Issue Forty-Four
THE LAST DINNER PARTY
Also inside: Squid Cardinals Mandy, Indiana Floodlights Nabihah Iqbal Not From England Snõõper Lifeguard bdrmm
This Is Your Life, 2023. Snooker Table. Mitch Vowles and Jim Brook
With a slight name change (courtesy of Kamasi Washington’s Dinner Party return), a major label deal and some industry plant Twitter uproar, quite a lot has changed since we welcomed The Last Dinner Party to our monthly club night back in March of 2022. One constant from that evening however is that, now debut single, ‘Nothing Matters’ remains a banger. Ahead of an inevitable rise to big things, the band are on our cover and we discuss the aesthetic details that are so important to the band, handling social media accusations and how they’re aiming for the stars. No strangers to So Young, Squid’s second album ‘O Monolith’ is now with us. Ahead of its release, Ollie and Anton welcomed our call to cover the use of the Fairlight sampler, the promotional game for single ‘Undergrowth’ and finding the balance between challenging subject matter and tackling the challenge. One of our favourite albums of the year so far is ‘DREAMER’ by Nabihah Iqbal. Squeezing into her busy schedule, we manage to meet at her studio space at Somerset House to chat about the record, Thomas Hardy and Nabihah’s creative passion to redefine spaces. Manchester’s Mandy, Indiana may be the world’s most forgiving band. During the most hectic week of their lives (we assume), in the lead up to debut album ‘i’ve seen a way’, the band agreed to re-do our interview following a bluetooth mishap. We are chuffed to welcome them back to our pages to talk about the record and their wariness of describing themselves as a ‘Manchester Band’.
Cork’s Cardinals had us very excited at our recent aforementioned We Are So Young night. Swells of The Smiths and The Jesus and Mary Chain are paired with traditional Irish sounds to create dark alternative pop songs. The band introduce themselves and their story so far inside. Hull’s BDRMM will release their second album. ‘I Don’t Know’ at the end of June. With Shoegaze feeling a recent injection of youthful reinvention, BDRMM have become leaders of the pack and we give them a call to see what they have in store for us. With Papier-mâché friends in hand, Snõõper are preparing to bring the riot to Europe via Nashville. The new signings to Third Man Records make high octane garage punk music and new album ‘Super Snõõper’ isn’t one to sleep on. The band invite us into their world to chat puppets, Henry Rollins and Lil Ugly Mane. Staying in the United States, Not From England are LA based but are currently spread coast to coast due to studies. The Brit x Surf Rock on their self released debut album had us excited, so we reached out and they kindly took our call. Chicago’s Lifeguard have recently signed to Matador (Horsegirl, Water From Your Eyes, bar italia), and inside they tell us about the thriving scene they’re growing within and the importance of maintaining their youth. To finish us off, Melbourne’s Floodlights enjoyed a stormer at SXSW this year and since then have released their second album, ‘Painting of My Time’. Ahead of a visit to the UK for End of the Road Festival, we caught up.
4 Snõõper The Mosh-quito
35 bdrmm Pulling Stitches
8 Nabihah Iqbal Dreamer
39 Mitch Vowles and Jim Brook This Is Your Life
13 The Last Dinner Party The Virgin Suicides
42 Lifeguard I Wanna Be Adored
20 Squid The Fairlight
47 Floodlights Australiana
23 Cardinals Parables, Hymns, Prayers
52 Truck Festival Warped Village Party
32 Not From England LA, New York and London
54 Mandy, Indiana The Wookey Hole
Continuing our annual traditions, we’re returning to
On watchlist for Friday are HighSchool, the Australian
Oxford to join the warped village party in Hill Farm for
goth-pop outfit with their tracks about real-life issues and
Truck Festival 2023.
troubled relationships, and Wunderhorse so we can shout out every lyric to ‘Purple’ under the sun.
As the first festival to invite So Young along back in the day, our roots in the field run deep. Our much anticipated
Saturday draws out our friends from Glasgow, Humour,
wait to get back in the swing of Truck life is just around
and London’s Deadletter who we’re gagging to see
the corner, starting on the 20th of July for a four-day
again after the eruption they caused at The Great Escape
event.
earlier this year. English Teacher go next with their Truck Festival debut and rounding us off are our Market Stage
Headliners for the weekend include The Wombats, Two
headliners Squid.
Door Cinema Club and Alt-J, as they’re backed by festival must-haves, The Vaccines, who we trust will get the
As we kick off Sunday, The Last Dinner Party, are about
crowd going with ‘Norgaard’ and ‘I Can’t Quit’. The alt
to share their alt-pop inside the big tent as they also make
duo, Prima Queen, also blend into this summery Truck
their Truck debut. The Irish garage-punk group, Sprints
main stage cocktail, followed by Mercury nominated, Self
will be closing down our party alongside indie legends,
Esteem.
Gengahr as we round off with a bucket load of rowdy madness.
Swim Deep arrive on Thursday with sing-along classics like ‘Honey’ and ‘King City’, because, let’s be honest, is it
It’s not all about the Market Stage, The Nest holds an
a festival without the Birmingham four-piece? And Wales’
unmissable squad across the week with Opus Kink and
The Bug Club are set to teach the crowd about their garage
Connie Constance in main support positions across Friday
rock ways straight after.
and Saturday, with Nukuluk and She’s In Parties making their way up the list as well.
Ready for the real fun? Spread across The Market Stage is the return of So Young’s Truck collaboration, including
Truck Festival takes place from 20th July 2023 – 23rd July
rising names like Red Rum Club, Courting, and Pynch.
2023. We’ll see you at the So Young Market Stage.
Words by Alicia Tomkinson
44
Editors Sam Ford
Josh Whettingsteel
Writers
Artists
Reuben Cross
Mitch Vowles
Sam Ford
Poppy Richler
Eve Boothroyd Leo Lawton
Natalia Quiros Edmonds Amber Lashley Will Macnab Al Mills
Charlie Brown
Alicia Tomkinson Elvis Thirlwell
Printed By Ex Why Zed
Josh Whettingsteel Jim Brook
David Huang Pierre André
Martyna Grądziel Amber Gyselings Léna Martinez Cora Marinoff Minho Jung REN
Hanna Norberg-Williams Diane Roussille
Cover Photo Tom Marshak
info@soyoungmagazine.com
Photos for Collage
Website
Katherine Cantwell
www.soyoungmagazine.com
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Studio UJ
Emilyn Cardona Joseph Hayes
Mariana Belaval Harry Steel
Ian Laidlaw
Megan Loveless