Issue Forty-Five
Also inside: Slowdive Carnations Militarie Gun The New Eves Sailor Honeymoon Picture Parlour Ethan P. Flynn Fcukers
Julian Alexander, Chariot (Won’t Catch Me), Graphite on Toned Paper 8.5” x 11”
Issue Forty-Five introduces London’s most chaotic secret, Fat Dog. Following two years of building a feral live reputation, it’s finally time for Fat Dog to unleash some recorded music upon an already large and loyal following. We spent an hour or so with them at The Social in Soho to dissect just how their frenzied live shows have built so much hype, recording with James Ford and battling it out with the big names on tour. They’re on the cover. Slowdive have found new energy and new life within the re-emergence of the shoegaze genre. Though flattened by Grunge and Britpop in the 90’s, the band have escaped the heritage tagline upon their return, and boast a youthful energy in their audiences. We chat to Slowdive about their hunger to learn from the new crop and how music discovery has changed since those early days. London’s Picture Parlour have been turning the heads of those with their ears to the ground for the last 12 months. Since their public arrival via debut single ‘Norwegian Wood’, the speed of their success has been unfairly questioned. We discuss that along with their decision to ditch their Masters degrees. Ethan P. Flynn is no stranger to our pages. Alongside the launch of his own label, Crude Oil, Ethan has announced his debut album. ‘Abandon All Hope’ is more hopeful than you’d possibly assume and we discuss that along with the influence of the classic singer-songwriters in his collection.
4 Ethan P. Flynn Crude Oil 7 Sailor Honeymoon Cockroach 12 Militarie Gun Beans on Freaking Toast 18 Picture Parlour From the Windmill to the World 22 Fat Dog Togas and Shades 32 Carnations Sydney Egg Punk
Heading to the south coast, Brighton’s The New Eves made their debut via London tastemakers, Slow Dance and their annual compilation. Now teaming up with leaders of the new folk movement, Broadside Hacks, the four-piece have unleashed new single ‘Original Sin’ and we gave them a call to chat about it and their self-described ‘Hagstone rock’. In New York, Fcukers are making house music as a threepiece and pairing it with immersive live shows. Following their debut trip to Europe where we hosted their first show in London, we gave them a call upon their return home. Staying in the US but heading to LA, Militarie Gun have recently released their new album, ‘Life Under The Gun’. We interview the band to discuss making friends on the road, forging their own identity and finding the balance between mainstream and indie rock. Completing our music conversations are Carnations and Sailor Honeymoon. The latter are South Korea’s most exciting new band, providing a punk rock response to the mainstream pop sounds that are awash in the country. And Carnations are Sydney’s in-between scene’s brightest hopes. The band have more in common with the Egg-Punk that’s re-emerging in the US but are generating a buzz within a supportive Sydney community of bands. We chat to them about British influence and rapid growth. To wrap up the issue, we discuss how the future of alternative music is being led by an exciting crop of female artists, and the GradList returns as we partner with Arts University Bournemouth to showcase some of their most talented new graduates.
35 AUB GradList 2023 Arts University Bournemouth 40 Fcukers People Want to Party 43 Female Future Women are Reclaiming and Reshaping Guitar Music 47 Slowdive Kisses 54 The New Eves Hag Stone Rock
They didn’t know how to lay down anything to be in time
It also lends its name to the record label that you’ve
with each other, but they’re all performing these songs
just set up and released a song on with your partner
about these simple kid things, and that’s why those albums
and collaborator, Ava Gore. Can you tell me a little bit
are still talked about and listened to even though they’re
more about that?
terrible. I called it Crude Oil after the song existed. I felt like it The other thing that’s been alluded to is the fact that
comes from the ground and is super valuable, and then
there’s more of an overarching theme on the record.
it’s refined down into other stuff. I kind of like the idea
What were you looking to explore in particular?
of whatever I’m doing being unrefined, like pure fuel. It makes sense to be called that and there’s a couple of lines
It’s not like a concept album, but more of a study of my
in the song about oil and drinking it. I just needed to name
psyche. At the time I was recording it, stuff would just
the label and it fit with the ethos approach to how I would
reappear because it came from the same place. I knew it
like to do it. I mean, it doesn’t have to go through the
would end up having unifying themes, but hopelessness is
whole refinery process if it’s not necessary.
the short way of saying what it really is about. It’s all on your terms. The bleak world that we’re in, basically. Yeah, if the artist likes the way we’ve done something I don’t like to think of it as too introspective; it’s not
then we can just put it out. Making the Silver Gore song
a “the world is fucked” album. I mean, it’s also quite
with Ava, we didn’t really realise we were making a
hopeful. At the end of the first song (‘In Silence’), I
song until we finished it and realised it was really good.
say “the day I always hope I get to see”, and then the
She’s such a good writer, but I didn’t really know that.
remaining songs are like a push and pull. ‘Bad Weather’
We’d already made ‘Abandon All Hope’ and she sings on
is a really hopeful song as well, especially where I say,
every track on that, so I knew she was good at singing
“don’t let the bad weather outlive you”. It’s about braving
and recording vocals, but she’s quite intuitively good at
the storm, that’s the theme I would like people to take
writing too. We’re definitely going to do a whole record
away from it rather than ‘Abandon All Hope’.
because we work together so well already.
I was going to come around to ‘Crude Oil’, one of the
With the album not out until October, what else have
most impressive bits of work in your catalogue. How
you got planned for the remainder of 2023?
did this multi-movement epic develop? It’s not locked in, but the plan is to do a tour later in the Firstly, it was always all one song. I made it like
year. I’ve never done a tour with my own stuff, but I did a
generatively, section by section, adding onto the end. I
few dates this year playing on my own acoustically quite a
mean, it ends with a folk song that I didn’t write, but I
lot, which I haven’t done that much. I can’t speak for the
really liked the arrangement that we got of it. I just felt
audience, but since I’ve been changing my approach to
like the song wasn’t over. There’s a bit in the six minute
writing, it feels like even the more arranged songs on the
mark where you think this is the end, and then there’s
album make more sense when I play them. Also I know
10 more minutes. It just felt like I didn’t say what I was
that if I make a mistake, I can land on my feet or just say,
trying to say. It’s about this paranoid feeling of being
“oh shit, I made a mistake”, whereas when you’re playing
persecuted when you’re not, and the point where I say
with a band, you can’t do that. It’s just good to go out and
“I’ve been a little too sentimental for a little too long”,
play and just talk to some of the people that are actually
felt like what I was trying to say the whole time. After
listening to it, hang out and just talk about music with
12 minutes of singing, we then strip it back, which is my
people. That’s the shit that I like.
favourite part of the record.
5
Ethan P. Flynn
I could try and write a song that sounds like The Who but
You do have more in common with the likes of Built To
it’s not going to sound like them because I’m not that kind
Spill or even the abrasive elements of METZ, have you
of singer. I hope the identity of my vocals is what stands
found many contemporaries on the scene?
us apart from being just a homage to other artists. We’re trying to walk our own path. These are short attention span
We’ve made a lot of friends out there on the road. I think
songs, that’s who I am as a person and that’s a big part
early on we got lumped in with certain bands but I hope
of my identity. I enjoy things being short, so taking these
we’re on our own island sonically. I don’t want to feel like
elements and running them through that blender.
we’re fitting in anywhere but it’s so crazy how we have our own tight circle. A lot of the people are those I worked
In LA you’re surrounded by classic rock institutions
with in my previous band and my career as a music
like Sunset Boulevard and The Roxy, The Whisky A Go
video director. We tour together, play shows together
Go - do you get a bit starry-eyed by that?
and see each other at festivals and it’s a really gratifying experience.
Absolutely, not even just in Los Angeles either, we’ll go to Irving Plaza in New York and you’ll see all of the absolute
On that note, is it just about soaking it up when you’re
giants who have played their stages. You’re just aware of
over here running around Europe and tastemaking
that history in every moment and you just hope you feel
festivals like The Great Escape?
worth being in the same place. It’s hard when you’re touring Europe because the schedule On the flipside, you grew up in Washington and it
can be so hectic so it’s really about trying to find the
definitely feels like more of a rainy Pacific Northwest
moments to walk around a new city and take it in or go
record than a sun-soaked LA one…
and find some regional food. When I come to England, I want beans on freaking toast and hash browns you know?
I mean the gloom is definitely a part of who I am as a
It’s about finding those little things that can allow you to
person. It’s trying to say something emotionally true,
sit in the fact you’re not at home. That’s the thing about
bands like Modest Mouse and Built To Spill are a huge
going to foreign countries, hopefully you’re doing things
influence on Militarie Gun. We try to be vulnerable at
that make you feel like you’re not just in America even
every chance, that’s a huge part of the process here. Even
though there are a shocking amount of similarities due to
when we stray into pop lanes, we try to delve into a more
the global stranglehold of corporations. It’s about finding
subversive place lyrically to say something else that
the little things to appreciate.
wouldn’t normally be said over such material. Given your music is so personal, seeing it connect I guess the album title itself plays into that openness in
through heavy touring must be really powerful?
some ways? Definitely, you find so many people relating to what I wanted to create the feeling of being stuck under
you’re speaking when you go on the road. Sometimes
something and it creates a very dramatic feeling. It
when writing, you can feel like you’re saying something
puts out the vibe instantly, I wanted to talk about the
incredibly specific but then you find out hundreds of
oppressive force and concept of abuse, how if you grow
people somehow feel like they’ve had the exact same
up being abused then you’ll hurt other people. Culturally
experience and that’s one of the really cool elements of all
we’ve arrived in a moment where we’re seeing people
this. Sometimes people start sharing their personal stories
being taken to task for these things. It’s observing that
as well but that’s where artists play their part, we’re this
cycle as a first person because I’ve been hurt and I’ve hurt
conduit for people’s own trauma. They might not be able
others. It’s about keeping your life moving forward in a
to put it out into the world but hopefully we can help
positive way where you’re not doing the same things over
them. It’s a beautiful thing and it’s a cool process.
and over again.
13
Militarie Gun
BOYGENIUS SUN 20 AUGSOLD OUT GUNNERSBURY PARK CAT CLYDE TUE 22 AUG THE OLD CHURCH STOKE NEWINGTON MARTHA SKYE MURPHY 28 AUG THE OLD CHURCH STOKE NEWINGTON LAURA JEAN MON 4 SEP ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH ROUGH TRADE RECORDS PRESENTS 15 YEARS OF THE QUIETUS TUE 5 SEPT ELECTRIC BRIXTON FAT WHITE FAMILY SAT 9 SEP ELECTRIC BRIXTON THE NATIONAL TUE 26 SEPSOLD OUT WED 27 SEP ALEXANDRA PALACE
HAND HABITS MON 16 OCT OMEARA DESIRE MAREA TUE 17 OCT HOXTON HALL BONNY DOON TUE 24 OCT THE LEXINGTON MANSUR BROWN SAT 28 OCT LAFAYETTE COUCOU CHLOE MON 30 OCT VILLAGE UNDERGROUND BLONDSHELL WED 1 NOV LAFAYETTE ART SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND THU 2 NOV ICA DOG RACE THU 9 NOV THE WAITING ROOM
LSDXOXO THU 5 OCT ICA
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SKINNY PELEMBE WED 11 OCT SCALA
KETY FUSCO SAT 11 NOV ICA
WTRGRL WED 11 OCT THE WAITING ROOM
DEVENDRA BANHART WED 15 NOV TROXY
PARALLELLINESPROMOTIONS.COM
FRANCIS OF DELIRIUM WED 15 NOV THE LEXINGTON SODA BLONDE WED 22 NOV THE LEXINGTON BC CAMPLIGHT THU 23 NOV O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE MOIN WED 29 NOV STUDIO 9294 YVES TUMOR WED 29 NOV O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN GEORGIA THU 30 NOV THE COLOUR FACTORY GILLA BAND MON 4 DEC FABRIC YEULE MON 11 DEC OUTERNET LAURA MISCH TU 12 DEC HACKNEY EARTH LANKUM WED 13 DEC ROUNDHOUSE JOCKSTRAP WED 13 DEC T THU 14 DECSOLD OU BARBICAN
20.10.23
Artists
Josh Whettingsteel Julian Alexander Julie Alex
Sakshi Jain Yihan Sun
Cameron JL West Harry Wyld
Jessica Meyrick
Editors Sam Ford
Josh Whettingsteel
Writers Sam Ford
Reuben Cross Will Macnab
Rhys Buchanan
Natalia Quiros-Edmunds Elvis Thirlwell
Akilah Chambers Lillian Tottle
Caitlin Pearce Sydney Stone
Dona Stavreva
Annabel Trixi Lawrence Ben Page
Neha Viswanath Jocelyn Rowland Jools Haymonds REN Tess Duffin
Amber Lashley
Esme Lower
Al Mills
Cover Photos
Eve Boothroyd Charlie Brown
Printed By Ex Why Zed
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Jamie Troxy
Photos for Collage Kim Taeyoung Tracy Nguyen Danny Lowe Ingrid Pop
Jennifer McCord
Hugo Winder-Lind Stella Sunday Lo Harley
Maxwell Granger
Camille Alexander Kalisha Quinlan
Naomi Williams
Jasper Cable Alexander