Issue Twenty-Six
Viagra Boys Happyness Connie Constance Public Practice Group Therapy caroline TiĂąa For Breakfast The Cool Greenhouse Protomartyr Chubby and The Gang Blanketman bdrmm The Lounge Society VLURE
www.jordy.studio
Here we are, our second magazine of the pandemic. Issue
Back in London, Chubby and The Gang released one of
twenty-six is a mixed bag, new sounds, new albums and
the most exciting albums of the year. Strictly Q&A, we
inevitable delays. And that’s where we start. Viagra Boys
sent over some questions to check in on day jobs, isolation
were due to follow up EP ‘Common Sense’ with a summer
and writing the second LP. Staying in the capital, The
album but alas, we can assume Covid-19 has another
Cool Greenhouse have just released their self titled debut
victim. We did however speak with frontman, Sebastian
album and we got on the phone to talk about the transition
Murphy who shone a restricted light on what’s to come
from poetry to song. London is home to three more
and opened up on personal struggles. One album that
exciting new artists inside this issue, Tiña, For Breakfast
did make it was Happyness’ ‘Floatr’. The band returned
and caroline. The latter have recently signed with Rough
a member down but with a new lease of life. We chat to
Trade and as for Tiña, they’re going to release the first
them about hitting rock bottom and getting back together.
ever album on Speedy Wundergroud. Need we say more?
Connie Constance is back and following her major label
Heading north, we get excited for the future and speak
debut, she’s back doing it on her own. We Zoom our
with rising bands The Lounge Society, Blanketman and
way into her world for a chat. In New York City, Public
VLURE. In Hull/Leeds/Zoom we speak to bdrmm who’ll
Practice released their debut album ‘Gentle Grip’ via
release their debut album with Sonic Cathedral in July. To
Wharf Cat Records. We gave them a call to discuss moral
finish the issue, London collective, Group Therapy reflect
gymnastics and non-stop consumerism. Staying in the
upon the release of Vol.1 of their charity compilation. The
states, Protomartyr will release a new album in July.
release has now been made available on cassette tape and
‘Ultimate Success Today’ seems a chapter closer and we
features the likes of Shame, Sorry and many more.
dig into grasping a clearer view of mortality and how music isn’t life or death.
3 The Cool Greenhouse Cardboard Man
31 Group Therapy Volume 1
5 Connie Constance Inner Anarchy
33 Happyness Floatr
10 Protomartyr Ultimate Success Today
38 Public Practice Gentle Grip
13 Ed Burkes So Young: Artist Series
41 The Lounge Society Generation Game
16 Chubby and The Gang Pariah Radio
44 caroline Dark Blue
20 Viagra Boys Common Sense
48 VLURE Desire
23 Tiña Positive Mental Health Music
49 Blanketman Taking You With Me
30 For Breakfast Songs in the Key of O
51 bdrmm Bedroom
I want people to respond to my work in a way that doesn’t have to necessarily be articulated. An inherent problem of my working process is that I don’t know how to clearly prompt what I’m feeling and making images helps me articulate without articulating in a way that is personal. Making art often feels like you’re trying to make bread but The So Young Artist Series is an ongoing project in
you keep forgetting to put the yeast in.
which we collaborate with some of our favourite artists and designers on one-off items of clothing. In our fifth
Does music influence your work?
edition we’ve collaborated with artist, Ed Burkes. We’ve been following Ed’s work for past the few years and it’s
Music is intrinsic to facilitating my art making, it doesn’t
featured in the print edition of So Young several times.
work without loud uninterrupted music. I wish my
Our collaboration t-shirt uses 6 of his pieces, ranging from
speakers could go from 10 to 11. That extra push over the
paintings to ceramic tiles. We caught up with Ed to talk
cliff you know?
about his work and the collaborative t-shirt. Who is your favourite new band? How do you go about starting a piece of work? SQUID! There is a lot of pretense that comes along with contemporary art and that can be problematic. My work
Please tell us a little about the pieces we’ve used on our
is just an attempt to articulate nuanced feeling. It comes
Artist Series T-Shirt:
from a place of attempting to say something. The tactility of the hook of a pop song or the ribbon of an idiomatic
There are paintings, works on paper and a ceramic tile
phrase tows a line parallel with my intentions as a painter.
piece on the tee. I’m currently in the process of trying
I try and think of the process of making images similar to
to move elements of my painting into sculptural forms
how the process of sampling can decontextualise a source
which is involving breaking down wooden chairs and
but gives a referential nod under the same breath. This
tables and painting them. There is a clashing of text too. I
fuels my curiosity and formulates a thread that is worth
like how splicing and pasting disseminates the archetypal
pursuing. The honest attempt is what is so seductive about
preconception that short phrases often allure to. You can
painting for me.
break text down very easily and I use it as a tool in my painting lots. It’s a real punchy way to ask questions
Tell us about a typical working day:
without putting a question mark on the end.
I walk to my studio and paint and have some coffee and
What can we expect to see from you in the near future?
paint more. There is just as much looking as there is actually painting. I try and pull my thoughts on the world
I’m currently based in the city of Derby for the year as
in quite an abstract way as visual queries that interest
I’m undergoing a 9-month residency called The Johnathan
me vary from day to day. Street signs on the way to my
Vickers Fine Art Award. I have been incredibly lucky to
studio, litter in a woodland, discussions in a pub; is all
have been given this opportunity and I’m so grateful every
fuel to work from. Listening to music helps me detach
time I step in my studio. This culminates with a solo show
from where I am in the studio and to be completely
at Derby Museums in September which then moves to the
enveloped by undulating emotional responses to what I am
Mall Galleries in London in January 2021. From there we
feeling rather than what I am trying to paint.
will see where the wind takes me, for now its important to give and receive as much love as possible (from a
How do you want people to feel when they see your
distance) and to stay safe.
work?
13
shop.soyoungmagazine.com
On tracks like ‘Compromised’, you deal with the idea
S: I think a bit of both. WALL was so fun, we had a great
of morality in a world that promotes the opposite. Is
time. But I feel like for the sake of longevity, that it was
that pairing of ideological self-perception against a
time to shift to something we felt more genuine about in
comfortable reality a particular point of interest to the
that particular moment. It had run its course, and it was
band?
time to try something new!
S: I guess I got to a point in my own life where I couldn’t
More topically – at the time we’re having this
ignore that, and it felt like a good subject to make art
conversation, you’re meant to be mid UK tour, but due
around; the way in which we live our lives, and the way
to this bastard virus, I assume it’s been postponed/
we justify that way of life. I think especially living in
cancelled? How are you all coping with things? Has
major cities, we’re confronted with non-stop consumerism
circumstance led to any creativity? Or just a lot of
to a major degree, but the same can be said about anyone
cancelled tour dates?
with access to the internet! I can’t look at my phone without being advertised to, and it’s disgusting how well
S: We pushed the physical release back to June, in the
the algorithms work – I almost bought a cool looking
hope that record stores would be open then, but we live in
puzzle advertised to me on Instagram the other day, for
a time where things are changing all the time. So for the
example. So it’s about accepting that you don’t live on this
digital release, we just decided that we were just ready to
‘straight line’ that I wish I did, and although I think I’m
show it to the world. For me personally, I’ve been pretty
quite principled about certain things, I find myself making
paralysed, and haven’t been diving into this new Black
exceptions here and there just to make my life easier and
Mirror digital world for the most part. That said, this week
more comfortable, and I feel especially during quarantine,
I did just record my first livestream video/audio thing, but
exploring those questions the record poses is even more
the fear of the unknown has been pretty paralysing. We’re
topical, because we have been in some ways been removed
performers, so being in front of a screen has nowhere near
from immediate capitalist consumption- I’ve been locked
the same effect emotionally or energetically as standing on
in my apartment for the last few weeks and so there’s no
a stage in front of a bunch of people. I didn’t get into this
desire or need to buy anything more than just food, and
business to be alone in front of my screen.
I’ve really enjoyed just experiencing what that feels like! There is another way!
Vince: I find myself going back to playing a lot of guitar, experimenting with open tunings and the like. If the
The members of your band come in part from [2016’s
creative coffer is empty, the well is empty, you have to go
much-hyped favourite band] WALL, just as you were
out and experience some more of life to refill it. Changing
about to stick out your first record. Why was the
the environment, and the way you live, I’ve found to have
decision made to pack that in and move towards this
a real impact on the sort of stuff I’ve been creating.
new, funkier sound? Was it a mindset change? Feeling you’d reached a ceiling of where you could take the previous?
39
Public Practice
J: Yeah I think so, I think it’s quite social - it’s a social
C: I guess just playing music with people. In becoming
band. It’s a big group of people all in quite contingent
attuned to people musically over the course of a period of
relationships, that creates a certain type of atmosphere
time, you can fine tune your relationship and the way you
when everyone is having to balance off one another. It’s
collaborate is really fun and exciting and you can create
quite interdependent between all the people involved and I
music that you love and enjoy and get a lot out of it.
think that does create a certain type of atmosphere. I guess there probably is at certain points, with certain songs and
M: It feels like I’ve done other projects before that felt
certain instruments, but there isn’t really that much of
more inhibited because i’m thinking about rules more,
people playing along?
whereas this feels like a very free project.
As in there’s no lead as such?
J: I think what i’ve learnt about it or what i’ve experienced is definitely a group of people building a formula of sorts,
J: No that’s it there isn’t a lead. But also it’s how they are
not a formula in the sense of you get the same result
written, there isn’t a song that underpins it all that exists
every time, but a set of ways of working together and
beforehand.
compositional strategies between us, we’ve figured some out which we now implement.
So in that sense do you feel like it feels more collaborative now?
It’s almost like the identity of it is already there?
C: I think everyone has their role much more demarcated
J: Yeah that’s definitely a thing, it’s building an identity
in the band now, I think for example Magda and Ollie,
for something between a group of people and that’s quite
the violinists, have a fucking great partnership. They play
satisfying and quite unexpected and not planned, that was
really well together, it sounds amazing. Similarly with
never the goal.
Hugh who’s certainly developing a style as well, and the same for Freddie and Alex, they’ve got a thing that they
C: I’m interested in how those strategies will develop or
bring that’s unique and it sounds great.
at some point will we have to stop working like this cause we’re repeating it. I don’t think we’re anywhere near
The visual aspect seems like quite an important part
this point right now cause we’re still developing these
for you all to be able to explore, how do you feel the
things. But it might come to a point where we have to go
music and the visuals interact with one another?
back to the drawing board. I think there will always be a way of doing things, but I’m almost quite excited to say
J: There’s definitely something about images that have an
“right, we can’t do that anymore” and we have to think of
odd edge to them I suppose. I always think of the one of
a different way of coming at this. I wonder if we’ll stick
the oil rig floating up on the shore, an image that’s a bit
with the same formula but essentially think more about the
contorted and has a weird juxtaposition of elements. It’s
fidelity of the sound, as in work way more in production
the same when we’ve talked about things that cut across
and think about all those cutting across elements, and
quite a lot when we’re working on the music, we usually
maybe moving into more produced sounding things.
establish quite luscious textures that are quite nice to listen to, we talk quite a lot about how things can intersect
M: I think that would work really well, I think that would
that and cut across, and how we can create juxtapositions.
be the logical next step, and I think working with another producer at some point in the future.
What would you say you’ve taken from starting this project personally?
C: Maybe we should write this album first, that’s album three.
45
www.joshwhettingsteel.com
Artists
Josh Whettingsteel
Jordy van den Nieuwendijk
Editors Sam Ford
Josh Whettingsteel
Writers Sam Ford
Eleanor Philpot Al Mills
Ross Jones
Josh Whettingsteel Harley Cassidy Reuben Cross
Rhys Buchanan Dan Pare
Matt Bisgrove Phoebe Scott
Printed By Ex Why Zed
info@soyoungmagazine.com
Miguel Ă ngel CamprubĂ Michael Taylor
Nicholas Stevenson Ed Burkes
Lily Lambie-Kiernan REN
Hunter French Aless Mc
Cameron JL West Tomas Walmsley Caspar Wain
Cover Photo Ollie Nordh
Photos for Collage Chan Kim Adam Ali
Holly Whitaker Bands on Film
Benjamin Leggett
Fredrik Bengtsson Ollie Nordh
Website
Art Direction
News
Special Thanks
SoYoungMagazine (Facebook)
Ross Jones
www.soyoungmagazine.com
@soyoungmagazine (Twitter)
soyoungmagazine (Instagram)
www.joshwhettingsteel.com
Jamie Ford
Cameron JL West