The Mic: Issue 48

ALSO FEATURING | FESTIVAL SEASON 2019 · BON IVER · LANA DEL REY · SAM FENDER BEN MARK SMITH · EYRE LLEW · GEORGE GADD · JACOB FOWLER · JOEY COLLINS · JONNY OLLEY · KALEIDØ LAURIE ILLINGWORTH · MOLLIE RALPH · MYLES KNIGHT · TILLY GREENTREE · TORI SHEARD

The Mic Issue 48 with special thanks to...

The Committee Tristan Phipps President Social Secretary Lucy Gray Vice President Ben Standring Communications Secretary General Secretary Print Director Development Coordinator

Cameron Chadwick Editor in Chief Podcast Coordinator Daisy Carter Deputy Editor Bethan Fletcher Marketing and Publicity Executive Social Media Manager Lara Gelmetti Social Media Manager Michael Clarke Treasurer

contributors

designers

Daisy Carter Bethan Fletcher Lara Gelmetti Lucy Gray Tristan Phipps Ben Standring Owen White

Dan Hess Nana Yaw Mensah Jase Neal Tristan Phipps Ben Standring

musicians/interviewees

Andy C Ben Mark Smith Bon Iver DMA’s Eyre Llew Feeder George Gadd Hot Chip Jade Bird

Jacob Fowler Joey Collins Jonny Olly Kaleidø Lana Del Rey Laurie Illingworth Mollie Ralph Myles Knight

Pale Waves Pixies Sam Fender Sea Girls Skunk Anansie Tilly Greentree Tom Grennan Tori Sheard

sponsors

And to all labels, venues, managers, promoters and PR companies who provided us with gig, interview and promotional opportunities.

Our next magazine (Issue 49) is due for release in December.

Join The Mic for just £8 for the year!

For any review, gig or interview requests, email us at themic@themicmagazine.co.uk

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Notes from the President

Welcome! Festival season is over, and we find ourselves back in gig territory. If you are entering your first term here in Nottingham then I congratulate you on your fine choice. If you’re returning for another year then you’re already expecting the torrent of talent rapidly approaching.

In this issue, we are delivering a tantilising array of interviews with some of the music’s hottest prospects and biggest names. Our most notable interview sees Ben Standring in conversation with Pixies, one of the most iconic rock bands in histroy.

Both Tom Grennan and Pale Waves have endured a rise of near meteoric scale over the past two years, and you can catch interviews with them at the beginning of the magazine. Alternatively, I was able to catch up with DnB legend Andy C ahead of his Nottingham all-dayer this October which can be found on page 26.

As a committee, we are incredibly proud to have launched our fantastic new website earlier in August. If you’re yet to pay a visit, check out our new FOCUS feature, where we put the spotlight on some of Nottingham’s most promising emerging bands. What excites me the most as well is our new “Big Read” feature - a recurring column for our online platform with exclusive interviews that aim to really scratch beneath the surface. Definitely worth keeping an eye out for the next.

We always welcome the input of new writers, photographers and designers - so if you like what you see and want to get involved, why not get in touch!

Enjoy the issue, Tris

INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEATURES & INTERVIEWS:

Pale Waves ........................................ 4 Jade Bird ............................................ 8 Tom Grennan ................................... 10 Separating Art from the Artist ... 14 Sea Girls ............................................. 16 Cover Story: Pixies ......................... 18 Making the perfect soundtrack 14 Andy C ................................................ 26 Skunk Anansie ................................. 28 Feeder ................................................. 32 DMA’s ...................................................36 Hot Chip ............................................. 38 FOCUS Nottingham ....................... 40 Hockley Hustle ................................. 46

REVIEWS:

Festval Season 2019............. 50 Bon Iver .................................... 54 Lana Del Rey ........................... 56 Sam Fender ............................. 58

& THAT’S A WRAP...

Nottingham Venue Guide 60

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PALE ALE LE WAVES WAVE WAV FROM GOTH-POP TO MILLENNIAL GODS

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he date was 20th October 2017. Browsing a selection of DVDs, CDs and vinyl at the Guildford branch of HMV, a striking magazine cover caught the eye.

Alongside musical giants on the covers of Rolling Stone, MOJO and Q, were two striking individuals, dressed in black and looking ominously moody on NMEʼs illustrious front page. One such figure was The 1975 ringleader Matt Healey, looking more akin to Robert Smith than the millennial singer weʼre now used to. Clamped inbetween Healeyʼs hands however was someone new, a rarity for magazine cover shoots.

Despite only releasing two tracks beforehand, Heather Baron-Gracie, the courteous singer of Manchester indie-pop quartet Pale Waves, became a poster-girl for a generation of new teenage music fans practically overnight, and has been on a rollercoaster of a journey since the bandʼs formation in 2014.

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Fresh from a recent tour of Japan, the frontwoman ponders the journey of the band since they signed to Jamie Oborneʼs

independent behemoth Dirty Hit in 2017. Following the release of debut single ʻThereʼs a Honeyʼ in April 2017 to widespread acclaim, the group had the daunting task of supporting The 1975 at Madison Square Garden. Reflecting on the past two years, the singer states ʻI feel like our confidence is the main thing thatʼs changed.

Weʼve definitely found ourselves a lot more, not just as musicians but as performers as well. When we played Madison Square Garden we only had one song out, it was the first time we were playing in America, so we werenʼt really experienced. Since then itʼs felt like weʼve done so much. Even as people weʼve grown up and got our life together a bit more.ʼ

‘AS PEOPLE WE’VE GROWN UP AND GOT OUR LIFE TOGETHER A BIT MORE’

fall in love but at the same time be self-aware and protective of yourself,ʼ says Baron-Gracie about the record. ʻBut also itʼs okay to not really like yourself sometimes, because everyone feels like that. I want to talk about people being themselves, truly embracing who they are and talking about mental health.ʼ Asked why musicians have only been addressing mental health more recently, Baron-Gracie shrugs ʻI feel like because this generation is becoming more open with everything, with sexuality, with our lives in general. We put so much on the internet, which is good and bad in a way, but it encourages people to speak out and become responsible.

If more people are acting like that then weʼre going to break down the

Whilst the quartet finished fifth in BBCʼs Sound of 2018 poll and won the Under the Radar Award at the NME Awards, it was debut EP All the Things I Never Said, released in February 2018, that first acted as a sign of what was to come. What Baron-Gracie describes as ʻjust telling the stories of my lifeʼ became grand narratives of hope, love and opportunity. Reflecting on the success of the four-piece so far, it seems almost crazy to think that a band who have managed to engrain themselves into the conscience of indie loving teens around the world only released their debut record My Mind Makes Noises in September 2018.

barriers and boundaries that people have built up for so long.ʼ

Pale Waves managed to produce an album enraptured in darkness, romance and the perils of growing up, yet leaving enough space for Baron-Gracieʼs enigmatic lyrics to reach out to an ever-expanding fanbase. ʻSome of those messages are saying itʼs okay to let yourself

As a frontwoman, Heather Baron-Gracie relishes the fact that she has a platform to help make a change. ʻEven if you change one personʼs perspective on something, thatʼs still something.ʼ She addresses recent gender balance issues with a calm yet passionate

‘BUT ALSO IT’S OKAY TO NOT REALLY LIKE YOURSELF SOMETIMES’

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mind, noting ʻI still feel that the industry is heavily male-dominated but I am seeing a shift. Weʼve played festivals recently which have had more women…itʼs still overpowered by men, but itʼs a nice change. Even in the industry Iʼve had experiences where men have not taken me as seriously as they should because Iʼm female. In this day and age right now it is something we need to be representing and talking about a lot.”

Whilst musically they draw inspiration from the likes of Taylor Swift and Charli XCX, Pale Waves cut a striking image in Britainʼs modern musical landscape. Baron-Gracie stresses the importance of the multi-media dimension that accompanies her music. ʻThese days, especially when people are so self-obsessed with image, you kind of have to have that, or something that people can take away from that in order to survive really,ʼ she says. ʻWe never did that intentionally. We didnʼt sit down and discuss dressing in a lot of black clothing and wear dark eye shadow to fill that void, itʼs just generally what we love to dress like. If I went to the shop today, thatʼs how I would look, thatʼs how I dress. Robert Smith and Avril Lavigne were big, like growing up – she was the first female pop star that I saw wearing a white tank-top, baggy jeans, chains and skater shoes and I took to that.”

Reverberating the message that Pale Wavesʼ style is merely a natural choice instead of a more natural choice instead of a more calculated decision, the singer puts a high price on artistic integrity.

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ʻYou need to have moral principles and be honest,ʼ she states. ʻPeople can now see through you. There are so many people trying to create music these days so I feel that itʼs very obvious to see through someone whoʼs doing it for the money or the image. I do music because I have no other way of expressing myself, I donʼt like going into deep conversations or talking about feelings - I put it into a song and that makes me feel so much better. Being honest and being real is really important, not just in music but in general these days.ʼ Whilst it remains easy to understand the hype that the four-piece first gathered in 2017, Pale Waves are in retrospect a very good, if schematic, pop entity. Stylistically, the four offer a faint whiff of mysticism, but lyrically and musically, the debut record is nothing if not relatable to a great deal of teenagers attempting

to deal with heartbreak and discover identity in a confusing world.

Despite their chart-filling potential, the singer remains humble to keep to her roots. ʻI think we just want to represent Manchester because it means so much to us so we donʼt want to let it down, basically,ʼ she says. Keen to continue the momentum that the band have built since 2018ʼs debut record was released, the singer notes how her experiences so far have shaped a new EP set for release later this year. ʻI feel like Iʼve experienced so much and travelled all around the world and met so many different people that itʼs almost made me more gratefulʼ she muses. ʻItʼs shown me to not take these things for granted, and itʼs made me want to push these boundaries and not settle for anything less.ʼ When asked what fans can expect from the new material, she offers ʻItʼs totally different. All the songs we have at the moment are kind of different to one another as well.

People say that our songs all sound the same, but wait until you hear this EP! I kind of liked how the first album was a bit naive, I think it always has to be, but the EP is heavily influenced by pop punk. At the same time there are tracks that are influenced by R&B and then pure pop music. We took so much inspiration from so many genres that itʼs going to be exciting to see how it sounds together.ʼ Looking to the future, the band understand the need to excel. ʻWe wanted to expand musically, it was our personal goal to broaden our horizons and I feel that weʼre doing

‘ALL THE SONGS WE HAVE AT THE MOMENT ARE KIND OF DIFFERENT TO ONE ANOTHER’ that now,ʼ Baron-Gracie exclaims. ʻWeʼre going to bring in more production as well, to make it more of a show rather than a gig. The studio can be quite isolating and mentally really draining, whereas performing live can be intimidating because youʼve got so many pairs of eyes on you, but at the same time itʼs super fun. Recording is amazing though because you get such a satisfaction hearing the end product.ʼ Despite claiming Pale Waves were just a ʻsmall band from Manchesterʼ, Heather Baron-Gracieʼs ambitions never fail to waiver or impress. ʻFrom the very start I said that I was going to take over the world. I have a lot of determination, big goals, and Iʼm not afraid to say that.

Watching The 1975 do that is inspiring, it shows that being small and from Manchester can lead to great things.ʼ Whether Pale Waves possess the strength of heart to take over the world is a debate for another day, though it wouldnʼt be a surprise to see the goth pop quartet reach unprecedented heights.

By Ben Standring

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JADE BIRD INTERVIEW

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ne of the most hotly-tipped artists of the past two years, Jade Birdʼs success in both her native Britain as well as in America has been a long time coming. In fact, her Americana-tinged debut single ʻLotteryʼ helped Bird become part of a new wave of British artists to follow the trend of breaking America before their home nation.

Birdʼs tendency to traverse Americana, folk, rock and pop matches the fleetingly eclectic childhood that she lived. The twenty-one year old singer-songwriter grew up on a German military base before relocating to Bridgend, Wales, where she lived with her mother and grandmother.

Bird laughs when recalling the arguments that the three women used to have, yet is resolute in the fact that the period was an affirming time. ʻI take a lot of influence from my mum who kind of had me, worked full time since I was two - and even when I was younger she used to work night shifts to look after me in the day,ʼ she says. ʻWatching her work solidly when we got back to Wales and have to build herself back up again after the divorce taught me a lot in terms of work ethic and how to be gracious.ʼ For some people, the fluctuating stability throughout childhood might lead to a more sporadic personality later on in life, but Jade Bird offers a more light-hearted reflection of that time when performing. ʻI always joke about my family onstage, how we donʼt have much luck with marriages with two generations of divorce. Any kid who goes through that has to cling onto something, and I just so happen to have clung to music.ʼ

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After getting into the iconic BRIT school on her second attempt, Bird was exposed to a variety of genres and artists, broadening her horizons and fine-tuning her craft as a songwriter, yet her artistic foundations were laid firmly at an earlier age. ʻI think I was always a showoff; I played the classical piano from about seven. A bit of Bach here and there, and then the guitar changed my world when I was twelve.ʼ she highlights. ʻWhen I sit down at either instrument I kind of just want to say what I want to say and thatʼs just the form in which I say it. I think Iʼm a songwriter first instead of a guitarist or a pianist…itʼs just a vessel.ʼ A firm believer in studying the past, Bird explains how she has learnt from a range of musicians. ʻI think everybody and every artist you fall in love with teaches you a little bit. If you fall in love in a moment you just learn something emotionally instantly,ʼ she says. ʻItʼs so pretentious but I was listening to Bjorkʼs Hyperballad and for some reason I just cried my eyes out, but you learn something from that kind of emotion.ʼ Bringing an occasional American twang alongside her Elvis-inspired ʻyou know what I meanʼ catchphrase that normally accompanies the ending of each of Birdʼs answers, the young artist explains how she feels refreshed to see more female artists being categorised as a singer-songwriter alone, rather than to foreshadow that with their gender. Addressing the gender debate in music, Bird muses ʻItʼs interesting really, Iʼm still trying to source out female-fronted rock. I

watched Dream Wife at a festival in London and honestly I got so emotional when they played the track [Somebody] that goes “I am somebody, not my body” like I got so emotional. I think it is weird that you do get boxed in if youʼre a female singer-songwriter. I think anyone who watches my live shows are quite confused because theyʼre just not expecting me to rock it.ʼ As the Jade Bird extravaganza rolls into cities around the country in the Autumn to celebrate the success of her remarkable debut album, Bird reflects on whether her newfound status in music has made her a surprising source of attention. ʻIʼm quite lucky because I have total anonymity, unless I walk out of a gig in the clothes Iʼm wearing! I have no desire to become any more recognisable, which probably means Iʼm in the wrong job! I think having that helps though because I could just go to a city and have a look at stuff and do whatever I want to do. If I am feeling bad, that counters it so I think Iʼm quite lucky in that respect. I donʼt crave fame at all.ʼ The humble Jade Bird has had an impressive 2019 already. The success of her debut record has made her a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and with a ferociously busy mind, Bird wonʼt be giving up her status in the industry without a fight.

by Ben Standring

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LIGHTING MATCHES...

CHASING DREAMS

n 2016, Bedford-born, London-based singer Tom Grennan shot into the spotlight of the mainstream media after he lent his vocals to All Goes Wrong, a collaborative track with drum and bass heavyweights Chase & Status.

What followed was a grandiose series of events that escalated the now 24-year old artist to the forefront of British pop. The Mic sits down with the singer in Leeds to discuss his career to date and what to expect from him in the future.

before debut record Lighting Matches peaked at No. 5 in the UK Charts in July 2018. The album itself produced eight singles, a statement of intent that the young artist was capable of producing a dizzying mix of intoxicating pop-based tracks ready to hook a variety of listeners.

Speaking of the album, Grennan is nostalgic and relaxed. ʻThere was no expectation. There was no pressure.

People werenʼt expecting anything.

It was a fun experience, I felt free and creative and Iʼm not saying that

Having gained mainstream attention with Chase & Status, Tom Grennan was given the chance to cut his teeth as a solo artist following a host of radio play, TV interviews and appearances on the likes of BBC Radio 1ʼs Live Lounge and Later… with Jools Holland. ʻChase and Status helped me come through the door quicker than I probably would have done but Iʼve never really thought about that, thatʼs all a part of my journey so I havenʼt really thought about how different it is,ʼ he muses.ʼ

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Keeping his foot firmly on the accelerator, Grennan released a series of highly successful EPs

Photo: Tom Grennan

I havenʼt been on the next thing Iʼm doing, but it was a new experience, a new world for me. It was like the first door opening and I was kind of like a child with new toys.ʼ A constantly fidgeting, tattoo-laden individual, Grennan at first appears jaded and impartial for conversation. At the age of eighteen, the singer was left with metal plates and screws in his jaw having been randomly attacked by a group of strangers on the street. Yet Grennan harnessed the experience and managed to apply his roaring vocal trademark to a variety of styles across his debut record, whether thatʼs the stripped-down piano-led Lucky Ones or the swaggering, pop-centric Royal Highness.

While Grennan possesses a certain wild-child quality, the partially soft and sombre smatterings that flicker around Lighting Matches highlight a more reflective and poignant man, moments of reality which break the bravado-driven image he might convey at first sight. His steely demeanour fades into doses of hidden wit, something he lets out on a few occasions with a quick smirk.

For a man fixated on becoming Britainʼs musical champion, he still remains a gentle late-millennial. A browse through his Twitter profile and youʼre greeted with a swathe of Love Island and weather-related commentary (July 25thʼs “Just chilled with a Calippo pretending itʼs a cigar” remains a personal favourite).

Despite his jovial, confident persona, Grennan suits the fit of a raconteur for the current generation, imposing street-smart

“Grennan counts the likes of Elton John and The Libertines’ Carl Barat as friends and fans alike”

wisdoms upon his growing audience and embedding past tales and twenty-four years of experience within his music. ʻFor me writing is like therapy so if I can help anyone whoʼs just going through a shit time, or even a happy one, then thatʼs my job done,ʼ he says.

Confident of his talent, with an eye kept wide-open to the latest fashion trends, Grennan counts the likes of Elton John and The Libertinesʼ Carl Barat as friends and fans alike. He offers a no-frills, no-spills approach to his music, refusing to involve himself in politics or controversial grey areas. ʻDonʼt get me wrong, I do my bit to support the environment but my albumʼs not going to be about world affairs and the current climate,ʼ he states. ʻYeah it needs to change and I need to do my bit, but to put it about music…nah man Iʼm not a political kind of figure.ʼ For a man who sounds like heʼs lived

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Photo: Tom Grennan

a lot longer than his 24-year-old appearance would suggest, it really is all about the music for Tom Grennan, yet growing up, one wouldnʼt have expected him to become a musician. A football aficionado and former-Luton Town and Stevenage protégée, Grennan almost turned down music as a career in favour of playing his sport of choice over in America. ʻI wasnʼt really a music kid,ʼ he confesses. ʻI was more into sports and football. It wasnʼt until I hit my teenage years, when I was about sixteen, seventeen and eighteen where I was listening to different kinds of music and actually getting excited by music…wanting to dive into it and see where I could go with it. Iʼve always been into grime and hip-hop but when I was sixteen or seventeen, that was when my indie phase happened.ʼ

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When asked about his genre of preference, and its centre-stage role at Glastonbury with Stormzyʼs

headline show, Grennan is caught in two minds as to what his beloved genre has become. ʻItʼs good but itʼs bad as well because there is some shit grime now, itʼs not grime anymore,ʼ he spits. ʻIʼm glad that itʼs become a mainstream genre because it should be a mainstream genre and it should be put on a pedestal because grime music is so British, but because it has become mainstream, there is now some shit attempts to make grime. Seeing all the grime artists I grew up with rise, like Skepta, JME, Frisco and Wiley, itʼs great.ʼ Watching Grennan perform, itʼs hard not to link his notoriously energetic live show with his love of hip-hop and grime. Onstage, Grennan packs a punch, sparking delirium into his crowds. When asked what inspires him to carry on performing, Grennan immediately proclaims ʻI think it just comes from passion I suppose. I love performing, I love showing off, I love being the centre of attention without sounding cocky. I like making people happy and putting a smile on peopleʼs faces.ʼ On the follow-up to Lighting Matches, Grennan highlights a maturity that has developed since the release of his debut. ʻIʼve grown up,ʼ he exclaims. ʻMy writing has gotten better. My musical brain has gotten better. Itʼs like going to school. If youʼre doing it every day youʼre constantly learning new things I suppose.ʼ With an array of studio sessions and live shows

booked for the coming future, we ask how he digresses between the two dynamics. ʻItʼs like a seesaw that will never be balanced out, I canʼt really explain it. Being on tour is like a drug thatʼs never been invented, but also the studio is like doing the biggest, highest drug you can do. Itʼs proper mellow, but then again when you hit something exciting in a tune itʼs a bit like doing mushrooms I suppose.ʼ Alongside his debut album campaign and his passion for football, the musician managed to break a Guinness World Record on 11th July 2018 when he played ten shows across twelve hours, travelling from Manchester to Marlborough. Complacency doesnʼt fit into Grennanʼs dynamic. He understands the speed that fame moves at and how quickly trends go, and entertaining a life away from the industry isnʼt an option. ʻWhen youʼre out of a campaign itʼs hard because you see other people doing different stuff and it feels like youʼre forgotten about, but youʼve just got to remember that the fans that youʼve gained and the people that

“The musician managed to break a Guinness World Record”

loved you first will hopefully still be there,ʼ he muses. ʻHopefully itʼs a steady rollercoaster going up.ʼ As a response to the industryʼs fleeting nature, Grennan has been attempting to cement his name whilst planning and recording his sophomore album. Having started a rigorous exercise plan which includes giving up smoking, the singerʼs vocal range and fitness ability have increased. On top of that, the performer looks to be enjoying a recent mental boost, having moved in with his parents to enjoy more family time whilst writing new material. ʻThe songs are just better,ʼ he smiles. ʻIʼve got a mix of new and the same people around me which is good. Iʼve just gone through a lot of shit at the moment which Iʼve been able to put into my writing and itʼs helped me get over it. I want to smash it and get to the very top. I want to be on the same levels as Ed Sheeran and people like that.ʼ The gravel-toned crooner acts as popʼs antidote to the cellophanewrapped, family-friendly toothaches of Ed Sheeran and George Ezra. Upon first viewing of Grennan, youʼre more likely to bolt the door shut rather than invite him in for a cup of PG Tips yet, as conversation flows, thereʼs a noticeable charm to the young musician, a ruthless tenacity that matches his determination and ambition for his career. For all the industryʼs ability to rain down illustrious fame and fortune upon its various participants, Grennan is seemingly in this for the long run, lighting matches and igniting dreams.

By Ben Standring

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True music icons, Pixies ripped a hole through rock’s heartland in the 1980’s before subsequently shaping the genre we know and love today. Ben Standring discovers how their sound has matured since 1986 and looks forward at what went down behind the scenes in the making of their seventh, and latest record.

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By Ben Standring

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If Chuck Berry is the “Father of Rock and Roll” and Joseph Haydn is the “Father of Symphony”, then Andrew Clarke - that’s Andy C to me and you - surely must be the “Father of Drum and Bass”. With a career spanning 3 decades, Andy C has lived it all. Ahead of his Nottingham all-dayer this autumn, The Mic was able to chat to the RAM Records boss about how it all began.

At 43, Andy C is a veteran of the dnb scene. However, despite creating his first tracks at only 15, his sets still draw crowds whatever the weather. ‘It amazes me’, he chuckles, referencing Nottingham’s recent, rather rainy, Detonate Festival. ‘I turned up expecting it just to be us and the security in their green ponchos!’. As he speaks about the levels of passion needed, it becomes evident that the audience is as important to Andy as Andy is to the audience: ‘it’s just the family, you know? The energy in the place is always mental!’.

Having conquered Wembley, the memory of how the dream became a reality sticks firmly in his mind.

‘I’d been working on four tracks for a while and I didn’t want to put them out on anyone else’s label’.

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Starting one from scratch was an ambitious idea, so luckily young Andy had some help with the name - sister Sarah suggested ‘you’re an Aries, why don’t you call it Ram?’.

‘My sister drew the (old) RAM logo there and then. I borrowed a grand from my uncle and when I came back from Majorca, the records were in the boot of my dad’s car!’.

Most teenagers don’t create a record label, but thankfully Andy followed his instinct and the advice of his sister rather than mother. ‘Mum wanted me to work at some printers I think’, laughed Andy, ‘she didn’t think it was a proper job!’. Knowing what we know no now, Andy has a right to laugh.

From Nottingham to New York, there are few places that haven’t hosted the biggest

name in dnb. However, being only sixteen, Andy faced an inevitable problem. ‘I couldn’t hear my own tracks at legal raves for 18 months! It was different back then. Just warehouses with one strobe light and a set of decks at the front’, he chuckles. When you cut your teeth in such modest surroundings, it makes it even more surreal when you’re the first dnb artist to sell out Wembley Arena.

‘We’d played some massive London venues and wanted to see where we could take it. Being a massive football fan, I just thought, “why not?”. It was the first time anyone had done an all-night set at Wembley because of the curfew…’.

Playing a show at the home of English football is a big deal for any artist, but for a footy mad lad growing up in East London, this show had an extra silver lining. Although a break may be something of a dream at the moment, there are no hesitations when it comes to how one would be spent: ‘you’ll find me at the bar!’, he cheers.

Despite having a frantic summer schedule, it’s clear that Andy still lives and breathes drum and bass. Even when he’s travelling, he keeps an eye on the emerging talents from his label: ‘Skantia is making some mad

sounds at the moment, but it’s important that we help him express himself from here’. The young Newcastle-born producer’s made a name for himself in the North East, and Andy’s use of Skantia’s tracks during his recent XOYO residency will no doubt fill him with confidence.

After all, Andy and RAM Records have overseen the rise of Chase and Status, Wilkinson, and Sub Focus – another reminder of the work he’s put into the scene he helped birth.

From playing to five people in a local bar to selling out the mighty Wembley, Andy C has nurtured drum and bass from its humble inception to the formidable juggernaut that it is today. While he keeps his watchful eye over RAM Records, bringing through the next generation, we can be sure that the future of drum and bass is in capable hands.

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Above:The power is still strong - Skunk Anansie from left: Ricjard ‘Cass’ Lewis; Skin; Mark Richardson and Martin ‘Ace’ Kent.

Across Right: Skin reminding fans she’s not a one-dimensional entity

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Photo credit: Christian Larsen Photography

By Ben Standring

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Keeping the veteran flame bur ning In an era of instant streaming and low attention spans, it’s safe to say that rock music has taken a commercial battering recently. Shows will still sell-out, new bands will continue to shine, but it’s becoming increasingly less viable for labels and artists to front the money needed to create successful records. Despite this, certain names repeatedly crop up on festival line-ups.

Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers and Feeder have been the cream of the Welsh crop for over twenty-five years, and as the latter group (consisting of Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose) celebrate the release of their tenth studio record, we spoke to frontman Nicholas.

‘We are where we are purely from the old-school way of touring and songwriting and I think that’s a pretty good example for new bands’, he states. ‘There’s always trends - when we started there was Britpop and we didn’t fit into that scene. We were still a guitar band, but we were a lot heavier with a lot more attitude. But because the songs were melodic, it worked and we gained a bit of a following’.

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Feeder’s inauguration in 1994 sparked the production of ten studio records across their career. ‘I don’t know how we maintained the momentum’, ponders Nicholas. ‘I’m inspired to write music still. I’ve got two kids now, I didn’t have kids when we wrote the first few records. It’s weird but being a parent has given me more to write about - I think getting older does give you a bigger musical canvas’.

The four years following Silent Cry for Nicholas were a testing time. Left jaded after touring, the singer was hesitant to return to the studio in 2013 to make another record. ‘I wanted some time out to see what we come back with’. It was during this break that Nicholas’ highly personal solo material formed.

‘I wrote that after my solo stuff and I learned some different ways of doing things. Both that and the Best of... did bring a new generation of fans but we’ve always had a good range. There are kids, students, die-hard fans. It’s quite hard to actually achieve that and I think we’ve managed to do that purely from families introducing our music to new people’.

‘The songs were super close to me. They were written in the same style but in a different headspace. There was no pressure of it being a Feeder record. It took three and a half years before I returned to Feeder which was probably quite frustrating, but it was a project I was pleased with. It was probably the best thing I ever did, because it gave us a break and allowed us to come back with a new spark’.

Looking at Feeder’s chartings across their career, you wonder whether the Newport group could manage the same feats now.

The 1997 breakthrough single High peaked at No. 24 and 1999’s Insomnia hit No. 22 and led to the band performing on Top of the Pops. The combination of perfect timing and an approachable sound has worked wonders for them. When 2016’s All Bright Electric led the band’s return, swiftly followed by 2017’s Best of… compilation, the Welsh rockers found a broader fanbase amongst younger generations.

Whilst the continued influx of fans is enough to keep the band excited for the future, the industry domination of streaming and social media also keeps Nicholas busy. ‘Our old label Echo, they were quite anti-streaming, so we haven’t been on Spotify for that long’, he explains.

‘It’s great for us now because we’ve got such a big back catalogue of music. [Social media] is just very time-consuming and I’d rather spend that time doing other stuff. I do find it interesting hearing what fans think. We’re pretty lucky with what people say about us on band sites, although you’ll always get some attention seekers’.

‘Everyone’s a critic nowadays which can be pretty hard’, he continues. ‘It’s bad enough reading a bad review for a record you really love, but that happens to everyone really.

When you have to read comments from

‘All Bright Electric is more of a rock record, it’s got some big riffs but it’s still classic Feeder’, confirms Nicholas.

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people all the time, you have to grow up with thick skin, as I mentioned in [Tallulah track] Fear of Flying. You never had that in the old days’.

As is the case with all successful bands, Feeder have had their share of struggles.

The suicide of drummer Jon Lee in 2002 shook the Welsh band and led to them recruit Skunk Anansie drummer Mark Richardson, who remained an official member until 2009, when he returned to the London rock outfit. As the band got used to their changing dynamic, they had to factor in the changing nature of the public’s music tastes.

Echo Park, their 2001 third studio album, garnered rapturous support bolstered by the presence of lead single Buck Rogers, which became a top five UK single.

However, Feeder’s chart domination has slowly reached a standstill, something that Nicholas isn’t too fazed by. ‘I’m really proud of some of our later works’, he offers. ‘Music’s about timing. If you have a fantastic record but it’s not the right time, sometimes it just doesn’t get the attention you think it deserves. Songs are never dead, they can always spring up when you least expect them to. It’s why I keep enjoy doing it; I don’t want it to be stale’.

For a band keen to look forward, their recently released tenth record Talulah contains a heavy dose of nostalgia. The childlike glee of Youth touches on the likes of Insomnia, as Nicholas describes: ‘we were reminiscing on all of the days we were touring and growing up in South Wales, dreaming of being a band. It’s a simple message but it’s a classic road trip song and that’s what I was trying to write’.

Nicholas then explains that Tallulah wasn’t directly planned. ‘I started writing singles after a busy few years. We had the Best of Feeder tour and played about forty festivals’, he says. ‘I was in the festival mood, good vibes and what not, so I just started writing what was going to be a few singles to keep the Spotify playlist going, which were Guillotine, Youth and possibly Tallulah. I did some demos in the studio, writing on an acoustic guitar and then it grew from there… it was quite an organic process’.

Feeder throughout the years - from left to right: 2008’s sixth record Silent Cry; 2016 ‘s ninth studio recrod All Bright Electric; new album Tallulah

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“[Social media] is just very time-consuming and I’d rather spend that time doing other stuff.”

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“Music’s about timing…Songs are never dead, they can always spring up when you least expect them to.”

Whilst Tallulah retains the stylistic essence of Feeder’s early sound, there are moments that hark back to the frontman’s solo career. ‘I don’t have the capacity to think about anything else whilst I’m doing Feeder - I’m focused 100% on that world’, he confirms.

‘Feeder has always had that mellow side as well. Even going back to the early days with Polythene… we got signed off the back of some of my acoustic tracks, it wasn’t just the heavy stuff. In fact, that’s what convinced them to sign us - we weren’t just a one-trick pony. [Tallulah’s final track] Lonely Hollow Days is a lot like my solo work I think. If you look at the likes of Led Zeppelin or even The Smashing Pumpkins, who we’ve been compared to, they have some acoustic tracks, but then they have massive songs too - I’ve always loved bands like that’.

No matter what the future holds for Feeder, the Newport band will remain deeply embedded in the musical landscape of Wales, alongside Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonics. Their recent revival has added dynamism to the group and Nicholas is both optimistic and realistic about their longevity. ‘I didn’t have any idea how many longevit singles we had or what charted where, it wasn’t until I looked it up I realised that we’d done quite a bit!’, laughs the frontman. 'We don’t have to prove anything anymore, all we can do is continue our journey and I’ll try and write the best songs I can.

“Getting older does give you a bigger musical canvas.”

All bright and beautiful: Feeder on set whilst filming the video for Youth.

Photography from Natasha Koziarska.

‘As long as that continues, it’s fun, and we’re getting on well, we’ll carry on. If it starts getting stale then obviously it’s time to leave the party!’. For all rock’s struggles to grapple with the modern industry, Feeder’s core of fans continues to expand. Despite twenty-five years since forming, the lights aren’t dimming anytime soon for Feeder. In fact, the party looks like it’s only getting started.

By Ben Standring 35

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DMA’S DMA’S Following the release of DMA’s’ MTV Unplugged album in July, we caught up with Johnny Took to get an insight into the making of the record.

Now that MTV Unplugged has been released, how does it feel to have such a prestigious record out there?

‘It feels really great! We put a lot more time and effort in it than I thought it would because of all of the arrangements - we really did try not to just make an acoustic version of the songs because I don’t think it’s really in the spirit of an Unplugged album. Did you have any particular songs you liked?’

I loved the Madonna cover! You guys really made it your own.

‘Cool! Our mate Jenny is an amazing musician in general and getting her on board was really exciting. That time we got to spend in the studio beforehand arranging it was hard work, but it was very rewarding. It was also cool that we only played the set once - they gave us an option like ‘Oh you know if you fuck something up you can go again’ and we were like ‘Nah’. And now we’ve got a bloody 36 36 record out of it!’

How did the Madonna cover come about?

‘We were always a fan of that song (Beautiful Stranger); I was always a fan of the production and all the riffs. I used to play it with my brother in a covers band years ago. We just thought we’d give it a stab.

Did you have any aims going into the album?

‘Just that we didn’t want to be one of those bands that released an Unplugged record and for it to be exactly the same you know?

The Madonna cover is different from the original, Lay Down for me sounds like a completely different song. For Time and Money, Mason wrote some piano parts on there, and also did some pedal steel work for In the Moment and Emily Whyte.

Mason’s an amazing musician, so it was nice for him to be able to muck around with some of those other talents he has in a DMA’s context.’

How did you put together the tracklist?

‘We didn’t overthink it, we just picked our favourites I guess, or the ones we thought would work best, or would be most interesting in that context.’

2019’s MTV Unplugged LP

You did Health but don’t usually include that in your live shows - is there a reason you picked that when you don’t do it live?

‘Personally ‘Health’ is one of my favourites of our tunes because it was written a while ago, but we normally don’t play it live because we’ve been doing the MTV version of The End live and then we play Delete as well, so it starts getting a little too ‘Kumbaya’ for me - it gets a bit fucking campfire. But if you’re doing it in the Unplugged setting then of course!’

What was the process you took when it came to changing the compositions?

‘We had a rough idea of what we wanted to do for some of the songs, but then when we got Jenny on board we thought that not every song is going to sound amazing just replacing the riff with the violin you know?

So we went “Okay, what songs are really going to suit it?” Tempo was a big thing, like all the tempos have changed to a more chilled vibe. Warsaw and Lay Down have a whole different flavour to them. We just threw as many different nuances in there just to give the songs their own identities.’

It sounded like there were some country twangs in there; should we expect that in new music?

‘Well me and Nathan used to play in a country band together, and growing up I was always a massive Wilco, Springsteen, Dylan fan. In our music I believe there’s actually heaps of those inspirations in there. We don’t usually get many chances to show that side of it, like playing the pedal steel, that was really cool.’

What’s it like to join bands like Nirvana and R.E.M as MTV alumni, as well as being one of the first Australian bands to have an Unplugged album?

‘It’s awesome! I hope they keep doing it because there’s so many brilliant UK bands out at the moment that it would be cool to see other artists do it.

Hopefully other artists hear our record and go “Hey, I’d like to have a stab at that.”’

Absolutely! And it’s a fabulous record, I can’t wait to hear what’s coming.

‘For Now came out over a year ago, so it’s nice to have something else come out, and we’re going back to record now so we’re going to have some new music for people soon.’

DM DMA’s’ Unplugged album is available now to purchase or stream.

Lucy Gray

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There comes a stark realisation in every band’s career that sometimes a sound needs to be adapted in order to evolve; for South London’s Hot Chip, this was achieved by smashing through their comfort zone and rebuilding a structure of collaborative creativity and freedom.

Throughout their colourful career, Hot Chip have drawn inspiration from all corners of the dance spectrum, hurling house and disco offcuts across a blank canvas of synth-pop bliss.

The band - consisting of Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard, Al Doyle, Owen Clarke and Felix Martin - formed in 2000 and found a niche area of music unscathed, yet heavily inspired by the rave culture and Britpop industry of the 1990s.

Since then, they’ve received nominations for a Mercury Prize, a Grammy and an Ivor Novello Award. Earlier this year, they released their seventh studio album A Bath Full of Ecstasy, a record which saw them break one of the only rules they made straight away.

‘Historically, we’ve taken a track name or lyric and used that as a title and on this record we said that we wouldn’t do that’, explains Owen Clarke. ‘After that, we ended up using the title of the track [A Bath Full Of Ecstasy] and we felt bad for cheating ourselves but we didn’t feel we were cheating anyone else. To us, it felt like the songs have a very cohesive sound regardless of the tempo or subject matter.

Other records that we’ve done, we’ve explored and expressed lots of our different interests.

This one feels more consistent’.

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Recorded in spells across Paris and London with the help of two external producers, Rodaidh McDonald and Philippe Zdar, A Bath Full of Ecstasy is an album that slips free of its traditional moorings, presenting the energy in a sonic bind rather than through a linguistic theme. Basking in moments of headiness, Clarke reflects on the new record: ‘I’m happy that the record has that mood thing… in an era of streaming I think you need a few more tunes but I’m interested in how they all tie in together’.

T R O P

W f M m i i t T n i d g d

F m a p o v e m b b t

w All marching together: Hot Chip with Owen Clarke (centre) embarking on their latest album campaign Credit: Ronald Dick

Top: Seventh studio LP Right: Blank faces only - Hot Chip, Owen Clarke (second left) Photo credit: Ronald Dick

Whilst Clarke highlights album closer No Gods for its percussive twist and simple melody, it’s Melody of Love that best showcases the maturity of the group. Whilst Clarke describes it as a ‘fairly natural pop song’, he explains that it was previously a longer track. ‘It was one of the ones that we worked on the longest.

There’s a sample in the middle that was the nucleus of the track, and that’s still there to gel it. It’s a curious one in that it came from a different place - we brought it into the lab, grew it into this thing and then trimmed it down’.

For a band now nearing their twentieth year, momentum, Clarke states, follows a cyclical album routine. ‘We release the record, do the promoting and touring and then start working on the next record’. The band members’ various side projects allow other avenues to be explored whilst maintaining the band’s momentum: ‘I suppose it’s a balancing act between not outstaying your welcome, but also being engaged with the world, trying new things’.

“Other records that we’ve done, we’ve explored and expressed lots of our different interests. This one feels more consistent.”

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Running in tandem with The Mic’s future plans, the FOCUS Nottingham feature aims to illuminate the very best of local music talent across Nottingham.

No matter what the genre is or how established they are in the city, we want to put a spotlight on the artists that deserve additional recognition. Every fortnight we will be presenting you with a new in-depth interview and analysis online.

With a huge calendar scheduled for the future, here are some snippets of some of the many talents in Nottingham.

E Y R E

L L E W

The world is in refuge, and is seeking solace wherever it can find it, making Eyre Llew’s genre-bending neo-classical sound priceless. By siphoning the mind into a state of tranquility for just a matter of moments, the overwhelming power in the trio’s reverb driven tracks carries enough momentum to transport even the most complex of individuals back into a state of primality. Consisting of Sam Heaton (vocals, guitar), Jack Bennett (guitar) and Jack Clarke (drums, piano), Eyre Llew have already released a scintillating debut record, played Glastonbury’s prestigious John Peel Stage and recorded a collaborative EP which saw Heaton narrating in Korean. Given their aspirations for further sonic expansion on their sophomore record, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Nottingham band alongside the highest echelons of their ambient genre in the coming future. Whilst it’s easy to draw comparisons between Eyre Llew’s brand of sweeping artistry and that of Bon Iver, Sigór Ros and Ásgeir, what makes an artist fortified into music legend is relinquishing what feels comfortable, and instead embracing the dystopian calling of experimentation and creativity.

Justin Vernon achieved that to critical acclaim with 2016’s 22, A Million, but Eyre Llew’s collective ambitions might just topple the genre’s illustrious royalt royalty.

M O L L I E

R A L P H

Balancing nursing and music was always going to be tiresome, but for effervescent jazz and soul-inspired Mollie Ralph, the constant travel, education and performing is completed with a deft shrug of a shoulder and a can-do attitude. The timelessness of Ralph’s artistry gesticulates to the 50s jazz scene through to the likes of Amy Winehouse. A vibrant, Norah Jones-esque jack-in-the-box personality contrasts the vintage warmth of debut EP Old Cafe, within which shimmering soul-infused textures are woven delicately between layers of jazz and pop. Ralph tracks the subtle anecdotes and conventional quips that light up generic conversation, and could soon be indulging in the glitz and glamour that characterises her debut E EP.

Left: Eyre Llew Right: Mollie Ralph

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M Y L E S

K N I G H T

A charming, relaxed, approachable figure, Myles Knight’s crooning delivery brings to memory Alex Turner’s infamous Submarine soundtrack; the air of bravado and confidence that fills his swaggering live performances squashing into a state of serenity as he speaks with a wry grin and the rejuvenated purpose of an artist finally on stable ground. In a time where artists seem increasingly willing to cover heavier topics of politics, health and technology, there’s something refreshing about a troubadour recalling his latest alcohol-fuelled binge. Songwriting doesn’t have to serious all the time, and Myles Knight is ready to prove that, one hangover at a time.

G E O R G E

G A D D

If ever a man embodied the Nottingham way of life, it would be George Gadd, who jokes blankly about how he’s likely to be in the city from birth to death. A hand-me-down recorder and a fifty pound guitar kick-started Gadd’s affiliation with music, which took off once he ditched singing Oasis songs in an American accent and started putting his mind to a chirpy punk-inspired sound.

Despite natural comparisons to folk-punk monolith Frank Turner, Gadd’s short catalogue contains a chasm of influences; the opening of Runaway projects Disintegration-era The Cure, whilst Shake A Ghost puts processed drums and synthesisers to a poignant and bouncing melody. A stalwart of the local music community, Gadd grew up as a teenager on the circuit with Jake Bugg and Saint Raymond. Now the singer-songwriter admires the diversity flowing through Nottingham - with a drive to record new music and a Bodega headline show in December, expect to see and hear more from the gentle giant that is George Gadd.

T I L L Y G R E E N T R E E

Possessing the maturity of an artist twice her age, Tilly Greentree crafts relaxed lounge pop soaked in the neo-jazz musings of Tom Misch. Critical to a minuscule level, forever judging her creative output but still resolutely positive and upbeat, Greentree reflects: ‘I’ll kick myself if it’s not how I envision the songs to be’. Despite her businesslike professionalism, Greentree is a breath of fresh air, finding music to be a therapeutic process. Branching into a more jazz-infused sound with the inclusion of keys, bass and drums, the musician is excited yet brutally realistic. ‘I write a lot more freely now than I used to. I’m just making music and seeing where it goes really. It might not be that big but I love gigging and want to continue doing that’.

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T O R I

S H E A R D

‘I’m very happy-go-lucky… I like uplifting songs…they’re hard to write but I’m a happy person,’ emits young singer-songwriter Tori Sheard, a timeless smile lighting up her face. Despite selling out the Bodega and releasing a beautifully delicate EP intertwining modern pop structures with the folk-inspired songwriting of Emmylou Harris, Sheard only recently left school and embarked on what she now calls ‘a gap life!’ Possessing the free-flowing aura so omnipresent within Florence Welch and Maggie Rodgers, Sheard explains ‘I write very slowly and painfully, once every six months, almost like clockwork…I’m quite a perfectionist, I have too much of an end goal in mind,’ she states. ‘Songs capture a moment and then if you can make other people feel the same way, or a different kind of way…I like making people cry!

I like putting something out into the world which could mean something different to so many different people…and I do believe that it comes from somewhere else in the universe…sometimes I get to catch one and I make it mine. It’s quite a spiritual process and I channel it but it always represents what I’m going through.

It’ll always be cryptic and metaphorical.’

Finding comfort and solace on a greater, spiritual level is not just vital for Sheard as a musician, but for her listeners as well, basking in the love-torn, adolescent tales, resonating and belonging in a dimension cascading the physical realm.

L A U R I E I L L I N G W O R T H

Despite writing with ‘a very simplistic 50s structure’ on his keyboard, Laurie Illingworth possesses a voice so startlingly pure and raw that it cuts through the air like a knife through butter. A classical upbringing via the clarinet and county wind bands led to the musician taking the plunge to learn piano as a way of accompanying a friend who sung. ‘I want to make something that hopefully people can easily latch on to, but also music that hopefully makes people feel something as well,’ he muses. ‘Raw emotion and good musicality is what I’m aiming for.’ With some of the city’s finest musicians making up his band, Illingworth’s brand of ambient Bon Iver and James Blake-inspired music has already got the city itching with expectation. ‘The best advice I’ve been given is not to rush,’ he explains. ‘I still don’t know what the vibe is yet, I like to be flexible. Ultimately, all music is the same. I know it’s a bold statement but really it is true. The structure is very similar, it is the emotion, the rawness, the lyricism that sets it apart. Just take your time, enjoy it, have an open mind, do things differently and try to mix it up. Don’t just do things that other people are doing.’ Despite only living in Nottingham for just over year, Illingworth already possesses a maturity, knowledge and support base vaster than most artists who’ve been aligning the city for years. It’s a refreshing sight to see such a wise head on youthful shoulders, understanding the need to wait and finesse his sound before unleashing it onto a country who could soon become happily accustomed to a new star in town.

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J O E Y

C O L L I N S

It takes a special talent to make a solo project sound so hauntingly original, yet Joey Collins touches on death, addiction and mental health in a way that has listeners recoiling as if they experienced his pain first hand. Touching on the Seattle grunge movement of the 90s, Collins now possesses a more natural and grounded sound, his sophomore record inspired by his increasing maturity as well as beginning the long road to recovery he needed to undergo.

‘I lost my nan, I was struggling with my own issues. It’s the journey of completely losing yourself all the way to recovery, and being a lot better now…from my own perspective, written about my own problems, which isn’t easy to talk about, but it’s more of a super-personal and super honest diary.’

In an industry enriched with fickleness and structure, Collins’ music condenses raw, authentic musicality into a young man finally freeing himself from the burdens and pains of the past and striding positively into the future.

Photographer: Paul Boast

J O

O L

N L

N E

Y Y

From the moment he heard the Les Paul guitar tone in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Freebird, Jonny Olley knew he was going to have an ongoing romance with the guitar. A guitarist first and foremost, Olley prepared to wield his instrument of choice by picking up the violin, which bolstered and refined his finger-picking technique for the future. University life temporarily drew a line under music, yet his desire to live life with no regrets led Olley to pursue his passion after graduating. A spoken word experiment soon evolved into something more delicate, emotive, personal and above all, important in the current industry. ‘I took influence from everything that I was listening to and just tried to bumble along and make something from it’, he confesses. ‘It’s been five years since I graduated, and there’s finally something on the horizon that I’m happy with and that I think is going to make an impact on the global scene, not just the local scene or the UK scene’.

With a stream of singles being released in the near future Jonny Olley’s future sound promises a mixture of visceral youth and matured songwriting depth. Slow is a documentation of his time living in Forest Fields, narrating the mundane reality of post-university life mixed with opiates and psychological learning curves. In contrast, Skewed Views is a poignant, politically-leaning tale based on a real-life story Olley heard whilst bartending. ‘Music is here for everyone so I don’t see why I should have one genre specifically. I don’t like labels either - things are a lot more complicated than that. Einstein said that creativity is intelligence having fun’. Luckily for Olley, he possesses an abundance of both creativity and intelligence. Fingers crossed he can have some fun 44in the process.

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B E N

M A R K

S M I T H

A champion for the late-developer, Smith, despite growing up on Green Day and Ask, only chose to learn and pursue music at college. ‘At college there were loads of people who’d been playing for over five years, I had to practice twice as hard,’ he says. Turning to more acoustic-based performance, Smith used inspirations Will Varley and Beans On Toast to strive towards his troubadour sound. A passionate advocate for his local music scene, Smith bridges homelessness, mental health, suicide and relationships in an intimate way that can only be done by someone taking note of what’s happening around him. A strikingly humble man, with a heart as pure as the layered narrative of tracks like Who’s The Girl?, the world needs more people like Ben Mark Smith, championing the grassroots in a climate fixated on Spotify playlists and repetitive radio play.

J A C O B F O W L E R A bonafide popstar-in-waiting, Jacob Fowler not only has the internal team behind him to help deliver a catalogue of hits, he also possesses a personality that slices through pop’s mundane heartland. ‘I am a bit of a diva really… I’m not really ashamed of it’, he laughs. Having recorded in Los Angeles, debut ear-worm No Warning caresses the outskirts of the singer’s potential. Yet Fowler is stuck in between a career in pop and one in musical theatre. ‘Musical theatre is more my kind of thing but that means I’m hiding behind a character, which is easy… well, not easy… easier than having to be me’. Fowler’s talent is impressive; his interview style is more unpredictable, possessing subtle flaws which make conversation more dynamic and more genuine once he relinquishes the hypothetical mask he’s so used to donning on stage. ‘I get very defensive as well’, he says in a manner that hardly warrants that exclamation. Inspired by Sam Smith and timeless love ballads, if Fowler chooses to pursue music, expect to hear him dominating radio stations in the near future.

K A L E I D Ø The esprit de corps that permeates Kaleidø’s collective mind is rarely seen in such a concentrated dose, flowing freely through the veins of the band’s two main songwriters, Jaque Seviour and Myles Graham. Unity is key, as the band project, and with just two songs released so far, the dynamic four-piece are still very much in their infancy. Yet as the dusk settles from debut track Xenophobia’s slaughtering opening, chainsaw-rugged guitars swiping incisions into its listener, Nottingham’s rock landscape opened to accept another name into the community of sharp, guitar-wielding monoliths. The indisputable bond of the band lives on, visible within Kaleidø’s 45 fabric as they attempt the great leap to bigger heights.

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As a city, Nottingham is one of the best in the UK for producing vibrant one-day festivals with great entertainment and for a great cause. On 27th October, Hockley Hustle will return once again to dazzle punters and raise money for charity. The festival has been running since 2006 now hosts over thirty-five venues across Hockley in the city centre, including Broadway Cafe Bar, Rough Trade, The Bodega, Nottingham Contemporary and JamCafe.

This year, The Mic is proud to team up with the festival to provide dynamic coverage of the event on the day, whilst giving our readers insights into the behind-the-scenes action as well as the artists performing. At 2019’s event, around 300 Nottingham acts will be performing across the vast array of venues, including the latest addition to Nottingham’s creative music scene - Metronome. With an array of charities being supported, including Emmanuel House, Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum, Rethink Mental Health, IMARA and Equation, Hockley Hustle 2019 is an incredible opportunity to participate in the local community whilst supporting charities and live music.

Nottingham has one of the most rapidly-expanding music scenes in the country, its open mic scene has seen the likes of Jake Bugg and Saint Raymond hone their craft, whilst the jazz, hip-hop and metal communities are experiencing more focus. Well-known for being a springboard for Nottingham acts, Hockley Hustle has seen Jake Bugg play at the Broadway Cafe Bar in 2010, with the likes of Natalie Duncan, Ronika, Saint Raymond and Liam Bailey all cutting their teeth at the festival.

In addition to the line-up upfront, organisers tend to throw in a few surprises each year too: Liam Bailey and Harleighblu dueting with the 60 piece UFO Orchestra, the internationally adored Sheku Kanneh-Mason performing a stunning solo set, four-time World Champion DJ Mr Switch battling award winning beatboxer THePETEBOX, and the Hackney Colliery Band marching through town.

The streets come alive with a carnival atmosphere with jugglers, stilt walkers, choirs and samba bands parading the streets and this year will be no different, the Hustle delivers unforgettable experiences, every time.

“We take over most of Hockley with great music and carnival vibes.”

As Nottingham gears up for the latest rendition of Hockley Hustle, The Mic caught up with festival director Tommy Rosley to talk about the progression over time and how to support the festival.

How did the festival first come about?

The festival began in 2006 when a young promoter named Adam Pickering pottered up to me at a gig I was running and said that he wanted to start a festival called Hockley Hustle, I said that he’d need help. We went from there.

How much has the festival raised for charity in the past?

Over £150,000 plus a huge amount of other support. It makes us very proud.

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Embracing the festival spirity, Sheku Kanneh-Mason (bottom left)

How long has it been running and how has it developed over the years?

Since 2006. It has expanded to over 30 venues and now includes comedy bits, poetry, street food, a whole host of street performances. We take over most of Hockley with great music and carnival vibes. We introduced Young Hustlers in 2016 which is a Hustle for Nottingham’s younger humans with loads of workshops, events and fun for all the family. It runs on the same day. o Why did you want to get involved in organising the event?

I was organising plenty of gigs at the time and a festival sounded fun, it has been fun, challenging but worth it. It is a fantastic feeling to be able to help bring the city together, raise money for charity, celebrating the culture and talent of Notts whilst also having a big old party.

How are the team feeling ahead of this year’s festival?

The team are on fire this year, everyone is working their socks off with lots of laughs, we’re all hyped. We’ve had some new additions to the Hustle fam this year, LeftLion editor Bridie Squires as well as local songsmith Laurie Illingworth and the blisteringly efficient Carys Jones. They have brought so much enthusiasm and good spirit. We add to the team each year so get in touch if you’d like to be involved! We’re all bonkers, come join us.

How does the event help the charities involved?

We donate cash, offer ongoing support and help raise awareness for what they do and the projects they run throughout the year. Most are massively underfunded and do fantastic work for Nottingham and the cities communities. For example, we are the largest yearly donor to the Nottingham group of Rethink Mental Health, they couldn’t meet up without our financial support.

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What’s new for 2019?

The orchestra project is coming along nicely, we’ve got some brilliant vocalists teamed up with the 60 piece UFO Orchestra again. We have a comedy stage at Wired Café, run by Nottingham Comedy Festival which will be a hoot. We’ve expanded the street entertainment and are working with new venues, promoters and artists.

How is it putting on an event across a huge range of venues?

The logistics are overwhelming, it is an insane amount of work, but we love it and the team is just ace. We have a huge amount of help from volunteers on the day and we get a lot of support from Confetti Media Group, Gigantic Tickets, LeftLion and many more in the run up. But yeah you really have to live the event to pull it off. We quiz each other every now and again on lineups, time slots, who’s providing which bit of tech kit, the year something happened or didn’t happen etc. We’re weird like that, but it’s fine.

What is the support like from venues and festival goers?

Brilliant. All the venues are fantastic and offer us huge amount of support. Our crowd is a very good natured crowd who are supportive with their words, smiles and dancing, many of them come year on year, a fair few volunteer or offer to help where they can. We genuinely feel very lucky to be doing what we are doing.

What are your recommendations for things to do and people to catch at the event?

See a bit of everything, I don’t like to single out artists really. There is something great in each venue, take a punt and try something new, eat good grub, drink some Hockley Hustle Beer brewed by our sponsors Castle Rock Brewery, dance at the Silent Disco and have fun.

Before the event, how can people support Hockley Hustle?

Spread the word. Follow us on socials, share our posts and let people know what we are up to. We need volunteers for the day so please sign up through the website. Come and help us in the office!

If you really want to make a difference get in touch with a local charity and give them your time.

What’s been your proudest moment so far?

Ah man, umm, too many magical moments. The UFO Orchestra with Liam Bailey singing Love My Neighbour is one of my all time highlights, BBC Young Musician of the Year Sheku Kanneh-Mason jamming with Nina Smith backstage was amazing. Things (often unplanned) just pop up year on year across the festival that wouldn’t happen anywhere else. The event brings so much joy to the city and supports people who really need help which makes us proud all year round.

The line-up for 2019’s Hockley Hustle has now been released so check out the incredible range of artists who’ll be performing. We’re incredibly happy to see the likes of Laurie Illingworth, Myles Knight, Ben Mark Smith, Jonny Olley, Reflektor, Exchecker and many more and look forward to finding some new artists whilst exploring the vast array of stages hosting talent later in October.

By Ben Standring

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results, summer holidays and great music, or just to take a break from work, the heady extravaganza of a festival is an experience that can rarely be beaten, and this summer proved just that with a host of festivals producing high-quality bills across the country.

A recent trend in UK festival culture has been the increase of large one-day festival events such as British Summer Time and All Points East, which curated tailored days to match certain musical tastes. 2019 saw the likes of Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, The Strokes, Bon Iver, Florence & The Machine, Lionel Richie, Neil Young, The Chemical Brothers and more take over Hyde Park and Victoria Park in London, with Mum Mumford & Sons curating their own day at All Points East which included performances from The Vaccines, Dizzee Rascal, Leon Bridges and Jade Bird.

Over at Worthy Farm, Somerset, the biggest festival of them all proved there really is nothing quite like Glastonbury. The Killers brought Las Vegas to a baking crowd with help from the Pet Shop Boys and Johnny Marr, whilst The Cure exemplified their iconic status with a set celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the legendary Disintegration. Other legends included Kylie’s teatime slot with Nick Cave, whilst Sir David Attenborough received a rockstar welcome to highlight the need for climate action. There were secret sets from Foals, Vampire Weekend and more, but the greatest surprise came from Friday’s headliner. Initially met with some scepticism when announced, Stormzy’s show was a masterpiece in performance and charisma; hailed as one of the greatest headline shows of all time from a rapper with just on one album out, it was a statement of intent and progression from Glastonbury organisers, who are gearing up to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary in 2020.

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More widely, a smattering of smaller festivals delivered arguably some of the best line-ups and prices seen in recent memory. Truck, 2000trees, Kendal Calling, Green Man, Tramlines, Standon Calling, Y Not and more all exhibited some of the country's best alternative acts whilst also ooering new talent. Foals, Wolf Alice and Two Door Cinema Club showcased their headliner credentials, whilst Lewis Ca Capaldi, Jade Bird, Sports Team, slowthai and Fontaines D.C. gathered huge crowds. However, the biggest excitement was around IDLES - a testament to the support that’s been building for the Bristol band since the release of Joy as an Act of Resistance.

For the hip-hop fanatics, Lovebox and Wireless saw Chance The Rapper, Cardi B, Travis Scott, Migos, Loyle Carner, Giggs, J Hus, Brockhampton and Future come to the capital, whilst Field Day was topped eeortlessly by Skepta and Jorja Smith.

Boomtown’s hedonistic extravaganza was matched with a line-up including the iconic Ms. Lauryn Hill, Prophets of Rage and The Streets, whilst EDM-blessed Creamfields welcomed bac Swedish House Mafia, plus deadmau5, Calvin Harris and back The Chemical Brothers. In a complete genre-flip, metal-heads were treated to a mud bath at Download Festival as torrential downpours failed to dampen metal enthusiasts enjoying headline sets from Slipknot, Tool and Def Leppard.

For this year’s post-exam results rite of passage, swarms of teenagers flocked to the dual-sited Reading and Leeds Festival. Despite the disheartening reality that the festival’s traditional rock heart was being constrained by a more radio-friendly and pop-oriented bill, Foo Fighters highlighted that there’s still life in guitar-driven music. However, the weekend was dominated by one figure; Billie Eilish, the 17-year old sensation drawing crowds bigger than the headliners themselves. In turbulent times, it wasn’t surprising to see bands grabbing the zeitgeist - The 1975’s headline set was a dazzling representation of the positivity and pitfalls of modern society, whilst Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and many more also addressed the widening political, social and cultural issues of the day.

The fiery political reality was swiftly moved aside by a literal dose of fire within both Post Malone’s and twenty one pilots’ co-headline sets - shows that kept both the pyrotechnics and crowd on overdrive.

As the post-festival blues settle and we get ready for an intense period of gigging and touring, we can reminisce fondly over festival season 2019. In turbulent times, there potentially is nothing better than being able to sit in a field with a group of friends and lukewarm beers, enjoying the sounds of some of our favourite artists. Farewell festival season, we look forward to your return next year.

By B Ben Standring

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Working at a festival sounds glamorous. However, if you’re fantasising about VIP access, free drinks and hanging out with the bands and artists while working at a major fest then, after working a few festivals this summer and experiencing the reality, I’m about to piss in your Cheerios.

Having said that, as far as student summer jobs go, festival work definitely isn’t the worst. There are so many diierent types of job that you can undertake, from litter picking to stewarding. Some of these jobs, such as cleaning the portaloos, are pretty hideous. But others, such as working at the bar (the job I have done the most this summer) can be fun and in some ways rewarding. As a music lover and festival fanatic, I always want to cram as many festivals as possible fa into my schedule when the summer comes around. However, being a broke student, a summer full of festivals isn’t exactly cheap. Working seemed like a decent compromise; attending for free, and at the same time working to shift the depressingly negative balance of my overdraft back into positive figures.

Again.

Being a member of staa at a festival definitely has its perks.

Other than getting free entry into the festival itself and therefore access to all it has to ooer, there is also private staa camping sites, free food, and private festival facilities such as cleaner toilets and hot showers. Seeing the other side of festival life is also an incredibly interesting experience, giving you a better understanding of the sheer quantity of time and eeort thrown at the festival. You’re also getting paid a ee semi-decent wage. Hell yeah.

Although you are working, you don’t feel excluded from the festival’s much sought-out atmosphere whilst on shift. Instead, you get to experience the atmosphere from a whole new level.

Customers are in high spirts, you can hear some of your favourite artists playing whilst you work and unlike the usual way of embracing festival culture by consuming way too much alcohol (guilty), you have to stay sober to work, so you are guaranteed to remember your experience. gua

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The people you meet working at festivals are fascinating.

Being put in a team of numerous other staa members means that you will meet a huge variety of diierent people from diierent places and backgrounds. Along with your colleagues, speaking to the vibrant festival goers is probably one of the most enjoyable parts of the job. From Grandmas in age-inappropriate sequin crop tops to groups of very drunk men me dressed as women, the characters you will meet are pretty unforgettable. With shifts being insane hours, talking to people is the only way to stay sane. That, and eating a lot of biscuits.

Don’t get me wrong, there is also a lot of hard graft involved, with only a few short breaks if you’re lucky and the crowds die down. You know that feeling you get when you wake up in a tent as soon as the sun comes up after having less than 4 hours of sleep? It’s bad enough with a hangover, but imagine then having to work a 16-hour shift in the same sweat-soaked T-shirt you wore for your equally lengthy shift yesterday. Not ideal. idea Customers, as well as being the best part of the job, can also very quickly become the worst. Sometimes you get people who are completely wasted, and they show their true colours when they decide to fight the fact that you just charged them £11.50 for a double vodka and coke. Colleagues that I have worked with in the past have had drinks thrown back in their faces by angry festival goers and sometimes punters can get verbally abusive, especially when it comes to the extortionate ve drink prices.

A lot of dodgy stuu also goes on at festivals, which can make the job pretty scary sometimes. At the last one I worked, there were a tonne of drug overdoses, multiple stabbings and an air ambulance had to be called. Drugs are inevitable at most festivals, so there will always be people who approach you who are not currently on this planet and after refusing them service, they unsurprisingly don’t react too well. As a woman working behind a bar, a lot of men make unwarranted wo advances towards you which is not only annoying when you’re trying to do your job, but can also be intimidating and upsetting.

Working at a festival is definitely something you can only describe by doing it. There is no experience like it, but in terms of a decently paid, social and entertaining summer job, it doesn’t get much better.

By Lara Gelmetti

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i, i

Bon Iver

T records that have spanned the better part of a decade, it is vital o get a sense of Bon Iver’s genre-bending, fractured collage of

to understand the fight or flight instinct embedded within the mind of the man in charge of it all. 2007’s debut record For Emma, Forever Ago saw a heartbroken and dejected Justin Vernon withdrawing to a log cabin in the woods of Wisconsin. A self-titled sophomore record exploded into surrealist fantasy, a scintillating roadmap of his bipolar country projected behind new maximalist production values that Vernon picked up from Kanye West. The grandiose fantasy fractured exponentially on 22, A Million; a startling representation of the dire global situation that was fading into normality, which coincidentally acted as a perfect introduction to the post-Brexit and Trump dichotomy we still have today. The third record saw Vernon retreat so much he pulverised his own voice with machines to represent the fracturing of the self, but on his latest release, i,i the tide seems to be swiftly turning, the fragments healing slightly and the fire being taken to the fight.

“A self-titled sophomore record exploded into surrealist fantasy.”

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What separates i,i from its predecessor is its collaborative and free spirit - guest spots from the likes of James Blake, Bruce Hornsby, Moses Sumney, Jen Wasner and Aaron and Bryce Dessner twirl amongst Vernon’s slightly auto-tuned vocals. Words tumble and turn at a moments notice as Vernon settles into the role of curator and conductor in place of his previous one-man-band approach. The earnest iMi aligns string plucks and percussive claps for a rhythmic and airy skeleton that allows hushed vocals to trickle sincerely over the track. The darkly minimalist We harks back to the disturbing echoes of Vernon’s work with Kanye West, whilst Holyfields finds profundity in the profane as its dusky, ceiling-scraping squarks and climbing synths paint an assured picture of the album slowly unfolding.

Whilst the record’s complexity matches the confusing social discourse of the present day, rare moments of natural bliss poke through the ruffled soundscape. Hey, Ma is brimming with unmediated and unarticulated emotion, its chorus’ unwavering melody reigniting faith in music’s capacity to project beauty above all else. Naeem is a beautifully devastating gospel-infused offering whilst Marion, a modern folk opus, harks back to the Vernon of yesteryear in its soothing arrangement. i,i was hailed before release as the final piece of the Bon Iver jigsaw puzzle, a four-album cycle representing each of the four seasons. Winter and Spring were represented in the folk-dominated first two records, whilst 22, A Million’s heady disorientation represented the crazed unpredictability of summer. In autumnal fashion, the new album tapers down the distortion, maturing and culminating everything Vernon has crafted in the past. Album closer RABi offers a snapshot of Vernon’s twelve-year journey; jarring instrumental lines mesh together in a confused fashion that somehow makes sense, while a slinking saxophone arrangement bounces off the Americana-flecked guitar line.

“i,i feels both deeply personal and interconnected with the fabricated web of human existence - made to be enjoyed in cathartic tranquility and collective companionship alike.”

The spatters of intimacy and sparsity breathe much-needed air into the record, but the real beauty of i,i is embedded within its complexity: the tiny blink-and-miss-it details noticeable only after repeated listens; the gnomic symbology of track names; and smirking abbreviations that take some scouting about to make sense of. Such is the complexity of the majestic new record, it feels almost a privilege to bathe in Vernon’s mind-palace of emotion and sentiment. On multiple occasions i,i feels both deeply personal and interconnected with the fabricated web of human existence - made to be enjoyed in cathartic tranquility and collective companionship alike.

For a project that first began as a work of hermetic isolation and dampened reflection, i,i is a startling turn of events, relying on collaboration and evoking the importance of community. On the brass-filled Salem, Vernon sings ‘What I think we need / Is elasticity, empowerment, and ease’: a proverbial mantra for making sense of the senseless. An unpredictable and elusive figure at the best of times, the completion of Vernon’s album cycle casts greater doubt over what the future has in store for Bon Iver. However, one piece of certainty is that, in this continually fragmented world, the importance of Bon Iver’s retrospective musings is greater than ever before.

By Ben Standring

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Norman Fucking Rockwell

Lana Del Rey

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ana Del Rey’s new album is a sublime, transcendent and intensely prescient pop masterpiece - a selection of adjectives that up to this point I would’ve considered her music to be the antithesis of.

Produced, largely played and arranged by pop wunderkind Jack Antonoff [Fun, Bleachers], it’s a pop album is the grandest sense. That isn’t to say I haven’t enjoyed some of Del Rey’s past material; she has some

tunes, don’t get me wrong. Lead single Love from her prior album, 2017’s Lust For Life, is a classy, sultry

pop song that blossoms with a swooning falsetto chorus and generous quantities of sticky melody.

Additionally, breakout summer depression anthem Video Games has an undeniable, if slightly corny, charm to it, even 8 years away from it’s freshly post-2000’s context.

This album, however, is entirely different - a distillation of the concept Del Rey has been experimenting with

her entire career. It’s a sort of strange puzzle box of youth disillusionment, nostalgia for candy-coloured Americana, personal melodrama and cutting bursts of razor-sharp sincerity. It speaks with the clear voice

of a songwriter in full command of her own mythology, able to shape her simple songs into tight little

thematic and narrative packages. Many of the album’s strengths are encapsulated in lead single Mariners Apartment Complex, whose deceptively simple balladry tells the story of a botched romantic moment and

failed connection which unveils an ocean of complex, contemporary sentiments.

There’s a bold and blunt opening refusal to be misunderstood or miscategorized by a self-pitying romantic

interest (‘you took my sadness out of context’), and a wider denial of the media’s obsession with picking at Del Rey’s public persona and authenticity (‘they mistook my kindness for weakness/I fucked up, I know that,

but Jesus’). Del Rey offers a convincing rebuttal to everyone who’s questioned her and suggested her art stems from anywhere but a world distinctly her own and a devoted resolve for isolationism. You will accept

Lana Del Rey on her own terms and she will rise to the occasion; this is what the song both promises and

delivers over a stunningly arranged and uncharacteristically subtle (for Antonoff) arrangement of bristling

organic guitars and colourful synth embellishments, giving the song kaleidoscopic depth and body.

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“It speaks with the clear voice of a songwriter in full command of her own mythology, able to shape her simple songs into tight little thematic and narrative packages.”

Although the album is a delightful and endlessly rewarding hodgepodge of artsy 70’s music, psychedelic

rock and hazy soft rock, the greatest pleasures in most of these songs are actually found in Del Rey’s

words. She’s careful to lace each with painstakingly curated cultural references, such as the album’s ironic namesake Norman (Fucking) Rockwell. This famed American illustrator defined much of Americana with his

naïve and sanitised snapshots of the American dream, whilst his later career progression into more socially aware subjects functions as a perfect microcosm for the album’s themes and underlying duality. Del Rey

uses honeyed American imagery and familiar phraseology to explore the seedy underbelly of discontent that

will feel all too familiar to anyone caught up with the state of the western world.

Elsewhere, The greatest’s piercing allusion to ‘Dennis’ last stop before Kokomo’ manages to evoke a sense

of stomach-churning melancholy in anyone familiar with the doomed Beach Boys’ tragic story. Del Rey’s not

content simply squeezing in a few lines of brilliance however, and the rest of the lyrics are a goldrush of genius one liners such as the triple entendre ‘Life on Mars ain’t just a song’, which manages to reference

global warming, SpaceX and the youth alienation epidemic all in 9 tidy syllables. This is just one track.

Norman Fucking Rockwell is Lana Del Rey’s best album and one of the most intriguing and deeply human

albums of this decade. It is long, meandering, self-indulgent, deeply personal (almost to a fault) and consistently stunning. Basically, it’s Lana Del Rey. Pure and distilled. Whether or not you’d consider yourself

partial to her previous sadcore summery pop (I probably wouldn’t), this album is worth hearing if you: have

any passing interest in singer-songwriters; enjoy complex emotive balladry; are partial to gorgeously

arranged and classily produced pop music; or are a human being in the messy, convoluted times we live in

(especially if that life happens to take place in the ol’ USA). She utterly disembowels the American dream

then reshapes it in her own image, bringing all its contradiction and debauchery to the forefront while still

staying within the confines of its vocabulary of flashy cars, tacky bars and slatherings of naïve hope. This is an album for our times.

By Owen White 57

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ne EP, eleven singles and one BRITs Critics’ Choice award later, Sam Fender finally drops his long-awaited debut album. Hypersonic Missiles showcases Fender’s talents in writing smart, provocative lyrics, putting together some belting tunes and creating award winning music which not only climbs the charts but is art that resonates with listeners too.

It’s fair to say that the hype surrounding Fender’s debut album has been unprecedented.

Particularly since winning his BRITs Critics’ Choice award late last year, it’s felt like you can’t switch on your TV without seeing Fender’s sharp jawline, baggy tee and belting voice on one talk show or another. With so many singles already out in the wild, there was heavy speculation on which were going to make the cut. Luckily, Fender still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

Within the thirteen-track album, only seven of which were pre-released, Fender manages to keep the record fresh, innovative and listeners on their toes. More than anything, this is thanks to his provocative lyrics; they tackle personal themes just as effectively as current political issues. The Borders - a track hailed by Fender himself as a favourite - tells the personal traumatic story of two boys growing apart as time goes by. However the very next track, White Privilege, tackles social issues surrounding today’s political world. Rather than egotistically telling us how it should be, Fender instead states that ‘[He doesn’t] have answers only questions’. Out of all the new additions, White Privilege is a standout for being notably simplistic yet impactful. Its multi-layered vocals provide depth to the track, making for a pleasant change from the wall of guitar, drums and sax sounds which make up so much of Fender’s repertoire. Its simple guitar chords, haunting vocals and stirring lyrics leave this as a song which lingers in your mind long after the final note has been played.

The breakthrough Dead Boys follows on, opening with its foreboding, poignant plucking of notes. Tackling the taboo subjects of male suicide, mental health issues and toxic masculinity, the track is a prime example of the power which music can have. Like most tracks on the album, Dead Boys feels raw, emotional and above all else, real. Written by Fender, the track was triggered by the loss of a close friend and the rising number of male suicides in his home town; building momentum throughout, it swells to a harrowing finish. Fender has a talent for writing his tracks with enough ambiguity to make personal connections within individual listeners, yet somehow still remaining deeply distinct to himself. Often, lyrics will merely hint towards an idea through their simplicity, but, carried by Fenders unwavering vocals, they’ll elicit visceral responses from within.

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It’s a shame to not hear the likes of fan favourites Spice or Poundshop Kardashians, but this is forgivable in order to maintain a tight record whilst still providing plenty of new material.

Perhaps the only track to feel out of place is Call Me Lover, which feels like the obligatory love song on an album. On a record which has so much to say and offer the track feels like a dead weight - only dragging it down, with no real purpose or substance. This is particularly notable since it follows on from Two People, a delicate track documenting Fender’s struggles with hearing an abusive relationship at a young age but being unable to help in any way.

Written and performed with such elegance, songs like this raise the bar, therefore making prominent those which fall below it.

Fender has managed to achieve the seemingly impossible for many musicians – creating purposeful art which is also commercially successful. Hypersonic Missiles was written, recorded and produced all within Fender’s own self-built warehouse studio in North Shields; it truly is a personal insight into the artist himself. The distinctive style and charm which has certainly served him well so far in his career oozes from every corner of the album - the tracks feel grand and heavy, but rarely tired. A Northern lad singing about social issues with a guitar in hand is nothing revolutionary nor new. Fender however, manages to put himself away from the crowd, whether it be with the hard-hitting lyricism, easy listening rock vibes or the flourishes of Springsteen-esque sax. Although a few creases may need ironing out, Sam Fender has hit the ground running with Hypersonic Missiles - a stellar debut album.

By Bethan Fletcher

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VENUE GUIDE

Motorpoint Arena is the biggest venue in Nottingham, hosting some of the biggest artists in the world with a more established and larger fan-base. Gigs at the Motorpoint are a lot less frequent than they are at other venues, however the venue does allow for a much more full-scale show to be put on. Artists playing at the Motorpoint Arena in the upcoming months include The Who, Slipknot, Liam Gallagher, and The 1975.

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The Bodega is home to smaller, rising talent and offers an up close and personal experience along with a more intimate show. With a capacity of just 220 people, going to gigs there can be a great way to catch artists before they hit the big time whilst also catching some of Nottingham’s brilliant music scene. Bands that have played here include Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines and Florence and The Machine.

The iconic Rock City is one of the heartlands of Nottingham’s music scene, holding around 2450 people and hosting some of the country’s best loved artists. With almost forty years of live music experience in the bag, the next few months sees the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, The Libertines and Bombay Bicycle Club all visiting the venue.

One of the most intimate and personal compact venues, with a 450-person capacity in the main room and an upstairs bar and balcony area, Rescue Rooms is a haven for gig goers, with a packed schedule and an equally impressive acoustic night every monday in the bar. Artists playing at the venue in the coming months include Miles Kane, Sports Team, Palace, Sea Girls and Do Nothing.

Supporting Nottingham’s thriving clubbing scene since opening its doors back in 2004, Stealth has everything to support your clubbing needs, from funk to bassline. Prior to breaking through on the bigger stage, Stealth hosted artists such as Disclosure and Chase and Status – so you never know, you may be watching the next big thing in the electronic world!

THE BRICKWORKS A ‘proper’ venue with no frills, this barely converted warehouse space lurks in the former industrial side of Nottingham. Home to an impressive sound and lighting system, Brickworks has presented AJ Tracey, Andy C, Congo Natty, and Wiley to Nottingham’s grateful clubbers!

Despite being one of the country’s most important labels and record stores, Rough Trade has an upstairs venue with a capacity of just over 100, offering intimate in-store shows from huge artists. The Amazons, Sundara Karma and IDLES have all played in the last year, whilst Mystery Jets, Swim Deep and Inhaler will arrive in the next few months.

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