Go Big or Go Home

DIY

SPECIAL SXSW 2019 EDITION In association with

19 0 2 7-10 MARCH

Pianos 158 Ludlow St.

Arlene's Grocery 95 Stanton St. Thursday, March 7 Main Room

2:00–5:00 Panels

Bowery Electric 327 Bowery

Berlin Under A 25 Avenue A Thursday, March 7 Main Room

7:00 Mimico (CA) 7:45 Lila (CA) 8:30 Graham Van Pelt (CA) 9:15 Theodore (GR) 10:00 Munya (CA) 10:45 Das Body (NO) 11:15 Laura Carbone (DE)

Friday, March 8 Main Room

7:00 Bruiser Queen (US) 7:45 TV Sets (CA) 8:30 The Casual Sexists (US) 9:15 Nastie Band (US) 10:00 Weeping Icon (US) 10:45 The Ninth Wave (UK)

Saturday, March 9 Showroom

7:00 Body Type (AU) 7:45 Motherhood (CA) 8:30 Kings Of The Beach (ES) 9:15 Walrus (CA) 10:00 flirting. (UK) 10:45 Penelope Isles (UK)

Coney Island Baby 169 Avenue A

The Delancey 168 Delancey St. Thursday, March 7 Downstairs Lounge

Thursday, March 7 Main Room

NORTHERN BEAT:

PRESENTED BY THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF CANADA IN NEW YORK IN ASSOCIATION WITH CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK AND THE GUILD OF MUSIC SUPERVISORS, CANADA.

8:00 Tallies (CA) 9:00 Lila (CA) 10:00 Ellis (CA) 11:00 Dusted (CA)

5:15 Johnathan K (CA) 6:00 Gloin (CA) 6:45 Jaunt (CA) 7:30 Lev Snowe (CA) 8:15 Blue Odeur (CA) 9:00 Goodbye Honolulu (CA) 9:45 Sorry Girls (CA) 10:30 Avalanche Party (UK)

Friday, March 8

Downstairs Lounge

(featuring Brian from Holy Fuck)

Friday, March 8 Main Room

7:00 Blue Odeur (CA) 7:45 Bilo (ES) 8:30 Motherhood (CA) 9:15 Corey Flood (US) 10:00 :Papercutz (PT) 10:45 Grim Streaker (US)

Saturday, March 9 Showroom

7:00 Construction & Destruction (CA) 7:45 Orchards (UK) 8:30 Hickeys (ES) 9:15 Be Forest (IT) 10:00 Yohuna (US) 10:45 Fatherson (UK)

Our Partners

5:15 Baywaves (ES) 6:00 Close Talker (CA) 6:45 Fruit Tones (UK) 7:30 Mavi Phoenix (AT) 8:15 Intertwine (NO) 9:00 Long Neck (US) 9:45 The Other End (NO) 10:30 Sorry Girls (CA)

Saturday, March 9 Downstairs Lounge

DIY / BIG INDIE PARTY 6:00 Orchards (UK) 6:45 Penelope Isles (UK) 7:30 TBA 8:15 Jackie Venson (US) 9:00 Gnarcissists (US) 9:45 Nancy (UK) 10:30 Body Type (AU)

Thursday, March 7 Main Room

7:00 Blushed (US) 7:45 Bilo (ES) 8:30 The Ferdy Mayne (US) 9:15 Motel Raphaël (CA) 10:00 Lost Cousins (CA) 10:45 Pom Pom Squad (US) 11:15 Thick (US) Map Room

7:45 Nancy (UK) 8:30 Lava Fizz (ES) 9:15 Lina Tullgreen (US) 10:00 Gloin (CA)

Friday, March 8 Main Room

7:00 Jan Verstraeten (BE) 7:45 Palberta (US) 8:30 Spud Cannon (US) 9:15 Lila (CA) 10:00 Lucia (UK) Map Room

7:45 Queue (US) 8:30 Mahwah (US) 9:15 Giant Peach (US)

Saturday, March 9 Showroom

7:00 Lucia (UK) 7:45 County Line Runner (CA) 8:30 Emilie Kahn (CA) 9:15 Russian Baths (US) 10:00 Pip Hall (UK) Map Room

7:00 Mark McGowan (UK) 7:45 Psycho Comedy (UK) 8:30 Taylor Knox (CA) 9:15 Close Talker (CA)

DISTILLER RECORDS & SOTN PARTY 7:00 Fatherson (UK) 7:45 Lucia (UK) 8:30 Weeknight (US) 9:15 Monograms (US) 10:00 The Ninth Wave (UK)

Friday, March 8 Showroom—Day

12:45 Elisapie (CA) 1:30 Vallens (CA) 2:15 Theodore (GR) 3:00 Body Type (AU) 3:45 Hickeys (ES) 4:30 TBA 5:15 St. Woods (ES) Showroom—Night

7:00 Jonathan (HR) 7:45 Avalanche Party (UK) 8:30 Go Cactus (ES) 9:15 Lost Cousins (CA) 10:00 Mimico (CA)

Saturday, March 9 Showroom—Day

12:00 Motel Raphaël (CA) 12:45 Taylor Knox (CA) 1:30 Penelope Isles (UK) 2:15 Emilie Kahn (CA) 3:00 Psycho Comedy (UK) 3:45 Bruiser Queen (US) 4:30 Peeling (CA) 5:15 Bones Garage (IL) Showroom—Night

7:00 Billy Moon (CA) 7:45 The Ninth Wave (UK) 8:30 Hussy (UK) 9:15 Go Cactus (ES) 10:00 Radiant Reveries (US)

Sunday, March 10 Showroom—Day

12:00 Bones Garage (IL) 12:45 Pearl Sugar (US) 1:30 Orchards (UK) 2:15 Lambsbreath (CA) 3:00 Ghostly Kisses (CA) 3:45 Lowly (DK) 4:30 The Other End (NO) 5:15 Radiant Baby (CA)

Thursday, March 7

Saturday, March 9

2:00–5:00 Panels 5:00–7:00 The New Colossus Opening Reception Party

ROUGH TRADE SHOP NYC PARTY

Showroom

KANINE RECORDS PARTY 7:00 Syvia (US) 7:45 Ellis (CA) 8:30 flirting. (UK) 9:15 Living Hour (CA) 10:00 The Natvral (US) (The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart)

10:45 Tallies (CA) 11:30 Wooing (US) Upstairs Lounge

5:00–7:00 Happy Hour Mixer 7:00 Ellevator (CA) 7:45 Basement Revolver (CA) 8:30 Nicole Yun (US) (Eternal Summers)

9:15 Honey Cutt (US) 10:00 Hussy (UK) DJ starts at 10:30

Showroom—Day

12:45 Flying Pace (US) 2:15 Hussy (UK) 3:45 Dismal Stars (US) 5:15 The Natvral (US)

(The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart)

Showroom—Night

7:00 Tris Mccall (US) 7:45 Bones Garage (IL) 8:30 Peeling (CA) 9:15 Boys (UK) 10:00 Lowly (DK) 10:45 Pynkie (US) 11:30 Lava Fizz (ES) Upstairs Lounge—Night

5:00–7:00 Happy Hour Mixer 7:00 Nancy (UK) 7:45 Jan Verstraeten (BE) 8:30 Vallens (CA) 9:15 Tia Gostelow (AU)

Friday, March 8 Showroom—Day

12:45 Hussy (UK) 1:30 St. Woods (ES) 2:15 Shade (CA) 3:00 Basement Revolver (CA) 3:45 Fatherson (UK) 4:30 Ellis (CA) 5:15 Fruit Tones (UK) Upstairs Lounge—Day

12:45 Johnathan K (CA) 1:30 Baywaves (ES) 2:15 Lev Snowe (CA) 3:00 Radiant Baby (CA) 3:45 Lava Fizz (ES) 4:30 TBA 5:15 Dusted (CA (featuring Brian from Holy Fuck)

Showroom—Night

7:00 Walrus (CA) 7:45 Kings Of The Beach (ES) 8:30 Orions Belte (NO) 9:15 Shade (CA) 10:00 Poppies (US) 10:45 Pom Pom Squad (US) 11:30 Stuck In The Sound (FR) DJ on at 12:00 Updstairs Lounge—Night

5:00–7:00 Happy Hour Mixer 7:00 Boys (UK) 7:45 Be Forest (IT) 8:30 Victoria Reed (US) 9:15 Yohuna (US) 10:00 YAWN (US)

Presented By NYC — Lower East Side

newcolossusfestival.com

P4: DIY @ NEW COLOSSUS

P6: DIY @ THE BME

P8: DIY @ SWAN DIVE PATIO

P12: ELSEWHERE AT SXSW

For the last three years, Team DIY have packed our suitcases and jumped on a plane to Austin, Texas to join in the infamous musical menagerie that is SXSW. This year, however, we’re doing things a bit differently. Always keen to bring along some of our favourite bands to share in the fun, in 2019 we add another stop to our journey by first heading to New York for the inaugural New Colossus Festival. Dear readers, the road to SXSW just got even bigger and we’ve got loads of top acts joining us for the ride.

This issue is brought to you in association with Ticketmaster New Music As a Brit with a passion for all things stars and stripes, I freaking love visiting the USA but I always have some English breakfast tea in my suitcase to remind me of home. For the same reason, it’s always good to see a copy of DIY when I’m pounding the streets of New York or Austin. If you’re living in America and you want to know who are the hottest new bands from the UK and beyond then you should read this paper ‘cos these guys know what they’re talking about. Enjoy!

Jon - Ticketmaster New Music

New York DIY Stage

9th March The Delancey ...................................

Body Type 10.30pm Nancy 9.45pm Gnarcissists 9pm Special Guests 7.30pm Jackie Venson 8.15pm Penelope Isles 6.45pm Orchards 6pm

This year, we’re adding an exciting US pitstop on the way to SXSW in the form of new New York shindig New Colossus (it’s very new, as you can see). Taking place across multiple venues in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the festival will pitch up with a host of riproaring new acts from 7th - 9th March. As for DIY, well we’ll be taking over The Delancey on Saturday 9th to bring you a full evening of entertainment from some of our faves from the UK, US and beyond.

We caught up with some of the artists gracing the NYC stages to see how they’ve been getting prepped...

Making their first trip outside of Australia to play shows, Body Type are gearing up to unleash both their insatiable energy and appetite upon the US - but is America ready for them?

anywhere internationally before so we’re just absolutely excited/amazed/stoked/ mildly terrified to be heading over. It all seems a bit surreal right now but I guess I’m most excited to actually play a set outside of Australia - not to mention eating all of the incredible food and seeing some cool bands!

Hello Body Type! Presumably you’re excited about your impending trip?

Georgia Wilkinson-Derums: Yes the countdown is on! We’re trying to figure out what we really need to take, how best to pack, what to watch on the flight, who to see when we are over there... We have a few shows in NYC and LA either side of SXSW so there’s so much cool shit planned it’s a bit mad!

Speaking of incredible food, what’s gonna be your taco filling of choice?

Georgia: I just realised we haven’t done enough research into food! I’m Googling right now and there is a taco made out of cactus pads… Yum! Generally I just like any kind of fish taco with a lot of chipotle. I can’t wait to see how many Body Type can eat at SXSW.

You’ve never toured the US before - what are you most excited about?

Cecil Coleman: We’ve never toured

It’s safe to say that Penelope Isles have had a big 2019 so far. After all, the Brighton-based quartet - who appeared on DIY’s Do It Yourself tour last year, - have managed to cram in a visit to Groningen for ESNS, confirm they’ve signed to Bella Union and offer up new track ‘Chlorine’, all in just a matter of weeks.

That’s not all: now the band are headed for the bright lights of New York, where they’ll play their first ever American show, before heading down to Austin.

Needless to say, they’re looking forward to it...

“Yeah, we’ve never played anywhere out of Europe so it’s our first mission into the big wide world!” enthuses the band’s Jack Sowton, when we caught up with the band ahead of their trip. “We just got our visas approved so we’re all good to go, and to be playing our debut US gig in Manhattan, New York City is pretty damn exciting I’d say!” They won’t be venturing out alone, either - they’ll have a rather useful friend in tow to show them the ropes. “We’re gonna be cruising around

with our gorgeous gal Abbey Raymonde [aka photographer and Bella Union bigwig} who used to live in NYC, so she’ll show us all the good spots! Max, our sound engineer, will probably pretend he knows where he is going as well, so I’m sure we won’t get too lost.”

By the sounds of things, they’ll be so fully immersed in the culture that, by the time they roll into Texas, it’d be no surprise if one of them is in possession of a cowboy hat or two. “Probably Lily,” Jack assures us, on who’s most likely to get into the Texan spirit, “but Becky is prone to a good party hat. I think we’re staying on a ranch kinda place out of town when we go to Austin, so maybe we’ll all get involved and cowboy it up on stage. Last time I wore boots I tripped over and sprained my foot at a festival we played, though, so I tend to avoid any kind of heel these days…” j Penelope Isles play The Delancey in New York on 9th March, and the British Music Embassy at Latitude 30 on 14th March.

j Body Type play The Delancey in New York on 9th March, and Swan Dive at SXSW on 16th March.

GET TO K N O W …

T

H

E

New York has seen its fair share of festivals across the years, so we caught up with New Colossus’ Mike Bell and Steven Matrick to discover what made them want to set it up, why it’s perfect for Manhattan right now, and where exactly punters should be grabbing a bit to eat in between bands.

ON THE P L AY L I S T

Can you tell us a little bit about the origins of New Colossus? What was the inspiration around starting it?

With so many bands passing through NYC in March, we wanted to create a space for great emerging artists to perform for and connect with local music fans and music industry and grow organically.

Historically, the LES was ground zero for American pop music beginning in the early/mid-19th century. On the Bowery, minstrels and later vaudevillians would perform songs that are still sung today, although less racist. Fast forward to the 1970s where punk started and spread around the world, and later the early 2000s brought the indie scene with bands such as The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and more.

With so much musical history, we felt that the LES was too perfect to host The New Colossus Festival.

If people are heading along, where should they be eating ahead of the shows? And where’s good to grab a drink nearby?

So many places to choose from. Pianos has a great and cheap menu. For coffee, go to Cafe Vita (the strongest coffee in the world) on Ludlow Street, and some of the best pizza ever is nearby at La Margarita.

Ginger and Lemongrass (on Rivington Street) is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants ever. Pig and Khao is a top chef contestant over on Clinton Street and Bar Primi has awesome Italian food near the Bowery Electric.

Lead by namesake Lucia Fairfull, this Glaswegian quartet are experts in addictively hooky indie pop. They kicked off 2019 with the release of brand new track ‘Blueheart’, and having already made one trip to SXSW, they’re returning for more, alongside a maiden voyage to New York. We caught up with Lucia herself to chat about how they’re gearing up for it.

lucia

Can you tell us a bit about the local scene in Manhattan at the moment?

Why was the Lower East Side the perfect place to set up New Colossus?

The Lower East Side is synonymous with so much, including immigration.

Millions of people from all over the world started out on the LES. We still have remnants of communities such as Little Italy, Chinatown, and a variety of Jewish staples such as Katz’s, so it seemed fitting to bring bands from around the world to this place and get their start too.

YOUR

EYES

PEELED

At this year’s New Colossus, we’re bringing a host of great artists from around the world to The Delancey. including a few hometown faves - as well as some secret special guests…

Here’s who you should be down the front for on Saturday night.

O RG A N I S E R S

New Colossus gets its name from the 1883 sonnet ‘The New Colossus’ written

by Emma Lazarus that is featured on the Statue of Liberty. We deeply believe in its bold, welcoming message and aim to carry on this very New York tradition on the Lower East Side, the epicentre of the American “melting pot”. NYC has one of the richest musical histories in the world and has served as a welcoming point for people from across the planet. The number of creative people who launched their careers from here is countless.

KEEP

Hello! What’s been going on in the world of Lucia recently?

We released our new single ‘Blueheart’ at the beginning of the month, which we’ve had such an amazing response from. Right now we are writing and experimenting with lots of new sounds and songs that we can’t wait to share this year.

Presumably you’re excited about your impending trip?

We are so excited to make our debut in NYC and return to SXSW! It’s super cool to see so many of our friends on the line up too.

Have any of you toured the US before?

What are you hoping for there?

We haven’t! We have been touring a lot around the UK and are ready to take our music to new places and also play in new cities too.

What sort of prep is going into getting ready for your first US shows? How do you get yourself geared up to play in front of crowds on a whole different continent?

We always like to put on the best show we can, whether it’s to two people or hundreds. We are hiding away in our studio just now learning lots of new songs which will be played for the first time in NYC. What’re you most excited to do when you get to New York? Got any tourist activities planned?

Apart from playing at New Colossus, we’re planning to film a music video while we’re out there which is super exciting for us, as we have always filmed our videos in Glasgow.

What’s the most memorable festival show you’ve witnessed?

[We saw] Nick Cave at All Points East last summer. He is always incredible, and [is an] inspiration to us. j Lucia play Arlene’s Grocery on 7th March, Bowery Electric on 8th and 9th March, the British Music Embassy on 12th March, and Hotel Vegas Annex on 13th March.

We’re all about discovering new artists at DIY, which is lucky for anyone heading to New Colossus because there’s tons to dig into. Here’s a few of the most essential tracks you should listen out for across the weekend.

M U N Y A ‘It’s

All

About

You’

Dedicated to “the obsession of wanting someone so bad that it hurts”, this offering from Montreal-based artist Josie Boivin is a dreamy treat.

E L L I S ‘Something

Blue’

Her first track released via new label home Fat Possum, it’s a slice of swirling, atmospheric indie rock.

M A V I PHOENIX ‘

I

b

i

z

a

’

Hailing from Austria, Mavi Phoenix’s eclectic brand of rap has already scored her two Amadeus nominations and now she’s taking latest EP ‘Young Prophet II’ Stateside.

BAYWAV E S ‘I’m

Tryna’

Self-declared “hipnopop”, this cut from 2018 EP ‘It’s Been Like’ showcases exactly what the Spanish quartet do best.

ORCHARDS Brighton bunch Orchards are a pure delight. They have ties to math-rock in their fiddly, ever-changing melodies and rhythms, but it’s all shot through with pop sensibilities that make it far less impenetrable than the genre can sometiems become. It’s also hella danceable, and will keep fans of ‘90s midwest emo more than happy.

GNARCISSISTS Already making waves across the Big Apple, Gnarcissists have supported the likes of BODEGA and Black Lips, and share more than a bit of DNA with the latter on their ramshackle rock’n’roll which sounds like it’ll be all the more chaotic on stage. Let’s get gnarly.

N

A

N

C

Y

An elusive project from Brighton, NANCY’s debut EP ‘Mysterious Visions’ works to slightly loosen the mask. A melting pot of psychedelic beauty, it veers between soothing, Unknown Mortal Orchestra-esque pop on ‘Teenage Fantasy’ to lightning fast, erratic punk on ‘I’m Not Getting Sober, I’m Just Getting Older (Helluva Guy)’, and is never less than thrilling.

J A C K I E V E N S O N Hailing from Austin, TX, Jackie Venson has already made quite the mark on the UK: no thanks to a sneaky appearance on a recent James Martin cooking TV show.

Yup. Most of the time, however, she’s busy showcasing her one-woman arsenal of bluesy rock and mind-blowing guitar work.

Check out the DIY x New Colossus playlist by scanning the Spotify tag below.

In association with

SXSW DIY Showcase

Monday 11th March British Music Embassy ...................................

BRITISH MUSIC EMBASSY We’ll be kicking SXSW off in style once again. For our first showcase of the week, we’ve rounded up some of the best bands from our side of the Atlantic right now - led by those cheeky rascals of Sports Team - and will show them off by having a good old-fashioned knees-up at the British Music Embassy.

SPORTS TEAM

Willie J Healey 8pm The Ninth Wave 9pm Anteros 10pm Whenyoung 11pm King Nun 12am Sports Team 1am

DIY does the

Making a name for themselves via raucous, communityled live shows around the UK, the six-piece represent a different side of the guitar music spectrum, and are set to be a fantastic, uplifting SXSW highlight.

Words: Will Richards.

T

he foundation of Cambridge-formed sixpiece Sports Team is built around their live show.

A consistent highlight of last year’s festival season, the band then put on a night of uninhibited fun at London’s Scala, bringing balloons, papier mache sharks (!), Robbie Williams classic ‘Let Me Entertain You’ as walk-on music and plenty, plenty more to put their stamp down as one of the country’s best new live prosepects. They’re set to go one better at the capital’s Electric Ballroom this March, and as vocalist Alex Rice explains, they’ve already got a fair few ideas up their sleeves.

“A hall of mirrors is one of the ideas that we’re floating at the moment,” he says.

“We’re not quite sure how many mirrors we can get hold of yet. I have a vision of it being like that Bond film where he walks out of the sun and has all these beams of light from mirrors and things. Maybe we’ll manage to create a genuinely dangerous beam of light. We just need to go to every charity shop and get as many mirrors as we can.”

Travelling to SXSW for their first shows in the US, all the effort and passion that’s been poured into their live show makes it already pretty much nailed-on that they’ll emerge from the festival as an undeniable highlight.

KEEP

YOUR

EYES

PEELED

Sports Team, Whenyoung and The Ninth Wave aren’t all you can look forward to during the British Music Embassy’s opening night. Here’s some of the other brilliant bands who’ll be flying the flag at our show.

A N T E R O S Landing in the States just ahead of the release of debut album ‘When We Land’, Laura Hayden and co. will be sure to bring a bit of sparkle to the BME, and not just because of the frontwoman’s often shimmering stage getup. Having mastered the art of pairing bubblegumsweet hooks with slick leftfield pop, theirs is bound to be an infectiously fun set.

KING

Though the band’s music is quintessentially British - their new single concerns a road trip on the M5 motorway, jelly bean air fresheners and driving gloves, before an untimely crash just outside the perfectly unglamorous town of Aldershot - there are more than enough touchpoints for an overseas crowd, and a spirit and vigour that breaches cultural boundaries, as Alex explains.

“I think there’s a spirit to the live show, and I’m glad we’re playing [in the States] live,” he says, “because [our live show] feels visceral and erratic and appealing, and we grew up loving American bands like Modern Lovers and Pavement, who’d come out of that school of slightly slacker, disparate music that always feels like it’s slightly falling apart.

“Obviously [SXSW] won’t feel like a ‘homecoming’,” he expands, “but people will think ‘Oh ok, we get that, we understand that.’ I think the live show will translate really obviously. If you set your stall out not to be something niche, and to be something inherently appealing, and to make live [shows] an event again.

‘What are we doing this afternoon? Oh, we’re going to see Sports Team - let’s have a few drinks and make a day of it.’

I think that’ll translate anywhere, and especially Austin.”

Heading out to the States in a year when a specific type of dark, inherently disgruntled guitar music is becoming the

most talked about, to the point where it’s near-synonymous with the overarching genre, Sports Team set out to provide something different, a significantly breezier, more uplifting breath of fresh air.

NUN

Causing mayhem across the UK for a few years now, these Dirty Hit signings make grubby, infectious punk music that finds its home on stage. Debut EP ‘I Have Love’ solidified their early promise on a selection of inventive British thrashes through blues, punk and pop-influenced guitar music, all tied together with an unwavering energy. Expect plenty more of the same.

“It feels like the zeitgeist for this year is gonna be IDLES, Shame, Fontaines DC, that sort of post-punk, slightly aggressive, pseudo-political sound,” Alex states. “But I think there are a whole group of people that don’t really feel an affinity with it. It’s just sort of a gut feeling, and it’s what’s being pushed. If you hear the term ‘guitar music’ now, that’s sort of what people mean. And I think we’ll often encounter people trying to push us into that bracket.

“I think there’s this massive space - and it needs a name to be honest, like the New Romantics had - for music that feels more uplifting and romanticised. I can see a crop of bands coming through, doing that, who I think we’re leading. I see two schools of guitar music at the moment, and I think we’re at the forefront of one of them, that’s gonna be the inevitable backlash to what’s very prominent at the moment.”

Whether any backlash arrives or not, look out for Sports Team. j Sports Team play the British Music Embassy at Latitude 30 on 11th March, Lucille on 13th March and Swan Dive on 14th March.

WILLIE J H E A L E Y Working towards inspiring the same levels of hysteria as Mac DeMarco and other songwriters of the ilk, Willie J Healey is a sunny-side-up singer that makes lovelorn ditties that can perfectly soundtrack summer afternoons in the park, but aren’t too bad to have a pint (or five) and cram yourself into a sweaty basement for either.

All boxes ticked.

Fresh from a slew of UK shows and the release of EP ‘Given Up’, Whenyoung are over to give the US its first taste of their gorgeously hooky indie-pop. Having just put the final touches to their forthcoming debut full-length, the Irish trio are set for a huge SXSW. Interview: Will Richards.

Andrew: I'm gonna go full outfit - get some new chaps.

Hi Whenyoung! You're going to SXSW! Are you suitably excited?

All: Yeeeeeah!

Is it things like this that make you take stock as a band and be like 'Woah, it's really happening!'?

Andrew: It's exciting to be able to do that.

But it is kinda scary, going there knowing that we have to completely start from the ground up and we don't know who will have heard of us.

Niall Burns: I don't think we thought about it at all when we started the band.

We didn't think one day we would play in New York and at SXSW.

Have you heard much of what to expect?

Aoife Power: TACOS! Andrew Flood: Everyone says it's loads and loads of fun.

Are any of you in the market for some cowboy boots?

Aoife: Oh yeah! And a hat!

Some NEW chaps?!

Andrew: ......yup.

Have any of you been to Texas before?

Aoife: We haven't, but this trip we're going to Texas, New York and LA! We're really, really excited.

Loads of celebrities are always wandering around at SXSW - who would be the ideal superstar you'd want to wander in to your set?

Aoife: Iggy Pop. Will he be there?!

Niall: Donald Trump. Can you imagine that scene! Ok let's pick one each. I've changed my mind: I pick The Rock.

Andrew: It's Jim Carrey for me.

Aoife: Drew Barrymore!

Andrew: Whaaat! Drew Barrymore was in my head too!

Aoife: To be honest I'd be happy with literally any celebrity.

Niall: We live for the celeb life.

Andrew: So, The Rock, if you're reading this... j Whenyoung play the British Music Embassy at Latitude 30 on 11th March, The Velveeta Room on 14th March and Swan Dive on 16th March.

Can you guess our British Embassy related clues 1

3

2

4 5

6

This Glasgow duo make heart-thumping goth-pop that’s fuelled by intensity. Fresh from releasing new single ‘Half Pure’ (and its wild, blood-splattered video), they arrive in Austin with a live show backed by drama and pomp.

8

7

9

ACROSS 1 Not Washington, but they have the same ending.

6 Leicester quintet looking for a chilled-out time.

7 Grime star with a future in literature.

9 Multiple worldwide shopping websites.

10 He rules over the other Sisters.

10

DOWN 2 Bayern Munich; The All Blacks; Toronto Maple Leafs.

3 The time for crawling and sucking your thumb.

4 A southeastern state who’s also a Domino-signed London singer.

5 How many times will this Scottish band be waving on Monday?

8 White maxi? We don’t think so.

Hello! Presumably you’re excited about your impending trip?

We’re very excited! A couple of our friends went last year so we’ve heard all about how good it is - it’s mental now we’ll actually get to experience it ourselves.

This will be your first time heading to the US - what are you most looking forward to?

All the venues we’re playing look like proper experiences, they all have so much character and it’ll be fun to see how the

different audiences react to our set. Some of us have never even been to America before so everything will be new to us. Also excited to collect as many Lynyrd Skynyrd tops as we can find.

You’re always quite sharp a, but which member of the band do you reckon is most likely to wear a cowboy hat - or boots - by the time you hit SXSW? Haydn has a secret banjo collection and used to refer to himself as ‘Hillbilly with a Holga’, so he probably already owns about 10 cowboy hats and boots. j The Ninth Wave play the British Music Embassy at Latitude 30 on 11th March and Malverde on 13th March.

In association with

SXSW DIY Presents

13th March Swan Dive Patio ...................................

Puma Blue 8pm Westerman 9pm Viagra Boys 10pm Fontaines DC 11pm Haiku Hands 12am Easy Life 1am

Mixing their genre-spanning sound with laid-back charm, Leicester’s Easy Life make music that suggests the true way to happiness is to just go with the flow. So far, they’ve already toured the UK, played live on Jools Holland and caused quite the potato farm-related storm (no, for the last time, they’re not actual farmers, OK?), and they’ll be offering up their smooth jams in Austin.

Presumably you’re excited about your impending trip?

For sure, we’ve never been to America before so we are buzzing. Maybe we’ll pass 21 Savage on his way back home.

You’ve never toured the US before - what are you most excited about?

The food and the availability of Xanax.

The city’s slogan is ‘Keep Austin Weird’:

Not only are we offering a bloody good start to SXSW, but we’ll ensure the party continues throughout the week, with a second showcase taking place at Swan Dive Patio. And while at our BME residency, we’re celebrating the talents of our UK brethren, for this second show, we’re bringing in a more international crowd.

what can you do to contribute to that?

That’s an amazing slogan, I sincerely hope it lives up to it. What can we contribute to the weirdness? We will definitely be getting weird and freaking out the locals.

Hopefully start a few fights and get a few face tatts too, who knows.

Which member of the band is most likely to wear a cowboy hat - or boots - on stage?

Jordan usually wears cowboy hats to rehearsals anyway, they are very ‘in vogue’ so he keeps telling me. As for the boots, I love a pair of cowboy boots as fetish gear but unless I forget to take them off before the show after being tied to the bed and having my balls tickled the night before, then I imagine no one in the band will be wearing them. Here’s hoping though - I might even keep the latex catsuit on as well. j Easy Life play Swan Dive Patio on 13th March and the British Music Embassy at Latitude 30 on 16th March.

A blistering highlight at last year’s Great Escape, and with unadulterated fun at their heart, Haiku Hands will make you dance like no others can. A gem in Australia’s current musical scene, they flit between the PC Music-esque, dirty synths of Charli XCX and the bombast of a rap collective making them an unmissable highlight.

Presumably you’re excited about your impending trip?

Absolutely!! We feel so lucky to be heading over [to the States]!

You’ve never toured the US before - what are you most excited about?

The food, clothes, people, nature, different weather and meeting other artists.

Experiencing the different vibes in each city. I’d also love to visit Chicago and Detroit one time.

Thrashing their way around the planet on the back of their sardonic debut, Stockholm’s finest arrive at SXSW as one of the most hyped bands around. Words: Will Richards.

If you want huge slabs of theatre and unpredictability with your punk show in 2019, it’s be hard to look past Stockholm’s Viagra Boys. When the band played Sweden’s P3 Gold ceremony earlier this year, they brought recent single ‘Sports’ to the glitz and glam of the telly...pretty literally. In the performance, which mirrors the track’s video, frontman Sebastian Murphy writhes on the floor of a tennis court as two pristine, polished players head through an entirely uneventful game.

His bandmates shred away just off the side of the court.

It’s this kind of theatre that made last year’s ‘Street Worms’ such a hit among

fans of similarly-brazen punks IDLES and Shame, and what makes their live show one of the most talked-about on the planet.

“It’s been pretty much non-stop,” bassist Henrik Hockert reflects on their current schedule, in the van between European tour stops. Starting the band in 2015, it took until last year for ‘Street Worms’ to see the light of day - something Henrik puts down to “every member having their own personal issues” - but its release has brought a wave of momentum and sold-out shows across Europe. Next up, they take the charge to America.

“I think Americans will get it,” he says.

“We’re influenced hugely by American and British bands, so it will make sense to them.” With a stage presence as huge and songs as fist pump-worthy as theirs, you’d bet any crowd in the world would become putty in their hands. j Viagra Boys play Swan Dive Patio on 13th March and The Main on 14th March.

How do you think it’ll differ from bringing your sound over to the UK and Europe?

They feel like such different places and cultures. I’m curious to see how people will respond to our show, music and lyrics in the US. Americans seem to communicate differently, more articulately, maybe their humour will be different?

We’ll see I guess!

And most important, what’s your taco filling of choice?

Right now, a vegetarian option with heaps of jalapenos. j Haiku Hands play Swan Dive Patio on 13th March and Hotel Vegas Patio on 15th March.

In association with

SXSW

PUMA

BLUE

With a series of buzzy releases under his belt, Puma Blue - aka Jacob Allen - makes what he calls “voicemail ballads” that are striking in their intimacy, and fleshed out with jazz-flecked instrumentation. He sits at the forefront of a new wave of artists in the English capital that are bringing new variations on the genre.

Having already pricked up the ears of American music fans with their KEXP session last summer, Fontaines DC are finally headed back Stateside to prove they can live up to the hype, and then some. We caught up with the band fresh from securing their US visas.

Interview: Luke Sharkey.

F

or most international acts heading to SXSW, the US is a blank canvas; a whole new territory to explore where very few already know your name. Not so much for Dublin heroes Fontaines DC, who - in their short but explosive career so far – have already made quite the first impression on American soil.

While they’re still yet to tour across North America, one of the band’s early pivotal moments to date came last July when they were invited onto Seattle’s tastemaker radio station KEXP. With murmurs of the quintet’s formidable live show beginning to circle, it was with their 20-minute live session – recorded during an in-and-out visit to to the city - that they solidified their position as one of new music’s most intoxicating hopes.

Fast forward six months and the quintet find themselves finally gearing up for their Stateside return, following another hugely buzzy jaunt around Europe. “It’s been really good to see so many different countries,” drummer Tom Coll affirms, looking back at their recent run, “and get out to places that I never thought I’d see,

so it’s been cool for sure. We’re really looking forward to getting over to Texas.”

With a stop-off planned in New York on their way to Austin, the band are unsurprisingly keen to get things under way. But in classic Fontaines style, the five literature lovers are looking at their upcoming trip to the big, bustling city through a more poetic lens. “We have a couple of shows there and they’re sold out,” begins guitarist Carlos O’Connell, “but we also have four days there for ourselves.” “I absolutely cannot wait to go,” picks up Grian Chatten, the band’s vocal powerhouse. “It’s gonna be really relaxing to be in such a vast place, full of so many people. We’ve been in such close proximity with each other and the people who are involved in what we’re doing for a very, very long time, so to be in a place where you just have to walk out the front door to feel lost again, and to be a drop in the ocean…”

That sense of anonymity may be relaxing when they first land, but heading straight into a blitz of SXSW shows can be intense, even for the most seasoned of pros. How are the Dubliners gearing up for the musical marathon ahead of

“ Th e y love Irish stuff in America.”

-Conor Deegan

them? “It’s such a heavy amount of gigs - we’re probably doing about nine gigs or something,” Grian begins, “so [we’re gonna have to keep it feeling] really fresh for us.” Unbothered about the element of competition - “I think we’re really good at forgetting about that stuff, because we recognise the potential toxicity of competition in music” - their visit is much more about getting their name out there and enjoying themselves, than any kind of struggle. “We’re just gonna try and play really good gigs and make sure we have fun, because if we play any gigs that we don’t enjoy, then that’s a disaster for us.”

And as for their SXSW audiences responding to their gigs in turn? Well, that much was established back with that first KEXP session all those months ago.

“Honestly, I think they’ll love it, yeah,” confirms bassist Conor Deegan, with a chuckle. “They love Irish stuff in America; they’ll hear our accents and go nuts for it.” j Fontaines DC play the British Music Embassy at Latitude 30 on 12th March, Swan Dive Patio on 13th March and The Velveeta Room on 14th March.

WESTERMAN Across 2018, Will Westerman released a handful of singles and EP ‘Ark’, a collection which marked him out as one of the UK’s most special new singer-songwriters.

Championing patience, calm and selfcare, the songs are near-whispers, but carry enough emotional weight to become genuinely affecting. With ‘Confirmation’, his ode to letting things go and not overthinking, his calling card, SXSW will see the US catch on to this worthy new voice.

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SXSW

Of course, there’s a veritable

Back To AMY

buttload of brilliant new bands vying for

Holy Roller, 11th - 16th March

your attention

By now, everyone knows the story of troubled genius Amy Winehouse circa 2006 onwards. That was the year she released timeless classic ‘Back To Black’, thus cementing her place in the musical history books, but also very publicly began to reveal the tortured side that would lead to her untimely death five years later. Less documented, however, are Amy’s early years, and it’s this period that Back To Amy – a photo exhibition documenting the singer’s youth and the road to debut album ‘Frank’ – aims to spotlight.

They’ll be doing that all week via a series of talks and performances, alongside the exhibition itself.

of SXSW, but

over the course if you ever need a little breather from the live stages then Austin has got you covered, too.

As ever, across the festival,

Reasons to be Cheerful with

DAVID BYRNE Hilton Austin Downtown, 13th March

With his recent live tour – a glorious, beautiful testament to just how creative you can be within a gig format - sending our Dave all over the world, picking up numerous accolades declaring it the greatest music show of all time along the way, it’s fair to say the Talking Heads frontman has had a pretty good run of late. He’s in Austin to spread even more good vibes.

‘Reasons To be Cheerful’ (named after the Ian Dury song, obv) will see him deliver a keynotes speech on the power of positive change. Aimed at “giving people the information and tools to act locally”, he’ll be explaining the ideas behind the multimedia project and being his usual, wildly inspiring self. Not to be missed.

an array of stellar musical icons will be popping up to impart their wisdom; there’ll also be one-off music-based experiences and all kinds of other treats to tickle your pickle. Here are four you might want to stick in your schedule...

NILE RODGERS & Merck Mercuriadis Austin Convention Centre, 14th March

Over the last half-century, Nile Rodgers has written, performed on or recorded albums that have cumulatively sold more than 500 MILLION copies. In short, he knows a thing or two about a good tune. He’ll be in conversation with music manager Merck Mercuriadis to discuss the enduring power of songwriting and whether you’re a budding musician, wannabe industry bod or you just really love a good bit of disco, the legendary hitmaker will surely deliver the goods.

A Keynote Conversation with Adam Horowitz and Michael Diamond of

BEASTIE BOYS Austin Convention Centre, 15th March

Since the release of debut album ‘License To Ill’ (the first rap album to hit Number One in America, fact fans) in 1986, Beastie Boys have cemented themselves as one of the most influential artists of their generation. Last year, Adam ‘Ad-Rock’ Horowitz and Michael ‘Mike D’ Diamond of the band (third member Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch sadly passed away in 2012) released Beastie Boys Book – a memoir on their considerable career, and here they’ll be in conversation with Amazon Music’s Nathan Brackett to discuss their legacy. When they spoke about the publication in London, there were more than a few damp eyes in the audience; expect this to be a meaningful one.

In association with

1 in every 8 albums sold worldwide is by an artist from the UK.

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IF YOU’VE NEVER HEARD YOUR FAVORITE BAND’S FAVORITE BAND,

With more than 250 live music venues featuring rock, indie, blues, EDM, Tejano and more, you can customize the soundtrack to your visit to the Live Music Capital of the World®. Start planning at visitaustin.org

Visit Austin, Texas @VisitAustinTX @VisitAustinTX

SXSW

ELSEWHERE IN AUSTIN, TX…

Despite our stages being rather-bloody-fantastic, there are looooads more ace bands performing across the festival - here are just a few we reckon you should check out.

SQUID

Ever wondered what five kraut-loving lads yelping about the garden section of B&Q might sound like? Check out Squid’s weird and wonderful ‘Houseplants’ to solve that particular riddle. It’s one highlight in a set packed full of them that you can expect from the super buzzy, oddball Brightoners.

Mad but precise, tangential yet full of hooks, they’re a band bursting with ideas; join the Squid squad before they get massive.

test - what are your plans for staying on top form the whole time?

I think we’ll do a lot of swimming (as well as playing). Must remember to pack sun cream too. Louis is really good at tanning but the rest of us aren’t. If anyone spots us out there, just make sure to come up and ask if we have sun cream on. But really, we expect and long to be broken.

Take us, Texas!

Have you got any expectations of what Austin and the whole shebang might be like?

We’re expecting to play Age of Empires 4 at the gaming expo and catch the premiere of the new Chris Morris film. Overall it’s just going to be The Great Escape on steroids, right?

What is the most hardcore feat of endurance you’ve got on your CV? We played Brainchild festival in 2017 and the tent we played in was essentially a greenhouse. The crowd wanted another track but theawhole audience heard Ollie faintly whisper “I can’t do this anymore” into the microphone, so we stopped and had frozen strawberry daiquiris which was nice.

SXSW is notoriously a bit of an endurance

Have you got your tourist itinerary

planned?

Generally trying to crack the whole of America in a week. Can’t be that hard, right? Looking forward to hanging with some pals out there too. Really excited to see Novelist and Deerhunter as well.

If you could have any celebrity wander into your set, who would it be?

Bernie Sanders, Larry David, and Cher are up there. David Byrne is doing a talk at SXSW so it’d be cool if he came to check it out. Chris Morris too.

Why should people go and see your set above all others at this festival?

Because the queue for Black Midi will be too long. j Squid play the British Music Embassy at Latitude 30 on 14th March.

Another Sky

Since they first emerged last spring with debut EP ‘Forget Yourself’, Fictionsigned newcomers Another Sky have been quietly, confidently building a foundation full of spine-tingling sweepers and clever, creeping slow burns. Full of emotional intelligence and helmed by the genuinely jaw-dropping, mesmeric vocals of singer Catrin Vincent, their offerings are part-Radiohead, part-alt-J, and entirely excellent. So much so, in fact, that they’ve already popped up on Later… With Jools.

The Sky’s surely the limit with this lot...

Are you hyped to be making your SXSW debut this year?

Yeah! Two out of four of us have never been to America before. One of us is an American dual citizen, can you guess who?

How do you intend to make your sets

stand out from all the other hundreds of bands playing?

For us, it’s entirely in the music. We want the songs to speak for themselves and we want to be honest in who we are. We don’t dress glam; in fact, nobody can really see what we’re wearing. The point of the lights and the mist and the silhouettes is to disembody us, so the music can be a shell for people to house their own experiences in.

We perform in a semicircle to highlight the dynamic of the band and how we play into each other, rather than presenting the band as a bed to lift up vocals. It’s not just about the vocals, although the blunt and angry lyrics are probably why people initially sit up and listen...it’s about the world created by our wall of sound.

What are you most excited about trying at the festival?

The BBQ at SXSW! Seriously. We’re going to have a challenge to see who can eat the most BBQ in ten minutes.

The city’s slogan is ‘Keep Austin Weird’: what can you do to contribute to that?

Being excited about eating the most BBQ in ten minutes?

So, er, what’s on your Texas tourism itinerary, then?

BBQ! Long car journeys and making lots of American friends. We like trampoline parks, does Texas have one? Johnson Space Centre! I also want to watch the Dallas poetry slam. I’m sure I can drag the band along.

What’s the most memorable festival show you’ve witnessed?

The most memorable show I didn’t witness happened after eagerly waiting to watch the Wombats, for an entire cup of piss to

be thrown on me, so I pushed over the guy who did it, cried and left. I didn’t even see them play. Thank you The Wombats for being the most memorable festival show I never saw!

I didn’t go to many festivals after that, but the most memorable show was at Leeds festival. I went to see Death From Above 1979 at the NME tent. During a long bass solo, the drummer jumped into the crowd and as he was being crowd surfed, someone yanked his neckerchief, throttling him. He immediately got down, found the person who had done it and knocked him out. He then walked back through the crowd to the stage, got back on the drums with his face and arms covered in blood and finished the set. j Another Sky play the British Music Embassy at Latitude 30 on 13th March.

ON THE P L AY L I S T

There are hundreds and hundreds of new acts to see across the whole of SXSW but because we’re nice, we’ve pinned down a couple of the absolute must-sees for you.

Here’s a few of the most essential tracks you should listen out for.

BLACK ‘

b

m

b

m

MIDI b

m

’

Based around a single, blackened stab of distorted guitar, the debut single from Black Midi has quickly established them as some of the most enthralling, mind-boggling new prospects.

AMYL & THE SNIFFERS ‘I’m

Not

A

Loser’

As you’ve probably heard, this Aussie lot are more the shy and retiring type. Oh wait… No, that’s not true at all; they’re too busy channelling pure and powerful strains of adrenaline.

T R U D Y AND THE ROMANCE ‘The Original Doo-Wop Spacemen’ Modern kings of doo-wop romance (as you can probs guess from the track title), the trio will be gearing themselves up to release their long-awaited debut album while in Austin.

NADINE SHAH ‘Out

The

Way’

It’s obviously not Nadine’s first time at SXSW, but now, she’s sure to turn many more Texan heads - check out this truly essential, heart-thumping cut from her Mercury Prize-shortlisted album ‘Holiday Destination’.

Check out the SXSW playlist by scanning the Spotify tag below.

In association with

Back To Amy Exhibit celebrates a younger Amy Winehouse—on the verge of global success

Daily performances A “must see” for any music fan Whenever I hear her I always say “Hi Amy.” Everything’s a positive.

—Janis Winehouse from Back To Amy

Back To Amy | SXSW March 12-16, 2019 from Holy Roller | 509 Rio Grande Street, Downtown Austin