Audio Addict #14 2013 by Audio Addict

AUD O ADD CT

The Post Tribal Bible #14 / February 2013 / FREE

Ryan Hemsworth Gabrielle Aplin Foals + AA’s TOp Picks for spring

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING

All Or Nothing

WELCOME Welcome back! We here at AA HQ hope that we supplied you your fix with our first issue. Now prepare yourselves for the second instalment. In this issue we have scouted the world of musicians so you don’t have to. our spring collection offers a indispensable guide to what artists you should be looking out for in the coming months. Chris Brown gets in another fight. Everything Everything sit down with Katie Vowles and discuss their new album Arc and the catalysts behind its creation. Canadian super-producer Ryan hemsworth talks tweeting, diplo and his path to success. You can get your hands on a free copy of the Wreck It Ralph soundtrack by entering our super competition. We also get a glimpse at how a the right venue can make or break a band’s performance in our live reviews. And of course the biggest news of the year so far: the fall of HMV is dissected as we look at the future of physical media. Remember to check out our website for more Q&A’s, features, reviews and news: www.Audio-Addict.co.uk. You stay classy, Planet Earth. Editorial Team Matthew Cook - Front Section Mitch Stevens - Features Luke McFarlane - Reviews Mikey Rush - Design Twitter @AudioAddictMag Audio-Addict.co.uk To advertise or for press enquiries ontact us at: AudioAddictEditors@hotmail.co.uk Audio Addict magazine and blog are produced by students on the BA (Hons) Popular Music Journalism course at Southampton Solent University. The views expressed in the magazine and blog are the students’ and contributors for which the University and its staff can not be held responsible.

Contributors Adam Bouteloup // Aidan Ducker Alex Annabell //Billy Bentley // Connor Cass Coralie Pilté // Ella McClary // Ellis Ballard Fran Botham // George Percival Georgia Blunden // Hannah Woollven Indie Shaw // Izzy Coote // James Barlow Joe Madden // Katie Vowles Kiwi Vincent // Leo Troy Louis Kerry // Louise Egan Niamh Moore // Nicole Dimitrova Piers Le Moignan Raven // Rose Lyness Rebecca Rayner // Sean Lewis Shannon Gibson // Tommy Jones William Keenan // Zoe Coxon Photography: George Chin / WENN // Martin Boorman Taryn Anderson

CONTENTS Page eight

Audio Addict sits down with stella singer Gabrielle Aplin to talk Xmas No.1’s, ideal collabs and her overdue rise to stardom.

Page ten

As we usher in the spring of 2013, Audio Addict unveils our new music picks for the coming season.

Page eighteen

With their new album a resounding success, what’s life like for Everything Everything these days?

Page twenty-two

It’s been 20 years since the explosion of Riot Grrrl onto the music scene. We take a look back at the movement and it’s effects on music since.

page twenty-four

Hot-property producer Ryan Hemsworth found some time in his hectic 2013 schedule for a conversation about where he’s been and where he’s going.

NEWS

mumford & SOns excel at grammies

james blakE Announces overgrown

azealia banks gets hostile... again

The 55th annual Grammies took place on the 9th of February. Artists including Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran lit up the stage but it was Mumford & Sons that took the most coveted of gongs, the Album Of The Year Award. The Black Keys, Gotye and Jay-Z all walked off with three awards to their names Also on the night, a whole host of stars paid tribute to the late legendary Bob Marley. Singing a medley of the reggae icon’s greatest hits were Sting, Rihanna and Bruno Mars. Who were joined onstage by Marley’s sons Ziggy and Damian Marley.

Blakes’ second album Overgrown will be released on April 8th. The first track to be taken from the album is ‘Retrograde’, which became available on February 11th and was premiered by Zane Lowe on Radio 1. Anticipation is sure to be high for the follow up to 2011’s critically-acclaimed self-tilted effort. Talking about the album Blake stated “A lot of the vocal music I’ve been doing recently has been quite clubby… But that’s mainly because I’ve had more time to go to clubs, that normally breeds that kind of influence.” He added: “I think it’s going to be a bit more aggressive, to be honest. It seems that way.”

Big mouth rapper Banks has again taken to social networking site Twitter to air her latest tirade, this time straight at electornic producer Baauer. Banks has already ranted at Angel Haze, Munchi and Nicki Minaj but this time she sinks to new lows. The argument broke out when Baauer made a copyright claim against Azealia Bank’s recent vocal version of his number one track ‘Harlem Shake’. Banks hit back at Baauer asking “why you c***blockin tho???” to which Baauer, whose song has gone viral, simply responded with “because it’s not your song”.

Win A Copy Of The Wreck-It Ralph Soundtrack

Disney’s latest brain child ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ is to be released digitally on 15th of February. What’s being described as the next Toy Story, Wreck-It Ralph has already earned over $300 million at the box office. Featuring the voices of John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman, the film is based on arcade character Ralph and his journey through different games to save the entire digital world. Famous virtual faces such as Bowser, Sonic and Street Fighter’s Ryu all make hilarious appearances. The film is accompanied by a 25-track soundtrack featuring Rihanna, Owl City and Skrillex (the latter whom makes an appearance) Along with music from composer Henry Jackman (X-Men, Precious, Kick Ass). The CD is out now on Walt Disney Records. LK

To win a copy of the soundtrack just answer the following question: What Rihanna song is featured in the Wreck-It Ralph soundtrack? A) Shut Up and Drive B) Shut Up My Hive C) Shut Up and Dive Email the correct answer to Audioaddicteditors@hotmail.co.uk

what were you thinking? Wow! Chris Brown has been at it again! Some might have thought that the public scrutiny he received when he assaulted then/now popstar girlfriend Rihanna might have changed his persona but still he goes out and gets in a brawl with Frank Ocean, who tweeted “got jumped by chris and a couple guys. lol.” after the incident. Brown is lucky that Frank Ocean is taking the high road and not pressing charges. Ocean signed off his Tumblr with “Forgiveness, albeit difficult, is wisdom. Peace, albeit trite, is what I want in my short life.”. Now, especially after his recent car crash, we have to ask ourselves what will be the next drama that Chris Brown is caught up in?

Mark Batty // Markbatty.tumblr.com Audio-Addict.co.uk

AUD O ADD CT

BITR8 Morgan Hislop

Cholombian

DJ Tear Gas (Martin James)

free entry Official Launch Night Upstairs @ POP Southampton 28th February // 10 til 2am

Vinyl. Archaic and needless? Or the last vestige of artistic vision? Two of our editors lock horns and reveal why they loathe and love the divisive format so much. Which side do you fall on?

RANT

Vinyl records, what are the good for? Absolutely nothing. This old piece of technology doesn’t do anything for us, it is merely for aesthetic and for those who deem themselves in a meritocratic band. Admittedly they did serve their purpose at one point but with the technological advancements why we still have these tiresome and derivative forms is beyond me. When one musters up an image of who is buying vinyl two people spring into mind. Firstly you have the middle aged goof-ball with his waist band up to his nipples and an unsavoury odour excreting from his ‘comical’ t-shirt and the second is that of the hipster, a totally different kettle of fish but still a plague amongst us. In a perfect world, without trying to sound to Fuhrery, these people would be thrown out of society. They are just wrong, and I think it is this ideotic form of consumption which is one catalyst behind why these people are so atrocious.

For a start, the concept of an album is dead. Flow, sense and meaning are all lost in this shuffle-culture we all now live by. Vinyl forces you to listen as the artist intended. In one uninterrupted stream of consciousness. You wouldn’t watch a film out of order would you? But there’s a b-side side to my love of vinyl, a less practical reason to collect those 12” plates. It’s found in getting home and lining up the needle, sitting back and losing yourself in the wizardry of metal tracing plastic and creating noise. Vinyl makes music centre stage again. It’s not soundtracking your fifa session, or filling the silence as you browse the internet, it’s the be-all and end-all of that moment. It takes you back before your jaded self had 1000 different artists on your ipod. When you had a 4 CDs to your name and you absorbed every second, knew every draw of breath, every crash of cymbals. Vinyl reminds me why I love music, and it’s for no other reason that I store clothes on my floor and vinyl on my shelves.

Matt Cook - Front Section Editor

rave

Mikey Rush - Design Editor

Audio-Addict.co.uk

gift of the gab From YouTube covers to that John Lewis Christmas advert, Katie Vowles talked to Gabrielle Aplin about collaborations, her new-found fame and her 2013 plans

How does it feel going from YouTube to such a sensation? I’ve been working at it for ages and I’ve been touring… It doesn’t feel like I’ve made any transition at all, even though I definitely have. It’s just nice to be appreciated commercially. What’s been the best moment in your career so far? There’s been loads of amazing things! (laughs) It’s hard to pinpoint one, maybe the number one [Frankie Goes To Hollywood cover ‘Power of Love], that was quite a milestone. What’s your favourite song from the album? Probably ‘How Do You Feel Today’. It’s a song that I really like where I use every part of my vocal and I was able to put strings on it. I really like the guitar and it’s one of the ones I’m most proud of lyrically and production-wise. You’re self-taught in piano and guitar, did you play all the instrumentals? Yeah most of them, I played all of them up until about a month ago when we brought in my drummer and guitarist just for a few little bits. Obviously I don’t play strings and stuff so we went to RAK in London and recorded the orchestras. Some artists like just singing the songs and they don’t write them but I like writing as well. Who would be your all-time dream collaboration? I’d like to maybe work with Calvin Harris,

someone who’s quite different to what I do. I’d like to maybe duet with Rudimental, James Blake, Disclosure – someone of that kind of genre. I don’t think there’s any point in me collaborating with someone who’s the same as me otherwise it would just be like one of my songs. Who is your favourite artist? Probably Nick Drake, but I like Joni Mitchell’s vocals, Fleetwood Mac – Stevie Nicks’ soul. At the moment I really like [“Australian kind of DJ but really chilled out electronic music”] Flume – when I listen to Flume or James Blake or even Disclosure it’s really beautiful and you can see how it’s made on a piano. What’s your favourite album at the moment? I’ve just got The Staves’ new album [Dead & Born & Grown] actually, which is really good. I also really like Ed Sheeran’s album. I kind of bought it but I didn’t listen to it for ages. I’m also listening to Rumours by Fleetwood Mac a lot. How are you coping with the fame? People kind of know my music but don’t know who I am. It’s nice because I just feel normal really! Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Hopefully I’ll be on my 3rd or 4th album and I’d like to be able to continue touring and maybe see more countries. Audio-Addict.co.uk

The Spring Collection Here at Audio Addict we have put together a collection of groundbreaking artists who are going to blow up in the coming months. We’ve pretty much sorted out the soundtrack to your summer…You can thank us later!

12 Sir Sly /@sirsly/

LA trio Sir Sly blend wobbly bass with haunting vocals to create a sound unlike anything else. Their hooks could be pop songs, while their bass lines and percussion could be the base to a hip-hop great Landon Jacobs’ distinctive vocal style shines through the instrumental and cuts like a ray of sun through the dark. Katie

PY /@Py_tweets/ Py’s synth-bashing, techno-crashing, beatloving sound is shaped around her vocal performance. It’s like a clash between a pop princess and some crazy chilled dance track. ‘Black Magic’, produced by Kadabrah is a prime example of this curious mash-up that somehow blends so perfectly, although on paper it perhaps shouldn’t. Rebecca

You may recgonise Bebe Black’s name after a feature on Benga’s summer anthem ‘Icon’, but now the singer has gone solo. After releasing Deathwish, her debut EP at the end of January, this summer looks like her chance to shine. Single ‘Deathwish’ is a great blend of rave pop and electronic synths, creating something raw but with mainstream appeal. A full-feature release looks more than likely in 2013. Georiga

11 Bebe Black /@bebeblack/

10 Cashmere cat /@cashmerecat/ Magnus August Hoiberg, also known as Cashmere Cat, is a young producer who claims that he is a “Norwegian forest cat that has been making music for little over a year”. His Mirror Maru EP is colourful, warm electronica suffused with R&B leanings backed by regimented drum samples. Fran

Allen Stone /@allen_stone /

If you picture a gospel choir led by Marvin Gaye then you’re on the right track in terms of the sound Washington based singer-songwriter Allen Stone makes. He may not look like your typical soul singer, as his long ginger hair lingers in front of his face covering his thick framed glasses. But the mid-tempo sway, clean guitars and blissful vocals blend to create relaxing and soulful songs. With two releases under his belt, his career kicked off after his second, Allen Stone, peaked at number two on the R&B/Soul charts on iTunes and number nine on the Billboard Heatseekers charts. Niamh Audio-Addict.co.uk

The cross-dressing, pill-popping hip-hop ideals of Mykki Blanco, Michael Quattlebaum’s transgendered rapping persona, is looking set to smash 2013 with a burst of Avant-Garde rave infused hip-hop. The multi-talented New Yorker has turned his sights away from poetry and writing to the world of art rap. With a likeness to Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, Blanco takes hip-hop to a new level. Blanco’s extravagant cross-dressing ways and crisscrossing flow is a breath of fresh air in the rap world. Izzy

7 Tom Odell /@tompeterodell/ King Krule has a knack for defying expectations. It may surprise you that he’s a Brit School graduate; but he is far removed from the dull careerist the institute often produces. He grew up in South London, but unlike his city peers, he avoids social commentary clichés and instead takes a more introspective approach. Krule’s musical style blends sensitive guitar work akin to Jeff Buckley’s solitary chimes, with elements of minimal dubstep, something best demonstrated through standout tracks ‘Rock Bottom’ and ‘The Noose Jah City’. Crucially, these songs have resulted in a slot on the prestigious BBC sound of 2013 and it’s easy to see why. Connor

Mykki Blanco /@mykkiblanco/

8 Since making his debut on Later… With Jools Holland, Tom Odell has soared and recruited a dedicated fan base. As the recipient of the Brit Awards ‘critics’ Choice Award of 2013, it’s clear that Odell’s making the right impression on the right people. Odell’s story telling style has already been likened to the late great Jeff Buckley. His captivating vocals have also been compared to the rousing roar of Coldplay. Columbia Records recently snapped up the singersongwriter and with tracks like ‘Can’t Pretend’, why the hell wouldn’t they? Will

King Krule

The 1975 are Manchester’s latest export, mixing electro with cheery pop and an indie twist. Having released two EPs in 2012 (Facedown and Sex), their latest EP Music For Cars is set for release on the 4th of March. ‘Chocolate’, their latest single will feature on the EP, having received a numerous amount of radio plays recently. The new EP looks set to be The 1975’s big break. Frontman Matthew Healy’s unique twang makes any song instantly recognisable even when their style changes. From the irresistible pop of ‘Chocolate’ or ‘The City’ to the ambient electro of ‘Facedown’ The 1975 are masters of many genres. They assure us an album will follow soon, though just how long we’ll have to wait is unknown. The 1975 are touring the UK throughout February and have just announced an 11 date US tour. Katie

the 1975 /@the1975/

4 Petite Noir /@petite_noir/ Imagine a cross between Jamaican grooves with the sombre tones of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis with a bit of Foals thrown in for good measure and you have just mustered up Noir-Wave. ‘Till We Ghosts’ is Noir’s lead single which showcases his talent superbly. The afro-infused melodies coupled with his deep baritone voice is instantly recognisable and earned him a place supporting Foals at the end of 2012. Hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, Yannick Ilunga A.K.A Petite Noir, is a producer and multi-instrumentalist. ‘Till We Ghosts’ has received over sixty thousand views on Youtube, bringing his atmospheric music and hip-hop beats to a worldwide audience. Few artists successfully fuse contrasting genres, but Petite Noir does. Niamh

Audio-Addict.co.uk

Swim Deep /@Swim_deep/

3 Fresh from the supermarket shelves of Birmingham, Swim Deep are ones to watch. Describing their music as ‘fun and happy’ they are the next line of a select few bands to rise from the recent B-Town movement. Recently signing to RCA and only three singles into their career ‘King City’, ‘Honey’ and ‘The Sea’, the Brum quartet have built quite the reputation. Finishing college and leaving supermarket jobs in order to pursue their music career: “I pretty much worked there until a month before we signed our record deal!” explains guitarist Higgy. With their debut album set to be released in the near future, it’s a move we doubt they’ll regret. Providing music that defines its own genre, a combination of surf rock, pop and beach grunge. Avoiding various label offers after the release of King City - choosing to stay with RCA: “they put faith in us from the very beginning” – it is evident they are in it for the music. “We have to make sure that it’s alright with them, but they just let us get on with it.”. Billy

R&B meets Amy Winehouse is possibly the best way to describe fresh LA artist Bago. Her first album titled Sunday’s Best, released last year, collected many positive reviews. Her debut is a modernistic mixing pot of elements from Bago’s inspirations, such as Johnny Cash, Etta James and Amy Winehouse. Produced by Alexander Spit, melodic voices and industrial sounds ripples through your ears, creating audio of the unexpected. Although, in her own words she revealed “I feel good music should make you cry or get you naked so I guess that is what you should expect” “I recorded Sunday’s Best in the closet of my apartment, so it came from a place of intimacy and indulgence. A place of self mental abuse where you lay your head down at night.” Kiwi Photo: Taryn Anderson

bago /@_bagogo/

At first glance, you may get the wrong impression of this grungy quartet from Birmingham. Fashioning a mix of greasy locks, ripped jeans and the ever famous, vacant indie-boy stare, the appearance of Peace is not quite what you would expect when listening to their music. “We don’t really think about what other people are thinking about us. We’ve been so busy, by the time the EP had come out, we were constantly doing things, we never had a chance to stop and think that other people are going to be listening to it and then judging it. It’s a surprise when all these reviews are coming to think that people are actually thinking about us.” The four-piece have been linked to the likes of Two Door Cinema Club and at a push Foals; Peace are a band that oozes a certain element of serenity in their music. Whether it is the very apparent tropical beat throughout practically all of their music or their cover of Trance legends ‘1998 (Delicious)’, these guys know how to subtley deliver chilled-out vibes with a powerful punch to the senses. Indie

Peace /@peace4everever/

1 Audio-Addict.co.uk

The b-town beat

The tail end of 2012 showed a surge in guitar bands. In particular, the city of Birmingham shone through with artists such as Swim Deep and Peace. AA uncovers the city’s greatest talent and who to look forward to. If 2012’s guitar music scene has had anything to show for it, it’s the rise of one city in particular, Birmingham. Where London had two weeks of Olympics and not much else, ‘B-town’ has had a continuous 12 months of new and exciting music. With the rise of social media, including Twitter and Tumblr in particular, an independent fan base and relationship between other bands, has never been easier to obtain. Where record sales may not be sky high, gigs are

at all time high and the movement between Birmingham bands has everything to show for it. Two bands in particular, Swim Deep and Peace, are pioneering the movement. Swim Deep have begun their debut headline tour whilst Peace are currently in the middle of the NME awards tour stint. Coming from nothing in under a year to having just completed their debut albums, it is clear 2013 is both of these bands’ year to shine. Describing their sound as “Fresh, fun and happy!”, it is clear why fans respect Swim Deep. The competition they have with Peace, is something they describe as “friendly rivalry”. Singer Austin, who met guitarist Higgy after working together on a fresh foods aisle in Morrisons, attended the same college with Peace. Describing both of their successes as “weird”, Higgy reflects on the pub gigs they

both used to play and compares it to how they are both “smashing it at the moment’’. Peace, who feel the same way towards their rise, explain the link between Birmingham bands; “Whenever one of us does something good, we are all happy for each other.”. Describing small venues as “more intimate places where the people feel more connected”, they seem content in their current path, but still ready for the oncoming success that is undoubtedly on the horizon.

As well as Swim Deep and Peace, there is a list of bands in 2013 from Birmingham preparing for the same path. These include JAWS, Splaash and Tromaca, who are beginning to embark on the same journey.

QUICK FIRE WITH FIDLAR

Who is the weirdest person that you have partied with? Lance Armstrong. He’s a big fan.

FIDLAR live by their mantra ‘F**K it dog, life’s a risk’. They’ve just put out a self-titled collection of ferocious angst-ridden punk so we decided to test their quick-fire questioning skills. These are the results. What has been your biggest rock star demand thus far in your career? Tie-dyed puppies.

What is the biggest risk you guys have taken? I tried to do a handstand once.... If the life of FIDLAR was made into a movie, who would each of you have play yourselves? Keanu Reeves.

There’s an invasion under way, united under their Birmingham banner, these bands are set to take 2013 by storm. The Brummies are coming! Billy Bentley

Who is ‘Whore’ written about? [Drummer] Max Have you ever been tempted write tear-jerking love ballads? Always. What’s the most stressful moment in the band’s history? Trying to figure out what kind of beer to buy in the AM/PM. Are you looking forward to touring the UK? YES! F**kin’ stoked! London is one of the best places we have ever played; kids go fuckin’ bananas and it’s always a good time. You guys like to rage, we like it. Indie Shaw Audio-Addict.co.uk

everything in With their debut album gaining critical acclaim, Manchester quarter Everything Everything returned with ‘Arc’. We caught up with guitarist Alex Robertshaw to discuss the new record. Everything Everything have come a long way in the public opinion since their debut. “[With Man Alive] we proved we could make a record that could be accepted critically. Though we didn’t quite sell millions of records people and the media liked it.” Arc, however, has taken things up a notch. “We’ve managed to chart wildly higher than we thought we would. It’s nice to see fans enjoying it, it just reminds you that that’s what’s important.”. “The main goal of the record was just trying to be more focused and not as scatty,” explains Everything Everything guitarist Alex Robertsaw. “To make a good song that people could relate to melodically so you don’t have to listen to it 10 times to get it.” More refined than its predecessor Man Alive, second album Arc sees Everything Everything find their footing: “It was our own goal to try and bring more people into our story.” While they mix RnB influenced electro with strong lyrical messages about evolution, Everything Everything are still an indie band at heart: “We all grew up listening to indie bands like Radiohead, we’re an indie band it’s that simple. [RnB is] just music that excites us at the moment more than other things.” Lyrically, Arc covers what Robertshaw terms ‘the life and form of mankind.’ “That’s a theme that runs through the whole album. [Frontman Jonathan Higgs] questions it and it also relates to himself as well, the

the right place arc ofhis life. It covers looking at life on a small and large scale, it’s sort of the rise and fall of things – the way life changes.”. This may lead you to believe Everything Everything’s lyrics are upbeat, but that isn’t the case. The lyrics for track 12, ‘The Peaks’, are enough to send shivers down your spine, most notably with the line ‘And I’ve seen more villages burn than animals born / I’ve seen more towers come down than children grow up.’ They may be ominous

“It’s nice to see fans enjoying it, it just reminds you that that’s what’s important” but it’s this same song that Robertshaw’s favourite lyric comes from: ‘I’ve seen more horrors made real than dreamers wake up’. However he added that his favourite song is ‘Don’t Try’, which is a much happier affair. “It’s just the message of attacking depression and ‘don’t hide it’. I don’t think we often write songs that actually say something that a lot of people can relate to.” . Everything Everything will be supporting Two Door Cinema Club at Alexandra Palace on April 27th after their own tour in February/March. “I can’t wait to go on tour this year, this time around we hired an extra guy to play keyboards simply so Jon doesn’t have to sing and play keys anymore. That way he can concentrate on his voice ‘cause it’s not an easy way to sing!” he says, laughing. When asked if he still gets nervous playing live, Robertshaw merely utters a nonchalant “Not really” but added that playing as a headline act is more nerve-wracking as “You don’t Audio-Addict.co.uk

want to let people down when you’re the main event”. Unfortunately we’ve never seen an Everything Everything collaboration before. They’ve covered Rihanna in Radio 1’s Live Lounge but who would be their dream collaborator? “I think if he was still alive it’d be Michael Jackson, but Beyoncé or Destiny’s Child would be fun. I’d like to do something really interesting, it’s easy to say ‘Yeah, I’d love to work with Thom Yorke’ but that’s exactly what you’d expect someone like us to say. We’d probably learn a lot more working with a big RnB artist.” But who is your favourite RnB artist? “Obviously we like Rihanna and Beyoncé, but I really like R Kelly. Especially his Hip-Hopera because he’s just out there, he’s not trying to make music for mass consumption all the time.

Every now and then he just drops something that’s absolute gold.” Aside from these big stars, Robertshaw’s favourite album at the moment is from a small electronic artist: “I really enjoy Clark’s new album, I think it came out sometime last year it’s called Iradelphic.” Finally, Alex, can you sum up Arc in 10 words or less? “You’ve asked me to take something that I’ve spent hours and hours of work on and sum it up in 10 words…” He says through bursts of laughter, “I can’t do it!” I’m sure you can come up with something? “There’s too much to be summed up in 10 words.” Well, I suppose that’ll do! Katie Vowles

THe ins and outs of: Hummingbird Since their celebrated debut, LA based Local Natives have weathered the depature of bassist Andy Hamm. Out of these struggles has come Hummingbird, a more mature sounding second album. Connor Cass spoke to guitarist Ryan Hahn about the writing, recording and events surrounding the new record. The album feels a lot more emotional; does this reflect everything that has happened to the band over the last few years? With this record we wanted to just be more direct and honest. And try to tear down that invisible wall between the listener and the artist. To be like ‘Alright, this is what has been going on with us’ and boldly put it out there. In that way, it is a lot more emotional and personal than Gorilla Manor. Were there any new influences on this record that didn’t necessarily influence you beforehand? Oh totally, I’ve always been a huge David Bowie fan. But I think at first all I listened to was Ziggy Stardust and his earlier stuff. And slowly started realising that my favourite album might be Scary Monsters or Lodger. Those synthesisers and spacious atmospheres really came into the fold on this record. Was writing the songs as a four piece a particular challenge? In some ways it was, but we’ve always been so

collaborative and everyone can play multiple instruments. The thing that was different is that the first time around, we just wrote together in a room and recorded whatever we wrote. [With Hummingbird] We were just writing songs in different ways and using different instruments, we really enjoyed the challenge. How did co-producer Aaron Dessner (The National’s bassist) influence the recording of the album? The songs themselves were all written by the time Aaron came on board. But he helped us try some instruments we hadn’t even thought of and he was able to help us know when to peel back certain layers. We get so in our heads that sometimes its nice to have someone we can trust. An outside member to be like “this parts great, or this part needs a bit more work”. Especially in the studio where we’re very much novices, he’s been doing this for a long time. He was very much like “lets go into the studio and improvise”, there’s a level of spontaneity that he really brought to the table. With this album you made some major changes, for your next album would you like to try out some other changes? I’m sure things are gonna change, we’re always challenging ourselves, growing and progressing. Trying not to stay in one place too long. Who knows exactly what that means for the next record, but I know it’ll be different. Audio-Addict.co.uk

i predict a riot! 20 years since the blossoming of the radical feminist movement Riot Grrrl, female musicians continue to feel empowered by the seminal effect it had on pop.

For those of you who are not familiar, Riot Grrrl is an underground feminist punk-rock movement that originally started in the early to mid-1990s, in Washington, DC. One of Riot Grrrl’s fundamental tenets – that girls’ ideas and visceral creative impulses are valuable – has proven to be as instructive now as it was in 1992, when the movement was at its peak. It all started in October 1990 with a band called Bikini Kill. What started out as a feminist fanzine to combat the overwhelming arrival of the male US hardcore scene, quickly became the founding act behind the beginning of a new era of music. The Riot Grrrl movement allowed women their own space to create music and make political statements about the issues they were facing in the punk rock community as well as in society, and also gave women the chance to make their own place in a male-dominated punk scene. They used their music and publications to express their views on issues

that mattered to them, issues that marginalised women. Like other third wave feminists, Riot Grrrls attempted to foster an acceptance of the diversity of feminist expression. Riot Grrrl was a way of life to the people that adopted its lifestyle. Many bi-products came from the movement; zines, political ideals, and DIY aesthetics were all born from the scene. Over the span of two short years, Riot Grrrl was built into a network, with chapters meeting in cities and isolated girls identifying themselves as ‘Riot Grrrls’ then connecting with each other through the mail or at shows of all-girl bands. There was no particular hierarchy, or rules – the universal mission was to offer a sort of radical feminist camaraderie – but the bands, particularly Bikini Kill, operated as the party organ, spreading the you-can-do-it gospel of the girl revolution. During the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s there were a number of female punk and rock musicians that later influenced the Riot Grrrl ethos such as Blondie and Siouxie Sioux. These icons went on to inspire the founding

acts behind the movement such as Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, L7, Jack Off Jill, Calamity Jane and others. Their mere existence retooled feminism and punk for new generations of music-obsessed girls, showing young women they could start bands and put their lives, frustrations and inspirations into song – and that you didn’t have to be a virtuoso for it to be powerful. Almost as fast as Riot Grrrl arose, it dissolved and fractured, and by the mid-90s, so had the associated bands. While Riot Grrrl had been life-changing for the people who had been inspired by it, the legacy of the scene was immortalised on the records and lyric sheets of its bands. The impact it had on the music industry was everlasting. As for the women who fronted the bands that drove Riot Grrrl, they left a long history that follows to this day of side-projects, hiatuses, reforms

and breakups. As for the ‘revival’ of Riot Grrrl, there are many bands in current times from all reaches of the globe that seek to replicate the message conveyed by the icons of the 90s, Haim perhaps being the strongest contemporary case for this. While Riot Grrrl may not get shorthanded as a musical movement, it’s impossible to disentangle its social, cultural and ideological components. Riot Grrrl didn’t invent a radical feminist message conveyed through music, but it spread it, and in hitching it to feminism, Riot Grrrl channelled DIY Punk’s potential toward the purpose of saving girls’ lives from mediocrity. Its legacy lives on in any project of females picking up instruments and making noise without worrying about being marketable or cool, without worrying about having the right gear or the right training. Piers Le Moignan

RIOT GrrRL STARTER PACK Sleater-Kinney - All Hands On The Bad One

L7 - Bricks Are Heavy

Bikini Kill - Pussy Whipped

Calamity Jane - Martha Jane Cannary

Bratmobile - Pottymouth

Jack Off Jill - Humid Teenage Mediocrity

Audio-Addict.co.uk

Worth his weight in gold 2012 was a great year for Canadian producer Ryan Hemsworth, with him scooping plaudits from the likes of Diplo and winning FACT mix of the year. But where does he go from here? Audio Addict finds out. The Canadian town of Halifax, Nova Scotia isn’t exactly famed for its thriving electronic music scene, but Ryan Hemsworth’s brand of woozy hip hop and electronica is something that the foggy province can be proud of. Growing up, Hemsworth describes himself as a “Typical white Canadian boy on the east coast”, cutting his musical teeth “learning to

play sh****y rock songs and stuff” on the guitar. Finding his taste in music took time: “It was a lot of going through and figuring out what I liked the most and what seemed natural to me I guess. Slowly I was becoming more and more of a fan of hip hop and different electronic stuff, and now I still have all those different influences I think. I think everything kind of built up in a good way”.

At the very beginning, Hemsworth began reaching out to a number of rappers to work with him in order to help get his name out: “For a while I did what everyone else does, and I still do it every once in a while: just emailing and hounding rappers to try and make them rap on your stuff. Eventually I just realised you have to start with people on your own level.”. Support came in the form of Main Attrakionz collaborator, Shady Blaze: “He [Blaze] was the first one that really responded quickly and we worked together on a lot of stuff. I think he is an awesome rapper. He’s so underrated, we could start getting noticed together, which is a good way of doing it.”. Hemsworth’s sound takes influences from his tastes, sampling everything from incarcerated rapper Max B, to M83 on ‘BasedWorld’. Samples are a massive part of a hip hop producer’s work, although according to Hemsworth, there have been problems with that side of his productions: “I sampled this dude, I can’t remember his name... He hit me up on twitter, really pissed about it! I was like, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t know!’. People on the outside who don’t really follow the rap world don’t know that all the samples are uncredited. Obviously it’d be nice if you could find a way to credit all these samples, but it just happens.”

Hemsworth grew up cutting his musical teeth learning to play sh****y rock songs and stuff’ 2012 was the year that Ryan Hemsworth began to be noticed more readily by producers and press alike. This started with the recognition of his remix work: “I guess the beginning of all cool things was with the Grimes remix and she reached out and told me she liked that. She’s someone I really respect and never expected a response from!”. This only grew as the year progressed: “From that point on, it was just a lot of weird stuff, like talking with Diplo and all these dudes. It’s awesome just being able to have conversations with these people through twitter. It’s a really great icebreaker. A lot of the

features and collaborations for my next project are from going back and forth on twitter. It’s amazing.”.

‘I still do it every once in a while: just emailing and hounding rappers to try and make them rap on your stuff’ Ryan Hemsworth’s next moves for 2013 are in the form of a full length release, which will feature newly re-named Kitty, Lofty305 of MetroZu, and Sinead Harnett of Disclosure’s ‘Boiling’. The fact that Hemsworth is producing an album at this early stage of his career is testament to his incredible work ethic: “Initially it was going to be a 3 track EP, but I kept on making tracks and I have like 10 or 11 ready.”. While the album is nearing completion, it isn’t clear whether Hemsworth will release it on his WeDidIt collective’s label, or with a larger outlet: “There’s a bunch of options right now. It’s hard to figure out, cause obviously I’m gonna stick with WeDidIt with everything we do in the future because I love being part of that group. At the same time, I don’t have to deliver any project through them, I’m not in a contract or anything like that, so with labels and stuff, hopefully I’ll figure that out in a month or so.” With 2013 looking just as, if not more bright than 2012 for Ryan Hemsworth, he has no plans of taking a break any time soon: “It’s been picking up more in the past few months. I’m excited for this tour coming up, it’s my first time in Europe. Then in March I’m touring with Daedelus across America which will be awesome!”. As one of Canada’s finest new exports, Ryan Hemsworth will undoubtedly be in high demand for the rest of the year and beyond. Not bad for a self-proclaimed “Typical white Canadian boy on the east coast”. Mitchell Stevens Audio-Addict.co.uk

REVIEWS 26

Foals - Holy Fire Transgressive Records

After a lengthy 2 and a half year wait since the release of Total Life Forever, Foals finally unveil their magnum opus, Holy Fire. Our appetites were thoroughly moistened with the teasers of ‘Inhaler’ and ‘My Number’, so it was fair to assume that Holy Fire would do exactly what it’s two younger siblings demonstrated; an exciting progression and evolution in Foals’ now veteran career. Holy Fire is an astonishingly beautiful record, elegant and patient; a much more developed album than Total Life Forever, however eerily similar. ‘Prelude’ is a powerful introduction to the album with a catchy guitar hook that then bursts forth into a heavy on-beat jam that gets your head nodding. Singles ‘Inhaler’ and ‘My Number’ are the two stand out and most fully formed tracks on the album, the former wielding an unprecedented heaviness and the latter leaving its alluring chorus in your head for days.

percussion solo. Of similar design is ‘Milk & Black Spiders’, which will be a standout moment of the band’s live set when it bursts with intoxicating vibrancy at its climax. ‘Providence’ is another of the few truly standout tracks on the album, ending in a relentless heavy-on-inhaler-scale breakdown which tricks you into thinking all is over about three times and arrives just in time before the climactic pair of closing tracks ‘Stepson’ and ‘Moon’ act as adequate closers to the album united by their delicate nature with beautiful sweeping guitar landscapes and subtle synth swells and are sequenced to impress. Foals have managed to surpass Total Life Forever with this record, they seem to have shed their edgy post-punk vibe and stepped up the mass appeal of their sound without dumbing it down, resulting in something magnificent. Piers Le Moignan

Unfortunately ‘Bad Habit’ is a let-down, for a track that is up-tempo it lacks the catchiness, hooks and build up to eruptions of musical potency that Foals have become renowned for and continue to demonstrate throughout the rest of the album. The booty-shaking funk choruses that Foals promised in early interviews are succeeded in mid-album pickup ‘Everytime’. Arguably one of the more forgettable songs on the album, it still eases us comfortably though the mid-section of the record, whilst ‘Late Night’ stands out like a shining gem as the centrepiece to the record. Super up-beat ‘Out Of The Woods’ acts as a stark contrast to the brooding genius of ‘Late Night’ and features a highly pleasant Audio-Addict.co.uk

Biffy Clyro - Opposites 14th floor

Deciding to record a double album is not a task that any band should take on lightly. Bands that have succeeded have secured their place as generation defining song-writers, god only knows why Biffy, a band who’s struggles with alcoholism and depression saw them recently nearly reach a breaking point, have taken on this monumental task. It’s difficult to tell whether they are geniuses or insane, however, one thing is for sure: this album will make or break Biffy Clyro.

For the remainder of the album you can expect it all, mariachi horns, power ballads, metal riffs, massive choruses and bagpipes. You name it, and Biffy has found a way to shoehorn it into Opposites, whilst never losing their mass appeal.

From the off, there is a definite sense that Biffy have failed. You are greeted by Simon Neil crooning some of the most awe-inspiringly generic lyrics which is built upon by a synth seemingly stolen from a Europe concert. Then out of nowhere, a typically Biffy-ish riff kicks in with a sudden crash of drums and the track comes alive.

In short, Biffy has written a double album for the right reason: they had a hell of a lot of good songs. As soon as you think they are repeating their old tricks, they will throw in something completely leftfield, leaving everyone smiling. In short, Opposites makes Biffy Clyro seem unstoppable, and confirms that they are the best ‘big’ band in the UK today. Sean Lewis

This has been the key factor in Biffy Clyro’s success. The band has always had a Patrick Bateman like ability to slip their insanity seemingly unnoticed into mainstream culture.

Darwin Deez - Songs For Imaginative People

Lucky Number Songs For Imaginative People sees Darwin Deez come out of the wilderness that he has been hiding in, reflected through his lack of interviews and minimal publicity. Whilst no sure fire hits are present, unlike the vague commercial success of his debut, it is that which makes the album shine in all its glory.

‘You Can’t Be My Girl’ shows his ability to compress two sentences into one ‘I think I love you are horrible’ - questioning whether his nonsense lyrics, really are nonsense? The theme continues with ‘No Love’, which makes you wonder if Deez really is happy, or if he’s just trying to get closure.

The creative and innovative character that is Darwin remains, who has had a large period of time to reflect over the past 3 years. Whilst his lyrics continue to be purely a collection of thoughts, the narrative makes perfect sense in comparison to his debut. It is a tale of love, self-realization and discovery, portrayed through maturity and his independent success.

Fortunately the second half is more upbeat, portraying his depression into an attempt to be positive with ‘Alice’. ‘Free (The Editorial Me)’ the lead single is probably the worst track of the album, only really acting to show his evolution in sound.

Intro track ‘(800) HUMAN’ sets a foundation for the album. Gone is the strictly lo-fi minimal production. Instead trashy guitars, wonky beats and Darwin’s ability to half sing and half talk, fill the mix.

Songs For Imaginative People comes to a strangely positive ending with ‘Chelsea’s Hotel’, possibly the highlight of the album, helping to piece together his failed success with women. Billy Bentley Audio-Addict.co.uk

The Bronx The Bronx (IV)

White Drugs / ATO The Bronx have returned with their fourth selftitled record. Having taken over four years to concentrate on their slightly bizarre side project Mariachi El Bronx, fans have been itching to hear more of the aggressive punk outfit for a long time now. This record is punk at its best, yet there’s an almost indie-like vibe to it. Opener ‘Unholy Hand’ is raw and simplistic and not too distant from the sound of The Hives. This album isn’t

Destiny’s Child Love Songs Columbia

Despite their sassy portrayal as ‘independent women’, legendary R&B trio Destiny’s Child have always had a romantic side. Love Songs is a compilation of the group’s soppiest, slowest and most seductive jams from their four chartsmashing albums released in the late nineties and early noughties. From the melodically scattered “Cater 2 U’, to the smooth and soulful ‘Now That She’s Gone’, the compilation provides an insight

as aggressive as their previous records but it still gives you the adrenaline rush of a fast and furious car chase. ‘Along For The Ride’ has the grit of Every Time I Die mixed with the laid back feel of The Wildhearts. ‘Life Less Ordinary’ slows things down but still keeps it original and doesn’t feel out of place. At times the band do fall into the habit of sounding a bit too much like their mariachi alter egos, especially on the chorus of ‘Torches’. Frontman Matt Caughthran is as solid and thought provoking as ever, ‘Pilot Light’ and single ‘Ribcage’ are instant singalongs. The experience of The Bronx’s live show makes you want to do press ups and learn martial arts, a feeling hard to capture on record. But the band come close. The only thing that’s missing is the ‘prepared to bleed’ expectancy of Caughthran’s onstage persona. Louis Kerry to the uncharacteristically enamoured sides of Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle. The expertly written choruses of ‘Emotion’ and ‘Killing Time’ are eternally rooted in the nostalgic memories of many a nineties teenage girl. The fact that all of these tunes are packed together means that their original purpose, acting as the emotional peaks of their respective albums, is lost. That said, Love Songs does brilliantly showcase the trio’s vocal talents at their very best. ‘If You Leave’ awakens memories of how effortlessly they could weave their voices together with both swagger and class. The album culminates with ‘Nuclear’, the trio’s first track since 2004. With production from Pharrell Williams, it manages to combine brittle yet bouncy beats with the same laid-back flavour as the bands best ballads, rounding off the album with a brief glance into the future. Leo Troy

Tegan and Sara Heartthrob

Vapor / Warner Bros Records Canadian twins Tegan and Sara were never ones to stick to a single genre; we’ve heard their ‘twindie’ twist on indie-rock, pop-punk and acoustic. Heartthrob once again pushes their genre boundaries, this time they’ve ditched the guitars for synthesizers. Heartthrob takes a polished synth-pop approach, the album is full of huge choruses, catchy synth melodies and sing-along lyrics.

Theme Park Theme Park Transgressive

Theme Park are best known for sound-tracking the summer festivals with singles like ‘Milk’ and ‘Jamaica’, but it remains to be seen whether their self-titled debut will earn the hearts of the public or see them simply disregarded. Opener ‘Big Dream’ is characterised by chirpy melodies and funky bass, which perfectly sets the tone for the whole record. Similarly on ‘Jamaica’, loose percussion and lively

Synths have been ever present in Tegan and Sara’s songs, but they’ve never been used to this extent. Almost every song on Heartthrob features a heavy bass-synth line and melodies that scatter the soundscape to create a sound like a more squeaky clean version of Yeah Yeah Yeah’s It’s Blitz! Heartthrob seems to be made entirely of singles, almost every track follows the same pop song structure, which makes it hard to differentiate between the tracks after hearing catchy chorus after catchy chorus. This album isn’t going to appeal to everyone; fans of Tegan and Sara’s previous work may criticize the new radio-friendly sound, this is their experiment with mainstream pop and if their intention is to break the charts, the band have been around for almost fifteen years, it’s about time they got some mainstream attention. Adam Bouteloup harmonies show they have a knack for penning tunes that are both catchy and heart-warming. The likes of ‘Two Hours’ and ‘Ghost’ are both wonderfully fun anthems that are clearly destined to enamour festival crowds, with their lightweight indie-funk and inoffensive demeanour making them impossible to dislike. However they risk playing it too safe, which results in their sound sometimes being nauseatingly nice and fail in any attempt to be lyrically or musically daring. Theme Park are a band you can depend on in their ability to evoke a feeling of joy. Yet they can often become overtly uplifting, which can be both a positive and a negative for the band. Connor Cass

Audio-Addict.co.uk

Two Door Cinema Club @ Southampton Guildhall 28/1/13

Birmingham based four-piece Swim Deep faced the daunting task of being the first support on. Most people don’t turn up until the headline act, so for the first support, it’s a hard job of playing to just a select few. It seemed like a case of the wrong booking, as their eighties surf rock sound doesn’t exactly fit in with the rest of the nights entertainment, ultimately and unfortunately their efforts to win the indie-pop crowd were fruitless. Indie pop masters Bastille followed bringing with them a considerable crowd, despite only having a couple of mixtapes and singles to their name. Perhaps the most striking thing about Bastille is their singer, Dan Smith, whose vocals were absolutely pitch perfect – not a hesitation to be heard. Along with Smith’s beautifully mellow vocals were intricate keyboard lines that were never even a second out of time. The atmosphere in the Guildhall was postitively electric as Bastille began with ‘Flaws’, one of their best known tracks.The instrumental performance during ‘Overjoyed’ was nothing short of sensational, not one beat out of time.

Two Door Cinema Club launched straight into opener ‘Sleep Alone’ from latest album Beacon. The crowd weren’t overly enthusiastic at the start but as the set progressed both band and crowd relaxed. TDCC produced their signature jangly guitar riffs with ease and everyone in the crowd was jumping around creating a brilliant, positive atmosphere throughout. On ‘Do You Want It All?’ the shared vocals allowed for more technical skill in keys and guitar parts which was a nice change. Frontman Alex Trimble’s vocals didn’t falter once and his confidence was almost audible. Trimble had no problem filling the entire Guildhall with just one voice and one guitar on the slower songs. There’s no doubt that the crowd responded better to old hits than new ones. Nevertheless, latest single ‘Sun’ was effortless and they had their audience in the palm of their hands. Despite it being a perfect technical performance, unfortunately TDCC’s entire set was lacking in both personality and energy. Katie Vowles

Swim Deep

@ Southampton Joiners 14/2/13

The Joiners got hit with a case of the love-bug when Birmingham boys Swim Deep returned to the city on Valentines Day, and one must say they certainly spread the love. With a fan base itching for their UK tour as well as having a line-up consisting of Lions Are Smarter Than I Am, New Desert Blues and Jaws, it is no wonder why this gig was an instant sell out. After Jaws’ rousing set, The Joiners was packed. As the crowd eagerly awaited Swim Deep’s arrival, ‘F**k It’ by Eamon filled the intimate venue. You can only imagine the looks on the hipster-ridden crowd’s faces... Austin, Zach, Cavan and Higgy surface and wade through their (slightly baffled, yet still) adoring fans to the stage; Swim Deep have arrived. Fresh to the music scene and these guys have already got their rock star entrance down to a T. They start their set and by the time we are on second track, ‘Honey’, it was as if the frosty February night’s weather outside had been forgotten and Swim Deep were including us in their own little tropical bubble. Offering a taste of both old and new material, the boys floated through their dreamlike set list; ‘Beach

Justice’ and latest single ‘The Sea’ were definite crowd pleasers (to pick just a few). Coming to the end of their sweat drenched performance, the now half naked band members ask for a volunteer to take on the role of tambourinist for desperately awaited track, ‘King City’. The chosen crowd member gets a mere few seconds in the limelight with the Birmingham boys on stage before the rest of the crowd take this as a sign to join them. Baring in mind that the Joiners’ stage is not exactly ‘roomy’, somehow half of the crowd manage to get themselves up there. Swim Deep impressively make it through to the end of the track, regardless of the interrupting hugs and barges from their swarming sea of fans. The gig came to an end and the wide-eyed crowd reluctantly filtered out of The Joiners, shortly followed by various band members from the night, who exited the sauna-like venue practically gasping for air. Appraisal and Hershey’s Kisses were exchanged. I couldn’t recommend spending Valentine’s Day any other way. Indie Shaw Audio-Addict.co.uk

What is the future for: Physical Media Last issue we looked to the future of streaming services, but now it’s time to turn our attention to their counterpart. Since the recent and rather rapid decline of one of Britian’s most loved and notorious media sales enterprises HMV, we across the media forefront have been conversing to what end this will create. A recent survey by the ERA ( Entertainment Retailers Association) has shown that the first four weeks of 2013 have had a 12% rise to 2012. This just shows how us, the consumer, have a resilient and pure-love attitude towards our media. When talking about the future for companies that sold physical media Mr. Robert Peston of the BBC stated: “The outlook looks considerably better than for other recently kaput store groups. And the reason, according to influential sources close to HMV, is that the music industry and the film industry want its survival” Eleanor Rudge of The Hundredth Anniversary stated that “It’s sad to see a big chain like that go, it’s not nice to see people losing their jobs all over the place. But if it means a brighter future

for independents then that’s great.” And one may think this would be a certainty due to indie stores having specialized selections of media you wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere. Plus indies have a community of eager, committed customers and artists. Albeit the ideology of the rise of independent retailers and smaller bands being risen onto plaths reserved for the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles is a desirable one, the truth is this fiasco could have the polaropposite effect due to the lack of small retailers outside major cities which would make it extremely difficult for smaller bands to distribute their material across the country. I think that Rudge summarised the future for this industry pretty spot on when she expressed “I think there is certainly a future in physical copies. People love stuff. But I think it will be a more specialist future, where CDs don’t necessarily exist, but formats that are great for artwork and really good quality audio win out… vinyl and then digital for convenience basically.” Matt Cook

GIG GUIDE FOR MARCH

Southampton

Brighton

2 - Smile Fest Big Gig @ Guildhall

1 - Iceage @ Prince Albert

7 - Reel Big Fish @ Southampton Uni

9 - 2manyDjs @ Concorde 2

11- Tom Odell @ The Brook

15 - The Hundredth Anniversary @ The Green Door Store

12 - Theme Park @ Joiners Arms 16- Cancer Bats @ Southampton Uni

16 - Kilo Kish @ Audio 25 - Bastille @ Concorde 2

Bournemouth

Portsmouth

7 - Lawson @ O2 Academy

3 - Willy Mason @ Wedgewood

8 - Ram Jam @ O2 Academy

13 - Foals @ Guildhall

8 - Olly Murs @ BIC

19 - Stornoway @ Wedgewood

23 - Eels @ O2 Academy

24 - Jake Bugg @ Guildhall

26 - Biffy Clyro @ BIC

25 - Gabrielle Aplin @ Wedgewood Audio-Addict.co.uk