– LIVE – DEC 2ND
BODEGA / NOTTINGHAM
DEC 3RD
NATION OF SHOPKEEPERS / LEEDS
DEC 4TH
GULLIVER’S / MANCHESTER
DEC 5TH
BROADCAST / GLASGOW
DEC 7TH
START THE BUS / BRISTOL
DEC 8TH
HARE & HOUNDS / BIRMINGHAM
DEC 9TH
100 CLUB / LONDON
DEC 11TH
THE HAUNT / BRIGHTON
‘ DREAM SODA’
The Debu t Al bu m Ou t Now: demob-ha ppy.com
PVRIS LET THEM IN
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EDITOR’S NOTE How can you tell 2015 has been a great year for music? Easy. This issue of Upset is bigger than ever before - there have been so many amazing albums and brilliant bands we’ve had to physically add pages to the magazine to fit it all in. From band of the year PVRIS (and it’s you that have awarded them that honour - find the Readers Poll results on page 56), to nearly 100 full-lengths that have made the last twelve months special, there’s loads to remember, enjoy and discover. Bring on 2016.
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IN THIS ISSUE
RIOT!
04. LONELY THE BRAVE 08. LOWER THAN ATLANTIS 10. LA DISPUTE 12. BARONESS
ABOUT TO BREAK 14. YOUTH MAN 16. SLUTFACE
BEST OF 2015
18. PVRIS 27. THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2015 30. FALL OUT BOY 35. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE 38. WOLF ALICENG 42. DONOVAN WOLFINGTON 43. TURNOVER 44. THE WONDER YEARS 48. HOP ALONG 51. TWIABP 54. TWIN ATLANTIC 56. READERS POLL RESULTS
FEATURES
58. AROUND THE WORLD: PHILADELPHIA
LIVE
62. VANS WARPED TOUR UK 64. FIDLAR + BULLY 65. FIGHTSTAR 66. THE FEST 14 69. LOS CAMPESINOS!
upsetmagazine.com Editor: Stephen Ackroyd (stephen@upsetmagazine.com) Deputy Editor: Victoria Sinden (viki@upsetmagazine.com) Assistant Editor: Ali Shutler (ali@upsetmagazine.com) Contributors: Allissa Williams, Danny Randon, Emma Swann, Heather McDaid, Jack Glasscock, Jade Esson, Jess Goodman, Jonathan Dadds, Kristy Diaz, Marthe Johannessen, Ryan De Freitas, Sam San Roman, Sammy Maine, Sarah Jamieson, Sarah Louise Bennett, Tom Connick, Will Richards All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of Upset. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which Upset holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Upset or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally. P U B L I S H E D F RO M
THE BUNKER W E LCO M E TOT H E B U N K E R.CO M
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PEN NG HAP E RY T H I
RO C K ING IN
L O N E LY T H E B R AV E O N LY R E L E A S E D T H E I R D E B U T L A S T Y E A R , B U T T H E F O L L O W U P ’ S B E E N A LONGTIME IN THE MAKING… WO RDS : DA N N Y R A N D O N .
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IN THE STUDIO WITH...
LONELY THE BRAVE
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heir 2014 debut album ‘The Day’s War’ propelled them into the Top 20 and onto festival main stages, but the rise and rise of Lonely The Brave has not been one void of meticulous planning or admirable patience. Having firmly established an identity defined by their gargantuan alt-rock hooks, the Cambridge self-professed ‘doom pop’ quintet have already cracked on with the recording of their second album.
“There hasn’t really been any pressure put on us to deliver a second album,” says drummer Gavin ‘Mo’ Edgeley. “Because we have toured so heavily in the last two years, we just didn’t have any time off, so when we did have a couple of weeks here and there, we’d be straight into our rehearsal room!”
G I B 016 IN
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Despite it being just 14 months since ‘The Day’s War’ first hit shelves, the conception of a second record was a milestone that Lonely The Brave endured in their peripherals for an excruciating length of time. Between the recording of their debut and its release, Mo recalls having to wait somewhere between “two to three years”, a window which saw the band marred by growing pains, but also handed opportunities which have boosted them to impressive heights, most notably contracts with both Sony Music UK and Hassle Records.
Reflecting on the eventual success of ‘The Day’s War’, Mo sighs with a hint of relief: “The wait was totally worth it in the end, if completely frustrating. We had so many problems trying to get the album finished that weren’t from our end, and then there was the complication of signing to Sony and having to push [the album’s release] back by three months, but there’s no way we’d change anything.”
“If we did change something, we might not have been in the position where we are now,” Mo chuckles. “We’re lucky boys really!”
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ABOU T TO
BREAK
THE BEST NEW BANDS TH E H OT TEST NEW MUSIC
YOUTH MAN T H I S B I R M I N G H A M N O I S E - P U N K T R I O H AV E P L A N S O F E P I C P R O P O R T I O N S . WORDS: JESS GOODMAN.
“WE SET OUT TO BE THE F**KING WEIRDEST BAND YOU’VE EVER HEARD. AND WE WERE. AND IT WAS SHIT!”
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Returning from a tour across Germany, Youth Man are in high spirits. “It was mad,” Marcus Perks exclaims. “I’d been wearing a t-shirt for two shows, and it was so hot in the venue I had to take it off.” Miles Cocker recalls, “It was absolutely soaked. I threw it to the side of the stage, and these two girls started having a proper fight over it. I was looking at it, going EURGH,” he laughs. And it’s not just the fans that seem crazed over the band. “On the last night we all went out and had a bit of a blowout,” Marcus chuckles. “We’d told the guy at the venue we’d be up at 9am for breakfast, then when we came downstairs at about 11 he’s bringing loads of trays of freshly baked bread out. We realised that to keep it warm he’d been cooking batches since 9am and waiting.”
FACT FILE Band members: Kaila Whyte (vocals / guitar), Miles Cocker (bass) and Marcus Perks (drums) Hometown: Birmingham (UK) Formed: 2012 Signed To: VENN Records What does label boss Laurent “Lags” Barnard think? “Youth Man are as real as it gets - thrilling and uncompromising.”
Hailing from Birmingham, with their unique brand of post-punk ‘heavy jazz’ and live shows, the trio have no trouble attracting the attention of fans and admirers worldwide – including those of Venn Records, who announced they’d signed the band in late October. With a record deal in the bag, an EP in the pipeline, everything seems to be driving forwards. The group have come a long way to reach this point. “When we started three years ago, there was me, Marcus, and another guy,” Kaila Whyte describes. “We thought we were musical prodigies. We set out to be the mathiest, heaviest, fucking weirdest band you’ve ever heard. And we were. And it was shit!”
“When Miles joined it all made a bit more sense,” she continues. “Before, we were putting stuff in for the sake of it – trying to be different. Now we’re not really trying to be anything. We’re just trying to bring out of ourselves what is already there to be brought out.” Finding their form amidst a haze of influences, Youth Man are finally paving their steps towards success. “I can’t remember what it was like before I was in a band,” Kaila states. “For me and Marcus, it’s our first proper band.” “It’s probably quite dangerous really,” Marcus contemplates. “You know like a kid that’s never been told no? Maybe we’re that.” Already having graced stages at festivals, Youth Man are fast rising through the ranks. “When you first hear that you’re doing it, it’s all really exciting,” Miles states. “Then by the time it’s sunk in, and even more so by the time you’ve done it, you want to know what’s next.” Indeed, the three-piece have no shortage of future plans. “If everything comes together, and if we write and tour in the right way, possibly an album,” Miles enthuses. “You didn’t tell me about this!” Marcus exclaims. “Miles has got a secret album that he’s written.” “I think it’s a natural progression,” Miles explains, “that the EP that’s already in the pipeline would be the lead up to a full-length. “The plan is more records and more touring until we can be taken seriously enough to not have to have other jobs,” he closes. “And then I can buy a helicopter and a pet tiger,” Marcus adds. “If I was your pet tiger I’d bite your dick off,” Miles counters. “Why would you not just eat the whole body?” Marcus queries. “Because I’d let you live, just without a penis,” Miles grins. “I don’t think tigers are that calculated.” Premeditated or not, Youth Man have forged a firm foundation for further successes. Provided they don’t maul each other apart first. P 15
AB OUT TO
B R EAK
THE BEST NEW BANDS TH E H OT TEST NEW MUSIC
E C A F T SLU HORES. R ON OUR S KING A STI L R E A DY M A A E R A T I F -ROCK OUT EGIAN POP WORDS: SAMM T H E N O RW Y MAINE.
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“WE WANTED TO MAKE MUSIC PEOPLE CAN BOTH MOSH AND SING ALONG TO.”
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n Slutface’s latest single, vocalist Haley Shea declares “I’d never shave my head for you!” whilst smashing up a cheap-as-heck Craigslist guitar and amp. Turning the world’s perception of ‘crazy bitches’ on its head, ‘Shave My Head’ is an unapologetic f-you to those that still perceive passionate and emotional women as hysterical messes. It’s a perfect introduction to the Stavanger-bred bunch, who class themselves as “fortuitously feminist” – with their name aiming to get the masses thinking. “It’s meant to be provocative,” begins Shea. “It’s meant to get people thinking about how we view women’s sexuality and the overly sexual way that women are often portrayed in the music industry. We are against ‘slut shaming’ and the general judgement that is passed on women’s bodies.” Inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement and punk from around the world, the four-piece also wanted their name to reflect those influences and so, Slutface was born. Growing up in the west coast of Norway, it was mostly hardcore and hard-rock bands that coloured the music scene, with heavy metal six-piece Kvelertak hailing from the very same place. “They were one of the biggest and most successful bands we have had to look up to,” continues Shea. “We wanted to make music with more of a pop sensibility; that people can both mosh and sing along to.” Although Slutface produce the kind of tunes that call for a raucous, the band’s recent support of the UK’s ‘Girls Against’ campaign showcases their passion for safe spaces at all of their shows. “Creating a safe space for women at punk shows was one of the things that Riot Grrrls actively fought for and it’s heart-breaking and not acceptable that things still haven’t changed for our
generation,” argues Shea. “I have been groped at so many shows, especially punk and hardcore shows, and it’s really important to us that no one feels unsafe in that same way at our shows. We want our shows to be a safe and fun place for everyone and encourage young women especially to stage dive and join the mosh pit because we have their back.” Juggling their university work with the ever-increasing responsibilities of the band has been more difficult than they had originally anticipated. “We’re all at university studying full time between touring and studio sessions… sometimes it gets a bit tough,” begins drummer Halvard Skeie Wiencke. “Not all of us are equally dedicated to our studies either and are more excited about listening to new albums than doing math assignments! We’re all going to be taking some time off school soon, so it will be less hectic.” They’ll certainly need that extra free time after working on fresh new recordings with Pixies and You Me At Six producer Dan Austen. With his studio located just outside of Aalesund in Norway, the breath-taking scenery didn’t deter the bout of sickness that struck the band half-way through the process. “Half of the band got nauseous out of nowhere and started vomiting halfway through the session,” remembers Shea. “One of the songs was actually recorded with a bucket in the recording studio. It was crazy!” Recording a mix of old and new songs, bassist Lasse Lokøy says to expect some of the usual pop-punk as well as a darker, “more mature” effort. “It is a wide range of songs, from rapid poppunk, to more Weezer-inspired tunes. We tried to make it sound bigger than the previous stuff, and we think we did. All credit to Dan for that. We are really looking forward to releasing these songs and seeing what people make of them.” P
NEW BAND NEWS BABY BABY BABY OH
Milk Teeth’s debut album ‘Vile Child‘ will be out on 29th January through Hopeless Records. The band - who played Upset’s launch party earlier this year - will head out on the road with Tonight Alive just after the record hits shelves.
FROM CAPLAN
Muncie Girls have announced their debut album: ‘From Caplan to Belsize’ will be released on 4th March, through Specialist Subject Records. The band have also unveiled a new track from it, ‘Gas Mark 4’, the video for which you can watch now on upsetmagazine.com.
FACT FILE Band members: Haley Shea (vocals), Lasse Lokøy (bass), Halvard Skeie Wiencke (drums), Tor-Arne Vikingstad (guitar) Hometown: Stavanger (Norway) Formed: 2012 Signed To: Propeller Recordings You what? The sound at the end of the band’s track, ‘Shave My Head’ is Tor-Arne “jumping up and down on, and absolutely destroying, this terrible cheap guitar.”
FOR LAR YEAR P E C TA C U BEEN A S E AT E S T R S A G H E 5 H 1 T 0 2 HAS - ED), O T O N LY S, STUPID MUSIC. N T H AT ’ S U D RRIVED ( N A A R S E D V E N E NEW BA M AG A Z I N . ILLIANT A D. OV E R E HAD BR O V L ’ E T E W K T C U B HE BU F U M S BY T B O L E A M G O N S I AMAZ L RECA P ES, WE’L F E W PA G THINGS THE NEXT OU A FEW Y D N E M COM E R D N A . , MISSED THE BEST H T H AV E YO U M I G
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hanks for letting us get weird,” smiles Lynn Gunn as she steps behind the camera to fetch some more candles. A debate about lighting them and getting wax on the studio floor is quickly extinguished when the band, Alex Babinski, Brian Macdonald and Lynn, offer to clean up any and all mess. Defiant to
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the last, PVRIS are a band with a vision. From the electro-soaked dreamland of debut album ‘White Noise’ through each and every one of their live shows down to the entirety of their merch, it’s a vision that is wholly theirs. No shadowy figure behind the scenes, PVRIS is the brainchild of the three people in the spotlight. This year, their vision has shone. In 2015 alone the band have played over 150 shows and next
year, with dates lined up with Fall Out Boy alongside their own headline tour, doesn’t look to be any quieter. “We’ve got most of next year booked up,” Lynn offers, casually. PVRIS, raised on a diet of hard work, are more than happy to put the hours in to have their music heard. It’s the reason 2015 has belonged to them. It’s the reason why their ascent shows no sign of slowing. It’s the reason that when PVRIS talk about being one of the biggest bands in the world,
LET THEM IN
you nod in agreement. Since the release of ‘White Noise’ near the close of 2014, PVRIS’ journey has been incredible. Their world: gritty, soaked in hurt but unrelentingly hopeful, has taken them from unknown, through the treacherous worlds of buzz and hype and out the other side. They’ve risen to every challenge thrown their way with style. Their grand vision is becoming bigger and more encompassing by the second. As sudden
as their rise has been, the trio have been preparing for it since they were in school. Alex and Brian started playing in bands when they were in their freshmen year while Lynn got involved during her junior year of high school. “We all played in metal bands,” says Alex. “I had to get that anger out somehow,” offers Lynn, while Brian describes his early foray into music as, “just a bunch of
SINCE DROPPING THEIR DEBUT ALBUM LAST NOVEMBER, HAVE BEEN HEADING TO THE TOP AT WARP SPEED. WITH A MASSIVE UK HEADLINE TOUR TO COME IN 2016, ALI SHUTLER GETS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE BREAKTHROUGH BAND OF THE YEAR.
PVRIS
PHOTOS: SAM SAN ROMAN
nothing, it was just sound.” They all still listen to metal but “it’s refreshing to not make that.” “The scene we were involved with was like a family,” he continues. ”It was close knit and we’re always about that. We were raised with that so it was nice to have that community, but also the music is a lot more real and raw. It’s not bullshit.” “Yeah, let’s not talk about that stuff,” 23 19
WE JUST WANTED TO DO OUR
OWN THING
“
“
LYNN GUNN
says Lynn when her old band is mentioned. It’s the only time they seem reluctant to talk. “We don’t really like to bring it up. I don’t think it has any significance to us now.” It’s a venture that didn’t work out because of “the dynamics of the people within it. It wasn’t really a good chemistry like we have here. We just wanted, at least Alex [who joined the band towards the end] and I just wanted to make good music and not fit ourselves in a box. We just wanted to expand from there, do our own thing and here we are.” Along the way they crossed paths with Brian through mutual friends at a party. “We were both like, ‘We
need this kid in our band’. We hadn’t heard him play the bass, we didn’t even know if he played an instrument, but this kid is so awesome, we need him.” Alex, having “never played the bass before,” switched instruments and joined the gang. Paris, as they were known back then, started off as a five piece that sounded very different. “Yeah, that music wasn’t the direction we wanted to be going in or what we wanted to do now. Certain people were in it for the wrong reasons. We had this one kid who was like, ‘I just want to be famous’ and would openly say that. Why would you? What’s the point in doing this if that’s all you want. You should want to make something. You can actually make a difference, make something that other people can feel and inspire them. That’s the shittiest reason to want to be in a band so we were like, bye.” Built on friendship, a shared vision and powerful chemistry, PVRIS are now a
solid movement. “I feel like the three of us are the three musketeers,” says Lynn. “The core of PVRIS, we don’t want to touch or mess with. We don’t want anyone to throw off the dynamic of what we are because I feel like we balance each other out really, really well. We’re a good trio.” “We’ve been together from the start. From day one in a basement saying we want to do this, and for all the right reasons. We’re slowly getting there and we wouldn’t want to deal with anyone else,” adds Brian. As
uncomfortable as the band are with discussing the early years of their music, on reflection, the sparks that make them so special now were ever present back then. From their single minded desire to create music and not chase fame to Brian’s admission that “when I joined I was used to playing metal music. Being able to do something outside of that world was like a breath of fresh air,” their desire to do whatever they wanted has always been there. They just needed a gentle nudge. “I was good at school but I didn’t like it,” explains Lynn. “I did like all the different activities, marching band, art class but I also did a lot of sports so I didn’t fit anywhere. I was a little chameleon. I stressed out way too much. Three weeks before I was supposed to go to art school, I was driving with my mom and I was like, ‘So, that school thing. I don’t really want to do it.’ She said, ‘As long as you can take care of yourself and make whatever you
want to happen, happen. Go for it.” “My parents have been so supportive about it,” continues Brian. You would think just coming out of the gates of high school, they’d want you to go right to college but our parents told us, just go for it and have fun. It’s going to be a good experience and you’ll be able to
huge part of PVRIS’ learning curve. “We try not to think about it but there is a lot of pressure and expectation on us, especially now with how quickly things are going. I keep saying this but it feels like our bones are growing faster than our skin. Trying to keep up with that is hard but I think we’re doing an alright job.” Their day-to-day manager Matty (“He’s like our big brother”), has been with the band from the start and kept them “very grounded. Him telling us, ‘you guys aren’t ready and you don’t know what to expect’ made us prepare, boxing gloves on. We’re ready.” That expectation is something the band “try not to think about. We just want to do us and be normal people. Sometimes I’ll read interviews to make sure I didn’t say anything stupid [Hi Lynn, all good so far! - Ed] but apart from that, I don’t want to see it, I don’t want to know. Let’s continue to do what we’re doing and hope it works out. If it doesn’t, that’s our fault.” “I’m pretty modest,” explains Lynn when talk turns to press attention. “I don’t really like talking about myself or us. I never expect or want people to ask anything. It’s whatever they wish.” Over the past few months Lynn has become something of a spokesperson on gender 26 upsetmagazine.com
and sexuality in the music industry. “It’s really just press asking, to be honest. It’s not something I’ve ever seen as a big deal or as a defining point, so I’ve always just been open about it. Because I’ve been open about it, I feel like the press has asked me about it and almost exploited it, in a way. “I really don’t ever bring it up unless it’s asked because I don’t think it’s something that needs to be addressed all the time, because it doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t make me any different to any other human but at the same time, if I can be open and talk about it, that can be good - it’s kinda contradictory,” she explains. “I don’t want it to be exploited and made into this big deal. At the same time, the more I’m open about it, the more it’s addressed. The more I talk about it, the more people are receptive and accepting towards it. It’s turned into this weird middle ground, but I only talk about it when people bring it up or if I feel something’s absolutely necessary. “I love being open about that stuff and, theoretically, I can help people out, help people come to terms with themselves and accept themselves and that’s awesome. At the same time, first and foremost we’re a band. I’m an artist
and that’s my main focus. If I can help anything else along the way though, that’s cool too.” As far as PVRIS have come, there’s still an endless horizon before them. They’re working on new music “Every single day. We love ‘White Noise’, but we’re excited to expand on it. Definitely excited to just make more and put more out there. We already have so much shit ready to go, but it’s all just timing. You know how it goes but it’s ready. We can’t release them right now but I just want people to know it’s getting worked on, it’s happening and it’s going to be really cool. Just keep waiting, please.” “The darkness isn’t going to get lost, if anything there’s going to be more, at least lyrically. I think the sound, sonically might be a more atmospheric and, you’ll find out. You’ll see,” teases Lynn for what seems like the millionth time this year. There’s a glint in all of their eyes when talk turns to what comes next for the band. It’s excitement, it’s knowing but it, for now, is a closely guarded secret. “We’re never going to make the same record twice but we’ll always keep it honest and real. It’s definitely different. It’s definitely new and exciting, but it’s still very PVRIS.” P
THE
BEST ALBUMS OF
2015
+ SOME EPS TOO
H O W M A N Y G R E AT A L B U M S H AV E B E E N R E L E A S E D O V E R T H E L A S T T W E LV E M O N T H S ? L O A D S . T H AT ’ S H O W M A N Y . O O D L E S O F T H E M . I F Y O U ’ R E I N T O D AY- G L O P O P P U N K O R U N D E R G R O U N D C O L L E G E R O C K , T H E R E H AV E B E E N . S O M A N Y G E M S I T ’ S V I R T U A L LY I M P O S S I B L E T O RE M E M B E R TH E M A L L . G O O D JO B W E ’ RE H E RE TO D O I T F O R YO U, T H E N .
R O M IM ARE... L L O U T B OY A F . D E R U C L E G ACY S E
FALL OUT BOY AMERICAN BEAUTY / AMERICAN PSYCHO VIRG IN EMI
If Fall Out Boy’s initial comeback album was a surprise, then this, the band’s sixth studio effort, will have your jaw drop and your eyes pop. ‘American Beauty/American Psycho’ is the sound of Fall Out Boy taking the shiny pop sentimental of ‘Save Rock And Roll’ to the limit. There are idiosyncrasies galore and a guitar line in ‘Uma Thurman’ that will have you reaching for your embarrassing Hawaiian floral shirt.
RELEASED:
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“And you’re sure more people are coming to fill these seats?”
S L A RT S I N C E R E T U R N I N G F R O M H I AT U S , F A L L O U T B O Y
H AV E N ’ T P L AY E D I T S A F E .
D O M I N AT I N G A I R WAV E S , T H E K I N G S O F R A D I O R O C K R E I G N O N C E M O R E . WORDS: SARAH JAMIESON
PH OTOS : SA R A H LOU I S E B E N N ET T
THE
BEST ALBUMS OF
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WOLF ALICE OU’VE HAD THE YEAR ROCK? INDIE? WHEN Y R I E S D O N ’ T M AT T E R . H AV E , G E N R E B O U N D A
WORDS: ALI SHUTLER
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ometimes I feel like we’re having so many good things happen to us, that there’s some really shit karma on the way,” starts Theo Ellis. “We were just playing in America and everything was so great. It was such a good time, surely we’ve got something bad on the way.”
Since the release of ‘Fluffy’ back at the start of 2013, Wolf Alice haven’t put a foot wrong. Slowly but surely Joff Oddie, Joel Amey, Ellie Rowsell and Theo have crafted identity and voice. It’s what makes makes ‘My Love Is Cool’, their Mercury Prize nominated debut album, glitter so. Released in June of this year, it’s the gooey centre at the heart of Wolf Alice’s miraculous year. From their triumphant pre-album show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire through Glastonbury, Latitude, Reading, Leeds until the entirety of their two month, transatlantic headline tour with Drenge, it’s been a year of highlights. While the world at large has only just started taking the scrappy four-piece seriously, they’ve meant business for ages now. “It felt very real to us for quite a while before. We put out those two EPs and we toured in support of them. It had already become everything we’re doing. Working towards the album had consumed all of our time for about a year before release. It’s definitely set us off in a new direction though.” “Yeah, everything feels a bit up in the air before you release an album. It sort of cements you as a band,” adds Ellie. From the moment of release ‘My Love Is Cool’ felt like something special. Narrowly losing out on a Number One slot thanks to Dave Grohl and his wafty leg / Florence + the Machine’s triumphant replacement, the album was
embraced from the off. “I don’t think any of us really knew how it was going to be received. Before it was out we’d listen to it and I’d be like ‘I’m sure it’s really good, I’m proud of it’ and then other days we’d think ‘fuck, what if no one likes it,’ Theo explains. The band may be “a soft 4.3” on the rock scale, but every aspect of them is real. The songs are genuine, the success, hard earned and the individuals just that. There hasn’t been a British band since the Spice Girls to capture that sense of personality but with Wolf Alice, it isn’t contrived. Or based on hair colour. (Sorry Theo.) That Bash Street Kid gang mentality is why every Wolf Alice show is filled with glittering warpaint. “It’s what I really admired about certain bands when I was a kid, their identity was a part of you,” Theo explains. “People latch onto that. We’ve never had a silly meeting where we sit down and think ‘how can we make ourselves appear like a gang’. It’s important for young bands to have that atmosphere about them though. It’s exciting and it creates a community, it’s really cool.” Despite the success and the success that Wolf Alice have earned this year, they’re refusing to get caught up in it. If they’re
going to be successful, they’re going to do it their way. The band still worry ahead of TV appearances, the moments before a recent outing on Jools Holland was “the most nervous I’ve seen the band in a long, long time.” Elsewhere the band has baulked the natural order of following a sold out show at Brixton Academy with either Alexandra Palace or Wembley Arena. “There was talk of doing something like that but it doesn’t feel quite right for us at the moment. Honestly, we don’t want to do it.” Instead, the band has booked a string of nights at The Forum. “It’s going to be cool. We’ve got plans and taking it over for several nights gives us loads of creative opportunities. It should be fun, or it might be a fucking terrible idea.” The band, “don’t think we want to prove anything but we want to write a different record. We want to improve and develop. There are loads of things we want to do. I don’t think we need to prove ourselves by any means but we still have the hunger to create interesting stuff and do cool shit. That’s very eloquent, isn’t it?” he laughs. “We want to do cool shit.” It’s a desire that’s taken them this far. Let it run. P
WOLF ALICE - MY LOVE IS COOL DIRTY HIT
You won’t find a band who missed out on a debut Number One album by a narrower, more unfortunate margin than Wolf Alice. Just over 500 copies, thanks to Dave Grohl’s broken leg installing Florence and her Machine in a Glastonbury headline slot. That’s all it took to snatch away what was rightfully theirs - because ‘My Love Is Cool’ isn’t just a great first full length; it’s an album for the ages. Snarling, slick, sassy and packed with sly ear worms, this gang are special. Indie? Rock? Brilliant will do just fine.
RELEASED:
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THE
BEST ALBUMS OF
2015
GHOP ALON PAINTED SHUT ECORDING W I C H I TA R
S
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RELEASED:
M AY 2 0 1 5
“EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO SOMETHING THEY CAN STAND BEHIND.”
2 0 1 5 S AW P H I L A D E L P H I A ’ S H O P A L O N G R E L E A S E T H E I R S E C O N D A L B U M , ‘ P A I N T E D S H U T ’ . W O R D S : A L I S H U T L E R . P H O T O : E M M A S WA N N
“I
always want it to be open, I never want to tell people how to feel,” explains Frances Quinlan ahead of Hop Along’s glorious return to London. Last time they made the journey from Philadelphia, it was to the Old Blue Last. Filled to the rafters, drenched in passion and matching skyward expectation blow for blow with dazzling prowess, the band let you in on harrowing, beautiful truths. Two years later, the stage is bigger and their back catalogue has doubled but that charming intensity remains just as powerful. Hop Along released their glorious second album ‘Painted Shut’ earlier this year. It’s a record shaped by the journey that their hypnotic debut ‘Get Disowned’ sent them on while maintaining a creative distance from the fanbase it garnered. “We appreciate that devotion but we do try and not think about it. I don’t think anyone really wants a replica of the thing that came before. They may think they do, but this is a truer version of the second record. “We also had the comfort knowing that there was absolutely no way that we could make this record the way we made ‘Get Disowned’. That record took two years. Not straight, obviously but piecemealed over that time. We had the luxury of not having any money, so we had all the time in the world. When there is a finite amount of time and money, you have to be a lot more responsible. Back then we had the joy of mostly irresponsibility and it was great. I love how that album came about but there’s no way we can ever do it again.”
The band knew ‘Get Disowned’ was done when they had to send it off to the factory to get pressed. On ‘Painted Shut’, it was when their producer told them so. “We were out of time,” laughs guitarist Joe Reinhart. “That’s when we’re done. That’s exactly when we’re done,” adds Frances. “We always work right down to the wire. We soak up every last second of time. I’m sure if we had an extra month, there’d be all sorts of extra stuff on there. “ True to their word, they haven’t. While ‘Painted Shut’ still has the vitality that made ‘Get Disowned’ such a captivating listen, it’s by and large a completely different record and a completely different show. “We’ve honed in on what we want, so it’s tighter,” starts drummer Mark Quinlan. “Experience has definitely been evolving us, which is what’s supposed to happen,” continues Frances. As considered and arching as the album sits, it’s a record that captures the band in real time. “The second you finish something, the next day you’re better at what you do. You think you need to go in and fix it, but you have to let it go. The week after we finished mixing I listened back to the record and I was so miserable,” admits Frances. “I just felt like I’d made so many mistakes. I was telling Joe and John Agnello, who produced the album, I need to use the studio. I have to fix this. “I let it go for another two weeks and then I was finally able to enjoy it. I need to take a big step back once it’s done but now I feel very at peace with the record. It’s a document of where you are at a certain point and that’s always changing.
You need to realise that whatever you make at a certain time isn’t who you are two years or three months from then. Hopefully you’re always changing.” As the band change, so does the world that surrounds them. “There’s more pressure. There’s more of a schedule,” reasons Mark. “I got married so I have this constant guilt about being away from home and leaving my wife. I have to make sure I’m accomplishing in a way that’ll make her proud. Socially, my life has become a little more complicated, more people depend on you, you have more responsibility and that in turn reflects on my role in the band, which is wonderful. It presents a whole new level of challenges that I can rise to and life’s no fun without challenges.” “I almost feel like I was a bit spoilt coming up a long time ago in the DIY house show community,” reflects Frances. “People were committed to just coming to shows. I remember seeing ten people at a show in the middle of nowhere years ago and thinking that was incredible. I still try to maintain that attitude but now, we’re opening for bands whose fans have no idea who we are. They have no reason to care; we’re just another band. When people do come up and talk to me about our records, it means the world to me.” Once this European run is done, Hop Along are returning home. They need to sort out the details of their spring tour and want to start work on the next record. “We want to get better. We want the next record to blow this one out of the water. With any pursuit, everybody wants to do something they can stand behind. As long as we maintain that, we’ll be pretty happy.” P
THE
BEST ALBUMS OF
2015
E S I R + E S I R E TH OF TWIN ATLANTIC Words: Heather McDaid
T U K TOU R THEIR BIGGES T O D AT E
th-long tour It wasn’t a relentless mon every place of all the main cities and sive dates in between, but a few mas Atlantic Twin far how wed sho that d the likes have come. They comman ease, but of Brixton Academy with as a club ate intim as feel it e mak border back show. Upon crossing the to the Hydro into Scotland, they took the likes of - a stage that has hosted celebration. Beyonce - in one blinding out telling “It’s hard to explain with few years you that it made the last “I suppose the make sense,” says Ross. validates last thing you did always t, especially your journey to that poin you’ve if it’s bigger venues than played before.”
HE SECOND HEADLINING T T H E PA R K S TA G E AT T I N
ival has been Scotland’s leading fest r the years, home to many bands ove ng them the fostering talent and givi Twin, it’s opportunity to return. For but 2015 saw almost a second home, stage to an them headline second endless sea of people. y stage “We’ve played nearly ever years and it at the festival over the our hearts,” will always be close to on alone Ross notes. “For that reas stage] was a [headlining the second d, but add to real moment for the ban been there we’d that fact the mix that were in multiple times before we see the a band and you start to icular party importance of that part for us as people.”
a year it’s Oh, Twin Atlantic. What d can be a been. While life in a ban y of ups and rollercoaster, a trajector al loop, for downs, and the occasion it seems like the Scottish foursome ually working they’re on the incline, grad no real sign their way skyward with by anyone’s of stopping. 2015 has, est year of reckoning, been the bigg ist Ross McNae bass as or ers, care r thei ve not played would say, “surreal. We’ e in previous as many shows as we hav the best shows years but they’ve been We finished we’ve played I would say. uch earlier touring for ‘Great Divide’ m albums and than we have on previous t making new it’s kept us hungry to star time to do music rather than wanting life.”
quality over While it’s been a case of schedule, quantity on their touring er-defining it’s given some real care moments.
T W I N N Y , W H AT ’ S T H E B E S T B A N D Y O U S AW AT A
F E S T I VA L I N
2015?
“What do you mean you didn’t get the ‘four puppies for backstage hangs’ on the rider?”
Sting in France somewhere. It’s just hit after hit and he plays them better than anyone half his age. (Doesn’t he, y’know, go on a bit? - Ed)
T W I N AT L A N T I C PH OTO G R A PH I C REC O RD
While it’s easy to talk about the journey the band have come on, it’s also nice to physically look back on it. Documenting the first eight years of the band, from the tours they booked themselves up to their more recent mammoth shows, they have a collection of photos taken by drummer Craig Kneale - a personal memento for the band, and nice way for fans to see a little more into tours gone by. On documenting this first epic chapter, Ross says, “It feels great to look through it and remember the journey to get to where we are today. Not many people realise that we’ve been a band for eight years and that we’ve taken a pretty scenic route compared to a lot of other bands that are playing the same stages as us nowadays. “Craig got a camera around the same time our band started touring so it documents his story as a photographer alongside ours as a band which is a unique angle I think. We don’t usually look to the past as a rule really as we’re pretty driven to keep doing new things and making new music, but this has been a chance to take stock for a second. We’re proud of our journey.”
OFFICIAL LETTER OF COMPLAINT
G O O N T H E N . W H AT D I D W E M I S S F R O M OUR ALBUMS OF THE YEAR LIST? WHO H AV E W E M O R TA L LY O F F E N D E D ? W H AT I N S U LT H AV E Y O U C O O K E D U P ? F I L L I N T H E F O R M B E L O W T O ‘ H AV E A G O ’ W I T H T H E M I N I M U M E F F O R T. J U S T T W E E T I T B A C K AT U S AT @ U P S E T M A G A Z I N E .
D E A R U P S E T, YO U _____________________. I ’ V E J U S T R E A D YO U R BEST OF 2015 ISSUE. HOW DA R E YO U M I SS O U T _____________________. I T ’S/ T H E Y ’ R E T H E _____________________ OF THE
G O O D B Y E , G R E AT D I V I D E
‘Great Divide’ has marked a change in Twin Atlantic While it now opens up the question as to what happens next, it also offers a moment to pause and look back at this latest chapter. “There’s too many highlights,” Ross notes, “but a few would be playing Brixton Academy, The Hydro in Glasgow, Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury, T in the Park, going to Australia and South Africa for the first time. Kicking the album off with shows at the Webster Hall studio in New York and The Troubador in LA, and meeting all the people we’ve met on our travels. It’s been fun.” “We’ve learned a lot about what we like and dislike and have a bit more time to think about why we’re going to make the next record, rather than just making it because that’s what you do.”
_____________________. T O N O T I N C L U D E I T/ T H E M , Y O U ’ D H AV E T O B E _____________________ _____________________. N O W, W H Y D O N ’ T YO U _____________________. MANY THANKS. _____________________.
LIVE
D E P R A W S N VA TOUR UK T .WA RPE D BY NA ME , NO TU RE. NA BY D RPE WA ITE QU
.
tos: Sarah Louise Bennett
, LO ND ON AL EX AN DR A PA LA CE
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Words: Ali Shutler. Pho
Hands up if you forgot your top!
T
he UK leg of the Warped Tour doesn’t make much sense. Its US counterpart is a summer-long trek around the country, bringing alternative music to the masses in a country that’s only just starting to get behind the idea of festivals. Britain, and in particular London, certainly isn’t lacking in festivals. It’s a market teetering on saturation. Despite the huge personality of the Warped name, today lacks identity. “If you wanted to come down for fun, we can’t give you that,” says Mark Holley, Black Foxxes’ vocalist, with a smirk. “We just want to make you sad.” While their lyrical melancholy tugs at the heartstrings, they channel a fiery catharsis that demands a smile. Man Overboard’s set on the East Stage garners a similar reaction as they tear through a set of summertime jams. The Rocket Summer’s theatrical joy sings of grandeur. There’s a mesmerising beauty to the way Bryce Avary conducts himself but as he stands alone on the stage for the final flourish of ‘Walls’, he shrinks inwards and the majesty falters. No chance of being insular for ROAM though, as the band hack off their sugary edges and replace them with a jagged want. Demanding and urgent, ROAM reek of a band about to take their next break and run with it. Beautiful Bodies charge with less forward momentum but their scrappy, playful anthems are still difficult to
No, not you Will.
outrun. There’s a distance to all the performances that isn’t necessarily the fault of the bands though. It feels like a showcase, rather than an organic, breathing event. On paper the lineup is muddled and without a strong identity, Warped fails to tie its disparate elements together. Well, for the most part. Creeper, Moose Blood and Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes don’t need any help. Shining as individuals at various festivals throughout the summer, today all that triumph comes together in glorious two-hour window. Creeper, sincerely dynamic and pulling the crowd together under their umbrella of escapism leads into the unassuming intimacy of Moose Blood. A year on from the release of their debut, the songs have swelled into meaningful anthems that result in a powerfully moving set. There’s movement for Frank Carter’s set as well but it’s far more physical. Parting the crowd and bending them at his will, it’s another brutally honest performance that ignites something in the crowd. Three very different bands but their shared ethos highlights a personality and a swell that Warped Tour UK should have grasped. The legacy, pomp and production of headliners Black Veil Brides and Asking Alexandria, while impressive, is no match for the overwhelming power of unity that those three bands champion. P 63