Issuu

WHO IS PENNY? Founder & Editor-in-Chief Erin Christie

Head of Graphic Design Charis Forrester

Assistant to Head of Graphic Design Chanelle Diaz

Contributing Writers Erin Christie Erin Dickson Mina Johnson Rachel Laurie Gabrielle Peterson Liam Thomas Brendan Wright Zhenzhen Yu

Contributing Graphic Designers Aubrey Calapp Chanelle Diaz Charis Forrester Rachel Laurie Maanasa Manikandan

TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIAL Angry Women Have Held the Music Industry Together: Why Are We Still Tearing Them Down? - 10 Cindy Lee’s What’s Tonight to Eternity Detailed - 28 Did You Really Do It Yourself? - 34

INTERVIEWS Alexa Jenson: A Fool in Love With Music - 6 Abbie Ozard: On Romanticization and Writing Over FaceTime - 12 Making The Uncomfortable A Little Less Uncomfortable: An Introduction To Gabbo - 16 Exploring the Goat Girl Brain - 20 Lloyd’s House Proves that a Little Goes a Long Way with His Debut EP - 32

MISCELLANEOUS KILLSHOT: A Playlist - 14 Which Member of Boygenius Are You? - 15 Penny AOTY Crossword Puzzle - 41

Cover Design by Charis Forrester

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Hello again! Coming into 2021, I’ve been extremely disoriented. I just recently graduated from college, with zero job prospects, and a boatload of insecurity about how uncertain everything is; how uncertain everything seems to be for everyone, no matter what they’re doing or what stage of life they’re in. Even still, I’ve looked toward doing what I love as a sort of outlet for my frustration, and to remind me of the path that I’ve been on. That said, with the help of an amazing team of writers and graphic designers, the second Penny print issue is finally ready for consumption, and it’s something that I’m truly proud of. In it, you can find a handful of excellent editorials, some artist interviews, a number of reviews, and even a fun tidbit or two! I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback if you take the time to read. It feels a bit wild to have a team backing this little ole zine that I dreamt up not too long ago! What started as a personal project has truly become so much more in the past few weeks, and for that, I’m beyond grateful. I’m extremely excited to see where Penny might be able to go within the next year and with such an amazing team working in the wings. Hopefully, the idea of what the future might hold becomes a little less cloudy and distorted as time goes on. I’m wishing the best for all of you. Enjoy! Erin Christie Penny Founder, Editor-in-Chief 5

ALEXA JENSON

ABBIE OZARD: On Romanticizm and Writing Over Facetime Written by Erin Christie

Photography by Charlotte Rudd

Manchester indie-pop sensation Abbie Ozard has crafted mesmerizingly love-stricken anthems from both the studio and even her own bedroom since her breakout in 2018. Since the release of her debut EP, Growing Pains (2019), she’s been on a roll, with 2020 finding her four-singles deep, covering anything from cinematic daydreams to the crushing realization that a romantic fling might be better off platonic. Most recently, she released the fourth of said singles, “True Romance,” which she describes as a ‘90s-era romance-drenched tale of Quentin Tarantino-esque proportions. Since learning to adapt to creating in a pandemic-plagued world, Ozard is clearly anything but defeated, and has continued on the creative streak she started just a few short years ago. Currently, her determination and motivation have culminated in a brand new EP, set for release in early February. Over email, we recently caught up with Abbie to learn more about how she’s been doing in the past year, the process behind her song-writing, and what she’s looking forward to most in 2021.

To begin, can you introduce yourself to anyone who might not know you? Heeeeey, I’m Abbie and I enjoy writing sad bops that people can dance and cry to, all at the same time. So, you released a bit of new content this year (and your EP from last year even hit 1 million streams!!). How has it felt to sort of blossom to new heights within the last little bit of time? Is it intimidating? Yeah, I never really expected that to happen tbh, but it’s always something I aimed towards for my first EP so it’s really cool. It does feel pretty intimidating, as there are so many other talented musicians out there!!! I just want to keep releasing tunes, as it’s something I love to do anyway, and I’m not good at anything else, haha. It’s just a huge added bonus that people are listening and relating to the songs; it feels really lovely and comforting. Could you also give a run-down of everything you’ve released during 2020 and describe each track in a few words?

In “Crocodile Tears,” I’m writing about wanting to just shake someone up. I liked the idea of me being a crocodile character when I’m doing this; it felt kinda appropriate. “Pink Sky” is about completely romanticising a relation ship that didn’t work out. I guess I was trying to reassure myself that it was right but it totally wasn’t.

We were best friends and we’re so much better off as best friends. “TV Kween” is about pretending I’m this main character that I’m completely not. It’s about aspiring to be someone else other than yourself, which is super unhealthy but so common. “True Romance” is, again, me pretending I’m in this mad ‘90s Quentin Tarantino movie and completely romanticising driving around with my boyfriend and (embarrassingly) feeling like I’m in a film with my head out the window, which I’m hoping people can relate to, haha. Most recently, you just released a new music video for your latest song “True Romance.” Can you take me through the conceptualization of that video, as well as the other videos you released this year? How did everything come about? After watching True Romance the movie, I felt like I just wanted to be in that world, so I quite literally just wrote a song about it. The music video also subtly hints at the movie throughout (the telephone box, the lighters, etc). I just wanted to make it a really aesthetically pleasing video that was lovely to watch. The “TV Kween” video is kinda the opposite in the fact that it’s very story-based. “The Pink Sky” video is just really chaotic, which pretty much resembles how my head was at the time. Out of everything you’ve released thus far, and even anything you have in the wings, is there anything you’re most proud of? Which songs of yours would you recommend first-time listeners to check out first? I’d definitely say I’m most proud of “TV Kween!” I wrote it on Facetime during the first lockdown with my friend Rich and we just passed the stems back and forth until we were happy with how it was sounding. At the start of lockdown, I kinda thought releasing would just be a bit of a write-off, as I couldn’t go to the studio, but I proved myself wrong and I’m super proud of that. I don’t know what it is about the song but I just love it; it’s probably one of my most personal yet and I love that girls and boys who have had similar struggles of trying to be someone they’re not and thinking they’re not good enough are relating to it. I just hope it helps them with the knowledge that so many people go through the same thing. How did writing a song on FaceTime go? Writing on Facetime was something I didn’t think would work but it really did. In some ways, the lockdown has been a blessing because I’ve found ways to do stuff that I would never have done before, which is really cool. Related to being forced to learn how to write music in new ways, what would you say has been the most difficult thing to adapt to in recent months?

I think staying creative has been the hardest thing for me. There’s literally nothing going on and I’ve felt a lot of pressure to continue writing, especially when you see everyone being really productive on social media. ’ve tried to focus on staying sane and having a solid daily routine to keep me going, otherwise, I would have slowly gone insane, haha. Writing has definitely come in phases, though. I’m just trying not to force it too much. Before lockdown really settled in, you were able to play a few dates as well, which is exciting! How did you enjoy touring, and have you enjoyed doing livestreams recently? I bloody loved touring; it’s just so so fun. Eating crap, being with your best mates 24/7, and playing to people that like your music...what more could you want!? I’m not too keen on live-streaming tbh; I get more nervous doing them than gigs, and I’m not sure why. It’s hard to bounce off people and see what people’s reactions are like [with livestreaming], but I guess that’s all we have atm so it’s gotta be done. I’ve been trying to do extra stuff like daily vlogs — which I’ve loved doing; experimenting with my hair, fashion, and clothes; and trying to find my style a bit more. I’m really getting into that. On another note, had you spent the early months in quarantine doing anything interesting aside from music? Did you pick up any new hobbies? Omg, I’ve really got into knitting!!! My mum is a massive knitter and she owns a wool shop. I’ve always thought I’d never have the patience but it’s been so fun, and I just made a hat! I really am morphing into a middle-aged woman, haha. I always find cleaning really helps; I love making my room smell nice with candles and having a tidy space makes me feel soooo much better. I’m naturally pretty messy, so these things have been challenging but very helpful in regards to having a good mindset and stuff. To conclude, despite how bleak the circumstances still are, what would you say is the most exciting thing that’s happened to you this past year? I’d say the 1 million steams on my first EP! I was so happy when I saw that; just felt like all the hard work and stuff was just really worth it. It’s also been cool to see everything grow despite the shit circumstances. I feel really lucky. What’s the next big thing for Abbie Ozard? And what, ideally, would you like to see 2021 look like for you? A tour!!! When I can tour again, I’m gonna make the show amazing, I’ve also got another release coming up so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for that one. I just want to keep going and see where it all takes me. So yeah, there’s no plan on me stopping anytime soon!! 13

A Playlist By Gabrielle Peterson There are few things I love more than music that sounds as if it was made for a hot girl from a cyber-noir video game. “KILLSHOT” is a collection of some of my favorite tracks that do just that.

Killshot - Magdalena Bay 2ON - Bree Runway Kill V. Maim - Grimes Hung Up - Madonna Can’t Get You out of My Head - Kylie Minogue IPHONE - Rico Nasty Next Level Charli - Charli XCX SIREN - Shygirl Sour Candy - Lady Gaga, BLACKPINK U KNOW ME - COBRAH Watch Me - The Pom-Poms Cum - Brooke Candy, Iggy Azalea Raingurl - Yaeji Gimme More - Britney Spears Liquorice - Azealia Banks Rage - Rico Nasty SLIME - Shygirl Delicious - Charli XCX, Tommy Cash GUCCI - Bree Runway, Maliibu Miitch Emotional - Charli XCX

In the years since the release of their 2018 self-titled debut, South London’s Goat Girl has seen their world shift on both a musical and personal level, and even more so since the arrival of the pandemic. The group — composed of vocalist Clottie Cream (Lottie Pendelbury), drummer Rosy Bones (Rosy Jones), guitarist L.E.D. (Ellie Rose Davies), and new bassist Holly Hole (Holly Mullineaux) — have endured a tumultuous few months alone, including overcoming a devastating cancer diagnosis, enduring quarantinerelated separation, seeing the closure of elemental independent venues, and even the end of touring worldwide. Despite every obstacle that has been strewn in their path, however, the band has pushed on ahead, having spent a lot of their time in the past year or so crafting their forthcoming release, On All Fours (released on January 29). On the group’s first release, times were quite different: they were much younger, and new to the industry, without full knowledge of what they wanted to do and how they wanted to do it. Now that they’ve had the chance to get acclimated, they’ve set forth with motivation to craft something truly unique to them that’s heartfelt in its delivery and just as outspoken as ever. Produced with the help of Speedy Wunderground’s Dan 20

Carey, On All Fours explores a wide range of topics, each constructed around a cohesive visual landscape that came to life with the help of artists Toby and Aiden Evans-Jizra, set designer Flo White, and photographer Holly Whitaker. The album, as a result, finds them at a new stage in their career, armed with a fluorescent, artistically creative vision and a collective mindset in the air of overcoming struggle and finding oneself. It’s a triumph in the name of giving new life to the Goat Girl tradition in addition to an exhibition of ballsy, ambitious, and strong-willed musical prowess. Over Zoom, I sat down with Goat Girl to learn a little more about On All Fours, their recent endeavours while adapting to a pandemic-stricken world, topics such as accessibility and climate change, and much more. To begin, I’m curious as to what you guys have been getting up to recently, and where you’re holed up respectively. Lottie: I started a new job in September, working for a charity, which has been really fun, actually. It’s been quite nice because I’ve never really had a job where I’ve wanted to get better at it, but with this, it’s a really rewarding job, working with kids with autism. I’m

learning quite a lot and I’m enjoying giving my

giving my time to that cause, for sure. Ellie: I’ve been doing a bit of gardening. I work in a cafe as a chef and do some gardening in my spare time. I was meant to do it on Wednesday, but because we’ve been so busy, I didn’t get the chance to do it this week. I feel like lockdown’s brought out that side of people. I know quite a few people who have gotten into new things and making things that aren’t necessarily connected to consuming, which I think is quite nice. Like, either being connected to nature or going on walks or loads of people have been baking — my mum got super into sourdough [laughs]. Lot of those Instagram sourdough mums. Living her best life. Rosy: Did you say she’s “living her best loaf?” Holly: I thought you had just casually dropped it into the conversation [laughs]. That needs to be on a T-shirt or something...But, anyway, we’ve been practicing a little bit and doing stuff like that. Preparing things, thinking about how to incorporate set design and stuff into shows, trying to think of ways to make things look cool. Making music. Going for walks. Just trying to keep busy.

Rosy: I made a cleaning rotar for our house, or the house that me and Lottie live in. It’s the talk of the house! Lottie hasn’t ticked off yet, but she has until Sunday...otherwise, she will be shamed! On another note, with adjusting to lockdown and coming to terms with being a group in a situation like this, have you found anything particularly difficult, especially in terms of preparing for a new album? Ellie: Well, first, I was diagnosed with cancer right after we recorded the album, so that was quite a big spanner in the works, to say the least [laughs]. So, we canceled everything, and then the coronavirus hit, which was obviously another one, so it feels like there’ve been a lot of obstacles in the way of achieving what we want to and playing live. Hopefully, 21

in the new year, we might see things getting better. Rosy: There’s been so much unrest among people, too, because of all the injustices that are happening, and people have been having time to process things and learn about things… I mean, we’ve been to a few protests, and it’s also been a process of trying to figure out how you can protest safely without being a super-spreader. It’s messing with my brain. Lottie: It’s like, with protesting, with everything in everyone’s lives, with transferring that into solitary confinement, how can you express yourself and how do you get your points across? It’s like having to climatize this new thing which is based online. It’s been depressing but it’s also brought out quite a lot of interesting things in regards to playing music. Like, our friends set up this thing called “Quarantunes” where they would curate nights on YouTube and do livestreams and other things that I never would’ve thought about doing, other than if it had been for the circumstances. So, I think, trying to be positive, there has been some good out of it. Rosy: Yeah, there’s a mutual aid project that started at the beginning that’s local to me, Lottie, and Holly, that me and Lottie have been involved with. It’s really good that that sparked that up to happen and it’s been doing really well and hopefully will continue going, even when things are open and create that community outreach. Holly: It really shows how resourceful people are! It’s also interesting how, when people aren’t completely burdened with being at work all the time or even the time it takes to travel or commute somewhere, people now have more time to think about things that are important to them and to reflect on things and people are now waking up a bit more to the problems facing society. Rosy: That’s why they keep it that way; that’s why they do it — so you have no time to think. Like you mentioned, there’s an increased emphasis on online interaction in regard to so many different things recently. So, it’s interesting how you kind of have to manage trying to be as genuine as possible while also having this

kind of online barrier. Rosy: I think it’s really hard to communicate online...you cannot really cover a debate. Like, we were having a conversation in our house the other day about something and it’s just really hard to come across as kind of attack-y? But then, when we all just came together, and we were just talking about it, it was fine. But when you’re on messages, with just the name [of the other person], it’s really hard to convey, like, certain tones… Holly: For me, even the act of getting a notification...if you’re not in the mood for it, you could just be in a negative mindset. And when people face to face, or even on the phone, it’s actually so much easier to sort things out. I mean, we’ve kind of said a few times, we quite like these Zoom interviews, actually, just because we’re quite comfortable, we can make a cup of tea, and that’s quite a nice thing. But otherwise, it’s quite hard to communicate. Ellie: It’s like, when you get messages — because we have so many group chats [with] the management, the group between us, and then a group of our record label, with our press people and this and that, and our agents emailing us, — and it’s like, the thing with online stuff, especially if you have it on your phone, is that it’s not like a mutual agreement that we’re like, going to talk about something? It’s like someone just throwing something at you. And if you’re like me, I feel like I have to deal with it there and then; I can’t just chill? Lottie: I think that that’s like people’s expectations as well, when things are online, that they require some kind of immediate reaction, which just isn’t how you normally live, where you’re told something and you can think about it and process it. But I feel like, a lot of the time, people want that quickness of it. Holly: Just because it’s a convenient time to talk about something for one person doesn’t mean it’s for everyone else. So, I think it’s definitely better to have a meeting when you’re going to get those things done, but it’s tricky. To shift gears and begin a formal discussion on the record and everything ... in the past few years, how would you guys say Goat Girl has

shifted or changed, if at all, especially with this climate considered?

process in regard to writing stuff, or does that come easy?

Lottie: Yeah, I guess all the things we were kind of saying about having this time to reflect and also individually going through quite a lot of traumatic sort of experiences, it’s gonna change you as a person. And I also think that we’ve all kind of gone on a self-discovery journey of some kind so I don’t really feel like I’m the same person really, as I was a year ago. I feel like I’ve definitely become a bit more reflective on things just by reading more and having the time to experience whether through film or art or music or books...it’s something that I probably wouldn’t have necessarily engaged with if I had been on tour or going about my daily life.

Ellie: Personally, I find it easy to be vulnerable in my own space, but I find it harder in a shared environment, which I think is why it’s good. Even the other day, when we were recording, like a live filmed thing, there’s a song called “Anxiety,” and it was really making me feel so worn out because we have to do it over and over again and it’s quite like a personal song, where it takes quite a lot out of me. So, in that way, I’d say it’s definitely more of a challenge to be open in a group of people.

Holly: In regards to music as well, just from a very kind of obvious level, a lot of the older songs Lottie wrote...you were quite young when you wrote them as well, and it’s been quite a lot of years between. Things change and you get different perspectives.

Ellie: Yeah, for sure. I feel like we’ve all felt more connected to each other from the openness in each of our individual lyrics as well because it’s kind of like an insight into someone else’s mind or like a little glimpse of their diary. And that kind of creates a closeness that I think a lot of people maybe don’t have.

Lottie: Oh, yeah. Like, if we’re talking about the first record, that was almost 10 years ago. Rosy: A lot can happen in 10 years! Lottie: Especially when you’re that age, like going through your 20s…that’s so much of a shift. So with this record in mind, how would you guys say, conceptualizing and writing it went about? Were there any set intentions or was it more organic? Ellie: I’d say it’s more organic? We’ve always kind of worked in that way where the best things come out when they’re not preconceived, because then it’s more of a raw, unfiltered emotion. Whereas, if you have too much time to think about what you want to create, and how you want to be perceived, then it can become a bit convoluted. And I think we did have a short time period where we were thinking about it too much and then we managed to let go quite a bit. I think that’s when we just started writing material that we knew was- we were there with it in terms of like, the sound we wanted to create, and the feeling. Is being vulnerable, kind of a complicated

Rosy: It’s quite rewarding, though, I feel, once you do it.

Holly: It’s like an understanding of what they’re going through or something. Because I feel like, when you write a song in that way, it’s a more pure expression of how you feel at that exact moment ‘cuz you’re not really thinking about it. Like, sometimes when I write music on my own, I’m just trying to express how I feel; it’s not actually for any purpose, it’s just to make me feel better. So I guess, when people are doing that, and sharing it with you, that’s quite an intimate and special thing. On another note, do you guys feel like there’s a general ethos throughout the record, or does it kind of shift around depending on the certain perspectives that it covers? Lottie: I think it touches on loads of different things, but within the same kind of vein, almost it’s like the approach and the ethos behind covering each of these topics remains at the heart of our shared way of thinking, which is to see things not at face value and to read deeper and question [things]. The outcome of that is quite a sort of darkness to everything, but I think the darkness is also a really good thing to express because that is kind of what life is [laughs].

Ellie: I think with the darkness, there’s also a lightness from exploring the darker side of humanity. There’s also a bright light and kind of hopefulness that we can kind of see; hopefulness for the future, as well. Rosy: You have to just look at it straight up and embrace it, and accept it, and then work on it. This is kind of a boring question but, throughout the process, had you guys been inspired by anything that you’ve recently been getting into? Or was everything mostly inspired by life? Lottie: I think it was probably sort of learning about different things and being part of things. I feel like, obviously, change is sort of touched upon quite a lot in the record, and nature, and that’s something that I think has become more prevalent in our lives and the importance of it is growing evermore. And I think that was an awareness that maybe wasn’t so much highlighted in the first record and that’s also down to our privileges, as well. I guess we didn’t have to talk about that before, probably because it was down to our privileges of not having to experience climate change in the frontlines. We’re in a place that is like a desirable place to live in, and people should have free access to come here. But we don’t feel the effects — we don’t have to leave our homes — but people do have to leave where they would call home and come to places like Europe, to be safe from the environment that is destroying lives, as well. And that is kind of also down to us, the West, too. Ellie: Yeah, I feel like there’s a lack of freedom in the sense of, like, everyone should have access to green spaces and organic produce but that isn’t the case because people live in such small quarters and don’t have access to good, clean living. And that’s something that affects everyone, even people in the West, and it’s all for the profit of capitalism and like big corporations who make money off of people’s addictions to sugar and shit food. Lottie: It has framed us like it’s our fault, too. And that’s where a lot of movements have gone wrong is, like, not actually like pointing the finger at the people who have created this shift in climate; it’s almost blaming the people that are falling victim to it. And I think that’s a problem with things like Extinction Rebellion. And, I mean, there are good parts of Extinction 24

Rebellion in the UK, but I think that the London one needs to check themselves because they’re really not inclusive and it’s basically fronted by white middle class people who aren’t actually really the victims of climate change and they need to figure out how to actually include people that are and platform them. Rosy: It’s like they don’t realize that these things are actually affecting people right now? They see it as this sort of future thing like, “Oh, this is going to happen to us in the future.” It’s like, no, it’s happening right now. Lottie: Just because it’s not happening to you doesn’t mean it’s not happening. And I think that was the thing, like, with LA being on fire, and all the wildfires and stuff like that...you know, people were waking up, but I think that’s only because it was like happening to white middle class people, basically. Ellie: There needs to be a shift in the things that we value and how society is. You can change on an individual level or on a community-based level; you can do what you can do as an individual. But the people who don’t have time to do those community-based projects or to work for charities or do health stuff, or don’t have money to buy organic food, or to have an allotment...those people are the people who struggle the most. And that’s another thing: accessibility. Sometimes, people just generally don’t have access to the information. Rosy: Or, they’re deliberately steered in another way, in the polar opposite way, which is good for capitalism. I think about people in the States who watch Fox News, which is just horribly conservative and they don’t see anything because those stations just talk about- not the wrong shit, but... honestly, in my opinion, the wrong shit. Lottie: Yeah, totally ‘cuz there’s like this place in the UK called Liverpool that refused to buy into any Rupert Murdoch-owned newspapers, Rupert Murdoch obviously being the guy who runs all of the right wing media outlets, the way that you can see [Liverpool] voting is remarkably different to the rest of the country in that it’s like, not just the city itself, but the outside sort of like areas of Liverpool that like pretty much vote left wing. So, it’s kind of interesting actually seeing the power of media and its effects in that direct way.

Yeah, you have to be really careful about fact-checking and stuff like that. When people see things on the Internet, they can take it as truth without doing any further research. Ellie: And literally, anyone can write an article, or anything. So, yeah, everyone on all sides of the spectrum — the left, right, whatever — should take everything with a pinch of salt. That’s it. Rosy: Yeah, I find myself doing it sometimes. Like, I’ll just go post something on Facebook and see a headline, and be like, “Oh my god,” and not actually even read it. But I kind of started trying to infiltrate right wing spaces to understand what it is and then to be able to recognize it in left wing spaces as well, just to see. I think it’s important to do that on your own side as well. Ellie: I feel like the left-right thing is a way to separate people, and it’s obviously working. So, if we can bridge that gap as much as possible by having actual conversations, rather than just being infused with anger, and there being outbursts of online stuff where it’s like, “You fucking lefty,” or like “You Tory idiot,” or whatever....it’s about understanding the difference of opinion and trying to educate on both sides, which I think will help to bridge the gap. And, hopefully, there’ll be less polarization between the community. Rosy: Yeah, there’s context for every opinion, I feel. It’s just crazy because even the left is just so divided. Do you guys feel a sense of responsibility regarding your own platform, and what you guys express via your songs, in that sense? Does that feel intimidating? Lottie: I think with the platform we have, we definitely have an opportunity to highlight issues. But also, I think we can only really go so far with our own experiences, and not also take those voices away from the people who actually need to express them, you know? It’s about redistributing that platform and I feel like we need to do a lot more work with that in also recognizing that our platform has been given to us, not just because we make good music, but also, it’s down to our privileges, which we need to check. We wouldn’t have been given these opportunities if it wasn’t for the fact that we are white and middle class. Holly: We were talking the other day about what Dream Wife are doing…

Lottie: Yeah, we want to try to give voices to people and become the middlemen that allow these conversations to happen amongst people. Like, maybe setting up spaces where people can talk to one another, as Dream Wife basically did. They started this thing called The Tree House, which would be women and nonbinary only spaces where everyone could converse amongst each other and talk about what’s interesting in our lives, and what we’re inspired by. And in that sense, people could connect to one another, and maybe find other like-minded people to make music with. They have now taken that online, and I just think that is the most sick thing because that is what everyone who is a musician or artist kind of wants, to join people together and create that collectivity. Me and Holly, were just sort of thinking about ways that maybe we could also try an attempt to do that and offer something to people that might not necessarily have access to it, like, using our privileges to kind of pass on and help other people with knowing about how to use guitar pedals or something, or doing Zooms where it’s like free access, anyone can join, talking through how we create effects on our guitars or something that we have access to that not everyone else does. This is just a random question but I know like that the Windmill is a really important space to you guys and there’s been a lot of discussion on independent venues and trying to shed light on that via donating and just like spreading the word. Are there any other important things that have been elemental in helping Goat Girl grow? Ellie: I think it’s worth mentioning Dan Carey, because I feel like, in terms of Goat Girl, he has always been such a massive help, and he’s one of those people that is so generous with his privilege and his wealth and the things that he has. He let us use his second studio in Streatham where we wrote, like, “Jazz (In the Supermarket)” and finished off quite a few songs. I feel like it’s just those kind of people who aren’t in it for capital — they’re in it for the love of music. And that’s what genuinely helps creatives and bands thrive, is having a space where there’s generosity. Also, Tim Perry has been really kind and always pays very fairly, because there’s a lot of promoters, especially in London, who don’t pay fairly at all, and they’re very obviously in it for the money. That’s the death of musicians who, you know, if you need it to be your job and if you don’t have 25

a publishing deal, then you can’t afford to not go to work and be in a band — that’s just a fact — so, you need to get paid for it, and some people take the piss. Holly: In terms of people as well, obviously, it’s a business relationship with Rough Trade in the sense that we both benefit out of like us doing well, but they gave a lot of creative freedom with this record, and they didn’t try to push us into a certain direction. I think that helps Goat Girl to kind of be free. We’re always trying to be representative and expressive, and they seem [to be] fully supportive of that. Not all labels are like that, which is quite a lucky thing. Ellie: And they make our visions become a reality as well. And we’re able to do that with a small budget because we can ask friends to help and stuff, so it’s sort of a give-and-take [relationship].. Holly: Also, specifically with this record, we’ve been working really closely with our friend who’s an artist — Flo White — who’s the set designer for the press shots, and she’s been helping us do set design for other things, and we’ll probably bring that into the gigs, so that’s a massive part of the new album aesthetic. And Holly Whitaker, who takes the photos and has for years — she’s very instrumental. And then, of course, Toby and Aiden [Evans-Jesra], who did the artwork, have been a massive part of the new campaign and everything. Speaking of, this seems like a pretty interestingly visual project. What inspired that? Lottie: I think that’s kind of from the experience of not quite having that from the first record and just growing into ourselves a bit and sort of figuring out what we actually want from it, and what we want to represent, and having that all come from the same sort of world. It felt quite natural to collaborate with Toby and Aiden because they’re really close to us and they were part of the writing process in terms of being there along the way. And it started collaboratively before they even painted, so it was quite natural to happen in that way. So yeah, just working with people that we love and trust. Holly: There was a conscious desire to try and do something different, as well. To put some effort in and do something that we were really happy with, rather than just not thinking about it, and just standing by a brick wall or something. I think 26

we had a conscious decision to try and make the most out of everything we could with the resources that we had, especially over lockdown and stuff. We wanted to just make things as interesting as we could. Ellie: Yeah, so, on the previous album, because we were quite new to the whole thing, maybe we didn’t explore all of the possible ideas, so things ended up being done for us maybe not necessarily how we would have done them. So, we learned from that and took that on board. I think, in terms of having complete control over our aesthetic, that was something that we all wanted and it was a planned thing because we’re all creative as well, in other ways — we paint and draw and we just love art as well. So, we’re inspired by that on a musical level as well. So, yeah, we were kind of like, “Oh, shit, why didn’t we do more of that before?” Now we are and it feels good. And speaking on that, I guess, with this project holistically, what about this do you each feel most proud of? Or excited to have contributed? Lottie: I’m proud of the embrace of the development of our sound that this record has; it embraces that journey that, for a lot of people, is quite hard, and I think we did struggle with it for a long time. But also, with that amount of time that we put towards it, that definitely shows, and I think talking about it is really easy because it’s a body of work that I’m really proud of; it’s a really exciting thing to talk about and think about. My ideas about the album and what it means to me constantly shift and change with each interview, and it’s quite nice to explore all those different avenues. Ellie: I feel like it’s quite honest and authentic to who we are as people and who we are as a band, and I think that’s what I’m most proud of is. That’s what gets me excited with music, is when something is more and honest and relatable. And I think it’s also eye-opening and talks about topics that will make you think. I’m quite proud of that a little bit. Holly: I’m excited about playing them and for people to be able to react to them and experience tha; I’m excited to see how they go down. I mean, we’ve had really very nice receptions through interviews and Zoom and stuff, and that’s great, but….I don’t want to say it doesn’t feel real, but until you see a physical reaction from people, I feel like it’s kind of hard to gauge. But, obviously, really love the record, and am

photo by Holly Whitaker

completely, massively proud of it. I just want to share it with other people in a physical way.

happy with, and I don’t think that’s very common. Rosy: And that’s due to good communication.

Ellie: I also think the thing that I’m most proud of is the collaboration. Something that is so unique to collaboration is that it gives something you can’t really get on an individual basis, so I think the fact that so many of the songs are collaborative makes it what it is and makes it as strong as it is.

Ellie: I think it’s also to do with the special thing that we have; when it feels right to all of us and when it feels wrong to one person, that means that it feels wrong, you know? When we make music together, we have this almost conjoined brain of everyone together and it’s really fair, this brain. The Goat Girl brain.

Holly: Yeah, it was a lot of back and forth because it was so collaborative, but I don’t feel like there’s any compromises on it, which is quite amazing, to have 13 songs that are that long and [made] with four different people’s approval on every single element of all of it. And I don’t feel like there’s any compromises on the record, like, I don’t think there’s any bits on there that are like, “I really didn’t want that to happen. I really don’t like that.” I feel like all of it is 100% what we’re

Yeah, you guys have a good head on your shoulders collectively. Rosy: On All Fours — the brain is on legs.

photo by Daniel Barlow

Lloyd’s Lloyd’s House House Proves that that aa Little Little Proves Goes Goes aa Long Long Way Way with His His Debut Debut EP EP with Written By Erin Dickson

On his debut EP, We Could Be Friends, Glasgow’s Lloyd Ledingham aka Lloyd’s House fullyembraced the freedom and simplicity of being alone. Ledingham, who is currently studying politics at the University of Glasgow, has spent time playing in other Glasgow-based bands such as Supercloud. Over the summer, however, he realized that he wanted to start recording solo material. “I only started playing bass when I was17 and I’m 20 now, so it isn’t something I’ve always been into,” he said. “The more I startedplaying gigs around Glasgow, playing with other people and realizing that so many other peopleare recording their own music, [that’s] when I sort of realized, ‘Oh, I could maybe try songwriting.’” As a result, We Could Be Friends (released January 29 via Corkscrew) is ten minutes of lo-fibliss. The entire EP was recorded on a 2005 8-track mixer with Ledingham as the solemusician. Throughout the release, a background of just drums, bass, and vocals create a stripped-back, simplistic, and soothing sound. Regarding this, Ledingham said that he primarily finds musical influence in other lo-fi artists such as (Sandy) Alex G and Duster, as well as groups like American Football and, most recently, Phoebe Bridgers. While those influences are apparent and certain tracks, like “tell me it’s over,” sound so much like Elliott Smith, it made me cry, each song is still uniquely his own. “I like the sound of people trying to make do with very limited stuff,” he said. “It just has quite a warm and fuzzy sound.”

Photography by Loup Havenith

The title track, “we could be friends,” starts off the EP. My personal favorite on the release, the song is moody and repetitive in the best way possible. The bassline is low and pulses throughout the entire track as Ledingham’s vocals weave around. As he notes, the track was one of the first he recorded this summer. “At the start, I didn’t really have a plan for writing or recording an EP,” Ledingham said. “I sat down and recorded [“we could be friends”] on a whim and it felt really good to just record without pre-planning what I was going to do.” As the title track fades out, “that’s when I sold myself” starts to pick up the pace, followed by “shabbat,” a short instrumental track that splits the EP in half. Amidst the entire tracklist, though,Ledingham cited the closing track, “i’m too cold,” as the best example of the freedom he felt recording and having his own say in how his music sounds. Generally speaking, the recording of We Could Be Friends was a lesson in imperfection. “It was the first time I recorded something without a click track and everything. I feel like [I’m too cold” is] quite washy and it doesn’t really fit to a grid kind of thing,” he said. “I really enjoyed doing that because it just felt a lot more free to just be able to record and not care about what goes into it and just doing what feels good.” We Could Be Friends is a debut that feels far from an introduction. All five songs are gentle, while still being upbeat, and make you feel like you’re sitting in your living room, listening to your best friend perform for you. It’s the perfect EP to curl up and play on repeat as you wait for there to, hopefully, be more Lloyd’s House music in the future.

by Liam Thomas

This is a question that is inherent, but rarely addressed, within the act of labelling of a music scene as “D.I.Y.” While basement shows may exude a gritty air of artistic independence and aversion to institutions, a critical examination of the subculture reveals this allure to be entirely surface level. Sure, there is inarguably an innate sense of agency in putting on a concert in a residential basement — which requires not only a myriad of technical know-how and a defined degree of promotional aptitude amongst other things — but there is a certain specific danger in labelling this process as anything even remotely adjacent to counter-cultural in nature, as the label ‘D.I.Y.’ suggests. There’s no denying that the Boston D.I.Y. scene offers a sense of community to many of the city’s college-age residents, but concerts, all I it is a deeply exclusionary community founded on subtle want to do is open a elitism and class voyeurism. Now, this may sound a little discourse to critically vindictive — like I got turned away from an Allston examine some of the basement because my Carhartt work pants weren’t defining characteristics of the cuffed enough times to grant admittance — scene, and how they elucidate but I would like to dispel that notion with problematic trends regarding the urgency. I have been to plenty of Boston appropriation of working class imagery underground shows, and have had and iconography in a broader plenty of fun doing so. I’m not cultural context. asking anybody to stop going to these literal underground

Take a moment to consider what images and symbols are currently and typically associated with the Boston D.I.Y. music scene. From Carhartt beanies to Dickies overalls and PBR tallboys to Parliament cigarettes, the collegiate youth of Boston outfit themselves with a veritable starter pack of products and clothing that were typically associated with the working class in the past. But while these brands may have begun their shelf life in the sphere of everyday laborers, they’ve been moved far outside of this world over time. The luxury New York department store Barneys currently sells a repurposed Carhartt work shirt for a price that would wipe out almost an entire month of savings on minimum wage, excluding all other expenses.

critiques of the Similarly, Pabst Blue Ribbon, formerly fashion industry the “old-school, blue-collar, salt-of-the-earth beer from the and the broader days of Milwaukee’s manufacturing and beer-producing machine of cultural glory,” has transitioned into the House show regular’s commodification drink of choice, seeing a 6.3% increase in price over less in contemporary than six months in 2013 alone (Sharp). Consider also the America and abroad. typical condition of the basements where these shows When Mugatu describes are thrown, which seem to glorify how unconducive a Derelict as “a fashion, dangerously dirty basement is to a music performance. a way of life…,” he blurs These basements are always in some state of the line between the two. transitional disrepair, which emphasizes the desire This functions as a damning for anti-institutional optics as well as the fact that the indictment of the culture residents are most likely impermanent renters. industry writ large, because These points beg the inconvenient, but necessary it reveals certain inclinations question: Why do the young people of Boston, by presenting them in the most who live and attend university in one of the most blithely satirical way possible. expensive U.S. cities to do so, put so much Mugatu has, both economically time, effort, and money into conveying and and socially, the power to decide performing the opposite? Why are some of whether the presentation of the most undeniably privileged young people homelessness is representative in the country so dead set on presenting of a chic repurposing-of-aesthetics themselves as members of the working or something to be admonished. class? The answer, or at least, the Unhoused people obviously don’t beginning of the answer, can be found in have this luxury — their clothing and the 2001 Ben Stiller comedy appearance is a uniform, delineating classic, Zoolander. their economic status; a uniform that they cannot take off, nor decide the cultural value of for themselves. While A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS this dichotomy seems obvious in the OF ZOOLANDER context of Zoolander, any real degree of examination of the Boston underground Derelict, the fashion line designed by Will music scene reveals how it is deeply Ferrel’s outlandish corporate-fashion representative of the same fundamental antagonist Mugatu in Zoolander, functions problem: as a central plot point for the entire class appropriation. film. Derelict, an absurdly exploitative undergoing that repurposes homeless The act of the culturally and aesthetics as high fashion, is described economically elite adopting elements as “a fashion, a way of life, inspired by the of working class culture and integrating very homeless, the vagrants, the crack them into their own without any whores that make this wonderful city so consideration of the political or social unique.” Absurdly tone deaf? Well, yes ramifications of said theft, class and no. While positively ludicrous in the appropriation is something that makes context of the story, the Derelict line serves itself most obviously apparent in the as one of the most prescient and scathing world of fashion. Be it a Prada ID-badge,

a Balenciaga IKEA bag knockoff, or a Vetements DFL emblazoned polo, high fashion mining the aesthetics of the working class for inspiration is nothing new, but that doesn’t make it any less harmful. When these companies look to the symbols of the working class for their next overpriced design venture, “they reiterate a system in which the wealthy have the leisure of choosing these styles according to preference, and of being celebrated as trendy for the same pieces that may be stigmatized on poor people” (Ojeaburu).

forced to wear it to make a living every day. Actively pillaging iconography of working people is harmful enough on an individual level, but when it becomes corporate practice, the line that divides the apparently well-meaning Boston D.I.Y scene from something more akin the misguided corporatism of Puma’s infamous House of Hustle pop-up becomes almost invisible.

THE HOUSE OF HUSTLE

The House of Hustle is about as close to a Adding an element of personal choice real-life Mugatu Derelict line as we’ve ever to articles of clothing that suppress gotten, and much like their fictional fashion individual expression in the workplace, counterpart, Puma approached this release or elsewhere, is an act that necessarily with a deeply misplaced sense of sincerity functions only from the top, down. Many that hammered home the real world low paying jobs exist within their own ramifications of class appropriation. realm of aesthetics, meaning they have stringent aesthetic requirements that The House of Hustle, marketed by Puma force the worker to sacrifice aspects of as “a celebration of the achievements of their individual identity to their labor. young urban dwellers” invited patrons on While this is a problem in and of a harmless vacation to a decontextualized itself, the issue compounds when world of fictional grit. Located in the decidedly “the thing of the moment is to non-urban area of SoHo, House of Hustle attempt to fully embody the featured graffiti riddled walls, dingy furniture, and worker, just as the worker is shoe boxes given to each guest upon entry, each asked to fully embody the filled with fake £50 notes with a faint image of a public job. The difference is who housing block printed on them, as well as a fliphone gets to choose what labeled ‘trap phone.’ Everything about the House of Hustle they’re wearing” was completely misguided and a genuinely harmful display (Schwartz). of corporate incompetence. Did anyone stop to consider that Hence, a Dickies if the event was truly in celebration of “young urban dwellers” jumpsuit might who found success despite all odds, then the impetus of the entire feel a lot show should maybe not focus on glamorizing and stylizing this lack of less stylish opportunity that they were forced to go through in the first place? when you’re According to Ashley Akaeze, a Harvard alum photographer and fashion designer, “There is this new romanticism and fetishization of looking poor,” wherein the designers and consumers who appropriate class in this way “would only do that if that if poverty was not the reality of you or the people you know” (Akaeze). It’s clear that Puma was desperately eager to capitalize on the imagery and components of working class life, partially due to a lack of knowledge of the community that spawned a sick intrigue in its imagery, which in turn evolved into a

desire to imitate certain aspects of the culture without having to fully inhabit it. With the House of Hustle production, Puma entirely disregarded the harm that such a show might inflict on cultural perceptions in a broader, material context. The same could be said for many of the house shows in the Boston D.I.Y. scene. In those dingy, low-lit Allston basements, it is worth asking why nobody cleaned upbefore the show, (you knew you were having people over!) or why the imagery of the concert must possess an air of messy haphazardness. The answer, of course, is in the optics. It’s a class appropriation stew of sorts, where seemingly identifiably working class articles of clothing, products, and locations are thrown together in an attempt to romanticize and recontextualize them. The problem is, this act robs these signifiers of their original meaning, simultaneously flattening and commodifying them in equal measure. House shows are essentially “imaginaryspaces that collage together some symbolic material from working-class life, but they edit and ironise it” (Lately). However, there is a defined difference between the House of Hustle shitshow and a typical Boston D.I.Y. show; the actual amount of capital involved. Corporations like Puma requisition working class imagery in an attempt to expand their profit margins, the same surely couldn’t be said for Boston’s wholesome music underground, could it? Well again, yes and no.

LONELY AND BORED IN THE IVORY TOWER nothing, and that’s why we would throw While the circulation of capital within shows in basements; our call to arms the Boston D.I.Y scene may pale in was kind of this ‘we have no venues!’ comparison to the House of Hustle, or thing. But over time, I came to realize that even to an established venue in the city I was just really lucky to have a basement in such as The Middle East, the amount the first place.” In a city with as many issues of resources needed to put on a D.I.Y with housing as Boston, the ability to craft show indicates a level of wealth that a functioning concert space in a residential is almost entirely antithetical to the basement that you can subsequently trash projected values of the scene. during a show portrays a level of privilege that Take it from a veteran of the pulls back the curtain on why the appropriation of Boston music underground; working class clothing and magery is so key to the Sam Potrykus. The coentire ethos of the so-called D.I.Y. community. founder of the arts-centered The timing of the appropriation of working class nonprofit Brain Arts iconography within the D.I.Y. scene and beyond is and the director of the also especially revealing, as it relates to trends of community arts space global wealth inequality. Today, the richest 10 percent Dorchester Arts Project, of Americans own 77% of the nation’s wealth, numbers Sam had his entire higher than any point in American history since the heyday perspective on D.I.Y. of the Gilded Age in the late 19th century. Hence, working culture shifted after class aesthetics are being symbolically recontextualized working in public “by the middle classes, right at the moment that the middlearts accessibility: class project has stopped expanding and has started to shrink” “I thought I had

(Hanson). As the very nebulously defined ‘middle class’ starts to stray further and higher from the actual middle of the income ladder, it becomes further removed from any easily identifiable roots and culture other than the generational transfer of wealth. So, when working class aesthetics are conflated with the appropriative middle class, they become removed from their roots in the world of labor.

for its cultural value, thus spurring more pioneers and media attention, and finally resulting in widespread reinvestment and displacement” (Hosman). The surge of interest from Boston’s young people living in As sociologist Steve Hanson observes: “MiddleAllston is an utterly undeniable class people thrive anywhere, but do not feel precursor to the subsequent they ‘belong,’ like the lower orders, and overdevelopment and gentrification they want some of that warm, sexy, gritty, of the area, and functions as a direct authentic and real world for themselves” attack on one of the last affordable (Hanson). This effect allows those at the areas to live top of the income ladder to view their in the city. poverty tourism as some misplaced The availability of affordable housing in search for community. This “pathos Allston, as well as its comparatively low of distance,” as coined by noted rental rates for the city “are essentially the elitist Friedrich Nietzsche, reason why Boston isn’t entirely a city for the functions as the driving force of the upper class,” as described in an Editorial by the D.I.Y. community. staff of the BU student newspaper The Daily Free The search for a genuine, authentic Press. As they continue: “Boston renters pay an sense of community is not average of $2,340 per month for a one-bedroom something specific to the Elites, apartment, according to a study [by] Zumper. It though; it is a human need and costs an average of $1,850 per month to rent in something we’re all participants Allston, which is definitely on the cheaper end of in one way or another. But compared to Back Bay’s $2,760 or the South when one group’s quest to Boston Waterfront’s $3,100” (DFP). The City of belong ends up displacing and Boston currently requires that large residential ostracizing communities already developers make just 13% of the housing units existing at the margins of society, they build for the area actually affordable, and consideration must be paid to given that the next few years will see “334 what is actually valuable about residential units and over 22,000 square feet of building up an exclusive clique office space [built] across six buildings on and on a foundation of othering. This around Cambridge Street,” the fact that only 43 contradictory construction of of those units are legally mandated to actually Boston’s basement concert scene qualify as affordable for the average Allston is nowhere better evidenced than resident should be cause for widespread in the neighborhood of Allston. concern (DFP). Sara Hosman, a Sociology PHD Housing in Boston is a deeply inequitable candidate at the University of enterprise, perpetuated by both the state itself Boston, outlined the veritable and the unwitting Boston youth embedded in the “Brooklynization” of Allston in a D.I.Y. scene who view themselves positively as 2019 panel on gentrification in the cultural pioneers described by Sara Hosman. Boston: “Early pioneers relocated

These “pioneers view themselves as saviors who serve previously unmet needs in the neighborhood;” and this is something that is central to the house show ethos. The D.I.Y. community practice of viewing the act of throwing a rock concert in a basement as some countercultural call to arms decidedly neglects to consider this indisputable fact. Yes, public access to artistic spaces is undeniably also an issue worthy of consideration, but in relation to the broader cultural context of urban renewal projects in Boston, the D.I.Y community is not only complicit, it is arguably part of the impetus of the problem in more ways than one. Additionally, pinning the soul of the house show scene on the sense of community it brings to its patrons is also a misguided interpretation of the broader ramifications of the scene writ large. Again, the search for community is an innate human need, but when that community ends up being comprised typically of the wealthiest and most privileged sects of Boston’s residents, and is wholly defined and recognized through its buffet-style approach to the requisitioning and integration of working class aesthetics into the scene, it becomes easy to conflate appropriation with appreciation. When one’s tiny elitist group, sectioned off from the authenticity and necessity of the world and more concerned with material imagery that holistic cultural identity, becomes alienating and lonely, those who exist in this community are bound to search outside of it for something real. The problem is, most of the time, they just settle for something that feels real; something that gives off the impression of a cultural community without the participant having to actually fully inhabit themselves in both the good and the bad that come with it, thus commodifying the actual community in the process. As Mugatu would put it, it’s not just a fashion; it’s a way of life. Just not your way of life, because otherwise it wouldn’t be a fashion. It is a two way street, but only for those at the top.

Penny AOTY Crossword Puzzle At the end of last year, the Penny team compiled a list of our favorite albums of 2020 (view the full piece on our website). The crossword puzzle below features some of the artists whose records we wrote about.

DOWN

ACROSS

1 This Chicago post-punk trio battles the two sides of loneliness on their record - feeling content riding solo and desperately craving the affection of another 2 This musician is known in more contemporary circumstances for being married to Elon Musk 3 Their album cover features an ass 4 This Tennessee indie-pop trio's third album shares its name with the 2020 release of another alt group 6 It's almost guaranteed that you've heard this singer's album, especially if you're an alt young woman who battles depression 7 "Women make the best rock music" 9 This highly-lauded musician surprise-released two folk-leaning, heartfelt records within months of each other last year 10 This former actress attempted to channel Joan Jett on her latest release

1 This rising pop sensation has been under fire for constantly failing to wear a mask, despite her excellent disco-infused album of last year 5 The lead singer of this band dons a persona wherein he sports silver from head-to-toe 8 This iconic songstress returned with her first album in 8 years last year; it's a "fuck you" to the past and a means of dealing with personal demons and freeing oneself from them 11 The first solo release from the drummer of a certain Australian boyband came out last year 12 This beautiful man of many talents released his sophomore record, which features a track about oral sex, in 2020 ANSWERS: 1 (across) - dua; 1 (down) - dehd; 2 - grimes; 3 - protomartyr; 4 - coin; 5 - neighbourhood; 6 - bridgers; 7 - haim; 8 - apple; 9 - swift; 10 cyrus; 11 - irwin; 12 - styles

Read exclusive interviews, album reviews, editorials, past print isssues, and more on the Penny website: penny-mag.com Follow Penny on socials: @pennythemag

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