DIY, April 2014 by DIY Magazine

DIY free / issue 28 / april 2014

thisisfakediy.co.uk

Mac DeMarco

on â&#x20AC;&#x153;being a little bratâ&#x20AC;?

SOHN the voice from beneath the cloak

Getting messy with

liars

Blood, sweat, tears and

parquet courts

k Ferreira S o

q u i c h e

r i g h t

n ow 1

thisisfakediy.co.uk

GOOd

evil

What’s on the DIY team’s radar? Victoria Sinden

Deputy Editor

good Pancakes are great, aren’t they?

evil How much of my camping gear has gone missing since the last lot of festivals. Sarah Jamieson

News Editor

good The beautiful moment

EDITOR’S LETTER

Good things come to those who wait, and the DIY bunker has definitely been waiting for Sky Ferreira for what seems like an age. Finally her five star rated album (see last month’s review) is out on our shores. For that, and the excuse to put the word quiche on the cover of the magazine, we’ll be forever grateful. Starting this issue you’ll see little circles throughout the magazine telling you when bands are at a festival that we’re hooked up with. This year we’ll be all over the UK and beyond bringing front line reports, interviews and general amazing ‘stuff’ from the summer’s best events.

Live, The Great Escape, Live At Leeds, Liverpool Sound City, Kendal Calling, CC14 - if you’re at a festival this summer, we’ll be there.

“

Quote of The Month “Who do you think you are -

“

mr tickle?”

Emma Swann

Reviews Editor good Weezer are in the studio once more, hooray! evil SXSW jealousy. Next year! Louise Mason

Art Director

good Getting to fly 4654 miles

Stephen Ackroyd

good Latitude, Bilbao BBK

when I decided it was completely appropriate to lose my mind to ‘Sugar, We’re Going Down’ at Fall Out Boy’s Wembley show. evil When I realised a lot of people were watching me...

evil I’ve been hanging

round Hollow Ponds in Leytonstone every Sunday for the past month. Have I run into Damon Albarn yet? Have I buggery.

to watch lots of bands who live on the same road as me in Hackney. evil Not getting any matching tattoos with drunk famous people at Mom’s Tattoos, TX. Jamie Milton

Online Editor

good That Future Islands

LISTENING post

what’s on the diy stereo this month? Chromeo - White Women

Letterman performance. This is why they built TVs, isn’t it? evil Deciding to tuck my t-shirts in like the band’s frontman Samuel T. Herring. Instant mockery and regret.

Drenched in funk, doused in disco, Chromeo’s new album also features Solange, Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig and Toro Y Moi as guests. Hello, summer 2014. Lykke Li - I Never Learn

Every song is a power ballad on Lykke Li’s new album, each one dressed up in customary Scandinavian sadness. But sadness is a blessing, right?

contents

NEWs

6 Pa rq u e t C o u r t s 1 2 R o ya l B l o o d 1 5 Tay l o r H aw k i n s

18 Fear of Men 2 0 F e s t i va l s

NEU

2 4 A d u lt Ja z z 26 Woman’s Hour 2 7 Oc e a á n 30 Låpsley

features 32 Sky Ferreira So quiche right now 4 0 s k at e rs Here to cause mayhem 44 Mac DeMarco “I was just being a little brat”

48 Brody Dalle Going it alone 5 2 SO H N “It’s a map of me” 56 Cloud Nothings The long road home 60 Liars Getting messy

76 56 4 thisisfakediy.co.uk

reviews

6 4 AL B U M S 76 live

Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Reviews Editor Emma Swann News Editor Sarah Jamieson Art Director Louise Mason Head Of Marketing & Events Jack Clothier Online Editor Jamie Milton Assistant Online Editor El Hunt Contributors Angel Lambo, Ben Marsden, Carolina Faruolo, Danny Wright, Gareth Ware, Gillian Fish, Joe Price, Harry Bainbridge, Huw Oliver, Martyn Young, Nathan Standlee, Sam Cornforth, Steve Hargrave, Stuart Knapman, Tim Lee, Tom Doyle, Tom Walters Photographers Abi Dainton, Carolina Faruolo, Mike Massaro, Nathan Barnes, Phil Sharp, Phil Smithies, Sarah Louise Bennett For DIY editorial info@thisisfakediy.co.uk For DIY sales rupert@sonicdigital.co.uk tel: +44 (0)20 76130555 For DIY online sales lawrence@sonicdigital.co.uk tel: +44 (0)20 76130555 DIY is published by Sonic Media Group. All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of DIY. 25p where sold. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which Sonic Media Group holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of DIY or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally.

NEWS

6 thisisfakediy.co.uk

Blood, Sweat & Tears D o n ’ t c a l l t h e m s l a c k e r s : Pa r q u e t C o u r t s h av e p u t a l o t i n t o t h e i r n e w a l b u m . Wo r d s : S a r a h Ja m i es o n .

Parquet Courts have taught us anything, it’s to never get sucked into stereotypes. Despite emerging into public consciousness just last year, and being instantly pinned under the romantic guise of stoner punks, there’s nothing remotely lazy or half-baked about their efforts. That’s something their brand new album looks to set straight. After all, some of their decisions this time around surprised even themselves. “The ethos of Parquet Courts has always been to get it down and then move on,” explains frontman Andrew Savage. That much could be determined from their previous offerings; their scrappy but incendiary debut ‘Light Up Gold’, or the taut but rugged EP ‘Tally All The Things That You Broke’. With their second record though, things materialised a little differently. The record took shape over three sessions; two that took place during 2013 at their usual space the Seaside Lounge, before a third this January in upstate NY’s Outlier Inn. “It was a really prolific set of sessions; we came out of it with maybe thirty songs. I mean, it was never planned to do that much recording for this record, but we ended up recording a lot of songs multiple times, and not always going with the newest one. Sometimes, we’d record three times and realise the best time was the first time around. Still, we did a little bit more nitpicking this time around.”

It may not have necessarily been the most natural move for the band, but it was what made sense. “My only thing is that it’s important to not get too obsessed over things. When you nitpick things, you get too far away from the core and that was one thing I was worried about, but we were all very frank about not choosing a certain take because we loved it at first, or choosing the new Parquet Courts are promising a take because it’s the newest fan-’tache-tic new album. one. Some of the songs we re-recorded and even played

NEWS

them better, but the previous one had the spirit of the song in there.” Setting up camp with Jonathan Schenke, the man at the helm of their breakthrough debut - “it seemed like a no-brainer for us” - the Brooklynites knew that this record had the potential to be big. Having quietly self-released their first full-length, things only really took off when ‘Light Up Gold’ was re-released through What’s Your Rupture? a full year later. Met with a slew of worldwide tour dates, festival appearances and TV slots, their followup already has big shoes to fill, but that seems like it’ll be a walk in the park. “The original idea was to do a double LP, but it wasn’t in the budget. It’s maybe more conceptually aggressive. I guess, one of the main concepts - besides thematic concepts - was economy. This time around, the long songs are simpler: most of the long songs only have one part or one chord, maybe two chords. So, even though the longer songs tend to be lyrically more dense, they’re structurally more simplistic. It’s a give-and-take type thing. The shorter songs might have more parts, but are maybe lyrically more simple. “There was a lot of awareness about what to do - or what not to do - and using a certain amount of restraint and

not trying to overload people with information. Something that I want to get even more serious about as I keep writing songs, is using restraint and not giving people everything because, you know, I think there’s something to be said about brevity. It’s not done so much in rock music these days, it has been in the past, but I don’t think right now it is. That was also the approach to recording it too; we didn’t want there to be an overload of instrumentation. There’s not a whole load of overdubs, most of it was recorded live, and that includes vocals. The experience of listening to it will be like listening to us live. It sounds almost exactly the way we play it live.” Is it a reaction to their growing strengths as musicians? “I think it’s a reaction to something,” he confirms. “I mean, a big purpose of it is that I think the message is communicated better when things aren’t too overly complicated. It all ties in with what the record is about too, and the general themes of the record. I think approaching it that way lends itself to telling the story a little bit better than any other way, than being maximalist. It’s also a really lyrically dense record, much more so than ‘Light Up Gold’ even, so it would be a bit of an overload if we had four guitar tracks on there, and did a bunch of overdubs.

effort, it’s clear that this record’s set to follow a more thematic thread. However, despite touching upon the subject matter occasionally when chatting, Savage isn’t willing to divulge his cards too far upfront. “There’s definitely a one, singular, major theme going on but I don’t wanna elaborate on it just yet, because I’m kinda looking forward to seeing how people interpret it, you know?” Being such a productive band has always been in their favour, and having spent so long living with their debut, the wheels are already firmly in motion for its follow-up; the band even spent the majority of their recent UK dates previewing new tracks. With plans already in place for what to do with the tracks that didn’t make the cut (“we’re doing a couple of split 7”s and we’re doing a compilation”), the only thing that seems unsurprising is that they can’t wait to reveal it. “This record has been a lot of time in the making. We’ve definitely put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this one, for sure.” Parquet Courts’ new album will be released this spring via Rough Trade Records. DIY

More considered than their previous

“It was a really prolific set of sessions; we came out of it with maybe thirty songs.” Andrew Savage

8 thisisfakediy.co.uk

DIY at the Festivals Parquet Courts will be at Latitude and Bilbao BBK Live. See thisisfakediy.co.uk for ticket details.

NEWS

HOW WAS IT FOR YOU, DRY THE RIVER? “We’ve just come off stage and I’m dripping with sweat, but I actually did say, as we walked off stage, that was my favourite show that we’ve played in as long as I can remember. I really had a brilliant time tonight; it’s my birthday, so that’s made it extra special. Everyone just got behind us and it was amazing.”

HOW WAS IT FOR YOU, MODEL AEROPLANES? “It was amazing! It was fantastic! It was absolutely beautiful; it was an amazing gig and it was great to have the opportunity to play. We really enjoyed ourselves.”

HOW WAS IT FOR YOU, HUEVO AND THE GIANT? “They killed it! We played a lot of new material tonight so it was really fun.”

10 thisisfakediy.co.uk

NEws in brief

Rolls Into Glasgow DIY and Dr. Martens’ tour heads to Scotland.

icking off the evening, Huevo and the Giant provide the perfect introduction with their pop-tinged indie. Gliding through an array of tracks – some of which were apparently written within just the last few days, but you’d never guess – their set provides a clear insight into the wealth of young talent that Glasgow bears.

Needless to say, the occasion borders on the celebratory side of things; from the rapturous applause that greets their entrance to the constant singalongs, both crowd and band seem focused on having the best night possible. Beginning their set with a brand new track, and playing a handful throughout, the band assure fans that a new album is on the way.

Next up, it’s safe to say that when Dundee boys Model Aeroplanes step on stage, people get rather excited. Clearly ones to keep an eye on, their brand of melody-infused pop rock goes down a treat. Not even a slight guitar issue can hinder their set, which incites much room-wide applause. Throw in the fact that each of the five-piece are all only around eighteen years old, and it’s hard not to be impressed.

The wonderfully familiar ‘New Ceremony’ receives an airing early on. Elsewhere, tracks like ‘Bible Belt’ and ‘Weights and Measures’ are beautifully intimate, with the stand out moment being the introduction to ‘History Book’, which sees the entire crowd hold their breath, eagerly listening for Peter Liddle’s non-mic-ed vocals.

For this evening’s headliners, tonight’s event is quite a bittersweet occasion. Having been forced to postpone their original #STANDFORSOMETHING appearance after being invited to tour alongside Biffy Clyro in arenas across Europe, their new live date comes to fall upon both bassist Scott Miller’s birthday, and, having broken the news of his departure just last month, their violinist Will Harvey’s final appearance with the band.

Throughout their performance they delve into the differing shades of debut ‘Shallow Bed’, and somehow manage to flawlessly balance delicacy with robustness; a sentiment reflected beautifully in the standout ‘No Rest’. Then, following a short exit from the stage and a vigorous demand for an encore, the fivesome return for two more songs: their last two tracks with Harvey. It seems only fit that their final track, the epic ‘Lion’s Den’, ends in a full-on violin-noodling session with Will taking centre stage. What a way to end the night. DIY

WORLD PEACE

The wheels are firmly in motion for Peace’s second album. The band, who have been holed up in the studio, have unveiled a brand new track - six-minute beast ‘World Pleasure’. The band also have a tour planned for May and June.

KNICK KNACKS

To celebrate her birthday last month, tUnE-yArDs announced a brand new album. Following up her 2011 release ‘W H O K I L L’, her third record is titled ‘Nikki Nack’ and will be released on 5th May through 4AD. She’ll also celebrate its release by performing at London’s Village Underground on 12th May.

TRUE BLUE

The Black Keys have confirmed a new album, ‘Turn Blue’, via boxer Mike Tyson, who linked to a trailer on Twitter. The follow-up to their 2011 record ‘El Camino’ is going to be released on 12th May, and you can watch the trailer on thisisfakediy.co.uk now.

HAVING AN EXPLORE

Gruff Rhys has booked a sixnight residency at London’s Soho Theatre to celebrate the release of his new album, ‘American Interior’. Alongside a performance, Gruff will offer up a Powerpoint presentation based on the life of the legendary Welsh explorer John Evans, the subject of his new record. It takes place from 5th - 10th May.

NEWS

“A l l

t h e

f i g h t s

r i g h t

a n d

t h i n g s

m ay h e m ! ”

a r e

M i k e

h a p p e n i n g :

K e r r

Royal Blood’s members are anything but poles apart, musically.

12 thisisfakediy.co.uk

First Blood

R o ya l B l o o d h e a d o u t o n t h e i r d e b u t UK h e a d l i n e t o u r . W o r d s : s a r a h Jamieson, Photo: Emma Swann.

aving unveiled their debut track ‘Out Of The Black’ a little over six months ago, things have been moving quickly for Royal Blood ever since. With attention coming in thick and fast, the duo thought it best to write some more. “We had three songs when things started picking up,” explains bassist and vocalist Mike Kerr. “I guess that’s why we spent so long not touring, and writing, and just being a band.” The six months of writing and recording has put them in good stead, drummer Ben Thatcher citing the album as being “90% ready” with an end-of-summer release looking more and more likely. “We’ve gone back and re-recorded some of the songs we’d done earlier,” he explains. “It’s all evolved and the way that we play things live has changed, so we’d go back and go, ‘That song’s really good but we play it a lot differently now’. We’ll re-record it to make it sound up-to-date.”

DIY at the Festivals Royal Blood will be at Live at Leeds and The Great Escape. See thisisfakediy.co.uk for ticket details.

Their current lack of releases doesn’t seem to have affected the band’s popularity so far. Having announced plans for their first full headline tour at the start of this year, by the time the duo hit the road, every date was sold out. The Face Bar in Reading, where they find themselves this evening, marks their tenth show and promises to be just as wild as their previous sets. “Nearly every venue has been packed out,” says Mike, “so it’s been a really good atmosphere before we’ve even gone on stage.

Everyone’s there to see us so it’s a different atmosphere to any tour that we’ve done before. They’ve been mental, haven’t they? Moshpits are starting… There was a fight last night in the crowd. We had to stop playing and break the fight up and kick these people out.” “It was just a bit of a punch up,” Ben interjects, before Mike continues. “We did a gig in Sheffield and it was so crazy that the PA was nearly tipped over and we had our crew holding the PA when we were playing, so all the right things are happening! Fights and mayhem.” Their set in Reading boasts just the same carnage, but thankfully without any technical difficulties or blood being spilt. Their ferocious tracks are designed to be played loud, and they make good on all their promises. The walls shake, and the packed room moves in unison. It takes about three minutes for pits to emerge in the centre of the small room, people already shouting along with the likes of ‘Come On Over’ and ‘Little Monster’. It’s exactly what they’ve been building up to – bar the odd fight – with their time away from the road. Spending those few months in the studio was the most important factor for their live show: less to make an album, and more to allow them to play longer sets, get more people involved. “This is what we’re doing it for, to play live,” Ben admits, ahead of the show. “The whole year of preparing and writing, recording the songs is all for this moment, for going out and playing them live to people.” DIY

Out of the Black Royal Blood have pop sensibilities hiding beneath their rock exterior.

Mike “I can’t get enough of Katy Perry, but then I love Slipknot. I just like good songs. The songwriting is the real core of everything. How it’s presented is just down to taste.” Ben “I grew up listening to pop music: Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and stuff like that. I had a big pop thing drilled into me and I still like it now, so I think from a writing perspective, I get a few pop ideas.”

NEWS

Bat tle Cry

There’s lit tle doubt Angel Haze is s e t t o ta k e o v e r t h e w o r l d , a n d s h e ’ s d oing it on her terms. Words: Emma S wa n n . P h o t o : M i k e M a s s a r o .

“I

started off wanting to be a singer,” admits Angel Haze. “And then I thought no, fuck it, I want to do something that I’m obviously not good at!” Angel Haze’s route to the top has been anything but predictable. The Detroit-born, New Yorkbased rapper hadn’t been exposed to any non-religious music until her mid-teens. She’s poured her – considerable, for anyone, least a 22-year-old – life experience into brutally honest lyrics, most notably with her cover of Eminem’s ‘Cleaning Out My Closet’, in which she details the sexual abuse which she suffered as a youngster. Back in December, frustrated at the apparent inaction of label Island, Haze – real name Raykeea Wilson - uploaded debut album ‘Dirty Gold’ to SoundCloud. “Sorry to Island/Republic records,” she told fans on Twitter, “but fuck you. I got here doing this for my fans and if your guys don’t feel the same, it won’t stop me.” The record was, of course, quickly removed from the site, and then almost as speedily given a ‘proper’ release days later. For many an artist it could’ve been career suicide. For Haze, it’s more proof both of the star’s determination – and innate intent to challenge herself. “I didn’t expect it!” she remarks, of her success as a rap artist. “But I’ve always had an affinity for words, so not being able to manipulate them in a way that I was used to, especially when it came to putting them over a beat, was insane to me. I became obsessed with it immediately.” She laughs. “I like challenging myself to learn everything, the inner workings of things. If I don’t know it, then I hate myself.” Angel Haze’s debut album ‘Dirty Gold’ is out now. Read the full interview in DIY Weekly. DIY

made of glass Fucked Up return with a new album.

ucked Up are back and they’re ready to unleash the follow-up to their massive ‘David Comes To Life’. Not long after announcing the newest edition of their Zodiac series - a 12” bearing a 14 minute track titled ‘Year of the Dragon’ - it seems that the Canadian noise titans will be back just in time for summer. The band, whose ambitious rock opera landed back in 2011, will release their brand new ten-track record ‘Glass Boys’ on 2nd June through Matador Records. They have also confirmed a handful of UK dates, taking place this June, playing Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds and London with Scandinavian punks Lower supporting. A lead track has also surfaced: ‘Paper the House’ is a fist-pumping, pounding, all-encompassing preview, appearing midway through the record. Listen to the song on thisisfakediy.co.uk. DIY

14 thisisfakediy.co.uk

Goofing Around

P r o d u c t i v i t y i s t h e n a m e o f t h e g a m e f o r T ay l o r H aw k i n s .

“I

kinda ran out of time!” begins Foo Fighters sticksman Taylor Hawkins, explaining how his new project The Birds of Satan came to be. He had hoped to continue work under his previous side-project guise alongside The Coattail Riders, but all the other things on his to-do list eventually got the better of him. “I had made a couple of records with those guys, but I just didn’t have a lot of time. So, in order to make this record, I suggested it to Chevy Metal because we had been doing a lot of gigs.” Chevy Metal, for anyone who recognises the name, are the band under which Taylor and his fellow Birds of Satan Wiley Hodgen and Mick Murphy would get together to play shows compiled entirely of covers, usually of lesser known tracks by bands like ZZ Top, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Then, as time was quickly becoming of the essence, he recruited them for his latest venture. “It’s pretty much essentially Chevy Metal playing originals,” he confirms.

P r o d u c t i v i t y, a n d g o o f i n g a r o u n d .

“It was fun, we had a blast, and kept it all free. We recorded it all live and so essentially, it is Chevy Metal playing some songs that I’ve written, but some that we all contributed to, you know? It was just the right time for the band: we were all practiced and ready, and all I had to do was throw in a couple songs. Put together over a week of rough-andready writing and recording, the album itself is more an ode to their influences, all through a tongue-in-cheek filter; not least their opening self-declared manifesto, which clocks in at just over nine minutes long. “A lot of it is really tongue in cheek. My humour is dark, so the lyrics are dark but slightly funny too, I like to think. So, when it gets heavy in the middle of ‘The Ballad Of The Birds of Satan’ and it turns into Black Sabbath all of a sudden, I’m not like, ‘This is serious’. When I stacked fifty vocals of me going ‘ahhh-hhhh!’, I’m not going, ‘This is serious.’ I’m just having fun and goofing around!” Wiley and Mick weren’t the only friends of Taylor’s to give a helping hand on the record either: a certain Mr Grohl managed to contribute a fair bit too.

“Dave helped me write a couple of the tracks, especially the first track. We put that together, and wrote that music and recorded it in literally three or four hours. We just kept saying, ‘How can we make this more insane?’ The idea for that track was just to be a completely over the top, schizophrenic piece of music that made sense but is basically six songs stuck together. “Trust me, I don’t think that I’ve rewritten the book on anything here! I know that I haven’t, but if it can sound like [Queen’s] ‘The March Of The Black Queen’, and then it can sound like [David Bowie’s] ‘Station To Station’ and then it can sound like a New Wave song, whatever! That’s all I wanted to do to: go through a bunch of styles and have fun, and feel. I left in a lot of things that some people would probably go back and try to fix, but I really just wanted it to be a moment in time. All of my favourite records are like that. There’s not any pressure. It’s more about the feel of the song than the perfection.” The Birds of Satan will release their debut self-titled record on 14th April via Shanabelle Records. DIY

NEWS e e l s

“I needed to sacrifice my dignity a lit tle bit.” Eels’ Mark oliver Everet t is in an introspective mo od for t h e b a n d ’ s n e w a l b u m . W o r d s : S t e v e H a r g r av e .

“I

can’t even look at it,” laments the quiet unassuming chap in spectacles sitting on the sofa. He’s staring closely at the photo on the cover of his eleventh studio offering under his evermutating Eels banner, and he’s pretty uncomfortable with that face staring back. “I’ve never been so exposed, put some clothes on man!” Anyone worrying he’s ‘done a John & Yoko’ and is flaunting his fifty-year-old physique on the sleeve au naturel can rest easy though, for Mark Oliver Everett’s stripping of choice is purely metaphorical. His much discussed facial hair though has been sheared to a contained George Michael-ish stubble, which could be a clue. “I have a very baby beard,” E whispers carelessly, “When I tend to grow a long beard, shit gets a little crazy. I’m very uncomfortable with it but it seems like the only honest thing to do because the songs are very honest. I just wanted it to be as naked as possible.”

16 thisisfakediy.co.uk

In the slippery world of the eclectic Eels ‘The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett’ is a defiant return to the barebones heart-tugging beautiful maladies of ‘Daisies Of The Galaxy’ or ‘Blinking Lights’. But far from being the sound of a middleaged man pleasing himself alone in his basement, it’s actually the product of E’s touring band, last seen getting their rocks off on 2013’s louder and far less restrained ‘Wonderful, Glorious’. “We actually finished a version of this album a couple of years ago,” Everett explains, “I liked it, but we ended up making ‘Wonderful, Glorious’ and went on tour. When we came back it struck me how we could make it better. There wasn’t enough of me blaming myself, and I realised I really needed more of that. I needed to sacrifice my dignity a little bit.”

and having a dance instead. Drenched in orchestration the album contains at least three bona-fide future Eels classics in ‘Parallels’, ‘Where I’m From’ and ‘Mistakes Of My Youth’, and ends with a jubilant burst of springtime optimism, “Can’t say I know what will happen tomorrow,“ E sings at the album’s close, “But I’ve got a good feeling about where I’m going.” “What’s going on here is pretty dark,” Everett agrees, “We call it Uneasy Listening, because it sounds pretty Easy Listening until you start to pay attention. Then you realise Jesus, this is uncomfortable. Sinatra would never had sung a song like ‘Gentleman’s Choice’ because he would say, ‘I’m not a loser!’ I’m looking at all these situations and showing what worked and what didn’t work. And then I think I start to realise, the only thing I can do anything about is myself.”

The result is a magnificently engaging waltz through the sloppy fumbles of love Eels’ new album ‘The Cautionary Tales and life; indecision, regret, and the process of Mark Oliver Everett’ will be released of sticking two fingers up to the past on 21st April via E Works. DIY

Indie Rock And Roll

B The Future Is Ours

ack in June last year, Pixies released their first new material in almost ten years. Now, they’ve an album on the cards, comprised of comeback song ‘Bagboy’, the eight tracks from ‘EP-1’ and ‘EP-2’, out in September and January, plus three from the justreleased ‘EP-3’.

Everybody dance now! Oh alright, just you Samuel.

Har d - wor k i ng , prol i f ic to t h e e x t r e m e , e l e v e n y e a r s t o t h e g o o d - h e a d s a r e f i n a l ly t ur n i n g for on e of t h e wor l d ’ s m o st dar i n g b a n d s , F u t u r e I s l a n d s . W o r d s : J a m i e M i lt o n .

f there’s a word or phrase that usually reverberates around Austin, Texas during SXSW, it’s “Queue”. Or “Taco”. In 2014, however, something stirs. Talk turns not to habits or alcohol brands, but to a group lifting their equipment from venue to venue, as they always do. Future Islands. A band who’s existed for eleven years. They’ve made four records including their latest, ‘Singles’. Cult fandom’s come their way. But nothing on this level.

Two weeks before they hitch up to Texas, everything shifts for the Baltimore trio. Making their televised debut on David Letterman, they run through a rendition of ‘Seasons (Waiting On You)’. As they always do. Nothing’s different in the way frontman Samuel T. Herring pounces and prowls on stage, going from bellowed chant to guttural growl. The chest-pumping, passionate defiance of it all isn’t anything new for the band themselves. But it is to most people. Overnight it makes Future Islands a mini-phenomenon. They don’t become superstars, so to speak. But let’s not play it down. This is a game-changing moment for a band who’ve worked dayin, day-out for the past decade. The timing isn’t a complete coincidence, either. This fourth album marks the band’s first on 4AD. It was finished before they signed their biggest ever deal. Called ‘Singles’, it’s the sound of a group aware that they’re “getting better at what we do,” in the words of bassist / guitarist William Cashion.

Recorded in October 2012, with Gil Norton at Wales’ Rockfield Studios, the band have confirmed they will follow up 1991’s ‘Trompe Le Monde’ with new full-length ‘Indie Cindy’. Set for release on 28th April, the album will be available through the band’s own label Pixiesmusic. To celebrate the release of their first album in over twenty years, the band will also make a series of live appearances in the UK this summer, including their headline slot at this year’s Field Day, which takes place on 8th July. DIY

“It was definitely us being arrogant,” admits Samuel, “maybe for the first time. We’ve worked really hard and let the work prove who we are. But this is a great album, each of these songs is strong. And I believe that each song stands in its own world.” Future Islands’ new album ‘Singles’ is out now via 4AD. Read the full interview in DIY Weekly. DIY

DIY at the Festivals Future Islands will play at The Great Escape, and a DIY Presents show later this year. See thisisfakediy.co.uk for details.

NEWS fear of men

t’s several years since Fear of Men first stumbled on the scene with a handful of scrappy-sounding demos. Channelling the Smiths, referencing philosophers, rinsed in nostalgia - this was no ordinary band. That much was obvious from the start. Since then, they’ve taken their time in working towards their eventual full-length, ‘Loom’. The band - Jessica Weiss (guitars, vocals), Dan Falvey (guitar) and Michael Miles (drums, keys) - had every reason to work to their own pace. The difference between 2012’s collection of demos (‘Early Fragments’) and this eventual full-length is huge. It’s not exactly a tortoise wins the race kind of affair, but ‘Loom’ is proof that not rushing into things can reap serious rewards. You’re big advocates of do-it-yourself? Dan: When Jess and I don’t know how to do something, we just work out how to do it. We’re happy when people we trust come in and take certain things over for us, but until then we’ve found it’s best just to do things for yourself. Why have you waited until now to release a fulllength record? Jess: We spent a lot of last year on tour, which was incredible. Until then we’d all been studying and working, and releasing singles in our spare time. Dan: When we were in SXSW in Austin last March we hung out with the guys from Eagulls and it seems they have had a very similar experience to us. At that point both our bands had been recording our albums with no label and were going on these awesome trips and then coming home to fit recording in between jobs. Do you consider yourselves perfectionists? Jess: Dan could be called a perfectionist, but I’m a bit the opposite. I like to work fast on lots of things, so it’s good to have that counterbalance. How much of ‘Loom’ is representative of the sound you’d like to achieve? Jess: I certainly feel it’s a progression. Our demos were pretty straight up pop, but as a lyricist I’ve evolved, and instrumentation-wise we’ve brought in a lot of new textures. We’re very conscious that we want to have our own sound, so we can push it in different ways but still have a certain quality. You’ve spent a lot of time in the US, what is it that keeps drawing you back there? Dan: I like America because independent music can exist in a more honest way; bands can exist by touring and so have a bit more room to breathe and grow, which I think is more conducive to making good records. When the going gets tough, what makes it all worth it? Jess: I love these guys and there’s absolutely nothing I’d rather be doing than making music with them. Dan: We do this because we love it. The tough times don’t even come into it because like Jess says, there is nothing I would rather be doing. Fear Of Men’s debut album ‘Loom’ will be released on 21st April via Kanine Records. DIY

18 thisisfakediy.co.uk

“It’s best to do things for yourself.” Brighton trio Fear of Men’s debut is f i n a l ly h e r e . i n t e r v i e w: TO M Wa lt e r s . P h o t o : E m m a S wa n n .

Festivals 2014

Festivals, sunshine and daytime drinking are a match made in heaven. Luckily it’s finally spring, the sun has already put his hat on and people are beginning to put in hours of practice. It must be about time to figure out the summer schedule.

KENDAL CALLING 1st - 3rd august

Suede and Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls have been announced as headliners for Kendal Calling. This year’s edition of the Lake District festival will also play host to the likes of De La Soul, Clean Bandit, 2ManyDjs, Woman’s Hour, Razorlight and Breton. More acts are set to be announced shortly. The fancy dress theme is ‘Kendal Calling Goes Beyond The Stars’, and tickets are on sale now.

The Wytches. Elsewhere on the line-up, you’ll find Jungle, Gruff Rhys, East India Youth, PINS, Say Lou Lou, Wolf Alice, Clean Bandit, Courtney Barnett and Factory Floor. DIY also has a stage at the event, featuring Blood Red Shoes, DZ Deathrays, The Hold Steady, Royal Blood, Jagwar Ma and much much more. Tickets for the multi-venue festival are on sale now.

SECRET GARDEN PARTY 24th - 27th July

LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY 1st - 3rd May

Liverpool Sound City has announced a batch of new names for its 2014 event. The three day festival and music conference is set to host Jon Hopkins, Albert Hammond Jr. and The Kooks, with new faces arriving in the form of Superfood, Fat White Family, Drenge and

thisisfakediy.co.uk

Wolf Alice lead the list of new names added to this year’s Secret Garden Party. The July event previously confirmed Deap Vally, Jagwar Ma and MT for its 2014 bill. Wolf Alice recently signed to Dirty Hit - are joined by Superfood, Domino signings The Amazing Snakeheads, Foxes, Years & Years and MØ. Elsewhere in the new announcement, Rosie Lowe, Kwabs, Maya Jane Coles, Teleman and Kyla La Grange all join proceedings.

READING & LEEDS 22nd - 24th August

Reading & Leeds promised a ‘king’ and a ‘queen’ for their third and fourth headliners, and they’ve lived up to expectations by confirming Paramore and Queens of the Stone Age. They co-headline on Friday 22nd August (Reading) and Saturday 23rd August (Leeds). This completes the headliners for 2014 - they top the bill alongside Blink 182 and Arctic Monkeys. Vampire Weekend are set to play ahead of the coheadliners on the main stage. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis play before Blink 182, with fellow main stage additions arriving in the form of Peace, Imagine Dragons, Deaf Havana, Foster the People and The Hives.

FE ST IV AL S

open your eyes O n e o f L atit u d e’ s n e wes t ad d i t i o n s , C l e an Ban d i t ar e g e ar i n g up f o r a s um m e r to r e m e m b e r .

he past few months have been a bit of a whirlwind for Latitude’s new addition Clean Bandit, and even with their debut album’s release growing closer every day, it seems they’re already itching for summer to roll around. “It’s been such a long time in the making that I think we’re all kind of impatient to get it out there!” offers the band’s Neil Amin-Smith, of their impending debut. “Not having a lead singer in the band means we’ve been able to work with a variety of totally different talents and as a result there’s a real diversity across the album, from a tune with Stylo G to two songs with UK folk singer Eliza Shaddad.”

was just waiting to hear ‘Rather Be’ but actually the whole set just felt like a big party. “This will be only our second headline tour so I’m still getting used to playing to an audience that have heard of us before! The UK tour finishes at Shepherd’s Bush where we supported Alt-J a year ago, and even that gig felt pretty huge for us.” Even with the release of ‘New Eyes’ fast approaching, it’s not necessarily the main thing on Neil’s mind. “I’ve been counting down the days to festival season since Christmas - it’s so different playing to people who are in the middle of a three day escapist frenzy from playing to a weeknight one.”

Fresh from scoring a Number one single with ‘Rather Be’ (“it was a mad feeling”) and an intimate live appearance in East London recently, the band are already gearing up to a slew of touring duties. It’s an exciting prospect which really kicked off with their one-off set last month.

And, even after a rather washed out set last year, spirits are high for their set at this year’s Latitude. “Well, we played last year and got cut off before we finished, but it was actually a great gig even though it was pouring down. So, I’d definitely take more of the same!”

“It was the first time we’d played live since ‘Rather Be’ came out so we didn’t really know what to expect, but it was amazing. I’d been a bit worried that it was going to feel like everyone

Clean Bandit’s debut album ‘New Eyes’ will be released on 12th May via Atlantic Records. Latitude will take place from 17th - 20th July. DIY

The Black Keys are the third headline act confirmed for laTiTude. They join Two Door Cinema Club and Damon Albarn as bill-toppers for the Suffolk festival, running from 17th - 20th July. Lykke Li - who recently returned with news of her ‘I Never Learn’ album - is another bigname addition, alongside Mogwai, Tom Vek, Kelis, Clean Bandit and George Ezra. SOHN returns for a second year running, with veterans James being joined by Crystal Fighters, Teen, Hozier and James Vincent McMorrow. DIY is also delighted to announce our partnership with the festival; we’ll bring you interviews, reports and more coverage before, during and after the event. You’ll be able to find copies of our July issue in the Latitude supermarket, too if you’re quick.

S AL IV ST

himself excited to be in the “prestigious Sunday night headliner slot.” Nile joins fellow headliners Foals, Beck and Outkast at this year’s festival, as well as CHVRCHES, Wild Beasts, Disclosure and Clean Bandit.

SLAM DUNK

24th - 26th May

LIVE AT LEEDS 2nd - 5th May

Bristol busy-boy George Ezra leads the way in Live At Leeds’ announcement of fifty new acts. Ezra’s joined by rising LA group The Neighbourhood, Years & Years, Raleigh Ritchie, Sundra Karma, The Bug, Fat White Family, Tennis and Brooklyn’s Big Ups. Ezra Furman, Rae Morris, Orla Gartland, Saint Raymond and Beastmilk are also on the bill. They join Wolf Alice, Drenge, The Hold Steady, Chlöe Howl, Fuck Buttons, Yuck, Albert Hammond Jr. and Blood Red Shoes. DIY will be taking over Brudenell Social Club on the Saturday, come visit us for Pulled Apart By Horses, The Amazing Snakeheads, Solids, Woman’s Hour and more.

BESTIVAL

4th - 7th September

The Sunday night slot at Bestival is usually reserved for legendary acts, and 2014 holds no exception. Nile Rodgers and Chic have confirmed that they’ll appear at the Isle of Wight event.. Previously headliners in this spot include Elton John and Stevie Wonder. Rodgers is promising an “extra special Desert Island Disco set from myself and Chic!” He’s also declared

thisisfakediy.co.uk

We Are The In Crowd, State Champs and Less Than Jake are the latest bands to be added to this year’s Slam Dunk. The multi-leg event, which take place over May’s Bank Holiday weekend, has just announced the second wave of acts, which also includes Hit The Lights and Marmozets. While this year’s main events take place across Leeds, Hatfield and Wolverhampton, organisers have also confirmed an additional two scaled-down shows in Edinburgh and Newport.

during these two days, with DIY hosting our own stage at the Underworld on Saturday. Acts confirmed for the full line-up include The Field, shoegazers Yuck, hip-hop experimentalists Shabazz Palaces and veterans ABC. Steve Mason, Atari Teenage Riot, Of Montreal, Alexis Taylor, Halls and Mouse on Mars are also among the acts selected by this year’s curators.

RocketNumberNine also confirmed. Arthur Beatrice, Tourist, Eyedress and Jamie Isaac are amongst the new names, whilst Childhood, Drenge and Telegram have been confirmed for the Sunday leg. The additions join previously confirmed acts Metronomy, Pixies, The Horrors and Warpaint - plus many more.

FIELD DAY

7th - 8th June

Newly expanded to a two-day event, Field Day has confirmed a new batch of names for its June weekender. Jamie xx heads up the additions, with Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks and Neneh Cherry ft.

TRUCK

18th - 19th July

Having already confirmed that The Cribs and White Lies are set to close proceedings at this year’s Truck, the Oxford weekender has now unveiled details of its very special new stage. This year, BSM and Alcopop! will team up to transform the Barn stage into the Rio Barnival, with a little help from Andrew W.K., Gnarwolves and Johnny Foreigner. Elsewhere, Lonely The Brave, Sam Duckworth, Kevin Devine, Tangled Hair, Radstewart, Woahnows and Brawlers will join in festivities.

CC14

20th - 21st June

The first batch of acts has been announced for this year’s CC14 - formerly the Camden Crawl. London’s NW1 and NW5 postcodes will be taken over

THE GREAT ESCAPE 8th - 10th May

Brighton weekender The Great Escape has announced a new batch of names. Wild Beasts and These New Puritans are the standouts; they’ll both play a show back-to-back at the Brighton Dome on Friday 9th May. They join the already confirmed Jungle, Kelis and Royal Blood this year. If you’re more interested in milling around a city and finding bands in unlikely venues, Jon Hopkins is also among the new additions, with Albert Hammond Jr. and hip-hop force Ratking also joining in. Joel Compass is another name on the bill, with Hozier likely to be one of the festival’s most hotly-anticipated new acts.

FE ST IV AL S Chet Faker’s on fire. His beard will be on fire too if he’s not careful.

Bilbao BBK Live has

The Glass Ceiling Ah e ad o f h i s appe ar an c e at B i lbao b b k liv e , Ch e t Fak e r g ives t h e low d own o n h i s fo r t h c o m i n g d e b u t al b um .

hen Chet Faker released his first EP ‘Thinking In Textures’ back in 2011, he caused quite a stir. Now, two years on, with a handful of Australian awards, 220,000 Facebook likes and the soundtrack to a Superbowl commercial tucked neatly into his belt, the Australian electro maestro is gearing up to release his debut full-length. “The main thing was that I wanted it to be was honest,” offers the musician, real name Nicholas Murphy. “An honest depiction of what was going on, not only in my life, but in my head at times in my life. I felt like lots of old things were dying in my life, and new things were beginning. I wanted to document things because I didn’t know what was gonna come back, or what would never come back again, so it’s like a diary entry at a really important time in your life.” The album, ‘Built On Glass’, was created over two years during which Nicholas worked on it constantly. The result is, in his own words, “way more expansive.” “I just think it’s a broader spectrum, and a progression. I tried to do a bit more than that slow soul thing, you know?” To celebrate the record’s release, Nicholas is already prepped and ready for a lengthy run of tour dates, including a visit to the UK, before

festival season kicks off. “This first half of the year, I’m touring solo so I’ve just brought a bunch of a loopers and it’s a small electronic set-up. I want it to reflect how the album was written, and I wrote it all myself, so that’s the main angle; more electronic, more producer-like. It’s pretty cool.” With all his touring planned, it’s no wonder that he’s become somewhat of a globe-trotter too, with future festival slots taking in a range of different countries. “It’s awesome. When I first started, it used to stress me out a lot. It takes a lot of adjusting to live out of a suitcase - because you really do live out of a suitcase - but once you let go, it’s pretty nice. It’s about meeting a bunch of new people, and just getting to play music, you know. It just comes down to you, your music and the people.” He’s also set to perform at this year’s Bilbao BBK Live for the first time, and it seems as though he’s already got his priorities straight. “I’ve never been but I’m looking forward to it, the line-up is pretty cool. Will it be warm then? It should be, right? Sweet!”

recently confirmed The Prodigy as its third headliner, joining the already announced Franz Ferdinand and The Black Keys. The festival’s ninth edition also welcomes Parquet Courts to its 2014 bill. Skaters, Dawes and Eskean Kristö complete the list of new additions. This year, DIY has teamed up with Bilbao BBK Live as an official media partner. That means we’ll be bringing you extensive coverage - news, interviews, exclusives. The festival takes place from 10th - 12th July. Tickets are on sale now - enter our competition to win a pair on thisisfakediy.co.uk.

Chet Faker will release his debut album ‘Built On Glass’ on 14th April via Future Classic and Opulent. Bilbao BBK Live will take place from 10th - 12th July. DIY

NEu adult jazz

NEu

Ad ult Ja z z

Leeds-hailing four-piece make music so complex they s h o u l d t e ac h i t i n s c h o o l s . I n fac t, t h e y a l r e a dy d o. W o r d s :

Huw Oliver, Photo: Phil Smithies.

dult Jazz lead singer Harry Burgess is a primary school teacher, just like his Dad. But he’s cooler than most. He fronts Leeds’ finest mathematical pop band. They’re so good, in fact, that Burgess Sr. named his son’s single ‘Springful’ the ‘song of the week’ at his little school in Farnham just recently. The video was played in every assembly, and a year four class were asked to analyse it from start to finish. “A great honour,” says Harry. “It’s always fun to see what kids make of stuff like that. They can be really reductive, but also, like, really insightful, and it’s funny to see how they respond to things you’ve overstuffed with concepts.” Based on an extract from Herman Hesse’s 1922 novel Siddhartha, the video for ‘Springful’ depicts a man on a journey. Driven by the hardcore ‘puritanical edge of morality’, confusing this with true virtue, he lives out in the wilderness, not eating and not wearing clothes. Then one day he goes to the city and falls in love. “He gets really bored because it’s really tedious, and no one gets to see him do it,” explains Harry. “And so he decides to go into the town, show everyone he wasn’t doing it, refuse the fruit and give up that worldy thing.” But what about the kids’ interpretations? One was: “Follow what is right and you’ll get glory in return.” Another: “Getting good memories from good places.” The best: “Life, it’s about life.” Similarly spiritual subject-matter forms the basis for ‘Am Gone’, the other tune on their recent AA-side release. There, the protagonist longingly waits for his dinner “with the proviso that by doing that throughout his whole life, there’ll be some eternal feast in return.” But yet again, restraint is just shorthand for virtue, not virtue itself. Musically complex, the song offers more of the same technical brilliance, crossing offhand jerky Dirty Projectors rhythms with deeply soulful brooding. “All the singers I admire are usually female,” says Harry. Attempting to contort his voice into “those really pleasing bits of female singing,” and inspired by his childhood passion for musicals, the result is a mind-bending strain of art-pop that promises to slot them somewhere alongside Wild Beasts and These New Puritans in terms of fantastically British seriousness. All three bands just so happen to be playing a show together at Brighton’s Great Escape festival next month. Having lived in Guildford all their lives, the band first came together when Harry went up to study at the University of Leeds with his friend Steven in 2009. Soon joined by their mutual friend Tim, and picking up Tom along the way, Adult Jazz became a prospect proper thanks to this non-coincidental convergence of companions. Such a change in setting was beneficial to their creativity. “It makes such a difference because in Guildford there’s a contemporary music college and stuff, but they all write rubbish music,” the lead singer states emphatically. “Leeds has a lot of venues, which are willing to put on new acts, and people take risks.” For instance, Adult Jazz’s first show was an opening slot for Glasser at the legendary Brudenell Social Club. Gigging and song-writing for nearly four years now, the Adult Jazz album has been written for approaching two. Currently in mixing, the band are pleased with what’s down, but unsure of how to get it out there. “Nothing is going to change other than frequencies,” confirms Harry. “We’re going to see if anyone wants to put it out. We’re just going to see what happens to it, I think. Basically, we just need to be a little more presentable now.” DIY

thisisfakediy.co.uk

DIY at the Festivals Adult Jazz will play at The Great Escape. See thisisfakediy.co.uk for details.

ADULT JAZZ NO.2 Keep your eyes out for the second, elusive Adult Jazz. They’re out there somewhere. “Me and Steve were just chatting and came up with a stupid name for a band,” explains Harry. “And then my brother and my cousin really liked that name, so they started doing some kind of ridiculous music under that name. And we thought, ‘Actually, now we can see it from afar, it’s a good name. We’ll use it’. So, we started up a competitor Adult Jazz, which became the Adult Jazz. The other one has kind of dropped off the radar now. Who knows what they’re doing.”

“It’s always fun to see what kids make of stuff.” Harry Burgess

NE u

NEu

in the studio

Woman’s Hour

Th e Lo n d o n fo u r- pi ece i n v ited D IY i nto th e s t u d i o to h e a r th ei r rem a rk a b le d eb u t a lb u m ‘Co n v ersati o n s’. ph oto s: ph i l s m ith i es

Title: ‘Conversations’ Label: Secretly

Canadian Recorded: November

2013 - February 2014 Producer: Tom Morris Release date: July 2014 TRACKLISTING: 1. Unbroken Sequence 2. Conversations 3. To The End 4. Darkest Place 5. In Stillness We Remain 6. Our Love Has No Rhythm 7. Her Ghost 8. Two Sides Of You 9. Devotion 10. Reflections 11. The Day That Needs Defending

thisisfakediy.co.uk

espite early singles picking up praise over here and in the States, Woman’s Hour’s gorgeous, intimate pop remains a relative mystery. Tours with Anna Calvi and Metronomy will change that. But it’s in a debut album - reaching its completion stages and out this summer - that the band are approaching things with a fresh mentality. “People haven’t actually heard all our work. It’s hard to think that this’ll be the first time - it’s quite scary,” admits bassist Nicolas Graves. What’s even stranger is that some of these songs have been written as far back as two years ago. Keyboardist Josh Hunniset puts emphasis on calling this debut a “body of work” - “these songs have gone through different guises, so there’s a movement hopefully you hear a journey, different aspects of what we’re doing.” Given an early listen in South London’s 4AD Studios alongside the band’s mainstay producer Tom Morris, the serene, deft quality of early singles like ‘Her Ghost’ and ‘Our Love Has No Rhythm’ isn’t the be-all-and-end-all. Disco makes an entrance in ‘Conversations’, strapping 80s funk too. Sure, it’s all expressed in the band’s customary subtle execution, but this first work is anything but safe. “It definitely feels like we’re exposing ourselves,” says singer Fiona Burgess. Within the lyrics she’s penned, themes crop up linking to family, loss, relationships, and it’s all delivered with intimacy. Asked if the songs are tied together by any one subject, she remarks on an album about “how many different sides we have to our characters.” Josh adds that, “We couldn’t be closer to the lyrics but through writing and listening to these tracks as they’re developing, I take my own thoughts from the lyrics and emotions behind them. It’s a really amazing thing to be part of.” DIY

DIY at the Festivals Woman’s Hour will play at Liverpool Sound City, The Great Escape and Kendal Calling. See thisisfakediy.co.uk for details.

NEu

NEws in brief WHO NEEDS THE ORWELLS?

Oceaán

This 20-year-old Manchester producer is being talked about as the new SOHN. Take a dip in Oceaán. Words: Jamie Milton. Photo: Phil Smithies.

liver Cean’s music isn’t a good match to a disgusting, K Cider-spilling night out at the Manchester producer’s namesake club, Oceana. These songs he’s so far sporting are more serene, gloomy cuts that occasionally shake up the system and give a jolt of force. Previously giving his attention to bands, the 20-year-old has spent six years caved into a makeshift studio in his bedroom. Song after song emerged. Only now is he beginning to think about where these tracks end up. “I’ve got friends who are like ‘Oh right, you like electronic stuff?’,” he says on a rare trip down to London. He says the project’s been “serious” for a good five years. But only recently did he coin the aqueous name, in turn refining clever productions into actual, forward-thinking pop tracks. First came ‘Neéd U’, a deftly applied debut that couldn’t hide its outpouring of romance. Since then, Cean’s productions (he won’t divulge his real name) have only gotten slicker. Remixes for Swim Deep, MØ

and Woman’s Hour were odd in that they barely resembled any of the original tracks. In the latter, Oliver’s vocals are at the very centre. Nothing interrupts. It’s his song, basically. “I don’t feel that things should be limited, or the idea of a remix should be adding one single sound. To me adding vocals always seemed like an obvious thing,” he says. He speaks about his music with serious intent. That’s not to say he’s clouded by grand goals, but he comes out with declarations like “bands use vocal techniques that almost mask insecurity” and “it’s so important to strip things back.” There’s clearly a wealth of knowledge behind these early efforts. “I’m just trying to write the music that interests me without sounding stupid. I like my own freedom to do what I want to do, without having any limitations. Whether it’s darker, lighter or more commercial next time round, it’s not really an issue for me.” Oceaán’s debut EP ‘To Lose’ is out now via Chess Club Records. DIY

‘Bound 2’ Go Far Minimal to the bone, Oceaán’s music benefits from a ‘less is more’ approach. Oliver namechecks Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’ as inspiration behind the abrupt silences in some of his tracks, and cites Brian Eno as a huge influence. “There’s been points where I’ve either scrapped a tune or I’ve taken away 70% of the parts and it sounds a lot cleaner. It creates a better sense of conviction. Doing the EP I had to set myself limitations.”

Fresh from getting their grubby mitts all over the country, The Orwells are wasting no time in returning. Mario Cuomo and co. arrive around the same time as the release of their debut album. A mini-tour will take in nights in Liverpool, Edinburgh, Nottingham, London and Manchester.

CHA CHA CHACHANGES

Dublin’s Girl Band have announced details of their new single, ‘The Cha Cha Cha’. A follow-up to January’s breakthrough track ‘Lawman’, the song comes out on 19th April for this year’s Record Store Day celebrations. It’ll be printed on 100 flexi discs, so copies will be very limited.

SAFE KEEPING

Liverpool-based trio All We Are are the newest signings to Domino/Double Six, and their latest single ‘Feel Safe’ justifies the big billing in four sweeping minutes. Deftly arranged, delicate to the touch, it’s a sweeping, modest showcase of subtle funk. Listen on thisisfakediy.co.uk.

REAL-ING IT IN

Only Real has been in an Atlanta studio with producer Ben Allen, working on his debut album, expected for release this summer. He’s also releasing ‘Cadillac Girl’, an early recording that’s since been revamped. Tongue-in-cheek brattiness firmly in place, those hooks couldn’t sound any sharper.

NE u

NEu Recommended THIEF

Aussie PJ Wolf provides self-therapy by wrapping up darkness in the shiniest, slickest synth pop imaginable.

The colourful, shape-filled explosions that tend to run alongside Sydney producer PJ Wolf wouldn’t pick him out as a guy magnetically attracted to darkness, but it’s the truth. Before Thief, he was going by his actual name, responsible for dark, brooding pop that leaves zero breathing space. On the surface Thief is the opposite. It’s sky-reaching bleeps, hairs-on-end gleeful pop. Everything’s shamelessly fun on the outside. Lurk within and there’s the blackened heart. Sounds pretty morbid, but it’s a clever juxtaposition that makes Thief’s music so exciting. The guy’s got stories to tell, but he’s expressing frustrations by wrapping each and everyone one up in glitzy surroundings. LISTEN ‘Closer’ is out now on Rabble Records. FOR FANS OF Anyone trying to consume ice cream on a roller coaster.

MEANWHILE

A mysterious new artist unashamed of his influences.

There’s something curiously cinematic about Meanwhile. ‘Luvletta’ is a hedonist’s paradise, with soaring trumpets and ecstatic vocals. He wears Prince’s influence on his sleeve, especially in the velvet guitar work that pervades, while the triumphant horn-led climax of the track isn’t dissimilar to Jungle’s blend of infectious funkpop. Ultimately though, we’re mere spectators of Meanwhile’s world. How will this mysterious tale unfold? (Harry Bainbridge) LISTEN ‘Luvletta’. FOR FANS OF Jungle, Prince without the £70 price tag.

28 thisisfakediy.co.uk

THE MAGIC GANG

Lesson #1: Never ask Thief for some of his milk.

KALEIDA

Brighton-based kick junkies, The Magic Gang channel Weezer and aim for the skies.

London duo of Christina Wood & Cicely Goulder perfect the art of stunning, minimal pop.

Initially a new project featuring members of YRRS, Home School and Bayy with a single bedroom demo to their name (the utterly infectious ‘Bruises’), one year on and The Magic Gang are still barely out of the pram - yet they’re already playing packedout venues alongside Swim Deep and Courtney Barnett, demonstrating decidedly understated and mellow numbers to increasingly adoring audiences. (Harry Bainbridge)

With Kaleida, undeniable sheen and style is always backed up with a refined, instant sense of melody. New single ‘Picture You’ - which premiered on thisisfakediy.co.uk - is no different, beginning serene before morphing into a smartly executed triumph. Wood’s vocals never shift from a position of complete command, with Goulder’s production shifting into a style that’s in constant, clever flux.

LISTEN ‘Shallow’. FOR FANS OF Mac DeMarco cloned into a four-piece.

LISTEN ‘Picture You’ is a free download. FOR FANS OF The Knife without the pitch-shifters or theatrics.

photos: Carolina Faruolo

NEu

LIVE REPORT:

Famy

New Empowering Church, Lond on

k, so it’s not the equivalent of Prince emerging out of the darkness to tour his favourite city, or seeing The Smiths kick in their squabbles to give music a go once more, but FAMY’s return is a big deal. This is a band with links to the now split Wu Lyf with one sold out single to their name. Just one, fair enough. But ‘Dogg Dogg’ was a big deal, a mystical marriage of folk and preppy anthemia that worked, against the odds. After two years out of the spotlight - with some members donning white suits to join disco gangsters Los Porcos in-between - they’ve returned with a four show residency of the UK’s capital city. Running West, South, East and North, the re-arrival culminates in a curious, brilliantly decorated New Empowering Church. We’re talking palm trees that glow up in orange light, Jamaican flags that drape the DJ booth, stages that command instead of fading into the background. It’s an occasion treated suitably by the France via London four-piece, re-emerging like they’d barely left for a single second. Opening with ‘Donkey’, the title-track from their new EP, singer Bruce Yates is keen to declare “Famy is here” in the song’s last line. Do not fret, they profess. After a good chunk of time off the radar, tonight’s an example of just how keen the band are to be a big prospect for years to come. ‘Donkey’ gets by on boldly strummed guitars and chanted vocals snagged right out of Arcade Fire’s ‘Wake Up’. There’s probably a fair few tongue-in-cheek references to boot, too. Drummer Thomas Edwards hitches up to invade the crowd at one point, turning to a spoken word routine that half-impresses, half-bewilders. FAMY might be taking the piss, from the hiatus to the current display. It’s hard to tell. They’re on the brink of sounding as huge as those dreaded Mumfords, and yet somehow they’re equally capable of being the world’s next grand saviours. One thing’s for certain: it’s good to have them back. DIY

“What do you mean the stage is over there?”

Q&A

What led to your return, and why did you play London in four different venues? Bruce Yates (vocals): The initial idea was so that everyone could see us. Arthur Yates (guitars): It was a good way to reintroduce ourselves. As your readers will know, we had a hiatus, just getting the record ready, sorting out the other stuff. I think it was a good way to return: the return of FAMY. We made the record and then we had some sorry experiences with management. They ran off with our treasure trove. Bruce: We’re really close. We wanted to make sure we saw this project through. What’s been the best moment of the residency? Bruce: The gig in St. Moritz, Soho. That was a strange one. I don’t know if small spaces and stage invasions suit us. It’s fun when it happens! The mic stand got gobbled up at the last song. I was singing and this girl was holding it up. 29

NE u

NEu “Most of my friends aren’t r e a l ly t h a t f u s s e d . ” H o l ly T ay l o r F l e t c h e r

LåPSLEY

J u s t 1 7, L å p s l e y ’ s s t a r t l i n g f i r s t s t e p s h av e a s t o u n d e d a n d c o n f u s e d i n e q u a l m e a s u r e . W o r d s : J a m i e M i lt o n .

edroom based, unsigned, a hit with bloggers - Holly Taylor Fletcher aka Låpsley’s story so far might read like another jot on the radar, but her songs say something very different. New to production, the 17-year-old Liverpool-based student started trading acoustic guitars for electronics “just before Christmas”, she says. But she’s been writing songs since she was twelve. Some five years’ worth of experience clearly plays into a song like ‘Station’, the track that’s made her arguably the most in-demand solo artist in the UK right now. The song opens with vocals that could easily belong to James Blake, deep and pensive. But it’s just the sound of Holly playing around with a pitch-shifter. “Most of my friends aren’t really that fussed,” she says. Those guys are an exception. She’s just started working on new material - it’s the first time she’s done anything outside of a makeshift bedroom studio. She jokes about being “so used to fuzzy mics and recording under my duvet.” It’s the pitch-shifting that’s caused such a fuss. Not exactly a revolutionary tool, it’s still left casual listeners initially confused about whether Låpsley’s a guy or a girl, even though every tiny detail is on the artist’s Soundcloud page. “I like the contrast,” she says. “I like the effect of two people. I prefer the male voice to my own [actually], probably because I talk a lot and get sick of it!” DIY

30 thisisfakediy.co.uk

LESS IS MORE

One listen to ‘Station’ or recent single ‘Painter (Valentine)’ shows Låpsley up as an artist obsessed with empty space. “As much as minimal looks easy,” she begins, “to get it right has been proven to be incredibly hard.” Her biggest influences are Jamie xx and Gang Colours.

NEu

mixtape

little

Not content with giving you a free magazine, we’ve put together a free mixtape full of our favourite new bands; download from thisisfakediy.co.uk/mixtape

label

H u n c k Toy Trucks

Hunck is a new band featuring members of MT and Parakeet, with none other than Jonathan Boulet providing drums on the stir-crazy stomper ‘Toy Trucks’.

Neu takes a look at the record labels responsible for breakthrough releases, big or small. Interview: Tom Walters

CHESS CLUB RECORDS Founded: 2007. Key releases: Chet Faker, ‘Thinking In Textures’ (2012); Wolf Alice, ‘Blush EP’ (2013); JUNGLE, ‘The Heat (2013). Chess Club Records started out as an offshoot for major label RCA, and since then it’s been first to the likes of Mumford and Sons and more recently, the almighty JUNGLE. Debut singles and EPs used to be the game, but Chess Club has since expanded to release albums from Post War Years, Swim Deep and MØ. We spoke to founder Will Street about the excitement of being first and the joy of discovery. Can you think back to a specific release that stopped you in your tracks the first time you heard it? Seeing MØ perform ‘Pilgrim’ live for the first time in NYC was a real ‘Holy shit, I need to work with this girl’ moment. After that gig I flew out to Copenhagen to hang out with her and convinced her to let me put out ‘Pilgrim’ on Chess Club. The rest is history. Is there anything that links all the releases you’ve put out so far? They all seem forward-thinking. I think one of the reasons maybe for Chess Club’s success is the fact that over the years the label has released music from a wide range of bands from all different backgrounds. From MØ to Swim Deep to Mumfords to Oceaán, they‘re all very eclectic and different sounding, but have a common thread of quality that runs through them all. Hopefully the label has managed to build a trusted brand for delivering the best in new music from across the board. DIY

1 7

Years & Years

Eyes Shut

On the brink of breaking big, Years & Years (pictured) are the UK’s next big dance act, without question.

A c r o b a t Invincible Curious new London group Acrobat mix playful pop and theatrics into a debut single tailor made for Wild Beasts and Outfit fans.

2 8

R o n i k a Search Siren

Direct disco pop doesn’t get more addictive than when it’s coming from Ronika (pictured). Nile Rodgers think it’s “dope” we’ll take his word for it.

J a r b i r d Such Is The House

Part shuffling Jai Paul synths, part Grammatics, Jarbird’s croon-centric R&B is no childsplay.

S p o ok y B l ack Without You

He looks like Brian Harvey from East 17. He sings like Usher. Spooky Black is going to be a (very unconventional) star.

M at t h e w K l i n t Catastrophe

A Guernsey-raised deliverer of heartfelt albeit unorthodox pop, Matthew Klint’s take on things is always the opposite of ordinary.

Yo u t h M a n

Inshallah

Forceful Birmingham punk trio Youth Man were stars of our ‘Hello 2014’ showcases. They’re going places fast.

K i r k i s Mirror

Funk-trotting to the extreme, anyone remotely into Thundercat or FlyLo produced jazz touches will obsess over Kirkis.

Dutch E Germ Black Sea

Something terrifying to close with, this Gang Gang Dance founding member enters dark, abrasive electronic territory on a take from his ‘IN. RAK.DUST’ LP.

stand 32

thisisfakediy.co.uk

deliver

A r r e s t s , i n j u r i e s a n d B a n g e r z t r a i l i n g i n i t s

S t at e s i d e S k y

wa k e ,

F e r r e i r aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s

b l o o m .

N o w

a l b u m

s h e â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s

s aw

J a m i e

M i lt o n .

M i k e

a n

d o i n g t h i n g s

W o r d s :

o n

r e l e a s e

d e b u t a r t i s t

h e r

way.

P h o t o s :

M a s s a r o .

c o v e r

34 thisisfakediy.co.uk

lready a “walking wreck”, Sky Ferreira is tired out of her mind trying to get backstage at a London headline show. Jetlag sets in like the devil itself. Is it a sign? It is, actually. Fans have weaseled their way past security and for some reason they’ve brought with them giant white placards with words like ‘Emojanelle’ that carry absolutely no meaning. Except one. ‘Quiche’. This one means something, to Sky at least. She picks it out and has her photo taken.

‘Quiche’ is a term used in Chris Lilley’s Ja’mie: Private School Girl television series, the follow up to Summer Heights High. According to Ja’mie King - the show’s lead character, an atrocious private school girl - its exact definition is “hot - a step above hot.” With Sky’s reputation rocketing, it seems appropriate to pick this one out. Forget “So hot right now”, Sky Ferreira is “So quiche right now.” “I thought that they’d at least give me the signs to keep,” she says afterwards. “Chris Lilley liked it, that’s all that matters,” she continues, before picking out individuals who could safely be described as ‘Quiche’. She chooses mysterious producer Burial. A “cool selfie” shared early this year is the reason. In it, the stony-eyed enigma shows himself to the world for the first time. “I wouldn’t do this, this is fucked up, but I wonder if someone’s used it for a Grindr profile picture. I did not know Burial was going to look like that. I always thought he’d end up looking dweeby.”

“I’d rather look stupid than calculated or borinG” Sky Ferrei r a

If Burial enjoyed anonymity up to now, Sky’s career is the complete opposite. Signed at fifteen and given all kinds of looks and musical styles, eventually she gave up being told what to do. That’s how she ended up here, as a modern, no-bullshit star without parallel. Three weeks in 2013 made it happen. Out came a record bottled up for far too long. The demand for a full-length was like a thousand knocks that get louder and louder until there’s just one great big decibel-breaking noise. That’s how Sky’s head felt before ‘Night Time, My Time’ came out. But then it happened. “It showed I was more than a lot of people thought I was,” she says, six months on from its release in the States. Her label didn’t so much cave in as simply accept that yes, this had to come out at some point. The end result showed the real Sky. For an artist that’s been pulled this way and the other, the record was unbelievably straight-down-the-line. An exciting pop album, it channelled punk, krautrock and half a decade’s worth of frustration knocking everyone for six. Sky proved that “I actually do make music.” That might sound morbidly funny in its ridiculousness - that someone who’s been doing this for years isn’t being treated entirely seriously - but it’s true. Some chose not to see her as a musician. She’d always been a sensation, but she’d never been judged in her own territory. “I’m not some internet fluke or a meme,” she states. “I mean - I wasn’t a meme, ever. I wasn’t like Kreayshawn or something. But I showed that I wasn’t someone who got lucky with one song.” ‘Night Time, My Time’ packs twelve of the sharpest, gut-twisting thrill seekers imaginable. Luck doesn’t come into the equation. Song titles appear like jolts to the head, knuckles out. Most of them are

c o v e r

statements: ‘Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay)’; ‘I Will’; ‘I Blame Myself’; ‘You’re Not the One’. It couldn’t be more assured if it was sung out through a giant megaphone on every city street. It’s easy to link the songs to the past, present and future Sky Ferreira. “I blame myself for my reputation” is the standout lyric. “Every day people tell me something else that I know” is up there too. Maybe people are looking into it too much, though. “The press… they acted like each song was influenced by something that took place publicly, or something they think that happened but actually didn’t,” she claims. “They’re analysing it that way, which I thought was weird - people over think stuff sometimes.”

selfies the whole time - but they’re enjoying themselves.” All squealing voices and flailing arms, it’s the exact opposite of what Sky’s previously been confronted with; an “‘I’m checking my Instagram and this is the background music’” attitude. When it comes to music of this kind - passionate, in your face it’s not something to be casual over. Still midway through her tour, which won’t stop expanding at this rate, Sky’s realising that venues of this mammoth stature “aren’t completely off limits.” Before, those same ringing voices and stubborn suits were saying “‘Don’t expect much out of this. Don’t get your hopes up.’” That’s what she used to be told. Anyone giving that kind of ‘wisdom’ today would probably get the sack on the spot. The months preceding the debut couldn’t feel further away. Talk turns to the Staples Center where Sky grew up seeing the Spice Girls play. She even took her little sister to a Hannah Montana show, all those years back. Talk about life going full circle.

lot’s happened to Sky in the past twelve months. The album shut everyone up, for the most part, but there is one niggling incident that keeps rearing its head. She keeps playing with the half-bandaged, “ If I wa n t e d i t t o b e d o n e t h e way I half-bruise mark on her leg. “I can make a smiley face because of the way the stitches are. Look, it’s a smile, a hook.” It’s the only physical reminder of her part in the Miley wa n t e d, I h a d t o d e a l w i t h i t. ” S k y Cyrus ‘Bangerz’ tour. Split open during a show in Anaheim, California, it’s a gooey, Ferreira gruesome source of fascination. It’s so often referred to, it’s pretty much become a fifth limb - and frequently a sudden distraction. t’s been twelve months already defined by breakthroughs, but Sky’s also feeling the aftershock of a “Sorry,” she starts. “I just noticed something really weird recent Facebook post. In it, she aims fire at internet trolls about my leg. It’s weird because... it dips.” She stares and casual misogynists with nothing better to do but intently at the scar. “I got an x-ray but not one on the spread online hate. whole thing. She pinpoints the mark. “It’s this dip. I’ve noticed that I can put my elbow there, in the dip.” It’s not Written at 2am while flying through continents, it talks of a pretty sight. being “exhausted” at “people telling me how I should look or be if I want to be a ‘pop star’”, and “how they think it’s okay to Despite having acted in one of his horror films (2013’s The say vile & (sexually) abusive shit to me on a daily basis.” It ends Green Inferno) she still managed to gross out director Eli in typical Sky Ferreira style - “Sorry for the typos.” Roth after the incident. “When I showed him the actual gash - a photo of it - even he couldn’t deal. And that’s Published on a whim, it received nothing but glowing someone who makes ‘Hostel’. responses. Comments below call her the “voice of her generation.” Maybe she is. “I wasn’t planning on it getting “He sent me back a text just saying ‘When life imitates art.’ so much attention,” she says. “At least it’s something that I was like, ‘Yeah, no shit!’” deserved attention. It benefits others instead of humiliating She cites falling on stage as the worst moment in recent me.” memory. “Getting arrested really sucked,” she promptly adds, making note of being put in custody by police Another realisation: Sky has a louder voice than ever. Heads alongside boyfriend Zachary Cole Smith, from DIIV. “The are turning. Even inside jokes are getting noticed. When it thing about those incidents though, is I managed to come gets to the serious stuff, people listen. “That was the first time out of them fine. In some weird way maybe they were that anyone’s ever listened to me before, outside of music,” supposed to happen to prove that I’m capable of doing she claims. “If you’re coming from an honest place and you these things.” have influence on people you should take advantage of it. If you’re doing it for something more than yourself, you should There’s nothing left to prove. Sky’s just had her first real do it.” experience of playing shows to ten, fifteen thousand screaming fans, and she’s hooked. Gammy leg aside, the Without a single hint of doubt, when asked if this is the best ‘Bangerz’ tour affirmed everything’s going in the right she’s ever felt about music, she replies: “Yes. This is by far the direction now. best it’s been.” You wouldn’t guess it, given the two hours’ worth of sleep she had the night before watching Judge “The fans - they’re losing their shit because they’re just Judy episodes. She admits to feeling like “I’m drunk right excited to be there, which makes a difference to normal now because I’m so tired,” hotel lobby spinning out of view. tours where everyone’s jaded,” she claims. “Or folding Bandaged up and in severe need of a rest, the “best” has their arms. Or tweeting about it.” A ‘Bangerz’ crowd “takes definitely felt better.

thisisfakediy.co.uk

c o v e r

“ I d o n ’ t h av e a p r o b l e m w i t h s t a nd i n g u p f o r m y s e l f . S o m e peo pl e d o n ’ t l i k e t hat. ” Sky

38 thisisfakediy.co.uk

Ferreira

Before the fall, Sky hadn’t broken a bone in her body. The worst injury she’s ever had also occurred through music (what else?) when a strained voice took its toll. It led to her cancelling shows during a tour with Vampire Weekend, and it still crops up now and again (“it’s embarrassing and it sucks when it goes in the middle of a set”). Those cancellations were again a reminder that setbacks were going to occur and that people were going to lap them up. The subsequent chatter - arriving a few weeks after the drugs arrest seemed disproportionate. This wasn’t a Morrissey-style breaking of agreement. It’s put to her bluntly. People still want Sky Ferreira to fail. “It’s true,” she replies. “It’s a lot more interesting to read about. A lot more entertaining. They think people like me don’t do anything. We just look cool and party and live these glamorous lifestyles.”

PEAKS OF HER POWERS Anyone with even the slightest obsession with Twin Peaks will recognise the ‘Night Time, My Time’ title from a lyric in David Lynch’s ‘Fire: Walk With Me’. “I literally follow every website about it,” Sky says about the cult television series. Despite talk about its 20th Anniversary, the show’s not coming back. “I follow all these Twin Peaks fan-pages and they’re all saying the thing David Lynch shot was just a commercial for the twentieth anniversary. But it’s funny that everyone went crazy.” And a world exclusive? Sky’s thinking about calling her next album ‘Log Lady’ after a character in the show.

Harking back to the Facebook post, she continues: “They don’t like the fact that I’m honest about who I am and what I am. I don’t have a problem with standing up for myself. Some people don’t like that.”

verything fell into place when Sky began to do just that. Old men with contracts and opinions were always telling her what to do. In retort, she didn’t so much kick up a fuss as quietly move to one side, press record and make an astute, worldbeating statement. The situation ended up being such a face-off that the label gave up, in a sense. They left Sky to her own resources and in essence, she made the record without any intervention, behind the backs of everybody she’d previously dealt with. “I had to handle it. If I wanted it to be done the way I wanted it to be, I had to deal with it. That’s what happened.

Rechtshaid and Justin Raisen. “I knew where I was going - I wanted to make a pop record that was more thought out music and direction wise than what I hear lately. Not only would the lyrics be honest, but it was also honest in being something that I would actually wanna listen to. Whether it’s me or not. “I kind of just realised that when I don’t think about it too much, I get the best stuff done.” The immediate response was “Oh!”. Everyone around Sky suddenly “got it”. Out stepped a star who’d been right under their noses the entire time. But there’s still confusion. How can someone be this famous and this direct with fans? How is it that she’s taking punk and giving it a glossy, unpretentious sheen? There’s guitars, leather jackets, but there’s also shiny synths and a bucketload of honesty. “A lot of people still don’t know what to do with me,” is the answer. “They don’t understand if it’s indie or pop or whatever. They don’t know what radio stations will be into it. I’m on the Miley Cyrus tour but I was on the Vampire Weekend tour. It’s confusing to them.” ‘Placing’ Sky Ferreira in a box seems pointless. This is a debut that emerged with fizzing energy, not a second wasted. It should be treated that way, too. The same goes for its maker. She’s undergone every kind of transformation possible in the past five, six years. From Mickey Mouse to Elliott Smith-channeller to blog-pop champion with the Dev Hynesproduced ‘Everything Is Embarrassing’, she hasn’t stood still for a minute. Book a studio now and chances are Sky would write the complete opposite of last year’s debut. Constantly “scatterbrained”, she gets sick and tired of what came before. Try and track her steps and Sky would just run amok in the opposite direction.

“Music’s always been a choice, but then actually, it wasn’t. It was more an instinct for me,” she says. Despite setbacks, she kept on going, not out of a grand five-year-plan or a resolute sense of self, but because “there was no other option.” ‘Night Time, My Time’ was something of a last resort. It now looks like the beginning of a whole new chapter of a much bigger book.

Even today, one message hasn’t quite translated the way she would’ve hoped. A tweet posted upon her arrival in the UK reads “just married”, hastily deleted a couple of hours later. “Oh god!” she jumps, suddenly realising that an awful lot of people might have taken those two words as sacred. “That was a joke that went too far. Some of the things I say are bad, stupid or funny, but I don’t have a problem with that,” she concludes. “I’d rather look stupid than calculated or boring.”

Songs on the debut were formed in her head at least a year before she eventually went into the studio with Ariel

Sky Ferreira’s debut album ‘Night Time, My Time’ is out now via Polydor. DIY

interview skaters

N YC â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s f i n e s t , S k a t e r s a r e h e r e t o c a u s e m ay h e m .

40 thisisfakediy.co.uk

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;H

opefully the kids will go a little crazy tonight!" Skaters singer Michael Ian Cummings declares a few hours before their sold out show at London's Dingwalls. "This tour's been amazing, we've been in the UK a lot in the last year but this is the first tour with the people actually singing our songs, which is still new to us, and it's really nice."

New York Words and ph o t o s : Caro l i na Faru o lo.

Invasion

Debut album 'Manhattan' was released only a few weeks ago, and for the showcase tour they've invited fellow NYC band Drowners to join them on their adventures. "It feels like New York, 'cause we hang out with those guys every day anyways in the city. It's really comforting to see all our buddies," Michael explains. "The only bad thing is that all the girls like Drowners and all the boys like Skaters!" "Psyched" to be playing at Dingwalls, even dropping in a few encyclopaedic facts to support the venue's legendary status, the most important virtue of the place for Michael is the direct contact with the crowd. "The last time I was here was a few years ago with this band Little Joy, and I remember playing when it was sold out and it was such a small packed in feeling when the place gets quite rammed, I'm looking forward to it." After soundcheck there's a feeling of calm before the storm, Michael on stage to playing around with one of the guitars under

interview skaters

the watchful eyes of Josh Hubbard (owner of said instrument) while drummer Noah Rubin entertains himself on his computer. Nothing here says chaos, but all that will change when the doors open. "We are quite used to crazy situations," Michael muses. "The Leeds gig was definitely a highlight, but it was also a nightmare for our tour manager. We booked a last minute show in Hull on the same night but we didn't tell her. So we were like, 'Ok so tonight we're gonna play another show', and she was like, 'What?!'" They finally made it to the venue while Drowners were still on stage. "After the show we stayed in Hull, it's where Josh is from so we just crashed there, it was pretty easy actually... But we had a show the next day and you know when you start playing a show at like one in the morning, you're up very late afterwards." This tight schedule doesn't seem to bother them at all, and besides expressing their favouritism towards Tequila as a "tour drink" ("It keeps you happy and energised!"), the only complaint they have is that the distances between cities in England are too short. "You don't really have time to do anything before you're at the venue. It's not like America when we have to really try to entertain ourselves on the road." After just one track - set-opening 'One Of Us' - Skaters have already put fear in the faces of the two Dingwalls bouncers in charge of controlling the continuous stream of crowd surfers. The songs are big, loaded with contagious freedom, and even during the down-tempo 'Miss Teen Massachusetts' the floor is bouncing from all the jumping. Once sweat starts dripping down the walls, it's hard to tell the stage invaders from band members. Michael's singing from Josh's microphone after his is disconnected by one eager dancing fan. Half of Noah's drum-kit is also unplugged, and Dan Burke's bass neck is playing a game of dodge-ball with the raised arms of the crowd. "We don't know any more songs," Michael shouts to the roaring crowd at the end of 'Schemers', the last item on their setlist. But after a quick ganggathering in the middle of the stage, they go on for two more - covers of The Smiths' 'This Charming Man' and Nirvana's 'Stay Away'. They leave giving everyone detailed instructions of how to get to the after-party down the road. Everyone wants to be in their gang. Skaters' debut album 'Manhattan' is out now via Warner Bros. Records. DIY

“we’re quite used to crazy s i t uat i o n s . ” Michael Ian Cummings

42 thisisfakediy.co.uk

interview mac demarco

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like Mac DeMarcoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new album? Talk to the claw.

44 thisisfakediy.co.uk

Pray For Mac

he cult of Mac DeMarco is a real, terrifying thing. It manifests itself into kids sporting checkered shirts, pumping fists underneath armpits to make fart noises. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s a bit crass. Don’t blame the cult leader though. He feels the same. “People make assumptions about me, about [my girlfriend] Kiera,” he says, speaking from a bedroom in New York, suitably wearing nothing but his underpants, he’s keen to add. “Kids are asking ‘Yo, where’s Kiki?’ I’m like ‘She’s at home. Where the fuck do you think she is? I miss her. Get the fuck away from me.’”

“I could go ‘Next album’s called ‘I Pooped My Pants’’ and people would believe it.” Mac DeMarco

Within two years plus of touring, Mac’s gotten himself into trouble on more than a couple of occasions. The reveal that ‘Freaking Out The Neighbourhood’ from previous album ‘2’ was a song about singing a U2 song with a drumstick up his backside? That raised a few eyebrows. He’s been accused of worse though. He makes out with bandmates on stage, pulls jokes about breaking wind. It’s never going to be to everybody’s taste. Mac’s also the first to admit that “it’s about learning what to hold back.” There’s not a lot that he managed to hold back in the years preceding. In part, that’s how breakthrough album ‘2’ sustained such a lifespan. On record, songs are backs-on-the-grass, sedated numbers. Live they manifest into full-band giants. Half of the time the frontman would wind up on a ceiling, dozens of hands below him ready for the catch. Bar the occasional cynic, not a single person in any given room wanted anything less than to be the guy’s best friend. In a click-friendly, standoffish age, it’s a brilliant example of rock’n’roll causing waves. It’d be foolish to expect Mac to give all that up just because a couple of naysayers aren’t into his sense of humour.

interview mac demarco

But he very nearly did. On one of the final legs of a world tour, the band wound up in Europe and Mac was a shell of a man; a walking beer can crushed into concrete. “My body didn’t even want me to get drunk,” he recalls. “It was this dark early-evening zone when you’re always drunk or sleepy. I really felt like the whole antics and persona whatever of the live show got so played out that it wasn’t fresh to me at all, or to any of the other guys. And I think the audiences were picking up on it. They’re not kids on the West Coast in the States where you fart on stage and they’re fucking screaming and flipping over. I was tired of it.” ‘2’ was a record that didn’t stop spreading, hence the endless amount of shows. Eventually Mac found a couple of months’ worth of space to rein things in and write some new songs. But he didn’t arrive home with the most fresh-faced of perspectives. “I was all ‘this fucking record, this fucking booking agent, this fucking touring, I don’t have the fucking time to make a new fucking album.’ I was just being a little brat about it.” Lead

“I was just being a lit tle brat.” Mac DeMarco

track on new album ‘Salad Days’, ‘Passing Out Pieces’, was the first written in sessions that would eventually last one month. The opening lyric goes: “Watching my life, passing right in front of my eyes.” It’s the sound of a guy looking in from the outside and practically wrenching at the sight of it. Resisting temptations to screw everything over and raise a middle finger to the Mac of old, he kept his focus. ‘Salad Days’ ups the charm, the personality and above anything else the honesty of his last record. If he previously had issues with fans knowing too much about him, he’s since shifted his stance. “I didn’t want to make an album complaining, going ‘Oh man, it’s so hard’. It’s really not. You just have to make better decisions and enjoy it. Because how many opportunities am I gonna have in my life to play the places I’m playing at?” For all the divisiveness around Mac’s onstage persona, ‘Salad Days’ shows him up to be a real softie. ‘Treat Her Better’ gets nasty at a macho mentality typically prone to a violent outcome. ‘Let My Baby Stay’ refers to the first year that Mac knew girlfriend Kiera (“For a long time she was here as an illegal alien so I was like, ‘You can stay with me, but I hope you don’t get kicked out of the States.’”) Away from the stage, there’s

46 thisisfakediy.co.uk

this sensitive soul that’s happy to express in conversation and on record. “Listening back to the songs, I’m almost terrified by the prospect of showing this to everybody,” he shyly admits. ‘Salad Days’ is a product of restlessness. “I was biting the bullet. I was starting to feel super crazy.” Given the 23-year-old’s previous track-record though, he could just as likely have strung out an album of manic, loony experiments. Contrast ‘2’ to previous album ‘Rock And Roll Night Club’ and it’s like witnessing Elvis scrapping the white suit for a ball of hay and some crocs. Mac admits that he was tempted to churn out something insane, to flip ‘2’ into a ‘5’. “I’ve just bought a whole load of ridiculous strange synths and shit - but if I released an album of synth music people would’ve been like ‘What the fuck’. I tried to keep it in the same ballpark.” He admits that ‘Rock And Roll Night Club’ was a “very strange thing”, an oddity in what’ll even become a vast back catalogue. “I don’t really remember what the fuck was going through my head at the time,” he jokes. “I think it was the last thing I made that was just press record, play, play it back again and go ‘Oh my fucking god this is hilarious.’” The mischievous side to Mac looked to have manifested itself as soon as ‘Salad Days’ was announced. First off, the title could be something belonging to Kings of Convenience or Moby after a trip to Whole Foods. Not this guy, though. Not the beer-chugging boozo that’s prone to a cheeky outdoor strip. “It’s funnier that people think it’s a prank in the first place,” he reflects. Despite ‘Salad Days’ being released in the States on April Fool’s Day, the actual prank occurred months before when word got round about a new album called ‘Eddie’s Dream’. It was all one gigantic wild goose chase. “I said it was coming out in 2017 - some bloggers posted it as fact,” Mac laughs. “It’s funny because there’s a lot of anticipation for ‘What’s Mac gonna do next? The first album came out two years ago.’ And I could go ‘Next album’s called ‘I Pooped My Pants’’ and people would believe it.” That’s how the cult of Mac DeMarco works, in effect. Resting on his every word, a musician who’s built his touring rep as talking shit (he’ll announce pregnancies, marriage proposals and incorrect song titles for kicks) is being treated like the second coming. But given the strength of ‘2’ and the sweet-toothed second helping that is ‘Salad Days’, he’s someone fully deserving of the fawning praise. It’s difficult to think of anyone else picking up this kind of reception and running with it the way Mac does. “I’ve had this weird mentality built into me where I’ll always try to entertain. I try to connect with the people there as quickly as possible. Something in me switches on.” This gap-toothed twenty-something isn’t flicking the off button just yet. Mac DeMarco’s new album ‘Salad Days’ is out now via Captured Tracks. DIY

SAYING HELLO TO SALAD Mac’s new album wasn’t one giant health binge. He locked himself in a bedroom, bought a coffee maker and went wild. Here’s his unique guide to how to stay healthy on the road. Fast Food “You get real sick if you eat McDonald’s every day.” Booze “It’s funny because on tour I’ll try and quit drinking for three days, but then I’ll be drinking beer when I’m playing a show anyway.” Both at the same time “My

body’s starting to do this thing where it’s like ‘You can’t eat that. You’re not gonna feel ok.’ That’s old man shit! I remember being able to drink 300 beers, it doesn’t matter. But now hangovers are feeling bad, stomach’s gonna feel like shit.”

interview brody dalle

“I like making records,” Brody Dalle explains. The

singer-songwriter is in London to play a rare one-off gig in support of forthcoming album, ‘Diploid Love’. “My favourite thing to do is to make a record.” ‘Diploid Love’ is Dalle’s first as a solo artist, following a career that began as a teenager, as the frontwoman and powerhouse of hardcore punks The Distillers, and which continued into the 00s with one-album wonders Spinnerette. Sat in a plush Shoreditch hotel room, she’s just unveiled the video for the first single from the record, ‘Meet The Foetus / Oh The Joy’, a track she wrote while – unbeknownst to her – pregnant. The video features a cartoon Dalle, dancing foetus with top hat and a three-eyed Shirley Manson. “I’ve always wanted to make an animated video,” she explains. “And that was my chance. You can’t re-create that with humans!” Much of the sounds on the record won’t come as surprise to anyone familiar with Dalle’s work – although at first glance it’s not quite as in-your-face. Not that Dalle thinks she’s mellowed. “I just feel the same. Sometimes I just wanna do something that’s more brash, and sometimes I wanna do something more understated. It just depends on how I feel that day.” “I can write any kind of music that I want,” she explains, of the benefits of no longer being tied to a band. “There’s also a lot of responsibility, I guess the onus is all on me, you know? And that’s both a good thing and a bad thing.” She laughs. “I can’t blame anyone else if shit goes wrong. It’s a vulnerable place to be, but I like that vulnerability. I’m not really afraid any more.” Dalle reckons she performed “about 90%” of the instruments heard on ‘Diploid Love’, listing “guitar, bass, a little bit of drums, Mellotron, Korgs, synths... all of them, just not all equally as well” as her repertoire. Also there, although yet to realise it for many years, was producing. “I just never put my name on it before!” she laughs. “I didn’t really know I could. Then I was like, wait a second, that’s what you do? That’s what I do! Oh, I’m a producer!”

Meet Brody Dalle

F o r m e r D i s t i l l e r s a n d Sp i n n e r e t t e f ro n t wo m a n , B ro dy Da l l e h a s t h row n off t h e r es t r a i n t s of b e i n g i n a b a n d a n d i s go i n g i t a lo n e . W e l l , n e a r ly. Wo r d s : E m m a S wa n n .

It’s a skill that – alongside co-producing with long-time collaborator and former Spinnerette Alain Johannes – Dalle has continued to hone, as recently as yesterday, as it happens. “I was in the studio last night in Tottenham,” she says, “and I was working on this song that I tried to finish for the record but it was eluding me. It’s like puzzle pieces,” she summarises, “you put the elements in. Like a bouquet of flowers, there’s an art to it. But it’s really fun, and it’s something I’m just starting to really delve in to.” That new-found passion rears its head on ‘Diploid Love’ in somewhat unexpected ways – both ‘Rat Race’ and ‘Underworld’ feature brass sections; the latter a distinctive Spanish feel. “Dynamic,” Brody explains. “You want dynamic, not just on eleven all the time. It’s the little things you 48 thisisfakediy.co.uk

interview brody dalle

appreciate.” Those brass sounds are provided by a few people, some familiar to British ears, some less so. “In ‘Rat Race’ it’s Alain,” Brody begins, “playing the trumpet and horns, and in ‘Underworld’ it’s this girl with some crazy-ass pipes. Her name is Cindy [de Shea] and she’s from this band of mariachi girls called The Mariachi Divas. And then the Mariachi El Bronx boys played on the end of ‘Underworld’, they played in the breakdown.” ‘Underworld’ wasn’t even intended to have that Spanish flair. “To me it sounded Russian,” she explains, of its origins, “and I was like, what does Russian music sound like? How do I incorporate that? And as it went along, I thought let’s try mariachi, and it worked, it worked really well.” News broke of Brody’s solo project after she posted a photo of The Strokes’ Nick Valensi on Instagram captioned “Thank you Nicky Valensi for the radass guitar.” “He’s my best friend’s husband,” she explains. Said bestie being actress-turned-photographer Amanda de Cadanet. “He’s a good friend of mine, and I love The Strokes, his guitar playing is so tasteful, and so beautiful and so cool.”

“She’s a great role-model for teenage girls to have, she really is,” Dalle continues. “She’s brutally honest, and so funny.” On being asked if she, Dalle, would see herself as playing a similar role to the next generation of girls, she dodges the question somewhat. “She sold millions and millions and millions of records!” Is it any different for women in rock in 2014 to when she started? “I mean...” she hesitates. “I’d like to think so. I hope so. I think a woman’s definitely more able to get up on stage without being heckled as much as she probably would have before. I mean, I never gave a fuck anyway, go ahead and heckle me, who cares? “Honestly, it’s just the beginning. I know that there are more girls at my shows than at, say a Queens [of the Stone Age] show or something. Sometimes you go to a dude’s show and it’s just a fuckin’ dick fest and it’s like, ugh. It’s the pack mentality, you know? You get a bunch of dickheads in a room...” She laughs, quick to clarify. “I’m not saying the Queens fans are dickheads, by the way! You just get a bunch of people in a room and shit is going to get out of control. And it can be really exciting, and really incredible. And sometimes it can feel like ugh.”

Since 2007, Brody has been married to Queens frontman (and human giant), Josh Homme, with whom she has two children. That’s a relentless recording and touring schedule nobody would wish on anyone’s spouse – and it’s perhaps here where Brody’s artistic independence comes into its own. “I wrote this record in increments, because it’s all I could do,” she explains. “My husband was gone a lot. I’m pretty much a full-time mum, and I also work full-time. It’s hard to imagine, but for what I do it means, like, if I have a song idea, and “I can’t I’m doing the dishes, I stop quickly and blame record into a microphone while my kid’s anyone else dancing around going ‘Mummy! Pay attention to me!’” She laughs. if shit goes

As for the other A-list contribution – with or without three eyes, “she’s the epitome of cool,” says Dalle of Garbage’s Shirley Manson. “She’s the best.” Dalle met Manson while they toured

wrong. It’s a vulnerable place to be.” Brody Dalle

together across North America in 2002. Despite the Scottish singer’s ubiquity in 90s Britain, it seems Garbage’s post-grunge pop didn’t make its way to Melbourne in quite the same way. “I didn’t know who she was,” Dalle admits. “I opened for No Doubt and Garbage, I’d heard her stuff on the radio, but I just fell in love with her. I started calling her my wife!”

50 thisisfakediy.co.uk

“My priorities have changed. The way my life is now, I can’t really devote that much love and attention to a gang, and run off in the night. I have a new gang at home, and it works out well. I can write on my own time, and on my own terms and not really have to worry about anyone else!” There are other perks – like touring her homeland alongside her husband. And Nine Inch Nails. “It’s like puzzle pieces,” she says. “We try and look for opportunities. It’s like a family trip! We’re working, but we’ll be together, it’s kinda the best of both worlds.” But even if she wasn’t able to tour the world, Dalle would, she says, be perfectly happy. “I write songs,” she says. “If I can play shows and still tour and have a career, then that’s like the fuckin’ Christmas on a stick for me.” Brody Dalle’s new album ‘Diploid Love’ will be released on 28th April via Caroline. DIY

With A Little Help From My Friends A handful of Brody’s pals lend a hand on ‘Diploid Love’, including… Emily Kokal Warpaint (pictured) “I wanted a really strong female element on the record.” Nick Valensi The

Strokes “He’s so cool but he’s very selfdepreciating, and he doesn’t realise how talented he is.” SHIRLEY MANSON Garbage “She’s the epitome of cool.”

Michael Shuman Queens of the Stone Age “He’s just a bad ass and his bass playing is so unique and creative.” If you listen carefully, you’ll also find violinist Jessy Greene (recently toured with Foo Fighters), Tyler Parkford (Mini Mansions), Darren Weiss (Papa) and Hayden Scott (AWOLNATION).

interview sohn

“At t h e e n d, it’s a map of me when yo u p u t 11 songs together.” SOHN

A great label, a brilliant debut album - now all SOHN needs is a lightsaber. 52

thisisfakediy.co.uk

f t e r s h oc k R es t l es s n es s an d a t e r r i b l e d i e t hav e d e f i n e d S O H N ’ s w h i r lw i n d pas t t wo y e ars . T h a n k f u l ly, h e ’ s a l s o p r o d u c e d o n e of t h e ye ar’ s es s e n t ial deb ut al b ums. W o r d s : Ja m i e M i lt o n , P h o t o s : P h i l S h a r p.

or SOHN to call his debut album ‘Tremors’ seems very fitting. This is a musician who’s been dealing with the aftershocks of endless internet hype for a year and a half. On the buzz band Richter scale, breakthrough track ‘The Wheel’ was off the charts. Keeping stock of everything that followed because the Vienna producer didn’t have any other songs at the time - this former Londoner has been playing catch-up ever since, his life progressing on out-of-body autopilot.

Somebody should pinch him as he sits down to take stock on a whirlwind eighteen months. Since ‘The Wheel’, it hasn’t just been his own material that’s struck a collective nerve. He’s also been hailed as a go-to producer for major label hopes, someone capable of adding an indefinable edge to the music of Kwabs, Banks and many more to come. There’s no sign of any of this stopping. Looking understandably dazed, his customary hood-andwooly hat attire can’t successfully cloak his sense of excitement. “I do not understand - I actually do not understand - that there’s a record out and that I’m signed to 4AD,” he stresses, just ahead of the album’s release. “When I think to watching other artists putting out a record on a label like that, I see it and think ‘I know what that would feel like if it was me’. But it doesn’t feel real. The main thing actually that’s surprised me about the way it’s gone into my brain. Because it hasn’t.” Sometimes going by the name ‘Toph’, SOHN’s experience spans back to 2004. The current guise he goes under isn’t something that’ll ever leave him. He calls the project an “exercise”, a means of discovering who he really is. “I feel very, very different to two years ago,” citing music as a source of self-improvement. He taught himself to cut back, pull punches. Most importantly, he learnt that “I want to be able to say less and mean more,” and it’s this restraint that plays into debut ‘Tremors’. “It’s like trimming a bonsai tree. It’s a constant thing of clipping away if you don’t need it, and trying to feel more comfortable in yourself. By saying less than I instinctively would have done or making the lines much shorter, it’s like forcing a spotlight on myself even stronger.” As a title, ‘Tremors’ is self-referential. Not in a cheesy, magic trick, ‘Have some of that’ sort of way. Yes, he’s arrived with an almighty, powerful record. But instead the title refers to his upbringing, the traits that weave their way into his psyche, in turn affecting the music he makes. “There are earthquakes in your life, in the sense that they never stop reverberating in everything that you do,” he starts. “Once those things have happened to you, you’re a changed person. Everything you decide to do in the future is different because of that. Some things you can’t even choose, decisions that you didn’t make... When you’re trying to build yourself as a human being, there’s loads that you have to chisel away.” A sense of control is what ‘Toph’ is most fixated on. On this debut, he barely lets slip for one second. Songs are refined - although not untouchable - works, plugging distinctly oldschool pop songwriting into a time machine of an aesthetic. If this record somehow sounds dated ten years in the future, the rest of the pack will have come a long way.

interview sohn

Still, if a strict discipline defines SOHN’s early work, a few things manage to spill out. Initially he’s quick to dismiss the idea that this album is somehow “autobiographical.” Despite this being his work, undoubtedly songs that relate to his own experiences, he likes to take a standpoint from the outside, peering in. That’s his initial claim. A little later he begins to backtrack. He must be bringing in elements of his own life, surely. “I guess those things are obviously in there... Maybe ‘Paralysed’. Ok and ‘Tempest’. ‘Bloodflows’ is too. Oh. Alright you’ve got me. Yeah maybe I’m talking bullshit.” He’s still stressing the point. “The thing is, I don’t write in a way which means that I necessarily know what it’s about, until it’s too late. Whatever comes out of my mouth happens. I write kinetically. It starts with words and… I just don’t like to admit that it’s autobiographical!” When these words supposedly spill out, they arrive in venomous form. ‘Paralysed’ tangles itself in vivid, slightly gross imagery (“twisted intestines” included) that’s somehow related to love. “Nobody can slit my throat / Nobody can leave me lying by the side of the road like you can” is the album’s best lyric, a stop-in-youyour-tracks moment that quite rightly, SOHN admits to being “very, very happy” about when it was apparently blurted out in a stream of consciousness. “It’s like word association,” he says of his technique. “At the end, it is a map of me when you put 11 songs together. It’s instinctive flashpoints that make sense when put together.” What makes ‘Tremors’ more than just a neat collection of well-written pop songs is the person behind it. In the beginning, even when his identity wasn’t out in the wide world and cards were firmly close to his chest, he’d speak openly about everything, about how he avoided too many live shows as a “tactic.” Back in March of last year, he said to DIY: “I’ve been told not to look at anything and to go to a room and make music.” Following that, he reappeared ahead of his first headline show at London’s Electrowerkz in October 2013. The album was

54 thisisfakediy.co.uk

finished. His body was shot. A diet of pickles and frankfurters had toppled him. Several months on and he’s still admitting to being slightly exhausted, “as you can tell”, he adds. “It’s a long period of time where I haven’t quite had a chance to anchor down, pretty much since we last spoke.” Two days back in London with parents for Christmas were rudely interrupted by New Year plans. Jet-setting to Berlin, then LA (where he still stuck to the all-black costume), there’s been zero pause. After this current conversation, he’s off to board a Eurostar where, on his one hour’s worth of free time, he’s just been asked to comp a vocal for a track. “Even as soon as you’re out of one thing, something else is put in front of you, you want to reach for it.” He’s clearly content with being caught up in the cycle of it all. “I find the only way to actually deal with it is to not hang on to anything,” he says, indeed looking pretty weightless considering the imminent release date, the countless plans on his shoulders. He doesn’t keep a record of what’s going on. Instagram isn’t his thing (“I’m terrible at that”). Diaries aren’t worth the hassle. Instead he’s drifting along to the reverberations of those earthquakes he’s so concerned with, ‘Tremors’ sending him on the right path. “I wasn’t prepared for the fact that it might be a real thing and that I’d suddenly be a real musician that puts out a real album people are actually even bothered about,” he jokes. “But the thing is, I don’t have an idea about what’s going on. Which is great, because I don’t wanna have one.” SOHN’s debut album ‘Tremors’ will be released on 7th April via 4AD. DIY

DIY at the Festivals SOHN will play at Latitude. See thisisfakediy.co.uk for details.

SOHN HOT RIGHT NOW

When it comes to fashion, ‘Toph’ is tough on himself. It’s difficult to think of a single occasion where he hasn’t been cloaked in darkness. With festival season getting into gear, he’s staying resolute to the all-blackeverything combo. “It keeps you from getting too hot actually, because the sun’s not on you,” he claims, fooling absolutely no-one. “Maybe in the summer I’ll just be in this but in linen.” There’s your exclusive.

“ I wa n t t o b e a b l e t o s ay l e s s a n d m e a n m o r e . ” SOHN

interview cloud nothings

a It c

h a c be

56 thisisfakediy.co.uk

all

yin s ta ge

a g s

du ne

rin

o g l

to ng

s. F

Clo or

T h e L o n g R o a d H o m e

g hin

y sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; D

l an

d Bal

t’ i, i

ak s t

so en

us ing

t o.

r Wo

am s: S

h ot

ylan Baldi isn’t your average twenty-two year old. His band Cloud Nothings are preparing the release of their fourth album, he has travelled across the globe touring and has also been on the receiving end of a whole heap of acclaim. Not that it shows in the slightest as Dylan, who’s completing a whistle-stop stay in London, is relaxed and modest. “I ate a steak yesterday and stepped on a frog this morning outside of the Wichita office,” he chuckles away groggily. What initially started as a bedroom project has come a long way since its creation. A drastic step in its gradual development came with the release of 2012’s ‘Attack on Memory’ - the first album recorded by the full band – due to its blistering intensity and more visceral nature. Despite the success of this release, Dylan didn’t feel under any pressure approaching its follow-up. “I mean it is nice when people like what you do,” he says coolly. “But I don’t really care necessarily. I just like to make music, so I was trying to make things that I like. As long as I like the record I’m pretty okay with it.” Cloud Nothings’ fourth album ‘Here and Nowhere Else’ is not only their most anticipated to date, but also their first to be conceived on the road during their relentless touring schedule. “The songs were sort of started on the road, but then we had a little break where I went home,” he begins to explain. “Within those couple of weeks before recording we fleshed everything out, so everything was written in different places, but the actual finalising and everything was done at home.” A gruelling tour of that scale did take its toll though

interview cloud nothings

and is an experience he isn’t keen to repeat, although Dylan does admit to enjoying touring in moderation. “That was insane. We are not going to do that again. I like touring to an extent, but I also like having a place I can say that I live,” he recalls. “I guess I realise I enjoy it more when I’m not doing it. In the middle of touring it can you drag you down a little bit, but when I’m not touring I get bored really fast of being in the same place for too long.” As well as life on the road affecting the way their new album was sculptured, it is also a subject that has seeped its way into many of the songs, including the album title, ‘Here and Nowhere Else’. “When we were touring so much I didn’t really have anywhere that I had as a home, so it was being able to be at home wherever you are essentially, like finding the little things in each place that can make you happy.” What keeps him happy when out on the road? “I love eating,” he laughs, before pausing. “I go to record stores, play a show and then go to bed. I could tell you a good record store everywhere in the world. I stick to the things I like.” The band debuted their album during a show at Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right, where they played it in its entirety. “I had a really good time. I don’t know what people thought,” he recalls. “I hope people liked it. A lot of standing and looking at us, which might be a good thing or might be a bad thing, but I thought it was fine.” Cloud Nothings’ live show has become renowned for its undiluted intensity and searing brilliance. Anyone who was at last year’s Visions Festival, where the band delivered a furious set showcasing some of their new material, will attest to this. “I didn’t want to not play those songs in the months between we finished recording and touring once the record comes out,” Dylan smiles. “I just want to keep it feeling fresh.”

58 thisisfakediy.co.uk

Although there aren’t such radical differences as with the release of ‘Attack on Memory’, there is a progression and refinement on this fourth album that is best shown by Dylan’s singing. The tense and harsh screams that characterised their last album are less prevalent. “The real reason why I tried to do it like that is because it was the one thing that I didn’t like about the last record,” he explains of this choice to use his voice differently. “I didn’t like listening to myself sing. I guess I just learnt to do it the way I like, so that I can make a record with every element that I enjoy.” Lead single and album closer ‘I’m Not Part of Me’ successfully shows off their most triumphant sounding noise rock to date. Whereas their last album simmered in places before boiling over into abrasive bursts of noise, on this album it consistently rips along with storming choruses following one another. Dylan, who is extremely laid-back and calm, is the complete opposite to some of the darker themes that his music deals with. However on this album he has managed lace those angry moments, with strands of optimism and positivity. “It’s not as dark for sure, but it is the same themes that I’ve been dealing with forever because I don’t have much else to write about really and I can’t tell stories, so it is very innerturmoil. It probably deals with it in a better and more mature way than the last record did, it isn’t just ‘everything is terrible’,” Dylan muses. “It’s more of a ‘there is some hope’ outlook, because there is, you know.” Not many twenty-two year olds have mastered their art like Cloud Nothings have, Dylan has every right to be hopeful. Cloud Nothings’ new album ‘Here and Nowhere Else’ is out now via Wichita Recordings. DIY

A room with a view

hroughout their hectic touring schedule, Dylan also had to contend with the dayto-day routine of band life, like producing artwork for their forthcoming album. “There is a funny story behind this,” he laughs. “I was supposed to have the artwork done a really long time ago and the label was emailing me asking, ‘Is this done yet?’ So I lied and said it was almost done. Eventually, I was back home to Cleveland and they said that they needed it today, so I looked out of my window and took a picture of the view. I think it makes sense going along with the theme.”

interview liars

I n 2 0 1 2 , L i a r s r e l e a s e d DIY ’ s A l bu m of t h e Y e a r , ‘ WI X IW ’ . No w t h e y ’ r e b a ck w i t h t h e fo l l o w up a n d i t ’ s g e t t i n g m e s s y . Wo r d s : D a n n y W r i g h t .

A Fine

“I downloaded a trial version of this voice changing thing - I think it’s for creepy people…” Angus Andrew

60 thisisfakediy.co.uk

Mess

“I

wasn’t thinking about making the next record. I was just making stuff with what I’d learned from ‘WIXIW’ and having fun with it. And that’s how the record began – there wasn’t really any kind of plan.” Angus Andrew is in a relaxed and refreshed mood, and you can hear it in Liars’ new record ‘Mess’, a blast of primal, electro-ecstatic, throbbing artnoise that’s full of adventuring abandon. It’s another sonic sidestep on Liars’ journey to becoming the most unpredictably brilliant band around. And yet we should probably expect it by now: since the punk funk of their debut they have shed genres and played with expectations. The trio – Angus Andrew, Aaron Hemphill and Julian Gross – have produced seven albums that manage to sound uniquely like Liars while not sounding anything like each other. It’s a hard trick to pull off but one that Liars always seem to manage. How do they do it? “The weird thing is that we’ve never been at odds about what the next step should be,” says Julian. “We’ve all just been on the same page. So someone’s like ‘Let’s fucking do electronic stuff’ and everyone’s like ‘Yes, totally.’” Angus concurs: “None of us are hung up on one way of looking at the band, so we can put away instruments and pick up brand new stuff and that keeps us on our toes.” Yet ‘Mess’ can be seen as a continuation of the band’s experimentation with electronics that we heard on last album ‘WIXIW’ – and it seemed natural to continue in that direction and see where they could take it. “Writing with electronic music is such a limitless well of possibilities,” notes Aaron. However, where that album was contemplative and introspective this one is more immediate – a word that the band uses a lot when talking about the album – and more based on instinct than analysis.

Liars: The least terrifying pirates that’ve ever existed.

“With ‘WIXIW’ when we started out we said we wouldn’t put any limit on how long it would take and that took two years,” Angus explains. “And though that

interview liars

“Electronic music is a limitless well of possibilities.” A a r o n Hemphill

was cool in a way it was also possibly detrimental. You get a little bit bogged down in all the possibilities. With this one we wanted to record it as soon as possible and not give ourselves a chance to question what we were doing. On the last album we had the computer manuals open trying to figure out what to do – with this record we could have fun with it and manipulate the sounds and make stuff more from the gut.” “It’s a lot more fun and carefree in that sense,” Julian adds. ”With ‘WIXIW’ we were a bit more OCD and we were poring over everything. This time it was more immediate.” And it’s something that you can hear on the record: the sense of the band having fun. It was one of the quickest records that they’ve recorded and that lent itself to a more instinctive, instant sound. “It’s more fun,” Angus says. “Sometimes we can over intellectualise what we’re doing and you can lose momentum and spark by doing that and this one was the opposite. We went crazy a bit.” That sense of fun can be heard right from the lyrics of opener ‘Mask Maker’ which begins with Angus’ distorted voice intoning “Take my

6262 thisisfakediy.co.uk thisisfakediy.co.uk

pants off ... Use my socks ... smell my socks ... eat my face off.” How did that come about? “I really wanted to affect my voice super weird and for some reason I downloaded a trial version of this non-musical voice changing thing – I think it’s for creepy people. And the trial was only twelve hours so I basically sat in the studio talking to myself for three or four hours and it just got weirder and creepier as it went along.” The album was also shaped by the fact that they could go out and play it live to see first hand the reaction of fans to the new material at shows like Primavera and Sónar. “It’s a cool way to do things,” Julian says. “We’ve never had that many songs written beforehand done and then toured with it.” Aaron agrees: “It was the first time we were able to play unreleased tracks for a long time – since [third album, 2006’s] ‘Drum’s Not Dead’. It was super beneficial and it’s something we want to do with the next record. It’s our chance to get a special kind of feedback and get a clear picture of what works.” “That’s what you do when you’re a younger band maybe,” Angus adds. “We haven’t done that in ages and it was a great way of approaching the record.” This fresh way of working seems to have opened even more doors for the band, and the fact that Liars could go anywhere appears to make Angus relaxed about what happens next. “The only thing you can plan on with us is that there’s a good possibility things aren’t going to stay the same. We’re not The Ramones - we’re not getting an idea and perfecting it with every record. That’s all I can rely on – that you’re not locked in to this way of thinking. After a year of being on the road with ‘Mess’ I might not want to listen to an electronic kick drum again and it’s cool that I can make that decision.” “I’m not sure of the next step,” Julian jokes, “we might throw our computers away and only make things out of stuff made of wood.”

Th e Im p o ss i b l e Q u e s t i o n

Liars’ new album ‘Mess’ is out now via Mute. DIY

How would Angus describe Liars to someone who’d never heard them? He ponders this for a second. “Speaking colloquially I’d say, ‘That band’s all over the shop’. People who like the band like some of the records more strongly than others. ‘Experimental to the point of trashing the antique store’ is how I’d describe us.” That sounds like the perfect description.

A ve y T a r e ’ s S las h e r F li c k s / B l o o d O r a n g e / B r o d y Dalle / C h et F a k e r / c h l ö e H o w l k aise r c h iefs / k elis / m a c d e m a r c o / o ff ! / p a r q u et c o u r ts / p la y l o u n g e / p u p / s n a k e h ea d s / t h e F ai n t / T h e h o l d stea d y / t h e m e n z i n g e r s / T H E o r w ells / T H E

It could be nobody else.

eeee

Damon Albarn everyday Robots (Parlophone)

64 thisisfakediy.co.uk

hen a record is labelled as eagerly anticipated, the suggestion is that a significant number of people have been patiently waiting for it for some time. With Damon Albarn’s first solo album, a whole generation has been on tenterhooks for longer than they’d care to divulge. One of the greatest songwriters of this or any other vintage, though Albarn’s output across a slew of definitive bands and increasingly diverse projects has been nothing if not prolific, this is a man so closely wound into the

fabric of British culture that any record under his given name was sure to be an event. The unfettered, raw output of the most chameleon like brain of the past quarter of a decade would be nothing if not fascinating. And so it proves. Though ‘Everyday Robots’ may well be exactly the album that has so long been expected, it’s that which makes it all the more effective. Existing in the expansive, eclectic edges of a brilliant mind and a world

/ c o ves / d a m o n alba r n / D r e n g e / E els / E M A / F ea r o f m e n / f o als / j a m ai c a / r a m o n a lisa / r at k i n g / s c h o o l o f la n g u a g e / s o h n / st . vi n c e n t / t h e a m a z i n g w y t c h es / t o d d te r j e / t r u st / w o o d s / w y e o a k

trackLIST 1. Everyday Robots 2. Hostiles 3. Lonely Press Play 4. Mr. Tembo 5. Parakeet 6. The Selfish Giant (featuring Natasha Khan) 7. You and Me 8. Hollow Ponds 9. Seven High 10. Photographs 11. The History of a Cheating Heart 12. Heavy Seas of Love

of music, this isn’t an album that could have existed under any other title. There’s none of the sepia melancholy or anthemic punch of Blur, nor the street smart raw attitude of Gorillaz; any material marked for future use there remains firmly unaired. Instead, this is definitively Damon Albarn. It could be nobody else. Understated beats, steel drums and picked guitars sit alongside often introverted lyrics and sleepy, almost soulful deliveries. Those pop hooks

remain, but they’re presented in increasingly interesting ways. The second half of two-songs-in-one ‘You & Me’’s refrain tumbles and falls again and again, never once becoming tired. ‘Hollow Ponds’ - a song framed about a small lake near Albarn’s Leytonstone childhood home - is almost autobiographical (“Modern life was sprayed onto a wall in 1993” even makes an appearance), while ‘Lonely Press Play’ takes a more escapist trip. An album that rewards investment,

‘Everyday Robots’ does have its more immediate moments. ‘Mr Tembo’, a gospel backed tale of a baby elephant, is nothing if not infectious, but it’s closer ‘Heavy Seas Of Love’ that’s the real diamond. With Brian Eno joining on vocal duties, it’s both wistful and euphoric at once - like The Good, The Bad & The Queen with a bigger engine, in many ways the best is saved for last. Like most things, it’s worth the wait. (Stephen Ackroyd) LISTEN: ‘Mr Tembo’, ‘Heavy Seas Of Love’, ‘Hollow Ponds’

reviews

alBums

eee

Kaiser Chiefs

Education, Education, Education & War (Fiction)

The truth of Kaiser Chiefs never sat true to the accepted line. Their perfectly pitched debut album may be an undoubted high, but since then it’s not been the solid decline some may suggest. Their oddball pop still bubbled away. From 2008’s ‘Good Days Bad Days’ to ‘Man On Mars’ from previous album ‘The Future Is Medieval’, t’Chiefs always had the ability to pull one out of the bag. ‘Education, Education, Education & War’ is unlikely to change the script, but worrying about that shouldn’t bother anyone. For those willing to listen, Kaiser Chiefs do still have something to say. Let those who are make up their own minds. Preconceptions are rubbish. (Ben Marsden) LISTEN: ‘Coming Home’

eeee

eee

SOHN

Ramona Lisa Arcadia

More ‘now’ than taking selfies with cronuts.

After collaborating with Beyoncé, the direction of Caroline Polachek’s Ramona Lisa seems like an odd progression. But with each repeated listen, ‘Arcadia’ is a showcase of Polachek’s songwriting mastery that prefers to subtly impress, rather than blindingly amaze. The delightfully obtuse and sometimes anxious sketches on ‘Arcadia’ are what make it both enjoyable and frustrating: there’s a continually nagging sense that she’s somewhat above it all as the album progresses. It’s certainly an artistic choice that’s to be appreciated, but the suffocated beauty at first seemingly deserves a stronger backing than what’s provided. It’s an endearingly frustrating record that deserves more treatment than it was given, if only for its stellar lyrical content. (Joe Price) LISTEN: ‘Wing of The Parapet’

Photo: phil sharp

Tremors (4AD)

London-raised, Vienna-based SOHN is above anything else an old-school songwriter, the term ‘producer’ doesn’t much suit him. He’s a vocalist first and foremost, and debut album ‘Tremors’ is a record that’s more ‘now’ than taking selfies next to a shelf full of cronuts. Opener ‘Tempest’ is designed to shock, built almost entirely out of vocal samples, while ‘Paralysed’ goes above and beyond clever tech tricks. Stripped down to bare bones, it’s the kind of emotion-comes-first ballad that would slot into any Radiohead record post-’The Bends’. Only in ‘Ransom Notes’ does the album fall a step short, sacrificing pop wit for pure sheen and lyrics that seem to meander. That moment aside, SOHN’s essentially written an album’s worth of brilliant pop songs. Hand any one of them to a superstar and they’d be laughing to the bank. But given the consistency of this guy’s output, plus his ability to stay ahead of the pack production-wise, it’s easy to imagine those heights being reached on his own. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Tempest’, ‘Paralysed’

66 thisisfakediy.co.uk

(Pannonica)

q&A Q&A Frontman Dale Barclay talks ‘Amphetamine Ballads’.

eee

The Amazing Snakeheads Amphetamine Ballads (Domino)

School of Language Old Fears

(Memphis Industries)

Not content with having an enviable back catalogue as a working partnership, Field Music have also deployed their many skills to their own solo endeavours, For second School of Language offering ‘Old Fears’ David Brewis has presented something a bit different. At the height of its pomp it’s a record which is equal parts lithe, slinky and effortlessly cool, tailor made for sashaying down a sunny boulevard in a white suit and loafers. Dynamic, warm, inviting and brilliantly executed, it marks out Brewis as arguably one of the country’s more underrated talents – and to think, this is the sort of thing he and Peter make when Field Music is having a ‘quiet’ period. (Gareth Ware) LISTEN: ‘Between The Suburbs’, ‘Dress Up’

Photo: emma swann

To call ‘Amphetamine Ballads’, the debut album from Glasgow trio The Amazing Snakeheads, grubby, is a bit like suggesting that Vladimir Putin is “a bit bossy”, or stating Usain Bolt is “quite good” at running. This record is so dark, so seedy, so grotty basement-fuelled, it’s possible to smell, feel and touch damp while it plays. Sure, it loses its way about two-thirds through via the meandering ‘Every Guy Wants To Be Her Baby’ and ‘Memories’, but there’s always the suggestion that it’s sort of the point, as its nicotine-stained blues rock sways with the same amount of menace as frontman Dale Barclay’s thousand-yard stare. (Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘Nighttime’

Where did you record the album? The album was recorded and mixed in Glasgow at the Green Door Studio with Emily MacLaren and Stuart Evans. Was it important to get a full album out super quick after the singles? We wanted the album out only when we were satisfied that we had taken it as far as we could. We made an album that we will stand beside for the rest of our lives.DIY

eeee

Photo: emma swann

reviews

eeee

Fear Of Men ee

eee

Wasted Years (Vice)

Soft Friday

OFF!

Coves

To say OFF! are back feels a bit weird; after all, they feature a bloke who used to be in Black Flag and the dude who bangs the drums in Rocket From The Crypt. What we’re presented with on ‘Wasted Years’ is 16 slices of ramshackle garage punk with its beating 80s heart worn well and truly on its sleeve. From the kicking, spitting fury of ‘Void You Out’ to the, er... kicking, spitting fury of ‘Exorcised’ only one song breaks the two minute barrier and the whole thing feels like a perpetual boot in the head. Is it a good album though? Well, it’s alright. The sound of four men keeping the original flame of punk alive – and there ain’t a damn thing wrong with that. (Tom Doyle) LISTEN: ‘Void You Out’

(Nettwerk)

68 thisisfakediy.co.uk

Heartache and revenge. It’s amazing how often those come up as the major influences on an album. ‘Soft Friday’ covers the end of Beck Wood’s (singer and lyricist) last relationship and is an album with doomed romance writ large over it. There’s bits of Mazzy Star in here, bits of the Velvet Underground and hints of the Jesus and Mary Chain - at least in the way that anyone who over the last twenty years has used fuzz as an artistic device hints at the Jesus and Mary Chain. But also, peeking out from under the cover of those influences, is an album that is atmospheric, distinctive and very enjoyable. (Tim Lee) LISTEN: ‘Fool For Your Face’

Loom (Kanine)

beautifully bleak. This may be Fear of Men’s debut album but we’ve had fair warning of their subtle and mesmerising charms: formed in 2010 there was a steady flow of singles that led up to last year’s ‘Early Fragments’ EP, which brought together a beautiful collection of light and dark pop songs. And here, on ‘Loom’ – which features ‘Seer’ and ‘Green Sea’ from that release – those elements of light and dark are harmonised once again. Apparently this record was often recorded through the night and that makes a lot of sense: there’s a feeling of the curtains being drawn and tales revealed and that dream-like state in-between awake and sleep feeling to it. With ‘Loom’, Fear of Men have created something more than mere fragments; a record which could engulf you if you give it a chance. (Danny Wright) LISTEN: ‘Inside‘

eeee

Mac DeMarco Salad Days

(Captured Tracks)

If ‘2’ saw in the party, ‘Salad Days’ is the morning after. After a year of smiling for the camera, Mac DeMarco needs to rest his eyes. Goofing around comes naturally, but don’t go thinking that facet of his personality arrives out of nowhere. ‘Salad Days’, Mac’s first record since breakout LP, 2012’s ‘2’, sticks to a traditional routine of ‘musician gets famous, musician isn’t sure if they like it’, but there’s more to it than that. The record’s opening, title track might as well be a direct response from Mac to being told he has another tour to take off on. He sings of “rolling through life, to roll over and die,” like a guy trying to knock down a tower of beer cans. Thankfully there’s hardly any wallowing, ‘poor me’ mentality on ‘Salad Days’. Mac barely backs away from the cheery, cheeky alternative rock of his last album. In fact the songs only sound sleeker, more melodic, more intensely stoned. That’s DeMarco in sum, and thankfully he’s not retreating into his shell just yet. ‘Salad Days’ also shows a wholesome soft side. Sexist jokes and crude fart noises from live shows are nowhere to be seen. ‘Treat Her Better’ doesn’t back down in making domestic violence a source of complete scorn. ‘Let Her Go’ tells a guy to grow up if he’s not taking his loved one seriously. And ‘Brother’’s chorus of “go home” is something every obnoxious lad should have tattooed on the back of their hand. Exit the oddball, cometh the sweetheart. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Passing Out Pieces’

eee

Wye Oak Shriek

(City Slang)

‘Shriek’ is something of a reinvention for Wye Oak. For a start, there are no discernible guitars on the album with Jenn Wasner preferring to switch to bass, and both members playing a gorgeous tapestry of layered keyboard lines that gives songs like the sashaying, sensual pop of ‘Glory’ a lovely bold and bright quality. It could be considered a brave move for Wye Oak to eschew almost everything that they were known for. It’s a decision that’s very much paid off. ‘Shriek’ is a considerable statement that opens up endless vistas of possibility for a reinvigorated band. (Martyn Young) LISTEN: ‘Before’

eeee

Trust

Photo: emma swann

Joyland (Arts & Crafts)

Gallant, atmospheric and desirably ostentatious - ‘Joyland’ makes a proud follow-up to TRUST’S 2012 not-quite-self-titled debut. Robert Alfons takes upbeat synth-pop and casts it into the shadows, ultimately, creating that contention which characterises his music. There are no half measures in ‘Joyland’, it’s a simple case of throwing in everything that’s rich and syncopated and somehow making it work. With three-note hooks and lofty, helium tones - flagship tracks like ‘Capitol’ and ‘Joyland’ stand as a great introduction for those who are new to the rebirth of 80s club, before being taken on to the erratic and avant-garde second half of the album. Although playful in a creative way, this is a serious album. TRUST doesn’t pay homage to the 80s, he damn well rewrites it. (Angel Lambo) LISTEN: ‘Capitol’

reviews

eeee

Brody Dalle Diploid Love (Caroline)

Part-time rock star, full-time awesome.

eeee

The Menzingers Rented World (Epitaph)

On ‘Rented World’, The Menzingers continue to draw from what they know best, recounting stories of dive bars, empty bottles and broken hearts. The album is remarkably consistent, rarely dropping below the level of excellence. From the storming chorus of opening track ‘I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore’ to the final hanging chords of closer ‘When You Died’ there’s barely a wasted moment. (Stuart Knapman) LISTEN: ‘In Remission’

70 thisisfakediy.co.uk

eee

ratking So It Goes

Former mastermind behind both The Distillers and the short-lived Spinnerette, even the title of this debut solo effort, ‘Diploid Love’, is a nod to the family life that’s taken Brody Dalle away from music for the past few years. But, with titles like ‘Don’t Mess With Me’, lyrics such as “I’m a sure-fire assassin” (‘Rat Race’) and the thunderous riffs of ‘Underworld’, there’s plenty of proof that signature bite is still present and correct. What’s more, the delicate ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’ and explosive (and yes, QOTSA-channelling) ‘Parties For Prostitutes’ show off a whole new dimension to the punk stalwart. (Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘Underworld’

(HXC)

Coarse with more than just mindless anarchy on the mind, there’s a message to decode on Ratking’s fulllength debut. ‘So It Goes’ is incredibly daring hip-hop that isn’t trying to impress, but does so anyway. Their sound borrows heavily from the early ‘90s hardcore that New York birthed, and is about as inviting as the more intense side of it too. Beastie Boys without a sense of humour if you will. Taken as a whole it’s hard to digest. However, as a starting point, ‘So It Goes’ is a damn fine one. (Joe Price) LISTEN: ‘Protein’

eee

jamaica Ventura

(Control Freak)

It’s clear within just minutes of opener ‘Two On Two’ that Jamaica really won’t be troubling any end of year lists. But, you can’t help but feel these are two French blokes who’ve made exactly the album they wanted to. Boundaries remain well and truly unpushed and the high water mark is rather dry, but ‘Ventura’ is an incredibly solid and polished offering. Jamaica are pretty happy just to appreciate the honesty of it all at face-value, using a charming simplicity and integrity to craft a light but consistently entertaining experience. And even if you aren’t with them in style (sure it’s not 2006 anymore, you could be forgiven) it’s hard not to be in spirit. That’s ‘Ventura’’s greatest achievement, it’s a feel good album, not through cynical design, but just through making whoever is listening feel good. (Matthew Davies) LISTEN: ‘Turbo’

eeee

playlounge pilot

(Dog Knights)

Playlounge really like fuzz. Like, really. So much of debut album, ‘Pilot’, is so smothered in it - like a dense winter fog - that it’s often impossible to make out what vocalist Sam is yelling about (usually comics, apparently), or easily discern where one track has ended and another begun. That said, he and partner in crime Laurie clearly have the knack for a melody or three, and there’s much to enjoy about this endearingly naive collection of songs. Driving guitars and the odd nod towards the thrashier end of indie-rock suggest there’s more to come, and that ‘Pilot’’s true home is on the live stage. (Ben Marsden) LISTEN: ‘Daisy Chain’

eeee

ema

The Future’s Void (City Slang)

This is the first release via EMA’s new labels, Matador (in the US) and City Slang (in Europe). Accordingly, ‘The Future’s Void’ is an obvious step-up right from the start. Immediately, lead single ‘Satellites’ is bigger, brasher, bolder, catapulting the listener into outer space. The technological intrusion continues on ‘So Blonde’, much more straightforward but equally impressive exposé on the solitude of the modern age. Political issues and the chaotic present-day take precedence on this second LP proper. As far as worldly outlooks go, it’s a pretty pessimistic one. EMA has a lot of things to say, and we should probably be listening to them. (Huw Oliver) LISTEN: ‘Neuromancer’

eee

The Hold Steady Teeth Dreams

(Washington Square)

lacks bite. The Hold Steady still insist on riding their brand of likeable rock n roll and America-centric storytelling. Yet, there are a few noticeable tweaks to the formula here, not least the influence of producer Nick Raskulinecz. ‘I Hope This Whole Thing Didn’t Frighten You’ is noticeably more muscular than anything in the band’s back catalogue, largely thanks to the addition of guitarist Steve Selvidge. Yet this new asset to the team feels woefully underused beyond this track, as the band seemingly choose to take the line of least resistance and go on cruise control. Whilst this isn’t a bad album, it feels pedestrian and ordinary compared to what The Hold Steady are capable of. (Bevis Man) LISTEN: ‘The Only Thing’

eeee

Eels

The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett (PIAS)

Autobiographical or not, it’s great. As Eels’ main man has made so much of his personal life public in the past, it’s not out of the ordinary to assume an album titled ‘The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett’ might just be autobiographical. But Everett’s impeccable songwriting talents are such that it’s also possible to forego any lyrical themes and just enjoy the album as it is: a gorgeous, luscious Eels record, sounding every bit as familiar as any of that suggests, the country-tinged guitars, the organs, piano, sprinkling of xylophone and those comfortingly gravelly vocals with which the world’s in love. Whichever way this eleventh (!) album is taken, it’s bound to be enjoyed. (Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘Lockdown Hurricane’

eeee

Todd Terje It’s Album Time (Olsen Records)

’It’s Album Time’ is a party album. Tracks like the Latin flavoured, ’Svensk Saas’ or the whooshing spacey funk of ’Swing Star part 2’ are outrageously good fun and will appeal to anyone who loved ‘Random Access Memories.’ It positively revels in insouciant cool and beatific disco vibes; Todd Terje’s sound is very much rooted in the stylish space disco sound of Giorgio Moroder and here he teases his mesmerising arpeggiated beats in all manner of directions. What’s more, there’s a wonderfully playful quality at play: this is music that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Tracks like ‘Leisure Suit Preben’ sound like soundtracks to quirky European detective dramas. Lounge music in the best sense. (Martyn Young) LISTEN: ‘Johnny and Mary’

72 thisisfakediy.co.uk

eee

Woods

With Light and With Love (Woodsist)

‘With Light And With Love’ is the true melding of both sides of Woods’ collective personality, standing as perhaps their most immediate, but also most expansive release yet. To put it simply, it’s a good clean folk record, with an ever-so-slightly adventurous edge. Mostly concerned with being pretty and telling a compelling story, its pristine presentation envelops with its beauty, even if it’s sometimes predictable. There’s somewhat of a constant nag for the more experimental and weird elements to incorporate themselves even more, but they never do. Yet what ‘With Light And With Love’ lacks in surprises, it more than makes up for with quality. (Joe Price) LISTEN: ‘Leaves Like Glass’

Photo: mike massaro

reviews

eeee

Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks enter the Slasher House (Domino)

eeee

Kelis

Food (Ninja Tune)

Kelis at her most effortless. Kelis has always followed her instinct, to admittedly varying effect. It’s this fearlessness that makes her more than just a carbon-copy pop star – Kelis is an artist. Whether drastically changing direction and working with David Guetta and will.i.am on fifth album ‘Flesh Tones’, or deciding to enroll at Le Cordon Bleu and presenting her own cookery programme, Kelis Rogers answers to nobody. These days she’s not only a musician, but a trained saucier. On ‘Food’, her kitchen is Ninja Tunes, TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek is her ideal sous-chef match. Six albums in, Kelis picks up all her various threads of genre, and brings them together into a spaghetti of summery, humid music that sounds as classic as it does subtly experimental. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Biscuits n’ Gravy’

Hard to pinpoint but at the same time making perfect sense, ‘Enter The Slasher House’ scoops up all of Avey Tare’s consistently experimental songwriting and lets each component run amok in a crazy circus of his own design. Avant-garde is only ever fun when it seems somehow human, and this captures that engaging essence. With the help of Angel Deradoorian and Jeremy Hyman, David Portner’s vision comes to life, with a wonderfully in-yourface pop gaudiness. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Little Fang’

eeee

Chet Faker Built On Glass (Future Classic)

‘Built on Glass’ sounds almost as brittle as it title would imply. The album continues the same slowdown aesthetic found on Chet Faker’s collaborative EP with fellow Aussie Flume and expands upon it considerably. It drifts from forlorn to detached, with Faker’s vocals acting as the primary focus. Luckily, his falsetto is more than up to the task. With the exception of ‘Blush’ – which sounds like FKA twigs-lite – each track feels like it’s exactly where it needs to be. There’s a methodical arc to its progression, but really, it’s the elements around the majestic mouth organ that make ‘Built on Glass’ the exciting debut that it is. (Joe Price) LISTEN: ‘Cigarettes & Loneliness’

reviews

MAD SOUNDS

Pup give an insight into the p l ay l i s t b e h i n d t h e i r d e b u t.

Titus Andronicus The Monitor

This album didn’t leave the van CD player for the whole three weeks we were tracking the album. The lyrics and the hooks on ‘The Monitor’ are incredible. Every morning we picked up our producer, Dave [Schiffman], on the way to the studio, and he’d be like “Jesus, do we have to listen to this same album every day?”.

The Bronx III

One time we were on the road for like six weeks and only brought maybe ten CDs along with us. One of them was The Bronx’s ‘III’, and it was the first album we listened to every single day of that tour. It was also the only album in the van that we didn’t hate by the end of that tour.

Bruce Springsteen Nebraska

When we were in the studio I was going through this phase where I was only reading true crime books. I had it in my head that we should end the record with a weird, messed up murder ballad. I don’t know why. Anyway the last song on our record is called ‘Factories’ and it’s inspired by ‘Nebraska’.

74 thisisfakediy.co.uk

eeee

PUP

PUP (SideOneDummy)

Sure, PUP are a band to pour their guts into their craft, but they also aren’t going to take themselves wholly seriously. When the going gets tough, PUP are a band more likely to shotgun a beer than write a whiney blog post, and that’s something perfectly exhibited by all of the wailing whoa’s and shredding solos strewn across this self-titled record like the aftermath of your graduation night. Lead single ‘Reservoir’ is the perfect example of PUP’s ferocity, and is the perfect example of how the band race triumphantly alongside other throttle-pushing pioneers like FIDLAR and The Orwells. All-in-all it’s an extremely commendable effort that solidifies PUP as one of this year’s bands to get sweaty to at a festival. (Tom Walters) LISTEN: ‘Lionheart’

eee

The Faint

Doom Abuse (SQE Music)

‘Doom Abuse’ is as much a surprise to The Faint as it is to us – and it’s a pleasant one. There are snippets of the blistering punk last heard in 2004’s ‘Wet From Birth’ in undoubted stand-out, the brilliant ‘Salt My Doom’, as well as the almost-as-frenetic ‘Dress Code’ with its computerised vocals, and the surf guitar-laden ‘Mental Radio’. There’s also a nod to their darker side with the suitably bonkers ‘Your Stranger’, and closer ‘Damage Control’ is the best kind of album closer, its slower pace, morning-after theme and epic sounds somewhat of a curveball. So it’s good – but not great. Save for the verses being more indicative of the band’s early releases, ‘Lesson from the Darkness’ is largely forgettable, as is the fairly standard ‘Loss of Head’ and ‘Scapegoat’, which at times resembles an Andrew WK live backing track. Still, nobody presents a cacophony of synthetic noise quite like The Faint. (Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘Salt My Doom’

games

Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC Hey, guys, let’s turn an endearing and curiously memorable tower defence franchise into a giant, sluggy, mediocre third person shooter, guys! Okay, guys? Guys? Thankfully and, you’ll probably agree, somewhat luckily, it isn’t quite as bad as all that. The transition from strategybased puzzler to Gears Of War: Germination isn’t wholeheartedly shit, but its lack of maps, lack of diversity and its over-

eagerness to provide you with absolutely everything the game has to offer within the first hour or so leaves it a little dry and undernourished. As a team of plants or zombies battling it out in suburbia, the colourful charm of the series persists despite the slow-paced battling and very limited powers. While it’s easily exhausted, the sense of fun remains - so the weed-killer won’t be necessary.

Thief

(Square Enix) – Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, PC

Pilfering every distracting shiny bauble you see, Thief is a game that sticks rigidly to the implications of its title. Playing as Garrett, the master klepto, this is a distinctively lastgen affair reeking of archaic and stale mechanics. Taking place in The City (no, not London, you self-centred pricks), this isn’t the sprawling, traversable world you’d hope for where you nimbly leap betwixt window-frames and rooftops, foxily nabbing valuables from unknowing victims, but a clunky cage of an extended mini-game marred further by a shallow story. While swooping around the streets and peering round corners like a paranoid pervert and getting stuck into side-missions, which open up The City’s personality much more than the main campaign ever does, isn’t altogether bad, there’s a real sense of a lost opportunity stolen from the series’ healthy heritage. That said, if you have the patience to put up with all that stealth and achingly long loading segments, this may be worth buying rather than thieving.

Titanfall

(EA) – Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

What’s more important than this explosive multiplayer shooter’s mech-pulverising combat; and its free-running, parkour-style aerial attacks; and its fast-paced, accessible, screeching, Call Of Dutymeets-Quake-meets-Vanquish waaaarghh-inducing gameplay? What’s MORE important than all of that? This is the game that might be finally worth going next-gen for, that’s what. 75

reviews

live Yannis from Foals mistakes Ally Pally for an Olympic Park lap of honour.

76 thisisfakediy.co.uk

Photos: Carolina Faruolo

foals

alexandra palace, London

bombastic, primal brilliance. If, with ‘Holy Fire’, Foals were aiming for stadium-sized success, then tonight’s second sold out show at Alexandra Palace seems to more than justify their ambition. This is a huge show in every way: a monstrous sound with effects pedal sonics bouncing off the antique walls and echoing around a worshipping crowd. It’s fascinating to see how the band have grown, from the itchy jittery rock of their debut, they’ve grown muscle and tonight their sound fills every inch of the venue. It’s also an extremely slick show (perhaps too slick at times), and there’s a light show that appears to have cost the GDP of a small Eastern European country. They begin with the now customary ‘Prelude’. Lights dazzle and it builds and throbs. It’s the tightest they’ve ever been. Then there’s a thrilling ‘Total Life Forever’ and they blast and whizz through the infectious bounce of ‘Your Number’. Yet it’s when they cut loose that they sound most like they’re meant for the top table of rock. Yannis bellows “Let’s do this” before an impassioned version of ‘Providence’ and they start to fray at the edges in the best way: still bombastic but at the same time this is primal brilliance. “I know I cannot be true / I’m an animal, just like you” he yells before diving backwards into the crowd. ‘Spanish Sahara’ gets the most vociferous reaction: the juxtaposition of lyrics about a nightmarish and ravaged place and the girls and shirtless men on shoulders, fists pumping and chanting the lyrics back is something to behold. As the track builds and builds the whole room starts to shake. Yannis proceeds to climb speaker stacks, green and red lights cut through the crowd like lasers and the frontman seems genuinely touched by the fervor of the crowd. “When we played here supporting Bloc Party this place seemed so big because nobody was here,” he recalls. But by the time they end the set with ‘Inhaler’ – its huge, almost U2 chorus, reverberating around the building – the band have the crowd in the palm of their hands. They encore with ‘Hummer’ and ‘Two Steps Twice’. Yannis surveys the crowd, now baying for more music. “You’re fucking nasty,” he laughs. And it’s prophetic: during ‘Two Steps’ a nearby man strips naked and stands proudly on his friend’s shoulders. If inducing people to strip naked is in their power, then Foals are primed for even bigger things. For now it’s just fantastic to see a British band grow from Barflys to headlining festivals. If tonight’s show is anything to go by, this summer will belong to Foals.(Danny Wright)

“That was actually a spiritual experience! I am starting to think that Yannis Philippakis is actually God! It’s freaking me out a bit, at one point on stage with the lights hitting him from behind I thought ‘this man is the Messiah’. I think I might start converting people to the religion of Foals.”

“It was fucking mental! So good!”

“It was really intense, the whole experience. Today it was much better than yesterday!”

“Have a look at my flag, I take it to all their concerts.”

reviews

Village Underground, london

It’s Blood Orange’s first gig on these shores for almost three years. Village Underground is packed. And as Dev Hynes is joined on stage by Friends vocalist (and girlfriend) Samantha Urbani and band, the polished sound of ‘Cupid Deluxe’ is transformed in to something more visual tonight. Not least thanks to Hynes’ fluid yet snappy dancing. There’s little between-song patter with just a couple of polite thank yous to his collaborators and the audience towards the end. Single ‘Chamakay’ is a highlight - tonight Urbani steps in to Caroline Polachek’s shoes and proves herself as much a part of the night as the man himself. There are elements of 80s Prince in some of the funkier tracks and in a month where much of London’s music fans have been whipped into a frenzy desperately trying to catch a glimpse of the American megastar tonight we could well be witnessing a contender for his crown. The slick and soulful grooves of ‘Always Let You Down’ with its repetitive “I can only disappoint you” refrain are reminiscent of those on the tracks Hynes produced for Solange last year and with the added vocals from Urbani the song’s emotion resonates around Village Underground quite beautifully. It’s a testament to Hynes as an artist that he is able to fuse together different styles to create something so stunning. (Gillian Fish)

78 thisisfakediy.co.uk

Photo; Abi dainton

Blood Orange

subterranean hometown... orange?

chicago punks bring the illinois-e.

the digital and the literal witness annie clark mesmerise.

St. Vincent

the orwells

shepherd’s bush empire, london

The crazy erratic buzztooth of ‘Rattlesnake’ kicks in, opening the night, and Annie Clark stands centre stage, looking intently through the room and jerking her head like a short-circuiting android from a Philip K. Dick novel. The beginning of the set is ‘St. Vincent’ heavy, but these songs elicit the same response as ‘Cruel’, ‘Year of the Tiger’ and ‘Cheerleader’ later on. It seems unbelievable that this is an airing of an album that isn’t even out yet. Clark and guitar seem to be conjoined, and as she dances over frets, the melody lines fly out like groove-worms that burrow their way into your frontal lobe. It’s also effortless, and most of the time her hands seem to be making musical patterns by their own accord. She ends her set with a batshit crazy descent into prog-rock shredder-guitar mayhem, and the encore isn’t full of the choices that you would expect from anybody else. A stripped down version of ‘The Bed’ and the equally sinister abrasion of ‘Your Lips Are Red’ close instead, and it wouldn’t be right any other way. Intense, befuddling, formidable, and fearsomely talented, Annie Clark is doing things the St. Vincent way, and it works extraordinarily. (El Hunt)

Photo: carolina faruolo

Tonight at the 100 Club, it’s clear nothing has changed from The Orwells’ early days. They’re still ridiculously young and reckless, they’re still just the right amount of arrogant, and they’re still an irresistible, charming mess. Opening with the instantly recognisable howl from ‘Other Voices’, singer Mario Cuomo commands the stage with the unabashed confidence and carefree abandon. Yet amid such pure, unadulterated chaos, it’s easy to forget The Orwells actually make superb music. ‘Other Voices’, ‘Who Needs You’, and ‘Blood Bubbles’ all sound huge, and showcase their brilliant knack for blending edgy, punk instrumentation with memorable pop melodies. They’ve absolutely got it in spades. (Nathan Standlee)

Photo: nathan barnes

100 Club, London

reviews

photos: Carolina Faruolo

games

Parquet Courts Electric Ballroom, London

A recent performance of ‘Stoned and Starving’ on Fallon seemed to show Parquet Courts were ready to go one step further. Guitars went headto-head with screeching amplifiers, each member looking anything but camera shy. Their third UK gig of the year sees the same approach come into view. It’s not like they were hiding behind microphones at gigs last year, but this time round they’re practically inches away leaping off the stage. Half of tonight’s set is made up of new material, and it’s impressive. The band’s energy remains potently feral, even if songs like ‘Duckin and Dodgin’ and ‘Vienna II’ might get a furrowed brow of a response if they tried hanging out on record with ‘Light Up Gold’. What’s even more enlivening is the crowd’s response. Nothing new quite has the repeated, immediate impact of a ‘Borrowed Time’, but it doesn’t exactly take long for inquisitive looks to morph into busied limbs. There’s a momentum that’s been behind these guys ever since word started spreading. It hasn’t stopped going. If last year felt like their moment, just wait for what’s coming next round the corner. (Jamie Milton)

nyc holds ‘court’ in camden town.

chlöe’s howl-ing her way to the stars.

ChlÖe Howl, At just 18 years of age, all freckles and lighthouse smile, Chlöe Howl already looks and feels so much the part as for it to be almost frightening. There is authenticity when she opens her mouth too. Whether it is to tease out the nuances of the lovelorn ‘It Takes Me A Long Time’ or to profess that she has banged a shot of Dutch courage before this evenings’s show, there is something naively, beautifully honest about Howl that you can’t help but fall in love with. She gives the skittish, high energy performance one might expect of a teenager. Gamely flipping the audience the bird during No Strings and offering a yelping, quasi-punk take on some of the more stomping tunes in her (already impressive) arsenal. This is the next vanguard of brilliant British pop right here, right now. (Tom Doyle) 80 thisisfakediy.co.uk

Photo: Abi Dainton

Dingwalls, London

photos: Carolina Faruolo

the loveless boys be-wytch.

Drenge / The Wytches Scala, London

That there’s not a second of tonight’s headline set that doesn’t have at least one audience member surfing their neighbours’ hands above is testament to just how hot a property Sheffield-based brotherly duo Drenge are. That there are circle pits by the third song of tonight’s main support The Wytches’ set shows there’s more than just the endorsement of prominent politicians going on in British rock right now. The Wytches’ self-styled surf doom is already familiar to such a great swathe of the crowd, that by the time their set’s over, there’s a full-scale singalong. The sold-out Scala’s already at capacity and there’s the distinct impression the Brighton-based trio will find 2014 firmly in their hands. Then it’s time for the Loveless boys to take their turn. The Scala erupts in to a mass of crowd surfers, circle pits – one plucky crowd member briefly breaks the fourth wall in order to stage-dive – and screamalongs. There’s a couple of lighters held aloft, and despite deliberate communication to the audience being kept to a minimum – just Eoin’s obligatory thanks before closer ‘Fuckabout’- Rory joins in on the fun, throwing water and bottle caps his brother’s way. That it’s a night of the best kind of mayhem is proven when the PA blasts out ‘Anarchy in the UK’ as the room empties – and it sounds oddly weak after this. (Emma Swann)

c I n d ie

D r ea m b o at

Of the Month

Hayden Thorpe Wild Beasts Nickname Norm. I was bestowed with the grand title Hayden Norman Thorpe at birth. Leonard Cohen’s middle name is also Norman. That helps. Star sign Capricorn. The goat. Not a great believer in the mystics to be honest. Pets I got a cat when I was 11, she’s still going strong at 17 human years old. She lives at my Dad’s house in Kendal. She goes by the name Puss Cat. Favourite film One of Almodovar’s I should think. Perhaps Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown. He pulls off the absurd like no one else. Favourite food Mexican, I’m sure there’s some Latino blood in me somewhere though unfortunately it won’t reveal itself on the surface. Drink of choice A beer almost certainly. I have a hangover right now so I don’t want to think about it. Favourite scent Maybe lilies. Bloody hell that sounds so wet. Freshly ground coffee then. If you weren’t a pop star, what would you be doing now? I’d like to think I’d be a psychologist in some classy part of town pouring over pampered housewives’ anxieties. Not too dissimilar a line of work really. Chat up line of choice: I’m in a band, me.

DIY 82 thisisfakediy.co.uk

17TH - SUNDAY 20TH JULY 2014 THURSDAY HENHAM PARK

SOUTHWOLD, SUFFOLK

FESTIVAL

JAMES

KELIS

BILLY BRAGG

PHOSPHORESCENT

THE AFGHAN WHIGS

BOOKER T. JONES • TINARIWEN BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC STAGE

(DO IT AGAIN 2014)

SLOWDIVE • ANNA CALVI JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW GOAT • TEMPLES • SOHN DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES HOZIER • SAN FERMIN

JUNGLE • CONOR OBERST AGNES OBEL • DAMIEN JURADO

CLEAN BANDIT THE WAR ON DRUGS PARQUET COURTS GEORGE EZRA • VALERIE JUNE

ARENA

JULIA HOLTER • NILS FRAHM

CASS MCCOMBS • DAWES • EAGULLS • EAST INDIA YOUTH • HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER • JOHN WIZARDS • JOSEPHINE FOSTER KORELESS • KWABS • MARIKA HACKMAN • MIGHTY OAKS • RY X • SON LUX • TEEN • THE ACID • THE FAT WHITE FAMILY • TOM VEK COMEDY

DARA O BRIAIN MILTON JONES • AL MURRAY’S SALOON SHOW • JOSH WIDDICOMBE • TIM KEY

MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE & ANDREW MAXWELL • JOSIE LONG • KATHERINE RYAN TREVOR NOAH • SEANN WALSH • TOMMY TIERNAN • HENNING WEHN • JEREMY HARDY

MILES JUPP • DOC BROWN • CARDINAL BURNS • THE PAJAMA MEN • SARA PASCOE • FELICITY WARD JAMES ACASTER • ARTHUR SMITH • ROB BECKETT • NICK HELM • KERRY GODLIMAN • GLENN WOOL HANNAH GADSBY • TIFFANY STEVENSON • JARRED CHRISTMAS • PAPPY’S • ROISIN CONATY • ROMESH RANGANATHAN

JOE LYCETT • MIKE WOZNIAK • MAX & IVAN • JOHN KEARNS • JOEL DOMMETT • LIAM WILLIAMS • TOM ROSENTHAL AISLING BEA • JOHN ROBINS • NISH KUMAR • ERIC LAMPAERT • CELIA PACQUOLA • SUZI RUFFELL • JAMIE DEMETRIOU

ALFIE BROWN • BOBBY MAIR • PAT CAHILL • ANGELA BARNES • PHIL WANG • IVO GRAHAM • TANIA EDWARDS • KWAME ASANTE JOSEPH MORPURGO • HARRIET KEMSLEY • DAVID MORGAN • JONNY PELHAM • DANE BAPTISTE • GABBY BEST • SARAH CALLAGHAN CHORTLE STUDENT COMEDY AWARDS • THE NOISE NEXT DOOR • THE ONLY WAY IS DOWNTON • THE SUNDAY ASSEMBLY CARIAD LLOYD, LOUISE FORD & HOLLY BURN CHARACTER COMEDY SHOW • MCNEIL & PAMPHILON • CLUB SOL • WITTANK MORE COMEDY HEADLINERS TO BE ANNOUNCED

FILM & MUSIC

BOB AND ROBERTA SMITH • THE ART PARTY!

KATE TEMPEST • SHLOMO & FRIENDS • ESBEN & THE WITCH SCORE LA ANTENA (LIVE)

POETRY & LITERARY

ROGER MCGOUGH • BEN OKRI • GILLIAN CLARKE • MICHAEL ROSEN • HOLLIE MCNISH SCROOBIUS PIP • LEMN SISSAY • REEPS ONE • POLARBEAR • LUKE WRIGHT • DIZRAELI

TIM CLARE • SABRINA MAHFOUZ • LUKE KENNARD • MARK GRIST • GEORGE THE POET • ELVIS MCGONAGALL • PAGE MATCH

JON RONSON • JAMES BANNON • ROB EVANS • JOHN OSBORNE • FESTIVAL OF THE SPOKEN NERD