So Young Issue Thirty-Six

It’s the first issue of 2022 and it’s one which sees us

In London, Blue Bendy are getting excited to finally

blend exciting brand new artists with established, and

release a body of work beyond a single. In a journey

now potentially, household names. The fastest rising of

that began back in 2019, debut EP ‘Motorbike’ is out

course are our cover stars, Wet Leg. The Isle of Wight

in February and we reached out to hear more about it.

newbies are preparing to release their debut via Domino

Staying in the city, newcomers, Teeth Machine have just

Records and we squeezed into their now hectic schedule

shared their debut single ‘Drive By DK’ via Slow Dance.

to confront the “industry plant” allegations and escaping

Excited for what’s to come, we caught up before a show

the island.

to discuss releasing books and how their songs are like animals. Heading to Galway, Ireland, four-piece, NewDad

Jockstrap have signed to Rough Trade, and in their first

are about to release their second EP, ‘Banshee’ following

interview for two years, Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye

a much hyped 12 months which included their debut (and

tell us all about the thrill of giving something personal

Sold Out) London shows. Ahead of its release, we Zoom’d

to the world, and how their music is never a joke - ever.

to get an insight into the alternative scene in Ireland as

Hopping over to Georgia’s other project, Black Country,

well as their route towards poppier songs.

New Road, it’s the opposite. As the band prepare for the release of sophomore album, ‘Ants From Up There’,

We tie up the new issue with a flurry of conversations in

members, Charlie Wayne and Tyler Hyde, tell us how the

the United States. New York stalwarts, BODEGA, kick

majority of their music starts as a joke, as well as how

us off with an in depth look into their Heidegger inspired

they nearly made an accessible album.

new album, before the new breed of Catcher and Been Stellar give us a first glimpse into their world. To see us

Whilst quarantining in Paris, Metronomy’s Joseph Mount

out, it’s over to the Pacific Northwest where we find the

takes our call. Following the recent release of their EP

much hyped, Enumclaw. The band share their experiences

‘Posse EP Volume 1’ (which saw collaborations with

of not having any black role models in the world of guitar

Sorry, Folly Group and more), the band are gearing up for

bands, tell us how wrestling inspired their name and

the release of their new album ‘Small World’. We caught

discuss the influence of the nineties.

up to discuss the inevitability of Radio 2, influencing a new generation and finding out where the band now lie in the world.

3 Black Country, New Road Ants From Up There

32 Ramon Keimig Self-Sampling

8 BODEGA Doers

37 Catcher The Fat of A Broken Heart

11 Wet Leg Oh No

42 NewDad Say It

17 Teeth Machine Drive By

45 Blue Bendy Motorbike

21 Been Stellar NYC

50 Metronomy Small World

25 Jockstrap 50/50

53 Enumclaw Jimbo Demo

Black Country, New Road’s new album, ‘Ants From Up

Both: Hopeful, epic, nostalgic.

There’, is a truly exciting departure in style, sophistication and expectation from their previous releases. Aggressive

Did you learn anything from the first album that

chordal patterns and percussive instrumentals have been

helped you work towards the second?

traded in for tender harmonies and affecting lyricism.

Tyler: We literally carried over ‘Basketball Shoes’ – we’d The music world is so filled with notorious egos and

agreed this would be the second album’s foundation before

social media facades, that it can exhaust listeners and

recording the first.

distract us from the actual noise. BC,NR avoid this faff.

Past and present, the music is packed with deadpan

Charlie: The first album is musically sprawling. There

references to popular culture, unashamed confessions and

are so many ideas we wanted to explore, so we threw

complex arrangements that hook you with each detail.

everything at the wall to see what stuck. We made an album that wasn’t as refined as we wanted, so this time,

It’s also refreshing to see such layered music built upon

we limited ourselves as much as possible to see how

a fundamental sense of humour—an unexpected aspect

creative we could be.

our attention was drawn to when chatting to Tyler Hyde (bass) and Charlie Wayne (drums). Not taking themselves

T: We wanted every element of every song to have a

too seriously has allowed BC,NR to merge orchestral

purpose. If it wasn’t the best possible option, we wouldn’t

feats with their love of pop (most obviously Billie Eilish),

do it. There are so many things with BC,NR that stem

commission custom black midi boiler suits, and pay their

from a joke which is refined. And that’s the point. That it’s

respects to the top charts of 2010.

refined.

If you could describe the new album in three words, what would they be?

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Words by Poppy Richler, illustration by Pat Thomas

C: People who take our music seriously would be horrified

T: The album track lengths show this. The first three songs

to know how much of it began as a joke…and then

are like “yeah they’ve done it!” Then the middle is “oh,

continued to be a joke…

ok…” and by the end it’s “oh, they’re incapable of doing it.”

But here you are with a Mercury Award Nomination.

I love the relatable lyrics on this album. ‘I know you’re scared/Well I’m scared too/Every time I try to make

C: The joke is always on us.

lunch for anyone else in my head/I end up dreaming of There’s a motif that runs from ‘Intro’ to ‘Basketball

you’ hits deep.

Shoes’ and resembles the riffs on earlier tracks like ‘Sunglasses.’ Motifs are often used for story-telling – is

T: We’re wholesome people!

this the case here?

C: There’s really very little edge. We’re relatively boring T: The motifs are a purely functional thing, proving that

people.

it’s a conceptual album for ourselves.

T: We’re so uncool! We just love our friends, hanging out C: Musically however, it does tell a story. The album feels

and smiling.

closer and quieter than the first. That’s indicative of how it was written. Unlike the first album, it wasn’t written with

That’s what cool is…

the intention of being performed live. We wrote it during lockdown when the only thing we could do was play and

C: You don’t want to be making angry, despairing music

write together.

when everything else in the world is bleak. There was a huge amount of comfort to be taken in doing something

‘Ants From Up There’ represents a new phase in your

creative with people you love.

music; Lewis (saxophone) said you’re ‘slowly wanting to make your music really accessible.’ Why?

T: At that point in time, the album was the main beacon of hope in our lives, and you can hear it.

T: We all love pop, it’s the most accessible music. We felt the first album was alienating to several people, and we

From NutriBullets to Billie Eilish, your lyrics are a

don’t want to do that. We don’t enjoy playing that type of

zeitgeist of this decade. What is it about Eilish’s music

music as much anymore. It’s not a true representation of

that keeps you returning?

our taste.

T: The purity. It’s so brutally honest and depicts something C: Making music more accessible doesn’t mean making

that’s both personal and universal. There’s no hiding

it generic. The best pop music is incredibly complex and

behind anything.

difficult to write. That’s the main stumbling block we came across. We wanted to write songs that were shorter.

C: She’s basically our age and it’s wild to see someone

If you can say everything in a fifteen-minute track in

like that dictate the way culture moves in real time. She

three, then you’re a genius. There’s no way that we’re

put out ‘Happier Than Ever’ when we were recording

even close to writing something so accessible, catchy and

the album in the Isle of Wight. The night it came out,

musically interesting.

everyone else had gone to bed. I was sitting in the studio listening to the whole thing, and when I heard that track

T: We still haven’t succeeded.

for the first time, I was like, “Ah fuck she’s just written ‘Basketball Shoes’ and released it before us!” That’s also a

C: We failed wholeheartedly.

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massive compliment I just paid to us.

Black Country, New Road

T: People who haven’t seen us live will think we’re

Serge would be running around doing bizarre stuff and

ripping it off! Which of course isn’t the case.

David would be there making sure it all worked out.

Have you had any unexpected musical explorations?

The new album is so cinematic it could be a movie soundtrack. Is this something you’ve ever discussed

T: We didn’t expect the backing vocals to become so vital.

doing?

I always wanted this to happen, I just didn’t have faith that it would happen so soon. I was surprised by how bold

C: All the time.

everyone was and how much they were willing to give – we all have our degrees of shyness in the band.

T: Ideally, we’d take a break and work on a film for a year.

Unfortunately, the offer hasn’t yet arrived. But when it

You can see that passion in the live videos. Everyone is

does…

belting the songs.

The video for ‘Concorde’ could be the first step…

T: We started saying that. Even if you don’t have a mic, just belt it. Show your passion.

C: We can’t take credit for that though. That comes entirely from the director Maxim Kelly.

Are there any artists you’re listening to who explore mainstream music in unconventional ways?

T: The team we were working with were very professional.

We’d say, ‘can we get the black midi logo on boiler suits?’

T: Kieran Leonard (Saint Leonard). He isn’t afraid of

The next day they’d be on set. I don’t know why people

writing cheesy ballads, rock music or math rock. I like

take our ideas so seriously.

people who go for something that may sound like cheesy pop, but is much more than that.

C: It goes back to the idea of us thinking we’re funny. But then our ideas accidentally become something with real

C: Olivia Rodrigo.

emotional weight. It’s a very pleasant part of being in this band.

Stream Sour.

What would the film about BC,NR be called?

C: They’re two different worlds…

T: Never Again What did your sound engineers Sergio Maschetzko and David Granshaw lend to this album?

C: Unhappier Than Ever

C: Serge did our live sound whenever we could

[Nervous laughter]

afford him, and we wanted the album to be a faithful representation of these performances. We liked how he’d

C: We spend 99% of our time thinking about who would

never done a record. It’s more fun for everyone to go into

play us. Adam Driver is playing Tyler. We’ll have to get

something on a level playing field, taking risks together.

back to you on the title.

Serge would do the weirdest stuff in the studio. Once he set up two glasses with different levels of water and mic’d

Do you think Eilish could get involved in the score?

them up, just to pick up an ambient sound. Serge was well matched by David, who was tranquil and knew every inch

C: We should be so lucky.

of the studio.

@patgthom

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What am I? Where am I? How am I?... What’s really

I’m told that the new record drew inspiration from

going on here? These are just some of the fundaments

book club meetings among the band. Can you describe

flaring at the heart of BODEGA’s Sophomore LP ‘Broken

a typical meeting for us?

Equipment’. Lifting its title from the aesthetics of Martin Heidegger, it’s an album indebted as much to 20th century

Ben: We would read a chapter of a text and meet up.

European Existentialism as it is to classical 70’s New

We read a lot of stuff, like Nietzche; We read a lot

Wave. Via satiric assessments of productivity culture,

of Heidegger. We read Deleuze. A lot of continental

abridged histories of their native New York, and romantic

philosophy really. It was a big bonding experience. You

reclamations of rock ‘n’ roll’s hand-holding innocence,

often don’t get in situations like that when you can really

the irrepressibly inquisitive BODEGA broach a thankless

stretch your mind. Adam, who plays bass with us, was

task here: disentangling the matrix of the modern self into

the de facto leader of the club [and] actually teaches

a sequence of tightly-fettled 3-4 minute pop songs. Yes,

philosophy. We had such a bond through the club that

they might have softened somewhat for album two - for

when our old bass player decided to start a new side

one, they actually ‘sing’ more now, love songs too - but

project and leave BODEGA, we roped him in.

they’re not too far from those tough punks “who critique society by shouting over a loud band” we first fell in love

Did any of this directly seep into the record, in any

all those moons ago.

way?

Late one Monday Night, we transacted video cells

B: I would say it almost all did.

with co-founders Ben and Nikki, as the duo cosied in a Brooklyn studio. The following transcript materialised

Nikki: ‘Broken Equipment’ comes from Heidegger.

from the exchange.

Words by Elvis Thirlwell, illustration by Nando von Arb

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B: Heidegger had this idea that art was like ‘broken

So the process of writing songs is a way for you to

equipment’. Van Gogh had painted some peasant shoes,

understand yourself more, by understanding the things

and [Heidegger] had said something along the lines of,

that make up you as a person?

“most people take their shoes for granted, but if you have holes in them, or they’re really beaten up, something about

B: Exactly. [For example], we put out a song two months

the shoe reveals itself to you: as the conduit between your

ago called ‘Doers’ - that song to me is about an ideology

feet and the earth.” So art functions in a similar way. Good

that has permeated our whole generation: productivity is

art reveals hidden aspects of daily experience, just like

our new religion. The song is tongue in cheek, it’s kind

damaged objects i.e Van Gogh’s shoes.

of a satire on the language of advertising. But it’s also somewhat earnest. To be a DIY musician, you do have to

My example I always use when explaining this concept is

embody the ‘Doer’ Mindset.

Wi-Fi. You almost never notice what Wi-fi’s doing until it breaks down, and then wi-fi reveals itself to you as this

I wanted to discuss your relationship with New York.

thing that we rely on. I feel like what BODEGA’s trying

For me, the cornerstone of the album is the song ‘NYC

to do in our music is to reveal these aspects that permeate

(disambiguation)’. The city seems to hold such an

our daily life. They might be obvious concepts, like Wi-Fi,

important influence over you, yet this song outlines

but we don’t realise how much we actually rely on Wi-Fi

the city’s history in quite a sombre way. What is your

in our daily lives.

relationship with New York, because it seems like quite a problematic one?

There’s a lot to unpack there! It’s quite late for me to be thinking about all these high concepts…

When I go to places like England, I feel like I’m an ambassador for New York’s rock ‘n’ roll lineage, which I’m proud of, and which was a deliberate aesthetic choice

N: There’s some pretty low concepts too.

for the band. [so] I thought I’d write a song that tells the history of New York in a pithy way.

B: I do think of the album as a concept album. For me and Nikki, we’re at this age now where we’re trying to figure out our identities. As a way to figure out who we

The real reason why the arts have flourished here is

are, I wanted to think about what are the things that have

because money has flourished here. Wherever there’s a

influenced us most: the city we live in, my relationship

flourishing [artistic] scene, in general, throughout the

with my mother, my relationship with everyone I’ve

history of humanity, there’s always money. [In New York]

dated; my relationship with Nikki, my relationships with

There’s a trading port, there’s an extremely problematic

advertising. The first track ‘Thrown’, is kind of a thesis

history of slavery; in my view, the problematic hunting of

song: it’s an attempt at a kind of self -portrait, basically

beavers… I’m in no way saying I’m the authority of New

saying: “ I am all these things that I’ve been exposed

York history. I’m trying to show people, not necessarily

to.” One of the big ideas that I’ve brought to BODEGA’s

the dark or negative side of it, but just to open it up, think

songwriting is that ‘no thoughts are your own’. You are

about what New York city actually is.

always being thought of by something else. In a very real sense, you’re just an amalgamation of all the media

There’s both pride and sadness that comes with any kind

you’ve been exposed to, whether that’s news, or rock ‘ n’

of history. You could say the same about the history of

roll records.

England. You can love things about British culture and be disgusted by other things too. That’s a process about being British that’s built into your DNA. I think that explains the British personality, extreme self-deprecation…

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BODEGA

What would be the New York Personality?

Then it matured when people started singing about social issues. My response to that would be: what could be more

The anger isn’t so inwardly directed, but outward[ly]

philosophical than writing about a crush, or writing about

directed! It’s a manic energy. Nobody here is relaxed…

something as mysterious as love? I think, in some ways, rock needs to go back to it’s innocence. It’s become too

We talked earlier about your songwriting becoming

niche. I know this sounds funny [coming] from a guy who

a means through which you can discover your own

named his album after a Heidegger concept, but I want to

identity. On the album we have love songs, songs about

see bands, or at least, in my own songwriting, I want to

your mother… Has Bodega become more sentimental?

explore more earthly concepts, like romance.

When you talk about ‘my identity’, my identity is not

Because people still have those experiences, right?

just being the tough punk guy who critiques society by shouting over a loud band. I found, while I was on tour,

Right! What could be more thrilling than seeing someone

[that] the music I was relating to more and more would

across the room… maybe that’s why rock music isn’t as

be really melodic, sensitive music. It was a big goal when

relevant anymore, because bands feel like they’re too

writing this record: me and Nikki wanted to break the

sophisticated, and that ‘pop artists’ will sing about those

mould of what we could be. I feel like we were getting

kinds of emotions. The older you get, you realise that it

pigeon holed as a post punk band. We certainly drew from

takes a true tough soul to be comfortable being vulnerable.

post-punk bands, but I feel like we have more to offer.

The true punks have no problem getting in front of you and playing ballads…

There’s this idea that rock ‘n’ roll, when it first started, was this naive, innocent thing that just played teenage

N: True punks are sentimental!

music about riding in cars, first kisses, first dances, holding hands.

@nandovonarb

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When Bjork described her ninth studio album, ‘Utopia’ as her, quote-on-quote: “Tinder album”, she wasn’t referring to her romantic endeavours, but rather, the concept of dating life. Connecting with people, desires, and perhaps most importantly, her inner-truth, whilst making an incredibly weird as fuck, yet intrinsically relatable masterpiece.

Not too dissimilarly, although significantly less Icelandic, ‘Wet Leg’, the debut-album by newcomers/quirk-hero’s, Wet Leg, is a uniquely addictive exploration into the minds of two pals, Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers; as they attempt to navigate the oddities of life, love, wet dreams, and lobster-claws with effortless chorus and charm.

Having signed to Domino, recorded with Dan Carey, and generally ticking off every bucket, and ‘ones to watch’ list, in no time at all Wet Leg took 2021, and what seemed like the entire world, by total hook-laden storm.

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Words by Al Mills

Wet Leg

Less than a year on, a tour of America down and another to follow, it goes without saying by now that this band is a living, breathing, example of once-in-a-lifetime breakthrough, supported by an endless catalogue of alternative authenticity. A true testimony to their talent, and unwavering adoration for all things fun.

Design by Josh Whettingsteel, photo by Hollie Fernando

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Rhian: I can tell you a fun fact? I’ve spent three days

R: I don’t think it’s changed the way we view creativity,

trying to make our bio more ‘us’. I’ve lost my mind and

but it has changed the amount of time we have at the

started putting lots of Lord of the Rings quotes in there...

minute. It’s all very much ‘go-go-go’.

now it looks really weird.

We signed to Domino during lockdown but weren’t able Were you subtle about it?

to gig straight away. So we’d recorded the whole album before we even released ‘Chaise Lounge’. It was a nice

R: Uhhhh... I don’t know. Our promo person at the label

unhurried time where we could do whatever we wanted

sent it back with lots of bits highlighted in red. There are

without any outside minds or opinions- good or bad.

some great quotes in Lord of the Rings though.

Hester: We’ve kind of come out of nowhere in a way.

It’s one of those worlds I’ve always been a bit too

We’ve seen a few comments saying we’re an “industry-

scared to venture into to be honest with you. I tried to

plant” which isn’t true, but I can understand why people

read The Hobbit over lockdown, and I was so adamant

might make that assumption. We’ve done some really cool

I was going to dedicate my nights to reading it. I think

things and supported some really established artists.

because there’s so much of it... and so much context and love for it, I’m worried about getting too invested

I don’t think either of us are really over the shock of it.

‘cos I know it’ll eventually end.

It’s been so busy as well it’s hard to get a grip. It’s really mind-blowing.

R: Ahh but it’ll never end! Then you’ve got the Lord of The Rings trilogy which doesn’t end. You should

I can imagine it’s hard to stick to the script whilst it’s

definitely read The Hobbit, it’s great. Have you got the

still being written?

really chunky hardback?

H: It does feel like that. When we first started playing gigs Yeah! With all the illustrations in it?

people thought we were only going to be playing ‘Chaise Lounge’ for half-an-hour. No one had anything else to go

R: Yeah that’s the one I have. It’s beautiful. With lots of

by. We were always going to play our other material but

gold writing and pictures of dragons. [unexplainable noise

people have responded so well to this one song, you can’t

occurs].

help but wonder what will happen once more of Wet Leg is given away.

Was that you mimicking a page turning or a dragon?

We produced our two videos before we met Domino just R: I think it was more the sound you make when you’re

for the fun of it. That was really exciting for us to see how

trying to seduce someone.

we could compliment the music, or change the seed of the message. We have a lot of fun thinking of concepts- it’s

Has the rapid rise of Wet Leg altered the way you view or approach creativity?

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such a huge world with so many visual possibilities.

It’s been really cool meeting photographers as well.

Depending on how we feel, we want an emphasis on our

I’m not camera shy... but it’s new to me. Rhian has a

band being fun, whilst being able to play festival sets that

background in styling so she’s more confident with that

would be fun to watch. We’ve had that in the back of our

world. It’s a whole new way of being creative. Going from

heads.

a 9-5 to this has been very strange.

But then also, it’s impossible to be that way all the time.

With you guys as well, there’s such an emphasis and

Our set and the album goes from extreme highs to extreme

appreciation of your “kitschy” “quirky” aesthetic,

lows in a way... it’s just the way it goes. Like the weather.

sound, even lyrics – is being seen as a novelty

One day it’ll be really sunny for a few days, and then the

something you’re conscious of?

next day it’ll be torrential rain for a day. It might also get a bit drizzly- you can’t really control it. I think that’s a

R: It’s a fine line isn’t it. People have called us a comedy

good analogy of how we’re writing music.

band, and compared us to bands such as Flight Of The Conchords. We’re not trying to write or make music to a

With ‘Chaise Lounge’, it’s quite funny because people

brief, whereas a band like Flight Of The Conchords have a

think it’s a really sexy song. When we perform it live, I’ve

comedy ‘goal’ in mind- that’s what they want their music

seen in the comments section of videos that some people

to do.

wish we performed it deadpan; like: “why are they having so much fun?!” haha. It’s just funny isn’t it. How people

It’s not easy being funny, and taken seriously at the

have so many different opinions.

same time.

You’re turning the mundane into fun, which people H: That’s mostly to do with Rhian. She’s just so funny, but

seem to really resonate with? Why do you think that is?

also very strong. I think that comes across in her lyrics for sure. It’s a very powerful combination being funny, having

H: That’s a tough-y. Times are hard at the moment. Every

a dark sense of humour, and being a person who knows

time I go into my rectangle it’s a harrowing experience.

what they want and gets stuff done.

I’m someone who likes to laugh at pictures of dogs swearing. Or dumb videos that just bring joy- the simple

R: I think we’re just writing songs as they come out.

stuff is what people like to consume.

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In a way, because we are all living and experiencing

R: It can be a bit of a magical-fairy-wonderland in the

these intense times, we’re not saying these things aren’t

Summer. On a sunny day, when you’ve got lots of time

important...just offering a bit of a respite. That’s how we

to go exploring, go on walks or in the sea, it’s so good.

all get through stuff- finding silver linings. A really silly,

Not many young people live here though. I don’t have

naively written two-minute bop can be that respite in a

many friends here apart from the band- it can get a bit

way.

lonely. Very slow. There’s not much going on. I think it is really beautiful, but when you’ve moved away from

Well that’s the thing isn’t it. This is going to sound

somewhere...It’s just like any small town in England. You

ironic given the nature of our chat... but maybe people

can get a bit cabin-fever-y. How do you feel when you

are too quick to over-analyse something as simple as

go back for Christmas? I feel like I revert back into my

silliness?

sixteen-year-old self...I don’t like it.

R: Yeah- and it could be conscious or subconscious. It’s a

Ahhh yeah, it’s not fun. I think it’s that catch-22 where

thing we do when we listen to music I guess. I don’t mind

it’s a reflective and nostalgic time of year and that’s

it. It’s good if people are trying to figure it out.

really nice, but then you’re surrounded by memories you’re incredibly keen to avoid. Everything looks and smells the same but I’m adamant I’m different now!!

On my way here, I was just reading an article with this artist called Ariana Papademetropoulos. She does surrealist paintings and was talking about how she likes

R: Exactly. I do find it really beautiful, but I avoid coming

surrealism because you can look at it, and feel like it

back here as much as possible.

keeps changing?

I can imagine as well it must’ve been quite difficultI think that’s something we try to do with our music

to a certain degree- to be unconventional, or find

videos. You look at them and they’re a bit confusing.

‘your people’, when there’s not many people your age

Which is maybe why people try to categorise them.

around?

There’s a picture of Ariana in a bathtub dressed as a

R: I do have that tribe, but they turned eighteen and ran

snail?

for the hills. Hester, Joshua [synth] and Ellis [bass], really are the only people I know here that have stayed.

R: Yes, the snail! I came across her on Instagram, she’s

Honestly. You have to be quite self-sufficient or have

really cool.

family here.

This might be a bit of a tangent and correct me if I’m

Going out on the road and supporting other bands

wrong... but the impression I have of The Isle of Wight

must’ve helped massively in that sense? Forming new

is that it’s a pretty pure, almost mystical, or magical

friendships and building your own community...

even place with pretty distinctive character.

H: Definitely. We always knew we wanted to play gigs Was there a lot of value placed on escapism and

as that’s where the fun is. I always go back to Latitude

freedom growing up there?

Festival- actually where we met...

H: People joke we don’t have coloured television, or cars.

Yeah! During Holiday Ghosts set.

Living here is such a creative place though- The Bees!

They’re one of my favourite bands. It’s a really slow,

H: They’re so cool... I love them. We’d gone from no

sleepy place.

gigs, to playing Latitude. It was like “wowwwwww.” The nostalgia of festivals felt so good.

15

Wet Leg

It was everyone’s first festival back which in itself was

Most of the album was written when Rhian was in London

incredibly overwhelming. You go from not seeing your

for the first lockdown, and I stayed here. She really

friends in over a year, to suddenly seeing them up on a

went off and wrote so much. It was a lot of Garage-Band

stage, or dancing with them in the crowd surrounded

demoing in our bedrooms initially.

by loads of other like-minded people. It was immense.

Was it a conscious decision to self-title your debut You guys though, you had an entire queue outside your

album? It’s quite a statement to be made... things

set!

couldn’t be anymore ‘Wet-Leg’ in that sense.

H: It was so weird. Like a dimension into a parallel

H: There were infinite possibilities, but there was someone

universe where Covid wasn’t a thing. It was such a good

at Domino who pointed out that you only have one

weekend.

opportunity at a debut. It felt kinda right I guess. It was also all so new, and our process of getting to this point

Is Wet Leg a collaborative project?

was so unconventional, it felt like a simple thing that made sense at the beginning.

H: Initially it was Rhian and I, and then we honed the rest of the band. Henry [drums] has been with us since real

If we get to do a second one, we’ve already got some

early days, and then Elis and Joshua joined. They’re all

names in the bank.

so creative and talented. We’ve been so busy with gigs, we’ve not been doing a lot of writing recently; but we’re

I’ve written a note here that just says: “Wet Leg feels

quite excited to see where it will go now we’re the entity

like a friend.” It’s not really a question is it?

we are now, as opposed to where we were a year ago when we wrote the songs for the album.

R: That’s really cute! It could also be: “Wet Leg is a... friend (?)” With suspicion.

16

Structurally formless yet fluidly architected, the group’s

Arthur: We broke up and then tried to keep it going with

core-values of conceptual-sincerity and collaborative

laptop demos; not really imagining it would turn into a

deconstruction / reconstruction, has enabled them to

live ‘thing’, but trying to find that thing we had which was

manifest a self-sustaining environment of bare-bone, and

a continually collective based project.

organically-honest, substance-matter.

G: It’s funny when I think about it as there’s quite a lot of Nimbly crossing the borders of music, art, and synergetic

points where it could’ve easily not happened. But, there

philosophy, now, perhaps more than ever before, Teeth

was always a thing where we wanted to keep making

Machine are ready to invite the outside world into their

music together.

consciousness. With just one, (public), song to their namea meticulously woozy, emotively elemental slow-burner

Ar: We were session players in other people’s projects

titled ‘Drive By DK’, Teeth Machine are slowly but

which is how we all met.

surely amassing notoriety as one of the most collectively compelling acts in the DIY circuit.

Jamie: It’s become a pleasure project- a pull away from being the hired gun.

Whatever path is to follow, whatever form they may take next, is best left in the hands of our cosmos. All that can

G: Definitely. As someone who has felt like there’s a lot

be said is rest assured, Teeth Machine is an ever-evolving

of spaces in which you have to hold a particular wall-up,

process that’s well worth the wait.

or persona just to make it through... with this band, people are free to express how they want to. If it means not

Gray: We’ve all played music for a long time. Arthur and

talking for a day when you’re not feeling good, it never

I were in a band together called ‘Hester’ when we were

threatens to disrupt anything.

seventeen...

17

Words by Al Mills, illustration by Ian Moore

We want to do this for our entire lives. It’s not something

We didn’t have Instagram for ages and when we started

we conjured up or formulated. It’s also quite democratic

doing it, Arthur put out little animated clips of us in our

and everyone’s input is important. Very wholesome. Like

own little worlds.

a family.

Ar: Little Easter eggs... I also teach illustration at the Anthony: Or a cult.

moment at Camberwell.

Ciara: Reality doesn’t feel like a thing anymore.

G: Do you know who Arthur’s dad is?

Everything is slowly falling apart but this remains a staple.

No...

You’ve described your music as a kinetic force that

G: His name’s Jon Bentley- he’s an old punk hero who

carries between your live and recorded work...

makes all of his own costumes and sets. They do these crazy theatrical performances where he dresses up as a

G: It’s a kinetic force and a sixth body. The songs are all

cosmic policeman with rabbit shoes. He also teaches art.

like animals in an ecosystem and we’re the caretakers. The energy created in the room isn’t an individualised thing

Ar: I think that’s in part the way we want to see ourselves-

anymore.

we haven’t quite got to costumes yet... we made some masks! But haven’t performed in them yet.

J: It’s always at its best when it’s all five of us. Everyone’s invaluable.

C: I do rate it when people have costumes- like Horsey with the gold suits.

How easy was that to tap into from the get-go? You’ve not played live much...

G: I think it’s about world-building. The idea of the music having an organic life of its own that blends into a world

G: We have!

we’ve made. I like seeing people live and feeling like they’re terraformed the space.

You have??

An: We try to do that with our improv. Sometimes songs G: Yeah, we’ve played live a bunch, we just don’t tell

can be too objective...

people... and, we’d not released any songs. The first single we released [‘Drive By DK’] was on Slow Dance- we

G: Well risk is important- everything good that happens

had two other singles in the works but they’re a bit more

creatively is to do with the risk you’re prepared to take.

complex as they’re visual projects. It’s nice that people

Listening and responding also helps if you’re nervous as it

like it.

situates you into the moment.

Ar: We’re making a book too. That was going to be our

We’d love to soundtrack a film. Trying to explore the

first release, with demos that didn’t go anywhere...

different worlds we can facilitate and create. Teeth Machine could be... a café in 50 years-time. It wouldn’t

How important is your visual identity?

matter. It’s about being interested in life.

G: Arthur is an animator and Ciara makes and directs

Are you quite environmentally sensitive? If I walk

films. I’ve worked in films. Ciara actually made the two

into a space and something feels slightly off... it’s

videos we have coming out so everything is quite in-

near-impossible to immerse myself. I can imagine with

house. She’s saved as Ciara Spielberg on my phone.

improv you’re reliant on finding balance?

19

Teeth Machine

An: I don’t think it’s difficult, it’s just different.

G: Nothing is not connected. We encounter more

You’re trying to delete the idea of mistakes which feels

information in a week than people 100 years ago

vulnerable, but the moment you’re on stage it’s out of

encountered in a lifetime. There’s something really

your hands.

relieving in the approach that nothing is really a thing. No song, no band. We’re just trying to tie things together and

G: There’s something quite nice when there’s the power

create genuine connection. This is our little pocket, but it’s

of people’s attention on your project. It’s quite a generous

not just ours.

thing- we’ll do our best and whatever we can make happen, we’ll respond to in the moment.

Ar: I found pictures of our goat-masks...

How do you find ‘your voice’, or ‘a voice’, within

G: Arthur has a theory about how sheep are behind

a collaborative project? You’re not a strictly

Krautrock.

instrumental act...

An: Yesss, explain it!

Ar: Gray will just turn up and have books full of ideas we can instantly project a narrative on to.

Ar: No I can’t...

G: I think lyrics are quite luxurious... they don’t have to

You can’t not now!!

adhere to the structures of spoken language.

Ar: ... it’s all about hauntology and how the material of C: You could listen to a whole Cocteau Twins album and

an instrument dictates the sound that’s made from it. The

not realise Elizabeth Fraser is speaking in tongues...

bagpipe is a Middle-Eastern thing that only appears where sheep are ingrained in the culture. It’s made from their

G: Language is musical. It has a physical effect on your

gut.

body. If someone says like... ‘apricot’...

In places where there’s sheep, there’s drone music that C: Or ‘butter’...

comes from this instrument. I thought it was kinda funny...

Going to Scotland you have all these Shoegaze-y bands

G: Yeah or ‘zest’- they make you feel different things in

like Mogwai, that are kinda doing the same thing as the

your body.

bagpipe.

Have you heard of the electronic artist Jlin?

There’s a Jeremy Deller project where he was in a pub with his mate all like: “rahhh, Acid-House is just like

G: Yes!! Detroit!

brass music man.” They made a huge mind-map that ties together social upheaval from the British government-

You need to listen to ‘Autobiography’- it’s incredible.

performance in shared accessible space. He connected

All about DNA, balances in time, and how that is

rave in fields to brass bands as a way of relieving yourself

projected on physical forms. It was a collaboration

from strains of contemporary living.

with a choreographer called Wayne McGregor.

He actually did get brass bands to perform Acid-House G: She’s done quite a lot of industrial stuff before

tracks which is sick!

that’s amazing. It’s hard to put words to things that are ultimately inferences and feelings. You can talk around a

G: Al. I think I’ve worked out your star-sign now.

thing, but you know what it is once you hear it.

Emotional ambience!

@iam.ian.m

20

“The explosion of all the Windmill bands a couple years ago really galvanized us”. Probably not a statement we are used to hearing from New York’s fast rising bands, but it’s clear that the UK has re-established itself as a breeding ground for exciting, alternative music and everyone is listening. Brooklyn’s Been Stellar have existed since founding members, Skyler Knapp and Sam Slocum were childhood friends, releasing sporadic singles since as early as 2014; but it’s only now that the NYU graduates have completed their full time line up, and moved into their Apartment and Basement Studio set up, that they’re ready to make their impact properly.

Unafraid to reference The Velvet Underground and Oasis, but considered enough to know “it’d be incredibly cringey to hop on the same bandwagon and try to be the American Shame”, Been Stellar are preparing to unleash their New York story via their debut EP.

Hey Been Stellar, how’s it going? Could you tell us a bit

We also have a great live-in super too, Luis, who feels like

about how you found yourselves together as a group of

a father to us, he helps us with the floods and will make us

people?

Puerto Rican food from time to time.

Laila: Doing well. Sam and Sky knew each other first, but

With that set up, it feels like ideas can come to life

the way we all came together as a band was freshman year

pretty quickly. Did that help you keep your foot on the

of college. We all went to NYU, and Sam, Sky, Nando and

pedal during lockdowns when things must’ve felt very

Nico all happened to live in the same dorm. I met Sam

slow for most bands…

and Sky one night during welcome week and we got to talking about music. That’s when they told me they had a

L: During the lockdown we were here in the city. That

band called Been Stellar and I told them that I played the

was also around the time when we decided to rent our

drums. They had a gig scheduled but for some reason the

first practice space in Ridgewood. I think having our own

drummer couldn’t make it so Sky remembered I played

space allowed us to really foster new ideas, many of which

and reached out and we just continued on from then.

became the bare bones of the songs on the EP. Eventually Sam, Sky and Nando moved to their new place, where we

We know that Sam and Skyler were the starting point

now have our current studio / practice set up. I think this

of the group. What was it about your relationship that

is where we really have been able to come together and

led you to make music together and then want to share

flesh out the songs that we had started over quarantine.

it with the world?

I think the convenience of the space allows us to get our ideas out as they come to us. Since we like to write as

Sam: When I met Sky we were 13 or 14. At that age,

a full band, having a place to jam on new ideas became

when you meet someone new who really understands you,

really key for us in building our sound.

there’s that excitement. We both loved music, granted our tastes were pretty different. But we both knew that we

You’ve spoken before about your passion for New York

had to start making something together. It was never a

City. How do you channel that into your music and

conversation though, I don’t think. Doing music together

art whilst maintaining your status as more than a New

wasn’t something we thought about or decided to do.

York band? Is that important to you?

Thinking back, sharing it with the world was something I was drawn to, more so than Sky. I would always want to

Skyler: New York is definitely the most important guiding

play the tracks we came up with for friends or my parents.

light in our creative process. We all moved here inspired by the legend of it all, as cliche as that may sound. I don’t

As a group, you have a pretty special set up and

think we really realized how important the city was until

opportunity living and working within a pretty unique

we got to experience it during lockdown, however. It sort

space. Could you tell us a bit about your apartment/

of temporarily filtered out all the over romanticized BS

studio and how it allowed you to be creative?

that’s rife in NYC and forced you to see it in its most real sense. I think for us, it caused us to realize that it

Nando: Yeah for sure, Sam, Sky and I just moved in from

isn’t just a city for white kids to move to to pretend like

a tiny apartment in the L.E.S, one of the old tenement

they’re Patti Smith or Henry Miller (not excluding some

houses, to a bigger apartment in Bushwick. We got this

of ourselves), but a very troubled and delicate ecosystem

place because our friend Steele was leaving the spot so we

that’s really struggling at the moment. It was all we could

just took the lease right after him, no broker fee. They had

really think about, so naturally it became a main point of

a studio in the basement and would practice there. They

creative inquiry. We think there is a lot of the NYC story

even had a deal with the neighbours where they could

left to tell, and we’re lucky enough to have the outlet to

make noise from 10am to 9pm, and did that for about 7

add to it.

years, so when he offered it to us it felt like a no-brainer, he even left us some amps and a PA System.

23

Words by Sam Ford, illustration by Josh Whettingsteel

Regarding music specifically, however, we’ve always

I think when we start jamming or writing a song out, and

felt a desire to not simply exist as another new Brooklyn

it feels too one dimensional, where the song only feels like

band on the pile. We never really felt like we sounded

1 mood or evokes 1 feeling, we usually end up scrapping

like what most other folks are doing here at the moment,

it or trying to find a new route for it. I wouldn’t say we’re

so naturally we felt more kinship with what was going on

necessarily trying to defy genre, so much as we’re trying

across the pond.

to just simply make something we’re proud of.

We’ve been pretty lucky to hear a little of the exciting

In the UK, we’ve seen the massive influence of New

music that you’re soon to release. Could you tell us

York and the sound of the city on guitar bands,

about the development of your sound and why that was

however you cite Europe and the progress of bands

important to you?

here as a bigger influence on you. What is it that’s happening here that feels so exciting?

Nico: This new batch of songs is the first time we’ve truly collaborated as a band. Covid gave us a time to rethink

Sk: The explosion of all the Windmill bands a couple

our sonic identity and jam on little ideas. A song may start

years ago really galvanized us. I think at the time we

with a bassline, and once everyone starts jumping in, I end

were really disheartened by the fact that it didn’t seem

up changing my part entirely to better fit what everyone

like there were many kindred spirits in our city. NYC

else is doing. That process then goes on for everyone until

bands tended to veer towards the older, clique-y, 80s

it finally starts to resemble a strong foundation for a song.

nostalgia side of things, so to see younger kids playing

I think we’re entering a place trying to find the balance

really fantastic music and talking about real concerns

between melody and dissonance. We’re obsessed with the

really got us excited. This being said, we also thought it’d

screeching chaos of ‘Venus In Furs’ but also how catchy

be incredibly cringey to hop on the same bandwagon and

‘Live Forever’ is.

try to be the American Shame, so we didn’t want to veer off the musical path we were already on. The passion of that scene just solidified that there was still interest in the music we enjoyed.

24

Recent Rough Trade signees, Jockstrap, are perhaps the

On the strength of ‘50/50’ alone, it may be time to stop

only marked point in a venn diagram charting influence

paying attention to any of their other projects, and start

taken from Steve Reich and DJ Rashad. The collaboration

getting very excited about the forthcoming album.

between Guildhall graduated, fingers-in-several-musicalpies Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye, their unique

We sat down with the duo “for [their] first interview in

articulation of the creases between beat-driven rigidity

two years!” to discuss the processes and pitfalls leading

and flowing, ethereal melody is endlessly captivating and

up to their new album, taking their passions appropriately

increasingly diverse with each release. There is a sense

seriously, and the joys of building a personal artistic

of fun and spontaneity to everything they do, but with a

language.

base level of casual genius pervading which allows them to transcend the realm of either dancefloor or moshpit,

‘50/50’ is great, and I feel shows a more concise focus

instead inhabiting some sacred amalgamation of the two.

on the more club-influenced, footwork-y side of your sound. Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration

It is the plight of live-electronic artists to walk the

behind the track, and the process of its creation?

tightrope between ironica and joylessness, veering between saccharine mindlessness or navel gazing in its

Taylor: I had my tonsils removed about six months ago

least attractive form. However, Jockstrap are one of the

and was just at home with my laptop making music. I

few to avoid falling down either side’s precipice. New

made the first half of the song, the two different beat

single ‘50/50’, their first released on Rough Trade, is

changes and then sent it over to Georgia. She liked it, and

characteristic of this precarious balance. We find the band

transformed it. We only made it a few months before it

on their danciest form yet, with a broken, footwork-y wall

came out and didn’t even really talk about it, just banged

of sound given respite by Ellery’s ‘Hollaback Girl’ infused

it out.

vocal augmentations.

25

Words by Dan Pare, illustration by Cameron JL West

Georgia: When Taylor sends a beat, it’s more or less

Georgia: We don’t think about that at all when making

complete and doesn’t change much - I then added some

it, we’re just putting together things we like that may

vocals. I wanted some vocals in a sort of Gwen Stefani

include something which makes us laugh. From there, we

vibe, so the vocal on 50/50 was inspired by trying to

just work 100% to make it as good as possible, and aren’t

emulate ‘Hollaback Girl’ - I’m not sure if it sounds like it,

really worrying about how it comes across.

but it’s got that whole chant-y thing, but the first half is quite dark before opening up at the end.

Taylor: When we make music we’re always extremely serious, I don’t think it’s a joke - ever. Everything

Where are you at with the album?

we release moves us in some way. There’s an air of seriousness, and so once that’s taken as assumed, we

Georgia: Just working on a bunch of tracks at the moment,

can be as silly as we want within that. There’s no switch

more tracks than we ever have in the past.

between the serious and the other, because as long as that’s a baseline, there’s a spectrum to work within.

Taylor: We’re grinding right now. It’s been a grind for a As Jockstrap, collaboration with other artists has

while, but it’s moving forward.

featured heavily across your repertoire. Can we expect In terms of your process more generally, the way it’s

more of that on the album? You must have a few

described sounds fairly seamless - do you both know a

‘dream’ features, who are maybe no longer just a pipe

track is done at the same time?

dream?

Georgia: Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s not so

Taylor: We went on tour with Brother May, and he played

straightforward.

with us at every show we did which was fun.

Taylor: We’ve got enough tracks now that each one is

Georgia: He came on stage and freestyled over a couple of

quite different. That [50/50] was probably the side of

tunes. Taylor’s done a few remixes of unreleased songs,

things where it happens quickly, but most aren’t like that -

so he’d come onstage and perform with us. That felt really

a lot of them are a few years old now.

good, so it would be cool if we could take that further.

Something you’ve spoken about before is your interest

Taylor: To be honest, we’ve been working with ourselves

in the meshing of ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture, irony and

mostly over the last little while. Jockstrap is already a

seriousness. What is it about these contrasting notions

collaboration, so I don’t suppose there’s too much need to

that so appeal?

alter that.

Taylor: I don’t think we think about that at all. We both

More personally, you’re both prolific with other

listen to Disclosure in a completely serious way, and don’t

projects. What does Jockstrap offer to you that maybe

look back on that as a silly thing at all. We take everything

isn’t found in other areas?

we like really seriously, whether it’s more ‘fun’ or more ‘intellectual’ music.

There does seem to be a real sense of looseness and experimentational freedom with each passing release how important is it to keep that spontaneity, and keep from overintellectualising?

27

Jockstrap

Taylor: I think what I’ve started to realise is that because

You mention not being done with a melody, which I feel

we’ve been doing it for quite a long time, there’s a bit of

hints at how personally connected you feel to what you

a grounding to this which we maybe don’t have in other

create. Do you feel trepidation at releasing new music?

places. In terms of the sounds, we can almost be a bit self-

Once it’s out in the world, I suppose it doesn’t only

referential. I just really enjoy working with Georgia, that’s

belong to you anymore.

the main part - being with a brilliant musician who can come up with stuff I would never think of. I don’t do a lot

Georgia: I think a lot of the songs we’ve already released

of stuff with other people, so I really enjoy that. We both

have been so fucking personal. In some ways I’m used

have an unspoken agreement around what we like, it’s one

to that nervous feeling of putting something like that out

of those things you get when you get it.

into the world, it’s cathartic. It’s part of why you want to do it. I’ve never regretted anything that’s been lyrically

Georgia: We’ve built up a repertoire of sound because

exposing for me, because that’s so entwined with the

we’ve been doing it for a while, which is great because

purpose it was written in the first place - you have to stand

you can reference yourself backwards and create a

by it. There might be a thrill to it, but it is scary!

language - it’s not something I could have done, so it’s great to have Taylor. No one wants to talk about the

Taylor: You can be vulnerable without being biographical,

pandemic, but it is interesting how much time it’s been,

it depends on what makes you scared.

and wondering if we’d be working in the way we are if What’s your live set up looking like these days, and will

this period hadn’t elapsed.

that change with your new releases?

Taylor: It’s an unusual situation to have been mulling over music for this long, but I think we’ve come to the logical

Taylor: We did a club night a few weeks ago and did a

conclusion, musically. We’ve got to where we were going

DJ set with Georgia singing over the tracks, which is

to go, it was inevitable, but does time change anything? Or

something we’ve hardly done before and was very fun.

just make the path there weirder?

When we’ve been on tour, it’s just been the two of us with equipment, but when we figure out these new songs it’s

You’ve mentioned before a linking between releases,

going to be different. We’re not quite there yet really.

and ‘sister EPs’ and the like. In that scheme, where does the album fall in the Jockstrap universe? Does it

Georgia: Performing live completes the lifecycle of the

stand alone, by virtue of its longer form?

songs, and it’s really special to be able to play electronic music live. That still sort of baffles me, how we’ve

Taylor: There’s all these melodies that Georgia is banging

merged the acoustic elements to our music with heavier

out, which are all connecting with other stuff, which I’m

beats. It takes a while to hone the ideas, and we haven’t

only realising as I listen to it back. I think this happens

yet unpacked all of that box of tricks.

quite naturally for us, one thing just leads into another.

Georgia: There’s one melody taken from ‘The City’ which I played to my mum - she was like ‘you’ve literally just put this out, why would you do that, they’ve already heard it’ - but I wasn’t done with it, I like it too much. I don’t know if it’s something conscious, or something that just happened.

@cameronjlwest

28

Ramon Keimig is an artist with strong roots in DIY

Please describe your creative process and the

culture. Constantly switching between analogue and

relationship between your use of analogue and digital

digital means of creating, Ramon’s work is “dedicated to

methods.

the field of visual experimentation, self-sampling, and exploring the limits of the artist’s own formal language.”

I like to switch a lot between analogue and digital means

Here at So Young, our first connection with Ramon was

of creating. My works often go through the scanner into

when he illustrated Folly Group for issue twenty-five of

the computer, only to be printed out again afterwards and

the magazine. Now, we dig a little deeper into his history

alienated in analogue form. I like to do it the other way

and process.

around, too, of course. It’s a kind of motor process for me that has no beginning and no end, or at least doesn’t

What led you to become an illustrator?

need to know one. Of course, I end it at some point.

I also like to use outdated programs like MS Paint or

I got into an illustration practice rather by accident.

freeware drawing programs from tablets to incorporate

My first point of contact with illustration must have

these individual elements back into photoshop. My analog

been cover art of heavy metal albums, from there I had

practice currently consists mainly of pencil and ink

always an attraction to outlandish imagery. First I studied

drawing, but I’m also slowly approaching painting again.

illustration and graphic design and now I’m studying art in Offenbach am Main, Germany. During my first studies

Tell us about a typical working day.

I started making posters for music events and zines. This practice then led in a roundabout way to many small

Actually, it doesn’t really exist yet. Fortunately! I decided

and bigger jobs for musicians, venues and also editorial

to study art again after my design studies, a lot of things

illustrations.

have opened up for me again. That’s why I appreciate being as free as possible in my work. That doesn’t mean

Do you remember the first piece of art that resonated

that I don’t work much, on the contrary, but I don’t have

with you as a child?

fixed times. It always depends on the daily situation. I check my mails daily and every work day can be a mixture

It must have been Botticelli’s Birth of Venus! I discovered

of organising, doing commissions and planning and

the painting in a double-page spread of one of my

executing free work. For commissions and collaborations

grandfather’s books. He bought a popular science book on

you can write me anytime on Instagram or per mail.

myths, from antiquity to modern UFO myths, for us. For some reason, the Birth of Venus particularly stuck in my

What are you currently working on?

mind. However, I have never done much research on the image in my life. It is rather simply a memory of the first

I am currently working on a vinyl illustration project for

consciously perceived and longer contemplated image.

French electronic music, as well as some smaller freelance

Perhaps I should read something about it. I still have,

projects.

without having chosen it, a folder that shows Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. The picture seems to want to stay with me.

ramonkeimig.de @ramon_keimig

32

Who is your current favourite band?

I listen to a lot of krautrock and early electronic music at the moment. A current favourite band would really be What are some of the main subjects that inform your

too hard to pinpoint, so I’d rather recommend a band.

work?

it’s called Nina Harker, from the label ‘Le Syndikat Des Scorpions’. They played in my old apartment in the attic,

Through a formal process, my work negotiates

where very good concerts were held in a small setting

autobiographical positions through constant working and

one fall and winter before the pandemic. A really nice

testing on the image. The imagery is oscillating between

evening. my play tip is ‘Idaho Sief’ from the Nina Harker

figuration and abstraction, both digital and analog, to

s/t album. You can check them out on bandcamp: https://

explore simulated subcultural codes and scratches on

lesyndicatdesscorpions.bandcamp.com/album/nina-harker-

reality itself. My artistic practice is a cycle of (self-)

ep

observation, processing and remix. With my immediate approach, I am very concerned with the present in the

What are your interests outside of illustration?

process and the meaning or quality of an image often only becomes clear in the movement of the process. Regarding

I am very interested in printmaking, drawing and painting.

illustration I try to include all the insights i get from my

Through my studies my practice is shifting more and more

artistic practice and use them for a certain representation

into two different directions. The illustrative practice,

of something like a record.

often related to music, and a free artistic practice, which at the moment is slowly transferring from small

Whose work do you admire and why?

format drawing and printmaking into other media. I also find everything that revolves around the graphics

Oh, that’s really hard. I’m a big fan of a lot of people, all

of subcultures very interesting. Besides a broad visual

of whom I could only name incompletely at this point.

interest I also make music and write a little bit again,

Therefore I recommend a group of artists from the 60s.

which however I would rather not show to anyone at the

“Neither a movement nor a style, Hairy Who was simply

moment.

the name six Chicago artists chose when they decided to join forces and exhibit together in the mid-1960s” I admire the combination of high and low, underground comix, psychedelia and personal approaches. Especially the synergy of this group fascinates me. Also the conception of the exhibitions and the zines, they made, are outstanding.

Does music influence your work at all?

Absolutely. I think that every form of expression can also be translated into another, for example a certain atmosphere or way of repetition of a content in music can be translated into a visual phrase. At some points, methods from songwriting and music have certainly inspired me to do visual things as well. However, the whole thing happens rather unconsciously. Maybe it would be worthwhile to work consciously with such transfers, though.

33

Mappa Editions-Vlad Dobrovolski Natursymphony No . 1 — Spring Music

Finally, what can we expect to see from you in the near future?

I will do some exhibitions, an artist residency is planned, if everything works out. I’m also organizing a group exhibition with friends from my old hometown, hopefully with live music again in the spring. Furthermore, an artist book of mine will be published by the Spanish riso publishing house ultimo mono press from Sevilla.

At the moment I am working with fictional exhibition views in the broadest sense, which I print. These have performative, installative, sometimes also a casual or architectural character. Overall, the work also has a certain tendency towards the metaphysically sinister. With this, I am planning installative, large-scale realizations of these spatial studies. In addition, I am working on a personal series of ink drawings to which I do not want to reveal too much at the moment. Furthermore, I am currently teaching the basics of illustration together with my professor at my university. If everything works out, I would like to continue this teaching activity. It is very enriching to work together with others and I hope that I will still be able and allowed to do this when I am a bit older. I also curated a set of artist postcards, which are risoprinted in Glasgow via RISOTTO studio - I am thrilled to see them! Feel free to check them out too. https://risottostudio.com It will be the Riso Club post card issue about Würzburg (Germany).

Elsewhere poster collaboration with Eye Bodega (Top), Drawing 2 (Bottom). Next page, Photocopy Institution Study

34

It’s not often we are able to witness a renaissance in

From the humble basement of their Brooklyn digs, Catcher

motion. Typically we rely on hindsight and historical

reside and record their incendiary and stirring post-punk,

analysis to understand the discourse that led to such a

fuelled partly by the 24/7 intensity of the city itself,

breakthrough. We are therefore both blessed and humbled

and partly by an expansive absence of the music they

to understand we are in the midst of a global post-punk

themselves wanted to see on stage.

revival, one that is frothing with untapped talent. Holding the flag for New York is Catcher, a transgressive collective

Where are you guys at the moment?

of musicians that have harnessed the stark bite of no wave and combined it with the shapeshifting eloquence of The

Austin: We’re in our demo studio in Brooklyn.

Fall, creating a vast untamed sound and bedding a nascent legacy in their wake.

So thanks so much for tuning in across the Atlantic

Their tectonic, swelling arrangements are a tableau

A: Thanks for sitting down with us.

of their live shows. Brimming with uncompromising energy and earnest lyricism, Catcher lean into chaos as a

You guys have been touring pretty hard recently. How

conductor. The unyielding six-piece are blazing the trail

have you been finding that?

for their contemporaries and have garnered a sizeable hype around their urgent shows, with vocalist Austin Eichler

A: The tour was great. With us being a relatively new band

commandeering the prodigious vessel.

it allowed the newer members to come together and really figure things out. We became a band, so that was great.

After the heaping success of their two double singles ‘Yesterday’s Favorite’ b/w ‘The Skin’ and ‘Only Advice’

So the tour was learning how to play on stage as a

b/w ‘Fallen Stones’, Catcher have been taking their

band? I guess that was like a steep learning curve.

swelling performances on the road, (most recently with NY’s Been Stellar) before finally landing back in New

A: Yeah it was. I think it was more because we had just

York to finalise their debut record ‘The Fat of A Broken

met the newer members of the group.

Heart’.

37

Words by Ali Grice, illustration by REN

Wilson: Our fourth show ever was our tour send-off show.

So we didn’t really get a lot of time to experiment with

Austin and I had been on stage a lot before, but we had

space and production. And that’s something we want to do

some members of the band where it was their first time

on the next stuff that we’re writing right now. But yeah, if

playing on stage. So after just playing four shows total

we have a budget, and we can work with a producer that’d

then for our next tour, we played 20 shows in a row, it

be cool.

definitely helped us figure out how we work together on stage.

W: We did that on the first record intentionally; just live takes with everyone playing at the same time, and not so

For sure. How was the response to the embryonic stage

much production as we wanted it to sound and feel like

of Catcher material? How was the response to the

our live performance. Then we thought we can be more

double singles?

adventurous and maybe a little more grandiose with future records and actually go to a real studio.

A: It was better than we could have ever imagined.

Playing it live for the first few shows, we were pretty

I’m aware a lot of bands in the UK do the circuit for

surprised at the reception, especially in New York.

two or three years before actually putting out a record.

Because we had just moved here during COVID, and we

What inspired you to put the record out quite soon

didn’t know anyone or anything. So by the time the shows

after your inception?

were happening, everything happened very quickly. We started playing, and then people started to hear about us

A: I wouldn’t like to speak for everyone, but I think I

and rooms filled up. And we were like, ‘Oh, what the

personally just wanted to make the music that I would like

fuck?’.

to hear, and we felt like that was happening.

For sure. We’ve felt a very natural hype built around

W: Putting it out so quickly was kind of a disadvantage.

you guys, and it’s nice to see organic growth. With all

We already finished that record in October or something

that, when did you take time to put this whole record

last year. So we already have new material to try to work

together?

into the live shows. We didn’t want to have to wait like a year to put this record out and then be in a creative

W: It was right after the tour. We had [already recorded]

backlog going into the future. It’s got to keep moving.

nine songs of the 10 that we’d been playing on tour. And it was right when we got back, we got in this studio for a

The self-starter attitude is admirable. Do you still

week and a half and just knocked it all out. Right there.

resonate with the music you’ve already put out?

And it’s all produced by yourselves. Do you think that

A: I think that stuff is still pretty important. Because

will be something that you keep doing as a band? Or do

on this record, a lot had to do with things that we were

you think you’ll ever explore bringing someone else in?

experiencing in our everyday life more than outward influences. So we worked with elderly people with

A: We’ve been thinking about this more recently.

dementia and there were dark themes that made their way

And I think we would love to work with someone and

into what I was reading and what I was watching.

collaborate. But we have been thinking a lot more about production ourselves. Because this record was recorded

‘Yesterday’s Favorite’ was the track that talks about

live, and I punched in vocals on top of it.

you working with people with dementia. Will there be more anecdotal references from your lives on the album?

39

Catcher

A: I’m working towards that. I’m not very good at

A: We also went to school in Austin. So I think it’ll be

speaking from the first person in lyrics. So I tend to use

a little interesting to return there. After some time has

characters or stories. So not on this one. I don’t think I had

passed.

that transparency on this one. But I’m working towards that in the future.

W: For sure. We know a bunch of people there. We definitely want to see people and revisit a bunch of weird

Do you want to tell me what the narrative behind the

little places we used to hang out. We’ll take it in. Enjoy it.

new record ‘The Fat of A Broken Heart’ is?

Do you take much inspiration from what’s happening A: There’s a lot of stuff that deals with like the body as an

over here? You mentioned Yard Act just a second ago.

overarching theme

Or do you tend to look back at what was around in the 60s and 70s to find your inspiration?

W: I think it’s along the same vein because we were working with this really old dude who was frankly in a

A: We try not to listen to too much stuff that sounds

state of decay, right? That worked its way into everything

like what we make, for obvious reasons. The Fall is my

way more than we had realised until later when we had a

favourite band of all time, so it tends to be bands like that

lot of the songs more complete.

more than contemporary examples.

You’ve got SXSW coming up this year. Is that exciting

When can your UK fans catch you live?

for you as a band?

A: We’re trying for this summer. We’re gonna see what we W: We’re on a bill with Jockstrap and Yard Act. So it’ll

can do. It’s a finance thing.

be cool to see both of them. We’re just excited to go to ‘South by’, because anyone who doesn’t live in New York, especially industry people, can finally see us live.

@drawren

40

Emerging fresh faced from studio submergence, you’ll

When we first started as a band, we were trying to figure

find Galway’s NewDad shoegazing the hours away to their

out what exactly it is that we’d want our album to look

head-in-the-cloud earworms. Both sleepy eyed and urgent

like. I think that our latest EP is definitely a lot poppier

in the same breath, the four-piece expel the dark days

than the last. Many of our previous tracks are quite

with sugar coated ease. Firm favourites of indie label,

gloomy but for some reason we thought ‘hey, let’s try and

Fair Youth Records, they’ve become a household name

do something more light-hearted’ – even though they are

amongst new music musos with a quiet confidence. As

still kind of depressing haha. We never intend on doing

the UK’s hedonistic alt-rock scene ardently beg for more,

anything a certain way. Our songs are born of whatever

we caught up with vocalist, Julie Dawson, to discuss

we’re feeling in the moment and then we just run with it.

unrequited love, worldwide touring and the release of their You’re right! It’s noticeable that musicians often start

stunning new EP.

out in a darker, punkier place and arrive at a more Hailing from Galway, the Irish underground scene

upbeat sound when thing’s start looking up – or maybe

looks to be a hotbed for upcoming alternative talent

that’s just me. With a sense of restlessness running

- cue The Murder Capital and Fontaines D.C. Do you

throughout, can you share the thoughts and feelings

agree and how has your hometown shaped your rise

that you channelled into your latest EP ‘Banshee’?

over the past couple of years?

I think that because I haven’t – like most – had very much I most definitely agree! I think that the music scene in

going on in the past pandemic year, we’ve been in our

Ireland has always been really good, but it never had much

own little bubble writing music. I tend to look back on

of a name for itself – in the sense that there wasn’t much

experiences from when I was younger, so it’s a bit of that

attention being paid to the music that was here. But now

but also an anxiety that’s always been present. I was then

it’s all changed. Fellow bands feel like we all have ‘a shot’

trying to link that to the general anxiety that everyone

I guess. Being from Galway it’s a very chilled out spot and

was feeling at that time and how restless everyone was

there’s a lot of buskers around. Music’s a big thing here

because all we were doing was hanging around our house.

and it’s quite an ‘artsy’ place. If you’re into the arts, it will

So, in essence, it was picking up on little bits like that that

be encouraged. I’m very glad to have grown up here, it’s a

inspired me to write. It was hard to find things to write

progressive place to create and explore.

about when there wasn’t much going on, so I thought ‘let’s roll with this even though I’m basically saying the same

Sounds like an infectiously good atmosphere to be

thing as everyone else’.

around. Now with your second body of work in the ether, how has your distinctive dreampop sound

That makes perfect sense, and you explore emotions

developed from one EP to the next?

that everyone can relate to! Delving deeper into the second single ‘Say It’ from the EP, what advice would

It took us a while to figure out what it was that we wanted

you give to others suffering from the age-old grievance

to do, because we haven’t been recording music for that

of unrequited love?

long.

Words by Laura Pegler, illustration by Clara Girke

42

Now there’s a tough one. I’d say that things are going to

Any fans we’ve had in the US have always been so

work out If they’re meant to. If you’re having to give too

lovely and I expect the shows will be unlike anything that

much of your time to someone who’s not reciprocating

we’ve ever played before, so I’m really looking forward

the same level of effort, then it’s probably not worth it.

to it! Texas is obviously very well known for their food,

If you’re spending any time worrying over someone who

particularly the BBQ’s but unfortunately on that note I’m

doesn’t like you, then you have to come to terms with the

a vegan… still I’m sure there’ll be good vegan options

fact that that’s sadly their prerogative and you need to

over there - or at least better than in Galway!

move on.

Failing that, the liquid lunch diet it is! Which new Solid advice there, thank you on behalf of any of our

bands will be joining you?

out of love readers. Whilst a mother should not have favourites…is there a track that you most enjoyed

I know there’s a few great Irish artists that have been

making on the record?

added like Smoothboi Ezra. I think Just Mustard are playing there as well, so hopefully we’ll get to catch a few

Probably ‘Banshee’ – we had more time to experiment

of them!

with it in the studio and I love how it turned out.

Thankfully for us there’s also a UK tour – are there Speaking of the studio, let’s get into the recording

any new cities you’ll be ticking off the list or places

process. Spending a healthy amount of time creating

that you’re excited to return to?

the EP with producer Chris W Ryan (subsequently the EP was mixed by John Congleton - Lana Del Rey,

I’m really psyched to go back to London! We got through

Phoebe Bridgers) - can you share any of his secrets?

two dates there on the last tour. It’s so different to anywhere else and when we first played in the city we

It was really nice and relaxed in the studio with Chris.

were still just getting a handle on things, so I’m really

Because we had more time to play with for these sessions,

looking forward to going back with our new material.

there was a lot of messing around, but we still got there in

Also, Brighton - it’s so beautiful!

the end. I’m not so sure about secrets, but Chris is an allround technological whizz and the process is so seamless

I for one can’t wait for the London date! Last but not

with him. It was such a fun experience. We also had the

least, All Points East – does this feel like a milestone?

time to sit with the tracks which we didn’t on the last EP, which was – for the most part – a good thing.

Definitely! There’s such a backlog of artists wanting to play festivals from the last few years, so we weren’t even

Exactly, and what a beautiful EP you all produced.

sure that we would get to play any. To be offered a slot at

It’s also great to hear that you’re going to the states

such a good festival, with so many cool artists that we’ve

for your first US headline shows and SXSW! Have you

looked up to for years is just magic.

ever experienced an American crowd before? Any local delicacies you’re looking forward to?

A jam packed year ahead! Now to the all-important question from the Magic 8 Ball – what’s the best track

I’ve been to America in the past, but we’ve barely played

to go out to on your deathbed?

outside of Ireland, so it’ll be very interesting to see what the atmosphere’s like. We’re going to be there for

Pixies – ‘Monkey Gone To Heaven’

St. Paddy’s Day as well which should be an amazing experience.

43

NewDad

Ahead of their debut EP release, we spoke to art-rock

A: I think Joe’s manifesto shackles are off and we’re just

6-piece Blue Bendy. From Wire’s Colin Newman, dreams

free to experiment with ideas. I think it feels a lot more

of Mercury Nominations, to their self-described Punk

like us I suppose. I think I was quite obsessed with being

Manifesto, Blue Bendy are filled with spirit. They induce

a quiet brooding character in the shape of Elias or Nick

an air of anticipation for what could be, but at their core,

Cave or someone like that.

the band are joined together by a mutual freeing love of music.

J: How do you see yourself now?

First off, I just wanted to ask about your intentions.

A: I wouldn’t say I was goofy. But I think there’s a light

Did the band start out with a clear artistic vision or

heartedness to me.

was it something that just developed organically?

Do you think you’ve become more comfortable?

Arthur: I was thinking about this today actually. I think there was. At the start we were quite purist in our punk

A: There’s less need for any constraint. You know things

vision. We had people we liked a lot. Joe had a bit of a

are going to be easier when you embrace ideas rather

manifesto about the kind of music he wanted to make.

than put constraints on the kind of music that you want to make.

Joe: I don’t know if I’d describe it as a manifesto. It was a bit more constrained than the type of music that we make

You’ve got a new EP coming in February. How was the

now. It’s now freer, easier and fun loving.

journey going towards that?

A: It was like Wire and Wire and I would say Wire

J: It’s been long so far. It’s been going on for an age.

again. That was the sort of music we were making at the

There were a lot of delays. The triple hit of manufacturing

beginning I think and then as more people joined us, we

issues, Coronavirus and Brexit causing delays everywhere.

got a bit freer with it.

It’s just been a bit more of a slow creep where we’ve stopped to think about how much better everything is

Did you want to be a punk band?

feeling now before all the singles started.

A: Yeah of course, like violent, melodic punk. Like Iceage

A: It’s given us a time where there’s been less pressure

or like The Birthday Party.

because we know something’s coming out. I mean live now, the oldest songs that we play are off the EP.

Are you still listening to that music?

Olivia: One of the songs on the EP is one of the oldest Harrison: I mean we are a bit. I think it’s slightly more

Bendy songs ever, no? So I guess you can say it’s taken

experimental in terms of sound. I think things we were

years to make the EP.

into were sonically more experimental, but the energy was like that punk music.

45

Words by Callum Gray, illustration by Inkee Wang

Do you find new ways to make it interesting?

Did you move down to London with music in mind?

O: Oh yeah, it’s totally changed. You probably wouldn’t

A: Personally, I thought I’d end up in Manchester but I

recognize it.

[ended up going to] Goldsmiths. I always thought I’d be in a band but I never really did anything proactive to form

J: If you scour through the depths of SoundCloud you can

one. I thought maybe I’d meet some cool people and we’d

probably find it’s very earliest version as a demo kicking

maybe start one. I didn’t really know anything about the

about. I’ll never reveal its location. It’s online somewhere.

London music scene, I just thought there’d be cool people.

I believe Arthur’s forgotten the password to take it down.

I just assumed it would fall into my lap and luckily for me... it did.

A: If I could take it down I would. It’s in the Scunthorpe bedroom pop annals now.

Is it lucky for everyone else?

Blue Bendy involves loads of different instruments and

A: Maybe not…

sounds. How do you organise this towards the point in which we all get to hear it?

O: Yeah! I came to London to try to make money and then suddenly my friend called me to ask if I wanted to be in a band.

H: In terms of guitar, you get that basic idea from what Arthur’s brought down on acoustic guitar, you know just the chord progressions. Then you get all your pedals out

What was it like joining an already established group?

and you just push as far as you can then you just bring it O: My first rehearsal was just with one amp in the weird

back a bit.

little room above Five Bells [before it was] a Millwall A: I think often the case is that we go in and we rehearse

pub. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but it didn’t

these songs a million times and they’re mostly figured

feel like joining an established band.

out live but we all have a part for each thing. It’s a bit overwritten and then when we go to record it, we chop

J: I think it had to keep going for a year and a half before

everything unnecessary off.

it was anything like established.

Are there many challenges to working in a 6-piece?

Where would you like to be in a couple of years time?

Any methods you find that work or don’t work?

A: In three years? A mercury nom, two albums, Primavera A: I mean there’s lots of problems – logistics, it’s not too

main stage and there’s at least a couple of pictures of me,

easy.

Grian and Geordie Greep…and we’re all just there with a pint of Guinness. That’s where I see us in 3 years.

J: I think it’s the best band it’s ever been. Everybody has a bit more of an idea with how their sounds fit in and how things will look.

A: We’ve been playing for so long; It has been a learning curve totally and I think now we’re finally getting up to speed as things have started to click a bit more. We’ve found each other’s individual hooks or USPs.

47

Blue Bendy

Any praise from musical heroes?

A: I do. I like a lot of lyricists, but I don’t explore the depth of things. I’m not the biggest reader in the band,

A: Colin Newman from Wire said he didn’t understand it.

that would be Harrison. But I like the biggies – Nabokov, I like that dark self-referential wit. I like the whole being

J: He just could not wrap his head around it. On possibly

really serious one minute and then really flippant the next.

our poppiest song on that EP release.

Are you looking forward to getting the EP released?

A: He said he was going to have to sit with that for a good hour and try to wrap his head around it.

A: Massively. I can’t wait. It’s nice to have a thing that isn’t just a single.

There’s a lot of brightness on the EP, perhaps a sharpness. Obviously, you want your music to have

J: It should be really good. I’ve got a big box of them

some bite… why is that?

in my flat at the minute. When we’re finally able to sell them post-release at gigs that’ll be nice. It’s nice to have

A: I think it’s a reaction to the early stuff we were doing

something proper to put out and I think it looks great. It’s

and the darkness. There’s a lot of dark stuff around. We

really exciting to have a 12” record.

like bubblegum pop, we like hyperpop and we like pop music. [We want] to have something bright and really sort

What can we be excited for?

of glistening.

A: It was a shame about Goon Sax thing, we’ve got a big H: When we’re choosing pedals to use and what noises

EP release gig at Peckham Audio with Bad Vibrations in

to make, we want loads of crisp clean clarity and that

London, and we’re doing Dark Arts in Leeds and we’re

shimmering pop sound. It feels too easy to go crazy with

going to Edinburgh and Newcastle. And then Wide Eyed

distortion.

and Fairplay in Manchester.

You can hear how it’s constructed…

J: There’s also a couple of biggies still to be announced which is very exciting

A: Yeah. It’s about the right noise. Bands like Battles and people like Deerhoof and a lot of electronic things like

A: But yeah you know, hopefully it’ll just keep rolling in.

Spiritualised and even PC music stuff like SOPHIE, it’s

Hopefully people like it, and then an album and hopefully

full of really bright wonky noises and it’s something we’re

another couple of singles. Fingers crossed an album in

really drawn to. It’s something subversive without being

2023? That seems a while away.

serious, or having pretenses. It feels a lot more fun and that’s something we’re trying to do.

Who works on the lyrics? I thought a lot of them were quite interesting. Are there any writers you’re drawn to?

@wanginkee

48

So you think you know Metronomy? From the glitchy

I hadn’t listened to the album for quite a long time, but

beginnings, through the synthpop detours to indie disco

I listened to it the other day, and I was sort of surprised

staples, they really have seemingly done it all. That is,

by how much I liked it. It’s a weird thing, quite often

until now. When you thought there were no more corners

you make an album, and that last part of the process is

left for Joseph Mount to turn, his long-standing project

rushing to finish mixes and never that stress-free, so you

has managed to reinvent itself once more, presenting the

find yourself listening to the album one day and thinking,

most mature and introspective form it has revealed to date.

“oh, I wish I hadn’t done that”. But I really like this new record, and I’m excited for people to hear it. I’m a bit

Taking cues from artists much closer to the realms of alt-

apprehensive, because I don’t quite know where I fit in

folk and Americana, Metronomy’s seventh album ‘Small

anymore, so I’m interested to find out where the band and

World’ is a brief and intimate affair, not so far removed

where I lie in the world.

from previous outings as to be unrecognisable, but enough of a change to be considered a stark development in their

Is that quite different to your relationship with past

already fascinating career arc. There are still moments

albums? Are you usually someone who doesn’t want to

of the pop prowess they’ve professed in the past, such as

think about an album again until you have to tour it?

on lead single ‘It’s good to be back’ and album highlight ‘Right on time’, but the grinding halt the world came to

It really depends. For me, often the endeavour is part of

in the last few years allowed Mount to begin writing from

the - I don’t want to use the word – ‘art’. With an album

a new perspective, take life slower, and approach things

like ‘Love Letters’, it was made in a studio entirely

in a way that was always intriguing for him but never the

analogue, and it was made in such a way that it wasn’t

right time.

that easy to make, so when you’re listening to it, you’re thinking about all these other things, and not just the

Speaking while spending two days in quarantine in Paris,

songs. It’s not as simple as ‘I love it’ or ‘I hate it’. It’s this

Joe Mount was ever the charming fellow he has always

weird relationship you have, so it can change from album

seemed to be, and was eager to delve deeper into the story

to album.

behind the new record’s creation and discuss how he is finding Metronomy’s place in the world once again as they

But this one generally feels good to you.

enter a new phase.

This one is perfect. [laughs] No, I think it just feels First of all, let’s discuss the new album, ‘Small World’.

satisfying. It was a record that was made in not the easiest

To paraphrase your own song, does it feel good to be

of circumstances and I feel really fulfilled by it, which is

back?

the most I think I can ask for.

Words by Reuben Cross, illustration by Judith Weber

50

You said it would be incredibly trite to make a

With the exception of a couple of songs, I feel like it

‘pandemic album’. In what ways did you consciously

does stand out as being the start of a different cycle,

avoid it becoming that and what aspects of your

and you have made it distinctive enough from previous

surroundings over the past couple of years were the

releases, while keeping a Metronomy sound to it. When

more inspiring things for you to observe?

did you discover that the pared back nature of this record was going to be how it would move forward, or was that something that just came along by chance?

I think that music works best as a tool for escape, and that’s what I was thinking about. When it came to writing songs, I didn’t want to ignore the pandemic, but you’re

It was after the last album was released; I was going

right. If you wrote a song, let alone an album, about a

to the stag-do of Michael [Lovett, guitarist], and I was

pandemic, it would be a bit like a Muse-type record.

driving along and listening to that Big Thief song, ‘Not’.

It reminded me of this period of time when I was playing

Everything that was happening on the periphery and as

drums in a band in Brighton and listening to a lot of what

a result of it, I found really inspirational. Being with my

I would describe as grown up alt-folk or Americana –

family 24 hours a day, for six months made me think a

people like Smog and Joanna Newsom. I felt like maybe

lot about my job and my life and all kinds of stuff. At

the next Metronomy record should be the ‘Nashville’

the same time, being aware of, for example, my parents

Metronomy record. It wasn’t until lockdown that I was

being much more isolated and vulnerable, made me think

able to enforce this idea. Of course, by then it was quite

ultimately about what I care about in my life, and that’s

different because of the circumstances, so it heightened

pure songwriting food.

the idea to make it more stripped back and to be more minimal. The first idea I had was that I’d make a record

I did notice that throughout the record, there are

with no synthesisers. I almost did.

moments of introspection and existential thinking.

Were those things that you had to grapple with, or was

I think we’re going through our Smog phases together

that you trying to see both sides?

because I’ve written in my notes that the record sounds like Bill Callahan in places. I’ve noticed that you bring

It’s a mixture really. I think the things that I experienced

your voice down a few octaves as well in some songs

were for the most part feeling very lucky to be spending

and play around with that rather than your more

time with my children at home, but also at the same time

distinctive falsetto.

feeling quite scared. Beyond that realising how seriously different people were taking it all reacting to that. It’s

My relationship with my voice has changed over the years,

a mixture of my own feelings and feelings that can be

and part of the reason why it was always falsetto was

gleaned from other people.

because I was trying to find out where I was comfortable singing. I’ve always been way more comfortable singing

Was it all done over the past couple of years or was any

low down, but to me that doesn’t equal pop music - that

of it lying around from the pre- ‘Metronomy Forever’

equals Leonard Cohen. Singing in an almost talking style

cycle?

isn’t what a new rave band does. I guess I’d never really felt like it was time to do it, and then also practically,

It was all brand new. It was recorded in a very short space

more recently, when we’re performing and doing gigs, I

of time, and I guess I probably had about eight months

have this recurring condition which means that my voice

at home after from March of doing nothing. I was like,

gets fucked, basically. If I have to sing like high up, it’s

“okay, I should do some work”. All of the songs started

impossible, so it’s a bit of self-preservation, but also

in a really low-key way, which is something I’ve not been

finding my voice in a way.

able to do for years because of touring.

51

Metronomy

Given all you’ve just said, would you say this was a

Over the last couple of releases you’ve started

way of continuing to strive to push yourself outside of

collaborating with a number of new artists – you did

your comfort zone? Generally, what are the ways that

the ‘Posse’ EP with the likes of Biig Piig and Sorry,

you find yourself doing that for each record?

and on this album, you’ve got Dana Margolin from Porridge Radio as well. How was it sort of working

I think part of the reason why I’ve got to this point

alongside people who possibly look up to you - do you

is because of challenging myself or challenging my

feel like you ever learn anything from them and what

audience. It’s all I need to get excited about something,

do you feel they might have learned from you?

and I think the good thing about this challenge is that it was quite comfortable. It presents all kinds of possibilities

It’s only when you realise you actually have some kind

for the next few albums or whatever, so it’s never too

of coolness that people actually like reply to emails and

comfortable, but more like discovering a new avenue, and

want to engage with doing something with you. I’m sort

then being able to take it further.

of surprised and flattered that they want to be involved. I think specifically with Dana, I was just like, “wow, like,

You’ve now got to a point where there’s a generation

this person is so capable and individual and has such a

below coming through, that are clearly very influenced

unique voice - how great is that, that they’re gonna be on

by your past work. How does that feel to you to

the record and lend this voice to me?” I didn’t realise how

know that you’re still able to produce music and be

comfortable I am working with people and how I’m quite

recognised for it, but also have the younger generation

technically good at making songs, so I think they get this

coming through at the same time that have been

insight into a way of making music which is maybe less

influenced by you in turn?

stressful than how they make music. It’s easy to remember what it was like, when we were starting out and being in

That’s a new sensation, and one that I find amazing really.

exactly the same position as these artists, so every bit of

The thing that I’m aware of is it’s always ‘Nights Out’ or

help you can get is huge.

‘The English Riviera’ - it’s pretty much those two albums which people from younger bands talk to me about.

If anyone asked you back in 2006 after ‘Pip Paine

There’s no greater compliment when they say “I love

(Pay the £5000 You Owe)’ what you think a seventh

that record”. It’s a double-edged sword though, because

Metronomy record would have sounded like, do you

it makes you feel cool, and then you just feel a bit old. I

think you could ever have envisaged this?

think that’s part of what this new album is about as well accepting and embracing the fact that you’re not a young,

No - now you’re making me doubt everything. I think I

exciting band, and you can’t ever be that again. The best

would have thought I’d release six albums very quickly

you can hope for is that a young, exciting band talks about

and they’d all be kind of meandering instrumental music,

you as one of their biggest influences.

and I guess that’s the thing. You often think to yourself about why you deserve to keep doing this and why you

It’s what keeps your presence alive…

should, and the one thing that is quite unique about Metronomy is that every album has been a real time

I got a text from my manager the other day, and he was

maturation. You can hear me singing for the first time and

about to have a meeting with our radio plugger. He wasn’t

how it’s a bit awkward, and then you can hear it getting

asking this in a leading way, but he was like “how do

more comfortable and confident in my songwriting. It’s

you feel about Radio 2?”. I think I replied, “you know,

all very exposed, so I don’t think if you’d asked me

it happens to the best of us sooner or later”. We’re not

then, I don’t think I’d have ever done something quite so

approaching Radio 2 after all, but I feel in order to do it

revealing in a way.

gracefully, you have to just be aware of your position in the pecking order.

@smakelig

52

“I’ve only ever gone to a concert once and seen a black

After being picked up by local label Youth Riot Records

dude playing guitar and singing in a band…” Enumclaw’s

and dropping their debut EP ‘Jimbo Demo’, it was almost

frontman Aramis Johnson pauses to ponder on this grim

inevitable they’d soon be picking up attention through

sentiment before continuing with a smile through his

college radio and music discovery institution KEXP.

Zoom window, “I finally feel like I can belong in this space.”

So how did you guys all meet?

It’s a bleak reality that the noise-rock stomping ground

Aramis: I met Nathan because I DJ’d for my friends who

still lacks in diversity - but it’s something they’re already

were rappers at the time. We played all of these mixed

setting straight. During a sold out US tour with noise-rock

bill shows with bands on the Seattle scene and his band

veterans Nothing last year, they became the inspiration

happened to be there. Then a whole bunch of us just

they once sought. “We played in Denver and there were

started hanging out, so the project came to be just through

these black kids there, they said, ‘we didn’t realise we

mutual friends. I finally met Ledaniel and convinced

could be in a band until we saw you guys’.”

everyone to start a band with me. Right before our EP ‘Jimbo Demo’ came out my younger brother Eli joined on

The truth of the matter is that the Pacific Northwest four-

bass.

piece aren’t just here to take a seat at the table - instead they’re flipping it over with a discordant sound packed

What was it like growing up in the shadow of a scene

with thrashing vocals and fuzzy guitars. It’s perhaps no

as iconic as Seattle’s - were you always drawn to that

wonder they’ve gravitated towards this sound given the

from a young age?

band - completed by Ladaniel Gipson (drums), Nathan Cornell (guitars) and Eli Edwards (bass) - all hail from

Aramis: Some of us were, I didn’t know about it for a

small Tacoma towns surrounding the grunge Mecca of

long time to be honest. I think there was a five year gap

Seattle.

before I found out about Nirvana and I realised they were from here. I got into rock music really late, I got into it all

Though the band formed in 2019, they emerged as cult

when King Krule came out, before that it was rap pretty

heroes from the other end of the pandemic, having used

exclusively and there wasn’t a famous rapper from here so

the time to develop a gritty approach that simultaneously

it took me a while.

nods to the chaos of Nirvana and melodic songwriting of their heroes Oasis.

53

Words by Rhys Buchanan, illustration by Gabriel Hollington

Ledaniel: A few of us grew up in middle school and we

Does the Pacific Northwest bleed into your process in

always wanted to do something with music, we’ve been

any other ways?

making songs for MySpace for a long time, we were always on the lookout to go around each other’s houses

Aramis: Absolutely, I think the geography of the

and make songs in the garage and stuff. At first for a

Washington area is a huge influence on us. We just went

while, the scene was kind of small here in Tacoma, there

on our first US tour with Nothing and I was personally

wasn’t anything out here.

blown away with how ugly the rest of America is. The idea of going on tour was very exciting to me because

Nathan: I got into Nirvana around middle school and

I thought I was going to see all this new stuff and get

really dug into all of that nineties stuff. I was in high

all these new points of reference visually, and there was

school when the whole indie rock boom happened with

honestly nowhere. I mean, Lake Michigan, Milwaukee,

bands like Death Cab and whoever else from the Seattle

Minneapolis and Grand Rapids were cool visually, but

area, it’s a very musical place and I’ve always felt that

there was nothing close to the Pacific Northwest. I write

profoundly.

all the songs at my apartment for the most part. At the end of the day, I’ll go outside, smoke a spliff, come inside and

The hip-hop element has been a huge part of your

write a song. Then I’ll listen to it when I ride my bike the

musical background - did you naturally gravitate into

next day to band practice.

noisier guitar-led territory though?

What was it like being on the road with the Nothing Aramis: Once I found out about all of the nineties stuff

guys - it must have been a dream come true in many

I got really into that. Me and Nathan both love Oasis

ways? (despite the scenery!)

as well and that was a big part of it, it was the kind of stuff we were into. We got into all the indie rock stuff -

Aramis: It was like the best possible scenario for our first

like Girlpool and Soccer Mommy and went out to those

tour - they’re obviously veterans at this, they’ve been

shows. The rap element just trickles in naturally, lifestyle

touring forever. We learned a lot from them and they’re

wise, that is a big thing for me, I’m black and a lot of

also just really funny, crazy people. We made some great

my friends are black rappers so that’s like an inescapable

friendships, their music is great too and we got to see that

extension of us.

every night, they rip live. They really looked after us and the tour went off so smoothly - especially considering it

So how significant is the town of Enumclaw to the

was a six week tour, their crowd was great. It was our first

band?

time seeing the rest of America in that way. It was exciting and I can’t wait to go back out.

Aramis: We were gonna go by a different name but we couldn’t figure out what we were going to go by.

It must have been so special acting upon the response

Enumclaw popped into my head, I grew up wrestling and

your music had through the pandemic - even with your

Enumclaw is a small town which was quite wrestling-

headline show at Neumos in Seattle?

centric. In high school Enumclaw were in our league, they were really good and they even won state. Around the time

Aramis: That was a really special moment playing at

we were starting the band I was very influenced style wise

Neumos - it’s a Seattle institution. There was this guy who

by how people would dress out there. People don’t often

came to a show and bought our shirt, he took off his own

think about a hick town as being something really cool

and put it straight on. Then twenty minutes after our show,

and great but I really looked up to it when I was growing

one of my friends who lives in Seattle texted me saying, I

up. I wanted to steal some of that energy for the band.

saw some dude wearing your shirt over here.

55

Enumclaw

That was really cool, a tonne of our folks came out. The

I didn’t think I could do it for a long time as well so I

tour was the first time we realised people actually give

know how they felt. It wasn’t until I met Ledaniel that

a fuck about us, a lot of people just came out for us as

gave me the realisation I can exist here.

well and that really surprised me. It made me realise we Not only are you existing, you’re seemingly on top of

actually have fans in real life.

the world coming into the new year - there’s a headline The wider noise rock scene can often be depressingly

US tour in the pipeline, how’s it all panning out?

undiverse, is there an element of pride to being a black fronted band in that genre?

Aramis: We have a really big year ahead of us, the whole year is set out for us. There’s going to be new music,

Aramis: I think I’ve only ever gone to a concert once and

we’re hitting the road in less than a month for a West

seen a black dude play guitar and sing for a band. I feel

Coast run and then some headline dates. Then we’re off

like I can take a place in this space, we had a show in

to SXSW and Europe for The Great Escape which will be

Denver and there were these black kids we met, they said,

incredible. We’re just really excited, there’s a tonne of

‘we didn’t realise we could be in a band until we saw you

exciting things on the horizon for us.

guys’.

@cig.thief

56

Editors Sam Ford

Josh Whettingsteel

Writers Sam Ford

Poppy Richler

Elvis Thirlwell Al Mills

Dan Pare

Josh Whettingsteel Ali Grice

Laura Pegler

Callum Gray

Reuben Cross

Artists

Josh Whettingsteel Pat Thomas

Nando von Arb Ian Moore

Cameron JL West Ramon Keimig REN

Clara Girke

Inkee Wang

Judith Weber

Gabriel Hollington

Cover Photo Maxwell Granger

Rhys Buchanan

Photos for Collage

Printed By

Bart Price

Ex Why Zed

Email

info@soyoungmagazine.com

Website

www.soyoungmagazine.com

News

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SoYoungMagazine (Facebook) soyoungmagazine (Instagram)

Pooneh Ghana

Maxwell Granger Drake Li

Hollie Fernando

Art Direction

www.joshwhettingsteel.com

Special Thanks Al Mills

Jamie Ford

Cameron JL West Jack Reynolds