So Young Issue Thirty-Three

Olivia Sterling, ‘People Are Very, Very Odd About It’ 2021, print available now from Particular Ideas

‘Freedom Day’ has passed and whilst we’re not quite

As they settle into their new lives and become more

there yet, festivals are happening and standing shows

comfortable with talking about themselves, we dig into

are drawing in more confident crowds. It’s progress.

the Mean Girls references, the effect of living on an

Also taking steps forward are Amyl and The Sniffers.

island and making videos. Not too far away on the south

The Melbourne four piece are gearing up to release their

coast are KEG. The anticipated release of debut single

second studio album via Rough Trade Records and they’re

‘Heyshaw’ marked the ideal time to have a chat. Prepare

on the cover. Following a pre lockdown blow out, we

for pickled eggs and that ‘post-punk’ label.

caught up with the band to discuss comfort, changing upwards and shaking off the restrictions of ‘Punk’.

London’s Modern Woman have signed to the new label from End of the Road Festival and whilst members speak

Orlando Weeks is also preparing for the release of his

to us from separate rooms in the same house (due to

second album. Following the success of the delicate debut,

Covid-19), they’re very much together when it comes to

‘A Quickening’, Weeks is trimming the fat, and alongside

vision. Via Zoom we catch up on spoken word, building

producer, Bullion, developing songs that he can stand

instruments and intertwining folk with heavy music.

behind. We chat inside. In Bristol, Lazarus Kane have

Staying in the capital, we also check in on Horsey, who

taken the last 18 months to reflect and adapt. Moving

have just released their debut album and Wunderhorse, the

away from the character driven narrative of the past, the

new project from Jacob Slater. The Early Mornings wrap

now fully formed band talk us through that development

up our UK chats, and the Manchester group, now based

as well as their debut EP ‘Psychobabble’. Staying in

in London, walk us through their sound and where they’d

Bristol, we speak to newcomer, Bingo Fury whose debut

love to play their new EP.

single ‘Big Rain’ grabbed our attention. We met up before a show to find out how it came together, the roles within

Finishing off the mag, Sydney’s The Lazy Eyes outline

the group and taking the pressure off.

their ethos and we send over some questions to Brooklyn where we find Partisan Records’ latest signing, Geese.

Wet Leg are a band in demand. From signing to Domino,

They’ve been working with Dan Carey (of course) and we

to releasing their oh-so-catchy debut single and then

try to add some detail to the little known so far.

announcing tours with ‘BIG’ bands, the Isle of Wight duo are ‘buzzy’.

3 Orlando Weeks Big Skies, Silly Faces 7 Amyl and The Sniffers Guided by Angels 14 Bingo Fury Big Rain 17 Wunderhorse Teal 21 Geese Disco 26 Horsey Debonair 31 Modern Woman Offerings

36 Wet Leg Chaise Longue 39 The Lazy Eyes Where’s My Brain???

43 KEG Heyshaw 47 Manchester Psych Fest 4th September 2021 50 Lazarus Kane Psychobabble 53 The Early Mornings Unnecessary Creation

It’s always comforting to think about the brighter days

It’s not specifically off the back of this but getting to

ahead. When the past may have been fraught with negative

perform the song with the BBC Concert Orchestra and

or nervy emotions, you can always count on the reassuring

with Katy at the Southbank Centre was – I’m trying to

thought that things can only get better to help you through

think of a more refined word than ‘bonkers’, but it doesn’t

the darker patches. After thirteen years and four studio

get much more than that. It’s been very special, but also

albums as the frontman of indie rock bastions, The

terrifying. I really love the video too, and even though

Maccabees, Orlando Weeks has comfortably found himself

everything we’re doing feels slightly on a shoestring, it

adopting this outlook, and his reward for taking this

all feels representative of what we’re doing. The record

approach is that he has embarked on recording some of the

feels uplifting, joyful and light, and even though I never

most vibrant music of his career.

pictured this as the first single from the record, it’s taken a little while to just embrace it as that. As you say, it’s been

While his debut solo effort, 2020’s ‘A Quickening’ was a

out a month now and I’ve got over that and am very much

tense affair laden with lush string arrangements and soft

looking forward to the rest of it. I’m very pleased to feel

piano motifs, the record he is gearing up to release has

like something is moving; I’m sure for everyone it’s been

taken a dramatic shift towards warm synthesised textures

a long chunk of stasis.

and bouncing rhythms. This newfound attitude towards his songwriting feels nothing but uplifting, where before there

It’s always a relief to get that first thing out and have it

was a marked anxiety in both sound and subject matter.

received so well, I asked specifically because compared

With the help of electronic pop innovator Nathan Jenkins

to last year’s ‘A Quickening’ it feels like quite a big

(aka Bullion), Weeks’ latest offering is a breath of fresh

stylistic jump. Have people been receptive of that to

air to be cherished amongst the despair of our current

you?

surroundings, but also the perfect accompaniment for the sweltering summer ahead.

People say things like ‘I can really get behind the new, cleaner production’, and I don’t really know what that

Your latest single, ‘Big Skies, Silly Faces’ has been out

means. That could either be ‘eugh’ or that they genuinely

for about a month now – I’m curious to know your

love that it’s moving somewhere else. For my money, I

feeling on getting this first taste of a new album cycle

love the way that this record has progressed from the last

out into the world.

one because I’m trying to create a very different world with it. I think on the whole it just feels very comfortable

I love that I got to work with Katy J Pearson, who sings on

in its own skin, and there’s a confidence to it which I’m

the track. That was something new to me, which has been

enjoying.

a pleasure.

3

Words by Reuben Cross, illustration by Julia Kluge

Speaking of the production, how was working alongside

Were there any tracks left over from the process of

Bullion?

‘A Quickening’ that simply didn’t fit because of its distinct sound and theme?

I absolutely loved it; my perception of recording records has always been that it’s an absolute nightmare in that

I think there’s more left over from this. I think I’ve

you’ll make a demo in the hope that you can preserve

probably got another record that if I was allowed to just

some of the idiosyncrasies of that recording in the full-

go straight back into the studio, I’d have something ready

scale production of the record. There was a lot less live

in two months. I know that some people found lockdown

instrumentation in my demos, so we were able to take the

hard and didn’t find much inspiration in it, but I just felt

information and work with it a lot quicker. I’m not sure

very ready to write songs. I feel what I do is a craft and

Nathan and I share a taste necessarily, but whenever he’d

part of the pleasure of doing it is knowing that I respect

play me something as a reference, I’d be over the moon,

it enough to give it my full attention. I won’t take it for

and I think vice versa. I think it also helped that we had a

granted, and I’ll endeavour to hone it.

fairly crystal manifesto, that the point was to try and make something that had that joyfulness, and if we were at any

You say that the rest of the record has a lot less of a

kind of crossroads, that would be the solution. It kept us

theme than your previous album, which was about a

moving, and I think the doldrums in production from my

specific point of your life where you were anticipating

experience of making records is the worst bit, because so

the birth of a child. Do you feel that this new record

much of it is about how you sustain confidence. How do

is a release from all the anxieties displayed on that

you not start looking at yourself and thinking ‘what the

album, and more of a celebration of what has come

fuck are you doing?’ and ‘how vain are you?’, and while

afterwards?

all of this is true, you need to gloss over them as quickly as possible. You move onto the next thing and problem-

I think I will look back in many years to come and be

solve with pleasure.

proud that this record exists as a companion or a response to ‘A Quickening’. As you say, it is full of anticipation

It sounds like a very healthy relationship to have

and anxiety, and has a lot of nervous energy, but this is

between artist and producer.

all the things I missed on that record and that I feel now. I also didn’t intend for the last record to feel awkward, but

Yeah, and we worked very unsexy hours. We’d get in at 10

there are bits of it that do, and they’re circumstantially

and go home at 6, and then we’d start again the next day.

clunky or drawn out. With this, one of the things Nathan

It’s by far the best time I’ve had making a record, and I

and I talked about was that all the great pop songs that we

did it in a quarter of the time. I think when I was in The

enjoyed listening to and referencing have no fat in them;

Maccabees something that I found very trying was having

it’s lean songwriting. I think one of the things he does in

to move at the pace of the group. That comes with huge

his production so well is just trim away anything that isn’t

benefits in many ways, but the stasis of it can become

needed, and make the things that are left work twice as

suffocating. There are pros and cons, but I’m really

hard.

enjoying moving at the speed I feel I should be working at.

5

Orlando Weeks

Was it an easy decision to make to abandon the string

I think I approached that in a more similar way to the

and piano-led sound of that record? Were there bits of

world of ‘A Quickening’. The musical director, Tom

that album that you didn’t want to let go of when going

Gibbons was so accommodating for what I made,

into this album?

and would take it apart and discuss when I’d sit in on rehearsals how he had reappropriated bits of my music to

I think early on I knew that I wanted to work with Nathan,

try and fit the changing shape of the production. It all felt

and with that sound in mind. There’s bits of piano on the

novel in the nicest possible way.

record, but I stopped using the piano as a writing tool, and I used it to embellish rather than to get me started. With

This new album and your previous record mark a new

this record, almost all of the songs started by making very

chapter of Orlando Weeks as a solo artist; over your

bog-standard percussive rhythms out of things, and then

career from the early days with The Maccabees up to

I’d sing over that to try and work melodic information

now, what things have you managed to maintain as

into it, and then build from there, pulling apart and using

part of your ethos, and in what ways have you changed

the best bits from that experiment. Just starting with

your approach to making music?

rhythm, I put my eggs in a basket thinking that would play into Nathan’s hands as a producer, because I like how he

Blimey – well, I think we touched on it earlier in that I

approaches those elements. It’s sort of a weird mixture

sometimes feel like ‘how dare I be doing this?’, and that if

of brazen and subtle, and I think it’s very shrewd. It’s not

I’m going to be doing this I have to be mindful of it, and

the same as letting a groove determine or be the boss of

sincere enough in my attempt to make the best thing I can

things.

possibly make. I’d say that hasn’t changed throughout; as soon as anyone started listening to those Maccabees

When writing this album, what were you mostly

songs in the early days, I think I felt that I needed to

listening to and getting inspiration from?

honour the luck of this. You’ve almost got to feed that luck with effort and sincerity. There are things that are

In the house, my son was going through a phase of loving

not as I’d have them, but they are what they are and I

almost any B-52s music. I was also listening to bits of

stay proud of them. I’d say the biggest change is that in

post-Beatles Paul McCartney; songs like ‘Arrow Through

some ways I felt that trying to spend time with difficult

Me’ from Wings. I’m always listening to bits of Arthur

emotions or circumstances and writing about them sort

Russell and bits of Robert Wyatt as well, I feel like that’s

of exorcised them, or at least gave them a positive spin

a good cross-section of what I was consuming.

because something good came out of this negative event.

With this record, my change of heart was that that’s

You’ve also recently worked on several other projects

nonsense, and really the point is to make something that

such as writing music for a theatre production – how

you can genuinely feel is good, and that might come from

was the process for creating that different to all other

a feeling of absolute joy or even something quite small.

things you’ve worked on before?

As long as the end result is something you can stand behind, it doesn’t need to come from a difficult place or be

Writing for After Life at the National Theatre was in a way

cathartic – it can just be. Dredging something unpleasant

quite a good antidote to any nerves I might have felt about

just because that feels like a more legitimate use of your

changing the mood for the record. I did the music with

time or a worthy use just isn’t true, but I did think that for

my friend Sam Hudson-Scott who is an amazing producer

a very long time. It’s a relief to move on from that.

and songwriter in his own right, and he played all of the trumpet on my previous record.

@ju_kluge

6

When X-Ray Spex’s Poly Styrene quipped: “Some people

Whilst there’s no denying that subservience is in the mind

think little girls should be seen and not heard” in their

of a beholder stuck in a societal-rut, and sometimes the

1978 hit ‘Oh Bondage! Up Yours!’, we stopped, we

best way to deal with silence is to get up on stage and

listened, and then we kicked shit up to the sweet, sweet

shout a little louder, if we’ve learnt anything from Amyl

storm of a social-revolution.

and The Sniffers, it’s that curiosity, peroxide stained splitends, and copious amounts of energy (both the good and

Fast forward forty-three years and the concept of gendered

the bad), will forever work wonders on the soul.

expectation’s is still a communal outrage to be toyed with - a mindset of which Melbourne’s Amyl and The Sniffers

“Oh bondage! Up yours!”

challenge via lyrically observational relevancy, and a love for facing confrontation with quick-witted fuck you’s.

I woke up about half an hour ago so my brain isn’t fully with things yet.

With a reputation for riotous liberation, and a crookedsmile charm by way of front-howler Amy Taylor, 2021,

Amy Taylor: What time is it there?

despite its trials and tribulations, wouldn’t dare slow this four-piece down. Rather, as the group gear up to release

8am... What time is it for you?

their second studio album: ‘Comfort To Me’ via Rough Trade Records, Amyl and The Sniffers have against all

Declan Martens: 5pm... I got up half an hour ago.

odds, re-emerged with a more confident vengeance than before.

How’s your day treated you?

Practically perfect in every riffed manner, ‘Comfort To

A: We’re in lockdown again so not fucking much. It was

Me’ was recorded in 2020 with Melbourne based producer

meant to end tomorrow night but it’s been extended again.

Dan Luscombe - an inspired raucous which resulted in a thirteen-track accumulation of lessons learned thus far,

You played a gig at The Croxton this week though,

and a taste for experiences yet to come. A cyclical feat

right?

of expert command which supersedes era, genre, and expectations alike. Which takes us back to where we

A: We did yeah. People had been holding onto tickets

began.

since the end of 2019 so we finally got to play some kinda show which was good. Midnight that night we went into lockdown...

7

Words by Al Mills, illustration by Lena Yokoyama

We’re almost working in reverse - midnight last night

A lot of the songs were written before, but you just absorb

was “freedom day” here. It does feel like a false sense

it, adapt and evolve. I reckon it’s pretty safe to say 2020

of liberation. How have they been managing gigs in

fucked me up.

Melbourne?

Your debut EP was written and recorded in the A: The vibes were really high ‘cos those shows have been

shortest amount of time, and your live sets were fifteen

postponed a thousand times... so when it got announced

minutes long with covers incorporated. Fast forward

and we were good to go, everyone was like “fuck yeah we

to ‘Comfort To Me’, and you’ve got a record that was a

get to send it before lockdown again”.

year in the making and you even had spare tracks that didn’t make the cut...

The room usually holds a thousand but there were about 300 people there because of capacity - everyone was

In your minds, would you say you’ve progressed as

wearing masks and pumped.

people, musicians, or do the two feed into each-other?

You’re just about to release your second full-length

A: I reckon just naturally you roll through life. It wasn’t

album ‘Comfort To Me’. What does the title mean to

intentional. I guess with all of us, because we’re getting

you? Maybe I’m projecting here but “comfort” isn’t

older and changing, naturally the album has evolved and

exactly a word that’s often associated with Amyl and

changed too.

The Sniffers....

We all like to push ourselves and not stay stagnant too A: It’s kinda abstract and means a bunch of different

much. It’s different forces - the outside world is pushing

things. The first line in the song ‘Capital’ is “Comfort to

us in a different direction by not touring. We’re lucky

me, what does that even mean?” – what reason do we do

enough to have a bit of money in the band account so we

anything and what’s the meaning of anything?

can get stuff done differently.

It’s kinda existential but I’m also playing on the idea of

When we first started the boys hadn’t really played their

comfort to me. A punk show is comfort to me. Comfort

instruments - they were all self-taught. Our whole thing

doesn’t always necessarily mean a big fluffy blanket and

is spirit based. Then we toured for ages and the boys got

being patted on the head. Even though that is comfortable,

really good at their instruments. It just naturally changed

it’s just acknowledging that comfort’s also like a fast car,

from the starting point and I’m really glad about that. I

or going for a run...

didn’t want to stay stagnant and be the same all the time.

I never really valued traditional comfort because we were

It’s like if I were still working at a supermarket. When I

on the road so much. I didn’t get into any relationships or

first started out as a ‘checkout-chick’ I was getting stuff

have a house that was like a home, or a nest. I guess last

wrong. But then after six years of doing it I could be the

year was about figuring out: “oh, it’s really nice to have

manager.

a nice space, or have someone cook me dinner when I’m shattered- have someone care for me”.

I don’t care if it means changing too much - I just really love change. Hopefully changing upwards is what we’re

Would you say your new-found access to traditional

doing, but at the same it’s unconscious. You get better at

comforts has perhaps influenced or changed the way

stuff the more you do it.

you’ve approached this new album?

A: 2020 definitely changed this bitch. Our circumstances, environment, and lives have changed enough that we can say it’s influenced us.

9

Amyl and The Sniffers

In regards to spirit, you’ve made ‘spiritual’ references

I just want to try heaps of stuff, and experience heaps of

lyrically before – I don’t necessarily mean religiously,

stuff. Life’s a pretty crazy place and there’s all this crazy

but certainly conceptually in songs like ‘Cup Of

stuff going on. As long as I don’t limit myself and think:

Destiny’ off of your self-titled album: “I drank from

“ohh this formula worked. It worked for me singing in this

the right glass, I’m taking the right path.”

band, doing cartwheels on stage and being angry”, then in two years down the track if I want to make sandwiches

Similarly, your latest single is aptly titled ‘Guided By

and sell them at campsites... then that’s what I should do.

Angels’. Where does ‘Guided By Angels’ fit into the overall narrative of the album as a whole?

I don’t want to get stuck. Ever. Even if it feels good I want to keep trying, and getting outside of my comfort zone if I

A: I’m not really sure. The album was never a bulk buy

can. But at the same time, I don’t want this to fall to shit.

kinda thing, each song was looked at as an individual.

Guided By Angels is like the sore thumb of the crew...

Do you think there’s flexibility within your genre then?

lyrically it’s more poetic, it was the first written too.

Punk is adaptive, and has that kinda ethos where you can keep “rolling with it”.

In “taking the right path”, or being guided in a specific way, I can’t help but think of some of the acts that are

A: I think there’s still restrictions that come with the punk

influentially associated with you guys: Iggy Pop and

scene, the same with any scene perhaps. People feel very

Angus Young to name a few. These are guys in their

pure about punk, and how people earn their money and

late 60s and 70s who’ve had long-term careers and are

that kinda thing, so there are restrictions.

still ‘alive and kicking’ so to speak.

With any path or step there will be people who’ll judge How do you measure longevity?

you, so it’s just about whether you restrict yourself or not.

If Ariana Grande tried to do Punk music there’d be heaps

D: I can’t picture myself doing it more than ten years from

of people thinking: “no way, you can’t be doing that”. But

when the band started. I’ll be thirty-one... I think I’ll be

to her, if she just wanted to do it then she could.

too old then. The boys all started ageing pretty quickly at twenty-five, I’m about to turn twenty-seven and unless we

At the same time, there’s a bunch of people who’ll

all start drinking green juice... I don’t see much longevity

encourage stuff to change or be free. If we were to turn

with this.

around and make a Pop album, not that we’re planning to, but if we did we’d give it our best crack, there’d be limits

But Amy, I think she could do it forever.

on it. “Why are they doing that? They’re this... they’re that...”

A: I don’t know what the hell is going to happen in the future at all. I’m just down to roll with it. I could turn

Music is just an expression. There’s no harm in just

around and say: “fuck this shit heaps, I hate this” or I

expressing yourself in any capacity and I think Punk is a

could just keep making albums.

spirit - Cardi B is the punk-est Punk ever and she doesn’t necessarily fall into that genre. Even Jazz is Punk in a way

I’m not a passive member of life, but at the same time,

‘cos it’s just like: “Fuck you we’re gonna play this crazy

what will happen, happens. I’ll be a pretty rickety old lady

shit”.

and have a voice like gravel but you never know... I’ll see what happens.

@lena_yokoyama

10

That reminds me of the duet you did of John Prine’s

He’s also one of my best friends, especially during

‘In Spite of Ourselves’ with Sebastian Murphy from

lockdown. Just a cool fucking dude.

Viagra Boys.

D: He’s also hands down been to the most Amyl and The A: Yeah! That was cool.

Sniffers shows around the world. He’s pretty much the closest person to the band without being in the band.

Would you say then that there’s a difference between nostalgia for a certain era, genre, sound etc... and

Something that’s always stuck with me, is a quote you

conceptual revivalism?

said Amy where you referred to liking the “idea of being this little girl who could beat up all the big boys.”

D: Yeah that’s all I try to do. When Amyl and The Sniffers started I just wanted to do everything that was considered

A: That quote came from when I was fourteen / fifteen -

“70s”- I was trying to look through the current world, and

I’m pretty fucking tiny but I was even tinier then, and I

music with a 70s filter.

used to go to hardcore shows of all ages. I never thought I was different, I knew I was a chick and whatever but at the

Personally, just with my guitar playing and nothing else I

same time, I felt exactly the same size as the men there.

try to use instruments that were around then, and imagine that songs written in the 80s, 90’s etc don’t exist.

It’s dope when I know I’m doing this shit, and I don’t know what the fuck you dudes are doing but i’m fucking

Is there a lot of unity within the band with your visual

owning it.

identity?

Suzi Quatro said something similar in that: “ I have a D: We’re all individually very different, and just try and

quirk in my nature that I think I’m 6ft’2, and I don’t

make it work as a weird co-dependent band.

suffer fools lightly.” It made me think of the feeling, or idea of someone having a ‘larger than life’ personality,

You’ve collaborated a lot with fellow Aussie, and cult-

and how that thwarts societal pressures on women to

like music photographer, Jamie Wdziekonski. His style

take up less space.

is so incredibly distinct, and it really seems as though he shares an intimacy and bond with you guys that

Is the version of Amy Taylor off-stage, much different

extends beyond the lens.

to the Amy Taylor on-stage?

How essential is having the all-seeing eye / presence of

A: If we’re talking specifically about being at a concert,

someone like Jamie to you as a band?

when I was at shows all I wanted to do was get rid of my anger, and punch people in a consensual way - get

A: We’re basically just really lucky. He’s such an

a bloody nose and bounce around like a chihuahua in a

incredible photographer and his live photos of anyone are

washing machine for two hours. That’s what I always

just super special. He’s also really interested in music.

wanted to do so when I got on stage it was the same thing.

He’s interested in bands, culture, politics, helping out marginalised people.

Jamie’s a rich tapestry and he’s got such an amazing eye. I think for seven years he was a garbage man whilst touring with King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, same with when he toured with us. It’s pretty special he’s willing to help us out ‘cos he’s interested in us.

11

Amyl and The Sniffers

I always feel like that. Even if I’m standing next to

I think the way I demonstrate Punk now is through the

someone who’s like... 6ft’5, I’m 5ft’5 I think, or 5ft’3...

general rude finger at people sort of way. I like pranking,

I don’t know what I am but I’m little; I think I’m making

and fucking with the system in subtle ways.

eye-contact with them and stuff. In my head I’m face-

A: But I think just the fact that you’re a musician or

to-face with everyone. Even if I see a photo of me with

whatever... that in itself to me, is you holding on to some

someone and my eyes are at their nipples... I don’t feel

form of autonomy. It’s not necessarily anger either. A lot

small.

of Punk is about caring about other humans and stuff.

D: I don’t think I know that feeling. Standing next to Amy,

I think that translates a lot in your music as well - that

she’s so powerful I always feel dwarfed. Amy’s fucking

idea of encouraging the human within the music. I

scary. Sometimes I feel like I’m out there with Conor

love Punk music but I wouldn’t call myself a Punk,

McGregor.

and externally, I don’t characteristically look like one either. From my limited exposure to it, it’s one of

Do you credit your platform, and Punk as a means

the most understandable, or even relatable means of

of communication, as the main outlet for your

expression because it sits within us all to some degree.

frustrations, and demonstrated strength / charisma?

A: Exactly. I don’t like anything that’s exclusive, and D: Yeah. When I was younger I had so much anxiety, and

has gatekeepers, you have to look a certain way, or know

I feel like I saw things so differently to so many other

a certain amount to be a part of something. Even an

people. The most natural and easiest way to express

accountant who wears a suit should be allowed to come to

myself back then was through loud and angry music.

a gig and have a good time. There’s so many things in this world you get made fun of for, music shouldn’t be a part

Now, I sort of just understand the load of differences

of that in any way. No matter what.

between people and a lot of the things that frustrated me back then, don’t frustrate me as much. I don’t feel like I

D: I think accountants get a lot of flak for being the

need to take it out on the audience as much.

square, boring industry. We should get more accountants to our gigs; and have them do accountancy for us.

I don’t feel Punk anymore... I don’t know. It’s a weird thing to say but I can still play Punk, I’m very good at playing Punk music so I don’t know what I’m tapping into when I play Punk music.

@lena_yokoyama

12

Starting something over can either be the most

I was curious about how it’s been starting fresh again

excruciating thing, or can help to discover a new lease of

with a new project, and whether there have been many

life. After two prematurely curtailed projects met their

challenges in getting people back on board who were

demise, the latter seems to be more true for Bristol’s

interested before.

Bingo Fury. It would appear that after the release of just one single, all potential fears that teething problems

No, I think because Covid was a respite where everyone

may occur have been quashed, with the project already

was able to develop their ideas while working on other

appearing fully formed and brimming with confidence.

projects, there was time to tweak and refine. It all

After stints as the frontman of Tropic and Norman,

happened at a good time because we started writing for the

this new project for songwriter Jack Ogborne feels like

project right at the start of the pandemic, and so because

his most daring musical endeavour to date. Recruiting

people weren’t doing anything we could get together

longtime bandmates Meg Jenkins and Henry Terrett

all the time once it was allowed. Working on a project

on bass and drums respectively, alongside multi-

without the live aspect of it feels like you can really

instrumentalists Harry Furniss and Rafi Cohen, there is

curate a sound before showing it to anyone, which is nice.

a substantial creative force supporting Bingo Fury. Stabs

Sometimes when I’ve been in bands before, people see the

of atonal guitars clash against the lounge-jazz horns and

growing pains before you get to the point where you want

pianos to create a sound that is at once unsettling and

it to be, but now I can go straight out with something that

dazzling, and the bard-like poeticism of Ogborne’s lyrics

I think is strong.

only adds to the drama of it all. This only seems fitting that the interview should take place in their venue for the

This is only your third full band gig as well, but with

night, a theatre – though it has to be said that this project

you saying you’ve rehearsed this with the group for a

might not take long to outgrow the cramped sweatboxes

year now, did it seem like a promising sign that things

they have played their first few shows in. There is promise

are already working?

aplenty in Bingo Fury.

Yeah, we did one with deathcrash at the Louisiana in Firstly, let’s talk about ‘Big Rain’ – how does it feel to

Bristol back in June, and then the Windmill headline with

have finally released the first taste of this new project?

Platonica Erotica was the second show and it was really nice to be back there. Me, Henry and Meg have been

The reception has been very positive, it’s been nice doing

playing in different bands together since we were kids, so

these shows and people have immediately been paying

at this point we’re pretty used to hopping into something.

interest. There are fans of what we’ve been doing before

At this point it’s pretty instantaneous in terms of it

who have stuck around for the next thing, so it’s nice

actually coming together and it feels very natural. Off the

that people are still engaged. Everyone has been very

bat we felt confident, so that’s a nice position to be in.

flattering.

With regards to putting things together, do you mostly write on your own these days with this being primarily a solo project, or are there still significant contributions from the other members?

Words by Reuben Cross, illustration by Justin LaGuff

14

My role is as the songwriter, but I feel like that is always

In terms of how it sounds, I just obsessively listen to

presented as ‘I do everything’, which isn’t the case. Loads

music, and then some things make an impression on me

of people who I like are presented in that way as that

while others don’t, but when that’s revealed is in how the

character, but more often than not, the people in the band

music sounds. When I was about 18, I was saying that was

are very influential to the project. Bingo Fury wouldn’t

it and I was never listening to something with a guitar in

sound like this without the people in the band. I by no

it again. I had got so bored of guitar bands. Now, over

means take all credit, my job is just to have the original

the lockdown, I really got back into it and probably listen

idea or an idea of where it’s going to end up, and to create

to more of that than I ever did before, but it still doesn’t

a vibe. In terms of actual writing, it’s a real mixed bag. I

sound anything like Bingo Fury. Lots of stuff goes in and

don’t strictly write on one instrument, and Rafi has written

gets compartmentalised, and the stuff that has the deepest

a couple of bass lines even though he doesn’t play it in

impression on you comes back without you realising

the band. I couldn’t play Henry’s drum parts either, he’s

it. It’s not a conscious thing, it’s just being excited by

phenomenal, so even though that’s out of my control, I can

something.

take what’s presented and make it into a song.

What can be expected from future releases?

As you’ve worked with Meg and Henry in previous bands, what would you say has changed about the way

We’ll hopefully have another song coming out soon which

you work together?

is more intense in another way. I think once that’s out we’ll see where we’re at, but I’ve always got lots of songs

I guess in terms of our musical relationship, I guess the

that just need recording. I don’t even know what to expect

only real change is that less has to be said at this point.

at this point though, and that’s not a bad thing. Hopefully

For example, if I show Henry something, he knows what

we’ll have a lot more shows too although that’s kind of out

I don’t want to hear in a drum part for that idea; I don’t

of our hands. We’ve got a tour with Famous in September

have to say it. It gets to a point where we’ve written songs

and we’re playing End of the Road Festival which is really

together so many times, they know what I’m going to say,

exciting. There’s going to be a lot of running around to see

so that often leads to them coming out with something

friends’ bands, but that sounds like a very nice problem to

that I’m not expecting because I haven’t had control

have at this point. I haven’t had that problem in a while.

over what they’ve written. It’s more about what the other person doesn’t want to hear than knowing they’ll want

Would you say this is the most comfortable you’ve felt

to hear something in a particular way. I wouldn’t want to

in a project?

hear a 4/4 drum beat. I’m always surprised and impressed in equal measure, and I think that’s what it’s all about.

I hope this doesn’t come across wrong, but I think that

It’s so rare that you find someone that is able to fuel that

before I felt like it really, really mattered. Now, I feel

inspiration and excitement for music themselves.

more relaxed and can enjoy it more, because it’s not quite as intense. Being intense is good, and I think that what

What guided you to this moment in time where you’re

we were doing before was good because it sounded that

experimenting with an even more jazz-influenced

way, and the intensity fed into that. I put less pressure

sound than you have before?

on myself to sound that way now and just let the songs happen, and that makes me more comfortable in myself

Henry always talks to me about this idea of when you

as a person. That’s intertwined into the music, so it feels

make stuff, you can’t make something that you haven’t

slightly more balanced these days, and there’s a lot more

already heard, it’s just regurgitating stuff you have heard

dynamics to it now. It’s multidimensional, rather than just

and rearranging it in a way that is unlike the original

one intense feeling.

thing.

15

Bingo Fury

Christina Gransow

Whilst post-punk turns to art-punk and charity shops run

Jamie plays drums - I’m very blessed to have him on the

dangerously low on beige shaded suits, Cornwall hailing

kit because he’s phenomenal, everyone wants to work with

singer-songwriter, Wunderhorse, has been unassumingly

him, so thank you Jamie! There’s Pete who plays the bass,

chipping away at his own venerable sound for the past

he’s fucking brilliant and Oscar, (who used to play bass in

few years. Delivering scuzzy-tinged outcries with delicate

Dead Pretties) now helps me out with other guitar stuff.

sensitivity, the newcomer is a welcome breath of complete

He’s got a real ear for embellishing sounds and making

sonic sincerity.

something that’s sonically interesting. Everyone brings something to the table. It certainly means that the whole

Now with the long-awaited release of his debut single

process speeds up because if you’re working with people

‘Teal’, we caught up with the project’s mortal form, Jacob

who are as good or even better than you, you can make

Slater, to discuss the illustrious Yala! Records, filming

your way through lots of stuff quite quickly.

with Danny Boyle, West Country hangouts and more…

I’m still open to playing solo shows but it is fun to get out Casting our minds back to 2017, you were teetering on

there with a band as well.

the heavier side of post-punk in Dead Pretties. What prompted the metamorphosis into singer-songwriter

I was so excited when ‘Teal’ was released as your debut

and subsequently, Wunderhorse?

single as it’s a beautiful song to hear live. Can you tell us more about the origins of the track?

I suppose I was always a singer-songwriter in a way, it’s just that Dead Pretties was a different vehicle. I think

It’s a slightly sensitive subject matter because it’s about

when you’re young, you want to make excessively loud,

a very dear friend of mine, who went through a really

angry music. No disrespect to Dead Pretties - it was what

rough patch in her life. I felt so angry that such a lovely

it was - but I think as I got a bit older and was still playing

person had to go through a load of horrible shit, and I was

that kind of music, I wanted more freedom to play other

just playing around on the guitar one day and found a riff

stuff too. I felt like I didn’t have the space to do that in

that fit. It’s a very simple song, musically it goes round

that band. So, I decided to start again with a clean slate

and round on two chords. It’s probably the simplest song

and with more licence to experiment, where anything

I’ve ever written and the words just seemed to fall out by

goes. I think I’m more drawn to music with a decent

accident.

melody and if that makes me sound like a grandad, then I’m ok with that.

I think people are so interesting to write about. Lots of songwriting can become very internal when you’re

Jacob, I’m with you there. Wunderhorse is your

‘looking inside yourself’ so to speak. Which is great, but

brainchild, but can you tell us more about your fellow

quite often other people are much more interesting.

bandmates?

They are indeed - it’s an incredibly moving track! So In terms of other personnel, it’s all written by me but

‘Teal’ is out on Yala! Records. Have they been hands

I’m very lucky to play with a bunch of guys who in

on over the release and how’d you come to work with

some ways, musically and technically, are a lot more

them?

accomplished than I am. It really helps me to push myself.

17

Words by Laura Pegler, illustration by Jolly Mones

Felix White (founder) came and found me a while ago and

Hmm… I’m worried the locals are going to be angry now

he was really enthusiastic about putting some music out.

that I’ve publicised their spot and the drinks prices will

I was so happy that he took an interest because no one

go up haha. I think what I’m most excited about is to play

else was at that stage, and I didn’t know if the music that

venues outside of London and explore the UK. Whenever

I was writing was worth getting out there - so thank you

we play up north, I always think we go down better.

Felix! We danced around which tune it was going to be for a while and then I think around a similar time I wrote this

As a northerner I fully support that. Now for the

track. It was supposed to come out ages ago but because

other big news… you’re going to be starring in Danny

of Covid it didn’t. It’s great now that it can finally see

Boyle’s new biopic series ‘Pistol’, playing Sex Pistols

the light of day. They’ve been hands on and helpful in the

drummer Paul Cook no less! How did you land that

areas where they need to be and creatively, they’ve left me

break?

to my own devices in terms of the artwork and how I want the track to sound. I think they’re the type of label that

I was doing my surf teaching and someone I used to work

likes to put the artist in the driver’s seat which is really

with in music gave me a tip-off. They said they’d heard

positive.

about a part that I might be the right fit for and to go for an audition. I thought ‘why not, I probably won’t get it

Now definitely feels like the right time for artists to

but I’ve got nothing to lose eh’? So I did the audition

start releasing music again. Having kept a low profile

and kept getting asked to do more. I thought that there

this year, what can we expect to see from you in the

must’ve been some bloody mistake but eventually I went

coming months?

to London, had an interview and an audition with Danny in person, walked out and thought ‘well I f**ked that up’.

Probably isolating knowing our luck! We’ve got a handful

I then got a call when I was recording some Wunderhorse

of shows booked for September and October. We’re

stuff and they said, “you’ve got the job”! So that’s what

playing Dot To Dot Festival and Live at Leeds. I think

I’ve been doing since December, and we’ve been shooting

we’re playing up in Glasgow again which is great because

since March.

I love playing up there. Then in November, I’m going to record the whole album so hopefully that’ll be finished by

Nuts - we’re so happy for you. What a turn out for the

the end of the year.

books!

Next year hopefully we’ll be doing lots of touring. This is

I’m a lucky boy. It’s been a total baptism of fire because

nothing to do with music but I’m really looking forward

Danny works so hard, but he’s such a good leader that

to getting back to Cornwall, which is where I live now,

he inspires everyone else to work really hard too. I was

and surfing my guts out. I’ve been staying in London for a

definitely thrown in at the deep end, but I think that’s the

job that I’m doing at the moment, but I’ve definitely been

best way to learn and I’ve learnt so much from the people

missing the ocean.

around me! What a first acting gig to do, being a Sex Pistol.

It’s great to hear that you’ve got gigs booked in after the year we’ve had. Are there any live music venues

I can’t think of a role more suited to you. Now you

that you’re itching to get back to?

have this newfound career path taking off, would you say music is still your passion first and foremost?

There’s a place in Cornwall that was called ‘Whiskers’ that was open ages ago. It was shut throughout the

Music’s the thing that’s closest to my heart, but I’d like

pandemic, so I’d quite like to spend an evening there.

to think I’d be able to do both. It might be a bit difficult to juggle, but whatever happens - music is definitely the

I like that - is Cornwall the new Margate?

19

first love.

Wunderhorse

Geese are named simply so, due to the fact that there’s

Hello Geese. For a band overseas, I’m interested in

five of them, and one member has a name that sounds like

how the Dan Carey connection came about? His impact

the bird (Gus). They’re young, fresh from high school, and

on the UK underground scene over the last few years

like most young people, keep their cards relatively close

has been profound.

to their chest. So far, so fey.

We always knew about Dan through his work with some A couple of months ago, their first imprint was set in

of our favourite artists - black midi, Squid, Carolina

soil. ‘Disco’, a seven minute long odyssey, as restless,

Polacheck… but we always figured he was too cool for

frustrated and fidgety as the alcoves of a teenager’s mind,

us. Tim, the head of Partisan, sent our record to him and

detonated on impact. A demonstrator of fervour laid bare,

he sent back a mix of our next single and we loved it. He

the single, released through Partisan Records, exposes

made the record sound the way we had always imagined it

the fight or flight emotions of post-pubescent livelihood.

in our heads. Dan’s a beast.

It really is a solid listen, filled with some kind of quiet yet unruly discourse that lends itself to every bend of the

Partisan is a pretty sexy place for a band to be signed

track’s twisting narrative.

to at the moment - you must be thrilled to be joining such a prolific roster?

A small buzz had been generating for a while ahead of its release, mainly from excited tastemakers who had

The best thing about Partisan is that they give us free rein

been gratified by another offering from the fertile waters

to write what we want to write. Everybody who works at

of Partisan. Let’s face it, that label has a knack for the

the label is super supportive as well as being downright

magical, their ears always morphing around something

nice people. It’s like being suddenly thrust into your

urgent, something exciting, something waiting to be

wildest dreams.

unravelled.

The borough of Brooklyn seems to be its next pit-stop, with Geese at its helm, and if the past is anything to go by, teenage angst usually moulds into something far more intriguing.

21

Words by Harley Cassidy, illustration by Lauren Hall

You described your song ‘Disco’ as perpetually verging

What are you all studying?

on collapse - do you think that represents the band as Actually, our plan was to record our debut record and then

an entity?

part ways once we graduated high school. Aside from Cameron, who was planning to major in Communications,

Musically, without a doubt. We love making a lot of

we were all headed in pretty artistic directions. Our

noise. Sometimes we joke about how if we play loud

guitarist Foster does both. He’s attending Swarthmore for

enough no one will hear our mistakes. Over the past year

an English degree.

we’ve all come to realise that maybe some of that need is emotionally charged as well: we’ve all had moments on

I noticed on Instagram that you started a book club

the verge of collapse.

with Truman Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood’ as your first induction. How come?

There’s definitely a restless frustration there - do you think being a teenager is difficult to navigate? I

Foster was initially thinking of subjecting everyone to

certainly hated my teens.

‘Story of the Eye’, but that idea got shut down for being “too miserable.” He figured a true crime novel like ‘In

Being a teenager sucks. That’s why teenagers are the

Cold Blood’ was the next best thing.

worst.

What kind of art were you digesting during the

What did you mean when you sang, ‘you’re not scared

recording of your upcoming LP?

of my anger anymore’?

We were just getting into a lot of post-punk and indie

It’s a bit of an abstraction, but it was probably about

bands, so groups like Deerhunter, Women, Deerhoof and

messy relationship dynamics.

Preoccupations were in rotation pretty often. ‘Public Strain’ especially was a big inspiration; it’s just such a

What music do you believe has stood the test of time?

great record.

Everything Todd Rundgren made during the 70s.

I guess the live scene In Brooklyn hasn’t been popping for a while, but what have you learnt from the creative

What’s next for you guys?

hubs there?

Music, music and more music.

The atmosphere of Brooklyn may very well have had its influence on us. Even if we weren’t consciously aware of it, the constant hustle-and-bustle of our neighborhood probably informed the energy. For a long time our scale was pretty small: we played in a couple of local venues while we were still in school. We met some cool people that way, and we learned that playing live makes all the knuckle-headed parts of music worth it.

23

Geese

Jamie Knee

This year, there simply hasn’t been an album more aptly

T: It came together really quickly, I actually can’t

titled than Horsey’s red-hot debut ‘Debonair’. The

remember how we wrote it. But it just works, I can’t stop

multi-faceted record sees a band who mastered their

playing it. If I go to a piano and just mess around for a bit,

craft playing countless vivacious live shows flourish

I always end up playing ‘Lagoon’.

with a grandiose studio and appurtenant equipment at their disposal. Songs that were workshopped on stage for

J: It had a few different shapes. When we started playing

over a decade - ever since the band members struck up a

it, it was kind of raw. When we got round to recording it,

friendship at primary school in South London – are taken

Elliott and Max, the producers, just switched the vibe up

to the next level now Horsey’s sheer joyfulness is matched

so much by adding the bongo’s and the grand piano. In my

by their ever growing songwriting ambitions.

head, it used to feel like an Elvis Costello, new wave kind of song. But then with recording, it was like: no, this is

From simply beautiful pop noir ballads to rowdy rock

Ricky Martin or some shit. Michael Bublé. It’s also funny,

operas, ‘Debonair’ is a frenzied journey that is a decidedly

because Theo was always the one singing it, and then I

fun experience at every turn of the way. Enjoying a

had a crack at it in the studio.

well-deserved rest mere days after said release, singersongwriter Theo McCabe and singer-guitarist Jacob Read

T: Jacob’s got a smoother voice. Bigger nasal passages.

(of Jerkcurb fame) tell us how they managed to maintain a sense of spontaneity during the making of their boldest

J: The demo of Theo is really fun. I was trying to do an

release to date.

impression of him. I still picture him singing it when I’m singing it.

You played two celebratory nights at Brixton’s Windmill last weekend, opening your sets with some

T: Most of the writing comes from me, but Jacob has

pretty surprising covers, from Kool & the Gang to

supported my writing since we were young and I’ve

Korn. What was your personal favourite?

always written songs for Jacob. I always want to surprise him when I write a song. I want to make him go, “what the

Theo: Slipknot for me. I’ve never sung without playing an

fuck is that?”

instrument before and especially with that music, it’s so empowering. It’s an insane power trip. It was very much

J: Theo tries to make things unlistenable and weird for me

like living our fantasy.

to process. If I get used to something that he is writing, I’m like, “you need to try harder”. There will be times

Jacob: The Kerrang! Dream, indeed. A friend of ours

where I don’t understand why a song needs to do that

actually turned up with the whole Slipknot outfit. I had

complicated bit. But Theo will be like, “no, it should be

to tune my guitar to drop B, which is the lowest I’ve ever

like that”. And then I get it. We try to challenge ourselves

played. The strings were like spaghetti, but it sounds

and keep it fun and interesting. The songs shouldn’t be

really metal.

boring to play.

The album contains the type of larger than life pop

Given that you’ve been playing some of these songs

tunes that are quite rare these days.

for nearly a decade, why did it take you so long to put

What is it like to write a song like ‘Lagoon’?

them down on a debut album?

Words by Dirk Baart, illustration by Cameron JL West

26

T: We didn’t make the band to make a record, we made

We are not too interested in trying out a million versions

the band to play live shows. We would write a song so we

of things. I’ve fallen into that trap with my own stuff,

could play it live, we wouldn’t even think about recording

never knowing when it’s done, doing twenty demos of

it.

each song. You get stuck in this perfectionist loop. What I like about ‘Seahorse’ is that it’s kind of another version

J: In the past, when we recorded things, it was like, well,

of ‘Wharf’, kind of a B-side. We never spent too long

we’re a good live band, so let’s just get in a room, hit

on it, but we had a bit of time at the end of the recording

record and then put it out exactly how it is. Horsey was

sessions and we just tried it. From my perspective, it was

always this continuation of the same friends that have

sort of an improvised performance.

been playing music together since we were little kids really. It was this thing that was fun and that we wanted

T: It was the very last take we recorded in the studio.

to keep fun. When you start to think about albums and

There was a bit where we said we don’t know how long

recording, it can become quite stressful.

we are going to do this for, but at some point George is going to do this fill and then we’re going to go on. That

T: We wanted to make the best record we could, so I knew

was weird for us, we normally know exactly what is

there would be more focus on the recording this time

happening in a song.

around. It’s the only time Jacob and me rehearsed for recording and talked about how we were going to go about

J: They wanted to re-do my guitar and I sat in a room

it. We worked for three days in the studio just to see all

trying it for a day and then everything was just shit. It

the equipment they had and try everything.

never got as good as the first one.

J: We tried to get the production and the feel of the record

T: Jacob is much better at feeling it in the moment. The

to match how excited we are when we play gigs. The

performance is so good and natural.

recording studio that we went to is this crazy private studio that’s used by people that do film soundtracks. You

J: I’m not that technical, musically. I very much come

could record a fart there and it would sound really good.

from an emotional place with it. Now it’s really hard,

It’s owned by this guy who is best friends with the artist,

because I don’t know how to replicate it.

Damien Hirst. He was in a band in the nineties. There’s a video of him playing Glastonbury in 1995 fully naked.

With so much time and undoubtedly so many memories attached to the album, does it feel like a monumental

The album features such a massively diverse palette of

moment releasing it?

songs. What’s it like to record such a varied collection of tunes?

T: It does, because we’ve been playing songs like ‘Everyone’s Tongue’ since we were sixteen. But I would

J: We were quite open minded in letting Elliott and Max

really like to do a non-sentimental record, with boundaries

try out stuff in terms of sound. A song like ‘Underground’

about how long we are going to spend on it. We actually

was quite a simple song, but it took a very different

considered quitting the band when the album came out. I

approach in the studio. We went for this kind of Beach

had a writer’s block and was really disengaged from music

Boys sound.

in lockdown. We thought, what we’ll do is have a massive show, release the album and look back at all the fun we

T: We didn’t just want to play our live sounds again, so we

had. But now we’re gigging again, it’s great. I’ve been

changed the instrumentation for each song. “Let’s do this

writing loads of new music as well.

one on a vibraphone. Let’s do this one on a grand piano or this weird organ.”

J: I hope we haven’t become too old to enjoy a long career. Then again, Fred Durst was 30 when he did

J: It’s always got to be quite fun and quick though.

27

‘Chocolate Starfish’.

Opposite, Tania Yakunova

The four-piece from London have found their genre-

And although I have a big interest in poetry and some of

bending niche. Sophie, David, Juan and Adam are creating

the songs I was playing at the time are now for Modern

an intriguing post-folk experimental sound. Having only

Woman - they were just guitar-based and stripped back - I

just settled into their lineup, they’ve recently become the

wasn’t doing poetry during that time.

first band signed to End of The Road Records. We chatted with Modern Woman to find out what’s coming next.

I never performed at any of them until we were already a full band and then I put us on as a full band.

Sophie: I live with Adam, but he has Corona, so he is in the other room.

Oh yeah, so a full band at a poetry night?

Adam: You don’t want it, I’m not asymptomatic. The

S: The event kind of pushed the boundary between poetry

fatigue is an interesting part, nothing special. Everyone is

and music. We would have bands on and also have poets

catching it at the moment.

on, but the lines were crossed. Some poets would read with a band behind them, being inspired by the words and

S: We’ve been in isolation for a while, I’m feeling

improvising the music live, and there were usually full

claustrophobic. I don’t understand how I don’t have it

bands to headline the night too.

as we live in a tiny apartment. Maybe I have a stronger So you weren’t writing for the poetry night but you had

immune system than yours.

already been writing for the band?

If you are all stuck in separate rooms, I guess you haven’t been rehearsing much. Feels like corona has

S: Yeah I came to London when I was 18 for uni and

stopped everyone in their tracks, you were performing

because I was obsessed with music. I had already started

at spoken word nights before the pandemic right?

writing and as it developed, this idea of intertwining folk and heavy music came strongly. I think that is what led us

S: Well, I used to run a spoken word night, but I actually

to come together as a band. As much as I enjoyed playing

never played it.

alone with David, it was never gonna be quite what I had imagined as it was quite stripped back then.

31

Words by Phoebe Scott, illustration by Perrine Forite

It’s hard to imagine the tracks being so stripped

Simon and Matt were there because we were supporting

back, as they’re so impactful. Especially with the

their other band called The Golden Dregs. Then we got

distorted saxophone on ‘The Eel’ and the experimental

an email when the pandemic started kicking off. We were

violins throughout. I’ve heard you built some of your

kind of unsure about what was going to happen. It was

instruments to be able to achieve the noise you wanted?

lucky to have management and a label signing through actual lockdown, it gave us a bit of a push to keep going.

David: That hurdy-gurdy up there is one that I made, and a few little bits here and there. Something I’ve done for

Everyone needs encouragement and a bit of structure

a long time is build stuff. I used to make my own guitar

as well. It’s almost like the nod that other people

pedals because I couldn’t afford to buy them, so I’d look

believe in you. Have you found it beneficial to have the

up the circuit diagrams and make them instead for a tiny

extra help?

fraction of the cost. I’ve made my modular synths and things, just as a hobby really. It’s not been something

S: 100% - I don’t know about the guys but I’m sensitive

that’s influenced my music work in much of a meaningful

about how the music gets received because it’s very

sense.

personal. When someone likes it that much it’s a nice feeling.

But surely making instruments must have some influence on Modern Woman in a way?

Juan: We’d been playing almost every week, sometimes twice up until that point and then so suddenly nothing.

D: For Modern Woman, we’re using a very DIY cross-

It was this weird limbo, so it was good to get that

section of things. We have the table which I just hit with

recognition when we’ve done all this work and everything

drumsticks, but it’s got this steamer screwed into it, it’s

has stopped.

got the tape machine wired in, it’s got the synth wired in, the smashed up cymbal. It’s acquiring these bits almost

Particularly if you’ve been rehearsing that much and

ornamentally. It’s an ever-evolving object.

then do nothing at all. How did you keep yourselves motivated to still progress Modern Woman forward?

S: It falls apart, it’s getting smaller.

S: I took the opportunity to sit down and write as much D: That’s why it always sounds a bit different. We sawed

as possible. We’re playing a new song that I wrote in

a bit of it off because it was too big and now it’s a bit

lockdown as part of our new set, really happy about that.

different. There’s something about it that always felt quite

I lost my job so I had time to knuckle down and get some

right for this.

new songs written. Then I’d send them to the guys and now we’ve started playing them since we came back.

You have been able to hone a distinctive sound with it.

I finished ‘The Eel’ over lockdown too, so that’s kind

You sound like you’ve been doing this a lot longer than

of two songs in our set now. It’s been nice to be able to

you have been. It was only 2019 when you started and

power through on the writing side.

you’ve already become the first band to get signed to End of the Road records. How did that come about?

Artists always say it’s hard to find the time to write because of touring or working. Did the extra time at

S: We were just playing a gig actually in West London and

home incentivise you to release your EP?

they were there. What’s weird is, it’s been quite a long time of playing together now. I think we only played live for about 5 or 6 months before corona happened, so this was a pretty early gig.

33

Modern Woman

S: We never released anything before because it hadn’t

J: That was the good thing about doing a couple of

crossed our minds, plus the lineup we’re playing in was

matinee shows, they felt a bit like a dress rehearsal.

still quite new. But we were talking to EOTR Records and started to plan our EP to come out in September, our

A: I guess gigs feel more like an event than something you

second single is due next month. We thought it was a good

do day in day out at the moment. It’s that first gig feeling

opportunity as they put on amazing bands.

being forced upon you again, but I think we are all glad we did that Windmill gig.

J: Also we needed productive circumstances because we would have been playing the festival circuits too, so it all

Everyone’s finding their feet again with gigs, are there

worked out quite nicely when they offered that.

any places you’re really looking forward to playing?

S: We’ve played two shows since lockdown, well

S: Green Man for me I think. That’s kind of like a dream

including matinees it’s four, but we never know how

come true. We only announced that a couple of days ago,

we’re going to be received, especially the new songs.

it’s so exciting considering everyone has been trapped in

The last few gigs have been informative about what

their house and festivals seem like a distant memory.

we’re going to continue bringing through to the festival circuit. We feel lucky to be playing them seeing as we had only been playing together for a few months before corona happened, so to be alongside bands that we love is amazing.

Perrine Forite

34

On the strength of their debut music video, you’d be

I live in London now, but I came back to the Isle of Wight

forgiven for thinking that recent Domino signees, Wet

for Christmas and needed somewhere to stay - I ended up

Leg hailed from the depths of the Southern US, as we are

staying at Hester’s, on the chaise longue. A teenage girl’s

provided a keyhole view into what at first glance seems

sleepovers always involve a lot of activities, like painting

to be some surprisingly chic rural cult. Rather, the duo

and watching the whole of Buffy and the X-Files, and then

were formed in the hallowed grounds of the Isle of Wight,

also jamming music - so the song came from spending so

but their strain of post-cottagecore-punk (nomenclature

much time staying on the chaise longue. It was just very

is a very specific process) is looking as if it may soon be

natural.

taking over the world.

I really enjoyed the mean girls reference in ‘is your The single to which the aforementioned video belongs,

muffin buttered / would you like us to assign someone

‘Chaise Longue’, is fast defining this summer. With dick

to butter your muffin’ - coupled with a reference to

jokes and a Mean Girls reference within the opening

getting the ‘big D’, there seems to be a real element of

minute, there is a sense of light irony to the track, oozing a

tongue-in-cheek humour to the track. Is that something

certain playful joy that feels both refreshing and uplifting,

important to your writing process?

taking on new twists and turns with every repetition.

Writing what may be the catchiest chorus ever into your

R: The first time I saw that film, it really stays with

debut is no mean feat, and there is a casual brilliance

you - it’s a good grounding for getting through life. We

to the track which sticks to your brain like the smell of

have pretty silly humour, I’m pretty into toilet humour

smoke in wet hair.

and stuff, and it’s hard to be serious sometimes. It’s not something conscious, we’re just very silly, all day long.

Having only released the one (hit) song, and with their label understandably tight-lipped as to what comes next,

The video for ‘Chaise Longue’ has been described as

we caught up with Rhian and Hester to discuss teenage

‘little house on the prairie goes punk’. Is that aesthetic

sleepovers, artistic experimentation, and the Isle of Wight.

something we can expect to see something more of?

‘Chaise Longue’ has been the sound of the summer so

Hester: I hope so, I really enjoyed that aesthetic.

far, seemingly coming from out of the blue. Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind it? When writing,

R: I don’t know if we’ll keep up that little house on the

did you know you had a hit on your hands?

prairie vibe, but I think we enjoyed playing around with the image of traditional femininity - it’s something fun to

Rhian: Not at all really, it was just the result of any late

juxtapose. It’s really hard to talk about! We have a video

night jam at Hester’s house.

coming out for our song ‘Angelica’ which I hope can take that idea further.

Words by Dan Pare, illustration by Jonas Kalmbach

36

Is the visual side of the band something you’re

H: We met at college a long time ago now, but we didn’t

particularly interested in? I read you self-directed the

play music together for a few years, but then we had a

video.

really nice summer playing a few little festivals with just the two of us. Then I think we wanted to rock out a bit

R: We’re both pretty busy normally, but it’s thanks to

more, and that’s how Wet Leg was formed! We’ve learnt

lockdown that we’ve had the time to play around a bit,

to play by writing songs for Wet Leg.

download the free cut of Final Cut pro and play around a bit. We had no idea what we were doing, but I think it

R: It seems to be going ok, I think. I still have to put

turned out ok. It was so funny putting the visuals to the

stickers on my guitar so I can see what I’m playing. It’s

track, it makes you see your music in a different way, it

luxurious, because normally if you can’t play guitar, no-

sort of feels unfinished without now. It was nice doing

one wants you in their band!

it ourselves as well because you can really experiment without wasting anyone’s time or money or anything. It’s

Going back to that video - when first watching it, I

been cool walking around seeing the Isle of Wight seeing

wouldn’t have been surprised to hear you guys were

it in a new way, like ‘could this be in a video? or maybe

coming out of the south of the US - but you’re actually

this?’ It’s a complete dreamland.

from the Isle of Wight! Has coming from that neck of the woods impacted what you create, if at all?

H: We love the visuals, we had so much fun doing something we’d never done before and it made us really

H: 100%, the Isle of Wight is a kind of bizarre place.

excited to be able to do it, without having a formal

When you’re a young person, if it’s raining and you can’t

background in it. Just filming the ideas, and becoming

go to the beach, everyone just ends up making music

aware of the worlds that open up when you start thinking

together. There’s so much going on, all based around

about videos you can make.

music. I think it’s a little strange place, and we’re pretty lucky to live here.

Thinking of famous duos of the past, there’s often some strange thread linking the pair together. How did you

R: Definitely. It’s a great place, but it also has that other

guys meet? And what made you want to start working

side where if you play a show, everyone you know and

with one another?

their parents is going to be there. Being back here, I’ve been seeing people I went to middle school with all looking grown up and walking around with babies and stuff.

37

Opposite, Tania Yakunova

Out Now on

Sydney’s new favourite psych-quartet, The Lazy Eyes, are

We’re endlessly grateful we have the room at Lindfield to

rapidly making waves on each and every side of the pond.

dedicate to everything music.

With just two EP’s to their name so far, this bright bunch

It eliminates the pressure of having a time limit and since

of blissful-rascals have, in what appears to be no time at

it’s part of Itay’s house, we all feel very comfortable and

all, crafted an entirely alternate world of psychedelically-

at home there.

pure imagination; a masterfully strange euphoria which resulted in their conquering of the three key elements

How can you tell when a song is to the standard you’d

to a boogie well enjoyed: cosmic groovin’, comradery

expect, when you’re doing the entire creative process

a-plenty, and relentless rhythmic switch up’s.

yourselves?

Be it searching within to seek out your brain via

For our earlier songs, we used live shows as the test

a cosmically subliminal-space-race (‘Where’s My

market to see how songs were landing with the crowd.

Brain???’), cycling through residential areas and hanging out in gardens with kaleidoscopic vision (‘Nobody Taught

There are some songs that we never ended up recording

Me’), or, simply croonin’ down by the ocean (‘The

because they didn’t really stick in the live show. We

Seaside’), rest assured The Lazy Eyes will do everything

could tell because the crowd would sort of start their own

in their collaborative might, to synth-soak the senses with

conversations and stop dancing. They flopped, in other

visually stimulating, and audibly “let your hair-down and

words haha.

let’s have a rhythmically voyaging freak-out right here, Do you think going to a performing arts high-school at

right now”, delight.

an impressionable age encouraged a sense of creative You mixed and recorded both your EPs at your own

intuition that might’ve taken longer to nurture without

Lindfield Studios. What does having a studio space

an artistically catered education?

to call your own that’s also within the comforting parameters of a home mean to you?

Our high school was definitely encouraging in the way that they gave us opportunities. They didn’t necessarily

Harvey Geraghty: It means complete freedom (keeping in

say “Go form a band!”, but the opportunities they offered

mind that Itay’s parents live upstairs).

made it easy to start performing if you wanted to do so.

39

Words by Al Mills, illustration by REN

One example is the annual school festival ‘EarthFest’,

Is that a collective image, or is the island personal to

which was our first performance as a band. Being in the

the individual?

heart of Newtown was also a blessing as there are many venues which may have taken longer to find if we weren’t

It was pretty collective in the end. I was surprised by

from the area.

this as I had that imagery there from the start, so when the other guys’ visions [aligned] with mine, that was an

I really liked your video for ‘The Island’ - it reminded

awesome feeling. It kind of validated that the song was

me of a cross between a Maurice Sendak novel, and a

portraying the right thing. Or maybe the band and I just

beachy fantasy sequence out of Led Zeppelin’s, ‘The

have very similar minds and everyone else imagines Las

Song Remains The Same’.

Vegas or something.

What does ‘The Island’ mean to you?

Is there already a sense of mysticism and creative isolation to being in a band?

The island is an imaginary place that’s nice to visit in your mind when listening to the song. It’s nice to escape

We aren’t part of a mask wearing cult on an island if that’s

and be taken away with music especially in times like this

what you are asking?

with lockdown and all. Wouldn’t you rather be frolicking Historically, Psychedelic-Rock is a genre heavily

around a mysterious island?

associated with youth, the fantastical, and When it comes to your visual presentation, how

hallucinatory bliss. That being said... there’s a definite

essential is artistic freedom / fun to the overall Lazy

sense of ‘realism’ to your songwriting too.

Eyes ethos?

How (if at all) do you craft a balance between When we listened to ‘The Island’, we were all imagining a

experimental escapism, and a level of relatability that

pretty similar place and we tried to convey that as best we

you yourselves can project on to too?

could in the music video. Executing the original vision for a song is important to us because we want our videos to

We like having a bit of everything otherwise we’d get

match the music as best possible.

bored. I think it’s almost an unconscious decision that we have some songs that are more fictional, and other songs

Fun is also important because without that, what’s it all

that have more relatable lyrics like ‘Cheesy Love Song’.

for? The video for ‘The Island’ was definitely a fun one to At what stage in your musical discoveries, were the

shoot. At times it was a bit creepy...

boundaries between blissful trance and most-worthyYou’ve said before in regards to ‘The Island’ that you

rock warped in such a way that you can write a song

can “picture the utopia vividly.”

that includes the line “Butterscotch butterfingers’ ‘, and also shreds hard?

Does having a stimulatory responsive imagination make the songwriting process easier?

We like all different types of music so why stick to one particular style for a song?

It doesn’t make the actual writing process easier... but I would say it makes it easier to decide which song ideas

One of the fantastic things about music is there’s no rules,

work, and which ones don’t. In other words, the song

so you can breed multiple genres of music together to

ideas we end up sticking with usually spur some imagery,

birth a new foetus genre. I’m not saying we are a genre

or make us imagine some sort of storyline in our heads.

creating band at all, but we do take inspiration from bands that do that. I’m definitely not saying that our genre of music is called ‘Foetus Genre’ either.

41

The Lazy Eyes

I know you’ve been compared to the likes of King

Yes! You’re pretty bang on there. Being best friends, we

Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Tame Impala

do finish each other’s sentences so when that happened in

before, but do you think the fact that psychedelia is so

the form of songwriting, it felt very similar - except a lot

steeped in experimentation, the music itself can be re-

more productive.

interpreted continually and still sound unique?

Can you explain the sentiment behind ‘Lazyfest’?

If someone is ‘experimenting’ enough, I’m sure the music could sound quite different to them indeed. But to us,

We put on Lazyfest because we experienced first-hand the

psychedelic music is no different to any other genre. They

struggles of seeing live music under eighteen years old.

all have their tropes and defining factors.

In Sydney, the alcohol and licensing laws make it very ‘Cheesy Love Song’ was the first song that you co-

tricky for under eighteens to be able to attend live music.

wrote together in the same room.

So we put on an event that our past selves would’ve loved.

Would it be fair to compare the songwriting process to

To make it possible we had to put the under eighteen’s

the act of finishing someone you love’s sentences?

show during the day with the bar shut, and then do an over eighteen’s show at night with the bar open (to make it worth it for the venue). It was a really enjoyable, wholesome day!

@drawren

42

Catching up with KEG felt like catching up with a

Frank: I think it just happened that all of sudden on that

bunch of long lost pals, no topic is off limits and when

shoot there was like this woman filming us and we were

conversation flows to the likes of pickled eggs you

on the floor all in a line.

know you’re in good company. Having recently released their long awaited first single, the explosive earworm

A: It got put on some really wholesome Brighton

‘Heyshaw’, and with debut EP ‘Assembly’ up their sleeve

Facebook group called ‘Brighton Skies’ which is usually

set for an Autumn release, now is as good a time as any to

like pictures of sunsets or the murmurations next to the

get to know the Brighton based seven-piece.

pier and then there’s these photos of us all in our pants.

Lying somewhere between DEVO and Chas & Dave

Joel: All in the foetal position.

with jazz influences thrown in for good measure, there’s a ferocious energy to their music that’s infectious and

Do you think KEG fit into a specific genre?

savvily unpredictable, preventing any urge to hit the skip button. A relatively new band they may be, but with

A: I’d hope not.

a shedload of musical wisdom and a wicked sense of humour in tow there’s not much that can go wrong. Plus

Will: I think as long as everybody avoids post-punk to

any band who’s genuine focal point is to have “a ruddy

describe us then I’m happy really.

good time” is well worth a look-in.

F: I don’t know about you but the post-punk thing is like What’s the story behind that photo where you’re all in

what got me really excited about being in a band again.

your pants?

All the stuff that’s coming out now, everyone’s doing something different. A lot of really interesting people are

Albert: There’s a photo of me at night-time which was

doing all different sounds, it doesn’t sound similar.

the inspiration. We wanted to make it look like we were all frenzied sea monsters coming out of the sea and then

A: I think that is one of the benefits of post-punk, but

we just bought these pants and we thought we had to get

that comes down to it being a lazy definition. It’s literally

our money’s worth out of them really. Katie (Allen) the

anything that can’t be consigned to a genre. I suppose

photographer is quite inspired when she’s working and as

you’ve got to take it as a compliment really. It’s not like

soon as we were all in our pants she got us doing various

we’re indie.

gymnastic poses.

43

Words by Emma Flynn, illustration by Toby Evans-Jesra

J: It’s also been pretty useful not labelling ourselves on

A: Most of us lived together and we were still able to play

the fact that we can leave our horizons open and take it in

a lot and most of the material we’ve written post this EP

any direction that we want as well.

was written in lockdown. The first chunk of lockdown, I think everyone felt a little bit of a novelty there, it was

Even within your EP ‘Assembly’ there are different

like a snow day. So we were able to create quite a lot in

sounds.

that period but inevitably the feedback loop sort of dries up. Apart from Frank, Frank just generates music like a

A: That’s quite a conscious effort from all of us, because

sweaty orb.

we’ve all been in projects where it’s sort of been defined by what the first project was, and then you’ve kind of

F: A sweaty robot.

limited yourselves. But with this one it felt very natural, because none of us feel uncomfortable writing something.

Where do you take inspiration from?

When we’re writing together it feels very natural to be able to go down different routes. I’m looking at Frank

J: I take my inspiration from these guys.

there because we’ve got some funny tunes in the locker.

F: We all listen to lots of different music, and when we’re There’s been a fair bit of interest in KEG before you

together we listen to lots of different music. No holds

even released anything...

barred.

F: We’ve been gigging quite a lot for actually the amount

A: There’s a stronger connection between us all. I

of time we have due to work and shit.

think for KEG it sort of goes past music sometimes for inspiration. I think it’s important not to underestimate the

A: I think the initial gigging thing, we managed to clock

power of comedy within us. For me personally, novelty

in some very pivotal gigs for us, just before everything

music, I hate that term, but anything that has an element

went down shit alley. The right people saw us which we

of humour to it shouldn’t be devalued and the combination

can’t underestimate how important that was. It facilitated

of humour between us all is really important as far as the

us getting this EP out.

music and the lyrics, that’s maybe what makes us translate a little bit.

Do you feel any pressure or are you just keen to get your music out and play some shows?

Does it translate to your live shows?

J: Yeah we wanted to get it out a long time ago, we’ve just

F: We like to smile on stage.

basically been waiting for the right platform to put it out on.

J: Big creepy smiles.

F: Lots of things have happened that made it better to do

A: I don’t think there was any other choice for us. None

it this way I guess. We probably would’ve had this out in

of us would be comfortable putting on any kind of persona

March but I broke my shoulder and we couldn’t do the gig

or anything like that, so it inevitably just regressed to how

and just after that gig it was lockdown. But looking back

we behave when we’re in the practice room, which is just

it’s actually been good for us, we had time to think about

a load of bloody boiled eggs having a laugh. Sorry to use

everything.

the orb analogy again.

Were you still writing stuff and sending ideas to each other during that time or were you just not inspired?

45

KEG

There’s a spherical theme emerging…

She’s very close to us all so she has all of our likenesses down to a T so she can literally put us in any situation she

J: Had to get the pickled eggs in there somehow.

wants which is a bit of a terrible power for her.

What’s your views on pickled eggs?

J: You should see the drawings that didn’t make the cut.

A: J’adore.

Do you think it’s still important to have a presence on social media?

I’ve never actually had a pickled egg.

W: The mode for us is that this is us together having a F: Do it.

good honest time as friends first of all, and I think the more that can come across in our artwork and our social

A: For years I ignored them. Every chippy, every social

media presence and everything else, the better. Instagram’s

gathering, every wedding, I walked straight past, but once

good because often we just post silly videos of ourselves

that sweet brine passes your lips you’re addicted.

doing funny things, and it’s funny just to keep a record of that stuff if nothing else really.

J: Eight pickled eggs a pint.

J: I think after this last year, people are just craving That’s a lot of protein.

experiences in real life as well so social media just sort of serves as a signpost towards them anyway.

J: I think we shaved your head after that night.

You’ve got a few gigs lined up, what can people expect?

A: I wanted to become the egg.

F: A ruddy good time.

How important a part does the artwork play for you? I like the clay figures on the EP cover.

A: It’s usually pretty energetic.

A: It’s a sculpture that our friend Nisreen did for us and

J: On the Facebook page in the description it just says ‘A

she’s done all the painting and artwork for the EP.

barrage’. I’d go with that.

@tobyevansjesra

46

2021’s Manchester Psych Fest has been a long time in the

The evolution of the booking hasn’t kept many ‘psych

making. Another victim of the pandemic, the festival team

heads’ away - they love good, innovative, leftfield music,

were driven to come back bigger and stronger after last

which is what I try to host.

year’s cancellation. Loyal ticket holders and new music fans have kept the boat afloat and in a year which see’s us

It’s great to see that Manchester Psych Fest will be

team up with the festival for the first time (hosting a stage

returning in September, it must feel like a relief that it

at the Ritz Basement), we wanted to find out a bit more

can go ahead as planned?

about what makes Manchester Psych Fest tick and what to be excited for in September.

It feels like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. It’s something I’m incredibly proud of and to finally have

Can you tell us all a little bit about Manchester Psych

the chance to give people this opportunity to have a top

Fest and how it came to exist?

day out is really exciting me. I’m still very much fingers crossed as there’s still a few weeks to go so I won’t be

Another promoter (James) came to me with it in early

cracking the Prosecco out yet. We’ve managed to keep a

2014 - and I offered to get involved. I’m sure it came

lot of 2020’s bill as well as adding more in. The plan was

off the back of other similarly named events in other

to do around 40 live acts but we’ve increased this to 60,

cities - 2011-2015 was such a strong time for this type of

such is the excitement around the day.

music and there was a real movement and community for it. After a few years, James retired from promo leaving

Not to dwell on the past, but what have been the

myself to steady the ship. It’s grown from a 250 cap, one

biggest challenges of the pandemic for an independent

stage event to 4000 cap (10 stages) festival. Hopefully

festival like MPF?

this will keep rising in years to come. The core idea behind it is that of psychedelic artists being showcased

There’s the obvious financial impact but thankfully people

to the city. I guess this is a loose term around the festival

keeping hold of tickets from 2020 has helped with that

now as many people have their own interpretation of

a little. There’s so much ground work in re-booking and

‘psychedelia’. I often still scope out acts who traditionally

crafting 60+ artists. Agents have been great - they’ve

fall under this category but music is always evolving as is

rescheduled quickly whenever possible. I should mention

the festival, while I try to keep in the super natural world

other independent festivals and promoters have been

of psychedelia, I try and keep an open mind to who can

incredibly supportive too. There’s often clauses and road

play at it. Hopefully there’s something on there for a lot of

blocks for artists playing certain events but thankfully it’s

people now. Our audience trust us with the billing and this

been a lot smoother for 2021. Hopefully come 4am on 5th

is shown with the loyalty of so many early sales.

September, it will have all been worth it.

47

Words by Sam Ford

You’ve had an extended period to plan and curate this

My output of this might be different to others but it’s

year’s event, what can ticket holders look forward to

certainly at the forefront of my mind when approaching

experiencing at MPF and is there anything new to be

artists.

excited about?

It’s important the line-up has a strong female and non 2021 will have 10 stages - more live acts, more food, more

binary presence - this should be normal for festivals now

art and the festival is 14 hours long. I made a promise

and it’s been something we’ve been strongly peddling

that when 2020 was postponed that it would come back

since 2017. It’s key to give new bands the platform to

bigger and stronger, hopefully 4th September will live

perform on a decent festival - it’s exciting for all those

up to that. I’ve added new spaces such as the intimate

involved including myself. I suppose you could make a

seated setting of the Anthony Burgess Foundation and

comparison to picking a football squad of exciting young

the classic live circuit setting Deaf Institute. There will

talent along with an experienced top quality spine.

be more late night live shows than ever too with 5 stages staying open until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Which emerging new bands/artists are you excited to

I’ve added an ‘extra headliner’ via the festival’s ‘curtain

host for the first time at MPF 2021?

raiser’ (Kokoroko) - this will be a chance to see a large live act (with no clashes) before scampering around all

I only book acts that I would go out of my way to watch

the venues. I’m a big fan of Glastonbury so it’s clear

myself. If you come away from this process then you

some of that inspiration transpires into the event (they do

start to distance yourself from why you promote events

this with the Other Stage). In a similar vain I’ve added a

in the first place. Obviously due to clashes I can’t watch

secret guest festival closing set which will be very much

everyone but I’ll be trying to catch Silverbacks, Loose

an ‘underplay’ on the PINK MOON STAGE (YES Pink

Articles, Folly Group, Deep Tan, The Umlauts, The Goa

Room). I’ll also be opening a Manchester Psych Fest art

Express and Mandy, Indiana.

gallery at the festival portraying numerous exhibitions from female artists from the local area and beyond.

MPF is an incredible champion of new bands and artists. What are you looking for when booking your line up?

As mentioned, I try to keep as much as possible to the world of ‘psychedelia.’

Manchester Psych Fest

48

Perhaps it should not come as a surprise that the universe

Alexander: We had quite a nice tradition during all the

of Speedy Wunderground alumni, Lazarus Kane has

lockdowns of having beers on Facetime and calling it The

different rules than ours. While the world has endured

Lazarus Kane Arms, a virtual pub with the six of us.

varying stages of standstill over the course of the last sixteen months, things have seriously shifted for

While we would associate the past year and a half with

the Bristol post punk-meets-disco provocateurs who

a heightened sense of individualism, it feels like with

introduced themselves over the past two years with a

Lazarus Kane the emphasis has actually shifted from

knack for irony, a partiality for smoke screens and tall

frontman Ben’s alter ego to more of a band dynamic.

tales about Axl Rose’s cocaine habits and James Bond

How did that happen?

theme songs from the seventies.

Louis: Lazarus Kane was always a strange project, and New four-part EP, ‘Psychobabble’, released through So

quite a lot for an audience to have to piece together, we

Young Records, sees the band move away from the notion

always felt. We really wanted to do the character thing

of Lazarus Kane being frontman Ben Jakes’ mysterious,

with Ben, but it would make a lot more sense if there was

mischievous alter ego and develop into, well… a proper

one person doing it. Otherwise it would have been like the

band. The shift is both form and function, mind you: while

Powerpuff Girls.

the group’s dark sense of humour has not been lost, the abrasive and concise tunes on ‘Psychobabble’ suggest

With Lazarus Kane, as soon as the project started, we

Lazarus Kane are taking things just a little bit more

were playing gigs at a rate whereby we would play two

seriously. Band members Louis Haynes, Nick Berthoud

gigs for every practice we did, to the point where we were

and Alexander Callaghan hop on Zoom to tell us if we

going on tour having done about three practices. So there

have finally succeeded in making some observations about

weren’t that many conscious decisions. But then for this

Lazarus Kane that actually hold up.

phase of the project, I think there was a conscious decision that we do this all together and it’s a band.

How have you been able to maintain contact with each other over the course of the pandemic?

N: Ben had longer to work on these songs as well, and we worked on them together, rather than it just being Ben

Nick: Like this, largely. We have all been spread around

in his bedroom, which is how the first ones were written.

the country over the whole of COVID. It was kind of

There was more thought to the lyrics and the whole

weird, because a lot of us have known each other for

project, and it got to a stage where it seemed like the

quite a long time, we’re used to seeing each other very

character might start detracting from that.

regularly.

L: This EP was Ben really getting less into the character, but more into the Lazarus Kane songwriting style and maybe giving some of the lyrics more scope and thought.

Words by Dirk Baart, illustration by Zoé Coulon

50

We’ve gotten to a really nice point now as well, where

That’s kind of how this EP came about. We came to a

Alexander has been writing lyrics alongside Ben, Nick

point where we were so fed up not doing anything and

did the full production on this EP, I’ve managed to do

Nick had built a studio over lockdown and we were like:

the visual side and the videos. And so then, it is not so

let’s just take these songs you’ve just written, record them

much one person’s brainchild, because so many people are

and put them out.

inputting into the different areas.

N: Ben loves writing sketches. If he was an artist, he What kind of influence has the shift had on the songs

would just do quick pencil drawings and then turn over to

and the way they were written?

the next page and never look at what he’s done again. He would wait for someone to find it thirty years down the

L: It’s definitely been more proactive rather than

line. He loves writing a sketch and then moving on, and

reactionary. Because the project started so quickly, the

it’s up to the rest of us to be like: that’s actually really

tunes we added in while the wheels were moving were just

good, we should maybe get that down properly and release

sketches. Some of them never even survived past a couple

it.

of gigs. It was the fucking Lazarus Kane train, it was a fucking crazy time. We were just going by the skin of our

L: Some of the funniest moments in the band are when

teeth, really.

one of us starts talking about a demo that Ben’s done and nobody remembers which one it is. There’s just so many.

N: The first songs that we released were effectively written before there was a band. Or at least before Ben

What’s it like to play a song like ‘Williston, ND’, where

knew who was going to be in the band and what format

you all get into this kind of minimal, repetitive groove

things would take in a live sense. This EP was written

together? It seems like such an interesting thing to do

after a couple of years of gigging, so the songs were more

as a band.

written with the band in mind. So even though Ben writes the majority of the parts to the majority of the songs, it

L: It’s the fucking funnest thing in the whole world. You

has shifted the dynamic of the music just because he knew

know when you’re riding a bicycle and you can’t quite

who was going to be playing what part and because he was

get the cog into gear. And then the cog goes into gear and

writing for a full group rather than putting anything he

everything starts chugging along together. It’s the Kane

could think about down into his computer.

train. With ‘Williston’, you can see everyone is really concentrating, even if it’s on a really simple thing. But it’s

L: Ben is such a great songwriter, it’s what he’s born

quite special that we are all kind of playing the same note

to do. He’s able to listen to what people are playing in

to the same rhythm. That song over all the others creates

practice. It’s not like he will ever write a song and that’s

one of the best connections between us, I think.

it. He’s always willing to tinker with it and let other people at their parts.

N: It’s almost like dance music at points, isn’t it? It’s the same way to get into a vibe.

A: He is prolific as well, he’s always writing. He’ll go through phases in particular, sending song after song

L: It pulls you in with its simplicity. Watching the gig,

through to us. Sometimes he’ll do three in a day and we

after two minutes you kind of get that it isn’t going to

literally can’t keep up with him. He wrote ‘Williston’ and

change. That’s the beauty of it. You can sit back and just

‘Whole Foods’ off the new EP in one day, for instance.

enjoy that. That those people are going to hit it as hard as

And then occasionally we try to get our foot in the door

they can and smash that one note.

and be like: right, we need to stop.

51

Lazarus Kane

Moving between that North / South divide in the UK

Danny and Annie lived in the centre and had walked

is not for the faint hearted. Arguments over beer prices

around everywhere about a million times a day and

and pronunciations of words are the basic conversation

we’re sure had covered every square inch of the place.

starters, which can also act as stickler points and should

It got to the point to where we realised we wanted to

likely be left well alone. Well, one such band have crossed

gig somewhere else that was bigger and better and the

the divide to great aplomb and have taken to the Big

only place bigger and better than Manchester is London;

Smoke as if they were a native. We speak to The Early

everything else is a bit of a step down from Manchester, so

Mornings shortly after Freedom Day to catch up with them

we thought let’s do it. Annie’s dad had said that everyone

and all things music and London..

should live in London at one stage of their life and we agreed.

Hello Early Mornings, how are you?

We just quite like the idea of being busy. There’s just We’re good! Annie’s had the past week or so off work so

something enticing about a city that never sleeps. In

she’s been relaxing really. Danny and Rhys have been at

Manchester pubs just sort of close at 11pm and you’re left

work though sadly for them.

to your own devices a bit.

What have you been up to recently as a band and

So for people who are unfamiliar with you..how would

individually?

you describe Early Mornings?

Well we had a show on the weekend which was really

The thing with us is that there’s always space between the

great! Just a shame that not everybody could come due

instruments in our songs. As a three-piece that only have

to Covid, which seems to be the way things are at the

one guitar - which we feel is a bit of an anomaly in Indie

moment.

music at the moment - it allows the songs to breathe a bit more. The other cool thing that we like is that almost

We moved to London three months ago which has

every song has a different lead instrument. Sometimes its

been great so far, but obviously we’re still trying to

guitar and sometimes the bass takes over and leads the

find our way around everywhere - it’s massive! We’re

melody. We like to describe Rhys’ drums as ’succinct’ as

happy though. We moved because we got a bit bored of

he always seems to do what’s right for the song and leave

Manchester by the time the end of Lockdown.

space for invention. That we feel has a massive impact on the dynamics as it allows us to go louder or whatever if we want to as we’ve not started with like six instruments trying to fit them in.

53

Words by Matt Bisgrove, illustration by EJay Jo

We toe the line between sometimes creating really nice

With the so-called Freedom Day having come and

melodies, and then at the opposite extreme, creating these

gone how’re you feeling about the world and music in

really harsh discordant riffs that are equally ambiguous to

general?

the obvious nice melodies. When we write we just let it come and never have a true planned idea and that way it

We feel excited and feel like people are going to want to

can become bizarre which can be fun.

go to gigs as much as possible. Almost like a new lease of life. Now that we’re down in London there are so many

Your debut EP ‘Unnecessary Creation’ came out

more places for us to play that we’ve not been to before

recently, how has that been received?

which is great. We’re so excited about the prospect of writing new songs and see what they’ll sound like.

It seems to have been received well, which is always great. Our friends like it so we’re pretty happy with that.

Are there any artists you’re excited about seeing live?

If you can please your friends - who are the hardest to Lewsburg definitely. We haven’t been able to catch them

please - then we feel like you’re onto a winner.

yet so we’re excited to see them and we get to support We’re just taking our time on all our releases because we

them soon too, which is great! Delilah, Legss who are

don’t wanna rush putting these songs out and then maybe

great, Lynks. So many. We’ve got a list somewhere.

regretting it later. We wanted to make sure we’re happy and doing the songs justice. Moving to London and having

And are there any places you’re excited about playing?

that change of scenery has allowed us to write and work on songs better and feeling more free than before. We felt

Well now that we’re down in London we can explore

a bit stifled where we were and now it feels exciting as

further down south. We’ve never been to Brighton and

we’re starting a new chapter.

so we’re excited to get down there. We really wanna go to and play Margate too as it looks so cool! We’d love to

There seems to be a panache of different sounds on the

play Glasgow, Newcastle - there’s just so many.

record from Garage Rock to Punk to Indie - what’re What’re the plans for the rest of 2021 and beyond for

your biggest inspirations for the band?

Early Mornings?

The Velvet Underground for sure are up there for us and the same for The Breeders. With the latter its that mix of

We wanna get a new EP together and have basically got

beautiful vocal melodies that are then followed by these

all the new songs finished that we want on that EP. Being

harsh and gritty riffs that we spoke about earlier. That

more proactive with everything surrounding it like the

contrast is really appealing to us.

artwork and what not is definitely something we want to do.

Another aspect of influences for us is that we’ve always been a band that wants to have good lyrics and have

The obvious one is playing more shows. We’re definitely

always respected poetry and what not. People like Bob

hoping to sort a full-on tour next year - that would be

Kaufman who have this very surreal way of going about

great. We actually got a message from a guy that wants us

poetry, but also possess this emotionally resonant thing

to play Sweden, so hopefully we can get over there and

about it. Annie also performs this cut-up technique

other places in Europe too!

with her own lyrics to try and mix it up a bit. So to take something and give it a new or different meaning and it can be fun to see what we come up with that way.

55

The Early Mornings

Christina Gransow

Artists

Josh Whettingsteel Olivia Sterling Julia Kluge

Lena Yokoyama Justin LaGuff

Christina Gransow Jolly Mones Lauren Hall

Editors Sam Ford

Josh Whettingsteel

Writers Sam Ford

Reuben Cross Al Mills

Laura Pegler

Harley Cassidy Dirk Baart

Phoebe Scott

Jamie Knee

Cameron JL West Tania Yakunova Perrine Forite

Jonas Kalmbach REN

Toby Evans-Jesra Zoé Coulon EJay Jo

Cover Photos Jamie Wdziekonski

Dan Pare

Photos for Collage

Matt Bisgrove

Ashley Bourne

Emma Flynn

Printed By Ex Why Zed

Email

info@soyoungmagazine.com

Website

www.soyoungmagazine.com

News

@soyoungmagazine (Twitter)

SoYoungMagazine (Facebook) soyoungmagazine (Instagram)

Cal McIntyre

Through The Eyes Of Ruby Katie Allen

Seren Carys

Reuben Bastienne-Lewis Jamie Wdziekonski

Art Direction

www.joshwhettingsteel.com

Special Thanks Jack Reynolds

Harley Cassidy Jamie Ford

Cameron JL West