So Young Issue Twenty-Six

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

The Cool Greenhouse Artistic block can be a frustrating time for any creator.

Do you have these pre-made characters that you return

Nowhere to turn and surrounded by piles of half finished

to when you write?

work, you begin to question your place, the point of it all. The answer to this for Tom Greenhouse was to trade

Yeah, there’s this guy called Blinkus Booth. Blinks Booth

the pen for the guitar. In doing so, he didn’t abandon the

is terrible, he’s like the worst version of me, he’s an awful

written word altogether but incorporated a melodic post-

narcissistic alcoholic try hard. I was thinking of writing a

punk layer that gave rise to greater experimentation with

concept about Mr Booth, he’s a very interesting character.

language, rhythm and narrative, creating the sound of The

It’s a very useful thing to have in your repertoire when

Cool Greenhouse. With the band having just dropped their

approaching things in a different way. But in the case of

self-titled debut, we called Greenhouse at his home in

‘Cardboard Man’ that guy doesn’t have a name, he’s an

the Norfolk countryside to talk creating characters for his

amalgamation of horrible people but he’s also me being

songs and toxic masculinity in rock music.

inquisitive about that [idea]. There’s a bit where it’s like ‘I have a nasty coke habit, good thing you know nothing

Why did you decide to turn your poetry and prose into

about it’ which is George Osborne. ‘The Sticks’ again is

songs?

me but an exaggerated version. I love being in the country, it’s been very sunny and I’ve been working on the garden

I find the stuff that I write translates better into music

and stuff. But also sometimes I feel a bit isolated and

for some reason. Some people refer to us as spoken

weird, so the person that’s talking there is an extreme

word music which I suppose we are but also the music

version of that feeling.

is indispensable because it makes the words a lot more effective. I think maybe that’s the reason I failed at

Speaking of ‘Cardboard Man’ that was one of my

straight up literature stuff because I needed that. Things

favourites on the album, I love how it takes a stab at

come across way differently in a song than they do in a

toxic masculinity...

poem, it’s a completely different context, even with just using a pronoun. I wasn’t really using those in the poems I

That was an important song for me to write because as

was writing anyway, but in a song you can say ‘I did this,

a straight white man...I mean apart from Merlin, who’s

you did that.’

amazing, the band is all straight white men and sometimes I’d wonder if it was even ethical for me to have a platform

Do you see your songwriting as storytelling?

or whatever, and I’d feel guilty about those things. But ‘Cardboard Man’ is a step in the right direction as I was

There are characters that appear that have names and if

like ‘Oh, you can take the piss out of yourself.’ If you’re

I’m being psychological about it maybe they all represent

getting up there as a white man and just taking the piss out

a different part of me or something. It’s like a freeing

of all the white men then it’s just brilliant! It’s certainly

creative exercise to do that. When I write songs I don’t

important to [acknowledge] that guitar music is still male

feel like it has to be my true self or feeling but then I also

dominated, especially when it comes to bands. I hate

don’t feel like I’ve written anything that I deeply disagree

that, all that posing and men just swinging their dicks

with. Ultimately, I use them as a vehicle to embody

about, it’s awful! I definitely think about that stuff very

something else.

sensitively and sometimes I’m appalled that some people don’t.

3

Words by Eleanor Philpot, illustration by Miguel Ángel Camprubí

Whilst 2019 saw her tackling the lo-fi lyricisms of ‘Blooming in Solitude’ – an irony so beautifully bizarre that not even Constance herself could predict its spiralling relevancy, her latest single ‘Monty Python’ is impressively even more instantly relatable than its predecessors and garnered accolade from the ranks of Annie Mac. With all focus facing forward, and our hearts set on an imminent return, there is no presently perfect time for Constance to ‘Want Out’ and start again. “I wanna be a Samurai-Queen’’ she declares, “but I lost my sword at sweet sixteen”. This is an artist who knows exactly what the fuck she’s seeking to represent; doing so with every kind of ‘knock the fucking tables over and let’s have a youth-fuelled bliss-out’, that ‘Skins’ could only ever aspire to re-create. If anyone can lead an intimate revolution during our time of universal anarchy, it’s Connie Constance.

CC: I was thinking the other day, it would actually be sick if there was an alien invasion. If it happened right now I’d go.

I’ve kinda been considering a cult? A nice, polite one but still something… if you’re talking getaways I think aliens are a step-up...

Phone me up! Anything anti-misogynistic, anti-racism, anti-coronavirus… good vibes? I’m there. It’s already fucked up enough, let’s have a go. What’s your alien name?

In all of time and space combined, there has been no presently greater force, than that of Connie Constance.

Definitely something multi-format. A colour or sequence of dance moves…

Channelling contemporary components of performance, (the realities of the imaginary) and theatrics,

Mine would be ‘bleepbloopbleep’- it means hug. You’re

(hyperextension of said reality) all in one grand DM

gonna struggle writing this up…

stomp, she presents a timelessly challenging blend of Britishness, frank sex and satirical humour so innately

I am… let’s pretend this was a natural transition?

of its own calibre, it has taken Paul Weller, six dudes rambling about the meaning of life and, an introduction

We both trained as dancers. A hobby steeped in

to the Arctic Monkeys producer to even remotely begin to

escapism, the meaning of such changes when it becomes

break down the multifaceted, cultural-sponge-badass that

a full-time education. How was it for you transitioning

was her debut album ‘English Rose’.

into a professional environment?

5

Words by Al Mills

It was how I dealt with everything- another cathartic way

Another teacher used to call movements “Eggy”. Things

of going somewhere and not thinking about anything

that have wow factor but no centre. When I write

because you’ve got to focus on your dance. But then at

sometimes I think ‘you can do better’... say something in

[dance] school I looked at the jobs and thought “why

every line that means something. With my visuals too, if it

the hell am I here?” Something that was a hobby for me,

seems like a cover up it has to go.

wasn’t worth “dying” for.

Dance was my voice when I didn’t have one but, it also It’s strange how physical exertion is so good for your

helped me lose it. You’ve taken that to the next level

mental wellbeing but it can also ruin it. Has that strong

though... in stopping dance, you picked up music?

relationship with discipline and control that dance gives you, helped you creatively?

With finding your voice, there was always stuff I wanted to talk about and dance wasn’t doing that. I was copying

There’s two things I still use today. [I had] a teacher who

someone else’s choreography. I’ve not quite merged the

was brutal, would scream at you if you made a wrong

two yet but it’s getting there.

move. As terrifying as that was, I’ve realised that some things which are natural to me: not talking on stage, not giving fear away to the audience, have been drilled in early. It’s a sense of professionalism.

Illustration by Josh Whettingsteel

6

You’ve cited the choreographer Pina Bausch, as an

That could also work as a Vivienne Westwood collab…

inspiration behind your ‘English Rose’ video. What

‘X Inner-Anarchy’.

was it about her that stuck?

A friend of mine said ‘Instant-Gratification-Generation’ to Her visuals are so striking- a guy doing sign language

me the other day which I thought would make a mad punk

in a room full of roses looks so beautiful. I’m into the

song.

pedestrian of contemporary. The video for Florence & the Machine ‘Big God’ [by Akram Khan] is my dream.

Your debut album opens with a cover of The Jam’s ‘English Rose’. Given the current political climate, do

It’s tragic but I taught myself that choreography in the

you think our ‘Instant-Gratification-Generation’ are

first month of lockdown…

more expected to re-interpret and re-claim traditions?

I used to always try and do this one… *here we paused

I think we, amongst ourselves, expect our friends to be

for a dance break. For reference, watch Desh by Akram

aware. We’re so confused that people think in homophobic

Khan*.

and racist ways, I don’t think the older generations anticipate how passionate we are about ‘what’s wrong’?

What does pedestrian / Bausch’s ‘language of life’

Yes, I questioned what an ‘English Rose’ means today but

mean when you’re songwriting?

some songs I get told are political when I just see them as normal. Now we’re in the next phase where we need to

I often write things straight off the bat when I hear

educate ourselves.

stories that are interesting. Even if I don’t share the same thoughts, I pull more stuff from their worlds. With ‘Monty

You’ve said before that people ‘see you as a genre’. Has

Python’ the story was a caricature in my head, a play-off

your performance arts background, and it’s liberal

of a real person. I’ve waited so long for that to come out…

environment, helped you document these pressures?

it’s weird. I’ve not played it live.

The arts are a lucky place to meet so many different The video for that could not contrast more with the

people instantly, so I couldn’t understand what people

present. Travelling around London, filling out The

didn’t get? I make indie music…why am I put next to

Moth Club...

Mabel? We’re not attracting the same fanbase. It took me a while to realise they’re not seeing me as how I see

I felt weird pushing it out… it’s such a random song to be

me. I’m just thinking about music, not my position of

coming out whilst everyone’s just in bed. There needed

where I fit in the world. Because of my skin you see me

to be some kind of hope that we were getting out of it.

as an RnB singer and I can’t get rid of that. Someone like

Watching a video made pre-lockdown feels like a time-

Lianne La Havas when I was younger, that was a perfect

capsule.

representation for me.

How do you feel about making future-facing decisions

*Alien paranoia was running high and so at this moment,

now?

when internet connection was lost, the conversation culminated over messenger. This is the extract you’re

I made a promise to myself this year that I’d only hone

allowed to see; the rest remains classified: *

in on things that I really ‘vibed’ with. If you’ve chosen to do something that’s seemingly difficult in success (even

See you on the flipside

though if you enjoy making stuff, you enjoy making stuff), why would you choose to do anything you dislike whilst

//.///.//../// . – Connie Constance.

doing something you love? Inner-anarchy!

7

Opposite, Michael Taylor, ‘Ginger Takes Charge’ Mixed Media on Paper

Protomartyr ‘Ultimate Success Today’ may just be Protomartyr’s most

The first five records will hopefully be a piece and

revealing moment yet. Overwhelmed by an unquestionable

anything else after this can be something different.

feeling of illness, frontman Joe Casey set out to capture

Unfortunately the timing makes it feel a lot more like the

living through suffering - and in the process understanding

end of something than I’d hoped, but you can’t fight time.

and coming to acknowledge his own mortality. The album is also perhaps the group’s rawest and most confounding

In that sense did ‘Ultimate Success Today’ feel like a

yet - a deeply captivating record that unveils a new

necessity to make?

layer of emotion and guidance with each listen, while embracing an even more mature sense of musicianship.

No, it’s never that life or death, but as we were writing

As we sat down with him to discuss the record’s creation

these songs, which was over a year ago now, I was feeling

and it’s impending release into a world where the future

very sick, physically ill. I’m in my forties and I have this

is even more complex than it was previously, you get the

terrible hobby where I’ll be watching a movie, which

sense that Casey and Protomartyr will take everything as it

I’ve been doing a lot during lockdown, and you look up

comes, no matter what the world throws at them.

the actors on wikipedia - you’ll look at their bios and if you focus on it too much you realise it’s almost like

How are you handling everything that’s happening?

a collection of miseries sometimes, when you focus on when and how they died. So I was ill, and my mortality

On the grand scheme of things I’m sure I’m doing ok, but

came clinging into view, and so I wanted to try to capture

it’s always disappointing when you think you are going

that mindset of how your brain races when you are ill. I

to evolve into a new man or something when faced with

wanted to write songs that were more of the moment and

something like this and I’ve done absolutely nothing. I

more emotionally raw, maybe not so studied like the past

haven’t read a book, haven’t written a song, haven’t learnt

records have been, and feeling ill brought me to that point

a new language, I’ve done nothing. You know you’d like

of writing about living through pain.

to find some positive in all this, but I’ve merely existed What I’ve always loved about your music is it’s subtle

for the last two and half months.

and alluring in a way that there feels like there is I read that before the re-release of your first album

always something new to acknowledge and decipher

and before making ‘Ultimate Success Today’, that you

within it. Would you say those little notions of

took time to explore how you felt in both those past

enlightenment embed themselves sometimes without

and present moments. For you, was that an exercise in

you even realising?

recentering?

I mean there’s always one or two songs on an album that I With this record I really wanted to reattach myself to that

don’t have any idea what they are about, I don’t have any

feeling of not thinking so much about the next step but

great pithy two sentence explanations for them. I always

living in the moment, which I think the first record has in

love hearing people’s interpretations of what I write

spades. I also wanted to be able to think about the last four

because sometimes it’s better than what I was thinking or

records, comment on them on the fifth one and then close

it’s so completely different than what I was intending.

that book.

Words by Ross Jones, illustration by Nicholas Stevenson

10

You kind of realise that trying to reach people is almost

What hit me most about the record is the sense of

impossible sometimes because people are on their own

finality - a sense of closure and acknowledgement that

wavelength. That interplay between what I intend and

what remains wrong will overwhelm us, no matter how

how it’s perceived I like because it changes overtime. You

much hope you possess, and we must adapt. Would you

can’t be too precious with your words, people are going to

say you’ve found a sense of closure from making this?

interpret them no matter what you do.

I was trying to think about it, because as depressing as I The collaboration within this record is perhaps the

can think the world is and as dark I can go, generally I’m

most you’ve explored as a group to date, would you say

a pretty ok person. I wake up in the morning most days

you had to slowly open up to the idea of welcoming in

and I’m happy to wake up. So I think the tone of this

others through necessity?

record, because I was feeling ill and because I’m a person who worries about dying and I’m scared about the future,

It’s something that just has to happen naturally, you’re

I thought how can I harness this sadness and get it out of

not going to have Jemeel Moondoc on the second record

the way. It’s almost like planning your funeral ahead of

when you can barely put a song together, you have to

time and now I’ve written a song like ‘Worm In Heaven’,

be confident in what you are doing to be able to invite

and I say goodbye and I give advice and I’m gone at the

people in I think. You want to make something beautiful

end of the song, now that it’s been written I don’t need to

enough that they want to collaborate with you. It’s good

worry about that anymore. Now that chapter is closed I

for the life of the band, it keeps it interesting for us most

need to think about something else, and I hope that works.

of all, but I like it ‘cause it proves that we’ve got to a point where we’re comfortable enough in our own skins

It’s been cathartic would you say?

to invite strangers in to get a peek at us. I hope that moves forward more, that’ll be a thing that’ll keep me wanting to

I never quite understand catharsis, I don’t think I ever

be in a band, the possibility of creating with other people.

quite achieve it, but it’s a way to clear the decks, get it down and out. I wouldn’t say I feel all of sudden like

I suppose in that sense you’d say you feel more

I’m walking around whistling, this year didn’t help my

confident in yourselves?

mindset, but I do feel like a lot of the stuff I grappled with last year, in some ways I see it played out in the world

I think after ten years we know what our strengths and our

now. I don’t know if that means the album is of its time,

weaknesses are. After every record and tour we do I try

it’ll be interesting to see, ‘cause I’m of two minds on

to get the temperature of the guys, because even though

that. I’m happy to touch on some universal themes while

I’m ten years older than them, they are now the age I was

talking about myself, but I’m also like well maybe people

when we started the band. At the time I thought I was too

don’t need this right now. Maybe in five years people can

old to be starting a band, when I was in my early thirties -

look back and say that was a quarantine record all right.

now I’m in my early forties so it’s like “are they still into

We’ll wait and see, I can’t control the future in that way.

this?”, they are getting older. Do they still find enjoyment in this? I’d never want it to be a drudgery, it can happen to anybody, that’s why it’s so hard for bands to continue, ‘cause it’s a very natural response to be like “I don’t have the spark anymore”. The collaborations gave us a new spark, it’s like adding wood to a fire and it’s been burning for a while, you’ve got to add some fresh wood and keep the fire going.

11

Protomartyr

www.edburkes.com

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

Chubby and

The Gang To simply put it, Chubby and The Gang do not fuck about.

Before lockdown was put into place you all kept day jobs, how has that been affected? What are your

Their first record ‘Speed Kills’ feels like a punch in the

feelings towards the government’s approach to this in

face. Unapologetic in it’s primal urges to simply lose

terms of work?

itself in a determinedly forceful beat, it brims with an uncompromising forcefulness that is intense but also

I’m an electrician on film sets usually. Long hours, very

undeniably joyful in how liberating it feels. Charlie

hard work. But yeah we ain’t going back any time soon.

Manning-Walker (AKA Chubby) froths with unkempt

No productions for now, I can’t see them allowing actors

authority - the looser his bark and tongue, the even more

getting sick. I doubt they would care if I was.

gratifying the band sound. Manning-Walker himself is as refreshingly blunt and to the point as his band’s

I think the government’s approach is another blatant

music, accepting and determined to crack on and make

display of contempt towards the poor. Boris’ last speech

the most of the cards handed out. They capture the pure,

essentially said if you can work from home you should.

unembellished exuberance and expression of rock and roll.

Only the middle class can work from home. He’s happy to send trades people and labourers out into the workplace

How are you doing through all of this?

where it’s impossible for them to social distance. He held off on a lockdown only to stop spending out on furlough.

Yeah I’m alright. Posted up. Had fever and shit but it’s

It’s transparent. Sticking up for his goons and not my

alright now. People get locked up for years and handle it,

goons. Same old story.

we’re all locked up for a few months in our own house.

Thing that fucks me off the most is watching celebrities tell me I’ll be alright. Gets right up my nose. Just got to roll with the punches.

Words by Ross Jones, illustration by Lily Lambie-Kiernan

16

How are you personally dealing with the lack of

I think a big mistake is trying to force things in songs. You

connection and interaction while in isolation - do you

can’t get stubborn with them cause they’ll get stubborn

find this difficult? Are you still interacting as a band?

back. I dunno maybe my approach is different but you can’t be sentimental with them.

When it comes to writing lyrics it’s difficult sometimes.

Was your relationship with Static Shock conducive

Nothing in, nothing out.

to releasing in this way? What’s the connection like We’re currently writing a second LP so we’re sending

there?

shit over voice notes a lot. I got a primitive little set up I’m tracking some music stuff out with. I ain’t got a

I’ve known him for years and years, we go to the pub a

microphone so I have to shout into the microphone on this

lot. He’s an amazing human being and has always been

borrowed laptop. Frustrating we can’t step into practice

supportive. He’s a good friend and runs a shit hot record

spaces and actualise them.

label, I made him promise me on a drunken night out when I was mouthing off to someone that he’d release it. This

In terms of mental health I think that’s something that

is before any songs were even thought about. Then we did

doesn’t get brought up a lot, we’re social animals so

the single in this basement in Dalston. He liked it, that was

we need that element and the nature of the virus denies

that. Me and him play in this band The Chisel together. He

us that. Sitting at home watching Seinfeld for 18 hours

does a big festival called Static Shock too, I don’t like big

everyday doesn’t scratch the itch. But you know I’d rather

gigs or venues or whatever but I love that fest.

that than give someone Covid and kill them.

Do you feel the record stands solely to serve the live You released the record pretty immediately, was it

show? Or does it represent its own being?

made quite spontaneously from forming as a group?

No I write a record for it to be taken in as a record. I don’t We’ve all been doing bands for a second in the punk

think about how songs will go down live. I think good

scene so the formula on making songs and sticking them

songs will carry over to the stage. I never really think

together was already there. We write very quickly. I didn’t

about the live sets. I think they probably do change. We

think about it but then people told me we do. The real

play faster live. We haven’t played that much. Probably

tricky part of it is trying to work it round our jobs and shit.

like six times in England. So I can’t really comment on us

I really have no time to be mucking about. I wanna make

as a live act. Think we’re still evolving there.

music. So I’m gonna make music.

Would you say you’re prolific in your approach to writing? Do you feel the need to find a sense of completion quite quickly and move onto the next project?

Yeah. I like writing. I don’t really have anything else to do. No other hobbies. I used to work night shifts as security on film sets sitting twelve hours in your frozen car just writing songs learning the harmonica. Never being bothered.

17

Chubby and The Gang

acknowledge dire situations or increasing societal

We’re social animals so we need that element and the nature of the virus denies us that.

I sense the definitive goal of your music is to

pressures and try to combat them through a collective desire to change. Do you find a sense of clarity or understanding from making the music you make?

I just write about experiences I have. How I feel about situations. I’m not a complicated person. As time goes on I feel less clear if anything. This term expression

gets thrown around a lot in music. But a lot of musicians express some shit I never feel. You can express yourself by throwing a chair through a window and it’s no less valid an expression than a swooning love song. Life

ain’t just “I love you. You left me. I’m happy. I’m sad”. I

wanted to present the music as catchy and melodic but I’m not gonna write about things that aren’t real and life ain’t

all that cushy. Things like Pariah Radio. Such a big part of

my life growing up. Just listening to different underground radio stations. Tuning into different things. Such a pure form of music in my opinion. I guess growing up in

London lyrically I take influence from what’s around me.

The record captures definitive characters and places

that pieces together a narrative whole, would you say you like to take a documentarian approach in your writing style?

Yeah. I’m really not a lyricist. I kinda take literal

examples of things I’ve seen and done and apply them to music. I never finished English GCSE at school so that element was hardest for me.

What would you like people to take from the music you make?

Nothing.

28

Viagra Boys were on a sublime, drug-fuelled revolt when

It seemed almost too surreal then, when I was told, at

‘Sports’ was released. Shades on, gut out, beer in hand

the time of this interview, that another album was due at

with lyrics belched out, nothing felt as filthy or as freeing

the end of the Summer. Upon talking to Seb however, it

as their glorious defiance of good health when it arrived in

became quickly apparent that wasn’t quite the case. In

2018. It was almost like a revelation to find out that they’d

fact, an album isn’t going to be released until perhaps

been pushing the limits of their musical derangements

another two years and either way, they weren’t allowed

for two years already, when they released their first body

to talk about any new music. At all. It was strictly off

of work, the quite frankly brilliant, ‘Consistency Of

bounds. The small sheet of paper in front of me, filled

Energy’. However, ‘Sports’ and the album it adorned,

with numerous questions about an impending record,

‘Street Worms’, was the real catalyst for the band, a gum-

suddenly seemed as useless and as futile as a knitted

numbing entity that revelled in the vacancy of life, jeering

condom. With Sweden pretty much untarnished by the

at it, chained together by pure bass-driven machismo but

plight of this pandemic and no new music to discuss, what

never taking itself too seriously, with the last laugh always

our chat did transition in to was a flurry of whole-hearted

being at their own expense.

honesty with Seb discussing coming to terms with himself, what he has learnt during a turbulent life and career and

People, myself included, found that Viagra Boys were

his vision for the future.

a band that they really fucking wanted and maybe even needed; the kind of band that could bring out the best and

Are you isolating in Sweden at the moment?

the worst in you, ruining your Internet search history to boot. However, with progression comes a certain self-

I’m in Sweden at the moment, yeah.

examination and in February, they released ‘Common Sense’, a four-track EP swimming in a sea of spasmodic

How’s the lockdown approach been there?

grooves but bound by twinges of guilt. It was the band at their most vulnerable - or frontman, Sebastian Murphy, at

There’s no lockdown.

his most vulnerable, at least.

Words by Harley Cassidy, illustration by Josh Whettingsteel. Photo by Ollie Nordh

20

Well I guess the main thing we can talk about then is

Oh really, so you’ve been fine then?

the EP you released in February, ‘Common Sense’.

Yeah, I’ve been OK. I’m glad that there hasn’t been a

As someone who has been a fan of you since you first

lockdown cause I’ve been able to work, which is good,

started releasing music, this EP seemed a lot more

cause I need money. I don’t have enough money to just

introspective and vulnerable compared to the self-

sit at home all day. But yeah, hopefully the Swedish

ridicule of your other works...

government knows what they’re doing.

Yeah, it kind of follows a storyline in some way with my Yeah, their approach seems to be pretty laid back

lyrics. It all shows what I’m going through personally. You

compared to over here. I mean, either way, the music

know, maybe I lived a pretty hard life during the times

industry has taken a beating...

that I wrote them. The LP and the music before the LP, there’s a lot of regret and anxiety that comes after that. I

Oh yeah, everything has been cancelled. My only fear is,

think when I wrote the songs on that LP, I was in a much

or my only insecurity is, if this keeps on for a year and a

more vulnerable place, you know, I’d been dumped by my

half, there’s going to be some great fucking Corona-era

girlfriend and I was more self-reflective.

boy bands who will make us irrelevant.

Your music deals with the ridiculousness of living and revelling in it but then you also talk about

I wouldn’t worry too much about that, haha...

excessiveness and how crippling that can be. Do you think you live in a constant balance between the two?

Haha, nah, I don’t actually believe that. I haven’t really felt all that down about it cause it just feels like there’s nothing you can do about it so you just have to make the

Yeah, definitely. The older I get, the more I try and

best out of the situation. I’ve actually been getting a lot of

balance it so it’s not that black and white. You feel like

work done and a lot of music done and all that shit, so it’s

shit if you live your life like that the whole time. Recently

been fine.

I have been trying to find a balance and I don’t know if I’m going to end up sober but right now, it works out

I was going to ask you about that cause obviously a

great. You can’t just live your life like a crazy rock star

lot of bands here have been struggling to meet up or

and I’ve been struggling with that my whole life. As I get

rehearse together or write together...

older the less I take that shit seriously. I still party, don’t get me wrong. Like today, I’m sat drinking beer with some

Oh shit yeah, that’s true. We’ve still been able to meet up

friends and then tomorrow I’m going to do some tennis

and practice and write new music.

lessons and go for a run.

You have an album coming out - what are the plans

Do you think you have the same vision and intentions

with that?

that you did when you first started making music?

Well, I don’t really know, we’ve got a lot of music but

When I first started making music I was trying to find a

all I can really say is that we’ve got a lot of music that’s

way to live constantly high on amphetamine and I had a

finished. So sometime between now and 2023, you’re

bit of a romantic vision with that and to show the world,

going to hear a new album.

this is how I’m gonna live and I’m gonna make it work and you guys are gonna be sorry when you see that it

OK, well that’s always good to know...

works. And then obviously, it doesn’t work. I’ve ruined my life, haha.

Haha, it’s all top secret stuff, you’re gonna have to get to know me and come to Sweden.

I wouldn’t say that! You’re in a band that people really love...

Viagra Boys

Yeah, but I mean in my personal life. My friends didn’t

Huge fan. Jason’s a friend of mine. There’s an interview

wanna hang out with me. My girlfriend dumped me. My

coming up with me on his Instagram actually - the late

band mates thought I was really difficult to deal with. It’s

nights with Jason thing.

not good for other people even though I thought I was having a good time. It’s not worth it if you don’t get to be

I read that you were raised in California and then you

with the people you love.

moved to Sweden - what caused that transition?

But ultimately you’re aware of it now, you’re not in

I moved to Sweden when I was 17. I had been in rehab in

some kind of state of denial...

California and I got out and I just felt like shit and I didn’t want to go back to school and go back to my old habits

Yeah, it’s the first step to getting shit done.

and I had always had this romantic dream of moving to Europe. I have family in Sweden and I was only going to

Going back to the EP, how come you set all the lyric

be here for six months and I’ve been here for 13 years.

videos in a conference room?

What was California like?

That was kind of a play on how, starting with the first song on the EP, ‘Common Sense’, it’s much more of a

Kinda boring. It was nice, I was really privileged, I had

pop song than a punk song and I was expecting to get a

a really nice life but being an American kid growing up

backlash like ‘you fucking sell outs’ and we wanted to

you don’t really do anything, you just drive around with

play on that whole concept of selling out and that our band

your friends and smoke weed. Parents in Sweden are

is like some sort of business and we needed to step things

much more trusting of their kids and they can go and do

up. But it’s all kind of a big joke. It just looked funny.

whatever they want. People ask me ‘oh what was high school like?’ And it’s exactly like the movies. People

It did - it reminded me of The Office...

in different groups, the jocks, the skaters, the losers, the Mexicans, the blacks, they all hang out in their own

Yeah, that was the inspiration. It was a lot of fun to do,

specific spots and they hate each other.

we had no script and we just did it in a couple of hours. It turned out alright. I didn’t wanna make real music videos

Who were you part of?

for these songs just because I felt like we have songs coming up on the new album that we wanna do that with

I was part of the stoners and the skaters and we were the

instead. With a new sound you want to try a new approach

most multi-cultural group, at least.

and who knows if everyone hates it, we might have to make a new EP that sounds just like the first one.

Where do you see the future of music heading?

It doesn’t sound or seem like you have done anything

I think it’s going to be hard for the people who already had

for commercial gain, it just seems like you’ve

jobs but I think for the future, hopefully some of these big

progressed...

bookers will go out of business and it’ll be good because there’s going to be a new, fresh, batch of musicians and

Oh, well that’s great. I mean yeah, we are just progressing

people that work within music. There’s gonna be new

as people, you don’t wanna do the same shit all the time.

ways of making and watching music and ultimately, I

We all listen to all sorts of genres and you don’t want to

think everything new is good.

be stuck in the same thing. I think it’s boring when bands sound the same throughout unless it’s like Sleaford Mods.

Are you a fan of them, yeah?

www.joshwhettingsteel.com

22

Tiña

“In general, slowing down gives you more out of what’s

Our resonance with that title is that it came quite naturally

around you already, things you wouldn’t notice when

much like a lot of the good things with this band.

you’re living in a rat-race mentality”- Calum Armstrong, Tiña.

Adam: For me mental health doesn’t really matter whether the parameters of the world change that much...it’s an

Tiña are a group who don’t shy from statements. Their

internal struggle and I feel the music represents that. It

debut LP ‘Positive Mental Health Music’ braves the

takes on different resonances because of the changing

humour in honesty and is the first full record by label

outside world but it’s still a very internal album.

Speedy Wunderground. A band who’ve mastered the humanity in being themselves, they’re a rising companion

Personally, there’s a reflected surrealism to Tiña.

to our changing world. Together with Tiña, we’re

Narrative honesty set within tentative dreaming…

internally soaring and externally keepin’ on.

J: There’s play in the lyrics because I try to let them speak Has the meaning of ‘Positive Mental Health Music’

for themselves. I could be logical about it but looking

changed for you recently?

inside, it’s such a strange world…I don’t know if language can always do that justice. I try and embody a sense of

Josh: A friend of mine came to see [Tiña] and at the end

presence in everything but at the same time, you can’t

of the gig he was saying “Positive Mental Health Music”,

always hark back to how you felt when you wrote a song;

and I held on to it. It felt like it suited the music so well,

it changes over time.

like something quite secure in its own place.

Calum: “If you give someone a mask, then they’ll show I don’t want to crowbar but there is a relevancy to the fact

you who they really are.” What I think we all get from the

that lockdown has made people more introspective and

live shows is that in our day-to-day, being in the moment

there’s a challenge to mental health there.

can sometimes be a scary thing but performing, you’re given a space to be in the present.

23

Words by Al Mills, illustration by REN

Lockdown ha made peopl ore introspective

The organic development of costumes is part of our fleshy mask, but we get to say what we want to say too.

Oliver: There’s a defiance in being playful, making the dark stuff visually fantastical and into a joy.

J: You can create an expectation with how you look. When you think about people talking about death or extreme anxiety, you don’t think of someone in a pink cowboy hat but for some reason, it works. Richard Brautigan has been a huge influence to me, his writing’s incredibly sad but it’s hilarious as well. How many times can you talk about death until it’s surreal?

BASS: We didn’t come up with this for a certain reason… it’s who we are as a group of people regardless of being musicians and letting that, manifest into something more presentational.

Like a Daniel Johnston effect?

J: It’s interesting when you listen to Johnston talking about the worst times and how that’s expressed musically through the way he constructs his songs. It’s refreshing to have that experience of going down a path with someone and relate to it. My brother quoted me saying ‘we’re not serious, but we’re sincere’.

Would Tiña have unfolded as naturally without the support of Speedy Wunderground?

O: We’d been talking amongst ourselves about what to do next and then Dan was like: “let’s make an album!”.

We did the whole record in four days, getting all the other assets together takes a while but if we’d been doing it ourselves, there’d have been so much more going back and forth.

A: Dan wanted to keep the same recording approach as the 7” so we all went into it with the idea of it being quick.

J: It’s funny listening back to the record, we chose to make ‘I Feel Fine’ faster because we re-recorded it on the album. ‘Dip’ just is, faster. We were so keen to get it right, we sped up for Speedy.

www.jordy.studio

Having been brewing in sweaty London basements for the

What someone else does to it will have an impact.

past four years, eclectic sextet For Breakfast have finally emerged into the wider world with the recent release of

GT: Rehearsing every week helps us as well because I

their debut EP, ‘Songs in the Key of O’. An emphatically

think we have a very good work ethic in general.

bizarre collection of four songs brimming with experimentation and curious twists and turns, this first

What have you all bonded over as a group in terms of

release by the group is a true triumph in making disparate

musical influence?

influences sound comfortable together.

SB: Everyone in the band is going to share the same taste In this introductory feature, the band discuss their origins,

with at least one other member, so there’s always that

how they tackle combining so many clashing inspirations

cohesion, and the other side of it is that we don’t shy away

and the difficulties of releasing music in a time when

from what someone in the band might like that others

unable to promote themselves in the live setting they

don’t. For example, there’s math-rock and noise bands that

cherish so much.

only me and Omar listen to.

How does it feel to finally have your debut release

OZ: I think the influence has to be sporadic though,

under your belt and how do you feel about the

especially when you’ve got a flute in the mix. If you’ve

reactions it has got so far?

got noise in there all of the time, nothing’s going to come through.

MH: I think we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve managed to make of it. It’s obviously a very weird time

SB: We’d probably get bored if we just took from one

to put anything out into the world when normally it’s

person’s influences at a time and ask ourselves why it

followed up by release shows and plans for tours, so it’s

hasn’t changed into a different genre yet.

been an odd experience.

Were there any goals you had set out to achieve with SB: You get very involved in the minutiae of it from

your debut release?

the band’s end of things so it’s good to get that broader perspective and meaning of it. I think the nicest thing is

SB: We wanted to make the EP sound palatable, so I guess

how people have taken that on and really engaged with it.

the goal was kind of finding out if anyone thought it was any good. It’s hard to differentiate between whether we

How did the band come together in this incarnation

like it because we all enjoy hanging out and making music

and come to settle on the styles you go for? It

together or because the songs are actually any good.

seems you’ve all come from quite disparate musical backgrounds.

WE: Certain tracks express different sides of our musical influences to greater and lesser extents and I think that’s

SB: Joe and I initially decided we were going to be in a

another dynamic that we like to have, adding fluidity in

band because it would be cool. I was the vocalist for a

the style of what’s going into it but also attempting to

little while and we also had two bassists and a mandolin

have some kind of cohesiveness.

- there were 8 of us in total. We quickly realised Maya is a better singer than I am and kind of changed tack. That’s

What’s next for For Breakfast?

when Omar and Gail joined and we actually got quite good, and now here we are.

MH: I’d like to record a second EP with some of the bits we had pre-lockdown after we finished recording. We have

MH: I think the way we’ve always described the way

enough there but it’s just a case of trying to consolidate

we write everything is that it’s a democratic process -

our favourite bits of what we’ve done to make something

nobody’s idea is bad.

new. Oh, and gigs. Just let us loose on the world.

Words by Reuben Cross, illustration by Josh Whettingsteel

30

Born out of necessity, but for who? Possibly everyone. A

T: All credit goes to Ella for coming up with the idea of

true lockdown project, London collective Group Therapy

the compilation to raise money for two such important

have inspired the creative and charitable spirit of the UK’s

charities - I’m super grateful to her for asking me to be

underground artists as well as raising a considerable sum

involved! We have chatted basically every day since,

of money for some of the hardest hit causes during the

and we have managed to divide up the work equally

pandemic. ‘Vol.1’ invited the deranged and the pretty to

between us. I have learnt A LOT during the process.

sit side by side, hosting demos from the likes of Shame,

The name ‘Group Therapy’ was born out of the idea of

Sorry, Porridge Radio and Hotel Lux as well as brand new

people getting together to produce something creative as a

sounds from relatively early projects such as Platonica

cathartic response to lockdown, which sort of sums up the

Erotica and Rosie Alena. Founding pair, Tash Cutts and

project as a whole.

Ella Harris aimed to create a platform where ideas could be shared and money can be raised, and with the help

E: It’s been a really great experience working on this

of Cal Cashin, Jamal Guthrie and Richard Walsh, this

project with Tash - I’ve never collaborated on something

Bandcamp project has just become physical, releasing a

completely digitally before, couldn’t have made something

triple cassette in a bid to continue the fundraising for NHS

like this without her! Getting everything together involved

Charities and the Music Venue Trust. We caught up with

a lot of texting (spoken to Tash more than the people I’m

Tash and Ella to see how it all came together and ask what

isolating with).

Group Therapy is all about.

As Tash mentioned, this project is all about coming Before we get onto the release of your first compilation,

together in a challenging time and sharing music,

I’m interested to know about the formation process.

experiences and conversation to raise awareness and

Group Therapy is ultimately a project born out of

provide some emotional relief. In the lead up we

lockdown, how did you communicate and pull your

highlighted artists’ experiences of venues, it feels very

ideas together?

reflective of the sort of support structures you find within community relief.

31

Words by Sam Ford

You’ve decided to take the compilation to physical

Whilst we are on the subject of Covid-19, as a collective

form and release a triple cassette, what made you

how have you been coping?

decide that you’d like it to be available in a physical format?

E: Like anything there’s been low points and high points I’m more concerned now than I was at the start lockdown,

T: For me there has always been something so special

due to the government’s handling of current situations

about physical formats. I love the idea of something

paired with the horrific events happening in the US and in

tangible that you can hold in your hands, and build a

the UK to black people.

collection of treasures that you can have forever.

Group Therapy helped a lot with lockdown. On a personal E: Couldn’t agree more with Tash! It’s also given a

level, hearing so many artists’ music made me feel very

chance to view the album in a new light. Split into 6 ‘mini

connected to everyone in a time where I had started

albums’, each side highlights a particular collection of

feeling quite alone. Seeing all this creativity come from

songs from genres and scenes. From classical hybrids to

such a bleak time was a real joy to watch unfold.

folk to experimental electronica, each side looks more closely into some of the many branches of the UK music

T: This is a truly terrifying time, both on a political and

scene that we love.

social level, but on a very personal one too. It’s impossible not to get weighed down by social media, and spend your

The compilation came together in order to raise some

time wondering what you should or shouldn’t be doing or

money and provide some relief to both the Music Venue

thinking during lockdown.

Trust and NHS Charities which have been struck so hard during this time. Can you tell us a bit about

Group Therapy has provided me with a way of coping

why you decided to donate the money raised to these

with some of these feelings. So many amazing people

charities and what you hope to achieve/provide for

were up for being involved in the project, and it has been a

them?

real reminder of how supportive, connected and ultimately positive the music industry can be.

E: We selected these two causes for a number of reasons, although the NHS shouldn’t be a charity - it’s a very

65 tracks is a whopper of a release, and you’ve called

desperate time and any help to aid key workers in keeping

it Volume 1. Should we expect Volume 2 anytime

safe is very important. I have a family member who is a

soon and who would be some dream artists to have

nurse and they’ve expressed the lack of sufficient PPE is

involved?

frightening.

E: We have lots of ideas for future releases, albeit maybe The Music Venue Trust’s Save Our Venue campaign

slightly shorter ones! A big focus of ours is music in

also struck a chord with us, grass roots venues mean a

response / aid of crisis, and as 2020 has shown there’ve

lot to us and the artists involved. It was at these spaces

been an awful lot of really awful events unfolding. It’d

I met my band, a lot of my friends, I’ve worked, I’ve

be great to reach out to artists from across the world

performed - it’s very upsetting to think a lot of venues

for future editions of Group Therapy. A thing I enjoyed

might not survive this pandemic. Music is created in these

about this project was the connection of artists from

spaces, the ability to perform / experiment with your

spanning genres across the UK coming together in aid

music to audiences at early stages of your career is vital

of something. To take this connection wider, I think it’d

in helping you develop as an artist. It also builds musical

make us all feel a bit more connected to the world around

communities which rely on these spaces to gather and

us in a time where we all need to band together. We’re

share work with one another.

so open to collaboration, we hope in the future we can work alongside lots of different creatives on projects and releases.

Happyness After battling the usual technical gremlins and finding a

Ash: We’d spent so long with the band being the major

room with sufficient internet connection to hold our Zoom

part of our identity and maybe we didn’t explore ourselves

call, it becomes clear that quarantine has been getting

as much because we were so focussed. It feels amazing to

to Happyness. Singer Jon EE Allan has taken a shaver

be back doing it and feeling better about it. We realised we

right through the middle of his head - and after a quick

couldn’t lose this way of making sense of our lives.

observation, he’s offering a sales pitch on why we should follow suit.

Jon: We needed enough time to pass that we totally forgot how to be a band or why we started being a band so we

He’s sensibly holed up with fellow band member in

can do whatever this is.

drummer Ash Kenazi, and once the pair have relocated, we launch into a chat about their stellar third full-length

You’ve been in that world for a long time now - it must

‘Floatr’. This was very much an album of settling old

be refreshing to have taken that step back and get your

scores for the band, cleaning a slate and reintroducing

heads straight?

themselves to the world. They have after-all lost a founding member in the period prior to making the album.

Ash: I’ve seen so many people suffer from exactly that -

While this was understandably a traumatic period for

which is being in such a tight-knit band ethos that they’re

all involved - it’s evident they’re now thriving having

not so able to explore their own personalities.

effectively re-discovered their love for music.

Jon: As soon as you start having a few people know your While ‘Floatr’ has been something of a cleansing process

music and who you are it kind of just feels like there’s a

for the group, it’s also offered them something of a blank

circle around you. You get in this mindset that there’s a

canvas to go forward with a fresh start - a notion that has

way that you do things and you have to do that. It’s the

been helped along by being trapped indoors at the time of

whole idea that if you don’t keep the intensity up then

talking. After the new normal of lockdown formalities, we

everything goes to shit.

delve into the last few pivotal years for the band.

Ash: Also people telling you ‘oh that works so do that What made you realise it was time to start making

again’. I think that’s really bad for creativity. We’d be told

music again ahead of ‘Floatr’?

‘this song was the most popular on your last record so you should write ten more of those’ and that’s not healthy.

Jon: We were getting stuff together for a long time but many things were changing. We were always intending to

Jon: Particularly because we hadn’t played live before our

do stuff, I think we had to make sense of a few things for

first record. We’d played about three shows, we didn’t

ourselves because obviously we lost a band member. It’s

have a team, a manager or an agent. As soon as you start

a big thing to go through, it’s like a divorce or something,

having it be like a bit of a machine with different parts,

there’s a lot of who gets what and it’s a bit of an emotional

suddenly there’s a lot of different pressures. I don’t think

rollercoaster.

many bands do it the way we did it, where you decide to release music before you go and do the whole thing. It confused the fuck out of us.

33

Words by Rhys Buchanan, illustration by Hunter French

You weren’t just thrown into that world but you were

Ash: Putting a new band together brought challenges as

in a position of expectation - did you feel any of that

well. The band had always been three friends playing

pressure?

together. So finding new friends has been possibly one of the best things about making this record. Playing with

Jon: I am really bad at judging what other people are

Max (Bloom) has been particularly interesting. It’s not the

perceiving me as so for me it was a lot of white noise. Ash

same experience. He says that when you’ve played in a

is a lot better at understanding the field.

band with childhood friends and there’s a whole hierarchy or system that works there, it can be really difficult

Ash: It’s a classic story but the reason that the second

moving away from that but also really exciting. We learnt

album is so tricky is exactly that. If you do get the

a lot from each other.

opportunity to make a second record, the pressure is so high to make it work.

How does it feel to have come through all of that?

Jon: Our second album was so crazily different to the

Jon: It’s a massive relief. The weird thing about it this

circumstances under which we made the first one. I think

time is we’ve played two headline shows since we got

a lot of bands have a bit of a following and a sense of

together and they were both small shows. They were so

themselves whereas we were three people in a room doing

fun. We also did End of The Road and a few spot shows

whatever we wanted. People want to categorise you and

and April was supposed to be our headline tour. It’s a

we don’t have that idea of ourselves.

very different experience playing to ‘your crowd’ and we haven’t really had that in a big way yet. So much of what

‘Floatr’ does feel deeply intimate in the face of the

Ash does is about performing and it’s been hard.

transitions within the band - was that something you wanted to come through?

Ash: This album release is the first time where the whole process didn’t pass me by. The first two albums it was as

Jon: At the time we made it we weren’t really fucking

if we were just sitting there and it happened, but this one I

with the whole scene. We were in quite a weird situation.

really feel proud of.

Suddenly you’re at this point where your first album is the most exciting thing ever, the second tries to build on it,

So we can get excited about the next phase of

then it’s like do we just keep making albums forever? It’s

Happyness then?

not a novelty anymore so it’s a lot more about our personal lives rather than making a massive statement. ‘Floatr’

Jon: We haven’t even sent the new stuff to our

was about trying to make a record that paid homage to the

management yet, we’re just about to bounce it down.

world we loved as early twenty-year-olds because by the

We’ve got so much material. This is the first time we’ve

time we were making our second album things got toxic,

made an album where we can’t go and do anything like

which I guess is natural if you’re three guys with lots of

play shows. So basically for the first time in a very long

expectations.

time, we’re making new stuff because it feels good to make and we’re not in emotional turmoil. We’re making

So it’s all about getting back to your original values

music that we enjoy making and it’s pretty fucking

then?

different.

Jon: It’s kind of a really hard one because we made it a long time ago now. We self-released it and it takes a lot of time and work to do that yourself. We’re really lucky to have an awesome manager now, so we’ve been getting it all back together essentially.

35

Happyness

www.jordy.studio

Public Practice “Take me to the moon / I wanna see all the lights” – so

We caught up with Sam York and Vince McClelland over

exclaims vocalist Sam York, opening ‘Gentle Grip’, the

Zoom (thank you Corona), to talk about the warring nature

debut album from New York’s Public Practice – and

of morality and comfort, the absence of consumerism

although it’s her request, we as listeners are the ones

afforded by a global pandemic, and whether digitally

jettisoned into space.

performed art is worth the effort.

The band have spoken in the past about their love of

At time of writing, we’re right on the cusp of your new

performance and it’s cathartic nature; “We’re just about

album coming out. Could you tell me a little bit about

having a good time – when you have a stage you should

some of the themes and ideas behind the work?

use it, that’s what feels genuine to me”, but to peg them simply as a fun, ‘showy’ band feels reductive. They

Sam: I would say that the record overall is about the

collectively ooze the sort of generational cool that seems

moral gymnastics that it takes to be a person in modern

to only come from the ‘cobbled together’ sound of 1970’s

society who Is seeking to be good, and what that means

New York - a mix of gyrating darkness and sultry glamour.

is subjective. I’m not trying to tell anyone the answer,

They’re a sprinkling of Talking Heads, a splash of

more just pose the question. I’m not going to be standing

Television, but also made up of enough them, enough self-

on top of a soapbox telling people how to feel, but we all

induced groovy abandon that they’re head-and-shoulders

twist and bend to feel comfortable in the way we’re living

above the long list of other bands who share those exact

our lives. I can’t speak for anyone other than myself,

influences. Beefy, funky basslines underpin the majority

but there are things I do that I will justify even though

of the album, and it’s clear that most tracks were made

on paper I really don’t agree with them, just because it

with the dancefloor in mind. Album standout track ‘My

makes my life more comfortable. It’s not good, but it’s a

Head’ teases with quasi-disco strings, and feels like the

fact of my reality that I’m trying to face- like how do you

taste of a smoke machine in a strobe-lit club.

work through that fact once you accept it as reality. Do I continue down that path once I know I’m pulling a sheet

At the time of writing, ‘Gentle Grip’ has just been released

of ignorance over my own eyes? Or do I try and look my

to the world digitally through Wharf Cat Records, with

life in the face, and change it to participate in the world

a physical release penned for later in the year. In these

I’d want to live in?

uncertain times ahead, Public Practice seem to have blessed us with the perfect antidote for whatever sundrenched melancholia the future holds.

Words by Dan Pare, illustration by Aless Mc

38

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

The Lounge Society I’m downstairs selling T-Shirts at The Social and a

We say this all of the time but we’d really struggled to get

chap comes up to me and says I should check out his

the live sound and energy on the recordings we’d done

son’s band, The Lounge Society. He explains they’re

of ‘Generation Game’ in the past. They always sounded

from Hebden Bridge and about to release with Speedy

flat and too nice, but live the track has real energy that’d

Wunderground. That’s all we need to hear nowadays,

been missing on the demos. The way Dan records is pretty

they’ve been given the nod. It’s hard to predict whether

much the same as a live scenario and of course the lasers

the political murmurs of Fat White Family, Shame,

and smoke machine helped create the energy!

Goat Girl and Sleaford Mods ever infiltrate the “grey comprehensive high schools” but in The Lounge Society

‘Generation Game’ is quite the political statement to

we have proof. Debut and only single to date, ‘Generation

enter the world with. Why was it important that this

Game’ is a gutsy introduction to the world. Teen angst

song came first?

and global dissatisfaction paired with the Dan Carey laser treatment makes for an almighty first impression.

We wanted this track to be our debut single because we wanted to say something, which a lot of bands don’t.

How are you all doing? What are your lockdown

Newspapers like The Sun and The Daily Mail need to

circumstances and what’s been getting you through it?

be seen for what they are – the tools of millionaires to distract people from the horrors round the corner, whether

We’re in relatively fine fettle. We’re all separated which is

that’s the ‘thought transformation camps’ in China or the

a pain but we’re muddling through – seeing the response

decimation of all that’s sacred here in the UK. We could

to ‘Generation Game’ from people has been a huge morale

easily have released a more ‘typical single’ style track but

boost, not only from Steve Lamacq and Lauren Lavene but

we all felt ‘Generation Game’ was the prefect debut single

also from some listeners at home. We saw an amazing blog

and Dan thought the same thing so it all worked out really

post from a man called Jon Stokes who said that hearing

well.

us on the radio helped him out of a dark place. Hearing that means a lot to all of us and that’s precisely the impact

You’re from Hebden Bridge, home to the ‘Calder

any self respecting band wants to have.

Sound’. Do you feel like you’re growing up in a particularly fertile creative hub?

You released ‘Generation Game’ via Speedy Wunderground. Can you talk us through how that

Being able to see local bands like The Orielles playing at

all came together and what Dan Carey brought to the

venues such as the Trades Club has given us something to

band?

really look up to and aspire to. There’s definitely a sort of scene of young bands from ‘calder’. I think what’s nice

We sent a demo of ‘Generation Game’ to Speedy hoping

about the ‘scene’ of bands (The Orielles, Working Men’s

they’d listen and they got back to us really quickly and

Club, Goa Express) is that we’re all pretty different, so

said they wanted us to come down and record it as a

although we get categorised as all part of the ‘ Calder

Speedy single. Recording with Dan and releasing with

scene’ we’ve all got our own style. There are some really

Speedy is a dream for us really. We love their ethos and

exciting bands from the area who haven’t released yet but

style of releasing music. They are the most important label

are due to- keep your eye out for Three Day Week and The

in the world.

Short Causeway, both really fucking good.

41

Words by Sam Ford, illustration by Cameron JL West

caroline Caroline are an 8-piece group, sometimes larger than that,

Do you feel like it’s less forced in that way?

that craft droning and atmospheric pieces of music that embrace you with a sense of solace and understanding.

Casper: I don’t think we work that differently to other

It’s beautifully cinematic the way they create such moving

bands, it’s just that the starting point isn’t someone

progressions, so meditative in the way it loosens and

initially writing a song in a traditional sense. In a similar

swells with physical form.

way that other bands jam over other music, we did the same. I don’t think there’s anything that special about our

As we chat amongst ourselves about Jasper’s cycling

process, it’s just that we don’t have a songwriter.

antics, the current sense of insecurity and anxiousness around London and how they’ve all kept in touch while

J: I think when you are in a band, and you are really

safely apart - you can’t help but be ushered warmly into

enjoying playing it, you just keep on playing it. Now

the world of caroline and acknowledge the indefatigable

that’s instinctively what we do, we write long songs, I

sense of trust they share in one another, whichever

don’t think there was any reigning it in.

direction this increasingly alluring project may lead.

Mike: We were refining other things about the music Could you tell from writing this music that it would

instead of the length.

work well within a large group?

Do you feel like that approach has developed the more Jasper: I think it’s always been a thing of we’ve never

that you’ve written together?

wanted the music to be limited by the number of people, because we have an amazing network of friends and

J: Yeah it has, I think we naturally play off each other

people that we’ve always played music with. We’ve just

better, or in a more sensitive way with nuance, we are

been able to invite people in for specific parts and then

more detailed in our interactions because we’ve played

they’ve ended up staying and now the music is more

together so much. I think we also see the importance of

written with them in mind.

the dynamics, we really focus on that. I think before we were still doing really long songs but we didn’t really

There certainly seems to be a sense of versatility to it in

change our individual playing, we just changed the

that way?

dynamic by adding more elements without actually having that much variety within it. We alter our parts individually

J: It’s weird because it is a mix, we’re very careful and

now and we have more sensitivity in how we play them

we’re generally quite cautious I think, in terms of we take

ourselves.

ages working over ideas. But then there are always a lot of relatively unpredictable elements to it, when we play live

Saying that, I feel that the mood and atmosphere that

for example.

you create stems from crafting it all together as a whole?

Words by Ross Jones, illustration by Josh Whettingsteel

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

VLURE VLURE are a self-described ‘band without a front’; a

Conor: From the start nothing’s premeditated. You can

studio idea, to embrace uncompromised inspiration against

cover something up with anything but you can’t dress up a

the brutalist backdrop of Glasgow’s industrial trade

pure human thing, that is what it is. If I come off stage and

heritage. Built with desire, two brothers and ceaseless

I’ve not got ten minutes where I feel like I’m not there,

camaraderie, they bleed personal confrontation whilst

it’s like I’ve not done the songs justice in a weird way. But

challengingly embracing the vulnerability, in being a word

it’s healthy and positive.

of mouth band, with no single to date.

H: Keeping it real is why we did ‘Desire’ as the live To make art physically and figuratively from within

performance rather than a single. We wanted people to

spaces that aren’t built for such, is a communally visceral

get a picture of how we are as people. It’s not just a song

experience. “An impassioned campaign against design-less

that’s there, you get a representation of what it means to

lust and addiction”- they’re a chest pummelling beast to

us; where we are in Glasgow, where we formed a band

be witnessed in the escapist’s arena of live and life.

and the surroundings we see on our way to practise every day- all of that.

Consciously evading material expectations through the form of a tangible release and instead, using a live

Carlos- It kinda forces you to think of the emotional

interpretation of track ‘Desire’ as a conversation starter for

intensity in eye contact. There’s completely no frills, it

something bigger. From audience interactions to frontman

is what it is all in real time monochrome and a genuine

Hamish rupturing his achilles in an impassioned music

representation of our live shows.

video stomp…this is a new era of musically skeletal, human showmanship.

C: It gives an ability to express in a way you can’t really do in the confines of “social norms”. You couldn’t go up

Has setting out totally uncharted helped you cope with

to your friend and demand they look you dead in the face

finding inspiration, in today’s challenging unknown?

whilst you’re shaking and sweating dealing with things.

When you have a stage to do that you can lose yourself.

Niall: It’s removed the meditation of it. I’ve stopped thinking about what I’m making in terms of a ‘live fix’

H: It’s like an inflated version of yourself. When I was

and more so, song structure and diving into things I

younger I wanted to be a WWE Superstar, still do. In

wouldn’t have had time for before. You start to look at

classic 90’s wrestling you’d have a devil, a doctor… now

interpersonal relationships. I feel like a wee guy again just

all they are is themselves exaggerated to a thousand and I

learning, and doing (it) for the pure buzz.

believe that’s what I do.

Live, you’re a theatrically intense force but, there’s

Have you made plans for the next step?

also a balance in your on stage/off stage disconnect...

C: Hopefully lockdown permits us going back into the Hamish: We’re all very intense people. When we love

studio next month with a fast turnaround. We’re meant to

something it’s either all or nothing in anything we’re

be recording in a church so we’ll look forward to Hamish

doing. We’re not happy unless we all come off stage

screaming in one.

sweating buckets knowing there’s nothing left there.

Words by Al Mills, illustration by Tomas Walmsley

48

Manchester’s Blanketman are new kids on the block.

Sometimes I pick up my guitar and put it straight back

With debut single ‘Taking You With Me’ capturing hearts

down again because I can’t be bothered so I’ve been doing

from the off with their arty-indie sound, we catch up with

my best to capitalise when inspiration does strike.

singer Adam Hopper to find out how he’s coping during lockdown and what the future holds for the band once it’s

That’s very true because while some people are

over.

treating this downtime as their time to be as creative as possible, it doesn’t seem to work for everyone..

So we’re on week 1000* of this lockdown. How’re you feeling?

It’s also interesting though as well because I get to see what it’s like to spend my time as a full time songwriter.

Up and down I guess. I’ve been starting to feel it quite

At first I was like “right I’m going to set aside five hours

hard recently. I think it’s starting to get to everyone and

in a day and get X and Y done” but that soon stopped

everyone is getting to the end of their tether, but it’s for

because the inspiration never really took hold that way.

good reasons that we’re doing this in the first place, so

It can strike at funny moments though. My girlfriends

y’know got to persevere.

parents told me that they’d bought her a membership for the National Trust for her birthday and I ended up writing

Have you been filling your time being creative and with

a song at 9 O’clock at night about the National Trust.

the writing process?

Though I suppose it works well because a lot of our songs lyrically are lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek.

Yeah definitely. At the beginning though I was a bit worried that it could go either way, but I’ve also been

With each one of your songs seemingly sounding

doing normal things like watching TV and playing video

different to the last - who or what inspires you all

games. In the midst of all that I’ve also managed to write

creatively and in general?

lots of songs so it’s been very lucky.

The inspiration comes from different places. We’ve done We all live in Manchester - but separately, so I’ve been

our best as a band to not pigeonhole ourselves because it

writing the bones of the songs and then sending them over

can be very easy to just turn around and be like ‘y’know

to the others in the band for them to form rough parts over

what let’s write in this certain style’ and there’s positives

so it’s been surprisingly productive really. It has at times

and negatives to that, but it’s not what we wanted. We’re

though, been a double edged sword. On the one hand there

aware that in the beginning we went into a Post-Punk

are days where I get a lot of stuff written, but there are

sound, but that was mostly because that’s what we all had

days where I have no motivation and that can be quite

a common ground in.

challenging really.

49

It’s a mix with all of us really. I like quite a lot of older

I think obviously the musical heritage of the city itself

pop music like Lou Reed and Talking Heads - unashamed

from years gone - 70s, 80s and obviously 90s - plays a

pop music and I know a lot of people wouldn’t put it

part. I think it holds a special place in everybody’s heart.

in that bracket, but it is. It’s catchy pop melodies and

That’s the only music that musicians my age ever really

relatable lyrics for the most part, which I really like.

knew because it’s what our parents indoctrinated us into

Dan likes obscure riff heavy guitar laden music, whilst

on the drive to school or whatever.

Jeremy is into a lot of New-Wave which definitely brings in swinging bass-lines and I think that panache of sounds

As a result these people grow up into a musical

really makes us who we are. We definitely wear our hearts

community where you get a lot of great musicians coming

on our sleeves in terms of our influences and there’s no

together and forming bands and writing songs based on

reason not to do that. There’s no point pretending we’re

the proudness of that heritage.

a completely original band, because there’s very few of them around anymore. So it’s good to give a nod to what

Who are your favourite Manchester artists in general

you like within your own art.

and those who are up and coming?

‘Taking You With Me’ has been out a little while now -

There’s so many great ones coming out. Starlight Magic

how has the reaction been to that track?

Hour, they’re good friends of ours. Document, Lounge Society, The Early Mornings and so many more. We share

It’s been brilliant! We weren’t really expecting it to be

our rehearsal space with some great new bands as well

honest. We were really chuffed with the song and how it

like Slow Nice and Poseur. There’s also this really cool

turned out, but obviously it was a bit of a strange time to

punk band named Tin Foils who have this really sharp and

put something out. One of the main things that’s come out

hectic punk sound with really great lyrics.

of it is the amount of really cool opportunities that have cropped up which we’re all excited for - if / when any of

What does the future hold for Blanketman once the

it happens.

lockdown is fully lifted and the new normal is in full swing?

The most important thing is that we’ve gained so many new fans from it and it’s been instrumental in pushing

Well it’s been a bit of a weird time with all of this,

our outreach from a band just known in and around

because we’re in this weird middle ground as music is not

Manchester, to a band that has a nationwide reach. There’s

our full time job yet so luckily we haven’t been financially

also been people that have said that it has cheered them

ruined as a band by what has happened. It’s obviously

up, which is great and definitely needed in times like

been frustrating as we can’t see each other and rehearse

these.

and play gigs etc., but we’ve got so many great exciting things in the works. Most of which I have to stay tight-

The track definitely shines a light on escapism in

lipped about, but what I can say is we’ll be recording an

normality...

EP and two singles off of that EP.

Yeah, that’s a really good way of putting it. I’ve never

Then once lockdown has finished and it’s safe, we can

really thought about it that way, I guess it makes a fantasy

get back out there and ride the crest of the wave that the

world within something really plain.

first single has given us and play more shows outside of Manchester and beyond.

With lots of acts coming from Manchester what do you think it is about the place that produces so many great artists?

Words by Matt Bisgrove

bdrmm Currently all confined to our bedrooms, we catch up with

Jordan: We all spent a lot of time deciding the singles

bdrmm who plan to release new material into a different

and it was Nat [label manager] that was finally like “that

world. After the success of their E.P. ‘If Not, When?’

should be the single” because we were all in different

released by Sonic Cathedral back in October, the five-

minds, but it just makes sense. Looking back now that

piece Leeds/Hull-based band have been busy prepping to

it’s come out, it’s a logical step towards the album. It

release their debut album ‘Bedroom’. The body of work is

encapsulates the whole feel of it and what we’re about in

an ode to youth and daily life with just a hint of escapism

just one of the songs.

which has been over 3 years in the making. Typical of the times, we sat on a video call with the shoegazers to

You were supposed to be on tour now, what are you up

discuss lockdown life and the upcoming album.

to now instead of being on tour?

In December 2019 pre-pandemic, you posted a picture

Ryan: Still kind of writing because I’ve actually finally

to your Instagram all looking very merry indeed with

got somewhere to write, but in all honesty doing nothing.

the caption ‘LP1 *tick* 2020’. Was this the day you

Watching stuff, reading, enjoying the sun, that kind of

finished the record?

thing.

Ryan: Yeah so that was when we had just finished and that

Jordan: Well me and Ryan have been recording some

was like the celebratory meal. We invited our producer,

live sessions that might see the light of day at some

Alex who came with us and it did get stupid. Someone got

point. We’ve been sending them back and forth between

injured and yeah, I think we got banned from there.

the houses it’s been quite weird, such a different way of writing not being in the same room as each other and

Luke: It was a bring your own booze Thai place in Leeds.

being able to bounce off one another. It’s quite hard but at the same time it’s quite nice to try and make music in a

Jordan: It was the first time I’d proper gone on lager and it

different way.

kinda broke me in half. Shouting at Ryan down the street at 2 in the morning. It was lovely really.

Ryan: We did a session for Amazing Radio and like Jordan said, just to be able to still write something even though

How long had you guys been working on the LP before

we’re not in the same place, it was really nice. I was

this extravaganza?

chuffed with how it sounded, so maybe we might keep writing in that way, because it works.

Ryan: Probably the writing element of it has been happening since we started. ‘Happy’ was one of the first

When lockdown is over, which is the first venue you

songs that I ever wrote and brought to the table, there was

would like to play?

3 years in that. But recording wise about 3 months all in all.

Jordan: Adelphi, it’s where we started and it’s always fun to play. The pinnacle really. Everyone that’s been

You’ve already released ‘Happy’ and ‘A Reason To

or played there thinks it cool, loads of great artists have

Celebrate’, was there a reason you wanted to do these

performed there. It’s a cornerstone of all of our music so

ones first?

would be nice to head back there.

51

Words by Phoebe Scott, illustration by Caspar Wain

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

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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

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www.joshwhettingsteel.com

Jamie Ford

Cameron JL West