DE B U T A L B UM O U T N OW BU Y NOW AT NBTH IEV ES. C OM
FEE L S LI K E SUCC ESS B U L LY
ARE R
ID IN G
H IG H .
P.2 2
IN THIS ISSUE
#4 | NOV 2015
RIOT!
06. FALL OUT BOY 09. AGAINST THE CURRENT 10. ROAM 11. MILK TEETH 12. EVERY TIME I DIE 14. EX HEX 15. READERS POLL 2016
ABOUT TO BREAK 16. PETAL 18. MUNCIE GIRLS 20. PRESS TO MECO 21. CHAIN OF FLOWERS
FEATURES
22. BULLY 28. STATE CHAMPS 32. FIGHTSTAR 36. WAVVES 40. FOXING 42. BEACH SLANG 46. COHEED & CAMBRIA
RATED
50. ALBUM REVIEWS 56. LIVE REVIEWS EDITOR’S NOTE We’re not doing our big ‘Best of 2015’ round up until next month, but if there’s one band who have had a special last twelve months, it’s almost certainly Bully. With a five star modern classic of a debut album under their belts, they’ve not relied on anything but their own brilliance to make waves around the globe. Heading back to the UK this month, they’re about to take it up another notch. Check out this issue’s cover feature to discover why they’re a band you should believe in.
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upsetmagazine.com Editor: Stephen Ackroyd (stephen@upsetmagazine.com) Deputy Editor: Victoria Sinden (viki@upsetmagazine.com) Assistant Editor: Ali Shutler (ali@upsetmagazine.com) Contributors: Alex Lynham, Amie Kingswell, Corrine Cumming, Danny Randon, Emma Matthews, Emma Swann, Heather McDaid, Jack Glasscock, Jade Esson, James Fox, Jessica Bridgeman, Jessica Goodman, Ryan De Freitas, Sarah Louise Bennett, Sarah Jamieson, Tom Connick 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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! T O I R EV
PEN NG HAP E RY T H I
RO C K ING IN
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BSHIOGW
TOP TWEET S
COLLAB AL
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@AZEALIAB A
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Big Love to @ falloutboy for inviting me to work with them!!!! I’m ex cited for you gu ys to hear it !!
What could po
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g? - Ed
FALL OUT BOY RULE THE UK SUGAR, WE’
RE GOIN LO U
D
W OR DS : SA RA H JA M IE SO N. . PH OT OS : SA RA H LO UI SE .. BE NN ET T..
T
he last time Fall Out Boy played on tonight’s stage, they were celebrating their return, a new album under their belts and a legion of fans made happy once again. There’s no doubting that they won’t just be content with riding the nostalgia train, but this year they’ve stepped it up even further, returned to Wembley and topped their previous efforts, playing not one night but two.
Tonight marks the first of their doubleheader shows at the world famous Arena and, unsurprisingly, it feels like they’ve got this one well and truly in the bag. Performing here for the third time (their debut took place pre-hiatus, back in 2008), they’ve become the perfect band for the big stage. When it comes to tonight’s support acts, the boundaries of genre have been well and truly battered down. From the reggae-infused pop of opener Charley Marley to the high octane rap performance put on by Professor Green, there’s a unanimous sense of appreciation from the crowd throughout. Genre tribalism seems to be something of the past - a statement backed up by the band’s own Pete Wentz on many an occasion. In 2015, it’s perfectly acceptable to offer up so many different musical elements.
Wemb-er-ly, Wemb-er-ly, he’s the famous Peter Wentz and he’s been to Wemb-er-ly.
After all, that’s something that Fall Out Boy themselves have prided themselves on doing throughout their career. When they burst on stage, we’re reminded just how brilliantly they’ve achieved it. As the iconic chords of ‘Sugar, We’re Goin Down’ ring out across the arena and the screams dial up to eleven, there’s no doubting that this four-piece are very much in their prime. What follows is a set packed with hits from every corner of their 7
RIOT!
EVERY TIME I DIE
“THE PEOPLE WHO LIKE OUR BAND ARE DEVOTED”
KE IT H BU CK LE Y PR EPAR ES . FO R EV ERY TI ME I DI E’S . .M OS T ME MO RA BL E UK . IN VA SI ON YE T. . WO RD S: JE SS IC A BR ID GE
MA N. .
TOP TWEETS @willghould, Creepe r
“I have friends now, but will I still do when I quit this life to pursue my real dream of cruise ship cabaret singer?“
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WHAT ARE THEY ON @glennxh_, Moose Blo
od
“Also how do I join Rag e Against The Machine or Paramor e? Help with any of these is app reciated, thanks.”
ABOUT NOW?
@sad13, Speedy Ort iz
“Being real for a sec, the loch ness monster’s a better candidate for president than literally any human on the GOP side”
“Y
ou don’t live until you’re ready to die,” echoes the lyrics of ‘We’rewolf’, a singalong which has become synonymous with Every Time I Die. For fans at least, it’s these sort of sentiments - of partying so hard you hit rock bottom - that have long had them hooked on the Buffalo mob’s relentless bought of hardcore. So as Keith Buckley belts out “Live forever, just once” on the quintet’s most recent release - 2015’s ‘Salem’ EP - it might be fair to assume not much has changed in the 17 years since Every Time I Die formed.
“It’s a rare thing for a band like us to be able to do that,” Keith anticipates, “It feels incredible.”
Ahead of their upcoming UK tour, the frontman is the first to admit what was so integral to the band in the beginning, remains as such today; much of that lies with their legions of dedicated fans. “I was 17 when I started so everyone has watched me grow up,” Keith says, “it’s cool to have that relationship with your ‘fans’.” Despite having released their seventh full-length, ‘From Parts Unknown’, to much acclaim last year, the boisterous singer still insists on the quotation marks. “I hate saying fans,” he explains, “It sounds like I’m a rock star or something.” To many of course, he is just that.
Every Time I Die’s success continues at a time when some metal and hardcore bands are finding comfort on arena stages and aspiring for sky-scraping chart positions. With this, Keith goes on to contemplate the idea of, instead, being that mainstream offering in today’s market. “I think the one thing it almost guarantees is that you’re not going to stick around for long because people are finicky and if they love it one day, they will probably hate it the day after.”
Whether he likes it or not, it’s Keith’s willingness to leave his wounds wide open, while using his personal battles with drugs, alcohol and general self-destructiveness to fuel a back-catalogue of brilliant records. More crucially, his ability to exorcise those demons so brutally within the boundaries of the outfit he fronts, has left him with a prized pedestal position for fans the world over. It’s as we rally the ins and outs of Every Time I Die’s November tour then, that Keith puts the band’s biggest successes down to the “people that like [his] band”, now resisting the word ‘fans’ altogether. “We’re not a big band and we’re not a mainstream band that have thousands and thousands of fans in every city,” Keith says. “To come to London, which in my opinion is one of the best cities in the world, and have so many people there that appreciate it is remarkable.” This month, on top of a 10-date jaunt around the UK, Every Time I Die play four nights in the capital. The ambitious run has allowed fans to demonstrate their dedication by purchasing season passes for all shows and will see the five-piece headline The Dome, Borderline, Underworld and The Old Blue Last in almost cult-like fashion.
Setlists are the priority. With four nights to cover as much of their discography as possible, Keith and bandmates Jordan Buckley, Andy Williams, Stephen Micciche and Daniel Davison are tasked with fulfilling fan requests as best they can. “We might do a ticket survey online to see what people want to hear so we make sure we put it in there,” Keith thinks aloud, “We’ll have fun with it. Maybe we’ll have a spin the wheel so it’ll land on a song and we play it,” he jests.
How does he think Every Time I Die have navigated around the industry’s pot holes thus far? “I think we just really targeted a wonderful group of people that aren’t that touch and go with the things that they say they like,” he explains with a hint of relief. “The people who like our band are really devoted and sincere, which is great.” There’s no questioning the frontman’s eagerness to return to a town where this sincerity feels more apparent than anywhere, but with the four-night London stretch lingering at the end of the UK tour, the idea of keeping it all together is something he’s not dealing with just yet. Admitting, “I’m not even going to think about it until it’s happening and I’m sure after the first show [I’ll be] completely depleted. But we’re not doing it begrudgingly, it’s going to be great and I’m looking forward to it. “I think four nights in a row, in a city like London, is just going to be something you look back on and think you were either the kind of person that was there, or the kind of person that wasn’t,” he concludes. “And you want to be the kind of person that was there.” P Every Time I Die’s UK tour kicks off on 6th November in Southampton. Visit upsetmagazine.com for details.
NECK DEEP, CREEPER + STATE CHAMPS ON TOUR
Neck Deep ha ve revealed th eir biggest UK he adline tour to date in support of their recent debut alb ‘Life’s Not Out um, To Get You’. Support will co me from Upse t favourites Cree per, State Cham ps, and Ohio’s Lig ht Years. The run kicks off at Birming ham’s Institute on 1s t February, culminating fiv e days later at London’s Forum .
SLIPKNOT HIT THE UK IN 2016 Slipknot are currently bringing their ‘Summer’s Last Stand Tour’ to a close in America alongside Lamb Of God, Bullet For My Valentine and Motionless In White, but the band have already announced plans for next year. They will be hitting the UK for a four-date arena tour: Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena (8th February); London, Alexandra Palace (9th); Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena (12th); Leeds, First Direct Arena (13th). Tickets are on sale now.
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ABOUT TO
L A T E P
BREAK
THE BEST NEW BANDS ST T H E H OT T E N E W M U S IC
L A T E P
HAS KILEY LOTZ NGWRITER O IVERSE /S D ER Y G LL N NIA SI WONDERFU E M SO PENNSYLVA M O DEBUT FR ID. FORMED HER THER MCDA WORDS: HEA . ES C EN U INFL
. enjoy that too
or 14, my camp “When I was 13 tor’s me Regina Spek counsellor gave also s wa I d an CD ‘Soviet Kitsch’ two OC, and those really into The me. Regina for it d ge to an y ch journe things totally I heard musician, the d my life. Until Growing up a today Spektor change that’s out there ly really for usic is a force on s wa m no find the voice fro pia , ere her I thought k her everywh anying that speaks is one that too ses or accomp grew classical purpo Serj Tankian. “I her super ar to you. It can he To Cyndi Lauper to l s. ca ian other music and the d playing classi lull you into g and singing up studying an l youth theatrical playin g in a classica it me. I couldn’t led kil d t conversations, piano and singin kin jus s nt wa lyrical conte ily music life nk I would ays choir so my da can open your to it. I don’t thi ung age. I alw if it stop listening can writing at all imented at a yo lly it , ng reg rea as so s of ide wa t red d en ide an sic differ have cons mind to lots of t record. rock and roll mu y around it. I g you ed tha tin d lov let an ry, r he dia of kind weren’t for the histor even work as a d my th. Kiley fascinated with cumentaries an s through its pa were l ed watching do liked. figure out thing sse y lov ve the OC soundtracks a sic as t mu bu ow us de “And then The Petal’s de g rents would sh y had such a wi ing pa din Lotz has used the ow fin e , Gr . us es ca gh nc be ou rie l get en pivota would nal expe couldn’t really lly, the show that I Ho on for a lot of perso hts y sic ug dd Bu mu tho th of range ssed wi the time. of articulating een, up I was obse sub-culture at writing a way down. In , Janis Joplin, Qu ve been more pin ha ver ton ise ne us d Ho erw ha ey t oth bu itn Wh er. My ck was she couldn’t erful and and Cyndi Laup , and I knew who Be an utterly wond m of Warren Zevon, ing else by him ste yth Sy an y, st Da ard turn, ‘Shame’ is mo n he ee the of o Gr really ll X1, ssion of some brother was int dest Mouse, Be ay and Mo nd d Su ha ck y assured expre Ba the g . n kin the riences in life en Heap, Ryan lly a Down and Ta vulnerable expe Nada Surf, Imog I started to rea
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M A K E YO U P O W E R F U L .”
o really affected. It’s als that amazing to me nd every time a ba a play plays a show, or is a is performed, it solitary event.
see opportunity to “When I had the last year I cried like tel Ho lk Mi Neutral usly it was ole time. Obvio a baby the wh t show tha e us ca also be way awesome, but en that night the pp ha ly on would said the re we t tha words it did and the energy be said and the way they would that on m roo t tha e in of the audienc ke that ma ly on uld wo really cold day ow. The next show THAT sh be all new uld wo it ht nig new day, ole wh a le, op pe leading up ts en ev w ne all the same. to it. Acting is ll be WATCH ON performance wi No INE.COM you never UPSETMAGAZ the same and ll happen. NOW know what wi video for ce is kind of Check out the Live performan t way and ‘Heaven’ addictive in tha ” really magical.
FACT FILE
S T H AT “T H E T H IN G D IF F E R E N T M A K E YO U
PETAL
: Kiley Lotz Band members vania ranton, Pennsyl Hometown: Sc (US) Formed: 2013 For Cover Signed To: Run about: Likes tweeting 33” pppp potato <3 “Crunch wrappp a _p tal - @pe
s to her When it come rld, sed into the wo ea rel ing be t debu and very ilt for how andably “excited rst de un is e felt a lot of gu sh record and first because I close to very personal le a op It’s . pe us ted rvo ec for ne g my disorders aff ll be empowerin e it was a us ca be ow nd kn I co I hope that it wi er. me, and the se e the most and not a down the person I lov people to hear songs and way of telling ‘The Fire’, ng to write the er. tti eth ge the ds tog o me en int ure fri for ’t st Kiley wasn that I see a fut [Collins, ngs with my be d tal’ ng that Brianna record those so lly cathartic an ‘Petal to the Me which is the so and I wrote but overall rea er] rd a. mb ha ide l s me fee um wa tal t alb Pe no concept occasional lps people to because it fun. I hope it he good to write d together, was ne.” nce her and I an rie pe like they’re alo ex an t r was abou a cyber stalke th wi s d se ha mu ds ” , en some fri n. We float through came to our tow and and as I “Words kind of wn as quickly who eventually was so exciting ir perspective “I jot them do tie Adams.. . It all the of ey. Cu m Kil ton for fro a b me ve Ca so ha . Death wrote ere e them. I different to me ng I ry scary time wh Most can before I los the favourite thi ours. It was a ve s on my phone. t was a ended up being lpless. But tha ird voice memo cause I ry he be we ve of ks a rt ac in so dtr er t un fel so we me togeth took from those rk through it.” the lyrics of my songs co to keep ple and honest good way to wo I have to fight loved how sim tal. itar tones quick way where en gu t gm en jud fer too dif not be re’s a were and all the someone up with it and down to it, the When it boils en I finally got come from they used. Wh me me in 8th hope that can for for of es m’ g nc lin cis rie nti ink pe tla tw l ex that’s the to burn ‘Transa room. moments, and “I think persona ng writing nk I ever left my the darkest of my writing. So rt on of pa lot im a at ly ful me nts as grade I don’t thi pe co me me be ho tool for great music mo main thing to t might very valuable tha a s a en ng in I I had so many be thi s up lar e ha w cu the listener. “Th I’m lucky I gre s record in parti you, or so many ages. lessons tive aspects of a person. For thi New York City that I was given seem like nega ile moving to that you d wh ha it u musical house, yo ote mp ng wr ca es tti nc ge , and that my bad experie the process of s you on instruments s.” provoke, thing and beginning and anxiety ed me some CD did nothing to my depression you don’t , ge counsellor slipp an ch treatment for t uld fel I wish you co says. nk sometimes m alone,” Kiley tlet; Kiley disorders. I thi where I couldn’t only creative ou have to carry the ke you different s in situations much es w Music isn’t her ma lpl lly ho t t he rea tha bu , s n’t ng too theatre “The thi y I loved or I did has worked in ch other? rful, and that an help a person ough, sts seep into ea was going thr make you powe lead to some there’s rstand what I do those intere n ff de nk ca stu t un thi I rk fel ! e wo ap u’v to erl ly ov pain yo me a way “There’s definite ance. and s and people. so writing beca conversations like live perform always beautiful thing You can create nothing really d It t. an e. ou ibl Try al. red ide inc really guess, would be Storytelling is nce/ feel inspired, I situations that .” watch the audie “I hope people their amazes me to ones d some answers something of fin ery ke ev ma en to Giv e c. yb mi ma performer dyna ing that feels ing when ecial yth az sp an am are of ’ is t it en , ou av es n liv ow ’ and ‘He busy and crazy ir lives.” P lling to be “’Camera Lens simple negative in the of people is wi they were just a large group to me because a singer or d a hard or ha y d ha pla I a t to tha s ng silent and listen elves ame’ is out now. and truthful thi in real life. The and allow thems Petal’s album ‘Sh time articulating watch a ballet to be 17
Insert a funny caption about Bully and bright lights here. Thanks. (Yes. That caption is deliberate.) 22 upsetmagazine.com
Feels Like... Every so often, a band comes along that really matters. With a debut album already starting to feel like a modern classic, Bully are on the edge of something huge.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd Interview: Ali Shutler
H
ype is a curious beast. To claim that Bully haven’t benefitted from their fair share of rabid attention would be a tad disingenuous; over the months before the release of their debut album, the oh-so-zeitgeisty blogs chattered loudly with their name. But Bully, they’re not like other buzz bands. Their early tracks burned bright enough to excite anyone with an inbuilt craving for the new and shiny, but where usually that interest starts to wither away as a full length arrives, with Bully it only intensified. Their debut, ‘Feels Like’, wasn’t just a few underground flavours of the month padded out with sound-a-like filler. From the first play it was obvious - this was a special record from a very special band. Alicia Bognanno doesn’t seem to have the time nor inclination for the ego to go along with 23
‘Feels Like’ really put Bully on the map. ON THE MAP. Geddit? Never mind.
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her band’s success. Bully’s frontperson, primary songwriter, engineer - there’s no way you could accuse her of not putting the hard work in - but when you’re so close to the coal face, it’s sometimes hard to tell exactly what you’ve created. “I can’t even tell what it is until I’ve had space from it and can come back to it,” she reveals, when asked what she makes of the album. “I can definitely say that when I listened back I was pleased. I’ve been on the other end where I’ve listened back to songs I’ve taken a break from and thought ‘eurgh, I want to scrap that’. But with this record there’s things I could definietly take and there’s things I could leave. There’s things I want to do differently for the next one but overall, I’m pretty happy with it.” Read back that statement. They’ve just dropped undeniably one of the albums of the year - one built not on faddish trend or flash-in-the-pan opportunism, but songs that feel like they’ll still ring just as true a decade from now. They’re riding the love for it around the globe, playing headline dates to fans converted, largely, via word of mouth rather than a huge marketing spend from some guy in a suit who sees them as a sure fire route to a big end of year bonus. Despite that - despite the fact that Bognanno has every right to be doing victory laps of her hotel room every single night - there’s no grandstanding, no kicking back, no careerist suggestion they’ve ‘made it’. That’s what makes Bully the kind of band to believe in.
“J
ust about every interview I do asks about Electrical Audio, which is fine but I give the same answer everytime. And I always get asked about either the honesty or the frankness to the lyrics, those are the two ones that I always, always get asked about.” Bognanno may be getting tired of talking about it, but if you’d rocked back up to Steve Albini’s studio after
“I never
interning there to record your debut album - and that debut album went on to sound like a modern classic befitting that legacy - you’d expect to get a few questions about it too. “I never thought I’d ever have the opportunity to go back.” she enthuses. It’s just a really amazing studio. There’s a kitchen there, bedrooms, showers, you pretty much have no reason to leave and I’ve known everyone that works there. I can be really comfortable around a bunch of helpful minds.” It’s clear that first spell working at Electric had an impact on what would become Bully. Surrounded by so much musical history, Bognanno took the oportunity to hoover up as much knowledge as she could. “I was mostly focusing on engineering stuff,” she explains, “but in my downtime I was trying to study the history of the studio and the history of the different eras of rock in Chicago. There were definitely a bunch of bands I really liked that stood out, which I’d say was pretty influential. “I wanted to know about the place where I was spending all my time. There’s such a community. There are bands that come back time after time to produce their record there. It’s nice to know the story of it; why they keep coming back, who knows who, who used to play in what bands together and all that kind of stuff. Be a little more familiar with the people who help keep the lights on there.”
thought I’d have the opportunity to go back.”
On returning, there was no
She’s Electric(al) If you’ve paid attention in rock school, you’ll have heard the name of Electrical Audio mentioned before. The studio set up by legendary recording engineer (not producer, he doesn’t like that term) Steve Albini in 1997, it’s been the birth place of thousands of albums. On Electrical’s website, you’ll find a massive list of bands who have recorded there. It’s a who’s who of modern rock and punk. From Built to Spill to Cloud Nothings, Foo Fighters to Kim Deal, there are huge names and new bands, acts who have gone on to be known around the world, and artists who were brilliant but never got their big break. This isn’t a mega studio designed to price out the little guy, but a genuine melting pot of great music. In interning there, and then later returning to record Bully’s album, Alicia ingrained the band with a history that runs deep.
hanging around. Bully knew exactly what they planned to do. “We did seven days of bass and tracking,” Bognanno recalls, “four days of vocals then 9 days of mixing. We tried to get everything, for the most part, worked out before we went in there. The only thing that came together in the studio was ‘I Remember’ and that was a last minute thing.” 25
e h t e We ar s p m Cha Discanio mbox, Derek oo b r u rk pop yo b Gra n how New Yo a em dy g d ri B ng radio-rea tells Jessica ps are breaki m a h C te ta punkers S album. their second ground with
“I
over, where want to start sings Derek do we begin,” ’, eaking Ground Discanio on ‘Br te track of the penultima d, ’ second recor State Champs rld and Back’. ‘Around The Wo n may well ar-old frontma t of While the 22-ye thin the contex wi g tin pla em the New be cont question that a it’s , ips sh relation writing the o faced when York quintet als ‘The Finer t, bu de 13 eir 20 follow up to th Things’. us when it bit stressful for “It got a little s of us writing ge sta rly ea ry came to the ve the comfor t explains from songs,” Derek Apple. “How Big e th in me of his mum’s ho ntroduce ourselves, do rei to are we going ourselves?” to reintroduce r we even want to carry on ou ing go we e x he muses, “Ar we going to mi are w ho or d, original soun ?” this up a bit fans looking ink about. For to It’s a lot to th amps’ approach Ch te Sta , gh the in thou la - inspired by mu for d or -ch - has o the three em d an nk pop pu MySpace era of t. But for the from the outse been flawless t zone that or mf co a out, it’s band looking . th wi t en m cont they’re far fro that we were um, we knew “On the first alb d we knew an nd ba nk pu p considered a po scene,” Derek at th to ter ca that we had to peal of the the natural ap e admits, noting l like we hit th fee “I . ’ wd cro t ‘Warped Tour first album bu e th th wi ad nail on the he
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“Weeee are the champions!” 29
WORDS
: ALI S HUTLE R
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M PTIMIS WED O THAN A RENE A AT LPED N H A S H E S C R E AT E W H ’ M ES A V I V L WIL E WA W E L L B T. E COULD Y ECORD BEST R
Wavves’ new stylist certainly had brave ideas. 37
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PH OTO: J ESSI CA FLY N N
from. That’s s who I come champion. That’ at line felt Th . nk e pu o es th t int here’s a light on the reason I go in that us of all e to th g ere kin filthy streets wh like it was spea ate. We’ve im d int an ry ve ird t we fel t ll throwaways ge group but it sti nch and I still s Beach Slang ng a whole bu played this so with me?” recite nding up.” sta s ch arm mu free. Are you in my x after get the hairs on rist James Ale ’s ere Th . gh vocalist / guita enou oes it cut you t at me at deliberation. “D t to fucking e that jumps ou and a time jus “That’s the on er these ov r ou ing en lab op lly a time to bleed e I rea s’, th first but man, m ‘Throwaway ve one line ha e I lin if a ow run.” Lifted fro it’s kn , n’t um things so I do nd’s debut alb James. track to the ba me,” concedes the essence of that does it for test, captures me. to el nt Fe o rta po Wh that, under pro le im is op Do To Find Pe “Every syllable make the ’ll ey th d an ‘The Things We write Some people be louder, n ca s oru Like Us’. ch e th verse quiet so to that. ver subscribed gsteen idea of nel that Sprin lyrically I’ve ne d to be d nte an wa I go . let me Trying to chan to to u nt ng pushing yo It’s all importa to be a of d s ge nte ssa wa I escape, it’s a so me e re for ere are nine mo a writer long be are “just do it.” Th stopping us a singer. Words follow. “What’s guitar player or ke to me.” ma to defiant hope to ing go cessary things that’s ne , ing big th lly is th rea e from chasing out an audienc ppy? I write ab k’n’roll, us our most ha under the n about in roc tte go for en Formed in 2013 set I that’s long be rs. That’s who friends, James de of t tsi en ou e em th vis d ad the misfits an
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H AT D O YO U D O W H E N YO U’ V E C R E AT E D YO U R O W N I N T E RG A LACT I C UNIVERSE AND CO N T I N U O U S LY E X P LO R E D A N D E X PA N D E D U P O N I T F O R T H E PA S T D E CA D E O R S O?
“Normally I tend to wake up really early around 4 o’clock, 5 o’clock and that’s the time I feel at my most productive. When I
PHOTO: SARAH LOUI SE BENNETT
Well, first of all, you can come back to earth. That’s a nice start. But for Coheed & Cambria, they’ve more than just removed the concept that’s seen them unravel the thrilling tale of the Amory Wars bit by bit - they’ve gone personal.
“I wrote the record in an apartment situation,” he continues. “Typically, I have a house in the country outside of New York City where I wrote most of the Coheed records, at least from ‘No World For Tomorrow’ to ‘The Afterman’, I wrote in this country house.
‘The Color Before the Sun’ started life as a solo project for Claudio Sanchez and, bit by bit, came back to the band. “Looking at it now in hindsight, when I was recording the record I didn’t realise I was writing a Coheed record,” admits Claudio. “That was maybe some of the frustrations that I had when I was writing this record, that this doesn’t fall within the sort of lines that Coheed has created for themselves with the concepts. Now, just looking at this as a Coheed piece, it just feels good, it doesn’t feel weird.
moved to this apartment, I didn’t have that luxury anymore. That’s kind of the difference - I started to write these songs in this apartment and I think there was this sense of exposure that was leaking in to the execution of the
songs because I knew my neighbours could hear me. It wasn’t the solitude that I was used to when working on music.” All these changes in circumstance, some great personal highs, others unfortunate lows, began to infiltrate the creative process. “They can hear me, they can’t hear the music, they can’t hear the context of the song that is being created. They just hear a person’s voice singing the melody so I think that leaked into my consciousness when writing the songs, but then of course the stress and frustration of being in this situation and not having my comfort zone leaked in too. “You know, when I realised I was going to become a father and some of the thoughts that come with it, before the birth and after the birth, that leaked into the record. My country home that we left got vandalised while we were away so that got in there; just all of these thoughts and experiences and hurdles that I sort of jumped were part of the writing process that weren’t there on previous records. That kind of had a hand on my emotional state when writing these songs.” With the concept stripped and personal, there are a
47
ES THE RELEAS
R THAT MATTE
RATED
STATE CHAMPS AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK
Pure Noise
eeee appear in the form of title track ‘Around The World And Back’. It quickly pushes the sound of State Champs towards the sugarcoated, bubble-gum end of the generic spectrum and doesn’t do justice bright ‘All You Are Is History’ and to the rest of the album. Unfortunately the bounce of ‘Perfect Score’. The the few tracks from that moment begin unashamedly pop vocals of Derek to lose their bite, even DiScanio give voice if they do pick up the to a hugely optimistic tempo. However, this and uplifting set of Tracklist small blip doesn’t take lyrics, underpinned by away from the strength of fast-paced, forceful 1. Eyes Closed this album as a whole. instrumentation. 2. Secrets
STATE CHAMPS HAVE DELIVERED EXACTLY WHAT FANS WANTED WITH THIS ONE; AND YES, THAT INCLUDES ALL THE POP PUNK PIZZA YOU COULD ASK FOR.
I
n an age that sees genre toppling from its position as the most discussed aspect of any musical venture, 2015 has still seen pop punk return in a big way.
State Champs’ ‘Around The World And Back’ features all the cornerstones of what is brilliant about pop punk: nearly every single song has an absolutely raging chorus. Anyone would be hard pushed to deny the legitimacy of the sing along moments that State Champs have delivered. As you should all know by now, ‘Secrets’ is undeniably one of the anthems of the year and is backed up by stomping opener ‘Closed Eyes’, the fantastically 5 0 upsetmagazine.com
‘All Or Nothing’ appears as a stopgap in the centre of the album, slowing down the pace without ditching the quality. However, the token pop punk album acoustic number does
3. Losing Myself 4. All You Are Is History 5. Perfect Score 6. All Or Nothing 7. Shape Up 8. Back and Forth 9. Around The World And Back 10. Breaking Ground 11. Tooth And Nail
State Champs had a chance to make their mark on a very special year in pop punk and they have absolutely taken it with this album, affirming their place as one of the genre’s brightest lights. Jack Glasscock
PH OTO: E M M A SWANN
DO NOT MISS
TRACKS OF THE MONTH
THE ALBUMS FROM THE LAST FEW MONTHS YOU NEED TO HEAR. .BRING ME THE HORIZON THAT’S THE SPIRIT “Bring Me The Horizon relish the fighting that comes with every step of an evolution. It’s that which marks out ‘That’s The Spirit’’s true majesty –so much more than just the next rung on the ladder.” Tom Connick
.MUNCIE GIRLS GONE WITH THE WIND The first song to be lifted from Muncie Girls’ upcoming debut deals with being fickle. This track is marvellous.
.ALLISON WEISS NEW LOVE
.BRUISING EMO FRIENDS Try as they might, the beaming smiles of Bruising can’t help but permeate their first, proper single.. ‘Emo Friends’ may twinkle but Bruising shine.
“Even in candyfloss-sweet moments, Weiss keeps it startlingly real: from the one that got away to the emptiness good advice can hold. Her lyrics are each a journey in themselves.” Heather McDaid
.CREEPER THE CALLOUS HEART EP “Not only does ‘The Callous Heart’ sound bigger, it’s got ambition to match. There’s a confidence to this growth: as Creeper’s platform rises, so does their ability to surprise.” Ali Shutler
BEHIND THE DEVIL’S BACK
Fightstar
eee FEAR NOT, FIGHTSTAR HAVEN’T GONE SOFT IN THEIR FIVE YEARS OFF.
.WAVVES V “‘V’ is fuelled by a tightly-honed sense of frenzy. The internal chaos of the lyrics is complemented by resoundingly chaotic refrains. When disorder takes hold, ‘V’ offers the solution: ride the waves.” Jessica Goodman
FIGHTSTAR
.METZ ERASER Crashing about and mumbling the title, it sounds like METZ have just been woken up on the start of ‘Eraser’. Snarling, chaotic and finding new ways to detonate.
‘I
s it still relevant?’ bellows the big rhetorical ghoul. That’s a completely understandable position to take, but there’s a cynical connotation that comes with that question. Let’s agree to judge on a case-by-case basis, at least for the next few paragraphs. So, straight off the bat with opener ‘Sharp Tongue’ everyone can breathe a sigh of relief as the heavy, pacey riff of the introduction signals that Charlie Simpson’s acoustic project hasn’t made the band go soft. There’s still grit to Fightstar’s sound and this is undoubtedly when they’re at their best. The undeniably brutal roar on lead-single ‘Animal’ is an example of where Fightstar absolutely nail it. The track sees them really let go of the reigns and go all in on a ludicrously heavy sound before allowing an almighty release in the form of a chorus you can’t help but nod to like the bloody Churchill dog. It’s the same story with the highlight of
the album, ‘Sink With The Snakes’. It features a riff that wouldn’t seem out of place on a metalcore record and a chorus that will be roared back at them. It’s a drastic, harsh transition, but it works beautifully. Now, it’s no secret that Fightstar like to channel their inner Deftones and it’s this element that’s nestled between the hard-hitters, where Fightstar run the risk of sounding lost. The songs meander and the instrumentation makes no real effort to impact in the same way as the more aggressive tracks. There’s also a lot less vocal exchange between Charlie and guitarist, Alex Westway on this album. Although Charlie’s voice is as velvety as always, this lost element isn’t there to save the small handful of more downtempo songs. But, when Fightstar do let it rip here, they really deliver and that should mean there’s enough great material on this to keep them relevant in 2015. Jack Glasscock 51