made. Maybe my point is lost, or maybe my point is moot because there simply is no money to be had and therefore no risks will be taken. I’m not suggesting we bring back fruit flowers… But I am suggesting we bring back the fruit and flowers mentality. Risk and excess in spite of success, in whatever form or flavour.
Words by Georgie Jesson
34
Latitude Festival As the summer rolls in and brings with it the beautiful
The festival’s BBC Music stage sees James, Mogwai and
sunshine, we can finally look forward to standing in a field
Jon Hopkins headlining while the stage will also play host
with a can of cider in hand, basking in the sun or getting
to sets from the likes of Tune-Yards, Alvvays and our Issue
drenched in mud and watching your favourite bands. With
Seventeen cover stars Idles who will be causing chaos in the
the British festival scene becoming so saturated and various
tent. The festival’s Lake Stage sees some of the best newer
events taking place every weekend of the summer you
bands around heading to Suffolk with Boy Azooga bringing
might need some help on where you should be taking your
their debut album 1,2 Kung Fu! to Latitude, Sorry, Irish trio
rucksacks. This year’s Latitude festival is bursting at the
Whenyoung and the hugely exciting New Yorkers, Bodega
seams with an amazing variety of entertainment to keep
will all wow this year’s goers.
everyone happy; taking place at Henham Park in Suffolk on 12th July through to 15th July the festival promises to yet
The festival will see some of the world’s biggest acts head
again be another summer highlight.
to Suffolk but will also play host to some of the best bands this country currently has to offer with Scottish four piece
This year’s event will see arguably Latitude’s biggest ever
Spinning Coin, Phobophobes who will get to show off
headliner in The Killers taking to the Obelisk Arena on the
their excellent debut album Minature World to the Latitude
Saturday with Solange closing the first day out and Alt-J
faithful, The Orielles will get to prove why they are one of
closing this year’s festival on the Sunday. The festival’s
the best live bands around at the moment and Leeds band
Obelisk Arena also boasts some of the most exciting bands
Caro will take their melodic riff filled songs to the fields.
around at the moment, including The Vaccines bringing
Dutch singer-songwriter Pip Blom will bring her band to the
their latest album Combat Sports to Suffolk, Wolf Alice
east of England while Superorganism and Confidence Man
will be sure to prove why they’re future festival headliners
are both sure to bring a summer party to the festival as well
and Parquet Courts bringing their magnificent new album
as Spanish four piece Hinds who will show off their latest
Wide Awake! to these shores with their only UK festival
album to Henham Park.
appearance of the summer. Other acts appearing over the weekend include Belle and It’s not just the Obelisk Arena that holds a plethora of
Sebastian, Black Honey, Bloxx, Confidence Man, Femme
amazing bands with Latitude having various other stages for
Fatale, Fickle Friends, Gang of Youths, Japandroids,
you to explore with plenty of bands to delve into.
La Femme, Lucia, Preoccupations, Superorganism, The Breeders, The Charlatans, The Ninth Wave and Trudy and the Romance.
Words by Callum McCormack
36 18
Bodega make intelligent rock n roll. They mix punchy angular guitar lines with thought provoking lyrics that question mindless internet usage, consumerism and conventional masculinity. Their full length debut, ‘Endless Scroll’, produced by none other than Parquet Courts’ Austin Brown, is energetic modern punk at its best. We had a chat with main songwriting team, vocalist, Nikki Belfiglio and Singer/Guitarist, Ben Hozie, whilst they travelled on their tour bus across France. You guys are such a force of energy. How did Bodega form? Ben: We were initially in another band called Bodega Bay and when that finished, Nikki and I immediately wanted to start a new band. We met everyone kind of organically, for example our drummer Montana ran a gallery called Indigo, and Nikki and I were roommates with Heather who plays bass. Nikki: I think that force of energy came from a renewed sense of focus. If you make that conscious decision to break off something in your life then it better be worth it, you have to lay down the tracks to set out the project that you wanna do. Do you think it’s important - especially with the current political climate in America - that bands comment on the nature of the modern world? B: I can’t tell others how to run their band, but I do believe that if you’re given a stage or if you’re given a microphone the ethical imperative of any artist is to tell the truth. So you wouldn’t be telling the truth if you didn’t talk about what was going on in the world today. But that’s not to say that if somebody wants to create something that’s about their hometown - like what it was like to live their or something - that they shouldn’t do that either because of anything else that’s happening in the world. N: Theres’s a phrase that we’ve been throwing around that in times of extreme cynicism you have to have the upmost optimism. You have to project your thoughts and feelings and positivity. What are your thoughts on throwback music?
37
Words by Eleonor Philpot
B: I have a twofold answer to that question. I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with it, it’s the way art has always worked. Shakespeare was essentially doing covers of other stories. Even The Beatles were ripping off other bands blatantly. Like if a band says, we’re doing sixties flower power, it might not be the most exciting thing in the world, but that might be a valid starting point for them. What I’m talking about in the ‘How Does This Happen?!’ is a bigger more insidious thought of how there was going to be this big social revolution, where people were over throwing nationalism. I think the reason why youth culture didn’t end up going that way was because of mass pop culture and Rock N Roll. When I think of myself I think I would be doing something more interesting in the world if I hadn’t spent hours of my life listening to rock music. What lead you to working with Austin Brown? B: By chance he happened to come to one of our shows and he said, ‘Wow, that was great. You guys have recordings down?” He said he had a home studio and would we be interested in recording in it. And I was just like okay, great, you can produce our album. And then like a month or two later we had it down. What did he bring to the recording? B: He was pretty hands off actually. But having him there, I mean I’m a fan of his band, so it made me want to show off for him a little bit - that was certainly powerful. I think the biggest way he actually impacted the music was by acting like a movie director, coaching me how to sing certain lines. Like on ‘Jack In Titanic’ he had me sing it in a sincere a way as possible, which added another dimension to the lyrics. Like its satire but I have had all those thoughts before. Aside from Parquet Courts, what modern bands are doing important things right now? N: Courtney Barnett, and I really like the US Girls. B: Omni are a great guitar band, and Wan Walters, he’s probably my favourite songwriter. Bodega play Latitude Festival on Friday, July 13 - The Lake Stage 38
Hinds From the offset, Hinds were welcomed into the UK with
What was it like working with Gordon Raphael for the
enthusiastically open arms. As four, vigorous rays of
album? How did he let your personalities show through
Spanish sunshine, they cut a refreshingly jovial figure in
in the music?
an industry that, at times, takes itself far too seriously. In 2018, their feel-good formula of catchy, lo-fi garage rock
He wanted us to just be us. He didn’t change us a bit.
has mutated into something sharper and more refined via the
Anytime we’d ask for advice, like what pedals to use or
excellent, ‘I Don’t Run.’ We talk to Carlotta about how the
what guitar, his answer would always be “whatever you
band approached that difficult second album…
guys like better”. So, at the beginning it felt a bit frustrating because we really wanted answers, haha. But in the end we
Hi girls. You said you were “fighting for your place” on
really appreciated it because it feels like every decision in
this record - what exactly did you mean by that?
that album has been 100% ours.
I think a second album for any band is a little bit like that.
Youth unemployment in Spain is higher than most EU
Suddenly you have to start a new path that will “define” you
countries and the Catalonian referendum has stirred
and will give more angles to shape the world and all that
much debate and divide all over the world, what are
stuff. It’s exciting!
your thoughts on the country you call home in 2018? How do you think it’s impacting the younger generation
Because you give off a very positive energy, I think
there?
people expect you to be happy all the time. This record seems to diminish some of those assumptions. What were
Spain is a great country but we’re fucked.The Catalonian
the struggles you wanted to acknowledge on I Don’t
independence has existed since so long ago but we’re not
Run?
handling it right. Spain is full of different nationalisms that people don’t realise they are the same shit in the end.
Yeah, we’re not happy all the time, nobody is. On the
It’s just thinking that YOU are better than the rest. You,
first album we showed 12 faces of love; on this album we
your flag, your city, your estate - it’s very, very sad. I don’t
wanted to focus on what comes after love. It’s curious how
know.
love can save your life or completely ruin it. I like to think that love is the most powerful thing in this world and at the
You’re very well-loved here in the UK, how did you find
same time, it’s the most universal illness of human beings.
your recent London show? How much has it changed since the first time you played here?
Do you find it hard to write about personal things? Are you worried that it could be like an open window for
The last show in London was nuts and great!!! We’ve
some people?
always felt very loved from UK people, since the very beginning. It felt a little bit like home to us because it all
Well yeah, we thought like that before but with this album
started in London but from that first show to the last one...
we decided to give priority to art. We thought it was going
it has rained a lot!!
to make songs better if we were more sincere and if I may be honest, we haven’t received any text messages
Hinds play Latitude Festival on Friday, July 13 - BBC
reclaiming intimacy, haha.
Music Stage
Words by Harley Cassidy, illustration by Danny Miller
40
So Young Illustration Competition 6th Place, Jonathan Vermersch (Patti Smith), opposite, 7th Place, Xaviera Altena (FKA Twigs)
So Young Illustration Competition 9th Place, Amelie Lehoux (Solange), opposite, 8th Place, Linda Heggen (Kate Bush)
So Young Illustration Competition 11th Place, Madeleine Sandrolini (Angel Olsen), opposite, 10th Place, Franz Lang (Kate Bush)
So Young Illustration Competition 13th Place, Cerys Scorey (Goat Girl), opposite, 12th Place, Ursi Tolliday (Aretha Franklin)
So Young Illustration Competition 14th Place, Helen Eunhwa Oh (The Spice Girls), opposite, 15h Place, Esther Lalanne (Kate Bush)
So Young Illustration Competition 16th Place, Alex Ram (Donna Summer), opposite, 17th Place, Nastya Varlamova (The Spice Girls)
So Young Illustration Competition 19th Place, Oscar Nimmo (Stevie Nicks), opposite, 18th Place, Milica Golubovic (Janis Joplin)
So Young Illustration Competition 20th Place, Egle Plytnikaite (Bjork)
Artists
Josh Whettingsteel Anna Rupprecht Bo Matteini Eunjoo Lee Alva Skog
Jean Jullien
Angelique Heidler William Davey
Katja Gendikova Alice Wietzel
Johanna Walderdorff Joe Gamble REN
Danny Miller
Jonathan Vermersch
Editors Sam Ford
Xaviera Altena Linda Heggen
Amelie Lehoux
Josh Whettingsteel
Franz Lang
Writers
Ursi Tolliday
Madeleine Sandrolini
Sam Ford
Cerys Scorey
Rob Knaggs
Esther Lalanne
Georgie Jesson
Nastya Varlamova
Callum McCormack
Oscar Nimmo
Dan Pare
Helen Eunhwa Oh
Rhys Buchanan
Alex Ram
Elly Watson
Milica Golubovic
Eleanor Philpot
Egle Plytnikaite
Harley Cassidy
Printed By
Photos for Collage Tatjana RĂźegsegger
Ex Why Zed
Pooneh Ghana
Mert Gafuroglu
info@soyoungmagazine.com
Website
www.soyoungmagazine.com
News
Simon Holliday Dan Kendall
Rowan Allen
Art Direction
www.joshwhettingsteel.com
@soyoungmagazine (Twitter)
Special Thanks
soyoungmagazine (Instagram)
Cal McRae
SoYoungMagazine (Facebook) soyoungmagazine.tumblr.com
Samuel Huxley Jamie Ford
