So Young Issue Thirty-Five

Issue Thirty-Five Also inside: VLURE Warmduscher M(h)aol Porchlight Surfbort Pozi Automotion Just Mustard Los Bitchos Henry Carlyle

YA

RD

AC T

This issue of So Young sees us wave goodbye to 2021, a

In Glasgow, VLURE are preparing for the release of

year which has forced reflection and stimulated gratitude

their debut EP, ‘Euphoria’. The band take us through the

as the world of live music clambers back off of its knees.

‘Hero’s Journey’ told within the EP and walk us through

One of the biggest success stories of the last 12 months,

their intent to band together and move forwards with their

and in fact, the pandemic era, are Leeds’ Yard Act. Barely

community. The Orielles’ Henry Carlyle has been using

a show to their name upon the first lockdown and now

any breathing space from the band to spend time alone and

the band are preparing to release their debut album to a

create. The outcome has been an exciting solo project and

hungry fan base. They’re on the cover and we chat to them

the fruit so far is single, ‘The Ground’. Forever intrigued

post Jools Holland about the influence of Hip Hop and

by his work, we caught up on the plan and thrashed out the

building a universe.

differences between going solo and sharing ideas.

On the flipside, Just Mustard have had a quiet year or so,

In South London, Pozi have just shared their new EP,

as Covid-19 stopped the Dundalk band’s plans in their

‘Typing’ via PRAH Recordings. Following a busy summer

tracks. The five piece are now back and teasing their new

of festival shows and a new body of work to tour, it

album. We gave them a call to check in on how they’ve

felt like the right time to get to know them better. Also

actively stopped the pandemic seeping into their music

ready to take to the road and take over the world are Los

and how they’ve used this time to prepare.

Bitchos. The band will soon be bringing the party in the form of debut album ‘Let The Festivities Begin’ and we

The always colourful and self declared ‘Tortured Artists’,

gave them a video call to chat Margaritas, Mac DeMarco

Surfbort have recently shared thier new album, ‘Keep

and the influence of Lindsay Lohan.

On Truckin’. Via zoom, they talk us through how they rekindled their DIY spirit whilst changing labels and were

Finishing us off are the new sounds of Ireland’s,

inspired by Patti Smith. Staying in the world of chaos and

M(h)aol, a band who are responsible for Dublin

new labels, Warmduscher are preparing for the release of

University’s first Feminist Society, Brighton’s Porchlight,

their new album after signing with Bella Union. We gave

who are still weighing up whether they’d prefer to

them a call to discover how commercial sounds have been

tour with Dua Lipa or Fontaines D.C. and London’s,

balanced out with lots of swearing, and how working with

Automotion, a band who sit within a genre but don’t want

Hot Chip’s Al Doyle and Joe Goddard came by chance.

to get too comfortable.

3 VLURE Euphoria 7 Warmduscher Wild Flowers 13 Yard Act Payday 19 Porchlight Country Manor 23 M(h)aol Gender Studies

30 Surfbort Keep On Truckin’ 33 Pozi Typing 38 Automotion In Motion 41 Just Mustard I Am You 46 Henry Carlyle The Ground 49 Los Bitchos Let The Festivites Begin

Opposite, Kristina Tzekova

The 1990s hold mythological status in the rich musical

“It starts on the tips of your fingers and soles of your

history of the UK, and this is not just referring to Brit-

feet. A faint pulsing energy as the anticipation builds,

pop. From 5,000 ravers packing out Glasgow’s Prestwick

it’s warm and the dense air adds to the atmosphere.

Airport to Scoobs & The Rave Years taking over Stirling’s

Condensation blurs and streaks the light, you only

Blair Drummond Safari Park in the ‘second summer

catch snippets of movements when silhouettes briefly

of love,’ Scotland’s rave scene was arguably the most

light up to show you the full figure. You do not want

creative of the decade.

the night to end. Take it all in. This is opulence, this is escapism.”

30 years on, VLURE embrace this zeitgeist. Lyrics like ‘I’m going to dance ‘til my body’s numb,’ pulsate through

This is how you described your latest release,

your veins like the bass you’d hear pumping through

‘Heartbeat.’ You’re talking about music which doesn’t

sweatbox parties at 5am. Based in Glasgow, VLURE

just constitute a listening experience, but demands a

are: Hamish Hutcheson (vocals), brothers Conor (guitar)

physical response. Before we hear about your music,

and Niall Goldie (bass), Alex Pearson (keys) and Carlo

what music makes you feel like this?

Kriekaard (drums). This 5-piece are making music that pays tribute to their hometown and represents an honest

Hamish: For me, it’s about where you are and who you’re

and unfiltered ode to youth. Collaborating with local

with. If you’re surrounded by people who you can be

creatives, VLURE are celebrating Glasgow’s cultural

comfortable with, that’s when you get that anticipation

landscape, making their own history through songs that

about what the night can become.

make you clench your fists with anticipation, throw yourself headfirst into the music, and only after total

Niall: Ultimately the music needs to have a personal

bodily surrender, allow you release.

association. Some days you may just want to revert back to your 15-year old self and listen to music you wouldn’t normally listen to.

3

Words by Poppy Richler, illustration by Harry Wyld

Lyrics like ‘get me a release, can you feel my heartbeat’

How would you describe Glasgow’s nightlife for those

and ‘the condensation leads to palpitation’ are truly

who aren’t familiar?

visceral. Are the physical and emotional reactions you just mentioned something you purposely channeled

H: Chaotic and very densely populated. All the pubs and

into your songwriting or did they find themselves there

clubs are close to each other, like on Sauchiehall Street –

subconsciously?

it’ll cater to whatever you’re interested in that evening.

H: With ‘Heartbeat,’ the lyrics are consciously about

C: Multifaceted. There’s always something happening

carrying memories of past nightlife into the future, and

because of the big ecosystem of young creatives who

creating words that I’d want to scream if I were in that

intertwine in the strangest of ways. Our studio alone

situation again.

shows this – there are DJs, people who run grime nights, electronic artists and producers who all bounce off each

C: Music is a form of catharsis for us. It’s about refiguring

other.

how to be young in those moments. ‘Heartbeat’ provides the cathartic burst of energy in the release afterwards.

This cross-collaborative web of creatives is something

It was a conscious choice to come up with a trance-like

I’ve noticed. VLURE isn’t just about the music, but

hook and big guitar bits to resemble this bodily feeling,

about the local videographers, directors and stylists

but I’d say the subconscious nostalgia for our past musical

you work with, like Detroit Law.

experiences are channeled into the songs too.

C: It’s such an active decision we make to work with That’s interesting about how your songs trace an

friends. Detroit works on all our shoots because he just

emotional journey through a night. On your upcoming

gets it. Our flat mate Liam made the ‘Show Me How to

EP ‘Euphoria’, does the entire album tell a story?

Live Again’ video and then there’s Penny – he drives us everywhere and recites his poetry before our show. Our

H: Definitely. We sat down as a band and discussed the

ethos is about banding together, keeping ourselves true,

ebb and flow of the story – it’s a story of growth reaching

and not outsourcing for the sake of getting a leg up.

a climactic, euphoric ending. The linear structure of the EP is the way it should be listened to from start to finish.

Alex: We’re so inspired by all the people we surround

Following on from the release experienced in ‘Heartbeat,’

ourselves with and it’s so amazing to see how their

‘I Won’t Run (From Love)’ is about growth, finding the

personal creative outlets materialize.

people you love, and learning how to trust them and be It’s like you’re creating a visual lineage of this era’s

vulnerable.

young creatives in Glasgow, forging a subculture of C: It’s a hero’s journey. Following on from ‘I Won’t Run

your own. Are there any subcultures that resonate with

(From Love)’, ‘The Storm’ is an introspective take on

you?

everything mentioned, and that’s where the EP briefly slows down before it builds to crescendo again. The final

N: The original goth subculture at the Batcave. We live in

song ‘Euphoria’ is so important to us. I wrote the chorus

such a divided subcultural society now and I’m interested

on my 25th birthday and it’s about chasing the dragons – a

in how there were so many groups of people dedicated to

coming of age tale that we hope will resonate individually

that one style, one aesthetic. I don’t know if that’s possible

with listeners. We named the EP after this song because

anymore with the amount of information you can share

it’s the end of the journey – after losing yourself in excess,

with others.

resolve is found once you take power in the fact you’ll never actually find what you’re looking for.

5

VLURE

C: I agree. We’re living in a somewhat individualist

It represents a cultural, Scottish heritage which we also

society with social media. Everything is so fluid and

want to resonate universally. Being proud of your history

intertwines in ways that makes pinpointing specific

from Glasgow is something a lot of people are tentative to

subcultures difficult. The drill and grime scene happening

do, and something that we’re embracing, but the best art is

in London is the closest thing in this day and age that

art you can see yourself in, no matter the context.

we’re going to get to the punk or rave movements. I think that’s a beautiful thing though and there’s a lot to be taken

How does your music make you feel and how do you

from it. I’m interested in subcultural Berlin because I

want it to make others feel?

listen to a lot of industrial techno records from there, but also love the current music scene in Glasgow right now,

H: I’ve always said I don’t want us to be a middle of the

like our friends The Joy Hotel.

road band. I want people to love us or hate us. Our live shows are intense, emotive and honest. They’re relentless

It’s clear that Glasgow has had an immense part

at times and we’ll keep on pushing until we have

to play in creating what VLURE represents, yet

absolutely nothing left.

everything also has an air of timelessness due to your monochrome aesthetic. Is this duality intentional?

C: Because the music is so in your face, it gives you no option but to engage. We approach our live shows like a

C: Being proud of being Glaswegian and Scottish is

boxer going to fight.

something we’ve actively spoken about a lot recently and have always tried to show in our music. ‘Desire’ was both

If that’s not convincing enough, why should readers see

filmed in our studio building and along the streets we

VLURE live?

passed on the way to make it. We filmed ‘Shattered Faith’ at Pollock House which is somewhere that resonates with

Carlo: You’ll have to come and see us to find out.

our upbringing. I quite like how we shot that video on The Clydeside – mine and Niall’s grandparents met working in the factories there and that’s a beautiful history of Glasgow that doesn’t get told enough.

@harry.wyld

6

Let’s get things straight – no Warmduscher record will

Good, just staying busy. I just got news that we’ve been

ever be for the faint of heart. There will be nobody there

A-listed with ‘Wild Flowers’ today, which is pretty cool

to hold your hand through all the debauched freakouts

and unexpected considering the nature of the song. Every

and nobody to soothe your fragile mind at the end of the

‘fuck’ is taken out of it, so it’s essentially just that song

journey. You’re going to be dragged by the scruff of the

without that word in it. It’s really odd, but Marc Riley

neck through 30ish minutes of depraved funk-laced punk

asked for the edit and we thought it would be kind of

with eyes too afraid to blink, mouth propped open and ears

ridiculous to do it but whatever - we did it anyway. It is

close to bleeding. Are you ready for that? Good – strap

what it is.

yourself in.

Have you had many others come forward and be If, like myself, you’re the kind of person this appeals to,

excited by the sound that you’re going for on this

you’re in for the wildest party of your life. Fuelled by a

return?

penchant for disco basslines, surreal storytelling and an endless slew of coarse themes, the London-based group

Yeah, we were writing the album all over lockdown, and

befit the role of providing the ideal soundtrack for a

that one was so poppy and fun, and kind of commercial

festival in the darkest depths of hell. Ever revolving its

- whatever you want to call it. We thought it’d be funny

cast of contributors, the band have worked their way from

to do the opposite end of the spectrum on the lyrics. I’d

being a gritty and grotesque basement band to becoming a

been working on a bunch of stuff with it, but I just got so

six-headed behemoth, unleashing their torment on a grand

fed up with it that I started doing all the swearing. To get

scale.

back to what you’re saying, I figured it would just be an album track. Then everyone we played it to was super into

Summoning up the courage to talk with frontman Clams

it. It was fun in amongst everyone going through stressful

Baker Jr, we discussed how the band have risen to become

times.

one of the fiercest bands on the UK circuit and how they wish to further their dastardly plans to conquer distant

Did you always have it in mind for Al Doyle and Joe

territories – and it turns out he’s actually a lovely bloke.

Goddard from Hot Chip to produce the track? There’s definitely touches of what they do to that song, and

Hello, how’s things with you? What’s going on in the

it’s got that kind of disco feel that they’re very good at

world of Warmduscher?

putting on a track.

7

Words by Reuben Cross

Well, no actually. What happened was we were supposed

Has it become a lot more structured the way you

to do the album with Dan Carey again, and it just kept

approach things together? From what I understand,

getting pushed back. I was in the studio for another project

the early days were very improv heavy. Do you still like

with Joe and Al, and I explained how it was getting pushed

to jam ideas?

back and they said “we’ll do it”. It was like a weird, happy accident. The rest of the album lends itself to that anyway,

Yeah, in the beginning, it was 100% improvised. It’s

and with what we were doing from ‘Tainted Lunch’, the

kind of always been down to time restrictions. Getting

progression it kind of made sense. I don’t know if we’re

everyone together was difficult, so that would lend itself

consciously trying to, but the more we’re playing together,

more to having to do something improvised. Songs are

the more we’re bridging the different backgrounds.

still improvised lyric-wise and stuff, but we go into the studio now with a block of songs that we know. Then

Where has that come from? It was very evident on

we’ll have the other half of the songs that we can sort of

‘Tainted Lunch’, but this new record takes it up

figure out on the spot.

another level with the funk, disco and even soul influences. Was it a case of just getting to know each

It seems to me that the way the band started out was

other better as musicians as time has gone on?

just a group of friends having a laugh aside from your other projects, as a way to sort of blow off a bit of

Maybe it is a case of being more comfortable having

steam. Why do you think it clicked so well with people

done so many albums together, or that we’re just not

and what was the special thing about Warmduscher?

afraid to try different things. It’s a blessing and a curse I guess. One person even said it’s kind of like the albums

To be honest, it was Saul [Adamczewski] - whatever he

are like mixtapes in a weird way because their songs are

was doing, people paid attention to. We would have these

so different. It’s a nightmare for how people classify us

live shows that were really raucous, you didn’t know what

because it’s all different, but we make what we feel like

to expect. There was no stress to it and that comes across

doing. The one conscious thing is not doing it too much

when you play live. Even though the members change

like before; it’d be easy to do another ‘Disco Peanuts’ or

and everything like that, we’re all confident with each

‘1000 Whispers’ so whenever that starts happening, then

other when we’re playing. I think we also give everything

there is a conscious effort to change and to progress.

into the live show. I’m from that old school where I like showmen - that’s almost as important as the music.

Illustration by Kanioko

8

Were there any things in particular that were present around you at the time that influenced the new record?

In the cities, you sometimes see people like camped out at certain locations, and there’s a lot of drug dealing and all kinds of illicit activity going on. We talked about that as kind of like a loose concept, but it runs through the whole album. That’s how it started, just having a stupid conversation about that, and then just laughing and going from there. It’s the same with ‘Tainted Lunch’, I’d read

I don’t necessarily think it’s better. I just think it’s

a story about a guy in Germany who was poisoning his

different. I did a song I really liked way back when I was

workmates for 20 years straight, and then one person

doing Mutado Pintado; I’d written this song I was really

finally caught him on camera and saw him like dumping

into, all life experiences and stuff like that, and then it

this poison in his workmate’s coffee. Look it up, it’s crazy.

got a 2 from a press review. Then I’ll do something like

But yeah, the recurring theme here is people losing it, just

‘Eating Glue’ for Paranoid London, where I just talked a

partying and throwing it all away - that type of shit, you

bunch of shit off the top of my head, and that got me work

know?

for about three years. It doesn’t really add up, but for whatever reason, the stuff that works for me is the surreal

When doing things on the spot, how do you let the

weirdness.

imagination run loose? What are your techniques for knowing what is going to work for a song?

You’re going on the road next year in support of the record. How do you feel like what you’ve been making

I get super inspired just by words themselves. I could

over the last year and a half is going to project onto

come up with titles sometimes before the songs and then

the live stage? What have you been working towards to

generally everything I write about is probably a story of

make it better for bigger venues?

someone that I’ve met before and then putting my own weird kind of spin on it. I like writing on the spot, and I

My goal is to make bigger stage shows and create these

think it always comes out a little bit better. Sometimes I’ll

worlds that we talked about like how they used to do it.

spend all this time telling stories and things like that, and

My first memorable show was James Brown. I was like,

then like, 9 out of 10 times it gets niched for just making

11 years old as a kid, and it just blew my mind. Obviously,

it up.

I’m not going to be James Brown or anything like that, but I want to put on a night where people come from start

Do you feel it’s better when you don’t put the pressure

to finish it’s good vibes. The goal is to make it as big as it

on yourself to think of something creative?

can really be. You still wind up getting the raucous shows as well, that’s just the nature of how we are. Hopefully we’ll get to tour the US, and we’ve got the Forum show on April 7th, which will be our biggest headline show.

That’s super exciting. But yeah, you’ve got to throw those curveballs in sometimes and give people something that they’re not going to expect. I mean, the shit that I would like to do will definitely get me in trouble.

11

Warmduscher

‘Everyone is as free as they might be’. These are among

We caught up with a mildly hungover James and Ryan -

the closing words spoken in this interview, and they

attributed to the victory of the previous day’s recording

have stuck within my head since their utterance. What

of their Jools Holland performance - to chat about the

makes them stick? Maybe it’s the time we live in - this

importance of the minutiae, the value of spontaneity in

depressingly familiar slide into something, something

recording, and the choices available to us when deciding

horrifying in its unknowable inevitability? The endless

how to live our respective lives. Thank fuck for Yard Act.

smoke and mirrors being played out to such an extent that only apathy is bred? The feeling of shrinking walls and

The new album is brilliant. Can you tell us a bit

decaying horizons finally snuffing out the final tendrils of

about the process that went into its creation, and any

hope here on plague island? Or is it just this band’s knack

particular themes or ideas that informed it?

of saying exactly what needs to be said, no matter how many times it’s been said previously, in a way that makes

James: I think on the writing and musical side of it, me

you want to pay attention?

and Ryan didn’t have a band when writing it, so it wasn’t written as a band in a room record. Lockdown informed

The first time we spoke to Yard Act was roughly a year

the writing style, because we were writing remotely to

ago. They were on the verge of their ‘Peanuts’ single

one another, with me playing drums and programming in

release, the country was trapped inside, and they’d played

beats.

a grand total of three shows to ten people ‘at the fucking Duck and Drake in Leeds’, before emerging out of

Ryan: We were reaching for Guided By Voices and this

lockdown, one EP later, straight into position as perhaps

is what we ended up with, a shit attempt at that! Sending

the hottest band on the planet. It’s always a strange

stuff back and forth, it came together so quickly I thought

experience when the good ones do well, but my god does

James might have been lifting it from somewhere - having

time fly.

to just do drums and bass back-and-forth meant we wrote about fifteen songs in about a week, and developed them

Forthcoming debut album ‘The Overload’ is a vital

from there.

antidote to the times. It’s current without being depressing, creatively untethered from self-limitation in a

J: That writing style threw you at first I think, because I

way that doesn’t seek un-listenability, musically evolved

was talking so much and there’s no choruses. It took us

from their previous in a way that does not betray their

both a bit of time to get our heads around having tracks

authentic selves (despite signing to Island Records), and -

which are just talking, they don’t really go anywhere,

early shouts - may be the best album of 2022.

but have those elements of interest that keep it going.

My writing style is just observational, trying to find new ways of saying things that have been said a million times before.

13

Words by Dan Pare

The last time we spoke, I remember you saying you were happy to be in that ‘Trojan Horse’ of the postpunk umbrella - using that term to get your foot in the door, then expanding from there once people noticed you. The album is much more musically rich than the EP, so was that idea one you really ran with?

J: Definitely. I think Sam on guitar really opened that up, because his playing style is so musically unique. People will always say post-punk, but with our looped basslines and drums, we take a lot more from hip-hop. That writing style, the backbone of Yard Act, is rooted there, but because it’s a bass guitar people associate it more with sparse post-punk than anything else. For the album, we did get a bit trigger happy with the instruments, I put congas on eleven tracks and then had to dial it back - there’s also

Something we also spoke about was this ‘Yard Act

some keyboards. We then had to reconcile ourselves with

Universe’ of sorts you’re creating in your tracks - with

not giving a fuck that this stuff wouldn’t be played live,

your videos, and also the mailing list, you seem to be

and that the album would be more considered and more

making that line between fiction and reality thinner

broad. All that stuff is so important for shaping a record,

and thinner. Is that idea of universe building still one

but the essence of the song is in our delivery, live.

that’s important for you?

J: Definitely, yeah. Especially through the music videos, which we’re filming the next two of over the next ten days. By the time those come out, we’ll definitely see quite a theme running through the whole thing. These characters keep cropping up, it’s a bit of maintenance work to keep that consistent. The songs can exist without it, similar I suppose to how Gorillaz present as this multimedia band - you don’t need the visuals and world to enjoy the music, but it’s an extra fun element that’s there. We’ve ended up working with this director James Slater, and it was him who brought that world to life, he completely got what we were trying to do. I’m not bound to this world forever, but for this album it feels integral to what we’re trying to do. All the videos are laced with easter eggs, which you’ll only get upon hearing the album.

I’ve also written a novella called ‘Car Boot Man’ which expands on the Trapper and Grace (the woman from ‘Peanuts’) and that kind of links into it as well. Building that world makes it easier to make the characters more three-dimensional, and if they appear in books and music it gives them more depth as well as making the writing process more fun for me.

R: It’s like conjuring. You [James] wrote that lyric about the Rover being golden, and now we own a golden Rover!

We were talking last night - when the album campaign is done, we’re going to destroy it in some significant way.

J: Adding these touches make the world one you want to come back to, it’s one that bears repeat viewing. But unless you know what you’re looking for, you won’t know they’re there.

You performed the track on Jools Holland last night, but until rewatching the video, I’d forgotten that ‘The Overload’ was also on this year’s FIFA. Does it feel surreal having your tune with lyrics about gear and designer bongs suddenly given such a huge platform?

J: It was quite heavily edited to be honest - the people who hear those versions are going to get quite a stuttery track, with quite a few missing words! We weren’t allowed to say ‘gear’ ‘bong’ or ‘sucking’ - they made us take ‘off’ out as well, so it just says ‘each other’. No actual swear words, no drug or sex references. But it’s fine, people get enough of the song hearing it like that to go out and listen in its uncensored form if they want.

And more generally, having signed to Island Records and such, your music will presumably end up in the ears of people who maybe wouldn’t ever be exposed to it otherwise. Is that something you’ve ever given thought to?

R: I know what you’re saying because the subject matter is still very much our world, with very specific references to stuff like terracotta frogs, but if you look at bands like Pulp, they crossed over, and that was still very much littered with the minutiae of daily life.

15

Yard Act

J: In the Pulp documentary ‘Songs about life, death and

If you start with something cohesive in mind it’s going

supermarkets’, centred around their last ever show at

to sound a bit stifled and a bit lame. I’m also getting a

Sheffield Motorpoint arena. It interviews their fans, some

lot more comfortable with not having to explain or even

of whom have travelled across the world to see Pulp in

understand what I’m saying, because I feel I’ve achieved

their hometown, and you realise how tantalisingly curious

everything I want to achieve on this first album when it

Jarvis Cocker made that world to someone on the outside

comes to a literal narrative and structure like that. There’s

looking in, to the point they wanted to understand it, this

tracks like ‘Dead Horse’ and ‘Rich’ which were both

world they’d indirectly lived in and grown up with. I’ve

recorded at Ryan’s work whilst he was working, and the

always wanted this music to reach as big an audience as

takes on the album were among the first time I ever said

it possibly can, but I never want to diminish my style or

the lyrics, so the rhythms and feel to it are completely

personality for it. In general, my world is quite small and

spontaneous, rather than me just reading this massive long

niche outside of West Yorkshire, but people like that if

list off my phone. I went back and edited a few lines for

they get a chance to be exposed to it. Mainstream channels

the sake of rhyming, but it came from a place of instant

do play it quite safe, so it’s nice to be the ambassador for

reaction to the demos.

the largely underrepresented, big part of the country who do live in those niches. Not a lot of people know much

Tracks like ‘Tall Poppies’ are so narratively on the nose

about it, and I think people are curious.

that it almost feels directed at someone. How much of your writing is informed by specific people?

Your style of vocal delivery is fairly ‘stream-ofconsciousness’, and I think that helps keep things

J: It’s always an amalgamation of real people, and you

from feeling too dictatorial, and allows that humour to

use them as a template for what you’re writing about,

remain. Is there a balance to strike between that and

pulling in extracts of individuals to flesh them out and

just aimlessly rambling?

develop them. It’s that whole thing of like ‘you don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story’, so you tweak and

J: You’ve heard the album right? So much rambling! My

embellish to make things more exciting, but always keep

new style, because we’ve vaguely started work on album

it rooted in reality, in real people. ‘Tall Poppies’ is just a

two now, isn’t informed by structure or coherence.For the

cradle to grave narrative of an ordinary person living their

first album we demoed around 40 or 50 songs, and out of

life in a large village or a small town. It’s all the people I

that we had 5 or 6 that were good enough - the rest of the

know who didn’t move away - that’s not a dig at them, it’s

album was written around them to give it some shape and

just an observation of ‘if you’ve got one life, how are you

flow. Then occasionally I’d go in and edit some lyrics to

going to choose to live it?’. Everyone is as free as they

make them make sense thematically with the other tracks.

might be to make those choices. Can everyone just move

It’s chaos, then making sense of the chaos, and then

away? What are the mental shackles we’re conditioned

making it cohesive later.

with from birth, which a lot of people choose not to escape or just don’t know how to? The world is a very big place, but some people are very happy where they are.

16

Formed through ‘community and collaboration’, Brighton-

TC: I was studying guitar and Oli was studying bass and

based Porchlight are revelling in the success of their

we were like nah I reckon you try drums and I’ll try bass.

first two singles and their sold-out first headline gig.

We caught up with Sam, Oli, Tom H, Tom C and James

Sam: Sounds a bit outrageous now really, at the time it

(Criddle) to see what’s coming next.

felt so normal. We never did a gig when we were still figuring it out except for one end of term audition which

Well, have you guys been up to anything interesting

we won’t talk about. When we got Criddle involved on

today?

drums, everyone went back to their normal instruments, and we cracked on with writing songs. We were aware that

Sam - I signed up to universal credit today down the

we were a bit shit at the time, but it was very necessary.

jobcentre, about as good as it got really, nice and

I think as we reflect on it, I had to have a stage to write

degrading. I’ve just got to pretend that I’m applying for

music that we didn’t think was that good.

jobs now.

Uni is the best time to figure that out though, but now The perks of being in an up and coming band. It seems

you’ve all graduated, other than signing up for the dole

like everything has happened so quickly but when did

I’m guessing Porchlight has become your main sole

you guys form properly?

project?

Tom C: We all met the first year of Uni in one of our

All: Yeah, definitely.

classes, it took us a couple of months and then (Tom) Hodges suggested we all started playing together.

TC: I’d be annoyed if someone was like nah not really.

Originally Oli was on the drums, and I was on the bass, which aren’t our first instruments, so we sucked. Then we

S: Well, you boys love curry so that might take priority.

got Criddle in and started sounding a bit better.

O: The two Tom’s run a curry house in Brighton, Tom is So, you didn’t even know which instruments you were

the manager so that is a possibility, we don’t know yet.

all going to play yet, but you were keen to get a band started and figured it out as you went along?

TC: Could go global.

O: Yeah, not within the band. We all knew what sort of

Going global in music or curry, let’s see which takes

instrument we should be playing but decided to not play

off first. I mean you have already released your first

those yet, for some reason.

two singles ‘Drywall’ and ‘Country Manor’ through an independent label, when did you find Only Mellor?

19

Words by Phoebe Scott, illustration by Margherita Sabbioneda

S: We have so many friends around us at the same level as

Releasing these songs after spending so much time on

us in their own discipline. At Uni, we had best mates that

them must have been a bit of a relief. How did you end

we lived with that were producers, our label Only Mellor

up recording them?

doing business stuff, finding their feet. It made sense to kind of learn while doing it together. They always laid

O: We went in and did demos of 4 or 5 songs in a local

an ear to us if we needed to, showing them demos and

recording studio to see how it sounded to fresh ears. It

working as a collective, it went from there really.

wasn’t until these demos that we realised ‘Country Manor’ could be something we could release. It was always just

Criddle: Working with them also means we don’t have a

gonna be a live sort of jammy thing and then we heard

set expectation of ourselves, and we have creative freedom

it back and the recording engineer was like this is so

over the music that we’re making still. Only Mellor have

fucking great and the song was top of his list. It made us

their creative freedom too. It’s a nice platform, everyone

reconsider and be like maybe we should put out that one.

is pushing each other up.

Having those songs out and getting such a good O: Like a big Porchlight pie, we’ve all got forks that are

reaction, were you surprised that you sold out your

the same size.

first headline show at Hope & Ruin?

S: Proper tasty one too. Pie and Vinyl one.

S: Nah it got a bit silly, there were people who we knew who just couldn’t get in. I remember we were sat on the beach before and we were all creasing up about the fact

O: That’s a record shop in our ends.

we were about to play a sold-out show. It was funny, we Love that record shop, good pie too. The Porchlight

put it into perspective for a second. Bit ridiculous isn’t it,

pie seems like it’s quite big then. Has it been helpful

about to walk down the road and go play a sold-out gig.

to have others to bounce off so you’re not going crazy with your work?

C: Well, you were all at the beach, I was still sitting at the gig trying to build a drum stool out of scraps pretty much,

TC: Yeah, because for a whole year even before lockdown,

but everyone was having a lovely time you know.

we were doing everything from Oli’s bedroom. After lockdown, we rehearsed for a whole year and it was just

You’re all soaking in the moment, and Criddle’s crying

the 5 of us that heard the music, so it was nice to get other

back at the venue?

people involved in the process. For basically 2 years, it was only us hearing it and you start thinking like is this

TC: Yeah, hands covered in grease with shards of metal

even good?

all over the floor. Nah but seriously all our goals for ‘Drywall’ were to get more than 1000 streams on Spotify

O: That’s sort of a recurring theme of the band, we listen

so it takes away that little logo of how many streams it

to the songs so much they go from being the best thing

got, that was literally it. That was all we wanted so a sold-

we’ve ever heard to like has this been shit the whole time

out show was a bit mad.

Tom H: I think lockdown played a massive part in that.

You’ve exceeded your gigging expectations then, and

When we first started taking it a bit more seriously, there

you’ve also been supporting people like Legss and

were no gigs available, so we continued compiling ideas

Egyptian Blue. Who else is on your wish list to tour

for nearly an entire year with no opportunity to even

with?

show it to anyone. Even when the singles were released everything was kind of on pause and I think that played a

TC: There’s quite a few

big part in our development.

21

Porchlight

O: I think if we could tour with a cool skitty electronic

O: Maybe Grian will read this and be like ‘fuck me

band like Iglooghost that would blow my balls off, I think.

they’ve realised, they found out I’m a fireplace’ and then hop on board and we’ve got another fan.

TC: That would be nuts, hang out with all the monsters Maybe try and get him down to one of your next gigs.

he’s got as well

Any coming up we can look forward to?

O: Obviously, there are loads of bands we want to support but anything a bit out of the ordinary. Has anyone else got

S: More gigs in the south. Get out of Brighton and go to

any? We haven’t spoken about this before.

some other places.

C: Uhh Dua Lipa

O: I think London is the main aim at the minute as much as we can.

TH: That would be sick to be fair TC: Probably some more gigs after another release early S: I’d love to meet Fontaines, I feel like they would be

next year.

nice guys and I bet they smell good. Warm and fuzzy, I bet Grian would be like the personification of a fireplace.

S: We’ve chatted far too much shit, giving bits away. I’m reflecting on everything we’ve said and now I’m like crap

TC: Can you tell Sam’s the one who writes our lyrics?

that’s gonna be in written words.

@margipippi

22

If the punk movement’s defining legacy was to provide a

And then there’s a pirate queen called Gráinne Mhaol:

musical language for the ardently-willed but chronically

a feminist icon in Ireland; we wanted to do a nod to

untrained, then the very existence of Dublin quintet

our history, and to the antecedents of our Irish brand of

M(h)aol (pronounced “male”) proves such virtuous

feminism. So it was a load of names coming together. Also

ideals remain well and truly kicking. After founding

we thought it would be hard to say, which in itself is kind

Dublin University’s first ever Feminism society, Róisín

of fun!

Nic Ghearailt and Connie Keane sought to extend their activism into post-punk realms, enticed by the prospect of

How did you guys get together?

distilling the most intricate gender-politics into a flash two minutes of ear-pricking clangour. A band was promptly

R: Myself and Connie have been best friends for 10

shanghaied together - ability non-essential, but attitude,

years now. We worked in a restaurant together and set

everything.

up a Feminist society at [Dublin] University. It was the first feminist society they’d ever had - The name was,

Reforming in 2020 following a four year hiatus, the group

hilariously, ‘Xwhy?’. We were also obsessed with the film,

finally took to the studio to commit their vital messages

The Punk Singer, about Kathleen Hanna from Bikini Kill.

to record. The resultant ‘Gender Studies’ EP casts its political-engagements far and wide; It’s twelve brief but

[Connie] shaved my head for me because I was raising

blistering minutes tackle everything from experiences

money for charity, and was like, “you have to be in my

of misogyny in Ireland - personal and historical - to

punk band now”. At the time I was completely tone deaf:

hackneyed gender stereotypes and 16th century feminist

couldn’t play an instrument, couldn’t sing, couldn’t hear

icons. Voiced throughout by Ghearailt’s oracular Irish

the beat in a song even. Connie would have to count me

drawl, and bulked by a thunderous twin-bass set up,

in for every single one of our songs. That’s how our initial

M(h)aol weld the caustic immediacy of Gilla Band with

sound came about. I was like, “this is my skill set”, and

Intersectional Feminist theory of Kimberle Crenshaw to

we were like, “let’s do Post-punk! you just need a lot of

produce sensitive, challenging, and bracingly urgent noise.

attitude!”

On the eve of a homecoming Dublin show, and with a

Our original bassist, ‘Orla’, was another friend of mine

physical release of the EP set for the new year, we zoom-

and she couldn’t play the bass. We do a lot of interesting

called Roisin and Jamie from M(h)aol to discuss the

things with bass. We use lots of things to play it that

band’s origins, attitudes, and activism.

we aren’t supposed to play it with. And that was partly because she was like “I don’t know how to play the bass,

I wanted to ask about the name. What does ‘M(h)aol’

so everything is fair game!”. We started practising in

mean?

2014, and we played our first show in 2015. At the time, the Dublin music scene was very male dominated, and

Roisin: When we started, there were lots of bands at

very hostile as well. It was not a very pleasant scene. Our

the time that were all male line-ups, with names that

song ‘No One Ever Talks To Us’, is about our experiences

referenced women or had women’s names in them.

before we rejoined. You would go in and the lads wouldn’t really want to fuck with you, unless they literally wanted

We wanted to be tongue-in-cheek, to be “male”, because

to fuck you. Everyone told us that this would be loads of

at that point we were all women. Also, I had a shaved head

fun, but Dublin was really not.

[at the time] and, ‘maol’ means ‘bald’ in Irish.

23

Words by Elvis Thirlwell, illustration by Shingraphik

The five of us were having a good time as a band. But in

What kind of responses do you get to your songs in

the wider social setting it wasn’t fun at all.

your live shows?

Have things gotten better since?

R: We have a song called ‘Asking For it’. I try and always talk about it before I introduce it because it’s a heavy

Jamie: We haven’t done a whole lot of gigs to actually see

song, about the idea of rape culture and this healing

yet. In terms of wider representation in music, at least in

narrative. in Bristol, people started crying and I was like,

Ireland, things seem better. It’s one of those things where

“this was not my intention, to make people cry!”

it might be better, but it could always be better again. You J: I definitely started crying by the end of that song!

have to appreciate the progress, but acknowledge that more progress is going to be needed.

R: With something like rape culture, it affects so many R: I also think we curate our experience much more

people; there’s that study that came out in the Guardian,

now. We’re much more choosy about who we work with.

that 98% of women say they have been sexually harassed.

Before, we were younger, so we weren’t confident enough

After the London show, a lot of people wanted to talk to

to do that. I can see now in Dublin, there’s a much better

me about their own experiences with these subjects, being

community of women, and non-binary people, and gender

like “thank you so much for writing these songs”, which

diverse people who are like, “Up Feminism! We’re gonna

is really nice. Our original aim was to start conversations

do this together”. That definitely wasn’t the experience

and to make people feel less alone.

we had before. It’s hard to know whether the culture has Why do you specifically write songs to convey these

changed, or whether we have changed.

messages?

How would you describe your brand of feminism?

R: I think, in part, because it’s a much more accessible R: I would say that we are an Intersectional Feminist

medium. If you’re really serious about getting these

band - not just looking at male or female, but the spectrum

messages out there, which I am, then you’re offering

of gender. Intersectionality was a theory coined by

things which are accessible to everybody. If someone

Kimberle Crenshaw in 1991. It basically talks about how

doesn’t have the attention span to listen to an hour long

the intersections of your identity impact how you move

podcast, they can listen to your song that’s two minutes.

through the world, whether those intersections are race,

Maybe that will spark something in them.

class, gender, sexuality or immigration status. So we look I think that’s everything I wanted to ask...

at how that informs our music and with the causes we try and support. It’s also about how music and politics intersect, and what kind of conversations you can start in a

R: Also, I just wanted to say: I don’t listen to punk

one and a half minute song.

music, or post-punk music, or anything like that. If you’re thinking, “should I be in a feminist post-punk band?”,

J: The band is my only outlet of feminist activtism really,

Just do it. If you have a message that’s important enough

aside from just being a good feminist. The band is kind

for you to want to get it out there, just do it. Don’t let any

of it.

restrictions hold you back. If it’s burning enough, you’ll find a way.

R: Personally, I have a masters from Bristol university in Gender Studies and International Relations. I do a feminist

Out of interest, what music do you listen to?

podcast called Tend Your Garden, so it’s a huge driving force in my own life.

R: I listen to pop, R&B and rap! I think it works. It means I don’t have a frame of reference to sound like another band when I’m writing lyrics...

25

M(h)aol

endaburke.com

The quest for self-love is a rocky one- a road well-

Solace can be found in the most outlandish of outlets,

travelled and a path not trodden enough. It’s to no dispute

but that’s not to say it’s empathetic sentiments are out of

that at times, life’s labyrinth can seem endless, and at its

reach. In the words of Surfbort’s front-roarer Dani Miller

core, proudly un-linear; a direction-less roam through

herself: “Have a great freakin’ day, let the haters fade

internalised insecurities begging for a new voice, or an

away.”

encouraged change in discourse.

Dani: This is Pony- he’s a Chihuahua Boxer.

If you’ve stuck by this far, then now’s about the time we introduce you to our knights in shining cult-cool: Surfbort.

Sean: He’s a menace to society.

For Surfbort, the idea of ‘keeping it real’ is neither an

D: And then we have a Chiweenie too but she’s eating.

option, nor an alternative outlook on existence, it’s a fullfrontal, Gucci adorned lifestyle choice that’s as inspiring

We’ve got a Black Labrador upstairs; I’d bring her

as it is bare-essential. After partnering up with producer

down but she’s just learnt how to ‘sing’... so we’ll hear

Linda Perry, the West-Coast based “Super-Freak” gang

nothing but barking for the rest of eternity.

release their sophomore full-length ‘Keep On Truckin’; a gap-toothed, lipstick-stained trawl through hope, despair, and everlasting courage, howling to be seen, heard, and cosmically absorbed.

Words by Al Mills, illustration by Céllii Béllii

30

We- I say we- myself and Ziggy (the dog) have been

It’s okay to feel suicidal, we’re not alone in that feeling

listening to a shit load of Surfbort recently. I should

it can be common- especially for artists and ‘weirdos’.

start this off by congratulating you guys on the new

Depression too.

record. It seems to have come out at such a perfect time?

I’m Bi-Polar. A lot of shit for me came from my gnarly drug use- it heightened my bi-polar, and whatever my

D: Totally; we really needed it too. I feel like all the

brain was naturally processing. The beginning of ‘FML’ is

crazy trauma and wild shit that happened during the

from when I was fifteen and at a party; my mom had saved

‘apocalypse’- and before it, just life… It’s so gnarly, and

the voicemail of the cops calling her. That was the mindset

it felt good to make music that was supporting that and

at the time: “I don’t want to exist in this world.” Coming

getting you through those times. We’re so stoked on the

out of that, I wish I could go back and tell my younger-

album and making it with Linda Perry was so magical.

self that good shit is ahead.

Was the bulk of it made last year?

Do you find that documenting such personal experiences creatively, alters the way you’re able to look back and reflect on the past?

D: No it’s kinda like... I feel like we’ve always been ‘tortured artists’ even before the apocalypse. We just didn’t have the right outlet, so we built up hundreds of

D: I just feel bad for my younger-self but I look back on

songs. When we met Linda we brought a ton of songs.

it the same. I just want to be able to help people in the moment as much as I can. I don’t think people should

You’ve switched labels in the meantime too, right?

be happy all the time, toxic positivity is not the way, but being sober I want to pass on that Rock music isn’t just

D: We partnered with Soundcloud; they’re rebranding as a

about destroying your body.

record label which acts as a label, but you have the rights to your own masters which is really cool- they’re super

S: I do think it’s important to put this stuff out into the

supportive of artists.

world. If someone happens to hear it- hear that subject matter they know that there are other people who’ve

We don’t really line-up with any mainstream plans. During

thought those same things, and figured out a way to live

the time we were searching I really got my DIY spirit

with those mental issues; and be able to have fun.

re-charged. It was cool to keep that spirit and work with I’ve been struggling a lot with my ADHD recently.

people who could keep it real.

It’s a weird one but I find a lot of comfort in chaosYour song ‘FML’, is about “how deep depression and

something I’ve found particularly the case with music

suicidal tendencies are extremely common and that you

such as yours; it’s stabilising because it’s so intense, it

aren’t alone feeling so low.” At what point are you able

neutralises everything.

to recognise, or seek inspiration from trauma?

S: Hell yeah.

D: We’re just reacting to the world. This album really came with a lot. I’m never free from my mental health struggles but I wanted to share stuff I’ve learnt over time.

31

Surfbort

Which leads me to think I could’ve really done with

D: Sometimes when I look at artists- they feel so out of

‘Surfbort’ growing up... but the more I think about it,

reach. I was baristing and working construction at the

the weirder it feels to say out loud? If someone turned

same time as playing Surfbort shows. [In her book] Kim

around and said that to me I’d panic. How does it feel

Gordon says you keep doing whatever shitty job to pay

to be told your music has the impact you’re seeking?

rent etc, but you do your art just as hard; eventually it’ll lead you down the right path.

S: I think if I’d heard some stuff like Surfbort when I was fourteen/fifteen I would’ve been thrilled.

I just trusted the universe (and Kim Gordon) and it happened! I’m still always hustling- I model, but I feel

D: Yeah, same. There’s chaotic energy but also love- I

like, the more art you can do... it makes life rule. The goal

think that’s really important for the youth. Staying true to

is to keep creating.

yourself helps you find your ‘found-family’ sooner and that rules. I’m glad that I’m in the band now where I’m at

Do you think people can be art, or is art a very human

an influential point and not doing meth or something- I

response to the world around you? Thinking about that

can pass on the message of healing whilst still having a

Gucci campaign you did... you were the inspiration and

total blast and raging all night.

the subject.

Looking within and really falling in love with yourself is

D: So many things are beautiful, people can definitely

a game-changer for existing. Believing in whatever you’re

be art. Both our avatars are clowns- it makes me happy

into makes life so full and beyond your wildest dreams.

to be super colourful and wild. But someone’s grandma doing crossword puzzles can be art. I don’t know. Life is

That reminds me of a Patti Smith interview I watched

beautiful baby!

where she ‘gives advice to the young’- it’s pretty selfexplanatory but one key statement she made was that

When do you feel the most beautiful?

“you can’t expect to be embraced by people, but when you do it’s really beautiful.”

D: Definitely just being present. When we’re in the studio with Linda I feel super alive.

D: It’s funny you mentioned that ‘cos Patti Smith was a huge person that guided me. I remember reading at her

S: I feel myself the most when I’m in my room, by myself,

first show she screamed poetry, and I was like ‘I can do

making music or art. That’s where I feel me. Personally,

that’. So I did. I recently found out that when I started

when I’m around other people, fear comes into the picture-

Surfbort and when she started her band, we were living

insecurities and all that stuff.

in the same block. It tripped me out. Obviously during different decades but we were in the same zone. That must

D: I agree with that but also, when we’re onstage and

be some kinda magical, crazy street in Brooklyn.

everyone’s raging, you feel super connected. It’s a total catharsis of magic energy, it’s really freeing.

As self-described “Super-Freaks”, your music goes against conventional mainstreams yet still, remains incredibly relatable.

@cellii.bellii

32

A solid three years into their humble career, Pozi still

It immediately felt natural again. We’ve definitely enjoyed

haven’t managed to find a sound that they can’t pull off.

more mosh pits since coming back out. People are in the

New EP ‘Typing’, released through PRAH Recordings,

mood to dance and throw themselves around. That’s been

sees the South London three piece create a melting pot of

really enjoyable.

skeletal post punk, skittish folk and experimental sounds for which no name has been invented yet. There’s a

‘Free Day’, one of the standout songs on the new EP,

restless energy tying the EP together, but other than that,

actually seems to deal with these ambiguous feelings

every Pozi song offers a truly unique experience. Gearing

about getting back into normal life.

up for the first show of their tour at Newcastle’s Bobiks, drummer Toby Burroughs, bassist Tom Jones and violinist

Toby: I started writing that song quite a while ago,

Rosa Brook – who all share vocal duties in the band –

probably before covid. At first it sounded like Prince.

celebrate their release day with a chat to So Young.

During the pandemic, there was this idea of the moment when everything would be over, and the question of what

Congratulations on the release of the new EP! What

that moment was going to be like. It sort of fitted the

have the responses been like today?

happy feeling in the chorus of the song. But then I was wrestling around with the verses a bit and it seemed to

Toby: We’ve been travelling all day, so we haven’t really

lend itself to a bit more nuanced sense of joy. I can’t really

had a chance to closely engage with it, but people really

find the right words to describe the verse, but it reflects

seem to like it so far.

the pairing of this joyful expectation with the anxieties of going back out in the open and asking yourself if this is

You’re kicking off your own tour today, but you have

ever really going to end. There’s joy juxtaposed with fear,

already played some gigs, including End of the Road

that’s probably the best way of putting it.

and Wide Awake. What has it been like to be back on stage?

I can imagine it’s a peculiar feeling finally playing the songs live that you have been living with for quite

Tom: It’s been amazing, really cool. There was a point in

some time. Aren’t you already done with the songs that

time where we thought it may never happen again, so it

you’ve just released?

was a massive relief. It’s just really exciting to be back on stage with Toby and Rosa, and play the songs that we

Toby: Especially with recordings, you’ve worked with

created. It was a very welcome experience.

songs intensely and you’ve heard them a lot. But I think playing the songs live has actually given them a new life.

Slightly daunting at first, because it had been a while. But

Because of the lockdown, we weren’t actually playing live

the good kind of daunting, if that makes sense.

when we were writing and recording these songs, so we’ve now had to get in the rehearsal room and adapt them to a

Rosa: I was a bit worried about going back to shows, but

live setting.

once we were up there and we could see how much the audience were enjoying themselves.

33

Words by Dirk Baart, illustrations by Patrick MacDonald

Tom: The songs get different kinds of reactions all of the

Tom: It was so good to be back together and making music

time, so although we know them really well, you feed

again. We live in London, but we’re part of a label called

off the reaction of the audience. That keeps it fresh and

PRAH, which is a studio space in Margate. So we were

interesting, I think.

able to get out of the city, which is a massive change of space. We were able to make music there, it was such a

Toby: We’ve also been writing a bunch of stuff for our

relief. It was great to have fun with each other and also

next album, and we’re playing four new songs on this tour,

just being out of London, having the sea near us and a

trying to perfect them as a part of the writing process.

more spacious landscape was really healthy and really

Often we’ve written stuff just between ourselves, playing

positive. So I think that informed a lot of the music as

together while recording, so this is the first time we’ve

well.

properly been able to test new songs out on the road.

That’s quite new and exciting.

How does being part of such a label inspire you?

What kind of time has it been for you? Your lyrics

Toby: We feel a good connection with the label because

often deal with different types of anxiety and your

there’s quite a diverse mixture of different types of

music contains a lot of tension overall, so I could

music. We’d like to think that we don’t neatly fit into a

almost imagine the past year and half being weirdly

particular genre and like to feel that our music doesn’t

inspiring.

have to be limited to one sort of sound. Musically, we feel a connection with lots of different artists, probably with

Toby: I guess a lot of the tension that revolved around the

every different artist on the label. Some of them we’re

pandemic fed back into the music that we were creating

more close with and we see them more often because

for the EP. Most of the songs were made out of jam

they’re based in London as well, like Uh and Gentle

sessions that we did during the lockdown, so obviously

Stranger. Falle Nioke is based in Margate, but we all love

we were all coming from quite a nervous and unsure

his music. We also get on well with The Umlauts. It’s nice

headspace with the way things were in the world. It might

to be in a similar sphere with other people who all make

not have necessarily been inspiring, but it definitely

different kinds of stuff. Everyone appreciates each other’s

informed the music to a degree.

music, and Stephen [Bass] who runs the label has curated that, so maybe that’s what links it all together somehow.

It might seem as if we choose to make a song about something in the current stratosphere that is being talked

Do you also feel your set-up, with a violin essentially

about, but it’s normally coming from more of a personal

replacing a guitar, allows you to experiment more

experience and personal connections to things that are

easily?

happening. It’s less of a conscious approach and more a case of being inspired by things that surround you all the

Toby: That’s a part of it, but I also think the way we write

time.

and the way we work together is generally quite open.

Sometimes we’ll make music from just playing together

Tom: For this EP specifically, a lot of the music is based

and sometimes we’ll each bring our own ideas. Having

around jamming. Which is great I think, because there’s

that sort of range of different ways of writing and being

something really organic about just the three of us in a

open to not having to fulfil a particular sound helps with

room making different sounds and noises and creating

that. Often with guitars, we’re so used to hearing them

songs out of that.

in a certain way. We associate them with memories, with things we’ve heard before. So it’s quite healthy to break

R: It really makes you think about the greater good of the

out from what’s familiar, and then it’s maybe easier to be

song. Even if you’re a bit attached to a certain part, you

free of limitations.

have got to be able to let it go. If it doesn’t work in the grander scheme of things, you’ve got to snip it.

Pozi

36

There’s a cultivated precision to Automotion which given

“Expectation closes the door to what is happening in the

their age of invention both literally, and conceptually, is

moment.” – Robert Fripp, King Crimson.

equal parts unnerving and perceptively alluring.

You’ve been playing as a band for a while now... did the Right off of the back of their debut EP ‘In Motion’-

live side influence the writing and recording process of

released in June of 2021, the London based quartet

‘In Motion’?

are now readier than ever to embark on their quest to mix fuelled interests, with some of the most fired-up

Jesse: Those songs on the EP we wrote during the first

instrumentation this side of the moon.

lockdown- some were recorded before we’d ever played them.

In an active attempt to find the meaning behind their singular, and collective, doors of perception, tracks

When you record something, you almost fix it down; so

such as ‘Mind And Motion’ are a gargantuan body of

maybe in a sense, recording something first can almost be

provocative-Prog; an all-consuming integrity which

a mental limiter to the live performance.

actively challenges anyone who leans towards it’s introspective hail with un-forecasted spatters of awe.

The EP itself has been described as a focus on “the dominance of technology in society - the start of a

Thrust into the spot-lit abyss right from the get-go,

journey towards creating something new.”

Automotion are their own favoured-worst-judgement.

Complex confidence and intuitive self-awareness may

As a band at the preliminary stages of their careers,

be a flowery way of phrasing preliminary maturity, but

what does “creating something new” mean to you?

there’s no doubt that this band of creatively contemplative Vagabond’s have a special kind of blazoned determination of which will, hopefully, stand the test of themselves.

Words by Al Mills, illustration by REN

38

J: What we’ve done so far has had a clear influence to it,

What are you physically bringing to the recording

but there’s been a tension with ‘the will to innovation’.

process then?

The idea has been to want to create something innovative, Lennon: They’re constantly developing.

and do something new...but there’s tension with having influences.

Luke: Going to the studio; that’s the time when we Creating something new, truly, new, it can’t be recognised.

somewhat focus on the tracks, and the structure of

What we’ve done is definitely recognisable, meaning we

everything.

haven’t achieved that. Maybe we’ll do it, maybe we won’t.

J: I think there’s a larger development- not just within one

We’ll have to see.

song. One of our new songs was originally a jam we had Does that make the process feel a lot less mechanical?

from two years ago when we first started. Out of that we

Striving towards creating something with transience,

came up with a completely different song. What I’m trying

authenticity, and an acknowledgement of your present

to get at is like, through the different songs, we’ll take a

realities, whilst remaining, at all times, in the moment.

similar idea and progress that idea into something else.

J: Yeah, I think one has to be in the moment with things.

Is it fair to say that there’s a lot of trust within each

There’s this idea of ‘living in the moment’, and I think one

other’s abilities, and the process?

does not want to live purely for the moment, but have the J: Yeah. I think in a collaborative project, if one person

drive for it.

starts to do something, then through reacting off of It’s that common notion we all hear of that ‘the journey

other people it changes. When you add a new element to

matters’. You can’t fixate too much on how it’ll go as it

something... how it should work is they synthesise, rather

won’t go that way but, one doesn’t want to not care about

than just be one thing and another thing- it should be a

what happens next. You have to think about what happens

merge together, and then maybe a new element is created.

next- it’s another balance.

What inspires you to create?

Otis: It’s the balance in seeing how it goes.

Luke: We share an interest in the idea of all the chaos.

Damo Suzuki described his music as “instant

Having a lot of sound that comes back to something.

compositions” as opposed to improvisational pieces.

Trying to find the balance between chaos and order.

Without projecting too much, I do think there’s some

J: I like that.

level of correlation between that idea of choreographed experimentation and spontaneity, and your music.

I like that too.

J: That’s a cool idea. When you come up with something,

One thing that really stood out to me when listening

it’s very within the moment and there’s got to be that level

to the EP for the first time, was that I could hear a lot

of it being improvised- you come up with it. We don’t

of King Crimson in it. That’s not to say you sound like

improvise too much...

King Crimson, but it took me back to a very specific time in my life where I first came across ‘Prog’ music.

Luke: There is a looseness to the songs which give an improvised feel. But it’s ordered. With ‘Flight Of The Screaming Baboon’, we made it, recorded it, and then the song changed again after we recorded it. There’s been a lot of development with a lot of the songs.

39

Automotion

J: Robert Fripp is my favourite. What’s most inspiring

In a broad sense, could that be applied to today’s music

about Robert Fripp is how original he is- he really

industry?

developed his own sound, working within an established genre. Rock music was around, and he was working within

J: If I think about what that is in music, there’s Pierre

Rock, but not in a typical manner.

Schaeffer who was the first electronic musician. That would’ve been more like an event; like Duchamp, where it

What’s really interesting with Fripp as well, is how

changes what music ‘can be’. Maybe John Cage too to an

he actively rejects the idea of being a part of the Prog

extent. You can’t do that working within a genre, and we

genre- something he describes as a fossilized culture

are working within a genre.

that, whilst ground-breaking at its time, nowadays signifies a bygone age.

How do you personally engage with your music?

J: Prog became un-progressive, because it became ‘a

J: There’s an interesting thing about listening back to

thing’.

one’s music. It makes me think of the authorship of music.

When I listen back I definitely feel a strong connection,

What might’ve kept things progressive?

but the identity of the music comes from its authorshipthrough the actions of the people making the music. It creates the highest degree of relation.

J: Well it’s very hard. With bands at The Windmill, there definitely feels like there’s a different sound to the Progressive Rock- I guess people are calling it ’Post-

Which appears intimate- but then you’re also inviting

Rock’, it’s got a new sound.

an audience to share that same space with you.

Do you think there is still space to be pioneering, or

J: In an audience, you want people to draw their own

experimental now? Perhaps it’s too early to tell?

connection with it. If you believe in the music yourself, that comes off in the audience. If there’s a strong

J: I think in the way innovation happens, and how new

connection between the musician and the music, I think

things are created... there can be a full revolution- where

that allows for even more individual interpretation of the

the whole status of that thing changes at its very core. The

audience.

essence of that thing changes. Few people have done that.

Then there’s this idea that new things are created by combinations of existing things. I sort of agree with that view- I think one takes multiple influences from different places.

Which takes us to Marcel Duchamp, and his theory of ‘Readymades’. I know you’ve cited Duchamp as an inspiration for your own work.

J: That is innovation of the first order- he revolutionised art in its whole thesis. The fountain got chucked away, no-one thought it was art and then it changed the grounds of what art can be.

@drawren

40

Dundalk shoegazers Just Mustard were flying high

K: At the start it was good and then we slowly started

pre-pandemic. On the back of their 2018 debut album

feeling less creative. The second lockdown this year was

‘Wednesday’ the five-piece had hit dizzying heights,

really, really bad. It was so hard to be creative and I was

heading out on a UK tour with Fontaines D.C. and being

uninspired by everything. I don’t even know what I did, I

hand-picked to open for The Cure at Dublin’s Malahide

think it was more about getting through that period.

Castle.

David: The record started out really naturally, we just The band spent the forced time away from the road by

got together again and started playing stuff together in a

turning inwards and working on their second album (due

room, we were trying to work through a load of ideas and

to arrive next year). After reintroducing themselves on

bounce them off each other. Then everything shut down so

a brief run of sold-out shows - they’ve just given the

we all started writing stuff on our own and getting a big

first glimpse of the follow up with the bruising single ‘I

pool of ideas together really, then we started sharing those

Am You’. It’s a move that immediately summons all the

individual bits we were excited about. So it was a new

momentum they’d hit upon pre-lockdown.

way of working, individually and then coming together.

Then eventually in the summer of 2020 we were able to

While their debut came as a modest indie release - this

get back together in a room again and piece those scraps

time they’ve signed to Partisan Records - the very label

together and set about developing them, that was how it

that has ushered the unstoppable rise of IDLES and

all worked out.

Fontaines D.C. We caught up with vocalist Katie Ball, guitarist David Noonan and drummer Shane Maguire to

How did that process of writing individually impact

chat about the single and how the foundations of their next

upon the record?

album came together.

K: I think we came back with a load of loops of songs, Congratulations on the new single, how did this one

like one drum beat - it was a huge challenge because we

come together?

had all of these individual parts, it was hard to piece it all together. So pulling it all together was quite difficult but

Katie: It’s actually quite an old track - we wrote it a

I think it was good because it gave us some time to create

couple of years ago and then shelved it for a while and

some individual ideas and then come together off the back

brought it back for this new album. It was nearly identical

of that.

to how it is now except for one little guitar part and the song title used to be something different. Now it’s called

D: It definitely offered the time for us to focus on playing

‘I Am You’, and even just changing that altered the

our own individual instruments as opposed to working as

identity of the track in our minds. We’re really proud of it.

a band and trying to come up with a whole thing together.

It was kind of cool to be forced to stick to your own

The last year has obviously been deeply challenging for

discipline or craft for a little while. It allowed us to flesh

all musicians - how important was that time and space

out some new ideas and bits that probably would have

for you with regards to shaping that second album?

never come about otherwise.

41

Words by Rhys Buchanan, illustration by Katharina Kran

I bet it felt so special when you were finally able to re-

K: It’s hard to know, I never want to get my hopes up

connect and lay the foundations?

too much because you never know what can happen. I’m definitely buzzing to be back playing shows again. I’m

D: It was like in May or June and it was so good to get

not going to take anything for granted or anything though.

back and play together as a unit again. A lot of the album

Next year is such an exciting prospect though, we have

was written together in the room after that as well, then

so much to look forward to with everything planned, but

we did spend a lot of time together. Everyone was just

you’ve got to keep yourself from getting too caught up

buzzing to be back in a room together and to really start

because we don’t want to be stung again for the third year

working on the ideas. It’s weird, in my head, I always

in a row. It does feel like there’s light at the end of the

think of the months after lockdown, doing stuff all day

tunnel now though, definitely.

every day, trying to get the album together, it was actually How thrilling is it being able to be back out playing the

really intense.

new material as well?

Did you have a vision of what you wanted from the record beforehand?

K: We’ve got so many songs to play now as well beforehand I was getting sick of our set so I’m super

Katie: I think it came together over time. Before we went

excited to have all of these new songs. We’ve been playing

into that room we just had a pool of ideas, the majority

around three or four new ones and they’ve been going

of them weren’t too formed. I wasn’t aware of what the

down so well, which is great given nobody has heard the

record was before then, I wasn’t even thinking about the

recordings. It’s been kind of hard because usually we

album as a whole thing before then. During those busy

get to road test songs as we’re writing them, this time

months our focus was really about trying to get those

around we just had to trust our instincts with the songs

songs together I suppose.

and they’ve been feeling great and getting such a positive reaction which is wonderful.

Did some of the lockdown frustrations creep through in a lyrical sense at all Katie?

In terms of some of the tones and textures on the record - was there a gear-shift at all? Is the single a good indication of what to expect from the full-length?

K: Maybe naturally, I didn’t want to write about the pandemic at all. It was everywhere and it was all everyone was talking about and I didn’t want to add to that. It was

Shane: It’s a weird one because this single is a really old

like, when this record is going to come out, nobody is

song, we wrote it two or three years ago so it sits well

going to want to hear about that time again. At the time

among the songs on the new record but it’s not part of the

I didn’t realise we’d still be living in it I suppose. I just

new batch. It was definitely given new life whenever we

used everything that happened before the pandemic. The

were writing the new songs. It’s been injected with the

lockdown did offer me the time and space to think about

direction we’re going with on the album. The single is

that and process it though - maybe just in terms of some of

actually a really good bridge between ‘Wednesday’ to the

my personal experiences and things outside the band.

new stuff in my head, it’s a nice middle ground actually.

It could actually exist on either album. We don’t want to

You’ve managed to play some shows in the last few

give too much away on the record because I know it’s not

months - does it feel like a light at the end of the tunnel

coming out anytime soon but it’s definitely a development.

moment with the album on the horizon now?

43

Just Mustard

You played the ‘Dogrel’ tour with Fontaines D.C. in the

I guess that era must have given you so much

early days and will be heading out with them again in

confidence going into the follow-up?

2022, how pivotal was that experience as an emerging Irish band?

D: Touring loads definitely started feeding back into how we wanted to write music and what kind of stuff we

K: I think that was our first tour that was longer than three

wanted to play live. On this one we’ve focussed a lot on

days, so it was like our first proper tour and it was one

the bass and the low end and I think that came from all

we’ll always remember. It definitely instilled that idea of

the touring and being at shows, we wanted to occupy that

wanting to tour as much as possible - it was like, this is

space. We haven’t played a lot of the songs live since

something I want to do every day. It was so much fun and

going into the studio almost so we have no idea how it’s

it gave us something to work towards in that sense. We

going to go but we’re so excited to get everything out

were also playing with The Cure during that time and we

there now.

couldn’t believe that one, that will always be a standout memory as well. In the year following the release of ‘Wednesday’ people got really into it so that was a special time - we thought we’d sell a hundred copies and we were getting orders from America and Japan.

@katharina.kran

44

Taking a break from The Orielles, Henry Carlyle has

You have nobody around you telling you when it’s done.

embarked on a project of his own. With debut release ‘The Ground’ quickly gaining traction, we’ve taken this

I suppose there’s a lot of vulnerability involved...

opportunity to catch-up with him and get a birds-eye view of the new project.

Yeah, that was the big thing about starting to release stuff that’s just me. I think I wanted to write from quite a

You’re back to releasing new music, how does it feel?

personal perspective. All these things going on in my head

The last release was with The Orielles in 2020.

mostly and yeah it is quite vulnerable. You do feel quite naked when stuff comes out. But at the same time, when

It feels like ages, time passed weird with that record

it’s released you don’t really care as much as when you’ve

coming out at that time. It does feel like there’s a bit of

just got a SoundCloud link and it’s not out yet. You kind

a hunger to release something especially with the project

of think about it in the run up to the release and then when

I’ve been working on at the minute. I remember ‘The

it’s out there’s nothing you can do about it at that point.

Ground’ was starting to be written at the end of 2019.

It’s been going on in the background for a long time, but

You moved around quite a lot throughout the process

I’ve been sitting on it. When I started, I didn’t really know

of recording this latest single. Did those movements

what I wanted to sound like or what recording worked for

have an effect on the music?

me or even what my voice sounded like.

More on the lyrical side of it. I remember writing the Was there any intentional drive, why’d you decide to

second verse on my phone notes while we were in New

go with the project?

York. Just generally pondering on that feeling of not really being settled anywhere, whether it be West Yorkshire or

It’s kind of funny actually. It started because I played

Manhattan.

guitar every day and I’d figure out chord progressions that interest me. I had lots of ideas leftover from ‘Disco

What was it like working in New York? Obviously, it’s

Volodor’ sessions that didn’t really fit the Orielles style of

a city steeped in a really rich musical history. Was that

music that we were going for at that time. After finishing

daunting?

collaborating on that record, I wanted to bring these ideas to a releasable point by myself. I didn’t really intend to

Yeah, you feel quite small. I mean I always feel small in

release things when I started it. It was just to see if I could

most places I go. But there you feel super insignificant. It

do it, see if I could prove something to myself.

really drives it home, like the amount of people and just how loud everything is and how important some people

How has it been switching from working in a group to

look. But I’m really inspired by quite a lot of stuff that

working more alone?

has gone on in New York. Especially like early CBGBs stuff and the quality of guitar and the reinvention of guitar

Yeah man, that was the funny side of it. I wanted to do

music in general was really exciting.

stuff on my own, just being my influence. I did that after the record and then going back after I found out how much I fucking loved working with other people and how difficult it is.

Words by Callum Gray, illustration by Cameron JL West

46

On ‘The Ground’ you’ve got Julia Bardo singing with

Yeah definitely, it’s nice. I really like having songs and

you, is that right? How was it collaborating with Julia?

musical ideas to obsess over and occupy my mind.

I’ve got like a nice collection of demos now. I think I’ve

Me and Julia have quite a good chemistry in the studio,

got like 2 years of stuff that I’m happy with that I plan to

I think. We lived together for quite a while and got into

self-release for now. I’m really enjoying having complete

listening to the same music. There was a moment when we

control over every aspect of it after being in a signed band

were recording. I was really happy with how it was going,

for a bit, it has its ups and downs. I quite like going at my

and it felt like we were on the edge of this thing. I really

own speed.

liked it and I went into the studio room and Julia and Joel were discussing percussion and I just saw the image of

I read that the song is about never really knowing

them both in the studio and I just wanted to tell them both

where you should be or what you should be doing. Is

I loved them. I felt really happy.

that a reference to anything?

Have you done any live gigs? Are you excited to be?

Yeah, I think I feel that quite strongly in myself, but it’s also an observation of people in general. There’s

Similar to releases, it was never really my intention to

something I’ve found – I went to art uni for 2 months

play a live gig and I’ve lots of friends up and down the

back in 2018. Dropping out of that system that was quite

UK who book gigs at great venues and have offered me

organised for you as a young person, it’s difficult to

things so I’m definitely looking into it for the start of next

figure out what it is you should do. You have structure,

year.

purpose and routine. It helps lull people into a nice state of reassurance.

Do you know what your live setup is going to be?

I mean obviously when you’re working solo in the

Do you think you need that? Would you quite like the

studio you have more control, but then live, a different

stability?

approach is required.

Nah I hate it man. If things stay the same for too long, I I think it would, it’s really – I need to have a think over

start feeling weird and apathetic. I used to walk the same

because I want it to be different in some way. I did joke

route from school, if I saw something in the road or the

about not having a real bassist and just having a synth

pavement that I saw a few times before I’d pick it up and

bassist on the whole thing just to create different timbres

move it or just take it home and throw it away.

or something, but I don’t think that’ll happen. I have to

I used to work at the hospital in Halifax and I used to

wait and see to be honest, man. It’d have to be getting

walk to work so much the same way that I used to find

mates involved which I’m more than happy with if you

new ways to get there. Each way would add 10-15 minutes

trust what people do. I’m of the mindset that I’ll just let

onto the journey, but I just didn’t want to see the same

them do what they want on it.

shit. It’s why I quite like my current situation of working in a bar and touring – each week is different.

You mentioned ‘The Ground’ was one of the songs you’d been working on since 2019, has it been written

Just to wrap up, what can we expect coming from you

alongside other tracks or was it more standalone?

soon?

It’s really not, I write multiple songs at the same time

Keeping it vague! I was in the studio recently with Jake

– not in a brag way, just cos it takes so fucking long to

doing the next one, but as I said these things take time.

finish one.

Also, Joel’s producing The Orielles’ next record and that’s taking priority, but I do plan to get it out this year.

I suppose it helps with cohesion too?

47

Henry Carlyle

@enda35mm

As the air grows colder and the nights draw in, you’ll find

I think that’s what gives us the motivation and pure

Los Bitchos brightening up the place with a tequila fuelled

enjoyment to keep doing it.

fiesta before sundown. Like a Jack-in-the-box on uppers and zestier than a key lime pie, the instrumental four-piece

The positive response is unquestionable, with Mac

are a welcome slice of unaltered fun. We caught up with

DeMarco being one fan amongst many. What was it like

the band to discuss Mac DeMarco, European hotspots and

supporting him on his European tour back in 2019?

trash TV. Hailing from all areas of the globe, what sonic flavours

S: It was our first proper tour really, and we played

do you bring from your respective homelands?

‘Tequila’ with him.

Serra: My mum’s from Turkey so I grew up blasted with

A: Yeah, after his set we’d all run on stage to play it with

a lot of Turkish music. We’d go every year to visit my

him… and we did a lot of tequila as well haha.

grandparents and would always head to concerts. There wasn’t much that I was listening to from Australia growing

S: Plenty of tequila!

up, but I definitely draw from my mum’s Turkish side. The rest of it comes from all the classic Britpop, grunge type

Nic: It took a while to recover from that tour – in a good

eras - all the good stuff that a 90’s child should’ve been

way.

listening to.

S: We were so destroyed on the plane to Turkey - we’d be Almost entirely instrumental, how do you find the UK’s

in the UK for about a week and all of us had been hitting

alternative scene has responded to your somewhat

it hard. Plus it was winter, so everyone was getting sick.

unconventional mode of performance?

Josie’s still got the footage of us just about making it onto the plane, crusty as hell. I’d lost my voice and Agustina

Agustina: Really good! They always dance a lot and seem

was struggling to put a sentence together. However as

to be having a fun time!

soon as we’d got there, the next video story of us is everyone pumping it up in this club. We somehow found

Josefine: You never know each night how it’ll be

the energy to just keep on. It was a bloody good time.

perceived, and I think we’re constantly surprised that people appreciate what we’re doing and keep turning up to the gigs.

49

Words by Laura Pegler, illustration by Charles Bailey

Sounds like a beautiful chaos, I’m glad he lived up to expectations! It’s great that we can finally get our mitts on some recorded tracks - can you talk us through the inspirations that went into your debut single ‘Las Panteras’?

S: This was actually a really old demo of ours. It was one of the first songs we’d written and had been floating around for a few years. It’s got an air of mystery about

A lovely sentiment for the debut! From Lindsay Lohan

it, which reminded us at the time of ‘The Pink Panther’

to a night well spent on magic mushrooms, can you talk

theme tune (although there’s no saxophone in this song).

us through the varying shades of the LP?

It was a lot more chaotic when we first played it on the demo version but Alex, our producer, helped us turn it into

S: Haha to be honest it’s just so random. Most of the titles

a cool little funk track with a Eurotrash build up and an

we come up with are from things we’ve found funny and

out-of-control soundscape at the end.

in jokes we have. The Lindsay Lohan one was because we’re obsessed with her reality TV show ‘Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club’…

It’s rare a day’s gone by when someone hasn’t recommended the track to me! From the first single to your debut album ‘Let The Festivities Begin!’. It feels

Sounds like a bit of trash TV that I would thoroughly

like a tropicana celebration from start to finish! What

enjoy.

thoughts have you channelled into the record? The S: Absolutely! At the same time as writing the song, we

title suggests it’s the start of new beginnings.

felt so involved in her career from watching the show and A: We actually got the title before the pandemic on the

so decided to dedicate it to her life and works. It starts

Mac Demarco tour…

off cute like ‘The Parent Trap’, then more developed with a ‘Mean Girls’ vibe, then we get into the full-blown

S: We’d picked Agustina up from her old house and she

Samantha Ronson years where it’s all rock ‘n’ roll and

was wearing a little party hat. I’m not sure why, but I

partying.

thought it’d be cute to take a video of her putting on her little crown. Then she announced, ‘Let the festivities

‘Tripping at a Party’ again is a super old song, we just

begin!’ and it all went from there really. We kept repeating

thought it was a funny title – because it’s instrumental you

it as a mantra on tour and we couldn’t think of a better

can take the imagery that we give you to start off with and

suited name for the album, because it feels like the

go wherever you want with it.

beginning of good times ahead.

The LP was recorded inside the hallowed walls of Phil Manzanera’s (Roxy Music) home studio. How was the experience?

J: It was such a fun time! It feels like ages ago now because the actual studio recording was pre-pandemic. It was nice vibes and they had a great engineer who really clicked with Alex.

51

Los Bitchos

N: We couldn’t really afford too many bouts in the studio, so we rehearsed a lot and went in with a clear plan. We recorded most of the tracks live as a band all set up together in one room and with an insane amount of percussion – the poor mixer! It was an amazing experience – I’d only done DIY recording before where you stick a couple of tracks on a cassette and think ‘yup, that’ll do’. It was a huge learning curve for me, but I loved it.

N: Noga Erez is incredible – she’s currently on tour in the How do you plan to celebrate the album release? Do I

states.

detect we have a live tour to look forward to?

S: And José González is on the label!

All: YESSSS!!!

J: They’re so much fun. We bonded with the label really J: We have a UK tour kicking off in February with the

quickly and had a very messy night out with them in

London show being at Scala. We can’t wait for that,

Hamburg a couple of months ago. You can really tell

and then we’re going to be touring the rest of Europe in

they’re just in it for the love of music.

springtime.

You’re making me want to hit the road, it seems all the Amazing news - are there any new gig spots on the list

fun is in Europe at the minute?

that you’re looking forward to exploring?

N: We’ve somehow managed to do a lot of trips to Europe N: Yeah, Eastern Europe will be great!

this year – a lot of admin and Covid tests.

J: We’re finally going to Sweden! My parents are very

A: Switzerland was amazing, definitely one of the best!

much en route so we’re going to crash there on the farm S: It’s true! They put you up in chalets there and the

surrounded by ponies.

hospitality is lovely. They ferry you around everywhere.

Released via German based label City Slang, are there

You don’t need to worry about a thing.

any other artists on their roster that you’d suggest we add to our listening lists?

James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem frontman) famously developed his own cocktail the ‘Irish C**t’ - you guys

All: King Hannah!

seem like the life and soul of every party so what does a Los Bitchos cocktail look like?

All: Tequila!

S: On our rider we always ask for tequila, Cointreau and lime so we can make Margaritas when we’re playing… we’re cheap skates and don’t want to go to the bar.

@katharina.kran

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Artists

Josh Whettingsteel

Editors Sam Ford

Josh Whettingsteel

Writers Sam Ford

Poppy Richler Reuben Cross Dan Pare

Phoebe Scott

Elvis Thirlwell Al Mills

Dirk Baart

Rhys Buchanan Callum Gray

Kristina Tzekova Harry Wyld Kanioko

Enda Burke

Margherita Sabbioneda Shingraphik Céllii Béllii

Patrick MacDonald REN

Katharina Kran

Cameron JL West Charles Bailey

Cover Photos James Brown

Laura Pegler

Photos for Collage

Printed By

Parker Day

Ex Why Zed

Email

info@soyoungmagazine.com

Website

Oli Erskine

Felipe Pagani James Brown

Art Direction

www.joshwhettingsteel.com

www.soyoungmagazine.com

Special Thanks

News

Harley Cassidy

@soyoungmagazine (Twitter)

SoYoungMagazine (Facebook) soyoungmagazine (Instagram)

Al Mills

Jamie Ford

Cameron JL West Jack Reynolds