So Young Issue Seventeen

Issue Seventeen

IDLES Courtney Barnett Matt Maltese Hotel Lux Hinds Boy Azooga

Issue Seventeen takes us into festival season with Courtney Barnett on the print cover. We catch her in the midst of a European tour to chat about her artwork, the new record and trusting in the moment. Bristol’s finest, Idles take our call to chat about signing to Partisan Records, the communities behind the new record as well as the joys of touring the world with your mates. Flying over to New York, we talk to Bodega who have quickly become one of the most promising guitar bands around. Having recently recorded with Parquet Courts’ Austin Brown, we chat to them about the process. In the capital, Hotel Lux have released another testing single in ‘Daddy’, we met them at the pub to dismiss their ‘working class hero’ tag. Manchester carries a weight of history and we spoke to one of their modern leading lights, Spring King, about how the world needs a positive

Denmark’s Iceage have released a new record called

‘Beyondless’, we dug into the record and touched on why the world doesn’t need anymore hardcore records. You’ll

do well to listen to any decent radio station and not catch Cardiff’s Boy Azooga. They invited us backstage to talk

bass lines. Matt Maltese has swapped the lonely keyboard for a full band and thrown on his pink suit. We get heavy

and honest about his new album ‘Bad Contestant’ and the struggles of being a full time musician. To finish, Hinds released their second record ‘I Don’t Run’ in April and

it was only right that we sent them some Qs to catch up.

As always we introduce you to some of our favourite new sounds in Who Are You? Look out for quick chats with

Fontaines D.C., Mellah, Yassassin and more. Plus, Georgie

Jesson puts the industry in it’s place as Instant Shit returns.

spin.

3 Hotel Lux

27 Boy Azooga

8 Courtney Barnett

29 Who Are You?

12 Iceage

31 Spring King

15 IDLES

33 Instant Shit

19 Matt Maltese

36 Latitude Festival

25 Lice

37 Bodega

26 Confidence Man

40 Hinds

Daddy Was a Bad Guy

Tell Me How You Really Feel

Beyondless

Colossus

Bad Contestant

Exhibition

Confident Music

1,2 Kung Fu

Get To Know

A Better Life

Fruit and Flowers

Here Comes the Summer

Endless Scroll

I Don’t Run

Opposite, So Young Illustration Competition Winner, Anna Rupprecht (Solange)

Hotel Lux ‘Daddy was a bad guy/His hands upon my thigh’. So

We were looking for a way to expand our sound, from

declares vocalist Lewis Duffin on Hotel Lux’s newest

our first two singles, and because of the music HMLTD

single, Daddy, successfully inhabiting status as both

produce, he seemed like a clear way to do that. They’re

the bands’ most refined offering to date and yet their

great songwriters, they really think about every part of the

most decidedly radio unfriendly. Originally hailing from

song- we learnt a lot from working with him. We weren’t

Portsmouth, it is the quintet’s willingness to eschew the

lazy songwriters before, and maybe we just preferred a

conventional in pursuit of uncomfortable reality that truly

rawer sound on the first two singles, but it wasn’t what we

sets Hotel Lux apart from many of their contemporaries.

wanted to exclusively do anymore. Now we’re going to try

With a sound best described as The Stranglers fronted

and put together an almost dumbed down version of that, to

by Mark E. Smith, their music evokes a certain twisted

find a sweet spot in the middle.

cynicism that seems to both rage and glory at the quasidystopian actualities depicted within the universe of

Flicking through a couple of other pieces that have been

Duffin’s vocals, as he alternates from apathetic drawl to

written on you, there seems to be a real fetishization of

guttural growl. Having recently toured with the likes of

sorts around the idea that you are the ‘working-class

Shame, and with a host of larger headline gigs under their

cult heroes’ in a group of super middle-class bands. Is

belt (most notably London’s Moth Club), it seems the

this something you embrace?

particular brand of post-Brexit-punk practised by the Lux is No, it’s horrible! A lot of my lyrics are telling stories about

just getting started.

experiences particular to the working-class, because that The new single, ‘Daddy’ contains some fairly heavy

is my reality- but I certainly wouldn’t want the band to be

lyrical imagery- could you elaborate on the inspiration

paraded and defined as just a product of that. ‘Class’ is

behind the song?

a weird one. The whole fetishization and glorification of being working-class is so boring, especially when it’s just

So near Portsmouth, there’s this place called Paulsgrove.

not who you are. But the fact the ‘working-class’ nature

Around 2001, there was supposedly this halfway house set

of my lyrics comes up in every fucking interview I think

up for people who’d been in prison for stuff like sexual

means we should move on.

assault- it’s quite a rough place anyway, but the locals found out about these ex-offenders living there and there were

In a lot of your lyrics, there is a sense of anger and

genuine riots, in this tiny place, in a protest about them

injustice- is anger important as creative fuel to the

living there. I also always loved Shane Meadows [This is

band?

England] and Alan Clarke, these directors talking about terrible, real, things. It’s about confronting these subjects,

Anger is as important as love and everything else. I don’t

not wanting to sugar coat or shy away from discussing

like the concept of bands refusing to play love songs

them.

because ‘that’s been done’. So have fucking hate songs! But as a band, we’ve done the writing about despair, and we

I was surprised to see that Duc from HMLTD produced

now want to create stuff about the positive parts of negative

‘Daddy’- how did this pairing occur?

emotion- the hope etc. But I guess the music you most connect with reflects your mood, and that extends to what you write. So maybe I’ve just been angry too much!

3

Words by Dan Pare, illustration by Bo Matteini

So Young Illustration Competition 3rd Place, Alva Skog (Aretha Franklin), opposite, 2nd Place, Eunjoo Lee (Bjork)

Courtney Barnett

When we dial in to the call, Barnett picks up first ring.

The record, a tight 10 track blast, boils down the thickly

She’s been waiting on the conference line, bopping along

layered metaphor of her first album and shows the

to “kind of jazzy” hold music and getting ready to play in

perennially creative Australian at her most emotionally

Utrecht, part of a European stint in support of her second

direct.

album ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’.

7

Words by Rob Knaggs, illustration by Jean Jullien

Gone are the intricate set pieces of “Sometimes I Sit…”, in

Was that something you were conscious of when you

their place carefully turned tracks that feel more open than

were writing?

anything she’s done before. In short - it’s a banger. We got on the line with Barnett and chatted about the album, her

I wasn’t majorly conscious of it. I was writing with no

artwork and what’s been going on at ‘Milk!’.

intention and what came out came out. I’m not too sure… It was a lot more as it happened. Just trusting in the moment.

To kick off, the artwork on this new record is very

I didn’t have a solid plan or things to kind of address. I only

different from anything you’ve done. You do it all

became aware of the songs as they became more final.

yourself right?

Now the record’s out, have you been surprised by any of The last couple of albums I’ve been drawing while I’ve

the reactions to it?

been writing a lot, in tandem. As kind of the writing process. I do little pictures and little sentences here and

I’m always interested in what those interpretations are. But

there in my books and it all comes together when the album

not surprised. I think I’m pretty open to it, so whatever

comes together.

people feel or think I think that’s the correct response even if it’s not what I intended.

This time I wasn’t really drawing anything, but I’d been taking lots of photos. I was doing this series of self

I hear you went out to rural Australia to get the album

portraits, while I was writing each day at the desk. I had all

together. How did you find that change of space?

this polaroid film. So I was shooting each day at the desk.

So the image was one from that series, and I think it just

Oh yeah it was beautiful. It wasn’t that rural I guess. Just

had this really, I don’t know, this strong sense to it. I liked

sort of a country town away from the city. It was great. I

how it was awkwardly cropped and a little bit too close and

think it was just nice. I tried to really remove myself. The

not really what you would want for an album cover.

whole writing process I tried to bounce around and put myself in different environments, and use different tools

There’s this kind of look in my eyes that, I don’t know,

to see how if affects your brain and how to break those

could kind of be interpreted in many ways. So I thought it

patterns of working the same way.

was perfect for the album and the album title.

I was in another state. I was away from my house, my It’s seems very raw...

friends. My phone had actually just broken, so I couldn’t really go and scroll through social media or whatever.

Yeah well it’s pretty real I guess. And even the treatment of

Which was quite good, quite liberating for a writer. Not to

the photo, it was. I didn’t Photoshop anything on it. I just

be so distracted. I have a big response to the environment

scanned it, and laid the text over it. And that was it.

and my surroundings. It was really peaceful. To sit by this little lake, that had frogs making so much noise. It was kind

You don’t seem like the kind of person who’d be too

of therapeutic.

worried about Photoshop...

It feels like you can hear that sense of contentment on I don’t often really do it, every now and then if there’s some

the album on the last track [Sunday Roast] particularly,

weird mark on my face in the photo I might ask for it, if it’s

it feels very peaceful and optimistic.

really big and weird. But not often. This was straight up.

Which I like, I like the honesty of that. It goes in tandem

Oh yeah. Well actually I wrote the majority of the song

with the album.

when I was 13. But that last part I wrote recently.

The record itself seems to follow suit. It’s very direct.

There aren’t so many of the set pieces or characters from the first one.

www.jeanjullien.com

8

Is that something you do a lot, picking up tracks from

The other thing we wanted to talk about was your record

when you were younger?

label ‘Milk!’, talk us though the ethos and why it came together.

A lot of it was new-ish I guess. There were only a couple of bits that were really crossovers, that song. And ‘Help

I started it just to put out my own music. And then started

Yourself’. With that track, the drum and bass line I came up

putting out friend’s records because we were doing shows

with when I was 15 or 16, and the main melody.

together. And it was an easy way to put out music and promote shows and build it into something bigger. With

I mean I think that I always treat song writing like that.

more bands, more understanding and professionalism. It’s

Songs travel along until they’re finished, I’m not too

cool, it’s a real honour to be able to help great songwriters

bothered about when they start or when they end. It’s just

share their music. I just feel like there’s so much going

whatever works. All the lyrics are new. But the music still

on in the world of music and the internet, that it’s easy to

holds some sentiment. Nostalgia you know?

become completely lost in that. It’s nice. We’ve built this really incredible community of people who love great music

Does that mean album three is already starting to bubble

and are really open to experimenting and exploring.

up?

Do you have that tycoon streak, do you want to see it Uh. Nah. There’s always songs that I’m working on over

grow into a massive thing?

time. But I haven’t started thinking about anything else. I just keep on writing you know. I won’t get round to actually

I’ve never wanted it to be like anything else. We’re lucky in

thinking properly for a little while.

the last year or so we’ve got a warehouse we can work from and a couple of friends working for us. But I’ve never had

Did you have a view of what you wanted to do with the

an intention of making it a kind of huge, you know, thing. I

album. Was there a template you were working to, or

like how it is. I like the honesty and smallness of it.

something you knew you wanted to do going in?

You seem to be playing bigger and bigger stages these No, not really. I wasn’t sure what I was doing. Or what I

days. How have you found it? It seems like the other end

wanted to say or how I felt. I guess that was the first part of

of that spectrum from Milk and the small, community

it. Figuring out how I was feeling and what I was thinking

feel.

about. It became kind of obvious through rambling about the same kind of things.

Different sized festivals and shows all carry different energy and I guess different meanings and all that stuff. But it’s

Now that it’s released and there’s nothing you can really do

such a privilege to be able to do that. To play songs to

about it. I’m released. But up until then I was pretty much

people who are there to come and see you. At the end of the

tinkering about with it every day.

day, it’s singing songs on a stage.

Seeing Parquet Courts working with Danger Mouse, do

Thanks for chatting with us. A final thing, are there any

you have any urge to do that superstar producer album?

bands coming up you think we should be keeping an eye on?

Whatever works works. We tend to carry so much weight on that stuff and I mean, I think that if the relationships

There are so many bands I love at the moment. All the Milk

good and the musical understanding is good then it’s a

Records bands are great. We’ve got Loose Tooth on tour

great thing. But if you just want to hire a really big name

with us at the moment, they’re incredible. There’s a band

and spend lots of money and hope that that’ll make a good

called RVG from Melbourne. Totally Mild, Laura Jean,

thing, then that’s not good. But if all of the intention is good

Sampa the Great. There’s just heaps of good stuff coming

then sure. But yeah who knows.

out of Australia.

9

www.jeanjullien.com

Angelique Heidler

Iceage Copenhagen’s prodigal sons have returned from a hiatus

I read somewhere that this album felt part of a

spanning four years- and judging by the direction the world

‘necessary process of pushing into something new’- and

has tilted in since their 2014 opus ‘Plowing Into the Field of

on each record you put out, you can feel an almost

Love’, they have emerged at the perfect time to soundtrack

tangibly necessary evolution. Is the need to strike out for

some form of cataclysmic event. New album ‘Beyondless’

new ground something important for the band?

provides the logical continuation to the glorious melodrama of their first three albums, seeing the band continue their

Yeah, I think that’s the only way we can remain interested

path away from the abrasive industrial punk of their early

in music. There’s nothing in it for me if I just rely on some

work and into a more refined realm that conjures the

sort of comfortable territory I’ve done already. I don’t want

feeling of playing Russian roulette at an upscale dinner

to put out some watered-down album I’ve done before once

party. A joyful bacchanal scaled to fit true extremities of

a month. We scrapped a bunch of alright songs from the

emotion, an immersive experience which owes more to the

album because it didn’t seem it was adding anything new

narcotic sleaze of ‘Exile on Main Street’ than the Germs,

to the repertoire. It’s kind of why it took us a while to write

‘Beyondless’ still causes adrenaline to come screaming

another album, because the first stuff we wrote after [2014

down the spine like volts from a cattle prod. We rang up

LP] ‘Plowing Into the Field of Love’ just sounded like a

enigmatic frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt on a sunny day

continuation, without adding that new element that would

in Copenhagen in an attempt to understand if not quite ‘the

give it any reason to exist out there. We wouldn’t want to

method behind the madness’, then at least the inspiration

put anything out there that doesn’t feel it has anything to

behind Iceage’s timely rebirth.

add. There’s already enough noise out there, it’s not like the world needs more hardcore records.

The album title ‘Beyondless’ (taken from Worstward Ho, a piece of Beckett prose), suggests both transcendence of

Growing up ‘in the spotlight’ so to speak, having

infinity and, literally speaking, less than anything. That

released your first album when you were 18 to real

seems reflected in the mix of humour and sorrow in the

fanfare, has there been a pressure to maintain a

album. Can you tell us anything about the inspiration

particular musical course?

that went into putting it together?

Pressure’s never really been a factor- we’ve never been of Composition wise, we made it because we felt some sort of

completely pleasing nature, in terms of audience or press.

spark, some inspiration -you start by just staring at a blank

And I haven’t really been that interested in satisfying

piece of paper, clenching your brain like a damp piece of

anyone but ourselves with the creative process- bringing

cloth to wring out ideas and seeing what comes out. It’s

random multitudes of people’s hypothetical opinions of

informed by life experience, by the life you’re living, trying

what you’re working on feels like constantly banging your

to capture what’s changed since the last time you did it,

head against the wall endlessly. Off the first album, we

and you have a desire to showcase your perverse sense

were able to get out there and tour- none of us really had

of creativity. Humour wise I’ve always had a tendency,

much going on for ourselves, we never really planned to

even when dealing with quite a serious matter, to have this

do this, but had nothing else holding us, so just went with

twisted sense of humour that tries to corrupt things, to see

it. It wasn’t for a few years that music revealed itself as a

what I can get away with.

meaningful life pursuit.

Words by Dan Pare, illustration by William Davey

12

So Young Illustration Competition 4th Place, Katja Gendikova (Kate Bush), opposite, 5th Place, Alice Wietzel (Stevie Nicks)

It’s about time So Young got around to speaking to Idles.

Obviously their values hit home with you then?

In a sense though we’ve chosen a very good moment. The band have just announced that their new record ‘Joy’ is on

It all just changed really quickly when I spoke to Tim

it’s way later this year and have dropped the devious and

Putney who’s head of the label. He just blew my mind.

overwhelming first single ‘Colossus’. Anyhow, Joe Talbot

He called me super late because he’s in New York and we

bluntly puts it, “We’re glad you jumped on our fucking

just ended up talking for two hours. He was fascinating

bandwagon because we love the magazine.” Calling Joe

and very passionate. Every conversation I’ve had with him

an interesting speaker is a massive understatement, so

since has been as inspiring and magical. It’s basically given

we didn’t ask him all the obvious questions about their

us a morale boost in the sense that they were speaking our

whirlwind last few years, what it was like meeting Dave

language. They were reading our art, listening to our music

Grohl and all the rest because that’s a story which has

and getting it. They said, we understand your messages

already been written. Instead, we got stuck into the future

and want to help you translate that outside of the UK to

and where the hell this titanic band are headed for next. (I

the rest of the world. Everyone we’ve met in the label has

can assure you it’s not an iceberg).

been earnest, hard-working and interested, that’s what we’re about. It’s just felt like we’re part of the family and I’m

Your transition into Partisan seems to have been

more than happy to welcome them into our family as well.

amazing, tell us about the move?

It’s been a very quick thing because we had the second album set in terms of artwork, themes and songs. We had a

It kind of happened rather quickly really. We were looking

couple of hurdles along the way but we got through them.

for a label for quite a while to give us the platform we

It’s all a bit of a blur but now we’re on the other side with

needed and nobody came about so we cracked on on our

an album in our hands. It’s a beautiful thing.

own. Then we had Partisan approach us and by that point I was like, we don’t need a fucking label, what’s all this bullshit. So I was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing, I wasn’t bitter or anything but I was just self-aware enough to know that we were doing fine on our own. I didn’t want to sacrifice all our hard work by signing with someone who just wants to jump on our backs at a time when we’re finally doing alright for ourselves.

15

Words by Rhys Buchanan

How did you approach the second album then?

There was a pressure at the start. There was quite a few songs we scrapped because I reflected on the lyrics. I realised I’d fallen into the trap that I was in before the first album, which is where you’re just writing shit to please other people. When people respond to your music, you’ve got more of a gauge: what they like and don’t. I became too self-aware and was thinking about what I was writing too much. So I went back to square one and unlearnt what I’d learnt from the first album. My approach was to be as naive as possible and it worked. The songs came thick and fast and it was a lot easier to write than I thought it would be.

The thematics came very quickly because my daughter died so I wanted to build on that as I did with the first album.

One thing they seem to have offered is the stepping

I’ve always stuck to my ethos of being as transparent as

stone into America…

possible with my lyrics. Obviously it was a lot harder than the first album because it was a lot harder to deal with

Yeah weirdly it was never in my periphery vision to go to

anyway. It was a point in my life where I realised I could

America and try and do it over there. I was worried about

either go back to addiction and destruction or I can change

my tone of approach which I thought was very Britain-

my life around forever because of something catastrophic.

centric. There’s an air of unease and political confusion in

So it all came in at the same time and the album just came

our country and I didn’t realise it was so apparent over there

very quickly.

as well. There’s a need for honesty in music and popular culture as much as there is here. There was a lot of hungry crowds and a lot of warm receptions and intelligent people.

We met so many wonderful characters out there that made us feel like we were at home. The show in Brooklyn was like doing a show in Bristol. That goes across the board, our music has a tone of visceral energy that is an amalgamation of honesty and hard work. I think there’s a gap in popular culture in America and Europe for that. I think people are bored of pretension. In a time where there’s no believable meta-narratives knocking about, people seek honest fat old men who are shouting about stuff that’s interesting because the world around them is not perfect.

Illustration by Josh Whettingsteel

16

So it’s about channeling that grief into the right places?

I guess you’ve picked up a community because of that honesty as well?

It’s all about reflective grieving where you use the trainwreck that you’re in to a pragmatic gain where you utilise

I think the reason why a lot of people have connected with

the people around you who care for you. You share your

us as a band is because they see themselves in us. We’ve

feelings and build slowly as opposed to quickly. The first

not put ourselves on any sort of mystical platform. Anyone

album was very explosive grief that happened. This time

can be an Idles. Anyone can start a band, work their ass of

around I couldn’t rush it because I knew if I rushed my

for eight years and get to where we are. If you work hard

grieving process I’d be in danger of imploding and turning

at something for nearly a decade then you’re going to get

into a violent monster. So I took things slowly and spoke

good at it at some point. If you work hard and you’re good

about my feelings a lot more than I was comfortable with. I

to people then you’ll get somewhere. The whole notion and

had to be vulnerable to the people I cared about and to the

ethos of our art is about transparency. Most of the stuff that

songs. The songwriting process was a lot more bruising but

you get bombarded with in magazines and on television are

a lot more freeing afterwards. The lyrics are very simplistic

not real. That’s not how normal people look. Photoshopped

and childlike in a way and I wanted there to be an innocence

people are not normal. Normal people have stretch marks

to it. That shows you can be strong and vulnerable at the

and depression and they’ve got addictions. Showing that

same time. The whole album is based around that period

and trying to get that out into popular culture so people

really. All my lyrics will be based on what I’m going

don’t feel shit about themselves is what we’re all about. I’m

through at that point. I’m sure it will change when I start

not trying to make out I’m fucking John Lennon, I’m not

writing long ballads that nobody wants to listen to.

a working class hero but I’m not interested in projecting anything but the truth through something that sounds

You’ve had such a turbulant time with life and an

fucking sick. We’re just hungry. With this album we’ve

exciting time with the band - how important have the

done what we wanted. We had real fun with the music so

band been in coping?

we can enjoy expressing the crappy part of life. It’s about enjoying the bruises and sharing it with a community. The

They’ve been paramount really. I spend a lot of time with

more fun you have, the more people will look inside the

them. They’ve been very patient and they’ve been a good

windows of that lock-in and want to join the party. We are

ear and shoulder to cry on. They’ve worked really hard for

so privileged to be able to play to people and travel the

this tour and this album and everything that’s around us.

world with our mates. Anyone who does that and tries to

They’ve stuck their necks out and worked their asses off.

look aloof is a cunt. It’s not something you should be aloof

They’ve evolved with me to be slightly more soft around the

about because trust me it doesn’t last forever. It is the best

edges so that I can lean on them. I think beyond the band

feeling on the planet without a doubt.

all the people in my life have been vital to my partner and I getting through what we went through. This is what the

Idles play Latitude Festival on Sunday, July 15 - BBC

second album is all about. It’s about looking around you and

Music Stage.

learning to love yourself by projecting all of this shit onto people to reflect. The band and the process of being in a band has been a life-saver once again. That’s the point of art and music as such, it’s the best way to survive catastrophe in your life (beyond paramedics and shit). As an emotional catastrophe, expressing yourself is the way to save yourself from all sorts of horrors.

Matt Maltese Matt Maltese’s debut album ‘Bad Contestant’ is about to

Probably the defining thing is that I feel the most

be released, and So Young got in touch to talk to him about

comfortable I have felt with my music since I started,

it... to talk about the usual stuff: how it sounds, how it feels,

so I suppose that gives a sense of consistency because I

how he feels about how it sounds. Matt is funny, but mostly

have an album written/recorded with the same headspace-

Matt is honest, both with himself and with his audience. On

which is definitely what you want, I think.

answering these mundane questions, you come to realise that Matt is lucky to have the means to even release an

You’re right about consistency, the album and you’re

album- and he knows it. If you can survive, if you can make

live shows feel a lot more streamlined, like a narrative

music and stay afloat, then quite frankly, you’ve made it. Of

within a narrative. And for you, personally, when you

course, Matt is doing more than just surviving, he’s finally

listen to your album, what does it feel like or sound like

arrived in a suit of pastel pink and he’s got the confidence

for you?

to back it up- but he is so much more than the heartbreak kid. He’s playful, brave and totally aware and I think he’s

I’ve tried to make a point of not listening to it too much

the absolute pinnacle of a what a modern songwriter should

since we finished recording, I quite like the idea of leaving

strive to be. Totally unafraid and totally in tune.

it behind in a sense. I think the main feeling I did have was that I’d been pretty open with myself. It was important that

You supported Baxter Dury recently in Paris, how was

the comedy didn’t override the sentiment the whole time

that?

and so I was happy that I didn’t let the comedy get too much in the way and there was a part of me that was still

Yeh I did, with Jarvis Cocker djing- ridiculous- it was

vulnerable on the record. It feels honest, it really feels like

fucking weird doing soundcheck and then hearing Jarvis in

me, but I also love the input from Jonathan Rado [Foxygen]

the background just like “me monitors a bit fuzzy”. But he

and Alex [Burey], and the soundscapes they created, I really

watched my set and stuff, it was mad, really cool.

enjoyed that part of it aswell.

You’ve been making and recording music for 2 or 3 years

Are you scared of getting to a point where you might

now, which is a long time, but it kind of feels like you’ve

dislike the album? Is that why you like to leave it

just arrived. With the last few singles you’ve released

behind, in the moment?

you’ve found your sound, your aesthetic, and for want of a better word, your ‘brand.’ Is it creatively conflicting to

I mean sometimes; there are songs from a year and a

feel like everything has got to be in this particular tone,

half ago now which I just don’t like. But I keep trying to

or this particular colour palette?

remember that I feel the most comfortable with this record than I have with any other piece of music, you know,

I guess I don’t think about it too much because I’ve changed

straight after I’ve recorded it.

a lot in the past, or I still feel like I could change. It’s nice that people feel like I’ve arrived to something, but I don’t

So how do you think that your relationships with your

necessarily feel like that. In a year, I don’t know what songs

songs change over time? Especially considering a lot of

I could be writing or what kind of colour palette I could be

them sound highly specified and anecdotal.

using…

19

Words by Georgie Jesson

Illustration by Johanna Walderdorff

I’m not sure, but it’s definitely specific to each song. Most

but having the band is just a great extra support. And I just

of the time I’ll just have an enjoyable nostalgia with them

feel better being around people on tour, it sounds simple,

because (I know this sounds really corny) but it’s like

but even that just makes the whole experience a little bit

reading your diary. But, then there are times when you

more of a joint thing rather than some indulgent journey of

recognise that person less and less. You know, if I was

the self, fuck that. I feel lucky, at the start I couldn’t even

feeling sad at a particular time in the past, I can access that

imagine myself with a band just because of the nature of

sadness later but I’ll never be in that place again, and I

the songs I was writing, or the fact that I wasn’t playing

wouldn’t have that kind of naivety of heartbreak. Or, if you

to that many people and financially there’s no way I could

finally come to an understanding of things, you can’t really

support a band.

have that epiphany moment ever again. There are some songs which don’t feel that different each night, but there

On finance, money and music is so fucked at the

are other songs which are very situation specific, and it just

moment, and as an artist that I would consider

goes hand in hand with how you have evolved as a person.

successful, do you feel like you are reaping the rewards of that hard work and that outward success?

This sound that you created with Rado and with Alex is unique and fantastic and feels honest but is still stylish…

I think it’s hard to know because obviously I don’t know

Was it important for you to remove yourself from

exactly what it was like before. I feel privileged enough that

London to get this sound?

I can live in a room in London and afford not to have to get another day job and just do music. I don’t make a lot more

I think my time with Rado in LA and at Alex’s out in

money than that, and I think a lot of musicians get angry

Purley, which always feels way out of London, I felt like I

at that, you know, they expect some perks but I think I get

could like myself a bit more. You feel less covered by self-

enough perks. I get to go on tour. I know a lot of people feel

loathing and thinking about what other people are thinking

cheated but I definitely don’t feel cheated. There are a lot of

of you, and I also felt like I could be a lot more playful. It

things that do cheat you, like streaming for example, there’s

seems like people are scared to be too playful in London,

so much dark shit going on between streaming and record

and I’m not sure if that is even a justified emotion because

labels which isn’t talked about but you know, I had a record

there are a lot of playful artists here- it’s not a miserable

label that would pay for the recording of this album so who

town- but it does feel like there’s something of a weight off

am I to get angry?

when I’m around Alex and Rado who I respect so much.

You’re being playful with each other and it feels like that’s

I suppose everybody’s looking back like ‘Oh twenty

okay because it’s about us and it’s about this room and

years ago…’

my relationship with that person and nothing else kind of matters. That sounds intense, but I think I make the best

Yeah ‘oh twenty years ago I could have had all the gak

music when I’m not thinking about what people think of me

in the world and a studio for five nights and its like yeah

or what people think that I should do next, because those

ok, but that’s not the reality anymore. I think there are

things do hinder your total ease of mind and freedom and

issues that have arisen because there isn’t loads and loads

they definitely hinder your playfulness.

of money. You know all the acts living in london and getting signed are mostly middle class and are able to get

And how do you feel that your album translates onto

signed because they have the advantage of already living

the live shows? How is it with the band and what do you

in London. I’m lucky that I’m a southern boy who came to

think it brings to you?

uni, had a student loan so that I could live and all of that.

There are definitely issues and complexities in the industry

I think it’s good because its a step towards what recording

concerning money and the money available to artists but I

the songs was like, and it creates a little world around it,

definitely wouldn’t play my own violin, its a lot harder for

like having people to play off and things to play off. Playing

lots of other artists.

just me and the piano for such a long time was really good but I still felt quite vulnerable,

21

Matt Maltese

I know you’ve had some offers, like big advert offers, do

I suppose I have a heightened sense of troubles of the heart

you ever feel torn? From when I knew you before you’ve

because I don’t have to worry about when my next meal

definitely loosened up, so to speak- there were certain

is gonna be on the table. And I’m very aware that that is

mainstream territories that you wouldn’t go near to

a flaw of the white male singer songwriters, we’re always

which you’ve allowed yourself a bit of leeway with.

thinking about our feelings all the time. But a lot of the time it’s good to recognise that it’s okay for me to talk about my

I think so. I mean there are still certain things I definitely

feelings and feel like I have to hate myself for it. But that is

wouldn’t do because of who I am. But there are sometimes

just a trope of being aware of your position, like of course

situations where you can think that you’re also getting

you are going to feel guilty about it.

something out of the man rather than the man is just trying to get something out of me. I haven’t had an offer yet where

But don’t you think that this is so recent? I can’t

I’ve thought, shit I’m really gonna have to sack off a lot

imagine songwriters thinking about this subject after

of my values and take the money and I’d like to think I’ll

post- punk, you know, 10 or 15 years ago? Franz

never be in a position where I’d have to do that. I’ll always

Ferdinand and the Wombats certainly weren’t thinking

remember, looking back, how shit it was for me not being

about it. It’s something that came along with the Fat

a musician, and so that often helps me come to terms with

Whites, who put everyone on their toes.

certain things.

I agree, but I think a lot of it is even wider than the Fat But I think people are more forgiving now, I think

White Family, it’s about having such an awareness of

with the new fluidity of genre the underground and

everything because of the internet. Now, it’s far easier to

overground crossover a lot more and we give artists a lot

see other things and not just read the Reading Chronical and

more leeway.

believe that that’s the world. And for me, moving to London was huge for me, I saw so many different types of poeple

Yeah, and I think people’s opinions of selling out are a

and places that you just don’t see when you’re from a home

lot less skewed. People need to understand that if daddy’s

county or whatever. But I do think it’s a good thing. I don’t

money isn’t there and if you want to be a financially

think that anyone should hate themselves for whatever

independent artist you are going to have to change your

situation they were brought up into because that isn’t gonna

ideas of what you would and wouldn’t do. Sounds a bit

move anything forward, but we need to be conscious and

like I’m being Mr. Reality here, but you lose abit of your

aware of it in everything we say and do.

idealism as you get older.

These ideas of class and privilege you talk about also feel prevalent in your music at times. We are all so aware of ourselves and our privilege, and the amount of reverse snobbery that is occuring at the moment is just something that we can’t seem to step away from. Have you ever had an experience in a song where you wanna touch on something political and find that you have to check yourself rather than allowing that lyric to be free?

Probably, yeah. I can’t think of any specifics but there’s definitely situations where you’re faced with checking yourself. I’m someone that is very aware of their situation and I try to stay away from those age-old punk sentiments like ‘it’s fucking hard being on the grind’ because I know that that’s not my life.

www.johannawalderdorff.com

22

Lice Bristol has birthed a lot of great things: cider that gets you

Perfectly spearheaded by Alastair’s songwriting, his lyrics

drunk after one sip (It’s called ‘Exhibition’ and it’s from

take on misogyny, xenophobia, and pretty much all of the

the Cori Tap in Clifton if you’re interested), Big Jeff head

hate we’re now dealing with in this post-Brexit Britain shit-

banging at the front of gigs, and, of course, up and coming

fest we now find ourselves in. Predominantly inspired by

self-professed “satirical art punk” four-piece LICE.

satire, he weaves in inspiration from writers and comedians to create thought-provoking songs that brilliantly snarl atop

Originally meeting at university after an ad stating a

the post-punk backing.

“guitarist and drummer looking for singer willing to do and say horrible shit”, the group - made up of singer Alastair,

Dropping their double-EP in May - via Idles’ Joe Talbot’s

Silas, Gareth and Bruce - have been championed for their

record label - ‘It All Worked Out Great Vol. 1 and 2’ fully

balls-to-the-walls live performances and scuzzy rock

solidifies the band as one of the most exciting that Britain

stylings.

has to offer at the moment. It’s brutal and brilliant, creating a raw and expertly chaotic offering that you can’t help but get excited about. Even more so after a sip of ‘Exhibition’.

25

Words by Elly Watson, illustration by Josh Whettingsteel

in a while. Creating their unique bops, the lyrics glisten Excuse the obvious line, but if you were in Confidence Man

with Janet’s stories of past loves, be it shitty boyfriends or

you’d definitely be confident too. The Aussie dance-pop

romantic interests, to make some fiercely relatable dance

group have had one of the greatest years that we’ve seen,

songs.

wowing the masses with their captivating off-kilter pop and culminating in the release of their critically acclaimed debut

Already making a name for themselves, Confidence Man’s

record ‘Confident Music For Confident People’ which has

sugar sweet melodies have resulted in them being tipped

had us dancing along non-stop ever since it dropped earlier

for greatness left, right and centre, and they’re showing

this year.

no signs of slowing down. Currently on a worldwide tour spanning Europe and the States before returning to their

Made up of Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Clarence McGuffie

home down under, they’re bringing the party to everyone

and Reggie Goodchild, the group came together after stints

and it’s a guest list you’re gonna want to be on.

in other bands to form their otherworldly pop gang who, side note, all have some of the greatest names we’ve heard

Confidence Man play Latitude Festival on Friday, July 13 - The Lake Stage

26

Boy Azooga Having drummed in various bands around Cardiff over

Do you try and work your songs around bass lines then?

the past decade, Davey Newington stands on the brink of releasing an album through his band, Boy Azooga, that’s

Yeah definitely, especially with ‘Face Behind A Cigarette’ I

been in the pipeline for almost a decade. June 8th will see

had the bass line and I just thought I’d decorate some stuff

‘1,2 Kung Fu!’ released into the wild and we chatted to

around this bass line now; while ‘Loner Boogie’ I gave

Davey about his move from the drum kit, his love of Kevin

myself a rule where I was just gonna write a song on one

Parker and the album’s prominent bass lines.

string so the whole riff I wouldn’t let myself use the other strings on the guitar so that again started off as bass line.

As it’s been so long in the pipeline, has the album got a theme to it?

How do you feel when you hear your songs on the radio?

I was more thinking about it in the way of a mixtape, which

I’m super flattered that people are playing it; it’s definitely

sounds quite cliche but I just wanted to put a record out that

underestimated, the power of the radio, because I don’t

was influenced by the bands I was into at the time. A couple

think people would be coming to the gigs if they hadn’t

of the songs come back on themselves on the record, I really

heard the songs on the radio. When we did The Magic Gang

like The Avalanches and the way both their records feel like

tour it’s really lame but I got choked up, we played the

a proper journey and the music ebbs and flows. It’s stuff

Electric Ballroom on the last night of the tour and there was

that with repeated listens you’d notice, it’s really thematic.

this kid and he had a Boy Azooga t-shirt and he ran to the

There’s definitely themes on the record but they’re not

front, screaming the words of ‘Loner Boogie’ to me and I

really intense, I wasn’t too conscience of it being a concept

just thought I was that kid! I used to go see The Cribs and

record it was more like I knew how I wanted it to be rather

Foo Fighters and I’d always be at the front so I was thinking

then just a collection of songs.

this is really weird but I honestly think that wouldn’t happen if we hadn’t had the radio plays and we’re really

The bass lines on the album are very prominent, was it

grateful for it.

weird coming from the drum kit picking up a bass and having it be a huge part of the album?

We’re entering festival season so which festival are you most looking forward to playing?

It was yeah, like I did drums first and then the guitar when I was about 12 but I didn’t really get into the bass.

That’s really hard, Green Man was the one I dreamt of playing and I go with my girlfriend every year. I’d played

Bass is apparently the uncool instrument…

drums with Charlotte Church and her pop dungeon she did and we played at Green Man and that was sick but I needed

Exactly, but it’s also the most badass one and the one that

to do it with Boy Azooga and we hadn’t really jammed or

affects people the most. I was kind of late to it but Kevin

anything yet. Last year we got asked to do it so we opened

Parker was definitely a huge inspiration in that because his

up the Far Out Stage and that was insane.

bass lines are unbelievable and it’s clearly thought out, it’s not just a random part.

Boy Azooga play Latitude Festival on Saturday, July 14 - The Lake Stage

27

Words by Callum McCormack, illustration by Joe Gamble

WHO ARE Alaskalaska

Mellah

Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and

Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and

about the music you make?

about the music you make?

We are Lucinda, Fraser, Gethin, Joe, Calum and Fraser

My name’s Liam I’m from Forest Hill SE23, I make pop

(yeah, we got two). We all live in London but are from

songs about death and war.

different places originally - Wales, Merseyside, Norwich, Birmingham. We make music for dancing and kissing and

Can you tell us the story behind one of your songs?

crying to. People have labelled it ‘art-pop’ but really it’s just whatever we feel like making together, inspired by lots

The latest release from my new EP is called Numb. In short

of different things.

it’s about inequality.. I believe people are inherently good but for whatever reason, be it fear, apathy or whatever they let injustice wash over them.

29 37

Fontaines DC

Yassassin

We’re Fontaines DC, we’re from Dublin City. We make

Can you tell us something that you collectively hate?

music that involves two guitars, a bass, a drummer and a lyricist. Our influences include The Dubliners and Girl

Rude sound engineers

Band.

What’s special about where you’re from? Has it inspired Can you tell us something that you collectively really

your music?

love?

London teaches you to be thick-skinned, unrelenting and We all have a profound love for the Sherlock Holmes

inclusive. I’ve always tried to inject the same attitude when

audiobook reading by Greg Wagland. His reading in

making music.

particular is what sends us to sleep most nights. (This is sincere).

Emerson Snowe My name is Jazz, but I perform under the moniker Emerson Snowe. I grew up in a small town in Australia called Townsville. I moved to Brisbane when I was seventeen. The project has had a heap of incarnations — as I’ve grown, the music has grown and changed as I have.

I don’t have a live band, the current set up is myself with a thirty minute set recorded onto a tape that I play in a cassette player and basically karaoke the vocals over the top.

Lady Bird We are Sam, Joe and Alex, from regal Tunbridge Wells and we make something like punk music.

What led you to form a band? A particular happening or a mutual love for a record or sound?

A Grand Don’t Come For Free definitely was a big influence. The way the story resolves with a really deep revelation, but could just as easily be taken as face value commentary or just top tunes.

30

Spring King Two years on from the release of their debut record, the

I feel like on this record we have a lot more moments where

Manchester four piece return with another riff filled mosh

I wish now in retrospect we had a bit of a break because the

pit inducing record, ‘A Better Life’, due to be released on

new live set is just gonna be ridiculous; it’s just non-stop

17th August. We sat down with drummer/vocalist Tarek

with a couple of little breaks here and there.

Musa and guitarist Pete Darlington to talk about what to expect from the band’s second album, how the band has

Tarek: I think this time around we wanted to bring the

changed it’s approach since the release of ‘Tell Me If You

manic nature of the live set into the recording a bit more

Like To’ and why Pantera and Papa Roach helped shape the

to try and capture that live energy. I think the first record

new record, kind of.

was a bit more of a studio record but this time round there’s more voices on the record and there’s more harmonies by

Are there any new influences that have come in to this

the band and it’s been more collaborative. Songwriting wise

record?

I think it captures the live sound which is something we aimed to do and it’s definitely upped the energy across the

Pete: For me personally I was listening to a lot of heavier

record; we all need to get pretty fit in order to pull it off

music, not that you’d be able to tell necessarily, but bands

every night.

like Pantera and System of a Down, not because I wanted to make guitar sounds like that but I wanted to get an idea

How do you feel this record has changed the band’s

on how they put riffs together and I think ‘Animal’ was the

sound?

first time where we captured the new energy that we wanted to capture and the guitar lines are influenced by the heavier

Tarek: It’s definitely a much more defined and crafted

stuff I was thinking about at least.

sound, I think the songwriting on this record is way above the first and it reflects the maturity that we’ve developed

Tarek: For me I was listening to a lot of heavier tunes as

over the past few years. I think we’ve achieved something

well when we started writing this record, maybe not as

that when we were in the writing room maybe none of us

heavy as Pantera but indulging in the old days of listening

expected we would have done, it’s a really good moment

to the likes of Papa Roach and Foo Fighters, but then I was

for us because it’s something I didn’t think we’d do and I’m

still also listening to the new Arcade Fire record and a lot

really proud of it.

of pop music so my head was kind of a mix of both worlds.

It was like trying to keep it heavy but also doing something

Are there any specific ideas you wanted to express?

that’s quite catchy; I like writing songs that are poppy and Pete: The overall thing that we wanted to get across was

hooky but heavy.

that the world’s in a strange place, there’s a lot of negative Your live shows are always manic, did you see that as a

shit going on and there’s a lot of bands writing about that in

priority when writing the new record?

an angry way but we wanted to flip it on it’s head and take all that negativity, write about it but try to present it with

Pete: When we write a lot of the time I’m thinking about

a positive spin on it, in a kind of idealistic way. It was like

how it’s going to translate live, if it’s going to be worthy of

the world’s fucked but here’s a crazy positive record that

a mosh pit.

you sing a long to, jump to and have a good time and lose yourself in.

31

Words by Callum McCormack, illustration by REN

In the 2008 Economist round-up it was revealed that Virgin

divide. Money is spent and deals signed only on those acts

EMI was spending up to £200,000 a year on what is known

already at the top, acts who are secure, reaping the rewards

as ‘fruit and flowers’ solely for its West London offices- the

of their 0.0015% cut of their healthy online plays. And,

special kind of fruit and flowers that needs to be shipped all

while there has been a burst of rebellious DIY, do-it-anyway

the way here from Columbia. This reveal came at the same

creativity in the underground, these artists can barely afford

time as the music industry’s demise (or the second wave

to shift their gear from one venue to the other, let alone

of its demise): not only were CD sales down lower than

afford rent, afford to tour, afford to live. And thus, the mid

ever before due to streaming, but streaming numbers were

2000s left us the juicy legacy of one-album-wonders and a

dropping due to the rise of illegal downloading. Finally,

growing pile on the indie landfill.

a fuckery that the industry could not afford. Bosses were replaced, million pound homes sold and once successful

So where does the indie underground stand in 2018? The

artists dropped instantly and unsympathetically: it was

post-Fat White’s era is alive and writhing with anger and

music or the business, and business was chosen.

filth as the post-punk fungus grows, and continues to grow.

It’s originators, the ones that seem to have sewn the seeds,

Music became cautious, safe, pallid, audiences became

the ones that go by the name of Shame, have rocketed

uninspired and Nicki Minaj was on the cover of NME. We

to the top without a look back. They’ve toured the world

were whining that no one was making good music anymore,

topless and brought back a hint of that old school, dirty rock

but that wasn’t the case- no record companies were taking a

n roll- a little bit of that fruit and flowers. They even made

chance on music. No interesting, expressive or even slightly

it onto prime time television-Tuesday evening with Jools

left of field band was worth the risk as the industry entered

Holland.

a precautious and dull period of risk assessment and damage control. What this has left us with is an extremely counterproductive but simultaneously creatively conducive cultural 33

Running parallel to this we have Hotel Lux, a band who sing of a despairing British Dystopia not dissimilar to Shame’s. And yet, Hotel Lux’s masterfully crafted new single ‘Daddy’, a tale of abuse told from the perspective of a child who must pay for the way their daddy is ‘so inclined’, is not allowed to be played on BBC radio. Having been picked up by DJ Huw Stephens, it was not given the go ahead by the bosses on top because of its, and I quote, ‘tone’.

Smells like a load of bollocks. Big, swinging, low hanging bollocks. How does the BBC decide who its riskier acts are? What particular type of debauchery or disdain gets the appropriate amount of airtime? Is there not enough room? No, there is not enough money. Not enough money to be spent on more than one band that might be a little bit naughty, so probably best pick the more lucrative option and leave the paedophiles in peace for the time being.

The point is, no one is risking in music because no one is risking the money, and this is pushing the underground further underground, creating tiny microcosms of albeit incredible creativity and craftsmanship, however, it ultimately leaves us with an echo chamber, reverberating the same messages back to the same ears, meaning no real impact is made.

Maybe my point is lost, or maybe my point is moot because there simply is no money to be had and therefore no risks will be taken. I’m not suggesting we bring back fruit flowers… But I am suggesting we bring back the fruit and flowers mentality. Risk and excess in spite of success, in whatever form or flavour.

Words by Georgie Jesson

34

Latitude Festival As the summer rolls in and brings with it the beautiful

The festival’s BBC Music stage sees James, Mogwai and

sunshine, we can finally look forward to standing in a field

Jon Hopkins headlining while the stage will also play host

with a can of cider in hand, basking in the sun or getting

to sets from the likes of Tune-Yards, Alvvays and our Issue

drenched in mud and watching your favourite bands. With

Seventeen cover stars Idles who will be causing chaos in the

the British festival scene becoming so saturated and various

tent. The festival’s Lake Stage sees some of the best newer

events taking place every weekend of the summer you

bands around heading to Suffolk with Boy Azooga bringing

might need some help on where you should be taking your

their debut album 1,2 Kung Fu! to Latitude, Sorry, Irish trio

rucksacks. This year’s Latitude festival is bursting at the

Whenyoung and the hugely exciting New Yorkers, Bodega

seams with an amazing variety of entertainment to keep

will all wow this year’s goers.

everyone happy; taking place at Henham Park in Suffolk on 12th July through to 15th July the festival promises to yet

The festival will see some of the world’s biggest acts head

again be another summer highlight.

to Suffolk but will also play host to some of the best bands this country currently has to offer with Scottish four piece

This year’s event will see arguably Latitude’s biggest ever

Spinning Coin, Phobophobes who will get to show off

headliner in The Killers taking to the Obelisk Arena on the

their excellent debut album Minature World to the Latitude

Saturday with Solange closing the first day out and Alt-J

faithful, The Orielles will get to prove why they are one of

closing this year’s festival on the Sunday. The festival’s

the best live bands around at the moment and Leeds band

Obelisk Arena also boasts some of the most exciting bands

Caro will take their melodic riff filled songs to the fields.

around at the moment, including The Vaccines bringing

Dutch singer-songwriter Pip Blom will bring her band to the

their latest album Combat Sports to Suffolk, Wolf Alice

east of England while Superorganism and Confidence Man

will be sure to prove why they’re future festival headliners

are both sure to bring a summer party to the festival as well

and Parquet Courts bringing their magnificent new album

as Spanish four piece Hinds who will show off their latest

Wide Awake! to these shores with their only UK festival

album to Henham Park.

appearance of the summer.

Other acts appearing over the weekend include Belle and It’s not just the Obelisk Arena that holds a plethora of

Sebastian, Black Honey, Bloxx, Confidence Man, Femme

amazing bands with Latitude having various other stages for

Fatale, Fickle Friends, Gang of Youths, Japandroids,

you to explore with plenty of bands to delve into.

La Femme, Lucia, Preoccupations, Superorganism, The Breeders, The Charlatans, The Ninth Wave and Trudy and the Romance.

Words by Callum McCormack

36 18

Bodega make intelligent rock n roll. They mix punchy angular guitar lines with thought provoking lyrics that question mindless internet usage, consumerism and conventional masculinity. Their full length debut, ‘Endless Scroll’, produced by none other than Parquet Courts’ Austin Brown, is energetic modern punk at its best. We had a chat with main songwriting team, vocalist, Nikki Belfiglio and Singer/Guitarist, Ben Hozie, whilst they travelled on their tour bus across France.

You guys are such a force of energy. How did Bodega form?

Ben: We were initially in another band called Bodega Bay and when that finished, Nikki and I immediately wanted to start a new band. We met everyone kind of organically, for example our drummer Montana ran a gallery called Indigo, and Nikki and I were roommates with Heather who plays bass.

Nikki: I think that force of energy came from a renewed sense of focus. If you make that conscious decision to break off something in your life then it better be worth it, you have to lay down the tracks to set out the project that you wanna do.

Do you think it’s important - especially with the current political climate in America - that bands comment on the nature of the modern world?

B: I can’t tell others how to run their band, but I do believe that if you’re given a stage or if you’re given a microphone the ethical imperative of any artist is to tell the truth. So you wouldn’t be telling the truth if you didn’t talk about what was going on in the world today. But that’s not to say that if somebody wants to create something that’s about their hometown - like what it was like to live their or something - that they shouldn’t do that either because of anything else that’s happening in the world.

N: Theres’s a phrase that we’ve been throwing around that in times of extreme cynicism you have to have the upmost optimism. You have to project your thoughts and feelings and positivity.

What are your thoughts on throwback music?

37

Words by Eleonor Philpot

B: I have a twofold answer to that question. I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with it, it’s the way art has always worked. Shakespeare was essentially doing covers of other stories. Even The Beatles were ripping off other bands blatantly. Like if a band says, we’re doing sixties flower power, it might not be the most exciting thing in the world, but that might be a valid starting point for them. What I’m talking about in the ‘How Does This Happen?!’ is a bigger more insidious thought of how there was going to be this big social revolution, where people were over throwing nationalism. I think the reason why youth culture didn’t end up going that way was because of mass pop culture and Rock N Roll. When I think of myself I think I would be doing something more interesting in the world if I hadn’t spent hours of my life listening to rock music.

What lead you to working with Austin Brown?

B: By chance he happened to come to one of our shows and he said, ‘Wow, that was great. You guys have recordings down?” He said he had a home studio and would we be interested in recording in it. And I was just like okay, great, you can produce our album. And then like a month or two later we had it down.

What did he bring to the recording?

B: He was pretty hands off actually. But having him there, I mean I’m a fan of his band, so it made me want to show off for him a little bit - that was certainly powerful. I think the biggest way he actually impacted the music was by acting like a movie director, coaching me how to sing certain lines. Like on ‘Jack In Titanic’ he had me sing it in a sincere a way as possible, which added another dimension to the lyrics. Like its satire but I have had all those thoughts before.

Aside from Parquet Courts, what modern bands are doing important things right now?

N: Courtney Barnett, and I really like the US Girls.

B: Omni are a great guitar band, and Wan Walters, he’s probably my favourite songwriter.

Bodega play Latitude Festival on Friday, July 13 - The Lake Stage 38

Hinds From the offset, Hinds were welcomed into the UK with

What was it like working with Gordon Raphael for the

enthusiastically open arms. As four, vigorous rays of

album? How did he let your personalities show through

Spanish sunshine, they cut a refreshingly jovial figure in

in the music?

an industry that, at times, takes itself far too seriously. In 2018, their feel-good formula of catchy, lo-fi garage rock

He wanted us to just be us. He didn’t change us a bit.

has mutated into something sharper and more refined via the

Anytime we’d ask for advice, like what pedals to use or

excellent, ‘I Don’t Run.’ We talk to Carlotta about how the

what guitar, his answer would always be “whatever you

band approached that difficult second album…

guys like better”. So, at the beginning it felt a bit frustrating because we really wanted answers, haha. But in the end we

Hi girls. You said you were “fighting for your place” on

really appreciated it because it feels like every decision in

this record - what exactly did you mean by that?

that album has been 100% ours.

I think a second album for any band is a little bit like that.

Youth unemployment in Spain is higher than most EU

Suddenly you have to start a new path that will “define” you

countries and the Catalonian referendum has stirred

and will give more angles to shape the world and all that

much debate and divide all over the world, what are

stuff. It’s exciting!

your thoughts on the country you call home in 2018?

How do you think it’s impacting the younger generation

Because you give off a very positive energy, I think

there?

people expect you to be happy all the time. This record seems to diminish some of those assumptions. What were

Spain is a great country but we’re fucked.The Catalonian

the struggles you wanted to acknowledge on I Don’t

independence has existed since so long ago but we’re not

Run?

handling it right. Spain is full of different nationalisms that people don’t realise they are the same shit in the end.

Yeah, we’re not happy all the time, nobody is. On the

It’s just thinking that YOU are better than the rest. You,

first album we showed 12 faces of love; on this album we

your flag, your city, your estate - it’s very, very sad. I don’t

wanted to focus on what comes after love. It’s curious how

know.

love can save your life or completely ruin it. I like to think that love is the most powerful thing in this world and at the

You’re very well-loved here in the UK, how did you find

same time, it’s the most universal illness of human beings.

your recent London show? How much has it changed since the first time you played here?

Do you find it hard to write about personal things? Are you worried that it could be like an open window for

The last show in London was nuts and great!!! We’ve

some people?

always felt very loved from UK people, since the very beginning. It felt a little bit like home to us because it all

Well yeah, we thought like that before but with this album

started in London but from that first show to the last one...

we decided to give priority to art. We thought it was going

it has rained a lot!!

to make songs better if we were more sincere and if I may be honest, we haven’t received any text messages

Hinds play Latitude Festival on Friday, July 13 - BBC

reclaiming intimacy, haha.

Music Stage

Words by Harley Cassidy, illustration by Danny Miller

40

So Young Illustration Competition 6th Place, Jonathan Vermersch (Patti Smith), opposite, 7th Place, Xaviera Altena (FKA Twigs)

So Young Illustration Competition 9th Place, Amelie Lehoux (Solange), opposite, 8th Place, Linda Heggen (Kate Bush)

So Young Illustration Competition 11th Place, Madeleine Sandrolini (Angel Olsen), opposite, 10th Place, Franz Lang (Kate Bush)

So Young Illustration Competition 13th Place, Cerys Scorey (Goat Girl), opposite, 12th Place, Ursi Tolliday (Aretha Franklin)

So Young Illustration Competition 14th Place, Helen Eunhwa Oh (The Spice Girls), opposite, 15h Place, Esther Lalanne (Kate Bush)

So Young Illustration Competition 16th Place, Alex Ram (Donna Summer), opposite, 17th Place, Nastya Varlamova (The Spice Girls)

So Young Illustration Competition 19th Place, Oscar Nimmo (Stevie Nicks), opposite, 18th Place, Milica Golubovic (Janis Joplin)

So Young Illustration Competition 20th Place, Egle Plytnikaite (Bjork)

Artists

Josh Whettingsteel Anna Rupprecht Bo Matteini Eunjoo Lee Alva Skog

Jean Jullien

Angelique Heidler William Davey

Katja Gendikova Alice Wietzel

Johanna Walderdorff Joe Gamble REN

Danny Miller

Jonathan Vermersch

Editors Sam Ford

Xaviera Altena Linda Heggen

Amelie Lehoux

Josh Whettingsteel

Franz Lang

Writers

Ursi Tolliday

Madeleine Sandrolini

Sam Ford

Cerys Scorey

Rob Knaggs

Esther Lalanne

Georgie Jesson

Nastya Varlamova

Callum McCormack

Oscar Nimmo

Dan Pare

Helen Eunhwa Oh

Rhys Buchanan

Alex Ram

Elly Watson

Milica Golubovic

Eleanor Philpot

Egle Plytnikaite

Harley Cassidy

Printed By

Photos for Collage Tatjana RĂźegsegger

Ex Why Zed

Pooneh Ghana

Email

Mert Gafuroglu

info@soyoungmagazine.com

Website

www.soyoungmagazine.com

News

Simon Holliday Dan Kendall

Rowan Allen

Art Direction

www.joshwhettingsteel.com

@soyoungmagazine (Twitter)

Special Thanks

soyoungmagazine (Instagram)

Cal McRae

SoYoungMagazine (Facebook) soyoungmagazine.tumblr.com

Samuel Huxley Jamie Ford